Take a gastronomic tour of Loire Valley: enjoy wine tasting, try our premium goat cheeses and attend fascinating cooking lessons!
Food & Wine

Food and wine are a serious passion for us. Gastronomy in the Loire Valley is about conviviality and fresh local produce such as asparagus, fruits, vegetables and Loire fish. Get the flavours of the Loire Valley visiting our markets, stroll around the stalls selling delectable delicacies. Discover the Loire wines, from the red wines of Chinon to the less well-known Coteaux du Giennois. Go wine tasting, match them with fine food and take part in a cookery lesson with a local Chef!

Discover the stylish wines of Touraine Epicurean delights in Touraine
The Tarte Tatin Terroirs de Loire
Cookery workshops Go wine tasting on the Giennois hills

Discover the stylish wines of Touraine

A visit to the vineyards is a definite must when planning a trip to Touraine, since this region produces an excellent range of wines, red, rosé and white. The best way to discover them is to follow the wine routes with each of them allowing you to visit castles, cave dwellings and gardens along the Loire. The route passes through Vouvray and Montlouis-sur-Loire which produce wines that are well-known for being fruity and light. Carry on south of Tours along the Indre valley and you will reach the vineyards of Bourgueil, Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil and Chinon producing cabernet-franc based red wines. Ask nicely and the producers will give you their tips on matching them with the local food!

Read more about the circuits of the Touraine Vineyards.
Read more about the touristic cellars.
Where to stay: Hotel Diderot** in Chinon, Le Chateau d’Artigny Hotel**** in Montbazon.

Epicurean delights in Touraine

Touraine is an epicurean heaven. Local specialities include: pork rillettes, rillons (a type of cooked pork meat), Géline de Touraine, freshwater & lake fish, vegetables, goat's cheese… Discover how our best local products are prepared. Share the passion of Touraine's talented chefs, enjoy our restaurants. Gastronomic restaurants, farm-restaurants, a guest-house or a 'bistro', there is a restaurant for every taste! You can also stop at a local producer to sample the famous 'sainte-maure-de-touraine' goat’s cheese with a glass of Chinon red wine.

Read more about Touraine specialities.
Where to stay: Le Puits Doré Hotel** and Le Relais du Plessis – Resort*** in Richelieu.

The Tarte Tatin

The tarte Tatin was invented in 1894 by the Tatin sisters whose hotel was located in Lamotte Beuvron. It was always said it was the result of a cooking "accident". Stephanie Tatin was apparently distracted by a customer and she noticed there was no dessert ready. She put peeled apples in a “dish” and left it cooking, forgetting to put the pastry base. To rescue her dessert she put the pastry base on top and turned it upside down to be able to serve it. Today Isabelle and Martial Caillé, the new owners of this family hotel and restaurant introduce you to traditional local delicacies. Try some game courses, goat’s cheeses, and of course the famous Tarte Tatin.

Taste the authentic recipe of the Tarte Tatin.
Where to stay: Hotel Le Parc*** in Salbris and Grand Hotel du Lion d’Or**** in Romorantin-Lanthenay.

Terroirs de Loire

The Loir-et-Cher is a land of traditions and has great range of local products, especially wine and cheeses, that you can’t afford to miss out on. From cellars to wine-warehouses, this gourmet tour will take you from the Coteaux du Vendomois to the banks of the Cher River. Once you have completed the tour, the Touraine, Touraine-Mesland, Cheverny, Cour-Cheverny, Coteaux du Vendômois and Valençay wines will be no secret for you. The winemakers you will meet with agreed on a quality tourism certification and are all committed to providing high quality tours in their cellars and they will be only too happy to share their passion with you. The guide 'Terroirs de Loire' is full of additional tips such as recipes and upcoming gastronomy events that will help you make the most of your food & wine experience in the Loire Valley.

Read more about the Loir et Cher winegrowers.
Where to stay: Hotel Astrotel** in Pruniers-en-Sologne and Hotel Les Jardins de Beauval*** in Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher.

Cookery workshops at 'Le Panier Se crée'

Located in Orleans, 'le Panier se cree' is a delicatessen and organises as well cookery lessons. There, you will find an amazing selection of local products, from Loire wines to spices. If you are passionate about cooking, you will enjoy the cookery lessons given by a chef in small groups. In a very friendly atmosphere, the two chefs Stéphane Bernard and Jean Louis Jama will divulge their techniques and secrets. Their recipes can be traditional or more creative so there are lessons to suit anyone's taste.


Where to stay: 3 épis Gîtes in Ardon.

Go wine tasting on the Giennois hills

This tour will take you in the heart of the Giennois vineyards. Discover the winemakers’ secrets and sample the authentic wines produced on the hills of the Loire in the departments of Nievre and Loiret. The white wines are Sauvignon blanc, showing some mineral notes with hints of quince and white flowers. The red, a mix of Pinot noir and Gamay gives red fruits on the nose with pepper notes. The rosés are delicate and smooth with slightly peppery notes and peach flavours.


Read more about the Giennois Wine.
Where to stay: Bohemian caravan at the Gite in Poilly-les-Gien.