Languedoc-Roussillon

Although a rather small Languedoc village, Aniane has a world-wide reputation as the home of Mas de Daumas-Gassac where owner Aimé Guibert challenged the traditional winse bureaucracy by making top quality wines outside the very restrictive Appellattion Controllée system - and then the locals saw off an attempt by a large multinational to buy up a significant chunk of the local vineyards in order to make some bland, branded wine.

Importantly the village lies in the heart of the Languedoc vineyards about 40km North East of Montpellier (34 Herault. Languedoc)  Hence it makes an ideal focus for the  substantial Aniane Wine Fair (Salon des Vins) on the weekend of 25-26 July 2009 - several dozen wine makers  from Aniane and surrounding villages (including Daumas Gassac) will be attending, including one of my favourties - the Mas de la Serranne. where Isabelle & Jean-Pierre Venture make some excellent Coteaux du Languedoc AC wines blending traditional Languedoc with  Rhône grape varietals which produce intense. but smooth, herby red wines.

For more info see Aniane Wine Fair

The railway journey from Nimes(30 Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon)  to Clermont Ferrand (63 Puy de Dome, Auvergne) offers you a different perspective on the Massif Central than most of us experience using the main north-south artery down the Autoroute du Soleil. Whilst the newer A75 route from Beziers to Clermont-Ferrand also offers some spectacular views, the train gives you more time to admire the landscape and takes you to places which the car cannot.

Crossing the wild country of the Cevennes in southern France this line passes through 106 tunnels and over almost 1,300 bridges, including the impressive 41 arch Chamborigaud Viaduct.

Easily reached by TGV from Paris, Nîmes is the starting point of this leisurely journey through the remote, wild country of the Cevennes. Though only 303km long, the line burrows through 106 tunnels and crosses almost 1,300 bridges, including some of the most impressive viaducts on French railways, such as the 28-arch edifice at Chapeauroux and the 41-arch near-semicircle of Chamborigaud Viaduct.

The southern plain of vineyards, Lombardy poplars and Aleppo pines gives way to a few miles of hilly post-industrial landscape with occasional traces of mining activity gradually being reclaimed by nature. The long climb into the Cevennes and the summit at La Bastide (1,023m above sea level) is flanked by woods and the occasional agricultural terrace etched into the hillside. Running across a plateau, the train offers panoramic views across hills stretching to the horizon. Lonely stations in the middle of nowhere make one wonder at the optimism of the railway’s builders. But perhaps the finest stretch is the long section of track built on a masonry ledge above the River Allier with glorious views along the sinuous valley.

The journey takes about 5½ hours, yet fares start at  just £34 - the 300km route passes through Ales, Chamborigaud, Villefort, Chapeauroux, Langogne, Langeac, Brioude and Issoire.

For more details see www.raileurope.co.uk

See map

Another acclaimed scenically beautiful rail route is in the French Comté - see http://frenchduck.com

The town of Castelnaudry (11 Aude, Languedoc) celebrates its 10th Fete du Cassoulet designed to reinforce its claim to be the birthplace of Cassoulet. Cassoulet is a rich and filling stew of haricot beans, duck confit, garlic sausage and pork. It can also include Toulouse sausage, mutton or goose, depending on the region in which it is made.

Rick Stein visited the Cassoulet Festival as part of his French Odyssey

For more info see www.couleur-lauragais.fr/

Exhibiting at Bristol’s Wine Festival (10-12 July 2009) will be Domaine Treloar, a small vineyard in the Roussillon region of southern France.

We are a small, high-quality vineyard and winery in the Roussillon, France’s most exciting wine region.Owned and operated by Jonathan Hesford and Rachel Treloar.
As Vignerons Indépendants, we grow all the grapes, make the wine and bottle it at the domaine. We do not buy in fruit or wine from other sources.
We also do all the work in the vineyards and winery ourselves and only employ outside help for pruning and picking.

There are a significant number of British winemakers in France and this domaine is run by ” a bloke from Yorkshire and a girl from New Zealand” , producing Cotes de Roussillon AC, Muscat de Rivesaltes and Vins de Pays d’Oc wines at Trouillas (66 Pyrenees Orientales) south of Perpignan. Open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for informal visitors, they also offer a “How wine is made” tour. A friendly, informative and thoroughly enjoyable guided tour of the vineyards and winery followed by a tutored tasting of our wines. .

If you cannot get to southern France you can visit their stand at the Bristol Wine Festival (10-12 July 2009) or purchase in the UK from Leon Stolarski Fine Wines or HC Wines.

For more info on the Britsol Wine & Food Festival see www.bristolwineandfoodfair.co.uk - worth a visit to see a number of French and UK Vineyards, major importers and wine merchants plus a wealth of food products.

For more info on Domaine Treloar see www.domainetreloar.com

Air France has introduced a new route from London’s City Airport to Nantes at the mouth of the Loire, ideally situated to explore Brittany, the Loire Valley and the Vendée - see www.airfrance.co.uk

Meanwhile budget airline Easyjet starts flights from London Luton to Montpellier in southern France from 7 July 2009 - well-positioned for the mediterranean beaches and the other joys of Provence and the Languedoc. - see www.easyjet.com

Buy at AllPosters.com

If you are looking for a delightful way of exploring deepest France then cycling has to be an attractive and cheap option. Throughout France there is a network of “Green Routes” (voies vertes) which can offer tranquil, flat(tish) pathways and minor roads which are ideal for walking and cycling etc and give you an opportunity to explore the depths of the French landscape and countryside away from the tyranny of the motor car. There is a national website with details of all the Voies Vertes at www.voies-vertes.info/ with a helpful location map (albeit in French). One route (of many) which looks interesting is the route from Beziers to Portiragnes-Plage in the Languedoc which runs for 15km alongside the Canal du Midi.
There is a good and well-illustrated guide (in French)La France des voies vertes : Cyclistes,

In English there is always the Lonley Planet Guide Cycling France (Cycling Guide)(new edition published July 2009) “Here’s a sampling: in Paris you can take the bike paths along the Seine or all the way to Monet’s gardens in Giverny. The Loire Valley offers intimate excursions by sandstone villages, magnificent chateaux and scenic waterways. Take the tiny, winding roads of Provence to see perched villages and spectacular panoramas of the Cote d’Azur, or dip into Champagne for the terraced vineyards of Dom Perignon. For those up to the challenge, there’s the dramatic volcanic landscape of the Massif Central, with its steep climbs and sweeping descents. The Guide includes a chapter on the island of Corsica with its rugged coastal scenery and prehistoric sites.”