I'm from Wisconsin where
winters can be brutally cold...very snowy...and gray for days on end. I once
heard a great line: that summer in Wisconsin is just three months of bad
sledding.
So winter in Provence always
seems quite tame to me...with some days bordering on balmy. Yes, it gets
cold...but not cold cold. Every couple years we get a real snowfall but
more likely it's a light dusting, once or twice each winter. December is
extremely festive here, with villages all lit up beautifully, colorful
Christmas markets on town squares, holiday
concerts in churches everywhere and shops and stalls overflowing with
seasonal foods: oysters, foie gras, confit, Champagne, truffles (both kinds)
and the ingredients for hearty winter dishes such as daube and cassoulet. On
sunny days you'll see people still eating on cafe terraces. Things quiet
down in January: hotels close up again, shops and restaurants go on limited
hours, and the locals who can go off seeking sun or skiing in the Alps. But
with fewer crowds, lower prices, plenty of sunny days and lots of outdoor
activities still possible, winter can be a wonderful time to visit
Provence.
That said, here are a couple
really nice winter packages for foodies...and some great hotel discounts...and few a la carte ideas for winter foodie fun.
Madeleine
Vedel--who hops back and forth regularly between Provence and the US--has a
charming old farmhouse on the island of Barthelasse, smack in the center of the
Rhône River opposite the history-rich city of Avignon. And once again, she's
welcoming food and wine lovers with a decadent winter package. Called the Winter
Provence Truffle Tour (this
year's dates January 24-31), it includes truffle hunting, duck confit and foie gras, wine tasting at Châteauneuf-du-Papes, chocolates, hill
towns, feasts and your own personal guide to take you to to experience it all. For the details, click here.
Philip and Jude Reddaway have
a B&B and wine school called La Madelene, where they base
their year round business called Rhone Wine Holidays. This winter, they're hosting a three-day Truffle and Wine Tour, January 20 to 23.
It includes truffle hunting in the Luberon hills; a truffle-and-wine pairing at a Châteauneuf-du-Papes estate; four top winery visits with
tastings led by the winemakers; a visit to the famous truffle market at
Richerenches and of course truffle-based dishes to savor in restaurants and
back at La Madelene. For all the info, click here.
In Tarascon, Catherine
Burtonboy is offering a special winter package at her foodie B&B Le
Mas de Lilou. Rooms begin at 90€ with breakfast; book two nights and get a third free. Or, for groups of four
or more staying a minimum of three nights, get a free gourmet dinner and a 10%
discount on your stay. Cooking classes are also offered at a
discount.
At Provence Paradise in St. Remy,
there's a winter special designed to encourage longer stays. Book a week at the
B&B rate (two people minimum) and you get subsequent weeks at 50% off (up to a four-week stay). The winter special B&B promo includes breakfast Monday
to Saturday, a wine-and-cheese welcome and a romantic dinner for two in
St. Remy, for each two-week stay. When booking, use promo code: ProvencePost.
The gorgeous Relais &
Château hotel Crillon
le Brave offers
truffle-and-wine weekends, with some led specifically in English, in February
and March. Click here for info.
In the Southern Luberon,
truffle hunting continues all winter at the farm Les
Pastras, run by the adorable Lisa and Johann Pepin. Their
11-hectare farm produces grapes, olives (they have 600 trees!), a wide range of
fruit and--wait for it--black winter truffles. Yes, they also have a a stand of
oak that regularly produces the prized tuber melanasporum, AKA truffes noires,
AKA Black Gold. Sign on for their truffle tour and you’ll learn how truffle
trees are cultivated, the signs indicating your trees might have truffles
beneath them, the lengths people will go to in order to steal or even sabotage
truffle hunters, how to clean and prepare fresh truffles, what dishes
taste best with them and much more. You'll tag along while a duo of dogs
dig for the hidden treasure and then tuck into a sampling of fresh truffle hors
d'oeuvres, with Champagne, and a tasting of Les Pastras' organic olive and
truffle oils. In winter, two-hour weekday tours are at 3 pm; weekend tours are
at flexible hours. For 2-12 people. Cost per person: 70€, with a 20€
reduction for children, age 10-17. To book: pepin@lespastras.com.
The ancient village of Richerenches has the largest
black-truffle market in Europe. It’s in the department of the Vaucluse,
which produces more than 90% of the black truffles sold in
France. The Saturday morning market runs from mid-November to late
March…and attracts restaurateurs, exporters and truffle lovers from far and
wide. The best way to do the market is with an expert tour guide…and I’ve got
just the gal. She lives nearby, knows the market in and out, often cooks with
truffles…and loves to share her passion. As you poke amongst the stalls, you’ll
learn how to choose, clean and preserve them, what wines pair best with them,
what local restaurants specialize in them…and much more. You may even
meet some trufficulteurs (truffle hunters), who work the market with
their bulging linen bags, meeting discreetly with “courtiers” who evaluate
and buy their precious “black gold.” You’ll break for coffee at the
locals’ favorite café and visit a few historic sites too. You may even get to
enjoy a festive communal lunch of truffled omelettes (with salad, cheese,
bread, wine and dessert) served in the village hall. Tours are 3 hours (longer
if you have lunch) and cost €150 for the first person, 75€ for each additional
person, lunch is extra. Available: Saturday mornings, mid Nov to late March. To
book: whattodoinprovence@gmail.com.
In honor of
the Fête de la Truffe in Uzès
(Jan 16 and 17, 2016), chef Eric Fraudeau of Cook’n With Class Uzès is
offering three workshops themed around truffles. Together you'll create
seven different preparations, which will be paired with perfect wines.
The class is offered in English January 15,
22 and 29; there are other dates for French speakers. For more info on the
classes and to book, click here. Or, email: info-uzes@cooknwithclass.com.
Many of the tour guides, wine
guides and cooking instructors I work with are happy to cut their prices to
build winter business...some as much as 50%. If you're interested, have a look
at WhatToDoinProvence.com and
let me know what interests you. Everything there is customizable. (My email: whattodoinprovence@gmail.com).
For more about truffles in
Provence--including markets, tours and restaurants that specialize in them--see
my story from last year here but
be sure to check for 2015/2016 dates.
For truffle festivals and markets in Languedoc-Roussillon, click here.
Looking for Christmas markets in Provence? See my growing list here...
And a really nice list
of winter events in Provence here.
Photos: (1) Happy truffle
hunter Pierre Sauvayre at the Richerenches Truffle Market. (2) Delicious
truffled omelettes are served up on most Saturday mornings in Richerenches;
check the schedule here
and be sure to reserve ahead. (3, 4) Cooking classes at Mas de Lilou are
discounted in winter, for two people minimum. The foodie B&B, in a restored
18th-century farmhouse in Tarascon, is also offering the third night free. (5)
Prized black winter truffles from Provence--truffes noires--are also known as
Black Gold. (6, 7) La Madelene, home to the company Rhone Wine Holidays, is
hosting a three-day Truffle and Wine Tour in January. (8, 9) Madeleine Vedel's
charming farmhouse sits on an island in the Rhône, opposite Avignon. Madeleine
is a professional cheesemaker, a goat-raising expert and a passionate foodie...the
perfect host for a winter food tour. (10, 11). The village of Crillon le
Brave and the Hotel Crillon le Brave; both are gorgeous. (12) The winter
sea urchin festival in Carry le Rouet, along the "Blue Coast,"
is usually held in early February. Check with the Tourist
Office for 2016 dates. (13) One of the pretty antique-filled bedrooms at Provence Paradise offered in the winter B&B package.
