BONJOUR!!! We just returned from a sun-soaked holiday and much needed rest in Provence. The trip was double duty: research for next year’s collections mixed with a whole lot of rosé "sampling." We brought our husbands along, who we jokingly call “Employee 3 and 4,” since they have been breaking down barrels and moving boxes of bracelets since the first day we opened up shop.
There were far too many favorite finds to list on our blog, so we picked a few (mostly wine) since our days were spent tasting, eating and shopping…and more tasting.
1. French Picnic Basket from Le Voyage en Panier. We picked this tote up in Cassis and haven’t let it out of our sight since. It’s not only handy for taking to the beach and stuffing with towels and sunscreen, but it doubled as an excellent market tote for picking up our daily baguette and bottle(s) of rosé.
2. Les Tropéziennes Sandals. We bought a pair of these on our first day in Cassis and went back for two more. We felt like a bronzed, French jetsetter running around the cobbled streets in our chic little sandals. We may have to import them for O&P to support our new addiction.
3. Château d’Estoublon Olive Oil. We were served this olive oil at dinner one night and knew we needed to visit in person. They take their olive oils seriously, even packaging them in what looked like elegant perfume bottles. Just spritz on your delicate lettuce greens and voila, instant YUM.
4. Domaine Tempier Rosé. A rosé pilgrimage of sorts. For anyone that knows their Bandol wines, this spot has been a hard-to-find treasure for many years. We popped by unannounced and they were more than happy to pour us a taste of their three excellent wines.
5. Chateau de la Noblesse.. This was an unexpected and “follow your nose” moment when the gal at Domaine Tempier sent us to her mom’s winery down the road. The red carpet was rolled out at her simple but historic winery. We were taken into the cellar and tasted all their memorable reds, white and rosé! This was the moment in the trip when we realized we would have to play Sophie’s Choice with the wines coming home with us. We wanted them all!
6. Domaine de la Mordorée Rosé. Tavel…known for their rich, balanced rose’s that can stand up to any spicy, or salty dish they are served with. We bought these from the source in Tavel, after having tasted them at dinner the night before. Rich, full-bodied and paired well with my steak!
7. Domain Hauvette. A wine that will rarely be found outside of the little town of St Remy de Provence because the winemaker is not only elusive, but reportedly not very friendly. We tried to visit, but were told it was much better to taste this exquisite wine at the local wine shop. We ended up having it with dinner, and the homemade gnocchi with truffles was a transformative pairing experience.
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