Bandol is a unique appellation. It is the only one in Provence that is entirely very close to the sea, and it is the only one to use Mourvedre, a very interesting variety, as its main grape. It gives deep, powerful, spicy wines that get better with time. Domaine de la Garenne shows what a typical, seriously elaborated Bandol is supposed to be. 

 A ruby robe with viscous tears..

Grilled fungi porcini
Roasted lamb with black olive
Aged goat cheese
Chocolate and cherry cake

 Only on southern slopes, vines in Bandol are permanently exposed to sunlight. At the bottom of the hills, the Mediterranean Sea is a great temperature moderator. The soil is very poor in nutrients and water, which stimulates the vine stocks to grow deep roots and therefore not to focus too much on grapes. Thanks to that, winegrowers can harvest small but powerful grape berries that give great wines.  

Edelzwicker is a typical wine from Alsace in eastern France. This wine is unique as it is the only kind of wine from Alsace that blends several grape varieties. The grapes selected so as to elaborate those wines are not the richest ones, but the fact that several varieties are blended gives complexity often carried out by the freshness of young vines, which gives a particularly refreshing and balanced wine. 

 A straw yellow robe with fluid tears..

Fish paté
Chicken breast with coriander
Cathelain cheese
Apple pie

 Vosges Mountains protect Alsace’s vineyards from strong winds as its continental climate (very cold during the winter, very hot during summer, but with cold nights) stimulates very efficiently vine stocks. It ensure a slow but regular ripening of grapes which is particularly appreciable for white grapes often less resistant than red grapes. That’s why 90% of the wine made in Alsace is white.