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CHECK
OUT WISH
WISH magazine
features a monthly wine article by Billy's Best Bottles
based on WINE BY MOOD. This is a FAB Canadian magazine,
beautifully designed with shopping, food and fashion
sections. For the modern Canadian woman....or metrosexual!
Get
on it and subscribe. Latest Wine by Mood article here.
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THE
GREAT MALIVOIRE LUNCH
One of my favourite luncheon tastings of the year is when
Martin Malivoire brings a case of his new wines to
Gamelle restaurant. I love the Parisienne feeling
in this tiny restaurant and when Owner Jean-Pierre starts crowding the table
with a little this and that, I have to admit I’m tasting something French
in the Malivoire wines. Which suits me fine as I’ve always maintained
that the model for Ontario wine is France (and Italy).
Malivoire’s vineyards are Federally certified organic. The portfolio is
loosely built around Burgundian grapes and the winery is following the role model
that makes sense for a small to medium sized Niagara winery – craft medium
to expensive wines with as much individual character as possible. Be an alternative
to imports at $15 to $35.
We start with oysters and the 07 Melon (Muscadet) ($20) which is high class simplicity.
Excellent aperitif wine that will be available in half bottles.
For all round
drinkability the star white is 06 Pinot Grigio ($18). Fruity, fresh and friendly.
Malivoire is very committed to dry Rosé and the 06 ‘Ladybug’ ($16),
was a hit with a platter of shaved chorizo?? Every bottle I had this summer was
a hit with whatever food was on the table. For late Sunday afternoon sipping
I highly recommend Malivoire’s slightly sweet and seductive 06
Gewurztraminer ($26).
Breakfast drinkers should get the Chardonnay Musque ($22)
made in the
Moscato, low alcohol style. The 06 Chardonnay ($22
at
LCBO 573147) is fresh, lean, classy and suited to summer aperitif or a patio
lunch. Moira Vineyard 05
Chardonnay ($40) is the big rich Burgundian.
Started into the REDS with my favourite, the 05 Gamay ($16). A red that’s
good with almost anything, especially in summer. I’d like to see more wineries
following Malivoire’s lead with Gamay. Pinot is Martin’s baby and
the 05 ($32) is very characterful with a mix of tasty fruit and an earthy/gamey
character – perfect Pinot. It’s crying out for grilled meat and good
company. Moira Vineyard 05 Pinot ($42) is naturally more intense, and seductive.
For the Pinot-at-any price fan.
All these wines can be shipped. Why not try a mixed case, or get introduced to
Malivoire with Pinot Grigio, Gamay and Rosé.
905-563-9253 www.malivoire.com
And take your sweetie to GAMELLE for Valentines. You’ll get excellent wine
service from the young Basque, John.
www.gamelle.com
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DISCLOSING
INGREDIENTS & FLAVOURINGS ON WINE LABELS
I think it’s only a matter of time till wine, and all drinks, will have
to disclose ingredients. The consumer is entitled to know what’s in a drink.
It will be interesting to see if wine’s contact with oak barrels or oak
chips will be considered an ingredient! Is a flavouring an ingredient?
Bonny Doon Winery (California) has just announced that it will list ingredients
starting with its 2007 wines. This might be a bit of a publicity stunt (at which
Bonny Doon are masters)but owner Randall Grahm says it is primarily an internal
discipline, and hopes others in the industry will also try for more natural wines.
Flavourings may not be the issue here
but I have been asked to comment on my recent statement that
most best selling wines are flavoured. Generally speaking
the bigger the brand the more likely it has been flavoured. Flavourings are not
necessarily bad or harmful (in small doses) – they just make inexpensive
ingredients taste better. A lot like fast food. If you can tell the difference
between processed soup and homemade, you will be able to spot doctored wine.
A rush of sweetness and the perfume of vanilla are the most common wine flavourings.
Of all the wines out there Chardonnay and Shiraz are the most doctored because
these wines appeal to folks who like a big show, and it's easiest to hide stuff
in a big show. You cannot doctor Dry Riesling. |
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MY
RANT ABOUT RATING WINE BY SCORES
The February 2nd Vintages release
features an article on the 100 point scoring system along with several selections
to try. Most of you will know that I find wine scoring
to be terribly misleading and a bit of an ego trip for the critic. Its greatest
flaw is it assumes that pleasure comes soley from the wine with no thought for
context or mood.Just about all high scoring wines are super rich, a bit
serious and totally inappropriate for most of life's drinking and social occasions.
Wines that account for most of our fun times usually score in the 75 to 85 range.
But the consumer is reluctant to buy something at this level as the score suggests
mediocrity.
Wine, or anything for that matter, can only be good at or for something – it
can't just be good in itself. Wine scoring fosters the belief that highly ranked
wines give more pleasure, and nothing could be further from the truth. Unless
all your purchases in life are trophys, then you must buy 95 plus scored wines.
Wine scoring is an American invention and the writers who use it seem to have
very strong American sensibilities. They love comfort, softness, richness and
sweetness, and all things obvious. They dislike any form of challenge, adventure
or mystery. If you would like to sample a couple of 90 point wines by America's
most celebrate wine critic, Robert Parker Jr, try the following: Maxwell Four
Roads Shiraz (57000 $21.90 page 10 in the catalogue) and Pillar Box Red (685941
$17.40 page 9). Both drinks seem to be modeled on Port, and are more closely
related to chocolate than wine.
My pet boring/hate wine in this release is Bodega Cyan '12 Messes' Toro, Spain
(66936 $16.75 page 17) a 90 pointer by Jay Miller (an associate of Parker). It's
a big, chunky, awkward brute. Shades of a really bad monster home.
There is, however, a way that wine scores could be useful: if they were accompanied
by a category and context. For example, Wine X score 92 – a rustic, bistro-style
red for enjoying with hearty foods and good friends. Wine Y score 96 – a
marvelous thirst-quencher for an alfresco aperitif before a smart, summer dinner.
What do YOU think? Would love to hear from you.Email me!
PLANTATREE WINES!
The IRONSTONE WINERY from California recently launched
a line of plastic bottle wines at the LCBO under the brand
name of Plantatree. This is another environmental pitch
to
wine drinkers – Tree Canada will receive $2.50 from
your purchase and plant a tree. Is this environmentally
friendly, commercially savvy, or both? You decide how to
spend your
$14.95. I found both reds to be very plain but the fruity/sweet
Chardonnay would be popular for party gulping.
DEVELOPING
DIFFERENCES
As you are probably aware there is not a whole lot of difference between wines
from the newer wine countries. Especially the reds which seem to be crafted to
a common palate, a prototype – yummy and rich. Traditional reds of Europe
are more distinctive because they had the luxury of being able to take generations
to find their own style. Whereas today’s Aussie or Chilean winemakers are
under pressure to please a global market. |
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Those
who say there aren’t enough hours in the day must
be going to bed too early.
from a smart new ad from Jackson-Triggs |
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Billy’s
Weekly Wine Tip: THE CELLAR IS DEAD
Cellaring is an old practice
from the days when wine was undrinkable early in life
due to crude manufacturing and lack of vineyard management.
Today, ninety-nine-percent of wine is ready to drink
when it hits the shelf. Your purchases will not improve
if cellared. Sure there are a few $25+ wines that need
more time to evolve but why bother when you can live
a very full wine life without these. And have you noticed
that cellar owners tend to become collectors rather
than drinkers. They sit on wine till it goes over the
hill – because their events and friends are never
worthy of it. Everyone loses out. Remember it’s
much less of a tragedy to drink a wine too young than
too old.
The other assumption with cellaring is the belief that everyone will enjoy
mature-tasting red wines. These tend to have flavours and feelings suggesting
an old mens club – faded leather, cigars and roast beef. WEINERT
CAB in the Saturday, January 19th Vintages
release is a great example of a mature red (tastes a lot older than the
year on the label). Check it out. WEINERT 2000 Cabernet
Sauvignon, Mendoza, Argentina. (656363 $16.85)
Billy's
Weekly Wine Tip: GO BEYOND NICE
While easy drinking wines provide
comfort, it’s the challenging ones that keep
us stimulated. Tension is an important emotion in wine,
as it is in music. Red Italian wines have always been
deliberately out of balance – bitter and tense,
and need a partner to create balance. When you bring
food to the scene there is a beautiful harmony. You
create something more exciting than if you took the
nice and safe route. |
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STARDOM
AT LAST
Page 24 of the Indigo/Chapters holiday
catalog features Billy’s
Best Bottles Wines for 2008 in the company
of other starving artists such as the Beatles, Eric Clapton
and Bruce Springsteen. Not
bad company!
"Hip, yet unpretentious and totally user-friendly: Canadian grape savant
Billy Munnelly strikes again." |
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THE
NEXT HOT WINE ACCESSORY
It’s called a WINESKIN. Not the old edition,
this is a bubble wrap container to protect and seal the bottle (in case of breakage)
you put in your
airline
suitcase.
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THE
REAL (Italian) DEAL
There is nothing more Italian than
homemade sausages and if you want to try the real thing meet
my friend ANGELO BEAN 416.427.4053
or email angelo@angelobean.com
Buy his BACO NOIR and ONTARIO RIESLING SAUSAGES at:
Cheese Boutique 45 Ripley Ave., Toronto 416.762.6292
Viva Tasting 409 College Street, Toronto 416.506.0054
Continetnal Noodles at Jane/Lawrence 416.249.4022 or in Woodbridge 905.851.5161
Florence Meat Supply in
Oakville 905.842.2066 |
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| If
you're strolling KENNSINGTON MARKET some
night, pop by the newly opened TAPAS SPANISH BAR in
the basement of TORITO. This
place makes you think you're in Europe. Good food
– earthy and non-precious – and wine from all areas of
Spain. Open Thursday to Saturday night, though the restaurant
above
is open Tuesday through Saturday. 276
Augusta, at College in Kennsington Market. 647.436.5874 |
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BEST
KEPT SECRET FOR FOODIES
Harbord Street is semi-famous for its restaurants such
as elegant Splendido and modern bistro Messis. But the
best kept secret is a café/patisserie
called DESSERT TRENDS.
Located in a handsome building on the corner of Brunswick, it is an oasis
of calmness and serenity with an Eastern aesthetic that is as joyful as
the face of owner/Olympic chef, Don Doung. Go and enjoy very good espresso
and croissants, perhaps the best almond croissant in the city. Soups, salads
and sandwiches are tasty works of art, as are the desserts, homemade ice
cream, wedding cakes and food products to go. Fantastic! There is care
in every detail,
even
the washrooms. Closed Mondays. Now open for Dinner Wednesday to Saturday.
Wine coming soon I hope.
Dessert Trends,154 Harbord
Street, Toronto
www.desserttrends.ca
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ONTARIO
REPORT
As you may have noticed, fruit
wineries have popped up all over the province, and
some of these are now making grape wine too. "Thanks
to Minnesota, and their winter hardy grape varieties,
we are now looking at a new wine route in southern
Ontario – Highway 401."
Local
wine expert Larry
Patterson recently organized a tasting of off-the-beaten-track
wines, and it did a lot to prove his point. I didn't
have time to do justice to what was offered but I urge
you to explore this new outer realm of Ontario wine..
.such as Neil and Gwen Lamont's 'COFFIN RIDGE WINERY'
in Meaford where you'll meet 'Into the light White' and
'Back from the Dead Red'. How can you resist? www.coffinridge.ca 519.371.9871 |
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GET
YOUR GOAT
This
season FEATHERSTONE Vineyard is trying something new
and unique in the Niagara wine industry by 'employing'
a small flock of sheep to eat their way through the
grape leaves that need to be removed from the fruiting
zone
on the vines. Winemaker David Johnson recently spent
eight weeks in New Zealand, where the use of sheep in
vineyards
is commonplace.
Sheep like to eat -- and the tender young grape leaves
are very appealing to them. www.featherstonewinery.ca
The DRAKE HOTEL is
on the route I take when headed to places west of TO so
I drop into the café a lot. Great
non-sweet fruit scones and guaranteed good espresso BUT,
what tops it all is the young staff who greet me as if
I was their best friend. Even when they’re busy
as hell they make me feel like a king. The Drake is
one of the busiest (and most creative) places in town
but
they never forget to treat their customers well.
“reveals
a tight but promising nose of underbrush”
Robert Parker – world’s
most influential wine writer
WORSE
OF THE WORST
And the prize for worst wine of the year (change that to decade) goes to Kressmann
'Winemaker's Exclusive Bin' Red and White, France (Tetra). Both wines have the
dull, dirty character of something that had been left on the street for a week.
And used as an ashtray. I haven't tasted anything this bad in decades. Had to
warn you.
"We
have Bordeaux, Barbera, Chianti, Albarino, Gavi,
Sauvignon Blanc, Non-Oaked Chardonnay, even Fino Sherry – what
can I pour for you?"
"Shiraz please."
overheard at a wine event
THE
FIRST BI-SEXUAL SAINT
The folks at Visa have started to rechristen the 17th of March as St. Patty's
Day. Or so it appears in one of their recent ads.
“men
take wine too seriously”
Gilberto Bojaca, founder of the
Canadian Association of Sommeliers |
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“Today
everyone is calling themselves a sommelier, even if they’ve
never worked at a restaurant. There is a world of difference
between graduates of a wine course and working sommeliers,
who are first and foremost service people. To me, a sommelier
is a person who uses wine as a tool for enhancing the dining
experience. If you don’t serve you are not a sommelier.”
Veronique Rivest, Quebec based Canadian contestant
in this years World’s Best Sommelier competition |
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10 GREAT
FRENCH EXPERIENCES
Didn’t plan it but the past few months provided
me with a variety of very enjoyable French experiences. Wine,
food culture, sport, philosophy and fun. Could there a French
revival in the wind?
Read about very good FRENCH
HOUSE WINE, HOUSE
ROSÉ, a CHAMPAGNE discovery, FOUR
NEW
WINES in handy plastic bottles, French wines at MY
NEW FAVOURITE BAR, French-style FOOTBALL, CHABLIS and
oysters, HOUSE
RED,
a
first
timer’s DRIVINGexperience in France, and PROUST – of
course!
PLUS! A great holiday treat in DUBLIN and
a gem of a village
in QUEBEC.
Full article
here. |
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GANSTA
of the GRAPE
There is a new voice on the wine scene in these parts who goes by the name Deacon
Dr. Fresh. Part bad boy/comedian, the Deacon 'lubs' going to wine events and
giving you a hilarious run down of his experience. The storytelling is refreshingly
honest and very, very entertaining.
The Blog era offers people with a passion to air their views and bring alternative
voices that would never be heard in mainstream publications. As The Deacon says
of himself: “I have arrived to rescue the wine world from over-serious,
rigid, deconstructionists, peckerwoods who’d never dream of gettin’ a
tattoo or crackin’ a smile. I am without a doubt, the smartest, funniest
and toughest sumbitch in the entire wine industry – the gangsta of the
grape.”
Decide for yourself at http://deaconwinelist.blogspot.com |
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WINE
FOR SCORING BIG
Okay so what if Valentine's
is over. It should be a 365 holiday... so
the following info is designed for guys, because
they seem to
need help in the romance department. It stresses
them, often prompting James Bond style extravagances
on bottles of Bollinger Champagne. Forget it..
Your partner doesn't want to be impressed,
she
wants love and attention. Which you can do
with wine – several bottles of wine.
I suggest you orchestrate a series of wine
treats. Different experiences, different size
bottles, and different ways of showing you
care.
1. Start the day with a split
of Muscat wine at breakfast. A nice
low alcohol, sweet, highly perfumed drink.
No big deal,
but it shows you've remembered. And because
the bottle is tiny she'll know to expect more
later.
You'll be viewed as 'thoughtful'.
Martini & Rossi
Asti, Italy 361790 200ml/$3.45
2. For evening cocktails pour a dry
Muscat. Very refreshing and wonderfully teasing.
Muscat is the most sensual of all wine fragrances.
She'll notice. You could do a seafood appetizer with
this, or
not. After a glass or two say, "I'm going to pop the
bottle in the fridge so we can do this again tomorrow".
Affirming the relationship is always a good idea.
Cave
Spring 05 Chardonnay Musque, Niagara 246579
$15.95
3. Naturally you'll cook
her favourite supper which hopefully is something
that works with your next wine, a seductive Zinfandel.
Spicy and rich red that has a Latino spirit. Way
more exotic than Cabernet.
Ravenswood
04 Zinfandel 'Vintners Blend', California 359257
$19.95
4. Act four can be fireside or bedroom. It's time for a
smooth, charming Port. Not the traditional dark-bottled, old men's stuff,
but something delicate and romantic. The ideal bedtime sipper. With or without
chocolate.
Warre's
'Otima' 10-year-old Tawny Port, Portugal 566174
500ml/$21.95
That's it. Your stash will cost less than a bottle of Bollinger, and chances
are she'll be impressed and keep you for another year.
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WINTER
BEER, WINTER BOOZE
I grew up with a lot of oatmeal. And it might have contributed to my fondness
for foods with a dry, savoury taste. If you're an oatmeal fan I highly recommend
the beer shown above. It's got a wonderful, earthy
realness as if your mother just made it for you. A tonic to ward off winter colds.
Love the toffee flavour too. It is produced by adding young ale to stuff
that's been in cask for two years. Shades of Ripasso.
P.S. Greene King is England's largest brewer of cask ale and some of you may
be familiar with its Old Speckled Hen and Abbot Ale. The brewery dates back to
the 1700s and I believe the author Graham Greene is/was related.
GREENE KING WESTGATE BREWERY Strong Suffolk Ale, England 575530 500ml/$3.45
Scotch is my booze of choice at this time of year but this is one of the most
characterful Grappas I've ever tasted. Flavours
of Poire William and the somewhere else feeling you get from a Single Malt.
MAZZETTI d'ALTAVILLA Grappa di Nebbiolo da Barolo, Italy 4291
$34.95
Vodka infused with hemp extract! Wow, lovely perfume – shades
of the botanicals in Gin. (That's the hemp). Fun package. Fun concept. A great
party starter for sure. Or welcome home sipper. Best ice cold from the freezer.
I think I might become addicted.
VOD-KA GREEN LABEL Vodka, Holland 22087
$39.95 |
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ESPRESSO
TRAIL
The once grungy Queen/Broadview district of TO is getting a makeover. And so
far it's independent retailers over the chains, and a really cool espresso bar
called Wild Horse. A large, bright, corner space with just one huge communal
table, a few organic sweets and a clear focus on the coffee. My kind of place.
Five star espresso.
DARKHORSE, 682 Queen Street East (just over the Don, north side) www.darkhorseespresso.com
P.S. Read where singer Robbie Williams was doing 36 double espressos a day. Before
he checked into a rehab. |
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GOOD READ
My favourite drink or food books are about personal experience.
Being there and telling the story. 'The World is a Kitchen'
is a compilation of 37 first-person adventures across five
continents. Including one by a dear friend and expert in
'doing it my way', Ann McColl Lindsay. Each chapter offers
a recipe, and the book has a great list of culinary tours
and food magazines.
The World is a Kitchen, $20.95 (distributed by Publishers'
Group West)
GOOD LISTEN
Yes folks, there is an alternative to Hockey Night in Canada.
Randy's Vinyl Tap on CBC Radio One (Saturdays at 7 p.m.)
is two hours of music and chat with Canadian rocker and
raconteur Randy Bachman. I love the stories, the man's
passion, and reliving my long forgotten times. Music sure
marks moments. Listener's letters often tell Randy that
his show, and a bottle of wine, have become the new Canadian
Saturday night. I'll drink to that.
SUNDAYS BY THE FIRE
Last summer I told you about the stylish rooftop patio
at Czehoski. Now it's time to enjoy the second floor lounge
with its cozy fire, bar and hideaway atmosphere. Sip
on local delights such as sparkling Cuvee Catharine or
Wildass Red, or exotic Euro brews or your favourite malt.
Other attractions are a snack menu that includes mac+cheese
and old Johnny Cash tunes on the stereo.
CZEHOSKI, 678 Queen Steet West (a few blocks W. of Bathurst)
The answer is "that's how big a glassblower could
blow." And the question is how did the 750ml size
bottle come about?
WHAT'S IN A NAME? One of the challenges
facing all you guys out there is what to think of wines with gimmacky
names. To buy or not? My experience
has been – none are bad, most are easydrinking, and a few are very
good. Such as the following:
Fat Bastard Chardonnay got its name when the
Aussie winemaker used those words to describe the first vintage. I've found
the wine
to be very sweet, but the
'05 vintage is different. Drier, still rich but now there's a firmness, great
vitality and overall, it's more French. Definitely a manly Chardonnay. An
'earthy Bastard'. My style. Bring on herbed, garlicky white meats. Fat
Bastard 2005 Chardonnay, VDP d'Oc, France (563130
$14.95)
Switching to red, you may have noticed a pair of Vin de Pays d'Oc wines with
labels that are a spoof on the Aussie custom of using Bin numbers. Except in
this case. Bin numbers are apartment numbers on someone's dustbin (English
word for garbage can). The label is a black 'n white photo of the bin. Very
funny,
but maybe you need to be British. The wines are hefty but plain. As is another
red from the same company called Bishop's Select. But, a fourth spoof red is
quite good. Boutinot 2004 Cotes du Ventoux 'Chat-en-Oeuf' (21113
$12.25) has the warm. peppery, rustic character of everyday Rhone reds. Bistro
stuff. Good
for any cold night. And you gotta love the 'lap it up' suggestion on the back
label. No prizes for guessing which famous wine inspired this spoof.
For centuries the French were annoyed at the rest of the world for using, or
abusing, their wine names. Who would have thought that one day they would start
poking fun at themselves? All part of a 'lighter' world I hope.
THE BOTTLE THAT SHOCKED MY WORLD It wasn't the
new lighthearted French that shocked me most this year, but a surprise from
the Germans. A century
of supplying the world with the worst quality commercial wine is over. A large
producer
in the Mosel has entered the modern wine arena with wine of the quality we're
accustomed to from all other countries. Moselland 2004
Riesling Spatlese 'Divinum' (619676 $11.95) has
started a new era in German wine, and hopefully there will be no going back.
No more candy-cute stuff but a wine with beautiful fresh,
pure
flavours and spring day freshness. Off-dry, lighthearted, low-alcohol wine
for daytime or early evening drinking. Sunday brunch for sure. Handy screwcap
too. "Makes
me feel happy" was a friends response. Serve it with the bird and ham.
DECANTING Does careless
decanting bruise your wine? I was glad to see that all of you took this question
to heart. Most of
the replies to my question were unprintable. Eldon, from London, is convinced
that "glugging
improves the wine", while Richard from T.O. says he feels "really
decadent decanting when dining alone". Dinner with your decanter! Could
be the next wine movie.
GREAT NEW BOOK on CANADA – it's mainly
about the wine regions but for me Tony Aspler's Wine Atlas
of Canada is about this
country. The ongoing Canadian
dream. Today's version of the pioneer, risk taker and dreamer. When I heard
about this book last year I had my worries that it might be shabby, low budget
but
instead I think it's something every Canadian (at least those who drink,
or work the land) should be proud to own. Well done all around. Even if I'm
not
mentioned.
No one is more qualified to document the story of our wineries from coast to
coast than Tony because that's what he's being doing that for the past two
decades. The great photos by Steve Elphick bring the book alive, capturing
the wonderful
variety of landscapes and the spirit of some of the people involved in wine.
Get a copy, pour a glass, start browsing and planning next year's trips. Good
books inspire to travel.
Tony Aspler's Wine Atlas of Canada
Random House of Canada $60
THE MINI BUZZ
I asked head winemaker from WOLF
BLASS, Chris Hatcher,
what has been the best development in wine he has witnessed? "The screwcap
because it preserves quality".
Chris is the first winemaker I've heard admit that the Aussie wine success
was due to making easy-drinking, sweet-tasting wines. "But our company
is now moving to drier style wines." Must say, that when tasting for
my '07
Handbook, I was impressed with the Wolf Blass line, especially the whites.
Two of the founders of the modern Niagara wine industry, Karl
Kaiser and Don
Ziraldo have left INNISKILLIN, the winery they
founded in 1975. Karl is easing into retirement and Don is easing into marriage.
New challenges you
might say!
The
good news
for us from Inniskillin is Bruce Nicholson has taken over as head winemaker.
Formerly with J-T in British Columbia this guy has more awards for winemaking
than Tiger Woods has for golf. And that's a lot.
This really happened.
Honest. The same afternoon that I selected the delicious Aussie
Cabernet from
Wakefield Wines for my '07 Handbook, I got an
inquiry about my book from The Solstice Bookstore in Wakefield, Quebec. Amazing.
Guess
where we'll be doing a tasting
in the near future? When the planets are favourably aligned of course.
How's
this for a great wine description, "exhibits judiciously calibrated acidity…concludes
with an expansive flourish… recommended with boiled octopus" So
here's the question, name the wine? It's white, and one of the five most
popular grape varieties. Winner gets octopus for life.
For a minute I thought
that the LCBO's Food+Drink mag was out of line recommending an album by it's
vice-president of Vintages, Tom Wilson. Turns out Tom Wilson is an old Canadian
rocker. Something we'll never be able to say about Vintages.
My apologies
to the folks at Calamus Winery for misspelling their name and website. It's www.calamuswines.com
My
schedule always seems to get in the way of a part of wine that's great fun – the
harvest. This year I was luckier, and got to join the motley crew at SANDBANKS
WINERY for a truly local event. Proprietor Catherine
Langlois (shown right) not only marshalled
the pickers, carriers and drivers but she also put on a hearty lunch for
everyone. Of all the food and wine events I attended this year this most
closely echoed
the number one purpose of wine – the bringing together of family, friends
and community. And fostering generosity. I was delighted to see young Prince
Edward County lads enjoying a taste of something more than hockey. And now
I can say, not only do I drink lots of Baco, but I have harvested it too.
Email
from my sister " I'm in hospital. Was poisoned. I ate daffodil bulbs,
thought they were onions. But don't panic, the doctor said I should be out
in Spring!"
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here's
my favourite Niagara place to eat
STONE ROAD GRILLE (sign outside
says Rest) www.stoneroadgrille.com
If I lived in Niagara I'd be here a lot. It's a casual
pub/bistro place for topnotch food and wines at reasonable
prices served by intelligent, fun-loving staff.
Judging by the amount of wine consumed, everyone seems
to be as comfortable
as if they were at home. The prices are conducive to trying
at least a couple of bottles. Owners
Heidi and Perry Johnson deserve an award for creating this
rare combination of quality, fun and value.
Chef Ryan Crawford could be cooking at a five star
joint. And the service staff are also major players in
this
production. "Jesse may
be the best service person I've
ever had." was one of Kato's comments on our evening.
For fun you must have the beautifully presented charcuterie
platter, maybe with Pinot or Gamay. Reserve your table
at
905.468.3474
P.S. For lunch, check out the NIAGARA
COLLEGE (Glendale Campus) a bright, circular
room with a view of the escarpment. Try the lunch and wine
package. The College makes very good wine which you can
purchase next door to the restaurant. (Niagara College
is
located across from White Oaks Inn. QEW at Glendale Road)
905.641.2252
Read my recent update on Niagara wineries here!
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SOUTHBROOK
HEADS SOUTH
Southbrook made the headlines
this spring when they announced they will be moving from
their Richmond Hill location to a 75 acre site on HWY 55
near Niagara-on-the-Lake. An ultra modern winery and hospitality
centre designed by Canadian architect Jack
Diamond will open later this year. To top things
off, Ann
Sperling (formerly of Malivoire) has been hired
as managing winemaker. And speaking of Malivoire
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MEET
MALIVOIRE
Martin Malivoire invited me
to taste some of his wines over lunch at Gamelle restaurant
in Toronto. As this involved a hefty ten minute walk from
my office, and as Gamelle is one of my favouirte
romantic spots,
I accepted.
Martin has been a bit of an iconoclast in niagara, pursuing
his own favouirte grapes, pushing organic, shunning commercialism
and generally ignoring the rest of the industry. He was
not on the Wine Council's map this year because he was not
a member. But no one can argue with his commitment to quality.
With the help of former winemaker Ann
Sperling, (and new winemaker Shiraz
Mottiar) Malivoire has produced a lot of fine wines
which have included Foch, Melon, Gamay, Pinot Gris as well
as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
We started with '04 Estate Pinot Gris ($18),
wine with a good hit of mineral freshness an edge
and some richness. Would work as
an aperitif, with appetizers and with a chicken or pork
main dish. The ideal all-evening white wine.
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A second Pinot Gris (Laundry/Mottiar
Vineyard $26) was delicious but too pretty for me.
Ditto for the '04 Non-Oaked Chardonnay ($16),
but with fish in a citrus sauce it took on a firmer, drier
feeling. Gamelle owner, J.P. did a great job keeping
the table filled with Riedels while other customers
desperately tried to keep up with a glass of house wine.
The '04 Estate Chardonnay ($22)
performed a similar transition with a pork and apple dish.
(Let's repeat the lesson add some tartness to food
ie: lemon juice, and your Chardonnay will become more characterful.)
The '03 Moira Vineyard Chardonnay
($36) has the savoury, earthy quality of a good Alsace wine.
Stunning stuff. Martin recommends cold lobster. I agree,
keep the food plain and let the wine shine.
Martin opens more bottles. J.P. finds more Riedels. We
get more 'looks' from other lunch patrons. I ask J.P. "don't
they know we're working".The
'04 Gamay ($16) is Italian in sprit lots
of vigour and bitter, earthy flavours. Rustic suff. Great
with
simply grilled foods. One of my favourite local reds. Still
available at Vintages. Malivoire is still producing Old
Vines Foch ($24) and the '04 has the gutsy, rugged
character that we've come to expect in this wine. Chef Sean
Moore brought out lamb in a harissa sauce and I felt like
doing a bam, bam Emeril impersonation. What a great wine
and food combo.
We didn't taste the Pinot Noir,
but Martin tried to force Gewurztraminer
and Cab Franc Icewines on
me. After some pleading, he agreed to let me take them
for later. Both were excellent and the 200ml size is perfect
for two. We also skipped the Rosé as I had already
recommended it in a previous e-wineletter.
I think one of the strengths of our local wine industry
is the diversity of what wineries can produce: Malivoire
is certainly proof of that and it also got me thinking
about
what many say: "We should concentrate on premium wine
and forget the rest". At least for lunch drinking.
I encourage you to visit Malivoire and experience the diversity
for yourself. They're on the Wine Route close to Beamsville.
www.malivoire.com
905-563-9253
Gamelle, 468 College Street, Toronto www.gamelle.com
416-923-6254
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CHECK
OUT CZEHOSKI
Ground floor looks like just another
smart new restaurant but I do love the wall of wine and
old deli cooler full of beer. Up one flight and you're in
a relaxed, minimal decor space that could be in Paris. Come
back in winter with a book. For now you need to take a sharp
left past a great looking bar and out onto the rooftop patio.
Decorated in a mishmash of woods, tin, grasses and whatever,
it has the feeling of a city dweller's hideaway. Great wine
list with reasonable prices (Malivoire Gamay $35), imported
beers served in appropriate glassware and lots of tasty
snacks or main courses. My favourite time here is at sunset
to see the change of atmosphere from day to night. The owners
love the patio so much they even come up for a beer.
Czehoski.
678 Queen Street West, (west of Bathurst), Toronto
416 366 6787 www.czehoski.com
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SOLVING
CHAMPAGNE PROBLEMS
Regular non-vintage Champagne always hits the spot before
dinner because it feels fresh, but what's the best time
for the hugely expensive Vintage stuff? The conventional
belief is that Vintages is more deluxe version of the regular
but with the same use. Can be, but one night recently I
found myself with a glass of Laurent-Perrier
1997 after the dinner. Age had given it an earthy,
slightly bitter character and sipped from a big wine glass,
it felt more nourishing than refreshing. If the company
were not all dashing off home I would have been happy to
spend an hour or two with their drink. So if someone gives
you a bottle of Vintage Champagne save it for late evening
with people who are good at after dinner conversation.
P.S. I am fortunate to be invited to some splendid food
and wine dinners at Truffles restaurant at the Four
Seasons hotel. Contray to what you might believe,
theses events are not at all stuff as the young staff of
the restaurant manage to make things fun while still being
professional.
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"Unmistakably
lovely."
How could that be? A wine description
in a catalogue.
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"Gentrification
led to an inevitable transformation of the Imperial Pub.
Out went the spit, sawdust and strippers and in came
the
wine."
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DOING
IT HIS WAY
no loony toon
Despite his irreverant, childlike, whimsical and all-wrong
approach to wine, Randall Grahm of
Bonny Doon has recorded his fourth in a row, double
digit sales increase. His wines are never great but they
are fun to buy and to drink. If you're ever feeling blue
visit boonydoonwineyard.com.
It will give you an idea of why people enjoy the world of
Doon.
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Le Petit Déjeuner 191 King
Street East, Toronto, On (just east of Jarvis) 416.703.1560
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french
diner/café
I'm not sure why, but I'm drawn to
a lot of things French these days. Could there be a revival
of French food and wine in the winds? Le Petit Déjeuner
is a small, diner-style restaurant located close to the St.
Lawrence market in T.O. There's nothing sexy or romantic about
the place, but the vibe is refreshingly honest. When I was
there one morning last week the patron, Johan (he's Belgian),
had just returned from the market with a car load of fresh
produce. When did you last see a café owner drag sacks
of potatoes through his or her restaurant? I'm new to Le Petit
Déjeuner
so I can't tell you much more except that it feels like the
real deal. Check it out I hear the weekend brunch
is hopping.Prix Fixe 3 course dinner with coffee is $30,
and
you can BYOW.
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more
french stuff
Perrin is the family name behind the
great Chateauneuf de Pape estate of Beaucastel. One
of the brothers, François, was in town recently
to tell us what's new and to conduct a tasting of older
wines.
Beaucastel is one of the great estates in France but despite
all its fame, the wine still sells for less than $100. But
what I like about the Perrins is that they are also committed
to everyday, low-priced wines of he
Rhone region many of which come through Vintages and
which have been highly recommended by yours truly. Currently
available is Perrin 2003 Cotes du Rhone Reserve (363457
$13.95) a delicious, warmhearted, spicy wine that
drinks equally
well with red or white meat. |
Few
of the big boys in wine care about the everyday stuff
and there was something 'country-real'
about this Perrin guy that worked for me. Just about everyone
in Europe has sold their souls to the devil (American
popular
taste and wine magazine scores) but the Perrins keep making
wine the old way. Organic and with minimal filtering.
Natural
is good for us.
P.S. You can buy the 2003 vintage of
Ch.de Beaucastel (711317 $79.95)
and it should be ready to drink on its 10th birthday.
A lighter edition of the wine (from younger vines)
is also available (926626 $38.95) and it is gorgeous right
now bright fruit, vibrant and dying to please. Perfect
for a special family affair with a roasted bird. Or a little
romance.
Interested
in more wine recommendations? Click
here. |
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My
search for the perfect espresso took
a strange twist when I purchased a machine. No, not a fancy
Italian job a little compact thing
called Nespresso. I've had machines in the past but got tired
of all the fuss and mess and could never really get a good
crema on top of the coffee. Jill Wilcox, at Jill's Table in
London, Ontario, introduced me to Nespresso and I still can't
believe the quality and the tall creamy head every
time. It costs a lot less than $500 and it is portable enough
to take to work. The coffee comes in tiny capsules that you
buy directly from Nestle you never see coffee grounds!
Check it out.
www.nespresso.com
www.jillstable.ca |
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he
sign in the window says 'best French
restaurant in Chinatown', and it t is. Batifole is
in Toronto's Chinatown East (Gerrard/Broadview) and it delivers
all the classic French bistro dishes in a simple setting.
Everything from bread to dessert is done with class and the
wine list contains lots of my Vintages recommendations. You
can't go wrong with the house Côtes du Rhône maybe
with the horse tartare. Batifole means to frolic or play
about, which chef owner Jean-Jacques has done lots of
in the wording of his menu. But I think that locating his
French restaurant on one of the drab sections of Gerrard
(is
there a non-drab section?) is his most playful move of all.
You gotta like a guy like that.
Batifole, 744 Gerrard Street (east of
Broadview), Toronto 416 462 9965
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See
how I see wine for more chat.
Interested in my wine recommendations? Click
here.
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