Headed to South of France need suggestions

Hi all,

I will be in Provence and am looking to visit a few wineries during my visit. I am not very familiar with the CDP area or other surroundings and need some help. We will be staying in various places ST Remey, Aix, Vence and will have a car as well.


Also, if you have any restaurant suggestions those are welcome too.

Thank you in advance,

Seth

Suggestion; Take ME !

Not exactly the suggestion I was looking for. However, you are close to me and I might be able to stuff you in a suitcase.

For a good introduction to the region and CDP in general try http://www.beaucastel.com/en/

Nice tour, great wines, kind of a Mondavi of the area.

Pibarnon’s vineyards are in some kind of natural amphitheater. Not too far from the sea, if I remember correctly…

Just south of Aix-en-Provence is Chateau Simone, a wine producer of great reputation in the area. They make a red, white and rose that in most vintages is superb. The locals are justifiably proud of the chateau. If you see the '88 rouge on a restaurant list, I recommend you consider it.

Aix-en-Provence is not particularly known for exceptional food, but you can eat well at Bastide du Cours, located on the elegant Cours Mirabeau, a wide boulevard that is the social center of Aix. Take a sidewalk table, have lunch and take in the pulse and energy of the city. You can find the latest vintage of Chateau Simone on their wine list. The most famous and popular restaurant on the Cours Mirabeau is Le Deux Garcons, but it’s expensive and the service is, to put it mildly, abrupt. It’s obvious that this place trades on its reputation and not much more.

If you want to splurge, consider the three star Le Petit Nice Passedat, a mere 20 minutes by car in neighboring Marseilles. The menu is all fish and seafood, enjoyed in a dining room with spectacular views of the Mediterranean. Service is what you would except in a three star, and the wine list tempts you with a great selection of white burgundy. I was there in May, and had one of the great meals of my life.

In the Chateauneuf area, consider Le Beaugraviere, a restaurant with one of the greatest, if not the greatest, list of Rhone Valley wines anywhere. All of the great producers are represented, with vintages going back to the 1920s. The list has depth and breadth. The cooking is good rather than exceptional, but the allure is the wine list. The chef is known for his use of black truffles.

HI all,

Thank you for all the information. I am going to continue my research and report when we return.

Thanks

Seth

Famous restaurant in St. Paul de Vence is Colombe d’or. Famous fot its artwork inside hotel. Beautiful garden setting. Mediocre food! Avoid, at least based on my experience last Summer. You might try l oustau de beaumaniere outside les baux. 2 Michelin stars and if the mistral is not blowing and you can eat outside, one of the most beautiful dining settings I have ever experienced. Been there a couple of times and the food was very good, but it has been a while. Been to south of France many times and love it all, but I never have understood the attraction of Aix. Other than catching the high speed train to Paris, I find nothing of interest, but to each his own.

In Bandol, visit Tempier, Pradeaux and Pibarnon. All easy to find.

Near Aix, visit Simone as was mentioned up thread.

In CDP, there are plenty of places to taste in the main town area, like Pegau, Mont Olivet. But try to visit elsewhere - the Beaucastel tour/tasting is nice but you need a reservation. Charvin, Telegraphe are worth visits.

Hi All,

Currently in Aix which is fine a little touristy but a good base for a few days.

Yesterday we visited Bandol and had a tour at Tempier with Veronique the owners daughter. We had a really great time with her. She is fantastic and spent a good amount of time showing us around very proud of her family’s history since 1865. The wines were good but the red needs time in the bottle she suggested at least 5 years from the vintage minimally. The Rose was good and the white most claret was excellent, crisp and refreshing.

We then took a crazy drive on a dirt single lane cliff road to Pibarnon. The views were spectacular once I could recover from the drive! No tour but we saw the caves and tasted the wines. We tried the 2011 Rouge first label very good drinking now will be better in a few years good complexity much better than the second label. The Rose here was excellent very fruit forward and refreshing among the best I have ever had. making room in the suitcase for a few bottles.

Chateau Simone does not allow tasting but does welcome you to buy wine??? Tried the red and white but not the Rose not easy to find here. I guess they don’t need to allow tastings to sell wine. I will not buy if I can’t taste call me crazy.

Next stop is CDP in a few days…

Thanks for the advice…

PS went to a winery outside Barcelona and tried an award winning CAVA… not my thing I prefer Schramsberg.