A Day in Grignan: Serendipity Among Fields of Lavender & Forests of Truffles

When my friend Bob returned from a Rhône River cruise a few years ago, he’d raved about a tour guide named Francis in the village of Viviers. Not only was she a terrific guide, Bob had written in his review, but she had even invited his group into her home. I revisited Bob’s suggestion while doing research for our Rhône cruise, and although we would be docking in Viviers, Herb and I would be on an excursion to nearby Grignan. Meeting the infamous Francis, we assumed, would not be an option.

I had chosen the Grignan excursion because of a photo I’d seen of a landscape of lavender spread beneath a medieval castle. For many years, I’d had this rather romantic notion of standing in a field of lavender in the South of France, ideally on a special birthday. And since Provence’s lavender-growing season begins in June, my lofty little dream didn’t seem entirely outside the realm of possibility. I’d also chosen the Grignan excursion because it included an intriguing-sounding visit to a farm where we would watch dogs hunt for truffles and be treated to a wine-and-truffle tasting.

Herb and I were sitting toward the front of the bus that was ready to whisk us from Viviers to Grignan, when our Tauck tour director climbed aboard with another woman. “I want you to meet your tour guide for the day,” she said. “This is Francis.”

I think my jaw must have literally fallen to the floor along with my more introverted self as I practically blurted out, “Are you the same Francis who brings guests to her home in Viviers?”

“I am the only Francis in Viviers,” she replied with a broad smile.

And with that incredible moment of serendipity, we were off to the lavender fields.

The Lavender Fields at Château de Grignan

The village of Grignan was built in the 12th century, anchored by a castle that sits high on a rocky promontory. During the Renaissance, the castle was transformed into a stately château. Like Oingt in the Beaujolais, Grignan is honored as one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France. But unlike the golden Beaujolais, the structures here were built with a pale medieval stone that looks almost white, with beigey-pink undertones.

As the castle came into view, so did the lavender, tall wisps of flowers packed together like a glorious bouquet beneath the medieval village. Our bus pulled over to the side of the road, and we quickly headed to the fields for photos. The setting was as beautiful as that picture I’d seen when planning our trip.

Château de Grignan

Our next stop was the château entrance, where Francis led our group on a walk through the village to the top of the castle. We passed a stunning row of plane trees and a 19th-century circular bath lined with columns before reaching the center of the village. Grignan had an almost modern feel despite the centuries-old stone buildings. It seemed to me to be a best-of-both-worlds kind of place.

Along our walk, Frances talked about Madame de Sévigné, a 17th-century Parisian aristocrat who often stayed in Grignan after her daughter married the Count of Grignan. For nearly thirty years, Madame de Sévigné wrote letters to her daughter that were known for their wit and vividness and became copied and circulated as semi-public documents. She is buried in Grignan and is honored with a monument in the center of the village.

All About Truffles

Back on the bus, we headed to the truffle farm, winding our way down narrow country lanes that often accommodated just one vehicle. Francis began her truffle talk by explaining the mysterious nature of the business.

“It’s quite secretive, truffles. They come from underground, and it’s very suspicious. You don’t tell people how many you’ve found.”

Truffles are difficult to farm, she went on, and are foraged in nature among the roots of oak trees. It’s a long process and often passed down in families. To create new trees, truffle farmers first collect acorns and soil from oak trees that are producing truffles. It takes three years for these acorns to sprout and about ten to fifteen years for new trees to grow and begin producing truffles.

We arrived at a stunning tree-filled property called Ayme Truffe that at first glance looks more like an estate than a farm. Monsieur Ayme greeted us and walked us to the edge of the forest, where his truffles lay hidden underground. He told us that this would be a demonstration rather than an actual hunt, which would take much more time than we had.

Truffle Hunting

Yellow labs Nikki and Gina were brought out into the forest. We were instructed to stay behind the edge of the forest while the dogs were on their hunt. Although they usually run free, Nikki and Gina would be kept on leashes for the demonstration. Monsieur Ayme told us that pigs were once used for truffle hunting, but he much preferred having dogs around his house! He said that almost any breed can be trained as long as they are introduced to the truffle scent and taught to love truffles as puppies.

It was great fun watching Nikki and Gina track down the truffles. When they would find a truffle, they would immediately drop it and would be rewarded with a treat. Monsieur Ayme told us that the process in Provence is called cavage or caving, from the French word meaning “to dig.” He showed us samples of truffles from his farm and explained the difference between summer truffles and the much stronger winter variety. Truffles, he told us, prefer a Mediterranean climate like Provence and are highly dependent on temperature, light and rainfall.

Truffle Tasting

After the demonstration, we headed into a beautiful stone farmhouse where the Aymes had prepared a tasting for us. Nikki and Gina wandered in and out of the tasting room, allowing the dog lovers in the group to pet them as much as we wanted. We sampled baguettes topped with truffle slices, olive oil and sea salt followed by baguettes drizzled with truffle oil. All served with generous pourings of Rhône Valley wine, which we were quickly learning was de rigueur in this lovely part of the world.

The Aymes had a small shop where Herb and I purchased several bottles of their farm’s truffle oil for our family that had been blended with olive oil and black truffle aroma. They gave us a few recipe suggestions on a small card, and Francis also offered her ideas for cooking with truffle oil. “Drizzle a few drops on a salad or when you’re making pasta,” she told us. “I add it to so many things, and it truly elevates the food.” Ah, life in France, I smiled to myself.

Afterwards, I headed outside with my camera and walked around the sun-dappled property. It was one of those places where I could have stayed for a long time. A little slice of heaven in Provence.

Back to Viviers

It had been an extraordinary morning, as lovely and perfect as any scenario I could have imagined. The drive back to Viviers seemed to fly by in an instant, with lavender fields dotting the landscape out my window and Francis enchanting us with her stories. When we reached Viviers, she gave us a warm farewell and invited us to visit her any time. “If you’re ever in Viviers,” she told our group, “just come to the bakery and ask for Francis. They’ll know where to find me.”