Full wine tour
Highlights: Wine - Life style - Free time
Duration: 8 days / 7 nights or 4 days / 3 nights
Date: All year along
Transportation: Fully chauffeured private luxury car with your guide
Accommodation: 4* Hotel downtown Amboise
Overview
Even if more confidential than Bordeaux or Burgundy, the Loire Valley is France third most important winemaking region. This land of balance - between North and South, smooth suavity and crisp freshness, art and literature, tradition and modernity-, furthered by a mild climate and rich soils, has brought forth of the most vibrant diversity of wines. Loire Valley wines include 65 appellations, from red to white and rosé, from still to sparkling, from sweet to dry and everything in between...
The 8 day / 7 night tour stretches accross the wine valley along the Loire (starting in Angers and ending in Sancerre), allowing you to truly understand and experience the diverse expression which the Loire Valley wines has to offer.
The 4 day / 3 night tour covers the main part of the Loire Valley wine district allowing you to taste some of the best regional wines.
Both tours will give you a great overlook of the best “crus”, but also allow you to visit some of the highlights of the region. Combined with fine food and comfortable accommodations, you may never want to leave the Loire Valley at the end of your trip…
The following tour is just an example of itineraries that we have designed for our clients. Feel free to ask more information about it, or to have your own tour design according to your taste.
Itinerary
The 8 day / 7 night will cover the full itinerary, whereas the 4 day / 3 night tour will be made up of day 3 to 6. Although both tours are open to customization.
Day 1: Arrival in Angers
The tour will start in Angers with an introduction to the Loire Valley wines: appellations, grape varieties, characteristics…
Day 2: Angers and the Anjou wines
After visiting the city of Angers, start your wine exploration by the coteaux du Layon, a white sweet wine and the Anjou wines (red, rosé).
Day 3: Chinon and Bourgueil
Today is dedicated to the red wines of Chinon and Bourgueil, on the South and North bank of the river. While in the area, don’t miss the Abbaye of Fontevraud, a royal abbaye of the 12th century.
Day 4: Garden escape
No wine tasting today! For a change, you will spend the day between gardens and castles… But nothing prevent you to choose a good bottle of wine to accompany your dinner…
Day 5: A unique experience around Vouvray wines
Some tourists just taste the wine, but you are going to “experienced it”. Be ready to “see” and “touch” it, in a style offered to few travelers, and in places open only to RiverLoire guests. The perfect way to enjoy the wine of Vouvray… and some more.
Day 6: The Ladies Castle… and wines
Today is a day dedicated to femininity! To start with, you will visit Chenonceau, also called the "Ladies castle" in memory of Catherine de Medicis. Then you will travel East to Sancerre and Pouilly and their white “women’s” wines.
Day 7: Sancerre and Pouilly
Enjoy the atmosphere of these little towns, surrounded by vineyards and an exceptional landscape. Don’t miss the goat cheese of Chavignol, the perfect match to the wines.
Day 8: Bye Bye Loire Valley
Time to pack and say good-bye! We hope you discovered some wonderful new wines and are bringing back home a little bit of our region…
Price & inclusions
Price for the 8 day / 7 night tour starting from € 4 267,00 per person (€ 8 534,00 for a party of 2 people).
Subject to availability at the time of the booking.
It includes:
- 2 Nights in a 4* Hotel in Angers.
- 3 Nights in a 4* rated Château Hotel nearby Tours.
- 2 Nights in a 3* Hotel in Sancerre.
- Breakfast daily.
- All private transportation and transfers with an English-speaking guide throughout your stay, with periods of free time.
- 3 Lunches with drinks included (Days 4, 5 and 6).
- 3 Lunches without drinks (Days 2, 3 and 7).
- 4 dinners without the drinks in selected restaurants (Days 1, 3, 6 and 7).
- The entrance fees and the private guided visits of the Castles and gardens of Angers, Fontevraud Abbey, Azay le Rideau, Villandry and Chenonceau.
- The visit of a privately owned castle.
- The privately guided visits of the wine cellars listed above with wine tastings and the access to a private property including wine and cheese tasting and wine bottling (with a special label...).
- Privately guided walking visits of the towns of La Charité sur Loire and Sancerre and its vineyards.
- The visit of a cheese shop.
- Riverloire local assistance.
- Fees and taxes.
If you’ve just returned from this “Full wine tour” tour we’d love to hear from you...
We enjoyed the variety of vineyards, caves, and wines we tasted. The locations and settings were all unique. The establishments and hosts were all excellent, as was our tour guide. We were fortunate to have the company owner, Thierry host our group of 4 for a day and a half of touring. He was friendly, professional, knowledgeable of the wines and the area, and extremely hospitable. We would have never been able to plan this quality of an excursion on our own. Thank you!
Amy G (USA) a review from Tripadvisor (5 stars) - August 2022
Special thanks to our guide Audrey for her limitless stories, and to the remaining staff for their hospitality.
Would highly recommend the tour.
Nick (USA) a review from Tripadvisor (5 stars) - March 2017
Clark and Donna - October 2016
Thank you for the most amazing two day wine experience full of education and surprises. You gave Chris and I wine tastings and vineyard visits that will stay in our memories for a very long time. Maryke's knowledge was deep and yet we could still absorb a great deal of information. We have come home with a love for wines and a region we knew little about. It was just amazing and I'm happy to report all the wines we bought taste just as wonderful at home!
Lisianne & Chris (UK) - July 2015
We enjoyed the most delightful day with Maryke in Reims on June 9. Maryke met at the train station with a beautiful smile and ready for a long and very fun day.
Maryke was a perfect guide and wine expert. She is very familiar with the Reims Cathedral as well as the three champagne houses we visited. She is a wealth of information and is quite willing to share her knowledge at the same time not over power the conversation. We all were very impressed with her gift of ease in making us all comfortable and happy.
We were very much looking forward to our day in Champagne and Maryke did not disappoint us in the least. Her comfort in adding information before and after each champagne house visit was timely and delicately added.
Our youngest son is taking his second level exam for Sommelier, a wine expert in the USA. He was especially interested in Maryke's thoughts and ideas.
Maryke was simply the best ~ we had a fantastic time and it was a pleasure to meet her as well as spend the entire day together.
I've attached to photo's, you can tell by the smiles on our faces, Maryke made us happy!
We hope to return to Champagne country in the future and rely on Riverloire again!
Our very best,
Bob, Sherrie, Bob and Jameson (USA) - June 2015
Thank you Thierry !
Allison (USA) - March 2014
I would just like to take this opportunity to thank you again.
Our stay was wonderful and to taste your wine and cheese and experience your cellar was truly enjoyable and much appreciated ! Could you also please pass on our heartfelt gratitude to Stephanie who was the most wonderful guide.
Our entire experience was incredibly memorable and has made us vow to return and spend some more time with you exploring your beautiful region !
Many thanks again Thierry.
Sandra and Mario (Italy) - July 2013
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