Loire Valley (wine) time in Angers (Anjou): With over planted under vine, the Loire Valley is about two-thirds the size of the Bordeaux wine region. Due to its location and marginal climate, the overall quality of a vintage has a dramatic effect on the quality of the region's wines—more so than with other French wine regions. The most common hazard is that the cool climate will prevent the grapes from ripening fully and developing the sugars needed to balance the naturally high acidity of the grapes. During these cool vintages the Sauvignon blanc based wines are lighter in color, less fruity and have
French frigate Loire (1796) had no casualties but "Egyptienne" had 8 wounded, one mortally. "Libre" was badly damaged and had lost her masts so "Loire" took her in tow and reached Plymouth with her on 4 January 1806. "Libre" had sailed from Flushing on 14 November in company with a French 48-gun frigate but the two vessels had parted in a gale on 9 November off the coast of Scotland. The Admiralty did not purchase "Libre" into service. On 22 April 1806, "Loire" captured the Spanish privateer "Princess of Peace", 14 guns, 23 men. "Loire" was paid off at Deptford in October 1806. In