15 May 2008
Music to drink wine by
Reports in the news today suggest that the enjoyment of certain wine varietals can be enhanced while listening to different styles of music. See, for example, Why wine tastes better with music, and, Music can enhance wine taste.
Examples include matches such as cabernet sauvignon with Jimi Hendrix; chardonnay with Blondie; merlot with Otis Redding and music by classical composers such as Orff and Tchaikovsky.
There is of course an enormous cultural bias inherent in this kind of research.
If you are a wine drinker whose tastes run to the blues, rock 'n roll and bluegrass a glass of good red is hardly going to taste better while listening to Carmina Burana.
Similarly,if you have been acculturated to prefer western classical music or opera, a glass of chablis might taste a tad sharpish while Jimi's Voodoo Chile is blasting way at volume 11 on the stereo.
One can only imagine what wines you would match with the music of Celine Dion, Ravi Shankar, Karlheinz Stockhausen or 'J-Lo'.
Technorati search tags: Wine , Wine tasting
Posted by Martin Field on Thursday 15 May 2008 at 01:16
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13 May 2008
El Celler de Can Roca
El Celler de Can Roca is one of my most memorable dining experiences, up there with Troisgros. At 279€ for 2 people with 19 courses and 9 wines by the glass, one could also call it a bargain (the top menu is 100€ per person).
To read more about this experience, please visit Vinix, the wine social network site run by my friend Filippo Ronco. My complete article is there with some pictures taken on the cell phone.
Technorati search tags: Restaurants , celler de can roca, roca, restaurant
Posted by Mike Tommasi on Tuesday 13 May 2008 at 18:22
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11 May 2008
Wine and cancer. Shock! Horreur!
Latest news reports suggest that drinking two glasses of wine a day can increase your risk of mouth cancer by up to 75 per cent. See, for example, Cancer drinking danger.
Hardly a day goes by without one of these scientific horror stories. And if it's not a horror story then it's wine as a miraculous cure-all.
...continue reading "Wine and cancer. Shock! Horreur!"
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Posted by Martin Field on Sunday 11 May 2008 at 23:26
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28 April 2008
Pasanau
For the first barbecue of the season last weekend I prepared some lamb chops and opened a bottle of La Morera de Montsant 2002, a Priorat D.O. by Cellers Pasanau. This turned out to be an excellent match.
The bottle was offered to me by Joan Gómez Pallarès, the man at the keyboard of De Vinis Cibisque. We had met for a lunch in Barcelona during the Mobile World Congress last February.
Technorati search tags: Wine , Wine tasting , Priorat, Pasanau, Morera, Montsant, Chateauneuf du Pape, Grenache
Posted by Mike Tommasi on Monday 28 April 2008 at 20:38
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22 April 2008
Hierarchy of nuts
by Martin Field
Nuts are a favourite accompaniment to wine. They are delicious when served with bubbly and other aperitifs and a plate of nuts and dried fruit is obligatory when savouring a vintage port after dinner.
But did you ever notice that in any bowl of mixed nuts, in shell or not, certain varieties are always eaten in exactly the same order of preference?
...continue reading "Hierarchy of nuts"
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Posted by Martin Field on Tuesday 22 April 2008 at 02:41
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Californian, Noosan, Kiwi vigneron
by Martin Field
So I’m sculling a tasty New Zealand pinot noir at Laguna Jacks and this guy comes up to me and asks me in an American accent how I like his wine.
I learn that his name is Quintin Quider and that the pinot is from a Central Otago winery, Wild Earth that he owns with wife, Avril. He adds that he hails originally from California, came to Australia after a stint in New Zealand, and now lives in Noosa.
...continue reading "Californian, Noosan, Kiwi vigneron"
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Posted by Martin Field on Tuesday 22 April 2008 at 02:34
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Star Drinking
by Martin Field
Cascade Green – up to $18 the six-pack of 330ml bottles *
According to the label, this full-strength (4.5%) lager is 100 per cent carbon neutral, preservative free and low carbohydrate. It has pleasant hoppy spicy aromatics. The palate is medium-weighted and very smooth in texture. Flavours are malty sweet and the finish without bitterness.
Banrock Station Ecomate Colombard Chardonnay 2007 - 1 Litre Tetra Pak – up to $10 * *
Light lemony nose. Fresh easy drinking style with faint oak, off-dry finish and mild acidity.
...continue reading "Star Drinking"
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Posted by Martin Field on Tuesday 22 April 2008 at 02:29
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27 February 2008
Useless Standards
by Martin Field
Headlines over recent months have featured horror stories about alcohol abuse, binge drinking, and general overindulgence in our favourite legal drug.
Some stories have ludicrously blamed the size of wine glasses for excessive boozing. For example, "MP calls for smaller wine glasses" and, "Wine glasses blamed for women drinking large alcohol amounts."
I’m totally unconvinced that standardising the size of wine glasses is going to stop boozing and I don’t believe that proposals to change the official guidelines for the recommended number of standard drinks per day will have any effect whatsoever.
...continue reading "Useless Standards"
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Posted by Martin Field on Wednesday 27 February 2008 at 23:55
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Noosa Vine
by Martin Field
Spirit House
A group of us dined at the Spirit House in Yandina, a short drive south of Noosa. A spectacular setting, just like walking into a tropical restaurant in Bali or Thailand; complete with exotic flowers, bamboo, palms, and a central lake dotted with lotus leaves.
Standout entrée ($19.50) was the ‘Buddha’s Delight’ a trio of beautifully presented savoury dishes, described accurately on the menu as ‘Potato, pea and spinach samosa with coriander yoghurt; eggplant and banana chili salad with cassava chips; and Son-in-law Egg with sweet, salt and sour sauce.
Address: 20 Ninderry Rd, Yandina, Queensland. Phone (07) 5446 8994.
...continue reading "Noosa Vine"
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Posted by Martin Field on Wednesday 27 February 2008 at 23:50
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Noshtalgic cheatin’ in the kitchen
by Martin Field
Pickled eggs ‘n Scrumpy
I was telling Beery Mag about getting legless on scrumpy (a strongly alcoholic rustic cider) on the morning of a mate’s wedding many years ago.
We rode borrowed motor bikes down narrow hedgerowed lanes near Rockwell Green in Taunton, Somerset, and stopped for morning tea at a quaint little tavern that sold cider.
...continue reading "Noshtalgic cheatin’ in the kitchen"
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Posted by Martin Field on Wednesday 27 February 2008 at 23:47
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