32nd America's Cup - Special Champagne Toast !

When it comes down to the America’s Cup--the world's oldest sporting trophy--my enthusiasm usually goes as far as acknowledging the winner and then check with Audemars Piguet what limited-edition Royal Oak Offshore watch will be launched in honor of said sailing cup. This time Moët & Chandon released a limited edition portable bar with an ice bucket shaped as a sailboat winch as the centerpiece. The body is made from carbon fiber and teak wood and the winch is of sterling silver. The portable bar holds eight special flutes which are made to fit eight wholes on the bottom of the winch to hold them. Off course it comes with a nice bottle of bubbles. This is a limited edition item. Only 39 of these are made and come engraved with the winner of the 32nd America’s Cup, which is Team Alinghi from Switzerland.

Chateau Lafite Rothschild - The Most Complete Collection To Date !

The Antique Wine Company of London is at it again. The are to sell the most extensive collection of Chateau Lafite Rothschild ever seen on the world market. This unique collection spans four centuries--with the earliest vintage being 1787--prior to the French Revolution. The collection encompasses all the bottle formats ever produced, including the rare, large six liter Imperials from all the top vintages of the 20th century. The collection includes forty three bottles from various vintages and is certified for authenticity in light of the recent sales of counterfeit wine by various auction houses. An extensive range of tasting notes has been compiled for many of the vintages with the help of The Rothschild Family and Charles Chevallier who attended a marathon weekend of tasting vintages dating back to 1887 on April 20-21 at Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat on the French Riviera. As you may remember from one of my previous d’Yquem postings; In December 2006 the Antique Wine company also sold the most comprehensive collection of 135 bottles of d’Yquem. The collection includes every consecutive vintage of Chateau d’Yquem produced between 1860-2003. It also included nine empty bottles. They are signed by the director of Yquem, certifying that no Chateau d’Yquem was produced in this vintage due to adverse weather conditions. The d’Yquem-less years are 1910, 1915, 1930, 1951, 1952, 1964, 1972, 1974 and 1992. Without going into details here; it always bothered be me to be born in a year in which my favorite wine was not bottled. A total of 26 bidders from Europe, Asia, the U.S. and Russia almost doubled the bidding in the final 24 hours from £400,000 to the final price of £775,000 U$ C1.5 million).

Dating back to 1787, this is by all accounts the most complete collection of Lafite Rothschild vintages and formats of what is unquestionably one of the the greatest red wines in the world. The new owner of the collection will be the possessor of a historic and truly unique treasure; wine that was discovered for the New World by Thomas Jefferson while he was ambassador to France in 1787, on the eve of the Revolution. The collection will be or is sold by private negotiation. Interested parties can register online with the Antique Wine Company. The selling was supposed to be done by May 2007 but for all I know a final deal has not reached yet. So you may still get in on this one. Bring the big check book.

Kluge Estate - A Premium Virginia Winery !

Talking about vineyards on the East Coast is becoming less and less of an eyebrow lifter as more and more quality wines come from that region in the US. Off course the main spotlight is and remains on California for a long time to come. That I find myself talking about a premium winery estate in the State of Virginia is still surprising to me. Established in 1999, the Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard has aspired and quickly become one of the East Coast's most prestigious wineries. Patricia Kluge, the founder, owner and chairwoman of Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard, planted her first vine in 1999 at her estate, Albemarle House. Her dream was to create a world-class winery in Charlottesville, Virginia and also to develop a genuine wine region. Today, Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard has become one of the largest wine making facilities in Virginia. The Monticello Appellation, particularly Patricia’s corner of Albemarle County, is also making a name for itself on the global wine map. The Kluge Estate benefits from excellent natural conditions as a result of reliable seasons and the geographical lay of the land. The quality of the soil, position of the vines and their exposure to the sun produce a high quality crop. Harvesting is done by hand.Adjacent to the vineyards is a beautiful farm shop, offering Kluge Estate's fine wines and delectable foods. Offerings include some of Virginia's finest agricultural produce and products. Their Executive Chef highlights the seasons of Virginia with delectable American cuisine using locally grown produce. For sweets, executive pastry chef Serge Torres is on hand to create exquisite desserts, baked goods, chocolates, confections, preserves, and chutneys, homemade with fruits from the Albemarle House orchards. The Kluge Estate is certainly a place to visit and hang out for a while. Meeting all the interesting people that Patricia has assembled around her to build this beautiful venue. And after all lets not forget that this Estate produces great and interesting quality wines.

The Kluge Estate 2002 New World Red is a Bordeaux-style blend made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It is smooth, round and soft, with notes characterized by toasted oak, currant and black cherry. The finish delivers a flourish of mocha and coffee.

The Albemarle Viognier 2005 is made Condrieu style and is 100% Viognier, aged for 8 months in French oak barrels. The result is a beautiful sphere of complex aromas and flavors: floral and mature exotic fruits on the nose and palate; a balance of ripe and dried apricots, notes of guava, lychee, and spicy flower perfumes blend with light smokiness, vanilla, and fresh tobacco from the French oak.

Casa Lapostolle - All About Wine Architecture !

Usually--like most people--when concerned with wineries , it would be all about what they put into their bottles and what ultimately ends up on my table. Over the last 10 to 15 years some of the top wineries around the world have set out to become architectural pioneers. Quietly and not so much in the public eye some of the premier Chateaus in France, but also top growers in California have set out to update their structures and buildings above and beyond just their functional needs. They have built new and surprising avantgarde themes into their architecture, which almost seems exotic at first. One of my personal favorites, The Hess Collection, set in one of the oldest estates on Mount Vedder, high above Napa combines great wines, great architecture and an excellent contemporary art collection. Amongst the most impressive architectural works are Chateau Pichon-Langueville in the French Bordeaux and the Dominus Estate in California. Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle, the French chatelaine of the Marnier-Lapostolle family best known for producing Grand Marnier and owning the renowned Loire estate Chateau de Sancerre, ventured out to Chile in 1994. She has her Chilean winery Casa Lapostolle on an incredible extraordinary fast-track success course. Together with her husband, Cyril de Bournet, Alexandra was determined to diversify the family's business further into wine. After countless visits to Chile the couple settled for Apalta, convinced that this was the place to make great wine. The vision was to produce premium quality wines, blending French expertise and Chilean terroir. It took a decade and about $20 million to put this revolutionary winery, that is solely dedicated to the production of Casa Lapostolle’s world-class icon wine, Clos Apalta onto the international radars. Today Casa Lapostolle receives exceptional reviews, awards and accolades for its wines from across the globe. But more then just the impressive track record of Casa Lapostolle's wine is the winery itself. Alexandra has built the winery of the future here. The winery is 100% gravity-fed spanning five levels, three of which are buried into the granite of the Apalta hillside to provide a natural cool temperature environment for cellaring and aging. This rare vertical design allows the wine to flow naturally downward during every stage of the production, eliminating the need to pump, which can adversely affect the subtle flavors of the wine. All the grapes are hand-harvested and brought to the highest level of the winery where they will be 100% hand-destemmed, a labor intensive technique performed by only very few wineries throughout the world. Fermentation takes place in 21 French wooden vats which size corresponds in size to the parcel of the Apalta vineyard. After two years of aging in two different barrel cellars, the wine is bottled and either departs from the base of the winery or join the underground library in the heart of the winery. Casa Lapostolle’s new Clos Apalta winery is without a doubt one of the most exciting developments in winery architecture in the world over.The philosophy behind the construction of the winery emphasizes the complicity between Man and Nature.

Wine Tote - For Wine Aficionados !

This collection wine tote is perfect for any occasion from walks in the park, to concerts, to dinner parties, to traveling. It come in a attractive light weight aluminum box that sports a black velvet interior, and an insulated section for keeping your wine cool. This cool tote includes two wine glasses, a stainless steel corkscrew, ornate bottle stopper, cotton napkins and removable shoulder strap. Could make a cool gift for a wine aficionado.

PureModern - Cool Stainless Steel Design Items !

This is a very cleverly designed wine bottle holder that displays your wines like art in a unique way. This type of display is both cool and accessible. Holds up to eight bottles vertically so the corks will not dry out. You can order this at PureModern online. Just click on the picture and it will take you right there. Also they do sport a whole line of cool stainless steel design items. Check them out!

Solo Rosa - Summer Is Comming !

I'm not too much into rosés myself. But realizing that the summer is here and that we need a nice wine alternative for all the alFresco eating, I'm going with SoloRosa , which is the only California winery devoted exclusively to rosé. The wine is made from blends of Sangiovese and Merlot as well as Syrah. SoloRosa rosés are bone dry, brimming with ripe cherry and raspberry flavors, tempered by tangy acidity, a flinty mineral core, and just a hint of toastiness. The wine is aged for five months exclusively in 2- to 4-year-old French oak barrels and offers multiple layers of intensity. Dry rosé is the most versatile of all wines. Drink SoloRosa slightly chilled on its own, or with all manner of meals - from seafood to steaks and with culinary traditions ranging from Mediterranean to Mexican and even Indian. It's pretty darn delicious with your favorite sandwich or pizza, too. Mostly, SoloRosa serves up plenty of serious fun - perfect for both "haute" and not-so-haute cuisine.

2004 Aubert - One Of The Finest Chardonnay's !

Mark Aubert has been in the Napa Valley since the age of eleven. His father, a drug store owner, made Petit Syrah and Cabernet on the side. Mark graduated from St. Helena High and Fresno State with a degree in enology and a double minor in viticulture and chemistry. He then went on to work his way up to winemaker at Rutherford Hill, Monticello Cellars, Peter Michael, and Colgin, twice succeeding Helen Turley. Presently focusing on his own label with traditions deeply entrenched in Californian and Burgundian techniques, Mark has planted a 7 acre chardonnay vineyard on the Vine Hill appellation near Forestville-Sonoma, as well as another 6 acres of chardonnay and 1.5 acres of pinot noir at a vineyard down the street. And what a chardonnay Aubert produces! Absolutly steallar! There is no other way to express this. The Aubert 2004 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast Lauren Vineyard is light gold with a greenish tinge that shows real great body. Powerful nose of butter, sage and citrus in the glass. Absolutely marvelous! This is the definite insider tip of the year as far as chardonnay is concerned. Only 900 cases were made. If you find a bottle, make sure you go for it.

Bonny Doon Vineyard's - Magically Delicious Vinos !

Bonny Doon is one of my favorite vineyard's in California. It has a certain underground quality and his owner Randall Grahm sure does have a reputation for wackiness, but his wines are dead serious. You may get distracted by a Bonny Doon label which sure is not your usual gold-edged, flanged and waxed grocery store fare. Tattooed ladies, flying saucers, and monkeys in fezzes. Every label practically giggles; Buy me or don’t--I don’t care! I’ll have a good time without you. Randall Grahm had a funeral procession for the cork, when his winery went all screwcap. He has Fear and Loathing, Las Vegas artist Ralph Stedman which designs half of Bonny Doon's labels. This guy can actually make a Madiran and label it "Heart of Darkness". Randall is this guy that runs with the big boys but really remains the little guy. He describes Bonny Doon Vineyard's as the ones championing the strange, esoteric, ugly-duckling grape varieties of the world. All of this may be a little over the top, except for one thing; Bonny Doon produces magically delicious wines which usually come at real bargain prices! Also they have switched to biodynamically grown grapes in their own vineyards. You need to keep looking out for these wines. They feature all sorts of stuff that you wont find by anybody else. At this point I'd like to introduce you to two of Bonny Doon's bottles--one being a stellar Sryah for $16 a bottle and secondly a Dessert Framboise that comes below $20 a bottle and is amongst the best pairing bottles for anything chocolate!


The 2004 Syrah "Le Pousseur" Bonny Doon is a true stunner and at $16 a steal as well. This is a very serious and authentic syrah. One strongly senses that the Northern Rhône is not terroir incognito to this wine. This wine is endowed with rich tannins, smoky meatiness and a clear ping of wintergreen. The use of only coastal, cooler climate grapes preserves the nuance and complexity of this Syrah, which allows one to daydream without guilt of sexy, well proportioned, and sophisticated côtes blondes et brunettes.


The Bonny Doon Framboise is a true singular sensory frequency potion. It is all about raspberry and in order to adequately describe this genious Framboise we must find news ways of expressing what lies beyond the lashings of raspberry, the explosions of raspberry flavor and the eruptions of raspberry zest that come in this little bottle of dessert wine. Pour a nice glass of this concentrate and have it with some flourless chocolate cake and know what it is to sit under a banyan tree and contemplate new found enlightenment. Anything chocolate really!

Bollinger - Uncork's Sugar Free Champagne !

Bollinger, a leading French champagne house has cast aside centuries of tradition by producing a sugar-free version of bubbly, aimed at figure-conscious women. Ayala, owned by Bollinger, the brand favoured by James Bond is launching its Cuvée Rosé Nature, a rose champagne with no added sugar. With one flute (glass) of champagne you normally consume around 89 calories. By contrast, the new rosé will drop the calorie count down to 65 calories per glass. Per bottle the difference is 534 to 390 calories. Around three level teaspoons of liquefied sugar - called the dosage - is normally added to most champagnes at the last moment before bottling to balance the flavour and make it more palatable. But Ayala is now attempting to grab a bigger share of the highly competitive champagne market by offering its new sparkling rosé without the usual sugar dose. Even better, the new method does not lower the drink's alcoholic potency. Men get beer bellies and girls get champagne tummies, so anything that will allow people to drink as much champagne but with fewer calories is likely to be a big hit. After all the ladies are always looking for ways to reduce our calorie intake without losing out on fun. The small Ayala vineyard was once one of the great champagne houses before hitting hard financial times in the 1990s and going into bankruptcy. It was rescued by the nearby Bollinger company three years ago. Bollinger put top executive Herve Augustin in charge.

Check It Out - New Bottles For Your Entertainment !

Here are a few new different libations options you may want to know about:

Voyant Chai Cream Liqueur
Bacmar International LLC brings this new liqueur called Voyant Chai Cream Liqueur to the USA. Produced in Holland, it contains a blend of aged Virgin Island rum, fresh Dutch cream, black tea from India, premium spirits from Holland and a distinctive blend of spices from Asia. It's sold in a resealable, 50ml glass bottle, with an alcohol content of 12.5% by volume (25 proof). New and very plesant. It was about time to get your Chai fix with some booze.


Olive's Juice for Dirty Martinis
New from Tiburon, CA-based Olive's Juice produces this olive juice to be used when preparing what is known as a dirty martini. Distributed in the USA in a tall, slim 12.7 fl. oz. (375ml), frosted glass bottle, this product contains olive juice, water, vinegar and salt, while the label features a recipe for a "divine dirty martini." The product is shelf stable, with refrigeration required after opening.


Dom Ruinart 1996 Champagne Brut
French-based Champagne Ruinart just released their Dom Ruinart 1996 Champagne Brut. It's made from a prestigious vintage, since it has been produced only with the Chardonnay varietal, and is dedicated to the benedictine monk Dom Ruinart, who founded the Ruinart company. The Champagne is offered in an overboxed 75cl glass bottle.


80 Strong - Bourbon
Bardstown, KY-based Strong Spirits, Inc. has a new bourbon out called "80 Strong".
Described as a "small-batch, premium authentic" Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, this 80 Strong has sensuous aromas of vanilla and hazelnut, lusty notes of caramel, hints of fruits and almonds, and is delicious on ice or mixed. The 40 percent alcohol by volume (80 proof) "fully matured" whiskey is sold in a 750ml bottle. It has a retro sexy label that is said to revive the classic pin-up girl updated to contemporary standards of style.

Dish D'Lish Cocktailor - Mini Bottles
WA-based Kathy Casey Inc. introduced their Cocktailor Cocktail Mixes in new 50ml "Mini" bottles. Cocktailor Cocktail Mixes are high end mixers that make creating exciting cocktails at home a breeze.The liquid mix comes in Classic Cosmo, Sapphire Mojito, Lemon & Lime Sour and Red Sangria Mix varieties. A Pomegranate Margarita variety is said to be coming soon. A great item to have in the house if you entertain with your bar.

Vincent Van Gogh Vodka - New Flavors
Ontario, FL-based Van Gogh Spirits offers exciting vodkas. They have launched a couple of new flavors - Black Cherry and Double Espresso Double Caffeine. Vincent Van Gogh Flavored Vodka is imported from Holland, and distributed to the USA by Van Gogh Spirits. The Black Cherry and Double Espresso Double Caffeine varieties both have (70 proof), 35% alcohol by volume content. The Double Espresso variety throws in 90mg of caffeine that may keep you awake whilst a little buzzed.

Godiva Liqueur Mini Sampler
Godiva Chocolatier is now offering a Mini-Sampler of their chocolate liqueurs. The new boxed Godiva Liqueur Mini Sampler contains 4, 50ml bottles of Godiva Liqueurs including Original, White Chocolate, Chocolate and Cappuccino flavors. That is a gift that most ladies will get excited about!

Liquid Core
Lake Oswego, OR-based Charge Beverage launched their newest alcoholic energy drink, Liquid Core. They describe it as "Crisp-Clean-Charged-Berry Smooth".Liquid Core is the second beverage offering from the company. Deriving its energy boost from a very common blend of Taurine, Caffeine, Ginseng and Guarana, and it comes with an alcohol content of 6.9%. Available now in various retail stores throughout California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Alaska and Idaho.

Deviation Dessert Wine
Produced by Quady Winery, it's described as an infusion of damiana and scented geranium into their Essensia Orange Muscat dessert wine. Damiana is a plant that has a very pleasant herbal character which is reputed to have aphrodisiac properties, while scented geranium is said to be used in witchcraft where practitioners supposedly employ its hauntingly seductive aroma in "love potions". It has an aroma of the scented geranium melding gracefully with the orange muscat, with a herbal minty taste of damiana.

Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc White Beer
The new Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc is the refreshing, fruity, White Beer imported from France. The 5 percent ABV premium draught and bottled white beer has been created by the master brewers of Brasseries Kronenbourg, inspired by the 13th century Cervoise simple brewing style. Its underlying tones of coriander and cloves with a balance of subtle citrus and soft fruit flavors are intriguingly distinctive. It comes in a 500ml bottle. White beer - thats a real head turner!

Smirnoff Flavored Vodka - Lime
Smirnoff is one of the top vodkas and it now comes in a Lime variety. Available in the USA in 50ml, 200ml, 375ml, 750ml, 1 liter and 1.75 liter glass bottles, the 750ml size. It's made by using the same triple distillation and proprietary filtration process as the original vodka and is also highly mixable.



Bailey's - Caramel & Mint Varieties
Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur is available in the USA in new, "With a Hint of Caramel" and "With a Hint of Mint Chocolate" flavors as a limited editions offering from Diageo North America. Both varieties come in a darker colored 1 liter (750ml) bottle, and are flagged as "17 percent alcohol by volume". These served over ice are another one of the garantued lady pleasers.

Zima XXX - Fruit Punch
A new flavor is available by Zima XXX - Fruit Punch. This makes five flavors in all, joining Black Cherry, Green Apple, Orange, and Lemon Lime. Zima XXX is kinda like a knock-off on the "Mike's Hard Lemonade" line of alcoholic fruit drinks. The new Zima XXX Fruit Punch contains 5.9% alcohol by volume, and will be available in the US and Canada.

American Bison - SayersBrook Buffalo Ranch !

We like to introduce you to top producers of meat every now and then. I'm a firm believer, that if you can buy your meat directly from the source, all the better. Nothing beats to get your steaks from the same place that grows them. I love Kobe style beef, I talk about the corn feed beef, the grass feed beef and today I will introduce you to one of the oldest sources for steaks in the US - the Bison. Today unfortunately the Buffalo meat is often either completely ignored or at least severely under appreciated. The fact of the matter is that Buffalo meat is great tasting and very, very healthy. Most probably the healthiest source of red meat. Located in one of the oldest mountain ranges in America and surrounded on three sides by two million acres of Mark Twain National Forest, you will find the Sayersbrook Bison Ranch. Since 1976 they have been using all natural methods to develop the most flavorful bison meat. The Sayersbrook herd of over 1000 bison roam free on their 4,000 acre ranch in rural Missouri and graze on its native grasses. These Bison are introduce to a secret formula, a special blend of all natural grains that enhances the flavor and tenderness of these award winning meats. The buffalo meat is 97% fat free and contains 40% more protein than beef. SayersBrook is also a lodge and as such a truly a unique destination. Perfect for executive retreats, group events, or club getaways, SayersBrook features a wide variety of unique activities, exotic meals, and luxurious amenities. Check them out. You can also order their meat online!

Red Sparklings - Mostly Underrated !

A lot of people are under the impression that red sparkling wine is a lightweight trifle in Italy and Portugal, sources of sweet fizzy red wines that peaked in popularity in the United States in the 1980s before their bubbles burst as American drinkers got all grown-up. They would leave it to Australia to take sparkling red wine seriously. I just tasted the best Australian sparkling red wine and I got to tell you, that it was astonishing to somebody that expected grape soda pop. First of all, they're dry and I mean real dry. They are not frothy lightweights. They have the character of the varietal from which they're made -- most often Shiraz -- and also the terroir where they're grown. They can be earthy, rich and complex, with long finishes, yet the bubbles make them more food-friendly than a still wine made from the same grapes. Still this is a whole category of fun and delicious wines of which most people are completely unaware. If you get the chance, check them out. Here are my personal top picks. One from California and one from Australia.

1998 Geyser Peak Winery Sonoma County Sparkling Shiraz ($30) The best sparkling red made in California. Aromas of red plum, bacon and yeast. Flavors of red and black plum and black currant with a touch of apricot. Finish lengthens and flavor deepens after it's open an hour. Good level of effervescence.

2001 Craneford Barossa Valley Sparkling Shiraz Petit Verdot ($30) A huge wine on nose and palate. Jammy blackberry, earth and forest floor aromas and flavors, with some mint on midpalate. If this were still, it would be too big; effervescence makes it more food-friendly.

Chateau d'Yquem - The King Of All Wines !

When Stephen Williams acquired this Château d’Yquem vertical assemblage two years ago, it was comprehensive, but not yet complete. Frenchman Didier Segon had begun amassing bottles of the King of Sauternes during the 1960s and continued to do so until sometime in the 1980s, when he sold the collection to an unidentified Englishman, who in turn sold it to Williams, the 48-year-old founder and owner of the Antique Wine Co. of Great Britain. The collection now contains one of every vintage that Château d’Yquem released from 1860 through 2003—135 bottles total. The winery did not produce a wine from nine of its harvests during that 143-year span. Williams provides duplicates for 68 of the individual vintages, enabling you to acquire, for example, two bottles of the 1865 and two of the 1921, both of which Williams describes as “magnificent—they still taste like 10-year-old wines.” Château d’Yquem has been producing wine commercially since 1786, but, Williams says, 1860 is the earliest vintage from which he can offer an unbroken line of Château d’Yquem. “If I found an 1859 tomorrow, I would add it, but the chance of going back further is very, very remote,” he says, noting that he does have an 1811, which he is not including as part of this collection. Williams commissioned British furniture designer David Linley to create a pair of cabinets to house the collection. Made from walnut inlaid with burr walnut and ebony, each cabinet measures 58 inches tall by 51 inches long and 21 inches deep and can accommodate 80 bottles. Williams, who sold a smaller d’Yquem collection in 1996 for $1 million but this one vertical is without peer. It i simply impossible for anyone to build something like this in today’s world. You should be prepared to write a $2,5 million check for this one. If you do so, please let us know!
Antique Wine Co.
+44.207.359.1109

Vega Sicilia Unico - The Kings Of Spains Wines !

Spain is often overlooked when it comes down to all aspects of the good life. You might be surprised to know that some of the worlds best restaurants today are located in Spain. There are a whole host of new and exciting Chefs coming on in Spain as we speak. Lets not forget that the actual worlds best Chef, Ferran Adria is a Spaniard too. I could go on and on about great cheeses, olive oils, fruits, one of the worlds best hams, great chocolate (yes chocolate - Choco Vic) and last but not least great wines. Speaking of wines from Spain most people will immediately think about Rioja wines. But the true king of Spain's wines is the Vega Sicilia!

What words can be conjured up to describe the wines of Vega Sicilia? These are truly special wines. Spain's first growth has history, a sense of place and a willingness to adhere to time-honoured traditions. The origins of the Vega Sicilia winery are officially regarded as 1864, which was when Don Eloy Lecanda Chaves returned from his travels in Bordeaux with vine cuttings, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Carmenere - all of which were found in Bordeaux at that time - and, curiously, some Pinot Noir. Who on earth had this grape of Burgundy for sale in Bordeaux? The answer is not known. Regardless, the cuttings were duly propagated and planted at Vega Sicilia, although the Carmenere and Pinot Noir are no longer found in the Vega Sicilia vineyards. Things did not initially go well, however, and the estate did not develop the reputation it enjoys today. By 1903 full ownership was obtained by Antonio Herrero, who, together with winery manager Domingo Garramiola, brought Vega Sicilia to the fore, winning a number of awards, and enjoying an international distribution.

Time marched on, however, and the estate changed hands several more times before it's acquisition by the current owners, the Alvarez family, in 1982. Like all great wines, Vega Sicilia begins in the vineyard. In the winery, such a massive wine will withstand many years in wood and Unico sees a complicated series of rackings from huge barrels to new oak, to used American oak, back to new oak again, and on it goes. Winemaker Xavier Ausas refers to these stages somewhat romantically as "muscularisation", "education", "recuperation" and so on. Whatever these phases are called, Unico certainly receives very prolonged barrel ageing, with the 1970 seeing over sixteen years! And yet these are not washed out, stretched, overly oaky wines when mature, testimony to the quality of the raw materials on which they are based.The Vega Sicilia range has been rationalised from four to three four cuvées. Leading the pack are the Unico ("unique"), which is always of gran reserva quality, and a fascinating non-vintage blend named Reserva Especiald. In addition there is a second wine, Valbueno 5°. This is always of reserva quality, the 5° designates that the cuvée has been aged for five years before release. The Valbueno 3° - aged for three years before release - was phased out in 1988 in order to reduce confusion. The wines of Vega Sicilia are renowned for their complexity, intensity and longevity and are amongst the finest in the world. The Unico's are colored in rich royal purple, well balanced and powerful wines that show flavors and aromas of plums, black fruits, chocolate, anise and spice flavors. With plenty of smooth tannins and a long finish, Unico's are highly styled wines. If you have a chance, give it a try you will be surprised how great these wines are.
Telephone: +34 983 680 147

Bangkok - Epicurean Masters of the World !

You may have heard about this, but just in case you did not, here is what went down at the eccentric Hotel Lebua at Bangkok's State Tower in Thailand last Saturday, February the 10th. The Bangkok State Tower is currently the largest building in Asia and thus command stunning views. The event is branded as the "Epicurean Masters Of The World" and this one happens to be the second edition already. Six three Michelin Star awarded Chefs congregated under one roof creating a culinary extravaganza never before seen in Thailand and rarely experienced anywhere else in the world. The concept is fairly simple; the finest Chefs, the finest food, the finest wines and spirits shall help to ensure Bangkok's reputation as one the worlds most fascinating culinary destinations. The wine paring was conducted by the worlds renowned wine merchants Berry Bros & Rudd of London, England.
The Grand Finally was an evening of utter decadence - a remarkable 1,000,000 Bath ($25,000) per person gourmet gala dinner, prepared by only 3 star Michelin Chefs. With pride I introduce you to the original menu, as it was served including the wine paring and the preparing Chef:

Creme Brulee of Foie Gras with Tonga Beans
prepared by Chef Alain Soliveres, Restaurant Taillevent / Paris
paired with a 1990 Louis Roederer Cristal

Tartar of Kobe Beef with Imperial Beluga Caviar and Belon Oysters
prepared by Chef Antoine Westermann, Restaurant Le Buerehiesel / Strasbourg
paired with a 1995 Krug Clos du Mesnil

Mousseline of Ecrevisse a Pattes Rouges with a Morel Mushroom Infusion
prepared by Chef Alain Soliveres, Restaurant Taillevent / Paris
paired with a 2000 Corton Charlemange, Domaine Jean Francoise Coche-Dury

Tarte Fine of Divers Scallops with Black Perigord Truffles
prepared by Chef Antoine Westermann, Restaurant Le Buerehiesel / Strasbourg
paired with a 1996 Le Montrachet, Domaine de la Romanee Conti

Britanny Lobster "Osso Bucco"
prepared by Chef Jean-Michel Lorain, Restaurant La Cote Saint-Jacques / Burgundy
paired with a 1985 Romanee-Conti, Domaine de la Romanee Conti

White, Alba Truffles Risotto "Enoteca Pinchiorri"
prepared by Chef Annie Feolde, Restaurant Enoteca Pinchiorri, Florence
paired with a 1961 Chateau Palmer

Saddle of Lamb "Leonel"
prepared by Chef Marc Meneau, Restaurant L'Esperance a Vezelay / Burgundy
paired with a 1959 Chateau Mouton Rothschild

Sorbet "Dom Perignon"

Supreme of Pigeon en Croute with Black Perigord Truffles
prepared by Chef Heinz Winkler, Restaurant Residenz / Aschau
paired with a 1961 Chateau Haut-Brion

Selection of Fine Cheeses
paired with a 1955 Chateau Latour

Imperial Gingerbread Pyramid with Caramel au Beurre Salee Ice Cream
prepared by Chef Jean-Michel Lorain, Restaurant La Cote Saint-Jacques / Burgundy
paired with a 1967 Chateau d'Yquem

Coffee served with Les Mignardises

Many of those who attended Saturday night's culinary extravaganza hailed it as the meal of a lifetime. High-rolling food lovers flew in from the United States, Europe, the Middle East and other parts of Asia to claim their seat of the 40 covers-only dinner. As guests entered the dinner, held at the hotel's rooftop restaurant on the 65th floor overlooking Bangkok, attendants bowed and scattered rose petals at their feet. Men wore tuxedos and women were dripping in diamonds. The guests included Fortune 500 executives, a casino owner from Macao and a Taiwanese hotel owner. The guests sipped their way through what I consider nothing less than legendary vintage wines. Berry Bros. & Rudd, the British wine merchants that procured and shipped about six bottles of each wine for the dinner.

Giacomo "Braida" Bologna - The King Of The Piedmont !

Today I will not only talk about a wine - Barbera from the Italian region of the Piedmont - but more so about the legend behind this wine; one of my dearest Gourmet Brothers Giacomo Bologna. It is 20 years ago, that I had the privilege to meet this man and not a day too soon. In 1990 Giacomo died very untimely what still today I consider one of the biggest loses to the Italian wine community! Giacomo's father had owned a vineyard in Rocchetta Tanaro where he grew typical Piedmont style Barbera. He was not a vigneron. Giacomo however, had a passion for all the best things in life - which included fine wine. He was a "man of the soil", a firm believer that great wine comes from the terroir. He always compared the vineyards of Rocchetta Tanaro and the Barbera grape with the terroir of Burgundy and the Pinot Noir. Giacomo started his quest of becoming a true winemaker in 1961 when he produced his first Barbera - La Monella. In those days Barbera was a cheap table wine, which never yielded more then a few dollars a bottle. There was no respect for Barbera. Giacomo was the first Piedmontese winemaker to conclude that the Barbera would age brilliantly in small oak barrels. At the beginning of 1980 Giacomo took part in a study trip to California with Mario Schiopetto from Friuli and the leading Franciacorta producer Maurizio Zanella. He was bowled over by what he saw on the trip and immediately on his return decided to revolutionize his wine making by introducing the small French oak barrels that he had seen in use in Napa and Sonoma. Giacomo Bologna was the first, along with Angelo Gaja, who was carrying out similar experiments and his first product of this new approach, the celebrated single-vineyard Bricco dell'Uccellone, came out in 1982. It was an immediate winner and provided the key to the incredibly successful future for the Barbera. Two more cru's were born back then - the Uccellone della Bigotta and the Ai Suma. Subsequently a great part of the credit for the revival of the Barberas in the Piedmont must go to Giacomo Bologna who will always be remembered as the architect of the Barbera renaissance. Giacomo has become the King of the Piedmont, a producer who, as Burton Andersons the American wine writer based in Italy, wrote, "did more than anyone to lift the image of Barbera from that of the eternal plebeian to its current aristocratic status."
The story of the Braida Winery starts with a nickname. Braida was what they used to call Giuseppe Bologna. Giacomo Bologna inherited not only his father’s vineyard but also his nickname. Today, the company has expanded while remaining faithful to Giacomo's philosophy, to their way of understanding life, the earth, wine and friendship. In fact, it was Anna who was the driving force in ensuring that the plans Giacomo had traced out were followed through to become a reality. With her children Raffaella and Beppe by her side, together they share in taking calculated risks and making forward-looking investments both in the cellars and in the vineyard. The Braida wines are all synonymous with terroir, purity, elegance and class. Furthermore, they reflect the passion and personality of Giacomo and his descendants.
And this brings me to the King of all Barberas in my books. Bricco dell'Uccellone is the name of one of the very best vineyards on the hilltops of Rochetta Tanaro. The vineyard takes its name from the old woman who lived in the house next to the plot, who always dressed in black and so was given the nickname l'uselun or ‘big bird’. The wine itself displays a deep ruby-red color, with reflections that change over time from violet when young towards garnet when aged. The bouquet is rich, sumptuous, multi-faceted, generous, very well structured and powerful beyond. It is loaded with berries, spices, vanilla and liquorice. The palate is dry and full, with great body and a remarkable harmony of structure, in which the characteristic oak notes, resulting from barrel-ageing. A incredible wine of tremendous smoothness and almost infinite persistence. When ever you have the chance, please give this Barbera a try and send a little salute off to Giacomo!

In Memoriam
Giacomo Bologna

California Pinot Noir's - Merry Edwards !

I paired a rack of Sonoma lamb with Merry Edwards' wines. The butterlike lamb danced a mouthwatering duet with the wine, a 1999 single-vineyard Klopp Ranch Pinot Noir. The incerdibly velvety dark fruit lingered enticingly on my tongue. This California Pinot Noir is a beautifully structured wine with a lot of power. Too often, new-world wines are showy and anxious to impress. But this one is a true virtuoso whose talents concentrated on context. So lets meet its maker; Merry Edwards first came to wine through food, having begun cooking with wine early on, thanks to one of her mother’s cookbooks from the California Wine Advisory Board. The interaction of different food substances fascinated her, and after she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physiology from the University of California, Berkeley (where she brewed her own beer), she enrolled in the master’s program in food science at U.C. Davis, where she chose an emphasis on enology. In 1974 she joined Mount Eden Vineyards as winemaker. When, three years later, Edwards became winemaker at Matanzas Creek Winery, she traveled to the University of Beaune, where groundbreaking research was being conducted on clonal variations of Pinot Noir. Ultimately, her work with Pinot Noir would find its highest expression in Sonoma County, under the Merry Edwards label. Her releases testify to the fruit’s quality: They are voluptuous, silky wines with refined tannins. Her 2003 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is a blend that exhibits berry fruit, along with dark plum, chocolate, and a peppery finish. The 2003 single-vineyard Meredith Estate is a sensual symphony of fragrant rose and boysenberry. The 2003 Klopp Ranch Pinot Noir is a rich blend of blackberry fruit and liquorlike cassis. Merry Edwards’ Klopp Ranch and Meredith Estate Pinot Noirs are true table wines and best enjoyed wih culinary counterparts.

Merry Edwards Wines
888.388.9050

New Zealand - Three Splendid Wines !

One wine region that notoriously escapes our attention is New Zealand. A fascinating assembly of Polynesian islands contrasts primordial glaciers and volcanoes with modern cities and farms. Here ancient indigenous traditions of the Maori people mix with the buttoned-up Britishness introduced to this far-off land when the Empire declared it a crown colony in 1840. Though the first vineyards were planted in 1819 by Reverend Samuel Marsden in the Northland area of the North Island, only in recent decades have the region’s wines achieved critical mass. Over the last decade significant improvements in the quality of the wines have been achieved. In 1998, viticulturist Steve Smith and Australian businessman Terry Peabody founded Craggy Range Winery which is producing single-vineyard wines in the Hawkes Bay region. Smith, the winery's viticulture director, defined certain blocks where particular varietals could best exploit the conditions. The early vintages of Craggy Range were made from sourced grapes, only with the 2002 vintage was Smith’s belief that the property had the potential to yield wines of an exquisite character finally vindicated. The overall exceptional quality of the vintage inspired Smith and his team to release three single-parcel wines as their Prestige Collection, which garnered very high praise from Robert M. Parker and Michael Broadbent, and its 2002 Les Beaux Cailloux Chardonnay was named one of 2005’s best international white wines.

The Prestige Collection, which is only made in superb vintages, reappears with the release of the 2004 cuvee. The 2004 Les Beaux Cailloux Chardonnay comes from the stoniest section of the Gimblett Gravels Vineyard, where Smith has planted several Dijon clones, and represents a magnificently textured wine that managed to avoid the excessive fruitiness of many other New World whites in favor of a more restrained composition that balances granite minerality with intense citrus and light peach.

The 2004 Le Sol Syrah was the last to be harvested in that year, and the berries, when picked, were shrunken and very intense in flavor. The result is a Syrah rather Rhône-like in style: The blackberry fruit does not overpower the subtler, smoky strain of black licorice, which lingers long before giving way to a peppery finale.

The third wine in the Prestige Collection, the 2004 Sophia, is a powerful and richly textured Merlot blend, which Robert Parker declared “could easily be mistaken for a Cheval Blanc”. This wine is a sultry mélange of black fruit and delicate spice that coats the palate enticingly.

To celebrate this remarkable trio of New Zealand's premuim wines, Craggy Range has created a Prestige Collection Gift Box available in the US exclusively through Park Avenue Liquor. Each handcrafted, solid cherry box is embossed in copper with the Craggy Range logo and contains two bottles each of 2004 Les Beaux Cailloux Chardonnay, 2004 Le Sol Syrah, and 2004 Sophia Merlot. Production of these collector’s boxes is limited to 200 and available on a first-come, first-served basis. This is a great gift for any collector or wine aficionado but also a great venue to just start to explore great wines from New Zealand, a wine region that cannot be ignored any longer. These boxes are not exessivly expensive and go for a few hundert bucks. It averages out to about $60 per bottle which is ok. In any event, make an effort to try wines from New Zealand. You will be suprised what you find!

Craggy Range Prestige Collection Gift Box available at Park Avenue Liquor
212.685.2442

Pride - A Truly Magical Merlot !

You guys know by now, that I cannot pass by a good Merlot. There are many Merlots and a few of them are magical. When they are, they are almost always under-rated. This one comes from a region of extraordinary beauty - no more beautiful place exists than the Spring Mountain area - a richly forested and wooded enclave, where the Pride family purchased the Summit Ranch in 1989. Jim Pride, who passed away in 2004, was an experienced farmer who understood that true quality begins in the vineyards, not in the winery. His family—Carolyn, his wife, daughter Suzanne Pride Bryan, and son Steven Pride—carry on his tradition of excellence, with the help of Bob Foley, their winemaker and arguably one of the best in California. Foley’s magic touch shows in the riotously rich Pride Mountain Merlot Napa-Sonoma 2002, which will flood your senses with blackberry, wild cherry, spice, and exotic woods, and gradually resolves into quieter, contemplative notes of chocolate and soft, smooth oak. A true find!

Pride Mountain Vineyards
707.963.4949

L'Chaim - To The 4 King's Of Italian Red's!

I hope and wish that 2007 will be the Best Year ever for all of us. L'Chaim! As a friend and/or subscriber to this blog you can look forward to about 260 insides into the good life this year. Hopefully you find them helpful and interesting. We shall start the new year with the top of the Italian Red's. I recently had a discussion with a new Gourmet Brother about the top picks amongst the Italian stellar Red's. Without wasting anymore time lets get right too it. Here are my 4 top picks amongst the Italian Red's. You need to try all of these before you can make up your mind about the best Italian Red's:


There is a breed of wines that come out of the Tuscany. They are know as the Super-Tuscans which is a mixed-bag category that includes wines made from nontraditional blends of Sangiovese