Experience
Private Tour
Tailored to your group.
Private Loire Valley Sparkling Wine Tour
Discover the sparkling wines of the Loire
Explore Vouvray, Montlouis-sur-Loire and the wider Touraine vineyards on a private day devoted to the Loire's fine bubbles, traditional winemaking and the people behind the wines.
€540 per personFull day · Minimum two guests
Plan Your Sparkling Wine Tour
PHOTO FOR COLIN
Sparkling wine tasting with guests or a local producer
Price
€540 per person
Minimum two guests.
Duration
Full Day
Approximately eight hours.
Wine Regions
Vouvray & Touraine
Including Montlouis-sur-Loire.
Food & Wine
Lunch & Tastings
Winery tastings and lunch are included. Drinks ordered with lunch are extra.
More than just a glass of bubbles
The Loire Valley makes an extraordinary range of sparkling wines, and the most interesting way to understand them is to visit the places where they are made.
Join Colin for a day exploring the vineyards and wine cellars east of Tours. Taste sparkling wines made with Chenin Blanc, discover how producers create their distinctive styles, and enjoy a relaxed local lunch along the way.
The Sparkling Wine Experience
Three ways to discover Loire sparkling wine
Meet the producers, taste different sparkling styles and explore a part of the Loire whose cellar traditions are closely tied to the river and its vineyards.
PHOTO FOR COLINTraditional-method sparkling wine cellar
Discover how the bubbles are made
Explore the traditional method, with a second fermentation in the bottle, and see how time in the cellar can shape the texture and character of the wine.
PHOTO FOR COLINChenin Blanc tasting in Vouvray or Montlouis
Compare Vouvray and Montlouis
Taste how Chenin Blanc expresses itself on opposite banks of the Loire, from lively, refreshing bottles to wines with more breadth and complexity.
PHOTO FOR COLINA Touraine producer pouring sparkling wine
Explore Crémant and other styles
Discover how Touraine and Crémant de Loire can broaden the tasting, introducing different grapes and, where available, sparkling rosé alongside the region's whites.
A Typical Day
How your sparkling wine day could unfold
The order and selection of visits will depend on producer availability, your interests and the season. This is a guide, not a fixed timetable.
Meet Colin
Arrange collection from a suitable hotel or station in the Tours or Amboise area, including Saint-Pierre-des-Corps when practical.
Explore a sparkling wine cellar
Visit a selected producer and discover how the wines are made, aged and prepared for tasting.
Taste and enjoy lunch
Compare sparkling wines with Colin's guidance and pause for an unhurried lunch at a local restaurant.
Discover another perspective
Continue through the vineyards of Vouvray, Montlouis or wider Touraine for further tastings, then return to your agreed pickup point.
The Wines in Your Glass
What makes Loire sparkling wines different?
Many of the Loire's best-known sparkling wines use the traditional method, with a second fermentation taking place inside the bottle. It is the same fundamental process used for Champagne, but the Loire's grapes, vineyards and producers give the wines their own identity.
In Vouvray, Chenin Blanc is central to sparkling wines labeled Mousseux and the more gently sparkling Pétillant. Across the Loire, Montlouis-sur-Loire is another important home of sparkling Chenin Blanc.
Crémant de Loire can be white or rosé, and the broader Touraine area also produces sparkling wines using other permitted grapes. The fun is discovering these differences in the cellar and glass, with the producers who know their wines best.
Learn more about the Loire's white wines and Chenin Blanc
Photo for Colin
Sparkling wine bottles or traditional-method winemaking in a Loire cellar
Practical Details
What's included in the €540 tour
The price is per person for a private tour with at least two guests. Your date, itinerary and local pickup point are confirmed before booking.
Included
- Private English-speaking guide for approximately eight hours
- Transport throughout the day in a comfortable vehicle
- Local hotel or railway-station pickup and return in the agreed area
- Winery visits and guided sparkling wine tastings
- Restaurant lunch, excluding drinks
- Bottled water and Loire Valley Wine Tour welcome gift
Not included
- Drinks ordered with lunch
- Travel to or from the agreed local pickup location
- Accommodation, personal purchases and gratuities
- Travel insurance and optional extras
- Wine purchases or shipping costs
There is no obligation to buy wine. If something catches your interest, Colin can explain the options for wine delivery.
Your Local Guide
Discover the people behind the bubbles
The most useful wine explanations often happen during a conversation with the person who makes it.
With over 15 years living in the Loire Valley, Colin brings his local knowledge and producer relationships to your day. He helps connect what you taste with the grapes, cellars and decisions that shape each wine, whether you're new to sparkling wine or already know your favorite styles.
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
Sparkling wine tour FAQs
Yes. Your group has a private guide and vehicle. Colin can adapt the emphasis of the day to your interests and the producers available.
The full-day price includes local pickup and return within the agreed area, your private English-speaking guide, transport during the day, winery visits and guided tastings, and lunch. Drinks with lunch, wine purchases and personal expenses are additional. The minimum booking is two people.
The emphasis is on sparkling wines from Vouvray, Montlouis-sur-Loire and Touraine, potentially including Crémant de Loire. Exact wines and producers vary with the day and their availability.
Many of the wines use the same traditional method, where a second fermentation occurs in the bottle. The wines are made in the Loire Valley, however, and are sold under their own regional appellations, not as Champagne.
Pickup may be arranged from suitable hotels or railway stations in the Touraine area, including Tours, Amboise or Saint-Pierre-des-Corps where practical. Confirm your location before making travel arrangements.
The legacy published schedule generally runs from mid-March to mid-November. Please ask Colin to confirm your preferred date before booking travel; an enquiry does not reserve the day.
Yes. Tell Colin whether you are curious about traditional-method production, Chenin Blanc, rosé bubbles or particular wines. The final plan depends on producer availability and practical travel distances.
You may buy wines that you particularly enjoy, but purchases are not required and are not included in the tour price. Ask Colin about shipping arrangements and the separate costs involved.
More Ways to Explore
Another way to experience Loire wine
Prefer still wines, a food-led day or a different grape? These other tours offer a change of emphasis.
Stay with Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc Tour
Discover the breadth of Chenin Blanc, including the still wines produced across the region.
€499 per personDiscover this tourExplore red wines
Best Reds Tour
Experience Cabernet Franc and the reds of Chinon and Bourgueil.
€540 per personDiscover this tourFood-led experiences
Food & Wine Tour
Put the Loire's regional food alongside its wine and the people who produce it.
€540 per personDiscover this tourBrowse all experiences
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Explore all toursPlan Your Sparkling Wine Visit
Discover the Loire's fine bubbles with Colin
The private sparkling wine tour costs €540 per person, with a minimum of two guests, and includes local collection, winery visits, tastings and lunch. Tell Colin when you'd like to visit and what you'd particularly like to discover.
Plan Your Tour