Chinon

Chinon stands on the Vienne just before it joins the Loire, in Touraine, and its stretch of the Loire Valley has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. It is known for its wine, its castle and its historic town: the castle held Jacques de Molay and other Knights Templar after Philip IV the Fair had the order arrested in 1307. Unusually for the Loire, Chinon wine is mostly red, made from Cabernet Franc with up to 25% Cabernet Sauvignon allowed, and in good vintages it can be cellared for 10 years or more. The caves where it ages are carved into the banks of the Vienne.