LOCAL Houston | The City Guide JUNE 2016 | Page 73

FOOD | ARTS | COMMUNITY | STYLE + LEISURE

American entrepreneur with big plans for the estate comprised of two châteaux and a clos . little under 8,000 wines are produced yearly , exclusively off the grapes grown on site . An average of 35,000 visitors tour the magical estate and snap up most of the product . www . chateaupommard . com Château de Châteauneuf is a MUST . This was our last stop on route to Evians-les-Bains in the Rhone Alpes region . I fell in love with this enchanted property where we had the place to ourselves on a perfectly moody rainy day . The 14th -château was a fortress during the Hundred Years ’ War and ruled by the Châteauneuf family for generations until the death of the last heiress Catherine , who was burned alive for poisoning her second husband . www . burgundy-tourism . com

SAVOR : A visit to any one of Bernard Loiseau ’ s restaurants is a treat . We had lunch with the famed chef ’ s wife , Dominique Loiseau , at Loiseau des Vignes , the Michelin star restaurant opened by Dominique in 2007 in the historic

center of Beaune close to the Hospices . This was the first restaurant in France to offer a wine list by the glass and features a wraparound wall of Enomatic wines , allowing them to dispense by the glass which means you can actually taste a super expensive bottle by the glass . The food is phenomenal which is pretty much obvious by that aforementioned star . 31 rue Maufoux , 21200 Beune www . bernard-loiseau . com / en / en

ÉVIAN-LES-BAINS

A four-hour train had us in Geneva in no time to discover Évian-Les-Bains , home of the famed water . STAY : It doesn ’ t get more chic than the five-star luxury Evian Resort Hôtel Royal overlooking Lake Geneva . Guests have been relaxing here for over 100 years and the property recently reopened after a large-scale renovation combining its historic heritage with contemporary design . The result is breathtaking . Old World

frescoed domes and vaults and precious wood furniture – both antique and modern – bring a fresh feel . www . evianresort . com / uk / galerie-hotel-royal . php But the equally beautiful and wildly different , Les Lodges du Babylone is 24 miles from Geneva . Nestled in the French Savoy Alps , you ’ ll find cabins high up in the trees and carved into the landscape – this is where luxury and rustic nature slow dance . www . leslodgesbabylone . com SAVOR : The Fresques led by Michelin-starred Chef Patrice Vander and his team dazzle with the most perfect understated service at the Hotel Royal . Pastourelle at Les Lodges Babylone serves innovative dishes with Luc Pasquier at the helm , who shares , “ I am going back to roots and actually doing the cooking .” Trained with the masters of Lyon gastronomy , Luc sources local fare . DO : Palais Lumiere used to be a formal thermal spa and still has beautiful mosaics to show for it . Today it is the new Evian Cultural and Congress Centre with a program of art exhibitions . www . en . evian-tourisme . com / the-palais-lumiere . html

Hôtel Royal L ’ Or des Valois

Maison Blanche at night

Photography by Lariven Patrice