Wine Tasting Riviera . Wine Events Riviera . Fine Wine Works » Winter

“Snow Business like the Wine Business!”

Helen Brotherton — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:31:46 +0000

We have just returned from a mad pre-Christmas Wine trip by car to the UK to visit the necessary “rellys” and friends, exchange pressies and deliver festive bottles of Vilmart champagne to all our
nearest and dearest. I suppose one of the teensy downsides of becoming the sole representative of a chic, exclusive artisan and award winning grower Champagne house, is that everyone expects to be given a bottle of the magic fizz at Christmas time! Not that we are complaining – we know how much pleasure a sip of sensational Coeur de Cuvée can bring!

Also, the exercise ensures sufficient allocation of boot space for the slightly bonkers return journey, which requires us to load up with a wild and whacky range of non – French wines bought in the UK to bring back down to the Riviera to use on our WSET® courses. We have quite a run of courses planned for the first quarter of 2010 and naturally, as per the WSET® syllabus requirements, need to have particular wines from all around the world for the practical (and very pleasant) side of our courses. You try sourcing a Hunter Valley Semillon, and Austrian Grüner Veltliner or a Dry Oloroso Sherry here in b****y France.!! Love ‘em to bits, of course, but it is a tad frustrating that an entire wine producing nation has no interest (or belief that anyone else could have an interest) in tasting anything other than French wine. We have yet to suffer a routine Customs search at Calais by perplexed Douane officials if they open our boot and find 100+ bottles of eclectic “foreign” wines stashed – one day, it’s bound to happen.
The snow chased us down from North Yorkshire to Dover: we crossed the channel OK, only to meet the blizzards head on in Northern France, which slowed down our homeward journey and meant an extra unscheduled stopover en-route. As the snow and ice got heavier and road conditions worsened, we hoped that Day 2 of our journey might see us as far as a Northern Rhône overnighter – stupidly started fantasising about a white St Joseph followed by a hearty Crozes Hermitage to accompany dinner that
night. But, the Great Snow God was in charge and forced us off the road and to head for shelter in Maçon by mid-afternoon. So Supper was a more Burgundian affair with a simple Maçon Blanc Chardonnay to accompany the snails (curious how when in Burgundy, one cannot avoid the lure of these funny little molluscs with garlicky butter…), then a more robust Beaujolais, a Morgon, with our Côte de Boeuf. All extremely pleasant and a testimony to the old Food & Wine Matching adage that you won’t go far wrong if you stick to the traditional fare of the region with the local wines.
So here we are, counting down the hours to the BIG DAY! I would imagine most of you have already decided on what you are going to drink to celebrate Christmas 2009. Funnily enough, having ranted
earlier at how frustrating it is to be limited to just French wines when living in France and envying the UK for their hugely diverse and exciting global wine availability, when it comes to Christmas, you just can’t beat the classics! Champagne is a must – I know, I’m trumpeting the “V” word again (Vilmart), but myself and my marvellous husband will be indulging in a glass (or 3) of the classic vintage Grand Cellier d’Or 2003 as we open pressies. Lunch (for the first time in I think, 25 years….) is being cooked by SOMEONE ELSE!!!. All we have to do is show up at 1.30pm brandishing a couple of pre-chilled Vilmart Grand Cellier NV and we will be admitted and fed and entertained royally! The Turkey feast
itself will, I gather, from one of my ex WSET® pupils who has kindly invited us, is to be accompanied by a trip round France encompassing the Loire, Burgundy and Bordeaux – can’t wait.
Never one to leave the apron hung on its peg for long, and not having had the task of preparing the
festive bird itself, we are having a very English Boxing Day Buffet for friends and with a Glazed Ham, a Home-made Raised Pork Pie with Piccalilli & Winter Coleslaw followed by Raspberry & White Chocolate Trifle & Mince-Pies, we are sticking local, however, for the wine. Chateau de Chaberts in the Var with their cut above Provence wines will provide the quaffers for our Boxing Day gathering.
The trick is to spend “just the right amount” on your Party Wines: go too cheap and you’ll find your indoor house plants suffering from a surfeit of poured away plonk and all your guests will remember is
the hangover. Don’t raid the cellar for the good stuff, either – nobody will notice or be nearly reverential enough if the atmosphere is convivial. Take the time to select a pair of good “all rounders” to see you through and to please everyone. As we seem to be sticking to France, may I suggest you turn your thoughts to the Southern Rhône for the Red and to the lesser known villages (avoid the mad prices demanded by Châteauneuf du Pape, for example) – go for a Visan, a Séguret or a Vacqueyras. For a
White, the fashionable variety at the moment is Sauvignon Blanc – no need to go over the top with a Sancerre or Pouilly Fumé – try a straight varietal from a good producer of one of the above – my mind has wandered to the Sancerre producer La Porte, whose simple Vin de Pays Sauvignon Blanc (from the same vineyard area – durrr!) but at half the price,is a no brainer!

That’s it folks! Fine Wine Works is signing off for 2009 – your last chance to share any quality time with us is at our New Year’s Eve event in Cannes on 31st December (check out our Forthcoming Events page for details).

Bon Fete!

Helen Brotherton
22.12.09

“Valking in a Vilmart Vonderland”

Helen Brotherton — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:35:31 +0000

Oh, gosh is that a hideously, schmaltzy, yuck way of introducing what we are up to over the festive period with Christmas? Sorry, folks, that’s me!! Bit on a wave of excitement here at FineWineWorks with our recent activities with our very own Vilmart champagne. Firstly, we’ve brought in a supremely experienced “Marketing Marvel” in the form of John Burke – a trusted friend, a graduate of all 3 levels of our WSET® Wine Courses with FWW (so he’s really seen us in action with a corkscrew), and coincidentally an amazingly experienced Marketing Consultant with a background history of working with some of the real big guns in the industry.

His past experience was with some of the biggest drinks companies (for example Diageo) where their marketing budgets were absolutely stratospheric! (he conducted the UK research that led to their sponsorship of the McLaren Formula One team with Johnny Walker Black Label). And its come to this….a non-paying position as Chief Marketeer and person “who knows what they are doing” with Fine Wine Works to truly launch, promote, encourage and assist us to endorse the extraordinarily different, “breathtaking” and exciting champagne house of Vilmart & Cie.
We’ve instigated campaigns with all the local media (check out the Riviera Times website and monthly publications, look out for our revealing interview in the Riviera Times and hear me whiffle on about the fab Vilmart champagnes on Monaco’s Riviera Radio). We’ve thrown caution to the wind and are madly offering a “first bottle free” when you order 12 of our gorgeous 92 Parker Points breathtaking “Vilmart Grand Cellier Brut NV” (normal RSP 35€). We have given an in depth interview which appears in this Dec / Jan “Riviera Reporter”. We’ve hooked up (‘scuse the pun) with Dan & Lucy Luger at Nice Rugby Club – watch this space for some rather exciting “co-promotions”, including a very romantic plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day in February (are you seeing hearts, roses and pink Champagne….????)
We are, as ever, proud sponsors of the International Club of the Riviera and wearing my professional ex-actress “hat”, I was deeply content and happy to be asked to join the panel of judges for the International Schools of the Riviera Speech Contest on 13th November. I assumed my stage name of Helen Patrick for the evening, and was, (quelle surprise?), vociferous in my thoughts, feelings and beliefs about the contestants that night. Public speaking, holding an audience and enchanting, informing and illuminating them is no easy feat and I think the final winner and (very) close runner up performed a brilliant feat – well done!
A few people have been asking if I have a secret Mulled Wine Recipe as a Wine Expert and Gerant of FWW – yes, I do! Some of you came to find out for yourselves at the International Club’s “Fusion Christmas Gala” last Saturday on La Croisette, Cannes (see www.internationalclub.fr) for piccies. If you didn’t join us for a glass – my secret is to stud a whole orange with cloves, then roast it in the oven for 40 mins. Add to a large heavy casserole with a couple of sticks of cinnamon, 2 or 3 star anise, a couple of bottles of red wine, 1/2 litre of orange juice. A triple shot of port, a double of brandy and a single of Cointreau or triple sec and a scoop of sugar to taste (try fair-trade brown sugar for a richer, more caramelised character).
Our Vilmart champagne will also be offered at the ICR’s New Years Eve Event – c’est moi doing the catering so please allow a brief plug!
No surprise, then, as to what we shall be brandishing when invited for a social event over the festive period, and I’m afraid our long suffering friends and family will all (secret present alert*%$//???””£*) be getting a bottle of Vilmart champagne in their Christmas stocking this year 2009. It’s the wine of choice when celebrating anything – and here’s to all of us who have “survived” and indeed enjoyed 2009!

Helen Brotherton
07.12.09

Seasonal Food & Wine Matching & a Winter Dinner with Friends

Helen Brotherton — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:20:01 +0000

Lots of chef’s and restaurants get very precious and haughty about the fact that they specialise in using “seasonal” ingredients and wouldn’t dream of touching asparagus or peaches in Winter, but here in France, and in particular the bountiful Riviera, the markets and small shops make it very easy for one to buy Seasonal produce and keep to Nature’s rhythms – simply because that is what they have on offer!

Food and wine matching then naturally follows this pattern and you’ll find yourself tending to lean towards richer, more full -bodied and robust wines in the colder months and sliding into lighter, brighter whites and rosés as the weather warms up. January’s “goodie bag” of Salsify, Swede, Celeriac and Jeusalem Artichokes would certainly look out of place on a Summer barbeque, but as well as fruit & veg, certain fish & meats have their “at their best” season too. Look for Crabs, Mussels, Oysters and Scallops and make the most of the last couple of weeks of the Game season – Hare, Pheasant are still good, but probably are best slow cooked and braised at this stage.

So, with wine tasting chums about to descend on us last weekend and wanting to make it a pleasurable gourmet event, it was an opportunity to test run a couple of Wintry recipes and then match them with some goodies from my cellar. Plump, luscious Scallops made their entrance for the first course – but even though sometimes perceived as quite a delicate seafood, their sweetness has often been married with gutsy partners on the plate – think Scallops with Pancetta, Black Pudding or Chorizo, or more Oriental (it being Chinese New Year at the end of the month) – classically with Spring Onions & Ginger or Lemongrass & Chilli. I opted for a punchy “Sauce Diable” (see recipe below) which then needed a ripe, spicy and fairly full bodied White Wine. I pondered the various merits of a Viognier from the Rhone or perhaps Australia, a demi-sec Vouvray from a warm year such as 2003 or 2005, perhaps an Alsace Pinot Gris but then – inspiration! A complex, lychee filled and buxom Gewurztraminer from, wait for it….Northern Italy! The Alto Adige, to be precise (the bit in the North East corner snuggled right up to the Austrian border). I found a superb example from St. Michael Eppan (www.stmichael.it) – their Sanct Valentin Gewurztraminer 2007 with its unmistakeable aroma of roses and mixed spices with pepper, nutmeg and cloves.

The meal continued with more Italian wines (I know, I know – but I love ‘em!) with a macho Sangiovese / Merlot blend from Southern Tuscany (Mazzei’s “baby” Super Tuscan, “Poggio al Badiolo” www.fonterutoli.it) with the Braised Lamb Shanks and Roast Winter Root Vegetables. Then disaster struck – my long hoarded Vino Dolce Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc “Vulcaia Apres” from rebellious, wonderful and passionate Soave producer Stefano Inama’s stable – had, well frankly, bolted! It was corked!!!! Not just a mild whiff of the tell tale musty cardboard and fusty mushrooms from the bottom of the fridge – nope, this one had it (the pernicious aromas of the substance TCA 123 which affects 1 in 12 bottles) so convincingly that it had to go straight down the sink. One doesn’t tend to have more than one dessert wine stashed in the fridge so alas, my fellow diners were robbed of what is an exceptionally pleasant, passion-fruity and acacia blossom “sweetie”. I had to extol it’s virtues from memory and advise them of just how exquisitely perfect it would have been with my Lemon Meringue Trifle with Poppy Seed Shortbread! If you do see wines from this producer on offer, please do try them as Stefano does something quite extraordinary with what are often considered rather ordinary & commonplace wines i.e. Soave: www.inamaaziendaagricola.it

Seared Scallops with “Sauce Diable”

Serves 4 (as a starter)

Prepare some “sloppy” mashed potatoes (Pommes Mousseline) by boiling 900g (2lb) potatoes (check they are good for purée) in salted water until completely tender, about 20 – 25 minutes, depending on the size. Drain, replace the lid and shake the pan vigorously whilst back on the heat – this will both dry the potatoes out and start to break them up. Add 100g (4oz) of unsalted butter and 120ml (4 fl oz) cream or milk, a little at a time whilst you mash the potatoes. Season with salt, pepper and a little grated nutmeg – they should be light, fluffy and creamy. Cover with clingfilm (so that the film is in contact with the mash which will stop it drying out or getting crusty) and put to one side.
Whilst the potatoes are boiling you can crack on with the Sauce “Diable” – a tangy, punchy hot Mustard & Shallot sauce: Melt a small knob of butter in a pan and add 300ml (10fl oz) finely diced Shallots (as shallots vary so wildly in size it is easier to measure the finished chopped ones than suggest 4 or 5 shallots in the recipe!) Cook on a medium heat until they start to take on a golden colour – say 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add 50ml (2 fl oz) Red Wine Vinegar then reduce until almost dry – about 2 – 3 minutes. Slosh in a generous glass of White Wine and reduce again until almost dry – this “cooks off” the alcohol but leaves the flavour! Add 150ml (5 fl oz) Jus / Gravy – as you are unlikely to have a pot of Glacé Veal stock simmering away on your domestic stove, I have found that a packet sauce – such as a Madeira Wine Gravy or an Sauce Echalote (Strained) has enough substance and depth of flavour to be a perfectly acceptable substitute here.
Simmer for 5 – 10 minutes then add a teaspoon or more of Mustard (strong yellow English mustard if you like it really punchy, or mellower Dijon) then check the taste.
Have both the sloppy mash and the mustard sauce warm and ready to go before you cook the scallops.

Heat a heavy bottomed frying pan with a tablespoon (15 ml) of oil – ordinary vegetable oil here, as you don’t want strong flavours to overpower the delicate sweet scallops. Once hot, sit 12 x scallops (or 20 x smaller Coquilles St Jaques or Queenies), trimmed and cleaned of roe, in the pan, making sure the maximum heat is maintained, which will ensure the scallops “sear” rather than “stew”. Turn over after 30 seconds and cook for a further 30 seconds – 1 minute. Don’t be tempted to shuffle the scallops round the pan either – the best way to sear is to ensure they stay in contact with the hot pan in one place to colour them.
To present the dish – spoon, pipe or dollop the sloppy mash, on to a plate, spoon 2 – 3 tablespoons of the sauce around or to one side and place 3 x large Scallops (or 5 of the smaller Queenies) on the sauce on each plate.

NB It’s vey cheffy but things like this are always presented in “odd” numbers – like flower arranging! So 3’s, 5’s 7’s etc……

Helen Brotherton