Cave des Roches

A Food and Wine Lover’s Guide to the Loire Valley | Eater

"Hundreds of years ago, when building châteaux, limestone was sourced in underground quarries across the Loire. Now, those man-made caves are used for everything from aging wine to growing mushrooms. At La Cave des Roches, you can explore a mushroom farm over 160 feet underground, where yellow oyster mushrooms, “pieds-bleus,” and shiitakes grow on wooden racks in the cool air. They grow more than 100 tons of mushrooms every year — in fact, 40 percent of the world’s “pieds-bleus,” or blue feet mushrooms, are grown there and shipped around the world. After the tour, you can taste the mushrooms and buy fresh, dried, and jarred ones to take home. There are also mushroom-themed meals and wine and cheese tastings." - Lee Musho