- Why all the beers are in ponies, explained here.
- Why all the soy sauce are in fish, explained here. (“More than just looking like a little fishy friend, the design has characteristics that give it a serious edge over the competition.”)
- Last week we talked a little about Alex, Cornersmith, and the incredible work they do creating a food community by saving otherwise unwanted food. This week in the Age, there was this lovely story about “Growing Abundance” a similar minded project operating in Castlemaine, Vic. From little things (harvesting forgotten backyard crops, jam making days), big things grow (the not-for-profit won the tender for the local high school canteen and are using local, excess fruit and veg in healthy meals for the kids). Astonishingly, “There was a backlash about the concept of "educating students" about the benefit of "nutritious food that supports the local economy".” Remember Jamie and those god-damn turkey twizzlers?? How mortifying that we have like-minded carry on here.
- The 5th MAD Symposium is being held this weekend (Sunday/Monday) in Copenhagen. You will know this thanks to the barrage of instagrams of feet/strategically placed boarding passes/champagne flutes in airport lounges. The topic is tomorrow’s kitchen. I wish I was there. Follow along at home via their insta feed.
- The next series of Chef’s Table drops next Friday (2 Sep). It’s the French instalment. For a sneak peak at the peeps, check out the links: Alain Passard (L’Arpege), Michel Troisgros (La Maison Troisgros),Adeline Grattard (Yam’Tcha), Alexandre Couillon (La Marine). Be still my beating coeur.
- Rootstock Sydney is back. It will be held on the 26th and 27th of November 2016 at Carriageworks. Of course the murky quest for a definition of “natural” continues, and this year Mike, James and Giorgio have tightened the parameters a little. Rootstock Sydney wine sessions will now only feature organic-grown (or biodynamic) wines, that are ‘naturally’ made (see below).
- Only indigenous yeasts in all production.
- No additions such as enzymes, acids, sugars and tannins.
- No heavy manipulation or winemaking technology (reverse osmosis, spinning cones, etc).
- No fruit concentration, or raising alcohol levels.
- Minimal use of oak. No wood chips.
- No clarification or fining through additions.
- Filtration kept at minimal and must be noted.
- We encourage producers to add as little sulphur as possible where no wines on show at RS2016 can be more than 50ppm total sulphur.
British wine-writer Jamie Goode digs it, and notes on his website: ‘This looks like as sensible definition of natural wine that I have seen. It could be a model for other natural wine fairs to follow’. Boom. Sign up for the newsletter here, follow the social here, or just cut to the chase and buy your tix here.