Domaine de Molines Chateau de Nages

I went to a wine tasting in the presence of 15 wine makers last weekend. This was organised by Les Maisons des Vins, a great shop just behind Place Keym in Watermael Boisfort.

The first wines we tasted where from Domaine de Molines Chateau de Nages and I must say they are extremely good in particular for the quality price/ratio.

The Terres de Molines Sauvignon Blanc is a no frills wine but at 4.75 Euros one can hardly find any fault. The Chateau Nages Reserve blanc and the Joseph Torres Blanc were excellent.

The red Cabernet Terres de Molines at 4.75 Euros was also very good value for money. But the favourite was the Chateau de Nages vieilles vignes 2007 rouge which at 7.95 Euros is a sure winner.

Campania – exceeded our expectations

Its been a while since I last blogged. I hope to bring back the blog to life and make it considerably more frequent. After Tuscany, we headed to the Amalfi Coast. This had been on our priority destinations for a number of years. In many cases, when people rave so much about a place you end up being disappointed for one reason or another.

The first task we faced was that of finding a base where to stay. Our choice was the Relais Villa Oriana, a family bed and breakfast with exceptional service and a great breakfast. The accomodiation is in the middle of an orange and lemon garden, the views of the bay of Naples are stunning, the limoncello they serve is sublime and the breakfast exquisite.

There were home made focaccias or pies, the one to die for was a Ricotta, Mozzarella di Bufala and salami pie which my wife replicates time and time again.

The cuisine is totally different from that in Tuscany as you would expect in Italy where each region if not city has its own traditions and cuisine. In Amalfi I had the best ever Spagetti Ricci while my wife had a ravioli in a lemon sauce. The fish was also great.

For wine, we tried the Villa Matilde Falanghina and their Greco di Tufo. It is excellent fare.

Although the area is famous for Limoncello, we also discovered a Crema di Limone from Sorrento which is indeed fantastic. Pity that we had not tried it there and only managed one bottle. Guess we will have to return.

Tuscany is always amazing

We headed to Volpaia in the heart of the Chianti in Tuscany for five days of relexation, eating and drinking good wine. There are places which you know that you will keep on visiting and probably will never get bored of. Tuscany is clearly one of these, at least until the equation of excellent food and reasonable prices remains intact. The value for money in the Tuscan countryside is indeed impressive. And out of the four times that I have been there, there has rarely if ever been a disappointing epicurian experience. I still remember the first Bistecca alla Fiorentina at a Trattoria in Fiesole overlooking Firenze some years back. And then there is the most amazing restaurant I have been to, the Gambero Rosso in San Vincenzo which helped me on my way to eliminate my phobia of cheese.

This time round, there would be no visits to the main cities. Instead we remained in the heart of the Chianti, visiting villages like San Gusme, Castellina in Chianti, Radda in Chianti and Panzano.

We arrived in Volpaia and headed to the Casetto, a villa in the middle of the vineyards of the Volpaia winery. The views were amazing and it was just a three minute drive from the quaint square of Volpaia which remains our favourite village in Tuscany. There we spent time at Bar-ucci, a splendid bar in the heart of the square and La Bottega, an unassuming but amazing restaurant which is not only exceptional value for money but serves amazing food. Here we tried the likes of Zuppa ai funghi porcini, Pici al Cinghiale, rabbit in a truffle sauce, a wild boar stew with black olives, amazing pappardelle al tartufo and a mouthwatering Bistecca alla Fiorentina. Not to mention the divine chocolate cake which made us order a second helping 0f dessert – indeed a first for me in a restaurant.

In the Chianti, we visited the Querciabella winery which makes a great Chianti Classico but is also known for the Supertuscan blend Camartina which is only produced in good years as well as the Batar, a splendid white blend. The winery has invested in a bio-dynamic production which is very evident on the palate. The wines are flawless.

Bologna – a foodie paradise

Everyone raves about Bologna being Italy’s gastronomic capital. Having savoured exceptional food in all parts of Italy, I was a bit sceptical since in Italy getting it wrong when it comes to food is a rare experience. However, we were clearly not disappointed even though we had to lunch on salumi and formaggi since the restaurant recommended to us by the people from La Vecchia Malga closed at 2pm. It was a pity nevertheless we headed back to their shop which serves platters and were not disappointed. We got a table overlooking the deli counter and it was an irresistable sight. The fare was excellent to the extent that we also decided to buy fresh pasta which we cooked the day after in Volpaia. The tortelloni were made with potatoes and speck, with artchichokes and the speciality zucca. 

 

In Bologna, we also ate the most amazing chocolate orange ice-cream from shop close to the well-known deli Tamburini. Despite it is extremely well known, we much preferred the Vecchia Malga.

Preparing for Volpaia

La Bottega

 

Last year we were lucky to stumble upon what probably is one of Chianti’s best kept secrets, a tiny Etruscan village with stunning views, a great bar and restaurant. In a few days time, we are heading there in what is fast becoming our annual trip to stunning views, amazing food and excellent wines.

La Bottega, pictured above, serves typical Tuscan fare with a stunning view and incredible value for money. We just cannot wait to return. I still remember last years fare, a Pici al cinghiale followed by an amazing rabbit in a truffle sauce which was simply sublime. This year, we also plan to spend a lot of time at Il Baruccio, a tiny bar in the main square of Volpaia which serves good wine and a few nibbles. The last time we were there we only managed to visit once since it was closed on the Sunday evening. 

In the meantime, the past week has been rather hectic at work. This week I prepared a risotto al radicchio e salsiccia which worked out quite well though I did not use a recipe. It follows the same rules as a risotto but I used red wine instead of the usual white. The result was particularly good. Having also discovered a shop which sells fresh ricotta, we have also become fond of  making pasta with a simple tomato sauce, ricotta and basil. Again when the produce is great, a simple dish attains a new dimension. For any reader of this blog in Brussels, the place to get fresh ricotta is Stival in Rue Vanderkindere. They also have a great selection of pasta, Italian cheese and salumi and a good selection of Italian wine. One of my recent favourites was the 2004 Ceuso, a blend of Nero d’Avola, Merlot and Syrah.

Bordeaux wines and prices

It is a great day for wine lovers when they can finally afford to buy any wine they would like to taste without having to compete with people buying wine as an investment or just to show off. Recently, I was discussing over a lovely dinner with friends that we will soon be able to afford even the likes of Chateau Latour, Chateau Margaux and all the other first and second growths. Sure enough I have been following Decanter and they are announcing the new prices for the 2008 vintage. While still high for a decent bottle of wine when you consider the actual cost of producing a bottle, the prices are reaching a stage where any true wine lover can afford to savour them on a special occasion. During the dinner, it was evident that for many,  the highest price they were willing to pay was 100 Euros for a great bottle. 

The economic crisis is therefore great for wine enthusiasts. I am now waiting for price drops in other wine regions in France and Italy to follow.

Tasting notes – Chateau D’Arlay

A few weeks ago I met the owner of  Chateau D’Arlay from the Cotes du Jura region when I went to buy some wine from one of my favourite wine shops in Brussels, the Deconick wine shop. The shop has a great selection of French wines from all regions including Hugel from Alsace, Joseph Drouhin from Burgundy and Paul Jaboulet from the Rhone just to mention but a few.

I had never tasted a wine from the Cotes du Jura region though I had read about their particular wine making methods. The owner was a very down to earth man who explained the whole process of making wines. In particular I discovered a great wine, the Cotes du Jura 2003 which was only bottled in 2007 after four years in oak barrels.

I opened one this weekend. Its a blend of 1/3 Savagnin (a grape variety grown in the region and 2/3 Chardonnay. One the nose, the wine immediately strikes you as different with a slightly oxidised note but with beautiful aromas of hazelnuts, tea and dried raisins. A great discovery

A long journey

I must have come a long way from the day I started cooking. A few days later, I had the cheek to actually invite some friends over for a plate of pasta and a game of monopoly. It was in the days when I was studying at university and to be honest, although I always loved eating, cooking at the time seemed to be an excuse to avoid studying. I have always enjoyed trying different foods, going to restaurants and then trying to recreate the tastes and experience at home. My passion for wine came a bit later. But this is just as strong as my passion for food. The wine bug developed in Sicily, more precisely in the beautiful Aeolian Island of Lipari. I had already started to take an interest in wine and had spotted a wine I knew (nothing exceptional) but still I felt confident enough to order it. But the owner of Grotta del Saraceno, an amazing restaurant with an impressive view, who worked just six months a year in this restaurant and holidayed for the remainder of the year (they get no tourists in winter) recommended another instead. It was the Angimbe from a relatively new winery in Sicily, a well-crafted blend of Insolia, an indegenous grape from Sicily and Chardonnay. The result was a fruity and fresh wine which with the excellent food and the outstanding view was a perfect match made in heaven. I’ll probably be able to recount the story on another occasion but for now, I want to start working on this diary which in a way is a way of  keeping a record for myself of recipies I create or come across as well as wines which I like. Its also a way for me to start getting rid of some old magazines which I know I will not be able to ever browse through again but which continue to pile up just because there was an interesting wine recommendation or recipe.