Luberon In Lavender
In Partneship with AOC Luberon
Last week I had a pleasure to join a Luberon wine tasting and sunset supper in the iconic Mayfield Lavender Farm. Led by the wine expert Sophia Longhi together with Vincent Pateaux from Chateaux la Verrerie we were taken through an unforgettable experience of food & wine.
I’ve discovered Luberon wines last year and the magic remains after every sip of it ever since. Luberon is a mountain in Provence. More specifically, a mid-mountain chain that culminates at 1125 meters above the sea level at Mourre Negre. The Luberon is also a regional Natural Park spreading over 1850 sq km. Finally, Luberon is an AOC, entirely included within the perimeter of the Park. Attached to the southern Rhone vineyards, the apppellation is in fact a link between the Rhone Valley and Provence.
Throughout the evening we tried a few white and rose wines from Luberon. A few of my favourites whites included Bastide du Claux Barraban, Chareau Val Joanis Aubepines and Marrenon Vignobles en Luberon at Ventoux. Also some rose wines that I will remember were Chateau Thourame Cave de Lumieres, Chateau la Varrerie and Domaine de Fontenille.
The food was created by Michelin starred chef, Chris Godfrey. Just to mention highlights, ‘Native Feasts’ served us Luberon caramelised onion & Oxfordshire goat’s cheese pissaladiere, pork rillettes, Chiltern Chacuterie pork loin, coppa and fennel salami, Nettlebed Creamery “Highmoor’ with lavender honey, Rectory Farm strawberry & almond fool with lavender crumble and finally Almond & Hazelnut Luberon nougat.
It was an unforgettable evening of celebrating the lavender fields of Luberon, the backdrop from which these beautiful wines are produced. Smell of lavender created that sensory and magical summer’s evening and exceptional wines of AOC Luberon were a perfect pairing.
The reward for learning something new about wine was an amazing sunset over the Mayfield lavender field, the sunset that completely transferred us to the region of Luberon.
