Travels to Sancerre, France

In a day trip from Paris, we discovered and tasted some of the most prestigious French wines and cheeses - a perfect combination. We booked the Wine Enthusiast Tour and discovered more about French wines in a fun and authentic atmosphere. At the cross roads of Loire Valley and Burgundy, we were guide by J.B. who was friendly and knowledgeable and shared his passion for his region, traditions and wines.

After a comfortable ride in a deluxe minibus, we started the the day visiting a working cheese farm where we learned about the iconic Crottin de Chavignol goat cheese. We toured the work shop and learned about the process and peeked into the barn to see the actual goats. I actually liked the 30-day aged cheese regardless of how funky it looked.

We continued on to the wine region of Pouilly-Fumé and visited a passionate winemaker at Domaine Marchand.  Clemont Marchand explained his family's wine making process, guided us through his caves and fermentation process rooms, then poured us several of his award-winning wines: 1 Pouilly sur Loire and 5 Pouilly-Fumé.  I loved the crisp minerality caused by the flint soil.  We purchased a bottle to bring back to the States with us.

Afterwards, we headed to lunch in a quaint village where we ate a classic French set menu made only with fresh local products.  We started with a mushroom salad followed by roasted chicken and lentils for me with a beef version to Keith.  With our meal we drank a glass of Chateaumeillant Red from Domaine Bourgeois.  For dessert we enjoyed a raspberry tiramisu.  All in all it was a decent lunch to hold us over for a full day of wine drinking.

Next, we continued to Sancerre to visit the House of Sancerre and tasted one glass after we learned about the terroir of this historic wine region.  We also got to walk around the narrow streets of this hilltop middle-age village a bit on our own to explore and take some great shots of the vineyards.

Lastly, we visited Estate Philippe Raimbault to taste six of their wines (red, rosé, white), and purchased two more bottles to bring back home with us.  It was a lovely visit.

On our drive back towards Paris, we pulled over to walk through the vineyards and take a few more pictures.  This day trip excursion was well worth it, and was perfect for both novices and connoisseurs alike.  Have you visited the Loire Valley or Burgundy before? What is your favorite type of wine? Please share in the comments below!