Wines and wineries in Southern France and the Rhone Valley/TITLE> </head> <body background="images/back/bakamphi.gif" bg color="ffffff" link="#663366" vlink="#000066" text="#000066" alink="#663366" leftmargin="0" topmargin="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="590"> <tr> <td valign="left"> <img src="images/blancopix.gif" width="68" height="1"> </td> <td valign="top" > <a href="welcome.html"><img src="images/logo.jpg" alt="logo_top" width="189" height="155" border="0"></a> <P>  <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript">  </SCRIPT>  </HEAD> <BODY bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ONLOAD="preloadImages();">  <A HREF="cooking_workshops.html" ONMOUSEOVER="changeImages('c_work_01', 'images/nav/c_work_01-over.gif'); return true;" ONMOUSEOUT="changeImages('c_work_01', 'images/nav/c_work_01.gif'); return true;"> <IMG NAME="c_work_01" SRC="images/nav/c_work_01.gif" WIDTH=155 HEIGHT=21 BORDER=0></A> <br> <A HREF="bandb.html" ONMOUSEOVER="changeImages('bandb_01', 'images/nav/bandb_01-over.gif'); return true;" ONMOUSEOUT="changeImages('bandb_01', 'images/nav/bandb_01.gif'); return true;"> <IMG NAME="bandb_01" SRC="images/nav/bandb_01.gif" WIDTH=155 HEIGHT=21 BORDER=0></A> <br> <A HREF="artisans.html" ONMOUSEOVER="changeImages('artisans_01', 'images/nav/artisans_01-over.gif'); return true;" ONMOUSEOUT="changeImages('artisans_01', 'images/nav/artisans_01.gif'); return true;"> <IMG NAME="artisans_01" SRC="images/nav/artisans_01.gif" WIDTH=155 HEIGHT=21 BORDER=0></A> <br> <A HREF="reservations.html" ONMOUSEOVER="changeImages('sign_01', 'images/nav/sign_01-over.gif'); return true;" ONMOUSEOUT="changeImages('sign_01', 'images/nav/sign_01.gif'); return true;"> <IMG NAME="sign_01" SRC="images/nav/sign_01.gif" WIDTH=155 HEIGHT=21 BORDER=0></A>  <A HREF="about_arles.html"<IMG NAME="arles_01" SRC="images/nav/arles_01-over.gif" WIDTH=155 HEIGHT=21 BORDER=0></A> <br> <font face="arial bold" font size=-1> <A HREF="about_seasons.html">Gourmand's Calender</a> <br> <A HREF="about_links.html">Useful Links</a> <br> Favorite Wines <br> <A HREF="about_house.html">Work in Progress (our new B&B</a> <br> </font> <br> <A HREF="about_us.html" ONMOUSEOVER="changeImages('us_01', 'images/nav/us_01-over.gif'); return true;" ONMOUSEOUT="changeImages('us_01', 'images/nav/us_01.gif'); return true;"> <IMG NAME="us_01" SRC="images/nav/us_01.gif" WIDTH=155 HEIGHT=21 BORDER=0></A> <A HREF="recipes.html" ONMOUSEOVER="changeImages('recipes_01', 'images/nav/recipes_01-over.gif'); return true;" ONMOUSEOUT="changeImages('recipes_01', 'images/nav/recipes_01.gif'); return true;"> <IMG NAME="recipes_01" SRC="images/nav/recipes_01.gif" WIDTH=155 HEIGHT=21 BORDER=0></A>  <p> <img src="images/guyandsophie.jpg" border="0" alt="arlesiennes young.jpg" width="240" height="180"> <br> <font size=-1>Caption goes here.</font> </td> <td valign="top"> <img src="images/head/arles_head.jpg" border="0" alt="homepage_header" width="233" height="27"> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="10" width="400">  <tr> <td> <font face="arial"> <!-- BEGIN CONTENT --!> <b>A Few of Our Favorite Wines and Wine-makers</b> <br> Where they have a website, I've put the link so you can contact them directly to learn where and from whom you might buy them. Do keep in mind that as we discover new wines that please us, we will be expanding this page. FYI The best recent years for our region are 1995,1998, 2000 and 2001. 1999 was a good year for some, but for others a disappointment. It all came down to a rainstorm in October. And, it looks like 2002 will be pretty dismal. The storms of early September were violent and led to flooding and pummeled grapes. Look for 2003 "vieilles vignes". It was a very big year! And onward to 2004... <P> <b>The East side of the Rhône:</b> <ul> <p> <b>AOC Cru Chateauneuf-du Pape:</b> <p> A wide selection of the best of Chateauneuf-du-pape vintages. Guy Bremond, the head of the cave is multi-lingual and very knowledgeble, so feel free to contact him and visit him when you come to Provence. Once you've visited the cave, you can then order wines and have them shipped to you all over Europe and in most of the US.<br> <A HREF="http://www.caveduverger.com/" TARGET="_new">Les Caves du Verger des Papes</A> <br> Sommelier Guy Brémond <br> Tel/Fax: 33 (0) 4 90 83 50 94 <br> <A HREF="mailto:papeverger@aol.com">papeverger@aol.com</A> <p> <li><b>Domaine Lucien Barrot et Fils:</b> This domaine makes unique, personalized wines of character. They are of the traditional school of Chateauneuf-du-pape wines and have a warm, leathery finish, less strong in the fruit, and more gamey and hearty (only red). <br> Fax: 33 (0) 4 90 83 51 89 <P> <li><b>Clos Mont-Olivet: </b> Vintners the sons of Joseph Sabon (both the white and the red are very good, aromatic and rich in fruit), available for tasting at the Caves Reflets in the town of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. <P> <li><b>Domaine des Cailloux</b>: We very much like their whites. You can go to the winery, or taste at either the Caves Reflets, or Verger des Papes. <P> <li><b>Domaine de Marcoux:</b> This wonderful bio-dynamic winery is run by two sisters Sophie Armanière is responsible for the actual vinification and blending. She makes superb reds and whites, takes risks, and often has succeeded in making a superb wine in off years (such as 1997) by relying on her senses and timing. <p> <b>AOC Crus Gigondas and Vacqueyras:</b> <p> <li><b>Domaine des Espiers</b>, Gigondas Vintner Philippe Cartoux <br> Tel: 33 (0) 4 90 83 51 89 (a range of whites, roses and robust reds, AOC Gigondas and Côtes du Rhône). <p> <li><b>Domaine de Montirius</b>: Eric and Christine Saurel are a young couple, both descended from wine-making families, working with lands in both the cru territories of Vacqueyras and Gigondas. They work bio-dynamically which is taking the ideas of organic and going a few steps further. They observe the movement of the stars and moon, and treat by preference with herbal mixtures rather than copper and sulphur (accepted by the organic laws). Their wines are made from superlative grapes, of which the oldest are 75 years (their Gigondas) and the youngest 12 years (the special cuvée Montirius). Generous, welcoming and supremely talented, they make red wines rich and dark, spicy, but with notes of fresh fruit. <br> <A HREF="http://www.montirius.com/">Montirius</A> <br>Le Deves, Sarrians, vintners Eric and Christine Saurel <br>Tel: 33 (0) 4 90 65 38 28 <br> <a href="mailto:montirius@wanadoo.fr">montirius@wanadoo.fr</a> <P> <b>AOC Côte du Rhône Villages</b> <p> <li> <b>Domaine du Trapadis in Rasteau </b>makes a range of reds and VDN dessert wines of superb quality, in particular a deep red dessert wine that simply sings when served with a dark chocolate mousse. Grapes: grenache noir, syrah, carignan, cinsault, mourvèdre). He works completely by hand and organically on vines that have been in the family since the 1800s. <br> Vintners Michèle Charavin (mother)and Helen Durand (son) <br> Fax: 33 (0) 4 90 46 15 96. <p> <li><b>Domaine Jean David in Seguret</b>. Working organically, Jean David makes a lovely white of bourbelenc and roussane grapes, fruity and crisp but with body. His multiple reds include the velvety Cuvee les Couchants and the Cuvee les Levants. Occasionally there will be a bit of a fiz or "acid carbonic" in his top reds. Not to worry, simply decant the wine or open it a couple hours before serving and this will go away. It is actuallyl a clue to the consumer that this wine-maker is using the minimum possible of sulfites to preserve his wine. You can find him just beside the villages of Seguret, one of our favorite stops right close to Gigondas. tel: 04 90 46 95 02 <p> <b>AOC Côteaux d'Aix <p> <li> Domaine de Saint-Ser</b> is located on the side of the mountain, Ste Victoire. (a lovely white, a superb rosé "prestige" as well as 2 reds, with the "prestige" all medal winners at the concours agriole de Paris and at the concours de Mâcon). Grapes: Grenache, Syrah, Rolle, Cinsault, Cabernet Savignon. Just outside the town of Puyloubier, near Aix-en-Provence <br>Vintner Renaud Pierlot <br>Fax 33 (0) 4 42 66 37 51. <p> <li><b>Domaine d'Eole Eygalières</b>: Rosé wines with tremendous fruit and pleasing bouquet, red wines of exception. A young winery (only 10 years under Mathias), they are working organically and both classically and innovatively. Their classic rosé is fruity and crisp with lovely floral bouquet, while their cuvée caprice rosé is aged in new oak barrels and has the body and hint of vanilla, plus the fruit making it quite unusual. Both their classic red and the special cuvée Léa are a delight, complex and rich, with tannins enough to age gracefully, but never overmuch. Grapes : Syrah Cinsault, Granache, Carignan, Counoise, Mourvèdre. <br> Vintner Matthias Wimmer <br> Fax 33 (0) 4 90 95 99 85. <A HREF="http://www.domainedeole.com/" TARGET="_new">Domaine d'Eole</A> Read about <A HREF="organicwines.html">Mathias Wimmer</a> and how he makes his wine. </ul> <b>AOC Les Baux de Provence</b <ul> <li><b>Domaine Terres Blanches</b>, Saint Rémy de Provence Begun in 1970, this is the oldest winery in the Alpilles and has been a revolutionary in organic wine-making and farming techniques. They have all three colors, and in particular their red is wonderful. In the best years they make a special cuvée Aurelia, 1995, 1998. 1999. They work with a dominant grenache, syrah and cabernet sauvignon to blend a wine, dark ruby, rich in candied cherry, with a touch of spice. <br> Vintners Noël Michelin and Guillaume Rérolle<br> Fax: 33 (0) 4 90 95 99 04 </ul> <b>The West side of the Rhône</b> <ul> <B>AOC Crus Lirac & Tavel <p> <li> Domaine de Rocalière </b> Located in the tiny village of Tavel. Vintners J. Borrelly, his daughter Severine and B. Maby. tel: 33(0) 4 66 50 12 60. A range of whites, rosés, and reds including a smooth velvety mourvè dre and a spicy syrah. <P> <b>AOC Costières de Nîmes</b> <p> <li><b>Domaine de Cabanis, Vauvert</b>- A small family winery run by Jean-Paul Cabanis. He has been working organically for 15 years now, and only in the last 3 has opted to go up from a "vin de Pays" to a wine under the appelation Costières de Nîmes. He does not make his AOC wine every year, 1998 he made a wonderful fruity and warm red, but 1999 proved disappointing for him, and so for us. However we'll hope there'll be more in 2000! The predominant grapes are grenache and carignan. He makes a wonderful little white of clairette as well. More on <A HREF="organicwines.html">Cabanis</A> <p> <li> <b>The Mas Aupelliere </b>is making a glorious red with time spent in new oak (but judiciously so) using the best parcels of the land they've recently acquired. The vintners aer Bois and his son, living in Gallician in the Gard. <p> <b>AOC Coteaux de Languedoc <p> <li> Chateau Lascaux</b> From the remarkable and extremely promising region in the Languedoc known as the Pic St. Loup, this winery makes a classic and full-bodied red from its syrah and grenache grapes grown on the hillsides that chill at night and bake during the day. Specifically a "Coteaux de Languedoc, Pic St. Loup", whether you find the Chateau Lascaux or another, it is definitely worth trying. Whites and Reds. <p> <li><b>Picboul de Pinet</b>- We drink Picboul de Pinet from the Cave Cooperative many evenings as a light apéritif. It is crisp, with a light citrus fruit. Ideally paired with shell fish. However, for more special occasions, there is the Picboul de Pinet of the <b>Domaine de la Grangette </b>which produces are more voluptuous white (due to the "maceration pelliculaire" which we pair with many a fish course. <p> <li><b>Muscat sec de la Cave Cooperative de Lunel</b>- A wonderful fruity and dry white wine for aperitif or to accompany the eggplant en caton with a cold coulis of fresh tomatoes with garlic and basil.</P> <p><b>AOC Corbières <p> <li>Domaine la Voulte Gasparé </b>which makes wine in all three colors. This is a region known for its use of the Carignan grape, a grape grown all over Languedoc and Provence, though often blended with Grenache and Syrah. It has a rich candied bing cherry aroma, and a deep color. <p> </td> </tr> </table> <font size=-1><center>Cuisine et Tradition School of Provençale Cuisine<br> Erick & Madeleine Vedel<br> Arles, France<br> 33 (0) 4 90 49 69 20<br> <A href= "mailto:actvedel@wanadoo.fr">actvedel@wanadoo.fr</a></font></center> </td> </tr> </table> </body> </html>