The Loire is a dreamy river. Its name derives from the Gaulish name liga, which means alluvium. It spreads out gently, full of a sweetness of life that inspires picnics and bike rides. In 2000, UNESCO added the central part of the river valley to its list of World Heritage Sites. The committee described it as "an exceptional cultural landscape, of great beauty, comprised of historic cities and villages, great architectural monuments - Chateaux de la Loire - and lands that have been cultivated and shaped by centuries of interaction between local populations and their physical environment, in particular the Loire itself." An attractive description, but omitting to mention what convinced the French kings to establish in this lush and fertile valley in the first place: the quality of life.

French Renaissance writer François Rabelais would say that you drink first to get the feeling of the Loire Valley. The Loire Valley climate is favorable. Not too cold, not too hot, just like what the vineyards need. One of the world's most well-known areas of wine production with over 87 appellations, the Loire Valley also has a solid reputation for the cuisine that accompanies good wines. There are plenty of well-known specialties to discover in the so-called Garden of France, a region whose mildness encourages the good life.