France September 2017

€59.90 per day. The ride includes tastings
and an ‘epicurean’ lunch, wine included.
Although it is fascinating to get off the
beaten track, you can hardly ignore the
River Loire altogether, so enjoy a punt on
the river in the company of a Saumur
vigneron (plus wine tastings, naturally).
The boat trips are a great way to discover
the banks of the Loire in a new way, and
offer spectacular views of the Château de
Saumur. The boat trips (€15) depart from
the town and take place on 3 September,
with three departures that day, and then
from 5-10 September, leaving at 4pm
(5pm on the Sunday).
Back on dry land, two easy hikes
among the vines are a popular feature
(2-3 September, €5). The paths are seven
kilometres long and participants are given
a kit at the start which includes a glass,
a quiz and a map. There are wine tastings
along the way, which push the overall
time of the walks to around 3hr 30min.
The fittest (and bravest) can take part
in races on 3 September that cut through
the Saumur-Champigny vineyards.
Pathways are adapted according to
runners’ ability, and you can opt for
different backdrops, too – one race
goes by some of the most impressive
troglodyte sites.
THE SEVEN
SAUMUR
AOC WINES
Saumur Rouge
Saumur Rosé
Saumur Blanc
Saumur Brut
Saumur-Champigny
Saumur Puy Notre-Dame
Coteaux de Saumur
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The château at Saumur overlooks the River Loire; The Clos d’Entre les Murs
vineyard at Château de Parnay; A duck dish at the gala dinner at Fontevraud Abbey
Foodie heaven
One of the main attractions of Festivini is
being able to sample Saumur wines and
the local produce that goes with them.
Perhaps the nicest way to start the
celebrations is to tour the vignerons’
market in Saumur on 2 September.
The 25 producers of the AOC Saumur
wines gather to show off their vintages,
offering tastings and chatting to visitors
about their proud history: Saumur Rouge
was among the first wines to receive
an AOC, in 1936.
Rosé enthusiasts have their own
special event, which is being held on the
roof of the Dôme theatre in Saumur on
6 September. Enjoy tastings of AOC
Saumur Rosé, with food to match, while
listening to live music and taking in the
views of the town and the Loire (€18,
€15 for under-25s). Take things even
further with a bucolic outdoor dinner in
a vineyard in Montreuil-Bellay, complete
with fairy lights and live music, and meet
local winemakers (8 September, €14).
End the celebrations, en beauté, as the
French would say, with a fabulous
evening strolling the grounds of the
12th-century Abbaye Royale de
Fontevraud and sampling the seven AOC
wines with gourmet, tasting-menu dishes.
This immersive party (€75) allows
visitors to discover the abbey in stages as
access is opened gradually to guests.
The aperitif is enjoyed in the entrance
courtyard; the starter in the gardens; the
mains within the abbey; and the dessert
and bubbly in the cloisters. While last
year’s theme celebrated Great Britain
with ‘God Save the Queen’ as a title,
2017 promises to take visitors on
a dream-like voyage into an imaginary
world, ‘Le Jardin des Délices’.
Make sure you stay until midnight, as
the organisers love to surprise guests for
the final course. I dare you to try all the
exquisite little dishes on offer, although I
suspect you won’t need any persuasion to
try all seven AOC wines. Remember to
be responsible; after all, you will be in
the presence of the spirit of Queen
Eleanor of Aquitaine, who is buried in
the abbey.
Bon voyage et bon appétit!
For more information and to book
events, visit festivini.com, vins-de-saumur.
com, fontevraud.com
MORE
ONLINE
Discover all of France’s wine regions
www.completefrance.com/languageculture/food-and-drink
PHOTOGRAPHS: SOPHIE GARDNER-ROBERTS; FRÉDÉRIC AYROULET
76 FRANCE MAGAZINE www.completefrance.com