Paris, be my Valentine!

…Nous sommes arrivés à Paris! After a long, exciting journey from Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet, to Paris, the city of blinding lights, we’ve finally arrived at our destination just in time for Valentine’s Day! I can’t imagine a more romantic city on earth in which to spend this idyllic day.
But for this year, I will not tell you a heart-breaking story, nor one about a day spent in a luxurious spa nor in a cosy restaurant.

I will tell you another story, the story of someone in love with Paris.

Throughout the years, this incredible city has inspired poets, painters and lovers and it has been described as the Ville Lumière and the city of love, for many good reasons. But what precisely makes Paris so unique? Perhaps its quiet pedestrian streets along the River Seine, its magnificent bridges, its boulevards.

Or maybe its museums, the Impressionism art based upon direct observation of nature and modern life, the sight of Montmartre illuminated by moonlight through the window on the second floor of the Musée d’Orsay. Or the modern twist of the Pompidou Centre. Or talking about its food, how we can resist from eating a crunchy baguette, soft Camembert cheese or delicious croissants?

And what about its lights? Perhaps the most romantic on earth. Let’s stop for a while to take in the view of the Tour Eiffel by night…it will catch your eyes with its dazzling sparkle. It is no wonder that the iconic French sparkling wine, le Champagne, stands out so vividly and can turn a blue day into a radiant one, wherever you are in the world.

Et voilà, this is the magic of Paris, with which anyone can fall in love, bewitched by its enchantment. Including me!

To celebrate this Valentine’s Day, I couldn’t choose a better wine than a Rosé bubbly made in France.

Mesdames et Messieurs, it is my pleasure to introduce you to Champagne Laurent Lequart Andésyne Rosé Brut – Winner of a Gold Medal in the Dessert category at the Glass of Bubbly Awards 2021.

Tasting notes: Brilliant deep pink in colour. A charming nose revealing floral notes, red apple, raspberries, a touch of yeast with a faint aroma of almonds. Soft, sweet flavours of raspberries, strawberries and red apple skin which pairs beautifully with the sweet macaroons.

But it doesn’t end there…. this is the year I’ve got a surprise for you, my dear fizz lovers!

A sweet French biscuit that will steal your heart away after the first taste: le Macaron of Pierre Hermé. The famous French pastry chef is the descendant of four generations of bakers and pastry chefs from Alsace. His reputation for bringing flavour and modernity to pâtisserie stretches across France, Japan and the United States. He is renowned worldwide for his exquisite taste and savoir-faire of creating these iconic petites patisseries, taking every person who tries them on a journey of aromas, sensations and delight like never before.

For this Valentine’s Day, he found inspiration in writing, drawing, the scratch of the fountain pen’s nib against paper and the rhythm of making marks on a page, to offer customers a love note. It takes a poetic form, combining the calligraphic art of Nicolas Ouchenir with Pierre Hermé’s art of flavour.

The two artists worked together, one acting as an architect of flavour, amplifying taste and texture, the other celebrating pen and ink. Here is the result of this passion, harmony and beauty: the Secret Garden Pierre Hermé’s collection, created to celebrate love.

Being an eternal romantic, I always admire those who put a lot of love and passion into what they create. I believe there is a universal recipe for this attitude: it just needs of a touch of genius, a sprinkle of fantasy and once again, infinite love.

Furthermore, I believe these artists, with their talent, are able to make people’s lives simply better and full of enthusiasm, included mine.

I’d like to end my story by thanking Pierre Hermé for his macarons that put a smile of pleasure on my face every time. I’d like also to thank Laurent Lequart for his Rosé fizz that fills my heart with joy and dazzles my eyes at the same time.

I’m definitely in love with Paris!

It only remains to me to wish you, my dear reader, a Valentine’s Day full of treats and affection! And if you’d like to visit Paris one day, just go for it and make it happen. It will be waiting for you avec beaucoup d’amour…

With love,

Stefania Ruffo

Photo credit for header photo: www.depositphotos.com
Photo credit for Pierre Hermé Macarons: Laurent Fau