Loire Valley Rosé Report, 2026
The Loire Valley, especially Anjou, has a strong but also chequered history when it comes to rosé. This strength is reflected in this new addition to the Winedoctor annual schedule, the Loire Valley Rosé Report.
With a long-established reputation for the style, one which can be traced back to the dawn of the 20th century, rosé is no Loire Valley flash-in-the-pan. This is not a region grasping the coat-tails of a new Provençal fashion; the style first appeared in the Saumur and Anjou regions in 1905 and 1910 respectively. Come the creation of the appellation system, a process which began in 1936, the style was quickly defined in a number of now defunct and long-forgotten appellations such as Anjou Rosé de Cabernet, Coteaux de l’Aubance Rosé de Cabernet and other curious and confusing denominations.
The appetite for rosé grew, consequent upon its popularity in the easy-drinking café culture of the region, as well as its incessant promotion in the radio soap opera La Famille Duraton. The style was embodied within a number of newly created and more recognisable appellations including Rosé d’Anjou (1957), Cabernet d’Anjou (1964) and Rosé de Loire (1974). Other regions were already in on the act, with both the Chinon and Bourgueil appellations (both signed off in 1937) allowing for rosé from the outset, or they quickly joined, with Sancerre – a purely white appellation when it was created in 1936 – admitting rosé (and red) wines in 1959.
Today, as a consequence of this lengthy rosé heritage, the Loire Valley is France’s second biggest producer of rosé wines, behind the obvious number one, Provence. Unlike Provence, however, the Loire Valley offers a much broader array of styles, making use of a more diverse collection of grape varieties.
So why do I say chequered?
