17 Charente-Maritime

A British-owned gite/B&B near Cognac offering calm and tranquility is to be discovered  at Cherac near Cognac (17 Charente-Maritime, Poitou-Charentes) within easy reach of the A10 autoroute north of Bordeaux.
Just 11km from Cognac the region offers everything from the obvious attractions of Cognac (and Pineau des Charentes) production to ancient Roman and pre-historic artefacts, coast and countryside.

Our Bed and Breakfast is a traditional French lime stone farm house and was built in 1890 set in a tranquil 2 acre garden surrounded by forest and vineyards near Cognac SW France. With spacious en-suite double bedrooms and a large family suite to make your stay comfortable and relaxed. All the rooms are decorated in a mix of old French and modern furniture. The lounge/salon is a large comfortable informal room with double doors leading out to the front garden. A continental breakfast can be served either inside or outside. We are centrally located between Cognac and Saintes in the heart of the Cognac brandy region. There are four local airports driving times between 45mins to one and half hours drive, La Rochelle, Angouleme, Poitiers and Bordeaux. There are many tourist attractions in the Charente Maritime area and beautiful villages including, Cognac the home to, Hennessy, Remy Martin, Courvoisier, Camus, Martell where you can take an informative tour of Cognac making and of course be able to taste all the different vintages and buy directly. Just 15 mins drive are two very good golf courses located in Cognac and Saintes and the beautiful Charente river is a cycle ride away.

Within easy driving distance is the small Cognac house of Maison Deau ner Gemozac. which whilst offering an insight and tasting of local Cognacs, also boasts an impressive botanical garden and conservatory – all on a more human and less-touristy scale which is more relaxing and informative- and their Cognacs and Pineau is of superb quality.

Nearby  at Saint Cesaire is the newly opened Neolithic interactive centre, Paleosite and the Trout farm Pisciculture where you can go and catch your very own trout on a large lake in beautiful surroundings, cook your very own fish and eat it at the prepared outside restaurant.

For more info about the gite or B&B  use the enquiry form below:

cforms contact form by delicious:days

For info on the region see www.visitcharente.com

For more about Pineau des Charentes see www.cognacnet.com/pineau/ and for Cognac see www.cognacnet.com

The Independent (6 September 2008) reports on a legal battle which has been joined over a Whisky which is finished in France, but nevertheless is marketed under the title “Scotch Whisky”.
The Bercloux Brewery in the village of Bercloux (17 Charente-Maritime) between Cognac and St Jean d’Angely has a bit of a history of producing somewhat off-beat concoctions.
This Whisky is actually made with whisky distilled in Scotland, but then matured in France in casks which have been used to make Pineau des Charentes – an sweetish aperitif made from Cognac and unfermented grape juice.
The big problem (other than the taste, for which I cannot vouch) is the use of the term “Scotch Whisky” which has the Scottish Whisky producers fuming – an infringement of their “brand”. In truth, the whole presentation is distinctly different to anything I would recognise as Scotch, but then when you recall the vigour with which the makers of Champagne pursue even the slightest hint a transgression, then perhaps the Scots are right.

Unfortunately, the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), the trade body which spends £1.5m each year on legal action to protect its product from an increasing cabal of international imitators and counterfeiters, sees this attempt at a whisky-fuelled entente cordiale somewhat differently. Yesterday, it warned the Brasserie de Bercloux, the producers of the French “Scotch”, that it was sending in the lawyers with an implicit demand to remove all Scottish associations from their whisky.
Under British and European law, a whisky can only be called Scotch when it has been made and aged entirely in Scotland.

The Brasserie de Bercloux also also produces a Cognac Beer! (produce artisanal beers and especially a Cognac Beer – “Its unique recipe offers a subtle and harmonious blend with incomparable taste.We are sure that this beer can be appreciated worldwide for its freshness and refinment.”

For more about Pineau des Charentes see www.frenchduck.co.uk/deau.html

An opportunity to visit France’s rich heritage of Gardens is offered for the weekend of 29 May – 1 June 2008 with the “Rendezvous des Jardins” (meetings with gardens).

Sponsored by the French Ministry of Culture, more than 2000 private and public parks and gardens across France will be open to the public.

On the Culture Ministry’s website (only in French) there is a clickable map to select the region you are visiting – and details of the gardens open and what they are offering – open visits, guided tours, music, photographic exhibitions, lectures etc. Many are open until dusk on the Saturday.

The fun thing is that there is such a range available – for example in Picardie you can visit the Vegetable Garden (potager) of the Princes at Chantilly (60 Oise, Picardie), and also an artist’s private garden near Beauvais (60 Oise, Picardie) where painter Andre van Beck uses the plants as subjects of his paintings and where he will be showing some of his floral pictures alongside the garden which inspired them! (see le Jardin Du Peintre Andre Van Beek
- see our customised map of the Oise département.
Meanwhile in the Charente, you can visit the medieval Pilgrim Hospital Garden (Hopital des Pelerins) at Pons (17 Charentes-Maritimes, Poitou-Charentes) – a stop on one of routes to St Jean de Compostelle (Halte sur les chemins de St Jean). Whilst at St Andre de Lidon (17 Charentes-Maritimes, Poitou-Charentes) the Cognac and Pineau des Charentes producer J M Deau will be opening their Botanic Garden to the public – plus the opportunity to taste or buy some Cognac!

Maison Deau’s cellars are situated near Gemozac in the Charentes, between the town of Cognac and the sea.
This is a long-established family Cognac house, which until recently sold most of its production to one of the major marques in Cognac, but has now decided that it is proud enough of the quality of its products to sell under its own family name.
The quality outstrips that of the better-known brands at a most competitive price!
The domaine (Domaine de Chaillaud) produces fine Cognacs of various ages, including some very ancient vintages.

The domaine also produces PINEAU DES CHARENTES – a delightful blend of unfermented grape juice and fine Cognac, similar in style to the Floc de Gascogne made with Armagnac in Gascogny.- “This cousin of Cognac is the most delicious drink in the world”THE TIMES – Saturday 26 July 2003
Pineau des Charentes is the result of the subtle blending of fresh grape juice selected at harvest time, and Cognac. It can be enjoyed chilled as an aperitif or as a pleasant accompaniment to melon or foie gras etc

The grapes ripen on the soft slopes of the Saintonge (the area around the town of SAINTES) hillsides. They benefit from the microclimate lent by their proximity to the Gironde estuary (intense luminosity and moderate temperature changes).The soils are hot, either of clay-chalk (as in Champagne) or a lean sand-silica filtering type permitting early growth. This blend of Cognac with unfermented Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grape juice is not dissimilar to a light port – good sweet berry flavours.

The domaine also has an impressive Botantical Garden which is well worth a visit even if you are not interested in Cognac or Pineau. There is also a small museum and a tour of the cellars available.- see www.deau.com

Address details:-

Deau SVS, Le Chaillaud, 17260 St André-de-Lidon

Tel:05 46 90 08 10
Fax:05 46 90 04 01
E: info@deau.com

See more about Maison Deau on www.frenchduck.com

The number of budget airline routes to France from the UK is continuing to grow, as is the number of French destinations – no longer restricted to the major cities. This really does open up some of the less well-known parts of France.
The list below shows the extent of the coverage – and this excludes flights to Paris which are available from most local airports. Some flights are seasonal, so please check with the airline for timetables and availability.