In the heart of Anjou, in the Loire Valley, France. Our Gites are at "Le Clos des Guyons" situated within the walls of a stone built wine-makers house on the edge of the pretty wine making village of  Le Puy Notre Dame. Turn right out of the courtyard and you are in the extensive vineyards which stretch, almost without a break, to Doué la Fontaine. Turn left and you are in the historic village with its famous collegiale church, bar, old stone houses, pharmacie, bakery and small supermarket which is, neverless, well stocked with a superb butcher and delicatessen.  Le Puy is ideally situated to explore the famous Loire Valley, particularly the Chateaux and the wine of this warm, gentle and welcoming region, now listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, one of only a select few. Within a few minutes one can reach the lovely old town of Saumur, famous for wine and horses, the town of  Doué la Fontaine with its much respected Conservation Zoo and colourful Rose Gardens and Montreuil- Bellay the last remaining walled town in Anjou.  Chinon with its formidable military edifice and Joan of Arc connections is 45 minutes away, as is Angers the historic capital of Anjou with its must see tapestries.  Thouars with an historic Chateau and Orangerie is 15 mins. away and  Tours the  historic capital of the Tourainne is approximately 1hour.            

Any true wine lover must surely dream of the Loire with more than sixty appellations on its 630 mile length, it provides a cornucopia of styles be they red, rosé, white, sparkling or dry.  Le Puy is at the centre of the 29 appellations of Anjou-Saumur being the premiere centre for the production of Saumur wines (it has just been awarded its own appellation) and is on the edge of the Coteaux du Layon. Chinon, Bourgueil and St. Nicholas de Bourgueil are 40 minutes away and even the central vineyards of Sancerre and its close neighbours are under 3 hours, as are the major vineyards of Bordeaux.  After many years involvement in the wine trade in the UK, we are more than happy to provide any help or instruction you think you would like, whether it be just to point you in the right direction or to construct more formal courses.  Please Click Anjou wine for more information on the subject.

Finally, one could not talk about this region without mentioning the rightly famous Chateaux.  Nowhere else in the world does one find so many exquisite architectural gems strung along the banks of one river. It is as if all the castles in the UK were resited along the banks of the Thames. From awe-inspiring medieval fortresses to romantic love palaces built, firstly, to impress the conquered, then their brother rulers and lastly their wives and mistresses.  They are truly one of the wonders of the western world. They are, of course, of great historical importance and there are many visitors who delight in the analysis of every architectural nuance. For me, however, they are, together with the great river, the particular light, the caves and vineyards, the things which give the Loire its unique identity, its feeling of timelessness and stability.  They are a gift to this and to future generations and to watch the chateau and river at Saumur as the sun sets, or to see Montsoreau shrouded in the morning mist, one wonders just how many other people have done the same thing and paused at the start or at the end of the day, finding an involuntary moment of reflection and beauty before quietly continuing on their way.