Restaurants: locavore food, foreign wine--a conflict?

[Jenise]

An article/opinion piece on the The Daily Beast, by one Todd Kliman, wonders aloud about just how righteous locavorian restaurants, like Manhattan's Blue Hill which takes pride in procuring all ingredients from within a 250 mile radius, can be if the wine list includes European wines.

Does he have a point? Let's discuss.


Here's the article:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-07-08/american-wine-and-locavore-movement-by-todd-kliman-author-the-wild-vine/?cid=cs:topnav:hungryb

[David M. Bueker]

Of course he has a point if you like to live in a world of absolutes. What a joyless world that can be.

[Robin Garr]

Strangely enough, I turned out a 300-word wine mini-column for one of my gigs in our local alt-weekly today in which I address that exact issue. This is pre-publication, so please no cross-posting elsewhere ...

I'm a locavore. I like to keep my carbon footprint as tiny as I reasonably can, and I'm down with supporting local farmers.

I'm a regular at the farmers' markets, and during the growing season, most of our produce comes from regional farms or our own garden.

Meat? Poultry? We've sworn off industrial product. If I can't get natural, humanely raised beef, pork, lamb or chicken from a Kentucky or Indiana farmer, I'm not going to dine on tasty animals at all. Ditto free-range eggs.

So how about local wine? We've got plenty of small-farm wineries around the region nowadays, so it's as easy to swear off long-distance vino as it is to cut back on food miles. Right, Mr. Critic? right?

Erm. Well. Uhhhh. Pardon me while I blush.

Here's my story, and I'm sticking to it: Although I'll pick up a bottle of Kentucky or Indiana wine for an occasional change of pace, I'm not going to commit to this for the same reasons why I don't buy local coconuts or bananas.

Some agricultural products - and wine, after all, comes from grape farmers - don't show their best in the Ohio Valley's four-season climate.

Tomatoes and green peppers may thrive in our long, stormy, muggy summers, but grapevines really want to live somewhere like Napa Valley or Tuscany: A mild, Mediterranean climate that brings neither killing freezes nor humid summer days.

Look on wine as we do cheese: Capriole Farm makes outstanding cheeses here, but it would be self-sacrificing foolishness to forswear the great cheeses of France - or California. Kentucky's Smith-Berry Winery makes interesting wines, too. I'll enjoy them now and then. But they don't inspire me to give up wine from Napa, or Tuscany, or the world's other great wine zones.

Now, that being said, the Daily Beast guy does have a point when a restaurant (1) brags about its farm-to-table cuisine, (2) is situated in a region - New York and Michigan being pretty good examples, Virginia a little less so - where some wine is being made in quantity at a high quality level, and (3) doesn't put on any local wines at all. But strict locavore to the exclusion of great product from the rest of the world? It works for meat and veggies, where terroir and grand-master production skills don't make much difference. Wine and cheese, not so much.

Scroll down to the comments to the answer from an owner of Restaurant Eve. Unbelievable that the author took potshots at restaurants on this issue and didn't call them for their take about it. Not exactly impressive journalism.

I just looked at the list at Blue Hill at Stone Barns (I can't read the one from city, maybe a font my pdf has trouble with). Indeed, it's heavily European , with an emphasis on Burgundy, but lots of German and Austrian wines, too. But.....there are about a dozen NY wines, including at least one example in every category of the by the glass list - sparkling, white, rose, red, and dessert. I'd guess that is far better than most NY restaurants. Most of the European wines on regular list probably sell a bottle a week (or less for the more expensive ones), while I'm sure the Macari, Weimer, Schneider, etc sell more than a case a week.

This reminds me of those who whine that the Slanted Door doesn't have their beloved Turley zins.

The author does have a point... up to a point. Firstly, the notion that the carbon footprint of imported wine is de facto greater than that of domestic is far from universal owing to the greater efficiencies of transport by ship vs. truck. See Dr. Vino's analysis for details. Moreover, production quantities and stylistic match with food (e.g. Slanted Door's position) must weigh into the decision of where to get one's wine from.

Mark Lipton

There is huge difference sourcing your produce, meats/poultry/fish as locally as possible versus wines, beer and even olive oils. I am a Locavore; wanting fresh foods that are grown in local soils, meats sourced from local ranches, because we have them near-by. Same with olive oils, and beer that comes from locally grown crops just 80 minutes from here. We have vineyards too, and I do buy local wines. I do not hesitate to buy other wines from Australia, New Zealand, and Portugal. Wine does not come to us fresh picked, out of the soil. I have not seen a definition of 'Locavore" to say one who will only consume local wines. Isn't is a bit silly to assume that all regions of the world can be self sustaining with totally local foods and drink? I still believe, "all things in moderation" and that applies to my buying habits. Local, when possible. When not, get the next best you can find from a trusted source.

Of course he has a point if you like to live in a world of absolutes. What a joyless world that can be.

Very fair comment. I like sound and *genuine aspirations rather than rigid dogma. Seems sensible though to offer some local wines to appeal to those that are fully bought in to the local food mentality.

There is also added complexity in the relative impacts of shipping vs. trucking, without even getting into locally made computer, phones, toilet roll, glasses etc.

regards

Ian

* i.e. without involvement of a marketing department or ad agency

(2) is situated in a region - New York and Michigan being pretty good examples, Virginia a little less so - where some wine is being made in quantity at a high quality level

Not sure what you had in mind and sorry for the thread drift but there is little in New York (excluding Herman Wiemer) that I like as much as Linden Vineyards, Barboursville, and Boxwood. I have only had one Michigan wine in the past decade so no comment on them. There are a number of wineries in VA that not on the same level as the ones mentioned above, are putting out solid lineups of wines. Additionally, VA has shown that it can produce high quality red, white, rose, and desert wines. Not sure that can be said for the Michigan.

I tend to the locavorian, but am certainly not an obligate locavore, and frankly find people that are, and like to talk about it, akin to the temperance crowd - an inhibition to good digestion.

Being locavore is never an absolute with restaurants. They are in the business of meeting their customer's expectations and making money. If it is possible to procure great ingredients to cook great food, then locavore is sensisble. If the level of cooking demands equal caliber wines, it is not realistic to serve only Hudson Valley and Connecticut wines.

Another point... If you want to serve local produce in NY during winter, the menu is going to be pretty restrictive and may require a lot of canning. I suspect that locavore is a guideline, not an absolute.

I am not a locavore. I'm not even really sure what the word means exactly, but it certainly gets used a lot lately. Instead, we try and judge every food on its merits. We do try and buy Australian produce wherever possible, but sometimes it's neither viable nor affordable. For example, we love berries, and can buy frozen berries from Chile for about a quarter of the price of fresh berries here. And I couldn't survive without my Chinese sauces, my Portuguese ports, my NZ sav blancs, my Belgian chocolate (no locavore alternative to that at all here) or my French and Italian cheeses.

On the other hand, I haven't been on a plane in three years and all our electricity comes from 100% green sources. I guess it's swings and roundabouts - we all do whatever we can.

Is it possible to know where the salami came from on last night's pizza? Did that chicken in the Malaysian curry from the takeaway really roam free-range within a specified distance from home? Are almonds forever off the menu because they're not grown in the state? I'd love to know how strict locavores deal with all this - can you continue to eat out at restaurants?

[Jenise]

I am not a locavore. I'm not even really sure what the word means exactly, but it certainly gets used a lot lately. Instead, we try and judge every food on its merits. We do try and buy Australian produce wherever possible, but sometimes it's neither viable nor affordable.

Well, exactly. Paradise isn't big enough for everybody. We can't stuff all the world's inhabitants into Kentucky, Provence and Santa Barbara (Bernie, can we all move in with you?).

Long before I ever heard the term "locavore" I strove to buy my books from the independent book seller and my nails from the independent hardware store whose families had been supplying my community long before anyone dreamed up the big box concept of chain retail. And never mind that I've moved around a bit--I've always craved a Mayberry kind of existence, so newly arrived I would go out of my way to find the small family retailers to support with my business. Locavore-ishness is a logical extension of that, but it was about community with me before it was ever about foodmiles. 'Foodmiles' just adds another layer of satisfaction when I *can* buy from a friend or neighbor and difficulty because spoiled little bitch that I am, there are just a few things I'm not willing to do without now.

But this was about restaurants and foreign wines. I really don't have a problem with it, as Bernie said, it's still business. I have a bigger problem with Gwyneth Paltrow thinking she's an eco warrior for sitting there on my television set telling me she always turns off the water when she brushes her teeth and I should too, and then seeing pictures of her in Dubai where she's been flown by private jet to make a 20 minute appearance at the opening of some sheik's gold and diamond-crusted hotel. In a dress she'll only wear once. Likewise, when all of Blue Hill's customers start arriving on foot or by Prius instead of private jets and gas-hog limousines, then perhaps I'd be thinking their wine list a bit two-faced, but as it is I'm not bothered, nor do I think the international wine list lessens the impact of what they accomplish with the food.

Well, exactly. Paradise isn't big enough for everybody.

Thanks, Jenise, for my first chuckle of the day.
BTW, I agreed with the rest of your statement as well.

JB

brian - the same can most definitly be said for michigan

FWIW - On a few occasions I've suggested local wines as the monthly topic for Wine Focus, but everyone seems to give it a thumbs down.

Well, exactly. Paradise isn't big enough for everybody.

Thanks, Jenise, for my first chuckle of the day.
BTW, I agreed with the rest of your statement as well.

JB

Furthermore, there is no such thing as Paradise......you must create your own little bit of Paradise where ever it is you happen to be, and for however long.

brian - the same can most definitly be said for michigan

Thanks. I was under the mistaken impression that Michigan only produced white wine of quality and not red.

I am not a locavore. I'm not even really sure what the word means exactly, but it certainly gets used a lot lately. Instead, we try and judge every food on its merits. We do try and buy Australian produce wherever possible, but sometimes it's neither viable nor affordable.

Well, exactly. Paradise isn't big enough for everybody. We can't stuff all the world's inhabitants into Kentucky, Provence and Santa Barbara (Bernie, can we all move in with you?).

Long before I ever heard the term "locavore" I strove to buy my books from the independent book seller and my nails from the independent hardware store whose families had been supplying my community long before anyone dreamed up the big box concept of chain retail. And never mind that I've moved around a bit--I've always craved a Mayberry kind of existence, so newly arrived I would go out of my way to find the small family retailers to support with my business. Locavore-ishness is a logical extension of that, but it was about community with me before it was ever about foodmiles. 'Foodmiles' just adds another layer of satisfaction when I *can* buy from a friend or neighbor and difficulty because spoiled little bitch that I am, there are just a few things I'm not willing to do without now.

But this was about restaurants and foreign wines. I really don't have a problem with it, as Bernie said, it's still business. I have a bigger problem with Gwyneth Paltrow thinking she's an eco warrior for sitting there on my television set telling me she always turns off the water when she brushes her teeth and I should too, and then seeing pictures of her in Dubai where she's been flown by private jet to make a 20 minute appearance at the opening of some sheik's gold and diamond-crusted hotel. In a dress she'll only wear once. Likewise, when all of Blue Hill's customers start arriving on foot or by Prius instead of private jets and gas-hog limousines, then perhaps I'd be thinking their wine list a bit two-faced, but as it is I'm not bothered, nor do I think the international wine list lessens the impact of what they accomplish with the food.

Well put, Jenise! Thank you. Sorry to have waivered off-topic a bit...

This is a fascinating topic, I feel.

I very much agreed with the comment that someone who prides themselves on eating at a restaurant which sources their products locally (I can't bring myself to use the disgusting word - for all that it's useful - but mixed language derivations bring me out in spots - what's the greek for local? Did the concept even exist - xenophobe? perhaps) while living a lifestyle that is otherwise hugely wasteful of natural resources is guilty at best of self delusion and at worst of gross hypocrisy.

I'm lucky enough to live in an area where we have a wide range of excellent local produce. So I buy my strawberries from Claudine David 11km down the road, my pork from Régis Balat about 20 km away and so on. But if the quality wasn't there, I'd still buy top quality produce, no matter where it came from. I'm not going to buy muck, just because it's local muck. As for wine we're also lucky. I can get really good value Bergerac from a top grower who is less than 150 kms from us, and go on a buying trip once or twice a year to get it. In fact this is a good illustration. We have a good local wine "Côteaux de Glanes" at €4 or so a bottle. I can pick that up from the grower at a local market (18 km away). His son also makes a local Quercy wine which he sells in wine boxes, which is less good, though still perfectly drinkable - at about €1.75 (I'll not insult you by assuming you need these prices and volumes converted into local currencies/measures) a litre. However, the wine I serve is significantly better than these two - at <€2 a litre, if I collect it. So I do. However, my car runs on diesel and has a consumption of about 5.5 litres/100km. So I burn roughly 16.5 litres of diesel for the return journey. However, at the same time I visit four or five other vintners and buy wines from them too and I have a good day out.

However, I am bound to say that I fear that in any case, all our efforts are too little too late. Had people listened to the prophets in the 60s, warning of the dangers of over population, over consumption and so on, then we might have had a chance, but I don't believe - not for one moment - that any government, with the possible exception of China - is prepared to impose the draconian changes needed to reverse the present trends.

But I'll continue to source what I can locally, encourage the restaurants I go to to do the same, and speak to my clients - if they are interested - about the issues. It won't do any harm and I'll probably eat the better and more healthily for it. But I'm not kidding myself that it has any significant effect on anything.

We were among the first "locavore" restaurants when we opened Mudd's in 1981. Of course it was an easier task in San Ramon CA than it would have been in many other places. We were also local with our wines - 150 mile radius. If you check that radius you'll see we had a pretty good selection. (I will confess to popping the occasional Veuve Clicquot in the back room).

It is possible to be a locavore up here, but to do so you have to have a large freezer to carry one over our long winter. As you could well imagine local meats are quite expensive, tho not entirely out of reach. Veggies are no problem. Wine is a bit of a problem. Don't mean to put down our locals, as a good handful of them put out some nice stuff; but it is far from covering the waterfront. Even expanding our locavore to all of Northern New England and what New Yorkers call the "North Country" to stretch and include the FL, it is hard to find that full bodied red you want to go with lamb stew in January.