Until the 1970s, Carignan was one of the main grapes of Provence, blended with Grenache and Cinsault to make classic Provençal red and rosé wines. Grenache provided the fruit and sugar, Cinsault the charm and floral notes, Carignan the tannin and acidity. Read the rest of Elizabeth’s post on Provençal …

By Chrissie The wait is over! The first edition of Rivini, the International Wine Festival of the Riviera, takes place this weekend at Villa Eva, just across the border in Latte, conveniently located between Menton and Ventimiglia on the Ligurian coast. Explore this Post Via:: The Riviera Grapevine         

Last week we went on a road trip, down past the Camargue and the coastal towns of Sète and Marseillan, where Provence meets France’s other Mediterranean coast, the Langudoc-Rousillon. As we left the Alpes-Maritimes and crossed through the Var    

During a visit to a restaurant at the Vieux-Port in Marseille, we sampled “charter” Bouillabaisse. Bouillabaisse is a seafood soup with pieces of fish and crustaceans. The soup is so special that in 1980, eleven of the top chefs in Marseille created the “Bouillabaisse Charter”. Ginger and Nutmeg’s original blog post: The Real …

Chicago might seem like a world away from the pastures of Provence, but Lisa and Johann Pepin tell me that adjusting to life in the south of France was relatively easy. They left corporate jobs (public relations and finance) in Chi-town, as only 30-yearolds can do, with the confidence that …

Wine is a subject with simply too many choices and far too many variables for me to feel that I have conquered. However, I certainly can appreciate the dedication, passion and hard work that it takes to become a Master of Wine (MW). So, I am thrilled to introduce Elizabeth …

It is understandable that Canadians will do practically anything to avoid winter, but skipping out in those few short months of summer… Well, maybe if you are heading to Provence. If you like the sounds of that plan, then read this article on Clos Saint Paul a rental property that …

Most of us love the idea of learning more about wine. Even the smallest bit of wine knowledge impresses; it enables party tricks such as tackling a restaurant wine list with confidence or recommending a suitable wine pairing to match to your meal with your friends. The question is, where to …

In both Italy and France the hunt for truffles is aided by dogs and even pigs. Often female pigs are able to smell out the “black gold” without training, where as dogs do require special training. We had the opportunity to visit some truffle experts at Truffe Noire de Haute-Provence who have …

We asked Lynne Alderson of Aixcentric if she would share her favourite cafés and salon de thés in Aix-en-Provence with Perfectly Provence readers. Lynne said no problem, other than narrowing her choices to three – now that was hard! Here, are Lynne’s top picks for a beverage and a light …