Shiny and new, the wine and chocolate workshop at Domaine Michelas St Jemms should delight the taste buds of a gourmet connoisseur on the loose in the Côtes du Rhône.

Your experience involves one hour of tasting with a difference as you search for the perfect match between these two exceptional products, and all supervised by a wine expert from the estate. The exercise is trickier than it sounds. You will sample four wines from the Crozes-Hermitage AOC estate (one white, three reds) and eight varieties of chocolate (Manjari, Kalingo, Itakuja from Madagascar, Peru and Brazil). These special treats are produced by Valrhona, the famous and excellent chocolate producer from Tain l’Hermitage. This workshop is also the perfect excuse to take a closer look at this family wine estate, which operates on a sustainable agriculture basis. One final piece of advice: ask for a little taste of “La Chasselière”, the estate’s iconic Crozes-Hermitage blend. A real treat.

Tips nearby:

Auberge Monnet: La Roche Du Glun, 12 km from Valence. Riverside restaurant offering high-quality bistro cuisine. Exceptional local produce with short supply circuits. Simple but effective dishes: frogs’ legs with parsley, beef tataki, chicken liver gâteau, fried trout... Excellent list of local wines. Warm and friendly welcome.

Gîtes M.Chapoutier:  Tournon-sur-Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage and Tain-l'Hermitage. Five high-end gîtes in the heart of the vineyard for couples and families. Wonderful view of the valley. Excellent facilities: swimming pool, wine tasting, visit to the vineyard and option to have the wine cellar stocked before you arrive. A real find.