Open that bottle

...with Connie Giannoulis-Stuart and Gerry Stuart BY LINDA GARSON | PHOTO BY DONG KIM

“T here were three of us born here, and my father always said, “I don’t want you in the restaurant. Go get an education and find your own way.” So really none of us kids got involved too much in the business,” says Connie. Her father, Gus Giannoulis, was a steak chef and, with three partners, founded Caesar’s Steak House in 1972. “I did business and economics, and then I got into oil and gas after university, and was in it for a long time,” she says. “My last job was with Alliance Pipeline; this little company was only 20 of us, and we brought it to a $1 billion revenue company. It was exciting and so much fun.”

Gerry grew up with a mom who was a great baker, and was always interested in food. “My nickname was the garburater,” he laughs, “but it was when Connie and I got together that the shared interest in food, and then wine, really came about. I was in fashion retail, I worked for Henry Singer for 15 years,” he adds.

By 2004, Caesar’s was just Gus, one partner, and his son. The Stuarts had started their wine journey, and while Gerry had never worked in restaurants, with an interest in wine and customer service, it was a good fit for him. But it was 2015 before Connie finally jumped in the business too. “As a family, we had a strong vision for the business,” she says, “We decided to buy our partners out, so we could continue to grow.”

The Willow Park location opened in 1985. “It was not intended to be another Caesar’s, and prior to our 2012 renovation, I think you really had to like us a lot to come— it was a location that didn’t age as well as downtown did.”

The central tenet has always been Alberta beef, and then only the best 10 percent of triple and prime, with a minimum aging of 35 days. “I was bugging my dad as everybody talks about open kitchens, but we’ve always had an open kitchen - people can see 90 percent of the food grilled in the middle of the dining rooms,” laughs Connie. “They’re not using thermometers, they’re not putting steaks in the oven, it’s the man and the steak, and the grill and the fire. And we’re constantly improving. We recently made a significant change in the menus to move away from a fixed menu. It gives customers a lot more options.”

So what bottle are the Stuarts saving?

In 2006, on a trip to Italy, they visited Roberto Voerzio. “It was our first trip and we’d learned about it in our classes,” says Connie. “But to be in Piemonte in October, in La Morra overlooking that concave amphitheater of vineyards, which includes his vineyard, and see just how beautiful it is, and the autumn colours and the fog rolling through, was really magical.” “We had the wonderful privilege to do a tour and tasting with Roberto. And we actually tasted this in the barrel just before bottling,” Gerry adds. Voerzio spent time with the Stuarts in the vineyard, talking about the care he takes with his vines: one bunch per branch, three branches per plant.

“This 2004 Cerequio Barolo was just finishing its two years in oak, and when it was released here we made sure we bought it. We’ve tasted a couple of them just to see the progression, but we’re holding back for a while to see how far we can take it. We do a lot of family gatherings at home. Usually there’s 12 to 14 around the table and it could be one of those little surprises. We just go with how we feel on the on the day.”

There’s a R osé for everyone!

From refreshing and light, to elegant and fruity. Here are 9 rosé’s that you are sure to love!

Chateau Ste. Roseline Prestige Rosé AOP CÔTES DE PROVENCE, FRANCE Cinsaut, Grenache & Syrah

Frescobaldi Alie TOSCANA IGT, ITALY Syrah & Vermentino

Chateau Ste. Michelle COLUMBIA VALLEY, WA, USA Syrah & Merlot

Folonari Pink VENEZIA IGT, ITALY Pinot Grigio

Vina Esmeralda Rosé CATALUNYA, SPAIN Garnacha

Three Thieves Rosé LODI, CA, USA Syrah & Merlot

Santa Margherita StilRose CHIARETTO DOC, ITALY Groppello

Charles & Charles Rosé COLUMBIA VALLEY, WA, USA Syrah

Casal Garcia Rosé VINHO VERDE, PORTUGAL Vinhão, Red Azal and Borraçal

Introducing SANTA MARGHERITA CABERNET SAUVIGNON from the producers of the #1 Selling Pinot Grigio in Canada Santa Margherita S.p.A. Via Ita Marzotto, 8 30025 Fossalta di Portogruaro (VE) Tel. +39 0421 246 111 Fax +39 0421 246 417 www.santamargherita.com santamargherita@santamargherita.com Pinot Grigio 150 - 300 m (492 - 655 ft.) above sea level Of fluviatile origin; medium texture with stones Santa Margherita was the first company to vinify pink Pinot Grigio grapes as a white wine. In this process, the must does not remain in contact with the skins, from which it would otherwise take on the rusty color. Following a soft pressing, the must ferments for 10-15 days at 18 °C (64°). Once the fermentation is over, the wine is stored at a controlled temperature of 15 - 16 °C (59 - 61 °F) in stainless steel tanks until it is time to bottle. Santa Margherita S.p.A. Via Ita Marzotto, 8 30025 Fossalta di Portogruaro (VE) Tel. +39 0421 246 111 Fax +39 0421 246 417 www.santamargherita.com info@santamargherita.com Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut

Glera PRODUCTION

Valdobbiadene ALTITUDE: 300 – 500 m (985 – 1,640 ft.) above sea level TYPE OF SOIL: Morainic origin, with little depth Sylvoz 1,800 - 3,500 vines per hectare (730 – 1,415 per acre) HARVEST PERIOD: Second half of September ALCOHOL LEVEL: 11,50 % vol. TEMPERATURE: 8 - 10 °C (46 - 50 °F) RECOMMENDED Medium-sized, tulip-shaped glass, narrowing at the rim AGING POTENTIAL: 2 - 3 years TECHNICAL INFORMATION The base wine is put into pressurized tanks for the prise de mousse. There it ferments for 18-20 days, with the aid of selected yeasts, at a controlled temperature of 14-16 °C (57-61 °F). When the desired pressure has been obtained (around 6 bars), the wine is chilled to - 4° C in order to arrest the fermentation and encourage stabilization. The sparkling wine is then kept at a controlled temperature of 8-10 °C (46-50 °F) for at least a month, in order to favor its natural maturation in contact with the yeasts that have deposited on the bottom of the pressurized tank. At the end of this phase, filtration and isobaric bottling is carried out. Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut Santa Margherita S.p.A. Via Ita Marzotto, 8 30025 Fossalta di Portogruaro (VE) Tel. +39 0421 246 111 Fax +39 0421 246 417 www.santamargherita.com info@santamargherita.com Cabernet Sauvignon Tending to clay, fluvial and lagoon origin Broad-bowled, narrowing towards the rim The harvested grapes are crushed and destemmed before red-wine vinification with 12-14 days’ skin contact at a temperature of 24-26 °C. Malolactic fermentation is followed by maturation partly in steel and partly in French

Santa Margherita Wines Santamargheritawines