WHINE #  38

Welcome to the Whine:  Paul Veitch of Antigonish .

HOLIDAY WINE TASTING:  Just before Christmas Betty and I invited a few friends for an evening of wine tasting.  After a small glass of crackling wine everyone (except me) blind-tasted 7 wines which were arranged in two flights.  Wines were presented in decanters simply labelled A, B, etc. and tasters were encouraged to try a bit of each wine and then return for a second or third sip.

Flight I:  We started with 3 slightly chilled Pinot Noirs from Chile, France and New Zealand.  The French wine was a 2008 Cuvee 8 from the village of Hunawihr in Alsace.  This wine was a Founder’s Choice Selection and had been promoted by the Opimian Society as a top Pinot.   Only 25-year old vines had been chosen from Grands Crus vineyards.

The New Zealand entrant was a 2008 Mud House from Marlborough.  Robert Parker rated the 2008 at 86/100. 

Villard’s 2008 Grand Vin from Chile is one of my favorite Pinots.  User reviews averaged 90.7.

Pinot Results:  My blind tasters were simply asked to rank the three wines, and their rankings could not have been more consistent.   The Chilean wine was the first choice of 13 out of 17, and was the second choice of 2 others.  The New Zealand wine had 3 first place votes and 11 second choices.  The French Pinot was only preferred by one guest and only 3 gave it a second rank, with the other 12 ranking it in last place.  I should note that the French and Chilean wines were similarly priced at around $ 40, with the New Zealand wine at a somewhat lower price.

Flight II:  After a short break the tasters were presented with three Cabernet/Merlot blends and one unblended Cabernet.  All of the wines were similarly priced but were considerably cheaper ($ 20 range) than the Pinots.

Tasters tried a 2009 Chateau Lamothe de Haux Cotes de Bordeaux; a 2008 a Geoff Hardy GMH Meritage from Australia; a 2008 Cornellana Reserve Cabernet/Merlot from Chile; and a 2009 Paso Creek Cabernet Sauvignon from California.  User ratings for these wines were all close to 85/100.

Second Flight Results:  My tasters did not indicate a clear winner this time, although the Californian Cabernet was perhaps at the top of the list.  Seven ranked it first, with 6 choosing it second and four third.  In other words no one ranked it last.  A close second went to the Australian Meritage, which also had  7 first place picks.  However, only two tasters had it as their second choice.  The Chilean got 2 first place votes, 5 second place votes and 7 third place picks.  Again the French wine did not fare well with 2 firsts, 2 seconds and 3 thirds.  In other words 10 of the 17 raters had it dead last out of the four wines.

Perhaps this simple experiment reinforced my bias that French Reds cannot compete with New World wines in the same price range.  It was interesting to note that several of my guests commented that they also had low expectations for the French wines.    Fortunately for French wine producers the Chinese are still snapping up any expensive French wine; and there are certainly more Chinese than there are Canadians.

Comparison of two sparkling wines:  I am not a big fan of Nova Scotia wines but last Christmas I was given a bottle of Benjamin Bridge Brut Reserve.   This wine sold last December for $ 85 and is still getting rave reviews from both inside and outside Nova Scotia.  Prior to dinner the other night I served  this sparkling wine to five guests.   I also blind presented a French Champagne (Pol Roger) for comparison, currently priced at $ 62.  This time the French wine came out on top with 4 out of 5 preferring it.  The good news is that I don’t have to run out and buy more of the over-priced Benjamin Bridge.

SAD REPORT:  You may recall that I recently fell in love with Brunello di Montalcino.  Thus I was horrified at the following story that appeared in the major newspapers,  just after we returned from Tuscany.   My heart bleeds for the vintner.

ROME (AP)—Suspected vandals have dumped almost the entire 2007-2012 production of one of Italy’s most sought-after wines—the limited edition Soldera Brunello di Montalcino.

Giuseppe Soldera, owner of the Tuscan vineyard, said Tuesday that the vandals broke into his Case Basse cantina between Sunday night and Monday morning, opened the spigots on the vats and fled.  They didn’t take a single bottle.

He estimated the loss of the 62,600 litres of prized Sangiovese at several million euros.  A bottle of Soldera’s 2006 Brunello reserve starts at 180 euros ($ 235) on the market.  That’s a markup from the 110 euros ($130) he sells them for.

Soldera said only “a little bit” remained of the production, and he wasn’t sure what he would do with it.  Police had no suspects.

WHAT I LIKED IN 2012:  At the end of each year I go through my wine journal to see what I drank and what wines really impressed.  In 2012 I continued to purchase and drink more South American wines than any others,  but this time Argentina replaced Chile with a full 25% of my consumed wines coming from that country.  My third most frequently consumed wines came from France with California close behind.  Next came Spain and finally Italy.  I expect , however, that in 2013 my consumption of Italian wines will increase.

In 2011 my journal indicated that I rated 10 wines at 10/10.  In 2012 I only gave my top marks to 6 wines.  Of course, my ratings are no doubt very subjective and are influenced by the food pairing, my overall mood, and any number of other factors.   Below in no particular order are the 6 wines that I wish were more in evidence in my small cellar:

2003 Alfa Crux (Tempranillo/Malbec/Merlot) from Argentina.  This is the only repeat from 2011.

2007 Trapiche Finca Las Palmas (Cabernet Sauvignon) from Argentina. 

2007 Trapiche Finca Las Palmas (Malbec) from Argentina.  These two Trapiche’s were incredible bargains at just over $ 20.  Unfortunately they are no longer available in Nova Scotia, and they are also sold out in Ontario.

2006 Louis Martini (Cabernet Sauvignon) from Napa Valley in California.  Also, a great $ 20 bargain.

2004 Legaris Ribero del Duero (Tempanillo) from Spain.

2008 Villard Founders’ Choice Special Blend (Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah/Petit Verdot/Merlot) from Chile.  Note that this wine is from the same vineyard as the Pinot that so impressed at my recent tasting.  Unfortunately, this wine was a special offering only available to Founders’ Choice members.

OFFERING # 213:   I have several recommendations from this Offering.  For those who want an everyday red that is ready to drink I suggest # 6872 Clos Montblanc Xipella, Premium.  If you have a little more money to spend the 6885 Gran Colegiata Reserva is one of Spain’s bests and it is close to ready.

For an inexpensive sparkling wine you can’t go wrong with # 6888 Parxet Edicion Limitada Brut Reserva.  I always like to have a few bottles of this on hand.

Finally, my strongest recommendation is for the bargain crackling wine from Portugal.  # 6898 Serra Vinho Verde.   This very light wine is great for summer sipping or as reception wine.  I recommend this wine every year (and also buy a case every year).  I can’t imagine that you would not like it.

 

 

 

 

 

Whine # 37

WHINE # 37 – November, 2012

 

THE WINES OF TUSCANY:  A recent week in Tuscany has caused me to re-think my long held low opinion of Tuscan wines; in particular my disparagement of Chianti.  Perhaps I shouldn’t be overly quick to form judgments of wine quality based solely on what is available in Nova Scotia.  After all Italian exporters don’t necessarily put aside their very best for shipment to this particular Oenophile’s outpost.

CHIANTI:  Those of us who have been around more than a few decades will remember those straw basket bottles with dripping candles adorning the desks in the college dorms, or sitting on red checkered table cloths in hole-in-the-wall restaurants.  The romance of the Chianti bottle more than overcame the dreadful nature of the cheap wine which filled the bottle prior to the insertion of the candle.

For centuries Chianti was sold in these attractive bottles because:  (1) the glass without padding was too thin to withstand shipping; and (2) the cheap bottles didn’t have a flat enough bottom to stand upright on their own.  By the way, Tuscan peasants were able to weave about 300 of the bottle baskets per day.  Now those bottles have all but disappeared from wine store shelves, but can still be found on E-Bay where they cost more than a bottle of the current vintage.

Chianti is the best-known of all Italian wines and cheap Chianti abounds.  Chianti is made from the Sangiovese grape and is bone dry and very acidic.  This makes for a wine that is not very good for sipping, but one that can stand up to highly acidic foods, such as spaghetti with tomato sauce; food that will normally overpower a more subtle wine.  Perhaps this is why we old farts still have those romantic memories of candle-light dinners where we drank very cheap wine paired with the only pasta we knew how to cook.

While cheap Chianti reminds one of sucking on cherry pits, more expensive Chianti’s can be very good indeed.  My suggestion is that you don’t bother with simple Chianti but go for Chianti Classico, which is from its own DOCG region.

SUPER TUSCANS:  Italy modelled its wine laws after the French “appellation controlee” system.  This means that wine names are protected.  A DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) wine or a DOCG (add Garantita to the above phrase) wine comes from a specific place and is made from a specific grape or blend.  While this system offers a certain level of protection to the consumer, it is very restrictive and prevents the vintner from experimenting with different varietals and different blends.

Within the past 20 or 30 years several producers, first in Chianti and then in all of Tuscany,  rebelled against this antiquated system and started making new blends.  In particular it was discovered that Cabernet Sauvignon blends beautifully with the traditional Sangiovese.  These wines tend to be of small production and are quite expensive.  They have no geographic designation other than simply Tuscany. 

These rebel vintners tend to blend their wines to be more “international” in style.  They are more fruit flavoured and more highly oaked than the Tuscan DOC or DOCG wines.  Thus, at a blind tasting one might be excused for thinking  that a Super Tuscan is from the New World rather than the Old World.

While one may find a fabulous Super Tuscan, I personally do not often purchase any of these wines because of their price, and because one cannot tell from the label which small winery is ordinary or special.  Finally, if I want a fruit- forward, heavily oaked wine it is easier and cheaper to choose one  from California or South America.

NOBILE Di MONTEPULCIANO:   Now if you were not confused by the Super Tuscan designation, the following should really make your head spin.  Montepulciano is both the name of a town and the name of a varietal.  However, wines from Montepulciano are not made from the Montepulciano grape and wine made from the Montepulciano grape comes from an entirely different region of Italy (Abruzzo).   So, remember than a DOCG labelled wine called Vino Nobile di Montepulciano has no relationship to a DOCG labelled wine called Montepulciano D’Abruzzo.

The one from Tuscany (Vino Nobile di Montepulciano) is one of the great wines of all of Italy.  The name suggests that this wine is the wine drunk by the Nobility and it certainly will withstand the scrutiny of the most dedicated snob.   It is soft and rich and is made of a blend of several varietals, but 80% must be Sangiovese .  The wines are aged in French oak and are generally worth the high price (more than $ 40. In Canada).  When I visited Montepulciano a few weeks ago and started to taste the wine I thought it wasn’t going to ever get better.  Then I discovered Montalcino.

BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO:    It is difficult to park and enter the small hilltop town of Montalcino even in the off season.  The town is dedicated to wine tasting, and enoteca  (wine tasting shop) after enoteca line the crowded streets.   All of these  shops feature the very expensive Brunello and the tasting is free only if you then purchase.

Brunello di Montalcino is one of two of Italy’s best wines; the other being Barolo from farther north in Piedmont.  There are 200 small producers surrounding the town and each year’s production is quite small.  When I visited, the shops were featuring the 2006’s (a very good year) and the 2007’s (an even better year )  The 2008’s were about to be released.  Wine Enthusiast gives the 2007’s 95 points and 2007 is perhaps the best year in a half century.  I have my fingers crossed that a 2007 will appear in my stocking on Christmas morning.

Brunello di Montalcino is a ripe, intensely flavoured wine that requires careful aging.  Supposedly it will cellar for 50 years.  Unfortunately, I shall not get to personally test that claim.

ROSSO DI MONTEPULCIANO AND ROSSO DI MONTALCINO:   These DOC wines are the lesser versions of the great wines above.  These are made from less select grapes and the legal aging time prior to release is not as long.  They are fine, but nothing special and I suggest that if you don’t want to put aside either a Vino Nobile di Montecpulciano or a Brunello di Montalcino don’t bother with these lesser wines.  For everyday drinking inexpensive New World wines are a better value.

THOSE OF YOU WHO LIVE IN NOVA SCOTIA:  I shall be forwarding you an e-mail which is promoting Christmas sales of wines sponsored by Feed Nova Scotia.  A case purchased will get you wine not now available and will result in a tax-receipted donation that supports Nova Scotian food banks.  The wines can be purchased through Bishop’s Cellar in Halifax.

CELLAR OFFERING 212:  I must confess that I am not overly excited by this Offering.  However, if you would like to try some Australian wines that are a little different than the spicy Shiraz’s with which you are no doubt familiar may I suggest either 6800 (96 Points Shiraz Viognier) or 6807 (GMH Meritage.)  Neither of these wines will break the bank and I have liked them both.  On the other hand I have not been very pleased with either the Fat’n Skinny Series (6816 and 6817) or the red wines from the Milyaroo Series (6798 and 6799).  Finally, if you want to spend big bucks I am sure some of the $ 40+ Shiraz’s that are featured in this Offering will be very pleasing with your bar-b-ques in the summer of 2015.

 

WHINE # 36 – October, 2012

Welcome Gary Doucette of Antigonish, Carolyn McFarlane of Halifax, and Al Pressey of Winnipeg to the Whine.  I am also very pleased to have Al  as a guest blogger.  I hope this is not they only time that he agrees to contribute to the Whine.

 I first met Dr. Pressey in 1968 when he was a young Professor and I was just starting my Ph.D.   I have very fond memories of that time when, as a Maritimer,  I was introduced by Al to the vibrancy and culture of the Canadian Prairies.   However, before we get to Al’s article, let me first describe what I now call the 100-mile restaurant.

Dining in the “back of the beyond”:  In late August Betty was surfing the net, looking for a place to stay near the Aroostock Valley Golf and Country Club (which straddles the New Brunswick/Maine border.)  She happened upon the Canterbury Royale Gourmet Dining Room, which is in Fort Fairfield, Maine.     For those of you who have never been to Fort Fairfield I can honestly say that it is so far into the back woods that it makes Antigonish seem like the centre of the universe.

The website indicated that meals were a fixed price and always included 7 courses.  E-mailing for a reservation she was told that we had to select our entrées  a minimum of 7 days in advance and that the other six courses were selected by the Chefs.  This was because most meats had to be flown in from New York City, although we learned later that the duck breast came directly from France.

Hoping for the best we ate little (a wise decision) on the appointed day and simply chased golf balls around the Presque Isle Country Club.  After a leisurely cocktail we drove though Fort Fairfield and entered the deep forest, relying entirely on our trusty GPS.  Eventually we turned into a parking space next to a modest building.  The sign on the door read “Welcome Johnsons”.

We were ushered into one of the two rooms, each having only one table.  Ours was beautifully set with very fine china and enough silverware to arm a small band of revolutionaries.  I ordered an excellent Cabernet from Napa and our dining experience was about to begin.

We were first presented with loaves of Challah bread and onion bread.  It was next to impossible not to satiate ourselves but we did manage to leave a few crusts.  Next came something called Consomme Olga, which had a huge and delightfully fresh Bay of Fundy scallop in the centre.  This was followed by a green salad (see picture) served with a brandy and brown sugar dressing.

Our next course was French duck breast braised in morel mushrooms and paired with a bread pudding.  This was followed by a tiny filet mignon that had been perfectly cooked in a reduction of Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Cognac.  This was served with Potatoes Dauphine and Artichokes.

For the main course Betty had Seafood Crepes and I had lobster sauted in Cognac.  Although I wouldn’t have traded my lobster her crepes were rolled in a rose shape and were clearly a work of art.  Her lobster, shrimp and scallops were in a side sauce and the rose-shaped shells contained grapes, poached peaches and watermelon.

The decadent desserts were not a disappointment and we enjoyed a coffee before driving back through the forest to our hotel.

Canterbury Royale is owned and operated by two women who were New York chefs before making the dramatic move to northern Maine.  

Why do I call this the 100-mile restaurant?  That’s because if you are ever in Maine it’s worth a 100-mile side trip.  And, for the curious the meal cost us $ 168, including the wine. (that’s 164 Loonies at the current rate of exchange).

Al Pressey’s “Nectar of the Gods”

                I was born in the final days of the Great Depression.   Attitudes that were formed during that unfortunate decade lingered for a long time.  One sentiment that persisted was that money was scarce and was not to be wasted especially on those things that could be made at home.  Although it was not true at our place, many still carded their own wool, made yarn and knitted socks and sweaters.  A rare few even made their own soap.  So it is not surprising that making one’s own whiskey was simply another act of self-sufficiency.  Indeed, to waste precious money on a luxury was considered to be irresponsible.  The only reason that some gave it a second thought was that it was illegal.  Our region was considered to be “unorganized territory” but there were two law enforcement agents.  One was a game warden and the other an RCMP officer. This meant that virtually every farmstead had a secret cache where deer meat and home brew were stored.  Because no one in our family was a big game hunter, any deer meat that we had was a gift and I knew exactly in which well it was hidden.  Whiskey was another matter.  Whenever a special guest appeared or when the local priest came for dinner, mother would disappear, and several minutes later, reappear with a pristine bottle of white liquid that was well above the 80 proof that was advertised by commercial products. I knew that the hiding place was not underground and that it had to be nearby but the sacred spot was never discussed and never revealed.

                I was the youngest in our family and one of the perks was being allowed to sleep in the warmest bedroom during the winter.  But there was one drawback associated with that good fortune.  I had to share the space with a crock of mash and the ensuing odor that heralded the first phase of brewing.

                Twice a year, a 10-gallon clay crock was placed on a chair beside the hot air radiator.  Into it were added sliced potatoes, wheat, raisins, sugar, yeast and water.   I do not recall what else glorified the concoction but once I believe I saw orange slices floating atop the fermenting mass.  Such subtle inclusions would not be surprising since communal reputations were at stake. 

                Distillation was a genius of simplicity.  The only apparatus required was a canner (with cover) and a small home crafted four-legged stool.  The canner would be placed over low heat and filled with about 5 inches of mash.  The stool would be centered so that it held a small basin just above the surface.  The canner would then be covered with an inverted lid that was sealed at the rim with a wet cloth.  Ice, snow or just cold water was poured into the inverted lid so that the steam from the mash was converted into liquid that flowed to the center of the lid and dripped into the basin.

                The most exciting part of the process was the test for purity.  Mother would extract a teaspoonful of the liquid, strike a wooden match, and try to light the distillate.  Successful ignition indicated a successful product but the best part occurred when she tossed the flaming liquid into the wood box.  It would burn on top of the logs without ever setting them on fire.  I never tired of watching flambeed fire logs but this experience did nothing to enhance any future appreciation for such exotica. 

                The white elixir was known by many names including “home brew”, “white lightening”, and “porch climber” but in our household such phrases were considered demeaning probably because the drink was intimately tied to religious holidays such as Christmas, Easter, and, of course, the joining of husband and wife in holy matrimony.  So, it was just called “whiskey” and was used in much the same way that other cultures used champagne.

                I do not recall my father ever being involved in actually distilling the product.  I suspect that it was because he sought to squeeze too much out of the mash thus imbuing the extract with too harsh a taste.  To produce a proper result required the exact balance of heat, length of simmer and many other variables, the entirety of which probably existed as an intuitive “feel” in the mind if the maker. It is, as I understand it, much like making perfect “borscht”.  Outlining the ingredients and the steps in a recipe does not guarantee an exquisite creation.  And, an exquisite creation was indeed the aim of every man and woman in the community.  I recall an occasion when Christmas carolers came and, after their performance, were offered the obligatory shot glass of liquor.   My cousin Tony declared, “Auntie, you are a genuine artist!”  Perhaps I am making this up, but there seemed to be a renewed bounce in my mother’s step for several weeks after.  

                Humans were not the only species that experienced the rewards of the nectar of the gods.  One morning I stepped outside the house and saw an astonishing and alarming sight.  There, in the yard lying on the ground, were several dozen Barred Rock and White Leghorn chickens.  They were all dead!  Fearing a lethal attack (of chicken pox, perhaps), I called out for help but there seemed to be no one around.

Finally, gathering some courage, I cautiously approached the nearest carcass and gently tapped it with my shoe.  “ Poot-poo duck; poot-poo duck” cackled the suddenly enervated corpse as it struggled to its feet.  But walk it could not.  It spread its wings like two canes and tried to propel itself forward.  Then, emitting its deranged cackle, it collapsed in a heap once more.  Relief engulfed me as I realized that the chickens were not dead. But the puzzle remained until I noticed the scattered remains of puffed wheat, bloated raisins and slices of potato.  Then it struck me; the hens were as drunk as the proverbial skunk!

                On occasion, my wife asks me how I would like my chicken prepared for supper.  When I reply “pickled”, she rolls her eyes having tired of the joke long ago.

 

Aging wine in oak barrels:

Wine which is aged in oak barrels undergoes significant change.  Firstly, the oak adds flavour to the wine.  The aroma of an oaked wine is best described as that of cloves or vanilla.  Secondly, the wine takes on some of the oaks tannins, giving the wine a more astringent feel in the mouth.  Thirdly, the porous oak allows evaporation which makes the remaining wine more concentrated, so that it seems fuller and more robust.

Sixty gallon oak barrels are expensive, each costing more than $ 1,000.  A good vintner will only use a barrel 3 times (then perhaps selling the barrel to those making lesser wines) as there is, at that point, little flavor to impart to the wine.  In addition, the evaporation of up to 10% of the wine adds additional cost.  A barrel-aged wine is going to cost the consumer several dollars more than the same wine aged in stainless steel.   The good news is that vintners only oak wines made from their better grapes.  This means that when you read on a label that the wine was aged (usually between 6 and 18 months, but more for a Spanish Gran Reserva) in oak you know that this is most likely going to be a good wine.

On caution, however, is that in order to save money oak chips are sometimes added to wine aging in stainless steel.  While this adds a bit of flavour there is no effect on the critical evaporation process.  My advice is to leave on the shelf wines that are simply described as oaked, searching instead for the key phrase “aged for so many months in American and/or French oak”.

Not all wines benefit from aging in oak.  Of the reds Cabernet Sauvignon is most frequently oaked.  In fact, I have never had an unoaked Cabernet that was worth drinking.  Merlots and Malbecs also benefit from oaking. 

White wines, in particular Chardonnay, are sometimes oaked.  The effect of oaking a Chardonnay is so dramatic that it doesn’t appear to be from the same grape as an unoaked Chardonnay.  Without oak a Chardonnay has a crisp taste reminding one of limes or green apples.  Heavily oaked Chardonnay becomes rich and buttery tasting.  In fact so many consumers react negatively to the buttery taste of well-oaked California Chardonnays that vintners more and more often put the word “unoaked” prominently on the label.  I should point out to those of us who like are freshly boiled lobsters dipped in melted butter that an oaked Chardonnay is a very good match.

Finally, there is a health benefit to oaking wine.  We all know that wine contain potent antioxidants that benefit the heart, lungs, blood pressure and even skin tone.  The most important antioxidant is reservatrol which prevents damage to skin cells through aging and even prevents post-menopausal bone density loss, and may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.  This is not even mentioning that reservatrol helps  kill cancer cells.  Oak-aged wines are higher in antioxidants than other wines.  Thus paying an extra few dollars for wines aged in oak barrels doesn’t bother me at all.

 

                     

                 

 

 

 

WHINE # 35 – June, 2012

SUMMER BARBECUE:   Official summer is now here.  However, most of North America has had a warm spring, so I may be a tad late in writing about the barbecue season. 

Firing up the grill and enjoying a simple meal with family and friends is one of the great pleasures of summer.  With the possible exception of well boiled (meaning not boiled for very long) Nova Scotia lobster, nothing beats grilled meat and fresh garden vegetables.

Ice-cold beer is perhaps the choice to accompany your steak or ribs.  However, you may also wish to follow that beer with a glass or two of red wine.  So, what red wines should you select?

First, there is nothing subtle about grilling meat.  The wine needs to be robust and flavorful.  Forget about “Old World” wines.  Europeans do not understand the barbecue and their wines are totally unsuited, being both too thin and lacking in forward fruit.  Save your Burgundy, your Bordeaux, and even your Rioja for the winter season and serve them with the wonderful sauces that your European friends have taught you to make.

Now, here is the real good news.  You don’t need expensive wines for your barbecue.   You simply want a robust wine that can hold up to the spices that are on your meats.  The wine can be young (I can’t believe I said that) and it need not cost more than about $ 15.

RIBS:  Here there is only one choice:  Australian Shiraz.  This is the only wine spicy enough.

STEAKS with commercial barbecue sauce:  Most sauces in a bottle are a little sweet.  I suggest that a California Zinfandel will match quite well.

STEAKS with butt rub:  Argentinian Malbec or Chilean Carmenere are perhaps the best choices.  A Cabernet is also nice but a decent Cab is going to cost you more than $ 15. And even then it shouldn’t be drunk too young.

BURGERS AND DOGS:  Although I might suggest you stick to beer, you may also enjoy a relatively young Malbec.

ROTISSERED CHICKEN:  If you haven’t used too much spice, then a Chilean Pinot would be a good match.  Otherwise, any Merlot.

GRILLED SALMON OR TROUT:  An unoaked Chardonnay is a good match, but a Malbec Rose is also a nice.

SO YOU’D LIKE TO LOSE A FEW POUNDS:   I have heard several friends say that they are giving up wine for a time in order to try and lose some weight.  None of them have lost any weight but they have lost, at least for a time, one of life’s great pleasures.

Before you refuse the next glass of wine that is offered may I suggest you consider some of the following:  Firstly, a glass of red wine contains only about 85 calories.  Yeah, but who uses thimbles in which to serve wine?  So, instead of arguing about the size of the glass let’s talk about ½ bottles.  A half bottle of dry red wine contains about 310 calories and a half bottle is a good accompaniment to your evening meal. 

One-half bottle contains the same number of calories as 2 beers or two cokes.  It is about the same as 1.5 rum and cokes.

But, you note, you are not substituting any of the above beverages.  Instead you are only going to drink water.

My question, is why give up any wine?  Instead give up some food.  Do you know that a Big Mac Meal contains 1350 calories (that’s more than two bottles of wine)  A large chocolate chip cookie dough Blizzard at your local Dairy Queen has 1320 calories.  One order of large fries at McDonald’s has over 500 calories (and that’s assuming you skip the ketchup). 

So, you are going to give up not only wine but fast food.  Well, a small serving of veal parmigano has 411 calories.  Even a chicken breast without any skin has 258 calories.  Steak/Frites contain 801 calories. 

I suppose you could lose weight by only eating brussel sprouts, 65 calories (but then why try for a long life if that life contains brussel sprouts?)  An apple has about 95 calories.

Now here’s a thought.  A bowl of cornflakes with milk and sugar contains 338 calories.  Perhaps you could skip the cereal and start your day with a half bottle of Merlot.

Seriously, although I should like to suggest that you should eat less and drink more, what makes more sense is to eat less and drink the same.

Finally, if all of the above has got you down.  You can easily cheer yourself up with a pound of fudge (only 1800 calories).

CAYMUS WINES:  A couple of weeks ago I faced a birthday that ended in zero.  Not really a cause to celebrate.  On the other hand, my friend Joe suggested to Betty that a nice gift would be to take me to a Caymus dinner event that was happening at Onyx Restaurant in Halifax.  That’s what Betty did.

We enjoyed  seven wonderful courses:   lobster, prawns, salad, pork belly, duck, bison, and cheese.

The wines were all from the Wagner Wineries in California.  The Wagner’s most prized vineyard is Caymus and we sampled both the Zinfandel and the Cabernet Sauvignon.  Their whites also included both oaked and unoaked Chardonnay.

Although the Caymus wines that accompanied the final two course bordered on spectacular, it was a Pinot Noir that gave me the greatest pleasure.  I had only had the Clark and Telephone Pinot once before (and wrote in my wine journal that it was the best Pinot I had ever tasted) and the second time was as good as the first.  At the moment Port of Wines in Halifax is out of stock, but if you can find this wine it is not much more than $ 40.

The next time you have a birthday ending in zero I suggest any of the Wagner wines will take away most of the pain.

CELLAR OFFERING 211:   When I make recommendations for the Opimian Offerings I like to only recommend wines that I have tried on several occasions.  This offering makes this  a little difficult as there are several wines with which I am totally unfamiliar.  Thus, there may be some great wines that are not in these recommendations.

Wines in this offering vary greatly in price.  I can recommend in the bargain category either of the Stone Valley Reds (Merlot 6735) or Cabernet Sauvignon (6735.)  I would AVOID the Butterfly Ridge wines.  They are cheap, but unfortunately they taste cheap.

I have had a very good Tempranillo from Castoro Cellars so my guess is that the Castoro Cellars wines offered here may be worth a try.

Finally 6767 Ramon Biobao Single Vineyard Riojo is an excellent wine that I can strongly recommend.  You’ll like the price.

WHINE # 34 - MAY, 2010

WHINE # 34

ANTIGONISH WINE SHOW:   In April we attended the fourth annual  Antigonish Wine Show.  This is a special event in which the NSLC provides wines; Mark Gabrieau provides food, and the show raises money for St. Martha’s Hospital Foundation.

The food was superb, as were the wines.  This year there were wines to sample from 8 countries (Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Italy, Spain, and the USA).  As there were 3 reds from each country, I didn’t have capacity to sample any whites.

What was interesting about the reds is that the 3 wines from each country were in the low ($ 20), medium ($ 40), or high ($ 60) price range. 

At the end of the night we were able to purchase any of the wines.  Given that option I wondered what wines would be the big sellers.  Unlike a wine tasting where the wines were rated on a piece of paper, this time the choice was made with one’s credit card.  I think this was a great test of the wines in terms of what countries produce wines that are favored by the people of Antigonish.  One of my friends who is on the Board of the NSLC was able to get me a sales report from the evening.  Of the $ 25,000 worth of wine that was sold, these were the favorite reds.

                1.  Audrey Wilkinson Shiraz from Australia ($ 27.29)

                2.  Predator Old Vine Zinfandel from California (($ 27.29)

                3.  Dona Paula Estate Malbec from Argentina ($ 17.99)

                4.  Montecillo Reserva from Spain (($ 24.99)

                5.  Trapiche Jorge Miralle Single Vineyard Malbec from Argentina ($ 42.99)

The top selling white wine was a Nimbus Sauvignon Blanc from Chile.  Incidentally my personal favorite was Gallo Frei Ranch Cabernet from California ($ 52.49).

MORE ON AGING WINE:  It’s always a mistake to drink wines that are too young.  On the other hand, it’s an even bigger mistake to drink wines that have been kept too long.  Once a wine reaches its peak it begins to deteriorate.  At first you will notice a slight brown coloring at the rim where your wine meets your glass.  Then the wine will take on a musty flavor.   Finally, the wine turns to vinegar.

Most of you fall into one of three categories.  You may have a full cellar with a software program that keeps track of your wines.  Or, you may be one of those people whose stock of wines amounts to three bottles at the back of your kitchen counter.  In either of these cases I have no advice for you.  On the other hand, you may have 50 or 75 bottles stored in cardboard boxes in the back of a closet or on your basement floor.  If you fall into this last group my advice is to spend a few minutes looking through your wines and setting aside any that have been kept beyond the recommended date for drinking.   Drink these right away so that you can avoid having good wine go bad.

For those of you who are members of the Opimian Society, go on the website and click “Your wine file”.  There you will be given a drinkability and a maturity rating for every wine you have ever ordered.  I find this service very, very useful.  Since these reviews were just completed for 2012 I have set aside all my 10/10 wines and those will be gone in the next couple of weeks.

THE EXTREMES OF WINE LISTS:  Betty and I recently ate on successive evenings in restaurants that represented the extremes of wine choices.  Staying at The Inn at Thornhill, in Jackson, New Hampshire we had a very good meal (albeit we were the only people eating there that night) and we were very surprised at the wine list.  Over 500 choices offered wines ranging in price from $ 16. To $ 1060.  One could even choose the vintage for Chateau Petrus.  Although we chose a wine near to the bottom of the price range, it was just fine.

The next evening we dined at Bistro 33 in Moncton, New Brunswick.  This small café had excellent seafood, a good atmosphere, and quick service.  However, the ½ dozen wines on offer seemed to have been selected to represent the worst that could be offered from France, Italy and Australia.  I suggested to the Owner/Chef that he might want to expand his offerings.  I bet, however, that if and when we return we’ll find the same disappointing offerings.

NEXT MONTH’S WHINE:  I am hoping to convince my friend Gerard (from Aix-en-Provence) to write a piece on long cellaring French wines.

OPIMIAN OFFERING # 210:  I don’t have many wines to recommend from this offering, but the following two are affordable and are both good food wines.

# 6686  Chateau Blomas, AOP Minervois, 2010.  You will need to cellar this wine for at least a couple of years.

# 6706  Chateau Salitis, Cuvee Premium, AOC Cabardes 2010.  This is an old favorite of mine.  It will go very nicely with spicy meats and bar-b-ques.

WHINE # 33 - April, 2012

AGING WINE:  In earlier blogs I wrote about aging wines, arguing that every wine has a perfect age.  Some wines are best drunk shortly after they are bottled, others only reach their peak after several years of cellaring.

The question is whether or not I can make a complex topic simple.   Basically there are three variables that determine how long you should store a wine before pulling the cork: 

(1) VARIETAL.   Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Shiraz grapes contain lots of tannins.  It takes time for these tannins to “soften” , allowing the fruit flavor to come forward.  On the other hand, there is no point in cellaring a low tannin varietal such as Gamay (the grape of Beaujolais) or Sangiovese (the grape of Chianti).

 (2)  COUNTRY OF ORIGIN.  Wines from hot, dry countries such as Argentina or Australia are made from grapes that are picked when they are fully ripe or sometimes overripe.  These wines take less long to soften than wines from countries with fewer growing days.  Typically wines from the “Old World” countries(France, Italy, Spain) take much longer to reach perfection; particularly the Cabernets.

 (3)  QUALITY.  More expensive wines are made from selected grapes from old vines.  These high quality wines are more suited to cellaring.  Cheaper wines rarely improve with age.

So, I shall go out on a limb and give you a couple of tables which are very rough approximations of how long you should keep your wines.  In each case add the number in the table to the year on the label and you will have the year at which the wine should be near its peak.

KEY TO TABLES

HIGH TANNIN WINES – Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, Shiraz

MEDIUM TANNIN WINES – Bonarda, Carmenere, Malbec, Merlot

LOW TANNIN WINES – Gamay, Pinot, Sangiovese

PRICE RANGE

HIGH -$ 40.

MEDIUM - $ 15-$40

LOW - $ 10 - $ 15

NEW WORLD WINES (Reds)

TANNIN

                                                                High                       Medium               Low

Over $ 40                                               6+                              4                           2

Between $ 15 and $ 40                       4                                 3                           1

$ 15 or less                                        3                              2                        0

OLD WORLD WINES (Reds)

TANNIN

                                                                High                       Medium               Low

Over $ 40                                             7+                           5                              2

Between $ 15 and $ 40                     5                              4                              2        

$ 15 or less                                      4                           2                           1

ALBERTA and AMERICAN READERS ONLY:  When visiting Mendoza a few years ago I was given a bottle of 2006 La Flor Cabernet Sauvignon.  It sat in my cellar until a few weeks ago when I decided to share it with Betty.  This inexpensive wine was absolutely fabulous.  Unfortunately, a Google search discovered only one store in Canada that imported this great wine.   That store is located in Calgary (Vino Fino Inc.  Mike Radakovic Edward’s Wine and Spirits).  Of course, if you live in the U.S.A. you can order the wine on line (www.paulhobbsimports.com).

GOOD VALUE FRENCH WINE:   Good value and French do not typically go together.  However, some of the wines from the south of France have reasonable prices, certainly priced well below the classic wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy.

One wine that I recommend is Minervois.  This wine is produced in the very south of France near the enchanting city of Carcassone.  For history buffs, the village of Minerve was the centre of the famous Cathar tragedy.  Minervois is a blend of Carignan, Grenache Noir, Syrah, Cinsault and several other varietals.  The wine is full-bodied, at least as full-bodied as a French wine gets.  Although the wine will age for a few years, it can generally be drunk quite young.

Minervois can be found at your local government store.  Similarly priced to Argentinian Malbec, you might try serving this to your friends and have them guess the country of origin.  My bet is that they will say “New World.”

WINES OF SOUTHEAST ASIA:   I’ve just returned from 4 weeks  of a great holiday in Southeast Asia.  Betty and I loved everything about the countries we visited;  particularly Thailand and Vietnam.  People were friendly, food was excellent, and we can’t wait to return. 

Wine is not a big part of the culture although interest is growing.  The Chinese, in particular, are purchasing more and more wine, especially expensive French wine. 

What can I say about the local wine?  To quote, “a picture is worth a 1000 words.”  Here I am sampling a Vietnamese red.

OFFERING # 209:  This offering contains a number of good Bordeaux, but they are priced more for special occasions, than for everyday drinking.  So if you want to lay down a few bottles of pricey wines, here are two recommendations:  6654 Clos Sainte-Anne Merlot, and for my rich readers 6633 Hortevie AOC Saint-Julien.  This latter wine, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, is everything a good Bordeaux should be.  This should impress your Chinese business associates.

January 2012 Whine

  

 

Whine # 32

How important is Vintage?  Most bottles of wine clearly indicate the year when the grapes were picked.   There are, however, a few exceptions.  For example, many Champagnes do not give a year because wines from different years are blended together in an attempt to provide a consistent product.

Paying attention to the year is important for two reasons.  First, this critical information tells one whether or not the wine is ready, or needs to be aged, or if in fact, it has passed its best shelf date.  Knowing how long to age a particular wine, although extremely important, is a complex issue and has been dealt with in an earlier Whine (#3) so I’ll move along, except to say that if you are drinking young Cabernets you are making a big mistake.  Remember, however, that the year refers to when the grapes were picked.  This is usually in October in the Northern Hemisphere and March in the Southern Hemisphere.  So a 2008 Chilean wine is already six months older than a 2008 from California.

Winemaking is highly weather dependent.  Lots of sun means lots of sugar and better wine.  While I don’t grow grapes I do have a small vegetable garden.  Last summer we experienced a wetter than normal growing season and our tomatoes were so flavorless that they could have been mistaken for those one buys in the supermarket in February.

Since weather varies from place to place, the statement that it was “a very good year” or “a very poor year” depends not only on the country, but perhaps on a very small region within a country.  Vintage charts will give ratings not just for the Bordeaux region in France, for example, but will note the Left Bank versus the Right Bank.  Thus, in 1998 the wines of St. Emilion (right bank) were only average while the Haut Medoc (just across the river) were considered to be classic.

Back to the basic question, does the year really matter?   The answer is, as you might expect, “Yes and No.”  In part it depends on the country.  Weather is more variable in some places than in others.  Perhaps the extremes are France and California.  In Bordeaux, rainfall and timing of the rainfall varies greatly.  Thus, there are good years and not so good years and the difference is much more than trivial.  So if you are putting out big bucks for a special occasion bottle of Margaux pay the extra for a 2009 or 2010 which were exceptionally good years.

In Spain the weather varies a lot from year to year.  However, the Spanish make it easy for you.  When there is a very good year, the Spanish will label their best wines “Gran Reservas” and as a consumer you know the wine will be special.  In ordinary years the vintners are not allowed to use that label, so “Reserva” will be as good as it gets.

In Argentina, there is little rain and the vines are irrigated from the melting snows of the Andes.  Nonetheless, some years can be a disaster for the grower as the Mendosa area (source of 90% of Argentinian wines) is susceptible to hail storms.  However, hailstorms may destroy the entire crop.   Generally speaking the quality varies much less from year to year than in Southern Europe.

In Chile the weather is even more consistent so if you are buying wines from South America don’t worry so much about the vintage.

Finally, in California the weather is almost guaranteed.  The last time that California had a poor vintage was almost 25 years ago.

In conclusion I would suggest that for most of us vintage only matters when laying down expensive French wines from Bordeaux or Burgundy. 

Wines that disappointed.   Last month I listed the 10 best wines that I enjoyed in 2011.  The thought occurred to me that if I am making lists, why not a list of the worst wines?

As you know, one occasionally opens a bottle that is “corked” and is thus undrinkable.  For those who cellar wine there can be a bottle that has simply been kept too long.  My list includes neither of those disappointments.  It is simply a list of wines that I really didn’t like. 

6              08 Cote de Brouilly (Beaujolais)

5              05 Terrendstre Barbera D’Alba (Italy)

4              06 Aveleda Follies Tourisa National (Portugal)

3              04 Fleur du Cap Shiraz (South Africa)

2              06 Black Opal Shiraz (Australia)

1              08 Passetoutgains (Burgundy)   What is really bad about this wine is that I bought a whole case.

Next Whine.  Writing a Whine is usually triggered by an Opimian Offering.  I usually end each Whine with recommendations to buy (see below).  I expect the next Opimian Offering (# 208) will be out the last week in February.  By that time, however, Betty and I should be on a month’s holiday in Southeast Asia.   So don’t expect another Whine for a couple of months.

Although I am going to take a break from WhineWhining I shall not be weaned off blogging entirely.  As some of you know I like to blog about my travels.  If any of you who read the Whine would like to hear about the countries that we are about to visit send me a brief e-mail (rjohnson@stfx.ca) and I’ll add you to my distribution list for notification of my travel blogs.

Offering # 207.  As most of you know I am very partial to South American wines.  This month’s offering features wines from both Argentina and Chile, as well as wines from the Rhone Valley in France.  There are so many good wines in this offering that I hardly know where to begin.  So what I decided to do is to suggest to you only wines that I have experienced many times.  Then for my own orderings I am going to try some wines with which I am not as familiar.  I didn’t pick particularly inexpensive wines this time.  Three of my recommendations are in the $ 20 range and one is very expensive but unbelievably good.  Any of these wines could be served to your most important guest or saved for a romantic evening with your significant other.

6494 08 Alpha Crux Malbec:   Cellar this for a couple of years and be glad you broke the bank

6504 10 Casa Nueva Merlot Reserva:  Merlots can be very special

6524 10 Cornellana Barrel Reserve Carmenere:    The Barrel Reserve series is very reliable

6528 10 Expresion Reserve Pinot Noir:  Pinot with body

6549 10 Chateau de Montmirail Gigondas:  One of the best from Southern Rhone