Heading out of Saumur towards Montsoreau, my eye was caught by the very impressive 1930s structure that houses the wine cellars of Gratien-Meyer, home of world-renowned, slightly sparkling wines. It was a Sunday morning, and the lure of that fabulous building and the famous bubbly it contains was too strong to resist. Denis Dupré, officiating behind the counter, has a quick word with each visitor, lines up two or three glasses and the festival begins. That morning saw me in the company of a German couple and a group of Dutch people who seemed to know the place well and who cheerfully set to the tasting ritual.

A little later, Denis Dupré gave me a tour of the vineyards on the hillside overlooking the river above Saumur, taking great delight in telling me about Gratien-Meyer’s wines. He then took me back down to the banks of the Loire and EuroVelo 6. On a field currently lying fallow, he got ready to open the little outdoor bar that Gratien-Meyer has set up to catch the trade from passing cyclists: offering snacks and drinks to encourage cyclists to make a detour to visit the famous winery.

“Tell me, Mr Dupré, is wine tasting really compatible with long-distance cycling?”