Wine Tours and Goat's Cheese - Food and Drink of the Loire Valley
Local Wines - Vin de Touraine and wines of the Loire Valley
Touraine, our local wine making region boasts a dozen AOC wines:
Red wines: Chinon, Bourgueil, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Touraine-Chenonceaux, Touraine-Amboise…
White wines: Vouvray, Montlouis-sur-Loire, Touraine Sauvignon…
Rosé wines : Touraine Noble Joué, Touraine Azay-le-Rideau...
Sparkling or still, dry, semi-dry or sweet, tannic or more fruity, Touraine wines will delight you with their wide variety. These generous and authentic wines are the perfect complement to your meals: their personalities can be easily paired with your dishes. You won't be disappointed by Loire Valley wine tasting, both beginners and connoisseurs will appreciate the generous flavours of these wines.
Beyond Touraine, the Loire Valley is a vast and hugely important winemaking region in Northern France. From sparkling rosé to white Pouilly-Fumé and Anjou red, the wines all have a common character: they are light, delicate, refreshing and charming.
It is the home of other big names such as Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, and Vouvray, yet is also grows unusual varieties such as Melon de Bourgogne and Pineau d’Aunis. Loire reds are usually made from Cabernet Franc, while the whites are either Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc.
Wine tasting - Loire Valley, Chinon, Bourgueil and Azay
We are 20 minutes south of the famous Chinon-Bourgueil-Azay 'Route de Vins' a wonderful wine trail that takes in the the wines on either side of Loire between Chinon and Azay.
In the meantime most wine producers are pleased to receive visitors at their address (call in advance to make sure someone will be there). Some of the best red wines of the region can be tasted at Chinon and Bourgeuil and some of the best whites are to be found at Vouvray, Saumur or Montlouis. If you are looking for everyday good quality quaffing wine you could do worse than buy from the local market where producers often offer tastings.
Chinon usually has its annual wine festival in April.Wine Domaine de la Garrelière
Go for a tasting at our neighbour's biodynamique domaine. Excellent wines.
Food of Touraine and the Loire Valley
The region is famous for its goat cheeses with three AOCs within Indre et loire and in easy reach of La Barauderie. The most famous among these is Saint Maure de Tourraine, Within 15 minutes drive you can visit a number of goat cheese farmers and sample the amazing variety of cheeses that they produce
Rillettes de Tours are another local specialty and another local AOC. They are a preparation of Pork similar to pâté. The meat cooked slowly until it is tender enough to be easily shredded, and then cooled. They are normally used as spread on bread or toast, delicious with a glass of local wine.
Le nougat de Tours a gateau made locally with a sweet pastry base filled with fruit coulis and apricot jam and topped with an almond macaroon like crust. As with all great local specialties in France there is an honorary brotherhood which pays tribute and defends the tradition.
There is also a wide and surprising range of crops produced in the fields and forest surrounding La Barauderie, this includes a saffron farm and a number of asparagus producers and truffle producers. Our local village, Marigny-Marmande, holds truffle market through December which attracts international attention.
Village fairs
All through the summer there are numerous fairs with different themes.
