France: Loire
WHY GO?
With its cities and villages shimmering in tuffeau chalk and the glittering facades of countless fairytale châteaux, not to mention numerous cathedrals, monasteries and other buildings of historical significance, there is much to explore in the Loire. Plus, other wine regions would be hard-pressed to match the Loire’s range of dry, sweet and sparkling wines, made using grapes such as Chenin Blanc, Melon de Bourgogne and Sauvignon Blanc, or reds Cabernet Franc, Gamay and Pineau d’Aunis, with styles ranging from light, crisp Muscadet to raspberry-rich Chinon. But it could take months to work your way along the 800km Loire Valley Wine Route, so for a weekend you need to focus. Direct flights from the UK are scarce, so either drive all the way, or take a TGV train from Paris to Tours and pick up a hire car.
THURSDAY
From Tours, drive west for one hour to Saumur. Make your base the Hôtel Anne d’Anjou (www. hotel-anneanjou.com) on the banks of the Loire in the heart of Saumur – the riverside location and view from the rear onto the town’s imposing château couldn’t be better. Walk for eight minutes along the quayside for supper at Le Pot de Lapin (www.lepotdelapin-saumur.com), a gem of a Saumur bistro with a well-chosen wine list.
FRIDAY MORNING
Start the day with a glass of bubbles at sparkling wine pioneer Ackerman (www. ackerman.fr), a 10-minute drive west along the river. Then join a pre-arranged cellar tour at Langlois- Chateau (www.langlois-chateau.fr), offering dramatic views over Château de Saumur, and try its impressive range of reds – if any wine sums up Loire reds, it’s SaumurChampigny, supple yet sparky with great fruit intensity. Retrace your steps back to Bouvet Ladubay (www.bouvetladubay.com) for a unique cycle tour of its cellars.
LUNCH
Drive 40 minutes east for Chinon, on the D751 along the Vienne river, but stop first for lunch in Sazilly, at L’Auberge du Val de Vienne (www.aubergeduvaldevienne.com), where chef Jean-Marie Gervais can turn out a posh plate of food; it’s the menu du jour that makes local hearts sing.
Stroll through Chinon, where the ruins of a medieval castle look down over the tree-lined
Vienne quayside, the battlements offering visitors the first glimpse of Chinon’s vineyards. It’s the red wines that most come for here, made almost exclusively from Cabernet Franc – try them at Domaine de la Noblaie (www. lanoblaie.fr). Winemaker Jérôme Billard’s range includes Touraine sparkling, rare Chinon white and classic red Chinon. Then drive 20 minutes back to the pretty riverside village of Montsoreau for a ride on a traditional flatbottomed toue, one of the region’s distinctive wooden boats. While there, slip in a visit to certified biodynamic producer Domaine de la Paleine (www.domaine-paleine.com).
EVENING
Get your Saumur bearings by cruising the shelves at wine shop Maisons des Vins Anjou Saumur (www.vins-de-saumur.com), then head to L’Essentiel (www.restaurant-lessentiel-saumur.fr) for supper, where chef Anthony Vaillant serves up modern Loire cuisine in his fancy bistro.
SATURDAY MORNING
Drive a little more than an hour east to Vouvray, which boasts a range of white wines made of Chenin Blanc, with an enviable lifespan. First stop here should be Domaine Vigneau- Chevreau (www.vigneau-chevreau. com), one of a handful of biodynamic producers in this region, and one of 350 in the AFTERNOON
Loire Valley’s official network of caves touristiques, thanks to its atmospheric cellar. The most famous producer in Vouvray is Domaine Huet (www.domainehuet.com). Try for a tour by appointment; failing that, grab a bottle from its cellar door located just outside town in preparation for a picnic by the river.
LUNCH
Make tracks to La Maison Hardouin (www. hardouin.com) in Vouvray, a legendary charcutier, open every day from 8am. It’s famous for its andouillettes (sausages) and rillons (pork belly), both cooked in the local wine, but also good is its pâté de campagne au
Vouvray, perfect slathered over a baguette for that aforementioned riverside picnic lunch.
AFTERNOON
Continue on to Domaine de la Taille aux Loups (www.jackyblot.fr), where winemaker Jacky Blot produces a fine Montlouis. He also makes elegant Cabernet Franc from his Domaine de la Butte vineyard in Bourgueil, rated one of the best reds of the Loire Valley. And tick off another castle, Château du Clos Lucé (www.vinci-closluce.com) in Amboise, where Leonardo da Vinci saw out his days.
EVENING
Still in the castle frame of mind, head to Château de Noizay (www.chateaudenoizay.com), set back from the Loire, for dinner, bed and breakfast. Just a 10-minute drive from Amboise, this impressive manor house is complete with cupids, starched linen and gleaming silver, along with its refined presentation of locally sourced ingredients.
SUNDAY
Finish as you started with more castles, first with a visit to Château Royal d’Amboise (www. chateau-amboise.com), where kings and queens from Henry III, to Charles VII, to Catherine de’ Medici have lived or stayed. Finally, round off your weekend with a smart lunch at Château Belmont (www.chateaubelmont.com) in Tours.