AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO LOIRE VALLEY
The best restaurants and specialities, under‑the‑radar boutique vineyards and historic sites to explore, according to Loire native and chef Guillaume Galliot, of Hong Kong’s three‑michelin‑starred restaurant Caprice. By Juliana Loh
Located an hour south of Paris by tgv train or a little over that by car, Loire Valley, also known as the Garden of France for its many breathtaking manicured gardens, is home to grand chateaux that stand testament to it being the playground of French royals and aristocrats in centuries past – with the historic towns of Tours, Blois and Amboise sitting the royal court in the 15th century. It is at the Loire, too, that oenophiles would find diverse wines, beyond sancerre, muscadet and pouilly fumé, that are a joy to discover.
On biannual trips home to the Loire with my chef husband Guillaume Galliot over the last decade, I’ve had the opportunity to dive deep into the culture of the “Tourgeaux” – the people of Tours – and have eaten my weight in MOF (Meilleurs Ouvriers de France – a rigorous craftsman competition) cheeses and chocolates.
Speaking of cheeses, a trip to Touraine, the heart of Loire Valley, is a must, for it’s there that one would find amazing goat’s cheese – and rillettes. Both are specialities of Chambray-lès-tours, the hometown of Guillaume, who helms Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong’s three-michelinstarred Caprice. The restaurant, incidentally, receives weekly arrivals of the Loire region’s Racan pigeon, one of his signature dishes. During summer, varieties of organic home-grown tomatoes from his mother’s garden – over 150kg of them – are sent to the restaurant for use in its menu.
“Natural flavours, where vegetables and fruits taste like what they are, are very important,” says Guillaume. “You really taste the sunshine, the terroir in the tomatoes from my home’s garden in Tours. I visit the producers at the source where possible, respecting nature’s food chain and seasonal produce.”
EATING IN TOURAINE
We always stop by Le Bistro by Olivier Arlot ( 6 Ave du Lac, 37300 Joué-lés-tours, Centre) for a meal of simple, wholesome dishes full of flavours. A set lunch sets you back about €35.
Seven kilometres from Tours in Montbazon, chef Gaëtan Evrard of one-michelin-starred brasserie L’evidence (1 Place des Marronniers, 37250 Montbazon) brings out the best in local and seasonal produce. The cuisine is contemporary, generous and rooted in French techniques. In addition, it’s a great spot to discover Loire Valley wines – the wine menu has a selection of over 300 wines from the region. Set lunches start at €29.
“You must also try the Rillons de Touraine ( savoury confit pork belly), Rillettes de Tours au Vouvray and Appellation d’origine Protégée
( aop) Sainte-maure de Touraine as well as the pike and eels from the lakes and river,” insists Bruno Menard, former executive chef at the three-michelin-starred L’osier in Tokyo and ex Masterchef Asia judge. The Tours native, who is now based in Singapore, also recommends the Tarte Tatin, an upside-down apple tart that’s a Loire Valley speciality, as well as the Nougat de Tours from La Chocolatière.
A visit to Les Hautes Roches ( 86 Quai de la Loire, 37210 Rochecorbon), a Relais & Chateaux boutique hotel carved into the rocks, also yields pleasant surprises. Dining al fresco in the summer at its oneMichelin-starred restaurant, helmed by chef Didier Edon, presents a refreshingly different experience – expect classics with a twist and a menu dominated by seafood.
“At aperitif time, we always have rillettes,” Guillaume reveals. “The best is still the home-made ones by my stepfather. He goes hunting with his friends during the season, and they make their own paté and rillettes from deer and wild boar in the region.”
WINE COUNTRY
The history of winemaking in Loire Valley dates back to the 1st century, and Loire Valley wines were once upon a time the most prized quality wines in England and France. The Loire is also the second-largest sparkling wine producer in France after Champagne. The grape varieties range from chenin blanc and sauvignon blanc to cabernet franc, gamay and pinot noir.
Tours lies in the Middle Loire region, and some vineyards to visit there are Domaine Huet (11 Rue de la Croix Buisée, 37210 Vouvray), Domaine du Clos Naudin Philippe Foreau (14 Rue de la Croix Buisée, 37210 Vouvray) and Domaine Bourillon Dorléans (30 Bis Rue de Vaufoynard, 37201 Rochecorbon). A short drive away in Montlouis are the vineyards of leading Loire winemakers Jacky Blot and François Chidaine, who have “distinct styles”, says Guillaume. “You get minerality from Blot’s wines – a favourite is the Triple Zero, a zero-dosage sparkling, 100 percent chenin blanc – while those from Chidaine are typically more mature and fruity.”
If you have time only for one visit though, pick Domaine Bourillon Dorléans, where you can visit its cellar, decorated with eclectic art, and meet with its gregarious owner Frédéric Bourillon. The cellar tastings, in particular, bring with them the delightful discovery of interesting and complex wines, many of which are rarely exported out of France.
FAIRY-TALE CASTLES
France’s majestic castles are aplenty, with many dating from the late 13th century and celebrating the best of Renaissance design in the country. Château de Villandry by the River Cher ( 3 Rue Principale, 37510 Villandry), for instance, is best known for its perfectly manicured Renaissance gardens – a backdrop popular for wedding photography. The gardens are vast, with colourful plants and box hedges forming squares, swirls and maze-like patterns with absolute precision.
But perhaps the most impressive castle of them all is Château de Chambord (Le Château, 41250 Chambord) – an exemplar of French Renaissance architecture. Conceived by François I, the towers and façade are elaborate and distinct, and the grandeur and opulence, uncontested. After visiting the chateau, spend a little time wandering its 5,440ha park. Enclosed by a 32km-long wall, it shows nature at its best, with plenty of greenery, wild animals and game.
Also worth checking out is Château Royal d’amboise ( Montée de l’emir Abd el Kader, 37400 Amboise) on the bank of River Loire. Formerly a royal residence in the 15th century, it is now home to St Hubert’s chapel, where the tomb of Leonardo da Vinci lies. It is connected to the neighbouring Clos Lucé (where Da Vinci was staying on the invitation of King François I when he died in 1519) via an underground tunnel, so art lovers can pop by the museum dedicated to the artist and his works.
Recalling his childhood, Guillaume shares: “My late grandmother lived near Clos Lucé, so I spent a lot of my childhood running around the area. She’s a very learned woman – she taught Latin at church and met Pope John Paul II at Vatican City every year as a Touraine representative – and as kids, we got detailed history lessons on the royalty that lived on the grounds.”
Of course, no Loire Valley tour is complete without a visit to one of its best-known chateaus: Château de Chenonceau (37150 Chenonceaux), also known as the Ladies’ Chateau, after the fact that a succession of women played significant roles in the creation, restoration and preservation of the castle. Its expansive Renaissance garden overlooking the River Cher, for instance, was created by Diane de Poitiers, the mistress of Henry II of France. The chateau is also home to a large collection of masterpieces by some of Europe’s greatest painters from the 15th to the 18th centuries, from Rubens to Correggio.
It doesn’t hurt that there are plenty of ways to tour France’s castles. For a bird’s-eye view, hop on a hot-air balloon ride, or take a plane or helicopter; for a more intimate experience, opt for a hiking or bike tour, or take a leisurely drive at your own pace.