FRENCH LESSONS HAVE TAUGHT ME MORE THAN FRENCH
French Lessons. There they are again on my list of goals for 2015. I shudder to think how many years [...]
Feature Archives
DOMAINE DES TERRES BLANCHES IN THE PREDOMINANTLY ORGANIC APPELLATION OF LES BAUX-DE-PROVENCE
A bottle of Domaine des Terres Blanches wine was among the well-chosen bevy of refreshments my husband and I found in our lovely room at the gorgeous five-star hotel, Château des Alpilles, located on the outskirts of St. Rémy-de-Provence. This early 19th-century property, set [...]
SLEEPY ANSOUIS: ONE OF “LES PLUS BEAUX VILLAGES DE FRANCE”
In most tourist books about Provence, rarely is more than a small paragraph devoted to the charming village of Ansouis. In some popular books—notably Rick Steves’ Provence and The French Riviera—the village is not even mentioned although, remarkably, the old standard Michelin Guide: Provence includes a full page about Ansouis.It’s no wonder this beautiful village is also referred to as “sleepy and “quiet.” (Read: surprisingly few tourists.) Selfishly, I would like to keep it that way, but having spent a week there this past summer, I could see that it was not the somnolent... [...]
Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food Surprise Me!
When you have a 2006 Côtes du Rhône in the wine rack, you don't just serve it with anything, especially if it is a Rasteau. This is a wine for certainty, not a wine you pull when you're serving a frozen dinner. (Okay, I know anyone who reads this blog is most likely not making a TV dinner, but you get my point.) If I were to think of things to serve with a Rasteau, salmon would not leap to mind. Yet, I do know that, if your guests are solely red wine drinkers, a Côtes du Rhône is a good choice for salmon. So, for today's pairing I actually surprised myself, and in a good way. I decided to put my [...]
Snow Falls in Provence’s Southern Rhône Valley
Henri Bungener, proprietor of Le Clos de Caveau in the Vacqueyras appellation of the Rhône Valley wine region, reported that 6 inches of snow fell on his vineyard overnight on Tuesday. [...]
IN THE DEPTH OF WINTER, I UNCORK A BOTTLE OF ROSÉ
The snow is over three-feet deep in some places around our home in coastal New England. The wind is howling, shaking the loose window panes of this 18th-century house and causing a shrill whistling noise. A “Winter Storm Watch” is in effect for tonight, when an additional twelve inches of snow may begin to fall. Even parts of Provence may see a dusting of snow by the end of the week [...]
YOU KNOW MIRABEAU ROSÉS, BUT HAVE YOU MET THE RED WINE?
Have you ever had a dream that you really wanted to follow? One that tugged so hard at your heartstrings that you resorted to cold showers to quell those feelings? Stephen Cronk did. And, now, after harboring this dream for some 25 years, this handsome man with [...]
MEET MADAME CÉZANNE
Post-impressionist artist Paul Cézanne, born in Aix-en-Provence in 1839, spent most of his sixty-six years in his beloved Aix and he died there in 1906. He grew up there, studied law at the university, took art classes at the city’s Musée Granet—even won a second-place prize for his painting at that museum—and famously painted nearby Mont Sainte-Victoire some five dozen... [...]
Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food A Hearty New Year Greeting (and Pairing)
I can't think of anything I enjoy more than lamb with a rich, full-bodied red wine by its side. A bottle of 2007 Éternité has been sitting in our caves (okay, it's a wine rack) waiting for the right meal. It's Christmas, and Provençal lamb shanks have been braised; the Éternité joined the celebration. With its blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, this Rhône wine was perfect for the earthy, tomato-y, citrus-infused lamb. The nose was deceptively light, but the first taste was full, fruit forward (blackberry and cherry), and spicy. After a taste of the lamb, the intensity diminished only [...]
PROVENCE’S VIN CUIT: WINE COOKED IN A CAULDRON, AGED IN OLD OAK, AND STEEPED IN TRADITION
Sometime in early October, after the harvest, winemakers—mostly located in a small area of Provence at the base of Mont Sainte Victoire, between Aix-en-Provence and Trets—begin the annual tradition of making “vin cuit” or “cooked wine." They each build a big fire [...]
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