A test that will reinvent your holidays in France

As a gourmet connoisseur, you should make your way without delay to the spot where the Pyrenees and Mediterranean meet. Twenty-six kilometres before the Spanish border, you will find one of the most beautiful small fishing harbours in all France, and one of the finest AOC Roussillons. This is Collioure, a picturesque, photogenic village that looks out over a translucent sea, a village proud of its château that once hosted the court of the kings of Majorca. Here the vines also enjoy views of the Mediterranean: overlooking Collioure, the local grape varieties — Grenache noir, gris, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Syrah — are grown in a spectacular terraced amphitheatre, divided into square plots by kilometres of dry stone walls. Although 70% of the wine made here is red, the Collioure white is just one of the very pleasant surprises produced by the terroir in recent years. This is also a region of artists, inspired by the colours and perspectives. In short, Collioure is an El Dorado for gourmet connoisseurs.

Info and reservations

In Port-Vendres, 3 km from Collioure, the hotel restaurant looks out over the sea. The cooking is typically Catalan and no-nonsense, with traditional dishes given a modern twist. There is an excellent wine list, mostly from Roussillon, and a superb terrace overlooking the entrance to the small fishing port, shaded by a one-hundred-year-old cedar.

In Banyuls-sur-Mer, with one bedroom and two comfortable guest suites in a large family house adjoining the Domaine Vial Magnères cellar. Enjoy a free tour of the estate and a vertical tasting of old Banyuls vintages on request.

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