Chef David Bouley Toasts The Wines of the Region
New York, NY—December 23, 2010—On December 21st guests, including some of the top beverage industry media and trade in the United States were invited by the Interprofession des Vins du Sud Ouest (IVSO), the official wine-trade organization of the region, to Chef David Bouley’s Test Kitchen for a festive walk-around tasting of South West Wines of France. Taking inspiration from the region, Chef Bouley created special hors d’oeuvres to pair with the selections of red and white varietals. The wines of France’s South West region have been one of the country’s best-kept secrets for ages, but that may not be true for much longer.
Excitement abounded as Fred Dexheimer, Master Sommelier and Spokesperson for IVSO personally walked guests through a tasting of the wealth of little-known indigenous varietals that the South West has to offer. Showcased at the tasting were wines from Côtes de Gascogne, Fronton, Gaillac, Madiran, Saint-Mont and Cahors.
“The winemakers in South West France are making some of the best undiscovered wines in all of France. They deliver exceedingly high quality for reasonable price,” said Jeffrey Alpert, a Wine Importer. “We’ve been importing South West wines for years and we are happy that a larger audience of American wine drinkers is finally being exposed to these excellent wines.”
Dexheimer provided guests with a primer on the vast diversity of terroirs found amongst the South West region’s wine appellations, stretching a distance of roughly six hours by car from Irouléguy in the far South West corner of the region to Marcillac in the North East. He noted how those geographic variations are mirrored in the astounding breadth of wine styles to be found across South West France, from dry reds and whites to sweet and sparkling offerings, as well as in the wide array of grape varietals—some of them extremely rare—that are the tools of the South West winemaker’s trade.
Contributing to the event from a culinary perspective, Chef David Bouley had guests reeling as he spoke about his personal experiences in discovering the wines of South West France – and why the Bouley Test Kitchen was a perfect venue to showcase the wines.
“Our Test Kitchen is a place of discovery, education, and innovation,” Bouley explained, “For both sommeliers and wine enthusiasts, there is a huge opportunity to explore all these different appellations and grape varietals.
One thing that is so fantastic about the South West wine is that you have this myriad of styles from fruit forward and approachable to wines with just an incredible depth, complexity, and structure which make them great for a wide variety of foods. You can really find a wine that can pair with vast array of dishes.”
As a leader in the culinary world, Chef Bouley was particularly pleased at revealing his “insider” belief that the wines of South West France will soon be the talk of the wine world – and this same sentiment radiated in the ambiance and conversation throughout the evening. As one journalist noted, “Discovering the wines of South West France is the beginning of a fabulous adventure. The wines are sophisticated, have a great length and retain the characteristics of the grape and soil. Most importantly, these wines are honest – the kind of product that you can stand by whether you’re seasoned in the industry or simply someone who enjoys a top quality food and wine experience.
ABOUT IVSO
The official wine-trade organization of the region, the Interprofession des Vins du Sud Ouest (IVSO) is charged with the protection and promotion of its 18 PDO and 20 PGI wines, both in France and in key export markets. Its duties include maintaining strict quality controls for the benefit of the consumer as well as the organization of both economic studies and collective communication activities to benefit the region’s more than 5,000 winemakers.
Media Contacts:
Sopexa USA:
Olivia Melendez
JR PR Account Executive
Tel: (212) 386-7439
olivia.melendez@sopexa.com
Interprofession des Vins du Sud Ouest: Paul Fabre
Director, IVSO
Tel: +33 5 61 73 87 06
paul.fabre@france-sudouest.com
Note to media: digital photos are available upon request. Please contact: michael@hautelifepress.com