The underrated region in France that’s perfect for winter with €15 wine boat tours and frosty chateaus

I’M completely surrounded by the colour blue.

Overhead, the lapis sky is nigh on empty, interrupted only by sporadic puffs of cloud, while beneath me the whole scene is mirrored on the surface of the .

From there I can see towering oak trees, charming villages and dramatic chateaus made of chalky limestone, while I bob along in a kayak.

The ripples from my paddle shatter the illusion that I’m sailing on a sheet of perfect glass .

At just seven years old, I am oblivious to how truly beautiful my surroundings are.

Instead, my focus is on getting back to the campsite and scoffing chips.

Luckily, returning to the Loire Valley from the UK was even easier to do 30 years later.

A to trip, followed by a quick change to Saumur, meant that I could finally make the most of all the Loire has to offer.

Now I was in a better position to appreciate the landscapes, the towns and definitely the drinks on offer in this underrated part of .

It’s a region that looks even more spectacular in winter, too, when chateaus are dressed in a smattering of frost. Back on the river is where I begin my rediscovery, amid the same all-consuming blue skies that had surrounded me three decades before.

It’s a little too chilly for kayaking at this time of year, so instead I clamber aboard La Rebelle, one of Loire Vins Aventure’s flat-bottomed wooden boats, upon which passengers are provided with substantial amounts of local wine.

A bottle of sparkling , just one of many tipples made nearby, was the perfect accompaniment as the boat’s captain steered us along a gentle route through the art-worthy scenery.

I sank glass after glass while watching the cormorants perched on nearby rocks drying their outstretched wings, after plunging into the water to catch fish.

Fortunately, there’s plenty of fish to go around. In fact some had been pulled from the very same river to make a starter served to me on my next boat trip.

This time we had a three-course banquet and, of course, some more local wine (Loire River tours start from €15 per adult and €10 per child, see anjou-tourisme.com).

After sampling two, I can certainly say that these boat tours are a great way of soaking up everything the region has to offer, both in culinary and scenery terms.

An elegant smoked trout stuffed with cod cream and red pepper opened my feast before a hearty gouline, or pork belly pie — a speciality of the region.

This was followed with a fig and mascarpone tart that was as much of a sculpture as it was a dessert, which seemed fitting for a destination known for both food and architecture.

Many of the ornate chateaus here are made from tuffeau limestone, which was extracted from underground quarries in the Middle Ages.

You can still visit this warren of troglodyte caves today, except they have been turned into atmospheric restaurants and hotels.

Fortunately, my room at the Logis Hotel Rocaminori had plenty of modern adaptations, including a comfortable double bed and shower.

I wasn’t forced to hunt for my dinner either, with a traditional meal of fouaces (a pocket-like bread, local to the Loire Valley) served in the hotel’s restaurant. These balls of dough were originally used simply to test the heat of wood-fired brick ovens in medieval times before more substantial loaves could be baked.

Eventually, the chefs realised that they puffed up into perfect pockets of crusty bread to serve alongside hearty and rustic stews made of meat, mushrooms, beans and herbs.

Of course, more of the Loire’s wonderful wines were on hand to help wash it down. If you somehow haven’t sunk enough of those grape tipples yet, then you won’t regret a visit to the caves at the Maison Ackermann to sample the valley’s oldest (self-guided tours start from €9 per adult).

Call in at the picturesque Famille Fournier-Longchamps while you’re there. The impressive countryside winery is surrounded by vines as far as the eye can see, and the plonk seemed to get better with each sip.

The same must be said for the in the city of Angers. Few people know it’s there and even fewer realise that it produces every single bottle of the world-famous orange liqueur, with each citrus fruit peeled by hand. Tours start from €25 per adult, including a cocktail masterclass.

The building smells like all the best parts of , while the tasting room experience was so enjoyable, I returned home with a suitcase clinking loudly after a trip to the gift shop.

I also brought home a new-found love of the and confirmation that its true joy had been lost on me as a child. Fortunately, it’s never too late to make up for lost time.