12 Facts About Loire

Loire is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world.

Loire Valley has been called the "Garden of France" and is studded with over a thousand chateaux, each with distinct architectural embellishments covering a wide range of variations, from the early medieval to the late Renaissance periods.

Name "Loire" comes from Latin Liger, which is itself a transcription of the native Gaulish name of the river.

Loire changed its course, due to tectonic deformations, from the original outfall into the English Channel to its new outfall into the Atlantic Ocean thereby forming today's narrow terrain of gorges, the Loire Valley with alluvium formations and the long stretch of beaches along the Atlantic Ocean.

Loire has been described as "constantly under threat of losing its status as the last wild river in France".

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In 1990, Loire Vivante met with the French Prime Minister and the government, successfully, as the government demanded that the EPALA embark upon major reforms in its approach to managing the river.

Studies of the palaeo-geography of the region suggest that the palaeo-Loire flowed northward and joined the Seine, while the lower Loire found its source upstream of Orleans in the region of Gien, flowing westward along the present course.

The Phoenicians and Greeks had used pack horses to transport goods from Lyon to the Loire to get from the Mediterranean basin to the Atlantic coast.

Loire Valley has a long history of winemaking dating back to the 1st century.

The Upper Loire includes the Sauvignon blanc dominated areas of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume.

The Middle Loire is dominated by more Chenin blanc and Cabernet franc wines found in the regions around Touraine, Saumur, Chinon and Vouvray.

The Cremant de Loire which refers to any sparkling wine made according to the traditional method of Champagne.