The South of France is a popular vacation destination for many reasons – sunny weather, great food & wine, beautiful scenery, just to name a few. It is also home for my husband, so we are very fortunate to enjoy all of those things and get to spend time with our family! Our family lives in the area of the beautiful Pic Saint-Loup in the Languedoc wine region, a great setting for a relaxing vacation.
The weather was perfect for long morning walks around the countryside in the charming village of Saint-Mathieu-de-Tréviers. Surrounded by the aroma of the wild thyme and rosemary in the garrigue and the beautiful views, it was such a peaceful way to work off those morning croissants. It seems no matter which direction you walk, you can find amazing views of the Pic Saint-Loup and the surrounding vineyards.
As both my husband and I were celebrating our birthdays during this trip, we did a few special things. We had a delicious seafood lunch at Chez Francois in the port city of Sète. A lunch of the local fish would not be complete without a bottle of the local white wine, Picpoul-de-Pinet. Sète is a bustling city with an active fishing harbor, a network of canals to stroll along, and beautiful views from the hilltop of Mont St Clair. While the traffic in and out of Sète is quite heavy, it is well worth the trip and was a great way to spend my birthday!
We also spent an afternoon on a small group wine tour with our family. We visited local vineyards and tasted so many wines, while learning about their techniques and history from our tour guide, Bertrand from Instant Terroir. The wine tour ended with a delicious dinner prepared by Marie, Bertrand’s mother, in their historic family home. The Languedoc region produces excellent wines! Some of our favorites are from Mas Bruguiere, Château La Roque, and Domaine Pech-Tort.
Our vacation ended with a lovely birthday party for us with our family and friends – we shared the biggest bottle of champagne that I have ever seen!
While we are clearly biased as it is a ‘home away from home’ for us, the Languedoc region and nearby areas are some of the most beautiful places in France – bordering the Mediterranean and the infamous region of Provence! We already can’t wait for our next trip. À Bientôt!
-Denise G.