Veuve Clicquot-Wine Book of the Year Winner of the Julia Child Award Winner of the James Beard Award Here, finally, is the first comprehensive guide to the five wine regions of the Loire. It is written with passion, understanding, and authority. Friedrich explores the Loire's sixty-odd appellations, explaining each one's history, soils, climate, and vintners. The author rates over six hundred wineries, giving tasting notes and lively sketches of the individual producers. Friedrich describes the food traditions of each of the five regions--the Nantais, Anjou and Saumur, Touraine, the Sancerrois, and the Auverngne, introducing fishermen, charcutiers, cheesemakers, and farmers. There are maps, a glossary, and wine itineraries for travelers. It will remain a classic well into the twenty-first century.