The word ‘vin‘ sounds so much better than the English version ‘wine’ no? For those who don’t speak French, I will be writing about French wine, fun and a little bit of the Mont Ventoux. Like most of us, I don’t ‘know’ wine but I love to drink wine. When Rendez-Vous en France invited me to learn more about wine I almost immediately packed my bags and left to the South of France. I’ve been in France more times than I can count but apart from one visit to Bonnieux and Aix-en-Provence, the actual south is still a bit of a blind spot to me and specifically the area of the Rhône valley was a first for me. So with a key to a beautiful car in my hands, a dodgy GPS (that died halfway down my trip) and a very happy mood I took off. During the next couple of days I slept at beautiful B&B’s (or chambre d’hotes in French), met a wine grower in every little village I visited, drank -oh I mean tasted- delicious wines and eat great food.
Those who have been to the Rhône valley, will agree that it is amazingly beautiful. I’m always in awe of areas that are a little bit mountainous and this area is exactly that. I came at the right time as well because all you can see is green, blossoming flowers and vines that are just starting to grow. And of course every corner you turn a view of the Mont Ventoux. But let’s forget about the mistral that was blowing hard during my visit. A famous wind (which according to legends blows in multiples of 3 days) that is great for the wine production but less great for us. Since it is a dry and cold wind, it keeps the grapes cool in hot winters and it also makes sure that the vines don’t get moldy. So when your hair is blowing everywhere and you just want to chill in the sun, know it’s for a good cause.
In the up and coming days I will be sharing little parts of my trip including hotspots in Avignon, all you ever need to know about wine and more. Below a little preview. Welcome to French wines week!
Read part 2 here and find out all you want to know about wine!
