Ferran Wine Collection to Be Going Going Gone at Sotheby's April Auctions

For 50 years the famed Spanish restaurant, elBulli, has collected over 8,000 bottles of legendary wines. 

Now, on April 3th in Hong Kong and later on April 26^th in New York City, Sotheby’s will be auctioning them all off in support of Ferran Adrià’s elBulli Foundation, a center to be opened soon by famous chef in Barcelona to study the creative process both in AND out of the kitchen.

Among the wines offered are three bottles of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti 1990, estimated at $32,500 to $47,500.  The largest selection of wines (more than 2,000 bottles) will be from Spain, featuring important vintages from Pingus, Clos Erasmus and Clos Mogador. Their estimated value ranges from $200,000 to $300,000.

Wine buyers can also look forward to 415 bottles of Rhone from Chateau de Beaucastel, more than 1,400 bottles of red Burgundy, more than 1,000 bottles of white wine and a large collection of all five first-growth Bordeaux vineyards.

But just in case multi-thousand dollars bottles of wine are not in your personal culinary budget, additional elBulli kitchen items will also be on the auction block.

Also available to the top bidder (starting at $1,000) is a white chef’s jacket signed by Ferran as well as a set of knives and signed siphon (both also starting at $1,000).

If these prices seem high, consider the cause that will benefit. The elBulli Foundation is a unique research center focused on creativity.

And as we all know, true creativity is both priceless and, sadly, rare. Bravo Ferran! May the discoveries you find at the Foundation inspire us all!

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2013

Downton Abbey Cocktails

This Sunday on January 6th, the third season of BBC's big hit series, Downton Abbey, will launch to the delight of million of viewers worldwide.

And while the dueling grand dames, played by Maggie Smith as the Downton Dowager and Shirley MacLaine as the progressive American mother-in-law, will be dueling for the best one liner putdowns, it is actually the three Downton daughters who anchor the plot's movement through good and bad times.

The series' resulting popularity has generated an interest in all things English, including food and drink, which has prompted an interesting Internet question: What cocktail best suit each of the Earl's elegant daughters?

Lady Mary, played by Michelle Dockery, has in past airings been the series' main heroine. As the eldest child of Lord and Lady Crawley BUT sadly only a girl, she cannot inherit the estate. Viewers have watched her make two romantic mistakes only to end up in the arms of Matthew, who WILL inherit the name and lands of Downton Abbey - maybe. 

After a long wait for a proposal in the softly falling snow of December, Abbey devotees are hoping for a wedding (finally)and NO MORE problems for the fair and long suffering Mary. The perfect Lady Mary cocktail would seem to be a classic (and well earned) Champagne Cocktail.

The next Downton daughter is the very proper Lady Edith, played by Laura Carmichael, who is waiting and hoping, and hoping, and hoping for her prince charming to appear, even if he is older than she and handicapped from an arm injury obtained on the horrific battlefields of World War I.

Her frustration often brings out a mean streak in her that may well mellow as the story line develops and she finds either meaning or love in life beyond just title and rank. Currently many bar masters are serving the Lillet Cocktail as the drink that matches Lady Edith's reserved English personality the best.

Finally there is Lady Sybil, played by Jessica Brown Findlay, the rebellious daughter of Downton, who reads feminist tracks, argues for women's sufferage, dares to wear the latest Paris pants fashion and, shock of shock, falls in love with the family's free thinking Irish chauffeur, Tom Branson, AND marries him. Oh no, below the salt! But what nerve!

In a strength of will worthy of any early era feminist, she stands up to her family and moves to Ireland with her new husband, leaving the wealth and grandeur of Downton for conviction and true love. It seems only a hardy Irish coffee would be perfect for this beloved but definitely brave black sheep of the family.

So choose your favorite lady of the Abbey to cheer on to fame and happiness and THEN raise your glass to BBC for another great series that's sure to set many new culinary trends as well as delight viewers everywhere . Many thanks and England forever!

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2013

Wine Spectator App Now on iPhone and iPod

Finally! Wine Spectator has just released their WineRatings+ app for all of us who cannot live without our iPhones and iPods. 

The new app offers both a mixture of free and premium (yes you pay) but it's worth it content.

For you see, Spectator's helpful new app includes over 270,000 insightful reviews with famed ratings and expert tasting notes, supportive articles and videos as well as detailed vintage charts that all in all cover 55 of the world's leading wine regions and grape varieties. 

Such an array of information should definitely improve wine selection and encourage new discoveries for everyone from guests to sommelier. 

You can also easily mark your favorite wines and then share the info with your family and friends. Not a bad bargain for $2.99 USD.

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2012 

Usain Bolt Celebrates Close of London Olympics with Gold Champagne

The final week of the 2012 Summer Games have come, sadly, to an end.

And while the final fireworks fired from the Olympic Stadium (truly the best use for gunpowder), millions of people worldwide have been inspired by the breathtaking feats of the athletes and thankful that no acts of senseless violence have marred the Games.

There have been so many unforgettable moments – the fact that every nation’s team included women for the first time, the breathtaking soccer games, the sleek and speedy swimming champions, and, of course, the high flying courage of the gymnasts.

But certainly one of the greatest memories from the games was when Usain Bolt ran, winning gold in the 100 meters, the 200 meters and anchoring Jamaica's world-record gold medal performance in the 400-meter relay.

The speed, the elegance of form, his supportive gesture of the first physically challenged runner marked him as a modern athlete in the true tradition of the classic Olympic spirit.

So how does one celebrate winning triple Olympic gold in London?

Bolt chose to celebrate by enjoying a large Nebuchadnezzar size bottle of Armand de Brignac Champagne (also known as the Ace of Spades Champagne) at the very hip club Movida. 

Don't worry that his future endorsements will have to cover the final tab for the bottle – £80,000 (US $125,496)! It was comped - thank goodness! But lest you think fame has gone to his head, he shared the fun and this world-famous gold toned bottle of champagne with his assembled fellow medal winners. Well done Bolt!

And well done London! It's been a great two weeks! What fantastic Olympic Games! Rio, the selected site for the 2016 Games, will have to work very hard to top the 2012 London Olympic Summer Games, that’s for sure. Bravo Britain!

Post Note, August 14, 2012: The Olympic flag has been transferred to Rio de Janeiro, which will host the 2016 Summer Games. Considering that Rio will also host the 2014 World Cup Soccer Games, all things Latin American are sure to be an emerging culinary trend. 

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2012

Veuve Clicquot Champagne Does French Style in a Sardine Can!

France is a state of mind as much as it is a country.

Consider the French view of subtle humor. Prior to the French Revolution in 1789, all that was laughable was described by such precise words as esprit (wit), farce (prank) and bouffonnerie (drollery).  

Indeed, it wasn’t until 1932 that L'Académie Française, that august institution directed by the forty members, known as immortels (immortals) who stand guard over the purity of the French language, even gave their official approval to the use of the noun humour within the French language.

But if some things seem to move slowly in the French culture, the result is often a great style that endures (there might be a lesson there). One example of the understated humor (dare we use the word here?) of the French that so delights the rest of us is the newly released Veuve Clicquot sardine can themed packaging.

Mon Dieu!!!Sardine can packaging for the elegant Veuve Clicquot Champagne ?!? Yes, and here is where the depth and character of French humor appears.

For you see, before the Widow (Veuve is French for Widow) Clicquot became the Veuve/Widow Clicquot, her maiden name was Barbe Nicole Ponsardin.

Her family had long laughed at their last name which contained the words for bridge (pon) and sardine (sardin). The family’s coat-of-arms even included a sardine leaping over a bridge! Now that’s French humor.

And when all the facts are told, it was the Veuve Clicquot herself who largely made champagne the legendary drink of celebration. And now finally she is receiving the fame she deserves – but with that touch of subtle French style that makes us all wish we were somehow a little more French: a zip top sardine-can containing one of the world’s great champagne: Viva Veuve Clicquot! 

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2012