Instead of showcasing a cookbook author, a chef, a wine or
cheesemaker, I decided to offer the interview seat to Inez, the winner
of our Week
End Alambic Contest announced on June 25th.
Inez was the only person to give correct and detailed answers to the 3
questions asked, here in her own words.
Question 1: What difference is there between the way Armagnac and
Cognac get their color?
Cognac
gets its color from caramel, Armagnac from the maturation in barrels
made
from Gascon black oak (the natural tannins in the wood interacts with
the
alcohol and the color is gradually produced – once the desired color is
reached the Armagnac is stored in old barrels where the tannins no
longer are active and can affect the color of the eau-de-vie)
Question 2: Name a famous figure from Gascony:
I
was not sure if figure in American English implies a fictional or
real, and or a historic or contemporary person so here is a
selection:
Contemporary Culinary : Pierre Koffmann, Alain
Dutournier & Pascal Aussignac.
Historic: Comte d'Armagnac
Sport:
Serge Blanco .
Fictional: D'artagnan :
Question 3: List 4 common grapes
used to make Armagnac:
Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Baco and Folle
Blanche.
Inez was kind enough to share her itinerary from Scandinavian origins
to putting down roots in Armagnac recently and also why she decided to
give a shot at winning the prize.
Q: Inez, Can you tell me how you found out about the Armagnac
contest?
I have an Internet search engine alert for certain foods and wines –
amongst them Armagnac – and as I have already read articles on your
site with interest, and as I am mad about Armagnac, I decided to
read your contest details although I never normally enter contests.
Q: Do you like the interviews and contests on 'Serge the
Concierge'?
After
winning your contest how can I reply anything other than 'love them'
-but
honestly I have never looked at your contests before, my main interest
in
your site has been to read about pairing wine and food, food trends
generally
and your interviews, where I have liked both your choice of people and
questions.
Q: Are there people you would like us to feature?
I shall have to
think a bit for this one - are you looking for people with a
French/US angle?
Q: Do you have a favorite bistro, wine bar?
Not really – sorry – I
enjoy a great many of them for different reasons- but I can not
honestly think of any that I would pick no matter the circumstances.
Further I do not think my 'normal' haunts will be of much interest
to your readers as they are not of the trendy or chic sort. I rather
favour places where they know their food/wine and offer a fair value
for
money proposition without too much fuss and pretension. Had you asked
about
restaurants I would have found it easier to pick some from amongst my
favorites
that I could recommend and that were likely to be appreciated by your
readers as well.
Q: Tell us about your food lover itinerary?
I am Danish/Swedish of origin and have been a foodie since childhood.
Had the good luck to have parents who prioritized good quality food
and wine and were knowledgeable about the subject so I developed my
palate on quality French wines and European food. Since I can
remember I have also hung out in kitchens rather than for instance
taking conventional holidays, anything to learn more and acquire the
skills set to go with my passion. As an adult I lived in London for
many years and benefited from the city's dynamic mix of cultures and
their culinary traditions. I have also worked in South America and
the Far East which has further helped to broaden my taste horizons – and
confirmed
that sharing a good meal/bottle is the best way to break barriers and
create relationships no matter the culture.
Today my husband and I are in the final stages of converting an old
farm
in Gascony, in SW France. It will become a guesthouse where we from
2011 will be offering tailor made gourmet tours and cookery classes.
We chose to do this in Gascony as it is a beautiful and historically
rich region that still produce a wide variety of wonderful produce
for every season – not least Armagnac! Gascony is also well of the
beaten track, the least populated area of France, where traditional
values predominate: The culinary heritage is alive and kicking here
despite the strong inroads convenience foods are making in France as
elsewhere. We have found it a haven and we look forward to share our
passion and see our guests savoring quality food and wine whilst
enjoying the slow pace of life here…..
Thanks Inez for reminding us of the importance of simple pleasures.
We look forward to featuring your Gascon guesthouse here once it's
ready to open its doors.
Thanks to Bureau National Interprofessionnel de l'Armagnac
for making this Loisirs Acceuil Gers gascon treat
possible…Read all about Armagnac 'The true spirit of France'
Previous Interview: Espresso Italiano, Talking Coffee the Italian
Way with Carlo Odello
(Old fashioned Armagnac illustration from Wikipedia pages)