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Archive for the ‘Wine’ Category

Pommery Champagne: A French Revolution

Posted in l'ortolan, Wine, tagged , , , , on April 25, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

Pommery Champagne

We take a look into the history behind the prestigious French Champagne House and how the Pommery Brut Champagne became so popular…

Champagne Pommery is a French Champagne house founded in Reims by Alexander Pommery and Narcisse Greno in 1858. After Alexander’s death in 1960, Madame Pommery dedicated the business to Champagne production and began producing a sparkling white champagne instead of the classic, still red wine of the period. Her innovative crisp, dry style of “brut” champagne propelled the Champagne house into unimaginable heights, becoming one of the largest Champagne brands in the region.

Following from her success Mrs Pommery built ‘The Grand Castle’ in 1868 – The estate features a 308 acre vineyard of exceptional Grand Cru sites and 18 kilometres of cellars and chalk pits where Madame Pommery stored and aged over twenty million bottles of her innovative Champagne. Many other Champagne houses later followed suit.

Famed for being the creators of the ever popular Brut Champagne, the Pommery house still attracts more than 120,000 visitors from all around the world every year. Now owned by the Vranken company, the Pommery brand continues to maintain the house’s image of modernity and extravagance, being the only Champagne House to offer specific blends for different seasons – highlighting individual characteristics of each of their prestigious wines.

The Pommery style has perpetuated year after year; elegant but ever discreet aromas, freshness and liveliness on the palate with a long and supple finish, a light but fresh composition. Pommery is one of our most popular house Champagnes at L’ortolan, offering a wide range of Champagne blends including the Pommery Dry Elixir which is only available at L’ortolan in the UK.

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Celebrate Spring in style with our Seasonal Pommery Champagne offers…

Pommery Champagne Lunch

Three courses and a glass of Pommery Champagne.
£39 per person

Lunch only, must be pre-booked

Pommery Champagne Dinner

Six courses and a glass of Pommery Champagne.
£59 per person

Available Tuesday to Thursday dinner, must be pre-booked

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The Many Faces of Chardonnay

Posted in l'ortolan, Wine, tagged , , , , on April 4, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

Chardonnay at L'ortolanA phrase often heard from guests when asked if they would like any assistance in selecting a wine is “I’d like to have anything but Chardonnay”. This is so commonly heard in restaurants these days that there is now an unofficial industry term describing these guests as ABC drinkers. For a Sommelier this can be particularly amusing as this is often backed up with the question “Do you have a nice Chablis on offer?” -  Why does this make Sommeliers chuckle? The reason is that Chablis is made from Chardonnay.

When you enquire a little deeper, what you inevitably find is it’s not the Chardonnay grape variety that displeases the guest, but the amount and styling of Oak contained within the wine. This goes back to the late 80’s/early 90’s when Chardonnay was the wine in Vogue at the time. On its own Chardonnay can be a bit of a bland grape, but it is easily influenced which is why producers favour this grape over others, because they get to impart their own style and personality into their wine.

Some of the finest examples of Chardonnay are found in France. Here they get, in part, their rich and toasty character from the long and gentle aging given to then in French Oak barrels. Due to the expense of French Oak these barrels are frightfully expensive to make and maintain, therefore in an attempt to lower costs many producers began using a cheaper American style Oak and an alternative method for getting the oak in contact with the wine. This resulted in an overpowering, cloying and quite often boring style of wine which had its peak of popularity but has now fallen out of favour. Unfortunately this style of wine has sullied the good name of Chardonnay all over.

If you again take the example of Chablis it’s easy to see that this is nothing to do with the variety and everything to do with the production method. Chardonnay remains one of the most widely-planted grape varieties, with over 400,000 acres worldwide, ranging from the most sublime, flinty and steely wines through to those that have a warm, toasted brioche base topped with ripe but tart pineapple.

Craig Steven, Sommelier

Join us at L’ortolan to experience a selection of our Chardonnay Wines.

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The Real Wine Month

Posted in l'ortolan, Wine, tagged , , , , on March 14, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

Wine at L'ortolan

The Real Wine Month is a national promotion of organic, biodynamic and natural wines made by artisan growers and winemakers. L’ortolan is one of over 200 restaurants taking part in the celebration, so we’re taking the opportunity to showcase our diverse and renowned natural wine list.

A trend in recent years is to actually turn the clock back and look at how wines used be made before modern innovations took over. The ‘real’ wines we offer are from some of the most sought after producers, making wine in small yields either organically or bio-dynamically and with minimal intervention in the winery. No chemicals, no secret ingredients… just pure fermented grape juice crafted into something beautiful using the winemaker’s love and expertise.

We source wines working in these ways. The best wines of the past were all natural: the same could be said of today, in an elusive marriage of excellence meets ethics. As might be expected, they can be positively different from ‘conventional’ wine in appearance and taste.

We are constantly tasting and tuning our wine offering with the ever changing menu: we love to introduce the ‘fruit’ of that work. Whether you are looking for the ideal bottle to accompany your food choices from the menu, or a selection by the glass to go with each course from our tasting menus, we will be happy to guide you.

Take a look at our interview with Sommelier Craig, as we ask him what makes wine ‘natural’.

Throughout March our Sommelier, Craig, will serve guests a variety of natural wines by the glass, introducing them to their quirky, complex, and lighter textures. Craig has worked closely with Head Chef Nick to pair natural wines from France, Italy and Greece with the L’ortolan Menu.

Dine with us during March to experience a selection of our Real Wines, and don’t forget to ask Craig more about the estates and regions of these lesser known wines.

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The Real Wine Fair

Sunday March 17th (Trade & Public) 10am – 6pm
Monday March 18th (Trade) 10am – 6pm

The Real Wine fair compromises over 100 winemakers, more than 500 wines to taste, fantastic artisan products & street food, pop-up wine bar & restaurant and the Real Wine Shop.

For more information and tickets, visit www.therealwinefair.com

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An Evening with Alan & Gerard

Posted in Alan Murchison, Events, Wine, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on January 9, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

Alan and Gerard L'ortolan

It’s a rare occasion indeed when Alan Murchison and Gerard Basset combine talents to deliver an evening of spectacular food, astonishing wines and conviviality.  Both masters in their respective fields, Alan and Gerard will be sharing their knowledge of food and wine and regaling guests with anecdotes from their years in the trade.

About our hosts…

Michelin Starred Chef, Alan Murchison, has held a Michelin star at L’ortolan for 11 years and is the inspiration behind the 10in8 Fine Dining group of restaurants. Prior to taking up his position as Executive Chef at L’ortolan, Alan trained with Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons.  Alan has appeared several times on BBC2’s Great British Menu as both competitor and mentor and his recipes are regularly featured in the national media.

Gerard Basset is arguably one of the greatest wine professionals of his generation, the reigning World Champion Sommelier and the only person ever to simultaneously hold the Master of Wine, Master Sommelier and MBA Wine honours. Gerard co-founded the hugely successful Hotel du Vin Group and latterly the award winning, New Forest boutique wine hotel, Hotel TerraVina.

Alan and Gerard are business partners and have been friends for more than 10 years.

L'ortolan Prestige Menu

About the evening …

Alan and Gerard invite you to join them for a very exclusive evening at L’ortolan.  Aperitifs and canapés precede a sensational seven course menu devised by Alan with wines selected by Gerard.  Of course, during dinner Alan will comment on the food and Gerard the wines, but more than that, they will talk about their careers with some behind the scenes stories.  There will be plenty of opportunity to ask them both questions during this relaxed and informal evening.

For further details please visit our website or call 01189 888 500 

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L’ortolan Festive Cocktail

Posted in l'ortolan, Wine, tagged , , , , , , , , , on December 7, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

L'ortolan festive cocktail

A couple of years ago we blogged about the history of the L’ortolan festive cocktail; a sparkling favourite during the festive season.  We thought we would share this great blog with you all again and give you an update on all the flavours that have gone into making the 2012 festive cocktail so scrumptious.
To sample the 2012 festive cocktail book a place on the L’ortolan Festive Lunch.

L'ortolan Sparkling Festive CocktailThe sparkling wine cocktail with a specially blended syrup dates back to December 2005, and each year the syrup is developed by adding new flavours and spices. In 2011 a mulled wine reduction was infused with flavours of blackcurrant, strawberry, blueberry, fig, peach, pear, chestnut, herbs and spices & tot of Scotch. Using the syrup left over from last year as a base, L’ortolan Sommelier Craig Steven has blended raspberry, blueberry and cream fruit liqueurs of blackcurrant, blackberry, peach and wild strawberry. Earlier in the a year syrup was made from the poaching liqueur from cooking Mirabelle’s that were foraged from the local area for the use in some of the chef’s dishes. The Mirabelle syrup has also been added to the blend for this year’s festive syrup.

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Wines from Across the Pond

Posted in l'ortolan, Wine, tagged , , , , , , , , , on July 12, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

L'ortolan Amercian Wine TastingIn September we will be looking to The America’s, North and South for our monthly wine tasting dinner.  Sommelier Stephen Nisbet gives us an introduction to these wine producing regions. 

It is generally well known that both continents have regions capable of producing wine, but we find again the sheer extent of range in style is largely unknown.

It is believed here have been grapes for winemaking of the same breed as Europe in South America since the 16th century.  Winemakers have visited France particularly and exported vines and ideas since the 18th century so there is no doubt in anybody’s mind about the heritage and potential of this massive area.

We have generally come to believe that this is the ‘go to’ area for good value, recognisable wines that are easy to find and even easier to drink. These producers have been able to combine lower costs with vast vineyards and a more flexible approach than in Europe, say, to adapt to the market and essentially produce wine styles to order.

There are of course many estates striving for much higher quality and individuality and it’s no accident that many top names in France have launched projects there. The resulting wines are often superb but more expensive and until quite recently were difficult to sell, such was the strength of belief that countries like Chile only made wine for the supermarkets.

The picture is quite different in North America, with many areas outside of California producing wine such as Oregon, Washington State and Virginia producing excellent wines that are rarely seen on the market because so little is known even of their existence.

North America has, and still uses, it’s own breeds of grapes for winemaking but it is generally accepted that the introduced European variety makes the best quality of all. It was this very trade that nearly wiped out wine in Europe, an insect called phylloxera that American vines are immune to that came across in vine cuttings and destroyed huge swathes of vineyards.

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Natural Wine Month

Posted in Wine, tagged , , , , , , , on May 4, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Real Wine Month is celebrated nationally during May highlighting organic, biodynamic and natural wines made by artisan growers and winemakers. And we will be taking the opportunity to showcase our diverse and renowned natural wine list.

Throughout May our Sommelier, Craig, will serve guests a variety of natural wines by the glass, introducing them to their quirky, complex, and lighter textures. Craig has worked closely with Head Chef Nick to pair natural wines from France, Italy and Greece with the L’ortolan Menu.


We asked Craig what makes wine ‘natural’?

In the past all wines were ‘Natural Style’ and it wasn’t until the advent of modern wine making methods that this style of wine fell out of favour. The largest benefit of modern wines is how they end up preserved in the bottle, allowing some to age for decades and still be drinkable. Natural wines on the other hand are best drunk young. There is now a surge of wines makers returning to these roots, in an elusive marriage of excellence meets ethics.

A natural wine is about what you leave in rather than take away. A crystal clear looking wine has been through a rigorous purification and clarification process, whereas natural wine will often be cloudy and more intense in colour.

There are two methods of farming ‘natural wine’; Organic wine is farmed without the use of chemical fertilisers or pesticides. The farming of Biodynamic wine also eliminates all chemical pesticides and fertilisers but the main focus is based on planting, pruning and harvesting crops by the phases of the moon.

One of the natural wines we’ll be pairing with the L’ortolan menu is the Pinot Noir ‘Vinifie Sans Soufre’, Pierre Frick from Alsace, France, it’s a light style biodynamic red that has a diverse and adaptable flavour to suit a range of courses.  This Pinot Noir is made without the use of sulphites at any stage allowing the red berry and red cherry characters to retain a classic wild structure.


Dine with us during May to experience a selection of our natural wines, and don’t forget to ask Craig more about the estates and regions of these lesser known wines.

Events for your Diary

The Real Wine Fair 20th – 22nd May 2012 (Consumer day Sunday 20th May 10am to 6pm) – http://therealwinefair.com/

RAW – The Artisan Wine Fair 20th -21st May 2012 (Consumer day Sunday 20th May 10 am to 6 pm) – http://www.rawfair.com/

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Changing Perception on German Wines

Posted in Events, Wine, tagged , , , , on February 7, 2012 | 1 Comment »

German Wines L'ortolanIn the world of wine a dark cloud continues to hover over German wines. Many perceive them as sweet, dull and unfashionable. But for adventurous wine drinker there is much to discover about Germany’s wine regions and the rewards are well worth the effort! Renowned Sommelier, Stephen Nisbet has seen his fair share of resistance to the German wine market within the UK, and strives to change people’s perceptions.

In 2008 at L’ortolan we dedicated each month to pairing a different wine region with the Gourmand menu. Wine by the glass is always a popular choice for diners, so when German wines was proposed as a theme it was confronted with some opposition from the rest of team; concerned that would not appeal to a wider audience. Fine German wines are renowned for their complexity of flavours, which makes them suitable for pairing with a wide range of foods, so they were an obvious choice to include on our global tour of fine wines.  It was decided not to publicise the wines with the menu, instead subtly introduce guests to the German wine pairings with each course.  The pairings were well received and diners wowed by the diversity. As a marketing exercise it grew customer’s knowledge and understanding – confirming Germany’s well-deserved place on the map.

At L’ortolan we stock white, sweet and even red German wines, including top wines from Wirsching, Göttelmann, Friedrich Becker and Werner Näkel. Some of these L’ortolan favourites will feature in this month’s Fine Wines of Germany wine tasting events.

Wednesday 22nd February – Fine Wines of Germany
Stephen will take guests on a journey through different regions, varieties and estates and discover the sheer diversity of wine.
4.30pm to 6.30pm – An Afternoon of German Wine Tasting – £49 per person
7.00pm – German Wine Tasting Dinner – £95 per person

Find out more about our programme of wine tasting events

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Notable Wine List recognition for L’ortolan

Posted in Wine, tagged , , , , on March 31, 2011 | 1 Comment »

All at L’ortolan are delighted that our wine list has once again been selected for the final round of the 2011-2012 AA Wine Award.

Introduced in 1998, the AA Wine Award recognises an outstanding contribution to promoting wine understanding and appreciation. Nominees are judged on the quality of their wine list and their ability to inspire customers to make wider and more adventurous choices in selecting wines.

L’ortolan has been judged as having a Notable Wine List and as such has been selected to go forward to the final round of the 2011-2012 AA Wine Award, sponsored by T&W Wines. In acknowledgement of this achievement L’ortolan will receive a Notable Wine List symbol highlighted beside its entry in the 2012 AA Restaurant Guide and will also be sent a certificate in September to coincide with the annual launch of this guide.

Of the AA Notable Wine List finalists, one winner will be chosen each for England, Scotland and Wales.

We’ll keep you updated on our progress!

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l’ortolan Festive Cocktail – A History

Posted in l'ortolan, Wine, tagged , , , , , on November 18, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

At the end of next week we will reinvigorating our lunch menu ready for the festive season.  In this blog, Sommelier Stephen Nisbet explains how one of the key elements of the Festive Lunch was born:  The L’ortolan Festive Cocktail.

During the run up to Christmas in 2005, the then l’ortolan Head Chef Will Holland received a huge order of figs in order to prepare them for the December menu.  The figs were to be poached and served with vanilla panacotta, so during November they were lightly cooked and placed in large preserving jars filled to the brim with a poaching liquor made with red wine, port, ginger, cinnamon, oranges and lemons, cloves, demerea sugar, star anise, vanilla, black peppercorns and bay leaves.

At the end of the month, the figs were removed from the jars, ready to be prepared for portioning and service in December – and we were left with 30 litres of the most amazing tasting fluid in the jars.

Luckily I had staked a claim on the liquid in advance, otherwise I’m sure that Will would have transformed the juice into a jelly or a sorbet.  Initially I’d planned to use it neat as an ingredient for a mixed drink, but it was Will who suggested that we created a ‘syrup’ to add to sparkling wine – Kir Royale style!

After several hours on a low heat we were left with a concentrated liquid, about a quarter of the original volume and packed with flavour.

We filled mineral water bottles, and relabelled it “L’ortolan Festive Cocktail” and our guests loved it and our batch sold out.

Since then, each year we create a new syrup, especially for l’ortolan guests.  In the last few years, if we’ve had any syrup left over we use it as a base for the following year’s – but the results are always amazingly different and the mixing of flavours is a real adventure.

In 2007 we tried a citrus syrup made with various orange and lemon liqueurs, last year’s was quite a spicy number as I found some fantastic ginger and mixed spice syrups  that are the best quality – and this year will be more blackcurranty.

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