European vintage reports are now flooding in thick and fast. The following account of the Loire Valley's prospects for 2011 comes from Charles Sydney, who runs a courtier business there with...

I find myself more excited about the range of wines being made around the world from Sauvignon Blanc grapes than I ever have before. There was a time not that long ago when we seemed to have...

As has been remarked on our Members' forum recently, the Loire is a seriously underestimated source of wonderful wine - especially nowadays. Chinon-based wine broker (and talented amateur...

From £13.75, $19.99 Find this wine There are definitely fashions in grape varieties, which makes life very difficult for grape growers since it can take a good three years after...

I tasted these wines blind in the cellars of Buckingham Palace recently. They had been submitted as possible purchases for Her Majesty's dining table by wine merchants with a royal warrant and a...

Charles and Philippa Sydney, boundlessly enthusiastic and highly successful courtiers (brokers) for Loire wines, based in Chinon, have sent us their preliminary, pre-fermentation report on the...

Over the past 30 years during which I initially bought, sold and highly recommended the extremely food-friendly wines of the Loire valley as a restaurateur and then subsequently enjoyed them as...

Wine is worth about €1.2 billion to the producers of the Loire valley. Until last year about 70 million bottles were exported – worth €220 million – and a massive 40% of that went to the...

Chenin and Cabernet Franc started flowering in the Loire Valley last week, and now Sauvignon Blanc. You can tell how Chinon wine broker Charles Sydney feels about his beloved Loire when you see...

Charles and Philippa Sydney, courtiers en vins de Loire based in Chinon, sent this enthusiastic preliminary report, written mid Nov. All photos courtesy of Charles. Although it's still a...

If Menetou Salon, Quincy and Reuilly are the poor relations of Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé, spare a thought for the Loire vignerons producing Sauvignon Blanc outside these famous Central Vineyard...

Charles Sydney, courtier en vins de Loire, sends this update to his September vintage report now that he has tasted many of the wines. To summarise this...

The wines of the Loire Valley have always seemed to Julia and me to attract much less than their fair share of exposure and praise. Julia even made trying to combat this phenomenon the subject of...

Charles Sydney, optimistic wine broker pictured below enthusing over Touraine 2008 grapes, reports from the Loire.   I thought a quick update on the harvest might...

In a nutshell : France's most varied, and neglected, wine region. Most wines noticeably crisp. Main grapes (going downriver): Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Chenin Blanc,...