The second Wine & Culinary Edition -held in Barcelona yesterday- brought new ideas regarding the relationship between wine and food and presented new tools for wine professionals in Spain. The forum, which was sponsored by Fundación Dieta Mediterránea (Mediterranean Diet Foundation), was organized by Bodegas Torres and PR company Mahala Wine.
The invitation to break down taste borders by François Chartier was particularly revealing. The Canadian consultant and flavour expert used his genius and humour to show how he applies his investigations on aromatic molecules to match wines and dishes from very diverse origins -on this occasion, from Canada (Stéphane Modat), Mexico (Daniel Ovadía) and India (UK-based Vinyet Bhatia). Wine & Culinary attendants experimented first-hand the way he reproduces aromas and certain flavours (maple syrup, Mexican huitlacoche and curry) from other raw materials which share the same aromatic basis.
Many of the concepts exposed during the day are the result of numerous investigations and experiments. Kitchens have turned into huge labs where flavours, textures and various preparations are used. The complex presentation by Josep “Pitu” Roca, from 3-Michelin star restaurant Celler de Can Roca, about the almost endless possibilities to use wine in the kitchen (reduction techniques, gelification, maceration, glazing, lyophilization, distillation, boiling…) could feel like science-fiction if it wasn’t for the testimonies of lucky diners who have tried dishes made with some of these techniques at his Girona restaurant. Creations such as Riesling mussels, which reproduce the different stages of the wines produced with that grape, or Manzanilla oyster cooked for a few seconds on hot stones, surprise diners with their originality and aromatic display.
Jamie Goode also talked science. The British author of Wine Science discussed how little we know about the influence of soil on wines and tried to explain the aromas and flavours related to “minerality”, a term increasingly popular in tasting notes. Dr Goode talked about the direct relationship between microbial life on the soil and a mineral character in the wine from the moment such microorganisms let the plant absorb a larger number of nutrients from the ground. He gave a word of warning about the enemies of healthy soils such as treatments used in traditional agriculture, including copper sulphate. Was is too technical? Perhaps not, given that this kind of information can help improve the creativity of a restaurant.
Lucas Payá is a wine list wizard. The former sommelier at El Bulli moved to the US a few years ago and has helped to shape the wine lists of chef José Andres restaurants in that country. Versatile and creative, he proposed lists of wines ordered by soils (slate, clay, limestone, stone… a paradise for wine geeks); by price (a list of 50 wines priced equally to take pressure off the client); by vintages…the possibilities are endless. He also talked about devoting a space on the wine ledger for a sommelier selection, for old vintages or even orientate it towards the type of food served at the restaurant.
“Wine lists are excellent tools to convey the essence of a restaurant”, said Payá. The most sophisticated was his idea to serve high-end wines by the glass on scales and measure with exact precision the amount of wine served to the client. Other imaginative, ground-breaking examples presented by Payá included porrón wine service (glass wine jar with a long drinking spout), saber opening for sparkling wines or hot wine tongs for other wines; and large format bottles. Wine as an element of fun seems to work very well in the US. Could some of these ideas stimulate wine consumption in Spain?
Ferrán Centelles, also an ex-sommelier at El Bulli, amused the audience by shattering some myths about impossible pairings for vinegar, artichokes and egg. He tested the attendants’ preconceived ideas by inviting us to try artichokes cooked in different ways and pair them with wine. Another unlikely match was pickled gherkins and a red Priorat and that same red paired with lemon marinated seafood. I must honestly say it was much better than I expected!
Along the same lines, food-pairing expert Fiona Beckett offered her suggestions to match the excellent selection of wines from Primum Familiae Vini (the association of family wineries which includes Torres along iconic names such as Mouton-Rothschild, Egon Müller, Antinori, Vega Sicilia, Pol Roger…). Her choice of dishes went from high quality dishes to informal choices with a younger audience in mind.
What’s the purpose of a 21st century sommelier? With his trademark modesty, Josep Pitu Roca has always defined himself as a “wine waiter”. But his presentation in Barcelona places him at the avant-garde of wine thinking, from its potential in different aspects to its relationship with gastronomy, human beings and the environment where wines are born.
Lucas Payá and Ferrán Centelles shook the audience and proved there are no limits to creativity and experimentation. Meanwhile, the great Gérard Basset, the only person in the world to hold the titles of Master Sommelier, Master of Wine and MBA Wine and named the World’s Best Sommelier in 2010, argued in favour of continued education by means of tastings, visits to wine regions, news follow-up and participation in competitions. According to Basset, a sommelier’s best assets are: the right disposition, passion, ambition, determination and curiosity. He is the perfect example of these qualities. In order to obtain the title of World’s Best Sommelier, he set up a working group led by his wife and enlisted a sports trainer, a psychologist and a memory expert - he trained as an elite sportsman would do for high-level competitions.
An interesting feature of this initiative is that it has been set up by a private winery. It is not the first time that Torres, which produces wines in several regions across Spain as well as in Chile and California, is involved in wine culture activities. As well as their cultural centres, they offer numerous wine tourism activities and take part in food and wine events such as the Canary Islands Gastronomy and Wine Forum in Tenerife last May.
