Wine Whine #4

Ron’s Christmas Whine

Welcome Kevin Clinton of Toronto and Kelly Brennan of British Columbia to the Whine. This Christmas I shall make some recommendations from Cellar Offering 185, write a bit about the problem of dining out alone, give some suggestions about building a wine cellar, and finally, report on the red wines from Ron’s cellar that Nova Scotians like best.

Offering 185: This offering is your best chance to get Spanish wines from Opimian this year. Spanish reds are very dry, relatively light, not as subtle as French wines. Mostly they are “old world” so they do not have the “in-your-face” fruitiness so familiar to “new world” wines. The biggest wine area is Rioja; however, the best wines are from Ribera del Duero (which unfortunately tend to be expensive). Quality of Spanish wines is indicated by the four categories: roble, crianza, reserve, and gran reserve. Here, in no particular order are my picks:

4818 Castillo D. Montblanc, Brut Cava. This is a very good sparkling wine at ¼ the price ($ 22.50) of a comparable French champagne.

4820 Montblanc 362 Tempranillo, Do Conca de Barbera 2008 ($14.33) . This should be a great everyday wine, although not quite ready.

4826 Opimian Vinas Viejas 2007 ($14.). Another easy drinking everyday wine.

4839 Gran Colegiata Crianza 2003. Not cheap ($29.83). Betty and I stayed in a little inn next door to the cathedral (Gran Colegiata) a couple of year’s ago so are partial to this wine. Have had it several times.

4840 Gran Colegiata Campus. This wine is only for those with deep pockets and a cellar to let it age. However……

4848 Vinho Verde ($ 15.) It is unusual for me to recommend a white wine. However, if you have never had a Portuguese vinho verde you are in for a treat. This is a crackling wine (small bubbles in the wine, but no effervescence) and is wonderful on a hot summer’s day.

I have no recommendations for the French wines offered in Cellar 185.


Eating out Alone: Occasionally one eats out alone. Food is not a problem, but what do you do about drinking? Usually the choice is between overindulging with a whole bottle or forcing down a glass of bad house merlot.

A couple of weeks ago I had an afternoon meeting in St. John’s. It was freezing rain in both N.S. and Nfld and Air Canada cancelled everything. Fortunately, WestJet got me there in time for my meeting but not in time for lunch. By 6:00 p.m. I was starving. I left the hotel without an umbrella and walked down Duckworth to Water, desperately needing a good glass of red and a big steak. Outside a hole-in-the-wall named Oliver’s there was a sign that said “over 500 wines from which to choose”. Actually the sign read “over 500 wines to choose from” but I was in no mood to quibble over a dangling participle.

I got the last table and was easily talked into the daily special which was a pepper crusted strip loin served in a fresh cranberry sauce. With a very good Caesar, I had a glass of excellent ripasso, and I washed down the main course with a glass of decent malbec. Now only if Nova Scotian restaurants were as kind to wine lovers.

Cellaring wine: Last time I talked about aging wine and promised some comments on building a cellar. The ideal place is dark, cool and damp. However, I assume you want to neither spend a bundle on a contractor nor do you wish to tunnel under your neighbour’s hedge in the middle of the night. If you live in an apartment you really have no choice but to buy a wine fridge. These little appliances, which will hold between 12 and 75 bottles, are great for white wine and not bad for red. The problem is that the air is not humid enough and an heirloom red cannot be kept for a decade because the cork will dry out and the wine will oxidize.

If you have a basement the problem is heat (and maybe lack of humidity as well). If you are serious pick a corner (at the opposite end from your furnace) and erect two small walls giving you a space that is 6’ by 6’ or 8’ by 8’. This is ample for at least 500 bottles. Once your walls are up, tear down the gyproc or whatever on the two outside walls and insulate the two inside walls. The uninsulated below grade cement will keep your “cellar” cool in the summer and slightly damp. The insulated interior walls will block the heat from your finished basement. You will find that in the cold part of the winter your wines may be colder than perfect, but they will be unharmed and you can remove a bottle 20-30 minutes before dinner.

Now if you want help with this project give me a call. For a bottle of ripasso I’ll design a cellar for you and for a case of top malbec I’ll even come and build it.

Wine tasting December 23, 2008: Last night 21 of us blind-tasted 10 wines. Unfortunately a few others didn’t make it after being stranded in an airport, having their furnace quit, etc. The wines we tasted were:

From Australia: a 2004 Hardy’s Founder’s Series Cabernet/Tempranillo
From Argentina: a 2006 via Manet Reserva Malbec and a 2006 Don David Cabernet Sauvignon
From California: a 2004 Gallo Sonoma Reserve Zinfadel
From Chile: a 2007 Cornellana Merlot/Carminere and a 2005 Cornellana Barrel Reserve Syrah/Cabernet
From France: a 2001 La Source Aix-en-Province Grenache/Syrah and a 2003 Languendoc Founder’s Series Syrah
From South Africa : a 2003 Beck’s Shiraz

From Spain: a 2001 Bilbao Tempranillo

There was quite a bit of consistency among the drinkers in terms of what was liked and what wasn’t liked. However, there was little correlation between price and place. Although the cheapest wine (the Cornellana merlot) came dead last, the first place wine (Don David Cabernet) was the 2nd cheapest. The second favorite (Hardy’s) was tied for most expensive and the 3rd favorite (Via Manet) was 3rd cheapest.

In terms of country Argentina was clearly the winner placing 1st and 3rd. I suspect there may be a run on the Don David at the Antigonish NSLC. Unfortunately (we looked it up), this wine is not available in Ontario (sorry Peter and Kevin).

Well, it’s Chistmas Eve and I must end this whine. Thank you for bearing with me throughout the past year as I expressed my biases about one of my favorite pastimes (drinking). I sincerely hope that each of you has a wonderful holiday and that 2009 brings peace to everyone. Remember “Life’s too short to drink bad wine.”