Sommelier note: The amazing Lidewij van Wilgen started a new life when she moved from The Netherlands to the Languedoc and in 2002 bought her fine domaine. The vineyards were restored, the cellar renovated and lots of energy was put into rebuilding the main house so she could live there with her 3 young daughters. Now Lidewij is one of the ‘Leading Ladies of Languedoc’ and is highly regarded as one of the top ‘Viticultrices’ (female winemakers) by Jancis Robinson and many other wine writers. The ‘Terroir’ speaks in her wines, all made with hand harvested grapes.  This La Diva is exceptional wine! Besides the usual suspects in the blend there is also Alicante Henri Bouchet which is an almost extinct grape varietal. The Alicate are more than 100 year old vines and have a very low yield; only 15 hl per hectare where 25-35 is normal here for the quality wines. La Diva has all the character of a Grand Vin! The wine starts off very fruity (blueberries, blackcurrants) and opens up in your mouth revealing the finesse. Matured lightly on French oak barrels which mellows the tannins and gives the wine a super smooth, long finish. This is definitely knife-and-fork wine so we choose grilled beef, Côte de Boeuf and nice stews with red meats (beef or lamb). Open this bottle at least one hour in advance to release all the flavor in your glass and make sure the wine is served at a cool temperature around 65 F. And have a look at Petra’s recipe for the local beef stew here called Daube Languedocienne!