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Olly Smith's Drink Tank
The Big Portuguese Tasting with Oz Clarke
A mamouth "wine tasting with a difference" s being organised for the 12th April - The Big Portuguese Tasting. You can participate from the comfort of your armchair (as I'm likely to do, perhaps with a gathering of friends) or you can go to Lords Cricket Ground, John Lewis in Oxford Street or Waitrose Canary Wharf. Details are a bit sketchy at the moment, the big tasting website isn't up and running for example, but the early announcement gives us a chance to plan and get some friends invited... and get those wines purchased...
1) You can join in tasting with the irrepressible Oz Clarke starting at 7.30pm at Lords Cricket ground. (Tickets available from www.seetickets.com £15 per person)2) Join in one of the 'on-line' outside events at John Lewis in Oxford Street, or Waitrose Canary Wharf.
3) View the tasting with Oz on-line at www.thebigtasting.com from the comfort of your own home.
All the wines being tasted are available from Waitrose so you can purchase in advance . There are six that will be tasted (links go to Waitrose online):
You can also follow ViniPortugal and their preparation for the event on twitter at 'vpwine'. These details have been lifted from a facebook event.
The BIG Tasting with Oz Clarke
Date: Monday, 12 April 2010
Time: 19:30 - 22:30
Location: Lords Cricket Ground, Waitrose Canary Wharf, John Lewis on Oxford Street or from the comfort of your own home!
La Cuisine for the Wine Savvy
La Cuisine For the Wine Savvy: A Guest Post by Douglas Blyde:
With 25 to his name, the world's most Michelin starred chef, Joël Robuchon announced a culinary collaboration with 'true friend' and fellow super savvy businessman, Bernard Magrez, Wednesday. The venue: London's installment of his 'La Cuisine' restaurant, suspended between the leafy ground floor 'Atelier' and gilt, cut glass and onyx edged penthouse bar. Checkerpot tiled, with shiny ingredients mounted on racks, it felt oddly tempting to draw parallels between the formally informal decor here and that of a Pizza Express. Alas, big, black, bulbous apple sculptures blocked the view of fellow diners - a fillet of the good, greying and greedy members of the British wine world's glitterati...
Born in 1930's Bordeaux, press pack printings qualify Magrez's determination to succeed as stemming from a ruthless stonemason father. Indeed, the charming, confident, statuesque icon was apparently forced to endure daily hikes to school bearing the sign, 'I am lazy'. According to lucid top wine scribe Robert Joseph, Magrez was awakened to the world of commerce aged 25 whilst taking a bus road-trip around the US, being 'struck by supermarkets'. Back in Bordeaux, he purchased a small Port wine importer, channelling his energies into turning it into the vehicle for a best-selling whisky and budget, branded Bordeaux - an operation eventually bought by 'Castel' seven-years ago.
Whilst still fascinated by quantity, this collector of vineyards continues to harbour the ambitions of one who is 'rich and restless' (Peter Hellman). However, Magrez's focus now concerns solely top quality beverages, resulting in an enviable portfolio comprising Chateaux, Pape Clément, Tour Canet and Fombrauge (allegedly St. Émilion's largest) as well as plantings in Iberia, South America and North Africa.
Before being instructed to take root in a surprisingly warm chair at a long table today named after Magrez's estate, 'Les Grands Chênes' (winner of an '05 competition of 'Bordeaux versus California') smiling and occasionally winking staff plied guests with thickly chipped, joyously fatty slithers of Jamón Ibérico de Bellota. Aided by sticky '07 white Fombrauge (Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Sauvignon Gris) the ruddy, soft, salty meat provided epic culinary foreplay.
The soundtrack of piped whistling mercifully dimmed and everyone's cod liver oil lubed joints folded into place, it was time for lunch proper, prepped by chefs whose full names were embroidered on red-piped black tunics. Under starters orders, a creative statement 'par' Robuchon made a luxurious statement. Initially resembling a tin of boot polish, when its lid was clasped, as a mini closh, free, the 'en surprise' was tense oscietra caviar pressed over sweet crabmeat.
Substantial curls of pink foie gras with truffle discs on firm, but absorbent truffle marinated potato landed next, followed by moist, plancha cooked sea bass with baby leeks, poignantly fresh ginger and bright spiced honey. This trio of dishes were partnered with '05 Pape Clément Blanc (Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Muscadelle). Powerful, oak bevelled, and despite an illusion of nectarine-like sweetness, dry, with a feint lag of tannin, this struck me as the finest Pessac-Léognan I've ever slurped. It worked best with the smooth bass, but least against the ascerbic dressing of the truffled dish. Frustratingly, its dramatic price tag of over £100+ per bottle is exacerbated by the diminutive quantity in which it is made.
After hearing an engaging sizzling from the open plan kitchen, I delightedly fed on the milk fed result - two fragile looking lamb cutlets. Their cosy, greeting, fatty aromas mingled with a dried posy of fresh thyme and a gooey, roasted garlic bulb. A glorious plop of Robuchon's dare I say infamous, gluttonous, adhesive, mash potato was possessed by butter (against any doctor's advice, I begged seconds). Being soft, with silky tannins (the profile of many of Magrez's wines, beloved by critic, Robert Parker jnr.) the '00 magnum of Pape Clément (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot) enveloped the mashed pat, retaining acidity through to the end. Perhaps this was 2010's most seductive gastronomic combination, so far?
Surprisingly, the riper '03 (from an Impériale, equivalent to eight standard bottles) played out well with a fine, 'Haliborange' vitamin perfumed dessert featuring orange cream and sheerly cocoa rich Araguani chocolate. Adorned with a little flower, and brightly coloured, it was sufficiently inviting aesthetically and decadently perfumed to utterly ruin my Lent promise to avoid chocolate.
Magrez mentioned that with 35 estates, he could satisfy the most demanding of customers. 'As long as we listen to what they say, we won't get it wrong'.
Despite awful, over-stewed tea, and a slightly silly use of attractive but inedible garnishes such as coloured sandy grains to accentuate the pudding, Robuchon's meal had been as delicious as it was meticulous without being desperately filling, with dishes conversing well with Magrez's outwardly modern, but inwardly classic wines.
The duo will continue to 'celebrate their friendship' through food and wine synergy over all Robuchon's restaurants, which currently span eight cities worldwide. From where I sat, their mantra of kudos through quality and quantity seems believable.
Liefmans Fruit Beer
A rich chocolate dessert is required. What I should have done is pick up a selection of top quality chocolate from the deli, plucked a half dozen free-range eggs from Highlands Farm and replenished the tin with local flour for the pastry. But I couldn't be arsed.
Instead a Seriously Chocolatey Waitrose Tarte au Chocolat landed in the hand-held basket. A sad sign of living alone but at least I can eat half the tarte in one sitting without being tutted at. And another slice the following morning as the sausages are frying!
Via twitter (another refuge for the company-craving single?) dark chocolate was recommended as an accompaniment to this new Liefmans Fruit Beer. The combination of rich chocolate tarte and the sweet, deeply fruit beer worked nicely. Not quite a perfect match as the complexity of the beer was slightly nullified by the food and the layers of fruit flavours - cherry, raspberry, strawberry - diminished into one sweet, juicy whole. Its a highly drinkable little brew coming in with 4.2% alcohol. The fizz adding to the freshness.
Sweeter than I was expecting, initiating thoughts of a grown-up alcopop, and not at all beery (malty/hoppy). Liefmans Fruit Beer is matured for 18 months on cherries then flavoured with cherry, raspberry, bilberry, elderberry and strawberry according to the rear label although the website lists juniper rather than elderberry). Sugar and Sweetener are also added but it comes in at just 99 calories in the 25cl bottle.
About to be filmed for another series of Come Dine With Me? A Chocolate Tart served with a little bottle of Liefmans Fruit Beer would make a fine dessert. Not that I watch Come Dine With Me at all you understand; that is reserved for the truly sad and lonely...
Liefmans Fruit will be available from all Waitrose stores from March 1st at £1.60 per 25cl bottle.
Liefmans' Fruit is a new introduction to the Liefmans range. It is based on older brother Liefmans Cuvée Brut (formerly Liefmans Kriek), a famous brown beer brewed just once a year and left to mature for 18 months on fresh, whole cherries. The new beer is then blended with fresh, natural fruit juices of strawberry, raspberry, cherry, elderberry and bilberry, before being crown-capped. The result is Liefmans Fruit, a highly refreshing fruit beer that is delightfully sweet, with the sparkle of Champagne and the freshness of a nicely chilled glass of wine.
It's All About the Money...
"Concern Worldwide because of its long track record and quick response after the quake to provide clean drinking water and water purification tablets. This non-governmental international humanitarian organisation founded in 1968 works around the world to reduce suffering and work towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world's poorest countries. Concern International has been working in Haiti since 1994 and had over 100 staff members on the ground when the earthquake struck. Despite losing several team members in the tragedy, they have been quick to act with distribution of supplies. Concern Worldwide estimates that its initial response to the emergency will last at least six months."
The money raised by this raffle will be paid directly into Concern Worldwide's account by Justgiving and will be used exclusively for the Haiti relief effort.
Tickets cost just £6.50 each and the list of over 30 prizes includes £200 worth of Virgin vouchers, an iPod shuffle, original artworks, many signed cookbooks by authors such as Skye Gingell, David Lebovitz and Simon Majumdar.
A worthy effort indeed that I trust you will support.
"We're looking to commission experienced, proven winemakers, who are looking to go it alone, to create stunning new wines for UK wine drinkers. And through the overwhelming support of our key investors, our community of Angel customers, we've been able to pledge a significant sum to launch the project.We will cover production costs, pay a salary, guarantee an order, market the wines, pay a profit per bottle sold... In other words, provide all the tools an independent winemaker needs to create their own wine, under their own label, without the risks usually associated with being self-employed in the wine world.
All that remains is to raise awareness and get recruiting."
Interested winemakers can find out more about the project, and apply for a slice of the pie, at http://www.nakedwines.com/workwithus
"Most people in my experience do appreciate a steer towards a food and wine combination that works just as if they're cooking something for the first time it helps to follow a recipe. No-one gets riled if you say that mozzarella goes with basil and tomatoes. Why get worked up if you suggest that oysters might go with Muscadet?"
Basically, if you are happy to be guided by recipes or combining certain ingredients why the hostility towards a critics guidance on certain wine and food combinations?
"Of course we need wine critics. And restaurant critics. And movie critics. And critics of the critics! Complex, provocative topics (like wine) will naturally inspire debate... around the dinner table, in the pub, on the internet, wherever. Whether I agree or disagree that a particular wine smells like "freshly cut tomato vines" doesn't matter. What's important is that there is open discussion and dialogue. The value is in the sharing of information. The listener/reader decides for themselves what's useful and what's not."
The last quote from curlyluddite.
BrewDog's Sink the Bismark!Offended? Racist? Personally I think its laugh-out-loud funny. Items like shooting a penguin at a battleship is just gloriously funny.
The 41% Alcohol beer itself is now available in 330ml bottles at £40 each. I seldom buy a full bottle of wine at this price point so a small bottle of beer doesn't stand an earthly... or does it?
Sink the Bismarck! from BrewDog on Vimeo.
For your chance to taste Sink the Bismark! head to the Rake, Borough Market, London on Friday (19th Feb) from 8pm to 10pm. (The Rake - 14 Winchester Walk Southwark London SE1 9AG)
8pm-10pm on Friday 19th February - just drop by between these times. The tasting is free and will be in the upstairs room.
Laithwaites New Flagship Vinopolis Store
From what I've heard the shop is impressive; including what they claim is the world's longest tasting table - an impressive 14 metres! The branch also stocks over 1,000 wines from 30 different countries. Not sure I could even list 30 wine making countries...
The official opening at 4pm - with the Mayour of Southwick - may well be worth a visit although the Saturday might be more exciting.
"Join staff from Laithwaites and Vinopolis, as well as stallholders from Borough Market, for a celebratory glass of champagne, canapés and wine tasting.The celebrations continue on Saturday February 20th when Laithwaites is offering customers the unique chance to walk away with a bottle of the finest wine for just £5.
From 10am - 10pm, Laithwaites will offer 500 'mystery' bottles for sale to customers, all for £5 each. Highlights include Lafite, Haut-Brion, Mouton and mixed in amongst the bottles will be other established classics and New World discoveries (see the full list at laithwaites.co.uk/luckydip)"
Opening of the Laithwaites Store - February 19th 4pm - 6pm onwards
Wine Lucky Dip - February 20th 10am - 10pm
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