Sud De France Festival In New York City
The Hudson River is no French Riviera, but with sunlight sparkling on the waves, a DJ playing dance music, and a crisp Pinot gris in hand, it's a tiny taste of the Cote d'Azur summer holiday we wish we had the airline miles for. Thus, the launch party went down at the Frying Pan for the Sud de France Festival, an internationally celebrated event with a presence in New York City, Shanghai, Dusseldorf, London, Rio, and Mexico City.
The Mediterranean way of life is most relevant in the summer, when market tomatoes are ripe and sunsets are late in the day. Highlighting the Languedoc-Roussillon region, events during the festival range from the annual Fete de la Musique at Central Park's SummerStage to a Sommelier Contest on June 13th that puts the city's top sommeliers to the test — blindfolded.
Master the savoir faire of the South of France's savory fare by taking one of three cooking classes or discover the bouquet of the region's wines through various seminars and tastings. The party moves on to London in September, where festivalgoers can sample a giant cassoulet in Borough Market and a "tour" of the region through its wines.
Some New York-area restaurants participating in the festival include Pigalle in Midtown, Bar Tabac in Cobble Hill, Dylan Prime in Tribeca, and Bar Boulud on the Upper West Side. During June these restaurants will offer special Languedoc-Roussillon wines and menu items, so everyone can get a mouthful of the Med, with or without a yacht.