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The House of Roosevelt in Shanghai – the ultimate stop for wine lovers

October 9, 2011 by Radka Slovackova

The Roosevelts are known as a prominent US presidential family which shaped  America. What is not in the common consciousness is that the family had quite strong ties with China through its Roosevelt China Investments Corporation. This investment body is involved in a wide range of activities in China from funding the Tsinghua university, pharmaceutical and software companies to a more recent endeavor – the House of Roosevelt at Shanghai’s Bund.

Its location at perhaps the most prestigious area in Shanghai might have guaranteed the popularity of this restaurant, private club, roof lounge and wine cellar in one. However, it is the cellar which is the most wonderous attraction of otherwise a very fancy and quite elitist hangout.

The cellar at The House of Roosevelt

The cellar at The House of Roosevelt

Do not be discouraged by the ostentatious Rolex shop right by the entrance to the House of Roosevelt or by the inquisitive man on the door asking about your whereabouts. Just say you are going to the wine cellar, take a lift to the second floor and once the doors open you will enter a world of bottles, shelves, wood and glass. You will be amazed by its scale. It is honestly huge as everything  in China.

The cellar room

The atmosphere is almost magic. Surrounded by wooden shelves; immersed in charming tones of old blues, soul and jazz music; pampered by stunning views of  the miracle of modern architecture – Pudong; one finds oneself on the crossroads between the past and the presence. This an ideal situation to savor wine. As with wine – its past evokes melancholy, but it is its presence that impresses us.

Your table at the cellar

The wine cellar could see the world in its present scale only thanks to the collective effort of the management working closely with a wide range of wine importers to China. From Bordeaux to Washington, the selection is impressive. Do not expect very old and rare vintages though.

The treasures

There are some special wines stored in a sophisticatedly covered cellar hidden behind one of the sections of the library along the wall. These wines surely will cost a fortune. Chateau Margaux 1982 vintage or pricey Screaming Eagle from Napa are not for everyday drinking, but you will not stare at a bottle of a centenary wine there.

The white wines ready to drink in the chilling cellars

The kitchen sparkling with energy

Chinese wine

In the main cellar, there is something for everyone. My curiosity about Chinese wines beyond the almost undrinkable Great Wall (one of the first commercial wineries in China; fans of this wine, please excuse my European palette, I believe some locals enjoy Great Wall a lot) guided me to select a bottle of a Bordeaux Blend from Silver Hights 2009. This promising wine is made by a female winemaker Emma Gao and after savoring it I and the other three people who drunk it with me had to admit that it was not bad at all. It was soft with palatable tannins and ripe fruit aromas. The winery is owned by the winemaker’s family and located in Helan Mountain region of Ningxia province, which is currently the hottest area for wine growing in China. To compare the Chinese Bordeaux blend with a real French wine from Bordeaux, I selected a Pomerol based Chateau Laborde of an older 2004 vintage and only slightly more expensive than Silver Hights (about 500RMB or 78 US$) selling for about 800 RMB (125 US$). The real Bordeaux was more complex, yet comparably enjoyable to its Chinese version when it came to drinking it with food.

The two Bordeaux blends - left Pomerol, right the Chinese version

Two hardly pronounceable wines-left Gewurtztraminer & right Gruner Veltliner

Food

The tapas selection a the cellar is mouthwatering. The dishes are organised by their suitability for sparkling, white or red wine. With the reds we got Australian beef carpacio with truffles and even more delicious German country sandwich with sauerkraut and pork. Cheese board followed the suit. I would have it with with either a deep red or an intensely flavoured white wine.

Sucullent oysters from across the world

Before the two reds we had also two white wines. I selected a bottle of Gewurztraminer from Alsace and Gruner Veltliner from Austria. Both are difficult grape varieties for foreigners to pronounce, therefore they are often overlooked by consumers. I was pleasantly surprised seeing them in China. Again the selection of producers as well as vintages was quite good. The Gewurztraminer from Domaine Schlumberger, Kessler, Grand Cru 2004 was off-dry so its slightly honeyed profile called for a foie gras terine, which was a perfect match. The Gruner Veltliner from Nigl was more zesty and grassy, therefore a goat cheese enveloped in crunchy nuts  with grilled vegetables and oysters played interestingly together on the palette.

Overall, the Cellar at The Roosevelt House is a wonderful place to savor wines from across the world with plenty of special tasting events taking place every week. The only weak point is  the insuficcient knowledge of the wine staff. It is better if you know what you like and what you want to drink. The food was excellent at the dinner I went there. I am sure that for me this is a must go every time  I visit the ever evolving city of Shanghai.

The House of Roosevelt
No. 27 Zhong Shan Dong Yi Road
Shanghai, China
200002
Tel: (86) 21-2322-0800

The food menu can be found online at The House of Roosevelt’s website.

Currency exchange rate as for October 8, 2011 from xe.com.

 

 

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Sustainable wining and dining

September 23, 2011 by Radka Slovackova

I am a big fan of sustainability. I think that being in harmony with nature is necessary for our future survival. In the past decade we have been constantly remained not only by environmentalists but also by a growing number of scientists that we should regard and respect the nature as our ancestors did before the industrial revolution turned literally everything upside down.

It is encouraging to see that many winemakers as well as chefs embraced sustainable practices in their professions as well. One of the pioneers of organic and sustainable winemaking in South America is a Chilean winery Cono Sur.

You can watch this insightful video to learn more.

I have recently tasted Cono Sur’s Sauvignon Blanc Reserva 2010 as well as their Merlot 2010 Reserva during Wine and Dine magazine’s Fest in Singapore.

The Sauvignon was zesty and fresh as is signature to this white wine, but it was more complex then average Sauvignon Blanc. I encountered some candy floss and honeyed tones on my palette making it an interesting aperitif and also great fit with seafood dishes.

The Merlot proved to be more a food wine with its sharp acidity and mouth awaking tannins. Black berries with smoked meat character on the backbone made for a masculine wine ideal with meat dishes such as veal or even a duck.

Cono Sur is surely reaching beyond its Chilean borders. You can get it in London as well as in Singapore.

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The Taste of Los Angeles

September 6, 2011 by Radka Slovackova

The film studios of Paramount Pictures in Hollywood are usually a stage for box office top hit movie sets, this holiday weekend, however, they became a heaven for foodies and wine lovers. The Taste of LA is already an established festival of great food and drinks on the LA’s gourmet scene. What is  more, since Los Angeles is the world hub of entertainment, there could have never been a dearth of stars guiding visitors through cooking master classes, wine tastings and tutorials on the event.

An event which struck my eyes the most was called ‘Bling vs. bargain’. An attractive name on its own, who would not like bargains? In this case we were comparing cheep and pricier wines in terms of taste. Moderated by a ‘rap star’ Justin Warner, co-chef/owner of Do or Dine in New York, it was an edgy and unconventional tasting enjoyable for anyone wary of stuffy wine events. Warner brought a stylish twist into the hunt for bargains. He started up with a song, which he composed himself.

Below is a sample of his rapping to heat us up for the challenge. It is a version of the famous New York song “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, renamed by him ‘Alsace‘ and it is really incredible!

Wine tasting

The point of the blind tasting was not only to guess which wine was the more expensive one and state which one the participants like more, but also getting to understand why a New World wine can be pricier than its Old World specimen. The picture below illustrates the main elements in the cost for a bottle of wine and thus explains why a bottle of a limited production of in a new oak aged wine can cost more than its established hence generic (not a Grand Cru, a First Growth or a Reserva) European sibling:

The elements of the cost for a bottle of wine.

Taste preferences

Interestingly, the fans of each wine were usually split in a half. One part of the tasters preferred a Californian Chardonnay to a French Pouilly Fuisse from Burgundy and the other did the reverse. Same applied to a Sangiovese based red wine from California versus Chianti from Italy – one preferred a youthful and less tannic New World version and another the Old World staple.

The food

Loads of amazing street food from tacos, burgers, delicious sorbets to super healthy vegan sandwiches and spicy chicken Peruvian tortillas seduced folk of all ranks from groovy gay community through moms with daughters to fancy LA girls and guys. Really a spectacle. I recommend taking your bite, sitting on the stairs of one of the Paramount buildings and just watching what is happening around you. Looking at faces of happy diners you can encode which food truck makes the tastiest think so you can save time standing in all the queues (lines) and just go straight to the approved ones.

Taste of LA: Gourmet sandwiches truck

The wines: Simply Naked stood out

Californian wines are known for their dominant oaky aromas. However, the old truth says that we should not be mislead by generalizations. In this case, not all the wine makers in California use the same methods. One of the examples is Simply Naked range under the wings of the US-based Constellation brand producing fruit driven wines fermented in stainless steel instead of oak.

Simply Naked Merlot

All of the samples were packed with fruit aromas in such an intensity, that I thought it was a grape juice. My taste buds were deceived but the over 12 % content of alcohol stated on the label was not a joke from the producers, but a reality. So, beware and do not drink the entire bottle on your own during an afternoon! Their Merlot was my favorite. Its purity appealed to my red fruits loving palate.

This tasting was an interesting discovery, nevertheless, I will still remain to be a fan of a gentle touch of oak in my red wine, with the whites it depends in what mood I am at the moment. After all each of us likes his/her wine in a different fashion. One likes it simple another complex as it is sometimes with human relationships – an Italian and French might like a complex affair, an American may prefer it simple and straightforward. Any objections?

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Rosé in the spotlight

September 4, 2011 by Radka Slovackova

Provence in South of France is famous for fields of purple lavender and surely for pink-hued rosé wine. The first guarantees relaxing sleep, the later breeds energy. One can just choose what effect he/she needs to evoke for his or her own good and comfort.

Interestingly, in both of these contrasting effects of lavender and rosé, there is a striking similarity in how we perceive winter and summer. Winter is often being associated with sleep and summer with action and thus energy.

As the summer is drawing to its end and thus the warm days and evenings are becoming just traces of memory we begin slowly changing our lifestyle attitudes.For many wine lovers in Northern hemisphere it often means saying goodbye for a year to a refreshing rosé.

But, does it need to be like this? Why do many of us connect rosé with holidays, summer and warmth? The stimulating qualities of this pink liquid could be enjoyed all year-long, as a glass of a crisp white wine can and you do not need to live in Provence for the sake of it.

Cote de Provance: white, red and rose

Unfortunately, stereotypes are hard to beat, so we sometimes can become the slaves of bullheadedness (what a lovely word for rigidness). To overcome rigid behavior and attitudes, an exposure to reasonable opposing views from others can be the cure. I will provide you with some.

1) In warm or cold weather, rosé can be an ideal aperitif just as a glass of white wine can. Your palate will be invigorated (unless you loath rosé wines) and ready for meals to come.

2) Do you eat prawns and other seafood only in the summer? Even if you do not live by the sea, nowadays flying in fish anywhere is a piece of cake, so we get the sea “monsters” anytime and anywhere we want. Rosé is wonderful with seafood, fresh or cooked.

3) The recent steep rise in prices of old world wines raised the eyebrows of not only the less affluent. Some white and red wines cost a fortune these days. But, the majority of rosé is quite affordable as it is drunk mostly young and is not intended for aging as many expensive wines are. Therefore, you won’t need to go to deep into your pocket when choosing rosé over white or red wine.

4) Have you heard of the magic health powers of resveratrol, the substance found in the skins of grapes? Good for your heart, increasing longevity, etc. The trick is though, that there is no resveratrol in white wine, because the wine is fermented without its skins where this “miraculous” substance is found. Red wine has quite a lot of it and rosé has to have some as either the grapes are macerated for some time with the skins or white and red wine is blended together. Only beware of some of the suspiciously cheep New World rosés as they get their color with the help of chemical techniques, not friendly to retaining of many of the natural substances in wine.

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5) Why not prolong the feel of summer? By drinking rosé we can evoke the memories of the last summer as our brain often connects flavors with experiences from the past. Moreover, in the recent years it became fashionable. A hint of St. Tropez in a cloudy London or a cool Stockholm? Everyone who has visited the South of France would agree with me, that bringing up the atmosphere of this wonderful place on Earth anywhere else would not make one feel unhappy.

I can go for hours in naming the pros of choosing rosé instead of abandoning it once the warm weather leaves us, but I do not want to waste your day with it. If you want you can come yourself with a list longer than mine. Definitely, do not hesitate to add any additional reasons why we should not shun rosé and be more open to do what we like and enjoy, rather than just hang on to stereotypes.

My favorite rosés are:

Domaine Val d’Astier Côtes de Provence

Château Minuty Côtes deProvence

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