Overall, the Loire Valley benefits from a very temperate climate. In the region of Nantes and Anjou, it is naturally oceanic, while from the Saumur area to the Touraine a more continental influence can be felt and the oceanic patterns are gradually halted by the inland hills.

From the borders of the Touraine to the Centre, the climate changes to become semi-continental as the oceanic influence recedes.

The moderating role played by the Loire and its many tributaries is appreciable, because by favouring the existence of a host of microclimates that are all ideal for growing vines, it contributes to the huge diversity of wines produced in the region. Their buffer effect is even a decisive factor in the development of sweet and syrupy wines.

• The Anjou area is characterized by an oceanic climate, with relatively mild winters, hot summers with plenty of sunshine and only relatively small variations in temperatures. Some parts of the region benefit from very dry microclimates where Mediterranean plants flourish.
• In the Saumur area, the hills hold back the West winds, the climate becomes semi-oceanic and seasonal variations are naturally more pronounced.
• This is also the case in the Touraine area, which is at the crossroads between the oceanic and continental influences. The succession of east-west oriented valleys, where the continental influence is more subdued, results in microclimates that are very good for growing vines.

Generally speaking, the region is characterised by a very wide range of microclimates, which vary depending on differences in altitude, hillside exposure, and on whether the influence of the dominant wind, the north-easterly bise, is more or less pronounced.