An Experience You'll Cherish Forever! - My wife and I (mostly her) spent a lot of time looking at different tours in the region for an excursion during our trip to Paris, and fortunately for us she stumbled upon this hidden gem. We selected the two-day Loire Experience tour: Chinon and Vouvray. Getting there was pretty straightforward from Paris. Colin had picked us up from our hotel in Tours where we instantly fell in love with our charismatic and knowledgeable guide, Colin. He made us feel so welcome during the entire experience. There was never a dull moment from that point forward. We sampled wines from Azay le Rideau, Chinon, Bourgueil, Quarts-de-Chaume, Coteaux-du-Layon, Anjou, Touraine, Touraine-Chenonceau, Touraine-Amboise, Crémant de Loire, Pouilly-fumé, and Sancerre. I honestly have never been so impressed by a tour like this in my life and I will always hold it near and dear to my heart. Thank you Colin for showing us a lovely and unforgettable time! We would definitely go again.

A great day in the Loire Valley - We had a wonderful tour with Colin. He is a very professional guide who is immensely knowledgeable of the wines and history of the region. The tour of Chenonceau was littered with tons of details as he enabled us to be transported centuries back in time to imagine what life was like at the Chateau. We visited three wineries, each with unique stories and delicious wines. We we were throughly impressed by the depth, quality, and value of the wines at each winery. He provided great company and laughs throughout the day, and we'd happily recommend him to anyone wanting a great tour of the area.

Great Private Wine Tours - We took two private tours with Colin: one to Sancerre and one to Chinon. Both were outstanding. Colin’s knowledge of the area, it’s wines and it’s history was excellent. He was able to get us access to outstanding wineries and was a great person to spend two days with. Our group of four seasoned wine region travelers all agreed the tours were fabulous.

Memorable - We agree with all the five-star reviews above. Colin was knowledgeable, informative and interesting. He provided insights we never would have known. A thoroughly enjoyable day, well-spent, that we will remember for a long time.

Wonderful day in Loire Valley - Colin treated us to an amazing day in the Loire Valley! He's unbelievably knowledgeable about the varietals local to the region, is well known to the staff at the vineyards we visited, and even jumped behind the tasting bar at the last one to pour for us since there was a larger group there at the same time. We swapped Chateau D'Amboise (beautiful) for Chenonceau on our tour because it's a bit more relaxed right now in terms of numbers they can admit and Covid related ticketing restrictions and it's just that kind of insight that makes booking a private tour worth it. Colin has excellent taste in wine, a great sense of humor and is just a pleasure to spend the day with. Couldn't recommend booking with him more. One of our favorite days of vacation and we can't wait for the wine we bought to arrive (Colin even organized and handled shipping for us) so we can open a bottle and talk about the wonderful time we had the day we bought it.

Relaxing and informative - A truly enjoyable day. Colin is a knowledgable and informative guide not just in terms of the wine but the local history as well. He included fascinating insight into the techniques of wine making both traditional and modern and is obviously well trusted by the winery owners.

Fantastic day in the Loire Valley - We, an American couple visiting the region for the first time, had the most amazing visit to the Loire Valley with Colin as our wonderful guide! The short version of this review is that we cannot recommend it highly enough, do not hesitate to book! Colin spent the full day with us, taking us to four wineries throughout the Touraine with a lovely lunch in the middle. I believe we did a slightly modified version of this tour, opting to skip the Chateau visit in favor of more focus on wine! To begin, booking our experience was basically effortless. When I first reached out to inquire about availability, Colin offered suggestions for itineraries based on our preferences, and made clear that we could be flexible throughout our day depending on what we most enjoyed. He also gave helpful guidance on how to get to the Loire Valley from Paris (a very easy and comfortable TGV trip from Gare Montparnasse to St. Pierre de Corps). Colin picked us up exactly on time at the train station, and then ferried us among the wineries in his spacious and comfortable SUV. During our journeys he offered details about the history and geography of the valley, which really helped put our visit in context and added interest to our time spent traveling. At each winery, Colin's relationships with the proprietors ensured that we were treated as welcomed guests. In addition to tasting fabulous wines at each location, both Colin and those providing the tastings shared a wealth of information about growing, wine making, understanding french labeling, aging wine, and more. We could not have asked for a better day of learning, laughing and enjoying truly spectacular wines. Most importantly for American visitors, Colin also provides all of the information you'll need and assists with making arrangements for purchasing and shipping wine to the U.S., so you are free to purchase to your heart's content (and we certainly did!) Overall, this experience was everything we hoped for and beyond. We are already looking forward to planning our next visit to the Loire Valley to take another tour with Colin!

Loved It! - Colin was the perfect guide for us...an American couple visiting the Loire Valley for the first time. We found him because our daughter had recommended him after her good experiences with his tour. Colin’s good sense of humor, top notch knowledge about both the history and the wines of the region, and his command of both English (duh, he’s British) and French made it a perfect day for us. We really enjoyed the tour of the castle and gardens of Chenonceau, especially with Colin’s ability to fill us in on interesting details about its former inhabitants. He also offered interesting, sometimes funny, and even titillating details about various details of the chateau and its furnishings. The owners of the vineyards/wineries extended to Colin (and, therefore, to us) unfettered access to their facilities which yielded a very intimate and personalized tour and insight into the operations of these vintners. The wine tasting was fun and offered a real opportunity to compare wines produced not only by different types of grapes, but also by different methods. We ended up buying 24 bottles because Colin was able to offer to ship them home to us in the States. Each time we sample those wines, we will feel like we’re back on vacation in France! Highly recommend!

Perfect 3-Day Loire Valley Adventure! - My husband and I had a fabulous time being escorted all over the Loire Valley! Colin is extremely knowledgable on the regional history, horticulture and most importantly WINE! Having a guide, who spoke the language and knew the area, allowed us to truly enjoy the experience, without the stress of driving, navigating and struggling to communicate (our French is non-existent!). Also, Colin has many relationships with the local vineyards, so we often were treated to private tours and tastings by the owners - which was a real treat! We met hard working and passionate growers, who were more than gracious to provide a glimpse of their world. For anyone who is serious about wine, history and culture, you will not be disappointed! We are already dreaming up our next trip! Thank you to Loire Valley Wine Tour!

Very enjoyable day - Colin met us at our hotel and had a good plan for our day together. Touring Chenonceau with him was a great way to learn about the chateau and to appreciate particularly the art and the history of the building. We visited two vineyards. Again we learned a lot about how the wine is made and the wines of the region. The staff of the tasting rooms knew Colin and were helpful. We definitely went to places we would not have found on our own and tried wines we wouldn't have otherwise sampled. There is an expectation that you will buy the wine which we hadn't anticipated when we booked the tour. Colin is very helpful in arranging shipping and customs etc which is a huge undertaking if the wine is coming back to the US. Fortunately the wine survived the journey and is delicious. A bonus was a really nice relaxed lunch in a pretty village square. I would recommend Colin and his service. A great way to spend a day in the Loire.