Pineau des Charentes is a fortified wine with a special history. This expressive beverage was created in 1589 in a commune in the South-West of France called Burie. It comes from an unexpected mixture of a distilled product and a fermented product. A winegrower from the Charente region accidentally mixed grape must and cognac brandy in a barrel. After several years, he reopened the barrel and, to his amazement, discovered a new drink: Pineau des Charentes. It obtained an AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) in 1945.

The Marennes-Oléron oysters enjoy protected geographical status and have won two Red Labels. Enjoy as many as you can while you are here!

Since 1989 when they won the first Red Label for a maritime product, the oyster farmers of Marennes Oléron have defended the quality of their products. In 1999, a second Red Label was awarded for the Pousse en Claire; a unique product in the Marennes-Oléron range. In 2009, the European Union registered the "Huîtres Marennes Oléron" label as a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication), rewarding the oyster farmers for their 20 years of continuous dedication to quality. The maturing in claires, specific to the Marennes Oléronbasin, is now recognized at the European level and extends over more than 3,000 hectares between Seudre and Ile d'Oléron. The oyster benefits from a transmission of knowledge from generation to generation which gives it its celebrated refined flavour.
If you are interested, we suggest that you visit the oyster city in Marennes (http://cite-huitre.com) or the oyster farming and natural site of Fort-Royer on the Ile d'Oléron.