On the morning of day two, after breakfast, you will be met at the Château by an English-speaking driver/guide who will accompany you throughout the day on a private basis. Your first stop will be a 15th Century wine-making Château in the Chinon appellation, where you will be welcomed by the Count and Countess of the estate. Following a visit to the Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc vineyards and a tour of the cellars, a tasting session will take place in the Château’s historic tasting room. A picnic lunch with a bottle of wine will then be served in the Château’s stunning grounds. You will then be taken to the historic town of Chinon, where you will visit the best wine producer in the appellation (producer of arguably the best red wine in the Loire) for a tour of their vineyards and cuverie before tastings of red wines from several of their different terroirs. In the afternoon, you will enjoy another visit to a premium Chinon winery. You will be taken on a tour of the wine-making facilities and the tour will end with an extensive tasting session of the estate’s wines accompanied by local delicacies.

You will be taken back to your hotel at the end of the tour. After freshening up, you will be welcomed in the Château’s L’Origan restaurant. Here, you will enjoy the Chef’s unique menu using wonderful local produce. The magnificent rotunda dining room boasts a beautiful view over the valley of the Indre. Please note that drinks have not been included as part of the package, and can be ordered and paid for locally on the evening.

For those opting for the four-day break, your English-speaking driver/guide will return on the morning of day three to accompany you throughout a second day of tours. No trip to the Loire Valley would be complete without a visit to one of the enchanting Châteaux of the region. The first stop will be the breathtaking Château de Chenonceau, one of the finest examples of the region’s historic Châteaux, where you will spend the morning having an audio-guided tour. You may wish to have lunch at the Château or alternatively, your guide will be more than happy to suggest a restaurant in the nearby town of Amboise depending on how hungry you are feeling on the day.

In the afternoon, a truly unique tasting session of five Vouvray wines will take place in the cellars of a reputed wine merchant in Amboise, who specialises in old wines (some of which date back to the forties). There is a strong chance that you will be able to taste wine from your birth year! Ending the day in style, the remainder of the afternoon will be spent sampling a selection of the best white wines from Vouvray. Here, you will be taken on a private tour of the vineyards, domaine and cellars of a premium winery. The visit will conclude with tastings of five wines, including the domaine’s Réserve Spéciale. A platter of local delicacies such as cheese and rillettes will be served with the wine. You will be taken back to the Château at the end of the tour.