Truth to tell, tours aren’t my thing. When it comes to travel, I tend to be a lone ranger, setting my own schedule as I go. But my recent Gourmet Tours (http://gourmettours.biz) adventure in the South of France with my buddy Pablo Valqui and a lovely mix of new and old friends changed my thinking. By the end of our nine days together, having tasted our way through Provence, the Languedoc and the Rhone Valley with urban detours to Marseille and Nice in the mix, too, we felt like a team. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

In fact, I will do it again next spring, exploring my other co-favorite wine region, Italy’s Piemonte. Save the dates: May 22-June 2. We’ll fly into Turin and out of Milan with time set aside to tour both great cities. My favorite wineries (Ceretto, Oddero, Bruno Rocca and Marchesi di Gresy, to name a few) are certain to be in the mix, as will visits to several Michelin-starred restaurants and other fascinating places. Fact: Alba’s eateries have more etoiles on a per-capita basis than any town in the world. So watch this space. Details to come!

But, before moving forward, permit me to look backward for a moment. Here’s a list with links to the must-visit wineries and restaurants we experienced in France. I’d happily return to every one of them again and again.

Wineries

Chateau La Mascaronne (Var): Owned in part by basketball Hall-of-Famer Tony Parker, the property sits in a gorgeous natural amphitheater a short drive inland from St. Tropez. (www.chateau-lamascaronne.com) These superb wines are sold in Houston at French Country Wines (www.frenchcountrywines.com).

St. Pierre de Mejans (Luberon): Houston-area native Wendy Gobbi and her husband took over this property a couple years ago and have turned it into both a prime tasting venue and a luxury auberge, housed in a small chateau that dates to the 12th century. (http://saintpierredemejans.com). The wines can be purchased here through http://aocselections.com)

L’Hospitalet (La Clape): Unfortunately, it’s only Gérard Bertrand’s entry-level Languedoc wines are easily found on Houston shelves, but searching for the high-end offerings will be well worth your time. The Clos d’Ora GSM from the Minervois should sell for $250 because it’s absolutely that good. (http://gerard-bertrand.shop)

Chateau de Luc (Corbieres): This was the find of the trip and all credit to to Pablo for that. He picked it. The Fabre’s wine-making family goes back 14 generations and the current twin sisters who are the public face of the place, Jeanne and Clemence (pictured below), were equal parts delightful and super wine savvy. I learned more about the Languedoc’s star-crossed wine-making history in an hour with Jeanne than I knew before I arrived. And the wines should soon be in the Texas market. A family member has relocated to Austin. (www.famillefabre.com)

Domaine Rouge-Bleu (Saint Cecille): Thomas Bertrand (pictured below), who learned the wine business on the sale’s side while living in the UK, and his winemaker wife Caroline Jones, who hails from Australia, are doing great things using non-interventionist farming methods on their Rhone Valley floor terroir. http://rouge-bleu.com Their offerings can also be found in Houston at French Country Wines.

Chêne Bleu (Ventoux/Vaucluse): The gorgeously restored property, built on the bones of medieval monastery that later became a renowned glass-blowing factory, is also set in a natural amphitheater in the hills near Crestet to the east of Mont Ventoux. New Yorker Nicole Rolet, who presides over the operation, is a force of nature. The biodynamically made wines have re-defined the possible for this often-overlooked AOC, and there’s a luxurious villa for rent on site. (http://chenebleu.com)

Domaine de Mourchon (Seguret): I’ve known Walter McKinlay and his wife Ronnie for more than 20 years and have made frequent pilgrimages to the Mourchon tasting room, so it was a special treat to visit with new friends. McKinlay’s daughter Kate capably presides over the winery these days. Note that the hilltop villa on the property is now available for rental. With spectacular views of Mont Ventoux and the Baronies range to the north, I can’t imagine a finer wedding venue . . . Well, let’s call it a tie with Chêne Bleu’s.

Domaine de Cabasse (Seguret/Sablet/Gigondas): I knew it only as a hotel before our visit, but the grenache-centric wines (white and red) are excellent, very well-priced and can be found on the shelf at Spec’s. Owner Benoit Baudry is a charming raconteur, too.

Restaurants

Each gets a hearty two-thumbs-way-up recommendation from me. They range in style from super casual (Cambuse du Sanier) to tres elegante (L’Oustelet). I can’t personally vouch for three other stops the group made because I had a different itinerary those days, but everybody said they were excellent, too, with La Ferme Marine on the coast in Marseillan (www.lafermemarine.fr) receiving especially high marks. I’m proud to say we batted 1.000 on both food and wine.

Le Pigonnet (Aix-en-Provence): Elegant, refined and creative dining in the most stylish of settings. The spacious outdoor garden is even more gorgeous, but rain threatened, dang it. www.hotelpigonnet.com

Domaine du Lac (Le Luc): Wonderful patio with vineyard views. Hearty portions and happy servers. www.hoteldomainedulac.com

1860 Le Palais (Marseille center): Excellent terrace with city views, with an excellent bakery attached. Very close to the Old Port. 1860lepalais.fr

Les Bain Bars (Marseille seashore): Hipster heaven with a fine view of the sea and the islands just off the coast. lesbainsmarseille.com

Refuge de la Cure (Ubaye Valley): Chef Hubert Longeron proved to be a huge hit cooking in my kitchen. His charming, remote gîte wasn’t yet open, so he came to us instead. maljassetgite.fr

L’Art de Vivre at L’Hospitalet (le Clappe): Checked all the fine-dining boxes. www.restaurant–art–de–vivre.com

Fontfroide Abbey Restaurant (near Narbonne): Relaxed dining in a lovely setting adjacent to the famous abbey. Super-friendly servers. www.fontfroide.com

Cambuse du Saunier (Gruisson): A lively crab shack adjacent to the salt beds with a postcard view of the lagoon. www.lesalindegruissan.fr

Restaurant des Fines Roches (Chateauneuf-du-Pape): Another great terrace with vineyard views. chateaufinesroches.com

L’Oustolet (Gigondas): A place I’ve dined at numerous times, it owns a well-deserved Michelin star. www.loustalet-gigondas.com

Le Mesclun (Seguret): Set in the heart of Seguret, one of France’s most beautiful villages, with vineyard and sunset views. www.lemesclun.com

Le Panier (Nice): A cozy bistro with a family feel and an urban vibe. www.restaurantlepanier.com

Sippin’ with Sporty

No touts for you today — I’ve been trying to give my liver a rest — but a bunch of them will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead. On Monday night, I’m hosting a Porta’Vino reunion of my tasting panel that served me and the Houston Chronicle so well for so many years. Same folks, same format, which is to say some 40 wines will be sampled blind, then scored on a 20-point scale taking into account both quality and value. It’s a fail-safe process. Recommendations coming!

H-town Happenings

Classy Cork Room Old World wines tasting: 6-8 p.m. Saturday, June 17 at Classy Cork Room. $65. 832-534-1900 or http://contacttheclassycork.com

Duckhorn wine dinner: 7 p.m. Friday, June 23, at the Oceanaire Seafood Room. $175. http://eventbrite.com

Marchesi Antinori wine dinners: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 22, through, Saturday, June 24 at Potente. $275 plus tax and gratuity. http://eventbrite.com

Six-year vertical tasting (2014-19) of SERCA Gran Corte: 4 p.m. Saturday, June 24, at SERCA Wines Tasting Room. $80 ($64 for club members). http://eventbrite.com

Tutti Quanti Italian Market wine tasting: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 27. Free. http://eventbrite.com

Sparkling wine tasting with mini-brunch bites: Noon Sunday, July 9, at We Olive & Wine Bar. $35-$140. http://eventbrite.com

The Sports Page

Raising a glass to . . . the Nuggets and the Knights.

First-time champions in the NBA and NHL respectively, they gave us a break from the same ol’ same ol’ this season. Amazingly, though, there are still 10 NBA franchises and 11 in the NHL never to have claimed a title. The corresponding numbers for the NFL and MLB are 9 and 6 respectively.

Pouring one out for . . . Bob Hyde

The longtime Oilers/Titans PR man, who passed away recently after a long battle with cancer, was the very definition of an old-school good guy. I met him for the first time when he was interning with the Oilers in 1977, my second year covering the team. From that summer on, we never exchanged a cross word, no easy feat given the dynamics of what’s so often a tense relationship. RIP, Bob.

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