There are five distinct wine-making areas:

Vins du Haut-Poitou (just north of Poitiers)

The Haut-Poitou winemaking area was granted its own AOC label for the 2011 harvest onwards, meaning the AOC will be on labels from 2012 and the years following. The area itself is a relatively small one, just north of Poitiers, with 44 communes in the Vienne plus two in the neighbouring Deux-Sèvres. The majority of the wine made here is produced by the wine cooperative Cave du Haut Poitou.

Vins de Thouarsais (slightly further north and west, based around Thouars)

This is an even smaller wine-producing area, covering just 15 communes in the Deux-Sèvres to the north of the region. In fact there are just 25 hectares currently producing Vins du Thouarsais! But though it does not have its own AOC it does have the Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS) label and produces some excellent wines.

Vins de Saumur, nord Vienne (an area in the Vienne department just south of Saumur)

This famous wine area has its own AOC and has a great history too. When Henry Count of Anjou became King Henry II of England in 1154, this led to a great demand for the wines of the Saumur as English noblemen became particularly fond of it. Today the Saumur wine area is mostly in the Pays de la Loire region but also includes nine communes in the Vienne in Poitou-Charentes.

Vins d’Anjou, Deux-Sèvres (just south of Angers or the Anjou wine area):

The wines produced across just 14 communes in the north of the Deux-Sèvres come under the well-known AOC of Anjou, most of which is in the Maine-et-Loire department in the Pays de la Loire region to the north. There are also nine communes in the Vienne under the Anjou AOC.

Vins de Pays Charentais

While the above might be the most prestigious wines – because of the Haut-Poitou, Saumur and Anjou names – they are certainly not the only good wines produced in the region. Indeed the wines known as the Vins de Pays Charentais – www.vindepayscharentais.fr – meaning wine from the Charente and Charente-Maritime are very popular with people who know their way around a vineyard and conceal some hidden treasures.

One of the delights of locals wines such as these is that one can chance upon a great producer in the most quiet and out of the way spots. And if you’re lucky you might get asked into a winemaker’s home for a tasting!

And as there are around 90 registered producers of Charentais wine, there are plenty to choose from!