The Lollipop fun wine is here again<\/p>\n
By Grace Segran<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The celebration of the arrival of Beaujolais
\nNouveau is a yearly affair, marking the first wine of the season.
\nBeaujolais Nouveau has become fashionable and people all over the
\nworld enjoy the hoopla associated with being among the first to
\ntaste it.<\/p>\n
Beaujolais Nouveau, made from Gamay grapes that were harvested
\na few weeks earlier, comes from vineyards located in the most
\nsoutherly of Burgundy's region of France, about 400 kilometers
\nsoutheast of Paris.<\/p>\n
This grape makes light and fruity wines with relatively low
\nalcoholic content, and are served chilled. The Beaujolais Nouveau
\nis marketed as a young, unpretentious wine that is intended to be
\nconsumed in copious quantities.<\/p>\n
It is made by intensive semicarbonic maceration methods that
\naccelerate fermentation to enable it to be ready to be consumed
\nthe world over by the third Thursday of each November. Rapid
\nfermentation gives it the bubble-gum, banana and pear-drop
\naromas, which is why Beaujolais Nouveau is known in the trade as
\n\"Lollipop\" wine. It is ideal for anyone who does not actually
\nenjoy the characteristics of real wine. It is a wine that should
\nnot be taken seriously, and no producer claims it is a fine wine.<\/p>\n
A French friend from my Paris days, Michel Lelieve, used to
\nturn his nose up at the wine come November. He would not touch a
\ndrop because, according to him, \"it's bad wine; in fact it's not
\neven wine ... !\"<\/p>\n
Nonetheless the profit generated by Beaujolais Nouveau is
\nconsiderable. By the time it is over, over 65 million bottles,
\nnearly half of the region's total annual production, will be
\ndistributed and drunk around the world.<\/p>\n
Once again, The Regent Jakarta heralded the arrival of the
\nBeaujolais Nouveau 2000 on Nov. 16, when the wine was brought
\ninto the lobby of the hotel by a Porsche, accompanied by two
\nHarley Davidsons. The promotion for the wine is on until Nov. 26,
\n2000.<\/p>\n
During this period, executive chef Kenji Salz will prepare
\nspecial burgundian-style dishes, while a French buffet will be
\navailable for lunch and dinner. Dominique Bodin, a world-renowned
\naccordionist, will also be on hand to commemorate the event.<\/p>\n
For old times' sake, we decided to join in the fun this year.
\nSo wine and dine we did at the Regent's Steakhouse.<\/p>\n
The person who greeted us was dressed merrily in a red French
\noutfit with a black beret. We were rather impressed when he was
\nable to respond to our greetings and thanks in French, setting
\nthe mood for the occasion.<\/p>\n
The Steakhouse was transformed into a bistro. You could hear
\nthe pleasant clatter of cutlery and the muted tones of people in
\nconversation, as the garcons hurried to and fro quietly to the
\nstrains of Edith Piaf.<\/p>\n
We expected to find a limited menu of regional dishes but
\nthere were nine starters, eight main courses and five desserts to
\nchoose from! So, naturally, we had executive chef Kenji decide
\nfor us.<\/p>\n
Burgundy regional cuisine is heavy stuff! There is hardly any
\nfish as the region is so far away from the coast. So go easy if
\nyou do not want to feel stuffed before the meal is over.<\/p>\n
We started with white bean soup. It was tasty and rich with
\nwalnut bits and a dollop of cream. The smoky flavor that came
\nfrom beef bacon was good. The onion tart was a meal in itself. It
\nwas excellent with lots of chopped onions, balanced by the green
\nsalad.<\/p>\n
The 2000 growing season was said to be ideal from beginning to
\nend, thus giving us a Beaujolais Nouveau that is \"robust,
\ntypical, well-bred, generous and mouthwatering\". However, to us
\nit still tasted raw and crude.<\/p>\n
It pairs very well with the cuisine and one tends to wash down
\nthe heavy food with it. We remember in France how people would
\ndrink so much of this unaged wine that they would have a bad
\nheadache the next day.<\/p>\n
For our main course we shared roasted baby lamb, duck with
\nblack pepper vinegar sauce and veal chops. They were accompanied
\nsimply, either by a vinaigrette green salad or buttered French
\nbeans and carrots.<\/p>\n
The lamb was succulent and tender. The delectable brown sauce
\nwas made by reduction from the trimmings of the roast and
\nBeaujolais Nouveau.<\/p>\n
For dessert we chose grilled goat cheese and tarte tatin --
\nboth of which were superb.<\/p>\n
A delightful French evening, indeed. Thanks for the memories.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-lollipop-fun-wine-is-here-again-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }