In the land of good drinking
"Never a noble man hates good wine" wrote François Rabelais. Or again: "The juice of the vine clarifies the spirit and the understanding". It is not in his native country that one will say the opposite! The wine estates welcome you to their domains, their troglodyte cellars and their castles to discover and taste their divine bottles. In the very heart of medieval Chinon, you will find a hedonistic address presenting the wines of Domaine Breton, under the sign of La Dilletante, in a charming place where you can stop for a snack and some provisions. The Maison des Vins du Véron in Beaumont-en-Véron, run by the winegrowers of the peninsula, is ideal for mixing your purchases and bringing back a sample of different domains. In Saint-Benoît-la-Forêt, the sommelier of l'Autre Cave, another charming address, will advise you in your purchases with expertise. Of course, in order not to weigh down your luggage, it is always possible after your tastings to have your bottles delivered to your home. You will be able to open your bottles at home with the memory of good times spent in the country of Chinon with a winegrower or a cellarman
A tradition of good eating
And if, as Rabelais explained it well, thirst goes away when you drink, we know that appetite comes when you eat. Thus, the table is an important matter in this country of bon vivants where people like to drink well but also to eat well. The term "pantagruelian" was born in Rabelaisia, wasn't it? We eat in quantity and especially in quality. You can bring back from your stay some souvenirs to make the pleasure last. And to start with, the easiest and least cumbersome way is to stock up on these little bags of pears, which can be found in pastry shops, delicatessens and producers' stores. These dried fruits can be preserved without limit and can be eaten as a dessert by rehydrating them in wine (from Chinon) like pears in wine... destructured. You can also impress your guests with a duck with pears rehydrated in orange juice. You can also find, notably at the store of the Royal Fortress, a superb mix of organic spices named Rabelais, in its vintage pot, to spice up your soups and your dishes
For other gourmet memories, pick from the collection of small jars of sweets from Mille et une confitures, a Chinese label that invites the Good Lord in velvet panties into your gullets... The strawberry range alone is a delight, with vanilla, bergamot, violet, elderflower... To the pretty jars are added pretty names: Myrtilles pour Marissou, 1, 2, 3 Soleil (orange and gingerbread), Escale à Casablanca (apricot, orange and candied lemon). A favorite is the aptly named L'Or et le Feu (Gold and Fire) jelly, combining sauvignon and Touraine saffron. There is also the aristocratic pear jam with Touraine truffles, which marries perfectly with the local fresh goat cheese sainte-maure-de-touraine. To stock up on all these delicacies, head for Les Quatre Saisons in La Roche-Clermault or the delicatessens of Chinon, the country house of Seuilly Abbey... We could add the Gilbert dairy in Chinon, among other good addresses.
And for the aperitif?
These same shops offer local products in a savory version to put on your aperitif platters, like tapas in Rabelaisie. The organic rillettes of wild fish from the Loire caught by Nicolas Hérault d'Huismes are a delight. You can choose between bream, catfish, smoked mullet, white fish for the fish base, shallot confit, dried tomatoes, saffron, sauvignon, herbs, colombo and lemon for the added flavors. You will make sensation with these small jars Goûts de Loire stamped with a drawing of a fisherman in his gabare. Whether it is for your toasts as an aperitif or as an appetizer, this speciality from the Loire Valley, with its refined taste, will be your Proust's madeleine... of Chinon. You can also find organic spreads and croustinades made with fresh goat cheese and some truffled or saffron products. You can even find aperitif baskets with a bottle of Chinon wine, grape juice or even local craft beer that will make great gifts. And for longer lasting flavors that will put the land of Rabelais and Touraine on your tables in the long run, buy truffles, saffron, walnut or hazelnut oil, plain or flavored (thyme, garlic or basil), all noble products that will enchant your dishes.
Other pleasures of the table
In the land of Rabelais, even souvenirs revolve around the table! Local artisans offer you handmade knives for cutting meat, filleting fish, slicing ham, peeling vegetables, etc. Choose a workshop where the craftsman will make your knife from A to Z. You will be able to choose the material of the handle and the quality of the blade, its shape, its size, its use. A unique gift! And to set an appetizing place setting on your table, the potters of Rabelaisie propose, in their workshop or in the artisan stores in town, plates, cups, bowls, salad bowls of different styles. If you don't find exactly what you're looking for in the shop window, you can order the pieces you're dreaming of directly! Souvenirs of Chinon, such as mugs or glasses, with the Chinon or Chinon Fortress or even Joan of Arc logo, make nice and less expensive gifts. And why not go bargain hunting during the flea markets of Chinon (every third Sunday of the month)?
Some typical or atypical memories
Before leaving, go to the bike rental store in Chinon, La Petite Reine, to choose a T-shirt, a sweatshirt, a cook's apron from the label le P'tit Rabelais, all beautiful pieces with a touch of humor that make perfect souvenirs and gifts.
For a small tufa stone sculpture, books on local history and the Middle Ages, medieval accessories, costumes or swords, head for the tourist office store or the Chinon Fortress store or the Chinon my love store.
Finally, some jewels await bibliophiles at the Librairie Ancienne of Mr. and Mrs. Lacoste, in a magnificent historic house in the medieval center of Chinon. Perhaps they will find an original edition of the works of Rabelais illustrated by Gustave Doré dated 1873. And since you've fallen for a medieval costume, you can come back during the medieval festivals of Chinon, dressed up like the locals! And why not bring back a photo of the Royal Fortress of Chinon signed by local artist Chanel Khoel?
