Contributor blog post by Access Riviera: The Zone B school holidays over the Christmas period run from 22 December and finish 7 January so it’s a good time to use the fortnight’s break to partake in some festive activities. As well as the usual Christmas markets that pop up each year …

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 …

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 …

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 – …

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 …

You may know the traditional Biblical Christmas story, but in Provence, there is a bit more to it. The Provence Christmas story is told in a Nativity play called a pastorale. It incorporates the main details of the traditional Nativity but sets it in a nineteenth-century Provençal village. …Continue reading here …

‘Tis the season to be jolly, and what better way to do that than indulging in some delicious wines. Now, there’s a certain stigma when it comes to rosé that it should only be enjoyed during the summer, but in actual fact, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Just …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: If you’re in Provence, you will probably have already bought your little pack of seeds to plant today to mark the feast of Saint Barbara (Sainte-Barbe), and hopefully with some warmth and sunshine, they will be ready for Christmas. The local saying is: Quand le blé …

A buffet table laden with 13 desserts! How could the French be so smug as to think that North Americans with our turkey-centric Christmas dinners, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and a variety of sides are excessive? Or so I felt when I first heard about this holiday tradition. However, …

As you have probably gathered, we like to entertain; we love having friends and family around our table. Any occasion is a great reason to try a new recipe or return to that one that never fails. December festivities are an excuse to pull out the china, the fancy wine …