Only today, already a few weeks after the dinner actually took place, I finally have the time to report about our meal at Restaurant La Vie in Osnabrück. In this small-sized German city in the Northern part of the country, Chef Thomas Bühner and his wife and  Maîtr D’, Thayarni  Kanagaratnam, have built up a gem of a restaurant, both regarding food and atmosphere. The premises are comprised within a listed Classisistic building in the heart of the town and the modern interior, also composed of warm tones with wood elements, is in perfect contrast and harmony with the architecture. When you enter the premises, you are warmly welcomed and instantly feel at home. Read the rest of this entry »

1999 ist laut professionellen Bewertern ein gutes Jahr im Burgund gewesen, und diese Einschätzung hat sich schon 2 Mal als goldrichtig erwiesen. Zuletzt auch bei meiner ersten Probe eines Pinots der Domaine Michel Gros: Es war damals der Vosne-Romanée (auf Englisch). Nun muss der Nuits-Saint-Georges aus der selben Domaine dran glauben. Nuits ist in der Regel die etwas kräftigere Appelation, und so war ich gespannt, ob der Wein nicht noch ansprechender sein würde. Read the rest of this entry »

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 »