12/31/11

Closure of 2011

I’m sitting here on the last Day in this year to sum up all the things that have happened this year and figure out that I will divide it as follow:



Wine:

This year have been the greatest wine year ever, I have tried thousands of wines from all around the globe with some disasters but also some icon wines that will blow you away when they appear on the market I Sweden in 2012.

I have the fortune to visit some amazing wine producers with my family this year and some of they are, Pol Roger, Bollinger, Guy Charlemagne, Trimbach, Domaine Weinbach and many more in France, Germany, Luxembourg what a treat that was.

The tastings and wine courses that me and Christina are doing was truly booming this year and we are looking forward to all the great people that we will meet in 2012, we have some great plans for you guys,

keep you updated on our website www.atmosphere-store.se

Gastro Import wine selection is another thing that was happened this year, a wine import business to the horeca sector in Sweden that will conquer ground in the following years to come, I sure look forward to this with all the great producers in the portfolio.

Gastronomy:
I hade the chance to visit some great city’s this year as an member of the Swedish chefs associations culinary board and you can read all of my impressions here on my blog, Istanbul, Bergen among others.

The world chefs tour against hunger In South Africa was a mind blowing experience with more than 250 chefs from 45 countries gathered together for supporting SACA to collect money for starving children, thanks Frida, Helena and Mike for excellent companionship and a job well done and an special thanks to the SKF for letting us do this trip.

The Skåne culinary regional team are improving all the time and we are aiming for the gold medal in the culinary Olympics this year in October more of this will follow later on, there are some pictures on my FB side from this event, check it out

Family:

The THEODOR tea is on the Swedish and Danish market now and we are very happy for this, a struggle but Christina will beet this challenge in 2012, any of you who haven’t tried this tea let us know and we will send you samples and

Please check out this great side www.unictaste.se

My girls are doing just fine and growing like a wildfire, I can not catch up with the already, Bianca is now six years old and Tammy is closing to sixteen and I’m grateful everyday for them. God bless

Christina the love in my life is the best companion a man like me could have, couldn’t do this without your support love J I love you passionately and deeply more and more for each day.

The 2012 will have its many challenges and opportunities who know where it all will end but I’m looking forward to this with the most enthusiasm.

Thank you all for following me here and have a very happy new year.





Over and out










Happy new year

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all out there a very happy new year and may the wine god be with you all.
Respect

Dragan

12/27/11

German Pinots with a twist

First of all I would like to wish you all out there a very merry Christmas and a happy new 2012, may the new year be wonderful with lots of joy and happiness to you all.

On my mission to improve my pinot noir appreciation I twist and turn all over for finding the soul of this grape that many ”know it all” of my friends in the trade consider to be the one and only grape.

I recently turned my head towards German pinots “spätburgunder” the third biggest producers of Pinot grape in the world even due to that most people never thinks about Germany as a red wine country.

The wines I have tasted are all very exiting with lush mature fruit, soft mellow and polished tannins with their own personality that shows very well how this grape adapt and show its potential where ever it grows.

I have tasted a lot of pinot noirs during my crusade to learn more about this grape and have found many grate wines but all of the are from outside France, what the heck are wrong with the frog eaters way of doing wine with this grape?

My 2011 high and low list will be out during a couple of days there are still some days that can improve dramatically J



Love conquers all


12/21/11

En ganska dyr öl

Jag hade nöjet att äta ett fantastiskt julbord på Rusthållargården i Arild med min familj för någon dag sedan och fick en flaska Nils Oscar Jubileum 15 som är bryggt med pilsnermalt och mörk karamellmalt, men även med torkade skal och fruktkött från de ekologiskt odlade kaffebären Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza.

Ölet får därmed en härligt rund och fruktig karaktär där ljusa smaker dominerar med inslag av karamell och frukt.
Drycken passar till många olika rätter och lämpar sig därför ypperligt till flera olika kök, även riktigt kryddstarka rätter och klassisk Svensk husmanskost och julmat med en stor OP till, Man har även kryddat ölet med de båda humlesorterna Saaz och Tettnang.

Den karaktäristiska smaken förstärks av citrongräs, thaibasilika och limeblad.

Ölet är överjäst med en jäststam av belgiskt ursprung är ofiltrerat och opastöriserat och med tanke på att den är på 75 cl så är den nästan en måltid i sig själv till det facila priset av 498 kr styck.


12/16/11

Champagne Tarlant inför helgerna

Champagnehuset Tarlant är en familjeangelägenhet där Benoit är vinmakare och hans yngre syster Melanie har ansvaret för marknaden.

Det jag gillar med vinerna från Tarlant är att dom gör sin champagne utan tanke på tid och pengar utan vill visa upp potentialen av sin odlade frukt och kompetensen som dom besitter sen flera generationer tillbaka, dessutom använder dom fat till sina basviner vilket skapar en fyllighet som jag gillar.

Som dom flesta odlare i champagne har dom flera olika viner i sin portfölj där fyra av dom finns att köpa via bolaget och där jag kan rekommendera alla att prova.

Standard vinet är en blandning på dom tre klassiska druvorna och pressade i gamla runda Coquart pressar för att sedan jäsa i kontrollerade ståltankar för att därefter ligga ytterligare 36 månader på flaska och sin jästfällning, detta vin har ingen dosage och är alltså helt torr.

Basvinet i denna flaska är från 2006 och reserv vinerna som legat på fat bidrar till en finish som är fantastisk.



NV Tarlant brut zero

262 kr

Artnr 88000

12/15/11

My Quest for Pinot

In my quest for the Pinot noir that I like I accidently fell on this bottle of Catherine Marshall Eleven Barrels 2009 Pinot Noir from sunny South Africa, the wine gave me a nice feeling of tranquillity, laziness with a very sexy finish, how can anybody not like this wonderful wine, I hope to sample more of this producer in the near future.

As you all know Pinot Noir is my week spot on the wine heaven and I try a lot to overcome, challenge and learn the finesse in this grape.

I will not give up easily J

12/13/11

Dolina wine from Serbia

Vilket spännande vin jag fick idag, ett fat prov på Dolina 2010 från Serbiensom lagrats på stål tank första delar av sitt liv för att därefter fortsätta på nya medelrostade och 1 år gamla fat,
jag har tidigare haft nöjet att prova både 08:an och 09:an som dessutom finns att beställa på bolaget, köp nu och njut till sommarens grillkvällar.

2010:an visade att det var en svår årgång med dåligt väder och mycket regna men trots detta så visar detta prov på fin härlig struktur med bra syra och en aning hårda tanniner som kommer att bli bra då det är dags att buteljera vinet, viner som fat prov är alltid spretiga och obalanserade vilket är naturligt med ack så charmigt.

 tack Anders för att du orkade släpa på detta och att du tänkte på mig.

12/11/11

Pinot noir in concert

I’m trying to get to know pinot noir wines from around the known wineworld to find some that suites and challenge my taste buds to the max.

In recent years there have been some of the best pinots and also some of the less worthy wines in my glass that have shown me how diverse this grape can be all depending of the climate but mostly of the producers ambition of producing the best he can in god and bad vintages. Chile has a lot of job left before we can se some great pinots made there, Germany make some fabulous wines on this grape variety and so are Austria who can challenge them for the money and not least California who have been doing great pinots for many years.

I just cant write about pinot without mentioning Burgundy and all that stands for this grape, I’m so pleased that the BIVB send me an invitation to visit them and to take part of the educational seminars in 2012, I’m truly looking forward to this and to learn more about its wines and to discover some of the secrets that I now don’t understand.

The biggest surprise are actually the pinots from South Africa that I tasted on my last visit there and the most astonish wine are made by Danie De Wet and his 2009 Pinot Noir Nature in Concert, what a wine!



12/8/11

AMARONE ELLER RIPASSO?

Att kalla Ripasso för ”Mini-Amarone” menar Alkoholgranskningsmannen, Mattias Grundström, är både oriktigt och vilesledande. Nu fälls PrimeWine Group för olovlig alkoholmarknadsföring.
BGS Wine Import, som ingår i PrimeWine Group, har i annonser under hösten kallat sin Soprasasso Valpolicella Ripasso för ”Mini-Amarone”. Något som enligt Alkoholgranskningsmannen strider mot god affärssed.
I ärendet skriver Mattias Grundström: ”Amarone är en beteckning som skyddas av den italienska staten. AGM anser det viktigt att konsumenternas förtroende för ursprungsbeteckningar inte rubbas, något som den påtalade marknadsföringen riskerar att göra”.
– Vi visste inte att det var fel att kalla Ripasso för ”Mini-Amarone” utan trodde att begreppet var vedertaget känt. Hur tänkte ni där egentligen? eller som vissa andra när dom säger Amarone lik ripasso! vad fan är det?
Alla som varit på mina provningar av denna typ av viner vet vad jag tycker när man kallar saker för vad det inte är eller hur?

Amarone är Amarone och inget annat

12/7/11

FACEBOOK ? OR !

How great is facebook?  That made me thing about it when I realise that I have almost 1000 connections on FB with some people that I actually never met in person but they still want to be some sort of friends with me, this is great and I do appreciate each and every one of you guys J

I think that this is the greatest way so far to know new people that you have things in common, to get in touch with old pals from around the world but also to get and to give knowledge of in my case wine but also many other things that make you thing and to move your brain a bit, knowledge is fun and very challenging and I love it especially now when I’m thinking of to start up my Diploma course and I sure need everybody on FB so I can pass this tests on months and years to come.



Please help me out !!

12/2/11

WORLDS BEST SINGLE BARREL BOURBON

When my wife Christina got back from New Orleans where she was visiting a good old friend for some days she brought back a bottle of bourbon to me without knowing what is was in the bottle, but let me tell you that this was the best whisky I have ever tasted and I have splurged a few in my days.

This original single barrel Blanton`s bourbon was once designated for high rollers in the world and I just love it !

Bourbon has been enjoyed for centuries, but single barrel bourbon only dates back to 1984, when the owners of Ancient Age Distillery (now Buffalo Trace Distillery) set out to create a premium quality product. In the process, they revolutionized the industry.

The inspiration? Colonel Albert Blanton,It all started during a conversation with his former apprentice, Elmer T. Lee. Mr. Lee recalled the days when Col. Blanton would entertain friends and special guests by serving them bourbon from Warehouse H.
Col. Blanton discovered that this warehouse aged bourbon better than any other on the grounds, especially in the middle sections known as the center cut.
After taste-testing samples, Col. Blanton would pick an individual barrel he liked best and have it bottled.
The bottles became his special select single barrel bourbons.

 Mr. Lee’s concept turned into a reality when the owners asked him to oversee the project, selecting the finest barrels from the same Warehouse H. In 1984, Blanton’s became the first American entry into the ultra-premium whiskey market. Today, most distilleries offer one or more single barrel bottling, but Blanton’s was the first, and I think that this is the finest, single barrel on the market.

The tiny horse and jockey on the bottle stoppers are now a recognized trademark of Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon.
The rich heritage and tradition of horses in Kentucky parallel that of bourbon.
there is a collectors edition set of eight different stoppers, featuring a horse and jockey in different strides and poses. Each stopper is marked with a single letter that spells Blanton's when the set has been completed.

For all Swedish guys I can tell that there are some 18 bottles left at systemet for the cheap price of 489 kr

Stand and Deliver J