SNAPSHOT FROM THE VINES

Autumn's last roses are still blooming brightly. Isn't this a romantic view over vines and roses?

If you don't know allready you might like to know why does one frequently see rosebushes beside the vine. The roses and the vine suffer from the same diseases. So, if the rosebushes are affected it is time to treat the vines.

Quel paysage magnifique sur les vignobles et les dernières roses de l'automne. Je suppose que tout le monde sait pourquoi les vignerons cultivent les rosiers à côtè des vignes? Les rosiers et les vignes attrapent les mêmes maladies. Donc, si vos rosiers se portent mal, il est temps de traiter vos vignes!

WEEKEND IN THE LUBERON

This weekend we were on a wineyard...

near the charming village of Goult in the Luberon.

Ce weekend nous avons été sur un vignoble, près du charmant village de Goult dans le Luberon.

RED WINE

After more than twenty years passed in France I’m still a pretty bad “Frenchwoman”: I don’t much care for wine. At least I don’t know a lot about it and I have a pretty “bad” taste in wine, I mainly drink rosé wine – and champagne, of course.

Last Saturday I found a red wine that suited my taste buds. It is light, fruity and “womanly”, a good wine for summer evenings, to be drunk chilled as a rosé. It might not suite a proper wine lover but I liked it a lot. I found this treasure at the Domaine de La Brillane, near Aix-en-Provence. This vineyard was bought by a British gentleman who made his first career in the City before becoming a French vigneron in 2000.

They produce four different wines of which the lightest and my favorite is Le B - Cuvée de Printemps. Those who like richer red wines find them as well. And the best of it is that they are produced organically. They don’t produce a lot, so you can find the wines at their cave in Coutheron, near Aix or in some restaurants and wine merchants in some English speaking countries.

I had the chance to tour the Domaine last Saturday as a kick off of a lovely day spent among some lovely ladies, all Finnish bloggers living in the Southern France. After a copious picnic at the Domaine we headed to town and strolled in the streets of Aix. I get allways nostalgic when in Aix since it is a town I love and know well since I have lived in it or near it for twenty years.

Unfortunately I forgot my camera in my “weekend cottage”, so the photos hear come from the web pages of the Domaine de La Brillane. And they do a bed and breakfast, too. To wake up in this scenery!

On the other hand I didn’t forget the camera two weeks ago. For once we spent the weekend in my current home town and we had a marvelous weather. Since I’m feeling lazy I won’t put the photos here but you can see them here and here. I realize you might not understand the Finnish texts but there isn’t much to be said about these pretty, little towns. Vaison-la-Romaine has both Roman and Medieval heritage and a very famous Roman bridge over the Ouvèze. Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux doesn’t have three castles, not even one, but it has a pretty little Medieval and Renaissance old town. Suze-la-Rousse has a medieval castle with a spectacular Renaissance court yard. The castle houses a Wine university, after all we are totally surrounded by vineyards.

IT IS AN OUTRAGE!

source: google

The European Commission has once again had one of those crazy ideas it is well known for. It has proposed to authorise accepting the blending of red and white wine to produce rosé. A cry of outrage has been sounded in France against this initiative, to be ratified (or not) in mid June. The rosé producers and the French government are lobbying heavily against such a horrid measure.
The French argue that making rosé is a whole technique on its own and the blending result will never be anywhere near the real thing. It is regarded as pure deceaving of clients. The French of course are afraid for their strategic place in wine producing. Indeed, France is the foremost producer of the rosé wine in the world. And more than 80 % of all French rosé wines come from Provence region. Up to three quarters of the wine produced in Provence is rosé. The Var is specially reputed for its rosé wines but there are some good wine coming from every part of Provence and the neighbouring Languedoc-Roussillon.
Rosé is also growing fast in French exports and doing well compared to other wines. Specially appreciated in summer it has become lately more a cult wine and less the cheap summer beveridge it used to be regarded. It is best chilled which suites the summer and goes with everything.
Personally I love rosé. I know the wine connoisseurs still regard rosé less sophisticated than the red or white but I like the light flavour and prefer it the whole year round. I know I haven't, during these 25 years passed in France, really acquired a wine culture. I am happy to drink, with moderation, what gives me pleasure. Like my food, my wine usually comes from my neighbourhood. I like the idea of locally produced food and drink. I hate those apples coming from Chile, pears from Brazil, strawberries from South Africa or what not. And though I am sure the antipodean wine is as good as any I prefer the one growing in my back yard. The only thing coming from the antipodes I appreciate are the rugby players - or what, ladies?

Vous, les lecteurs français connaissez sûrement déjà tous la dernière idée bizarre de la Commission Européenne: laisser appeler un melange de vin rouge et de vin blanc "rosé", comme si le rosé était un vulgaire mélange. Le rosé connaît un renouveau dans le monde et la France étant le pays leader sur ce marché il est évident qu'elle ne veut pas entendre parlé d'une telle déception des clients sur cette marchandise-phare.
Personellement je préfère de loin le rosé aux autres vins. Je sais que je manque de sophistication en vous l'avouant mais je reconnais gaiement manquer de la culture du vin - même après ces 25 années passées en France. Ainsi je bois le rosé tout au long de l'année et avec tout. De même je préfère de loin ceux de notre région. En effet, je ne comprend pas toutes ces pommes venant de Chili, poires du Brésil ou fraises d'Afrique du Sud. Je veux manger les produits du terroir et de même je préfère le vin qui pousse dans la proximité. La seule chose que j'apprecie venant des antipodes sont les joueurs de rugby, n'est-ce pas, les amies?