It’s the combination of the metric and imperial systems in that sentence that I enjoy the most, welcome to Britain everybody.

A couple of months ago I was walking to a meeting and I dared to cross a road before the lights had changed (because it’s not like the cars pay any attention to them, so why bother), and a traffic warden (I didn’t even know they had these here) stopped me and asked if there was something wrong with my eyes. At first I thought he’d just asked me if there was something wrong and I just presumed I’d been looking particularly miserable, so I smiled and said no, I was fine. Then he repeated himself, and I wanted to say no, no there wasn’t anything wrong with my eyes, but there were serious flaws in Belgium’s application of traffic legislation, and that was the problem here. But I don’t speak French that fluently, and it was early, so I just shook my head and walked off.

Last week I was actually nearly hit whilst crossing the road (define ‘nearly hit’ as you will, but he looked shocked to see me on the pedestrian crossing, put it that way), and as fate would have it, he parked on the road I was walking down. I just couldn’t let this opportunity pass me by, so I felt the appropriate course of action was to point and shake my head in disgust as I walked by.

Anyone who knows me will know I would never do this even remotely seriously, but sometimes I forget not everyone I meet day-to-day knows me. This is one of those times.

He definitely tried to mime an apology to me from inside the car but I wasn’t having any of it.

Read as: I definitely don’t speak French well enough to lip-read it. Therefore I actually couldn’t have any of it, because I have no idea what he was saying. He looked apologetic though.

In less life-threatening news, we discovered a really cool band this weekend when on a night out in the bit of Brussels near the canal – yeah, I didn’t know there was a canal either – and you can hear them here:

https://soundcloud.com/mustacheeosapaches

Oh and I’m going home this weekend, which is pretty exciting.

See you soon Leeds.

xx

white 1921, formerly maison blanche, is perched on the edge of the places des lices and couldn’t be in a better location.

a stone’s throw away from the port and right in the heart of the town, flanked by celine and fendi boutiques, with les caves and VIP rooms close enough to teeter to in super high heels. what more could you ask for.

there are just eight rooms at white, it’s tiny, but perfectly formed.

from the outside the first hotel from the LMVH group, has the appearance of a grand french residence but inside it offers all the chic luxury of a modern hotel.

those hoping for a peaceful night’s sleep will not find it here – the lounge bar terrace, designed by jean-michel wilmotte, plays loud music until 1am so it is much more suited to those looking for a lively break.

if champagne is your tipple of choice there is a fully stocked bar with premium bottles of bubbles, plus several fizzy cocktails creations. i highly recommend the veuve clicquot rose and fresh berries drink.

if you are feeling particularly flash with your cash there are a number of vintage bottles from 1921, which, so they say, was a very good year for champers.

the bar is always busy with revellers dancing in front of the dj booth but there is also a mediterranean garden with comfy seats for a more relaxed experience. sit back, relax and enjoy your drink while taking in the preened-to-perfection shrubs and stylish clientele.

after a looong night on the town it was great to fall into the huge comfy beds and drift straight off the sleep.

we had a room on the ground floor which was lovely but the tiny attic room upstairs really won me over. with just a bed sitting in between the eaves of the roof and a window offering a pretty view of the gardens below, it felt like a magical hideaway.

for a short break on land in st tropez i couldn’t think of anywhere i would rather enjoy my stay.

if you’ve been to white 1921 we would love to know what you think leave a comment below, tweet us @peanut_buttered and @sarahfitzm or find us on facebook here.

{extra pics courtesy of white 1921}

Joy Countess du Lau d’Allemans brings global attention to beach polo

Joy has been active in charitable causes for some time now and it was felt that her international contacts and experience with charities on a local, national and international will be invaluable to the Association.

“I’ve always been a big fan of the game,” Joy said, “and the opportunity to join work with charities and causes on a worldwide basis and participate in this most exciting of games is a rare opportunity.”

Joy began riding at an early age and did her share of showing.  Although her prowess on the polo field hasn’t been put to the test she can be seen mallet in hand hitting the ball around.

“There’s something very regal about the field game,” she offered, “but I believe the intimacy that is offered by a beach polo arena has a great deal to offer.  Whereas so many times a game of field polo serves as merely a backdrop for a cocktail party, the proximity of the players and horses in beach polo forces the spectators to get involved.”

With current beach polo venues ranging from Argentina to Germany, from Australia and India to England; the game has exploded with its own special brand of the sport of kings. 

“I believe that there is a sense of noblesse oblige that goes hand-in-hand with a noble sport like polo,” Joy added.  “The fact that a great many people are enjoying a day or two of heated competition, cocktail parties and great companionship while raising monies to enrich the lives of children in need, a local community or helping to combat a particular disease or blight, for instance shows a definitive social conscience with which I wholeheartedly support.”

“We’re looking for more than her charitable support,” said International Beach Polo Association Chairman, Alex Webbe.  “We’ll be looking to her to assist in the direction and production of a number of the many fashion shows that accompany our events.”

The 6’ 1” former model was signed by Eileen Ford herself while in her early teens, and doesn’t fail to turn eyes when she enters a room.

“I have to admit that her appearance is an added bonus when it comes to approaching and coordinating efforts with charitable institutions,” said Webbe, “combined with her international experience in the field and many well-placed contacts, we feel very lucky to have her join us.”

The appointment comes as the International Beach Polo Association continues to spread its global wings in an effort to bring the game of polo to a wider audience.

“Polo has always been looked upon as a sport of the elite,” added Webbe, “but we believe that the much more casual approach taken by beach polo sets fans and spectators alike at ease from the first throw-in.”

Recently referred to by the International Polo Federation’s marketing expert, Bruce Colley, beach polo attracts more spectators than any other form of the game in the world.

The IBPA is already scheduled to organize an event in China with a number of other sites clamoring for a like-event.  The addition of Joy Countess du Lau d’Allemans to the Association ranks will only serve to further the growth and popularity of the horse and mallet game.

I went with a much less extreme alternative for getting down to Block 15, which would be to simply grab a few friends and drive down in a car. On the other hand, I did leave for Corvallis at 8:15 Saturday morning, which is a little on the early side. The reasoning behind my early departure lies in the fact that if you ate brunch at Les Caves, Block 15′s next door neighbor (which also happens to be owned and operated by the same people), you would be guaranteed bottles of Super Nebula and Pappy’s Dark. I’m still a little bitter about a previous beer release when I was denied bottles when people behind me were walking out with cases of said beer because they paid with credit instead of cash. I’m not going to say the name of the brewery, but they are known for having dogs with various hats on their labels.

But I digress, we went down for lunch and I was floored by the amazing food and wonderful tap and bottle list available at Les Caves. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I saw such a good selection of prime beers that weren’t out to gouge you on prices.

Onwards to what I ate for brunch!

Super Nebula on nitro, at 10:30. Why the hell not, it was stupid good.

Lots of bourbon flavor up front, with a huge chocolatey finish, with tons of creamy nitro mouthfeel in between. I’m happy I got a full allotment!

Cinnamon roll french toast might be the tastiest brunch I’ve ever eaten. Why didn’t someone come up with this idea earlier!!! On the flip side, I don’t need 4 lbs of butter on it plzkthnxbai.

Then my friends and I did what any sane person would do, we walked off out food coma and went to the establishment next door 2 hours later for lunch!

At this point I was fully aware that I would have to go to the gym for 3 weeks straight to work off all of the calories I was ingesting from that singular day. Rebuttal: the southwest burger at Block 15 doesn’t really give you a choice. You are forced to eat it.

I had a Pappy’s Dark with my burger, but was so full that I couldn’t lift my cell phone to take a picture. It was lightly carbonated, but with huge Bourbon notes. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but Super Nebula is simply a better beer.

I think I blacked out from all the deliciousness from that morning/early afternoon.

We ate breakfast inside the manor house with two other couples,  one from Ireland and the other from Scotland.  We had fresh croissants, granola with yogurt and fresh squeezed orange juice/coffee.  Macaela then took us for a tour of the underground cellars which were particularly extensive being this used to be a wine estate.  Back then the grapes were dropped directly into the press through a shaft in the vineyards.  She showed us part of the old press as well as barrels and some older wine bottles.  She also took us through some of the tunnels where she pointed out names that had been carved into the stone walls from the soldiers who hid down there during the first world war.  The underground pigeon tower was also particularly interesting…it had many individual slots where each bird nested.  It was crazy to see this tower in such great condition from so long ago.  After our tour we played around in the vineyards taking pictures of the property before leaving for Bordeaux.

A few hours later, we arrived at La Corne which was our next B&B (we found this place on a site called, http://www.airbnb.com which is a great site for renting out individual apartments around the world).  It was about 45 minutes south of the city of Bordeaux but was on a small wine making property off the beaten path. It was a bit challenging to find, we knocked on a few doors looking for it and finally one neighbor who spoke only French, walked us up over a hill in the middle of the vineyards on a dirt road and pointed to a house. We hesitantly drove our car on the dirt road up to the house and found it.

The owners, Christine and Willy were so welcoming! After getting our stuff in the one bedroom apartment, the four of us sat outside at the picnic table with maps and a bottle of wine from their cellar (they make about 20,000 bottles of wine per year) and discussed the local area.  There were villages to visit, wine to taste, a beach town to see and bike paths nearby.

After mapping everything out, we went down the street to grab a pizza and brought it back to sit and enjoy our surroundings. After dinner, we joined Christine and Willy for a drink on their porch.  We brought out a bottle of Talisker single malt Scottish whiskey (from our trip to the Isle of Skye)…and they brought out a bottle of 25-year old Armagnac (a brandy made from in a region 2-hours south of them).  After a refill or two…we called it a night and went to bed.

When Terroirs Wine Bar & Restaurant first opened, about a year ago, it created a huge buzz within the wine industry. This was mostly due to its association with Les Caves de Pyrene, the very popular and ever eclectic wine agent.

Les Caves sources and supplies a huge range of natural wines. If you think of biodynamic wines as extreme organic, natural wines are an extreme hyper-biodynamic — max…the natural kind.

There is no governing body for natural wines, but the idea is that they are…well…natural.  Nothing added to them at any point during the winemaking process and sourced most likely from biodynamic vineyards.  The lack of filtering and SO₂ leaves the wine cloudy due the combination of left over yeast bits as well as oxidation.  The wines are very delicate too, in a chemical sense, if they are not already completely oxidised once the cork is pulled, you better drink it quick…because it soon will be.

The wines are very difficult to make and keep. They are by no means a recipe wine and when they are perfect can be some of the most sublime tasting wine you will ever try.  There is very little made, and of that very little is palatable.  I would like to cherish my first memory of tasting a natural up there with other great wine moments – sadly however it will only be remembered as the first time my gag reflex when into overdrive.

So  after all the hype about Terroirs, I thought I should pay the place a visit…and to cut a long story short, it sucked.  Snails were rubbery and the bone marrow slimy. …the wine wasn’t nice and the only saving grace was the lemon posset.  I didn’t like the place and for good reason.  This first experience was over a year ago and despite my lack of pleasure in the place, everyone else seemed to be having GREAT meals there. In chronological order there was Jancis Robinson…top wine writer giving the place thumbs up in November ‘08.  Next was the Independent,  4 out of 5, followed by Matthew Norman with a whopping 9.5 outta 10.

The Telegraph gave the place 5 out of 5…

AA Gill…gave it 3 out of 5

Then in August, my most trusted food journo…Jay Rayner, the guy who I’ve agreed with most loves the place!

Honestly WTF!

I vowed to not go there again…but two Saturday’s ago was a very very cold 1.0 °C night…couldn’t bear the walk from Whitehall to Bar Italia, so I decided to give the place another go…

Perched in the newly-opened, retro fitted basement bar we quickly tucked in to Fine de Claire oysters at £1.50 each.  A fair price and amazingly fresh, as if the had only just been pinched from Neptune’s palm himself.  This was paired with a wonderful sparkling Tribbiano made by Camillo Donati in the region of Emilia Romagna…it was unfiltered and was cloudy…but despite the look the wine was amazing! It had light baked apple aromas and flavours, with some citrus fruits as well.

Fine de Claire Oysters, at Terroirs London

Camillo Donati - 2007 Trebbiano Bianco Secco

Next was the plate of charcuterie…with the triad of Saucisson “Noir de Bigorre”, Duck Rillettes and Pork & Pistachio Terrine, all as rustic as the wooden board they were served on. A generous helping but at £12, one would expect it.

The Tuscan chopped raw steak for £8 was coarsely cut up and melted in the mouth and came close to being my favourite dish (Note-As many of the dishes were in French I was surprised to see this dish listed as raw steak rather than tartar).

Charcuterie and Tuscan Chopped Raw Steak (why not say tartar?)

But the star of the meal was by far the Partridge and Choucroute, individually the bird was gamey and the sauerkraut…well tasted like sauerkraut (with juniper berries).  But together they made a beautiful flavour combination that deserves its own post – titled Partridge and Choucroute: You didn’t know?! It kicks ass!

Partridge and Choucroute (the chef kindly cut it in half for us)

As for desserts there was three of us and each of our desserts were splendid —>>>> Pain Perdu (French Toast) & Caramelised Banana, Bitter Chocolate Pot and Crème Caramel (this one was prob the best).

Bitter Chocolate Pot and Pain Perdu (don't worry it found its way...into our bellies)

Marco de Bartoli - Vecchio Samperi Ventennale

Besides the sparkler I also enjoyed  a wine that can only be described as a digestif.  Marco de Bartoli’s wine (incidently he is considered one of the best producers in Sicily) – Vecchio Samperi Ventennale is auburn in colour and has a splendid aroma of herbs and nuts, dried fruits and graceful palate with enough acidity to not make it cloying. It is made with the Grillo grape and probably considered a Masala wine in most circles, but de Bartoli ranks it as a table wine.

I can happily say this time around Terroirs stood up to the accolade and I shall frequent it again.

Fin!

In my time off I’ve still been drinking lots of wine. Highlights: Yali, Winemaker’s Selection Wetland Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Rapel Valley, a Chilean that was recommended by the venerable Jancis Robinson as her wine of the week, while Tesco’s had it in an opening offer at £3.99 a bottle (I didn’t like it quite so much as she did. I reckoned it was good value at that price but not amazing and, at its standard £5.99, probably pretty avoidable), and La Difference Carignan 2008, which I remembered enjoying last year and enjoyed again this – a superior, classy French vin de pays.

But it would take something special to force me to sit, on my own, in the living room after Rachel’s gone to bed, tip-tapping my way across the keyboard. And this is it: another Caves de Pyrene purchase and my first Fumin – not the most obscure Italian grape variety, certainly not if you drink lots of wine from the Valle d’Aosta, but I don’t and it’s obscure enough to impress me.

This could be my favourite Italian red – and I like Italian reds. It’s certainly up there. More approachable than their trademark top wines like Barolo and Brunello, and a much better partner for a full evening. It’s quite Syrah-like but it’s not as heavily oaked as they often are, and it’s a lot less fruity. It’s a very masculine wine. Tar, tobacco and leather. Tannins not overbearing. Alive, bright but serious. It’s really excellent. Note to self: keep an eye out for it in future.

EDIT: I found my receipt from Les Caves, and I’m going to tap it out here for future price-reference. For what it’s worth, this Fumin was an absolute steal.

Pis & Love 2003 – £7.82 / Pinocchio Saniovese 2003 8.70 / Pinot Noir Elio 2005 5.65 / Vaubois Pinot Noir 2005 3.91 / Viu 1 Viu Manent 2006 17.39 / Bartoli Sol e Vento 2007 6.52 / Close Du Tue Rouge La Guerrerie 2006 7.39 / Dom Alexandre Pouilly Fume 7.39 / Les Cretes Fumin 6.52 / Mount Maude Riesling 2004 3.48 / Viu Manent Malbec Blue Label 2007 3.91

Well, I don’t know and I don’t care. As far as I’m concerned all that matters is what response the wine provokes in me and others like me, drinking innocently in our various corners of the world. What does this mean? What message? What do you preach? I am none the wiser, and a bit narked.

So what of the wine? It’s, well, intriguing. At 14.5%, it’s barely above average when it comes to alcohol, but it seems a little out of balance. The smell of it hits you, like if you’ve got any spare it might do a decent job of sterilising some surgical tools. The tannins are strong too. It’s not a simple sip, for sure. It tastes a bit primitive – which fits nicely with Les Caves’ reputation – and, though it takes a while to get used to, it’s certainly pleasant. I think you need to be quite inquisitive about wine to be into it, though, because it’s not just smooth and comfortable and easy, and is as interesting for its novelty as much as for whatever pleasure it brings. You’ve got to get kicks out of slightly awkward wine to love this one, but for all of that, I do like it. I don’t love it.

Update

It’s October 22nd, and over the last two nights we polished off our second and final bottle of Pis & Lov. On opening, it was really aggressive. I didn’t so much sip it as wrestle with it – and it fought back pretty hard. A day later, however, it had (despite using a VacuVin to theoretically leave the wine hermetically sealed and therefore totally unchanged) totally changed. Much more mellow, and much more pleasant. In fact, really good. I need a decanter, and I need to use it – that’s my lesson from the exercise.

We didn’t have a lot of time to spend there, because we had lunch booked at Drake’s, a nearby restaurant with a £25 meal deal and one Michelin star. The meal was fine, not wildly exceptional and a bit over-fussy, to my mind. I’d have preferred another hour in the wine shop.

Then a horrific, three-hour journey through evil traffic and, by way of reward, a delicious white Burgundy – not from Les Caves – that showed how good chardonnay can be. Much, much more enjoyable than the flinty, austere new world style of my last bottle of chardonnay, from Maycas del Limari (who haven’t been a great hit with me all round), though at about £14 it’s also 50% more expensive and waaay too much to become a regular chez moi.

T’es saoul mort pis tu conduis, tu roules à 180, tu dépasses sur la ligne double, tu brûles tes rouges ou tes arrêts, ben sens-toé concerné par ce qui est écrit ici… On devrait vous faire une planète de messieurs et mesdames libarté individuelle… Hey ça srait fonctionnel! Le gars qui fait des beurres dans les stationnements pognerait les ivrognes en train d’essayer d’embarquer dans leu z’autos mais qui trouvent pas leu clés. Fak là les faiseux de rond se sauveraient mais y se f’raient ramasser par le cave qui fait pas ses arrêts parce que c’est trop long… Pis celui-là ben y s’f'rait rentrer dedans par le 2-cellules qui roule la pédale dans le fond pis qu’ya pris son croche trop vite… Mais lui y se fait arrêter drette là par le con qui dépasse sur la ligne double… finalement y reste pu yinque les enfants qui jouent près d’l'a rue, mais y deviennent de la purée dans quand toute ces caves essaient de passer en même temps dans rue pour sauver queque menutes de la vie qui viennent de perdre. 1 heure plus tard y’aurait pu personne de vivant… belle planète…

Le mot de la fin: Félicitations à toé t’es vraiment quelqu’un, continue tu nous fait du bien. C’est certain que t’es essentiel à la survie de la race. Ben oui tout le monde sait qu’on a besoin de caves!!!