adventures of an american housewife in the south of france

A Day in Provence: Avignon

We've been a bit housebound these last few months, me especially, and I was itching to get out and do some exploring.  Michael and I are really trying to continue to take advantage of our surroundings and see as much of France as we can while we're still here.  When my parents were visiting, we talked about taking a day trip to Avignon to see the Palais des Papes, but unfortunately the weather just did not...

Hump Day: Vin Chaud

About two months ago I started getting really annoyed that there was no apple cider here.  Not hot, not cold, not anything.  I whined about it a lot (just ask Michael).  I finally bit the bullet and just made my own hot apple cider on the stove whenever the craving hit, and I managed to get through the fall without too many tears. And now it's December and Vin Chaud entered my life, and I could give a flying...

Hump Day: Vermont Wine

After a wet but lovely day in Burlington during the ECLT, Tessa and I were ready for a glass, er, bottle of wine at The Farmhouse.  We chatted up the bartender and he recommended a local choice, a 2010 Marquette wine from Vermont's own Shelburne Vineyard.  You all know what a wine snob I am, so I was a little hesitant.  But our bartender friend really sold it on me.  Besides, when in Rome... Ya'll, this...

Hump Day: Our New “Special Occasion” Wine

We're getting ready to celebrate lots of special occasions next week as we embark on the East Coast Love Tour.  Tomorrow morning we're heading back to the U.S. to attend not one, but two weddings on the east coast!  We're so excited to spend another week with our dearest friends that will involve sun (hopefully), kickball, beach time, and of course, LOVE. Speaking of special occasions, we've got a new wine for...

Hump Day: Getting Out Of Our Comfort Zone

My goodness, apologies for being so quiet over here on the blog.  It's been a whirlwind of packing, traveling, unpacking, and cleaning over here during the last two weeks.  After spending the week in Cannes, I left The Hub behind and jetted off to Paris to spend the weekend with my friends Abby, Stéphanie, and Jimmy.  We had a marvelous time and I am so excited to tell you about a particular meal that we ate at...

Hump Day: Wine Tasting in Pic Saint Loup

Remember when I told you how much we're digging wines from Pic Saint Loup?  Well, last weekend we decided to rent a car and head out there with a few friends to partake in our first French Wine Tasting Adventure! We chose 3 different vineyards based on our favorite wines and one recommendation from a friend.  We started off at Mas Gourdou which was definitely the highlight of the day (we peaked early).  We had...

Hump Day: Single Serve Wine

  I am the type of person that, when I open a bottle of wine, I intend to finish it.  The taste of a wine can change so quickly as it aerates and I am way too big of a snob to drink wine that was opened the night before.  This can cause a bit of a problem when The Hub is not around, because then I am often faced with the task of either having dinner without wine (gasp!) or drinking an entire bottle...

Hump Day: A Year in Provence

I'm happy to tell you that the last few days here have been much cooler than last week.  Almost San Francisco-y (awww!) so we feel right at home.  It's been the perfect weather to snuggle up on the couch with a great bottle of red wine, which has been a nice change from our rosés. Before we left for France, my friend Leslie gave me a copy of a book she read right before she moved to France:  A Year in...

Hump Day: Date Night

With the move about halfway to completion, I really felt that last night was time for a night off.  Everything's gone pretty smoothly (with the exception of a small snafu in the bed building process) but I was reaching my breaking point of unpacking and building.  Disorganization makes me absolutely crazy.  Even crazier than I already am.  When I was in college, I couldn't study in my room unless it was neat and...

Hump Day: Pic Saint Loup

Ladies and Gentleman, we have a winner!  After 2 weeks of searching and drinking, we have found a way to pick a red wine we know we'll like.  You probably already know this, but I'll explain again that rather than classifying their wine by Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, etc., the French differentiate by appellation like Burgandy, Bordeaux, Rhône, etc.  Check out this map below from Wine-Tour...

« Previous Entries

Design by RoyCreative