Ma Voiture est en Panne! (My car has broken down)
We had our first holiday in Provence way back in the 1980s when we stayed in the attractive village of Sablet in the Vaucluse. While there we discovered the excellent wines made in this village – as good as many from the famous names of the neighbouring villages of Gigondas and Vacqueras, but (at that time) much less expensive. A short walk away from our accommodation was the Domaine de Piaugier where Andrew spent a happy afternoon tasting and choosing several vintages. On subsequent holidays in Provence we always made a point of stopping at Sablet en route to stock up.
The last occasion we were there was ten years ago. There is a square in the centre of Sablet – actually more of a triangle set on a slope – and like most French villages, the centre is quite busy, particularly in the mornings. Andrew made a sharp right turn to access a vacant parking space and stalled on the junction, blocking the road through the village in both directions. The car (a Renault) decided to have a tantrum and would not restart.
Nothing we tried worked and French drivers are not known for their patience on the road – panic! Judith phoned the RAC and explained the problem. Luckily the person was English and said he would arrange for someone to come from Avignon – some 40 km away – and would be with us in an hour or so.
At this point we were beginning to feel rather hungry so Judith went to a nearby restaurant and asked about lunch. The proprietor made up a cold platter which Judith took to the car, together with a beer. Andrew sat in the back of the car, where there was a pull-down table, to enjoy his lunch while waiting for the mechanic, repeating to motorists ‘Ma voiture est en panne’. He received various comments from passers-by who seemed to think that he had parked in this inconsiderate manner to have a picnic! Bon appetit! L’anglais fou! . . .
At last the Renault man arrived and unlocked the steering in about three minutes. Andrew was keen to leave the scene immediately, but Judith said: we have come to Sablet to buy some wine – we are going to buy some wine! We chose our Piaugier wines at the Maison des Vins, and departed, some three hours later than planned.
Several years later, at a tasting presented by Charles Eaton, of Nethergate Wines, we were delighted to discover that he offers two Sablet wines: Sablet Rouge Piaugier (£12.97) and Sablet Reve de Marine Domaine de Piaugier (£16.42). So we can relive our adventure in Sablet at home which, in retrospect, actually seems quite amusing.