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• The race for Michelin stars in Bordeaux just got hotter. Gordon Ramsay, enfant terrible celebrity chef, restaurateur and television star, has signed on to run Le Pressoir d’Argent, the gourmet restaurant in the Grand Hotel de Bordeaux & Spa. “To open a restaurant in the wine capital of France, with its world-class vineyards and glorious regional produce is extremely exciting,” said Ramsay. “I’m thrilled we are opening our second restaurant in France, following on from the 2 Michelin-starred Gordon Ramsay au Trianon in Versailles.” Ramsay has an exclusive French partnership with Michel Ohayon’s FIB Group, which also owns the Waldorf Astoria Palace in Versailles. “We always aim to take the hotel’s luxury experience to the next level and it is essential that Bordeaux is seen as a gastronomic destination,” said Ohayon. “The new menu will showcase our local produce and will provide guests with the opportunity to enjoy Gordon Ramsay’s cuisine paired with some of the finest wines from the region.” The Grand Hotel de Bordeaux opened in 2007 after a much-needed facelift. Built in 1776, the historic building is located opposite Le Grand Théâtre opera house. “We are really looking forward to working with the hotel team at this incredible listed property in the heart of the city’s golden triangle,” said Ramsay. His former mentor, Joël Robuchon, opened a namesake restaurant in the boutique luxury hotel La Grande Maison in partnership with Bernard Magrez last December. Meanwhile, Philippe Etchebest, the 2 Michelin star chef who left Hostellerie de Plaisance in St.-Emilion in 2014, has yet to settle on a new venue. Earlier this year, Nicolas Masse earned his second Michelin star at La Grand’Vigne at Les Sources de Caudalie.
Holy Wine Bar!
• For centuries, wine and Catholicism have gone hand in hand. But Le Comptoir de Cana may be the first wine bar officially backed by the church since the last "Bar Cana," a wedding party that was headed downhill until Jesus fired it up by turning water into wine. The diocese in Lille, France, where the bar opened in March, has actively financed it, with diocese policy officer Benjamin Florin telling French news outlet RTL the inspiration came from Pope Francis' encouragement of Catholics to get out there in their communities and interact in unexpected spaces. Said Florin, the project "at heart was trying to reach young people who have never had the idea to go to a church … and maybe it's easier to go to a bar," which sounds like as effective a way as any to trigger Unfiltered's come-to-Jesus-literally moment. Church volunteers will hang out at the bar to talk gospel to anyone interested (which, in turn, offers churchgoers a choice way to boost the hours on the ol' "good works" ledger), and while Metronews reported "St. Patrick was celebrated with dignity for the opening," there are also plenty of fun, kitschy Catholic-chic touches: A bobblehead of Francis in the Popemobile sits on the counter, a carafe of wine is on the menu as a "Madonna," the charcuterie option is the "Plate of Friar Mark," and the wifi password is "Deogratias," as in "Thank God this bar has a wifi connection." Ultimately, it's more than just Sauvignon and scripture, though: There's an option to get a double-order of coffee, with one going to a charity recipient (an old Italian tradition), and proceeds earned at the register will go to humanitarian causes.
Harlem Eats Up for Charity
• Harlem ain't what it used to be, and the upper-Manhattan neighborhood is now getting its own celebrity chef–fueled foodie extravaganza courtesy of cofounders Marcus Samuelsson, chef and owner of local favorite Red Rooster, and Herb Karlitz, veteran culinary event producer. The first annual Harlem EatUp! Festival, backed by Citi and EY, will take place May 14 to 17 and will feature cooking demonstrations, walkaround tastings, panel discussions and “Dine in Harlem” dinners featuring the cuisine of culinary stars including Daniel Boulud, Scott Conant, Bobby Flay, Marc Murphy, Ted Allen, Amanda Freitag and Alex Guarnaschelli, among others. For the multi-location dinner party, guest chefs will collaborate with local restaurants to offer festivalgoers an eclectic mix of cuisines, from soul and BBQ to Italian and Asian, complemented by wine pairings provided by Vins de Bordeaux. Mary Gorman-McAdams, MW, speaking on behalf of the Bordeaux Wine Council, explained that they’ve worked with the chefs to choose a diverse range of wines (especially whites) for an emerging generation of wine lovers. “The Bordeaux wine region, like Harlem, is undergoing a dynamic renaissance … Like Harlem, Bordeaux wines are modern, innovative and accessible,” Gordon-McAdams told Unfiltered. Palm Bay International, Robert Mondavi Winery, Frederick Wildman, Bedell Cellars, La Caravelle, Pernod Ricard, Banfi Wines and House of Mandela will also be providing wines at the weekend's events. Net proceeds from Harlem EatUp! will benefit Citymeals-on-Wheels and Harlem Park to Park.
 Citi brought the EatUp! Festival chefs together to pay homage to Art Kane's 1958 photo for Esquire, "A Great Day in Harlem." |
Medal Behavior
• Who are the greenest wine companies in California today? That's a tough call now that hundreds of wineries and growers have joined the effort to make the wine industry more environmentally and socially responsible—and are earning certifications to prove it. But six state and regional wine organizations teamed up to honor some of the best examples with the first California Green Medal: Sustainable Winegrowing Leadership Awards, planned to be an annual event. A panel of eight judges, from the fields of wine and sustainability, picked four winners from 39 applicants.
Two were no surprise. Fetzer—a pioneer in eco-friendly winegrowing and the largest producer of certified-organic winegrapes in the United States—won the Leader Award for overall excellence. Among its firsts: the first California winery to operate on all-renewable energy (since 1999) and the first Zero Waste–certified winery in the world, for recycling, reusing and composting 97.7 percent of its waste. Benziger Family Winery took home the Environment Award, demonstrating stewardship by certifying its estate vineyards as biodynamic, creating its own sustainability certification to train other growers and holding seminars on water conservation, biodiversity and composting.
Many consumers may not yet know Trinchero Family Estates as a green model, but the parent company of brands like Sutter Home and Ménage à Trois picked up the Business Award for creating cost savings, efficiency and innovative practices. One way it reduces waste and energy use: using lightweight glass bottles and lighter PET plastic mini-bottles and TetraPak cartons. Representing an often-overlooked aspect of sustainability is Community Award winner Nord Vineyard Services in Napa, for being a good employer and neighbor. The management company participates in vineyard research, local task forces and the “Afternoon in the Vineyards” program, inviting hundreds of Napa County residents into its properties to better understand sustainable winegrowing.
Another N.Y. Distributor Fined by State Authority
• The New York State Liquor Authority is back at it. Last year, Wine Spectator reported that the NYSLA had fined New York wholesalers and retailers more than $3 million for various violations of the authority's version of fair-business practices. This week, Blade Hovekamp, office manager for Fruit of the Vines, Inc., reported that the Queens, N.Y.–based wholesaler has been fined $175,000 by the NYSLA and will have its license suspended for one month. The fine and suspension stem from an investigation in 2012 and 2013 that uncovered Fruit of the Vines had sold wine at unposted prices and failed to report customers who were more than 35 days delinquent. A hearing to finalize the penalties will be held April 21.
