Every Spring (30 March -1 April 2024) the Chateau de la Bordaisiere at Montlouis-sur-Loire, just east of Tours (37 Indre-et-Loire, Centre- Val de Loire) hosts the a Festival of Spring Plants(Fete des Plantes de Printemps). With over a hundred exhibitors specializing in the plants and garden art and the theme of the festival is designed to complement the United Nations declaration of 2010 as the “Year of Biodiversity” – and the vegetable collections are designed to reflect the richness of different varieties – not least of the Tomato, which is a speciality for the Chateau – which hosts a Tomato Festival (Festival des Tomates) on 9 – 10 September 2023
This is a unique festival, where tomatoes are celebrated for all senses, colours, tastes, perfume, knowledge… Tomatoes from the past, black, green, pink, yellow, white, orange, red ! stripped, all different shapes, banana’, pumkin’, pears’, cherrys…, sweet, acid, all different uses, jams, chutneys, mustard, vinegar, alcool, deserts…, but also the discovery on new ways of breeding…, ways of using tomato, for health, beauty crème, perfume, medicine …
for more on the Spring Plants Festival and the Tomato Festival see www.labourdaisiere.com
An additional attraction is that you can also stay a night or more in the B&B at Chateau de la Bordaisiere:-
..housed in a historic building surrounded by splendid gardens where Francis I’s favourite, Marie Gaudin, and Henry IV’s favourite, Gabrielle d’Estrée, used to live. Prince Louis Albert de Broglie (the Prince gardener) created in the castle’s park the Conservatoire de la tomate (Tomato Conservatory)…visit the beautiful dahlia garden and officinal herbs gardens. To transform this historic site in a perfect eco hotel, at the end of 2009 the management will start a technological renovation program ending in 2012. The program will use the best solutions for water and energy savings, as well as waste disposal; whilst educational exhibitions will take place at the Château de la Bourdaisière Hotel.
Plus there are the wines of the Touraine (especially Sauvignon Blanc whites) and the sparkling wines of Vouvray and of Montlouis itself – the Chateau owns its vineyards and produces white ‘chenin blanc’ dry, semi-dry and sweet wine.
Vouvray is known for its Chenin Blanc that comes in a variety of styles, still and sparkling, dry to sweet. Although they also grow the largest variety of grapes in the Loire, there is nothing they take pride in more than their Chenin Blanc. Read more about Vouvray on ilovewine.com
see our Top 30 vineyard B&Bs in France
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