Chenonceau, Chambord and Vouvray Tasting in a Limestone Cave Winery

Nine hours, a small group and an air-conditioned minivan, with a professional guide for the whole day and the two most famous châteaux of the Loire on the route.

Chenonceau comes first. It is the most visited castle in the valley and the only one built across a river, its arches standing in the Cher, with Renaissance gardens on the bank. The nickname, the ladies' château, is literal: its owners were women.

Chambord is the other extreme. François I put up the largest château in the valley as a hunting lodge, which says something about the century. It has 426 rooms and 282 fireplaces, and a double helix staircase whose two spirals never meet, probably drawn by Leonardo da Vinci. The forest around it is a national game reserve.

Between the two châteaux the minivan stops underground. The tasting is held in a limestone cave winery, where cheese is served with the white wines of the area, Vouvray among them. Loire tuffeau built the châteaux and the quarrying left the cellars behind, so the stone that shaped the morning is also what keeps the bottles cool.