thesprezzaturist

~ "studied carelessness"

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Monthly Archives: February 2014

“The Unbearable Brightness of Seeing”

26 Wednesday Feb 2014

Posted by juleslewis in Food, Wine

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Bulk Wine, Slow Food

IMG_0158 (2)

When it comes to buying food and wine, I am, as Sam and Dave, “A Soul Man”.  I choose carefully and slowly – sometimes annoyingly so for the VOR – enjoying the whole shopping experience, for which I set aside a considerable portion of time and family income. I care about what we put in our mouths and stomachs, and try to avoid, where possible, mass market bulk produce. Part of this stems from my concerns about regional variation and difference, chemicals, pesticides and additives and partly due to the basic sensations of taste – I almost never confine my decisions solely to price.  This may seem a trifle elitist, and is, I admit, often beyond my budget – but that’s how I roll.

I like shopping locally, rather than globally, in order to ensure that innovative and energetic small businesses remain open – not the lazy one’s mind you – but I champion the shopkeeper as civic leader, pioneer, entrepreneur and innovator – Oh and they need to sell good stuff.

It’s also about sustainability and sustenance, slow rather than fast food, local economies, farming, agriculture and community – as I write this, the VOR is evangelically joining a small online fruit and veg supplier that sends a monthly seasonal selection direct to your door – in a box.

Soul and Body, Lightness and Weight, to quote Kundera’s great novel, are important when choosing wine. The history of traditional winegrowing areas, the winegrower and makers singular vision with an eye on the future but roots in the past, thus ensuring that vineyards are not being grubbed up (the more observant amongst you may have noticed rapeseed replacing vineyards during your summer drives through France) and that families can remain connected to the land. It’s that community thing again –  but it costs more to care.

I bet you didn’t know that many of the wines you routinely buy off your local supermarket shelves also arrive in a box.

Not the kind of 2.5 litre “goon bag” that looks uncool on the dining table, but a 24,000 litre polypropylene bladder on a container ship. On arrival – at rather depressing dockside locations – it is then decanted into a bottle (often bearing an exotic brand name or critter label) and hey presto the bourgeoning thirst of the unromantic is satisfied at the rate of 1.3 billion litres a year.

No doubt about it, big BIB equals big business, but in the words of John Berger “To remain innocent may also be, to remain ignorant.”

At 56p a litre pre shipping, and with 57% of the average £5 UK wine being pure tax (a cost presumably dressed up as protecting the interests of the national liver rather than the exchequer) this keeps costs down and profits up, – but “what gaineth a man if he loses his soul”.

You can play the green card for UK bottling under the auspices of environmental issues in reducing carbon footprint via shipping, but what about the glass?  You may prefer to buy your wine for the cost of a London pint but you still like it to come in bottle – right! If you have 20/20 vision you can discern “bottled and filled in the UK” in very small print on the back label of these wines, although qualitatively it’s much the same as “brewed under licence” – which brings me neatly back to Kundera and “Words Misunderstood”.

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“The Language of Lurve”

09 Sunday Feb 2014

Posted by juleslewis in Wine

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Champagne, Prosecco, St Valentine, Vin Santo

vin santo

I am not sure if the late Barry White ever said “lurve” or if he even “saved my life”, but as the most romantic day of the year approaches we may legitimately ask – what is the language of love?  French, Italian and Spanish are three languages that spring immediately to mind – but how best should we communicate our true feelings to the object of our desires?

The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V said that he spoke Spanish to God, Italian to women, French to men, and German to his horse – the true object of his desires remains a mystery (his Queen was Portuguese) but my moneys on the horse.

As the VOR is the object of my desires, and a woman, I am going to follow the example of Charles and John Cleese in “A Fish called Wanda“, and use Italian as my linguaggio dell’amore.

Valentine’s Day can be potentially tricky and difficult to get spot on. You may have got the wrong gift, you may have gone dangerously over the top and bought so many flowers that she may think you believe her to be deaf. You may have completely misjudged her mood and personality and bought some lingerie that you may be better off wearing yourself, or you may have mistakenly decided that it is all just a deeply cynical marketing ploy and have consequently failed to buy anything at all!  If any or all of these scenarios apply, wine is the answer.

A carefully chosen Selezione San Valentino, should smooth your passage through many a sticky situation. The word Romance is derived from the Latin Romanicus meaning “Roman style”, although some linguists believe that the English word romance derives from a vernacular French dialect – which is why you should kick off with some Champagne.

Now choose carefully, avoid the searingly acidic, tooth enamel destroying examples masquerading as bargains on the high street and get something with a high proportion of red grapes in the blend.

Champagne Gobillard, Brut Tradition NV  – should do the trick, a traditionally made wine with great character and finesse made metres away from the grave of Dom Perignon – how’s that for terroir. Gobillard et Fils are a family owned house a mere 5k from Epernay with 26 hectares of predominantly premier cru vines. Deliciously full bodied and well-rounded, made from 70% red grapes (Pinots’ Noir and Meunier) together with 30% Chardonnay, it’s just crying out for some oysters (native ones should cost about £1.85 each, Pacific ones £1.20 – at this time of year).

Follow up with some Prossecco Spago Frizzante, Ruggeri NV  – as nothing beats a double helping of bubbles.  The Ruggeri family of Valdobbiadene are regular recipients of Italy’s coveted Tre Bicchieri (three glasses) award, and this delicious example of their art is a little less fizzy than most Prosecco, with a fine, soft and gentle bead, coupled with aromas of apples and freshly baked biscuits. Just pull the string to release the cork.

Finish off with a Vin Santo DOC, 2007, from Fattoria dei Barbi.  This classic dessert wine from Tuscany is made from late harvested Trebbiano, Malvasia and Sangiovese grapes hung over wires in well-ventilated rooms and dried until well into the New Year. Pressed and fermented with natural yeasts around Eastertime – hence the name vin santo, literally “holy wine”- it is then aged in small barrels of oak or chestnut called caratelli.  Barbi’s wonderful viscous, intense, aromatic, nectar goes perfectly with Cantucci or Cantuccini – traditional, Tuscan, almond biscotti – so don’t forget those as well . As Barry once said “Your Sweetness is my Weakness”.

“Ti auguro un Buon San Valentino”.

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