Pop Up Tasting - Loire Valley Hidden Gems
Thu, Oct 29
|Amapola Kitchen and Wine Merchant
Unusual finds from France's most diverse region
Time & Location
Oct 29, 2026, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Amapola Kitchen and Wine Merchant, 32 W Gabilan St, Salinas, CA 93901, USA
About the event
The Loire Valley is famous for Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, but some of its most interesting wines come from grapes that are rarely encountered outside the region.
Join us this Thursday as we venture beyond the familiar and taste four of the Loire’s more unusual varieties: Gros Plant, Grolleau, Romorantin and Gamay Saint-Romain. From crisp, Atlantic-influenced whites to distinctive reds and varieties with centuries of history, each offers a different glimpse into the Loire’s extraordinary diversity.
We’ll explore where these grapes grow, how climate and soils influence them, why they have survived while other varieties disappeared, and the traditions and appellations that keep them alive today.
A fun opportunity for curious wine drinkers to discover a side of the Loire Valley that rarely makes it into the glass.
Thursday, October 29
6:00–8:00 PM