Foy Cottage

Nestled in the heart of a working Côtes de Blaye-Bordeaux vineyard lies Foy Cottage sleeping up to five guests. Foy Cottage is traditionally styled with pale grey shuttered windows and shady trees outside. 

Entering the villa on the ground floor, you walk into the main living area, a cosy lounge and dining room. With comfy sofas and an old stone fireplace, the cottage is set up to keep you warm in the winter season. Wooden beams lie above the terracotta tiled floor and there is a dining table on one side seating six guests. Move through to the kitchen and breakfast bar, traditional in style with beams overhead and pale blue cupboard doors.

The family bathroom is on the ground floor with a shower (and a handy laundry area with washing machine). Heading upstairs via the steep steps you’ll find two bedrooms, a double with lovely views and a triple bedroom with three single beds.

This working Côtes de Blaye vineyard is in the Bordeaux region and provides the perfect backdrop to your holiday. Foy Cottage has a pretty outdoor area, bordered by newly planted laurel, with a table and chairs, a hammock and sun loungers so you can relax beneath the sun. There are rotating crops in front of the gite - sometimes vines and other times barley or wild plants to nourish the soil.

As a working vineyard, you will be able to witness the production of wine, from grape to bottle. Spend time walking through the vines and chatting to the owners, asking questions on the process, and discovering what makes the wine from Bordeaux so unique. The estate is also next to the village tennis courts, available for guests to use (just ask for the key).

The local village within walking distance has all your essentials including a small grocery shop (with fresh bread), a butchers and a pharmacy. On Sunday mornings you can pick up rotisserie chicken from the butchers and look out for a village oyster stall that occasionally appears.

How wonderful to be just a short drive to the historic town of Blaye by the banks of the Gironde estuary, also home to a Vauban designed military citadel dating back to the 17th century, now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Further afield, take the car ferry across to the Médoc peninsula for more wine tastings at the châteaux and vineyards of Margaux and Pauillac, or spend the day in the superb French city of Bordeaux, only 44km away. Another historic treasure not to be missed is Saint-Émilion, one of France's most loved wine destinations and less than an hour by car from your charming holiday home.

Foy Cottage is part of a working vineyard in the Bordeaux region of south-western France, only an hour drive from the city of Bordeaux (44km). It is one of two charming houses within the estate (see also Podien Cottage which is located on the village side). Foy Cottage is in the heart of the domaine near the courtyard, main chateau and the winery itself.

This certified organic vineyard, producing a range of Blaye-Côtes de Bordeaux wines, is a unique location for your holiday – the estate’s château dates back to the 18th century. The wine Bordeaux wine produced is mainly Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and the vines are grown in clay and limestone, typical of the conditions on the right-bank of the estuary. There are opportunities to tour the estate and sample the wines.   

The nearby village is within walking distance, home to a grocery store with fresh bread, butchers (also open on a Sunday morning) and cafe-bar-tabac. Guests can use the village tennis courts which are located just beyond the edge of the estate less than a 5-minute stroll away (just ask for the key). 

Blaye (6.5km) is the nearest town, home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Citadelle de Blaye. Designed by the celebrated French military engineer Vauban, Citadelle de Blaye is a fortress offering panoramas over the Gironde estuary. Built in the 17th century, the citadel of Blaye had 1.5km of ramparts, over 30 hectares of fortifications and 1,500 soldiers occupying the fort.

Spend time strolling through the citadel's narrow streets and meet the craftsmen, restaurateurs and shopkeepers who dwell in the once-fortified fortress. Tours are also available for those who want to delve deeper into history and enter the underground passages below the surface. The town of Blaye also offers cafés, restaurants and shops for you to refresh yourself with. The town is easily reached by car or you can cycle along the back country roads.

Travelling slightly further away, take a day to visit the picturesque St. Emilion (47km), a medieval hilltop village located in the famous Bordeaux wine region. Surrounded by UNESCO vineyards, St. Emilion has two thousand years of history found in beautiful architecture and monuments. Golden bricks shine in the sunlight as you wind through the village, exploring historic vineyards, cafes and shops.

This part of south-west France is home to the Aquitaine coastline, the longest sandy coastline in Europe, stretching 230 kilometres. Spend the day by the surfing shores of Lacanau (60km) on the Médoc peninsula (reached via car ferry) or venture north to experience the charm of Royan (86km), just less than 90 minutes by car.