(pronounced suh-mal-‘yAy)
In Medieval Provençal times they were saumaliers, animal pack drivers who evolved during Middle French kingdom to become court officials charged with transportation of supplies. So what does a modern day Sommelier actually do? Well, Wikipedia outlines as such, “A sommelier or wine steward is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, normally working in fine restaurants who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food matching. The most important work of a sommelier is in the areas of wine procurement, wine storage, wine cellar rotation, and expert service to wine consumers.” Read More >
Our Wandering Palate West Australian correspondent, Terry Chellappah, has been wandering a long way from home, in England and France, but he’s back in Margaret River although his head in still in burgundy. Even though it sends pangs of yearn, he shares their gastronomic discoveries.
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As the adage goes, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.”
I have been trying to lead a horse to water, so to speak, for years now – that is convincing importers there is a market for Rosé here in Singapore. Read More >
Our intrepid Singapore sommelier, Shalom Chin, has filed a heroic piece on the Southern Rhone Valley and the much-underrated Cotes du Rhone Villages wines. Sommeliers take note; this is the level of writing skills and opinion you should be attaining. Wine enthusiasts take note; it’s time to be listening to and reading what sommeliers have to say, they are at the coalface and the new gatekeepers to wine discovery. Read More >
I have the dreaded flu. Actually, this is my second dose of it this month! Having just recovered from a mild bout, this one is lingering for over a week now, since a trip to Hong Kong, where I suspect a friend unintentionally passed on the said infliction. As flu’s go, I have had worse, although we males tend to be pathetic patients, and frankly – I’m dying. Read More >
In the world of cookbooks, or perhaps it should be universe with new galaxy’s being discovered every day, how does one arrive at the ‘Cookbook of the Year’?
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Part 4 of the Rhône series. My love-affair with both Muscat & Grenache.
My first flirtation with both Muscat and Grenache were both Australians. Over the years, my relationship with Grenache has been steady. I have fond memories drinking heady Grenache made from 100 year-old vines planted in the Barossa Valley. While travelling in France, I encountered both Banyuls and Rasteau. Read More >
Part 3 of the Rhône series
If there is a wine that always confuses me as a Châteaunuef-du-Pape (CDP) in a blind tasting, it would be Gigondas. The name has Latin origins and comes from the word jocunditas, meaning joy or pleasantness. Read More >
Part 2 of the Rhône Series. 12,000 years ago, glaciers melted; ice and water were pushed down south; river rocks were deposited 20 km wide, and Châteaunuef-du-Pape was born. Read More >
