STEPHEN DAVY-OSBORNE fills up on a food adventure in the historic (& pretty tasty) Vaucluse department in France

THERE really is nothing more rewarding than eating a meal that you have helped prepare and cook up.

And in one corner of southeast France, one isolated hilltop house is making quite the name for itself as a destination for foodies eager to be taken back to their roots on the most extraordinary of culinary journeys.

The Vaucluse department is home to a tome of history, with department capital Avignon drawing in thousands of tourists every year to visit the 14th century Palace of the Popes, as well as its incomplete bridge stretching out into the river Rhône.

But the kitchen of two friends in the tiny hillside village of Brantes is taking people back to another part of their history - with delicious consequences. Here you put your faith in the hands of “taste advernturesses” Odile Daniel and self-proclaimed “witch” Jacqueline Toumissin – though do not fear, the only cat you will find here is Odile’s grey feline Kayetta, not a black cat or cauldron in sight.

The pair have made a name for themselves with Les Aventurières du Goût, a hands on experience that takes small groups of people out into the lush flora of the hill to forage for their food. This sees Jacqueline lead the aspiring chefs on a foraging walk around the hillside gathering all sorts of herbs, leaves and edible plants suitable for a gourmet feast. After gathering these ingredients, Odile’s picturesque home perched on the steep incline of the hill, becomes the scene for transformation. Here she has turned over her own kitchen to cook up all manner of delicious dishes from the freshly gathered ingredients.

It doesn’t get much fresher than this, and after the gentle walk up and down the steep incline of the hill, you will certainly have worked up an appetite.

If a morning spent being creative in the kitchen leaves you feeling inspired then a visit to Huiles & Sens to cook up your own cosmetics will certainly fit the bill as well – and with a bit of luck you will leave feeling (and looking!) even more youthful than when you entered.

The brainchild of Katja Stojetz, Huiles & Sens (as well as being a boutique for every essential oil you could ever possibly need, and a pretty tearoom) is home to the MaCosmetoPerso kitchen/laboratory. Here you can learn about the many fascinating properties of essential oils, their health benefits and which ones are most suited to your skin type. If your male travel partners turn up their noses at this one, they will well and truly miss out, as a MaCosmetoPerso workshop will bring back all the fun of school chemistry lessons, but with the pleasing aroma of argon oil, as opposed to Bunsen burner gas.

By now you will have well and truly earned yourself a drink, and luckily from here it is just a short journey to the working vineyard of Domaine de Cabasse, which sits between the Provence-picture-perfect villages of Séguret and Sablet. The vineyards of Domaine de Cabasse are made up of five hectares of Côtes du Rhône Villages Sablet, seven hectares of Côtes du Rhône Villages Séguret, and three hectares in Cru Gigondas, with house specials including the Cuvée Casa Bassa and Gigondas. Here, visitors wishing to sample the many varieties of wine produced at this vineyard don’t have to call it a day at sundown, as the estate is home to its own hotel, outdoor swimming pool and terrace where you can enjoy a glass or two of Cabasse’s finest vintages. The restaurant’s knowledgeable waiting staff are also more than happy to advise which of the house wines are best paired with the many options on their seasonal gourmet menu, making for an evening of fine dining and the opportunity to sample your favourite wines of the estate a little more thoroughly.

Domaine de Cabasse is also an ideal base to explore the surrounding countryside from, with ecyclo offering cycling tours out into the many vineyards of the surrounding area. But don’t worry, this isn’t a bicycle ride to rival the Tour de France, as ecyclo specialise in ebikes – so for every pedal you put in, the handy electric motor on the back of the bike pushes you even further forward. Cycling has never been so easy.

A popular destination of ecyclo is a midway stop at Cave de Rasteau, a cooperative made up of 80 families marketing quality wines under the Ortas brand name since 1925. Near the Vaison la Romaine, a region with truffles, olive oil, the mistral wind and the famous Grenache grape at its heart, the Cave has built its success on the Grenache Noir, although today it is blended with Syrah and Mourvèdre. The co-operative may have experienced their smallest harvest in 2017 since 1945 – marking a decline of 45% on previous years – but it still remains a hive of activity, and its tastings as popular as ever.

Your ebike may run out of battery to get you back to Calais and on to St Pancras – especially if you can’t choose between your favourites at Domaine de Cabasse and Cave de Rasteau and both saddle bags are bulging with bottles – luckily the TGV station at Avignon is just a short drive away. There’s nothing like a high-speed journey through the countryside to reflect upon life at a slower pace.

For more information visit www.provenceguide.com or to book international rail tickets visit www.voyages-sncf.com