{"id":2127,"date":"2019-05-18T09:12:51","date_gmt":"2019-05-18T09:12:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/champagneforfun.eu\/?p=2127\/"},"modified":"2019-05-18T09:12:51","modified_gmt":"2019-05-18T09:12:51","slug":"dom-perignon-nocturnes-part-iii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/dom-perignon-nocturnes-part-iii\/","title":{"rendered":"Dom P\u00e9rignon nocturnes. Part III"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dom P\u00e9rignon is still here. Champagneforfun with Mr Kristjan Markii<\/h2>\n

Champagne for fun. The next door, the next mysterious staircase and, a surprise. We are welcomed at the door by a guru. No, not Dom P\u00e9rignon himself, but by someone who in Estonia is none the inferior of the world-famous monk. The next nocturne takes place with Estonian<\/strong> <\/a>Sommelier Association president Kristjan<\/a> Markii. Over the last year, I have used a newcomer’s brazenness at every opportunity, and at every seminar, tasting or dinner I have asked and asked and asked Kristjan questions. As Kristjan leads us to the next surprise, I tell myself: not today. In my mind, I waggle a finger in admonition to myself: today you won\u2019t ask your questions. Just try to listen and enjoy.<\/p>\n

\"Kristjan

Kristjan Markii, Dom Perignon and champagne for fun<\/p><\/div>\n

Neoclassical Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Vardon<\/a><\/h2>\n

But if it\u2019s in your nature, you can\u2019t go against that. Since I\u2019ve decided to spare Kristjan, I set a course for the open kitchen. From of his domain, Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Vardon looks out at the crowd of people with curiosity.\u00a0I think most people would recognize that magician. We embrace. Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric is the chef at LE 39V in Paris. Location: 39 Avenue George V Paris. The other LE39V is in Hong Kong. Why travel to Hong Kong if there\u2019s a LE 39V in Paris? Because of the 101st<\/sup>floor. You can imagine the views.<\/p>\n

Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Vardon, too, is closely connected with Alain Ducasse: 14 years working together.<\/p>\n

Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Vardon has a special philosophy. Is it a food philosophy? I don\u2019t know. Is it a philosophy at all? I don\u2019t know, maybe it is a life-motif. I feel at home in Vardon\u2019s world because he doesn\u2019t consider it improper to share his food with others. His aim is to turn source ingredients into an experience that people want to share. And by sharing he doesn\u2019t mean social media.<\/p>\n

Can I try something off your plate?<\/p>\n

\"Neoklassitsistlik

Champagne for fun with neoclassical lobster<\/p><\/div>\n

Neoclassical lobster in the city at night<\/p>\n

The culture of sharing food is quite common in Estonia. My partner and I always agree on what each of us is ordering so we can later share it, to get as many different experiences as possible from the art. But for example, in the US you might invite a hysteric fit or the fear of death from your companion if you approach their plate with your fork. It\u2019s viewed in the same light as spitting on someone\u2019s food, because your fork has been in your mouth, touched your saliva. And you can\u2019t root around in a serving dish with your own fork, either. It’s called double dipping. Again, your fork is dirty because it\u2019s been in your mouth. It\u2019s good to know if you go out to eat with a friend from the States. You shouldn\u2019t grab something off their plate or the platter with your own fork, or God forbid, your fingers. For us, Finno-Ugrics, sharing culture is more in our blood. I always become cross when the sharing means that if I ordered something that turns out to be a hit, it is gobbled down quickly leaving me only with a plate I can lick. But Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Vardon considers sharing the ultimate accolade for a chef. For a culinary artist, it\u2019s important where they get their ingredients from; they prefer knowing the farmer whose farm the milk or butter comes from.<\/p>\n

Wine is not produced; wine is grown. Dom P\u00e9rignon P2<\/p>\n

Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Vardon is a chef who has a high regard for the sommelier\u2019s contribution to the food experience. Wine completes the food. I quote: \u201cWine isn\u2019t produced, it\u2019s grown or raised like we raise animals, we treat wine like we treat people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fr\u00e9deric Vardon\u2019s ideas are important enough that they should be read in the original or the English translation on his website.<\/p>\n

Neoclassicism in the gourmet world<\/p>\n

Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Vardon\u2019s neoclassical cookery is a trendsetter throughout the world\u2019s gourmet landscape and chefs in many kitchens are quite enthralled by historical French cooking in its modern trappings.<\/p>\n

The return of French neoclassicism as the new minion of the culinary world is perhaps connected to the spread of Instagram. Food has to be photographable and sharable. In this instance, I mean social media sharing. Food has to be photogenic, with light and shadow, different textures, geometric form and neutral palette. Instagram feeds off food as much as it does fashion. Or even more.<\/p>\n

You probably know the one where the waiter asks the restaurant patron:<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me, don\u2019t you like our food?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, why do you ask.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou started eating and didn\u2019t take any pictures.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neoclassical lobster with artichoke<\/p>\n

Back to the medieval city\u2019s walls where the famous monk is waiting impatiently. On the plate is lobster, accompanied by artichokes that are well done, raw and tempura. A yellow wine sauce to put the final touch on it. Yes, yellow wine sauce, not white wine or orange wine sauce. A big winter feast is about to begin here, so tempura in its original meaning isn\u2019t very welcome. Tempora<\/em>originally meant a fasting food. Originally from Portugal, tempora<\/em>signifies fasting rules. The rules permitted fish, but over the twists of history, the word that signified those rules have come to mean a way of preparing fish. A crisp crust of fried batter that encloses the morsel of food. The batter is made with ice-cold water, and the bowl with the batter is kept in an ice bath.<\/p>\n

Vin Jaune<\/p>\n

What is yellow wine? Vin Jaune is made from Savagnin grapes. Savagnin grapes originate from the Traminer grape variety.<\/p>\n

I consider that back when I used Veuve Clicquot brut to make a dish of Christmas sauerkraut, maybe it wasn\u2019t such a brutal deed. My diners did ask me why I didn\u2019t use Dom P\u00e9rignon if I\u2019d already decided to throw money around. But Dom P\u00e9rignon hasn\u2019t been a part of culinary arts, not neoclassical, not even the neoromantic direction. In dabbing a drop of sauce on my plate with my fork, my back straightens up with self-confidence: you don\u2019t make a sauce from a undrinkable wine. Tonight\u2019s course in the company of the famous monk features a sauce made from a wine at least seven years old. The yellow wine is somewhat reminiscent of sherry. Making the wine is complicated and requires constant vigilance to keep too much acetic acid from forming. First the savagnin cuvee is allowed to ferment peacefully for 18 months, then it is placed in 228-litre Burgundy oak barrels. The French oak barrels \u2013 both the Burgundy and Bordeaux type \u2013 are 225-228 litres because this size allows a single person to move a barrel. It doesn\u2019t hold the entire 228 litres of wine; air is left for the surface yeast \u2013 the flor<\/em>\u2013 to develop. But it isn\u2019t sherry that\u2019s being made here, even though an analogous method is used. From that point, the barrels are used in the same way as in the process of making vin santo. Different temperatures are brought to bear on the barrels. After these manipulations, the yellow wine is bottled in clavelins.<\/p>\n

Kristjan and an old monk<\/p>\n

\"\"

Dom Perignon P2, champagne for fun<\/p><\/div>\n

We have Dom P\u00e9rignon P2 2000 in our glasses \u2013 a champagne that has reached adulthood. Do you remember what the weather was like in the year 2000? Or what you were doing that year? In Champagne, France, the weather was, as it always is, complicated. Cold and rainy, warm and stormy. The ideal vine-ripening weather set in only in August and lasted until the end of the harvest.<\/p>\n

Kristjan talks about how with a poor quality glass, people can kill off a champagne with a beautiful soul. At the same time, a flutter of fairy wings is heard from the glass, as the fine bubbles seek their place. I stick my nose in the glass \u2013 hmmm, again some smokiness can be discerned. A smoky smell is something I enjoy, it contains a multitude of stories, depending on the beverage in the glass. If one could describe bonfire smoke with the word \u201celegant\u201d, elegant smoke is that which pampers the nose. And orange blossom, then orange peel warm from the fire, brioche. Plum can also be detected, but my nose is mainly able to block out that aroma. I just can\u2019t stand plums. Prunes remind me of angry, embittered people with black-and-white attitude. Fresh plums on the other hand, no matter how good they look, spark an association with gastric distress. As it takes immense mental effort to place all this into a pleasing pattern, my nose does a favour for my brain and blocks out the plum smell. My brain knows it\u2019s there but doesn\u2019t sense it. The aroma from the glass tells of a bonfire on the seashore, a rustling of sea-oats under a coat spread out as a blanket, brioches under a towel in a picnic basket and an orange in the hand of the man tending the fire. One might scent a moment of romantic freedom.<\/p>\n

The flavour is slower to reveal itself. The olfactory experience does not yield easily and the gustatory sense adds its trumpets to the overall symphony gradually. Ta-ta-taa! Although Dom P\u00e9rignon is credited with saying that he drinks the stars, it isn\u2019t the stars in the sky that are on the tongue in the case of Dom P\u00e9rignon P2\u00a02000, not at all. The starry sky opened up in the perfume. Now a bit of animality, a sense of sea and minerality come into play, and white berries and liquorice release their laughter in the mouth, notes of roasted malted grain reinforce the smoke.<\/p>\n

Brimming with experience<\/p>\n

The gustatory experience with the artichoke and lobster framing the Dom P\u00e9rignon P2 2000 is an unbelievable experience. It has to be so, because the senses have gained a strong experience in previous champagne houses, with other flavours and aromas. It is hard to enrich one who is already saturated with experience with new experience.<\/p>\n

But it seems that the old monk Dom P\u00e9rignon and Hanna have decided to organize something that very few of us would have been able to anticipate or even imagine. My thanks go out to Kristjan Markii and Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Vardon. We fall into line behind Hanna. The cold wind on the dark street blows away a part of the olfactory experience, but still, it seems to me that is all it does. I am saturated with emotions up to the limit. I feel that nothing more could possibly fit in my soul. But Prike<\/a> Eesti, who is organizing this nocturnal adventure, begs to differ. Hanna Laasm\u00e4gi strides in sanguinely through the next door, heavy with history.<\/p>\n

Hanna provides the cue: Let\u2019s rise now, new doors await!<\/p>\n

\"\"

Hanna says: it’s time for next champagne for fun<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dom P\u00e9rignon is still here. Champagneforfun with Mr Kristjan Markii Champagne for fun. The next door, the next mysterious staircase and, a surprise. We are welcomed at the door by a guru. No, not Dom P\u00e9rignon himself, but by someone […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47,137,45],"tags":[91,136,132,134],"region":[68],"manufacturer":[92],"champagnes":[131],"class_list":["post-2127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bubbly-trips","category-dom-perignon","category-just-for-fun-2","tag-champagneforfun","tag-dom-perignon-p2","tag-kristjan-markii","tag-prike-eesti","region-champagne","manufacturer-moetchandon","champagnes-dom-perignon-p2-2000"],"yoast_head":"\nDom P\u00e9rignon nocturnes. Part III - Champagne for fun<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/dom-perignon-nocturnes-part-iii\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dom P\u00e9rignon nocturnes. Part III - Champagne for fun\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dom P\u00e9rignon is still here. Champagneforfun with Mr Kristjan Markii Champagne for fun. The next door, the next mysterious staircase and, a surprise. We are welcomed at the door by a guru. No, not Dom P\u00e9rignon himself, but by someone […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/dom-perignon-nocturnes-part-iii\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Champagne for fun\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-05-18T09:12:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/champagneforfun.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/IMG_9762-300x300.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Aune Past\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Aune Past\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/dom-perignon-nocturnes-part-iii\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/dom-perignon-nocturnes-part-iii\/\",\"name\":\"Dom P\u00e9rignon nocturnes. Part III - Champagne for fun\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-05-18T09:12:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-05-18T09:12:51+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/#\/schema\/person\/4e802c7f9268262411241e813271c09d\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/dom-perignon-nocturnes-part-iii\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/dom-perignon-nocturnes-part-iii\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/dom-perignon-nocturnes-part-iii\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Dom P\u00e9rignon nocturnes. Part III\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/\",\"name\":\"Champagne for fun\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/#\/schema\/person\/4e802c7f9268262411241e813271c09d\",\"name\":\"Aune Past\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/35ff3ccc5e57d41f7c5130d327fbcc73e6e4609a40ae62bdda3551c1ee6dcf9c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/35ff3ccc5e57d41f7c5130d327fbcc73e6e4609a40ae62bdda3551c1ee6dcf9c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Aune Past\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/author\/aune\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Dom P\u00e9rignon nocturnes. Part III - Champagne for fun","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/dom-perignon-nocturnes-part-iii\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Dom P\u00e9rignon nocturnes. Part III - Champagne for fun","og_description":"Dom P\u00e9rignon is still here. Champagneforfun with Mr Kristjan Markii Champagne for fun. The next door, the next mysterious staircase and, a surprise. We are welcomed at the door by a guru. No, not Dom P\u00e9rignon himself, but by someone […]","og_url":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/dom-perignon-nocturnes-part-iii\/","og_site_name":"Champagne for fun","article_published_time":"2019-05-18T09:12:51+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/champagneforfun.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/IMG_9762-300x300.jpg"}],"author":"Aune Past","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Aune Past","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/dom-perignon-nocturnes-part-iii\/","url":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/dom-perignon-nocturnes-part-iii\/","name":"Dom P\u00e9rignon nocturnes. Part III - Champagne for fun","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/#website"},"datePublished":"2019-05-18T09:12:51+00:00","dateModified":"2019-05-18T09:12:51+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/#\/schema\/person\/4e802c7f9268262411241e813271c09d"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/dom-perignon-nocturnes-part-iii\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/dom-perignon-nocturnes-part-iii\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/dom-perignon-nocturnes-part-iii\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Dom P\u00e9rignon nocturnes. Part III"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/","name":"Champagne for fun","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/#\/schema\/person\/4e802c7f9268262411241e813271c09d","name":"Aune Past","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/35ff3ccc5e57d41f7c5130d327fbcc73e6e4609a40ae62bdda3551c1ee6dcf9c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/35ff3ccc5e57d41f7c5130d327fbcc73e6e4609a40ae62bdda3551c1ee6dcf9c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Aune Past"},"url":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/author\/aune\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2127"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2127\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2128,"href":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2127\/revisions\/2128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2127"},{"taxonomy":"region","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/region?post=2127"},{"taxonomy":"manufacturer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manufacturer?post=2127"},{"taxonomy":"champagnes","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sparklingbubbles.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/champagnes?post=2127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}