Anjou wine is produced in the Loire Valley wine region of France near the city of Angers. The wines of region are often grouped together with the wines of nearby Saumur as "Anjou-Saumur". Along with the wines produced further east in Touraine, Anjou-Saumur make what is collectively known as the "Middle Loire" (as opposed to the "Upper Loire" which includes the wine regions of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. [1] Within the Anjou wine region are several Appellation d'origine contrôlées (AOCs) responsible for a broad spectrum of wines including still red, white and rosé produced with varying levels of sweetness. Extending across the Deux-Sèvres, Maine-et-Loire and Vienne départements, the generic Anjou AOC appellation and its various sub-appellations encompasses vineyards across more than 151 communes. [2]

The broad spectrum of wine styles produced in Anjou brings with it a wide variety of winemaking techniques. In areas such as the Coteaux du Layon, the wines are fermented in 400 L (106 gallons) "double- barriques" and submitted to partial malolactic fermentation. [5] The basic still wines of Anjou blanc are made similar to still white wine production elsewhere though, as wine expert Jancis Robinson notes, they do have an historical association with being over sulfited. [1] As red wine production continues to find a market, and plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon increase, more producers are experimented with the use of new oak barrels. In riper years Angevin producers can make more fuller bodied reds similar to those found in the Touraine wine reds but still relatively light when compared to the reds of warmer climates such as Bordeaux and the Rhone. [8] See also [ edit ] The production of dry red wines has been steadily increasing since the late 20th century spurred on, in part, by the creation of the Anjou-Villages AOC in 1987 for premium red wine production. Made predominantly from Cabernet Franc, some of the most ideally situated vineyards located south of Angers in the Coteaux de l'Aunbance AOC was given their own distinct sub-appellation in 1998 known as the Anjou-Villages Brissac AOC. The Gamay grape of Beaujolais still has a presence here and its own appellation of Anjou Gamay AOC. Gamay, as well as a variety of other red wine grape varieties, can also be produced under the catch-all appellation Anjou Rouge AOC. [5] Major appellations [ edit ] Rosé d'Anjou and Cabernet d'Anjou The category that used to be called blush. Again, if this is the style you like you’ll want to drink it with all the foods mentioned in 1) above. But those who prefer this style of rosé may also find it useful with spicy food and as a dessert wine (it’s spot on with unsweetened strawberries and not oversweet strawberry tarts) Anjou-Villages AOC The boundaries of this red wine only AOC was first delimited in 1986 but did not go into effect until the 1991 harvest. Made entirely from Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon, these wines have an aging potential of 2–6 years after harvest. [3] There are 46 communes in the appellation allowed to produce grapes for this AOC. [7] a b c H. Johnson & J. Robinson The World Atlas of Wine pg 118 Mitchell Beazley Publishing 2005 ISBN 1-84000-332-4

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Rosé was once considered a summer wine but increasingly more people are drinking it year round with almost every type of food and on any and every occasion. The two major grape varieties of the Anjou are Chenin blanc, known locally as Pineau de la Loire, which is used for dry, sweet, still and sparkling wine and Cabernet Franc which is used mostly for rosé and still red wines. [12] The sweet wine production of Anjou is highly dependent on favorable climate conditions and experiences marked vintage variation from year to year. The character of the vintage and climate will ultimately determine what type of wine will be produced. Many of the vineyards in the Coteaux du Layon, Bonnezeaux, Quarts de Chaume and Coteaux de l'Aubance AOCs are located on sheltered slopes along tributaries of the Loire. In favorable vintages, the late summer and early fall months will bring climate conditions that encourage moisture and mist in the morning and enough sunshine in the afternoon to promote the development of favorable Botrytis cinerea rot instead of less desirable forms of grape rot. [9] In exceptional years where there is enough warmth and dry weather during the harvest months, the grapes will be left on the vine to raisin in a process known as passerille. This method desiccates the wine, removing moisture and concentrating sugars, without adding the nuance of flavor that Botrytis does. [4] a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t T. Stevenson The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia pg 282-286 Dorling Kindersley 2005 ISBN 0-7566-1324-8 The nearest equivalent to this style of rosé are crisp dry white wines such as Pinot Grigio and they go with similar food. Food pairings for most Provencal rosé and similar dry rosés include light salads, light pasta and rice dishes, raw or lightly cooked shellfish like oysters, grilled fish and goats’ cheeses. See also The Best Food Pairings for Provence Rose When in doubt, Bond always chose the station hotels. They were adequate, there was plenty of room to park the car and it was better than even chances that the Buffet de la Gare would be excellent. And at the station one could hear the heart-beat of the town. The night-sounds of the trains were full of its tragedy and romance.

a b c d e f g J. Robinson (ed) "The Oxford Companion to Wine" Third Edition pg 24 Oxford University Press 2006 ISBN 0-19-860990-6 Nearer a full-bodied red than a rosé - big, bold and bursting with fruit. Often quite high in alcohol but it tends not to show because they’re not tannic and served chilled which makes them ideal for a barbecue and for drinking with spicy food such as curries. Also good with ripe peaches. Very much the modern rosé for contemporary food.These rosés are also a good wine pairing for brie, camembert and other white-rinded cheeses so long as you don't let them get too ripe and runny. Fresh figs make a good accompaniment. a b H. Johnson Vintage: The Story of Wine pg 124-125,144 & 188 Simon and Schuster 1989 ISBN 0-671-68702-6 Fruity rosés e.g. pinot noir rosés and off-dry Loire and traditional Portuguese rosés with a touch of sweetness such as Rosé d’Anjou and Mateus Rosé

Reading Goldfinger today, the realisation that James Bond chooses to drink a pitcher of ice-cold Rosé d’Anjou over a glass of gently chilled Dom Pérignon ( “…if that’s the ’69, you were expecting me…”) or indeed an entire bottle of an infantile vintage of Château Angélus seems surprising. It is a reminder to us that the Bond of Fleming’s novels was less subject to product placement and cliché than the Bond of the silver screen. It is also a reminder that Rosé d’Anjou, along with the likes of Sancerre and Saumur-Champigny, was one of the classic bistro wines of the last century.

Chaume AOC controversy [ edit ] An example of passerillage where the grapes are raisined on the vine rather than infected by Botrytis cinera. Similar to botrytized wines, the raisining has the effect of reducing water in the grape and causing the sugars to be more concentrated. Rosé Champagne (or brut rosé) - Again there’s a variation in style between lighter and more full-bodied champagnes or sparkling wines. The best food pairings for lighter styles of rosé champagne include canapés and the type of foods mentioned in (1) above. More substantial vintage brut rosé Champagne can take on grilled lobster and grilled or roast rare lamb or game like pigeon, pheasant or grouse.

Dutch traders in the 16th and 17th century introduced sweet wine production to the region that would feed the growing and prosperous market for such wines in Rotterdam. Anjou wines experienced some brief popularity with the English market being in demand due to their reputation for tasting "ripe and sweet". [6] The high point of the Angevin wine industry was the early 19th century when the market demands of Paris overtook those of the Dutch and plantings flourished throughout the area. But soon the phylloxera epidemic would ravage the region's vineyards and bring this golden era to a close. In response to the devastation, growers in Anjou replanted with a wide range of grape varieties of varying qualities, including hybrid grapes. Even with this massive replanting, vineyards in the Anjou still number less than half of the acreage planted during the peak years of production. [5] Climate and geography [ edit ] Savennières wine from producer Nicolas Joly. The bottle on the left is from the sub-appellation AOC of Savennières Coulée-de-Serrant. Savennières Coulée-de-Serrant AOC A 17 acres (7 hectare) sub appellation of Savennières, this AOC encompasses one single vineyard that is a monopole owned by Nicolas Joly. [3] Bonnezeaux AOC A sub-appellation of the Coteaux du Layon AOC comprises three southwest facing slopes within the village of Thouarcé that produce sweet, often botrytized, wines made entirely from Chenin blanc. Harvest in Bonnezeaux is very labor-intensive requiring harvested to go through the vineyards in multiple passes or tries selecting only the ripest individual grapes. In 2003 the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO) increased the harvest sugar levels from 204grams per liter to 238 and the minimum residual sugar levels of the finished wine from 17grams per liter to 34. Wine expert Tom Stevenson describes the wines of Bonnezeaux as being more full-bodied and richer than those of Quarts-de-Chaume with an aging potential of up to 20 years or more. [3] Wine expert Tom Stevenson describes the wines of the area as being a " microcosm of the Loire Valley", featuring wines made from every grape variety and in almost every style produced in the entire Loire wine region. [3] Among the wines of Anjou, Savennières is noted for its dry Chenin blanc wines and the Coteaux du Layon for its sweet dessert wines that includes the botrytized wines of Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume. Various rosé wines are produced in the region under different AOC designation include Rosé d'Anjou, the most basic level made predominantly from Grolleau, and Cabernet d'Anjou which is usually made from Cabernet Franc or Cabernet Sauvignon. [4] For most of its history, dry red wines have represented a small percentage of Anjou winemaking but in recent years the numbers have been steadily increasing—aided, in part, by the 1987 establishment of the Anjou-Villages AOC designation for red wines which can be made from only Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The Gamay grape of the Beaujolais wine region has had a long history in the Anjou with its own Anjou-Gamay AOC. Grapes from around the region can go into basic Anjou blanc and Anjou Rouge AOC wines. [5] History [ edit ] Angevin winemakers in the Middle Ages were one of the few Medieval producers to blend both the vin de goutte (free run juice) with the vin de presse (pressed wine) which added tannins and color to the wine.Coteaux du Layon Villages AOC A sub-appellation of the Coteaux du Layon AOC, this wine region covers six communes along the river Layon that have historically produced wines of high quality. The six communes are Beaulieu-sur-Layon, Faye-d'Anjou, Rablay-sur-Layon, Rochefort-sur-Loire, Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné and Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay. According to wine expert Tom Stevenson, there are noticeable differences among the wines produced by each commune (all made from Chenin blanc) with the wines of Beaulieu-sur-Layon being characterized by their light aromas; Faye-d'Anjou wines having a distinctive brushwood aroma; Rablay-sur-Layon wines tend to be the most bold and round; the wines of Rochefort-sur-Loire tend to be full bodied and have the most aging potential; Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné wines are characterized by their delicate aromas that develop over time and the wines of Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay often have very round mouthfeel and robust flavors. [3] Quarts-de-Chaume AOC Most of the land in this appellation near the village of Chaume once belonged to the abbey of Ronceray d'Angers who required from tenant vignerons tithes in the form of 1/4 (a quarter or "Quarts") of their yearly production. From this history, the name Quarts-de-Chaume was attached to the Chenin blanc wines of this region harvested and produced in a manner similar to those in Bonnezeaux. [3] Sparkling rosé covers a range of styles from dry to medium dry. Lighter, drier ones make ideal party drinking (Cava rosado is good wine pairing with tapas). Sweeter styles of sparkling rosé like rosé prosecco would be a good wine pairing at a tea party with macarons, cakes and fruit tarts.