Feature Archives

April 19, 2020 0

A Roundup of Some Lovely 2019 Rosés

My 2019 schedule for tasting was so well laid out…. WineParis, Prowein, AIR Provence, Vinitaly, as well as numerous local tastings…. What could possibly go wrong?

But there is always a silver lining, and, in many ways my tasting this year has been much more focused. Tasting 183 Provence rosés for Decanter magazine just before lockdown and receiving (at home) a number of rosés to taste from around Languedoc have shown that the 2019 rosé vintage is excellent. [...]

April 12, 2020 0

DOMAINE DE L’AMAURIGUE CELEBRATES ITS 20TH VINTAGE

It’s been 20 years since Domaine de l’Amaurigue released its first estate-bottled vintage. To mark that special occasion, Jean-Marie Quef, winemaker and director of the domaine, created a special cuvée of rosé made from only the best and oldest parcels of the property, including their 55-year-old Grenache vines. There was just enough rosé to fill 4000 elegant... [...]

April 11, 2020 3

Easter Monday Brings Omelets and Rosé Chez Nous

Twenty years ago, in April 2000, we were tooling along the Canal du Midi with five friends. We rented a barge – a péniche -- and slowly cruised from Toulouse to Argens-Minervois, each of us taking turns behind the wheel and in the galley kitchen. Easter coincided with this trip and we produced a fabulous lamb dinner with all the trimmings to celebrate that occasion. The next day, we made omelets.

We learned from someone during our market explorations that the Monday after Easter was also a holiday and that post offices, banks, stores, and most other businesses would be closed. Called Lundi de Pâques or, in English, simply Easter Monday, it is primarily a day to relax. We were unable to establish any religious significance, but we did learn that the French in the south of France make omelets on Easter Monday. Et Dieu sait while in France, we wanted to do what the French...

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April 5, 2020 3

Southern France Vineyards Struck by Severe Frost

Temperatures as low as -7֯ C (19.4֯ F) were recorded in the Var in the early morning hours of March 25 and 26. Snow flurries were seen but it was the frost that caused damage to vineyards throughout the Var and apparently in parts of the Vaucluse, Bouches-du-Rhône, and Gard... [...]

April 4, 2020 5

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
The Governor

Big. Bold. Luscious.

Those are the first three words I used to describe my first taste of Gourverneur Saint-Auban Rouge from Domaine de la Citadelle. We had it last week paired with Seared Lamb Medallions with a Tamari-Ginger Glaze. To see the recipe... [...]

March 29, 2020 10

WINE PARIS 2020 FROM THE VIEW OF A PROVENCE WINE WRITER

It’s a sobering thought that Wine Paris was the last major international wine trade event in 2020. Over two months ago. Virtually every producer with whom I spoke said that the next stop was to be Prowein, scheduled... [...]

March 8, 2020 15

KITÁ WINES: FOR NATIVE AMERICAN WINEMAKER TARA GOMEZ, DREAMS DO COME TRUE

By the time Tara Gomez graduated from high school in 1991, she knew she wanted to be a winemaker. In many ways, she had been preparing for that role her whole life. But, she probably never imagined she would be making wine for her tribe, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians in the American Viticultural Area (AVA) of Santa Barbara, California, or that she would also co-own a nearby winery, Camins 2 Dreams, with her wife Mireia Taribó, a winemaker, that specializes in natural wines. Dreams do... [...]

March 7, 2020 6

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Quelle Surprise!

This post is going to be full of surprises! The first surprise is that the wine is not from Provence. It’s not from France. In fact, it’s not even from Europe. It is a wine made in the Santa Ynez Valley in California by Tara Gomez, the winemaker at Kitá winery. Tara is a member of the Santa Ynez... [...]

February 8, 2020 2

AOC Bellet: Historic Appellation with a Vibrant, Innovative Spirit

The tiny village of St. Romain de Bellet is a true oasis in the bustle of the Côte d’Azur: vegetable gardens, olive groves and patches of vineyard cling to the hills rising steeply above the city of... [...]

February 1, 2020 2

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Big Boy

I recently had a comment regarding the high alcohol percentage (14.5%) of a white wine, and how the reader felt that more and more wines were being produced with increased alcohol content. My response was that, for me, it was all about balance. That particular wine was beautifully balanced and I never once was aware of... [...]

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