Belgian vines in the Bourgueil vineyards…
Awarded a green star in the Michelin Guide, Vincent Cuisinier de Campagne is the perfect standard-bearer for the village of Coteaux-sur-Loire. But he’s not the only Belgian in this most French of regions!
Oenotourism at the Château de Minière
When looking for a country house surrounded by vines, Kathleen Van den Berghe and her husband Sigurd Mareels chose this beautiful wine estate in 2010. It was love at first sight. They saw straightaway that it had wonderful potential. In the vineyard, Kathleen set about switching from conventional to organic wine production and getting the best out of the Cabernet Franc grapes. She also introduced innovations, such as a sparkling red wine. It’s a good one, too.
Inside the Château de Minière, the changes they have made now allow them to offer a delightful tasting room, a conference and wedding area, and three gîtes which, along with the eight guestrooms in the château, can accommodate groups of up to 20 people. Guests can bathe in a pretty outdoor pool – and also sample the estate’s honey! And in addition to the organic initiative, they also hold the “Refuge LPO” label which is awarded by the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (League for the Protection of Birds).
The Château de Minière
Tasting the estate's wines
The swimming pool beside the gîtes
Off to the vineyard!
A partnership with Trottxway and Gyroway
Wine, accommodation, conferences, honey… but Kathleen’s not stopping there! A few years ago, Sébastien Trova anticipated the trend for getting back to nature-based recreation. When on holiday, people visit cultural attractions such as châteaux and museums, but they also enjoy being outdoors and admiring unobstructed views, and want to get away from it all. And have fun, too. And as scooters and other personal transporters were growing in popularity, he set up a company offering “off-road” vehicle rides to tourists.
Trottxway and Gyroway operate in various places, and are always warmly welcomed in the Château de Minière vineyard. The stunning scenery and the wines sampled at leisure at the end of the trip combine to create lasting memories for oenophiles. A glass of wine with friends is an opportunity to soak in the terroir.
Among the vines on off-road electric scooters
NB: fans of off-road electric scooters will be pleased to learn that rides are also available in the Loches National Forest!