says Nathalie Vancoillie, a very tanned, toned, attractive woman with sun-streaked hair and an athletic build as she escorts us into her Chateau in Provence, a charming stone structure that dates from the 15th century. Most people think of Provence as St. Nathalie showing excellent wine review in Vin magazine. “Welcome!&# melon. MORE >>

Chateau Simone is about 15 hectares of vineyards in and around the village of Meyreuil, less than 10 miles east of Aix-en-Provence, further inland and to the west of Bandol. To me, they don't taste like anything else that I know of. Most wines that are made today in Provence and in the southern Rhône are very big and extracted wines. MORE >>

After the tour of the forest we see the winery, very modern and high tech, and have a tasting of all the wines. Like many of the wineries I’ve visited in Provence, the whites, roses, and reds come in three styles or quality levels. Tags: News Provence abbaye saint hilaire gites in provence philippe burel Hilaire terroir. MORE >>

But I kid you not, the calendar has been so reliable that I'm starting to plan dinners and tastings around it. But when was the last time you drank (not tasted) 7 bottles of wine in an evening and every one of them was showed beautifully? I'm starting to believe in the influence of lunar cycles on wine. And there have been exceptions. MORE >>

And it wasn’t a taste test. Champagne Louis Roederer has several wine properties outside of Champagne including Domaine Ott in Provence, Chateau Pichon-Lalande in Bordeaux, and Roederer Estate in California. Last week, a judge ruled in favor of Cristal champagne over the cava Cristalino. MORE >>