Anjou-Saumur Wine Region

One of the Loire Valley’s most diverse and largest regions, Anjou-Saumur offers wines of different styles, starting from dry or sweet whites, finishing with reds, rosés, and sparkling wines. Dotted with hills, traditional cellars, and castles, Anjou-Saumur wine region is a fantastic place to plan a trip. Around 30 vineyards grow side beside here and suggest a wide choice for tastings.

Find out more about Wine Tastings and Tours in Anjou-Saumur!

Sub-Appellations of Anjou-Saumur wine region

The Anjou-Saumur appellation area extends across 128 communes in Maine-et-Loire, 14 in Deux Sèvres and 9 in Vienne. The Anjou regional AOC also includes a number of sub-regional and communal AOCs.

The vineyards nearby the city of Angers are full of different grape varieties, and many of these vineyards belong to appellations with the name “Anjou” in them: Anjou Coteaux de la Loire, Anjou Villages Brissac, Anjou Mousseux, and Anjou Gamay.

History of Anjou-Saumur wine region

The monasteries played a vital role in developing the Anjou-Saumur vineyards, as each had its own enclosed plot of vines. When Henry II became King of England in 1154, the royal court started to serve Anjou wines. So, for nearly a thousand years, the high-class society of France and England had a part in increasing recognition of Anjou-Saumur wines. As a result, the vineyards increased during the 16th and 17th centuries from their first location on the banks of the Loire.

Unique Terroir of Anjou-Saumur

With over two thousand years of history, the Anjou-Saumur wine appellation is made up of a collection of diverse climates, soils, geographical features – all of which contribute to the high-quality diverse wines the region produces. 

The wide range of soils includes granite, greenstone, sandstone, carboniferous schists, and volcanic rocks. Between Angers and Saumur, we see the transition between the bedrock to the west and the sedimentary to the east. In the Saumurois and Touraine, the subsoil is made up of limestone, sand, and siliceous clay from the Paris Basin. Diversity of soils impacts both the grape variety being grown and the growers’ choice of production.

Balanced Climate Of Anjou-Saumur wine region

As for the climate, Anjou-Saumur has numerous microclimates all of which promote vine growth and contribute to the wide diversity of the region’s wines.

Maritime influence starts in earnest in Anjou and Saumur. The climate is milder and temperature shifts are a little more moderate than in the purely continental regions inland.

• The Anjou territory enjoys an oceanic climate with mild winters, hot summers, plenty of sunshine, and small temperature variations. 
• In the Saumur area, the hills present a block to winds blowing from the west; the climate becomes semi-oceanic here and temperature changes more often.

Anjou-Saumur’s sophistication and reach are due in large part to the grape varietals, the climate, and the attention from the winemakers of the area. These elements define a style of wine found nowhere else in France or the world for that matter.

Grape varieties and tasting notes of Anjou-Saumur wines

Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc are the leading grape varieties of the Anjou-Saumur wine region. Other grapes that are grown within the region and produce delicious wines are Gamay, Pineau d’Aunis, Grolleau, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.

You will come across that the most Cabernet Sauvignon grape is planted in Anjou than anywhere else in the Loire Valley. Anjou is also the birthplace of the highly versatile Chenin Blanc, which is the basis for all the region’s white wines, although Chardonnay and Sauvignon can be used as small proportions of the blend. Chenin is the oldest grape, and the first historical record of it dates from the 9th century.

The distinguished sub-region of Anjou-Saumur has an array of wines known throughout the world for their prestige and high quality. As you embark on your travels through the wine region of Loire Valley, we hope you will enjoy discovering these classic wines.

Red Wines

Red wines have a ruby red colour and elegant aromas of red fruit and flowers. They are fresh on the palate with fine tannins and served at 16-17°C.

White wines

Anjou-Saumur white wines are golden yellow, ranging from pale to intense. They are elegant and serve at 10°C (6° for sparkling wines).

Sparkling wines

Sparkling Anjou Mousseux comes in both white and rosé forms, and is based on the same array of varieties as the still wines. The only sparkling red wine from Anjou-Saumur is Anjou Gamay, which must be made of 100 Gamay.

Food to pair with Anjou-Saumur wine

Rillauds

Rillauds is a traditional French dish from Anjou. This food consists of pieces of pork belly that are placed into a salty, herbaceous brine to soak. When cooked, rillauds are served warm or cold. In the past, they were plated in the form of a pyramid.

For the best experience, try to taste the dish with a fresh green salad on the fouée bread and pair it with a glass of Anjou-Saumur red wine.

Quiche Lorraine

Quiche is a popular dish, and it can be made with nearly anything, like meats, vegetables, seafood, cheeses, and herbs. However, the king among these delicious baked tarts are still the original quiche Lorraine. This old recipe consists of bacon, eggs, cream, nutmeg, and a dash of salt and pepper.

The word quiche has been adapted from the German word küchen, meaning cake, as the first Lorraine quiches were bread dough based. This dish is served as an appetizer with a green salad on the side, at room temperature or warm. You can try Quiche Lorraine with a glass of Anjou-Saumur white wine.

Sole Meunière

Sole Meunière is a classic French seafood dish, which is prepared with sole fillets. When the fish is ready, they add lemon juice, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley.

In traditional French cuisine, the name meunière refers to the style of cooking ingredients in brown butter and lemon juice or lightly coating the ingredients in flour before frying. The name meunière refers to the miller’s wife, which describes the fact that flour dusts the fish.

Places to visit in Anjou-Saumur wine region

Château de Saumur

Traveling across the Saumur for the first time, the sight of the château rising above the Loire is one that will amaze you. Dominating the view from a ridge, this landmark began as a citadel in the 900s.

Later, René of Anjou converted it into his plush “Château d’Amour” in the 1400s, and the design hasn’t changed much since then. This building was covered with scaffolding for the last couple of years. However, you can still come to Saumur and enjoy its splendor.

Musée des Arts Décoratifs

The Musée des Arts Décoratifs is a museum dedicated to the exhibition and preservation of decorative arts. Its collection was founded in 1905 by members of the Union des Arts Décoratifs. If you visit this place, you will see furniture, interior design, altarpieces, religious paintings, wallpapers, ceramics, and glassware.

On the first floor, there’s a lavish assortment of decorative items from the 1300s to the 1700s. A lot of the space is reserved for ceramics from the 17th and 18th centuries, but there are also decorations and furniture in pristine condition.

Église Saint-Pierre

The Church of Saint-Pierre is a Roman Catholic Church located on the Place Saint-Pierre in northern France. The eastern apse of the church was built by Hector Sohier between 1518 and 1545. Its interior choir and the exterior apse display an architecture that embodies the transition from Gothic to Renaissance.

The church was built around the time the Plantagenets held sway in this region of France. The interior has a few intriguing things to look out for: There’s a tapestry from the 1500s illustrating the life and deeds of St.Peter, while wooden stalls in the choir date to the 1400s.

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