French Culture Now

New York Times. Dec. 30, 2007
A critic seeks sparkling wines that not only tasted good, but cost just a fraction of the price of fine Champagne. A blind taste test of three Champagnes and six sparkling wines from France, Germany, and Italy revealed that drinkers preferred the $10 sparkling Boyer Brut from the French Alps to true champagnes at six times the price.
>More

The Best of Champagne
FoodandWine. Dec. 29, 2007
F&W editors share their favorite Brut Non-Vintage (NV) Champagnes for New Year’s celebrations: including Oudinot Cuvée Brut NV ($35), Gosset Brut Excellence NV ($46), Deutz Brut Classic NV ($49).
>More

Honoring Cassoulet
Time. Dec. 28, 2007
No French dish is as steeped in history, myth and religion as cassoulet. Natives of southwestern France's Languedoc region link their very cultural identity to the archetypical peasant dish, a rich, earthy casserole of beans, meat and herbs. There is even an Académie Universelle du Cassoulet for chefs dedicated to cooking traditional cassoulet
>More

Recipe: French pot-au-feu
SanFranciscoChronicle. Dec. 27, 2007
For Laurent Manrique, the French-born executive chef of Aqua in San Francisco, the week between Christmas and New Year's is prime time for pot-au-feu (stew), an avalanche of boiled beef and vegetables ina restorative broth which “cleans the stomach.” Here’s how to make the dish Escoffier called "the symbol of family life.”
>More

Redistricting Champagne country
New York Times. Dec. 27, 2007
Under French law, the only sparkling wine that merits the name Champagne must be made from grapes grown on officially designated plots of land in France. But as global demand for Champagne soars, pressure is mounting to expand Champagne country. Farmers and landowners who are not on Champagne-designated land hope to join the exclusive club of insiders.
>More

Favorite New Year’s champagnes
Bloomberg. Dec. 25, 2007
One critic’s favorite bubblies include Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rose 2000 ($200); and Piper- Heidsieck “Rare'' '90 ($80). More affordabe is a vin mousseux such as Bouvet Brut Signature ($12), Cremant d'Alsace, or Dopff au Moulin, ($20) which pretty much began sparkling-wine production in Alsace back in 1900. California recommendations include: Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs (the 2004 vintage is $25) and Domaine-Chandon Brut ($15).
>More

Fine dining in Lyon
BostonGlobe. Dec. 23, 2007
A city famous for its gastronomy offers visitors insights into its soul by way of evolving menus. A food critic samples the wine bars, hearty traditional cusine, and bakeries. (HT FrenchJournal).
>More

France set for new record for wine and spirits exports
AFP. Dec. 22, 2007
French exports of wines and spirit are set to hit a new record in 2007, raking in more than nine billion euros (13 billion dollars), the head of the exporters' federation said Friday. Cognac and champagne are leading the boom in sales, Philippe Casteja, president of the federation of exporters of wines and spirits in France, told AFP.
>More

Truffle Trouble
UKIndependant. Dec. 22, 2007
They are known as the black diamonds of the Perigord, and this year, owing to the scorching summer, harvests are sdown 90%. Now at the beginning of the November-to-March truffle year, there are even fears that the French truffle is a dying delicacy.
>More

Eight tasty budget-priced bubblies for New Year's
DallasMorningNews. Dec. 21, 2007
For years, Americans deemed Champagne the requisite beverage for New Year's Eve. But a decent bottle of this French sparkling wine starts at a pricey $40. Fortunately, there’s a world of quality sparklers priced at less than $20 – from Italy's proseccos to Spain's cavas. Critics chose top sparkling non-Champagne beverages for the holiday season.
>More

Ducasse Takes Cuisine to Eiffel Tower
AP. Dec. 21, 2007
Alain Ducasse has already provided haute cuisine to the Concorde jet and for astronauts. Now he has opened a restaurant in the Eiffel Tower, the called the Jules Verne. A three-course menu for lunch costs 75-euros (107 dollars) without wine. A basic dinner including drinks will cost around 250 euros (360 dollars) per person.
>More

Celebrating the Bresse Chicken
Reuters. Dec. 21, 2007
France, holding a week of celebrations to mark the 50t 50th anniversary of the Queen of Chickens -- the poulet de Bresse. The Bresse chicken is the only species of poultry that has an "Appelation d'Origine Controlee" classification. Over the Christmas season, this will include parties, beauty contests, a poultry market and fine food.
>More

A Skeptical Look at Biodynamic Wine
Wine Spectator. December 21, 2007
Some of the world's greatest winemakers say that biodynamics is the secret behind their wines. The list of those who profess to practice this approach to vine-growing includes Leroy, Leflaive, Zind-Humbrecht, Coulée de Serrant, Huët and Chapoutier in France. Is it the biodynamics, or is it just that great winegrowers are farming organically on really good land?
>More

Cognac Hits New High Mark
WineSpectator. December 21, 2007
Americans are expected to consume more than 4 million cases of Cognac this year, for the first time ever. Cognac, which is made from distilling wine, has now enjoyed 13 consecutive annual consumption gains.
>More

Food and Drink Archive: December 2007-2