Wine News (10)

Bunpei Someya, successfully sabraging a bottle of Drappier The milliseconds between these two pictures made the difference between being dry and being splashed all over with Champagne, but I was a happy collateral casualty here, because the shots were great.
This Napoleon-era tradition to cut Champagne bottles' necks with a sword is a difficult exercise and Bunpei Someya, sommelier at Guy Savoy, exemplifies where the japaneses' own traditions with swords can help. Where Hussars and Samurais meet...Poetry and Wine...Laurent Kox, Alexandra Fixmer and Poet Magda Carnesi.Some wines take strange ways to reach you : the other day, an international poetry lecture was organized at the Romanian Cultural Center in Paris. Co-organizer of the event Alexandra Fixmer (Phi Editions) had a vintner from a Luxemburg estate, Vincent Kox from Domaine Viticole Kox come along for an alternate succession of Poetry and wines. Our first Luxemburg wines. We just tasted 2 of them, an Auxerrois (5,28 Euro), and a Cremant, "Cuvée Prestige" (8,25 Euro), a sparkling made with a blend of Riesling (majority), Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay. Good value, makes us want to know- and taste more from Kox. Alexandra Fixmer of Editions Phi plans several other such Wine+Poetry events.

US Ambassador Craig StapletonThe Napa Vintners Association held (june 14th) a tasting at the US Ambassador residence. We were treated with great food and a nice choice of wines. On the food side, wild salmon from Alaska and American Wagyu (Kobe Beef) from Morgan Ranch (Nebraska), among others. We tasted only a few wines among the 30 guest wineries. My preference went for: Clos Du Val, especially their Chard 2005 Carneros, nice, creamy wine. Also their Pinot Noir 2005, delicate and elegant. Also liked Peju's Cabernet Franc 2004 and Joseph Phelbs' Cab-Sauv 2004, a refined and concentrated wine.A new hedge along a fieldNot 100% related with vineyards but when I saw this newly replanted hedge in the Loire, I thought that there are more and more farmers around who understand the value of biodiversity for their crops and are ready to pay the price for new hedges (just imagine how much this replanting can cost). Hedges are home to lots of living beings, weeds, insects and birds. Hedges were often removed in France in the industrialist era of post WW2, on state-sponsored programs like the Remembrement (see this page_in french_ for data on the subject), but recent research pointed to the benefits of the hedges for the crops' health. There have been some replantings since 1990, after years (1950-1990) of hedge removal.Bubbles from the Loire instead of ChampagneThis was at a private party near Paris the other day and instead of Champagne we were treated with the nice and light sparkling of Jo Landron, a Traditional (meaning like in Champagne) Method and blend of Folle Blanche (80%) and Pinot Noir (20%) with a 24-month elevage, a steal at 6,2 Euro (bottle price at the estate). Jo Landron is particularly known for his outstanding, mineral Muscadets (ever tasted his Amphibolite?). When you need loads of sparkling for a party, such "Methodes Traditionelles" and Crémants from non-Champagne regions are an economically sound choice, as you get very nice wines under these labels with, in addition sometimes, the personal touch of an artisan vigneron like here.Haruko and Benoit, in Paris[Unrelated with the previous topic] This is a nice story where wine plays a supporting role....
Haruko, a friend of ours who is a Paris-based, japanese sommelier, and Benoit, a Languedoc vigneron, have just married. Haruko is a great wine taster and we are eager to see them work together. Benoit Roger's Domaine Moulinery produces wines from both his 1-hectare vineyard, and from contracted vineyards in AOC Corbières, AOC Minervois and Vin de Pays. Let's raise a glass to both of them!Sashimi at Foujita (Paris)Wine/Sake/Beer pairing with sushi or sashimi is something I have a hard time learning or even considering in the first place. I am so much in a state of concentration when feasting on the delicate and savoury raw fish that the drink is a mere distraction from the real thing. The pic was shot a couple of days ago at Foujita, a very serious japanese restaurant (yet with a casual atmosphere) in Paris near the Tuileries (7 rue du 9 Juillet, 75001), where B. our friend Hyeonsuk and I dined together. After this beer, we had a lukewarm Sake which seemed to me more fit to go with the sashimi. This page offers interesting insight on the subject. I promise to try harder...

Comments

[hikalu]

I didn't know that a Wagyu (Kobe Beef) is made in the US too. I've heard of that many people love those Japanese beef. Was it popular?

[Vinotas]

I've been reading and enjoying your blog for a long time, as I travel a LOT to France and its vineyards for work (I'm of French descent so it's quite easy to get around and along with everyone). But this is my first time commenting.
Re: the sushi and wine combo, I always find that Champagne, especially Blanc de Blancs, goes well with sushi. Also, I recently discovered that a nice rose goes well with sushi rolls. If it has some residual sugar and some acidity, it usually holds and marries well to the fish.
This was, as you can imagine, a lovely surprise.
And I can't wait to someday saber a Champagne! For some reason, despite the fact that I drink it like water, I've never sabered it...
Cheers!