La Cremaillere ★ 4.4
25 by the glassTours Vieille Ville
La Cremaillere on the Place Plumereau is one of Tours' longest-running wine bars, with a Loire-heavy by-the-glass programme and a serious bottle list. Late-night Chinon, Bourgueil and Vouvray pours alongside the wider regional range.
The list: Loire-focused list of 200 bottles with 25 by-the-glass pours; Vouvray, Chinon, Saumur-Champigny and Sancerre by the glass nightly
Tip: Order the Loire-around-the-river flight (Pays Nantais, Anjou, Touraine, Centre-Loire) to traverse the four sub-regions in a single sitting.
Le Petit Comptoir ★ 4.5
18 by the glassTours centre
Le Petit Comptoir is the natural-wine pivot of central Tours, with a programme heavy on Touraine and Anjou small growers. By-the-glass Cabernet Franc from Chinon and Saumur-Champigny is the house signature, with the natural-leaning Vouvray and Montlouis whites as alternatives.
The list: Sommelier-driven natural and biodynamic Loire selection; 120 bottles, 18 by-the-glass; emphasis on small Touraine and Anjou growers
Tip: Ask the sommelier for the rotating natural-Cabernet Franc flight; the menu refreshes weekly and includes growers like Roches Neuves and Antoine Sanzay.
Le Loir dans la Theiere wine bar ★ 4.4
12 by the glassTours Vieille Ville
Le Loir dans la Theiere is a caviste-and-wine-bar hybrid in the Tours Vieille Ville, with a curated Loire selection and casual late-evening drinking. The corkage policy is generous (low fee for in-shop bottle consumption) and the food menu is small but cheese-and-charcuterie-perfect.
The list: Independent caviste-bar with 300 bottles for take-away or in-room consumption; 12 by-the-glass; whole-Loire focus from Pays Nantais to Pouilly-Fume
Tip: Buy a bottle from the shop and pay the small corkage to drink it on the spot. The Cremant de Loire selection is one of the best in Tours.
La Cave des Marchands ★ 4.5
20 by the glassSaumur centre
La Cave des Marchands in central Saumur pours the canonical Saumur-Champigny producers (Filliatreau, Roches Neuves, Sanzay) by the glass alongside the local Saumur Brut sparkling. The cellar is in a tuffeau cave at the back of the bar, visible from the seating area.
The list: Saumur and middle-Loire focus; 250 bottles, 20 by-the-glass; Saumur-Champigny verticals nightly
Tip: Ask for the Saumur-Champigny by-the-glass flight; the rotation captures three different growers across the same vintage for a textbook horizontal tasting.
Le Bouchon des Quais ★ 4.7
20 by the glassNantes quais
Le Bouchon des Quais on the Nantes waterfront is the city's reference Muscadet wine bar. Twenty Muscadets by the glass, including (in season) all seven Cru Communaux (Clisson, Gorges, Le Pallet, Goulaine, Monnieres-Saint-Fiacre, Chateau-Thebaud, Mouzillon-Tillieres), alongside the standard Sevre et Maine sur lie.
The list: Muscadet specialist with 80 Muscadet and Cru Communaux bottles; 20 by-the-glass including all seven Cru Communaux when in season
Tip: The all-seven Cru Communaux flight is the rare reference tasting; it is not available year-round but the bar attempts to keep at least four crus open at any time.
La Cigale brasserie wine bar ★ 4.6
14 by the glassNantes centre
La Cigale is the historic 1895 Belle Epoque brasserie of Nantes, listed as a French national monument. Its bar section pours an excellent Muscadet selection alongside a wider Loire and Atlantic-coast wine list. The painted-ceiling interior is a textbook Belle Epoque setting.
The list: Belle Epoque brasserie with a sommelier-curated Loire list of 180 bottles and 14 by-the-glass; wide regional range
Tip: La Cigale fills early; the bar section accepts walk-ins without reservation. Pair with the brasserie oyster plate for the classic Nantes pairing.