22/07/2024
Gulp! Another great review from our recent guests. WOW! Thank you the Crowther clan and can't wait to have you back! :-) https://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentalReview-g662771-d23416979-3_Bed_Le_Chai_gite_at_Le_Peynau_former_wine_estate-Eymet_Dordogne_Nouvelle_Aquitaine.html
Le Peynau... 5 Stars aren't enough!
Where to even begin when writing a review for this absolute gem..?! I've struggled to keep it relatively short, so please bare with me! Nestled within the wine regions of East Bordeaux, this beautifully appointed, very spacious gite is just so perfect in so many ways! Starting with the local area, Le Peynau is located perfectly to offer easy access to loads of local places of interest. The historic market town of Eymet is about an 8 min drive away and offers a gorgeous old market square, lovely restaurants and cafes as well as a vibrant local market held weekly which is loads of fun. Supermarkets and other amenities are as you'd expect and offer lots of local wine and cheese (a theme will develop here) as well as all the normal stuff you'd expect in a supermarket. Beyond Eymet, Le Peynau is wonderfully situated within the heart of the Dordogne wine country with the likes of Saint Emillion, Bergerac, Montbazillac, etc etc all well within about an hour, maximum. Honestly, you're totally spoilt for choice! If wine and original French food is your thing, you really can't go wrong by staying here. Everything feels like it is close enough that it's easy to access, but far enough away that it means the gite is always quiet.... A hire car is a must as uber/local taxis don't really exist/super expensive. The quiet is the next big sell to Le Peynau. The only thing we were even close to be disturbed by was the occasional tractor travelling from one vineyard to another... Let's be honest, hardly the M25! We live in semi-rural Hampshire back in the UK and consider ourselves to be fairly quiet where we live, Le Peynau takes peace and quiet to a whole new level! I could actually hear myself think... Which isn't aways a good thing! My recommendation in terms of local travel when staying at Le Peynau is to consider hiring a couple of bikes. You can do this from a bike-hire place in Eymet (Goodturn cycles), or Adam and Christina have a couple of bikes they let us use. Honestly, it is such a lovely way of getting about and when you're cycling on the quiet roads alongside some of the local vineyards, you just get to experience so much more than just travelling from one place to another in your hire car.. I mean, you're in rural France! Half the fun is in the journey with all the places to look at and see, not just about the destination. Plus, it gives you an opportunity to work of some off the food that will undoubtably consume you, as much as you it! I said there would be a theme here... The food. Oh my gosh, the food! If you are anything like me then you'll agree that French food is some of the very best in the world and this part of France certainly does not disappoint! The type of food you can expect is the classic, no fuss, French traditions. It's all about the big flavours within simple foods. My absolute favourite! Think Foie gras, steaks, cheeses, cured meats, pate's, vegetables... Similar to Tuscany/parts of Northern Spain - all that type of thing. Absolute heaven! In our opinion, the best place we found locally as recommended by Adam and Christina (i'll get on to the hosts later) was Famillie Moutier. This is/was everything i described above. Original, authentic, no-nonsense but simply brilliant. Famille Moutier offers a set menu with wine pairing for every course. There is a choice of 5 mains, but that's as far as your choice goes. The rest is provided at regular intervals and you're left to just enjoy the very best food rural France has to offer... What's not to love?! Beyond Famillie Moutier, we ventured into Montbazillac, Eymet and St Foy la Grande to eat both lunches and dinners (check out Brassierie Boucher if you're in St Foy for more genuinely authentic French cuisine) and enjoyed everywhere we went/expereinced. As i said, the French can do food. They really can! Back to Le Peynau itself. The gites (Le Chai and Le Pigeonnire) are both set apart from one another within the main grounds. Both gites have their own external space as well as one communal area. We stayed at Le Chai which was more than enough space for my wife and I, another couple and our two boys. 'Le Chai' was well equipped and provides everything you'd need for a week or two away. fully fitted kitchen, washing machine, BBQ, hair dryers, irons/ironing boards etc. All the stuff you think about before you go on hols is onsite. If there is something additionally that you feel you might want, Adam and Christina are more than happy to offer advice/assistance wherever required. For the slightly more active - and for those looking to work off some of that food - Le Peynau then offers a wide range of activities onsite too. There is a heated swimming pool, ping-pong table, boules, pool table, badminton rackets and even a 100 yard pitch and putt area that Adam has created. He even has clubs you can borrow! To be honest, i think it just allows Adam an excuse to spend on his sit-on lawn mower, but what a lovely little addition! And therein lies the truly magical part of staying at Le Peynau - Adam and Chistina. I write this having never met either Adam or Christina before our trip, but i cannot tell you what fantastic hosts/people they are! Whatever they can do to help/advise/counsel you with about all things France, they will. For context, when we arrived (i had an issue with my passport, but that is a story for another day) Adam explained that as we were arriving on the Sunday afternoon flight from Bournemouth to Bergerac, that all the supermarkets were likely to be closed. Adam kindly then offered to go to the Supermarket for us so that we'd have the basics when we arrived! Genuinely above and beyond. There were countless examples of Adam and Christina's kindness and generosity throughout our trip, but i won't embarrass them by listing them all. What i will say, is that not only are you getting your own little slice of paradise when you book Le Peynau, but you'll also receive the warmest of welcomes from two genuinely brilliant people! In summery, STAY HERE!! If you're looking for a peaceful, rural retreat with great people, superb wine, amazing food and all round wonderfulness, you can't go wrong with Le Peynau. Every little part of it was perfect, perpetuated by the most fantastic of hosts. PS. Ask Adam for a wine tasting whilst you're there. Great value and a real insight into local wines/producers. Don't let him hide the good stuff though!
Tom Crowther.
