Frédéric Panaïotis, Chef de Cave of Maison Ruinart, was in town (Washington DC) and presented his sparklers at a winemaker dinner at Brasserie Beck. Partner-Chef Brian McBride composed a delicious dinner. The dinner was hosted by zachysDC.
Maison Ruinart
Ruinart is the oldest established Champagne House, exclusively producing Champagne since 1729. Founded by Nicolas Ruinart in Reims/ Champagne, Maison Rinart is today owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA.
An entrepreneur, Nicolas Ruinart realized the ambitions of his uncle, Dom Thierry Ruinart: to make Ruinart an authentic Champagne House. In the period immediately following the 1728 edict of Louis XV, which authorized the transport of wine in bottles, the house was established. Prior to this edict, wine could only be transported in barrels, which made it impossible to send Champagne to distant markets, and confined consumption primarily to its area of production.
Nicolas Ruinart founded the House of Ruinart on September 1, 1729. The first delivery of “wine with bubbles” went out in January, 1730. At first the sparkling wine was a business gift for cloth purchasers, as Dom Ruinart’s brother was a cloth merchant, but 6 years later Maison Ruinart terminated its cloth selling activities due to success in the Champagne business. Since then, the Maison has kept the standards of excellence of its founders.
Founded in 1729, but in 1946 Maison Ruinart was on the verge of disappearing. The two World Wars had not been kind. They owned a mere 17 hectares of vineyard, had a meager 800 cases of wine in their cellars, and just two customers, both in Paris – the grand restaurant, Maxime’s, and an up-scale cathouse, Le Sphinx. Rebuilding was slow, and the Ruinart family, lacking resources, concentrated on the domestic market where today it’s a respected brand. It also ranks somewhere in the mid-teens in world sales, but is barely known in America.
Now owned by the luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, it has been overshadowed by company's larger names: Dom Pérignon, Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot. This is not necessarily an oversight – with it’s distinctive style and small production it’s not suited to the high profile marketing efforts deployed by the marquis names, “Five years ago we were barely in the US market” Frédéric Panaïotis explained during the dinner.
Not wanting to be too dependent on the French market, they have recently launched an expansion of their American presence. A discrete expansion. No supermarkets or nightclubs, and they’re steering well clear of Vegas. What they’re aiming for is placement in select restaurants and specialty wine shops, the sort of outlets that afford exposure to discerning consumers with sophisticated, developed palates who pay more attention to what’s in the bottle than on the label.
Pictures: Christian Schiller with Owner-Chef Robert Wiedmaier at Brasserie BeckRuinart's cellars, acquired in 1768, are amongst the largest in the region, and are Gallo-Roman in origin. Like most Champagne cellars, they are the product of ancient chalk mining, and extend 38 metres below the ground and are 8 km long. The chalk helps to keep the cellars at a constant 11 degrees Celsius. The chalk pits were classified as a historic monument in 1931.
There’s a dominance of Chardonnay in the house style, elegance outweighing power. Ruinart’s prestige cuvée range is Dom Ruinart, which includes a Blanc de Blanc made from Grand Cru Chardonnay and a Rosé. The Ruinart bottle is inspired by the first champagne bottles of the 18th century.
Champagne produces about 300 million bottles of Champagne each year. Ruinart 2.5 million; Bollinger 2.5 million; Dom Perignon 5 millio; Krug 500,000 bottles; Laurent Perrier 7 million; Louis Roederer 3.2 million; Moet & Chandon 26 million; Taittinger 5 million; Veuve Clicquot 10 million.
Frédéric Panaïotis
Frédéric Panaïotis was borne and grew up in Reims/ Champagne. He graduated from ENSA Montpellier and INSEAD. Frédéric Panaïotis worked at Scharffenberger Cellars in California and for 12 years at Champagne Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin. He joined Ruinart in 2007 as Chef de Caves.
Interview of Frédéric Panaïotis with Adam Lechmere
Posted Tuesday, 28-Apr-2015
How did you get into wine?
I was raised in Champagne – my grandparents had vineyards. I picked grapes to earn a bit of money, and loved to see the way the wine was made, but I had no intention of going into the wine business. Until I was 18 I wanted to be a vet. I loved animals, and I wanted to be a very specific vet, in a zoo, to work with tigers, lions, elephants – all the big animals.
You were serious about that as a career?
Yes, but it was difficult to study as a vet in France and my teacher told me I should do biology as a backup, so I went to the Institut National Agronomique in Paris. Then I had to make a choice, so I was debating between fish farming and genetics and then, at Christmas 1984 or 85, when I was 21, my uncle opened a bottle of 1976 Richebourg from Gros. That was my first "wow" wine. It was amazing. So I went back to school in Paris and found there was a winemaking course, and I thought: "That's what I want to do." Not only for the products, but for the people as well. I knew that was the environment I wanted to be in.
So the wine that got you started was a Burgundy. When did you decide you wanted to make Champagne?
Never! I wanted to get away from my region. My dream was to be in Bordeaux or some place in the sun. I went to work in California [at Scharffenberger], in Minervois, and in the Rhône Valley, but eventually I ended up back in Champagne, which I don't regret at all.
What do you find most rewarding about making Champagne?
In terms of winemaking, the complexity of the process is very interesting. Understanding the second fermentation phase, the anticipation. Every year is so different, yet we have to make 95 per cent of the wines the same as the year before. I find that challenge very exciting. And I also like the fact that you are less important than the house. If I ask you who made the 2002 you would have no idea, and I know that in 2030 my name will be forgotten. The winemaker just has to maintain the consistency of the style. And that's it.
But – mentioning no names – there are some showmen in Champagne?
Of course. We have to travel, and talk about the wines. But my colleagues are no different to me. I can guarantee they all consider themselves secondary to the house. Look at Richard Geoffroy [the celebrated chef de cave of Ruinart's sister house Dom Pérignon]. He absolutely embodies the style. He even looks like a monk – you couldn't get any closer to Dom Pérignon than that.
Ruinart has always been the most modest of Champagne houses, hasn't it?
That's both true and not true. In France, it was the Champagne everyone has heard of – in a poll last year of 1600 people, they asked what is their ideal Champagne. Ruinart was number one by far. It was named spontaneously by 57 percent of people, before [Veuve] Clicquot, and then Roederer.
And abroad?
Historically, Ruinart was really damaged in the First World War, then the Depression and the Second World War. When Bertrand Mure took over [in 1947] he had no money, no stock, a few vineyards and no cash, so he looked to France to revive the market. Export was less than 30 percent of sales until a few years ago, while most Champagne houses are 90 percent export.
What about the US market?
It's responding very well – it's about three per cent of sales so there is a lot of room to grow, but we don't want to be in Costco or the big chains. We want to be with the right accounts in the right states. Some cities respond better than others – Las Vegas, for example, isn't doing well. Despite the fact they have the highest number of Master Sommeliers in the world, the average knowledge of consumers is not very high. Americans are not very adventurous so they will go for Dom Pérignon or Clicquot before Ruinart.
Can you talk a bit about recent vintages in Champagne – which are the best and worst?
There are no great vintages, only great bottles. Seriously – in Champagne we are worried about global warming, but it's helped us in a way. That, plus our knowledge of the vineyard, and the knowledge of winemaking. We used to be able to have a vintage three years out of 10, but now it's more like one year in 10 that you can't make a vintage. Maybe it's lowered the value of the idea of vintage.
Ruinart was the odd one out in 2012. Most houses considered it excellent but you didn't. Why was that?
2012 remains a mystery to me. The Chardonnay grapes were the best I have ever seen in my life; mature, healthy, great yield, everything was perfect. But when we tasted in October I thought there was something wrong with my nose, as the wine wasn't expressing anything. We were very disappointed by it. Everyone said what a fantastic vintage it was, and I thought I must have messed up something. So we didn't make anything that year.
Is there anywhere else you could make sparkling wine as well as in Champagne?
There are cool-climate regions where you can make sparkling wine as good as most Champagnes, but with the great regions of the world there is often a level where you can't compete. You can find excellent sparkling wine but there is no wine to match the quality of the prestige cuvée.
Is that terroir or winemaking expertise?
It's terroir: soil and climate, and collective knowledge. It's not the technique – you can have the best winemaker in the world but if you haven't got the land you can't make great wine. It's the grasp of the land and how to interpret it. That takes many years and it can't be replicated.
Do you think you're going to stay in Champagne for the rest of your career?
When you join a company like Ruinart you stay there. I told my boss, if you want me to stay I will stay – I'll stay until 2029 and drink those 1929 bottles. If I have to move, I've thought about making my own wine, not necessarily Champagne, but in a place where it’s easy to sell – the hardest part is selling, not making. I don't want to kill the romance but I'm pragmatic.
When you're not making wine, what do you do to relax?
I'm a free diving instructor – I haven't been exercising recently but, a few years ago, I could stay down for five minutes. A lot of it is in here [taps head]. You have to be super-relaxed and zen. I don't compete at the top level – they go down 100 meters and I can do 36m. That's not bad. It's the depth of the Crayères [the famous chalk cellars] at Ruinart.
Ruinart Dinner with Frédéric Panaïotis, Chef de Cave of Maison Ruinart
Canapé
Buckweat Blini, Crème Fraîche, Trout Roe
NV Ruinart Brut Blanc de Blancs
First Course
Pan Seared Maine Scallops
Red & Yellow Pepper Coulis
Aged Sherry Shallot Essence
NV Ruinart Brut Blanc de Blancs Magnum
Second Course
Pan Seared Duck Breast
Caramelized Onions, Soubise
Wild Rice Cake, Tarragon Essence
NV Ruinart Rosé
Third Course
Ossau Iraty, Sheep's Milk
Mâche & Green Apple Salad
2006 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs
Chef Brian McBride
Zachy's/ Ruinart Dinner
Zachy's: Earlier this week, we joined Ruinart’s Chef de Cave, Frederic Panaiotis, to taste through the current releases of Blanc de Blancs, Brut Rosé, and 2006 Dom Ruinart Brut. As we’ve come to expect with Ruinart, each bottle demonstrated the characteristic obsession with vivacity and purity that is the hallmark of this remarkable house. And while all the wines were extraordinary, the 2006 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs stole the show, and top critics around the world are in agreement:
97+ Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous: “The 2006 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Brut is simply fabulous. In most vintages, Dom Ruinart is a big, ample Champagne that shows the structure of the Montagne de Reims Chardonnay in the blend. The 2006 has plenty of textural resonance and richness, and yet I am also struck by its tension. Both bottles I tasted point to a Dom Ruinart that is quite a bit more polished and sophisticated than it often is at this stage”
95 Points, James Suckling: “Exquisite, precise and powerful, with plenty of upfront appeal. This has a toasty edge to the nose with brioche and lemon citrus. The palate delivers a smoothly finished texture and sizzling acid finish. A bright, driving 2006. Drink now.”
And the non-vintage wines are not to be overlooked either. With an emphasis on mineral-driven Chardonnay, Ruinart’s NV wines balance brightness and purity with structured, chalky complexity. They remain some of the greatest values and most interesting wines in big house Champagne. “Stylised and uncompromising.... Not for mainstream palates, perhaps, but should satisfy most ardent fizzophiles.” (Richard Hemming, MW)
Don’t miss out on this chance to stock up on some of the greatest Champagnes for spring!
2006 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Brut - Sale price: $149.99
97 Points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator: "A statuesque Champagne, firm and finely knit, with a beautiful array of baked white peach, almond biscotti, pastry cream and crystallized honey flavors riding the silky mousse. A rich and smoky note of toasted brioche echoes on the chiseled finish. Drink now through 2031." 11/17
Ruinart - Blanc de Blancs Brut (375ml) - Sale price: $52.99
92 Points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator: "A finely knit Champagne, this is driven by smoky minerality and layered with a subtle mix of lemon curd, biscuit, Acacia blossom and white peach puree. Long and vibrant on the spiced finish. Drink now through 2020. 5,232 cases imported." 10/16
Ruinart - Blanc de Blancs Brut - Sale price: $64.99
92 Points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator: "A finely knit Champagne, this is driven by smoky minerality and layered with a subtle mix of lemon curd, biscuit, Acacia blossom and white peach puree. Long and vibrant on the spiced finish. Drink now through 2020. 5,232 cases imported." 10/16
Ruinart - Blanc de Blancs Brut (1.5L) - Sale price: $172.99
92 Points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator: "A finely knit Champagne, this is driven by smoky minerality and layered with a subtle mix of lemon curd, biscuit, Acacia blossom and white peach puree. Long and vibrant on the spiced finish. Drink now through 2020. 5,232 cases imported." 10/16
Ruinart - Brut Rosé Champagne (375ml) - Sale price: $49.99
92 Points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator: "A fresh and focused rosé Champagne, with a satiny mousse and a subtle streak of smoke underscoring the well-knit flavors of white raspberry and wild strawberry fruit, pastry cream and candied orange zest. Drink now through 2021." 11/17
Ruinart - Brut Rosé Champagne - Sale price: $68.99
92 Points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator: "A fresh and focused rosé Champagne, with a satiny mousse and a subtle streak of smoke underscoring the well-knit flavors of white raspberry and wild strawberry fruit, pastry cream and candied orange zest. Drink now through 2021." 11/17
Ruinart - Brut Rosé Champagne (1.5L) - Sale price: $187.99
92 Points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator: "A fresh and focused rosé Champagne, with a satiny mousse and a subtle streak of smoke underscoring the well-knit flavors of white raspberry and wild strawberry fruit, pastry cream and candied orange zest. Drink now through 2021." 11/17
Brasserie Beck/ Gayot
Brasserie Beck Restaurant Review: Beautiful people cluster at the door, at the bar, and on every available inch of floor space, drinking, nibbling, chatting, and possibly waiting for their seating. What’s the draw? Robert Wiedmaier’s cooking, a delightful and beguiling composite of Belgian and French flavors served forth with American sparkle. The second of his DC restaurants, Brasserie Beck offers topnotch DC dining from the fresh mussels poached in a broth accented with wine, curry, garlic and fennel. You’ll want plenty of the fresh, hot bread for soaking up the poaching broth---either that or a straw. We also suggest the braised pork belly, a wedge of creamy pork roasted until tender and melty. But for starters, nothing tops the roulade of duck confit, a supremely rich offering of braised duck leg meat stirred with pâté and crisped just before serving. Entrées hit all the high marks, from coq au vin and grilled beef steak with green peppercorns to roasted rabbit loin and crispy skate wing, plus a seafood bonanza platter with lobster, oysters, clams and shrimp. But our favorite will always be the choucroute “en croute,” a dish of flaky pastry, pork, sauerkraut and seasonings baked until just fragrant, and ready to devour. Wiedmaier is renowned for his desserts, but none can trump his caramel-rich pear tarte Tatin, a triumph of sweetness over calories. On the other hand, wouldn’t a wedge of caramel cheesecake satisfy the inner glutton? And to top it all, check out the 100 or so Belgian beers on hand.
Partner-Chef Brian McBride
Brian McBride, a Newark native, landed his first job as a chef at the Empress Room at the Hyatt in Cambridge, then at the cutting edge of the hot trend that became known as Asian Fusion. After a while, his career with Hyatt brought him to London. A brief break from Hyatt for 3 years found him working in Cuernavaca, Mexico at Las Mañanitas, a Relais & Châteaux property, creating authentic Mexican cuisine. Returning to the Hyatt, he opened The Park Hyatt Washington, DC in 1986 - and stayed on for 26 years, the last 20 of which he served as executive chef, overseeing food service throughout the hotel. He created the celebrated Blue Duck Tavern that took Washington by storm.
For over the course of all those years, he formed a close bond with fellow chef Robert Wiedmaier, whose career paralleled his own in the Washington hotel world before Wiedmaier opened Marcel's, the #1 restaurant in town, according to Zagat. The friendly rivalry between Marcel's and Blue Duck Tavern for top spot melted away in 2011, when Brian McBride joined Robert Wiedmaier as Partner-Chef.
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