Orléans is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée

Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...

(AOC) for wine

Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...

 in the Loire Valley wine region

Loire Valley (wine)

The Loire Valley wine region includes the French wine regions situated along the Loire River from the Muscadet region near the city of Nantes on the Atlantic coast to the region of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé just southeast of the city of Orléans in north central France. In between are the regions of...

 of France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 situated around the city of Orléans

Orléans

-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...

.

Contemporary History

This wine has held AOC status since September 2006. Prior to this date it held VDQS

VDQS

Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure , usually abbreviated as VDQS, is the second highest category of French wine, below Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in rank, but above Vin de pays . VDQS is sometimes written as AOVDQS, with AO standing for Appellation d'Origine...

 status, and the VDQS was renamed from Vins de l'Orléanais to Orléans in 2002. In the course of the 20th century, the Orléans wine-growing area went through a serious decline. Its accession to AOC status has come about now thanks to the unstinting efforts of its own producers over the last 20 years.

Geographical Location

The area lies in the Loiret

Loiret

Loiret is a department in north-central FranceThe department is named after the river Loiret, a tributary of the Loire. The Loiret is located wholly within the department.- History :...

 department in the communes of Saint-Jean-de-la-Ruelle

Saint-Jean-de-la-Ruelle

Saint-Jean-de-la-Ruelle is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.-References:*...

, Saint-Pryvé-Saint-Mesmin

Saint-Pryvé-Saint-Mesmin

Saint-Pryvé-Saint-Mesmin is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.-References:* -External links:*...

, Baule

Baule

Baule is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France....

, Beaugency

Beaugency

Beaugency is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. It is located on the Loire river, upriver from Blois and downriver from Orléans.-History:...

, Chécy

Chécy

Chécy is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France....

, Cléry-Saint-André

Cléry-Saint-André

Cléry-Saint-André is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.-See also:*Communes of the Loiret department...

, Mardié

Mardié

Mardié is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.-See also:*Communes of the Loiret department...

, Mareau-aux-Prés

Mareau-aux-Prés

Mareau-aux-Prés is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France....

, Meung-sur-Loire

Meung-sur-Loire

Meung-sur-Loire is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.It was the site of the Battle of Meung-sur-Loire in 1429. In fiction, it has been referenced by Alexandre Dumas in The Three Musketeers as the village where d'Artagnan, en route to join the King's Musketeers in Paris,...

, Mézières-lez-Cléry

Mézières-lez-Cléry

Mézières-lez-Cléry is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.-See also:*Communes of the Loiret department...

, Olivet

Olivet, Loiret

Olivet is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.-Geography:Olivet is located in the septentrional bend of the Loire, which crosses from east to west. Olivet belongs to the vallée de la Loire sector between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes-sur-Loire, which was in 2000 inscribed by...

, Orléans

Orléans

-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...

, Saint-Ay

Saint-Ay

Saint-Ay is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.-References:*...

, Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Mesmin

Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Mesmin

Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Mesmin is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.-References:*...

 and Saint-Jean-de-Braye

Saint-Jean-de-Braye

Saint-Jean-de-Braye is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.-References:*...

.

Climate

The climate is semi-oceanic with continental influences.

Orléans

Temperatures - Readings taken at Orléans-Bricy 1961-1990'
Month:	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	June	July	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year:
Average minimum temperatures (°C)	0.3	0.8	2.2	4.3	7.8	10.7	12.6	12.3	10.3	7.3	3.3	1.1	6.1
Average Temperatures (°C)	3.1.	4.2	6.6	9.3	12.9	16.2	18.5	18.2	15.8	11.7	6.6	3.8	10.6
Average Maximum Temperatures (°C)	5.9	7.6	10.9	14.3	18.1	21.6	24.4	24.0	21.2	16.2	9.9	6.5	15.1

Precipitation, relative humidity and sunshine - Readings taken at Orléans-Bircy 1961-1990'
Month:	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	June	July	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year:
Cumulative monthly precipitation (mm)	55.2	49.7	51.8	47.9	65.8	47.5	52.4	45.3	49.3	57.9	60.1	54.3	637.2
Relative Humidity (%)	89	85	79	74	76	74	72	72	77	84	89	90	80
Total sunshine (hours)	58.5	85.2	134.7	176.6	206.7	230.4	252.2	225	180.3	129.5	74.6	50.7	1804.5

Grape varieties

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir

Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...

 and Pinot Meunier

Pinot meunier

Pinot Meunier, , also known as Meunier or Black Riesling, is a variety of black wine grape most noted for being one of the three main grapes used in the production of champagne...

 are the varieties used to make red wine. White wines are made from Chardonnay

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...

 grapes, which must constitute at least 60% of the total grapes used and can be blended with Pinot Gris

Pinot Gris

Pinot gris is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot noir grape, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name but the grape can have a brownish pink to black and even white appearance...

. In reality, however, only Chardonnay tend to be used. Rosé wines are made from two Pinot varieties, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir.

Types of wines and gastronomy

The wines are generally straightforward, honest and fruity. They are made to be drunk within a relatively short time, between 2 and 5 years after bottling.