Half-day excursions

VinoLoire has been offering wine tours in the Loire Valley since 2016. Your professional guide will share their wine knowledge, take you on personal tours of wine caves and answer your questions. This wine tour is a great introduction to the Loire Valley wines with a visit in the Vouvray vineyards and an extensive tasting of a variety of the region's wines (Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc …) Program 9:00 am: Pick up at the tourist office of Tours. Transport in a confortable minivan.   Visit a Family Wine Estate First stop in a vineyard in Vouvray : introduction to ‘terroir’ and making wine Visit of the rock-hewn cellar belonging to the family for several generations Taste different white wines typical from Vouvray (Dry, Half dry, Sparkling) Wine and food pairing with local cheeses Visit a Vouvray Cave Larger cave visit Introduction to the Touraine Regions wine varieties Taste a selection of sparkling, white, rose and red wines from the Loire Valley Other local food pairing (Cheeses, Rillons, Rillettes, …) Around 12:30 pm: Drop off at the tourist office.

An afternoon and 3 châteaux for this excursion by minibus through the emblematic sites of the Loire Valley. Departing from Tours, you will discover the following gardens and châteaux: The gardens de Villandry (45 mins), with its 3-level water garden, multicoloured garden and decorative ornamental garden with its multicoloured checkerboard pattern, Château de Rigny-Ussé (1 hr), the inspiration for Charles Perrault's Sleeping Beauty. Château de Langeais (1hr), built in the middle of the 15th century, which marks the opening to the Renaissance while retaining its feudal character. Afternoon operated by Touraine Evasion.

An afternoon and 2 châteaux for this excursion by minibus through the emblematic sites of the Loire Valley. Departing from Tours, you will discover the following gardens and châteaux: Château royal d'Amboise (visit: 1h30): majestically overlooking the Loire Valley, the Château combines medieval splendour and Renaissance elegance, testifying to its historic role as the residence of the Kings of France and a place of artistic creation. Clos Lucé (Visit: 1h30): the former residence of Leonardo da Vinci, this is a place steeped in history where you can discover the fascinating world of the Italian genius through his inventions, his works and his magnificent gardens. Afternoon operated by Touraine Evasion.

Explore the Loire Valley wine route and its vineyards, full of tradition and passion! Visit 2 superb estates of the Vouvray Appellation, admire the wonderful vineyard landscapes and learn how to taste these elegant wines produced from one of the most well-known terroir of the Val de Loire area!   Program:  2.30 pm: Start at the Tourist Office in Tours and get into our minivan, off to Vouvray! Discover this beautiful wine area full of passion-driven winegrowers!   Meet a genuine French winemaker in a charming family-run estate! Visit the traditional vat room where hundreds of barrels are lined up (bring your coat, it is cold in the vat room).   During this visit, you will improve your knowledge regarding wine-making and of course wine-tasting! The terroir of this wine area and its main grape variety of Chenin blanc, allows the production of elegant white wines, dry, sweet or sparkling!   After this, your guide will drive you to a grand wine house situated just along the Loire River. Stroll inside it's impressive troglodyte galleries. Dug in the hills, these undergound tunnels are part of Loire Valley's historical heritage. Needless to say that these long galleries are ideal to store wine today... Discover all the secrets of elaboration of the wines from this ancient historical house, still using the "méthode traditionnelle".   All along the afternoon, your will get to know and understand better the diversity of Loire Valley wines. « Intense color, fruity aromas, palate full of minerals… » Oops!! What is this all about?! Your guide will help you to learn the different steps of wine-tasting and train your nose to identify many wine aromas. Benefit from our tips and tricks and taste like a pro!    6.30pm: Back to the Tourist Office in Tours