The wines around the house

Monfaucon lies in the Montravel appellation, the westernmost of Bergerac’s thirteen, making crisp dry whites and, in Haut-Montravel, dessert wines. The nearest estate is a 2.5 km walk. Drive ten minutes and you are in Saussignac, a small appellation of sweet wines made from botrytised grapes on the hills above the Dordogne, with a cluster of welcoming family estates. Half an hour south of Bergerac is Monbazillac, whose castle sits above the vineyards making the region’s most famous sweet wine; the castle cellar sells the cooperative’s wines and the view from the terrace is the best in the Périgord Pourpre. North-east of Bergerac the Pécharmant hills make the Bergerac region’s most serious reds.

How to taste

Most estates are open Monday to Saturday without an appointment for a tasting and a chat with the winemaker, and a purchase of a few bottles is all that is expected. For the classified châteaux of Saint-Émilion, book ahead. The Maison des Vins in Bergerac is the place to start if you want a route planned for you. We keep a list of our own favourites at the house.

Market calendar

Day	Where	Notes
Monday	Sainte-Alvère	40 min, truffle market in winter
Tuesday	Le Fleix	10 min, small village market; Eymet night market in July and August
Wednesday	Bergerac	25 min
Thursday	Eymet	20 min, the prettiest
Friday	Lalinde	45 min, on the river
Saturday	Sainte-Foy-la-Grande and Bergerac	15 and 25 min, the two big ones
Sunday	Issigeac	40 min, the most famous, arrive early

In July and August many villages also hold marchés nocturnes: evening markets where you buy food from the stalls and eat at long tables with live music. They are the best way to spend a summer evening with a group.

Buying for the house

Bread: the boulangerie 10 minutes away, open early. Cheese and charcuterie: the markets. Supermarkets in Sainte-Foy-la-Grande (15 min) and Bergerac. Walnuts, foie gras, duck confit and strawberries are the local specialities worth bringing home.