* Saturday May 11: Departure from RDU (or wherever you depart from) to JFK and then to Nice via direct flight.
* Sunday May 12: Arrival in Nice International Airport after a striking descent on the beautiful Bay of Angels.
This day will be dedicated to acclimating after the trans-Atlantic flight. Lunch at a restaurant on Nice's downtown beach and a relaxing stroll in Old Nice up to the Castle to capture the view seen on the photograph "Le Démon sur la Baie des Anges." Also lounge by the pool on the hotel's rooftop (see photograph on left).
Apéritif and dinner in the old town.
* Monday May 13: We'll leave the hotel by 10:00 and drive to Domaine Richeaume, see photograph on the right. The estate sits at the foothills of the Montagne Sainte Victoire, which was Cezanne's favorite subject, and mine too when I was living in a nearby village in pre-historic times.
The Domaine Richeaume is a ground breaking domaine which has innovated and set trends in the region for the past 35 years. Sylvain, the son of the founder, is a stupendous wine maker. The production of the Domaine is absolutely stunning, with reds that are rich, deep, strong in fruit, notably black currant, with completely melted tanins. All the wines are organic.
We will have a picnic at the Domaine with Sylvain, of course accompanied by his sublime wines.
After the visit we will first take a little road offering a stunning view on the Sainte Victoire, see photograph on the left, and then will head to our hotel in Camargue, where we will stay two nights. This hotel, was once owned by Victor Hugo's family. They received the luminaries of the time, artists, political celebrities like Jean Cocteau, Erik Satie, Leon Blum etc. The hotel has been modernized since, see photograph on the left.
There is a beautiful pool there and we will have an aperitif, then dinner at the hotel.
* Tuesday May 14: Camargue is the estuary of the Rhône river, the largest river in France. It is a swamp, not unlike the bayous of Louisiana, only under a different climate. We will first visit a reserve on a beautiful marsh hosting a rich wildlife, including fishing birds (sometimes flamingoes) that characterizes the Camargue region. We will then have lunch in a charming seafood restaurant, home cooking style, in the Saintes Maries de la Mer, a cultural mecca dancing at the rhythm of the Flamenco. This is where the Famous band "The Gypsy Kings" are from.
After lunch we will take a stroll in "Les Saintes," absorbing its rather rare "Gardian" (cowboy from Camargue) atmosphere.
We will then head to Domaine Scamandre. Scamandre is a Domaine created from scratch by a couple of dentists who fell in love with the region and teamed up with an oenologue. They produce wonderful organic wines following a very thoughtful and scientific process. We will visit the domaine with Nadine Renouard who created the Domaine with her husband almost 20 years ago, and then will proceed for a festive evening at the domaine with a game of pétanque, apéritif and delicious food prepared by our hosts. * Wednesday May 15: Today we head to the Rhône Valley, first driving through the Alpilles, the lovely mounts north of Arles that seduced Alphonse Daudet, Van Gogh and many other artists.
Our destination is Chateau Romanin, a 60 Hectares estate on the north side of the mountain range. We are there in the Baux de Provence appellation, a rather new appellation, but a very promising one, notably for rosés and whites. Chateau Romanin is an organic producer, and their white and rosés are stunning, extremely expressive, with an elegant balance and distinctive aromas.
We will visit the cave and vineyard and will have lunch there, in a gorgeous landscape that the photograph on the left may help you imagine.
After lunch we will visit the Baux de Provence, famous the world over for its beauty. Les Baux have been favored by humans for 8000 years, mostly because of the protective habitat it naturally provides.
From there we will drive to our hotel nested in a 16th century castle in the heart of the Rhône valley, see photographs. This hotel is nothing short of magnificent, with a gorgeous pool of course, and many luxurious amenities. Its organic garden is a model, and a good part of the food we will have there (all our dinners) will come from that garden.
The place will be an idillic location for many pétanque games.
* Thursday May 16: Today after a first memorable breakfast in our enchanting castle, we are going to get a good grasp of the Rhône Valley. We first head to the Dentelles de Montmirail and through the small roads and tracks that penetrate it, we arrive to the hidden overlook tucked on a peak and from which one can enjoy a breathtaking view on the Dentelles and the Rhône Valley. See photograph on the left.
After nourishing ourselves with the rejuvenating beauty of this princess in lace of a mountain, we then will turn ourselves to the king of the region, the Mont Ventoux, famous for his testing ascent in the Tour de France, which often sorts the ultimate winner from the rest of the peloton.
Through some winding roads cutting though the stony landscape, we will arrive to one of the best tables of the area, at the foothills of the giant. The meal there will be, as always, a perfect reflect of provençale hospitality, creative, classy and delicious, and weather permitting, on the most inviting terrasse.
We will then drive to the peak, probably understanding what riders of the Tour de France endure in this legendary stage. From the top we will be cousins with the clouds, and will have a breathtaking 360Ëš view on the Rhône Valley and also on the Alps, seemingly all the way to Italy on a bright day, see photographs on the right. Apart from its magnificence, the view really helps grasping the geography of the entire region.
We will then descend on the other side, and our way back to the castle we will stop at the Domaine Rose Dieu where Damien Rozier produces exceptional Plan de Dieu wines. These are characterized by a superior concentration and excellent balance, and deliver the almighty power of the Grenache wrapped in a velvet glove. The plan de Dieu is the epicenter of the Rhône Valley wine production.
Pétanque, pool etc. Dinner at the castle.
* Friday May 17: Drive to Chateau Rochecolombe in Ardèche on the other side of the Rhône river. Rochecolombe is a stellar organic vineyard producing medal winning wines that bridge the northern and southern Rhône wines. The Estate counts 60 Ha of vineyard run very efficiently, and the wines are truly the best value one can find in the Côtes du Rhône appellation. We will have lunch at the Castle catered by a gem restauranteur from the surroundings.
After lunch we will drive to the Grotte Chauvet, and after its visit we will drive down the Gorges de l'Ardèche, stopping at several breath taking belvederes.
The Gorges are known as Europe's Grand Canyon, and are a magnificent site, where many caves can be found that were inhabited by our pre-historic ancestors, as early as 300,000 years ago. The most treasured of the caves is the Grotte Chauvet. It is registered as a Unesco World heritage site, and contains some of the earliest known and best preserved figurative cave paintings in the world: 36,000 years old. It is not possible any longer to visit the actual grotte, but French authorities have built a perfect replica, which is the world's reference for conservation of parietal art.
Pétanque, pool etc. Dinner at the castle.
* Saturday May 18: This morning we head to Uzès, a beautiful little town that has preserved an historic center offering a rare collection of architecture from the 16th, 17th and 18th century, On Saturdays the town vibrates with its market, one of the nicest andmost authentic ones in France. We will loose ourselves in this colorful melting pot of vegetables, fruit, olives, charcuteries and other local produces.
We will then drive to, Le Pont du Gard. This Unesco World Heritage site presents the tallest Roman aqueduct in the world, built in the 1st century and wonderfully preserved (see photograph on the left). We will first enjoy a lunch with Roman wines at the restaurant there with a view on the aqueduct. A team of historians and oenologues have been able to reproduce wines like the ones Romans were drinking. We will have a tasting of these wines paired with food enhancing them. This mind shaking experience will allow us to go back in time with our palate and measure the evolution of wine over 2000 years.
We will then enjoy a guided visit explaining how and why this aqueduct was built. We will have a privileged tour of the third story of the bridge that will offer both a beautiful view and a captivating perspective on the history of this edifice and how it functioned.
Cooking class with the Chef who will fix dinner with us at the Castle.
* Sunday May 19: Late start and relaxing today. We go to the Luberon, the legendary part of Provence subject of countless books notably the Peter Mayle ones, who by the way, was a fan of my mentor, our host today.
Our Destination is Bonnieux where I have arranged a special lunch at my mentor's house. Denis Brihat is a photographer of international recognition, and the current spiritual heir of Edward Weston, the West coast photographer who first promoted photography as an art form, and inspired Ansel Adams. Denis settled in Bonnieux in the 50's after living in Biot in the vicinity of Picasso, Jean Cocteau etc... His work is unique in the history of photography and has had a big influence on mine. His wife Solange will prepare for us a lunch that will be accompanied by some of the wines we visit. I can promise you a really exceptional treat, blending provencal wines with art and delicious home cooking.
Here is an article published recently about a major retrospective book published on Denis' work.
After lunch we will stroll a bit in Bonnieux, and later in Roussillon, a lovely picturesque village on the other side of the valley.
Pétanque, pool etc. Dinner at the castle.
* Monday May 20: Lazy late start as we are going less than 15 minutes away, to the tony estate of La Présidente. This is one of the largest estates in the Rhône Valley, where it became prominent with the work of Max Aubert who bought it in 1968 and developed it. La Présidente produces some excellent Cairanne, white and red, and a stunning Chateauneuf du Pape, by far the best one I know.
We will visit the estate, have a thorough tasting and enjoy a lunch on the property.
In the afternoon we will go to Chateauneuf du Pape and try to understand why it exercises such a domination on the Rhône valley's wines while exploring this mythic little village
Pétanque, pool etc. Dinner at the castle.
* Tuesday May 21st: This morning we head to Vacqueyras and all along the way will be graced again with the sight of the Dentelles de Montmirail that we visited a few days ago. In Vacqueyras we will be offered a very privileged visit of the Maison Arnoux, which is one of the largest winemakers in the southern Rhône Valley. The visit will be conducted by my actual brother who runs the whole operation, and is very involved in the wine making because of his extraordinary palate and understanding of wine. François-Xavier will offer us a very exclusive technical and comparative tasting from the barrels, allowing us to understand the alchemy of barrel wine aging, and what parameters the winemaker plays with in order to develop the aromatic nobility of the wine. Here is a post about the flagship wine from maison Arnoux, the 1717 which ages in some of the very barrels that we will study during this tasting.
We will then have lunch in a quaint manor 10 minutes away and one of the best tables of the region, old time French atmosphere and hospitality.
Our senses well satisfied we will visit Séguret, a lovely village perched on the flanks of the Rhône valley, and offering the intense beauty of of a provençale village-fortress now living in peace.
Pétanque, pool etc. Dinner at the castle.
* Wednesday May 22nd: Today we have to say our "adieus" to the beautiful castle and the lovely people who hosted us. But we will leave our castle to see a papal one in Avignon. Today we indulge in a visit of this superb town, nested behind its ramparts, and where the popes lived in the 14th century. The town is one architectural marvel after another, and displays a constant festive southern feel.
We will have lunch in Avignon which is technically the capital of the Côtes du Rhône. After a post lunch stroll we will say leave the Rhône Valley in a high speed train for Paris where we will arrive a little more than two and a half hours later.
We will go to our hotel in Saint Germain des Près, close to the Seine, the perfect location.
Dinner and stroll in Paris.
* Thursday May 23rd: Taxi to Paris Roissy Airport. Delta direct flight to RDU, or any other flight that will get you to where you came from.
Those wishing to book additional nights in Paris can do so through me, either touring the town with me or on their own. See here all the options for Paris, including my Paris itinerary and room options in Paris.