Villeneuve-Sur-Lot

Villeneuve-sur-Lot is one of my favourite towns in the South West of France. It is a fortified town standing on the River Lot 22 miles ( 36kms) north east of Agen. It is in the department of Lot-Garonne and is not famous for wine but for its plum trees and dried prunes and its South Western France cuisine. It is a good place, however, to explore some wine regions which may not be so well known, but which produce wines of strong regional character.

45 miles (75kms) to the east is the city of Cahors, and the N911 main road runs through the Lot valley. Several miles before reaching Cahors, you pass the vineyards growing the Malbec, Merlot and Tannat grapes used for the production of the wine. Most of the production is of the Malbec variety which makes Cahors wine very dark and almost black in colour. The wines are also full bodied. The best vineyards are located on the limestone plateaux to produce a wine which ages longer than those located on the coteaux or sides of the river. Whichever terroir you choose, the wines are excellent value for money and of course match the local cuisine. The tannin structure of the wine helps to cleanse the palate, especially when eating fatty dishes. And, of course, the wines have a lovely red and black fruit character. My wife and I drink them with duck or rabbit stew. The town of Cahors is well worth visiting, if only for the cuisine and food. The town also has mediaeval architecture, including the Valentre or Devil's bridge built in the 14th century, which is the symbol of the town.

A similar distance to the North West is the town of Bergerac on the Dordogne river in the Perigord. The Perigord is famous for its Cro-Magnon cave art, its truffles, its wine and cuisine: and dare I say it Foie Gras. Bergerac reds are produced in the style of Bordeaux wines and represent excellent value for money. Pecharmant reds are one step higher in quality and can be kept longer but they are difficult to find outside of the region. For whites, Monbazillac dessert wines represent a similar quality and style to to those of Barsac and Sauternes, and are made from noble rot white Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle grapes. The noble rot is encouraged by the late autumn mists prevalent in the vineyards located in the Dordogne valley. They have incredibly powerful aromas of honey and citrus fruits and are excellent aperitif or dessert wines at very good value for money. Even some of the lesser known Bergerac Moelleux semi-sweets are excellent value for money and are good dessert wines. If you are taking a wine and cuisine trip to France this area is a "must" to visit.

If you want to venture further South, to the edge of the Pyrenees, then I recommend Pau. Henry IV of France was born here at the Chateau de Pau in the 16th Century. The castle became the home of the Kings of Navarre. The Architecture has been influenced by the British and Lord Wellington created a garrison here. British tourists used to reside and visit here in the 19th Century so there are many English style villas. You cannot make a visit to Pau without tasting some great wines and the Bearn cuisine. Jurancon wines are made in the vineyards situated in the hillsides and valleys rising up from Pau to the foothills of the Pyrenees in the south. There is a mountain climate here which can get severely cold in the winter and hot in the summer, but it is moderated by the south westerly winds from the Atlantic. The soils are either marine sediments or siliceous clays and chalks. Chateau Jolys is one of my favourite dessert wines. It is made from late harvested petit manseng grapes. It is luscious with aromas of grapefruit and honey and is typical of the sweet wines of the area. It competes well pricewise with the wines of Sauternes and Barsac. No visit to Pau would be complete without trying Bearn cuisine: Piperade is one of my favourites; made from tomatoes , onions and green and red peppers and often eaten with the local Bayonne ham. Pau is next to the Basque country to the west and if you venture much further south over the Pyrenees into Spain you are in the Spanish Navarre and the land of Tempranillo.

But back to Villeneuve-sur -Lot, it is well positioned on the wine trail and a stay in the town is justified by the fact that it is a working town. It is not just dedicated to tourism and so it is the real France and all easily accessible from within the battlements.