Every year for the past five years, the women in my family have made our annual escape across the Channel in search of our own kind of holy water… wine, of course!
Over the years, our little pilgrimage has taken us to some wonderful corners of France, from the fairytale villages of Alsace to the sun-soaked hills of Provence and the lively streets and legendary vineyards of Bordeaux. Each trip brings new discoveries, plenty of laughs and, naturally, the occasional debate over which bottle deserves a place in the suitcase.
This year, our wine adventures took us to the Northern Rhône Valley, where we based ourselves in the charming town of Tournon-sur-Rhône. Nestled beside the river and surrounded by steep, vineyard-covered hillsides, it was the perfect base for exploring the local wine scene without spending half the holiday travelling between tastings.
Although, in fairness, we’ve never been ones to complain about a journey involving wine!
Meet the tasting team
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Meet the tasting team 〰️
Every successful wine trip needs a carefully balanced team, and ours has certainly evolved over the years.
First, there’s me: Chief Taste Tester and the person everyone worries about when booking a restaurant for dinner. After 25 years of working in kitchens, you might expect me to seek out Michelin stars and elaborate tasting menus. In reality, I’m much happier with rustic flavours, local ingredients and something cooked with care. Give me a generous plate of regional specialities over a tiny, mysterious arrangement of foam any day!
Then there’s my sister, our Chief Organiser and resident wine expert. Having spent much of lockdown studying for her wine exams, she’s the one who brings the rest of us up to speed whenever the wine language becomes too technical. She chooses the region, assigns everyone their roles and coordinates the entire trip. Without her, very little would happen — although we might all be slightly more relaxed about what happens next.
Our senior members are my mother and her best friend. Both in their seventies, they are remarkably active and perfectly happy being taken hiking, biking and up what feels like endless flights of stairs in traditional French guesthouses. In fact, we always seem to end up on the top floor. Five flights of stairs, no lift and luggage that appears to multiply overnight? No problem. They tackle it all with impressive determination, usually while the rest of us wonder whether we should have packed more sensible shoes.
Then there are Le Americans, as they have affectionately become known. Friends of ours from America, they have joined us for the past three years, bringing an extra dose of laughter, energy and international perspective. Their arrival has added a whole new dynamic to the trips, along with plenty of entertaining conversations about French customs, food, wine and the differences between our respective approaches to travel.
Together, we make a fairly eclectic team: an organiser, a taste tester, two energetic seniors, two American additions and enough opinions to keep every meal interesting. Somehow, it works — and the variety of personalities makes each trip as memorable as the wine itself.
Getting there is half the adventure… apparently
Of course, no great wine adventure comes without a few obstacles, and this year’s trip seemed determined to test us before we’d even reached the first vineyard.
Our arrival coincided with an unfortunate accident on the Channel Tunnel route. Thankfully, we managed to avoid the worst of the disruption, but it was a reminder that even the best-planned escape can have other ideas. With demonstrations and unrest making headlines both nearby and in Paris, France was certainly keeping us on our toes before we’d even unpacked!
Then came the passport checks. Oh, the passport checks. What once felt like a relatively straightforward hop across the Channel now seems to involve enough queues, barriers and document inspections to make you wonder whether you’re entering a country or applying for a second mortgage. By the time we’d navigated our way through the various checks, we were more than ready for a glass of something French. The public transport system provided its own entertainment, too. The ticket barriers appeared to have a particular talent for catching out our senior travellers, with the ladies in their seventies having to negotiate their way through on both the outward and return journeys. Nothing quite says relaxing wine holiday like watching your mother battle a ticket barrier while the queue builds behind her! And then, of course, there was the luggage. We may have travelled out with perfectly reasonable bags, but after a few days of vineyard visits and wine discoveries, the return journey was a different proposition entirely. Somehow, the suitcases had become considerably heavier — and we had a strong suspicion that the bottles were multiplying when nobody was looking. By the end of it all, we’d navigated traffic, travel disruption, passport queues, rebellious ticket barriers and several kilos of wine. But that’s the beauty of travelling with family: the things that might be mildly infuriating at the time tend to become the stories you laugh about for years afterwards. Besides, a little logistical chaos is a small price to pay for good wine, wonderful food and a few days of adventure together. Although next year, we may need to factor in a porter, a personal assistant and possibly a wine trolley!
Meet Fabrice: host, chef and professional entertainer
This year, our home away from home was a lovely guesthouse on the edge of town, hosted by the unforgettable Fabrice. A former Lake District resident with impeccable English, Fabrice made us feel welcome immediately. Between his theatrical catwalks, perfectly timed jokes and enthusiastic matchmaking attempts involving Le Americans, he kept us entertained throughout our stay. He also prepared delicious French country suppers and generous breakfasts filled with fresh breads, croissants and pastries. His warm hospitality made the guesthouse feel less like accommodation and more like a home — and by the end of our stay, he felt like an honorary member of the tasting team. It’s funny how much the people you meet can shape a trip. We’d come for the wine, but Fabrice’s warmth, humour and generous hospitality became just as memorable as anything in our glasses.
A Saturday morning at the market
One of the highlights of the trip came on Saturday morning, when we headed to the local farmers’ market in search of ingredients for lunch. Markets are one of my favourite places to explore when travelling. They offer such a wonderful snapshot of a region: the colours, the smells, the local produce and the conversations happening around the stalls. There’s also something very satisfying about choosing ingredients without quite knowing what they’ll become, then letting the produce guide the meal. We came away with some delicious local cheeses, fresh vegetables and a generous haul of girolle mushrooms. The mushrooms were particularly exciting — golden, delicate and full of that wonderful earthy flavour that makes simple cooking feel instantly special. Back at the guesthouse, I set about turning our market finds into a lunchtime feast. There was no elaborate menu, no carefully measured recipe and certainly no need for anything too complicated. Just beautiful ingredients, a little time and a hungry group of wine travellers ready to eat. The vegetables were prepared simply, the girolles were given the attention they deserved and the cheeses took centre stage alongside everything else. With a bottle of local wine on the table and everyone gathered around, it became one of those meals that felt far more memorable than anything overly formal. It was also a lovely reminder of why I enjoy cooking so much. The best dishes often begin with good ingredients and a bit of instinct. Add a market, a few willing helpers and people who are happy to eat whatever appears, and you have the makings of a very successful lunch.
No complicated techniques, no unnecessary fuss — just good produce, a little creativity and the pleasure of feeding people you love. Quite possibly my favourite kind of cooking!
A grape escape
With the team assembled, Fabrice keeping us well fed and the market providing plenty of inspiration, it was time to discover what the Northern Rhône had to offer. Fortunately, there was plenty to keep every palate happy, from distinctive local wines to a few familiar favourites along the way. On the white wine front, Marsanne and Roussanne feature heavily in the region’s blends, producing wines that can be rich, rounded and beautifully textured. We also found some lovely Viognier, a grape that has held a special place in my heart ever since I first tried it in Australia 16 years ago. Fragrant, floral and full of character, it’s the sort of wine that reminds you just how much personality a single grape variety can have.
Then came the reds, where Syrah is very much the star of the show. It produces elegant, peppery wines with flavours ranging from dark berries and spice to something wonderfully savoury. It’s a grape with plenty of character — and certainly not one to be overshadowed at the dinner table! There were Rosés to enjoy, too, although some local wine traditionalists apparently question their legitimacy. Fortunately, this was of little concern to our resident senior Rosé connoisseurs, who remained entirely committed to their cause. Some people collect wine knowledge; others simply know what they like. And really, who are we to argue with either?
A visit to Valrhona: chocolate heaven
No culinary adventure in this part of France would be complete without a visit to the famous Valrhona chocolate factory in nearby Tain-l’Hermitage. Valrhona chocolate is a name I’ve known and used in professional kitchens for as long as I can remember, so visiting the place where it all began was a real highlight. It was fascinating to learn more about the company’s origins, its relationship with cocoa producers and the care that goes into creating the chocolate used by chefs and pastry professionals around the world. Of course, the educational side was important — but we were also very happy to take our responsibilities seriously when it came to the sampling. We tasted our way through an impressive selection of chocolates, discovering just how much variety there can be in flavour, texture and intensity. From beautifully smooth milk chocolate to rich, complex dark chocolate, each sample seemed to offer something different. There may have been a few moments when we paused thoughtfully to discuss the tasting notes, but there were also plenty of moments when we simply enjoyed eating chocolate.
For me, it was particularly special to see the origins of an ingredient that has played such a big part in my working life. Chocolate is one of those ingredients that can be transformed in so many ways — folded into a dessert, paired with fruit, balanced with salt or spice, or enjoyed completely on its own. Seeing the craftsmanship behind it was a wonderful reminder of why good ingredients matter so much. And naturally, we left with a few purchases. Strictly for professional research, of course. By this stage, our luggage situation was becoming increasingly concerning. Wine bottles on one side, chocolate purchases on the other — and absolutely no sign of anyone volunteering to carry less!
More than just a good glass of wine
By this point, it would be easy to say that the wine is the main attraction. But as much as I love discovering new bottles, it’s the whole experience that makes these trips so special: exploring unfamiliar places, meeting the people behind the wine, learning what makes a region unique and sharing it all around a table with family and friends. This year, Fabrice’s guesthouse, the Saturday market and our visit to Valrhona became a big part of that experience. From the morning pastries to the market vegetables, the girolles, the lunchtime feast and the evening suppers, food helped set the rhythm of each day. It reminded me that some of the best meals and tastings are not necessarily the most elaborate ones, but the ones enjoyed slowly, generously and with people who make you laugh. There’s something particularly enjoyable about travelling with a group where everyone brings something different. One person finds the restaurant, another chooses the wine, someone else spots the best view and someone is always ready with a story, a joke or a slightly controversial opinion about Rosé. This year, we also had the added challenge of deciding which chocolates were worthy of taking home — a responsibility we approached with great seriousness.
That shared experience is also what connects these trips so closely to my work in wedding catering.
Food and drink may be a big part of my everyday life, but the passion certainly doesn’t clock off when the working day ends. I love exploring new flavours, discovering how local ingredients reflect a place and seeing how a little knowledge about what’s on your plate or in your glass can transform the way you enjoy a meal. The farmers’ market was a perfect example. A few carefully chosen ingredients became a generous lunch, not because they were complicated, but because they were fresh, local and shared with people who appreciated them. That same feeling is at the heart of any memorable celebration: thoughtful food, good company and the pleasure of bringing people together around a table. And the inspiration doesn’t always come from a grand restaurant or a prestigious vineyard. Sometimes it comes from a market stall, a conversation with a passionate producer, a generous host or a simple dish that tastes wonderful because someone has taken the time to prepare it properly.
Every discovery adds something: a wine tasted in a new region, an ingredient found at a market, a beautifully made chocolate or an unexpected flavour combination that sparks an idea. There is always something to bring home beyond the bottles and boxes. More importantly, these trips are a reminder that food and drink are about far more than what is served. They are about the people around the table, the stories shared, the laughter that carries on long after dinner and the memories created over something delicious.
And perhaps that’s what these trips are really about: a little adventure, a lot of laughter, a few impressive stair climbs, an unforgettable host, a Saturday market, a homemade feast, an unreasonable amount of chocolate and the endless pleasure of discovering something delicious together.
Now, the only question is where this slightly chaotic but very enthusiastic group will be taking their wine glasses — and possibly their sweet tooth — next year.
Suggestions, particularly good wine recommendations, are always welcome! 🍷
