In the US, June 21 was the Kick-off Day of the Summer of Riesling 2013 that runs until September 21. Hundreds of restaurants in the US are celebrating the Summer of Riesling with special Riesling offerings on their wine menus. Annette Schiller (Ombiasy Wine Tours) and I decided to kick-off the event at Le Mediterranean Bistro, a new restaurant that Chef Driss Zahidi opened just a few weeks ago in the Washington DC area. We were joined by 5 friends and our son-in-law Chris. We had a fantastic evening with Chef Driss Zahidi’s outstanding French food and Rieslings from Dr. Loosen, Trimbach and Tegernseehof.
Summer of Riesling 2013
What is the Summer of Riesling? The Summer of Riesling concept was created in 2008 when Manhattan restaurateur and Riesling fanatic Paul Grieco (Hearth Restaurant, Terroir E.Vil, Terroir, Tribeca and Terroir Murray Hill) decided that during the summer the ONLY white wine that Terroir customers could get was Riesling. The following years the Summer of Riesling expanded in various ways, initially by enlisting other Manhattan wine bars as part of the celebration. In 2011 Paul took the Summer of Riesling to the national level. Here is a link to the restaurants in the US and elsewhere that are participating in the 2013 Summer of Riesling.
See more:
Summer of Riesling 2013 and 31 Days of German Riesling 2013 in the United States
Le Mediterranean Bistro
Le Mediterranean Bistro is located right in the center of old Town Fairfax, in the larger Washington DC area. Opening the door to the restaurant, I immediately was enveloped by a very positive vibe; a cosy, intimate French Bistro, which brought back good memories from the days when I lived in Paris in the 7th arrondissement. You could mistake Le Mediterranean Bistro for a bistro in Paris.
Chef Driss Zahidi
Le Mediterranean Bistro is the fulfillment of a dream that Chef Driss Zahidi, whom we know for many years, carried along since he arrived in this country more than 10 years ago. Chef Driss was born in Casablanca, Morocco in 1974, the eldest of five children, and he became his mother’s steadfast helper in the kitchen. In 1988 he graduated with a master’s degree in Physics Option Thermal Energy from a university in France. Yet, he never worked in that field. Instead, he pursued a career as a chef. Chef Driss Zahidi never attended culinary school but his chemistry background has proven very helpful when connecting the dots between cuisines from his native Morocco, Spain, Italy and France as he has perfected his skills as a chef.
When he moved to the US in 2000, Driss got a job with Le Petit Mistral in McLean, which featured Provencal cuisine in an upscale French dining atmosphere. It was there, were our ways crossed: I as a lover of French food and Driss as a line chef of Le Petit Mistral. His next stages were the Corner Bistro (Executive Chef), just next to Le Petit Mistral, the celebrated Evo Bistro (Co-owner and Executive Chef) and Bistro Vivant (Executive Chef). Now, he has opened Le Mediterranean Bistro, where he is fully in charge and sole owner.
Still talk of the town (in McLean) is the Corner Bistro, now closed, a small Tapas restaurant and wine bar, with Chef Driss Zahidi in the back and womanizer Sidney Sakho in the front. Here, Driss impressed with his native North African twist on traditional Tapas classics. At celebrated Evo Bistro, Chef Driss Zahidi’s cooking earned him top billings from the Washington Post and other regional publications. At newly opened Bistro Vivant, he helped to set the new French bistro on a successful path.
See:
Dennis Cakebread and his Wines, Napa Valley, at EVO Bistro, Virginia
The Setting
Now: Le Mediterranean Bistro - in the former Persian restaurant Sabzi space- with 55 seats. Le Mediterranean Bistro does not have a bar, where you can hang around for happy hour or eat when you are by yourself.
There is a big chalkboard of specials on the wall, similar to the one of Chef Driss’ previous gig, Bistro Vivant in McLean.
The bistro’s small crew includes Driss’ brother, Hicham, who used to work at Evo Bistro and also at Bistro Vivant with Driss.
The Wines
The wine list is mostly French, but also includes other areas, starting from around $30 up to $300 per bottle. It is an excellent selection. Some of the wines can be ordered by the glass. Our focus that evening was on the Rieslings that we brought along, but we later shifted to a Chablis, a Gigondas, both for around $60, and a Linden Claret for $58 (from Virginia).
See on Linden:
Bordeaux Meets Virginia: Visiting Jim Law and his Linden Vineyards with Anne Cuvelier from Chateau Leoville Poyferre in St. Julien, Bordeaux, USA
The Food
The food is classic French bistro food, with Mediterranean and Moroccan flair. Chef Patron Driss Zahidi: “I am aiming for an elegant and unsurpassed modern French cuisine by using the very finest seasonal ingredients and employing both classic and modern techniques. I work with local farmers to get the best and freshest ingredients.”
Fuad Issa: "I have known Driss for ten years, I continue to be amazed by his creativity and his ability to balance different subtle flavors." Annette Schiller: “I loved the flavors, the combination of spices - the menu leaves my mouth watering for more.”
What we Ate
Starters
Drunken Kiss Oysters
Onion Soup: Five onions soup with gruyere cheese
Escargots
Main Courses
Scallops Provencal: With tomato, capers, olives, basil and Chablis
Alaskan Halibut: With saffron, cauliflower and beurre blanc
Sole Meuniere
Lamb Chops: In black olive sauce with spinach
Ravioli: Butternut squash ravioli with mushrooms and sage cream
Desserts
Tiramisu
Crème Brûlée
Chocolate Ice-cream
Other Tempting Suggestions
Oeuf Pôche Meurette: Poached Organic Amish egg in a red wine sauce, mushroom duxelle, caramelized onions and bacon
Salade Lyonnaise: Frisée lettuce, Lardon, poached egg, bacon vinaigrette & toasted brioche
Terrine De Foie De Volaille: Chicken liver mousse served with toasted brioche and pickled beets
Octopus Kebab: Grilled octopus served with fennel relish and niçoise tapenade
Nouilles aux Fruits de Mer: House made tagliatelle with langoustine, scallops, mussels, razor clams in creamy sauce
Loup de Mer: Mediterranean Sea Bass in papillote with braised fennel, tomato and scallions
Dajaj Tagine “Cooked Sous Vide”: Moroccan style seasoned Virginia Amish Chicken breast with preserved lemon, red olives and onions in saffron jus
Lamb Shank: Moroccan style braised lamb shank with tagine spices, served with couscous, baby carrots and turnips & rich lamb jus
Onglet Steak Minute: Sautéed hanger steak served with oxtail potato galette and mushroom & horseradish nage
Steak au Poivre: Dry aged Local NY strip loin steak served with local farms spring vegetables and green peppercorn sauce
3 Dry Rieslings from Germany, Alsace and Austria
We started the evening with 3 Rieslings:
NV Dr L Sparkling Wine Riesling from Weingut Dr. Loosen in Germany
See more on Dr. Loosen:
Riesling, Pinot Noir and Indian Cuisine: A tête-à-tête Dinner with Winemaker Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at Rasika in Washington DC, USA
Ernst Loosen and Dr. L. Riesling - His Hugely Popular Entry-level Wine Sold Throughout the World
The upcoming Ombiasy Wine and Culture Tour to Germany will include a stop at Weingut Dr. Ernst Loosen with Erni Loosen:
Ombiasy Wine Tours: Wine and Culture Tour to Germany Coming up in August 2013
2009 Riesling from Domaine Trimbach in Alsace
See more on Domaine Trimbach:
With Jean Trimbach from Domaine Trimbach, Alsace, at Bart M. Vandaele’s Belga Café in Washington DC
Visiting Jean Trimbach at Maison Trimbach in Ribeauville in Alsace
2010 Riesling from Weingut Tegernseehof in Austria
See more on Tergernseehof (KWSelection)
“Wine Ambassador” Klaus Wittauer Presented Austrian Wines at the Embassy of Austria in Washington DC, USA
Martin Mittelbach from the "Tegernseehof" and Klaus Wittauer from "KWSelection" Presented Tegernseehof Wines and Stefan Trummer and Chef Austin Fausett from “Trummer’s on Main” in Clifton Austrian Appetizers at the Austrian Embassy in Washington DC, USA
Riesling
Worldwide, there are about 34.000 hectares planted with Riesling. Germany – with 22.400 hectares – accounts for 2/3 of the total. The second largest Riesling producer is Australia, with 4500 hectares. But this is only about 1/10 of the total. Alsace follows with 3500 hectares. Austria, the US with Washington State and New York State as well as New Zealand make up the remainder. But overall, Riesling is really a niche wine, accounting for only less than 1 percent of total wine production in the world - but a very special niche wine.
Dry and Sweet Riesling
Many wine drinkers, in particular outside of Europe, when they see a Riesling in the shelves, have the association of a sweet-style wine. This is however misguided. Rieslings as a rule are dry wines. Of course, there are the famous sugar sweet Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Eiswein and Schilfwein wines from Austria and Germany, the Sélection de Grains Nobles from France, the icewines from Canada and other Rieslings, made from botrytized, dried or frozen grapes. The grapes that go into these wines have such a high sugar content that there is nothing you can do to make dry wines out of these grapes. They inevitably produce nobly sweet wines. But apart from these exceptions, which account for only a tiny share of total production, Riesling grapes in Germany, Austria, Alsace, the US and Australia have normal sugar content at the time of fermentation and tend to produce dry wines, when fully fermented.
However, modern cellar methods allow winemakers in Germany (and elsewhere) to produce wines with a bit of residual sugar with these grapes. There are principally two methods applied in Germany – but neither in Austria nor Alsace - for making these sweet-style Rieslings. First, you do not let the fermentation run its course and stop it; as a result, you get a deliciously sweet and low alcohol wine. Second, you let the wine fully ferment to a normal alcohol level and then add Suessreserve (sterilized juice) to achieve the desired degree of sweetness. These sweet-style wines have lost popularity in Germany, although there appears to be a comeback, but in any case remain very popular outside of Germany, for example in the US.
Summer of Riesling Party in Washington DC with Annette and Christian Schiller
If you are in Washington DC on July 21, please join Annette and Christian Schiller for a "Summer of Riesling" party from 6 pm to 9 pm at their home in McLean, VA. Please bring a bottle of your favorite Riesling, dry, fruity-sweet, noble-sweet, from Germany, Alsace, Austria, Finger Lakes, Virginia or anywhere else in the world and rsvp to aschiller@ombiasypr.com.
Picture: Chef Driss Zahidi and Christian G.E.Schiller at Evo Bistro, a few Years agoSee:
Dennis Cakebread and his Wines, Napa Valley, at EVO Bistro, Virginia
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With Jean Trimbach from Domaine Trimbach, Alsace, at Bart M. Vandaele’s Belga Café in Washington DC
Visiting Jean Trimbach at Maison Trimbach in Ribeauville in Alsace
“Wine Ambassador” Klaus Wittauer Presented Austrian Wines at the Embassy of Austria in Washington DC, USA
Martin Mittelbach from the "Tegernseehof" and Klaus Wittauer from "KWSelection" Presented Tegernseehof Wines and Stefan Trummer and Chef Austin Fausett from “Trummer’s on Main” in Clifton Austrian Appetizers at the Austrian Embassy in Washington DC, USA
Dennis Cakebread and his Wines, Napa Valley, at EVO Bistro, Virginia