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27 May 2022

Fernando Caruncho creates a spectacular wave of vineyards at Amastuola

AdminTGT Destinations, Travel, Winejus Emag Amastuola, Fernando Caruncho 0

Vineshapes

Landscape philosopher Fernando Caruncho plays with our perceptions in the Puglian vineyards of Masseria Amastuola. Our brain “learns” how a vineyard should look, square and immobile, yet Caruncho’s vine waves create a whole different motion.

In Puglia, Italy there is a -one of a kind- vineyard. It is part of Masseria Amastuola, a farm, and wine resort, located in the quiet, rural countryside of Crispiano. The Amastuola vineyard is perhaps the most prominent example of a landscaped vineyard in the world. When you go up the beautiful hill overlooking the Gulf of Taranto, the landscape gradually unfolds rows of spectacular, parallel green waves of vines. This sea of vines with a length of approximately 3 km is created by the famous Spanish landscape gardener Fernando Caruncho. Caruncho placed the vines in geometric patterns to accentuate the curved lines of the terrain at Masseria Amastuola. Caruncho calls the waves “waves of time that traverse this landscape since antiquity”.

Ancient footprint

In his design, Caruncho has approximated the ancient agricultural ways of the Taranto countryside. During excavations in the Crispiano area, archaeologists found signs of vines and olive cultivation, from olive and grape seeds to Greek wine amphorae. Nowadays, Masseria Amastuola uses the same classical footprint producing wine and other agricultural products. Moreover, this did not stay unnoticed. Amastuola received awards for its organic approach and good practices for the recovery of not productive agricultural landscapes and the enhancement of tourism.

Terra di Gravina Nature Park is characterized by an extremely varied flora and fauna, gorges, cave houses, crypts, and sanctuaries

The farm is part of the Regional Park “Terra Delle Gravine.” Terra Delle Gravine is an area of great biological diversity. It has beautiful vegetation, such as ‘fragno’, ilex, roach, hornbeam, maritime pines, rosemary, thyme, wild strawberry, blackberry, and a country rose called Calaprice. There are also olive trees, rocky areas, forests, meadows, marshes, wetlands, ancient gardens, and important: water.

Fernando Caruncho created a synthesis between light, geometry, time and nature at Amastuola

It is no wonder that the Giuseppe Montanaro family -who purchased Amastuola in 2003- choose Fernando Caruncho. Renowned internationally for his serene landscape and garden compositions mixing natural forms and the timeless principles of geometry, Fernando incorporates agricultural elements in the design of his gardens too. At Amastuola however, he designed for the first time an entirely agricultural landscape, as if it is a garden.

Amastuola-Vineyard-near-Taranto-in-Puglia

Minimalist landscape, an Italian vineyard with rolling waves

The Amastuola vineyard is striking by its designed allegiance between the curving lines of the slightly hilly landscape and the rows of vines. Most people are used to see vines in a strict grid, but here the opposite happens. It is certainly unexpected. Fernando’s waves of vines cause a pleasant visual shock as they capture the purity and simplicity of the curved beauty of the landscape. For Caruncho it is important to keep our relationship with nature at the centre of our experience. He does that by working with light. Using the effects of light to accentuate leaf colour and texture, but also walls and water. His starting point is the sky. Vertical features such as vines or trees lift your eyes up to the sky, allowing a warm contrast with the shadowy evergreen planting below.

24 groups of enormous antique olive trees

In addition to planting the vines, Caruncho also had the Amastuola workers move 1,500 enormous antique olive trees to place them in 24 groups. Positioned to guide you along the paths to the apex of the old stone Masseria. Like this, he creates a visual connection between the landscape and the old stone building on top of the hill. Relocating the trees – some more than 800 years old, with trunks over 2.5 m in diameter wide – took the best part of two years, as it was not easy to remove the deeply rooted trees. In Carucho’s thinking geometry expresses space, gives form, structures the light in the garden, and builds a new natural order in the landscape at well.

Masseria-Amastuola-landscape-with-olive-trees

The grammar of the Amastuola landscape

It is the grammar of a redesigned landscape that defines the harmony between production and aesthetics. At Amastuola it serves both nature and the produce of the olive trees and vines. Amastuola organic wines are not only the result of an artisanal process based on tradition. Employing advanced technologies is also part of it. From start to finish, it is the evolving result of hard work and passion. Similar to a garden actually. A garden is always on one’s mind. A garden is never finished garden, you have to labour hard, and adapt to changing circumstances. Landscaping expresses what gardening, what vine growing, is really all about: working with nature.

Visit the Amastuola website

14 March 2022

There’s a surprise around the corner at Rue de Belleville: bar Combat’s cocktails

AdminTGT Cocktails, Travel, Winejus Emag #BarCombat #cocktails 0

Cocktaillicious

If you want to follow in the footsteps of many a Parisian, travel to the colourful district of Belleville. Belleville is nothing like the rest of Paris. Belleville is also home to bar Combat. An excellent cocktail bar run by a group of female mixology experts.

Totally by accident, I ended up in the Combat bar at rue de Belleville, in one of the most iconic neighbourhoods of Eastern Paris. The unfussy, convivial atmosphere of the place pulled me in. Moreover, the striking mustard yellow tiles highlight the nicely stocked bar. The staff and the relaxed crowd make bar Combat super welcoming. Not only that, it soon becomes apparent that one goes here for quality. Bar Combat’s cocktails are delicious.

The neighbourhood Edith Piaf once called home, offers more than the old Parisian cliché

What I did not know is that the Combat cocktail bar is named after a nineteenth-century combat ring. In times past a savage animal fighting arena at Place du Combat with a notorious reputation. Those fighting days are now long gone. Along with the times that the tallest hill in Paris was covered with vineyards. In the 18th century, Belleville became known for ‘Guinguet’, a cheap, sour-tasting lightly sparkling white wine produced on the hills of Belleville in the vineyards of Clos Guinguet. And for its countryside ‘Guinguettes’. A ‘Guinguette’ is a cabaret, an open-air restaurant, wine bar, and a popular dance venue, all in one. It was the place where ‘tout Paris’ came to unwind, dance, and drink ‘Guinguet’.

Rue de Belleville is one of the main streets in the old village of Belleville. By the time Belleville was annexed to Paris in the 1860s, it was already a working-class neighbourhood. Famous singer Edith Piaf was born in a doorway at 72 rue de Belleville on 19 December 1915, or so the story goes. In all respects, Belleville was and still is a favourite nightlife haunt of Parisians. Since the neighbourhood became trendy again, it certainly has one of the most exciting bar scenes in Paris.

A bit of Combat history

The story of the Combat bar actually began in 2012 when its two founders, Elena Schmitt and Margot Lecarpentier, bonded in New York City over their love for cocktails. Long story short, they both return to Paris and meet again working behind the bar at the Experimental Cocktail Club. In search of a bar of their own, dedicated to mixology and good food, they discover 63, rue de Belleville in the up-and-coming district Belleville. Belleville was already a popular area to go for wine bars but in 2012 there was no cocktail bar in-sight.

Margot Lecarpentier, Elena Schmitt, with the help of Elise Drouet and Maxime Potfer, opened Combat in 2017. Their goal was to create something quite distinctive, different from a typical speakeasy. It does not take long before Combat manages to create a buzz. Combat’s (mostly) female bartenders conquer rapidly the Paris cocktail scene. This is no small feat, and for this reason alone you should visit them.

Home made, with a sustainable twist

Go for their ‘recette du jour’ or cocktail of the day. Every day, they design a cocktail made from decommissioned foods, fruits, or vegetables. Aside, they also serve fine, well-balanced cocktails made from homemade fruit juices, obtained with a juice extractor, their own syrups, and tonics, all in the spirit of sustainable development. All their cocktails are made with so many unique flavour combinations. Combat offers a small but pretty selection of natural wines, and some great craft beers as well.

Sometimes when you least expect it, you’ll find a surprise around the corner. For me, Combat embodied that surprise. It is a truly unique cocktail bar. I took a Bérégovoy made of Calvados, Cognac, Madeira Verdelho (interesting choice), Dry Curaçao, and Scrappy’s orange bitters. To grant yourself a little bit of French self-indulgence doesn’t hurt, does it?

Bar Combat
63, rue de Belleville
Paris(75019)
Tél. : +33 9 80 84 78 60
Subway: Belleville, Pyrénées

Bar Combat

16 January 2022

Oplato Paris, a great wine bar for aperitifs and Auvergne delights

AdminTGT France, Paris, Travel, Wine is fun too, Winejus Emag 0

French Apero

We’ve dipped into Paris before. For the record, we love wine bars. They are part of the undeniable attraction of Paris. Just around the corner from Rue de Charonne and Rue Basfroi in Paris’ Bastille district, we ended up in Oplato Paris, a great wine bar for aperitifs and Auvergne delights.

Oplato Paris, a great wine bar for aperitifs and Auvergne delights

Oplato’s philosophy

Wine bar Oplato’s philosophy can be summed up in a few words: conviviality and sharing. Or as our Oplato barman explained: “to rediscover the flavours and atmosphere of good aperitifs of yesteryear by sharing quality platters and wines with friends.” There is nothing like the combination of good cheese, charcuterie or a smoked fish board with an excellent glass of wine or a good cocktail. Who says Aperitif talks about the relaxing atmosphere and camaraderie one can find in Oplato Paris. A wordplay on terroir on a plate to appreciate what small producers from Auvergne and elsewhere do best.

Oplato proudly honours its Auvergne heritage

The owners have a strong connection with Auvergne. The people, called Auvergnats, are proud of everything that comes from their terroir. The selection of cold meats and cheeses are carefully chosen: IGP and AOP products. Do you want some Camembert with Calvados, Saint-Nectaire, or Bleu d’Auvergne? The charcuterie par example comes from carefully chosen producers, the bread is fresh and purchased from local bakers. By the way, there is an amazing baker nearby in the Rue de Charonne.

Un classique de l’apéro

In Oplato, you can put together a platter yourself or choose one board from the menu. Wines from independent producers are available and change every so often. Cold pints or a nice cocktail from the cocktail menu are on the menu too.

Oplato is open every day from 6:00 p.m. to 0 a.m. We loved its young and informal vibe. Sharing tables with strangers often leads to talk and sometimes to new friendships. This neighbourhood bar can be privatized for the organization of intimate events for up to 30 guests. The place is perfect for an aperitivo, an after-work drink, a birthday celebration, or even a business meal.

Oplato
69 rue de Charonne, Paris 11
Open every day from 18:00 till 24:00 hours.
Tel : 09 81 80 44 70

14 July 2021

Discover the True Italian Taste wandering in 17th-century Amsterdam

AdminTGT Food and wine, Restaurants, Travel, Winejus Emag 0

Authentic Italian

I thought I knew where to go for the “True Italian Taste” in Amsterdam but there are places I have not got to. Until I discovered more “Authentic Italian Tables” through a walking-tasting organised by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Amsterdam.

Discover the True Italian Taste wandering in 17th-century Amsterdam

Amsterdam’s appetite for Italian food is inexhaustible. To find the “True Italian Taste”, I do know where I would go first. Or so I thought. Until I walked the walking-tasting organized by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands. The five selected local Amsterdam restaurants, all of which bear the “Ospitalita’ Italiana” quality mark issued by the Italian government, proved to be true Authentic Italian Tables well worth seeking out.

Segugio

In search of Amsterdam’s “True Italian Taste”, we tasted Roman supplì and organic courgette lasagna (with three different types of Italian cheese – Parmegiano, Caciocavallo and Ricotto) at Segugio in the Utrechtsestraat. All complimented by a glass of Castelli de Jesi Verdicchio Riserva. By the way, to eat “buonissimo” go to Segugio, recommended by my Italian friends.

Al Bacaro

When Venetians want a bite, they head to their favorite bacaro for “cicchetti”. Cicchetti, which is pronounced “chi-KET-tee, is the Venetian version of tapas. We walked to Al Bacaro in the Vijzelstraat for “cicchetti” made of cod and baby octopus, and Bacaro’s interpretation of a potato, rice and mussels snack from southern Puglia. The Piccola Nera grapes in the accompanying glass of light red wine are grown along the Adriatic coast, but are mainly found in the small Carso DOC on the border of Italy and Slovenia.

Eatmosfera

We continued our Italian journey with 2 small, but perfectly made, pizzas on the tricolore terrace of Eatmosfera opposite the well-known Van Dobben croquettes dining room on the Korte Reguliersdwarsstraat. The “col fondo”, slightly bubbly wine from Casa Belfri tastes refreshing, with lots of fruity, citrus notes. Col Fondo translates in Italian as ‘from the bottom’, which means that the wine has not been filtered, sediment or dead yeast cells can be found in the bottle.

Pianeta Terra

I know where I prefer to go. Start at Koningsplein in Amsterdam and turn right. Then walk past the Sint Franciscus Xaveriuskerk with its two spires via the Singel to the Beulingsstraat. At number 7 you will find a very charming Italian restaurant Pianeta Terra.
“We cook with local, sustainable ingredients, grown by small producers, eat what is fresh is our slogan,” says chef Fabio Antonini. He is co-owner of the restaurant Pianeta Terra, which he has run for over twenty years with his wife and sommelier Laura Martini. We eat Solina wheat and turnip tortellini stuffed with buffalo ricotta, organic 24-month-old parmesan and pistachios. The dish is framed by a 100% Catarratto wine, Longarico Nostrale 2019 from Alcamo, Sicily.

Quattro Gatti

We close the Authentic Italian Table walking tasting with dolce, or sweets, at Quattro Gatti with no less than three Dolci and a sweet wine Piasa Raschei 2017. It was all a bit too sweet for my personal taste, but others clearly enjoyed it.

All restaurants are worth a visit when you are in Amsterdam. Tutti A Tavola!

10 July 2021

Cinque wine bar Athens has a great selection of wines, you are going to love it!

AdminTGT Bars and restaurants, Coleur locale, Greece, Travel 0

Cinque Delights

Highly esteemed by wine connoisseurs and wine lovers alike, Cinque Bar & Deli in Athens offers around 35 wine labels all by the glass. This truly welcoming little wine bar is a hit with visitors and locals and is very popular as an after-work venue.

Cinque wine bar Athens has a great selection of wines, you are going to love it!

In one of Athen’s most vibrant districts, you can find one of the most frequented wine bars in Athens: Cinque wine bar and deli. Athens is a treasure house. Of course it is. The Athenians not only embrace the Acropolis but also embrace wine, the favourite drink of choice of the ancient Greeks.

At Agatharchou 15 in Psiri, one of Athens’ oldest neighbourhoods, you can enjoy the favourite drink of both the ancient and modern Greeks. Cinque is a cosy little wine bar with a great selection of wines made of native Greek varieties that are served by the glass as well.

At Cinque wine bar you immediately feel at ease

The owners make Cinque truly welcoming. They are knowledgeable, friendly and take a delight in hosting you as though you are in their own home. In 2012, when the Greek financial crisis started, Greg Passas and his wife Evangelie decided to turn their hobby into a business. The first Cinque Wine Bar was born in Lamia, a small city in Central Greece. They took their idea to Athens and choose to set up Cinque in the historic neighbourhood of Psiri.

It runs in the family

At Cinque, you can sample the lesser-known, more interesting labels that have been passionately sought out and tested by the expert father and son team Greg and Nikitas Prassas. Both are sommeliers, and Nikitas is an oenologist too. They choose the wines for the wine list and create the tasting flights. Evangelie Tseliou- Prassas, the third key person in this small family-run wine bar, takes time to explain the wines and advise you about the best wine-food pairing and the origin of the accompanying Greek delicacies.

It is all about showcasing Greek wines and Greek cuisine at Cinque wine bar

Thirty or so wines are offered by the glass, and if you want more, you can order a flight of wines or a bottle. At Cinque, they believe that wine isn’t just a beverage. Greek wine not only oozes Greek culture but should be an experience as well. Sometimes the Coravin is used to let you taste something very special. If you like a specific wine, you can buy that bottle and take it home with you. All written information is also available in English at this charming spot.

Modern Athenians have embraced wine to the fullest

The Athens wine scene has come a long way. As a result, Cinque expanded and opened more doors at another location: Cinque Wine Delights at 10 Voreou street, Monastiraki. Also there you will find wines at great prices, delicious platters of cheeses and cured meats, and other regional products from all over Greece. The chutneys that are served with the platters are truly delicious.

Don’t miss this gem while in Athens. Or even better, if you love wine make it your local!

Cinque wine & deli bar
Agatharchou 15, 105 54,
Psiri – Athens

Cinque Wine delights
Voreou 10, 105 51,
Monastiraki – Athens

Website Cinque

5 January 2021

Discover the people and history of Port in ‘Museu do Douro’ in Peso Da Régua

AdminTGT Fortified Wine, Latest, Travel, Winejus Emag 0

Douro Museum

Museu do Douro brings an estimated 2,000 year of wine history vividly to life. It is a lovely little museum and a must for anyone who is interested in port wine and the Douro’s history.

Discover the people and history of Port in ‘Museu do Douro’ in Peso Da Régua

Port is also my story. From my very first Port. From the moment my father opened a Graham Single Harvest Tawny Port 1963. What a surprise. “1963 is one of the most celebrated Port years of the 20th century.” My father tried to explain. “In 1963 Graham produced both an outstanding Tawny Port, aged in oak casks, as a Vintage Port, aged in the bottle.” But what did I know at the time? I was 19 when I sipped Port for the first time and smiled.

Years later, I arrived in Peso da Régua, the Douro’s largest riverside town. I had a bonafide reason to visit the Douro Museum. For the Love of Port. The former wine warehouse dates from the time Peso da Régua grew into a significant Port wine entrepôt around the 18th century. The Douro Museum opened its doors in 1997 and is located in Casa da Companhia Velha, next to the Douro river quays. It made for an engaging visit.

Tracing the history of the region

The Museu do Douro is a cleverly designed museum dedicated to the history of growing vines and the production of (port) wine in the Douro region. The Douro region has been producing wine for almost 2000 years. Port wine, is a fortified wine of defined quality and regulated since 1756.

The Douro would not be the Douro without the activity of winemaking

Douro’s landscape has been sculpted by human activities. By the process involved in producing wines of the highest quality, the local tradition of the grape harvest, including the traditional foot treading in the granite Lagares. The ‘Casais’ or small landholdings, and ‘Quintas’, the large Port wine estates with their century-long history (where all this wine activity takes place), are now considered major regional landmarks.

Through the use of different media the Museum tries to pinpoint the identity of the Douro region

Information about its geography, climate and history are on display along with information about humankind’s unique relationship with the natural environment. A relationship determined by its steep mountainous terrain, composed of schist and granite, the management of limited land and water resources.

The natural, historical story of the World Heritage Douro Valley

The ground floor reveals the typical geological features of the Douro valley. It’s about local flora and fauna, the very steep slopes, the river and the soil, and the people who shaped the valley’s landscape.

The upper floor concentrates on viticulture

The (old) photographs and videos depict grape growing, winemaking, as well as the transportation of Port wine. The growing of grapes is done via terraces, the Patamares and the dry-stone walled terraces called Socalcos. They make it possible to cultivate grapes on the steep hillsides with an incline of more than 30%. It also shows videos of the voyages made with the Rabelos. The boats used for the transport of Port wine to the port houses in Vila Nova de Gaia. Moreover, it is about the changes caused by the opening round 1875 of the ‘Linha do Douro”, the mostly single-track, very scenic, railway from the São Bento station in Porto to Pocinho.

The descriptions and the displays are clear, informative, and quite fascinating if you want to know more about Port making in the Douro valley and the people who lived there. There are (Port) aroma displays too. The descriptions and the displays are clear, informative, multi-lingual and quite fascinating. A fine glass of port is included in the entrance price.

Douro Museum
R. do Marquês de Pombal, 5050-282 Peso da Régua, Portugal
Opening hours: 10 AM – 6 PM

Email: geral@museudodouro.pt
Website: Museu Do Douro

chai-parisienne-paris-featured-travel-winejus

17 October 2020

The conviviality of sharing makes Chai Parisien a wine bar that appeals to everyone

AdminTGT Latest, Travel, Winejus Emag 0

Wine tunes

A wine bar in Paris. Yes! But then different. Chai Parisien seduces friends and wine lovers alike with “Le Bon JAJA”. It is the Paris we love.

I’m going to talk about Paris again. Not about the buildings, the churches, the monuments, but about un bar á vins. Located in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, at 6, Rue Marguerite de Rochechouart you can find a wine and tapas bar, wine cellar and a shop all in one. When I visited Chai Parisien I did not make an inventory of the wines, nor tasting notes, but let myself be guided by Benjamin, one of the masters of the house.

The conviviality of sharing makes Chai Parisien a wine bar that appeals to everyone

Le Chai Parisien is not just a pastiche of words

Chai (pronounced “shay”) is the French word for wine storage or barrel storage room, Chai Parisien is both. Besides the cuvées on the shelves, there are two vats of 5 hl and two vats of 3 hl filled with natural red wine from the Côtes Catalanes region, a Sauvignon de Touraine from Cave Ackerman, a Côtes de Bordeaux Cabernet Franc/ Merlot blend from Château Pardaillan located in Blaye, and wine from Domaine Poujol near Montpellier.

A place where grapes are king

The Parisian cellar is above all an adventure for wine lovers and friends. And that’s how Chai Parisien came into being too. Childhood friends Camille and Benjamin – they were students at the same high school Lycée Français de Tokyo – imagined one beautiful evening in 2017 a place where the world of wine could be celebrated, where friends could drink a good bottle of wine munching on a plate of tapas. A successful crowdfunding campaign helped them realise their dream.

In the heart of the 9th district

The two friends found a small nugget of a place in Paris, a former bazaar spread over two floors, where they created a refined and unusual light and airy bar and cellar with exposed stone walls. The hundreds of bottles are displayed in a large wine library -with custom-made shelves by a cabinet maker – that goes up to the ceiling. The two friends asked the young chef Elena to create the tapas menu using fresh, quality products from artisanal producers. Charcuterie from Aveyron, cheeses from the Frescolet house in Paris, small truffled croque-monsieur, a juicy burrata from Italy, and more.

Winelovers bar

What makes Chai Parisien different from other wine bars is the idea of transporting a wine cellar -un cave ou chai- into the heart of Paris. In the cellar, you can tap the wine directly from the vat with a piston. These vats work with a thermoregulated tap system under nitrogen so as not to oxidize the wine when you tap it. The origins of wines in the vats change regularly and, once the returnable bottle has been purchased, you can come back to “refuel” and discover new flavours.

The atmosphere at Chai Parisien is friendly and warm. A light wooden bench runs the length of the establishment and takes your eye to the back of the room with the wine vats. Here you can taste wines from all French regions but also from the rest of the Old and New World. The spirit of conviviality and sharing is just as we like it.

Camille Masson & Benjamin Sibilat
Chai Parisien
6, rue de Rochechouart 75009 Paris
Phone: 06 59 53 86 47
Closed on Sundays
www.chaiparisien.fr

PS On the point of leaving, Benjamin tells us that they also created a Parisian cuvée named Padam Padam to revere Paris and France’s great music star Edith Piaf.