travelling-blogger

comments

The last time I took my children camping we ended up coming home after one night – them in tears and me adamant I'd never spend a night under canvas again.

But on that occasion our accommodation was a leaky four-man ridge tent erected in a farmer's field in Cumbria at the back end of Britain's wettest summer in 100 years.

OK, so I relented about going camping again, but our surroundings this time could not have been more different.

French fancy: One of the tents at the site in Montazellis

We were staying in a luxurious safari-style tent with a four-poster bed, fitted kitchen, sitting room and private shower, nestled in the rural idyll of a working vineyard in the sunny South of France.

This is 'glamping' – camping, only without sleeping bags, toilet blocks and having to cook off a portable stove. It's a version of outdoor living that allows you to get close to nature without the discomfort of getting too close.

Treat: Bridie collects eggs for breakfast

Glamping at Montazellis gave us a rare opportunity to holiday among the vines of a thriving boutique vineyard. Situated in a small hamlet just outside the village of Alignan du Vent in the Languedoc region, the Domaine de Montazellis dates back to the Middle Ages.

Wine production ceased in the 1950s, but has now been revived by Dhanya and Nova Collette, who took on the vineyard in 2005. Today visitors can do more than simply sample the couple's range of wines.

We enjoyed free wine-tasting, a guided tour of the vineyard, which includes many ancient ruins, and a picnic. Guests can also get involved with the wine-making process.

We visited in spring when the almighty task of hand-tying in 25 acres containing 35,000 plants, including merlot, chardonnay, syrah and vermentino grapes, was under way. At other times it's possible to pick the grapes or label the bottles.

Our tent had a wooden terrace where each evening I watched the sun set while enjoying a glass or two. With two children of their own, the Collettes are family-friendly.

Bridie, aged seven, enjoyed collecting fresh eggs for breakfast each morning from the site's resident hens; it was great to let her roam freely in the safety of the surrounding gardens.

Meanwhile, my 15-year-old son Johnston took advantage of the internet, music system and widescreen TV in an entertainment room a few steps from our terrace.

A car was a necessity – the nearest beach is a 20-minute drive away and the nearest supermarket is ten minutes away. Still, it all beats a wet weekend in Cumbria any day.