Time for some wine tasting. The Loire Valley is renowned for its fine white wines but I was on the hunt for something special. Some years ago I had the finest wine I have ever tasted here in Chinon. It was earthy, woody heavy, full of flavour and it was red. It also came at a price, £80 a bottle. Chinon does produce red wine but it is never exported, France keeps it all. I knew I was never going to match that bottle, it was a 1982 vintage but I just wanted something close. My excuse for a spot of morning drinking.

The rock under Chinon fortress is full of caves just ideal for storing wine and there are plenty of little independent cellars with a variety of wine. Like I said, I was never going to match the original but we have come away with 6 bottles of a very nice 2019 vintage.