WHINE # 28 – August, 2011
Fruit Flies Prefer French Wine: Not long ago I opened a bottle of home-made wine that I had been avoiding for some time. One sip convinced me that this might be used in fruit fly traps. As most of you have discovered bowls of fresh fruit (peaches, plums, etc.) attract multitudes of tiny fruit flies. Usually these miniscule pests can be trapped by covering a saucer of wine with plastic wrap in which slits have been made with a sharp knife.
Shortly after the traps had been placed on our kitchen counter Betty and I hosted 14 members of my “Red Jacket” Club for a dinner of grilled salmon. This event was cut short when one of the guests heart stopped. Within minutes our dining room was overtaken by paramedics and the RCMP. I am happy to report that my friend’s defibulator re-started his heart and after prompt medical attention at St. Martha’s in Antigonish and The Infirmary in Halifax he is fine and back on the golf course.
While I was cleaning up the morning after this ill-fated dinner party I noticed many partially-full glasses of Coteaux du Languedoc that we had been drinking with the meal. This leftover wine allowed me to make more fruit-fly traps.
What is the point of this story? Well, a quick glance of the countertop revealed that scores, if not 100’s of fruit flies were trapped in the wine from the South of France and only one lost fly managed to drown in the home-made stuff. Apparently, even fruit flies have sophisticated taste when it comes to choosing wine. I hope no one else gives me any home-made wine because I now can’t think of any use for it at all.
Ordering Wine in a Canadian restaurant: There are three types of Canadian restaurants when it comes to ordering wine.
TYPE ONE: Here one is offered the choice of “Red or White”. Frequently the Red is either Comtessa or something else equally unpalatable The choice is easy; these restaurants always have well-chilled Keiths, light or regular.
TYPE TWO: A small number of restaurants pride themselves on extensive wine lists. The problem is that many of these wines are marked up by 50 – 70 per cent. Do you pay $ 25. For an $ 11. wine; $ 45. For a $ 20 wine; or $ 90. For a $ 40 wine. Since the $ 11. valued wine will probably detract from the good food, and since $ 50. seems an obscene amount for corkage, my choice is usually the $ 20. wine accepting the $ 25. surcharge. However, check carefully the wine when it arrives; particularly the date. If you have ordered an ’06 and an ’08 arrives, do not accept.
TYPE THREE: This is the most common. You will find 15-20 wines on a list. No vintage is given so you can assume that the wine is relatively young because the restaurant has limited space and is selling the wine as soon as it has purchased. The key is to order a wine that can be drunk young, because young wine is all you are going to get. Almost any white wine will be fine, but if you want a nice red you should avoid anything that has tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon is out, as is Malbec and Zinfandel. Anything Spanish is o.k because Spain ages its wines before release. Merlot is a good bet.
WHY ARGENTINA? I’ve often said that if I could only get wine from one country, that country would be Argentina. The reason is that I think Argentina offers the best value in wine, particularly if one likes the big, bold taste New World taste of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.
Although Argentina has long been one of the biggest producers of wine, it has only been since the 1990’s that the quality of the wine has caught the world’s attentions. Prior to 1990 most of the wine produced was of low quality with much being for domestic consumption.
Around 1990 the so-called “Flying Wine Makers” discovered that Argentina, and in particular Mendoza province, was the perfect place to produce high quality wine. Since then investors from Belgium, France, the United States and Canada have poured billions into the Argentinian wine industry.
Argentina has several advantages. First the terroir is classic with alluvial clay mixed with sand and rock. Second the slopes of the Andes provide warm days and cool nights. Most important, however, is the sun. Mendoza, for example, has 330 days of sun per year (compare that to Bordeaux with only 190).
Finally, with all that sun, why isn’t Mendoza a desert? Well, in fact it is, but the melting snows of the Andies provide all the water that is needed for irrigation, turning the desert into the lushest vineyards anywhere.
Combine the above with a currency that was devalued not so long ago and you have the reason why no one can match the quality of Argentinian wines in the $ 15.-$ 20 range.
SPECIAL OFFER 49: For those of you who are members of the Opimian Society, you will have recently received an offering of Bordeaux Futures. Twelve wines are offered; you pay a deposit up front and next year you will pay the to-be-determined balance. Should you order any of these wines?
First, if you do not have a cellar, don’t bother. Most of these wines will be at their best many years from now.
Second, these wines are expensive. If you don’t want to commit $ 50. - $ 90. per bottle then, these Futures are not for you.
Finally, if you want a half dozen bottles of excellent Bordeaux to lay down so you can show them to guests (carefully noting that they are not ready just yet) then I suggest you blow your kids’ inheritance on a case of the Pomerol or one of the St. Emilion Grand Cru.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Whine # 27, June - 2011
Welcome John Embree of Antigonish to the Whine.
THE WINES OF EASTERN EUROPE: For centuries wine has been produced in those Eastern European countries that have a sufficient number of growing days for grapes to ripen. While most of the production has been for domestic consumption, bargain wines have long been exported to England and North America. In Canada most of us have drunk, at least on occasion, the famous Egri Bikaver (Bull’s Blood) from Hungary.
Egri Bikaver has been around a long, long time and supposedly dates back to 1552 when the Turks, led by Suleiman the Magnificent, had Eger castle under siege. The small group of defenders were given copious amounts of red wine to boost their spirits. The Turks observed the defenders quaffing this red liquid and rumor spread among the Turks that the defenders were downing bulls’ blood in order to give them extra strength. This belief so intimidated the Turks that they abandoned the siege.
Unfortunately for wine producers of the Balkans and Hungary, the rise of Communism resulted in great pressure for increased production. Eventually, the quality declined to the point where the only reason to drink the wine was if there were no alternatives.
After Communism collapsed wine producers realized that the only strategy that would result in the re-establishment of export markets would be one of increasing quality.
Betty and I recently returned from a tour of Eastern Europe. This was a chance for us to sample the local wines and we did this nightly. Here are some reflections on our experiences. Austria: As Austria is a relatively cold country the majority of wine produced is white. However, the dominant red grape is “Zweigelt” which produces a watery wine that can be downed in large quantities whenever one is out of beer. On the other hand, Austria now produces some excellent pinot noirs that rival in quality those from the more famous regions of Burgundy and Oregon. Slovenia is perhaps one of the best bets for finding a decent red. Merlot is the major grape. Last week I served a bottle of relatively expensive Slovenian Merlot to guests, without telling the origin. Opinions were split as to quality, but all agreed that there was less fruit flavour than the more familiar New World Merlots. In Croatia I tasted some really awful wines before reading in my hotel room that the best Croatian wines came from the varietal Plavac Mali. The bottle that I ordered in the restaurant that night was the best wine of the whole trip, reminding me of a top level Californian Zinfandel. Hungary: Despite the macho-sounding name of Bull’s Blood, Egri Bikaver is really quite a wimpy wine. Thin and lacking in much flavour, this is an everyday drinking wine that costs little and offers not a lot. However, my negative opinion of this wine is not shared by my spouse.
In sum, my brief foray into the wines of Eastern Europe has led me to conclude that these countries still have a long way to go before they can challenge any of the better-known wine producing countries.
Monastrell/Mourvedre: One of my daughters-in-law does not like Spanish wine. Even when I pour from a decanter she is not often fooled. However, I think that what she really doesn’t like is Tempranillo. Nearly half of all red wines produced in Spain are from the Tempranillo grape (also known as Ojo de Liebre, or Cencibel, or Rinto Fino, or Tinto del Toro) This low acid wine has an earthy or barnyard flavour that is either loved or hated.
But not all Spanish wines are Tempranillos. Spain makes lots of Garnacha (Grenache) and also lots of Monastrell. Monastrell is sometimes referred to as a man’s wine. This varietal grows best in hot climates and the resulting wine is high in alcohol content, high in tannins, and bursting in flavour. On the other hand, Monastrell ages very well and has great lasting potential (perhaps making it a woman’s wine as well).
This grape is widely grown in the south of France where it is called Mourvedre. However, it is rarely if ever sold as a single varietal, but is usually blended with Grenache and Syrah. The famous wine from Avignon (Chateau-Neuf-du-Pape) contains lots of Mourvedre.
For those of you who like big, bold wines and think you can only find them in Australia, Argentina or the Napa Valley, this is a wine for you to try. There are many Spanish Monastrells available in Canada at modest prices.
Possibly a true story: As I complete this Whine I am aware that tonight is the final game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. We all know that the Boston fans will be crowded around their big screen TV’s with mugs filled with Budweiser. While some of the Canuck fans will be also quaffing beer, at least a few will be sipping some of those good wines from the Okanagan.
By the end of the second period my Vancouver fan has twice re-filled his Riedel . At this point his wife joins him on the couch. To her surprise he whispers “I love you”. Not used to such proclamations she looks him square on and says: “Is that you talking or is it the wine talking?” “Why it’s me talking” responds the husband, “to my wine.” Finally, I hope neither my hero nor his spouse were part of the riots that followed Vancouver’s loss.
Opimian Offering 204
: This offering has a number of good wines at affordable prices. My recommendations include 6210 and/or 6211 Butterfly Ridge Merlot and Butterfly Ridge Zinfandel. These wines will be ready for drinking when received. Also from California I recommend 6227 Castoro Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon. Only slightly more expensive than the Butterfly Ridge wines, this one will need about one year in your cellar. From Spain I strongly recommend 6244 Ramon Bilboa Single Vineyard. I served the 2005 version of this wine to guests last night and it was very well received. For an everyday drinking wine at a good price I suggest 6254 from Nero D’Avola. Finally, I would definitely avoid all of the wines offered from Pelee Island.
THE WINES OF EASTERN EUROPE: For centuries wine has been produced in those Eastern European countries that have a sufficient number of growing days for grapes to ripen. While most of the production has been for domestic consumption, bargain wines have long been exported to England and North America. In Canada most of us have drunk, at least on occasion, the famous Egri Bikaver (Bull’s Blood) from Hungary.
Egri Bikaver has been around a long, long time and supposedly dates back to 1552 when the Turks, led by Suleiman the Magnificent, had Eger castle under siege. The small group of defenders were given copious amounts of red wine to boost their spirits. The Turks observed the defenders quaffing this red liquid and rumor spread among the Turks that the defenders were downing bulls’ blood in order to give them extra strength. This belief so intimidated the Turks that they abandoned the siege.
Unfortunately for wine producers of the Balkans and Hungary, the rise of Communism resulted in great pressure for increased production. Eventually, the quality declined to the point where the only reason to drink the wine was if there were no alternatives.
After Communism collapsed wine producers realized that the only strategy that would result in the re-establishment of export markets would be one of increasing quality.
In sum, my brief foray into the wines of Eastern Europe has led me to conclude that these countries still have a long way to go before they can challenge any of the better-known wine producing countries.
Monastrell/Mourvedre: One of my daughters-in-law does not like Spanish wine. Even when I pour from a decanter she is not often fooled. However, I think that what she really doesn’t like is Tempranillo. Nearly half of all red wines produced in Spain are from the Tempranillo grape (also known as Ojo de Liebre, or Cencibel, or Rinto Fino, or Tinto del Toro) This low acid wine has an earthy or barnyard flavour that is either loved or hated.
But not all Spanish wines are Tempranillos. Spain makes lots of Garnacha (Grenache) and also lots of Monastrell. Monastrell is sometimes referred to as a man’s wine. This varietal grows best in hot climates and the resulting wine is high in alcohol content, high in tannins, and bursting in flavour. On the other hand, Monastrell ages very well and has great lasting potential (perhaps making it a woman’s wine as well).
This grape is widely grown in the south of France where it is called Mourvedre. However, it is rarely if ever sold as a single varietal, but is usually blended with Grenache and Syrah. The famous wine from Avignon (Chateau-Neuf-du-Pape) contains lots of Mourvedre.
For those of you who like big, bold wines and think you can only find them in Australia, Argentina or the Napa Valley, this is a wine for you to try. There are many Spanish Monastrells available in Canada at modest prices.
Possibly a true story: As I complete this Whine I am aware that tonight is the final game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. We all know that the Boston fans will be crowded around their big screen TV’s with mugs filled with Budweiser. While some of the Canuck fans will be also quaffing beer, at least a few will be sipping some of those good wines from the Okanagan.
By the end of the second period my Vancouver fan has twice re-filled his Riedel . At this point his wife joins him on the couch. To her surprise he whispers “I love you”. Not used to such proclamations she looks him square on and says: “Is that you talking or is it the wine talking?” “Why it’s me talking” responds the husband, “to my wine.” Finally, I hope neither my hero nor his spouse were part of the riots that followed Vancouver’s loss.
Opimian Offering 204
: This offering has a number of good wines at affordable prices. My recommendations include 6210 and/or 6211 Butterfly Ridge Merlot and Butterfly Ridge Zinfandel. These wines will be ready for drinking when received. Also from California I recommend 6227 Castoro Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon. Only slightly more expensive than the Butterfly Ridge wines, this one will need about one year in your cellar. From Spain I strongly recommend 6244 Ramon Bilboa Single Vineyard. I served the 2005 version of this wine to guests last night and it was very well received. For an everyday drinking wine at a good price I suggest 6254 from Nero D’Avola. Finally, I would definitely avoid all of the wines offered from Pelee Island.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Whine # 26 - April, 2011
Welcome Gene Smith of Antigonish to the Whine
MORE ON THE NEW HAMPSHIRE LIQUOR STORE: In my last Whine I talked about the great bargains at the state-run New Hampshire Liquor stores, suggesting that you should never bypass a chance to pick up some of these great values. Since that posting I have heard from my friend Leslie Thistle, a former wine retailer in Maine. She told me the story behind these great deals.
Due to New Hampshire distribution laws “the suppliers have to sell from warehouses and have to rent space by the square foot for the pallets on which the wine is stored. If through their regular marketing to restaurants or retail stores a particular wine doesn’t move, or if the inventory just sits for one reason or another, it begins to cost the supplier more than the wine is worth. The fastest way to move it and make way for something new to sit on those pallets is to deeply discount it and put in in those liquor stores.” One complaint seems to be that one can not necessarily return to pick up a great bargain because once the wine is gone, it is gone. In the meantime, to again quote Leslie: “it is an amazing place to look for deals!”
RIPASSO COMES TO THE NEW WORLD: Back in Whine # 22 I explained a process called ripasso, which was invented by the Italian conglomerate Masi. In order to make this rich flavorful wine Valpolicella undergoes a second fermentation while in contact with the lees left from making Amarone.
Well, the folks at Masi have now taken the process to South America. Masi co-owns several vineyards in Argentina and they have worked on a process whereby Malbec is double fermented with a percentage of slightly dried Corvina grapes. Incidentally Corvina is not a grape normally grown in Argentina. The first result of Masi’s experimentation is now available in Canada (at least in Nova Scotia and Ontario). Masi’s Tupungato Passo Doble is inexpensive and is a great food wine. It is very slightly acidic and perhaps not best suited to just sipping. However, it has the advantage of not needing to cellar (unlike the Italian Ripassos). If you live in a province where this wine is available I suggest you pick up a bottle to enjoy with robust food.
A POSSIBLE END TO A PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDER: Some years ago while visiting friends in Paris I was stricken with a severe case of Corkscrew Envy. This syndrome can appear at any time in the adult male and is usually triggered by visual stimuli. The symptoms can be mild or severe and may include anxiety, sweating, inability to look another male in the eye, and in some cases erectile dysfunction. The disorder is at least partially dependent on culture with the highest frequencies in France and Italy. Australia, for reasons noted below, has had no new cases in recent years. Corkscrew Envy, like most male problems, does not respond to psychotherapy.
In my case I quickly found relief by scouring the streets of Paris until I found a tiny shop that sold me the beautiful device hereby pictured. Once I realized that my corkscrew was as large as my friend Gerard’s, and in fact was larger than those belonging to any other males that I knew, I had no further problems. As you can tell by the picture I take daily pleasure in using my corkscrew, but worry that it may so
on be relegated to a cork and screw museum, as the future of the wine cork is in some doubt. But I digress.
The corkscrew was invented in the middle of the 17th century shortly following the first use of cork as a bottle stop. The first mention of the corkscrew was in 1681 when an N. Grew described it as “a steel worm used for drawing corks out of bottles.” Prior to the 17th century bottles were only used to transport wine from the barrel to the table. There was no practical way to seal the bottle which meant that the wine quickly oxidized and became undrinkable. A successful wine merchant was one who could get his wine most quickly from the vineyard to the table. Wines would have been truly awful by today’s high standards.
Once it was discovered that the outer bark of the cork oak “Quercus suber” was light, clean, and available in vast quantities the world of wine dramatically changed. Cork is unaffected by temperature, it rarely rots, and most importantly, it is uniquely elastic. Thus, you can squeeze a cork enough so it will slip into the neck of a bottle and then expand to form a tight seal. Only a small amount of oxygen is sealed in, and the wine can be kept, and allowed to mature for years. Gradually vintners discovered that they could focus on taste and aroma, they could blend varietals and mostly age the wine until all roughness disappeared.
Jump ahead 300 years and the world undergoes another change. Wine drinking has become so popular that the demand has outstripped the supply of high quality cork. In fact, wine spoiled because of lower grade cork has become ever more frequent. Some estimates run as high as 10% of wines being “corked” or oxidized. Two substitutes are currently used by vintners. First, many cheaper bottles are “stopped” by plastic corks. Unfortunately these corks lack in elasticity and in order to completely seal the bottle the “cork” is so tight that only athletic waiters have the strength to withdraw. On the other hand, more and more wines are sealed in screw-top bottles. No longer is “screw-top” wine associated with cheaper brands. In fact, virtually 100% of Australian wines now come in screw-tops. After all, the Australians have always led the world when it comes to wine innovation.
A side effect is that if there are no corks, then there are no cork-screws and those macho Australians now have to envy their mates for other reasons than stiff worms. The French and Italians are much more traditional and still purchase tons of cork from Portugal, not realizing that their psyches are at risk. What does the future hold? I predict that over the next few years, fewer and fewer affordable wines will come in bottles with corks. I fear that my beautiful appendage will be relegated to storage and no longer be a source of envy among my peers.
TORRONTES: If you think that Malbec is the only wine that Argentina has given the world, think again. Not only are the red Malbecs exceptional value, Argentina produces an even better value white wine. This varietal is called Torrontes and it is virtually exclusive to Argentina (although the vines may or may not have originally come from Spain). The wine is dry, aromatic and has a slight taste of lemon. Some writers describe the taste as a cross between Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, if you can imagine such a thing. This wine, which should be available in most provincial stores, sells for between $10 and $15 and in Ontario there is even one Torrontes available for $8.95.
Torrontes can be either a sipping wine or it can be a perfect match for the right food. In my case I really enjoy a glass of Torrontes with Veal Picatta. If you like the flavour of lemon you will find it both in the wine and in the dish.
Here is the recipe for VEAL PICATTA. Risotto is the perfect side dish.
½ cup flour 1 cup white wine (or red)
1 tsp salt 1 garlic clove, chopped
½ tsp pepper 1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 ½ Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp capers, drained
5 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp chopped parsley
½ cup chicken stock 4 veal scallops, pounded to ½” thickness
Combine flour, salt and pepper in bowl. Dredge veal. Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat until very hot, but not smoking. Add 1 ½ Tbsp butter. Cook veal until golden brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer veal to a plate and set aside. Deglaze pan with wine, and bring to boil, reducing to half. Add chicken stock, garlic, lemon juice and capers, and cook 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Whisk in remaining 3 ½ Tbsp butter and parsley. Return veal to pan and cook until heated through and sauce has thickened, about 1 minute.
OPIMIAN OFFERING # 202: For a long time France has produced the world’s most prestigious wines. Perhaps the most famous, and certainly the most expensive wines come from the great Chateaux of Bordeaux. Offering 202 is a catalogue of good and very good Bordeaux. If you are into wine snobbery, then serve a well-aged Margaux or a St. Emilion. As an aside, my host at a dinner party last evening served a great 1995 St. Emilion Grand Cru. It was delightful, and certainly not too old.
On the other hand, if you are looking for value, then skip this offering. There is nothing here for you. Offering 202 is for those with (1) deep pockets, and (2) a cool, dark, quiet place to store the wines for several years. Finally, if you do want to have a few bottles of very good Bordeaux in your cellar (and if your bank loan has come through) then I would suggest # 6109 Chateau Hortevie Saint-Julian. In about 5 years this wine will be absolutely superb.
MORE ON THE NEW HAMPSHIRE LIQUOR STORE: In my last Whine I talked about the great bargains at the state-run New Hampshire Liquor stores, suggesting that you should never bypass a chance to pick up some of these great values. Since that posting I have heard from my friend Leslie Thistle, a former wine retailer in Maine. She told me the story behind these great deals.
Due to New Hampshire distribution laws “the suppliers have to sell from warehouses and have to rent space by the square foot for the pallets on which the wine is stored. If through their regular marketing to restaurants or retail stores a particular wine doesn’t move, or if the inventory just sits for one reason or another, it begins to cost the supplier more than the wine is worth. The fastest way to move it and make way for something new to sit on those pallets is to deeply discount it and put in in those liquor stores.” One complaint seems to be that one can not necessarily return to pick up a great bargain because once the wine is gone, it is gone. In the meantime, to again quote Leslie: “it is an amazing place to look for deals!”
RIPASSO COMES TO THE NEW WORLD: Back in Whine # 22 I explained a process called ripasso, which was invented by the Italian conglomerate Masi. In order to make this rich flavorful wine Valpolicella undergoes a second fermentation while in contact with the lees left from making Amarone.
Well, the folks at Masi have now taken the process to South America. Masi co-owns several vineyards in Argentina and they have worked on a process whereby Malbec is double fermented with a percentage of slightly dried Corvina grapes. Incidentally Corvina is not a grape normally grown in Argentina. The first result of Masi’s experimentation is now available in Canada (at least in Nova Scotia and Ontario). Masi’s Tupungato Passo Doble is inexpensive and is a great food wine. It is very slightly acidic and perhaps not best suited to just sipping. However, it has the advantage of not needing to cellar (unlike the Italian Ripassos). If you live in a province where this wine is available I suggest you pick up a bottle to enjoy with robust food.
A POSSIBLE END TO A PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDER: Some years ago while visiting friends in Paris I was stricken with a severe case of Corkscrew Envy. This syndrome can appear at any time in the adult male and is usually triggered by visual stimuli. The symptoms can be mild or severe and may include anxiety, sweating, inability to look another male in the eye, and in some cases erectile dysfunction. The disorder is at least partially dependent on culture with the highest frequencies in France and Italy. Australia, for reasons noted below, has had no new cases in recent years. Corkscrew Envy, like most male problems, does not respond to psychotherapy.
In my case I quickly found relief by scouring the streets of Paris until I found a tiny shop that sold me the beautiful device hereby pictured. Once I realized that my corkscrew was as large as my friend Gerard’s, and in fact was larger than those belonging to any other males that I knew, I had no further problems. As you can tell by the picture I take daily pleasure in using my corkscrew, but worry that it may so
on be relegated to a cork and screw museum, as the future of the wine cork is in some doubt. But I digress.The corkscrew was invented in the middle of the 17th century shortly following the first use of cork as a bottle stop. The first mention of the corkscrew was in 1681 when an N. Grew described it as “a steel worm used for drawing corks out of bottles.” Prior to the 17th century bottles were only used to transport wine from the barrel to the table. There was no practical way to seal the bottle which meant that the wine quickly oxidized and became undrinkable. A successful wine merchant was one who could get his wine most quickly from the vineyard to the table. Wines would have been truly awful by today’s high standards.
Once it was discovered that the outer bark of the cork oak “Quercus suber” was light, clean, and available in vast quantities the world of wine dramatically changed. Cork is unaffected by temperature, it rarely rots, and most importantly, it is uniquely elastic. Thus, you can squeeze a cork enough so it will slip into the neck of a bottle and then expand to form a tight seal. Only a small amount of oxygen is sealed in, and the wine can be kept, and allowed to mature for years. Gradually vintners discovered that they could focus on taste and aroma, they could blend varietals and mostly age the wine until all roughness disappeared.
Jump ahead 300 years and the world undergoes another change. Wine drinking has become so popular that the demand has outstripped the supply of high quality cork. In fact, wine spoiled because of lower grade cork has become ever more frequent. Some estimates run as high as 10% of wines being “corked” or oxidized. Two substitutes are currently used by vintners. First, many cheaper bottles are “stopped” by plastic corks. Unfortunately these corks lack in elasticity and in order to completely seal the bottle the “cork” is so tight that only athletic waiters have the strength to withdraw. On the other hand, more and more wines are sealed in screw-top bottles. No longer is “screw-top” wine associated with cheaper brands. In fact, virtually 100% of Australian wines now come in screw-tops. After all, the Australians have always led the world when it comes to wine innovation.
A side effect is that if there are no corks, then there are no cork-screws and those macho Australians now have to envy their mates for other reasons than stiff worms. The French and Italians are much more traditional and still purchase tons of cork from Portugal, not realizing that their psyches are at risk. What does the future hold? I predict that over the next few years, fewer and fewer affordable wines will come in bottles with corks. I fear that my beautiful appendage will be relegated to storage and no longer be a source of envy among my peers.
TORRONTES: If you think that Malbec is the only wine that Argentina has given the world, think again. Not only are the red Malbecs exceptional value, Argentina produces an even better value white wine. This varietal is called Torrontes and it is virtually exclusive to Argentina (although the vines may or may not have originally come from Spain). The wine is dry, aromatic and has a slight taste of lemon. Some writers describe the taste as a cross between Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, if you can imagine such a thing. This wine, which should be available in most provincial stores, sells for between $10 and $15 and in Ontario there is even one Torrontes available for $8.95.
Torrontes can be either a sipping wine or it can be a perfect match for the right food. In my case I really enjoy a glass of Torrontes with Veal Picatta. If you like the flavour of lemon you will find it both in the wine and in the dish.
Here is the recipe for VEAL PICATTA. Risotto is the perfect side dish.
½ cup flour 1 cup white wine (or red)
1 tsp salt 1 garlic clove, chopped
½ tsp pepper 1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 ½ Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp capers, drained
5 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp chopped parsley
½ cup chicken stock 4 veal scallops, pounded to ½” thickness
Combine flour, salt and pepper in bowl. Dredge veal. Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat until very hot, but not smoking. Add 1 ½ Tbsp butter. Cook veal until golden brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer veal to a plate and set aside. Deglaze pan with wine, and bring to boil, reducing to half. Add chicken stock, garlic, lemon juice and capers, and cook 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Whisk in remaining 3 ½ Tbsp butter and parsley. Return veal to pan and cook until heated through and sauce has thickened, about 1 minute.
OPIMIAN OFFERING # 202: For a long time France has produced the world’s most prestigious wines. Perhaps the most famous, and certainly the most expensive wines come from the great Chateaux of Bordeaux. Offering 202 is a catalogue of good and very good Bordeaux. If you are into wine snobbery, then serve a well-aged Margaux or a St. Emilion. As an aside, my host at a dinner party last evening served a great 1995 St. Emilion Grand Cru. It was delightful, and certainly not too old.
On the other hand, if you are looking for value, then skip this offering. There is nothing here for you. Offering 202 is for those with (1) deep pockets, and (2) a cool, dark, quiet place to store the wines for several years. Finally, if you do want to have a few bottles of very good Bordeaux in your cellar (and if your bank loan has come through) then I would suggest # 6109 Chateau Hortevie Saint-Julian. In about 5 years this wine will be absolutely superb.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
WHINE # 25
SUPER TUSCANS: The first rebels
One of the most basic distinctions between styles of wine is between “Old World” and “New World” wines. Generally the “New World” wines of California, Australia, Chile and Argentina are more robust, fruitier, and have higher alcohol content than those of the “Old World” countries of France, Italy and Spain. These “in your face” wines, on the other hand, may lack the complexity or subtlety of a classic Burgundy or Rioja.
Two of the reasons for this basic difference lie (1) in the climate allowing “New World” grapes to be picked at greater maturity, and (2) in the style of the wine-maker who chooses to produce wines that need less time in the cellar, therefore being more suitable to the western consumer who likes to pick up a bottle 30 minutes prior to consumption.
Another difference comes from the wine laws enacted many, many years ago in most European countries. For example 58% of French wine production is classified as “Appellation d’Origine Controllee” This means that the grapes are guaranteed to have been grown in the AOC area, and also specified are the varieties used, the viticultural methods, harvest and yield restrictions, and winemaking techniques. Wines labelled Vin Delimite de Qualite Superieure (17% of French production) and Vin de Pays (31% of production) have progressively lower restrictions.
This classification system provides a certain guarantee of authenticity to the consumer, but also has two disadvantages. First, the consumer may have difficulty understanding a label that does not specify the varieties blended therein; and more importantly, these laws restrict severely the winemaker’s opportunity to experiment with different varietals and different blends. For example, a bottle with “Appellation Saint-Emilion Controlee” tells the purchaser that the wine comes from the village of Saint-Emilion or surrounding area. The label does not tell, however, that this wine is a blend of 60% Merlot with lesser amounts of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. It does not tell that the wine needs to age from 2-6 years, nor that the best wines of Saint-Emilion are labelled Grand Cru.
The Italian equivalent is DOC (denominazione di origine controllata) or DOCG (denominazaione dorigine controllata e garantita). Thus a DOC Chianti label means that the wine came from the Chianti region of Tuscany and that it contains 75-100% Sangiovese, with up to 10% Canaiolo and up to 6 % of two white varieties (Trebbiano and Malvasia). Wines labelled IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) are generally from larger areas and are less restricted in varietals, for example. The presumed lowest quality wines are simply labelled “Vino daTavola”.
“Old World Wines” can be described as tradition bound. However, as “New World Wines” began to be recognized as of at least as good quality, some European wine-makers rebelled against the restrictive labelling laws.
The first rebellion took place in Tuscany about 30 years ago when growers realized that they could produce better wines (and demand higher prices) if only they could blend in such non-traditional varieties as Cabernet Sauvignon with the dominant and frequently low quality Sangioveses. Legally they could no longer label their wines as DOC. These new blends (mimicking in some cases the wines of California) came to be known as the “Super Tuscans”. In fact, producers made such interesting wines that they found that they could demand very high prices indeed.
Today, some of the very best Italian wines fall into this category as wine makers reserve their best grapes for these blends. Sometimes they give the wines fanciful names (but never as silly as the names used by Australians). They charge a lot and frequently use heavy bottles. The irony is that these IGT wines are better than the DOC or DOCG wines of the traditional labelling system. By the way, these Super Tuscans seem more like “New World” than “Old World” wines.
Smaller rebellions against restrictive laws have occurred in Spain; in particular in La Mancha. Even in France a few winemakers, particularly in the south, are making goods wines that are only labelled Vin de Pays.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: The place to buy wine
Betty and I just returned to Nova Scotia after a 3-week golf holiday in the Low Country (Georgia and South Carolina). Admittedly these states are not known as having wine cultures. I doubt anybody ever takes a Super Tuscan to a tail-gate party.
However, getting between N.S. and the southern U.S. means that one inevitably passes along that 20 click stretch of I-95 that traverses the southeast corner of New Hampshire. Along that stretch are 3 large New Hampshire Liquor Stores.
The parking lots are always full and most of the cars seem to be from out-of-state; predominantly from New York and Massachusetts. These visitors are stuffing their vans and SUVs with bargain booze.
These stores have shelves of great wines, including lots of French wine at prices lower than those along the Seine. However, the real bargains are in wines from California. All I can do is walk along the rows of Cabernets feeling ever more sad that I am not going to be able to get the purchases I should like to make across the US/Canadian border. Maybe that awful state slogan “Live free or die” could be replaced with “wine almost free, die happy”.
OPIMIAN OFFERING # 201
6019: I have had a couple of cases of this Austrian Pinot. Pinot is never inexpensive but I think this one will stand up to all but the most expensive Burgundies and is definitely better than the over-priced Pinots from Oregon.
6038: I am partial to Negroamaros and suspect this would make a great accompaniment for most Italian meal.
6067: This is inexpensive for a Super Tuscan. I haven’t tried this particular one but I shall squeeze a case into my own small cellar.
6076: My favourite Italian varietal is Nero D’Avola (from Sicily). This is a food wine - so good it might have come from Argentina.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Whine # 24 - February, 2011
WHINE # 24
To Flute or not to Flute: A few of you will remember my complaining way back in Whine # 7 about old Hollywood movies where Champagne was being drunk from a sherbet glass instead of a flute. Well, the complaint still holds. The other night someone in my house (surely it couldn't have been me with such poor taste in the film arts) was watching the 1998 Meg Ryan movie "Addicted to Love". There she was drinking some sort of sparkling wine from what appeared to be a small bird bath with a glass stem. The wine must have gone flat in less than 20 seconds.
However, some experts now suggest that the flute (a very tall, narrow glass) may not be the ideal vessel for enjoying one's favorite Champagne or Cava. The argument (thanks to Marie-Claude Gleize for bringing a recent Le Monde article to my attention) is that the flute is too narrow. Supposedly the escaping effervescence goes up one's nose and blocks the aroma of the wine itself.
So if the sherbet dish has too wide a surface area making the wine lose all its bubbles in a few seconds and the flute holds the effervescence but brings on a series of robust sneezes, are you reduced to drinking straight from the bottle? The recommended solution is a tulip-shaped glass that is relatively narrow at the top. One expert suggests that the glass should look a bit like a rugby ball standing upright on a tee but with the top end expunged.
No doubt it will be awhile before this new generation of Champagne glasses reaches the shelves of your local WalMart. In the meantime, hold your nose and continue drinking from your favorite flute.
Scallops and Chardonnay: Yes, I'm pushing Chardonnay again (Chablis if you can afford the French version). Although some of you find Chardonnay overly rich and prefer a more crisp, citrus-flavoured wine, perhaps you haven't matched Chardonnay with a perfectly complementary food. First of all, Chardonnay goes with butter; in fact to quote Ron Crooks "Chardonnay loves Butter".
As you know Chardonnay can be either oaked or unoaked (and there should be an indication on the label), the oaked version sometimes having an overly rich flavour that has frequently resulted in the "ABC" request ("Anything But Chardonnay").
Here are two recipes that I've stolen from Ron Crooks, who, by the way, is the manager of Halifax's Port of Wines and who is one of the region's most wine-knowledgeable persons. Mr. Crook's suggests that scallops make an ideal match for Chardonnay. The first recipe is quite simple and is suggested as a match with the less rich unoaked wine. The second recipe takes a little more effort to make but when paired with a richly flavoured oaked Chardonnay will result in the kind of contentment that red wine lovers feel following a rare prime rib matched with a well-aged Cabernet.
Recipe # 1 (with the unoaked wine)
Sear some scallops in a pan with a little butter and oil, then saute some mushrooms and shallots. Combine the scallops, mushrooms and shallots and sprinkle some buttery bread crumbs (melt a couple of tbsp. of butter and toss with 1/4 cup crumbs) over the top and crisp up in the oven for 10 minutes or so.
Recipe # 2 (Coquille St. Jacques with oaked Chardonnay
Bechamel Sauce: 2 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 tbsp. flour
1 cup milk
Salt and Pepper
Juice from 1/4 lemon (optional)
Pinch nutmeg (optional)
Melt butter over medium heat, stir in flour. DO NOT LET MIXTURE BROWN. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Add remaining ingredients. Stir until thickened. Set aside.
Scallops: 1 lb. Digby scallops (rinsed and patted dry with paper towel)
1 cup dry white wine
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
1/8 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Bring wine and scallops to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer one minute. Remove scallops with slotted spoon and set aside. Add shallots to the wine. Cook over medium heat until wine is reduced by half.
Preheat broiler, then slowly stir the wine/shallots mixture into the Bechamel Sauce. Stir in cheeses, heat until cheese is melted. Add scallops and remove from heat. Turn mixture into buttered oven-proof dish or individual scallop shells. Broil 2-3 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned.
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo: Arguably the best bargain in Italian wine can be a bottle of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. Montepulciano is the reigning grape of Abruzzo. This grape makes a dark, fragrant, tannic, and sturdy red wine with naturally low acidity (unlike other inexpensive Italian wines) that's capable of some aging. Montepulciano is the fifth most planted grape in Italy, after Sangiovese, Barbera, Merlot, and Negroamaro. However, Montepuliano is also the name of a town in Tuscany. However, the wine of this Tuscan town is called Vino Nobile and bears no relation to Montepulciano. Confused? Don't worry, the Vino Nobile is rarely available in Canada and if you could find it you wouldn't pay the price anyway.
Opimian Offering 200: Once a year Opimian offers great wines from South America. How can one resist ordering everything in the catalogue? To make matters worse there are also some decent Rhone wines in the same catalogue. In fact, every year Betty complains that I didn't order enough from this particular offering, while ordering too many wines from other places. So my advice to you is to say "the hell with my melting Visa card" and place your order.
With great difficulty I have narrowed my recommendations to the following:
5956: Chateau de Montmirail Gigondas. A little less expensive than Chateauneuf-du-Pape this wine, although not exactly a bargain, will please. I have ordered from this winery several times in the past.
5963: Domaine Gilles Flacher, Saint Joseph. This is a great Syrah from the Northern Rhone. In fact, it made my list of top ten wines of 2010 in last month's Whine.
5972: Tematico Reserva Malbec. I have not tried this one but I'm going to trust the quote in the catalogue "if you only ever try one Malbec try this"
5986 and 5987: These two reserve wines from Villard should be great buys in the under $20. category. I've had Villard Expresion Reserve Pinot on several occasions and think it is one of the best Pinots from anywhere. Hopefully the Merlots and Cabernets are equally good.
6005 and 6006: I am a great fan of Cornellana Barrel Reserves. In fact I've paired these wines on several occasions and had dinner guest prefer them to more expensive wines.
To Flute or not to Flute: A few of you will remember my complaining way back in Whine # 7 about old Hollywood movies where Champagne was being drunk from a sherbet glass instead of a flute. Well, the complaint still holds. The other night someone in my house (surely it couldn't have been me with such poor taste in the film arts) was watching the 1998 Meg Ryan movie "Addicted to Love". There she was drinking some sort of sparkling wine from what appeared to be a small bird bath with a glass stem. The wine must have gone flat in less than 20 seconds.
However, some experts now suggest that the flute (a very tall, narrow glass) may not be the ideal vessel for enjoying one's favorite Champagne or Cava. The argument (thanks to Marie-Claude Gleize for bringing a recent Le Monde article to my attention) is that the flute is too narrow. Supposedly the escaping effervescence goes up one's nose and blocks the aroma of the wine itself.
So if the sherbet dish has too wide a surface area making the wine lose all its bubbles in a few seconds and the flute holds the effervescence but brings on a series of robust sneezes, are you reduced to drinking straight from the bottle? The recommended solution is a tulip-shaped glass that is relatively narrow at the top. One expert suggests that the glass should look a bit like a rugby ball standing upright on a tee but with the top end expunged.
No doubt it will be awhile before this new generation of Champagne glasses reaches the shelves of your local WalMart. In the meantime, hold your nose and continue drinking from your favorite flute.
Scallops and Chardonnay: Yes, I'm pushing Chardonnay again (Chablis if you can afford the French version). Although some of you find Chardonnay overly rich and prefer a more crisp, citrus-flavoured wine, perhaps you haven't matched Chardonnay with a perfectly complementary food. First of all, Chardonnay goes with butter; in fact to quote Ron Crooks "Chardonnay loves Butter".
As you know Chardonnay can be either oaked or unoaked (and there should be an indication on the label), the oaked version sometimes having an overly rich flavour that has frequently resulted in the "ABC" request ("Anything But Chardonnay").
Here are two recipes that I've stolen from Ron Crooks, who, by the way, is the manager of Halifax's Port of Wines and who is one of the region's most wine-knowledgeable persons. Mr. Crook's suggests that scallops make an ideal match for Chardonnay. The first recipe is quite simple and is suggested as a match with the less rich unoaked wine. The second recipe takes a little more effort to make but when paired with a richly flavoured oaked Chardonnay will result in the kind of contentment that red wine lovers feel following a rare prime rib matched with a well-aged Cabernet.
Recipe # 1 (with the unoaked wine)
Sear some scallops in a pan with a little butter and oil, then saute some mushrooms and shallots. Combine the scallops, mushrooms and shallots and sprinkle some buttery bread crumbs (melt a couple of tbsp. of butter and toss with 1/4 cup crumbs) over the top and crisp up in the oven for 10 minutes or so.
Recipe # 2 (Coquille St. Jacques with oaked Chardonnay
Bechamel Sauce: 2 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 tbsp. flour
1 cup milk
Salt and Pepper
Juice from 1/4 lemon (optional)
Pinch nutmeg (optional)
Melt butter over medium heat, stir in flour. DO NOT LET MIXTURE BROWN. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Add remaining ingredients. Stir until thickened. Set aside.
Scallops: 1 lb. Digby scallops (rinsed and patted dry with paper towel)
1 cup dry white wine
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
1/8 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Bring wine and scallops to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer one minute. Remove scallops with slotted spoon and set aside. Add shallots to the wine. Cook over medium heat until wine is reduced by half.
Preheat broiler, then slowly stir the wine/shallots mixture into the Bechamel Sauce. Stir in cheeses, heat until cheese is melted. Add scallops and remove from heat. Turn mixture into buttered oven-proof dish or individual scallop shells. Broil 2-3 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned.
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo: Arguably the best bargain in Italian wine can be a bottle of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. Montepulciano is the reigning grape of Abruzzo. This grape makes a dark, fragrant, tannic, and sturdy red wine with naturally low acidity (unlike other inexpensive Italian wines) that's capable of some aging. Montepulciano is the fifth most planted grape in Italy, after Sangiovese, Barbera, Merlot, and Negroamaro. However, Montepuliano is also the name of a town in Tuscany. However, the wine of this Tuscan town is called Vino Nobile and bears no relation to Montepulciano. Confused? Don't worry, the Vino Nobile is rarely available in Canada and if you could find it you wouldn't pay the price anyway.
Opimian Offering 200: Once a year Opimian offers great wines from South America. How can one resist ordering everything in the catalogue? To make matters worse there are also some decent Rhone wines in the same catalogue. In fact, every year Betty complains that I didn't order enough from this particular offering, while ordering too many wines from other places. So my advice to you is to say "the hell with my melting Visa card" and place your order.
With great difficulty I have narrowed my recommendations to the following:
5956: Chateau de Montmirail Gigondas. A little less expensive than Chateauneuf-du-Pape this wine, although not exactly a bargain, will please. I have ordered from this winery several times in the past.
5963: Domaine Gilles Flacher, Saint Joseph. This is a great Syrah from the Northern Rhone. In fact, it made my list of top ten wines of 2010 in last month's Whine.
5972: Tematico Reserva Malbec. I have not tried this one but I'm going to trust the quote in the catalogue "if you only ever try one Malbec try this"
5986 and 5987: These two reserve wines from Villard should be great buys in the under $20. category. I've had Villard Expresion Reserve Pinot on several occasions and think it is one of the best Pinots from anywhere. Hopefully the Merlots and Cabernets are equally good.
6005 and 6006: I am a great fan of Cornellana Barrel Reserves. In fact I've paired these wines on several occasions and had dinner guest prefer them to more expensive wines.
Friday, December 24, 2010
WINEWHINE # 23
Welcome to Hugh Gillis of Antigonish to the Whine
Dear Santa Claus: I know you have been busy with all the good little boys and girls, but if you have time this Christmas Eve I’d greatly appreciate it if you would think of me. Most of the time I haven’t been naughty (I don’t think grumpy should count as naughty and I’m too old to do any really naughty things.) On occasion I have even been nice. I once used my snowblower to clear a neighbour’s driveway and I have written a few cheques to worthy charities. I have even been known to semi vacuum the house, and most of the time I haven’t ruined Betty’s favourite things when doing the laundry.
Now, what do I want for Christmas? Well, I really like consumables and, of course, good wine is the very best consumable. So why not stuff my stocking with a bottle of Barolo, traditionally known in Italy as the “King of Wines and Wine of Kings”? Readers of my WineWhine know that I am not impressed with cheap Chiantis and even cheaper Valpolicellas. They also know that I do like Amarones and Ripassos. However, my cellar has, at the moment only one lonely bottle of ’00 Barolo. This wine from Piedmont is made exclusively from Nebbiolo grapes. It is very powerful and full-bodied with a complex set of aromas and flavours including strawberries, licorice, chocolates, roses and vanilla. Now, Santa, there is a downside to this best of Italian wines. In its youth it is very austere and tannic. In fact, one shouldn’t drink a bottle that has cellared fewer than 10 years. I’m thinking that if you brought me a bottle it would increase my life expectancy, because I couldn’t go until the Barolo was ready and I had tasted its richness. Anyway Santa, if you don’t get to Alba in Piedmont to pick me up a bottle, I would understand; especially if you brought me any of my other favourite wines. Merry Christmas Santa!
Bad news and Good News: The bad news is that none of you WineWhiners were winners in Jay Thomson’s 100 bottles of Wine on the Wall draw. The good news is that Jay raised $ 1400 for the Canadian Diabetes Society. In the past 6 years he has raised over $ 8,000. Thank you very much to those of you who bought tickets. Maybe next year some of those wines will come a little farther East.
What’s your favourite wine? When on occasion I am asked this question I have no ready answer. It depends on so many things, such as the food pairing, my mood, with whom I am sharing, etc. However, every once in a while I find that the wine I am drinking seems extra, extra good. So while I can’t tell you my favourite wine I can tell you what wines seemed very special over the past 12 months.
From my wine journal I noted that lots of bottles were opened in 2010 (how many is secret or my enemies might use that number as evidence to have me committed someplace). It turns out that 22% of the wines I drank were from Chile. France came in next with 15%, followed by Spain at 14%, Argentina at 12%, California at 11%, Australia at 9%, and Italy at 7%. The other 10% came from various places such as Austria, Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa and Washington State.
Here is the list of the 10 wines that got my top best ratings; prices varied from $ 15- $60 and there was no correlation between price and my liking:
# 10 ’04 Cabernet Sauvignon from the California vineyard of Francis Ford Coppolo
# 9 An Argentinian Brut Nature Cava from Dubois. This is about the driest sparkling wine I have ever tasted. Unfortunately, it no longer seems to be available.
# 8 ‘’04 Gilles Flatcher Syrah from St. Joseph, Northern Rhone. Extremely elegant this is the only French wine that made my list. However, there are not many really good French wines available in Nova Scotia, which may explain France’s poor showing on my list.
# 7 ’06 Tabali Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile. I bought this wine on sale for $ 15. and then discovered it was no longer available anywhere in N.S. or Ontario. I was so pleased with this wine that we added a visit to the winery on our trip to South American last spring. However, because of the earthquake our wine tour got cancelled so I may never get to drink this wine again.
# 6 ’00 Castell de Falset Grenache from Monstat in Spain. Wine Spectator gave this wine a rating of 93/100 and I would have placed it even higher.
# 5 ’06 Marques Casa Conca Merlot. Another inexpensive wine of great value.
# 4 ’06 Amicus Cabernet Sauvignon from California. An absolutely elegant wine.
# 3 ’04 Villard Equis (Chile) is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. In fact Villard also makes a great Pinot Noir.
# 2 ’06 Luigi Bosca Malbec from Argentina (thanks to David Case for finding this one for me).
# 1 ‘03 Alfa Crux (Argentina) blend of Tempranillo, Malbec and Merlot. Heaven in a glass.
White Wine Bargain: Here is a must try not only for white wine lovers, but for all wine lovers. Trapiche Broquel Chardonnay is a very special, yet affordable white that will go with almost anything. Only very lightly oaked it will challenge the best of the great wines of Chablis, at 1/3 the price.
Opimian Offering # 199: This offering has many great Spanish wines at various prices. Here are a few that I recommend.
5583 Altos Cuadrado Monastrell. I particularly like the Monastrell grape and this is a bargain at under $ 15. Has a slightly bitter taste.
5588 “For a few dollars more” to quote the spaghetti western this Ribero del Duero from Monte Castrillo is available.
5891 If you are willing to spend close to $ 30 you can get one of my favourite Ribero’s from Torremilanos.
5892 This Gran Colegiata Reserva is well worth the price. One of the best wines from Toro.
5897 Spain makes great bubbly so I recommend this Montblanc Cava
5908 This is a must. Very inexpensive, this crackling Vino Verde from Portugal makes fabulous summertime drinking. Light and fruity you should always have a bottle chilled and ready for afternoon sipping.
My final Whine for 2010: Most of you will be drinking white wine with your turkey tomorrow. I think the Chardonnay that I mentioned above would be a good choice. Chardonnay is a better match to roast turkey than the more citric Sauvignon Blanc. However, I am one of those people who prefer red wine with turkey so tomorrow my family (they defer to my choice whenever I provide the wine) will be a Pinot Noir from Austria. Beaujolais would be another good match to your turkey.
Thank you to all who have read (or at least quickly scanned) my Whines over the past year! I hope you all have a very festive holiday and that you find peace, love and health in 2011
Welcome to Hugh Gillis of Antigonish to the Whine
Dear Santa Claus: I know you have been busy with all the good little boys and girls, but if you have time this Christmas Eve I’d greatly appreciate it if you would think of me. Most of the time I haven’t been naughty (I don’t think grumpy should count as naughty and I’m too old to do any really naughty things.) On occasion I have even been nice. I once used my snowblower to clear a neighbour’s driveway and I have written a few cheques to worthy charities. I have even been known to semi vacuum the house, and most of the time I haven’t ruined Betty’s favourite things when doing the laundry.
Now, what do I want for Christmas? Well, I really like consumables and, of course, good wine is the very best consumable. So why not stuff my stocking with a bottle of Barolo, traditionally known in Italy as the “King of Wines and Wine of Kings”? Readers of my WineWhine know that I am not impressed with cheap Chiantis and even cheaper Valpolicellas. They also know that I do like Amarones and Ripassos. However, my cellar has, at the moment only one lonely bottle of ’00 Barolo. This wine from Piedmont is made exclusively from Nebbiolo grapes. It is very powerful and full-bodied with a complex set of aromas and flavours including strawberries, licorice, chocolates, roses and vanilla. Now, Santa, there is a downside to this best of Italian wines. In its youth it is very austere and tannic. In fact, one shouldn’t drink a bottle that has cellared fewer than 10 years. I’m thinking that if you brought me a bottle it would increase my life expectancy, because I couldn’t go until the Barolo was ready and I had tasted its richness. Anyway Santa, if you don’t get to Alba in Piedmont to pick me up a bottle, I would understand; especially if you brought me any of my other favourite wines. Merry Christmas Santa!
Bad news and Good News: The bad news is that none of you WineWhiners were winners in Jay Thomson’s 100 bottles of Wine on the Wall draw. The good news is that Jay raised $ 1400 for the Canadian Diabetes Society. In the past 6 years he has raised over $ 8,000. Thank you very much to those of you who bought tickets. Maybe next year some of those wines will come a little farther East.
What’s your favourite wine? When on occasion I am asked this question I have no ready answer. It depends on so many things, such as the food pairing, my mood, with whom I am sharing, etc. However, every once in a while I find that the wine I am drinking seems extra, extra good. So while I can’t tell you my favourite wine I can tell you what wines seemed very special over the past 12 months.
From my wine journal I noted that lots of bottles were opened in 2010 (how many is secret or my enemies might use that number as evidence to have me committed someplace). It turns out that 22% of the wines I drank were from Chile. France came in next with 15%, followed by Spain at 14%, Argentina at 12%, California at 11%, Australia at 9%, and Italy at 7%. The other 10% came from various places such as Austria, Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa and Washington State.
Here is the list of the 10 wines that got my top best ratings; prices varied from $ 15- $60 and there was no correlation between price and my liking:
# 10 ’04 Cabernet Sauvignon from the California vineyard of Francis Ford Coppolo
# 9 An Argentinian Brut Nature Cava from Dubois. This is about the driest sparkling wine I have ever tasted. Unfortunately, it no longer seems to be available.
# 8 ‘’04 Gilles Flatcher Syrah from St. Joseph, Northern Rhone. Extremely elegant this is the only French wine that made my list. However, there are not many really good French wines available in Nova Scotia, which may explain France’s poor showing on my list.
# 7 ’06 Tabali Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile. I bought this wine on sale for $ 15. and then discovered it was no longer available anywhere in N.S. or Ontario. I was so pleased with this wine that we added a visit to the winery on our trip to South American last spring. However, because of the earthquake our wine tour got cancelled so I may never get to drink this wine again.
# 6 ’00 Castell de Falset Grenache from Monstat in Spain. Wine Spectator gave this wine a rating of 93/100 and I would have placed it even higher.
# 5 ’06 Marques Casa Conca Merlot. Another inexpensive wine of great value.
# 4 ’06 Amicus Cabernet Sauvignon from California. An absolutely elegant wine.
# 3 ’04 Villard Equis (Chile) is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. In fact Villard also makes a great Pinot Noir.
# 2 ’06 Luigi Bosca Malbec from Argentina (thanks to David Case for finding this one for me).
# 1 ‘03 Alfa Crux (Argentina) blend of Tempranillo, Malbec and Merlot. Heaven in a glass.
White Wine Bargain: Here is a must try not only for white wine lovers, but for all wine lovers. Trapiche Broquel Chardonnay is a very special, yet affordable white that will go with almost anything. Only very lightly oaked it will challenge the best of the great wines of Chablis, at 1/3 the price.
Opimian Offering # 199: This offering has many great Spanish wines at various prices. Here are a few that I recommend.
5583 Altos Cuadrado Monastrell. I particularly like the Monastrell grape and this is a bargain at under $ 15. Has a slightly bitter taste.
5588 “For a few dollars more” to quote the spaghetti western this Ribero del Duero from Monte Castrillo is available.
5891 If you are willing to spend close to $ 30 you can get one of my favourite Ribero’s from Torremilanos.
5892 This Gran Colegiata Reserva is well worth the price. One of the best wines from Toro.
5897 Spain makes great bubbly so I recommend this Montblanc Cava
5908 This is a must. Very inexpensive, this crackling Vino Verde from Portugal makes fabulous summertime drinking. Light and fruity you should always have a bottle chilled and ready for afternoon sipping.
My final Whine for 2010: Most of you will be drinking white wine with your turkey tomorrow. I think the Chardonnay that I mentioned above would be a good choice. Chardonnay is a better match to roast turkey than the more citric Sauvignon Blanc. However, I am one of those people who prefer red wine with turkey so tomorrow my family (they defer to my choice whenever I provide the wine) will be a Pinot Noir from Austria. Beaujolais would be another good match to your turkey.
Thank you to all who have read (or at least quickly scanned) my Whines over the past year! I hope you all have a very festive holiday and that you find peace, love and health in 2011
Friday, November 19, 2010
WineWhine # 22
WineWhine # 22
Welcome to Jamie Cassels of Victoria, B.C. to the Whine
The third week of November: It’s that time of year. Beaujolais Nouveau is about to be released and sold by the container load across the world. If you want my advice on buying Beaujolais Nouveau scroll back to Whine # 13. If you can’t be bothered and want the short version of my earlier comments, here is all you need to know: Don’t buy! Don’t buy! Don’t buy!
Umami: When I was in graduate school (in the middle of the last century) I was forced to buy and read Edwin Boring’s “History of Experimental Psychology.” The surname was an accurate predictor of how I was to find this tome.
As it turns out Boring not only caused grief for countless graduate students, he also caused all of us in the English-speaking world to greatly misunderstand the sense of taste. Boring chose a methodologically suspect research paper by German scientist D.P. Hanig, and then he badly mistranslated this paper, which had to do with mapping the tongue for taste receptors. For generations junior high science teachers have taught their pupils that there are only four types of taste receptors in the tongue (sweet, sour, salt and bitter) and that they are in four separate locations. WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! There are five types of taste receptors and all five are everywhere on the tongue.
What has this to do with wine? For starters the Riedel company has made a fortune selling wine glasses that are shaped to direct different types of wine (bitter tasting tannic wine such as cabernet sauvignon or sour-tasting acidic wine such as sangiovese) to different parts of the tongue. My advice is to sell your shares in Riedel but hang on to any large bowled glasses that allow you to fully appreciate the nose of a good wine. Also, if you want more info on wine glasses, scroll back to Whine # 7.
So what’s this fifth sense of taste? It’s called Umami and it’s allows us to taste certain amino acids, in particular the salts of glutamic acid. This is the stuff in monosodium glutamate (MSG). The Japanese, in particular, have known about this fifth taste for almost a century. Roughly umami translates as “delicious” or “savory” and it is the taste that is found in certain high-protein foods that have been well aged. Some high umami foods are well-aged meats, aged cheeses, dried seaweed, shellfish, and soy sauce. Some foodies describe this taste as “meaty” or “brothy”. The taste is more subtle than the sense of salt, sweet, sour or bitter and it sometimes is simply described as the sensation of well-being that comes from eating a food high in these amino acids, such as a perfectly aged steak.
Now, comes the interesting part. What wines do you pair with high amino acid foods; that is those which give us the wonderful satisfaction feeling that follows tasting these umami-type foods? First, high umami foods accentuate both the bitterness and the acidity in the wine. Thus, for example, you should never pair Zinfandel with shellfish. But what about red meat (that perfectly marbled steak, for example)? Since the amino acids in the steak will bring out the bitter taste of the tannins in a young Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine may end up with a metallic taste. The answer to this one is to serve the well-aged meat with a well aged, and complex wine such as a 7 or 8-year old Cabernet from Chile or California, or a good Bordeaux from the left bank of the Gironde (couldn’t resist that little pretentious tidbit). The tannins have softened in these well-aged wines allowing the complex flavors to burst forth.
But, you don’t have a cellar and the $ 25. Chilean Cabernet is only 2 years old. If you don’t want the Cabernet to taste overly metallic when paired with your beautiful prime rib, there is a solution. Add a little salt and/or a squirt of lemon to the meat. If you don’t believe me, try this the next time you have a medium rare steak and a young Cabernet.
Three final comments: If you eat your meat well-done, it doesn’t matter what you do with the wine. Something bottled yesterday will do. Also, if you want a refresher on how long to age various wines scroll back to Whines # 3 and # 14. If you are on a low-salt diet and you don’t have an aged Cabernet, try pairing your meat with a decent Argentinean Malbec (anything over $ 15.). Malbecs are less tannic than Cabernet so a young Malbec will pair well with your beautiful joint of beef.
More on Valpolicella: In my last Whine I was hard on cheap Italian wines, and in particular, Bardolina and Valpolicella. However, if a cheap bottle of Valpolicella is at the very bottom on my wine choices a special version called Amarone della Valpolicella is near or at the top.
To make Amarone the vintner takes especially ripe Corvina grapes from the region (and only from good years), then spreads them on mats in cool rooms and lets them dry for 3 or 4 months. These shriveled grapes are then fermented. The result is a wonderful, full-flavored wine that is very high in alcohol content (14% - 16%).
Amarone della Valpolicella is not cheap. You should expect to pay $ 50. or more. However, you can’t do better for a special occasion wine (but perhaps only when there is a designated driver as a bottle of this stuff will leave you nearly incapacitated).
A slighter cheaper version was invented some years ago by the Masi company. The process is called ripasso and the wine that is made is really a beefed up Valpolicella. Regular Valpolicella undergoes a second fermentation while in contact with the lees (deposits) left over from the making of Amarone. This wine is also very good although very tannic when young. In Canada you can find several ripassos and one of the best is Masi’s Campofiorin.
The problem with ripasso and with the superior Amarone is that these wines need to age. Don’t even think about drinking them under five years. Ten years is better and a good Amarone will cellar for up to 20.
Don’t be discouraged, buy a bottle of Amarone, lay it down and in a few years you can bring it out and be truly amazed at how good it is.
Storing wine in your kitchen: Perhaps the worst place in your house to store wine is in the kitchen. First, the kitchen has too much light; second, there may be too much vibration; and finally your kitchen is far too warm.
However, if you must store wine in your k
itchen, here are some pictures on how you might successfully do this. Thanks to my friends M and H for the pictures.
Opimian Special Offering 48: There are many good things to recommend from this special offering. My strongest recommendation is that you order either or both of the wines from Paulitta (# 5820 and # 5821). These wines comes in 500 ml bottles and are perfect for those occasions where you want a smaller bottle. In addition they are very inexpensive and will be ready to drink upon arrival. Although I haven’t tried the Sauvignon Blanc I bought a case of the Cabernet/Merlot last year and it’s a perfect everyday wine.
I have always recommended against buying Beaujolais Nouveau (see above). However, this offering has many very fine Beaujolais. Good Beaujolais is very light and perfect for sipping. The Chenas (5834) is one that I have tried and liked.
Also recommended is # 5844. French Chablis is the world’s best Chardonnay. If you like Chardonnay try a really good one from France.
The wine I recommend you avoid this time is also French. The Bourgogne Passetoutgrain (5849) is far too thin for Canadian taste. We are used to bigger and bolder New World wines and this one is an exemplar of a wine that brings about the comment “But French wines have no substance.” If you must try this wine, drop in to my house. I have a case of this stuff that I’d like to share.
Finally, if you haven’t tried Armagnac, try a case of 5875. Armagnac is a distilled wine (brandy) that is similar to Cognac, but not exactly the same. It is the perfect drink to end a great evening. Although it may take you a while to consume 6 bottles Armagnac makes a wonderful gift and, of course, it keeps forever.
Welcome to Jamie Cassels of Victoria, B.C. to the Whine
The third week of November: It’s that time of year. Beaujolais Nouveau is about to be released and sold by the container load across the world. If you want my advice on buying Beaujolais Nouveau scroll back to Whine # 13. If you can’t be bothered and want the short version of my earlier comments, here is all you need to know: Don’t buy! Don’t buy! Don’t buy!
Umami: When I was in graduate school (in the middle of the last century) I was forced to buy and read Edwin Boring’s “History of Experimental Psychology.” The surname was an accurate predictor of how I was to find this tome.
As it turns out Boring not only caused grief for countless graduate students, he also caused all of us in the English-speaking world to greatly misunderstand the sense of taste. Boring chose a methodologically suspect research paper by German scientist D.P. Hanig, and then he badly mistranslated this paper, which had to do with mapping the tongue for taste receptors. For generations junior high science teachers have taught their pupils that there are only four types of taste receptors in the tongue (sweet, sour, salt and bitter) and that they are in four separate locations. WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! There are five types of taste receptors and all five are everywhere on the tongue.
What has this to do with wine? For starters the Riedel company has made a fortune selling wine glasses that are shaped to direct different types of wine (bitter tasting tannic wine such as cabernet sauvignon or sour-tasting acidic wine such as sangiovese) to different parts of the tongue. My advice is to sell your shares in Riedel but hang on to any large bowled glasses that allow you to fully appreciate the nose of a good wine. Also, if you want more info on wine glasses, scroll back to Whine # 7.
So what’s this fifth sense of taste? It’s called Umami and it’s allows us to taste certain amino acids, in particular the salts of glutamic acid. This is the stuff in monosodium glutamate (MSG). The Japanese, in particular, have known about this fifth taste for almost a century. Roughly umami translates as “delicious” or “savory” and it is the taste that is found in certain high-protein foods that have been well aged. Some high umami foods are well-aged meats, aged cheeses, dried seaweed, shellfish, and soy sauce. Some foodies describe this taste as “meaty” or “brothy”. The taste is more subtle than the sense of salt, sweet, sour or bitter and it sometimes is simply described as the sensation of well-being that comes from eating a food high in these amino acids, such as a perfectly aged steak.
Now, comes the interesting part. What wines do you pair with high amino acid foods; that is those which give us the wonderful satisfaction feeling that follows tasting these umami-type foods? First, high umami foods accentuate both the bitterness and the acidity in the wine. Thus, for example, you should never pair Zinfandel with shellfish. But what about red meat (that perfectly marbled steak, for example)? Since the amino acids in the steak will bring out the bitter taste of the tannins in a young Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine may end up with a metallic taste. The answer to this one is to serve the well-aged meat with a well aged, and complex wine such as a 7 or 8-year old Cabernet from Chile or California, or a good Bordeaux from the left bank of the Gironde (couldn’t resist that little pretentious tidbit). The tannins have softened in these well-aged wines allowing the complex flavors to burst forth.
But, you don’t have a cellar and the $ 25. Chilean Cabernet is only 2 years old. If you don’t want the Cabernet to taste overly metallic when paired with your beautiful prime rib, there is a solution. Add a little salt and/or a squirt of lemon to the meat. If you don’t believe me, try this the next time you have a medium rare steak and a young Cabernet.
Three final comments: If you eat your meat well-done, it doesn’t matter what you do with the wine. Something bottled yesterday will do. Also, if you want a refresher on how long to age various wines scroll back to Whines # 3 and # 14. If you are on a low-salt diet and you don’t have an aged Cabernet, try pairing your meat with a decent Argentinean Malbec (anything over $ 15.). Malbecs are less tannic than Cabernet so a young Malbec will pair well with your beautiful joint of beef.
More on Valpolicella: In my last Whine I was hard on cheap Italian wines, and in particular, Bardolina and Valpolicella. However, if a cheap bottle of Valpolicella is at the very bottom on my wine choices a special version called Amarone della Valpolicella is near or at the top.
To make Amarone the vintner takes especially ripe Corvina grapes from the region (and only from good years), then spreads them on mats in cool rooms and lets them dry for 3 or 4 months. These shriveled grapes are then fermented. The result is a wonderful, full-flavored wine that is very high in alcohol content (14% - 16%).
Amarone della Valpolicella is not cheap. You should expect to pay $ 50. or more. However, you can’t do better for a special occasion wine (but perhaps only when there is a designated driver as a bottle of this stuff will leave you nearly incapacitated).
A slighter cheaper version was invented some years ago by the Masi company. The process is called ripasso and the wine that is made is really a beefed up Valpolicella. Regular Valpolicella undergoes a second fermentation while in contact with the lees (deposits) left over from the making of Amarone. This wine is also very good although very tannic when young. In Canada you can find several ripassos and one of the best is Masi’s Campofiorin.
The problem with ripasso and with the superior Amarone is that these wines need to age. Don’t even think about drinking them under five years. Ten years is better and a good Amarone will cellar for up to 20.
Don’t be discouraged, buy a bottle of Amarone, lay it down and in a few years you can bring it out and be truly amazed at how good it is.
Storing wine in your kitchen: Perhaps the worst place in your house to store wine is in the kitchen. First, the kitchen has too much light; second, there may be too much vibration; and finally your kitchen is far too warm.
However, if you must store wine in your k
itchen, here are some pictures on how you might successfully do this. Thanks to my friends M and H for the pictures.
Opimian Special Offering 48: There are many good things to recommend from this special offering. My strongest recommendation is that you order either or both of the wines from Paulitta (# 5820 and # 5821). These wines comes in 500 ml bottles and are perfect for those occasions where you want a smaller bottle. In addition they are very inexpensive and will be ready to drink upon arrival. Although I haven’t tried the Sauvignon Blanc I bought a case of the Cabernet/Merlot last year and it’s a perfect everyday wine.I have always recommended against buying Beaujolais Nouveau (see above). However, this offering has many very fine Beaujolais. Good Beaujolais is very light and perfect for sipping. The Chenas (5834) is one that I have tried and liked.
Also recommended is # 5844. French Chablis is the world’s best Chardonnay. If you like Chardonnay try a really good one from France.
The wine I recommend you avoid this time is also French. The Bourgogne Passetoutgrain (5849) is far too thin for Canadian taste. We are used to bigger and bolder New World wines and this one is an exemplar of a wine that brings about the comment “But French wines have no substance.” If you must try this wine, drop in to my house. I have a case of this stuff that I’d like to share.
Finally, if you haven’t tried Armagnac, try a case of 5875. Armagnac is a distilled wine (brandy) that is similar to Cognac, but not exactly the same. It is the perfect drink to end a great evening. Although it may take you a while to consume 6 bottles Armagnac makes a wonderful gift and, of course, it keeps forever.
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