VINITES TASTING AT THE WINE PROFESSIONAL 2012: DOMAINE GEORGES VERNAY & LUC KUSTERS

A tiny French winery and a top Amsterdam restaurant combined their skills during the opening day of the recent Wine Professional 2012. The presentation was organised by Vinites:one of the major wine importers in The Netherlands. The wines selected from their portfolio came from the family run Domaine Georges Vernay in the Rhône Valley, made by the charming Christine Vernay - daughter and current winemaker. The opening wine was a velvety, very vinous pink saignée made from syrah and a glass of a winning viognier from the recent Dutch National Wine Competition, both from 2010. This was followed by magnificent Condrieus; ; chef Luc Kusters from restaurant Bolenius combined a 2010 Terrasses de l'Empire with three preparations of celeriac (see attached photo) in a sauce of crushed tomatoes with grapefruit and grated black olive – not the most obvious choice for a wine tasting - but one of the most refreshing and purest vegetarian dishes I've ever tasted and a superb combination with the Condrieu. The other wine on offer was an extra glass of Vieux Vernon Condrieu 2009 with even more depth, produced from grapes grown on a plot planted before 1940 by Christine’s grandfather.

If you think that the summit had been reached, think again! The Côte du Rhône St. Agathe 2009 caught everyones attention; a thoroughbred cousin of the following Côte Rôtie 2009 Blonde du Seigneur but of course with a more customer friendly price. The Côte Rôtie was the ideal wine to complete this superb wine and food experience as Luc Kusters presented a lighter, contemporary version of Lièvre à la Royale – hare with a sauce made from the offal, carcass and blood - a classic of French haute cuisine and later a signature dish of the Dutch super chef Robert Kranenborg, with whom Luc worked for years. A combination made in heaven.

www.vinites.com

www.bolenius-restaurant.nl

www.thewinesite.nl

3 MICHELIN STARS FOR MASSIMO BOTTURA: OSTERIA FRANCESCANA

Massimo Bottura, the innovative chef from the Osteria Francescana in Modena, has been awarded his third Michelin star. This is only the seventh restaurant in Italy to achieve the distinction in the 2012 guide. Earlier in the year he was voted number 4 in the world by the San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants - what a year.
The dishes he invents reflect the traditions of his region Emilia Romagna and are based on local ingredients such as Parmesan cheese and Balsamic vinegar - pictured below. The smashed dessert originated with an accident in the kitchen and others are the result of a fertile imagination powered by art, jazz and history. Congratulations.

www.osteriafrancescana.it
www.modenatur.it

René Redzepi - NOMA Book

Top chef René Redzepi from restaurant NOMA ( No.1 in the San Pellegrino World's 50 Best ) was in The Netherlands last week to present his cooking bible about the new Nordic cuisine.

Within his allotted hour, he expounded on his philosophy to the fans and press who had flocked to an old church outside Amsterdam from far and wide - a real challenge considering the numerous debates and words written about this revolutionary approach. He opened his presentation by thanking ( 3 star ) Dutch chef Jonnie Boer who had earlier welcomed him with a box of fresh cèpes, picked that morning in the Veluwe forest and Dutch wine from Thérèse Boer "to show we also have beautiful products here which have been used for many years in our restaurant". René had brought some food for the audience to taste; homemade rye biscuits and beach rose petals pickled in vinegar in order to show that even humble products can be delicious. A simple way to show that the essence of his cooking is based on locally grown, foraged, caught or shot products. The use of new cooking techniques - and the reintroduction of traditional methods - enabled Rene and his team to develop a new taste and combination palette, setting this son of a Macedonian muslim immigrant on the culinary map for good. The book is a true reflection of his vision and a new look at culinary possibilities and attitudes and reads like a recipe laced novel. It has been an 8 year journey at NOMA; starting with a playful exploration of Scandinavian nature that gradually grew into a culinary journey that shows no signs of ending. Fortunately, René retains his friendly and open attitude despite all the international attention. We have followed him for years; sometimes up close and often at a distance and intend to continue this adventure that is having an influence on chefs worldwide.

ISBN 9780714859033 Phaidon Publishers

SPITSBERGEN - SUMMER ICE

Read more on: TRAVEL: Spitsbergen - Summer Ice

DOMAINES OTT IS HOT

Sales director Christophe Renard from Les Domaines Ott swapped the Provence for the grey skies of  The Netherlands to allow us to taste wines from the three different Ott vineyards. "All our wines are bio by tradition", said Renard," although we don't state this on the label because it is normal for us".

The presentation for a select group of wine journalists was held onboard the classic canal boat M.S. Kleijn Amsterdam and departed from the quay in front of the Dylan Hotel in Amsterdam. The first offering was the magnificent Blancs de Blancs Clos Mireille 2009 from a vineyard where the Sémillion and Rolle literally  have their toes in the Mediterranean. The vineyard is the size of Monaco - but only consists of 12 houses rather than 25,000. Obviously, this is a wine that combines with fish and seafood; the dish served by Dennis Kuipers, the chef from the Vinkeles restaurant in the Dylan Hotel of  Zoutkamp shrimp bouillon with skate and fennel followed by a zingy creation of crayfish and potato, peas and marinated lemon was a remarkable foil to the wine with the characteristic delicate, creamy oak tones that Ott strive for.

Two Coeur de Grains rosés were next up; the Côtes de Provence 2010 from Chateau de Selle and a Bandol 2010 from Château Romassan, both recently bottled. Other producers bottle in January, but Ott develop more complexity by maturing the wine in large barrels until April. The Bandol stole the show; an outstanding wine made from Mourvèdre (50%), Cinsault (35%) and the rest Grenache. Round and fruity with a silky yet complex structure, ending with strong juicy notes with a hint of spice. The chef had matched this with a deconstructed Salade Niçoise.

The last Ott was another Château Romassan; this time a deep red version ( Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah) from 2006. This had mixed reactions and all attention was on the cassoulet from veal kidneys, asparagus and mustard - light, tasty and to the point.

Ott is hot - news to the British guest in the Provence who recognised the amphora bottle and asked the waiter if it was Ott - only to be informed "No sir, we serve our wine cold"!


www.domaines-ott.com

www.classicboatdinners.nl

www.fourcroy.nl

www.dylanamsterdam.com

The patented amphora bottle originates from 1925

Deconstructed Salade Nicoise from Dennis Kuipers

Christophe Renard - sales manager from Ott

SAN PELLEGRINO - THE WORLD'S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS

A couple of tourists studying their guide book in the courtyard of London's Guildhall were totally unaware of the people around them. It reminds me of when I followed the Rolling Stones on a bicycle along the canals in Amsterdam on their way to perform at  Paradiso. Chatting to them on their boat; all the other people oblivious to the stars passing by. If the tourists had been aware of the attractions bathed in the fading sun, they would have witnessed the biggest gathering of the world's top chefs chatting and meeting old friends from around the globe - no security or P.R. police. Mutual respect and the enjoyment of being with your peers. It was great for us to meet up again with many of the chefs. Many had been in London for the day - Heston Blumenthal's new restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel - Dinner by Heston - had seen a total of 60 Michelin stars through the door in one day!

The beautiful weather prolonged the party before the chefs entered the gothic hall for the results of the World's 50  Best Restaurants 2011. In quick tempo, the top 50 restaurants discovered their position in the list. Rene Redzepi from Noma was voted number one for the second year running; the whole team celebrating with horned Viking helmets!. There were four Dutch chefs in the top 50 - Sergio Herman ( Oud Sluis - 17 ),  Margot Janse ( Le Quartier Francais, South Africa - 36), Richard Ekkebus ( Amber, Hong Kong - 37 ) & Jonnie and Therese Boer ( De Librije - 46 ).

See the complete list here; www.the worlds50best.com

Jonnie Boer, Heston Blumenthal & Sergio Herman - 9 Michelin stars

Claude Bosi - Hibiscus - No.43

Rene Redzepi - No.1

Jonnie Boer, Therese Boer, Sergio Herman & Michel Herman

Richard Ekkebus - Amber, Hong Kong

Thomas Keller - Per Se - No.10