Suppose every time you tasted a bottle of wine you had someone by your side whispering to your ear what music this particular wine would be… Well this is what happenned to me last week at another delicious Alsace dinner. I found that Nicolas ‘s musical approach was so original yet so cunning that I offered him to be a guest writer on the blog today. Enjoy !
“Last week, I had the opportunity to discover some amazing Alsace wines, thanks to Pauline that I often follow to wine-related events as her “First lady”!
In the beginning, the master of ceremony seemed a bit unsettled to have a non-blogger sneaking into the event but he finally got used to the idea of having a beginner among this circle of fine connoisseurs. In order to show my gratitude and since I don’t have any authority on the matter, I have decided to compare each wine with a song. Here’s the product of the awkward comparisons that I made this night.
THE BEATLES & JIMI HENDRIX
First we tasted a Domaine Loew Vérité Sylvaner 2010 along with a Riesling Clos Häuserer 2008, while eating some delicious oysters. The Sylvaner made me think about “Julia” from the Beatles. It was soft, non-violent, with after-tones that conveyed the dream-like softness in John Lenon’s voice when he sweetly sings the name of his mother. On the opposite, the Riesling immediately reminded me of “Crosstown Traffic” by Jimi Hendrix with its seducing heaviness, its brilliance loaded with utter sexiness.
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MERCURY REV & PRINCE
Then we went on to discover two equally diverse white wines while indulging ourselves with mouthwatering foie gras. The Altenberg de Bergheim 2007 Domaine Marcel Deiss was a liquid version of “Spiders and Flies” from the ever surprising Texan band “Mercury Rev”. The experience was rich, baroque and confusing, but in a good way. I let this wine guide me to unexpected harmonies and intriguing rimes. As for the Pinot Gris grand Cru Sonenglanz, it “sounded” like “The Ballad of Dorothy Parker” by Prince. Its taste was syrupy, tangy and complex, just like the song I used to listen to in loop as a teenager, fantasizing on the imaginary body of Dorothy!
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BARBARA & CARLY RAE JEPSEN
While a plate of turkey was served to the participants, I became interested in a Pinot Gris le Fromenteau 2010. This one brought me some memories of my childhood, walking through a path lined by trees during the Fall while my mother was singing Barbara’s “Göttingen”. This song is very sad and melancholic but it is also about fraternity, peace and hope. The Pinot Noir 2009 Clos Saint Landelin on the other hand didn’t impress me. It was good, but a little bit like “Call me maybe” from Carly Rae Jepsen. Something you like to have for fun, you would probably watch the video on YouTube with guilt, hoping that no one sees you. But you wouldn’t recommend it to a friend.
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BENABAR & SEBASTIEN TELLIER
After these mixed emotions I had to rinse my palate with some Crémant d’Alsace Rosé. This one was of the festive kind, like Bénabar “Le Diner”. A catchy song that’s fun to listen to… once. The Gewurztraminer Cuvée Bacchus on the contrary was all about blue skies and sunshine. Just like “Roche” by Sebastien Tellier, it was clear, solar and had a summer felling to it that went nicely with the Mango tart!
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Wow, what an evening! It was a bit frightening to be an outsider at first but eventually I felt lucky to live this adventure though I wasn’t supposed to be here in the first place. Thank you les Vins d’Alsace! “
