France

If you’ve had the pleasure of spending some time in the South of France, you’ll know this sparkling stretch of Mediterranean coastline is synonymous with sun-kissed afternoons drinking carafe after carafe of pretty salmon-hued Côtes de Provence rosé. The arrival of shorter days and cooler nights doesn’t seem to hamper anyone’s enthusiasm for a glass of it, either! In fact, even the merest hint of sun during winter is accompanied by cries of ‘time to open a bottle of rosé!’

Never fear, however, if you’re not a fan of said pink drink. It doesn’t hold a liquid monopoly along the Côte d’Azur! Far from it in fact! If you prefer to seek out a locally brewed beer, a specialty spirits bar, the perfect view to share a bottle of Champagne, or (dare we say it), a glass of vin blanc or vin rouge, here’s our drinker’s guide to the French Riviera!

It’s February already! Which means that the Super Bowl has just been won (and lost) for another year, the Oscars are just around the corner … and we’re on an unavoidable collision course with that most ‘romantic’ of day’s mid-month, Valentine’s Day.

Granted, all the Hallmark cards, red roses and ‘I ♥ U’ balloons may reek of commercialism, but dig a little and there are some rather heartwarming stories and traditions to warm even the coldest hearts of the more cynical amongst us. Many of which involve wine, hooray!

A few weeks ago when touring Graves, a region of greater Bordeaux in southwestern France, we pulled up to a magnificent property called Chateau de Cérons. The chateau is located within the tiny appellation of Cérons, a hidden gem of an appellation often overshadowed by its more famous neighbour Sauternes. It is located 35 km from the city of Bordeaux, on the left bank of the Garonne River.

We came across a wonderful vineyard near Saint-Emilion, in Saint-Etienne-de-Lisse called Château Bernateau. Surrounded by beautiful landscapes of rolling vines that have been honoured by the World Heritage designation, this small domaine has been family owned and operated for the past eight generations. We had the pleasure of meeting Karine Lavau, who together with husband, Pierrick, own and operate the vineyard along with its sister domaine Château Tour Peyronneau. The two vineyards are farmed organically, and are classified as Saint-Émilion Grand Cru producing some delicious wines.