La petite école, Gargas, France

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This is an old schoolhouse turned into a gourmet restaurant.   

The cook makes wonderful homemade dishes with all local, fresh, high quality ingredients.   We started off with the Aperitif Maison-Frais et petillant 

Crémant de Bourgogne with crème de Framboise

 The food was simple yet full of flavor with a delicate touch you can only find from an experienced chef.   

The pumpkin soup was velvety smooth and as fresh as can be.   

The cheeses were all artisan and delicious. 
L'assiette de Fromages, Brie de Meaux Fourme d'Ambert, fromage de chèvre from Apt 

 Save room for the homemade ice cream because it is a must!

L'escale, Palavas-les-Flots, France

aperitif-champagne

nice little 1/2 bottle of a Languedoc white

these were almost the best oysters of the trip

always nice to wash your fingers after shellfish

Very innovative take on a classic French dish-Pot au fel with seafood in meat broth!

delicious fresh seasonal scallops

grilled fruit

L'Oca Barocca

Great little place in the center of Foligno to have an aperitivo or tea

salumi di oca (goose), speck di oca & bresaola di tacchino

Pecorino or Passerina? I forget!

Aperitivo Oca Barocca Style!

Fiano di Avellino

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 Fiano di Avellino, Feudi di San Gregorio, 2010 from the region of Campania, in the area of l'Irpinia, 13% alc.
I would have to say that this is the Sauvignon of the south, definitely aromatic with sharp clean acidity. 

I bought this bottle of wine from the locale supermarket to go with some fresh mozzarella di bufala, brought directly from a friend from Naples.Just finishing up the bottle as an aperitivo with some cashews (anacardi in Italian), which come from Vietnam of all places.

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Chablis

12.07.2011

Nothing special to cook tonight, but we decided to open up a nice wine anyway.

aperitivo a casa

Just made a simple aperitivo on the terrazzo, 
with sun-dried tomatoes, from last years crop, 
bruschette semplice with extra virgin olive oil 
and fresh Umbrian Pecorino cheese.

Chablis 2000

pale golden yellow

We picked up this wine when we were in Chablis earlier this year.  It was really good, it made my night.  The thing about Chablis is the perfect acidity, that’s what makes it last so long.  This wine was bottled over 10 years ago, but still maintains its freshness.  Loved it!

Ferrari

Ferrari Perlé chilling

the first, and not the last glass of bubbly

1992, Ferrari Reserve, we enjoyed it