Côtes de la Charité

From Nantes to the foothills of the Massif Central, the Loire Valley produces an average of 600,000 hectoliters of local wines. Ninety-five percent of this production is sold under the designation Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France, usually accompanied by the name of the grape variety. Five "Vins de Pays de Zone" designations are also produced in the Loire Valley. The IGP Côtes de la Charité wine has been one of these since a decree was passed in 1986.

The very old vineyard of the Côtes de la Charité are located in the foothills of the Morvan. The slopes are steep and unadorned. The Cistercian monks who created this vineyard came from Vougeot. Burgundians at heart and connoisseurs, they knew how to make the most of this terroir. Today, the work of Domaine Alphonse Mellot stands out in particular for the quality of itsCôtes de la Charité wines .

According to the appellation's specifications,Côtes de la Charité andIGP winesmust be made from grapes harvested in the communes of the canton of La Charité-sur-Loire and the communes of Arbourse, Châteauneuf-Val-de-Bargis, Dompierre-sur-Nièvre, Germigny-sur-Loire, and Parigny-les-Vaux. The grape varieties used for white wines are mainly Chardonnay and Sauvignon (minimum 70%) and, to a lesser extent, Chasselas, Pinot Blanc, and Aligoté (maximum 30%). Red wines must be made with Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Gris (minimum 70%) as the main grape varieties, and Gamay Teinturier de Bouze and Gamay Teinturier de Chaudenay (maximum 30%) as secondary varieties.