Travelling to Loire Valley in May

Recommendations for winery visits and/or lodging?

I stayed at Chateau de Noizay, a gorgeous property. It’s a Relais y Chateaux. Worth checking out. Such a beautiful part of the world. Be sure to spend as much time touring the royal Chateaux as you do visiting wineries!

I stayed at an Airbnb in Chinon. It was huge, cheap, and comfortable. Had appointments at Baudry, Thierry Germain, and Breton. We made other stops at the tasting rooms of Charles Jouget, Couly-Dutheil (these 2 are across the street from each other), Filliatreau, and Bobinet. The last two we hit up on the drive out to Saumur from Chinon. Absolutely save enough time for the chateaux.

Definitely recommend the Chateaux. We went to Chenonceaux, d’Amboise and Chambord.

Recommend a visit to Domaine Huet. They were great hosts. We were the only ones there (in March) and we tasted through about nine wines, comparing new and old as well as Sec, Demi-Sec and Sweet. Good deals to be had on the Cuvée Constance as well. About 105 euros if memory serves.

No recs for winery visits but a big rec for biking in the area. You can explore the chateaux at your leisure and it’s a glorious place in the spring. A lot of towns have bike rentals and as long as you’re OK riding something that is less that $2500 and customized for you, the rides are great. And there’s a lot of history to explore too.

Have a great time.

Some great info here: Chinon and Saumur - Travel, Wine Tourism, and Restaurants Forum - WineBerserkers

Depending on your travel dates but Huet has 3 open days in the Domaine in May where they welcome all visitors to discover their holdings, taste a lot of wines etc.

I’ve been around the Loire thrice, and these are still my favourite châteaux to visit. If you visit Château d’Amboise, don’t miss having a bite at Patisserie Bigot just across. You can’t miss it. Family run for over a century. If you visit Château de Chenonceau, I’ve found the nearby (short walk) Auberge du Bon Laboureur a very nice place to stay and their restaurant is very good for traditional dishes. They have private parking too.

The Fontevraud Abby is also a nice visit. If you go there, a very good place to eat a few steps away is La Licorne.

Chenonceau is of of the most soulful pieces of architecture that I’ve seen. Catherine de Medici influence. Compare that to Chambord, which is almost pornographic in its unadulterated masculinity. The corkscrew staircase is the coolest part of that Chateau. Da Vinci.

+1 to the Fontevraud Abby visit. Really fascinating.

If light cycling is desired, the 45-minute all-flat bicycle route along the river from Tours to Vouvray is safe and a lot of fun for all ages that know how to pedal. You can start and rent the bikes among shops in Tours. *

Along the way you can stop at Montlouis (for a visit at Chidaine’s) and end with a visit at Huet and/or Clos Naudin in Vouvray. Advanced appointments can be set and you will be responded upon.

For Savennières, you will enjoy a very nice appointment/tour at the beautiful Domaine Closel (Chateau de Volts), usually and cordially conducted by the property owner herself, Evelyne de Pontbriand.

In Sumur, aside from the already-mentioned Domaine Baudry, you’ll enjoy the tuffe caves on cliffs when you visit Domaine Filliatreau.

*edited to add: rentals can be one-way or return

Nice area and nice time of year. If you are looking for a relaxing time out and are near Amboise seek out the tomb of Leonard da Vinci. Some interesting history there.

I confess I was disappointed by Chambord. Empty of furnishings and more of an architectural monument than a true castle. Might I suggest Chateaux de Luynes? part historic monument, part modern converted home. More recently open to the public this is kind of interesting to see how a historic castle changes over time and ultimately can be used for modern living. Off the beaten path, you can escape the tourist hordes here and have a bit of peace and quiet. Worth a brief detour to see the local Roman aqueduct ruins, nice spot for a picnic.

Yes Chenonceau is all the tourist brochures say it is and more. Probably the coolest, most picturesque chateau in the Loire. I am getting nostalgic to go back! There is lovely biking along the river with marked bike paths if you are up to it. Having a bit of French in the villages is helpful, it is pretty rural and not everything is English translated. Part of the reason it is still wonderful.

I enjoyed Chambord, but agree with Dennis’ characterization.
The gardens in Villandry were a highlight (but we make a point of seeing gardens).
I thought the da Vinci museum in Amboise was a real highlight, I’ll have to check out the tomb next time.

Thanks to all of you for the suggestions!

I’ll second the Ch. Noizay recommendation.

One more request from this great community (sorry). Based on a stay in Bordeaux several years ago, it seems like it would be very helpful to have a recommendation of a guide/driver who can help us get access to tastings in the area. Our focus will be Vouvray (including Huet), but would also like to visit Chinon. Any recommendations are most welcome.