The Loire Valley is a big, complicated, and tough to learn wine region. Don’t feel bad if frustration sets it. We could easily do an entire week on this area and still not cover everything!
Take it in bits and pieces. Learn about Vouvray, Sancerre, and Muscadet first. After that hit some red wine regions such as Chinon.
Know that west to east the key grapes are:
- Melon de Bourgogne (Muscadet)
- Cabernet Franc
- Chenin Blanc
- Sauvignon Blanc
- … along with exceptions to this rule all over the place. Loire is tough to learn!
Map resources
Experience Loire: Wine region map
Vineyards.com: Loire Valley map
More links for learning
Winesearcher: Loire Valley (which has links to all the sub-regions … of which there are many!)
Wine Enthusiast: Decode the Wines of the Loire Valley
Winesearcher info on the two most important grapes of the Loire: Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc
Wine Traveler: 10 Important Things to Know About the Loire Valley
Official website: Loire Valley Wines