Hotel Diderot, Chinon

My love for the Loire Valley knows no bounds. I first visited aged 14 on an exchange trip; our local town was twinned with Luynes, near Tours. A few years later I spent a year in Tours as an English language assistante in a secondary school. During that year I prepared my degree dissertation on the region's wines which gave me the excuse to visit producers in nearby Vouvray and Chinon. Not only is the Loire Valley exceptionally beautiful, but the delicious local cuisine adds to its addictive quality. It also has a soothing douceur that can calm even the most stressed Londoner. Consequently, I have to get a fix of the place on a regular basis.

Recently, our family holidays have combined a week in St Cyprien in Roussillon on the Mediterranean coast with a week in the Loire Valley near Le Puy Notre Dame. This year we had different itinerary: our usual week in St Cyprien was to be preceded by a stay in Cap Ferret near Arcachon. My Loire fix was going to be restricted to an overnight stay to break the outward journey. Luckily I'd heard of somewhere that might fit the bill and give us a short, but satisfying taste of the region: the Hotel Diderot in Chinon. As so many of the reviews were positive and the website conjured up an idyllic image, I had a nagging feeling I'd be disappointed.

Late in the afternoon and tired after a long day's drive, we arrived at the Hotel Diderot in the centre of historic Chinon. As we turned into the hotel, the owners came out to greet us warmly and direct us to the parking area. We checked in, freshened up and went downstairs for a refreshing glass of Chinon Rosé on the terrace, before deciding where to go for dinner (their recommendation, Côté Jardin in Rue du Commerce, was fine for an early supper with our five-year-old).

The Diderot is owned by siblings Françoise, Martine and Laurent Dutheil who run the place impeccably. I was worried that such a pretty, traditional looking French hotel might, like many others, look the part, but actually be quite uncomfortable and noisy. Too often I've had my sleep interrupted by teenagers on mopeds screeching around old French towns. The Diderot, in spite of the handsome antiques and the odd creaky floorboard, places the emphasis firmly on comfort. Our large family room (chambre de maître) was generously furnished and even had a selection of board games in case of bad weather, but the discretely double-glazed windows were a really caring detail. Living in a draughty old Victorian house, we find this kind of investment impressive. We had a very good night's sleep and I can imagine being there in mid-winter and feeling just as comfortable. It was also a treat being able to look down into neighbouring gardens and across the rooftops to get a different aspect of the town.

The next morning we experienced what the Diderot is most noted for: breakfast that includes an array of jams home-made by Laurent Dutheil. We were seated near their 'jam cupboard' or armoire à confitures and were served local apple juice, coffee, hot chocolate with delicious freshly-baked croissants and baguettes and, of course, jam.

We were there at the end of August, so their distinctively soft-set jams (even softer than Bonne Maman) included some recently prepared apricot with two kinds of cherry and a particularly lovely blend of red summer fruits: the evocatively named fruits de solstice de l'été. A plum jam made with three varieties of plum (greengage, mirabelle and damson) also stood out. The Loire region is often referred to as le jardin de la France – something that's truly evident here at the Diderot, with this celebration of local produce. Even a glance around the hotel garden confirms this passion: the plants are all labelled.

While we were checking out the staff inquired how we'd heard of the hotel. Laurent was delighted to hear that, as well as having been aware of the hotel for some years, I'd read about them in an edition of Waitrose Food Illustrated and had tried one of the recipes included in the piece (their book Jam in the Cupboard/L'Armoire à Confitures is available to buy at the hotel). He gave our daughter a jar of strawberry jam (one of her favourites) and asked us to bring some of our home-made jam in exchange if we return. We certainly will, although, in the meantime, I'll keep working on my jam-making skills, although our local produce here in London isn't quite as inspirational.

Note: it's worth booking well in advance as the hotel often accommodates large parties of cyclists touring the region.

Hotel Diderot
4 rue Buffon
37500 Chinon
France
Tel +33 (0)2 47 93 18 87
www.hoteldiderot.com

The joys of self-catering in France 2: Loire

I have such a soft-spot for the Loire Valley. I first went there as an exchange student in my early teens and a few years later spent a year in Tours while doing my French degree. This year, for the second year running we stayed just south of Doué la Fontaine, near Le Puy Nôtre Dame (about half an hour from Saumur). The Layon river is only a few miles away, meandering in a loosely north-westerly direction towards Angers. The wine routes are well worth following to explore these pretty valleys and historic towns. We were actually staying in the Saumur AOC, with a number of local producers offering great value wines: dry whites, reds, off-dry and sweet whites and sparkling. A mixed case or two from a producer such as Château Beauregard in Le Puy Nôtre Dame would see you nicely through your stay (although expect to give your French a bit of a workout here with the chatty proprietor, Alain Gourdon). This estate is on the edge of the town and, as the name suggests, the view is beautiful. The Cave de Saumur in St Cyr-en-Bourg also offers an excellent range at good prices and has tours around their extensive cellars. Their range also includes some supple tasty Saumur-Champigny (and wine boxes - easily slotted into the car and useful for everyday drinking). This is on a another scenic wine route that takes you much closer to the Loire river. For some age-worthy wines from our daughter's birth year 2006, we also visited Château de Villeneuve (Souzay-Champigny; pictured above) for finely structured, concentrated Saumur-Champigny and Saumur Blanc and, in Chinon, Bernard Baudry (Cravant-les-Coteaux) for some of their elegant, expressive wines (with beguiling salty minerality).

We kept our food shopping quite simple and local, using small shops as well as the comprehensively stocked Super U on the outskirts of Doué la Fontaine and the town's Monday market. A little further away on the western side of Saumur there is an enormous Leclerc that also has a useful child-friendly restaurant. Our supermarket purchases included Loué free-range chicken, onglet steak, veal chops and, for easy lunches, cheeses and tubs of rillettes. We also stock up on Bonne Maman jams (the complex tasting Myrtilles Sauvages being our favourite). Decent boulangeries are close by in Le Puy Notre Dame and Les Verchers sur Layon. The best one we came across, though, was in Chinon, offering bread in all styles, pastries and exquisite tarts which we enjoyed for lunch, sitting alongside the Vienne river. We had three savoury tarts: smoked salmon and chives, goat's cheese and one in a quiche lorraine style using rillons (flavoursome chunky lardons – a Touraine speciality), all with light, puff pastry cases. Completely luxurious (if a little messy!).

Just a final note about wines from the Anjou and Touraine stretch of the Loire and their food-friendliness. Both red and dry white wines have restrained fruit and notably fresh acidity allowing them to partner a wide range of food without ever dominating; the grapes Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc have naturally low pH levels. Oak rarely features in these wines (only in some reds) which really boosts their versatility (and drinkability). They are a particularly good foil to fatty foods, such as local charcuterie. I love the firm tannic structure of young, juicy Cabernet Franc with grilled steak or lamb. After several years' ageing, the complex aromas and silkiness of a maturing Chinon or Bourgueil would be perfect with game or roast beef and delicious with duck. Complex, mineral dry whites such as Vouvray, Savennières, Saumur or Anjou Blanc (eg from Pierre-Bise in Beaulieu sur Layon) are superb with simply cooked fish. We had a particularly memorably meal of baked trout with a bottle of Château Villeneuve's Les Cormiers 2006. As for the heavenly late-picked sweet wines that can age almost eternally, I'd be tempted to sip them before or after a meal – either as an aperitif or instead of pudding. That's if I can be persuaded to open a bottle, although life's too short to keep putting off drinking special bottles. Where's that corkscrew...?