Tours & Amboise Wine Tours (Touraine)
Touraine is the heart of the Loire, and from Tours or Amboise you can taste the whole range in an afternoon: the Chenin of Vouvray still and sparkling, the Cabernet Franc reds of Chinon and Bourgueil, and Touraine Sauvignon, much of it poured in troglodyte cellars cut into the tuffeau. Compare the top-rated Touraine wine tours below, then read our notes.
Touraine wine tours from Tours and Amboise
Formats: half-day and afternoon wine tours from Tours or Amboise with two or three domaines; morning tours combining a château with a tasting; cave (troglodyte cellar) visits with a sommelier; bike-and-wine days along the river and full-day tours with lunch.
What you taste: Vouvray and Montlouis (Chenin, dry to sparkling), Chinon and Bourgueil (Cabernet Franc reds), Touraine Sauvignon and rosé, and Crémant, often with local charcuterie and goat cheese.
Price: roughly 55 to 90 dollars for an afternoon tour with two or three domaines; more for a full day with a château and lunch.
The Touraine appellations
Around Tours the wines change every few kilometres. Vouvray and Montlouis, on opposite banks, make Chenin Blanc in every style – bone dry, off-dry (demi-sec), sweet and, above all, sparkling – that ages for decades. West, Chinon and Bourgueil grow Cabernet Franc into fragrant, medium-bodied reds that are among France’s best value. And the broad Touraine AOC gives crisp Sauvignon and easy rosé. An afternoon tour typically pours ten or more across the styles.
The tuffeau caves
The Loire’s soft tuffeau limestone is quarried into cellars and even homes, and many Touraine growers age and taste their wine in these cool troglodyte caves – some near Amboise are centuries old. Tasting sparkling Vouvray underground, where it was aged, is one of the region’s small pleasures, and several tours are built around a cave visit with a sommelier.
How to do it
Tours and Amboise are the bases; both have the train from Paris and are ringed by domaines, so an afternoon tour with a driver lets you taste freely. Pair it with a château on our château-and-wine day trips page, and see the Loire hub for the wider valley. Harvest is September into October.
How we choose
We list only experiences with a strong rating over a meaningful number of reviews and free cancellation where available, and we favour small-group and family-run hosts. FindEatLocal earns a commission when you book through GetYourGuide or Viator links on this page; it doesn’t change the price you pay. More about how we choose.
FAQ about Tours & Amboise Wine Tours (Touraine)
Frequently asked questions
What is Vouvray?
A Touraine appellation making Chenin Blanc in every style from bone-dry to sweet and, famously, sparkling; long-lived and a highlight of any Loire tasting.
Does the Loire make red wine?
Yes; Chinon, Bourgueil and Saumur-Champigny make fragrant, food-friendly reds from Cabernet Franc, well worth tasting alongside the whites.
Can I visit the troglodyte cellars?
Yes; many Touraine growers, especially around Amboise and Vouvray, age and pour their wine in tuffeau caves, and tours are built around them.