Bitter orange wine is a traditional, refreshing, and convivial aperitif typical of Provence. It recalls sunny days and the song of cicadas. This article about bitter orange wine is written in French and English for readers who want to improve their language skills. There’s a recipe below for making bitter …

If you’ve never considered the possibility that wine might not be vegan, you’re certainly not alone. While the primary ingredients of wine, like grape juice and yeast, are inherently vegan, the winemaking process commonly involves fining agents, typically of animal origin. Vegan-certified wine contains no animal-derived substances or by-products in …

If you are looking for an excellent place to lunch in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, go to Le Comptoir de la Mere Germaine. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a small medieval village about 30 km from our home in Sablet (available for holiday rental). The town spreads out on the hillside at the foot of the …

The Book of Rosé: The Provençal Vineyard That Revolutionized Rosé By Whispering Angel and Château D’Esclans. Published by Rizzoli International Publications in April 2024. Wrapped in dusty pink, the book promised a visual feast almost as appealing as a chilled glass of Whispering Angel from the wine estate. The Book …

Come December and January; it’s wintertime at Domaine Mirabeau. Even if we are in Provence and the days are generally quite warm here, the nights are chilly and drop to sub-zero temperatures. The trees and vines have lost their last leaves. While it’s time for nature to sleep and repose …

When I read on Kristin Espinasse’s blog “French Word a Day,” that her husband Jean-Marc, a wine professional, offered wine tours in Provence, I was in touch faster than you can open a screw-top bottle. We settled on a date for wine tasting in the Bandol and Cassis appellations. Although …

France was the most significant wine country in Europe in 2023. However, the growing season was not without its challenges this year. Italy, France, and Spain are usually the three largest wine-producing countries. Since France, relatively speaking in the “average” between the regions, has done well while the other countries …

At Maison Mirabeau, we firmly believe in the gastronomic potential of rosé wine. Therefore, our “La Reserve” blends grape varieties: Grenache, Cinsault and the white varietal Rolle. The particularity of our cuvée La Reserve is that it gets partially fermented and aged in oak barrels. This ageing method introduces light …

Springtime in Provence is an excellent opportunity to visit vineyards in the region. It is also a good time to participate in one of several organized wine walks. These strolls are only a few kilometres, and along the way, there are stations where you can try the wines of the …

Since buying our little place over six years ago, we must have cycled past the huge old barrel at the entrance to the Château de Mille hundreds of times and have always wondered what it is like, promising ourselves that one day, we would go and visit this ancient Domaine. …