10 H&H Series, Thursday May 16, 2013 wine Liz Sagues restaurant Joseph Connolly Ten crus, one revelation Where pleasures Beajoulais sales are growing as region sheds its poor reputation of the flesh are rong time of year, unrecognised grape, poor perfectly kosher reputation, dodgy weather. What is ever right Wabout beaujolais? Answer: a great deal – and that can be interpreted The menu at Jewish restaurant Reubens is in cash as well as quality terms. First, forget the still-too-popular a meat-eater’s delight, but lacklustre sides conceptions and explore a wine that offers much pleasure, at and rather high prices let the side down many levels way beyond the faded November frenzy of beaujolais nouveau. The heart of beaujolais is the crus, those 10 areas where the an it really be a involving such things as chocolate, vignerons are allowed to put simply N Henry Fessy’s winemaker, Laurent Chevalier year since the last challah baking, knife sharpening their village name, rather than Gefiltefest…? Yes … and krauting. I’m telling you – if the “B” word, on the bottle. They bubblegum and bananas. Because of the overall image indeed – how time over the years your once dazzling are increasingly in demand, with The cru wines are far more problem that beaujolais still has does fly when all you krauting skills have grown a little sales rising on the back of better suave and sophisticated, and among many wine drinkers, ever do with your life is lunch and rusty, this is the place to be. The consumer understanding and a run there is occasional use of barrels prices for the best remain very Cloaf: some of you, I realise, may garden will be filled with stalls of very good recent vintages. in the ageing process – though fair. And even the top cru wines, well do more than this, achieve selling things such as falafels Each of the 10 is discreetly never to give emphatic oakiness. good as they are with hearty great things, but not me matey, and kosher candy (and how they different, though – as in any of That’s not beaujolais style. cold-weather food, have a delicacy oh no. Though what, you might resisted calling it Kosher Kandy those appellations where the Back then to that 10-cru 2011 which makes them appropriate ask, is a Gefiltefest when it’s at I shall never know) while as we French recognise tiny subtleties line-up. The wines I tasted came in lighter, warm-weather home in Golders Green? Well it is speak there is frenzied voting of terroir – wine-making style as from Henry Fessy, a smart and partnerships. Do serve all but the a rather jolly annual festival of going on to discover where to much as place can differentiate quality-driven producer, unusual most robust wines cool, and revel Jewish food, to be held this Sunday, find the very best challah, bagels, wines. Which is why comparing all in owning vineyards in nine in their affinity with the cold May 19, at Ivy House, home to the falafels, schwarma, cheesecake 10 crus from the same vintage and of the crus. The company, now meats and salads of summer. London Jewish Cultural Centre. and strudel. from the same producer is such a under the Louis Latour umbrella Stockists of Henry Fessy cru The programme fairly bursts Not to say the best kosher good experience of terroir-spotting, and benefiting from big-company beaujolais include Oddbins with all sorts of rather amusing restaurant – a list of 22 of these are just like the chablis discovery tour investment, has its sights on very (Morgon, Brouilly, Moulin à Vent, events such as the Ashkenazi in contention for the coveted title I described four weeks ago. This, soon completing the list. Fleurie) and Waitrose/Ocado v Sephardi Cook-Off (“which … though rather unfortunately then, is the red revelation. Given the youth of the wines (Brouilly). Prices range from cuisine will reign supreme?”) and I came upon this list only after I – at cru level, it’s a fallacy that £10.50 to £13.50, with Fleurie six or seven activities being held had visited a kosher restaurant Distinct character beaujolais should be quaffed as at the top. Winedirect (www. simultaneously throughout the which I had idly spotted in Baker A few facts first. The grape of young as possible – it was hard winedirect.co.uk) has special- day with hourly demonstrations Street: Reubens. There has been red beaujolais is gamay (a tiny work to define the differences, offer prices until the end of the quantity of white is produced, but on the palate particularly the month on four of the crus, and from chardonnay), and generally flavours are individual. a tempting tasting six-bottle the wine is made by carbonic I loved the perfumed fruit case containing those plus maceration, in which whole of Regnié, the fresh potential Beaujolais Villages and the new The general décor and peachiness is akin to bunches of grapes go into the tank, of Chénas, the warmth of Fessy premium Fleurie, Chateau carbon dioxide is pumped in to Chiroubles and the depth of Côte de Labourons – alone, that is a a spare bedroom that isn’t used that much. On replace oxygen and fermentation de Brouilly. Brouilly – Fessy’s best bargain at £12.50. occurs within each unsquashed seller here – needed more time There is plenty more good the walls are strange little prints of teddy bears, berry as well as in the spilt juice to settle into its style, and the cru beaujolais around – Berry also in the tank. This results in most robust, Morgon and Moulin Bros has a spectacularly good one of which was captioned: ‘Lost in love, walking a distinct character which, in à Vent, were definitely far too selection, and there’s 20 per cent simpler and very young wines, young to enjoy, though there is off two or more from Majestic in life’s forest, trying to find my way home’ shows as the scents and flavours of pleasure in waiting. until September. Foster Carers Required! If you enjoy caring for children, why not make it your career? You will receive an allowance of £400 for a single child. If you are already a foster carer why not give us a call. The child will need their own bedroom. We need people willing to look after children of any age up to 16 years old. WE OFFER • £400 weekly fostering allowance for basic single placement • Dedicated social work support • Comprehensive training programme • Access to 24/7 support and advice • 14 nights paid respite • Regular support group meeting • Membership of Foster Talk HORIZON FOSTERING SERVICES PLEASE CALL US NOW ON 08450 171 042 (Local rates apply) www.horizonfostering.co.uk [email protected] Thursday May 16, 2013, H&H Series 11 restaurant Joseph Connolly which has been tricked out with and the dumplings not nearly as plush crushed velvet chairs and pointless as dumplings can be. white-clothed tables. The general Then I had Steak Diane. Not that décor and peachiness is akin to a Jewish, maybe – but comfortingly spare bedroom that isn’t used that old-fashioned, in a rather Oslo much – and on the walls is a series Court sort of a way. In the old of strange little prints of teddy days in the better places, the thin bears, one of which was captioned steak would be sizzled at your thus: “Lost in love, walking in table in a copper pan over a silver life’s forest, trying to find my way burner by a deft head waiter as he home.” And which one of us isn’t? sloshed in wine and cognac and ignited it. We had a very different ‘Sliced by hand’ thing here: a large thickish ribeye The waiter said that they were busy with a separate boat of wine and for lunch, less so in the evenings mushroom sauce. Rather gloopy and packed at weekends. Not borne and floury, not notably wine- out by this Friday lunchtime – ours infused, but sort of all right. The was one of only three tables taken. steak itself was very good – tender, Fresh-ish flowers in a bud vase juicy, all you require: just not Steak bearing the word “Reubens” across Diane, that’s all. Sides were OK: the Star of David. Which was nice. spinach, green beans, what were The menu is a meat-eater’s delight: meant to be sauté potatoes – all all sorts of steaks, lamb chops and rather dull and nothing, but just “specialities”: salt beef, obviously about OK. And we were drinking (“world famous”, it said) and Beef an Israeli wine! Which was brave. Wellington: “steak with chopped Yarden Mount Hermon – cabernet liver and shredded mushrooms and merlot, mainly: quite fruity, bit topped with pastry”. Which may or sweet, bit sticky … Chateau Latour may not be good, but it sure ain’t need fear very little. Beef Wellington, sonny – and, at And then we were done. I didn’t £23.95, not exactly a gift either. It sign up for a course with Arthur is quite pricey here, actually – £7 Murray ( for already I put Astaire for soup, £9 for cheesecake … and to shame) but merely took a leaf £21.95 for the salt beef that Max out of the teddy bear’s book and ordered (which is “sliced by hand”, contented myself with walking in the menu said – and I was glad, life’s forest, trying to find my way because it’s always so very much home. easier than trying to juggle the N Joseph at Reubens in Baker Street knife between both of your feet).