Troglodytes in Saumur

As you drive or cycle along the Loire river in Saumur, you’ll see great white chalk cliffs against which homes have been built. Above on the well-drained chalky soils, you’ll find vines growing premium Cabernet Franc. Below, on the fertile loam, by the river, higher-yielding Cabernets.

What really interests me, is the cliffs and the chalky soils. Originally used as limestone quarries to build castles for the Seigneurs and country estates for the the Kings of France, the farmers soon gave these cold shelters new purpose. If you get the chance to walk through one, the deeper it goes, the cooler it gets and the more humid it gets.