Michael Jordan, the general manager and sommelier who is half of the award-winning team (the other half is chef Andrew Sutton) that’s driving the success and fame of Napa Rose restaurant in Anaheim has just garnered one of the most prestigious titles in the world.
Just a month ago, Michael aced his master sommelier exam at the Court of Master Sommeliers,final exam held at the Dorchester hotel in London,and joined one of the most exalted groups of wine experts in the world. There have only been 158 people worldwide able to pass the rigorous exam and almost-excruciating years of preparation, despite the hundreds who have tried since the inception of the Court in 1969. Including Michael, there are now 87 North Americans who have passed the exam. He joins the only other master sommelier in Orange County, Peter Neptune of the 2005 group.
Recognizing a need to distinguish the truly remarkable wine palates of the world and all-around wine aficionados from the merely talented tasters, The Court of Master Sommeliers was founded in England and by 1977 had become the acknowledged international examining body of working sommeliers. No other culinary or wine group has such a small, select group of proven expertise.
Those of us who have known Michael and Peter over the years have watched their hard work, their constant studies and their dedication to customers in making wine choices a pleasant experience. It’s been said that passing the master sommelier exam is more difficult than taking a bar exam, a certified public accountant exam and a medical exam simultaneously. That’s because of the global breadth of knowledge from farming grapes to blending wines, keeping abreast of wine technology and then knowing the tasting nuances of every major vineyard in the winemaking countries and disseminating all that (while properly serving the wine and other spirits) to the customers in a quick and friendly way.
Considering that, I’m really thankful that we have these two gentlemen in our midst and that I have just booked a dinner reservation for us and some friends mid-month at Napa Rose. This time, I might really concentrate on listening instead of talking and let Michael tell us anything he wants about wine or his exam experience.
|
|
Kai Lychee Vodka: alternative to wine for gift giving |
Gift-Giving Advice
Every year, the calls and e-mails start coming in for me to help figure out some different gifts and I try my best. Pashmina shawls are pass & #233; and wine no longer holds much panache unless it’s a bottle of something truly unique and wonderful that you are giving; please no wines with well-known labels that are merely overpriced. I hope that a useful idea or two will come from these suggestions.
This is a hint for guys shopping for ladies. ID bracelets for gals have become a trend again in Milan and Paris, two bastions of high fashion. Why not get the lady in your life a beautiful feminine variety gold ID bracelet with a hand-forged plaque; and while you’re at it, you could have a couple of diamonds inserted on each end of the ID plaque with her name on it. Talk to your local jeweler; there’s still time for them to get it customized for you.
Of course, most gals would also love a cocktail ring,now also big fashion accessories,perhaps with one of her favorite stones as the centerpiece? Have a look at the chic casual Baccarat rings at Neiman Marcus that run between $240 and $1,000.
Anyone who carries around a laptop might appreciate the newer genre of Sony notebooks with an 11.1-inch ultra clear display. I know we’re in love with bigger and bigger laptop screens, but for portability this is a dream that weighs less than 3 pounds and is less than an inch thick, yet these small wonders have a full qwerty keyboard and come as loaded with features as you desire. It’s on my wish list. Cost is about $2,600 to $3,300 depending on features.
The chef in the family should have the newest darling of professional cooks, a Santoku knife. These traditional Japanese-styled knives of perfect balance are made by various manufacturers and available at all kitchenware shops. They are the knives that have small serrations or dimples along the cutting edge, all the better for a variety of slicing chores. I use my Santoku more than any other knife in the kitchen. They come in a wide range of lengths and are priced from inexpensive but perfectly suitable to very expensive and made from unique forging of high grade metals.
For a clever gift for business associates or as gifts for the host when you go to parties, try the Table Topics series of themed questions. These are 4-inch acrylic cubes holding 135 questions on a topic of your choice: Original (miscellaneous worldly questions), family, spirit and book club are some of them. Cost of each topic in the 135 card series is $25. There are also 40 questions in a plastic case for only $9 on themes such as wine (my crowd is having some nifty conversations via this one, of course), golf, travel and the newly added election ’08.
The full-set original and family versions can be purchased at Charming Cards, 1960 Port Weybridge Place, Newport Beach, phone (949) 433-0547. The entire series of Table Topics can be viewed and ordered at www.tabletopics.com. It’s a California company, so delivery will be prompt.
Here we are back with the gift certificate chatter. This is no longer a very exciting category for me, but people do love to dine out and for corporate and casual giving, it’s still a very nice gesture. Offers from many restaurants include bonus gift cards for those doing the purchasing.
This year, I am suggesting something a little different. Why not get a Patina Group gift certificate, which you can pick up from Pinot Provence or any other of Joachim Splichal’s many restaurants here and in Los Angeles. For OC residents, you might jot a note in the card you use with the certificate that you’d like the recipient to enjoy Leatherby’s Caf & #233; Rouge at the new Segerstrom Concert Hall. At Leatherby’s, which is open to the public for lunch and dinner, chef Lauren Derouen is doing remarkably impressive food. At Pinot Provence, chef Nicholas Weber is also blending refinement and excitement in his dishes and taking us on a wonderful culinary journey that is French/ Mediterranean/American inspired.
The other gift certificate for dining that would surely be appreciated would be for the brand new and beautiful Pelican Grill.
At the high end of the spectrum, gift certificates to dine at places like Michael Mina’s Stonehill Tavern in the St. Regis and Studio in the Montage will announce that you are a classy and well-heeled person.
While I’m not giving wines this season, for those who love their vodka cocktails, there’s a brand new import, Kai Lychee Vodka, the world’s first ultra premium rice vodka that has managed to impress even me, the gin drinker. It comes in an attractive bottle and delivers delicate doses of spice, honey, stone-fruit and rose petals with the tropical and tender flavor of lychee as the high note.
Kai Lychee Vodka is handcrafted in Vietnam and is distilled from rare yellow blossom rice grown in small villages in only one area of the country. It is handcrafted in small batches using techniques that have spanned six centuries, resulting in a naturally sweet, smooth-tasting vodka. This is an introduction to a world of exotic flavors and aromas that can be enjoyed shaken and chilled or as the highlight of an enticing cocktail.
The vodka can be found at BevMo stores,retailing at $26.99,and possibly at your local wine and spirits shop. To try it yourself before buying, many of the more important restaurants in OC already have it on hand at the bar, so you can savor a lychee vodka cocktail.
