2011: Happy New Year! Bonne Année! Feliz Ano Nuevo!

I just changed the blog introduction picture, as I do occasionally, and you might have recognized it; if not, it is the upper right part of a painting by René Magritte "The Portrait" Brussels 1935 exposed at the Moma in New York (http://www.moma.org)

2011: Happy New Year! Bonne Année! Feliz Ano Nuevo!

Cheers! Happy New Year and Best Wishes to You All! With more wine discoveries and multiple other things to talk about!

The end of the year was fantastic for me because I became for the second time the father of a beautiful baby, this time an adorable little girl. I must say that 2011 begins really well with the arrival of my daughter, despite the fact that the world is a mess.

Money, politic, power, greed, hate, racism, corruption, despair, envy and religious beliefs, amongst many other things, seems to be the everyday fate of mankind these days. What a pity to destroy in such horrible ways such a wonderful world! Why can we try to find compromises and live more in harmony without killing, tricking and deceiving each other in daily nonsense wars, behaviors and attitudes toward each other?

Fortunately for us, optimistic believers, immoderate epicureans and insatiable gourmets (novices, amateurs and connoisseurs all included of course, like a big family), fervent lover of great food, wine, spirits, cigar, art, culture, geography, history and many other of the multiple and highly rewarding pleasures in Life, there are still plenty of beautiful and positive things to care about in this world that make us fight for a better future (more especially if you have kids).

Kids are amazing! Your parents gave birth to you and in turn you give birth too, completing a old circle of life that started millions of years ago. You created a being. A being that you will guide, supervise, influence and protect most of your life. A being that will most likely follow your example and imitate your ways and manners and habits and morals to a certain extend.

That being is innocent and didn't demanded to come to earth and live in such human misery and depravation. Therefore, as human, supposedly one of the most intelligent species on the planet, it is your goal and choice to do your best to act responsibly and respectfully toward your environment and other beings and livings, to preserve the harmony of nature and leave a better world for the next generation.

For all these reasons, for my kids and their future, I have to be and remain positive and do my best about upbringing them the best I can, by giving them as much love, respect and consideration as I can, as well as passing as my much of my knowledge, morals, values and interests.

Like my grand-parents and parents did for me, I will teach my kids to develop their attention to positive, concrete and constructive things that will lead them to live a better life and care for others, all things nature has to offer and the environment. Money may be somewhat important in our capitalist world, yet NO need to tell them that it is not the most essential thing in life, they will realize that by themselves.

They may be young, but I already began their apprenticeship: reading, counting, spelling, and finding solutions to all problems they may face is the base. Try in any circumstances to be optimistic and willing to always address a situation with reflection and intelligence; because there are so many kids around the world that may and will never have the chance (that my kids will have) to have a decent, educated life, not in luxury and profusion of unnecessary things but in the harmony of the family and the love and respect that we have for each-other.

Moreover, as a Sommelier, I also teach them the importance of discovering, discerning, smelling and tasting their food and drinks (fruit and vegetable juice for now, wine and spirits later on gradually) everywhere and everyday at home, at the supermarket or the green-market, at the restaurant or anywhere else. It is important that they understand from their young age the immense value of food and the chance that they have to be able to eat well and healthfully compared to so many other people around the world these days.

In the 1920-30s, we were only 2.5 billions on earth. After World War II and the consequence of the baby boom, we were about 4.5 billions. In the 80s, we were about 6 billions and in 2011, we are about 7 billions on earth.

That's a lot of people evolving in a difficult world market, with many obstacles and much less job possibilities and opportunities than ever before, due to the rapid evolution of the technologies; the globalization of interests and entertainments; and the diminution of real interactive and caring social behaviors due to the increase of virtual social self-awareness (everybody thinks that they (he or/and she) are super important and that the world should know everything they do and say...) and the lack of real interests from the youngest generations. World economy, recent climate changes and natural disasters didn't help either to bring hope for the future. Yet, we have to remain hopeful for the future, for our kids and the next generations to come. And our generation should be the one ringing the alarm bell and put a stop to all these nonsenses and start to rebuilt a solid base of hope and new ideas.

Hope come from positive attitude and desire to achieve better, for greater results and concrete ideas to develop other ideas and find solutions and move forward. Pointing at the various problems of the world is useless if we don't take action to resolve them. The agricultural world has already answered the distressed call from Mother Nature and started to change its ways. We have to follow its example.

Let's make 2011 a year of actions and decisions.

So Step into the Green! Drink more Biodynamic, Biologique and Organic wines and spirits and food) from sustainable culture and respect the environment! Support the right causes for the Planet and all the people suffering all around the globe! Also follow projects and products from the Fair Trade, an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and promote sustainability. Also support 1% for the Planet, an alliance of businesses that donate at least 1% of their annual revenues to environmental organizations worldwide. "Commerce Equitable" or "Fair Trade" is evidently and more than ever a needed movement connecting producers and customers, to be aware of others and their cultural and traditional products based on high quality, natural components and craftsmanship. Let's save our planet and ourselves by the same occasion, by taking meaningful actions.

There are many organizations and associations all around the world that have been created over the last 20-25+ years, to change our ways and make this world a better place: better wines, better food, better environment and decisions that will in the long term make the difference.

Here is a short random list of links for these highly recommended organizations, associations and other enterprises (a few that I could think about immediately amongst many others) that have been and still are willing to make a change for the good of our planet and help world collective consciousness to awake to find the right and most appropriated solutions. They need your full support to continue the fight for the right causes.

• www.unicef.org
• www.onepercentfortheplanet.org
• http://wwf.panda.org
• http://www.homethemovie.org/
• http://www.goodplanet.org/
• http://www.avaaz.org/
• www.greenpeace.org
• www.actionagainsthunger.org/
• www.actioncontrelafaim.org
• http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/planet-earth
• http://www.fairtrade.net/
• www.fairtradefederation.org
• http://planetgreen.discovery.com/
• www.tenthousandvillages.com
• disney.go.com/disneynature/
• http://www.nature.com/
• www.wfto.com
• www.globalexchangestore.org
• http://www.crossing-borders-fair-trade.com
• http://www.tinygreenbubble.com
• www.european-fair-trade-association.org
• www.unctad.org
• http://planetgreenrecycle.com
• www.planetrecycling.com
• http://planetsave.com/
• http://www.50waystohelp.com
• http://www.treehugger.com/
• http://www.nature.org/
• http://www.organic.org/
• http://www.organicconsumers.org
• http://www.globalissues.org
• http://www.biodynamics.com/
• http://www.demeter-usa.org
• http://www.bio-dynamie.org
• http://www.climatecrisis.net/
• http://www.twnside.org.sg/
• http://www.enda.sn
• http://www.forumtiersmonde.net
• http://www.plantabillion.org/
• http://www.poverty.com/
• http://www.wfp.org
• http://www.whyhunger.org/
• http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/
• http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/
• http://www.1billionhungry.org/
• http://www.jeanlouisetienne.com
• http://www.oceanfutures.org
• www.artisansdumonde.org
• www.commercequitable.org
• http://www.bestgreenblogs.com/
• http://www.wftday.org

This list is by no mean exhaustive and only represent a drop in the ocean of all the people that are trying to change the world and make it a better place with more collective consciousness and positive desires and innovative solutions. Yet, it will give you an idea and may invite you to observe nature and our world on a whole new different way. Let's make 2011 a year of actions and decisions.

"Tour du Monde épicurien des vins insolites"

Last but not least, I just finished a great french book, called "Tour du Monde épicurien des vins insolites" (around the epicurean world of unusual wines), about the tribulations of two wine aficionados, Claude Gilois (owner and wine buyer of http://www.vinsdumonde.com) and his friend and writter Ricardo Uztarroz (journalist for "Presse Océan", "Libération" then at "l'AFP" for about 25 years) in quest of finding and tasting wines in rather unusual countries.

This is a great read and a tremendously enjoyable journey to share with these two 60+ years old epicureans, avid of food adventures, wine discoveries and life experiences. The prose is exquisite, light and funny, pleasing and full of this old flair for loquacious and explicit scenarios, that only a writer-scenarist like Michel Audiard was capable of writing (I will highly recommend you to watch some of his classics: "Les Barbouzes", "Les Tontons Flingueurs", "Le President", "Le Cave se rebiffe", "Un singe en Hiver", etc...). Some of the quotes from Miquel de Cervantes as a sentence of introduction for each chapter also greatly introduce the sense of humor and the spirit of mind of these two uncommon wine travelers. A must read for those of you who understand French.

Think about it.... and as always, Enjoy!

See you soon for some new wine surprises and discoveries!

LeDom du Vin

Step into the Green! Drink more Biodynamic, Biologique and Organic wines and spirits and food) from sustainable culture and respect the environment! Support the right causes for the Planet and all the people suffering all around the globe! Also follow projects and products from the Fair Trade, an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and promote sustainability. Also support 1% for the Planet, an alliance of businesses that donate at least 1% of their annual revenues to environmental organizations worldwide. "Commerce Equitable" or "Fair Trade" is evidently and more than ever a needed movement connecting producers and customers, to be aware of others and their cultural and traditional products based on high quality, natural components and craftsmanship.

My mood about the world and the heat in New York and “Oryx and Crake” by Margaret Atwood

Saturday July 24th, 2010, another day in the furnace. This year, during the month of July, New York has experienced some of the highest summer temperatures (yet) ever recorded in Manhattan (98 degrees Fahrenheit today). And apparently, it is not finished yet and August seems quite promising too.

When I came out of my apartment this morning to go to work, it was already hot in the corridor and the difference between my air-conditioned nest and the staircase was mind-boggling. By the time I walked down the few flights of stairs, too impatient to take the lift, I was already overwhelmed by the heat.

Once outside in the street, it was surreal, everything was quiet, New York seemed sleepy or resting, silenced by a powerful sun to a tranquil and gentle attitude, far from the usual brouhaha caused by the traffic and other street annoyances and behaviors even as early as it was, around 8.30am.

I walked down the street to the train station, with not a soul around to accompany me. No early birds, no dogs, no locals, just a few cars and in the sky, a big, bright, shinny sun conversing with the ever consistent, incessant and always-annoyingly-around rotating fan sounds of all the air-conditioner units hanging out of nearly every other window on site in every street of the Big Apple. Inevitably coming with the also unstoppable sound of dripping water drops on the pavement.

It makes me think, somehow, that New Yorkers are too spoiled. I’m too spoiled. While the world is fighting a huge economical and financial global crisis, with political tensions and an ever-growing population with no jobs, no education, no food, no potable water, facing daily violence and relentless wars, very uncertain future and doubting faith in pretty much everything and everyone; topped with natural and unnatural disasters, climate changed, manly made mistakes and who knows whatever else... topped with layers of years of asking people to recycle, be greener, use less water and electricity, diminish their carbon footprints, and more… So much trouble in the world, and New Yorkers still push up to the max their air-conditioner at the first rising temperatures of the summer and keep it like this for at least 3 months like nothing else. Pumping the juice... consumption is key! Who cares? That's B******t!

We are far from the long adopted European habits of paying attention to their personal consumption of gas, electricity and water since World War II. Far from their recycling methods, which have been in place for generations as an everyday logical thing to do to preserve the environment, thus avoiding unnecessary daily superfluous trash and plastic pollution.

Here, in New York, and in most of the other mega-metropolis and "mégapole" scattered all around the world, easily recognizable from the sky, due to their shinning luminosity that could deceive you by making you think that it is just after noon at midnight, the switch off button doesn’t exist: apartments and offices stay alight all night, water runs freely for longer than needed, rotten wasted food and constantly overflowing trash, advertising boards glowing of all their marketing eye-catching power, the streets stink and reek like the bad habits of the people that populate them and couldn’t care less, prisoner of their own little world, under pressure from a growing individualism and self awareness…

People think that they are important to everyone else, permanently wired on obviously needed small complex devices "wirelessly" connected to the internet and expressing themselves to the world in less than 150 characters to describe nearly each minute of their day thinking that somebody will care or will be interested because of course they have nothing else to do and everybody has to know… distracting themselves from the everyday hard reality of our retracting world… ignoring the repetitive warnings from their surroundings and the discouraging news… thinking that nothing can touch them… nothing will happen to them…

But look at it… we were about 1 billions in 1820; 2.5 billions in 1920-40; 4 billions in 1980 and we are now about to be 7 billions and growing… we multiplied our estimated world population by 7 in less than 200 years… technology has evolved at lighting speed over the last 100 years … and now even go faster than ever… changing a bit more as I write these words… the science fiction of yesterday inspired the reality of today… the world is more elitist than ever… more in competition… who's the greediest?... but when are we going to measure the consequences of certain of our actions before it is too late?… why succumb to money, power, individualism and greed when we need urgent solutions to preserve our world and make it a better place where people are and should be aware of the whole picture and not only their immediate surroundings and interests without even paying a minute of attention to what is going on and what we are about to become…

However, once again I get carried away with my idealistic ways ... and this is too vast of a subject to only be taken on board by just a handful of concerned people that try to change the world and mankind with their everyday actions, concerns and willingness to help, even if just a little bit… everybody should think about it and act responsibly to change things…but more and more people are just self aware and not preoccupied anymore by the innumerable problems that our planet and all its living things are encountering everyday… piling up problems and concerns into a gigantic wall that will one day shadow our closed-eyes-and-closed-mind's attitude... and then we will really have to find a solution... let's hope it won't be too late! Our kids deserve a better future and right now it is not looking so good... But I need to be positive and take action for my kid and my family! It is important...very important!

Did you ever realize that New York could be some much nicer and surely less suffocating place without for example, all the AC units sucking on hardcore all that somewhat wasted power?

Think about it, it is always the same thing every summer, (and if scientists are correct it may get worst in the near future). Usually by end of May-June, each year, the “ronronnement” (French for cat purring) of the hundreds of thousands air-conditioner units in New York awake, ringing up the arrival of the hot coming months. Yet with them, strangely enough, comes the soggy, high humidity micro-climate that we all know too well and hate. Although New York is great, New York in July and August is pretty awful and unbreathable. It stinks and reeks. And the subway stations become ovens for sweaty locals that couldn't flee elsewhere for some summer vacations and unaware tourists who thought that it was probably better to visit New York under the sun during summer months (by now they should know better, March-April-May and September-October are the best months for sightseeing the skyscraper's city).

All these cold, refreshing breezes blown out from the multiple overworked AC units to cool down your apartment, your store, your office and whatever else room you want cold, come with a high price for the city: rejected hot air from the same units adding heat to the street (paradoxical isn’t it?), higher street humidity partly due to dripping water and huge over-consumption of electricity, sometimes resulting in blackouts (remember the ones from 1977 and 2003). Already surrounded by water, the island of New York's streets are acting as greenhouse, keeping the humidity and hot air prisoner in between buildings, mixed with the pollution from gas and other dirty fumes from trash, etc...

But, yes, I know what you are going to say, without AC, New York will be unlivable and I’m myself using it like anybody else, because I don’t have the choice. The pre-second World War brick buildings should keep the air moist and cool inside, but no, it is the opposite, it is “suffocatingly” hot and unsupportable. They really should invent better insulation system to save energy and preserve New Yorkers and everybody else from the heat and so many other things… yet the human race brought upon itself so many things that it could and should change...it has been years, decades, that we have been warned.... the science fiction of yesterday inspired the reality of today… but what about tomorrow?

All these comments about how, and why, and what should be invented in this world to make things better (or worst depending on the inventions and their purposes), make me think about the book that I’m reading right now, “Oryx and Crake” by Margaret Atwood.



“Oryx and Crake” is a great book definitely not too far from our reality that will make you ask yourself some questions about all the above often rejected and ignored subjects that populate our everyday life, but for what ever reasons leave most of us indifferent to what may result from such a fast paced evolution accessed only on individualism, self-awareness, and self concentrated technology that keep us, 24 hours a day, away from reality to be more essentially in contact with mostly unimportant controversial edited news and images, text messaging, emails and unearthly manners, topped with total refusal to acknowledge or even less, take action regarding the way we are evolving and the damaged world that we are leaving for the future generations… We should stop looking at ourselves and look at the world, even if only just a minute a day.

“Oryx and Crake” follows the reasoning and way of thinking of Snowman, the apparently sole human survivor of the inevitable result and consequence of our relentless current way of living in a future which is not so distant. Through out back and forth passages of his life, the book plunge us in a desolated, devastated, somewhat strange yet so recognizable world, where Snowman remembers and recalls to himself the memories of the past and slowly help the reader to comprehend how it happened, why, and what could have happened if... The book also counts the story of Oryx, the somehow unreachable love of Snowman and Crake, Snowman's long friend and the mad-scientist of this tale with idealistic visions who wanted to created a different world. But I already said too much, just read it.

I highly recommend “Oryx and Crake” to frighteningly-close-to-the-reality science fiction book amateurs and good writing connoisseurs. Margaret Atwood’s prose is delightful and complex, with easy to grab ways to describe the cynical human nature and demeanor in its entire splendor.

Thank you Margaret for such an eyes opening book. (I will be reading your award winning book “The Blind Assassin” next).

You can find a great description of the book on the following website http://booksbound.blogspot.com or simply click on the following link at http://booksbound.blogspot.com/2009/02/review-oryx-and-crake-by-margaret.html

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Step into the Green! Drink more Biodynamic, Biologique and Organic wines (and spirits and food) from sustainable culture and respect the environment! Support the right causes for the Planet and all the people suffering all around the globe! Also follow projects and products from the Fair Trade, an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and promote sustainability.

"Le Soleil des Scorta" (or "The House of Scorta") a book by Laurent Gaudé... a story about these rare moments of happiness in life

"Le Soleil des Scorta" (or "The House of Scorta") a book by Laurent Gaudé... a story about these rare moments of happiness in life

As far as I could see when I was young and what I came to understand and verified so many times since then, there is in France, Italy and Spain predominantly, but also in the rest of Europe like in Portugal and Greece (and surely somewhat the rest of the world), a tight bond between men and their most prevalent cultures. Part of it is due their history and their pride of origin, but mostly it belongs to their traditions, rooted in their blood for millennium, resisting the path of time, passed on from generation to generation. One can see it in their manners and their behaviors, their way of talking or even eating…

Thinking about it, the eating part is surely the most important part of all. Locals are always proud to taste the products of their land and their region and more especially proud to continue what many of their ancestors did before them and guard preciously the recipes that made certain places famous and a real culinary destinations for those who were not locals.

Over the years and the centuries, these recipes became the pride of a region or sometimes of a village. Even now most people always have real pleasure to retrieve with joy and smile the food that make them so happy when they were young, having a sampling "dégustation" of the dishes while they were cooking for the Sunday lunch or dinner at their parents, or their grandfather or their grandmother house with the rest of the family.

I personally have hundreds of really enjoyable memories of these moments shared with my family in the countryside of the "Côtes de Bourg" at my late grandfather house, with endless Sunday lunches eating the specialties of Gironde and Aquitaine: Home made "Paté de lapin et de cochon" (rabbit and pork Paté), "Foie gras", "Coq au Vin", "Lamproie à la Bordelaise", Poached "Anguilles", "Cassoulet de Castelnaudary", "Saucisses Lentilles de Toulouse", "Poulet Basquaise", "L'Agneau de Pauillac", "Lapin à la Persillade", "Huîtres du bassin d'Arcachon et du Cap Ferret au caviar d'Esturgeon d'Aquitaine", "Crevettes de la Gironde", "Gesiers de Canard", "Canard Fermier des Landes", "Esturgeon d'Aquitaine croustillant, purée de chataîgne aux épices", "Tomates Farcies", "Escargots à la Persillade" and so many more other dishes served with Pleurotes, Chanterelles, Ceps, or just a simple lettuce salad, some potatoes, asparagus, tomatoes, french green beans, "potiron", carrots and more, and all of these from my grandfather's garden. Home grown fruits and vegetables, nurtured the organic way conscientiously following the seasons and the ancestral signs of mother nature, like the wine he was making.

To me, happiness is the emotional component you experience as a part of your everyday life with friends and family, or other people surrounding you, even for a brief moment. These moments that make you smile and make you feel good, proud or just happy to share them or to witness them. Remember the good ones and forget the bad ones, you cannot come back on the bad, so might as well try to get a positive lesson from them and move on. The best memories will always make you see life for what is worth and how great it can be. Although simple and rare, these were moments of bliss.

Sometimes, one of the gentle and adorable furred rabbits or the annoying rooster was killed and prepared early in the morning for the late Sunday lunch. It was a feast. The family was once again united to share a happy moment. Different appetizers, various salads with crudités, homemade pâtés and sliced “Jambon de Bayonne”, along with other regional specialties battled on the long table with the butter, the bread, salt and pepper, oil and vinegar and everything else needed to eat and drink and share a great afternoon together. Bottles of wine were open and everybody was happy.

It lasted for hours full of various conversations and laughs and more memories. It was good time and no worries at least for that one afternoon that we were trying to have at least once a month. It was my childhood, up until my late teen years. Then things changed but I will always remember these moments of immense joy and satisfaction forever, and I'm even trying to reproduce them my own way with my little family... pass on from a generation to another from the down of time til.. who knows....

"Le Soleil des Scorta" (or "The House of Scorta") a book by Laurent Gaudé

If I’m telling you all these, it is because a friend of mine offered me a book called “Le Soleil des Scorta” (or “The House of Scorta” in English) from Laurent Gaudé, and I really enjoyed it. It is a story about life and people and these rare moments of happiness and the struggle to live the best we can with what we have, depending on our convictions, our beliefs and our origins.



It is a great book about life and generations through the eyes of a family living and evolving in Montepuccio, a small fisherman village in southern Italy, spread out from 1875 to now. In my opinion, everybody should read it, and more especially the expats wherever you are. It was a great read in French, I assume it must be equally good in English (despite may be certain language "subtilités").

“Merci” to Laurent Gaudé for such an interesting, approachable and memorable book. And also “Merci” to Didier and Éléonore who recently offered me that book for my birthday.

Enjoy,

LeDom du vin

Step into the Green! Drink more Biodynamic, Biologique and Organic wines (and spirits and food) from sustainable culture and respect the environment! Support the right causes for the Planet and all the people suffering all around the globe! Also follow projects and products from the Fair Trade, an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and promote sustainability.