In the first year, I shared with readers some of my favorite books.  Some were old chestnuts that had been on my shelf for a long time. Others were brand new books that publishers sent to me for reviews. Keep in mind that at A Traveler’s Library, books get to the top of the pile by luring us to travel. They tell us, in fact or fiction about faraway places or even nearby places that sound so good, we have to go there. The authors, in any case, would shudder at the thought of being categorized as travel literature, but if they make us want to travel, they make our lists.

The South-West of France is a huge area in wine terms, stretching from south-east of Bordeaux to Toulouse and on southwards to the Pyrenees and the border with Spain.  Criss-crossed by rivers such as the Dordogne, Garonne, Lot and Tarn, it has numerous valleys ideal for wine growing.  A visit requires some detailed planning, especially of where to be based, and depending how long you are going for, you may well want to consider two or three bases.