Loire Valley (wine) has a long history of winemaking dating back to the 1st century. In the High Middle Ages, the wines of the Loire Valley were the most esteemed wines in England and France, even more prized than those from Bordeaux. Archaeological evidence suggest that the Romans planted the first vineyards in the Loire Valley during their settlement of Gaul in the 1st century AD. By the 5th century, the flourishing viticulture of the area was noted in a publication by the poet Sidonius Apollinaris. In his work the "History of the Franks", Bishop Gregory of Tours wrote of the frequent plundering
French frigate Loire (1796) gave notice in the London Gazette that the "Loire" (among other ships), then lying at Plymouth, would be offered for sale at their offices from the 30th. She was eventually broken up in April 1818. French frigate Loire (1796) Loire was a 44-gun frigate of the French Navy. She was captured following the Battle of Tory Island by a Royal Navy frigate squadron and subsequently taken into British service as HMS "Loire". She took part in the Expédition d'Irlande, and in the Battle of Tory Island, where she battled , , and . After the battle, "Loire" and "Sémillante" escaped