In Focus - Discover France: Experience the Best of France - page 730

The Loire Valley
The Loire's 700 sq km of vineyards rank it as the third-largest area in France for the
production of quality wines. Although sunny, the climate here is humid and not all
grape varieties thrive. Still, the Loire produces the greatest variety of wines of any
region in the country. A particular speciality of the region is rosé. The most common
grapes are the Muscadet, cabernet franc and chenin blanc varieties, and wines
tend to be light and delicate. The most celebrated areas are Pouilly-Fumé, Vouvray,
Sancerre, Bourgueil, Chinon and Saumur.
Languedoc
Languedoc is the country's most-productive wine-growing region, producing up to
40% of France's wine (mainly cheap red table wine). In addition to the well-known
Fitou label, the area's other quality wines are Coteaux du Languedoc, Faugères,
Corbières and Minervois.
Alsace
Alsace produces unique white wines known for their clean taste and fresh finish.
Unusually, some of the fruity Alsatian whites also go well with red meat. The vine-
yards closest to Strasbourg produce light red wines from pinot noir that are similar
to rosé and are best served chilled.
Alsace's four most important varietal wines are riesling, known for its subtlety; the
more pungent and highly regarded gewürztraminer; the robust pinot gris, which is
high in alcohol content; and muscat d'Alsace, which is not as sweet as that made
with muscat grapes grown further south.
Beer, Cider & Spirits
Though it's principally known for its wine, France also produces many excellent
beers, especially in northern France and Alsace (thanks to its close cultural ties with
nearby Germany). The main French breweries for Heineken and Kronenbourg can
both be visited near Strasbourg, but there are many smaller breweries dotted
across the region. Names to look out for include Bière de Scharrach, Schutzenber-
ger Jubilator and Fischer d'Alsace, a hoppy brew from Schiltigheim.
The preferred tipples in Normandy and Brittany are cidre (apple cider) and pear-
based poiré (perry). Calvados is a strong apple brandy that's often drunk as an
aperitif or used to flavour desserts.