If someone were to ask me what would be my biggest learning, especially from the start, but also from the rest of the pandemia, it would be that we have to be more in-touch with nature, have to respect it and refrain from a life-style that would be harmful to it. As we were raiding the fresh produce sections of supermarkets on those first days, which one of us did not brood over the question of whether we would be able to continue to feed ourselves in the days to come? Remembering the indispensability of agriculture was a slap in the face. Which one of us did not finally understand the brutality and the barbarity of zoos (expect for foundations that treat and rehabilitate animals) during this period. For two months, we were prisoners in our own homes, the places where we usually feel the most comfortable turned into a psychological prison for most of us. In a way, we are actually still detained in some form of confinement. We cannot stroll outside without a mask. How terrible that is! We try to breath in oxygen, our most basic need as humans, through a mask when we are outside. Nobody actually knows or explains the long-term effect this might have on our health. We are waiting for our turn to get vaccinated. We are waiting for a vaccine that was developed in a rush so that we can go back to ‘normal’, be able to go outside without a mask and hug loved ones again. One cannot stop himself from asking, how is it possible to develop a vaccine against a virus that we still have so little knowledge about. Anyway, this is not a pessimistic article. On the contrary, it will be an article talking about an amazing place. It is about a place that is in nature, respects nature and therefore takes its energy and strength from nature, the Fondugues-Pradugues winery and the pop-up restaurant right in front of it.
First let me tell you how we came upon it. You might remember from previous articles that choosing restaurants on holidays is my responsibility in the family. And I’m usually successful in my choices, but a failed attempt last summer led to my wife discovering this place. As you see there is a good in everything, a bad choice led to an amazing discovery. We were on our way back from a very average restaurant near Saint Tropez that had attached crowds who were totally happy with anything as long as it was Italian and there was pizza on the menu. While driving, we saw a garden full of light beneath tall trees that you wouldn’t realize was there if you were not looking in that direction. We couldn’t stop then but we marked it on Google maps and continued on our way. Because it was a long holiday, we were trying to go easy on our budget and therefore ate at home most of the time, choosing dinners out very carefully. It made me very upset that I had wasted one of those treats, but the prospect of a good discovery lifted my spirits a little; I can turn into a very unpleasant person when I’m disappointed. After a little research, we decided to try it for lunch one day.
Our first time was lunch on a very hot day. But the tall trees were casting a lovely shadow, and their leaves were fanning a cool breeze against the heat, therefore we were very comfortable at our table. This is one of those places you always imagine coming upon in small towns and villages. The tables are set apart from each other under the shade, the ground beneath you is pebble and earth, you are surrounded by colorful flowers, sitting right at the edge of the vineyard, the vines fully blossomed green because the harvest is very near, the view of a village set among trees on the opposite hill, an open kitchen and a vehicle that acts as an open bar with wine fridges set on its body. It is set very far from the road, and the parking space is in the opposite direction, therefore you are totally secluded from the noise and the dirt of the road and traffic. The only thing you can hear is birdsong and the wind, of course if you have not come with a very talkative company. I must add that, apart from a huge garden, there is also a petanque area so that kids can also enjoy themselves. And we were very lucky because another kid around Yasemin’s age came right after us and we could easily leisure in this amazing place for more than 2 hours. Our second time was for dinner and a friend of my daughter from school and his mom were accompanying us. The petanque area was a huge rescue once again.
For dinner, I would recommend you to reserve because they say they are fully booked most of the time. Our dinner started off with a reservation confusion. But dear Joshua Clever solved it with a very polite attitude and this way we had a chance to meet the person in charge of the restaurant part of the project. Joshua, after earning a “Natural Chef” certificate, has worked as a chef for 10 years before getting himself out of the kitchen. A restaurant manager with a kitchen background is always a good idea. If you have any questions about the food, you have someone very knowledgeable about the recipes and the ingredients to enlighten you. Joshua met Stephen Roberts in Chicago and they also lived together in Paris. When the project first came up, Stephen invited Joshua to join him here. He told us they had a good year even with the pandemia and he is planning to be here in 2021 as well to help with the new tasting atelier. He says that he loves the south of France especially in summer and plans to spend time here as long as he can.
The Fondugues-Pradugues is 18 hectares in total, 15 of which are vineyards. Laurent Nouvion’s mother Danielle Rey bought her first land in the 60s and and in time proceeded to buy adjoining plots to reach the size it is today. Danielle is a fifth generation wine-maker from the Languedoc region. You could say that as a family they know what they are doing. Hahaaha We met Stephen Roberts at the end of our dinner. Stephen is Laurent’s husband and has been living in France since 1999. He might be the newest addition to the family in the wine business but the greatest change has come through him. Stephen has worked at United Nations before and he has always been actively involved in environmental issues. Especially after their first daughter was born in 2010, he has wanted to take more responsibility about the issue. He started this first in his own land. He converted their holiday home into a working farm where their children could grow up in a cleaner and healthier environment. While studying wine, he also continued work to prepare the land for organic production. They harvested their first produce in 2014. He explains this process as follows:
“We added horses to work the land and sheep that come in winter and eat our ground cover. Biodynamic farming became a logical continuation after organics since the charter is very cohesive and helpful in choosing when to work on the vineyard according to the astrological and lunar calendars. Natural wines is a result of this coherence as well since following all these basic rules in farming and wine-making help make wines that taste like the place or terroir, I believe our wines are a true reflection of the Ramatuelle plain, which has its own special micro-climate. I use temperature control in order to keep our rose wine light in color and fresh, and this year is our first year of using zero sulphate in the winery during harvest, we have finally achieved this and I am very proud.”
Eventualy they became the first vineyard to receive the Demether certificate in the region. (Demether certificate is valid in 50 countries, given out since 1928, verifying that the production is compliant with the biodynamic regulations accepted internationally) They are growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache, Rolle, Cinsaut, Chardonnay, Mourvèdre, and Merlot grapes. They produce about 25.000 bottles every year but are aiming to increase this up to 60.000 with new investments. 80% of the production is bottled as rosé and 20% as red, but he added that they will start working on white production next year. Towards the end of dinner, Joshua had a surprise for us. He gave us a bottle without a label. He said for now we are sharing this with friends and family only. How lucky we were! It is a wine of %100 Mourvèdre that they are planning to label in 2021. Who knows, maybe this summer I can write once again from Fondugues-Pradugues and get a chance to babble on about this wine.
So far we have talked about the magic of the place, the visions of Stephen and hospitality of Joshua, but we haven’t talked about the last person who has made this place perfect in my opinion. Valentine Costuna. Valentine is a 29 year old Australian chef. His passion for cooking is inherited from his family. Both his mother’s delicious cooking and the fact that both his father and grandfather being chefs, have led his to start working at a fine-dining restaurant when he was only 15. Even though he is only 29 years old, he has a lot of experience up his sleeve. He talks about some of his previous experiences before Fondugues as follows:
“I have been very fortunate to cook in quality kitchens all over the world. Some of my favorites and most impactful experiences were at Moxhe - a magnificent, charming seafood restaurant in Sydney. The powerhouse classic québécois bistro Joe Beef in Montreal, Canada. As well as a restaurant that was ranked 32nd in the world whilst I was there, Astrid y Gaston in Lima, Peru! I was also very fortunate to cook on expedition vessels in the Arctic and Antarctic for a couple of years. These experiences were indeed full of highlights.”
When I asked his about his own cooking style, what he feels about sustainability and what he likes cooking best, the responses I got were exactly as I had imagined them to be. They were totally in line with the vision of Stephen about the place.
“ I describe my food style at l'éphémère to be "refined, rustic" cuisine du marché. I deeply believe that cooking seasonally and sustainably is essential; not only in the restaurant business but also for in our homes and in our lives... Not to mention for the planet! I am pleased to see a resurgence of both farm to table and sustainable cooking in the restaurant world. We certainly need it.
I love most to cook with fresh & especially live seafood. I have worked closely with fish and seafood for many years and I love it so much because it is the most incredible expression of freshness. The difference between fresh fish that has been caught, killed & handled properly to another product, is so pronounced. This quality of seafood of course exists in France but I do miss the blend of these products with strong, spicy and herbaceous flavors that is so brilliantly done in Asia.”
One of the other things I was curious about was wine pairing because Fondugues serves only its own wines. Therefore I was curious whether he felt limited by this and what he did to overcome it.
“We have a chalkboard menu that changes in some way each day. This allows me to cook simply, yet freely. We offer both wine flight options with matching tapas as well as a chef’s inspiration menu which can be paired with wine. Actually, consistently pairing the same wines with different foods can teach us how foods pair differently with the same wine given their characteristics. So even though it can be restricting in ways, it's also educational and fun.”
Another object of interest was what kind of an adaptive rhythm he found as he was working on French soil known for its intricate bureaucracy, with a half French half American family. This is personally what I like the most about Paris and the South of France, the variety but I wanted to know what an Australian thought about this.
“We feel that we have magically found a way to find likeminded people, in the oddest of circumstances. Fortunately we have a similar concept on what good service is, as well as appreciating each other's style and taste. I am impressed with how we are able to bounce off of one another and how we continue to find inspiration and execute our ideas together”
I found out that I took a while for Valentine, Stephen and Joshua to find each other on skype. A lot of people were involved from the old owners of Yard to Septime to people in Quebec but eventually it has ended up in a perfect collaboration. And I’m so glad that it did. There are two chefs that Valentine follows all the time, Francis Mallmann and Alain Passard. He finds both their stories and kitchens magical and he romances dreams where he finds himself chatting with the two around an open fire in the garden. I definitely think that he should at some point work in Paris. Well, this might be a little selfish on my side, but he has actually had pop-ups in Paris before, only never stayed permanently.
By the way Valentine if you are reading this, I have some good news for you too. Stephen wants to give you your own garden if he can find a good gardener. Wouldn’t it be just great, you would collect your produce in the morning, cook it during the day and we’ll come and eat it at dinner?
(Last minute information: Valentine won’t be in Fondugues-Pradugues 2021 summer because of the Covid situation in Europe.)