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Wine and Food

Alexander van Dülmen

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Freakshow, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2013

Freakshow, A „Michael David Joint“, The Strongest Man on Earth, Lodi, California, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2013, Red-wine from USA

3,5 points

I began my last review of “The Seven Deadly Zins” with this note: “Art and design are certainly a question of taste.” (The Seven Deadly Zins, 2013, Lodi Old Vine, Zinfandel) I certainly didn’t expect anyone to top that last label!  And it’s the same winemakers who have created this – let me say – impressive label. You can call them courageous or perhaps just possessing a strong instinct for kitsch. In any case: another remarkable wine label, it’s unforgettable!

Continue reading “Freakshow, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2013” →

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The Seven Deadly Zins, 2013, Lodi Old Vine, Zinfandel

The Seven Deadly Zins, 2013, Lodi Old Vine, Zinfandel, Lodi, California, Red-wine from USA

5 points

Art and design are certainly a question of taste. Once you’ve seen the label of this wine, you’ll definitely be able to find it again. Personally, I find it really ugly. From a marketing point of view, it’s quite successful — since you can be sure that everyone will recognize it the second time around. This should also apply to the name of the wine also, shouldn’t it? Isn’t it funny? No! It is not! You can read the back label about the wine and its motto. Perhaps it’s only to sell more bottles, or whatever they think encourages people to drink. In any case, the only comment I can make is this: even in America (or: particularly in America) the Catholic Church and good wine seem to have a close connection.
Continue reading “The Seven Deadly Zins, 2013, Lodi Old Vine, Zinfandel” →

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Dolphin, Restaurant, Hanalei

PlDolphin, Restaurant, Hanalei, Kauai, USA

5,5 points

Housed in one of the few older buildings in Hanalei, Dolphin is a combination of restaurant, tavern and sushi bar. Fame and legend – both expressions are connected to this fish restaurant — which feels like it’s almost at the end of the world. If all ends of the earth are as beautiful as Hanalei Bay, I would travel more. Jonathan Deckter, who strongly encouraged me to go to Dolphin, was completely right about it. It is a great place: rather easy, half open-air, since it’s never cold at Kauai – and a half-open kitchen, plus some outside seating on the surrounding grass. Continue reading “Dolphin, Restaurant, Hanalei” →

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Providence, Restaurant, Los Angeles

Providence, Restaurant, Los Angeles, USA

7 points

Simply put: this is the best restaurant I’ve encountered so far in Los Angeles. How many years have I been coming to Los Angeles and eating bad or what I’d call just decent food? Even when friends have invited me out somewhere – and of course they always mean very well – they’ve brought me to loud either show-offy event places or simply to uninspiring restaurants.

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Peters, Riesling Auslese, 2007, Martha’s Weinberg

Peters, Riesling Auslese, 2007, Martha’s Weinberg, White wine from Germany

7,5 points

Some time ago I posted two reviews about Johannes Peter’s Scharzhofberger Riesling. You can find a lot of information about the winery at: https://avdwineandfood.net/2015/05/11/peters-schwarzhofberger-riesling-spatlese-2007/ and https://avdwineandfood.net/2015/08/01/peters-scharzhofberger-riesling-spatlese-2012/.

This particular wine, Martha’s Weinberg, actually does not appear on Peter’s website. Johannes Peters writes: Continue reading “Peters, Riesling Auslese, 2007, Martha’s Weinberg” →

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Drei Sonnen, Hotel and Restaurant, Serfaus

Drei Sonnen, Hotel and Restaurant, Serfaus, Austria

2,5 points

If you don’t already know an area well, you find yourself searching online for the right places to stay and to eat. Presuming that you read my reviews regularly, you should already know that in most cases I choose hotels on the basis of good cuisine. The four-star hotel “Drei Sonnen” at Serfaus doesn’t offer only high quality but apparently also a “Kulinarium”! (http://www.dreisonnen.com/). What an amusing description. This need to always find or create new terms, like “gourmet restaurant” – another preposterous phrase – Kulinarium isn’t a real word, of course. You might think it would have its origin in Latin, but it doesn’t. Is it a place, a room, or an auditorium where you experience culinary delectability? It is a very grandiloquent notion, which of course suggests something extraordinarily special. Particularly compared to all of its neighbors; in Serfaus every second building is either a hotel, a holiday flat to rent, or a gastronomic establishment. Well, I didn’t make my choice only because of the absurd institution of  “kulinarium,” but because I got a good deal.

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Davino, 2012

Davino, 2012, Domaine Ceptura Rouge, Red wine from Romania

6 points

I once disappointed my Romanian friend and colleague Mihai when he asked me to try a Romanian Chardonnay, which I did. You can guess why he was disappointed – because I didn’t really like it. If you read my blog often you may remember the review: https://avdwineandfood.net/2015/03/08/sole-chardonnay-2014-recas.

Wine is connected with the soul of the part of the earth where it comes from. If you come from a country such as Romania, which is much less developed than the most of European countries, it is absolutely understandable that you’d want to present something unique, beautiful or extraordinary. If you take wine as the example, you’re automatically entering one of the toughest competitions. Continue reading “Davino, 2012” →

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Gourmet Restaurant Novalis, Burghotel Hardenberg

Novalis, Restaurant at Burghotel Hardenberg, Nörten-Hardenberg, Germany

5,5 points

Located some distance from any international hot-spot – unless you would call Hannover a metropolis – Nörten-Hardenberg is a provincial town, too big to call a village and too small to call a town. It lies on the western side of the mid-range mountain area Harz, and the next larger city is Göttingen. This said, the A7 highway (Autobahn) passes by here – the A7 being one of the most important connections between northern and southern Germany. Once a year, Nörten-Hardenberg comes into global focus, during the international tournament of show jumping which is held there. It was reported that one most prominent guests during last year’s event was Bruce Springsteen; his daughter apparently participated in one of the competitions.

Continue reading “Gourmet Restaurant Novalis, Burghotel Hardenberg” →

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Yabby Lake Vineyard, Chardonnay 2005

Yabby Lake Vineyard, Mornington Peninsula, Chardonnay 2005, White wine from Australia

7 points

Having never been to Australia, and not knowing very much about wines from there, it is always a real pleasure to be introduced to special or unique Australian wines. My Australian friend Grant Hill  recently presented me with a 2005 Chardonnay from Yabby Lake Vineyard, which is on the Mornington Peninsula. This is more or less 40 km north of Melbourne. If you like, you can find detailed information about the climate, soil and other wine-making factors of this area on Yabby Lake Vineyard’s website: http://www.yabbylake.com/

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Chateau Pape Clement, 1986

Chateau Pape Clement, 1986, Grand Cru Classe De Graves, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux, Red wine from France

8 points

Chateau Pape Clement, named after Pope Clement V (1305 – 1324), is one of the oldest Grands Crus de BordeClément_V_Rome_bibliothèque_Palatineaux. Clement V’s real name was Bertrand de Goth, from Bordeaux – thus the connection. You may immediately think of Chateauneuf du Pape when you first see a bottle of Chateau Pape Clement, since a pontifical insignia gilds the label, but Pape Clement is indeed another wine, belonging among the top Bordeaux wines.

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Minuty Prestige Rose, 2014, Cotes de Provence

Minuty Prestige Rose, 2014, Cotes de Provence, Rosé from France

2 points

According to online advertising, this wine should be one of best rosé wines from  Provence. The bottle’s appearance – its silver label with gold lettering on a transparent bottle – certainly fits the image and lifestyle of the Cote d’Azur. The whole image projects lightness, freshness, youth and also coolness, chicness and elitism. Continue reading “Minuty Prestige Rose, 2014, Cotes de Provence” →

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No Name Phở Kitchen at Thụy Khuê Street, Hanoi

No Name Phở Kitchen at Thụy Khuê Street, Hanoi, Vietnam

6,5 points

Isn’t it true that many times we eat easy – unfortunately often unhealthy – food (or shall I say grub) which is prepared quickly and is also inexpensive, or, let’s be honest: it’s cheap. We either don’t have time or we just don’t take the time for a real lunch. And of course most of us can’t pay tens of euros or dollars for a midday meal every day –  which shows that the quality of what and how we eat is also a social question.

I admire people who cook at home and bring their own lunch to work, since this is probably the most inexpensive and reliable solution – you know exactly what kind of ingredients were used, where you bought your meat, and so on. But perhaps many of us don’t even have time to prepare any meals at all. And let’s be honest: it’s also convenient just to make a last minute decision about what you feel like eating for lunch.

Continue reading “No Name Phở Kitchen at Thụy Khuê Street, Hanoi” →

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