Private Wine Guides in Loire Valley

The Loire runs for hundreds of kilometers, and its wine country changes along the way: Sauvignon Blanc in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, Chenin Blanc in Vouvray and Savennières, Cabernet Franc in Chinon and Bourgueil, Melon de Bourgogne toward Nantes. Most of the producers worth visiting are small family estates, many of them farming organically, and around Vouvray and Saumur the tastings often happen in cellars cut into the tuffeau. The distances matter. A guide who knows which stretch of the river suits your interests, and which growers there receive visitors, saves you a day of driving. The guides listed below include the Loire in their itineraries.