17 days in October - advice appreciated

Hi

We (My Wife %26amp; 4 month old daughter) are planning to take a holiday in France in October. We plan to drive from uk (using eurotunnel?) and think we would like to stay in The Dordogne for 7 days and somewhere else for 7 days - Hiring a house/apartment for those periods and hotels for any odd days.

Where should we base ourselves near and what is there to see. We love good food and wine, also would like to see some great scenery, perhaps walk around some picturesque villages.

Any advice would be welcomed as we dont know where to start.

We had originally thought to drive from Calais to the south of france - take a few days to get there, spend a week in a Gite , then travel to the Dordogne stay a week in a Gite there , then back to Calais.

recommendations on special restaurants also appreciated.