SUNDAY 26 APRIL

2:00 pm-6:00 pm ARRIVAL
Welcome in Angers and check-in at the hotel

7:00 pm-10:30 pm PRE-DINNER DRINKS AND PRESTIGE DINNER
Prestige dinner featuring Anjou wines: the top dry and sweet wines from the vineyards of Anjou

MONDAY 27 APRIL

9:00 am-10:00 am MASTERCLASS 1: PRESENTATION OF THE LOIRE VALLEY WINE REGION AND THE 2019 VINTAGE (FRENCH / ENGLISH)

9:30 am-12:00 pm FREE-POUR TASTING OF MEDAL-WINNING WINES FROM THE LOIRE VALLEY WINE COMPETITION
Table top introduction by appellation

12:00 pm DEPARTURE FOR A CHIC VINEYARD PICNIC
A trip to the vineyards of Ancenis to discover Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire, cru Champtoceaux & Coteaux d’Ancenis by experiencing fishing in the Loire alongside the producers, chefs and winegrowers.

2:30 pm-6:00 pm AN INTRODUCTORY VISIT TO THE VINEYARDS
Welcome aboard! A boat trip along the Loire to discover life and activity on Europe’s last untamed river, followed by a walk through the vineyards and visit to an estate.

7:30 pm-10:30 pm SPARKLING WINE EVENING BY LOIRE VALLEY COMPANIES

TUESDAY 28 APRIL

9:15 am-11:00 am MASTERCLASS 2 – VOUVRAY AND ITS DIFFERENT VINEYARD SITES
Understanding the different expressions of Vouvray

• 9:15-10:00 am – English session
• 10:15-11:00 am – French session

9:15 am -12:00 pm THEMED TASTING
Introductory table top tastings

• The wines of Touraine, aperitif-style wines
• White Saumur (Chenin) and Saumur Puy-Notre-Dame (Cabernet franc), two facets of Saumur wines
• Rosés: the ‘typical’, ‘atypical’ and ‘forgotten’ styles

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm BUFFET LUNCH
Continue to engage with the winegrowers and companies attending the tastings

2:30 pm - 5:30 pm AN INTRODUCTORY VISIT TO THE VINEYARDS
Head off on a voyage of discovery of designated vineyard sites for white Anjou with a presentation of the quality pyramid scheme for the growths and tasting of future named vineyard sites alongside a geologist. Visits to vineyards and estates.

8:00 pm – 10:30 pm DINNER WITH A WINE MERCHANT
Engage with Loire Valley winegrowers over some great wines in a friendly, festive atmosphere.

WEDNESDAY 29 APRIL

9:30 am – 11:15 am MASTERCLASS 3 – CRÉMANT DE LOIRE
Identify the characters of a wine stemming from the Loire’s tradition of quality sparkling wines.

• 9:30-10:15 am – French session
• 10:30-11:15 am – English session

9:30 am – 12:00 pm THEMED TASTING
Introductory table top tastings

• Vouvray: tasting wines from a variety of vineyard sites
• Savennières
• The Sauvignon grape variety under the PGI Val de Loire
• ‘Pineaux d'Aunis de la Vallée-du-Loir’ rosés and reds from the Coteaux du Vendômois and
• Coteaux du Loir appellation areas

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm BUFFET LUNCH
Continue to engage with the winegrowers and companies attending the tastings

2:30 pm – 4:30 pm AN INTRODUCTORY VISIT TO THE VINEYARDS

• Activity 1: ‘Vignes Vins Randos 2020’: 129 days to go! Enjoy a preview of the gourmet food trail through the vineyards of Saumur-Champigny with 4 tasting stops alongside the winegrowers.
• Activity 2: Get ready for take-off and fly over the vineyards of Saumur! An introductory flight over the vineyards to discover the unusual geography of the Saumur area followed by a trip in a vintage VW camper (Seating is limited to 12).

4:30 pm – 5:30 pm VIEWS OVER THE LOIRE & SAUMUR HERITAGE
Tasting of the 7 SAUMUR appellations – from the rooftop of the Dôme, Saumur theatre

7:30 pm – 10:30 pm CABERNET FRANC DINNER
Share a dinner with the local winegrowers and wine companies served with red Loire Valley wines and their iconic grape variety
 

PRESS CONTACTS
Clair de Lune – Émilie Charvet & Mathilde Blanchon
Tel.: 04 72 07 42 41 – mathilde.blanchon@clairdelune.fr

INTERLOIRE CONTACT
Anne-Sophie Lerouge
Tel.: 02 47 60 55 00 – as.lerouge@vinsvaldeloire.fr

 

DOWNLOAD THE PROGRAM (PDF)

 

• Coteaux-d’ancenis, Gros-plant-du-pays-nantais, Muscadet, Muscadet-coteaux-de-la-loire, Muscadet-côtes-de-grandlieu, Muscadet-sèvre-et-maine, Muscadet-sèvre-et-maine-château-thébaud, Muscadet-sèvre-et-maine-clisson, Muscadet-sèvre-et-maine-goulaine, Muscadet-sèvre-et-maine-gorges, Muscadet-sèvre-et-maine-monnières-saint-fiacre, Muscadet-sèvre-et-maine-mouzillon-Tillières, Muscadet-sèvre-et-maine-le pallet • Anjou, Anjou-coteaux-de-la-loire, Anjou-villages, Anjou-villages-brissac, Bonnezeaux, Cabernet-d’anjou, Coteaux-de-l’aubance, Coteaux-du-layon, Coteaux-du-layon-1er cru chaume, Coteaux-du-layon "villages", Coteaux-de-saumur, Coulée-de-serrant, Crémant-de-loire, Haut-poitou, Quarts-de-chaume-grand-cru, Rosé-d’anjou, Rosé-de-loire, Saumur, Saumur-brut, Saumur-champigny, Saumur-puy-notre-dame, Saumur rosé, Savennières, Savennières-roche-aux-moines • Chinon, Coteaux-du-loir, Coteaux-du-vendômois, Jasnières, Saint