A test that will reinvent your holidays in France

The Hameau du Vin in the village of Romanèche-Torins is Europe’s only theme park dedicated to wine. Located thirty minutes south of Mâcon, the Hameau du Vin is the destination for culture vultures of all ages. What’s more, it’s a great alternative to a traditional winery, which can be a bit of a bore for kids looking for a slice of the action. Because, although the theme park spotlights the wines, vines and vineyards of Burgundy, it has been specially designed to appeal to young and old alike. Once you’re through the front gates, you can expect the little ones to start running the show. What with mini-golf, a 3D cinema, simulator rides, a toy train and similar attractions, you can easily spend the day in the park. Mum and dad, meanwhile, can revel in the wine-making centre, the cellars and the Belle Époque tasting room, all of which are absolute musts. And one last thing: don’t forget to keep some space free in the boot of the car as the Hameau shop boasts a wide range of Beaujolais and Mâconnais wines.

Info and reservations x

Perhaps you thought you’d tried touring the French countryside by every possible means: electric bike, maybe, or Segway or even on horseback. Well, think…
You heard it hear first: the Champagne region only has eyes for Renoir in 2017. The great Pierre-Auguste Renoir, that is, one of Champagne’s iconic…
Come on, let’s hit the road for some exploring and a bit of oenology! We’re heading off to the Basque country — the Mourguy estate in Ispoure to be…
For gourmet connoisseurs who love eating up the miles, Bordeaux has just launched its very own “Urban Wine Trail”, an innovative concept for discovering the…
Come rain or shine, Nîmes will be in party mood for the long weekend of November 17 to 19 as the winegrowers of the Costières de Nîmes AOC gather for a…
A visit to a building that is not a building, that’s our suggestion for a stopover in Bordeaux. Confused? Well, that’s how Philippe Starck describes one…
An adventurous explorer such as you prefers a more meandering route on holiday, and this one will be right up your street, with a bike for transport, a…
We’re not going to insult your intelligence: as something of a wine expert, you don’t need us to tell you about Maison M. Chapoutier. On the other hand,…
It’s generally the rule that gourmet connoisseurs, by definition, give themselves a bit of leeway when it comes to the seven deadly sins, especially the…
Saddle up your horse, dear culture vulture, we’re going to see the Marquis at the spectacular Château de Brissac. At 48 metres high, the château is…
The Hameau du Vin in the village of Romanèche-Torins is Europe’s only theme park dedicated to wine. Located thirty minutes south of Mâcon, the Hameau du…
Grab your diary, here are three events to suit someone with your level of expertise: La Foire aux Vins de Sancerre. The appellation’s 14 villages gather…
Any self-respecting culture vulture will have saved the Pont du Gard on their GPS before leaving for the Rhône valley. But what if you’re curious to find…
“I treat my vines with hardly any chemicals. Ladybirds are the best insecticide I know.” It only takes Jean-Luc Martha a few minutes to bowl people over. To…
The Chanoine Rambert estate is just 2 km from La Roque-sur-Cèze, one of France’s most beautiful villages. It’s the ideal venue for the adventurous…
A wine enthusiast such as you has at least two reasons to visit Clos Saint Louis in Fixin. Reason one: the superb wine estate. Located a stone’s throw…
Whether you prune early or late, be sure to prune during the month of March! And there’s no reason at all why this saying, so familiar to amateur…
It won’t have escaped your notice that the Hospices de Beaune is the star attraction in most of the region’s tourist brochures thanks to its “flamboyant…
If you’re a culture seeker and you’re in Roussillon, we’ll send you blindfolded to the Byrrh winery for a well-chosen visit to one of the pillars of…
Domaine Rion’s father and daughter team, Alice and Bernard, practice la lutte raisonée, or environmentally responsible management methods on their vines,…
We suggest you explore the area by visiting not one but 11 of the experiences included in the Dijon-Côte de Nuit Pass. Your appetite for culture is…
There’s no stopping the imagination of the people who design unusual accommodation. We’ve had tree houses, bubbles, caravans and igloos… and now they…
The Patriarch winery is the must-see visit for culture vultures in Beaune. It’s a unique venue that offers a first-rate wine and cultural experience…
Crest Petit vineyard signposted trail: Explore an educational wine trail on foot in the Mediterranean garrigue, with explanatory panels along the route. At…
We’ll wager you’ve never seen a car quite like the vehicle driven by James Richard-Fliniaux. It’s a cross between a buggy and a NASA lunar observation…
Here’s another address for the gourmet connoisseur to add to his or her diary for Narbonne. Le Petit Comptoir is one of the favourite restaurants for…
If we had to describe Renaud Limbosch, we’d say that he is the most Bordeaux-like of Belgians (or the most Belgian of Bordeaux’s inhabitants for that…
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…
The four-star Hostellerie des Clos in the centre of the village of Chablis isn’t just an enjoyable experience for gourmets and connoisseurs. It’s also a…
When you go to buy your wine, the last thing you want – the very last thing – is to look as though you’re still wet behind the ears. We know what…
Head to a place where the expression sleeping “dans les vignes (amongst the vines)” makes perfect sense. Dans les Vignes is also the name of this five…
It’s not the most obvious of ideas, it’s true, so we thought we’d just slip it in there to see how you react… What about a small cruise-cum-bike…
When it comes to wine, we know, you like to have a ready response — you’re not an authority and enthusiast for nothing, after all. That’s why we’re…
For a gourmet connoisseur, Dijon and the surrounding area are a playground that deserves more than a brief stopover. You can climb the city’s Philip the…
A veritable adventurer and explorer, you know better than anyone that there are all sorts of winegrowers. And you (like us) are delighted at this emerging…
It’s eight in the morning, the kids have already come in and jumped up and down on your bed, your eyes are still itchy and you have no idea of where…
After 25 years of exemplary and loyal service, with an average of 35,000 visitors a year, the Maison Hennessy in Cognac has undergone a facelift. The walls…
Six sessions a year, and not a session more! It’s because they’re so few and far between that the tastings led by Jean-Pierre Rudelle are so popular,…
One of the main reasons a visit to Château Haut Pezaud is unique lies in the personality of its owner, Christine Borgers, a Belgian adopted by the Dordogne…
Unthinkable, for a wine expert like your good self, to visit Bordeaux without “nosing” around the Cité du Vin. This is one of the most daring wine…