| This is a lush green land of gently undulating ountryside with rich vineyards interspersed with charming towns and magnificent châteaux.
It is no coincidence that the great men of French history, starting with the kings of France (from Charles VII to François I) set up their homes near its vast forests and on its river banks.
The region has some of the most famous châteaux in France: Amboise, Blois, Azay-le-Rideau, Villandry and Chenonceau to name but a few.
The rivers Loire, Cher, Indre and Vienne meander gracefully through the region and offer a delightful backdrop to many of the regions' châteaux and towns.
Brochure Download
Please click on the link below to download our 2008 Brochure. You will see it doesn't include Loire trips. We will only run private trips to the Loire next year. Please call us for details. You will need a pdf reader to view the pdf file and you can obtain a copy here if you do not already have one
2008 Brochure (0.5MB)
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STOP PRESS - VIP LOIRE TRIP 2008
We are running a very special trip to The Loire from Tuesday 7th to Sunday 12th October 2008 with the Confrérie du Sabre d’Or. There are a few places left for this prestigious trip, an outline of which follows:
Tuesday – Private coach from London to Portsmouth for overnight crossing to St Malo, with 2 berth cabins and 4 course dinner on board with drinks.
Wednesday – Visit to Langlois Chateau, one of the best Saumur producers, complete with classroom session to learn about the region’s geology, a tour of their cellars and tastings of 8-10 of their wines. Accommodation for the 3 nights will be in the 4* Hotel de L'Univers in Tours, with a 4 course dinner at their restaurant on Wednesday evening.
Thursday – Visit the riverside market in Chinon, then free time for lunch and to explore the town and its historic castle. Visit Charles Joguet, producer of the finest red wines in The Loire for a tour and tastings. Tour and tasting at a premium winery in Bourgueil with members of the Bourgueil Confrérie, followed by a 5 course dinner in a Michelin starred restaurant in Chinon, complete with wines.
Friday – Visit the historic Chenonceau Chateau, then free time for lunch in Amboise. Visit to premium wine estate in Vouvray for a tour and tasting, specialising in Chenin Blanc. In the evening you will enjoy a 5 course gala dinner in Tours with accompanying premium wines.
Saturday – Optional guided tour of city of Tours, followed by a visit to a wine estate in Azay le Rideau, with a tour of their Tufa stone cellars. The owners will then provide a locally produced buffet lunch complete with their wines and spirits. Return to Caen for a 4 course dinner before overnight ferry to Portsmouth with 2 berth cabins.
Sunday – Return to London by lunchtime.
For further details including dates and pricing, please download the Full Itinery pdf below.
Loire Trip 2008 (0.3MB)
Standard Grape Tours
With every Grape Escapes trip comes the opportunity toenjoy some great wine and food. What makes Grape Escapes tours different is the flexibility that is offered to allow you to choose when to arrive, how you travel there, which accommodation you prefer and which of the tours you wish to include.
The programme of events during each tour allows you the opportunity to make the most of your trip. Unlike other companies, you will not be herded around in a group of 30 or 40 as we feel that this does not give us access to the best properties and that our guests do not get the quality of tour they deserve – we limit the number of guests on each trip to 24 and a typical group size is between 12 and 18 people.
N.B. We will not be running any general public tours to The Loire in 2008. However, we can still arrange private tours to the region for individuals, couples or small groups. A typical tour could include:
Friday
You will be collected from your hotel by luxury coach and driven to Langlois Chateau, just outside Saumur. This prestigious house is under the same ownership as Bollinger and produces wines along the length of the Loire valley. Your visit here will include a short ‘classroom session to look at the geology of the Loire valley and why the different styles of wines are produced. The visit will include a tour of their extensive tufa stone cellars built into the side of the valley and will conclude with tastings of a variety of wines from across the region including sparkling wines. You will then be driven to the historic town of Chinon where you will have a gala lunch in a top restaurant. Your day will end with a visit to the best wine producer in the Chinon appellation (producer of arguably the best red wine in the Loire) for a visit to their vineyards and cuverie before tastings of red wines from several of their different terroirs.
Saturday
Your tour will start with a visit to a top Vouvray producer whose wine is included on the wine lists of several fine establishments including the Conran restaurants. This vineyard is famous for its Chenin Blancs which it produces in all styles from dry to botrytised dessert wines. Following this visit, you will cross the Loire to Azay les Riddeau for a buffet lunch in the Tufa stone cellars of a local producer. The stone from these cellars was used for building the Cathedral at Tours and the cellars have their own underground spring. All of the food that you will taste is produced locally and much of it comes from the wine maker’s family. Of course, the food will be washed down with plenty of their wines. After lunch, you will be taken to one of the region’s premium red wine producers for a visit to the domain and the opportunity to sample their wines.
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Tours–this old but lively university city is the capital of Touraine and the original home of the French language. Among its many delights is a stunning cathedral dating back almost 900 years. It is also good for a little retail therapy and a fine meal. Saumur – this interesting town on the banks of the Loire is dominated by its 14th century chateau sitting on the hill above it. It is packed with buildings carved from the local white tufa-stone and has many bustling streets to explore. Alternatively, just relax at one of the cafés in the central square with a coffee or a glass of something stronger.
The châteaux of the Loire are world famous and warrant a book to describe each one. From, arguably, the most ornate bridge in the world at Chenonceau to the most attractive kitchen garden at Villandry, each chateau has its own charm and reason to visit.
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