Sarah Ahmed – The Wine Detective

Last month saw the announcement of the first French tourism destinations entitled to use the “Vignoble & Découverte” label (which means Vineyard & Discovery), which aims to promote wine tourism.  From a list of 45 projects, 10 destinations were selected for their large range of tourist and complementary products: cellar visits, accommodation, restaurants, museums and events.  The list includes three Loire destinations:

Vallée du Layon – the source of Bonnezeaux and Coteaux du Layon sweet wines, exciting dry Chenin Blanc too made by the likes of Eddy Oosterlinck of Domaine de Juchepie (pictured), Vincent Ogereau, Baumard, Jo Pithon and Claude Papin (see here for more about the region). 

Chinon-Bourgueil-Azay – home of Cabernet Franc big guns and young guns including Pierre-Jacques Druet, Gerald Vallee (Domaine de la Cotellarie), Frederic Mabileau, Bertrand Sourdais (Domaine de Pallus),Jacky Blot, Jerome (Domaine de la Noblaie) and Yannick Amirault.

Vallée du Loir – yes, no  ”e,” (the Loir is a tributary of the Loire), a cutting edge region with thrillingly individual wines from Jasnières and Coteaux du Loir producers like Domaine de Bellivière, Domaine le Briseau, Jean-Pierre Robinot and Domaine les Maison Rouges (see here for my recent tasting notes and here for regional/producer information).

The scheme doesn’t identify specific tourism activities (which would have been helpful) but no matter,  I asked Micaela Frow and Sue Hunt.  The pair, who are qualified in Wine Studies, WSET and Hotel Management, have lived in the Loire for several years and run La Grande Maison Wine Tours and B&B in Saumur (pictured).  Here are their top 10 recommendations for wine related attractions and events in the Loire:

Five Top Wine Related Attractions :

* Langlois Chateau

* La Grande Vignolle

* Caves des Vignerons

* St Lambert de Lattay Wine Museum

* Maison du Vins Saumur (to which I cheekily add the Maison des Sancerre) 

Five Top Wine Related Events : (annually)

* La Grande Table du Saumur Champigny

* Saumur Fête de Vendange

* Saumur Wine Market

* Fête de Coteaux du Layon Aubigné Layon

* Portes Ouvertes at selected wineries throughout the year

But if you really want to get a handle on the Loire wine scene, Frow and Hunt lead tours “behind the cellar door,” enabling you to meet the winemakers and explore wines from individual family owned wineries as well as local cooperatives and larger, more commercial producers (both pictures taken on La Grande Maison tours).  

Regular wine routes cover Saumur (home to Chateau de Fosse Seche’s egg-shaped fermenters pictured), the Layon, Savennières, Chinon, Bourgueil & St Nicolas de Bourgeuil and Frow tells me “the surprise for visitors is that the Loire Vineyards offer such a variety of wine styles. During a two day wine tour you have the opportunity to taste sparkling white/red/rosé, dry whites, reds oaked and un-oaked, sweet whites and rosés all made from the two main cépages Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Opportunities are available to meet the winemakers [like Eddy Oosterlinck of Domaine de Juchepie], taste the wines directly from barrel and buy them at cellar door prices.”  What’s not to like?

Check out La Grande Maison website and blog here for more information and I also highly recommend my fellow wine writer Jim Budd’s blog here  - scroll down the right margin for details on where to stay, eat, drink and be merry!