It would be very easy to ‘over think’ the conditions required for a perfect wine tasting, especially when chances are, that your best tasting memories will occur when you are totally relaxed and sharing your bottle in good company.

From a purely professional point of view however, to conduct a more ‘analytical’ tasting (as you might do as a wine buyer or journalist), there are actually a huge number of considerations to take into account, many of which I have written about in the past. To make it a little easier to digest, I will list as many as I can think of (albeit there are so many that I might well miss a few):

Environment

• What is the weather doing? Atmospheric pressure can change your perception of a wine, whilst some will claim that the phase of the moon can do the same.

• Is the room where you are tasting light and airy – not too hot or too cold, with no breezes (that might detract from the smell) and with good natural light so that you can visually examine your glass?

• Is the room free from other distracting smells (some tasters are particularly sensitive to this, myself included)

• Are you in a place where you can concentrate, free from other distractions?

Personal

• Are you fit and healthy? Colds and flu are the wine professionals worst nightmare, and tasting with a hangover just doesn’t work!

• Are you wearing perfume or after shave – these will certainly confuse your sense of smell.

• Is your palate clean – have you been eating garlic, or other strong, lingering foods that could affect your taste? Or have you recently cleaned your teeth or been drinking fruit juice?

Wine

• How many wines are you tasting? Tasters will dispute how many you can reasonably taste to make an effective judgement (possibly depending on your experience as a taster).

• Is your wine at the correct temperature (cellar temperature is not a bad start)? For example, too cold will exaggerate acidity in white wines, and tannins in red, whilst alcohol will dominate if the bottle is too warm.

• To be truly objective a completely blind tasting is much more effective, after all, a quick glimpse of the label is worth at least 20 years tasting experience!

Other 

• Is your wine glass clean, odour free and suitable for a tasting? (This is actually a subject that demands a separate blog post, especially as some wine glass manufacturers invest huge amounts of time and money in researching the perfect glass for every imaginable grape variety).

• Time – What time of day are you tasting? Many will say that the best time of day is around 11.00am or 12.00am, as this is the time when both your palate and your brain are at their most receptive. Certainly before lunch is a good idea, and never just after a meal.

• Time – have you allowed enough time to taste your selection, if necessary going back to re-assess your favourites?

• Notes – make copious tasting notes. Few people have a photographic memory, or perfect recall (although a truly memorable wine will certainly stand out)

Let me know if you think I’ve missed something.

It would be very easy to ‘over think’ the conditions required for a perfect wine tasting, especially when chances are, that your best tasting memories will occur when you are totally relaxed and sharing your bottle in good company.

From a purely professional point of view however, to conduct a more ‘analytical’ tasting (as you might do as a wine buyer or journalist), there are actually a huge number of considerations to take into account, many of which I have written about in the past. To make it a little easier to digest, I will list as many as I can think of (albeit there are so many that I might well miss a few):

Environment

• What is the weather doing? Atmospheric pressure can change your perception of a wine, whilst some will claim that the phase of the moon can do the same.

• Is the room where you are tasting light and airy – not too hot or too cold, with no breezes (that might detract from the smell) and with good natural light so that you can visually examine your glass?

• Is the room free from other distracting smells (some tasters are particularly sensitive to this, myself included)

• Are you in a place where you can concentrate, free from other distractions?

Personal

• Are you fit and healthy? Colds and flu are the wine professionals worst nightmare, and tasting with a hangover just doesn’t work!

• Are you wearing perfume or after shave – these will certainly confuse your sense of smell.

• Is your palate clean – have you been eating garlic, or other strong, lingering foods that could affect your taste? Or have you recently cleaned your teeth or been drinking fruit juice?

Wine

• How many wines are you tasting? Tasters will dispute how many you can reasonably taste to make an effective judgement (possibly depending on your experience as a taster).

• Is your wine at the correct temperature (cellar temperature is not a bad start)? For example, too cold will exaggerate acidity in white wines, and tannins in red, whilst alcohol will dominate if the bottle is too warm.

• To be truly objective a completely blind tasting is much more effective, after all, a quick glimpse of the label is worth at least 20 years tasting experience!

Other 

• Is your wine glass clean, odour free and suitable for a tasting? (This is actually a subject that demands a separate blog post, especially as some wine glass manufacturers invest huge amounts of time and money in researching the perfect glass for every imaginable grape variety).

• Time – What time of day are you tasting? Many will say that the best time of day is around 11.00am or 12.00am, as this is the time when both your palate and your brain are at their most receptive. Certainly before lunch is a good idea, and never just after a meal.

• Time – have you allowed enough time to taste your selection, if necessary going back to re-assess your favourites?

• Notes – make copious tasting notes. Few people have a photographic memory, or perfect recall (although a truly memorable wine will certainly stand out)

Let me know if you think I’ve missed something.

We have received very special Easter offer from a hotel in the Basque Country for this Easter – 3 nights bed and breakfast, one dinner (with water), one free circuit of the spa, garage space, late check out…. Oh, and not forgetting a rather sinister looking man in a black hood and cape too! I’m sorry but I do find this mailshot rather off-putting, or am I just being ridiculous?

Spain celebrates ‘Semana Santa’, (Holy Week) much more than most other European countries. The whole week is filled with street processions, organised in the majority of Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. Participants carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms in an atmosphere of mourning – which can seem quite oppressive to outsiders.

In some of the processions, marchers wear clothes reminiscent of the Klu Klux Klan. In fact their clothes are meant to represent ‘Nazareños’, people from Nazareth. It is the religious fraternities and brotherhoods of each town that are responsible for organising the processions, and the people who actually carry the sculptures and biblical scenes are known as ‘costaleros’. These floats are extremely heavy, and the costaleros have to be strong, as the processions will last for many hours. The pain that they suffer is likened to that experienced by Christ and the men consider it a great honor to carry the float, despite (and indeed, because of) the pain involved.

We have received very special Easter offer from a hotel in the Basque Country for this Easter – 3 nights bed and breakfast, one dinner (with water), one free circuit of the spa, garage space, late check out…. Oh, and not forgetting a rather sinister looking man in a black hood and cape too! I’m sorry but I do find this mailshot rather off-putting, or am I just being ridiculous?

Spain celebrates ‘Semana Santa’, (Holy Week) much more than most other European countries. The whole week is filled with street processions, organised in the majority of Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. Participants carry statues of saints on floats or wooden platforms in an atmosphere of mourning – which can seem quite oppressive to outsiders.

In some of the processions, marchers wear clothes reminiscent of the Klu Klux Klan. In fact their clothes are meant to represent ‘Nazareños’, people from Nazareth. It is the religious fraternities and brotherhoods of each town that are responsible for organising the processions, and the people who actually carry the sculptures and biblical scenes are known as ‘costaleros’. These floats are extremely heavy, and the costaleros have to be strong, as the processions will last for many hours. The pain that they suffer is likened to that experienced by Christ and the men consider it a great honor to carry the float, despite (and indeed, because of) the pain involved.

Sadly for us, and for our industry, alcohol is too often abused, used as a way of self-medication when we are feeling low or rejected to drown our sorrows. It could be that we have lost a loved one, failed in an exam, been rejected by our girlfriend or perhaps by a gorgeous female fruit fly……..

I actually can’t believe that I’m writing this, but a study by the University of California in San Francisco has proved that male fruit flies turn to alcohol when they are rejected by female fruit flies that are hovering nearby. Now, the first question is fairly obvious. Why on earth were they researching this in the first place, and secondly, what relevance does this study have to our daily lives? Well, apparently, the answer is that frustrated flies have quite similar brain mechanisms to humans – the brain chemicals that control appetite actually correlate strongly with a thirst for alcohol, especially when we are feeling rejected. In tests, the flies, perhaps surprisingly, favoured a liquid mixture spiked with 15% alcohol in preference to other fruits, such as rotting bananas.

In similar studies mice, rats and monkeys also turned to drink after periods of isolation, bullying or after becoming victims of aggression.

The explanation is that when we are feeling low the levels of a compound called NPF in our brain falls, we get dysphoric, and this gives us a strong urge to drink. The object of the study therefore, is to develop a drug to enhance NPY activity, thus reducing the craving.

In summary, all I can say is that there must be an awful lot of frustrated fruit flies in our cellars around harvest time, either that or they just appreciate a good albariño when they taste one!

Sadly for us, and for our industry, alcohol is too often abused, used as a way of self-medication when we are feeling low or rejected to drown our sorrows. It could be that we have lost a loved one, failed in an exam, been rejected by our girlfriend or perhaps by a gorgeous female fruit fly……..

I actually can’t believe that I’m writing this, but a study by the University of California in San Francisco has proved that male fruit flies turn to alcohol when they are rejected by female fruit flies that are hovering nearby. Now, the first question is fairly obvious. Why on earth were they researching this in the first place, and secondly, what relevance does this study have to our daily lives? Well, apparently, the answer is that frustrated flies have quite similar brain mechanisms to humans – the brain chemicals that control appetite actually correlate strongly with a thirst for alcohol, especially when we are feeling rejected. In tests, the flies, perhaps surprisingly, favoured a liquid mixture spiked with 15% alcohol in preference to other fruits, such as rotting bananas.

In similar studies mice, rats and monkeys also turned to drink after periods of isolation, bullying or after becoming victims of aggression.

The explanation is that when we are feeling low the levels of a compound called NPF in our brain falls, we get dysphoric, and this gives us a strong urge to drink. The object of the study therefore, is to develop a drug to enhance NPY activity, thus reducing the craving.

In summary, all I can say is that there must be an awful lot of frustrated fruit flies in our cellars around harvest time, either that or they just appreciate a good albariño when they taste one!

If you thought that the most significant wine region for New York wholesalers would be Bordeaux, Burgundy or perhaps Tuscany, you’d be wrong…… it’s actually New Jersey! Now, I’m not saying that New Jersey has suddenly been discovered as the latest new wine producing area, but it is the centre of nearly all warehousing for imported wines sold in New York.

The majority of New York wholesalers store wine in New Jersey for economic reasons, space is cheaper, as well as being logistically more efficient. The warehouses receive imported wines directly from shipping piers and also provide quick deliveries into New York City. There is simply no other location in the immediate area that offers this facility.

So, what’s causing the problem? Well, the problem is actually very significant indeed, as a proposed change in the law threatens to put many New York wholesalers and distributors out of business!

An amendment before the New York Senate would require all wines entering the State to be stored for a period of at least 48 hours before they can be distributed. In other words you would need warehousing located somewhere in New York State itself to store your wine before you can sell it, and the vast majority of wine companies simply don’t have this. It is alleged that there are two very big wine companies behind this proposed change, who, certainly not by coincidence, have their own In-State warehousing. Hence the smaller wholesalers are claiming that it is simply an attempt to drive them out of business. 

The apparent logic behind this move is that many of the States surrounding New York (e.g. New Jersey, Connecticut) have laws which require that alcohol shipped into the State from Out-of-State suppliers be shipped to a licensed wholesaler within the State and maintained at a premises operated by such wholesaler for a minimum period of time – commonly referred to as “at-rest” laws (the 48 hour period mentioned above). This requirement from States bordering New York, clearly puts New York businesses who wish to ship to neighbouring States at a competitive disadvantage (not that wine ever really passes in this direction). This legislation simply establishes a reciprocal “at-rest” provision of law, or so they claim.

If you thought that the most significant wine region for New York wholesalers would be Bordeaux, Burgundy or perhaps Tuscany, you’d be wrong…… it’s actually New Jersey! Now, I’m not saying that New Jersey has suddenly been discovered as the latest new wine producing area, but it is the centre of nearly all warehousing for imported wines sold in New York.

The majority of New York wholesalers store wine in New Jersey for economic reasons, space is cheaper, as well as being logistically more efficient. The warehouses receive imported wines directly from shipping piers and also provide quick deliveries into New York City. There is simply no other location in the immediate area that offers this facility.

So, what’s causing the problem? Well, the problem is actually very significant indeed, as a proposed change in the law threatens to put many New York wholesalers and distributors out of business!

An amendment before the New York Senate would require all wines entering the State to be stored for a period of at least 48 hours before they can be distributed. In other words you would need warehousing located somewhere in New York State itself to store your wine before you can sell it, and the vast majority of wine companies simply don’t have this. It is alleged that there are two very big wine companies behind this proposed change, who, certainly not by coincidence, have their own In-State warehousing. Hence the smaller wholesalers are claiming that it is simply an attempt to drive them out of business. 

The apparent logic behind this move is that many of the States surrounding New York (e.g. New Jersey, Connecticut) have laws which require that alcohol shipped into the State from Out-of-State suppliers be shipped to a licensed wholesaler within the State and maintained at a premises operated by such wholesaler for a minimum period of time – commonly referred to as “at-rest” laws (the 48 hour period mentioned above). This requirement from States bordering New York, clearly puts New York businesses who wish to ship to neighbouring States at a competitive disadvantage (not that wine ever really passes in this direction). This legislation simply establishes a reciprocal “at-rest” provision of law, or so they claim.

Perhaps I shouldn’t mention that we have chosen to ignore today’s General Strike, for Castro Martin business carries on as usual. I will not comment on the sentiment behind the strike except to say that there is no doubt that the Spanish Government will be forced to make cuts, whether we like it or not….

Several months ago Angela exchanged her desktop PC for a new laptop. It has revolutionised her life as she is now able to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Whether that is true or not is not really the issue, but the reality is that it now enables her to work more or less wherever she wants. After all, a Blackberry still has its limitations despite being an indispensable piece of kit.

During those months I have been observing jealously that Angela is no longer a slave to her desk, and although my desktop still works pretty well (despite being a dinosaur in computer years), I have finally taken the plunge. Yesterday I received my shining new laptop, fully equipped with all the very latest technology. Of course the immediate downside is that I first have to load it with all the appropriate software, before I can even contemplate transferring any files. I have my fingers crossed that all goes well over the coming few days.

In the meantime, on the very same day, our office received a huge box containing a brand new photocopier. (Heaven only knows how they got it up the stairs to the first floor.) Anyway, calling it a simple photocopier does it a serious injustice, as not only is this a colour machine, but it also serves as a fax machine and scanner….. and all done by wi-fi! Gone have the days of waiting at the machine to send faxes typed on bits of paper – the 21st century has officially arrived!

Now where’s that handbook, I must check to see if can make me a cup of tea…..

Perhaps I shouldn’t mention that we have chosen to ignore today’s General Strike, for Castro Martin business carries on as usual. I will not comment on the sentiment behind the strike except to say that there is no doubt that the Spanish Government will be forced to make cuts, whether we like it or not….

Several months ago Angela exchanged her desktop PC for a new laptop. It has revolutionised her life as she is now able to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Whether that is true or not is not really the issue, but the reality is that it now enables her to work more or less wherever she wants. After all, a Blackberry still has its limitations despite being an indispensable piece of kit.

During those months I have been observing jealously that Angela is no longer a slave to her desk, and although my desktop still works pretty well (despite being a dinosaur in computer years), I have finally taken the plunge. Yesterday I received my shining new laptop, fully equipped with all the very latest technology. Of course the immediate downside is that I first have to load it with all the appropriate software, before I can even contemplate transferring any files. I have my fingers crossed that all goes well over the coming few days.

In the meantime, on the very same day, our office received a huge box containing a brand new photocopier. (Heaven only knows how they got it up the stairs to the first floor.) Anyway, calling it a simple photocopier does it a serious injustice, as not only is this a colour machine, but it also serves as a fax machine and scanner….. and all done by wi-fi! Gone have the days of waiting at the machine to send faxes typed on bits of paper – the 21st century has officially arrived!

Now where’s that handbook, I must check to see if can make me a cup of tea…..

As a bit of a foodie one of my favourite channels on TV is the Food Network, and very recently there’s a new programme that’s caught my eye. It’s called Meat & Potatoes (although not so much about the potatoes). The ex-chef and cattle rancher Rahm Fama presents the show and spends his time trawling all the best meat restaurants of the U.S. Now, I can tell you from my own experience that if you ever visit a steak house in the U.S. be warned, in fact, don’t eat for at least three days before you go. The portions are usually enormous (by European standards), the steaks are like door steps and are enough to feed your whole family for a week!

Well, there’s now some bad news for all you carnivores out there – those dreaded researchers have been at it again. They now claim that eating even small quantities of processed meat such as bacon, sausages or salami on a regular basis can increase the likelihood of dying early by a fifth, and eating steak increases the risk of early death by 12%. The study by the Harvard School of Medicine found that cutting the amount of red meat in peoples’ diets to 1.5 ounces (42 grams) a day, equivalent to one large steak a week, could prevent almost one in 10 early deaths in men and one in 13 in women.

In reality this is nothing new, because it’s apparently down to the amount of salt (in the case of processed meats) and saturated fats. Replacing red meat with poultry, fish or vegetables, whole grains and other healthy foods cut the risk of dying by up to one fifth – again, nothing new. Either way, it looks like the health police look set to terrorise meat-lovers into submission….. Sorry, I have to finish now, I’m just off to enjoy my Full English Breakfast!

As a bit of a foodie one of my favourite channels on TV is the Food Network, and very recently there’s a new programme that’s caught my eye. It’s called Meat & Potatoes (although not so much about the potatoes). The ex-chef and cattle rancher Rahm Fama presents the show and spends his time trawling all the best meat restaurants of the U.S. Now, I can tell you from my own experience that if you ever visit a steak house in the U.S. be warned, in fact, don’t eat for at least three days before you go. The portions are usually enormous (by European standards), the steaks are like door steps and are enough to feed your whole family for a week!

Well, there’s now some bad news for all you carnivores out there – those dreaded researchers have been at it again. They now claim that eating even small quantities of processed meat such as bacon, sausages or salami on a regular basis can increase the likelihood of dying early by a fifth, and eating steak increases the risk of early death by 12%. The study by the Harvard School of Medicine found that cutting the amount of red meat in peoples’ diets to 1.5 ounces (42 grams) a day, equivalent to one large steak a week, could prevent almost one in 10 early deaths in men and one in 13 in women.

In reality this is nothing new, because it’s apparently down to the amount of salt (in the case of processed meats) and saturated fats. Replacing red meat with poultry, fish or vegetables, whole grains and other healthy foods cut the risk of dying by up to one fifth – again, nothing new. Either way, it looks like the health police look set to terrorise meat-lovers into submission….. Sorry, I have to finish now, I’m just off to enjoy my Full English Breakfast!

Moving wine around the world is actually quite a complicated business, not just because of the different labelling requirements and strict customs/import regulations, but also because of the physical conditions under which the wine travels. If you’re moving wine across the equator, or half way around the world your bottles will be subject to all sorts of stresses, the most significant being temperature.

In an ideal world we would move everything using refrigerated transport (as we do for all of our domestic pallet deliveries), but for long distance this can be a very expensive exercise. Whilst I have no doubt that all the 1er Cru Classé wines of Bordeaux are always moved around using temperature controlled transport (as customers protect their huge investment), for a humble wine such as albariño this is not quite so common.That’s not to say that it doesn’t happen as we do have customers that ship our wine across the planet at a constant temperature of  around 12°C….. a real achievement in logistics!

If you’re not quite so rich there is however, an alternative – perhaps not quite as effective, but still offering some protection against the elements. J.F. Hillebrand offer a system called a Vinliner, sort of like a big ‘oven proof’ foil bag into which you simply zip your pallets or cases. Obviously it isn’t really just foil, in reality it’s made from an aluminium coated woven polyethylene fabric, which simply adds another layer of protection against thermal shock (see photo). Of course it still needs to be backed by a good marine transit insurance.

As one final precaution, however you decide to pack your container, you always need to specify that your precious cargo is stowed below deck, and not piled high on top of the ship with full exposure to hot sunshine – baking your beloved albariño like an oven!

Moving wine around the world is actually quite a complicated business, not just because of the different labelling requirements and strict customs/import regulations, but also because of the physical conditions under which the wine travels. If you’re moving wine across the equator, or half way around the world your bottles will be subject to all sorts of stresses, the most significant being temperature.

In an ideal world we would move everything using refrigerated transport (as we do for all of our domestic pallet deliveries), but for long distance this can be a very expensive exercise. Whilst I have no doubt that all the 1er Cru Classé wines of Bordeaux are always moved around using temperature controlled transport (as customers protect their huge investment), for a humble wine such as albariño this is not quite so common.That’s not to say that it doesn’t happen as we do have customers that ship our wine across the planet at a constant temperature of  around 12°C….. a real achievement in logistics!

If you’re not quite so rich there is however, an alternative – perhaps not quite as effective, but still offering some protection against the elements. J.F. Hillebrand offer a system called a Vinliner, sort of like a big ‘oven proof’ foil bag into which you simply zip your pallets or cases. Obviously it isn’t really just foil, in reality it’s made from an aluminium coated woven polyethylene fabric, which simply adds another layer of protection against thermal shock (see photo). Of course it still needs to be backed by a good marine transit insurance.

As one final precaution, however you decide to pack your container, you always need to specify that your precious cargo is stowed below deck, and not piled high on top of the ship with full exposure to hot sunshine – baking your beloved albariño like an oven!

The truth behind today’s post is simply that I was waiting for an excuse to post this photo! Taken on our visit in 2009, it obviously shows one of Sydney’s most iconic landmarks. Probably not the most iconic, because I believe that this honour surely belongs to the sweeping sail design of the Sydney Opera House.

So why have I chosen today to include this photo? Simple. The coat hanger (as it is affectionately known), celebrates its 80th birthday this week (March 19th to be precise). The 1,149m bridge, which took almost 10 years to build, was officially opened in 1932, and is listed in the Guiness book of records as the world’s widest long-span bridge. The bridge cost £6.25m to build and 16 men reportedly lost their lives during the construction process. In its early days about 11,000 vehicles crossed the bridge on a daily basis, although today’s figure is nearer to 160,000 vehicles.

Celebrations included a special performance by musicians from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra from the top of the 134m-high arch, as well as a 1930s-themed picnic party, but it is perhaps best known for being the fireworks launchpad during Sydney’s annual New Year’s Eve celebrations.

The truth behind today’s post is simply that I was waiting for an excuse to post this photo! Taken on our visit in 2009, it obviously shows one of Sydney’s most iconic landmarks. Probably not the most iconic, because I believe that this honour surely belongs to the sweeping sail design of the Sydney Opera House.

So why have I chosen today to include this photo? Simple. The coat hanger (as it is affectionately known), celebrates its 80th birthday this week (March 19th to be precise). The 1,149m bridge, which took almost 10 years to build, was officially opened in 1932, and is listed in the Guiness book of records as the world’s widest long-span bridge. The bridge cost £6.25m to build and 16 men reportedly lost their lives during the construction process. In its early days about 11,000 vehicles crossed the bridge on a daily basis, although today’s figure is nearer to 160,000 vehicles.

Celebrations included a special performance by musicians from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra from the top of the 134m-high arch, as well as a 1930s-themed picnic party, but it is perhaps best known for being the fireworks launchpad during Sydney’s annual New Year’s Eve celebrations.

I mentioned only a few days ago that it had been very dry and sunny in Galicia for some time now. My comment however, was directed more to the lack of rain rather than any unseasonably warm temperatures. Last Saturday we experienced the first significant rainfall of the last month or two, albeit that it was quite short lived, lasting no more than a few hours. Certainly not enough to make any significant impact. 

Yesterday, 20th March, we witnessed the Spring Equinox, the day when the sun’s rays shine directly overhead at the equator. The equinox marks the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere, as well as the first day of autumn in the southern hemisphere. It also marks the mid point when the sun crosses the celestial equator, and the length of day and night is almost equal everywhere on earth (12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness).

Google marked the day with a doodle designed by Marimekko, the Finnish fashion house. Unlike most Google doodles, the letters of the Google logo are almost indistinguishable, apparently in keeping with Marimekko’s signature style…. or so we are told.

I mentioned only a few days ago that it had been very dry and sunny in Galicia for some time now. My comment however, was directed more to the lack of rain rather than any unseasonably warm temperatures. Last Saturday we experienced the first significant rainfall of the last month or two, albeit that it was quite short lived, lasting no more than a few hours. Certainly not enough to make any significant impact. 

Yesterday, 20th March, we witnessed the Spring Equinox, the day when the sun’s rays shine directly overhead at the equator. The equinox marks the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere, as well as the first day of autumn in the southern hemisphere. It also marks the mid point when the sun crosses the celestial equator, and the length of day and night is almost equal everywhere on earth (12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness).

Google marked the day with a doodle designed by Marimekko, the Finnish fashion house. Unlike most Google doodles, the letters of the Google logo are almost indistinguishable, apparently in keeping with Marimekko’s signature style…. or so we are told.

In the first part of my post about Michelin I mentioned that the Red Guide might actually be hated by some. If hated is perhaps too strong a word, then certainly its objectivity has been called into question on countless occasions, and also, over the years, it has also been accused of a certain bias.

It is clear however, that at the very least, Michelin has been inconsistent in the midst of its struggle to evolve. Many now consider its rating system to be outdated, a foundation built during the time when cooking was about who made the best Cassoulet or the best Boeuf Bourgignon. Perhaps out of political correctness or a perverse type of over-compensation it not only attempts to include a variety of ethnic restaurants, but also a few casual, more informal restaurants sometimes discovered in very odd locations. 

Perhaps the best example of this was the Australian chef Skye Gyngell who’s cafe style restaurant was located in a south-west London garden centre. However she managed to achieve her notoriety is not the main issue, and was presumably based on some fine cooking. The problem was more the type of clientele that her single (unwanted) Michelin star started to attract….  people who suffer the misfortune of being led by Michelin; people, that is, who are gastronomically clueless and who expect the ‘fine dining experience’; deluded people preoccupied by the status that patronisation of a particular restaurant attaches to them. An army of fine diners that drink whatever is expensive and relish the fact that it takes five flunkies to open their chosen bottle.

Naturally, when these food ‘connoisseurs’ were suddenly confronted with a complete lack of starched table linen, rickety tables, “haphazard service” and “loos in a wooden shed”, they were thrown into a state of shock, and reacted by complaining that their expectations had not been met. One patron complained that they had only been offered one type of cheese, and another that “it simply wasn’t up to Michelin standards”.

Despite having previously held high pressure kitchen positions in Paris and Mayfair, and eight years in charge at the nursery cafe, Skye Gynell sadly resigned, and was quoted as saying upon her departure “if I ever have another restaurant I pray we don’t get a star”.

In the first part of my post about Michelin I mentioned that the Red Guide might actually be hated by some. If hated is perhaps too strong a word, then certainly its objectivity has been called into question on countless occasions, and also, over the years, it has also been accused of a certain bias.

It is clear however, that at the very least, Michelin has been inconsistent in the midst of its struggle to evolve. Many now consider its rating system to be outdated, a foundation built during the time when cooking was about who made the best Cassoulet or the best Boeuf Bourgignon. Perhaps out of political correctness or a perverse type of over-compensation it not only attempts to include a variety of ethnic restaurants, but also a few casual, more informal restaurants sometimes discovered in very odd locations. 

Perhaps the best example of this was the Australian chef Skye Gyngell who’s cafe style restaurant was located in a south-west London garden centre. However she managed to achieve her notoriety is not the main issue, and was presumably based on some fine cooking. The problem was more the type of clientele that her single (unwanted) Michelin star started to attract….  people who suffer the misfortune of being led by Michelin; people, that is, who are gastronomically clueless and who expect the ‘fine dining experience’; deluded people preoccupied by the status that patronisation of a particular restaurant attaches to them. An army of fine diners that drink whatever is expensive and relish the fact that it takes five flunkies to open their chosen bottle.

Naturally, when these food ‘connoisseurs’ were suddenly confronted with a complete lack of starched table linen, rickety tables, “haphazard service” and “loos in a wooden shed”, they were thrown into a state of shock, and reacted by complaining that their expectations had not been met. One patron complained that they had only been offered one type of cheese, and another that “it simply wasn’t up to Michelin standards”.

Despite having previously held high pressure kitchen positions in Paris and Mayfair, and eight years in charge at the nursery cafe, Skye Gynell sadly resigned, and was quoted as saying upon her departure “if I ever have another restaurant I pray we don’t get a star”.