All posts tagged Niagara

Post Gourmet Era

by Kato on August 14, 2010 in Travel Notes with No comments

In case you haven’t noticed we’re in the post-gourmet era. We have graduated from Haute Cuisine/French Cuisine/Californian Cuisine, Nouvelle Cuisine/Fusion Cuisine, etc, and now we’re ready to embrace the Europeans love of Rustic. Good ingredients simply prepared and enjoyed in everyday surroundings. We’re ready for a little roughness, quirkyness and other stuff that satisfies the soul as well as the belly. At last, we’re ready to lighten up.

Charcuterie Cafés, Gastro Pubs and BBQ Pits are all the rage in Toronto, and Niagara’s Flat Rock Winery has gone a step further with a Gastro Truck. Tacos, tapas, Asian dishes, and garden fresh salads are dished up at the window by a professional chef. All part of the message that good food and fun can coexist. Read more about the truck here.

www.flatrockcellars.com

Terrific Cab Franc from Strewn

by Kato on November 25, 2009 in Travel Notes, Wine Picks with No comments

cabfrancSTREWNHere’s a terrific $30 red. But it’s not for everyone. Strewn 07 Cabernet Franc is crafted in a very dry style of traditional Bordeaux or Chianti. Rustic and gutsy, as opposed to rich and smooth. A classic food partner for roasted or grilled meats – working harder to flatter food more than you. Suggests a little formality. Maybe decant.

Strewn produced several other $30 reds from the 07 vintage but none have the assured quality of the Cab Franc. Which is Ontario wine at its finest – a bit reserved and more dinner table than party time.

Strewn 07 Cabernet Franc, VQA Niagara only at the winery $32
strewnwinery.com

Stratus Gamay

by Kato on November 16, 2009 in Travel Notes, Wine Picks with No comments

-1More Expensive Local Wine

My recent recommendations have consisted of super-cheap and super-expensive wines, and this might confuse those who see me as the cheap ‘n cheerful wine guy. Wrong. I’ve always maintained that if there was merit in a pricey wine, I’d be delighted to recommend it. So here’s another one – the 07 Gamay from Stratus in Niagara.

Gamay is the Beaujolais grape but this is a blockbuster that more closely resembles reds from the Rhône or even Rioja. Amazing flavours and difficult  to pin down as it keeps wandering between lush, earthy, exotic and gamey. A great show that will reward those who give it another six months for the flavours to jell.

Stratus 07 Gamay VQA Nigara-on-the-Lake, ON  ($29. winery only)
www.stratuswines.com

Wonderful Chardonnay from Tawse

by Kato on November 14, 2009 in Travel Notes, Wine Picks with No comments

quarry-roadLet me tell you a little bit about Tawse winery. Moray Tawse is a lover of Burgundy and a few years ago he started a Niagara winery (in the Beamsville area) to create exciting Pinot and Chardonnay. The Pinot side is doing well, but the Chardonnay is really hitting the high spots. Not everyday priced of course, but the Tawse wines deliver more character than just about any Chardonnay at this price level. Expect the Burgundy style – very concentrated and tangy dry.

The Robyn’s Block 2007 ($42 winery only – new release) is very French. You can feel the richness and specialness right away but the flavour show is orchestrated to happen later. A brisk, tart freshness gets the show off to a good start. I’d have white meat dishes with this. Tawse ‘Quarry Road’ ($35 winery only, and also very limited future distribution at a few select LCBOs) is more earthy and tangy dry. There’s an edge and mineral quality that suggests Grand Cru Chablis. A classic wine partner for seafood.

FYI: 2006 Robyn’s Block Chard will soon be released through Vintages (only 28 cases) and everything else is sold out.

P.S. Tawse vineyards are organic and biodynamic. While the place is a bit formal, there’s no denying the stunning quality achieved in a relatively short period.

www.tawsewinery.ca

The Best Summer Day Sipper!

by Kato on August 18, 2009 in Wine Picks with No comments

vinelandrieslingI’ve had a hundred summer whites so it’s time to name a favourite. Mine and friends. The white wine that has made most people happy is a semi-dry Niagara Riesling from Vineland. It pulls off the trick of being both yummy, fruity and refreshing. There is a vitality and a charm that echoes the joyful feeling of summers days. Guaranteed to make you glad you took the day off! How great is that!

This winery has never compromised the tart nature of Riesling so when their label says semi-dry, they really mean ‘normal’ dryness. Weighing in at only nine percent alcohol this is one of the gems in local wine for the summer season.
However, a screw cap would be handy. A brighter package is already in the works.

Vineland 08 Semi-Dry Riesling, VQA Niagara 232033 $13.95

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