Thursday, August 8, 2013

Yannick Alléno is Terroir Parisien

by Paige Donner

[Originally published on BonjourParis]


Yannick Alléno, Three Michelin Star chef, is a member of the elite circle of the world's greatest chefs.  His work on Cuisine Moderne is about to break the rules of French cuisine and to take a stand for liberty and culinary creativity.

Born in Puteaux (near Paris) into a family of chefs, Alléno immediately took to the kitchen. After training at some of the top restaurants, by 2003, he became head chef at Hôtel Meurice. By 2007, only four years later, he was awarded his third Michelin star.

What are you most proud of (in terms of your own achievements)? 
I started my career at 15 years old so I have many memories and many wonderful moments. But if I had to select one it would be the day I was elected "Chef of the year" by my peers in 2008.

What's your secret talent? 
My secret talent, I have no idea! but I can tell you that I am doing what I like every day and if I had to change something, I would not change a thing. The secret would maybe be: Hard work and creativity.

If you could share a coffee or bottle of wine with a fellow Parisian from past or present, who would it be? 
It would be a Nespresso coffee, the Grand Cru Nespresso Indriya, with a spicy taste coming directly from India. Or of course a bottle of Château Yquem for a perfect meal with friends! And the two people I would most want to share my time with are my two sons.

Is there a local person you admire? 
I admire many people and many chefs. But if I have to quote someone it would be Paul Bocuse, who still has a very contemporary vision of French gastronomy.

What's your favorite thing about Paris? 
The diversity of its restaurants. There is always a new place to discover.

What's the one thing that every Parisian should own? 
Humor.

Read MORE on Bonjour Paris "Yannick Alléno Person of The Moment"

Terroir Parisien Carte by Alleno - LocalFoodAndWine

 

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Sunday, July 14, 2013

Interesting Wine Stats - Pour de France

As France celebrates Bastille Day today - 14 Juillet - we thought it amusing to post these interesting Wine Stats. 

Vive la France! 

When you're ready to book 
your next Wine Vacation and/or Buying Trip to Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, Languedoc, Loire or Provence - Contact Us

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Brunello di Montalcino - Mocali - 2007


Tuscany Food And Wine - localfoodandwine.wordpress.com

Like any good California girl, I love me some Sangiovese.  So when I was able to get my hands recently on a bottle of the stuff from the Old World, my lips were smacking and my fingers trembling as we uncorked the bottle. 

Garnet Hued * Vanilla * Spice * Red Berries

Hint of Earthiness 

Balanced power between Tannins and Acidity

 Tuscany Food And Wine - localfoodandwine.wordpress.com

Wine Spectator's Notes On Brunello di Montalcino Vintages

  • 2008   91   A cool growing season with rain at harvest; those who waited produced aromatic, balances and elegant wines.   Drink or Hold.
  • 2007  93   Hotter and riper than 2006; fruit-forward, rich and elegant, offering immediate charm and softer textures.  Drink or Hold.
  • 2006  95   Complex powerful wines that impress with ripe yet fresh fruit, firm, dense structures and fine balance.  Hold. 

Excerpt from Wine Spectator June 30, 2013

 

Sangiovese is virtually synonymous with Tuscany and is the most widely planted grape variety in Italy. Brunello, a synonym for Sangiovese Grosso, or "fat Sangiovese," gets its name from the big ripe grapes that are produced from these vines in the prestige appellation (Brunello di Montalcino DOCG) of Montalcino, a classic hilltop village surrounded by slopes just 30km. south of Siena in Tuscany, Italy. 

Mocali is owned by the Ciacci family and overseen by enologist  Tiziano Ciacci.  Their soils are mostly Galestro and Alberese that enrich the ground with mineral salts. Their Brunello di Montalcino wine - in fact all Brunello di Montalicino wines - are made exclusively with Sangiovese Grosso grapes.

Tuscany Food And Wine - localfoodandwine.wordpress.comTuscany Food And Wine - localfoodandwine.wordpress.com

This DOCG shares the top spot only with Vino Nobile de Montepulciano. Though winemaking in the region is recorded from as far back as the 14th century, the wines we associate today with this very first Italian DOCG emerged in the 1870s. It's largely credited to the efforts of the esteemed winemaking family of Biondi-Santi, namely Ferruccio,who decided to implement a revolutionary technique (for his day) of making his Montalcino wines - vinify his Sangiovese grapes separately from the other varieties. (At the time in Tuscany all grapes were fermented together - even the reds with the whites.) As he implemented this and a few other techniques, the resulting wines gained a reputation of being livelier and fruitier than other wines.

In July 1980 the appellation was formalized as Italy's first DOCG alongside Piedmont's Barolo. It is mostly small farmers and family estates who produce this exquisite red wine today and number approximately 200, up from just 11 producers in the 60's.  One of the DOCG requirements is that vineyards are not planted above 600m sea level. Brunello must be aged at least 4 years and for the riserva distinction, a minimum of 5 years aging is required. More INFO at Tuscany Taste.

@LocalFoodWine

 

Saturday, June 29, 2013

In Honour of #CanadianWineDay

Laughing Stock Vineyards
 

Celebrate June 28th #CanadianWineDay

Exactly 1 year ago today, the Canadian government passed Bill C-311 which abolished an archaic law from the prohibition era that outlawed the shipping of Canadian wine across provincial borders.  

So in honour of this anniversary of this positive change, wine fans are calling for establishing today, June 28th as #CanadianWineDay - See Wine Align article.

To recognize #CanadianWineDay, Laughing Stock is offering FREE shipping across Canada for orders placed before July 6th. Just use promotion code CANADA when placing your order at www.laughingstock.ca.

Great time to invest in our recent 'Red & White' releases such as Pinot Gris 2012, or Syrah 2011 - featured today as Wine of the Day in the National Post.

* FREE shipping is offered to Canadian major centers for minimum orders of 12 bottles.

*** Buy, Hold & Cellar ***

 

 



@LocalFoodAndWine

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Monday, June 24, 2013

Cite des Civilisations du Vin, Bordeaux

by Paige Donner

"The building does not resemble any known shape because it's an evocation. Not of wine itself, but of the soul of wine," explain architects Anouk Legendre and Nicolas Desmazieres from French firm X-TU.

When fully unveiled in 2016, the eco-building that will be the Cité des Civilisations du Vin nestled on the shores of the Garonne will offer a total surface area of 14,000 m2 including 750 m2 for temporary exhibits and 3500 m2 of permanent exhibit space.

The laying of the first stone was celebrated on June 19, 2013 during Vinexpo Bordeaux. Slideshow Below.

INFO:  citedescivilisationsduvin.com

 SlideShow HERE

Inauguration June 19, 2013 Cite des Civilisations du Vin in Bordeaux


Mayor of Bordeaux Alain Juppe and Anouk Legendre, architect of Cite des Civilisations du Vin



All photos c. Paige Donner

FULL Gallery Pictures HERE

@LocalFoodWine


Thursday, June 6, 2013

Tuscany Food & Wine app by Acqua Panna

by Paige Donner

Ahhh... summer is at long last nearly here. Dream vacation destinations are beginning to dance through our heads like sugar plum fairies in wispy toutous as the languid summer months of promised sunshine begin to magically reveal themselves before us.


Tuscany. Tuscany, the land of Chianti and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Tuscany, where cold-pressed virgin olive oils beckon as seductively as do its wines and terroir. 

Dream vacations, can, however, at times, be more effort than joy, a corelation thoroughly dependent on planning and resources. So if this is your first Tuscan Escape, not to worry. The region's wine producers and local government tourism agencies have gotten together to form a welcoming platform called Tuscan Taste. 

Tuscan Taste is a series of outreach events and organized hospitality platforms to make your visit to and exploration of Tuscany as effortless as it is enjoyable. The brand was developed in collaboration with the region's main wine Consorzi to communicate the Tuscan values of quality, beauty, sustainability, taste and tradition.


Why a butterfly: Tuscany springs from the map to become a butterfly. A messenger to the world, heralding the quality of Tuscan wines. Heralding the traditions of a glorious region, and of a culture of winemaking built up 
through the centuries. A culture that, right here in Tuscany, has created some of the very best wines in the world. One butterfly, ten, a hundred, even more – as many as there are Tuscan wines. Butterflies fluttering 
their wings to take the message of Tuscan wines to the world, and to new and exalted heights.

For the billion and a half of us on the planet right now who are SmartPhone oriented, especially when we travel, we have this fabulous new Tuscany Food & Wine app by Acqua Panna at our fingertips as of this Spring.

The app is offered free for iOS devices and in addition to offering things to do and see - nature, art, history - in the region, it also features mouthwatering pictures and descriptions of local foods, cuisine, dishes, restaurants, and, of course, wines and wonderful wine pairings. 

Wines are especially highlighted in the Tuscany Food & Wine app where it features a guide to the many local wineries as well as detailed descriptions of the wines' composition such as alcohol percentage, grapes used and where you can find the wineries for a cellar visit and tasting. 

The GPS enabled "Around Me" feature spotlights the restaurants, sites, wineries and other points of interest within a few kilometers of your current location. For those who want to immerse themselves in the languid deliciousness that is the Tuscan Summer, there is even a glossary included on the app that explains the various abbreviations denoting the artisanal Italian local food products and wines which helps you to understand their exact origin and stamp of quality.

OK, then. All set?  The app is available for download at:

http://bit.ly/tuscanyapp

 

Long considered the best still mineral water for enhancing all the nuances of wine and food, thanks to its smooth, elegant taste, Acqua Panna represents all the power of nature in the heart of the Tuscan Apennines, with 1300 hectares of natural preserve, a unique aquifer, and a long history of culture, passion and love for the environment.

Acqua Panna
http://www.acquapanna.com
www.facebook.com/acquapanna

About Toscana Promozione
Toscana Promozione is the Economic Promotion Agency of Tuscany, established in 2000 by the local government. Thanks to a network of professional associations, institutions, enterprises, universities and research centers, Toscana Promozione is, today, a concrete platform for overseas enterprises interested in doing business in or with Tuscany.

@♥Chérie Du Vin

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♥Chérie Du Vin