The rolling hillsides either side of the middle-Dordogne valley are extensively planted with Bergerac vines, making a wide variety of red, rosé and white wines. Reds range from soft and fruity easy-drinking wines to big, oak-matured bruisers, whilst the whites can be bone dry, fruity, semi-sweet, almost liqueur-like, or sparkling. There's a huge amount to try and a great variety to discover in our area alone.

Further down the valley and onwards to the Atlantic Ocean lie the great vineyards of Bordeaux, the nearest planted south of river Dordogne at Ste. Foy la Grande, 6 miles away. Put the Bordeaux and Bergerac areas together and there's more wine made in this part of France than the entire output of Australia - with plenty to choose from; we have everything from the most straightforward table wine to the world's most expensive - Chateau Petrus - all on our doorstep...

Wines that carry the Bergerac appellation can be made over a wide area, but within that area are a number of smaller districts where particularly special wines and styles are permitted to carry their own name.

Montravel is one such area, covering a small number of villages of which St. Méard de Gurçon is one. Yet this small area is divided again into Côtes de Montravel and Haut Montravel, which cover just nine villages and five villages respectively - and St. Méard is one of those villages is both of these cases too! Confusing? Well let me explain...

Montravel - A crisp, clean, dry white wine generally made from a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grapes, and quite different from the more fruity Bergerac dry whites. This is due to both the grape blends but also the way the wine is made, with the juices quickly run off from the skins, and the wine later matured on its "lees" which adds an extra zing to the taste. Very refreshing!

Montravel Rouge - One of France's newest and rarest appellations, the first vintage of this wine was made in 2001 and proved hugely successful! Perhaps this has a lot to do with the exceptionally high quality threshold the winemakers have to reach before they are allowed to call their red wine "Montravel" rather than just "Bergerac" - it's the only wine in France where the wine has to be bottled before it gains its status from an expert tasting and analysis panel. Like most reds of the area from Bergerac to St Emilion it's a wine dominated by the Merlot grape.

Côtes de Montravel - A gentle sweet white wine - but not too sweet! Excellent as an aperitif, with blue cheeses or foie gras, this is a delightful wine well worth trying - even if you think you don't like sweet wines. Actually, my experience suggests it's at most semi-sweet. Very floral, with lots of fruit flavours.

Haut Montravel - A liquoreux sweet white wine was how this was first described to me by one local producer. Only produced in exceptional years and in very small quantities, Haut Montravel is an absolute treat. A honeyed, almost syrupy wine, in properties like Ch. Le Raz the wine is made from start to finish in new French oak barrels. For any wine lover this is something worth finding - there's so little of it that you're unlikely to some across it outside of the area. Affordable gold dust!

The wines of Bergerac are made across an area which stretches to the east of the Bordeaux region. In many respects the reds tend to resemble a slightly more rustic version of the Merlot-dominated wines of St. Emilion. They're certainly not as expensive as their illustrious neighbour, but from the better properties their wines can often scale the same heights of refinement and potential.

Unlike St. Emilion, however, there's far more diversity of production here, with a wide range of styles capitalising on the diversity of micro-climates and soil types across the area.

As far as red goes, the main appellation is Bergerac, with premium wines called Côtes de Bergerac which are slightly stronger in alcohol and usually of a bigger style. Other reds include the rarer-than-hen's-teeth Montravel Rouge described above, and the very appealing wines of Pécharmant, made in a small area to the north of Bergerac itself.

Whites range from the crisp dry Montravel and fruity dry Bergerac Sec to the great sweet wines of Monbazillac, Saussignac and Haut Montravel.

We also benefit from everyday country wines - vins de pays and vins de table, and many co-operative producers allow visitors to buy en vrac - direct from huge steel vats. Every day these wineries see a steady flow of local visitors coming to have their wine boxes topped up - usually battered and taped up from years of use! (The boxes, not the locals...)

A tap is screwed onto the front of the bag in the box, and the light easy-drinking red wine being filled up here comes in at under 60p a bottle. With a lower alcohol content than the bottled wines, it's perfect lunchtime wine with a barbeque or salad - nothing pretentious, and you don't feel guilty about having another glass!

There's usually a choice of reds, whites and a rosé available, and the winery will sell you a box with thick plastic bag inside and a tap to get you started. Once you have your box you can refill it at any of the local wineries offering wines en vrac - and you soon find that some of them far surpass their humble origins. It's well worth asking your host for their favourites - and perhaps whether you can borrow a box for the week!