The secrets from the Chef & Sommelier

Wines from Mexico is not that is very common at least not in Sweden , I hade the opportunity to taste some wines today that surprised me a lot. The wines tested was from the following producers, Vena Cava, Poncelis, Malagon,, Montano Benson, Montefiori and Vinisterra. All good wines with some for us strange blends of grapes like barbera – syrah – merlot whimsical but it works somehow. I did not know so much about Mexican wines and winemaking until last week when I have to get in to this and I’m happy to have the chance to taste this wines. The Mexican industry will grow and you will see more from them in the years to come, that’s for sure. Who will be the first to bring them in?

It is crazy when I think of how long I have been in the food and wine business; I started out in 1979 so you do the calculation J Over the years I did not regret any of my choices or the paths that I have taken with all the challenges on the way I still love every minute of It. People always ask me for my favourite food, wine, restaurant and so on and Its hard to tell with so many nice bottles to drink and food to eat but I do remember the dinner that changed my way as a young chef and did the biggest impact on my personal life. Restaurant La Petite in Helsingborg still owned by Jean Louise Marchandise http://www.lapetite.se and still the same menu, why change a success! I was at this day celebrating one of the greatest men in gastronomy and still my old friend Lars Bogren on his 50:th birthday and on the menu I hade the most life changing food Poached egg in a red wine sauce with brioche on the side and French country butter. Coq au vin the a real classic. Crème brulée. And...

Det händer en hel del i Helsingborg just nu på restaurang och nöjesfronten. Att börja med Teaterkatten och den nya satsningen där är väl störst så jag börjar väl med detta. En trevlig lounge del med sköna möbler för en fördrink eller ostört möte av andra slag med bra mys faktor och trendiga toaletter i fint skick ( jag har toa fobi) Jag har känt Rafael under en massa år och för mig är han en av Hbg`s bästa kockar och man blir glad att det är han som basar över köket på Katten, trevlig meny med nostalgiska Katten rätter med modern uppdatering. Trevlig tapas variation packad med smak och en sjyst Skagen funkar alltid, plankstek har jag inte ätit på typ 20 år och försökte mig på   denna delikatess J jävligt bra kött och hem vevad Bea, enkelt utan krusiduller. Gott! Entrecoten var bra grillad i all sin enkelhet, man förstår tanken bakom detta och att man försöker få den breda publiken, sure varför inte. Så nu till det mindre bra, servisen var otroligt dåligt påläst om både mat ...

Delgado Zuleta is the oldest family-owned winery in the Jerez-Xèréz-Sherry & Manzanilla district currently maturing and commercialising Manzanilla, Sherry and some still white wine.   The bodega is located in Sanlucar de Barrameda, a small coastal town at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River , facing the Atlantic Ocean and the Doñana Natural Park . Delgado Zuleta was established in 1744 by Mr. Francisco Gil de Ledesma, Knight of the Order of Calatrava and Sanlucar Honorary Mayor and the current name honours Mr. José María Delgado Zuleta, a navy officer and skilful business man that ran the company after marrying a direct descendant of its founder. That was a time of great growth and notoriety as the company became official suppliers of the Spanish Royal Court . A famous flamenco dancer Aurora Jauffre, allowed the winery to use her artistic name “La Goya” for their very best Manzanilla. Since then “La Goya” has been a reference of quality in the most important Manzanilla...

The Cantina Ascheri managed by the sympatric Matteo is a true world class wines from the Piedmonte region in north of Italy . The wines are always hand harvested with full maturation for obtaining full flavours and perfect sugar content. I like the way he treat his Wines with tradition and at the same time innovation to make the the perfect wine in La Morra, Serralunga and Bra area. The three estates all show different styles that are all excellent and very easy drinking wines with great complexity and full body that I love. You can easy visit the estate and stay at the wonderful little hotel so sample all the wines and to feel the true spirit of Barolo.

There are many things to say about the wines of Veneto and especially the much loved Amarone and Ripasso wines that the Swedish people just love and have embraced to their hearts. To speak about these wines without mentioning the Azienda Agricola Brigaldara wines are impossible due to the fact that the wines from this producer is one of the finest in the area. What I like about Sandros wines is the tru identity of the land and the deep tradition of making this type of wines in a very handcrafted ways. All the wines, from the Valpolicella, Passito, Soave, Recioto to the outstanding Grand Cru Amarone Case Vecie near Grezzana where the planted Corvinone, Corvina, Rondinella is grown from vines planted in 1994 in cooler climate with very long drying process. If you have a chance you must try the Brigaldara wines or contact me if you are in the HORECA trade in Sweden and I will help you out.

The history of Umberto Cesari is the history of its founder, a stubborn man who, poor in means but rich in passion, has dedicated his life to his local corner of earth and to great Sangiovese wines. Although Umberto Cesari is not from a winegrowing family, wine always played a prominent role in the Cesari household, since his father owned one of Bologna ’s historic osterie. But instead of a career of selling wine, Umberto Cesari decided to invest all of his efforts into making the highest-quality Sangiovese he could. In the 1960s, high quality was still not a characteristic associated with the wines of Emilia-Romagna, and Umberto Cesari was a pioneer in this regard, one of the very first who was convinced that the Sangiovese could make a truly outstanding local wine. In 1967, he purchased a small vineyard in the hills of Castel San Pietro and founded the winery that today bears his name. From those initial 20 hectares of vines Umberto Cesari grew steadily, until it gained its cur...