Take me to the river 

A cornucopia of styles, climate and terroir in full flow

Mostly, when we take for granted a section of our inventory it's a producer whose efforts go unsung. Today we highlight a whole region that at Uncorked rarely gets the attention it deserves. The fabulous Loire is a river system that affects in one way or another almost a third of France and is vital for the whole wine scene. There's loads of great wine, but there is also the Alliers oak forest, a sustainably managed source of wood for many of the country's best coopers and the support for many of our favourite Burgundies and Bordeaux, not to mention top new world offerings.

But it's the wine we're interested in and what a plethora of styles, grape varieties and terroirs we find. Just the whites will give you fizzy or still; every shade from bone dry to unctuous sweetness - all cut with bright acidity. The climate varies from Atlantic to continental and as the cradle of French cuisine, it is apt that all the wines accompany food so well. From simple cheese to three star creations there is a Loire wine for you.

So not only do we have four fine Loire wines on tasting today, we are also offering a fabulous mixed case selection with six different wines, each embodying a classic regional style. /CW

A mixed case selection

2013 Selection Hauts Pemions Muscadet Sur Lie: grown close to the Atlantic oyster beds at the mouth of the Loire, Muscadet has been an unsung wine for three decades. Lees aged in tank, this can be a complex and certainly refreshing wine for the table.
2013 Francois Cotat Sancerre Monts Damnes: born in the home of France's greatest goat's cheese - the Crottin de Chavignol - and equally at home with a seafood platter or a stir-fry.
2008 Careme Vouvray Le Peu Morier Demi-Sec: illustrating just one tiny part of the Loire's off dry heritage, this is a fabulous wine for cheeses, pates - including FG - and even pudding.
2011 Denis Jamain Reuilly Rose Chatillon : a little known Pinot Noir clone, this pale pink is fabulous for spring artichoke and salmon recipes to name but a few.
2013 Andre Dezat Sancerre Rouge VV: a natural for duck and chicken dishes as well as soft, rich cheeses
2011 Yannick Amirault Bourgueil Grand Clos: your Easter lamb was made for this, but it drinks so well with many meats and like many wines from the Loire goes brilliantly with vegetarian dishes, such as those from north Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean.