In September we went on our usual wine tasting and buying trip to France. This year we were joined by Jonathan and Joanna who were keen to improve their knowledge of the local wines. We started in the Gaillac region where we stayed in one of our favourite hotels, the Château de Salettes. We then crossed Le Viaduc de Millau to the Rhone where we stayed at the Hotel Bellerive in Rasteau, visiting both Châteuneuf du Pape and Le Palais des Papes at Avignon from there.Tasting at Château Mont-Redon in the Rhone, where we have bought previously, on many occasions was just one of many memorable experiences. Other favourite haunts are Domaine des Nymphes in Rasteau, Domaine d'Escausses in the Gaillac and Château de Chénas in the Beaujolais. We also found an excellent place to stay in Alastair Sawday's book 'Special Places to Stay'. This was a real find. The owners spoke excellent English and fed and looked after us extremely well. We can strongly recommend Château Lambert and will return on future trips to the area.
We also found some excellent wines in Sancerre and stayed in another of Alastair Sawday's recommendations, the Château de Beaujeu. One of the highlights of our stay in this area was finding an excellent restaurant for lunch - Hôtel Le Floroine at Ménétréol on the bank of the Canal latéral à la Loire. It was full of locals - always a good sign!
