The past decennia a lot of  "new wines" were introduced. It started with California. Think of wines from mister Bernardus Pon and Robert Mondavi.

Australia, Argentina, Chili, New Sealand and South Africa followed. The traditional kitchen was combined with exotic cooking styles. Is this trend upcoming or is El Buli's style expanding? It is a hype to place the food subtle and explicit on the dinner plates. Will this hype determine the signature?

Several cooking styles give the opportunity to create unique combinations. A fact is that wines are nowadays welcomed with a more open perspective by the culinary hedonists. As a result of this, the less common combinations are being valued. For instance: farmer bread with turbot accompanied by a rose of Château Musar from Libanon. What about Nine Popes from Barossa Valley in South Australia with Spanish fillet of beef?

Or what to think of a creuse (oyster) with foam of gin-tonic in combination with a fresh dry Chablis 1er Cru from Louis Michel from 2004. The possibilities seem to be eternal wide.

Noël Vanwittenbergh