Our adventures began this morning with the car.  The French car. The car that has conveniently hidden all the important features a person would need, like the hand break, or the volume to the navigation system, or the proper operation of the windshield wipers or even the lights. 

After some investigation and a little trial and error, we were rolling along toward Chateauneuf de Pape.  We had the names and approximate times of the three vineyards we were to visit and the car navigation to bring us to the center of town.  The rest we would figure out from there.

>>

Once we arrived within 10 meters of Le Centre Ville, the navigation system put us on route to Avignon, where we sat in construction before we could turn around.  LACE w:st="on">NancyLACE> spoke the best French of all of us, so she stopped to ask for directions.  We followed them into another town and realized they were wrong.  We stopped again and received different directions.  They too were wrong.  We put the GPS back on and asked it to bring us back to Centre Ville, were we parked and made our way to lunch.

>>

We made our way first to the information booth to pick up a proper map and then to La Mere Germaine (at our fellow blogger, Andre's recommendation) for lunch.  The view from this restaurant is magnificent.  We sat on the terrace and looked out over a storybook landscape with castles (reminiscent of those drawn in children's fairy tales). 

>>

We each ordered different items: Nancy and Sandy ordered a glass of red Chateauneuf de pape along with La Plate du Jour, which consisted of a steak in red wine reduction with a celery root puree. 

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/LadyinRedDS/IMG_1412.jpg

Bill also ordered the red Chateauneuf de Pape with a sampling plate of pate, tapanade, sliced smoked ham, some type of seafood salad, sautéed onions in red wine, a goat cheese baked n puff pastry, and other sundry items.  

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/LadyinRedDS/IMG_1411.jpg

>>

I ordered the white Chateauneuf de Pape and the price-fixed lunch. My Amuse Bouche arrived as a country pate.  However, this one was quite different from the others as it had a very fine texture and consisted of many different meats and fowl.  

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/LadyinRedDS/IMG_1407.jpg

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/LadyinRedDS/IMG_1408.jpg

Next I enjoyed a superb fois gras with toasted brioche and caramelized onions in red wine. 

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/LadyinRedDS/IMG_1410.jpg

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/LadyinRedDS/IMG_1409.jpg

My main course consisted of seared scallops wrapped in sesame seeds with poached tomatoes and braised leeks.  

>>

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/LadyinRedDS/IMG_1413.jpg

We shared the plate du fromage, which featured some new cheeses that I have never tried before along with some favorites, including a lovely, mild, fresh cheese called fromage veche.  The Chevere St. Andre had a thick ring of ask wrapping a tart partially-gooey goat cheese, Liverot, Brebis, and Frome d' Ambert.  

>>

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/LadyinRedDS/IMG_1415.jpg

Next, we shared the flourless molten chocolate cake served over a strawberry and a passion fruit reduction with a scoop of real, custard-based vanilla ice cream.

>>

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/LadyinRedDS/IMG_1416.jpg

Everything we tried was truly spectacular.  I think this turned out to be one of the best restaurant meals I have eaten in LACE w:st="on">FranceLACE>. (Thank you Andre).

>>

We then ventured on to find the vineyards.  First, we visited Chateau Le Nerthe, where we received a tour of the caves.  They have quite a unique cave system.  They built their tanks into the rock that forms the cave, so the wine ferments inside the walls of the cave.  It is fascinating.  They also maintain a cellar for about 15 top restaurants in France and one location in LACE w:st="on">New YorkLACE> (although it is the distributor, Verve Cliquot, not a restaurant).  We tasted the 06, 05 and 02 whites.  Bill and I both preferred the 02 because of the bold honey and vanilla flavors.

>>

Next we tasted their famous reds, the 05 and 04.  We found the 04 to be more tannic and gruff than the 05, which we felt could be drunk now.  However, I think the 04 could turn out to be outstanding if held for another 7 years.  Then, we tried the eau de vie, which they do not export at all.  The grounds at Chateau La Nerthe were picturesque, with vistas overlooking fields of grapes and castles.  So, we drank, toured, photographed and purchased.

>>

Our second stop was the elusive Chateau Mont-Redon.  We drove everywhere looking for it and couldn't find it.  No matter where we turned off, it was wrong.  So, after some trials and tribulations, we discovered Mont-Redon, where we tasted.  We tried their 04 white, which had the telltale honey and vanilla notes that I have found in all of the white LACE w:st="on">RhoneLACE> valley wines.  It was quite a different wine from the Le Nerthe we tasted just an hour before.

>>

Next we tasted the Cotes-du-Rhone rose: a really lovely, light wine that I bought to serve with dinner (or lunch) tomorrow.  Finally, we tasted the reds.  We started with an 03, that had tobacco and blackberry notes; mild tannins (but still bold) and a slightly velvet finish. We liked it.  However, we followed it with a 1999 that still maintained the same tobacco smoke, blackberries, and soil notes but it had much more complexity.  We loved it.  I bought a bottle to give to Sara (Lydie's helper) as a thank you gift.

>>

Now, we were mildly drunk but had our last tasting appointment ahead of us at Chateau Beaurenaud.  They gave us a guidebook and sent us on a self-guided tour of the winery, where we learned that they use new French oak and small barrels to make their wine (among other things).

>>

The Beaurenaud 06 white had a totally different taste to it.  The minerality/chalk really stood out against the honey and vanilla – much like a Sancerre balances chalk with citrus or Chablis balances chalk with jasmine and wildflowers.

>>

We tasted several reds, but we found and tasted an 03 vintage of a limited production wine that they make with old vines.  This wine also expressed tobacco smoke and blackberries, but also currants and mushrooms. It was smoother than almost anything else we tried (except for the Mont-Redon '99) and it would really blossom into excellence if held another five years.

>>

As it has every day at 4:00pm, they skies opened up and we drove home in thunderstorms, arriving just in time to cook.

>>

Tonight, we made:

>>

>>

• Eggplants a la Neapolotaine, which is a delicious terrine of sliced fried eggplant, homemade tomato sauce and parmesan cheese.  I could not stop eating it.
• http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/LadyinRedDS/IMG_1449.jpg
• Magrets de Canard a la Bonne Cocotte, marinated duck breast in a port wine reduction sauce.
• http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/LadyinRedDS/IMG_1451.jpg
• http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/LadyinRedDS/IMG_1452.jpg
• Pomme de Terre a la Dunkerquoise, which are fried potato wedges (wedged French fries).  Now, at the CIA, they taught me to cut the potatoes raw and then fry them once at a lower temperature, remove and salt them, then return them to a hotter deep fry to crisp them up.  Lydie taught us to cut them into wedges, boil them and then deep fry them.  There were far superior to tradition fries that we are accustomed to in the LACE w:st="on">USLACE>.
• http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/LadyinRedDS/IMG_1450.jpg
• Fallen chocolaté souffle turned out to be yet another wonderful, light chocolate dessert that had dried plums soaked in brandy sliced and folded into it.
• http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/LadyinRedDS/IMG_1454.jpg
• http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/LadyinRedDS/IMG_1453.jpg

>>

I ate more today than I have in a month at home. Everything turned out to be outstanding: A+. Now, I am really full, tired and I have drank too much.  I am going to bed.