A Painter's Philosophy

"I would drink milk if cows would eat grapes" (Henri de Toulousse Lautrec) - found yesterday in Uzès at the entrance of a wine merchant's shop. Wonder if he knows that the brillant painter died of alcoholism....

Bacchus' Night in Vaison la Romaine

Wine God and Goddess

Don't they just look the part? Last night the young wine growers of the Côte du Rhône region in Provence dressed in Roman style when they invited for "The Night of Bacchus" (the God of wine). This annual event took part right in the middle of Vaison la Romaine's famous Roman excavations - a magical setting on a balmy summer evening (luckily they held it last night as today the dreaded Mistral wind would have blown the canopies away...).

Wine Tasting in an Ancient Roman Setting

Not only was it fun to see all those gorgeous young wine gods but also to taste their wines, find new vintages, meet friends and just enjoy an early summer evening. I'll be back next year!

More Wine Gods

Blown away by the Mistral - Fête du Vin in Provence

Today the wine growers of the Côte du Rhône region in Provence celebrated their “Fête du Vin”. Besides tasting a lot of wine you can go on guided tours through the vineyards, listen to concerts being held in the wine cellars, profit from special offers when buying wine or share lovingly prepared rustic meals. We gave that a miss this year because the dreaded Mistral wind was blowing full force and these lunches are traditionally held outdoors.

Our hosts at the Roaix/Séguret Winery

Here buying wine does not necessarily mean buying bottles. In Provence wine is often sold in special “filling stations” - your bring your plastic container and get your five or ten liters (approx. one or two gallons) of the local red, white or rosé wine for “every day”.
 

Wine Filling Station

Red, White or Rosé: Price per Liter

Vacqueras Wine - full of Character

Lucky me! My friend Jean-François Bertin, who runs the beautiful B&B “Bastide Saint Claude” invited me to accompany him to a wine tasting course to the aptly named wine cellar “Vignerons de Caractère” in Vacqueras.
I do not know who was the creative genius behind this reinvention of just another dusty old wine cellar into a gleaming high tech place, but since it was revamped about two years ago this must be one of the most interesting, stylish and creative wine cooperatives of the Côtes du Rhône wine growing area.
So there we were, listening to the explanations of our delightful, knowledgable and enthusiastic guide Valérie, learning to use our eyes, nose and palate to evaluate different wines: checking the color, sniffing perfumes, tasting aromas and guessing the vintage. Did you know that wine can have an aroma of fruits and berries, flowers, animals, truffels, tobacco, fresh butter, even beer? One thing is certain - as far as wines are concerned I still have a lot to learn! I am already booked for the next course which “Vignerons de Caractère” will be doing every Friday from June until the end of September: a two hour walking tour at sunset through the vineyards when a wine grower will explain the secrets of his craft.