Bluebird... in Piccadilly (session 5)

The christmas schedule can be punishing on the most well seasoned of sommeliers and Roberto had to sit this week out to maintain his good looks to ally his cool Italian charm.

As an alternative destination, we headed to Noura Piccadilly, base of Nicolas Angelina. The manager, Joseph, not only accomodated us, but joined us for the first session in order to understand what Nicolas had been banging on about for weeks. We also had the benefit of selecting wines from Noura's own wine list - one that had been compiled by Nicolas.

We were pairing white wines with still waters:

• Gruner Veltliner, Hopler, 2006
• Stella Bella, Margaret River, 2006, Western Australia - Semillon & Sauvignon Blanc
• Chateau Ka, "Source Blanche", 2007, Lebanon - Muscat, Sauvignon, Semillon
• Chateau Ksara, Cuvee du Pape, Chardonnay, 2006 - 12 month French new oak

In addition to a new venue, there was also a new taster to join us. The first wine-trained guest to join us was Olivier Gasselin, Head Sommelier at the D&D restaurant, The Bluebird. Boasting a 700-strong wine list, this would certainly be an excellent barometer of how valid our observations to date had been. 

As I have stated repeatedly, I am of the belief that we must add value to restaurant go-ers, particularly where water is concerned. The aim of 'Minerals & Terroir' is to make accessible the knowledge that the appropriate choice of waters can actually enhance the experience of the wine - which will have an impact on the food.

No one will know this better than a sommelier, and I awaited Olivier's opinion with eagerness. 

The tasting brought an unlikely 20 points for the Tasmanian Rain allied with the Gruner Veltliner. Olivier felt that it ehanced the minerality and complexity of the wine, in a way that the wine alone could not acheive. 

We also began to see a trend, in that the English Well water that had previously been shown to enhance the Petit Bourgeois (Sauvignon Blanc) also enhanced the Stella Bella and Chateau Ka - both containing Sauvignon! Additionally, the Danish Artesian which had previously enhanced the Knappstein Lenswood Vineyards (Semillon), also enhanced the Chateau Ka, containing Semillon.

Joseph remarked on how he was very surprised at the extent to which the waters affected the wine - and admitted that he had previously thought that Nicolas was going a little mad!

Olivier's opinion was that prior to attending, he had no pre-conceptions of what to expect, as he didn't really feel that water would have a significant impact on wine. Having sat through a tasting of four wines and eleven waters, he was quite curious as to the new understanding that he had reached about the previously ignored combination of wines and waters. He also requested that he attend future tastings also

In my opinion, since Olivier is a respected sommelier in a top London destination, this is a definite tick in the box from an individual who, after the tasting session, could appreciate the commercial relevance of what we were proposing, in addition to the experience-enhancing quality to offer his customers.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained

It is quite a small world and my meetings with the two other participants in this came together in quite a nice way.

A relationship with Roberto was struck on the basis of a phone call from me, in order to introduce some of our waters to him as a buyer for Roussillon restaurant in Pimlico. It is a great place that has held a single Michelin star for a number of years. He is also a sommelier of great repute, who finds pleasure in discovering little known but wonderful and new wines and producers. 

Nicolas Angelina of Noura was first mentioned to me in another meeting with one of Aqua Amore's customers called Meejana. 

This little treasure trove is both a Lebanese restaurant and by day, a boutique deli. It is in Weybridge, Surrey and Ed was one of the first people to call us with a genuine interest in water. When I heard his wife Rita talking about her favourite waters and preferences, I almost fell off my chair! Rita told me about this chap, Nicolas, who had tasted waters for the Arabic press and also for a number of UK trade publications, in addition to being closely involved in the wine tastings.

I gave Nicolas a tentative call to let him know what we did at Aqua Amore and I was very pleased to hear that his passion for waters was very strong. Soon after, we held a preliminary tasting at Noura, to which a number of people, distributors, sommeliers and other water companies were invited. I brought a number of waters along and we all tasted and chatted, to no real illumination on the subject of waters. It was on that occassion, however, upon which Nicolas tasted a few waters alongside a Funtabaliras Vermentino and noticed a difference in which his taste buds were tickled by the combination of liquids.

Hence, the idea of a wine and water tasting was born and given his knowledge on wines, he assured me that this would be a unique and revolutionary venture. I suggested asking Roberto to join us, given that we both know him and are comfortable working with him - notwithstanding the fact that his passion for wine would ensure open-mindedness on the subject.