On the Menu

On the Menu

In summer you will face an appetizing choice of places to eat along the Loire; play safe and book ahead, especially on weekends and in July and August. The off-season (October through Easter) is different -- many of the Loire Valley villages that hum with life in the summertime return to hibernation once the tourist season ends. Note that many of the famed château-hotels have their own restaurants; these are usually superb, so if they expect -- in summer, sometimes insist -- that you eat dinner in their restaurant, by all means, say oui. Loire wines are among the most loved in France, and they are varied. Among the best are Savennières, Sancerre, and Cheverny, dry whites; Coteaux du Layon and Montlouis, sweet whites; Cabernet d'Anjou, rosé (often sweet); Bourgueil, Chinon, and Saumur-Champigny, reds; and Vouvray, white -- dry, sweet, or sparkling.