Friday Night Wine School - Southern France

Join us for our attendance-limited, signup-only Friday night tasting!  Tastings are held on the back patio with a max of 10 people per time slot.

Vineyards in southern France, are as loved as the local lavender and Mediterranean coastline. It’s recorded as among the oldest wine regions in France and is undoubtedly among the most popular. It was the ancient Greeks that brought grape varieties to the region in the 6th century BC when they founded the city of Massalia (modern-day Marseille). And it was the Phoenicians who first began pressing and processing the grapes quickly to make wine. They found optimal vine growing conditions in the region 2,600 years ago which still exist today. The mountain ranges provide ideal slopes and sheltered valleys, with warm days and cool evenings. The Mediterranean breezes and the Mistral wind from the Alps, clear the skies of pests. There is not a lot of rain and southern France averages 2,700-3,000 golden hours of sunshine each year (much more than the minimum 1,400 required to grow vines).

Much of the coastal landscape is covered in limestone soil, which is perfect for growing vines. In the west, this limestone came from an ancient shallow sea, which once covered the land. Further east, the soil is made of granite and some volcanic. These differences affect when harvesting occurs, with a time lag of as much as 60 days between the coast and the cooler, inland areas.  

We hope you'll join us for red, white, rosé and possibly a sparkling - from a climate that screams "drink me during hot summers in New Orleans!" Keep an eye on our social media sites for the lineup but we are looking at Provence, Rhone and Languedoc.

-We will hold our tasting outside on the patio from 5:30 PM to 8 PM on Fridays weather permitting, if it rains we move inside to the back of the shop.
-Your $5 tasting fee is refunded when you purchase a bottle of wine from the tasting. Limit 1 refund per bottle per customer.
-Please arrive 5 minutes early for you time slot as we may not be able to move you to another spot.
-No waiting in line for your taste of wine in a plastic cup and snippet of info. During your time slot you will have the presenter's undivided attention as you learn about and taste the wines from Riedel glassware.
-When your tasting is over you can browse and shop or enjoy a glass or bottle at our indoor and outdoor tables.