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Five Favorite Vineyards in Provence

larry stone Five Favorite Vineyards in Provence

Larry Stone.

By JULIE MAUTNER and LARRY STONE

Sommelier Larry Stone was the first American to win the title “International Best Sommelier in French Wines and Spirits” and remains the only American to have earned the title of Maitre Sommelier from the Union de la Sommelerie Française. He is also an English-certified Master Sommelier, one of a handful of people who passed the exam on the first attempt. Today he runs the award-winning Rubicon Estate in Napa Valley (www.rubiconestate.com) and is working on his own wine label, Sirita, named for his daughter. Larry loves Provence and so I asked him to tell us five of his favorite local vineyards.

1) Brusset Cairanne and Hauts de Montmirail, nestled up to the slopes of the Ventoux, produce some of the best wines in the region. (Great olive oil can also be found in the district.) They have a place in Cairanne as well as in Gigondas. Go to Gigondas for the views and local flavor. There are some other great wineries there too, like Domaine de Pallieres and Raspail-Ay.

2) Domaine de Trevallon, just outside St. Remy, is making some of the most original and striking wines in Provence. Because his slopes are north-facing Eloi Durrbach planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, instead of the predominant and traditional Mourvedre, which in spite of that makes a wine that exudes the terroir of Provence and the special soils found in Les Baux (as in “bauxite”, i.e. aluminum).

3) Mas de Gourgonnier, near Les Baux. It’s family owned and has been farmed organically for over three decades. They utilize a mix of traditional varieties along with some Cabernet Sauvignon for their red wines and Sauvignon Blanc for the white. Their olive oil is a blend of four traditional local varieties.

4) Domaine Tempier‘s Bandol Rouge La Migoua, La Tourtine, Cabassaou, and also the Ros are legendary wines which are the product of the genial Lucien Peyraud who passed away a decade ago, but under whose guidance this old family estate, owned since 1834, became the birthplace of a modern Provencal renaissance. This estate continues to be the summit of French Mourvedre viticulture; it’s the classic and defining grape from Provence. Located near the town of Castellet, the local color is also attractive yet sophisticated with F1 and motorcycle races taking place here. It was also the location for the Marcel Pagnol film, The Baker’s Wife.

Provence vineyard Five Favorite Vineyards in Provence5) Domaine de Rimauresq is in the Cote d’Azur in the beautiful town of Pignans and makes a delicious and unique white wine from around 85% Rolle, with a little Ugni Blanc. The red wines are also outstanding and the estate was one of the top places after phylloxera beginning in the late 1880s. The winery is modern in technique but the vineyard is old and traditionally farmed. It was acquired in the late 1980s by a Scottish family and is located near Toulon.

Also…Chateau Vignelaure near Rians is making excellent wines…and so is Richaume in Puyloubier (Cotes de Provence), created by a cello-playing history professor and now run by his son.

If you want to follow in Larry’s footsteps, there are online universities offering beverage management courses that can help you.

Julie Mautner is a freelance journalist working in the U.S. and Provence, France. She was a founding editor of Food Arts Magazine in New York and was executive editor for ten years. Since she resigned in 1998 to freelance, her articles have appeared in/on NYTimes.com, TheAtlantic.com, Travel & Leisure, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Epicurious.com, Conde Nast Traveller UK, National Geographic Traveler, New York Magazine and elsewhere. Julie’s first book, The Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival Cookbook (co-authored with Lee Schrager) was published by Clarkson Potter in November 2010. Julie produces the popular blog about France called ProvencePost.com.

Saint Tropez, Where Stilettos and Tans Are Always in Vogue!

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By CHERYL MARIE CORDEIRO

Saint Tropez, located at the French Riviera along the Côte d’Azur, is everything that the press has written about. It is all vogue, celebrity and famous with big yachts lined up at the harbour front, beautiful people in beautiful clothes. In a 100 meter stretch of road I couldn’t help but spot three Louis Vuitton bags, two Louis Vuitton sandals, a Balenciaga bag and a D&G outfit. Within three minutes two Lamborghinis, one Porche convertible and one racing red Ferrari drove past! The atmosphere was dizzying as it was electric! Even if Saint Tropez is not as hot as it has been, the ultra rich have their fantastic villas all along the coast. Partying is an ongoing 24/7 affair here as well as everywhere along the coast of Provence.

st tropez Saint Tropez, Where Stilettos and Tans Are Always in Vogue!

My husband, JE and myself in a typical small and winding street of Saint Tropez, walking towards the harbour front.

It was August and high summer when I arrived at Saint Tropez. The many narrow streets and alleys that lead up to the harbour front were crowded. Since it is nigh impossible to find a hotel room even remotely near water along the French Riviera at short notice during high season, I recommend booking well in advance if you plan to arrive from land.

st tropez harbor Saint Tropez, Where Stilettos and Tans Are Always in Vogue!

A scene at St. Tropez's harbour front in August.

The way to visit Saint Tropez is otherwise to arrive and travel along the French Riviera by boat, and with boat I mean any of those private yachts with which the central harbor of Saint Tropez is filled. As for eating out, Saint Tropez suffers from the same problem as any all too crowded and all too popular places eventually fall victim to, over pricing and indifference. No doubt good quality cuisine  could be found at many places, not the least the better hotels and some of the venues that offer excellent views of the old port and coastline. But for all but the very rich, this is not the place for pleasant surprises and that special personal touch that makes Italy and France so popular among those interested in culinary delights. A few steps from the quay will lead you to the calmer Place des Lices and and the charming Place aux Herbes. Rue Georges Clemenceau from the quay and inwards is popular for its range of cuisine. One of the better is La Table du Marché.

st tropez shopping Saint Tropez, Where Stilettos and Tans Are Always in Vogue!

A cute straw hat from Bla Bla.

Nobody goes to Saint Tropez for bargain hunting so I wasn’t too surprised when I bounced into Bla Bla’s, located near Place des Lices, a few doors down from Emilio Pucci’s, and found a real cute woven straw hat at €120.

st tropez1 Saint Tropez, Where Stilettos and Tans Are Always in Vogue!

An opportune shot of a charming street in St. Tropez, with the horizon of both sea and sky laying yonder.

Ignoring the rush of the crowd, one is seductively and irresistibly coaxed by Saint Tropez’s historical surroundings to discover the genuine heartbeat of the village. For me, the true charm of Saint Tropez lies in its humble proximities, its narrow, slow winding alleys, its cobbled streets and terracotta buildings that reflects its essence as a small fishing borough. The place boasts 17 historical or listed sites, monuments and listed natural sites and when there, be sure to observe the facades of the houses along the harbour front, the Citadelle and its churches, the gardens of houses belonging to its inhabitants, windows, doors, doorframes, wells and how scooters are the main mode of transport for this village.

Cheryl Marie Cordeiro is the author of http://www.cmariec.com/blog

A Mediterranean Sojourn in Marseille

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Marseille A Mediterranean Sojourn in Marseille

Set between the hills and the Mediterranean Sea, Marseille offers the better of two distinct worlds. The sea, lined with 14 marinas and more than 20 beaches, attracts divers, sea kayakers and sailors all year round whilst the mountain area entices nature lovers of all ages. You can see them admiring the Calanques massif’s white limestone cliffs that plunge into the clear Mediterranean Sea. Divers prefer to appreciate the Calanques from underwater.

The interesting mixture of people and cultures creates a cosmopolitan feel to Marseille. Although its previous reputation for crime resulted in fewer tourists over a period, things have changed and the city is now a sought-after location on Provence’s gorgeous coastline. Marseille is divided into sixteen arrondissements twirling out from the Vieux Port in the center of the city. La Canebire, the broad avenue which begins from the Vieux Port, is bordered by Quartier Belsunce’s small streets to the north and shopping streets to the south.

Buy a City Pass valid for one or two days to get as much as possible of your visit. I recommend the site of the original Greek settlement in the old town Le Panier, Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde on the hill of La Garde, the Chateau d’If situated on the ancient prison island If and the big Borely Park. Sport interested? Check out the events at Marseille’s stadium seating 60,000 people.

When in Marseille, don’t forget to savor the regions delicious specialties. Apparently the city has the planets best bouillabaisse, but as a vegetarian I wouldn’t know. If you like sweets, don’t miss the navettes – a biscuit flavored with orange blossom – for dessert.

How to Get There

Marseille is accessible from motorways A7, A50, A52 or A55. TGV high-speed train from Paris to the Marseille St-Charles station takes three hours. Marignane MRS, France’s second largest airport, serves daily flights from French and international destination. Tourists can also enter the city from cruise ships since Marseille has France’s biggest commercial port.