Spring Wine Tasting

On a warm April evening, we hosted a wine tasting for a dozen couples....

The wine tasting area in our back yard...we were blessed to have the party on the first PERFECT spring evening! Note our friend Linda Noel on the left...she prepared a fabulous meal to accompany the wines.

Syd welcomed the guests and shared the details for the tasting. Each couple brought four bottles of one of their favorite wines which were part of a "blind tasting."

Our friend (and Mallory's favorite teacher at IBS), Chrissy Nichols, helped organize the party

Julie with Sydia Hamlin and her unique gift, a "taste-vin," (wine tasting cup)

Anja and Jan Wilbert

Samantha Veyne and Joey Hamlin

Sydia Hamlin and Kris Sustronk


Claude Veyne

Julie loved feeling French with her taste-vin!

Susie Bates, Sarah Besso, Nick Bates and Sarah's dear friend, Anouk Blain-Maillot, who was visiting from Paris

Phil Sustronk and Chris Asselberghs


Annina Niklander, Tessa Asselberghs and Anja Wilbert





And the winners were..........................................

In the white wine category, Margriet Keuning and Christian Swinkels with their Domaine Pey Blance, Le Blanc, Aix-en-Provence 2006 (purchased from the vineyard in their back yard!) .

Julie and Syd with the red wine winners, our dear friends Ann and Daniel Jourlait. Ann and Daniel brought Cru de Beaujolais Morgan, Les Charmes 2006.

Spring Break

The children had a two week vacation in early April and we enjoyed EVERY minute of it! The first week, we stayed around Aix while Shane participated in a "multi-sports stage." Sydia and Joey Hamlin's friends, Scot and Kim Vidrine, were visiting and we tagged along on two memorable outings....a wine tasting day and cooking class.

While the cat's away, the mouse will play....Shane had a ball playing at sports camp while we were away with the grown-ups.

The wine tasting was held in Chateauneif-du-Pape and Gigondas, with visits to three vineyards where we "solved the mysteries of terroir." Olivier Hickman (www.wine-uncovered.com) led the full day tour on a VERY windy, chilly day. We had to hold onto our hats during his informative talks in the vineyards, but we warmed up quickly as we tasted over 20 different wines throughout the day.

Our hosts, Sydia and Joey Hamlin

Kim and Scot Vidrine

Kim, Scot, Joey, Phil, Sarah, Sydia, Syd and Julie


Joey, dreaming of wines to come!

Sydia and Sarah, trying to stay warm :-)

The first found of tastings....

Round two

Phil and Syd

The gals toasting

The cave

Joey stocking up on fine wines

Syd and Julie trying to stay warm in the cave

Sarah among the barrels

After a full day of wine, we returned to collect the children and were treated to a delightful show starring the Hamlin, Vidrine and Butler kids!!

Helen, Mallory, Amelia, Alys, Ethan (with Shane watching in the wings)

Shane, acting the part of an LSU football player! It was QUITE the show :-)

Later in the week, we enjoyed a full day cooking class with Mark Heracle. We were delighted to have Mallory join us. She took great notes and is becoming very interested in French cooking!

Phil, Scot, Kim, Julie, Mallory, Sydia, Kris, Joey and Syd

Syd, the ever-eager student, with Mark Heracle

Proud parents

We spent the second week in Buoux, in the Luberon Mountains. This was a second stay at La Baume Victoire...we enjoyed the chidren's fall break here so much that we rented the house again!

The Hamlins visted for several days...Max, Shane, Syd, Julie and Sydia

Such a spectacular view!

There are several bories on the property

Shane, Ethan and Max enjoyed running around and around and around!

We brought a kite, but it was so windy during our stay that it almost took Shane up into the air for a ride!

Alys and Ethan took on Shane and Mallory in a "friendly" ping pong match

Mallory loved leading the kids in all sorts of activities...here she is laying the rules for the picnic

Bedtime wouldn't be the same without a Rescue Riley story!

Shane learned to love "coffee milk" from his buddies Max and Ethan

Mal and her pal, Alys

Budding artist 1

Budding artist 2


Budding artists 3 and 4

Sydia and budding artist 5

Christophe and Muriel joined us for lunch. Christophe is our tennis coach and friend who grew up the Luberon Mountains.

Christophe showing Syd a thing or two about petanque

Muriel, Christophe, Syd and Sydia....what a view!!

Fresh pasta from Maison Pena

Syd enjoying cooking for the crew!

We purchased some lovely pottery in Apt

Jan Wilbert joined us to climb the famous cliff in Buoux, however the weather did not cooperate so he only climbed for about an hour...we will return in the summer to watch him complete this impressive climb!

Jan's daughter, Elena, Julie, Mallory and Annina enjoyed watching Jan

Jan set up a climbing area for the kids to enjoy....Syd and Shane had a ball!

Shane and Daniel

Elena, Mallory and Matilda

Julius, Elena, Mal, Daniel, Shane and Matilda enjoying lunch