Wine tasting on a Sunday in the Loire – Chateau des Vaults

Ok, so you’re staying in Angers in the Loire and you love wine and you think ‘right, it’s Sunday tomorrow, let’s go wine tasting, there are bound to be loads of places open on a Sunday’.  Well think again. No, there are few places open on a Sunday for wine tasting in Anjou.

One lovely domaine that is open on a Sunday (in fact is open 7 days a week from the 1st May until the 31st October) is Chateau de Vaults in the delightful village of Savennières just 20 minutes from Angers. Dynamic owner and winemaker Evelyne de Pontbriand opens her doors at weekends and it’s a lovely spot to visit and taste wine.  In the heart of the village, you can enjoy a self guided walk that takes you high up above the village where you can really appreciate the location and terroir of the vineyards and coming down you can enjoy walking around the lovely gardens before returning to the tasting room.  This appellation is for Chenin Blanc wines only and they are some of the best white wines in the region.  Enjoyable young, but with the capacity for ageing, the wines of Domaine du Closel, Chateau des Vaults are great examples of what can be done in this appellation.

The domaine is dynamic in terms of wine tourism and if you are looking for something really special then you can book in for a private tasting with Madame de Pontbriand who speaks perfect English and is charming.

All estates in Savennières deserve your support this year after the devastating frosts of recent weeks. Things are going to be tough for growers in the region so the best thing you can do is go, visit, taste and buy a bottle.

Chateau des Vaults 

1, Place du Mail

49170 Savennieres