Sancerre's annual wine fair is held on the Pentecost weekend in the hilltop town centre, with dozens of growers from Sancerre, Bue, Chavignol, Verdigny and surrounding villages pouring the new vintage of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Free entry on Saturday and Sunday with paid commemorative tasting glasses.
Tip: Buy the commemorative tasting glass on arrival, which gives access to all the producer stands. Combine with a walk along the GR3 footpath through the Sancerre slopes to Chavignol (3 km, ~1 hour) for a vineyard hike between the fair stands.
Address: Place de la Halle, 18300 Sancerre, France, Loire Valley
Anjou Velo Vintage is a vintage-bicycle festival staged in and around Saumur, combining period costumes, pre-1987 vintage bicycles, routes through the Saumur tuffeau cellars and the Saumur-Champigny vineyards; tastings at producer cellars.
Tip: Vintage bikes are required for the headline routes; rental supply is limited so reserve at registration. The 30 km Saumur-Champigny cellar route is the best wine-tasting itinerary of the weekend.
Vouvray's village harvest festival is the largest annual public event in the appellation. The Chenin Blanc growers of Vouvray, Vernou-sur-Brenne, Reugny, Chancay and Noizay set up tasting stands in the village centre, pouring the full sweetness range (sec, demi-sec, moelleux) and the sparkling Vouvray Brut. The brotherhood (Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin de Vouvray) inducts new members in a traditional ceremony.
Tip: Vouvray's tuffeau cellars cut into the hillside above the village are open during the festival; combine the tasting stands with a free cellar tour. Domaine Huet's cellar door is in the village and runs by-the-glass tastings.
The Fete des Vins de Bourgueil is the appellation's headline annual gathering, held on 15 August in the Bourgueil town centre since 1977. Several dozen Cabernet Franc producers from Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil pour the new and library releases alongside the Touraine wine brotherhood.
Tip: Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil are separate appellations on adjacent gravel terraces; taste both side by side at the fete and decide which Cabernet-Franc profile suits your palate.
Wine festival on the Loire quays of Chalonnes-sur-Loire, organised by the UPGV. The 65th edition ran on 16 and 17 May 2026 with a winegrowers' village, tastings, a local-products market, a parade, a walk, a boat parade on the Loire and a guinguette dinner at 20 euros per person; sweet moelleux wines were the theme of that edition.
Tip: The guinguette dinner needs advance registration on the festival site.
One-day tasting in the centre of Chinon where around sixty Chinon winegrowers pour their wines. Entry is free; a tasting glass costs 8 euros. The 2025 edition was held on Saturday 26 April and the 2026 edition on Saturday 25 April, 10:00 to 18:30.
Tip: The date moves from year to year within April, so check chinon.com before booking travel.
The Salon des Vins de Loire is the Loire's flagship trade tasting, bringing several hundred Loire producers together at the Angers Centre des Congres each February.
Tip: Combine the salon with the Levee de la Loire and Demeter Loire satellite tastings the same week for the most efficient Loire-wide assessment of the new vintage.
Foire aux Vins de Sancerre runs in May. These are the wine tours and tastings in Loire Valley to book for the days around it; most cancel free up to 24 hours ahead.
In a fun and educational way, travel this part of the Loire Valley, which could well be the cradle of Sauvignon in France... Why has this grape earned its reputation t...
Enjoy the Sancerre & Pouilly Fumé wine region with a private driver. Discover the local Sauvignon Blanc grapes where the white wines of the region tend to be structure...
3-day Private tour to Top 7 Loire Valley Castles with 2 Wine tastings. Chenonceau, Amboise, Chambord, Blois, Chaumont, Da Vinci Clos Luce, Villandry by Mercedes. Live ...
Wine tastings and winery visits in Loire Valley (22) · Wine tours and day trips in Loire Valley (35) · Wine tours by bike in Loire Valley (5)
