Take me there: Cognac, Poitou-Charentes
Why go?
Napoleon apparently took several barrels with him on his exile to St Helena, while Kanye West and P Diddy sprinkle their lyrics with references to it: cognac is one of the world’s most enduringly popular tipples and yet the corner of southwest France which produces it is largely overlooked by tourists. Between December and February, the vineyards and distillers of Poitou-Charentes throw open their gates to visitors for free visits and tastings, often accompanied by dinners or live music in the cellars, while local restaurants devise complimentary menus (cognacetapes.com). So if you’re looking for an excuse for a pre-Christmas booze run, look no further.
What to do
The great cognac “maisons” of Hennessy, Courvoisier, Martell and Rémy Martin offer guided tours: check ahead for opening dates in winter. The Musée des Arts du Cognac (musees-cognac.fr) has an exhibition on the history of brandy. Take a cruise along the Charente river on a replica of the flat-bottomed “gabarre” boats once used to transport cognac to market. Les Halles, the covered food market in Angoulême, is the place to stock up on delicacies. Explore sleepy Charentais villages, vineyards and chateaux in a classic Citroën 2CV with Tour de Canard (from €109 per day, tourdecanard.com) based in the pretty village of Aubeterre-sur-Dronne.
Where to stay
Choose between B&B or a self-catering apartment at the Relais de Saint Preuil, a complex with pool, tennis court and mountain bikes, surrounded by vineyards (B&B from €98 per night, apartments from €500 per week, relais-de-saint-preuil.com).
Where to eat
Le Bistro de Claude offers tasty regional classics on its three-course set menu for €30 (bistro-de-claude.com).
Insider tip
“Hire a bike and cycle along the river to Jarnac. You get fab views across the Hennessy estate,” says Graham Downie, of estate agents Leggett Immobilier. “Then recuperate in the Café du Théâtre next to the Courvoisier chateau – watch the world go by for just €1.10 (the best value in south-west France).”
Give me a break
Home: Christmas walking in the Dales Avoid turning into a Christmas pudding this December by booking one of HF Holidays’ festive breaks which combine guided walks with sociable evenings at a choice of country houses. A four-night holiday in the Derbyshire Dales departing on 23 December costs £639pp, including full-board accommodation at the Peak Country House, a programme of walks and local transport (hfholidays.co.uk).
Away: glamorous Berlind weekend The opening of the new-look Hotel Zoo in Berlin’s City West district this month brings a welcome injection of glamour to the area. With decadent bedrooms, blinging carpet from Diane von Fürstenberg, in-room accessories by Maison Martin Margiela and its own line of (green) nail polish, it comes as a pleasant surprise that rooms start at a modest £102 per night (designhotels.com/hotel-zoo-berlin).
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