Loire Valley Vineyards
Known as the ‘Garden of France’, the Loire is one of the most beautiful areas of France and the producer of some of the most delicious wines around. On 5 and 6 September you will have the opportunity to discover this UNESCO World Heritage Site and its wines by joining one of 12 fascinating themed Wine Walks led by Loire winegrowers.
The walks will lead you through the vineyards to see spectacular scenery and hear from winegrowers about their know-how and passion for their profession and land. The walks are open to all and there will be regular breaks during the hikes so that you can meet other walkers and enjoy the views – but beware, these may take your breath away rather than reviving it! At the end of the walks, the participants can enjoy a picnic together and taste the region’s best wines with the winegrowers.
Vineyard walks programme
5 September 2009
- Chinon – 5.00pm (8km)
- Jasnières & Coteaux du Loir – 5.00pm (8.5km)
- Quarts de Chaume – 5.00pm (12km)
- Saumur Champigny – 5.00pm (11km)
6 September 2009
- Bonnezeaux – 8.30am (7km)
- Touraine – 8.30am (9km)
- Vouvray – 8.30am (10km)
- Muscadet – 8.30am (10km)
- Touraine Azay-le-Rideau – 8.30am (9km)
- Anjou Rouge – 8.30am (11km)
- Coteaux d’Ancenis – 8.30am (9km)
- Aujou-Villages Brissac & Coteaux de l’Aubance – 8.30am (12km)
Price: 3 € in advance (to reserve a place on a walk please contact: + 33 8 20 03 30 44 or vvr@vinsdeloire.fr) or 5€ on the day (free for children under 12). Credit cards are not accepted. Free car park close to the meeting point of each hike. The money collected will be used to develop new vineyard footpaths.
Wine walks all year round
If you can’t make it to the Loire on those dates, don’t worry, as there are seven routes which you can follow all year long. Each route is adorned with signs and information panels giving you details about the vineyard’s history, soil and climate, grape varieties and appellations. The walks will allow you to discover the landscapes and vines of some highly prestigious AOC wines: Touraine, Touraine Azay-le-Rideau, Coteaux du Loir-Jasnières, Chinon, Quarts de Chaume, Coteaux du Layon and Saumur Champigny.
Wine trail
But if wine is your passion, you couldn’t go to a better place. Look out for “Caves Touristiques” (tourist cellars) where wine producers will be thrilled to show you around and let you taste their creations. Use the search engine in “Our Wines: where to find them” on the official website for a full list of wineries and their opening hours. The Loire is France’s longest river and so there’s no surprise that there is a wide range of wines produced here. The area around the town of Nantes, to the east, is known for dry, crisp Muscadet, a classic partner to shellfish. Moving west, Anjou-Saumur, with its twin centres of Angers and Saumur, produces a patchwork of varying styles. The Saumur appellation is known for remarkably good sparkling wines based on the Chenin Blanc grape. The same variety is the basis of off-dry, mediumsweet and age-worthy sweet wines such as Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume. There’s an abundance of rosé as well as some characterful reds from Saumur-Champigny, to the southeast of Saumur. Further west, Touraine’s appellations of Bourgueil and Chinon make high-quality reds. Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc are used to make whites, the former crisp and dry, the latter varying from dry to rich, gently sweet “moelleux” styles. Delicious.
Beyond wine: tourist visits not requiring trainers
If you are more city than countryside, the Loire is an ideal destination for architecture lovers, with the ornate châteaux of the French Renaissance, medieval towns and the illuminated buildings of Chartres. Scattered along the banks of the river are over 800 châteaux with manicured grounds and sumptuous interiors – masterpieces of the French Renaissance. The region also boasts several medieval towns whose skylines are punctuated with soaring Gothic spires.
History-lovers will be in their element. Rue Colbert, Rue Bricounet and Rue du Grand Marché in the city of Tours are lined with fine half-timbered houses dating back to the Middle Ages. Tours also has a fabulous fine art museum, as does Orléans, the city famously liberated by Joan of Arc. Don’t miss Orléans’ Gothic St Croix cathedral or the spectacular cathedral at Chartres, which is famous for its twelfth-century stained-glass windows. If you visit at nightfall between April and September, you’ll be treated to the city’s most prominent buildings illuminated with a dazzling light show. Other beautiful towns include the medieval town of Bourges and the fortress town of Chinon which occupies a dramatic location overlooking the Vienne river.
Related posts:
- The Bordeaux Wine & Food Route
- Tapas Menu & Wine Tours at Mallorcan Hotel L’Avenida
- Equine Adventures in French Wine Country, Summer 2008
- Visit a Vineyard During Welsh Wine Week (24 May – 6 June)
Tags: Bourges, Chartres, Chinon, French Wine, Loire Valley, oenotourism, Orléans, September 2009, UNESCO, vineyard visits, Wine, Wine tourism, wine tours
