Roman wine for tasting. Mas des Tourelles

Located in Beaucaire, on the Costières de Nimes wine denomination, The Mas des Tourelles invites you to discover how wine was made during the roman times.

When the present owner starting his winery, loads of amphora bits where found on the property. The owner called archeoligists and they discovered that a winery was located on the property.
That's when he decided to re-create wine as it was made during the roman times (although "traditional wine" is also made on the property.

The visit of the small museum will explain you the different aspect of wine making in the roman time. The only difference is that nowadays wine is bottled and not kept in Amphora (life span being very limited).

The first part will take you in a XVIIth C Mas (farm house). Explanation of the wine process, spices that were used, roman objects found on the property, "roman game" play room for kids (& grown up)...

The second part will take you in the cave were wine is made. See the press, the amphora...

2013 harvest will starts on Sept 8th. 
If you go on that day, you'll see roman dressed up guys crushing the grapes...
The juices will stay for 3 weeks in the amphora prior to being bottled up.

To end up, you can of course taste the wine and bring back some. The shop is filled with local products, including a selection of roman spices and savouries made by Mireille Cherubini from Saint Remy.

Le Mas des Tourelles
4294 Route de St Gilles
30300 Beaucaire
04 66 59 19 72
Web site 
Open 7/7 from April to Oct
Visit of the museum 5.50€

The Shop at Mas des Tourelles

The Museum

Archeologic bits found on the property

The play room

The Winery

The roman press

Juice pour into the lacus

Then stored for 3 weeks in those amphora. It is "spiced" at that time

 
 
 

Figues in Provence. Picnic near St Remy de Provence :)

When doing one of my "foodies tour", the idea is to show who's behind those lovely products that you taste in Provence. Spending time with the producer is usually as important as tasting the produce. And this is certainly the case with Francis at Les Figuières.

The place can prove tricky to find but when you get there, you are trully in the middle of a peaceful figues heaven.....

Francis and his lovely wife Jacqueline opened their Figues grove in 1968 and have, since then, dedicated their life to this gorgeous and tasty fruits. They travel around the world during the winter season to find some new figue trees.

So far they have 4 000 trees with 150 different types of figues allowing them to pick from June to late October.

When you arrive, Francis will surely be around to greet you, have you to taste some fresh figues and tell you jokes.
He'll tell you the story of the figues and is probably one of the very few person in the region able to answer any question you may have.

The lovely (and tiny) shed in the garden is the shop were you'll be able to taste as much as 10 products of his farm. His sweet jam (with orange from Seville, with almond, walnut, spices...) or his savoury chutneys, mustard, vinegar....

And if you are here around noon, you will be able to enjoy his garden for free. Either sitting on one of the "so french" outside plastic chairs and table or sitting under the shade of the figues trees or the hazelnuts trees. (Best to check that no group are booked on the day).

Anyhow, an adventure you wont regret....

Les Figuières
713 Chemin du Mas de la musique
13 690 Graveson en Provence
04 90 95 72 03
infos@lesfiguieres.com
Web site 
10/15 mn drive from St Remy

Provencal figues August 27 2013

Tasting with Francis

Figue "Dauphine" just pick for tasting...

The shop with its picnic place

Picnicing and napping in Provence

 

Restaurant Ô Caprices de Mathias St Remy de Provence My favourite...

Located just outside of the Village centre on the Voie Aurélia (ancient roman road), the restaurant Ô Caprices de Mathias is my favourite restaurant for different reasons.

1 - I really like the way Mathias works, using only fresh food, whenever possible buying from local producers (all his suppliers are mentioned on the web site),
2- He cooks a traditional Provencal cuisine but with a modern twist,
3 - The location is lovely. Admist an Olive grove with a stunning view over the Alpilles mountain and the back of the Saint Paul Hospital where Van Gogh lived,
4 - The Value for Money is there!!!
      3 courses lunch menu including a glass of wine for 20 €
      3 courses dinner as from 31 €
5 - Away from the busy centre, this is a peacefull heaven....

Ô Caprices de Mathias
Domaine de Métifiot
Chemin de la croix des vertus
13 210 Saint Remy de Provence
web site
+33 (0)4 32 62 00 00

Open for lunch and dinner
closed on Wednesday and Thursday
Best to book your table

Mathias the chef

Alpilles view in June 2013
See the tip of Saint Paul Church in the back ground

Fleur de melon and its glass of Muscat wine

Chiboust of Asparagus

Salmon "aller retour"

Fruits salad and espuma of rosemary

Strawsberry ice cream from the garden