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Labels: Blog, european wine bloggers conference, ewbc, Logroño, wine ... We did attempt a live video chat too with Yahoo Live! which was an absolute ...more
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The Wine Conversation
Thoughts on wine's role in our culture
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
wineconversation.com is moving home
Farewell Blogger! Hello Blogging!Dear Blogger PlatformYou've been a friend over the last 2 years or more, and were instrumental in getting me blogging in the first place, but I'm afraid to say we've grown apart and our relationship is no longer the same. I'm moving out!I'm very excited to let you know, if you've stuck with me over the last few weeks of relative silence, that I have moved home and put up a new blog on my own domain wineconversation.comIf you have been kind enough to add a link to my site from your blog, PLEASE update the link to the new address (http://www.wineconversation.com). I have an exciting plan for how to reciprocate on my new wine links page.I still intend to blog about wine marketing, wine culture and other fun wine related thoughts, but the flexibility of the new site will allow me to organise the content better and add a few more fun features over the next few weeks and months (and maybe even years!).This original blogspot site will continue to exist as Blogger does not allow me to easily redirect my traffic to the new site (shame on them!). I will leave all the content live and I'm including this message as the final post so that if you have made your way here you can easily find the new site.On the other hand, if you are a new visitor who has happened across this archive, you can read more about me, Robert McIntosh, and share thoughts on wine on the new site. You should also contact me through the new site as it will be the most up-to-date.I cannot sign off without a big thank you to Ryan at Catavino Marketing (who do Internet marketing for Bodegas but are equally experts in blogs for people like me) for his blog design expertise - thanks for the hard work and support in creating the new site!Come on over to The Wine Conversation and join in the new wine conversation.
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Thursday, September 18, 2008
And the beat goes on
It has been an embarrassingly long break between posts recently for someone who helped to organise a Bloggers' Conference, but that's the price you pay for getting involved in so many exciting projects.In fact there are so many, I'm finding it hard to focus on all the opportunities out there, so let me give you a little run down of what is afoot:1. Tonight (18 September, 2008 for future reference) is the 3rd edition of Twitter Taste Live, the coordinated tasting of wines by wine lovers across the world. Unfortunately this month is a little less coordinated due to the sad reality that we do not all have access to the same wines as everyone else. Tonight the event celebrates the wines of Michel-Schlumberger that are unfortunately rarely exported, so those of us not in the US will merely be peeking in the window of tonight's event ...2. Which brings me to the next project which is to create a version of this event more suited to the UK and European audience, possibly involving starting earlier and maybe even different wines. I am in talks with some very exciting potential partners, so sign up to the event site and keep an eye on this site3. Another good reason for the delay in posting is that I'm working on the transfer (at last) of this blog to a new platform. This will inevitably mean headaches for me, broken links for you, and tumbling technorati ratings, but I hope to keep these all to a minimum with help from my friends' blog marketing expertise. However, the result will be a more exciting blog with the flexibility to put in place even more features. Did I mention you need to keep an eye on this blog?4. I'm off to spend a few weeks in Rioja for vintage, and hope to have LOTS of information on the vintage there, and ideas from the people I meet. This time you can keep an eye on this blog AND my Rioja specific blog (sadly neglected of late too)5. Later in the year I will be helping to run a series of wine tasting events ... with a social media twist. I have made some very interesting new friends in the last few months that have opened up my eyes to quite how many exciting things are happening online in London and around the UK (check out Qype, Unchained Guide, TrustedPlaces and more) - and things we can probably take around the world too, so my head is buzzing with ideas. Erm, ... check this blog!6. Some older friends of mine (sorry guys, I mean I've know you longer) have just launched an exciting new site called The Wine Gang. I want to give it a proper review and share my thoughts on it, ... you know what's coming next, so I'll not bother saying it again.I could go on, but I've probably lost you by now anyway as you know you'll just be coming back again soon anyway.Exciting, and busy times.
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Robert McIntosh
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20:11
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Friday, September 12, 2008
The Beer Conversation
I hope you will indulge me and allow me to change the regular subject away from wine for a short while.The subject today is beer. To be specific, it is Stella Artois and their marketing and PR activities. THIS is what I was inspired by!I did not set out to think about beer marketing, but I had been trying to get along to a regular London Bloggers get-together for many months and I had failed 7 times already (that's almost a year of events) so I made a special effort for the summer party. To help celebrate the event, Stella Artois made the brave, and far-sighted in my opinion, decision to sponsor the event. Not only did they pay for drinks, but they also offered a quite unique prize - a trip for up to 6 bloggers in their Star Over London airship (or zeppelin) as seen above. Each of these seats cost up to £360, so it was no small prize!Stella Artois managed to tie in this prize to their sponsorship of "Love Your Local", a campaign they are supporting to highlight pubs that are at the heart of their community. To win the bloggers' prize we had to describe what we liked about our favourite local. I happen to have a great local pub (The Honor Oak), so it was no effort to write about them - and it so happens that I won one of the prizes.[You can see my pictures here]I also discovered that, as well as their long-standing and well regarded television commercials, they have a new interactive site with a game and other goodies (not sure about the game - it looks wonderful, but is it a game or a movie?) that includes a great collection and presentation of their adverts (I think these are the cinema-length versions).It is a sign of a good campaign that you can conduct several different activities but still manage to tie them together, keeping the brand profile high.Stella Artois emerges as a well recognised brand that cleverly manages to sell itself as a "premium" brand whilst still managing to compete on the mass market in pubs and supermarkets (i.e. it still discounts!). As far as wine is concerned, only champagne has managed to achieve this. Wouldn't it be wonderful to see a similar branding concept in the wine business?There are many reasons you won't see a wine brand pay to brand a zeppelin or shoot some of the most beautiful cinematic ads, chief of which is that none can afford it, but the impressive link up between the promotions, and the single-minded (although no longer "Reassuringly Expensive") and cleverly humorous presentation is something that would be wonderful to see. [I ought to point out that Stella Artois is not immune from criticism either, with regard to its branding, but I don't think it negates the point that wine brands who want to succeed, as well as surviving for somewhere between 82 and 642 years, can learn from this sort of consistent branding]
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Robert McIntosh
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08:42
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Thursday, September 04, 2008
Lots of Wine Conversation at the EWBC
There is a LOT I need to think about, do and write about following the success of the European Wine Bloggers Conference (EWBC) this weekend - so much so that I have neglected to put up a post on this blog since my return, which rather misses the point!So, what does the EWBC mean for The Wine Conversation? Here are some very early thoughts:The wine conversation needs to be less insular. We talk about wines we know and have access to, but there is so much more to learn and experience. We need to find ways to broaden our horizons, and listening to wine lovers from other countries is a great place to startWine bloggers are as diverse as wine drinkers. Very few of us are doing the same as one another (wineries, marketing, tastings and more), which gives great scope for sharing ideas for conversations and exploring our different takes on them. We should find out what readers want to know more about and explore it together and maybe get debates goingLet's stop being too introspective (says a great offender) and be more innovative, particularly with media. Enjoying wine is NOT all about tasting notes and points systems. We need more video, audio, imagery and other creative contentHonesty is not just the best policy, but essential to the trust bloggers need to build credibility. This doesn't come from Codes of Conduct or Terms & Conditions, but from action. Let's get on with doing the kinds of things that will really surprise and delight readers (like winery bloggers sharing details of the harvest and even tasting each others wines - coming soon!)Wine brings people together. Naturally. We must continue to get across that drinking and enjoying wine is more than getting drunk and avoid playing into the hands of those who would kill off the wine cultureAll of these topics are ripe for their separate discussions and I already have ideas of new friends to contact to explore them further.There will be some concrete actions coming out of the conference, including some further gatherings (maybe one in the UK for bloggers & our readers over here?), but these will have to wait for another day. In the interim, check out the videos of the conference on VinusTV or on the EWBC site, and follow some of the resulting discussions on Wineblogger.info - the site for sharing tips and thoughts on wine blogging.Finally, let me say that the conference was hard work - getting it organised and running it took a great deal of effort. I want to thank all those who took part for the fun weekend, but I particularly want to thank 2 groups of people:First, my friends at Dinastia Vivanco (my major client) who not only encouraged my obsession with this topic, but also agreed to sponsor the event. I'm forever indebted to you - thank you Santiago and Rafael Vivanco!And last, but not least, Ryan and Gabriella Opaz at Catavino.net for being such great people, committed bloggers and wonderful, wonderful friends.
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Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Calm before the storm
Image by Ryan Opaz via Flickr It has been a little quiet around here, and that isn't JUST because it took me a while to recover from twittering about wine until 2 am on Friday.Firstly, I've been working on some thoughts on monetisation for wine bloggers which are being posted on the European Wine Bloggers Conference site (part 1 is live now, the next parts go up over the next day or two) as are part 2 and part 3 - part 4 is our discussion at the conference which I will report on after the event.Secondly, the conference takes place this weekend in Rioja, in both Logro?o and Briones (at the Dinastia Vivanco Museum of the Culture of Wine) from where we hope to be able to bring you some Live Blogging!Unfortunately our internet connection will probably not support live audio/video streaming, but our friends from Vinus TV will be putting the materials recorded during the day live as soon as possible (I do hope Gema comes to the conference!)A few of us will be trying to keep you updated through the use of Cover It Live, but as it will be my first chance to use it, I have NO IDEA how effective it will be, but head on over to the EWBC site and check it out if you can on Saturday.I may be offline for a day or two, but hope to keep you updated here, or on the EWBC site, as to the build-up of the event, some of the wonderful wines we taste and the new friends I make.Wish me luck!
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Robert McIntosh
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Friday, August 22, 2008
Ooh! I'm all a-twitter [updated]
I've finally gathered myself together enough to be able to post a round up of last night's Live Twitter Tasting & marathon food matching adventure.It was a real experience!First, I need to thank my key partner-in-crime; Andrew (wine_scribbler). Andrew was the one who had received the Hugel & Fils samples in the first place, and also the one to come up with the ideas for the food matching menu (below). Thanks so much!So, the story: The second edition of the Twitter Live Tasting took place last night as planned, and as we European participants had to wait until midnight for the tasting we thought we'd do it over dinner and tweet later. So Mex helped me to put together a stellar line-up of social media savvy guests to join the fun. We all wrote our thoughts separately and compared notes later - hard work, but fun.[click here for more photos - thanks everyone!]So, to the matches and my thoughts:1. Hugel Tradition Gentil (aka Les Fleurs d'Alsace) 2006Match: Scallops pan fried with white wine, ginger, garlic and chilliThe Gentil was a "palate tingling" experience. An interesting complexity of fruit flavours and a crisp finish that partnered very well with the delicate, yet spicy dish. Excellent!2. Hugel Tradition Pinot Blanc 2006Match: Red Onion or Asparagus Tarts with baby leaf salad (I bought these, I must admit)I must admit that this was my least favourite of the wines as I found the nose and the palate rather muted. However, the wine coped incredibly well with the lovely tarts despite the egg, and in fact was all the better for the food match. Not bad but there was better to come, and I think there was a consensus to this effect between all of us.3. Hugel Tradition Gew?rztraminer 2006Match: Fois Gras Mi Cuit with toast and fig chutneyThe foie gras was lovely, and worked well with the Fig chutney. However, the Gewurtztraminer, with its rich, spicy, ginger and wild honey flavours, amplified things further. This wine and match was the star of the night I think. Interesting that the Gewurtz would be selected by those who had never drunk it before as you'd expect it to be one of the most challenging as it is SO different to the Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio most UK drinkers are used to. I found this very inspiring and I look forward to sharing more unusual varieties with my friends in future. 5-star excellence! 4. Hugel Riesling Jubilee 2004Match: Pork Medallions with Mustard Mash, Apples and Cider ReductionI'm afraid I made everyone wait for this as I had been busy eating and drinking and not preparing, but it turned out OK and I'm grateful for my patient guests. The Riesling divided the table. Those of us who are familiar with Riesling, and the uniqueness of Alsatian Riesling in particular, I think really enjoyed it's "petrol", floral and hints of something rubbery and spicy at the same time. A classic Riesling for me. However, some were not as fond of this, and found some of these aromatics a little off-putting. I can understand that, but I have hopes that over time they'll come around. The wine was very good, but maybe I should have decanted it earlier as Etienne later suggested during the Live Twitter, however it matched the dishes rich reduction and hints of sweetess well.5. Hugel Gew?rztraminer Vendage Tardive 2001Match: Coconut Maccaroons [supposed to be accompanied with fruit salad]By this stage the final train home loomed, so we missed the salad and jumped straight into the wine. Gorgeous wild flower honey richness and wonderful cleansing acidity and superb length. This was a great wine.The LIVE EVENT:Once the others ran off to their train and get home in time to participate (what stamina!), Andrew and I logged in to join the simultaneous tasting across the world. I know I chatted with people across the US, Spain, South America (?) and even China (hi there StrongTiger).We did attempt a live video chat too with Yahoo Live! which was an absolute disaster, although amusing at times as we attempted to communicate without audio using signs and whiteboards. I'll never do THAT again. Apologies to all those who were forced to listen to me alone as it seems I was the only one with working audio.Lots of comments, feedback, differing views on wines and questions for Etienne which I think he handled pretty well considering the time delays and the occasional Twitter Fail Whale.I will attempt to post some of the conversation here in a few days - I'm working with some friends on a solution.A bit of chaotic fun and hopefully a bit of encouragement for readers out there to try some Alsatian wines with a variety of foods.SOME THOUGHTS:Twitter was a very important ingredient in this event, but not, I guess, in the way we might have expected. Everyone wanted to experience this sort of event using Twitter, and this alone brought people on board who might not be as interested in wine alone. It also meant we could let people know about it, reach out to get more participants, build some excitement and coordinate our events. But the actual tasting on Twitter is a little too chaotic and complicated by refresh delays and limited space.I wonder whether in future we need a separate platform alongside Twitter to conduct the Q&A section of the tasting, using Twitter to reach out to a broader audience?Other, more personal 'learnings':1. I need to plan the food more in advance so I can join in the conversations and not keep running away2. We need to organise a separate UK/European edition at a more convenient time so more of our followers who cannot taste the wines themselves can follow the event3. Mex knows EVERYONE! If in doubt, ask her for advice4. Get more Moo cards! They are such a conversation topic of nothing elseThank you ever so much to:Andrew [Review 1], [Review 2]Mex Niamh [Review]Lea [Review]Kai [Review]Annie [Review]Sandrine [Review]Jeremy [Review]Lolly [Review]James [Review]And of course, a BIG thank you to Bin Ends Wine and Hugel & Fils for putting this event on.See you all again soon I hopeUpdate 24/08/2008: I've added links above so you can read lots of other reaction from those present as well. Thanks everyone
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Robert McIntosh
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Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Twitter Live Wine Tasting - UPDATE
This is becoming very interesting!First of all, Springwise has selected this event to be featured on its site for trend spotters and entrepreneurs everywhere. Second, the little dinner alongside the tasting that Andrew and I were going to hold, is turning into a 5 course banquet of delicacies for a group of 5 or 6 "movers and shakers" in London's digital world. Identities are currently being protected to stop the groupies, other than mine, mobbing my front door :)Lastly, I have found a few more sites that you might want to check out if you are thinking of joining in at all:http://twittertastelive.com: set up by binendswine as the home of the events, presumablyTwitzu Event page: register your twitter ID here so we all know you will be taking part1 Wine Dude's Yahoo Live! Broadcast: unlike my event, Joe Roberts will be broadcasting his dinner party and tasting live (assuming all this twittering activity does not crash the whole internet)!
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The blog has moved home!This site is no longer updated - please visit:http://wineconversation.com
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Ooh! I'm all a-twitter [updated]
Twitter Live Wine Tasting - UPDATE
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Constellation Academy of Wine - Our Blog - Fireside Chat With Owen ... |
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Mar 16, 2010 ... We blog about great wine—providing news, information, and links to resources ... Fireside Chat With Owen Smith, Toasted Head Red Winemaker ...more
Constellation Academy of Wine - Our Blog - Fireside Chat With Owen Smith, Toasted Head Red Winemaker We blog about great wine—providing news, information, and links to resources that we think you'll enjoy.
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Owen Smith shares his wisdom about the red wines of Toasted Head. Learn about the Dunnigan Hills and other North Coast appellations Toasted Head sources red grapes from. Also learn about Untamed Red, Toasted Head's red blend. (15:42 min) iTunes link: Subscribe here Mobile link: Listen to on a mobile device Podcast - Toasted Head Red Wines View Printer Friendly Version
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Cooking Chat. A place for recipes, wine recommendations, and chatting about good ..... I started this blog to share my interests in cooking, wine and more. ...more
Cooking Chat
A place for recipes, wine recommendations, and chatting about good food.
Monday, May 30, 2011
A Julia-Inspired Pairing
About a year ago, I enjoyed reading Julia Child's memoir My Life in France. One striking part describes her first meal in France, which is retold here in The Times. The simple but passionately conceived preparations, along with a good bottle of Pouilly-Fume, started to set Julia on her path. Since reading this, making sole meuniere has been on my cooking to do list. Dover sole was on sale the other day, so it seemed like good time to give it a try. I liked the sound of this Food Network version, so followed this recipe. I hadn't cooked sole before, and was struck by how delicate it is. A bit tricky to keep it from falling apart! Two of the four fillets came out looking pretty nice, the other two broke into several pieces. The fish had a subtle flavor--at first I put a bit too much sauce on mine and it overwhelmed the fish. Once I corrected that, though, it had a nice taste.This French style dish seemed like a great excuse to open up the bottle of white Burgundy I'd picked up a few weeks ago. The 2009 Verget Terres de Pierres Bourgogne can be had for mid-$20s, which is pretty good for white Burgundy. From the Macon region, this one has a steely-crispness and smooth finish. It was a very good match for the fish--I'd encourage you to try the combination or simply get yourself a bottle of the wine and find your own pairing! I think Julia would like this combo, though to be truly inspired by here I need to make the dish a dozen more times and really get it right!
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David
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Monday, May 16, 2011
Penne with Garlicky Chicken & Broccoli
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the chicken, broccoli and ziti dish served at traditional Italian restaurants. But I've been told that the secret to the traditional version's taste is LOTS of butter; so here's how I lightened up this classic without losing flavor.5 cloves garlic, mincedbunch broccoli, chopped1/2 red bell pepper, chopped3 tbsp olive oil1/4 cup white wine1 lb penne 2 boneless chicken breast fillets (12-16 ozs), cut crosswise in 1/2 inch strips1 tbsp fresh oregano1 tsp dried basil6 green olives, pitted & chopped1/2 cup parmesan cheese (I mixed in some feta because I had some on hand)salt and pepper to tasteSteam broccoli briefly, 2-3 minutes. Run under cold water and set aside. Put on a pot of water to boil for the pasta.Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in large skillet on medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until outside is white, starting to brown. Stir in the the garlic, red bell pepper and another tbsp olive oil. Lower heat to medium. Cook for a minute or so, then stir in the broccoli, oregano and basil. Stir in the white wine, cover and reduce heat to simmer on medium low. Stir occasionally and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.Meanwhile, cook the penne according to package directions, starting it around the time you add the garlic and pepper to the pan. When it is ready, drain and toss with the chicken and broccoli mixture, olives, cheese and 1 more tbsp olive oil. Serve and enjoy!Wine pairing: You could make a case for a medium bodied white--perhaps a Soave or for instance, or maybe a lightly oaked Chardonnay. But I went with a Melini Chianti--a great value at $10, and worked pretty well with the dish. Can't go too wrong with Chianti and a pasta meal!
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5:31 PM
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Saturday, April 30, 2011
Gingered Pork & Veggie Stir Fry
This is a dish Thomas Jefferson would love--just enough meat to add some flavor and substance to a mostly vegetable based meal. More importantly, my 5 year old loves it! (OK, not every veggie in it, but I know something is working when I get a smiling thumbs up after serving a new dish). There are of course many variations on the basic stir fry concept, but this seemed to come out better than the typical version and seemed worth sharing.Sauce:1/4 cup soy saucejuice from 1/2 lemon1 tsp honey1 tsp brown rice vinegar1/2 tsp cornstarchStir Fry1 thick, boneless pork chop1 1/2 cups chopped red & green bell peppers1 garlic clove, minced1 inch ginger, peeled & chopped1 1/2 cups snap peas, removing any thick strings (but you can get stringless which makes it easier)1 bunch quick cooking greens-I used Swiss chard, chopppedappx. 1 tbsp canola or other vegetable oilIf you haven't done much stir frying, point 1 is, be sure to get everything cut up in advance. The cooking process is fast and requires frequent stirring. As you start chopping, start cooking some rice to serve with the dish.Make the sauce: combine all the ingredients through the vinegar, then gradually whisk in the corn starch. Set aside (you'll need to stir again before adding to the pan).Slice the pork thinly crosswise, about 1/2 inch thick. The cut the other way, also about 1/2 inch, so you get a good number of small, match shaped pieces. This spreads the meat nicely and helps it cook fast.Put a wok or large skillet on high heat. Add oil, when good and hot, add the pork and stir until the outside of the meat is white, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.Return the pan to the heat, still on high, then stir in the peppers. Cook for a minute or two, then add the garlic and ginger. Stir for about 30 seconds, then add the peas and greens. Cook until the greens start to wilt, a minute or two. Now add the pork back in, lower heat to medium, stir in the sauce. Cover and simmer for about 3 minutes, until the pork is done--you want to get it off the heat when it's close to being white throughout, but not quite...i.e. don't overcook it. Give it a good stir and serve over some rice. Healthy & tasty!I'm writing these notes up a bit after the fact, and didn't record my wine pairing. But riesling is a natural choice for stir fry; an unoaked or lightly oaked chardonnay could also work.
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Saturday, March 26, 2011
Open Note to Self
It's about me, right? There are many reasons for blogging about my food and wine interests; but the longer I do it the more I realize that foremost among them is that it's a great way to keep track of my own recipes and finds for future reference. So I'm going to take it a step further and try to get into the habit of jotting quick notes of wine and food I've tried that I want to come back to for future use. These notes to self will have less prose than some other posts and get right to the chase. But they are open--you too may find it useful if you're looking for a good wine or food tip to check out these notes. On this blog, I'll use the tag "WTBA" for "Wine to Buy Again" and "FTBA" for "Food to Buy Again. I'll also use more refined tags over on Diigo.This first note to self was prompted by a recent visit to Pairings Wine and Food, when I sampled two very good wines that I'd love to have brought home. But alas, I was nearing the end of the month's wine budget and neither bottle fit into the short-term cooking plans, but I definitely like to enjoy more than a taste of these when the time is right! They are:Hitching Post St. Rita's Earth Pinot Noir (reg price $37) It had been so long since I'd seen the movie Sideways, I'd forgotten that Hitching Post was the place they hung out frequently in their wine tasting adventures. After sampling this, I can see why they wanted to visit this place often! I'm thinking this might make a nice Easter wine. At the tasting, it was paired with Stonewall Kitchen Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce served on cheese ravioli--a good combo; in fact I'm going tag this pasta sauce to pick up too.2005 Ceretto Zonchera Barolo (reg price $50, on sale til months end at Pairings for $40) Very enjoyable and approachable for a fairly young Barolo.
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Women in Wine: A Chat With Stellekaya's Ntsiki Biyela « avvinare |
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Feb 13, 2010 ... 2 Responses to “Women in Wine: A Chat With Stellekaya's Ntsiki Biyela” ... Really interesting post at Schiller-wine.blogspot.com, ...more
Women in Wine: A Chat With Stellekaya’s Ntsiki Biyela | avvinare I met Ntsiki Biyela, a 30 something South African winemaker who was born and raised in Kwa-Zulu Natal, about a month ago during her visit to promote Stellekaya’s wines in the United States. Ntsiki is one of only two or three black female winemakers in South Africa but that isn’t the only reason that she’s so remarkably interesting. It’s because she’s a young, dynamic, great winemaker. She’s also a very talented communicator and actually convinced me to take a second look at Pinotage, a grape that I have never been partial to, to be quite frank. I spent many hours chatting with Ntsiki over the course of an afternoon and during a dinner that was organized at Braai, a South African restaurant owned by the same people that run Xai Xai, the well known South African wine bar. Ntsiki joined Stellekaya in 2004 and was at first assisted by Peet Le Roux. She’s been making the wines on her own since 2005 and works at times with consultant Michael Carmichael Green. Her 2004 Cape Cross won a Gold medal at the Michelangelo Awards. It was the first gold medal won by a black winemaker in South Africa and it was her first vintage. Stellakaya is owned by Dave Lello and his wife Jane. Stellekaya, located in Stellenbosch, came out with its first vintage in 1999. Stellekaya means home of the stars, a combination of the Italian word for stars, Stella and Kaya, an African word for skies. That’s how Dave sees his winery, an African winery that makes wines in the European tradition. Stellekaya currently makes about 10,000 cases a year from these noble grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Shiraz, Pinotage and Sangiovese. Ntsiki makes two lines, the Fusion Collection and the Eclipse Collection. I tried a number of the wines and was quite partial to the Fusion Collection, a series of blends made from the same base, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with a touch of a different grape added to differentiate each of the three wines. The Cape Cross which is Ntsiki’s favorite is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with a small percentage of Pinotage. She made me a convert as well. She called Pinotage a spoiled child that wants to grab all the attention. That is if you let it. The trick, she noted, was to keep it under control and not allow it to dominate the blends. Ntsiki looks for balance and integrity in all of her wines and it seemed to me she was right on target with the Cape Cross and other wines. Both Dave and Ntsiki spoke about how Pinotage is misunderstood in the United States because we have only gotten poor examples that have green bell pepper notes. Pinotage, they said, needs to be trained on a trellis and not grown on a bush vine the way many producers grow it. Stellekaya also allows its’ grapes time to cool after harvest and then lets them go through a cold maceration for 3 to 4 days. The grapes go into open fermenters and the cap is punched down in a traditional method. Stellekaya uses a wooden basket press and matures its’ wines in French oak barriques. Most of the wines are matured for 12 to 22 months in barriques and then spend an extra few months in the bottle before being released into the market. Ntsiki also makes two other blends in the Fusion collection, one with a touch of Sangiovese and the other with a percentage of Cabernet Franc. The Sangiovese blend is an homage to Dave’s love for Italy where he proposed to his wife. Ntsiki said she was still discovering the potential of Sangiovese. She was quite surprised she noted at how deeply colored her 2009 vintage of Sangiovese has turned out. This wine, called Hercules 2006, spent 10 months in French oak. It was somewhat different than other similar blends I have had with Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It was deeper and richer with chewy tannins but still a hint of Sangiovese’s acidity came through. I am sure that I would not have been able to place the wine in a blind tasting. My favorite wine of the three was the Orion 2005 made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. I am very partial to Cabernet Franc in general and Ntsiki’s treatment of it was exquisite. This wine truly impressed me and had me asking for many more glasses despite its high alcohol level, 15%. Perhaps it was because it was so amazingly well balanced but I didn’t get the kind of heat I usually do in a wine of that level. It was beautiful with layers of flavors and nuanced aromas of tobacco, chocolate, cedar, herbs and spices. Ntsiki said she had been looking to make a wine like Orion, “one that is full and big but that is accessible. One that speaks to you and gives you everything, all the character, balance and integrity that you could want.” I also tried their mono-varietal wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, both were good but I found the Merlot to be more my style. An easy drinking wine, it went very well with the food served at Braai.
In addition to discussing Ntsiki’s wines, we spoke a bit about what it was like to be one of the only black female winemakers in the country. “I was recruited to study at Stellenbosch and was given a scholarship by South African airlines. I moved 1000 miles away from home, from my grandmother who raised me as if I was her daughter and from everything I knew,” Ntsiki said. “I have been in Stellenbosch for 10 years now, 6 years with Stellekaya but Natal will always be home to me. There have been many changes in Stellenbosch over the last years. Many more black people now attend the University. There were five black women in my class but only two of us are now winemakers.” Despite being a bit of her element, Zululand only got electricity in 2004, when she first came to Stellenbosch, Ntsiki said it has thus far been a great journey. “Stellenbosch is a great place to make wine. There are no problems with the climate. Sometimes you get a heat wave but not that often. We also have great soils,” she added. I didn’t get to taste it but Ntsiki also makes a Shiraz. “It’s not at all like your typical Shiraz. Yes it’s big and peppery but it is also smooth and elegant with beautiful colors. Ntsiki has a long history with fermenting juice and used to make her tribal drink in Zululand, stirring a pot for many hours at a time when she was growing up. The drink she was making was a traditional beer made from corn and sorghum. Ntsiki who lost her beloved Grandmother in recent years told me a funny story that underscored just how extraordinary her choices have been. While fermented drinks are part of the tradition in South Africa as is beer, some areas such as Zululand are not awash in wine. When Ntsiki’s grandmother first tasted her wine apparently she didn’t say anything but the second time she laughed and said that’s much better. “She always encouraged me to be the best I could be. If I am strong today, it is because of her,” Ntsiki said. “Dave is a great boss. He doesn’t micromanage me which is very important and it makes me want to do even better,” Ntsiki added. Last year, Ntsiki was named Women Winemaker of the Year. “I feel blessed and I think this is going to be a great year,” she added. Ntsiki said that 2009 was a great harvest despite a heat wave and that she had high hopes for the vintage.
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2 Comments Filed under Restaurants, South Africa, Travel, Wine Bars, wines Tagged as Natal, Ntsiki Biyela, South African Wines, Stellekaya, Stellenbosch, zululand I enjoyed reading this posting and other entries. You might be interested in this: http://www.schiller-wine.blogspot.com/2010/03/wine-and-international-womens-day-2010.ht Welcome to avvinare Christian and thanks for commenting. Really interesting post at Schiller-wine.blogspot.com, thanks for pointing that out. I’m going to put you on my blogroll.
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WineChat.TV » Blog Archive » Wine Chat TV Ep. 14: The Death Of ... |
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Jun 25, 2009 ... Covering wine at a pitch only dogs can hear! « Wine Chat TV Episode 13: Interview with Tom Tiburzi · Wine Chat TV Ep. 15: Basic Food Pairing ...more
WineChat.TV » Blog Archive » Wine Chat TV Ep. 14: The Death Of Chardonnay
We pay homage to one of our best friends… Chardonnay. A true master of styles, a veritable chameleon, Chardonnay left behind a memorable legacy.
Pope delivers a beautiful eulogy. Chris and Jase discuss what really killed Chardonnay. Oh, and there’s a twist ending. It’s like an M. Night Shyamalan movie or something….. you’re sure to get a shock out of this one!!! Posted in Episodes | Tags: chardonnay, goofy, reviews, white wine, Wine
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This website uses IntenseDebate comments, but they are not currently loaded because either your browser doesn't support JavaScript, or they didn't load fast enough. This is very funny and creative. Good job ! Walid Romaya
Prince of Wine Thanks, we really put our all into this one. Thanks for checking it out. We appreciate the feedback. Love it- The Corton-Charlemagne bit was great. ABC freaks need multiple kicks in the nutz! They love to beat on Chard, but can’t get enough Malbec. Best. Episode. Ever. Although oak should be used more for coffins and less in wines, you have convinced me that Chardonnay deserves to live! Hallelujah, we have another convert? Seriously Mark, thanks for the comment. And thanks for watching. On the subject of oak, I?m not for throwing out the baby with the bath water. I think we can all agree that oak has been abused, but I?m not ready to give up drinking Bordeaux or Gran Reserva Rioja just yet. On the other hand? I was at Prowein tasting South American wines a few months ago, and you can see a trend. On average each producer had maybe 5 tiers of product. Some had more. While there were quality distinctions in some cases, much of what divided each tier of wine was (you guessed it) oak. For example… you might find a solid red that can sell on US shelves for $6.99. Or you can buy that same wine with a little time in oak for a couple dollars more. Or you can buy the reserve with 12 months in oak (much of it new) for a couple bucks more than that? and so on. Some of these oaked wines tasted great? most of them tasted like wood. For the producer, it?s a simple equation. By investing in oak, they can sell their wine at a greater price. This is simple commerce? and a fairly terrible winemaking practice. I wonder too about the quality of the cooperage. We can?t pretend that the oak used on $12.99 ?Reserva? Malbec is of the same quality as those used to age first growth Bordeaux. At this price point, you?re really scraping the bottom of the (ahem) barrel. Name *
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VIDEO Pizzaiolo Nick Strawhecker chats about Verace Pizza ... |
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Nov 5, 2009 ... VIDEO Pizzaiolo Nick Strawhecker chats about Verace Pizza Napoletana and Wines To Match! | WineToMatch.more
VIDEO Pizzaiolo Nick Strawhecker chats about Verace Pizza Napoletana and Wines To Match! | WineToMatch
“Pizzaiolo” (pizza maker) Nick Strawhecker chats about Verace Pizza Napoletana and Wines To Match. In order to talk about Neapolitan pizza, we need to first talk briefly about life in Naples. A good place to start is Fred Plotkin’s book, “Italy for the Gourmet Traveler.” Plotkin is a noted expert in Italian food, wine, and music, and notes in his book that Neapolitans are “vibrantly alive” and love to gather in the streets and cafés to “spend time together, drink wine, to sing, to race cars, and to make love.” The famously animated Neapolitan people live in a densely populated city, and they “tend to focus intently” on the details of life, according to sommelier and wine writer David Lynch. They are apt to have fiery public disagreements about how well a suit has been tailored, whether or not the crema of their espresso is too thin or too thick, and what should and shouldn’t be regarded as “vera” (true) Neapolitan pizza. Arthur Schwartz, in his excellent book, “Naples at the Table,” takes an exhaustive look at the history of pizza in Naples and the culture that surrounds it. I, like most Americans, believe that anytime is a good time for pizza, but Schwartz tells us that in Naples, “most people eat their big meal in the middle of the day and go out for pizza at night.” I was also surprised to learn that “most Neapolitans would never consider baking a pizza at home and haven’t since the first pizzeria opened” (around 1830). But this certainly can’t be considered the birth of the pizza pie because flat breads have existed in Naples since ancient times. Schwartz tells us that “the word pizza is related to pita” and that “it is a good bet that both pizza and pita are descended from the year-risen breads of the Egyptians.” It wasn’t until the introduction of the tomato to Italy from the New World that “Neapolitan” pizza was born. The first style of Neapolitan pizza had just tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and oregano, which is essentially what marinara pizza is today. Later, in 1889, Queen Margherita from Piedmont traveled to Naples and a new pizza was created in her honor. This was essentially an embellished marinara with mozzarella and whole leaves of basil. This gave the pizza its “tricolore” or three colors which resembled the Italian flag and the Pizza Margherita soon overtook marinara pizza in popularity. Neapolitan pizza today is protected by its own DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) and must be made with exacting standards from the Verace Pizzeria Neapolitana (Association for True Neapolitan). These “certified” Neapolitan pizzerias have now spread across the globe including the United States. Spacca Napoli in Chicago and the 2Amys in Washington, DC are two notable examples, but there are many more. In these establishments, the dough may only be made using soft-grain doppio zero flour, fresh yeast, water, and sea salt. Allowed toppings are: Italian San Marzano plum tomatoes; mozzarella di bufala or fresh cow’s milk mozzarella; extra-virgin olive oil; and fresh basil or dried oregano. Fresh garlic may only be used on the pizza marinara. All Neapolitan pizzas must be cooked in a wood-burning oven. Much is made about bufala mozzarella, which has more than double the fat of cow’s milk, making it excellent for melting. Not only can this be a challenge to find but some pizzaiolos prefer the fresh cow’s-milk mozzarella because bufala mozzarella gives off its milky liquid along with juicy chopped tomatoes. These factors make Neapolitan pizza Margherita softer than outsiders expect it to be: it has a thin but not crisp crust, all the better to for eating it “a libretto,” which means to fold it in like a book, a common way for Neapolitans to consume a pizza on the go. In a pizzeria, its common to see Neapolitans eat their pizza with a knife and fork, and Schwartz mentions in his book that there is a special art to eating pizza this way. Neapolitans carve up the pizza “as delicately as they do a fine fish with bones, eating only the inside seasoned area, never cutting into the [outer] crust, never touching it, leaving the Il Cornicione (the big frame) intact on their plates.” Plotkin informs us that the typical Campanian “drinks beer or mineral water or even (heaven forfend!) Coca-Cola with pizza, but one classic pizza wine is Asprinio di Aversa, if you can find it.” A quick search on wine-searcher yielded a single result, a 2002 Villa Caraffa Asprinio Aversa at a shop in Illinois. David Lynch describes the Asprinio wine as crisp and dry and sometimes sparkling. While I admit to never having sampled Asprinio with pizza, I’m more inclined to believe that a dry, high-acid red is a better match for tomato. Sparkling, or at least fizzy, is definitely the way to go. As with beer, the carbonation is just the thing after a bite of cheese and tomato. I believe, however, that the ultimate pizza wine is red and of the dry, and frizzantino variety. That might sound a bit obscure to some ears, but to Italians, dry fizzy reds are an important category and are produced in nearly every region. I lean toward the dry Brachetto produced by Andrea Sottimano in Piedmont, or Lambrusco from Emilia-Romagna, a wine I frequently blog about. Nick Strawhecker, owner and pizzaiolo of Dante Pizzeria in Omaha, encountered a dry fizzy red during his travels in Italy and asked if I could locate it for his new restaurant. It’s produced by a winery called Grotta del Sole in the province of Gragnano in Campania. They call this “Pizza-cola” in Naples, and it’s what the locals drink with their pizza. It’s a fizzy blend of Aglianico, Piedirosso, and Sciasinasso. To test our pairing theory, we ordered a bottle from K&L Wine Merchants, and threw a couple of pizzas in the oven. We concluded it is the ultimate pizza wine. posted on November 5 2009 by jesse Name:
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jamie goode's wine blog |
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There have been some developments in the fake wine story that I blogged on some time ... In all walks of life, cheats threaten the success of the honest. ...more
jamie goode's wine blog mainly wine...
News just in: Michael Broadbent's libel action against Random House, publishers of Benjamin Wallace's 'Billionaire's Vinegar', has been settled out of court. Random House issued a public apology to Broadbent, and paid 'undisclosed damages' [I'd really like to know how much!]Wallace's book, examining the authenticity of the famous 'Thomas Jefferson' wines, is an excellent read, but unfortunately Broadbent did come across very badly in it. From what I gather, it is just the UK distribution of the book that is affected. Random House has agreed not to distribute the book in the UK, but it is still available in unchanged form in the USA. Readers in the UK can, of course, still obtain the book via US mail order retailers such as amazon.com. The press release reads:The libel action centred on the book The Billionaire?s Vinegar, the subject of which was the provenance of a number of bottles of wine said to have been owned by Thomas Jefferson. The book made allegations which suggested that Mr Broadbent had behaved in an unprofessional manner in the way in which he had auctioned some of these bottles and that his relationship and dealings with Hardy Rodenstock, who discovered the original collection, was suspected of being improper.In a statement read out in open court today, Random House apologised unreservedly for making the allegations and accepted that they were untrue. It has given an undertaking not to repeat the allegations and paid Mr Broadbent undisclosed damages.Commenting on the settlement Sarah Webb, head of Russell Jones & Walker?s Defamation department, who acted for Mr Broadbent said:?The Billionaire?s Vinegar made highly damaging claims about my client that seriously compromised both his professional and personal reputation. We are delighted that Random House has today accepted that these allegations are totally without foundation and avoided the need to proceed to a full trial. My client is relieved that the good name he has built up over many years as one of the country?s leading wine experts has been fully restored.? Labels: fake wine
posted by Jamie @ 10:13 AM
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As many readers will be aware, US author Benjamin Wallace has written a book on 'fake' wine, titled The Billionaires Vinegar. It focuses on the whole saga of the notorious Jefferson bottles, and is currently the subject of a lawsuit. Here, on an authors@google video, he discusses his book at length. Labels: fake wine, video
posted by Jamie @ 11:26 PM
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Last night Channel 4 aired an episode of Dispatches titled 'What's in your wine?' (You can watch it here for the next seven days).It was a desperately poor programme. Some months ago one of the researchers got in touch with me asking questions about what goes into wine. It seemed to me that they'd decided to make a film showing that all sorts of bad things are added to wine, and they were just fishing for dirt. After a couple of conversations and a few email exchanges I decided that I wasn't prepared to help them and go on camera (the bait they used to get some dirt), because this seemed to me to be a hatchet job. While there are many things in the wine industry I'm not happy about, overall, wine is a remarkably natural product and even badly made industrial wine doesn't represent a threat to human health. And I'm not going to help anyone who intends to put the boot into the industry I make my living from.In the end, they didn't really find any serious targets. They went after Champagne, rather ludicrously making a big play that sugar is added to Champagne. That's the dosage, dude! They had some major brands analysed in their laboratory and found that they contained on average 7 g of sugar per bottle. I could have told you that. The cellarmasters would have told you that. The dosage is an integral part of the production of Champagne. Then they said that fizz they tested from independent producers only had 3.5 g sugar. That's silly. It's just a style choice by the producer. [And Jane, the presenter, mispronounced Mo? not sounding the 't'.]In an attempt to find examples of producers who added illegal things to their wine, the best they could do was head to Italy where some crazy-looking producer was under prosecution for adding sugar to his wine. Dispatches caught up with him - but rather than run away when he was doorstepped, he seemed happy to chat and admitted that he added sugar. It all went a bit flat. Labels: fake wine
posted by Jamie @ 7:22 AM
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Took a day off, and took younger son to London Zoo, via a 2 hour stop at Hamleys (he *loves* trying everything out). I've not been to London Zoo since I was a kid, so I enjoyed the experience too. The reptile and amphibian bit was probably the most interesting for both of us. You do feel a bit sorry for the larger animals, who have been brought from (usually) warmer climes to London, where for four months each year it's grey and cold. It was a special day, and one I'll remember for a long time.There have been some developments in the fake wine story that I blogged on some time ago. First of all, a new website, http://www.wineauthentication.com/, has been launched by a serious collector who wants to help stamp out wine fraud. It's worth taking the time registering for this (it's free), because it's an initiative that needs supporting, even if many of us are unlikely to have bottles in our collection that could justify the $249 photoauthentication fee. Decanter's excellent news site has also been following the twists and turns in the story very well (see e.g. this latest news article, which has links to other relevant pieces). In brief, the lawsuit against Hardy Rodenstock filed by William Koch was thrown out, but a few days ago Koch refiled an amended suit, and Russel Frye has settled out of court with retailer The Wine Library. Labels: fake wine
posted by Jamie @ 11:02 PM
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A brief post to direct readers to a really good article by Clark Smith on Spoofulated versus artisanal wines (here). I interviewed Clark last year - I think he has some important things to say. He also writes well, and is interesting. Labels: fake wine, natural wine, wine science
posted by Jamie @ 4:22 PM
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Those with an interest in the current ongoing counterfiet wine story should take a look at:http://www.scribd.com/doc/452289/Koch-vs-GreenbergIt's a copy of the lawsuit filed a few days ago by William Koch, detailing the purchases of wines he believes to be fakes that he was sold by individuals who he thinks knew that they were fakes. Labels: fake wine
posted by Jamie @ 11:30 AM
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An interesting and controversial talk by David Molyneux-Berry on counterfeit wine, from the recent Taste 3 conference. The really interesting (and controversial) bit is towards the end.Please note that the views expressed in this talk are those of David, and do not necessarily match my own. An interesting and controversial talk by David Molyneux-Berry on counterfeit wine, from the recent Taste 3 conference. The really interesting (and controversial) bit is towards the end.Please note that the views expressed in this talk are those of David, and do not necessarily match my own. Labels: fake wine
posted by Jamie @ 2:18 PM
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I'm not really a cycling fan, but it has been interesting to see the coverage of this year's Tour de France being dominated by drug testing news. In all walks of life, cheats threaten the success of the honest. With professional sport attracting the sort of profile it does, it's important that its house is in order and that cheats are caught. The fact that they are being caught in droves in cycling is, in a strange way, reassuring.This month sees the 40th anniversary of the death of Tom Simpson, riding up Mont Ventoux on the tour, boosted by amphetamines (see here, for example). But perhaps we are unfair to judge him by the standards of today.How does this relate to wine? Well, we need to think about what is illegal in enhancing the performance of wines, and why. Should all wines be treated the same? And do some legal technological manipulations or additions actually destroy the 'soul' of wine? It's a debate that needs to happen. Labels: fake wine, wine science
posted by Jamie @ 9:02 PM
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I was a huge fan of BBC series Hustle when it first came out a few years ago: it was creative, fun, smart and stylish. Haven't seen too much of it in recent series, but fortuitously caught it last night for an episode centred around wine.For those of you who haven't seen Hustle before, it focuses on a team of con merchants with a difference. Like modern-day Robin Hoods, they only con those who really deserve it. 'You can't con an honest man' is one of their mantras. Last night they conned an unpleasant manager of a nursing home who herself cons old people out of their homes. They attack her through her weakspot: her love of expensive wine. The only problem is that she's already had someone selling her fake wine at auction, so although the hustle team have a specialist wine faker as one of their acquaintances (who offers them 1947 Petrus, among others), they need to think of a smarter plan. All I'll say is that this involves the purchase at auction of a genuine 1787 Yquem followed by opening of said bottle, a quick swig, and then pouring it all down the drain. Painful to watch. The price paid by Danny for the Yquem is ?47000, which is pretty close to what such a bottle might fetch. Recently one traded hands for US$90000 - the most expensive white wine ever sold. Nice to see wine on the telly again! Labels: fake wine, TV
posted by Jamie @ 12:48 PM
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The web log of wine journalist Jamie Goode. Feel free to nose around; your comments are welcome
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Quick Chat With David Gilbert of Lazare Bar and Restaurant Dallas ... |
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May 7, 2009 ... FrontBurner (Dallas' best blog) · SideDish (Food) · FrontRow (Arts) ... I had several long chats with Lazare's execuchef, David Gilbert. .... On the Wine Trail in Italy · Pegasus News · The Single Gourmet ...more
Quick Chat With David Gilbert of Lazare Bar and Restaurant Dallas | SideDish Subscribe Today! A full year's subscription (12 issues) to D Magazine for $18.00! Click now. My upcoming review of Lazare, Russell (Tom Tom, TABC) Hayward?s new spot in West Village, has gone to press. During the course of inspecting the restaurant, I had several long chats with Lazare?s execuchef, David Gilbert. Gilbert, 31, is originally from Dallas but he has cooked all over the world. He returned to Dallas in 2006 to open Luqa in the Dallas Roof Gardens, a tony eatery that closed after eight months. Gilbert spent over a year with Jack Baum and Mort Meyerson developing Kitchen 18, a upscale eatery planned for the Rosewood Court Tower until the project was shelved. Now Gilbert is happy in the kitchen at Lazare. He and Hayward have played the local, organic, and fair trade cards to the max. They have their own water purification system. They buy produce from Eden?s Garden and Barking Cat Farm. Cheese comes from artisan producers like Veldhuizen Family Farm in Dublin. Gilbert is the only chef I am aware of who has actually gone to a farmer and asked them to plant for him. ?I sat down with Marie, owner of Eden?s, with an organic seed catalog and went through what would grow on her soil,? said Gilbert. ?She has all kinds of things growing for us right now–four different kinds of cucumbers, off-the-wall radishes, and tomatoes.? He?s also the only chef in town experimenting with the CVap: a controlled vaporation machine with a system that allows him to cook with moist vapor and/or dry heat. Gilbert cooks all of his meat, and most of his vegetables using 100 percent humidity or (sorta) sous vide. He can also jostle with the settings and add dry heat in varying degrees to achieve different textures and tastes. At times, Gilbert talks more like a scientist than a chef. He has some crazy experiments going on in that kitchen. Ask, I mean taste, the fennel. Hayward and Gilbert spent months researching and tasting chickens. The birds they chose are raised to Lazare?s specifications and in separate areas from the other clucks at Dominion Farms in Denison. Here?s the cardamom rub: Gilbert has always worked above the $25-an-entr?e price point. Lazare?s main dishes run from $12 to $19, There are less expensive flatbreads, burgers (bison), and sandwiches. The lovely chicken described above is only $15. I think we can expect to see more CVaps in restaurant kitchens. They may be expensive (some up to $15,000) but if used correctly, a chef can prepare, store, and inventory food a lot easier. If Lazare doesn?t make it, Gilbert could easily become a door-to-door CVap salesman. The guy knows his stuff. As a long time friend and fan of Chef Gilbert’s, i really enjoyed your writeup of lazare. I think they have a real winner there in West Village.
FYI, his previous endeavor was at Luqa (Not Luga).
Thanks for the great publicity for them. I know they really appreciate it. thanks, fixed. tiny type not geezer friendly. went there recently and was very impressed. Prices are very reasonable, particularly for WV. Bison burger, dare I say, is better thant Twisted Root’s. That penultimate line turned out to be prophetic, didn’t it? Cannot wait to revisit Chef Gilbert’s food – he’s extremely talented, and an all-around nice guy. Dallas is lucky to have him. Roger that, HC.
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