The Quercy Blanc - named for its white stone - is a wild and sparsely populated area of rural France, squeezed between the great wine trading port of Bordeaux and the fizzing city of the south, Toulouse. It’s home to the goose and the grape, sumptuous foiegras, the mysterious black truffle and world famous Agen prunes. There are miles of walnut groves and, most important of all, acres of vines. The author introduces us to some colourful local characters, freezes from the kneecaps down whilst braving the famous winter truffle market in Lalbenque, throws herself with Gallic gusto into numerous fetes and uncovers traces of the luminaries who once called this place home. From Champollion, who translated the Rosetta stone, to the illustrious Eleanor of Aquitaine, whose marriage to Henry Plantagenet brought the area to the English crown.

Ideal winter reading in the UK, conjuring up the warmth and richness of life in South West France.

For more info - White Stone, Black Wine: OR get an Amazon Gift Certificates.

The Truffle Market in Lalbenque (46 Lot, Midi-Pyrenees) takes place every Tuesday from the first Tuesday in December through to mid-March. For more info see www.lalbenque.net

For more on Quercy on FrenchDuck see http://frenchduck.com

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It can be a bit of a surprise to discover just how cosmopolitan rural France can be – a tribute to its sheer attractiveness to many nations – so a small hotel/B&B run by a Dane and a New Zealander in a French chateau near Bordeaux could be an interesting combination with an intriguing mix of cultures and traditions. Situated in Meihan (47 Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine) within easy reach of St Emilion and the other less-pictureseque Bordeaux vineyards – and the vineyards of the Cotes du Marmandais and Cotes de Duras.

Chez Kelly is a Hip-Chic-Boutique hotel particuliere…in a chateau, appealing to discerning customers who enjoy a unique and discrete holiday experience in premium surroundings. Located in the famous 15th century “Chateau de Sauvin” bordering the Canal du Lateral, nearby the Garonne river and medieval town of Meilhan, the Chez Kelly concept is a mix of classic French and contemporary Scandinavian design.

Unlike other B+B offerings, hosts Brendan and Keld encourage guests to relax around the pool, play tennis, boules or billiards in the lounges, terraces and parklands enjoying “hotel like” daytime residency, without the maddening crowd. This is typified by the “New Zealand” friendly, casual style coupled with “Danish” reserve and respect for the privacy of our guests, making Chez Kelly your “home” for a holiday experience. The accommodation looks very stylish – a long way from the normal rustic French tradition. They clearly offer a different approach including “table d’hote” dining with style.

Being in the centre of some serious wine-making regions they are also offering an opportunity to get really involved with the wine harvest in September/October – so instead of just drinking wine; what about actually participating in the harvest, picking the grapes, be a part of the process! Learn a bit more about winemaking, get to know some of the local wines and have a good time to boot! The region also looks stunning as the early autumn colours start to kick in. 

What are we offering? – Depending on the length of stay and picking days, we will arrange for you to spend 1-2 mornings picking grapes on one of our selected vineyards followed by participation in their harvest lunch. In addition we can arrange tasting sessions in different wine regions (we have Marmandais, Duras, Graves et Sauternes, Buzet and St Emilion all within 60km), a gourmet tour of a foie gras producer and a specialty oils producer. We can even arrange a chauffer driven service if you want to cut loose. 

 Chez Kelly, Château de Sauvin (off the D113) Meilhan, 47180

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The Bristol Wine and Food Fair (11-13 July 2008) seems to have been a great success - lots of interest and many interesting exhibitors, including the English-owned vineyard at Domaine Chater in the Côtes de Duras AC (47 Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine):-

Domaine Chater is a small vineyard that nestles in the rolling hills around the historic town of Duras in South-West France. We are passionate about making great wines and no compromises are made in the vineyard or the winery. Our white wines are refreshing and full of fruit while our reds are complex with layers of fruit and spice. Our range of wines has already won a huge amount of international recognition.

Although they only began producing wine in 2004, they have enjoyed significant success in gaining recognition for the quality of their wines. The Cotes de Duras is particularly renown for its Sauvignon Blancs, which they do indeed produce good Sauvignon, but unusually for the region their Cabernet and Merlot reds have drawn most praise:-

….two styles of red wines are produced at Domaine Chater; traditional (a majority of the wine aged in our stainless steel tanks) and oak aged (made from old vines and aged in 100% French Oak). Our traditional wines have the emphasis upon rich fruit flavours with subtle tannins and are great with red meat dishes. Chater oak aged wines are made with 40-year old vines and barrel-aged for 12 months in French oak barrels with one-third of the barrels being renewed every year - producing complex wines with layers of fruit, liquorice and spice. Great with red meat and rich sauces.

Importantly their wines are consistently rated by the Guide Hachette des Vins de France - what many consider to be the French wine bible, as entries are secured by blind tastings rather than paid adverts.

You can order online direct from France as they have a UK warehouse - and you can visit the domaine in St Sernin-de-Duras - just give them a call beforehand to ensure someone is around.

Domaine Chater
Vignoble de la Lègue, 47120 St Sernin de Duras, France (see map)
T:0033 553 64 67 14
Email: info@domainechater.com

For more info on the Côtes de Duras wine region see www.cotesdeduras.com

For the diary; Domaine Chater will be at the Duras Wine Festival on 10 August 2008 - see www.paysdeduras.com

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A €13.00 euro (£11) wine pass will buy you 12 wine tastings, while a €70 euro (£58) pass will cover access to nine tasting routes through the region’s vineyards, spread over the four days. So you can choose between St Emilion, the Medoc, Sauternes and Graves, Entre-Deux-Mers PLUS trips to explore the wines of BERGERAC and COTES DE DURAS.
Within the city there will be plenty of opportunities to celebrate, taste and learn. Discover the nuances of the region and the wide range of wines, styles and prices which are on offer. It’s not all finest vintage, wallet-busting stuff, but some really good value interesting wines.

Amongst the other attractions (beyond the City itself with its rich history and cultural heritage) there will be barrel-rolling competition, numerous parades by different wine guilds, music, dancing, a food and wine village - every day there will be racing on the river with some of the old boats which used to bring the wine into Bordeaux and up the Gironde and onto ocean-going ships for export; and a competition to swin across the Gironde - definitiely not recommended if you have been imbibing!

For more info see www.bordeaux-fete-le-vin.com

You can book direct with Rail Europe for Eurostar and TGV tickets from London to Bordeaux

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It is hardly surprising then that a substantial proportion of the hundreds of thousands of Brits who own French property have been tempted by the apparently bucolic life of a vigneron……
Are there any French winemakers left down there?
I asked Walter McKinlay, whose Domaine de Mourchon southern Rhône wines are some of the most successful from a British domaine, whether his Domaine de Mourchon wines were financially viable. He frowned. “Just about,” he said cautiously, then smiled. “But it’s a lovely lifestyle though.”

My own observation would be that it can be incredibly hard work and despite the attractions of the climate, landscape and the French way of life, it can also be very stressful. And as with all winemakers, a bad harvest, particularly in the early years can be devastating.

So, here’s our list of British vineyard owners (and 1 Irish couple) - that we are aware of (not an exhaustive list I am sure). Visits can be much more informative if the language is no barrier:-

Domaine de Laroux - Cotes de Gascogne, Armagnac (32 Gers, Midi-Pyrenees) - Nick and Karen Kitchener
Chateau Haut Garrigue - Bergerac, Saussignac AC (24 Dordogne, Aquitaine) - Sean and Caroline Feely (the Irish couple running an organic vineyard also known as Wild Earth Vineyards)
Domaine de Fontenay - Cote Roannaise AC (42 Loire, Rhone-Alpes) - Simon and Isabelle Hawkins

Chateau Richard - Bergerac, Saussignac AC (24 Dordogne, Aquitaine) - Richard Doughty

Domaine de Merchien - Coteaux du Quercy and beer! (46 Lot, Midi-Pyrenees - David & Sarah Meakin

Clos d’Yvigne - Cotes de Bergeac, Saussignac AC (24 Dordogne, Aquitaine) - Patricia Atkinson

Chateau des Milles Anges - Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, Cadillac AC (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) - Heather van Ekris

Chateau Lezongars - Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux AC (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) - Philip and Sarah Iles

Chateau Teyssier - Saint Emilion Grand Cru AC (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) - Jonathan and Lyn Maltus

Chateau de Sours - Bordeaux AC (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) - Esme & Sara Johnson

Domaine Gourdon - Cotes de Duras AC (47 Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine) - John Coulthard
Domaine du Grand Mayne - Cotes de Duras AC (47 Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine) - Andrew Gordon
Domaine de Begude - Limoux AC (11 Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon) - Catherine and James Kinglake
Domaine de Mourchon - Cotes du Rhone Seguret AC (84 Vaucluse, Provence) - Walter McKinley
Maison des Bulliats - Regnie AC Beaujolais (69 Rhone, Rhone-Alpes) - Fred and Helen Lockwood
Chateau Méaume - Bordeaux Superieure AC (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) - Alan and Sue Johnson-Hill

Domaine a Sauvageonne - Coteaux du Languedoc AC, Vin de Pays d’Oc (34 Herault, Languedoc - Roussillon) - Gavin Crisfield

Domaine Sainte Rose - Vin de Pays d’Oc (34 Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon) - Charles and Ruth Simpson

Chateau Bauduc - Bordeaux AC (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) - Gavin and Angela Quinney

Domaine Sainte Croix - Corbieres AC (11 Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon) - Jon & Elizabeth Bowen

Chateau Monplaisir - Bergerac AC (24 Dordogne, Aquitaine) - David and Helen Baxter

Chateau du Seuil  - Graves AC (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) - Sean and Nicola Allison

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Regular readers will be aware the the Lot Valley in the South West of France features frequently in these pages - in many ways the essence of “deepest France”, it is less crowded than the Dordogne to the north and yet offers a wide variety of landscapes, pretty villages, great cuisine - and is home to the often under-rated Malbec-based wines of Cahors. Hence an essential recent purchase has been the revised edition of Helen Martin’s Book Lot: Travels Through a Limestone Landscape in SouthWest France, which is packed with insights, history and information on the Lot département (46) as part of the River’s journey from the Massif Central to its meeting with the Garonne near Aiguillon (47 Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine).

Helen has kindly allowed us to print an extract of the section on Cahors and its wines…….
Lot: Travels Through a Limestone Landscape in SouthWest France

Chapter 8 The Lot Valley: West of Cahors
Below Cahors, the valley of the Lot belongs to the vignerons and the vineyards of the black wine of Cahors, châteaux-country in fact, but in times gone by it also belonged to the bishops of Cahors, who worked and played but mostly – in that great Christian tradition – fought along its banks.
Downstream of Luzech, the really wild cliffs you see to the east of Cahors become a thing of the past, replaced by gentler, graceful slopes, albeit with a certain grandeur to them, that, even though they may end in cliffs, are less formidable and are called cévennes. The river idles its way through the countryside in deep loops, or cingles, and was used as a major artery for transporting goods from the thirteenth century.
Along its banks grow the vines, and it was mostly the wine from these vineyards which used to be sailed downstream to the Garonne and Bordeaux and from thence to the world. The wine of Cahors may have had its ups and down in more recent times, but the Romans were making wine here in the third century and it had something of a reputation even then, so this river trade is very ancient. Finally, though, and in spite of the efforts of competitive Bordeaux wine-makers, it was phylloxera which put paid to the wine, and thus the trade, in the 1880s. By the time it had revived again, there were better means of transport. But even when the river was at the height of its usefulness, transportation was not always guaranteed. You would be surprised to know how many times the Lot froze right over in winter; the end of the eighteenth century was a particularly critical time – in 1766 it was frozen solid for two and a half months.
In the early nineteenth century, on a river much improved with the passage of time by locks and aids to navigation, 300,000 tonnes of freight was carried down it each year, including an astonishing 90 million bottles of wine – three times the number produced today. However, just as it was phylloxera that killed the river’s wine trade, so it was the coming of the railway that killed the river as a serious form of transport. In more recent years, though, it is coming to life again as leisure craft ply their way up and down, no doubt bringing new problems of pollution.
The villages along this western stretch of the river, unsurprisingly enough, are notable for their wine-producers’ houses – usually big and square with bolets or pigeonniers and sometimes both. You will notice, also, the use of decorative brickwork, the bricks being produced along the valley.
Rather than hop back and forth from bank to bank, backtracking, we shall descend on the north bank and return on the south, although there are several river crossings, such as between Douelle and Cessac, for example. You are of course free to do it in any way you please, though the north bank is probably the more interesting one. There is also a ‘Vineyard Gardens’ circuit of AOC wine châteaux – details from any local tourist office.

The château of Lagrézette may be unwittingly familiar to you. This is the magnificent home of the afore-mentioned Alain-Dominique Perrin, the French tobacco-industry millionaire and now-retired director of the luxury goods brand Richemont, which includes Cartier. Tony Blair visited the château in August 2002 for a meeting with Jean-Pierre Raffarin and it was splashed across the television news on the day. Allegedly, there have been private visits, too, and M. Perrin was an occasional guest at Downing Street.
Perrin (or ADP, as he’s known) has played a visible part in the revival of the Cahors appellation since Georges Vigouroux pioneered the idea, though many locals seem to deplore both Perrin’s methods and his person……
There is a local irritation among some Cahors vignerons that these ‘haut de gamme’ producers are playing around with Cahors, turning it into an easier wine, rather than concentrating on a ‘purer’ product – the black, heavily tannic wine in which its origins lie. But one also has to take into account an ingrained provincialism that one can come across in country areas. It is the children of these producers who go away to study oenology; their fathers often have their roots simply in the land, a land, however, that they know intimately and love…… Wine in the Lot (is) ceasing to be a local family affair; big business( has) arrived, though it (comes)with as much passion.
But you can find a few brave people who speak up for Perrin, saying that the appellation needed a bit of a kick up the backside; that poorer land should be dumped and that constantly aiming to improve the quality (and the price) of Cahors is the correct strategy; that Perrin had indeed done this, had raised the profile of Cahors and that overall the wine is better now. Many of these people believe that sooner or later the reclassification of the appellation – identifying the best land (zones de cru) and selling the wine produced on it at a premium, as well as uprooting the poorest altogether – is inevitable…..

Caïx is next and the home of yet another Lot grandee. The château stands above the village, commanding a view of the river of which it was once a fierce defender. In bygone days it was the residence of Lefranc de Pompignan, an eighteenth-century poet who showed an early interest in poetry and, although he was born in Montauban, an early interest in the Lot, too, writing a Latin dissertation on its antiquities.
De Pompignan was a firm exponent of the Luzech-for-Uxellodunum argument. ……
Nowadays, however, Caïx is the summer home of the Queen of Denmark. Queen Margrethe is married to a member of an old Lot family, the Monpezat, which had colonial links with Vietnam. Count André left the Far East and returned to Cahors in 1955 and it was his eldest son, Henri, who married the Queen and took the title Prince Henrik of Denmark. They bought the château in 1975 and straight away became involved in the old Monpezat family tradition of wine-growing. In 1993, with the château restored (and once again it is a fairy tale of a place), the prince and his wife replanted the vines around and built a new winery. The château is private, but you can have a dégustation of Prince Henrik’s wine and see round a small wine museum.
Caïx was also the home of the natural father of Olympe de Gouges, or Marie Gouze as she was born. Although Jean-Jacques Lefranc de Caïx never recognised his daughter, she went on to become a feminist playwright and journalist, who was a strong advocate of human rights and equal opportunity for women, writing her Declaration for the rights of women and the female citizen in 1791. She also supported divorce and sex outside marriage for women. Way before her time, she wrote an anti-slavery play, L’Esclavages des Nègres, in 1774, but struggled to get it performed. Her famous comment, “a woman has the right to mount the scaffold,” came back to haunt her in 1793 when she was guillotined for her revolutionary ideas. It was only in 2007 that Segolène Royal suggested de Gouges’ remains be removed to the Panthéon. In fact, like many corpses of the Reign of Terror, her remains are long lost.
The church in Caïx is twelfth-century and inside there is some remaining Romanesque decoration. There is also a strange cross by the door of a doll-like figure weighing what could be souls. Caïx is also one of the places along this stretch of the river where you can hire canoes, as you can at the next port of call, too……

Continue on eastwards past the old brickworks of Castelfranc until you reach Albas, piled up above its weir in a stunning position and, along with St-Vincent and Luzech, one of the places that enjoyed a short interlude of prosperity in bygone days thanks to its vineyards. The streets of Albas are very steep and full of steps. Seen from the north side of the river it looks pretty, with the church and town sitting on a cliff above the Lot, but once there, there is that slightly down-at-heel air that many of the river-towns have.
But Albas is a lively town and most particularly in its famous May bacchanal, La Fête du Vin de Cahors, which starts with Mass and ends with onion soup, with a lot of wine and spectacles, lunches and dinners in between. Over-40s should go into training before participating…..

Helen Martin - Lot: Travels Through a Limestone Landscape in SouthWest France
See our maps of the Lot, Lot-et-Garonne and Aveyron départements.
If you are looking to explore the upper Lot Valley then you could stay at some Sweet French Cottages in the Aveyron (self-catering)

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Information on domestic flights in France is not easy to come by, one reason being that Air France has such a dominant position in France and already have flights on most internal routes.
Plus the French market is not as competitive. The French Railway system between major cities is both fast and competitive, especially if starting from Paris.
I have only been able to uncover a couple of airlines which offer domestic flights in France:-
http://www.easyjet.com/ - Toulouse to Lyon, Paris, Nice to Paris; Lyon to Biarritz, Bordeaux; Biarritz to Paris

http://www.twinjet.net/
Toulouse (32 Haute-Garonne, Midi-Pyrenees) to Metz/Nancy, Mulhouse, Brest; Marseille to Metz/Nancy, Mulhouse; Paris - Perigueux, Cherbourg

http://www.airlinair.fr/ Brest,(29 Finistere, Brittany) Bordeaux (33 Gironde, Aquitaine), Agen (47 Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine), Lyon (69 Rhone, Rhone-Alpes), Poitiers (86 Vienne, Poitou-Charentes), Brive (19 Correze, Limousin) Beziers (34 Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon) etc

http://www.ryanair.com/ now also has links from Marseille (13 Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence) to Lille (59 Nord, Nord-Pas de Calais) and Brest (29 Finistere, Brittany)

You can try sites like http://www.expedia.fr/ but even a price comparison site like http://www.baisse-de-prix.com/voyages.php seems to offer little new – it looks like Air France have cornered the market with little opportunity for discounting.

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(see map)

Evolution will plan your itinerary for you or advise you on your existing route. If you’re a lover of fishing, walking, wine tasting etc.a personalised route planner to suit your needs can be arranged for the duration of your vacation. We will provide details of recommended camp sites.

You’ll never get lost…
We provide an on-board ready-to-use GPS navigation system. We’re on-call with a 24/7 helpline with English spoken… We can provide liaison with reputable local property agents for those seeking to purchase property in the area. Cycle and leisure equipment hire is also available. Evolution caters for all-year round rental, with winter skiing resorts only a leisurely 3 hour drive south, a little further will take you to the winter warmth of Spain.

So you can avoid the long road trip through France, fly into Bergerac or Bordeaux or take the train - they will meet you at the airport or station and you’re off free to explore this rich and varied area.And with French number plates you might even get a bit more respect on the road!

For more info see www.evolutionmotorhomes.com

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In Alsace, for example, many of the best wines are produced by co-ops such as Turckheim and will offer an excellent tasting and range of wines.

In the Loire Valley, the Cave des Producteurs de Vouvray has a wide range of wine styles on offer and an interesting visit through the underground cellars.

In the Southwest, the co-op at Buzet (les Vignerons de Buzet) led the re-creation of the vineyard and established the appellation’s reputation for good quality wines. The visit to the winery also includes a demonstration of cooperage (barrel-making).
Another example of how good a co-op can be is at Plaimont in Gascony, deep in the heart of Armagnac country. A wide range of great quality wines from simple Vins de Pays des Cotes de Gascogne through to rich Madiran reds.

At Marmande the visit will be more basic, but the Cotes du Marmandais wines are fine and good value for money,
In the Languedoc one of my favourite Co-operative cellars is in the small village of Embres-et-Castelmaure in the Corbieres - some truly excellent wines in a delightfful if rustic surroundings.
Finally in the Southern Rhone valley I’d recommend the Cave de Beaumes-de-Venise for their well-known dessert Muscat wine, but also some very good red Cotes du Rhone.

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There are some independent producers who are gaining a decent reputation - e.g. Chateau de Beaulieu at Saint-Sauveur de Meilhan - see www.chateaudebeaulieu.net - available from www.southdownscellars.co.uk

A name gaining a great reputation and reviews from Jancis Robinson and others is Elian da Ros/Clos Baquey at Cocumont - stocked by Adnams (always a good indicator).

For more info on the Cave du Marmandais see www.origine-marmandais.fr

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