Book Review: The Wines of the Loire (Roger Voss, 1995)

Book Review:
The Wines of the Loire
Written by Roger Voss, Maps by Soo Ware & Claire Bicknell
1995 publication, 257 pages

I know very little about Loire wines, and consequently drink them infrequently as well. I ordered this quite old book to learn more about the region, even if this is a category that is not readily available to me. A used copy on eBay was had for a song, and the small size and bite size sections made this a quick read over a week or so, a chapter a night. The book is hard backed, with maps in black and white, and the visuals are both plentiful and well styled. I wish more wine books had maps as nice as this one. Overall, the regional commentary seems instructive/helpful, and the producer profiles - which are limited - were all recognized names even to me. Perhaps those were lesser known back when the book was being assembled in the 1992-1993 time frame. I think Loire enthusiasts might consider a copy for reference given the low price, and the quality maps. I’m not sure how/if Voss’s palate aligns with my own, but I’m not relying on this older work for any of that.

The book follows a typical structure for wine reference books, with the first 24 pages covering the geography and history along with a discussion of the market structure – growers, negociants, coops, etc. The layout is synced with the authors travels, so much is made of his specific journey (tardiness, rain, driving etc.) although its not obvious how many trips were conducted to assemble the book.

Then it dives into the main regional sections where key AOC are discussed, along with select producer profiles. They are broken out in still whites, reds, and sparkling along with mentions of the dessert wine AOC in a few areas. Until reading this, I had not realized how variable the production of Loire wines is since conditions determine so much of what types are made. There is also discussion of multi AOC negociants, and some quality coops, along with a curiousity - a marketing syndicate. The descriptions of interviews with many producers is fascinating, especially with the benefit of decades of hindsight. I didn’t notice any outlier opinions from the author; an interview with Nicolas Joly was handled delicately, with the author carefully attributing everything back to the eccentric Savennieres vigneron.

The book closes with a series of appendices: appellation stats, production amounts, vintages assessments (circa 1993), select producers, places to eat/sleep, and acreage under vine. As mentioned before, the maps are excellent.

Despite the age, I give a mild recommendation of the book for Loire fans and would assign it a B+ grade in my ledger. It has me motivated to buy/try some of the Pouilly Fume and Cremant de Loire I see on local shelves here as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Wines-Loire-Faber-Books-Wine/dp/0571164854 used paperback copies are $6ish on Amazon, but I found a hardback one for $4 (shipped) on ebay. That is NOT an affiliate link.