Gourmand Wine and Drinks Awards Archives

MILLÉSIME BIO 2020 – Pérols, France

International wine Journalists, winemakers, wine marketers, and researchers will head to the south of France January 27-29 2020 for the only trade show dedicated to organic wine.

With green issues and climate change increasingly at the forefront of consumers’ purchasing choices, the importance of organic and biodynamic viticulture has never been more evident. This makes Millésime Bio more relatable than ever.

The 2020 event will introduce the addition of beer and cider makers and is set to be the trade show’s largest event ever. The organizers have increased the space to accommodate the increased number of wineries and businesses delving into the world of organics. Therefore, a fifth hall has been opened to house a further 100 exhibitors.

For 2020 Millésime Bio will take place over three days from 27 to 29 January 2020 at the Montpellier Exhibition Centre in Pérols.

There will be a free-pour area fitted with enotecas that will offer guests the chance to taste wines that have won medals in the annual international Millésime Bio competition. The Challenge Millésime Bio is one of the world’s largest organic wine competitions, which includes a judging panel made up of wine experts and senior buyers, chaired by Jean-Luc Rabanel, the head chef of the two-Michelin-starred restaurant l’Atelier in Arles and founder of the ‘Greenstronomie’ movement.

The fair will also run masterclasses and seminars, with particular attention to organic winemaking, but also changing trends and issues affecting the wider wine trade, including business and marketing.

“It’s safe to say our fair is in very good shape and continues to gather momentum,” Patrick Guiraud, president of Millésime Bio, said.

“This year, we wanted to offer the opportunity for more exhibitors to take part. They’ve been quick to secure their stands and we’ve even had to open a waiting list in September.”

Event Details:

The opening party, organized by SudVinBio, will take place on Monday 27 January.
27 January 2020 from 10am to 7pm
28 January 2020 from 9am to 7pm
29 January 2020 from 9am to 5pm

Address:
Montpellier Exhibition Centre (Parc des Expositions de Montpellier), Route de la Foire, 34470 Pérols, France

Website:
https://www.millesime-bio.com/en

Canada’s Best 100 Restaurants 2019

Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants announced this week the 2019 ranking of Canada’s best restaurants as voted by 98 food critics, leading chefs, top-notch restaurateurs, elite diners and food fanatics from coast-to-coast.

The definitive guide to Canada’s finest restaurants was released tonight at an awards gala held at The St. Regis Hotel in Toronto. Hosted by Jacob Richler, Editor-in-Chief, Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants, and chef Ivana Raca – partner at all female-run Ufficio restaurant – the evening saw the nation’s most renowned and respected chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers and food lovers gather to celebrate the country’s vibrant culinary scene. Setting a new record, Toronto’s Alo was named the best restaurant in Canada for the third year in a row. Alo’s chef and owner, Patrick Kriss – who also owns two other restaurants on this year’s list, Aloette (35) and Alobar (65), took home the title of Canada’s Most Outstanding Chef.

This year, 24 restaurants in the list were not part of the list last year, and 16 of those, are new restaurants. Toronto tops the ranking with 26 restaurants landing on the prestigious roundup, followed by Montréal and Vancouver, with 25 and 14 inclusions, respectively. East Coast restaurants saw a stronger-than-ever representation with eight restaurant inclusions.

“We are celebrating Canada’s 100 Best Restaurant’s fifth anniversary with a meatier and juicier list than ever,” said Jacob Richler, Editor-in-Chief, Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants. “For the past five years we have promoted remarkable and incredibly talented chefs and restaurant teams from every corner of this country – and that’s evident with the number of new restaurants that have been included on the list. We look forward to continue recognizing the finest in food and drink for many years to come.”

Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants named the following Top 10 restaurants for 2019

Alo – Toronto

Joe Beef – Montreal

Toqué – Montreal

Langdon Hall – Cambridge

St. Lawrence – Vancouver

Le Mousso – Montreal

Buca Osteria & Bar – Toronto

Montreal Plaza – Montreal

Giulietta – Toronto

Edulis – Toronto

Other Awards

Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants also recognizes excellence in the industry:

Best Sommelier – Christopher Sealy; Alo

Best in Business Leadership – Nick DiDonato; Liberty Entertainment Group

Most Innovative Chef – Antonin Mousseau-Rivard; Le Mousso

Most Eco-Friendly Restaurant – Sal Howell of River Café; Calgary

Best Farm to Table Restaurant – Nightingale; Vancouver BC

Best Pastry Chef – Celeste Mah- Raymonds; St. John’s Nfld

One to Watch Young Chef – Massimo Piedimonte; Le Mousso

Best New Restaurant – Giulietta; Toronto

Outstanding Chef – Patrick Kriss; Alo

Best Restaurant Design – Partisans; Quetzal Restaurant

Lifetime Achievement Award – Normand Laprise; Toqué!

Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants will donate on behalf of Chef Ivana Ranca to Open Kitchen Toronto (OKTO) – a dinner series that puts female chefs front and centre – to raise funds for a scholarship for female-identified students at George Brown College’s Culinary Arts program.

Showcasing excellence in the industry, Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list is tabulated by professional services firm KPMG in Canada – the official adjudicator of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants – providing voting and data verification services to help ensure the ranking remains independent and accurate. The annual list is renowned for being an unbiased metric of restaurant quality in Canada and represents the consensus of the diverse, knowledgeable opinions of 98 judges including Canada’s top chefs, restaurateurs, journalists, and food industry insiders.

The 2018 Cellars in the Sky Awards

The Business Traveller Cellars in the Sky 2018 Awards, which recognize the best business and first-class wines served by airlines worldwide for 2018, were presented on Monday, February 18 at The Langham, London, by Charles Metcalfe, co-chairman of the International Wine Challenge.

Qantas was the evening’s biggest winner, taking the coveted Gold Medal for Best Overall Cellar, as well as the top spots in the Best First-Class White, Best First Class Sparkling (jointly with Air France and Cathay Pacific), Best First-Class Cellar, Best-Presented First-Class Wine List, and Best Business Class Fortified / Dessert Wine categories.

Cathay Pacific won two Gold Medals for Best First Class Sparkling (jointly with Air France and Qantas) and Best Business Class Red, while Malaysia Airlines took the top spot in the Best First-Class Red category, ANA won the award for Best First Class Fortified / Dessert Wine, and Qatar Airways took the top spot in the Best Business Class Sparkling category.
Oneworld was named Best Airline Alliance, while one of its member carriers British Airways took the Gold Medal for Best Business Class Cellar.

And a special note to US low-cost carrier Jetblue, which won a Gold Medal in the Cellars in the Sky competition for the first time, taking the top spot in the Best Business Class White category.

Business Traveller contacted airlines in summer 2018, and 33 entered.
Blind tastings of 240 bottles took place at London’s Grosvenor Hotel, Victoria, in December, with the four judges independently scoring the wines over the course of two days.

Participating airlines were: Aegean, Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Aircalin, Air Canada, Air France, Air Italy, Air New Zealand, Air Tahiti Nui, American Airlines, All Nippon Airways, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Cathay Dragon, Cathay Pacific, Delta Air Lines, EVA Air, Finnair, Garuda Indonesia, Iberia, Icelandair, Japan Airlines, Jet Blue, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Oman Air, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Sri Lankan Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, and Virgin Atlantic.

LIST OF WINNERS AND SHORTLISTED AIRLINES

FIRST CLASS
BEST FIRST-CLASS RED

• Gold Medal: Malaysia Airlines – Joseph Drouhin Côte de Beaune 2015, Burgundy, France

• Silver Medal: American Airlines – Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2016, Sonoma County, US

• Bronze Medal (joint): ANA – Château Léoville Barton 2012, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France; Qatar Airways – Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2009, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

BEST FIRST-CLASS WHITE

• Gold Medal: Qantas – Penfolds Reserve Bin 15A Chardonnay 2015, Adelaide Hills, Australia

• Silver Medal: Qantas – Flametree SRS Wallcliffe Chardonnay 2016, Margaret River, Australia

• Bronze Medal (joint): Cathay Dragon – Lamblin and Fils Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaumes, 2016, France; Malaysia Airlines – Palliser Estate Chardonnay 2016, Martinborough, New Zealand

BEST FIRST-CLASS SPARKLING

• Gold Medal (joint): Air France, Cathay Pacific, Qantas –Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2006, Franc

• Silver Medal (joint): ANA, Qatar Airways – Champagne Krug 2004, France; Singapore Airlines – Dom Pérignon 2006, Champagne, France

• Bronze Medal: Oman Air –Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal, Brut, 2009, France

BEST FIRST-CLASS FORTIFIED/DESSERT WINE

• Gold Medal: ANA – Barbeito Madeira Malvasia 20 year old, Portugal

• Silver Medal: Cathay Pacific – Warre’s Otima Single Year Tawny Colheita Port 2006, Portugal

• Bronze Medal: Qantas – Morris of Rutherglen Wines Old Premium Rare Liqueur Muscat, Australia

BEST-PRESENTED FIRST-CLASS WINE LIST

• Gold Medal: Qantas
• Highly Commended: ANA

BEST FIRST-CLASS CELLAR

• Gold Medal: Qantas
• Silver Medal: ANA
• Bronze Medal: Cathay Pacific

BUSINESS CLASS
BEST BUSINESS CLASS RED

• Gold Medal: Cathay Pacific – Elderton Shiraz 2015, Barossa Valley, Australia

• Silver Medal: Air New Zealand – Lowburn Ferry Home Block Pinot Noir 2014, Central Otago, New Zealand

• Bronze Medal: Air Italy – Olianas Perdixi 2016, Gergei, Sardinia, Italy

BEST BUSINESS CLASS WHITE

• Gold Medal: Jetblue – Sandhi Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay 2015, California, US

• Silver Medal: Aer Lingus – De Bortoli La Bohème Act One Riesling, 2016, Yarra Valley, Australia

• Bronze Medal: Oman Air – Pascal Jolivet Sancerre Montagu 2016, France

BEST BUSINESS CLASS SPARKLING

• Gold Medal: Qatar Airways – Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, Blanc de Blancs 2006, France

• Silver Medal: EVA Air – Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 2007, Champagne, France

• Bronze Medal: Malaysia Airlines – Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, Blanc de Blancs 2007, France

BEST BUSINESS CLASS FORTIFIED/ DESSERT WINE

• Gold Medal: Qantas – Baileys of Glenrowan Founder Series Classic Muscat, Victoria, Australia

• Silver Medal: Air New Zealand – Forrest Botrytised Riesling 2016, Wairau Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand

• Bronze Medal (joint): Oman Air – Château Guiraud 1er Grand Cru Classé
en 1855, 2014, Sauternes-Barsac, France; Aeroflot – Grahams 10-Year-Old Tawny Port, NV, Porto Duro, Portugal

BEST BUSINESS CLASS CELLAR

• Gold Medal: British Airways
• Silver Medal: Qatar Airways
• Bronze Medal: Jetblue

BEST-PRESENTED BUSINESS CLASS WINE LIST

• Gold Medal: EVA Air

OVERALL AWARDS
BEST AIRLINE ALLIANCE

• Oneworld

BEST OVERALL CELLAR

• Gold Medal: Qantas
• Silver Medal: Cathay Pacific
• Bronze Medal: ANA, Qatar Airways
• Highly Commended: American Airlines

Beer and food pairing potential hailed by top chef

Beer is becoming an increasingly popular accompaniment to meals and one of the world’s best chefs has given it his endorsement.

A Global Data report shows that 47% of consumers find the concept of pairing food and beer appealing, leaving it behind only wine in terms of popularity.

Joan Roca, chef of Girona’s three Michelin-starred El Celler de Can Roca – twice voted the world’s best restaurant – told DRN: “Beer gives diversity and complexity and it is being used more in our pairings.

“Beer has so many opportunities because of its soft palate flavour, and it is bitter and sweet at the same time. This makes it versatile and it can be used with so many different pairings.

“I don’t think it can ever replace wine in our Mediterranean cuisine, because our culture has a very long tradition with wine pairing and not beer, but Estrella pairs very well with tapas and that is a big opportunity.”

Estrella has teamed up with Roca to produce a Food & Drinks Trends report, which, among other things, highlights the growing use of botanicals in drinks. The chef was in Manchester to present his ideas at a gastronomy congress.

“I like working with Estrella not only because it’s Catalan, but it does things well,” said Roca. “It supports the gastronomy business and it’s very refreshing. ”

James Healey, Estrella Damm’s UK manager, added: “Gastronomy is a key focus for Estrella Damm and we celebrate beer’s place as the ideal beverage for pairing or cooking across a multiplicity of foods and dishes.

“Working with the talented and creative chef Joan Roca this year has identified transparency and the wellness of our planet as key trends for 2018, which is very exciting for us, in line with our own business ethos, and a key opportunity for food and drinks businesses in the UK.

“Estrella Damm has been brewed using local Mediterranean ingredients and the original recipe since 1876, so it’s great to see that knowing where your food and drinks come from is becoming important not only to us and restaurateurs but also to consumers.”

Marston’s now distributes Estrella in the UK after buying Charles Wells last year, and it sits alongside Erdinger and Kirin in an intriguing world beer portfolio.

The brewer’s insight executive, James Hodgkinson, said: “Although mainstream lager dominates the category, it is world beer which remains the category success story.

“Consumers are discovering and becoming attracted to more premium, less ubiquitous brands, drinks with an authentic image and unique taste profiles which differ to other lagers.

“It is also becoming a credible premium beverage to accompany quality meals, as opposed to an affordable drink for relaxation.

“This can be done via premium packaging, positioning as a connoisseurs’ drink or greater focus on taste notes and how they can improve foods or food’s flavours.”

Source: http://www.drinksretailingnews.co.uk/

The Ultimate Guide To Champagne – Book Award Updates!

Liz Palmer AuthorOver the last few months I’ve mentioned various awards that my first book “The Ultimate Guide To Champagne” has been up for. Here is some more news I want to share with you!

My book has won the National Award for the best French Wine Book at the Gourmand World Awards 2017.

The Gourmand World Cookbook and Wine Book Awards, often noted as the “Oscars” of the food and wine world, were founded in 1995 by Edouard Cointreau, of the liqueur and cognacs family, and take place in prominent cities each year. Celebrating global cookbook and wine book publishing, the awards feature many world-renowned chefs, photographers, wine writers and food writers each year.

This year there were over 10,000 submissions from over 209 countries competing for the awards. The list of finalists can be found here: http://www.cookbookfair.com/

Saturday, May 27th is the award ceremony for “Best in the World” Gourmand Awards (Wine and Drinks), which is held in China. Here is a list of the French Wine Books participating:

W1-5 French Wine

Australia: Champagne, Kaaren Palmer (KP)

Brazil: Vinhos da Borgonha, Cara (Melhoramentos)

China: Les Ignorants, Davodeau, Li Yi Xue (Beijing United)

Canada: The Ultimate Guide to Champagne, Liz Palmer (palmergroup)

France: Anjou Untamed, Jean Yves Bardin, Patrick Rigourd, Bernard Reeves (JYB)

UK: The Story of Champagne, Nicholas Faith (Infinite Ideas)

USA: Champagne, Uncorked, The House of Krug, Alan Tardi (Public Affairs)

http://www.cookbookfair.com/index.php/gourmand-awards/winners-2017/wine-books-shortlist-2017

I’m also excited to announce that The Ultimate Guide To Champagne has recently been accepted into the “Taste Canada” Awards under the Culinary Narratives category, with a short-list being announced July 18 via Twitter! Here is a list of books that are contenders for this category:

Appleton, Frank.Brewing Revolution: Pioneering the Craft Beer Movement. Harbour Publishing, Madeira Park

Cockrall-King, Jennifer. Food Artisans of the Okanagan. TouchWood Editions, Victoria

Flowers, Frankie (Ferragine, Frank).Food to Grow: A Simple, No-Fail Guide to Growing Your Own Vegetables, Fruits and Herbs. HarperCollins, Toronto

Ishii, Caroline.The Accidental Chef: Lessons Learned In and Out of the Kitchen. Author, Ottawa

Le, Stephen.Million Years of Food: What Our Ancestors Ate and Why It Matters Today. HarperCollins, Toronto

Palmer, Liz. The Ultimate Guide to Champagne. Liz Palmer Media Group, Toronto

Sherk, Lawrence C. 150 Years of Canadian Beer Labels. TouchWood Editions, Victoria

Wong, Adele. Hong Kong Food & Culture: From Dim Sum to Dried Abalone. Man Mo Media, Kennedy Town, Hong Kong

http://tastecanada.org/2017-submissions/

Best of luck to all !

Liz Palmer