Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
buildingsitewithatreadmill-powered hoist.Convertedtowinecellarsinthe15thcentury,
the former quarry is a pilgrimage site of sorts for admirers of Rabelais, who featured it
prominently in his writings. To visit, you must sign up for a tour (in English), which takes
about an hour and includes a 10-minute video and a tasting of three local wines. Designed
to promote Chinon wines, it's run by a local winemakers' association (€3, July-Aug Tue-
Sun at 11:00, 15:00, 16:30, and 18:00; closed Mon and Sept-June; off Rue Voltaire on Im-
passe des Caves Painctes, tel. 02 47 93 30 44).
Restaurant-Musée Animé du Vin et de la Tonnellerie (Wine and Barrel
Museum/Restaurant)
This combination museum/restaurant is the life's work of a passionate wine lover, the
mustachioed Dédé la Boulange. You'll stroll through a few rooms animated by characters
re-creating the production of local wines, and smile at the ingenuity of his handiwork
(€4.50, €2.50 if you enjoy dinner at his recommended restaurant on the premises, daily
mid-March-mid-Oct 10:00-22:00, closed off-season, 12 Rue Voltaire).
Domaine de la Chevalerie
For an authentic winery experience in the thick of the vineyards, drive about 25 minutes
from Chinon to Domaine de la Chevalerie. This traditional winery has been run by the
same family for 14 generations. Fun-loving and English-speaking daughter Stéphanie will
take you through the cavernous hillside cellars crammed with 260,000 bottles, then treat
youto a tasting oftheir 100percent Cabernet Franc reds from seven different plots ofland
(daily 10:00-12:00 & 14:00-19:00, best to call ahead, off D-35 at 7 Rue du Peu Muleau,
Restigné, tel. 02 47 97 46 32,
www.domainedelachevalerie.fr
)
.
Other Chinon Activities
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Biking from Chinon
A few good options are available from Chinon (be sure to get maps from the TI or your
bike rental shop). The easiest ride—thanks to the level terrain—is to the pretty village of
Candes-St-Martin, where the Vienne and Loire rivers meet. Some cyclists can manage the
longer ride from Chinon to Ussé and back, and some may want to venture even farther
to Villandry. To avoid the monumental hill when leaving town, take your bike in the free
elevator behind the TI up to the château level (get directions from your bike rental). Con-
necting these châteaux towns is a full-day, 40-mile round-trip ride that only those in fit
condition will enjoy. (See “Helpful Hints,” earlier, for rental location and costs.)
