Highlights of the Loire Valley
The Loire Valley in France has been on my wish list to visit for a long time. This is the home of crisp, dry white wines I love, many made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape. Sancerre is the big name in Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc wines. Every other Loire Valley village produces good white wines from the Sauvignon Blanc grape, but the wine will be named after the location it came from such as Pouilly-Fumé, Menetou-Salon, Reuilly, Quincy and Touraine.
Other white grapes to look for: Melon de Bourgogne (Muscadet Sèvre et Maine is a personal favorite wine ) and Chenin blanc (blended in many white wines).
The Loire Valley soils and climate that are so favorable to the Sauvignon Blanc grape are also generous to red wine grapes such as Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Gamay, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. In my somewhat limited experience, a Sancerre Pinot Noir is as pleasing as one from Burgundy but is likely a better value price wise. If you see one, try it.
Saumur, known as the heart of the Loire Valley wine industry produces numerous wines. Those designated Saumur-Champigny are hearty red wines that age well, and pair well with the meat and games dishes of the region.
Sparkling wines are also an important part of the Loire Valley wine industry. Whether rose or white in color, the sparklers will be labeled Crémant de Loire.
Sancerre, the medieval village on a hilltop of course, features scenic views of the agricultural valley below, tasting rooms and restaurants. Charming in all the ways of the Medieval French villages, it’s well worth at least a short tour. Sadly, my visit occurred in November when many of the activities were not available but that was not a surprise to me. I had planned my trip to enjoy the countryside, the lovely accommodations and restaurants that feature the local wines. I tasted wine at lunch, happy hour and dinner.
Two Culture Notes for Travelers
#1) Americans who embrace happy hour before or instead of dinner are frequently frustrated. The hours between 5 pm and 7 pm typically offer little or nothing. Brasseries, reportedly open all day and night, have the door open but may not be serving anything but coffee or a glass of wine. Lunch is over at 2 pm. Dinner begins at 7 pm and you must have a reservation. A traveler who wants happy hour will soon stock a bottle or two in the suitcase to enjoy on the terrace or the garden of the hotel.
#2) No matter what you’ve heard or read on the sidewalk chalkboard menus, COCKTAILS, does not mean that in the American sense. There will be no martini or Manhattan, straight up–or on the rocks. The martini on the French menu will be a glass of red or white from a bottle of Martini and Rossi vermouth. A spritzer made with Aperole and a facsimile of a Moscow Mule are also commonly listed. Ice cubes are in short supply. Even gin and tonic is unlikely to have an ice-cube. A small cold can of tonic will be presented with a shot of gin in a glass so you can mix as you like. If you ask for ice your server will wrinkle their nose ever so slightly in recognition of this incomprehensible habit, politely inquire how many cubes you would like and may bring you a glass with two small cubes in it and a spoon to serve yourself. Although disconcerting at first, this is a small inconvenience in a delightful country with fabulous wine and culture.
Cosne-Cour-Sur-Loire is the place to stay near Sancerre
The small village of Cosne (pronounced Cone) is about 6 miles from Sancerre. The main street offers shops, restaurants and the location of the weekly farmers market. Quite a nice museum is close by with local paintings, history and when I visited an exhibition of French faience ceramics. A tributary runs through the village to the Loire River a few blocks away. Commandeering the junction with the river is Restaurant M, an imposing structure with river views. This venue can hold a large dinner crowd and before dinner begins features a cordoned off slice of the restaurant offering pre-dinner snacks and beverages. This is so unusual I really appreciated how Restaurant M was serving the people who are hungry and thirsty between 5 and 7 pm. The dinner food is high level. My mixed seafood plate was excellent as was the duck. The desserts were fancy! The snack menu is more casual but substantial. A plate of crudities turned out to be a salad large enough for two that killed the appetite for dinner another night. A change of pace in cuisine that gets good reviews on social media is Restaurant Le Kashmir. We really enjoyed the personable service and the classic dishes of Chicken Madras, Chicken Kashmir, Nan Bread, Basmati Rice with Sancerre Rose. In the French-Pakistani-Indian style, I detected no chili pepper at all.
My favorite part of Cosne is the Loire River location with a well maintained, flat path for walking and cycling that goes for miles. We walked to the goat farm and back (about 10,000 steps roundtrip). The assortment of cheeses they make there are beyond my knowledge to describe. My French isn’t up to asking for permission to take a photo–which is essential with any merchant, indoor or out, so I have no documentation of the cheese case. I selected a little bit of what the person in front of me bought. To go with the cheeses, there were several varieties of Basque sausages, breads, jams, chutneys, candies, wines and many souvenirs. We bought a cloth bag to carry our picnic in. Traveling does not include enough afternoons walking along the river, unless you go out of your way to plan it–which I had. I treasure this adventure to the goat farm.
Our host at Le 1930 bed and breakfast delivered a warm welcome that extended for three days. The breakfast buffet was sumptuous. The silver was polished and the linen napkins ironed. The style is 1930s elegance in antiques, collectibles and spaces for you to relax and enjoy yourself sipping out of porcelain or crystal. The house and garden is splendid. I thoroughly enjoyed the bed and bath textiles. The bathtub in our suite deserves a round of applause. The photos on the web site are better than mine and more inclusive. I not only want to go back and spend a week, I invited our host to come stay with us at our house in the United States! That’s how wonderful he is.
Saumur and Chateau Saumur
The village of Saumur features wide white stone streets and a plaza in front of a magnificent cathedral. The shops are sophisticated. The sidewalk cafes fill with tables and chairs all day and night, except when they are cleared for the farmers market on Saturday morning. Joyous was the look on the faces of all ages who snagged the few tables overlooking the farmers market. It must have been the oysters on the half shell and the white wine everyone was slurping. We felt suddenly bereft of quality of life at home as we have no daily or weekly spot to show up and meet friends. To experience the crowds in the plaza at Saumur hit home how precious the French lifestyle is and how they guard their life-work balance and 5-week vacations.
The Chateau de Saumur turrets and towers seem a movie set for a princess, knights and an evil one determined to keep the young lovers apart. The building has evolved over the centuries from defending the village, to a nobleman’s house, to a prison and now a museum devoted to the decorative arts of ceramics, furniture, art and gold clocks.
Our hotel in Saumur seemed castle-like at the foot of the hill of the real chateau. Selected to be memorable, Hotel Saint Pierre delivered with a huge fireplace and luxury décor that was so comfortable I didn’t want to leave it. I spent one rainy afternoon guilt free reading in bed in front of the fireplace. As we found everywhere, the service was sweet. They may have been short staffed but they made you feel anything was possible.
The last stops of this Loire Valley visit, Chateau Villandry and Tours, will have to wait for the next issue of this blog.