Our first target was to visit one of the hundreds of wineries dotted throughout this region. The town of Vouvray is about 20km from Tours and has a winery that offers not only tasting (degustation in french) and cellar door sales but also a tour of the winery itself.
Vouvray winery cellar door buildingVouvray (Voov-ray) winery is really a co-operative of several hundred wine grape growers and winemakers. The farmers individually grow their grapes in their own vineyards, then make their own wine.
Vineyards growing directly behind and on top of Vouvray wineryAll the growers grow only one variety of grapes, Chenin Blanc. Once the wine is ready, the co-op sends a selection panel to choose those wines it will take of this year's vintage to blend into the wine marketed under the "Vouvray" label.
The co-op brings in the bulk wine, blends it and then bottles the wine. Once bottled the wine is stored in caves and tunnels in the hillside directly behind the building. The total length of natural caves and man created tunnels cut out of the limestone hill is about 2.5 km.
Map of cave and tunnels in use at VouvrayThe temperature in the cave system remains a natural constant 12/13 degrees C all year. Ideal for maturing wine. The cave and tunnel network has the capacity to store 4 million bottles of wine.
Some of the 4 million bottlesOnce bottled the wine is racked and turned or riddled by hand until the lees (sediment) settles to the neck of bottle.
Racked and ready for hand riddling.There are also mechanical riddlers that replace the mind numbingly manual task of turning every bottle by hand.
The square box full of bottles is a mechanical riddler.
The carving on the wall is of Bacchus the God of Wine.All along the the valley, not just at Vouvray, any where there are the limestone cliffs there are house and wineries built onto and into the cliff face.
Our second agenda item was to visit the Villandry Chateau and its magnificent gardens. Villandy was originally completed in 1536. By 1906 it was a ruin. A Spanish medical scientist bought the property and set about restoring the Chateau and more importantly its original Renaissance gardens. He devoted his life to the scientific research and study of the renaissance period buildings and gardens to create an authentic restoration. The family still own, live in and run the Chateau keeping faithfully to the 16th century principles of gardening.
The Chateau itself is quite modest and by French standards quite unpretentious. There are some spectacular sites inside like this 16th century bed fit for a King.
There is also the highly adorned "Mudejar's" ceiling worthy of mention. This type of ceiling is very common in Moorish architecture like that of the Alhambra Palace we visited in Granada a few years ago. The room is fully lined on the walls with gold drapes.
Climbing to the top of the Keep Tower we are presented with a most amazing view of the different sections of the huge gardens.
The Ornamental Garden (above) of trimmed box hedges, toparies and flowering annuals. The pattens are not just geometric. The diffent shapes in each square have symbolic meanings. The square in the bottom right hand corner of the photo above is "passionate love". The square above it is "tender love" (note the heart shapes). Such attention to detail.The heart motif of the garden is replicated in the balustrade of the grapevine covered garden terrace.
The view of the garden and Chateau from the garden terrace walkwayThe largest garden of all is the Vegetable garden covering 1.2ha. Replanted twice a year on a three year crop rotation system. In amongst the vegetables are prolific standard roses.
Overview of Vegetable Garden
Close Up a small section
The view back to Chateau from the other end of Vegetable Garden
Can you think of better spot for a wedding and wedding photos?
And so onto our third and last Loire Valley experience; Chambord Chateau. A 16th century hunting lodge that just kept growing into a 440 room Chateau.
The Chateau sits on 5440 ha of park which is fully walled.
The central stone spiral stair case was designed by Leonardo Di Vinci.
Construction commenced in the renaissance period of 1500s and continued off and on for a few centries. Chambord was really designed to be a big country house where the royals and their favorites could relax and hunt, rather than a Palace like Versailles.
Not a bad shack in the country
The Chateau sits on 5440 ha of park which is fully walled.
The central stone spiral stair case was designed by Leonardo Di Vinci.
Construction commenced in the renaissance period of 1500s and continued off and on for a few centries. Chambord was really designed to be a big country house where the royals and their favorites could relax and hunt, rather than a Palace like Versailles.
Not a bad shack in the countryThe building is a government owned and run institution.
The interior to day is fairly empty and stark .There is some restored decorations like the...
King's Bed Chamber
and the Queen's Bed Chamber.
The hunting trophies (what the French call the Trophies of the Chase) adorn a long gallery.
In some rooms the vaulted ceilings are carved with motifs of the King at that particular stage of contruction.
There are matching external spiralled stair cases providing access to each floor on the wings of the building.
But the real action is on the roof. Have you ever seen so many different towers, chimneys, ornaments and do-dads. It looks like every architect that worked on the project decided they had their own bit of decoration. Take a look at these photos and you will see what we mean.
Notice that the facade of the building is rather plain compared to the roof.
The interior to day is fairly empty and stark .There is some restored decorations like the...
King's Bed Chamber
and the Queen's Bed Chamber.The hunting trophies (what the French call the Trophies of the Chase) adorn a long gallery.
In some rooms the vaulted ceilings are carved with motifs of the King at that particular stage of contruction.
There are matching external spiralled stair cases providing access to each floor on the wings of the building.
But the real action is on the roof. Have you ever seen so many different towers, chimneys, ornaments and do-dads. It looks like every architect that worked on the project decided they had their own bit of decoration. Take a look at these photos and you will see what we mean.
Lantern Tower directly above the central spiral staircase
Notice that the facade of the building is rather plain compared to the roof.After visiting a winery and two major Chateaux (not all on the one day) we are having a great time.
Now you know what you are looking for these Chateau places are everywhere dotted in the countryside making for sudden stops for photo opportunities.
And sometimes Jenelle just has to do the best she can out the passengers window with the camera set on "Sport".
And sometimes we have no idea what we took a photo of or where.
But it is very French; Oui!!
And sometimes Jenelle just has to do the best she can out the passengers window with the camera set on "Sport".
And sometimes we have no idea what we took a photo of or where.
But it is very French; Oui!!