OohProvence

05/10/2023

Vendredi c’est aïoli .ooh

04/10/2023

The Phantom of the Wine Cellar .ooh

28/09/2023

Watching the sea and enjoying the sunset 🌅 .ooh

27/09/2023

Join us on a gastronomic feast .ooh

11/09/2023

Start the week .ooh

10/09/2023

C’est dimanche - how about a little gardening 👨‍🌾 .ooh

06/09/2023

Millions of years ago, Roussillon was covered by the sea. When the waters dried up, only ochre-bearing limestone hills remained. Like today, stone formations were stained with coloured clays in every conceivable iron oxide pigment.

These natural pigments have been used since prehistoric times and we can see evidence of that on the walls of caves. Then in 1780, Jean Etienne Astier from the village of Roussillon discovered that, after processing, ochre became an inalterable and non-toxic dye.
He became the first ochre extractor in France and in the 19th century the exploitation of the mineral deposits became industrial. In the Vaucluse, the open-pit quarries and the exceptional thickness of the lodes (up 15 metres) made extraction very easy and production reached impressive figures: a record of 40,000 tons was set in 1929.
The pigment is used in the making of stucco for the Provençal houses, because it is heat and sun resistant, but also as a component, sometimes unexpected, of certain products: cheese rinds, linoleum, kraft paper, cardboard, ceramic, rubber and cosmetics.
ooh

05/09/2023

Our guests are always amazed by the exceptional restaurants and shady terrace cafés we choose for lunch, simple fresh home cooked food that’s a delight to savor and won’t break the bank. Come and explore the charming unspoiled, quieter village of Goult and an exceptional lunch .ooh

05/09/2023

Les Goudes is one of those places that almost look too good to be true. The small fishing village on the outskirts of Marseille seems a world away from the bustling metropolis. Yet its proximity to the city adds to its appeal with both locals and visitors to the south of France.

Les Goudes’ privileged position within the Calanques National Park means the village has resisted overdevelopment that much of the south coast suffers from. It remains wholly authentic, like a little moment of time that has been perfectly preserved. A place where you can still find ramshackle beach houses and a few locals happy to have a chat about their garden with a stranger. But that doesn’t equate to the village being sleepy. .ooh

05/09/2023

Just a September afternoon .ooh

05/09/2023

Book online - full day tour .ooh

The picturesque Luberon villages of Lourmarin, Lauris, Cucuron & Bonnieux.

05/09/2023

Back to nature .ooh

01/09/2023

Start the day - Marseille to Cassis pebbly beaches, calanques, limestone cliffs and driving the spectacular scenic Route des Crêtes along the clifftops to Cap Canaille and Cassis Appellation white wines.

The tour begins on the old port of Marseille and the magic begins to works its wonders when we leave Marseille climbing up over the steep hillsides & tiny roads taking us to the picturesque fishing village of Cassis. The road bends its way between vineyards & pine woods. The charm of Cassis shows itself as you explore little alleyways & squares edged with colourful fishermen's houses. Cassis marks everyone's mind as they discover the harbour for the first time, the boats & welcoming café terraces. The drive between Marseille and Cassis is a spectacular one. Following the clifftop road - Route des Crêtes to Cap Canaille, towering cliffs reach a height of 394 meters. This winding road connects La Ciotat to Cassis, offering spectacular views and an exceptional panorama over La Ciotat's bay & Ile Verte beyond. Ahead, the vast massif of the Calanques towers over the sea. On the return a visit to a local winemaker to experience some of the wines of this small exceptional appellation.

Book online www.oohprovence.com or follow the link. .ooh

01/09/2023

Stainless steel tanks were first advocated by Emile Peynaud during the early 1960s. He observed their success in the dairy industry and thought that they could revolutionize winemaking as well. Chateau Haut Brion was listening to Peynaud. In 1961, this legendary Bordeaux producer was one of the first wineries in the world to install stainless steel tanks. Because of the benefits these fermentation containers offer, it was not long until many other wineries followed suit.

Stainless steel containers are very efficient at controlling the fermentation temperature. They have a chamber surrounding the tank that holds coolant and there are controls on the tank that allow the winemaker to maintain a certain temperature. Condensation appears on the tank when the liquid is cooled.
Stainless steel tanks also make it easier to prevent oxidation, monitor the fermentation and attach other winemaking tools. Most have closed tops in order to minimize the amount of air contact during the fermentation process. There is a small lid on the top of these tanks that allows the winemaker to monitor the fermentation and add ingredients to the must. The cap can also be punched down through this opening. Many have an attachment for a hose at the bottom of the tank to allow the winemaker to pump over the cap. This hose can also be used to rack the wine and transfer it to a different container.
Stainless steel tanks vary widely in size and can hold anywhere from 250 gallons to 200,000 gallons. They can be quite large, and are often over 20 feet tall. Stainless steel tanks used to ferment white wine are generally taller and skinnier than those used to ferment red wine. White wine tanks can be four times as tall as they are wide, whereas red wine tanks are rarely more than twice as tall as they are wide. The taller the tank is in relation to its width, the easier it is for the winemaker to control the temperature of the fermentation.
Stainless steel is completely neutral in the winemaking process. Unlike oak barrels, these containers do not impart any characteristics into the wine. .ooh

31/08/2023

Harvest time .ooh

31/08/2023

What a nice way to spend the day .ooh

26/08/2023

To celebrate International day of the dog, meet Olive Oyl and her shadow- the third member of team OohP! 😎😎 🐶 .ooh

23/08/2023

Tour itinerary

This is an exceptional day's experience if you enjoy fine food and excellent wines. This is the 'bon viveur' tour of the very best of Provence designed for those people who enjoy eating and living well! We begin with a visit to the exceptionally beautiful winery - Château La Verrerie, near to Lauris, then onto Bastide du Laval, one of the most exclusive olive oil producers in the region, a short culture break in Lourmarin; time for some shopping and a visit to the castle and finally onwards to Bonnieux and the vineyards of Château la Canorgue. Château La Verrerie sits between the Rhône and Provence. The estate covers 48 hectares and produces around 250,000 bottles each year. Jean-Louis Descours was originally looking for a holiday residence. It was not until 1988 that the appellation cote-du-lubéron was created, of which La Verrerie is one of the best. Château la Canorgue, a family-owned estate. Thanks to the dedication of successive generations it has remained in the family for more than 200 years. In the 1970s, Jean-Pierre Margan, a pioneer in organic farming began producing high quality wines of character. He's passed on his passion to his daughter Nathalie, who now represents the 5th generation of winegrowers.
OohProvence Chateau la Verriere Chateau La Canorgue

23/08/2023

An estate in the midst of renewal, Château Bonisson is keen to preserve its identity as an 18th century bastide. It is the oldest in Rognes and has an Italian-style terrace offering a breathtaking panoramic view. It’s an opportunity to embrace at a glance the entire estate, the vineyard and the centenary oak forest. Victoire and Christian Le Dorze have given a new lease of life to this estate that they took over in 2017 and converted to organic farming and they are giving it back its letters of nobility. This is the tale of a beautiful father-daughter adventure whom which are both sharing values of authenticity and naturalness.
OohProvence Château Bonisson, Rognes

23/08/2023

23/08/2023

As the 2023 summer season fast approaches the autumn, although the temperature outside still says 'this is high summer', a quick loopback to just a few nice messages and reviews received this year. Merci and thank you :-)

23/08/2023

What can we say ...

23/08/2023

Why not join us ;-) https://www.oohprovence.com/provence-wine-tours/

23/08/2023

Merci merci :-) OohProvence www.oohprovence.com

23/08/2023

Château de Beaupré was built in 1739. In 1854, it was purchased by the Double family, ennobled in 1378. The estate served as a stopping-point for their horses on the way between their properties in the Luberon and in Marseille.

In 1890, Baron Emile Double (1869–1938) planted the first vineyards and built a vaulted cellar where he produced his wine in 100-hectolitre wooden vats. Simultaneously, he started selling his wine to cafes in Marseille. His son, Henri Double (1903–2002) expanded the vineyard to 32 hectares. In 1909, an earthquake destroyed the second floor, and the bastide had to be partly rebuilt. In 1969, he planted the first Cabernet Sauvignon on the estate.

Christian Double, his son, expanded the estate to 42 hectares and modernised the cellar, adding temperature control systems and producing both red and white wine in barrels. His wife, Marie Jeanne Double, opened the estate to the public for art exhibitions and wine tasting.Their children, Maxime and Phanette, also work for the family business.Maxime Double runs Wines Tree, a wine wholesaler, while Phanette Double is the current owner & winemaker.

20/08/2023

Browse quietly, but please don’t wake up the cat 🐱 .ooh

18/08/2023

Château de Beaupré represents the history of 6 generations, 4 of which have been winemakers . The estate was bought by the Barons Double family in 1855, at which time the estate was a horse relay, used as a stopover for members of the family, who stopped there on their journey between their residence in Marseille and that of the Luberon.

Château de Beaupré is one of the historic vineyards of the Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, located just 10 minutes from the city center of Aix-en-Provence. It has belonged to the family of Double Barons since 1855. Initially used as a staging post for horses, it was in 1892 that the first wines were produced.

Since 2013 Phanette Double has been leading her vines in organic farming. In the heart of Provence, on a privileged soil, it produces reds for laying down with powerful notes of red fruits, deep and delicate whites and of course rosé wines, with a generous and generous character. Join us on a private guided wine tour .ooh .tourism

18/08/2023

Come with us as we head out to the South Luberon to check out a chateau with a very long history of winemaking. Château La Verrerie in Puget-sur-Durance, is on the exact same site where prehistoric wine cellars, carved out of rock, and date back more than 4,000 years, were uncovered. Before returning to wine-production, la Verrerie, as its name suggests, was a glass factory! However, it was not so much these harbingers of good fortune but rather the magnificent landscapes in this part of the Luberon massif that attracted the entrepreneur, Jean-Louis Descours – known for the shoe brand André – in 1981, propelling him to set up the estate. Thirty five years and two generations later, Château la Verrerie produces a wide range of organic wines and olive oils.

Château la Verrerie is located a few kilometers from Lourmarin, one of the most beautiful villages in Provence. To the north, the Côtes du Rhône wines, including Châteauneuf-du-Pape; to the south, those of the Côtes de Provence. On the edge, this terroir of the Luberon massif. A geographical situation apart that expresses the wines of the domain, in red, white and rosé.

A unique terroir where small white clouds, with their lively course, cast shadows over the great swell of the vines, glide over the red and ochre soils, catch the traveller's gaze, widen their eyes and make you appreciate the countryside . They undulate black cypress, truffle oaks, silver olive trees, ancient grenaches, pure syrahs … join us on a private wine tour .ooh .tourism