Experience
Private Tour
Tailored to your interests.
Private Loire Valley Food & Wine Tour
Discover the Loire through food and wine
Explore the flavors of Touraine with Colin on a private day combining Loire wine, regional food and the people who produce them. Discover seasonal specialties, enjoy guided tastings and make time for a relaxed French lunch.
€540 per personFull day · Minimum two guests
Plan Your Food & Wine TourPHOTO FOR COLINA real food and wine experience with guests, Colin or a local producer
Price
€540 per person
Minimum two guests.
Duration
Full Day
Approximately eight hours.
Region
Touraine
Local food and Loire wines.
Food & Wine
Lunch & Tastings
Winery tastings and lunch are included. Drinks ordered with lunch are extra.
A taste of the Loire, beyond the glass
In the Loire Valley, the conversation rarely stops at the wine. Local cheeses, market produce and the rhythm of the seasons are just as much a part of the region's food culture.
Colin brings those connections to life, pairing carefully chosen wine visits with opportunities to discover what people in Touraine grow, make and eat. The emphasis is on genuine local experiences, not a fixed sequence of food stops.
The Food & Wine Experience
Three ways to taste Touraine
From the market stall to the wine cellar, the best discoveries reveal something about the land and the people behind the produce.
PHOTO FOR COLINSeasonal market stalls with local produce in Touraine
Discover the flavors of the market
When market days and opening times allow, explore stalls filled with the region’s seasonal produce. Spring asparagus and strawberries bring different flavors from the autumn harvest.
PHOTO FOR COLINLocal goat cheeses and Loire wines being tasted
Taste Loire wines alongside local food
Explore the relationship between food and wine through guided winery visits and regional specialties. Goat cheeses such as Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine, Selles-sur-Cher and Valençay are part of Touraine’s story.
PHOTO FOR COLINFood maker, traditional cellar or local producer
Go behind the scenes with producers
Depending on the itinerary, learn more about local food crafts, visit a limestone cellar or discuss a specialty producer such as a chocolatier. The people and their methods bring each tasting to life.
A Typical Day
How your food and wine day could unfold
The exact route depends on your interests, local market days, producer opening times and winery availability. This is an illustration, not a fixed schedule.
Meet Colin
Arrange pickup at a suitable hotel or railway station around Tours, Amboise or Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, subject to confirmation.
Explore local flavors
Where practical, stop at a market or food producer and discover the ingredients, crafts or specialties of the region.
Lunch in Touraine
Enjoy an unhurried meal at a local restaurant, with time to discuss the food and wines you are discovering.
Visit a wine producer
Explore a winery or cellar and taste Loire wines with context from Colin, then return to the agreed pickup point.
The Loire on Your Plate
What makes Touraine food special?
The Loire is often called the Garden of France, a name that reflects its fertile river valleys and varied produce. The seasonal table changes throughout the year, from spring asparagus to autumn game and mushrooms.
One of the region’s most recognizable specialties is goat cheese. Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine, Selles-sur-Cher and Valençay offer different textures and flavors, giving Colin plenty to talk about when you taste them with the wines of the area.
Touraine’s limestone has a story too. Stone quarried for buildings left underground spaces later used as wine cellars and, in some places, mushroom-growing caves. If your itinerary includes a cave, bring an extra layer: these spaces can remain near 54°F (12°C) even when it is warm outside.
Chocolate making and other artisan food crafts may also feature where suitable visits can be arranged. These are possibilities rather than guaranteed stops, allowing the day to reflect what is open and most interesting when you visit.
Learn about Loire wines and food pairingPHOTO FOR COLINLoire goat cheeses, regional produce or wine with food in context
Practical Details
What's included in the €540 tour
The price is per person, for a private tour with at least two guests. Colin will confirm the itinerary, dates and practical arrangements before any booking is made.
Included
- Private English-speaking guide for approximately eight hours
- Transport throughout the day in a comfortable vehicle
- Local hotel or station pickup and return within the agreed area
- Guided winery visits and tastings, and planned food-related visits or tastings
- Restaurant lunch, excluding drinks
- Bottled water and a Loire Valley Wine Tour welcome gift
Not included
- Drinks ordered with lunch
- Extra food, bottles of wine and personal purchases
- Accommodation and travel to the agreed pickup point
- Travel insurance and gratuities
- Optional extras or specialist visits not agreed as part of the itinerary
Specific markets, artisan workshops and producers cannot be guaranteed. Wine purchases are entirely optional. Colin can explain wine delivery options if you find something you love.
Your Local Guide
Discover Touraine with someone who knows it
Food and wine make more sense when you know the people, places and traditions behind them.
With over 15 years living in the Loire Valley, Colin uses his local knowledge and producer relationships to shape a day around your interests. Whether you are curious about goat cheese, wine pairings or food markets, the experience is personal and unhurried.
Meet ColinGuest Experiences
What guests say about touring the Loire with Colin
We got history and culture at the chateau in the morning ... local flavor with a great lunch ... wineries in the afternoon ... and great commentary from Colin along the way.
Colin was a fantastic host and guide throughout the Loire Valley for the day.
Planning Your Tour
Food & Wine tour FAQs
Yes. The tour is private, with Colin as your guide. The day is planned around your interests and the availability of local producers and venues.
The price is per person, with a minimum of two guests. It covers agreed local pickup and return, private transport, your English-speaking guide, planned visits and tastings, and restaurant lunch. Drinks with lunch and personal purchases are extra.
Market visits and food stops are examples of what can be arranged, not guaranteed inclusions. They depend on market days, opening times and your interests. Tell Colin if a particular local food experience matters to you.
The tour explores wines available from selected Loire producers, often in Touraine. The exact grapes, wine styles and estates depend on the itinerary and producer availability. Colin can tailor the emphasis to your interests.
Tell Colin about allergies, vegetarian preferences or other dietary needs when you enquire. He can discuss them with the restaurant and producers, but any particular accommodation must be confirmed in advance.
A limestone cave or cellar visit is possible where it suits the itinerary and a producer can welcome guests. It is not guaranteed. These spaces can be cool, so a light extra layer is useful.
Collection may be arranged from suitable hotels or railway stations around Tours, Amboise or Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, depending on your plans. Confirm the exact meeting point with Colin before making travel arrangements.
No. An enquiry starts the planning conversation. Colin will check availability and confirm the itinerary and arrangements before a booking is made; the date is not reserved by submitting the form.
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Full Tours Catalogue
Browse the complete collection of private half-day, full-day and multi-day tours.
Explore this tourPlan Your Loire Valley Visit
Taste the Loire with Colin
The private Food & Wine Tour costs €540 per person, with a minimum of two guests, and includes guided visits, tastings, lunch and local collection. Tell Colin when you are visiting and which flavors or wines you would particularly like to discover.
Plan Your Tour