Château Moncontour -
A history of wines
Looking for an immersive, educational experience in the world of oenology?
Château Moncontour, a wine estate owned by the Feray family, is the perfect place to enjoy an immersive experience in the world of viticulture and winemaking. The visit will plunge you into the history of vines and wine, accompanied by a tasting of the estate’s wines.
The history of Château Moncontour and its vineyard
Located in Vouvray, Château Moncontour is one of the oldest vineyards in the Loire Valley. In fact, it belonged to the Archbishopric of Tours at the time of Saint Martin in the 4th century.
Today, the estate has belonged to the Feray family since 1994. Since then, they have continued to preserve and enhance the vineyard and winery, making Château Moncontour a prestigious wine estate.
The estate has also been awarded the “Haute Valeur Environnementale” certificate. It covers around 130 hectares in the Vouvray, Crément de Loire and Touraine appellations. However, Feray’s vineyards also include 5 other estates in the Loire Valley: 4 in Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée Vouvray (including Château Moncontour), 1 in Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée Chinon and 1 in Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée Cheverny.
Our experience at Château Moncontour
After a warm welcome, we began with a visit to the Musée de la Vigne et du Vin, immersing ourselves in the fascinating world of viticulture and viniculture.
Housed in the Château’s troglodyte cellars, the museum comprises a number of rooms tracing the stages of viticulture through to vinification and bottling.
Our tour began with an area illustrating the distribution of appellations d’origine contrôlée wines, distinguishing between AOC Vouvray and AOC Touraine.
An immersive visit
We then learned that the Vouvray appellation d’origine contrôlée covers some 2,000 hectares of Chenin Blanc vines. This is the only wine produced under the Vouvray appellation. It is spread over eight communes around Vouvray. What’s more, we discovered that AOC Vouvray wines are characterized by acacia or citrus aromas in their youth, evolving towards candied notes of apricot compote, quince and honey over time.
We then moved on to a room depicting the different stages of viticulture through the seasons. Each stage is depicted with the tools used for the task in question. This gave us an insight into the work involved in growing vines, and enabled us to observe all the tools needed to carry out the various tasks. This adds an immersive dimension and is a real added value to this visit and, more broadly, to this museum.
A tour full of fun facts and contents
In fact, we were able to see a variety of implements such as serpettes, barrels and numerous wine presses… This enabled us to understand and observe the evolution of soil cultivation over the last few decades. It also adds an educational and entertaining aspect to the visit.
We then moved on to the viniculture room, where all the stages in the winemaking process, from settling to bottling, are explained and retraced.
We then finished our visit with the troglodytic Auberge, which was a famous restaurant until 1980. Reconstructing and reflecting the daily wine-making life of the time, this inn adds a touch of authenticity and a taste of nostalgia to the place.
Finally, after visiting the museum, we were treated to a wine tasting in the Château’s boutique, a bright and pleasant place. We tasted a sparkling Vouvray, cuvée La Grande Réserve, vintage 2022.
Why would you visit the Château Moncontour?
If you’re looking for an immersive, fun and educational wine experience, Château Moncontour is the place for you! You’ll have the opportunity to learn more about the viticultural techniques of past generations. You can also enjoy a tasting of the estate’s wines.
Useful information
- Self-guided tours of the Musée de la Vigne et du Vin
- For groups and schools, a guided tour can be booked in advance
- Tours are available in French and English
- Several options are available, and can be found together with prices on the following link: https://www.vouvray.com/musee-vin-vigne-chateau-moncontour-vouvray/
- Wine sales on site and online: https://www.vouvray.com/boutique-vins-touraine-vignobles-feray/
- Possibility of renting a troglodyte room for events (Le Repaire de Bacchus)
- Address: Rue de Moncontour, 37210 Vouvray
