The Cellar Door Issue 40: Big Reds

the

Cellar Door Shop Local, Globally with Jones & Company Wine Merchants

BIG REDS

Issue 40 October 2021 – January 2022

Let our family move yours.

Becky Parkes Becky’s professional path has always been about customer service. Before she got her real estate licence in 1996, Becky spent 20 years in the hospitality industry, running a food shop, catering business, and restaurant. When she joined The Parkes Team, Becky dabbled in administration before concentrating on what she does best: working with people.

“I love what I do! Whether I am helping you buy your first home or that forever home, it’s what makes me happy. People say I work too much, but it’s not really work when you love what you do!”

For over 20 years Becky has focused on helping buyers in all aspects of real estate and complimenting the team with an enthusiastic approach to working with our clients. Client service is first and foremost, and no one does it better than Becky.

Becky’s SRES (Senior Real Estate Specialist) certification helps her support people in all types of transition housing.

Royal LePage Dynamic Real Estate 204-989-5000 | Toll free: 1-877-800-5066 theparkesteam.ca | 3 - 1450 Corydon Ave

You carefully select that bottle of wine.

It’s time to do the same for your wealth advisor.

Contact our team for a second opinion on your family’s wealth plan.

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Benji Miles

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Associate Investment Advisor

Director, Wealth Management Portfolio Manager Investment Advisor

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Richardson Wealth Limited, Member Canadian Investor Protection Fund. Richardson Wealth is a trademark of James Richardson & Sons, Limited used under license. 09.21

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contents Features

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24 The Architecture of Wine Mike Muirhead sketches the blueprint of a beautiful big red.

42 Chasing the Sun Sylvia Jansen surveys the best wine regions for bold red wines.

50 Rocks, Stars, and a Global Wine Phenom: An interview with Philippe Melka Saralyn Mehta discusses the future of the Napa Valley with one of the top winemakers and consultants in the world.

50

52 The Sharing Table: Made With Love Chef Ben Kramer joins our Jones & Company wine (and food) experts for a family-style feast.

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JonesWines.com 7

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contents Columns 12 A Message from Tina Jones

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14 Ask a Sommelier 16 Jones & Company 21 Behind the Label Coriole Vineyards

30 Gary’s Corner Tasting Red

34 Trending A Vegan in the Wine World

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36 Jones & Company Gift Baskets 38 Shop Local, Globally Champagne’s Artisan Families

48 Profile Chef Brent Genyk, Harth Mozza & Wine Bar

58 Wine & Drinks College Manitoba 60 Culinary Partners 62

The Dish Your Customers Cannot Live Without

62 Sidebar An Apology for Port

8 Order online: JonesWines.com/shop

From South Africa with Love.

LUB AN Z I

Chenin Blanc (can) $6.99

S P IE R

Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc & Rosé $5.99 each

Profoundly changing the Manitoba landscape from a pin-hole view of South African wine to a dazzling panorama.

B O N C O U R AGE

B O N C O U R AGE

LU B AN Z I

Cabernet Sauvignon/ Shiraz Estate Blend $24.99

Andres Fame Colombard $19.99

Chenin Blanc (bottle) $22.99

Featured wines available at Jones & Company Wine Merchants.

Add to the health benefits and flavour with Frescolio olive oils.

Cellar Door

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Take soups, stews, and sauces to the next level with locally made Bones & Marrow Bone Broth.

Publisher and Editor Lisa Muirhead lisa@poisepublications.com Editorial Board Tina Jones, Sylvia Jansen, Gary Hewitt, Jill Kwiatkoski, Mike Muirhead, Manon Paquin Graphic Design Ryan Germain ryan.germain@gmail.com Contributors Rylee Andersen, Todd Antonation, Andrée-Anne Boisvert, Pascale Bouchard, Lisa Clark, Josie Duthoit, Thomas Fricke, Gary Hewitt, Sylvia Jansen, James Johnston, Tina Jones, Megan Kozminski/Media Spur Inc., Ben Kramer, Jill Kwiatkoski, Alyona Lyubytska, Alana MacKenzie, Ian McCausland, Saralyn Mehta, Mike Muirhead, Manon Paquin, Tom Penner/Firefly Communications Experts, RickiLee Podolecki, Anton Sikorski, Emanuel Soares, Rob Stansel, Jenny VanDenDriessche, Dylan Watkins, Leah Watkins Published for Jones & Company Wine Merchants

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We get it.

Many things in life are better when paired with a glass of wine.

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Photo by Thomas Fricke

a message from tina jones In The Cellar Door, we have brought you up close and personal to the unfolding places and varieties of the international wine scene. In this issue, we shine a light on one of our favourite wine styles: big, bold reds.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a self-professed Cabernet Sauvignon lover, and especially a lover of Napa reds. The style of wine that gives velvety tannins, warm and juicy weight, with powerful structure and yet tons of complexity—well, there is something perfectly beautiful about it. At the same time, I have occasionally felt that some wines that lean into that style go a bit far. Why is it that some wines from these places I love can lose their elegant complexity? Why do some full-bodied wines taste so amazingly complex, and some are just … big?

Our wine experts used these questions as the starting point of this issue.

Saralyn Mehta catches up with the incredibly talented Philippe Melka, the Napa winemaker behind many of the most beautiful wines I have ever tasted. Mike Muirhead deconstructs structure in his feature on the architecture of big red wines. Sylvia Jansen dips into a few famous regions to show how and why these are sweet spots on the planet for amazing reds.

In this issue, Ricki-Lee Podolecki also explores vegan food and red wine pairings; we celebrate the power of a shared meal (with guest Chef Ben Kramer); and Sylvia makes a pitch to fall in love with Port this winter. We also celebrate some new wines from winemaking families in another of my favourite wine styles: Champagne!

As always, it is our goal to unravel what is happening in the wine world and to invite you into the conversation with us. We hope you will read this issue cover to cover and connect with us on BIG REDS. When you’re in the store next, please engage with our staff, or feel free to text our Sommelier Line at 204.400.0499 if you have a question. We love hearing from you!

Cheers!

Tina Jones

12 Order online: JonesWines.com/shop

A DISTINGUISHED PAI ING Fillmore Riley congratulates Bernice Bowley and Stuart Blake for becoming Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America.

Lawyers must have a minimum of 15 years’ trial experience, and membership in the College cannot exceed one per cent of the total lawyer population of a province. Fellows’ professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality.

Fellows’ Recommended Pairings Bernice’s Mt. Jefferson Cuvée Pinot Noir 2018 & Eggplant Parmesan Stuart’s Farmhouse 2018 Red (California) & Bone-in Ribeye

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ask a sommelier What is a really underrated wine region that I should try?

—Caroline Piorkowski The medium-to-full-bodied white wines of Rias Baixas, Spain, are still way too under the radar!

Rias Baixas is all about coastal terroir.

Its vineyards hug the Atlantic in northwestern Spain, in the autonomous area of Galicia, where the Albariño grape reigns, and octopus dusted with paprika, sea salt, and olive oil (pulpo a la gallega) often finds its way to the dinner table. Food fresh from the ocean, wines fresh enough to match: there’s nothing quite like a good Albariño with your favourite shellfish or cephalopod.

It makes a supremely bright, round, peachy, floral wine. It’s not unlike Viognier, but it’s more vibrant. It’s a little like Sauvignon Blanc, but less grassy. If you’re a bit tired of New Zealand’s Marlborough, Spain’s Rias Baixas should be on your shopping list.

It’s a white with serious character but no harsh edges. It’s a zesty pal.

Our Zarate Albariño ($26.99) is a musttry, all chalky mineral and nectarine, brimming with energy, rife with flowers and lemons. Get it into your glass, friends!

—Rob Stansel Rob Stansel left Jones & Company in September. We thank him for his great work as a Sommelier and writer and wish him good luck in the future.

What does a Sommelier do exactly?

—J. Marshall A Sommelier (pronounced “soh-melyay” or “soh-mel-yair”) is a highly trained certified expert in wine, beer, spirits, coffee, tea, and even water! A certified

14 Order online: JonesWines.com/shop

Sommelier holds an internationally recognized diploma and is trained in all aspects of these beverages, literally from farm to table.

When it comes to wine, we study wineproducing countries, the history of vines, wine trade, regulations and rules; we study the land, from geology to geography to agriculture to winemaking chemistry and production; we study thousands of grape varieties and wines, wine tasting and blind tasting, food and wine harmonies, hospitality management and service—and we bring all of this information about amazing wines created around the world to our customers.

There are many different roles a Sommelier may play, such as being the head wine steward in a worldclass Michelin-starred restaurant. That Sommelier is responsible for the creation and execution of a multi-million dollar, rare, and well-cultured wine list, as well as all inventory and proper cellaring.

A Sommelier could be a buyer for a large national retail wine store chain or supermarket or for a small boutique wine shop, sourcing amazing wines around the globe in all price ranges and all styles for their customers. Sommeliers are also hired by wineries to lead their marketing, education, and tasting rooms and to sell their wines around the world.

A Sommelier can also find their career in the world of education, teaching wine enthusiasts who also want to become a certified wine expert or even just expand their knowledge about the world of wine, beer, spirits, etc.

A lot of hard work, studying, travelling, writing exams and papers, putting your senses through rigorous tests—and yes, of course, tasting wine—are all part of the expertise. Jones & Company currently has seven certified Sommeliers on staff, and our other wine experts are

building up their knowledge through the Wine and Drinks College Manitoba.

—Jill Kwiatkoski I have a growing collection of wines in my cellar. How do I know when to drink them?

—Dean Campbell The “best” time to drink a specific wine depends upon its ageing potential (if in doubt, ask a wine specialist), cellaring conditions (cool, steady temperature, dark and vibration-free is best), and your preference for the flavours of young or mature wines. Young reds generally have fresher fruit, stronger tannins and, if oaked, distinct notes of cinnamon or clove. Successfully aged wines have lovely dried fruit/flower and leather complexity and, if oaked, vanilla accents. A great way to discover if you like the flavours of fully mature red wines is to try the Château Bel Air Lagrave 1995 Moulis-en-Médoc ($41.99), a reliable and affordable rarity in a sea of younger wines.

A real pity is ageing a wine too long so that it “dries out” by losing its fruit while keeping its acidity and tannins.

So, don’t be afraid to pop corks and twist caps. It’s better to drink a wine too young than too old.

—Gary Hewitt

QUESTIONS FOR OUR SOMMELIERS? TEXT (9 AM-9 PM): 204.400.0499 @JONESWINEMERCHANTS @JONESWINEMERCH1

Exquisite Primitivo, available exclusively at

jones & company

Mike Muirhead Poggio Nicchiaia 2018 Filetto Chianti Superiore Tuscany, Italy ($22.99)

James Johnston Donatella Cinelli Colombini 2018 Rosso di Montalcino Tuscany, Italy ($35.99)

Todd Antonation Alpha Estate 2020 Malagouzia Turtles Vineyard Macedonia, Greece ($25.99)

Sylvia Jansen Domaine Rollin Père et Fils 2017 Pernand-Vergelesses Rouge Burgundy, France ($51.99)

Jill Kwiatkoski Pinuaga 2018 La Senda Premium Cuvée Castile-La Mancha, Spain ($22.99)

Saralyn Mehta Montonale 2019 Montunal Turbiana Lombardy, Italy ($26.99)

Lisa Clark Plungerhead Wines 2017 Zinfandel Lodi, California ($23.99)

Ricki-Lee Podolecki Pascal Berthier 2018 Roxanne Mâcon-Chaintré Burgundy, France ($24.99)

Dylan Watkins Benjamin Bridge 2020 Pet Nat Nova Scotia, Canada ($32.99)

16 Order online: JonesWines.com/shop

what we’re drinking

Josie Duthoit Marteaux Guillaume MG nv Esprit Terroirs Brut Nature Champagne, France ($94.99)

Alyona Lyubytska Aragonesas 2019 Coto de Hayas Centenaria Garnacha Campo de Borja, Spain ($27.99)

Gary Hewitt Stagard 2019 Urban.GV Grüner Veltliner Niederösterreich, Austria ($22.99)

Rylee Andersen Andeluna Cellars 2020 Finca Martha Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza, Argentina ($16.99)

Anton Sikorski Amalaya 2018 Gran Corte Malbec Cabernet Franc Salta, Argentina ($34.99)

Pascale Bouchard Winemaker’s CUT 2019 Grüner Veltliner Okanagan Valley, British Columbia ($31.99)

Emanuel Soares Tenuta Pianirossi 2016 Sidus Rosso Tuscany, Italy ($24.99)

Jenny VanDenDriessche Vinimark 2020 Barista Pinotage Robertson, South Africa ($17.99)

Leah Watkins Tenuta Sette Celli Noi 4 Rosso Tuscany, Italy ($48.99)

JonesWines.com 17

Bella Moda Home Bella Moda knows how to make a lingering impression.

When you walk into the Bella Moda showroom, you enter a series of vignettes that embody the true possibilities of good design. Couches rest on textured rugs with artwork— sometimes bold and sometimes whimsical—framing the scene. Dining room tables are dappled in sunlight that catches glass and metal accents. A few steps in, you can’t help but picture living your best life in each of these rooms.

Since the home décor shop launched in 2009, its reputation as a design destination has grown steadily. Indeed, the two Winnipeg families who own Bella Moda—Ken and Carolin Burke and Maribeth and Non Marana—have a deep background in furniture and design spanning 34 years. In that time, their focus has never wavered from impeccable customer service—though their offerings have grown along with the needs of their clientele. In addition to relationships with some of the best designers in the city, Bella Moda offers their clients complete design services: from interior design consultations to home visits to follow up after delivery.

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Bella Moda’s first offering is a glimpse at the possibilities— and the follow-through is step-by-step service that guides you from concept to final design. In between those two moments is not simply a sale: it is a collaboration in colour matching, fabric research, and helping the client find the right design for the space.

“What people sometimes struggle to envision is scale. Is this too big, is this too small, how should that fit?” explains Carolin. “Often, we will go for a home visit so we can help them choose a piece that is the right size for the space.

Some customers prefer to work on their spaces in steps, so we can break down each next stage for them.”

When they started, the Bella Moda team focused on seating, but they have grown with their clientele’s needs, pouring their design knowledge into bedrooms, dining rooms, and accents. And now, this spirit of growth has led them to their newest expansion: Bella Moda Blinds.

Brand Partners

Trends

For quality manufacturing and design, Bella Moda buys furniture almost exclusively made in Italy and North America. In addition to having the only Natuzzi Italia and American Leather galleries in Winnipeg, they carry Italian brands Bracci and Calligaris and Canadian brands Palliser, Gus Modern, Trica, Huppe, and Stylus.

• TEXTURE: Shifting from a focus on leather, fabric upholstery is coming back.

• LINES: Furniture has moved from being very linear to softer curves.

• COLOUR: Light and fresh with lots of pastels— every single supplier is offering blush right now.

• MATERIALS: Mixing metals in the kitchen is popular—and gold is back! Walnut and light washed oaks are on trend.

Photos by Ian McCausland

Bella Moda Blinds The decision to carry blinds was driven by requests from customers and adds another dimension to the interior design services Bella Moda offers their clients. Once the decision was made to expand into blinds, the next step, according to Ken, was a no-brainer. “Hunter Douglas is the biggest name in blinds. And if we are going to do it, we are going to do it with the best.”

Hunter Douglas is not only top of its field in innovation, child safety, light control, and energy efficiency, the range of styles, fabrics, and colours is unparalleled. The Bella Moda team has been taking in an incredible amount of information to guide clients through the process of choosing blinds.

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In a striking nook in the showroom dedicated to Hunter Douglas blinds, Bella Moda has everything it needs to simplify what might initially seem like a daunting array of choices. “The first step is to come in and narrow down what style, colour, and fabric you like,” explains Non. “Next, we go into the home with samples to get an idea of the space, the lighting, and the dimensions to decide what will work best. From there, we can finalize details such as exact measurements and the installation process.”

Blinds are just one more customer-driven step in the evolution of Bella Moda. “As you develop long-term relationships with customers, they want to come back, so we want to keep offering them more,” says Maribeth.

“They already trust the quality, and we know their style. If we are already helping them create a room, we want to go a step further to extend that design vision.”

| 204.783.4000 | www.bellamodahome.com

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BEHIND THE LABEL

Coriole Vineyards

By Jill Kwiatkoski, Sommelier (CAPS) Picture it: South Australia 1919. The First World War has just ended, the land is raw and untouched, and on what was known as the old Chaffey Road Estate, new Shiraz vines are planted. Decades go by, land ownership changes, and then along comes 1967, where a young and eager Hugh and Molly Lloyd (and a small group of their friends) decide to purchase 12 acres of those old vineyards and name it Coriole. A couple of years later, the Lloyds become the sole owners of Coriole Vineyards, and in 1970, they release their first wine, a Shiraz, of course.

Along with that famous Aussie Shiraz, the Lloyds have continued to produce other traditional Australian grape varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache, on their McLaren Vale vineyards. In 1979, Hugh and Molly’s son, Mark (second generation) took over the family business and carried on his parents’ winemaking traditions. Then, in 1985, Mark decided he wanted to bring the worlds of food and wine together. He headed to the food mecca—Tuscany, Italy— and fell in love with the famous food-friendly grape variety, Sangiovese. Mark brought Sangiovese back to McLaren Vale and was one of the first to plant it in Australia. Finding huge success, Mark decided to continue planting Italian grape varieties.

Now Mark’s sons, Duncan Lloyd (head winemaker) and Peter Lloyd (general manager)—the third generation—are taking over the family business, with their dad by their side. Coriole Vineyard traditions continue to run deep in their veins, but each generation brings new and exciting winemaking styles, varieties of wines, and creative ideas to the market. Duncan and Peter are carrying on their family tradition through their love of Australian and Italian grape varieties, as well as through their creativity and focus on diversity in their vineyards.

“Many of the grape varieties that originated in Italy are well-suited to our Mediterranean climate here in McLaren Vale,” explains Peter. “In Australia, we are not bound by appellation restrictions or guided by historical ideas of style, which means we can let the soils, fruit, and climate guide us. We can experiment with grape varieties and alter our fermentation management techniques to achieve the right balance of structure and fruit, producing wines that are fullflavoured with bright, fresh fruit.”

Coriole 2020 Chenin Blanc ($21.99); 2016 The Optimist Chenin Blanc ($29.99); 2018 Songbird Cabernet Sauvignon ($23.99); 2018 Sangiovese ($27.99); 2019 Dancing Fig Shiraz Mourvèdre ($26.99); 2018 The Soloist Shiraz ($39.99); 2016 Lloyd Reserve Shiraz ($79.99).

The Lloyd family owns and manages 25 vineyards (totalling 54 hectares) with vines ranging in age from 3 to 100 years old. The vineyards comprise 65% Shiraz, 10% Sangiovese, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Chenin Blanc, and 5% Nero d’Avola. The final 10% is made up of grape varieties such as Mourvèdre, Grenache, Barbera, Fiano, Piquepoul, Negroamaro, and Montepulciano—all farmed organically and sustainably.

Remember those Shiraz vines planted in 1919? Well, they not only produced that first vintage of Hugh and Molly’s Claret; today, they produce the Shiraz grapes that are used to make their iconic Lloyd Reserve Shiraz.

“We have a more focussed approach and, whilst our experimentation is constant, we have managed to home in on our key strengths and push them forward. We also continue to build a dynamic and focussed team. Coriole may be a family-owned business, but it’s the team of great staff that makes the business what it is.”

Coriole Vineyards represents the best in family-run wineries.

For decades, they have thrived on family—and with the third generation of Lloyds at the helm, Coriole Vineyards is producing absolutely stunning, unique, and award-winning wines with the pride of family in every bottle. When you buy Coriole wines, you are not only buying beautifully crafted wines—you are bringing the traditions of generations of the Lloyd family into your home.

JonesWines.com 21

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THE ARCHITECTURE OF WINE

By Mike Muirhead, Sommelier (ISG, CMS) Fine wine is like great architecture. Whether the finished product is to be sleek and smooth or big, bold, and textured, the elements of good design need to include thoughtful composition and balance in order to achieve greatness. In an issue about the biggest and boldest of reds, we need to ask the question: What is it that makes a wine BIG? By understanding the structure of a big, bold wine through fruit, tannin, alcohol, and acid, we can see how a truly memorable, balanced wine is created.

Composition The climate, the vineyard, the region’s wine history, and the winemaker all add attributes to a wine’s composition. The grapes contribute fruit and tannin to a red wine’s weight and body, and the winemaker’s approach to alcohol and acidity in the production process rounds out the makings of a big, bold red.

Fruit: Different grape varieties have different characteristics, including flavour, aroma, and

intensity. If you compare Cabernet Sauvignon, with its thick skin and deep colour, to Pinot Noir, with its thin skin and pale colour, you get an early hint as to why they might taste different in the glass.

Bold aromatics (blackberry, jam, chocolate) that are produced by grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec give the impression that the wine is going to be “big” before it even hits the palate. Ripeness of the fruit also matters: grapes need a growing season best suited to the variety in order to ripen well, and the chosen harvest date affects the ultimate intensity of the fruit flavours.

Tannin: Tannin creates the mouth-drying feeling you experience when you drink quality red wines and contributes to the textural feel and fullness of the wine. There are two main sources of tannin in the winemaking process: skin tannin and wood tannin. Skin tannin comes from the skin of the grape—the thicker the skin, the more tannic a wine can be. In addition, the riper the fruit, the rounder and lusher skin tannin will be in the final glass.

The choices that winemakers make about the vessel used for wine fermentation influences the role wood tannin will play in the final wine. Small wood barrels (barriques—the ones you see in so many winery cellar pictures) have a high wood-to-juice ratio, and newer barrels impart more tannin to the wine, giving added weight. But, in our first hint that these elements depend on each other, only quality fruit can stand up to the added flavours and textures of this type of barrel ageing. For less notable wood tannin in the ageing process, large old casks (foudres) hardly transfer any tannin, and stainless steel transfers none.

Alcohol: While most people do not associate alcohol with the weight or body of a wine, in fact, it plays a very important role. Wines range from very low levels (7% or even lower for Moscato and late-harvest Riesling) to more than twice that concentration (14.5% to 16% for naturally fermented, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or other varieties). Years ago, people would swirl their wine around a glass to check the “legs”: the higher the alcohol content, the more viscous the wine, and it would cling to the glass, showing “good legs.” The higher the alcohol content, the bigger the wine feels on the palate (though truthfully, it has no meaningful effect on the quality of a wine).

Acid: Acidity is the backbone of wine structure and quality (especially if you are cellaring). It is what

gives you that mouthwatering feeling after taking a sip. Higher acidity lightens the perception of the wine as a whole, and lower acidity brings the fruit and tannin to the forefront, giving the taster a sense of a fuller body—a “bigger” wine. A wine can still be high acid and full-bodied, though: that just means the other components of fruit, tannin, and alcohol are significant enough to balance it out—a perfect segue-way into the final, crucial element of a good, big red.

JonesWines.com 25

Red Herrings

Balance In wine, as in life, we search for balance. All winemakers strive for wine equilibrium—but what is that? Let’s use a childhood favourite to frame the principles of balance: lemonade. A good lemonade is the perfect balance between tartness (acidity) and sweetness (sugar). Fullbodied red wine relies on a more complex balance of fruit concentration, acidity, alcohol, and tannin. These all need to be in harmony, without any component “sticking out,” to make for a quality full-bodied red wine. Rich fruit with no acidity will result in a wine that tastes flat and uninteresting.

If you match less robust fruit with high alcohol, all you will taste is booze. Winemakers that use top-quality, ripe fruit and master balance truly set themselves apart.

When you admire good design, a building can catch your eye with the use of texture, shape, and materials.

But to truly appreciate good architecture, you need to also understand the workings of a solid foundation and structural integrity. Likewise, when a winemaker is able to balance the natural characteristics of climate, terroir, and fruit with alcohol and acid—and yes, a little bit of luck—they can build a bold red that has the power to linger on your palate for years to come.

Not every big red wine is the simple product of crushed, ripe grapes, fermented, matured, settled, and bottled. Some winemakers use significant winemaking adjustments, especially in high-volume, branded wines, to attain a big, bold red. These techniques fall well within winemaking regulations and can result in a big wine that uses a few shortcuts to bring down the price tag or speed up the process of producing a bigger wine flavour.

SUGAR: Added sugar following fermentation creates artificial body, giving a richer, fuller impression on the palate. A dry wine will have as little as 1 to 2 grams of unfermentable sugars still remaining, but if a producer wants to “up the richness,” it is easy enough to do.

Sugar can legally be added in many winemaking areas. For example, some California red blends are 14% alcohol and still have 15 to 20 grams of residual sugar. This sugar creates body—but it can hide bad winemaking (and can contribute to that headache tomorrow).

The wine might not necessarily taste “sweet” because the other components have also been adjusted for balance.

COLOUR: In the era of bigger, faster, stronger, there are also certain additives that have become commonplace and have been used to make a red wine feel bigger. For example, grape concentrates can be added to deepen the colour of a wine, which can fool the brain into thinking the wine is bolder than it actually is (for more on this, see Gary’s Corner on page 30).

TANNIN: Finally, tannin can be added in many forms to achieve the textured mouthfeel of a big red wine without quality, ripe, tannin-rich grapes from the vineyard. Where a wine is a bit thin from a particular blend or from diluted flavours and fruit, tannin powder can be added. To create that “barrel-aged” mouthfeel in a big red wine, oak chips can be added, tea-bag style, without the cost or time of true barrique ageing.

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A Guide to Reds LIGHT BODIED First Creek 2019 Botanica Pinot Noir Hunter Valley, Australia ($21.99)

Pinot Noir Grenache* Valpolicella Blend

Cellers Tarroné 2019 Merian Grenache (Organic) Catalunya, Spain ($21.99)

Sangiovese Barbera Il Palazzo 2019 Sangiovese Tuscany, Italy ($14.99)

Tempranillo* Montepulciano* Cabernet Franc

Liberalia 2018 Monte Hiniesta Toro Tempranillo Toro, Spain ($21.99)

Merlot* Andeluna Cellars 2019 Finca Martha Malbec Mendoza, Argentina ($17.99)

Pinotage Carmenère

Heron Ridge 2015 O-Nine Shiraz

Malbec

Stellenbosch, South Africa ($23.99)

Nebbiolo Shiraz Precision Wine Co. 2018 Prototype Zinfandel California, USA ($21.99)

*Wines from these grapes can range from lighter- to fuller-bodied, depending on the producer. Ask your favourite JoCo Sommelier to find the right one for your palate.

Zinfandel Cabernet Sauvignon

Vinum 2017 PETS Petite Sirah California, USA ($32.99)

Petite Sirah

BIG & BOLD JonesWines.com 27

PRIMOSIC: Tradition and Progress Generations of excellence; a region with ancient roots and forward-thinking; and wines with character and soul that tell the story. Welcome to Primosic.

“Territory, people, wine: our essence can be summarized in these three words.”

— Marko Primosic, Chief Global Strategist, Primosic

The Territory

Special advertising section

Italian, yet with an identity that is Slovenian, German, Slavic, and Venetian, the gentle hills of the Collio Goriziano enjoys warm influences from the Adriatic Sea only 20 km south and cooling breezes from the northerly Bora winds. The Primosic home village of Oslavia and the neighbouring town of Gorizia are the centre of “Mitteleuropa” (Middle Europe), historically a beautiful, lush area of quality wine, olive oil, and fruits.

The Collio hills have nurtured grape varieties originally brought from France (such as Merlot and Chardonnay) as well as indigenous vines (Ribolla Gialla, Friulano and Refosco). “The Ribolla Gialla has always been our local variety and our local wine,” says Marko Primosic. Ribolla Gialla has also anchored the distinctive “Orange Wine” style, wine from a white grape fermented on its skins, offering powerful complexity.

The People “Our family has lived in Oslavia for more than 500 years,” says Marko. “We are Italian citizens, but at home, we also speak Slovenian, and my grandparents spoke German.” During the 19th century, the area was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire and Marko’s grandfather, Carlo Primosic, transported his wines to Vienna 450km by railway, then by cart.

Carlo’s wines, the region, and its people were altered by wars and the re-drawing of national boundaries. The destruction of the first World War saw its hills, vineyards, and towns laid bare, its people facing the challenge of recovery in a new identity as part of Italy.

The Second World War brought new trials, and in 1956, these challenges came to 15-year-old Silvan Primosic, fatherless, who built the new Primosic winery and rebuilt their winemaking heritage. Sylvan embraced Ribolla Gialla with a new approach for fresh, young wine styles. His work led the Collio to awards and international recognition. In fact, Primosic has the distinction of producing the first bottle with the Collio DOC appellation.

Today Silvan’s sons Marko and Boris continue to work the Primosic magic, with Marko taking responsibility for the promotion of the winery abroad and Boris overseeing the cellar. Their approach is to treasure the equilibrium and strength of the vineyard ecosystem, encouraging biodiversity and using organic and sustainable practices. Silvan is still active, welcoming guests to the winery, and (according to his sons) remains the undisputed boss of the winery!

The Wines Think Yellow is the Primosic tagline, referring to the vibrant colour of Ribolla Gialla. “I believe that Ribolla Gialla is the best symbol of our identity; it has always been here, it is an anchor that we cannot renounce, it is a thread that runs through our history and our tradition,” says Marko. “On the fragrant hills around our village of Oslavia, the ponca soils hold back the vigour of this vine and produce fragrant, complex fruit for noble wines.”

The Primosic collection focuses first on quality, working with Ribolla Gialla, Refosco, Friulano, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and Merlot, as well as others. Wines express several winemaking philosophies linked to approaches for fresh, young wines; for Collio DOC wines showing some ageing; and for historic Oslavia Orange wines.

Two approaches with the same variety make these philosophies clear. The Pinot Grigio Friuli DOC (blue label), fermented in stainless steel, is crisp, fresh, and lively, a companion for salads, appetizers, or snacks. The Pinot Grigio Collio DOC, with fruit drawn from the Collio Goriziano hills and aged in old oak,

shows more structure, minerality, and elegance, a beautiful pairing with pork, pasta, or a cheese and onion tart.

The flagship wine is “Klin,” named for the wedge-shaped vineyard that produces a field blend of Friulano, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Ribolla Gialla. The wine is produced with low interventions, natural ferments, and is aged 2 years in barrel for a wine of intensity, complexity, and vibrancy layered by exotic spices and Mediterranean herbal notes. Klin will transform a dinner of fish, prawns, or grilled chicken into a very special occasion.

The Primosic Orange wines are iconic skin-fermented, complex, textured wines of elegance, style, and vibrancy. With fruit drawn from special Collio crus, winemaking that respects the aromatic intensity and flavours of the grape skins, these are orange wines that set the contemporary standard. The textural complexity and aromatic intensity of the Friulano “Skin” Orange wine makes an amazingly beautiful companion for equally bold dishes.

Wine lovers agree that the best wines are not just technically beautiful; they have an intensity and energy that arrest conversation and continue to enchant long after the last sip.

Primosic offers such an experience.

Photo by Ian McCausland

GARY’S CORNER

Tasting Red

By Gary Hewitt, DipWSET, CWE, FWS, Sommelier It used to be easy: red or white? Then pink became de rigueur, orange made a long-awaited (centuries!) comeback, and some chemists came up with blue (don’t worry too much about blue!). Certainly, colours help us categorize wines, but there is so much more to wine colour than immediately meets the eye.

Where does wine colour come from? The answer seems most obvious for red wines: black-skinned grapes contain pigments called anthocyanins that range in colour from red to blue. The pulp of these same grapes, almost without exception, is colourless. Therefore, red winemaking usually involves crushing the grapes to break the skins and liberate the juice from the pulp to create a juice-and-solids mixture called must. The skins then macerate in the must during fermentation, but possibly also before and after fermentation, to extract the pigment.

The amount of colour extracted depends upon many factors, including grape variety, vintage conditions, and the aggressiveness of maceration. As examples: Cabernet Sauvignon grapes have thick skins packed with pigment capable of giving deep, almost purple wines, whereas Pinot Noir grapes have thinner skins with less pigment that yield less intensely coloured wines of a ruby hue; warmer vintages lead to greater ripeness at harvest, which results in deeper colours. Winemakers also have many techniques to manage maceration and extraction, from manually punching down the grape skin cap into the fermenting wine to adding enzymes to weaken the cells in the grape skins, and even using rotary fermenters that turn like cement mixers to continuously submerge the skins in the must.

Surprisingly, the narrow red-to-blue colour range of extracted anthocyanins cannot account for the huge colour diversity of red wines. In fact, the anthocyanins as they exist in intact grapes last only hours or days after the grapes are crushed. Long-term colour is created during winemaking when anthocyanins bind, in particular, with tannins to form pigmented tannins. These colourful compounds are further subject to ongoing chemical reactions that occur as the wine matures in the bottle. Bottle maturation leads to the loss of purple-red pigments and a gradual fading of

30 Order online: JonesWines.com/shop

intensity as pigment–tannin aggregates become too large to remain in suspension and literally drop out of the wine to form sediment.

The overall result of this complex milieu is that “red” wines span an enormous spectrum of purple-violet-crimson-rubygarnet-mahogany-brown. Saying that wine is “red” is akin to asking for “red” at a paint store—next thing you know, you’re staring at a chart with hundreds of choices.

Understanding the complexity of colour helps technical wine tasters decode the provenance of a wine in blind tastings.

Colour gives clues as to the variety, vintage conditions/ climate, winemaking, and maturity of a wine. For example, a medium-intense garnet (orange-tinged ruby) colour may indicate a mature wine or a younger wine made from a variety such as Nebbiolo, which is highly likely to be from Piedmont in northwest Italy. When considered in the context of aromas, flavours, and wine structure, colour adds to the evidence that allows for remarkable pronouncements not only of what a wine might be but what it must be. (Ah, Dr. Watson, there is method to the madness of blind tasting.)

But wine colour is more than chemistry and technology— psychology too is afoot. For example, if white wine is coloured red with a tasteless food dye, tasters find berry and dark fruit traits typical of red wines instead of the citrus and tree fruit character of the underlying white wine. Experts are often more susceptible to this deception than untrained wine tasters. The result is explained by the manner in which our brain forms our perception of flavour. Prior experience, such as repeatedly tasting cherry or cassis in red wines, creates the expectation of finding these traits in a new red wine, and this expectation overrides the information that our senses are actually supplying.

Wine producers take advantage of this quirk of the mind because many consumers associate colour intensity with wine quality. Highly pigmented preparations, most infamously a grape-based concentrate called Mega Purple, are used by some winemakers to add colour (and possibly sweetness depending upon the amount added) but not tannin. The perception is of a more full-bodied, flavourful wine. Other winemakers, for the sake of authenticity, refuse to use such additives.

It seems that colour is an aspect of our whole-mind construct of wine and not just a minor detail or technical clue to a wine’s identity. So next time you look at a wine, satisfy yourself that it is red, white, or other, and then release your inner wine geek to decipher the clues or your inner muse to create colourful poetry. Let the wine meet your mind’s eye.

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TRENDING

A Vegan in the Wine World

By Ricki-Lee Podolecki, DipWSET

Wine and food are natural pals. So why is it that many diets are often excluded when we consider pairing wine with food? We constantly hear about how a bold, rich red wine will go great with steak or strong cheese—but not everyone eats steak or cheese! Plant-based and vegan diets offer many more opportunities to play with different flavours and textures than people give them credit for.

As someone who loves the challenge of pairing big reds with delicious plant-based meals, I am here to say that it’s about time we talk not only about vegan wines but also the foods that can go with them.

But Isn’t All Wine Vegan?

Plant-based and vegetarian lifestyles have become increasingly mainstream as people learn more about their physical and environmental benefits. The options for plant-based foods have never been better, from fast food to alternative products in grocery stores. Marketing departments have done a fabulous job of ensuring that the community is aware of what products are vegan, labelling with the particularly important green “V”—because let’s be honest: recognizing that symbol is much easier than trying to read the tiny ingredients list! But here’s the catch

34 Order online: JonesWines.com/shop

in the wine world: wines don’t require an ingredients list because they “only use grapes”—or do they?

Though wine is made from grapes, not all wines are vegan, and an increasing number of producers are beginning to heed the demand for transparency. Thus, many winemakers use the green “V” on the back labels of wines that meet vegan requirements. Because some producers have yet to add this information to their labels, our amazing team at Jones & Co. has put together a list of our producers and wines that are vegan—just ask us for the list when you come into the store! And then we went a step further: we have labelled the shelves with small green dots to help you easily find vegan wines.

What’s the catch?

Fining agents such as casein (milk protein), albumin (egg whites), gelatin (animal protein), and isinglass (fish bladder protein) are used at times to fine or stabilize wines. Even though these agents do not stay in the wine, the process makes them technically not vegan.

Time to Pair What happens once you have chosen a bottle? If you are vegan, you know that most vegan food and wine pairing advice involves a lot of salads and white wines. But going meatless shouldn’t limit the amazing experience of pairing the big red wines we are showcasing in this issue! A lot of food and wine pairing is connected to how the dish is prepared or the sauce. You don’t have to eat meat to pair a charred or smoky dish with a Syrah or a sweet barbeque sauce-based dish with a fruit-forward Zinfandel.

To go with our list of vegan wines, we created five hearty plant-based dishes that can stand up to the biggest and boldest of reds! Recipes will be featured on social media @joneswinemerchants starting October 25 and throughout November, World Vegan Month.

Portobella Gravy Dip & Trentham Estate 2019 River Retreat Shiraz, South Australia ($13.99)

“Meatballs” with Tomato Sauce & Lopez de Haro 2017 Crianza Rioja, Spain ($18.99)

Warm Winter Roots and Purées & Reassi 2018 Tre Frazioni Veneto, Italy ($28.99)

Mushroom Wellington & Coriole 2019 Dancing Fig MGS McLaren Vale, Australia ($26.99)

Vegan Bourguignon & McManis 2019 Merlot California, USA ($22.99)

JonesWines.com 35

Cellar Door Turkey To Go Ad.pdf 1 2021/9/8 上午9:53

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Gift Baskets A gift basket for everyone on your list.

Order holiday prepared gifts today or contact us for a custom-made gift!

Full descriptions of the baskets will be available at JonesWines.com after November 12.

Solo Red or White ($20) Holiday Mixed Duo ($50) Ho Ho Yum! ($75)

Festive Favourites ($100) Home for the Holidays ($130) Local Eats & Wine treats ($175)

THREE WAYS TO ORDER: WE DELIVER! 1 to 100 baskets!

Online: JonesWines.com: click on SHOP • Corporate orders delivered to your clients • $12 for business and $17 for residential (plus taxes) Email: baskets@joneswines.com • Regular wine orders over $200 FREE (within city limits) • Selected wines are also available for delivery through Skip the Dishes Phone: 204.948.9463

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HOLIDAY HOURS: December 20 – 23: 10am – 9pm December 24: 10am – 4pm Christmas Day: CLOSED Boxing Day: 12pm – 5pm New Years Eve: 10am – 5pm New Years Day: CLOSED

SHOP LOCAL, GLOBALLY Reims

Champagne’s Artisan Families

By Sylvia Jansen, DipWSET, CSW, Sommelier Arnaud Moreau Épernay

Pinot-Chevauchet

Reims

Reims

Guillaume Marteaux Arnaud Moreau Épernay

Épernay

Pinot-Chevauchet

to Paris Guillaume Marteaux Guillaume Marteaux

to Paris

of these producers more than double the required ageing—5 to 8 years or longer.

Each wine shows its unique personality and enchanting depth of character, worth drinking every day.

to Alsace Arnaud Moreau

Pinot-Chevauchet

to Alsace

to Alsace

Cham pagne

to Paris

Troyes Troyes

Troyes

Reims

Arnaud Moreau Rosé Grand Cru (Bouzy) (nv/$85.99); Blanc de Blancs Cuvée Érynne (2016/$143.99); Tradition Grand Cru (Bouzy) (nv/$73.99)

Épernay Paris

Louise Brison

Louise Brison

Troyes

Louise Brison

Lyon

Welcome to Champagne, the wine region northeast of Paris where you can drink Champagne every day, and no one gives you a second glance.

Champagne is often imitated but at its best, never duplicated.

Champagne’s wine market is dominated by a few big-name houses, yet there are more than 350 small houses and some 16,000 vine growers, many of whom also make their own Champagnes.

These families operate on tight budgets in a highly regulated region. Last winter, our long-time buyer Gary Hewitt took a virtual tour with a number of growers to find a few new Champagnes. He was able to assemble a staff tasting 38 Order online: JonesWines.com/shop

session with more than 20 wines, after which we agreed to bring in nine new Champagnes from four small estates: Arneau Moreau, Guillaume Marteaux, Pinot-Chevauchet, and Louise Brison.

Like others in our Champagne collection, these are families committed to quality.

They all practice sustainable or organic vineyard practices. Their winemaking is artisanal and unhurried: they all far exceed the rules in Champagne for second fermentation and lees ageing (time in bottle for creating bubbles and the depth of character for which these wines are famous). Whereas rules require a minimum of 15 months in bottle before release (3 years for vintage), many

Champagne Arnaud Moreau: This tiny 4-hectare estate in the Grand Cru village of Bouzy (south side of the Montagne de Reims) produces fewer than 20,000 bottles a year. Arnaud Moreau returned to the estate when his father passed away in 2007. While he had started a successful career as a computer expert, including software, sales, and teaching, his return to the family business has meant launching a new chapter. Today, his Champagnes are offered in Michelinstar restaurants, intimate wine bars, and a few discriminating wine retailers that pass muster.

In conversation with Arnaud, we discovered that in addition to being a producer of beautiful Champagnes in high demand and short supply, he also has a serious interest in hockey. The Reims hockey team Phénix proudly hit the ice with Arnaud Moreau jerseys—something we in Canada can appreciate. We are privileged to partner with Arnaud Moreau to bring you three beautiful cuvées.

Guillaume Marteaux Cuvée Essentiel Brut (nv/$63.99); Cuvée Esprit Terroirs Brut Nature (2012/$94.99); Cuvée Excellence Rosé Brut (nv/$74.99)

Pinot-Chevauchet Joyeuse Brut (nv/$69.99)

Louise Brison Cuvée Tendresse Blanc de Blancs Brut (2011/$99.99); Millesime Brut (2014/$81.99)

Champagne Guillaume Marteaux is from the small village of Bonneil along the Vallée de la Marne. The steep vineyards surround these villages in a natural south-facing amphitheatre. The family’s heritage as vine plant experts goes back to Guillaume’s grandfather, who was sought-after to walk through vineyards, scan the vines, and select the best cuttings (a process called massal selection). Guillaume’s parents continue daily vineyard inspections (even though they are retired and do not count themselves among the four estate employees).

Champagne Pinot-Chevauchet is a fourthgeneration grower and Champagne producer with a 4-hectare estate a few kilometres south of Épernay. The estate bears the name of the marriage between the Pinot and Chevauchet families. Didier Chevauchet still heads the small team of six people (sometimes his two children come to help, even though they are still studying). The spirit of the house is based in excellence and respect for the environment. They farm organically and ensure their overall carbon footprint is as low as possible; the estate is certified High Environmental Value (HEV) and Viticulture Durable en Champagne (VDC).

Champagne Louise Brison is a small estate in the most southerly region of Champagne, the Côte des Bar, anchored by the city of Troyes (closer to Chablis than to the rest of Champagne). This region is one of the most exciting parts of Champagne, and this organically farmed estate is one of its leaders.

Louise Brison is headed today by her great-granddaughter Delphine Brulez, whose passion drives her to reach for the best, the most balanced, and the most beautiful expression of Champagne.

Delphine explains that these soils and terroir are more Burgundian. As the selfdescribed “translator of the soil, the vine and the fruit,” Delphine’s approach is to produce single vintage wines only, using Burgundian oak barrel fermentation and maturation for the first fermentation.

The family’s deep respect for plant diversity, the environment, and a gentle approach to winemaking continues today. Their wines are largely based on (Pinot) Meunier, with a special approach to reserve wines, the older vintages that are blended into nonvintage Champagnes. Most producers use some combination of older vintages; at Guillaume Marteaux, they use a tank they call la perpétuelle that is never fully emptied. For the past 20 years, this has been topped up with younger wines, giving their reserve wine a distinctive character and all Guillaume Marteaux Champagnes a special signature.

Using 100% estate fruit, the Chevauchet family brings only the finest fruit possible and uses careful, low-intervention winemaking. Again, the combination of beautiful fruit and long lees ageing is key to quality. Their small annual production of just over 30,000 bottles goes to fine restaurants, wine bars in France, and just a few wine merchants elsewhere. Baudouin Briquet, who helps with sales and export, has expressed the team’s excitement to be partnering with Jones & Company to bring their wine to Manitoba.

With beautiful fruit from older vines (the average age of their vines is 35 to 40 years, something quite unusual in Champagne), Delphine makes wines with vibrancy and balance to accompany food. The Champagnes are aged on lees between 5 and 8 years—resulting in a beautiful knitting together of character.

In fact, we dubbed these “steakhouse Champagnes” because they deserve to be brought into the main course—for steak lovers and vegetarians alike!

JonesWines.com 39

Planning starts with a focus on the bigger picture.

At Lawton Partners, we guide our clients with insight and experience.

We believe it’s important to be leaders in our community as well as in business.

You belong in the company of leaders. lawtonpartners.ca

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CHASING THE SUN

By Sylvia Jansen, DipWSET, CSW, Sommelier

In early September in Priorat, about an hour from breezy Barcelona, we were standing in the baking sun, with heat from the rocky vineyard radiating through our shoes, making it twice as hot. The grapes looked ripe, but in fact the old vine Garnacha and Carignan grapes for Priorat’s powerful red wines would still need a few weeks or a month before being harvest-ready. Luckily the forecast showed more than enough time for warm, dry temperatures to ripen these beautiful vineyards over the coming month.

Climate is just one of the measures of ideal terroir for big red wines. Grapevines grow between 30° and 50° north and south latitude (see map); in general, the closer to 30°, the warmer the climate and the longer the growing season.

Oceans have a moderating influence, cooling hot places and elsewhere warming cool places. Altitude, air movements, winds, and soils all play their part.

The rocky vineyards at Alain Jaume in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France.

Wine-growing regions of the world live between 30° and 50° latitude.

From Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France, try Alain Jaume 2018 Le Miocene Châteauneuf-du-Pape ($83.99)

Heat-loving, late-ripening varieties with thick skins (for tannin, colour, and flavours) and high sugar levels at ripeness (resulting in higher alcohol) are an important component of big red wines. Among these varieties are the famous Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as Aglianico, Carignan, Mourvèdre, and Petit Verdot. Other varieties that can also produce heady, fullbodied wines in the right conditions include Grenache, Malbec, Merlot, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Syrah/Shiraz, Tempranillo, and Zinfandel/Primitivo.

A few regions are famous for this special combination of temperate latitude, long summers, sun, great vineyard plots, and the right varieties. These are not necessarily big swaths of land, but in a few cases, they nudge up close to vineyards that produce very different styles.

France’s southern Rhône Valley is a big place with a spectrum of wine styles. In the pocket of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, more than a dozen varieties are planted, including heat-loving Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is sometimes in this mix, but winemakers are careful to select vineyard sites that are less sweltering. The best vineyards here could pass for sandy gravel beds or rock gardens, helping drainage and heat retention. Châteauneuf-du-Pape reds show characteristic full body balanced by beautiful concentrations of flavours.

Winemaker Dean Hewitson and son Henry tasting red in their family-owned Barossa Valley winery.

JonesWines.com 43

The vineyards of Australia’s warm Barossa Valley, inland from the city of Adelaide, are renowned for concentrated, rich, ripe, and spicy Barossa Shiraz. Here, too, are some of the world’s oldest Garnacha vines, providing beautiful, ripe fruit, and Mourvèdre (known as Mataro here). This trio is also Australia’s tip-of-the-hat to the Châteauneuf-du-Pape blend, referred to as GSM (Grenache–Shiraz–Mataro).

The fruit is intense and concentrated, with wines that offer remarkable complexity.

From the Barossa Valley, Australia: Hewitson 2016 Baby Bush Mourvèdre ($29.99)

For some wine lovers, California’s Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and blends (often with its Bordeaux partners Merlot and Petit Verdot) are quintessential full-bodied red wines. Those big, rich, structured Cabernet Sauvignons we tend to associate with Napa have generally been products of vineyards from the skinny (only 5 by 50 km), sunny, warm valley floor between the towns of Napa and Calistoga. Up from the valley floors are hillside vineyards benefitting from cooling influences that produce full-bodied wines that are decidedly elegant and less blockbuster-style.

From Napa Valley, USA, try Precision Wine Co. 2018 Octopoda Cabernet Sauvignon ($54.99)

The touch of the grape grower and winemaker are important factors for wine quality. Marta Rovira of Mas d’en Gil in Priorat explains that although sun and heat are good, they need to avoid grape sunburn. Even for the latest ripening Carignan, too much sun can cause damage, “so the only way is to have herbal covers on soil and leaves covering the grapes. We need natural umbrellas!” In regions where a mix of varieties is traditional, vine site placement is critical.

Diego Bonato of Reassi in northern Italy says that Cabernet Sauvignon needs to be on sites with plenty of sun and warmer temperatures.

From Priorat, Spain, try Mas d’en Gil 2014 Coma Vella Garnacha ($55.99) From Veneto, Italy, try Reassi 2015 Arche Merlot ($26.99)

These storied wine regions are anything but huge swaths of land: these are relatively small pockets. Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Barossa, and Napa Valley all produce beautiful, big red wines, but just down the road from each of them is a different wine story, created by changes in the land, waters, and air. To find those special pockets of vineyards and fruit, chasing the sun is a good recipe for a big, beautiful red wine.

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Dried Grape Wines: Amarone della Valpolicella Most people who love full-bodied wine find their way to Amarone della Valpolicella, the distinct dried-grape wine from near Verona in Italy. Amarone is rich and powerful, often tipping the scales at 15% or 16% alcohol, with structure, concentration, and balance. It is a special treat from a special process of drying the fruit before making the wine.

While the same region produces light- and medium-bodied Valpolicella from a blend of varieties (both usually led by Corvina), the best Amarone wines are drawn from choice plots and beautiful fruit. The heart of Amarone is in the method as well as in the fruit, however: appassimento, drying grapes after harvesting, increases the flavour, colour, and sugar in the grapes. Special drying sheds or even outdoor breezeways hold stacks of small crates of grapes, kept scrupulously clean (to avoid moulds) during the drying time. Pressing and fermentation begin only after December 1, following the harvest, when the grapes are on their way toward raisins.

(Ripasso uses the leftovers of skins and Amarone wine after racking for a wine bigger than regular Valpolicella.) Drying the grapes also softens tannins and metabolizes acids, resulting in the big, rich, concentrated Amarone style. Shop carefully: the winemaker’s approach and attention to quality matter.

From Valpolicella, Italy, try Tedeschi 2016 Marne 180 Amarone della Valpolicella, Italy ($67.99) and Remo Farina 2018 Ripasso Valpolicella, Italy ($23.99)

Get a head start on your personal finances this year with Rawluk & Robert. Each year, our office helps our clients get the most out of their finances by planning ahead for the upcoming tax season.

This has been an unprecedented year for many people and we are here to help. We are experienced in navigating the ups, downs and unknowns many people have faced this year and are well versed in all of the changes being implemented by the CRA. Let us provide you with peace of mind, by planning for your future today.

Phone 204-237-6053 or e-mail admin@accountants.mb.ca for more information on personal tax services.

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226 ST. MARY’S ROAD, WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, R2H 1J3

Available exclusively at

Civettina (chi-veh-TINA) is made from grapes hand selected

by Tina Jones. Just ask us for the wine Tina made!

PROFILE

Chef Brent Genyk

Harth Mozza & Wine Bar Photos by Ian McCausland

Chef Brent Genyk is a born-and-bred Winnipegger who has come up in some of the city’s favourite restaurants.

With a background in the kitchens of Bellissimo, Glendale Country Club, and The Mitchell Block, it is not surprising that his restaurant, Harth Mozza & Wine Bar, is both firmly entrenched in the neighbourhood in St Vital and a citywide destination for its intimate atmosphere, incredible service, and homemade Italian fare.

The secret ingredient in your fridge: Good Parmesan goes a long way for us. I like a 24-month aged Parmesan Reggiano for its depth of flavour and umami.

Anchovies is another ingredient we use throughout the menu.

They’re in everything.

The most interesting current food trend: The biggest emphasis is on sourcing local ingredients— but that’s something we’ve always done here. I think the customers appreciate it a little bit more because it’s a lot more work. I could easily order from a big box place and get everything dropped off at once, but instead, I’m dealing with my tomato guy and my zucchini guy. It adds layers of difficulty trying to make sure you get what you need.

A lot of these local guys are organic and run very micro, small farms, so if they have an issue, it can really affect supply. For example, a farmer that does basil for us had bad grasshoppers, and they just wiped out their whole crop. It’s definitely more challenging, but the customers are more interested in where their stuff is coming from now.

What you would be if you weren’t a chef: I honestly have no idea. If I had to give you an answer, I would be a barber. It’s 40 minutes to do a cut, and then you’re on to the next person. It’s like having coffee with 10 people a day.

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Favourite wine: Journeys End 2019 Bees Knees Chenin Blanc/Viognier Western Cape, South Africa Favourite kitchen gadget: If you have a proper, sharp chef’s knife at home, your possibilities are pretty endless. That’s what you need to put your money into. At work, we have lots of toys. We have the big hand-crank pasta maker and a huge one that we extrude all the pasta out of with bronze dies. That one is super cool.

Favourite cookbook: Bocca by Jacob Kenedy. It goes back to all the different Italian regions in line with our style of food. It’s very easy to cook from, but it is hard to find, so I don’t lend it out like I do my other books. It’s approachable, but it’s also very simple, so it needs good ingredients—very Italian.

The first meal that made you want to cook for a living: It wasn’t ever one dish. It was more the atmosphere of the busy hustle and bustle of the kitchen. I like being part of a kitchen brigade.

Favourite food travel destination: The last place I was able to travel to was L.A. We went to a lot of restaurants that I follow on Instagram, and I was nerding out pretty hard. That was super cool. But the street food and some of the stuff we just kind of stumbled into was also really good.

Guilty pleasure (food or otherwise)?

I love Drumsticks. Yeah, they’re bad. I have to hide those at home.

Beet Tartare with bagna cauda, crispy potato, bottarga (top left) Radiatori with spicy sausage sugo, chilis, basil, pecorino (bottom) Lamb Shank with Wild Mushroom Ragu, Polenta, Parsley Gremolata (top right)

ROCKS, STARS, AND A GLOBAL WINE PHENOM:

an interview with Philippe Melka Interview by Saralyn Mehta, Sommelier Photo courtesy of Melka Estates

When Philippe Melka left the University of Bordeaux with degrees in geology, agronomy, and enology, he embarked on a career that started at the top and has maintained that altitude for over 25 years. After working with the prestigious Château Haut-Brion in Bordeaux and Moueix’s Dominus Estate in Yountville, California, Philippe travelled and worked in Italy, France and Australia, before returning to California for good. At Melka Estates, Philippe collaborates with his wife and business partner, Cherie Melka, to produce some of the top-rated wines to come out of Napa Valley. Philippe is also an international wine consultant (named by Robert Parker as one of the top nine in the world) whose Atelier Melka oversees about 150 wines globally.

Saralyn Mehta sat down with him to discuss the present-day realities—and future—of winemaking in Napa Valley.

environment at Dominus, which, even if it is in the U.S., has a lot of French flair and philosophy—so I was not totally out of my French culture. But more importantly, I quickly realized the potential of Napa Valley by studying the terroir of this vineyard. I spent about 2 years working for this company in the U.S., and then I worked for them in France. France was so traditional for a young guy like me that I thought California had much more sex appeal for my career than France. My wife wanted to live in France; I wanted to live in the U.S. That’s pretty much the only battle that I won over the years.

On Making Wine in Napa Valley…

PM My first vintage in Napa Valley was in 1991, and in 2001, I started to see the impact of weather in California: the heatwaves starting to be later and more frequent. We started to visually experience shrivelled grapes by then and started to think about how to manage our vineyards a little bit differently. In 2015, we started to experience drought and heat at the same time. And then, in 2017, fires started to really affect us. Until 2017, we had never really had any fire affecting the Napa Valley and the wine business overall. And in 2020, we made the decision not to make any Napa Valley wines. So we don’t have a lot of wine in the cellar right now!

Saralyn Mehta (SM) You have lived and worked all over the world. What made you want to put your roots down in Napa?

Philippe Melka (PM) That is pretty easy to answer, actually.

Just after my college years, I was approached by a French company, Moueix, who asked me to come to the U.S. and be an intern during the harvest at Dominus Estate. Right away, I fell in love with the place. I was lucky to be in a great 50 Order online: JonesWines.com/shop

SM I know that the fires of 2020 affected your winery.

How has climate change affected growing and winemaking practices in California?

together, we need just a little breather I think, for both of us. And the way we are working helps us to have great harmony. We both have a science background, so even if naturally my wife knows the production side, she also works the administrative and sales side. In consulting, I work with a group of winemakers, but with our own winery, it’s my wife and I who talk about the styles of wine we want to create, and we also do the blending together. So, it’s really the two of us creating.

On Keeping Score and the Future of Wine…

SM Every other article written about you refers to you as either a rockstar or “the 100-point winemaker.” How important are the points when it comes to wine?

Available at Jones & Company: 2016 Proprietary Red Blend 2016 Le Mekerra Vineyard (Knights Valley); 2017 Majestique Syrah Paderewski Vineyard (Paso Robles); CJ 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley); Métisse 2017 Jumping Goat Vineyard (Napa Valley); Métisse 2017 Martinez Vineyard (Napa Valley)

SM What does 2021 look like?

PM This year is just a small harvest because the drought started to really affect the vines. It’s a bad circle of life right now, where all those drought years compound. The clusters are much smaller this year; the berries are much smaller. So there’s not a lot of juice. It’s going to be a small harvest.

On Finding Balance…

SM Is balance in the wine found in the vineyard or the winemaking?

PM A little bit of both. Let’s say about 70%–80% of the quality is made in a vineyard. On the winemaking side, it’s more about balancing the wine. There are so many factors, but the important one is our harvest timing: not too early, but not too late. And then it’s about understanding your tannin potential every year—you want to extract but not over-extract. That’s how you really balance it out. And finally, you want to use new oak at a certain percentage as well, based on the vintage. So between harvest timing, maturation timing, and the percentage of new oak, that’s how you balance it out.

SM You and your wife Cherie are partners in the winery. Many people would find living and working together challenging: how do you find balance there?

PM Well, I’m going to be frank, it’s a hate and love sort of thing.

My balance is I have the consulting side. When we are 100%

PM I can tell you, I’m not really a rockstar. I wish I were a rockstar! But it’s definitely not me. I think the star system is a little bit “the game” in Napa Valley. You just need to embrace it because people love it. You can’t deny it. And that part of things can excite the customers—if they buy more wine because of a star system, why not? For winemakers, it’s a hate and love situation. But especially during the Robert Parker era [Ed. note: Robert Parker was the founder of The Wine Advocate and an originator of the 100-point wine system], it was very beneficial to promote the wine, excite the customers, and get educated about wine. So that was very positive.

Now the scoring system is evolving, it’s in a transition phase.

It was a one-man show before, and now it is a lot of different people. It maybe doesn’t have the same weight because consumers are also more educated. It’s a logical and normal evolution. Between climate change and the customers getting brighter and younger, there’s a lot of things happening right now in the wine business.

SM What do you see for Napa Valley in the future?

PM A lot of techniques that were used 50 years ago disappear and come back. But the evolution is really in the vineyards.

Usually, Napa people are thinking Cabernet and Chardonnay in general. But we are rethinking if Cabernet Sauvignon still has to be the king of Napa Valley. Over the last even 5 years, of the Bordeaux grapes, Cabernet Franc is a much stronger player than it used to be. Somehow it is a little bit more resistant to heat and drought—the grapes keep their integrity much better than Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s becoming much more important, and we will be blending more and more Cabernet Franc into Cabernet Sauvignon.

Vines are amazing creatures—they are very resilient—but now, we are really looking for grapes that will be more droughtresistant. We are still in the early stage, but who knows?

Maybe, we’ll all make wines from different types of grapes in 50 years—or maybe even 20 years from now.

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The Sharing Table: Made with Love With Chef Ben Kramer, Josie Duthoit, Jill Kwiatkoski, and Mike Muirhead Photos by Ian McCausland

As we emerge from our homes after long periods away from family, friends, and even co-workers, we are once again gathering to share milestones and memories— and the obvious partner to those, food and wine. As we gather around our tables again, equal parts eager and trepidatious, the hallmark of gathering will be at the centre: shared meals.

Chef Ben Kramer seemed like an obvious choice for a feature on shared platters of food: he has been feeding gatherings of celebrating Manitobans for over 20 years.

His approach to supporting the local community through sustainable ingredients kicked up a notch during the pandemic, when he spearheaded the local chapter of the Community Food Centres of Canada Made With Love program, converting over $150,000 in stranded food in shuttered Winnipeg restaurants into nutrient-dense meals for people who could not securely access food in the early days of the first lockdown. (Read more about how Winnipeggers have helped Ben sustain the Made With Love program for over 18 months—and how you can help reduce local food insecurity on page 54).

For our shared table, Ben came through with fresh, delicious flavours in his tomato leaf cavatelli with a simple tomato sauce and fresh ricotta and a coffeerubbed pork loin with garden herb salsa verde. Jones & Company’s own Josie contributed a Duthoit family original: warm yam and kale salad. Jill Kwiatkoski rounded out the meal with a Manitoba classic, rhubarb sour cream pie. Mike Muirhead brought it all together with a selection of versatile wines that pair with the diverse flavours in this feast of shared plates.

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ROASTED SWEET POTATO AND CRISPY KALE SALAD Serves 6 6 20 3 tbsp 2 tbsp 1 cup ¾ cup ¾ cup 1 cup ½ tsp ¾ cup

medium-sized yams, peeled kale leaves lemon-infused olive oil, split extra virgin olive oil dried cranberries feta, cubed raw pumpkin seeds walnuts cinnamon unsalted sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice peeled yams to ½-cm-thin discs and then quarter them. Toss in extra virgin olive oil.

Spread quartered yam pieces on a baking sheet in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast yams for 35 minutes until slightly crispy.

Rip kale leaves off stems and break into large, bite-sized pieces. Toss kale in a mixing bowl with 2 tbsp lemoninfused olive oil. Show the kale a real good time: massage it, crunching the veins until it loses bitterness. Spread the kale pieces onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast kale for 30 minutes until crispy.

Note: Kale and yams can be roasted at the same time if your oven can handle it. Cooking times may vary, depending on the oven.

Check the yams and kale about 5 minutes before they should be ready, and be prepared to leave them in for a few extra minutes.

Lightly toast pumpkin seeds and walnuts for 3 to 5 minutes and dust with cinnamon. Assemble the salad and drizzle with lemon-infused olive oil. Serve warm or cold—it’s delicious either way!

SHOP LOCAL! Winnipeg has incredible farmer’s markets from spring to fall. We took advantage of Jardins St-Léon Gardens for fresh yams, kale, and dried cranberries. We sourced Medium-Varietal and Lemon-Infused extra virgin olive oils from Frescolio Fine Oil + Vinegar, and we purchased our Chaeban Artisan Firm Feta from Mottola Grocery.

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Chef Ben Kramer and the Made With Love Team

In March 2020, at the beginning of the first COVID-19 lockdown, Chef Ben Kramer reached out to Winnipeg restaurants who were facing a quick lockdown for an unspecified length of time with refrigerators full of food and offered them a way to help: donate food that you cannot use or give to your staff and his team would make sure it got to Winnipeggers who needed to eat.

Expecting to put in a few days of organizing food as a stopgap to prevent food wastage and support the community, Ben received an overwhelming response from Winnipeg kitchens: they rescued and used over $150,000 worth of food. When the reality that the pandemic was going to be long term set in, Ben turned to longtime community partners, Community Food Centres of Canada (CFCC) and NorWest Community Centre, to see how he and his team could help reduce food insecurity in Winnipeg.

The CFCC’s Made With Love program started in Toronto with a focus on providing single-serving, vacuum-sealed, nutrient-dense meals to people who are in need but might not have regular access to a full kitchen. With the prospect of bringing the program to Winnipeg, Ben suspected he could raise enough money to support the program for a couple of months. Then Winnipeggers stepped up. The program has been ongoing for 18 months, completely funded by the public.

“Winnipeg has a big food insecurity problem and a really deep need,” explains Ben. “Because Winnipeg is a smaller community, we can really see its effects. When people were locked down, sitting at home, many of them realized they were in a privileged position where they could cook for themselves.”

Throughout COVID-19, the program has not only safely provided nutritious, accessible meals with dignity to people who were in quarantine or who could not access everyday meal services due to safety concerns, it also kept restaurant workers employed and supported local suppliers and farmers. As we return to a semblance of normal, however, the community’s food insecurity problem does not go away.

“A lot of aid that rolled out over the last 18 months is wrapping up, but the need is still there in Winnipeg, so we are going to try and keep Made With Love alive alongside the business. Hunger is a problem, but ultimately it’s a poverty issue. We are doing triage and putting the Bandaid on while organizations like CFCC are doing the policy work to fight poverty and change the bigger picture.”

MADE WITH LOVE • $300,000 raised so far • Over 85,000 meals delivered since April 2020 • Distributed by local organizations, including Main Street Project, NorWest Co-op, North Point Douglas Women’s Resource Centre, West Broadway Women’s Resource Centre.

HELP MADE WITH LOVE REACH THEIR GOAL OF 100,000 MEALS BY THE END OF 2021.

To donate, visit www.chefbenkramer.com/made-with-love

CAVATELLI* WITH SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE AND FRESH RICOTTA Simple Tomato Sauce with Fresh Ricotta

2 tbsp 2 2-4 5 lbs

extra virgin olive oil shallots, minced garlic cloves, minced tomatoes, chopped sea salt fresh ricotta

Optional: for garnish, oven-dried Roma tomatoes and chili oil.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic, cook a couple of minutes until your kitchen smells great. Add some basil leaves, stir it up and marvel in the aroma. Add your tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Simmer for 8–10 minutes until it looks like sauce and is not too runny.

While your sauce is simmering, drop your pasta into salted, boiling water. Cook it until it is 90% done (you will finish cooking it in the sauce.) Add your pasta to the sauce and keep simmering. Add a splash of the starchy pasta water when you do this. Keep cooking until the noodles are fully cooked, and the sauce sticks to the noodles and is all magical.

Plate your pasta and top with fresh ricotta and a drizzle of chili oil. We recommend Ben’s chili crisp: chili oil with crispy garlic and shallots—salty, spicy, and crispy! *You can find Chef Ben Kramer’s recipe for Fresh Tomato Leaf Cavatelli at www.poisepublications.com/blog.

SHOP LOCAL! If the challenge of making pasta feels like too much, Ben recommends local pasta master, Renée Girard, whose fresh pasta can be ordered online at madebypaste.com. Chef Ben Kramer has a pantry on his website (chefbenkramer.com), where you can find his homemade chili crisp. Local cheesemaker extraordinaire Chaeban Artisan also sells fresh ricotta cheese, available at Mottola Grocery.

COFFEE-RUBBED PORK LOIN WITH GARDEN HERB SALSA VERDE 1 1 tbsp 2 parts 2 parts 2 parts 2 parts 2 parts 2 parts 1 part 1 part 1 part 1¼ part

pork loin or two pork tenderloins extra virgin olive oil coffee, ground garlic powder cinnamon, ground paprika cane sugar pumpkin seeds, toasted and ground chili powder black pepper, ground cumin, ground sea salt

*Note: As you have noticed, this recipe is in parts. That means that whatever you want to use to measure, use the same for all ingredients.

Substitute the word “part” for whatever measuring utensil you like.

You can use teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, a scoop, a wine glass, whatever! For one loin or two tenderloins, 1 part = 1 tsp was enough.

Coffee Rub: Combine all of the dry ingredients and mix well.

Pork Loin: You can use this method for either pork tenderloin or pork loin (try them both, and see which one you like better). Preheat your oven to 425°F. Clean the pork loin of most of the fat and all of the silver skin. Season the pork well with the coffee rub—get it all over the loin and rub it in. In an oven-proof skillet or cast iron pan, heat the olive oil on medium-high. Sear the loin until it is browned on all sides. Pop it in the oven and roast until the internal temperature reaches 135°F. Transfer the loin to a cutting board, cover it with foil, and let it rest 10 minutes. Slice and serve with salsa verde.

Garden Herb Salsa Verde

1 lbs 2 2 1 cup 2 2

tomatillos, husks removed small jalapeños, stems removed cloves of garlic, peeled mixed chopped herbs* shallots, diced limes, zested and juiced salt to taste

*Use whatever herbs you have in your herb garden that you like. I used cilantro, parsley, chives, and a bit of dill.

Toss all of the ingredients into the food processor and pulse until it’s as chunky or smooth as you want. Want to get fancy? Roast your tomatillos and jalapeños first and season with salt to taste. Make it tasty!

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RHUBARB SOUR CREAM PIE Pastry 2½ cups flour 1 cup butter (cold, cut into cubes) 8 tbsp cold water 2 tbsp lemon juice

Pinch of salt Mix all ingredients with a pastry blender, so it all just comes together. Do not overmix. Shape into a disk, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. When ready to assemble the pie, take out dough and roll it into a shape to fit a buttered pie plate. Prick with a fork to make a few tiny holes in the bottom of the crust. Drape over the pie plate.

Sour Cream Rhubarb Pie Filling 1 egg 1 cup sour cream 1 cup sugar 3 tbsp cornstarch ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg 3-4 cups rhubarb, chopped (fresh or frozen) Mix egg and sour cream until smooth. Mix together dry ingredients—sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg— and fold into sour cream and egg mixture. Stir in chopped rhubarb and mix to coat the rhubarb entirely. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie shell. Trim the pastry that is hanging over the edges of the pie plate.

Crumble Topping ½ cup ½ cup ½ cup ½ cup

rolled oats brown sugar flour butter

Combine all ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle over the rhubarb mixture in the pie shell. Don’t pack it on—it will sink into the pie as it bakes.

Bake pie at 400˚F for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375˚F for 50–60 minutes. Watch the crust for doneness.

Cool in the pie plate on a cooling rack, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours (it is even better overnight so the juices from the pie set). Serve with vanilla ice cream.

WINES FOR DESSERT Domaine Loizeau le Clain 2016 Les Tuloires Coteaux de l’Aubance Loire Valley, France ($23.99) Arnaud Moreau nv Grand Cru Rosé Brut Champagne, France ($85.99)

WHITE WINES FOR SHARING Benazzoli 2019 Agata Pinot Grigio Veneto, Italy ($21.99) Paul Mas 2018 La Forge Estate Marsanne Languedoc-Roussillon, France ($18.99) Primosic 2018 Ribolla Gialla Friuli–Venezia Giulia, Italy ($26.99)

RED WINES FOR SHARING Evesham Wood 2018 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, USA ($37.99) El Grillo e la Luna 2019 12 Lunas Garnacha Aragon, Spain ($26.99) Il Palazzo 2020 Sangiovese Tuscany, Italy ($14.99)

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WESTERN CANADA’S PREMIER WINE AND DRINKS EDUCATION FACILITY OFFERS WINE, BEER, AND SPIRITS COURSES FOR EVERYONE FROM THE HOBBYIST TO THE PROFESSIONAL.

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We are back!

After a long wait, WDCM is happy to announce a return to in-person classes. Our WSET 1 and WSET 2 Award Levels in Wine will be available starting January 2022, with WSET3 programs starting in September 2022.

Our scheduling will provide the added benefit of smaller class sizes and greater distancing. All staff are fully vaccinated, and our in-person courses will be open only to those who are also fully vaccinated. We appreciate your patience—and we are ready to meet interested wine lovers and hospitality service staff alike.

Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET)

WSET Level 2 Award in Wines:

WSET programs are the gold standard in wine education, offered in more than 70 countries. WDCM has trained Manitoba’s WSET and Sommelier graduates, and many of our alumni have launched careers as industry leaders. Our teaching staff have an unmatched depth of experience, subject expertise, and passion. We are excited to see you in our classes soon! Feel free to contact us to discuss what courses will be right for you.

Level 2 Award in Wines is a beginner- to intermediate-level qualification exploring wines. It is suitable for industry professionals and wine enthusiasts. The course caters to those wishing to learn about a wide range of wines or seeking to build on knowledge from WSET Level 1 Award in Wines (although there are no prerequisites to WSET 2). You will gain knowledge of the world’s principal and regionally important grape varieties, wine regions, and styles of wine. Through both tasting and theory, you will explore the factors that impact style and quality and learn how to describe these wines with confidence.

WSET Level 1 Award in Wines: A great place to start is WSET Level 1, a one-day course in the world of wine, food, and wine harmony, tasting classic wine styles and describing wines accurately. On successful completion, you will receive a WSET certificate and lapel pin.

WSET 1 January session: January 16, 2022 (9am to 5pm) WSET 1 April session: April 3, 2022 (9am to 5pm) COST: $399

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The course includes 8 evening classes, with an exam in the 9th session. On successful completion, you will receive a WSET certificate and lapel pin and will be able to use the associated “WSET-certified” logo.

WSET 2 Spring 2022: January 18–March 15, 2022 (Tuesday evenings) COST: $995

WSET Level 3 Award in Wines: WSET 3 is an advanced-level qualification for wine enthusiasts or professionals working in the wine or hospitality industry. This course provides deep study and detailed understanding of the world of wine—including the key factors in production of location, grape growing, winemaking, maturation, and bottling—as well as how and why these factors affect the style, quality, and price of wines. The course also builds your ability to assess wines accurately and to use your understanding confidently to explain wine style and quality. The course is structured in 15 evening classes, with an exam in the 16th session.

On successful completion, you will receive a WSET certificate and lapel pin and will be able to use the associated “WSET-certified” logo.

WSET 3 starts September 13, 2022, with the exam in February 2023 (course break in December) COST: $1,695 Course fees for all WSET courses include study and text materials, tutored tastings of wine samples to WSET specifications, access to WDCM instructor supports, and examination fees.

Please contact the store to SAVE YOUR PLACE! Deposits are now being accepted for all courses!*

Phone: 204.948.9463 | Email: wine@joneswines.com | Web: joneswines.com/education

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Rescheduling or cancellations due to changed restrictions will be without penalty to participants.

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You can’t go wrong with wine....

Buy Jones & Company Wine Merchants GIFT CARDS online this holiday season!

Print your Gift Card off at home, or email it to your friends and family on a chosen day—so they know you’re thinking of them!

Go to JonesWines.com and click on SHOP!

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Our customers would revolt if we took this dish off the menu: 1. SMITH Restaurant at Inn at the Forks: The Butcher’s Cut: chargrilled CAB petite tender steak medallions, SMITH spiced chips, and smoky aioli, paired with the Juno Shiraz (South Africa).

2. Preservation Hall Eatery + Wine Bar: Regulars Melissa Raynard and Alyson Raynard come in for the Buttermilk Fried Chicken with red salad and salt-crusted potatoes and the legendary herb-fed Manitoba Pork Chop with herb spätzle, kraut slaw and mustard crème fraiche, paired with the Staffelter-Hof Riesling (Germany).

3. Prairie’s Edge: Beet Fritters with Hummus and Flatbread, paired with Don Ramón Garnacha/Tempranillo (Spain).

4. La Roca: Sizzling hot Shrimp Fajita served with sautéed onions and peppers, Mexican rice, shredded cheese, house-made salsa, and flour tortillas, paired with Sardasol Chardonnay (Spain).

5. Pizzeria Gusto: Gusto House-Made Meatballs and a bottle of Reassi Sparviere Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc (Italy) (featuring Chef Connie Klassen and Amanda McGrath).

6. Restö at Thermëa Spa: Croque Nordik: organic red spring sourdough, Finnish mustard, Brandon smoked ham, aged cheddar, Nordik bechamel, and parmesan, paired with a Blackberry Lambrusco Mimosa made with Bertolani Oro Lambrusco (Italy) and house blackberry sorbet (featuring Sous Chef Darnell Banman).

7. Cibo Waterfront Café: A trio of Bruschetta: herbed goat cheese with seared mushroom and chives; apple aioli, granny smith apples, brie, and balsamic drizzle; tomato, basil, and shallot, served with Matua Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand).

8. Beaujena’s French Table: Foie gras,quail and pistachio terrine, zucchini waffle and beetroot gastrique with sparkling Vergnes Methode Ancestrale (France) (featuring Chef Randy Reynolds).

9. The VG Lounge at the Fairmont: Cold smoked “ASC” blackened king salmon, garden pea emulsion, asparagus, lentil & charred corn, roasted oyster mushroom fennel pollen first press canola, and petite greens paired with Rafael Cambra Soplo Garnacha (Spain).

MOTTOLA GROCERY Celebrating our One-Year Anniversary at True North Square

Winnipeg is home, and downtown is our heart.

We saw the need for an experience like no other in the new True North Square. A place where you can meet, share a coffee or glass of wine. Pick up a quick lunch, or gourmet dinner on the way home. Flowers for your sweetheart. A last-minute gift for that friend who loves curated authenticity.

Academy Group of Companies has been feeding Winnipeg for over 10 years. Our goal is to make you feel like family. Now with Mottola Grocery, you can shop like we shop, and join our family at your table or ours.

Mottola Grocery at Hargrave Street Market in True North Square.

Open daily. Visit MottolaGrocery.com for details.

MottolaGrocery.com

SIDEBAR

An Apology for Port

By Sylvia Jansen, DipWSET, CSW, Sommelier What if I said you could taste an important, historic wine that has been made by people jumping into vats? It does not need to cost an arm and a leg, and it is darn delicious. Interested? Here are a few more details: It is strong. It is sweet. It is usually red.

If you have ever tucked into a late-night dessert or your guilty pleasure is a sticky treat with coffee at 10 in the morning, then you should consider Port. No apology needed.

First, let me tell you about the long-ago arguments that brought us here. We know that trade spats between countries are nothing new, but one from the 17th century resulted in an English embargo against French wine. English merchants had to sail past their continental rivals along Europe’s west coast to source wine. As the story goes, when they came to Portugal’s hot Douro Valley, they found just what their thirsty customers wanted: wine that was strong, sweet, and dark.

What created this delicious wine was a familiar technique used in a novel way: while it was common at the time for brandy to be added to wine casks as stabilization for ocean voyages, it seems one of the Douro monasteries added the brandy during fermentation. That stopped fermentation, leaving in natural grape sweetness and the dark, juicy goodness that soon enchanted the British. A new relationship with Port (so named for the city of Porto, its shipping hub) began. English shippers set up shop, and a crazy love affair grew.

An increase in demand (followed by another squabble) led to some of the first established geographical winemaking boundaries and regulations. Port’s rising popularity encouraged the unscrupulous and greedy to pad their pockets.

They added extra sugar, elderberry juice, spices, and all manner of disgusting adulterations to punch up the flavour.

Cheap wines from elsewhere were shipped in to supplement local supply. A public relations nightmare ensued, and consumer confidence dropped through the floorboards. In the mid-1700s, the Marquis of Pombal, a local hero and de facto executive for the Portuguese king, arrived to establish the boundaries of what was the authentic vineyard area for Port.

62 Order online: JonesWines.com/shop

He also outlawed elderberry bushes and instituted regulations on production. The wines—and trade—improved.

One tried-and-true Port winemaking technique involves people jumping into shallow vats called lagares. Ancient winemakers knew that the human foot is an efficient way of extracting juice and flavour quickly that does not break open bitter grape seeds—and people still occasionally stomp, march, and dance on grapes in the Douro. Special pressing robotic “feet” are more common, but real foot treading is not unheard of (you can sign up to do it—really!). The juice flows into tanks partially filled with a neutral wine spirit (brandy), stopping fermentation. This mix is aged and matured and voilà—we have a wine that offers up natural sweetness with a dose of fortifying spirit to warm the soul on a cold Canadian winter night.

Port styles are varied, including deep, dark ruby styles (relatively shorter maturation); mellow, tawny styles (generally longer maturation); single vintage Port (2% of production but 98% of attention); white Port (white grapes); and rosé (the newest category). Ports range from very sweet to medium dry with alcohol between 19% and 22% (bringing new meaning to the term full-bodied), and all styles have lively acidity that beautifully balances sweetness and alcohol. Most are not crazy expensive.

That acidity and range of flavours give Ports incredible versatility when pairing with foods, from soup and starters to main courses to desserts, savoury cheese boards, and salty after-theatre snacks. Higher alcohol gives most Ports staying power to sit in the fridge for enjoyment over a week (or a few weeks if it is tawny style). And they have a history like no other.

So here’s to you, unapologetically.

TRY THESE JONES & COMPANY PORTS: Croft nv Pink Port (500ml) $17.99 Delaforce nv Fine White Port ($19.99) Quinta do Infantado nv Ruby Port ($22.99) Vasques de Carvalho 10-Year-Old Tawny Port ($63.99) Warres 2000 Port (375ml) $68.99 Vasques de Carvalho 10-Year-Old Tawny Port ($63.99)

CRAFTSMANSHIP ISN’T A TREND. IT’S BEEN OUR CUSTOM FOR OVER 45 YEARS.

Maric has earned a reputation as a premium homebuilder through years of dedication to our craft and our clients. As a custom builder, we welcome your ideas and we work with you to see them through. We understand there are no small details when it comes to creating a home built to the most exacting standards. Yours.

W E ’ R E AT WO R K U N T I L YO U ’ R E AT H O M E

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