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We keep coming across gites and Bed & Breakfast (Chambres d’Hote) on vineyards in France, but there are obviously some domaines that also offer camping, whether canvas or motorhome.

One such is Chateau de Pennautier in the Cabardes appellation (11 Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon) north west of Carcassonne. (see map). We have mentioned this chateau before, partly because its wines are a crossover between the Mediterranean and Languedoc to the east and the Atlantic and South West to the west and also because unusually for a domaine in one of the lesser known appellations, it has really worked on making a visit to the vineyard an all-round experience - rather more than a dank cellar with old vineyard tools and some stainless steel tanks.

They offer a wine bar/restaurant/shop as well as a cellar (not dank!) and now offer a campsite and mobile homes to let as well.

The wines are pretty good too - Majestic Wine (amongst others) stocks the red Château de Pennautier 2006 Cabardès AC, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Syrah and Grenache - a true south/southwest blend.

“Aromas of fresh raspberries and mulberries follow through to a firm, tannic palate, showing the Cabardès appellation at its best.” £5.99

See our customised map of the Aude département.

Majestic Wine has just introduced a new section on their website entitle “Something Different”.

It’s a frequent frustration that some of our most interesting wines are the hardest to sell, simply because customers don’t instantly recognise them on the stack. For that reason I have instigated a new feature on the site in which we’ll feature interesting or new wines which might struggle to push up through all the well known names also featured on our site.

I applaud the intention, as it always disappointed me that too often customers would choose the wines they knew rather than venture into something new or different. But then I suppose we all do that from time to time, but with such a wealth of wines to choose from in the UK, you may be missing something really good.

Included in the list are some wines which are definitely not as well known as they should be, including Picpoul de Pinet from the Languedoc:“Made on the Mediterranean coast close to the ‘oyster’ town of Sète, Picpoul might have been (probably was) designed as the perfect foil for seafood. It is crisp and fresh, with the same prickle of acidity that characterizes Muscadet, but has an added dimension with just the merest hint of tropical fruit. Always bottled in tall green flutes, it should be served young and cold. Don’t drink it on a wet Wednesday in February, but if the sun shines this is the perfect choice.”
Bourgeuil from the Loire Valley: “Wines made from the Cabernet Franc grape can give rasping, green-flavoured, charmless wines. This however is the reverse – the very warm 2003 has softened any hard edges to give a lovely, balanced wine. Its 12.5% alcohol is low by modern standards, and the tannins have an attractive tealeaf character which is great with food. I would like to cellar this for a few years and watch it evolve.”
And a Rousanne from the Cotes de Thongue also in the Languedoc and made by Domaine Sainte Rose: “The rather bland packaging masks a high quality, interesting wine, which instantly wins over all who taste it. On the nose there is a rich, creamy complexity whilst the palate is buoyed by luxurious, peachy fruit and fresh acidity. Not all wines made by expat winemakers are special, but this is! It would be a great alternative to chardonnay, having the weight and feel of an expensive white burgundy.“

Amongst the wealth of good organic produce at the London Real Food Festival (24-27 April 08) several French wine producers will be in attendance offering tastings of their organic wines.
This includes Domaines Schlumberger from Alsace,the Irish-owned Chateau Haut Garrigue (or Wild Earth Vineyards) from Bergerac (South West France) and from the Languedoc Les Clos Perdus.

Les Clos Perdus is a small winery founded by Paul Old and Hugo Stewart based in the village of Peyriac de Mer (11 Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon) in the Languedoc region of the South of France.

The name Les Clos Perdus (Lost Vineyards) reflects our discovery of select parcels of old vines, scattered throughout the hillsides. Many of our small vineyards had been disregarded by larger producers because of their isolation, their low cropping potential and their inability to be machine worked.
The selection of grape varieties on particular soils, in differing locations gives the wine the complexities we are looking for.
Our aim is to produce distinctive well balanced wines of the highest quality.

They certainly seem to have hit the mark with recommendations from the likes of Jancis Robinson and listing at Gordon Ramsay at Claridges and the Club Gascon in London.
Interestingly they also list a rare white wine made from the Terret grape - (although currently sold out)
For more info on Les Clos Perdus see www.lesclosperdus.com
For more info on the Real Food Festival see www.realfoodfestival.co.uk/

Leucate (11 Aude, Langedoc) is a peninsula which juts out into the Mediterranean and encompasses an inland sea south of Narbonne and is the gateway to the Parc Naturel Régional de la Narbonnaise en Méditerranée. With 16km of Mediterranean coast on one side and ponds and lakes on the other, this is a rich marine environment.

It’s exposure to the sea makes it an ideal place for wind-sports such as wind- and kite-surfing and the world championships (Mondial du Vent) from the 12-20 April 2008.

The area is quite exposed to the winds off the sea and the Tramontane wind down from the Pyrenees - great for the surfers, but not so ideal if you want to explore the park or take advantage of the many cycle paths available.

Nearby you’ll find the vines of the coastal enclave of the wines of Fitou AC (excellent rich reds) and further south the wines of the Cotes du Roussillon AC, including some good Muscats from Rivesaltes.

For more info see www.mondial-du-vent.com and

for info on Leucate see www.leucate.net

The port cities of Bordeaux and Bristol both played a distinguished role in the history of the wine trade, such that even in the 13th century more than 85 per cent of all imported wine came from South West France and as much as 3,000 tons (750,000 gallons) was being landed in Bristol.
The trade with Bordeaux fluctuated, dependent on our relationship with France (war, peace, occupation) but key names in the UK wine trade were established in Bristol, such as Harveys and Averys. Both Bristol and Bordeaux have the advantaghe that navigable rivers reach right into the heart of the city. In Bordeaux the “Quai des Chartrons” on the Garonne river front. In 2007 the cities of Bristol and Bordeaux celebrated the 60th Anniversary of their twinning.

Sadly little there remains little of that trade physically - no cargo ships leave the Chartrons quayside, and in Bristol only Averys of the long-established merchants remains in the city centre.
However, all that could change with a shipping company (CTMV - Compagnie de Transport Maritime a Voile) starting to use sailing ships to transport wine from Bordeaux, initially to Ireland, but later to Bristol. Initial consignments are of Languedoc wines, which are initially transported by barge on the Canal du Midi to Bordeaux and then loaded onto the sailing ship Belem for the 4-5 day crossing to Ireland. This trip with a load of 60,000 bottles will save over 18,000 lbs of carbon emissions - so a veritable eco-friendly wine.