Serge the Concierge

Thinking Turkey and Zin for Thanksgiving, Zinsgiving Tasting at Le Du in NY, November 21

2009-11-21T16:57:16-05:00

Want to make sure you are making the right choice?

Still an undecided voter as to what wine you should pair your turkey with for Thanksgiving 2009, Jean Luc Le Du of Le Du's Wines (600, Washington Street, downtown New York) has a Free Tasting in progress, Zinsgiving, on November 21 from 3 to 6 PM.

Wondering what I am blabbing about, Zin stands for Zinfandel not the blush stuff, the red one.

Since many call it the original American grape, it is often considered a natural fit for your Thanksgiving bird.

And of course, I have to show support for my fellow Bretons.

End of Thanksgiving 2009 #1

Take a Sip, Grab a Bite, Get Lucky Maybe, 20Something Wine Event, Seattle, November 21, Sold Out

2009-11-21T16:36:58-05:00

At Fremont Studios in Seattle on November 21 from 6 to 10 PM, 75 Washington State winemakers have a date with twenty something wine lovers for a sipping, grab a bite and get lucky (maybe) event, 20SomethingWine, the new vintage.

The winemakers will pour their favorite $30 and Under Productions.

There are many ways to approach 20Something including (I quote) Seafood and Wine Pairings presented by Waterfront Seafood Grill:

"Learn how to match wines with your seafood dish from the experts at Waterfront Seafood Grill. They will showcase two wonderful salmon recipes and pair them with two distinctly different wines. Pairing #1: Hand chopped King Salmon tartar with citrus marinade paired with Sparkman Cellars 2008 Lumiere Chardonnay.
Pairing #2: Fresh sautéed King Salmon with beluga lentil & wild mushroom stew paired with Sparkman Cellars 2008 Wilderness Red Blend"

Not sure how the wine tastes, but this Wilderness (Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Syrah and Petit Verdot) sure has a beautiful label (below).

A portion of this wine profits are donated to The Wilderness Society.

Showing some flexibility, the 20Something organizers let us know that "the 35 and under “at heart” are welcome as well"...

I guess they will check your ID at the door to prove you make the cut.

I would not and anyway I am too far from Seattle to make it there on time and besides the event seems to be sold out.

Need a Short Stay Schengen Visa to France from NY, You Have to Show Up in Person

2009-11-20T15:47:38-05:00

There is a first for everything, the French Consulate wants to see you in the flesh before you get a Short Stay Visa also Known as Schengen. It covers visits for up to 90 days.
Don't wait until the last minute.
You need to schedule an appointment 2 weeks in advance.

Besides passport and travel documents, you must show proof of accommodation.
If you stay with friends or family, the French Consulate guidelines state that you must present a certificate of lodging which your hosts must obtain from local City Hall.

Be also ready to show Financial Guarantees namely that you have at least $100 per day spent in France.
It means you will have to show your last full monthly bank statement, last 3 pay stubs plus an a letter from your US employer.
Last a proof of medical insurance in case you get sick and need hospitalization or repatriation.

Save yourself a second trip.
Go through the checklist thoroughly.

If you produce all the proper documents you will get your visa the same day.
If you don't want to wait, your favorite concierge can.

Nice Legs, Chateau Virgile, Costieres de Nimes Red 2007, Only 11 Bucks

2009-11-20T10:20:09-05:00

Don't worry I did not pick this wine because one of the vignerons is named Serge.

Up to this day I had not had the chance to taste any wines from Serge and Thierry Baret.

Their Chateau Virgile, Costieres de Nimes Red 2007, a classic Rhone blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre, does not die on you like a cheap perfume, it has staying power but in a subtle way.

Since I recently reflected in Wine Reviews...Are we Hyped, Framed or Looking at a Mirage on the list of adjectives that wine reviews throw at us (fruit, stone, tobacco, you name it), I will refrain from joining the fray.

At $11 to $13 a bottle, trust me, you cannot go wrong on this one.

Chateau Virgile also has a Rose and a White (blend of Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier).

George Heritier raves about the white in Francophilia 2009 (Tasting Notes from the Underground, March 09).

Enjoy!

Izu Photo Museum Inaugural Exhibition, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Nature of Light

2009-11-19T22:36:29-05:00

Opened late October 2009, Izu Photo Museum is the latest piece in the cultural puzzle (pictured below) that Clematis No Oka is.

Here's the thread that led us there:

"The Clematis no Oka is a multi-cultural facility of art and nature that opened in April 2002 with "Flowers, Art Museums, Slow Food" as its theme. Its mission is to preserve and pass on the wonderful art and culture to the next generation. There are 2 art museums and a literary museum, restaurants and cafe supervised by renowned chefs, museum stores and a nature park scattered over the Clematis no Oka.

Within the premises are the Bernard Buffet Museum and the Literary Museum for Yasushi Inoue, which opened in 1973, the Vangi Sculpture Garden Museum (MUSEO VANGI), which opened in April 2002, and the IZU PHOTO MUSEUM, whichi opend in October 2009. In the Garden Museum, the Clematis Garden was created, where a large number and variety of clematis can be admired."

We now know where the name originated or found its roots.

As for the Izu Photo Museum which opened on October 26, 2009, its inaugural exhibition 'Nature of Light' is the work of Hiroshi Sugimoto who also designed the museum's interiors as well as its gardens.

What the exhibit is in museum's own words:

"It comprises a collection of photographs that pay homage to the work of photography pioneer William Henry Fox Talbot.
Titled “Photogenic Drawing, ” these photographs were printed from paper negatives produced
by Talbot 170 years ago. Sugimoto has effectively played variations on the original scores
provided by Talbot’s negatives, transferring to a different medium images that would
otherwise disappear and be lost to obscurity.
“Lightening Fields” are prints in which the light is burned in directly by applying electrical
current to the film. The inspiration for this technique comes from “aborted discharge”
experiments by Talbot, who was also a scientist.
To create “Lightning Fields,” Sugimoto ran electric current directly over the film and printed
the results. This series is also related to Talbot since it recalls the experiments that he carried
out—and eventually discontinued—with electrical discharge in his work as a scientist. The
title of the exhibition, HIROSHI SUGIMOTO: NATURE OF LIGHT, resonates with Talbot's
The Pencil of Nature, the first book to be illustrated with photographs, recalling the original
means by which photography portraits were made. We hope you will enjoy this requiem to
silver nitrate photography created by a contemporary artist who has long been involved in
making photographs about photographs.
The exhibition is includes eleven works of “Photogenic Drawing,” and a pair of six-paneled
screens entitled Lightening Fields Composed 011 ()."

In the Shadow of Mount Fuji for Tokyo Thursdays # 114

Previously: Health and Nutrition get a Boost with Superfood Buffet at Westin Tokyo, until Nov 30