CityBites - Summer 2014 - issue 51

SUMMER 2014

WINE AND DINE MEET CANOE’S NEW SOMMELIER (P12)

GRANDVIEW FARMS

You’ve never tasted beef this good (p22)

BEES IN CRISIS

… And we’re next (p24)

OUT & ABOUT (p10)

County General Riverside

PICK OF THE SUMMER! (p14)

It’s time to Savour Stratford

Emily Pearce Canoe

Deliciously online at

citybites.ca

PLUS! SOUTH COAST WINES + CHEESE & ALE TRAIL + NEW BAKERIES + GINS OF SUMMER

FROM THE EDITOR

Summer’s here, so I suggest you stop reading this now, grab a glass of rosé and sit on your stoop/ porch/lawn/sidewalk and watch the world go by.

This is not time to be sweating the details. Just take it all in and explore this rich edible city. By foot or bike, of course—because you’ll never get anywhere by combustion engine. Way to go, city planners! Nice work ripping up the entire city at the same time. And huzzah! Another condo building full of 300-square-foot apartments.

Never you mind. Stay home, stay in your neighbourhood, and get to know every single eatery, bar and shop within a 1 kilometre radius.

Hey, you heard it here first—Toronto invents the

contents Summer 2014

FIKA CAFE Delicious little horses.

the beer’s just as good right outside my door as it is across town. (Of course, I’ve got Bellwoods

12

Wine and dine As the new sommelier at Canoe, Emily Pearce is one of a new brigade of fast-moving young sommeliers who are getting creative with their wine lists.

14

Savour Stratford This year, the marquee food show of the season moves to a new date, smack dab in the heart of summer.

16

A half dozen great bakeries A quick tour of some of the best new makers of doughy delights.

18 21 22

just up the road…)

Eat well, have a great summer!

Dick Snyder, Editor • dick@citybites.ca

Get More!

Visit us at

citybites.ca

The Features

1-kilometer locavore movement just because we can’t get anywhere else. Well, hell, who cares—

No.51

The Great Ontario Cheese & Ale Trail We map it, you eat and drink it.

Wine on wheels The latest thing in food truck fashion is… a wine truck!

A different farm Grandview Farms in Thornbury makes beef the oldfashioned way—and it’s bloody delicious.

24 Bees in crisis @citybites

city bites magazine

Something is killing our bees (probably us), and we’d better do something about it.

citybitestoronto

26

A moveable feast All over Ontario, truly “local” restaurants are signing up for Feast ON certification.

Editor Dick Snyder/dick@citybites.ca Art Director Craig Sinclair/craig@citybites.ca Features Editor Natalie Goldenberg-Fife/natalie@citybites.ca Wine Editor John Szabo Director of Vinous Affairs Zoltan Szabo Director of Spirits + Beer Stephen Beaumont Contributors Erin Wotherspoon, Matt Cauz, Dan Donovan, Konrad Ejbich, Natalie Goldenberg-Fife, Marc Green, Nick Green, Beverley Hotchkiss, Mai Nguyen, Sarah Wright

The Restaurant Pages 5

Trend How hip can you make a Brussels sprout?

6

Crumbs Tasty little morsels of restaurant news.

7

Events A few things you should do this summer.

Photography and illustration Henny Hwang, Rick O’Brien, Dick Snyder, Ross Spencer

Whisky A Red Letter day for Wiser’s.

9

Zoltan’s Picks Four cool wines from Ontario’s South Coast.

32

The Ej Konrad Ejbich reports on some new Ontario wineries.

33

Libations Stephen Beaumont enjoys a summer of gin.

The Experts

Publisher Paul Alsop/paul@citybites.ca PHOTO: NIKKI LEIGH MCKEAN PHOTOGRAPHY

8

Sr. Account Manager Wendy Lyall Gardner/wendy@citybites.ca Email info@citybites.ca or visit www.citybites.ca Advertising Inquiries sales@citybites.ca

29

30 Interview

Laura Brown talks to Stephen Beaumont about beer.

31

Made possible with the support of the Ontario Media Development Corporation

City Bites Media Inc., 26 Dalhousie St. Suite 200, Toronto, ON, M5B 2A5,

Szabo on Wine John Szabo makes the case for Ontario Riesling.

Grow Marc Green explains the joys of soil nutrition.

The End 34 One Last Bite

The Best Ontario Sommelier Competition.

647-827-1705. City Bites is published six times a year by City Bites Media Inc.

Cover photo by Rick O’Brien.

Summer 2014 / CityBites

3

TREND

By Erin Wotherspoon

THE RESTAURANT PAGES Trend or foe?

PHOTO: INGIMAGE.COM

THE HUMBLE BRUSSELS SPROUT SEEMS TO BE THE CHEF’S BEST FRIEND THESE DAYS From trucker hats and expensive nail art to velour track suits and the “donut” bun, we know most trends make a hasty exit, often to great applause. Though some, despite our best attempts to hasten their demise, grace us with their presence a little longer. They linger. And linger…

The Toronto food and drink scene is no exception when it comes to the familiar expression “flavour of the month.” Or even, flavour of the season. Is it a tired trend or a soon to be staple?

For evidence we present… the Brussels sprout.

A forgettable food of the past or a must-have side dish of the here and now? Brussels sprouts have been resolutely making their way onto the restaurant scene these past months— they’re even becoming mainstream.

But no more mushy sprout flashbacks please. Because if they’re anything like the Brussels sprouts my mother used to make, they’re going to need a whole lot of life support. A couple years ago, they were occasional “stunt” sides, but now they’re sprouting up everywhere. Do they really deserve all these fancy fixings?

Cue Wikipedia to provide us with some insight. Ontario is pumping out 1000 tons of Brussels sprouts a year— and Ontario’s hippest chefs are fully on board. Gone are the days of boiling and buttering these cruciferous greens. Chef David Chang of the Momofuku family is responsible for shoving these once mushy sprouts in a whole new direction.

Two words: fish sauce. I assure you, try one of these babies with a little sprinkle of garlic, some chili flakes, and cilantro, and you’ll be converted in no time. I suspect you’ll be devout.

Sprouts have graced the menus of Toronto’s best restaurants of late—The Chase F&O, Hudson Kitchen, Woodlot, to name a few. Call me a lemming, but I’m going to blindly follow on this one.

Serve those sprouts straight up with some toasted pecans and rosemary or throw them in the deep fryer paired with a lemon aioli. It seems there’s no shortage of inspiration when it comes to these trending little devils. Love them or not, Brussels sprouts have scored a fancy makeover and I’ve decided they’re worth every penny. CB

A forgettable food of the past or a musthave side dish of the here and now?

Summer 2014 / CityBites

5

CRUMBS

By Nick Green | @_NicholasGee

... In the “best-thing-since-sliced-bread” department, we have T.L.P. Sandwich Co., courtesy of “Three Little Pigs” Pat Orgera, Jon

coconut shrimp scramble and short rib hash. Calories don’t count on Sundays (676 Queen St. W., comeandgetit.ca, @ComeAndGetIt416)

Andrews and Arron Barberian of the venerable Barberian’s Steak House.

... Market Street has gone all Real Housewives and gotten a major

Sandwiches are big, drippy, under $10, and designed with mobility in mind

facelift. The once tired-looking strip has become a yuppie’s dream,

(15 Elm St., 416-662-3456, @TLPSandwich)

... It’s not polite to brag,

with spots like Olive and Olives, Balzac’s Coffee Roasters, Barcelona-

Tasty bites, edible news and delights so we’re not going to mention that we were the first people to tell you

inspired Barsa Taberna, the healthy Evolution Food Co., and the

about plans to open Rasa, a new Food Dudes restaurant, about a year

cool-looking Pastizza, opened by the founder of Splendido and

ago. However you heard about it (from us), the doors are open!

Check out food inspirations from all over the world, and a big patio (196 Robert St., rasabar.ca, @TheFoodDudesTO)

... Speaking of

people who know their booze, LS (formerly La Societe) has acquired a

Mistura (Market St. & The Esplanade, tastesofmarketstreet.com, @TasteOfMarketSt)

... Toronto summer consists of three things:

sunshine, construction, and tons of restaurant openings. Let’s talk about the ones worth mentioning, shall we? House/Maison has

new mixologist, who has stirred up a list for their summer menu. Nishan

graced the Village with an amazing patio and bilingual menu, brought

Nepulangoda, who caught the city’s eye while at Blowfish, is serving up

by the team behind Smith and 7 West in the former The Vic spot

summer with a list that features fresh ingredients, housemade syrups and flavoured ice cubes (131 Bloor St. W., lasociete.ca, @La_Societe)

...

The best thing to pair with beer this summer is Crystal Luxmore, certified Cicerone and all-around charmer. She’s offering an array of beer classes at Tequilla Bookworm. Check out what this rad beer-noisseur is up to on her website. (crystalluxmore.com/events, @CrystalLuzmore)

...

They say not to shop while hungry, but how about tipsy? Word is that

(580 Church St.,)

... Los Colibris is King West’s first high-end

Mexican restaurant, and is now open serving it up above its hermana menor El Caballito, which is opening its huge patio soon (220 King St. W., loscolibris.ca, @LosColibris220)

... Mata Petisco,

which you heard about from us, has opened their doors in the former Keriwa space (1690 Queen St. W., matabar.ca, @MataBarTO)

... Top Chef Canada competitor Vittorio Colacitti has opened The

chef Paul Boehmer is all about it, which is why he started up the new

Good Son, a Toronto-inspired west end spot. He may have come

(and very cool) indoor farmer’s market at his Ossington spot Boehmer

in fourth, but word is that his dishes are going for the gold (1096

Restaurant. Grab a drink and check out the fresh and organic goods from the farmers connected to the Grey County Chefs’ Forum (93 Ossington Ave., boehmer.ca, @BoehmerResto)

... E11even wants

you to save money for drinking and shopping at indoor markets, so they’re offering a daily $11 featured item throughout the summer. Go by

Queen St. W., thegoodsontoronto.com, @TheGoodSon_TO)

...

The illustrious Distillery Group, who brought us Archeo, El Catrin, and Pure Spirits, have opened up Cluny Bistro. Toronto tourists can now experience Paris realness in the historic Distillery District (35 Tank House Lane, clunybistro.com)

... Copacabana Brazillian

on a Monday for a dozen oysters, or a Thursday for tacos (15 York St,

restaurant has opened a downtown location, sharing a building with

e11even.ca, @E11evenToronto)

Shibui Robata Bar. Fish beware! (230 Adelaide St., thecopa.ca,

... While you’re down there and have

all that extra money burning a hole in your pocket, check out the major menu change that’s coming up at Real Sports, featuring new daily specials, as well as World Cup wings. Word is the Brazilian wings are a game changer (15 York St., realsports.ca, @RealSports)

... Hotspot

... Playa

The outdoor space is serving up cuisine inspired by the Yucatan region (111 Dupont St., lalibre.ca, @PlayaCabana).

Email tips, opening soons and discoveries to info@citybites.ca.

PHOTOS: COURTESY LS.

Come and Get It is now offering brunch, with delicious goodies like

shibuirobatabar.com, @CopaToronto, @ShibuiRobata)

Cabana has opened up its 100-seat patio space, known as La Libre.

Nishan Nepulangoda brings cocktail magic to LS.

6

CityBites / Summer 2014

NEWS

A FEW GOOD THINGS YOU NEED TO DO THIS SUMMER. ALL ARE EDIBLE. SUMMERLICIOUS 2014 Summerlicious is here—we love it, we hate it. Here are the restaurants that are creating some buzz. In the $15/$25 category, the Davisville location of Tabule is serving up lots of options.

Go for the belly dancing, stay for the kefta banadera (2009 Yonge St., tabule.ca, @TabuleToronto) … The $20/$35 range

includes the fine work of Edward Levesque at Edward’s, offering a braised pork shoulder sloppy joe at lunch, and steak frites at

GOOD FRIENDS NEVER ARRIVE EMPTY HANDED.

dinner (1290 Queen St. E., edwardlevesque.ca, @Edwards1290) … The $25/$45 restaurants include some of Toronto’s foremost culinary institutions, such as Splendido, Chiado, and Momofuko Daisho, and Bymark, where you can get a short rib cacciatore that

Now a Vintages Essential in Ontario

sounds mouthwatering (check out all of the menus at toronto. com/events/summerlicious). A special mention must be made for the Oliver & Bonacini group, who have put together 16 Summerlicious menus for their eight restaurants; Auberge du Pommier, Bannock, Canoe, Canteen, Jump, Luma, O&B Café Grill at Bayview Village and Biff’s Bistro. Also, they’re asking you to tweet your foodie pics with the hashtag #OBLicious. The winning photos, selected by chef Bonacini himself, will earn a $50 gift card. (oliverbonacini.com, @Oliver_Bonacini).

INTERNATIONAL COOL CLIMATE CHARDONNAY CELEBRATION Over its four-year lifespan, i4C (as it’s known among wine geeks) has established itself as a serious and in-depth symposium on the topic of Chardonnay. There are activities, tastings, workshops and, of course, visiting experts and lots of deep discussion.

But remember, this is wine, after all—and it should be fun. For maximum enjoyment, the Saturday night tasting and dinner is a must. This public tasting is the only opportunity to taste all of the wines of the i4C. Chef Paul Harber of Ravine Vineyard Restaurant leads 20 of the regions top chefs for a family-style feast that evolves into a pure dance party, with lots of craft beer, you know, for a change of pace. $150 per person; coolchardonnay.org

MONFORTE HOME FARM 2014 CSA Remember a few years ago when Ruth Klahsen went out on a limb and tried micro-financing to raise funds for her sheep’s milk

GET OUT THERE WITH FRIENDS AND ENJOY.

Twitter, she leveraged the power of sincerity in order to launch her business. Well, she’s at it again. She just dropped a million dollars on a farm outside of Stratford, which will welcome young and eager farmers to hone their skills and rediscover a farming protocol that has been obliterated in recent decades. So Ruth is once again micro-financing. Get to her website and buy a subscription. You’ll get a bunch or cheese in return, and you’ll kick-start a new generation of farmers and food makers. Visit MonforteDairy.com.

KJ.COMM

©2014 Kendall-Jackson Winery, Santa Rosa, CA

cheese concern? And it worked! In the days before kickstarter and

Summer 2014 / CityBites

7

WHISKY

By Davin de Kergommeaux

The Red Letter Days of J.P. Wiser THIS CANADIAN WHISKY IS A SERIOUS VALUE PLAY In 1857, John Philip Wiser had just one thought when he took over Charles Payne’s distillery in Prescott, Ontario. Wiser was a German-American cattle dealer from Upstate New York, and he knew that protein-rich distillery residues were like candy to beef cattle.

He added a small herd to the Prescott enterprise and before long his cattle empire had expanded south to Texas and across the sea to Great Britain. The success of his whisky was even greater.

A moderate social drinker, J.P., as he was called, invited his distilling team to his home each Saturday afternoon to sample the week’s production. J.P., they quickly learned, was a perfectionist best known for his motto “Quality is something you just can’t rush.” He believed in paying for the best and soon the nation’s top whisky makers were working in his distillery. Still, J.P. was always looking to improve everything he touched, and he just couldn’t resist tinkering with the distiller’s recipes.

It wasn’t long until J.P. was creating his own whisky recipes, developing what would become his signature whisky and a best seller north and south of the border. He poetically referred to his creation as “the mingled souls of rye and corn.” The name on the label though, was Wiser’s Red Letter. In 2007, Corby Distillers (today’s owner of Wiser’s) reprised Red Letter to mark Wiser’s 150th anniversary of distilling. An ultra-premium whisky, it was expensive at $150, yet it sold out quickly.

Red Letter is back in limited production. Packaged in a heavy, square-shaped decanter, the price is in the $100 range, much less than you’d expect to pay for a single malt of equivalent quality.

Red Letter is exclusive to Canada and just 250 cases were made.

One of the key people behind the re-release of Wiser’s Red Letter is Corby master blender Dr. Don Livermore. While J.P. Wiser learned his whisky making skills through trial and error, Livermore has taken a more studied approach. He completed a PhD in brewing and distilling at Scotland’s Heriot-Watt University.

TASTING RED LETTER

After an initial blast of flinty, dusty rye, Red Letter fills your mouth with creamy luxury, just bursting with Christmas spices—cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. These simply swelter in the glowing embers of sizzling white pepper. Sweet vanilla and ripe black fruits have a candied quality that plays in luscious counterpoint to the slightly sour essence of German rye bread. In the signature style of high-end Canadian whisky, Red Letter is packed with cords of crispy clean oak that dissolve slowly in a cleansing ebb of vaguely bitter grapefruit pith.

The price of whisky continues to climb and lovers of fine spirits are seeking alternatives. Moreover, sales of top-end Canadian whisky, which is often a much better value than imported whiskies, grew by over 15 percent in the first six months of 2013. As former hard-core Scotch drinkers continue to experience the pleasures of other barrelaged spirits, this trend can only increase. It would be difficult to find a tastier whisky than Wiser’s Red Letter to show them the way.

Davin de Kergommeaux is the author of the award-winning book Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert.

8

CityBites / Summer 2014

ZOLTAN’S PICKS

By Zoltan Szabo | @zoltanszabo

A tribute to Ontario’s sunny South Coast

COOL WINES FROM ONTARIO’S NEW HOT SPOT FRAGRANT

Dover Vineyards 2012 Frisky White ‘Frisky Beaver’ $13.95

Blend of Vidal, Riesling and Gewürztraminer.

It’s just off dry, light and fragrant with good freshness, stone fruit and mango notes.

Clean finish, fun to drink.

EXOTIC

BUTTERY

Appassimento-style, off dry and exotic. Watch for the 2013 vintage— it’s even better, prettier, aromatically more floral, a bit less sweet and has succulent acidity.

Savoury and buttery, with yellow apple accents on the nose. It’s medium weight and crisp with a spicy finish.

Burning Kiln 2012 Savagnin ‘Stick Shaker’ $24.95

PLUMMY

Quai du Vin 2012 Chardonnay $13.50

Dover Vineyards 2011 Merlot Reserve ‘Smoke & Gamble’ $21.95

Lighter in style. Fresh and plummy with gentle tannins. Earthy and oaky accents come along on the finish.

quaiduvin.com

dovervineyards.com

burningkilnwinery.ca

dovervineyards.com

INTRODUCING

Our experts taste, rate and pick only the best Canadian wines – not available at your local store.

FROM KWAF.CA

Every 3 months, 5-6 top wines (usually 4 reds, 2 whites) will arrive at your door. All backed by our 100% Happiness Guarantee.

Your first shipment will arrive by July 14, complete with tasting notes and serving advice.

IF YOU LOVE GOOD WINE, JOIN THE CLUB! Summer 2014 / CityBites

9

OUT & ABOUT

By Natalie Goldenberg-Fife | @NatalieGF + @Citybites

General goodness THE COUNTY GENERAL RIVERSIDE IS A SPIN-OFF DONE RIGHT The Story Three years ago, Splendido partners Victor Barry and Carlo Catallo took a research trip to New York City. They hit The Spotted Pig, a Michelin-starred Brit-Italian gastropub helmed by chef April Bloomfield and co-owned by herself and music-industry vet Ken Friedman. NYC’s most famous gastropub has always been a haven of celebs, loud rock ’n’ roll and brilliant food and beer—all in a casual, friendly environment. Catallo told Barry they needed to do something just like it. “I was inspired and wanted to come back and to do something fun. Splendido was always so stressful and a place like this could an outlet for us.” Fast-forward a few months—Catallo and Barry open The County General on Queen West to great kudos. The restaurant becomes synonymous with rum-induced good times and a killer chicken thigh sandwich. In January, Barry and Catallo officially parted ways—Barry kept Spendido, while Catallo held onto The County. A west-end regular (and real-estate agent) convinced Catallo to take The County General to the east side. In March, he opened the County General Riverside.

The Space

As with the original, the eastside CG is on a busy corner—Catallo says corners mean traffic. The 32-seat dining room and 14-seat patio have the same industrial steel-and-wood design as the west, but with a touch more elegance and some eye-popping red accents.

Designed by Jason Stroud (Yours Truly, Marben), the space is slick, crisp and comfortable.

The Scene “If the west is Brooklyn, the east is Halifax,” says Catallo. Expect young family-somethings and polished professionals.

The music gets louder as the night progresses but is never impolite.

The Food Expect to indulge in west-side favourites like the Chicken Thigh Sandwich ($12)—it’s sold more than 30,000 at the original location—and the 6-ounce County Burger with Dijon and pickles ($11). Chef Danai Hongwanishkul makes an array of healthy small-bite wonders like kale salad ($7) The County and beef salad cold roll ($4). The sharing General Riverside platters are great fun. Chicken for 2 is an 798 Queen St. E. 416-781-4743 interactive dish: the server spreads wax thecountygeneral.ca paper on the table, squirts Texas Mop Sauce and Butter Milk Ranch sauce all over, then places a bunch of fried chicken pieces on top, alongside warm buttermilk biscuits and slaw ($40). “We like to focus on the festivity of dining with people,” says Catallo. “We see eating as a celebration and shared experience.” CB 10

CityBites / Summer 2014

‘Eating is a celebration and shared experience’

PHOTOS: ROSS SPENCER

The Drinks Exceptional cocktail concoctions are focused around rum and bourbon. Why? “Because that’s what I like to drink,” says Catallo. The four homemade sodas and suggested spirit pairings— like the celery soda (add Averna, Gin or Amaro Montenegro) and root beer (add dark or spiced rum, bourbon, or Fernet)—are each a refreshing treat ($10). The wine-list, all bottles under $60, showcases Ontario goodies from the likes of Organized Crime, Tawse and Hidden Bench. The newest addition to the craft beer list is a local lager by Graham Woodhouse of WoodHouse Brewing Co., ($8 a pint).

N EW Things are a little different here in sunny South Africa…

You can say “hello” in our 11 national languages.

You need a licence to buy a TV and you can ride a bird that can’t fly (an ostrich).

So, it’s hardly surprising that we’ve got a drink as dry as our sense of humour. Best enjoyed the South African way, ice-cold, from the bottle, with a lemon in the neck.

Please Enjoy Responsibly.

Represented by PMA Canada Ltd. | www.pmacanada.com

WINE

By Matt Cauz | @mcauz56

Wine and dine AS THE NEW SOMMELIER AT CANOE, EMILY PEARCE IS PUTTING A NEW SPIN ON ONE OF TORONTO’S TOP WINE PROGRAMS Emily Pearce is the new sommelier at Canoe, one of the preeminent restaurants in Toronto not only for its service, cuisine and spectacular views over the lake, but also for having one of the most impressive—dare we say important—wine lists in Canada. She also placed second in the Best Ontario Sommelier Competition this summer, putting her squarely at the table with the best of her profession. I sat down with Emily between lunch and dinner service to discuss her growth in the industry, the challenges of being a female sommelier, and how she views the ideal wine program.

What is your own personal history with wine? I did not grow up with

it at all. I come from a small town, Woodstock, Ontario, the dairy capital of Canada. I didn’t grow up drinking fine French wines or any wines at all.

My parents would have it on special occasions.

When did you start drinking wine on a regular basis? Drinking wine, or

drinking good wine [laughs]—because there is a very big difference.

You’re right. Let’s start with a cheap just-to-get-drunk wine. I

believe it was nine-dollar Masi in University. That was a bit of a staple with my girlfriends. Quite enjoyed that.

Was there a moment when you realized that wine was pretty good and you wanted to learn more about it? It was when I started studying culinary arts at George Brown. I really got into food. Making food obviously, eating food. But it was also the culture behind food. Learning why bouillabaisse is bouillabaisse and what’s the cultural relevance of food. Food and wine go together so naturally I think that is where I first got my exposure to wine. I started thinking to myself, well food has this culture and this history… where’s wine in that?

But you don’t have one of those ah-ha moments where you first fell in

12

CityBites / Summer 2014

love with wine? So many sommeliers

have these fabulous ah-ha moments with Sauternes and Stilton or some fantastic Champagne and I can’t really say that I have that. I just started studying wine and trying to drink fine wine and it slowly became more and more a part of my life. I like to say that I didn’t choose wine, wine choose me. It just started to gain such a place in my life that I finally came to a bit of a Rubicon that I finally had to make that decision: do you leave your job, start a new career, take that plunge and really pursue something that you are just truly passionate about? That you can walk away from so many things in your life that are stable just to pursue a passion. So I really believe that wine choose me.

What is the scene in Toronto for sommeliers? What is their role in the Toronto dining scene? The somm scene in Toronto is growing, and it’s gaining strength and it’s gaining momentum. There is a small, albeit tight, network of professional sommeliers that rely on each other and study with each other and I am very grateful to be a part of that.

It’s a fantastic resource.

In terms of the role of the sommelier in the restaurant I think that it’s dynamic and always changing. There’s need for flexibility to really be able to wear many different hats. To be able to talk not just about wine with your guests, but about spirits, sake and teas and so many things that are emerging. We see more international varieties, more interesting esoteric things coming up in the wine scene and so it really requires a sommelier to continually develop and become better at their craft. There are very few places in the city where someone can be a full time sommelier and really embrace that role. I’m very lucky to have the position that I have. Because I am able to fully embrace that.

The sommelier world seems to be dominated by men. How tough has it been for you to climb the ranks of this business being a woman? I think it is something that needs to be acknowledged. I think that there are obstacles that still exist for female sommeliers in the community. I think we would be remiss if we did not acknowledge that. However, personally I try to focus not as much on the obstacles but on the opportunities that I’ve been given. And I think that I have been given many opportunities studying wine and working in wine that I am very lucky. Again I can put that back to having strong mentors and having a strong sommelier community that have helped support me and helped me grow in my craft.

I’ll give you some pushback. You got this job not just because of luck but because you worked really hard. What advice would you give to any woman trying to get into this business? My advice for any female getting into this business is that there is really nothing that will make you more successful than your own determination to be successful. There is no substitute for that. Every person, be it a man or a woman will be able to find obstacles. And yes, there are obstacles for women working in this industry. But we’re also in the most progressive time to date. It’s important to let go of just looking at obstacles and to understand that it is not necessarily the smartest person or the most connected person, it’s the person that really is truly willing to work the hardest, to be determined and to never give up on it…. It’s more about determination and if you are a female wanting to get into this you need to acknowledge that, and you need to move beyond that. Don’t let yourself be put into a box. If you let yourself be put in a box that’s where you’re going to live. Don’t let anyone define you. You define yourself and just never give up What is it like working with such a prestigious wine program? I wake

up every day excited to come to work. Sometimes I almost feel guilty because I love my job so very, very much. The hours are long, that can be challenging. The program is gigantic.

It’s enormous. It almost has a life of its

Greece, then it’s all in one place and you can try it here.

What is your favourite wine right now and is there one grape or one wine that you think is going to catch fire. Truly and honestly I

love Champagne. I love drinking Champagne on a Tuesday. It has everything that I enjoy. It’s the balance, the finesse, the acidity, that mouthfeel. For me it’s the perfect wine. It’s a shame that it’s saved for only special occasions. It’s one of these things that should be enjoyed as much as possible.

One wine you expect to jump. Like Pinot Noir did with the release of the movie Sideways. Is there something

BAR HOP Emily Pearce takes charge at Canoe.

own. A challenge is taking a list and taking a program and putting your own personality, putting your own heart, your own signature on it.

I am following many great sommeliers that have held this position. So to put my own stamp on it—that’s something that took me some time to understand how I was going to do that.

Tell us about some wines you’re excited about. Obviously we’re keeping

some of the staples and favourites of the guests, but we’re also exploring different areas such as Syrah from Tasmania, or some fabulous organic Chardonnay from Victoria—or how about an absolutely amazing Italian Pinot Noir grown on Monte Amiata 350 metres above sea level on volcanic soil? I mean, I know I’m getting excited just talking about it. It’s just fantastic to being able to experience these wines that maybe don’t fit in the box of many other wines.

Is it hard to get customers to stray

PHOTO: RICK O’BRIEN

from the norm and try new things?

One of the things that makes a good sommelier—or rather a great sommelier—is being able to understand your guests. To be able to understand which guests are willing to go outside the box, try something new, have a

little bit of an adventure and which guests really just want what they want.

They want a classic because it’s a classic and that’s a wonderful thing. I would say generally speaking I don’t find it very challenging to get guests to try new things here. The guests at Canoe are used to contemporary cuisines, exciting cuisines. The restaurant is very dynamic, and I think the customers are starting to expect that in their wine list. If you approach the guest with the enthusiasm and the passion that you really feel about the wines, they feel that as well. It’s infectious and they’re excited to try the wine.

What would be the ideal Emily Pearce wine program at Canoe?

Canoe is all about iconic service, iconic food and I want to push the boundaries with the great wines of the world, the iconic wines. As well as giving guests the ability to experiment and try new wines, try wines that are perhaps a little outside of their comfort zone. I enjoy that quite a bit. That is part of having a dynamic wine program, which is where I am trying to move things. If you want to try the great wines of the world or if you want to try a rosé made from one hundred percent Xinomavro from

out there? Viognier. I think because it’s very versatile, you can see so many different expressions of it. From oaked to not oaked, new world, old world. I think that its flexibility and approachability are going to make it something we see more and more.

Last thoughts… I’m looking forward to bringing new dimensions to the program and introducing guests to new things. I started doing a deconstructed Tokaji tasting for some of our guests that really enjoy wine. I bring it to the table, and on the right hand side you may have an ounce and a half of Tokaji and on the left hand side of the plate you are deconstructing the flavours and aromas of it. So you have a little pot of chamomile tea, some wild honey, some B.C. hazelnuts, some apricots. You invite your guests to smell and taste and experience all the elements individually and then synthesize it together in the Tokaji.

Doing these things with wine and being able to have guests experience wine in new and interesting ways... to have that opportunity to give that to guests is really exciting for me. CB

TASTE TEST Tokaji gets deconstructed.

Summer 2014 / CityBites

13

STRATFORD

By Beverley Hotchkiss

Savour Stratford:

Bigger, better, more delicious A NEW DATE AND EXPANDED PROGRAM MAKES THIS YEAR’S SAVOUR STRATFORD BETTER THAN EVER Award-winning chefs, renowned culinary authors, producers, artisans, musicians and innovators will be gathering at the annual, award-winning Savour Stratford Perth County Culinary Festival presented by GE Café. Coming July 19-20, the quaint little town of Stratford will bring us the great Canadian Culinary Road Trip under the theme “Coast to Coast to Coast.”

This year marks the seventh rendition of the festival, and some changes are afoot. In past years the festival was held in the fall, but this year it moves up to mid-summer. The extravaganza can be a bit overwhelming, so here’s our pick of the standout events. And a word of advice: don’t over-plan. Take some time to just wander the grounds, chat with producers, and take in the scenes and scenery.

You’re in for a great—and delicious—time.

BITES TY CI

S

A VO

20

Pick

D

H

14

er m m u ot S UR

F S T R AT

O

R

TORONTO STAR CULINARY STAGE There are eight top Canadian chefs lined up to share regional characteristics on the Toronto Star Culinary Stage. It is $5 per chef presentation or $30 per weekend pass. Here’s a sneak peak of some of the talent.

Bringing Northern Canadian cuisine to the stage is a current competitor on Top Chef Canada, Rich Francis. Francis is an alumnus of the renowned Stratford Chef School and a member of the Tetlit Gwich’in and Tuscarora Nations. He strives to revolutionize the profile of Canadian cooking by combing culture, tradition and modern cooking techniques with sustainable sourced seasonal ingredients.

Saturday, July 19, 3 p.m.

WHERE TO HANG? Ruth Klahsen of Monforte Dairy opened Monforte on Wellington last year with a chalkboard menu and funky laid-back vibe ... Taverna, the street-level eatery in the Pazzo family (the pizzeria is downstairs), is always a hot hangout. Chef Yva Santini recently received the Top 30 under 30 award from the Ontario Hospitality Institute ... Get to the Boar’s Head if you’re thinking about becoming a chef. It’s filled with Stratford Chef School apprentices.

14

CityBites / Summer 2014

Two-Michelin-star awarded, youngest Grand Chef in the world and Top Chef Canada winner Dale MacKay, of Ayden Kitchen in Saskatchewan, will demonstrate his strong technical skills with locally sourced walleye lake fish, vegetables and oils. Sunday, July 20, 10:30 a.m.

Having received the award for Best Vegetarian Cookbook in the World (2012) by the World Gourmand Cookbook Awards, chef/ author Doug McNish elevates the vegetable to the center of the plate through a commitment to bring organic, whole, vegan cuisine to the mainstream. Sunday, July 20, 3 p.m.

To plan your weekend and view mini bios and videos of the whole line-up of awardwinning chefs visit savourstratford.com.

STROLLING Walk the market and sample as you go.

TALKS AND TASTINGS Throughout the weekend at the Knox Amphitheatre, Savour Stratford will host 10 informative, entertaining and stimulating talks by chefs, authors, experts and culinary innovators. Talks and tastings are $30 each. Here are a few of our highlights: WILD EDIBLES: Foraging has become the “new farm-to-table” and foraging expert Peter Blush of Pucks Plenty shares his knowledge of the wild edibles of Perth County. Better still is the tasting of his plenteousness. Think nettle soup and wild leek pesto. Saturday, July 19, noon FUNDAMENTALS OF FERMENTATION:

Ryan O’Donnel, an instructor at Stratford Chef School and newly appointed head chef of at the well-known and well-regarded Prune Restaurant, focuses on enriching the flavor profile of commonly enjoyed foods through the process of fermentation. Sunday, July 20, 10:30 a.m.

KLAUS W. REIF OF REIF ESTATES: As a 13th-generation winemaker, originally from the Rhine region of Germany, Reif’s knowledge and expertise has helped shape the VQA wines of Ontario. As you taste back-vintage wines from the estate’s wine library, Klaus will guide you through the unique history of the Ontario wine industry. Sunday, July 20, 1:30 p.m.

TASTE OF ONTARIO ARTISAN ALLEY: For the second year, Savour Stratford presents a lively open-air stroll along historic York Street of ticketed tastings ($1 a ticket) that include a wide selection of wines, craft beers and Ontario cheese. Saturday, July 19, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

NOT TO BE MISSED THE GRAND TASTING

For anyone who has attended Savour Stratford previously, they know that the Grand Tasting is the belle of the ball. It’s a festive, tented garden party off historic York Street along the Avon River that pairs 30 local chefs with regional producers to create an array of seasonal delicacies complemented by VQA wines and craft brews. This is where you vote for the coveted GE Café People’s Choice award as the music of 2014 Juno nominee Alysa Brilla Quartet entertains. Sunday, July 20; $100 VIP/$75 general admission WOMEN IN FOOD BREAKFAST

This year Alison Fryer of the (former) Cookbook Store in Toronto will moderate a panel of six women farmers who share stories and challenges on heritage breeding, shepherding, cheese-making, organic gardening and innkeeping. Sunday, July 20, 9 a.m.; $25 adult, $20 culinary student, $15 under 13 JENN AND LARRY’S EMPORIUM OF WONDERS

An expanded kid’s program offers two days of free culinary fun for young foodies.

Think hands-on, high-energy talks, tastings, puppet shows and performances. Some of the highlights include a Bug Fest Feast of creepy crawly cooking, the hidden electrical power of fruits and vegetables, and the Other Hand Puppet troupe performs The Farmer and the Smell, a show that’s unique to Savour Stratford.

Saturday and Sunday, Kid’s Tent York Street PSST…. here’s an opportunity to play with your

food. Kids under 13 are invited to use their imaginations to construct a creature made entirely of food, then submit a photo of their beast. Details online. Contest opens June 16 and closes at 11:59 p.m. on July 14.

MUSIC Two days of free open-air entertainment caters to every musical palate. From the rock band Skyvers, to the “celtibilly” sound of Steel City Rovers, to buskers and everything else in between. The stage is located right along the river in the middle of the market and, most importantly, across from the beer garden. CB

GET ALL THE INFO The Savour Stratford Perth County Culinary Festival runs from July 19 to 20. Head over to visitstratford.ca/culinaryfestival for info and tickets. Follow @SavourStratford on Twitter.

TASTE SENSATIONS Lots to do at Savour Stratford.

Summer 2014 / CityBites

15

BAKERIES

By Erin Wotherspoon | @erinspoons

A half dozen great FROM RUSTIC BREADS TO FAT-FILLED DONUTS, TORONTO’S ENJOYING A BAKERY BONANZA This week I decided to take a walk on the wild side— and by wild side, I mean I decided to visit some of Toronto’s “best” bakeries. And judge them. “A bakery is just a bakery,” said no one, ever. Like a good croissant, there are many layers, and be gentle enough with that butter and you might just have a masterpiece on your hands. Italian, Parisian, grandma’s recipe, vegan, new to town, what have you… I’ve got the skinny (or not so skinny, harhar) on what to expect from TO’s finest.

Meet SUD FORNO, the Terroni bakery that opened last summer just steps away from the original southern Italian restaurant in the heart of West Queen West. The visuals are de rigueur: like most bakeries, rustic breads line the wall and there is an emphasis on “handmade” products (duh). But what makes Sud Forno worth a trip?

We questioned the verging-on-sassy staff. “If there’s a wait at Terroni,” we’re told, “people usually come here for a drink.” Yes, they are licensed. And there is seating upstairs. In the spirit of all things Italian I try the bombolone, an Italian-style donut filled with your choice of custard or nutella, or both. I choose the latter.

I recommend it highly. 716 Queen St. W., Toronto, 416-504-7667, sudforno.com, @sudforno

Baker & Scone

16

CityBites / Summer 2014

FIKA Cafe

Next up, FIKA, nestled in the heart of Kensington market. Nikki Leigh McKean and Victor Barry (chef/owner of Splendido) have birthed an unpretentious hangout for yoga moms and rasta men alike. Fika is Swedish for coffee break. The focus is on sandwiches, pastries and a selection of coffees. A bright-eyed barista seems happy chatting with me about all things “fika.” The two most popular things here, he says, are the Hello Dolly bars and the hammock out back (this is the market after all). I try the mortadella sandwich atop the rumored-to-be-amazing potato bread. The sandwich comes with a quinoa salad, all for under $10. Fika is a reasonable woman. All parts charm and chill—all the food is prepped on one tiny hot plate. This spot is perfect for midday pre- or postshopping snacks. 28 Kensington Ave., 416-994-7669, fika.com, @fikakensington FORNO CULTURA… allow me to be blunt. Forno Cultura is the best. Walk through the doors on King West and enter a bakery ablaze with energy, bodies moving every which way. Once you figure out where the line starts—I could have asked someone but I’m a Torontonian and don’t like asking strangers for help—assume your position and try not to let indecision get the best of you.

Owner Andrea Mastrandrea works with family recipes handed down from generation to generation. He felt Toronto lacked the truly authentic food he grew up with.

And thank you, Mr. Mastrandrea, for doing something about it. As a demonstration of my gratitude I will now be a devote disciple of your bakery. Though the staff seemed

Baker & Scone

FIKA Cafe

bakeries hurried and reluctant to chat, in all fairness the place was packed. Try the “mini cake” invented by Andrea himself, a fist-sized cake of various flavours with a chocolate base.

The chocolate olive oil cake stuffed with sundried olives had me shedding tears of joy. Try to get there early enough to snag a cornetti, the Italian take on a croissant. 609 King St. W., 416-603-8305, fornocultura.com, @fornocultura BLACKBIRD BAKING CO. doesn’t seem that remarkable at first look, but they are very serious about their bread— sourdough to be exact. They are new, but not so new.

They’ve been in the wholesale/retail business for three years, supplying TO’s finest restaurants and shops with meticulous baked goods. They’ve landed on Baldwin Street in the spot formerly known as Cobb. Blackbird offers an array of sweet/savoury scones, some brioche, a cake or two—but let’s not confuse things here, the real draw is the bread. An early-morning crowd of devotees gathers on a Saturday for the European-style goods— owner Simon Blackwell assures me this is a regular occurrence. With a simple storefront and no flashy signage, this is a place, Blackwell tells me, “where people come to pause, get good bread, exchange a conversation, and then return to the world.” 172 Baldwin St., 416-7083475, blackbirdbaking.com, @bbirdco

Now let’s talk about scones and how they’re usually unremarkable. Up until now, this moment. Cue BAKER AND SCONE—and their grand opening saving us from dreadful scones forever more. With a vast and impressive

FIKA Cafe

“A bakery is just a bakery,” said no one, ever.

list of flavours, there is no shortage of creativity up on St. Clair, from salted caramel to chai latte spice to the popular classic lemon black currant. Owner Sandra Katsiou knows what she’s doing with a whisk. Having just opened this spring, they’ve been inundated with orders. One secret, though not widely broadcast, is a lessfattening scone. Katsiou swaps the egg and cream for buttermilk. “You can’t avoid butter though,” she says.

Hmm. Well my conscience is a little clearer… a little.

Latte in hand I head out to my final destination.

693 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-657-2662, bakerandscone.com, @bakerandscone

When I said Forno Cultura was the best, I meant second best. Because everything pales in comparison to the vegans. Holier than thou attitude? Check. But they’ve got lots of donuts and pizza rolls to make up for it. THROUGH BEING COOL is a must on the bakery crawler’s list, whether you dig vegan or not. The pizza roll is a true masterpiece, stuffed with ooey-gooey dairy-free cheese and pizza sauce. I would not be giving you the full story if I left out the donuts. Though at first my eye was drawn to the pretty sprinkles, I’m advised by the staff to branch out and consider other flavours. Then I hear it… ”chocolate with a peanut butter filling” and everything begins to blur, my taste buds brace themselves, and I am transported. If you’ve noticed your vegan friends are looking kind of overweight these days, it’s probably because they can’t leave this place. I’ve been back twice.

1277 Bloor St. W., 416-998-3321, @tbcvegan

CB

Baker & Scone

Baker & Scone

Summer 2014 / CityBites

17

The Great Ontario Special feature sponsored by Dairy Farmers of Canada

Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese Within the rolling hills of Oxford County, Shep Ysselstein produces small-scale artisan cheeses in an authentic Swiss style using traditional recipes. TRY: Gunn’s Hill Soft, Gunn’s Hill Hard, Gunn’s Hill Artisan Curd.

445172 Gunns Hill Rd.,Woodstock, 519-424-4024 gunnshillcheese.ca

Pine River Cheese Local milk is meticulously graded to make 14 varieties of cheese, including an 8-year aged cheddar and some organic varieties.

TRY: Colby, Monterey Jack, Caramelized Onion Cheddar.

Mountainoak Cheese The Van Bergeijk family understands that great cheese needs great milk.

TRY: Mild and aged Premium Dutch Gouda.

635 Hwy 21 S., R.R. #4 Ripley, Huron-Kinloss, 519-3952638, pinerivercheese.com

3165 Huron Rd., New Hamburg, 519-662-4967, mountainoakcheese.ca

Railway City Brewing Co. Whether it’s a fruity seasonal pilsner or a full-bodied ale, each Railway City brew has a flavour as unforgettable as its name. TRY: Iron Spike Blonde, Dead Elephant Ale.

Bright Cheese and Butter Bright Cheese and Butter Mfg. Co. started in 1874 as a farm co-op and is one of Ontario’s oldest traditional cheddar producers.

TRY: Naturally aged cheddars.

R.R. #1, 816503 County Rd. #22, Bright, 519-454-4810, brightcheeseandbutter.com

Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery Seriously hoppy brews come in psychedelic looking bottles with quotes under each cap. Don’t let the whimsy fool you!

TRY: Flying Monkey Amber Ale, Hoptical Illusion Almost Pale Ale.

168 Curtis St., St. Thomas 519-631-1881, railwaycitybrewing.com

107 Dunlop St., East Barrie 705-721-8989, theflyingmonkeys.ca

WINDSOR LONDON

GUELPH

BARRIE

TORONTO

Jensen Cheese Established in 1925 by Arne Jensen, a master cheese maker from Denmark. Cheddar is a specialty, using old-world curing processes to maximize flavour.

TRY: Mild Cheddar, 4 Year Old Cheddar, Vintage Reserve Cheddar.

Steam Whistle Pilsner Three friends set out in 1998 to make a Pilsner that would compete with the best in the world. They did it. And it’s the only beer they make to this day.

TRY: Steamwhistle Pilsner.

The Roundhouse, 255 Bremner Blvd., Toronto, 1-866-24-0-BEER, steamwhistle.ca

37 Evergreen Hill Rd., Simcoe, 519-426-4523, jensencheese.ca Upper Canada Cheese Co. Unique flavours come courtesy of a rare Niagara herd of Guernsey cows, a recipe developed by Trappist Monks and minimal processing. TRY: Guernsey Girl fresh cheese, Comfort Cream, Niagara Gold.

Great Lakes Brewery Small batch brewing and local ingredients keep Ontario beer enthusiasts committed.

TRY: Devil’s Pale Ale, Crazy Canuck Pale Ale.

4159 Jordan Rd., Jordan Station 905-562-9730, uppercanadacheesecompany.com

30 Queen Elizabeth Blvd., Toronto, 416-255-4510, greatlakesbeer.com

Black River Cheese Old-world craftsmanship dating back to its 1901 beginnings as a co-op for local farmers.

TRY: Maple Cheddar, award-winning Mild Cheddar, and Aged Cheddar (up to 6 years).

913 County Rd. 13, R.R. #2, Athol 613-476-2575, blackrivercheese.com

Cheese & Ale Trail Muskoka Brewery Freshness and independence rule at the Muskoka brewery, where a selection of easydrinking beers is handcrafted in the heart of Muskoka.

TRY: Mad Tom IPA, Summer Weiss.

SUDBURY

Thornloe Cheese Old-fashioned techniques and fresh local milk from the district of Temiskaming give Thornloe cheese its trusted reputation.

TRY: Casey Blue, Evanturel, Temiskaming.

999697 Hwy 11 N., Thornloe 705-647-7441, thornloecheese.ca

13 Taylor Rd., Bracebridge 705-646-1266, muskokabrewery.com

Empire Cheese & Butter Co-Op The only cheese factory in Northumberland County, making cheese open-vat style for 135 years, to give maximum flavour.

TRY: Marble Cheddar.

R.R. #5, 1120 County Rd. #8 Campbellford, 705-653-3187, empirecheese.ca

Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company Beau’s very first batch won best beer at the 2006 Toronto Golden Tap Awards, and an extensive selection has been racking up the accolades ever since.

TRY: Lug Tread Lagered Ale, Wild Oats series.

Maple Dale Cheese Cheddars are a specialty and a crowd-pleasing fresh curd is made daily. The roadside store is packed with gourmet treats. TRY: “Outrageously Old” 6 Year Cheddar, Fresh Curd, Roasted Garlic Cheddar.

2864 Hwy 37 N., R.R. #1, Plainfield 613-477-2454, mapledalecheese.com

10 Terry Fox Dr., Vankleek Hill 866-585-BEER, beaus.ca

OTTAWA

Ivanhoe Cheese Dating from 1870, this award-winning operation began as a dairy cooperative located in the hamlet of Ivanhoe. Artisan aged cheddars are a specialty. TRY: Naturally Smoked Gouda, flavoured Monterey Jacks, Horseradish Cheddar.

11301 Hwy 62 N., R.R. #5, Madoc, 1-800-268-0508, ivanhoecheese.com

St. Albert Cheese Manufacturing Five generations of farmers have maintained St. Albert’s trusted recipes, from melt-in-your mouth curds to spiced-up cheddars.

TRY: Mild Cheddar, Cheddar Curds, Canadian Swiss.

Glengarry Fine Cheese A passionate family farm, making cheese from their own Holstein cows. TRY: Figaro soft cheese, Lankaaster Traditional Gouda, Barely Blue.

150 St-Paul St., St-Albert, 613-987-2872, fromage-st-albert.com

5926 County Rd. #34, R.R. #1 Lancaster, 1-888-816-0903, glengarrycheesemaking.on.ca

ILLUSTRATION: NICK CRAINE

BELLEVILLE

JULY 18–20

coolchardonnay.org for a sneak peek of the winemakers, chefs and oeno-celebrities participating in this year’s events. weekend being seduced by the coolest grape on earth. The vineyards of Niagara will be alive with celebration July 18–20th. Visit 400,000 acres can’t be wrong. Join 58 of the most talented international Cool Climate Chardonnay winemakers and spend a

WHERE THE WORLD COMES TO ADORE CHARDONNAY CHARDONNAY TO ADORE COMES THE WORLD WHERE IN NIAGARA OBSESSION A WORLD-WIDE CELEBRATING THREE DAYS THREE DAYS CELEBRATING A WORLD-WIDE OBSESSION IN NIAGARA

400,000 acres can’t be wrong. Join 58 of the most talented international Cool Climate Chardonnay winemakers and spend a weekend being seduced by the coolest grape on earth. The vineyards of Niagara will be alive with celebration July 18–20th. Visit coolchardonnay.org for a sneak peek of the winemakers, chefs and oeno-celebrities participating in this year’s events.

JULY 18–20

TRUCK

By Sarah Wright

Wine on wheels #FOLLOWTHETRUCK AND ENJOY A NICE TASTE OF VQA WINE (FREE!) In a city that’s inundated with food trucks, the latest truck to hit the road this summer is causing quite the buzz—and for once it has nothing to do with fish tacos.

A shiny new retro-fitted former bakery truck, dubbed “Dare to Compare,” is paving the way for local wines. Its goal? To raise awareness of the delicious tastes available right in our own backyard by raising the bar of experiential tasting.

The truck is tasked with promoting Ontario’s homegrown excellence by transporting the magic of Ontario Wine Country directly to wine lovers across the province. With 30 Ontario wineries featuring 76 wines, this isn’t just a bar cart on wheels, this is the whole damn cellar!

In order to get the mobile treatment, wines must be VQA—that is, designated as Vintners Quality Alliance—sell for between $13.95 and $25, and be available at the LCBO. This latter point is important, because there is nothing worse than falling in love with a wine and not being able to bring it to a BBQ to share with friends.

Local wines can seem intimidating to casual wine drinkers. They tend to have higher entry-level price points if you dare to compare them to other countries like Chile or Argentina. But VQA wines can also provide tremendous value—and sampling for yourself will help you discover new favourites and supporting “local.”

Starting early last fall the truck set up shop at various food and wine shows, but the intention was always to get it on the move.

“The truck is revolutionary in that it is a new and fun way for tasting wine and it allows us to bring experiences to unexpected places in a much easier way,” says Hillary Dawson, president of the Wine Council of Ontario. “The truck format provides us with huge flexibility in how we interact and the opportunity to share our story with people in so many more places across our province.”

And across the province they will go. After fighting through Toronto traffic, a 16week tour includes visits to Oakville, Hamilton, London, Ottawa, Guelph, Barrie, Gravenhurst and Blue Mountain, with a few extra stops along the way. Wherever the truck lands is guaranteed to be the only tailgate party that comes with tasting notes.

Depending on the location consumers can sample two or four wines, one ounce per wine. The mobile wine bar’s mission is to dispense 70,000 ounces of (free!) samples over the course of its educational expedition—which is almost on par with one of my condo parties.

Some wineries have created unique offers and made them available to truck guests. For example, Stoney Ridge has offered a gourmet cheese pairing, while Good Earth did a flight of wines, each wine complemented by an amuse bouche.

Follow all the truck action at #FollowTheTruck or simply listen for the trail of cheers in its wake. CB

TASTE TEST Is it Riesling or Chardonnay?

She’ll tell ya.

WHERE’S THE TRUCK?

Here are just a few of the major events that will benefit from a visit by the Dare to Compare truck this summer.

July 12

NUIT BLANCHE FESTIVAL A magical, interactive, multi-arts street festival can only be enhanced by wine.

Huntsville

July 19

WHOLE FOODS MARKET Need another excuse to visit Whole Foods? Wine samples are free so you’ll be able to afford the extra-fresh kale.

Oakville

July 24 to 26

BEACHES INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FEST Pair soulful grooves with Pinot Noir and you’re guaranteed to have a great night. Toronto

PHOTOS: COURTESY WINE COUNTRY ONTARIO

August 1 to 4

KEMPENFEST One of the largest arts-and-crafts festivals in North America has grown to include antiques, entertainment and… wine. Barrie

August 8

SUMMER STREETFEST Bigger and better than ever, enjoy a musical and some variety acts while sipping on VQA. Woodstock

August 28 to 30

TRUCK STOP Get your wine on—but wait for it to park.

VILLAGE OF BLUE MOUNTAIN Stunning natural landscapes always pair perfectly with wine from our own backyard. Collingwood

Summer 2014 / CityBites

21

MEAT

By Mai Nguyen

MATTHEW VON TEICHMAN IS SO FAR AHEAD OF HIS TIME, HE’S MAKING MEAT THE OLD FASHIONED WAY

CONTENT COWS Green living all the way.

The animals gorge on ample amounts for “fruit finishing,” and the natural sugars promote good marbling by breaking up the tough consistency.

PIGGING OUT These guys ate a ton of apples just a second ago.

22

CityBites / Summer 2014

A beef slider!

Sometimes, that’s all it takes to change your mind.

For a while, I had considered becoming a vegetarian due to matters of health, earth and ethics. But after taking a bite of a single, perfectly cooked slider sourced from an organic farm, the thought never again entered my mind.

That farm is Grandview in Thornbury, Ont. It’s an idyllic 940-acre meadowland with a breathtaking view of the Georgian Bay. Each year, 95 cattle, 500 pigs and 300 chickens are raised here.

I toured the property with owner Matthew Von Teichman. He’s the CEO of Life Choices, a Torontobased company that uses some of the farm’s livestock for its line of healthy frozen foods sold in Whole Foods, The Big Carrot and Loblaws.

Von Teichman takes what he calls a responsible approach by raising his animals the way they were raised 100 years ago. They aren’t chained. They have adequate room to move. They live on the field, and not in barns. Instead of force feeding them a diet of corn and wheat grains topped off with antibiotics and stimulants, they’re fed a diet of nutritional grass and crops like oats, corns, and peas at the leafy stage, not the seed stage, to maximize the nutritional punch.

The most unconventional part of their feedstuff is the apples. Yes, apples. The animals gorge on ample amounts for “fruit finishing,” and the natural sugars promote good marbling by breaking up the tough consistency.

He showed us a herd of timid cattle and, from afar, you could see apples strewn about the field, plucked from the surrounding orchards. Then he showed us the pigs, a mix of heritage breeds, that had already eaten 800 pounds of apples by the time we got there.

It wasn’t even lunchtime.

The happy result of this diet is meat that is lean in fat and dense in nutrients.

Von Teichman sent samples to nutritionists at the University of Toronto and they found the Grandview Farms beef to be loaded with anti-oxidants, vitamins and conjugated linoleic acid (CLAs), a cancerfighting fatty acid. They also found that his meat had levels of Omega 3s that were 300 percent higher than those found in industrial cattle.

As we walked around the farm, I gradually noticed that something was conspicuously absent. There was no smell. None of that gross manure odour you’d expect from animals (that is, you’d expect from visiting conventional farms).

That’s the difference, says Von Teichman, between his meat and industrial meat. Animals aren’t wallowing in feces, which eventually affects the taste down the line. “If you cook feedlot meat, it smells

PHOTOS: DICK SNYDER

A different sort of farm

‘Consumers deserve to have food options that they can trust to be ethical.’

FREE RANGE Matthew Von Teichman can enjoy any apples the cows leave behind.

like feedlot,” he says. “At the end of the day, you have to mask bad meat with sauces.”

Aside from meat, Von Teichman’s latest initiative is to become the first grass-fed dairy business in Canada.

His line, Rolling Meadow, is produced in small Mennonite and Amish farms and set to launch this year.

He’s also got something for your pets. Holistic Choice uses healthy cuts from healthy animals raised in a free-range environment with absolutely no rendering.

Starting this month, customers can find his line in the natural section of Loblaws and some Sobeys and independent health food retailers. “Everyone loves their dogs and cats as if they were their children, and they want to feed their pets the best diet,” he says.

Von Teichman calls himself a serial entrepreneur, but he’s also a farmer and father who seems most comfortable in muck boots rather than leather lace-ups.

Spend enough time with him and you’ll see he cares a whole lot about making meat production sustainable.

“In a feedlot environment, which is all the meat we eat, there’s no perpetuity to that system,” he says.

“They come in, they eat a lot and they die. There’s no regeneration of the soil and environment.”

He tells you things like this in a manner so compelling and passionate, you assume he’s got all the answers to the problems that plague our industrial meat system. He makes you believe that meat doesn’t have to spell bad things for our heart

and planet, even convinced that you don’t have to be a vegetarian to be a conscious consumer.

At the end of the tour, we switched from farm to fork and headed inside Von Teichman’s house where we enjoyed several batches of sliders and steak.

I passed on the salad to make more room on my plate.

The beef was succulent.

There was a much more MAP QUEST The farm via aerial view. pronounced flavour to it than most meats I’ve tasted. Perhaps it was a hint of that sweet, sweet apple? Or perhaps it was knowing that what I ate wasn’t fed a pail of starches, or confined in small spaces, or harmed the environment? One thing’s for sure, I didn’t feel guilty.

Von Teichman’s philosophy is that if animals are treated well, it will result in meat that tastes great.

WHERE TO FIND IT “The word ‘natural’ and [phrases like] ‘responsibly You can buy Grandview Farms raised’ are everywhere and can mean so many meat via DonateNaturally.com or from GrandviewFarms.ca. things,” he says. “But to me, it means animals Find it at The Healthy Butcher, are humanely treated and free of antibiotics and and at select restaurants such hormones. Consumers deserve to have food options as Canoe, Jump and Playa that they can trust to be ethical.”

Cabana. A box of 13 Wagyu ribeye steaks is $300.

An ethical beef slider. Now that’s a concept. CB Summer 2014 / CityBites

23

THE BEES

By Natalie Goldenberg-Fife | @NatalieGF + @CityBites

Bees in crisis THE ONGOING DISAPPEARANCE OF THE BEES HAS MAJOR IMPLICATIONS You’ve likely heard about the bee crisis.

But do you know what it’s all about?

Cue the Unsolved Mysteries music. But in all seriousness, the crisis started around the fall of 2006 when beekeepers and scientists began to report that millions of bees were dying and abruptly vanishing from hives—mostly in North America, Europe and parts of Asia.

According to Ernesto Guzman, professor of the Honey Bee Research Centre at the University of Guelph, Canada loses an average of 30 percent of colonies each year.

“It is continuing and has been this way for the last six years. It is not getting worse but a 30 percent loss is bad enough and unprecedented,” says Guzman.

The name you see commonly attributed to this deadly mass exodus is Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

“CCD is just a term that colleagues in the U.S. use to describe the mortality of bees by unexplained causes,” says Guzman. “To me, it is an abuse of the term. We should be calling it ‘colony mortality’ and try to find the causes of that mortality.”

There is no one single culprit. “It comes down to being a multi-factorial problem with some factors playing a main role in different seasons,” he says.

In winter, scientists notice that colony mortality is due to deadly Varroa mite infestations. Picture a furry eight-legged

BEE SMART DID YOU KNOW….

• That a bee has two stomachs? Nectar goes into both but one is for the bee’s energy and nutrition and the other is for processing honey.

• Bees travel within a 5 km radius of their hive.

• Bees do not fly when it’s below 10C. • There can only be one Queen Bee per hive.

• The hive is female dominated and ruled by a Queen.

Less than 9% of the population is male. The male “drones” protect the Queen and impregnate her.

Only one Queen may live at a time.

• A worker bee lives for about 30 to 42 days. The Queen Bee lives 3 to 5 years.

• A Queen Bee can lay up to 1500 eggs in one day and up to one million in a lifetime • A honeybee will fly about 50,000 km to make one pound of honey.

24

CityBites / Summer 2014

reddish brown creature sucking the blood from a poor helpless honeybee, eventually causing their death.

During the spring, the cause is often related to pesticides being applied in earnest as the growing season begins. The chemicals have been shown to weaken immune systems in bees. They can also inhibit the bees’ ability to find their way back to their hives.

There is serious cause for concern.

Third generation beekeeper Krystina Roman of Rosewood Estate Winery and Meadery says that one in every three spoonfuls of food we put in our mouths depends on pollination from bees. Twenty-five thousand colonies are trucked from Toronto to New Brunswick each year to pollinate blueberry crops, cherries, and canola seed plants. In the U.S., 1.5 million hives are used to pollinate almonds.

The list of healthy crops that won’t grow without the honeybees is a long one. Think of apples, almonds, broccoli, onions, cucumbers, pumpkins, and carrots disappearing from the grocery store.

The saga of the bees has caught the attention of The White House, which just last month announced an eight million dollar taskforce to tackle their plight. The Pollinator Health Task Force is charged with “understanding, preventing, and recovering from” the huge decline observed in recent years in the population of honeybees in the U.S. In Canada, Professor Guzman says beekeepers need to better manage the mite population in colonies by carefully monitoring the bees after treating them with miticides.

“They need to make sure the treatment they use is working. Sometimes, beekeepers will use a miticide that mites have already developed resistance to,” says Guzman. “Regarding pesticides, we need to find way of reducing the exposure of pesticides to honeybees and that is the job of our authorities and government. There also needs to be

‘The saga of the bees has caught the attention of The White House.’ better communication between growers and beekeepers. Growers should talk to beekeepers before they spray so that there is minimal contact.”

At Rosewood, significant efforts are made to educate people about bees and raise funds for research. Every wine tasting also includes a honey tasting complete with bee stories and an optional

Get More!

Visit us at

citybites.ca

PHOTOS: COURTESY ROSEWOOD ESTATES WINERY

BEE LINE At Rosewood, bees are part of the family.

tour of the hives located directly behind the winery.

“All our staff love to talk about the bees because everyone has been involved in the beekeeping process in one way or another,” says Roman. “Once or twice a year our tasting fees will go towards saving the bee. We also sell award-winning mead and honey.”

Albert Ponzo of Le Select Bistro recently took up beekeeping as a hobby. Now he calls it a passion. “It started as an interest. I love honey and have a Sardinian background, which revolves a lot around honey and incorporating honey in food,” he says. “I have become aware of a big need to keep it going because of colony collapse disorder and the bee population dying.”

In November, Rob Gentile of BUCA hosted a fundraiser with ten other high-

HONEY FACTS

• Honey never goes bad. It may

• •

crystallize—clear it again putting it in a microwave for less than 10 seconds, or in a pot of hot water for less than 30 seconds.

Honey does not need to be refrigerated after opening, but it is porous. Keep away from highly aromatic food.

Honey is a natural antibiotic and has great healing potential.

profile chefs, raising $26,000 for the University of Guelph’s honeybee program.

The Fairmont Royal York has maintained a rooftop apiary since 2008, and this year erected a bee “hotel” to help shelter bee pollinators (non-honey producing bee cousins). Bees are naturally attracted to the Royal York’s green-hued cooper roof, so it’s a natural fit. CB

Our Juicy

Events

Summer 2014 / CityBites

25

LOCAL

By Beverly Hotchkiss

A moveable feast THE FEAST ON PROGRAM AIMS TO CERTIFY AND PROMOTE TRULY LOCAL RESTAURANTS AND PURVEYORS According to the National Farmer’s Union, the majority of farms in Ontario are between 10 and 69 acres.

Small farms. Tiny, even. Yet, the average age of the farmer is increasing. This is due in part to economic barriers and other challenges that prevent young people from procuring land, growing fruits and vegetables and raising animals. In short, lack of support is preventing a new generation from growing food. As consumers of food, does it not seem obvious that we should support our local growers and that, in doing so, we are securing a local food source for future generations?

By now we should all be conversant with the term “locavore” and the “100-mile diet.” The term itself came out of Berkeley, California, almost 10 years ago and has generated a wheat field of films, books, slogans, bumper stickers, T-shirts and, of course, menus. In today’s climate, “local” is good business.

Yet, does “farm to table” really mean anything? How do I know if I’m getting a bumper sticker or the real deal? With pictures of red barns and happy animals, it’s easy to create the illusion of “local farming.” This is where the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance comes in. This team, led by Rebecca LeHeup, understands that authenticity and accountability are the missing links needed to tangibly codify Ontario’s “taste of place.”

Through partnerships with industry insiders and supporters, OCTA has developed the public-facing Feast ON designation. It’s a criteria-based program that recognizes food service operators that are committed to procuring, partnering and participating in Ontariosourced food and drinks.

Feast ON certification should help hungry consumers make the right decisions. A designated food service operation must provide proof that a significant portion of their food and beverage program is sourced within

Ontario. They must also demonstrate involvement, support or activity in their community and active participation in designated programs at the local, provincial or national level. And for this, they pay.

Feast ON is supported in part through a grant from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, but it is also supported by the industry itself.

The Feast ON website is searchable by experience or style—for example: take-away, café, bar, food truck, casual dining or fine dining. You can also look up a restaurant name, or explore places around you (by “radius”) or by specific location. Clicking on a Feast ON-designated business also brings up information on their local providers. Then, you can create your own itinerary and map to plan your visits to the restaurant and the purveyors that supply it.

According to Rebecca LeHeup, “food creates a taste memory that often outlasts all other experiences by touching all five senses.” Therefore, participation in Feast ON generates support for local farmers and food suppliers ensure a future generation of suppliers, creates a taste of place that travels outside our community via tourism and puts us on the map as an industry leader in local sustainable cuisine. With Ontario tourism a multimillion-dollar industry—and food playing a vital role—the Feast ON branding helps garner national and international attention. In the end, it’s the farmers— and the eaters—that should benefit. CB

GET THE INFO Visit feaston.ontarioculinary.com and go for a tour.

26

CityBites / Summer 2014

Certified Local A FEW FEAST ON EATERIES FARMHOUSE TAVERN 1627 Dupont Ave., Toronto farmhousetavern.tumblr.com 416-561-9114

BRUCE WINE BAR & KITCHEN 8 Bruce St., Thornbury brucewinebar.ca 519-599-1112

RIDGE BERRY FARM 398 Canboro Rd., Ridgeville ridgeberryfarm.ca 289-897-8943

LANGDON HALL COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL & SPA 1 Langdon Dr., Cambridge langdonhall.ca 519-740-2100

GET ON THE LIST Join the CityBites mailing list to get the inside scoop on Toronto’s dining scene, invitations to openings, and all kinds of cool stuff.

You know our parties are legendary, right?

citybites.ca

THE COMBINE 352 Norfolk St. S., Simcoe thecombine.ca 226-440-3369

MERCER HALL 108 Ontario Street, Stratford mercerhall.ca 519-271-9202

ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS CAFE & TEAHOUSES 680 Plains Rd. W., Burlington rbg.ca 905-527-1158

HARPER’S BURGER BAR IN KINGSTON 93 Princess St., Kingston harpersburgerbar.com 613-507-3663

THE MASONRY RESTAURANT & MARKET 8 Wilson St. E., Perth themasonry.ca 613-285-4635

LOCAL MOTION (FOODTRUCK) 500 Donald St. E., Thunder Bay pinetreecatering.com/LM 807-621-4330 Summer 2014 / CityBites

27

EXPERTS // GROW

By Marc Green

How to boost your soil ADD SOME NUTRITION TO YOUR DIRT AND YOUR PLANTS WILL THANK YOU Here’s an oft-asked question posed mostly, but not exclusively, by novice gardeners: “How often should I change my soil?”

It’s not an unreasonable question, especially if you’re unaware of soil amendments—elements that are added to the existing soil to bring its nutritional value up to healthy levels.

The soil is the kitchen cupboard for your plants. When your cupboards at home are empty, you don’t replace them, you fill them with more food. When that food is depleted, you top it up again.

The same is true for your soil and plants. The soil may have started with great nutritional content when the garden was first established, but after seasons of growing, the food in the soil will be depleted. Where did it go? Into your tomatoes, peas, beans, lettuce, turnips and everything else that grows in your garden, including weeds. What’s left in the soil for the plants to eat? Possibly very little.

If you’ve noticed your plants are stunted, are producing smaller yields, or are succumbing more easily to diseases, they may be malnourished.

Amending your soil can mean a few things: Adding elements to increase the volume of the soil in the garden or raised bed; adding elements that will bring stronger structure to very sandy soil, or to break down clay-heavy soil. Although amending for these reasons will add

PHOTO: ARLENE HAZZAN GREEN

‘You don’t eat once a season; neither should your plants.’ nutritional value to the garden, you can amend with the specific goal of adding nutrition.

Worm Castings, a.k.a. vermicompost, a.k.a. worm poop, occurs naturally in almost all soil. Worms work their way through the ground, eating organic matter and pooping out incredibly rich castings.

However, there are rarely enough worms in the garden to compensate for what the

DEEP ROOTS This is what happens when you feed your soil.

plants are taking out. Get a few bags of worm castings—organic is best, as always.

Start by adding two bags to every four-byeight-foot garden plot, more if your soil is seriously depleted. Castings are great for retaining moisture as well, holding up to seven times their weight in water. Rake castings into the soil to a depth of five inches, and you’re good to go.

Better World is a plant food made from certified organic beetle castings (more poop). It’s a powder applied in very small amounts. It adds no bulk to a garden that has lots of soil already, while strengthening immune systems and increasing flower production, both in number and in size. Some say it improves the taste of the food, although that’s a pretty subjective assessment.

Although these two amendments used together can easily be enough to feed

any garden, variety is the spice of life. So do mix in other elements, such as wellcomposted sheep, cow, or chicken manure; fish emulsion; and mushroom compost.

And of course, your own homemade kitchen scrap compost is great stuff too.

It’s important to feed your garden regularly—a few days before first planting, again with every successive planting, and sometimes in between as your plants are growing. Think of it this way: You don’t eat once a season; neither should your plants. In the end, you’ll have stronger, healthier plants, and better food. After all, isn’t that what it’s all about? CB MARC GREEN AND ARLENE HAZZAN GREEN own The Backyard Urban Farm Company.

BUFCO brings organic vegetable gardening to urban and sub-urban homes and businesses throughout the GTA Visit bufco.ca.

Summer 2014 / CityBites

29

INTERVIEW

By Laura Brown

Beaumont on beer BEER EXPERT STEPHEN BEAUMONT EXPLAINS WHY CRAFT BEER IS HERE TO STAY There’s no denying that craft beer is enjoying a renaissance. It just takes one look at the multitude of festivals celebrating this brew, tap takeovers at your local watering hole, or the everexpanding craft section at the LCBO to know good beer is here to stay. I sat down with the man who knows everything there is to know about beer, Stephen Beaumont, to talk about his recently published book and get his take on the delicious rise of Canada’s new favourite drink. (You may know this: He also writes the Libations column for this magazine; flip over a few pages.)

What was the inspiration behind The Pocket Beer Guide: The Essential Handbook to the Very Best Beers in the World? It seemed a logical progression from last year’s World Atlas of Beer, which, by the way, won “Best Beer Book” in both the U.K. and North America. No one had written a pocket beer guide since Michael Jackson’s last, and that was quite some time ago, 2000 or 2001, I think. The beer world has changed a lot since then!

One of my favourite lines from your book, which sums up mainstream vs. craft so well is “Brewing corporations that operate on a massive scale are, for the most part, devoted to the image of

exciting country in the world for beer.

Which country has taken its place and why/how? No one country, but almost any one! I tell people that if they want to look for exciting beer, start by looking down the street, across town, just outside of the city, no matter where they are. If you can get mind-blowing beer in Italy and Iceland, and you can, then you can find it just about anywhere.

What’s your opinion on the rise of beer sommeliers and the growing reach of beer education courses? Ideally, I think sommeliers should be as schooled in beer as they are in wine, but I doubt that will happen any time soon. So yes, I think there is certainly a place for Beer Sommeliers and Cicerones, and definitely a need for more beer education for bar and restaurant servers.

Though no longer an owner, you help found Toronto’s beerbistro in 2008. What was your intent behind it? I thought it was time for beer in Toronto to get more interesting, and I think beerbistro did a lot to move us all forward in that regard.

Turns out, it took Torontonians about a year to wrap their heads around the idea, but once it took off, it just kept getting more popular and, I think, influential.

With microbrew and craft beer sales

their beer rather than the flavour.” Do

increasing by of rate of about 15%

you think, with the growing popularity

annually since 2009 and, as you state in

and demand for craft beer/better beer,

your book, 2,416 breweries and growing

‘The next thing will be the current thing: IPAs. They are hotter than ever and are showing no signs of slowing down.’

What’s the neatest/most unique thing going on in the beer world right now?

It’s not so much an issue in Canada, but south of the border alcohol contents are beginning to drop. This is a relief to anyone who has ever walked into a U.S. beer bar to find that only one or two of the two dozen or more taps are below 7% alcohol.

What do you predict the next big thing/trend in beer will be? The next

thing will be the current thing: IPAs. They are hotter than ever and are showing no signs of slowing down. I think that here in Ontario we’re going to see a lot more Belgian-inspired brews this winter.

this will ever change? I’ve had some very

in the United States, do you believe in

good beers from the big international breweries, actually. The big problem they all face, however, is that they struggle to manage the relatively small volumes of these beers. It’s just not something mammoth corporations are structured to do.

the notion of a craft beer bubble? No,

your favourite beer in the world, what

there… is… no… bubble! People who say that look at the overall beer market and say that it’s not growing, so therefore there is limited room for more craft breweries. But the crafts are eating away at the market share of the big breweries, so with every percentage point change

would it be and why? No such thing.

Someone once asked me what beer I would drink if I were only allowed one for the rest of my life and I answered that I’d probably give up beer because drinking only one kind would be phenomenally boring! CB

In the introduction, you say that the United States is no longer the most

30

thousands of hectoliters of market capacity come into play, millions in the case of the United States. That takes a lot of small breweries to fill.

CityBites / Summer 2014

BONUS QUESTION: If you had to pick

EXPERTS // SZABO ON WINE

By John Szabo | @johnszabo

It’s what we do best NIAGARA RIESLING KILLS IT AT ALL PRICE POINTS It’s said that the true measure of a winegrower’s skill is not her expensive micro-cuvée of the most coddled vines and costly new barrels, but the entry level, basic workhorse stuff that drives the winery. If she can get that right, then the premium range usually falls into line.

The same yardstick can determine the most suitable grape for a region—it’s not a single parcel producing extraordinary wine that defines suitability, but the average base quality of a variety across an entire region. And by this standard, Riesling is Niagara’s grape. Sure, Chardonnay reaches great heights, but at a price. Fine, inexpensive Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir are rare. But impressive, inexpensive Riesling? Plenty. And top level stuff? That too.

Riesling covers all of the bases.

For my money, the Benchlands—vineyards just above and below the Niagara Escarpment—yield RICH RIESLING From a warmer corner the top kit. The following of Niagara, Chateau is a brief tour of Niagara’s des Charmes 2012 finest Rieslings at all prices.

Old Vines Riesling.

VALUE SEEKERS Niagara does value. If you’re not convinced, try the 2013 Vineland Estates Dry Riesling Twenty Mile Bench (88 pts; $13.95), a reference wine. It’s clean and crisp, light and low alcohol, infinitely sippable.

Also consider Vineland’s 2013 Semi-Dry Twenty Mile Bench (89 pts; $13.95). It’s all from the original St. Urban’s Vineyard, planted in the late 1970s, and harvested slightly later than the dry Riesling, yielding more exotic fruit. Although semi-dry, it’s beautifully balanced.

Still in the value category but more full-bodied is the Château des Charmes 2012 Old Vines from Niagara-on-the-Lake (90 pts; $16.95). From a warmer corner of Niagara, this is rich and substantial. Also excellent in a similar style is the Cave Spring 2012 Estate Beamsville Bench (90 pts; $17.95). This is perfectly ripe,

with ruby grapefruit, apricot flavours, showing really well at the moment.

VINEMOUNT RIDGE: FOR ACID FREAKS Acid freaks like me should look for Riesling from the Vinemount Ridge sub-appellation, Niagara’s coolest, far from the lake on top of the Escarpment. Charles Baker 2012 Picone Vineyard (93 pts; $35.00) from 35-year-old vines is his best yet, but still tightly wound—give it another year or two at least. For the top value in the excellent Tawse range, seek out the 2012 Quarry Road Vineyard (93 pts; $23.95). This is

• custom design & build • Premier Cru kit racks • wine coolers & accessories

RWC_CB_QP.indd 1

electrifying, the finest Quarry Riesling to date, with pitch-perfect balance.

Another cool beauty is the Flat Rock Cellars 2013 Nadja’s Vineyard (92 pts; $19.95). Technically Nadja’s is in Twenty

Mile Bench, but it borders Vinemount Ridge and ripens two weeks later than Flatrock’s parcel just a few metres below.

This is fragrant and pretty, very aromatic, with plenty of crisp apple and summer fruit, with no shortage of minerality.

TOP BENCH SITES: WHERE FLESH MEETS MINERALS Tawse 2012 Carly’s Block Twenty Mile Bench (92 pts; $31.95) is the winery’s oldest Riesling block, planted in 1978 and farmed biodynamically. Inviting pear fruit meets tight acids and plenty of wet stone (a good thing). Cave Spring’s CSV Beamsville Bench is a regional classic, one of the broader and fuller styles, and the 2010 (90 pts; $29.95) is built to age thanks to Angelo Pavan’s later harvest policy.

The particularly keen will want to compare three 2012 Beamsville Bench vineyards from Thirty Bench: the Wood Post (90 pts; $30) and its intriguing herbal-pine needle nuance; the Steel Post (92 pts; $30) with its green apple citruslime character; and the Triangle Vineyard (91 pts; $30) the most forward and generous of the series. CB JOHN SZABO is an acid-loving, white wine drinking Torontobased writer and Master Sommelier. He’s a principle critic for WineAlign.com.

your wine deserves the very best home 416.285.6604

.

RosehillWineCellars.com

.

established 1995

Summer 2014 / CityBites 13-03-04 5:53 PM

31

EXPERTS // THE EJ

By Konard Ejbich | @WineZone

New Ontario wineries cometh IF YOU LIKE ONTARIO WINE, YOU’LL LOVE THIS NEWS

BURNT SHIP BAY WINERY

ICELLARS ESTATE WINERY

This is a new partnership between long-time grape grower and Pondview Estate winery owner Lou Puglisi and the winery’s national and export sales director Marcel Morgenstern. They’ve just planted 15 acres of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc on an old peach orchard next door to the winery.

Initial offerings are made using Pondview grapes by winemaker Fred DiProfio.

Adnan Icel and his family will have no wine to sell until 2016, but he’s already excited about the quality of what he plans to offer. This 60-acre tract in the Four Mile Creek appellation is on the north side of Line 8 next door to Coyotes Run.

925 Line 2 Road, Virgil; 905-651-6697,

Walking through the former Thomas & Vaughan vineyard, Moray Tawse was taken with the thick terra-rossa-like red dust that coated his boots and wondered what kind of wines he could coax from it. Certified organic and biodynamic, it’s now planted with Cabernets Franc and Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Gris and Syrah.

Winemaker Rene Van Ede makes other varieties with fruit from neighbouring growers. First releases have been an instant hit with local connies.

info@burntshipbaywinery.ca DOMAINE QUEYLUS

After the “Judgment of Montreal” tasting, in which Le Clos Jordanne Chardonnay trounced a stable of famous French and American greats, wine lovers Gilles Chevalier, Gilles Bussière and a group of their friends tracked down winning winemaker Thomas Bachelder and implored him to make wine for them.

The consortium purchased two vineyards: “Estate” is in Lincoln Lakeshore DVA; “Neudorf” is the former Le Clos Jordanne’s “La Petite Vineyard” in the Twenty Mile Bench DVA. The wines are brilliant and pricy.

3651 Sixteen Rd., St Ann’s; 905-562-7474, 1-855-783-9586, info@queylus.com

32

WINE WIZARD Thomas Bachelder made the wines for Domaine Queylus.

CityBites / Summer 2014

615 Concession 5 Rd., Niagara-on-theLake; 905-599-1322, info@icellars.ca

after 30 years of running Sproll’s Fine German Bakery in Kitchener, did just that. Son Alex and daughter Sylvia are all involved in the challenge of establishing a new Prince Edward County winery.

Until their vineyard matures, winemaker Mattias Luck is using purchased grapes from Ed Hughes and Steve Kocsis, two of Niagara’s best-known growers.

416 Benway Rd., Hillier; 519-569-1105,

REDSTONE WINERY

647-233-8599; info@trailestate.com TWO SISTERS VINEYARDS

4245 King St., Beamsville; 905-563-9463,

Just outside the old village of Niagaraon-the-Lake, Brampton-based real estate developer Benedetto (Benny) Marotta bought a tired peach orchard to convert into a family dream. Just west of Peller Estate, 60 acres of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have been maturing since 2007. Doors open in August with the 2010 vintage, as interpreted by winemaker Adam Pearce.

Untasted, but highly anticipated.

1-844-563-9463; info@redstonewines.ca

240 John St., Niagara-on-the-Lake; 289407-1668, info@twosistersvineyards.com.

TRAIL ESTATE WINERY

There’s nothing like driving out to the countryside for a restful day and coming home owning a 17-acre vineyard. Anton and Hildegard Sproll, comfortably retired

KONRAD EJBICH is an author, columnist, photo/ video-journalist, and host/ producer of Pro & Kon on YouTube. Follow him on @WineZone.

PHOTO: DICK SNYDER

How can a wine lover lift a glass of the best local juice when the KGBO offers such a pitiful selection of Ontario wines?

So far this year, seven new wineries have established roots in the province and you can bet they all hope for access to wine lovers. One hundred and eighty six wineries make thousands of new wines every year while the KGBO limits consumers to a handful of choices.

Well, to hell with buying from official government warehouse stores. Instead, buy directly from the wineries, putting a slightly higher margin in their pockets, where it is most deserved. Most wineries also offer online sales and in some cases, free delivery.

Here are the newbies to watch for:

EXPERTS // BOOZE

By Stephen Beaumont | @CityBitesBooze @CityBitesBeer @BeaumontDrinks

The gins of summer

PHOTO: INGIMAGE.COM

PUTTING A FEW NEW SPIRITS TO THE TASTE TEST VIA THE INCOMPARABLE GIN AND TONIC For some, the taste of summer is a cold the Spirits Selection competition.) lager or chilled pink wine, a deftly mixed I made my test drinks a little weaker mai tai or perilously refreshing margarita. than my usual, mixing one ounce of gin But while I will most happily partake of with three ounces of Canada Dry Tonic any of those, I must admit that the drink Water, adding two uniform ice cubes that most speaks to me of the steamy days to each glass. Then I sniffed and sipped. of July and August is none of the above.

Not surprisingly, the citrus-accented It is, instead, a gin and tonic.

Rangpur shows a strong lime aroma and Maybe it’s the drying tang of juniper the juniper-heavy Hayman’s likewise or the tropical origins of tonic water, offers quite a bit of juniper, while the but there is something about an iced rest demonstrate slightly more nuanced G&T that for me just screams “summer.” aromas. The Ungava really does evoke a Usually I’ll mix mine strong and cold, two woodsy, herbal quality and the Sapphire or three ounces of gin to four or five of East has a light and perfumy aroma, tonic, with lots of ice, and seldom will I citrusy and for me slightly more interesting have more than two at a sitting. But that than that of ordinary Sapphire, while the one or those two will feel like the heat No. 1 offers a marvellously balanced mix and sweat and sun and everything I love of juniper and floral notes, along with about summer in the city. something lightly fruity.

Which is why I was quite interested to On the palate is where a G&T should note the recent arrival of a quintet of new really shine, though, and in that regard gins to the LCBO, and promptly took all I was a bit disappointed by the Rangpur, five out for a G&T spin. which when combined with tonic The gins I tested were: Tanqueray produces a slightly sticky, almost syrupy Rangpur, a version of the London Dry lime flavour. (Disclosure: I view regular classic juiced up with rangpur limes; Tanqueray and tonic water to be almost Ungava, a new Canadian gin that features perfect partners.) At the other end of the northern botanicals; Bombay Sapphire scale, the Hayman’s provides a decided East, with added lemongrass and black juniper jolt, which is fine if you like that peppercorns; Hayman’s, a traditional, sort of thing—and I most assuredly do— juniper-forward London Dry; and The but is certainly not for the gin-phobic or London No. 1, a blue gin distilled at the faint of heart.

Hayman’s for Gonzales Byass. (CoincidenCanada’s Ungava furnishes a nice enough tally, I was recently part of a panel that drink, woodsy and herbal, but doesn’t awarded London No. 1 a gold7:40 medal CityBites_Summer_CityBites 14-06-19 PMinPage 1really make me think of gin, to the point

Organic Leaders for 30 Years!

COOL IT The perfect gin and tonic can be this good.

that I am actually tempted to class the drink as something other than a G&T. Or maybe that’s just the oddly yellow hue of this spirit messing with my head.

Sips of the final two G&Ts reveal that the Sapphire East is by leaps and bounds the most approachable for the gin novice, with a light, fresh and citrusy flavour that confines its mild dose of juniper goodness to the very end. Star of the tasting, however, was the London No. 1 gin and tonic, with both a marvellously balanced personality, full of flavour but without overly aggressive notes, and enough subtlety that even a gin novice could give it a go. CB When not on the road chasing down new beers and spirits, STEPHEN BEAUMONT sips and savours in downtown Toronto. His latest book is The Pocket Beer Guide, which he co-authored with Tim Webb.

Canadian Worker-Owned Co-operative

Natural Food Market • 348 Danforth Avenue 416.466.2129 • thebigcarrot.ca Summer 2014 / CityBites

33

ONE LAST BITE

By Dick Snyder

Think you know wine?

IT’S A BATTLE ROYALE FOR TOP SOMMELIER IN ONTARIO

POUR IT ON Steve Robinson demonstrates the perfect pour for judge Christophe Le Chatton of Langdon Hall.

there’s no better spectator sport that the Best Ontario Sommelier Competition. Every two years, this competition attracts the best— and most ambitious—sommeliers for a grueling round of theory and practical examinations. Think you know a good wine list? How about having three minutes to find a dozen errors on a list projected onto a screen, while 100-plus spectators watch you sweat? Can you elucidate the characteristics of the Mencia grape? Can you suggest a single, perfect pairing of Canadian cheese and wine? (You have 30 seconds.) Can you empty a bottle of sparkling wine evenly into six flutes without stopping and topping up? Of course you can’t, because you aren’t one of Ontario’s top sommeliers. Steve Robinson of Atelier in Ottawa came out on top, and will advance to the national challenge in Toronto next year. Canoe’s Emily Pearce (see interview on p. 12) placed second and Momofuku’s Jake Lewis took third spot. They ain’t dorks no more—they’re podium finishers.

34

CityBites / Summer 2014

FIND OUT MORE

The competition is organized every two years by the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers. Visit capsontario.ca for more info.

PHOTO: HENNY HWANG

For “cork dorks,”

Savour Stratford Perth County Culinary Festival presented by

July 19th - 20th

Coast to Coast to Coast with over 100 chefs, producers and wineries in over 40 tastings and talks

savourstratford.com