It would be great if instead of total votes, we could see how many different people voted.
I’m reposting my Greatest Wine Dinner for the 34th time, just because… and because of La Grand Rue, which was not a Grand Cru when I tasted it… and especially for the memories…
There are three of the Grand Crus in here (2 at the time):
Summer of 1982. Sally and I are in France. This is my first professional buying trip, and the first time Sally and I have been away alone together in the 5 years since our son Matt was born.
Our last night in France. It had been blazingly hot in Bordeaux and incredibly was not much cooler in Paris. We’ve booked our only Michelin starred dinner of the trip, at Vivarois, *** (three stars!).
Late July, 8:00 PM, outside temperature over 90F, restaurant almost empty as we enter. One table of about 10 Japanese, one other couple and us. I’m dying in coat and tie. The Japanese, all ditto, aren’t too perky either nor the other couple. Waiter brings menus and we order: Curried oysters for Sally (house specialty), bloc of foie gras for me (can’t resist no supplemental charge). Another couple breezes in. I get the impression of a well-travelled American man, in white jacket, with younger French date. The restaurant door has been left open and a sad floor fan is not moving much of the hot air. Man sits, then stands and takes off his jacket. Me, the man in the other couple, and 10 Japanese simultaneously do likewise, looking gratefully at our liberator.
Sommelier, looks and walks just like Charlie Chaplin, deadpan. I order a bottle of 1976 Late Harvest Gewurz. No change in his expression, except that we could feel his whole mood change; now he’s alive and interested, and his warmth quotient has gone up 1000%. I’ve ordered the only thing on the extensive list that goes with both apps - LH for the foie gras, Gewurz for the curry. Next, translated from his bad English, my non-existent French and Sally’s occasional help:
“Monsieur likes wine?”
“Oh, yes!”
“I have some good half bottles in the cellar that are not on the list. Would you like me to serve you some?”
“Yes, but I should know the costs.”
Instead of the dreaded, expected, “don’t worry about the cost”, the sommelier looked me straight in the eye and said:
“Monsieur, I will not hurt you.”
I trusted him.
“Bring 'em on!”
The food was wonderful, but completely lost. I cannot remember a single dish other than the appetizers that provoked the wonder. I will never forget the wines, all in 1/2 bottle:
1976 Batard Montrachet, Leflaive
1971 Chablis Grand Cru ‘Les Clos’, Long-Depaquit
1969 Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru ‘Grande Rue’ Lamarche
1964 Chateau Cheval Blanc
1961 Hermitage ‘La Chapelle’, Jaboulet-Aine
The bill came. It had three lines.
2 covers
1 Gewurz LH
1 ‘vins divers’
The ‘vins divers’ came to $50 American. As I left, I tried to thank the sommelier. He said “It is I who owe you the thanks because you like good wine. Few of my customers, even French, care about it.”
Dan Kravitz