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Make an impression with white wines this summer!

janicekaplan — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:39:12 +0000

Summer is the perfect time to soak in the heat and immerse yourself in the sensuous offerings of earth’s bounty. Make some time and create some lovely memories – find your favorite river, lake or watering hole, invite your friends and create a picnic, or as the French call it le pique-nique. Whether you enjoy a night out at the Hollywood Bowl; head to the Finger Lake region of NY or simply find yourself a nearby stream and shady tree, you should feel inspired that you are following in the footsteps of the amazing French impressionists.

Edouard Manet's Déjeuner sur l'herbe (Lunch on the Grass)

In 1863, Edouard Manet created the shocking (at the time) painting Déjeuner sur l’herbe (Lunch on the Grass) and this painting inspired similar works by Paul Cezanne, Pablo Picasso, and Claude Monet.

This “birth” of impressionism has brought us to the present moment where in the city of Rouen, Normandy, the region in northern France that was home to Claude Monet and a hotbed of impressionist activity in the latter half of the 19th century, is hosting its first-ever Impressionist Festival. From June to September, over 150 events celebrate the arts and culture influenced by the impressionist movement—not just painting (with 15 major exhibitions), but also music, dance, theater, photography, architecture, and more.

This summer, guingettes will be revived throughout the region. The lively open-air cafés were popular among—and immortalized on canvas by—impressionist artists; often set on the banks of a river like the Seine, the guingettes were characterized by carefree music, dance, games, drinks, and food. In the spirit of Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s The Boating Party, find yourself some summer fun.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir's The Boating Party

One of the festival’s final events is the Great Impressionist Ball in Rouen on September 24. The public is invited to the indoor/outdoor ball, under only one condition: They must come dressed in white. As the crowd dances, it will serve as a blank canvas, on which a light artist will project splashes of color—like brushstrokes—an effect that will be captured on video and displayed on a wide screen so that the audience can watch themselves become transformed into a work of art.
Impressionist Festival Location

Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen
Esplanade Marcel Duchamp 76000 ROUEN
Date Friday 4 June to Sunday 26 September.

Contact details • Tel: + 33 (0)2 35 71 28 40 • Fax: + 33 (0)2 35 15 43 23

For a full list of events, including Seine cruises, picnics, painting workshops (learn to paint in one of Monet’s actual studios!), cooking classes, and special itineraries, visit
www.normandieimpressionniste.com.

Wines we are packing in our picnic baskets this summer include:

Conundrum, California White Table Wine, (2008) $21, a complex blend of white grapes,partially fermented in stainless steel and oak barrels for up to 10 months; tropical fruity with a round acid balance; perfect with drier cheeses, fish, salads, pasta – and even desserts. To locate a retailer near you: www.whatsyourconundrum.com (see “where to buy”)

Grigch Hills Chardonnay Napa Valley (2006) (biodynamic) $45. A rich California Chardonnay infuses floral notes with lemon, honey, and minerals. https://www.grgich.com/store/index.cfm?fuseaction=productdetail&product_id=135

La Soufrandière Pouilly-Vinzelles les Quarts (2008) (biodynamic) $25. A white from France. Pouilly-Vinzelles tastes like ripe peaches aged with hazelnut and minerals.
http://www.bretbrothers.com/en/pouilly_vinzelles_les_quarts_millerandee.php

A chance to celebrate: a springtime lunch with Nicolas Feuillatte

janicekaplan — Mon, 10 May 2010 00:21:57 +0000

Spring was in the air this April (in Los Angeles, not Paris or even Epernay) at the enchanting Sunset Marquis where Nicolas Feuillatte Champagnes were being poured for lunch. Nicolas Feuillatte, the #1 best selling Champagne in France is looking to take over the world one heavenly palate at a time (starting with us stateside Francophiles!).

Chef de Cave, Jean-Pierre Vincent was the special guest, and we were able to coax some secrets out of the down-to-earth Frenchman, but first the menu (prepared by the Marquis’ chef Guillaume Burlion) paired with the sparkling Champagnes :

Oyster Croquembouche
with Blanc de Blancs* 2004 and Brut Vintage 2004
*100% Chardonnay

Ravioli of Foie Gras in a Sauternes Sauce
with Cuvee Speciale Vintage* 2000
*40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier

Roasted Chilean Sea Bass in a Bacon Crust with a Caviar Sauce
with Cuvee 225 Vintage* 2003
*50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay

Wild Mushroom Coated Filet Mignon of Venison with Braised Endives, Fresh Pea Fritters, Gilroy Crème Sauce
with Palmes d’Or* Brut Vintage 1996 in Magnums
*Palmes d’Or is Vincent’s masterpiece and is an elegant creation
50% Chardonnay from 3 Grand Crus: Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger and 50% Pinot Noir from 5 famed Grand Crus: Bouzy, Verzenay, Ambonnay, Ay and Verzy. And one non grand Cru: Mongueux, always a favorite of Vincent.

Molten Chocolate Cake with Fresh Berry Coulis
with Brut Rosé Non Vintage

Each of these versatile Champagnes smoothly accompanied each course in a never-ending cascade of flavors in various shades of Rosé, with hints of apricot, strawberries to caramel and woodsy splendor.

After dessert Jean-Pierre graciously discussed his inspirations with us.
Here are the highlights:
WWW: After 34 years, you are #1 in France and #5 in the U.S. what does it mean to you?
JPV: It’s incredible. Because when I started to work in 76 at the Centre Vinicole de la Champagne and (with) then in 86 when we acquired Nicolas Feuillatte, we started with 500,000 bottles. At that time, we thought maybe it’s possible to sell 1 million, but now we sell more than 9 million. We ask ourselves why? I think because the wine is good, it’s modern, we are not so sophisticated, we like to drink, I think NF is not a snobby Champagne. I’m very proud.

WWW: In the U.S. we drink Champagne for special occasions – not everyday, do you think it’s different in France?
JPV: It’s the same in France. When I am at home I drink Champagne as an aperitif, but I normally drink wine with food. When we spend a day or lunch with Champagne it is magic. You don’t get tired or sick from it – I don’t know why but it really is magic.
WWW: I agree.

WWW: The Palmes d’Or – your masterpiece blend– what do you look for when you are blending it?
JVP: When I blend the Brut I am respecting the consumer; When I blend the Vintage I am respecting the Sommelier; When I blend the Palmes d’Or I respect my choice. Doing the Palmes d’Or is the only way to do the Champagne I love. It is not the problem of the consumer or the market, it is the wine I want. It is not easy to produce a million bottles, but for me it is good to do the wine that I like. For me it’s an easier wine to do. The Brut is very difficult, the Palmes d’Or the Prestige Cuvee is easy – I take the best of the best. Today the Palmes d’Or we are drinking is 14 yrs. old, and very well balanced.

(a long talk about expansion and Champagne politics which I will spare you)

WWW: Woman and Champagne – there is something about why we love it so much, being a French man, can you help us understand that?
JVP: There is a saying that a woman who drinks Champagne is more beautiful after than before. Champagne is magic. When we have a dinner, everyone is laughing, everybody is having a good time, I think women like that. Men do too, but men are very straight…I think Champagne is good for women.

WWW: You are in the world of Champagne and have a good life with your family there – which is like a dream for most people – what do YOU like to do to relax? Where do you like to go?
JVP: To relax I have a new thing now – a granddaughter – which is good for relaxation (he laughs) – I hope when I retire that I can stop “tasting” and just be able to drink –simply. I play golf, I read, I do other things, when I retire, I want to travel to relax – I have a passion for photography, I hope to do that – I hope to go fishing. Golf is good – only to face the small ball – I hope to have the possibility to that – just focus on the ball.

WWW: Do you have a favorite place in the world?
JVP: (no hesitation) San Francisco and New York. I had a chance to go to Polynesia – it’s expensive but very beautiful. In France, I like Brittany, it’s wild, I like Corsica, it’s different, but I prefer Brittany – it’s sunny, I like it very much. I like France because it is so beautiful. I like Ireland, Reunion, places like that. In a few days I am going to the Alps for the fresh air and relax. I love nature, I am not an ecologist, but I love to be in nature and photograph. In the beginning I wanted to work in the forest, but…ended up in Champagne…next month with my daughters we will spend 2 weeks in Brittany, in the north. I am looking forward to that.

WWW: Thank you Jean-Pierre. Have a wonderful trip.

Winewomanworld is happy to say that The Centre Vinicole-Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte uses 100% green electricity and 100% of the waste is recycled!

A Generation of Women Dedicated to Producing Outstanding Wines

janicekaplan — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:47:12 +0000

There are some 20 gifted, talented and hard working women wine growers currently leading many of France’s major vineyards. Representing many different wine-producing regions, they are all committed to combine their hopes and hard work to promote their land, their vineyard and their wine. Pioneering and passionate, they are now actively cooperating in the promotion of the Languedoc Roussillon’s “Nouvelle Frontiere” wine growing designation.

Women, mothers and wives, they seek to preserve shared values with determination and to confront detractors who unfairly demonize their wines. They aim to find together the means to earn a new critical judgment about this region. All the women engaged in wine producing in this area are proud of their achievement in the field. Beautiful, rebellious, dynamic, and proud to produce the pleasures of the table, all are partners in the new association of women winegrowers, known as “VINIFILLES.”

In short, they seek to share their know-how, develop genuine self-help wine production, preserve their lands, protect the environment, and share their own experiences in producing fine wine.
contact@vinifilles.fr – www.vinifilles.fr

Wine Woman Hall of Fame: Empress Josephine’s 13,000 bottle cellar on exhibit.

janicekaplan — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:42:09 +0000

an insert from: “Le Banquet des souverains Tilsit Musee Carnavalet- Histoire de Paris, France” Gravure en couleur d’apres Swebach – Jacques Desfontaines, H.38.5 x L 42.4 cm/Musee Carnavalet/Roger Viollet

The Contents of Empress Josephine’s wine cellar is on exhibition in 2010. She sure knew how to throw a party. From the best crus in Bordeaux and Burgundy to rum and liqueurs from the West Indies, her inventory was striking in its range and variety. The evolution of wine production and marketing during the Empire also reveals the progress in the glassmaking industry. Elegant ice buckets, glass coolers, crystal and metal punch bowls illustrate the refinement and prestige of the tableware at Malmaison and stand alongside the most brilliant pieces of glassware, some bearing the monograms of the sovereigns from Josephine to Louis-Philippe.

The exhibition brings together more than two hundred objets d’art and iconographic documents not only from the Musée de Malmaison but from the collections of the museums of the Château de Fontainebleau, the Château de Compiègne, the Château d’Eu (Musée Louis-Philippe), the Musée Carnavalet, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the Musée National de Céramique de Sèvres, the Archives Nationales, the Fondation Napoléon, the musée Napoléon Thurgovie, château et parc d’Arenenberg, (canton of Thurgovia, Switzerland) and the Museo Napoleonico, Rome. Other items are on loan from industrial or commercial firms such as Moët et Chandon, or from private collections. Taking an artistic and historical angle, the exhibition shows that Josephine’s cellar is a precious testimony to the gracious entertaining which long made the charm and reputation of Malmaison.

This exhibition will be shown at the musée Napoléon Thurgovie, château et parc d’Arenenberg, in Salenstein, Switzerland, from 10 April to 10 October 2010, then at the Museo Napoleonico in Rome, from October 2010 to 28 February 2011.

Happy Bubbly Sparkling Holidaze!

janicekaplan — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 21:35:30 +0000

Isabelle is busy entertaining her large and expanding family – but she wants to wish everyone a bonne année!

Being close to your family or loved ones and sharing meaningful time is important for our well being. Cooking, sharing memories and creating warmth and closeness is a natural part of the precious holiday time we have together. Drink sensibly and indulge your senses in the scents and tastes that make this winter one to remember. Cheers!

In Monte Carlo I tested the new Wine Business Club for wealthy corporate executives

janicekaplan — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:23:22 +0000

I was invited to the launch of the very private Wine Business Club Monte Carlo, and I could not say no – I shared this event with Guy Thomas Levy-Soussan president of Club Monaco, and we escaped to the terrace of the legendary Hotel de Paris to enjoy -moi: red wine from Provence Sainte-Victoire du Mas de Cadenet and he: a Champagne Laurent-Perrier rosé. I welcome the arrival of the Wine Business Club in Monte Carlo. This is a wonderful opportunity for business leaders of the wealthy Principality who will share their views on the economy in a more dynamic atmosphere sampling the magic of great wines and food in this enchanted place where each member may invite one or more associates to each theme dinner. Cheers – Isabelle

October 3rd in Pouilly-Fuissé – Naked Protest!

janicekaplan — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:53:06 +0000

700 nude people in the vineyards of Burgundy gathered to protest against climate change.
With the initiative of Greenpeace France and the famous American artist Spencer Tunick, 700 extras were placed naked in a vineyard in Burgundy. The impacts of climate change are already being felt around the world including France, the terroir and the vines. This immense living sculpture illustrates the vulnerability of man and culture to climate change. For Spencer Tunick, whose photographs, for the last fifteen years have expressed the relationship between man and his environment, said we must act quickly “Today, at a time when the world turns into a concrete jungle, we sometimes forget this closely linked relationship between our bodies and Earth. Through my art, I hope to draw attention to the vulnerability of our existence and the singular link that connects humans to their food, for pleasure or for their survival.”

Early harvests, hail and heat recovery – some of the effects of climate change, are not a fiction for wine growers. The increase in the alcohol and sugar due to disruption of climate upsets the already complex aromas of wines. If nothing is done today, the vineyards will move 1 000 kilometers beyond their traditional limits by the end of the century.

MALBEC INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION le premier concours international de cépages Malbec

janicekaplan — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:51:24 +0000

Le Concours Des Vins (CDV) lance un nouveau concours de vins de cépages qui sera organisé les 28 & 29 novembre prochains baptisé.
L’objectif est de remettre en lumière le cépage Malbec. Ce concours réunira environ 300 échantillons provenant d’une dizaine de pays et rassemblera une trentaine de dégustateurs, parmi les meilleurs spécialistes du Malbec du Monde. La garantie d’un concours de qualité : Ce concours est organisé selon le déroulé OIV (Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin) à l’image des Citadelles du Vin et certifié OIV. Il offre aux producteurs des conditions de dégustation strictes de leurs produits et garantit un professionnalisme de haut niveau de dégustation.
Les inscriptions jusqu’au 10 octobre 2009,
L’envoi des échantillons, jusqu’au 20 octobre 2009.
Remise des prix spéciaux janvier 2010 aux USA

Pour toutes informations : CDV – Concours Des Vins -Chais de Portier – 33710 Bourg – France
Tel : 05 57 68 25 66 – Email : info@malbecompetition.com
Informations et inscriptions : http://www.malbecompetition.com

The Concours Des Vins (CDV) is launching a new contest of varietal wines that will be held on 28 & 29 November.
The aim is to spotlight the Malbec grape. This competition will bring together approximately 300 samples from a dozen countries and will bring together thirty tasters – some of the best specialists in the Malbec world. Ensuring a quality competition: This competition is organized by OIV (Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin) in the image of Citadels and Certified Wine OIV. It provides producers with stringent conditions, which helps to guarantee a high level tasting of their products.

The entries until October 10, 2009,
Sending samples, until October 20, 2009.
Special prize in January 2010 in USA

Les Jardins of Saint-Benoît – embracing the charm & spirit of Cathar country

janicekaplan — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:16:44 +0000

Some of us are home now from our official summer vacations and others are wondering what our next destination will be. If you are in France and plan on meandering along the wine route from the Cote d’Azur to Bordeaux (which we did in June on our way to Vinexpo in Bordeaux) there is a new Garrigae resort – Les Jardins de Saint-Benoît. (www.garrigaeresorts.com) which officially opened July 1st.

This slice of paradise is located in the village of St. Laurent de la Carbrerisse between the medieval city of Carcassonne and Narbonne. The vineyards of Corbières are within tasting distance.

Designed as a village within a village, “les Jardins” is part organic (bio) spa, and sustainable home-away-from home complete with a nature-club (lots of activities for children). The lively outdoor pool is complemented by the quieter and more meditative indoor pool and adults can luxuriate in the steam bath and then sink into a massage with custom blended essential oils while the children are entertained by nature classes or helping the staff to harvest herbs in the medieval garden. After your massage, your senses will delight and soak it all in while you relax and sip your herbal tea overlooking a cloistered garden with an ancient olive tree.

The dining at “les Jardins” is a testament to Mediterranean culture. The Languedoc-Rousillon region, in the south, has touches of Spanish and Italian influence in their cuisine and contains 740,300 acres of vineyards (3 times the size of Bordeaux!) and is the largest wine producing region in France.

The large weekend brunch is an antipasto table (or tables!) filled with fresh and local goodies; seafood salads, freshly cook shrimp, charcuterie, cheeses and veggies or Chef Sebastien will cook something to order from the menu. An outdoor BBQ fires up for lunch only, but as you are in France, expect a fabulous menu and wine list with many choices.

Our accommodations were on the grand size, a Maison/Villa with living room, kitchen downstairs and 3 bedrooms upstairs, with our own private small pool. It’s amazing how luxurious it gets outside the center of Paris and how far your Euros can go here. You can bring the whole family as there is certainly plenty to keep everyone busy or consider this a romantic getaway in a surprisingly beautiful region waiting to be explored.

Do not miss a visit to the nearby town of Lagrasse. This pretty village in the Corbieres region has a Medieval Abbey founded in 799 and is on the Orbieu river, good for swimming and cooling off in the summer heat. It is officially “one of the most beautiful villages in France.” On Sundays there is a lively market and people are out and about in their Sunday best enjoying the people-watching in cafes.

In 2010 we are planning wine tours of this region mixed in with some Cathar country historical sights.
Let us know if you are interested and want further information. email: janicekaplan@winewomanworld.com

Les Jardins de Saint-Benoît
11220 Saint Laurent de la Cabrerisse
Tel: +33 (0) 4 68 44 18 70
www.garrigaeresorts.com

The Renaissance of Domaine de La Croix: modern wine making steeped in traditional values.

janicekaplan — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:55:23 +0000

The largest of the Provencal ‘Crus Classés’ vineyards is reborn.

The Domaine is blessed with a unique ‘’terroir’ on the St. Tropez peninsula, and it lived up to its promise at its re-opening on June 15. Owner Vincent Bolloré has won his bet – it is possible to return to authentic wines using the extensive modern techniques he has invested in his cellars and vineyards.

Michel Rolland, one of France’s most famous winemakers, participated in La Croix’s revival. From the planting of the vines to the blending of the different vintages, his skillful eye closely monitored each step…

The diverse variety of grapes on this sublime terroir, combined with the perfect control of the vinification and aging processes, obtained an aromatic wine filled with impressively rich and silky tannins. This area was directed by the capable the hands of two women, Pascale Andrieux, the director of operations, and Helena Sinaeve, the resident oenologist.