Awards and citations:


1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Saturday 17 October 2009

Patrick Hilyer: French Vineyards – special places to stay


This recently published book by Patrick Hilyer is a guide to bed and breakfasts, chateaux and gîtes on wine producing estates – £19.99 and published by Alastair Sawday's. There are recommendations from all French wine producing areas. With many chambres d'hôtes offering good value and a more personal and enjoyable experience than hotels this is a useful guide especially if you want to stay at a property where wine is produced. As well as covering the accommodation, the domaine and its wines are also described.

Patrick recommends 12 places to stay in the Loire from Pouilly-sur-Loire to the Pays Nantais. He includes Michaela and Sue's La Grand Maison d'Artenay and Cave du Coteau du Sonnay run by Jean and Marie-Claire Baudry, the parents of Christophe Baudry of Baudry-Dutour.

Alastair Sawday charges for being in the guide, although says that inclusion is only on merit and that it is not possible to buy your way into the guide.

Nicky and Patrick Hilyer own the Restaurant du Delice, 9 Place Doctor Beck, 50450 Gavray (tel: 02.33.51.61.14) between Saint-Lo and Granville. They specialise in fish and chips.


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