schiller-wine: Lunch (with Escargots de Bourgogne, Burgundy Snails, as Starter) at Restaurant Au Bon Laboreur (Michelin-listed and with a Ferrari SUV in Front of the Restaurant) in Menetou-Râtel

The Loire Tour 2025 by ombiasy WineTours took place from Sunday, October 5 to Thursday, October 16, 2025. The tour started in Nantes and ended in Sancerre, with a bus transfer and lunch in Paris. There were 9 of us including Annette and myself.

Following:

Extensive Vineyard Tour (with Geese and Sheep), lead by Vineyard Manager Andreina Pellé, and Extensive Tasting led by Export Manager Pauline Guillot at Domaine Pellé in Morogues, Menetou-Salon - Loire Valley 2025 by ombiasy WineTours

we had lunch at Restaurant Au Bon Laboreur in Menetou-Râtel, which was recommended by Clément Berthier, the winemaker we visited in the afternoon.

In front of the restaurant: Who knew that Ferrari made an SUV. We looked up the price and it starts at over $400,000

Loire 2025 by ombiasy WineTours led by Annette Schiller

Annette Schiller in her announcement: What comes to your mind when you hear ‘Loire Valley’? Of course images of glorious Châteaux pop up in your mind. Yes that is true and we will visit some iconic château and dig deep into France’s history. However, during this wine tour we also discover a magnificent, but often overlooked French wine region and one of the most exciting best kept secrets of excellent, high quality wines at very reasonable prices. The Loire Valley wine region is a vast area and consists of several distinct wine regions, each with its own characteristic grapes, appellations, and wine style. We take you on a journey from the Atlantic Ocean to the Auvergne mountains to explore this unique region. We learn to appreciate “Sancerre”, "Pouilly-Fumé", “Vouvray", “Chinon”, as well as many other not so familiar appellations.

Restaurant Au Bon Laboreur in Menetou-Râtel

This is a charming restaurant offering delicious comfort food made with fresh local ingredients. There is an extensive wine list filled with top-quality wines that are more than reasonably priced, almost a steal in some cases. The restaurant was recommended by Clément Berthier.

Au Bon Laboreur (Michelin)

Housed in a converted coaching inn built in 1786, this 100-year-old family-run restaurant sticks to the well-trodden path of cooking with a focus on seasonal ingredients. Chef Antoine Jeudi, now assisted by Julien Perrodin, certainly knows his stuff, and his flavoursome dishes go down a treat with your choice from an appealing wine selection. Thanks to the small kitchen garden, there is also a vegetable-forward set menu that includes, most notably, tomato stuffed with Touraine vegetables, fresh herb coulis and chickpea cream. Along with a charming setting, it all makes for a pleasant meal.

Au Bon Laboreur (Postcard)

One of the best French restaurants I’ve ever been to in terms of price and quality. Delicious French comfort food made with fresh, local ingredients. The mashed potatoes alone are worth the trip; absolutely incredible. They have an extensive wine list filled with top-quality wines that are more than reasonably priced, almost a steal in some cases, starting at €20 a bottle. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable and passionate about what they do. Highly recommended.

Arriving