Loire be used across the whole of the Loire Valley. The "Crémant de Loire" which refers to any sparkling wine made according to the traditional method of Champagne. The "Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France" refers to any varietally labelled wine, such as Chardonnay, that is produced in the region outside of an AOC designation. The area includes 87 appellations under the "Appellation d'origine contrôlée" (AOC), "Vin Délimité de Qualité Superieure" (VDQS) and "Vin de pays" systems. While the majority of production is white wine from the Chenin blanc, Sauvignon blanc and Melon de Bourgogne grapes, there are red
Loire Turner, Gustave Courbet, Auguste Rodin, Félix Edouard Vallotton, Jacques Villon, Jean-Max Albert, , , and Jean Chabot. Garrett, Martin, The Loire: a Cultural History. 2010, Signal Books. "Pays de la Loire, waterways guide No. 10", Editions du Breil. pp 8–27, for the navigable section (guide in English, French and German) Loire The Loire (; ; ) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains an area of , or more than a fifth of France's land area, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône.