From Thursday 14 January to Sunday 17 January 2010 Valloire in the French Alps  (73 Savoie, Rhone-Alpes) hosts an international Ice Sculpture competition

This is followed  from Tuesday 19 January to Friday 22 January 2010 by the  27th anniversary Snow Sculpture competition with traditional art from Canada.

Valloire is the only place in France to organise this international event.

With good snow conditions in the Alps this year the exhibits may last a little longer than some years

For more info see www.valloire.net

The Fourme de Montbrison has only a small number of mould veins throughout and has a reddish rind. Its flavour is very mild with light nut and mushroom flavours.

On the weekend of 2-3-4 October 2009 the town of Montbrison celebrates its “Journées de la Fourme”

To accompany this mild cheese the local Cotes du Forez AOC wine which is made from Gamay would make a good choice – and this is also likely to be available to taste on the “Cheese Days”

For more info on Le Forez see www.foreztourisme.fr/

For more info on the cheese see www.fourme-montbrison.com

For more info on the Cotes dy Forez AOC wine see http://cotesduforez.fr

The rally (about 9 kilometres) in and around the village encompasses 8 wineries with opportunities to taste and enjoy local foods- olives, olive oil and herbes de provence, cheeses etc – before the evening (6pm) “Ban des Vendanges” – the ceremonial declaration of the start of the 2009 wine harvest. The day concludes with a village feast with music!

Vinsobres is an appellation in its own right (i.e. classified above Côtes du Rhône AC and Côtes du Rhône Villages AC) and produces only red wines from Grenache *at least 50% ), Syrah and/or Mourvedre and is one of the most northerly of the southern Rhône vineyards.

More info on Vinsobres

Montélimar, the capital of nougat and gateway to Provence, celebrates Christmas with a Christmas village and market in the St Martin quarter – with tourist train, christmas lights, christmas carols – and stalls to entice you with tastings of soup,  tartiflette (a warming alpine dish of cheese, potatoes and bacon), French toasts or eggy bread (pains perdus), oysters, local wines from the Coteaux du Tricastin, roast chestnuts, mulled wine and, of course,nougat…

For more info see www.montelimar-tourisme.com/

To be able to pursue this interest in the heart of France in a beautiful setting, dominated by a fine chateau, looks even more tempting – and this is what is on offer at the Chateau de Tigny at Pouilly-Sous-Charlieu (42 Loire, Rhone-Alpes) north of Roanne near Charlieu.

Here Tony and Lorraine Dicks bought the chateau some 18 months ago, since when they have been renovating the chateau, preparing and stocking the lake and coping with French bureaucracy. The result looks to be stunning, with some gite acccommodation also coming on stream in 2009!

The charming medieval village of Charlieu is steeped in history and was founded in 875 by Benedictine monks from the Touraine. Charlieu has many attractions such as the Abbey Benedictine, a beautiful church, museums, plus many bars, shops and restaurants. Surrounded by country lanes and woodlands Charlieu is an idyllic place suitable for walking, cycling and enjoying the fresh country air. There are many local town markets open during the week so there is always plenty to do.

The enchanting Chateau de Tigny is a 16th century French Bourguignon style castle complete with two towers and a beautiful pigeonnier. The Chateau is surrounded by a moat on three sides.
Situated in front of the Chateau is a tranquil, 12 acre lake stocked with large Carp making Chateau de Tigny a most desirable place for Carp fishing holiday’s. The lake is for 1- 6 anglers.
Either stay in our luxury bed and breakfast accommodation or you can choose the “Drive-and Survive” package. The Chateau offers two luxury suites of accommodation. The Queen Ann suite has a romantic four-poster bed and the Rococo suite, comprising of a double and two single beds, which can sleep up to a family of four. The rooms are both en-suite and a continental breakfast is included.

And, whilst the main attraction may be the carp fishing for some, there is plenty for non-anglers to enjoyThere are resident Barn Owls in the front Tower, Red Squirrels , Eagles and Hawks around the grounds with kingfishers on the lake, ducks on the islands and the occasional deer in the fields behind the lake – ideal if you are in to photography, painting or just enjoying the tranquility of the French countryside!

For more info see www.chateaudetigny.com

For more info on Charlieu see www.ville-charlieu.fr

With lots of razzamataz, commercial sponsorship, scandal and sporting achievement, it is a spectacle well worth seeing – especially as it is free. However, the downside is that the Tour can cause major disruption with roads closed for hours, hordes of people and traffic – and all hotel rooms along the route booked.
In 2009 the tour starts in Monaco on 4 July 2009, travels down the Mediterranean coast into Spain to Barcelona – then up through Andorra to the Pyrenees. With a skip to Central France the route heads east through northern Burgundy to Alsace, south the the Alpes and then heads for Paris and the final stage which finishes on the Champs Elysees on 26 July 2009.
Sat 4 July Monaco
Sun 5 July Monaco > Brignoles
Mon 6 July Marseille > La Grande-Motte
Tue 7 July Montpellier
Wed 8 July Le Cap d’Agde > Perpignan
Thu 9 July Gérona > Barcelona (Spain)
Fri 10 July Barcelona > Andorra
Sat 11 July Andorra> Saint-Girons
Sun 12 July Saint-Gaudens > Tarbes
Mon 13 July rest day – Limoges
Tue 14 July Limoges > Issoudun
Wed 15 July Vatan > Saint-Fargeau
Thu 16 July Tonnerre > Vittel
Fri 17 July Vittel > Colmar
Sat 18 July Colmar > Besançon
Sun 19 July Pontarlier > Verbier
Mon 20 July rest day – Verbier
Tue 21 July Martigny > Bourg-Saint-Maurice
Wed 22 July Bourg-Saint-Maurice > Le Grand-Bornand
Thu 23 July Annecy > Annecy
Fri 24 July Bourgoin-Jallieu > Aubenas
Sat 25 July Montélimar > Mont Ventoux
Sun 26 July Montereau-Fault-Yonne > Paris Champs-Élysées

For more info on the Tour de France see www.letour.fr

Of course, in the meantime, the popularity of Beaujolais Nouveau has plummeted, so much so that it can be difficult to find in the UK, and many wine merchants do not bother to import it. Our tastes have changed in the last 36 years and we now have such a wide range of more interesting and better value wines to choose from. The tragedy is that much in the way that Liebfraumilch tarnished the image of much better German wines, so Nouveau led consumers to avoid proper Beaujolais, which whilst still a ligher fruitier style than say Syrah, can nevertheless offer some classy drinking and some wines of depth and complexity.

However, there is still a celebration of Nouveau and its Anglo-French tradition with a charity event using classic British cars, and focussed more on fundraising and the shortest distance rather than speed. The only drawback of this approach is that many classic sports cars have precious little boot space for those cases of wine!

In 2006, by kind permission by Lord March, The Beaujolais Run® made its spiritual home at Goodwood. In the same year, the event became a five day event showcasing the best the UK and France has to offer. Hackett is synonymous with this as overall event sponsor.

For 2008 The Beaujolais Run® hits London and Paris. Starting by kind permission of Sir Terence Conran from Bibendum in Kensington. The ‘Run then halts in Paris for a reception at the British Embassy before the following day sees the navigational shoot out at the heart of the event en route to Macon. A black tie prize giving dinner awaits competitors in Paris on the return leg, before returning to London to light up the King Road to celebrate the return of the new harvest.

The Beaujolais Run ® has evolved to become a navigational shoot out over a cryptic checkpoint course in deepest Burgundy. This format ensures Austin and Aston, Jaguar and Jalpa and Porsche and Prius can compete on a level playing field. Maps, Sat Nav and Laptops are all acceptable modes of navigation on the event. Teams compete for the honour of achieving P1 on the grid the following year (highest fundraising team) and P2, the team that covers the shortest distance on the navigational trial.

For more info on The Beaujolais Run ® see www.beaujolaisrun.com

For 2008 Beaujolais Nouveau day is Thursday 21 November 2008. A reliable supplier of decent Beaujolais and Beaujolais Nouveau is Nick Dobson Wines

UPDATE – I hear from Ed Green that there is at least one other Beaujolais event:-

Hackett is not the only “Charity Bojolly Run”. We have been running an event for over 20 years and for the past decade we have offered Quality Crus to match trhe Crews and Cruise. We run our event from deep in Beaujolais (Blace to be precise)and use local producers including those in Fleurie. Hackett is an event for the well heeled who can afford anythingand they don’t seem to actually go into Beuajolais (ie they stop in Macon and Paris?). Our event will be covering the Beaujolais Crus and making a visit to Champagne while working for two charities. Anyone interested in the 2009 event – get in touch with me (tedgreen49@yahoo.co.uk). And furthermore it is NOT a race. It’s a navigation skills event.

Clairette de Die is a naturally sparkling white wine, which is characterised by its fruity flavour and its floral aromas. No sugar is added during the production process. There is simply no need, since tasting it is like biting into an extremely ripe fruit, an apricot or a peach, and simultaneously inhaling the aroma of white flowers such as the rose, eglantine, or honeysuckle. The colour can be more or less intense, ranging from an extremely pale straw colour to golden, depending on the method of production used by the winemaker. The sugar contained in Clairette is derived solely from the grapes, which means that this is a naturally sweet wine.

For more about the area and the festival see http://www.diois-tourisme.com/

For more about the wine appellation see http://www.clairette-de-die.com

The Telegraph (19 Aug 08) includes a boat trip up the Rhone Valley as one of its top 10 river cruises:

Navigating France’s mightiest river is a favourite for wine aficionados and foodies. A cruise through Burgundy and Provence gives you the chance to visit vineyards (think Côtes du Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-Pape), explore Lyon – the gourmet capital of France – and enjoy historic towns such as the fortified city of Avignon and the Roman ruins in Arles. The countryside is equally superb: its fields of lavender and sunflowers were an inspiration for artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, and as the river drains into the Mediterranean you’ll see the famous white horses of the Camargue.

The route includes many worthwhile stops for visits to suit all tastes, but it is also remarkably rich in potential wine visits as you’ll pass through appellations such as Costieres de Nimes, Cotes du Rhone (north and south), Lirac, Tavel, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, St Joseph and Hermitage – and if you branch onto the River Saone north of Lyon you can explore Beuajolais and southern Burgundy!

It should come as little surprise that rivers and canals tend to offer good access to good vineyards – vines often grow best on the steep valley sides with their good drainage and aspect to the sun.

A more modest trip than the Rhone, could be a canal trip from Auxerre (89 Yonne, Burgundy) close to Chablis and down the Canal de Bourgogne to Dijon and the Burgundy vineyards; or a trip down the Canal Lateral de la Loire for Sancerre AC, Pouilly-Fumé and Coteaux Giennois. By using the Canal du Nivernais and the Canal de Briare you could even manage a circular route via Auxerre.

Of course, Rick Stein’s French Odyssey was based on a canal trip along the Canal du Midi and the Canal Lateral de la Garonne and included the vineyards of Bordeaux, Cotes du Marmandais, Buzet, Fronton, Minervois, Corbieres and the Coteaux du Languedoc.

For another set of options try Hilary Wright’s book Water into Wine: A Wine Lover’s Journey Through The Waterways of France which also includes itineraries in the lower Loire. Cognac, Alsace, Lorraiine and the Lot.

For more info on the canals of France see the website for VNF (Voies Navigable de la France) now much improved and in English!

For more info see www.annecy.fr

The popularity of motorhomes has risen dramatically in recent years, as has the standard of the motorhomes themselves. All the models we offer are either brand new or at the most one year old. Add to this our selection of some of the best campsites in Europe, featuring all you need from pools and play areas to bars and restaurants and you have all the
ingredients for a truly memorable holiday.

France is well-organised for Motorhomes with modern and well-equipped campsites, even in the rural regions away from the popular tourist areas. And of course, Eurocamp has its own systems for selecting and monitoring sites. You need only watch the TV coverage of the Tour de France to see how many motorhomes (camping cars) embark on French roads in the summer. Fortunately it is a big place which absorbs so many tourists, except for the most popular coastal resorts.

Anthony Peregrine in the Times tried the deal out with a trip from Lyon.
For more info see the Eurocamp website and select Eurocamp Independent/

Caravan and Campsite Holidays in France with Siblu Holidays

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

It all started in Paris with the Velib’ Scheme – an amalgam of Velo (cycle) and Liberte (free), which has been a tremendous success.

Vélib’ is a Self Service “bike hire” system available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Multi pick up and drop off location allows you to pick up your bike from one service point and drop off to another.

You need to subscribe, but for visitors there are 1-day and 7-day subscriptions and after the first 30 minutes you pay by the half-hour – e.g. a 90-minute hire will cost just €3 and you can pick up and drop off your bike at any of the hundreds of self-service stations across the city.

The Velib’ scheme has been based on a similar scheme VeloV in Lyon (69 Rhone, Rhone-Alpes) France’s second city. The combination of these eco-friendly and fitness focussed schemes is now spreading throughout France:-
VeloCite in Mulhouse (68 Haut-Rhin, Alsace) and Besancon (25 Doubs, Franche-Comté)
Vhello in Aix-en-Provence (13 Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence)
Le Velo in Marseille (13 Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence)
Velo in Toulouse (34 Haut Garonne, Midi-Pyrenees)
Nantes (44 Loire-Atlantique, Val de Loire)
Rouen (76 Seine Maritime, Normandy)
Bordeaux (33 Gironde, Aquitaine)
Velostan in Nancy (54 Meurthe et Moselle, Lorraine)
Velo+ in Orleans (45 Loiret, Centre)
Velomagg in Montpellier (34 Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon)

This is clearly a popular scheme, mainly aimed at local residents but may also offer a different way of seeing some of France’s major cities from a different perspective. However, I would recommend choosing a city with good cycle lanes and paths – you do get the impression that traffic in many of France’s cities is not very forgiving with errant cyclists – so do not try cycling around the rond-point of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris!!

Inevitably there are some urban myths developing – such as the fact that there are always plenty of bikes at the bottom of the Butte de Montmartre, but none at the top – for obvious reasons. And you can get caught out in busy locations if you cannot find an empty slot in which to return your bike!

Buy at AllPosters.com

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.

For autumn 2009 the dates are as follows:-

29 Oct – 2 Nov 2009 – Lyon (69 Rhone, Rhone-Alpes) – Hall Tony Garnier

6 – 9 Nov 08 – Reims ( 51 Marne, Champagne) – Parc des Expositions

20-23 Nov 2009 – Lille (59 Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais) – Grand Palais

26 -30 Nov – Paris (75 Paris, Ile de France) – Porte de Versailles

For more info see www.vigneron-independant.com (in French) There is also a video on YouTube (also in French)

If you are visiting Lille, there is a good B&B on the tram route to the city centre – see Alix’s Garden

“We’re biased. We live in a small village in the extreme east of Burgundy, right on the border with the Jura Department and we love it here” say John & Carolyn Scallon at www.bandb-burgundy.com who offer excellent accommodation (4 individually decorated bedrooms with en-suite facilities) in the heart of south Burgundy at Sens-sur-Seille (71 Saone-et-Loire, Burgundy) east of Chalon-sur-Saone.

They have provided a personalised guide to visiting the vineyards of Burgundy – see http://www.frenchduck.co.uk/B&BBurgundy.html , This is great as Burgundy is one of the wine regions which I know least well, as it did not really fit my focus on “lesser known French wines” in my wine merchant days. So it is good to get advice from someone who knows the region well.
My most memorable Burgundy was imbibed at Nuits-Saint-Georges, where we stayed for a night about 20 years ago. As is usual, we opt for the local wine in the restaurant – a Clos la Marechal from Faiveley, which was smooth and creamy with oaky lush cherry fruit. Sadly every red burgundy since has been a bit of a disappointment, in part because Pinot Noir tends to be a bit tempremental, and Burgundy’s weather can be quite variable. Last time I looked it was about £25.00 a bottle, which is the other problem with Burgundy – it tends to be pricey! However find the right one and you could be in heaven. See Faiveley’s website (under construction)

With Bourg-en-Bresse as its principal town it is a region of gentle hills and river valleys – which is one of the hidden parts of France.

The departement includes Bugey and the wines of Bugey. These are VDQS wines (Vins Délimité de Qualité Superieure) – a classification between full Appellation Controllee and VIns de Pays. As such there are restrictions on grape varieties used and planting and harvesting techniques – and the grapes must be grown in the designated region. White wines from Chardonnay, Roussette; Rosé wines from Gamay and Poulsard; Reds from Gamay, Pinot and Mondeuse; and sparkling wines from Chardonnay. Seldom seen in the UK.
For an opportunity to taste some of these wines there is an open tasting in Lyon from 25-26 January 2008 – click here for more details
For more on the wines of Bugey see www.vinsdubugey.net
One of the highlights of the year is the celebration of the famous yellow corn-fed chickens from Bourg-en-Bresse – the Glorieuses de Bresse held every December shortly before Christmas (for 2008 it runs from 16-21 December 2008 – in the form of a market and other festivities held in Bourg-en-Bresse, Louhans, Pont de Vaux and Montrevel-en-Bresse – see www.glorieusesdebresse.com

More info – see the Ain Tourism Office

For an English run B&B in the region with a knowledgeable host and guide see B&B Burgundy

For more info on the Tour de France 2007 see www.letour.fr or UK Eurosport where there are some good interactive maps of the route.

For more info on the Tour de France 2007 see www.letour.fr or UK Eurosport where there are some good interactive maps of the route.

For more info on the Tour de France 2007 see www.letour.fr or UK Eurosport where there are some good interactive maps of the route.

For more on the domaine see www.domainedufontenay.com

Rennes (35 Ile-et-Villaine, Bretagne) 13-15 April 2007
Lyon (69 Rhône, Rhône-Alpes) 25-29 October 2007
Reims (51 Marne, Champagne-Ardenne) 9-12 November 2007
Lille (59 Nord, Nord Pas-de- Calais)16-19 November 2007
Paris (Porte de Versailles) 22-26 November 2007

The Wine Festival spreads over 3 days of festivities, including music, a festival queen, cycling, rambling, a market and wine fair. As they combine it with a Twinning festival with towns in Germany, Italy and Portugal the weekend has an international feel and offers something to attract all. For more details see www.st-peray.com
St Peray (07 Ardeche, Rhone-Alpes) 1-3 September 2006

In the UK the excellent Yapp Brothers stock the Saint-Péray of Jean-Louis Thiers “Flavoursome dry, sparkling wine with a creamy mousse, and a bracing palate of mineral and nutty tastes with a lively citric zest and pleasant toasty aromas.” £11.95