L'Aulee makes a sparkling Chenin Blanc wine. The husband and wife team have collective knowledge…read morefrom places like Bollinger. I'm not a huge champagne person so this makes for a good alternative. Relatively inexpensive and very dry on the palate, it makes for a good pairing with delicate raw fish or shellfish.

Recently went to Ludobites 6.0 in Studio City, CA which was the first one that they had an alcohol…read morelicense. Since we were trying everything from the menu and it was seafood heavy, we decided to go with the Sauvingnon Blanc. Very bright, with strong citrus tones but not too much weight on the palette. Maybe a tad strong on it's own so best to be paired with some food.

We stayed at Chaumont-sur-Loire and asked our kind hosts for the closest market. They told us it…read morewas about a mile away. Sort of helpful. Fortunately, the Casino market has some advertising along the way, although exact directions would have been nice. The market has your standard fare although you have to know a few things as a non-French person. Eggs are kept on a shelf, so very hard to find. Weigh the produce before going to the register. Keep a euro coin in your pocket so you can unlock a shopping cart (not unique to France). Buy lots of cheese, super reasonable. :-) Anyway, hope this was helpful. This is definitely where you should pick up your basics and necessities.

The Château de Chenonceau is a historic French castle known as the "Château of the Ladies" due to…read moreits influential female owners throughout its years. Located in the Loire Valley, it is famous for its elegant architecture, which includes a gallery built over the River Cher. The château features rich Renaissance furniture, tapestries, and master paintings. This Château also paved a pivotal roll during g WWII as its walls helped move Jews out of occupied France to free France during the war. It also has a unique connection to the Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence, Italy. You'll have to visit to find out more. Additionally, the château's iconic gallery was built across the River Cher as an add on to the existing Château. Its interiors are richly decorated with works by artists such as Tintoretto, Rubens, and Van Dyck. Notable rooms include the bedchambers of Diane de Poitiers, Catherine de' Medici, and Louise de Lorraine. The gardens are exquisitely decorated and it's worth spending some time in them. You will need to book your tickets in advance as this Château is one of the most visited and they need it to control the flow of visitors. Be aware it also takes some time to travel, and once parked, to get to the Château (about a 20 minute walk). Enjoy this visit. I have seen it three or four times and always enjoy it!

This French castle spanning the River Cher is an opulent chateau in the Loire Valley of France…read more Built in 1513 to 1517 by Thomas Bohier for his wife Catherine Biconnet. This stunning Renaissance and Gothic architecture is the style of the women who owned and shaped it. The formal gardens are exquisite. The powerful ladies of the Chateau also included Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici. The present day owners are the Menier family, famous for their chocolate. In 1539, King Francis the 1st acquired the estate. Later, King Henry the 2nd decided to offer it to the Queen. Our tour started with a wine tasting of three different wines actually grown on the estate. The fairytale like castle and the story of Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty may have been the inspiration. The rooms and the kitchen in the basement are well preserved. It was a lovely experience.

Highly recommend this vineyard and cellar tour. You get a wine tasting/pairing at the end with such…read moreunique and delicious gastronomical foods that I was blown away. Myriam, daughter in law of Alain, is super knowledgeable and friendly to the point that she even drove us to the bus stop so that we wouldn't have to pay for a taxi. I absolutely recommend this tour and unique experience!

Highly recommend this wine tour! Myriam Fouasse-Robert a family member of this family-owned…read morevineyard was so hospitable and her knowledge of Loire wines was excellent. We enjoyed a three hour "Taste of the Loire" tour that included tour of the extensive caves and the wine making process followed by wines of both the Alaine Robert wines as well as others of the Loire region. Myriam paired about 9 wines with local cheeses, charcuterie, and desserts making the tasting tour an amazing cultural and gastronomical experience. Myriam had a very professional presentation she shared as we tasted, outlining the region and many appellations of Loire and Touraine including geology that makes these white wines so beloved around the world. The sparkling wines were divine. You must do this tour!

Le Château Royal de Blois is an excellent example of a Val de Loire Chateau. The guided tour was…read moreslightly long, but I enjoyed getting to know more about the chateau's history and architecture. As an added plus "period" musical performers and actor provided an diversion from the tour in the main courtyard.

Blois is beautiful as is this castle but sadly 1/2 seemed to be closed off :(…read moreI am sure once it is fully open it is great, I think they were changing an exhibit... still had to pay full price. But it was the perfect thing to do in between our visit to the Magic Museum across the courtyard. (The museum closes for an hour and a half in the middle of the day just as an FYI) the castle did not have the closing restriction.

Family member Frederic gave us our own personal tour because no one else had signed up for our time…read moreslot, and it was a rainy day. We used their convenient website to register for our tour the day before, and Frederic was ready and waiting for us. He gave us an OUTSTANDING tour. His English is good, my French isn't, but Frederik has a lovely sense of humor so it all worked out. He answered all of our questions about the Vouvray Region, the Caves of Cathelineau Winery, the grapes, the process, the weather, etc. It was a wonderful experience walking through the Caves that had literally been carved out of the soft local limestone into the mountainside by his ancestors. Signs of history and the aging process were everywhere. The wines are excellent and especially good if you enjoy the Vouvray Region's white wines which feature finely balanced dry and semi-dry whites as well as champagne, which was our goal for the visit. I highly recommend this winery for its history, the fine tour, and the excellent reasonably priced wines. Take the opportunity to have some shipped back home. Our case just arrived today!

Really intimate and fun time with the owner's son who personally toured us and provided history on…read morethe winery, the caves, and all the work that goes into digging! The process on the wines is very interesting and a fun time. Of course, you can try wines at the end and purchase your favorite!