Thanksgiving is the favorite U.S. holiday of many Americans.

It was first celebrated in 1621 by Native Americans and Pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts to give thanks for the harvest from the preceding year. It is a secular holiday, celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November by all Americans, each adding their special dishes depending on their state and their cultural origin. It is the busiest travel time of the year, since everything gets packed into just the Wednesday prior to the Thursday feast plus the week-end as families and friends travel to get together for the celebration.

Americans in Provence go to great lengths to celebrate the holiday here. Popular blogger Julie Mautner of ProvencePost.com writes about Francophile Stephanie Fray’s annual Thanksgiving feast in Provence.

Preparing a large Thanksgiving feast is strenuous enough for any home cook, but cooking for 35 serious foodies in an unfamiliar kitchen in a foreign country requires supersized savoir faire.

Then again, Stephanie Fray is hardly your typical home cook. As the head of Sophie + Faulkner in Paris and Conundrum in the US, she handles strategy and communications for a wide range of clients including the annual New York Culinary Experience, a two-day event sponsored by New York magazine featuring hands-on cooking classes with 30 top chefs.

Growing up in Brooklyn and Westchester County, New York, Fray came from a family “that thought nothing of driving two hours for the perfect pizza.” Today she’s a passionate cook and the kind of food lover who, if she finds herself with a few hours to kill in Paris or elsewhere in France, thinks nothing of dropping into a Michelin three-star restaurant and grabbing a last-minute table. Chefs often come out of the kitchen to see who the long-haired American walk-in is…the one enjoying the eight-course dégustation with wines, happily alone at a two-top, texting away on her phone.

A long-time Francophile, Fray keeps an apartment in Paris and pops down to Provence any chance she gets. For the last seven years, she has rented a house at holiday time and decided to host Thanksgiving for small group of friends, both French and expat. In 2015, she chose a gorgeous mas in the village of Eygalières, loaded it up with friends for the weekend, and set out to prepare a Franco/American feast for pretty much anyone who wanted to come. Even after the first bottle of Champagne was opened around 7:30 p.m., Fray was fielding phone calls and texts, telling friends, “Of course, bring anyone you want!”

The menu? Five different hot hors d’oeuvres, two huge turkeys and two types of stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce and gravy, three veg dishes (Brussels sprouts with pistachios, speck, shallots, and lemon; sautéed cauliflower with currants; and roasted purple, fingerling, and sweet potatoes with pepper and onion), Gruyère popovers, a cheese course of six varieties and, finally, three desserts.

The first order of business was the turkey, which Fray had ordered in Provence back in September. Since turkeys in France aren’t fattened until Christmas, Fray had to find a farmer who was willing to have two big ones ready, freshly killed and plucked in time. She picked them up a few days in advance, whacked off the heads, and popped them into their brine. On that same trip, Fray had also begun sourcing wines, visiting her favorite domaines in Provence and storing bottles with friends.

Before heading back to France in mid-November, Fray packed and shipped supplies from New York: her brine mix, her favorite knife, a hand mixer, popopver pans, disposable quart containers, foil catering pans, and other disposables hard to find in Provence.

Upon arriving in Paris, she borrowed a membership card and made a beeline for Metro, a large wholesale grocery chain. There she bought extra plates, glasses, cutlery, and staples, to be driven down to Provence with friends. She also tasted her way through a large number of small batch, mostly organic labels at Table à Côté, the wine shop owned by Bruno Verjus, who also has the restaurant Table. “This was just after the Paris attacks,” Stephanie says, “and the stores were really hurting. I wanted to do as much of my shopping there as possible.”

Once she was settled in Provence (the TGV train from Paris to Avignon takes less than three hours), Fray set out to finish her shopping, a four-day treasure hunt. From markets and shops in Avignon, Cavaillon, St. Rémy, and Arles, she plucked sausages, cheeses, chocolates, Bordier butter, fresh cream, cèpes, girolles, chanterelles, fleur de sel, estate-bottled olive oils, vinegar, eggs, vegetables, fruit, spices, golden raisins, and much more. Then it was off to the boulangeries to sample breads, while fresh herbs were cut from a friend’s garden. Cranberries were ordered four days ahead from the épicerie in the town of Eygalières. She bought six types of mushrooms, five types of apples, three different potatoes, and seven different breads, just to be sure.

“When you don’t actually live somewhere,” she explains, “you don’t know what things taste like at that time of year. I wanted to sample all the fresh ingredients first.”

Fray’s old friend Gillian Duffy, a food writer for New York and Departures magazines, who lives 90 minutes away in the Var, signed on to make the desserts: deep dish apple pie, sweet potato cake topped with caramelized apples, and ginger pumpkin pie, all served with crème fraîche.

“Of course, I ran into a few problems,” Duffy reports. “First, it’s impossible to find American-style pie pans with a lip; there are lots of tart pans around, but they’re too big in diameter. I meant to bring foil pans with me from New York, but with the hurricane, it all became too much! Secondly, it’s hard to find baking soda and baking powder, at least in shops around our village in the Var. But I did find self-rising flour, which worked brilliantly as it has the leavening agent added.

“Unlike most people who buy prepared pastry in supermarkets,” Duffy continues, “I like to make my own pastry for Thanksgiving pies, combining butter and lard for a flakier crust. I finally found lard at the grocery Le Clerc, but had to ask four people where it was. Obviously lard is not common in Provence!”

For many of the French guests at the table, this was their first Thanksgiving, and certain dishes—like stuffing—were completely new. “This is the first time I eat red fruit jam with turkey,” reports local sculptor Stephane Guiran. “I like it! I liked all the different accents, too, particularly the Scottish accent of David Duffy! It was a great moment: warm atmosphere, full of life, and great food. It reminded me of family Christmas dinner. And because the story of Thanksgiving was read, it was a cultural evening, too!”

Another first-timer was St. Rémy Tourist Office president Philippe Goninet. “After watching so many ‘Merci Donnant’ (i.e. Thanksgiving)  scenes in movies, it was wonderful to be part of one!” he reports. “For the French, it’s unusual to serve all the foods at once, rather than in courses, so that was new, and we loved it. I can’t wait for this year!”

With leftover supplies and new cookware safely stashed in a friend’s Provence garage—and the same mas rented again for a week this month–Fray is already deep into planning for her 2016 feast.  Key to pulling off a traditional meal in a foreign country, she says, is to start early, ship what’s feasible, use what’s at hand, and be very willing to substitute. And most of all, hang loose. “There are always little things forgotten,” she says, “like the Parmesan meant for the roasted potatoes. But what matters is friends around the table. That’s what I care about most. I’d do this every week if I could.”

Julie has suggestions for great ways to spend your Thanksgiving in France this year, click here.

  Article submitted by: Julie Mautner

Cet article Thanksgiving in Provence est apparu en premier sur Provence Emotional Escapes Blog.

The Printemps de Châteauneuf (Springtime in Châteauneuf) is a world class wine tasting week-end held early every April in this quiet southern Rhône village.

It is still a rather unknown event though it is the best public wine gathering in the south of France. 85-90 wineries –-a virtual who’s who in Châteauneuf-du-Pape—present their wines over a Saturday and Sunday. You can taste all week-end long for the outrageously low entrance fee of €10—about $11 US, or £8 per person.  You can meet and talk to the winemakers, winery owners, and staff; you can purchase wine at winery prices. You can try an enormous variety of reds and the rare white Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  (There is no rosé in the appellation, though some wineries do make it from grapes grown outside the appellation.) Winemakers are generous in providing many of their best cuvées for tasting.

You are welcome no matter what your level; you can just go and taste, or else deepen your knowledge of terroir, of the 13 grapes used in the wines, of the use of foudres vs new oak barrels, or of the winemaker’s opinion on de-stemming or not.

If your French is limited, not to worry.  You can taste with the American sommelier wife of the owner of Bois de Boursan, or the Australian wife of the owner of Font de Michelle. Château de Beaucastel has a bi-lingual staff.  Domaine de Pégau, Domaine Jean Royer, Château la Nerthe, André Brunel’s Domaine Les Cailloux and others have English speaking owners and/or staff pouring the wines.  A lot of the young French winemakers travel in English speaking countries and welcome the opportunity to speak English.

Wine people in general are quite friendly and open which allows you make some terrific discoveries. A real highlight of the week-end is to find “hidden treasures.”  Some of my recent finds include the terrific Natalie Reynaud, winemaker at her family’s Domaine l’Abbé Dîne.  With vineyards near Château Rayas, Natalie makes exquisite white and red Châteauneuf, and top north Côtes du Rhône.

At Domaine Guiliani, Bernard and Aline Guiliani make Châteauneuf that starts at about €17 per bottle, and whose €6.50 Côtes du Rhône “Notes de Louis” is sold for €35 at a two-Michelin starred local restaurant.  The “Notes de Louis” is a wine whose grapes are planted right next to the border of Châteauneuf so it is a terrific buy.

Domaine l’Abbé Dine website

Domaine Guiliani website

The atmosphere is friendly and I loved having the opportunity to see many of my Châteauneuf friends all in one place, especially after the quiet winter season.  Wine lovers come from many parts of France and many foreign countries. As I waited in line for the doors to open, I was surprised to hear American English; a young American from San Diego drove up from Monaco for the day. I met other French, Americans, English, Swiss, Turks, and Belgians.

Each year the organizers, including famous oenologist Philippe Cambie, and affable and talented American sommelier Kelly MacAuliffe, along with local winemakers, plan several “ateliers” (tasting workshops); the cost is an additional €25-40 per person, and is well worth it. When the workshops are announced in February, I immediately register for all of them.  Mr. François Audouze, who has the largest collection of old vintages in France led the tasting of  “Old Vintages of Châteauneuf-du-Pape”; we had the enormous pleasure of tasting vintages from 1974 though 1998. He reiterated that  “one shouldn’t judge an older wine, one needs to try to understand it” by keeping an open mind. Older wines definitely do not taste like fruit driven younger wines and two bottles of older wine, even from the same vintage and cuvée will taste different. François disagrees with Robert Parker regarding his theory on the life cycle of wines but he gave lots of credit to Parker, whose influence helped to improve the quality of local wines and the local economy as well.

A specialized workshop taylor-made for wine geeks was the “To de-stem or not” workshop.   At least 90% of wines in Châteauneuf are de-stemmed, since winemakers want to produce wines that drink young, so it seems like a moot point. However some winemakers are rethinking this approach; after 2009, Isabel Ferrando of St. Préfert, one of Châteauneuf’s newest superstars, against advice of consultant Philippe Cambie, decided to leave some ripe stems in the fermentation since she thinks it will help her wines age better.

Irrefutably, and as always, the most popular atelier was the Culinary Workshop pairing Châteauneuf wines with foods.  There were three whites and five reds paired precisely to match 8 dishes prepared by Chef Olivier Scola of Ze Bistro in Aix-en-Provence.  Dominique Laporte, meilleur sommelier, commented on the matches, and winemakers were not the least bit shy about chiming in with their opinions. It seems to be the trend these days to do unorthodox pairings. Sometimes it worked beautifully, as in the case of the 2008 Domaine Pegau –a lighter vintage–paired with a slightly smoked cod with beets and  meat “jus.”  (Owner and winemaker Laurence Feraud loves this vintage with Thai food.) My favorite pairing was the 2010 red Vieux Donjon with the “Porc Noir de Bigorre” with mushrooms and small chunks of bacon.

Ze Bistro website

 Dominiqe laporte website

Outside in the courtyard there is a high quality “French Style” Food Court with purveyors coming from all over France. Get a bottle of Châteauneuf and enjoy it for lunch with Cancale oysters on the half shell, cheese plates, eggs with Ventoux black truffles, grilled organic veal, “gratinée of Royans raviolis.”  Then try some Carpentras strawberries and the exceptional chocolate from Peyrerol in Vaison-la-Romaine.

Peyrerol website

It is not too early to get on the mailing list for the 2017 tasting week-end. It will be held the week-end of April 8 and 9; registration generally starts in February.

Printemps de Châteauneuf 

Contact to sign up on email

When you are in Châteauneuf, be sure to stop by Vinadea for a tasting.

Article and photos : Sharon de Rham

Cet article Printemps du Châteauneuf-du-Pape est apparu en premier sur Provence Emotional Escapes Blog.

The recent warm, sunny spring days have sent me off to my local wine shop/tasting bar, l’Arbre à Vins in Vaison-la-Romaine to find some delicious rosés to drink this spring and summer.

As usual, Mathieu Schillinger, the owner, was happy to give me tastes of the 3 rosés he has open for tasting. I tried the Domaine du Mourchon, the Domaine de la Janasse, and the Domaine de la Mordorée, all of which I loved, and subsequently purchased.

The popularity of rosé is exploding, in France and elsewhere. Rosé is the only French wine whose sales are increasing in the US, up to 40% growth per year. Rosé is produced in many countries and in many regions of France but rosé from the Provence region is usually considered the best and most consistent. It is becoming more and more sophisticated to drink rosé, the quality is improving, there are more and more luxury rosés, and even though the price is going up, these are the most value driven wines in France.

The colors range from very pale, to shell pink, to onion skin, to pale orange, to darker pinks, to a very deep near-purple. There is a nuancier (color chart) to show the many different shades of Provencal rosé; there are 139 shades! But the “Rosé Research Center” experts have grouped these colors into 9 main ones. Sommeliers often use strawberry, light cherry, mango, melon, salmon, ruby pink, peach, pink grapefruit, or wood to describe the colors.

Provence rosé nuancier

The very pale rosé is trendy in France. Many young women think that the lighter color indicates less alcohol, but this is not the case.  Others think that “pale” is sophisticated.  The lighter color is due to the style of winemaking, and although it is counterintuitive, the lighter color doesn’t mean less flavor either.  Most often, but not always, the very pale rosés come from Provence, the region around the Mediterranean.  The big exception is Bandol, whose mourvèdre based rosés are both longer-lasting and intensely flavored. As we move north into the Rhône Valley, Côtes du Rhône rosés become fuller bodied and darker in color. The appellation of Tavel makes only rosé wines, usually full-bodied and flavorful and considered the “best” by many connaisseurs.

Provençal rosés are made in two main ways. In the saignée (bleeding off) method a winemaker wants to concentrate her red wine, so after a short fermentation, some of the juice is “bled” off from the tank, giving a rosé, while the red wine remaining in the tank is more concentrated.  In the “direct pressure” method, red wine grapes are harvested early, and fermented. Skins are only allowed a short time in contact with the juice and are removed when the juice is the desired color.

A good rosé is dry, juicy, bright and refreshing to the palate; it has some nice acidity and good flavors of summer fruits and flowers.  The best rosés will have some minerality and you might find some herbal flavors as well.

The grapes most often used in Provence for rosés are Cinsault, which gives the strawberry aroma; Grenache gives light cherry and other red fruit flavors and structure to the wine; Syrah for deep color, tannin and spicy dark red fruits; mourvèdre gives structure and body with flavors of dark fruits, herbs and minerals. Some rosés have a taste of bubble gum, which is not appreciated by many French although foreigners seem to like it, according to Mathieu.

Dry rosés come in different styles from a light, lively and fruity style that is best poolside or as an apéritif. “Table rosés” are more full-bodied, may have some oak aging, and are wonderful with food; some can even take the place of a red wine.

There is a third category of rosé in the south of France, which is unfortunately almost unknown outside the region. These are sweet rosés, mainly from the “Cru” rated appellation of Rasteau, but also from Beaumes-de-Venise. Rasteau is better known for is brooding red wines and red VDN (vin doux naturel), but Rasteau produces dry and sweet rosés as well.  I recently had a Domaine Combe Julière VDN Rasteau Rosé well paired with a Thai Tom Yam soup.  At €11 per bottle, this is a steal.  The wine had aromas of crushed strawberries, and other red fruits. In addition to drinking with spicy Asian dishes, the sweet rosé is a wonderful apéritif, a natural with foie gras, and I would love to try it with a strawberry shortcake or raspberry Charlotte.

These rosés are perfect partners to our Provençal cuisine, redolent of garlic, olive oil, and herbs. The lighter rosés are great with marinated red peppers, fresh goat cheese, salads, plates of charcuterie, petite friture (tiny fried smelts); the more full-bodied rosés are preferable with tartare of salmon, grilled sea bass or tuna, stuffed vegetables (“petits farcis”) or a roasted chicken.

On the high end there are some fairly new but exciting rosés.  Chêne Bleu from owner Nicole Sierra Rolet is getting a lot of attention for its rosé produced high up in the Ventoux, behind Gigondas, from organic and biodynamic grapes. The wine is perfumed, complex, with a fuller body and wonderful berry nose and good acidity. I buy this one every year!  €16.

It should not be surprising that Miraval, the “Brangelina” produced wine from Provence, is quite delicious. Everything the couple does has quality written all over it. They produce this wine in partnership with the well-known Perrin family at Château de Beaucastel. Sacha Lichine –of the famous Bordeaux Lachine family—produces the Château d’Esclans wines Rock Angel and Whispering Angel, which are sometimes considered the “best” rosés, but at a steep price of  €15 and €40. Their limited production Garrus goes for about €140.  At about €18, the Miraval seems inexpensive. Apparently the Esclans wines are quite popular with yacht owners on the Mediterranean and clubgoers in St Tropez.

 Recommended Provençal rosé wines. Best to buy a 2015 vintage. All these wines are exported. Price given is the local price in Provence.

The prestigious Châteauneuf-du-Pape producer Domaine de la Janasse makes an excellent Côtes-du-Rhône rosé for about €6 per bottle.

The “Loubié” rosé, produced by Domaine de Mourchon in Séguret has a big following in the US; early each spring they start shipments to California customers. About €8.5.

Domaine de la Mordorée Tavel, a “Cru” rosé-only appellation producing full bodied rosés.  About €14.

Chêne Bleu in the Ventoux region, produces an excellent, complex rosé priced at about 16€ per bottle.

Miraval Rosé, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, with the Perrin Family. About €18 per bottle.

Rasteau Vin Doux Natural Rosé, Ortas, Rasteau.  €9 per bottle

L’Arbre à Vins Wine Shop and Tasting Bar, Place Montfort (main square in town) / Trip Advisor

Article and photos: Sharon deRham

Cet article Rosé Wines – 50 Shades of Summer in Provence est apparu en premier sur Provence Emotional Escapes Blog.