That said, it is strange that I find myself decidedly Loire-centric these days where my wine drinking is concerned. Granted, there is plenty of diversity in the wines of the Loire, so I'm not entirely stuck, but this crush I've had on the wines from this region has definitely gotten out of control and I just can't stop. I think it might be love, but more likely it is verging on addiction. Is there a 12-step program for this longing for the Loire?

So, the object of this month's affection is the 2006 Touraine Gamay from Domaine des Roy. It falls into my ideal "not-too-heavy-not-too-light" category where red wines are concerned-- as in not too weighty to just sip by the glass but still possesses enough structure to also be a fine match for food. That, combined with lovely blueberry and spicy notes, makes this wine super easy to drink. And then there is that something about the terroir of the Loire, that wisp of flinty, smoky, dusty, incensed, earthiness that glimmers from below...

The wine maker, Anne Cecile Roy, is under 30 and, well, female, which always makes me happy. Isn't it weird that this is still a rarity in the world of wine? In this day and age? Ah, my hat really goes off to these women. I can only imagine the wines she will make when she is 50! This young and her wines are already this good? It's nice to see, and even nicer to drink! A votre sante!