Cuvées Sakanti Bali & Kilti Haiti Valrhona Chocolat

by Paige Donner

Can chocolate have cuvées, like fine wines do? That is the premise on which these two new fine chocolate releases are based upon by the Valrhona team of expert chocolate makers.

Valrhona is based in the Tain l'Hermitage region of central France. Most people don't realize it but the likes of famous chocolatiers (Patrick Roger for example) and patissiers (Pierre Hermé for example) source as much as 140 tons of Valrhona chocolate - per year! - for their masterful creations.

Championed by Frédéric Bau, the Chef Patissier and Creative Director of Valrhona chocolates, each year the famed house sources different specific locally grown cacao that has exceptional aromatic qualities. This year those two "cuvées" have been sourced from Haiti and Bali. The initiative was born in 2008 and falls under the name of Cuvées de Sourceur Valrhona. The cacao that is sourced is grown in exceptional terroir, a singular history and rare aromatic qualities.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpU49DnSYHo

Cuvée Sakanti Bali 68%

This year we are delighted by the Cuvée Sakanti Bali 68% that exhibits Fruity and Chocolate-y qualities.  To best experience the aromatic character of this chocolate, close your eyes, open the packet of chocolate and inhale the bananas flambé and roasted caramel scents.

The cooperative in Bali which produces this cacao was discovered by accident in 2013 by Valrhona's 'sourcing expert,' Julien Desmedt. Sakanti means 'glittering' in Balinese and this cacao has an uplifting acidity marked by its fruity notes, followed by intense chocolate with subtle bitter notes.

Fruit associations of this chocolate cuvée:  Banana, grapefruit, mango; Spice notes: frensh coriander  Aromas:  cognac, acacia honey  Dried fruits/nuts: Almonds, pine nuts, mint.

The optimal use of this chocolate is for chocolate bars.

Cuvée Kilti Haiti 66% Fresh and Balanced

The notes here are a beautiful vanilla and wonderful acid balance. Valrhona's engagement with Haiti began in 2010. It was then that they decided to pioneer a project of 38 hectares of quality-grown cacao where the house piloted a regeneration of agroforestry which is based on bio-diversity even on the same parcel of land which allows, too, for more diversification of revenue for the producers.

The word 'Kilti' means 'culture' in Haitian. Often when we think of Haiti we think of images of climactic catastrophe. But there is a lot of richness to be discovered in this land, notably too its cacao.

The tasting notes of Kilti Haiti are a light acidity on first taste, which then yield to beautiful classic chocolate notes with hints of roasted dried fruits and nuts on a base of persistent sweet-bitter.  NOTES: red fruits, pear, citronnelle; Aromas: baked cookies, ginger; SPICES: coffee, vanilla.

Best uses: chocolate bar, chocolate creams and ganache.

For an extra delightful experience, try pairing these chocolates with a range of deep, rich red wines and even other beverages such as saké, beer, tea and sparkling varietal grape juice.

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For more information about this and other Paris GOOD food + wine episodes please see  Local Food And Wine     https://localfoodandwine.wordpress.com as well as iTunes.

All music used is free of rights and royalty-free. Show Intro/ Outro Jazzy Paris background courtesy of BenSound Music.
This episode has been generously brought to you by Paris Food And Wine @ParisFoodWine http://parisfoodandwine.net and also Bordeaux Food & Wine @bordeauxfoodvin http://bordeauxfoodandwine.com

To contact Paige for hosting and speaking engagements and for media collaborations: http://Paigedonner.info

More Info @ParisFoodWine
Instagram @PaigeFoodWine

Listen to Paris GOOD food + wine on :

 

iTunes - Paris GOODfood+wine /  Paige Donner /

Episode 33: L’Académie du Vin & Willi’s Wine Bar on Paris GOODfood+wine

by Paige Donner

For our January Paris GOODfood+wine show we're talking all about wine. This show's inspiration came from the announcement that Steven Spurrier was resuscitating L'Académie du Vin. So, of course, I reached out to his longtime friend here in Paris, Mark Williamson, owner of the legendary Willi's Wine Bar, to get the scoop. He suggested I talk directly with Mr. Spurrier when he was next in town and Voilà, the interview.

Mark Williamson, owner of Maceo restaurant and Willi's Wine Bar, both on rue des Petits Champs, Paris 1ère arr. - photo by Paige Donner copyright 2018  

Steven Spurrier, Decanter's Man Of The Year 2017, pictured at Maceo restaurant on rue des Petits Champs, Paris 1ère arr. - photo by Paige Donner copyright 2018  

Maceo restaurant on rue des Petits Champs, Paris 1ère arr. - photo by Paige Donner copyright 2018    FOR PHOTO QUERIES:  FoodWine.photography

First, though, I sat down with Mark Williamson at his elegant Maceo restaurant which is just a few doors down from Willi's Wine Bar there on rue des Petits Champs just behind the Palais Royal. He filled me in on all sorts of fun tidbits including his Willi's Art Club poster initiative and what it means to be a Rhône Ranger.

Le Vin. Shared pleasure & amitié. Simplement. - image courtesy ©Willi's Wine Bar - To purchase posters click HERE

Mr Spurrier then joined us at the bar and gave me some backstory about L'Académie du Vin and why now is the perfect time to lift it back up and out onto a global stage. He also tells a little bit about his own sparkling wine from Southern England, a venture he and his wife began a few decades ago, now.

So, sit back and relax and enjoy another episode of Paris GOOD food+wine, and if you're truly lucky, you'll be sipping on a glass filled with one of your favorites.

Oh and by the way, cheers to 2018 New Year's resolutions – mine is to drink more fine wines. What's yours?

All music free of rights courtesy FreeSoundtrackMusic.com 'Breaking Squares' by Mike Vekris and Groovy Paris Jazz by BensoundMusic.com for show Intro and Outro.
To contact Paige Donner for speaking/hosting/producing paigedonner.info
For more info about Paris GOODfood+wine and a complete show lineup go to localfoodandwine.wordpress.com
And our website parisfoodandwine.net
Instagram @paigefoodwine Twitter @parisfoodwine

Listen to Paris GOOD food + wine on :

All photos (where noted) copyright 2018  Paige Donner  FoodWine.photography

iTunes – Paris GOODfood+wine / 

Media Engagements, speaking and collaborations: contact http://PaigeDonner.info

Holiday Sparkling Cocktail - Crémant de Bordeaux with Tea Infusion

by Paige Donner (sponsored post)

Looking to liven up your holiday season party-hosting scene? Try this newest sparkling tea wine cocktail recipe suggested by a savvy mixologist here in Paris...

Start with a Crémant de Bordeaux (you can also use your sparkling wine of choice).  Leave at room temperature while you infuse the glass of sparkling with a tea bag such as ginger-lemon for a demi-sec or red fruit infusion for a sparkling rosé.  Let the tea bag infuse the cocktail for several minutes. 

Ingredients

• Bottle of sparkling wine - Roche Mazet
• Tea bags (red fruits for Rosé, ginger-lemon for Demi-sec)
• Ice Cubes
• Optional - tea infusded simple syrup
• Garnish-Cranberries (rosé); Candied ginger (demi-sec )

Take out and swirl the glass of sparkling with several ice cubes to chill the liquid. Remove the ice cubes (or leave them in if you choose). Garnish with a sprig of cranberries or candied ginger. 

As a slight variation to this recipe, prepare a tea-infused simple syrup beforehand. When you mix the cocktail, add a dash of the syrup just as you are chilling the liquid. The syrup can be lightly sweetened or more exuberantly sweetened, depending on personal taste. 

The best sparklings to try this cocktail recipe with this season are Roche Mazet sparkling wines, Crémant de Bordeaux. Their newest is the Crémant de Bordeaux Malésan which is a blend of Sémillon and Cabernet Franc. 

Some stats here in French: 

Avec un marché des vins effervescents en pleine ébullition et à l'approche des fêtes de fin d'année, CASTEL a développé un réel savoir-faire par des nouveautés qui répondent aux attentes des consommateurs. Tour d'horizon sur les marques et leurs marchés avec Roche Mazet, Villa Veroni, Maison Castel et sa dernière nouveauté Crémant de Bordeaux Malesan. 

--- Crémant de Bordeaux : la nouvelle AOP effervescente qui monte ---
CASTEL accompagne le développement du terroir bordelais en matière de Crémant de Bordeaux avec le lancement du Crémant de Bordeaux Malesan, une marque reconnue par les consommateurs.
Un crémant brut qui allie gourmandise et fraîcheur avec un assemblage de Sémillon majoritaire et Cabernet franc. Disponible en GMS au tarif indicatif de 7 €.

--- Les autres effervescents de terroir ---
Le terroir est un critère de sélection de plus en plus important pour le consommateurs qui se tourne vers des origines reconnues. C'est le cas pour les 4 AOP de Crémant mais aussi pour les effervescents du Languedoc et d'Italie avec le Prosecco.

Roche Mazet propose 3 cuvées aux caractères singuliers : Chardonnay Brut, Syrah Brut rosé, Muscat Demi-sec.

Villa Veroni, le spécialiste de l'effervescence italienne, innove avec le lancement de sa gamme de cépage 100% itailen : Pinot Grigio en Brut et Rosato.

To contact Paige Donner for speaking/hosting/producing paigedonner.info
For more info about Paris GOODfood+wine and a complete show lineup go to localfoodandwine.wordpress.com
And our website parisfoodandwine.net
Instagram @paigefoodwine Twitter @parisfoodwine

Listen to Paris GOOD food + wine on :

All photos (where noted) copyright 2017 Paige Donner 

Photo Bookings FoodWine.Photography

iTunes – Paris GOODfood+wine / 

Prints available by contacting http://PaigeDonner.info   

Episode 31: Fat.Paris And People of Its Small Plates & Wine Bars - Paris Podcast

by Paige Donner

The leaves are falling, the clocks have been turned back...Autumn is here in all its colorful beauty with Winter just on the horizon... A poem I saw recently by Toulouse-Lautrec goes something like this:

Autumn est le printemps d'hiver, or Autumn is the springtime of winter...

For this episode of Paris GOOD food+wine, we bring you a glimpse into some of the wine bar and small plates culture of Paris. This season, so full of harvests, and the enjoyment of those harvests, easily gets us thinking about glasses of good French red wines shared over plates of savory morsels of meats, sausages and slow-stewed vegetables.

Two young men, both firmly entrenched in the city's fabric of restaurants, bars and wine, speak to us candidly about their businesses and their newest endeavors.

First up we hear from Max Paton Williams, an Englishman who's grown up his whole life here in Paris, making him a thorough Franco-Anglo hybrid. He found his passion for wine and food early on in life and is already making his mark on the local culinary scene. He's currently the manager at Wim à Table which is the celebrated Belgian chef, Wim van Gorp's, newest small-plates and wine bar in the Batignolles district of Paris.

Then we hear from Terence Schweitzer, who's a Franco-American mix. He also spent his entire life in Paris, save for a few years when he lived in Brooklyn. With a couple of buddies he's recently opened a bar/event space/ art gallery in the upper Marais district. It's called Fat. Paris.

[caption id="attachment_7281" align="alignnone" width="2272"] photo by Paige Donner copyright 2017

Both of these guys are under 30 and offer that fresh perspective on where they may be taking the city's culinary landscape in the coming years, starting now.

So, sit back and relax with me, Paige Donner, your host and producer, as you enjoy yet another delicious episode of Paris GOODfood+wine.

All music free of rights courtesy FreeSoundtrackMusic.com 'Daily Dosage' byRob Belfiore and Groovy Paris Jazz by BensoundMusic.com for show Intro and Outro.
To contact Paige Donner for speaking/hosting/producing paigedonner.info
For more info about Paris GOODfood+wine and a complete show lineup go to localfoodandwine.wordpress.com
And our website parisfoodandwine.net
Instagram @paigefoodwine Twitter @parisfoodwine

Listen to Paris GOOD food + wine on :

All photos (where noted) copyright 2017 Paige Donner

iTunes – Paris GOODfood+wine / 

Prints available by contacting http://PaigeDonner.info

 

Le Domaine Famille Picard - Burgundy

by Paige Donner (photos © 2017)

After enjoying a successful career in marketing with Nike, Francine Picard rejoined her family's Burgundy wine estate the same year that her brother did, too - at the end of the 1990s.  Since 2010 they have cultivated a large part of  their vineyards biodynamically and the rest with a keen eye  to environmental consciousness. The goal being to cultivate vines that yield grapes that make wines that are of the highest quality, exhibiting magnificent precision all the while enjoying a harmonious relationship with nature. 

The following wines are a privilege to enjoy. Most can be found in Paris and also at the family estate in Chassagne-Montrachet.  

Domaine Famille Picard, 5 chemin du Château, 21190 Chassagne-Montrachet, France domainefamillepicard.com 

NOTE:

For a real treat, reserve yourself a table for lunch or dinner at this new Paris restaurant where some of the more exclusive of these bottles are served in perfect accompaniment to the chef's flavor pairings: La Table du Caviste Bio, 55 rue de Prony, Paris 75017 latable@lacaviste.bio 

Le Domaine Famille Picard

• A total of 6 domaines in Bourgogne.  136 Ha. 60% red/  40% white
• 110 ha in the Côte Chalonnaise
• 26 ha in Côte de Beaune
• 41 ha of communales appelations
• 33 ha of Premiers Crus
• .33 ha of Grand Cru

 

Corton Grand Cru, Clos des Fietres, Millésime 2014  (rouge) Estate price: €130

These vines are cultivated biodynamically and are situated in the center of the celebrated village, Aloxe-Corton.  Nose is wild forest strawberries, raspberries and red fruits with hint of coffee.  Mouth is subtle possessing great suaveness and beautiful finesse. Then smoked ham, toasted bread, earthy and slightly saline. 

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Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru, La Garenne, Millésime 2014 (blanc) Estate price €66 

These vines grow right in the village of Puligny-Montrachet at an altitude of about 250M. They have south-southwest exposure.  These are 70 year-old vines and are cultivated biodynamically.  Nose explodes with citrus bouquet of orange, lemon and grapefruit. Mouth expresses energy and balance in this slightly sea-saline and sapid; agreably flavorful. 

 

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Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru, Les Vergers, Millésime 2014, Estate price €66

These soils are filled with Chassagne stones, rich in minerals and white chalky marls. This climat dates from the last centruy only when fruit trees were once planted here. Fifty+ old vines cultivated biodynamically.  Nose offers notes of flint-stone and citrus like lime and grapefruit. The Mouth has welcoming precision, agreeable notes and an enormity of finesse and elegance.  It is aged 17 months in barrels and was bottled in April 2016. 

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Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru, Les Chenevottes, Millésime 2014 (blanc), Estate price €64

This vineyard is actually at a depth of 55 cm. The red soil has traces of iron oxide which hints at the remnants of a tropical ground covering from millions of years ago. 60+ year old vines cultivated with respect to the moon cycles of biodynamic viticulture. NOSE has peppermint, linden blossoms, verveine and some lemon and orange zest with a hint of vanilla. MOUTH plays with a tension between power and tension. Beautiful length and refreshing salinity. 

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Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru, Clos Saint Jean, Millésime 2014 (blanc) Estate price €60

This is one of the oldest climats of Chassagne.  Soil is red from the iron-oxide and the vines have a Southeast exposure.  All harvesting is done by hand of these 60+ old vines, tenderly cultivated biodyanmically. Aged 17 months in barrels and bottled in April, 2016. NOSE is fruits and white flowers like peach and pear and also fresh baked bread like brioche. MOUTH is generous with perfect acidity and balance. 

To contact Paige for hosting and speaking engagements and for sponsorship for the podcast as well as media collaborations:
Paigedonner.info © All rights Reserved 2017 Paige Donner

More Info @ParisFoodWine
Instagram @PaigeFoodWine

Listen to Paris GOOD food + wine on :

All photos copyright 2017 Paige Donner

iTunes – Paris GOODfood+wine / 

Prints available by contacting http://PaigeDonner.info

Caviar Macaron by Petrossian and Pierre Hermé

by Paige Donner

Just when you're starting to think about the Christmas Cakes that will be the upcoming 2017 holiday season's stars, a little silvery-black treat comes onstage and steals the entire Parisian culinary scene. 

Enter Stage Left - the Macaron Caviar Petrossian 

It is a collaboration between world's best chef patissier, Pierre Hermé and the caviar king himself, Armen Petrossian. 

This little cookie with its delightful ganache center is famous for its elaborate flavors, one of Hermés most famous being litchi-rose. But this one, his newest collab, is made with Caviar Petrossian and Eau de Noix. 

There are tiny seeds of the mouth-watering caviar whose flavors are highlighted by dried fruit aromas and green walnut essence. 

The macaron will be available starting on November 4th at Pierre Hermé boutiques.   pierreherme.com 

And Petrossian Caviar is always available at the boutiques in Paris and worldwide and also online at Petrossian.com 

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Episode 29: Perfect Pairings food+wine by Paris Food And Wine

by Paige Donner

This episode of Paris GOOD food+wine, our season 4 kick-off, is devoted to my very favorite topic, food+wine pairings.

When I'm walking my clients through my food+wine pairing seminar, Perfect Pairings food+wine here in Paris, I always tell them that together, when you do a proper food+wine pairing, The Whole is Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts, to borrow a phrase from Aristotle.

Meaning, in simple English, that the wonderful tastes of both wine and food, when served in the right combination, are amplified, sometimes exponentially.

However, before we get to the good stuff, namely my interviews with Jaimee Anderson, the newly appointed Wine Director at Paris' La Réserve Palace Hotel followed by my conversation with David Boileau, France's Cognac Bureau's Wine Ambassador, I'd like to start off with some of the Do's and Don'ts, of wine and food pairings....

There are three basic rules of thumb for successful food+wine pairings: 

Those of harmony (where acidities, sugars and weight in the food and wine are equal) and those of opposition (where a wine of high acidity cuts though fatty meat or an off-dry wine goes with spicy food).'

The third thing to remember is, "If it grows together, it goes together."

So join us on this Season 4 kick-off of Paris GOOD food + wine, our September 2017 show, episode 29, as we delve head-long and deep into the world of fine food and wine pairing.

To sign up for one of our Perfect Pairings food+wine 2-Hour seminars here in Paris held 7/7,  late afternoons and early evenings, please Contact Us HERE or use the form below:

 

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All music  - Jazz Bolero  - used is free of rights and royalty-free courtesy FreeSoundTrack.com. Show Intro/ Outro Theme Jazzy Paris background courtesy of BenSound Music.
This episode has been generously brought to you by Paris Food And Wine@ParisFoodWine http://parisfoodandwine.net and also Bordeaux Food & Wine @bordeauxfoodvin http://bordeauxfoodandwine.com

For sponsorship and advertising, contact Paige. Also for hosting, events, and speaking engagements and for media collaborations: http://Paigedonner.info

More Info @ParisFoodWine
Instagram @PaigeFoodWine

Listen to Paris GOOD food + wine on :

All photos copyright 2017 Paige Donner

iTunes – Paris GOODfood+wine / 

Prints available by contacting http://PaigeDonner.info