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This story originally appeared in the Napa Valley Register.
Two years ago, I spent a weekend at Château l’Hospitalet, one of the nine estates owned by Gerard Bertrand, located in the Languedoc in the south of France. I recall Gerard’s passion as he shared his belief in l’art de vivre (the art of living). And recently, I was inspired again when he visited the U.S. to host a series of master classes to espouse how biodynamics magnify the expression of terroir in a grand vintage.
Gerard Bertrand started making wine with his father 43 years ago in the south of France. By 2002, Gerard began to change his view after reading Rudolf Steiner, the father of biodynamics. Having used homeopathy in his personal life, he connected with the principles of biodynamics and began converting his vineyards.
Maude has reinvented itself. The 25-seat restaurant has been redecorated with dark navy blue banquettes and customized chairs and the walls have been painted navy blue as well. Gone are the fresh bouquets of flowers on the counters and dried flowers hanging from the walls. The walls are now lined with black and white photographs, some picked up at flea markets and others of members of the Maude team on their culinary travels. The space is elegant, warm and inviting. The other new change is that instead of changing the menu monthly and featuring a singular seasonal ingredient, Maude is now focused on representing a wine region somewhere in the world and creating a menu inspired by the time the team spends there. These new menus will be offered quarterly and to start off 2018, Rioja, Spain was the selected region. The overall experience with the new regional theme was exceptional. The entire meal flowed so naturally. Instead of learning how the seasonal ingredient was used in each dish, we were told a story of what inspired the dish. As each dish was served, a member of the Maude team would introduce the dish and tell us something about their trip to Rioja. Understanding the meaning behind the dish enhanced the flavors. And the Rioja menu was a home-run!
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