Tomorrow I move into my new home and things ‘chez moi’ are not calm. For some incomprehensible reason, I went on holiday last week, meaning that I completed on the property directly off a red-eye flight and have been furiously finishing the packing ever since.

The holiday was supposed to help me relax. The start was ominous; being bumped from my flight and rerouted to an airport some 100 miles away from my intended destination . . . 24 hours later than expected. I was put up at Gatwick’s Hilton Hotel and decided to enjoy a glass of something nice whilst I started on my holiday reading.

I was pleased to see South Africa’s Kleine Zalze Chenin Blanc on the list. It is a winery I know well and where I have been fortunate enough to dine in their fabulous restaurant a few times.

The Chenin Blanc is a rich, honeyed, tropical-fruit driven white that is made using a modest proportion of grapes which have slight botrytis.

It is this that gives the wine its opulence and sweet fruit flavours. I was at Gatwick but I was momentarily transported to happier times.

It is a wine that you are more likely to see on restaurant wine lists than on shop shelves but you can buy a box of six from www.everywine.co.uk for just under £50.

Two days — and a few more mess-ups — later and I made it to beautiful South Carolina and it was straight off to the local supermarket to stock up on supplies.

I did not know they made wine in South Carolina but they do. In the small, coastal town of Beaufort I stumbled upon a winery on the town’s high street where they turn fruit and grapes into wine and let people taste as they wander in.

They make Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio at Low Country Wines and it is a fun place to visit if you happen to be passing.

From North Carolina I tried the Biltmore Riesling which was a pretty decent attempt, if not entirely captivating.

In truth, the best wines I tasted this trip were not locally made; the western states providing the highlights. The Americans are much better than us for wines by the glass and no matter where I ate, there was a generous selection of whites and reds.

Dinner in Charleston at the Café Cru (www.crucafe.com) was a prime example. I paired my pear and gorgonzola salad with an Oregon ‘Big Fire’ Pinot Gris from R. Stuart & Co. It had a bit of sweetness to it that worked brilliantly with the gorgonzola and it was just a refreshing, well-made white. Sadly, not available in the UK.

With a duck main course, I opted for a rich Petite Sirah (nothing to do with Syrah) from Langry Estate, Lake County. It was an inky black wine with generous fruit and just the right amount of oomph. A refreshing opportunity to try something a bit different.

For anyone planning a holiday with a return date less than 48 hours before you move house, I have a piece of advice — don’t! If you will not be deterred at least make sure you head to a place where the food and wine will put you in a better frame of mind. Sign up for Sarah’s Wine Postcards at www.wine-talk.co.uk/postcard.html