The Loire Valley, with its untamed river running past legendary châteaux, has an eternal quality that enchants visitors from around the world. But even in this storied landscape, time has not stood still. We visited four of the region’s most prominent residents to get an insider’s view of the region today.

The Marquise
For centuries, the stunning châteaux of the Loire Valley have evoked dreams of a fairytale existence for Americans. These romantic fantasies may still be alive, but the realities of château life have evolved considerably. Perhaps no one exemplifies this better than the Marquise Sue de Brantes, an American who moved to the area 40 years ago to join her French husband, Paul.
    Dubbed “the marquise of the 23rd century” by her friends, de Brantes takes a practical, hands-on approach to running their estate, the 18th-century Château du Fresne, while bringing a CEO’s professionalism to her volunteer activities. “She’s involved in everything,” marvels Michèle Quentin, who works for the region’s Association of Parks and Gardens. “Concerts, gardens, exhibits…you name it, and Sue supports it. She’s very efficient, but she does everything with such humility and kindness—and a great sense of humor. Hers is an aristocracy of the soul.”
    Before taking on her new life as a chatelaine, de Brantes worked as a television producer in New York and as a newspaper columnist and magazine contributor in Paris, London and Rome. Later, as European representative of Rogers and Cowan, she circled the globe arranging world tours for such stars as Frank Sinatra.
    Adapting to château life in rural France was a challenge for this native New Yorker. “I had so much to learn about running such a complicated household, about menus, about everything. I even had to get used to the fact that flowers grow slowly!” she admits with a laugh.

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The Prince
Strolling through his garden in early spring, Louis-Albert de Broglie surveys the neatly raked plots of soil, where chestnut branches are tied together to form the whimsical and sturdy structures that will support his tomatoes. The seedlings are still in the greenhouse, waiting for the last risk of frost to pass, but the garden is already coming to life with blooming tulips and beds of sprouting herbs. He bends down to pick a few mint leaves and inhales the scent, much like any gardener would.
    But this is no ordinary gardener, and this is not your average vegetable patch. Prince de Broglie is the youngest in a long line of illustrious French aristocrats including three military marshals, two prime ministers—even a Nobel Prize-winning scientist.
    After spending a privileged childhood in Normandy, de Broglie graduated from business school and worked for a large French bank for almost eight years, traveling the world from Mexico to India. In 1991 his older brother, Prince Philippe-Maurice, asked him to join him in purchasing and restoring a 15th-century château in the Loire Valley with the goal of opening it to the public. “At first I was hesitant, but when I saw the property, I fell in love with it,” recalls the Prince.

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The Count
An hour south on the highway and another hour down narrow country roads is all it takes to feel the big-city stress of Paris melt away. Signs for “La Verrerie” lead drivers past rural farms, vast vineyards and along the winding Loire River. This humble setting only intensifies the sense of awe as the Château de la Verrerie comes into view, magnificently reflected in a mirror-like lake and surrounded by ancient trees and manicured gardens. A long driveway leads up to the pavilion gateway of this 15th-century château-hotel, where the Count Béraud de Vogüé welcomes guests into his family’s home.
    From the courtyard, you enter the château through a magnificent Renaissance gallery decorated with historic murals. “That’s Béraud Stuart,” says the Count, nodding toward one of the noble portraits. “My parents named me after him.” And while the de Vogüé family is not descended from the Scottish lord who built the château, the histories of these two aristocratic families are forever intertwined at La Verrerie.

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The Winemaker
It’s a cool spring day, but winemaker Nicolas Joly enters his library in sandals, flanked by two growling dogs. Hunting books line the shelves, and the view is nothing less than majestic: Budding vineyards tumble down to the Loire River, its islands and sandbanks veiled in a fine mist.
    From time immemorial, rows of vines have traced the same lines on these ancient hillsides, and men have worked among them, giving this rolling landscape a luster and patina all its own. There is something at once powerful and gentle about this site so imbued with history.
    Like a row of black columns, a grand avenue of cypress leads to the château, tracing the line of the English Cemetery. It was here that the Battle of Roche-aux-Moines was fought in 1294. Led by John Lackland, the English army was defeated at the foot of the château, marking the end of Plantagenet domination over Anjou. Even today, the earth spits out coins, bone fragments, cannonballs, pieces of arrows and spears.
    “This will be our 875th harvest,” declares Joly, not without pride. With such deep roots—the first harvest at the Coulée de Serrant vineyard took place in 1130—some people wouldn’t fret about the future. Joly, however, is keenly aware of the fragility of things. Vineyards such as his are always supported by three pillars: terroir, human effort and continuity. If just one of these weakens, the entire edifice can come crashing down.

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