W
e have just arrived back in Antibes after the most magical week in Provence.
Unlike most of our recent holidays which have included 30+ hours of travelling, Provence is only 2 1/2 hours drive from Antibes & it provides the most stunning scenery along the way!
Ben & I had one purpose for this trip – WINE. I’m not even kidding, this past week has been based around tasting adult grape juice for our big day! With over 3,000 wineries in the region and more picturesque towns to visit than I could of imagined, we decided to only visit wineries that did a selection of red, white & rosé. We met up with my In-laws ‘to-be’ & got busy tasting.
*All of the vineyards that we visited are open for FREE tastings – just show up!
Winery #1 ~ Domaine Tourbillon
Our first stop on our wine tour was Domain Tourbillion, a 3 generation vineyard. When we first arrived, I had no idea what a treat we were in for. For starters, they have the most incredible shop – it’s a wine lovers dream! AND then we tasted some exquisite wine, 6 difference ones to be exact. Ben loved their 2012 Côtes du Rhône, Cuvée du Grand Père 2012. If you can, request to taste the Confidential, Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOP, Blanc 2015 – this wine appears on the wine list at le Jules Verne, bring a little taste of Paris to Provence.
Winey #2 ~ Bastide de Marie
This 18th century farmhouse is surrounded by 57 acres of vines. The upkeep of the property is impeccable, they have a full service spa, bespoke villas & a luxury restaurant. Anyways…back to the wine! We tasted 6 of their 7 wines. It was incredible to have two rosé’s from the same vineyard with polar opposite tasting notes. One was fresh, fruity & light, the other had an oaky taste filled with spice.
Winery #3 ~ Domaine de la Verrierie
In the middle of a majestic forrest & overlooking the surrounding valley, this vineyard was my favourite find. At the end of a windy road, we found Domaine de la Verriere – little did we know, this family ran vineyard sits on 152 hectares of land including a river that runs along the outer boundary of the property! Catherine, was our wonderful host & the most personable of everyone we met at the winery’s. Through a mix of basic english & french, we were able to taste some of the most outstanding white wine. They don’t mass produce their wine, so they were completely out of rosé, however I’m determined to go back in march to test their next vintage.
Winery #4 ~ Domaine des Peyre
Owned by an ex-journalist, this Domaine is full of quirk & personality. All of their wine bottle labels are printed in the style of a newspaper & their rosé quickly became Ben’s top pick. I’m not a red wine fan, however Peyre may have made a believer. During our fabulous tasting, we were interrupted by a bridal party that was getting ready at the vineyard before heading to the church. Such a surreal feeling to see another bride walk by with her group of adoring bridesmaids ~ with every passing day, I’m more excited to say I Do!
Now to decide how much wine we’re going to need for this Wedding…
Gem
xox
P.S. A big thank you to Dave, Ben’s dad – he was a trooper & did all of the driving so we could taste all of the yummy wines!
- How to build a yachtie CV! - April 3, 2019
- After Eight Martini - February 22, 2019
- Pretty in Pink Tablescapes - February 20, 2019
