Monday, June 13, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
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 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
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| The patented amphora bottle originates from 1925 |
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| Deconstructed Salade Nicoise from Dennis Kuipers |
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| Christophe Renard - sales manager from Ott |
Thursday, April 21, 2011
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
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
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| Jonnie Boer, Heston Blumenthal & Sergio Herman - 9 Michelin stars |
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| Claude Bosi - Hibiscus - No.43 |
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| Rene Redzepi - No.1 |
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| Jonnie Boer, Therese Boer, Sergio Herman & Michel Herman |
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| Richard Ekkebus - Amber, Hong Kong |
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| Thomas Keller - Per Se - No.10 |
Thursday, March 17, 2011
RENE REDZEPI - MICHEL BRAS - SERGIO HERMAN CENTRE STAGE AT THE FLEMISH PRIMITIVES
Rene Redzepi Michel Bras Sergio Herman
Noma ** Denmark Bras *** France Oud Sluis *** The Netherlands
No.1 San Pellegrino Top 50 No.56 San Pellegrino Top 100 No.19 San Pellegrino Top 50
www.noma.dk www.bras.com www.oudsluis.nl
The Flemish Primitives is an annual gastronomic event in Belgium where top chefs and their suppliers, food scientists and artists meet for inspiring seminars and presentations. Last year the theme was "machines"; fortunately this time it was "people"..... and what people! Chefs paired together by their joint passions. Alexandre Gauthier (La Grenoullière - France) and Kobe Desramaults (In de Wulf - Belgium) were first up; chefs who care about products in the earth and those moving under the sea. Their dishes literally return to their roots; cooking with all the abundance surrounding them - not only foraged herbs and vegetables but also rare breeds such as Flemish Red beef - all simply cooked without technical tricks or gadgets but ultimately creative. Amazing what someone can do with the simple potato, for instance. Local produce does not always equal great food; Wales and Ireland have some of the best products in the world... and chefs who manage to murder them.
The highlight of the show - if you measure by the number of journalists drawn like moths to a flame - was undoubtably the triumvirate of Rene Redzepi (Noma), Michel Bras (Bras) and Sergio Herman (Oud Sluis). The three - pictured above - gave world class cooking demos, this time with their own themes. Michel chose 'emotion' presented as a report of his exotic world travels. Rene reminded everyone that Bras' coulant of chocolate, created in 1984, is probably the most imitated dish ever - and the downfall of many aspiring chefs with delusions of grandeur on television cooking competitions. Sergio expounded on his new taste building blocks, inspired by modern visual arts and literature; scallops presented as a rosary, for example. From Rene, the continuing traditional - often humble, sometimes unique - Nordic ingredients that determine his seasonal creations. Reindeer moss is a staple.
Last but certainly not least, the duo Dominique Persoone (The Chocolate Factory - Belgium) and his comrade from Brazil, chef Alex Atala, played out an entertaining hommage to the rain forest. The public, with themed lunch boxes on their laps, could dig into everything from ancient cocoa to forest ants with their citric tones. Green ant ice cream is wonderful. A great ending that whets the appetite for the next Flemish Primitives.
The Flemish Primitives: www.theflemishprimitives.com
Food pairing: www.foodpairing.com
Our website: www.vanderendt-lindsey.com
Friday, March 11, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
OXIDISED WINES - SHOWING THEIR METAL
Some wines are 'difficult'. Unfriendly nose with an excess of terroir, missing a fresh, fruity taste and reluctant to exhibit their true worth. For those who are prepared to make the effort, these wines can be persuaded to reveal themselves by the correct treatment - temperature, aeration, the shape of the glass etc. - and also through a well considered food pairing. An acquired taste eminently linked to extreme gastronomic wines, often with the oxidised tones found in white Rioja (Tondonia) or Chenin Blanc from the Loire. Hungarian wines made from the indigenous Furmint grape variety exhibit this difficulty.... or should that be 'merit'. Producers such as Szepsy, nicknamed the 'Furmint General ', take pride in this characteristic - thus beating, I'm sorry to say, many Yquems.
During the Wine Professional 2011 in Amsterdam, Thérèse and Jonnie Boer - the hostess/sommelier and owner/chef from the 3 star Michelin restaurant De Librije in Zwolle, The Netherlands, were invited to prepare dishes to match with these troublesome wines. Faultless combinations like no other; especially those from their new menu (see www.librije.com ).
During our recent visit to Copenhagen - the new gastronomic capital - most restaurants were pouring varieties of oxidised wines in their wine arrangements. Interestingly, the sommeliers were eager to match these wines with the pure flavours of the modern Nordic cuisine - but when the guests were left to their own devices and ordered bottles from the wine list they chose stubborn young, fruity French wines. A case of the restaurant trying to be cutting-edge and the guests favouring safe alternatives. Happily, many clients are willing to surrender to the sommeliers choice.
The culinary artistry of the chefs in the Danish capital has developed a unique cuisine - something to write home about - we will do exactly that in the next blog....
For the new menu: www.librije.com
Visit our website: www.vanderendt-lindsey.com
During the Wine Professional 2011 in Amsterdam, Thérèse and Jonnie Boer - the hostess/sommelier and owner/chef from the 3 star Michelin restaurant De Librije in Zwolle, The Netherlands, were invited to prepare dishes to match with these troublesome wines. Faultless combinations like no other; especially those from their new menu (see www.librije.com ).
During our recent visit to Copenhagen - the new gastronomic capital - most restaurants were pouring varieties of oxidised wines in their wine arrangements. Interestingly, the sommeliers were eager to match these wines with the pure flavours of the modern Nordic cuisine - but when the guests were left to their own devices and ordered bottles from the wine list they chose stubborn young, fruity French wines. A case of the restaurant trying to be cutting-edge and the guests favouring safe alternatives. Happily, many clients are willing to surrender to the sommeliers choice.
The culinary artistry of the chefs in the Danish capital has developed a unique cuisine - something to write home about - we will do exactly that in the next blog....
For the new menu: www.librije.com
Visit our website: www.vanderendt-lindsey.com
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