Champagne and The Art Nouveau of Perrier-Jouët's Maison-Belle Epoque

by Paige Donner

There are frequent associations between art and champagne, but it's particularly Art Nouveau that is most linked with this wine. Some art historians reference the culture of the Roaring 20's (Les Années Folles in French, or literally the "Crazy Years") that became inextricably linked with champagne. And champagne still maintains, to this day, its reputation for fun, frivolity and celebration. 

Perrier-Jouët Cellars and Maison Belle- Epoque Champagne photo by Paige Donner copyright 2015 All Rights Reserved

Perrier-Jouët Cellars and Maison Belle- Epoque Champagne photo by Paige Donner copyright 2015 All Rights Reserved

Perrier-Jouët Cellars and Maison Belle- Epoque Champagne photo by Paige Donner copyright 2015 All Rights Reserved

One celebrated house in Champagne, the house of Perrier-Jouët, cultivated their link to Art Nouveau and elevated it to lofty heights that surpass a mere "collection" of art and indeed borders on a living, though very much privately held, museum quality display of original Art Nouveau pieces. 

[The Maison Belle-Epoque of Perrier-Jouët houses] ...One of the largest private collections of the Art Nouveau movement... A place in which enchantment reigns, with over 200 works and unique pieces by the greatest names in Art Nouveau, from Majorelle and Guimard to Lalique and Rodin.  -   Perrier-Jouët

The loving restoration of this historic house, one of the oldest luxury champagne companies in France, founded in 1811, took nearly 8 years to complete and was overseen by the current President and Director, Pierre Ernst.   The charming villa was once inhabited by Pierre-Nicolas Perrier and Adélaïde Jouët, who formed the champagne house Perrier-Jouët when they married. The Maison Belle-Epoque on the Avenue de Champagne in Champagne is not open to the public but can be toured by private appointment.

In 1902, Emile Gallé, one of the movement's most celebrated artists, designed a swirl of anemones wreathed in gold for the Perrier-Jouët bottle. An unusual bottle, a true homage to nature as a source of inspiration, where the swirls of the white flowers echo the floral and delicate style of the wine, and become the emblem of the House.

A visit to their cellars underneath the house is also not to be missed. In keeping with the house's dedication to art and artists, the cavernous chalk cellars, some of the most iconic in Champagne, house a remarkable art installation, one of two, that was imported from its original exhibition at DesignMiami. It's called Lost Time, and it's by the talented Anglo-Dutch duo Glithero.

More Info about Perrier-Jouët HERE.

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What Tops Winetasting in Pauillac and Pomerol...?

by Paige Donner

What Tops Wine Tasting in Pauillac & Pomerol...? Wine tasting with Dad in Pauillac and Pomerol! 

FULL SLIDESHOW of BOTH CHATEAUX HERE  

(All photos by Paige Donner © 2015)

These two châteaus, Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande on Bordeaux's Left Bank and Château Lafleur on Bordeaux's Right Bank are two of the most distinguished, not to mention prettiest, gems in Bordeaux. 

The new(-ish) vat and vinification rooms at Pichon Comtesse are simply stunning. Rarely have any of the sweeping renovations done at these historical, landmark properties been done in a manner that gathers up the beauty of the surroundings and displays them like a living painting, all there for your eye to take in and behold of the beauty and bounty. Oh yes, and then, of course (as if it could ever be an after thought!), there's the fabulous Pichon Comtesse wine, softer and more supple than her surrounding brethren. 

Château Lafleur in Pomerol... Need I say more? It's difficult to describe the feeling of standing in the humble vineyards of this esteemed property, singular in its placement, its yield of some of Bordeaux's Right Bank's best wines and also in its devotion to simplicity. On one side is Pétrus, on the other is Château Le Gay... Of course what is fascinating here is that the daughters who inherited the vineyards, the predecessors (and relatives) to the current family-member owners, had the wisdom to keep their cabernet franc vines in the ground when everyone around them were pulling theirs up and re-planting with merlot five and six decades ago. What this has resulted in is a vineyard that yields grapes that go into the blends of both Les Pensées and Château Lafleur wines from this property. Of course, if you ever get to taste either of those, you can count yourself among some of the luckiest people on Earth. 

One thing is for sure, even if my dear old dad never makes it back to Bordeaux, he can still always say that now he has drunk the finest wines in France. 

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Paris GOODfood+wine Episode 5

by Paige Donner

Paris GOODfood+wine airing on World Radio Paris

Welcome to another episode of GOODfood+wine. For this edition, airing first on Sunday May 3rd 2015 in Paris, you'll be hearing an interview I did with Paris' famed Palace Hotel, Le Bristol's Head sommelier, French-Canadian Marco Pelletier, who gives us some advice on what wines to pair with the French terroir delicacy, La Bonnotte. It's the world's most expensive potato, often weighing in at €500 per kilo, and it's grown only on the Ile de Noirmoutier in France.

La Bonnotte - Early potatoes from the Ile de Noirmoutier - a feverishly awaited seasonal delicacy in France!

La Bonnotte and Caviar

It is said that the only diet Jaccqueline Kennedy Onassis ever put herself on was a caviar-and-potato- once-a-day diet. I have not yet found a specific reference to the potato she used to frame her caviar, but I imagine it could very well have been La Bonnotte. (Read full article here...)

Next, Richard Nahem, founder of a well-known blog about life in Paris, Eye (spelled E-Y-E) Prefer Paris, shares with us some of his Parisian expat insight and also tells us more about his new evening cooking courses.

Next up, veteran of Paris' food scene, the lovely English Margaret Kemp, speaks to us about some of the city's fascinating food trends, including a food truck started by a 3* Michelin Chef, Marc Veyrat called mesbocaux.fr .

Listen to GOODfood+wine on World Radio Paris

And for all of us excited about the fresh vegetables and bountiful seasonal produce of spring, Emily Dilling brings us with her to one of Paris's best-loved fresh markets, the Marché d'Aligré.

GOODfood+wine is brought to you by the generous support of Paris Food And Wine

Paige Donner hosts and produces Paris GOODfood+wine.

This episode of GOODfood+wine was brought to you in part by the generous support of FUSAC. FUSAC.fr is Paris' expat community resource and information publication since 1988.

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L’Institut Paul Bocuse Celebrates Its 25th Year

by Paige Donner 

Hervé Fleury, CEO of L'Institut Paul Bocuse, addressing Press at Le Pavillon Ledoyen, photo copyright Paige Donner

Celebrating its 25th year, the Institut Paul Bocuse culinary arts school chose a most fitting location for its fête: Le Pavillon Ledoyen Paris, recently awarded its 3rd Michelin star under the new ownership of Chef Yannick Alléno. Present also was one of the institute's founding advisors, former Cultural Minister of France, Jack Lang.

L-R Jack Lang speaks with Chef Yannick Alléno and Gérard Pélisson at Le Pavillon Ledoyen, Paris, at the 25th anniversary celebration of L'Institut Paul Bocuse. photo by Paige Donner copyright all rights reserved.

Celebrating its successful graduates and partnerships over the past 25 years, including with Accor Hotels, Danone and many others, under the leadership of the illustrious chef, Paul Bocuse and his indispensable team, Gérard Péllisson and Hervé Fleury, they are looking forward to the even more culinary creativity and innovation in French cuisine as they train the next generations. 

The institute also serves as a business incubator for new concepts in the hospitality, F&B and culinary arts world. It has helped launch four operational businesses so far. 

It als has implemented a new 11-week course for professionals looking to create and establish their own restaurant. These professionals might come from a culinary background with training, or perhaps are looking for a career change.  Some of the participants are French, while others come from a diverse multicultural and international background. 

Photo courtesy Institut Paul Bocuse

In French: 

...nouvellement créé, ce programme de 11 semaines est destiné à celles  et ceux qui souhaitent créer et diriger leur restaurant. L'Institut paul Bocuse a initié un partenariat avec CCI Formation Lyon et collabore avec l'uMIH Formation. 10 stagiaires amateurs en reconversion (40 ans de moyenne d'âge) viennent de la France entière, de l'étranger et d'horizons très divers (chef de vente, directeur commercial et marketing, informaticien, DRH, médecin, etc.). L'objectif de l'Institut paul Bocuse est d'inscrire ce programme au Registre national de la Certification professionnelle (RnCp) dans les 3 ans. 

On the school's premises in the city center of Lyon, France there is one gastronomic restaurant open to the public:  Saisons

Le restaurant gastronomique Saisons Ouvert au public, ce restaurant pédagogique permet aux étudiants d'évoluer en situation réelle et ainsi d'acquérir les connaissances nécessaires à l'exigence des métiers de la restauration gastronomique.

More information can be found on their website: institutpaulbocuse.com

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La Bonnotte of Ile de Noirmoutier - The World's Most Expensive Potato

by Paige Donner

It's nearly May - and that means La Bonnotte is just about in season! 

La Bonnotte, for those of you not familiar with it, is a little yellow gem that grows on the small, sheltered Isle of Noirmoutier in France's northwest region of the Vendée. And while myself and other culinary gourmands can easily mistake this little tuber for the Royal Star of Paris diamond, it is, in fact, entirely edible. Yes, this little tuber is a potato... île de Noirmoutier... Read my full article HERE

Early potatoes from the Ile de Noirmoutier - a feverishly awaited seasonal delicacy in France!

Its tubers have smooth, yellow skin and dark yellow flesh, finely grained. They are round, and the eyes are semi-sunken. The plant is sizeable and upright with a pigmented stalk and fairly short leaves, marked with a very glossy dark green. The leaflets have an embossed aspect. The flowers are small and white, and the fruits are reddish. It is resistant to potato wart and also, it seems, to degeneration disease. Its period of dormancy is quite long and it is also fairly slow to sprout – a delay it catches up on later. - Diehl

île de Noirmoutier... Read my full article HERE

Ile de Noirmoutier - Lady on bicycle with baguette. Photo by Paige Donner copyright 2014 all rights reserved. Find More of Paige's photography here:  http://paigedonnerphotography.wordpress.com

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Paris GOODfood+wine - Episode 4

GOODfood+wine aka Paris GOODfood+wine © Paige Donner 2014

Paris GOODfood+wine airing on World Radio Paris

Episode 4 

1. Climats de Bourgogne  by Paige Donner - Interview with Guillaume D'Angerville

2. Emily Dilling Interview by Paige Donner - In studio interview with our GOODfood+wine fresh market reporter

3. Chef Singer (formerly) of Le Cordon Bleu Cooking School Paris -  Interview by Gabrielle Mondesire 

4. Restaurant Review L'Amarante - Paige Donner interviews Alec Lobrano, Paris restaurant critic,  in-studio

Episode 4 airs on World Radio Paris on April 5th, Easter Sunday, at 11am. Listen for it at the same time the rest of the month or on-demand, streaming at WorldRadioParis.fr/listen-again

In this episode of Paris GOODfood+wine ….

You'll be hearing from one of Burgundy's most knowledgeable proponents, Guillaume D'Angerville, of their UNESCO World Heritage candidacy which at present is being considered for inclusion as a world cultural site of outstanding universal value,

Next Emily Dilling, our market report regular contributor stops by the World Radio Paris studios to chat with us a bit and tell us about her upcoming book release.

photo courtesy tastings.fr

Then Gabrielle Mondesire shares her interview with the former head chef of Paris' Le Cordon Bleu cooking school where she works as a translator.

And, finally, Alec Lobrano brings us his newest bistro pick, L'Amarante, which happens to also be a hot new Paris address that has several of his French restaurant critic peers abuzz these days, too.

photo courtesy AlexanderLobrano.com

Paige Donner hosts and produces Paris GOODfood+wine.

This episode of GOODfood+wine was brought to you in party by the generous support of FUSAC. FUSAC.fr is Paris' expat community resource and infomration publication since 1988.

And by the generous support of Paris Food And Wine

@LocalFoodWine

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Paris GOODfood+wine Episode 3 on World Radio Paris

Paris GOODfood+wine airing on World Radio Paris

by Paige Donner

In this episode of Paris GOODfood+wine you'll to hear all about a small French bird called the ortolan, considered a traditional culinary delicacy in some circles. 

The Ortolan, considered a (forbidden)delicacy in certain circles in SWest France.

Next, Paris restaurant critic and book author Alec Lobrano joins us again to review the hot, trendy, new restaurant Porte 12 in Paris' 10th arrondissement.

dish featured at Porte 12 Restaurant

Gabrielle Mondesire brings us her second installment from her interview of famed Parisian baker, Frédéric Lalos who goes a bit technical on us when he translates the fine art, and science, of fabulous bread baking. 

jonathan bauer monnaret - France's Sommelier of the Year

To round up, I bring you an interview with Jonathan Bauer Monnaret, named Sommelier of The Year by the prestigious French food and wine magazine, Gault&Millau. He is the head sommelier at Spring restaurant in Paris' Les Halles district. 

Photo courtesy ParisPaysanne.com/ Emily Dilling

And to finish with a tasty bang, Emily Dilling, who is founder and editor of her blog, Paris Paysanne, takes us on a tour of the Daumesnil fresh market in Paris' 12th arrondissement. 

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