GASTROMONDIALE

WINE RATING STANDARDS: AGAINST DUMBING DOWN

Professions develop their own standards.

Often these standards reflect their self-interests and hide serious flaws.

Unfortunately the wine ranking systems which are widely in use don’t  reflect the inherent qualities of the wine in question.

This is the case for both the 100 point US system and the 20 point system.

The main problem is that many mediocre wines receive at least 15 or 16.   (I believe the 100 point-system is basically a 20 pointer since no wine receives a lower grade than 80.)

The prevailing system is favorable to bad products (which should be called wine-products rather than wine), and consequently it is biased against truly great wines because it presents the gap between the two as a minor quantitative difference.  That is, the very best receives a 19.5 whereas many wines which should be dumped in the sink receive a 16 or even a 16.5.

Stravaganza Mediterranea

When in Campania I usually lose track of time and space wondering if the sirens are actually echoing in my head. The environment is surreal. This time, about a month ago, I was invited to an event which also sounded surreal. My friend ENZO CALDARELLI brought together the icons of the “New Spanish Cuisine” who cooked for two days (June 12 and 13) before a select group of journalists, friends, and sponsors of the event. This extraordinary event took place in Michelin two star Don Alfonso restaurant in Sorrento whose chef and owner Alfonso Iaccarino and his elegant wife Livia turned out to be most hospitable, generous and engaging hosts. The participants ın the event included Alberto Adria of El Bulli, Andoni Luis Aduriz of Mugaritz, Alain Passard of Arpege,  Pedro Subijana of Akelarre, Santi Santamaria of Can Fabes, Martin Berasategui of the eponymous restaurant, Joan Roca of Can Roca, Claude Bosi of Hibiscus, and Oriol Balaguer.  Chefs, such as Heston Blumenthal, Gianfranco Vissani, and, probably my favorite under 30 years old chef in the world,  Fabio Barbaglini of  Café Groppi in Trecate, were among the guests.

Avant Garde Excellence? Mugaritz and Bras

Last month, that is in October, I had my first meals in these two highly touted restaurants. Our meals came on superb days as sunshine and blue skies put one in a great mood for exquisite dining, and the location of these two places, one in central Auvergne in France, and the other in a rural area near the French border, in the Spanish Basque countryside, could not have been more rustic and attractive. The meals, for the most part, lived up to expectations, although, overall, I fared better than I had expected (from my readings and personal conversations) at Mugaritz, and I fared less well than I had anticipated at Bras. Admittedly, Bras is the more famous and settled of the two, and the reason I compare the two is that, Aduriz, the chef of Mugaritz, clearly draws some inspiration and overall philosophy from Bras, even though he had apprenticed at El Bulli. Michel Bras, on the other hand, is now semi-retired and although he was present during our visit on October the 9th, I suspect it is now his son, Sébastien, who is at the helm. Both chefs try to deliver multiple textures and clean flavors, and they make complicated dishes look simple and natural. They are also known for the use of herbs and for vegetable dishes -- cooked to perfection. Overall, I have no qualms about these generalizations, but my own conclusions slightly differ from the current wisdom. That is, I found that the cooking at Bras was at times fussy and dishes were too complicated and lacking in a clear focus. It seemed like Aduriz had invested more thought to his dishes, and his minimalistic cooking is also, for the most part, luxurious and decadent. I also liked the fact that Aduriz is seeking out rare and luxurious ingredients, and if he can charge 25% more for his menus and if he uses even more luxurious ingredients, more Michelin stars will follow. The meal at Mugaritz progressed intelligently, like a crescendo, and our taste buds remained alert and curious throughout the meal. This is no small accomplishment. (Aduriz had concocted a tasting menu combining dishes from traditional and modern preparations, following my conversation with a great lady, Susana, who handles foreign communications. Unfortunately, Susana had a car accident and was recovering at home during our visit. I wish her a speedy and full recovery.)