The village

Leave the car in the car parks on the edge of the village and walk in. The steep cobbled lanes, called tertres, lead down to the Place du Marché, where the bell tower of the monolithic church rises above the café terraces. The church itself was carved out of the limestone in the 12th century and can only be visited on the tourist office’s guided tour, which also takes in the hermitage of the monk Émilion and the catacombs. Climb the bell tower or the Tour du Roy for the view over the roofs and the vines.

Wine

Saint-Émilion is a single appellation with hundreds of estates, from the Premier Grand Cru Classé châteaux to family vineyards you can visit without an appointment. The tourist office runs tastings and arranges visits; the wine shops around the square let you taste before you buy. If you want to understand the difference between the limestone plateau and the gravel slopes, a two-hour cellar visit is worth every euro. Designated drivers are well looked after.

Around Saint-Émilion

The road back to the house passes Castillon-la-Bataille, where the Hundred Years’ War ended in 1453, and the pretty bastide of Sainte-Foy-la-Grande with its Saturday market. Pomerol and Libourne are ten minutes further west if you want to continue the wine theme.

Practical

45 minutes by car via Sainte-Foy-la-Grande and Castillon. Park at the Parking du Prieuré or the Parking de la Madeleine. Restaurants fill up at lunchtime in season, so book or eat early. Macarons from the original 1620 recipe are the souvenir to bring back for the pool terrace.