There’s a 16th-century windmill on a hill on the outskirts of a small village deep in EntreDeux-Mers, the triangle of wine country between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers. To sit on one of the millstones and look out over the valley below is to see into the heart of Gironde. Vineyards sweep through undulating fields in neat rows; hawks and the occasional hoopoe sit on telegraph poles; and the ochre roofs of farmhouses are clustered in hamlets that can be seen over the low hills in the distance.
This is the Gironde that many foreigners flock to experience: a rural idyll in south-west France, carpeted with carefully tended vines and dotted with restored châteaux and medieval bastide towns, their central squares hosting weekly markets that fill the air with the smell of sizzling poulet rôti and the chatter of locals.
WINE COUNTRY
The weather and its effect on the vines is likely to be a major topic of conversation. Are the grapes developing too slowly after a late spring? Will the harvest be completed before an autumn hailstorm threatens to decimate the vines? Has there been enough sun, or too little rain? It’s no wonder, because this is the largest wine producing area in France and arguably the most famous and prestigious in the world. These things matter.
Denne historien er fra March 2017-utgaven av Living France.
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Denne historien er fra March 2017-utgaven av Living France.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Guide To: Working For A Foreign Company
If your current employer is happy to let you continue working for them after you move to France, there are a number of rules and regulations to be aware of to ensure you stay on the right side of the law, as Catharine Higginson explains
On vintage soil
Life in the vineyards of Aude is a dream come true for Leicestershire-born Katie Jones who now successfully exports her wines back to the UK, as Brigitte Nicolas learns
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
What happens if you are buying a French property but can’t attend the completion meeting at the notaire’s office in person? Matthew Cameron explains how a power of attorney can be used and how it works
In safe hands
There can be few more unusual homes than the 11th-century Château de Clérans, situated close to the Dordogne river in the Périgord Pourpre region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
THE CAPTAIN'S TABLE
Robin Ellis made his name as the original Captain Poldark but a diabetes diagnosis led the Tarn-based actor to add cookbook writing to his CV, as Richard Webber learns
My frugal France
Embracing modern technology could save you money and time on both the pleasures and essentials of life in France, says Laura Harley as she shares some of her favourite French apps
Hidden Talents
Moving to France enabled these three expats to switch off from busy careers and in turn discover new creative talents, says Gillian Harvey, who counts herself among them
Beauty to behold
With its legendary vineyards, charming old towns and rich gastronomy, Gironde is quintessential France at its best, as Alison Weeks discovers
AS SEEN ON SCREEN
A Dordogne town, a Charente city and a Pyrenean village all have a starring role in three new films hitting the big screen this year, joining a long list of French locations that have gone before them, as Vicky Leigh learns
A local's view
Trish and Mark Tyler run a beautifully restored chambres d’hôtes, set in six hectares of park and woodland near StÉmilion, which has a fascinating history