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The Art of Service - train as you play
ABOVE: Fred Sirieix, co-star of BBC2's 'Michel Roux's Service' and General Manager at Galvin at Windows restaurant at the Park Lane Hilton, talks about his unique new training game, "The Art of Service". HospitalityToday.TVthanks Galvin at Windows and the Park Lane Hilton. Also read about Fred's unique recent charity run in "475 Stairs before Breakfast" - on p4 of the current issue of Hospitality Todaymagazine:
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The man who mixes a masterpiece - from 500 parts
ABOVE: Dominique Demarville, chef de caves at Veuve Clicquot Champagne, is intervewed for HospitalityToday.TV by David Weston about the challenges of blending Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label. The great wine writer Hugh Johnson calls Clicquot a "historic champagne house of the highest standing", and their wines "one of champagne's surest things".
Yet to make this "surest thing" every year, Dominique Demarville has to taste 500 to 600 individual wines from the three different champagne grape varieties (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier) and from dozens of different champagne vineyards, adding older 'reserve wines' if necessary, and then blend them in just such a way as to give the distinctive and consistent taste of "Yellow Label" that, since 1877, champagne lovers around the world have come to expect. This must be one of the most challenging jobs in the world of wine.
The interview took place on the 8th of March at the ICA on the Mall, London after a unique tasting, hosted by Dominique, of six different past releases of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label NV, based on the "base years" of 2007, 2006, 2004, 2001, 1990 and, as a tour de force to culminate the tasting, the amazing 1953.
After 57 years, the 1953-based "Yellow Label" still had great freshness, power, and layers of flavour - David's tasting notes noted "fruitcake" elements, and Dominique spoke of the three Ts: "toffee, toast and truffle". It was a privilege to taste such a piece of (living) history. Overall, the tasting underlined the quality and consistency - and the ageing potential - of Yellow Label.
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Also read about Fred's unique recent charity run in "475 Stairs before Breakfast" - on p4 of the current issue of Hospitality Today magazine:
