Neufchatel

Neufchatel is a soft cheese with white mold made from cow’s milk. It is first officially appeared in the Abbey Saint-Amand in Rouen in 1543. According to legends, during the Hundred Years’ War young girls gave the cheese to their English admirers as tokens of their affection.

Made from raw or pasteurized milk to which rennet is added, and sometimes also lactobacilli, the cheese is put in linen bags and left to drain for several hours under slight pressure. The mass is injected with chopped bloom-covered cheese and stirred until the mass is homogeneous. It is placed on wooden slats in cellars and left to mature for 10 to 14 days.

It is available in several sizes and shapes, with carre (square), bondon (cylinder), and briquette (brick) weighing 3.5 oz, double-bondon and small heart weighing 7 oz, as well as larger ones of 21oz. The rind is a white bloom, with a soft mass, creamy and slightly grainy. Mature Neufchatel has a slightly yellow mass with red spots on the rind, smelling and tasting of mushrooms. Young Neufchatel is strong and acidic, with mature ones having intense, slightly piquant flavor.

Neufchatel can be eaten fresh or mature, tasting best between August and November. Cider goes extremely well with mature Neufchatel, along with Cru Beaujolais or mature St-Emilion.

Livarot

Livarot is a soft cheese with a washed rind made from cow’s milk. The cheese was mentioned in some very old documents, with record as early as 1708. It was also known as poor man’s meat because of its flavor and nutritional values.

The curds are cut and kneaded, turned several times after shaping, then drained and sprinkled with coarse salt. It is then washed and turned three times a week during its 4-week ripening period. The rind is brushed with a red-yellow annatto tincture made from the seeds of achiote tree. It is bound with five thin strips of paper to give its distinctive shape, known as ‘the Colonel’.

Livarot is a flat cylindrical cheese with several sizes, usually 5 inches in diameter and 2 inches thick, weighing 12-18 oz. Also available as three-quarter, half and one-quarter Livarot, it has smooth, shiny, orange rind that gradually darkens. The yellow elastic mass has tiny holes. Spicy aroma, it has a strongly spicy, dry and slightly acidic aromatic flavor.

Delicious served with apples and pears, young Livarot goes well with strong white wines such as Chardonnays and well-matured red Burgundy, Gewurztraminer, or strong Pinot Gris. Mature cheese goes well with expressive white wines like Gewurztraminer and also Vendanges Tardives, a strong cider, or Calvados.

Camembert de Normandie

Camembert de Normandie is a soft cheese with a white mold rind made from raw cow’s milk. It has been around for little over 200 years, with the inventor believed to be Marie Harel from the village of Camembert in Normandy. In 1880 an engineer named Ridel invented the characteristic wooden box to hold the cheese for travel without damage. The design became famous and was copied in other soft cheese. Surprisingly, this cheese only received its AOC status in 1983.

Rennet is added to milk to make it separate, with five ladles of curds poured into molds at intervals of one hour. The cheese made this way can be called Camembert de Normandie au lait cru, moule a la louche. Dry salt is then added and left to mature at room temperature, with a tiny amount of mold to help form its typical white rind. The cheese is turned over 48 hours and must be at least 21 days old before sale. It takes about 5 pints of milk to make one Camembert.

It has a small cylindrical shape, measuring 4-5 inch in diameter and 1 inch thick, weighing about 9 oz. There is soft red marks on the fine, grooved, white-bloomed rind, with the mass being white to light yellow, soft but not runny. The heart of fresh Camembert is crumbly and flaky, but when ripe it is soft, elastic and smooth. Fresh Camembert tastes slightly acidic, but when ripe it is a little fruity.

Very ripe Camembert goes well with hearty cider or mature Calvados. Young Camembert is good with fine red wines with fruity, ripe character and understated tannin, like those from Cotes de Beaune or mature St-Emilion.

Wineshark Cooking Class - 18. Chicken Leg Country Style

Ingredients:

• Chicken leg - 4 pcs
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Plain flour - 1/2 tbsp
• Brandy - 2 tbsp
• Dry white wine - 6 oz
• Paprika ground - 2 tsp
• Whipping cream - 3 oz
• Parmesan cheese - 2 oz
• Milk - 6 oz
• Parmesan cheese - 1 oz
• Bread crumbs - 1/2 tbsp
• French mustard - 2 tsp

Procedures:

1. Marinate the chicken leg with salt for about 30 minutes.

2. Coat with flour and panfry till golden.

3. Remove the excess oil, then add brandy, white wine, paprika, milk and cheese to cook for about 10 minutes.

4. Put the chicken leg in oven tray and coat with French mustard.

5. Mix bread crumbs with cheese, then sprinkle on top of the chicken leg and put in oven till turning to golden brown.

Wineshark Cooking Class - 17. Russian Borscht

Ingredients:

• Stock - 2 lb 8 oz
• Celery - 8 oz
• Carrot - 8 oz
• Onion - 8 oz
• White cabbage - 8 oz
• Cooking oil - 2 tsp
• Green pepper - 1/2 oz
• Red chili - 2
• Beet root - 2 oz
• Bay leaf - 1
• Garlic finely - 1/2 tsp
• Tomato - 2 oz
• Tomato paste - 2 oz
• Maggi sauce - dashes
• Tomato juice - 4 oz
• Tabasco - dashes
• Salt - 1 tsp
• White thickening - 1 oz

Procedures:

1. Cut the vegetables into stripes, then sautee till soften.

2. Add the stock and other ingredients to cook for about one hour.

3. Season and then add white thickening with water.

Trip to Loire Valley and Champagne - Day 4

Today we checked out from our hotel in Chinon and went further upriver, to Vouvray and then Sancerre. Saying goodbye to the friendly owner of Agnes Sorel and leaving the comfortable room behind, we took about an hour drive before arriving at the first tasting of the day – Domaine Champalou in Vouvray.

Greeted by Catherine Champalou herself, we got to know how this estate was started. The Champalou family had been working in the Vouvray wine business for many years, with Catherine and her husband Didier both coming from winemaking families. In 1983, they decided to set up their own estate, to be free from the families to make their own organic wines.

Catherine showed us her estate inside out, and we visited the cellars where stainless steel vats, oak barrels, and gyropalette had been producing good quality white and sparkling wines, before exploring deeper into the underground where the best wines were made and stored. Returning to the tasting room, we all could not wait to try the Chenin.

There were four different wines we tried, first with the Brut Champalou, a refreshing sparkling made using traditional method. Next was the simple yet delicious Champalou, which had a very high value for money. Le Portail was a more full-bodied white showing good potential and finally we finished with the Trie de Vendange, which was sweet but balancing well with acidity to make it really heavenly! I ended up also buying a bottle of the Champalou 2013 and a Trie de Vendange 2003.

Then we moved outside to the vineyards, to enjoy the sunshine and looked at how the grapes were growing. Harvest would be started in a few week times, and the conditions in Vouvray were favorable according to Catherine. We also met Didier, who was a bit shy, and Celine, their daughter who is gradually taking up the management of the estate, before heading to Chenonceau.

Taking a short ride we arrived at Chateau de Chenonceau, the royal residence built in 1513 by Katherine Briconnay. This chateau was built on River Cher, a special and rare design, and had a long history associated with women, administered and protected by the likes of Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici. But before going for a guided tour with our own private guide, we headed to the restaurant L’orangerie inside the chateau.

Driving through the private pathway so we could directly access to the restaurant without going through the public entrance and escorted by a security guard, we were treated like special VIP. Located in the garden, the restaurant was quite busy with all the tourists but we got a good table overseeing the garden, in an air-conditioned tent under the tree shades.

The food was all beautifully rendered and tasted gorgeous, and unlike what one would expect from an ‘exclusive’ restaurant located in a tourist spot. We had a relaxing meal, and then our friendly Chinese tour guide came to pick us up. She (I forgot her name) was from Beijing and came to study in France, but would be going back home in couple of weeks.

She explained to us clearly the history of the chateau, and the stories of the various women who inhibited the property, from how Henry II offered it to his mistress Diane de Poitiers, the fight between Diane and the queen Catherine de Medici on the chateau, the ‘black room’ where Louise de Lorraine kept to herself when her husband Henry III died in an assassination, and how Louise Dupin successfully saved the chateau from destruction during the Revolution.

With all these stories as background, it helped bring in a better perspective when we toured around the chateau, and our guide also helped to open doors to balcony so we could take some ‘exclusive’ photos on the beautiful gardens outside. Spending a nice stroll around not only helped enrich our knowledge in the history, it also allowed us to do some exercise to burn all the good food and wine we had so far in the trip.

We further moved upriver afterwards, now heading for Sancerre and our last stop in the Loire Valley. Along the way there were many forests and with dusk falling there were some wild deer coming out to graze near the edge of the forest. After two hours we arrived at Sancerre, and checked into a very nice hotel Mont Damnes. Having dinner inside the hotel, we retired early after a long ride and anxiously awaiting the visit to one of the most famous names of the region tomorrow.

Chateau de Camensac

Chateau Camensac is one of the three fifth growths that is not located in the famous communes of St-Estephe, St-Julien, Pauillac or Margaux. In 1964 the estate was purchased by the Forner brothers, who had experience making wines in Rioja, owning Marques de Caceres.

With extensive replanting of 85 hectares of vineyards, renovation of winery and engagement of oenologist Emile Peynaud as consultant, the quality of wines improved. In 1990s the wines were regarded as good value once again.

Subsequently Michel Rolland took up the consultancy role, but in early 2007, Rolland and Camensac parted way. The vineyards are located on a gravelly elevation in St-Lauren-Medoc, in the Haut-Medoc appellation.

The plots are individually managed, with a planting density of 10000 vines per hectare, of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. Some natural fertilizers are used, with yield control through pruning and green harvesting.

The grapes are fermented in stainless steel vats with temperature control, with maceration of 25 days or even longer. The grand vin is Chateau Camensac, aged in 70% new oak for 20 months. Annual production is around 20000 cases, with half coming from the second wine La Closerie de Camensac.

I have recently tasted the 2010 vintage and below is my tasting note:

Appearance
Bright and clear, the wine is of deep intensity purple color, with legs.

Nose
Clean, with medium intensity aromas of black fruit such as blackberry, cassis and bilberry, sweet spice of cloves, pungent spice of licorice, oak notes of cedar, kernel notes of cocoa, MLF notes of cream. The wine is youthful.

Palate
Dry with medium acidity, the wine has medium (+) tannin, ripe and a bit dusty in texture. Medium in alcohol, it has full body with medium intensity flavors of black fruit such as blackcurrant and blackberry, oak notes of cedar, kernel notes of cocoa, pungent spice of licorice. The wine is of medium finish.

Conclusion
Good quality Haut-Medoc wine with reasonable concentration and good complexity, and showing good ripeness of black fruit, with good malolactic characters. The palate is elegant and having good structure, with fair concentration and a reasonable length on the finish. It is still too young to drink and can further develop for another 3-5 years.

Trip to Loire Valley and Champagne - Day 3

Today we went to Saumur, with the first stop at Domaine Bouvet Ladubay, a big sparkling wine producer in the area. With over eight kilometres of cellars, it is now headed by Patrice Monmousseau, the third generation of the family, with their wines winning many medals and awards in different competitions. Bouvet Ladubay did not own any vineyards but have been buying grapes from growers.

Arriving at the big property, we were led by the staff of Bouvet Ladubay to the old cellar, with the majority of production already shifting to another facility. However, we were still able to see many interesting things, from the cabinets storing all the different labels that they had created for themselves and clients, the old horse carriages and so on.

Then going down into the huge cellars, we could visualize the amount of activities happening inside, with the gigantic caves storing all the still wines before the second fermentation, the gyropalette and other machines.Not only limited to the production, there was also an artistic atmosphere with decorations on many columns highlighting the romantic nature of the people - further reinforcing the saying of wine and romance are integrated together.

Completing the tour of the cellars we went back to taste the wines, trying a total of six sparklings including Saphir, Tresor, Demi-Sec, Cremant de Loire Rose, Rubis and Grand Vin de Dessert. The wines were different from Champagne with the Chenin elements but I found it quite nice and easy-drinking. With the much lower price point it also went well for simple meals and party occasions.

I bought a bottle of Taille Princesse de Gerard Depardieu 2009, a special cuvee made in the name of the famous French actor in honor of his grandmother, who had a passion for gems. At the same time, the gift shop also offered some very nice glass stoppers and I could not help but to buy one too as a souvenir to bring back home.

With enough wine in stomach, time to find some good food. Our lunch was at Le Pot de Lapin, in a little street near the river with a friendly atmosphere. The chef Olivier Thibault had prepared delicious dishes from fresh products, with also an excellent wine list of Saumur and Saumur-Champigny.

After lunch we went to our next wine tasting, at Chateau du Hureau located in Dampierre sur Loire, a small village in Saumur. The 18th century chateau was backed by a cliff, with a troglodyte cellar. Greeted by owner Agathe Vatan, we visited the tyoglodyte cellar, looking at the intersting pigeonnier and admiring the fascinating combination of historical site with modern winemaking equipment.

There were a total of five wines we had tasted, including Foudre, a white from Chenin, three reds of Saumur-Champigny (Tuffe, Les Fevettes and W) as well as the sweet wine of Coteaux de Saumur. I was impressed by W which was made in a modern style, and thus ending up buying a bottle of W 2011 and the Coteaux de Saumur 2005.

The afternoon was essentially a free time for us, with David taking us to the village of Turquant to take a look at the tuff stone used to build all the castles, with the quarry now becoming homes to a number of craftsman. However, we were not a bunch particularly interested on those so decided to head back to Saumur to relax at a roadside cafe, after buying some local chocolate and snacks.

Returning to Turquant, we had dinner at l'Helianthe, a restaurant built in a troglodyte cave. The recipe was inspired by ancient ones of the area. Unlike the other tuff caves, we had been all the while, which were damp and dark, this restaurant gave us a cozy warm feeling. The wonderful food pairing with a local wine made our day complete and joyful, also getting us prepared to head further upriver to Sancerre tomorrow.

Trip to Loire Valley and Champagne - Day 2

Today we went to St-Nicolas de Bourgueil to begin our first wine tasting, visiting Domaine Frederic Mabileau. The Mabileau family had been working in the region since 1620, and over 300 years later, inspired by his father Jean-Paul, Frederic started to cultivate vines and make their own wines in 1988. With the rich diversity of soil, Frederic studied the different terroirs to create his own individual line of wines.

Arriving at the family estate, where Frederic's parents are still living, we were greeted by the pretty manager, and after a brief introduction to the domaine, we tasted five wines from the property, including Chenin du Puy, a Chenin from Saumur, and four other Cabernet Franc from the St-Nicolas de Bourgueil and Bourgueil AOC, each with different characters.

Les Rouilleres is a simple and easy-drinking wine where it all started. Racines is a wine from Bourgueil AOC where Frederic's grandfather planted the vines 45 years ago. Coutures, from St-Nicolas de Bourgueil, is more elegant and silky, and Eclipse is the richest of all which are not made every year. Personally I like Eclipse the most so decided to buy a bottle of the 2009 vintage.

Then we move to Ingrandes de Touraine, where we were having lunch at the fascinating restaurant of Vincent cuisinier de campagne. Vincent has the philosophy to take the fresh, local and seasonal delicacies to the taste buds, and everything is homemade, even the bread. In his garden, he grew herbs, chickens, rabbits and other vegetables which are used for the dishes.

Taking a tour around his garden and seeing all the fresh produce, we began to feel hungry but before the meal, we were also shown the caves underneath, where it used to be an excavation for stone. Returning to his house, the nice and warm decor made us all feel at home. Ordering a 1997 Chinon to pair, we all enjoyed very much the food, and I particularly enjoyed the lapin which was so tender and juicy. I would also rate this as the best meal we had in this whole trip.

Feeling a bit hyper having a hearty meal and good wine, we proceeded to the next destination - Chateau de Villandry. It is a the last great castles of the Loire built during the Renaissance. The architecture may not be particularly impressive, but the charm comes from the amazing gardens, making this one of the jewels of the UNESCO Heritage.

There are seven special gardens in Villandry, with the Ornamental Garden showing different patterns, the Woods providing a beautiful panorama over the gardens, the Water Garden centred around a large pond, the Sun Garden with oranges and yellows, the Maze offering lovely hide-and-seek in the hedge, the Herb Garden devoted to aromatic and cooking, as well as the Vegetable Garden creating the impression of a chessboard.

With some good exercise walking around the enormous garden and under the bright sunshine, we all felt a bit thirsty so we moved to our next tasting - Domaine Pierre Sourdais. Located in Cravant-les-Coteaux, we drove through a forest before emerging in this small village. Greeted by Pierre himself, we had a short tour of his chai, getting a glimpse of his artistic side with each big barrels having an engraving of a character in his daughter's name along with a step in the viticulture.

However, it was nothing compared with what we were shown next. Going down into his underground 'museum', which he took over 30 years to build, the path was built to illustrate the word 'PS'. The centre of the cellar leads in four directions, referring to the four elements, and there are also different art pieces demonstrating how Pierre's life is interweaved with wine. We all could clearly feel the passion, and how he wanted to make this his life's project.

Taking a lift up to his tower we had a good view of the vineyards, then going back to the tasting room and started sampling the wines, which are all organic and made from Cabernet Franc. We had a rare white made from the variety, Les Cornuelles, and then a sparkling rose Tan a Bulles from the traditional method.

For the reds, Tradition is a fruity varietal demonstrating typical characters, Reserve Stanislas which are made from old vines and Les Boulais with the vines growing on silex soil. Unlike my friends I drank all the wines and not spitting any, prompting Pierre to make a joke to give me more wines, but from the spitton! We all had a good laugh and I also bought a Les Boulais 2010 to take back home.

Leaving the interesting Pierre, we drove back to our hotel in Chinon to take a brief rest before dinner, at the nearby Les Annees 30. A famous gastronomy restaurant in town, it provides a very comfortable atmosphere, and with the equally delicious food, we had a great evening, further gaining more weight, and concluded our second day of the trip.