06/18/2026
The Loire often does not get the attention it deserves, especially in the summertime. These are some of the most refreshing, food-friendly wines in France, and we think they belong on more summer tables.
In Vouvray, Jean-Michel Gautier can trace his family’s estate to a land deed from 1669. Grown in tuffeau limestone soils above the Loire River, his Vouvray Sec opens with white peach and yellow flowers, a fresh and mineral-driven wine from start to finish. It works well with grilled seafood dishes or on its own. At Domaine Vigneau-Chevreau, the five generations of farming on tuffeau and silex soils show in every bottle. Now farmed biodynamically, the Vouvray Sec “Cuvée Silex” comes from flint-rich plots and opens with apple, pear, and citrus notes, followed by a mineral finish that lingers. The Domaine’s sparkling Vouvray Pétillant Demi-Sec is lightly fizzy with notes of pears, apples, and clover honey — an ideal aperitif or light dessert wine.
In Chinon, Eric Santier ferments with indigenous yeasts, ages the wine in older foudres, and blends in the spring. His vines on the clay and silex soils of the Clos du Saut au Loup are over 35 years old. The result is Cabernet Franc with plum, raspberry, and herbal notes, ripe tannins, and a long, full-flavored finish. Serve it slightly chilled, and it holds its own against anything you’d reach for on a warm evening. His Le Petit Chemin Rosé is strawberry and cherry-forward, dry and bursting with flavor; one we keep coming back to all summer long.
If you are interested, reach out to your distributor or contact us directly. We’d love to help you bring these wines to your summer table.
