Hidden Gem – Domaine de la Tortinière

Loire Wine Tour based at the Château Hotel Domaine de la Tortiniere

France self-drive holiday - credits Mathieu_Garçon

At a glance

Region:The Loire Valley
Type of Tour:
Duration:3/4 Days
Guide Price:From £954 to £2080 per person
Number of Meals:2 breakfasts + 1 picnic lunch + 1 dinner (3 Days)
3 breakfasts + 1 picnic lunch + 1 dinner (4 Days)
Number of Winery Visits:3 wineries (3 Days)
5 wineries (4 Days)
Number of Wines Tasted:Approximately 17
Approximately 22
Tour Transport:English speaking driver / guide for 1 full day (3 Days)
English speaking driver / guide for 2 full days (4 Days)
Dates / Availability:Available mid-week and weekends throughout the year. The Domaine will be closed between the 01st of January and the 13th of February.

Trip Summary

Our Hidden Gem breaks offer guests a truly unique stay in breath-taking locations. The Loire Valley is famous for its magnificent Châteaux and its incredible range of wines. Our Hidden Gem package at the Relais du Silence Domaine de la Tortinière includes the best of both worlds, with accommodation at a charming Château nestled at the heart of a 15 hectare park and tours and tastings at premium local wineries in the nearby appellations of Chinon, Amboise and Vouvray.

On the morning of day two, after breakfast, you will be met at the Château by an English-speaking driver/guide who will accompany your throughout the day on a private basis. Your first stop will be a 15th Century wine-making Château in the Chinon appellation, where you will be welcomed by the Count and Countess of the estate. Following a visit to the Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc vineyards and a tour of the cellars, a tasting session will take place in the Château’s historic tasting room. A picnic lunch with a bottle of wine will then be served in the stunning grounds of the Château.

Loire wine tour - credits Tortiniere
Loire Valley trip - credits CLazi_CRTCentreValdeLoire

You will then be taken to the historic town of Chinon, where you will visit the best wine producer in the appellation (producer of arguably the best red wine in the Loire) for a tour of their vineyards and cuverie before tastings of red wines from several of their different terroirs. In the afternoon, you will enjoy another visit at a premium Chinon winery. You will be taken on a tour of the wine-making facilities and the tour will end with an extensive tasting session of the estate’s wines accompanied by local delicacies. You will be taken back to your hotel at the end of the tour.

After freshening up, you will be welcome in the Château’s contemporary restaurant. Here, a gastronomic six course tasting menu paired with local wines will be served. Located in a charming conservatory, the restaurant offers stunning views across the Château’s beautiful grounds.

Loire Valley Trip - credits Nantes Wine Tours

For those opting for the four day break, your English-speaking driver/guide will return on the morning of day three to accompany you throughout a second day of tours. No trip to the Loire Valley would be complete without a visit to one of the enchanting Châteaux of the region. First stop will be the breath-taking Château de Chenonceau, one of the finest examples of the region’s historic Châteaux, where you will spend the morning having an audio-guided tour. You may wish to have lunch at the Château or alternatively, your guide will be more than happy to suggest a restaurant in the nearby town of Amboise depending on how hungry you are feeling on the day.

France self-drive holiday- credits Chenonceau IMAGESDEMARC
carcassonne wine tour- Credits Stevens Frémont

In the afternoon, a truly unique tasting session of five Vouvray wines will take place in the cellars of a reputed wine merchant in Amboise, who specialises in old wines (some of which date back to the forties). There is a strong chance that you will be able to taste wine from your birth year! Ending the day in style, the remainder of the afternoon will be spent sampling a selection of the best white wines from Vouvray. Here, you will be taken on a private tour of the vineyards, domaine and cellars of a premium winery. The visit will conclude with tastings of five wines, including the domaine’s Réserve Spéciale. A platter of local delicacies such as cheese and rillettes will be served with the wine. You will be taken back to the Château at the end of the tour.

Region Map

Outline Itinerary

Day One

  • Upon arrival in the Loire Valley, check into your preferred room grade at the 4* Relais du Silence Domaine de la Tortinière in Veigné.
  • The remainder of the afternoon and evening will be free for you to do as you please.
  • You may wish to explore your surroundings independently. Alternatively you may prefer to relax at the Château.
  • In your travel pack there will be a comprehensive list of recommended restaurants. We would be pleased to reserve you a table at any of these for dinner.
Loire wine tour - credits Chambord P-Duriez

Day Two

  • After breakfast, you will be met at the Château by an English-speaking driver/guide, who will accompany you throughout the day on a private basis.
  • You will firstly visit a 15th Century wine-making Château in the Chinon appellation. Your tour will be followed by a tasting session of the Château’s wines and a picnic lunch.
  • After lunch, you will be taken to the charming town of Chinon where you will enjoy a tour and tasting at a premium Chinon winery.
  • A third visit will be arranged in the afternoon at another renowned Chinon winery.
  • You will be taken back to your hotel at the end of the day.
  • A gastronomic tasting dinner paired with wines will be served in the Château’s restaurant.
Loire Valley Trip credits Comte Lafond
Loire wine tour ©JS Evrard

Day Three (Optional)

  • After breakfast, your English-speaking driver/guide will return to take you on a second day of tours and tastings.
  • You will firstly be taken to the historic Château de Chenonceau, where you will spend the morning having an audio-guided tour.
  • You will then be given some free time for lunch at the Château or in a nearby town.
  • In the afternoon, a tasting session of five Vouvray wines will take place in the cellars of a wine merchant in Amboise.
  • The last visit of the day will be at a Vouvray winery to taste some of the best Vouvray white wines.
  • You will be taken back to your hotel at the end of the day.
  • As always we would be delighted to reserve you a table if required.
Wine tasting in France- credits Duriez

Final Day

  • After a leisurely breakfast, check out of the hotel.

 

(ii) The outline itinerary is indicative and is subject to minor changes depending on supplier availability. Availability cannot be guaranteed until we have received a confirmed booking, together with the deposit payment (or payment in full where the dates of travel are in less than 60 days). If the named accommodation / visits are not available, we will endeavour to find suitable alternatives of a similar grade; this may be subject to a supplement or a rebate depending on the price available.

Accommodation

Fantastic service and a warm welcome.

Gillian- London, UK

Package Prices

  • These prices are per person and based on two people travelling together and sharing a twin or double room.
  • These are realistic guide prices, based on travel in standard season (usually April to the end of October). Considerable discounts often apply for travel out of season (usually November to the end of March) or if there are more than two of you travelling together. Please let us know your preferred travel dates for a definitive price.
  • Although we propose specific hotels as part of our standard packages, we enjoy excellent relationships and preferential rates at the majority of the hotels in each of our featured destinations. Therefore if you would prefer to stay in a different hotel, this can be arranged. Please contact us for the relevant supplements/discounts.
  • Other room grades are available at most of the hotels that we work with. Just let us know which hotel you prefer and we will send you the relevant supplements for the various room grades.
  • Single supplements and extra night prices are available upon request.
Hotel NameRoom GradeStar RatingDurationPrice Per Person
Domaine de la Tortinière - VeignéCharm room4*3 Days£1273Book Now
Domaine de la Tortinière - VeignéCharm room4*4 Days£2080Book Now

Special Offers

Bring friends and spend less! A discount applies to groups of four people or more who are travelling together on this break. Please contact us to get a quote.

Enhance your Experience/Tour Upgrades

If you would like to make your Grape Escapes holiday even more special, there are a number of additional activities that we can arrange for you. To complement the experience, these could be arranged to fit in/around your current itinerary or we can arrange additional nights and room upgrades at your hotel, as well as your travel arrangements, a stop-over en route and even a visit to another part of the country! See below for some of the most popular upgrades.

  • Stay longer! Just let us know your preferred hotel and room grade, and we will provide you with the relevant supplement for extra nights with breakfast.
  • Additional tours and activities! We would be delighted to provide inspiration for more wine tours and cultural activities. The possibilities are endless!
  • Experience the region’s gastronomy. The wine regions are brimming with unique gastronomic dining opportunities and what better way to enjoy a glass than with a mouth-watering meal? We offer a variety of menus to suit every budget. Contact us for prices.
  • Tailor-made tour extensions. The team at Grape Escapes have travelled extensively in Europe, not just in the wine regions and can therefore recommend and arrange tailor-made tour extensions to other regions and cities, for example Paris in France or Bilbao in Spain.
Loire Valley Trip- credits EMangeat_CRTCentreValdeLoire

The bottom line is that is was fantastic. I have been on a number of tours and tastings over the years but this was by far the best. Thank you for organising it for me!

Gary- Surrey, UK

Further Information

Travel to your Loire Wine Tour

Given the wide range of travel options, the package price does not include travel. Please contact us for further information.

About Our Hidden Gems

For more information on our Hidden Gems please see our Hidden Gems page.

Further Information / To Book

To secure your booking, a deposit of £100 per person is required (or 20% if the price of your trip exceeds £500 per person). Your remaining balance will then be due 60 days before you travel. Please call us on +44 (0) 1920 46 86 66 or e-mail info@grapeescapes.net to request a booking form.

Get in Touch

Around half of our trips are completely bespoke. Our expert team would be delighted to discuss your requirements and create your perfect trip.

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