With its haughty silhouette rising atop the slopes of the Loir Valley, the Château de Noirieux is the ideal base from which to explore the vineyards of Anjou and the region's heritage.

Living like a lord while sampling the delights that Anjou has to offer... Although this seems like a fairy tale, this magical experience can be yours when you book a stay at the Château de Noirieux. In its 22-acre grounds, filled with the scent of cedar, walnut and lime trees as darkness falls, this sumptuous 19-room hotel is a true oasis of tranquillity and boasts a Michelin-starred restaurant.

In this atmosphere of refined sophistication and sleepy serenity, the hotel – built of tufa stone and with its 15th century manor and pretty chapel – stands as an example of the historical and architectural heritage that lends this region its charm.

But this heritage is far from the only attraction: its special location at the heart of a renowned vineyard makes it the ideal base from which to discover the area's many excellent wines.

The wine tours offered by the Château are an excellent way to visit some of the Saumur appellation’s small-scale winemakers. Many of the estates open their doors to visitors for tastings, including the Domaine de Nerleux, which also organises a unique underground visit to its former mushroom-growing rooms. Nearby, wine lovers can discover the right bank of the Loire river, where dry white wines reign supreme. Overlooking the river, the Savennières wine region offers a range of relaxing wine-related excursions. The Coulée de Serrant vineyard, run by the Joly family, is just one of the unmissable stops on your itinerary. These passionate winemakers will explain the history of this family-run wine estate and its fine wines, produced using biodynamic winemaking techniques.

With its perfect blend of relaxation and escape, the Château de Noirieux offers a first class welcome and an opportunity to sample the finer things in life. Your stay is sure to be filled with some delicious discoveries!

The Alexandre restaurant – in the small town of Garons between Nîmes and Arles – has earned a reputation as a yardstick for bons vivants keen to discover a culinary and wine-growing heritage characterised by its finesse and originality.

Try your hand at winemaking thanks to an original concept: renting vines in the Bergerac wine region.

Domaine de la Queyssie, just outside Bergerac, offers wine lovers – and anyone seeking an unusual experience – a chance to rent vines for one year. 

Located in the Entre-Deux-Mers area of the Bordeaux wine region, the Château de Reignac is the perfect place to discover local winemaking in a charming setting.

In the market for some relaxation and new experiences? 

Cycle through the estate with a guide who will explain how the local land and grape varieties influence the wines. Then find out more about the winemaking process in the hushed atmosphere of the winery and barrel cellar. Finally, end your visit with a tasting from the barrel or in the dovecote.

Winners of countless awards, including Best Of Wine Tourism International 2018, with this package the Château de Reignac offers a wine experience that provides an insight into the world of traditional winemaking, all in a truly breathtaking setting.

The Domaine du Château Castigno is located in the heart of the sweet-smelling garrigue and gently rolling landscape of the Saint-Chinian vineyards. The château’s hotel complex, which goes by the name of Village Castigno, offers lovers of the good life a highly relaxing stopover. This destination received the "Exceptional Offer" prize of the Wine Tourism Trophies 2022 in the "Stay at the Domain" category.

The accommodation comes in various forms – including chambre d’hôte or holiday home rentals – and is full of Provençal charm, and with all the promise of a lazy stay… just right, in fact, for a “digital detox”.

You’ll be far from the frenzy of all things digital and technological, meaning you can enjoy the time to escape and chill out every day surrounded by the world of wine: take a stroll and a picnic in the vineyards or enjoy a spot of well-being with some “vino-thérapie”, a gourmet-gourmet workshop and an introduction to oenology…

Village Castigno and the estate invite you to let go and discover the real art de vivre.

A number of vineyards in Roussillon organise grape harvests for the general public in late summer. They’re the ideal opportunity to see what goes on behind the scenes of this work that is so bound up with tradition.

The grape harvest, which heralds the culmination of a year devoted to tending the vines, is an important moment in the calendar for each and every winemaker. It is also a unique opportunity for the curious wine lover to meet the producers, learn about the harvest, and gain insight into the expertise involved in making wine. Participants join a colle, a team of grape pickers, and are invited to share a pleasant, friendly time in the company of enthusiastic experts.

Each estate runs its own programme for beginners. Visitors to Les Vignerons en Terres Romanes are welcomed at the afternoon harvesting, which takes the form of an exploratory walk through the heart of the vineyard. Here apprentice winemakers learn the techniques of pruning and weighing, find out all about measuring the alcohol content and help the grapes on their way to the stalk separator and press. In short, you’ll “harvest” a wealth of knowledge about the basic stages involved in making wine.

You can discover the grape harvest under Roussillon’s summer sun… or under the stars!

 

Vignobles Dom Brial, which has been awarded the special Vignoble et Découverte label, organises mid-night harvests: picking at night-time safeguards the grapes from the vagaries of the sun and oxidation, and produces wonderful cuvées. Pickers are kitted out with lamps on their head and buckets in their hands as they get down to work in the cool of the evening.

The harvest is first and foremost a time of celebration. The unmissable Fête des Vendanges – Wine Harvest Festival – in Banyuls-sur-Mer is attended by over 10,000 visitors. This special event is a highly festive and sociable occasion with a Catalan barbecue on the beach – a unique way of bringing an iconic wine experience to an end.

Muscat de Noël is the heir to a tradition that was taken up anew two decades ago. This “Christmas Muscat” was originally served back in the Middle Ages during feasts for noblemen from Barcelona.

Muscat de Noël, which is bottled at the end of the grape harvest, receives a special mention in the Muscat de Rivesaltes AOP (Protected Designation of Origin).

The Muscat’s sparkling aromas combine marvellously with a wide range of savoury – and sweet – dishes! Foie gras, cheese, touron nougat, rousquille biscuits and panellet deserts: it goes with any and everything!

In Perpignan, or in the towns and villages along the Roussillon Wine Trail, this sweet wine will brighten up your end-of-year celebrations with its delicate golden sparkle.