Le Nid ★ 4.4
10 by the glassNantes Tour Bretagne
Le Nid is the wine-and-cocktail bar on the top floor of the Tour Bretagne in Nantes, with panoramic city views and a vinyl-driven music programme on weekend evenings. The wine list is shorter than dedicated wine bars but the Muscadet and natural-Loire focus is serious.
The list: Wine and cocktail bar on the 32nd floor of the Tour Bretagne; 60 bottles with a natural-Loire focus; 10 by-the-glass; vinyl DJ Thursday through Saturday
Tip: Arrive before 21:00 for a window seat on Loire-side. The bar fills with locals once the DJ sets begin; the wine list pairs well with the elevated dance-floor energy.
Le Vinyl Bar ★ 4.4
12 by the glassAngers centre
Le Vinyl Bar on rue Saint-Laud in Angers pairs a vinyl record collection with a serious natural-wine list focused on Anjou-Saumur growers. The format is intimate (around 25 seats) and the music programme rotates between vinyl-DJ nights and live jazz weeknights.
The list: Natural wine list with Anjou-Saumur focus; 80 bottles, 12 by-the-glass; vinyl record collection covering jazz, French chanson, and electronic
Tip: Vinyl nights are Wednesday through Saturday from 21:00. The Anjou natural-wine list pairs well with the soundtrack.
La Deferlante ★ 4.4
14 by the glassTours Vieille Ville
La Deferlante on rue de la Monnaie in Tours combines a natural-wine list (Touraine and Anjou-heavy) with a vinyl record programme. The wine selection is short but exceptional: Domaine de la Garreliere, Olivier Lemasson, and other Touraine natural-wine growers by the glass.
The list: Natural-wine bar with vinyl programme; 100 bottles, 14 by-the-glass; Touraine and Anjou natural-wine focus
Tip: The bar's Saturday vinyl sets draw a young Tours crowd; weekday evenings are quieter and better for wine-focused conversation.
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.