If there could be a perfect little winery, it would be Domaine Tour Campanet. In Provence. A beautiful site. Run by a lovely young woman. Organic because she doesn’t want to work with chemicals. Making simple and superb wines. No commercialism. What could be better? Well, I suppose if your brain works like mine but you’re a woman, you would want a Provence winery with great wines made by a young guy. C’est la vie! There are plenty of those out there. You find them!

Emmanuelle Baude, owner and winemaker, is passionate about her vineyard. She knows every inch of the land, it’s soil, its smell, its shadows. I love her descriptions of the place. Her white has a dreamy name based in the reality of her relationship with the terroir: Bois des Fées.  Wood of the Fairies. And when I asked her how she came to name it thus, she recited a short story for me on the spot about the way the light and shadow play on the property. The vineyard is in the middle of a wood and to get there you must travel through closed and open areas, dense forest and open pasture. There is the play of light in its many forms, the variation of temperatures, the dust that you can see and the vacuum of space you cannot see.

The Bois des Fées Blanc starts out exotic-fruity and light and then intensifies, finishing in a way that demands attention. I love the rosés of Provence, including Emmanuelle’s, but this white wine is everything you want on a picnic! Half Vermentino, half Ugni Blanc.

Speaking of rosé, the Bois des Fées (yes, it should have a different name, such as Bois des Sirens) is fascinating because it looks and smells like a typical rosé of Provence but the addition of Cabernet Sauvignon to the Syrah and Grenache and the absence of Cinsault make it more accessible to the international palate. What does that mean? It mostly means it’s not as acidic and has more familiar flavors. The wine is the perfect match for cured meats.

Dom. Tour Campanets winery is making a Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence rouge called Mon Coeur Violettes, and a violet heart it is! There are only 2000 bottles (not cases!) and it is as succulent as the website proclaims. Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan. I immediately thought of duck in a wine reduction sauce. Again, simple, but intensifying.

Audio Video Design won a 2018 Gold EM NARI CotY Award for Residential Specialty Interior for their Penthouse Perspective project. The Evening of Excellence for the 2018 Contractor of the Year (CotY) Awards was held at the Clarke Showroom in Milford on March 28, 2018.

A two-career couple with a young family benefits from automation to make their home run smoothly. With a control system tying all of the electronics together, the net result is a smart home that needs minimal intervention to operate multiple TVs and distributed music, security, HVAC, lighting and shade control. Audio Video Design provided the latest technology to make living in a luxury building comfortable, safe and fun.

Photography by Greg Premru; Interior Design by Spring Hill Designs; Builder: Sea-Dar Construction (original work done by Woodmeister Master Builders).

Back in 1977 when Debby Boone sang “You Light Up My Life” few realized that automated lighting would revolutionize the home technology industry. The benefits of automated lighting include convenience, security and aesthetics that enhance the way we live in our homes today. And don’t forget the bonus of energy savings!

The Convenience of Automated Lighting

Press a button and house lights dim or set a welcome home scene where the lights come on as you open the door. Today’s lights offer control from anywhere, and the ability to program them to turn on or off at specific times, depending on the time of day, time of year or occupancy. You can program fixtures in one room or the entire house with platforms from Lutron or Vantage. AVD works with both companies to complement your decor and lifestyle. Control your lighting at home with an app on your smart phone or tablet, or from a keypad on the wall.

We know that lighting has a profound impact on the feel of a space and our overall health and well-being. The right illumination can be custom tailored to your needs – lighting for tasks, relaxation or to spotlight artwork and collections. Owners of multiple residences love the convenience of lighting control systems.

With modern lighting innovations it can be challenging to know how to get what you want. The Audio Video Design team members are experts in lighting design. For homeowners, we can collaborate with your architect, builder and interior designer. For design professionals, we will collaborate with you and your client to ensure you have the products you need to attain the goals of the project.

The bottom line is that today’s automated lighting is easy to use once professionals design and install the system that works best for your home or your client’s home.