Innholdsfortegnelse for 02/2021 i Falstaff International

Pinot Noir is a global phenomenon: it grows on every continent and shimmers with its indelible sense of ‘Pinot-ness’ in many guises. On all manner of soils, on ancient vineyards or virgin land, coastal or continental – it has an extraordinary hold over those who grow, make and drink it. It comes with more magic and mysticism than all other grapes put together. Pinotphiles have long admitted defeat in the face of this ancient grape: once smitten, we just continue searching for that haunting scent which carries so much more than just fruit. There is something primordial and visceral in Pinot Noir’s perfume, something earthy and eternal, something that encapsulates both life and death in its autumnal shades of decay. It can be a floral cloud of hawthorn blossom and…

Champagne is a universal language. Across continents and cultures, it spells luxury and indulgence, celebration and success. The decades of marketing that are behind Champagne – and the fierce protection of the name – make it the ultimate lesson in branding. Yet the most beautiful thing is that underneath all the glamour, there is a real wine, as connected to the land, as expressive of its history, place and culture as every other fine wine. If you actually pause to smell and taste these fine bubbles, if you move on from using them as mere lubrication to your small talk, you will discover incredibly complex wines from a region that is as multi-layered as its wines. The expression of Champagne has never been so manifold or fascinating as it is…

Is Cava one of the most misunderstood wines of the world? It is Spain’s sparkling wine but the term covers so much, so loosely, that Cava’s real and beautiful character is in danger of getting lost in confusion. So what is Cava? In the most straightforward terms, Cava is a bottle-fermented sparkling wine from Spain. However, Cava does not hail from a single, contiguous region. Ninety five percent of the volume of production is made in the Penedès region of Catalunya, yet Cava can also be made across 150 municipalities in La Rioja, Valencia, Aragon, Navarra, Extremadura and País Vasco, from nine different grape varieties. This complexity and variation of climates across a country as large as Spain is a key issue in Cava’s lack of a cohesive identity. As…

The bottles proudly state metodo classico – traditional method – to denote that the wines were bottle-fermented. They also proclaim their northerly provenance: Trentodoc hails from the Trentino, in Italy’s Alpine north where the Dolomites are snow-capped all year; Francicorta stretches south of Lake Iseo in Lombardy, also a northerly province. These two origins give rise to two rather distinct kinds of sparkling wine, despite the fact that they are made from the same grape varieties – mostly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – and in the same way by traditional bottle fermentation. Trentodoc is as brisk and bright as the brilliant sunshine on the Alpine peaks, Franciacorta is as smooth and refreshing as a lake breeze on a summer’s day. Both wines speak clearly of their origin; of altitude in…

Classic Vintage Ports are blends: of different grape varieties on the one hand and from several estates, or quintas, on the other. These quintas stand for the special components they typically add to the final Port blend: the wine of one quinta may provide aroma, another tannic backbone, yet another may bring elegance. These various but clearly defined components achieve the recognisable house style of the various big Port shippers: Taylor’s, Fonseca, Graham’s and so on. Vintage Ports are only made in great years and houses can individually declare a vintage, rather than the region as a whole. In years that are very good but not quite sublime enough for vintage Port, houses can make a vintage-dated Port from a single estate, known as Single Quinta Vintage Ports – these…

It is along the river Danube, around Vienna and in the country’s east that Alpine peaks give way to gentler hills and that ski slopes turn to vineyards. Situated along the 47th and 48th degrees of latitude and enjoying a deeply continental climate of warm summers and sunny autumns, Austria is in a sweet spot for viticulture. Vines have been grown for millennia and indigenous grape varieties evolved to thrive in these conditions – which Austria has managed to turn into unique selling points. In a world often driven by corporate messaging, Austria has focused on the quality-driven and artisanal nature of its mostly small and family-owned wine estates. It now enjoys an almost unparalleled reputation for its food-friendly, full-flavoured and beautifully proportioned wines. Let’s take a tour of its…

If you stood to the far north of Argentina and walked south at a consistent pace of 20km/12m per day, it would take you six months to walk all the way: having arrived, the biting winds brought by the Falkland Current might well be enough to convince you to turn north and walk back again. Along the way you would pass close enough to the equator to shake hands with Apollo, stand in the shadows of the awe-inspiring Andes Mountains, navigate rainforests, broad rivers and soaring temperatures before eventually finding yourself in the wind-swept plains of the south. It would be a breathtakingly beautiful journey across all 3,650km/2,268m of this kaleidoscopic country, and one likely well provisioned: Argentina is rightly famed for its food, and even more so for its…

The award-winning American actor, writer and producer, famed for cinema hits like The Devil Wears Prada, Road to Perdition and The Terminal, has published Taste: My Life Through Food. It is a memoir recounting his Italo-American childhood in Westchester County, New York, and how he fell in love with his wife over food. Despite his successful acting career, Tucci has recently become more famous for his exploits in the kitchen, becoming an impromptu social media hit for mixing lockdown negronis in his home. He followed this with a foodie exploration of Italy in his six-part TV series Searching for Italy which aired earlier this year. Tucci’s association with food can also be traced through his films. He co-wrote and co-directed the 1996 cult movie Big Night and starred alongside Meryl…

Umami stands for a savoury and meaty taste, it has a harmonising effect, lends depth to our perception of food – it is simultaneously the most pleasant and most complicated taste there is. The term itself is Japanese and roughly translates as “delicious.” Umami was only officially recognised as a fifth taste quality in 2002. However, the Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda defined umami at the Imperial University of Tokyo as long ago as 1908. The reason for his discovery, so legend has it, was a particularly full-flavoured dashi broth his wife had made for him. As he analysed the components of the broth, he traced that alluring savouriness to the kombu seaweed which is particularly rich in glutamates. Since the broth was neither sweet, sour, salty or bitter, Ikeda simply…

The inaugural departure of the new superyacht named Sakara is expected in 2023 and the maiden trip will be an eight-day cruise called Tropical Charms of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. It will be the 11th vessel in the Emerald Cruises fleet and the second superyacht, following the launch of the Azzurra scheduled for 2022. The 110-metre-long superyacht is currently being constructed in Vietnam and will feature a large infinity pool, spa, gym and balconies for 88 percent of cabins, offering “more space per guest than similar vessels of her size”. Snorkelling equipment and paddleboards will be provided on the all-inclusive sailing. Emerald Cruises has 31 further scheduled departures planned. emeraldcruises.co.uk…

1. LE BRISTOL PARIS, FRANCE An icon of French elegance, Le Bristol has one of the most prestigious addresses on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, sharing the block with the Elysée Palace. The hotel boasts 190 rooms and suites, including three new presidential suites decorated with Louis XVI furniture. In summer, the garden is a tranquil oasis of flowers and blossoming orange trees but guests can also relax in the rooftop swimming pool and enjoy fantastic views of Paris. Le Bristol is perhaps best known for its dining tradition, with its Epicure restaurant and 114 Faubourg brasserie holding four Michelin stars between them. Chef Eric Frenchon and sommelier Bernard Neveu are at the helm of Epicure, and as you’d expect for a restaurant described as a “defender of French cuisine,” there…

WHERE TO STAY GARTENHOTEL THERESIA The first certified organic hotel in the Salzburg region offers a ‘Green Spa’, a fine selection of organic wines and Andreas Grün is a master of his trade in the kitchen. Glemmtaler Landesstrasse 208, 5753 Saalbach-Hinterglemm +43 654 174 140, hotel-theresia.com KENDLER Family-run, ski-in, ski-out hotel whose gourmet awarded-restaurant Herzlstubn is a must-visit. Wellness area includes panorama whirlpool and indoor pool. Oberdorf 39, 5753 Saalbach +43 6541 6225, kendler.at UNTERSCHWARZACHHOF Small wellness hotel right next to the piste, with a luxurious 1,500 m2 spa offering herbal or steam saunas, indoor pool and a whirlpool. Schwarzacherweg 40, 5754 Saalbach +43 65416633, unterschwarzach.at WHERE TO EAT ERLHOF Worth a trip to Lake Zell for the magnificent view alone. Traditional Austrian delicacies, rustic ambience and a large wine…

The sun leans blood-red against the horizon. Loud reggae music blares from the speakers and the air is filled with the sweet, spicy scent of Barbadian delicacies being served for dinner. “Son, we live long and happy lives here in Barbados,” Frank says mischievously as he rocks the steering wheel back and forth. Nothing seems to faze the elderly skipper. He has only been at sea for a few years, before that he was pretty much everything: a farmer, a soldier and officer, he worked in the financial sector and in the car industry, and he was also a chef for a number of years. This time, however, the spicy chicken, beans and salads served on the boat were prepared by his wife. With her almost 90 years of life…

Famed as the first ever single-vineyard Champagne, first produced in 1935, this Champagne is legendary. The Clos des Goisses is a south-facing vineyard of just 5.83ha in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, on pure chalk with little topsoil. Production is thus naturally limited. Vintages of the wine have been made every year since 1988, in very limited quantities. Just 13,296 bottles of the 2012 vintage were made. Charles Philipponnat, chairman and managing director of the house, said the 2012 vintage was “perhaps the best vintage of Champagne and of Clos des Goisses of the last 20 or 30 years, both the ripest, and of brilliant purity.” philipponnat.com…

The ground-breaking Museum of Old and New Art, or MONA, in Hobart on the Australian island of Tasmania, has opened a new ‘revolving’ restaurant called Faro. It offers “a renewed and ever-changing experience,” where “high concept dining experiences will challenge audiences with experimental dishes, music, performance, cocktails and more.” Challenging audiences has been the express aim of MONA ever since it opened in 2011. The museum is privately-funded by professional gambler and art collector David Walsh and includes artworks from his private collection. Vince Trim, executive chef at Faro, says: “We’ve never really been able to say what style of restaurant Faro truly is — it’s an enigma. We do know it’s a place where music and performance are as much a part of the experience as the art and…

NEW YORK BAR MASA, barmasanyc.com Masa, the main restaurant, is undoubtedly one of the top sushi places globally – but with a hefty price tag of US$450 for the full menu, you are better off visiting Bar Masa next door to treat yourself to a US$50 omakase at the same quality. SUSHI YASUDA, sushiyasuda.com It’s the purest of all sushi bars: bamboo, wood and nothing else, apart from excellent seafood – incredibly, one can even choose between seven grades of tuna fattiness. The best place for a sushi lunch in midtown Manhattan. SAN FRANCISCO AKIKO, akikosrestaurant.com If you want to visit only one sushi place in San Francisco, choose this one. Seafood comes from local fishermen or is flown in from Tokyo’s Tsukiji fish market. Don’t stop at their nigiris,…

ZUPPA DI CECI e castagne (SERVES 4) INGREDIENTS 300 g dried chickpeas11 water700 g chestnuts (fresh or pre-cooked)2 bay leaves1 tbsp fennel seeds100 g pancetta2 cloves of garlic1 large onionSaltOlive oilBlack pepperSome parsley Southern Italians are deeply devoted to chestnuts. Autumn and winter is the time they pay homage with warming, aromatic dishes like this hearty soup. METHOD – Soak the chickpeas overnight in plenty of water, then rinse well and boil in a litre of water for about 45 minutes until soft – While the chickpeas are cooking, prepare the chestnuts. Make a 5mm incision at the bottom of each chestnut with a sharp knife. Place in a saucepan with cold water, add the fennel seeds and bay leaves and gently bring to the boil, then simmer until soft,…

RESTAURANTS Japanese - Sushi SUKIYABASHI JIRO sushi-jiro.jp This is the ultimate sushi experience bar none. Follow the staff’s guidance on all aspects of the meal and ask for omakase and be transported. MIDORI-ZUSHI MAIN BRANCH UMEGAOKA sushinomidori.co.jp The legend began here. Go mid-afternoon on a Saturday and be prepared to queue. Insist on sitting at the counter. Fresh, fabulous and different every time. Japanese - Tonkatsu TONKI, MEGURO No website Simply the best. Accept no substitute. The coating on the pork is unique as is the precise technique of the chefs who create it in front of you. The fillet is highly recommended. Japanese-Tempura TSUNOHACHI SHINJUKU tunahachi.co.jp Founded in 1923. Sit at the counter. In season, the meal might begin with the tiniest of crispy ayu or ‘sweet fish.’ Order…

WHERE TO STAY ALPENHOTEL This newly renovated hotel set in a nature reserve on the shores of the Schwarzsee near Kitzbühel has a 1,000 m² wellness area with a heated infinity pool. Seebichlweg 37a, 6370 Kitzbühel +43 5356 64254 0, alpenhotel-kitzbuehel.at A-ROSA Built in the style of a Tyrolean castle with a view of the Streif, this hotel has a 3,000 m² wellness area with a pool, saunas and plenty of pampering treatments. Ried Kaps 7, 6370 Kitzbühel +43 5356 65660-0, a-rosa-resorts.de TENNERHOF Romantic luxury spa hotel with an excellent view of the surrounding mountains. Its gourmet restaurant offers menus of up to seven courses and excellent service. Griesenauweg 26, 6370 Kitzbühel, Tyrol +43 5356 63181, tennerhof.com WHERE TO EAT BERGGERICHT Kitzbühel’s latest top address is an historic building overlooking…

WHERE TO STAY HOTEL JEROME This landmark dating back to 1889 has the feel of a luxury ski lodge with deer heads mounted on the walls and leather chairs. Friendly staff and home to an outpost of Felix Roasting Co. 330 E Main St, Aspen, CO 81611 +1 970-920-1000 aubergeresorts.com/hoteljerome/ THE ST. REGIS ASPEN RESORT Five-star luxury resort at the base of Aspen Mountain featuring Ralph Lauren furnishings and the award-winning Remède Spa. Its heated outdoor pool and hot tubs have stunning views. 315 East Dean Street, Aspen, CO 81611 +1 970-920-3300, stregisaspen.com VICEROY SNOWMASS Modern ski-in, ski-out luxury in Snowmass Village. Three restaurants and a 7,000-sq ft spa with treatments based on Ute and Asian cultural traditions. 130 Wood Road, Snowmass Village, CO 81615, +1 877 235 7577 viceroyhotelsandresorts.com/snowmass…

WHERE TO STAY ADLER SPA RESORT Set on the slopes of the Alpe di Siusi, this property has a wellness and treatment area with an indoor-outdoor pool, sauna and whirlpools. Strada Rezia 7, 39046 Ortisei +39 0471 775 000 adler-resorts.com/en/adler-spa-resort-dolomiti/43-0.html GARDENA GRÖDNERHOF GOURMET & SPA HOTEL Set in a spacious garden in the centre of Ortisei, this luxurious hotel has 54 renovated rooms and suites, a beauty centre and spa. Worth a visit for its one Michelin star restaurant Anna Stuben. Via Vidalong, 3, 39046 Ortisei (BZ) +39 0471 796 315, gardena.it HOTEL TYROL Traditional hotel with wellness area and pool. Three restaurants offering a range of Mediterranean cooking, as well as Tyrolean and Ladin specialties with an emphasis on seasonal products. Strada Puez, 12 39048 Selva di Val Gardena…

Over the course of each year, the various Falstaff wine editors and their teams taste somewhere between 12,000 to 15,000 wines for editorial features, the Falstaff Trophies, and for wine guides. Thousands of wines are tasted for the Austrian and German Annual Falstaff Wine Guides each year alone. Falstaff asked some of the participating wineries if they wanted their wine to be highlighted here – and these are the wines they put forward – with their own special recommendation and with Falstaff's scores and tasting notes. Enjoy! 93 Riesling Ried Moosburgerin 2020, Josef & Philipp Bründlmayer, Kremstal, Austria Light yellow-green, silver reflections. Fine tobacco spice, a hint of blossom honey, some peach, fresh bouquet. Juicy, elegant, fine acid structure, mineral, salty, lemony touch, lasting and versatile. philipp-bruendlmayer.at 93 Grüner Veltliner…

Exploration. The word conjures up the courageous seafarers and fearless expeditioners of the past. Provisioned well, they set off for the unknown, uncertain of their return. In the twentieth century, their equally intrepid descendants set off for the moon and triumphed. This year, the unmanned Perseverance rover landed on Mars. Where will be next? In the end it does not matter which planet or galaxy will be explored. The point is that some of us are are conditioned to explore, in many different ways. Apart from physically going on an expedition, exploring means wondering, imagining, examining. It is the sincere wish to know and understand, to push beyond what we already know or think we know. We explore places and cultures, but even more so we explore ideas and creative…

The growth is phenomenal: the UK’s vine acreage has tripled over the past decade and there are now 3,800 hectares/9,390 acres of vineyards in Britain. In the past five years alone, plantings increased by 70 percent. People are busy planting and this young wine industry is burgeoning. THE GAME CHANGER And young it is indeed: what we are witnessing today is just 33 years old. It was in 1988 that two Americans, Sandy and Stuart Moss, first planted Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes with the express purpose of making sparkling wine at Nyetimber Estate in West Sussex. Before that, winegrowing in England was distinctly niche and mostly based on grape varieties like Seyval Blanc and Madeleine Angevine which could ripen fruit in this cool climate – but struggled to be…

Some wines are more spoken about than actually drunk. They are coveted collectors’ items, bought and sold as an investment, slumbering in deep, cold cellars until opened for a special occasion. Most of us may never taste them, yet they represent an ideal, the culmination of a grape, a region, a country, a style. They have become iconic. Let us take you on a global journey of vinous dream tickets, through classic and new regions alike. FRANCE France has to take the top spot when it comes to iconic wines – while the wine culture of other countries is as old and as ingrained, it is France’s culture of fine wine that sets it apart – hence the reputational head start – not just by decades but often by centuries.…

More than 260 years ago the Riedel family founded their first glass factory in Bohemia, in what is now the the Czech Republic, laying the foundation for the family’s success as a ground-breaking glass manufacturer. Ever since, the family have lived and acted according to their motto that tradition means “stoking embers, not guarding ashes”. The family history is as eventful as that of the European continent – and both are inextricably linked. The story begins in 1756: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in the Austrian city of Salzburg. The first winegrowing region was delimited in Portugal, outlining the areas where the grapes for Port are grown. The same year, Giacomo Casanova escaped from his prison in the Doge’s Palace in Venice – making him one of the first pan-European…

Ancient Greece and Rome seem like a distant era. We admire crumbling temples and entertain children with colourful myths but feel little connection to the people who created them. Yet, strip away the advances in technology and the preoccupations are very much our own. How do you throw the best party? Will your wine knowledge impress the boss? Will that bottle of wine solve all of life’s problems? Does wine make you a wittier, more interesting person? Does it pose an unacceptable threat to civic order? Forget the legacies of democracy, language, art and philosophy; let us look at Greeks and Romans through the prism of wine instead. “Nothing in excess” was the famous motto greeting travellers to the oracle at Delphi. Moderation is indeed a theme that runs through…

Sushi and sashimi are microcosmic examples of Japanese food: high quality ingredients, processed with minimum intervention. Simplicity, care and hours of repetition produce uniquely photogenic plates of food. Fish and seafood are synonymous with sushi, but equally appetising versions may be made with meat and vegetables. Sushi means ‘vinegared rice’ (more on why that is the case below), so if it does not have rice, it is more likely to be sashimi. The word sashimi refers to the slicing technique, which shows off the natural beauty and quality of the ingredient. Not all sushi and sashimi is raw. Prawns, eel and octopus are cooked, while fish that is prone to spoiling quickly, such as mackerel, is often slightly pickled, a state the Japanese like to describe as ‘washed in vinegar’.…

The best way to enjoy a Munster cheese is in Munster itself, the pretty, red-roofed town which sits cosily in a valley of the Vosges mountains in north-eastern France. Go there in the summer or early autumn, watch the cattle graze and savour the farmyard bouquet of the sticky pink-rinded cheese which is made from the milk of these cows. Lap up its flavours of smoky bacon, peanuts, damp straw and its indulgent, unctuous texture. Munster is the patriarch of the pungent and divisive family of washed-rind cheeses: first made in medieval, northern French monasteries and now a familiar presence on cheeseboards in the shape of cheeses like Munster itself, Époisses de Bourgogne, Langres from Champagne-Ardennes and the eminently seasonal Vacherin de Mont d’Or. The most important thing to know…

Falstaff is an antihero. That Shakespeare based him loosely on real-life characters is neither here nor there, what matters is that Sir John Falstaff, to give him his full name, has always been flawed. So why the fascination? He appears in four Shakespeare plays, inspired more than one opera and still enjoys popularity. In 21st century terms, he is the very definition of that pale, male and stale idiom, not blessed with a single shred of self-awareness. But his entire persona already was at odds within his own time: through the centuries, his sense of entitlement, his dishonesty and cowardice are depicted from his first appearance in King Henry IV and in every further iteration. So is his unbridled love of drink and debauchery. It is his indomitable devotion to…

Much has been made of the various layers of Japanese culture: a brief stay in a Japanese traditional inn or ryokan will provide a multi faceted immersion into a beauty and hospitality seldom experienced in the West. Contact with this culture will transform you and leave you longing to revisit. There is a cliché in travel writing that journeys embody elements of the destination, but in Japan this surely is so. A ryokan will provide you with a journey into yourself. You will emerge from the experience refreshed and ready to face new challenges, or perhaps simply ready to face the challenges of ordering lunch. HISTORIC INNS In 1832, Utagawa Hiroshige made his journey from Nihombashi in Edo (Tokyo as it is known today) along the Tokaido Road which runs…

WHERE TO STAY BACKSTAGE HOTEL Boutique spa hotel featuring the signature workmanship of owner, architect Heinz Julen. The After Seven restaurant offers creative, market-fresh cuisine. Hofmattstrasse 4, 3920 Zermatt +41 27 966 69 70, backstagehotel.ch MONT CERVIN PALACE Historic hotel with charming, alpine-inspired furnishings. The house offers a diverse range of gourmet restaurants including Le Restaurant, Grill Le Cervin and Ristorante Capri. Bahnhofstrasse 31, 3920 Zermatt +41 27 966 88 88, montcervinpalace.ch LA CORDÉE DES ALPES Intimate and relaxing refuge, furnished with hand-knotted carpets from Nepal and a combination of classic ski and modern Swiss design elements. Spa and chic brasserie restaurant. Route du Centre Sportif 24, 1936 Verbier +41 27 775 45 45 kvhotels.com/en/hotels/hotel-cordee-des-alpes. html LE CHALET D’ADRIEN Relaxed five-star hotel with beautiful views over Verbier. Sensational gourmet cuisine.…

WHERE TO STAY FAIRMONT CHATEAU WHISTLER Award-winning Whistler resort with a castle-like appearance and full amenities including a par 72, 18-hole championship golf course. 4599 Chateau Boulevard, Whistler, B.C. V8E 0Z5 +1 604 938 8000, fairmont.com/whistler FOUR SEASONS RESORT AND RESIDENCES WHISTLER Every room in this upmarket Whistler Village hotel has a fireplace and balcony, while outside guests can luxuriate in a beautiful, heated swimming pool and whirlpools. 4591 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, B.C. V8E 0Y4 +1 604 935-3400, fourseasons.com/whistler PAN PACIFIC WHISTLER MOUNTAINSIDE HOTEL The eight-time winner of Canada’s Best Ski Hotel is an all-suite property, offering ski-in, ski-out access right at the base of the Blackcomb and Whistler gondolas. 4320 Sundial Crescent, Whistler, B.C. V8E 1G6 +1 604 905 2999 panpacific.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/pp-whistler-mountainside.html WHERE TO EAT ARAXI One of the best…

Blind tastings are an integral part of every magazine that covers wine. At Falstaff, both in our quarterly print editions and online at falstaff.com, we will will feature themed wine competitions – which we call “Trophies” – to pitch wines against each other under a common theme, be it varietal, regional or stylistic. With Pinot Noir featuring so prominently in this issue, it was clear that our first ever trophy also had to centre on Pinot Noir. Since the finest expressions of Pinot Noir command rather serious prices, our aim was to highlight the more affordable wines. It is a good thing we did because we found so much that is affordable and exquisite. Our entries also rather neatly split themselves into two, so we divided them in the fairest…