Nun war es wieder soweit. Das Top-Event des Jahres für deutsche Weine, die Mainzer Weinbörse des VDP ist über die Bühne gegangen. Die Winzer präsentieren hier jährlich vor allem ihre neuen Weine des letzten Jahrgangs, also in diesem Fall von 2011.
Und obwohl 2011 schon so viele Vorschusslorbeeren erhalten hat, bestimmt zu recht, ist es für mich definitiv kein einfach zu beurteilender Jahrgang. Da waren 2008, 2009 und 2010 irgendwie viel eindeutiger, denn die Kernaussagen hatten wohl viel mehr tragweite. Read the rest of this entry »
Pre-Christmas test-dish. Scallops carpaccio on white risotto with Périgord-truffle.
Finally back online in 2012 and there’s lots to report still from the last 10 days of 2011. But first of all: a Happy New Year to all friends and readers, with lots of health, love and success! I hope you all had a good start with chilled wine and loud fireworks, I certainly did. My instant thought was that this is the first year ever where the numbers actually sound good, right? TWENTY-TWELVE ! First time in my life also such an unusual thought is crossing my mind, I swear. So 2012 just has to become a great year and maybe a great wine vintage as well.
But now back to 2011 for a few posts. I think I stopped blogging a day before Christmas. So let’s pick it up there with the Christmas dinner I cooked together with my brother and parents. Read the rest of this entry »
…these charming little aluminium-wine-dispensing cubes! OK, I don’t want to make advertising for a brand that seems to be outrageously successful anyway these days, but I just have to say that it puts a smile on my face every time I see one of these guys. But of course, you also have to make good use of em, so maybe I should rather praise Gregorelli’s restaurant in Frankfurt for the good filling: a couple of blockbuster Italian wines, including Sassicaia and Tignanello. Read the rest of this entry »
After a spree to the Rheingau wine region on a beautiful sunday we were looking for a place to have dinner. While we couldn’t come up with any casual restaurant that day, we had the sudden inspiration to go for Patrick Kimpel‘s fine dining restaurant within the Hotel Kronenschlößchen in Hattenheim. Read the rest of this entry »
We are still in Belgium, one day after our dinner at Pastorale, again in a small village. This time in Noville-sur-Mehaigne; you probably won’t know it, but your GPS will. It lies probably half an hour outside of Brussels, not far from Namur. From the German border, you should be there after one hour on the Belgian highway.
Lunchtime is near and we are awaited at l’Air Du Temps, the 2 star restaurant of chef Sang Hoon Degeimbre. Again, I am glad to join my friends of Gastros on Tour for this meal. I am especially excited because it’s my first time at this restaurant I have already heard and read so much about. Read the rest of this entry »
A few weeks ago I watched this episode of WLTV, where Gary V’s guest, Michael Madrigale, sommelier at Bar Boulud in NY, talks about his life and how he got into wine. I was particularly attentive when he explained how he finally discovered the wines of the Northern Rhône , a wine-region he didn’t understand at first, but is totally obsessed with now. I was fascinated by the level of passion in his words and felt that I could clearly follow his reasoning on how his connection to Rhône wines developed.
While watching this, I also realized that my own experience with Northern Rhône is definitely limited if not non-existent (supermarket Crozes-Hermitage doesn’t do the appelation right I guess). And since passion can be contagious: right after the show, inspired by the praising of matured Syrah, I screened the web for interesting bottles. Read the rest of this entry »
