Rant: Enjoying Doggy-Style in Bordeaux

Last evening in Bordeaux, I enjoyed some doggy-style at dinner and think many of my readers would have enjoyed it as well.

As part of a press trip sponsored by Planète Bordeaux, I came to Bordeaux yesterday and will be here until Friday.  Last night, we dined at Château Sainte Barbe and also met Laetitia Mauriac of Chateau la Levrette (pictured above on the far right). We tasted a few of their wines, including their White, Red and Clairet. 

The White, made of 100% Sauvignon Blanc, was intriguing, especially as it had been fermented in a barrel. It was unlike most other Sauvignon Blancs, which I very much enjoyed. The Red, a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, had delicious fruit flavors with a spicy backbone, while the Clairet, using the same two grapes was much more spice dominant. None of these are expensive wines, and seem to offer a good value for Bordeaux wines.

Check out their wine label, which is simple with a silhouette of a greyhound. The name of their chateau, "levrette" is a French word which means "greyhound" and they wanted these wines to emulate the qualities of the greyhound, its nobility, loyalty and grace. In the U.S., this would be a compelling story and a number of people would buy the wine merely for the picture of a dog on the label. This certainly would not be a controversial wine.

But, in France, it is another matter as "levrette" has an additional, and more provocative meaning. It also refers to the sexual position of "doggy-style," something which would be evident to most French speakers, but which would go over the heads of English speakers. So, you could ask someone to enjoy some doggy-style with you, and only be referring to some wine.

But should such names be permitted on wine labels?  We know the U.S. TTB closely regulates what can appear on a wine label so would they permit a label that merely stated "doggy-style" in English? I think that would be difficult to get past them. Though you will find other suggestive labels that have been allowed from Menage a Trois to Foreplay. So maybe this label could slide by the TTB. I am sure some of the more prudish wine drinkers may frown upon such labels, but I think "levrette" was a clever double entendre. Sure, it was intended to be provocative but the wine inside the bottle was good, so this was not merely some marketing stunt, intended to sell inferior juice.

Kudos to Laetitia Mauriac of Chateau la Levrette!

What are your thoughts on their label?

Japanese for Saké Lovers

Saké can be intimidating because of all the "strange" terminology, the Japanese terms of which many people are unfamiliar. On my blog, I have tried to help demystify this terminology, explaining the definitions of these words. I have also presented additional resources that will assist you in that regard.

But another obstacle still stands. Ok, you may know the meanings of these Japanese terms but that is not enough. How do you correctly pronounce them? You would like to order Saké at a restaurant but you don't want to sound foolish. Help is now here.

John Gauntner, the famed Saké expert and "Saké Dendoushi" ("Saké Evangelist"), has created Japanese for Saké Lovers ($9.99), a short text file and three audio files that will teach you how to pronounce many Saké-related terms and phrases. I purchased it, hoping to hone my own pronunciation skills.

The fourteen-page text file begins with "The Basics of Pronunciation of the Japanese Language." This section provides some theory behind pronunciation, as well as how certain letters and letter groups are pronounced. This part will give you some valuable tips, that may help you pronounce other Japanese words that are not in this text. The other sections provide the list of words that are in the audio files. There is an Appendix too, providing a chart of the basic hiragana symbols, one of the Japanese forms of phonetics.

The first audio file has a list of 46 items, including Saké grades, rice names, and other terms. The second audio file contains 62 Saké brand names and the third file contains 29 useful phrases and sentences, especially when ordering Saké. The voice in the audio is a native, female speaker and she repeats each word three times in the first audio file, and twice in the other two files. There is no explantion for the difference in the number of repeats.

I found these files to be very helpful, especially the file of useful phrases such as "Please show me the sake menu" and “What ginjō do you carry?” The files are certainly easy to use, and cover plenty of Saké-related terms. Most Saké books do not contain a pronunciation guide to all of these terms. At best, you might find a few pronunciations provided, but with no explanation for the reasons why. You'll gain more confidence when you feel more secure pronouncing these words, and another obstacle to your enjoyment of Saké will have fallen.

Are You A Deipnosophist?

I have a fascination with the origins of words, as well as with unusual words. It amazes me the source of some words, the intricate path they follow to our current language. It can be interesting to see what certain words mean, or at least their original meaning.

That is why I recently purchased The Dord, The Diglot, and an Avocado or Two by Anu Garg. It is a fascinating book about the origin of a wide variety of words, including an entire chapter on food-related words.

Are you a deipnosophist? You probably would like to be one because it means a "good conversationalist at meals." Who doesn't want to be able to speak well at dinner? The term derives from two Greek words, deipon ("meal") and sophist (wise or clever man").

Have you heard of aristology? It has nothing to do with your sign or the stars (that is astrology). Instead, it means the "art or science of dining." It is another word that derives from two Greek words, ariston ("breakfast or lunch") and logy ("science or study").

Did you know the origin of the term avocado? It originally comes from the Aztec language Nahuatl where the term was ahuacatl, which means "testicle" as that is what they felt the shape of the avocado resembled. The Spanish adopted the word but changed it to aguacate. And that came down to us as avacado.

The cantaloupe melon derives its name from a papal villa, Cantalupo, located near Rome, where the melons were first grown in Europe.

Macadamia nuts were named after John Macadam, an Australian chemist of the 19th century.

For much more of these fun facts, check out this book.

Itadakimasu or Let's Eat

Itadakimasu!

Pronounced "ee-tah-dah-ki-MAHS," this word is traditionally used to begin meals in Japan. It is somewhat akin to "let's eat" or "bon appétit." The term has an ancient origin and may have originated with Buddhists. It is supposed to mean "I receive" or "I humbly receive the gift of this food." This is an expression of thanks to everyone who contributed to making the meal, from the farmers to the cooks.

But it seems that "itadakimasu" may more literally translate as "I take your life." This refers to how animals and plants are sacrificed for our meals, and the term is an expression of gratitude for their sacrifice. Yet this meaning seems to have been largely forgotten, especially as people have become more and more removed from the source of their food. Maybe we need to return to those roots.

Let us step back and think more about the sources of our food. Let us consider where our meat, fruit and vegetables come from. This can lead to many different issues, from sustainability to factory farms. Too many of us are deaf, dumb and blind to the sources of our food. Let us open our senses and seek to educate ourselves.

I will soon be addressing some of these issues on my blog, especially as I have been reading several books dedicated to these matters. Won't you join me on my journey?