Old and New World Wines

WHINE # 55

PERSONAL PREFERENCES:   We started the small dinner party with sparkling wine and then moved to a series of reds wines to accompany the food courses.  The first wine was a well-aged Bordeaux (French), which was followed by an Aglianico del Vulture (Italian), and then a Cabernet Sauvignon (Argentinian).  With the cheese course we drank a Chilean blend that combined Carmenere with Cabernet and Petit Verdot.

The majority of diners found that as the evening went along the wines got better and better.  There could be many explanations for this, but what was most interesting to me was that one person very much preferred the French wine, and as the evening progressed found that each wine was less to his liking.

Certainly tastes differ, and that is no doubt a very good thing.  However, the perfect negative correlation between one person’s tastes and the tastes of the others I found quite fascinating.   The wines had been chosen to go from light to heavy, which is another way of saying that over the evening the wines became less thin or had more body.  A wine with more body tastes “thicker” in the mouth.  A very heavy wine is sometimes described with terms such as “big”, “bold”, or “chewy”.  Those who prefer lighter wines will argue that they are more “subtle” or more “elegant”.

For those who remember their high school science, what I am describing is “viscosity” which is “a measure of a fluids resistance to gradual deformation by tensile stress.”  This corresponds to the informal concept of “thickness” or “resistance to flow”.  For example honey has a much higher viscosity than water.  Or, as fat content in milk is increased one moves from skim to whole to cream.

Viscosity in wine is determined almost wholly by the wine’s alcohol content.  Wines vary from about 9 % alcohol to somewhere short of 16%, unless the wine is fortified (Ports and Sherries have alcohol added following the fermentation process).  A non-fortified wine cannot have more than 16% alcohol because the fermentation process ends when the alcohol kills off the yeast.  The chemistry which determines the viscosity is quite complex and well beyond my understanding.  However, my son (the Engineer not the Lawyer) tells me that when ethanol and water are mixed the result has a much higher viscosity than either liquid alone.  Presumably wine/alcohol blends have the same properties, with viscosity rapidly increasing as the percentage of alcohol goes up.

Bordeaux would not normally be considered a thin wine (as compared to a Beaujolais or a Pinot Noir) but at 12.5 % our dinner Bordeaux was thinner than the Italian wine (13.5%) and quite a bit thinner than the Cabernet (14.5%) or the Blend (15%).  Going up 1% in alcohol content does not seem like much, but remember moving from 12.5 to 13.5 % alcohol is really an 8 % increase. 

It appears to me that most of the guests liked the wines better as they got heavier.  As already noted one diner had tastes in the exact opposite direction.

Think for a minute about your favorite wines.  Does your list include Australian Shiraz, Argentinian Malbec and Chilean Cabernet?  If it does you like wines high in viscosity.  On the other hand if you tend to seek out French Burgundies or Californian Pinot Noirs, then your preference is for wines with less alcohol.

The next time you are choosing which wine to buy, don’t forget to check the alcohol content.  By law the alcohol content is always listed in fine print somewhere on the label.

WINES OF THE POPES:  Most of you are familiar with Chateauneuf-du-Pape (Pope’s new castle), the wonderful wine from Avignon at the very south of the Rhone.  This rather heavy wine (by French standards) is a blend of many grapes, the most prevalent being Grenache.  Somewhat rough when young; the wine mellows beautifully with age.  The name comes from that period in history when Popes lived in Avignon.  In 1307 during a period of conflict between the French Monarchy and the Vatican the newly elected Pope Phillip IV (who was a Frenchman) decided to remain in France rather than move to the Vatican.  Until Gregory XI ended the practice in 1377 all Popes lived in Avignon.  Nonetheless the conflict continued after 1378 and in fact rival Popes (one in Avignon, one in Rome) claimed the Throne.  The Catholic church was not fully united until 1417.  While the schism did nothing to advance Catholicism, it did improve wines in the south of France, as all of the Avignon Popes took great interest in improving the quality of the nearby  vineyards.

The second “Pope’s wine” (my nickname)comes from Spain.  Berola was a small parcel of land granted by Senor Borja to the Cistercian monks in the 12^th century. The surrounding area is today called Campo de Borja.

Recently I discovered a magnificent bottle of Berola (from the Borsao Co-op in Borja) in my cellar.  I don’t know where I picked it up, but after tasting this wonderful Garnacha (Spanish for Grenache) I decided to do a little research.

I quickly learned more about the Borja family than I did about their wine.  The Borjas (Borgias in Italian) were politically and ecclesiastically minded Spaniards who managed to get two of their kin elected Popes.  The first Borgias Pope (Calistus III) reigned from 1455 until 1458.  However, his antics paled as compared to Pope Alexander VI who reigned from 1492-1503.  What is most fascinating is that the corruption of Alexander, as depicted in the TV series “The Borgias”, starring Jeremy Irons, was basically factual.

Alexander VI was very fond of both women and money.  He fathered 12 children by numerous mistresses.  Having basically bribed his way into the Papacy; Alexander engaged in nepotism (appointing his teenage son Cesare a Bishop), simony (selling of church offices), murder, and possibly incest (with his daughter Lucrezia, who also may have dallied with her brother).  Banquets at the Vatican included numerous invited courtesans who were there for the pleasure of the clerics.  Supposedly it was common for naked young boys to jump out of cakes.  Although it has never been proven Cesare probably murdered his brother Giovanni and threw the body into the Tiber.  He may also have murdered one of Lucrezia’s lovers.  Lucrezia was married numerous times and was considered to be an expert in the use of arsenic.  At one point Cesare killed multiple prisoners by locking them in St. Peter’s Square and then shooting them from a balcony.

Of course, corruption of the Papacy was not restricted to the Borgias.  However it is significant that the Reformation (1517) followed Alexander’s reign by little more than a decade. 

On the other hand, I should perhaps add that Alexander only ranks sixth on several lists of the worst Pope’s in history.

I should, no doubt, say more about the wine and less about the scandal.  Had I blind-tasted the Berola I would have insisted it was a New World wine rather than it's being Spanish.  The fruit flavors came through the chewy tannins.  The only problem is that I don’t know where to get another bottle.

OPIMIAN OFFERING 229:  Only once a year does the Opimian Society offer wines from South America.  This year they have done a great job offering wines that are not only delicious, they are very affordable.  There are so many from which to choose that I have decided to only recommend high value wines in the $ 15-$ 25 range (depending on your province).   I have personally tried each of these wines (in earlier vintages of course) and am confident that you will not be disappointed in any of them.  My recommendation is that you max out your credit card and buy many cases.

Here are the ones I recommend:  7869, 7877, 7878, 7884, 7885, 7895, 7907, and 7908.  In addition to the above I suspect the following three (which I haven’t tasted) are worth considering:  7886, 7887, and 7909.

 

 

 

Wines from the Black Sea

WHINE # 54

ODD SCHEDULE:

Some years ago a good friend who was new to the Opimian Society asked me for recommendations on what to order.  I e-mailed her some suggestions each time a new offering came from Opimian.  Eventually I started to make comments beyond simply listing order choices, and I also included others in a distribution list.  The suggestion was made that it would be easier if I did this by way of a blog so in 2007 I started the Winewhine.

Jumping to the present day I recently received an e-mail from a reader who noted that she hadn’t received any Whines for some time.  True, I hadn’t written a blog in almost six months.

For those of you who have been enjoying the reprieve from my ramblings, let me warn you that you should expect about a blog a month for the next half year.  I like to end each blog in the way I started  7 years ago by making order recommendations for the current Opimian Society Offering.  Since the first Offering of the season is in November and the last in early summer my blog has an equally odd schedule.

Now, if you suspected from the above that the majority of my readers are female, or at least the majority of questions come from females why should you be surprised?  Asking advice about wine is no different than asking directions when you are in a strange place.  Women seem to find that easier to do than do men.

Nonetheless, I shall ask you a question.  It seems that I have covered a great many wine-related topics in my 54 blogs.  Are there any topics that you should like me to re-visit?  Or are there any questions that you would like to pose?  In other words, are there any aspects of wine and wine culture about which you might like my opinion.  Any e-mailed suggestions, from either gender, would be sincerely appreciated, and I shall make every attempt to answer in a subsequent blog.

THE WINES OF THE BLACK SEA:

Last month four of us Antigonishers had a delightful holiday around the Black Sea, visiting two cities in Bulgaria, three cities in Turkey, and we also had a stop in Sochi Russia.  Prior to the trip I had no thoughts of wine tasting.  However, I quickly discovered that the climate around the Black Sea is very suitable for growing grapes and this area has a history of wine production that goes back 1000’s of years.  We tasted wines in all three countries and we were pleasantly surprised by the quality.

The sample of one wine tasted in Russia is too small for comment.  On the other hand, we did a formal wine tasting in Bulgaria and also had the chance to taste several wines in Turkey.

BULGARIA was perhaps the biggest surprise.  The claim is that in 1980 Burgaria, as the major supplier of wine for the Soviet Union, was the second largest producer of wine in the world.  The wine was bulk wine of low quality and the industry collapsed with the fall of the USSR.  Nonetheless, wine production and more importantly wine quality is rebounding.  Currently Bulgaria is modelling its wine production on Argentina, with vintners producing big, bold wines that taste much more like New World wines than wines from Europe.  Although I found the Chardonnay to be similar to French Chablis, the Pinots that I tasted  were anything but thin and certainly the Cabernet was rich and chewy and deserved to be paired with a big, juicy steak.

While in Bulgaria we visited the UNESCO world heritage village of Nessebar.  On a back street I came to a tiny wine shop and decided to select one bottle for a suitcase trip back to Canada.   Prices were all on display and the wines seemed to range from the Canadian equivalent of $ 10.-$ 50.  I asked the shopkeeper what he would recommend, expecting him to suggest one of the more expensive wines.  Instead he pointed to a $ 15. Wine, noting that it was from an indigenous grape with which he guessed that I would be unfamiliar.  As it is a 2013 I think I’ll try to save it for a bit.

Bulgarian wine does not appear to be available in Nova Scotia but LCBO does apparently carry three Bulgarian reds.  If any of you in Ontario decide to try one, please let me know your reaction.

 

TURKEY is much newer to the list of major wine producing countries.  Despite the population being overwhelming Moslem, wine production has grown steadily since introduced by President Araturk in the 1920’s.  This was part of the establishment of the modern Turkey, with a constitution that separates Mosque and State.

Turkey has many wine producing areas and somewhere between 600 and 1200 genetically unique grapes.  The wines from indigenous grapes that I tasted were all very pleasant, but the wine that I chose to bring home in my suitcase was a Cabernet/Merlot blend.  Back in Antigonish we invited some friends over for my attempt at Ottoman cuisine.  We had Pide and Kebops, etc. and I shared my one bottle of Turkish wine. 

With the main course I opened the Sevilen Isabey (2011) pictured here and poured each guest a glass.  As a base of comparison I also poured everyone a glass of Cornellana (2011) Caberent/Merlot Barrel Reserva.  This Chilean wine is a standard in my house and I serve it frequently.  To my surprise I found the two wines to taste very similar and my guests unanimously chose the Turkish wine over the Chilean.  Perhaps it was the food pairing or perhaps it was because the Turkish wine was a little more expensive.  Whatever, if you find yourself in a wine shop that has a Turkish wine, please don’t be afraid to try it.

OPIMIAN OFFERING 228:

The wines offered are from South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.  As I have never been overly impressed with either South African or New Zealand wines I shall make recommendations only on the Australian offerings.  Here Opimian seems to present primarily high-end wines and there is one that I think you should try.  The 2012 Shottesbrooke Estate (7844) Shiraz should be worth the investment.  I had a 2011 last night and was very impressed.  In terms of a negative recommendation I suggest you avoid the Hastwell & Lightfoot “Fat’N’Skinny” series.   My one venture into those wines was very disappointing.

WHINE # 53

 

“A meal without wine is called breakfast.”

GLOW WINE:  As part of my membership in the Opimian Society I participate in “Founders’ Choice , a program whereby I am regularly sent a case of  premium wines for a fixed price.  Each wine is specifically selected by an invited vintner.  Most of the time I have been very well pleased with these surprise selections, and frequently I end up with wines that I wouldn’t have otherwise purchased.

However, a few weeks ago I received a case of Bois des Lauriers Grignan Les Adhemar.  Not having ever heard of such a wine I rushed to my trusted encyclopedic dictionary of French wines.  To my surprise there was no listing for Grignan Les Adhemar.   Google, however, came to the rescue and I learned that Grignan Les Adhemar is the new name for Coteaux du Tricastin.  Apparently there is a nuclear reactor in Tricastin which spilled waste into the atmosphere back in 2008.  The wine growers managed to have the name of their wine changed so that it wouldn’t be associated with this nuclear accident.

I couldn’t resist.  I opened a bottle the very same day and Betty and I enjoyed it thoroughly.  I must confess, however, that after we retired I did cast several glances at my spouse to make certain she didn’t glow in the dark.

RESTAURANT REVIEW:  On the long weekend in May four of us travelled to Clare to participate in a weekend golf tournament.  On the eve of the event we made a reservation at Cuisine de Robichaud, a relatively new Acadian restaurant.    The place was very full when we arrived, but we were given a table overlooking St. Mary’s Bay.  We enjoyed watching the sunset as we dined.  As they were out of my favorite Rappie Pie I settled for the Fricot as a starter.  This was followed by a most magnificient pan-fried haddock that was smothered in a cream sauce and many large chunks of freshly steamed lobster.

We had been warned that the restaurant was not licensed, so we had taken a couple of bottles of our favorite wines.  To our very pleasant surprise there was no corkage fee.

The next day we played 18 holes of golf which was followed by a late lunch of boiled lobster with all the trimmings at the clubhouse.   Despite that mid-afternoon meal we armed ourselves with two more bottles of wine and returned in the evening to Cuisine de Robichaud for another meal of perfectly prepared local seafood.

I suspect that not many of you  often travel  to Lower Saulnierville.  However, if you are within 100 miles, make the effort to try this restaurant.   Be sure, however, to call ahead for reservations.  I understand that in the summer months a table for walk-ins is a rarity.

TAKING A BOTTLE OF WINE TO DINNER:  When invited to a dinner party most guests bring a small gift to the host.  Favorite choices are flowers or wine and sometimes both.

I have written many times about the importance of matching wine and food.  A good match improves both and a poor match diminishes both.  The guest, of course, rarely knows the menu so matching the wine to the food is pure chance, but more on that later.

Most dinner hosts will have chosen the wines prior to the guests’ arrival.   Gifts of wine from the guests should therefore be gratefully acknowledged and then set aside for another occasion.  I always mark on the bottle with masking tape, who brought the wine and when.   Sometimes I will e-mail the guest a year or two later and tell them how much I enjoyed their gift and how well it went with the previous evening’s meal.

If you don’t serve your guest’s wine the evening it was presented not only do you avoid a poor match to the food, you also prevent  comparison between bottles brought by different guests.

As a guest if you know that your host will not be serving your gift, your task is easy.  Take a bottle of your host’s favorite.  If you don’t know your host that well then just take any good bottle and it doesn’t matter whether you take red or white, so long as it is decent.

If you suspect that your host is going to uncork your gift immediately, then take something that is neither too light nor too heavy.  Avoid acidic wines such as Chianti.    Also avoid a tannic wine that needs cellaring.  That expensive bottle of California Cabernet may become wonderful in three or four years but at the moment it is simply not ready and it certainly is a poor match to a delicate fish, for example.  I  usually take a Merlot or a Malbec, as they pair well with most foods and they are also wines that I like to drink on almost any occasion.

CELLAR OFFERING 227:  Burgess wines are very good, albeit expensive.  If money is not a problem try # 7732, #7733, or # 7734.  I am not a great fan of Stone Valley wines or of Butterfly Ridge so suggest you avoid these.   I have liked wines from Castoro Cellars so recommend #’s 7755 to 7757.

 

WHINE # 52

 

PHYLLOXERA:   After centuries of success the wine industry in France faced a huge crisis in the 1850’s.  Vines were dying in ever-increasing numbers.  The plague that struck the French growers rapidly spread not only throughout France but to most of the world.  Eventually 4/5 of the world’s vines either succumbed to disease or were ripped from the earth by the growers in an attempt to save adjacent vines.  

The culprit was a tiny organism that attacked the roots of the vines, preventing them from absorbing water from the soil.  Eventually the roots of the vine would all but disappear.  Wine produced from the diseased vines was undrinkable.  The crisis was so great  that Emperor Louis-Napoleon invited the eminent French scientist of the day, Louis Pasteur, to the palace at Tuileries to discuss the problem.  Pasteur, however, was not to repeat his success of giving us safe milk to drink.  Although he was able to see the tiny louse by using a microscope, he was unable to suggest a way to prevent the spread from vineyard to vineyard.

The Phylloxera louse probably came to France from the United States where it had attacked vines in New York State and along the East Coast.   In the days of sailing ships the louse could not survive the long voyage but by the mid 19^th century potted plants (mostly ornamental) were being sent to Europe from North America in steam ships.

Every effort was made to combat the widening plague and wine producers spent fortunes first infusing the soil with carbon bisulfurate and later vines were watered with sulphocarbonate of potassium.  These poisons killed some of the organisms.  However, they also caused great sickness in the field workers and ultimately failed to eradicate the phylloxera louse.  Nonetheless, chemical treatments continued to be used well into the twentieth century.

In many ways this bit of history reminds me of the Dutch Elm disease that killed 160 two-century old trees on my beloved Antigonish Golf Course.  Chemical injections made profits for some manufacturers but ultimately failed to save the trees from being cut down and burned.

During the 20^th century growers gave up on chemicals and began the gargantuan task of grafting European vines (most of the world’s vines originated in Europe) on phylloxera-resistant roots from America.  Vitis labrusca and hybrids from that vine evolved in the United States to be resistant to the louse.  Now most of the world’s wines come from grafted vines.  In the late 1800’s French growers hand grafted 230,000 tonnes of bud-wood onto American rootstock.

Despite the spread of the disease throughout the world there remains to this day a few areas that are unaffected and where ungrafted vines are still grown.  The biggest area is, of course, South America.  Almost all vines in Chile and Argentina are ungrafted.  Many believe that the isolation of South American vineyards (ocean barrier) has been the protection.  This doesn’t explain the fact that wines in Jumilla (Spain), which is not isolated, made from Monastrell grapes come from ungrafted vines.  Also the vines of Washington State are almost all ungrafted.  Arguably the sandy soil is the real reason that these vines survive.

There are differences between ungrafted and grafted vines.  Grafted vines tend to produce more foliage and also larger grapes making them generally more productive.  On the other hand, ungrafted vines live and produce 3-4 times as long as grafted vines.  Ungrafted grapes tend not only to be smaller but have thicker skins, thus being more tannic.  Some argue that wines made from grapes from ungrafted vines have a purer, more interesting flavour.  However, to do true tasting tests one would have to have both grafted and ungrafted vines in the same vineyard, and for the vines to be the same age.   I certainly have never had an opportunity for that kind of comparison.  On the other hand, many of my favorite wines come from Argentina, Chile, Washington State and to a lesser extent Jumilla, the very areas with ungrafted vines.

Finally, even a few areas of France escaped plylloxera.  There are a few vineyards in Champagne where grapes are grown on ungrafted vines.

BLENDING WINE ACROSS VINTAGES:  Although most bottles of wines are sold with the vintage clearly indicated on the label a few wines are blended across vintages; that is wines from different years are mixed together.  This is quite common in Champagne where wines from lesser and greater vintages are blended together to produce a consistent product.  That way the consumer knows that a particular bubbly will always taste the same.  Even in Champagne, however, the best vintages are not blended but are sold by the vintage.

BLENDING ACROSS VARIETALS:   Mixing wines from different varietals has, for centuries, been the hallmark of European producers.  These blends have produced wines that are perhaps more subtle, more interesting, and generally tasting better than wines that could have been produced from a single type of grape.  For example mixing a soft Merlot with a harsh or tannic Cabernet gives a smoothness and a flavour that couldn’t have been found in either varietal.

In countries such as France the particular grapes that can be blended together in a village or area are carefully controlled by law.  Thus, Bordeaux contains Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Carignon and Malbec.  Cote du Rhone will have Grenache Noir, Syrah, Cinsault, and Mouvedre.  Saint Emilion will have Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon blended into the dominant Merlot.  Chateauneuf-du-Pape has 10 different varietals added to the Grenache.

For most of wine history European wines were labelled by the village or area where the grapes were grown.  So, for example, if you bought a bottle of Chianti you knew that the grape is Sangiovese and that a bottle of Beaujolais is made exclusively from the Gamay grape, an exception to the blending preference.  It was always assumed that the consumer just knew what was in the bottle so long as the village or area of origin was listed.

In the New World, however, producers needed to make their wines more accessible to their less sophisticated consumers.  The vintners recognized that labelling their bottles by the name of the grape made it easier to remember what was liked and what wasn’t.  New drinkers quickly learned that Pinot Noir is light and thin, and that Cabernet Sauvignon is heavier and even a little bitter tasting.  For those who were a little more sophisticated the valley or area where the grapes were grown might be listed in the fine print on the back of the label.

While labelling wine by the varietal may be easier for the consumer, much is sacrified by not blending.  Recognizing this fact Californian and Australian producers have had recent success in producing a Bordeaux-type blend for which they have invented a special name (Meritage).  The consumer only has to remember one name for the blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and a few miniscule other grapes.

In fact, vintners may add a small amount of a second or third varietal but only name the dominant grape on the front label.   Thus, you may think that wine is 100 % Cabernet when in fact it contains 5 or 10% of another varietal.  This minor deception is not bad, however, as the blend is most likely superior.  On the other hand, I do find that I don’t like to be talked (or labelled) down to just because the North American producers think I don’t understand the skill of an expert blender.

A final word of caution, however.  Sometimes producers with poor wines will make a blend them together and simply label them “Red Wine” or “Red Blend”.  Although this is not a hard rule my suggestion is to avoid wines so labelled.

OPIMIAN OFFERING 226: 

7675:  Beaune, Les Bons Feuvres.  If you like a very light, but flavourful wine, this Pinot Noir might be for you.

7695:  Chateau Canet Minervois.  Less expensive than the Pinot above this Syrah Grenache blend has a little more body and more fruit flavours.

7704:  Tortoise Creek Viognier.  This white wine is for those who like but can’t afford Chablis.

7708:  Chateau Salitis Cabardes.  Another affordable, medium bodied red with lots of flavour.

 

  

WHINE # 51

Yet another word on bubbly:   Last time I made fun of leading men from the movies of the 50’s and 60’s drinking “Champagne” from sherbet dishes.  I argued that sparkling wine should only be drunk from narrow fluted glasses in order to prevent the effervescence from escaping.   Shortly after I posted that blog one of my sons drew my attention to an article arguing against the flute.  It was noted that some prefer to drink their bubbly from a large pinot noir glass so that they have a greater mouth sensation of the escaping bubbles.   An ancillary argument put forth by the Riedel glass company centered on the fact that Champagne is a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  I remain unconvinced.  I suppose if you want a quick hit from the alcohol, then let the escaping carbon dioxide aid in quick absorption  into the bloodstream.  For me, however, I’ll stick to the flute so that I can slowly enjoy the wine without it going flat.

Restaurant surprises in New Brunswick:  While returning last week from Ontario we got storm stayed in N.B.  As it turned out we discovered two superb restaurants which deserve mention for any of you who might be travelling through that greatly underappreciated province.

We drove into Edmundston just as it was getting dark and Betty spotted Chantal’s Steakhouse from the highway.   We turned off to check it out.  The night was miserable and snowbanks were piled elephant high. No one appeared to be eating and Betty asked if the restaurant would still be open after we had checked into a hotel.  “Don’t worry, take your time, we’ll stay open for you”, said the very pleasant greeter who turned out to be Chantal herself.

By the time we had returned there were two tables enjoying their meals and we were warmly greeted by Chantal, who asked if we had brought wine.  As it turned out I did have a bottle of thin merlot, still in a suitcase that had come with us from New Zealand.  The meal was much better than the wine.  I thoroughly enjoyed my escargot, stuffed salmon and sugar pie.  Betty said her steak was the best ever.

The restaurant is beautifully decorated and Chantal told us a bit about herself.  A couple of years ago she had lost her job, and as a single mother was facing very difficult times.  However, she took out a second mortgage on her house and opened the restaurant.  Now she is bursting with pride at her beautiful and successful venture.  And, the corkage fee for the bottle of wine was 99 cents.  I can’t wait to get back to Edmundston.

The next afternoon the weather has worsened to the point that the highway to Nova Scotia was closed so we were forced to stop in Moncton.  The restaurant we had decided to try was also closed.  However, Betty spotted “Le Petit Cavalier” next door to the closed place and it was open.  “Le Petit Cavalier” is a French restaurant in a lovely old house in a slightly seedy part of the downtown area.   There was nothing seedy about the restaurant, however.  The menu was enticing and we both ordered the Table d’hote.  For  $35 I got a taste of soup, a great Caesar (admittedly  Caesar Salad is American and not French), a keylime sorbet, a beautifully  prepared lamb shank, and a very nice crème brulee.  All in all it was a great meal professionally served in a very elegant dining room.

The wine list was especially interesting.  It was quite extensive and had 8 (I counted them) wines that would very nicely complement the lamb.  All were under $ 40.  Unlike some more pretentious French restaurants that only list unaffordable French wines on the carte, there were great choices from South America, Italy and California.  Those of you who know my biases know that I want a big, robust wine to accompany lamb and French wine doesn’t cut it for me so I ordered a very good Argentinian wine for $ 28.

In sum, being stranded in New Brunswick is not such a bad thing.

ONE EXPENSIVE BOTTLE OF RUM:    There are lots of expensive wines that one can enjoy on a special occasion.   A good vintage of a top wine from South America can be had (Don Melchor from Chile or Finca Altamira from Argentina) for $ 150 or so.  A 2006 Penfold’s Grange from Australia can set one back $ 600.  Top California wines (e.g. Ghost Horse Vineyard or Screaming Eagle) can run up to $ 1500.   If you win a lottery you can get a bottle of 2005 Chateau Petrus (France) for $ 4,000.  If you don’t want to drink it, but merely want to display it because of its rarity you can pay $ 27,000. for an 1865 double magnam of Chateau Lafite.

Most of the above are out of my price range but I can at least imagine drinking them.  What I can’t imagine is buying a $ 5,000. bottle of rum.  Yet, when I visited my local Antigonish liquor store yesterday I was shown a bottle of 50 year old Appleton rum.  Yes, the price listed was indeed 5k. and one of the clerks to whom I chatted  believes that the bottle will sell.  And I thought I lived in a provincial backwater where people envy someone being paid a teacher’s salary.  I am going to keep checking back to see if that bottle of rum actually sells.

Wines of the Yarra Valley:  When one thinks of Australian wines one tends to think of big, spicy bottles of Shiraz, or possibly smooth, but tannic Cabernet Sauvignons.  These heavy reds come from such great wine producing areas as Margaret River or Coonawaara.  Of course the best big wines come from hot, dry climates where the grapes can stay on the vines until they are loaded with sugar.

On the other hand, there are lots and lots of cool climate wine areas where the shorter growing season leads vintners to specialize in white wines and reds such as Pinot Noirs. 

Recently I had the opportunity to do a wine tour of the Yarra Valley, near Melbourne.  Here I tasted some great sparkling wines, some very good Chardonnays and a lot of Pinots.  Highlights of our tour were the wineries at Oakridge (voted the best winery in Australia in 2012) and Domaine Chandon.  Domaine Chandon is wholly owned by Moet and Chandon, one of the largest producers in Champagne.  They are  famous for their Dom Perignon.  Moet and Chandon also make sparkling wine in Napa Valley and more recently in the Yarra Valley.  In both Napa and Yarra the sparkling wines are made to be as similar to their more famous Champagnes as is possible.  I had the opportunity to try both the Australian version and the Napa version and to my taste they were identical.  Not wanting to spring $ 200. for a bottle of Dom Perignon I didn’t do that comparison.  However,  I strongly suspect that one bottle of Champagne is not anywhere near worth 5-10 bottles of Domaine Chandon.

OPIMIAN OFFERING 225:  I have considerable trouble making recommendations for this offering.  2013 was not a particularly good year in Bordeaux.  Perhaps for that reason Opimian is not offering their usual selections.  I am not familiar with most of what they are offering.  That does not mean that they are not worth buying, just that I cannot recommend them.  One exception to that is 7647 Clos Cantenac.  This St. Emilion Grand Cru is very expensive, but would make a nice addition to anyone’s cellar.  For someone who wants a Beaujolais I would recommend 7598 Domaine de Milhomme.

WHINE # 50

BUBBLY:   North Americans were introduced to “bubbly” wine in the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s by Hollywood movies.  The major movie makers knew a lot about entertainment but almost nothing about wine.  The first mistake made by Cary Grant, Clark Gable and even Jimmy Stewart was to “pop” the cork and then watch the wine foam down the sides of the bottle.  We now know that a sparkling wine cork should be removed only with a “whisper.”  Not only does this avoid injury from a flying cork, it prevents loss of effervescence.

Secondly, whatever wine was left in the bottle by one of these leading men was then poured into a sherbet dish rather than a proper Champagne flute.  This, of course, leads to quick dissipation of the remaining fizz.  A “flat” Champagne is about as tasty as “flat” Coca-Cola.

Finally, the movie makers convinced us that Champagne, or whatever sparkling wine they pretended to be Champagne, was a drink that was reserved for special occasions, and they showed it being drunk by itself.

Sparkling wine is too good to have only when one has got a promotion, or when one has scored or is hoping to score in some other fashion.  Sparkling wine is tremendously versatile and can be drunk almost anytime.  In addition, it goes very well with a wide variety of food; my favorite accompaniment is  boiled Nova Scotia lobster.

CHAMPAGNE VERSUS OTHER SPARKLING WINE:  While we sometimes refer to any sparkling wine as “Champagne” it should be noted that the French have been quite successful in protecting the word itself.  To be called Champagne the wine must come from an AOC demarcated area in the far north of Burgundy.  In fact Champagne is the most northerly wine-growing area in France.

Other parts of France also produce excellent sparkling wines but they can’t be called “Champagne.”  The Limoux area of Languedoc Roussilion in the south of France claims to have made sparkling wine well before Champagne.   My personal preference for a French sparkler is a Brut de Blanc from Saumur in the Loire Valley west of Paris.   These wines cost a third the price of Champagne and are almost as good.

Spain produces wonderful sparkling wine, most of which comes from Penedes, where it is called Cava.  Italy is another producer of sparkling wine, the most famous being Asti.  Finally, very good bubbly can also come from California or from Argentina.

METHOD OF PRODUCTION:  Sparkling wine can be made in at least three ways.  Methode Champenoise is the most expensive.  In this technique a still white blended wine has added, after its final racking, a mixture of sugar, yeast and yeast nutrients.  The bottles are then corked and a second fermentation occurs leading to a high level of carbon dioxide in the wine (the bubbles).  The bottles must then be rotated daily to prevent the buildup of sediment.  Traditionally this was done by hand but now there are machines to do the work.  This method is usually called Methode Traditionelle outside of Champagne itself.  Sometimes a sparkling wine from California will say “individually fermented in this bottle.”

The second method is to have the second fermentation occur in barrels, rather than in the bottles themselves.  This method, frequently used in Italy, is less expensive and leads to wines that do not age as long, but which can be quite high in fruit flavour.  Sparkling wines from Argentina can be either barrel or bottle fermented.

Finally, sparkling wine can be produced by simply infusing carbon dioxide into a still white wine.  This method, most often used in Germany, leads to inferior sparkling wine.

VARIETALS:  Sparkling wines can be made from a number of different grape varieties, depending on the climate of the area.  In Champagne itself, the wine is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.  In Asti, an area of Piedmont, Italy sparkling wines are made entirely of the Muscat grape.  The second area in Italy that produces much sparkling wine is eastern Veneto where the Prosecco grape is used.  Prosecco is also the name of a town.  In Spain the climate is generally too warm for the growth of Chardonnay so the Spanish producers, after much experimentation, settled on a blend of three grapes for their Cavas:  Xarello, Parellada and Macabeo.   Because different grapes are used the taste of Champagne will not be quite the same as the taste of Prosecco, which will not be the same as the taste of Cava.  It is a matter of one’s taste that should dictate which sparkling you buy.

SOME IMPORTANT TERMINOLOGY:  As noted above sparkling wines vary in method of production as well as in the varietals used.  Sparkling wines also vary on two other important dimensions.  First, sparkling wines will be “fully sparkling” when made with bottle fermentation.  Also, wines may be less than “fully sparkling.”  In Italy the term “frizzante” refers to a partial sparkle and “spumante” refers to full sparkle.  In Portugal Vinho Verde has a very slight sparkle, which comes from the first fermentation—there being no second fermentation.  This wine is called a “crackling” wine rather than a “sparkling” wine.

Secondly, sparkling wines are made along a dimension that goes from quite sweet to bone dry.  Of course, how much residual sugar you want in your glass is a matter of taste.  However, the terminology that indicates the sugar level is very odd indeed, despite the fact that the same terminology is used throughout Europe as well as much of the rest of the world.  If you are only going to remember one thing from this Whine pay careful attention to what comes next.  The term “Demi-sec” indicates that the wine will be very sweet (I know “sec” is French for “dry” but don’t believe it when it comes to sparkling wine.)  “Demi-Sec” means that the wine contains 33-50 grams of sugar per litre. “Sec” means that the wine contains 17-35 grams of sugar per litre and is still quite sweet.  “Extra-sec” has 12-20 grams per litre and is still not dry enough for my taste.  “Brut” may contain up to 15 grams of sugar whereas “Extra Brut cannot contain more than 6.  Finally “Brut Nature” refers to a wine that has no more than 3 grams per litre.  I only have ever found the term “Brut Nature” on wine coming from Argentina, and even that is hard to find.  Experimentation will lead you to discover what level of sugar matches your taste.  After that you will always know what to buy.

SOME FINAL COMMENTS:   Although not absolutely necessary I think a bottle of sparkling wine is best chilled in an ice bucket for a couple of hours before serving.  Also, being able to return the partially emptied bottle to a mixture of water and ice keeps the wine well chilled for your second glass.

When you are ready to open be careful.  First, remove the foil but do not remove the wire cage.  Loosen the wire but leave it over the cork as this provides an extra grip.  If you are right-handed place your left hand over the wire and cork and then very slowly twist the bottle with your right hand.  This way the cork will finally be removed with a “whisper” rather than a “pop.”

Once the cork has been removed pour the wine into a proper Flute that is held at an angle so the wine can be poured down the inside of the glass.  This will prevent the wine from bubbling up and overflowing the glass.  A proper “Flute” is a tall, narrow glass with a long stem.  The narrow vessel means that there will be a small surface area keeping the fizz in the wine from dissipating too quickly.  The long stem allows you to hold the glass so that your hot, sweaty fist will not cause the wine to lose its chill.

You should not pay more for a sparkling wine than you would pay for a still wine.  If you are willing to pay $ 15-$ 20 for a still to pair with the main course, then buy sparkling wine in the same price range.  If you are not averse to paying $ 75. for your Cabernet Sauvignon, then French Champagne could be your choice of sparkling wine.  

OPIMIAN CELLAR OFFERING 224:  I am not very excited by this offering.  However, if you cellar is empty here are a couple of choices.  For everyday drinking try:

7545 Negroamaro or 7592 Montepulciano

If money is not an object these two wines are about as good as Italian wine gets:

7588 Brunello di Montalcino or 7581 Amarone

 

 

Sparkling wine makes a great “reception” wine to serve your guest before they sit down to dinner.  But don’t forget sparkling wine also goes well with many different foods and unlike Cary Grant you can actually sit at the table with a plate of your favorite food in front of you and a flute of sparkling wine next to the plate.

 

WHINE # 49

 

 

 

A DUMMY’S GUIDE TO MATCHING FOOD AND WINE:  One can easily get carried away in an attempt to find the perfect wine for your dinner table.  For example, Opimian recommends that Barolo be served with Kale-stuffed squab breast, with squab ragout and Castelmagno cheese.  I’m afraid my bottle of Barolo might get quite dusty waiting for Betty to whip up that particular meal.  Just as easily one may pay no attention to what is served with what.  And that does no favors to either the food or the wine.

Wine always is better with the right food, and food is certainly better with a well-matched wine.  Are there some easy rules to follow?  Yes, it’s quite simple.  First, serve full-bodied wines with robust food and pair light wines with foods that are delicate.  Second, match acidic wines with foods high in acid content, such as meats served with tomato or lemon sauces; and serve tannic wines with foods high in protein, such as red meat.  Finally, if the wine is for sipping and is not accompanied by food serve something that is not particularly high in either acid or tannins.

By way of review, acid in wine (and all wines contain acid) give the wine a sharp, slightly sour taste that makes our mouths water and is noticeable on the side of the tongue.  Tannins in wine leave a slightly bitter taste and make the mouth feel particularly dry.  Both sensations are pleasant in the right context.

Some examples of wines high in acidity are Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Grenache and Sauvignon Blanc.  Low acid wines include Merlot, Chardonnay and Viognier.  Wines high in tannins include Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.  Low tannin wines include Pinot Noir, Gamay and Grenache.  Finally, Malbec is medium in both tannins and acid.  If in doubt try Semillon for a White and definitely Malbec for a Red.  South American Malbecs will match almost any food.

WHAT DID I DRINK LAST YEAR:  In my last Whine (# 48) I gave some data on what wines Canadians are drinking.  Looking back through my wine diary I clearly am not in line with my compatriots.  For example I drank almost no Canadian wine and my bias toward New World wines is clearly much greater than that of other Nova Scotians.

Two-thirds of all the entries in my diary are from the New World with almost 30% of all the wines I drank coming from Argentina.  Chile ranked second at 16%.  In terms of Old World wines Spain was my favorite at 13%, squeaking ahead of France (12%), California (11%) and Italy (10%).  However, I have to confess that my good wife and drinking partner heavily influences my choices and complains whenever I choose an Old World wine, except when we are having pasta and then she wants an acidic Italian.

MY FAVORITES IN 2013:  As I have mentioned several times I keep a wine diary.  I like to make brief notes on each bottle I open and to rate the wine on a 10 point scale.   Most of the wines I drink score between “7” and “9” but occasionally I give a wine a “10.”  In 2012 I only gave 6 “10’s” but in 2013 I was more generous.  Here are the wines that I scored at “10”.  The ones with asterisks were also on my 2012 list.  Note the about half of these wines were from South America, but then I drank more South American wines than anything else.

2004   Familia Schroeder Pinot/Malbec (Argentina)

2003* Alfa Crux Tempranillo/Malbec/Merlot  (Argentina)

2004   Perdriel Single Vineyard Malbec/Cabernet/Merlot (Argentina)

2007* Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile)

2008   Finca Flichman Gestos  Malbec (Argentina)

2006   Long Flats Destinations Cabernet Sauvignon (Australia)

2007* Louis Martini Napa Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (California)

2008* Villard Special Blend (Chile)

2008   Marques Casa Conca Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile)

2005* Legaris Reserva Tempranillo (Spain)

2004  Gran Dama de Toro Tempranillo (Spain)

OPIMIAN CELLAR OFFERING 223:  My recommendations this time include three relatively inexpensive wines and one a little pricier.

7467  Serra Vinho Verde 2013 is a wine I recommend every year.  I frequently serve it as a reception wine but it is also good as a summer sipper.

7486  My next Whine will be entirely devoted to sparkling wines but in the meantime here is a Cava that is well worth the modest price.

7492  Ramon Bilbao Single Vineyard.  You might want to keep this a year or two when it will become a great food wine.

7528  Chateau de Montmirail Gigondas.  Very similar to Chateauneuf-du-Pape but perhaps even better.