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The Area Around La Rose Blanche

La Rose Blanche sits amongst agricultural land some 3 Kms from the small town of Mirambeau.

The Mirambeau Area

La Rose Blanche sits amongst prime agricultural land devoted to vineyards, sunflowers, rapeseed, corn and arable land. It is walking distance (just 3 Kms away) from the small village of Mirambeau which has most things you will need, including banks, a 24 hour service station, supermarket, chambre d'hotes, hotel with restaurant, a chemist, garages, a small Saturday market, boulangerie, patisserie, hairdressers, florist, cafés and bars. There are doctors in Mirambeau in the Health Center as well as a Physio, Choropodist plus there is a further health center in St Bonnet. For more information check out the local Mairie website at www.mirambeau17.fr

Cognac and Pineau

Sitting between the Bordeaux AC of Cote de Blaye to the South and Cognac country to the North, La Rose Blanche sits in a wine growing area famous for its own speciality fortified wine - Pineau - which comes in both white and red.

Bordeaux Wine

A couple of kilometres away in Marcillac is one of the largest vineyard co-operatives in France known as Les Vignerons de Tutiac producing affordable Bordeaux red wine (vin rouge) and white wines (vin blanc) of a high standard.

From the beginning of July to the end of August many small local towns in the area, such as Jonzac and Montendre, host night markets and open air concerts, giving you the opportunity to experience French life in a truly traditional way.

Free tastings at the distilleries will tempt your palate and guarantee to get you buying bottles to take home.

If you should go to a Tutiac tasting ( degustation ) do not buy the chocolate enrobed Sauterne marinated raisins - you WILL be addicted !!

Gironde Estuary

Distillery - Making the Local Red and White Fortified Wine - Pineau.

From La Rose Blanche you can see the Gironde estuary and Garonne River in the distance, the Gironde estuary is the largest in Europe's, famed for the heroic exploits of the Cockleshell Heroes during WW2.

The Gironde estuary separates the Cote de Blaye and Cote de Bourg on one side that mainly produce red wines which they have done since Roman times from the Medoc on the other side. The Medoc made famous more recently for fine red wines such as those of Pauillac - the great estates of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, Chateau Latour, and Chateau Lafite-Rothschild to name but a few.

The Gironde estuary is between 10 and 30 minutes drive. Here you will also find vast conservation areas and scores of little fishing villages and picturesque marinas; for example Vitzeray, Port Maubert, Montagne and the picture perfect Talmont.

Ferries cross the Gironde from the fortress city of Blaye, about 30Kms South of Mirambeau, to the Medoc. Blaye itself is well worth a visit with its Napoleonic fortifications and many good bargain Bordeaux wines of its own.

Atlantic Beaches

Travelling North West the estuary widens dramatically as it reaches the Atlantic. About 30km or a 30 minute drive away you will find a number of beautiful sandy beaches. Lovely seaside towns like St Georges de Didonne, Royan and St Palais sur Mer all offer safe, sandy beaches and sea-food restaurants aplenty.

Sandy Atlantic Beaches

Further Afield

The historic towns and cities of Angouleme, Barbezieux, Bordeaux, Blaye, St Emilion, Jonzac, Montendre, Saintes, Pons and the port of La Rochelle are all worthy of a visit, for the younger visitor the zoo at La Palmyre is a popular destination.

For keen golfers the nearest golf course is 20 minutes away at Montendre, although it is only a 9 hole course it is quite testing. There is an 18 hole course at Cognac 40 minutes away.

For larger outlets and entertainment Jonzac is just a 20 minute drive away.

Further afield:

Bordeaux – 1 hour
Angouleme and La Rochelle – 1 1/4 hours
Poitiers – 2 hours.

Pons - 1/2 an hour

Saintes - Under an hour.

Ferries

France:

Dunkirk - 8 hours
Boulogne and Calais - 8 hours
Cherbourg - 5 hours
Dieppe - 5 hours
Le Havre - 5 hours
Caen - 4 hours
St Malo - 4 hours

Spain:

Bilbao - 5 hours

Santander - 6 hours

All times are approximate and are based on using the main arterial routes and toll roads. Junction 37 on the A10 is ten minutes away .

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