History of the Loire Valley and Wine
There is much history to be spoken of when mentioning the Loire Valley; Joan of Arc for example had saved this region from capture of the English in the Hundred Year War. The Loire Valley is known as the Garden of France for its impeccable rolling hills and century old French chateaux's as well as the great white wines produced here. This region is filled with gorgeous castles which coincide with all the amazing history that can be told of Loire Valley. The Largest Castle of the Loire Valley is the Châteaux of Chambord which was built by the French king François I as a royal hunting lodge. Along with enriched regional history this land was also known for centuries for its wines. The Loire Valley has been planting grapes in this region since the first century with the Romans. During the 11th Century there was a time when the Loire Valley's Wines were more prized than those from Bordeaux. The Loire Valley has about two-thirds the size of the Bordeaux wine region making it suitable to plant many vines. Due to Loire Valley's enormous planting region, the region is often divided into three parts; the Upper Loire, Middle Loire, Lower Loire.
