Saumur

Saumur lies between the Loire and the Thouet, surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur, Chinon, Bourgueil and the Coteaux du Layon. Its houses are built almost entirely of Tuffeau stone, and the caves dug to quarry it are now used as wine cellars by hundreds of domaines making white, red, rosé and sparkling wine. The region is noted for traditional-method sparkling wine and for reds made mainly from Cabernet Franc, with Chenin blanc the main white grape. In early August the Grandes Tablées du Saumur-Champigny set up over 1 km of tables for tasting local food and wine, and every Saturday morning hundreds of market stalls fill the old town.