I'm on assignment in France, so let's start with the wine. We're in Châteauneuf-du-Pape outside Avignon, summer headquarters for the 14th-century breakaway Papacy. The crumbling palace looms over the village and its rocky vineyards.

Jean-Claude Vidal owns six tiny vineyard parcels here, planted with old, old vines. There's mourvedre down by the Rhone riverside, syrah and grenache on the slopes. But that's not all; a whole fruit cocktail, 13 traditional varieties, are authorized for Châteauneuf and this wine, Domaine du Banneret, is probably the only Châteauneuf that actually uses them all in its red wine (including six white grapes that bring freshness and acidity to the blend).

The wine is simply stunning. First, it's made the old-fashioned way, without de-stemming, so the wine benefits from the mineral salts in the stems of the traditional old vines. (Robert Parker, who pretty much put Rhone wines on the map for American wine drinkers, prefers the newer, sleeker style of Châteauneuf produced by the likes of Beaucastel and Vieux Télégraphe.) Very limited production, too: usually 10,000 to 12,000 bottles a year. Jean-Claude is descended from a family that included a governor of Illinois, back when it was French-Indian country. "In memory of my ancestors, I'm not going to make just any old wine," he says.

There's a lushness to this wine, even when young, with power, concentration and complexity. Surprisingly, it's about 15.5 percent alcohol yet smooth on the palate. The 1999 was evolving beautifully, with some leather and spice notes; the 1990 was brick-colored, with raisiny flavors and some serious "animal" notes in the nose.

Now then, the Seattle connections. Readers of my blog already know about Kristin Espinasse, expat author of the totally charming blog French-Word-a-Day.com. Now meet her husband, Jean-Marc, wine merchant and author of his own blog, French-Wine-a-Day.com. Among his many, many activities, Jean-Marc sells t-shirts stained with the lees of Banneret on his website. 19 euros! Great idea!!

But wait, there's more. There's even a Seattle celebrity connection. Jean-Marc sells Banneret through Seattle importer Riservati Wines. One of Kristin's relatives is Eric Lindstrom of Veil on Lower Queen Anne. Ichiro had a bottle with dinner there one night and liked it so much he promptly bought a case!

Jean-Marc and Jean-Claude take their show on the road once a year; they'll be visiting Seattle in March.

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Burgundy: First thing, your amuse-bouche is an ice cream cone. Looks like vanilla, but it's flavored with mustard. Clearly not in Kansas anymore. Wow!

When Roland Chanliaud opened Jardin des Remparts in Beaune some 15 years ago, he shocked the staid Burgundians with surprising combinations of flavors and unusual presentations. Harder to do today, but not impossible.

Consider his signature appetizer of raw, chopped Charolais beef: Everywhere else, it's just steak tartar. At first, Chanliaud simply topped it with an oyster, essentially providing salt for the seasoned beef.

Since those early days, it's developed into something even more sophisticated. The beef is now surrounded with chunks of Gillardeau oysters in a tart mignonette (shallots and white wine vinegar) and topped with a foam of seawater, the oyster liquor and lightly whipped cream. The effect is mesmerizing as the briny, creamy topping oozes into the meat; every spoonful gets seasoned with the oysters and mignonette.

Not an inexpensive dish, mind you; at about $30, it's as costly as the foie gras. Still, very pretty surroundings (yellow hues inside a 1930s manor house filled with modern artifacts) and an excellent wine list. Service is not at the same level, however (well-meaning but unpolished), always a problem for country restaurants without a solid, year-round clientele. Roland Chanliaud's cooking deserves a second Michelin star; first, though, he and his wife, Emanuelle, need to hire waitsfaff who'll stick around long enough to become as professional as the wizards in the kitchen.

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Don't care what you eat? Quelle horreur! If the greatest sin is indifference, the preventive remedy is education: How to appreciate, how to care. And so, this week in classrooms, lunchrooms and kitchens all over France, the curriculum is as basic as it gets: teaching kids how about food. It's called "La Semaine du Goût," the Week of Taste.

A visit at Burgundy's Clos Vougeot finds a class of wide-eyed 10-year-olds eagerly chomping escargots, foie gras, quenelles of quail, purple potatoes, cake with candied nougat prepared by the chateau's executive chef, Olivier Walsh. Nary a burger, hot dog or pizza in sight. Young gourmets of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your McNuggets!

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Lyon: Brasserie Georges is a huge, ornate place, room for 500-600 diners, some celebrating all night, some eating alone and scarfing down a quick, satisfying and fairly priced plat du jour. Dinner here started with a serving of Fines de Claire, oysters "finished" in the intertidal pools of the Marennes region, spending a month or so in algae-rich waters until their edges turn a lovely shade of green. It's served with brown bread and butter. Then a Choucroute Royale, slow-simmered sauerkraut and boiled potatoes garnished with smoked pork and sausages. Finish it off with a Café Liegeois of ice cream, coffee syrup and crème chantilly. For me, it's an ideal brasserie meal democratic, welcoming, satisfying. Also in Lyon, Brunet, a traditional and authentic bouchon, where I ate from both ends of the animal: An appetizer of jellied oxtail and cheek, followed by veal brains simply sautéed. As always, one of the attractions of the place is the interaction of the boss, Gilles Maysonnave, and his staff.

Meanwhile, in Seattle: The Loveman cometh, the Spiceman goeth. Sean Langan of Café Amore takes over the Spice lounge at the corner of Fifth and Bell. He intends to remodel the Bell Street patio into the main entrance, complete with fountains and Roman columns, show silent movies, name the cocktails for old film stars, and offer 2-for-$25 dinners once a week. Then he'll turn the current Amore space into a crepe-and-waffle shop called La Crepe. And he's turned the Spice dining room into yet another concept called Belltown Diner. For his part, Spice owner Nazir Khamisa will keep his adjacent properties, Beba's Deli and Dos Amigos. He never quite made a go of Spice, which had a large, unfocused menu and was drifting into a vague nightclub mode.

Good news is coming to Queen Anne as well. Enza Sorentino, the "soul" of two popular Italian spots, Belltown's Vita è Bella and Magnolia's Mondello, is going to open a place of her very own, Sorentino's Trattoria, where Allumette now stands. She promises homemade pasta that will change the way Seattle thinks about Italian food. And Enza's son, Corino Bonjrada, and his business partner Giuseppe Forte have opened a wine bar in Ballard, DiVino. Can't wait to get back and try everything!

More tasting notes and culinary dispatches are at www.cornichon.org, Recently named one of the Internet's "Top Ten Food Blogs" by About.com..