Provence Plates & A CEO Lesson From Wine

Overview Video—

Two Dinners in Provence—

Below are images and menus from two restaurants in Provence in southern France—one inland and one coastal.

I stopped at the first while driving east to attend the 66th Genoa Boat Show in Italy. I ate at the second while returning from the boat show and attending a wedding organized by the Hartsock family of Napa Valley in California. This was for the marriage of their daughter Emma Hartsock and Brendan Sherlock in coastal Antibes. Magnificent!

Maps below show locations of both restaurants.

Europe View

Southern France View

Provence View

Restaurant Bacchus L'Épicurien

Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, Provence, France.

Dinner—

Gnocchis croustillants à la truffe, jus de veau [Crispy truffle gnocchi, veal jus]

Risotto arborio crémeux au vieux Parmesan [Creamy Arborio risotto with aged Parmesan]

Wines—

Domaine Budin, Blanc Tradition. AOC Cassis. 2025.

Château Angeiroun, Cuvée Prestige. AOC Côte de Provence La Lande. 2025.

Grill Eden Roc

Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes, Provence, France

Dinner—

O’toro tuna tartare, coconut milk, lemon, ginger, shiso leaf tempura

Roasted beef fillet, sautéed seasonal mushrooms and butternut squash mousseline served with a light jus

Peruvian 65% Dark chocolate entremet

Wines—

Clos Mireille. Ott. Côtes de Provence. Cru Clasée.

Les Fiefs de Lagrange. Saint-Julien. Grand vin de Bordeaux. 2018.

Abbaye do Lérins. Lérina Jaune liqueur (made from 44 plants/herbs by Cistercian monks living on an island off Cannes).

"Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars - Season 2" by Apple TV

Special Edition Vino Voices This Friday—

I have been provided advanced screenings of this series from Apple TV. Episode 5 will be publicly released on October 16th and features two French restaurants—one in Paris and one in Burgundy. I'll include a review, photographs and a video this coming Friday in a Vino Voices Special Edition release. Tune in!

A Cuban/American CEO Provides Management Advice Using a Wine Adage

I was fortunate enough to be sent an advance review copy of the book Sheer Will: Learning to Lead When There Is No Path by former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez, who was also the youngest CEO in the history of Kellogg's. This is a story of gumption in the face of adversity, from a man who fled Cuba in youth, and today speaks with incisive insight into the potential dangers of not dealing actively with aggressors.

Leadership Book by Cuban/American CEO

A quote relates to wine:

"One of my fist acts as CEO was to fire all the consultants. I told their leaders to develop their own presentation with their own ideas, quoting José Martí's famous adage: 'Our wine is bitter, but it is own wine.' In other words, your presentations may be clunky, but they should be yours."

[José Martí—1853 to 1895—was a Cuban poet who helped liberate Cuba from Spain.]

New Wine Books From Académie du Vin Wine Library

This U.K. publisher has new titles coming out this fall season, including Barolo and Barbaresco, The Wines of Tuscany and The White Wines of Bordeaux (they also published Languedoc: The Smart Traveller's Wine Guide, which I covered in a recent post).

New Wine Books This Season

Free Recipe from The Winemakers' Cooking Companion Cookbook

My cookbook titled The Winemakers' Cooking Companion was compiled over a ten year period. It includes 108 recipes from 18 countries—contributed by winemakers, winery chefs and winery owners. The book launch dinner took place on September 16th in my village in southern France. Fifty diners joined. There will also be another launch event at the Green Cat art gallery this December.

Recipe—

Below is a free recipe from my cookbook for Wild Sockeye Ceviche Martini from Cherry Point Estates Wines in Canada.

More Free Chapters From The Book Vino Voices: Wine, Work, Travel, Life

I'm continuing to provide all chapters from my book Vino Voices: Wine, Work, Travel, Life for free here. Originally written over a decade ago, this book has been revised and is available as an e-book. It is 230 pages long and includes interviews with more than 45 professionals in a dozen countries who work in the world of wine, and explain why they love their work. It includes more than 100 photographs.

Click below to download chapters 31 and 31, about a pedantic U.K. author who researched the origins of the Pinotage grape, and about an Australian winemaker from the Barossa who appreciates his independent lifestyle.