Prester John's Kingdom

I have become obsessed with the idea of Prester John and his kingdom's influence upon history. Between the 12th and 17th Centuries many believed Prester John, a.k.a. Presbyter Johannes, lived in a mythical kingdom and reigned as a Christian monarch even further east than Persia. Prester John is a character that has influenced scholars throughout the ages, spurned exploration, missionaries, and treasure hunters, east of Europe. I did not know about the concept of Prester John until I read the book Baudolino by Umberto Eco. However, the Prester John idea has popped up here and there since I "discovered" him via Eco.

Prester John was a descendant of one of the Magi, and his kingdom was a Nestorian Christian stronghold amongst Muslim nations. Additionally his extremely wealthy kingdom held the Fountain of Youth, and was populated by strange creatures, including the chimeras, manticores, skiapods, cynocephali, blemmyae. Western Europe learned of Prester John and his kingdom through a famous letter that made its way around Europe in the Middle Ages.

The famous letter made its way across Europe in around 1165, and described a kingdom with unbelievable treasure, and some of the most sacred Christian relics under its auspices: in short, Prester John's kingdom was a veritable utopia. The famous letter was addressed to several rulers, including Frederick Barbarossa.

In the novel, Baudolino, the protagonist, Baudolino is one the greatest liars that ever lived (besides the author, Eco.) He believed his lies were necessary to protect and promote his adoptive father, the Emperor Barbarossa. Lies he created in the book influenced the outcome of real history. In the novel, it is Baudolino who forges the letter from Prester John and addresses it to Barbarossa. Subsequently Baudolino and his entourage are sent to find Prester John's kingdom.

Outside of Baudolino, the non-fiction Christian world of the middle ages also sought Prester John's kingdom. Any ruler who could form an alliance with Prester John would certainly be the most powerful ruler in Western Europe. Explorers were sent to find Prester John's kingdom, resulting in a better understanding of our world, improved mappaemundi. It was also recognized that if Prester John could have a powerful and rich kingdom in the midst of non-Christian nations, missionaries could establish Christian communities throughout the world. Eventually when Prester John's kingdom was not found, stories circulated that the kingdom moved to Africa, or was always there, however, the letter had been misinterpreted. As a result, Africa became ripe for exploration.

The irony and beauty of this story is that Prester John did not exist. It is for this reason, incredible that his myth had such an enormous impact on the West, and for that matter, catapulted the West to its Renaissance. It has been said Prester John sparked the entire Age of Exploration.

I hereby nominate the non-existent Prester John as one of the most influential people in history.

Where have I seen references to Prester John?

• Eco, Umberto, "Baudolino"
• Marvel Comics
• Edson, Evelyn, "The World Map, 1300-1492: The Persistence of Tradition and Transformation", John Hopkins Press.
• Wagner, Richard, "Parsifal"
• see references compiled by others

Rue Mouffetard

While living in Paris in the late 90's, my classes were split between two universities, the famous Sorbonne, and the infamous Sorbonne Nouvelle (a.k.a. Paris III, "Censier"). Although the Sorbonne is more well-known, I will tell you that personally, I had a better reception, as well as better educational experience at Censier. Aside from the educational experience, I had a recurring cultural experience that was tied to Censier:

The idée fixe was a theme and variation on arriving and leaving the university. I always arrived at the Gare d'Austerlitz via RER C, and took the underground tunnels to the Jardin des Plantes. I walked into the Jardin's gate, and underneath the tree tunnels, glancing at the roses and other flowers, when the season permitted. I exited the Jardin through a gate next to the Musée d'Histoire Naturelle, and walk past the mosquée where I sometimes had tea, and pastry. A couple more blocks would take me to the communist-block-looking university of Censier.

Leaving, I would wind my way through different streets, but always with the goal in mind to visit my favorite street in Paris, Rue Mouffetard. Rue Mouffetard is a medieval, tortuous and narrow street lined with shops, vendors of seafood, vegetables, a butcher, and about anything else one might imagine. Later, scenes from Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain would be filmed on Rue Mouffetard. Recall the scene where Amélie returns the box containing childhood memories to Dominique Bretodeau.

It normally took me about half an hour to walk from end to end. I never became bored with my strolls down the street, and let my French friends know of my obsession with the street. Subsequently, and on no particular occasion, I was given a children's book written by Pierre Gripari, entitled "The Witch of Rue Mouffetard."

It is basically a Hansel and Gretel variation where a girl, Nadia, is kidnapped by the witch of Rue Mouffetard. The witch believes if she eats a young beautiful girl topped with tomato sauce, and having a name beginning with N, she too will become young and beautiful. Nadia is eventually saved by her brother, Bachir. At the time, the book was perfect for my level of French reading comprehension, and a nice break from Astérix et Obélix.


After watching Jaws as a child, I felt certain there were sharks even in the swimming pools of my state which is a ten hour drive to the nearest ocean. Of course, I knew Jaws was but a story meant to scare. I will tell you dear, small-handful of readership, I have never felt scared, intimidated, or even vexed while strolling Rue Mouffetard after reading the little gem, "The Witch of Rue Mouffetard." I think the street is lovely and relaxing, but then again, according to the story, the witch would have no interest in me: I am a male, and my name does not start with N!

2004 McWilliam's Chardonnay

2004

McWilliam's

Hanwood Estate

Chardonnay

South Eastern Australia

Although I am not a big white wine drinker, I really like this inexpensive Chardonnay. It has a buttery texture, with notes vanilla, and an almost marshmallowy taste. This wine is neither too dry nor too sweet. I drank this with shrimp quesadillas, and for the price, it is a great everyday wine. I plan to purchase more the next time I go to the wine shop.

X Winery 2005 Red X

It has been a long time since I wrote about a specific wine. It is not that I haven't been sampling wine, but, instead, that the wine I imbibed lately has been so bad that I haven't had the inspiration to write about it. I know that bad wines deserve reviews as much as good wines (maybe even more from a public service standpoint), but that is how it is.

Last night, I opened up a little gem for the money: X Winery 2005 Red X from California. As I have written before, never purchase wine because of the bottle itself. That being said, the X Winery bottle is very pretty. The wine is a blend of the following varietals: 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Syrah, 19% Petite Sirah, 5 % Grenache, 3% Cabernet Franc.

Here is what X Winery has to say about this wine: "Explosive dark cherry and blackberry aroma. Complimented with blueberry, clover and dark chocolate with a hint a cedar. Medium body with balanced acidity and a long delicate finish."

The first thing I noticed about this wine was the color: a very pretty, inviting dark burgundy. Immediately upon tasting, I noticed the wine has a very heavy mouth feel. Although the wine is slightly more complex than I am making it out to be, basically, there are cherry notes on the front which turn to tannic-chocolate throughout the medium-length finish. While I did get some dark fruit notes, I didn't specifically get blackberry, blueberry, clover, or ceder. I most definitely disagree the wine has a "long delicate finish." For one, there is nothing "delicate" about this wine, and secondly, the finish does not linger enough to be called "long" unless "delicate" means "undetectable." I am not knocking the wine, but am simply disagreeing with someone's description of the wine. At approximately $10-12, this is a good, robust, semi-complex wine.

Wine Memory

Late in my life, I started to hear people talk about what wine complements what cuisine. In France, I often heard conversations that go beyond the complementary relationship of food and wine, discussing what I will call in English "wine memory." I have never heard anyone talk about this subject in English, even in wine circles. I suspect its because maybe the food we eat in this country does not want to "be remembered" by the wine. Maybe terminology already exists that is superior to the concept I present to you as "wine memory." I am paraphrasing from the French concept, "ça rapelle" which I would translate directly as "it recalls", but using the phrase "recalling food" brings images of Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle," and Peter Pan peanut butter instead of the romantic notion I intend to impart. In order to introduce this concept, I have to reveal to you what a hick I was in my youth. Well, everyone has to learn at some point, you are not born a gourmand, it is a lifelong process. My first experience with "wine memory" was when I was 21. I was on a date with a French woman, and it was my first time to eat at a French restaurant. This date would change my life in more ways than one. Most importantly, it was my first glance into how mysterious wine can really be, and opened my life up to the idea of eating for pleasure as opposed to eating to feel full. My date ordered an appetizer of Saumon Fumée (a.k.a. Smoked Salmon.) I had never had smoke salmon, no, just the smelly salmon patties my mom made growing up. She asked me what kind of wine I wanted- easy, "red." She told me red doesn't go with Saumon Fumée, and that she would order for me. I mainly knew Franzia back then, so cannot recall what kind of white was ordered, but I think she ordered a Sauvignon Blanc.

The wine and smoked salmon came to the table. The smoked salmon was orange in color, and oily looking, decorated with little green balls I would later discover are capers, and a small feathery green herb I was familiar with, but had never seen, dill. I reluctantly took my first bite, and was very surprised at the fresh taste of the smoked salmon. I took a drink of the white wine, and after swallowing, exclaimed, "this wine tastes like fish!" My date's face grew red, and she laughed until she cried. I thought she was laughing because she picked a wine that tasted like fish. She wasn't. She was laughing because I was learning as an adult what French children learn shortly after speaking their first words. (As an aside to Francophiles, I also learned the word "plouc" that night. "Aah, c'est plouc," she said!)

She explained in broken English that one of the mysteries of wine is its symbiotic relationship with food. We don't really know how it happens, but by pairing the proper wine with the proper food, we can increase the chances of it happening, and we WANT it to happen. What I was tasting was the wine recalling the memory of the food I just ate. I took another sip of wine, and could again taste the smoked salmon. It was a revelation to me, as big as when I discovered Santa was not real, that I really could not grow up to be whatever I wanted to be, including and especially president, and that I really could not use the force if I concentrated hard enough. I did not want to move on to the next course, but to slowly eat the salmon, and drink the wine until the memory of the food could no longer be recalled.

All Hail the Pig!

All Hail the Pig! Pork, Couchon, Schweinfleisch, whatever you call it, it is made into many different luxury products. Photo. The king of the pork products, though, is prosciutto.

Prosciutto, also known as Parma Ham, Jambon Rouge, and Jamon is known throughout the world as a luxury product. It wears a lofty price tag to go along with it too. In America, at the time of writing, Prosciutto di Parma costs about $12-$15 per pound. Is it worth it? You better believe it! What is it about the ham that makes it so valuable? It is all about the process.

The process is ancient and at least partially well-guarded. In general terms, the ham is salted for several months, then air dried for up to two years. The drying process removes the water, and concentrates the flavor and aroma. The end process is a velvety-textured ham with a unique flavor and aroma. The entire job description of some lucky individuals is to place a special tool into specific locations on the ham at certain intervals before pulling a sample, and checking its aroma and taste.

What should you look for when buying prosciutto? Dark red is not a good sign. I have purchased pre-packaged 'proshoot' in the grocery store, and it just is not right. I cannot believe the proper process was used to make it. You should look for dry, whole prosciutto that is sliced razor thin on the spot. Specialty grocers are more apt to have a better product in this country, as frankly, the people who work at the supermarkets don't even know what prosciutto is, and will make comments like "why would you pay for this when the honey baked ham is on special?" Or, even, "this stuff looks disgusting!"

Beware one of the oldest prosciutto sales tricks in the book: the idea that the paper thin slices must be layered with wax paper to keep it from sticking. This is simply hogwash, and in my opinion, a way for the $12-$15 per pound delicacy to quickly reach your desired weight, and at your cost. If the prosciutto is quality, and dry, it should not stick together anyway! I want prosciutto, not wax paper!

One of the best ways to eat prosciutto is by itself with a glass of red wine. The red wine should recall the taste of the prosciutto for several minutes after your last bite. Keep sipping the wine and tasting the prosciutto until the taste is no longer recalled, then eat some more. In the Southern European culture, it is common for most people to eat even the fat of the prosciutto. I admit I pull most of the fat off before eating it. My friend from the northern European reaches of Göteborg, told me it is a common practice in Sweden to remove the fat. A very popular way to present prosciutto at a dinner party is to drape it over melon (a.k.a. cantaloupe). The melon, like the wine should recall the taste of the prosciutto, although in my opinion, not as well. Just remember, keep the accompaniment simple.

Prosciutto can also be made into a sandwich- just lightly butter baguettes, and incorporate the prosciutto. I would advise against adding too many other ingredients or spices- you paid for the prosciutto, enjoy its taste, not the taste of other ingredients. Oh, and one of the biggest sins in my opinion is cooking prosciutto- it ruins everything the curer worked for and you paid for.

Photo

The Very Thought of You...

"I am writing my blog if anyone cares."(1) It is once again the holiday season, time to "shovel the turkey, and stuff the snow."(2) Thanksgiving is just around the corner and it is time for my yearly ritual of watching one of my top ten movies, Home For The Holidays. The underrated Jody Foster movie has been criticized by some as being sacrilegiously anti-family. I disagree, I think if anything it tells the awful truth about so many families that many would rather hide.

It also tells another uncomfortable truth about loneliness. It reminds us we can be surrounded by our family and still be alone. This is apparent from the beginning of the film after Claudia (Holly Hunter) is picked up by her parents at the airport. She looks into another car where a man who we assume has also just been picked up by his parents looks at her as if to say "help me, I am begging you!" When Claudia arrives at her parents house she asks herself, "who are these people?" Later, when Claudia's parents drop her off at the airport, Adele Larson (Anne Bancroft) asks, fighting back her tears, "who was that girl anyway?" Tommy Larson (Robert Downey Jr.) is clearly alone, as no one except Claudia will even acknowledge he is gay. The movie is full of similar dialogues and situations that remind us we are all alone.

The tension is apparent between family members, but all hell breaks loose when Tommy Larson accidentally (?) pours the stuffing from a turkey on his sister Joanne's (Cynthia Stevenson) head.

The section entitled,"The Point" is the climax of the film, and a very beautiful, poetic, nostalgic way to bring everything together. I am a real sucker for nostalgia, and my favorite movies almost always seem to contain nostalgic elements. For me "The Point" is reminiscent of my favorite movie, Cinema Paradiso, when Salvatore (Jacques Perrin) watches a montage of kissing scenes spanning every movie that was shown at the Paradiso throughout his life that had been deemed pornographic by Father Aldelfio (Leopoldo Trieste), cut and reassembled by Alfredo (Philippe Noiret).

In "The Point" the viewer hears the voice of Nat 'King' Cole singing "the Very Thought of You" as we see what appears to be old home movies of the various characters. We find out that even the characters that may appear mean-spirited or soulless in the film have passed short-lived moments in their lives where they are happy and before our eyes they are rehabilitated. Henry Larson's proud moment was standing with his family on the airport tarmac watching a plane fly close overhead. Tommy's moment was his marriage on a beach with his partner and friends. Even Joanne and Walter Wedman (Steve Guttenberg) share a playful moment together chasing each other around.

We have heard about Claudia's moment with her daughter Kit (Claire Danes) throughout the film. In fact, throughout the film, she reminds herself, "just float." We finally see in her moment, she is snorkeling with her daughter; they see a beautiful school of fish and look at each other in wonder. Curiously, Dylan McDermott, who Claudia will try her best not to fall in love with is named Leo "Fish". The Point is touching, and pure genius.

The soundtrack, including original music composed and arranged by Mark Isham, is one of my all time favorites. The only thing I would criticize is the use of the Janice Joplin tune, "Piece of My Heart," for the credits which in my opinion, breaks the mood created by the cinematography, and the rest of the soundtrack, but especially, "The Point." Jody Foster has defended the choice, saying the words match perfectly what she was trying to convey.

The film reminds me to be thankful for ribbons of memories that sweeten life when youth is through.(3)

1. Adele Larson makes a similar comment about making coffee.

2. Henry Larson (Charles Durning) makes this funny faux pas in the Thanksgiving prayer.

3. Paraphrased and unashamedly lifted from "With You" from Pippin.

How to Choose Wine Like a Pro

If you have studied wine for any amount of time, you start to collect names of reputable wines in your head. Thus, you know that if you purchase a bottle of Château d'Yquem, it will probably be delicious. This entry, however, is to help the person with little or no knowledge to pick a bottle of good wine.
Labels: One of the foremost rules of purchasing wine is never buy a wine because of its label. I also believe it is just as true that a wine should not be rejected because of its label. That being said, I believe a label is important. It is the first impression we have about a wine, unless we previously read reviews about it. The label can tell a lot about how the vintner sees his wine. Photo credit.

Bottles: This is the real secret. It is not really a "secret", in fact, some think this method is a hoax. One person claims to have scientifically and mathematically proven the method is not a hoax. With the method I am going to impart to you, I believe you can choose a good bottle of wine 90% of the time: In general, the method is this: the bottom of the bottle tells you the quality of the wine. Flat bottomed bottle= less quality, the greater the punt (a.k.a. dimple), the greater the quality. Here are some photos to illustrate what I mean.



Bottle # 1: This bottle flat-bottomed. Photo credit.

Bottle # 2: This bottle has a very small punt. Photo credit.

It goes without saying, if you put the contents of bottle # 1 into the largest punted bottle manufactured, it will not be transformed into a fine wine. However, for the most part you can be assured a deep punt means good wine.

So why is this? It is simple economics. Flat bottomed bottles are the least expensive to produce. It is my understanding that all bottles start off as flat bottomed. When bottle makers create punts by pushing the glass up from the bottom, it makes the bottle appear heavier, larger, and more luxurious to the touch. The higher the punt, the greater the chance of breakage during manufacture, and thus the higher the indention, the greater the cost per bottle.

So how does this relate to the wine in the bottle? A vintner of a $3 table wine does not want to spend $1.50 for the bottle, as that would eat his profits. A vintner of a $30 wine would do well to spend the extra money because when the customer picks up the bottle, she can feel the bottle is distinctive. So, the secret is this: hold the bottle around the neck with the left hand. Insert finger into the punt to gauge the deepness of the indention. If it is very deep, the probability is that you are holding a good wine, or at least a wine the vintner thinks is worthy of a good bottle.

Disclaimer: The only claimed scientific data backing for this method is linked, above. As for me, it is just my observation, and I cannot guarantee you will like the wine you purchase just because there is a deep punt....

In Honor Of Halloween

I will never forget October 1984, in grade school music class we were singing the Name Game. I think the teacher wanted a change from the Hokey Pokey. When it came to me, I said ,"In honor of Halloween, let's try Witch." Witch, witch, bo.... The class started naively singing, not realizing the linguistic cliff I was leading them over until the B word came flying fortissimo from the mouths of thirty 12 year olds. The class was immediately silent with the exception of some derisive "ooooh!"s. The class stared at me scornfully. I lied and said I had no idea that would happen, and got sent out into the hall where I practiced the backspin until Music was over. At least I didn't suggest the word "duck."

Basque Country

The word Basque was not in my vocabulary until one day in Bruxelles I walked by a parade of Basques who were handing out tickets. A woman handed me a ticket:

I didn't even know what the ticket meant at the time, I was just being my normal self, and collecting about anything and everything that could be a reminiscent souvenir of my trip. I was intrigued by the language that I could not identify, and the cool looking flag. I had no choice but to ask questions, and seek answers. I would later find out the ticket means "Freedom for the Basque Country." I am still not sure of the pronunciation.

I researched the issue, and found out the Basques are located mainly in eastern Spain, also western France. Their language is Basque. The town made famous by Ernest Hemingway in The Sun Also Rises, San Sebastian, is Basque. The famous game of Pelota is Basque.

A cycling team of my beloved Tour de France, Euskaltel-Euskadi is Basque with its star courer, Iban Mayo.
Its funny how once you learn of something you start to see it everywhere. I started to hear many stories on the news about the Basques. The news often labeled them as terrorists. It seems there have been many bombs planted by Basque separatists. The "terrorists"usually called in the bombs to make sure no one was in the area of the explosion.

I can see how the Spanish government would be quick to label the Basques as terrorists. I can see how the Basques in despair might erroneously think violence is the only way to get what they want. I am not passing judgment on any group, I am just thankful for the Basque woman that handed me the piece of paper, and opened my eyes to a new culture.

San Diego

I recently made a whirlwind trip to San Diego where despite my hectic time schedule, I managed to take in a little of the local culture. First, I went to Mission Bay.

Mission Bay on the Pacific is saturated with joggers, rollerbladers, cyclists, and surfers. While there, I decided to check out a local tradition, the Lahaina Beach House, where I sampled Fish Tacos and Blue Moon wheat beer.
The Lahaina Beach House is a very small and simple bungalow bar, with a view of the Pacific from its outdoor deck. Loud rock music, sunshine, palm trees, waves and beer accentuate the surrounding hard bodies and bikinis and makes the deck at Lahaina Beach House a great place to people watch. Later that night, I was introduced to a couple of San Diego beers, Stone Pale Ale, and Karl Strauss Red Trolley Ale. Both beers were good, Stone being a strong example of a Pale Ale. Red Trolley kept me coming back for pint after pint, though. The beer was malty, carameley, and smooth. It was excellent to drink while walking along Mission Bay.

I was fortunate enough to find some time for lunch the next day, and decided to eat at the Fish Market by the battleship Midway on the Navy Pier in San Diego harbor. My lunch guests and I ate on the "top of the market" patio overlooking the bay. I ordered the scallops topped with black olive tapinade, rosemary potatoes, rapini, and roasted tomatoes, and washed it down with a San Fransisco beer, Anchor Steam Pale Ale (Okay, maybe more than one.) The scallops were excellent, however, while I like tapinade, I found it overpowered the delicate taste of the scallops.

It is maddening to visit a city with so much to offer, and have little or no time to experience it.

Maria Callas

Maria Callas. She was a beautiful woman with an amazing, haunting voice that gave me an aesthetical experience many times when I listened to her recordings.

Although I recognize haut couture as a high form of art, and appreciate its beauty, I am not the kind of man to spend a lot of time looking at or thinking about clothing. However, When I attended a Maria Callas exposition in Paris, I found one of her dresses on display to be quite striking. I found it so striking that I purchased a post card of the dress. It is my only post card on the subject of clothing. Maybe it was because I had heard so many excerpts of her recordings, and saw many photographs of her throughout the morning. Staring at the dress in real life, I was imagining her alive: wearing the dress, moving, and singing. It was intoxicating experience.

I thought about the idea of scanning the post card from time to time, and somehow incorporating it into my blog, but the idea was intermittent and fleeting. Then, yesterday morning my friend MonkeyPosh told me of the death of Luciano Pavarotti. I think I was the last person on earth to know. I was surprised how many of my friends that normally listen to pop, rock, country and other non-art music made comments throughout the day about how they had been touched by Pavarotti's music. Inevitably, I read about Pavarotti's life and accomplishments, and my thoughts naturally came back to Callas, one of my favorite opera heroines, and the beautiful, striking dress I saw in Paris. Here it is:

(Click to Enlarge)

Two Fine Cabs, One Short Night

Last night I had wine with a couple of fellow-wine lovers at the Deep Fork Grill. First we ordered a bottle of 2003 Ferrari Carano ("FC") Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was served in nice Riedelesque Burgundy wine glasses. It was a pleasure to drink out of "thin" lipped glass instead of a "fat" lipped glass like so many restaurants today. This is one of the main reasons, after cost, I prefer to drink at home.
The FC was truly a pleasure to drink, it was very bold, with pronounced flavors of red fruits, chocolate, and tobacco. Tannins were present, but not overpowering. This wine was such a pleasure to drink that the three of us soon finished off a plate of bacon wrapped grilled chicken with artichoke hearts and spicy sauce, and the bottle. You know the wine was good when someone jokingly wrings the bottle as if to get to the last drop. Not wishing to over-imbibe, we opted to order by the glass. I am glad we did, as we each ordered a glass of 2002 Bennett Family Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. If the first wine was excellent, and it was, this wine was a step above. The wine was balanced: bold and smooth at the same time. It was like drinking silk, and yet was very complex, and three dimensional.

Butte de Chalmont

Latitude: 49°12'50.81"N
Longitude: 3°24'39.86"E

The Butte de Chalmont is the site of a work of art by Paul Landowski. It is located in the Picardie region of France, in the Department of Aisne. It lies within the triangle created by Reims, Soissons, and Château-Thierry.

Map View (Must have Google Earth). Photo Copyright 2007 Water Into Wine.

Historically it commemorates the 2nd battle of Marne, July 15 - September 16, 1918. The 2nd battle of Marne is known as the last German offensive, and would become the Allies first offensive. Casualties in the battle were estimated to be French (95,000), British (13,000) and United States (12,000) German (168,000). For detailed historical information, there are excellent sites here, here, here, here, and here.


At the bottom of the butte, there is a large statue of a woman, who personifies France, facing northeast over the Plateau du Tardenois. The inscription says "La France". There is a rocky trail that leads up the terraced butte. At the top of the butte is a conglomerate of many statues, which personify those lost in the battles. The inscription reads "Les Phantomes".


From the top of the butte is a beautiful view of the Plateau du Tardenois. One can easily climb on top of the phantoms for a photograph.


The site is a wonderful place to have a pique-nique, or even a casse-croûte, and a fantastic area for a ride on the bicyclette. Arrive via bicycle from Beugneux from the north, or Walée from the south. The perfect starting points for a bicycle ride/pique-nique are Fère-en-Tardenois (birthplace of Camille Claudel) due east of Butte de Chalmont or Neuilly-Saint-Front, due west.


A little slice of Pâté de Campagne on baguette with a few cornichons, Saucisse sèche, and a chausson aux pommes for dessert while overlooking the Plateau of Tardenois: very relaxing.

2003 Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel

Vintage: 2003
Winery: Bogle
Grape: Old Vine Zinfandel
Country: California
Region: Clarksburg

The significance of "Old Vines" is spiciness. This wine is spicy. A Zinfandel made from 35 year old vines is just starting it’s journey into becoming spicy. A 100 year old vine doesn’t produce a lot of grapes, but the product is very spicy. The problem is lack of regulation as to what qualifies as "Old Vine". Additionally, Old Vine Zinfandels are often blended with grapes of various ages before bottling to produce an appropriately spicy wine. Bogle states the vines used to make this wine are between 40 to 80 years old.

Although it is true you should never buy a wine for the label, I really like the Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel label. The painting of the gnarly old vines on a background of Autumn hues gives me a Pavlovian response.

Dark burgundy with a crimson halo, this wine has very intense fruit, including blackberry, blueberry and prune with a black pepper and balanced tannic finish.
If you like spicy wines, this wine is very good for the money. It is also, as its label suggest to me, perfect for drinking as the days of summer pass into Autumn.

2003 Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon

Vintage: 2003
Winery: Concha y Toro
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon- Marques de Casa Concha
Country: Chile
Region: Maipo Valley, Puente Alto Vineyard

A friend of mine, call her Posh Monkey, requested I provide her with information on a good red wine. This review is especially for her. Although she only asked for a good red, the wine under review is a VERY GOOD wine at under $15! Although I usually do not rate wines with points, I would say this wine hovers around 89.

Concha y Toro produces an entire spectrum of wines, but is often remembered for the less expensive wines of which many are familiar. I was remarking to a connoisseur, you know, the kind who constantly makes allusions to Château Pétrus, that Marques de Casa Concha is one of my favorite wines for the price. "Concha y Tora?" he asked. I told him to try it, but could tell he would not without some prodding. I brought him a bottle from my personal collection, and gave it to him. The next time I was at this friend's home, I saw several boxes of Marques de Casa Concha in his "cellar" area. He commented that he has shared this wine with several connoisseur friends who also like it.

Now, I had noticed that the price had gone up lately, and kicked myself for not buying more. I went from paying less than $10 to about $14 per bottle. I couldn't help but wonder if my blabbing about good inexpensive wine helped make the price go up. Or maybe several blabbers like me made the price go up- you know, all that supply and demand stuff. Anyway, it is still a bargain considering the quality, and you should try it, or the 2004 if it is more readily available in your area.

The delicious full-bodied wine is very bold with heavy oak flavors, striking but very drinkable tannins and red currant, fig, and cherry flavors. This wine is a pleasure, I mean a pleasure to drink, and I believe over time will become even more balanced. (Although I have seen the suggested peak projected to be 2007!) What makes it all the more pleasurable to drink, is that it is under $15. Despite the price, the taste is like you might expect from a wine of about $30. Hooray for Chile!

Le Repas Français (d’invitation)

I absolutely adore to eat dinner the French way. The Anglophile way of eating is to bring everything to the table at once. I ate this way my whole life until I visited France. The first time I ate dinner with a French family, approximately six hours after arriving in France for an eight month stay, and a plate of cold cuts was brought to the table, I thought for sure I would die of starvation. I did not realize that meals are brought to the table in courses. In short, I thought cold cuts was dinner.

Another reason I thought that was the whole dinner, is that the French actually take the time to sit together and talk. There is usually what seems to be an inordinate amount of time for the Anglophile between each course. Although dinner is by no means timed, I provided educated guesses at the length of time that might be spent per course to give you an idea. A typical French dinner consists of an apéritif, followed by hors d’œvre, a plat principal, salade, fromage, dessert, café. When guests are invited, they do not generally know what will be served, and do not find out until that course is brought to the table. That is part of the magic. The full French dinner goes something like this :

1. Apéritif
2. Hors d’œvre/ Entrée
3. 1er Plat Principal
4. Trou Normand
5. 2ème Plat Principal
6. Salade
7. Fromage
8. Dessert
9. Café
10. Digestif

Let me break it down for you :

1. Apéritif

This could be a lot of different things. In an informal setting, the apéritif often takes place in a living room around the coffee table. Often times a selection of liquor is offered including Martini & Rossi, whisky, cognac, etc. A modern take on the apéritif is to drink champagne. Amuses-bouche usually go along with the apéritif. In an informal setting, this may be nuts, processed cheese such as La Vache qui rit, or sausisse seche. Formally, canapés, or other fancier appetizers may be served.

Time : Up to an hour to sit, talk, snack, and drink. Then the party normally moves to the table.

Friends share champagne, and American dishes learned during their time as exchange students.

2. Hors d’œvre/ Entrée

This can be anything from soup, to a slice of smoked salmon with capers, dill, and crème fraîche, crudités, or the plate of cold cuts I mentioned above. It is usually a small portion. If champagne was served for the apéritif, it is often carried into the hors d’œvre/ entrée. Another option is to serve a wine which will carry over into the 1er Plat Principal.

Time : About 15 minutes to eat, and 15-30 minutes down time while the chef prepares the next, and first large course.


3. 1er Plat Principal

This is the first large course. I don’t think there is a hard and fast rule about what must be served, but it seems like it was usually seafood. For example, Stingray with capers (to die for), sauce, potatoes with butter and parsley. Of course, baguettes are served sliced on a bias, and it does not seem to be rude to sop up the sauce with the baguette. Of course, if seafood is served, a white wine such as Sancerre would be served.

Time : About 20 minutes to eat, and 20 minutes to sit and talk.

Paella

4. Trou Normand

The Trou Normand is a shot of eau de vie that is taken between two large courses. I am told that it helps when one is stuffed to the gills by helping digest what is in your stomach to make room for the next course. Traditionally Calvados is drank, but I have seen other eau de vies. The modern twist on the Trou Normand is to pour a shot of Calva on apple sorbet. When I ate with young Parisians, the sorbet Calva combination was almost always served. When I ate with people of the older generation, or people in small villages, it was often times a shot.

Time : About 15 minutes. At this time, some dinner parties I went to even pushed the furniture aside and danced for about an hour before moving onto the 2ème Plat Principal.

5. 2ème Plat Principal

This is the last large course of the dinner. Again, . I don’t think there is a hard and fast rule about what must be served, but in my experience, it was usually a red meat dish, such as Tournedos Rossini, again in sauce, with some type of vegetable dish on the side. I also saw pork, lamb, or even a second seafood dish such as langoustines served. Unless seafood was again served, a red wine such as a St. Emilion would be served.

Time : About 20 minutes to eat, and 20 minutes to sit and talk.

Poule au Pot

6. Salade

I thought this was very strange the first time I experienced it. I was so used to eating salad at the beginning of the meal, and thought it strange to eat it at the end of the meal. I am told that the French believe eating salad after the meal helps with the digestion, whereas if it is consumed before the other food, it cannot "help the food pass." After many many meals in France, I believe salad should be at the end of the meal.

Time: 15 minutes.

Fresh is best

7. Fromage

At this point, a plate of different cheeses are brought out. One can take as many different cheeses as one wants, and as much as one wants, but it is considered rude to leave it on your plate. For this reason, my practice was to take only a sliver of unfamiliar cheese, then ask for seconds if it pleased me. The rule when eating cheese is start with the least strong and make your way up to the strongest. Of course, the French eat their cheese with red wine, and baguette slices, never crackers.

Some of the cheese will linger on the palate for a long time after consumption. A sip of red wine will recall the stronger cheeses over and over. It is for this reason that the French say, "a real eater of cheese stays with his cheese." Translation : "No dessert for me please.

Time:15 min. There is often a pause between fromage and dessert.

Farm Cheese

8. Dessert

However, I have heard that saying every time I ate dinner, but rarely saw anyone refuse dessert. A dessert at a daily dinner would consist of whatever fruit is in season, and yogurt. At a full meal, it could be a tart tatin, a crème brulée, pears poached in red wine, well, you know all the classic French desserts.

Time: 20 minutes.

9. Café

This is served in a very small cup, but is still very strong coffee. Coffee is not usually served with the dessert.

Time: 15 minutes.

10. Digestif

The final drink of the night. Usually something strong like cognac, whiskey, brandy, mirabelle eau de vie, etc. Myself I prefer Grand Marnier.

Time: Up to several hours.

Americana

I have heard many times "Americans have no culture." It is true that in general terms American culture does not promote fashion, haute couture, or gastronomy. Instead, it promotes a cultural philosophy that is rugged, practical, and reeks of the idea that we must live for today because you may be gone tomorrow. Well, I love the part of American culture that some have deemed "Americana." Here are a few photos of what the concept "Americana" means to me:

Settlers bring Old World knowledge to the New World

Gotta love the Rodeo!

Old homesteads abandoned for new cookie cutter homes.

No, the last photo is not meant to suggest irony due to the current price of fuel. Instead it is a photo that may be reminiscent of your childhood visits to the gas station. If I had a photo of a quilt I would have also thrown that in the mix.

2003 Concannon Petite Sirah

Vintage: 2003
Winery: Concannon

Grape: Petite Sirah

Country: California

Region: Livermore Valley

I believe this dark purple, almost black wine has real promise. However, as it stands right now, it is VERY tannic! I absolutely love tannins, and it is rare I have difficulty imbibing a wine due to strong tannins. However, it was difficult. I tried decanting the wine, which helped a little, but not a lot. The wine had a wonderful, full mouth feel, but it was hard to identify flavors or other characteristics, because the tannins were just so pronounced.

I let the wine sit in the decanter for 24 hours, and tried again. Although it was much better, it was still unbalanced. I believe this wine would be better in a couple more years. I finished the bottle despite myself.

Honig goes 100% solar

Well, it has been so hot I have not been drinking much wine this month. Yesterday, however, I received a postcard from Honig. The front of the card is very cool, and has a retro feel to it. It features people affiliated with the winery sunbathing. Some are holding what appears to be newspapers, but on closer examination, they are solar panels, or at least represent solar panels. The caption says, "Honig's gone solar!"

The back of the card has the caption, "Solar energy system: $1,000,000; Last month's energy bill: $1.19; Reduced carbon emissions: Priceless; HONIG; Sustainably farmed, (100%) solar powered."

Finally, it identifies the players on the front of the card as, "Back row: Steven Honig, Michael Honig, Natalie Morrison, Alesha Clarke, J.T. Valdez, David Cruz. Front row: Regina Weinstein, Tony Benedetti, Jenny Petschek, Kristin Belair, Elaine Honig."

I know I mentioned it before, but I LOVE HONIG. I also mentioned I felt it has been too hot to drink wine, but contradictorily I mentioned in my previous entry about Honig, that the Sauvingnon Blanc is perfect for a hot summer's day. The postcard, although intended to let me know that drinking Honig helps to sustain the environment, has actually reminded me how good a Sauvingnon Blanc can be on a hot summer's day. Tonight I will drink Honig. Aah, advertising told me what to do, and I am doing it!!

Beyond the wine itself, I definitely think it is making a bold statement to go solar. I also think wineries make a bold statement by using methods of viticulture that avoid chemicals that are harmful to humans, animals and the environment. I am a huge believer that what goes into the ground, goes into the produce, and finally goes into the body. My belief has only been strengthened by the recent revelations of E. coli tainted spinach, Salmonella tainted peanut butter (I had a jar of it, and can no longer stomach peanut butter), and Hepatitas A flavored onions, to name a few.

In France, food, nay, cuisine is of utmost importance. It is a cultural institution not to be toyed with. The importance of biologique (organic) foods is very high. The battle against Frankenfoods has reached colossal proportions. Folkheros such as José Bové have been born (although it doesn't seem to be an important political issue. When Bové ran for president he only received a little more than 1% of the popular vote amongst 11 candidates.) In France it is even normal to go to a supermarket, and obtain such specific information as what ranch a piece of beef came from. (That is not to say France is without its problems with the food supply, but rather, to illustrate the difference in attitudes between France and the U.S.)

In the United States the attitude seems to be different. You can still have a choice, although producers do not have to reveal the source of their produce, nor the methods with which they are produced. The only thing we have to go on, are producers who are claiming they do the right thing, and reveal their practices to their target audience that will purchase their products on that basis. Obviously those that don't use environmentally sound practices will say nothing. You can choose to purchase products from producers who claim to use environmentally sound practices, such as Honig for wine, Silk brand soymilk

This does not mean I will not eat or drink products that are made using unknown practices, but Honig is my favorite Sauvingnon Blanc, and a wine I regularly purchase. Maybe, just maybe it is due to the attitude and care taken in its production.

2004 Honig Sauvignon Blanc

Vintage: 2004
Winery: Honig
Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
Country: California
Region: Napa Valley.

I LOVE this wine. It is fabulous. It is one of my dependable favorites, especially in summer. I consistently order it by the glass at a local sushi restaurant, because it really goes well with seafood.

Honig has become one of the most successful growers and vintners of Sauvignon Blanc in Napa Valley. Honig recently started treating its grapes organically, and at the time of my visit planned to attempt to harness solar power to run portions of the winery. I was fortunate enough to attend a tasting at Elaine Honig's home which is on the winery and vineyard premises. She opened up a large sliding door in the living room which provided a view of the mountains, vineyards, and mounds of lavender planted everywhere. Prior to my visit I was not aware that Honig produced a Cabernet Sauvingnon. It is not sold in my local wine shops. Although this review covers the Sauvignon Blanc, I will say the Cabernet Sauvingnon was quite good.

This light refreshing wine is reminiscent of summer with tastes of lemon and freshly-cut grass. The finish is very crisp with a minerally aftertaste. Honig states the wine has flavors of grapefruit, mango, papaya, and peach. Honig never mentions flavors I described, so I ask the reader, "what do you taste?" Whatever the taste, I believe this wine is one of the best examples of how Sauvignon Blanc is supposed to taste. It is a mainstay in my collection.

2003 KWV Pinotage

Vintage: 2003

Winery: KWV 1

Grape: Pinotage

Country: South Africa

So what comes from South Africa besides Dave Matthews, wondrous wildlife, great white encounters, and one of the top rugby teams in the world? Pinotage!

This beautiful ruby colored wine is the product of a mixture of Pinot Noir and Cinsault, that results in a very unique wine that is disdained by wine snobs. Do not listen to them. This well balanced yet inexpensive wine tastes of cherry and truffles. Although the Pinot Noir tastes are still identifiable, the mixture of Cinsault, by itself an uninteresting grape, adds some interesting flavors that this reviewer spent the whole bottle trying to identify, unsuccessfully. Despite the lack of success, it was time well spent with Bacchus.

1 KWV is not a winery, per se, but a wine co-operative.

Old Vine Zinfandel

I first became aware of Old Vine Zinfandel when I visited August Briggs in Napa. If you haven't visited August Briggs, do your self a favor and head to Napa. After visiting large wineries all day with employees that charge you a fee and then oblige you to listen to their canned speech, stopping at this small winery was a breath of fresh air. I liked several things about the winery. The winery's symbol is a dandelion blowing in the air, which I found to be both unique and courageous, since although the dandelion may be one of the most expensive salad greens in France, it is considered a weed in the States.

There were no canned speeches at August Briggs. Although I tasted several interesting wines there, the Zinfandel really stood out. I had tasted Zinfandel all week long, and not purchased a single bottle, opting instead for Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Port. This Zinfandel at August Briggs was excellent. It had a spicy punch to it that I had never experienced. I purchased several bottles, and asked for another taste. Seeing how much I liked the Zinfandel, I was offered the chance to do a barrel tasting. How could I say no? I had been in Napa for a week, and had not been made a similar offer.

First we were offered a glass from a barrel which was claimed to be new vines. I did not understand what that meant to the taste, however, upon tasting, the new vine batch was definitely not what I had tasted previously. It was green and one dimensional like the Zinfandels I tasted at other wineries earlier in the week. Second we drank from a barrel which was said to consist of approximately 50-year-old vines. It was spicy, and more reminiscent of what I tasted earlier. Third, we tasted from a barrel which was said to consist of approximately 100-year-old vines. This was amazing, so spicy it burned the mouth. This wine was like nothing I tasted before, and was even better than what I had raved about and purchased. I told our host to bottle some of the third barrel up, and I would buy it.

Our host explained, as the Zinfandel vine ages, it produces fruit that is more complex and spicy. Relatively speaking, there are not a lot of 100-year-old vines around, and their supply is low; instead of selling it, they blend it with the 50-year-old, and the new vine to get the taste I had liked so well. This was one of my top experiences in Napa, with the exception of experiencing a wine tasting with Elaine Honig. It was certainly the biggest winery-born revelation for me since learning about Veuve Cliquot's invention of le remuage.

Armed with my new found knowledge, I set off to determine if my local wine shop had Zinfandel made from Old Vines. There are several Old Vine Zinfandels on the market: Bogle Vineyards, Gnarly Head, Seghesio to name a few. Some are not bad, some do not taste "old", after my experience. That leads me to the question: what does it mean to label a wine "Old Vine Zinfandel?" How old must the vines be? What percentage of the wine must be old as compared to new? I could find nothing that regulates the use of this term, so it is clearly a trust and taste situation.

2003 Mukuyu Chenin Blanc

Media on the subject of wine would most likely begin by reviewing some of the classic French wines. An American writer might eventually recount that faithful day on June 7, 1976 when Chateau Montelena and Stag's Leap beat their French counterparts to show the reader American wines have grown up, and are worthy to drink and review. Then eventually the author could move on to other wines. Well, as you read in the first post, speaking to the dead in a dead language does not equate logic; So as an extension of that non-logic, I plan to treat all wine as worthy of consumption and review whether it is expensive or inexpensive, Vitis vinifera or Vitis labrusca, red or white, French or Greek. With that idea, we start with a wine from the Republic of Zimbabwe.

2003 Mukuyu Chenin Blanc. When we think about African wines, South African Pinotage comes to mind. That is why when I found this wine from the Republic of Zimbabwe, I had to try it.

Vintage: 2003
Winery: Mukuyu
Grape: Chenin Blanc
Country: Zimbabwe

Region: Mashonaland East, Marondera

The wine's color is a very pale straw. I noticed a very light aroma of honeysuckle when I first poured the wine. Between the pale color and very light bouquet, I was surprised that this wine was so tasty. The wine begins with the taste of sweet green apple which suddenly drops away to an acidic rush (tartness), and then moves to crisp dryness. This wine is the perfect accompaniment to a hot summer's day, outside while sitting under the shade of a tree, or under a bistro umbrella. Of course, this wine should be chilled for a couple of hours before opening. Pique-nique anyone?

Mukuyu Estate PO Box 1813, Harare Phone: (9-263-4) 620410/9 Fax: 620429/620431

Cum Mortuis In Lingua Mortua

Although modern zymology along with the help of pubology has determined with historical precision Charlie Mops was the person who invented beer, there has been no similar determination for the fruit of the vine. Evidence suggests the ancient beverage may have been first produced by persons in what is now Georgia as early as 6000 BC, and Iran as early as 5000 BC. It was also imbibed by the ancient Greeks, Hebrews, and Egyptians, as well as others. Even with the many references to wine in ancient texts, literature, and religious writings, the specific origins of the drink are still unknown. I hope to discover its origins, as the more I imbibe, the more I hear the voices of wise and long-passed vintners, and see the scenes of ancient Bacchic revels played out in my head. I think I am close to discovering wine's origins, and invite you to join me on my journey.

Photo: Bacchus at Clos Pegase