and spending this time with her has kind of reinforced the fact that, yeah, she turned out well. [music] . [speaking frenc] [laughter] [music playing] [vocalizing]

[music playing] johnny devenanzio: france is everything you fantasize about-- fashionable, modern, and mature, don't forget delectable, classically chic, and effortlessly casual. the capital city of paris is unquestionably the country's cultural epicenter. but come august, you'll find it a literal ghost town, as locals head south on holiday. and while you're likely familiar with the region made famous by painters, film festivals, and formula one, the western half of the southern coast of france, the languedoc, has uniquely flown under the radar-- until now. [upbeat jazz music] now, that looks delicious. you only want to pick up the shrimp that's looking directly at you. that guy right there. if he hollers let him go. that's the one you want. you can have that one. the brainchild of gerard bertrand and his wife ingrid, the jazz festival at chateau l'hospitalet,

near the city of narbonne, is celebrating its 15th season. we start with 30 people. johnny devenanzio: like one table? gerard bertrand: yeah. now it's 8,000 during the festival. 8,001, now that i'm here. gerard bertrand: yeah, yeah. but you eat for two. - shh. keep that to myself. [laughter] [cheering] i will say this, you guys know how to party. yeah. i mean this is a party. [speaking french] what's the inspiration behind this festival? what are we celebrating? the inspiration these two share the lifestyle of the south of france, to make the link between the wine, the gastronomy, the culture of the region, and the history. people come year after year because they like to spend a great time. johnny devenanzio: i couldn't pick a more beautiful setting. it's amazing. it's all about sharing and creating an experience. the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. it's a full week event. the party that doesn't end. - yeah, yeah. never finish. the party that doesn't end. i was going to wear sequins too. [laughter] and every night, a different celebrity performer.

so grapes like jazz? yeah, yeah, yeah. of course. what i heard tonight is completely different than anything i've ever heard before. yeah. what do you think it is about your music that connects so well with french people from this region, and just france, in general. from the beginning of musicians playing this music, france has been there and been supporting it-- the beginning of jazz. this is the european connection with the the african-american connection. and so i am glad that i'm i'm still part of that tradition. sante! you are soul personified, my friend. that was an amazing concert. thank you. i'll drink to that. [cheering and applause] [cicadas chirping] [bowl resonating] [music playing]

world-renowned winemaker gerard bertrand owns 14 vineyards in the languedoc region of the south of france, but clos d'ora is the piece de resistance. this is where we deliver our universal message-- peace, love, and harmony. peace, love, and harmony. wow. utilizing dynamized waters infused with local plants, herbs, and spices to promote a healthy and sustainable vineyard, clos d'ora is dedicated to the biodynamic principles bridging the earth with the cosmos. you're not using any artificial ingredients, and you're not using pesticides. you're using tradition, and you're using what the earth has provided. and i think that's what's unique. gerard bertrand: for me it's important, because this is where we try to connect all the cycle from vegetable, mineral, human beings, with the [inaudible].. johnny devenanzio: it's symbiosis. gerard bertrand: yes. this is a link. this isn't just manual labor. there's so much more to it than that. how do you say stop? [speaking french] gerard bertrand: oh good.

johnny devenanzio: man, she's pulling! gerard bertrand: she's very strong. johnny devenanzio: woo! he just throws me right into the fire. i'm starting pulling against a mule. no problem. [speaking french] we're moving. that a girl.e that. and each day, lead plowman nicola fabry and his mules till over two acres of land. to aerate it, to get oxygen into the soil. gerard bertrand: yes. that's right. [speaking french] johnny devenanzio: is it also to help get water and nutrients? gerard bertrand: because i like to have a wine with a taste of somewhere, not with a taste of something. johnny devenanzio: and the perfect vintage is all about cultivating the region's unique climate, agriculture, and topography. the sum of these characteristics can neatly be bottled up in the single french word, terroir. blending is about finding balance. gerard bertrand: yes. 15, 25, 25, 10, 3 and 3. and this is out of 100? yes. you know, it's like building a temple. johnny devenanzio: so the grenache is the foundation? gerard bertrand: yes. the syrah is the walls. yes. and then you put the roof, mourvedre, and carignan.

how much of this is science and how much of this is just-- heart? you work with the technique and you finish with your heart. johnny devenanzio: i had no idea winemaking was this precise. so, essentially, the biodynamic principle would be if you took homeopathy and you mixed it with astrology? yes. but the most important part needs intuition, imagination, and inspiration. this is a delicious, delicious wine. it is vibrant and very complex. like the two of us. especially you. johnny devenanzio: hey. it takes one to know one. [music playing]

johnny devenanzio: foodies from far and wide salivate at the mere thought of a french food market.

[speaking french] it's a confluence of your senses-- sounds, sights, smells, textures, flavors-- i'm cleaning up at the market, ma-- in the halls of narbonne market, opened in 1901, does not disappoint. merci beaucoup. the exchange is a centralized institution featuring more than 70 stalls selling everything from seafood, artisanal cheeses, breads and baked goods, fresh fruits and vegetables, and then, of course, there's the meat.

johnny devenanzio: here at the one and only chez bebelle, they're doing beef just a bit differently. johnny devenanzio: woo! right in the breadbasket. and at 6 foot 4, clocking in at 230 pounds, owner and former rugby player, gilles "bebelle" belzons, is front and center of it all. johnny devenanzio: as prolific of a french athlete as you were-- johnny devenanzio: --it must have been hard to walk away from the sport. [speaking french] johnny devenanzio: rib steak! johnny devenanzio: so you essentially went from a career tossing big hunks of meat around to a new career tossing

big hunks of meat around. johnny devenanzio: you'd probably prefer taking a piece of butcher meat to the face then maybe a fist or a knee or something that you probably took on the rugby field. gille belzons: oui. [speaking french] johnny devenanzio: this is crazy. i feel like i'm in grand central station tossing meat around. surrounded by independent butcher shops, your carnal cravings are called out-- gille belzons: [speaking french] jon! jon! gille belzons: where is john? johnny devenanzio: --chucked through the crowd and then cooked to order. all the vendors here, even though you might be on different teams, you guys are all playing the same sport. very good throw.

johnny devenanzio: ok. johnny devenanzio: it's very good? gille belzons: bone appetit. johnny devenanzio: and that right there is what i'm talking about. people are coming here for produce, but they're also getting this incredible experience. and to me, it's fantastic to see. [music playing] slicing the city of narbonne in two is the canal de la robine, a waterway that dates back to 1686. and aboard a le boat vessel, basically a floating hotel in which no boating license is required, you can explore all 600 plus miles of it at your own pace, because teaching co-captains marian debi and [inaudible] are at the helm. [music playing] (singing) 1, 2, 3, 4.

max: try to control it. johnny devenanzio: whoops. max: then forward. johnny devenanzio: not diagonal. max: right. - perfect. bonjour, narbonne! max: good. johnny devenanzio: and then bruyere? bruyere, the cheese french. johnny devenanzio: now we're going. marian: you're doing good. johnny devenanzio: thank you. marian: i'll maybe trust you at the end of the cruise. - maybe. - maybe. what was the purpose? why did they build this canal? max: for trade. johnny devenanzio: so there's a lot of history here. oh, yeah. of course. i've been waiting all day my friend. show me your meat. johnny devenanzio: this is one of the most beautiful cuts of meat i've ever seen. oh! so for something like this, should i use the joystick or the wheel? definitely use the joystick. johnny devenanzio: it smells like heaven and it sounds like a symphony. oh! oh! i stayed! i didn't move. max: oh, man. i think i just got a haircut. marian: watch out. go right, go right. sorry, people. that was a little sketchy there. voila! perfect i am the captain now. i think this is done. max: the canal de la robine is a completely

new way to discover the area. marian: really nice for traveling, slowing down. and it's an adventure, you know? johnny devenanzio: it's perfect. this is like the biggest, juiciest, tastiest rib-eye i've ever eaten. yes! max: what do you think about that? woo-hoo! max: everything here is about [french],, [french] max: [french] magnifique. [french] max: yes. johnny devenanzio: and that means? that means, enjoy your life. the sunset, the vineyards. johnny devenanzio: your best friend. [laughter] what more could you ask for? [laughter] [music playing]

in new york city, ♪ ♪ there's always something new to discover. ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ come be a part of it. plan your next vacation at iloveny.com [whistles] that's salty. yeah. whoa, buddy. that'll wake you up in the morning, huh? [music playing] if a fine wine is a result of capturing a region's terroir, then all that comes from the sea is a matter of merroir--

the organics, the silt, the water, the water temperature, and, of course, the salinity. in french, how do you say pink? - [french] - [french] [french] johnny devenanzio: that's beautiful. the utterly surreal and massive salt marshes neighboring the french village of gruissan span nearly 1,000 acres. and in a region famous for its fermented grapes, salt maker [inaudible] is harvesting incredibly high quality salt from the very unique local. i've never seen anything like this. it's pink. this water is literally pink. what gives it this pink color? johnny devenanzio: so it's not actually then the salt crystals that are pink, it's the algae surrounding the salt? johnny dev salt maker: yeah. johnny devenanzio: ok. johnny devenanzio: ok. what then distinguishes your salt from other types?

so it's safe to say there's a lot of salty dudes in your family, huh. johnny devenanzio: you said [french].. [french] [french] which translates into flour of the salt? salt maker: yeah. johnny devenanzio: wow. johnny devenanzio: you take the mediterranean sea water, and then with the help of the sun and the evaporation you're left with pure salt. the creme de la creme. this really is something. and once you've got a taste for the sea, you're not going to want to stop with just the salt. would you consider yourself an oyster expert? yes. johnny devenanzio: the question everyone wants to know, elephant in the room, are oysters an aphrodisiac? yes. oh! [music playing] at their family owned restaurant les saint-bart, floran [inaudible] and his children, daughter fleury, and his son

roman are growing some of the most exceptional seafood you've ever tasted. your family seems like you guys are all very, very close-knit. how important do you think that is to the overall experience? johnny devenanzio: fed by the salty mediterranean sea, fresh runoff from the rhone river and the canal du midi, the lagune des [inaudible] maintains a delicate mixture of mineral rich waters ideal for farming shellfish. this is not what i pictured it being. this is amazing. [speaking french] johnny devenanzio: when an infant oyster grows to about an inch, a hundred of them are cemented to an eight foot string and affixed to a solar powered pulley system which raises and submerges the mollusks into the sea. why do you have the oysters here on these ropes? worker: they have to be out of the water 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 hours per day. this one take this. yes. johnny devenanzio: don't want to lose these. floran: if the oysters stay in the water, they stay always open, and the muscle is very small.

johnny devenanzio: they're not working out. floran: exactly, exactly, exactly. johnny devenanzio: but then when you pull it up out of the water it has to close. - yes. and that's why its muscles are so big. yes. like you, big muscles. floran: to keep the water inside they have to make mother of pearl. johnny devenanzio: it has to create mother of pearl to protect itself? floran: yes, yes. that is a big difference between our oysters. how old is this technique? one century. a century? more, more, more than a century. no kidding? put the line up through there. he's going to pull them all off. he's going to snap them all off. oh, look at this. check us out. [yelling] let's do another one! this is so much fun! how long does it take for them to get this size? two or three years. johnny devenanzio: ooh, that's a big. look at the size of this guy. oh, yeah. we have to taste. no time like the present. drum roll. [drumming sound] the size is perfect. - this is perfect. - chin. - chin. - chin. floran: bon appetit. bon appetit.

that is a tasty oyster. yeah. oh, my god. all this work-- this was five years? floran: yes, five years. johnny devenanzio: does it make you feel proud to know that we're eating something that you spent five years of your life raising? yes, sure. i'm very proud. and we are very proud of the quality of the mother of pearl. johnny devenanzio: look at that mother of pearl. this is a very healthy sign. floran: yeah. because it's beautiful. floran: for us, it's our passion. passion. passion. [speaking french] the taste of the passion that is delicious. sweet, salty, and the texture. very good texture. good muscle tone. it's not too squishy. it's not too hard. it's right in the middle. so it's a good balance. floran: not good-- perfect balance. roman: perfect balance. johnny devenanzio: if this isn't living, i don't know what is. oh, merci. merci beaucoup. roman: de rien-- you're welcome. [music playing] johnny devenanzio: can't get enough "1st look," check us out on youtube.com/firstlooktv.

test.

just near the spanish divide, nestled in the foothills of the pyrenees mountains, you'll find the french town of tautavel. and come summer, they celebrate like no other. announcer: [speaking french] you like the place? oh, my god. look at that. this is the city hall, 1895. johnny devenanzio: when i flew into paris i thought i was happy. i got here and i started hanging out with you.

i don't know, man. this is the happiest i've ever been. woo-hoo! so what is the focus of the festival? gerard bertrand: you know, the goal is to make people happy and to bring people together. and in this place of the south of france, very close to the spanish border, they have a lot of tradition-- music-- [band playing] --snails-- johnny devenanzio: i've got to make sure you're here for this first experience. gerard bertrand: look-- like that. wow. that's good. gerard bertrand: sausages. johnny devenanzio: and what kind of sausage? is this pork sausage? - yeah. this is pork. - woo. gerard bertrand: and they do a lot of paella. johnny devenanzio: how do you say to, to life? gerard bertrand: c'est la vie. c'est la vie. do you want to see something? c'est la vie. yeah. ah, yeah! c'est la vie. c'est la vie. and once you're wearing all white and look the part of a local, it's time to party just as hard. woo! ok, ready? here we go. you do me! you do me! [music playing] narrator: for 13 years gerard bertrand and local wine

producers have come together to celebrate the fruits of their labor. and to call it the party to end all parties is an understatement. [shouting] double double. don't cross the streams. we're ready, buddy. ready, buddy. go! oh [bleep]! oh [bleep]. it's like spring break. i've got to say, i've been to a lot of parties in my day. this is hands down one of the coolest ones i've ever been to. the french culture, the wine, the music, with the dancing, it's amazing. and that's what it's all about. i make people happy, bring them together. you do make people happy. gerard bertrand: we need more food, yes? johnny devenanzio: yes. let's dig in. [music playing] [shouting] [music playing]

one of the only places on the planet able to produce a red-- sante-- a ros , a white, a sparkling, and a fortified wine, the languedoc region in the south of france draws you in with their drink. gerard bertrand: what do you smell? is it toasty? not too much. not too toasty. you might want to check your nose. but when you're ready for a refill, feel free to indulge on the amazing sites that surround you. you live in one of the most beautiful regions on the planet. gerard bertrand: yeah. johnny devenanzio: i'd never leave. and so when all is said and done, there's only one thing left to say and do. vive la france! [drum roll]

gunfire and dangerous driving. a massive sideshow in the east bay turns deadly. what we're learning from police. plus people are eager to get back to normal as covid cases drop. but it's having a big impact on local animal shelters. the growing problem they're facing right now. first, will it be enough to help with the drought? and fire danger. we're tracking rain across the bay area on this saturday. news at 5:00 starts right now. thanks for joining us. i'm audrey asistio.