Côtes de la Charité

From Nantes to the foothills of the Massif Central, the Loire Valley produces an average of 600,000 hectolitres of vins de pays. 95% of this production is sold under the name Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France, usually accompanied by the grape variety. Five "Vins de Pays de Zone" denominations are also produced in the Loire Valley. IGP Côtes de la Charité has been one of them since a 1986 decree.

The ancient vineyards of Côtes de la Charité is located in the foothills of the Morvan. The slopes are steep and unadorned. The Cistercian monks who created this vineyard came from Vougeot. Burgundian to the core and connoisseurs, they knew how to make the most of this terroir. Today, the work of Domaine Alphonse Mellot is particularly noteworthy for the quality of itsCôtes de la Charité wines .

According to the appellation's specifications, Côtesde la Charité IGP wines must be made from grapes harvested in 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 (70% minimum), with Chasselas, Pinot Blanc and Aligoté (30% maximum). Red wines must be made with Gamay noir, Pinot noir and Pinot gris as the main grape varieties (70% minimum), and Gamay teinturier de Bouze and Gamay teinturier de Chaudenay as accessory grape varieties (30% maximum).