drink seco issue no. 2
St. Emilion, the castle, the wineries, market days, the end of summer, cocktail recipes, and a sticky bun recipe.
A visit to St. Emilion
This week Kate and I took a roadtrip to Bordeaux, home of beautiful wine, canalé, entrecôte à la Bordelaise, and cèpes de Bordeaux. The crossroads of Basque country, Toulouse, Dordogne, and all the added benefits from being a port city from the Atlantic Ocean (yes, I’m talking oysters). But perhaps most important, is the world-famous vineyards and a winemaking history that dates back to the ancient Romans!
We had originally planned for a long weekend stay in the Loire Valley with a quick night in Bordeaux, but had a last-minute change of plans to feel less rushed! We stayed in the gorgeous medieval village and UNESCO town of St Emilion, the heart of this history and wine country.
Fit For Princesses
Kate and I immersed ourselves in the town and history by staying in a little castle!... or, more or less, a converted windmill. (I think perspective is always important). In many ways, it was as magical as it sounds, very Rapunzel-esque… Though, instead of a witch trapping us in the castle, we had Solange, the nicest French woman you could ever meet (single-handedly destroying the stereotypes of rude French people held in the American imagination). So beautiful! She met us there at 8:00 PM with dinner and the assumption we did not get to eat yet. She was oh-so-correct. She pulled many snacks out of her car and upon learning of my trade, was quick to share the wine her family makes (and has been making for 5 generations). It was 100% Merlot, which is extremely rare in Bordeaux as most wines are blends. The neatest part about drinking this wine was simultaneously drinking it outside our windmill/castle which happened to be in her vineyard.
She did, however, make us drink wine from a glass that she hung from her walnut tree. She spoke for a decent 10 minutes about how the walnut tree was actually the best tree to hand this glass from as other trees are either too weak, or their branches are too small. It was a very shall we say… unique way of drinking wine. Her claims and I'll paraphrase, were that you could smell the aromas more. I gave it a shot, but I'm not so sure. If anyone wants to explain the reasoning behind it, I’m all ears! The closest I’ve gotten has been from my favorite new Australian who compared it to the ‘teen drinking ritual’ of drinking wine from a Goon bag on a Hills Hoist… Possibly the most un-French, and furthest comparison you could get. Sometimes it’s better not to ask…
Anyway, thankfully, no one had to throw their hair down from the castle over the course of our stay but where we were saved on that front- we suffered on another. The castle did contain a touch of black mold as it was built in the 1500s.
For these views though, I’ll let it slide.
Je ne regrette rien!'
Some Recommendations
Two of the larger estates (châteaus) that we visited (shown here) were actually wonderful quick stops. I can't recommend visiting wineries enough to folks looking to learn more about the craft and the practice. Below is Château Soutard (a Grand Cru Classé Saint-Emilion) and above is Château de Pressac (also a Grand Cru Classé - Saint-Émilion). For these two Châteaus, we were able to stop in without a reservation, which was important as this trip was very unplanned!
Château Coutet
My favorite winery visit was that of Château Coutet. We happened to be the luckiest people alive when we stumbled to St Emilion during harvest season. Even more cool was stumbling into Coutet as they were processing their grapes *by hand.* Music that can best be described as 'my early 20S in Mallorca' was blasting from some unfound speakers as tipsy tourists and tipsy town folk alike moved crates of grapes from the horse-driven carriage to the table. Their violet-stained hands were clumsily, but steadily separating the grapes from their stems, all in preparation to be crushed by the force of gravity and fermented. In all my years loving, learning, and teaching wine, I've never been in the right place at the right time to see the harvest, so this was a real treat for me.
On the History
While St Emilion only accounts for about 5% of Bordeaux, it produces 2.4 million cases of wine per year alone! Moreover, with over 800 different producers there is plenty to explore (and more importantly taste). Drink your way through your time in St Emilion... your liver can recover later.
St Emilion actually established the first wine trading union between producers in 1884!
There are four subregions of St Emilion known as the ‘St Emilion satellites’:
Lussac St Emilion (produces mainly Merlot)
Montagne St Emilion (also produces Merlot but more medium-bodied)
Puisseguin St Emilion (produces high quality ageable wines)
Saint George St Emilion (the smallest subregion which produces softer wines)
To begin to understand St Emilion wine you first need to understand the three distinct terroirs.
The limestone plateau (Perfect for merlot and Cabernet Franc and probably where the best wines in St Emilion are from)
The slops (As the name suggests, hills with sand and clay which produce complex and dense wine)
The flats (At the bottom of the hills, rich in clay, produce round elegant wines)
These terroirs produce the dominant grapes of the region; Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The beauty of limestone is that it offers good drainage whilst soaking up and retaining water in wet months, releasing it when it’s drier!
Similarly, clay soils (produced from degraded limestone) have many important nutrients and chemical compounds. All important for good wine!
Generally, the wines from the sandy soils produce lighter, fruitier wines whilst those from the limestone and clay soils produce richer and deeper wines.
Whilst this is super interesting for wine nerds like me, you don’t need to understand all of this to enjoy good wine!
Alternatively, as we’re on the topic of rich wine history in St Emilion, I recently learned about the slightly secretive Brotherhood of Jurade. The oldest wine society (history back to 1199), with 140 ‘Jurates’ but over 3000 members worldwide, including, apparently, many celebrities, an international society of wine enthusiasts and professionals. We just missed the 3rd Sunday of September where they proclaim the start of harvest and parade the town in these red gowns. During their spring celebration, they also induct new members and conduct celebrations and the 3rd of June marks their ‘Judgment of Harvest’. Definitely worth a trip back to see!
Market Day
Of course, with any good wine, you need some good food! A general travel rule of thumb and something that’s as instinctive to any chef as checking the weather or local travel guide might be to the rest of us, Farmer’s Markets. One of the best ways to learn about a place, meet locals, get inspired, and of course, eat delicious fresh food from the region.
And nowhere do they do farmer’s markets like in France, an almost religious institution unique to every town, frequented with the same devotion. The heart and soul of a community. A general tip: follow the local oldies and where they shop… they always know best.
Leaving Bordeaux we hit a huge Farmer’s Market with no surprise delicious food, although to be honest the smaller country town of St Emilion was more our jam.
After a bit of traffic getting into the city center, we landed at Marché des Capucins.
We got to sit at a lovely bar and throw back some viscously briny oysters and a bottle of locally-produced Savignon.
I also go to enjoy my first taste of Moroccan tea, served quite traditionally, albeit I still need to make the quick flight due south for the real deal.
I wish I would have taken a photo of the spice stand, but we were also able to purchase some incredibly aromatic spices that I plan to make some new cocktails with over the next few weeks. Kate picked up a few goodies as well for her baking needs!
End of Summer
It is now past the 23rd of September which for Europeans means one thing… the summer is officially over. And right on cue San Sebastian temperatures have dropped down to 18 C degrees. However, in the Bay of Biscay where the water remains at a bath-like temperature, I think I’ve got a while to go before the swimming stops. Europeans though seem to have other ideas, and the swarms that continue the tradition of flocking to the coasts for summer have now returned back to the cities.
Anyways, in honor of the end of summer and in appreciation of Kate’s support in the good old-fashioned ‘buttering up’ of my classmates in my Spanish class, (there is truly no better bonding experience than sharing food, especially over here in Basque Country), here’s is Kate’s Sticky Bun recipe, which she made for them all. it's in metric, because I'm never going back to US standard (IYKYK) xo
Kate’s Sticky Buns
for the dough
240 ml milk
42 g butter
1 packet rapid-rise (instant) yeast
12 g sugar
1.5 g salt
400 g unbleached all-purpose flour
for the filling
56 g vegan butter (melted)
110 g brown sugar OR granulated sugar
4 g freshly ground cinnamon
for the glaze
110 g brown sugar
112 g butter
50 g chopped pecans
In a large saucepan, heat the milk and butter until melted, but make sure not to boil! Remove from heat and let cool to 43 C. Once cooled, transfer to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle on the yeast. Let activate for 10 minutes, then add sugar and the salt and stir.
Add about 100 g of flour at a time, stirring as you go. The dough will be sticky. When it is too thick to stir, transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute or so until it forms a loose ball. Continue to add more flour as you go.
Coat a clean bowl with butter and add your dough ball back in. Roll around to coat all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
You can make the glaze at this time but simply combining your brown sugar and melted butter in the pan that you are going to bake your buns in. Sprinkle the chopped pecans on top.
In a separate bowl, combine your brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling.
Roll out the dough into a thin rectangle (sprinkle the counter lightly with flour if needed). Brush with melted butter and top with brown sugar and cinnamon. Starting at one end, tightly roll up the dough and situate the seam side down. Then with a serrated knife or a string of floss, cut the dough into 1.5 – 2 inch sections and position it in your 8×8 dish with the glaze layer on the bottom.
Cover with plastic wrap and set on top of the oven to let it briefly rise again while you preheat the oven to 176 C.
Once the oven is hot, bake rolls for 25-30 min or until slightly golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes, carefully invert, and then serve immediately.
007
And for the 007 fans, whilst most of us imagine James Bond with a martini or perhaps even a strong whisky, you mightn’t have noticed the wine which features in two of the recent Daniel Craig Bond films (No Time To Die and Casino Royale)- bottles of 1982 vintage Château Angélus. You guessed it, a St Emilion wine! On theme with this French dispatch, all class, and sophistication. All I can say is, if it’s good enough for Rachel Weisz (’s husband) then it’s good enough for me…
The Cocktails
A recent relocation to the Basque Country has inspired me with its local(ish) ingredients, simple builds, and thoughtful execution. This cocktail lacks a strict build that reminds you, "it's not all that serious." I think we could all use this mantra more!! It's typical to find this prepared in northern Spain, primarily in the Basque Country, where different bars will serve one or many variations of the cocktail. You may try to compare this cocktail to a negroni when seeing the ingredients, but the texture of the cocktail and the intention of how to drink it is very different. A Negroni is a boozy and spirit-forward cocktail meant to be sipped slowly, allowing for a bit of intentional dilution as the ice melts from your hand. The Marianito is a perfect aperitif-style cocktail and pairs wonderfully with food because of its low alcohol content and herbaceous flavors and aromatics. The flexibility of brands you can use combined with the simplicity of the build allows for many variations of aromatics in this cocktail, so I recommend using this recipe on repeat with new gins and vermouths each time! Don't skip out on the garnish - it adds the touch of brine that really completes the cocktail.
Marianito
This cocktail can easily be batched ahead of time, making it a perfect cocktail for the holiday if you're celebrating with friends and family. If you want to build para compartir (to share), I recommend you make it no more than 24 hours ahead of time and keep it in the fridge, once combined, for optimum freshness.
ingredients
3 dashes of Angostura bitters
1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz Campari
1.5 oz red vermouth
building steps
Build all ingredients over ice in a chilled goblet or wine glass.
Stir a few times to chill and incorporate ingredients.
Garnish with a slice of orange and some green olives.
Enjoy with small salty bites and good company. ¡Buen provecho!
Buena Onda
This cocktail combines a few of my favorite ingredients in harmony to create a fresh and zippy not-too-boozy holiday punch. Aperol is just a touch bitter and a touch sweet with notes of rhubarb, amongst others. fino sherry dries out the cocktail, provides some toasty bread notes, and gives the cocktail a bit more weightiness via the alcohol percentage. The cherry heering adds a touch of holiday spirit by proxies of tart and jammy cherry with some undertones of marzipan. finally, to bring in aeration, brightness, and acid, lemon juice is added. The shake is just as important as the build and the ingredients in this cocktail. You're looking for the final product to be frothy, light on the palate, and fresh, so shake this baby hard!
ingredients
3/4 oz aperol
3/4 oz fino sherry
3/4 oz cherry herring
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
building steps
Build all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. and shake (as hard as you can!)
Strain the cocktail from the ice and into a chilled coupe or martini-style glass.
Garnish with a cherry.
Next time…
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