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A milder version of the classic, cialis roasted, slightly smoked chipotle pairs well with the earthiness found in the Cot.  The wine has just enough tannic structure to support the fat on the veal rib. An interesting dish that works very well overall with the wine.

Here’s the latest update.  Even though I practically eliminated my entire Champagne selection, this month I have added a new Champagne. Drappier’s Brut Nature is organic and made without the addition of sulfur dioxide.  This isn’t the only sans soufre wine added this month!  4 more un-sulfured wines were added (for a total of 5) and one that has no detectable sulfur!  The most stunning Beaujolais Nouveau I have ever tasted also arrived at Jacob’s yesterday!

• Drappier Brut Nature – Sans Soufre! – Champagne, France
• Murgo Spumante Metodo Classico Non Dosage 2006 – 100% Nerello Mascalese! – Mt. Etna (Sicilia), Italy
• Crêt de Ruyère/Cathy & Jean-Luc Gauthier (with Jean-Marc Brignot) “biojô nuovo ;-)” Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2009 – No detectable sulfur! – Burgundy, France – A stunning Beaujolais Nouveau  like only Jean-Marc Brignot can bottle!!
  
• Domaine Le Mazel Cuvée Raoul 2008 – After being sold out of the 2007 for about 6 weeks, the 2008 is finally here! – Southern Rhône, France
• Domaine des 2 Ânes Fontanilles 2006 – Corbieres, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
• La Treille Muscate (Catherine Marin-Pestel) L’Effrontée Magnum 2007 – 100% old vine Carignan – no sulfur added!! – Languedoc-Roussillon, France
• Domaine Robert Sérol Les Vieilles Vignes 2009 – 100% Gamay – Loire Valley, France
• Domaine Robert Sérol (L’)Incorruptible 2009 – 100% Gamay, No added sulfur!! – Loire Valley, France
• Bressan Cru Pignol 1999 – 100% Pignolo grape, No added sulfur!! – Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Click on the Treille Muscate Label below to check out the latest wine list!

Here it is! The latest wine list updated for February.  Remember, I’m not just adding titles to an ever-growing wine list. Very often for every title I add, one has disappeared from the list. Since last fall, I have reduced the list by about 20 titles. I try to keep my list dynamic so that my guests (and I) don’t get bored!

As I have mentioned in a past entry, I am reducing the number of Champagne titles on my list and increasing the number of sparkling wines. I feel that there are so many interesting sparkling wines available at competitive prices and from interesting wine areas. I have added one sparkling wine to my list in February and I expect to add 3 or 4 more titles next month depending on availability.

New to the wine list this month:

• André et Mireille Tissot Crémant Indigène Brut – Jura, France
• Domaine Bott-Geyl Riesling Schlossberg Grand Cru 2008 – Alsace, France
• Château de la Gravelle Muscadet Sèvre et Maine L’Ancestrale 2004 – Loire, France
• Ciro Picariello Aglianico Zi Filicella 2007 – Campania, Italy (Single vineyard, planted in 1925 (see photo just below this description).  Spontaneous fermentation.  20-25 days skin maceration.  Only steel and cement for fermentation and storage (24 months in cement). Less than 40mg per liter SO2.  Bottled without filtration.)

Ciro Picariello Aglianico Zi Filicella Vineyard - Planted in 1925

Click here to see the wine list in its entirety!

January in Norway is typically a slow month which also means that not many new titles have been added to the wine list this month. Check back next month for some exciting wines arriving!

New to the wine list this month:

• Bressan Mastri Vinai Verduzzo Friulano 2006 – Friuli-Venezia Giulia, sick Italy (no added Sulfur!)
• La Stoppa Gutturnio 2007 – Emilia Romagna, recipe Italy
• Azienda Agricola Sassotondo Ciliegiolo 2008 – Toscana, buy Italy
• Bodegas Bruno Ruiz Villanueva 2008 – Castilla, Spain (no added Sulfur!)

Along with the addition of new titles, I also do my best to remove others to keep my list around 80 to 90 titles.  You can view the latest wine list here

While many restaurants in Norway feature traditional Norwegian Christmas food, at Jacob’s Bar & Kjøkken we do things differently.  Our concept for the Christmas menu is the same as usual – simple, fresh and creative food.  The wines I have selected to pair with these dishes also don’t steer away from my usual focus on Biodynamic and Natural wines.  Please note that since we only use the freshest of ingredients and small wine producers, the courses and the wines (and vintages) can change slightly.  So, without further ado, here’s the Christmas menu and the wines: (click on thumbnails to enlarge photos and make yourself hungry and!) Read the rest of this entry »

I have uploaded the October updated wine list which can now be viewed here.

New titles on the list:

• Chartogne-Taillet Cuvée Sainte-Anne – Champagne, cialis France
• Domaine Huber-Verdereau Puligny-Montrachet “Les Levrons” 2007 – Burgundy, physician France
• Stéphane Tissot Chardonnay Les Graviers 2007 – Jura, decease France
• Domaine des Remizières Crozes-Hermitage Cuvée Particuliere 2005 – Rhône, France
• Domaine de Fondrèche Côtes du Ventoux Nature 2008 – Rhône, France
• Montirius Vacqueyras Garrigues 2006 – Rhône, France
• Bressan Schioppettino 2004 – Fruili-Venezia Giulia, Italy
• A.A. Pacina Chianti Colli Senesi 2005 – Tuscany, Italy
• Camillo Donati Rosso della Bandita 2006 – Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Rocolo Grassi Recioto della Valpolicella 2005 – Veneto, Italy

-cheers and good drinking!

As you may know, I am the wine director and sommelier in a small restaurant in Bergen (Norway) called Jacob’s Bar & Kjøkken (Kitchen).  A restaurant which has been garnering a lot of attention lately by the locals as well as the media. We have some of the most talented (and awarded) chefs in Norway, definitely the most passionate.

I started at Jacob’s Bar & Kjøkken in January of 2009 after a four year stint at Altona Vinbar where I managed a wine list of approximately 500 titles. Although Altona Vinbar was a fun place to work, and the wine list was very exciting, it wasn’t what I was looking for. I wanted to manage a smaller, more dynamic and eclectic wine list and to work more closely with food and a kitchen that would inspire me.  Jacob’s Bar & Kjøkken fit that bill perfectly.  The kitchen focuses on local food, specializing (in my opinion) on the preparation of amazing seafood dishes prepared with wild, local fish.

When in comes to the wine at Jacob’s Bar & Kjøkken, I like to keep my wine list at around 90 titles with a focus on organic, biodynamic and natural wines.  I don’t have any titles from Bordeaux and I don’t have too many  what I consider as “eye-candy” titles as I prefer smaller producers (farmers if you will) who do things by hand.  Many titles may be unheard of by many, but represent not only my taste in wine, but what I believe to be exciting, new and work well with food.

I am often criticized by people for excluding areas like Bordeaux on my wine list.  I am also often criticized when I tell people that I prefer to select titles that are organic, bio or natural wines for my list.  I am told that by excluding wine from Bordeaux or focusing on organic, bio or natural that I am excluding many great wines.  Actually, I feel that I am not excluding wines from my list, but rather I’m including wines on my list.  Producers like Frank Cornelissen and Domain Le Mazel which are often excluded on wine lists, are included on mine.  I include them with a smile on my face and in my heart.  This being said, the number one reason why a wine shows up on my wine list is because it is well made and I like it. I will never sacrifice quality because it is simply organic.

My wine list is not yet perfect in my eyes. I am slowly improving my Champagne and white Burgundy selection. And, I will most likely continue to add German Rieslings.

Here it is. All prices in Norwegian Kroner:

Jacob’s Bar & Kjøkken Wine List