Dear Diary,

Dear Diary,

I have been focusing my blogging on my findings in wine regions and I thought I would do a Dear Diary entry with some venting. You know, to give a personal touch to the blog:)

My first answer if anyone were to ask me, 'how's it going?' would be - I'm tired!!!! I think it was towards the end of my time in Alsace I was starting to feel the mental drain of travel and fatigue followed. I thought back to how long I have been living out of a suitcase and it has been since June 3rd. Shocker and no wonder I'm drained! I went to visit my friends in Zurich for 5 nights and I think I went outside their house a total of 3 times and never for longer than 3 or 4 hours. It was still busy with laundry, blogging, helping to earn my keep around the house, the kids and just spending time with everyone.

What has been the most stressful part of my journey is renting manual cars. Grrrrr...(that's a noise that I make with the clutch, haha). I have rented cars in Alsace and now in NE Italy. There is no other option to get around so I have to deal with it. In Alsace it caused me so much stress I would dream about driving some nights and wake up with a neck so stiff it hurt to turn my head. One day I thought I killed the battery and the nice man at Hugel winery was arranging for me to get a jump from one of the employees cars. Turns out the steering wheel was locked and I just had to giggle it a little. Embarrasment! Another time in needed a 'knight in shining automobile skills armour' when I was looking for my hotel in Colmar. I was relieved to see the hotel sign so I turned into the first right which lead into a parking garage with a gate at the bottom. The problem? The gate didn't open AND I was stuck on an 80% slope and panicked at the thought of going in reverse and rolling forward into the gate. I took a deep breath and gave it a shot - then I stalled. I got out, went into the hotel lobby where there were 3 couples waiting and a 4th couple came in behind me. I'm sure I had an anxious look on my face. I decided to put myself in the middle of the lobby and ask "does anyone speak English?" No response other than the others looking at me like I was crazy...hum. So I talked directly to the couple that came in behind me. He did speak English and I explained that I just needs some help with my car. The girlfriend gave the nod to release him. Long story short, he successfully drove the car in reverse up the slope after 2 tries himself! Phew!!!

After getting some down time in Zurich I took an early morning train to Milan which takes 4 hours. This is amazing; on a Sunday in Zurich they have a train going to Milan every 2 hours. I arrive in Milan and take the shuttle bus to the airport to pick up my next rental car, manual of course. This one has a GPS...but only in Italian...from Zurich to my destination in the heart of the Dolomite mountains, it took me 11 hours. On the Autostrada heading north I found myself in a corridor of the Alps which are magnificent! Then it was time to head west to Marilleva and then got a glimpse into Alpine driving. Stress!!! My advice, go slow, pull over for others to pass and DON'T look over the guard rail! This day rattled me. My hotel ended up being much farther away from where I thought (due to the roads) and had to re-plan my week. The reason I chose this location is it is right in the middle of the 2 wine regions I wanted to visit: Valtellina and Trentino Alto-Adige. After my long travel day I parked the car, did some computer work and took a challenging 4 hour hike (some photos below). It's all working out in the end, and I have successfully managed a terrifying 2+ hour drive to the Valtellina wine region and back, west of where I'm staying.

A number of people have been asking how my beau Chis is doing in London. Right now he is doing fantastic, but that wasn't always the case. He started his job in the kitchen at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay a few weeks ago. After 3 days of working 16-18 hours a day he was ready to vacate. He gave notice and the chef asked him to stay and offered time off when I came to visit. So, he decided to stay. To sum up, after 2 weeks of his deteriorating health, not thinking clearly from lack of sleep and the terms that were agreed upon were not fulfilled, he walked. He always had a back up plan in mind and that is working as a freelance chef. He made the call to a company on Monday and he was working the very next day. The beauty is he has his own schedule and can work as much as he wants. London is a hub of events, entertainment and it never stops. There is no shortage of work and so far (I know it's only been 2 days) he is loving it!

As far as jobs for myself in London go, I have applied as a Footman (butler in training) at Buckingham Palace and I have a PR firm that works with wine events sending my resume out for me. While I was in Zurich I had the time to fill out my UK Visa application. I got to the end and they asked for $1,300 US just to process it!!! Heck no! So I'm rethinking what I will do. I'm only planning on being there a year so I'm hoping I can find a way to be self employed. I am consulting my tax advisor aka, Dad (wink;). But if Buckingham did call back I would drop the coin in a heart beat. I have images of working a Coronation banquet in my head, LOL. When I am in London next week a classmate of mine will be in town for 2 tasting events and he is hoping to get me in with him. My resume will be in hand along with my networking skills:)

Thank you for listening to my Dear Diary entry. Below is a photo of me while I write this. The Dolomites really are incredible and I'm thankful I got to see them. In conclusion, I'm safe, healthy but I worry of scurvy as there only seems to be cheese, bresola and speck to eat....but not to worry, I found a salad today.

Hugel and Trimbach

These are two wineries that were at the top of my list to visit and the first appointment that I made. Why? The have a large importance in the international market, exporting over 90%. These brands would come up every now and again during my course as 'study wines'.

What they have in common is they were both established in the 1600's and still to this day family members of the Trimbach's and Hugel's are owners and operators!!

Let's start with a bit about Trimbach. The are located in picturesque Ribeauville, Alsace. Like many other wineries they own multiple parcels of vineyards in a multiple number of villages (50 parcels and 7 villages = 44ha). Their crown jewel is the 'Clos Sainte Hune'. Anne Trimbach hosted my tasting and she represents the 13th generation. She was able to talk about the linage and significant contributions her great-great grandfather had made to the business. As for myself, I have no clue what my great-great grandfather did or even his name.
Their wines are broken down into the Classics, the Reserve, Reserve Personnelle including Cuvee Frederic Emile and Clos St Hune. I am going to quote the Trimbach Style from the Producer Profile that was given to me: "...dry, sometimes steely, even a touch austere", "lean, precise", worthy of gastronomy.....and personally I couldn't agree more.

Hugel is located in the village of Riquewihr and their tiers of wines are as follows: Classic, Tradition, Jubilee, Hommage a Jean Hugel and then the sweeter styles VT (Vendage Tardive) and SGN (Selection de Grains Noble). I had my tasting with a member of the Hugel family and also had a tour of the winery with their export manager David. David took me around first and he commented about this fully functional winery in the middle of a medieval village. I never stopped to think about how difficult it must be to bring in your grapes with the traffic time and vehicle size restrictions. Plus it is a heritage building so you can't do anything to widen your bay doors or paint the windows etc......What an eye opener! It was an entertaining and informative tour featuring barrels over 150 years old! I very much enjoyed their wines and the assistance I got from my tasting host during my false alarm car troubles!
They provide a nice brochure with food and wine pairings with Asian cuisine. There is a complimenting relationship with spice and Alsacian wines with a bit of body and residual sugar. Thought I could share with you the following suggestions:
Indonesian and Malaysian Cuisines - Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Gewurztraminer VT
Thai Cuisine - Gewurztraminer VT. For seafood - Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris
Coconut Milk based desserts - Gewurztraminer VT, Gewurztraminer SGN
Japanese Cuisine, sushi, sashimi - aromatic Gentil (blend of grapes) and Riesling. Tempuras - Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris
Indian Cuisine - Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris

Now I'm hungry....and thirsty!

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I love wine glasses.....of course!

Here we have some Alsacian wine glasses. The one on the right is the traditional style with the green stem. The one on the left is the Sommelier glass.....I had to pick one of these up, just hope it doesn't break on the way home!

More Biodynamic wineries in Alsace

I visited an additional two family operated biodynamic wineries other than Domaine Weinbach: Albert Mann and Barmes Beucher both located in Wettolsheim. I had wonderful and and welcoming hosts. Often I would think that my visits would last 90 minutes and I would try 6 or 8 wines.....not the case! Time flies by when your having fun and my gracious hosts encourage me to try any and all of the wines in their large portfolios.

Wineries in Alsace, including these two own vineyards all over the region. For example, Barmes Beucher owns 56 hectares in 9 villages are broken into 56 different parcels. This is why you will see names like 'Rosenberg' or 'Hengst' or 'Pfersigberg' on labels. Its a lot to stay up on, but it give the wine a place of identity and personality and will reflect the eclectic soils of the region. (eg. marl with sandstone and limestone, or sand and clay)

Barmes Beucher is going through a label change, so be prepared to see something new in the future. They surround their winery and themselves with positive people, therefore giving positive energy to the wines. When I left, my spirits were high after experiencing that energy.

Here are some bottle shots and photos of the wineries.

Domaine Weinbach, Kaysersberg, Alsace

Domaine Weinbach was the first winery I visited on my tour of Alsace. It is just outside the center of the village Kaysersberg which is worth a visit but bring a 2 euro coin for the parking. (I had to go run and buy a 30cent postcard and paid with a 5euro bill....the lady was not happy with me).

The Domaine is run by a mother and two sisters, Colette, Catherine and Laurence Faller. Established in 1612 by Capuchin monks who worked the land cultivating grapes and making wine. In 1898 the Domaine was acquired by the Faller brothers, has stayed in the family ever since and make a number of cuvees with the names of family members, including the father Theo.

If you read my post about the the Alsace wine region you may remember that a number of producers practice biodynamic farming and winemaking. I would like to take a shot at describing the basics of Biodynamics.

Biodynamics is possible in Alsace because of their warm and dry climate. The primary principle in the vineyard is to work the soil to it best potential so the vine can get as close to its natural environment and produce aromatically complex grapes and wines. Pesticides are forbidden so how do you get the best possible soil and fruit? Through the use of products made from vegetal, animal and mineral origins (eg. nettle, willow, camomile, manure, silica). These products are applied according to the sun and moon cycles. This is labour intensive work and the grapes must be picked by hand. In the winery grapes go through a gentle pressing, long fermentation's with natural yeasts therefore creating pure and natural wines. What is really cool is after you open a bottle, it will keep for 8 days!

Now for some winery and bottle shots, with a photo of my dinner that night: Alsacian classic, Chocroute Garnie:)

Well a girls gotta eat right????

When one visits Alsace the have to be ready to take in not only the wine, but the food! I enjoyed two Michelin ranked restaurants while I was there, Le Crocodile in Strasbourg and Rendez-vous de Chasse in Colmar. Wine and food pairing is one of the most important skills a Sommelier possesses. I owe it to myself to see what creative offerings these reputable establishments have to offer.

Here is a photo album of some of the dishes and the wines. Some pretty cool ones like the Vendage Tardive from 1983 and the Pauillac from 1976!

The Le Crocodile menu was a Summer Truffle Theme. So if there wasn't shaved truffles in the dish the sauce had a truffle component...even the dessert!

STRASBOURG
 Le Menu - Le Crocodile

Ceviche bar, Summer vegetable tartare and socca, candied lime vinaigrette, truffle caviar   
Saumur Brut Rose, Cuvee 'Taille Princesse' Bouvet Ladubay, NV

Filet of turbot, zucchini flower riviera, fennel and truffle emulsion
Riesling Reserve, Kuentz Bas a Husseren les Chateaux, 1981

Saddle of lamb in a dress, quilted fields truffles, creamy artichoke 
Chateau Batailley, Pauillac, 1976

 













Panna cotta with apricot and white tea, creamy truffle yogurt and goat cheese ice  
Gewurztraminer Vendage Tardive, Dopff Irion a Riquewihr, 1983 

COLMAR
Le Menu -  Rendez-vous de Chasse (note: no wine producers mentioned....just too tired as it as my last day....). I remember my aperitif was a Cremant d'Alsace from Paul Beucher

Sardine with tomato, spices, avocado, and balsamic sauce 
Paired with a dry Riesling

Sea Bream with chorizo and zucchini
Two pairings, both from Alsace: Pinot Noir and a Pinot Gris with a touch of residual sugar. I preferred the Pinot Gris. It had the weight and body to match the dish and the acidity and sugar freshened the palate

 











Chocolate Mousse with raspberry milk foam flavoured with anise 
Cremant d'Alsace Rose....brilliant!