Tag: Wine

Categories
Blog Drink

Chateau de Monbazillac

Vive la France!

This week I am off on my travels again. We are holidaying with our very good friends in the Dordogne Valley in south-west France. Expect to be hearing over the next few posts, therefore, about some of the lovely food and drink that this region has to offer.

The base for our stay is a delightful, restored stone farmhouse in the countryside, just west of Bergerac. Built in the 19th century, it retains all its character and, I am pleased to say, now has some 21st century luxuries (like wifi, ensuites and a dishwasher) incorporated.

Discovering that we are situated along the Route des Vins, we set out to find our bearings on a tour that takes in one vineyard after another. The climate and soil conditions here are near-perfect for growing grape vines, making the Dordogne Valley one of France’s prolific wine-producing regions.

To learn a little more, we stop at one of the major vineyards along the route for a tour and some wine tasting. Chateau de Monbazillac is a microcosm of modern French history – a splendid, ornate chateau and estate that flourished in the 16th Century, before being brought down to earth by the revolting local peasants in the revolution of 1789. After some period of flux, it eventually found its feet again, being taken over by a wine producers’ co-operative that now markets its wine collectively under the Monbazillac name.

The Chateau is beautifully restored and maintained, with exhibitions on modern wine production, and glorious views out across the Dordogne Valley towards the town of Bergerac, taking in row after row of vines.

The choice of wines for our tasting took in a Bergerac blanc, a rosé, a fresh and fruity red and a deep red with the scent of oak barrels and a hint of saline on the throat. After some deliberation, our group opted to buy a bottle each of the two reds.

I can assure you these are being fully savoured on our terrace in the evening with a few platters of cheese, ham, pate and locally baked bread (I will go into further details in coming posts about that cheeseboard 🙂 )

After a relatively wet spring here, the weather is warming up, and we are looking forward to a relaxing few days of good food and wine with sunshine. Check back this weekend for a further report.

In the meantime, I shall leave you with a track that has a distinct French connection via the bassist, Jean Jacques Burnel. Here are The Stranglers with La Folie.

À bientôt!

Categories
Blog Snacks

Walk Out To Winter

After a fab few days in Slovenia, we have now arrived in a very chilly Austria, to meet up with a group of friends and family experiencing the Christmas Markets in the city of Graz.

With the start of Advent, wooden chalet stalls have popped up all over the city’s main public squares, selling a range of hot drinks to help insulate visitors against the effects of the freezing cold. A typical range is shown in my photo below.

I tended to stick with the Rot Gluhwein – a ceramic mug of hot red wine flavoured with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves – though there were also white and rose varieties available. The non-alcoholic offering included herbal and fruit teas, and the tantalisingly named Harry Potter – a hot mango punch.

I also enjoyed a hot chocolate, which was precisely that. I may have been expecting a mug of creamy cocoa, but what arrived had the volume and texture, no less, of a large, melted bar of dark chocolate in a cup. Needless to say, I had no trouble polishing that off.

The food options were simple, tasty and filling. Staples like Bratwurst (they really do love their sausages in this part of the world), or Kasekrainer (sausages with an inner lining of melted cheese), sizzled on the hot griddle in the chilly evening air – usually served up with a generous portion of Pommes (fries).

My favourite though was at the Racletthauschen. A log of Swiss Raclette cheese is placed under a flame until the top layer melts. The server then scrapes it off (see below) and spreads it on a slice of lightly toasted Ciabatta bread.

The choice of toppings included herbs, bacon lardons or prosciutto. I chose Kurbiskerne – roasted pumpkin seeds – adding a nutty crunch to the salty, melted cheese.

A delicious snack, washed down (of course) with another mug of Gluhwein.

The Markets are delightful to stroll around, enjoying the sights, sounds and scents of the seasonal displays, such as the gingerbread, below…

The choice of colourful ceramic decorations for the Christmas tree is bewildering…

The Austrians make it an event for the whole family, as this old, classic European fairground attraction shows. The traditional waltz music emanating from the barrel organ made for a perfect soundtrack.

I have really enjoyed my visit to the Graz Christmas Markets. Although we have had ice and snow, and the temperature has remained around freezing point, in some strange way I did not actually feel the cold – a combination of warm clothes, ample Gluhwein, simple and satisfying hot food, the festive cheer of the surroundings, and the bonhomie of family and friends.

The Raclette experience has inspired me particularly – it never occurred to me before to sprinkle roasted pumpkin seeds on melted cheese for a tasty snack, but this is something I shall try to recreate at home in the ADK kitchen, whenever I have pangs of hunger. Maybe, to get the full authentic Austrian effect, I will even turn all the heating off, don my hat, scarf and gloves, and raise a tea cup of mulled wine in salute to the citizens of Graz. Prost!

Here are Aztec Camera with Walk Out To Winter.

Categories
Drinks

Happy New Year!

Cheers! Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous new year, from my travels down under in Australia.

I spent a rather nice day between Christmas and New Year with a group of family and frends, wine tasting in the Yarra Valley. This is a major wine production region in the hills north-east of Melbourne. I mentioned this in my previous post and thought I would add a little more.

Our choice of vineyard (there are many) was Yering Farm Wines, who offer what they call guided wine tasting. Some readers may be familiar with this concept, but it was a new experience for me. The idea is that you sample 6 or 7 of their different wines, while a knowledgable member of the vineyard staff talks you through the particular qualities of each.

There is a tasting fee of 10 AUD. However, if you then buy a bottle (or two) of your favourite wine, the tasting fee is deducted from the price.

My favorite was their 2019 Chardonnay (see my main photo). The tasting notes read: Aromas of warm, toasty oak with hints of banana and peach, on the palate peach, citrus and subtle toasty oak with hints of vanilla. Silky, mid-palate balanced with gentle acidity.

To be honest, I’m not sure that I detected all of those particular nuances in the taste, but it was certainly a very pleasant glass of wine! I paired it with a meal of Tasmanian salmon (smoked, infused with chilli and ginger) with roasted veg and savoury rice, eaten al fresco (see below).

First track to be added to the ADK Playlist in 2023 is from an Australian artist I discovered for the first time recently, when he played live on local TV here. This is Morgan Evans with Over For You.



Categories
Snacks

My Australian Cheeseboard

It wouldn’t be Christmas without a decent cheeseboard. Travelling down under this year, I made a point that our choices would all be Australian-made.

Cheese here is heavily influenced by Europe. You will find versions of the most popular cheese from France, Italy and England that have been home-made in Australia. Alongside these are many small and independent producers experimenting with new styles and presentation.

You can see my selection for our Christmas Day meal in the photo above. Here are the ones that made my final cut, including further information and links to the producers, should you wish to find out more:

  • Endeavour Blue is from King Island Dairy, which is based on a small island in the Bass Strait between Tasmania and the Australian mainland. The island’s microclimate produces lush pasture, hence rich creamy milk and cheese. This blue is reminiscent of a good gorgonzola.
  • Gumleaf Smoked Cheddar from Bodalla Farm on the New South Wales coast, south of Sydney. Smoked in leaves of a gum tree, it is part of their Bush Tucker Cheese range. Thankfully, it doesn’t taste too strongly of eucalyptus, just good smoked cheddar!
  • Fresh Chevre Goat’s Cheese, dusted with ash, from Meredith Dairy in western Victoria. Ash helps balance acidity and develop a rind, while adding visual interest to your platter.
  • Brie from Udder Delights, an independent producer from Lobethal in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia.
  • Camembert, also from Udder Delights.

I also enjoyed a trip with family and friends to the Yarra Valley Dairy. Their range of goats cheeses are served as part of a sharing platter along with other delights like olives, cured meats, cornichons, home-made relishes and terrine, see my photo below.

The Yarra Valley is a major wine and cheese producing region of Victoria, in the hills north-east of Melbourne. Here is a photo I took of the vineyard and hills beyond, while stopped for some Cellar Door wine tasting at Yering Farm Wines.

A gourmet experience of rich and creamy cheese, fine wines, in a beautiful rural setting with sunny weather (it reached 37C!). All in all, a Beautiful Day. Time to add U2 to the ADK Spotify Playlist.