We believe in effortless, elevated entertaining with more time around the table with friends and family. That’s why we LOVE the Always Pan from Our Place – a gorgeous pan perfect for the it-girl aesthetic, coming in a variety of gorgeous colors, and is easy to use and clean! It functions as a “fry pan, saute pan, steamer, skillet, saucier, saucepan, nonstick pan, spatula, and spoon rest and can braise, sear, steam, strain, saute, fry, boil, serve, and store”. 

Its non-stick, ceramic surface (made without PTFEs and PFOAs) makes cooking and cleaning a breeze. Your purchase even includes a steamer basket and beechwood spatula so you can serve with ease and style!

Our Place is also a fellow female-founded company – started by Shiza Shahid, an immigrant from Pakistan whose heritage inspired her do-it-all cookware.

We are all about elevating and celebrating every day & supporting fellow female-founded and minority-owned businesses. Click here for our favorite woman-owned items to incorporate for a girl-power-themed soirée. 

A Few Favorite Recipes To Make In The Our Place Always Pan

Easy 20 Minute Vegan Pasta

Pairs best with: Blanc de Blanc Sparkling Wine.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 shallots, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

8 ounces spinach leaves

8-ounce linguine

1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese 

Instructions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft and caramelized, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes, and pinch salt/pepper.

Maple Cinnamon Oatmeal with Caramelized Oranges

Pairs best with: Brut Rosé Sparkling Wine

Ingredients

1 cup Thick-Cut Rolled oats, GF (I use Bob’s, Red Mill)

2 ½ cups Almond milk (I use Califia Farms; You can use your fave plant-based milk)

½ cup pure maple syrup 

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

pinch of allspice

pinch of sea salt

Caramelized Oranges:

1 medium navel orange, sliced with skin

2-3 Tbsps vegan butter

3 Tbsps organic brown sugar, Vegan-approved (I use Sugar in the Raw)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

pinch of allspice

pinch of sea salt

Instructions:

Add oats, cinnamon, a pinch of allspice, and sea salt to a medium pot on medium-high heat. Next, add in Almond milk and maple syrup, stirring to combine until it begins to boil.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the oats thicken and become fluffy and all of the liquid has been absorbed. In the final 2-3 minutes, stir in additional maple syrup, if desired.

30-Minute Stovetop Fajitas

Pairs best with : Blanc de Blanc Sparkling Wine

Ingredients

For the meat and quick marinade

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced into thin strips

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons lime juice (juice of 1 lime)

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder

For the peppers and onions

2 tablespoons cooking oil, divided

2 bell peppers, sliced into strips

1 large poblano pepper sliced into strips 

1/2 large onion, sliced

1 pinch salt

Optional toppings
Guacamole, sour cream, chopped cilantro, flour, or corn tortillas

Instructions:

Add all the ingredients for the quick marinade in a large mixing bowl. Toss together until chicken is evenly coated with spices. Cover and set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Add the peppers, onions, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, until the veggies are soft. Remove from the skillet, place in a large bowl, cover, and set aside. Add the remaining tablespoon of cooking oil to the same skillet. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked. Add the peppers and onions back to the skillet, toss together with the chicken and remove from heat. Serve in warm flour or corn tortillas and top with sour cream, guacamole, and chopped cilantro.

Recipes via The EveryGirl

Our Joy-Inspired Wines

Le Grand Courtâge CEO/Proprietor Tawnya Falkner grew up in a 3-street town, and that upbringing awoke a desire to see the world. The more she traveled, the more she realized that food and wine are about human connection and bringing people together to share life’s simple pleasures. Fueled by a passion and a belief, Tawnya gave up her career, took the leap, and moved to France. Her vision to create an affordable everyday luxury resulted in Le Grand Courtâge and Très Chic Rosé, award-winning French wines with appealing, modern character and an elegant appearance.

*Sparkling varieties available in 750ml & 187ml bottles

Use code (LGCPROMO) for 15% your first purchase of Sparkling Wine from us.

• Blanc de Blancs Brut
• Brut Rosé
• Très Chic Rose⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Each of these French wines scores 90+ points and is priced under $25, giving you a luxurious experience at an affordable price. These wines are also incredibly versatile by way of food pairing, making entertaining easy brunch all the way through dessert. For more party planning inspiration including playlists, more delicious cocktail recipes, & entertaining tips, join us here.

For female-founded inspiration & more on the French lifestyle of joie de vivre, follow us on Pinterest for curated ways to elevate the everyday with wine cocktails, foolproof food pairings, curated gift guides, and more! 

We serve up weekly inspiration on Instagram and our newsletter, Club Courtâge. You’re invited to embrace the #livejoyoulsy lifestyle with us!

Chanel Dror of Camille Styles and Eric Tarlo’s Wedding at a Château in the Loire Valley

Post dinner, everyone moved into the orangery—where a dessert and cheese spread was waiting—for the reception. “In lieu of a wedding cake, we kicked things off with a tower of Le Grand Courtâge Brut Rosé, with Sam Feldt’s ‘Show Me Love’ playing on blast,” says Chanel. Read more.

The French even have an expression which translates to “rosé all year” or “rosé tout l’année”. The reality is that rosé goes great with a variety of flavors, as rosé has enough structure and body to stand up to heavier dishes without overwhelming more delicate ones. Ideal for summer, but rosé is equally good with a pizza and fire or Thanksgiving dinner.

Still and sparkling rosé are versatile wines, which make for a great aperitif or pairing with food. Further, rosé offers the best of both worlds as it has a white wine structure and more of the red wine flavor undertones, so it can be as light or intense as necessary depending on the food it’s being paired with. We call it the perfect ‘in between’ wine as rosé serves as a ‘white wine alternative’ for typically red wine-leaning drinkers, since it has added structure and complexity while delivering a fresh clean finish like a white wine.

Created by our owner, Tawnya Falkner, who is the consummate entertainer, she wanted to create approachable and versatile wines that make hostessing easy. She took the leap and moved to France and her journey led to the creation of these 90+ point wines.

Le Grand Courtâge – French sparkling rosé (750ml & 187ml)

• If choosing a sparkling rosé, the refreshing bubbles also act as a palate cleanser (aka the scrubbing bubbles for the palate) and help to tone down the heat on spicy cuisine and complement the heavy, rich and savory flavors but are light enough for sweet desserts.   
• Le Grand Courtâge Brut Rosé contains Gamay which is ideal because of its versatility and ability to pair with a wide range of foods, much like what’s found at Thanksgiving. 

Très Chic Rosé (750ml)

• People are looking for less of the familiar blush rosés which range from medium to sweet and instead are in search of rosés with more structure and complexity. Our Très Chic rosé provides exuberant flavors of berries, citrus, tropical fruit with a hint of herbs, pepper and spice on the finish. 
• The wine is fresh, dry and a pronounced acidity, without extra sugar to bury its mineral and fruity flavors and aromas. This lush, juicy wine offers an ideal wine from brunch to dessert.

The perfect pairing = less stress

The delicate, dryness with the acidity and fruit on the finish make it a perfect pairing for cocktails too. Mix away up cocktails with seasonal fruits for delightful treat. We suggest an apple cider sangria or pear infused vodka as early fall favorites. As fall and winter draw near, try our still or sparkling rosé with brown spirits like whiskey.

Our wines are approachable, affordable and versatile and enormously cuisine, cocktail and consumer friendly. 

People often stress themselves out over whether or not they need to serve red or white with their meal. What better way to remove that layer of stress and serve guests a still or sparkling for virtually any gathering!

Use code (LGCPROMO) for 15% your first purchase of Wine from us.

This Entrepreneur’s Journey to France is an Invitation to Discover Your Own Joie de Vivre

This Entrepreneur’s Journey to France is an Invitation to Discover Your Own Joie de Vivre. Fueled by a passion and a belief, Tawnya Falkner gave up her real estate development and design career, took a leap and moved to France to create her French sparkling wine brand, Le Grand Courtâge and Provence style still wine, Très Chic Rosé.

Translated to mean “the Great Courtship”, Le Grand Courtâge signifies the courtship between French and American wine culture, grapes from different regions and the old and new world wine styles. For Tawnya, food & wine are the great common denominator of all cultures and the foundation for meaningful connection. The wines were created to embody the French spirit of ‘Joie de Vivre’ (“joy of life”) and remind people to elevate and celebrate the everyday and “Live Joyously”.

Today, Le Grand Courtâge is an award-winning national brand, but for Tawnya, success is much more than accolades and prestige. She is equally concerned with the brand’s purpose and social impact, and aims to spread positivity through her wines, through community, and through giving back.

This year they launched a new dedicated grant and mentorship program called ELEVATE, in collaboration with Ladies Who Launch, to bring the unique challenges facing women in business to the forefront, while helping to grow, mentor, and support women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs across the country.

By teaming up with like-minded partners and pooling financial resources, intellectual capital and networking communities, the aim is to provide meaningful immediate and long-term support. As an entrepreneur herself, Tawnya Falkner is career-driven, passionate, ambitious, and determined—and small businesses are often born from a small idea backed by someone with these traits.

For Tawnya, it was important to offer a platform to elevate and support female entrepreneurs, especially given the current state of work for women and the implications of this past year. Women receive less than 3% of Capital $ in the US despite owning 40% of businesses and controlling 85% of all consumer purchases. Furthermore, over 25% of female owned businesses have closed since March 2020 due to the fallout of COVID-19.

“Embrace Life. Dream Big. Accept all Invitations” is written on the back of each Le Grand Courtâge bottle and it embodies who they are at the core. Sometimes, destiny’s interventions take form in unexpected invitations. Such is the case for Tawnya, whose small leap of faith led her to discover something far greater. Le Grand Courtage is offering une invitation to discover your own joie de vivre.

We invited Tawnya to share the catalyst for her move to France, and what’s next for the brand. She also shared some sage advice for young entrepreneurs, who are looking to cultivate the confidence to go after their dreams. In the words of Tawnya herself, “Cheers to dreaming big and elevating the visionaries!”

What inspired you to leave your real estate development and design career, and move to France to start Le Grand Courtâge?

I grew up in a 3-street farming town across from the general store and some of my fondest memories are Sunday dinners and backyard barbecues. Those small town beginnings evoked a wanderlust and a passion for travel; and after seeing different parts of the world, and living in Asia and Europe, I realized that food & drink are the common thread that bring friends and family together.

Le Grand Courtâge was built on the premise of meaningful connection and reminding people to find the joy in life’s simple pleasures, like a meal shared or a relaxing bubble bath with a book.

I ultimately took the leap and moved to France to create wines which embody the French spirit of ‘Joie de Vivre’ after seeing a gap in the category on price, palate and packaging. As most French wine is traditionally branded, packaged and styled, I saw an opportunity to re-envision the category and offer something with a French cachet and elegance combined with an American appeal and price point. Since champagne is expensive, I wanted to create balanced, fruit forward wines that delight the palate and offer an affordable luxury to celebrate the every day.

What can you tell us about the history/origins of sparkling wines?

Champagne can only come from the region bearing its name about one hour northeast from Paris. All other bubbles produced anywhere else in the world (inc France) must be called “sparkling wine”.

Rumor has it that champagne was invented accidentally due to an error of excess pressure built up during fermentation causing bottles and corks to explode. Though Dom Perignon apparently said, “I’m seeing stars”, others called it the “the devil’s wine” (le vin du diable).

I love this story because it shows that a mistake led to a product that has captured the imagination around the world. It shows that sometimes mistakes or failures can be happy accidents. As a society we need to be a little more open to the fact that failings can create the path for the greatest growth or lead to fantastic outcomes.

Le Grand Courage was built on the premise that food & wine are the great common denominator of all cultures to foster meaningful connections. What are some of your favorite creative food pairings to enjoy different Le Grand Courtâge wines?

Fried Chicken and bubbles are my favorite! Also fun are spicy Asian, sushi, BBQ, popcorn, and potato chips. They call sparkling the ‘scrubbing bubbles’ for the palate as it truly cleanses the tongue between bites and the acidity in the wine is a great balance point for various cuisines and cocktails. As such, anything rich, salty, fried and spicy is an excellent pairing.

Le Grand Courtâge Rolls Out ‘ELEVATE’ In An Effort To Give Back Through Annual Grant + Mentorship Program

Annual Grant & Mentorship Program and Awardee Announcement – July 2021

In March, in celebration of Women’s History Month and its Live Joyously Spring initiatives, Le Grand Courtâge (LGC) introduced ELEVATE, an annual grant and mentorship program created to support and give back to female entrepreneurs.  Spearheaded by proprietor Tawnya Falkner, ELEVATE will include a rotation of partners and projects throughout the year(s) to address the challenges and needs of women. To support, give back and encourage female entrepreneurs who deserve the equal opportunity to outshine their potential and change the world.

Le Grand Courtâge is a sponsor along with White House Black Market for the 2^nd annual Launch Program with Ladies Who Launch to support women entrepreneurs impacted by COVID-19. Ladies Who Launch, a mission driven, 501(c)3 that empowers women entrepreneurs to thrive by providing access to educational resources and capital programs. The 6 month-long Launch Program provides a grant, mentorship, advisory support, and amplification for women entrepreneurs. Applicants will be awarded up to $25,000 each. Falkner will also be active in the 6-month mentorship program that is created for each awardee.

Le Grand Courtâge is an independent female owned and managed French wine brand launched by American entrepreneur Tawnya Falkner and is today the top selling French sparkling wine brand in the $15 – $19.99 category (Nielsen 52 wks 4.21). ‘Embrace Life.  Dream Big.  Accept all Invitations’ is the affirmation written on the back of each bottle Courtâge and serves as the brand motto.  At the core, LGC is about elevating and celebrating the every day, living joyously, and exploring possibilities.

“Since launching the brand, my goal has been to spread positivity through our wines, help elevate our community, and to find ways to give back each year,” explained Tawnya Falkner. “I personally know how difficult it can be for female entrepreneurs and the stats continue to show the unique challenges women face. By teaming up with similarly minded partners like Ladies Who Launch, and pooling our financial resources, intellectual capital, and networking communities, we will be able to provide meaningful immediate and long-term support.”

2021 Grant Recipient Announcement:

Over the past year, Ladies Who Launch has received thousands of applications to the Launch Program and in 2020 welcomed 11 founders into the first cohort. On July 14^th, we were excited to announce the 9 incredible new businesses into the 2021 second cohort.

From across the United States, the founders selected are inspiring leaders who have shown immense grit and determination to innovate throughout the pandemic. Ladies Who Launch will empower these women over the next 6 months with funding support, education, mentorship, and amplification.

1. Archel Bernard | Bombchel | Atlanta, GA
2. Jamela Acheampong | Kahmune | Atlanta, GA
3. Laura Moffit | Kirrin Finch | Brooklyn, NY
4. Michelle Pusateri | Nana Joe’s Granola | San Francisco, CA
5. Michelle Razavi & Nikki Elliot | ELAVI | Los Angeles, CA
6. Micki Krimmel | Superfit Hero | Los Angeles, CA
7. Noy Holcomb | Mama Noy’s Kitchen | Austin, TX
8. Rene Graham | Renzoe Box | Austin, TX
9. Sarah Ecolano | Copper River Fish Market | Cordova, AK

Le Grand Courtage created the Elevate initiative to address the imbalance that exists and help empower future business leaders and help ensure success.  Below are just a few of the key statistics highlighting the disparities.

• Females receive less than 3% of Capital $ in US despite owning 40% of businesses and controlling 85% of all consumer purchases.
• Only 7% of all women-owned firms achieve $1+ million in annual revenue.
• Women CEOs in the Fortune 1000 drive 3xs the returns as S&P 500 enterprises run predominantly by men. ​
• More than 25% of female owned business have gone under during Covid (Since March 2020).

*References

• Fundera: Women-Owned Businesses: Statistics and Overview (2021), Maddie Shepard 12/16/20
• American Express 2019 State of Women Owned Businesses Report
• Inc Magazine: “2 Reasons Women Still Get Less than 3 Percent of VC Funding” by Amanda Pressner Kreuser  2/20/20

        Fortune Magazine:  “Funding for female founders increased in 2019—but only to 2.7%” by Emma Hinchliffe 2/2/20

• NAWBO Women business-owner-statistics detailed on website