[Leica] IMG: An Explanation

[imra at iol.ie (Douglas Barry)]

An Explanation...
...on a point of importance - either food or wine.
Private room, Logis de la Cadene, Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, France.
Fuji X100S
See large

http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/DouglasBray/Bordeaux2014_St-Emilion_The+Explanation_Logis+de+la+Cadene.jpg.html

A bit of background...
I'd add that this is a wonderful restaurant which is deserving of a Michelin
star. Its chef Alexandre Baumard is certainly striving for it and some of
our group - the Compagnons de Bordeaux with some of our wives - went here on
the first night over. The restaurant is now owned by the Bo?ard de Laforest
family who own Chateau Angelus which we've visited in the past.

The purpose of the Compagnons is to appreciate fine wine and good food, and
there are forty of us. We keep over one hundred cases of our own wine which
we drink at our Irish dinners over each year. Some of us have been coming to
Bordeaux to visit wineries at the better chateaux and eat at some of the
nicer restaurants for the past number of years. Six of the group did not eat
here that night, but went to the more famous Hostellerie de Plaisance around
the corner.

Myself and the rest of the Cadene group had eaten in HdP before on a few
occasions, so wanted to try something different. Besides, HdP had lost its
two star Michelin chef Philippe Etchebest and our six "renegades" were a
little disappointed with what they got for their money - it's very pricey
and, dare I say it, maybe is living on past honours. All of us regrouped and
ate at Cadene again on the last night. The six who didn't before were very
impressed.

As for the photography, it's very difficult to take good quality photographs
when the main purpose of the visit is to learn about the way each chateau
approaches its winemaking, and also to enjoy wines, food, and company. I
find it very hard to zone out of that mode to take good images given these
challenges, not to mention the multiple locations, dark cellars, and
everything else these visits throw at you - hangovers particularly!

I have to suffer for my art....

Douglas