Château de Chambord

The Best Natural Wine Vineyards in France's Loire Valley

"I stood in the highest tower of this 16th-century hunting lodge built by King Francis I and was struck by its scale and history: 440 rooms, 282 fireplaces and more than 13,000 acres, a structure that took 28 years to build even though Francis spent less than seven weeks there in his lifetime." - Ray Isle Ray Isle Ray Isle is the wine & spirits editor for Travel + Leisure and the executive wine editor for Food & Wine. He's published dozens of stories about wine, spirits, beer, cocktails, travel, food, and pretty much everything else over the past 15 years for both brands. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines