The deep blue port of Marseilles, where we spent the weekend touting Rouge-Bleu wine. pépier (pay-pyay) verb to chirp, to tweet, twitter …now we know where the words "shhh! not one peep out of you!" come from. Also: un pépiement = a chirping, twittering :: Audio File ::Please welcome my guest speaker, Beatrice, who will pronounce the French words "pépier" and "un pépiement" via a … Continue reading pépier
A corner cafe in the French village of Rousset-les-Vignes abrégé (ah-breh-zhay) noun, masculine an abstract, summary "en abrégé" = in brief, in a nutshell ; in miniature; abbreviated (word) Listen to my brother-in-law, Jacques, pronounce the French words "abrégé" + "en abrégé": Download abrege.mp3 . Download abrege.wav.. Je suis navrée!* Terribly sorry for filling your inbox, Wednesday, with two copies of my "canard."* To make … Continue reading abrégé
The ponies of Provence stand before Mont Ventoux and a lone French mas. Book signing / wine-tasting in Paris & New York City:http://a-la-recherche-du-vin.typepad.com/rouge_bleu/2008/03/april-visits.html chahuter (sha-hew-tay) verb 1. to make a racket, to create an uproar 2. to heckle, to tease "Chahuter" comes from the word "chat-huant" and once meant "to cry like a screech owl." "Un chahuteur" ("une chahuteuse") is a rowdy or disorderly student … Continue reading chahuter
White mustard flowers near the town of Travaillan Below, you will discover a popular French adage (and nifty weather predictor!). It says that if you have sunshine and mild times at Christmas, watch out! You're in for cold weather at Easter! I can vouch for that. This morning the grape fields were blanketed by snow! And only yesterday "snowy" flowers covered the countryside. Pâques (pak) … Continue reading Pâques
The bright flowerettes of a mimosa steal the spotlight from a beat-up blue fence in the town of Camaret. April in New York City. Jean-Marc and I will be in NYC on April 15th & 16th. We’d love to meet you. Click here for more information on our wine-tasting event. oublieux, oublieuse (ooh-blee-uuh, ooh-blee-uuhz) adjective deliberately forgetful The word "oublieux" comes from the verb "oublier" … Continue reading oublieux
Pyracantha over a Provençale stone wall in Les Arcs-Sur-Argens… and Max and Jackie on their way home from school. Coucou, les enfants! coucou (koo-koo) noun, masculine 1. Hey there! 2. peek-a-boo!Audio File: Listen to Jean-Marc pronounce today's word and this phrase: Download coucou.mp3 . Download coucou.wavCoucou, c'est nous! Nous espérons vous voir à Paris le dix avril et à New York le quinze … Continue reading Simple comme bonjour? Coucou & Best ways to begin a letter or email in French
A beaded door screen of sorts … or of sorted beads! écran (ay-krahn) noun, masculine screen, shield La nécessité est l’écran mis entre Dieu et nous pour que nous puissions être. C’est à nous de percer l’écran pour cesser d’être. Necessity is the screen set between God and us so that we can be. It is for us to pierce through the screen so that … Continue reading écran
Leaves of Grass … beyond which the village of Cairanne slumbers. From the Big Grape to the Big Apple: meet us in NYC as we ditch these vines… in time to let you taste our wines! Jean-Marc and I are organizing two events: a book signing* & a wine tasting. (The tasting will be on April 16th from 4-7pm. I'll post the location soon!) * … Continue reading pépin
Babé and Jean-Marc preparing for the first bottles to arrive… I wrote* about Cheryl and Bill Jamison's visit to our place a few years back… I hear they've written about it too! Join me in the rush to buy a copy of their latest book "Around the World in 80 Dinners: The Ultimate Culinary Adventure" .Today's word:mise (meez) noun, feminine the putting (of something in … Continue reading mise
