Just put together our plan to celebrate Grenache with the rest of the world. The 24th of September is International Grenache Day where winemakers, professionals and lovers around the world get together to celebrate the, often over looked, Grenache. As a variety it is one of the more complex and certainly most varied coming in blanc, gris, rouge and noir!

Today we held our first public Family Tasting and I am delighted to say it was a roaring success. We had 11 adults tasting 8 wines from across the Languedoc-Roussillon and 5 children, aged from 3 to 10, tasting 8 juices ‘blind’! Together they got to learn how to identify tastes and then whilst the adults learnt about the diversity of the wines of the region their children sampled a mix of ‘mono cépage’ and ‘assemblage’ fruit juices!

Although we have always said that children are welcome at our Tastings, and we have had several attend in the past, this was the first time that we had run an event where we actually catered for the kids. The 5 children were great fun, when it came to working out the 4 different tastes the 10 year old was on the ball and identified 3 immediately!

If you are thinking that wine tasting and children don’t mix, think again! Today the children were not only were encouraged to taste a range of flavours but also to think about what it was they were tasting. Maybe this is something they should introduce at school to encourage children to explore their palates and be more adventurous.

Whilst Matt and I talked the adults through the wines, the children tasted and coloured, and it was the adults that were noisy and rambunctious not their kids!!! It is worth noting that children have very defined palates, they have not yet destroyed them with strong flavours such as coffee, spice and cigarettes, and so they found ‘blind’ tasting a lot easier than we do. The winning score was 9 out of 12, at only 8 years old! Impressive and I am not sure how well we would have done had the tables been turned.

Our next Family Tasting is the 11th of August but I think we may well be running a few more….

Death by chocolate might be a better title to this blog!! The other night we ran a Wine and Chocolate Tasting at Vinecole. Not an obvious marriage as, on the whole, chocolate kills most wines. However I like a challenge and thought it only fitting to get into the ‘Easter’ spirit!

Whilst researching the subject it became more and more apparent that chocolate, much like wine, is a hugely complex subject. The type of bean used differ in much the same way that the range of  grape varieties differ. The soil, climate and location are equally as important.

We kicked off the tasting learning how to ‘taste’ chocolate – as opposed to the usual stuffing of chocolate that most of us (myself included) are more familiar with. Look, smell, listen ( I have only ever had one student do that to wine, he used to listen to the bubbles of Champagne, I’m not sure that the WSET approved!), then let the chocolate melt in your mouth and with your tongue coat the insides whilst you search for the chocolates’ characteristics. Fabulous stuff. We tried a 75% Trinidad Grand Cru and then a 75% Ivory Coast Grand Cru. It was fascinating to see how different they both were. From fruity and acidic to smoky and toasty. I think that last night 16 people had their perception of chocolate permanently changed.

So to the wines. What makes pairing chocolate with wine so difficult is not necessarily the sweetness but the cloying, coating character that numbs the tongue and deadens the senses. Hence the fact that fortified wines work so well, they have both the sweetness and weight from the alcohol required to lift the palate and withstand the chocolate.

However last night was not all about sweetness, we also looked at using chocolate in savoury dishes. There are many French and Mexican dishes that use chocolate, it can add spice and depth to sauces. The chocolate that I used for these dishes was a 100% Cacao from Peru – Willy’s Peruvian Black. Outrageously dark and bitter, this is not for munching on but delicious as a cooking ingredient.

The first dish was duck coated in a balsamic and chocolate sauce, wonderfully rich but not at all sweet. This we partnered with the Domaine du Petit Causse, Cuvée Andréa, AOC Minervois La Livinière 2007.  The wine was intense with hints of cinnamon, nutmeg and dark cherries which complimented the richness of the duck and sauce.

Next up an authentic Mexican Chili with plenty of spice, the chocolate added a glossiness to the sauce and a smoky spiciness. This we served with the Wolf Blass Yellow Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2007. Cabernet often has notes of bitter chocolate, in fact many enjoy a glass of New World Cabernet with a bar of chocolate. The Wolf Blass was rich, ripe and powerful. Plenty of fruit, ripe tannins, balanced acidity and it worked beautifully with the Chili.

This was followed by a light chocolate and orange mousse served with the lightest and frothiest of Asti’s! As Matt said, if a wine was to get points for fun then Asti would be at the top of the class. Muscat is the grape that works best with chocolate, it is highly adaptable and has the right balance of sweetness and acidity. The mousse was light, frothy and and not too sweet, the chocolate used was a Javanese milk chocolate with 65% cocoa solids. The wine had the perfect balance of lightness, sweetness and orange blossom that complimented the Cointreau in the mousse.

The 4th dish was an incredibly rich, chocolate cake – the River Cafe’s Chocolate Nemesis. No flour, just chocolate, eggs, butter and sugar and lots of each! This required something with weight as it would overpower a Sauternes so we turned to Australia and a Rutherglen Muscat from Campbells. Intensely sweet, notes of toffee, dates, caramel and fruit cake. The chocolate used to make the cake was a mix of Madagascan and a premium cooking chocolate by Michel Cluziel which gave notes of coconut and toffee.

The next dish was for the gentlemen present, an unusual combination of Tawny Port, Dominican Republic chocolate and Bleu de Gex cheese. My take on Paul.A. Young’s chocolate and blue cheese truffle. A very rich truffle that had a gentle after taste of blue cheese, it was rolled in toasted praline to give an added ‘crunch’. This was served with a local wine, Domaine Cazes Ambré 1996 made from Grenache Blanc and left on ullage to gently oxidise. The wine was superb, nutty, intense, not overtly sweet, a great combo with the blue cheese and with just enough weight for the chocolate.

Last but not least were Agen prunes soaked in Armagnac and dipped in 3 types of chocolate, Peruvian Pralines Noir, 64% Noir and 72% Noir. The prunes were alcoholic, chewy and very naughty! The wine, 2008 Maury from Domaine des Soulanes. A wine that is a perfect balance of sweetness, fruit, acidity and tannin. If in doubt serve Maury with chocolate as it is always a good match.

Our conclusion, wine and chocolate can and do match. Muscat is a bet as is Maury (fortified and Grenache based). Next time you are buying cooking chocolate look out for specific regions, and remember that if the chocolate is black in colour it is because inferior beans have been used and over roasted, they should be a rich brown or red/brown colour instead.

They do you know. Last night we ran a Wine and Oyster Tasting and we had a room full of Dutch and what fun they were!

Christophe from L’Espandon fishery in the under cover market at Les Halles in Narbonne, came laden with oysters and taught us about all the different styles, sizes and origins of oysters. Christophe’s family have owned L’Epsandon for 45 years and he has been working there for 22 years so what he does not know about oysters is not worth knowing.

So here are some of the facts that we learnt last night with the wine pairings that we chose and why.

France is the biggest oyster producing country in Europe, the 4th largest in the world, and more than 90% of what they produce is consumed here in France. There are two types of oyster, the Pacific “Creuse” oyster, also know as the “Japonaise” and the European oyster, native to France, known as the flat oyster. The later is considered the finest and is quite rare due to being almost wiped out by a plague last year and so is also the most expensive.

Oysters breathe much like fish, using both gills and mantle. They filtre six litres of water an hour, which sounds impressive until you realise that the humble mussel filtres an amazing 10 litres an hour! There is no way of telling male oysters from females by examining their shells. While oysters have separate sexes, they may change sex more than once during their life span. Sounds useful!

Once harvested the oysters will spend several days in clean seawater to purify before being sold to eat. Traditionally oysters have been eaten only in the months with an “R”, however that was before refrigeration and oysters can now be enjoyed all year round.

Here in the Languedoc we are fortunate to have two types of oyster on our doorstop , the Leucate and the Bouzigues. The Mediterranean is a large source of farmed oysters from the Etang de Leucate just north of Perpignan and then the Etang de Thau just south of Montpellier. However, the finest oysters in France are from the Atlantic coast of Brittany, the Marennes in particular, these are the “Fines de Clair” that you will find in Parisian restaurants. Oysters are sized from 0 to 5, with 0 being the largest and 5 the smallest.

When it came to tasting we found that the oysters from Bouzigues were the saltiest and largest, their taste was strong and rich. The Leucate oysters were less salty and fresher, we had two sizes, “Petite” which were number 3 and considered an “apero” style and then the “Grande” number 2 which were richer and creamier. Lastly we tried the Marennes which were size 2, these were the most delicate and creamiest and a lot less salty than the Mediterranean styles.

When it came to matching with wines, white was definitely the order of the day and dry white at that. We started with the Leucate No. 3 and a Grüner Veltliner from Austria, the Domaine Wachau, very dry, crisp and fresh which lifted the slight saltiness and got the gastric juices ready for more! This was swiftly followed with a Marenne No.2 and an organic Chablis from Brocard, a classic match, steely Chardonnay with slightly more weight than the Grüner which partnered the richer Marenne. Next up was the Bouzigues, very salty and rich. The obvious partner was a Picpoul de Pinet as this is the wine grown along the banks of the Etang de Thau and whenever you go to Sete this is what is being drunk in the bars and restaurants. Quite right too as the high acidity refreshed the saltiness and the lightness of body acted as a good contrast to the richness of the oyster. For a more controversial match we tried a white Collioure from Domaine de la Rectorie made from 100% Grenache Gris, here it was a question of weight matching weight, tasty but not as refreshing and so it would limit you to only a half dozen oysters instead of the full dozen! We then moved back to Leucate and to the larger No.2 with a St Peray from Chapoutier, a Marsanne/ Roussanne blend that was fermented in barrel. The oak was slight but added weight and a slight spice. We then finished with the Marenne and a glass of Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve made with a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier from three vintages. A classy wine to finish the tasting with, the combination of  high acidity and effervescence cut through any saltiness and the elegance of the wine harmonised the creamy character of the oysters. Delicious!

Whilst tasting the oysters we had the traditional “Pain de Siegle”, rye bread, and salted butter. However we did not use either lemons or the red wine vinegar and shallot dressing as neither do the wines or oysters any favours. Vinegar over powers most wines, and Christophe explained that the dressing and lemon juice will be the dominate lasting flavour overriding the oysters. He recommended ‘au nature’ or with a hint of freshly ground black pepper.

Before he left he gave us his own recipe for gratineed oysters.

Christophe’s “Huître Gratinée”

Open the oysters 2 hours in advance.

Empty the water 6 times, oysters produce water 7 times! Keep the 7th water.

Pour 1 tsp of Champagne, 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp of grated Gruyére onto each oyster.

Grill under a hot grill until the cheese begins to melt, no more than a minute or 2.

Serve immediately.

Here I am just back from London and the launch of Alastair Sawday’s “Special Places to Stay” guide, featuring French vineyards with hotels/Gites/Chambre d’Hotes accommodation. Domaine Gayda and Vinecole were featured and the Sawday’s team held a press and reader launch last week in central London. It was a jolly affair with vineyard owners from around France showing a selection of their wines and talking about their Domaines.

I took along the Cepage Viognier and Syrah 2008, the Occitane Blanc 2007 and Rouge 2006 and the Chemin du Moscou 2006. All wines went down a storm, and guests were intrigued to learn about grapes such as Marsanne, Roussanne, Mourvedre, Carignan and other weird and wonderfuls that are generally not plastered on front labels and so unheard of. We also got a lot of positive response about the wine school, many liked the idea of learning about wines whilst staying in a working Domaine. We look forward to receiving the Alastair Sawday’s readers at Vinecole!

This is without doubt a most spectacular time of year when you live in a wine region, the colours of the vines and the trees are absolutely stunning. What is especially amazing is that only two weeks ago the harvest was still in full swing, we are in the coolest department of the L-R so the harvest is long here. However literally a few days after the last grapes were  harvested the vines changed from being green and leafy to an array of golds, bronze and red hues!

Take a look at some photos taken this weekend.

The other day we held a Wine and Food Pairing Lunch for Vincent, the Gayda winemaker, and his team. They were 12 in total and an eclectic mix of French, Italian, American and Mexican nationalities. This group had been gathered from around the globe to work the 2009 vintage, processing the grapes, controlling the fermentation and ensuring that Vincents’s high standards were maintained. Now that all the grapes, bar a little botrytis Chenin, have been picked many of this group will return home.

We started the tasting with a comparassion between Antech Blanquette and Cremant 2007, the Blanquette being much fruiter but less elegant and shorter on the finish. Both were sampled with a green and black olive tapanade, some olives and ail confit. We all agreed that the green olive tapanade worked best with the Chardonnay dominated Cremant and the black tapanade with the weighter Blanquette. We then moved onto a crisp and citric Picpoul de Pinet from the Caves de Pomerol 2008, fresh and delightful. A simple wine that is to be enjoyed on a hot summers day or with a plate of oysters. Next up was weighty 100% Maccabeo from the joint venture between Roussillon superstar Gerard Gauby and English winemerchants RichardsWalfords, Le Soula 2008. No oak is used in this wine and it packed a puch with plenty of ripe fruit and clean fresh flavours. This was followed by another Gerard’s wine, Bertrand this time, his white Cigalus 2005. Predominately Chardonnay with 15% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Viognier, fermented and aged in oak barrel. This is a wine to rival any serious Chardonnay around the world, rich, elegant, ripe fruit flavours with layers of butter and nuts. We tried this with a hummus dip, made with a good amount of lemon and cumin, and a mature comte. Both worked very well indeed, the earthy flavours of the hummus and the buttery,nutty character of the cheese, far better than a red wine.

Now we moved onto the reds. Starting with the Mouscaillo Pinot Noir 2007 from the Limoux hills, a wine rich in berry fruits, light in oak character with plenty of crisp acidity. An usual wine from this area, but PN is a grape that we will see more and more of in the Limoux area as winemakers realise the potential they have with this difficult grape. This we tried with some smoked duck and a cepes and chicken liver pate. The acidity softened and the fruit flavours came  to the fore, just what was needed. A St Chinian followed by the Mas de Champart winery, a small producer of high quality wines (try their white, it is stunning!). The mineral and garrigue character of the wine lent itself to pairing with a dish of Puy lentils with a herb dressing and Toulouse sausages. As although the wine was not shy on fruit, the drying minerality and herbal character were the key components. Our last red was the Mas de Soleilla Terre du Vent, Cabernet Franc based with some Merlot. This wine is a VDP as the AOC La Clape does not permit these varieties to be used. No matter as the wine is super, rich, black fruits, witha perfumed nose, liquorice, spice, freshly ground black pepper and silky, ripe tannins. A real mouth full which lingers with you. This we tried with a magret de canard that was roasted with a little soy, honey and a cherry jus. Excellent, the fat of a duck is sweet and so requires a wine that has some sweetness, be that a little residual sugar or (in this case) ripe fruit character.

We finished our lunch with the Domaine Cazes Tuille 1990, made from 100% Grenache Noir this is a wine that is fortified in the same style as Port but then aged un ullage until bottled. They calaculate that they loose 7% in volume each year and do not top up. This gives the wine its tawny/brown hue and rich, nutty, spice, fruit cake character. Not a way to make your fortune but what a superb wine! Domaine Cazes is Europes largest biodynamic vineyard with 220ha, although they only received their biodynamic status in 1997 which means this wine isn’t bio! No matter it was delicious, on its own, with a salty Roquefort and a honeyed nut and and date tart.

ALL red wines complement ALL cheeses. This is a myth; it is much more complicated then that, and much more fun! Trying to match one wine to a cheese board crammed with every style of cheese is a daunting task for even the best of sommeliers. So instead why not choose one or two of your favourites and try with some of the wine suggestions below.

Cabernet, Carignan and Syrah (full flavoured tannic wines) tend to complement the sharp, salty, hard cheeses such as Comté or an aged Brebis, the high fat content in the cheese softens the harshness of the tannins and the wines appear fruitier. However, tangy goats’ cheeses are excellent with dry white wines, particularly an aromatic Sauvignon Blanc; the crisp acidity in the wine lifts and refreshes the palate whilst the intense fruitiness compliments the vibrancy of the cheese. Pungent, intensely flavoured blue cheeses are better accompanied by a sweet wine, for example, the Vins Doux Naturels of Maury or Banyuls with a Bleu de Causses or Roquefort with a Late Harvest Muscat. Here the sweetness softens the saltiness in the cheese whilst the powerful flavours of the wine mirror that of the cheese. Then there are soft cheeses like the creamy Pelardon that should be served with either a nutty Chardonnay, when the cheese is young, or a fruity red St-Chinian, if the cheese is aged.

2009 has been another hot and dry year here in the Languedoc. Although we had plenty of rainfall over winter and spring it will not take effect until the following year and the weather has been pretty dry since May. Here we are in October and we have seen days of 30ºC and more!

The vendange started early, mid August in the Roussillon and not everyone was ready for it, but has not yet finished here in the Côtes de Malpère with the Cabernet Franc still to be picked. This hot weather has created the perfect conditions for botrytis and they have already done two “tries” for the Chenin Blanc at Gayda.

The word is that we will be looking at a fine vintage, high in quality but the quantity has dropped yet again.

Last weekend we had a great group of wine enthusiasts from West London over and during the weekend we held a Fine Wine Tasting of some of the top estates of the region. Domaines shown included: Mas de Soleilla, Domaine de la Rectorie, Vault-Gasparets, Mas Champart and Cazes. The wines were stunning but I think what was most impressive was the range of styles that this region has. Show me any other region that is able to cover the depth and the breadth of the Languedoc-Roussillon, I bet you can’t!

For me the star of the show was the Aimé Cazes VDN 1975 Rivesaltes. This is a wine that is aged on ullage and looses 7% of its volume each year, so by the time it is bottled there is only a third of the wine left! Probably not the best money maker but what a delicious treat of honey, nuts, dried fruit and spice with a lingering flavour that remained with you for the rest of the evening. Delicious!