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Food discoveries around Gannat: wines, mustard and oils of the Val de Sioule

Published 3 March 2021

Around Gannat, three products tell the story of the area well: Saint-Pourçain wines, Charroux mustard and the walnut and hazelnut oils of Vensat. All are less than half an hour's drive away and can be combined into a gourmet day out. Here is where to go and how to plan it.

Saint-Pourçain wines, half an hour away

The Saint-Pourçain vineyards stretch across the slopes of the Sioule and the Allier, north of Gannat. Once served at the table of kings, the wine was granted AOC (protected designation of origin) status in 2009, after a long period as a VDQS. The area covers 19 communes and about 600 hectares.

• Whites: Chardonnay and Tressallier, a lively local grape variety, sometimes blended with Sauvignon.
• Reds: Gamay and Pinot Noir.
• Rosés: Gamay.

For a first taste, the Cave de Saint-Pourçain, a cooperative founded in 1952, offers a self-guided visit with an educational vineyard, a gallery on winemaking and a free tasting of its range. It is open every day from May to September and Monday to Saturday the rest of the year. Many family estates also welcome visitors by appointment: call ahead, especially during the grape harvest.

If you would rather buy without driving, a wine merchant in Gannat selects wines from grower-winemakers: see our article on the Caves Naudot.

Charroux mustard, a quarter of an hour away

Charroux, a hilltop village west of Gannat, is known for its mustard. The seeds are crushed with a millstone, then mixed with vinegar, verjuice and Saint-Pourçain wines, which give it its distinctive taste. The paste then rests in a cool place before being potted. The flavoured varieties change with the seasons.

A visit to the village is easily combined with buying a few jars: the village is explored on foot, through its lanes, market hall and old houses. Our article Charroux in the Bourbonnais gives the stages of the walk. The products are presented on the maker's website, moutarde-charroux.com.

Vensat oils, on the other side of the Limagne

About twenty minutes south of Gannat, on the Puy-de-Dôme side, the Vensat oil mill produces walnut, hazelnut and other nut oils. The nuts are roasted before pressing, giving oils with a toasted flavour, to be used raw on a salad or vegetables. The shop's opening days and hours vary with the season: check them before you go; a guided tour of the workshop is possible by reservation.

A gourmet day out from Gannat

These three stops fit into a one-day loop:

1. Morning: the Vensat oil mill, then back towards Gannat.
2. Lunch: lunch in Gannat or Charroux.
3. Afternoon: a stroll around Charroux and some mustard shopping, then on to Saint-Pourçain for a late-afternoon tasting.

To delve further into regional cooking, our article on local culinary specialities presents other products to try during your stay.

Cooking your finds on site

Bringing back a bottle of Tressallier, a jar of wholegrain mustard and some walnut oil is also a chance to cook in the evening. Our houses and flats in Gannat and our Val de Sioule gîtes have a fully equipped kitchen; some, such as the gîtes of La Grande Varenne, are opposite Charroux. All can be booked from one night, cleaning and linen included. The addresses are shown on the map of properties.