Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence

January 3, 2026 6

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Bubbly Bulles

What a treat it was to have Susan and Towny with us for the Christmas holiday! They brought some wonderful wines that they picked up during their late-autumn trip to Provence; I got to do some really fun wine and food pairings to share with you. The first to come is Les Bulles de Barbebelle, a sparkling white wine from Château Barbebelle with grapes from the... [...]

September 5, 2025 5

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Putting the X in Excellent

Today’s wine, Mirabeau X Rosé (Maison Mirabeau), is an excellent wine, and 2022 a wonderful vintage. It was a serendipitous purchase at our natural grocer — not a store that carries a lot of rosé. Knowing that Mirabeau makes wonderful wines, I was sure I was in for a treat.

I paired it with my Grilled Halibut with Piquillo Pepper-Almond Sauce. Check out the recipe on Cocoa & Lavender . This sauce, while Spanish in inspiration, is very much Provençal in... [...]

September 1, 2023 3

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Take Two

In the film world, you often need at least two takes to get a scene right. It is similar with food and wine pairing. This is my second go at pairing my Fish Tacos with rosé.

Take One. The wine I chose for the pairing just didn’t work for my palate. There was no synergy between the wine and food, and the wine almost tasted sour.

Take Two. This wine worked much better and was quite good; the blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault played nicely off the spices in the tacos. I would love to try them with a Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre blend, too. The Fish Tacos are outstanding (he avers immodestly), and I hope you will try them; the recipe is on... [...]

March 31, 2023 1

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
A Hybrid Pairing

When I looked on the Château Barbebelle website for pairing ideas for the 2022 release of their Cuvée Madeleine Rosé, I was torn between their suggestions for fatty fish — tuna, salmon, swordfish — and the fresh, lightness of ceviche. It brought to mind a sort of hybrid recipe of the two that I have been making... [...]

August 6, 2022 1

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Le Pique-Nique

Picnic, anyone? Now is the time and, even if your temperatures don’t support being outdoors these days, today’s wine and food pairing is perfect for an indoor picnic. Just spread a blanket on the floor, put on a YouTube of forest sounds for background (hold the mosquitoes), add an oscillating fan for a light breeze, and you are... [...]

August 1, 2022 3

Gabay and Bernheim’s Rosés of Southern France should be in your wine library

The recent publication of Rosés of Southern France is cause for great celebration among casual rosé drinkers and oenophiles alike. Elizabeth Gabay MW and Ben Bernheim have written an engaging and comprehensive book that not surprisingly centers on Provence rosé but it also includes rosés from all other neighboring regions in the South of France. Their depth of... [...]

August 15, 2021 2

GERARD ISIRDI’S WONDERFUL ART EXHIBITION AT CHÂTEAU BARBEBELLE CLOSES SOON

Provence is abuzz this time of year with fabulous offerings of art, music, opera, film, wine tastings, and the usual fêtes that move from village to village. We traveled from New England to Provence last month specifically for this show by French painter Gérard Isirdi at Château Barbebelle in Rognes... [...]

April 3, 2021 1

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
A Twenty-Nineteen Treat

Elizabeth David’s book, An Omelette and A Glass of Wine, gave me an idea: pair this week’s rosé with a simple frittata. Nothing fancy. Sometimes the simplest combinations are the best. Let me just say that it was, indeed, a good idea. I made a very simple frittata, using the onion tops of fresh spring onions, and paired it with the... [...]

March 14, 2021 0

Save the Date: Sharing Wine and Food at the Table to Benefit The Alex Manfull Memorial Fund

Sharing Wine & Food at the Table Thursday, April 1st 7:00 p.m. (ET)

Zhuzh up your cheese and charcuterie board to pair with Château Barbebelle Cuvée Madeleine Rouge and benefit The Alex Manfull Memorial Fund Supporting Research, Education, and Treatment of PANDAS.

Please join Susan and William “Towny” Manfull, founders of The Alex Manfull Memorial Fund, and David Scott Allen, editor of Cocoa & Lavender, at the Urban Wine Club for a fun and informative webinar about an excellent ... [...]

March 1, 2021 9

A Look at Rosé Diversity in a CIVP Masterclass with Elizabeth Gabay MW

I am not usually out of bed and in front of my computer, Zoom-ing with strangers (mostly) who are drinking rosé before the sun rises, but these days are different. On Thursday, February 25th, the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins de Provence (CIVP) held a masterclass on Vins de Provence at 11:00 a.m. in France. Unfortunately,... [...]

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