He bought an old farmhouse in Menerbes and renovated it.

To say it was a life-changing moment is no exaggeration . . .in 1990 he published A Year in Provence, a book about his experiences that became a bestseller. Last year, another of his books, A Good Year, was made into a film starring Russell Crowe.

For 20 years, Mayle has lived the dream . . . and through his books, a TV series and the film, we've joined in. But for those who have wanted to escape to breathe the air of Provence for themselves, the prospect of buying property in the region has changed hugely since Mayle arrived.

The villages in his books . . .Gordes, Lacoste, Menerbes and Bonnieux . . . are now well known and, unsurprisingly, prices have soared.

Fortunately, Mayle has been watching the situation closely, seeing hotspots emerge then rise, and has some advice for those who want to live in France.

"There are still places where property costs a fifth of what it is round here, " he says, sipping wine at one of his favourite vineyards.

"If you want easy access to airports, cities, towns and restaurants then you have to be around Marseille or Aix or Avignon . . . and prices reflect that. But if you go to Haute Provence, 50 miles away, you get the same weather, scenery and lovely houses at a fraction of the price."

If you drive from the town of Apt, he says, up to the small town of Forcalquier, you'll see ravishing countryside that is empty and villages that are not expensive. He says, "There's Mane, Lardiers, and Banon, which is where the best goat's cheese in France comes from. As a rule of thumb, the more inconvenient, the less expensive. So, if you are happy to drive if you run out of matches or soap, then you pay less.

"My advice is, don't be in a rush to buy. There are some interesting things that you can do in France, such as buying a property en viager. You find a property lived in by an extremely old person and buy it cheap, but you have to let them live there until they die.

If you buy when the sitting tenant is 80 and they live until 104, then you've done a bad deal.

"See what you think of France in winter before you plunge in. Fall in love in the summer, but come back and solidify the romance in winter. Property may be cheaper then . . . if a house has been hanging around and hasn't sold in summer, it's likely the seller will cut the price."

Ironically, during the mid'90s, Mayle's success forced him to leave his beloved Provence. "We found English people in the sitting room and Italians in our pool. They said, 'Come in, the water's lovely!' We were getting so overrun that we had to get out, and we went to live in Long Island. Our four children are in America, so it was a chance to see them."

In 2000, Peter and Jennie returned. Looking out over vines that feature in his books, he says, wistfully, "We always missed France very much."

The couple bought a property in Lourmarin and spent a year restoring it. Having cut their teeth on their infamous farmhouse, they found the process easier second time round, and Mayle has plenty of tips for anyone taking on renovations.

"The thing that people find odd is that they don't have formal surveys here. But nobody's going to stop you from getting an expert to take a look at a place, and it is a good idea. The agent will know of the French equivalent of a surveyor. If he says the top floor's got woodworm but you still want to buy, you can go to the seller and come to an arrangement about the price.

"You should never have any work done without a devis, which is a detailed written estimate. It doesn't cost anything and if you decide to go ahead, then you can hold the builders to it."

Mayle says to watch out for the petits inconnus (the little unknowns) that can be expensive.

"If you are renovating old property, you must be prepared for setbacks. You may want a window cut into what looks like a wall, but when the builders start chipping away, whoops, all of sudden they can't go any further because the wall is going to fall down."

He adds with a smile, "One of the things I've never been any good at, but which the French are excellent at, is pestering people. If you make a phone call to somebody and agree a time to start work next Tuesday, don't just put the phone down and say, 'We agreed, so he'll be here', because the chances are, he won't. If Tuesday comes and he's not there at half past seven, call up and say, 'Where are you? I'm expecting you.

I've put myself out, my whole family's waiting for you, the dog is waiting for you!' That's what the French do, they go on and on and on and that's why they always get to the head of the queue."

As he drains his glass, Mayle offers one final thought, "I would advise learning a certain amount of French, because it makes such a difference to your enjoyment of life here. If you have to be constantly with someone who speaks English, then that cuts down your social circle and you miss out on a lot. It's fun to go down to the village cafe and listen in, because they all shout away.

You'll hear things that you would miss if you had your face stuck in a book."

The DVD of 'A Good Year' is out now