Master sommelier and Loire valley native, Pascaline Lepeltier, has been working with key Loire producers over the past months in preparation for the October 2017 Loire Wine Study Trip. Take a look at her notes on this carefully curated list of both iconic and rising star estates/producers in the Loire Valley An interesting read to get you re-acquainted with some of the more historically famed estates as well as introduce you to some of the new generation vintners who are pushing boundaries and defining the region’s vinous future…

Summary: What is a 'natural wine' anyway? In the latest in our series of blind tasting videos, Justin is once again joined by Chris Martin MW, to discuss all things natural. They taste three outstanding low-intervention wines and talk about how you might recognise the signatures of naturalness, how to assess quality and finding the line between funk and faulty. We'd love to hear your thoughts about natural wine, so please start a discussion in the comments! Details

Pascaline Lepeltier, MS, discusses the itinerary for the upcoming WSG Study Trip to her native Loire. In this podcast interview with Decanter's Andrew Jefford, Pascaline discusses the Loire’s best and brightest…all of which happen to be estate visits on the upcoming five-day journey she'll be leading students on in October. 

Summary:  Chenin Blanc is a wonderful grape variety, capable of creating some of the world’s best wines, especially in the Loire Valley. Yet, even here, in the “Kingdom of Chenin,” plantings of Chenin Blanc are limited to very specific areas and appellations. Moreover, the geology of these various appellations significantly influences the resulting style of wine. This session will explore the characteristics of Chenin grown on slate and limestone soils. Presenter: