Wine and Food of Formula 1: 6th Race – Monaco

2009 Monaco Grand Prix Qualifying_Courtesy of Force India F1

Updated for Race Results – Please Click This Link

There is usually a French Grand Prix in addition to the Monaco Grand Prix every season. However, that is not the case this year. As France’s history is deep, its wine and food some of the best in the world, and its culture vast, I have decided to concentrate only on Monaco for this article. The French Grand Prix will hopefully return to the F1 circuit and I will cover it then or because of its complexity and depth, there could be a series of articles that I will do in the future. France deserves more time and research than I can provide in this series of articles that provide an overview of topics covered.  I will instead give France the attention it deserves hopefully sooner rather than later. This can also be true for a few other countries where the races are held where I will concentrate more on the venue city than the country itself.

These articles are to give you a taste of the world of Formula One, the venues the races are held, travel info, a bit of history, culture, and some basic wine and food information to wet your appetite to visit, taste, sip, get into F1 racing if so inclined, pick up some knowledge about the areas covered, and to simply sit back, enjoy and learn something new.

Recap and Thoughts of Last Race: Spain

(link to Spanish Grand Prix Article)

Mark Webber (1^st). His first Formula 1 win for the season, so far, for Red Bull Renault. This is Webber’s third career F1 victory. Started from Pole position and led throughout the race and at times among the fastest laps. Webber, with this win, is currently in 4^th place with 53 World Driver’s Champion points for this year. Webber, along with his teammate, Sebastian Vettel, have had the most first row starts this season so far.

Fernando Alonso (2^nd). Had a bit of home turf luck going on, as the drivers ahead of him allowed their leads to evaporate because of mechanical issues and other reasons. Nonetheless, being patient is also a strategy that paid off as he kept focused on the race and did not make any major mistakes. The crowd loved their fellow countryman Alonso as much as they love Ferrari and acted as if he won the race! Alonso had a great start for Ferrari with a win the first race of the season in Bahrain. He has kept in the points and did have three podium finishes out of five starts. He is now second, so far, for World Driver’s Champion with 67 points, only 3 points from Jenson Button who currently leads in points.

Sebastian Vettel (3rd). This must be a very frustrating time for Vettel. He has one of the fastest cars on the circuit, has started from pole position several times and along with his teammate, Mark Webber, has started from the front row more than any other driver. He has had mechanical failures in several races robbing him of a better position and this race was no different. He still manages podium wins and is currently in 3^rd place with 60 points for World Driver’s Championship, only 3 points behind Alonso and 10 points behind Button. The season is still young, so there is plenty of time for problems to be corrected, but I guess what I am saying is, there should not be this level of mechanical problems at Red Bull Renault. They have an excellent driver in Vettel and it is their error not driver error keeping the team from being in first place in championship points, this is my opinion of course.

Before the race started there was a problem with Heikki Kovalainen car with Lotus and was pulled into the pits and did not start. The race started well with Webber taking the lead from his pole position and holding first place throughout the race.

One of the biggest surprises of the race came in the final lap when Lewis Hamilton had what appeared to be at first, a blown tire sending him crashing into the wall. Some said that it was actually a rim failure and he could have made the podium if this did not happen. Because this was the last lap, he still came in 14^th place and he also had the fastest lap of the day at 1:24.357.This was too bad, he was racing very well.

The aero improvements made to most of the cars had its impact. Among some changes made:

Mercedes GP. Mainly to Michael Schumacher’s car and it was to his liking, see below. They brought in a longer wheel base, massive air boxes in rear of car, and a new F-duct, which interrupts the airflow to the rear wing and reduces drag on the straights, to name a few. Red Bull Renault and McLaren have new front and rear wings, among other things. Scuderia Ferrari, has a newer engine and driver controlled F-ducts. Sauber-Ferrari has some minor changes and the new F-Duct; they also picked up a sponsor, Burger King. Other teams had similar improvements from diffusers, brake ducts, engine covers, rear floor, etc. Formula One racing sees some of the most technological advances made to their cars and often in season. These changes were made for better stabilization, down force, maneuverability especially in cornering, among other things.

The most exciting thing to watch throughout the race was a battle between seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher, coming out of a three year retirement, and two time World Champion Jenson Button when Schumacher passed Button in the 17^th lap. Schumacher was definitely using strategy and implementing its tactics. This can only come from patience, experience, and loads of knowledge. Button, wanting to pass Schumacher was having a very difficult time doing so. Button’s McLaren is faster than Schumacher’s, even though both engines are Mercedes. Because of this Schumacher made this deficit up in his precise cornering ability and experience. Many thought that Schumacher should have let Button by, say what? This is racing folks and the hard truth is they are out to win. More importantly Schumacher’s teammate, Nico Rosberg had a terrible start and was faltering throughout the race and would not make needed points in this race. Was Schumacher supposed to let another team win, no. He wanted championship points, not only for himself, but also for his team. It was fun to watch. Schumacher won over Button, taking 4^th place, because he did a better job during this race than Button. The next race could be different, this is F1.

Word is circulating that Robert Kubica (POL), currently racing for Renault, and Ferrari have signed an option. If this is true, then he could be racing for Ferrari in 2011 or 2012. I heard of this over a month ago, from all places a Facebook friend from Poland, but at the time it appeared that Ferrari was off to a great start and with Massa doing well after a terrible accident last year, that the only way Massa would go is if he wanted it, perhaps because of complications from his accident. Now, Massa has not been doing that well from race to race although, he still keeps in championship points for himself and his team. Word is that it would be Massa that would be the driver to go, as Alonso is doing better. I also heard the Massa’s contract is up as well, so we will see how this goes. I will report anything concrete.

The Driver’s Championship after four races (the highest point leader at the end of the season wins the FIA World Driver’s Championship):

Jenson Button is leading with – 70 points, Fernando Alonso – 67 points, Sebastian Vettel – 60 points, Mark Webber – 53 points, Nico Rosberg – 50 points, Lewis Hamilton – 49 points (tie), Felipe Massa – 49 points (tie), Robert Kubica – 44 points, Michael Schumacher – 22 points, Adrian Sutil – 16 points, Vitantonio Liuzzi – 8 points, Rubens Barrichello – 7 points, Vitaly Petrov – 6 points, Jamie Alguersuari – 3 points, Nico Hulkenberg – 1 point.

For the Constructor’s Championship after four races (same as drivers most points at end of season wins):

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes – 119 points, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro – 116 points, Red Bull Racing Renault – 113 points,  Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team – 72 points, Renault F1 Team – 50 points, Force India F1 Team Mercedes – 24 points, AT&T Williams Cosworth – 8 points, and Scuderia Torro Rosso Ferrari – 3 points.

MONTE-CARLO, MONACO

The Race 

The Hairpin Turn Monaco Grand Prix (Archive Photo, circa 1990's)

Of all the F1 Grand Prix circuits this, to me, is what street racing is all about. It is also one of the most prestigious and its roots are from the oldest races in Europe. Auto racing has a deep history in Monaco dating back to 1907 when the Sports and Automotive Velocipedique of Monaco was formed because of the fascination with the automobile. It came about from the Sport Velocipedique Monaco that was created in the late 1890s as mainly a bicycle group. In 1925, this group became the Automobile Club of Monaco. The street track was designed in 1929 to be truly challenging and although it was not yet for Formula 1, it was used as the course for the “Grand Prix Automobile”, the first GP of Monaco with cars like Bugatti, Unicorn, Mercedes, and Maserati. By the way, the Bugatti won that first race.

After this, the races were not consistently held every year and took many different directions. It was not until 1950 that the Monaco Grand Prix on the Monaco Circuit de Monte-Carlo, that we know today, was formed. The first race was in 1950 and had a few on and off years. In 1955 the Monaco Grand Prix raced for the first time under the Formula 1 World Championship and has run continuously ever since.  Monaco was the second circuit ever to race Formula 1, the first being Silverstone in Great Britain. The course has seen a few changes and upgrades since 1929 and is today one of the most beautiful and challenging courses in Formula One. There are a number of hairpin turns with a few straights, if you can call it that, making it the slowest course in Formula One.

The Monaco Grand Prix has such significance that the entire season is built around it. It goes by the Christian calendar and Monaco is always scheduled six weeks after Easter and often works out that it is around Memorial Day.  However, this year Easter came a bit early and therefore, the race is being held within a week after the Spanish Grand Prix. It is also very important in another regard, advertising. There is more wining and dining during the Monaco Grand Prix than there is in Beverly Hills. During the four days around the Monaco Grand Prix, there are more sponsorships signed than at any other time.

The race itself is through the streets of Monte Carlo. From the start/finish line the drivers will pick up speed before going into the Sainte Devote turn to a straight, again if you want to call it that, of Beau Rivage to the Massenet turn going uphill leading to a brief straight at the tight Casino turn to Mirabeau leading to the infamous Hairpin turn (see photo) to the Portier going to the Tunnel. Drivers are then met with a brief straight, the fastest part of the course, to a bit of a hairpin at the Novelle Chicane, another straight, then a couple of turns, and semi straights all overlooking the harbor that will have yachts in abundance. The second to last turn, La Rascasse, leads to pit lane before coming to a rather treacherous final turn, Anthony Noghes, named after the fellow that designed the course back in 1929 that leads back to the straight crossing the start-finish line. Please see simulation of a Monaco GP lap by Mark Webber in video playlist below.

There are 19 turns in this race going through the winding, uphill and downhill streets of Monte Carlo. The race is 78 laps over 161.887 miles/260.250km. Reliance on mechanical grip rather than the aerodynamics of the cars will be more important and of course so will the driver’s experience, especially if they raced there before and/or are aces at cornering. Last year Jenson Button, then for Braun-Mercedes, started from pole position and went on to win the race. The fastest lap in 2009 was Felipe Massa for Ferrari. The circuit lap record is held by Michael Schumacher when he was with Ferrari. Schumacher’s teammate, Nico Rosberg, resides in Monaco so he knows the course well. Even though it is said to be the slowest of the courses, do not let that fool you. The average speed is 158 KPM and the speed can reach 278 KPM. This is amazingly fast for this challenging street race. The highest number of wins on this circuit is by the great Aryton Senna with six wins, the highest number of team wins is by McLaren at fifteen.

Spectator capacity is an estimated 120,000. This race, more than most, has one of the highest television audiences as well. Formula One racing in general has one of, if not the highest, worldwide television audience per race than any other sport. However, it lags in the United States perhaps because there is no US team, driver, or venue. Hopefully, this will change for 2011. There was going to be a U.S. team this year, but they could not get their act together and now have actually folded up.

F1 Race weekend begins (please check back as I will update this article with the starting grid and with race results over the weekend):

Thursday, May 13, 2010 will be televised practice runs for the teams and drivers. Practice runs are mainly to fine tune the cars and drivers by testing the track, crew, and the cars. If in the United States, this will be live on Speed Channel at 5:00 a.m. PST/8:00 am EST. 

FRIDAY NO RACING.

Saturday, May 15, 2010 will be qualifying for the starting grid for the race. This will determine pole position (inside 1st row) in the final round. The starting grid this year will have twelve rows of two cars each. There are three qualifying rounds. The first round eliminates seven drivers/teams from moving forward to the next round. The second qualifying round will do the same, taking out the bottom seven drivers/teams, leaving the fastest ten. The third and final qualifying round will take the final ten drivers/teams and will determine the first five rows of the starting grid. It is a little more complicated than just fastest lap speed and there are situations where it is possible that a driver with a faster lap could end up in the back seven rows. In the United States, this will be live on Speed Channel at 5:00 am PST/8:00 am EST.

STARTING GRID For 1st Five Rows Only:

1st Row: Mark Webber (Australia), Pole Position, Fastest Lap 1:13.826 racing for Red Bull Racing Renault; and Robert Kubica (Poland) for Renault F1 Team, Fastest Lap 1:14.120

Note: Red Bull Renault has won pole position for all six races of the season so far and has been alternating between Mark Webber and his teammate Sebastian Vettel. For Kubica, this is his first front row start since 2008

2nd Row: Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Fastest Lap 1:14.227 racing for Red Bull Renault; and Felipe Massa (Brazil) for Ferrari, Fastest Lap 1:14.283 

3rd Row: Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain) Fastest Lap 1:14.432 for McLaren Mercedes; and Nico Rosberg (Germany) Fastest Lap: 1:14.544 racing for Mercedes GP

4th Row:  Michael Schumacher (Germany) for Mercedes GP, Fastest Lap 1:14.590; and Jenson Button (Great Britain) for McLaren Mercedes, Fastest Lap 1:14.637 

5th Row: Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) for Williams, Fastest Lap 1:14.901; and Vitantonio Liuzzi (Italy) for Force India Fastest Lap 1:15.170 

NOTE: Renault engine is starting in the top three positions – good going. Fernando Alonso for Ferrari crashed his car in early morning practice and could not send his car out for qualifying. Because of this, he will start tomorrow’s race at the very back of the pack – ouch!

Sunday, May 16, 2010 is RACE DAY. In the US, Speed Channel will cover this live at 4:30 am PST/7:30 am EST.

Times are subject to change.

You should go to the special page through the following link called Formula 1: Intro, Wine, and Food  for more detailed information on F1, race schedule, results, championship standings, links to all teams, drivers, racing circuits, and organizations that have websites to further your knowledge and enjoyment of the sport. You will also find a real-time television schedule for air time for the races on Speed Channel under the Introduction sub-page. Information in this special page and its sub-pages will supplement the individual articles that I write and will also serve as an archive when the racing season ends for the entire series of articles.

Below please find a playlist of three videos found on YouTube that I though you would enjoy on the Monaco Grand Prix: Course Simulator with Red Bull Renault Driver Mark Webber and a Salute to Past Monaco Grand Prix Races

 A Brief Background on History, Culture, Customs of Monaco

The House of Grimaldi  

Monaco Flag used by the House of Grimaldi since 1339, making it one of the oldest banners

Under Prince Albert I, Monaco became a constitutional monarchy in 1911. This monarchy is not like most, in that they rule with a great deal of power and are not just figureheads.

Although the principality of Monaco is in France, the Grimaldi family is from Genoa, Italy and emerged from the Crusades as one of four major ruling families that were warriors, ship-owners, and bankers. The first Grimaldi of Monaco, Lanfranco, gained power over a rival in 1297 and shortly thereafter passed away. There was a brief period of exile for the Grimaldi family during the French Revolution when Monaco was given its ancient name of Fort d’Hercule during that time. The Grimaldi family returned after the Treaty of Paris and returned the name of Monaco. They have ruled ever since. In 1918 a treaty that is formally noted in the Treaty of Versailles, provided Monaco limited French protection with political, military, and economic interests. In 1962 a new constitution was established that abolished capital punishment, enabled female suffrage, and established a Supreme Court. Monaco officially became a member of the United Nations in 1993 with full voting rights and in 2004 joined the Council of Europe.

The family has roots in locations other than Monaco, so please follow this link for more on the Grimaldi family and their history, rule, and background at: House of Grimaldi.

Grace Kelly and Her Prince 

Prince's Palace

The most familiar Grimaldi of our generation was Monaco’s 31^st ruler, Prince Rainier III (1923-2005) who ruled from 1949-2005. He and Monaco became household words when he married Hollywood royalty, Grace Kelly (1928-1982) in 1956. She died in a terrible car accident in 1982 in Monaco with her daughter Stephanie, who survived the crash. Stephanie is the youngest of the three children they had together. The other two are Princess Carolyn and Prince Albert II. Prince Albert II now rules the principality after his father’s death in 2005. Because of the laws of succession, he needs to have a legitimate heir that will succeed him after his death. Right now Prince Albert is single and without legitimate children (he has claimed two illegitimate children but do not count as heirs to succession). If on his death there are no legitimate children, then Princess Carolyn will succeed him, followed by her legitimate children if all survive her from the oldest to youngest. If not, then it will fall to Princess Stephanie, followed by her legitimate children in the same order.

The marriage of Prince Rainer III to Grace Kelly was a fantasy for most women, in the United States in particular. She was a beautiful woman, cool and collected, and when one thinks of class she comes to mind. She was also a fashionista, with a style that most women wanted to copy. Her favorite designer that made the “Kelly” look on film was actually by the legendary costume designer Edith Head.  Kelly loved Dior and of course she made Oleg Cassini a household name for his designer clothes and their love affair. Fans of Mad Men can see several women on the show try to copy Grace Kelly like in reality at the time. The character Betty Draper comes to mind. Kelly had acting chops and won an Academy Award for her role in Country Girl. Her most notable film with the Kelly magic was, for me, Catch a Thief  with Gary Grant filmed in 1955. It was filmed in Monte-Carlo and Monaco and this is where she met her Prince. They married one year later, in 1956, after a brief courtship and the filming of her last movie, High Society. She came from a very wealthy Philadelphia family and it showed, many thought she was even mocking herself in High Society, but she was also very down to earth and wanted her children to be raised humbly, even though they were royalty. She also always maintained her love for the United States and kept dual citizenship.

My Love of Formula One

Think I really became a fan of Formula One racing because, of all things, my Mother and the movie industry. Why? Because my Mother was such a fan of Grace Kelly, she always wanted to see the Monaco Grand Prix because Princess Grace would hand out the trophies at the end of the race, so I started watching growing up too. The other reason while still a babe (mean that as being very young!!), my Mother also loved James Garner (who actually got into auto racing himself) and Yves Montand. And, guess what? They were in a movie together called “Grand Prix.” Although I saw it years later, it played in a type of theater you will not find anymore, it had huge multi screens, basically surrounding you from the front and the sides, plus with what must have been the beginning of surround sound.  So, when I saw Grand Prix it was absolutely thrilling. The opening credits were different from anything else I had seen before. This movie set the standard for how racing is covered. Shot with multi angles, shots from inside the cars, crowd reactions, and much more. The story around the characters left a lot to be desired and all in all it would be considered corny today, but this film was really about Formula 1 racing done to a great soundtrack, with some favorite movie stars of the time on the side. Its opening shot around the Monaco Grand Prix helped put that race on America’s radar and became the most watched auto race venue on television at the time. I still get a thrill watching Formula One racing, even though it has changed quite a bit since the 1960s.

Side note: guess there was a reason for love at first sight. My husband not only is an epicurean and wine enthusiast, he loves Formula 1 — even went to racing school. Lots of stories there, another time!

Below, please find my salute to Grace Kelly with three videos and to Grand Prix the movie with the opening theme and a collection of the races in the film found on YouTube:

More on Monaco 

Port of Monaco

Monaco is in Western Europe on the Cote d’Azur (the French Rivera) of southern France surrounded by the Alps and the Mediterranean coast near the border of Italy. Nice is only 11 miles away where the airport is located.

The people of Monaco are called Monégasques. Native Monégasques are mainly from an area that is now part of Austria and Switzerland.

Monaco covers roughly the size of New York’s Central Park (some say it is even a bit smaller than that) and is the second smallest independent state in the world after The Holy See (Vatican City). Its population is an estimated 32,965 of which only about 15% are native Monégasques with the rest that call Monaco home, France (about 50%), Italy, Britain, Belgium, and the United States. Median age is 45.7 years, nationality is Monegasque or Monacan, its ethnic make up is 47% French, 16% Monegasque, 16% Italian, and 21% Other. The languages are: French (official), Italian, English, and Monegasque. Religions followed: Roman Catholic 90% and 10% list other.

Monaco is a resort community that attracts mostly wealthy tourists and residents from around the world. Its climate is as close to perfect as you can get, the beaches plentiful, high end boutiques, coffee houses, restaurants, small hotels, and other services line the streets and harbor.  Its economy relies on tourism, commerce, and is a major banking center. It has diversified into value added, mainly non polluting industries, and services. Taxes, what taxes? The state has no income tax, very little business taxes, and is a tax haven for those that have a residence there and for businesses to relocate there. The state controls/retains the monopolies on postal services, telephone, and tobacco to name a few sectors. Its GDP (purchasing power) was an estimated 976.3 million back in 2006 (one source says 2009). Their standard of living is high and is comparable to many more prosperous metropolitan areas of France. Because of their hospitality and open arms shown to foreign businesses, they are employing citizens and keeping them employed, along with the tourist services and other local businesses. Although Monaco does not officially publish unemployment data, some private and U.S. government statistics show Monaco’s unemployment rate at 0%! All I can say is wow to that and congratulations.  Please see more at Monaco’s Official Government Portal.

It also has the International University of Monaco specializing in business degrees and is English speaking.

Monaco now consists of four traditional quarters:

Monaco-Ville. This is on a high rocky area that extends out to the coast and is the location of the medieval old town. On top of the rock are the Palace, the Cathedral and the Oceanography Museum.

La Condamine. This is the Harbor district around the Port.

Fontvieille.  Reclaimed from the sea, this is a newly constructed area of Monaco.

Monte-Carlo

This is where the Grand Prix race is held through its streets (partially in La Condamine around the harbor). Most residences and business are here, the casino, the hotels, and most other activity. This is the happening place in Monaco and is really not for those on a budget when they travel, although would make a nice day or two trip for most. Monte Carlo, along with many places along the French Rivera, has been classified by most as the playground for the rich and famous, the so called Jet Set. I find this image a bit cliché, but I think you get the idea.

It has the best of everything there and if you are an epicurean, a shopaholic, a beachgoer, love to be pampered, have the best wines available, perhaps like the roulette table or Baccarat, all at a leisurely pace, then you will be in paradise. 

The Food and Wine

Société des Bains de Mer

With the State of Monaco as its main shareholder, there is one company that controls almost everything that has to do with entertainment, hotels, restaurants, the casinos, and other leisure activities and that is the Société des Bains de Mer. What it controls:

1. Five casinos, including the Casino de Monaco.

2. Four hotels –  Hôtel de Paris, Hôtel Hermitage, Monte-Carlo Beach Hoteland, and the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort

3. Thirty-two restaurants. Among them some of the best in the culinary world and most in the hotels, including Alain Ducasse’s Versailles inspired restaurant Le Louis XV which has a wine cellar of over 500,000 bottles (you heard that correctly) and is currently the only Michelin three-star restaurant in the French Rivera.

4. A spa, Les Thermes Marins de Monte-Carlo.

Please click the link to this company above so you can take a look for yourself. Under restaurants alone you will find links for menus, their individual websites, information on the chefs and their websites if they have one, some videos of chef’s recipes, and other information.

A few other restaurant links (those that had websites found and are in English)

Monte Carlo.mc Le Guide de La Principaute (Restaurant Listings)

maBaum.com (Restaurant Listings)

Avenue 31

Beefbar of Monaco

Stars N Bars

alain-ducasse.com (Monaco) 

La Rose des Vents

Joel Robuchon Restaurants at Hotel Metropole

There are plenty more restaurants, go to the two “Restaurant Listing” sites and of course the Société des Bains de Mer site above and you should be covered!

Please note that many restaurants in the area will add a service fee/gratuity to the bill, this was 15% several years ago it could be 20% now. 

The Wine

Champagne is everywhere in Monaco, French Champagne that is, certainly not many sparkling wines. Restaurants, clubs, bars, hotels have it at the ready even on the beaches. It is there before, during, and after dining. During the race, expect to see people on their balconies or yachts not only enjoying the race, but bubbly too. Monaco itself does not have any wineries. It does play host to a few notable wine festivals and events such as the Monte Carlo Wine Festival in June and the exclusive Grand Cru Monaco. They have several wine bars, some boasting over tens of thousands of wines to chose from, several by the glass. It would be rather difficult to find any store that carries food without a wine selection too, although they do exist. They of course favor the French wines, but more and more establishments and hotels are offering wines from other countries, most notably Italy, California (well it is not a country at least not yet!), Australia, and others.  

Monégasques and wealthy residents and tourists know their wine and how to enjoy it with food. They are truly epicurean and wine connoisseurs that can spend an entire evening enjoying wine and food. In other words, they dine and savor rather than just eat and drink. It is almost considered an art form.

At one of the well known and exclusive hotels in Monaco, Hotel de Paris, there is also a treasure to behold for wine enthusiasts everywhere. What am I talking about? Hint — it is over 16,000 square feet and built in 1874. Hmmm, still wondering I bet. Well, it is also worth more than 12 million dollars. Ok, what is it? IT is one of the largest hotel cellars in the world, if not the largest. The Hotel de Paris wine cellar stores over 500,000 bottles of wine, some of the most sought after wines in the universe. Almost every vintage from every top winery in France is there, plus other wines that are unique and rare. Of course they have everyday wines too when you do not feel like savoring a bottle of Chateau Le Pin for $4,000+ (U.S.) a bottle.   

Although Monaco does not have any wineries, the Provence wine region and its Cote de Provence appellation covers the Cote d’Azur (Marseille to Nice cities) that Monaco is in. This wine region is known for its Rose wines (some call it “Blush” wines although I think that is mainly an American term). And it produces over 50% of all Rose in France and 75%-80% of all wine made in Provence is Rose. Grapes used predominantly: Cinsault, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Tibouren. This Rose is a dry fruity wine that goes well with most Mediterranean cuisine or as a wine to just sip on, when not having champagne that is, on a sunny day. The other 20% of wine produced in the Cote de Provence is a delicate and light red and a white wine. Rose is quickly becoming a favorite wine in some parts of the United States.

Please follow this link for further travel, events, regional and wine information (includes a list and websites of wineries in this region as well): Vins de Provence 

The Food

As Monaco is on the Mediterranean, you will see a lot of fish such as red mullet, cod, sea bass, sea bream (daurade), among other fish. Bouillabaisse (fish stew) is a favorite dish. There will also be plenty of olives (mainly black) and olive oil, rice, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and onions. Aniseed is used frequently. This area has a wide variety of vegetables, so expect to see a lot of salads and vegetable stew such as ratatouille. France and Italy also influence the cuisine in Monaco because of its population and proximity.

Some favorites in Monaco and Cote d’ Azur (again I cannot repeat this enough that these are basics and can vary depending on chef, fusion style, or custom): 

Barbagiuan. A pastry that is prepared from pumpkin (I have also seen spinach). Rice, leek, and cheese are then added. This makes an excellent bite to eat anytime you need a jolt from all the R&R.

Fougasse. A very sweet pastry and a favorite in Monaco. Made with orange flower water (some can use the juice of oranges or other fruit) with nuts and aniseed.

Pan-bagnat. A tuna and anchovy salad sandwich.

Pissaladiere. An olive and onion tart.

Salade Nicoise. Is a salad you will see throughout Southeast France. It is made of small dark olives, lettuce, tuna, egg, vegetables that can include potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, capers, to name a few.

Socca. Is a chickpea flour pancake.

Stocafi. Cod are cooked in a heavy and rich tomato sauce (I have seen a light tomato sauce as well).

Tomatoes a la Provencale.  Tomatoes, olive oil, breadcrumbs, basil, parsley, garlic, shallots, salt and pepper.

Below you will find two videos on Monaco found on YouTube:

 Cheers then Enjoy!

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