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Wines and vineyards of Anjou
February 11, 2026
Anjou wines are world-renowned: from Coteaux du Layon to Crémant de Loire, from Cabernet d'Anjou to Saumur-Champigny!
Where are the Anjou vineyards located?
The vineyards of Anjou stretch from Saumur to the west of Angers, mainly south of the Loire River. To the east, at Saumur, they extend southward to the vicinity of Thouars in the Deux-Sèvres department, while to the west they extend only slightly beyond the banks of the Loire.
Thewines of Saumur, Saumur Champigny, Puy-Notre-Dame, and Coteaux de Saumur are produced in an area stretching from the town of Saumur to the communes of Montreuil-Bellay and Doué-la-Fontaine. Around the Layon, a southern tributary of the Loire that runs parallel to the river, lie the vineyards of Coteaux du Layon and the tiny vineyard of Bonnezeaux.
Beneath the city of Angers, around the Aubance River and its confluence with the Loire, the wines ofthe Coteaux de l'Aubance are produced.
On both banks of the Loire River west of Angers, around Chalonnes-sur-Loire, lie the Anjou-Coteaux-de-la-Loire vineyards.
Discover thewines of the Loire Valley.
Introduction to Anjou vineyards
The vineyards of Anjou cover 21,000 hectares, mainly south of the Loire between Ancenis and Saumur. They include 19 Appellations d'Origine Contrôlée or Protected Designations of Origin, 8 denominations, and one Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). These vineyards bring together over 2,000 estates and 5 wine cooperatives. They benefit from a temperate oceanic climate in the Ancenis and Angers areas, with a continental influence in the Saumurois due to its proximity to Touraine. The vineyards of Anjou are characterized by their soils and subsoils rich in sandstone and slate schists. The most widely grown grape varieties are Cabernet Franc, for red and rosé wines, and Chenin, for white wines.
AOC Anjou
The vineyards of Anjou originated in the Middle Ages with the monasteries: each religious establishment had its own vineyard, and wines from the banks of the Loire were served at the Plantagenet table. The kings of France and England contributed to the development and reputation of the wines of the Loire Valley.In the Middle Ages, vine cultivation was concentrated around Angers and Saumur, as well as on a hillside along the Loire. The vineyards then spread to the banks of the Loire's tributaries, such as the Aubance, Layon, and Thouet.
The Anjou appellation includes sub-appellations: Anjou Rouge, Anjou Blanc, Anjou Gamay, and Anjou Fines Bulles. Anjou shares its territory with the other local appellations of Cabernet d'Anjou and Rosé d'Anjou.
The three AOCs belong to the large Loire Valley wine region and are located around the river between the Nantes and Touraine wine regions.
Types of Anjou wines
All types of wine - white, red, rosé and sparkling - are produced in the vineyards of Anjou. The Anjou region benefits from a wide variety of climates and soils, from the oceanic influence of Nantes to the continental influence of Touraine, from the white subsoil of tuffeau to the black subsoil of slate schist and the sandy soil of the banks of the Loire.
Red and rosé wines are mainly made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes. Anjou-Gamay red wines are made from Gamay.
White wines are mainly made from Chenin grapes, combined with Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The appellation's light red wines include Anjou Rouge and Anjou Gamay, Anjou Villages, Saumur-Champigny and Thouarsais wines.
Anjou wines also include dry rosés such as Rosé de Loire, semi-dry rosés such as Rosé d'Anjou, and sweet rosés such as Cabernet d'Anjou.
In terms of dry and semi-dry white wines, Savennières stands out, while the wines from the hillsides are renowned for their sweetness and mellowness (Coteaux du Layon, Bonnezeaux, and Quarts de Chaume). Many grape varieties and winemakers offer wines with very different aromas, whether fruity or not, from different vintages and harvests.
The Anjou vineyards are also renowned for their sparkling white and rosé wines such as Saumur, and sparkling wines such as Crémant de Loire. Take the time to discover the many wine cellars with their renowned vintages. You can also learn about grape harvesting and winemaking.
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