the rose

Les rosés


“a rosé like a tears of love in a glass of cuddle....”
Dionysos was the first to discover the wine born from a drop of a gods blood . Is friend Icarios was the first to discover the “pleasure” that you could take from it. The Méditerranée was the “berceau des civilisations” and enjoy and export all sorts of “pleasures”, songs about Dionysos and Bacchus. Ans so the first wine is born “rosés” yes!! my friends, rosés!!!!!, because it was the first “juices” reserved to the noble, the red who as been too long time in contact with the skins for the slaves!, and, no whites!!!. But the dark ages arrived and of course as always in history what is fashion is no more and white and red took others and the rosés deseapear.

But not every where in France especially in Provence where the sun shine!, the lady dance! And the rosés swearl in the glasses!!!. An aperitif, between friends, for a Provençal meal, exotic evenings or with Chinese, Indians spicy food the Provence rosés wines are fresh…as a first kiss. From Bordeaux and south-west it will be always more dark and crisp, and dry, share a bottle along some exotic food. From Loire it as more fruitiness to go with a more romantic ambiance. From Rhone more powerful more creamy drink it on is own watching “pride and prejudice” perfect to refresh after the swimming!!!. From Provence sexy and well balance, a pleasure of dry rose, raspberry and cherry aromas, perfect for a “sex in the city”night. If its from Italy more soft and creamy it will be for you and him/her In the bed.... to refresh after a “torrid” night. From Spain let is heart talk to you from a more “sanguine” color and a more “manly” attack!!! jump to the conclusion straight away.... From South Africa it as to be a sweet night on the balcony outside. From the US of A??? the Zin of course for all the hen's night out when you need to spend for more than 20 of your friend. Of course a BIG glasses is only 175ml (1.5 unit) and only one glasses, for refresh there is still water available . But as an “incorrigible” French i say that in summer (two days in a rows of sunshine in england) there is nothing better than a good meal in terrace, a good company, an intelligent conversation and a glass of wine in my hand !!! rosés of course to enjoy more the company and the sun!!.
I drink for the pleasure not for the “Ivress” and I love for the “Ivress” and the pleasure!!. Marquis de Sade

champagnes

"I drink it when I'm happy and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it - unless I'm thirsty." - Mme. Lily Bollinger.

As early as 79 A.D.in the area round Epernay was cultivated by roman. they also quarried the chalky hillsides (called crayeres natural cellars). The wines was used for the sacrament, for coronations, for the royal table. Rather than imitating the wines of Burgundy, the Champenois sought to create a new style of wines. these new wines, made with care, were not only unusual but also delicious. The Champenois had discovered how to vinify light-coloured wines from the Pinot Noir grape. Frère Jean Oudart and Dom Pierre Pérignon (1639 – 1742). “Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!” at the moment he discovered champagne but , It was england who really discovered champagne when shipped abroad in cask, the warm spring weather frequently set off a secondary fermentation. The new wines were bottled immediately upon arrival, and retained a lively sparkle. The phenomenon aroused interest on the part of the Champenois. the abbeys of Saint-Pierre aux Monts de Châlons and Saint-Pierre d’Hautvillers became the birthplace of naturally sparkling wine in its purest and most perfect form The technique of blending from various vineyards to obtain a finished wine superior to any of its parts, the process of clarifying sediment from the wine. Chaptal(chemist) advocated adding sugar at fermentation, rather than to the finished wine, to increase alcohol content.(Chaptalisation=addition of sugar).Effectively there are just three grapes used to make Champagne. Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. The first two are black grapes, the latter is white. Firstly, most houses will take a selection of still wines made from the grapes of more than one area. Once the wines are assembled, the cellar-master of the house will decide how they should be blended, before the bubbles are created by the Méthode Champenoise.

Veuve Clicquot 1772 by Philippe Clicquot ( textiles and finance) a small area of vineyards at nearby Bouzy and Ambonnay. 1801. François the son married to Nicole-Barbe Ponsardin in 1799, when he died aged just 30 years she took control in a move unprecedented in a world where business was still the domain of men. At the time the appearance of Champagne was still marred by the lees, the sediment of dead yeast cells that remained suspended in the wine. Her new chef de cave conceived the system of remuage,

Ruinart Many Champagne houses would like to lay claim to the accolade of being the longest established house, but only one may do so in truth. Established in 1729 by Nicolas Ruinart. In reality there can be no older house; the Royal decree which permitted the transport of bottled wines was only passed in 1728. The Ruinarts were not without connections when helpful advice with their new venture was needed; Nicolas' uncle was Dom Thierry Ruinart, close friend to Dom Pérignon himself. Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, obviously 100% Chardonnay which is all from Premier Cru vineyards,

MOET ET CHANDON Established in 1743 based in Epernay . During the Revolution the House flourished and grew further during the Napoleonic era. The concept of vintage Champagne made of exceptional grapes from the same year was introduced in 1840 with Moet producing their first vintage Champagne in 1842. The words “dry” and “sec” to indicate dryness (see our Types of Champagne section) first appeared on Moet labels in 1856. This was as a response to the British market who wanted a dry Champagne to drink with their meals.

”No government could survive without champagne. Champagne in the throats of our diplomatic people is like oil in the wheels of an engine”.

PERRIET-JOUET Founded in 1811 by two lovers who fell in love with each other. the House soon forged into the British market becoming a favourite of both Queen Victoria and Edward VII. from vineyards in the Cote des Blancs, the Montagne de Reims and the Marne Valley. All of the fruit is pressed in traditional wooden screw presses. In the cellar, stainless steel vats allow perfect temperature control, essential for proper fermentation. The historic cellars, carved deep into the chalk bedrock under Epernay, keep the ageing Champagne at a constant 11C as it matures in bottle, taking rich flavours from the yeast lees. 0-12-17

The cava was introduce around the XIX only by rich merchant who wanted to copy france, it was popular only around the 50 after the civil war. Made in the same way as the « champenoise » ou « traditionnelle », metod. The first cava was elaboret around 1872 by José Raventós i Fatjó, from Codorníu family, in Catalogna. In 1972 (la Denominación Específica de los Vinos Espumosos) gives a real name and region to cava, essentially in Penedés, beetween Barcelone and Tarragone, in Catalogne. Espagne half is consume in décembre and january ,but also fresh for apéritifs, starter shelfish and foie-gras, wihte meat. Il accompagne aussi à merveille les desserts.
Could be used for the elaboration of cava :

- Macabeo dense with fine skin, gives primary aromas and fruity acidity.
- Xarel-lo, good resistance gives acidty and structure
- Parellada, floral, aromatic, subtle perfum.
- Chardonnay, more aromas with lots acidity.
- for the rose the garnacha tinta, la monastrell, la trepat, and pinot noir are used as well.

The one that you enjoy the most is the best suited for you, I taste hundreds this year and so I know which ones suit my palate , but don't forget the way champagne Non-Vintages is made means the quality (and tastes) is the same every year, meanings If you loved one stick to it , all the others will taste and smell differents to your palate.

In the case of super-prestige and super-priced Champagnes like Louis Roederer Cristal, you are buying the dream more than the champagne it is more a fashion statement than a desire for fine Champagne.

Autumn: October: Leaf Shedding- the vine take a golden and purple appearance.

November: Pre-runing: clearing and cleaning

December: Period of Rest: hibernation and could be seen covered with a mantel of snow.

January: Frost can cause extensive damage

February: Pruning: according to strict rules in order to generate the grapes and restrict the yield.

March: Fastening: shoots from the previous year are fastened to the wires.

April: Opening of the Buds:

May: Debudding: shoots are selected and the rest are removed.

June: Flowering: A balmy fragrance covers the vineyards

July: Training topping and cutting: control; the growth allows the sun to reach the grapes

August: Ripening: take on colour and swell with sweetened juice. They continue to ripen in the languorous warmth of the late summer sun

September: Harvesting: Champagne is one of the few regions in the world where the harvest has not been mechanised.

Pressing: Once harvested, the grapes are brought to the wine presses. Pressing is a gentle gradual process to ensure that only the best juice and aromas are extracted. Great care must be taken with the red grapes because their skins can irrevocably affect the colour of the juice.

Fermentation: The intense activity surrounding the presses shifts to the vat house. The must derived from the pressing is allowed to settle thus clarifying the juice for vat fermentation. This stage gives the wine its freshness, suppleness and roundness. The still wine is then drawn off from the sediment.

Blending: Starting in November, the cellar master and winemakers taste, evaluate and grade the wines.blend and adjust varieties of grape.

Second fermentation: As the wine ages, the yeast that contributes to its effervescence release aromatic substances.

Step 1: take one bottle of still wine, Ensure the glass is thick and strong to resist the increased pressure that will be created in the bottle.

Step 2: add a dose of sugar solution and yeast, known as liqueur de tirage, and seal the bottle with a good fitting cap - like a beer bottle cap.

Step 3: wait for the yeast to ferment the added sugar, creating more alcohol and, more importantly, carbon dioxide. As this gas cannot escape and is held under pressure, it will dissolve in the wine. This is where the bubbles come from.

Step 4: leave the wine for some time, perhaps several years. The lees (dead yeast cells) will impart richness to the wine.

Step 5: gradual turn and tap the bottle over time, so that eventually it is facing neck down, with the dead yeast cells sitting in the neck. This is known as remuage, or riddling.

Step 6: dip the neck in freezing brine to create a frozen plug of wine, containing the dead yeast cells, in the neck of the bottle. Pop the cap and the plug, complete with lees, flies out. This is known as dégorgement.

Step 7: top up with a dosage of sweetish wine, seal with a cork, wire capsule and foil, and sell it for a handsome profit.

STYLE:

“Can you imagine opening a bottle of champagne with a bottle opener. I can't. It would eliminate half the fun.”

NV-Blended from wines of several years to achieve a constant "style de maison" House style. (blend of thirty or forty different wines) Vintage is a blend of wines from a particular year, when the quality of the harvest was sufficient to declare a "Vintage" some houses declare a vintage Champagne in a year where others did not feel the quality justified it.Vintage Champagne must be 39 months old before it is sold ROSEby maceration of black grapes during pressing, so that the colour leeches out from the skins (the juice from black grapes is white)

BrutMost Champagnes come into this category. The sugar content is from 0-15 grammes per litre. In exceptional harvests the grapes have enough natural sugar to be a "Brut" style without any dosage.

Demi-SecThe sugar content is between 35-50 g. per

l.CHAMPAGNE BOTTLES:

Quarter 18.75cl Half-Bottle 37.5 cl Bottle 75 cl Magnum 1.5 l Jeroboam 3 l 4BTL Rehoboam 4.5 l 6BTL Methuselah 6 l 8BTL Salmanazar 9 l 12BTL Balthazar 12 l 16BTL Nebuchadnezzar 15 l 20BTL.

wine and chocolats

"The greatest tragedies were written by the Greek Sophocles and English Shakespeare. Neither knew chocolate." - Sandra Boynton

Good chocolate is like a “kiss of the one you really love” a “caress of sun and angels” but the real base of chocolate is cacao, sugar and milk sometimes. A strong taste bitter, powerful, the torrefaction and the provenance will alter is taste. So, which wine with it???

Champagne ? A vintage rose for small chocolate-mousse cake.Vintage Rich (sweeter) for milk chocolate lait Craquelin form Bouquets of chocolates or “Poire belle Helene”, a sweeter touch to a sweeter hearth.

White wine ?A Loire white saumur or layon for pain au chocolat Anjou as well for peach chocolate tart with silk because “Nothing is more romantic than chocolate “

Red wine ?with already cacao aroma as in a Pommard or a madiran. A new world Zinfandel is the obvious choice for chocolate cakes. Pinot noir from new world tends to be perfect for milk chocolate, Madagascar 70% (forasteros and trinitarios mix), creamy mousse or chocolate cheesecake a Cabernet or merlot from Chile as well for milk chocolate. So next time keep a little bit of your wine for dessert, as we say chocolate is not a substitute for love. Love is a substitute for chocolate.

Porto ? Tawny port with Chocolate cake, An older vintage ( at least more 20Y) for dark chocolate as a good one from Ivory coast. The darker the better, there will be less sweet and more rich in cacao taste that the sweetness of port balance perfectly, the perfect recipe to heaven (chocolate) without any ambarrassement to make the conversation.

Sherry ? Pedro Ximenez, full of rich raisin and toffee is the one to try with chocolate and vanilla ice-cream or a white chocolate

Sweets ? Banyuls from France or Recioto from Italy for dark deep chocolate dessert, muscat or recioto for black forest, if its an orange cake try with tokaji or orange muscat from Australia, Berry with chocolate cake need a Maury from France. For a Mousse take a Moscato d'asti. A Riesling is always nice with a light chocolate desserts grd crus for dark chocolate (Sao Tome), rivesalte with a Grenache base as well. If you are lucky a “Vergine Stravecchio The final classification of Marsala ” with 10 years in oak are sublime with chocolate (so perfect for you as you are...). If you are curious a Mavrodafni from Cephalonie in Greece with figues, plum, coffee and chocolate flavor, all the pleasure of that long sun bath along the beach without the noise of the kids next door or the fat block.

Whiskey ? You need a strong butter, caramel, grilled almond so a Speyside sherry cask like a Macallan 18 will be perfect with a ginger milk chocolate to reveal a new world of Spyciness .......for you...and him.....!!. Bushmill's Malt works perfectly, try the Monkey Shoulder's with light preparation. Or a bourbons, with long cask vanilla, wood underlying like a Bulleit.

And for the real “fans” a Stout will always work , warm if possible to give a balance in amertume and alcohol.

And finally if you don't drink alcohol (maybe it is not your fault!!) water really neutral (nothing fancy). Coffee need something well balance and soft as a Venezuela Amer (70%cacao) only. For the tea Oolong tea are the perfect match with praline. Darjeeling or Assam with cakes. Lapsang Souchon with a spices chocolate.

And don't forget "My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far I've finished two bags of M&M's and a chocolate cake. I feel better already." – Dave Barry

“Bon appetit !”

As long as I live I will eat and drink The grief of loving You. I will never give it up to anyone Even when I am dead. Tomorrow At the Resurrection I will walk forward with this violent thirst Still storming my head.

french wine

“There is wine and there is France...” Byron.
Yes French wine are expensive and yes sometimes other price, but , there is pleasure and there is real pleasure.... Sometimes a nice company deserve better than a wine, you need relaxation and an opening of all your senses!!!...

“there is my swimming pool or the bay of Along, I'm still in water but the pleasure is not the same!!!” P. Rothschild

. For everyday dinner there is plenty of choices of wine , But, for That! ! with your loved one!!!there is a selection of vintages and French wine in any good wine list, yes!! but wich one.For red :
If you ar in a more fruity time try a Gamay from Beaujolais, fleurie of course but if you are lucky go for a St Amour or a nice chiroubles well more balance in tannic and red berry.
If its a more serious dinner go for burgundy pinot noir as a Savigny-les-beaunes strawberry and spice, Volnay (if the boss is paying!!) sour cherry and coffee trace, a Gevrey-chambertin say your quality with pepper and oak and finally a Nuits st georges for truffle, oak and cherries"".
A loire will be automatically more light, made most of the time from cabernet try a St nicolas de Bourgueuils for light and fruitycabernet to show of your noledge as well.
The rhone with syrah will be more dense, cote rotie if you are with commercial partner, grown in difficult condition but still one of the best and like him you are raising even in the middle of a difficult situation, great for japanese negociation!!!.
Chateauneuf du pape is the obvious one so go for Gigondas a medium but full body with lots of complexity and fruit (and cheaper!!). for your love one go for a Crozes Hermitage lighter but still a meaty wine from the same region.
All the "vin de pays" after that are a blend of absolutely everithing so go for a medium price range, medium body, corbier will be more tannic, Minervois mor "meaty" style, a costiere de nime more elegant, an Irouleguy spicy and fruity.
For the Bordeaux !!ah! he needs a full revue but just to say that Pauillac will be more "hearthy" and Pomerol and St emilion more "merlot-bouquet" , St julien "fresher", St estephe "dense" and entre de mer "cheaper"!!!!.
so it is as always about you , your tate and mood on the moment and be ready, for traveling and enjoying on another level. So go-on and take the challenge of your palate and senses. And don't worry “If you don't like it , I will drink It!!!” FB.wine poet..

Pouilly-Fumee

BARON DE L

POUILLY FUMEE, LOIRE, FRANCE,





My friends call me the wine poet because I think the wine is more than just
a "brevage" something for when your thirsty , It's a moment you share with
your friends or the person you love, could be a night out or a romantic
dinner, but, always as we say in Bordeaux " with aged all I could remember
are sweet moments a glass of wine in my hand". Since I am in england I
discover the joy of a late fish and chips or watching eastenders, a good
Banger and mash in a pub , watching Arsenal on TV. For all those moments in
this moments I tend to sip a glass of Pouilly-Fumee made with Sauvignon
Blanc from Loire Valley in center France , clear with green edges, lots of
perfume spicy and musk, that wine is more mineral and floral than is cousin
the Sancerre, in Loire there is a long history of English and French
occupation , all the King had there castle or their mistress castle around ,
one in particular the Chateau du Nozet was the residence of an illegitimate
daughter of Louis XV (one of many). The estate is part of the domain of
Baron Patrick de Ladoucette, who run the family business since 1787 . The
main estate is already a pleasure for the eyes with five gardeners employed
all the year around to maintain the elegant gardens and it is the same care
in the vineyard . They is as well lots of blackcurrant bushes for making the
famous "creme de cassis" for the Kir Royal of course as we are in the
Valleys of Kings !! of France !! . The Baron de L is a prestige cuvee that
was first instituted in 1975 and made only the best years as 1988, 1989,1990
or 2000 a must for a king's table an still served at the Elysees palace with
orange peel, grapefruit, silex and a fabulous finish a really strong bone
dry wine presented in an old fashion bottle to give you even more pleasure,
as being in 1700 or 1800 at Versailles, so just relax, enjoy and share for
the first dinner with a new lover or over a romantic dinner to say "I love
you ! You are my queen!".

sex wine and chocolate !!!!!

Good chocolate is like a “kiss of the one you really love” a “caress of sun and angels” but the real base of chocolate is cacao, sugar and milk sometimes. A strong taste bitter, powerful, the torrefaction and the provenance will alter is taste. So, which wine with it???

Champagne ? A vintage rose for small chocolate-mousse cake.Vintage Rich (sweeter) for milk chocolate or “Poire belle Helene”.

White wine ?A Loire white saumur or layon for pain au chocolat Anjou as well for peach chocolate tart

Red wine ?with already cacao aroma as in a Pommard or a madiran. A new world Zinfandel is the obvious choice for chocolate cakes. Pinot noir from new world tends to be perfect for milk chocolate, creamy mousse or chocolate cheesecake a Cabernet or merlot from Chile as well for milk chocolate.

Porto ? Tawny port with Chocolate cake, An older vintage ( at least more 20Y) for dark chocolate.

Sherry ? Pedro Ximenez, full of rich raisin and toffee is the one to try with chocolate and vanilla ice-cream or a white chocolate

Sweets ? Banyuls from France or Recioto from Italy for dark deep chocolate dessert, muscat or recioto for black forest, if its an orange cake try with tokaji or orange muscat from Australia, Berry with chocolate cake need a Maury from France. For a Mousse take a Moscato d'asti. A Riesling is always nice with a light chocolate desserts grd crus for dark chocolate, rivesalte with a Grenache base as well. If you are lucky a marsala “vergine stravecchio” with 10 years in oak are sublime with chocolate. If you are curious a Mavrodhavne from Cephalonie in Greece with figues, plum, coffee and chocolate flavor.

Whiskey ? You need a strong butter, caramel, grilled almond so a Speyside sherry cask like a Macallan 18 will be perfect Bushmill's Malt works perfectly, try the Monkey Shoulder's with light preparation. Or a bourbons, with long cask vanilla, wood underlying like a Bulleit.

And for the real “fans” a Stout will always work , warm if possible to give a balance in amertume and alcohol.

And finally if you don't drink alcohol water really neutral (nothing fancy). Coffee need something well balance and soft as a Venezuela Amer (70%cacao) only. For the tea Oolong tea are the perfect match with praline. Darjeeling or Assam with cakes. Lapsang Souchon with a spices chocolate.

“Bon appetit !”

Sans vin, il n'y a pas d'amour

“Sans vin, il n'y a pas d'amour”

Without wine there is no love ! . If the first diner with the loved one must be perfect, that dinner should be taken with the good choice of place, music and wine to be that perfect moment to reminber for the following years.

For a good present the best proposition should be ... two words in a sweet murmur, a caress on a chick to surprise her or a last minute booking some flowers, chocolate, kinky underwear or even a bottle of wine.....

But which one to choose (the bottle not the ...), women have a better approach to wine , they “smell” more perfume more flavor, but that doesn't mean go for a cheap Australian white. The wine should be link to her, its an invitation to travel :

• Spain (creamy or deep)
  A white Albarinho that you drink really chilled with fish or meat. A red TORO to show your manly side, the Arena, the fight, the rose in your mouth!!.
• Italy (fruity or subtle) A white Pinot Grigio (please not the cheapest !) because you know she likes it but try a Gavi to surprise. A red Aglianico from the vesuvio to light the fire!!
• France (rich or perfume) A white Muscadet “the wine lover's” who spin your head. A red Beaujolais (Saint Amour or Chiroubles) to cause the desire !!
• Don't show off by asking the most expensive one and taking the house wine !!!. go away from the House choice, you have to show more confidence than that, but, you could take one minute to talk to the sommelier before, or, take something in a middle range price.
• Australia (fruity or spicy) A white Semillon crisp and dry. A red Shiraz to spices up !!
• New Zealand (white with tropical note) Any Sauvignon Blanc worth more than £8, like a tropical fruit storm !!!
• USA (red with black cherry) A Cabernet like a breakfast on a bed of rose !!!
• Chile/Argentina ( dense or big) A white Chardonnay organic for a communion of soul. A red Merlot like a caress !!!
• Same as for old world but be careful in your choices of label don't go straight for a Villa maria, Hardy's, Wollf Blass or others tesco/asda wine .

As for champagne “The king of drink” it will need a special article. So in the mean time have a nice dinner , and, if something should go wrong don't blame me, as you know I cannot be responsible for any action, consumption, excess of food, bad word, bad thinking or organization due to the fact that “women will still be a mystery to man, thats why I am drinking to drown my sorrow!”