It's still dark at 06:15 when the celtic strings music wakes us, and no lighter as we emerge from MV Armorique an hour later, although it's actually 08:15 in Euros. We stop for coffee at St Pierre de Plesguen from 09:30 to 10:00 and again near Bain de Bretagne for sandwich/baguettes at midday. From Rennes to Nantes it drizzles and rains most of the way.

Just after 13:00 we leave the main roads and have about 8 miles through the vineyards to the France Passion, Domaine des Croix at Maisdon sur Sevre. The vineyards look very different from our journeys last year. Now in January they are rows of thick dark stumps with a few branches. In the grey weather they look like fields of stationary black cockerels scratching at bare earth.

At the passion we are greeted by Josiane Batard, the owner and told where to park, where to find the electricity and asked what time we'd like to come for tasting.

We spend a while sorting out our travelling home as the rain stops, the skies lift and there are a few glimpses of sunshine. Late afternoon we wander around the estate and then go into the shop. There are all sorts of regional products including pates, jams, honey, walnuts and biscuits. Naturally we sample some of the wines, which are predominantly Muscadet produced from only two hectares.

The 2011 is crisp and fruity, full of flavour while the 2013 is pleasant but lacks the taste of the other. They also make a sparkling wine which differs from Champagne as no gas is added, the bubbles coming only from the fermentation. It tastes lovely and the huge bubbles fizz on the tongue like sherbet.

We are shown the production vats, and photos of an underground network of pipes which have something to do with collecting the sediment [lost a bit in translation]. In the tasting area are new oak barrels, and some chandeliers made from old vines. Josiane tells us the vines are used for about 50 years.

We buy a few things and head back to the van, getting settled just before a heavy shower.

As we have had mains electricity today Ali use the slow cooker to make chicken casserole.