Many of the days we were stationed at the sorting table, which because of the rain, was a highly stressed part of the harvest this year. The wet leaves would stick to the grapes when shaken off the vines (half of the harvest was done by machine) and need to be removed, along with an incredible amount of snails. That’ll teach them to come out when it rains! The grapes get dumped into a large bin, moved up through a machine that removes the stems, then dumped onto a long vibrating table that, in theory, shakes off the remaining debris (leaves, rogue stems, small animals). The rain, and it’s accompanying rot, wreaks havoc on this sorting table and demands the use of man. We were the chosen ones, picking out sticky leaves, rotten grapes, and dismembered snails- there was something intriguing that happened to those little guys when inside the destemmer, the bodies always floated a foot or so behind their shells on the table. Between the loads of grape deliveries that needed to be sorted during the day, we would assist the cellar hand with the endless pump-overs and tank transfers. When grape juice begins to ferment, the carbon dioxide that is released carries the skins and seeds up to the top of the tanks to form the “cap”. This cap is the mecca of color and flavor, and the goal is to pass as much juice through the skins (and redisperse the mass as much as possible) to extract compounds within the skins and attain a rich color and desirable aromas. As the fermentation ensues, the temperature and alcohol levels rise, both of which assist with this extraction.

The practical side of this, of course, is a whole lot of pumps, tubes, and water. On average, our tanks took about 45 minutes each for a pump over, which was done twice a day. So the more tanks that got filled as the harvest went on (about 2 weeks of picking), the more it required… organization. And water. Cleanliness should never be underestimated in a facility overflowing with sugary juice!

We did partake in a few very interesting, experimental cuves at Caronne Ste Gemme, as we were told this was the absolute worst a most challenging harvest in their history in Bordeaux. One required us to pick 2 rows from each plot, and estimate the percent of rot on each bunch, as well as the amount of vines. This would give an overall idea of the coverage of rot in each section, and set a priority of which areas needed to be picked immediately, and which were less pressing. In the 2 weeks we were there, maybe 2 days were rain free. Ripe, sweet fruit on vines full of moisture (and low air circulation), what else is there but rot? So determining the extremity is highly important in salvaging your crop.

Another task I was given required me to taste a few select grapes in each plot and decide whether they were ripe in terms of flavor (phenological), not sugar level (physiological). If I detected any degree of green/ vegetal notes or astringency, those plots would undergo what is called “thermo-vinification.” This is a process that very quickly heats the juice up to 175 F, which eradicates any under-ripe qualities, but strips away any good complexity as well. The result is a neutral wine aimed for blending, that will neither enhance NOR detract from a given wine. An interesting concept, as a small amount of negative flavor blended into an otherwise great wine can bring that wine down quite a bit in terms of quality.

So, this was not meant bore the hell out of you, but I got side tracked by science… as always. Next time I’ll tell you about the incredible food, cheese, and drink we had each night…

In case you weren’t aware, I recently started studying wine and management in Paris, at Le Cordon Bleu. The first month has been quite a lot of adjustment, intensive training, and not much sleep. But who ever complained about 350 hours of steady wine tasting? Wellllll… I’m not going to be the first, but I will say there have also been a few other factors (time being the main one) that are working against my video production. My dad, a recent retiree, came to stay with me for a month to explore all the city has to offer (though he’ll be at the Louvre for 27 of the days). So restaurants are hogging all of our free time and selfishly pulling me out of the letitbrie kitchen. Beer is responsible too, as we spent a weekend in Munich for the legendary Oktoberfest and bratwursts. And now, there’s a dilemma with not even being in Paris! All of us students are being shipped off to individual wineries for two weeks to learn first hand about the harvest and vinification process. So, with dirty jeans and old shoes, I’m going to a sticky, muddy world of no internet and a lot of wine. Yes, I’ll take a ton of pictures. And while I have spent 5 months in a vineyard in Italy, doing the exact same thing, I didn’t stay with the winemakers the ENTIRE time. I had my own apartment in Florence, a kitchen, a computer and access to english speakers. So this will be an incredibly humbling and probably trying experience. Really though, I’m just praying for a bed.

The aspect that I absolutely can’t wait to see, however, is the food. Yeah yeah yeah, I’ll sift through the St. Julien gravel with my bare hands and deeply savor the Haut-Medoc air. But honestly. What do these world famous farmers eat for lunch? Will we all sit down for a simple country dinner, or will they drop us off at the local grocery store and let us fend for ourselves? Or will they be like the Italian winemakers and they toss me a 14 lbs block of Pecorino with a knife ( /ice pick) and chug cold red wine from across the table as they saw off pieces of dried beef? In two days I’ll probably wish I was still sitting at the table speculating. Which is why I’ve already filled a backpack with nuts and other such survival gear. But aside from the fear of being fed lamb’s eye with a side of unidentifiable organ meat, I can’t wait to finally see Bordeaux and watch the masters at work. In case you are interested, I’ll be at Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme.

St. Julien, here I come!

And yes, when I return, more videos to come. No more excuses.

Hopefully they have one of these there, too.

there is nothing quite like aged balsamic with strawberries… roasted… on top of homemade, unctuous vanilla ice cream… made without the luxury of an ice cream maker… and it’s just too easy.
this is the perfect contrast of comfort and intrigue, so please, give it a try!

Watch how easy it can be to make the spicy, fragrant and comforting Chana Masala. This recipe is much more of a guideline than anything else- please tweak it to your tastes! Transform the homely garbanzo bean into something exotic and delicious.

A nutty, rich, caramel-y dough tamed with crunchy flakes of sea salt… these cookies are SO much more than what meets the eye. Watch the video, make the recipe, go to heaven. Browned butter does it all!

A luscious red wine, shallot sauce served with blue cheese and panko crusted steaks. I used filet mignon, but any cut will do! Learn how to perfectly sear a steak and make this delicious dish.

Char grilled lamb chops topped with an intensely flavored, aromatic Argentinean chimichurri sauce- learn how to make these juicy treats.

A tutorial for homemade caramelle, which differ from ravioli only in shape. Here, I used a three cheese filling of ricotta, mozzarella and parmigiano- but chose whichever meat or cheese filling you’d like.

Learn how to make an authentic braided danish pastry, filled with cream cheese and sour cherry preserves. Once you learn the process of making a laminated dough, the beurrage and detrempe won’t intimidate!