View from the terrace at Les Platanes des Chenas (Robin Robinson/SUN)

The phrase "vive la difference" may have been coined to describe France's Rhone-Alpes region. Best known for its tony ski resorts -- Avoriaz, Chamonix -- the area is much more than a winter playground for the rich and famous. In the span of a week, visitors can sip their way across Beaujolais country, ramble through the ages in medieval towns or relax at a spa or chateau against a backdrop of Alpine scenery.

All of these pursuits can be reached within two hour's drive of Lyon, the capital of Rhone-Alpes and France's second largest city. And at every stop on your town-and-country tour, your constant companions will be good food, good wine and good company.

EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY

On the edge of Lyon is Beaujolais country, where narrow country roads snake through tidy vineyards and the annual mid-November release of Beaujolais Nouveau is the most famous wine event in the world. While the new wine may be the region's claim to fame, Beaujolais villages also produce many well regarded vintages that improve with age.

In Romaneche-Thorins, budding oenophiles can learn about winemaking traditions at Le Hameau en Beaujolais, a museum with a 3-D film on wine production, cellars, a rose garden, a tourist train and -- of course -- a tasting room.

The region's modern-day winemakers range from huge producers like Georges DuBoeuf -- the man largely credited with putting Beaujolais on the wine map and whose vintages are available in 140 countries -- to independent vintners like Michel Picard, whose family runs Chateau de Cercy in the tiny village of Denice.

Like other local vintners, Picard says he is committed to traditional winemaking methods -- grapes are handpicked, wine is aged in oak barrels and bottles are capped with real corks. Most of his wine is sold to locals and to the 200 busloads of tourists that come through the winery's tasting room. His efforts have paid off.

Several Chateau de Cercy vintages have won awards. Picard credits the winery's success "to the sun" and also to his family for their strenuous seven day per week schedule.

But hard work has not dulled Picard's passion for his craft, which he took up shortly after marrying in 1971.

"Beaucoup de travail, mais beaucoup de plaisir," declares Picard. Translation: "A lot of work but a lot of pleasure."

Whatever backroads you follow through Rhone-Alpes, great dining is always just around the next corner.

Charming places such as Les Platanes des Chenas can be counted on to serve a delicious meal that's almost as pretty as its surroundings. Chef Christian Gerber, his wife Valerie Gerber-Thorin, and their British bulldog Rosie preside over the comfortable restaurant, where the gold and red hued walls are decorated with local art and large arched windows look out over the countryside.

For about $50, diners are served sumptuous local fare such as tartelette de champignons (flaky mushroom tart with tomatoes in a rich gravy), saucisson de Chenas (handmade pork sausage), a selection of regional cheeses including the creamy St. Marcellin, and dessert.

For a formal meal, Chateau de Bagnols has a gastronomic restaurant -- Salle des Garde -- that has been awarded a Michelin star. A 13th-century fortress with a moat and medieval towers, Chateau de Bagnols has been transformed into an intimate luxury hotel that is listed in the book 1,000 Places To See Before You Die.

Dinner inside the fortified structure is both atmospheric and -- thanks to the efforts of Executive Chef Matthieu Fontaine -- delicious. Our meal included red tuna with spiced crispy vegetables in curry dressing, roasted chicken, and iced souffle with pistachios.

town talk

Rhone-Alpes is dotted with pretty towns. The challenge is deciding which ones to visit.

Perouges is one of the best preserved walled cities in Europe. It's also one of the most visited so plan to go early before the crowds arrive, says guide Adeline Bernard.

Its location high on a hill near the borders of two important western states -- Dauphin and Savoie -- made Perouges very desirable during the Middle Ages, Bernard says. The village was frequently attacked and changed nationalities many times before becoming part of France in 1601.

An early squire granted Perougians their freedom in 1236 in exchange for their commitment to defend the town, Bernard says. Defensive measures extended even to the gothic church -- St. Mary Madeleine -- where thick walls, which are part of the town's outer wall, are equipped with arrow slits for firing on attackers.

A siege of the town in 1468 lasted three months and while every fortified village in the area surrendered to the Dauphinois army, Perouges was not conquered. Some provisions were in short supply, though, and historians believe it was during this time that the town's signature dessert -- Galette de Perouges or sugar tart -- was created.

Even today, there is no shortage of places to sample the sweet galette, which looks more like a pizza than a tart. Visitors will see them cooling in shop windows. And you'll find them on menus at restaurants like Hostellerie de Perouges, on the cobblestoned main square, Place du Tileul.

Chambery is a regal town that has been a crossroads of the Alps for centuries. Once the capital of an independent Savoie, during its history it has been both Italian and French, says guide Chantal George.

In addition to housing the Duke, Chambery Castle once housed the Holy Shroud before Turin became the capital of Savoie and the shroud was transferred there. The streets of Chambery are lined with elegant stone buildings and l'hotel particulier -- city mansions of Savoie nobility that have been converted to apartments.

But Chambery's most famous monument -- La Fontaine des Elephants -- is somewhat of a curiosity. "Its nickname is the four without bums," George says of the four-sided fountain adorned on each side with a giant elephant bust.

Just outside Chambery, Chateau de Candie is the perfect place for a country house weekend. Built on the remains of a 14th century fortified manor house, the luxury hotel is set in 15 wooded acres. Each of its 20 rooms is individually decorated with antiques; many offer expansive mountain views.

Dining is an event at the hotel restaurant, which has one Michelin star. Chef Boris Campanella prepares delicacies such as frog's legs with almond cappuccino and foie gras terrine with nougat, cherry and watermelon. But the pretty pastel after-dinner macaroons steal the show.

Also nearby is Aix-les-Bains, a resort town along the shores of France's largest lake -- Lac du Bourget, which stretches between the Alps and the Juras mountains. Water -- from boating to swimming to jetskiing to strolling the waterfront promenade to cruises to hydrotherapy -- is the focus here. Its mineral baths are said to have healing properties and many of its hotels, such as Hotel Adelphia, specialize in spa treatments, diet and wellness.

In the town centre, there's a well preserved Roman arch and a glitzy casino.

The pretty macaroons and mushroom tartelette taste as good as they look. (Robin Robinson/SUN)