Since we only had a few days left before we had to return home to reality, we made arrangements with the family that owned the villa to look after the girls while Wendy and I headed off for a meal at one of the top rated restaurants in the Avignon area. "Entre Vignes et Garrigues" is about 10 minutes north of the city, and is situated on a beautiful property that used to be an old church. Our hosts recommended the restaurant, as it is one of the few Michelin rated restaurants in the area, and the chef, Serge Chenet is a MOF!, So you might be wondering - what is a MOF? MOF is a very coveted national award, which stands for Meilleur Ouvrier de France ("Ouvrier" is a term similar to craftsman), and chef Chenet won his award for his culinary skills.
It turned out to be an absolutely perfect evening - not a cloud in the sky, and still warm (about 25 C) when we arrived at 8pm. On evenings such as these, the restaurant seating is actually out on the "Terrasse" where you can look out over the garden and vineyards near the property. We didn't bring our camera, so I recommend looking at the "photo library" on the restaurant's web site. If you scroll along the pictures of the restaurant, there are a few shots of the terrasse.
I know this is a blog post about wine, but I really have to touch on the food. We enjoyed a nine course meal including about three different hors d'oeuvres. The "amuse bouche" was one of the most incredible things I have ever eaten - a candied cherry tomato - yes - kind of like a candy apple, but with a tomato. Sounds weird, but it really was a taste sensation. For the Entree, we chose the Cote de veau fermier rotie, which turned out to be the best veal I have ever eaten. It was served with "pommes dauphines" which is a very gourmet version of french fries. These "fries" were so good, I kind of cried a little when I put the first one in my mouth.
When we ordered, the Sommelier asked us about our choice of wine. The wine list was extensive, and of course it featured several wines from Chateauneuf du Pape, as well as other great wines from the area. As you can probably tell, I am partial to CNdP wines, and I asked the sommelier which one would go best with our meal. He politely referred me away form CNdP's and advised that although it was red meat, the veal was very delicate, and that a lighter wine might go better with it. Now in France, the Chef and the "Saucier" (the person in charge of the sauces - no kidding), are the top two positions in any great establishment. Running a close third is the Sommelier, who is a consultant that wants to ensure that you enjoy a wine that compliments your meal. So, of course I didn't listen to him and ordered a CNdP. It was a 2004 Chateau La Nerthe (sorry for the stock photo, but this wasn't the kind of place that you can whip out your camera and take a photo of your wine bottle)
The wine was very, very good. Chateau La Nerthe is one of the most prestigious and well known chateaus in the CNdP appelation, and I was eager to try one of their wines. Unfortunately, the wine's spicy and robust flavors simply overpowered the veal, and although the meal was incredibly delicious, it was not as good as it could have been if I had chosen a more delicate wine.
So, the valuable lesson I learned from this experience - Always listen to the Sommelier!
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