Contributor blog post by Liz Gabay: Hiding away in southern French blends, Carignan is often unnoticed by wine drinkers. However, an enthusiastic trend amongst a few growers in southern France, Spain, Chile, California and Israel to produce this variety in all its glory, has captured my imagination. The more I …

The quality of the produce is impressive here in Provence. However, all produce is not created equal. The first year I was here, I grew many of my own vegetables. I later wondered why I went through all that trouble. There are some producer’s markets where farmers sell their pickings …

recipe from Provence combines onions that have been cooked for so long they are almost melting, anchovies and olives add design flair and a slightly salty edge to this pizza-like dish. Pissaladière is often served as a snack with an apéro (think chilled rosé) or as a light meal with a green salad.

Just about every village in Provence has a weekly market. Some villages have markets that occur twice a week or even daily! Markets are absolutely my favourite part of living in Provence. We can easily spend a day wandering through the stalls and people watching as we sit at a …

Contributor blog post by Mirabeau Wine: Rosé is definitely the new kid on the block, even though it’s been around for over 2,000 years. Provence rosé, being crisp and dry in style is perfect in on-premise establishments, and the ability of Mirabeau Pure to pair with a wide variety of …

Twenty years ago, my husband, daughter, and I rolled into Marseille on the high-speed train from Paris.  If I recall correctly, the Aix-en-Provence TGV station had not yet been built. We rented a car and drove to Aix-en-Provence, where we would spend several nights before moving to Lourmarin, the small …

By Aixcentric: At last a chance to try Segond, the patisserie run by Philippe Segond who is apparently the only ‘meilleur ouvrier de France’ in action in Aix. At the top of the Cours Mirabeau, it is in the building which used to be ‘Riederer’, a family of Swiss origin …

Contributor blog post by Caroline Longstaffe: It’s always heartwarming when someone I’ve never met contacts me from miles away because they’ve been reading what I write. Just recently someone with whom I share a great passion, asked me to write about what he does. The passion we share is a …

Thanks to a very generous friend, my family and I own an oak tree in Provence. Nestled in the thickly wooded hills of the Luberon between Lourmarin and Cadenet, is a large organic farm called Les Pastras (which means “the pastures,” in Langue d’Oc, the old Provençal language). For details …

On a cold grey blustery day in early April, I made my way to the Salon du Millesime 2015 Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence held at the Hotel Renaissance in Aix-en-Provence. This is the only one of the repertoire of Provence tastings which takes place in the evening, from 4 to 9 pm. …