We know that your love of wine is often a pretext to slake your thirst for culture. So Château Philippe le Hardi should peak your curiosity.

In addition to being one of the largest of Bourgogne’s wine estates -102 hectares of vines converting to organic farming - this remarkable château, with its varnished tiles, is a spectacular piece of heritage closely tied to the region’s history.

Château Philippe le Hardi won the "Exceptional Offer" award at the 2024 Wine Tourism Trophies in the "Architecture and landscape" category.

For your information, Philippe le Hardi, son of the King of France Jean le Bon, was in his time owner of the site. After a series of inheritances and buyouts, Château Philippe le Hardi consists of a patchwork of parcels in the Côte d'Or and the Côte Chalonnaise. The diversity of “climates” provides a variety of wines each year, from Mercurey to Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, a Santenay 1er Cru, Pommard and Aloxe-Corton.

Visits to the property are organised daily, bookings highly recommended. The tour usually finishes in the magnificent 9th century vaulted cellars with a tasting of four estate wines. A real treat for culture seekers.

Tips nearby:

Le Cellier Volnaysien : Volnay, 5 min from Beaune. Restaurant in a typical Bourgogne-style house. Fresh and high-quality cuisine. Vaulted room, stone walls and fireplace. Regional specialities: jambon persillé (cubes of cooked ham in parsleyed aspic jelly moulds), snails, oeufs en meurette (eggs poached in a red wine sauce with pieces of bacon and small onions), chicken in wine... Excellent regional wine list.

In charge of the Château du Coing wine estate is a female dream-team that showcases the best of their Muscadet terroir to produce a high-quality wine and exciting wine tourism attraction in the heart of the Nantes wine region.

At Château du Coing, wine production is a family affair and one in which women have fought hard to carve out a role.

Aurore, holder of a degree in sales, marketing and oenology, came to work in the vineyard alongside her mother in 2011. The women have complementary skills, and this has been the key to their success.

Aurore is passionate about her terroir, champions sustainable growing and takes an increasingly organic approach.

On the 75 hectares exclusively set aside for Muscadet grows another grape variety that is unique to the Nantes wine region, and grown nowhere else in the world, and of which the winemaker is particularly proud: Melon de Bourgogne. Aurore is also points out that their wines are left on the lees, a method discovered several centuries ago by local winemakers, and one that enhances the wine’s mouthfeel, adds complexity and increases the wine’s ageing potential.

Their wine estate is as renowned for its classic Muscadets as it is for its 20-year-old vintages and crus communaux. The estate’s wines are the perfect match for local dishes, and regional restaurants are past masters at pairing the region’s produce and wines.

The two winemakers are passionate about viticulture and enjoy sharing their knowledge, passion and produce with visitors. The estate is perfectly situated, surrounded by the Sèvre and Maine – two rivers that lend the AOC its unique characteristics – and by architecture typical of the Nantes region.

Aurore likes to remind visitors that because of the region’s diverse terroirs, there is more than one type of Muscadet. She is also keen to restore Gros Plant to its former glory, a lively white wine with fresh lemony notes that pairs well with produce from the not too distant Atlantic Ocean.

VinoValley Saumur is a wine-tourism venue with a difference that includes a troglodyte restaurant (La Table des fouées), a wine bar (Le Double V), and a wine merchant and gourmet deli (VinoValley) specialising in Loire Valley wines.

The troglodyte restaurant is a unique space with a stunning six-metre high ceiling with light provided from a 12-metre high central skylight! Sample a diverse range of local produce and delicacies, including the Fouées’Burger, and taste the local speciality that gave the restaurant its name: the fouée. This small loaf is baked in the kitchen’s wood-burning oven, and regular tweaks on the classic recipe provide a range of different and unique flavours. Meals are served with a Loire Valley wine, of course, but instead of choosing from a wine list make your way to the centre of the restaurant to pick your bottle with advice from our team of experts!

Over in the wine bar, tasting is a hands-on affair thanks to our cutting-edge system that serves wine by the glass! Move to our wine shop to find hidden gems among our 250 different Loire Valley wines and 50 items of local produce. Our passionate VinoValley Saumur team are on hand 7 days a week, offering their skills to help you discover the Loire Valley’s wines in all their glory!

For a truly immersive experience why not hire our venue for your next event: choose from an unforgettable equestrian dining experience in the troglodyte restaurant, an evening of entertainment in the wine bar, encounters with winemakers and much, much more. Or let us bring our restaurant to you with our La Table des Fouées food truck and its mobile wood oven.

And for a truly memorable experience why not discover the Loire Valley wine region from on high? Let VinoValley Saumur and its partner Montgolfière Sensation whisk you aloft in one of their 19-passenger hot-air balloons, one of the largest in the region!

More than just a wine bar, Volupia serves beer and is also a restaurant and delicatessen, set beside the Loire river.

This extraordinary location is the perfect spot to discover the region's wines in a troglodyte cellar dating back to the 17th century, or – weather permitting –, on a sun deck that resembles a small guinguette (riverside café with a dance floor) on the banks of the Loire river.

With its selection of 60 Loire Valley wines and around 20 beers, not to forget its regional produce, this rustic but lively bar has something for everyone!

As night falls, the multicoloured fairy lights add to the setting's magical and romantic feel, leaving guests with a night they will never forget. Surrounded by nature, this fun spot is a great place to have fun and unwind!

Discover this historic monument and birthplace of King François I.

The Château de Cognac passed into the hands of a certain Baron Otard in 1795, and thus escaped destruction during the dark days of the French Revolution. The Baron was instantly taken by the site, its unique heritage and the exceptional ageing conditions for its eaux de vie (a clear, colourless fruit spirit) provided by the château's thick walls. Today, you can explore this unique place and home of the Baron Otard cognac house with a visit to the historic cellars and rooms built in a variety of architectural styles. Venture into the 12th century cask room and vault, and discover the traces of a king who loved to entertain.

Baron Otard continues this tradition of hospitality, organising seminars, gala dinners and marriages within the château's walls. Owned by the Bacardi-Martini group (Bombay Sapphire gin, Grey Goose vodka, and others), the château is filled with a range of fragrances, from orange peel to dried apricot. A series of experiences are available to uncover more of the château’s past, such as the Prestige experience, which ends with a tasting of a VSOP and XO Gold cognac. Or bottle your own cognac – the Héritage Royal, a deluxe XO! – on the Heritage experience, and add your own personalised label. 

From May, discover our cocktail bar Le Lys, nestled in the heart of the Château de Cognac, which invites you to discover its terrace and its cocktails based on BARON OTARD and D'USSÉ cognacs. Receive your groups for private parties and events throughout the season. The bar will host afterwork events, DJs, live music and other activities from May to October. 

Everyone knows Montaigne and his famous “essays” but have you visited his home?

Come and explore a château with an important historical past close to Bergerac and Saint-Emilion. The castle’s Tower is where, from 1572, Michel Eyquem de Montaigne spent “most of the days of his life, and most hours of the day” meditating and reflecting on his famous essays. During the visit you will learn various anecdotes from the life of this great man, his work and philosophy as you explore the different parts of his Tower: the Chapel, the Room with the thick walls, the closet and study.

Opposite the Tower sits a 19th century château designed in a medieval and Gothic Revival style by Pierre Magne, a lawyer who served as Finance Minister under Napoleon III. The current owners, the Mähler-Besse family, offer visitors a warm welcome to their home and its period furniture. Enjoy a stroll through the lush park that surrounds the Château, and why not try the treasure hunt, a favourite with kids and school children alike.

Aside from its rich history, the Château also has a 19 hectare (47 acre) vineyard. Michel de Montaigne enjoyed wine, particularly that produced by his vines. The Montaigne terroir enjoys perfect geological and climatological conditions thanks to the clay-limestone soil. Today, in addition to a red wine, the vineyard produces a dry and sweet white wine. End your visit with a wine tasting, lunch in the banqueting hall, or an occasional gourmet meal.