the Mediterranean coast.

the Mediterranean coast. Think picnics in the vineyards or a visit to a truffle market; eating at chef’s table or tasting with a wine producer. The range of foodie activities on offer is growing all the time and bookable via local tourism websites. morning, I strolled the picturesque streets of Oingt in the ‘golden stones’ area of southern Beaujolais. For panoramic views of the vineyards and village, classified amongst the Plus Beaux Villages de France, climb to the flat roof of the bell tower before sitting down to authentic local fare at La Table du Donjon. The flavours of Beaujolais I took a short break to combine the foodie delights of Lyon with the liquid pleasures of the Beaujolais, starting my adventure in the vineyards of Château de Juliénas, around an hour’s drive north of Lyon. Here Thierry Condomine is the fifth generation of his family to grow vines on these gentle slopes and transform them into AOC Juliénas within the 18th century stone buildings of his atmospheric winery. With so many different rocks influencing the terroir and taste of the wines here, Beaujolais is proud to be the first wine region awarded Global Geopark status by UNESCO. Book a two-hour tour on Thierry’s Wine Tasting Truck and you get the unique experience of riding in a 1964 VW Combi and tasting wines in the exact spot where the grapes were grown, accompanied by cheese and charcuterie. Many a local dish is enhanced not just by a glass of appropriate wine, but also by the produce of the Huilerie Beaujolaise in Beaujeu, medieval capital of the Beaujolais. Sample their twelve virgin fruit oils and nine fruit vinegars before making your choice from their well-stocked shop. Wine Tasting Truck in the Julienas vineyards The golden stones of Oingt Living it up in Lyon Lunch over, I set off for Lyon, checking in at the Hotel de Verdun, a surprisingly tranquil small hotel between Perrache Station and the vast square of Place Bellecour, home to the Institut Paul Bocuse, location for the evening cookery lesson. But first there was time to explore the grand 19th century basilica of Notre Dame de Fourvière, the adjacent Roman theatres, and the narrow streets of Vieux Lyon. By the time I donned my navy monogrammed apron at the Ecole de Cuisine Gourmets, I had worked up an appetite. On our menu was Braised Endives with sour carrot juice, pomelos and hazelnut crumble, followed by Veal Scallop with porcini mushrooms, spelt risotto and siphon comté – a delicate foam flavoured with comté cheese and applied through a siphon. Who knew? Happy to watch Sébastien tackle the tricky bits, we merrily diced and decorated as instructed before sitting down to share the fruits of our labours, plus a delicious dessert that our English-speaking Chef had thoughtfully prepared earlier. Some flavours are unmistakeable; others are not as easy to discern as you might think. Test your palate on the Sensory Wine Trail, a fun activity at Chateau de Pizay, a 4-star hotel and spa in the middle of its own vineyards at Belleville-en-Beaujolais. After all this hard work, I relaxed over local food and wine at Hotel Villa Alexandre, a delightful 18th century country house turned boutique hotel at Régnie-Durette near Beujeu. And after a blissful night’s sleep, next Next day, I tackled a very different kind of creative gastronomic experience, the chance to blend my own bottle of wine at Chai Saint Olive in the city centre, one of a growing number of urban wineries around France. Here I blended different proportions of local grape varieties until I eventually arrived at something pleasing to my palate, a bottle I proudly labelled Clos de Gillian for a very personal souvenir. No food tour of Lyon would be complete 44 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 45