WINE

When you think of France, you think of cheese and wine. Cheesemakers are everywhere and vineyards are not far away either. Coming from the north, you drive through Champagne, Chablis and the areas around Auxerre.

From Vitry-Laché, the Loire is a fat half-hour drive away. During the summer months, there are plenty of events in the region where you can make discoveries around Pouilly-sur-Loire and Sancerre, the two most famous villages. Think helicopter rides, balloon rides or visiting an active barrel maker. Pouilly is home to the Tour de Pouilly-fumé that gives an educational presentation on the wine region and where you can also book guided tours.

East of Le Manivert, a little further away, you enter the Côte d'Or, where the famous vineyards of Burgundy are located, such as Clos de Vougeot or Pommard. The wine town of Beaune is more than worth a visit.

Nearby there are the wine regions of Tannay and Côtes de la Charité, where simple wines are made but the quality has been rising sharply for several years. Just under half an hour away you are in the Vézelien, the vineyards around Vézelay. A small but emerging wine region that forms France's youngest appellation. Only for white wine from the grape Chardonnay. A real Bourgogne, in other words!