Although of course less well known than their more famous counterparts, they can hold their own without blushing. Saumur Brut, Savennières, including the famous Coulée de Serrant, Coteaux du Layon and its Quarts de Chaume, Muscadet, Saumur-Champigny, Jasnières, Vins de Mareuil, Anjou-Village are all appellations typical of the region.
This is the paradise of Chenin and Melon de Bourgogne etc., with some wines being produced from a vine imported from Portugal 150 years ago. And to match these wines is good food.
From the Atlantic come oysters and mussels piled high on platters of fruits de mer (seafood). The Ile d'Yeu is famous for its tuna, the island of Noirmoutier for its new potatoes, and Guérande for its fine sea salt, still gathered the traditional way.
Inland, you will be offered delicate river fish, like pike, with the beurre blanc sauce, and little vegetables from local market gardens. If you fancy beef, the steaks from Maine Anjou are the best in France, while the hearty rillettes de porc (like a pâté) are a speciality from Le Mans.
No meal is complete without a dessert, and the Western Loire can please the sweetest tooth. Try fion, a custard tart flavoured with cinnamon or vanilla. A Plantagenêt is a delicious concoction of almond biscuits and cream, flavoured with Cointreau and cherries. Crème brûlée might be flavoured with Kamok, a local coffee liqueur.
And to finish the meal, a drop of Cointreau (made near Angers) or Pommeau (an apple liqueur), while nibbling a berlingot or quernon d'ardoise, locally made caramel
For more on the good food and wine of the Western Loire region, visit www.westernloire.com
