Ciroc- the Wine Lover's
Vodka
by Darryl Beeson
France's Gaillac region has a tradition. Their
obscurely historic vines of Mauzac Blanc and Len de L'El (Loin de l'oeil)
grapes can undergo a predictable snap frost. These overripe grapes, more
like berries, are carefully selected. The frosted grapes are pressed and
cold-fermented. The result is Ciroc Vodka.
"In the high hills on the northern side of the Tarn
river lies the village of Cordes sur Ciel. Here, outside the medieval walls,
is the source of the grapes for Ciroc," explains spokesperson Jeff Pogash.
In the southwest of France, situated between Roussillon and the Pyrenees to
the south, this is not an area that sees so many tourists
The twist in this vodka is that it is produced from
grapes, rather than the usual wheat, corn, rye, molasses or potatoes. Ciroc
is distilled five times, rather than the industry standard of three. Rather
than having high proof alcohol's medicinal flavors, this vodka is clean,
fresh and smooth with a lilt of complexity derived from the grape origin.
The cold fermentation really does contribute to the final flavor.
Lately some Americans have been frusrated by the
French. Perhaps a dose for Chirac could be a dose of Ciroc. Anyway, it is
hard to stay angry with the French when they send such pleasant temptations.
Just ask the British. The suggested retail for the 750ml bottle is $29.99.
For more information, go to
www.cirocvodka.com.
What recipes would work with Ciroc Vodka? Bartender
David Hanna from Napa valley's Martini House has some thoughts. To preserve
the vodka's subtle aromatics, he suggests to "serve this straight up, shaken
over ice. One thought would be to add peach liqueur in a ration of one and a
half ounces of the vodka to one-half ounce of the peach. Then again, an
Electric Grape Juice could be fun. Serve the vodka on the rocks with a
splash of purple grape juice. Our recipe here would call for Gewürztraminer
grape juice from the award wining Navarro winery (available over the
internet at www.navarrowine.com for
$9 per 750ml bottle)."
A bit of background, Pat Kuleto, a legend for
restaurants Boulevard, Farallon, and Jardinière and Todd Humphries, the
former Executive Chef of San Francisco's Campton Place and more recently of
the Wine Spectator's Greystone, joined to create the very successful Martini
House (1245 Spring Street @ Oak, St Helena, CA, (707) 963-2233,
www.martinihouse.com).
It seems that they know both vodka and grapes in Napa.
Darryl Beeson travels the world looking for great wine
values. In the past, he has been wine steward or cellar master for The Mansion
on Turtle Creek, Voltaire, and The Adolphus Hotel. Not one for stuffiness or
secret handshakes relative to wine, this Texan might now be described as a "ki-yi-yippee
sommelier, sommelier." Beeson reports on wine, spirits, food and travel for
numerous publications.
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