Val de Loire wine-growing region
Genuine sources of history, the Val de Loire vineyards were first planted, along with most of the vineyards in France, by the Romans over 2,000 years ago.
Val de Loire wine-growing region - a historic landscape
Part of the historic landscape of the region, they were later developed by Augustinian and Benedictine monks between the 9th and 12th centuries.
The fondness of French kings for the vast lands of the Val de Loire only encouraged this expansion. Vines were planted on all the chalky slopes and tuffeau plateaux overlooking the Loire and its tributaries.
The rich soil of the Val de Loire is characterised in particular by a huge wine producing zone divided into four large regions (Pays Nantais, Anjou, Touraine and Centre) producing dry, demi-sec, moelleux (slightly sweet), liquoreux (very sweet) white wines, red, rosé and sparkling wines. The rich and varied Val de Loire wine-growing region covers more than 800km of tourist routes and includes 6 main varieties of grape : Cabernet Franc, Chenin, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Melon de Bourgogne and Sauvignon.
The Touraine wine-growing area is divided into several zones :
The main Touraine zone runs along both banks of the Loire from Blois to Saumur, extending across the slopes of the main tributaries of the Loire; beside the Vienne (Vignoble de Chinon), Indre (Vignoble de Touraine Azay-Le-Rideau), Cher, Brenne, Cisse and Bièvre (Vignoble de Cheverny).
The ‘Route des Vins du Val de Loire’ Wine Trail
The wine trail is by far the best way to discover all the secrets of wine production in the region : 50 AOC (Protected Designation of Origin) labels and names, the third largest AOC in France, 43,000 hectares of vineyards, 3,000 wine-growers, winegrower cooperatives and merchants. Out of the 1,000 cellars in Val de Loire, 350 have been approved as « démarche de qualité d’accueil en cave (wine cellar offering a quality welcome) », and 80 of these are classed as ‘excellent’.
The city of Tours is at the centre of the wine-growing region with 23 AOC wines; The designated areas for Touraine wines are spread over four départements : Indre-et-Loire, Loir-et-Cher, Sarthe and Indre. In Touraine, the Route des Vins du Val de Loire wine trail goes through the vineyards of AOC Bourgueil, Chinon, Montlouis and Vouvray.
The AOC wines of Indre-et-Loire - vineyards of quality
The variety of soil and grapes give a diverse range of light, fruity wines – red, white, rosé and sparkling.
- AOC Bourgueil (towns and villages of Indre-et-Loire on the right bank of the Loire : Benais, Bourgueil, La Chapelle-sur-Loire, Chouzé-sur-Loire, Restigné, Coteaux-sur-Loire (Ingrandes-de-Touraine Saint-Patrice)
- AOC Chinon (villages of Anché, Avoine, Avon-les-Roches, Beaumont-en-Véron, Chinon, Cravant-les-Côteaux, Crouzilles, Huismes, L'Île-Bouchard, Ligré, Panzoult, Rivière, La Roche-Clermault, Saint-Benoît-la-Forêt, Savigny-en-Véron, Sazilly, Tavant and Theneuil).
- AOC Montlouis-sur-Loire (villages of Lussault-sur-Loire, Montlouis-sur-Loire, Saint-Martin-le-Beau and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil)
- AOC Touraine with Touraine Amboise, Touraine Azay-le-Rideau and Touraine Noble Joué
- AOC Vouvray : to the east of Tours, eight towns and villages of Indre-et-Loire on the right bank of the Loire : Chançay, Noizay, Parçay-Meslay, Reugny, Rochecorbon, Tours, Vernou-sur-Brenne and Vouvray.
To live the total wine experience, why not book accommodation in a town with a wine name ! Discover our selection of accommodation : self-catering gites, B&Bs, troglodyte houses and other unusual dwellings in Vouvray, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Chinon, etc.
More than 100 wine cellars for tourists in Touraine offer the opportunity to tour vines, visit cellars and even troglodyte caves, typical of the region, before tasting the wines.
Touraine and its wine festivals
After the grape harvest and all through the year, Val de Loire organises numerous celebrations and events on a wine theme. « Vitiloire » at Tours every year in May is definitely the best-known event in the region. Bourgueil has its «Fête des Vins du Val de Loire », and « Vignes, Vins, Randos » with walks to visit different wine cellars and taste the wines."
Our selection of accommodations
Guest house
Le Clos du Vieux Port
in VERETZ - Indre-et-Loire
Our new accommodations
Guest house
Domaine des Bidaudières
in VOUVRAY - Indre-et-Loire
