Ugni Blanc

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

Perle Blanche

When planning our recent trip to Morocco, none of our small group (which included PWZ’s Susan and Towny) had any idea there would be a winery owned by a man from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. But there we were and there he was. Charles Mélia moved to the small village of Ounara — just 20 minutes east of the seaside town of Essaouira — in 1994, and started Domaine du Val d’Argan. 

Earlier in his life, he worked at his family’s vineyard, Château de la Font du Loup (in Châteauneuf-du-Pape) and, after exploring other wine growing areas (Argentina and New Zealand), he settled on Morocco. The climate was perfect for growing Rhône grapes such as Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Muscat, and Roussanne. Sadly, the... [...]

Cassis: A Timeless AOC

Cassis is the most beautiful AOC (appellation d'origine contrôlée) in France: the vineyards cling to the slopes of a magical amphitheater that plunges towards the shimmering Mediterranean. The Phocaeans (ancient Greeks from Asia Minor) must have been enchanted with these slopes when they first saw them 2,600 years ago. And they did well to plant them to the vine. The perfect exposure, dry and nutrient-poor soils and the cooling Mediterranean... [...]
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