Caves Louis de Grenelle, Winery and tourist attraction in Saumur, France
Caves Louis de Grenelle is a winery and tourist attraction in the heart of Saumur, France, set about 40 feet (12 meters) underground inside an old limestone quarry. The site consists of a network of tunnels that hold millions of bottles, along with a tasting room and a small shop carved into the rock.
The house was founded in 1859 and built its cellars inside tunnels that prisoners had dug from the soft tufa rock as far back as the 15th century. Over time it grew into one of the last family-owned sparkling wine producers in the region.
The name Louis de Grenelle comes from the street where the house was founded, tying it directly to the city it calls home. Visitors on a guided tour can stand inside one of the oldest active quarry tunnels in Saumur, tasting wine in the same passages where stone was once cut from the earth.
Guided tours run several times a day in both French and English, so booking ahead is a good idea, especially in summer. The site has ramps and wheelchair facilities, free parking nearby, and holds the Accueil Velo label, making it easy to reach by bicycle as well.
During the Second World War, members of the French Resistance used some of the hidden galleries as a refuge. Deep in the tunnels there is said to be a chair known as the king's chair, which only a handful of visitors ever get to see.
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