Loire Valley (wine) has a long history of winemaking dating back to the 1st century. In the High Middle Ages, the wines of the Loire Valley were the most esteemed wines in England and France, even more prized than those from Bordeaux. Archaeological evidence suggest that the Romans planted the first vineyards in the Loire Valley during their settlement of Gaul in the 1st century AD. By the 5th century, the flourishing viticulture of the area was noted in a publication by the poet Sidonius Apollinaris. In his work the "History of the Franks", Bishop Gregory of Tours wrote of the frequent plundering
Loire Valley Many of the châteaux were designed to be built on the top of hills, one example of this is the Château d'Amboise. Many of the châteaux had extremely detailed and expensive churches on the grounds, or within the actual château itself. The Château de Montsoreau is the only château to have been built in the Loire riverbed, it is also the only one to be entirely dedicated to contemporary art. Loire Valley The Loire Valley (, ), spanning , is located in the middle stretch of the Loire River in central France, in both the administrative regions Pays de la