“The road to Provence is packed with lagoons full of oysters. It’s astonishing to see how this industry is created out of murky, plankton-filled waters. So for me, the classic combination for this area would be oysters from the salt lagoon of Etang de Thau with a fresh white wine from the area.
“It’s surprising how fresh the wines are from this region, considering the heat. Try the lip-pucking grape Picpoul de Pinet, ideally from a single estate. It’s got a light, lemony, herby edge and is dry and sharp. It’s rare to find a grape that keeps its acidity so well in the hot sunshine. Chardonnay in the same soil, for example, would certainly over-ripen. My theory is that Picpoul de Pinet was developed because of all the oysters - they needed a light, sharp Loire Valley Muscadet-type wine to complement them.”
If you’re keen to try Oz’s suggestion of some perfectly chilled Picpoul de Pinet with oysters, here are a few recipes to try:
The cooking of Provence is renowned for its bold flavours. Dishes such as bouillabaisse, the classic Mediterranean fish stew, ratatouille and pissaliadière (a kind of ‘pizza’ topped with slow-cooked onions and anchovies) and the classic salad Niçoise all hail from Provence. Try these to start with:
