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HOW THE AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION PAYS FOR MY PROVENCE VACATION
The Modern Trobadors Uncategorized

HOW THE AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION PAYS FOR MY PROVENCE VACATION

January is when many vacationers begin to hone their plans for their trips abroad. If you are reading this blog, chances are you are going to be visiting Provence. Have you thought about including a stop at the dentist’s office? No, I didn’t think so. But read on.

In the fall of 2013, an abscessed tooth took me
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Provençal Pairings: Wine with FoodBabette’s Blunder? Or mine?
Burgundy Cuvée IGP/VDP Provencal Pairings: Wine with Food Provence Wines

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

Babette’s Blunder? Or mine?

In the 1987 film BABETTE'S FEAST, our protagonist serves her quail dish (Cailles en Sarcophages - the recipe can be found on Cocoa & Lavender) with a Pinot noir. Specifically, it is an 1845 Louis Latour Clos Vougeot. I decided to do the same, but found a more recent Pinot noir vintage from the Verdon, in the Var: a 2012 Louis Latour Domaine de Valmoissine.
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2015 IN PROVENCE:  LOOKING BACK THROUGH THE LENS
Culture People Places The Modern Trobadors Travel

2015 IN PROVENCE: LOOKING BACK THROUGH THE LENS

2016 whooshed in like the infamous Mistral wind tears through the Rhône Valley.  So fast, I've barely had time to take stock of the wonders of 2015.  The Modern Trobadors covered a lot of ground in 2015, accompanied by, for the first time, a tour group--affectionately named after this blog--of eight engaging and adventurous people. It was exciting to share our love for this area of France with them, as we strive to do for all our readers with...
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2015 THROUGH THE LENS OF MY WINE GLASS
Provence Wines Red Wine Rhône Wines Rosé Wine White Wine Wine

2015 THROUGH THE LENS OF MY WINE GLASS

2015 was a good year. Brilliant clarity and great depth. Intense bouquets segueing into a well-balanced product with layers of complexity. A lingering finish, imploring the reader, we hope, to return for more in 2016. Provence WineZine is still young but we have great promise
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INVITE SOME ROSÉS TO DINNER THIS HOLIDAY
AOP Côtes de Provence Provence Wines Rosé Wine Wine Wine Classification

INVITE SOME ROSÉS TO DINNER THIS HOLIDAY

Last May, I had the great pleasure of attending the biannual “Tasting Supper” at Blantyre, the luxurious Tudor-style manor tucked into 117 forested acres of the Berkshires, in Lenox, Massachusetts. Part of the posh Relais & Châteaux collection of luxury properties, it’s not surprising that our seven-course meal was exquisite in every way. (Proprietor Ann Fitzpatrick Brown would not have it any other way.) It is etched into my memory for the beautifully prepared
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Domaine Les Valdons’ Petit Marché de Noël Authentique
Côte du Luberon Wine Snoop Report

Domaine Les Valdons’ Petit Marché de Noël Authentique

If you will be anywhere near Cucuron on December 19th, visit Domaine Les Valdons for their Petit Marché de Noël Authentique. Proprietors Maryline and Louis-Michel Bremond invite all to enjoy a collection of local produce including foie gras, custom-order
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Wine Industry as Poster Child – COP21 in Paris
Wine Snoop Report

Wine Industry as Poster Child – COP21 in Paris

Undaunted by recent terrorist action in the heart of Paris, on December 7 and 8 the 21st annual session of the Conference of the Parties to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), otherwise known simply as “COP21,” went ahead. One of
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Mirabeau en Provence Completes Final Assemblage of 2015 Rosé Cuvées
Wine Snoop Report

Mirabeau en Provence Completes Final Assemblage of 2015 Rosé Cuvées

Mirabeau en Provence wines come with an inspiring story. The label’s founders, Stephen and Jeany Cronk, realized their dream of making wine in Provence when they resettled in Cotignac in 2009. (Provence WineZine has the Mirabeau story in an earlier article entitled “You Know
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Bandol’s Domaine Tempier 2014 Rosé Makes Wine Spectator Top 100 List
Wine Snoop Report

Bandol’s Domaine Tempier 2014 Rosé Makes Wine Spectator Top 100 List

One thing about Americans is that we love lists. It can be for almost anything…best dressed, best city to retire in, best actress in a supporting role, etc., etc. In the world of wine, readers of Wine Spectator excitedly open the final issue of the year to see which
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Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food Muscat Love
AOP Muscat de Beaumes de Venise Provencal Pairings: Wine with Food White Wine

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

Muscat Love

It's been twelve months of Provençal wine and food pairings now, and I imagine you have seen some patterns. I love pairing special meals with special wines, and sharing the experiences with special people. Which makes me chuckle when I think of how the French use the descriptor "special" in not so nice a way. «Ouai, ça c'est très SPECIAL...» But, I digress...
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GÉRARD ISIRDI: THE PAINTER IN THE CORNER OF CAFÉ GABY’S TERRACE
Art People The Modern Trobadors

GÉRARD ISIRDI: THE PAINTER IN THE CORNER OF CAFÉ GABY’S TERRACE

Inconspicuously tucked in a corner in the back of Café Gaby’s busy terrace, one might think that local artist Gérard Isirdi would go unnoticed. On the contrary, by the time Lourmarin’s most famous artist has set up his makeshift easel atop a café table, attached his large canvas with a series of  large stainless steel clips, and arranged his paints, a hushed excitement has swept through Lourmarin’s three crowded cafés
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CHASING CHÂTEAU LÉOUBE’S ‘’SUPER ROSÉ’’
Côtes de Provence Provence Wines

CHASING CHÂTEAU LÉOUBE’S ‘’SUPER ROSÉ’’

“Fini,” Jérôme Pernot, Sales and Marketing Director at Château Léoube, told photographer Pamela O’Neill and me during a recent visit to the Château. “I don’t even have one bottle left,” he said. “Well, except for a few bottles in the owners’ private cellar
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Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food A Special Occasion
AOP Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence Provencal Pairings: Wine with Food Provence Wines Red Wine Wine

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

A Special Occasion

Special wines, and special foods, should be saved for special occasions. Today is the 10th anniversary of Mark's and my move to Tucson, and we wanted to celebrate in an appropriate fashion. The wine - a 2007 Château Vignelaure Coteaux d'Aix en Provence - was chosen to mark the day, and the meal to go with it had to be equally special. I chose to serve a roasted pork tenderloin crusted in Provençal herbs
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Musings of a Wine MavenBARREL TASTING CONTINUES IN FRANCE NOTWITHSTANDING THE ENTENTE CORDIALE
AOP Musings of a Wine Maven Red Wine Rhône Wines White Wine Wine

Musings of a Wine Maven

BARREL TASTING CONTINUES IN FRANCE NOTWITHSTANDING THE ENTENTE CORDIALE

It’s funny how one can misconstrue history, imagining the raison d’être of certain events to be one thing, and then being surprised to learn that reality is quite different. Such was the case when I moved to France in 1988. At that time, I was vaguely aware of some sort of official agreement between the French and the English termed the Entente Cordiale. At the time I did not realize it was originally a alliance pertaining to political and military relations, rather assuming the document was drafted and accepted (in 1904) to signal a new era of conviviality between two nations that shared a 1,000 year history of dislike, bordering
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THE PASTAGA OF LÉOUBE
Côtes de Provence Red Wine Rosé Wine White Wine Wine Winemaker Profiles

THE PASTAGA OF LÉOUBE

In August of last year, Château Léoube’s Secret de Léoube was given a shout by Drinks Magazine, having placed in the gold medal tier of their 2014 Global Rosé Masters wine tasting competition with such local Provence favorites as Château d’Esclans and Mirabeau en Provence. Embarrassingly enough, having lived only an hour away for years, I had been blissfully ignorant of this domain. As Provence
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MEET MARCO, LE PROPRIÉTAIRE DE CAFÉ GABY
Food History People Places The Modern Trobadors

MEET MARCO, LE PROPRIÉTAIRE DE CAFÉ GABY

If you have been to Lourmarin, you know Café Gaby. Located in the center of the village on Place de l'Ormeau, where main street Rue Henri de Savornin meets Rue du Temple, Café Gaby is the hub of this charming Luberon village.

Men meet at the bar when the sun first rises
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COME OVER TO THE DARK SIDE
Côtes de Provence Côtes du Rhone Rosé Wine Wine

COME OVER TO THE DARK SIDE

It’s all about skin contact. Well, almost.

Minimal skin contact is the simplest explanation for the beautiful pale colors of the world’s most popular rosés. Of course I am referring to rosés from Provence, where pink wine has been made for over 2600 years, giving winemakers there ample time to perfect their rosé
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“WHO’S AFRAID OF PETER MAYLE?”
Events News People The Modern Trobadors

“WHO’S AFRAID OF PETER MAYLE?”

We—or rather those of us of a certain age—grew up asking ourselves "who's afraid of the big bad wolf" and later, as adults, were compelled to ask the same question about Virginia Woolf. I've never had the occasion to pose the question about Peter Mayle, internationally known English author of a long list of wildly popular books about Provence, most notably A Year In Provence, and recipient of many honors, including the prestigious Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honor)...
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Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food Jumping to Conclusions
Côtes de Provence Provencal Pairings: Wine with Food White Wine Wine

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

Jumping to Conclusions

I did it. I jumped to a conclusion. I made an assumption. And I was wrong. I have been eating lobster most of my adult life, and as far back as I can remember, Viogniers were among the wines of choice to pair with lobster. I assumed that was a good idea when I made Lobster Thermidor, as I had a lovely Viognier from
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A Belated Salut to the Winemakers of Les Baux-de-Provence
AOP Les Baux de Provence Provence Wines Red Wine Rosé Wine White Wine Wine Wine Classification Wine Snoop Report Winemaker Profiles

A Belated Salut to the Winemakers of Les Baux-de-Provence

This summer the winemakers of Les Baux-de-Provence celebrated their 20-year anniversary as an appellation. The winemakers group, Les Vignerons de Baux, hosted a party at the Carrières de Lumières in Les Baux-de-Baux (a medieval commune famous for
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