Quick visit to Loches market last Wednesday mainly to buy mussels. Market very busy and crowded but it remains one of the best in this part of Touraine.

Part of the château

Organisée par les Bars-Brasseries et Métiers de Bouches de Loches et de Beaulieu-lès-Loches, avec la participation des Établissements Joumier et de la ville de Loches.

L’occasion de goûter les vins primeurs (Beaujolais, Touraine ou Muscadet) et déguster des spécialités locales (fromages de chèvre, fouées, rillons, etc.)

de 17h à 21h - Place de la Marne

**

Other dates celebrating the arrival of the new 2010 wines:

Les rendez-vous du Touraine Primeur 2010

Jeudi 18 novembre à Monts
17h00 - 21h00 : Marché gourmand au Château de Candé

Vendredi 19 novembre à Amboise
18h30 : « Amboise fête le Touraine Primeur » cortège - Place St Denis
19h30 : Vendanges nocturnes au pied du château - Village gastronomique jusqu’à 23h00

Vendredi 19 novembre à Onzain
17h00 à 22h00 : Place du Marché : Animations, expositions d’artisans

Samedi 20 novembre à Blois
8h00 - 18h00 : Animations, dégustation et vente au centre ville de Blois
9h00 – 19h00 : Espace commercial Quinière : village gourmand avec animations

Samedi 20 novembre à Montrichard
10h00 - 19h00 : vignerons et métiers de bouche aux Caves du Donjon (Aussi Dimanche 21)
12h00 : Restauration avec orchestre - Espace des saveurs tourangelles (Aussi Dimanche 21)
A partir de 15h00 : Parade et musique au centre ville
17h00 - 18h00 : Remise des prix et médailles aux lauréats du concours Touraine Primeur
20h00 : Dîner de Gala

Dimanche 21 novembre à Montrichard
7h30 : Randonnée pédestre à Montrichard
10h00 : Défilé des confréries, grand’messe à l’Eglise Ste Croix et intronisations
15h30 : Grande parade de Chars avec Miss AOC Touraine et défilé de vieilles voitures
Nouveauté 2010 ! : Exposition 1850 « Au temps de Balzac » et Attelage de chevaux
Manifestation parrainé par Romain Barras, champions d’Europe de décathlon 2010

Montrichard: traditional centre of Touraine Primeurs celebrations

 

River Indre in Loches passing the George Sand hotel and restaurant

 A message received yesterday:

'Dear Jim,

I just stumbled across your blog about loire valley wines. My family and I will be traveling to Loire soon. Specifically, we are staying near Loches for a week. We love our wine but are by no means experts. I was wondering if you might give me some suggestions of wineries not to be missed. With so many options I am a bit overwhelmed. Any info you could pass on would be of great help however, please do not feel obligated to respond. I know you must get lots of questions like this. Thank you so much.'

**

Loches is a little way out from the Loire's main wine producing areas. For instance both Vouvray and Chinon are about an hour's drive away with Montlouis slightly closer at around 50 minutes. Closer are the two main producers of Touraine Noble Joué – Jean-Jacques Sard and Rousseau Frères in Esvres about half an hour away from Loches in the direction of Tours. Noble Joué is a little known but long established rosé made from three Pinots – Noir, Meunier and Gris. Of the two Rousseau is the larger concern with nearly 20 hectares of vines offering a range of other wines as well as Noble Joué. 

Also around 30 minutes away from Loches are the producers in the Cher Valley. People to visit would include Jean-François Mériau (Vignobles des Bois Vaudons) in Saint-Julien-de-Chédon and Vincent Ricard in Thésée.  

Going further afield then Jacky Blot's Domaine de la Taille aux Loups in Husseau (Montlouis) where you can buy his Vouvray and Bourgueil as well as Montlouis is certainly recommended as is the François Chidaine's La Cave Insolite in Montlouis. 

Across the river in Vouvray my choices include Domaine Huet, Champalou, Foreau, Bernard Fouquet (Domaine des Aubuisières) and Alexandre Monmousseau's Château Gaudrelle, whose tasting room and winery in now at the western end of Rochecorbon. 

If you decide to go to Chinon my choices would include Baudry-Dutour (tasting room in Cravant-les-Coteaux), Charles Joguet (Sazilly), Domaine de Noblaie (Jérôme Billard in Ligré) and Château de Coulaine (Etienne and Pascale Bonnaventure in Beaumont-en-Véron).

There are many other possibilities and much depends upon how far you want to drive and how many places you wish to visit. Mentioning them all would make for a very long post!