In 2024, France fell from first place among the largest wine-producing countries in 2023 to third place, behind Italy and Spain. 2024 Grape Growing Challenges in France Throughout the 2024 season, the wine year in France has been problematic, with great variation across the country. It started with frost in …

Nestled among vineyards near the village of Gigondas sits Notre Dame des Pallières, a family-run winery specializing in the wines of the southern Rhône. It should be a stop for anyone who loves the robust, long-lived wines of this part of France. Gigondas is sometimes described as the little brother …

Author and wine expert Göran Boman shares tips for wine tasting and exploring the vineyards in Provence. This part of the South of France includes wine-growing areas stretching within the urban limits of Nice on the French Riviera to the Northern Rhône Valley. While wines from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, villages such as …

One of the best things about coming to our home in Sablet is shopping at the weekly outdoor marchés in towns and villages throughout the region … or at least it is for “foodies” like me. Why would you buy fruits and vegetables, cheese, meats, or fish at one of …

Very rarely do you come across a Côtes du Rhône Villages so incredible that it might as well be a Gigondas wine. However, in this case, the red wine that we used in this wine pairing from Paul Jaboulet Aîné (2020) is a nice upgrade. It is big and bold, …

If you like French wine, there is a good chance that you have sampled some vintages from the Rhône Valley. Some vineyards in the southern Rhône are near the famous Mont Ventoux – Provence’s giant mountain. This article focuses on six (6) villages in the Côtes du Rhône wine region. …

For grapevines to continue producing high-quality grapes, they need annual pruning. This activity is time-consuming, physical and necessary for the long term health of the vines. Göran Boman, the author of The Wines of Provence – Tricolour, wrote the article below. Based in Sweden, far from Provence’s vineyards, he has …

Le Clos de Caveau is one of the first wineries I visited after starting Provence WineZine. The story of this Vacqueyras vineyard — a stone’s throw from Gigondas — is best told over a glass of this excellent red blend of Grenache and Syrah called Fruit Sauvage. Henri Bungener, psychologist-turned-winemaker, …

After a long year and a half, our good friends and neighbours Ursula and Bob returned to the neighbourhood from their other home is in upstate New York, in the Catskill Mountains. It’s nice to have them back. We had them over to dinner to celebrate their return and wanted …

As the weather in the Sonoran Desert finally cools down, the morning temperatures are just low enough to use the fireplace. Once winter arrives, I  look forward to that first fire and spend all morning staring into the flames. Along with those indolent desert winter days come the addictive comfort …