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Aixperiences: Miel & Merriment — our Tuesday honey tasting at IS Aix 🍯🐝

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We did a miel dégustation at IS Language School on Tuesday afternoon and—mon Dieu—my taste buds enrolled themselves in a second degree. I asked our hostess the very serious scientific question, “Are there still wild bees in Provence?” She smiled: yes. Then she explained that last year was rough for many local beekeepers—some even reported near-zero harvests—because when there’s not enough water, the flowers don’t offer nectar, and the bees have nothing to bring home. Heat? Less of a problem. Water? That’s the whole ball game. (Bees also need water to cool the hive—tiny, fuzzy HVAC technicians.)

Below is some of the tasting lineup from class:

(photo: our jars at IS Aix — Miel de Lavande de Provence, Miel de Fleurs Sauvages de Printemps “Sainte-Victoire,” Miel de Lavande de Puyricard, and Miel de Bruyère Blanche “Forêt des Maures”)

What we tasted (and how I tried to sound like a sommelier without spilling honey on my workbook)

  • Miel de Lavande (Provence) – Silky and clean. Floral like a polite bouquet, not a perfume counter. A little vanilla on the finish; spreads like sunshine on toast.

  • Miel de Fleurs Sauvages de Printemps (Sainte-Victoire) – Brighter and more playful; think wildflowers after rain. I got hints of citrus peel and dried apricot, with a herbal wink.

  • Miel de Lavande (Puyricard) – Lighter, almost transparent compared to the first lavande—same gentle flowers, a bit more zip, lovely in tea.

  • Miel de Bruyère Blanche (Forêt des Maures) – Darker and moodier. Caramel and a teensy resin note. If lavande is morning, bruyère blanche is the comfy evening sweater.


About the producer

These jars come from local apiculture—you’ll spot the name Butinarello on a few labels and those place names we love: Sainte-Victoire, Puyricard, Forêt des Maures. Small-batch, Provence through and through. If you see them at a market, do yourself a favor and taste—preferably with a spoon that’s bigger than your self-control.

Mini “Langue & Culture” corner: bees, droughts, and tiny air-conditioning

  • Why water matters: less rain → fewer blossoms → less nectar → less honey. Bees also fetch water to regulate hive temperature—microscopic swamp coolers with stripes.

  • Tasting tip: room-temperature honey shows more aroma; a tiny drop on your thumb is enough to compare styles without sugar-crashing in class. Ask me how I know.

Level-by-level French boosts (use these at a market or tasting)

A1

  • C’est quel miel ? Lavande ?

  • Je peux goûter, s’il vous plaît ?

  • J’aime celui-ci, il est doux.

A2

  • Quelle est la différence entre la lavande et la bruyère blanche ?

  • Cette récolte a été bonne cette année ?

  • Je trouve le goût floral / plus fort / plus long en bouche.

B1

  • On m’a dit que le manque d’eau réduit la miellée. Vous l’avez remarqué ?

  • Vous déplacez vos ruches selon les floraisons ?

  • Vocab: la ruche, l’apiculteur/trice, butiner, la miellée, la garrigue, la sécheresse.

B2

  • J’aimerais comparer deux terroirs de lavande. Est-ce que la cristallisation influence la perception aromatique ?

  • La bruyère blanche me paraît caramélisée avec une note résineuse—vous la décririez comment ?

Advanced / C1-C2

  • Dans quelle mesure l’hygrométrie et la disponibilité hydrique modulent-elles la sécrétion de nectar chez les plantes mellifères locales ?

  • Quelles stratégies adoptez-vous en période de stress hydrique prolongé (abreuvoirs, transhumance, sélection de reines, etc.) ?

Your turn 🐝

Have you tasted lavande vs bruyère? Do you have a favorite apiculteur around Aix (or a recipe that lets honey shine)? Drop a comment with your tasting notes, a market tip, or a photo of your own dégustation. Polite disagreements about whether I’m imagining the “apricot note” are not only allowed—they’re encouraged. Allez, racontez-nous tout!

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