In 2013, the 4th sub-appellation of Côtes de Provence, Côtes de Provence Pierrefeu, was announced for red and rosé wines, adding to La Londe, Ste Victoire and Fréjus. Launching a new appellation is no easy process. This took some ten years, which is not atypical. …Continue reading here for details on …

One of my favorite people in France is Nancy McGee, contributor to the Barefoot Blogger’s Absolutely Southern French Food and Etiquette page and proprietor of the new infamous Absolutely Southern France tour company in Sete. Thanks to Nancy we’ve enjoyed reading about two of France’s favorite foods — cheese and oysters. …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: World No.1 tennis player Novak Djokovic and his wife Jelena launched a restaurant, ‘Eqvita’, in Monaco last week. And in what must surely be a first for the Principality, it’s vegan. “My wife and I transferred our passion for healthy food into a restaurant concept …

Tibouren is regarded by many in Provence as the traditional variety for making rosé, unique to the area. Tibouren is a pale-skinned grape, suited to making rosé, as it allows for the fuller fruity character to be developed without extracting lots of colour. An early ripening variety, it seems to …

Contributor blog post by Jill Barth: Atout France, the French tourism development organization, has rolled out a gorgeous new website that promises to be a place where “wine regions reveal their secrets”. The site is reasonably named Visit French Wine. The website allows visitors to slip into each wine area …

A man with hairy ears selling goat cheese, a nun blessing us with her wine!  Smiling locals selling linens, ribbons, baskets, and flowers,  cheese makers, olive growers, and an abundance of fresh produce. How can you not visit Uzès’ fabulous twice-weekly markets, the most vibrant in Provence! Every Wednesday and …

The only people that don’t tip in French restaurants are tourists that read english language guides about France that tell them they don’t need to tip. It’s true that there isn’t much of a tipping culture here in France; thank goodness! I find the constant tipping (for seemingly everything) when …

Contributor blog post by Michel: Avignon offers a great many dining choices for all tastes and budgets, in different settings from private gardens, below churches in 17th century dining rooms, in hidden courtyards to name a few. But like many towns in the South of France, there are not many …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: Opening a café in Aix can’t be easy when there are so many already in the town; but this one has quite a USP. Instead of paying for what you drink or eat, you pay for the time you sit there. The first hour is …

Contributor blog post by Stephen Cronk: Mirabeau Classic is one of only three rosés awarded Gold We are ridiculously excited here in Cotignac today – our Mirabeau Classic Rosé 2015 has been awarded a Gold Medal at this year’s International Wine Challenge, which is the world’s most respected blind-tasted wine …