Chenin Blanc

The company behind Blonde, Caviar, that's also responsible for bringing us Sevruga and Beluga, has broken away from its typical menu style in creating the offering at Blonde.

In this year’s Global Trader Shiraz Challenge two wines were tied for first place, both possessing the same arithmetic average score, these being Rickety Bridge 2008 and Saronsberg Provenance 2007.

Talk of premium price usually implies overtly expensive equipment or some new sophisticated technique, which is not the case here. Besides the obviously charismatic personality of Eben Sadie himself, which is detectable in the final product, it is most likely his reverence and connection to old vines that have resulted in this journey.

The wines are in a category of their own, for they are from carefully selected vines somewhere between 45 to over 100 years old. First and foremost is the blend of tradition and history, literally immersed in the production. With their age factor, the wines do have an Old World quality and finesse. There is something about the raw earthiness of time that adds such a distinctive quality, a result of somebody bothering to appreciate what aged vines can do.

What's so great about Eben Sadie? - Wine Magazine

Whites, pinks and, yes, even reds can make a lazy day in the backyard or an outing with friends a delicious experience, just as long as the taste and structure don't overwhelm.

Whites, pinks and, yes, even reds can make a lazy day in the backyard or an outing with friends a delicious experience, just as long as the taste and structure don't overwhelm. "When you're looking for summer wines, most people are looking for something that's light and refreshing as opposed to something a little heavier that would require a meal," said Michael Perry, manager of the Lodi Wine & Visitor Center, on Turner Road.

Most white varieties are lighter, but two choices for summer are sauvignon blanc and chardonnay fermented in stainless steel tanks. "Light, refreshing, fruity, easy sipping white wines are a big plus during warmer months," Perry said.

Perry calls sauvignon blanc a "perfect wine" for summer, specifically because of its fruit array - with tastes of honey, melon and citrus - and profile.

Making wine cooler - Stockton Record

THE sleepy surfing town of Jeffreys Bay is set to become the wine centre of the Eastern Cape at the end of this month when the first locally grown wines will become available under the Cob Creek label.

Cob Creek, a wine estate on a hill overlooking the Kabeljous River and Jeffreys Bay, harvested its grapes between February and March, then shipped them to the Western Cape for the production and bottling phase, which is now complete.

Only Cob Creek sauvignon blanc and Cob Creek chenin blanc will be available in August under the 2010 label, but estate co- owner Greg Ferguson said the estate would soon be producing a variety of wines, including shiraz, semillon, pinot noir and a white muscadel for those who enjoy a sweet wine.

Only Cob Creek sauvignon blanc and Cob Creek chenin blanc will be available in August under the 2010 label, but estate co- owner Greg Ferguson said the estate would soon be producing a variety of wines, including shiraz, semillon, pinot noir and a white muscadel for those who enjoy a sweet wine. “At the moment we are labelled a micro- brewery with regard to our liquor licence because there are no laws governing wine estates in the Eastern Cape. Liquor laws are provincial and not national. Also, any experts we need to come and check our vineyards all come from the Western Cape because we do not yet have that kind of expertise in the Eastern Cape,” Ferguson said.

J-Bay estate's first vintage out soon (video) - Weekend Post

Two memories stand out from a recent dining trip to Stockholm: A restaurant bill of almost 2,500 kronor ($351) for one person; and a decibel count of 103.7 in a bar. Sustained exposure to levels of 90-95 decibels may result in hearing loss, so I might not be able to listen to complaints about the cost.

F12 is a striking modern restaurant whose menu changes each month to reflect the evolving flavors of the year, such as Herbal Garden and Flower Meadow. I made it in time for Spices, which entailed Nordic-Asian fusion dishes, such as butter-poached cabbage/kimchi; and blackened burbot (a freshwater fish) curry with green soy sauce and mustard greens.

If that sounds confused, the flavors were well balanced, the presentation was innovative and the cooking immaculate. The plates aren’t as complicated as they sound and even the wine matches are inventive, such as a selection of Chenin blanc where you are invited to work out the connection between four glasses, including one from the U.S.

The dining room has that timelessly modern look of 20th- century Nordic design, its clean lines matching the uncluttered dishes. Such culinary pleasure isn’t cheap. The tasting menu is 1,195 kronor and matching wines are 895 kronor, plus service.

Hot Swedish Bars Serve Up Decibels, Prices: Stockholm Dining - Bloomberg

I have been spending some time on the restaurant floor this summer, where I used to work as a sommelier. I've missed it: the buzz of being "in the weeds," watching a battery of chefs put out impeccable plates when the temperature in the kitchen is close to 40C, and talking one-on-one with people who love food and wine. For me, nothing replaces that immediate feedback, seeing the reaction on people's faces as they take the first sip of a wine that they have never tried.

However, one thing still confuses me: the fascination many wine lovers have with "powerful" wines. At the restaurant where I sometimes work, we serve a tasting menu -five wines paired with five dishes. The first two wines are a South African sauvignon blanc (Klein Constantia, SAQ #504183) followed by another South African wine, an old-vine chenin blanc (Bellingham, Bernard Series, SAQ #11154911). The sauvignon is very classic: refreshing, dry, floral, with citrus and just a hint of grassy notes. Paired with a tataki (seared on the outside and raw inside) of salmon and asparagus, it works perfectly. And people say they love it.

That is, until the second wine is served. The chenin blanc is rich, more than 14 per cent alcohol, full of oak-derived spice, tropical fruits and honeyed notes. It's a big -and I mean big -mouth-filling wine. And paired with a lobster and fresh morel mushrooms, it's superb. But when I ask how they like it, I have had so many people say that aside from the pairing, they preferred the second wine over the first. The same can be said for the second set of wines: a New Zealand pinot noir followed by an Argentine cabernet sauvignon.

My reply is that their beloved second wine would absolutely destroy the first dish, crushing any subtlety the salmon might have brought. Not only that, but the acidity the asparagus brings to the dish would turn the chenin into an acrid drink.

Light can be right - Montreal Gazette