Latest news with #LoireValley
The Herald
14-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald
Happy Drink Chenin Day and cheers to SA's world recognised cellarmaster
It's international Drink Chenin Day on Saturday, so why not celebrate what is fast becoming a flag bearer for the quality and versatility of SA winemaking with a local winemaker recognised as one of the world's best 100 winemakers? Spier in Stellenbosch makes numerous variations of chenin blanc from this 'nimble grape', and two of these earned cellarmaster Johan Jordaan a place as one of only three South Africans in the 2025 Master Winemaker 100 list by influential industry magazine The Drinks Business. Jordaan was also named the Global Chenin Blanc Master Winemaker, having earned Master medals for both Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2022 and Spier Good Natured Chenin Blanc 2023. This is the highest accolade in the annual series of global Masters competitions, each focused on a specific varietal or wine style. The Loire Valley in France is the historic home of chenin blanc, making world-renowned wines, so both Spier and the SA wine industry can be justifiably proud that we claimed four out of the six Master medals awarded, two of them for Spier, while France managed just one despite dominating the overall awards table. Chenin blanc is the most widely planted grape in SA, with the earliest records of it in local vineyards dating back to 1655. It was long known as the 'workhorse grape' for its vigorous growth and high yields, making it the backbone of generic 'dry white' blends and the base wine for distilling brandy. It has come into its own over the last decade or so, its versatility producing sparkling and dessert wines, easy drinking fruity dry wines, and the premium wines that have put SA chenin on the world stage — often wooded, or in innovative blends, and especially those made from sought-after old vines. SA has become known for its pioneering Old Vine Project, which seeks to preserve heritage vineyards and certifies those 35 years and older, a large proportion of them chenin, heralded for their lower yields, intense flavour concentration and the balance of freshness and complexity in the wines. Jordaan says 'chenin is a wine built in layers from vineyard to bottle', and it's those layers of complex flavours you'll find in the Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2022 (±R300 in local retail), made from certified old vines planted in 1983. Jordaan says he thinks of this as a single varietal wine made like a blend — the grapes picked in five different parcels, for different ripeness levels, and then fermented in different sizes of French oak barrels, for varying levels of oak influence that can be blended for the final wine, then matured for up to 12 months in barrel. The wine balances youthful freshness with luscious complexity and texture, clean fruit purity in its peaches and pears, layered with deeper dried fruit and citrus rind flavours, woven with light spiciness and fresh acidity. Beautifully drinkable now, Jordaan says the nuanced flavours will develop further with ageing up to 10 years. With its luscious body and texture, tempered by fresh acidity, it's a white wine that works well with rich flavours such as pork belly with crispy caramelised crackling, duck breast with honey and spices, or a subtle curry. Spier's other Master medal went to the Good Natured Chenin Blanc 2023 (±R100), from the estate's organic range — also from older vines up to 15 years old, in vineyards managed to international organic certification standards, with bees, bugs, birds and cover crops acting as nature's pest and weed control and fertiliser. A super, easy everyday drinking wine, with abundant citrus, apple and stone fruit aromas moving into juicy exotic flavours of lychee and pineapple, fresh and zesty with a bright finish. Enjoy it solo or with fish and chips, Thai-style noodles or an avo and smoked chicken or smoked salmon salad. Happy Chenin Day!
South China Morning Post
13-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
Seeing red: the humble tomato's fascinating story, from organic gardens in France and Thailand to Michelin-starred restaurants the world over – and ketchup's roots as a fish sauce from southern China
Every summer, chef Guillaume Galliot receives a special delivery from 10,000 kilometres away – organically grown tomatoes from his mother Myriam Deschamps' garden in Tours, in France's Loire Valley. He takes the juicy, sweet tomatoes and celebrates the fruit at Caprice, the three-Michelin-star French restaurant at the Four Seasons Hong Kong. 'When we started nine years ago, we got the tomatoes in mid-July, but with climate change, we now get them in August,' Galliot observes. His mother grows more than 30 varieties – including German Gold, Charlie's Green, Oxheart and Pineapple – not in a greenhouse, but in an open field. She starts growing the tomato seedlings in her home in March, transplanting them into the garden at the end of May, with ripening occurring in July or August. Caprice in Hong Kong uses tomatoes grown by chef Guillaume Galliot's mother in France. Photo: Handout Advertisement The French chef says the harvest yields some tomatoes that are sweet, others that are delicate and juicy, and yet others that are dry, in colours ranging from red to yellow and even white. 'Every year we create new tomato dishes for lunch and dinner at Caprice,' explains Galliot. 'We start working on the recipes in June with tomatoes from France or Japan because the season is short – about two, two and months.' Resulting dishes include strawberry panna cotta with tomato water, and Parmesan tart with fresh tomatoes. Galliot says that tomatoes damaged in transit are made into a concassé, which sees the fruit deseeded, peeled and added to lobster bisque. Galliot grew up eating tomates farcies, or baked stuffed tomatoes, prepared by his mother and paternal grandfather, who grew tomatoes in his garden. Tomatoes from France's Loire Valley, used in a dish at Caprice. Photo: Handout The tomatoes are hollowed out before being stuffed with ground pork seasoned with parsley, breadcrumbs and the tomato flesh, then baked and served with rice. 'The juice from the tomato is very flavourful,' says Galliot of the rustic dish. Tomatoes are a good source of vitamins C and K, potassium and folate, and are rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that helps reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. The fruit contains the antioxidant chlorogenic acid, which can lower blood pressure, and the skin has the flavonoid naringenin, which can help decrease inflammation.
Forbes
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Superb Napa Valley Cabernet Wine Made By Famous Winemaker Is A Hidden Gem
Napa Valley vineyard at sunrise A château in the Loire Valley When pieced together, fragments of the beginning of a life give a picture of where one's place is in the world when there is a pattern of what brings joy. The tapestry of smells from walking the streets of Chinatown, startled halfway down the basement stairs by the popping of corks ejecting from grandpa's homemade wine, excitement flooding the brain after tasting a top Bordeaux wine for the first time, being surrounded by the surreal enchantment of the Loire Valley, in France, by driving around the historic towns on a moped, taking in the most exquisite châteaux on the planet…. Such a life of snippets from childhood to young adulthood shows the initial foundation of a journey driven by great wine and fantastic food, shared in an atmosphere of generosity and wonderment. Yet this is not just one life but two, a married couple lucky enough to meet early in life, merging their paths in the mid-1980s with a combined mission to devote their lives to bringing such moments that were pivotal to them in their youth to the wider world. Larry and MaryAnn Tsai Today, this husband and wife, Larry and MaryAnn Tsai, are making a stunning Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon as a wine producer under the name Moone Tsai Wines. One of the most acclaimed wine consultants worldwide, Philippe Melka, is making their wines. Since they produce a tiny amount and have a great relationship with Philippe, he is able to be their full-time winemaker, which is unheard of as Philippe typically works in an advising capacity for most wineries. Yes, it is incredible that MaryAnn and Larry have a winemaker who has won several 100-point scores, worked for some of the most famous producers in the world and is truly a master blender of various vineyards when it comes to creating a harmonious wine, but he is a also a wonderful person who has become a good friend which is just as important to them. Chinatown in New York City MaryAnn and Larry may have each had a different childhood than the other, as one is Italian American and the other Chinese American; one lived in Boston, the other in Long Island, NY; one studied abroad in France and the other worked at a local Long Island restaurant getting the chance to taste ultra-premium wines; yet at the core of their cultural values laid a commitment to centering one's life around tasting amazing things with family and friends. As a first-generation Chinese American, Larry was introduced to Asian flavors and aromas from an early age. However, growing up on Long Island gave him plenty of opportunities to expand into other cultural sensorial experiences, and further travel just intensified his deep desire to build a life on such olfactory pleasures. MaryAnn grew up in Boston in an Italian American home. As a child, she witnessed the miraculous process of making wine from her grandfather, albeit as a hobby, yet it was a hobby that brought so much joy to her grandfather's life. MaryAnn would not only get to study abroad in France, but she would fulfill a rare dream as a middle-class Italian American and get her MBA at Harvard while Larry had already received his MBA from Stanford. While they were living in New York City as a married couple, they decided to take the plunge to move to "The Golden State." MaryAnn could pursue her dream by working in the wine business and Larry would delve into food and beverages since MaryAnn loved the European way of life that was rooted in wine and Larry fell in love with California when he attended Stanford. However, both would initially have to go down the corporate route, despite their dreams of entrepreneurship, as, unlike today, that seemed impossible, and the corporate route was the only way for MBAs. Napa Valley vineyards during sunrise as the fog rolls in While Larry was working with gourmet food and coffee, MaryAnn started working for Beringer in 1989. At the time, the Swiss company Nestlé owned Beringer and wanted to increase their portfolio by purchasing ultra-premium wineries as well as increasing their vineyard holdings in Sonoma County and Napa Valley. Ten years after MaryAnn started, Beringer had accumulated an extra 750 acres in the Sonoma and Napa Valley areas, and MaryAnn was a key part of acquiring such valuable vineyards. Along the way, she gained incredible knowledge about where the best sites are situated, especially those plots that suited her personal preference for elegance, freshness and balance. During her time at Beringer, they were awarded three #1 slots on Wine Spectator's "Wine of the Year" list. Larry and MaryAnn Tsai There were many moments, although brief, that connected to the joy of MaryAnn and Larry's childhoods while they were working for Fortune 500 companies: that surprising addictive aroma, a gorgeous texture, talking to those who crafted such delectable delights and learning about the process, yet schedules and pace were unrelenting and there was never time to savor the experiences truly. But after a time, as they found a few moments to take deep breaths and reflect on their lives, which included raising two lovely daughters, those fragmented memories of their early years came flooding back, but this time, the memories were more vivid and powerful; the message was clear, they needed to open their own winery, and Moone Tsai Wines was born in 2003. Their first wine was a Cabernet Sauvignon, and they have always been a believer in mainly sourcing from vineyards that would make complex, layered wines balanced by vibrant freshness and incredible texture. Together with Philippe Melka and his 30 years of relationships with Napa Valley vineyard growers, they were able to find plots that would accomplish such a goal. Today, they work with 12 different growers, have around eight separate wines in their portfolio with a few limited releases from time to time and have grown from initially making 180 to 3,000 cases – although still tiny, and hence, keeps their goal of wanting to make each bottle a forever memory that will bring a touch of magic to the lives of their customers possible. MaryAnn and Larry Tsai Two people living parallel lives driven by the smells, tastes and how such sensations formed uplifting bonds and the most significant bond is when MaryAnn and Larry found each other. Their combined mission has been to live an exuberant life with other wine and food lovers and make it a way of life that they would pass down to their daughters as well as inspire others to live. Every journey starts with the incredible discoveries of those things that thrill and mystify. Then, as an adult, the road seems to be filled overnight with learning, experiences and lots of responsibility, until finally, one gets to the point where they can finally achieve the goal that they have carried in their hearts all that time… a goal that surrenders to the idea that one's time is precious. As it is easy to toil one's life away without ever experiencing true joy. But it is never too late, never too late to find that bottle of wine that will pulse through the weary body of someone who has worked the grind too long, pulse like a shot of electricity, opening a whole new world of wonderment. Moone Tsai, Hillside Blend, Howell Mountain and "Cor Leonis" Cabernet Sauvignon MaryAnn and Larry decided to expand into making Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from some of the top vineyards in prestigious California regions, such as the Russian River Valley and Sta. Rita Hills, allowing Philippe Melka to employ his remarkable skills in crafting wines outside of Bordeaux varieties. Moone Tsai, Paige Cuvée, Chardonnay and Corinne Cuvée, Pinot Noir 2022 Moone Tsai, Paige Cuvée, Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California: 100% Chardonnay from the renowned Ritchie Vineyard. Named after their oldest daughter, Paige. A bright nose with lovely aromas of citrus blossom and stony minerality with lemon curd flavors highlighted by candied kumquat with a sustained finish, leaving the saline notes from the ocean in one's head. 2022 Moone Tsai, Corinne Cuvée, Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills, California: 100% Pinot Noir from the Our Lady of Guadalupe Vineyard. Sta. Rita Hills is an incredible place for Pinot Noir as the top sites, such as this one, get an ideal amount of ripeness while achieving mouthwatering acidity due to the fierce winds in the area. This wine is named after their youngest daughter, Corinne. The generosity of a gorgeous bouquet is enthralling on this wine, with blossoming jasmine and rose petals intermixed with star anise with silky tannins caressing the palate with multilayered fruit and an extended length of flavor on the finish. Even though Philippe and Moone Tsai have made their name on Cabernet, this Pinot Noir can certainly go head to head with some of the best in Sta. Rita Hills. Moone Tsai, Hillside Blend, Howell Mountain and "Cor Leonis" Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 Moone Tsai, Hillside Blend, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, California: 63% Cabernet Sauvignon and 37% Merlot from the hillside of Howell Mountain around 2,100 feet above the fog line. It is a wine that slowly beckons as it reveals itself with each sip and the juicy cassis flavors are an ideal counterpart for the broad tannins that allow one to sink their teeth into a wine that has an intense sense of place with notes of smoldering earth and crushed rocks with a long, spicy finish. 2021 Moone Tsai "Cor Leonis" Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from vineyards located in the Napa sub-regions of Pritchard Hill, Coombsville and St. Helena, which shows the great blending talents of Philippe Melka. The name "Cor Leonis" translates to "heart of the lion," and this outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon represents the pinnacle of excellence that Moone Tsai has achieved with only 300 cases made; hence, it is on allocation. The aromas astonish with exciting notes of forest floor after a refreshing rainfall with wild sage and crushed volcanic rock balanced by blackberry coulis, cocoa nibs and cherry tart flavors and a buxom body with curves in all the right places and it is simply a showstopper that combines a big wow factor with an overall harmonious finesse that is extremely impressive.
Irish Times
24-05-2025
- Irish Times
John Wilson: Loire white wines made for warm-weather drinking
As summer kicks in, I start to salivate for the fresh, light wines of the Loire Valley. The river Loire is the longest in France , more than 1,000km from start to finish. Vines flourish alongside a cornucopia of other fruit and vegetables. Recently I listened with envy to a friend who was about to head there by car and ferry to take in the fantastic castles, excellent local food and great wines. The Loire Valley is a fantastic source of white wines, with something to suit every taste, from racy aromatic sauvignon blanc and saline Muscadet to richer, complex, age-worthy chenin blanc. All, including the sweet wines, bring a lightness and freshness that seems to shout summer. There are red wines and rosés too, but today I focus on the whites. The Loire is the original home of sauvignon blanc and produces some of the finest examples, less exuberant than those from Marlborough, but every bit as good. The best-known names are Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. Both are 100 per cent sauvignon, and these are some great wines, although better-value sauvignon can often be found in the nearby Quincy, Menetou-Salon, and the larger region of Touraine or the all-encompassing Val de Loire. I have always had a soft spot for Savennières, made from chenin blanc. It goes perfectly with poached salmon and hollandaise. Regulars will know that I am a big fan of Muscadet. Muscadet de Sèvre & Maine is superior to plain Muscadet. The best villages are entitled to use their own name, such as Clisson, Goulaine and Vallet. READ MORE Val de Loire Sauvignon Blanc 2023 Val de Loire Sauvignon Blanc 2023 11.5%, €9.49 Subtle aromas with soft pear fruits and a rounded finish. With summer salads or by itself. From Lidl Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2023, Les Corbillières Domaine Barbou Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2023, Les Corbillières Domaine Barbou 12.5%, €17.25 Clean citrus with plenty of satisfying plump green fruits and a nice richness. A great all-purpose summer wine, with or without food. Try it with a goat's cheese salad or crab cakes. From Wines Direct, Mullingar, Athlone and Clos Joubert Muscadet de Sèvre & Maine sur lie 2023 Domaine Haut-Févrie Clos Joubert Muscadet de Sèvre & Maine sur lie 2023 Domaine Haut-Févrie 12%, €24.50 Fresh cool clean green fruits, with a touch of spice and a fine mineral edge. The classic combination would be oysters or mussels, but it would also go with most seafood and summer salads. From Delgany Cottage, Greystones; Lilith, D7; BaRossa, D4 Savennières Champ de la Hutte, Château de Chamboureau 2022, Chenin Blanc, Organic Savennières Champ de la Hutte, Château de Chamboureau 2022, Chenin Blanc, Organic 12.5%, €27 Cool crystalline fruits with a lively acidity and a touch of honey. A wine that grows on you with every sip. Try it with poached or grilled salmon, prawn salad or some asparagus. From Whelehans,
The Guardian
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
A moment that changed me: I thought I'd never fit in in rural France – until a revelation at the boulangerie
I was standing in the long queue of a rural French boulangerie when it happened. The sun was just coming up and the glorious smell of freshly baked baguette filled the dawn air. I drank it in and shuffled forward, awaiting my turn, aware I was getting 'looks' – and it wasn't difficult to see why. I had driven all night from performing at a comedy gig in London to get to my home in the Loire valley, and I was still in my work clothes. My stage wear included a check tweed Edwardian frock coat with matching weskit, navy blue dress trousers, brogue monk shoes, a smart Oxford-collared shirt and a knitted blue tie, slightly loosened. Under normal circumstances, I would not invade my local boulangerie dressed as a cross between a late 60s dandy and a roaring 20s duellist, but it had been a long drive, and I was too tired to tone it down. Plus, I had never really fit in locally anyway. We had moved there about 10 years earlier, in 2005 – a catastrophic decision, according to my agent, but a happy one for me, my wife and our then four-year-old son; the pace of life was less frenetic and we felt less hemmed in. And, as I often said only half-jokingly, it was the closest place to London we could afford to buy a house. Things had gone pretty well: my wife, being half-French and fluent, was working locally as a teacher, and my son had picked up the language more quickly than I can change a car tyre. We had two more children and I was … well, I was doing OK. In truth, I was finding it hard. My French, at the time, was barely passable and spoken with a Michael Caine accent in what I have come to call 'frockney'. But that was only part of the problem. Although I desperately wanted to melt into the background, my Englishness felt painfully in contrast with the sheer Frenchness of the vine-growing, goat-farming bucolia where I now lived. No matter what I did, I always felt as if I stood out a mile. Initially I had seen my mod stagewear as a defence at comedy gigs, a suit of armour for the laconic performance. It was only as I became more experienced and my stage act began to more closely reflect my real personality that I realised it wasn't armour – it was me. I had seen how the locals regarded the second-home-owning Parisians who flock to the Loire valley at the weekends in their expensive 4x4s and their too-new wellington boots, and I felt in danger of being seen the same way: a diffident interloper, not one of us. In the end, I rarely went out. I became clumsily mute, dreading any interaction with neighbours and acquaintances. The social minefield of how many cheek kisses were acceptable left me a gibbering wreck. But standing in the boulangerie queue, looking like I'd just flown in from a Mod Weekender crossed with a Doctor Who convention, proved to be my salvation. Despite my exhaustion, my clothing gave me the kind of stage confidence I only usually had in front of a paying audience. I greeted everyone warmly, hearty 'bonjours' all around; I laughed off the cheek-kissing when I got it wrong, ordered my baguettes and croissants and strode out. I didn't realise it at the time, but I had made my mark. I became known locally as Monsieur So British – an affectionate moniker which, ironically, meant I started to feel more at home. Mods call it peacocking – dress up, feel good, parade – and, gradually, I started to do it more often. Part of the reason I'd been hiding away, I realised, was my own misguided stubbornness. Mod clothes are part of my identity and to dilute that look to fit in had felt wrong. So for much of the last decade, I had compromised my look, and peacocked indoors. Standing in line to order my baguette, I realised I needn't have bothered. The rural French, I have learned, rarely do formal wear themselves – but they do love to see the British dress up. I have since attended local funerals where only the undertakers and I have been wearing suits – though mine is high-collared, eight-buttoned, double-breasted, and my tie is never loosened. On Armistice Day, a public holiday here, with street parades, it's typically just me and those in uniform who abstain from casual attire. I wore a pair of two-tone, basket-weave loafers on one of these parades to the local cenotaph and a high-ranking officer from the local airbase said how pleased he was to see an Englishman joining the commemorations. 'How did you know I was English?' I asked in my frockney accent. He chuckled and pointed at my shoes. C'est La Vie by Ian Moore is out now (£7.99; Summersdale)
