August 13, 2013
The Mosel river near Trittenheim
In the picture above you will see the wine village of Leiwen (left). Further around the bend of the river (to the right) is the wine village of Trittenheim. This is basically the view of the Mosel you will get when you drive though the Hunsrueck mountains.
Trittenheim, Mosel
And this was also our first view of the Mosel when we arrived in Germany for our summer vacation this year. We were mesmerized. What a splendid view, what a splendid landscape, what a splendid river, how good to be home.
From the outset let me tell you we had a great time (only about 3 weeks), and despite our at best erratic planning and our lousy preparation, we were able to line up some unique, memorable and exquisite encounters with the wine and food world.
I intend to write in more detail about most of these encounters. But let me not be too optimistic as regards the time available for blogging.
So what were the highlights of our visit?
Well, we had the best pork-knuckle ever (!) after a two hour march through the forests near the Ammersee on our way to the monastery of Andechs, a famous location for catholic pilgrims. Bavaria is a fantastic place to visit especially if the weather gods are smiling on you, and smile they did. We had warm, at times even hot, weather during the whole time of our holidays.
Along the Mosel we visited three wineries – two along the Ruwer, one on the Sauer, both tributaries of the Mosel – and had one wine tasting in Trier city at Oechsle. Wonderful, exquisite, I can only rave about the many fresh and zesty wines we had the opportunity to sample.
The wineries we visited were:
– Fuerst Winery, Metzdorf, Sauer
– Karthaeuserhof Estate, Eitelsbach, Ruwer
– Maximin Gruenhaus C. von Schubert Winery-Estate, Mertesdorf, Ruwer
Another highlight was the visit of one of the best restaurants in the Alsace region of France. For a family lunch we went to the Auberge du Cheval Blanc in Lembach, Alsace near Wissembourg in the Vosges mountains.
Needless to say we spent many afternoon and evenings in wine bars and beer gardens, among them the wine bar Kesselstatt and the wine bar “Weinsinnig”, two of my favourite places to relax and enjoy a good glass of wine in Trier.
More soon. Stay tuned.
PS: I made some gorgeous pictures.
1 Comment | 
culture, food, food and wine, general, history and culture, vineyards, wine, wine regions, wineries | Tagged: Alsace, Ammersee, Andechs, Bavaria, food, France, French wine, German wine, Karthaeuserhof, Leiwen, Lembach, Maximin Gruenhaus, Mosel, restaurants, Riesling, Trittenheim, Vosges mountains, Weingut C. von Schubert, Weingut Fuerst, wine, Wissembourg | 
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Posted by themanfrommoselriver
July 8, 2013
‘2012 Colombard’ by Monsoon Valley
Many white wines go well with Asian cuisine, for instance my beloved Riesling, either in its dry or semi-dry incarnations.
Fortunately, Thailand has his own wines which do pair well with its cuisine. Chenin Blanc and Viognier wines from Gran Monte Winery, as well as Chenin Blanc from PB Valley come to mind.
One of my least favourite grapes, Colombard can also make a good wine to drink with spicy Asian food. Monsoon Valley Wine produces a Colombard wine (Classic Range) which I find ideal with spicy cuisine.
The grapes are produced near Hua Hin, a coastal town about 3 hours south of Bangkok. I personally have not visited the Hua Hin Hills Vineyard as yet but it is on my to-do list.
This Colombard wine is a blend made from Chenin Blanc, Colombard and Malaga Blanc grapes. It is light and fruity with some citrus aromas and fine acidity but has some residual sweetness which makes is well suited to accompany spicy dishes.
The 2012 vintage has won various bronze medals for instance at the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition in 2012, and the FBAT Wine Challenge in 2012.
Spicy prawn noodles
4 Comments | food, wine, wine regions, wineries | Tagged: Chenin Blanc, Colombard, food, Gran Monte Winery, PB Valley Khao Yai Winery, prawn noodles, restaurants, spicy asian food, Thai wine, Thai Wine Association, Thai wine industry, Viognier, viognier wines | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
June 20, 2013
Captital M
Many of you know that Capital M is one of my favourite restaurants in Beijing, China. I try to dine there at least once every visit. On my last visit, I went with my friend Brian Wallace, the owner-director of Red Gate Gallery. We had ordered a table for dinner on a mild spring evening. We both needed a treat, and a treat it turned out to be.
The wine list
I love the wine selection of Capital M, and decided on a wine from Sancerre. The ‘2008 Domaine Fouassier’ by Domaine Fouassier was a lovely Sauvignan Blanc. This was my first time that I tasted wine from this producer, and I should not regret it.
The Fouassier family is one of the oldest wine producing families in Sancerre. Today the estate covers about 56 ha, 80% planted to Sauvignon Blanc, 20% to Pint Noir.
This wine is aged in oak barrels where it remained on lees for about ten months. It displays the fine acidity, the aromas and complexity one expects from a wine from Sancerre. I loved the sound structure and the long finish.
The grapes come from old vines. The winery prides itself with its organic agricultural and bio-dynamic methods. It was a good choice and I have to look out for more wines from this producer.
2008 Domaine Fouassier, Sancerre
I urgently needed some green stuff and started with a salad with some beetroots pieces. The wine was perfect for this food pairing.
Beetroot salad
I am not someone who likes the fancy recipes. I like solid-rural, more agrarian and artisan food not the highly refined output from modern kitchens. So my choice was red meat which did not exactly match my choice in wine. Since Brian did not feel like another bottle, I stayed with the Sancerre. But I am sure some of the reds from the wine list of Capital M would have been a lovely match.
My beef fillet on potato mash
The beef was just awesome, what a great dish, what a great evening. If you want to spoil yourself, get going, book a table and enjoy a meal at Capital M. It’s worth it, trust me.
When we left and had said our good-byes, I went on a stroll on Tiananmen square which was completely deserted and void of people. I was rewarded with this view of the entrance of the forbidden city. A visit to Beijing can be quite delightful.
Leave a Comment » | food, food and wine, Restaurant Review, wine | Tagged: beef fillet, Beijing, Capital M, China, Domaine Fouassier, fancy recipes, fine dining, food, France, French wine, restaurants, Sancerre, Sauvignon Blanc, wine | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
June 14, 2013
Utrans Wines Culture Center in Beijing
I wanted to visit the 798 artists village since a very very long time but in the past had never found the time to do so. Last spring when I visited Beijing again I especially took time out for a visit tot he many art galleries in 798 Art Zone.
I was particularly interested in the On/Off exhibition at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art 尤伦斯当代艺术中心（UCCA. The Center had commissioned 50 artists and artists groups born after 1975 to express their ideas about freedom. All of them were born after the so called Cultural Revolution. All of them have grown up in a China of radical change characterized by market reforms and increased individual freedom. On/Off comes from the graphical interface of a common VPN which allows access to the internet and the outside world or not, depending on the speed of the censors and the energy of the user to find the loop.
I just loved the exhibition and the Ullens Center and was glad that I had come. Visiting galleries makes tired and hungry but luckily I found refuge in the above Utrans Wines Culture Center just across the street from the Ullens Gallery.
Utrans: Bar and tables
Some of the Christmas decoration was still hanging but the cherry tree outside was in full bloom. Spring was in the air and every body was in a boisterous mood.
At the back of the place were shelves full with various bottles of wine from various wine regions including Germany. The colours of the decoration suggested that a recent event might have showcased Italian wines. Utrans is a Xiamen based wine importer.
The dilemma of entering such a Mecca of fermented grape juice alone is that a bottle is quasi out of the question, and one has the choice among the house wines only. I settled on a French red.
The bottles revealed the following:
2010 AMBAR from Bordeaux
2010 AMBAR Grand Vin de Bordeaux, 13% which was bottled by an winery in Gironde. It was a decent house wine, more pedestrian in character but drinkable with red fruit aromas and a decent finish.When I later googled the wine I could not find any useful information.
After a while I decided that wine without food would be like sex without orgasm and I had a look at the food menu. I settled for a salad and a salmon pasta. And here as an old China hand I should have been less trusting and/or more knowledgeable. The salad was a positive surprise: the mushrooms were warm which gave the whole affair a special character. The portion was huge.
Warm mushrooms on a bed of green salad.
The pasta turned out to be Chinese noodles. The stuff was edible though, but not what the title suggested. What is al dente (?) in the case of Chinese noodles anyway; that’s a no go. The dish doesn’t look to bad in the picture I should have definitely ordered some Chinese food but not pasta. I have only myself to blame. After more than 30 years coming to China I should have known better.
My Chinese noodle dish with salmon
Would I go there again, you might ask? The answer is: absolutely.
The waitress was very friendly, the service good and the atmosphere just right.
I will come again and explore some more of the 798 Art Zone and its culinary delights.
Beijing is awesome. Have fun and explore the 798 Art Zone. It’s worth it.
Address: 798 Art Zone
Ceramic 3 St. 798 Road, 798 Art District,
4. Jiuxianqiao Road/Chaoyang District
Beijing P.O. Box 8503
朝阳区酒仙桥路4号
P.R. China
Leave a Comment » | culture, food, history and culture, wine | Tagged: 798 Art Zone, Beijing, Bordeaux, China, 艺术区, food, French wine, Gironde, grand vin de bordeaux, house wines, restaurants, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Utrans, Utrans Wines Culture Center, vin de bordeaux, wine, 尤伦斯当代艺术中心 | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
April 15, 2013
Starfish entrance
While in Beijing the other day, I was invited for a meal at Starfish Restaurant opposite the Canadian Embassy. I had been there before but my last visit was some time ago.
The restaurant
It is a very pleasant place with good service and good food. I ordered one variation of the menu of the day. This usually comes with a glass of wine.
Chinese 1421 Chardonnay
When I later asked the waitress what wine it was, I was surprised to learn that she had served me a Chinese ‘2010 Silver Chardonnay’ from 1421 Wines.
Silver Chardonnay from 1421 Wines
This Chardonnay is a very decent wine and I was pleasantly surprised (see tasting notes). I also love it when food is served with locally grown wine and not some foreign stuff.
In Thailand for instance is it very difficult to have a local wine accompanying the meal. In most places only international wines are on offer. There are some exception from this rule, some of which you can find on my blog.
4 Comments | culture, food and wine, Restaurant Review, wine, wine bars, wine regions, wineries | Tagged: 1421 Wines, Beijing, Chardonnay, China, Chinese wine, Chinese wine industry, food, international wines, restaurants, Starfish Restaurant, wine | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
April 7, 2013
My room key
This is the third and last of my Gran Monte Harvest Festival blog entries. I know that the festival was in February and now it is already April. However, visiting Gran Monte Vineyard is always a good choice regardless of the time of year.
The view from the guest house
During the harvest festival I was very lucky to stay at the Gran Monte Guest House which is just in the middle of the Gran Monte vineyards with great views.
It is wonderful to wake up in the morning, hear the birds sing and step out of the room, a room with a view so to speak and be right in the middle of things.
The wine education at Gran Monte also includes some harvesting of grapes, just a little for the feeling of it. Of course I also participated, took the secateurs and cut a couple of bunches, just for fun.
Secateurs and a little basket
Beautiful and healthy grapes
Syrah grapes ready for harvest
Anty Fung, project manager from Asian Palate in Hongkong
In my first blog entry I mentioned that I shared the bus with a couple from Hongkong. It turned out that Anty Fung was a very knowledgeable wine writer and wine promoter working at Asian Palates.
To educate Asian wine drinkers to grape wine is not an easy undertaking. Often the description of what you are going to experience when you drink a specific wine is completely intangible to non Europeans. The references are out of sync with Asian life experience so to say.
This means tasting notes have to be re-written so that Asian consumers can connect to the product. Anty is working in this exciting sector and it was a great pleasure to listen to her and her assessments.
Moreover, she was great fun.
The awesome breakfast at Gran Monte
Finally let me tell you that the breakfast at Gran Monte Family Estate is just another marvel. Look at the picture above. Would you not love to have this kind of egg dish in the morning?
You can have it. Just go and check it out at Gran Monte guest house. Stay there for a weekend and experience the uniqueness of a Thai vineyard and winery with great food and fine wines. You are also going to meet a Thai family which is very passionate about wine, viticulture and the environment of the Asoke Valley.
4 Comments | food, food and wine, vineyards, wine, wine regions, wineries | Tagged: Anty Fung, Asian Palate, Asoke Valley, Bangkok, food, Gran Monte Family Estate, Khao Yai, New Latitude Wines, restaurants, Thai wine, Thailand | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
March 25, 2013
Lutter and Wegner, Genadarmenmarkt, Berlin
In was in the middle of the afternoon. I was on my way to a meeting when I passed by the Lutter and Wegner Restaurant at the Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin. It was cold and windy. Snow covered the streets and sidewalks on this day in late March when everybody longed for spring.
Fortunately, I could not resist the temptation. I entered and asked a young waiter if I could just have a glass of wine. He nodded and I sat at a table opposite the entrance so that I had a good view of what was going on outside.
My “Prosche” of a red wine
The waiter recommended an Austrian wine, a ‘2007 Imperial’ by Schloss Halbturn, Neusiedlersee. He said that this is the “Porsche” of the reds, and I decided to give it a try.
The wine is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Blaufraenkisch and Merlot. It’s soft tannins and the delicate balance of fruit and acidity give it a exceptional elegance. It blew me away, and was indeed like a “Porsche”, fast, compact, elegant, the highest quality, just perfect.
This wine and this visit made my day. Go and check it out when you are in Berlin.
Greetings from:
Leave a Comment » | food, food and wine, Restaurant Review, wine, wine bars, wine regions | Tagged: Austria, Austrian wine, Berlin, Cabernet Franc, food, Gendarmenmarkt, German wine, Lutter&Wegner, Neusiedler See, restaurants, Weingut Schloss Halbturn | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
February 28, 2013
Virtual visit only
You might know by now that Bangkok is the capital of Asian gourmets. Thai’s are obsessed with food, they hunt for the best bargains, and constantly photograph what they were eating. Social media sites in Thailand are cluttered with pictures of dishes right before consumption. These pictures are shared with friends and family, so that everybody knows about the best food in town.
Also the wine bar scene is very lively. You can find all kinds of wine bars, at the lower price end or the high-luxury one.
The latest craze in Thonglor where I used to live, seems to be the Water Library, a wine bar cum restaurant with excellent reviews. I admit that I have not been there in person as yet. I visited “virtually”, meaning I looked at their website.
Tripadvisor rated the Water Library as 46 out of 6,862 restaurants in Bangkok, which is very impressive. Water Library has received six reviews, all rate the place as excellent.
I studied the wine list which has 19 pages in a pdf-format. The list is impressive too. Largely, it seems to be about “point-drinking”. Mr. Parker must be very happy about this. Very few wines on the list do not show the Parker rating. Prices are considerable, and I admit, way above my budget.
A ‘2007 Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Riesling Spaetlese’ by Joh. Jos. Pruem, a wine from my beloved Mosel, is an excellent drop, but 2,800 Bath or Euro 72,- is a bit much for me (the 2011 vintage sells for 19,40 in Germany).
But what I take really issue with is the fact that not a single Thai wine has made it’s way onto the list of Water Library. As an advocate of new latitude wines, I think that every place with a bit of a reputation should include some of the excellent wines produced in Thailand, on Thai soil, and by Thai vintners.
Nonetheless, I will check out the place and report back to you.
1 Comment | culture, wine, wine bars | Tagged: Bangkok, food, food in town, Joh.Jos. Pruem, Mosel, restaurants, restaurants in bangkok, Thai wine, Thailand, Thonglor, tripadvisor, Water Library, wine bar, wine bars | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
December 3, 2012
2011 Khao Yai Shiraz
On Sunday we had a bottle of the newly released ‘2011 Khao Yai Shiraz’ by PB Valley, Khao Yai, Thailand with our lunch.
This wine is from the newest collection of Khao Yai wines which was presented on November 30th to a group of wine critiques, journalists, trade representatives and marketing experts at the Great Hornbill Bistro in Bangkok.
This wine from the Sawasdee label is for easy drinking. It is fruity and dry with aromas of blackberry and a hint of chocolate, in short a wine easy to understand also for beginners.
I like if it is served slightly chilled. In the tropics “room temperature” is just a no go. Who wants to drink a red wine at 30 degrees Celsius?
I will report about the wine tasting of the newly released PB Valley wines at the Great Hornbill Bistro later this week.
Leave a Comment » | food and wine, vineyards, wine, wine regions, wineries | Tagged: Bangkok, climate, food, Khao Yai, nature, New Latitude Wines, PB Valley Winery, red wine, restaurants, Shiraz, Thai wine, Thai wine industry, Thailand, trade representatives | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
November 26, 2012
The shutters of Wang Ping Steak House when still closed
Together with my friend Jim I went to Wang Ping Steak House in 桃園 (Taoyuan) for a kind of farewell meal. The International Center Land Policy Studies and Training (ICLPST) had made a booking but we had to be there at 17.20 h already, because the place was fully booked.
Can you imagine that? Chinese gourmets seem to know what is good, and they eat early. So off we went and presented ourselves at the above time. It was a rainy day, with low hanging clouds, and it was dark when we arrived.
We had to wait a few minutes. Then we were shown to our table on the ground floor. The menu is in Chinese and in English. Straight forward so to say. We ordered in no time.
The appetizer arrangement
The salmon and mushroom arrangement was lovely and wetted our appetite. We were offered a glass of fizz, so to say, fizz with a sweet plum taste. We did not protest.
The fizzy plum drink
Both of us had ordered the mushroom soup. It came in two vessels, a soup bowl with the mushrooms lumped together like a little tower, the broth came separate. I was not quick enough to take a photo of both. The soup was good, fully flavoured, creamy and intense.
The mushroom soup
We ordered a bottle of house wine. Red was the colour we had chosen. I do not know much about French wines. When a bottle of ‘2010 Ginestet Bordeaux’ arrived, I was wondering what it would taste like.
As it turned out, Maison Ginestet is a wine trading house specializing in Bordeaux wines.
The wine was full bodied, had beautiful forest fruit aromas, and was dense with a long finish. Just the right wine with red meat, I thought. The typical Bordeaux blend is a good choice when eating beef or lamb.
Grand vin de Bordeaux
I liked the dark red colour
The sorbet
To cleanse the palate, a sorbet was offered. Again it had a plum taste. The fine acidity made sure our palates were ready for the main course.
Dried plums and plum sauce for the lamb
Jim’s main course: lamb
Beef fillet
Jim went for the lamb chops, I ordered the beef fillet. Big dishes but we were ready for it.
Chocolate dessert with ice cream
Crème brûlée in a shell
Also the desserts did not disappoint us. What a lovely way to end our farewell meal.
The service at Wang’s is very efficient. The well trained waiters and waitresses are polite and attentive. We both enjoyed the evening.
I was about to board a plane a few hours later. Jim stayed behind for another two weeks at the Centre. As always we are confident to meet again for another joint teaching engagement at ICLPST.
Chinese flower tea
Come and eat at Wang’s
PS: I highly recommend a meal at Wang’s. They have several outlets, I think.
Address:
Wang Ping Steak – Taoyuan Jhongshan Branch
No. 546, ZhongShan Road, Taoyuan
Taiwan –
Tel.:+886 – 03 – 339 1650
1 Comment | culture, food, food and wine, Restaurant Review, wine, wine regions, wineries | Tagged: Bordeaux, bordeaux wines, food, French wine, fruit aromas, Ginestet, grand vin de bordeaux, Maison Ginestet, red wine, restaurants, Taiwan, Taoyuan, vin de bordeaux, Wang Ping Steak House, Wang Steak House, wine, 桃園 | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
The Man from Mosel River 