Sunday, April 15, 2018

Les Vignerons Parisiens & La Confiture Parisienne

by Paige Donner

For a double-whammy on #localfoodandwine bliss, stop by Paris' only urban winery on rue de Turbigo in the 2nd arrondissement, Les Vignerons Parisiens, to pick up the jamglee du vin rouge download

that they inspired the ladies behind Confiture Parisiennes to make in their honor: wine jelly!

8i7a8987

 

gelee nuits saint georges downloadThese limited edition jams and jellies are made with wine grapes as their base and they perfectly with crackers and cheese and, yep!, dainty (or not so dainty) sips of wine.

An urban winery is a tried-and-true concept in familiar wine regions in the U.S. such as Napa, Santa Ynez and Willammette Valley - but folks here in Paris are still getting used to the concept. But Les Vignerons Parisiens is one of the most inviting chais I have ever visited here in France, and that it's just a few minutes walk from my office makes it even better!

un-employe-des-vignerons-parisiens-a-l-oeuvre-a-paris-le-19-octobre-2016_5734223

So if you're visiting the city and are hankering to get that wine experience in, but have limited time, Les Vignerons is the next best thing to a visit out to Bordeaux or Burgundy. The vinification tanks are on premise and they'll even tour you around the premises, explaining how the wine is made. Finish this all off with a tasting of their red and white wines - coupled now by the divine Confiture Parisienne limited release of wine grape jellies.

#localfoodandwine never tasted so good - in Paris!


Paris Food And Wine logo 
ParisFoodAndWine.net @parisfoodwine

Listen to Paris GOOD food + wine on :

stitcher-300x110

tunein-radio-pro-e28093-live-radio-16-3-apk

itunes-logo5

soundcloud

All photos  copyright 2018  Paige Donner  FoodWine.photography

iTunes – Paris GOODfood+wine / 

Media Engagements, speaking, photo permissions and collaborations: contact PaigeDonner.info


Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Cuvées Sakanti Bali & Kilti Haiti Valrhona Chocolat

by Paige Donner

Can chocolate have cuvées, like fine wines do? That is the premise on which these two new fine chocolate releases are based upon by the Valrhona team of expert chocolate makers.

Valrhona is based in the Tain l'Hermitage region of central France. Most people don't realize it but the likes of famous chocolatiers (Patrick Roger for example) and patissiers (Pierre Hermé for example) source as much as 140 tons of Valrhona chocolate - per year! - for their masterful creations.

Championed by Frédéric Bau, the Chef Patissier and Creative Director of Valrhona chocolates, each year the famed house sources different specific locally grown cacao that has exceptional aromatic qualities. This year those two "cuvées" have been sourced from Haiti and Bali. The initiative was born in 2008 and falls under the name of Cuvées de Sourceur Valrhona. The cacao that is sourced is grown in exceptional terroir, a singular history and rare aromatic qualities.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpU49DnSYHo

Cuvée Sakanti Bali 68%

This year we are delighted by the Cuvée Sakanti Bali 68% that exhibits Fruity and Chocolate-y qualities.  To best experience the aromatic character of this chocolate, close your eyes, open the packet of chocolate and inhale the bananas flambé and roasted caramel scents.

The cooperative in Bali which produces this cacao was discovered by accident in 2013 by Valrhona's 'sourcing expert,' Julien Desmedt. Sakanti means 'glittering' in Balinese and this cacao has an uplifting acidity marked by its fruity notes, followed by intense chocolate with subtle bitter notes.

Fruit associations of this chocolate cuvée:  Banana, grapefruit, mango; Spice notes: frensh coriander  Aromas:  cognac, acacia honey  Dried fruits/nuts: Almonds, pine nuts, mint.

The optimal use of this chocolate is for chocolate bars.

Cuvée Kilti Haiti 66% Fresh and Balanced

The notes here are a beautiful vanilla and wonderful acid balance. Valrhona's engagement with Haiti began in 2010. It was then that they decided to pioneer a project of 38 hectares of quality-grown cacao where the house piloted a regeneration of agroforestry which is based on bio-diversity even on the same parcel of land which allows, too, for more diversification of revenue for the producers.

The word 'Kilti' means 'culture' in Haitian. Often when we think of Haiti we think of images of climactic catastrophe. But there is a lot of richness to be discovered in this land, notably too its cacao.

The tasting notes of Kilti Haiti are a light acidity on first taste, which then yield to beautiful classic chocolate notes with hints of roasted dried fruits and nuts on a base of persistent sweet-bitter.  NOTES: red fruits, pear, citronnelle; Aromas: baked cookies, ginger; SPICES: coffee, vanilla.

Best uses: chocolate bar, chocolate creams and ganache.

For an extra delightful experience, try pairing these chocolates with a range of deep, rich red wines and even other beverages such as saké, beer, tea and sparkling varietal grape juice.

***

For more information about this and other Paris GOOD food + wine episodes please see  Local Food And Wine     https://localfoodandwine.wordpress.com as well as iTunes.

All music used is free of rights and royalty-free. Show Intro/ Outro Jazzy Paris background courtesy of BenSound Music.
This episode has been generously brought to you by Paris Food And Wine @ParisFoodWine http://parisfoodandwine.net and also Bordeaux Food & Wine @bordeauxfoodvin http://bordeauxfoodandwine.com

To contact Paige for hosting and speaking engagements and for media collaborations: http://Paigedonner.info

Paris Food And Wine logo 1024 x 500

More Info @ParisFoodWine
Instagram @PaigeFoodWine

Listen to Paris GOOD food + wine on :

stitcher-300x110

tunein-radio-pro-e28093-live-radio-16-3-apk

itunes-logo5

 


Saturday, April 7, 2018

Episode 36: 2017 Bordeaux, Chef Sylvestre Wahid & Boneshaker Doughnuts Paris

by Paige Donner

Episode 36 Paris GOODfood+wine

For our April in Paris Goodfood+wine show, we take you this month to the city's first freshmade doughnut shop, Boneshaker Doughnuts; we bring you with us on a tête-a-tête with a 3rd generation Bordeaux château wine expert who tells us about her 2017s just in time for En Primeur; And, lastly, but most certainly not least, you join me for a sit-down with Chef Sylvestre Wahid, the 2-star Michelin chef whose 10-table dining room called Restaurant Sylvestre on rue St. Dominique, offers truly luxury dining and spares no detail in the service, the setting or the cuisine.







photos by Paige Donner, more on FoodWine.photography

So relax, kick up your feet, pour yourself a glass of whatever is tugging at your taste buds this minute, and join us for yet another episode of Paris GOODfood+wine where we introduce you to some of France's finest wine and food entrepreneurs and experts.

chateau de parenchere 2017 cropped IMG_6037IMG_6039

photos by Paige Donner, more on FoodWine.photography

We'll begin the show with Julia Gazaniol whose grandfather purchased Château de Parenchère in 1958. For most wine estates in Bordeaux, 2017 was an especially difficult year, climatically speaking. Many estates lost anywhere from 50 – 80% of their grapes due to late frosts. It was the smallest Bordeaux harvest since 1945. However, as Julia will explain to us in greater detail, the quality remains quite good..

Fresh-baked Paris Doughnuts by Boneshaker Doughnuts on rue d'Aboukir Paris 75002

Boneshaker Bacon Doughnut for Paris GOODfood+wine

 

 

ALL MUSIC FREE OF RIGHTS COURTESY FREESOUNDTRACKMUSIC.COM Joerg Schnitzler Kepler 62 System AND GROOVY PARIS JAZZ BY BENSOUNDMUSIC.COM FOR SHOW INTRO AND OUTRO.
TO CONTACT PAIGE DONNER FOR SPEAKING/HOSTING/PRODUCING PAIGEDONNER.INFO
FOR MORE INFO ABOUT PARIS GOODFOOD+WINE AND A COMPLETE SHOW LINEUP GO TO LOCALFOODANDWINE.WORDPRESS.COM
AND OUR WEBSITE PARISFOODANDWINE.NET
INSTAGRAM @PAIGEFOODWINE TWITTER @PARISFOODWINE

Listen to Paris GOOD food + wine on :

stitcher-300x110

tunein-radio-pro-e28093-live-radio-16-3-apk

itunes-logo5

soundcloud

All photos (where noted) copyright 2018  Paige Donner  FoodWine.photography

iTunes – Paris GOODfood+wine / 

Media Engagements, speaking and collaborations: contact PaigeDonner.info