Lavender and Provence are inextricably tied together in the minds of almost everyone who yearns to visit—and revisit–Provence. What comes to your mind when you think of Provence? Someday I will survey people about the images “Provence” conjures up. But, in the meantime, I’ll put my euros on lavender as the first image that pops into the minds of most people. Rosé wine, pastis, truffles, bouillabaisse, markets, the slow pace of life, the mistral, and Cézanne—all certainly contenders, but, to paraphrase France’s well-known author Jean Giono, it’s the lavender that taps into the soul of Provence. Or, as the well-known English writer Peter Mayle wrote, perhaps less romantically but no less persuasively, “Where would the postcard business be without it?” Questions about lavender are almost always the first to surface in any conversation about traveling to Provence. Just two days ago, while buying some Provence rosé in New York City—more on this very special rosé in an upcoming blog–I chatted with the congenial sales staff at Morrell Wine Store about Provence rosés. But once I mentioned that I write about traveling to Provence, the first words of one of the friendly clerks was: “Oh, I would love to go to Provence to [...]