It seems that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie just moved into their 500 hectare (1,200 acres) estate, Château Miraval, in the tiny medieval village of Correns, in the Var region of eastern France, not far from the Mediterranean.

Now comes word of a break-up! Wine lovers all over are apprehensive about the fate of the well-received wines from the estate, especially Château Miraval rosé.   (They also produce smaller amounts of white and red wines.)

Brad and Angelina’s interest in the south of France didn’t begin in Correns. Many years previously they dreamt of buying an estate in the exquisite, small village of Eygalières in Provence, very close to St-Rémy-de-Provence.  Unfortunately, the mairie (city hall) didn’t approve their plans to develop some roads on the estate, so their bid was nixed.   Neighbors did not take kindly to the thought of paparazzi and helicopters hovering permanently in the area. Though Eygalières does have many French tv and movie personalities (and now Hugh Grant) with second homes in the town, no one is of the stature of Brangelina. French celebrities participate in the life of the local village, and they are not mobbed by locals and tourists, who are used to seeing them in cafés, restaurants and the popular Friday market.

The couple leased the 35 room estate at Château Miraval as of 2008, and then purchased it in 2012 for about €35M, putting an additional €15M in improvements.  They married there in 2014. They began producing wine from the 90 acre organic vineyards with the 2012 vintage. Naysayers clearly doubted that this celebrity wine would be worth their attention but a partnership with the super star Perrin Family, who makes one of the world’s greatest wines, Château de Beaucastel, in the southern Rhône Valley, quickly proved the doubters wrong. The Côtes de Provence Rosé Miraval was listed at #84 on the Wine Spectator’s Best 100 Wines in the world in 2013, and since it was the only rosé listed that year, it was essentially the best rosé in the world, which could help justify the €16-18 price in France. The 2015 Miraval Rosé was rated 90 points by the Wine Spectator; Decanter has also praised the wine and rated the 2013 vintage 91 points.

Rumors are swirling about a sale of the estate but cannot be confirmed.  Miraval itself was purchased in the names of the 6 children, and according to partner Marc Perrin the estate is not for sale. We know that Brad Pitt is deeply interested in grape growing and winemaking, and takes part in planting and blending decisions so there is a likelihood that he may want to continue his winemaking venture.  The bottle for the 2016 vintage carries the names of Jolie-Pitt & Perrin, seemingly dispelling rumors of a sale, though labels can be redone.

Miraval was originally the home of jazz pianist and composer Jacques Loussier. Other famous artists, including Pink Floyd, Sting, and Sade have recorded there.

Article submitted by: Sharon deRham

Cet article What is happening with Château Miraval rosé? est apparu en premier sur Provence Emotional Escapes Blog.

St-Rémy-de-Provence has the good fortune to have yet another excellent Italian restaurant, Fratelli, specializing in pizzas and pastas, and that just opened this past April.

Fratelli means “brothers” in Italian but here the term refers to several things: the Italian national anthem, often referred to as Fratelli d’Italia—“Brothers of Italy”—from its opening line; the “fraternity” of young people who make up the staff; the two brothers who work in the restaurant.

Fratelli has very Italian vibe—and no wonder, everyone working there is Italian.  It is fun from the moment you walk in the door.  I love the infectious spirit and joie de vivre of the Italians.  (Is it ok to use a very French term to describe Italians?) The waiters are friendly, warm, smiling and efficient. The lively ambiance encouraged me to break out my very rusty Italian so I could join in the fun a little more.  However the restaurant is still a bit disorganized–the guy who came in after me the first evening I ate here got his meal before I even got a glass of water—that will improve once they are open a little longer.  As usual the Italians are quite charming. (When I complained a little about the wait I got a free glass of Proseco and of Sicilian Nero d’Avola. Maybe because I was taking notes? )

The older space on a side street close to the center has been redone in a modern, chic look. The owner is Jean-Christophe Vigne, who is French-Italian and who has lived around St Rémy for 25 years. Formerly a dentist, Jean-Christophe dreamed of taking his clients on a “trip to Italy.” He has succeeded.  He has also included a terrace bar upstairs on the first floor, and offers some special fun evenings.

The food is delicious, everyone who goes there agrees. Wood-fired oven pizzas are very popular and are well-priced at around €12-14; there is a list of pizzas made daily, and they say if you are nice they might take special requests. There are 4-5 pastas at €11-16, a salad or two, eggplant parmesan, maybe a risotto, a charcuterie platter, a meat or fish dish from the wood burning oven. Lots of choices for vegetarians, fewer for real carnivores.  While some ingredients are chosen locally, most come from Italian producers:  Mozzarella di Bufala, Pecorino Romano, Parma hams, Mortadella, Parmigiano Reggiano, Gorgonzola. There are lunch specials as well.

The wine list is all Italian, ranging in price from €17 to €48; there is one white and one red by the glass for €4.

Fratelli was very crowded on the first Sunday I went there. I went back on Tuesday at 7:30 and it filled up quite fast again. This place really seems to fill a need in the area.

Fratelli is already a local hit. I consider myself quite fortunate because the restaurant is literally around the corner, less than a 1 minute walk, from my St Rémy apartment. I am sure I will soon try everything on the menu.

Open daily, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.  but meals are served at standard French hours.

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2C Rue Roger Salengro  (Across the street from Da Peppe restaurant and the St. Rémy post office.)

Rue Roger Salengo is just off the D99A, avenue Albert Gleizes, a bit west of the middle of town.

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

33  (0)4 90 20 82 96

Article and photos by Sharon de Rham

Cet article Fratelli – Stylish, fun and delicious new Italian restaurant in St-Rémy-de-Provence 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.

Wine tasting is a different experience in France. In many countries, including the U.S., wineries are open on week-ends and this is usually the most popular time to visit.  In the Southern Rhône valley, as in all of France, this is not the case since the week-end, especially Sunday, is sacred.  Since many wineries do not have their own tasting rooms, and those that do are usually closed on week-ends, Vinadea is the place to know about. Winemakers got together to open the shop so wine lovers would have place to taste on week-ends and holidays. But it is a wonderful place to go any day of the week.

Vinadea is absolutely the best of the multiple-winery tasting rooms in Châteauneuf. I live nearby and have been going here since 2005.  Vinadea is a sales co-op of about 85 wineries in Châteauneuf, with hundreds of bottles from the very best wineries. Among others you can find Château de Beaucastel, Château la Nerthe, Domaine de la Solitude, St Préfert, Vaudieu, Marcoux, Gardine, Sénéchaux,  Beaurenard, Janasse, Saint Dominique, Clos du Caillou,  and many, many more.

Every day there are about 6-10 bottles of the rare white as well as the red Châteauneuf available for tasting—free. In addition you can purchase bottles at winery prices, unlike at many places in town. I have made some fabulous discoveries here, including the very first vintage of Domaine St. Préfert—I fell in love with it. (Or as we say here, it was a coup de coeur. ) The staff is excellent, friendly and helpful; they are quite knowledgeable about the wines sold and some speak English. For wine lovers spending time in this tasting room is like being a kid in a candy store!  So much choice! The atmosphere is very convivial, bringing together wine overs from all over the world.  Occasionally a generous visitor will purchase a bottle of their favorite wine to share with the rest of the visitors.

This is truly a “not –to-be-missed” stop in Châteauneuf.   As always it is polite to purchase a bottle.

Vinadea can ship your wine purchases within France, and to the US, except to the states of  Mass, Pennsylvania, and Utah.  (Wineries will not ship to the US because of potential competition with their importers.)  Shipping is not possible to the UK or Belgium. Price of Châteauneuf du Pape wines start at about €16 per bottle, and go up from there. There are also some Côtes du Rhône wines for sale, but not for tasting.

They are open every day of the year except Christmas, but close at lunch, around 12:30 to 1:30 or 2:00, depending on the season.

The shop is located in the center of the village.  On foot from the Tourist Office,  turn right past the Café Mule de Pape and go down the street Maréchal Foch. The shop is located at the top of the double stairway on the left side of the  street. The stairway is right next to the horrible public WC.

8 rue Maréchal Foch, Châteauneuf-du-Pape  84230

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+33 (0) 4 90 83 70 69

Written by Sharon deRham

Cet article The Best Week-end Wine Tasting in Châteauneuf-du-Pape est apparu en premier sur Provence Emotional Escapes Blog.