Stars of The Loire

Stars of the Loire dinner and tasting at New Street Wine Shop and Grill

Think of the Loire and what most easily comes to mind are inexpensive Muscadet and Sauvignon Blanc.

Beyond these, of course, the Loire does fizz, red and sweet wines, as well as rosé - all with a characteristic lightness and freshness.

Anyone looking for alternatives to big, ripe pantechnicons that retain a pretty fruit elegance could do a lot worse than look at the Loire's alluringly fresh and versatile, food-friendly wines.

What impressed me most from this tasting was the consistency of quality, but it was also interesting to see some more ambitious wines on show.

Cremant de Loire, Domain Penet, Chateau de la Presle NV (D&D, Gerrard Steele £13.50) fresh, elegant orchard fruit

Vouvray Francois Chidane Les Argiles 2014 (D&D, Majestic, £25) linear, precise, mineral

Savennieres Domaine des Baumard, Clos du Papillon 2007 (D&D, £32) complex, waxy, substantial

Saumur Champigny, Domaine des Roches Neuves, Terres Chaudes 2013 (D&D, Excel, £19.80) fresh, berry-fruited, elegant

Coteaux du Layon, Philippe Delesvaux, Selection de Grains Nobles 2014 (D&D, F&R, £18.60, 50cl) complex, rich, honeycombed

Match the lighter (and less expensive) whites with seafood, the more structured examples with ham hock terrine or crab.

Reds will stand up to a rare steak.

Sweet wines need a simple classic: Eton mess or creme brulee.

The wines are all available at D&D: http://www.danddwineshop.com/

Stars of the Loire

The Stars of the Loire festival, which runs from 21 September to 25 October, will see Loire Valley Wines as the guests of honour at a range of D&D London restaurants across the capital. Throughout the five week festival, over a dozen top restaurants and three wine shops across the D&D group will be offering a variety of different Stars of the Loire events.

There will also be a number of pop-up events and tastings including special dinners hosted by BBC Saturday Kitchen’s Jane Parkinson; Channel 4’s Four Rooms art dealer Wendy Meakin; and Daily Telegraph wine correspondent Victoria Moore.

Further information about the Stars of the Loire festival can be found on at http://www.danddwine.com/campaigns-and-partnerships/loirestars/.

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Matching Loire Wines and Food‏ - with Fiona Beckett
Loire Masterclass at Berry's