Serge the Concierge

In March, Send me to New Orleans for James Beard Awards Nominees Hoopla

Blame it on David Katz of Meme Restaurant in Philadelphia for planting the idea of a trip to La Nouvelle Orleans in my head.

David was reminding us of his upcoming Rustic New American dinner at the James Beard Foundation on March 23rd ($125 a head).

Visiting the James Beard Foundation site for more details, I finally noticed (I might be the last one to) that this year James Beard Foundation Awards Nominees will be announced during a grand Hoopla in New Orleans on March 22nd.

It will be preceded by a Friends of James Beard Benefit on Sunday, March 21, 2010 also in New Orleans. This walk around tasting brings 20 plus chefs from the area under one roof.

From sweet treats by Tariq Hanna of Sucre, home of the Mardi Gras Macaroons (pictured above) to Donald Link of Herbsaint Restaurant and Cochon fame, you will have your pick of bounty.

New Orleans has more than The Saints Superbowl victory to celebrate.

Send me there and I will taste everything.

I promise I will share my impressions with all of you.

All it takes is a plane ticket or should I get on the train and take it slow?

Teresa of Sale E Pepe Restaurant, True Revelation of Friuli Showcase at Le Cirque

After talking about wine, sipping it, spitting it and taking notes for hours on Wednesday during Vino 2010, the Friuli Tasting Dinner gave us the opportunity to put our pens to rest.

We had a chance to sample a small number of wines from the region.

Upstairs at Le Cirque only a glass wall stood between us and bottles of Chateau Petrus.

The regional team (Chamber of Commerce of Udine) was inspired in bringing along local chefs.

Teresa Covaceuszach of Sale E Pepe was the true revelation.

Looking at her putting the final touch to one of her signature dishes, Buckwheat polenta with salted and riped ricotta, Šeuka apple and horseradish, was seeing  the artist at work.

Steaming aromas coming up from the plate were thrilling.

Her (fried) Risolles (small balls) of Pearl Barley served in Pinto bean puree were not as tantalizing but still great.

I was told that her restaurant located in Stregna (Valley of Natisone) is a bit out of the way.

Thanks to Friuli Via Del Sapori a guide to restaurants from the area, I found a few more facts about Sale E Pepe.

They call "the valley of the Natisone (a river) one of the natural gems of Friuli, a real corner of paradise" and tell us that "Teresa Covaceuszach's and Franco Simoncig's passion and love of the area brought about Sale e Pepe in 1987."

While Teresa presides over the kitchen, Franco helps customers find the perfect wine pairing.

Friuli via del Sapori quotes a price per person (without wine or beverages) of 28 Euros.

To get to Stregna situated 400 meters above sea level they note that you drive up through the woods and countryside which makes for a very picturesque ride as you can see below.

Slovenian is commonly spoken in this part of Friuli.

A meal worth the effort.

(* photo of buckwheat polenta courstesy of Friuli via del Sapori)

Putting Vino Italiano Buying Guide to the Test during Vino 2010

Before Vino 2010 started, I asked a number of publishers if they had titles related to the event topics, Italian Wine and Food.

I was lucky to get a copy of Vino Italiano Buying Guide just in time.

I put it to the test on Thursday during the Terroirs of Brunello, Chianti Classico and Montepulciano session. Anthony Giglio was our guide for that session.

Wineries are listed in alphabetical order so it is very easy to navigate.

All terms and appellations and other practical information are served in plain English and it's not a heavy tome.

Offered as a paperback, it's perfect to carry around while visiting your local shop and looking for new picks or eating out and perusing the wine list.

$15 well spent.

This Vino Italiano Buying Guide is a joint effort of Joseph Bastianich and David Lynch published by Clarkson Potter who were kind enough to rush me a copy.

Looking for Great Italian Value Wines at Vino 2010 Grand Tasting

This afternoon at Vino 2010 Grand Tasting in New York, I will be looking for more Great Italian Value Wines.

I already spotted a few of them including a Red from Apulia (around $16 retail) and as a bit of a surprise a nice white from Sicily (around $10).

Red was the Primitivo di Manduria 'Donna Maria' DOC (O7) from Cantore di Castelforte.

Unfortunately, I tasted the white during lunch and failed to take any notes thinking I would catch up with the producer later.

Hopefully I will be able to dig him out of one of the event's numerous books and brochures.

To clarify things, when I say Value Wines, I do not mean cheap plonk, more like under the radar musical talent that puts a smile on your face when you discover them.

Say wines in the $10 to $20 range.

Too Many Wines, Like a Roomfull of It, Tasting Italy at Vino 2010

Just left the Italian Wine Masters 2010 Tasting presenting Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Prosecco Superiore and I did not know where to start.

Still wines filled what must be the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria (NY) while Prosecco had the adjacent room all for itself.

In this embarrassment of riches I went for the bubbly.

Alice was there or rather Le Vigne di Alice who are graced by yet another woman winemaker Pier Francesca Bonicelli (since 2004) and was represented by Cinzia.

I sampled their offerings and the bubbles provided a fresh burst of oxygen to my tired brain. 

So is there a thing as too much wine?
Maybe I'm just getting spoiled.

Late afternoon report on Day 2 of Vino 2010, Italian Wine Week.

More than Napolean to this Island in the Sun, Like Wine, Elba

I was a couple minutes into my conversation with the nice couple behind the winery at Tenuta Della Ripalte before I realized that their island Elba was the same Elbe where Napoleon was once in exile.

The vineyards, Fattoria delle Ripalte (Italian site) once took a much larger part of this huge estate in Capoliveri. They now share the space with with a sea and country resort produce a white and a muscat with a nose reminiscent of Muscat de Rivesaltes but without sugar or alcohol added.

The resort is in the Parco Nazionale Dell' Aripelago Toscano. Take your pick of hotel, apartments or villas and explore the island. Let the breeze refresh you. Take a nap under a tree after you drink and you don't have to worry about getting in trouble with the law.

A quick vignette of my Meet and Greet with the Winemakers Lunch at Vino 2010, Italian Wine Week.

Off the coast of Gabhiani

Virtual Vino in Progress at Vino 2010, Send Questions via Twitter

No need to swim in wine to join the conversation at Vino 2010 this morning.
From wherever you are, get on Twitter and send your questions to @vino2010.
What will Alder, Antonio Diaz Blue talk about?
If I was there rather than on the train on my way to New York thanks to a rough morning, I would ask why European food and wine amateurs and professionals tend to use Facebook rather than Twitter.
So how does this Virtual Vino world expresses itself.
There are blogs, video blogs with many angles including a 'Naked Wine TV'.
Some are deep into the chemistry and technique of wines.
Other list each and every wine they tried at a tasting which can be an exhausting if exhaustive proposition.
There are area specific sites from passionate fans like Chateauneuf du Pape Denmark.
In other words there is an endless list of options.
You will have to find your gems in the haystack.
As for myself, I am no oenologue distingue, I look for interesting wines and wine stories like a pig in Perigord sniffing around in search for truffles.
Right now typing this story on my Blackberry while on the train. I am a living example of the Virtual Vino world.
Good day all

Like Elegant and Subdued Wines, Give Calabria a Chance, Vino 2010 Part 1

After getting situated, double checking my scheduled event and the rest of the ropes, I went back in time all the way to the Greeks in my first session at Vino 2010, Italian Wine Week.

Think amphoras, ancient grapes, colliding continents of Africa and Europe creating the local mountains and rich soils too.

3 wine growing areas, Cosenza, Crotone and futher south Reggio Calabria.

We were guided on this trip by Attilio Scienza a walking encyclopedia of the region history, character and wines with a good dose of passion.

Even though the area can claim no less than 60 to 70 varietals, 4 dominate the field, Greco Nero, Magliocco Dolce, Arvino and Gaglioppo.

Calabria has mostly stayed with the native grapes and kept the ancient ways as an inspiration.

Attilio Scienza noted that you can still find stone blocks that were used by the Greeks to press grapes around the countryside.

A great man from Texas, Alfonso Cevola, guided us through the tasting of 11 wines.

One constant amongst them was their elegant and subdued styles.

No fruit jams here.

We started with the Calabria IGT 'Alfieri Rosso' 08 (100% Malvasia Nera), nice nose, on the light side.

Amongst the rest, 2 of them attracted me first thanks to their labels.

The Ciro Rosso 'Don Giuva' 2005-Du Cropio with Red Wax sliding down the bottle and a rustic simple paper label stamped to it.

More striking was the Calabria Rosso 'Nerone di Calabria'-2006-Crisera.

Story says that the devil tasted it.

I could see the look of this wine getting it a following with bikers and tattoo artists.

That's it for my first impressions of Vino 2010

Sante!

Girls Just Want to Make Wine, Claire, Veronique and Les Autres

As I mentioned earlier in Saladin Magic, the seed for stories featuring women winemakers was planted in my head at the Chateauneuf du Pape tasting on January 30 hosted by Le Du Wines in New York.

There was Claire who took over the winemaking in 2008 at Le Vieux Donjon.

I enjoyed her Chateauneuf Blanc 08, Fifty-Fifty Clairette and Roussane.

Don't let her small frame fool you, the young lady knows what she wants.

Also present were Veronique and Caroline Maret of Domaine de la Charbonnière (pictured below, Veronique is on the left).

The richest of the few wines they poured had to be the Cuvee Mourre des Perdrix (08).

As the tasting was winding down, I chatted mostly with Claire and Veronique for an informal interview.

Let's start with Claire.

Q: Claire were you present at the Ampuis tasting?

A: No, as this is a showcase for Northern Rhone winemakers but we will be having our own event, open to the public, named Les Printemps de Chateauneuf du Pape whose first edition will take place April 10 and 11, 2010.

Q: Can you tell us more about the wave of women winemakers?

A: In our region of the Rhone, there is a loose confederation named Femmes Vignes Rhone which was founded in 2004 by Anne Hughes and now counts about 30 members (including the Saladin sisters).

Q: Will you be present at Vinisud in late February?

A: Yes? This event bringing together winemakers from France, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Italy and more takes place every two years.

Q: Any suggestions as to women winemakers who also offer 'chambre d'hotes', on site rooms?

A: Not that many. I believe that Isabel Ferrando of St Prefert does.

I continued with Veronique.

Q: Besides women taking the reins in a number of domaines in your area, are winemakers open-minded and opened to the world.

A: Yes, it is not a closed world as can be in some instances in Bordeaux. many young winemakers have traveled to other parts of the world and even worked across the globe and come back with a fresh perspective.

Q: How long has the property been in the family?

A: Since 1912, it was created by my great-grandfather who grew the domaine sizewise by buying a parcel for his wife as a gift.

Q: What's the size of your land now and how is it split, production wise?

A: Half an hectare of white, 18 hectares of red and 4 and a half of Vacqueyras.

Q: Did you learn from your father only?

A: I alternate between time spent at the property doing some on the job learning and the wine school I attend were I get healthy portions of both the business side and the technical know-how of winemaking.
I like to separate the instictive and structured parts of learning.

Thanks to both Claire and Veronique for taking time to speak to me.

I will return to the well and write about more girls who make wine ASAP.

Mister Conviviality, Del Posto and I Friuli on my Dinner Schedule at Vino 2010, Italian Wine Week

Gearing up for 3 exciting days of wine, food and Italy at Vino 2010 (February 3 to 5) in New York.

If there is a word that defines life with a Mediterranean flair it is Conviviality: "Fond of feasting, drinking, and good company; sociable."

In that spirit, evenings at Vino 2010 (and some lunches too) will explore that food and wine connection as applied to the whole Italian palette or to specific regions.

Exhibit number one for the whole Italian palette will be the dinner at Del Posto on Wednesday night.

Exhibit number two applied to specific regions is the Apulia (or Puglia) Region dinner and its wines on Thursday night with guest chef Patti Jackson of I Trulli restaurant...

Will we be served any Locorodonto (its grapes pictured above)?

From the grapes you can tell it's a white wine described as "preferably drunk with simple dishes, such as delicate fish starters, pasta dishes with light fish sauces, boiled fish, fried oily fish, sautéed cuttlefish and octopus, omelettes. The best time to drink it is within one-two years of the harvest."

I will go with the flow and see what inspires and surprises me.

The only drawback with all these tastings one after the other is I would have to become a writing machine if I was to cover everything worthy.

I hope you forgive me for my lapses.

I will do my best to serve as many helpings as I can humanly do.