The city of Blois is located in the centre of the Loire Valley World Heritage Site. It is home to the royal castle of Blois, the cathedral of Saint-Louis and two important churches.
What there is to know about Blois
Located in the department of Loir-et-Cher, Blois is crossed by the Loire River and is endowed with a natural environment and an exceptional architectural heritage. It is difficult to walk through its streets without encountering Renaissance castles.
But Blois is much more than a gateway to the great tourist sites of the region, as it abounds in majestic townhouses. Not forgetting the castle of Blois, located in the city centre.
The city has a very rich history. In the Middle Ages, it was able to take advantage of the river trade of wines and brandies. Then in 1948, Louis XII decided to make it the political capital of the kingdom. Shaken by the wars of religion, the city remained the residence of the kings until the death of Catherine de Medici. After the departure of the court, Blois returned to being a quiet provincial town.
Good addresses for a cellar visit near Blois.
The Touraine vineyard is located near Blois, where many different terroirs and appellations live side by side (Cheverny, Vouvray, Touraine, Chinon, Bourgueil, Montlouis...).
The diversity of wines that you can discover and taste around Blois makes this city a perfect destination for wine tourism. Not far from Blois are the castles of the Loire Valley (Château de Cheverny, Château de Chambord...).
The Domaine du Clos de l'Epinay in Vouvray is a family winery where two generations are involved: Luc and Marie-Claire on the one hand and their daughter Pauline on the other. "Le Clos", as they like to call it, comprises an 18th century mansion and a small parcel of vines from which a special cuvée is produced. In 2016 it has been 50 years since the Clos de l'Epinay has been in the Dumange family.
Domaine de Montcy has received the Interloire wine tourism excellence award. 20 hectares of vines, 3 of which are of Romorantine grape variety, vines over 60 years old in the Cheverny and Cour Cheverny appellations, including the Claude de France cuvée in single grape variety Romorantine and a Cour Cheverny, the Plénitude 2008 cuvée. The estate offers playful and discovery walks in its vineyard.
The estate uses sustainable agriculture and respects its environment by using no chemical fertilisers and by grassing every other row to compete with the vines and control yields. The signature of the estate is unquestionably Anjou Rouge and the numerous awards prove it.
The wines of Château de Fontenay are the fruit of the meeting of two families: the Carli and Corby families. Didier Corby had been working as a craftsman-winemaker on the estate for five years when the Carli bought the Château in 2006. Nathalie Carli and Didier Corby then began a fruitful collaboration that resulted in wines that are faithful to the typical Touraine characteristics.
Some of these winemakers wines are available Buy wine online