March 2006 : Money talks – but what is it telling you?
You were probably surprised at the high cost of a bottle of Chateau d’Yquem at $90,000 mentioned in last month’s column. But that’s not the most expensive bottle ever sold! That honour belongs to a bottle of Chateau Lafite 1787 sold in December 1985 for £160,000.
I am reminded of the miners’ strike in the 80s when supporters collected donations at London’s tube stations. At the same time the most expensive Champagne on the market, Dom Perignon, was in such demand (at over £100 per bottle) that it was rationed. A moral maze indeed

A new Chinese Take-Away!
Chinese wine will be sold for the first time this autumn in duty free airport shops around the world including Rome, Paris, Bangkok, Singapore, Amsterdam and Helsinki. Dragon Seal, the producers, are a state owned monopoly.

One wine will be made from a mixture of grape juice and its maceration and distillation with osmanthe tree flowers from Shanghai. The wine is sweet with 14 – 15% alcohol content. The other wine will be a dry red blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon plus some Syrah from vineyards planted in the Hebel Province in North Eastern China outside of Beijing.

Across the Pond
Opposition to the Iraq war costs France still in the unofficial boycott of French wines. Since 2003, sales in the US have decreased by over £500m, which hasn’t received nearly as much publicity as the US House of Representatives renaming their chips as Freedom Fries!

The American Vintners Association states that in 1980 there were 919 wineries throughout the states, and by 2000 the figure had jumped to 2,188. One of my favourite states is Virginia, having visited various wineries in this state and tried several wines, I was converted many years ago! I am pleased to see the quality of Virginian wines has improved even more and they are winning many wine competitions as a result – with their Chardonnay, Viognier and Cabernet Franc being sold in top Washington restaurants.

Wine making in Virginia has an interesting history. Thomas Jefferson, one-time ambassador to France in the 18th Century, was a keen admirer of French wines, particularly Bordeaux, and he experimented in planting European vines at his estate in Montecello, Virginia with moderate success. The estate and house is well worth a visit – as is Virginia itself – a very beautiful state and highly recommended!

The mind boggles.

Happy & Healthy Drinking!
Kenneth Harry Putt

This Month's Recipe : Roasted Vegetable Pasta with Grilled Goats Cheese

This is a nice easy recipe for those wanting a quick weekday dish which will be tasty and full of goodness as well. Serve with some steamed vegetables or, as the weather gets warmer, a lovely crisp green salad. The recipe will double or triple easily.

Ingredients (for 2 people):
8-12 oz linguine pasta
1 courgette cut in ½ length wise and diced
1 red and 1 yellow pepper - deseeded and diced
1 small aubergine, diced into small cubes
1 red onion, diced
200g butternut squash cut into small dices
Handful fresh basil leaves, torn roughly
1 round slice of goats cheese (as much or as little as you like)
2 tablespoons pesto sauce - either bought or homemade
Handful pine nuts, toasted lightly in a frying pan
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Method:
Place all the vegetables onto a baking tray - two if necessary. You don’t want them piled on top of each other as they won’t roast. Coat in olive oil, salt and pepper and put into a hot oven(200 degrees C) for 20/25 mins - they should not take long. Half way through turn them over so that they roast evenly.

Meanwhile, place a pan of water on for the pasta, seasoned with a little salt and olive oil. Boil the kettle for hot water to run over the pasta once cooked.

Cut the goats cheese into 2 portions and place onto some tin foil on a small roasting try and drizzle over a little oil. This will be grilled at the last minute.

Once the vegetables are ready, cook the pasta as the instructions suggest. Put the grill on and grill the goats cheese till a little golden brown on top and looks 'melted'. Keep warm if necessary.

Once the pasta has cooked, drain and pour the boiling water over to make sure you get rid of all the starch from the pasta. Season with pepper, drizzle a little oil and add the pesto - mix well together and then stir in the roasted vegetables, the torn basil leaves, pine nuts and taste. Add salt if necessary.

Divide onto two plates and then place the goats cheese on each pile of pasta and serve immediately. Enjoy!