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DOMAINE DE<br />
VERCHANT<br />
Montpellier, Hérault<br />
Nestled among 13 hectares of vineyards<br />
just 20 minutes from the centre of<br />
Montpellier, this luxury hotel is the<br />
perfect place for wine-lovers.<br />
The 26 rooms are spread across<br />
the 17th-century mansion house and<br />
a series of soft stone outbuildings, which<br />
once housed the harvest workers. Rooms<br />
are strikingly contemporary, with<br />
white bed linen, bold curtain fabrics<br />
and Italian designer furniture.<br />
The hotel has a bistro and gastronomic<br />
restaurant where dishes are paired<br />
with wines from the estate. Guests<br />
can also book a tasting session with<br />
the sommelier.<br />
Other facilities include an infinity pool<br />
and spa, where the signature treatments<br />
include a Grand Cru grape-seed<br />
exfoliation and red-grape body wrap.<br />
Doubles from €329 excluding breakfast.<br />
Tel: (Fr) 4 67 07 26 00<br />
domainedeverchant.com<br />
FRANCE PASSION<br />
Across <strong>France</strong><br />
Campervan enthusiasts with a love of<br />
wine can stay overnight for free at<br />
hundreds of vineyards by signing up with<br />
<strong>France</strong> Passion. The scheme, aimed<br />
exclusively at motorhome owners, costs<br />
€29 a year, which brings you the<br />
all-important guide. Membership allows<br />
you a free pitch for 24 hours at more<br />
than 2,000 sites including 800 vineyards<br />
and 950 farms, most of which are off the<br />
beaten track.<br />
Annual membership €29.<br />
france-passion.com<br />
CHÂTEAU DE PIZAY<br />
Saint-Jean-d’Ardières, Rhône<br />
Lying in the Beaujolais vineyards near<br />
Morgon, this medieval château offers fine<br />
wines and a tranquil setting to make for<br />
a truly enjoyable stay. The elegant<br />
château has a dozen well-appointed<br />
rooms, featuring antique furniture, free<br />
Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs. All the rooms<br />
overlook a large, French-style garden and<br />
some come with private terraces.<br />
Activities include a tour of the estate<br />
and a chance to taste the château’s fine<br />
vintages and join a wine sensory course<br />
at the oénotheque (pictured above). You<br />
can then take a dip in the heated outdoor<br />
swimming pool or go for a stroll through<br />
the garden. For a bit of extra pampering,<br />
head for the spa, which has a sauna and<br />
hammam, and provides a range of<br />
multisensory treatments.<br />
Guests can also look forward to<br />
a fine-dining experience at the gourmet<br />
restaurant, which serves seasonal menus<br />
based on fresh local produce.<br />
Doubles from €200 including breakfast.<br />
Tel: (Fr) 4 74 66 51 41<br />
chateau-pizay.com<br />
MORE<br />
ONLINE<br />
Find more ideas on places to stay in <strong>France</strong><br />
www.completefrance.com/<br />
travel/where-tostay<br />
NO8 B&B<br />
Mailly-Champagne, Marne<br />
For a relaxing stay in the heart of<br />
Champagne country, look no further<br />
than this charming B&B, set in a former<br />
winemaker’s home in the Grand Cru<br />
village of Mailly. There are four en-suite<br />
bedrooms – two in the main house and<br />
two in an adjoining annexe – and<br />
a spacious lounge-dining room, which is<br />
available for all guests to use. The village<br />
makes an ideal base for visiting the<br />
famous champagne houses. The owners<br />
provide free guide books and maps of the<br />
Route Touristique de Champagne.<br />
Doubles from €70 including breakfast.<br />
Tel: (Fr) 3 26 91 11 14<br />
no8bedandbreakfast.com<br />
PHOTOGRAPHS: DOMAINE DE VERCHANT<br />
70 FRANCE MAGAZINE www.completefrance.com
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