Serge the Concierge

Drinking Outside the Box takes the Snob out of the Wine

At a recent wine tasting I was more than a bit turned off by a fellow attendee who did not seem to know a technical detail she would not like to mention.

Have we forgotten that good food and good wine is supposed to be fun, pleasurable not a doctoral pursuit?

Simon Woods of Drinking Outside the Box ('Wine for people who have a life) understands that and takes the snob out of the wine.

He also has the good taste to reference 'New Order' (one of my favorite bands) in his latest ditty Everything's gone green - the whites (and reds) of Galicia (July 16).

Makes me wonder why I have not mentioned Rías Baixas (old map above from region's site) and the lovely whites from the area, Albariños, not to forget the Celtic connection.

I have to correct that and share my tasting notes on Adega Eidos for example.

Cheers Simon!

Foodies Vacations: Cooking Schools in Australia, Pork Butchery to Stocks and Soups

Your inner chef might have forgotten that cooking and food is not just about being romanced by Provence or Tuscany.

In Cooking Schools Around Australia (Australian Traveler, May 2007), Christine Salins offers a number of destinations down under for Foodies Vacations.

It runs the gamut from barbecued seafood class at the Sydney Seafood School (opened since 1989) in Sydney's Fish Market which she says attracts 10,000 students a year to gourmet vegetarian cuisine with Nadine Abensur in Byron Bay.

Her more recent book is Enjoy.

Asian food has its place of course with Thai 'Cookery Retreats' at The Tamarind in Maleny, Queensland with chef Paul Plain.

Want to get down to basics the PodSchool in Canberra recently offered Stocks, Soups and Sauces, teaching how from the 3 basic stocks, beef, fish & chicken you can create the best sauces and soups.

I almost forgot to mention programs at wineries such as Chapel Hill (McLaren Vale) which has a Pork Butchery Session on August 8th with Ian Shaw from Ellis Butchers who will break up a pig and explain the cuts, while Chef Peter Hogg creates dishes using the appropriate technique for each cut (10.30am – 1.30pm).

A quick trip down under for a change.

Station to Station, Must See Tokyo all Mapped out by Tokyo Metro

Sometimes your visit to a city or a country is very short and you don't want to waste your time finding your way around.

If Tokyo is part of your travel plans, Tokyo Metro does the legwork for you.

The Tokyo subway system offers 6 Sightseeing Plans, each with around 10 attractions, station to station all mapped out.

Option Number 1 is Must See Tokyo (below):

 

Each attraction comes with a short description and a photo as well as the line you must take and the corresponding stop and travel time to the next sight.

Here's what comes up for Tokyo Tower for example:

"At 333 meters tall, the steel structure of Tokyo Tower has spectacular views from its observation deck, 150 meters above the city below. The tower features several other attractions, including an aquarium. more

Hibiya Line (H) 3 mins."

I also learned from today's expedition that Tokyo Tower (opened in 1958) is 13m taller at 333m than the Eiffel Tower.

Traveling with the crowds for Tokyo Thursdays # 96

Previously on Tokyo Thursdays:
Young Person's Guide to Tanabata, Star Festival at Japan Society, NY, July 12

15 Days Motorcycle Wine Tour de France, Naps Included?

My friends at Kermit Lynch have been posting their Tour de France Wine of the Day when the inspiration comes.

On July 15, they picked a 2008 Cheverny Rosé, Domaine du Salvard by Delaille from the Loire Valley (pictured below) for Stage 11.



Out of curiousity, I went to check if anyone else was matching wines with the Tour de France stages.

Nothing came up, instead I unearthed a 15 Days Motorcycle Wine Tour de France (by AdMo-Tours) taking place from September 2 to September 16.

Intriguing

Are naps included?

Sweet Tooth, Can't Get No Gluten or Dairy, Sweet Alternative Saves the Day

Don't get mad at me if you think this is old news.

OK the book originally came out in 2006.

Some might have missed it and its content is as relevant as ever.

For those of us with a sweet tooth who can't get no gluten or dairy (or soy) or choose not to, Sweet Alternative by Ariana Bundy saves the day.

Ariana shows us how to make caramel with fructose, pancakes with (?) chestnut flour plus deep chocolate muffins made from rice flour, creamy vanilla-studded pastry creams made with rice or almond milk, chewy chocolate chip cookies without gluten...

As Sweet Alternative is coming out in paperback (cover, my illustration) in the UK (Conran Octopus Publishing) on August 3, 2009, it gave me an opportunity to share it with you.

Doesn't it look yummy?

Elbowing your Way to the Spit Bucket, Spitting with Elegance, Wine Tastings

Things can get crowded at Wine Tastings, so it can be as much of a challenge to get to the Spit Bucket as it is to find a spot at the table itself.

I noticed a few individuals who carry their own spitit cup.
At least they stare only at their own leftovers.

You might find the whole spitting thing gross but who can drink if only a bit of anywhere from 50 to 200 wines at a tasting without getting sloppy drunk.
Can you do it with elegance, I am not sure.
It helps if the buckets are cleared quickly so the level in them is low, prevents accidents.

In How to Spit Wine (Chow, June 27, 2009), all around wine guy Matt Skinner practices the pursed method (see video below) and suggests you keep (swallow) one quarter of each wine for a real sense of taste and texture and spit the rest.

Before I leave the scene, I might get some food and a second helping of a wine I particularly enjoyed that day.

I did just that at the Top Rated Sud de France Wine Tasting on July 13 with cheese, charcuterie and La Coume du Roy 'Maury' (2004, 100% Grenache).

How do you handle it?

Pants to Poverty, Underwear turns Fair Trade and Organic, Greening our Drawers

Underwear inspired by Live Aid and Nelson Mandela, that's what the Pants Story from Pants to Poverty sounds like.

Their Fair Trade and Organic Underwear is now sold in 16 countries.

Social entrepreneurs greening our drawers for a light touch Green Day # 85

Previously on Green Day:
Gourmet Raw Food to L.A.T.E Ride, an All Night Bike Ride, July 09 Green Events in Chicago

July 14, It's Bastille Day, Velo Solex, DS and 2CV cruised New York Streets (July 12)

July 14, it's Bastille Day.

2 days ago, the weather was perfect for the annual Solex and Citroen ride around New York (video, part 7 below).

On Sunday, July 12, a flock of VeloSolex, classic Citroen DS and 2CV cruised the streets of the Big Apple.

Even Catherine Deneuve rode a Solex as the 1973 picture below (courtesy of Velosolex America) shows (it was part of my July 2008, Besides Petanque Bastille Day story).

More than nostalgia, good clean fun!

Felines Picpoul, Poujol Pico, White Wines that Taste like Love in the Afternoon

Long and exotic (like love on a summer afternoon?) is how they describe the finish on Domaine Felines Jourdan 'Picpoul de Pinet' (2007)...good structure and acidity.

In the words of The Wine Society, Pinet near Mèze and Sète, "has been planted with vines for over 2000 years. The vineyards lie just inland of the Mediterranean. The grape picpoul, or piquepoule, lives up to its French name: 'pique' (sharp and lively) and 'poule' (soft and maternal)."

Another off the beaten path white wine I tasted today was the Domaine du Poujol 'Pico' (2008) an unusual threesome of Rolle, Carignan Blanc, Roussanne.

This Vin de Pays de l'Herault is just like honey as Jesus and Mary Chain once sang, fresh, perfect for summer.

Domaine du Poujol is situated to the North West of Montpellier in the South of France

I tried both for the first time at Sud de France Top Rated Tasting in New York on July 13. They should retail for around $14 in the US Sante!

Celebrate the Roaring Twenties at Bastille Day Ball, July 13, New York

Could not make it to the New York street festivals for Bastille Day on July 12, here's a second chance to be part of the festivities.

On Monday, July 13, you can dance the night away to the sound of the roaring twenties at the Bastille Day Ball.

Where: The China Club

When: 7pm to 2 am

Get some rest and put on your dancing shoes.

Related: No Guillotine: Pastis, Pate, Patisseries, Petit Basque, Ratatouille on Bastille Day menu