Caseophile

Do you know what a capucine is?

Well yes, it is a Capuchin monk, as well as the French word for nasturtium – that pretty orange , yellow or red flower. But in this case, it's a type of bottle! Made of wood. Dating from the 6^th century, it's shaped like a little barrel with a narrow bottle neck and surrounded by a series of iron rings. Vineyard workers would take them with them into the vines to drink and so its capacity would vary according to their thirst! In fact a thermos before its time – as it kept its contents cool...

These days the capucine is the emblem of the Confrérie de la Capucine (not surprising!) a "brotherhood" founded just 50 years ago in Toul for the feast of St Vincent, as its task is to parade the colours of the wines of the Côtes de Toul – and of the mirabelle (cherry plum brandy) that the wine growers of the Toulois region grow also on their land.

This golden anniversary was celebrated with great ceremony a few Sundays ago in Toul. A mass at the cathedral, celebrated by Monseigneur Papin, bishop of Toul and Nancy (the seat of the bishopric was in Toul until the arrival of Stanislas who transferred it to Nancy and had a new cathedral built). Here a very imposing Chapter no. 86 was founded – which has seen more than 60 enthronements– including my own...

The event was followed by a toast of honour paid for by the town of Toul and to end it all a gala dinner with more than 600 people in attendance!

Which prompts me to remind you that the Côtes de Toul were awarded three AOC nominations in 1998. Their composition is as follows:

Pale Rosé: Gamay 70% Pinot Noir 20% Auxerrois 10% / White : Auxerrois 100% / Red : Pinot Noir 100%

But do drink in moderation !

And if you read French, I recommend the very latest work with several "Capuchin" authors on the subject of Toul wines published by Coprur. A goldmine of historical information which I much enjoyed.

Gris d’Avril – “grey” wine

While the English tell themselves - "ne'er cast a clout till May is out", we French are a month ahead, saying "En avril, ne te découvre pas d'un fil" (don't uncover yourself a thread). But the matter's solved with a bottle of this Gris d'Avril wine to warm you up, take my word for it!

I don't know how long ago it was that the Laroppe family of Bruley (close to Toul – just west of Nancy) decided to have a special vintage christened "April Grey".

And "grey" because of the colour of the wine – not the colour of the sky here in Lorraine, if you please. And its screen printed bottle just like a watercolour proclaims its attraction.

Drink it of course in moderation! And let me also introduce you to another special vintage from Laroppe: it's called la Chaponière: a pinot noir brought on in an oak barrel... and also in an extraordinary presentation: a broadly based bottle and a metal label.

Unusual, don't you think?

I've got it on sale in my store in Nancy ... "L'Epicerie du Goût" ... of course...

Paillou: a sweetheart wine from the Auvergne

The brother of one of my neighbours is a partner in the wine cooperative of St Verny, to the south of Clermont-Ferrand, near Issoire ... And I took advantage of a trip he made down there to bring me back some Paillou. A little marvel I had heard whispered about while chatting with Auvergnat friends, but it's out there and available and La cave de St Verny is selling it.

No sooner received ... than sampled.

But on its own which allowed me to perceive all its aromas.

As we say in French ... it was "little Jesus in a velvet nappy"! Good well-ripened bunches are selected with well spaced-out grapes. They are then left on straw for about 3 months with regular sorting to remove any mouldy ones ... then pressed and turned into wine which is left to improve in a barrel for 3 years.

It's a practice that needs patience and care, something my neighbour's brother was well proud of, and he was right to be so!

To be tasted in moderation as an aperitif, and why not also with roast quail with grapes? As for me there no contest – sip it with a well matured Auvergne blue cheese ... a regional marriage of savours I have had difficulty providing to my taste buds.

Read all about wines from Lorraine

When Jean-Marie CUNY brings out a book, it's always an event here in Lorraine, because:

• He talks about Lorraine gastronomy (and history)
• He has a great deal of detail to give you

So here it is ... and I can only advise you to buy this latest publication of his which I went through last week ... all about wines from Lorraine.

He goes into fascinating detail about the three wine regions (Toul, Meuse and Moselle), the types of vine, the traditions, the know-how... In short, a present for all wine lovers!

As for us locals... I gave a tasting session of Gris de Toul ("grey wine") to 30 wines and spirits students from a major wine growing area in France. It was a true blind test (drunk from black glasses) ... their assumptions and strong opinions were blown away! I have the impression our Lorraine wine makers will be getting a lot of visitors...and so much the better!

Jolly Beautiful Beaujolais Nouveau !

Yes just a few days ago – the third Thursday in November – it was time again to welcome that young fresh Beaujolais Nouveau. Ten years ago it was a fashionable event. Nowadays many look down on it. Saying it is an "unfinished wine". Of little interest to a true connoisseur.

Well I take the opposite point of view. I love Beau Jo. It's fine, it's fun. It has no pretension other than to allow me to pass a pleasant moment. Never by itself. For its yeasts are rough on our intestinal system and one should not forget that despite its barely "vinified" fruity taste, there's a lot of alcohol there.

So if never sipped by itself – what with?

Charcuterie ... and cheese. I can hear some of my friends saying "Oh! Here she goes - saying the white is better and then – abruptly – because of a sales operation initiated a good long time ago by a major Romanèche Thorens house, goes for a red..." Weeelll !... They don't know me that well, those friends. What I am not partial to are tannins, which react violently against casein and penicillium.

But there's hardly any tannin in Beaujolais Nouveau! Or it's gentle. So?? Except if you go for very very dry cheeses, it should not cause problems to your taste buds. But as always – in moderation. It's just not worth drinking more than a glass or two with this quick snack – which is nonetheless part of French gastronomy

The whole truth about wine… is that nothing’s true!

Sciences et Avenir proudly published an article in its September number with the intriguing title – "The truth about wine". Truth, eh? That's quite an item. Well I can't reproduce here a long analysis of a report covering 15 or so pages, but rather draw your attention to a few points it made, in no particular order:

• The more you drink, the more the size of your brain reduces (well that confirms the fact that those who drink get silly!)
• As the liver of a foetus is undeveloped, alcohol is not broken down there. If Mother drinks, the child drinks too, even at the first glass... and small quantities of alcohol can cause neurological lesions in the child.
• For the sake of our arteries, it's better to drink (in moderation, of course) Syrah than Chardonnay (320mg of polyphenols / 100ml versus only 24)
• It's all about drinking in moderation (as I've never tired of saying out loud): drink a little so as not to lose your head (Alzheimers), to lose a little weight (it helps you assimilate certain fats) and to protect your heart (the well-known "French Paradox")
• But there's never been a study to my knowledge which has compared abstinence with moderate consumption...

In short, an interesting dossier which leaves me a bit hungry for more (but not thirsty!)

A marketing heavyweight to head up the Interprofessional Bordeaux Wine Council

Georges HAUSHALTER, Directeur Général of La Compagnie Médocaine des Grands Crus, President of the Bordeaux Wine Merchants and Vice-President of the Interprofessional Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB) has just been elected as CIVB President. This position is held for one year by a representative of the "wine growers" college and for the next year by one of the "wine merchants" college.

I had the opportunity to work with Georges Haushalter some 20 years ago when he was a Marketing Director in the cheese business. A direct and competent man. Those in the profession in Bordeaux have chosen somebody good! Congratulations.

Tricastin wine changes to Grignan-Les Adhémar

The AOC wine from Tricastin has now a new name. This town in the lower Dauphiné region of the Rhône Valley, SE France was principally known for its vintage ... until a nuclear power station was established there. Which led to unhelpful references to a radioactive wine, made all the more worrying by repeated incidents occurring in this installation in the past few years.

The winemakers took up their case in order to boost the flagging sales of this magnificent wine, whose sturdy character I have come to like a lot (and don't forget I did my study course on sensorial analysis at Suze la Rousse, not far away, and stayed in a gîte in the heart of the Tricastin wine estate... at the Domaine de Montine run by the Monteillet family).

Anyway, the INAO institute has approved a name change for the wines from Tricastin. They are now called "Grignan - Les Adhémar", a rather complex name to my mind (and to others too!)... Grignan is clear – a town – but you need to know a lot of regional family history to realise that the Adhémar family held sway over this region in the 12^th century... Although that the small spot on the map nearby called La Garde-Adhémar could have told us a little.

We'll just have to get used to it! Changes always force us to do so, that's all.

Anyway all the best to the producers of this splendid and voluptuous wine...

Ambrosia – wine from Lorraine

This Ambrosie is not your common or garden ragweed – but the name of the most recent domain in Toul, set up by two young winemakers some 4 years ago in an old wine wholesalers' premises.

I saw photos of the place before their renovations and it's had a spectacular transformation! From an abandoned cellar for many years... just look at the picture of what it has become!

Thomas Colson and Rémy Welter took over 7 hectares of vines in the "côté" of Bruley and Lucey at the beginning of 2006 and have since never stopped producing top quality wines of a most sturdy character. A Toul "grey" wine, of course, called "Mystic Gris", but also a rosé, a red, a white, a sparkling white and even red wines all with intriguing pet names... but you don't buy such delights by simply looking at them!! The results are splendid but production is limited ... so if you are ever in Lorraine, hurry along there!

DOMAINE DE L'AMBROISIE 45 impasse Victor Hugo     54200 TOUL Tel+33 383 638 053

And on sale of course at the Epicerie du Goût – 4 place Vaudémont – 54000-Nancy    !!

A job offer that’s out of the ordinary… the Town Hall in Suresnes (Paris suburb) is looking for a wine grower!

1 hectare

4800 vines

85% Chardonnay

15% Sauvignon

6000 bottles a year

And all this just 5 km from the Eiffel Tower

Tempting, isn't it?

 

The Mairie (Town Hall) in Suresnes is recruiting someone to tend their vines in order to put life back today into this unusual plantation, treated in an amateur urban fashion, like for example the one in Montmartre. However this is not folklore, but rather a desire to be awarded an IGP nomination. The town has the input of the French Wine Institute … and is surrounded from some "big names" in the media (well, let's recognise that this in itself is not far from folklore!!)

One should not forget that a good number of wine producers had to withdraw when phylloxera hit their region and that before that time, every single French department was producing wine… and that the wine of Suresnes once had a pretty good reputation…

Well, are you looking for a job?

A rosette you can drink?...

No not for your buttonhole this time, but for your taste buds. This is a white wine, an AOC (PDO) since 1946, very little known … and for good reason! Today a modest ten or so producers to the north of Bergerac are keeping alive the tradition of this half-dry or sweet wine, making less than 1000 hectolitres of this nectar per year.

Only 28 hectares out of a possible 125 hectares of the AOC area are actually used for this Rosette – made from Sémillon, Sauvignon and Muscadelle grapes, very common varieties in this region, harvested over-ripe.

To be drunk in moderation of course, together with, as I did the other day, a hard Swiss cheese…

And while we're on the subject, the same region gives us other little known sweet or syrupy wines,

such as Saussignac (an AOC since 1982, grown on the western ridge of Montbazillac AOC to the south of Bergerac), Côtes de Montravel and Haut Montravel (an AOC since 1936! Its name derived from the Latin Monte Revelationem: "on the mount I had the revelation" - it's on the edge of the Bergerac wine district, i.e. due west). These last two wines are perfect partners in my book with a Bleu de Causses blue cheese – dear to my heart…

For these wines you will find the same type of vine as for Rosette but also for Ondenc and Chenin.

For more info go to these sites:

www.dordogne-perigord.com

www.pays-de-bergerac.com - also in English

Beaujolais Nouveau …

It's been out a couple of weeks or more now … but have you tried it yet?

As they do every year, the specialists have fallen over themselves to describe it to you, just like a Swiss sommelier I overheard, as being "like all the fruits and vegetables in your garden".

I do taste it once every year, but I much prefer those Beaujolais wines where the yeasts they contain are – how shall I put it? – more assimilated and so have played their fermentation role fully to give you more mature sort of wine.

Well today I'd just like to

1) Have a little fun by inviting you to look at a TV report (in French) dating back to …1992. Has very much changed this year?

2) Suggest you make a journey of discovery of all the Beaujolais "crus", including the white wines. Perhaps you did not know there were white Beaujolais? There's been a white AOC (PDO in the UK) since …1937.

And last year, I even tasted a Beaujolais rosé … rather nice.

Don't forget either the other crus … in my cellar there's still some Morgon and some Regnié from the house of Chavy, which I particularly mention as it is worth a visit to try some.

As always… in moderation!!!!!

“Brézème” Côtes du Rhône wine

To paraphrase Wikipedia (as they succinctly put it - in French only): Côtes du Rhône "Brézème is and remains an exceptional case in the Rhône wine area. The mention of a geographical origin on its label is unique for a regional appellation. It is included neither in the Côtes du Rhône Villages category, which it could be, nor in a particular local appellation, as it would wish.

So let me be a philanthropist … and share with you some good addresses.

This Viognier 2004 was an absolute delight. I say "was" as I sampled some a week or so ago. In moderation, and together with a Brie de Meaux (from the Meuse, of course … one can choose from Dongé, Collet, St Faron, Renard-Gillard…). And there's none of it left in my cellar … which makes me sad…

 

Info on www.chateau-la-roliere.com

Women and wine – quite naturally (Bordeaux)!

This is all about wines produced by women.

Not aimed at particular female tastes – but to be appreciated (in moderation, of course) by all mankind.

A few weeks back, I made the acquaintance of Corinne Saint Mleux from the Château de Beau-Site in the Graves region.

A six hectare property, masterfully managed by three generations of women:

• Mother, who serves up tasty little dishes for visitors who are booked into the rooms in their domain (and it seems she has an unbeatable expertise in preparing "cannelés" (pastry with a soft and tender custard center and a dark, thick caramelized crust… )my mouth is watering just to think about them!) "? I shall really have to go to meet this Madame Dumergue! I say "it seems" as her daughter did not have any for me to try the day I was there).

• Her daughter Corinne St Mleux who does "just about everything" in the domain – as she says herself – and cannot stop talking about how her vines are progressing. Of course a good wine can only come from a perfect knowledge of how to bring all those grapes to an optimal state – it's so easy to forget that. Luckily that knowledge abounds here. We were able to chat together about all that hard work, the refusal to use weedkiller (just like with antibiotics, one should avoid using it automatically) and the ability to pass on her passion for the job, without any fuss but with devotion…
  

• And as for the third generation: there are two daughters active there as well, thanks to whom there is a vintage of rosé wine (a table wine, as it does not qualify as an PDO Graves) called "Mesdemoiselles" … a gentle, most pleasant wine.

 Thanks therefore, ladies, for having introduced me to your "terroir" and allowing me to discover some well balanced wines, with red fruit tastes, with a touch of spice and vanilla … for the reds, of course … and a dry white … not too dry however, thanks to its blend of Sauvignon and Sémillon.

Red Berligou and red Melon…

Never heard of them? Well they're worth getting to know. We're not talking fruit here – both are vines from the Loire Atlantique department in the west of France.

Berligou is a Pinot Noir, introduced by King François II into a domain called Berligout à la Chabossière, with vine stock received in 1460 from Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy in person (he died in the siege of Nancy). It has an unsurpassed reputation: "Henri IV enjoyed this light and fruity red wine when he came to sign the Edict of Nantes"…

Since when… many things have come to pass – such as phylloxera, of course. The 25 hectares planted around Couëron (just next to Nantes) have been dug up; as have many others.

But it so happens, some people have found roots … in the conservatory of old vine stocks of Le Pallet and some stretches of planting are beginning to give grapes.

Bravo!

In parallel, look at this "melon", a vine that's well known by the inhabitants of Nantes as it's the grape used in making muscadet, which is just about changing colour. From being white, they have found some of them light red or rosé, it would appear.

A mutation that is not due to global warming, but as mentioned in an article from the Presse Océan newspaper , having a more rational explanation: according to Alain Poulard, a technician in the French Vine and Wine Institute (IFV) 'The Burgundy melon is the result of crossing a gouais, a little known white vine stock, with a pinot noir. Through this mutation, it rediscovers in some way one of its origins"

Now that the mutation has stabilised, this new melon, christened by some "Melon de Bretagne" (to distinguish it from its white cousin which is also called "Melon de Bourgogne") can now begin to be protected. There's a long way to go with numerous wine making tests. Some 5 years, let's say.

Meanwhile, a micro-production of a sparkling rosé made with these two new vines is being undertaken currently. As one (free) newspaper – 20 Minutes - recently put it: Berligou is making a sparkling return.

So all the best to these devoted people!

To be drunk in moderation, of course… so you can appreciate these new aromas without taking in too much alcohol.

 

Sulphites, pesticides and Co.

My attention was drawn to a recent TV programme here in France on the use of this category in our world of wine.

Chaptalisation is the technical word for it – or to be more accurate "overchaptalisation", via pesticides or other treatments for vines, Application of SO2 to crops to prevent any acetic transformation (the road leading to "vinegar"), exogenous yeast… The lot were all mixed together in the program and so my only comment would be that the presenter was just underlining the simplistic patter of the representative of the pesticide industries at the agricultural show and so you have the right to hear a simpler vision of the truth.

As I keep saying to those who are surprised when I tell them, the most important job in the cheese making process today is certainly that of the R&D specialist in "starters", which are added to the milk to "acidify" it, as well as "taste precursors" . One of the researchers was heard to comment on the subject of doubtful chemical additives: "and do you think that in making wine they just leave it all to the fermentation of the grape juice?"

But do note: certain wine makers do just that and I'm not criticizing those who don't! Each to keep to his own craft and, as we say, the cows will be well looked after!

So let the person who has never sinned throw the first stone … What would you do if you saw your crop deteriorating two weeks before harvest? What would you do if the market is saying your wine must taste the same year after year (the result of standardization)? What would you do if in order to appeal to certain wine judges, you must produce a particular type of wine – and you know that this is the way to sell all your production without dropping your prices? What to do also should your wine develop a smell like a stable of horses, which makes it practically undrinkable (due to brettanomyces).

Or looked at another way, is it fair to be thrown out from an "appellation" because you are making "atypical" wine, when all you are doing is respecting the laws of nature?

I have great sympathy for the opinions of the SEVE association and of Claude Bourguignon. He has set up with his wife the LAMS laboratory for the microbiological study of soils.

To me, it seems quite normal to watch over both the well being of one's vines as that of one's cows. Should we accept grapes becoming "fat" under the influence of NPK (Nitrate, Potassium, Phosphorous) fertilizer, leading to a shortage of oligo-elements and a need for treatment – and to kill the micro-organisms in the soil – and at the same time should we judge a cow only by its milk yield?

Just let's remember this saying of André Valadier, ex-President of the French National Committee for PDO Milk Products (INAO): "For a cheese to feel at ease in its rind, the milk should feel at ease in the teat and the cow at ease in its mind.

Well, I think one might say: "for a wine to feel at ease in its bottle, the grape should feel at ease on its vine and the vine in its soil".

But that's just me talking… an over-simplification … you just rely on your own taste buds (not on anybody else's opinions!)

Bugey wine gets its colours

On 28 May, the wines of Bugey were promoted from a VDQS denomination (obtained in 1958) to attain AOC (PDO) status – a significant step up. It's a PDO with a variety of different vintages – I got the list from their official website which details their individual qualities – in French if you care to dip in:

AOC Bugey        AOC Bugey Manicle    AOC Bugey Montagnieu

AOC Roussette de Bugey Montaignieu         AOC Roussette de Bugey Virieu-le-Grand

AOC Bugey mousseux or pétillant (whites and rosés) = various sparkling wines

AOC Roussette de Bugey    

AOC Bugey mousseux or pétillant Cerdon

AOC Bugey mousseux or pétillant Montagnieu

A few weeks back during a tasting session in Lyon – at Cavavin St Georges on quai Fulchiron – I sampled with delight a Brie de Meaux (from chez Dongé) with a sparkling Montagnieu from the Bonnard domain. Roussette + Chardonnay. A moment of great pleasure … enjoyed in moderation, of course.

These wines were honoured in the past few days at the 23^rd Entretiens de Bellay gathering, focussing as always on the primordial subject of "Taste". A subject of great concern in this part of the country as the famous gastronome Brillat Savarin, who wrote a famous book in 1825 called "The Aphorisms of Taste" (with the famous sentence : "A dessert without cheese is like a beautiful woman with only one eye."), came from these parts. It promised to be an inspiring event with the participation of Philippe Marchenay and Laurence Bérard, two researchers from the eco-anthropological and ethno-biological laboratory of the CNRS Research Institute, Jean-François Clément from ACTILAIT- Maisons du Goût and a number of chefs from Michelin starred establishments, such as Christophe MARGUIN, President of the Toques Blanches of Lyon.

 

Keeping your grapes till Christmas … a traditional practice!

As background, let's go to Thomery, a wine producing spot near Fontainebleau, where there are remains of wine presses from the days of King François 1er and where this practice was a fine art.

In 1730 they planted Chasselas (of Moissac) vines there, using a simple yet clever technique:

Building high walls along a series of levels spaced about 9 meters apart, along the hillside following the upward slope of the hill to allow the vine to benefit fully from the sunshine, plus the warmth given off by the stony surface by evening and night and to protect it from the wind. At the top of each ridgepole, there is a small glass canopy to further enhance the sunshine, like in a greenhouse. Vines are only planted against south-facing walls (as it is summarized in French in Wikipedia - picture found on the Tourism Council of Fontainebleau site). So I'm right to have planted my own little vine along a south-facing wall!

Over the centuries the question of ownership of the "party walls" involved has been hotly contested, as Isabelle Forichon, a surveyor explains in her blog (in French). Briefly the first wall was put up in 1730 and others up to around 1830 not along the boundary of properties but within them. They were used on their south and east sides for vines and on the north and west sides for pears. These were cases where a stretch of land behind the wall was also owned by a wall-builder (with a door through for access) but from 1850 the common practice was for such walls to be built along the edge of the plot, meaning that this "vine" wall only belonged to the person who owned it on its south and east side.

But even more impressive – in 1850 a new method of preserving grapes after picking was developed. Firstly with the creation of grape storehouses, installed in attics or cellars and in use from the month of October, to protect the fruit from cold, draughts and light in an optimal temperature (10°C). Also they used small bottles filled with water (20-30cl) into each of which, on shelves at a 45° angle, was dipped a bunch of grapes per bottle, so that it did not dry out or go mouldy, once it had been harvested. Such a grape "chamber" might hold from 2-3000 such bottles containing 1 or 2 bunches. Some grapes which have started to rot inevitably need to be removed so as not to affect the other grapes and charcoal is put into each bottle to prevent the water from becoming stagnant. This type of preservation ensures that the grapes remain in good condition for several months (usually until Christmas or indeed Easter) – Again source = Wikipedia;

Worth a try?

Details in English on www.wineterroirs.com

La Rectorie / La Preceptorie

There's a wine producing domain belonging for very many years to the Reig-Parcé family from Banyuls – on the Mediterranean coast just north of the Spanish frontier. The present generation in fact took up the reins exactly 25 years ago (their first vintage was in 1984) and have mastered with great skill the oxidation production technique so special to this region of France (except Franche Comté and its famous "vin jaune" - yellow wine made of Savagnin).

La Rectorie remains faithful to family tradition with a range of wines that are full of character:

• White: its "Argile" ("clay" in English) vintage (90% grey grenache, 10% white grenache)matured on its lie (=sediment) up till April, but also the "Fleur de Pierre" (rock's flower) vintage, a mixture of "vin de voile" and "vin rancio" (= old liqueur wine using oxidation), which I was happy to put together with an old Comté cheese
• Rosé: a "Côté Mer" Collioure, macerated for 12 hours (thus fairly dark), fermented in a barrel and then matured on its lie (=sediment)… to make it go very well with a fresh goat cheese.
• Red: a "Banyuls Nature" and two Collioure wines – a "Côté Mer" (facing the sea) and a "Côté Montagne" (facing the mountain) as one must not forget that the mountain is not far away and that the vines in this upper part of the domain are about 400 metres above sea level.
• VDN, vins doux naturels "mutés sur grain", natural sweet wines , on old stretches of land where black Grenache dominates, but also where you find grey and white varieties.
  • The "Parcé Frères" vintage, a fruity very lively Banyuls, with its "winey" character preserved in the barrel
  • The "Léon Parcé" vintage, harvested later, produced in tuns and casks
  • In particular I fell for the Elisabeth 1999 vintage, a difficult year as the aromas opened very late.

• finally there are also wines matured "sur jus" (on juice) and "l'Oubliée" (the forgotten one) a vintage made with over-ripe grey grenache and grown using the "solera" system – so there's no question of this becoming a particular vintage.

 But the history of the Rectorie of Banyuls can be compared since 2001 with another domain – the Preceptorie de Centernach in Maury, a place close by. This valley is also called Fenouillèdes and I would recommend you to go to visit it, as I did recently. You'll then easily understand why the vintners in that part of the world have strongly rejected the notion of getting together with the folks from Banyuls or Corbières! Their terrain is much more mountainous in the valley between the Ariège and the Mediterranean…

And just a word about these Parcés: an extraordinary family with its artists (poets, photographers…) and writers who like to quote (among other things) the Book of Maccabeus, where it is said:

"For just as it is harmful to drink wine alone, or, again to drink water alone, while wine mixed with water is sweet and delicious and enhances one's enjoyment, so also the style of the story delights the ears of those who read the work, and here will be the end."

But …as ever… drink in moderation!

Domaine Ventajou

I have a friend from the Beziers area, with a "rocky" Southern accent – just like the countryside in that part of the world. We both belonged to the same association in Paris some years ago and he continues to keep in touch with news of his family vineyard and his wish to sell more of his produce in a bottle rather than in bulk. Every time he has held a tasting session, I had the misfortune of not being free in Paris on that day. So when the opportunity arose again a couple of weeks ago and I was available, I hurried along there.

The 40 hectare Domaine Montajou is beginning to establish a fine reputation for the quality of its red Pays d'Oc wines (Grenache-Carignan and Merlot) as well as his rosés – but I particularly fell for his whites. Chardonnay + a touch of Viognier. Kept in a barrel for a few months. An elegant result, which I immediately put together with a Brie de Meaux cheese. Perfect! In moderation, of course…

Address:

SCEA Elisabeth Mourgue - 2 rue Norbert Chiffre - 34390 Murviel les Béziers

Tel: 04 67 32 10 35 - E Mail: domaine.ventajou@yahoo.fr

Not wine and cheese… Wine and peas !!

An article on the wine page of last weekend's Le Figaro newspaper offers an unusual input on the complex subject of the best marriage of wine and food.

It is found in the "Que boire avec… "column written by Enrico Bernardo, voted "Best Sommelier in the World" in 2004. It is simply entitled "… Les Petits Pois". (Garden Peassss)

After reminding us that peas, fresh from the marketplace, taste so much better than the tinned or frozen varieties, he points out that certain top chefs claim it is best not to keep the peas still in their pods more than half a day after purchase as they will begin to deteriorate. Instead you should coat them in butter and keep them in the fridge until you are preparing the meal.

Their sweetly perfumed "vegetable" taste means that peas go best with white meats and lamb but can actually be enjoyed by themselves as a purée or a soup.

For example a simple "crème de petits pois" dish in which the butter and cream give a "fatty" note that is light and delicate and so does not marry well with rich, tannic wines.

So he would choose a white Loire or even an Alsace wine. For example, a Sylvaner which is clear, spontaneous and with notes of almond, wild mint and of white meadow flowers and so will respect the vegetable flavours of the peas. And, Enrico Bernardo claims, "its delicate and full taste structure with its lightly fruity note will enhance even further the sweetness of the pea dish". (My translation of the poetic description, for what it's worth!

The final recommendation is for two wines from 2007:

-    A Sylvaner from André Ostertag (which can even start as an aperitif)

-    A fruity organic wine from Marc Kreydenweiss – www.keydenweiss.com

So avoid the frozen food cabinet once in a while. If only it was easier to find peas in their pods in British market places!

Thunder in April…

Tonnerre en avril, prépare tes barils is a well-known French saying, meaning "If it thunders in April, get your barrels ready"

Well it augurs well for a good vine harvest in the Côtes de Toul and the Meuse area of Eastern France. Check in again this autumn, because we had the grand-daddy of a storm in these parts during Eastern !!

Red and White

No we're not adding "and blue" as well today. Or pink.

Quite the contrary!! The hot subject in the wine world these days is the definition of rosé.

For White + Red = Rosé is a reality in a certain number of countries in Europe and elsewhere. However in France, rosé wine is traditionally made by "direct pressing" or "soutirage" (= very rapid maceration – often during one night – of red grapes). And English people were the first to enjoy the famous "clarets" from Bordeaux…

It's one more problem coming from Brussels, you might say. A harmonization that sacrifices our French culture with inferior products, produced at the outset to get rid more quickly of inferior quality "rough red wine that stains", by topping it up with white.

Well no, in fact.

It's not that simple.

It's a cultural problem, of course…but let me tell you that the French "rosé" tradition is not the same all over. Indeed, certain implacable operators… in the Champagne area … are currently the only ones to be able to produce their rosés by mixing their white (Champagne) wine with red… just fancy that! Maybe you didn't know that they grow also red grapes in Champagne? And have you heard of the "Blanc de Noir" from there?

And do you feel you are drinking an inferior tipple in opening a bottle of pink champagne?

In short we are heading for a new official requirement, that of adding the wording "rosé traditionnel" on "pressed" rosé wines, and "rosé de coupage" (blended rosé) on the rest. Well that's only applicable in France, as European law does not require the use of this second definition generally.

So you won't know how a Spanish rosé you are savouring is actually made. Unless you go over there yourself.

In any case just lie back and enjoy it – but of course, do drink it in moderation!!

What wine with chocolate – or what chocolate with wine? (Easter Special)

Last week in our local Surrey newspaper there was an interesting article by Heather Dougherty who runs a successful wine events business in London and Surrey called Red, White and Rosé and claims "Chocolate and wine combinations have more to them than meets the eye".

Chocolate, she says, presents quite a challenge for any alcoholic drink with its dense rich sweetness which lingers for a while in the mouth. The best partner depends on the type of chocolate – white, milk or dark plain chocolate. The basic rule is to ensure the wine is sweeter than the food you are eating.

Some of her interesting suggestions:

-with white chocolate – a Moscato d'Asti from Piemonte in Italy

-with milk chocolate – a tawny port or perhaps a Mavrodaphne of Patras (Greece) port-style wine

-with dark plain chocolate or desserts containing it – a 10 year old tawny port or a ruby port. Or indeed a Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise or particularly with a pud – a Maury or a Banyuls from France. And if the dessert is impossibly rich, then even try a syrupy dark coloured Australian Muscat.

Heather Dougherty does however acknowledge that some (include me among them!) prefer to drink a dry red wine to accompany that dark brown nectar. Here she proposes a heavy Zinfandel from California or an Amarone from Italy.

Or if one is at a loss for choice, in true British style – how about chocs with a nice cup of tea?

My one personal comment to this revealing and informative guide is what you mean by "chocolate". For me the white stuff is NOT chocolate and should be called "milky, sugary vanilla cocoa butter bar" and the other is only "half chocolate". Give me the real 70% cocoa solids ambrosia anytime! And by the way, I'm a dry red wine fan with the real stuff.

Heather Dougherty's website  : www.redwhiteandrose.co.uk and her note on this topic on her blog : heatherdougherty.blogspot.com

Written by GH

100% Koshu

A few weeks ago I had the chance to sample an exceptional wine … from Katsunuma– in the centre of the main island of Japan to the east of the Valley of Kofu, not far from the summit of the "Japanese Alps".

It was while I was participating in a soirée organised by the Wine and Business Club that I discovered this Koshu (sorry, no English site, you've to choose between French and Japanese) vine with its rosé grape, normally consumed as a dessert and only recently made into wine.

This specimen came from the vineyards of Bernard Magrez, who produced 2,400 bottles of his 2007 vintage under the name MAGREZ-ARUGA Koshu as it was a Franco-Japanese joint venture.. A subtle taste, with aromatic citrus notes close to those of a cabernet sauvignon.

Put it together with a Japanese dish at the start of a meal, for example a maki, such as that reworked by Eric Frechon, chef at the Bristol hotel in Paris, who has just acquired his third Michelin star…

To know more about Japanese wines there is, if you read French, a good article in Le Monde newspaper of 4^th March – "Quand le soleil levant s'éveille au vin" – "When the rising sun wakes up to wine". Also that Koshu wine is under threat and that Koshu grapes are only sold by the bunch…

Or try the Katsunuma Winery website (in English!!!) from which I took this photo of their grapes.

Here’s two wines from Alsace – with real “class”!

One of my friends from Colmar* has since long told me all about the top quality you can expect from the vintners of Pfaffenheim – notably their "Black Tie" wine, a subtle blend of 40% Riesling and 60% Pinot Gris in a surprising bottle for an Alsatian wine – like a long black coat-tail (hence its name) – very up to date – so it should go well with modern cuisine… or with a good hard cheese.

We are beginning to see it on the wine lists of certain fashionable restaurants… chic!

And when I was recently at the Salon de l'Agriculture, I came across another product from this cellar – a special Gewurztraminer named "Ancestrum", also in a bottle that's out of the ordinary. And I could not resist telling you about it.

Do try and go along there and discover for yourself why these two cuvées are so successful.

 

*And if you are in fact in Colmar, pop in to a great fashion boutique where you will be welcomed and advised by a lady of impeccable taste: LABEL MAG, 3 rue St Nicolas (not far from the cathedral) … that is to say before you visit her cheesemonger neighbour, Jacky Quesnot

Without ever forgetting that alcohol abuse is not only bad for your health, but destroys your ability to savour aromas… so drink in moderation, of course!

Ice cider in Quebec

A couple of weeks ago, the World Championships of Ice Cider took place in Quebec.

 Thanks to Françoise Kayser, a “gastronaute” from Quebec, I learned that the production process of this wonderful “apple wine” was being standardised … so no longer could  be made “any old how” – for instance artificial freezing is no longer allowed - only a 100% natural chilling process can be used …

 This discipline will protect producers as well as consumers. And hopefully it represents the first step towards an official “appellation” or designation. So says Françoise Kayser. Frankly, I would think it deserves an official PDO definition, wouldn’t you?

 I’m personally fond of enjoying – in moderation – ice cider together with a Normandy camembert PDO…

 And by the way, this really is a gentle, non-sparkling sweet “wine”!

Woodchips are for beavers !

 

Here’s a poster – from the Swiss Association of Vintners and Cellarmen – the equivalent of our independent wine makers in France – whose message couldn’t be clearer.

Instead of spending months on end in barrels (9 months for instance for a Fitou or 18 months for a Bandol), wines that are more and more matured with wood chips quickly take on stunning aromas … vanilla, coconut, clove…

The main oenological advantage of a barrel (an oak barrel, it goes without saying) is twofold: the oxygenation is very gentle : carbon dioxide escapes mainly through the cork hole and the polyphenols derived from the oak go on to be active in the condensation of tannins and their melding in with anthocyanins (source: scientific data from the oenologist, G. Girard)

But come on!  You can get almost the same aromatic result by sinking … oak staves from a barrel directly inside a concrete vat, can’t you? Anyway that’s not the opinion of Swiss winemakers and they tell it to you in a very joking way.

 (I won’t take sides – but I do have a strong preference for old fashioned methods which call for being careful and meticulous in the cleaning out of barrels…)

Phylloxera is spreading in Australia

 I saw in the wine trade press that that well-known pest has reappeared in Australia.

Which hardly surprises me, as I had been aware that Australia had been affected from 1875, that is to say, a dozen years after France, as I checked on Wikipedia (and you will learn there everything about this deadly little mite)

Well it would seem that this grim invasion had been restricted just to the state of Victoria (in the SE) sparing almost miraculously the other regions of this young wine-producing country (if the first vine was planted there in 1788, the initial production only saw the light of day in the 1830s.)

But since 2006, it has been the turn of the Yarra Valley to be affected (see map on Wineatlas.com). Not a surprise as this vineyard area is situated … in the state of Victoria.

Go back to Wikipedia to discover in English all about Australian wines and for the adjacent map full size, as well as the site of Australian wine producers.

By the way, did you know there is a procedure to obtain recognition for a wine region, in fact that of Coonawarra (cabernet sauvignon, close to Adelaide)? Remember wines should be drunk responsibly. Don’t forget - Alcohol abuse is very detrimental to health and destroys your sense of taste

And what sort of cheese do you find in Australia? I suggest you visit the corporate website of the Australian cheese producers … where you will discover that since 1960, they have been making more and more cheeses from various types of milk – not just from cows, but sheep, goats and buffalo… pasteurised, of course!

Suze la Rousse

I’ve not spoken to you for a long time about Suze!!  I dropped by there the other day… Memories came flooding back, despite the rain and the heavy sky… the vines still had their bright autumn colour.

And this prompts me to talk to you (again) abut how the Université du Vin runs numerous courses both for professionals and for the general public. For real beginners, there are even training and tasting weekends.

So what are you waiting for?

For more info go to the website :www.universite-du-vin.com

50 American states are producers of wine

Well we do rather forget that the USA is a great wine-producing nation, no. 4 in the world in fact after France, Italy and Spain… and even if 90% of the production comes from California, there are 50 states claiming to be wine producers, even Alaska! Rest assured, it’s not that vines grow that far north… there they just press and ferment the grapes coming from other regions..

The last state to gain recognition was North Dakota in 2002.

However it all started rather badly, the first immigrants tried without success to plant vines coming from Europe. But the first of them to understand they needed to graft them on to local plant stock (phylloxera had already arrived there!) were finally able to  produce wine which began to resemble the tipple which we were used to then over here.

To know more about the history of wine in the USA, I suggest you go to a most interesting website: vinisimo or even Wikipedia.

But let’s remember that the planting of local vines was still very rustic at that time… and of course they were not of very good quality! A good long time ago I sampled some wines from New York

State

there are vines along Lake Erie, which sometimes give wines that are “foxy” (having excessive animal tastes and flavours), typical of vitis labrusca or vitis riparia, vitis rotundifolia (remember in Europe we use vitis vinifera)

 Anyway all this is to prompt you to be open-minded and follow what the journalist Joel Stein said in an article he wrote in Time magazine last October about a tasting he undertook of 50 wines from those 50 states.

An interesting challenge! As he said himself mischievously: “If I found out that every state has a water park, I would not try to go to each one. That’s because water parks can’t get you drunk”

Take it easy, Joel!

SIAL 2008 – drinks department

This year’s SIAL Global Food Market Place in Paris has at last given wines and spirits a well deserved presence in a large part of Hall 7.

 With two tasting centres:

 

-       Best Buy wines: an international jury gave awards to wines which were particularly good value for money.

-       And of course the “Wine Innovation Forum” took place, discovering particular vines and with a programme of talks by professionals

 

Here are a few pictures taken during the salon…

 

 

And before we leave, here are three newcomers I was intrigued to hear about!!

 

-       Elixia – “shandy style” whites and reds … i.e. a subtle mixture of lemonade and wine, produced in Franche-Comté

-       Kiwicru, a newcomer from Corsica … a wine? Well, not really. A Fermented drink based on kiwi fruits (only those based on grapes can be called wines)

 

-      and Amer Bière from Lorraine, with Mirabelle plums… from Clair de Lorraine

-       To finish, you must just try “Rebootizer” a (Swiss) mixture of plants to help you get rid of too much alcohol…

 

10th Anniversary of Côtes de Toul AOC wine – 6th and 7th September

The Toul wine festival in Lorraine has a very distinct face to it this year with the 10th anniversary of Côtes de Toul AOC. A “gourmand” event with transport organised through the different Toul villages – a weekend of discovery.

More info available on www.couleursdutoulois.fr

I’m afraid I couldn’t make it - that same weekend the  Summer Slow Food University took place in Clermont Ferrand.                   

Quote for the day

“Wine and honey are marvellously suitable for consumption by mankind, whether in sickness or in health, if they are served at the right age and in the right quantity, depending on a person’s constitution:

Under 20 years old – none
Between 20 and 45 years old – just a little
Old folk over 45 – lots..”

 Hippocrates

 
That’s fine by me, I went over the top a good time ago!! But you should take it with a pinch of salt and a sense of humour, as it is clear that hygiene conditions at the time of Hippocrates were not like now … But today moderation is the rule, even for those over 45 years old ;-)

Rosé de Provence: St André de Figuière

I’ve just been to an interesting tasting session: it covered the different wines of the Combard family from the domain of Saint André de Figuière (website in english).

What was surprising was that I had recently heard François Combard on the radio programme of J.P. Coffe, talking about rosé wines.

Their involvement in the various colours of wine is extremely interesting, even if their unchallenged reputation is founded on the quality of their rosés. Moreover they have just received a gold medal at the 2008 “Mondial du rosé” (worldwide competition), judged by oenologists from all around the globe.

Just try their “Magali” vintage and you’ll understand… in moderation, it goes without saying, but above all make a special trip through La Londe Les Maures if you come to the Côte d’Azur this Summer. Their domain is easy to find: just turn left after the exotic bird garden if you’re coming from La Londe, then continue several kilometres through the vines…

 

What to do with old corks?

Here’s a creative idea coming from J.P. Rudelle from the Comptoir des Crus in Perpignan… or how to replace a door by something from the world of wine!!

Wine Courses at La Ferme des Essarts

Brigitte Rollet is tenacious… she needed time and energy to start up an activity which fits her like a glove: organising wine tasting courses at her farm (La Ferme des Essarts) not far from Romans in the Drôme department.

Courses and seminars, but also the sale of wine … and even artistic events and shows. I encourage you to discover her website lafermedesessarts.com to discover the range of activities they have on the subject of wine!

I came across Brigitte during a course at Suze la Rousse in 2006 … she is a native of Lyon, a photographic pro who has changed direction completely and who prepared herself extremely thoroughly by, among other things, taking a Masters in international wine and spirits business in Dijon.

Tasting session on beers & savour (including cheeses)

I went a short while ago to “La Cave à Bulles”  (The Bubbles Cellar) in the Marais quarter of  Paris (45 rue Quincampoix) to meet Simon, an ex-journalist who created this magical place two years ago.

 We had a tasting session with a commentary on the production of this small-scale brewery in Orgemont in the Marne departmentin the presence of his (young) brewer: Jean-Bernard Guyot who diversified the family agricultural business by opening this brewery in 2001. 1000 hectolitres per year.

His love for barley sugar (roasted) dates back to his student days in Lille. So I suggest you try in particular to accompany his brown beer, quite auburn in colour and with chocolate and honey aromas with an extra old mimolette…

And his “triple” which has fruity and spicy (coriander, ginger) aromas with an 2 year old L'Etivaz - a Swiss PDO Cheese with smoked aromas...

In moderation as always of course! Orgemont beers are in fact at a 6° level.

N.B. This brewery also makes Valmy beer, the only French beer that is called here “tracée”- meaning made from barley from producers in the Valmy region.

Also seen in this very original cellar: “DeuS” a very sweet beer made like champagne – according to the head of the establishment at 12° alcohol… and aged for at least 11 months.  A beer to keep. Simon, I promise to come back for more (at €22 a bottle – something I’ve never seen in my life before!)

News about my vine

It’s springtime in the Napa Valley !! Have a look at how my Verdot vine is doing:

Adopt A Grape Spring Update from Adopt A Grape 2008 on Vimeo.

Rhubarb with Munster (or Roquefort!)

A couple of weeks ago I headed for Pont-à-Mousson for a nice little meeting of bloggers who love the Lorraine.

And so, of course there was a tasting session of products from there!
Among which was a an extraordinary rhubarb wine… a “soft white” tipple by Michel Moine i.e. a Crillon des Vosges 2003..

I am used to combining Munster cheese with the “Délice de Rhubarbe” of Clair de Lorraine (12°) or even the rhubarb juice they make –which sadly is out of stock at present… but you can also find it on the Moine site.

 You’ll know that it’s only the stalk of the rhubarb that can be eaten. It likes damp soil and lots of sunshine and it grows very well in the Lorraine.

The acidity of rhubarb is offset by sugar but it still leaves a fresh taste in your mouth which allows it to go very happily with cheeses which are somewhat strong and “creamy” = a thin trace of fat is left in the mouth.

Just try putting it together with another local product – a well matured Munster.I’ve also tried it with Roquefort and with Bleu des Causses… and a really fully ripe Vieux Lille cheese.

Marvellous
In moderation none the less!!!

The Beer Workshop

Here’s an interesting initiative from another Typepad blogger, Elisabeth Pierre who has gone into setting up and teaching at beer workshops.
And Elisabeth knows what she’s up to, as she worked for many years for the Brasseurs de France (brewery syndicate)

She has a tasting session organised on June 17 in Paris on beers from Brittany at
 “Cave des Bulles”
45 rue Quincampoix
75004 – Paris
www.caveabulles.com

Do not hesitate to attend this tasting workshop by sending her an email atelierdesbieres@aliceadsl.fr

And with my soft spot for the LMorraine where I belong: look at her article on the beer museum of Saint Nicolas de Port … it’s just like being there!!

Stepmother to a cow … and now I’m one to a vine!

Several months ago I became stepmother to a Normandy cow, called “Valise” (suitcase in French) raised on the farm of La Tuilerie at Le Mesnil-Durand in the Calvados (check out the Graindorge cheesemaker website, based in Livarot) and this week, I’ve adopted a vine. An American vine, from the Napa valley to be precise.

Yes, I already see some of you smirking.

 So? Don’t you find my brand new vine attractive?? I’ve chosen block 1: a vine which will not be harvested before 2011 – and which won’t seriously produce wine before 2014. Growing vines is indeed an activity where you have to take time…

And how does one resist adopting a vine called Verdot – which is pronounced like the French phrase “verre d’eau”, meaning “glass of water”?!  Even with this name you do have to continue drinking it in moderation.
As it happens, this vintner whom I have known long before he became a star of his region of Aquitaine  is called David Fourtout … from the domain of the Clos des Verdots the name of the stream which flows under his chais. His top wines are quite remarkable.

And a big thank-you to Katheryne, another Typepad blogger who has just founded a company called “au Hasard du Vin” and who led me to this site. And she signs off her posts with a saying to be learnt by heart:

Au Hasard du Vin reminds you that drinking in moderation just makes wine taste even better…

Health: Red wine is effective against type 2 diabetes

Source: Vitisphere.com

 A study published in the American magazine “Science Daily” demonstrates the inhibitive power of polyphenols over alpha-glucosidases, enzymes responsible for the transmission of glucose into the small intestine and then the blood at the moment of digestion. This characteristic could help reduce high levels of glycaemia following meals in patients suffering from type 2 diabetes. Medicines currently available, the report continues, stimulate those enzymes responsible later for flatulence, diarrhoea and other intestinal problems which can be spared of patients, since red wine is void of these undesirable secondary effects.

I’m delighted to read this… while  at the same time being a little alarmed by the possible reaction of those reading this message literally. Be careful! It’s not only polyphenols you find in red wine!  Carry on enjoying it, but…in moderation!!!

Noble Joué

Ever heard of Noble Joué?
No??
And you’re a true wine lover?

The Touraine-Noble Joué is a “grey” wine originating in the Loire Valley, in fact it’s from… Joué-lès-Tours, a little town south of Tours, so below the Loire (and the Cher, purists would say). It’s been an AOC since 19 April 2001 (which could explain why you might not have heard of it).

Its area of “appellation” covers just 24 hectares, its annual production is 1250 hl, coming from a half dozen producers with vines covering the communes of Joué-les-Tours, Saint Avertin, Chambray, Esvres and Larçay.

I got all these facts from the Interloire website (www.vinsdeloire.fr) where you will also learn that the production of this wine is based on 3 Pinot vines (grey, meunier and black) 

As for me, I discovered Noble Joué thanks to Jean-Jacques and Sylviane SARD, owners and producers at Esvres, whom I let at a chapter meeting of the Commanderie of the cheeses of Sainte Maure de Touraine.

You mustn’t be put off by the sometimes gruff character of Jean-Jacques, his heart is as gentle as his wine! In fact, the Pinot Gris – which they call locally malvoisie - is a grape which gives a roundness to the wines (sweetness, “sugariness”…) but also all its strength.

So, as always, it’s to be drunk in moderation of course… by marrying its fresh, young taste for example with “rillons” (a local speciality made from pork cooked in fat and served cold).

And so I did, a couple of weeks ago, at a meeting of the "Confrérie of Noble Joué" in which I was inducted.
Website in French : www.noble-joue.confreries.org

 

Cheese and Saké

I’ve had a lengthy discussion with a group of Japanese men and women who came to Paris to improve their knowledge of cheeses, under the leadership of Rumiko Honma, the lady who founded over 20 years ago the Fermier cheese operation, the No. 1 cheese importer in Japan… farmhouse cheeses, of course.

Rumiko loves cheeses from France - and elsewhere (I often bumped into her in Switzerland for example), and here is the front cover of her fabulous book about AOC cheeses which she wrote in 2003 – (5 years ago – how time flies!)

Briefly in the course of a cheese and beer tasting session, one of the participants, a lady sommelier by profession, asked me if I had tried what she considered a perfect match: parmiggiano reggiano and sake. 

At the recent Salon de l’Agriculture in Paris, I called at the Japan stand and took with me a small piece of Sbrinz, the Swiss cousin of parmesan, and went on to make the discovery of sake. Or to be more precise, of various sakes. And I quickly realised that I’d got it all wrong. That I didn’t know anything about it all! 

In fact, sake was not that wretched super-alcoholic drink served at the end of a meal in a Chinese restaurant, but instead a “rice beer”, rather sweet, at about 16° alcohol, with subtle aromas – all varied, depending on the producers. 

And when drunk with an extra hard cheese, slightly salty because it has spent a good couple of weeks in brine at the beginning of its life, sake was magnificent and well worth trying. So why not also with a nice fresh goat cheese? Though that depends on what sort of sake you have at hand! 

Which brings me in turn to get you to discover the world of sakes via a marvellously educational site: the Sake blog (from the  midorinoshima company) and its chapter on how sake is made.

I was intrigued to discover the different stages:
- washing, rinsing (but not with any old water)
- short steaming
- production of the “koji”: a microscopic fungus which absorbs starch and transforms it into glucose
- fermentation in open vats, thanks to indigenous or bought-in yeasts
- pressing, in cloth for the best sakes
- filtration, pasteurisation
- maturation for 6 months in closed vats, with for some sakes the possibility of adding (or not) water to lower the level of alcohol.

Well, what do you know?

How about trying wine from the Vaud canton?

For example those produced by Albert Mamin of the Barichet domain in Blonay-en-Lavaud in the Vaud region of Switzerland, not far from Lausanne.

It’s worth noting that Lavaux has been mentioned in the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2007 for its wine terraces overlooking Lake Geneva .
So it’s one of the 851 protected sites having an exceptional worldwide value, as recognised by UNESCO.

“The wine terraces of Lavaux represent a cultural landscape that reflects in an amazing way its evolution and development over almost a thousand years thanks to its well preserved scenery and buildings, as well as the continuity and adaptation of ancient cultural traditions, typical of its region”

A wine for your loved one’s birthday... or next Valentine's day

Here we are … a very appropriate way to celebrate your loved one’s birthday together: some Neufchatel an AOC cheese from Normandy , if you don’t know it, and for wine, a white Saint Amour. Yes, that’s right, a white Beaujolaiswith the words “Appellation Saint Amour Contrôlée” on the label.

 Found in an extraordinary cellar: la Cave des Lombards in Sézanne (120 kms East from Paris) Tel +33 326 42 94 03

I also found, in this same cellar, a red champagne – oh sorry, I mean a red "coteau champenois"! not a sparkling wine at all !!.

What women look for in the choice of wine

According to a study by the IPSOS research unit called “Wine – a world becoming more and more feminine” carried out in May 2007 for the “Barons of Rothschild” domains and quoted in a supermarket trade publication - LSA – on 17 January 2008:

The criteria for purchase considered to be very (=extremely) important are in descending order:

      - the menu you are preparing
- the area of production
- the price
- the reputation of the PDO
- the year
- the description of the vines indicated on the label

The order does vary a little if you take into account the replies to the criteria “very important” or “rather important”, price getting more emphasis than the menu that is planned.

Well done, ladies, you have understood that you must choose with your menu in mind. I fear, alas, that the main course is likely to dominate these days in your choice.

But when will the choice of wine be made to go with the cheese course??

USB Wine

This time I’m sold… I recently received an ad for buying at a reasonable price a USB key to buy grand cru wines on line…

Just pay a visit to www.usbwine.fr and learn how to digitise your wine

As a marketing consultant, I can only compliment the agency who had the idea for this campaign aiming to launch a new website for selling wine: www.1jour1vin.com (private sales direct from the vineyard, so the site says). Instantaneous awareness, lots of goodwill aimed at a clear target group of high purchasing power.

Wine tasting courses

Original Presents: What to give to friends or lovers of wine?

The Wine University (Université du Vin in Suze la Rousse, Rhône Valley) invites you to attend their courses

SAVOIR et PLAISIR (Learn and Enjoy) WEEKENDS for discovery, tasting and gastronomy

Wine-Tasting Initiation Weekend – 19-20 January 2008 or 2-3 February 2008 or 15-16 March 2008 or 5-6 April 2008 or 17-18 May 2008  or 28-29 June 2008 or 19-20 July 2008
Cost: 340 euros inc taxes

Perfecting your Wine-Tasting Weekend – 29-30 March 2008  Cost: 350 euros inc Taxes

Saturday Wine Sensation – 26 January 2008 or 9 February 2008 or 8 March 2008 or 12 April 2008 or 24 May 2008 or 21 June 2008 or 12 July 2008 Cost: 155 euros inc taxes (300 for 2 people)

 “Passionate” Saturday – The Grands Crus Classés of Bordeaux – 12 January 2008 – Cost: 244 euros inc taxes.

“Passionate” Sunday – “Red Wines of France"13 April 2008 or 22 June 2008 – Cost: 180 euros inc taxes

“Passionate” Sunday – “The Grands Crus of France"

9 March or 1^st June 2008 – Cost: 200 euros inc taxes

Saturday Pleasure – Harmonising Food and Wine – Selective sampling – 8 March 2008 or 31 May 2008 – Cost: 165 euros inc. taxes

Saturday Gourmand Workshop around truffles – 2 February 2008 – Cost: 160 euros inc taxes

For further information contact Université du Vin, Le Château, 26790 SUZE LA ROUSSE
Tel : 00 33 475 97 21 30

www.universite-du-vin.com