The Languedoc-Roussillon could easily be two different wine regions, as it is somewhat spread out along the Mediterranean coast and inland, from the western edge of Provence all the way to the Spanish border near the city of Perpignan. She told me about this red dessert wine called Banyuls. It's not Port, it's French wine. Red dessert wine? MORE >>

But I have an active imagination and lately I've been thinking about the south of France, Provence in particular. So instead we decided to spend a couple of days drinking the wines of Provence, specifically the Bandol appellation. Bandol is quietly known for making some of the finer red wines in Provence. Why Bandol? MORE >>

The blend is Mourvedre, Carignan, and Grenache. This is a blend of Carignan, Syrah, and Grenache. 2005 Comptoirs de Magdala Côtes de Provence Escapade , $16. I was very much impressed with the Jenny & Francois portfolio , so much so that I decided to buy a few and taste them at home with dinner. MORE >>

The Languedoc-Roussillon, also known as the Midi, is a huge area west of Provence, south of the Rhone Valley, just northeast of the Spanish Pyrenees, all of it draped around the Mediterranean Sea. This is hot weather France where hardy grapes thrive, like Grenache and Mourvedre, Cinsault and Carignan, and of course, Syrah. MORE >>