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Touraine is the district at the very heart of the Loire Valley wine region of France, both geographically and in terms of production. Named after the city of Tours at its center, it follows the course of the Loire river for roughly 60 miles (100km), from Blois and Mesland in the east to Chinon and Bourgueil in the west.
Touraine has its own generic regional appellation (simply called Touraine) which covers the entire district, as well as several titles that are more specific in terms of both location and wine style. These range from the dry, fruity reds of Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil to the myriad whites of Vouvray and Montlouis. Trapped in the hinterland between Tours and Orleans, Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny are often grouped in as part of the wider Touraine.
Wines made under the Touraine regional appellation may be red, white or rose, and each color also comes in sparkling Mousseux variants. The still red wines are made principally from Gamay, Cabernet Franc and Malbec (known here as Cot), with smaller proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. Their white counterparts, which make up roughly half of all Touraine wines, are dominated by 'Sauvignon' – a combination of Sauvignon Blanc and (less commonly) Sauvignon Gris. Touraine roses, which constitute less than 10% of production, are created from the same varieties as the reds with the addition of the Loire's less-favored Grolleau Noir and Pineau d'Aunis, and even Pinot Meunier.
With the Touraine district being located a full 140 miles (226km) from the Atlantic Ocean and the same from the northern Massif Central hills of central France, the climate here falls somewhere between maritime and continental. There is a noticeable difference, however, between the cold, drier winters of the eastern Touraine and those in the west, which tend to be slightly wetter and more temperate. In summer, the slow-moving waters of the Loire do little to cool the Touraine vineyards which line its banks; this region is known for its hot, torpid summer days.
Throughout the Touraine the better vineyard sites are those blessed with free-draining soils rich in tuffeau and alluvial gravels. Tuffeau is the sandy, highly porous, sedimentary rock left right along the Loire by retreating seas 90 million years ago. Rather aptly, this geological period is known as the Turonian Age, a name derived from the city of Tours. Not only is tuffeau important in the vineyards, it has also played a key role in Touraine's winemaking and storage practices, particularly as regards sparkling wines. Because it is an accessible, relatively lightweight and attractively colored construction material, it has been used to build many local structures (including a number of the Loire's famous chateaux). The excavations for these projects left caves dotted along the upper banks of the Loire, which have now been put to good use as wine cellars. Champagne has its white limestone; Touraine has its tuffeau.
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