The Loire Valley wineries welcome visitors all year round, but they
are not like the large establishments you may be familiar with in North
America or Australia. The wineries here are all about growing grapes and
making wine -- and that's pretty much it. They don't have restaurants
or art galleries or children's playgrounds or boutiques attached. They
are just wineries, and when you visit you speak to the winemaker.
A typical Chinon vineyard, in early spring.
We think that makes for a much more personal and intimate experience. When
you visit a winery with us you don't get someone trained in customer
service, you meet a winemaker. He or she most likely has made wine with
their father and grandfather before taking over the business themselves.
If they are lucky, there is a teenager in the family who is starting to
take an interest, and the succession is assured.
Typically,
the people working at Loire Valley wineries are family members, with
perhaps one or two salaried staff. Everyone mucks in together and can
turn their hand to everything, from pruning to picking to packing. Although the wineries are small and everyone is busy, because we have
established a relationship with the winemakers, it is rare that they
tell us we cannot bring a client to visit them, so with us, you can
visit the Loire wineries any time you like.
If you
would like the best possible experience at a small but high quality wine
producer,
email us and let us organise a session with a winemaker for
you.
