Second reason to stay in Vendee

As well as the usual more expensive offerings, the little off license in St Jean de Monts’ main square has large steel vats of different local wines (mainly Loire valley).

Approximately €3 buys you 1.5 litres of unbranded white, rose or red wine (poured into a used plastic water bottle) that you would reasonably expect to be as rough as sandpaper. However, the locals all drink it and I’ve bought far worse from so called ‘select’ UK wine clubs for upwards of 10 times the price.