Wine Retail is like Egg Sushi, and so is Champagne. But Burgundy isn’t.
I once heard a story about sushi that really impressed me. The true sushi expert, when trying a restaurant for the first time, always begins by ordering Tamago, or egg sushi. Egg sushi may not be as exciting as sea urchin (Uni) or fatty tuna belly (Toro), but...
A Zaftig Sparkling Wine
There are many, many styles of sparkling wine out there to bewitch and delight us.Some are light and graceful sparklers that remind me of ballerinas dancing Swan Lake in foamy...
A little more oak than I would’ve liked – 2005 Domaine des Deux Roches Saint-Veran
When I turn to a white Burgundy I look to enjoy a wine that is crisp, lots of minerality and great fruit but not a lot of oak. Unfortunately the 2005 Domaine des Deux Roches Saint-Veran “Rives de Longsault” ($20) did provide, in my opinion, a bit to much pure oak aromas and flavors than...
Louis Jadot Beaujolais 2007
Beaujolais can sometimes be a bit sickly - anyone remember Bazooka Joe bubble gum, or prawn shaped candies? But this is no excuse for ignoring it. Anyone who has passed a lazy lunch, in late summer, at Café de la Bascule in the village of Fleurie with a Pot Lyonnais of chilled Fleurie villages knows...
Rousseau Gevrey Chambertin “Les Cazetiers” 2002
Burgundy, France. Pinot noir. 13%. Cork. Half bottleThough highly enjoyable, no school night epiphany with this particular half bottle. It reminds me of Autumn with its combination of earth and decay (I wonder if a bigger bottle might have shown more f...
The Angel at Hetton – still the best gastro-pub
My favourite gastro-pub in the whole wide world is situated in the Yorkshire Dales near Skipdale (for Emmerdale fans that is just a few miles from Hotton). Back in the real world, Hetton village is a mere cockstride from Rylstone, famous for bra-less jam-makers.
In classic gastro style it is a country pub atmosphere and decor,...
Affordable white Burgundy, alternatively closed
Enjoyed this Bourgogne Blanc, which I also tasted at Drouhin on my visit there in June. Interesting to see that it is closed with an attractive-looking Stelvin Lux. Opened two other Burgundies today from another leading negociant, Louis Jadot - these w...
Burgundy: the perfect wine region?
A late night thought, for some discussion, perhaps. Is Burgundy the perfect wine region for geeks?
We have great red wines and great white wines. Very few regions can pull both off to this level. At the top end, Burgundy produces perhaps the most comp...
Tilapia fillet with lemon butter – answer to the wine pairing challenge
In the last post, I posed a food-and-wine challenge, to which I will now supply my answer.Food-and-wine pairing challenge.Which of the three wines displayed on this photo was the best match for the Bobby Flay's pan-fried tilapia fillet, topped with lem...
Tilapia fillet with lemon butter
While my week-day job is in high-tech, on week-ends I come to my favorite wine shop, pour wines for customers, get their feedback, and then occasionally take a few bottles home for deeper reflection and study. I believe that wine is made to be enjoyed ...
Domaine Roulot Bourgogne Blanc 2006
Burgundy, France. Chardonnay. 13%. Cork. Approx $A50.A cloudy day, punctuated by drizzle, but without the sting and bitter cold of winter.A delicious wine, which seems to possess all the classic white Burgundy traits. Grilled stone fruit and crushed al...
One for the road
The 2005 Syvlie Esmonin Cotes de Nuits-Villages really needs a post of its own. This is always a stellar value year in and year out but '05 might be the most special one made yet. Just a mammoth of a wine with heaps of fruit, earth and complexity. Grea...
