Thursday, July 23, 2015

Wine & Food of the Tour de France 2015, Stage 18: Danilo Thomain Enfer D'Avier & Fondue

Stage 18 186.5km
Gap / Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne

 Some history from the tourist website: The Maurienne is the southernmost biggest valley cross-cutting the Savoy making it easy to travel from France through to Italy. At the heart of the valley, on the banks of the Arc river and surrounded by towering mountains with the Aiguilles d’Arves as a backdrop, you will find a small village previously known as Maurienne.
Gontran, King of Burgundy, conquered the region in the 6th century allowing the bishop of Turin to retain religious authority over it. As legend would have it, it was at this time that Saint Thècle brought the three fingers of saint Jean-Baptiste, said to have baptised Christ, to the town. In order to accept such honourable remains, Gontran made the village an episcopal see. The village took its name and coat of arms from the remains and became the valley's capital. It was called Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and was symbolised by « the blessing hand », a hand held up in the traditional pose of blessing. This event is celebrated at the Bread Festival on the first Thursday of every August.
As the capital of a diocese, the town built various religious monuments, many of which do not exist to this day. The cathedral, however, is still standing. These first buildings were rebuilt after the unrest of the early Middle-Ages using material found on-site : fragments of sculptures from the Carolingian period were re-used.
Specialities: Mont Corbier liqueur, Savoie, reblochon, abondance, Beaufort (all cheeses, Opinel knives
The stage: Christian Prudhomme's comment: 1815-2015 : the Route Napoléon will next year celebrate the 200th anniversary of the “100 days”. The pack however might not be in a festive mood when leaving Gap and going up to the Col Bayard before further battling it out on the Col du Glandon. Stage victory could be decided on the 18 bends of Montvernier, set to enter the legend of the Tour de France.
A thought from Mark Cavendish:

  
I've said it far too many times, but I would love a designated grupetto cam on mountain stages.
Our break of the day, in visual form, again, from Team Movistar:

 Speaking of dots, Rodriguez has gained enough KOM points in the break to be the virtual leader in the polka dot jersey competition. On the road, beautiful scenery and word that Mark Renshaw has abandoned. Cavendish has lost almost his entire train for the leadout in Paris on Sunday. Renshaw is the 37th rider to drop out of the Tour.

With one hundred kilometers to go, the break had just under four minutes on the peloton. That peloton had been shrinking and was down to under forty as they continued along the road. Ahead, there had been a split in the breakaway group with Talansky, Fuglsang, Rodriguez, Barta, Martin, Plaza, Voeckler, Herrada, Caruso, Anacona, and De Gendt in the lead.

 

 Sixty five kilometers to go and DeGendt had gone solo. A pretty picture of the final climb on the day:
Next up though the Col du Glandon. As they climbed, a new group at the front:
Gesink, Bardet, Rolland, Pauwels, Pinot, Fuglsang, Rodriguez, Jungels, Caruso, and Anacona. There were riders spread out in between, but the yellow jersey group had gotten very small: Nibali, Scarponi, Froome, König, Poels, Porte, Roche, Thomas, Contador, Majka, Rogers, Kreuziger, Izagirre, Quintana, Valverde, Wyss, Sanchez, Barguil, Gesink, Kruijswijk, Mollema, Oliveira, Frank, and Perichon. 
Finally, an attack from Contador. Froome does not chase.

  
 

 Further behind, an attack from Nibali. Sky did not react, but Valverde chased. Nibali again, but Quintana helped chase. Behind, Valverde appeared to be struggling. 
Alone at the front, Bardet, with many chasers in between the Frenchman and the yellow jersey group. That group was coming back together behind. 
Mollema would catch back on, just as they were preparing to climb again. It was almost hairpin time. 
With 13.6 kilometers to go, Bardet had 41” over eight riders and  3’12” to the 20-rider yellow jersey group. At the top of the climb, Bardet had 45 seconds over the closest chasers.

 And Bardet would indeed hold on for the win.

 Stage:


 GC:

 



Wine: Danilo Thomain Enfer D'Avier 2013
From FranklyWines
From the importer: The vineyards of the Enfer d’Arvier appellation are situated in an amphitheater-shaped site on steep slopes in a high-altitude valley, which receives ample sun.  The shape of this “bowl” of vineyards effectively concentrates the heat of the sun, thus giving birth to the “hell of Arvier” moniker.  Danilo Thomain is the only independent vigneron working this tiny appellation only five hectares in size.  The Thomain family works one hectare of vineyards here in the shadow of Mont Blanc.
A traditional wine made from the Petit Rouge grape and vinified in cuve, it has a compelling rusticity with a wild berry impression and a lively freshness on the palate.  Production at the Thomain estate is approximately 2500 bottles per year, approximately two-thirds of which is shipped to us for the US market!

I say: Revisiting a wine from the 2013 Tour and I am still a fan, especially on day two. You can still  learn a lot more about the wines of the region from this Eric Asimov article in the New York Times. A teaser: "The Valle d’Aosta is a winding network of vineyards, some on dizzyingly steep slopes at the highest elevations of any in Europe. The wines are by both tiny producers and bigger cooperatives, coming from a few familiar grapes (pinot noir, nebbiolo, gamay) and a whole host you rarely see anywhere else, like fumin and cornalin, petit rouge and prié. . ." 

Food: Fondue Because when you have a lot of cheese. . .
Our recipe has not changed from our Cooking from the Books days. 
8 oz. grated cheese
1 cup white wine (from the Savoie in this case)
As much nutmeg as K felt like grating
1 teaspoon corn starch

Heat wine over a medium-high heat until it begins to foam but does not boil. Add cheese gradually, stirring all the while. Grate in nutmeg and continue to stir until the mixture begins to thicken slightly. Add cornstarch and stir until the mixture thickens enough to coat your dipping items. Pour into a fondue pot and place over sterno to keep warm.
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Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Wine & Food of the Tour de France 2015: Stage 17: Domaine Les Terres Promises & Beaufort Cheese

Stage 17 161km
Digne-les-Bains / Pra Lou
Digne-les-Bains: The tourist website suggests that thermal baths: Located in the heart of the Eaux Chaudes "Hot waters" Valley, the Thermal Baths of Digne les Bains offer you a well-being break. If you are having a hydrotherapy or if you are a Pays Dignois resident or visiting the area, there is always a good reason to do you good in Digne les Bains.
Specialities: lavender, Sisteron lamb, honey, olives, truffles, oils, garlic.
  
Pra Loup Station de Montagne:  The tourist website tells me that Pra Loup is one of the largest mountain resorts in the Southern French Alps. Internationally known as a winter ski destination it is also very popular in summer and is renowned as a centre for mountain biking. Graded, waymarked bike trails descend from the summit station of the cable car and the resort offers many other open air activities such as pony riding, trampolines, and quad bikes.
The central square boasts numerous restaurants and bars, many with sunny terraces. Summer evenings see a wide variety of entertainment such as concerts and firework displays.
Specialities: fumeton (lamb), génépi (liqueur), Ubaye cheese.


Christian Prudhomme's comment
Eddy Merckx can witness this: the climbs up to the Col d'Allos followed by the one to Pra Loup are fearsome and can real trouble the established hierarchy. Like in 1975, the intense battle should start as soon as the climb up to the Col d'Allos. Forty years after, who will be the next Bernard Thévenet?

Ah, the Alps. We've been waiting for you. Busy start to the day, with groups all over the road. Among those dropped, Tejay van Garderen and he does not look good at all. Early on he was already more than three minutes down, riding with teammates. They way he was riding, it looked like he might not even complete the stage.
Chris Froome was hoping apparently for a quieter start.
 
 
Up ahead, the break of the day in visual form from Team Movistar:
 
Some very good climbers in that group and, of course, Sagan again. With eighty kilometers to go, they had two minutes over the yellow jersey group.

 

 And wow, Tejay and his group would make it back to the yellow jersey group. Given how he had looked earlier, a surprise, though that yellow jersey group had clearly slowed. Could he stay with them?


Seventy four kilometers to go and an attack from Contador. Valverde would catch him, followed by a reduced group. Tejay van Garderen had been dropped from the group by that move. And indeed, he would abandon the race. That was hard to watch, as he had been having such a good race. 
Meanwhile, attacks continued from the yellow jersey group. All of those attacks had cut the gap to the front group to 2'47" with sixty six kilometers to go. Behind, dropping out of the race, the lanterne rouge, Sam Bennett. 


At the front of the race, an attack by Simon Geschke.  Another abandonment, Kwiatkowski. 


 As they climbed, there were many groups spread out over the road. At the top of the climb, Geschke would go over first with almost one minute over the chasing Pinot. Meanwhile in the yellow jersey group Astana was pushing the pace at the front. Setting up an attack by Nibali on the descent? Only eleven riders left in that group as they climbed. An attack by Nibali would cut that group in half leaving Nibali, Froome, Valverde, Quintana and Contador. 
 
Next to go, Quintana. At that point, they caught back up to Richie Porte, who had dropped from the break and would now work for Froome. 
Ahead, Geschke up front alone followed by Pinot and Talansky with riders spread out ahead of the very small yellow jersey group. While we were in commercial, an issue for Contador. He had Sagan and Rogers with him. 
Ahead, Geschke on the climb to Pra Loup now, with a gap of 1.51 over Talansky with 5.5 kilometers to go.
 

 

One kilometer to go and it looked like Geschke would hold on. Behind, in the yellow jersey group, four Movistar riders. The stage win for Geschke! The fifth German stage win of the Tour. 

Stage:
1 Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin 4:12:17
2 Andrew Talansky (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team 0:00:32
3 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Etixx - Quick-Step 0:01:01
4 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ.fr 0:01:36
5 Mathias Frank (Swi) IAM Cycling 0:01:40
6 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 0:02:27
7 Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team Sky 0:03:02
8 Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa) Movistar Team 0:03:04
9 Serge Pauwels (Bel) MTN - Qhubeka 0:03:05
10 Adam Yates (GBr) Orica GreenEdge 0:03:21

GC:
 

Wine: Domaine Les Terres Promises
From FranklyWines
Jean-Christophe’s Domaine des Terres Promises is located in the village of La Roquebrussane, 1,300 feet above sea level, off-the-beaten track at the end of a long, steep road. Determined to farm organically, he found an area that made it more feasible. His vineyards are in a microclimate between Aix-en-Provence and Côtes de Provence that has colder winters and hotter summers on eroded hillsides that are composed mostly of limestone with gravel and flint.
He did, of course, have a lot to learn about grape-growing and winemaking, but he learned quickly, with help from generous like-minded winemakers like Catherine and Pierre Breton and Marcel Richaud. He works with many different grape varietals, including Ugni Rosé (a sub variety of Ugni Blanc), Carignan Blanc, Vermentino aka Rolle, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan.
He doesn’t use any chemicals in his vineyards, all harvesting is done by hand, and sorting is done in the vineyard. In the cellar, he uses natural fermentation and sulphur is kept to a minimum. He generally doesn’t fine or filter his wines and uses fiberglass tanks and oak foudres for fermentation. 
Read this: http://www.wineterroirs.com/2012/08/les_terres_promises_var_provence.html

I say: Very light yellow. Very minerally at first taste, with the fruit coming out as it warmed up a bit. 
 Food: Beaufort Cheese
From French Food in the US: Beaufort is an exquisite cheese made in the French Alps in the departément Savoie. Beaufort evolved over its hundreds of years of production and gained its own distinctiveness and renown. This dense cheese is of a harder, smooth texture, with a varying shades of yellow depending on which seasonal variety is being produced. Like other familiar cheeses such as Comté, Beaufort’s firm texture is obtained by removing excess whey and moisture, first by pressing the curds and then by heating the cheese before leaving it to age. But the bold flavor of the cheese can be directly attributed to the meticulous diet and unconventional environment of its two approved milk producers: the Tarine and Abondance cow breeds. The unparalleled quality and flavor of Beaufort was recognized on the national level in 1968 when it received its status as an AOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) and again by the EU in 2009, when it obtained its PDO status (Protected Designation of Origin).
Will from Podium Cafe even had a picture of Beaufort cows to share.
http://www.podiumcafe.com/2015/7/21/9008513/stage-17-finally-more-mountains
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Monday, July 20, 2015

Wine & Food of the Tour de France 2015 Stage 16: Domaine Nicolas Gonin Persan & Pogne de Romans

Stage 16 201km
Bourg-de-Péage / Gap
Bourg-de-Péage from Wikipedia:If Romans had acquired a great reputation with luxury shoe, Bourg-de-Péage owes its own to felt hats. Succeeding a solid tradition of hosiery under the Ancien Régime, mainly manufacturing women's underwear, felt headwear was introduced around 1810 by workers from Cognin in Isère. In 1811, three workshops were reported, and half a century later, this activity employed more than 400 workers divided into 16 workshops.The felt was obtained from domestic rabbit hair, which was the subject of many processes, carried out by workers in difficult conditions of humidity, such as blowing or fulling. In the surrounding countryside, there were many workers collecting rabbit hair, and their activity was sometimes perpetuated in the name of localities. However, the installation of the railway line to Romans in 1864 put an end to the local origin of the raw material, since cheaper Australian rabbit hair was then preferred.These imports thus caused hundreds of job losses in the countryside.In 1883, an unprecedented crisis occurred for milliners due to the protectionist attitude of some countries where production flowed. The difficulties overcome, the activity grew further still until 1929 when it reached its apogee. At that time, the Mossant business, which was the pioneer of péageoise millinery, employed more than 1,200 workers, and many other workshops produced alongside the quality headwear of Mossant.However, from 1930, the fashion of "bare heads" and the lack of exports caused a rapid decline of the headwear, although some workshops continued to operate until 1985.
LeTour lists no specialties.
 
Gap: From Michelin: Still in the Alps, but already in Provence. Such is the impression you get when you come across this city set in the centre of a large basin surrounded by often snow-capped summits. The tortuous streets, the facades in warm colours, the animation, all reinforce this feeling. Having suffered the ravages of war in the past, Gap is of interest today for the close proximity of the Serre-Poncon lake, the Bayard col and the winter sports resorts such as Superdévoluy, Risoul.
Specialities: tartes de Champsaur (prune tart), cheese, pâtés, tourtons (beignets), oreilles d'âne (spinach gratin), Gap ravioli, lamb, golden delicious apples 
The stage: Christian Prudhomme's comment: It should be one of the last opportunities left for the long breakaway specialists. However sprinters who will be able to remain within shooting distance in the climbs of the day could also have their word to say. Especially because for the finish in Gap, one of the nicest straights awaits.

 A day for the breakaway specialists? Maybe. Two riders out of the race today: Van Avermaet to attend the birth of his child and Kennaugh due to illness. Early on there were two groups of twelve out front separated by one minute. 

  
With one hundred kilometers to go, the first group on the road had almost a minute over the chasers behind and eight minutes to the main peloton. 
Those two groups would eventually combine into one, with Didier slightly behind.

Sagan impressive on the descent, but the group would remain together with a gap of thirteen minutes to the peloton. 

 Soon enough, attacks would start from within the break. Given everything, I'm hoping for Adam Hansen and sure enough, he was on the attack. 
And sun Le Tour?

 
Haller would bridge to Hansen with thirty seven kilometers to go. Twenty four kilometers to go and they had one minute over the chasers with a gap of over eighteen minutes to the peloton. 

Alas. 


 Ten kilometers to go and Plaza had almost a minute to the chasers. And off the front of that group, Sagan chased. Behind, the main peloton had gotten very small. Just under four kilometers to go and the gap was at thirty seven seconds.  Plaza would hold on! Another second for Sagan. 
And then I had to go to work, so I'll point you to the recap from Podium Cafe, which includes, Vincenzo Nibali stealing away near the top and giving himself room to attack on the final descent and Warren Barguil losing control on one particularly notorious corner and taking out Geraint Thomas of Sky. 
Stage: 
1. ESPPLAZA MOLINA Ruben 156 LAMPRE - MERIDA 04h 30' 10''
2. SVKSAGAN Peter 47 TINKOFF-SAXO 04h 30' 40'' + 00' 30''
3. COLPANTANO GOMEZ Jarlinson 188 IAM CYCLING 04h 30' 46'' + 00' 36''
4. GERGESCHKE Simon 86 TEAM GIANT-ALPECIN 04h 30' 50'' + 00' 40''
5. LUXJUNGELS Bob 147 TREK FACTORY RACING 04h 30' 50'' + 00' 40''
6. FRARIBLON Christophe 17 AG2R LA MONDIALE 04h 30' 50'' + 00' 40''
7. ERITEKLEHAIMANOT Daniel 219 MTN-QHUBEKA 04h 31' 03'' + 00' 53''
8. BELDE GENDT Thomas 73 LOTTO-SOUDAL 04h 31' 10'' + 01' 00''
9. ESPMATE MARDONES Luis Angel 174 COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS 04h 31' 32'' + 01' 22''
10. FRAVOECKLER Thomas 129 TEAM EUROPCAR 04h 31' 32'' + 01' 22''

 GC: 
1. GBRFROOME Christopher 31 TEAM SKY 64h 47' 16''
2. COLQUINTANA ROJAS Nairo Alexander 51 MOVISTAR TEAM 64h 50' 26'' + 03' 10''
3. USAVAN GARDEREN Tejay 61 BMC RACING TEAM 64h 50' 48'' + 03' 32''
4. ESPVALVERDE BELMONTE Alejandro 59 MOVISTAR TEAM 64h 51' 18'' + 04' 02''
5. ESPCONTADOR Alberto 41 TINKOFF-SAXO 64h 51' 39'' + 04' 23''
6. GBRTHOMAS Geraint 39 TEAM SKY 64h 52' 48'' + 05' 32''
7. NEDGESINK Robert 131 TEAM LOTTO NL - JUMBO 64h 53' 39'' + 06' 23''
8. ITANIBALI Vincenzo 1 ASTANA PRO TEAM 64h 55' 05'' + 07' 49''
9. NEDMOLLEMA Bauke 141 TREK FACTORY RACING 64h 56' 09'' + 08' 53''
10. FRABARGUIL WARREN 82 TEAM GIANT-ALPECIN 64h 58' 19'' + 11' 03'




Wine: Domaine Nicolas Gonin Persan 2012
From FranklyWines
From a great interview on the importer's website:
Paul: How much persan is there?
Nicolas: The whole production of persan in Savoie and Isère is ten hectares divided among twenty producers. Nearly all of them are organic. In fact, fifteen years ago persan had nearly disappeared. There was just one old grower left near Grenoble. After that the Grisard brothers planted some. Michel Grisard made a selection, and I have his selection. Under the influence of Michel others in the Savoie began to plant it. You have Gilles Berlioz, etc. And now non-organic producers want to plant it, which is wonderful. So I guess that there will be more persan, but we will have to explain to the non-organic producers not to let yields get out of hand because persan can have hard acidity when yields are high. With that kind of grape, either you make outstanding wine or you make disgusting wine. There is no middle ground. Persan is also sensitive to mildew and black rot, which is why it was abandoned it in the sixties. Before WWII, without herbicides, yields were very low and people were picking very late. Disease was less prevalent because vineyards were less vigorous. When herbicides appeared, yields exploded, and people were forced to pick early. The grapes were not ripe and the wines were undrinkable. It was an era when people were looking for quantity. That era is over and we have come back to a qualitative approach. This is what makes the old grapes interesting again.
Paul: So how much persan do you have?
Nicolas: 0.8 hectares. (Smiling) I am one of the largest producers of persan in the world. The name of the hill is le Coteau de Choulin, but we are not allowed vineyard names in the IGP appellation, only in an AOC.
Paul: That’s nuts too.

 I say: Very deep red. Light berries and plums, white pepper and earth with enough acid to make it an excellent food wine. 


 Food: Pogne de Romans Time for some bread. in this case, a sweet brioche. We liked this recipe enough that I ended up buying the book it was from, Scook by Anne-Sophie Pic. 

 The recipe was clear and easy. On day one you make a poolish out of yeast, flour and water that ferments in the fridge overnight.

 The next day you add more yeast, flour, sugar, salt. eggs, milk butter and orange flour water to the mixture and knead until it forms a ball. You then let rise for a few more hours before shaping it into a ring and letting it rise for a two more hours.



Finally, you brush the top with beaten egg and sprinkle with course sugar. It then bakes at 350 for about 25 minutes.
 If you are very lucky, like I was, your daughter will deliver a still warm piece to you at work.
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