Tagged with "Loire valley day trips"

A lesser known appellation but one that should be on your mind if you are looking for good Chenin Blanc.

It looks like we’re going to have some great 2014 wines if those of Domaine Patrick Baudouin in Anjou are anything to go by.

We’ve teamed up with Franck and Sandra to offer our Loire Wine Indulgence – a mini break that comprises 2 nights accommodation at the Auberge and a full day’s wine tour with us. Cathy takes care of all the arrangements on your behalf so you can relax and enjoy a little peace and quiet in the countryside accompanied by some great wines and wonderful food.

After the 40mm of rain that fell on Monday I thought that would be it for those hanging on in there for a final pass through the vineyard.

Whether you’re in the Loire on holiday, staying in Paris, with family and friends or business colleagues – a day in the beautiful Loire countryside is always good for the soul.

Last week we had a wonderful Loire wine discovery day with 3 lovely people from Georgia. It was one of those days when everything just clicked into place and we all had a lovely, relaxed day. We shared our lives here in the Loire with them and we learnt about their lives too. We drank wine and shared lunch, visited a vineyard and tasted in a local winery.

My advice would be to do just one chateau a day – that way you can arrive in good time, relax and enjoy your visit in the knowledge you are not going to be herded around like cattle, go and find a nice spot for lunch, take your time over a delicious meal and then potter during the afternoon away from the crush.

Mathieu Vallée has 11 hectares in the Saumur region. 28 tiny parcels dotted around the Saumur Champigny villages keep him on his toes and it’s always difficult to pin him down for a tasting. He makes a small range of wines (3 reds and 2 whites) and we popped in to pick up some stock and catch up on his news.

Naturally produced sweet wines require lots of hard work in the vineyard. Chenin Blanc is so suited to sweet wine with its naturally high acidity and lovely grapefruity bitterness that comes from sinking its roots deep into the schistous slaty soils of Anjou (its great on limestone too!).

This is one of my favourite photos of the river Loire taken at St Mathurin just 5km from our home in Anjou. I was standing on the opposite bank of the river by the bridge at St Mathurin and the light was wonderful so I took a few shots on the mobile. The blue of the sky and the reflection of the buildings on the water gives it an almost Italian feel.

Here are a few tips if you’re planning a day trip from Paris by train this year. Think ahead – tickets for the TGV are released 3 months in advance and this is when you will get the best prices. If you book early you can save as much as 50% on the cost of your ticket.