Chris worked for many years in the wine industry, buying, selling and tasting wine. Since coming to live in France it has continued to be a passionate hobby and we have incorporated a number of wine related activities into the activities we offer here at La Grange du Moulin and Les Vallaies to take advantage of his expert knowledge ! One of these is the vineyard walk and Pineau tasting.
The walk takes place in the morning around 10am so we are back in time for lunch. We start with a glass of the locally produced Pineau des Charentes. Chris explains what it is and where it came from, with a small glass of 18% alcohol in our system, we then start on our (merry) way along the country lanes and tracks surrounding the La Grange du Moulin child and toddler friendly holiday cottages. It's not far (less than 2km all the way) and we walk slowly and stop regularly so even the smallest legs can keep up. You can take a buggy just in case they give up half way.
Along the route, Chris talks about the local countryside, it's history and uses. Once at the vines he goes into much more detail about vines and wine. You can ask as many questions as you like . Kids may get a little bored at this point so there's a 'treasure hunt' list of things to find (a flower, a pebble, a grape, a vine leaf etc) They can run around freely, chase crickets or each other.
It's all very relaxed and informal but very informative too and a very pleasant way to spend a morning when staying with us. Adults are charged 8€ each - children are free. It lasts about 2 hours.
