We're starting to plan our annual France trip and I'm looking for
advice. We will be staying with some dear friends from Norway in late
June at their vacation home in Valbonne which is just outside of
Nice. I would like to go early and visit a wine site or two so I
debating going over into Italy (Piedmonte) or perhaps the Langudoc
area. Any thoughts or suggestions would be welcomed.

On Jan 6, 11:35�am, "Bi!!" > wrote:
> We're starting to plan our annual France trip and I'm looking for
> advice. �We will be staying with some dear friends from Norway in late
> June at their vacation home in Valbonne which is just outside of
> Nice. �I would like to go early and visit a wine site or two so I
> debating going over into Italy (Piedmonte) or perhaps the Langudoc
> area. �Any thoughts or suggestions would be welcomed.

As you can see, Mike is THE resource for that area, though Nils is no
slouch!
No real wine visiting knowledge, but on a touristy note, if you
haven't been the small Chagall museum in Nice is a treasure.
Slightly to your east, I was surprised by the better wines of Liguria,
and the seafood can be excellent
Given the chance, I'd go for Piedmont, but that betrays personal
tastes.

On Jan 6, 11:55�am, Mike Tommasi > wrote:
> Bi!! wrote:
> > We're starting to plan our annual France trip and I'm looking for
> > advice. �We will be staying with some dear friends from Norway in late
> > June at their vacation home in Valbonne which is just outside of
> > Nice. �I would like to go early and visit a wine site or two so I
> > debating going over into Italy (Piedmonte) or perhaps the Langudoc
> > area. �Any thoughts or suggestions would be welcomed.
>
> Hi
>
> I am in Valbonne once a week for work... and I should be around in June,
> would be great to see you (email me for phone numbers). Nils is probably
> in Nice at that time too.
>
> Avoid wineries in the minuscule Bellet area close to Nice, some are
> decent enough �but prices are geared to the russian mafiosi that like
> staying in the Nice area (a favourite of theirs, giant prawns and red
> Chateauneuf). The closest real vineyards are an hour's drive east or west..
>
> Barolo and Ch�teauneuf du Pape are both about a 2.5h drive.
> Good Languedoc wineries about an extra hour.
> Depending on whether you want reds or whites, shorter drives will bring
> you to Bandol (exactly 1h 20m at legal speed, this is where I live) or
> to Liguria (1-2h depending on where...).
>
> cheers
>
> Mike
>
> --
> Mike Tommasi - Six Fours, France
> email linkhttp://www.tommasi.org/mymail

Thanks for the info Mike. We will be there in late June... I'll be in
touch as plans firm up. I'm sure we'll visit the Bandol area....and I
always drive just like the French and never exceed the posted
limits. ;-)

On Jan 6, 12:02�pm, DaleW > wrote:
> On Jan 6, 11:35 am, "Bi!!" > wrote:
>
> > We're starting to plan our annual France trip and I'm looking for
> > advice. We will be staying with some dear friends from Norway in late
> > June at their vacation home in Valbonne which is just outside of
> > Nice. I would like to go early and visit a wine site or two so I
> > debating going over into Italy (Piedmonte) or perhaps the Langudoc
> > area. Any thoughts or suggestions would be welcomed.
>
> As you can see, Mike is THE resource for that area, though Nils is no
> slouch!
> No real wine visiting knowledge, but on a touristy note, if you
> haven't been the small Chagall museum in Nice is a treasure.
> Slightly to your east, I was surprised by the better wines of Liguria,
> and the seafood can be excellent
> Given the chance, I'd go for Piedmont, but that betrays personal
> tastes.

Our hosts have already insisted that we visit the Chagall museum.
They've had a vacation home in Valbonne for at least ten years and
they know the area well. Being typical Norwiegians they tend to
prefer beer and Aquavit to wine but I had a chance to introduce them
to California Chardonnay and Cabernet this past summer at my place.
Given the chance I'd go to Piedmont too and that's where I'm leaning
at this point.

Piemonte definitely worth a journey. Recommend the Hotel Barolo, which has
its own winery, but also a rather good cellar with some older bottles -
Barolo shouldn't be drunk young. Don't go to Marchesi di Barolo, it is a
tourist trap and they are snotty too (go there dressed in Prada, you get the
top wines, dress in jeans they will serve you Chardonnay ...)
ALso La Morra with some rather good restaurants and a commune enoteca with
wines served by the glass, including some of the big boys such as Voerzio.
Heed Mike - do not, repeat not go to Bellet which is a bloody waste of time,
money, and sobriety.

The Chagall museum is definitely worth a visit.

We will be in Nice from c June 20th, letus know if we can be of any help.

Cheers

Nils

On Jan 6, 3:47*pm, "Nils Gustaf Lindgren"
> wrote:
> Don't go to Marchesi di Barolo, it is a
> tourist trap and they are snotty too (go there dressed in Prada, you get the
> top wines, dress in jeans they will serve you Chardonnay ...)

So, did you go and were disappointed that you didn't get to try the
Chardonnay? Because I know you and Christina LIVE in your Prada
couture collection!

Seriously, Bi!!, if you can arrange to visit with Mike or Nils they
are fun fun people

On Jan 6, 1:55�pm, Mike Tommasi > wrote:
> Bi!! wrote:
> > Thanks for the info Mike. �We will be there in late June... I'll be in
> > touch as plans firm up. �I'm sure we'll visit the Bandol area.....and I
> > always drive just like the French and never exceed the posted
> > limits. ;-)
>
> Not sure when your last visit was, you would not recognize french
> drivers, we now have so many hidden cameras, and if you speed you lose
> so many points, now almost everyone follows the speed limit. For old
> school driving, you need to cross the border into Italy, which is not
> far from Nice...
>
> --
> Mike Tommasi - Six Fours, France
> email linkhttp://www.tommasi.org/mymail

I go to France every year and have done so for the past ten years. I
have noticed slower speeds on the "N" routes and the back country
roads but my last foray onto A4 between Paris and Champagne was as
speedy as ever! We try to get to Italy every other year or so and you
are correct....there are two types of drivers in Italy...very slow or
very fast. While I have traveled extensively in France, this is my
first trip to the Nice area.

Seriously Dale, no way do I go to Barolo to drink Chardonnay!
There do be good places to visit and lots of them too. The small producers
are as a rule more fun than the big ones, at least that has always been my
opinion and inclination.

And I have never, to my knowledge, worn Prada
I _think_ Xina once had a sweater from Prada, but she never used it and then
she gave it away or something.

Cheers

Nils

Bi!! wrote:
> On Jan 6, 1:55�pm, Mike Tommasi > wrote:
>> Bi!! wrote:
>>> Thanks for the info Mike. �We will be there in late June... I'll be in
>>> touch as plans firm up. �I'm sure we'll visit the Bandol area....and I
>>> always drive just like the French and never exceed the posted
>>> limits. ;-)
>> Not sure when your last visit was, you would not recognize french
>> drivers, we now have so many hidden cameras, and if you speed you lose
>> so many points, now almost everyone follows the speed limit. For old
>> school driving, you need to cross the border into Italy, which is not
>> far from Nice...
>>
>> --
>> Mike Tommasi - Six Fours, France
>> email linkhttp://www.tommasi.org/mymail
>
> I go to France every year and have done so for the past ten years. I
> have noticed slower speeds on the "N" routes and the back country
> roads but my last foray onto A4 between Paris and Champagne was as
> speedy as ever! We try to get to Italy every other year or so and you
> are correct....there are two types of drivers in Italy...very slow or
> very fast. While I have traveled extensively in France, this is my
> first trip to the Nice area.

Most of us here have had to buy GPS that usually tell us where the
radars are. But not infallible, and of course does nothing for the
frequent manned speed traps.

Any chance of your getting into the Normandie or Loire areas Bill?
I'd love to meet for a lunch and maybe some tasting somewhere.

-E

On Jan 7, 6:18�am, Emery Davis > wrote:
> Bi!! wrote:
> > On Jan 6, 1:55 pm, Mike Tommasi > wrote:
> >> Bi!! wrote:
> >>> Thanks for the info Mike. We will be there in late June... I'll be in
> >>> touch as plans firm up. I'm sure we'll visit the Bandol area....and I
> >>> always drive just like the French and never exceed the posted
> >>> limits. ;-)
> >> Not sure when your last visit was, you would not recognize french
> >> drivers, we now have so many hidden cameras, and if you speed you lose
> >> so many points, now almost everyone follows the speed limit. For old
> >> school driving, you need to cross the border into Italy, which is not
> >> far from Nice...
>
> >> --
> >> Mike Tommasi - Six Fours, France
> >> email linkhttp://www.tommasi.org/mymail
>
> > I go to France every year and have done so for the past ten years. �I
> > have noticed slower speeds on the "N" routes and the back country
> > roads but my last foray onto A4 between Paris and Champagne was as
> > speedy as ever! �We try to get to Italy every other year or so and you
> > are correct....there are two types of drivers in Italy...very slow or
> > very fast. �While I have traveled extensively in France, this is my
> > first trip to the Nice area.
>
> Most of us here have had to buy GPS that usually tell us where the
> radars are. �But not infallible, and of course does nothing for the
> frequent manned speed traps.
>
> Any chance of your getting into the Normandie or Loire areas Bill?
> I'd love to meet for a lunch and maybe some tasting somewhere.
>
> -E- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

We will probably fly into Paris and spend a few days there first. We
usually make a trip over to Champagne or we take the train down to
Tours. Our last trip took us to the Rouen area for a day where I
experienced my first real taste of country andouilettes! There wasn't
enough cider in the area to wash the taste away....:-)

Bi!! wrote:
[]
> We will probably fly into Paris and spend a few days there first. We
> usually make a trip over to Champagne or we take the train down to
> Tours. Our last trip took us to the Rouen area for a day where I
> experienced my first real taste of country andouilettes! There wasn't
> enough cider in the area to wash the taste away....:-)

In your place I'd have gone straight for the Calvados. The right
one (or wrong one, depending on your point of view) will wash
away taste buds, tongue, the flesh on the insides of your mouth.

If you head for Tours we could certainly arrange something, so let
me know...

-E