News

May 24, 2021 5

PROVENCE: TOP FRENCH WINE REGION IN EXPORT MARKET GROWTH IN 2020

In a year marked by turbulence and an overall decrease in exports of French wine by as much as 5% in volume, Provence witnessed exports increase by nearly 6% in volume, making it the wine region posting the greatest growth abroad. By comparison, Burgundy posted 1.4% growth in the export market and the Loire Valley showed... [...]

April 27, 2021 2

“A PERFECT STORM” HITS THE SOUTHERN RHÔNE VALLEY VINEYARDS

The French language is usually where we turn for precise (and typically ingenious) expressions to describe almost any situation. In the case of the historic April frosts that severely impacted vineyards from Champagne to Provence, the French might borrow one from the English language. A perfect storm...

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April 14, 2021 7

FEAR AND ANGST IN THE VINES IN PROVENCE

Vineyards across France were exposed to plummeting temperatures and severe frosts last week, causing massive damage to the vines as well as other crops. The storied regions of Burgundy and Bordeaux may have captured more of the attention from mainstream journalists, but virtually every part of France was affected by temperatures that dipped as low as -8֯ Celsius (17.6֯ Fahrenheit) on as many as three nights... [...]

March 14, 2021 0

Save the Date: Sharing Wine and Food at the Table to Benefit The Alex Manfull Memorial Fund

Sharing Wine & Food at the Table Thursday, April 1st 7:00 p.m. (ET)

Zhuzh up your cheese and charcuterie board to pair with Château Barbebelle Cuvée Madeleine Rouge and benefit The Alex Manfull Memorial Fund Supporting Research, Education, and Treatment of PANDAS.

Please join Susan and William “Towny” Manfull, founders of The Alex Manfull Memorial Fund, and David Scott Allen, editor of Cocoa & Lavender, at the Urban Wine Club for a fun and informative webinar about an excellent ... [...]

March 7, 2021 5

FOUR-MONTH SUSPENSION OF TARIFFS ON EU WINES IS ESPECIALLY GOOD NEWS FOR ROSÉ

Patrick Walsh, founder and proprietor of Provence Wine Imports, a small importer and distributor located in the Boston area and focused on wines from Provence and the Rhône Valley, heaved a huge sigh of relief when he read the news. After all, an unexpected 25% tax levied on the sole products that one’s... [...]

March 1, 2021 8

A Look at Rosé Diversity in a CIVP Masterclass with Elizabeth Gabay MW

I am not usually out of bed and in front of my computer, Zoom-ing with strangers (mostly) who are drinking rosé before the sun rises, but these days are different. On Thursday, February 25th, the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins de Provence (CIVP) held a masterclass on Vins de Provence at 11:00 a.m. in France. Unfortunately,... [...]

October 24, 2017 1

JACQUELINE BRICARD’S “REGARD NAÏF EUROPÉEN” EXHIBITION EXTENDED THROUGH DECEMBER

There were just a few paintings still to hang when I left Lourmarin in late September. Before departing—and two days before the opening--I popped by to see Jacqueline Bricard, proprietor of the naïf art gallery bearing her name and curator of the “Regard Naïf Européen” exhibition. She was in the midst of the usual frenzy entailed in the preparations for a large exhibition... [...]

October 1, 2016 8

WHO’S THE FACE BEHIND “LOURMARIN, LOURMARIN”?

If you follow what’s happening in Lourmarin, the charming village at the southern base of the Luberon where the Manfull family has been hanging their hats for many years, you’ve no doubt seen something about “Lourmarin, Lourmarin.” Have you wondered what “Lourmarin, Lourmarin” is? Earlier this year, it started popping up on FaceBook and Instagram and I, for one, wondered what it... [...]

October 5, 2015 10

“WHO’S AFRAID OF PETER MAYLE?”

We—or rather those of us of a certain age—grew up asking ourselves "who's afraid of the big bad wolf" and later, as adults, were compelled to ask the same question about Virginia Woolf. I've never had the occasion to pose the question about Peter Mayle, internationally known English author of a long list of wildly popular books about Provence, most notably A Year In Provence, and recipient of many honors, including the prestigious Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honor)... [...]

September 13, 2015 8

NEWS FROM AUBERGE LA FENIÈRE: REINE SAMMUT PASSES THE REINS TO DAUGHTER NADIA

After 40 years at the helm of one of Provence’s most renowned restaurants, La Fenière, Chef Reine Sammut and sommelier husband Guy are handing over the reins of the cuisine to Nadia Sammut in October. Nadia, who is the third generation of Sammuts at La Fenière, credits her grandmother and her parents for her culinary knowledge and passion for food but brings her own personal experience and education to the table, too: growing up with celiac disease and learning to cook creatively sans gluten... [...]

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