Fried mushies at Bilson's

by Martin Field

Lunch was at Bilson’s in Sydney. Foster’s Group winemakers were hosting a roadshow for winewriters from all over.

I’d asked for the vegetarian option at lunch and was dreading a glutinous risotto or an over-oreganoed, limp-wristed pasta. Should have trusted Bilson’s reputation, the chef presented as a main, one of their entrée items: Fricassee of Wild Mushrooms with Truffle and Poached Egg.

Picture: a beautiful platescape of a perfectly poached egg surrounded by sautéed Shimeji mushrooms, King Brown mushrooms, chanterelles, oyster mushrooms, fresh black truffles. Anointing the egg is a ‘salt’ of marinated chanterelles, thinly sliced King Brown, black truffle slices and cepes. The accompanying sauce contains cepes, chanterelles and King Browns. Crowning the dish is a tiara of latte-hued foam made with madeira and mushroom cream.

Not as complicated as it sounds but as delicious a course as ever I’ve been served. Went down very well with a goblet of Castello di Gabbiano Chianti Classico 2006.

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Posted by Martin Field on Friday 10 October 2008 at 00:58
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Cruising Southeast Asia

by Martin Field

Just back from a cruise on the good ship Superstar Gemini. We sailed from Singapore to Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong.

All meals were included in the cruise price, drinks were not. Cuisine was European with the occasional Asian dish. Vegetarian options were limited. In the Ocean Palace restaurant you dined semi-formally, with waiter service, table linen and all. The restaurant has a ludicrous rule that men may not wear shorts or sandals to dinner(we are in the tropics during monsoon you should know). Women wear what they like.

The ship's other restaurant, the Mariners’ Buffet, is more casual and the food is self-served, er, from a buffet.

...continue reading "Cruising Southeast Asia"

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Posted by Martin Field on Thursday 09 October 2008 at 11:31
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Star drinking

by Martin Field

Glenmorangie The Original Single Malt Scotch – up to $70 ****
Ten years old, according to the label, and matured in ‘Bourbon oak casks’. And you can detect the oaky vanilla as you first inhale this distinctive Scotch. There is also a faint aroma of smokiness and a hint of lemon. The palate is light and velvet in texture and you’d swear there was honey in there somewhere, along with top notes of lime and lemon. Drink with just a splash of water and leave the ice and mixers for the tourists. Classy stuff indeed.

Appleton Estate Reserve Jamaica Rum – up to $55 ****
‘Aged 8 years.’ Lifted aromatics of Demerara sugar and island spices. Sweet and mellow in the mouth it flows down the throat like molten golden syrup. Definitely a sippin’ rum, drink it from a goldfish bowl as you would a Cognac or malt scotch. I wouldn’t spoil it with mixers; maybe ice or a few drops of water to enhance the esters.

Tulloch Hunter River White 2008 – up to $22 **
A blend of chardonnay, semillon and verdelho from the Hunter. Tropical fruity nose leads to a well-weighted palate, replete with zesty and refreshing elements of passionfruit and pineapple.

Plantagenet Great Southern Riesling 2008 – up to $22 ***
This wine’s bouquet of sweetness and limes reminded me of a wedge of Key Lime Pie I once savoured. Its palate is light, dry and delicate showing some of that lime tartness along with Granny Smith apples. The finish shows a zingy acidity.

Pfeiffer The Carson Gewürztraminer 2008 - $16.50 **$
King Valley, Victoria. Lime blossoms and roses dominate the bouquet. The palate is smooth and softish with some grapey sweetness. Try with entrée dishes.

Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2008 – up to $28 ***
Margaret River. Western Australia. The nose shows white flowers, an edge of lime juice and a hint of toasted oak. On the palate we find kiwi fruit, blackcurrant leaf, hay and lime zest. The finish is distinctly crisp and dry. Fine aperitif style.

...continue reading "Star drinking"

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Posted by Martin Field on Thursday 09 October 2008 at 11:26
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Champagne corks, chaos and butterfly wings

by Martin Field

I was reflecting one night, over an aged cognac, on chaos theory. Popularised by the notion that the gentle motion of a butterfly’s wings in, say, Noosa, may very well cause a typhoon in, say, the Philippines.

Extraordinary, I thought, and hard to believe, but then again all things are possible.

How does one separate theory from fact? I wondered.

By scientific experimentation, I answered myself readily.

So, just a moment ago, I popped the cork of a bottle of champagne.

I do not take responsibility for the consequences of this action but, wherever you are in the world, I say to you:

‘Do you notice a slight freshening of the breeze? Did the dogs just start to bark?

‘Be very afraid!’

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Posted by Martin Field on Thursday 09 October 2008 at 11:24
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Vale Bailey Carrodus

by Martin Field

Readers familiar with Yarra Yering wines will be saddened to hear of the passing of winery founder, Dr Bailey Carrodus, after a short illness, on 19 September 2008.

A personal reminiscence
I knew Bailey fleetingly in the late '70s and early '80s. He was a loveable if sometimes irascible character with an incisive mind. His wines were highly individual and did not always suit the prevailing palates of the day. Despite the critics, Bailey created his own unmistakable style and gained a wide international market.

Strange that we were friendly. When we first met, (I was brash) I shared my considered opinion that some of his '70s wines were a tad too acidic. I got the inimitable Carrodus look...

...continue reading "Vale Bailey Carrodus"

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Posted by Martin Field on Thursday 09 October 2008 at 11:20
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How to become a wine writer

by Martin Field

‘How did you become a wine writer?’ It’s perhaps the most frequent question I’ve had from wine drinkers over the years. What they really mean is ‘How could I go about becoming a wine writer?’

In other words, they too would like a job they assume involves nothing more than the consumption of an endless round of free lunches and gratis wine samples.

My life is nothing like that, I tell them. (I can lie like a politician when necessary.)

The process
My ticket on the gravy train was easy enough to obtain. The process really was as simple as follows and the dialogue is as accurate as memory will allow.

...continue reading "How to become a wine writer"

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Posted by Martin Field on Friday 25 July 2008 at 06:31
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Star Drinking

by Martin Field

Crown Ambassador Reserve Lager 2008 – around $55 * * * * *
A limited 5000 bottle release beer, in individually numbered 750ml bottles, each with a wax seal and a presentation box. The lager is bottle-conditioned, so look for the yeast sediment when pouring. At 9.2 percent alcohol, it is twice as strong as some regular beers.

I tasted bottle number 2465: Dark amber in colour, with a nose of malt and toffee along with hoppy high notes. In the mouth, the high alcohol contributes to a thick, velvety, creamy mouthfeel. The long-lasting, complex flavours of malt, hops and a hint of mocha made me wonder where I could get another bottle. They reckon this lager will cellar for ten years or so and I wouldn’t be surprised. A scrumptious drop, which, despite the price tag, will be snapped up by collectors.

Chandon Vintage Brut 2005 – under $39 - * * *
A blend of chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier, two years on yeast lees. Very pale, tinged with green, persistent bead. Bouquet shows brioche and lime blossoms and praline. The palate is lip-smackingly crisp and dry showing flavours of baked bread, hazel nuts and a zesty Granny Smith apple finish. A first class aperitif style.

...continue reading "Star Drinking"

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Posted by Martin Field on Friday 25 July 2008 at 06:27
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Electronic menu

by Martin Field

The chief boffin in our R&D department is about to patent a design for an electronic menu.

Basically, the E-menu (as she likes to call it) is designed to increase efficiency of ordering, to provide detailed information to diners, to minimise the unwanted attention of pushy waiters and sommeliers and thereby to reduce the number of floor staff. There are obvious cost savings related to this latter aim.

The wi-fi menu can be permanently installed in dining tables, one at each setting or, as a less expensive alternative, can take the form of a menu folder to be handed out to individual guests.

...continue reading "Electronic menu"

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Posted by Martin Field on Friday 25 July 2008 at 06:24
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Terroir Vino

Every year TigullioVino.it, Italy’s foremost wine portal, organizes a wine Meeting, a table-top event bringing together over one hundred winemakers hand picked from Italy and Europe. This year’s edition, with some influence from yours truly, is called Terroir Vino, and was held at the magnificent Palazzo Ducale in Genova.

The Palazzo Ducale, photo by Luca Risso

Terroir Vino is the brainchild of my friend, web entrepreneur Fil Ronco. Participants are invited after selection in a blind tasting by TigullioVino teams, and so you get a wide spectrum of styles and sizes of winery, from the “all natural” vigneron with less than 4 hectares, to large quality producers like Lungarotti. Half the day is reserved for wine professionals (press, restaurant owners, importers), and starting mid-afternoon the event is open to the public for a nominal fee.

The setting under the gold leaf carved ceilings of the doge’s palace, the perfect organization and the friendly atmosphere made this Terroir Vino day a big success. It was good to see lots of blogging and newsgroup friends, including Joan Gómez Pallarès, Terry Hughes, Luca Risso, Giampiero Nadali, Schigi, Filippo Cintolesi, Franco Solari, Fiorenzo Sartore, Mirco Mariotti, Gianpaolo Paglia, even Slow Food friends Enrico Sala and Maurizio Fava. All in all 1500 people attended.

...continue reading "Terroir Vino"

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Posted by Mike Tommasi on Thursday 19 June 2008 at 17:04
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Temporarily teetotal

by Martin Field

Long-time readers will be shocked to hear that your humble correspondent has been off the grog for a few weeks. Doctor’s orders, following a nasty but necessary ‘routine’ operation visited often enough upon ageing geezers.

Seems that up to a month’s healing is required, and alcohol, which can dilate blood vessels, may hinder this.

Not that I felt much like booze, or food for that matter for a couple of weeks. No doubt due to trauma and the ongoing aftermath of a generous intrathecal dose of dope that left me temporarily legless.

Where was I?

...continue reading "Temporarily teetotal"

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Posted by Martin Field on Thursday 05 June 2008 at 06:23
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