Gastronomie domine

REAL FOOD DINNER – South West Cuisine de Terroir by Michel Dussau

Cometh the hour, cometh the chef and his massed battalions of ducks. Our Real-Plete Food-and-Wine Dinner was a cartoon of Hogarthian excess juggling hilarious generosity with the swaggering exposition of the artisan’s art.

Real Wine Tasting at Il Bottaccio

Another year, another trade tasting. Not to mention a rabble-rousing Rabelasian feast thereafter. But more on that, anon.

Nicq of Thyme - Pure Roussillon

Défenseur des vins de fruit, de plaisir et de terroir, Jean-François Nicq incarne une nouvelle génération des Côtes-du-Roussillon. Sorry, I should be writing this in English. It’s just that these wines liberate my inner terroir.

Definitive Armagnac - Darroze by any other name

We’ve always had a soft spot for Le Trou Gascon. It is not just a flaming brand to burn away the excess goosefat that oozes instead of blood in our veins, but something to mull over and appeciate in its own right at the end of the meal. I was going to labour the cliche about liquid alchemy - if you read about the history and methodology of armagnac-making (see below) and taste the wonderful Darroze products, the harmonious result of a quest for perfection and the acknowledgement of tradition, you will understand the difference between brandy-as-rocket-fuel and superlatively eloquent “yak”.

A Class of Their Rhone - Domaine Ferme Saint-Martin

Some recent driblets of watery sunshine and I was all prepared to banish the reds in the back of the cupboard (my soi-disant wine cellar) and unleash the blinking pinks into the light of day. However, one doesn’t have to slug back garishly-hued wines to experience seasonal smiles and Provencale mirth. A trio of red wines from our new agency Domain Ferme Saint-Martin demonstrate that soft-fruited reds can be fun and serious at the same time; the sort of pleasure that makes you think about the way you appreciate wine. 

Pesticide Residues in Wine

Wine is a natural product. Well, up to a point, Lord Copper (Sulphate)…