Wine Tours and Courses in the Heart of the Loire Valley, France

In France the Loire, the Royal Valley, is, at 630 miles the longest river, home to scores of 'Romantic Chateaux' set between the river and the undulating vineyards.  No tour of any other wine region  combines the culture of centuries, with such a number of fascinating wine appellations to be explored.

A major part of Loire Wine is the 25 appellations of Anjou, with wines as varied as the people who make them and the places they are made at, The tours go from the glory of 'Chateau de Fesles' in the appellation Bonnezeaux to the more homespun village wineries where generation after generation have honed the techniques necessary to make great wine from such capricious Loire Valley grapes as the Chenin.  And great wines there are, from the huge vin molleux of the Coteaux du Layon to the bone dry whites of Le Couleé de Serrant.

The sheer amount and variety of wine made in this region makes a tasting tour a delight, particularly as the emphasis is always on making wine that is designed for pleasurable drinking without much of the layers of mystique which tend to apply in some fine wine areas.  Our village, Le Puy Notre Dame, is renowned for being the largest commune for the production of Saumur Rouge and its quality has been recognised by the granting of its own appellation, Saumur-Puy Notre Dame, the first bottlings being in 2008. Like its people, the region is gentle and welcoming, its winemakers keen to talk about their wine, there is no pretension, no snobbery, just a delight to meet people who show an interest in their products. So, why not join us as we meander round the region meeting the vignerons, many now personal friends, tasting some of the best wines around, before trying the famed Loire Valley fresh, seasonal, cuisine, both at our home at Le Clos des Guyons and in some of our favourite quality restaurants. (We restrict each tour to a maximum of 6 persons so that there is less chance of it becoming impersonal and fragmented).