Chenonceaux and Amboise wines seek to break free from AOC Touraine

inegrowers belonging to the Touraine Amboise and Touraine Chenonceaux producers’ organisations saw their applications for recognition as AOC Amboise and Chenonceaux rubber-stamped by the regional board of France’s national institute for origin and quality (INAO). Less than a fortnight later, the national AOC wine board at INAO decided to appoint a committee of enquiry to examine requests by both producers’ organisations and gain a better understanding of the wines labelled with geographical designations under AOC Touraine, which spans over 3,500 hectares between the Indre-et-Loire and Loir-et-Cher departments.

The first two hurdles in their quest for appellation status have therefore been crossed as part of a process that has been ongoing for over ten years and has resulted in more restrictive production conditions. INAO’s committee of enquiry will join winegrowers to focus on several topics. These include the low current take-up rates for Touraine Amboise and Touraine Chenonceaux. “It is only 10% of land earmarked for the designation”, explains Mathieu Plou in Amboise. “The vineyards for the future appellation are not yet totally planted to Chenin and Côt so we are encouraging winegrowers to plant the varieties”.

In Touraine Chenonceaux, the take-up rate is just 8%. “But requests for eligible acreage for the designation have increased four-fold over the past 15 years”, explains Aurélie Mançois. Amboise winegrowers hope that appellation recognition will “strengthen the growth in value perception of the wines among private customers and the trade”. It is an ambition shared by their colleagues in Touraine Chenonceaux, who are also asking INAO for permission to produce single varietal red Côt wines.