Grounded on centuries of experience held by Provençal vignerons and winemakers, the center harnesses a commitment to rosé, part of the Provençal culture for 2,600 years since the early Greeks utilized winemaking methods that resulted in pink-toned wine.
French wine producers are now allowed to hold back more stock, following recent losses caused by extreme weather conditions.
Many rosés are wines of quality, made by winemakers of skill and terroir of distinction. Behind them lies a secret weapon, hidden in an unassuming coral-colored building with green shutters: The Center for Rosé Research.
The Alpilles Region Natural Park is also home to one of France’s most authentic wine appellations: Les Baux-de-Provence.
Picpoul’s naming origin means lip stinger for the acidic bite in the mouth of the drinker — this variety is notably high in acid, particularly for such a hot growing region. This explains what makes the grape unique, responsible for commercial thriving as well as ecological.
The Chapoutier label reveals itself in print and in Braille – the tactile language in which characters are felt by the fingertips rather than seen by the eye.
Earlier this month, I lined up a set of wine bottles from France. Each one from a unique and stated region, each one bearing a label like a little luggage tag: here is my home. To the French people, their government and producers indication of these regions is of the highest importance. While American consumers…
I wrote the book before I’d been there, which may seem a backwards way to craft a novel. But by the time the book had been outlined, characters created, fictional wines made this place had begun to feel like home. My novel isn’t about this place exactly, but it is about the feeling of this…
If you have the impression that finding affordable wine in France is hard – it is definitely time to revisit that stance. My husband and I have taken several road-trips through France, meeting winemakers and tasting wine – much of it high-quality, AOP wines with price-tags that need to be forgiven for their modesty. Where…
I take a notes like a squirrel on the bird feeder – fast and and full, getting it all down before someone changes the subject. You’ll know me by my notebooks. More often than not, however, the stuff that really sticks with me doesn’t require a scribble. My memory serves in certain moments where everything…
On a recent trip to Provence I met with Ana Lopez from Domaine Dalmeran for a tasting of their red, white and rosé wines. The domaine is located in Les Baux-de-Provence AOP, a region that makes organic and in many cases, biodynamic, practices a thumbprint for the appellation. I’ve written widely about the AOP so…
The Southern French port city of Marseille has been the entry point for the world since the Greeks settled there around 600 BC. The second largest city in France is home to people of scoping nationalities and this diversity makes Marseille the world’s kitchen. Marseille is also in an excellent wine neighborhood, with the best…
The dishwasher is finally empty. The tablecloths are washed. The tree is up. This means…we’ve wedged between Thanksgiving and Christmas and in my house we are celebrating everything. Whatever comes our way gets decorated, wrapped, sang to. This isn’t just our house, I get the feeling…everywhere you go (it’s beginning to look a lot…
November is National Novel Writing Month, NaNoWriMo in writer-code. During this month, writers are challenged to write a 50,000 word book. The NaNoWriMo community provides support, inspiration and tracking functionality. There have been several years that I’ve participated, and I’ve gone on to complete a partially-prepared-during NaNoWriMo story, the one that has emerged as my favorite…
Here we enjoy scenes of the vendage, wine grape harvest, at Château Romanin in Les Baux de Provence AOP. I’ve had the great pleasure of enjoying the wines of Château Romanin during my visits to Provence. I still remember drinking my first bottle during a rainy spring evening in little cafè called Le Marilyn in…
