Vineyards in the region & Domaine du Cheyssignaguet

Hello,

I will be staying with a small group in a place called Domaine du Cheyssignaguet, not far from Sarlet.

I would like to know if there are any interesting/not-to-miss vineyards in the area, or any other places that are worth a trip.

Also, has anyone stayed at the Domaine? Would love your experiences/advice.

Thank you,

Danny

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Hi, haven%26#39;t stayed there but have stayed nearby at Coly. There aren%26#39;t, so far as I know, any vineyards in the immediate area; it%26#39;s mainly arable and tobacco. Most vineyards are further to the SW. But I should ask at the Domaine, they are bound to know. There is at least one wine shop in Montignac, which is a very pleasant town a few kms NW. Also some good restaurants, incuding two on the river bank. There are plenty of interesting places to see (chateaux, pre-historic sites) on the D706 between Montignac and Les Eyzies.

A real must is the market in Sarlat. Biggest and best is on Saturdays, but there%26#39;s a smaller one on Wednesdays. From there go south to La Roque Gageac, on the river Dordogne. Even though it attracts many tourists it%26#39;s well worth a visit - pretty spectacular. At the car park there are plenty of picnic tables, also overlooking the river, so stock up with some charcuterie, cheese, bread and wine in the market and enjoy an al fresco lunch.

If you want an evening meal in a really pretty restaurant try the Manoir d%26#39;Hautegente at Coly (www.manoir-hautegente.com); you%26#39;ll need to book, but everyone there speaks English. It%26#39;s by an old millstream, and is probably no more than about 20 mins NE of where you%26#39;re staying, on the D62.

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Vineyard regions are either to the west, as you approach Bergerac, or to the south, near Cahors.

The wines of Bergerac are sort of like lightweight Bordeaux, with very reasonable prices. You%26#39;ll find everything from Sauvignon (blanc) to merlot-cabernet blends, lovely ros��s, and some fantastic Sauternes-like dessert wines called Monbazillac and the hard-to-find Saussignac dessert wines, both late harvest botrysised semillon-sauv blanc blends. Look for the village called Pomport; some of our favorite wineries are around there. Note: the white wines in green bottles are dry, the white wines in clear bottles are usually sweet. %26quot;Moelleux%26quot; means slightly sweet and %26quot;Liquoreux%26quot; (sp?) means very sweet.

In the town of Bergerac there is a wine museum and information center, plus a tasting room.

The region to the south, near Cahors, is famous for its red wine. There may be white wine there, but I%26#39;ve never seen it. The wine grape grown most in that region is Malbec, and a common blending grape with the Malbec is something called tannat. I%26#39;ve never really found an equivalent in California wines.

Happy travels!