Latest news with #sommelier
Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Times
Lessons from an olive oil sommelier
We've all heard of a sommelier, right? The highly trained nose responsible for selecting, pairing and serving wines in restaurants — all based on a deep knowledge of grape varieties, regions, vintages and tasting techniques. However, there's a new breed of sommelier in town, and this time they're not sipping on hearty malbec or assessing the mouthfeel of a chardonnay. Instead, they are all about the olive — olive oil that is. It's hard to know just how many olive oil sommeliers there are in the UK, but Sarah Vachon is one of them. Through her company Citizens of Soil, Vachon is on a mission to get us to rethink how we use the golden liquid. Founded in 2021 by Vachon and her husband, Michael, Citizens of Soil provides olive oil subscriptions (starting from £15 per month) through its Olive Oil Club — with oils responsibly sourced from across the Mediterranean. It has also grown into an olive oil brand stocked by Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason and Waitrose, among others, and used in some of London's top restaurants (although many Michelin-starred chefs apparently prefer to work with oil from mild olive oil varieties so as not to affect the flavour of their cooking). The temperature is suitably Mediterranean when I meet Vachon in the City of London office that Citizens of Soil calls home, for a crash course in all things olive oil. She lives and breathes the fruit — even wearing a discreet pendant engraved with an olive branch. It all started on a holiday to visit friends in rural Greece. There the couple fell in love with the complex flavours of the olive oil they encountered, and started to bring some of the oil back as gifts for their friends in the UK and US. Investigating just why this oil tasted better than the bottles on the supermarket shelves, the couple discovered an industry dominated by anonymised production. Citizens of Soil counters that by putting producers — and, principally, female producers — at the heart of the product. The farmers' names are included on each bottle, they are paid above the market rate and are encouraged to use regenerative farming practices. All this has led to Citizens of the Soil being rated a B-Corp (a company that meets high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency). The holiday also kick-started Vachon's journey to becoming a fully fledged olive oil expert. She started by gaining experience on the ground. 'I had been doing harvest and gone to mills and had already started doing work days with producers,' she explains over some cups of olive oil. 'I'd reach out to international olive oil judges and pay them to do a workshop just so I could learn.' Vachon formalised her training in tasting, assessing and sourcing the finest oils in the world through a year-long course at one of the principal training grounds for the olive oil sommelier, ESAO (the Escuela Superior del Aceite de Oliva) located in Valencia, Spain. This training allows her to guide and educate others in broadening their olive oil palates. Be prepared to learn the difference between the bold, peppery finish of a Tuscan batch and the green, grassy balance of lesser-known regions like Croatia and South Africa. There are over 1,000 varieties of olives, from the Tsounati of Greece to the Mission of California, each with its own nuances. 'They can each have different nutritional benefits and flavours and things that they can do,' Vachon explains. 'But also you can take those varieties and you can transplant them to different hillsides of the same area and they'll taste different. It's the same concept we have in wine, this element of terroir.' It turns out that anywhere that's good for growing grapes is also good for growing olives — with South America the next frontier. The first stage in getting to grips with these nuances is honing your senses. 'Smelling everything really trains you,' Vachon explains as we start the tasting process, 'because if you don't know what something smells like, you can't identify it.' Olive oil tasting uses special cups shaped like mini wine tumblers. These cups are made from dark coloured glass so the colour of the oil is obscured and cannot subconsciously affect the tasting. Blue and red are popular, but Citizens of Soil's next venture, the Olive Oil Clubhouse, uses black. Planted in the heart of Notting Hill from 17th to 28th July, the pop-up Clubhouse will immerse visitors in all things EVOO as the UK's first-ever olive oil bar. There will be olive oil tastings (complete with little black tasting cups), talks from nutritionists, soft serve vanilla ice cream or chocolate sorbet courtesy of cult ice cream brand Happy Endings topped with olive oil, and even complimentary golden-hour cocktails. All this plus a well-stocked olive oil shop. 'Colour is no indicator of quality in extra virgin olive oil,' Vachon says. The shape of the cup is also significant. Much like with wine tasting, this allows the oil to breathe. The tasting begins with us warming the oil with our body heat by cupping the glass with our hands — one on top and one on the bottom — and rotating the glass back and forth. 'This allows the compounds to activate to kick off the flavour and the aromas,' Vachon notes. Although a little heat is a good thing, too much heat is a no-no. 'If someone doesn't package it right or if they keep it in a clear bottle, or keep it near their stove … keeping it near a stove where it's getting heat all the time, even in a dark glass bottle, can ruin an amazing oil.' This is because too much heat accelerates the oxidation process, breaking down the oil's beneficial antioxidant compounds. Then, we smell. 'The wonderful thing about polyphenols, which are the antioxidant compounds that everyone's talking about, is that you can smell them and you can taste them,' Vachon explains. 'So what I tell people is, look for the smell of life. You need to smell plants.' We start our tasting session with one of Citizens of Soil's more delicate, Greek oils. It smells crisp and fresh, with herbaceous notes and, to Vachon's expert nose, red apples. 'There's all sorts of things you might smell, but it's the smell of life that you're looking for, because if that's gone away, that means that oil could have a defect or it's no longer fresh.' Next comes the actual tasting. Again, it's similar to wine tasting. Take a sip — no more than a teaspoon — and aerate the oil in your mouth, allowing it to coat the palate. Do this by sticking your tongue on the roof of your mouth and sucking in air as you splash the oil around your mouth. What you're looking for is an astringent feeling on the palate — maybe a bitterness, maybe a slight sharpness. The second oil we taste is an intense Spanish oil harvested in November 2024 by Marina Segura Gómez and her father, Manuel (who have been producing olive oil for Citizens of Soil since 2023), available in small batches from their groves in Andalusia. Alongside more tomatoey notes, it's distinctly sharper on the palate than the Greek oil. One of the markers of a quality olive oil is the acidity level. 'That has to be under 0.8 per cent,' Vachon says. 'We've never brought in anything over 0.4 per cent. Before I even work with a producer, I look at their labs, even from the previous years, because that lets me know the shape that the fruit was in before it went to the mill. How quickly did they get it in there? How clean was the mill? Was the fruit damaged?' In the case of Marina's oil, the acidity is always under 0.2 per cent. That's partly down to the productions methods used — she has a mobile mill, which means the oil can be produced as soon as the olives are harvested. The third aspect of the olive oil tasting is a pepperiness — 'it could be like a little tingle,' Vachon says. 'Sometimes it's a sharper pepper that'll actually make you cough.' That's quite apparent in the third oil we taste, a limited-edition Cerasuola olive oil from Syracuse in Italy. 'This year is a little bit punchier just because the climate was so stressful,' Vachon says, 'and when the olives get stressed, much like grapes, they put out more antioxidants and more of these polyphenols.' This in turn means a more peppery taste. While we mainly associate olive oil with drizzling on salads or frying food — both valid uses — there are also some more inventive approaches. The Spanish oil we taste pairs really well with acidic fruits like mango, or pineapple. Meanwhile, many of the female olive oil producers that Citizens of Soil work with enjoy olive oil on yoghurt with seeds and honey for breakfast — or even blended into matcha. Citizens of Soil has made a conscious effort to prioritise female-led production and support a new generation of farmers, actively working to partner with farms that are at least 50 per cent female-run. This includes producers Juan Olivares, an agronomist, and Carolina Domínguez, who works with endangered species, in Spain — two friends who have combined their olive groves. Younger women entering the field represent not only essential new labour in an often ageing field but also a cultural and environmental shift in how farming communities are shaped. This summer, Londoners can experience Sarah's expertise and Citizens of the Soil's products first hand at the Olive Oil Clubhouse, where they can sip on tomatinis served with pan con tomate drizzled in liquid gold, explore pairing olive oil with peaches, and eat on EVOO-infused pastries (the dates of events and offerings vary, check the website for full details and timings). Although this is only temporary, Vachon hopes that it might be the first step on the way to a more permanent iteration — perhaps featuring everything from visiting producers to wellness and skincare. Find the Olive Oil Clubhouse at 2 Blenheim Crescent, London W11, July 17-28
Irish Times
01-06-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Ten things you need to know about wine
Wine is made by fermenting freshly gathered grapes. It can be red, white, rosé, sparkling or fortified. There are no rights and wrongs. Nobody insists that you like carrots; it's the same with wine. You like what you like . Price is not always an indicator of quality. But if you spend €10-€20 on a bottle, it will probably taste a lot better. Good glasses make a difference. Large tulip-shaped glasses make wine taste better. Temperature matters. Serve a white wine too cold and you lose flavour (about 10 degrees is good). Warm red wine can seem soupy and alcoholic (aim for 18 degrees, cooler than most house temperatures). Learning about wine should be fun and not feel like an exam. Work out what you like and what you don't, and take it from there. Start by trying wines made from the most popular grape varieties and the best-known wine regions. That will give you a good idea of what you like and what you don't. Taking a few notes is a good idea. Matching food and wine can make both taste better, but don't get hung up about it. Not all wine improves with age. Most wine is ready to drink the day you buy it. Wines with screw caps are not inferior. Sometimes they are better than wines with corks.
The Independent
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
How Porto became Lisbon's cooler – and cheaper
Albert, the charming sommelier, is pouring my fifth tasting glass of port. Through my port fog (such a waste not to drain each glass), I am learning about the differences between white ports, tawny ports, ruby ports and vintage ports. 'You could, of course, mix this one with a light tonic and a twist of orange,' says Albert as he raises an eyebrow and adds another splash of Kopke Colhetta 2005 to my glass. 'But it's so lovely in its own right, it would be a shame, don't you think?' Indeed it would. Who knew that port could taste more like nectar than Benylin? This tasting at Kopke, the oldest port wine house in Porto, has been an absolute revelation, as has the city itself which I can see framed behind Albert in the golden evening light. While Lisbon has been stealing all the glory over the past ten years, growing rich and cosmopolitan on the back of Golden Visa investment, Portugal's second city Porto has very much been the Cinderella sister. But all of that is changing. Fly to Porto for a long weekend, pack as much in as you possibly can, and by Sunday night the only question you'll be asking yourself is: 'You idiot – why haven't you done this sooner?' This smaller, more walkable (less hilly) and, arguably, prettier version of Lisbon has film-set-pretty medieval streets, buildings clad in crazily-patterned Azuleja tiles, exquisite Belle Époque cafes on tree-lined avenues and city beaches. It also has all the fun of a real-life theme park: cable car rides, boat trips along the Douro, interactive museums where you can make your own chocolate, super-fun food markets and endless wine and port tastings. Strict planning laws in Porto, which prohibit the destruction of original building facades, mean the city has retained its crumbly charm – and behind these historic walls are a growing number of innovative new restaurants, concept stores and boutique hotels. Case in point is the Tivoli Kopke, Porto's latest new opening in the Gaia district. The original offices around the working port wine cellars at Kopke have been sensitively transformed into a luxurious five-star hotel with two restaurants, a spa, indoor and outdoor pools and a rooftop bar with probably the best views in town of the Douro and old Porto. Throw open your French doors in the morning and soak up the views over the terracotta roof tiles of one of Europe's best-preserved cities. Here's how to make the most of a mini break in Porto. 1. Bolhão Market There are food markets and there are next-level food markets. Mercado do Bolhão in central Porto is the standard-bearer of them all. Sprawled over an entire block in a beautifully restored Beaux-Arts building, it has 79 food stalls and 10 restaurants on the top floor. Arrive hungry, grab a glass of vinho verde for a couple of euros from one of the many bars (everyone wanders around with a glass of wine in their hands) and graze on the myriad of fresh tapas made from market produce: oysters, sardines, beef tartare toasts, salt cod croquettes oozing with cheese – even sea anemones you can scoop from their shells. Join the queue at food stall Conserveira do Balhão where locals and tourists line up for plates of seafood tapas for €3 (£2.50) a pop. 2. Ribeira Wind your way down cobbled streets in Porto's old town to the riverfront where you'll find a string of fun bars spilling onto the banks of the Douro. The area is packed with tourists, but it's worth grabbing a drink so you can watch the boats cruise past. Even better, book a table at one of Ribeira's excellent restaurants and tapas bars behind the main drag. We had a wine and tapas pit stop at the beautiful Sagardi Porto, and for a sensationally innovative supper, book a table at Cozinha das Flores (the steaming pot of chorizo and turnip-top rice was delicious). Their small plates menu starts from €6 (£5) per dish. 3. Pont Luís I Pack good trainers and prepare to get your steps in – the best way to see central Porto is by walking. The city is divided into two areas: the Douro river, Porto and the Vila Nova de Gaia district, with the Pont Luís I bridge connecting the two. This double-decked steel bridge is the focal point of the city – walk across the top deck and stop for a coffee on the viewing platform at the Teleferico Bar then take the cable car down to the waterfront in the Gaia district. There is a constant stream of activity on the Douro which flows from Spain through the Douro Valley, one of the world's greatest wine-growing areas. If you have time, it's worth booking a one-hour Six Bridge Boat Cruise on a traditional wooden Rabelo boat (from £15.28 per person). 4. Gaia District Since the 17th century, this district has been the hub of the port wine industry. Big name port houses open for tours and tastings, but among them are now swanky hotels and a buzzy riverfront lined with bars and seafood restaurants. It is also home to the expansive World of Wine which is basically wine buff heaven, with seven museums including the The Wine Experience (one of the best wine museums in the world), restaurants, a wine school and even chocolate-making workshops. Tickets start from £17.50 for an entry ticket and wine tasting – but there are a myriad of seasonal events and workshops to book on the website. 3. Shopping You don't come to Porto to buy brands – the city is mercifully short of designer stores. But it's a great place for more eclectic homewares, fashion, food and wine. Livraria Lello quite rightly bills itself as the 'World's Most Beautiful Book Shop' and this neo-Gothic wonder is so popular you need to book a ticket in advance to get in (starting from €10 (£8.50), redeemable against a book purchase). A few doors along is the concept store Fernandes Mattos & CA, a three-storey emporium of eclectic fashion, beauty and accessories which is worth visiting for the beautiful space alone. A Vida Portuguesa has a gorgeous mix of homewares, food, jewellery and accessories and a must-see is the exquisitely designed soaps and perfumes at Claus Porto. Rua da Santa Caterina is the main shopping drag where you'll find Spanish high street brands and the beautiful (but very crowded) Café Majestic for a coffee stop. For food and wine shopping, head to the streets around the Bolhao Market where you'll find authentic Portugese delis such as Casa Lourenço. 5. Beach breaks Porto has a string of city beaches to the north and south of the city which are easy to reach for an afternoon of chilling. One of the most beautiful is Praia da Madelena in the south. Take a short taxi ride down to Madelena and you can walk back to Porto city along a wooden walkway, passing cafes, bars and sandy beaches with wild, crashing waves (better for viewing rather than swimming). Book a table at Brasão Salgueiros for a seafood lunch on the sand. Or, if you are after quieter swimming beaches, head to the northern city beaches around Foz. Where to stay Tivoli Kopke Porto Gaia Hotel This is how to do Porto in style. Porto's oldest wine house, Kopke, was established in 1638 but opened its five-star hotel on the estate in February 2025. Built on a hill with panoramic views of Porto (but a short walk to riverside action) it's a sanctuary to stagger back to after a crazy day of sightseeing. There are indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a gym, steam room, sauna and a spa with grape-infused treatments. Kick back by the pool-side sushi bar and end the evening at the rooftop Sky Bar with tapas, cocktails and music. Elsewhere, book a table at the special-occasion 1638 Restaurant & Wine Bar with a menu designed by three Michelin-starred Spanish chef, Nacho Manzano. The port wine-tasting session can be booked separately and is a whole lot of fun. Porto A.S. 1828 Hotel If you want to stay in the thick of it, this sweet little boutique four-star hotel in Porto's historical centre offers simple, stylish rooms and friendly staff. Ask for a quiet room. Getting there British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair, TAP, Wizz and Vueling all fly direct to Porto with prices starting from £86 return. Flight time is 2 hours 15 minutes from London. Porto Airport is 11km from the city centre and connected by Metro (€2.60/£2.20 one way) and bus (€2/£1.70 one way) which takes 30 mins. A taxi costs around €25/£21 and takes 20 minutes.
Times
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- Times
Roadside wine dispensers in the French countryside: oui ou non?
Love of wine is the latest French tradition to be challenged by fast-food culture, as drive-through wine stops head for the roadsides of Provence. A kerbside cool box that can keep as many as 1,000 bottles of wine at a steady 14C has been developed by a company in a region that, for as long as anyone can remember, has relished a long lunch washed down by the very drinkable local rosé. One Provençal sommelier has witheringly called this innovation the 'Uberisation' of wine. For decades, the French held out against such impatient transatlantic imports, but in recent years those habits have been changing. In 2023, fast-food sales in France reached €19 billion, the third highest in Europe, according to the market research company Euromonitor
Associated Press
17-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
VinoCadre Launches Air Charter Flights, an Exclusive Way to Explore the Elevated Texas Hill Country, Napa, and Sonoma
05/16/2025, Fredericksburg, Texas // PRODIGY: Feature Story // VinoCadre, an innovative marketing platform that unites wine professionals and engages consumers, is excited to announce the launch of its exclusive air charter flights. More than its next business milestone, the release symbolizes the company's commitment to transforming the wine-tasting experience into an unforgettable, palatable journey. To prepare for the first air charter flight on July 7th-10th, VinoCadre is currently accepting bookings, with more expeditions to follow soon after. VinoCadre Founded in 2015 in Saint Helena, California, VinoCadre has since expanded to the Texas Hill Country. The air charter flights will honor both destinations, promoting local wine education, curating unique food pairings, and offering high-end private tours of California and Texas's luscious vineyards. With a helicopter, fixed wing, and ground transportation included, exploring hidden gems has never been easier. Organized by the platform's wine specialists, the experience is as compelling as it is illuminating. This sky-high adventure is led by VinoCadre's founder, Andre Boada, an advanced sommelier, keynote speaker, and wine business consultant. Tapping into his 20 years of industry experience, combined with the intimate knowledge of winemakers, educators, and chefs who will accompany him, Boada's mission is simple: to enrich traditional wine-tasting with a lifestyle-driven philosophy. According to Boada, this is 'the pinnacle of wine-tasting experiences,' and the bespoke itinerary attests to that. This four-day, three-night trip is truly top-scale, from the very first moment guests step into the aircraft. During the flight, travelers can indulge in a high-end champagne seminar arranged by the founder before landing across the scenic vineyards of Napa and Sonoma. The activities that follow bring a unique fusion of adventure and serenity, addressing the needs of all visitors. While a helicopter ride up the mountain to peek behind the scenes of Napa wineries or driving through the vineyards of Sonoma provide the thrill, delectable dishes prepared by world-class chefs—each one paired with the most complementary glass of wine—unite guests over meaningful conversations and laughter. Through a partnership with a high-end local home division, VinoCadre can offer the most luxurious accommodation that further elevates the experience. On July 7th, guests will travel to Villa Montebella, a terracotta-colored mansion nestled amidst green rolling hills, where they will be greeted with a welcome party. Every attendee can enjoy their own suite, lavish amenities like a tennis court or an underground wine cave, and more. Villa Montebella, Wine Cave After the first excursion, VinoCadre is planning two more trips in August: 4th-7th and 25th-28th. Looking ahead, Boada envisions the experience entrenching its footprint across other villas and resorts, with the company continuously working toward a future where wine isn't only savored; it's enjoyed for the rich experience it offers. On a mission to unite communities through the palate, VinoCadre shows that, as the founder concludes, 'The power of wine goes beyond the glass.' Media Contact Name: Andre Boada Email: [email protected]
