FrenchDuck’s databank
84 Vaucluse

The area around Carpentras (84 Vaucluse, Provence) is famous for its truffles (known as the “Black Diamond” or Diamant Noire) and November sees the first of the weekly Truffle markets (Marché aux Truffes) in the Place Aristide Briand. In true French style there is ceremony and celebration for the first market of the season, with the initiation of new members of the Truffle Brotherhood and a tasting of Omelette aux Truffes.
But beyond the ceremony, the image is one of huddled groups of (mainly) men, jealously guarding their prized truffles and haggling hard in muffled voices and surreptitious gestures to get a good (and high) price before they reluctantly part with their mysterious but pungent treasyre.
The market runs every Friday until mid-March.

For more info see www.carpentras-ventoux.com
Other Truffle markets are held in Uzès (30 Gard, Languedoc) and Richerenches (84 Vaucluse, Provence). There is also an online Truffle market in the Dordogne - see http://www.frenchduck.com/2006/11/online_truffle_market.html

See more on French Food on www.frenchduck.co.uk and on www.frenchduck.com

Suddenly with the nights drawing in and the temperature dropping, the thought of a Soup Festival sounds really enticing.
At Vaison-la-Romaine (84 Vaucluse, Provence) there is a three-week festival of soups with over 200 different types to sample. In true French style there is an august body of citizens and craftsmen dedicated to defending the tradtion of soup making - la vénérable confrérie
des louchiers voconces de l’académie des soupes - the venerable brotherhood of soup ladlers of the Vaucluse Academy of Soups!! (seriously!)
The festival moves around the local villages on different days (including some of the best Côtes du Rhône Villages such as Rasteau, Cairanne, Sablet, Seguret, and includes a Soup Bicycle ride!!
In previous years winning soups have included a traditional Velouté of carrots, a Tomato and Basil soup and several based on courgettes. In 2006 the winner was “Soupe Grand-Mère” (grandmothers soup) which was made from chicken stock, bacon, leeks, goats cheese and potatoes - cooked very slowly. It sounds like fun for an autumn day.

For more info see http://soupes84.free.fr/ (in French) - the site also includes recipes for the winning soups.
The local wine co-operative, Cave la Romaine is in the town, where you can taste the wines of the Cotes du Rhone and Cotes du Ventoux
Vaison-la-Romaine has some impressive roman remains (hence its name) including a distinctive roman bridge across the Ouvezes river and is close to the Côtes du Rhone Vineyards and Mont Ventoux - see www.vaison-la-romaine.com

Rhone Exaltation is the second Festival of Wine and Food from the Rhône Valley to be held in the historic Palais des Papes (Pope’s Palace) in Avignon (84 Vaucluse, Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur).
Here you’ll have the opportunity to taste more than 200 wines, check out some food and wine matching and learn more about Côtes du Rhône wines and local gastronomic specialties - all in the grand surroundings and heritage of Avignon’s most famous buildings.
For more info see www.inter-rhone.com

Vinsobres is one of the named Côtes du Rhône Villages – entitled to include the name of the village on the label – indicating a generally higher quality from vines grown on the hillsides on the edge of the southern Rhône Valley. This festival and ceremony marks the official start of grape picking (vendanges) and includes a tasting of the best vintages from Vinsobres wines.
For more info see http://www.vinsobres.fr/

Vinsobres, Cotes du Rhone-Villages AC is one of the crus of the southern Rhone, and celebrates the beginning of the Harvest (Ban des Vendanges du Cru)

For more info see http://www.vinsobres.fr

Veraison wine festival at Chateauneuf-du-Pape. As this is the most prestigious wine of the southern Rhone valley, then it should be well worth a visit.

It is a ”traditional” medieval  festival with joustings, horse riding, jugglers, fire eaters, sword fights and a medieval style carnival centred around a winemakers “village” (village vigneron)

“Veraison” refers to the point in grape development when the process changes from growth to maturing - the berries change colour - and this point is usually a good early indicator of the date of the harvest.
For more info see www.chateauneuf.com/

One of the most important Côtes-du-Rhône Villages holds its annual Festival - lots of music, Provencal market stalls and the opportunity to taste the wines of Cairanne.
There is an excellent co-operative and a large number of indpendent growers - for more see www.frenchduck.com

Evening Jazz concerts in the vineyards of the Southern Rhone

1 September 2007 – Cairanne

27 October 2007 – Visan

17 November 2007 – Cairanne

For more info see www.frenchduck.com

For some Canadian friends we put together some ideas from our experience to demonstrate how best to do a few days wine touring in the southern Rhône Valley. This is such a rich area to visit - scenically, historically and from a wine (and food) perspective.

We chose to base the tour in St Remy de Provence (13, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence) a few miles south of Avignon for easy access to Les Baux de Provence, Beaumes-de-Venise, Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Cairanne, Lirac, Tavel and Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

Others will choose different start points and other vineyards - importantly we think wine tours need to be paced, as an over-indulgence can dull the senses and diminish the enjoyment. And there are so many other things to do in the region, as well as just relax in the delightful climate and atmosphere of Provence.

For more info see www.frenchduck.co.uk

The Domaine la Fourmone and its sister vineyard l’Oustau Fauquet produce top quality Vacquyras AC, Gigondas AC and Côtes du Rhône wines -
More info about the domaine
see map (more…)

The number of budget airline routes to France from the UK is continuing to grow, as is the number of French destinations - no longer restricted to the major cities. This really does open up some of the less well-known parts of France.
The list below shows the extent of the coverage - and this excludes flights to Paris which are available from most local airports. Some flights are seasonal, so please check with the airline for timetables and availability.

Region: Rhône Valley
Appellation: Gigondas AC
Producer: Domaine la Fourmone
Grapes: Grenache

2 principal cuvées produced - Cuvée Traditionelle and the Cuvée Cigaloun both very rich and high in alcohol. Wonderfully spicy overtones, with the Cigaloun balancing the spice with really good fruit.

From selected plots, velvet colour, spicy nose,grilled aromas, palate delight.

… When it nears the lavender she stops singing.
“Canto ! Canto ! Cigaloun !” says the poet quietly at it becomes his friend…

As ALLEZ VINS! UK French wine merchants we imported the wines of Domaine la Fourmone and l’Oustau Fauquet for many years,
Madame Combe produces high quality intense wines using traditional techniques from the domaine nestling under the Dentelles mountains.Significantly the wines are not filtered, which enables them to retain all the structure and body of these concentrated, powerful and charming wines. Roger Combe, the patriarch of the domaine, is a real Provencal and a renowned poet in the region. You will find Provencal phrases on the labels. The name “Fourmone” is believed to come from the Latin “Fromentum” (wheat), widely grown in the wide expanses of the Rhône valley.
The domaine is situated just north of the village of Vacqueyras, north of Carpentras in the southern Rhône Valley , and in the lee of the Dentelles de Montmirail - a series of jagged edged hills - see map
You can be assured of a warm welcome to the winery (except in February when they are usually closed).

The southern Rhône is dominated by a wide flat valley floor, which is intensively planted with vines. However, the better wines come from the slopes and hills on the valley sides, where the soils, drainage and aspect produce wines with more character and maturity.

Gigondas (under the label “l’Oustau Fauquet” is a seriously rich heavy wine - “drink with spoon” being one of my tasting notes for a particularly extraordinary vintage. It is in many respects similar to the nearby Chateauneuf-du-Pape AC wines - more info

Vaqueyras is a tad lighter, and is best known for its velvety smoothness overlying a spicy character. ” - more detailed info

Region: Rhône Valley
Appellation: Vacqeyras AC
Producer: Domaine la Fourmone
Grapes: Grenache, Syrah
Several cuvées are produced - Tresor du Poete, Sélection Maître de Chais and Cuvée des Ceps d’or. There is also a White Vacqueyras - Cuvée Fleurantine!
Big powerful and velvety smooth spicy Rhône red - excellent (S.Rhône) Made from Grenache and Syrah grapes, manually picked. It is the smoothness of Vacqueyras which is its keynote - which derives from the Syrah grape. Vacqueyras was the second of the Côtes du Rhône villages to be upgraded to full appellation status (after Gigondas) - recognised for its big powerful character.

Guide Hachette des Vins de France 2002:
“Recommended 2** (remarkable wine) in the Guide Hachette des Vins 2002. “This is a very complete and fairly complex wine like most produced on this estate. Subtle hints of nuts, spices and garrigue (moorland) wild herbs, plus a tiny touch of mint, give an attractively original taste.The volme and strength of this wine are impressive. Full and rich this poetical treasure inspires lyrics and will be remembered. Delightfully refreshing, it should be sampled right now!!”

Website: http://www.domaine-la-fourmone.com