Stays / Weekend end oenology Loire Valley

The garden of France

The Loire Valley was registered by the UNESCO worldwide patrimony since 2000. Before that the kings like Charles VII and its futur dauphin Louis XI started the construction of famous Châteaux de la Loire on the 15th until the beginning of the 16th century with the Renaissance period under François Ier. From that rich history, beautifu castles has risen and are stil well conserved and the river Loire was always used as a transportation way for the wine, either it was under Henri II de Plantagenêt, count of Anjou but also king of England at that time, going to London or later until nowadays travelling to Paris.  
43 000 ha   50 AOC 1 IGP

Environment 
800kms os Route des Vins are waiting for you along the Châteaux de La Loire and so many other landscapes! The longest french Route des Vins uncoil on 3 regions, 14 departements from the Atlantic coast to Auvergne in the center of France allowing you to face different landscapes, experience different climates, taste different type of wines. 

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Terroirs 
4 main terroirs are appearing: the one from Nantes, benefiting from the oceanic climate, the one from Anjou around the city of Angers, the one of Saumur with its numerous hills and the one from Tourraine. Loire Valley differentiates from other vineyards by its diversity in white wines which can be dry like the Muscadet or sweet like the Coteaux du Layon, by its sparkling wines the Crémants de Loire, but also more and more by its rosés and reds from Anjou and Tourraine.   

Production
Wines produced in the Loire Valley are very diverse : for whites it can varies to a dry style like Muscadet, Sauvignon blanc in Sancerre or Tourraine to a smoky style in Pouilly Fumé or a round Sauvignon Blanc aged on lees (dead yeasts that will give roundiness to the wine). You will also find sparkling wines in Saumur and Vouvray, dry to sweet white wines made out of Chenin Blanc and aromatic rosés in the region of Anjou and Saumur. Finally reds can be light and fruity out of the Gamay grape to medium bodied and tannic with Cabernet Franc.  

41%  27% 19%13%

Gastronomy 
Oyesters and other seafood, saffron from Touraine chicken from Loué, sablés nantais (biscuit), marmite sarthoise (meat stew), curé nantais (cheese), salt from Guérande, mogette (white beans), bricohe vendéenne, mushrooms...

Briefly
Of course with 800kms to cross, you should come back here often! Leave for a seaside break discovering the AOCs Muscadet from Loire Atlantique and from Mayenne, embark for a historic stay in Anjou and its surroundings and discover its famous sweet wines, go fr a stay in the famous troglodyte houses near Saumur and toast with Crémant or navigate for a romantic stay around Tours, Amboise and Blois for a glass of your favorite color! 

The region loves planning activities in the vineyards : walking, biking like in the 60's tour, boat tour, 2CV tour...
Contact us to organize YOUR discovery of the Loire Valley vineyards!