Sharing Dreams to Build Connections Between People

Mission Hill Family Estate Winery Commissions First
Canadian Sculptural Exhibition by French Artist Nathalie Decoster

West Kelowna, British Columbia (April 13, 2011) - Mission Hill Family Estate Proprietor Anthony von Mandl announces a collaboration with renowned French artist Nathalie Decoster.

Her first Canadian solo exhibition, to be held at the Okanagan winery June - October, follows recent installations in Paris, France at Avenue des Champs-Elysées, Luxembourg Gardens, and the Bagatelle Gardens. Internationally, Decoster installations are located in a range of settings from London and Vienna to Brazil and Venice.

Over Fifty Decoster installations will be featured on award-winning Okanagan winery grounds

Von Mandl first encountered these magnificent works of art more than eight years ago when he visited an exhibition at Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte winery in Bordeaux's Graves appellation. Since that time, he has held a strong belief that an exhibition at Mission Hill would be a memorable event for winery guests, the Okanagan Valley and the Canadian arts community.

"What immediately struck me about Mrs. Decoster's art were the curved hoops that cradle her human forms to create a strong visual connection between the art and the outside world," says von Mandl. "These curved hoops are akin to the metal hoops that hold together the precious barrels that age our wines and are essential to crafting exceptional wines."

Over the years, von Mandl and Decoster have been in regular contact planning the timing of her Canadian debut and the winery's first exhibition of this magnitude. This year, Over 50 sculptures installed throughout the winery grounds will be enjoyed by guests who stroll the property, visit the wine cellars and taste the various vintages. The Decoster Sculpture Exhibition will be open to the public at no additional charge. The permanent installation of one significant sculpture ensures a lasting legacy for all who visit the winery.

"We hope Mrs. Decoster's work resonates with visitors as she plays with the notion of sharing dreams to build connections between people," says von Mandl. "We believe this same connection speaks to what we are trying to accomplish as winemakers. The parallels are undeniable and we invite art lovers, or the merely curious, to visit Mission Hill to discover the magnificent work of sculptress Nathalie Decoster."

Von Mandl's passion for the arts traces back to his European roots and earliest, fondest memories of his parents who fostered in him a love of arts, music, cuisine and learning. Mission Hill is a family-owned winery with a dedicated staff who shares its founder's passion for wine, food and the arts. Their dedication to wine excellence is coupled with a long-term commitment to support the visual and performing arts, essential components of the Mission Hill guest experience.

About Nathalie Decoster
Decoster lives and works in her converted factory studio in Paris. Her early work with decorative art studios led her to perfect her sculpting technique with an old-school master and the development of personal creations with new skills and materials. The essential mediums of her work include steel, bronze, aluminum, stainless steel and concrete. She employs vocabulary recognizably her own. An "art brut" figure is her messenger represented in minimalist geometric structures which convey philosophical messages about the human condition. With a dash of humour, she makes us conscious of the absurdities in our modern human lives. Helping us identify with these themes presents a password to serenity. Visit nathaliedecoster.com for more information.

About Mission Hill Family Estate
Mission Hill Family Estate is world renowned for its award-winning wines, stunning setting, architecture, and Cuisine du Terroir-influenced Terrace Restaurant. The winery's vineyards are located in five distinct growing regions of British Columbia's Okanagan Valley. Reflective of the origin and unique character of the Valley and meticulous 'Vine to Bottle' program, Oculus, its signature Bordeaux-inspired wine, represents the pinnacle in premium winemaking. Proprietor Anthony von Mandl and winemaker John Simes produce elegant internationally acclaimed wines with New World flavours and Old World refinement from this incomparable wine valley. Visit missionhillwinery.com for more information and follow Mission Hill Family Estate on Twitter @missionhillwine.

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Independent Winemakers’ Salon – France

Rarely do you get such a glimpse of how basic an element wine is to French culture than at something like the Salon des Vins des Vignerons Indépendants.  At an event like this one, you really get the feel of how wine is actually a basic food group for the French. It's not a luxury or something that needs to be "mastered" but rather as elementary to daily life and basic needs as is water.

Salon des Vins des Vignerons Independants  Photos copyright Thomas Millet

As a tourist or even as a resident foreigner, this Wine Salon is something I plan trips around and mark on the calendar months in advance.  Held this past weekend at the ginormous Expo center that is Porte de Versailles in Paris, I had the chance to sip and taste new and just released vintages from over 250 independent wineries and winemakers from all the regions of France. The question was not a matter of access (entry cost 6 Euro) or accessibility (all the wineries were pouring). The question was whether I had the stamina to last a whole day.  If I were a real pro, I would have gone over the course of each of the consecutive five days and prolonged the learning and the enjoyment, the listening and the tasting, stretching it out for every last drop.

Vigneron-Vigneron

The Salon des Vins des Vignerons Independants is something that everyone even remotely interested in wine must attend at some time. As a window onto wine and French culture, it's unsurpassed. It's also no-frills. And it's held twice a year - in the Fall and in the Spring. The only people I envied as I roamed the alphabetized aisles, were those who were savvy enough to have come with their rolling suitcases which they packed full of bottles and cases of France's most excellent and affordable wines.

Here's a sampling:

Wine Tastings, France. Photo Copyright Laurent Hardhuin.

Champagne Philippe Martin

They are located right in the heart of Champagne just between Reims and Epernay in Cumieres. They grow their chardonnay and pinot noir grapes on 10 hectares and produce 6 crus.

Cuvée de Réserve Brut - dry, frothy bubbly. At 14.40 Euro per bottle at the Salon it stands up to any of the internationally known brands.

Millésime 2002 - aged and made with pinot noir grapes as well as chardonnay, the richer, fruitier grape is detectable as soon as the elixir hits your tongue. At 22 Euro per bottle, you can see why I wish I'd had my rolling suitcase with me.

Alsace

Domaine Gerard Metz "The power of harmony"

The Salon tipplers tended toward the Alsatian wines, I noticed. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that Paris had just seen its first snowfall of the season this weekend.  It's easy to think of a spicy Gewurztraminer and heavy spaetzle and sausages when it gets cold outside - all things that come from Alsace.

Gewurztraminer Vielles Vignes  2009 at 9 Euro per bottle this tending toward almost sweet gewurz tasted of the grape. In the sense that I almost felt like I had popped a whole grape into my mouth and was drinking of it, and a splash of alcohol.

Gewurztraminer "Cuvée Mégane" 2009 This guy was just shy of a late harvest wine. Its gold color spoke of its autumn, rich flavors even before it made itself known in the mouth. It sells for 13.50Euro per bottle.

Bourgogne - Chablis

It's just too novel when you come to the realization that these wines you've long loved come from an actual place. In this case, Chablis.

Moreau Naudet at 5, rue des Fosses, Chablis offered Petit Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru and Chablis Grand Cru on offer. He ages his white wine for 24 mos. in barrel.

Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 2007 was smooth and classy; its light golden color reminded me of summer in California. 26 Euro

Chablis 1er Cru Montmains 2008 had lively acid playing throughout the mouth. Well-balanced and a white you can keep for a few years and still enjoy. 26 Euro

Domaine Millet "Intensement Chablis"

The winery is in Tonnerre, still within Bourgogne. The Petit Chablis L'Angelusand Petit Chablis were noteworthy, all 2009. They also had their Chablis Vieilles Vignes and Chablis 1er Cru Vaucoupin for sale and to taste. The maturity of the old vines tend to be the wines I gravitate towards. www.chablis-millet.com

Côte du Rhône, St. Joseph

Domaine du Mortier, Saint Joseph by Didier Crouzet. What's a wine tasting if you don't indulge in a bit of the sacred St. Joseph? Part of the geography of Côte Rôtie, a St. Joseph can take good care of you through the Winter. On 10.5 acres Mssr. Crouzet cultivates his vines of character.

Domaine du Mortier, St. Joseph, 2008 A little light. Not often found in this wine or appellation, it can offer a more drinkable alternative to what is usually paired with a good steak or winter roast.

Domaine du Mortier, St. Joseph, 2009 is a considerably more powerful wine. 2009 vintages, like the 2010 harvest, will have legs for years to come. Dark fruit, some wood, wine with a backbone.

Bourgogne, Pouilly-Fuisse

In this cluster were three domains that are run by the same winemakers and which are all independent. The majority they've brought to market this year have won a medal or an award or even a "coup de coeur" from the Guide Hachette des Vins 2011.

Domaine de Fussiacus   Pouilly-Vinzelles 2008. These grapes are from 30-40 year old vines. This lovely tinted yellow gold nectar won the Medaille d'Or Paris et Macon 2010. It was selling for a mere 10.30 Euro.

Domaine Chateau de Chaintre Bourgogne Blanc 2008 is the one which you'll find in the Guide Hachettes des Vins 2011 listed as the Coup de Coeur. It is burgundy chardonnay and its well-balanced, proper notes and aromas make it a perfect choice for a dinner with family and friends.

Domaine de Fussiacus Vielles Vignes Pouilly-Fuisse 2008 had a nose of citrus and a delicious mouth of calcaire and mineral hints.  Another one of those wines I wish I'd bought a case of. 15.10 Euro per bottle.

Corbières

From this region down near Perpignan which is still part of Languedoc-Roussillon you will find wines that have the garrigue in their molecules.

Abbaye de Fontfroide

A husband and wife winemaking team, Nicolas de Chevron Villette married his wife, Laure d'Andoque de Seriege, whose family has owned the Abbaye de Fontfroide and the vines that surround it for centuries. They have a tasting room, a restaurant and they offer vacation stays. It is also just 15 km. away from the region's only 3 Michelin star restaurant run by France's Best Chef 2010.

Abbaye de Fontfroide Cuvée Deo Gratias 2007 A finessed red wine that speaks of the region and the terroir. The nose is aromatic, the mouth hints of the garrigue.

Abbaye de Fontfroide Cuvée Oculus 2009 Though this is a white, it boasts a nutty mouth and an aromatic nose. At 7.10Euro a bottle, it is an elegant wine to serve at table with roasted poultry and new potatoes for example.

Abbaye de Fontfroide Cuvée Deo Gratias 2009 The grapes are Roussanne, Marsanne predominantly and the juice is new barrel aged. 12.90 per bottle.www.fontfroide.com

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Thanksgiving Is About Gratitude...And Food!

Thanksgiving Is About Gratitude...And Food!

Everywhere where Thanksgiving is celebrated, we have a favorite recipe that each of us takes out, dusts off, - often from our Grandmother's recipe book - and cooks up each year to share with our friends and loved ones.

Thanksgiving. What was your grandma's favorite Turkey Day recipe?

 And while  Thanksgiving has become a Food Fest for most of us, it is firstly a celebration of gratitude. With gratitude as the cornerstone ingredient for manifesting abundance, this is, then, a powerful recipe:  Thankfulness + Good Food = Abundance.

Thanksgiving is also a time of sharing. Back on Plymouth Rock, it is significant to remember that the Mayflower Pilgrims would not have survived that first winter had it not been for the Native Americans sharing their knowledge and abundance of the land and native foods such as corn and beer. (Yes, beer!)

So, yes, Thanksgiving is a time for families and food. It is also a time of sharing and gratitude.  So...what was your grandmother's favorite recipe?  Mine was whipped yams baked with mini marshmallows.  I think I'll start practice cooking it now again in preparation for the big day...!

Help for the Holidays

 

 

If your family is one of the many struggling this holiday season I would urge you to research the non-profits in your area that can help meet your needs. I have listed just a few of the many valuable organizations serving the residents of the 23rd Senate District.

• FOOD Share, Ventura County
• Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles
• Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Los Angeles County
• Manna Conejo Valley Food Bank, Ventura and Los Angeles County
• Valley Food Bank, San Fernando Valley

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21st Annual Malibu Pie Festival

 

Kara Seward with her pie entry for Malibu Pie Festival, October.

 

The Malibu United Methodist Church hosted their 21st Annual Malibu Pie Festival last month. The proceeds from pie sales and silent auction items went to support the church's youth and family programs and service projects. I am proud to announce that my staffer for the Malibu area, Kara Seward, entered her family's blueberry pie recipe and won third place in the Fruit Pie category. Congratulations to all the entries!

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Muesli Delivered To You by iPhone 4

The made-to-order muesli mixers of mymuesli recently created the first TV commercial filmed and edited entirely on the iPhone 4.

In the three years since mymuesli launched, they've expanded to the UK, Switzerland and the Netherlands, and have been joined by similar concepts in other countries, including [Me]&Goji in the US. They've also forged smart alliances with established health, fitness and beauty brands, and developed a convenience product: mymuesli2go.

<p>mymuesli2go, a tv commercial - filmed and edited on an iPhone 4 from Max Wittrock on Vimeo.</p>

Which brings us back to the iPhone. mymuesli's founders were so impressed by the phone's video quality, that they decided to use it to shoot and edit an ad for their new product.

Highlighting the convenience aspect of mymuesli2go, the ad features a skydiver eating cereal before jumping out of a plane. (The video below shows both the ad and 'the making of'.) The commercial aired on German and Austrian television over the weekend.

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Cuisine Concepts

New takes on common concepts:  Lobster on the fly; Guest-cheffing; apple pie a la derriere; and Patty's Pizza takes its cue from Koji Bbq...

1. LE TROISIEME LIEU — Stealing a tradition from music and comedy clubs, Paris bar Le Troisième Lieu has declared Mondays as 'open kitchen nights': any aspiring chef can register to be the venue's cook for the evening. All meals cost EUR 12.

2. PUBLIC PIE — Dutch mobile kitchen Public Pie features ovens that are integrated into the outdoor benching that is provided for patrons, meaning customers get exactly what is promised by the company motto: 'Fresh apple pie with a hot butt'.

3. PATTY'S PIZZA — Santa Monica pizza maker Patty's has done away with its brick-and-mortar eatery altogether, and moved its retail operation entirely online. On top of that, customers can choose to have their gourmet pizzas delivered baked or par-baked, giving them the option of completing the process their own oven.

4. LOBSTER PUSHER — How to make a sandwich more exciting to consumers? The Lobster Pusher's answer is to make the act of buying one emulate a drug deal. Customers interested in The Merchandise—a lobster bun—must first become a member of a Facebook group. Orders for product are conducted by SMS, and handovers take place surreptitiously on street corners.

Thanks to: Food Inspiration

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Baboons Go Ape For Grapes

Yes, the World Cup is just days away.  And as you gather with friends to watch the games, you likely will be inspired to do some tastings of the very reputable S. African wines.  After all, their vineyards are some of the oldest under cultivation.

Can't See The VIDEO: Click HERE

A novelty that hasn't been lost on the nation's baboon population!

Taking the notion of "critter" wines to an altogether new level, South African vineyard managers have to outsmart and outmaneuver a pest of the monkey variety...turns out baboons find the sugar and starch of grapes altogether irresistible!  They particularly go in for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.

Here's what's been reported in the popular press:

by: Nastasya Tay  [Johannesburg]

Baboons, it seems, prefer pinot noir. They also like a nice chardonnay. Largely undeterred by electric fences, hundreds of wild baboons in South Africa's prized winelands are feasting on ripe, succulent grapes, forcing winemakers to use noisemakers and rubber snakes to try to drive them off during this harvest season.

"The poor baboons are driven to distraction," said Justin O'Riain, who works in the Baboon Research Unit of the University of Cape Town. "As far as baboons are concerned, the combination of starch and sugar is very attractive – and that's your basic grape."

Growers say the picky primates are partial to sweet pinot noir grapes, adding to the winemakers' woe, for pinot noir sells for more than the average merlot or cabernet sauvignon.

Fauna Dynamics

Wine Spectator's Harvey Steiman has even gone so far as to report that South African vineyards are now training baboons to harvest the grapes. So if you plan on lending a hand during crush, you might just find yourself harvesting side-by-side with a  few brethren baboons...

From Wine Specatator:

It turns out that the baboons are actually being trained to harvest the grapes themselves (the trick is keeping them well-fed so that they don’t do any on-the-job snacking). It’s all part of the latest viticultural movement known as FaunaDynamics, in which human labor is all but eliminated in the vineyard. Zoologists at the San Diego Zoo claim their 100 percent FaunaDynamic teaching vineyard will be online by 2014 (rhesus monkey-directed draft horses have just completed plowing a 4.1-acre parcel). Peregrine falcon nests surround the vineyard to protect it from grape-hungry starlings, and several of the zoo’s primates have been sent to the Cape to learn harvest methods from Stellenbosch’s simians. Not surprisingly, PETA has already announced plans to protest the first harvest.

If you'd like to drink some of the wines made from the grapes the baboons go in for, we suggest starting with these:

Quoin Rock [Excerpted from The Wine Doctor]

The Quoin Rock winery is located in Stellenbosch where the climate is continental (warm and dry summers, cool winters), although Carl van de Merwe was keen to stress that the summer temperatures are hot rather than merely warm. He clearly has no problems with ripeness of fruit, although he has had challenges protecting the sugar-rich fruit from the local baboon population prior to harvest; the marauding monkeys have a habit of responding to the sweet aromas of ripeness with a pillaging of the vineyard. The solution has been to install electric fences to protect the harvest and vines.

There were three wines on show from Quoin Rock, including recent vintages of the estate's Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. The Sauvignon Blanc is mostly fermented in steel, with a minor portion fermented in barrel. The wine is left on its lees for six months before bottling, the intention being to engender a fuller, more creamy mouthfeel. The Chardonnay meanwhile is 100% barrel-fermented, with 30% of the oak new in this vintage. The third wine was a 2004 Syrah.

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Food Paparazzi

As the popularity of food blogging and social networking collide, the World Wide Web is seeing more photos of food from all walks of life. ABC News is currently airing a story called “Food Paparazzi: It’s Their ‘Porn’”, which includes an interview with NYC Food Guy. How did it go? You’ll have to watch the video and see...

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(April 19, 2010)  by Greg Morabito from Eater.com

The LA Times runs a story today on the growing trend of diners taking pictures of food, or as they claim chefs now call these customers, the "Food Paparazzi." Naturally, chefs are both annoyed and flattered by the camera-wielding diners. Grant Achatz, who banned flash photography from Alinea, has been an especially outspoken critic of food photos recently.

Crediting bloggers for buzz, Top Chef Masters' Ludo Lefebvre recently sold out every single reservation at his restaurant Ludo Bites. He's even hosted a private 18-person meal just for bloggers, with a light box to help with photo ops. As Lefebvre puts it, "This is the game we all now play... we cook, we smile -- and the people, they don't eat. They get their cameras."

· Dinner is Theatre As Food Paparazzi Converge [LA Times]

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California Wine Fair In Vancouver

CALIFORNIA  WINEMAKER'S DINNER

April 6, 6:30 PM Seasons in the Park Restaurant

Queen Elizabeth Park

Join us for a special California Winemaker’s Reception and Dinner featuring wines from Robert Mondavi Winery.

Nicole Meacham, an International Wines Associate based in California, and Leslie Gadoury, Brand Manager for Robert, will be here to provide insight about each of the wines which will then be masterfully paired with a four-course dinner prepared by Executive Chef at Seasons in the Park, Buddy Wolfe. Seasons features a stunning panoramic view of the city, and is the perfect setting to enjoy this exciting wine selection.

CALIFORNIA WINE FAIR BALLROOM TASTING

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2010
Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre, 999 Canada Place. 7PM

Now in its 30th year of touring across Canada, the 2010 CALIFORNIA WINE FAIR BALLROOM TASTING boasts 350 wines from 100 wineries throughout the Golden State. Under one roof, the range of wines include products currently available in the market to new vintages and varietals that have yet to be released in the Canadian market. Six hundred guests sample wines, and bid on silent auction items including many of the hard-to-find wines featured at the tasting.

WINE 101

Thursday, April 15, 7:00 PM
Buschlen Mowatt Galleries Main Floor – 1445 W Georgia St

What is the difference between merlot and cabernet?

What wines pair best with what foods?

How should I store my wine?

Returning from its SOLD OUT launch in 2008 and again in 2009, Wine 101 is a lively interactive tasting hosted by Sommelier,
Benjamin Howard, from the Beach House Restaurant. It is a “no experience necessary” event designed to enhance yourknowledge and enjoyment of wine. Taste a range of wines from Chardonnay to Zinfandel, from Merlot to Riesling (and many more), and have all your questions answered by knowledgeable professionals!

Tickets: $40  Includes the tasting, and all the questions you can ask.
To purchase tickets

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