LeDomduVin: Portait and Jacquesson Cuvée 744 Extra Brut

LedomduVin Portait and Jacquesson Cuvée 744 Extra Brut

Soon turning 50 and have never been so active in my life, between working at the office during the day (market analysis, sourcing, buying as well as handling logistics and paperwork) and doing the service at night and on weekends.

Hard work and long hours, like most people in F&B, yet, I love my job. 32 years career in the food and wine industry.

A few days ago, I was serving Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 744 Extra Brut (and other wines) for a big event. Light, dry, crisp, mineral, zesty, perfect as an aperitif to awaken your tastebuds.

It is the champagne of my son Jacques (as I like to say) 😁👍🍾🥂

It was a fun night.

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

@ledomduvin #ledomduvin #vin #wine #vino #wein @champagne_jacquesson #jacquesson #champagne #portrait #sommelier #sommelierlife #sommlife #lesphotosadom #ilovemyjob

Unless stated otherwise, all right reserved ©LeDomduVin 2023, on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, drawings, illustrations, visuals, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).

LeDomduVin: Food & Wine Pairing

Food & Wine Pairing

The essence of a Sommelier's job is to buy wine and pair it with food. The sommelier must therefore have vast knowledge and skills not only in wine but also in food. However, in most cases, the sommelier buys and pairs wines without really knowing the food with which the wine will be paired.

First, a sommelier does not necessarily taste all the dishes prepared by the chef and/or may not know the menu in advance but still must plan some wines based either on basic info about the menu (e.g., starter, fish, meat, cheese, and dessert) and/or the desired types of wine and the approximate budget per bottle.

One might think that, ideally, all the dishes are or should be tasted by the restaurant staff, to be able to describe and recommend them to the customers, yet, it is not the case in most restaurants.

Secondly, a sommelier does not necessarily taste all the wines he/she buys either. One might think that it is the case, but, in fact, no. More precisely with sought-after, expensive, and/or niche wines, often allocated due to small productions or limited quantities due to high demand.

A sommelier is like a tightrope walker juggling with seasonal wine selections that must be sufficiently versatile, open-minded, layered, sophisticated, and well-rounded, in terms of prices and choices, not only to satisfy the tastes, moods, and desires of the customers but also to match as best as possible, with the dishes on the menu (and the restaurant’s type too).

In fact, a sommelier must be a worldly person, experienced and knowledgeable about the practical and social aspects of life, culture, and traditions, to buy wine not only based on his/her palate, experiences, and tastes, but also on his/her gut’s feeling, producer’s reputation, press, and critic’s tasting notes and scores, and of course, better judgment, especially when he/she cannot taste the wine.

Curious and epicurean by nature, with a desire to always learn and discover and satisfy the customer’s needs, even if the wine and/or food cannot be tasted, a Sommelier must still know a little something about it to describe it and recommend it. Having a broad knowledge of food and wine is fundamental.

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

@ledomduvin #ledomduvin #wine #vin #vino #wein @jacquesson #jacquesson #champagne @chapoutier #chapoutier #rhonevalley @chateaucantemerle #chateaucantemerle #hautmedoc #bordeaux 

Unless stated otherwise, all right reserved ©LeDomduVin 2023, on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, drawings, illustrations, visuals, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).

LeDomduVin: AUOR - An exquisite culinary experience in the heart of Wan Chai - Hong Kong

AUOR: An exquisite culinary experience 

I recently went to "AUOR", the new fine dining restaurant project of Chef Edward Voon, in Wan Chai (Hong Kong). It was a tremendously exquisite culinary experience. Highly recommended. 

The dimly lighted decor is dark, somber brown and matte metallic gold, sober, elegant, chic, sophisticated, yet cozy, comfortable, intimate, and inviting. 

The logo design, the name "AUOR" referring to both "Gold" and "Auror" (Dawn), as well as the clock concept for the menu and the menu itself,  have all been created by Chef Voon. 

As pictures are worth a thousand words, here is the menu we ate that night in pictures.  

Proving once again that, despite his (or her) skills and experience, a Chef is all about creativity and imagination, as well as a constant search for excellence and consistency, perfecting his (her) talent and skills as he (she) continues learning, experiencing and discovering, meticulously and precisely crafting each dish, while reinventing and improving his (her) cuisine every day. 

Each dish at AUOR was a delight for the eyes, the olfactory system, and the taste buds. 

Beyond the elegant and creative presentation, I savored the most the combination of scents, aromas, flavors, textures, and substances of each bite. Each dish was both intriguing and enticing, colorful and very tempting. 

Bravo, and thank you, Chef @edwardvoon74 (Chris and your team). You did an amazing job with the design, the decor, the menu, the food, and the service. My friend and I were very impressed and amazed. 

I'm happy for you that you can now run your own restaurant to splendidly showcase your talent and skills to the world and do what you really want to do. 

Each of your dishes was a rich, complex, refined, and sophisticated piece of art. And I feel privileged that I had the chance to see, smell, and taste them, as I very rarely indulge myself in such fancy restaurants. 

I brought 2 bottles, which paired surprisingly well with the food: 

Jacquesson Avize Grand Cru Champ Cain Brut 2009 (disgorged in 2019), and Château Léoville Poyferré Saint-Julien Second Grand Cru Classé. 

It was an exquisite culinary experience. Thank you to Chef Edward Voon for the food and to Chris and the rest of the team for the service.  

Have a look at their website to see what they offer and book your table: https://auor.com.hk/

Cheers! Santé! 

Dom

#ledomduvin @ledomduvin #lesphotosadom @auor.hkg #auor #restaurant #auorrestaurant @champagne_jacquesson #jacquesson @chateau_leovillepoyferre #leovillepoyferre #food #wine #vin #culinaryexperience #hongkong

Unless stated otherwise, all rights reserved ©LeDomduVin 2022, on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, drawings, illustrations, collages, visuals, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).