Latest news with #RichardGeoffroy
The Province
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Province
Vancouver restaurants show that sake's time has officially arrived
Non-Japanese Vancouver restaurants are having "aha" moments followed by sake showing up on their drinks lists. Why now? Chef Satoshi Makise and Richard Geoffroy of IWA 5 sake. Photo by Leila Kwok Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. The late, great French chef Joël Robuchon ran seven restaurants with three Michelin stars and had 38 celestial stars at one-time. The icon was a sake devotee, demanding it be in all his restaurants. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors 'I was completely restricting my kitchens without sakes,' he said. Another French giant, Richard Geoffroy, was chef de cave at Dom Pérignon for 28 years, reviving the brand to its iconic status during his tenure. But in 2 019, he made a dramatic pivot and opened IWA 5, a premium sake brewery in Japan. With such vaunted non-Japanese palates besotted with sake, you'd think a stampede of the curious would have followed. Well, no stampede, but there's definitely trotting. Non-Japanese Vancouver restaurants are having 'aha' moments followed by sake showing up on their drinks lists. Why now? First, there are sake teachers and agents spreading knowledge. WSET, the international certifier for wine and spirit training, has responded to the deepening interest and now off ers sake certification and validation. As well, there's a whole new wave of sake makers in Japan, innovating and experimenting with different styles and flavours, including sparkling sake and richer, bolder ones. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. And, as in North America, alcohol consumption is dropping in Japan, so there's more product to export. Recently, Geoffroy, the former Dom Pérignon champagne maker, was at Tetsu Sushi Bar for a sake-paired dinner (regularly h appening these days). At the dinner, Ge offroy said his dramatic pivot to sake was the creative latitude. 'It was like getting the keys to Home Depot and not just working with a table saw and router,' he said. 'And sake is umami in a glass with 20 times more than in wine. It loves food. It amplifies flavour. Sake makes food shine. Try it with pizza. They're umami bombs.' Tetsu chef-owner Satoshi Makise invited Geoffroy be cause IWA 5 is his favourite sake. 'I feel his style is similar to mine. It's still traditional but innovative. I love that. He creates different styles of sake using white wi ne making t echnology and ages it for different flavours. He's created a sake with an aftertaste (lingering finish), not just an initial flavo ur, an d it can pair with any cuisine.' Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Makise created a menu to sync with IWA 5's terroir, the coastal Toyama prefecture known for exceptional seafood. Geoff roy blends three rices and five yeast strains for his sakes, and two of the yeasts are traditionally used in winemaking. The most startling sake dinner, however, was at The Victor, a steak house, a daring move as I'll bet 99 per cent of diners feel steaks are wedded to bold red wines. Steak, you say? I want tannins! Patrick Ellis, one of about a dozen non-Japanese 'sake samurais' in the world, was there to prove us wrong. Ellis dislikes saying 'sake pairing' because, well, frankly, sake is kind of a floozy — it'll go with anything and isn't too fussy about what. Sake samurai Patrick Ellis at The Victor restaurant. Photo by Mia Stainsby In more professional speak, Ellis s ays, 'It do esn't have many restrictions. It doesn't have the acidit y of wine, but what it does have is 20 to 25 times more umami than wine, and about 80 per cent of our taste r eceptors are for umami. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Umami is based on glutamate amino acids and it's what starts you salivating,' he says. 'It doesn't fight with food, as wine can.' Ellis adds that beef contains inosinate (formed when muscle tissue breaks down) and when glutamate and inosinate are consumed together, it's pure umami synergy. 'The perceived umami increases by up to 10 times than when consumed on their own,' Ellis says. At The Victor dinner, Dassai Junmai Dai Ginjo sake and Wagyu flatiron steak were very civil to one another, and might I say, they liked each other very much. Action! Kiss camera! The Victor is actually the perfect restaurant to test the sake-goes-with-anything claim because there's sushi and sashimi for a classic pairing and steaks to test out the synergy. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Steak dish at The Victor, paired with sake. Photo by Mia Stainsby Fanny Bay Oyster Bar is another non-Japanese restaurant that 'got' sake. Owner Malindi Taylor says it's a no-brainer. 'Oysters and sake are a natural pairing, complementing each other due to both being rich in natural umami flavours,' says Taylor. 'We've had sake on our menu for the last seven years. Guests love seeing it on our Happy Hour menu as it's not something you see everywhere.' At Michelin-recommended Yuwa Japanese restaurant, co-own er and sake sommelier Iori Kataoka feels sake is finally getting its due. 'We can't ignore sake anymore,' she says. Not like when she opened a first restaurant in the early 1990s, and all she could get was boxed sake. 'It was on top of a machine and only hot sake would come out,' she says. 'There were only two sake agents and now there are over 16, representing over 300 kinds of sakes.' And by the way, warm brews are no longer the sign o f loser sakes. Top brewmasters recommend heating to reveal, not mask, properties in certain sakes. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Yuwa recently held a special event dinner with six Japanese sake makers and a barley shochu maker. 'Six different ideas for making sake, so it was super interesting,' Kataoka said. The dinner included a sparkling sake, which she says, has been hugely successful. 'It's compared to champagne. The bubbles don't last as long but has the taste a nd mouth feel .' A Wagyu beef dish was serv ed with Shichihonyari Muu Kimoto, a rich junmai sake known for going well with both seafood and meat. To make richer sakes, there's less polishing of the rice, keeping more of the husk. It takes skill as it can leav e unwanted flavours, Kataoka says. 'This sake maker is very good at it, keeping some grain and balancing acidity and depth a nd umami.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. With every visit to Japan, she discovers sake makers using new techniques, from the rice milling and fermentation, to aging, and experimenting with different woods, and trying different waters and yeasts. Or, for that matter, staying 100 per cent true to terroir. 'France's wine sommeliers now do sake judging, applying wine analysis to judge colour, aroma, and taste, exactly like wine. Sake makers have always been detailed and specific but now there's technology to analyze everything and scientifically keep sakes consistent from year to year.' Restaurant owner and sake whisperer Miki Ellis, (Dachi, Niwa) another longtime evangelist, loves triggering 'aha' sake moments for guests. 'Our team is excited about sake and recommending them, and we try to focus on unusual styles, the weird and wonderful sides of what sake can be, to further add to 'aha'! We have a lot of somms (sommeliers) and industry people come in and say, 'Oh my god, I never thought of it this way.'' And she's squared off with wine people at private dinners pitting sake against wine for each course. 'Sake won! It surprised us,' she admits. 'I have yet to find food that doesn't go well with sake. It's more of a challenge with wine.' Read More Vancouver Canucks Columnists Vancouver Canucks News Vancouver Whitecaps
Forbes
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Ukraine Wine Producer Winning Top Wine Competitions Helps Those In Need
Sunrise during autumn in Ukraine getty Lake Como, Italy getty A breeze gently moved the light brown hair off the shoulder of an elegant woman, a Mediterranean beauty with big, almond-shaped eyes and a golden tan that seemed to be kissed by the sun as she radiated health and grace on the stone veranda that seemingly hovered over one of the most enchanting areas of the world, Lake Como in Northern Italy. The soft sunlight made the vibrant blue water glimmer as if the lake knew it was part of a rare pocket of the world that could bewitch anyone with its serene charm. This refined woman was staying at the Villa d'Este hotel, a classical Italian villa, and she envisioned all the tsars, marquises, sultans and princesses who stood where she was standing right at that moment. Even more importantly, she was one of the lucky few to attend one of the most prestigious European wine symposiums with some of the greatest wine producers attending the Villa d'Este Wine Symposium. The week of the Villa d'Este Wine Symposium was filled with many tastings and seminars led by such fine wine leaders as Aubert de Villaine, co-owner of the iconic Burgundy estate Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, and Richard Geoffroy, the soon-to-be-retired legendary chef de cave of Dom Pérignon. National flag of Ukraine getty One of the exciting parts of the agenda that week was the Cabernet Sauvignon wine competition results, where only ten Cabernet wines were invited to be judged by 120 wine journalists and wine trade, with a Ukrainian Cabernet Sauvignon coming in 5th place, ahead of First Growth Bordeaux such as Château Haut-Brion and Château Margaux. The judges were comprised of a surreal selection of people including the likes of Aubert de Villaine, Richard Geoffroy and Vega-Sicilia owner Pablo Álvarez. The Ukrainian wine producer was SHABO and in the past 20 years, they have received more than 600 awards, many from top international wine competitions such as IWC (International Wine Challenge), and became the first Ukrainian producer to receive two gold medals from the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards in 2021 and they have gone on to win more. SHABO is not only worth the wine enthusiasts' interest because they are wines from Ukraine, that make wonderful international variety wines like their Cabernet Sauvignon as well as thrilling native varieties such as their mineral-driven Telti-Kuruk white wine, but they are a must-try wine producer because of the great quality of their wines. Landscape in Ukraine during the sunrise getty SHABO Winery is the oldest Ukrainian winery in the village of Shabo, and it is just under a two-hour car ride from the port city of Odesa, located on the western part of the Black Sea (with an estuary on the other side) in the south of Ukraine. CEO and co-founder of the modern age of SHABO, Giorgi Iukuridze, said that the area first had vineyards planted by ancient Greeks more than 2,500 years ago on the coast of the Black Sea. Then, Swiss colonists settled in the village of Shabo and started a movement toward quality vineyard plantings and management and higher-quality winemaking, and that was the very beginning of the SHABO legacy. However, during Soviet times, the wines were restricted to the Iron Curtain. Still, on a positive note, it was mainly used as research vineyards, helping to discern the best grape varieties to grow on the estate. Giorgi Iukuridze courtesy of SHABO Winery Yet there was a big turning point for this winery in 2003 when the Iukuridze family, a Georgian family, from the country of Georgia, who immigrated to Ukraine, bought the estate and proceeded to invest over 110 million euros from 2003 until 2019, significantly improving the vineyards, updating the winery as well as building two more wineries that are specific for their sparkling and brandy production as well as building a hospitality center that is on the same impressive level as top producers in Napa Valley. But what is remarkable is the idea of the humble beings of the Iukuridze family as Giorgi's father, Vaja, was a Georgian winemaker before he decided to buy SHABO, and all the money they have invested as a family comes from loans and their only business is SHABO, hence all of their focus is devoted to their wines. Giorgi spoke about the great lengths they go to to ensure that all bottles are consumed by their customers who want to age the bottles. They offer cellaring within their facilities, and they taste all the wines and vintages meant for aging every year so they can report to their customers whether they should hold or drink particular bottles. The wonderful quality of their wines, made from various international and local grape varieties, has already started to greatly impress a few U.S. markets, such as Washington D.C. Recently, SHABO has become listed on a wine list at Imperfecto, a Michelin restaurant in Washington, D.C.. Giorgi lukuridze in the vineyards courtesy of SHABO Winery SHABO's white Telti-Kuruk, with its mineral edge and ability to age, is a stunning example. The red Saperavi grape native to Georgia, sharing roots with the Iukuridze family, is blended with Merlot and spends time in qvevri (a traditional Georgian clay vessel used for fermenting and aging wine) and is a wine with the ideal balance of multidimensional aromas and texture yet still being delectably delicious; its biggest issue has been keeping it in stock. They have brought 21 qvevri from Georgia to use in some of their winemaking. Giorgi Iukuridze's father already has extensive Georgian winemaking experience, so he knows how to find the balance when making Qvevri wines. Yet they took a further step by bringing in the legendary French consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt to oversee their teams and guide them towards excellence. Despite SHABO doing very well in Europe over many years, even garnering key placements at Michelin restaurants in London and Paris, as well as having their Cabernet Sauvignon featured at the famous wine museum, La Cité du Vin, in Bordeaux, France - the esteemed home of Cabernet Sauvignon, it took longer to get these wines into the U.S.. But that isn't that surprising considering the over-saturation of the wine market in this country and the logistical nightmare of importing alcoholic products as each state functions like its own country. SHABO estate courtesy of SHABO Winery But that all changed when Sam Lerman, an American military veteran, decided to volunteer as a wartime advisor by going to Ukraine in April 2022 on his own dime. Serendipitously, he wound up meeting a Ukrainian entrepreneur and eventually brought on a retired U.S. Marine who was also a career entrepreneur to import Ukrainian vodka and, to his initial shock, great Ukrainian wines, as Sam had no idea that they made wine, let alone ultra-premium level fine wine. That is how he connected with the Iukuridze family and established their U.S. import company, which focuses on Ukrainian products called Spyrt Worldwide. Spyrt Worldwide and SHABO are tied together by not only wanting to show the U.S. the amazing quality of wines made in Ukraine but also making real changes under desperate circumstances. Since a large part of Spyrt Worldwide's mission is to help the Ukrainian people, they partnered with Invictus Global Response, which is made up of American veterans specializing in bomb removal. They go to liberated Ukrainian towns and mine everything, and Sam notes that a significant amount of their profits go to this project. SHABO's main mission was to show Ukrainian excellence, but that mission has evolved to include saving lives as well, and they have been supplying bottled, clean water to towns that have been cut off from their water sources in Ukraine. Not every day does one get to witness a true synergetic pair bring thrilling wines from a place that is on many minds yet is still unknowingly making great wines and, simultaneously, genuinely saving lives. Hopefully, one day, way in the future, the head of a Ukrainian family will open a special bottle of cellared SHABO wine with his grandchildren, who have just become young adults, to toast to their glorious country, Ukraine, toast to never taking freedom for granted and to toast to being one of the lucky ones who was able to survive so he could live to have children and grandchildren… and a big part of that luck was the lifesaving projects sponsored by those behind that SHABO wine. 2016 SHABO, Grand Reserve, Blanc de Blancs Brut Cathrine Todd 2016 SHABO, Grand Reserve, Blanc de Blancs Brut Sparkling Wine: 100% Chardonnay using the Champagne Method and aged eight years on the lees. Intense minerality with tantalizing notes of brioche and rich peach pie flavors on the palate with fresh acidity and a creamy texture formed by tiny, fine bubbles. 2023 SHABO, Telti-Kuruk Reserve Cathrine Todd 2023 SHABO, Telti-Kuruk Reserve White Wine: 100% Telti-Kuruk – a white native grape variety. A terroir-driven nose with wet river rocks, crushed limestone and wildflowers with lemon curd flavors and marked acidity that has a broad body balanced by lots of vitality. 2022 SHABO, Telti Kuruk Grande Reserve White Wine: 100% Telti-Kuruk that has been barrel fermented in French oak. Sea spray, lemon confit and a hint of spice with quince paste and mandarin oil on the palate with more texture to the wine than the Reserve, giving it a beautiful shape across the long finish. 2019 SHABO 'Iukuridze Family Wine Heritage' Telti –Kuruk Cathrine Todd 2019 SHABO 'Iukuridze Family Wine Heritage' Telti –Kuruk, Exclusive Release White Wine: 100% Telti-Kuruk. Giorgi Iukuridze noted that their top Telti-Kuruk will reach their peak of complexity in five to seven years and stay there for eight to ten years, yet in some cases, it can age a lot longer. And so, they have wines that they hold back for small batch releases once they have more age, such as this Telti-Kuruk "Iukuridze Family Wine Heritage" exclusive release. Multilayered aromas of honeycomb, seashell and hazelnuts with pear tart flavors and bright acidity with a very long finish of saline minerality. 2023 SHABO, Rosé Wine: 100% Pinot Noir. Freshly picked raspberries and strawberries with an uplifting aroma of lavender with a nice amount of weight yet still very minerally with mouthwatering acidity. 2022 SHABO, Qvevri Wine, Saperavi-Merlot Cathrine Todd 2022 SHABO, Qvevri Wine, Saperavi-Merlot, Limited Edition Red Blend: 40% Saperavi and 60% Merlot and spends six months in qvevri buried in the ground. Saperavi is a teinturier red wine grape, meaning it has red flesh as well as a red skin. Deep, brooding flavors are the first to reveal themselves with blackberry compote and black raspberry liqueur, which finds harmony with added layers of zingy tart cherry and orange peel that is grounded by smoldering cigar and graphite that is irresistibly juicy and flavorful while delivering so much complexity. 2023 SHABO, Cabernet-Merlot Grande Reserve Cathrine Todd 2023 SHABO, Cabernet-Merlot Grande Reserve Red Blend: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot. This wine is aged in 70% new French oak and 30% 2nd use barrel. Many times, when there is a new, exciting wine country in the U.S. marketplace, there is the feeling that they should only show their native grape varieties and stay away from the most popular international grape varieties as the market is saturated with them. However, once this wine is tasted, it becomes obvious why their Cabernet wines have won competitions and awards, as well as a place at the famous Bordeaux wine museum, La Cité du Vin. Enchanting black and red fruit starts to waft from the glass with notes of cassis and blackcurrants with tobacco leaf and licorice that has lively acids with an impressive density that has precision created by finely sculpted tannins with a long, expressive finish that is reminiscent of blooming jasmine during an evening stroll.
