A few months ago, an instagram follower asked me if I had transcriptions of my podcast episodes, but as I don’t read from a script the answer was no. But it was an interesting idea and I looked into seeing if it was possible to transcribe the episodes without me having to go through them myself. An online service called trint was recommended as an efficient and reliable way of doing it: you just upload the track and it magically transcribes the audio into text.

So I experimented with one recent track, The Reds, Rosés, and Sparkling Wines of the Loire, and the result is below. It reads like Finnegans Wake; it’s an expensive service and it may be quicker to transcribe the episodes myself than to edit the automated text…

[00:00:26] In this third episode, focussing on the Lower Valley. We look at the Reds, the roses and the sparkling wines of the LIWA, emphasizing the variety of wines made in the region. A quick mention for Pune Noir, which is found in various regions of the La Valley, but most likely on the international market to find it in sunset or red sunset or for rosé from sunset, which is always going to be Pinot Noir. And so the red there are going to be a little bit lighter and quite fragrant and perfumed. Not particularly tannic. So light bodied reds, which can be served a little bit chilled, whereas the roses have a nice structure to them, pale coloured and usually high quality as well. So some say with its cool continental climate not far from Burgundy, with Pinot Noir being planted there. But it is not the most common of wines, and it's quite a niche market. And as I mentioned, the first episode most likely to be found in Paris. [00:01:22][55.6]

[00:01:26] Although not going to mention every single appellation in the Lower Valley. Otherwise, this would be an extremely long podcast. I think is worth noting too small appellations, which you're really disconnected from the rest of the lower valin, kind of hard to shoehorn in, but they are of interest and these are kote roni's and coat devery, which are really much further south than the rest of the lower valley. Appellations parallel with Beaujolais and like Beaujolais Gummy is the main great variety here and there's some extremely good wine, especially in court where Rene's was a very good producer that you can find in the US and maybe elsewhere called Saddle CRL, which is definitely well worth trying. And they only work with Gummy. They gave me the red. Gummi is extremely similar to Beaujolais and its structure and its fruitiness, but they're just like really nice depth and crunchiness to it. Then they also make a Rosie from Gammy, which is a very good example of a Rosie with nice fruitiness and not to tannic and then make a sparkling wine from Kamei as well, which is quite sweet and low in alcohol at 8 percent. So it's just that produced to give an idea of what's going on in the coat. Erwinaze with gummy similar in style and climber's and soil to Beaujolais. [00:02:35][69.7]

[00:02:39] So much more important. Moving west into taurine. It's a large region and terrain is the kind of overarching appellation in which there are several smaller appellations which produce high quality wine. So Tureen Rouge can be made from a range of varieties. It's actually quite a lot. That can be used. Kabbany Frank. Most important, but also Cabernet Sauvignon. Caux also wishes Malbec Pinot Noir again. Also Mernissi Champagne grape. You can see with this cool continental climate there's overlaps with burgundy and champagne and we'll see that with sparkling wines as well. Gummy Pino, Donis grono and also Peeno Greek which does have coloured skins. Gammy's. Perhaps the most important in terms of quality planted to the east of Touraine and similar to Beaujolais. But llena, not as not as Fulks would. A cooler climate and semicon the use of semi-government maceration has seen improvement in the quality of Gunni and more consistent, and it can certainly be very good quality. And there are several supe appellations for Touraine terrain as a Ludo or chanen. So but these are quite rare to find outside of the region. Most important appellations within taurine are Chignon and Gorgui San Nicholai TOBGAY so non-Hamas over 2000 hectares and plantings and it's actually recently been expanded and it lies between the LIWA and one of the LIWA tributaries, the v.n and Cabernet franc dominates here. It has to be 90 percent of the blang, 10 percent Kaminey Cavani, Sauvignon and Butts Company. Frank is the dominant variety also called Breton locally, and the wines have got richer and better over the years. And when I was visiting the LAWA I spoke to a guy producer who has been making wine since further decades and he said in the 80s it's very difficult in the LAWA because there are lots of underrate vintages of the wines were really green and herbaceous and really damaged. The reputation of of the lawa similar to the whites, which weren't of the highest quality. The reds just weren't ripe enough. And so the luaus reputation has had to recover since then, but climate change has certainly helped. And so getting the grapes ripe isn't as difficult as it used to be, but also better vineyard management as well trained in the vines higher and also canopy management as well with de-levering to ensure the energy of the vine is going towards the grapes rather than the leaves. So a better canopy management, better vineyard management and also a warmer climates have resulted in richer, fuller Ripert styles of cabernet frank. There's still going to be a green leaf genus to the company Frank of La Valley as it should be. That's the style is a cool continental climate, but much more consistent than it used to be within chignon. There are two different styles. So in the near the river, the soils are sandier in gravelly. And these results in lighter bodied styles of cabernet franc. So lighter, fruitier, fresher, easy to be drunk young. Whereas on the limestone slopes and on the plateau, which are south facing slopes, the wines are fuller and more age worthy and is designed to be drunk young generally. But certainly the wines can age for a long time, especially when the coming from these limestone slopes and you can find examples of chignon handy. Her key appellations for cabernet franc dating back to the 90s and being of good quality. So they really do have the tannic substance and structure to age for a long time. But nevertheless, like Beaujolais, these wines are generally designed to be drunk, young, even the really high quality ones just because of their fresh fruitiness. On the other side of the LIWA, the north bank is boggy and is about thirteen hundred hectares of plantings here, so a little bit smaller than Shiina. And the vines are planted on south facing slopes which produces that consistently rape style. So both guys are a bit more consistent in its style, its medium bodied, more powerful than chignon with bribery and pencil shaving aromas and with that firm tannic structure as well, which means that the wines can age if you want to. But still at fresh fruitiness to them within Bragi there is a soap appellations and Nicholai TOBGAY, and only a third of this appellation are on slopes or flatter, and therefore the wines answers intense and as concentrated as 900 hectares of plantings here and the soils are lighter as well. And this is really the most fragrant style of cabernet franc really emphasizing that youthfulness, freshness and fruitiness very attractive and very drinkable. Moving west into Enns, you summer. Summer itself is kind of a continuation of chignon. And there are different appellations within summer. It's just on the other side of the river. And summer ruge is usually cabernet franc. And this is the refreshing light and fruity style within summer. This summer, champagne, which is right next to the river and at an extension of Touraine. And these this produces fresh, fragrant wines a bit later on the sandier soil. So again, similar to sheen on a range of styles according to the soil type in which the vines are planted. But summer champagne is densely planted, slopes above the river, producing a bit more intense and concentration than sumo rouge. She's a bit more generic and a very famous producer within Cemre Champagne, who is Clue Rigid, which is set by Dan Biodynamic producer. That really influential inspirational on younger producers coming through and influencing biodynamic practices and a bit of a cult winery that wines can be $200 plus. And they're actually bought a few years ago by the billionaire owners of Chateau Montreaux in Bordeaux. So just kind of emphasizing how cultish they are. But those wines are extremely good and a lot more expensive than cabernet franc usually is in the LULAC's. It generally is extremely good value. And also within Nestle murders, another new appellation, Sumer puy Notre-Dame, which is also Kabbany. Frankin produces quite fragrant wines, although is named after a village is a relatively large appellation. And then there's undue company. Franc is the third of all the plantings in Honore's you and these wines are a bit tougher and more Tanach than the wines, the terrain of sheen on on-board guy, which are a bit more approachable. And so company from Kinyanjui doesn't need to be handled carefully in the vineyard and to ensure that it does get ripe and it can be a bit too Tanach if if the juice has been drawn off for RUSI. So again, careful management in the winery as well to produce high quality company Frumkin on you. But there are certainly some very good company Frank made in Anjou, and particularly in the appellations of Anjou Village, and specifically on a large brisk which is just south of NJ, which produces a bill structured fruit, fruit forward and softer tannins than basic on you. And also there is gamy within onyou as well. So important to remember that other company, Frank, is by far the most important plant. Great variety in Lore Valley. It is not the only one in Camae can be extremely approachable in the LAWA. One other appellation worth mentioning. It's a small one. A little harder to find maybe. But when you do find it, it is worth trying and that's got to do LIWA. And so this is slopes based around a different river also called law, but spelt differently o l o r so a little confusing. So a tributary of the general liwa and the main grape here is Peno Donis and these Waynes gum is quite similar in style to Kabbany Frank or Gummy. So if you like the lighter bodied reds of the lawa peno, doneness is a good alternative and that is grown in different regions in LIWA. But kotto De Luca is the centre of those plantings and it's a little cooler there. [00:10:29][469.6]

[00:10:29] So getting a really fresh acidity, really fragrant style, so moving away from the red wines of the lower to the roses and roses is very important in the lower. And of course it is a fashionable style these days. And so La La Rosa is riding the tide of that. So the general appellation for Rosie is Rosie de Luca. And this can come from anywhere in Touraine owns you and Summer. And so generally a blend of those different appellations. So being able to source the grapes from anywhere gives the producers quite a lot of range. And Rosie de la La must be 30 per cent cabernet franc. But any of the other black grape varieties can be used for Rosita LAWA and it is a dry wine in contrast to Rosie Donahue, which must come from Anjou. And this was kind of the widespread style of Rosie up until the 90s. And it's off dry, not associated with high quality. So you've got that sweetness which can be quite, quite cloying and quite flat fat and flabby. Though the wines have improved in recent years and are fresher than they used to be, but that again is all about winemaking and concentration on quality rather than just pumping the wine out. Traditionally the highest quality Rosie in the LAWA is Cabernet Don You, which is a blend of Kabbany Frank and Cabernet Sauvignon. And this will be a little bit sweeter, which is not a fashionable style these days. You see it that much berts. The quality is high and it's gonna be perfumed and refined and with high acidity as well. To balance that sweetness. It's not a flabby style of a sweet Rosie, a much fresher style with the sweetness just rounding its out and giving it some body and structure and. As I already mentioned, there's RUSI produced in other regions in the LIWA, and the one you're most likely to see on the shelves is sunset from Pinot Noir. And so generally the quality of Rosie in the law is good to very good. And Rosie Dilawar is probably the appellation you gonna find the most often these days. And that's dry and that fits in with international trends, as does sunset. [00:12:33][123.5]

[00:12:37] And finally, to finish the series on the La Valley, we focus on the sparkling wine on which there is plenty made. [00:12:42][5.2]

[00:12:42] Lahar Valley has ideal conditions, a sparkling wine, it's a cool continental climates not dissimilar to champagne, maybe fractionally warmer. However, the quality of sparkling wine does vary. A lot of sparkling wine is made from Sheinin Blanc, which is fine. Pushilin Blunt is a much more aromatic grape variety than those used in champagne, for instance. Chardonnay so produces a much more aromatic style, a sparkling wine, which is not necessarily what consumers are looking for when they're used to the more neutral fruits aromas of champagne. And also there's a lot of variety within LAWA. Any of the great varieties are like alduin LIWA are permitted for sparkling wine in the LIWA Valley. So a great range that depending which grape varieties are used. And then there's six different appellations for sparkling wine in the LIWA Valley. So as KREM under LIWA, which covers the entire region as onas you Mowen, Louis Sur LAWA and Veuve Ray Sumer and taurine. And of those criminal law is very widely available. Louis Salat and Veuve Ray are also widely available. In fact, they are dominated by sparkling wine these days, and summer is also a very famous appellation. Asia in taurine, less known for sparkling wine. So Cremorne, Delaware, as I mentioned, can be from any of the grape varieties permitted in the law. And just to summarise those sheinin blank, most important, Qabbani is allowed as well. Kaminey Frank, particularly for the Rossini and Cabernet Sauvignon too, as well as Peno DONNISON Grumio and then Pinot Noir is allowed as well. [00:14:12][89.1]

[00:14:12] And then a couple of more obscure grapes. Gruyere agree Iowa and criminal lamas spend 12 months on the leaves. And so a little bit longer than most Crennan and the other sparkling wines of the lower, which gives the wines a bit more texture and structure and quality. And the permitted yields for Cremorne are lower than in the other sparkling white appellations of the law. So again, increasing quality for KREM under LIWA. So those are small appellations include summer, which has to be 60 per cent sheinin blanc for the white sparkling wines with a maximum 20 percent chardonnay allowed. So those shoddiness permitted in these appellations that is restricted, which again differentiates it from champagne and also with a maximum 10 percents Sauvignon Blanc, which is not a great variety, particularly conducive to sparkling wine. So I don't know why anyone would use that. Maybe add some aromatics and very small fraction. And then with sparkling Rosie, there's a minimum 60 percent Cabernet Frank and within summer, mechanical harvesting is allowed and view reef is essentially in bloom. So with whatever style of very dry, sweet sparkling, it's always a hundred percent shinin blanc and different styles made here. A lot of the sparkling wine is more petti on than fully sparkling, so lightly fizzy rather than fully fizzy and production of sparkling wine in view, Ray and nearby Mont Louis, which is also a perception in Blanc, has increased in recent years. Two thirds of the wines made in Vrain want one. We are sparkling. And that's because of consumer demand. So it's because if the grapes don't get fully ripe, then they can be used for sparkling wine and also relatively high yields are permitted. So good for growers and producers to make sparkling wine very beneficial for them commercially. And these wines from Shinin Blanc will have those shinin blanc aromatics, fruity waxy honeycomb and high acidity as well, of course. And so these wines can potentially age for some time. And then the other sparkling wine appellation worth mentioning is Touraine, which has the potential to be excellent. And I've certainly seen some good sparkling wine coming out of this area for very good prices. [00:16:20][128.0]

[00:16:21] And so want to look out for and as a whole range of grape varieties allowed. It's a large region. And so access to different varieties from different areas and maybe less famous appellations, but still producing good quality fruit in this cool climates with high acidity for sparkling wine. So lots of variety in LIWA Valley, which makes it such a wonderful, fascinating region with white wine made from different varieties in different climates and different soil types, as well as the reds and the roses and the sweet wines and the sparkling wines that we've been discussing these in these episodes. So a lot to learn, a lot to enjoy and a lot to drink from the La Valley. So thank you for listening. And Matthew, and this has been Matthies will have wine and drink. [00:16:21][0.0]

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