loire

Moussamoussettes Magic

by whitney on March 12, 2013

A sequence of events…We got a new wine in the store last week that we were excited about. It was René Mosse‘s “Moussamousettes” petillant naturel rosé. We decided to open it and taste it. I proclaimed on Instagram, “Holy shit this is so fucking good.” My dear friend Dean, in town visiting from Chicago, commented “waaaant!” on that photo.  So, I bought a bottle and took it home. Yesterday, I actually met René at the Louis/Dressner tasting and drank some Vergano chinato with him. Beyond cool. That same day Dean got an awesome job offer. Time to pop that bottle and share the Moussamousettes magic! It was meant to be.

We gathered at our friend Martha’s house for some lady time. Lady time usually involves A LOT of wine and old stories about unfortunate boys and hairstyles, resulting in hysterical laughter.

I was very happy to share this wine with these ladies and they loved it as much as I do. The texture is cloudy and crunchy at the same time and the finish has just a hint of bitter spice.  It also has the most subtle, delicate perfume, like brushing up against one of the lovely Downton Abbey sisters after she’s taken a bath with rose petals and eaten a juicy peach. Or something. Did I get carried away? Maybe. I blame the Grolleau Gris. And René.

Ask Whit: Pimp Cupz

by whitney on August 26, 2012

Q: What’s your preference in wine glasses? Is there anything you love or hate?

A: I’m not too picky about glassware when it comes to wine. Is it in a shape that is conducive to getting liquid from point A (the glass) to point B (my mouth)? Great. I’ll use that. OK- maybe I’m not THAT laid back. But, when I’m out and about and at the mercy of someone else’s wine vessel of choice, I go with the flow. I’ve definitely consumed lots of wine out of clunky Ikea stems and an assortment of colored plastic cups. As well as maroon goblets and the most popular wine glass in American households- ones with winery names etched into the side that were acquired free of charge on a hazy afternoon in a tasting room somewhere.

My favorite glasses are ones that are free from flourish and are clear, as in not tinted. I don’t like trinkets or embellishment, just give me a plain glass that isn’t too heavy or thick, with stem or without.

Except sometimes, I just don’t care. Like this time:

I attended a BBQ this weekend at a friend’s parents house. You can imagine that there were mainly adult fancy things for use in the kitchen and such. When it was time to pop open the pet nat, this was our best option. It actually couldn’t have been more perfect for the wine we were drinking- Domaine La Grange Tiphaine’s Rosa, Rosé, Rosam. It’s pink, it’s flirty, it’s slightly bubbly and it could inspire a wildly successful rap song. Every time I picked up the golden glass, this song started playing in my brain…


 

And I couldn’t hate on the little gold charms adorning the stems, because it actually helped all of us idiots remember which glass was our own. As much as I really hate to admit that. Some things are just meant to be.

Porch Drinking

by whitney on August 19, 2012

This past weekend, I was able to enjoy a little evening porch hang, some guitar strumming and delicious pink stuff.

On the drinking agenda- the 2011 Breton Rosé d’Anjou “La Ritournelle” Moustillant. Bullet points: 100% Cabernet Franc, juicy watermelon and delicate strawberry fruit, subtle bubbles and sweetness and not as subtle minerality. Kinda like a little bloody/copper penny-ish, in the most non-gross way. I liked it a lot!

FYI- “La Ritournelle” is a song by French singer/songwriter Sébastien Tellier. You should have a listen! I’m pretty sure the title translates to a refrain that occurs in a piece of music. Or, you know, in life.

Quite the musical evening all around!

What’s For Sipper, Kris Yenbamroong?

by whitney on July 15, 2011

Hello everyone! Introducing Kris, the chef/owner of Talesai and the still new-ish Night + Market. Go there to get your Thai street food on. For real. Kris is one talented young dude who has a healthy appetite for hip hop, the Loire Valley, bourbon and Arianna Occhipinti. I knew we were meant to be friends.

Name: Kris Yenbamroong  Hometown: Los Angeles, CA Current location: Los Angeles

Favorite summertime beverage: Budweiser in a can, cold water or either of the following slightly chilled: Jean-Paul Brun Beaujolais, Puzelat Telquel. Also anything pink from the south of France.

Favorite cocktail or spirit: Blantons neat. But if I’m at a dance party and feeling slutty, then vodka with anything will do (that’s right, I said it!). I’m not really into crazy drinks, bow ties or waist coats.

Favorite place to grab a drink: My restaurant–at least that’s where i can most frequently be found with glass in hand. I don’t like going out, and I hate people. But if I’m forced to go anywhere: Lou‘s never let me down and if I’m not feeling so high brow, I’ll take my butt to the Mandrake and drink some tequila shots with college girls. If we’re talking Paris, Le Verre Volé is the only way to go. I’d recommend it over Le Baratin and Les Racines– just my take.

Favorite toast: “We can run more than corners, B!

Favorite post-dinner quaff: Montenegro Amaro (before, after or sometimes in place of dinner), Borges 10 yr Malmsey.

Favorite food & beverage pairing: chieng rai grilled sausage and fried chicken (both my own) with Pierre & Catherine Breton Nuits d’Ivresse.

If you could travel to one region of the world right now for its food and/or drink where would you go? Pouillé / Touraine / Loire for the notorious Laurent Saillard‘s boudin noir, no question!

 

What’s for sipper? When i finish prep for dinner service, I’ll probably hit some Beckman grenache rosé then a glass of Muhlenhof portugieser. A few hours into service and I’ll switch to Singha. For the finale, I’ll polish off a half-drunk bottle of SP68 while watching episodes of something, naturally.

It appears, Kris,  that you also like Budweiser in a bottle. And that your friend REALLY likes it. A LOT.

 

The Men & Their Horses

by whitney on November 20, 2010

Before setting out on our France adventure, I don’t think Christina or I had any idea how many horses there would be in our future. Almost every winemaker we met had at least 2. Other than their obvious majestic beauty and wise soulful eyes (I’m partial and from Kentucky), the winemakers keep them around as “farm hands.” And companions, of course, but they represent the return to a larger movement championing hand harvesting and non-machine use in the vineyard. It takes a lot more time and can be grueling work, but all of these men feel it is vital to the health of their land and their vines. And to the excellence of their wines.

I wanted to share a little pictorial of, as the title clearly suggests, the men and their horses. So, let’s get to it. Our very first stop of the trip was to see Sebastien Riffault in Sury-en-Vaux a hop, skip and a jump from  Sancerre. We took a cart ride with one of his horses, Ophelie, out to the vineyards. What a lovely, albeit brisk, way to spend a morning and see the land!

Our next horse experience, and perhaps the most amazing one, was with Olivier Cousin in the very small town of Martigné-Briand outside of Saumur. If it’s any indication of the epic-ness that was our Cousin experience-  the first night we shared with the Cousin clan ended with midnight horse rides through town to the cellar where we tasted all the new ferments, among other things. Did I mention Olivier’s son played the accordion while doing all of this? Yes- that happened.

Olivier with Kiki (right) and Romeo, my prince (left).

The next afternoon, I got to ride Romeo again bareback through Olivier’s old vine carignan vineyard. Myself, Christina and Olivier’s wonderful American apprentice Clare each had a horse and trotted side by side within the rows of vines. Bareback! On horses! Through the vineyard! The cool factor was almost making my heart explode.

Note from Christina:  What Whitney didn’t tell you is that her beloved Romeo, scared by the ‘cellar dog’, bucked her right off the horse.  I was right behind so saw her go flying.  Scary at first, but now quite funny…in a dark way.

As amazing as it all was, we had to get in our little Renault Clio and drive 9 (!) hours south to Roussillon for our final visits.

This is where Nina and the plough come in.

[click to continue…]