tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930491812011794262012-02-17T17:25:47.342+13:00The immensity of the world of wine seen by one of its ant through tastings, travels. Photos and notes that translate the emotions wine offers me.SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.comBlogger291100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-2047648847575814302010-10-30T18:46:00.005+13:002010-10-30T19:11:17.632+13:00

I work for a winery in Marlborough - New Zealand called Clos Henri Vineyard, that's owned by a French producer from Sancerre called Domaine Henri Bourgeois. Few days ago, was organised a wine diner in a restaurant of Christchurch (South Island of NZ) of the name of St Germain - www.st-germain.co.nz . The menu was matched to our wines, and each dish was paired with a sauvignon blanc from Sancerre

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-28349358278308837712010-09-08T22:10:00.004+12:002010-09-08T22:19:12.859+12:00

I've recently tried a craft beer called 8 Wired, the Indian Pale Ale from Marlborough, 100% hops grown in Nelson. Really hopy on the nose, and then came the surprise of a beer that actually had all the aromas of a typical Marlborough Sauvignon blanc!That sort of gooseberry, and green leaf tomatoes and sweat, all with a kind of tropical fruit flavour. The whole of typical sauvignon blanc from the

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-81248070942890002502010-09-06T18:22:00.003+12:002010-09-06T19:03:56.877+12:00

The winery i work for has produced its first vintage in 2003, and i arrived in NZ with the 2004 vintage being bottled. Although my role is in sales and marketing, I worked with the winemaker in 2005 and was bottling the wine, which got me to understand about the bottling process, without touching the wine in the cellar though. In 2006 we changed winemaker, and from there i stopped bottlings, and

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-24822720454695732022010-09-02T19:42:00.003+12:002010-09-02T19:56:14.024+12:00

I have experienced a savour i never particularly paid attention to today - rosemary sap. I add some simple pasta with herbs, and just went in the garden to pick up some fresh rosemary and cut it as is on the pasta, without any cooking of the herbs.The flavour of the rosemary is well-known to everyone, but thist ime as the herb was really fresh and raw-uncooked, the flavour of the sap was present.

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-76857089323241238442010-08-27T18:00:00.005+12:002010-08-27T19:18:32.216+12:00

I've received today some information about Bordeaux primeur 2009. Apparently, Robert Parker comments:"I have bever tasted such powerful and concentrated Medocs. First and most importantly, for soe Medocs and Graves, 2009 may turn out to be the finest vinatge i have tasted in 32 years of covering Bordeaux. From top to bottom, 2009 is not as consistent as 2005, but the peaks pf quality in 2009 may

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-69429208358686079402010-08-26T17:38:00.003+12:002010-08-26T17:58:27.235+12:00

I've 'cooked' some hapuku fish yesterday with the idea of trying it in its raw flavour and try to find wine matches with different varieties. So I simply steamed the hapuku.Well after trying the oaked chardonnay, which was too rich and round and with too loud aromas not matching the freshness of the fish, i tried some unoaked chardonnay. Rather more interesting of course, nice acidity and citrus

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-19755904664636750372010-08-20T20:34:00.003+12:002010-08-20T20:47:10.982+12:00

Imagine you are given the choice to have for diner a home dish of fresh tuna balls cooked in a fresh tomato sauce, the whole lot cooked with pinenuts, lemon zest, flat parsley etc. or a visit to Mc Donald (no need or me to describe the menu there). What do you choose? My flatmates went for Mc Donald. Nowhere does this make sense to me. The mell was lovely, the dish fresh and healthy but not a

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-15728248118680175142010-08-11T18:22:00.011+12:002010-08-20T21:02:47.383+12:00

Haven't been writing for a while on this blog... Thinking about it, i believe that i haven't had much fantastic wine experience this year in fact. Sad, indeed! Again, if i look deep in my memory, only food memories come up...I actually had my best food experience so far in a restaurant in San Francisco US. it was fantastic from the beginning to the end, i promised myself i would write an email to

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-8770781125555111692009-08-06T21:00:00.020+12:002010-01-16T11:27:04.588+13:00

If you haven't yet tried this and manage to get hold of a bottle, don't hesitate. It's a NZ$41 / 375ml bottle, but certainly worth it especially compared to what's available on the NZ market (no offense, I surely haven't tried them all yet).I'm quite a fan of dessert wine, at least i use to, as i haven't been drinking much of it for a while. Just always disappointed by the quality, I ended up

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-48589413797147283002009-08-02T15:47:00.000+12:002009-08-02T16:06:13.059+12:00

I try here and there different W&F matches. One of the last ones that got my attention:A dish with cumin (lamb) with a glass of 2006 sauvignon blanc from Marlborough. Obviously one of the sauvignon from that region that can gracefully age, nice minerality, but good round and weighty mid palate, with a slight sweetness most certainly enhanced by the roundness. Going quite well with the cumin, more

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-61983826223862009482009-05-05T22:15:00.000+12:002009-05-05T23:02:09.215+12:00

Have you ever experienced that perfect wine & food match? You've most certainly heard about it, and might even have doubt about the magic of it. Well, I was thinking exactly the same - right, red goes with meat, white with fish, light red on a salmon, tannic red on a game, try white wine with cheese, but red with a camembert, dessert wine on a blue etc. commun statements of wine & food matching (

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-26413686895090107912009-05-02T10:19:00.000+12:002009-05-02T11:34:15.572+12:00

The taste is the result of stimulations, starting from the visual to the final sensation in mouth:1) Visual : a dish that looks nice already tastes nicer than the same dish that doesn't look as nice2) Tactile: and maybe nowadays we forget about this perception a lot. Think about eating something with your fingers or with a fork. It doesn't taste the same because you in fact have that tactile

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-69072574328727964022009-04-30T17:51:00.000+12:002009-04-30T18:03:42.544+12:00

A summer later, a harvest in NZ later, few months older... well back to the keyboard. For no other reason that I have opened this box over which i had put tons of work, tons of excuses and finally far too much dust... what's in the box? Molecular gastronomy.What's the relation, why coming from a simple love of wine to such a blurry concept of food?Well, i believe that if on one side, chef and

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-20343995312318449722008-12-29T17:26:00.000+13:002008-12-29T17:31:52.496+13:00

Don’t know about you, but every time I have a discussion with an American or a European or a Kiwi etc., I’m confronted to the conversions and to making sense to everyone… accent aside!If you are like me, here are few conversions you'll be glad to have under the thumb:Celcius to FahrenheitTc=(5/9)x(Tf-32)-17.22C = 1FHectares to Acres1 hectare = 2.47 acresKilometres to Miles1 kilometre = 0.62

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Here's the second part of that vertical tasting of the Clos Henri Vineyard wines.Tasting notes of the Bel Echo wines, in two words:Bel Echo Sauvignon Blanc 2008: Just bottled. Nice chalky minerality, white pepper on the nose. Round mouth balanced by a nice acidity and a fruit intense without being exhuberant. 2007: very similar notes of evolution than on the Clos Henri. Nice roundness, hint of

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-47157093630251251572008-12-10T18:28:00.001+13:002008-12-10T19:50:08.913+13:00

Two days ago we have done a vertical of the Clos Henri wines (Clos Henri and Bel Echo ranges)- first wines were made in 2003. So no crazy old bottles full of dust, but a very interesting line up of wines to enable us to learn about the evolution of our wines and understand better our terroir (yes, i work at Clos Henri Vineyard), and how to improve our work in the vineyard.Who was part of that

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-19223130806818968402008-11-03T15:41:00.000+13:002008-11-03T16:08:14.515+13:00

Hi all,You'll find on the blog associated to my email few ideas that I regularly publish. It goes from tasting notes, to marketing thoughts, or a simple idea that came to my mind... all about wine indeed. With the idea of making sense of and when we talk about wine, giving sense to it for everyone, experiencing wine with all our senses - basically to sense wine...I know how annoying emails with

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When architecture meets wine, there is always the danger of having a beautiful winery that is not functionnal and makes the cellar crew growl. However, you also get wineries that are thought from an esthetic point of view, meet the landscape and that are technically coherent while bringing a pleasant flow in the rythm of work, especially appreciated during harvest. Any architect would now comment

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-23583115637736082742008-10-27T14:47:00.000+13:002008-11-18T19:28:29.823+13:00

It is something i didn't want on my blog, listing wines and giving my opinion on them - as if my opinion was important! But, even though my opinion doesn't matter, well I have to say I enjoyed this wine thouroughly - so i share about it.It is a producer i've loved for a while, I discovered the Bandol appelation through Chateau de Pibarnon, and i come back to it with pleasure every time i get the

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-45149182199412796122008-10-13T20:10:00.000+13:002008-11-18T19:29:13.788+13:00

In Veneto, at Schiavon sits the Poli Distillerie - A beautiful artisan distillery, owned by the Poli family who has for generations developed its distillation systems to acquire the best as possible. Nicely guided through the whole distillery process by Alessandro Villanova, in charge of Extern Relations, I got to understand the history of the family with Grappa, and the love and passion they put

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I went for a quick visit in San Gimignano to give a hand harvesting the famous Vernacia for the winery of Monte Oliveto which is partly owned by the father of Lorenzo Zonin (see article below). A little building of stones shows an old piano and few tables that invite visitors to taste and buy wines. Guests also have the possibility to stay in a renovated farm of stones, in a traditional though

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-90048204905370659582008-09-20T03:43:00.000+12:002008-11-18T19:30:27.372+13:00

In Maremma, at Podere San Cristoforo:In Toscana for two weeks. What a joy! I’m here to help a friend during his harvest. In the boutique winery of Podere San Cristoforo of Lorenzo Zonin. Beautiful treasure of a vineyard, full of warm colours and of passion for the vineyard and the wine. I have a wonderful feeling of plenitude and happiness. Work happens, but time is taken, and every task is done

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-66662504392067774232008-09-20T03:00:00.000+12:002008-11-18T19:31:11.636+13:00

Few photos taken in the last week at Podere San Cristoforo. http://www.poderesancristoforo.it/

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-15084343170794599322008-09-04T19:51:00.000+12:002008-11-18T19:31:29.281+13:00

Yes, i had a comment from a good friend, who told me that the idea developped about quality recently was obviously making sense. Thank you for this comment by the way, this permits me to explain more clearly what i meant :)Obvious indeed, he reminded me of the 4 P (that well known rule of marketing, about placing your product strategically thinking about : Product, Place or Distribution,

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-66598939056945457282008-08-25T19:38:00.001+12:002008-11-18T19:32:36.170+13:00

Have you ever thought about these tasteless tomatoes you find at the supermarket ? Why are they for sale? Because consumers want to buy tomatoes that have regular shapes, are easy to cut, and not floppy. Tasteless apples? Same, they have to have regular shapes, must be crunchy, and not have any imperfection in their pigmentation.Pre-conclusion: people are actually ready to pay for tasteless

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-52880094405554730572008-08-20T19:37:00.000+12:002008-11-18T19:33:57.122+13:00

Here you are at the wine shop, unable to make the slightest choice. You’ve been there 10 minutes, hanging like a ghost in front of the many bottles. No matter how much you actually know about wine, you always get lost when it is about making the purchase decision. To a certain level of understanding, as for example one would know that if he decides to buy a Gouttes d’Or, he will be buying a

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Let’s talk for few minutes about the american market. More than any other market, your wine needs to be well positionned and you need to have media coverage. If you have the right price, the right points from the influencial magazines or wine writers, then you’re on stage!After that, whatever the quality in the bottle. Not saying that if you have great ranks means that you have great quality, but

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-26266214424226528992008-08-11T18:46:00.000+12:002008-08-22T18:50:46.542+12:00

How does one get to put meaning behind words…How many times have you heard that wine is history, that wine is emotion?... More than you can remember. Obviously, after a while you get to understand this ‘romantic’ part of the wine in all the history/story sense and all the emotional ways. And indeed, this romantic part of wine is very charming, if not deep and fascinating.Well I recently learnt

SENSEWINE by nelly francehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06584680784724726302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193049181201179426.post-66569967422031754902008-08-02T14:38:00.000+12:002008-11-18T19:35:32.910+13:00

27th of December... I had just turned 27, and decided to start a blog. Things leading to another, work over my head, trips here and there, and finally my poor blog ended up with 2 posts after some 8 months. Ah, working on this blog requires some time. So there I am again, with new objectives. But first, a little description of who your devoted blogger is:I have been acquainted with wine for just

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