Wine tourism

We are often asked the same question: "We have a weekend in Sancerre — where do we begin?"

It is important to first understand the landscape from above, then feel the soils beneath your feet, and finally — with these two perspectives in mind — taste the wines so that everything makes sense. The tasting at Domaine Henri Bourgeois then becomes a revelation, not just a discovery.

Here is the itinerary we recommend to those who truly want to understand Sancerre — not just pass through it.

Start with the heights. From the ramparts of Sancerre or the tour des Fiefs, the view opens up to the Loire below: the south-facing slopes, the clay terraces, the flint soils that shine differently in the morning light. This landscape is not just a backdrop — it is the geological map of what you will taste in a few hours.

As you walk through the village streets, take the time to feel the limestone, the mineral freshness of the covered passages. Sancerre has this particularity of being read as much with the senses as with the mind.

Before heading down to the vineyards, a visit to la Maison des Sancerre is a visit of about 45 minutes that offers a lot. It interactively presents the three main types of soils of the appellation — calcareous clays, Kimmeridgian marls, flint — their geological origin and their influence on the style of the wines.

Late morning / early afternoon: in the vineyards

Before the tasting at the Domaine, treat yourself to a walk through the vineyards. Walk between the rows. Pick up a little soil, observe its color and texture.

The flint soil — those small, almost sharp pebbles — is immediately recognizable. The Kimmeridgian marls are finer, lighter, with in places those small comma-shaped oyster fossils (ostrea virgula) that are found on the Côte des Monts Damnés. The calcareous clays have a heavier texture, a darker color. These are not anecdotal details: these are the soils you will find in your glass in an hour.

From the slopes, the reading of the vineyard is suddenly different. The exposures, the slopes, the areas that heat up or retain moisture — all of this takes on a meaning that was not there this morning.

Lunch: keep the palate available

The first lunch should remain simple. A well-aged Crottin de Chavignol, a plate of charcuterie, a thin tart with seasonal vegetables. A glass of white Sancerre, of course — but keep some in reserve so you don't arrive at the cellar with a saturated palate.

Afternoon: the tasting at Domaine Henri Bourgeois — the highlight

This is where the weekend takes on its full dimension.

The guided tastings of Domaine Henri Bourgeois are designed so that you travel through the terroirs of Sancerre in a logical order — the one you have just walked.

We start with the calcareous clays, the profile of our "Grande Réserve": ample, crisp, aromas of grapefruit and white flowers, generous finish. Then we move up in intensity to the Kimmeridgian marls — "Jadis", "La Côte des Monts Damnés" — deeper, more enveloping, with those exotic notes and that saline length that the terroir of the Terres Blanches produces in a unique way. And finally the flints — "ES-56", "d'Antan" — with that almost electric tension, that smoky flint minerality that resembles nothing else.

In an hour and a half, you concretely perceive why two Sancerres of the same grape, from the same vintage, can be so different. You taste the soils you saw and touched this morning.

It is that moment — this passage from the soil under your feet to the wine in the glass — that makes visitors leave with something different from what they had when they arrived.

Head back down to the village of Chavignol for dinner. Located 4 km from Sancerre and nestled in a valley among the vineyards, this small village is where gastronomy and terroir merge most naturally of the entire appellation.

The "La Côte des Monts Damnés" restaurant is a place we recommend without hesitation. The cuisine is built around the specialties and traditions of the Berry region—each food and wine pairing speaks to the terroir. You may dine with a "Jadis" or a "Côte des Monts Damnés" that you tasted in the afternoon. The circle closes elegantly.

For the night, the Hôtel Famille Bourgeois in Chavignol allows you not to "leave" the vineyard. Waking up the next morning with the vineyards before your eyes changes the way you approach the second day.

The second morning belongs to your curiosity. Yesterday laid the groundwork — today, you can go further depending on what resonated with you most.

First option: a second session at the Domaine, this time focusing on the parcel cuvées. "Le Cotelin" on the Kimmeridgian marl of Maimbray, "Les Ruchons" on the flint of Fontenay, "Les Côtes aux Valets" on the calcareous clays of Bannon — wines that few visitors discover, and which are often the most revealing of the appellation's potential. Each parcel has its own voice that the "Grande Réserve", by its very definition as a blend, cannot express on its own.

Second option: a longer walk through the vineyards. Now that you can read the soils, you can walk toward the parcels you saw in your glass the day before. "La Côte des Monts Damnés" can be seen from Chavignol — climbing it, even partially, gives a physical sense of the work that goes into every bottle.

→ Set out to discover La Côte des Monts Damnés and the work of "Les Veillants"

Third option: explore the neighboring appellations. Pouilly-Fumé is 15 km away — on the other side of the Loire. After tasting our "En Travertin" (calcareous clays of Saint-Andelain) and our "JS-150" (Kimmeridgian marl of Saint-Laurent-l'Abbaye), you have the benchmarks to understand how the same soil families, on the other bank, produce different wines.

Lunch and the afternoon: the Loire, cycling, the great outdoors

On the second afternoon, set the wine aside — not the region.

Sancerre is built on the Loire, and it is often this river that we forget to see when we are absorbed by the vineyards. Go down to the banks. The wild Loire, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of Europe's last great rivers to flow freely — no dams, sandbanks that shift from one season to the next, and a flora and fauna that few French rivers have preserved.

Several ways to discover it from Sancerre:

By bike, along the banks on the paths of Loire à Vélo — the route passes nearby and allows you to see the vineyards from the plain, a radically different angle from that of the slopes. A few kilometers are enough to completely change your perspective.

By canoe, if the season allows (May to September) — local clubs offer trips on the Loire from the Sancerre area. The view from the water of the slopes, the perched village, and the wild banks.

Or simply sitting on the sand, with a bottle chosen that morning at the domaine. That too is Sancerre.

Each season changes the experience — not just the landscape, but also the availability of the teams, the atmosphere of the estate, and what can be enjoyed during the tasting.

The estate is located in Chavignol, 3 km from Sancerre (Cher, 18). Access from Paris in less than 2 hours via the A77, or from Bourges in 30 min. Cosne-sur-Loire train station is 20 km away.

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  Bookings: 2 to 3 weeks in advance during high season (May–Sept.) for estate visits and the restaurant—we are often fully booked
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  Pace : maximum 2 estates per day—beyond that, sensory fatigue sets in and comparisons lose their meaning
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  Getting around : Sancerre and Chavanel are 4 km apart—accessible by bike.
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  Estimated budget : €150 to €250 per person for 2 days, including overnight stay. Restaurant: €45 to €60/person excluding wine. Tastings at the Estate are included in our packages or available for a nominal fee
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  What to bring : shoes that aren't afraid of dirt, a light jacket (the cellars are cool), a notebook—aromas fade quickly from memory