Wine Club Newsletter - April 2023
Noma and the Decline of Fine Dining?
The article below addresses the decline of Ultra-Fine Dining establishments around the world. It seems difficult to conceive how a restaurant that charges a person $400-1,000 each for a meal cannot survive. This, on top of not paying their staff either at all or with a meager wage.
You have heard many people say that being in the restaurant business is tough.
Well, it has been especially challenging in the last few years. We have had some eye-opening issues: a global pandemic in COVID, resultant multiple lockdowns, inflation, threat of a recession, a diminishing work force that command higher wages, an affecting war, and supply chain issues.
And as you know, our rent doubled here making our existing footprint not sustainable. It took months, but we were able to make the necessary adjustments to our space, without costing us too much time and money.
We are grateful to be here serving you, and thank you so much for being a part of our passion and dreams in the culinary arts..
Gary Parker
Noma and the Decline of Fine Dining(?)
World’s best restaurant no longer ‘sustainable’ as gastronomy industry faces reckoning
The world’s best restaurant is to close its doors at the end of next year after its star chef and co-owner said it was too hard to make ends meet.
The three-Michelin-starred Noma, which opened in Copenhagen in 2003, “helped to define a genre of ultra-high-end, locally foraged, and culinarily groundbreaking cuisine”, said Condé Nast Traveler, serving up dishes such as Moldy Egg Tart and Reindeer Heart Tartare.
It has been named among the best restaurants in the world several times, taking the number-one spot in the list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2021. The shock of Noma’s impending closure has prompted debate over the long-term future of fine dining.
Despite a seemingly endless stream of eager customers booking months in advance and willing to pay more than £600 per person for a tasting menu, Noma chef René Redzepi said it was becoming too hard to make ends meet because of the “unsustainable” economics at the top end of gastronomy.
“We have to rethink the industry,” the 45-year-old told The New York Times. “This is simply too hard, and we must work in a different way…It’s unsustainable. Financially and emotionally, as an employer and as a human being, it just doesn’t work.”
“Across the internet, critics, celebrity chefs, and fans have expressed a mixture of sadness and reverence, along with a healthy dose of skepticism,” said Condé Nast Traveler. News of Noma’s closure comes just months after the restaurant began paying its interns, known as stagiaires or stages in the industry, following an exposé by the Financial Times which revealed that around 30 people were working unpaid shifts of up to 16-hour days.
According to The New York Times the practice of paying interns has added $50,000 in monthly operating expenses to the restaurant’s budget, essentially making it financially unviable.
In place of a restaurant serving customers, Noma will instead “become a full-time food laboratory, developing new dishes and products for its e-commerce operation, Noma Projects, and the dining rooms will be open only for periodic pop-ups”, said the paper, with Redzepi’s role becoming “something closer to chief creative officer than chef”.
‘Seedy underbelly of first-class eating’
The shock announcement is “certain to make tables at Noma even more sought after”, said The Telegraph, “but it has also drawn attention to the seedy underbelly of first-class eating, which is often built on unpaid or cheap labor”.
“Behind the decorative verbiage there is an awkward reality”, said The Times: “the business model behind parts of the luxury dining industry is hard to sustain”.
“Noma is not the first to buckle under financial pressure,” added the paper. El Bulli in Catalonia, the former holder of “the world’s best restaurant” title, folded in 2011. In 2018 two-Michelin starred Restaurant André in Singapore followed suit and then last month Manresa, among the highest-rated in Silicon Valley, also closed, with its proprietor David Kinch saying the entire trade was at a crossroads and staff could no longer be subjected to the “back-breaking” work that had become the norm.
“None of this is to say there won’t be room for fine dining in the future – but it will have to be newly realized if it hopes to succeed,” said the food website. “And to reassess the model, giants like Noma and Alinea first must fall so that the industry can start from scratch, building something sustainable in their wake.”
...
Cheers!
Gary Parker, Owner
The WineSellar & Brasserie
2021 Rose’, Henri Gaillard Cotes de Provence
Growing Region Provence Region, France
Varietal Composition Grenache, Syrah, Cinsaut, Carignan Mourvedre, Tibouren
Fermentation Stainless Steel Tanks
Alcohol Content 13%
Suggested Retail $19.00
WineSellar Club Price $16.19
Broad Strokes: 92 Points Wine Spectrum
Henri Gaillard was the best wine broker in the Côtes de Provence area for the company Crus et Domaines de France. He was very well-known among the wine-growers, with whom he would wander up and down among the vines seeking the best parcels, and they had great respect for his committed involvement in the Provence wine-producing world. As a descendent of an old Languedoc family, he is considered a pioneer in this region which was quite neglected until recently. Always attentive to what the professionals had to say, he resurrected many old grape varieties, such as the Tibouren for example.
Appearance:
I enjoy the simply stated and proudly forward use and presentation of the name Henri Gaillard. Evidently, he was loved by many. The back label perfectly describes my experience with his wine. Pale copper color, clean and clear.
Nose:
An engaging and surprisingly deep aroma is quite enticing. Fresh strawberry and raspberry fruits when notes of bright red cherry. Becoming even more deep and generous, look for peach and vanilla scents as well.
Texture:
Medium in body, perhaps a tad lighter than that. A very nice line of firm acid helps balance the generous fruit on the palate. Feeling fresh and vibrant, clean, juicy, and active in the mouth. Finish is also lean and clean.
Flavors:
This is a wine you don’t want to finish to fast or while it is too cold. You will miss the surprise this complex, unassuming wine has in store for you. Ripe strawberry, raspberry and rhubarb are forward. Baking spice also come out, nutmeg, cardamom, and some white pepper foil against the fresh orange/citrusy acid.
Serving Suggestions:
This wine is very versatile. It can be used for an aperitif, while cooking, on picnics, with salads, chicken on the grill, cheese tray. Enjoy!
2021 Sculpterra, Pinot Noir
Growing Region Paso Robles, California
Varietal Composition 100% Pinot Noir
Fermentation 14 Months Barrel Fermentation
Alcohol Content 14.5%
Suggested Retail $40.00
WineSellar Club Price $31.49
Broad Strokes:
From the Winery: Dr. Warren Frankel, his wife Kathy and their three children moved to Paso Robles from the San Fernando Valley in 1979 with a vision for a simpler life. The Frankel family first planted 20 acres of pistachios on the ranch, followed by 20 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. After initial success with both plantings, Dr. Frankel expanded the vineyard operation in 1997 with more Cabernet Sauvignon, 10 acres of Zinfandel and 10 acres of Merlot.
With the potential for a tasting room and winery that could showcase the estate vineyard fruit and become a destination for wine and art aficionados, Dr. Frankel broke ground on the winery in 2006 and opened for business in October 2007. Sculpterra now features a fine portfolio of ultra-premium wines, fine art and a multi-million-dollar sculpture garden that greet our guests and make for a memorable wine tasting experience.
Appearance:
Sculpterra wines labels are ALWAYS distinctive and creative pieces of art, and this 2021 Pinot Noir is no exception. The wine has a perfect hue of red apple skin. It is clear and brilliant looking.
Nose:
The red fruit aromatics jump a couple inches above the glass, and are rich with spice, laden dollops of fresh cherries and hint of clove and smoke and tar. Forest floor and herbs, autumn leaves, cherry/berry fruit and notes of blueberry.
Texture:
Structure, balance, finesse. Medium in weight and body. The entry is clean and fresh, the gorgeous fruit has a well-melded line of acid. It belies its nearly 14.5% alcohol, feeling perfectly weighted, holding a smooth elegance and grace. Finish is crisp due to its youth.
Flavors:
Freshness, almost like cherry Kool-Aid or cherry lozenge. This brightness is edged by some earthy tobacco and spicy herb nuances. Nice touch of vanilla oak, with an especially enticing honey walnut character. Blueberry, baking dough, pie crust, biscuit black tea, black pepper and clove.
Serving Suggestions:
Winery predicts 2026 to reach its peak. Why not save a few bottles for a couple years.
2020 Chateau de Villegeorge, L’Etoile de Villegeorge
Growing Region Haut-Medoc, Bordeaux, France
Varietal Composition 50% Each Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon
Fermentation Stainless Steel Tanks
Alcohol Content 12.5%
Suggested Retail $35.00
WineSellar Club Price $22.49
Broad Strokes:
From the Winery: Les Vignobles. Marie-Laure Lurton
All About Family
On completing her degree in winemaking and oenology in 1984, Marie-Laure Lurton was employed by her father, Lucien Lurton, at his wine estates in the Medoc. In 1986 she took on the wine production management with her brother, Henri. In 1992, when the family’s châteaux were being passed down to the next generation, the young oenologist inherited Château de Villegeorge and Château La Tour de Bessan. Supported by a strong, competent team at every stage of production, this Medoc Marathon runner creates elegant and balanced wines that express the character of their vintage.
Appearance:
Nice touch with the ballerina on the label. The font for L’Etoile loses the word, which is not an easy one for US Citizens. (L’Etoile means “The Star”). The wine has a black opaque core, becoming a hard garnet at the rim of the glass.
Nose:
A tight but intriguing nose of dark berry, cherries, roasted nuts, black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom. Freshly strapped leather, smoke also light up the senses on this deep, brooding monster.
Texture:
The fruit on the entry is ripe and full, held in check with chewy acids and tannins. Smooth, yet firm. I am giving it an additional 15 minutes to lose the cranberry edge, then becoming long in the palate, with a strong, persistent finish.
Flavors:
Very ripe plum, blackberry, tobacco hit us first. Very Bordeaux like, somewhat reserved yet still quietly expressive with the ripe plum and blackberry. Enter white pepper, baking spices (nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon) and that lovely fresh strapped leather essence. The long finish shows excellent potential for cellaring.
Serving Suggestions:
If you are going to drink this wine in 2023, make sure you give it proper airing, at least an hour, decant if you are comfortable with that. Cellar for 10 years otherwise.
2021 Unico Zelo Pastafarian
Growing Region Clare Valley & Adelaide Hills, S. Australia
Varietal Composition 44% Nebbiolo, 39% Sangiovese, 13% Merlot, 4% Nero d’Avola
Fermentation Aged in Slovenian Oak
Alcohol Content 14%
Suggested Retail $38.00
WineSellar Club Price $29.69
Broad Strokes: 90 James Suckling
From the Winery: Being winemakers, we're two people incredibly passionate about the soil and produce we have in Australia. It's our intent to showcase products to the rest of the world that embrace Australian native ingredients and pay homage to the indigenous custodianship who maintained the land for thousands of years.
It's this passion that has driven us to start two wine labels, one that protects our farmers and another that protects our future. We've since taken these concepts and with our distillery, applewood - catapulted it into the horticultural realm - studying indigenous produce, it's beneficial effects on our land and the stories it can tell through incredible colours, flavours, and textures.
We seek Australian identity in the products we craft and the services we offer. We seek ways to communicate this with an entirely new demographic.
Our hope is that these Australian stories can one-day be heard on a global scale.
Brendan, Laura & Truffles
Appearance:
Quite a unique label and concept. It does look like pasta and meatballs. And I appreciate the humorous tongue in cheek references they provide us. You should Google the winery and check out their story. Fun, too long for this page. The wine has a lovely garnet robe.
Nose:
Interesting aromatics: notes of wood bark (but not wood per se) are wound in the nose perfectly. “Tar & Roses” is sometimes used to describe Italian varietals, and this hits it on the head. Crushed herbs, menthol, basil, cherry, cough drops.
Texture:
Linear palate soon yields to an expanding fruit. A touch of silk and satin fits the middle palate well, while still showing some restraint. The finish is perfect for matching pasta dishes. Charming mouthful, to be sure!
Flavors:
The lovely cherry fruit entry is edged by notes of wood, vanilla, black pepper, basil, and a touch of cola/Dr. Pepper. Metal shavings, iron, mineral provide unique flavor profile.
Serving Suggestions:
I mean, come on, you have to have this with pasta, right?!!?
2019 Pomerol Reserve St. Jacques, Calvet
Growing Region Pomerol, Bordeaux, France
Varietal Composition 100% Merlot
Fermentation Stainless Steel tanks
Alcohol Content 13.5%
Suggested Retail $50.00
WineSellar Club Price $44.99
Broad Strokes:
From the Producer: Jean-Marie Calvet has a passion for wine, it was his destiny. Born in 1799 in a small village near Tain l’Hemitage, he grew up there, in one of the most significant French wine area: the Rhône valley.
During his childhood, he gave very often a hand to his father, Pierre Calvet, in the family-owned vineyards instead of playing with boys of his age. He confirmed his passion for wine at the age of 19 when he decided to set up the Calvet Company and travelled through France to learn from each wine area and to become an uncontested wine expert.
Well-known brand of reference for its quality, constancy and reliability, Calvet’s signature is appreciated in more than 110 countries.
Appearance:
I smile with knowing confidence when I see a wine with the name “Calvet” on it. My experience with Calvet goes back decades, and I very much trust I am going to get my money’s worth. Good-looking wine packaging, all the way to the “C” on top of the foil cover. The liquid has an attractive ruby-garnet coloring at the core, bleeding out to nearly clear on the glass edge.
Nose:
Killer blackberry styled fruit, with black and red raspberry essence providing us with a dense, but not jammy nose. Smoke, juniper berry, vanilla and a tight twist of fresh herbs are followed by cinnamon, perhaps some nutmeg as well.
Texture:
Medium to medium full in body and weight. Immediate entry has a subtle edge of tannins and youthful acidity. Expanding in the mid-palate, it is obvious the wine has a long future ahead of it. Balanced, and aching for the home wine cellar.
Flavors:
Black cherry, black raspberry and blueberry fruits are dense and gorgeous. The wine continues to open up its flavor wheel. Pie dough, pie crust. Graphite and lead pencil. Fresh herbs, long, persistent finish.
Serving Suggestions:
Do yourself a favor and drop six of these into your collection for ten years.
2020 Sette Pointi, Poggio al Lupo, Maremma IGT
Growing Region Maremma, Tuscany, Italy
Varietal Composition 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Fermentation 18 Months in New French Oak
Alcohol Content 14.5%
Suggested Retail $69.00
WineSellar Club Price $58.99
Broad Strokes: 94 Points James Suckling
Located in the Maremma region of Tuscany, Poggio al Lupo is a great estate that spans 115 acres (35 which are planted). In 1999, Antonio Moretti purchased the property for its beautiful coastal terroir that features pockets of soil rich in clay and others rich in gravel and fine stones.
The principal Poggio al Lupo vineyard is a southerly hillside vineyard rising 330 feet above sea level. Grapes were hand harvested and during fermentation, the wine macerated for 25 days, followed by malolactic fermentation. The wine aged 18 months in 100% new French Allier barriques and 6 months in the bottle before release.
Appearance:
Very nice label design and overall packaging. I wish there was more contrast in the font and logo, meaning darker print. The wine has a stunning visual featuring a deep ruby red color that stays full all the way to the rim of the glass.
Nose:
Cola/root beer notes are detected from this deep, luxuriant, aromatic jewel. Intense and extracted. Sumptuous wood notes over dark berry fruit, earthen dark soil, and copious amounts of vanilla oak and spice. Bravo!
Texture:
Opulent entry, with rich (but not jammy), well-rounded fruit. A dairy/creamy full body texture is edged (just to make it SO harmonious) by subtle, silky tannins and lasting, vibrant acids. Spectacular mouthfeel overall.
Flavors:
Very dark berry fruits, blackberry, blueberry, and Marion berry with dark cherries. Good touch of vanilla oak, chocolate, cappuccino, and roasted nuts (black walnuts dominate the nuts). Cola and root beer from the nose make presence, as well as the dark earthen soil. Based on the smoothness, the mouthfeel, the overall character of this wine, it is nearly inconceivable that his wine is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s just GLORIOUS!
Serving Suggestions:
Who doesn’t want to drink this all the time? I do, for sure. Pretty much any foods or events for this wine, but I would lean toward prime rib, subtle pastas, or sipping on its own.
Polish Creamy Dill Pickle Soup
(Zupa Ogórkowa)
This recipe was suggested to our club members by long time a long-time club member herself, Denise Carabet. She loved the recipe, and though I haven’t had the time to experiment with the dish, I find it very intriguing, Hope you do as well.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, halved and sliced
- 4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 4 large garlic dill pickles (about 3 cups chopped)
- 2/3 cup pickle juice (or water)
- 4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sour cream
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Sugar, to taste, optional
- Chopped fresh dill, garnish
- Hearty rye bread, for serving
Method:
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Melt butter in a large pot. Sauté the onion until translucent, about 3 minutes.
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Add broth, pickles, pickle juice, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes
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In a small bowl, blend flour with sour cream.
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Temper the sour cream mixture by whisking in a little hot soup, so it does not curdle.
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Pour tempered sour cream back into the hot soup, whisking constantly, until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
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Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and optional sugar.
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At this point, the soup can be left chunky or puréed to the velvety consistency of vichyssoise.
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Serve in heated bowls garnished with optional chopped fresh dill and accompanied by hearty rye bread.