France is a very diversified country. Each region has its distinctive history and culture that translate into specific types of cuisine. Tripe and cider in Normandy, crêpes and galettes in Brittany, bouillabaisse and ratatouille in the Mediterranean, socca in Nice, snails in Burgundy, duck and foie gras in the south-west, choucroute in Alsace, etc. The list is next to endless.
Every time I travel inside the Hexagone, I discover something new food wise. And it is almost as fascinating to live in Paris, and visit restaurants, grocery stores or food fairs to discover products of those regions that I have visited. It is like bringing a tiny bit of vacation home…
Earlier this year we visited the Salon des vignerons indépendants and saw a stand that looked familiar. It said AOC Châteauneuf-du-pape and the bottles had Château des Fines Roches written on them. We knew immediately where they are located: 15km from Avignon, in the southern Rhône Valley. Fines Roches refers to the château around which the grapes to make this wine grow, but it is also a place where we had a fabulous lunch in August 2006!
We started talking with the owners and ended up buying some bottles of their red. And last week we opened one of these bottles, a bottle of AOC Châteauneuf-du-pape Château des Fines Roches (2010) to celebrate our wedding anniversary. And this week the winemakers, the Mousset-Barrot family, sent us an invitation to the Salon des vignerons indépendants that will take place in Paris during the last weekend of November. Très sympa! 
Links:
Château des Fines Roches (hotel & restaurant): http://www.chateaufinesroches.com
Salon des vignerons indépendants: https://pearlspotting.wordpress.com/2013/03/27/wine-tasting-at-salon-des-vins-des-vignerons-independants-2/
pearlspotting 
Such pretty landscapes!
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It is very pretty around Avignon. Do you know the region?
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Not exactly, I have never been to France. I’d love to go some day though!
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Let me know when you visit France and I can share some tips!
PS I started reading your blog with my poor Swedish only to realize 5 minutes later that you have translated everything in English 😉
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Thanks! Haha! 🙂
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Châteauneuf-du-pape is so delicious! I hope that you enjoyed your anniversary bottle 🙂
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The biggest regret is that we did not open it early enough, but it is still one my most favorite French wines, so not complaining 🙂 Have you been there?
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I think I went to that region once as a little girl. I think as you mentioned earlier in your post the beauty of France is that you have so much variety (landscape, food etc.) in one country – there is still so much for me to discover 🙂
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Yes, indeed…. I have my favorite regions (Brittany, Pays Basque, around Avignon etc.) but I know there is so much to see. Which are your favorite parts?
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Rouen, Paris, La Baule, the coast by Cannes… St Malo… 😀 so many places. I also lived in Auvergne for a while which was awesome… Amazing cheese from the volcanic region!
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My husband knows very well La Baule but I have never been there.
This summer I wrote something about Cancale, which is such a fantastic weekend get-away from Paris. I love oysters (I just ate 15 of them tonight…) 🙂
Which places do you like near Cannes? I find it a bit too touristic, but of course the coast line is stunning. And who does not love St Tropez 😉 ?
I will be going to Perpignan (probably renting a car and going more toward Collioure and Spain) in November so it is again a whole new discovery!! 🙂
There is a lot of blue cheese in Auvergne (roquefort etc) n’est-ce pas?
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I actually stayed on the Esterel this summer which was amazing – very wild scenery with the glamour of Cannes, St Tropez etc. within easy reach. I did a lot of snorkelling as well which was cool.
You have to try cantal and st nectaire from Auvergne ! They’re so good 😀 I hope that you enjoy Perpignan!
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ahhhh, I did not know that cantal and st nectaire come from Auvergne! La honte, I know. I should know this (and I do of course know these cheese!), but my excuse is that there are so many types of cheese in France that one forgets where they come from 🙂 I just about make the difference between le chevre + la vache…
Do you know Mont d’or? It is the season now and it is maybe my favorite French cheese.
My problem with cheese is that if I have it at home, I cannot stop eating it, so I am better off not buying it very often 😉 Otherwise I have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
PS Esterel: near the gorges and Moustiers Ste Marie? There is a famous Ducasse restaurant there, right?
Ah, autumn has barely begun and I already want the summer to come back… It is going to be a long winter with a lot of cheese 🙂
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