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My gastronomic weekend in the Pays Loudunais
Sometimes you need to cut everything short to really find yourself. That’s exactly what I told myself when I suggested to Inès that we go away on a whim for a gastronomic weekend in the Pays Loudunais. We were looking for an area away from the crowds, an authentic place where you don’t play the game of appearances. We found much more than that in the Pays Loudunais! Between Poitou and the Loire Valley, we discovered a region that can be enjoyed as much as it can be explored, where tasty food is a way of life.
So get your fork ready, I’ll be taking you on a journey through gourmet delights, history and fine wines!
Day 1: a gastronomic weekend gets off to a good start at Domaine de Roiffé
Our adventure began on a Friday afternoon. After a few hours’ drive, we finally arrived at the Domaine de Roiffé. Inès was immediately seduced by the setting. It’s much more than just a hotel, it’s a veritable haven of greenery set in the middle of nowhere. The welcome is immediately warm, without the pretentiousness you sometimes find elsewhere. Here, you feel at home in just two minutes. We put our suitcases down and, to get into the swing of things, we decided to try out the estate’s sensational activity: a horse ride.
Even though I’m not the soul of a skilled rider, trotting between the trees immediately disconnected us. You can feel time slowing down. Now that’s slow tourism with a Loudun twist. But the real shock came in the on-site restaurant, l’Alcôve. We weren’t expecting such a culinary slap in the face. The chef uses local produce with incredible precision. We devoured a fillet of duck cooked to perfection, accompanied by vegetables that really tasted of the land. I accompanied it all with a glass ofAOP Saumur, a red that sings on the palate. At the end of the meal, Inès and I looked at each other: we were officially in the Lenteur Salvatrice position! This estate is a nugget for those who want to combine relaxation with delicious food. We ended the evening at the estate’s spa, with a steam room and sauna, to make sure our bodies kept pace with our minds.
Day 2: A step back in time at Fontevraud
On Saturday morning, we hit the road again, our eyes still a little misty from the peace and quiet of Roiffé. We headed for Fontevraud Abbey, just on the edge of the Loudunais region. It’s a place charged with a special, almost sovereign energy. You walk in the footsteps ofEleanor of Aquitaine and Richard the Lionheart, whose graves lie here. It’s huge, it’s white, it’s beautiful. We spent hours wandering around the cloisters, admiring the strange Romanesque kitchen with its stone chimneys.
But we weren’t there just for the old stones. We had booked a table at the abbey restaurant ! We’re talking haute voltige here. The Michelin-starred chef offers a cuisine that is a veritable ode to the region. Each dish is conceived as a landscape. Inès was blown away by the tasting menu where wild herbs meet the best local produce. The dessert, a completely revisited apple tart, left us speechless. We were eating in a historic setting, but without the heaviness that sometimes goes with it. It was a moment of grace, a perfect blend of culture and gastronomy. We came away with the impression of having experienced something unique, a moment of pure disconnection. Before leaving, we popped into the shop to pick up a few gourmet souvenirs.Because you can never have enough home-made jams or local honey!
Day 3: Journey to the heart of the tuffeau and the bubbles of Saumur
On our last day, we wanted to see what was going on underground. The Pays Loudunais is full of fascinating troglodytic caves. We made an appointment with a passionate winemaker who was waiting for us for a wine tasting in the Loudunais region. Descending into these caves dug into the tufa rock is like entering another world. The temperature is constant, the smell of wet stone is heady and the silence is total. It’s the ideal place to let the local nectars age.
Our guide explained how the soil is worked, the importance of the Chenin grape for the white and the Cabernet Franc for the red. We tasted an incredibly fresh white Saumur, then finished with a Crémant de Loire whose bubbles tickled our nostrils. Frankly, the passion of these winemakers is contagious. They’re not just selling a bottle, they’re sharing a piece of their history. We ended our visit around a big table with other travellers, sharing rillettes and fresh bread. That’s what I love about this place: it’s so friendly . You chat, you laugh, you forget that you have to hit the road again that very afternoon.
The results of our gastronomic weekend in the Pays Loudunais
As we were leaving, Inès said to me: “When are we coming back? It’s a sign that the contract has been fulfilled! This gastronomic weekend in the Pays Loudunais was a real breath of fresh air. We loved the mix of simplicity and excellence. We discovered people who are proud of their produce, places with a soul, and above all, we learned to take our time again.
If you’re looking for a place to meet up, eat well and discover a discreet but powerful heritage, go for it. Don’t look for the flashy, look for the real thing. Whether you’re looking for peace and quiet at Domaine de Roiffé or majesty at Fontevraud, you won’t be disappointed. And don’t forget to bring back a few bottles ofAOP Saumur to prolong the pleasure when you get home.
You can’t just visit Loudunais , you have to experience it, drink it and eat it. It’s a destination that puts your mind right and reminds you that the simplest pleasures are often the best. So, what are you waiting for to get into PL’S with us?
