ReportWire

Tag: Provence

  • Rick Steves Says This Scenic Region Of France Has A Lovely Climate & Tons Of Vineyards

    [ad_1]

    France is one of Europe’s most iconic countries. Brimming with an almost overwhelming array of things to see and do, it’s the country of cheese and wine, of effortless elegance, of mouthwatering morning croissants, and sun-drenched beaches. It boasts an almost unrivaled history, as well as some of the most impressive and influential artists and writers in the world. Overall, France is a destination no traveler to Europe should miss out on.

    Choosing where to go in France is a more difficult decision. Many tourists opt for the chic sophistication of Paris or stunning turrets and towers of the must-see castles of the Loire Valley. Bordeaux’s vineyards are world-famous, while the wild natural beauty of the Auvergne and the Cévennes call to some. But it’s hard to look beyond the remarkable region of Provence, thanks to its “splendid recipe of arid climate, oceans of vineyards, stunning scenery, lively cities, and adorable hill-capping villages,” as described by European travel expert Rick Steves.

    Provence is in the southeastern corner of France, bordering Italy and the Mediterranean Sea. Most visitors arrive in Provence at one of its three main cities: Avignon, Marseille, or Nice, all of which have international airports. Other popular spots in Provence include Toulon, Cannes, Aix-en-Provence, and St. Tropez.

    Read more: So-Called ‘Tourist Traps’ That Rick Steves Loves

    Sun-drenched beaches and ancient history

    Aerial view of the Calanque de Vau and the surrounding hiking area in the Calanque de Cassis – Michael Workman/Getty Images

    Provence is one of France’s most famous, beautiful, and varied regions. In the south lies the fabled French Riviera, the Côte d’Azur, that has been immortalized on screen and been one of the foremost vacation destinations for the rich, the famous, and the fabulous for decades. Spots like Cannes, Nice, and St. Tropez are filled with glamorous actors and millionaire yacht parties, but there’s more to Provence’s Mediterranean coastline than that. The stunning Calanques National Park between Marseille and Toulon is a natural wonder, a wrinkled coastline of dramatic limestone cliffs, bays, and coves offset by gorgeous turquoise water. There are medieval churches in Castagniers and Ile Saint-Honorat, remarkable art museums like the Musée Renoir and Fondation Maeght, and extraordinary, picture-perfect beaches everywhere you look.

    While many people come to Provence just to soak up the sun on some of the best beaches in Europe, there’s plenty to explore inland as well. The region is overflowing with history, from antiquity to the recent past, and cultural explorers will find plenty to enjoy. According to Steves, “the area is crammed with ancient history — the Roman ruins here are among the finest. Many scholars claim the best-preserved Roman buildings are not in Italy, but in France.”

    He particularly recommends the city of Nimes, with its magnificent aqueduct and bronze crocodile-palm medallions that line the streets, and the open-air theater in Orange. Steves says that “all of Roman Provence is basically an open-air museum,” but there are a few indoor versions that are worth a look, including the Ancient History Museum in Arles, which helps “fill in the blanks” of the remarkable history of the region.

    Glamorous wineries and stunning purple fields

    Blooming lavender fields and village of Aurel in background in Vaucluse, Provence

    Blooming lavender fields and village of Aurel in background in Vaucluse, Provence – Serbek/Getty Images

    One of the most enduring images of Provence in popular imagination is its rolling hills covered in gnarled vines and soft purple lavender flowers, and exploring the vineyards and lavender farms of the region is one of the best experiences you can have. Start off at the Chateau de Saint Martin, which has been producing wines since 1740. Situated high in the mountains above St. Tropez, it offers views almost as delicious as its vintages.

    After, you might want to explore the boutique delights of Domaine de l’Olivette, a family winery that’s been passed down through generations for over 200 years. Located in one of the best grape-growing areas in Provence, near La Cadière-d’Azur, its Bandol wines are particularly excellent. The vineyard is small, making each bottle something of a prize. If you want something even more picturesque, the Abbaye de Lérins is located on the tiny island of Île Saint-Honorat, attached to an exquisite historic abbey, and makes for a truly exceptional day of wine-tasting and deserted beach-hopping.

    Experience a show-stopping finale at Château La Coste, a winery owned by the same family as the Connaught and Claridge’s luxury London hotels. This 500-acre property combines mouthwatering wines with fine art, as the grounds contain a fabulous sculpture park with work from some of the most renowned artists in the world, including Frank Gehry, Damien Hirst, and Andy Goldsworthy. To experience the glory of Provence’s lavender fields, head to the Luberon and Verdon plateaus to the north of Aix-en-Provence in July, when the countryside is painted in a myriad of shades of purple, lilac, and mauve.

    Ready to discover more hidden gems and expert travel tips? Subscribe to our free newsletter for access to the world’s best-kept travel secrets. You can also add us as a preferred search source on Google.

    Read the original article on Explore.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Go Inside SCAD Lacoste’s Christian Lacroix Exhibition

    Go Inside SCAD Lacoste’s Christian Lacroix Exhibition

    [ad_1]

    “The crux of this exhibition is the marriage of Christian Lacroix’s couture legacy with his passion for the theatre. These costumes exemplify his level of mastery through unimaginable attention to detail,” says Gomes. “[They] have the same technique and skill level as those shown on the runway, manifesting in these layered, textural pieces that emphasize Peer Gynt’s fantasy world. Whether the costumes are lavishly embellished or aged and dyed, Lacroix achieves this in a realistic, well-done way.”

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Learn About The Wine Category That ‘Continues To Dominate Sales’ In The New Book, Rosés Of Southern France

    Learn About The Wine Category That ‘Continues To Dominate Sales’ In The New Book, Rosés Of Southern France

    [ad_1]

    Anyone who reads about or researches rosé has likely consulted the writing of Elizabeth Gabay MW. She’s the author of Rosé: Understanding the pink wine revolution and her highly anticipated new book Rosés of Southern France, written in partnership with Ben Bernheim, is out now.

    Bernheim is Gabay’s son, a twenty-something sommelier, writer, and wine industry veteran who returned to the family home in eastern Provence in the early days of the pandemic. During this time he started working with Gabay, researching and tasting wine. As the months ticked by, the duo had tasted around 1,000 rosé wines and documented tasting notes for 850 of them — all from Southern France. These notes became a digital guide.

    “But by the end of the guide we found we had more questions than answers,” says Gabay. They wondered about taste variance and typicity, and pondered over the sometimes-vague tasting sheets and winemaking notes that accompanied each bottle. And this is how the new book was born, birthed from a curiosity to deeply understand the rosés of Southern France.

    Gabay is the eminent wine industry source, even before this book, on critical thinking about rosé from around the world. Working in Provence since the mid 1980s, she’s not one to make assumptions about color, age-worthiness, vinification methods, origins, potential, or style of rosé. This book — covering Provence, the Rhone Valley, and Languedoc — also includes an educational introduction to Southern French rosé as well as vintage reporting and context on aging rosé wine.

    Interest in rosé wines from the South of France has escalated in recent years, though the region has cultivated this style since antiquity. According to BevAlc Insights’ 2022 Rosé Wine Category Forecast by Drizly, “pink bottles from France — especially Provence and elsewhere in southern France — continue to dominate sales, holding 63 percent of rosé share on Drizly.” And there’s no sign of this pattern slowing down. According to this same report, “continued product innovation means consumers will likely be seeking new styles” of rosé in both still and sparkling categories in the future. This is a reality that Gabay and Bernheim have anticipated.

    “Of course we realize that with rosé being the most exciting wine category around right now — constantly developing and changing — a book will not be enough,” says Gabay, hinting at a forthcoming second edition. Meanwhile the website pink.wine is where fans and readers can keep up with the authors and access ongoing content and research about rosé wine.

    The book is also rich with original photography and maps. “We decided to include as many maps as possible — difficult as very few maps exist for this region and less for rosé, so Ben created many of the maps himself,” says Gabay. “We wanted photos of terroir to show where the wine comes from, to discuss the soils, grapes, winemaking, and whether good rosés could age.” All that and more is waiting inside.

    [ad_2]

    Jill Barth, Contributor

    Source link