Hello Monaco magazine HelloMonaco 2018#04_Summer_Autumn_WEB | Page 53
HelloMonaco weekend
Louise Simpson is a travel writer
and author based in London
and Monaco. Since studying
French literature at Cambridge
University, Louise has written for
numerous periodicals including
The Daily Telegraph, The
Financial Times, The Independent
and The Spectator in the UK
and has authored guides for
Frommer’s and Zagat in the US.
Луиза Симпсон — писа
тельница и автор путе
вых заметок, проживающая
в Лондоне и Монако. Еще во
время изучения французской
литературы в Кембридж
ском университете Луиза
начала сотрудничать со
многочисленными периоди
ческими изданиями, в числе
которых The Daily Telegraph,
The Financial Times, The
Independent и The Spectator в
Великобритании. Она также
является автором руководств
Frommer’s и Zagat в США.
© www.chateauroubine.com
starred restaurants, spas, cookery schools
and priceless artworks. Here are my favour-
ite places to taste, dine and sleep amongst
the Varoise vines.
For organic
oenophiles…
C
hâteau de Valmer combines oeno-
tourism with five-star luxury. This
Relais & Châteaux hotel lies in five
hectares of vines and woodland, just 500 m
from the Mediterranean on the St Tropez
peninsula. You can taste organic rosé and
white wines from the 1.6 hectare wine es-
tate over a gastronomic meal at La Pal
meraie restaurant. In a lush terrace of palm
trees and rhododendrons, up-and-coming
chef Jimmy Coutel is cooking up a Proven-
çal storm with dishes such as pigeon with
squash and red currants from the organic
garden and oven-baked Reinette apples
with spiced bread and sheep’s milk ice
cream. At the end of the day, you can sip
Pastis over a game of Pétanque or relax at
the Spa with L’Occitane products inspired
by the hotel’s organic vegetable garden.
Romantics and families alike will love the
luxury treehouses, perched in century-old
oak trees. In nearby Ramatuelle, you can
visit the vineyard Domaine de Tourraque
(www.latourraque.fr, +33(0)4 9479 2595)
whose excellent organic wines are pro-
duced on 30 hectares within the national
park of Port-Cros. If you book in advance,
the winemaker organizes hikes (every
Thursday and Friday) around his vineyard
that stretches towards stunning cliff-edge
views over the Mediterranean.
Château de Valmer, 81 Boulevard de Gi-
garo, 83420 La Croix Valmer (www.cha-
teauvalmer.com, +33(0)4 9455 1515). The ho-
tel is open from May to September. Rooms
from 260 euros, treehouses from 330
euros. Wine tastings are available on res-
ervation via the hotel.
Hello Monaco Summer–Autumn 2018 / 51