Lunch at Chateau Carbonneau

Sunday, a midi, we accompanied our friends, Kerrie and Graham to the picturesque village of Gensac, about a 15-minute drive from their home in Port-Saint-Foy-en-Ponchapt. From Gensac, which is a stone's throw from the Dordogne River, we travelled about a kilometre east, turned off the road and drove down a gentle slope along an avenue of mature trees.

This was the magnificent 19th century Chateau Carbonneau.

We parked under a shady, exotic tree where dozens of weird, tennis-ball-looking fruit had dropped and were strewn on the ground. With the Chateau's vineyards as a backdrop, two couples were seated under a giant conifer which I later found out was a Sequoia Gigantea, or a Californian Big Tree.

Kerrie and Graham had been to the Chateau before and knew the owner Jacquie, who showed us to a table in the cool shade of a stately chestnut tree. What a magnificent site for an alfresco lunch.

Our lunch platter was a work of art and a gastronomic delight. It consisted of charcuterie (cold meats), paté de compagne, two types of cheese, olives, crudites, fruit and dips. The accompanying bread was superb.

For pre-lunch drinks we had the house semillion bubbles, followed by a claret, a wine that sits between rosé and red and is served chilled... apparently this style is all the rage in France this summer. We continued with a bottle of Classique, the Chateau's vin pour tous les jours, a smooth and very enjoyable blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with a dash of Malbec. After lunch, I took a walk around the Chateau to admire and record its beauty. The following shots were taken in the grounds.

There is a very warm and welcoming tea-room at Chateau Carbonneau, specialising in delicious scones, cakes and pastries. I particularly loved the spiral staircase.

There are five themed chambres d'hôtes and an exquisite conservatory. After a satisfying lunch in such salubrious surroundings, we came away with a more convinced view (if indeed it needed re-inforcing) that retiring to France was the best decision all of us had ever made.