Behind the Pour | My Week Curating Wines and Apéritifs for Camp Joy Retreats in Provence
Another beautiful week in Provence with Camp Joy Retreats has come to an end and, as always, I was so glad to be part of the experience with the hosts Monique and Marea. Our week in Ménerbes welcomed seven women from the UK and the US to a stunning villa at the foothills of the village. This was our second time staying at La Magnanerie, but the beauty and serenity of the place still felt magical, just like arriving for the very first time. I was thrilled to work again with Doug and Glen on this edition, who planned some amazing meals for us throughout the week.
I’d say the theme of this retreat was light reds and fruit-forward whites, versatile and crowd-pleasing, with the aim, as always, of giving the ladies the chance to discover Southern French wines, different grape varieties and viticultural practices, and to hear the lovely story behind each bottle.
Curating Wines and Apéritifs for Camp Joy Retreats | The Week’s Lineup
Sunday | Marquisette and Salmon with Sweet Cherry Tomatoes
Sunday is arrival day for the ladies. After a long day of travelling and settling into their surroundings, apéro took place by the pétanque court, where we played a game, watched the sunset and enjoyed a fun drink in hand.
Pastis would have been a fitting choice, but given that it can be an acquired taste, I went for something a little more crowd-pleasing. Marquisette is a traditional Southern French village fête drink that is served like a punch during summer festivities. It’s fresh, citrusy and very easy to drink, making it the perfect introduction to the week. The drink is a mix of bubbles, white wine and a personal touch of verbena syrup for an extra Southern French touch. I went for Crémant for the bubbles.
For dinner, Doug and Glen eased us into the week with a delightful roasted salmon dish served with sweet roasted cherry tomatoes and rice. I always want to make sure that there is a red and a white on offer for dinner in order to please everyone’s palate. Two Languedoc wines were chosen for this pairing.
Parcel Cinsault, IGP Pays d’OC, 2024, by Mas Moustache
A delicious, light, fruity and fresh red with a delightful ruby-gem colour. Cinsault is a great variety to pick if you’re looking to pair a wine with fish. Its lightness and very soft tannins allow for a lovely pairing without overpowering the delicacy of the fish.
Salmon is more fatty than a white fish, so the freshness of this wine really made for a lovely pairing. There were big, fresh red berry and pomegranate notes, along with a subtle floral touch with hints of fresh rose petals. This red was a big crowd-pleaser and I’ll definitely be getting my hands on some more. A real summer staple.
Domaine Les 4 Amours, Tradition Blanc, IGP Pays d’Oc 2024
A blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino and Chardonnay creates this lovely, refreshing unoaked white with hints of citrus, white flowers and orchard fruits. The freshness from the Sauvignon Blanc makes this a lovely white to pair with salmon, while the rounder texture from the Chardonnay gives it enough body to stand up to the richness of the fish.
Monday | Daumas Gassac Frizzant Rosé and Pastis Chicken
After a day visiting Ménerbes and enjoying the rays by the pool, I popped open a couple of bottles of the Frizzant Rosé by Mas de Daumas Gassac to accompany some lovely finger food prepared by the chefs. If you're curious about this iconic Languedoc winery, you can read all about it in my dedicated piece here.
I think pastis chicken is one of my new favourite meals. I would never have thought to put the star anise drink into a dish, but it’s fabulous. With this dish, I went for a juicy red once again and an aromatic and elegant white.
Rouge Cerise, Pays d’Oc IGP, 2024 by La Croix Gratiot
The name says it all, but this is a lovely juicy Syrah with notes of red fruits and spice. It was great with the chicken and didn’t overpower the fennel in the dish. I served this slightly chilled too, which is something I regularly do with lighter reds (I did so with the previous red too!). It’s something I talk about in my article dedicated to which red wines you can chill.
Esperel,AOP Languedoc, 2023, by Villa Dondona
An aromatic and fresh blend of Vermentino, Roussanne, Marsanne and Grenache Blanc. It has a lovely orchard fruit character, with pears and apples, an elegant roundness and a lovely freshness, as well as a touch of aniseed on the finish. This complemented both the pastis and the fennel beautifully.
Tuesday | Rosemary and Provençal Peach Bellinis and Sage and Jambon Cru Wrapped Pork Filet Mignon
On Tuesday, I served the ladies Peach Bellinis made with local peach juice and a sprig of rosemary, topped with Crémant, which made for a delicious evening drink. The Bellinis were followed by two wines to accompany the sage and jambon cru wrapped pork filet mignon.
Ballade Pur Chenin, IGP Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, 2025 by Clos Aguilem
A 100% Chenin Blanc that I raved about in my article dedicated to the domaine, which I invite you to read here. This is a beautifully expressive white that goes from fruit on the nose to floral notes on the palate. The white fruit aromas of pear and apple were a lovely complement to the pork, while its vibrancy cut through the saltiness of the ham. I personally found that the wine was elevated by the sage, too.
Les Griottiers, AOP Languedoc, 2023 by Mas de la Séranne
This wine brought a little more depth to the meal, with jammy red fruit flavours of cherry and ripe strawberries and a fuller body than the two previous reds. It worked really well with the pork without overpowering it.
The name “Griottiers” is a nod to the wild sour cherry trees that grow near the Grenache vines that dominate this blend, alongside classic Southern French grapes including Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan.
Wednesday | Lavender Spritz, Provençal Daube and Creamy Mash
It can’t be a Camp Joy happy hour without a Lavender Spritz. A refreshing, floral and very Provençal drink that always goes down a treat!
It was slightly cooler on Wednesday evening, with the Mistral making itself gently known, so dinner took place indoors with a delicious Provençal daube, a classic beef stew from the area. I went for two local wines for this meal.
La Noria, AOP Ventoux, 2024 by La Croix des Pins
A classic blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre. This was the strongest wine of the week in terms of alcohol, but it went beautifully with the richness of the dish and the red meat. Velvety and smooth, with aromas of dark fruits and wild berries accompanied by toasted and spicy notes from a little barrel ageing. Despite having a very different profile from the other reds, the ladies greatly enjoyed it!
Cuvée Tradition, AOP Lubéron, 2023 by Val de Joanis
A round, elegant and aromatic white with quite a bit of character. It’s a blend of Grenache, Roussanne and Vermentino, with hints of stone fruits such as peach and apricot. Its freshness helped lift the richness of the creamy mash and daube, while the rounded texture meant it could stand up to the richness of the dish. The fruit and floral character also brought a lovely contrast to the deeper, more savoury flavours of the beef.
Thursday | Fontvert Pink Bubbles and Orange and Star Anise Leg of Duck
Our week in Ménerbes came gently to an end and, to celebrate a week of new friendships, laughter and love, some local pink bubbles from Château de Fontvert seemed very fitting while making our flower crowns.
Doug and Glen’s final meal was very much anticipated. A delicious leg of duck with orange and star anise, served with baby new potatoes. I was very excited for this meal and the pairing. To end the week, I went with a Languedoc red and a Lubéron white to honour both places.
Les Cocalières Rouge, AOC Montpeyroux, 2023 by Domaine d’Aupilhac
A very special wine following my visit to the winery, which you can read about here if you’re interested. Another classic blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre produces this lovely, elegant red.
The name of the wine comes from its plot, Cocalières, which sits at an altitude of 350 metres and faces north-west. This brings beautiful and much-appreciated freshness to the wine in a region where maintaining freshness is becoming more of a challenge with rising temperatures.
It’s silky and very red-fruit-forward, with hints of garrigue such as thyme and rosemary. It went beautifully with the duck.
Célestine Blanc, AOP Lubéron, 2024 by Château de Mille
We had visited the château earlier that same day, so it was my plan to have one of their wines accompany the final meal. The first one that came to mind was their Cuvée Célestine Blanc.
A delicate, floral white made from Grenache, Bourboulenc and Marsanne, with hints of citrus fruits. The citrus character worked beautifully with the orange in the dish, while the wine’s finesse left room for the duck without being overpowered by it.
After five days of sunshine, beautiful food and places, and most importantly, good company, the week came to an end. It’s always such a meaningful time for me because, as Camp Joy’s retreat sommelier, I don’t just get to choose the wines. I get to work with amazing people, meet lovely women, share my passion for wine and highlight the work of local winemakers in the South of France. Until next time !
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