To experience the true culture of wine in Nantes, we decided to jump in the car and drive just outside of the city to see the luscious vineyards that surround the city. The areas of Clisson, Gorges and Le Pallet in France are the regions where Muscadet wines are traditionally produced. Having soil that is rich in nutrients, they are the perfect spot to grow and harvest grapes for this refined white wine. This marks the third day (out of five) of the challenge where 8 bloggers from Canada were sent to 4 locations across France to help showcase and share the regional cuisine to you, our readers. In addition to my daily travel diaries, you can follow the adventure on social media under the hashtag #FestiveFrance!
We began our day on the water to discover this region by boat with Erdre Intime. With three main rivers winding their way through the area (The Sevre, Maine and Moine), when the weather is nice, you can find plenty of locals and tourists enjoying the area in their a variety of boats, kayaks, canoes and even stand-up paddle boarding. The vantage point of seeing this region by water is nothing short of spectacular as it is the best way to be immersed in nature. And if you’re lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of one of the many castles along the river. We then parked our boat on the riverbank and stopped by the Chateau du Coing de Saint Fiacre to discover the wine from the region. Built in an Italian style, the Chateau du Coing is currently run by Madame Veronique Gunther Chereau who continues to create exceptional wines which preserving the age old traditions of the region to make award winning Muscadet wine. Muscadet wine comes from the Burgundy Melon grape variety that results in a fresh, and fruity white wine. Benefiting from the richness of the soil because of its close proximity to the river, the Chateau de Coing currently products five unique variations of Muscadet wine that is perfectly paired with any culinary creation. 
Dress: All Saints | Shoes: ECCO 
After finishing the tasting, and buying 3 bottles of Muscadet to bring home. we hopped in the car to drive to Clisson; a medieval town that has been built around the remains of a 13th century castle. It is worth the drive outside of Nantes just to see the well preserved historic and religious sites throughout this quaint town. We dropped by for a delicious lunch at Restaurant de la Vallee and a strolled through the winding streets. 
Dress: All Saints | Shoes: ECCO 
And to finish off the day, we stopped by Le Lieu Unique, a hub for contemporary art and design in Nantes and then a traditional crepe dinner and Heb Ken. Tomorrow’s activities are going to be a surprise so we can’t wait to find out what challenges lie ahead! 
