A sweet, amber wine infused with green walnuts, sugar, and brandy, macerating all summer. Noble bitterness and comforting sweetness: the aperitif of Provençal evenings.

Why this dish? An iconic homemade aperitif of the Provençal countryside, made with green walnuts picked on St. John's Day (June 24) and local wine — here the Luberon wine dear to Char. A patient drink that matures for months in a demijohn in the cellar, like a work that takes its time.

We pick the walnuts still green, on St. John's Day, when the skin yields under the nail — not a day later. I would cut them into quarters, drown them in Luberon wine with sugar and a little brandy, and let the demijohn sleep in the cellar all summer. You mustn't rush anything: this wine demands patience, like everything worth waiting for. In autumn, we filter it, and the whole year is in the glass.

How it was made : Walnut wine is a peasant tradition widespread throughout southern France: each household had its own jealously guarded recipe, fixing the harvest date to St. John's Day. The long maceration and cellar aging provided a homemade aperitif all year round.

The contemporary twist : Serve over a large ice cube with an orange twist, like a homemade vermouth, at summer aperitif hour.

René Char · Charactorium