Chateau de Saumur hotel bar (Hotel Anne d'Anjou) ★ 4.6
15 by the glassSaumur quais
Hotel Anne d'Anjou's wine bar on the Saumur quais offers a candle-lit setting under the chateau walls, with the Loire flowing past the terrace. The wine list is Saumur-Champigny-heavy with verticals back ten or fifteen years from the major producers.
The list: Hotel bar list of 200 bottles with deep Saumur-Champigny vertical; 15 by-the-glass; candle-lit setting facing the Loire
Tip: Reserve a terrace table at dusk for the sunset view over the Loire. The Saumur-Champigny library cuvees by the glass rotate monthly.
Domaine de la Tortiniere bar ★ 4.5
10 by the glassVeigne (15 minutes south of Tours)
Domaine de la Tortiniere is a Relais et Chateaux property in a Napoleon III chateau south of Tours, with a stone-vaulted bar facing the parkland. The candle-lit setting, log fire in winter, and serious Touraine wine list make it an evening destination for non-resident wine drinkers.
The list: Chateau hotel wine list of 250 bottles; Touraine focus with Vouvray, Montlouis, Chinon and Bourgueil verticals; 10 by-the-glass
Tip: Non-residents are welcome at the bar but call ahead in high season. The chateau's grounds are walkable for an aperitif stroll before dinner.
Chateau de Rochecotte bar ★ 4.4
8 by the glassSaint-Patrice, near Bourgueil
Chateau de Rochecotte, the former estate of Princess Dorothee de Dino (Talleyrand's mistress), sits in vineyards above the Loire near Bourgueil. The candle-lit bar in the stone-vaulted basement pours the Bourgueil and Chinon range alongside Vouvray and Saumur Brut.
The list: Chateau hotel wine list of 200 bottles with Bourgueil and Chinon emphasis; 8 by-the-glass; candle-lit stone-vaulted bar
Tip: Combine an evening at the bar with a stay in the chateau for the next day's Bourgueil cellar visits; the bar gives easy access to wines from estates a kilometre away.
Hotel de l'Univers bar lounge ★ 4.7
12 by the glassTours centre
Hotel de l'Univers, Tours' grand 19th-century hotel near the train station, has a wood-panelled wine lounge that serves as the city's most established evening wine-drinking address. The aged Vouvray moelleux vertical (going back to 1947 vintages in the rare-wine cellar) is the house signature.
The list: Grand-hotel wine lounge with 300 bottles; whole-Loire range; 12 by-the-glass; aged Vouvray moelleux vertical
Tip: Aged Vouvray moelleux is poured by the glass at premium prices; the 1947 and 1959 vintages have appeared in recent rotations. Book in advance for the rare-wine programme.
Domaine des Hauts de Loire lounge bar ★ 4.7
15 by the glassOnzain (Touraine)
Domaine des Hauts de Loire is a Relais et Chateaux property in a 19th-century hunting lodge between Tours and Blois. The lounge bar pours one of the deepest Touraine wine lists in the region, alongside the property's two-Michelin-star restaurant cellar.
The list: Relais et Chateaux wine lounge with 400 bottles; Touraine, Cheverny, Vouvray and Sancerre vertical range; 15 by-the-glass
Tip: The lounge bar opens to non-residents but reservations are advised. The Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny sections of the list are unusually deep for a non-AOC restaurant.
Le Saint-Laurent ★ 4.5
18 by the glassAngers Saint-Laurent
Le Saint-Laurent on the place Saint-Laurent in Angers is a wine-and-cocktail lounge with an Anjou biodynamic wine list at its heart. Coulee de Serrant, Domaine Mosse, Domaine Patrick Baudouin and Ferme de la Sansonniere all appear by the glass in rotation.
The list: Wine-and-cocktail lounge with Anjou wine focus; 150 bottles, 18 by-the-glass; biodynamic Anjou list
Tip: The biodynamic-Chenin Blanc focus is the unique angle; on a Friday or Saturday evening expect a wait without a reservation.