Enjoying Bojo Nouveau 2018 in Stockholm

The Beaujolais Nouveau is known to be a French tradition, but since a few years now, this tradition has spread out in various cities in the world and for a couple of years we have had the pleasure to notice that it also made it to Stockholm!

As the wine scene is getting more and more diversified and robust in the capital of Scandinavia, we can notice that wine bars in the city are offering Beaujolais Nouveau by the glass from the third Thursday of November. This year it all started on Thursday the 15th (as the French famous slogan says « Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrivé ! » which means it has arrived!) and we chose to go to two places to celebrate: the well-established 19 Glas in Gamla Stan and the newly opened farm-to-table restaurant Farm in Frihammen.

But first, what is the Beaujolais Nouveau tradition? It all started in the Beaujolais region of France near Lyon and was what we can call now a great marketing campaign! Selling a wine within the weeks of harvest was lucrative and the best way to compete with rival wine producers from the so-called Burgundy region. Today, bottles of the same year are opened throughout the whole of France and that is described as a wine party and the testing the first sip of the Beaujolais Nouveau is a special event in itself.

Opinions on Beaujolais Nouveau remain divided – some people claim that it is not a wine of their liking, if they are usually prone to like full-bodied and oaky wines. Others love the freshness and juiciness of such young wines especially, when made in respect of ‘honest’ wine-making. In this article, we will be focusing on natural Gamay, with as little human intervention as possible.

At 19 Glass, Beaujolais Nouveau 2018 was served from November 15th to November 19th. We tried the very good Beaujolais Nouveau from Rémi Dufaitre – definitely one to drink by the gallon and the one from Karim Vionnet which was also on offer by the glass.

At Farm, the experience was slightly different as we had a proper Beaujolais Nouveau party, trying different producers (Lilian & Sophie Bauchet, Jean-François Nicq, Renaud Bruyère) – and being able to order the same wine from different vintage was a great touch. Here one could for instance try the Jean Foillard Beaujolais Nouveau 2018, but also the 2014 and 2015. The 2018 was also released at Systembolaget on Thursday morning for the lucky ones as the production is also very limited.

By far one of the best gamay on earth

Pure juice ! Artois Poulsard Trousseau by Renaud Bruyère

October Les Foulards Rouges by Jean-François Nicq

And the very best for the end …evidence that natural wines age well ..

 

The restaurant is a nice minimalist space with a view on the owner’s brewery – no less! A guided tour of the brewery, for fans of craft beers, is very interesting to have too.
There was a special Beaujolais Nouveau food menu on offer – both the lamb and the rabbit terrine were delicious, alongside an interesting flat bread, a few vegetarian options and great dessert too.

Private visit of the Brewery with Olie

Paris : the capital of natural wines

These my recommendations if like me you are in Paris for 48h and are a big lover of natural wines ( and food of course).

1/Vivant Paris : vivant’s website

I have no words to describe how great the food in this down-to-earth tiny restaurant is: perfect cooking, taste, presentation and atmosphere . Great wine list.

Bonsoir- Bienvenue: a glass of orange wine to start

Utopiste 2016 – restons nature

 

Then comes the time to choose your wine for your meal …

We shortlisted the following 4 : Two wines from Beaujolais : L’herbe folle and Très vieilles vignes 2009 J-A Bloc, one wine from Auvergne : La Bohème 2015 from Patrick Bouju and a wine from Loire valley called Ange from Domaine de l’Ecu.

Robust wine selection

Affordable price list

And the winner is .. from Beaujolais ..the extraordinary Gamay from Lilian & Sophie Bauchet – L’herbe folle !

Tasting note:

Funky on the nose ( exactly as I like it) , richly fruited on the palate, showing notes of cranberry jam that is quite lovely. Mild tannins. Rich acidity on the finish and that lovely lean cranberry note is here too.  If it weren’t for that aroma this could be quite fantastic ( for some reasons the wine tends to taste too aromatic).

Carrot salad with raisin and bottarga – Bavette tartar with ricotta

Slow cooked pork

Amazing wine pairing experience

Pasta cooked in tuna bones : definitely the hight of the diner

Who said that food needs to be complicated ? The simplest things are something the best.

As I mentioned Vivant is a very small restaurant with a marble bar where you can see the chef cooking just in front of you and a few tables behind:

Amazing chef and bar scene

Super cosy atmosphere

2/ Breizh Café ( Breizh website )

One can’t go to Paris without having a crepe and a cider and in this place you can eat the best crepe of France !

A Provençale ( excellent!) and a Basquaise with biological cider

3/ Natural wine and couscous ! Yes the combo is great

We have been invited for lunch by my childhood friend who is an artist living in Paris

 

Art in the kitchen

 

Traditional Sunday couscous with a bottle of Gamay

Bottle of France Gonzalvez 2015 bought from the caviste The wine list on Boulevard Beaumarchais at 16euros.

4/ Best natural wines cellars in Paris 

Now if like me you live in Sweden where alcohol is regulated by the state through the monopoly and if that monopoly cannot provide you with natural wine then you have no other choice then have a checked in luggage and buy your own wine !

Here is my selection ( or at least what my luggage’s space allowed me to get) :

• The wine list : 26 Boulevard Beaumarchais, 75011 Paris, France

The sommelier is a big fan of natural wine and the owner is really personable , we visited him twice and he opened wines for us to try – he said he opens 10 bottles per day so he knows what his sommelier select ! Great selection – different price

• La dernière goutte : 6 Rue de Bourbon le Château, 75006 Paris, France

Big selection of natural wines from the big names ( Bobbinet, Folliard, Matassa etc ) and non natural wines from great producer ( LaCroix Vanel) . Very good price for the location ( near Rue de Seine and Boulevard St Germain )

• Ma Cave Fleury : 177 Rue St Denis, 75002 Paris, France

Unfortunately it was closed when we were there , which is the issue with Paris many natural wine bars and stores are closed on the weekend .

Colourful façade on this parallel of Rue Montorgueil

 

• La Cave des papilles :35 Rue Daguerre, 75014 Paris, France

This is what we bought most of our orange and most funky wine – it is not far from the new Cartier Fondation, and in the neighbourhood where Simone de Beauvoir lived . A bit out of the way so not sure this can be my regular cellar . Found prices were too high and not reflecting the area

Here is my personal selection : stay tuned for the next article where I will tell you if these were worth it !

Finishing this article by what should have been the start: where to eat the best croissants in Paris :

I was sceptical at first but then I have to say that the croissant of La Maison Plisson ( website) were excellent ! Take away or eat in , I recommend this place !

Excellent baguette and Jambon-beurre sandwiches

 

 

 

A humble food and wine guide of Prague !

It was my first visit to Prague and I enjoyed it very much ! This Baroque romantic architecture with a touch of Gothic , millenaire trees on big Parisian boulevards , Austro-Hungarian Empire prints still vivid – a very tasteful old town , where every single details matter to the eye.

Obviously Prague is famous for its Plisner beer , but I never thought I could get to drink as many amazing natural wines in a single weekend ! Czech wines were definitely the big ( positive) discovery of my weekend and here is why :

The variety might not be huge in terms of grappes but the quality is very high , wines I had there were consistently good :

First night, I didn’t know about Czech wines so went for a safe bet : an unfiltered Italian white wine from Elisabeth Foradori – skin macerated for 7 days , its density , colour and flavour were just remarquable . For me,this Manzoni Bianco Fontanasanta 2015 is  a big win despite having been recently disappointed by one of Foradori red wine !  Complex yet balanced wine with many funky layers of taste with a long dry finish , surprisingly excellent with Beef Carpaccio, fermented onions and Buratta cheese as well as a Pasta dish.

Tasting notes:

Color :dense yellow

Aroma:notes of ripe yellow fruit , exotic fruits, and jasmin

Taste: juicy ( like only good natural wine can be) , precise, beautiful amplitude and flavour

Must visit wine bars in Prague :

• Bokovka (Bokovka.com)

Surprinsly, this bohemian bar is from the same owners than Lokal ( lokal’s website), which I won’t cover in this post as I’m sure every travellers to Prague is aware that Lokal is the best place to taste Czech food and Pislner beer.

For me, this bar does not feel like it belongs to a chain of restaurants , which usually and surely psychologically makes me doubt the place’s quality and “specialness”.

Here the wines on offer by the glass are top notch and affordable  – by far the best and cheapest wines in Prague ! Fantastic set-up , secret entry through a courtyard , almost with a run-down feel to it , but with an amazing and somehow intriguing ” cave à vin” – perhaps the effect of the ceiling voutes and candles atmosphere.

Hidden courtyard

Great atmosphere , sharing table

The Cellar

Low key design throughout

First contact with Czech wines and an excellent French red :

Large selection of wine by the glass

French and Czech wines side by side

Natural rosé-Rysak 2014

Rysak 2014

Pinot Noir

Kapitel I

Excellent Rednoz !

 

I will only focus on reviewing my favorite wines of the night –

• First a French Cabernet Sauvignon Rednoz 2014 by Guy Bossard from the Loire Valley region , which I really like:

Tasting notes:

Color :ruby

Aroma:cherry,currant, blackberry

Taste: juicy,fresh,low acid wine, mineral and earthy, clean and smooth finish with light dose of tannins ( need to be decanter for at least an hour)

• Pinot Noir  Čtvrtě 2015 from Stapleton & Springer wine estate which is located 30km from Austria : this wine produced by J. Springer, an emblematic figure of Czech Pinot Noir, is aged 12 months in oak barrel and its tannins remain smooth.  

 

• Vinograf (Vinograf’s website):

Great selection of natural wine by the glass with a very friendly sommelier who is flexible and agrees to open new bottles and sell them to us by the glass which is always nice to have when one is travelling and would like to try as many new wines as possible .

Amazing selection of Czech wines !

 

 

Now the best for the end : my experience at the one michelin star * restaurant la Bohème Bourgeoise( LaDegustation).

I loved the weekend I spent in Prague , that’s for sure and my birthday night dinner was the highlight. I liked everything about my time at la Boheme Bourgeoise, from the moment you step in , you feel right – not too of a fancy impersonal place, not an everyday place- just the right balance you expect to find in such restaurant to make you feel comfortable and ready for a great and tasteful experience.

 

I highly recommend the food and wine pairing menu – AMAZING experience to your palate and senses and here the sommelier is listening to your preferences and can adapt the wine to meet your taste !

 

Simple and neat setting

My birthday evening menu ! A menu to remember 🙂

open plan kitchen

 

Amazing selection of natural wines 

 

Amazing selection of natural wines

Balanced and thought-through food