From vine to wine
A minimum of 4 participants is required for this wine tour to take place. We reserve ourselves the right to cancel the visit if this minimum number of participants is not reached.
Do you know how to make a sweet wine, or a rosé and a red wine? What about the bubbles in a sparkling wine?... This complete wine experience at the
heart of our family winery will allow you to discover the whole wine-making process, from grape to wine.
This 3-hour tour begins with a guided walk in the vineyard - where everything starts, as no good wine can be made without growing quality grapes in the first
place! You will learn about French 'AOCs' (Appellations of Controlled Origin) in general and about AOC Vouvray - which is produced in this area of the Loire Valley - in particular, about
the vinegrower's work in the vines throughout the year. This guided walk will also be the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful vineyard landscapes and to discover "troglodytes" - traditional Loire
Valley dwellings dug in the limestone.
We will then tour the family-owned winery and the rock-hewn cellar to learn about vinification, ageing and the traditional method - the process used to make our sparkling wines. Depending on the date of your visit, you may be able to attend wine-bottling, disgorgement, labelling or even machine or hand harvest.
We will finish with a tutored tasting of 6 Vouvray/Touraine/Loire wines served with local delicacies (Loire fish rillettes, various local cheeses and charcuteries,
a local dessert...) to learn about wine tasting and about food and wine pairing. During this wine tasting, you'll have the opportunity to taste all colours and all styles of wine - sparkling,
rosé, red, dry and sweet white wines.
This wine tour is adapted to both beginners or wine amateurs (we've already had American sommeliers joining this tour). Our speech is adapted to everyone's
knowledge about wine. Children from 8 years old are welcome on this tour.
In case you are a vegetarian, please let us know in advance so that we can adapt the local delicacies served during the wine tasting to your diet. If you eat gluten-free food, you are welcome to bring your own bread.
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FROM VINE TO WINE: €40/person |
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What the price includes:
- a guided walk in the vineyard (about 2 km) - a visit of the winery - a tour of the rock-hewn cellar - a tutored tasting of 6/7 Vouvray/Loire wines - local finger food served with the wines
3-hour tour From March to November
On reservation Children (under 16 years old): €15 |
"From vine to wine": a few images
They have experimented...
"What a fantastic tour. We were so lucky to be able to walk in the vineyard and observe the different stages of the vines. She provided excellent videos and pictures to further illustrate the process of turning the Chenin Blanc grapes into wine. I would recommend this tour to anyone lucky enough to be in the Loire Valley! It is a must do on everyone's bucket list." (Jill on AirBnb, March 2024)
"Vineyard tour at Alain Robert, Chancay"
"Myriam took us on a journey from the vines to the bottle - she was a super host - engaging and attentive. She was extremely knowledgable, and clearly has a passion for sharing her knowledge and experience with guests. We walked to the vineyard, then through the production facility, through to the caves, learning about the process along the way. We finished up with a wine tasting at the end, accompanied by delicious local meats and cheeses. This was a fantastic end to our holiday and I would highly recommend it." (T8208ZDs on Viator, July 2022)
"Tour of Alain Robert winery, Chançay, Loire Valley"
"If you have ever wanted to find out how wine is produced from grape vines, through the fermentation process, to the final product, look no further than this incredibly interesting wine tour of Alain Robert winery hosted by the very knowledgeable and charming Myriam. It finished off our short break perfectly. We visited the cellars built deep into the rockface, and ended with what I can only describe as a treat for the tastebuds! Six excellent wines accompanied with delicious regional meats and cheeses. I have already placed an order with a supplier in the UK for the excellent Rose, Cremant and Les Charmes Vouvray wine. Well done Myriam!" (Andy on Tripadvisor, July 2022)
"Brilliant tour! A highlight of our holiday"
"We booked the three-hour tour of the vineyard, winery and cellar followed by tasting of 6 wines, with samples of excellent locally-prepared food. It was a delightful visit, and one of the
highlights of our holiday. Our guide, Myriam (wife of the vineyard owner) was so knowledgeable and engaging, answering all of our questions and making the visit thoroughly enjoyable. Her English
is superb. The selection of wines to taste was excellent and the food delicious. The price for the tour might seem high at first glance, but it is absolutely worth the money!" (boothe2016 on
Tripadvisor, July 2020)
In case of rain, no cancellation but some adaptations
Some visitors sometimes call me a few days before the tour, worrying about potential rainy weather during the tour they have booked. In case of rain, the "From vine to wine" tours are maintained and will last 3 hours, as initially planned. Of course, there is no letting you get wet, so if necessary, I adapt the order of the tour: we visit the wine cellar and/or do the wine tasting before going to the vineyard. We also take the cars to get as close as possible to the vines and avoid walking in the rain. Finally, the time spent in the vineyards is possibly shortened to make sure visitors are given as much information as possible in a dry place. In any case, in case of a rainy day, I ask participants to get adapted gear and equipment, such as boots, umbrellas, raincoats... We have a few umbrellas available if you need one. To conclude, I must say that more and more often, the weather forecast gets less and less reliable and that showers of rain are often very local phenomenons. Honestly, since 2014 that I have been organising tours to the vineyard, I have been very rarely bothered by bad weather.
'From vine to wine' tours during hot summer days
Global warming is here... winemakers all over the world are the actual witnesses of this phenomemon. We will tell you about its impact on vine-growing and wine-making during our wine tours.
This means summer weather in the Loire Valley tends to get warmer and warmer, sometimes bringing heat waves. During those particularly warm days, we still offer our traditional wine tours, but we adapt our visits so that you can enjoy them as much as possible and don't suffer from the heat.
The time when the tours start may change a little, depending on the peaks of temperature announced by the weather forecast. If you come in the afternoon, our walk in the vineyard offers some shade to find shelter (a little less in the morning but the temperatures are generally cooler at 10am). Myriam always takes a bottle of water, cups and a water sprayer with her during the vineyard walks and makes them available to visitors at any time. To finish we may drive our cars to get as close as possible to the vineyard and to avoid walking for too long on the road and in the sun.
Then we'll let you imagine how delightful it is when, once the walk in the vineyard is over and we come back to the winery, we all enter the rock-hewn cellar, where the temperature is much cooler and refreshing! So don't hesitate, bring your hats and sun screen, and join us on one of our wine tours, in the beautiful sun of the Loire Valley!
'From vine to wine' tours in winter
You're visiting the Loire Valley in winter? Why not join the 'From vine to wine' tour during your stay in the area? People often think that visiting the vineyard is not so interesting in the winter time, as there are no leaves on the vines and no grapes to see or taste. Indeed, but there is still a lot to show and to learn! Winter is a busy time for the vinegrowers, as it is pruning time. Which means you may be lucky to see workers pruning during the guided walk in the vineyard. Among other things, Myriam will explain how to prune, why pruning is so important... and the use of this strange wheelbarrow you can see in the picture. So wrap up warm and join us for a 'From vine to wine' tour!