Loire Masterclass with Simon Woods

We often ask our Masterclass attendees where they’d like us to focus on for future events. The region that’s been suggested most frequently in recent months? ‘The Loire Valley!!!’ So we’re bowing to public demand and will be spending a Saturday afternoon looking at wines grown along the banks of France’s longest river.

From the Atlantic coast, there’ll be top-end Muscadet from one of the recently introduced ‘cru’ zones. From a little further inland, there’ll be Chenin Blanc in dry, sweet and sparkling forms, including wines from the prestige appellations of Savennières and Quarts De Chaume, along with a couple of Cabernet Francs that have benefitted from a few years of bottle age. And from further upstream, there’ll be three Sancerres – one made from Pinot Noir and two made from Sauvignon Blanc, one of them from the prestigious ‘Les Monts Damnés’ vineyard.

Yes, nine wines rather than the eight we usually serve in our Masterclasses – and we could easily have featured several more. The average price of the wines is around the £25 mark, that is if you can find them – we have some older gems that you’ll struggle to track down. Add in some cheese and our favourite rosemary crackers, and you have a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon. See you there!