Provence: Smells Like Team Spirit

Participants from New York, Cape Town and Taipei; wine steward at dinner

We were a rolling United Nation: two dozen travelers from 15 countries speaking 18 languages on our little bus. All but one spoke English, all but one spoke French. Everyone else averaged (averaged!) three-plus, and not just "Where is the train station?" travel-speak, but well enough to transact business. From Swahili to more-than-passable German (the same man), from Mandarin to Italian (the same woman). It's the new face of Maison de la France, the tourism marketing arm of the French Government.

This particular trip through southern Provence preceded the 2008 edition of Destination Vignobles, a biannual promotion for tourism professionals. Far fewer North Americans this year (only 11), far more South Americans and Eastern Europeans, 36 countries, all in this together.

Surprisingly, given France's status as the world's leading source of premium wines, it wasn't until seven or eight years ago that MDLF started promoting its vineyards as a travel destination, and not until four years ago was there even a formal program. (Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Rhone have been the three destinations so far; Alsace in 2010.)

The big news this year is the creation of a joint commission to think of new ways to promote the concept, variously called Oenotourism and Vitivinitourism; nothing as simple as "Wine Tours", to be co-chaired by the ministers of agriculture and tourism. (In France, nothing is simple.) It took a German journalist to suggest putting every winery and vineyard in the country into a GPS database to help tourists navigate the back roads. And a Brit to point out he didn't need every damn one of the country's 100,000-plus vignerons to participate, just the good ones with the willingness to welcome visitors and provide them with decent wine.

Thankfully, at the closing ceremonies at the imposing Papal Palace in Avignon, the French tendency to complicate and over-intellectualize was muted. The six-course closing dinner featured seven bottlings, followed by a tasteful, politically correct aerial ballet & pyrotechnics display promoting international understanding. YouTube link here. Merci à tous!

The International Kitchen
Cooking school vacations in Italy, France & Spain.

The International Vineyard, a new way to learn about wine in France, Italy and Spain: three-night programs for wine lovers in less-traveled regions.

The International Kitchen, the leading source for culinary vacations in France and Italy.

French Word-A-Day, fascinating lessons about language and daily life in Provence

Belltown Messenger, chronicle of a Seattle neighborhood's denizens, derelicts, clubs, bars & eateries. Restaurant reviews by Cornichon.

Small Screen Network, where food & drink celebrities like Robert Hess have recorded terrific videos.

French Chef Sally is my friend Sally McArthur, who hosts luxurious, week-long cooking classes at the Chateau du Riveau in the Loire Valley.

Local Wine Events.com, the worlds leading Food and Wine tasting calendar. Spirits and Beer events as well. Post your own event or sign up to be notified when new events are po sted to your own area.

VinoLover, Seattle wine promoter David LeClaire's bulletin board of tastings, dinners and special events.

Wine Educator Dieter Schafer maintains a full schedule of Seattle-area tastings and seminars for amateur wine drinkers and professional alike.

Nat Decants, a free wine e-newsletter from Natalie MacLean, recently named the World's Best Drink Writer at the World Food Media Awards in Australia. Wine picks, articles and humor; no ads.

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