Hop in our boat and let’s go for a cruise along the Loire River. Meandering almost 300 miles from the slopes of Sancerre to the chilly coast of the Atlantic Ocean, the Loire is the region’s main artery, feeding vineyards that grow along its fertile banks.  Here in the “garden of France,” we’re not going to go hungry, either. The Loire Valley is renowned for its classic French dishes, from pungent pork rillettes to the patron saint of cakes, the caramelized apple-heaven called Tarte Tatin.

It’s no wonder, then, that Loire wines are as exciting and diverse as its cuisine. Starting in the east, the town of Sancerre glows silver for all the flinty, gossamer light Sauvignon Blanc it produces. Pouilly-Fumé, too, pays court to this bright, nervous grape, with brisk wines that show a hint of smoke (“fume.”) Moving further west, Chenin Blanc (known locally as the Pineau de la Loire) finds a welcome home in Vouvray. An ideal combination of soil and sun ripens Chenin along the river banks to ultimate ripeness; in some years, the grapes get a visit by botrytis, or noble rot. Whether sweet, semi-sweet, or delicately dry, good Vouvray is always transcendent.

The sea is the sculptor of Muscadet, a bright green grape that borrows its splash and sparkle from the briny Atlantic and its fruitiness from its French moniker, “Melon.” Muscadet inspires mirth, with its slight fizz and racy flavor. On our boat, we’ll throw back fresh oysters and boiled crayfish with generous glasses of Muscadet, toasting the grape, the food, and the end of a journey. While the few places we’ve visited may be the most famous, they are indeed are just a fraction of the treasures waiting to be found in the Loire Valley. With more than 50 different appellations, there is much to discover.