800 miles in 8 days across France and the Alps the race is known as the "Course au soleil"(the race to the sun!) and is really just a "warm up" for the athletes, but for me the joy is in discovering hidden corners of France. Forget the autoroutes, the race mainly uses by-roads, and whilst the autoroutes and major N routes are undoubtedly faster, cross-country driving on Michelin yellow roads is always more interesting. It is easy to forget just how big France is, and non matter how many times you have been there will always be more to discover. That is why even if you are not a cycling fan, it can be fun tracing the route of the major races - so this year's Paris-Nice will get you to places like Mende (48 Lozere, Languedoc-Roussillon) and Manosque (04 Alpes de Haut-Provence, Provence) - not often on the a more direct itinerary.

The lure of a trip from Paris to Nice is huge, as you really get to experience the diversity of France, from the classy metropolitan allure of Paris through to the exotic Mediterranean warmth of Nice, close to the Italian border - and everything in between. Think of Hemingway or Scott Fitzgerald embarking on a real adventure in the 1920s/30s - before autoroutes or the TGV - and forget route planning on the SatNav - take your Michelin red guide, determine not to rush, stay in small hotels (or better still in Chambres d'Hote), picnic on local food and wines, maybe get a little lost or follow a whim - and experience the real France.

For more on the Paris-Nice cycle race and route see www.letour.fr

For more info see www.wine-food-languedoc.com

But back to the Michelin Guide - you would be wrong to think of the famous red Guide as merely a guide for well-heeled gastronomes seeking only the finest French food and luxurious accommodation. We have used it as an invaluable guide to great value hotels and restaurants throughout France - and have never found it to be less than reliable. Each entry provides price indications, opening times (or more importantly closed days) and contact details and can help you select both good value food (Bib Gourmande and menu economique) and good value hotels (Bib Hotel) from £30 or less per night. The guide also includes street maps of most moderate sized towns and all cities - something we found invaluable before SatNav came along.

There are however other ways of accessing much of the Michelin information - the website at www.viamichelin.co.uk can provide you with access to some excellent mapping, route planning and details of hotels, restaurants, tourist sights etc. But this probably requires a bit of advanced planning before you leave - so the other alternative if the ViaMichelin GPS Satellite Navigation system which has the guides integrated - see ViaMichelin In Car GPS Satellite Navigation With European Mapping And Integrated Michelin Guides

The English print ersion of the 2007 Guide will not be available until early April - Michelin Guide France 2007: Hotels and Restaurants (Michelin Guides)

The French print version is available at the end of February -Guide Michelin France 2007

For a very contrasting style from the Languedoc, try Les Douze 2005, Fitou AC - "In 2001 a dozen vignerons from the surrounding villages of Tuchan decided to collectively produce the finest Fitou they could. Each proffered the vintage?s best Carignan, Grenache and Syrah grapes from their respective vineyards to produce this awesome blend. The aptly named Fitou Les Douze is a testament to teamwork, with its gloriously spicy, full-bodied flavours." (£6.29 down to £4.99!)

For something a little different try Château de Pennautier 2005, Cabardès AC which lies between the Languedoc and the South West - "An intensely fruity, individual wine, made by winemaker Bertrand Seube, formerly of Château Mouton-Rothschild, using a blend of Bordeaux and Southern French varieties. Aromas of fresh raspberries and mulberries follow through to a firm, tannic palate, showing the Cabardès appellation at its best." Was £5.49 now £4.39

Alsace is quite a complicated region, and the terroir associated with some really quite small plots can make a significant difference to the character and quality of the wine."This interactive map enables you to locate our estates in Alsace, to understand the geological complexity of the terroirs of Riquewihr, to visualise individual vineyards and grape varieties, and to measure the interface between vines and soils : Riesling in the Schoenenbourg, Gewurztraminer in the Sporen, finally Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir in the Pflostig."

Oddbins stocks Hugel's Riesling "Dry and crisp with underlying lime and kerosene fruit and mineral hints. Medium-bodied with a very long clean finish."

For more info see http://blog.hugel.com/

As long as you can get down to Dover early enough (bearing in mind the fact that France is 1 hour ahead of UK time) then you could have a leisurely lunch and do a bit of window and/or hypermarket shopping before an early evening sailing back to Dover. And Boulogne, Arras and Dunkerque are all within less than an hour of the ferry terminal.

Effective French fuel prices have risen slightly since January 07 but are still quite a bit cheaper than the UK - especially for diesel. With a tourist exchange rate of £1=€1.41 the following prices are likely to be found at the more competitive outlets (i.e. not autoroute service areas)

Unleaded (sans plomb 95) €1.179 = 83.4p/litre
Super unleaded (sans plomb 98) €1.229 = 86.9p/litre
Diesel (gazole) €0.998 =70.6p/litre

For something rather less unusual, but an excellent white dessert wine - his Pacherenc du Vic Bilh "Symphonie d'Automne" is a stunner.

Read more about Domaine Berthoumieu on www.frenchduck.co.uk
Domaine Berthoumieu at Viella (32 Gers, Midi-Pyrenees) - see map
Didier Barré's website is at www.domaine-berthoumieu.com.
In the UK the 2003 Cuvee Charles de Batz is available from Martinez Wines in Ilkley, West Yorkshire - shop or order online.

The vines of Chateau Les Hauts d'Aglan nestle on the high terraces of the appellation that gave birth to Cahors wine well before the phylloxera. The Martinet family in the 19th century owned and worked this exceptional site on the right bank of the Lot, facing due south so that it benefits from long hours of sunshine.

Isabelle's grandfather Roger Martinet developed the market for the wines by sending them by barge to Bordeaux. This was the only practical way to reach larger markets at the time. He subsequently passed the property on to his daughter, Raymonde Martinet-Rey and her husband. They devoted themselves for a whole generation to remodelling the domain by regrouping neighbouring parcels of land with the same sub-soil. They created a property of 10 contiguous and homogeneous hectares and established the reputation of Chateau Les Hauts d'Aglan in 1985.
History repeats itself and the property has been handed down from daughter to daughter. Isabelle took over the property in 1994 and expanded the area of vines by absorbing Chateau de La Marjolière thus creating a property totalling 14 hectares, She brought back to life the "Cuvée A", "a wine of wonderful memories of Sunday family meals with her grandparents, surrounded by their vines."
The vineyard is in the commune of Soturac in the extreme west of the appellation (see map) at an altitude of 100 metres close to the boundary of the Bordeaux region. This means that the grapes mature 8 to 10 days in advance of those at the eastern limit of the appellation. The roots grow deep into the exceptional subsoil of the Old Quaternary Era, a soil of clay limestone (argilo-calcaire) containing flint and iron minerals which nourish the grapes and thus give the wines of Chateau Les Hauts d'Aglan their unique and refined character.
She works with two grape varieties: Malbec which accounts for 90% of the production, and Merlot. Malbec, also known locally as Auxerrois or more generally Cot Noir, is the original variety of the Cahors appellation. It brings structure, complexity and power to the wines. Merlot is a complementary variety which adds finesse, body and roundness, as well as an elegant bouquet in early years, later giving way to the powerful aromas the violets, liquorice,
spice and candied fruit of the Malbec.
The wines are vinified in stainless steelsvats, parcel by parcel in order to get the best from each. The wine remains on the skins for 15 to 20 days to extract the colour, aromas and structure needed for good aging, without including the coarse tannins, which are too astringent and can upset the balance of the wine. They have one overriding objective, which is to produce wines which are characterful, long lasting, full with finesse, elegance and complexity and which balance the characteristics of the Malbec with those of the terroir to give maximum pleasure!
After the blending, the wines are kept for 24 to 36 months in concrete vats to guarantee the harmonisation of the tannins and to allow the wines to begin to open out before going on sale. They will then be enjoyed with red meat, foie gras or fine cheeses - they are also good with spicy dishes.
I'm not aware of any UK stockist (let me know if I am wrong) - she does not appear to have a website, so you'll just have to visit the vineyard - well worth a little detour.