Contributor blog post by Vaucluse Dreamer: What a year it’s been, it seems to have whistled past faster than ever and I can hardly believe that we’re about to spend our second Christmas in our little place in Provence. The house is still far from where we would like it …

This crunchy little cookie biscuit is the French version of the Italian Biscotti or Biscotto. Delightfully good served with your favourite tea or coffee or let’s be honest completely on their own.

Sometime in early October, after the harvest, winemakers—mostly located in a small area of Provence at the base of Mont Sainte Victoire, between Aix-en-Provence and Trets—begin the annual tradition of making “vin cuit” or “cooked wine.” They each build a big fire of oak wood and fill a huge cauldron …

When I did my equivalent of the Grand Tour of Europe (minus the stately balls) in my 20s, Nice was the place we landed after an exhausting whirlwind of cities and train rides. Broke and fatigued, my then-boyfriend and I decided to spend a few extra days recuperating by the …

Living in the south of France is a beautiful thing. Except for the wind. It is so prevalent and so powerful that it has a name: “Le Mistral” Residents of Uzes have a saying about Le Mistral: “It sometimes lasts only one or two days, frequently lasts several days, and …

I’ve never visited the Cevennes other than in Autumn, but it’s definitely the time and the place to go. Especially on a Tuesday. It’s market day in Saint Jean du Gard. The mountainous town of Saint Jean du Gaud history dates back to the twelfth century when monks from the Abbey …

Contributor blog post by Jill Barth: This time of year brings forth memories of Christmases that I’ve experienced and also, of Christmases that I’ve created in my imagination, fueled by narratives told and retold – a history of the way things should be. …Continue reading here for Jill’s wine post – …

Any easy variation on hummus with chickpeas and shallots

The Heart of Darkness or Niger Focus (later Nerluc) might have been an appropriate name for the hamlet located on the shores of a murky, swampy river. The muddy, opaque waters fueled rumours cultivating the nightmares of residents who asked was the beast: A huge serpent? A dragon? A fierce …

Contributor blog post by Caroline Longstaffe: It’s December in Provence, snow has already sprinkled its magic across the villages and as the nights draw in and daylights fades each day, a bitter chill drapes itself like a frozen mantle across the dark golden, sprawling vineyards. By early December in Provence …