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QUENCH MAGAZINE APRIL 2017 YUMMIES FOR NOTHING AND YOUR TRIP’S FOR ... × 20 CAN A WINE JOURNALIST TRULY BE UNBIASED? BY TOD STEWART PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER × 22 BREWERS ARE EXPERIMENTING TO TRY AND FIND THE PERFECT MELDING OF BEER AND WINE. BY SARAH PARNIAK SOMEWHAT CURIOUS × 26 VIOGNIER IS ONE OF THOSE GRAPES THAT YOU SHOULD GET TO KNOW MORE INTIMATELY. BY MICHAEL PINKUS
26 41
WHERE SMALL MEETS BIG × 30 WE ALL KNOW THAT BIGGER ISN’T NECESSARILY BETTER, AND THAT MORE DOESN’T EQUATE TO MORE. BY TREVE RING A TALE OF TWO TREASURES × 34 TRAVEL FROM THE SUN-SOAKED, WINDSWEPT ISLAND OF SARDEGNA TO THE MISTY FORESTED FOOTHILLS OF FRIULI-VENEZIA GIULIA. BY MICHAELA MORRIS FULL TABLE × 38 HOW CLASSIC BITTERS CAN SAVE YOUR STOMACH. BY TIM PAWSEY GOING FREE × 41 IS GOING GLUTEN FREE ACTUALLY GOOD FOR YOU? BY LISA HOEKSTRA TRENDING 2017 × 44 THE FOOD LANDSCAPE GOES IN CYCLES. THIS YEAR, IT’S ABOUT PUNCHING UP YOUR DISHES WITH THESE 4 INGREDIENTS.
DEPARTMENTS DRONE ON × 48 HERE IS MY SOMEWHAT UNOFFICIAL TREND REPORT. BY NANCY JOHNSON NOTED × 50 EXPERTLY-TASTED BUYING GUIDE OF WINES, BEERS AND SPIRITS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
BEING RESOLVED × 64 IT MIGHT SEEM EARLY, BUT HERE ARE SOME WINE RESOLUTIONS TO HELP YOU BETTER ENJOY THE JUICE. BY GURVINDER BHATIA LOOK INTO MY MAGIC BALL × 66 IT’S NOW FRIULI’S TIME TO STEP INTO THE SPOTLIGHT. BY TONY ASPLER
APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 3
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SOMETIMES THE NEXT BIG THING IS ACTUALLY NOT SO BIG. IT CAN BE DOWNRIGHT SMALL FOR THAT MATTER. BIG CAN MEAN SO MANY THINGS, BUT TO US IT MEANS ONE THING. It’s April.
We spend all year working on this issue. We’re scouring trends, looking for patterns, bringing in experts. We search far and wide for the Next Big Thing.
4 × @QUENCH_MAG × NEXT BIG THING ISSUE 2017
I will be adding my voice to the demand for more local options in our provincial liquor boards! A self-proclaimed localvore myself, it has always been a frustrating experience to go into the SAQ and see how tiny a section is dedicated to Quebec (and Canadian) products. I, like everyone I’m sure, don’t have time to go to the producers themselves for my wines and ciders (though I do the occasional wine tour). We’re lucky in Montreal — we can go to the microbreweries for our beers — but I imagine that’s not the case for towns and cities that don’t boast the craft culture we have here. So, I guess my last question is — where and when do we meet Paul Beaulieu, Montreal Love your cocktail recipes on your website. Was browsing through your cocktails the other day and realized that now I could filter by alcohol, which I think is a great way to find the right cocktails. Taylor Quish, email I made Duncan Holmes’s Tomato Sauce recipe [February/March 2017 “Hasta Be Pasta”], first as written and it was great! But then I did a mild modification. I added ground beef, since my family prefers meat sauce. This sauce was so good and tasted even better the next day. Paige Townsend, email
This year, I wanted to take a step back and try to see what we might have missed. It’s easy when you are looking for big to miss the small gems. So the call went out. “I’ll take it all,” I told the editors and writers. Then they let me have it. We’ve got so much, it’s overflowing into the May/June issue. Our roving reporter, Treve Ring, brought us small-scale producers from three regions known for being not only big — I’ll say huge. You’ll find that on page 30. Our local beer and spirits expert, Sarah Parniak, found a growing number of brewers who are looking at wine to add complexity and nuance to their beers (flip to page 22). For those of you looking for tiny treasures from the sun-soaked regions of Italy turn to page 34. Michaela Morris brings us to Sardegna and the foothills of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, where we find the sweetest of elixers. So while this issue may be big, we do what we always do: Bring you the small things that make life great and the people who make them. It’s our motto and mantra.
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OPIM IN FOLDER
CONTRIBUTORS Tim Pawsey (a.k.a. The Hired Belly) is a much-travelled food and wine critic. He writes, tweets and shoots for the North Shore News and Vancouver Courier. In 2012, Tim was honoured to be inducted as a “Friend of the Industry” into the BCRFA Hall of Fame. Taste with him vicariously at www.hiredbelly.com and follow him at www.rebelmouse.com/hiredbelly.
Sarah Parniak is a freelance writer, bartender and consultant with a (healthy) spirits obsession that she channels into a weekly drinks column for Toronto’s NOW Magazine. When she’s not working in bars, she’s usually drinking in them. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @s_parns.
A self-proclaimed bookworm (and proud of it), Lisa Hoekstra has transformed her love of reading into a freelance writing career that spans an eclectic range of topics, from healthy eating to aromatherapy.
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APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 7
Q SCHOOL
Know what I mean, jelly bean? A hard-candy shell. A soft jelly centre. Jelly beans are a classic candy popular with all ages. With a never-ending list of flavours, it’s no wonder the US has a National Jelly Bean Day (April 22, if you’re curious). While the jelly bean’s origin is unknown, the unconfirmed creator is one William Schrafft, a Boston confectioner. Schrafft urged people to send jelly beans to Union soldiers during the American Civil War in 1861. According to The Century in Food: America’s Fads and Favorites, the first official (and confirmed) record of jelly beans is in the July 5, 1905 issue of Chicago Daily News, which included an advertisement for bulk jelly beans sold for nine cents per pound. Whenever or however the confection came to be on the radar of Americans, the fact is that, by 1905, the word “jelly bean” was common enough to be added to the Webster’s Dictionary. Jelly beans were found in glass “penny candy” jars at many general stores by the beginning of 1930; they were sold by weight (they were the first candy sold this way) and carted home in paper bags by excited children (one assumes). Later that same year, they became known as an Easter treat — the ovate shape made them popular for Easter baskets. Even today, you can find jelly beans in plastic eggs or displayed in shredded tissue paper, like tiny eggs in a nest, at Easter time. Oddly enough, jelly beans even entered politics. President Ronald Reagan loved them, munching on them to help him curb his pipe-smoking habit. The Jelly Belly company created the blueberry Jelly Belly for the president, sending him two and a half tons in red, white and blue for his 1981 presidential inauguration. (Unfortunately, his favourite flavour was liquorice.)
8 × @QUENCH_MAG × NEXT BIG THING ISSUE 2017
THE COMPOSITION
Experts and confectioners alike theorize that the jelly bean is a combination of the Jordan almonds’ hard candy shell and the soft chewy insides of Turkish delight. Both candies have been around since the 17th or 18th century. Someone, perhaps William Schrafft himself, decided to combine the two to make the jelly bean. Which really leaves the question — why the bean? Why not make circles or squares? One theory is that in the 1800s, the American diet consisted of mostly beans and other vegetables. Making that distinctive shape meant that consumers could add a bit of sweet to their vegetable-based diet. It takes anywhere from seven to 21 days to make a jelly bean. They’re basically sugar (surprise, surprise), corn syrup and starch (or pectin). Also used in tiny amounts are lecithin (an emulsifying agent to keep the beans’ texture consistent); anti-foaming agents; an edible wax (usually beeswax, to keep from sticking or dissolving); salt; and confectioner’s glaze. Colour and flavour additives are added, also in relatively small proportions. Big brands like Jelly Belly and The Jelly Bean Factory have experimented over the years to produce a much wider variety of colours and flavours. You can find everything. Try buttered popcorn, toasted marshmallow, maple syrup, Dr Pepper, chocolate pudding or even bacon. So head out to your candy store and buy yourself some jelly beans from the penny candy section. It’ll be fun! Know what I mean, jelly bean? ×
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ADAMO WINE TO COME
GOOD FOOD BY NANCY JOHNSON
One sheet wonder Of all the trends that have surfaced recently, one of my favourites is the sheet pan dinner, mainly because I’m lazy — dinner cooks all at once in one pan and cleanup is a breeze. Cover the rimmed sheet pan with foil or parchment paper and arrange the ingredients on top. I find parchment paper works well when I first coat the pan with cooking spray, then add the parchment paper. The cooking spray acts as a “glue” to hold the paper in place and cleanup is even easier. Here fennel is used for a savoury rub, but you can create any spice rub of your choosing.
GARLICKY CHICKEN THIGHS, POTATOES AND OLIVES SERVES 4
1 tsp fennel seeds 1/2 tsp sea salt 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 1/2 lb small new potatoes, halved 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives 4 tbsp olive oil, divided 8 bone-in chicken thighs 1. Preheat oven to 450˚F. 2. Pulse fennel seeds, salt and garlic in food processor.
Toss potatoes and olives with half the olive oil and half the spice mixture. 3. Arrange chicken on parchment paper or foil-lined baking sheet. Rub with remaining olive oil. Season with remaining spice mixture. Sprinkle with pepper and additional salt to taste. Arrange potato mixture around chicken. 4. Roast, uncovered, until potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through, about 35 to 40 minutes. MATCH: Uncork a Soave and enjoy. ×
× Search through our huge library of recipes on quench.me/recipes/
APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 11
UMAMI BY KATIA JEAN PAUL
INTRODUCING NIKKEI
ON A BUSY FRIDAY EVENING AT MONTREAL’S TIRADITO RESTAURANT, BEHIND A 60-SEAT U-SHAPED BAR
that extends from one end of the modish 2,000 sq ft eatery to the other, chefs serve up tapas-style Latin American fare: think anticuchos, papa rellena and ceviche. However, among the varied menu, divvied up among pescado, verduras, carne, especialidades and postres, many dishes — most notably, the eatery’s eponymous tiradito, a fusion of Peruvian ceviche and Japanese sashimi — make for eccentric food pairings, emblematic of an imaginative, age-old aesthetic. Tiradito, which opened in the city’s entertainment district this past fall, is one among a growing number of establishments across Europe and North America bringing Nikkei cuisine, a product of the influx of Japanese immigrants to Peru at the turn of the 19th century, to the fore (Chotto Matte in London is another, along with New York’s Sen Sakana and famed chef Ferran Adrià’s Pakta in Barcelona). Nikkei is neither Japanese nor Peruvian, but rather a perfect amalgamation of both culinary traditions. While chefs around the world are beginning to experiment within this rich offshoot of the Japanese diaspora, in Peru where it all began, Nikkei continues to reinvent itself. “You won’t find Nikkei in Japan,” explains Mitsuharu Tsumura, the Peruvian-Japanese chef and owner of Maido in the posh Miraflores district of Lima, which last year ranked no. 13 on San Pellegrino’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, and no. 2 on the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list. “Nikkei is distinctly Peruvian.” In the late 1800s, Japanese workers traveled to Peru to work as labourers and settled in the country once their government contract expired. Making use of the local ingredients and the abundant variety of fish oft discarded by Peruvians, they created singular dishes — reinventing Peruvian classics with Japanese flair. Peru’s Japanese population is South America’s second larg12 × @QUENCH_MAG × NEXT BIG THING ISSUE 2017
est after Brazil, and since the first wave of Japanese immigrants, helped by the establishment of Japanese corporations in Peru in the mid 1970s, Nikkei has evolved into the hybrid culinary innovation enjoyed today. “Peruvian and Japanese flavours go very well together,” expounds Tsumura. “Japanese cuisine is very light. Peruvian is spicy. It’s a balance of flavours. They are so different that they attract each other.” At Maido, the eminent chef pushes the boundaries of Nikkei cuisine, bringing the interplay of Japanese cooking technique and Peruvian ingredients to novel heights: sacha soba (sachapapa soba noodles made with Amazonic potatoes); sushi a lo pobre, a steak nigiri topped with a quail egg whose yoke is injected with ponzu (soy) sauce; and the eatery’s famed lapas cebiche, shellfish served with ají amarillo (a yellow chili pepper) and leche de tigre (a citrus concoction in which the raw fish marinates, frozen with liquid nitrogen, a nod to molecular gastronomy) are just three offerings off the 15-course “Nikkei Experience” menu. Born and bred in Lima, Tsumura is well versed in the intricacies of Nikkei cuisine. In addition to heading Maido, in 2013 he co-authored Nikkei is Peru, an authoritative compendium on the subject. A graduate of the culinary arts program at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, Tsumura has apprenticed in upscale kitchens both in the States and Peru, and even traveled to Osaka to learn traditional sushi-making and Japanese cuisine before opening his own restaurant in his native Peru. While Peruvian cuisine is getting its due praise across Europe and North America, Tsumura one day hopes to bring Nikkei to the more conservative enclave from whence its forefathers came. “Japan is rooted in tradition,” says Tsumura. “It does not look too much to South America but they are starting to, so it will happen.” ×
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ARMAGNAC DE MONTAL VSOP “This is delightfully delicate as far as Armagnac goes. From an excellent producer that’s been around since the 17th century, it’s juicy and redolent of sweet stone fruit, apple, orange peel and brown sugar, with penetrating warmth underscored by baking spices and brown butter.”
ARMAGNAC IN FOLDER
Beppi Crosariol The Globe and Mail
MEET THE FAMILY
Pictured above 1987, XO, Hors d’Age, 1997 and VS. Also available Blanche d’Armagnac and older vintages starting from 1893. Good taste runs in the family.
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From the printed page GENERALLY SPEAKING, COOKBOOKS ARE A TRUE GUILTY PLEASURES OF MINE. In
fact, I have so many that my wife not-so-secretly donates some of them when tidying up the house. But recently I got a book that is like no other I have read before. Inspiration, technique and new skills come from many places, and this time it all came in the form of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science by J. Kenji López-Alt. This is a book that tries to explain not just how to cook, or how to prepare certain items, but the “why” behind how food cooks the way it does, and why certain methods work better than others. I found that understanding why certain reactions are happening helped me think more about the recipes that I was making. I even believe that the things that I have been cooking for years, the triedand-true recipes, are getting better. I find myself thinking about much more while standing in front of the stove. From how the food gets handled and prepped before I even start to cook it, to the temperature I am cooking foods at, to how I am searing foods and how long I should really be cooking everything. All these things are making me a better everyday gourmet. We typically get better at cooking, and everything else for that matter, by getting slightly better each time we do that particular thing. We take baby steps and eventually realize that we have come a lot farther than we thought; this is how I view cookbooks. They offer a bit of insight here, and a bit of inspiration there, and by thumbing through enough, I realize that I have learned some things about cooking that I never realized before. The Food Lab did that for me more times than I could keep track of, and that does not even include all the great recipes, either.
14 × @QUENCH_MAG × NEXT BIG THING ISSUE 2017
ITALIAN EGGS BENNY SERVES 4
1 l marinara sauce 4 eggs 2 English muffins, sliced 4 slices prosciutto 4 parmesan slices (or grated, generous amount) 6 basil leaves, chopped 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste 1. Heat marinara sauce in a 10-inch non-stick skillet. Bring up to a simmer. When simmering, crack all the eggs directly into the sauce. Ensure the eggs are separated and cover. After 2 minutes, spoon marinara sauce over each egg and cover. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until whites are firm. 2. As eggs are cooking toast the English muffins. Heat a large non-stick skillet over high heat. Add prosciutto to the pan and crisp up (1 to 2 minutes). Remove and keep warm. 3. Place the English muffin halves on a plate; add one piece of prosciutto onto each half. Remove eggs from sauce with slotted spoon and place on top. Season eggs with salt and pepper. 4. Place 1 slice of parmesan and 1/4 of the basil on each egg. Drizzle with olive oil and serve. ×
DISCOVERY
TRAVEL NEEDS Getting ready for the summer means planning for a well-deserved vacation. You may not know it yet but you absolutely need these three before you even thinking about leaving.
PANASONIC GX85
http://quench.me/things/panasonic-gx85/ This innovative camera paves the way to the promised land of 4K video and photography — the sweet spot between low-resolution camera phones and DSLRs that are so bulky, it takes extra reps at the gym just to lug them around. At half the size of most DSLRs, the Panasonic GX85 offers a vast array of features like image stabilization and no low-pass filter to boost pixel detail. That means users of every skill level can produce crisp, professional smooth video movements.
POLAROID ZIP INSTANT PHOTOPRINTER
http://quench.me/things/polaroid-zip-instant-photoprinter/ Polaroid started the instant photo craze what seems like eons ago in tech time. Luckily, they’re helping to bring it back with their Polaroid Zip Instant Photoprinter. Only there’s a tiny twist — your phone is the camera.
AUDEZE ISINE10 IN-EAR HEADPHONES
http://quench.me/things/audeze-isine10-ear-headphones/ Audiophiles of the world, take note. The Audeze iSine10 InEar headphones are out of this world. Audeze has been leading the market with their over-the-ear headphones for some time now. They use Fluxor and Planar magnets to get their unique (and ear-drum shattering) sound. The iSine10 In-Ear headphones are the first line of in-ear audio devices that features this same magnet technology, just shrunk down to fit in our ears. Weighing in at barely 20 grams, these ear-buds-from-outer space have a broad soundstage — they’re able to cancel out the noise of a filled conference room, according to one reviewer — and outstanding range, from deep sub-bass to high-end treble. It sounds like live music, in your ears. × APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 15
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LAZY MIXOLOGIST BY CHRISTINE SISMONDO
Beyond the spritzer UNLESS IT’S MULLED, ALMOST NOBODY REALLY WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT WINE COCKTAILS. I blame the spritzer. That dull,
watery, sparkle-free drink that never lives up to its bright, bubbly name and has dampened our enthusiasm for the entire category. The spritzer is the reason we can’t have nice wine cocktails. That’s a mistake though. After all, the existence of dozens of first-rate Champagne cocktails should be our first clue that it is possible to use wine in a better way. A lot of bartenders are working towards that goal by trying to think beyond the conventional spritzer (usually by adding vermouth and bitter apéritif wines) so that we can come up with interesting ways to use wine in mixed drinks. Of course, oenophiles might counter that this is a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. Wine, after all, is just fine on its own. But we’ve all had a bottle of off-dry something that isn’t quite to our taste yet we wouldn’t mind repurposing. From the other side of the wood, bartenders are always looking for ways to offer lower-alcohol cocktails or add a little depth of flavour with a splash of something unique. Christopher Cho, bar manager and co-owner of Saskatoon’s Ayden Kitchen & Bar, is doing just that and says he not only tries to do interesting upgrades on traditional spritzers and sangria, but is also a long-time fan of adding wine to other, boozy cocktails as a way to fine-tune the balance. “I’ve been using wine in cocktails for a very long time, whether it’s a red wine float or I make a syrup out of it,” says Cho. “It’s especially useful to cut out the harshness of certain types of alcohol, especially the high-proof whiskeys.” Cho likens it to barrel-aging cocktails, which will cut out harshness, add sweetness and balance out the cocktail. The prime example of this is the New York sour, a drink that has become popular in craft cocktail bars in recent years. “Some patrons find the whiskey way too dominant in a classic sour, which is bourbon, lemon juice and simple syrup,” Cho says. “A little float of fruity red wine — say, a half-ounce — will just punch the whiskey back and fix the imbalance.” Cho says the other way he likes to use wine is as a syrup, which doubles as a solution for what to do with the dregs of a bottle that might not be perfect for straight drinking anymore. The following is a recipe for the Coctel de Vino, one of Ayden Kitchen’s most popular spring cocktails, as well as instructions for how to turn unwanted wine into a delicious syrup — perfect for use as a cocktail sweetener.
× Visit quench.me/mixed/ for more drink recipes
COCTEL DE VINO
1 1/2 oz gin 3/4 oz red wine (Pinot Noir) syrup, recipe below 1/2 oz Aperol 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice 3 dashes peach bitters 2 oz sparkling wine In an ice-filled shaker, add all ingredients except sparkling wine. Shake well and strain into an ice-filled Collins glass. Top up with sparkling wine. Garnish with a lemon wheel.
RED WINE SYRUP
Add 250 ml of red wine and the peel of one-third of an orange to a saucepan. Gently heat and simmer until wine has reduced by one-quarter. Add 1/4 cup of sugar to pot; whisk. Remove from heat, strain solids, bottle and refrigerate. × APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 17
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The Great Canadian Wine and Culinary Adventure
50+ WINERIES AND CRAFT BREWERIES • 30 CHEFS
NORTHLANDS SAME AS PAGE 18 FEB/MARCH 2017 Meet the winemakers, brewmasters, chefs, farmers and food producers responsible for the innovation and quality evolution of the Canadian craft beverage and culinary industries.
MAY 2 – 6, 2017
S H AW C O N F E R E N C E C E N T R E E D M O N T O N , A L B E R TA
This year’s festival welcomes Italy as a featured country. In support of the High School Culinary Challenge & Edmonton Community Foundation Grateful Palate Fund
VISIT WWW.NORTHERNLANDS.CA FOR TICKETS AND DETAILS @NORTHERNLNDS
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Participating chefs include:
Vikram Vij
Jacob Pelletier
Jakob Lutes
Daniel Costa
John Jackson and Connie DeSousa
Mandel Hitzer
BON VIVANT BY PETER ROCKWELL
What’s meant by field blend? First, let’s talk about blended wines in general. For the longest time, the term “blend” has been thought of in negative terms in the hearts and mouths of Canadians. A lot of the blame can be assigned to the mass-market, big-box output of national industrial wineries that combine local juice with an equal or often overpowering amount from a foreign source and label what comes out of the tanks using a European-sounding name. While they sell well, these so-called International Canadian Blended (ICB) wines still undermined the true sense of the word blend in its association with what a blended wine really is: that being an artful combination of single-varietal grape juice squeezed out of one vineyard or multiple vineyards (which can be geographically teensy-weensy or biggy-wiggy). So enough debate about definitions. If we all agree that a true blend is all about an amalgamation of locally grown grapes (and not the juice from a number of countries) then, as you ask: what is a field blend? Well, for starters, they’re not that common anymore. Back in old-timey days, many wineries would grow a variety of different varietals together in the vineyard, harvesting them all at once, co-fermenting them in one vat and creating what would come to be known as a field blend. Problem is, grapes that grow together don’t necessarily ripen together so the majority of original field blends were more dodgy than delectable. The philosophy of harvesting individual varietals when they are ripe for the picking, fermenting them separately and then blending them together before aging has, short of a few wines made by boutique wineries for sentimental reasons, made the unpredictable idea of field blends all but obsolete.
ILLUSTRATION: MATT DALEY/SHINYPLIERS.COM
Why do wine experts swirl their wine in the glass before drinking it?
Well, for one thing, it looks freaking cool. Of all the talents I’ve gained from three decades in the wine biz, the ability to gingerly slosh wine around in a glass without any flying around the room is a trick that never fails to impress an audience. I don’t mean to make it sound like you have to be David Blaine to perform “the swirl”; it’s easily mastered with some practise and should be because, if you’re serious about getting the most out of a bottle of vino, you need to be able to jostle your juice.
× Ask your questions at bonvivant@quench.me
When a poured wine is agitated, oxygen is drawn into the glass. The O2 begins to have its way with the liquid, slowly softening any aggressive tendencies and releasing much more of its aromatic characteristics as it rotates. You might think that the true pleasure of wine begins when it hits your mouth. Not so. The aroma is way more important. While our sense of smell may take a back seat to sight and hearing in our day-to-day lives, what goes into our nose goes straight to our brains, triggering vivid memories of past experiences and suggesting to our palate what it can expect to taste. When making notes on wines I’m trying, the list of aromatics is always longer than the list of flavour elements, with the majority of the scents I sense mirrored in what I discover once the wine has passed my lips. Glass designers expect you to play with your wine. That’s why they create specific stemware to enhance the aromas of certain grape varieties and regional wine styles. The best have microscopic impurities that the wine brushes up against as it revolves, helping reveal even more of its hidden secrets. So if you’re not swirling, you’re cutting your olfactory enjoyment off at the nose. × APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 19
YUMMIES FOR AND YOUR TRIP by Tod Stewart
THE OXYMORON LIST IS PERPETUAL AND EVER EVOLVING. Sure, there
are the obvious — military intelligence, jumbo shrimp – and the slightly more subtle – revenue-neutral tax, affordable housing, universal remote – but some smack you in the face — journalistic integrity. “Journalism is the best free lunch in the world.” I was told this by a journalist while waiting in line for a swanky free lunch hosted by the swanky Relais & Châteaux hotel people. I was twentyish years old and keen to see my byline in print. I guess I could have been dubbed a “cub reporter.” (Actually, I was a regular columnist for my university newspaper. But this, to me, wasn’t the Big League.) I really wanted to shed the “cub” bit and enter the hard-drinking, hard-living, perpetually impoverished life of an honest-to-god journalist. Exactly why, I wasn’t sure. But maybe for the free lunches. An older (much), wiser (doubt it) and more worldly (umm …) me routinely tells prospective protégés (like I have those) that writing is a fun thing to do. Just make sure you have a day job first – or a partner who has a day job — preferably an excellent one with lots of income and benefits. Given the money/security issues that come as part of the life journalistic, why would any sane person pursue it (hint, sane person)? Well, if you concede to the reality that you aren’t going to make much of an hon20 × @QUENCH_MAG × NEXT BIG THING ISSUE 2017
est-to-god living from such a life, what you will get are experiences far beyond the pale of mere mortals — outside of the very well-heeled. I’ve swum with sea turtles off a Bajan catamaran while staying at a US$12.5-million estate and drinking rum poolside; viewed the coast of Turkey from a beach on Samos, Greece; sailed in a hot air balloon over Napa Valley in between sampling some of the world’s best vintages; travelled (and tasted) Sonoma tip-to-toe; toured/tasted/eaten my way through the wine regions of BC, Oregon (via private jet), Washington, Tuscany (don’t get me started), Abruzzo and Le Marche (Italy’s untapped treasures). The Loire Valley and Cognac. Whisky in Windsor. I’ve eaten ants in Colombia. Crickets in Mexico (had to pass on the grubs), their gritty/saltiness tempered by the fire of primo tequila. I’ve slurped fantastic oysters with a fisher in Prince Edward Island, savoured Lowcountry cooking in the Carolinas, and devoured the world’s best beef in Argentina. The most outstanding seafood I’ve ever had was in Chile, and the best of everything in Spain and the Portuguese Azores are logged in my memory. And I’ve just returned from my first trip to Japan. See, I developed an interest in sake and shochu — which is now a major area of coverage in Quench and a totally untapped category no other Canadian magazine has really touched — and the Japanese Sake and Shochu Makers Association decided I
really needed to see it up close. (Stay tuned for the full report.) I was also sent, on my very first trip as a writer, to Walt Disney World — a lunch featuring the best South African wines was followed by Space Mountain. Interesting, depending on how you see it. Of course, these weren’t exactly vacations. I actually was “working,” and often at it from sunrise till sunset. But still … AND THOSE ARE JUST TRIPS. Mul-
tiply them all by 20 to account for all the dinners and festivities, including the white-tie 2016 AMBI Gala — a $2,500 per plate pre-TIFF blowout featuring, among others, Martin Short, Pam Anderson, Billy Baldwin and Earth, Wind & Fire. I could have stayed for the after-party but I had my “day job” to get to the next morning (though even my coworkers conceded it would have been acceptable grounds for a sick day). But I’m loyal to the hand that feeds me – or at least pays the mortgage. All this is small potatoes compared to what some established writers (and even a few barely established influencers) are treated to. So, now you know why you might want to dip a quill in a glass of wine. But how do us wine/food/travel writers pull it off ? It’s an interesting symbiotic relationship, the one between the industry that reports what is, ostensibly, “news,” and the one that professionally tries to create it. In my current position as contributing editor
NOTHING P’S FOR ... for Quench, I sometimes report news … but mostly I tell stories that try to inform, engage and possibly even entertain our loyal (and, hopefully, new) and inquisitive readers. I try to (figuratively) take you with me on my trips, dine with you at numerous fancy/funky/fun eateries and, of course, have you join me in knocking back a glass, snifter, pint, shot, lowball, highball, wineskin or bottle swig of whatever I’ve got going on. Of course, this all costs Quench (or me) nothing. No secret, the magazine industry today ain’t what it used to be. Most periodical publishers wish they had the funds to buy their writers a beer now and then, let alone pay for their travel expenses, accommodations, meals, tastings, personal trainers/shoppers/dog walkers and other such things typically secreted into a journalist’s (self-penned) rider. Does this type of treatment colour my “reporting”? Well, I guess it could be said that I’m under no obligation to write things that put the trip/dinner/sample in a glowing light if my experience resulted in dysentery, food poisoning or acid reflux, but this rarely happens. The experiences are usually so fantastic that I can’t wait to go well over my word count to write about them. However, there are decisions to be weighed. Way back in my green days, I was enjoying a free lunch courtesy of Sopexa — the French food and wine promotional bureau. I nonchalantly asked the Directice Générale if anyone she sent to France who subsequently wrote anything negative about the junket would ever be sent back. “No,” was the practically immediate
answer. So, there are expectations. If you ever hope to repeat the experience, you’d better play nice. And PR (pubic relations) peeps these days are getting pretty demanding when it comes to getting bang for their client’s buck. If you don’t deliver, word hits the street. NEEDLESS TO SAY, RESPECTING THE INTEGRITY OF THE WRITER (ME), THE WRITER’S HOST (THEM) AND THE WRITER’S READERS (YOU) TAKES A BIT OF TIGHTROPE WALKING. Ultimately, for me, my only real ob-
ligation is to the readers of Quench. Yet I also need to recognize the “industry” that, frankly, makes my writing career possible. As a result, I’ve developed a few “ground rules” that help me balance personal and professional integrity with “industry expectations.” Staying honest is probably at the top of the list — and the one that anchors all others. If I’m invited to an event or on an excursion (or even delivered one of the myriad, unsolicited press releases I get daily), I’ll typically bring my editor into the loop and ask whether he’s likely to run a story based on it. Most often the answer is yes (to the excursions/events … not so much the press releases), but if there’s any doubt, I’ll certainly let the party making the offer know what the odds of coverage are. They can decide whether it’s worth the risk of following through. A sincere “thank you” is always delivered by me regardless of the outcome. I am also careful not to focus on a single product or producer. Even if there’s a significant demand for coverage of a spe-
cific item (by the party responsible for it), I always try and work it into a larger narrative. In one instance, a PR agency was somewhat concerned that I wasn’t going to give enough focus to its client and the client’s product in a story (it was certain) I would write. This was a somewhat delicate circumstance in that the agency was holding an airline ticket and deciding whether or not to hand it over. “Look at it this way,” I cautiously emailed the account exec. “In James Bond movies, Aston Martin cars are featured. But it’s not an Aston Martin movie.” I guess this kinda worked for her … and for me. As an aside, when the story did come out, both the agency and the agency’s client were pretty pleased, to the point where the head honcho of the client company requested additional copies of Quench be sent to him personally. The line between editorial and advertorial can be a fine one (and one which my editor is fastidious not to cross), but this episode proved (at least to me) that if you stay honest, you actually can please everyone. The PR agency – and the agency’s client – were more than happy, my editor didn’t have to redact the piece to the point where it looked like a letter sent home from North Korea and I didn’t wind up with that slightly slimy feeling people who do have integrity get when their conscience disagrees with their actions. Somewhat ironically, I ended up writing an advertorial for the client in question, destined for its own promotional publication, for which I was paid very well. Of course, in that instance, I insisted on no byline. × APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 21
“Beer is made by men, wine by God.” So said Martin Luther.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER by Sarah Parniak
SPINNAKERS’ BREWER KALA HADFIELD
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L NICOLA PERRA FROM BIRRIFICIO BARLEY IN SARDEGNA
Though probably the sodden words of an ecstatic wino, we can still grasp what ol’ Luther was babbling about back in the 16th century. Beer has always been a drink for the people, while wine has long been aligned with the elite; one historically slurped shoulder to shoulder from battered steins, the other sniffed from fine crystal on the far edges of the upper crust.
History and a whole lot of classism have driven a wedge between two of civilization’s oldest alcoholic beverages, but now that we’re spoiled with more great things to drink than ever before, upholding that division seems outdated and, frankly, dumb. Why identify as a wine person or a beer person when you can drink best by being both? Even if you don’t agree, an emerging hybrid might help convince you otherwise. As more brewers and winemakers look to each other for inspiration, beer-wine is flirting with its own bastard category.
Last summer, Toronto’s Burdock Brewery released a saison rosé called BUMO, a collaboration with maverick Niagara winery Pearl Morissette. Made from 40 percent Pinot Noir juice and 60 percent saison beer, the strange brew underwent mixed fermentations with wild wine yeasts and bacteria from Niagara and choice saison and brettanomyces cultures before being bottle-conditioned for three months. BUMO defied classification and flew out of fridges — fresh and rosy with lively acidity and a touch of funk, it was deliciously different. The animated response to BUMO was testament to the open-mindedness of modern drinkers, but its existence points to the curious and collaborative spirit blurring the lines between the once staunchly divided worlds of beer and wine. “Why keep things separate? It’s silly,” says François Morissette, winemaker and partner at Pearl Morissette. [BUMO] is a nice satellite or a UFO experience, if you will, that keeps us on our toes and on the experimental edge, which is the way we like it. It’s one way of questioning and I think it makes us, at the end, better brewers and better winemakers.” The craft beer boom has set an industry-wide precedent for playfulness. An arms race for the most monstrous, hop-logged IPA has evolved into what feels like a creative free-for-all. At the same time, a swelling niche for natural, biodynamic, minimal intervention and “alternative” wines is loosening up perceptions about what a good wine should be. Between the proliferation of wacky fruit beers, sour and spontaneous ales, increasingly experimental barrel-aging programs, the newfound trendiness of microbial persuasion and low-intervention fermentation, beer and wine have more parallels today than ever before. APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 23
BURDOCK BREWERY IN TORONTO
Brettanomyces, its barn-yardy character generally considered a flaw in wine, has been embraced by craft brewers as a microbial character enhancer along with a flurry of other, friendlier wine yeasts. Barrels that formerly cradled Pinot and Chardonnay, Port and Madeira are being snatched up by brewers looking to make a vinous impression on their ales. Beer is even being served like wine, poured from elegantly labelled large-format bottles into stemware. Wine and beer have been inching closer together for a while — taste a Flanders red ale like Rodenbach and tell me it isn’t reminiscent of Pinot Noir – but the fermentation of mash and must to create something entirely new is by far the most exciting development in the union of these two very different — and very proud — beverages. The contemporary commingling of beer and grapes, as far as I can tell, started in Italy about a decade ago when Italian brewers took full advantage of their geography, hatching the imaginative but organic notion of mixing Old World wine with New World brew. Nicola Perra, the originator of what is now known as the Italian Grape Ale (IGA), began fermenting grain mash with grape must from indigenous Cannonau and other typical varieties like Malvasia and Vermentino at his Sardinian brewery, Barley. Small breweries across Italy, like Loverbeer and Birra del Borgo, began experimenting with wine grapes and in 2015, the IGA was officially recognized as a style of fruit beer by the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). The IGA’s classification is vague, befitting wine-beer’s whimsy: “Many interpretations are possible,” read the BJCP’s flavour guidelines. “As with aroma, grape character (must or winey like) must be present but may range from subtle to medium intensity.” 24 × @QUENCH_MAG × NEXT BIG THING ISSUE 2017
Considering the spectrum of “wine-like” flavours and the fact that Italian brewers are working with grapes and wild yeasts typical to their region, it’s impossible not to ponder whether an IGA, like a wine, isn’t reflective of terroir. A sense of place exists in the beer world — lambics are brewed with yeasts indigenous to Belgium’s Zenne valley and Pilsner is named after its birthplace in what’s now the Czech Republic – though provenance has never been taken as seriously as it has in wine. But the rise of craft brewing industry has kicked up perceptions of beer by innumerable notches. IT’S LONG BEEN TAKEN FOR GRANTED THAT WINE PAIRS BEST WITH FOOD, OR AT LEAST WITH ANY CUISINE MORE SERIOUS THAN NACHOS AND WINGS. But any-
one who’s ever sipped a stout while tossing back oysters, washed down a sharp cheddar with a bright and bitter IPA or served charcuterie with a spicy, frothy farmhouse ale will tell you different. Whether in upscale beer joints and trendy restaurants, alongside serious tasting menus or on your backyard picnic table, craft beer has secured a place at the dinner table right next to wine. “I think that the bomber (750 ml) format for beer has really changed opportunities for pairing. Beer is much more of a sharing thing today than it was even five years ago,” says Paul Hadfield, founder of Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub in Victoria, BC. “We’re not buying 12, 24 or 36 packs of nameless, flavourless beer any more. From a social perspective it’s not about the alcohol, it’s about flavour and experience – and that also really fits with where food is at today.” Spinnakers, which opened in 1984 and is considered to be the cradle of the Canadian craft beer movement, brewed one of the country’s first beer-wines in 2014. Called Ortega Blonde,
it was a collaboration with Vancouver Island’s Muse Winery inspired by a desire to blur the categories and introduce wine drinkers to a beer PAUL HADFIELD, FOUNDER OF familiar enough to get behind. SPINNAKERS GASTRO BREWPUB “Ortega is one of those lesser Germanic varietals, typically blended in Europe. But when brought to the cooler climate of the west, they’re appreciated for what they are — hugely food friendly and great patio wines,” explains Hadfield. “It was an example of a wine that was finding its home here [in BC] and was a logical choice for blending with our beer. Luckily, we have a couple of friendly winemakers in our neighbourhood who wanted to play and what we came out with at the end of the day was kind of like a beer spritzer – something that was light and bubbly and refreshing. Drinkability was the point.” Spinnakers, which keeps a winemaker on staff to manage their barrel-aging program and oversee cider-making, plans to release another batch of the Ortega Blonde this spring. We live in exceptionally thirsty times, but as the number of craft breweries and independent wineries grows, so does the need to create unique products distinguishable from those of the competition. “There are so many breweries opening up now and they’re all doing the same beer styles,” says Justin da Silva, brewmaster at Kingston’s Stone City Ales. “I quite often look to wine — the way they “I’d like to do some beers using spontaneous fermentation structure their flavour, balance and acidity. I think that’s something brewers don’t touch that often, but through grapes, like winemakers do,” he says. “We also use a bunch of wine barrels. There’s always going to be some sort of we should.” Stone City collaborated with Prince Edward County wine- winemaking aspect to our beers.” The wine and beer industries have been shackled with the maker Norman Hardie to make a beer-wine called Secret Beach, which they released late last year. Hardie had a batch of County rusty but persistent ball and chain of tradition for way too long. rosé that didn’t get approved by the VQA, but he liked the wine While tradition, which is especially important for winemakers, too much to send it to be distilled, which is what often happens to will never let go completely, it might loosen its grip enough to tickle innovation and open up to the benefits of collaboration. batches of wine that don’t make the cut. “One of the advantages that craft brewers have is that we in Da Silva, who knew Hardie and the winery’s staff well from late-afternoon excursions to the County’s “Secret Beach” to North America are not bound by tradition. We sample and we swim and sip away a long day of work, figured he could make take what we like home and twist it and make it our own,” says Hadfield. “Winemakers look at us and they wish that they had something interesting with the rosé. “The wine itself, which was a Cabernet Franc, was quite that kind of freedom; they’re very, very bound by style [and] earthy but fruity with a cool, funky acidity to it,” says da Silva. they’re bound by varietals.” Even as a particularly progressive winemaker, Morissette “We figured we could make a beer that would blend well with it, agrees. “Wine is limited, beer is not. Our journey as winemakers something that had similar characteristics.” He used a wild strain of yeast to lend funky, fruity and trop- is a lot more monastic, let me say. We don’t reinvent the wheel. ical aromas to his base saison, added Nelson Sauvan and Enig- We innovate, yes, but everything we’ve done has been going on ma hops for their grape-like qualities and bottle-conditioned the for hundreds of years.” By working together to explore new possibilities, brewers and blend for three months to bring it together. “It ended up being 8.5% and way too drinkable,” laughs da Sil- winemakers are, in a way, rewriting the rules and further democva. “We called it Secret Beach because the culmination of Nor- ratizing drink. Beer from a wine glass, who would have thought? “In the wine world, they say ‘it takes a lot of beer to make man Hardie and Stone City really happened there.” Another batch of Secret Beach is planned for this year, but da wine’,” jokes Morissette. But that makes way more sense than divine intervention. × Silva is only starting his vinous experiments. APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 25
SOMEWHAT CURIOUS by Michael Pinkus
On an oenophile’s journey of discovery, one must find oneself, at the very least, curious about Viognier. Viognier is one of those grapes that you should get to know more intimately. If you’re an Australian wine fan (or were), you’ve seen its name on bottles that usually start with Shiraz and it’s still a very popular combo today. Those who have visited Creekside Winery in Ontario and tried their award-winning Broken Press Shiraz/Syrah have experienced a Canadian version of Shiraz/Viognier.
Viognier adds a softening element to Shiraz and a floral sensation to the aromas, lifting the wine and making it more fragrant. On its own, Viognier is the perfect alternative to Chardonnay and a real step up in flavour from the bland Pinot Gris/Grigio that seems to be sweeping the globe. Viognier’s classic home these days is the Rhône Valley and is exclusively responsible for Condrieu wines, from the region, though it is said that the grape’s native home is Dalmatia, in what is today Croatia. It is also a grape with an interesting and checkered past: at one point, in 1965, it was on the brink of extinction with only eight (known) acres planted. Today, thankfully, it is a grape on the rise in many countries, and makes for a great foil to Chardonnay, though Vio shows more aromatics at its core than Chardonnay. However, it is also one of the harder grapes to grow. Whereas Chardonnay grows like a weed wherever it is planted and has the reputation as a winemaker’s grape, Viognier requires a diligent viticulturalist who knows the difference between ripe and the alternative. The reason is that under- or over-ripe Viognier makes a wine that is unpleasant and bitter, lacking the aromatics and flavours that make it so interesting. The other problem is that it does not take too kindly to oxygen, thus barrel fermentation or aging has to be carefully considered and used sparingly or else you’ll lose all those beautiful aromatics for which the grape is known. The more you delve into the world of Viognier, the more you’ll realize it sounds like Pinot Noir (the heartbreak grape) with all its finicky eccentricities – but, funny enough, Viognier is actually related genetically to Italy’s Nebbiolo grape. In my opinion, there never seems to be enough Viognier around and that’s a shame because it can be such a delicious wine and one you should really seek out to form your own opinion. If there’s any justice in the world, Viognier will have its day very soon. In the meantime, here are more than a few options to begin your discovery. 26 × @QUENCH_MAG × NEXT BIG THING ISSUE 2017
BOB BLUE, LEAD WINEMAKER AT BONTERRA
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NYARAI CELLARS’ STEVE BYFIELD
NYARAI CELLARS VIOGNIER 2015, ONTARIO ($22.95)
BONTERRA VIOGNIER 2014, CALIFORNIA ($19.95)
Aromas of grapefruit zest and peach — easily mistaken for Sauvignon Blanc — even the palate shows signs of the Blanc with plenty of citrus pith-like bitterness on the long persistent finish. Pineapple sweeps in on the nose and on entry into the mouth, before turning citrus mid-palate. It’s a well-made complex version of Ontario Viognier.
It has a bit of blousiness at the beginning, but when the touch of tropical kicks in, this one is quite enjoyable.
EASTDELL BLACK LABEL VIOGNIER 2014, ONTARIO ($17.95)
PILLITTERI VIOGNIER 2013, ONTARIO ($17.95)
First vintage off this 4-acre single-vineyard planting. Aromas are pineapple, peach, apple and floral. Very alluring, the flavours keep that tropical feel with some mineral and green apple inter-mingling between that juicy, fresh finish.
CONO SUR BICICLETA VIOGNIER 2016, CHILE ($10.95) Fun and exotic fruit kicks things off with citrus and hints of liquorice along for the ride. There’s even a touch of sweetness. This one is always a winner, especially when fresh and young.
LAURENT MIQUEL NORD SUD VIOGNIER 2014, FRANCE ($14.95) Floral and spicy with plenty of white fruit notes and a drop of the tropical just to give it some edge.
DELAS VIOGNIER 2015, FRANCE ($13.95) Lemon/lime meringue seasoned with anise, pepper and gentle spice. Nice mouthfeel with a lemony finish.
As simple as Viognier gets, with plenty of floral and peach, it leans a little towards the sweet side, plus there’s a hint of guava lingering on the finish.
CLAY STATION UNOAKED VIOGNIER 2014, CALIFORNIA ($17.95) Even though they come right out and tell you they did not use oak, there is still a fun creaminess to the wine along with floral and orange-clementine notes.
YALUMBA Y SERIES VIOGNIER 2015, AUSTRALIA ($13.95) There’s some lanolin and creaminess within, plus a touch of vanilla, then it finishes a bit soft and sweet. If you search your palate, you might also find a hint of ginger.
CLINE VIOGNIER 2015, CALIFORNIA ($19.95)
JACKSON-TRIGGS OKANAGAN RESERVE SERIES VIOGNIER 2014, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($15.95)
Comes across on the sweet side of Viognier with honeyed peaches and tropical fruit; there are also hints of banana and pear lingering on the palate.
The acids come across a little low but there’s some typical peach pit, tropical fruit and lanolin notes that make it interesting and enjoyable. Chill well.
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YALUMBA ORGANIC WINEMAKER HEATHER FRASER
MALIVOIRE STOUCK VINEYARD VIOGNIER 2015, ONTARIO ($26.95)
CLONAKILLA SHIRAZ/VIOGNIER 2015, AUSTRALIA ($99)
Tropical aromas and flavours à la pineapple, mango, guava and melon. This wine was barrel fermented and then aged for 6 months, resulting in a spiced-up finish among all that delicious fruit, plus beautiful acidity and minerality to round it off.
Aromas are blackberry, herbal, pepper, smoked meat and blackberry. Flavours come across soft and lush at first, with plenty of dark fruit, pepper, spice, meaty and mineral notes — great layering. Finishes with white pepper and an almost chewable meatiness.
JOIEFARM VIOGNIER 2014, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($28) This Viognier comes across very Gewurzt-esque with its spicyrose-petal pleasantries, sweet edginess and tropicality. Surprisingly, though, this one’s got bite on the finish.
BARONE MONTALTO VIOGNIER 2014, ITALY ($15.95)
GABRIEL MEFFRE LAURUS CONDRIEU 2013, FRANCE ($71)
SMALL GULLY MR BLACK’S CONCOCTION SHIRAZ/ VIOGNIER 2013, AUSTRALIA ($24.95)
Apple, melon and white peach fruit flavours meld well with hints of anise and almond on the slightly bitter finish; gentle acidity balances it off.
Smells are on the brawny side, but the palate is surprisingly easy with gentle spice, mocha, blackberry, cherry, raspberry and smoke.
D’ARENBERG THE HERMIT CRAB VIOGNIER/ MARSANNE 2015, AUSTRALIA ($17.95)
OSCAR’S ESTATE VINEYARD SHIRAZ/VIOGNIER 2013, AUSTRALIA ($18.95)
A typical, if not partial, Rhône Valley blend from Australia – where they’ve made a habit of copying the famous French valley: melon rind, floral and lanolin with a very dry finish.
The dark and red fruit battle it out while the floral slips in as referee; delicate and delicious.
SIGNOS DE ORIGEN LA VINILLA CHARDONNAY/VIOGNIER/MARSANNE/ROUSSANNE 2015, CHILE ($16.95) This multi-grape blend is fun and flavourful but it’ll take you a few sips to get into it: a little spice with pineapple, pear, apple, peach and biting acidity; good news is once you pop, you won’t wanna stop.
An interesting Viognier from unexpected place: lanolin, floral, peach, nectarine and citrus.
CREEKSIDE BROKEN PRESS SYRAH 2012, ONTARIO ($42.95) Aged 24 months in 30% new French oak, this wine doles out what Syrah should: meaty, smoky, brooding dark fruit, tart cassis, smoked meat and robust tannins. With 4% Viognier wading in to shine through, plenty of fruit lies in wait. There’s even a hint of mocha on the finish, just to make you say “wow.” × APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 29
WHERE SMALL MEETS BIG by Treve Ring Soumah of Yarra Valley’s winemaker Scott McCarthy
WHEN I MENTION A REGION LIKE BORDEAUX, OR NAPA, OR EVEN A COUNTRY LIKE CHILE, A CERTAIN IMAGE PROBABLY POPS INTO YOUR HEAD. Who hasn’t heard about
First Growth Bordeaux, or cult collectable Cabs or – at the other end of the spectrum – mass-market, cheap and cheerful Carménère? Of course, these wines are all worthy and known for a reason: they’ve pinned their origins on the world wine map. But what if you live, farm and produce wines in those regions but don’t make those types of wines? There has always been small-scale, artisan producers working in the shadows of the giants. Yet it’s hard to fit into the marketing matrix when you’re so small that you can easily fall through the cracks. Fortunately, it’s those same cracks that allow the highlights to shine through, and producers who choose to be small, or make wines outside of the norm, are finding their time in the light. A collective shift in wine culture is trailing consumers’ purchasing habits with food. We all know that bigger isn’t necessarily better, and that more doesn’t equate to more. Since many consumers are changing their eating habits, to make more conscious decisions about what they’re feeding themselves and their families, what they’re drinking with their meals is also shifting. It’s bonkers to buy organic vegetables, free-range chicken and GMOfree bread made from heirloom grains only to serve an $8 bottle of chemically enhanced, additive-heavy, commodity-based, 20-million-bottles-a-year-production manufactured plonk. In our fast-paced world, slow food and farmers’ markets are enjoying a renaissance. The next step is to see folks pay as much attention to what goes in their glasses as what goes on their plates. Fortunately, terms like biodynamic and natural wine are becoming as commonplace as cult cabs and critter labels. Good things come in small packages, so here are a few smallscale producers in large wine regions that should change the way you think about wine.
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SOUTH AFRICA
Though South Africa has more than 350 years of winemaking history, it has really only been since 1994 and the end of apartheid, that wine culture has been able to flourish. These past two decades of freedom have opened up the wine world to South Africa, and vice versa. For the first time, growers and winemakers were able to travel outside the country, to learn, experience and taste. Wine export and import shackles also relaxed, allowing for the flow of information as much as for wine. Today, South African wine production is in a golden age, fuelled by a league of youthful, well-travelled and passionate winemakers, many in their late twenties and early thirties. Camaraderie and collaboration runs high, with collectives such as PIWOSA (Premium Independent Wineries of South Africa), Swartland Independent Producers, The Zoo Biscuits and Cape Vintner Classification banding together for marketing, touring and resource pooling. Many of these talented folks hold senior positions at large, established wineries while developing their own brands. Vineyard land, especially pockets of older, heritage vines in exciting fringe areas, is still relatively affordable, encouraging experimentation and garagiste wine culture.
93 MULLINEUX & LEEU FAMILY WINES GRANITE CHENIN BLANC 2014, SWARTLAND ($80) This is one of the top-tier Single Terroir Range wines from Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines and comes from two vineyards
in the Paardeberg, 38 and 42 years old, each with deep, decomposed granite soils. As with their other wines, winemaker intervention is minimal (wild yeast, low sulphur, no enzymes) allowing the terroir-transmission powers of Chenin on granite in Swartland to shine. After whole-bunch pressing and 4 weeks for the natural ferment, this wine spends a year in older French oak before being bottled unfiltered. Give this singular wine some breathing room to air off a slight reductive note. With a bit of time to stretch its legs (I recommend decanting), alluring wild herbs, sea salt and broken stones emerge, backed by a concentrated and intense palate of pear, flint and fine citrus peel. A very textured palate draws you through this powerful, finessed wine to a lengthy finish.
93 CRAVEN FAURE VINEYARD SYRAH 2014, STELLENBOSCH ($30) A global affair, husband-and-wife team Mick (Aussie) and Jeanine (South African) met while working at a winery in Sonoma before returning to Stellenbosch to source fruit for their natural wines. Grown on granite, shale and dolomite, then entirely whole-bunch fermented with wild yeast and gentle extraction before 10 months in old barrels and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Light and finessed, with fragrant violets, savoury broken stones, blue and black plum and a pulse of fine-grained black pepper. Very savoury and fresh, and at only 11.5%, this haunting Syrah is a surprising beauty. APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 31
The Bonnie family from Château Malartic-Lagravière
BORDEAUX
Legendary, iconic and expensive, the First Growths of Bordeaux have dominated the region, and some may argue, French wine in general. With these titans riding high since the Official Classification of 1855, it’s surprising to learn that the top growths only make up 2 to 3% of the market by volume. Allen Sichel, CEO of the Conseil interprofessionnel du vin de Bordeaux, has a strategic plan to do just that. “It’s important that Bordeaux stays in line with its historic identity, which is Château wines,” he notes. However, even behemoth Bordeaux has to compete globally. “Bordeaux, as a region, only makes up 2% of worldwide production. So we have to find a way of communicating around these top wines, while keeping that legacy and theme intact.” Marketing efforts to highlight Bordeaux’s 64 appellations are one way to show diversity of style and terroir. Collectives like Bordeaux Oxygène (BO2) take this one step further, making it their ethos. These new-generation winemakers have banded together to show what’s happening beneath the classed growths, and coming from the soils. Calling themselves “the new face of Bordeaux,” these 18 producers are working with organic, biodynamic and natural wines — in many cases, from lands handed down from their parents, and worked very differently in the past. Their goals are summed up well on their website: “Our parents have done so much, they have created what Bordeaux is today, 32 × @QUENCH_MAG × NEXT BIG THING ISSUE 2017
and now it’s our turn to build on this foundation. Our approach must respect this history. But Bordeaux has also evolved. Bordeaux has changed. We are the hands of this change.”
92 CHÂTEAU MALARTIC-LAGRAVIÈRE BLANC GRAND CRU CLASSÉ 2013, PESSAC-LEOGNAN ($85) Sauvignon Blanc is splashed with 10% Semillon in this structured, savoury white. One of the Bordeaux Oxygène producers, this is from the family’s clay and gravelled vineyard in Pessac-Leognan. A sustainably farmed wine, it spent 1 year on lees in barrels (50% new, partial foudre). Ample wild herbs and earthy salts are flushed with a depth of lemon verbena and orange, scented by honeysuckle, lined with lees and kept bright and vibrant with a pristine citrus acidity. A great backbone will allow this wine to age gracefully.
91 CHÂTEAU SÉMEILLAN MAZEAU LISTRAC 2014, LISTRAC-MEDOC ($30) The Cru Bourgeois Château began converting their Listrac estate to organic production in 2012, and 2015 will be the first fully organic vintage. This blend of 60 Merlot/40 Cabernet Sauvignon was early harvested and entirely by whole bunch, with limited extraction to mitigate tannins. Very fresh and bright, with a bamboo-lean structure framing a shining and tight cherry core. White pepper, gravels and finely rasped spices linger on the finish.
AUSTRALIA
Trends come and go, but good terroir is everlasting. That is, of course, if you know how to translate it. Of course, the Australian wine industry was not always selective for quality – at least on the large scale – and subsequently became a victim of its own success. A wine sea of cheap and cheerful critter labels, multiregional blends and globally omnipresent bottles created an image of low-quality, cheap, industrial wines and a consumer backlash that still persists today. There’s no denying that Aussie wine is big business. But that’s only one story. Highly diverse wine regionality, detailed research and an adventuresome Aussie spirit has propelled Australia to the fore of progressive wine culture. They’re not new to the game: Australia has been making wine for 200 years, with vines arriving with the First Fleet in 1788. What is new, however, is a focus on communicating place over style. The overripe, wood-impacted and adulterated reds of the past are being replaced by lighter, fresher, earlier-harvested styles, often grown on marginal or higher altitude sites. Along with the style shift has come a territory shift. In this new BBE (“Beyond Barossa Era”), we’re talking about regions like Adelaide Hills, Tasmania, Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula, among others.
92 SOUMAH SINGLE VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2015, YARRA VALLEY ($35) This sustainably farmed Chardonnay is from the Warramate foothills of Victoria’s upper Yarra Valley. It’s a mix of three clones, wild fermented and given an 8-month layover in a mix of oak barriques and puncheons (20 percent new). Earthy throughout, with an alluring reductive edge, salt, wild herbs and brisk white grapefruit pith brighten a leesy, green fig core. Tight, driven
and focused, this finessed wine has enough energy now to be enjoyed very much in its youth, or to hold onto for the future.
91 OCHOTA BARRELS THE FUGAZI VINEYARD GRENACHE 2013, ADELAIDE HILLS ($40) Ochota Barrels’ aim is to express old-vine, single-vineyard sites in the cool Adelaide Hills as naturally as possible. Here, organically farmed 66-year-old Grenache undergoes a 7-day cold soak, 70% whole-cluster fermentation with wild yeast and 82 days on skins. That’s about as pure an expression of site and low-maintenance winemaking as it gets. The result is a light crimson-hued pour, with aromatic wild strawberry, dried herb and a five spice/star anise nose. The bright, fluid palate carries the same, across wild, earthy, salted cherry and red berry fruit, and enough crunchy tannins to call out for food. Allow it time in the glass to warm up to you, and you to it. Front wave of natural winemaking in Australia. × APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 33
A TALE OF TWO TREASURES by Michaela Morris
This is a tale as old as time. The hunting ground is Italy and her rich alphabet of indigenous varieties. Among Italy’s hundreds of grapes, many varieties are confined to remote corners where they make wines unlike any other. Unearthing them means exploring far-flung places. The letter V takes us from the sun-soaked, windswept island of Sardegna all the way to the misty forested foothills of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Sardegna is the birthplace of the truly singular yet tragically obscure Vernaccia di Oristano. Both the name of the grape and the denomination, it was Sardegna’s first DOC, established in 1971. However, the grape has no relationship to Vernaccia di San Gimignano of Tuscany or any of Italy’s other Vernaccia-named varieties. Instead, Vernaccia likely comes from the Latin vernaculus — meaning “home-bred” — which is perhaps why it was bestowed on several disparate grapes strewn across the country. Indeed, Vernaccia di Oristano is a very local and limited specialty. The small city of Oristano sits on the west coast of the island. To its north, jutting out into the Mediterranean Sea, is the Sinis Peninsula and the lower reaches of the Tirso river valley. This is Vernaccia di Oristano’s stomping grounds. An unspoiled pocket of peaceful lagoons and sandy beaches, it is a resting spot for flamingos. I’ve also spotted peacocks casually roaming the streets in the area’s charming fishing village of Cabras and spied cacti growing in the vineyards. Vineyards were first planted here by the Phoenicians who conquered Sardegna in the 8th Century BC. Legend has it that Vernaccia di Oristano was born from the tears of Santa Giusta, patron saint of Oristano, who made the wine to cure the Sards of malaria, which was rife in this once-swampy area. Certainly, it is potent and pungent enough to suggest healing powers. Crafting this wine is an exercise in patience. Grapes are harvested late, when they are extremely ripe and often dehydrated, boasting a minimum alcohol potential of 14 percent. After being 34 × @QUENCH_MAG × NEXT BIG THING ISSUE 2017
fermented to dryness, the wine is aged for many years in barrels that aren’t completely topped up. Leaving a headspace of 20 to 25 percent allows in enough oxygen to encourage the development of flor. This film-forming yeast eventually covers the wine’s surface. The quicker it forms and the thicker it is, the better able it is to protect the wine from oxidation. Piero Cella is the oenologist at the historic Contini estate, one of the oldest producers of Vernaccia di Oristano. “I believe it is a true miracle of nature,” he says, referring to the development of flor. “Few understand it. But the producers – partially naïve and partially creative – are great actors in a film that is still very unknown.” Pun intended, I think. Vernaccia di Oristano is often compared to Fino Sherry, a better-known flor-aged wine from Spain. Examples that have been aged longer typically sport an amber rather than a golden hue and demonstrate slightly nuttier notes making them more analogous to Fino’s sibling, Amontillado. However, while Fino and Amontillado are fortified, Vernaccia di Oristano isn’t necessarily – in fact, the best aren’t. Instead, they achieve their lofty alcohol levels due to gradual evaporation through the porous wood staves of the barrel. This process concentrates the wine and increases the alcohol level by approximately 0.5 percent each year, according to Cella. As such, it is not unheard of to find bottles touting 18% ABV. The long aging in the presence of flor is also responsible for Vernaccia di Oristano’s weird, wonderful aromas and flavours. “It takes two to three years in the barrel to develop the desired
O
SILVIO CARTA AND ALBERTO MASON
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characteristics: that particularly intense, complex and unique bouquet along with a bitter almond finish,” explains Alberto Masson, Export Manager at Silvio Carta. “In the best years, it acquires a Murruai character.” This expression, exclusive to the Tirso Valley, is said to be linked to the ancient practice of perfuming barrels and cellars with myrrh resin. With scents evocative of a sea breeze, flavours of peach blossom and dried fruit, as well as a salty tang, it is an exotic elixir. Yet what makes this wine so fascinating also renders it anything but mainstream. “Despite numerous national and international awards, it is a product that is difficult to position,” admits Alessandro Contini, who oversees sales at his family’s property. Nevertheless, the Contini family continues to buy parcels of Vernaccia di Oristano vines in order to protect them from being ripped up. “Saving it from extinction, we are preserving the history and tradition that was left to us by our ancestors.” There are approximately 50,000 bottles of Vernaccia di Oristano produced each year by fewer than 10 estates. Precious few make it off the island of Sardegna. If you do happen to get your hands on a bottle, don’t hesitate to open it. It’s not necessary to age Vernaccia di Oristano further. Well chilled, it serves as a stimulating aperitivo with nuts, olives and Sardegna’s tangy pecorino. Its classic partner is the equally peculiar bottarga. This salted, dried and pressed mullet roe is grated on anything from pasta, salad and fish for an incredible punch of flavour. Served slightly warmer (16˚C), Vernaccia di Oristano also shows up at the end of the meal alongside dark chocolate or almond biscuits. IN THE FAR NORTH EAST OF ITALY, ABUTTING AUSTRIA AND SLOVENIA, THE REGION OF FRIULI-VENEZIA GIULIA HAS LITTLE IN COMMON WITH SARDEGNA. Though
warm breezes from the Adriatic Sea can give a slightly Mediterranean feel to some areas, the hilly DOC zone of Friuli Colli Orientali is far more influenced by the nearby cool Alps. Deer, lynx and black bears prowl the forests and the local yota soup made with beans, pork and sauerkraut is appropriately warming fare. The long list of grapes, both international and native, growing in Colli Orientali is mind-boggling, so it is understandable that lesser-known Verduzzo Friulano might get a bit lost in the shuffle. It also seems to suffer from an identity crisis, which doesn’t help its cause. This oddball grape is one of the few whites that is tannic. It’s essentially a white that acts like a red. To make matters even more confusing, there are two sub-varieties of Verduzzo Friulano: Verduzzo Giallo and Verduzzo Verde. Pierpaolo Rapuzzi of the Ronchi di Cialla estate helps untangle the web. He explains that Verduzzo Friulano is a very old grape. The first historical mention was in June of 1409 when it was served to Pope Gregory XII on his visit to the picturesque
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medieval town of Cividale. “In Friuli, the Verduzzo Friulano Giallo was always cultivated exclusively on the hills for a sweet wine,” says Rapuzzi. Verduzzo Verde grows on the flatlands and is used to make a dry wine, a tradition that comes from the neighbouring region of the Veneto. Rapuzzi’s father, Paolo, bought the Ronchi di Cialla property in the 1960s. The area had largely been abandoned after the Second World War, so he started reading old books describing the wine-growing culture of the past. He also listened to the old-timers. “They could still recall that back in the 1800s, when our house was an osteria, patrons drank a sweet, late-harvest Verduzzo, which was famous throughout the area,” recounts Rapuzzi. This is how Ronchi di Cialla crafts their Verduzzo today. They wait until at least the end of October when the grapes are brown before they pick. Verduzzo’s thick skin is fairly resistant to botrytis but there is usually a small amount, with the percentage varying according to the vintage. The Rapuzzis treated me to a vertical of their Verduzzo going back to 1983. The wines are only moderately sweet but express intriguing and penetrating notes like tea, orange, apricot and marzipan. They have a through line of sweet almond and all are delicious with blue cheese. North of Cialla, the Ramandolo zone is particularly renowned for its sweet Verduzzo. For a long time, it was recognized as a subzone of Colli Orientali but was granted its own DOCG in 2001. The steep, south-facing slopes create a suntrap in an otherwise cool area. Here, the Verduzzo grapes are often air-dried in addition to being harvested late. This process concentrates the sugars even further, making for the most luscious expression of dried tropical fruit, intense caramel and honeyed nuances. The art of making a sweet wine is finding a balance for all that sugar. Vibrant, racy acidity is typically its counterpart. But Verduzzo is a low-acid grape. So, instead, it is the variety’s
Classic in a bottle CONTINI 1970, VERNACCIA DI ORISTANO DOC The Continis scrambled to find a bottle from my notoriously abysmal birth year. In lieu, they found one that was even older (and probably much better). At well over 4 decades, it has mellowed but is still going strong. Savoury with dried peach blossom, almond skin, delicate soy notes and an endless finish.
SILVIO CARTA 2003, VERNACCIA DI ORISTANO DOC RISERVA Aged for 13 years in small chestnut barrels, this dry Vernaccia sits at 18% even though it has not been fortified. Salted toffee, roasted almonds, hints of nectarine but ultimately tangy and briny. The pleasantly austere finish begs for food. An explosive match with bottarga.
CONTINI ANTICO GREGORI NV, VERNACCIA DI ORISTANO DOC A blend of Contini’s Vernaccia Flor coming from the best vintages of the last 40 years. Incredibly complex, deep and dry with toasted hazelnut, dried orange peel, ground almonds and fragrant, sun-baked Mediterranean herbs.
BORGO DEL TIGLIO 1995, VERDUZZO, VENEZIA GIULIA IGT PIERPAOLO RAPUZZI
intrinsic tannin that gives a slight bitterness or astringency to offset the sweetness. I consider it a dessert wine that will appeal to ardent tea drinkers. Needless to say, this tannic sweet white is somewhat unusual. Like the high-alcohol, flor-aged Vernaccia di Oristano, it does not cater to the conventional wine palate. However, both Verduzzo and Vernaccia di Oristano will appeal to enthusiasts who delight in venturing off the beaten track. It is difficult to find either of these gems outside of their immediate production areas. They are worth trekking to Italy and make unique souvenirs. Above all, it is a privilege to meet the tenacious producers who act as guardians of tradition and custodians of the past. ×
A rare treat from one of Friuli’s most highly regarded producers enjoyed at the region’s must-visit La Subida restaurant. Notes of orange crème brûlée married with scented herb flower. Medium weight and moderately sweet, it was light on its feet and seamless with ricotta in phyllo pastry and tarragon sorbet.
RONCHI DI CIALLA 1994, VERDUZZO DI CIALLA, COLLI ORIENTALI DEL FRIULI DOC Wow! Gorgeous aromas of orange pekoe tea, apricot, vanilla and Christmas cake lead to flavours of marzipan and tangerine on the palate. Slightly tannic edge adds appeal with just the right amount of residual sugar to keep everything in balance. Finishes long and concentrated.
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FULL T Right out of the gate when I started reviewing restaurants, I discovered there was a pattern to the process — something of a downside. I would head out for a meal in gleeful anticipation. And, as often as not, come home feeling somewhat worse for wear: not just replete but full beyond belief, with little more than the ability to compose a few notes before collapsing on my bed in a food coma.
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TABLE by Tim Pawsey
At the time, these weren’t true “reviews”, more a genteel form of culinary prostitution. In return for what was always assumed would be a glowing, immensely positive write-up, we were required by the publisher to go a restaurant every week, cap in hand, begging for a free meal. The ordeal started with (in those days) an obligatory cocktail before the meal – and went from there, as we were hosted and fêted to the kitchen’s best (but not always commendable) abilities. One or two dishes? No such luck, as the kitchen trotted out a string of plates. Even if you tried to order what you actually felt like eating, chances were that at least a couple “Chef thought you should try this” dishes would arrive beforehand. I soon realized that chefs and restaurateurs perceived me to be some kind of bionic diner. Eventually it took its toll, so much so that in later years I was only too happy to pay for my own meals and usually reviewed anonymously. Not long after I started, almost by accident, I discovered stomach bitters. Thank goodness. In those days, a few decades before it was discovered by frat boys (and subsequently the BC Liquor Control and Licensing Branch), the most widely available was Jägermeister. That was back when the corner grocery store was ubiquitous – a lifeline open later than any supermarket. You could dig around in the back and find all kinds of late-night necessities, from Ovaltine to rice wine to condoms … and even stomach bitters.
AMARO MONTENEGRO ($36) An Italian variation on brandy, infused with a variety of herbs and spices, sometimes orange peel and more. Perfect as an after-dinner drink, it lives up to its amaro (“bitter”) handle thanks to a secret blend of more than 40 herbs that’s been made in Bologna since the late 1800s. Perfumed with marmalade notes, orange and honey on a smooth and viscose palate with a subtle bitter end that makes for a perfect, complex and layered digestif.
BECHEROVKA ($29) Made since 1794, but now Pernod Ricard–owned, Czech bitters, also produced from a secret combination of herbs and spices. Yields hints of cinnamon and ginger through an herbal-edged but clean and refreshing palate. Enjoyed chilled, usually neat but sometimes with tonic water in a national drink known as “Beton.”
CALVADOS ROGER GROULT ($87) Made in the Pays d’Auge (in the heart of Normandy’s AOC Calvados and cider country), in the classic, traditional manner: wood fired, double distilled, aged in giant oak casks and prepared from a selection of some 30 different estate-grown apples. Founded in 1860, a true pioneer of Calvados, Groult is widely regarded as among the best on the market.
FERNET-BRANCA ($27.49/500 ML) Yet another secret formula, the increasingly popular Italian bitters draws on 27 herbs sourced from around the world (including aloe from South Africa and gentian from France). Oak aged for a year or more to produce a dark, citrus-edged and distinctly menthol-toned bitter end. Currently in vogue with post-shift bartenders and palate-weary wine writers.
JÄGERMEISTER ($30) Arguably the most widely available bitters on the market, thanks to its cult status as a shooter. This dark brown elixir (to some) combines elements of classic bitters and liqueur, drawn from myriad herbs and roots (56 in all). Oak aged for a year for a liquorice and dark spice–toned drop. Contrary to popular rumour, it does not contain a trace of elk blood. APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 39
THE RISE IN COCKTAIL CULTURE IS BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO MANY OF THESE ONCE POPULAR LIQUEURS AS A CONTEMPORARY GENERATION OF BARTENDERS IS KEEN TO DISCOVER NEW FLAVOURS AND PUSH TASTE BOUNDARIES.. I’m still not sure how I made the discovery, but it wasn’t long before a bottle of Jägermeister took up permanent residence in my freezer. In my mind, its dark brown tincture was liquid salvation, a cure for (almost) anything that a restaurant could and did put in front of me. By sheer luck, the drink that’s since become the college shooter of choice was my introduction to the wonderful world of bitters. For me, to this day, there’s nothing quite like the soothing, viscose promise of a good night’s sleep bestowed by a few post-prandial sips of Jägermeister — or of any number of other worthy (and more tasty) digestifs. All kinds of reasons exist as to just why Jägy hit the big time. But the most likely is that its distinctly unusual personality played some kind of machismo role when consumed as a shooter … or as a series of shooters. Launched in 1935, the recipe of 56 secret ingredients doesn’t stray far from the classic style of stomach bitters that have been enjoyed or employed over many generations. I’ve never quite understood the allure that savvy marketers have capitalized on, with shooter wagons and their ilk now being commonplace on campus. For me, the welcome but curious taste of Jägy was very much based on necessity rather than actual enjoyment. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN WE DINED ACCORDING TO RULES LAID DOWN AND ENFORCED BY GENERATIONS OF STUFFED SHIRTS AND EQUALLY WELL-STARCHED MAÎTRE D’S. Meals, especially French
meals, followed a certain order, where
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to decline the post-meal list of digestifs would doubtlessly be greeted with a raised eyebrow. But, happily for the most part, times change. Stricter drinking and driving regulations have also taken their toll on the civilized notion of the digestif. Not to mention the North American preoccupation with all things sweet. But while Europeans may consider themselves to have long been at the vanguard of the bitters tradition, almost every culture in history has developed its own coping mechanism for over-indulgence, some more successful than others. It’s not known who discovered the true benefits of bitters, although evidence of bitter plants in the human diet can be found in ancient Greek and Egyptian cultures. The Egyptians appreciated the health benefits of Marrubium vulgare — more recently (and unfortunately) monikered as “horehound.” It’s a bitter green whose origins have even been traced through the Bible and which was often used to soothe sore throats and respiratory problems. Angelica, which pops up in gin a fair bit, was also used as a cold remedy, while chamomile is a known sedative that is still widely enjoyed as a tea. Milk thistle, goldenseal, yarrow and more all have had their place and are making a comeback with organic and new-age consumers. And rue (or ruta), another once popular stomach aid, makes a brief appearance in Shakespeare’s Richard III. But, according to Pliny the Elder, it was peppermint (Mentha piperita) that was one of the more popular and enduring foils for nausea and stomach aches. It still has its place in a somewhat medicinal
sense as a principal ingredient in crème de menthe, arguably the most clinically inclined of digestives. Even once-notorious wormwood was a popular component in bitters recipes (until it was outlawed), causing no shortage of speculation as to what else might be included in those abundant “secret” concoctions. An oil extracted from artemisia and commonly used in absinthe, wormwood enjoys a somewhat unfortunate reputation, being so named because it was often prescribed to kill intestinal worms. The rise in cocktail culture is breathing new life into many of these once popular liqueurs as a new generation of bartenders is keen to discover new flavours and push taste boundaries. Even home production of cocktail bitters has taken hold, signalling a definite shift towards a more sophisticated and receptive palate. The best example of this trend is the rise in popularity of Fernet-Branca. Long widely enjoyed by the Argentines (who particularly relish it when cut with two parts Coca Cola) a Fernet craze has started to take hold in North America. The Italians classify more than 50 bitter-infused liqueurs as Amari, most of which are based on grape brandy before being sweetened and aged. The result is often a complex and layered drop, such as Amaro Montenegro or Amaro Nonino. If the Italians might appear to have the lock on bitters, the French have plenty to cheer about in the realm of digestifs, even laying claim to the widely used term itself. While there’s no shortage of herbal and suitably amer concoctions, few after drinks are as satisfying and settling in my mind as Calvados. I’m not sure where I developed my weakness for such a luxurious drop, although I’m almost certain it involved someone of French descent and a restaurant. Calvados is eau de vie at its best, and the more superior ones are the best in terms of digestifs. Plus, I love the history, which stems from the resurrection of the cider industry in Normandy when wines and vines had fallen on hard times. What’s in my freezer these days depends more on where I’ve just been and what’s available. The list on the previous page is just a sampling. And any one more than fits the bill as a satisfying postscript to any meal — and a home prescription for a good night’s sleep. ×
GOING FREE
by Lisa Hoekstra Gluten. This seemingly innocuous protein group that lives in wheat, rye, barley and other grains has become somewhat villainized in the past couple of years. Like carbs and sugar before it, the diet industry has decided that cutting out gluten is the next “thing to ditch” to lose weight. Thing is, unless you’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease, gluten isn’t all that evil. “Gluten helps to give texture and holds things together,” explains Mark Johnson, a member of the Board of Directors at the Canadian Celiac Association (CCA). The CCA is a charitable organization based in Mississauga, Ontario, that provides information on gluten-free food sources, fosters research and supports celiacs. Johnson joined the CCA after being diagnosed with the disease. Celiac is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the gut lining, damaging it if the disease is not discovered or diagnosed early enough. “When gluten is taken in, the immune system activates and destroys the tiny hairs that line the small intestine,” explains Johnson. “This results in an inability of the body to absorb nutrients: protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, which are necessary for good health.” When someone with celiac disease consumes gluten, their body is unable to put the nutrients and vitamins in their food to good use. This can lead to malnutrition. Yes, malnutrition. The first signs and symptoms include: anemia, gastrointestinal distress, skin rashes, fatigue, irritability and migraines.
“In the long term, for someone with celiac disease to continue to eat gluten puts them at risk for a number of dangerous conditions, including malnutrition, osteopenia/osteoporosis, and certain cancers of the gut,” warns Johnson. “This is why, at restaurants, we must be vigilant to emphasize that this is celiac disease – an autoimmune disease, not a dietary preference – and that our meals must be strictly gluten-free, with no cross-contamination. If we eat gluten by accident, we could get very sick.” “Without gluten avoidance, there is risk for complications, and so a diagnosis of celiac disease should not be taken lightly,” says Dr Elena Verdu, Associate Professor at McMaster University. Dr Verdu and her team work in the Department of Medicine’s Gastroenterology Division, researching the factors that cause gastrointestinal disease, such as celiac disease. “There are many reasons to develop a therapy to help the gluten-free diet, including the fact that many patients with celiac disease continue to be symptomatic after avoiding gluten. The most common explanation for this is that it is very difficult to avoid contamination.” Gluten contamination is everywhere and some foods are more commonly contaminated than others. Johnson mentions sauces, beans and lentils, imitation fish, deli meats, burgers, APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 41
Think you have Celiac Disease?
35,000 Canadians have been diagnosed with celiac disease but 300,000 Canadians are believed to have celiac but are undiagnosed. If you’re going gluten free because you suspect medical problems, getting a medical diagnosis is very important. “The CCA does not recommend someone to go gluten free in the absence of celiac disease or NCGS,” states Johnson. “If someone is experiencing health problems, and suspects that the issue may be gluten, it is critical that they be tested for celiac disease before going on the gluten-free diet …. The blood test used to indicate the presence of celiac disease will likely not be accurate if the gluten-free diet is adopted, and the gut may heal, meaning that an endoscopy may erroneously conclude that there is no celiac disease.” If you get tested and do not have celiac disease, but going gluten free makes you feel better, you may have a gluten sensitivity. “Some people who do not have celiac disease may be truly sensitive to gluten, or other proteins in wheat, developing symptoms that improve after avoiding gluten-containing foods,” mentions Dr Verdu. “This is called non-celiac gluten sensitivity or non-celiac wheat sensitivity. The diagnosis, usually of exclusion, needs to be confirmed by a doctor who will exclude first celiac disease.” Dr Verdu and her research team are working to help celiac patients by studying “the factors that lead to an inflammatory reaction in the gut.” She explains: “Most of the chronic gut conditions that we study have been compared to a ‘perfect storm,’ meaning that many factors come together to promote disease ...” In 2014, it was discovered that a protein called elafin plays a significant role in the prevention of intestinal damage due to inflammation. “Inflammation is part of a defense mechanism of the body, but when it does not resolve and becomes chronic, it leads to disease,” Dr Verdu explains. “Elafin is a human molecule present in the gut that is produced in response to inflammation to block other molecules, that if not inhibited, can lead to intestinal damage. We found that patients with active celiac disease also have diminished elafin in the upper gut. If one administers elafin to mice with upper or lower gut inflammation, they get better. The research is still in [the] discovery phase, and molecules similar to elafin are also being explored for the treatment of inflammation.” Research is in progress. It may take time but there are a dedicated number of scientists who want to help develop treatments for celiac disease other than the strict “gluten-free diet” that many have to use today. 42 × @QUENCH_MAG × NEXT BIG THING ISSUE 2017
hot dogs, canned soups and mixes as the main offenders. For people living with celiac disease, it becomes a matter of reading every label, every time. Okay, so what about those people going gluten-free for funsies? A gluten-free diet for someone who doesn’t have celiac disease isn’t actually beneficial. Yes, you read that right. Gluten-free isn’t healthy for non-celiacs. “The gluten-free diet can be, in the long term, like any other restrictive diet, poor in some nutrients and fibre,” says Dr Verdu. Whole grains – like those found in baked goods, cereals, pastas and barley – include the all important B-vitamins and fibre. Your body needs these to help you process other nutrients (B12, for example, works with B9 – aka, folate/folic acid – to make red bloods cells and help iron work better in your body). The trend states that going gluten-free is a healthier weightloss-style diet, but this is wrong. Such diets often have more calories, not fewer, than their gluten-filled counterparts. That’s because more starches and fats are used in gluten-free products to create a wheat-like taste and feel. “It is important to know that gluten-free baked goods are less healthy than gluten-containing counterparts,” explains Johnson. “They tend to be higher in sugar and fat, and are less likely to be vitamin-enriched. The only groups for whom these products are necessarily healthier are those with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS).” Therefore, going gluten-free for non-medical reasons really isn’t beneficial to your health. But if you decide to try it, remember to replace the missing vitamins with supplements or other gluten-free sources (like spinach, beets, lettuce, turnips, et cetera). And be prepared to fork over more for your weekly grocery bill. A study published in the Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research in 2008 by researchers at Dalhousie University in Halifax states that gluten-free foods are, on average, 242 percent more expensive – even up to 455 percent for certain products – than their regular counterparts. “The simple reality is that because gluten-free food manufacturers must find pure sources, free of any cross-contamination, the prices will naturally be higher,” mentions Johnson. “It also tends to cost more to use a manufacturing facility that takes the extensive measures necessary to ensure that cross-contamination does not take place.” Cut down the cost of eating gluten free by shopping smart. “You can eat gluten free by eating products that naturally do not contain gluten, such as fruits, vegetables, milk, real cheese and meats,” says Dr Verdu. “These products are usually more expensive than processed foods (which usually contain gluten additives) but are part of a healthy diet.” There is a silver lining. “Prices have come down in recent years, thanks to the rapid expansion in gluten-free food manufacturing and competition among companies,” says Johnson. “However, given the need to ensure pure supply and manufacturing chains, we do not foresee a time when gluten-free baked goods will be equivalent in price to ‘regular’ food.” Out of curiosity, I went to my local Metro grocery store to find out whether or not buying gluten-free products was all that
“IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT GLUTEN-FREE BAKED GOODS ARE LESS HEALTHY THAN GLUTEN-CONTAINING COUNTERPARTS ...” MARK JOHNSON, MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT THE CANADIAN CELIAC ASSOCIATION.
easy and if I could do it on a budget. As I wandered the aisles, picking up items, reading the ingredients and then, inevitably, putting them back down, I realized ... it’s hard. What few items I could find were super-expensive and the items I thought were surely gluten free ... weren’t. “To help make it easier to find safe, gluten-free products, the CCA launched the Gluten-Free Certification Program (GFCP),” says Johnson. “For an item to be legally labelled gluten free in Canada, testing must show the product to be below 20 parts per million gluten. When you see the GFCP logo, it means the manufacturing facilities have undergone extensive testing and are subject to audits to make sure that they are producing safe food. This not only makes it easier for those with celiac disease or NCGS to find gluten-free products, but it also makes it much easier for friends and family shopping for these people to find safe, gluten-free foods.” Gluten-free products have since gone beyond the stereotypical “gluten-free pastas” and “gluten-free breads.” There are a large list of items that you may not have considered as sporting gluten in their ingredient lists: soy sauce, salad dressing, potato chips, hot dogs, veggie burgers, liquorice, pickles, spices, beer, toothpaste, protein powders and even over-the-counter medicines. These items are being produced without gluten now, making it easier for people who need gluten-free consumables to find them. While products sporting the GFCP logo are available at every grocery store, they aren’t always found in the same aisle of the grocery store. “The store brands of Wal-Mart (Great Value), Sobey’s (Our Compliments) and Loblaws (President’s Choice) all have an array of products bearing the GFCP logo,” says Johnson. “Finding the ‘gluten-free section,’ if there is one, can be more of a challenge. In Loblaws, they tend to be in the ‘Natural Value’ section, while in Wal-Mart they are more likely mixed with regular grocery. Still, things are much better than they were a few years ago!”
The diet trend to go gluten free may be the reason why gluten-free products are more prominent and slightly less expensive than they were a few years ago. A benefit for those who need to go gluten free. “I would call this trend a double-edged sword,” says Johnson. “On the positive side, there is now an extremely high awareness of gluten and the gluten-free diet compared to as recently as five years ago … However, the negative side is that, with the majority of individuals following the gluten-free diet for non-medical reasons, there is a tendency, especially in the restaurant world, to perhaps take the gluten-free diet less seriously.” “There has been a trend to trivialize the need of certain people for a gluten-free food,” mentions Dr Verdu. “The gluten-free diet is a necessity for people with celiac disease who will get very sick if exposed to even very small amounts of gluten.” Celiac disease and people who have a medical need for a gluten-free diet need to be treated with the seriousness they deserve. They aren’t “going gluten free” for the “health benefits” or to “lose weight.” They’re going gluten free because even one particle of gluten in their food could completely, 100 percent ruin their day, and in some cases, result in a hospital stay. “Overall, I would say that gluten free becoming mainstream is a net positive,” says Johnson. “However, there are consistent challenges in making sure people understand that our need for gluten free is very real, and serious, much like a food allergy.” So, if you don’t have celiac, don’t go gluten free. The benefits aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. If removing gluten from your diet has made you feel better, then get yourself checked out. It’s a serious issue and one that requires the attention of the doctor. Remember, diet fads are just that. Fads. They fade. But being healthy, discovering the factors that are causing you to be unhealthy and changing them to help you live a happier, healthier life … that lasts forever. × APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 43
TRENDING The food landscape goes in cycles. This year, it’s about punching up your dishes with a small enhancement. Here are four ingredients to buy right now.
SAFFRON This pungent, musty and floral spice is sometimes forgotten, often put aside for more exotic spices. But it’s making a come back. ALWAYS BUY WHOLE SAFFRON: Look for long, fine, evenly sized threads that are deep red with an orange tendril on one end and a trumpet-shaped flute on the other. If the tendril looks yellow, the saffron is likely real but may be of slightly poorer quality. STORING IS IMPORTANT: Wrap the saffron threads in foil and place them in an airtight container. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months, or they can be frozen for up to 2 years. USE IT IN ALMOST ANYTHING: Saffron isn’t only for a paella or pilaf. Use it in a custard or a sweet bread. Pair it with cinnamon, cumin, almond, onion, garlic and vanilla. USE IT PROPERLY: It is best to crush the threads in a mortar and soak in a warm liquid for 20 to 30 minutes. Or you can toast the full threads lightly in a medium pan for 2 to 3 minutes. Move them around quickly to avoid burning. 44 × @QUENCH_MAG × NEXT BIG THING ISSUE 2017
2017 RAS EL HANOUT Spice mixes give you a lot of flavour in a teaspoon or two. Look for Colombo from West Indies, Dukkah from Egypt or Chinese Five Spice, to name just a few.
RAS EL HANOUT
1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp salt 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds 1/2 tsp cayenne 1/2 tsp ground allspice 1/4 tsp ground cloves
Whisk everything together in a small bowl until combined well. This blend can keep in an airtight container at cool temperatures for up to 1 month.
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PEPPER FLAKES This spice can be found in almost every type of ethnic cuisine. Whether you are into Indian cooking or you have just started learning Southern American recipes, pepper flakes are a must have. Use it to punch up Pasta Puttanesca or in a Chimichurri. It hits all the right spots.
ARGENTIAN CHIMICHURRI
1 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley 1/2 cup olive oil 1/3 cup red wine vinegar 1/4 cup (packed) fresh cilantro 2 garlic cloves, peeled 3/4 tsp dried crushed red pepper 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp salt
Purée all the ingredients in processor. Transfer to a bowl. Cover and let stand at room temperature for the flavours to marinade. Make it several hours ahead of serving.
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CILANTRO You’ll find it used far and wide, from Asia to South America. It can be an acquired taste, but once it takes hold of you, you’ll never pass by it in the grocery aisle again. BUY A BUNCH: Don’t be afraid to buy a lot. It stores quite well in the freezer. Chop into small pieces and put it in a freezer bag. DRIED UP: There really is no substitue for fresh cilantro. Dried versions lose a lot of flavour. You’ll have to use more dried than you would fresh to get the same punch.
CILANTRO PESTO
2 cups (packed) cilantro, large stems removed 1/2 cup blanched almonds 1/4 cup red onion, chopped 1/2 tsp serrano pepper, chopped and seeded 1 tsp Kosher salt 1/4 cup olive oil
1. Using a food processor, pulse the cilantro, almonds, onion, serrano and salt until very well blended. Continue running the food processor and slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream. Add more oil to your preference. 2. Whatever you don’t use can be frozen. Line an ice cube tray with plastic wrap and fill each individual spaces with pesto. Freeze and remove from the ice tray, put in a sealed freezer bag for future use. × APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 47
BOUQUET GARNI BY NANCY JOHNSON
DRONE ON I was waiting for a drone to drop my LaCroix sparkling water and smoothie bowl onto my head when I learned that drones, although pegged to perform that duty in the future, are just not ready yet. Even if those flying space oddities were poised to change my life in 2017, I am crushed to learn LaCroix and smoothie bowls are so totally and completely over, I might as well skip backwards over 2016 and snuggle down into 2015, which isn’t a bad idea because David Bowie was alive then.
The food world keeps marching forward with trends that I sometimes try (avocado toast, cold-brewed coffee) and sometimes ignore (veggie burgers that bleed? that just sounds wrong). Last year, I challenged myself with the 28-day plantbased diet. I actually loved it, lost weight and felt great. But on day 29 I had bacon. The truth is, I’ll give up bacon when pigs fly. And when drones fly, I’ll have them deliver it. Following are just a few ideas from my unofficial trend report:
LAST YEAR’S STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE BOWL
This is like building a healthy sundae for breakfast. Purée strawberries, yogurt, honey and vanilla in a blender. Pour into bowl. Arrange strawberries, blueberries, chia and pumpkin seeds over smoothie. Drizzle with yogurt that has been thinned with a bit of almond milk. Other combos: Banana, peanut butter, cocoa powder, maple syrup, ice; spinach or kale, blueberries, apple juice, ice; mango, pineapple, coconut water. Stir in your favourite cereal as well. 48 × @QUENCH_MAG × NEXT BIG THING ISSUE 2017
× Search through a wide range of wine-friendly recipes on quench.me/recipes/
PHILIPPINE FOOD
It’s having a moment this year largely thanks to adobo, a vinegar/soy sauce marinade for meat. To make chicken adobo, combine 1/2 cup cider or rice vinegar, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 3 crushed garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, salt to taste and 3 pounds chicken thighs. Marinate in fridge 1 to 2 hours. Transfer to Dutch oven. Bring to boil, lower heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove lid and simmer 20 additional minutes or until sauce is reduced and slightly thickened and chicken is tender. Serve with rice. Try a California Pinot Noir.
THE PLANT-BASED DIET
The hardest part of this diet was not giving up meat, but dialing down the sugar. I became frustrated at how much of the stuff I found in processed foods, including so-called good-for-you protein bars. The takeaway? Make whatever you can from scratch at home, read the labels on the foods that have a label, eat vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, a bit of fruit and much less dairy, fat, salt and sugar. Try this recipe for starters. Zucchini and Garbanzo Beans with Quinoa: Drain 1 can garbanzo beans. In a bowl, drizzle beans with lemon juice. Toss with 1 tablespoon avocado oil. In a large skillet, sauté chopped onion in 1 tablespoon avocado oil. Sprinkle with turmeric, paprika and cumin. Add chopped zucchini and garlic. Sauté until vegetables are tender. Add garbanzo bean mixture and heat through. Serve over cooked quinoa or brown rice. In a small bowl, mix plain yogurt, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Drizzle over vegetables. Match with a Sauvignon Blanc.
THE FARMERS’ MARKET
Seek out a farmers’ market in late spring and pick up food that grows close to home. Early in the season, the pickings will be mighty slim. But as spring segues to summer, the bounty will astound you, with much of it heirloom. This is the year to buy eggs from a local farmer, poach or fry them and place them on top of everything from steaks to grains to salads for a chic 2017 dish. Pick up purple cauliflower and potatoes for a new spin on a colourful plate. Buy lavender for your lemonade and other herb plants at the market, then grow them in the backyard or in pots on the windowsill. Delicate, flavourful radishes are plentiful this time of year. Eat them the way the French do — whole, trimmed and raw with softened butter and fleur de sel.
CHARCUTERIE
This is absolutely one of my favourites and it’s definitely on trend this year. Start with a selection of sliced cured meats — you can really go crazy here but here are some of my favourites: salami, prosciutto, sopressata, chorizo, jamón Serrano, smoked sausage — then add chutney or grainy mustard, pâté, cornichons, fresh figs, Marcona almonds, buttery cheese and fennel drizzled with lemon and oil. Serve on a platter or large cutting board with crusty baguettes and plenty of Prosecco. × APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 49
NOTED 90 MONTGRAS INTRIGA 2012, VALLE DEL MAIPO, CHILE ($23.35)
Bright ruby. Fine nose of red berries, welldosed oak and a hint of menthol. Delicately fruity on the palate; the medium to full body has a nice tannic backbone, great balance and length, even verging on elegance. Surprisingly good. (GBQc)
89 THE LANE VINEYARD BLOCK 14 BASKET PRESS SHIRAZ 2013, ADELAIDE HILLS, AUSTRALIA ($29.95)
Dense purple-black in colour with a spicy blackberry nose augmented by an herbal note. Full-bodied, dry, fresh and fruity blackberry flavour with herbal notes and lively acidity. A floral note on the end gives the wine elegance in addition to its muscularity. (TA)
90 KAIKEN ULTRA MALBEC 2014, MENDOZA, ARGENTINA ($19.95)
Aurelio Montes produces terrific wines in Chile under the Montes label. He also owns a winery in the Mendoza Valley called Kaiken. The wine is dense purple-black in colour with a cedary, blackberry, vanilla/oak nose and a note of tar; full bodied and richly extracted, it offers flavours of sweet black fruits with a firm structure. (TA)
92 BLUE MOUNTAIN GAMAY NOIR 2015, OKANAGAN ($23) Strawberry notes upfront with hints of darker red fruit and earthy notes before an elegant but precise entry; redcurrant and a touch of cherry. Layered and textured with luscious mouthfeel and a plush end. (TP)
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90 TOWNSHIP 7 SEVEN STARS BLANC DE BLANC 2014, OKANAGAN ($29.97)
Winemaker Mary McDermott’s first Township sparkler is 100% Chardonnay. Sports apple and citrus notes on top with some brioche hints before a crisp stonefruit and lime palate. (TP)
92 BLOMIDON ESTATE MÉTHODE TRADITIONNELLE BRUT ROSÉ 2012, NOVA SCOTIA ($45)
92 PALTRINIERI LECLISSE LAMBRUSCO DI SORBARA NV, EMILIA-ROMAGNA, ITALY ($30)
92 CLOUDY BAY CHARDONNAY 2014, MARLBOROUGH ($36.95)
SIDE LAUNCH BREWING COMPANY MOUNTAIN LAGER, ONTARIO ($3.60/473 ML)
This Chardonnay/Pinot Noir blend spent 32 months on the lees. It shows just a tinge of pink, with elegant floral scents and red berry fruit. Persistent fine mousse, delicate berry and green apple fruit in the mouth with a delicate creamy texture balanced by vibrant acidity. (SW)
Pale straw in colour with a spicy apple nose that melds seamlessly into vanilla oak; medium to full bodied, dry, elegant, fresh and lively on the palate with well-extracted fruit. (TA)
Light in colour (it may appear to be a rosé, but it’s a red sparkling) with a delicate nose, purity of red fruit flavours, mouth-filling, expansive, lifted and long. The acid and tannin of this Italian bubble just works! Ideal with fried cotechino. (GB)
Hazy, unfiltered blond colour with creamed corn, nutty malt and lightly hoppy aromas. Opens with a touch of fruity sweetness on the light-bodied palate, together with balanced malt and agreeable hoppy bitterness in the German style. (SW)
× Find a collection of tasting notes for wine, beer and spirits at quench.me/thenotes/
Each wine is judged on its own merits, in its respective category. Our scores are based on the wine's quality as well as price point. Readers should assess these, and all wines, using the same criteria. Carefully study the commentaries to get an idea of whether the wine might appeal to your taste. The prices listed are suggested retail prices and may vary from province to province. Since a large number of these wines can be purchased across Canada, check with your local liquor board or private wine store for availability. Our tasters are Tony Aspler, Gurvinder Bhatia, Tod Stewart, Evan Saviolidis, Rick VanSickle, Ron Liteplo, Harry Hertscheg, Sean Wood, Gilles Bois, Sarah Parniak, Crystal Luxmore, Treve Ring, Tim Pawsey, Silvana Lau and Jonathan Smithe. QUENCH USES THE 100-POINT SCALE 95-100 = Exceptional 90-94 = Excellent 85-89 = Very good
SPARKLING 94 BLOMIDON ESTATE EXTRA BRUT LATE PICK MÉTHODE TRADITIONELLE CHARDONNAY 2011, NOVA SCOTIA ($45)
I last tasted this fine fizz not long after disgorging. It is now showing excellent development with enticing floral perfume, rich creamy brioche, fine citrus fruit and an unctuously creamy palate balanced by bright acidity and firm mineral grip. (SW)
94 PIERRE GIMONNET BRUT CUIS 1ER CRU BLANC DE BLANCS, AC CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE ($60)
I could never tire of this fizz; the crisp, pure and precise linearity in this understated 1er cru is impressive. Didier, 3rd generation of the Gimonnet family, oversees this small Côtes des Blancs grower Champagne house. This wine, like all of their Chardonnay-centric wines, is crystal crisp and bright, with driving linearity through to the lengthy finish. In the cuvée, 5 different harvests provide depth and complexity, though the base is youthful, keeping the freshness and the piercing acidity of Cuis prominent. Aromas of juicy green apple, sea salt, subtle white flowers and lemon open onto schisty complexity, with chalky purity, vivacious intensity and a shimmery,
80-84 = Good 75-79 = Acceptable 70 & under = Below average *Available through wine clubs
saline-laced lemon zest to the finish. Chardonnay’s pure elegance and finesse, perfectly expressed. (TR)
93 GARDET BRUT ROSÉ NV, AC CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE ($43.83)
Light pinkish-copper with lots of festive bubbles. Aromas of apricot, peach and sourdough bread. Red berries, mostly raspberries and cranberries, on the palate, with tart lemon acidity. Drink up. (RL)*
93 FRANÇOISE BEDEL ENTRE CIEL & TERRE CHAMPAGNE BRUT NV, FRANCE ($69)
This fine-grower Champagne, led by Pinot Meunier (60%), Chardonnay (30%) and Pinot Noir (10%), was produced using biodynamic methods. Disgorged in June 2015, it shows good depth of colour and a fine, persistent bead. Subtle floral scent with delicate citrus and red berry notes play against a background of rich, toasty brioche. On the palate, refined, developed fruit plays harmoniously with rich, creamy caramel, chalky mineral and polished acidity. (SW)
92 BERNARD PERRIN NV, AC CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE, FRANCE ($20.17)
Clear medium-deep gold with plenty of bubbles. Fairly strong nose of mandarin orange, apples and honey. Mouthwatering acidity on the palate, featuring green apple flavours with a pleasant
slight sweetness and a long finish. 100% Chardonnay. Drink now. (RL)*
92 LE MESNIL BRUT GRAND CRU BLANC DE BLANCS CHAMPAGNE NV, CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE ($49.95) A stellar value from the famed Chardonnay vineyard of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger which is rated Grand Cru per the Échelle des Crus classification. This bubbly is very toasty and autolytic with added nuance in the form of lemon, apple, nuts and hints of caramel. Lively on the palate with creamy bubbles and delightful length. (ES)
91 BENJAMIN BRIDGE METHODE CLASSIQUE ROSÉ 2012, NOVA SCOTIA ($45)
This classic blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier spent 3 years on the lees. Partridge-eye in colour, the wine offers elegant fruity scents and a whiff of brioche. Charming and softly rounded on the palate with delicate fruit, creamy texture and fine mousse, finishing with a light touch of mineral and balancing acidity. (SW)
90 BENJAMIN BRIDGE NOVA 7 SPARKLING 2014, NOVA SCOTIA ($24.95)
Canada’s own Moscato d’Asti. Very pale pink in colour with a spicy, orange and honeysuckle nose; light bodied, off-dry with orange, peach and redcurrant flavours backed by lively acidity. A beautifully made wine and so easy to drink. (TA) APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 51
NOTED 90 L’ACADIE VINEYARDS VINTAGE CUVÉE ROSÉ 2013, NOVA SCOTIA ($28)
Enticing berry-fruit comes through on the nose with subtle floral scent and creamy brioche. Expressive ripe berry-fruit and creamy vanilla in the mouth contrasts with stony mineral and lively acidity. Fruity, creamy and stony mineral notes linger on the finish. Organic. (SW)
90 QUINTA DA MURTA BRUT NATURE 2013, DOC BUCELAS, PORTUGAL ($30)
Salty and marine, this crisp brut nature wine sings of place: the briny Atlantic coast and calcareous-laced soils of Bucelas. Entirely chalky throughout, with wild scrubby myrtle, lemon thistle, lemon pith, riffing sea salts and driving, shearing acidity, this biodynamically farmed, wild yeast-fermented, traditional-method fizz is 100% Arinto, the grape’s herbal citrus notes amplified here. 2 1/2 years on the lees gives structure without heft; this is light, lean and riveting, vibrating on the finish, and drinking beautifully now with fresh oysters. (TR)
89 BAILLY LAPIERRE RÉSERVE BRUT CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE, BURGUNDY, FRANCE ($19.95)
Pale straw in colour with a minerally nose of apples and hints of the forest floor. Medium-dry with grapefruit and green apple flavours that linger long on the palate. It‘s a great apéritif or you can serve it with fish or seafood dishes. (TA)
89 L’ACADIE VINEYARDS VINTAGE CUVÉE 2014, NOVA SCOTIA ($28)
This organic vintage includes some Chardonnay as well as the traditional l’Acadie and Seyval varieties. It shows delicate floral and soft fruit scents with persistent mousse in the glass. These themes persist on the palate with suggestions of ripe tropical-fruit sweetness balanced by lively acidity and grippy mineral. (SW)
88 LA MARCA PROSECCO DOC, ITALY ($20.99)
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fruit. Flavours of ripe yellow apple, peach and a lick of citrus come with typical soft fizz and refreshing acidity on the off-dry honeyed finish. A great way to celebrate any occasion. (SW)
88 EMILIANA SPARKLING BRUT NV, CASABLANCA VALLEY, CHILE ($22) Crisp and creamy with apple and citrus flavours, bright acidity and lively bubbles. A great value and delicious on its own, but also a versatile food wine with everything from fried chicken to oysters to sushi. (GB)
88 JEAN-PAUL BRUN TERRE DORÉES FRV NV, BEAUJOLAIS, FRANCE ($29)
In the ancestral method, this disgorged (clear) pét-nat Gamay Rosé opens with sweet strawberry jam and fragrant raspberry blossoms and a fine, grippy riff on the finish, afforded by the granite soils and minimal intervention in the vineyard or winery. Perfumed, pretty, off-dry, bright and far too easily gulpable at 7.5% alcohol. (TR)
88 KIM CRAWFORD SMALL PARCELS FIZZ MÉTHODE TRADITIONELLE 2011, MARLBOROUGH, NEW ZEALAND ($30)
This crisp, complete, medium-bodied traditional-method fizz is a blend of Chardonnay from Marlborough’s cooler Awatere Valley, as well as Pinot Noir from Marlborough’s clay-soiled Southern Valleys. Ample toasted stones, lemon and a bed of doughy, fennel lees is brightened with a pithy citrus acidity and a snap of lemon peel that hums along the finish. A lovely example of accessible Kiwi fizz. (TR)
87 VILLA CONCHI BRUT SELECCIÓN CAVA, SPAIN ($14.95)
Pale yellow. Fruity on the nose with pear and apricot notes and a light mineral edge. The palate follows with a nice roundness thanks to mild acidity and a bit of residual sugar. Overall, an easy-drinking bubbly and a good buy at this price. (GBQc)
87 VILLA TERESA VENETO VINO ROSÉ FRIZZANTE ORGANIC NV, VENETO, ITALY ($16)
Brisk and bright, this organic Frizzante from Veneto is 100% Raboso, affording the delicate pink hue. Tight strawberries, plums, violets and candied cherries are carried with a riffing acidity when chilled, which is how this apéritif wine is best enjoyed. (TR)
87 PAUL MAS CÔTÉ MAS GEWÜRZTRAMINER/BLANC DE BLANCS BRUT NV, AOC LANGUEDOC, FRANCE ($17)
Pithy, bright and just off-dry, with light peach, apricot, green apple and pear skin. This crisp, bright, lighter-bodied sparkling Gewürztraminer is from Carcassonne in the south of France. Riffing acidity keeps this wine brisk and fresh to a light pink floral finish. Best well chilled, alongside Thai-scented moules. (TR)
WHITE AUSTRALIA 82 SUNNYCLIFF ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2014, VICTORIA ($10.17)
Clear pale straw colour. Medium-intensity nose of lime and peach. An austere, high-acidity, almost Old World-style Chardonnay, reminiscent of Chablis. Medium bodied, tasting like what I imagine a somewhat greenish peach would taste like. Long finish. Drink up. (RL)*
AUSTRIA 87 RABL RIESLING 2014, KAMPTAL ($28)
Tropical fruit aromas with tart apple flavours and pleasant acidity all the way through. Lifted and refreshing with a firm backbone, finishing dry and mouth-watering. (GB)
CANADA 93 BLUE MOUNTAIN PINOT GRIS 2015, OKANAGAN ($20.90)
This Gris stands out for its more complex texture and layers that come from 40% of the wine being fermented and aged in French oak. The result is a luscious orchard-fruit and peach-toned drop with great structure and length, underpinned by juicy acidity. (TP)
91 FITZPATRICK FAMILY THE UNWINDER EHRENFELSER 2015, OKANAGAN ($18.50)
The Fitzpatricks know a thing or two about this grape, having grown it very successfully for years at Cedar Creek, and it shows: upfront white floral notes and stone fruit precede a tropical-toned palate of guava and apricot with a well-textured mouthfeel aided by a portion of the wine fermented in neutral oak. (TP)
91 BORDERTOWN PINOT BLANC 2014, OKANAGAN ($19)
From one of Osoyoos’s newest wineries, but also a long-established and respected grower for over 20 years: lifted citrus and orchard fruits before a crisp, well-balanced palate of green apple and grapefruit with some minerality leading to a clean, zesty close. (TP)
91 2027 CELLARS WISMER VINEYARD FOXCROFT VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2014, NIAGARA ($23) Winemaker Kevin Panagapka applies oak aging (20% new) for 18 months and only partial malo for this version of his Foxcroft. The nose shows poached pear, gunflint, baked apple, charming and elegant barrel spices and citrus on the edges. With gorgeous mouthfeel, look for charred/smoky notes on the palate that gives way to creamy pear, apple, vanilla/toast and baking spices all kept in check by freshening acidity through the finish. (RV)
91 BORDERTOWN GRÜNER VELTLINER 2015, OKANAGAN ($25) One of only 3 known Grüners in the Okanagan. Sports tropical notes with a touch of honey before a fresh and clean
palate and lime and citrus hints over a stony streak with mineral edge. (TP)
91 ARTERRA CHARDONNAY 2015, NIAGARA ($30)
Working with some of the best Chardonnay in Niagara, this less-is-more style lets the vineyard do all the work. The first whiff is all about the chalky minerality of the Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard with fresh pear, green apple, tropical fruits, subtle oak spice, vanilla and citrus on the edges. It is a gorgeous Chardonnay, an honest expression of the vineyard, with a balanced and fresh approach on the palate revealing integrated pear, apple, citrus zest and soft spice notes. (RV)
90 FORT BERENS RIESLING 2015, LILLOOET, BC ($15.99) Lifted tropical notes and orchard fruit on top before a fresh and vibrant palate of green apple and peach tones with a bright, clean ending. (TP)
90 FITZPATRICK FAMILY INTERLOPER GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2015, OKANAGAN ($18.50)
Hints of rose petal and lychee define this riper-styled Gewürz from a very warm year, before a palate of bright, lush tropical notes. A touch of ginger and floral hints wrapped in a luscious, lingering package with extra heft from 25% fermented in neutral oak. (TP)
90 BENJAMIN BRIDGE RIESLING 2015, NOVA SCOTIA ($28)
Reveals delicate floral and incisive citrus scents. Fine, delicate characteristic Riesling varietal citrus, mineral and lively acidity are all in place on the palate but matched by a compelling softness. Finishes with lingering citrus and green apple flavours. A welcome addition to the growing stable of fine NS Rieslings. (SW)
89 MISSION HILL 5 VINEYARDS CHARDONNAY 2014, OKANAGAN ($13.48)
Orchard and stone fruit on the nose with apple and pear notes and honey hints before a fresh, bright palate wrapped in bright acidity and good length to a clean finish. Value-priced. (TP)
89 FLAT ROCK TWISTED WHITE 2015, ONTARIO ($17.15)
A blend of Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay; pale straw in colour. Aromatic lychee and peach nose with a citrus note. Just off-dry with grapefruit and lychee flavours; nicely balanced with good length. (TA)
89 FORT BERENS CHARDONNAY 2015, LILLOOET, BC ($17.99)
Aromas of toasted oak, stone fruit and vanilla precede a creamy, gently tropical-toned palate; well textured. Good length balanced by quiet acidity. (TP)
89 CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES ST DAVID’S BENCH VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2014, ST DAVID’S BENCH ($19.95)
Offers up a lot of flavour for the price, notably from the oak spectrum. Cream, vanilla, apple, pear, spice and roasted nuts are built on a medium body. Lovely acidity and length. Pair with sea bass topped with a beurre blanc sauce. (ES)
89 DOMAINE DE GRAND PRÉ VINTNER’S RESERVE ORTEGA 2013, NOVA SCOTIA ($20) Floral scents together with citrus and stone fruit on the nose. Fresh peach, apricot and lemon-citrus flavours in the mouth, culminating with dry mineral, lively acidity and lingering fruit. (SW)
89 DOMAINE DE GRAND PRÉ VINTNER’S RESERVE RIESLING 2015, NOVA SCOTIA ($20)
Quite pale in the glass, with a shy floral note together with citrus and apple. Bright lemon-citrus flavour leads in the mouth with tingling acidity, dry mineral and a touch of crisp apple. A lean, stylish, varietally correct Riesling. (SW)
89 MISSION HILL RESERVE PINOT GRIS 2015, OKANAGAN ($20)
A super-concentrated Gris with a nose of melon, apple, peach, tangerine and ginger notes. It’s juicy and ripe on the palate with a range of orchard fruits, a pinch of spice and bright acidity on the finish. (RV) APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 53
NOTED 89 MISSION HILL RESERVE PINOT GRIS 2015, OKANAGAN ($22.95)
Pale straw in colour; minerally, peach-pit and lemon-peel nose. Medium-bodied, crisply dry, white peach and lemon flavours with a lively acidic finish. (TA)
89 TOWNSHIP 7 SEVEN STARS 2014, OKANAGAN ($30)
A Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay) bubbly that’s made in the traditional method and aged on the lees for 18 months. The nose shows lovely melon, brioche, biscuit, bright green apple, lime and mineral. Crisp, lively palate with pear, lemon and yeasty-bready notes on a refreshing finish. Tasty sparkler. (RV)
89 LEANING POST THE GEEK RIESLING 2014, NIAGARA ($35)
This is an unusual, wild-fermented Riesling that spends 2 years on the lees from the winery’s entire white wine production. Only 36 cases made. Nose is smoky with creamy and mineral-laden citrus/apple fruit and just a touch reductive. Under the creamy feel and sharp lemon-lime flavours is profound chalk and flintiness with bracing acidity and lime zest. (RV)
88 DOMAINE DE GRAND PRÉ SEYVAL BLANC 2013, NOVA SCOTIA ($17) Fragrant fresh green apple and citrus scents, with the same crisp fruit flavours carrying through on the clean, minerally dry palate. Finishing with bright acidity, this is my standard wine to pair with Nova Scotia oysters on the half-shell. (SW)
CHILE 88 MONTES TWINS WHITE BLEND 2015 ($11.95)
A blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Viognier with no specified region. Pale straw in colour with grassy nose of grapefruit and green plum; it’s light- to medium-bodied and dry with spicy, apple, guava and green-pepper flavours. It works well with grilled fish or goat cheese. (TA) 54 × @QUENCH_MAG × NEXT BIG THING ISSUE 2017
FRANCE 97 CAVE VINICOLE DE HUNAWIHR GRAND CRU OSTERBERG RIESLING 2013, AC ALSACE ($21.67)
Clear medium-deep lemon yellow. Intense and complex nose of mostly apricot and lime, but also caramel, quince, Granny Smith apple, cultured butter, pineapple, even a hint of strawberry. Full bodied with flavours of peaches, lemon and orange in perfect balance, and a long finish. Sublime. Can keep for several more years. (RL)*
94 CAVE VINICOLE DE HUNAWIHR GRAND CRU ROSACKER PINOT GRIS 2014, AC ALSACE ($21.67) Medium-deep brass colour. Apple aromas (Ambrosia and Granny Smith) with pineapple in the background. Full-bodied palate, lovely balance of sweet and tart with pear, caramel-apple and honey flavours. Good for a couple more years. (RL)*
93 CAVE VINICOLE DE HUNAWIHR LIEU-DIT SILBERBERG RIESLING 2014, AC ALSACE ($16.50)
Clear medium-deep lemon yellow. Complex nose starts with key lime, orange and mango aromas, then opens to peach, pineapple and a hint of old butter. Full bodied with excellent acidity, tasting of tangy lime and other citrus flavours along with stone fruits. Good for a couple more years. (RL)*
91 DOMAINE HUET LE HAUTLIEU 2014, VOUVRAY, LOIRE VALLEY ($44)
Pale yellow with grey reflections. Pear, honey and limestone notes are perceptible in the somewhat shy nose. Ripe fruity taste, intensified by the fine acidity. Mid-palate is fat, full and rich, leading to an intense finish. Built to last; wait 6 to 8 years and enjoy over the following decade. (GBQc)
90 ANDRÉ BLANCK & FILS ALTENBURG GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2015, ALSACE ($19.95) If you’re a Gewürztraminer fan, don’t miss this one. Golden straw in colour
with a spicy, lychee and rose-petal nose, it’s medium- to full-bodied, off-dry with sweetish melon and lychee flavours and lively, balancing acidity. Great with Asian cuisine or smoked salmon. (TA)
90 DOMAINE JEAN COLLET & FILS MONTMAINS CHABLIS 2014, BURGUNDY ($34.95)
Pale straw colour with a reductive nose of green apple and lemons; medium-bodied, crisply dry apple and lemon flavours with great length. Quintessential Chablis. (TA)
90 JEAN-PAUL & BENOIT DROIN CHABLIS 2015, AOC CHABLIS ($40) Since 1620, this winery has been passed from father to son without stopping. Benoît is the 14th generation, working with his father Jean-Paul on their 26 ha. This was fermented wild, aged on fine lees without any battonage, and spent 8 to 10 months in tank on the lees without battonage too. Youthful and juicy, tight still, with white asparagus, lemon peel, pear-skin grip, Asian pear crunch and river-stone minerality imbued with a herbal-lined leesiness giving mid-palate weight. As with all their wines, beautiful fluidity, even now in the tightness of youth. A Chablis that you can enjoy now or in a couple of years’ time (rare). (TR)
89 BOUCHARD PÈRE & FILS MAÇON-LUGNY ST PIERRE 2015, BURGUNDY ($17.95)
White Burgundy can be costly, but this is a good introduction to a versatile food wine. This budget-priced Burgundy is straw-coloured and medium-bodied with a bouquet of green pineapple and citrus fruit with thread of minerality. It’s the kind of wine you can match with chicken or fish because of the fresh acidity. (TA)
89 DOMAINE LAROCHE CHABLIS SAINT-MARTIN 2015, CHABLIS ($23)
A soft and approachable Chablis with a personality of citrus, honey, green apple, anise and mineral. There is great length and just the right amount of acidity, which allows it to pair perfectly with double-cream brie or asiago cheeses. (ES)
89 BOUCHARD PÈRE ET FILS 2015, MACON-LUGNY AC ST PIERRE ($24)
Opens with Burgundian style ripe apple with a whiff of hazelnut and light floral scent. Generous ripe apple flavours are delivered in an appetizing, leesy/creamy texture with deftly balanced acidity. Shows greater ripeness than the previous vintage and is the better for it. (SW)
88 CATTIN PINOT BLANC 2015, ALSACE ($15.95)
Good value here. Straw colour with a peachy-citrus nose augmented by a thread of minerality; medium-bodied, dry, peach flavour with a honeyed note and balancing acidity. (TA)
86 CHÉREAU-CARRÉ SUR LIE 2015, MUSCADET-SÈVRE ET MAINE AC ($18) Lean green apple and leesy notes play through in the mouth with dry, tart apple flavour softened by sur lie creaminess on the finish. (SW)
GERMANY 89 PETER & PETER ZELLER FEINHERB RIESLING 2015, MOSEL ($15) Feinherb is a relatively new German descriptor meaning “off-dry.” This example is light straw in colour with a spicy, minerally, floral nose of sweet limes; it’s light-bodied with a honeyed grapefruit flavour. Good value for the price. (TA)
ITALY 87 LAMBERTI SANTEPIETRE PINOT GRIGIO 2015 ($14) A nose of fresh white flowers, mineral, citrus and green apples. It’s delicious on the palate with flavours of crisp apple, citrus and subtle tropical fruits in a soft, pretty style. (RV)
NEW ZEALAND 90 VILLA MARIA CELLAR SELECTION SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015, MARLBOROUGH ($19.95) Very pale in colour, but don’t be fooled,
because its bouquet is intense and very characteristic of Marlborough Sauvignon. Elderberry, passionfruit and cut-grass aromas leap out of the glass, flavours that are replicated on the palate. Medium bodied, dry, elegant and precise: this is a beautifully balanced wine with great length and sensibly priced. (TA)
90 KUMEU RIVER ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2014, KUMEU ($45)
This is sourced from 6 vineyards in Kumeu and spends time in 20% new oak. The striking reductive edge classic of this winery is showing strong in this wine, still in youth. Whole-bunch pressed and wild-yeast fermented, this was entirely barrel fermented and through MLF before 11 months maturation in wood. Ample flint, stony spice, earthy lees, white asparagus and a flush of tangerine pith on the finish to tighten. Generous and broad, but kept bright with acidity, this structured wine has presence now, but will build with short-term cellaring. (TR)
89 NOBILO REGIONAL COLLECTION SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015, MARLBOROUGH ($18.99)
Lively aromatics unfold gooseberry, asparagus and grassy freshness. Tart gooseberry, mineral and brisk acidity leave the palate refreshed and satisfied. (SW)
88 MOUNT VERNON SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015, MARLBOROUGH ($14)
Clear medium-deep gold. Medium-intensity nose of passion fruit and gooseberry. Light bodied with lemon and lime flavours and tart acidity, with some herbal (sage?) notes in the background. Drink up. (RL)*
PORTUGAL 88 QUINTA DE CHOCAPALHA ARINTO 2015, VINHO REGIONAL LISBOA ($19)
Arinto is one of my favourite underdog grapes of northern Portugal: lemony, herbal, marine and lean. Here it shines in Lisbon, from an estate established in the 16th century. This is fermented cool in stainless steel, after which it spends 5 months on the lees to fill out the wine’s
thin frame. Light and fresh, with that hallmark herbal lemon and pithy grapefruit pervading the linear form. Sea salts season the brisk finish. A fruitier, livelier choice than Chablis, and just as at home with oysters or spot prawns. (TR)
SOUTH AFRICA 86 CLOOF BUSH VINES CHENIN BLANC 2016, WO COASTAL REGION ($9)
This Western Cape Chenin Blanc is tipped with 14% Sauvignon Blanc, diluting Chenin’s characteristic beauty and replacing it with a placeless white blend. Pear, yellow apple and white peach have a fine cushion of stony lees and a zippy acidity. Sour lemon throughout, to the short finish. A simple, stark white that is best chilled well and served with fresh, sweet spot prawns or scallops. (TR)
UNITED STATES 92 LA CREMA SONOMA COAST CHARDONNAY 2014, SONOMA ($30)
This Sonoma Coast offering shows an attractive nose of lemon, baked apple, ripe pear, butter, vanilla and sweet barrel spices. It’s open-knit on the palate with wonderful texture and a juicy core of creamy pear, apple, peach and elegant oak spices all lifted by zesty citrus notes on the finish. Lovely Chardonnay. (RV)
92 PAUL HOBBS CHARDONNAY 2014, RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY, SONOMA ($64.95)
Full-bodied and rich, this superb Chardonnay is concentrated with peach, honey, quince jam, fig paste, apple, citrus, spice, cream and vanilla. Long-lasting with a pop of bright acidity, which is the hallmark of the vintage. Lobster and butter, please! (ES)
91 PAUL HOBBS CHARDONNAY 2014, RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY, SONOMA ($64.95)
Medium straw colour with a spicy, toasty nose of caramel and tropical fruits. APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 55
NOTED Full-bodied, dry, rich and full on the palate; well-integrated oak with lively acidity and great length. (TA)
90 LA CREMA CHARDONNAY 2014, SONOMA ($29.95)
This stalwart of most Canadian wine stores is a creamy Chardonnay with a personality of citrus, green apple, peach, white flowers, honey, vanilla and spice. Excellent length with just the right amount of acidity. (ES)
90 ROBERT MONDAVI FUMÉ BLANC 2014, NAPA ($22.95)
Mostly Sauvignon Blanc with a dash of Sémillon. Citrus, lime, gooseberry, apricot and herbs come together in this crisp and elegant wine. Seared scallops all the way. (ES)
88 STONE VALLEY CHARDONNAY 2014, CALIFORNIA ($11.42)
Nice nose of pears, peaches and citrus with some herbal and spice notes. Full bodied; packed with fruit, especially peaches and lime flavours. Drink up. (RL)*
ROSÉ 89 DOMAINE LAURIGA ROSÉ 2016, AOP CÔTES CATALANES, ROUSSILLON, FRANCE ($19)
This Grenache Gris from Côtes Catalanes pours a gentle pale pink and continues the charm with delicate wild strawberries, roses and pear. Medium-bodied and elegant, the juicy palate is lined with herbal lees and finishes with a snap of zesty spice. Just off-dry. (TR)
RED ARGENTINA 91 TRAPICHE TERROIR SERIES FINCA AMBROSIA SINGLE VINEYARD MALBEC 2011, MENDOZA ($39.95) Dense purple colour; nose of ripe black
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cherry purée with peppery and vanilla/ oak notes. Medium to full bodied, dry, elegant, firmly structured and well balanced with a lovely mouthfeel. (TA)
hearty butternut squash/ragu ravioli. Alpha Box is a series of allocation-based wines from McLaren Vale that represent every letter of the alphabet. (TR)
89 SANTA JULIA MAGNA 2014, MENDOZA ($15.95)
88 PETER LEHMANN CLANCY’S 2014, BAROSSA VALLEY ($17.45)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Syrah. Dense purple in colour, the wine has a cedary, cherry nose; it’s medium-bodied and dry with richly extracted cherry and plum flavours, and balancing acidity. (TA)
89 LA MASCOTA CABERNET FRANC 2013, MENDOZA ($16.99)
Shows raisiny rich dark fruit with spicy and caramel notes together with a touch of fig. Smoothly rounded with good tannic and acid balance, it finishes with ripe dark fruit, spice and chocolate, culminating with dry tannic grip. An intriguing wine, well worth a try. (SW)
AUSTRALIA 90 YALUMBA THE GUARDIAN SHIRAZ/VIOGNIER 2010, EDEN VALLEY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA ($22)
This Eden Valley Shiraz is graced with 2.5% co-fermented Viognier. Sweetly spiced dark plums, chocolate-covered cherries, thorny bramble berry, cracked nutmegs and cloves fill the juicy, generous palate. Older leather plumps the palate, and plush, lightly tuggy tannins frame. Savoury Worcestershire lingers on the warm (14.5%) and spiced finish. Showing nice maturity and ready to drink now, especially with lamb and fennel sausages. (TR)
89 ALPHA BOX & DICE KIT & KABOODLE 2014, MCLAREN VALE ($28) Black cherry, leather, boysenberry, tobacco and peppercorns fill the voluminous palate of Kit & Kaboodle, a McLaren Vale and Langhorne Creek blend of Montepulciano, Cabernet Sauvignon and Barbera. An herbal mustard-seed edge from first sniff weaves throughout the juicy acidity, framed by pencil-shaving tannins. Bright and mouthwatering on the warming finish, this well-handled red calls out for
Dark ruby. Pleasant nose, fruity with a bit of sweet oak. No sweetness in the mouth though; balanced acidity, the slightly dry tannins are well wrapped in fruity extract. A very decent glass of unsophisticated red from down under. (GBQc)
88 PAXTON 2013 AAA SHIRAZ/ GRENACHE, MCLAREN VALE ($24)
Paxton is Australia’s leading producer of biodynamically farmed grapes, managing 300 acres of vines across McLaren Vale. Dark plum, cassis, potent anise, leather, black raspberry, twine and mustard-seed herbaceousness fill this juicy, generous blend of Shiraz and Grenache. Lifted acidity brightens, while McLaren Vale’s classic dark cocoa powdered tannins support. Dark florals linger on the warming finish. (TR)
87 PETER LEHMANN PORTRAIT SHIRAZ 2013, BAROSSA VALLEY ($19.95)
Full ruby. There is purity in the fruitiness and oak is well managed. Supple, medium- to full-bodied with a fine balance. Finish is a tad warm but full and dry. Ready to drink. (GBQc)
87 ALLIANCE WINE THE EXHIBITIONIST MERLOT 2014, SOUTH AUSTRALIA ($20)
Fresh dark fruit shows Merlot varietal plum together with redcurrant and earthy barnyard notes. Plummy primary fruit flavour, brash acidity and dry tannins need time to settle down. (SW)
CANADA 94 LAUGHING STOCK SYRAH 2014, OKANAGAN ($33.99) From the winery’s Osoyoos estate fruit, produced in a Côte-Rôtie style with 3%
Viogner, lifted red and dark berry notes with earthy meaty overtures of brooding black fruit. A pleasingly viscous and layered palate wrapped in juicy acidity, blackberry and cassis, with hints of pepper and anise over plush, velvet tannins and a lingering, spicy finish. (TP)
93 MIRABEL PINOT NOIR 2015, OKANAGAN ($70)
Inaugural, premium release from the owners of East Kelowna’s Reimer Vineyard (formerly bottled as vineyard-designate wines by Foxtrot and Meyer), farmed with organic practices. Lifted cherry and savoury hints on the nose followed by a delicately balanced palate with a definite nod to Burgundy that juxtaposes focused fruit with elegant structure; strawberry notes with a hint of spice, a distinctive mineral streak and well-managed new oak (11 1/2 months) as the wine evolves in the glass. (TP)
92 MISSION HILL RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013, OKANAGAN ($26)
well-structured palate buoyed by firm but approachable tannins and clean fruit tones. A touch of spicy oak, bramble, red berries and hint of bell pepper before a lingering full-fruit finish. (TP)
92 CASSINI NOBILUS MERLOT 2013, OKANAGAN ($40)
Generous red berries up front, dominated by raspberry and blackcurrant, precede a well-structured palate. Underpinned by approachable tannins wrapped in juicy acidity and vibrant fruit, enhanced by a broad mouthfeel with spice, cassis and mulberry through a generous finish, with good aging potential. (TP)
91 QUAILS’ GATE CAILLETEAU GAMAY NOUVEAU 2015, OKANAGAN ($19.50)
Lifted notes of crushed red berries such as raspberry and mulberry. On the palate: a juicy entry with pure Gamay expression but also substantial heft and surprising elegance, plus a touch of spice and pepper in the close. (TP)
What a gorgeous Okanagan Cab Sauv, so rich and fulsome with an attractive nose of blackberry, raspberry, bramble, currants, plums, saddle leather and barrel spices. It’s not overpowering on the palate and shows some elegance to go with lush and savoury dark fruits, ripe tannic structure and brightening acidity through a long finish. (RV)
91 BORDERTOWN CABERNET FRANC 2014, OKANAGAN ($24)
92 TOWNSHIP 7 VANESSA VINEYARD SYRAH 2014, OKANAGAN ($31)
Strawberry and raspberry nose with some earthy notes before a light- to medium-bodied palate displaying excellent fruit intensity with some charming savoury undertones; well-managed oak and approachable tannins through the close. (TP)
What a beauty! The nose rocks with classic smoked deli meat, bacon fat, blackcurrants, pepper, sage, bay leaves and Cuban cigar leaf. Good structure on the palate for this pure and complex Syrah that shows a meaty, peppery profile with well-integrated dark fruits and spice. (RV)
92 CASSINI CELLARS ARISTOCRAT CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013, OKANAGAN ($40) From select barrels, a varietally precise and elegant Cabernet defined by upfront cassis and mocha notes, followed by a
Forward aromas of red berry-fruits with an herbal touch before a fresh and lively palate of mulberry and spice with good mouthfeel, easy tannins and a lingering, supple finish. (TP)
91 SPIERHEAD PINOT NOIR 2015, OKANAGAN ($25)
91 CASSINI CELLARS QUATTRO 2012, OKANAGAN ($29)
A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah yields inviting red and black berries on the nose before a spicy, juicy entry to a broad, well-textured palate. Supple tannins, black pepper, ripe red fruit, raspberry hints and black pepper with good length. Excellent value. (TP)
91 SPIERHEAD SADDLE BLOCK PINOT NOIR 2015, OKANAGAN ($30)
Aromas of red berries, strawberry and raspberry with forest-floor hints precede a palate defined by juicy acidity. Well textured and quite broad with earthy undertones, supported by well-integrated tannins and some elegant schiste notes; a touch of spice in the finish. (TP)
91 TOWNSHIP 7 SYRAH 2014, OKANAGAN ($30.97)
The winery sourced fruit from Similkameen’s celebrated Vanessa Vineyard for this plush rendition of a textbook Syrah with black fruits and meaty notes on the nose before a palate of blackberry and white pepper, supple tannins and a lingering end. (TP)
91 LEANING POST THE FREAK UNFILTERED PINOT NOIR 2013, NIAGARA ($45)
Revel in the geekiness of this, the near-natural aspect of the wine, and the aliveness of it. It’s so interesting on the nose with strawberry, earth and funk to go with savoury spices, herbs, spices and subtle earthiness and barnyard notes. It’s ever-changing in the mouth with an array of wonderful meaty fruits, savoury spices, stewed herbs, loam and bright acidity. (RV)
90 BENCH 1775 CABERNET FRANC 2013, OKANAGAN ($27.90) Deep ruby in colour; cedary, red and blackcurrant aromas topped by a minty note; medium bodied, dry, reminiscent of Loirestyle Cabernet Franc. Well made with good length and nicely integrated oak. (TA)
90 TOWNSHIP 7 SPERLING VINEYARDS PINOT NOIR 15, OKANAGAN ($30) Inaugural release for Township 7 sources Pinot Noir from one of the Okanagan’s heritage vineyards, planted to various clones of Pinot in 2008. Cherry and earthy notes on the nose before a light- to medium-bodied palate with easy tannins and well-managed oak. (TP)
89 FORT BERENS MERITAGE 2014, BC ($24)
Another blend of Lillooet and Okanagan fruit that shows a smoky, spicy nose of APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 57
NOTED cherry, raspberry, currants and earthy bits. Medium-bodied palate with a bold array of ripe fruit, integrated spice and lifted acidity to everything vibrant through the finish. (RV)
89 HENRY OF PELHAM PINOT NOIR ESTATE 2012, SHORT HILLS BENCH ($24.95)
Supple, maturing and ready to drink, this Pinot exhibits cherry fruit, graphite, beet root, truffle, spice and dried earth. Beautiful length and a perfect fit with a duck terrine. (ES)
89 SOUTHBROOK ORGANIC TRIOMPHE PINOT NOIR 2015, NIAGARA ($29.95)
Starts off with a burst of ripe cherry fruit, followed by red flowers and earth. Suave tannins and fresh acidity make for a magical pairing with braised short ribs and root vegetables. (ES)
89 NK’MIP CELLARS QWAM QWMT PINOT NOIR 2015, OKANAGAN ($29.99)
Medium garnet in the glass with aromas of lifted berries, strawberry and spice notes, followed by a medium-bodied palate; firm acidity, good structure with some earthy notes and cedar hints. (TP)
88 SOUTHBROOK ORGANIC TRIOMPHE CABERNET FRANC 2015, NIAGARA ($21.95)
A mid-weight Franc with a bouquet of cassis, black raspberry, herbs, violets and spice. The palate is linear with elevated acidity and fine tannins. Drink over the next 5 years. Contains 15% Merlot. (ES)
CHILE 90 MAYCAS DEL LIMARI RESERVE ESPECIAL PINOT NOIR 2014, LIMARI ($19.95) This delicious Pinot is deep ruby in colour with a smoky, spicy, toasty nose of black cherries and a funky note. It’s medium bodied, dry and fruity, well
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structured with ripe tannins and a lively spine of acidity. Serve it with duck breast or grilled salmon (yes, it works with salmon). (TA)
89 ARBOLEDA CARMÉNÈRE 2014, ACONCAGUA VALLEY ($19.95) Dense purple colour. Cedary, blackcurrant nose with graphite and herbal notes; richly extracted fruit flavours, medium to full body, dry, blackcurrant flavour. (TA)
FRANCE 95 20 MILLE JEAN-PHILIPPE JANOUEIX 2010, AOC BORDEAUX SUPÉRIEUR ($47.83)
Clear very deep garnet. Aromas open with ripe strawberry jam and cedar wood, then turn to black cherry and prune with a little time in the glass. Dense fruit on the palate: blackberry and chokecherry. Full bodied with juicy acidity, just the right levels of tannins, and a long finish with slightly hot alcohol from the warm vintage year. Will last another year or 2. (RL)*
94 20 MILLE JEAN-PHILIPPE JANOUEIX 2009, AOC BORDEAUX SUPÉRIEUR ($51.33)
Opaquely deep garnet. Appealing and robust nose of cassis, raisins and vanilla from oak. High-ish acidity detracts slightly from the blackberry and sour cherry flavours on the palate. Medium bodied with a long finish. Tannins still present but the fruit is tipping over: best now. (RL)*
93 MANOIR GRIGNON CABERNET SAUVIGNON/SYRAH 2013, IGP PAYS D’OC ($11.25)
Clear medium-deep garnet. Muscular nose of blueberries, raisins, violets and mocha. Palate is packed with cherries, blackberries and cranberries with slightly bitter herbal overtones on the long finish. The alcohol is a bit hot, but the acidity is excellent. Drink now, while still blousily beautiful. Good value. (RL)*
90 CHÂTEAU LA NÉGLY LA CÔTE 2012, LANGUEDOC LA CLAPE ($20.35)
Ruby purplish. Complex nose of red and black berries, red meat, dried garrigue herbs and spicy notes. Full-bodied ripefruit taste, velvety texture with a slight graininess in the background and a powerful finish. This is built to last 10 years. Starting with the 2015 vintage, La Clape is an official AOC and no longer a “village” of the larger Languedoc appellation. (GBQc)
89 ABBOTTS & DELAUNAY ALTO STRATUS 2013, LANGUEDOC ($24.95)
Full ruby. Seductive nose with floral notes, red and black fruits; oak is well dosed. Nicely fresh palate with a good balance even if the tannins are a bit sharp at this stage. Finish is dry and firm. Give it 1 to 2 years to mellow the tannic edge. (GBQc)
89 FAMILLE PERRIN LES CHRISTINS VACQUEYRAS 2013, RHÔNE ($24.95)
From the ever-dependable Perrin family. A dense purple wine with a herbal, blackberry bouquet lifted with an iodine note and oak aromas; medium to full bodied, dry, elegant and firmly structured with juicy black-plum flavours. (TA)
89 CHÂTEAU BEAUMONT 2010, HAUT-MÉDOC AC ($28)
Characteristic Merlot dark plum and earthiness on the nose with Cabernet-like blackcurrant flavours chiming in more on the palate. Has good depth of fruit and solid structure but, like most 2010 Cru Classé reds, it needs 3 to 5 years additional cellaring. (SW)
89 LAURENT COMBIER CROZES-HERMITAGE 2015, RHÔNE VALLEY ($29.20)
Ruby-purplish. Characteristic nose of blackberries, smoke and a floral hint. There is lush fruit and nice freshness in the mouth while the grippy tannins provide the required firmness for a full-bodied wine that is enjoyable now with red meat but can be stored for up to 5 years. (GBQc)
Though still a bit closed, this one reveals generous dark fruit scents with overtones of cedar and cinnamon. Bright blackcurrant and plum flavours are somewhat overshadowed by sharp acidity and stiff tannic bite. A good wine from a fine vintage that will be slow to come around. (SW)
are increasingly seeing the dry version, also very interesting. This one includes 20% of Carignan; it offers a dark ruby colour, a rich nose of black fruits, anise and liquorice. Generously tannic but not aggressively so; the emphasis is on the ripe fruity taste. Finish is lifted by acidity and the alcohol is well under control. (GBQc)
88 FERRATON PÈRE ET FILS SAMORËNS CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2014 ($14.95)
88 CLOS BAGATELLE VEILLÉE D’AUTOMNE 2013, ST-CHINIAN, LANGUEDOC ($20.05)
89 CHÂTEAU BELLEVUE 2010, LUSSAC-ST-ÉMILION AC ($40)
A great-value petit Rhône blend that serves up black pepper, lilac, cassis, plum, black olive. Medium body with very good length, soft tannins and ready to open with pasta or pizza. (ES)
88 CHÂTEAU DE GOURGAZAUD RÉSERVE 2013, MINERVOIS LA LIVINIÈRE, LANGUEDOC ($17.95)
Ruby purplish. Ripe red berries and soft oak notes combine in an inviting nose. Rich fruity taste, soft texture and full body. There is a good balance in spite of the acidity that makes the tannins a bit edgy in the finish. Drink or hold 2 to 3 years. (GBQc)
88 GÉRARD BERTRAND GRAND TERROIR LES ASPRES SYRAH/ MOURVÈDRE/GRENACHE 2013, CÔTES DU ROUSSILLON ($18.95)
The wine is deep ruby-purple in colour, offering a savoury-herbal nose of blackberries and liquorice with oak notes; it’s medium- to full-bodied, dry, with a velvety mouthfeel and flavours of blackberry, black raspberry and vanilla oak carried on fresh acidity to a finish of ripe tannins. (TA)
88 CHATEAU TOUR CARMAIL 2011, HAUT-MÉDOC ($19.80)
This well-priced Left Bank Bordeaux features classic aromas of cassis, raspberry, herbs, tobacco, graphite, anise and vanilla. It possesses a medium body and very good length. Drink or hold for a couple of years. Serve with charcuterie or steak. (ES)
88 DOMAINE CAZES CASTELL D’AGLY 2014, MAURY, ROUSSILLON ($19) Maury is known for its sweet, fortified red wines made from Grenache, but we
Ruby-purplish. Sun-drenched black berries, spicy oak and earthy notes fill the glass. Full bodied; the grainy tannins and firm acidity may surprise but the fruity taste is equally intense. Very expressive now; a couple of years in the cellar will round off its angles. (GBQc)
88 CHÂTEAU DE PARENCHÈRE 2012, BORDEAUX SUPÉRIEUR AC ($24.99)
Deeply concentrated colour, with tannic astringency on the nose partially obscuring dark plum and blackberry fruit. Shows similar profile in the mouth, as sooty tannins overshadow black fruit. Concentrated fruit and solid structure are in place, but needs a lot more time in the cellar (4 to 5 years). (SW)
ITALY 93 I CASTEI CAMPO CASALIN AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2012, VENETO ($51.95)
From a top vintage and producer comes this Amarone that doles out plum, cherry, raspberry, vanilla cinnamon, raisin and garam masala. Full bodied with 15.5% alcohol, it is balanced, concentrated and long-lasting. It will age well for a decade. (ES)
92 SARTORI CORTE BRÀ AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2009, VENETO ($49.95) Starting to hit a sweet spot, this maturing Amarone reveals plum/prune, sweet cherry, leather, spice and cocoa. Brawny with a great finale. Will age gracefully for many more years. (ES)
92 ARIANNA OCCHIPINTI IL FRAPPATO 2014, IGT TERRE SICILIANE, SICILY ($50)
Herbal, perfumed woodsy flowers; this biodynamic Frappato is from 50- to 60-year-old vines grown on Sicilian sands and chalk at 280 m altitude. 70% of the wine is macerated for 2 months on its skins, while the other 30% stayed on its skins for 8 months. It was aged 14 months in large 25 hl Slavonian oak barrels before a 1-month stint in the bottle before being bottled unfiltered. An herbal earthy and salty cut lures you into this light-bodied, expressive and beguilingly floral red, one held riveted with fine but ample grippy tannins. Frappato’s florals abound: iris, lilac, blue plum, sap and sweet salami lead the textural, rock-dust palate to the salty mushroom boullion on the finish. Even better the 2nd day, this intriguing wine is one for adventurous drinkers to return to again and again. (TR)
92 GIACOSA VIGNA MANDORLO BAROLO 2010, PIEDMONT ($53.95) Just starting to hit its stride. Shows an evolved colour and classic aromas of cherry, prune, rose, liquorice and spice. Full bodied with tannins that will ensure another 15 years of life ahead, at least. (ES)
89 LUCA FERRARIS MARTIN AGRICOLA 2015, BARBERA D’ASTI DOCG ($20.49)
Generous dark cherry, plum and spicy scents pave the way for good varietal bitter dark-cherry flavours with dry but approachable tannins and appetizing acidity. Barbera as it should be. (SW)
89 LA VITE LUCENTE 2014, TOSCANA IGT ($34.95)
A Merlot dominant blend with Sangiovese and Cab acting as the backstop. Medium body with blackberry, cherry, spice, earth and tobacco notes. Fine length and ready to drink. (ES)
88 MASI BONACOSTA 2015, VALPOLICELLA DOC CLASSICO ($16.99)
Classic Valpolicella cherry, herbal and spicy character with agreeable APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 59
NOTED sour-cherry bite, light tannic grip and appetizing acidity. An always-reliable pairing for tomato-and-cheese-based Italian dishes. (SW)
88 CORTE OTTONE RISERVA 2013, DOC BRINDISI, PUGLIA ($19)
Brindisi is a port city within the wine region of Puglia, where Negroamaro is king. The black grape makes up the majority of this full-bodied blend, along with Malvasia Nera and Sangiovese. Dense vanilla, smoked wood, subtle cloves colour the super-ripe black fruit. Thick in the mouth, but easily propped up by supple, sweet tannins. Dark chocolate cherries linger on the spicy and warming finish, even though this is a pleasantly surprising 13% alcohol. This is drinking well now (with rich ragu) but will merge some of the rough edges with additional time in bottle. (TR)
88 NICOLIS ANGELO SECCAL RIPASSO CLASSICO SUPERIORE 2012, VALPOLICELLA, VENEZIA ($25.25)
Dark ruby. Thyme and other fine herbs notes hover over ripe black berry fruits. Sharp acidity, energetic mid-palate with generous, chunky fruit. Easy tannins to match. Tired of winter? A glass of this will light up your day. (GBQc)
87 LA MURA NATURA 2014, SICILIA ORGANIC ROSSO IGT ($13.99) Made from indigenous, organically grown Nero d’Avola grapes, this easy-to-like medium-weight red shows fleshy and spicy ripe red fruit scents with raspberry and blackberry kicking in on the palate. Balanced acidity and just enough tannic grip round out the picture. Drink with pasta or pizza. (SW)
86 CITRA MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO 2015, ABRUZZO ($7.95) Deep purple-ruby colour showing an earthy, creamy, cherry nose with herbal notes. Light- to medium-bodied palate; dry, sour-cherry flavour that finishes on dark chocolate and graphite notes with some bitterness. (TA)
60 × @QUENCH_MAG × NEXT BIG THING ISSUE 2017
NEW ZEALAND
SPAIN
90 SCHUBERT BLOCK B PINOT NOIR 2013, WAIRARAPA ($50)
91 SEÑORIO DE P. PECIÑA RESERVA 2009, RIOJA ($29.95)
From the North Island’s Wairarapa Valley, this Pinot Noir was de-stemmed and fermented into stainless for 3 weeks of maceration before moving to French barriques for 18 months (40% new). Brick in hue, this generous Pinot leads with autumn forest and moss into sun-ripe cherry and black raspberry, mustard-seed herbaceousness, fine pepper and cinnamon spicing, and a subtle tar-lined, fleshy palate. Fine, grainy tannins frame the whole to a warm (14.5 declared) smoky finish. This packed Kiwi Pinot will stand up to smoked pork ribs. (TR)
89 SERESIN ESTATE MOMO PINOT NOIR 2014, MARLBOROUGH ($19)
Ruby coloured, the wine has an earthy-leathery nose of raspberries with a spicy oak note; it’s medium bodied, dry and fresh with a lively raspberry flavour and a firm tannic structure. Beautifully balanced, and perfect for duck breast or veal. (TA)
88 YEALANDS ESTATE LAND MADE PINOT NOIR 2014, MARLBOROUGH ($21.85)
Pale ruby. Ripe but typical Pinot Noir nose of small red fruits, touches of oak and earth. There is an additional hint of fruit stones in the taste. Supple, light-bodied, easy-drinking, even quaffing but still a good-quality Pinot Noir to be enjoyed with a simple grilled salmon steak. (GBQc)
PORTUGAL 89 QUADRUS RED 2010, DOURO VALLEY ($19.95)
A blend of the port grapes Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Souzão, made by Casa Agricola Carm in the Upper Douro. Dense purple-black in colour, it shows a cedary, plum and blackcurrant nose lifted with oak spice; medium- to full-bodied, it’s dry and savoury with black-fruit flavours and balancing acidity. (TA)
An obvious old-school Rioja with strawberry, stewed plums, coconut, red flowers, stewed tomatoes and cedar. Excellent length and ready to go. (ES)
91 FAUSTINO I GRAN RESERVA 2004, RIOJA ($34.95)
2004 was a superb vintage, and this has translated to a medium- to full-bodied wine with dried fruit, leather, tomato concentrate, cedar, mint and game qualities. Excellent length with sound tannins still. Pair with lamb chops. (ES)
90 BODEGAS FAUSTINO MARTINEZ FAUSTINO 1 GRAN RESERVA 2004, RIOJA ($34.95)
This Tempranillo-based red is deep purple in colour, holding well for a 12-yearold wine. Cedary-sandalwood notes of oak mingle with strawberries and pencil-lead notes on the nose. Medium-bodied and dry, it’s beautifully balanced with lively acidity and a firm structure. (TA)
88 GARNACHAS DE ESPAGÑA LA GARNACHA SALVAJE DEL MONCAYO 2014, VINO DE LA TIERRA RIBERA DEL QUEILES, MONCAYO ($20)
This is old bush vine Garnacha at altitude, from the mountains of Moncayo, in Aragon and northern Navarre. Winemaker Raúl Acha seeks out vineyards around Spain that best reflect the true essence of Garnacha. Medium bodied and succulent, with raspberry, forest berries, earthy tobacco on a generous strawberry-jam core. Fine spicing and very grippy black pepper on the warm finish. This spent 5 months in oak. (TR)
88 TRIUMVIRAT 2009, DOQ PRIORAT ($30.17)
Clear medium-deep garnet. Forward nose of blueberry jam, seared meat, caramel, a hint of varnish. On the palate, there are ripe but tart, fresh-tasting mashed berries with earthy herbal notes. In the tradition
of wine from this region, it has plenty of alcohol. Drink now, won’t get better. (RL)*
UNITED STATES
fruit-driven Zin with a soft and succulent texture, and of course, 15.5% alcohol. Dark and red fruit jam, raisins, black tea and spice gush from the glass. A hedonistic wine in the truest sense. (ES)
93 CLIFF LEDE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013, STAGS LEAP DISTRICT, NAPA ($114.95)
88 JOEL GOTT 815 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013, CALIFORNIA ($25)
This is a powerful and dense Napa Cab with boatloads of crème de cassis, dark cherry, violets, mint, graphite. The palate boasts sweet fruit and enough tannins to age 20 years. Top-notch juice! (ES)
92 AUSTIN HOPE SYRAH 2013, PASO ROBLES ($40.95)
A big and brash Syrah that clocks in with 15.5% alcohol, a thick texture and intense flavours of dark plum, blackberry, black cherry, balsamic, spice and cocoa. Long finish. (ES)
92 CLIFF LEDE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013, NAPA ($114.95)
Dense purple-black in colour with a cedary, blackcurrant nose backed by evident oak (at the moment); full-bodied, dry, richly extracted plum and blackcurrant flavours; beautifully balanced with an engaging note of bitterness on the finish. (TA)
91 STONESTREET CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012, SONOMA ($53.95)
Dense purple-black in colour with a spicy, cedary, blackcurrant bouquet; full-bodied, dry and concentrated flavours of cassis, plum and mocha chocolate finishing on a pencil-lead note. A keeper. (TA)
90 FRANCISCAN ESTATE MAGNIFICAT 2013, NAPA ($58) A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Dense purple in colour with a spicy, cedary, blackcurrant nose backed by vanilla oak; medium- to full-bodied, dry, elegant, firmly structured plum and blackcurrant flavours with a tannic lift on the finish. Hold for 5 years. (TA)
89 BIG SMOOTH OLD VINES ZINFANDEL 2014, LODI/ SONOMA/NAPA ($24.95) The name says it all: this is a big,
A multi-appellation blend that delivers plum, dark cherry, spice, vanilla and cocoa. It provides immediate gratification with its upfront personality but can go another 5 years in the cellar, if you so chose. (ES)
DESSERT 94 ALVEAR SOLERA 1927 PEDRO XIMENEZ, MONTILLA-MORILES, SPAIN ($19.95/375 ML)
The Pedro Ximenez grape is produced in a solera that was laid down in 1927. Every year, they take an amount of wine from the bottom row of barrels and top them up with wine from barrels above. This dessert wine is a deep caramel colour with an olive green rim. It has a nose of brown sugar and fig jam with a full-bodied flavour of sweet raisins and figs, and balancing acidity. (TA)
93 TAYLOR FLADGATE 1967 VERY OLD SINGLE HARVEST PORT, DOURO VALLEY, PORTUGAL ($250)
Taylor’s boasts extensive reserves of very old cask-aged Tawny Ports, and as of 1964, have released a series of 50-year-old Tawnies from a single vintage (Colheita). Still potent up front, with salted marzipan, orange, whisky and wood tannins more strident and firm on the palate than in previous Colheitas. Carmelized orange, singed brown sugar, butterscotch, raisins, honeycomb and pecans finish with great length and a fiery warmth. (TR)
92 MESSIAS 20 YEAR OLD TAWNY PORT, DOURO, PORTUGAL ($70)
Subtle aromas of toffee and caramel with hints of dried fruits; medium bodied with a touch of nuttiness, spice
and coffee. Concentrated with wonderful balance and a persistent finish. Don’t wait for the end of dinner to open this bottle. (GB)
92 MESSIAS 40 YEAR OLD TAWNY PORT, DOURO, PORTUGAL ($150)
Amber in colour. Intense, complex and unctuous with vibrant ripe citrus, dried fig, toffee and wild herb flavours, accented by notes of mocha and cocoa powder, brandy-soaked cherries and a bright finish of orange peel and caramel. (GB)
92 QUINTA DO PORTAL LBV PORT 2012, DOURO, PORTUGAL ($24.95)
This LBV easily matches and bests Vintage Ports, which are double or triple the price. From the fabulous 2011 vintage, this wine possesses an opaque black/purple colour and a profile of damson plum, kirsch, chocolate, mint and spice. Approachable now, but has the stuffing to improve over the next decade. If you are a port lover, do not miss this opportunity! (ES)
90 MESSIAS 30 YEAR OLD TAWNY PORT, DOURO, PORTUGAL ($105)
Amber-ish in colour, elegant, with lively acidity, flavours of hazelnut, spice and citrus rind; a firm and full texture and long finish with a touch of heightened alcohol. (GB)
89 MESSIAS 10 YEAR OLD TAWNY PORT, DOURO, PORTUGAL ($44) Rich and fruity, with roasted plum, fig, wild raspberry and dark cherry flavours, spice and a lifted, mouthfilling finish. (GB)
88 FONSECA SIROCO DRY WHITE PORTO NV, DOURO VALLEY, PORTUGAL ($16.50)
An alternative to Chip Dry (and my preferred white port) for Porto Tonicos. This dry white Port opens with a nice cut of citrus, orange and lemon pith. A fine vibrance and snappy acidity on the gently citrus-sweet palate. A blend of Malvasia Fina, Gouveio, Viosinho, Rabigato and Arinto. (TR) APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 61
NOTED 88 MESSIAS LATE BOTTLED VINTAGE PORT 2012, DOURO, PORTUGAL ($29)
Ruby red and rich with bright blackberry, dark currant and plum flavours. Plenty of grip and concentration, and a long, rich finish. (GB)
BEER SKA BREWING MODUS MANDARINA IPA, COLORADO, UNITED STATES ($9.99/6-PACK)
Debuting in 2015, this made-in-Colorado IPA is dry-hopped with a new “it” hop varietal — Mandarina Bavaria — named for its tangerine and citrus aromas. To take the orange character into hyperdrive, the brewer added orange peel. The result is a deep amber-hued ale that smells as if you just peeled a fresh mandarin orange with waves of tangerine and dank pine notes cascading along the tongue, building to a lengthy bitter finish. The full-bodied, citrusy beauty pairs with tangy tamarind coconut curries, Peking duck, pad Thai, grilled meats with a citrus marinade and dark chocolate. (CL)
SCRATCH BREWING CO SINGLE TREE HICKORY, ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES ($15/500 ML)
Walk 5 miles outside of Shawnee National Forest in Illinois and you’ll stumble upon one of the most picturesque places to drink beer in the world: Scratch Brewing Company. Nestled among the forest, the small brewery forages ingredients from the land — hickory, oyster mushrooms, marigolds — and often ferments with a funky, wild house yeast culture. The effect mesmerizes the senses: the Single Tree Hickory has aromas of olive brine with hickory smoke and a Flanders red-like tang on the palate. Rustic and complex, it actually tastes like a tree. But it goes deeper, with a flavour that captures a distinct memory of a day spent outdoors. Scratch’s beers are rare, often only available at the brewery and select bottle shops — but worth the effort. (CL) 62 × @QUENCH_MAG × NEXT BIG THING ISSUE 2017
HENDERSON’S BEST, TORONTO, ONTARIO ($5.95/650 ML)
This English Pale Ale pours a brilliant amber with a long-lasting tan head. Its digestive biscuit and caramel notes move back and forth between sweet malts and a leafy English hop bitterness, all washed down on a silky, gently carbonated body. The firmly bitter finale caps things off perfectly. Try it with a cheese plate, roast chicken or fish and chips. (CL)
KICHESIPPI WUCHAK BLACK, OTTAWA, ONTARIO ($2.85/473 ML) This Black IPA drinks like an ‘80s hockey haircut, in the very best way — the hops party is in the front (in the aroma) while the smooth coffee roast and pleasing astringency make up the back. This made-in-Ottawa brew strikes the perfect balance between roasted coffee and citrusy grapefruit. Awarded a gold medal at the 2013 World Beer Championships. (CL)
BELLWOODS BREWERY FARMAGGEDON, TORONTO, ONTARIO ($6.95/500 ML)
Now on Batch #11, Bellwoods’ beloved Farmaggedon Saison changes with each iteration due to the barrels selected for blending (usually aged for 6 months or more) and the mix of microflora at work. If you think Brettanomyces is about “souring” the beer, this beauty, where at least 2 different strains of Brett are in play, will prove you wrong. Expect notes of white grape, cherry, lemon and florals with a signature barnyard funk (hay, wet wool, leather). (CL)
NICKEL BROOK BREWERY HEAD STOCK IPA, ONTARIO ($3.10/473 ML)
One of Ontario’s oldest craft breweries has slowly reinvented the recipe of its IPA to align with beer nerd’s palates: swapping out the hops for brighter, citrusy American and Aussie varietals, and adding them into the beer at the very end of the brewing process to build to an explosive nose of mango and pineapple riding on a sip of pine and caramel.
Worth revisiting if you haven’t tasted it in a while. (CL)
UNIBROUE À TOUT LE MONDE SEASON ALE, QUEBEC ($9.95)
Yellow/pale-brown tint with the characteristic haziness of beers that were aged on lees. Fresh notes of hops hit your nose first followed by herbs (mostly coriander) and light caramel notes. Light taste and body, with its medium bitterness (IBU=22), it is an ideal companion to salty snacks. Nicknamed “Megadeth,” it was created after brewmaster Jerry Vietz met and was inspired by guitarist/singer Dave Mustaine. (GBQc)
UNIBROUE LUNE DE MIEL AMBER ALE, QUEBEC ($9.95/750 ML)
Hazy, light amber colour. Generous and lasting foam. Gentle spicy notes mix well with hops aromas complemented by touches of honey, lilac and wild flowers. A hint of manure develops in the glass. Very tasty, it feels fresh but the strong alcohol (9%) is also perceived. The light finish provides a nice contrast. (GBQc)
BOXING ROCK BREWING CO SESSIONISTA SESSION ALE, NOVA SCOTIA ($5.20/650 ML) Medium amber colour with toasty coffee-like aromas and contrasting sweet fruitiness and quite bitter flavours on the palate. (SW)
NORTH BREWING CO GLENORA BARREL-AGED STRONG DARK BELGIAN, HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA ($11.50/650 ML)
Aging in malt whisky barrels from Cape Breton’s Glenora Distillery has added complexity to this deep, dark amber brew. It offers soft red fruit and dark chocolate on the nose and rich fruit cake/liqueur/ chocolate flavours, finishing with whisky-infused dry oakiness. Hugely flavourful but deftly balanced. (SW)
NORTH BREWING CO/BENJAMIN BRIDGE SAISON DE PINOT 2016, NOVA SCOTIA ($18/750ML) A collaboration between gifted Hali-
fax-based craft brewer North Brewing and celebrated Gaspereau Valley winery Benjamin Bridge, this highly distinctive brew uses a significant percentage of Pinot Noir must from the winery in the wort. The result is a cloudy, reddish-amber brew with appealing red berry and cherry on the nose, and a hint of barnyard Brett. Flavour tastes like a hybrid between wine and beer, showing red fruit and zingy spritz, finishing quite dry with a touch of sour cherry. It vaguely resembles the style of wild yeastcharged Belgian lambic beer. Though the idea was apparently pioneered by northern Italian brewers who came from wine-making families, this may be the first beer of its kind made in Canada (see page 22). (SW)
PROPELLER BREWERY INDIA PALE ALE, HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA ($4.15/473 ML)
Hazy blond colour with floral hoppy scent and creamy/nutty malt aromas. Initial dried-fruit sweetness shifts to nutty malt flavour with judicious hoppy bitterness. Unlike many IPAs, this one is not excessively hopped, but is well balanced and characterful. (SW)
BEAU’S ALL-NATURAL BREWING COMPANY LUG-TREAD LAGERED ALE, ONTARIO ($5.49/600 ML)
Light blond in colour and opens with bitter nutty aroma and flavours nicely balanced between light fruitiness and savoury malt. Texture is pleasantly creamy with mild hoppy bitterness on the finish. Easy-drinking summer brew. (SW)
L HUYGHE FAMILY BREWERY DELIRIUM TREMENS EXTRA STRONG BEER, BELGIUM ($6/330 ML)
Shows attractively soft, creamy and persistent head, hazy blond colour with soft aromas of fruit spice and agreeable yeastiness. Robust, but very smooth, dried citrus-fruit flavour seems mild in alcohol until it suddenly creeps up on you. Finishes with the merest touch of bitterness. Excellent cool-weather brew. (SW)
BENEDIKTINER ORIGINAL BAVARIAN STYLE LAGER, GERMANY ($3.29/500 ML)
Fruity malt aroma with yeasty and
lightly hoppy scents give way to fruity and malty flavours. Pleasant, gentle hoppy bitterness in the mouth. Will appeal to most palates and dinner choices. (SW)
CIDER POMMIES FARMHOUSE, ONTARIO ($3.10/473 ML)
This effervescent, medium-sweet cider is your new Prosecco. A light bouquet of lemon, lime and minerality tickles the nose leading to a sweet-tart citrus flavour with a light kiss of apple. Made with a dry, peppery saison beer yeast. (CL)
SHINY APPLE CIDER, NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE ($3.25/473 ML)
Apple skins lead the nose and are supported by soft baking spices. On the palate, ripe and juicy Red Delicious apple sweetness and a cinnamon-heart candy kick are kept from being cloying thanks to lemony acidity. (CL)
COUNTY CIDER A TORTURED PATH CIDER, PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY ($8/500 ML)
Inspired by ciders from Somerset, UK and made from bitter-sharp, bittersweet apples blended with Golden Russet apples with 6.5% abv. The nose shows funky/earthy baked apple notes, subtle spice and cinnamon with a soft mousse. It shows complexity on the palate with creamy apple, depth of flavour, spice notes and brilliant acidity to give it freshness through the finish. (RV)
COUNTY CIDER GOLDEN RUSSET CIDER, PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY ($17)
A gentle but persistent bead in the glass with a nose of apple pie, cream, toast, a touch of citrus and even a note of tropical fruit. It’s crisp and bright on the palate with forward green apple and a smidge of citrus-lemon all bolstered by brilliant, mouth-watering acidity in a perfectly dry style. Cut up a piece of sour cherry cheesecake. (RV)
WEST AVENUE BARRETT FULLER’S SECRET CIDER 2013, ONTARIO (PRICE VARIES) A softer, mellower cider — that’s what barrel aging in Kentucky bourbon oak barrels for 2.5 years does — with a gentle bead in the glass. Nose of bin apple, pie crust, touch of marmalade character and barrel notes of vanilla and spice. Lovely texture on the palate, a bit of a whisky thang going on, joined to mature apple and a range of spice notes. (RV)
REVEL CIDER VALENCIA’S BERET CIDER, ONTARIO (PRICE VARIES)
This is a blend of Valencia oranges, Citra hops and apples. The nose shows a rich and sharp mix of marmalade, spiced apple, hops and ginger. On the palate, the tasty apple and orange rind/ marmalade notes intermingle with spruce needle in a crisp, hoppy style carried on a gentle bead. Completely cerebral and delicious! (RV)
PELLER NO BOATS ON SUNDAY CIDER, NOVA SCOTIA ($4/500 ML) A decent starter cider at a good price from Andrew Peller made from Nova Scotia apples with a nose of fresh apples and lightly spritzed. It fills the mouth with McIntosh apple flavours in an almost-still style after the bubbles quickly disappear on the palate. There is sweetness here along with apple goodness but could use a little more zippy acidity. (RV)
KW CRAFT CIDER, ONTARIO ($14.30/4-PACK)
One of the driest craft ciders readily available in Ontario grocery and liquor stores comes from Kitchener-Waterloo’s only cidery, founded in 2014. Reminiscent of an off-dry Riesling with aromas of white lily and apple, and a bright flavours of wet stone and zingy citrus. (CL)
ERNEST DRY CIDER, ONTARIO ($3.25/473 ML)
Wife and husband team, Michelle and Steve Faris, make this Aurora-born cider with a touch of honey from a Halton family farm. Full-bodied sparkler dripping with notes of rich dessert apples, pie crust and a refreshing hit of acidity. (CL) APRIL 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 63
DAVINE BY GURVINDER BHATIA
BEING RESOLVED Most people tend to make resolutions on New Year’s Day, but if you think about it, most resolutions are things that we should be doing anyway, regardless of the time of year — waiting until the drop of the ball at midnight is simply an excuse to procrastinate. So, although it’s still early in the year, here are some wine resolutions to help you better enjoy the juice, but please don’t wait until the next new year to give them a go.
DRINK SOMETHING NEW
There are over 1,000 grape varieties used to make wine in the world, yet most people only drink wine made from the two or three grapes within their comfort zone. There is too much variety in the world and too many great wines being produced to limit yourself in this way. To make it relatively easy to stick to this resolution, each month resolve to drink a wine made with a grape that you’ve never had before. You can cover a lot of grape varieties by drinking wines from Italy and Portugal, which collectively grow over 800 genetically identified varieties. These countries 64 × @QUENCH_MAG × NEXT BIG THING ISSUE 2017
also produce some of the best-value wines on the planet.
DRINK HEALTHIER
I’ve addressed this on numerous occasions, but the issue warrants attention. Avoid wines with an abundance of added sugar. They don’t taste better, they aren’t always cheaper, they’re not good for you and there are too many better-tasting, inexpensive, quality options on the market. For the majority of people who think that it’s the sulphites that are giving you the headache, it’s more likely the sugar-laden wines that you are drinking (it could also be the histamines).
RAISE YOUR THRESHOLD LEVEL FOR WINES TO $15 $10 for a decent bottle of wine is not a reasonable expectation. With the cost
of production, shipping, taxes and the tiered system of importers and retailers, it is not reasonable to expect to get more than a handful of decent bottles for $10 (depending on the province you live in, it may not be reasonable to expect to get any decent bottles for $10). For just a few dollars more, you will open up a huge range of options for great quality and great-value wines.
SPLURGE EVERY ONCE AND A WHILE AND TREAT YOURSELF
There’s nothing wrong with having a bottle of Champagne with French fries, Barolo with a hot dog, Bordeaux with a burger or Grand Cru Chablis with chicken tacos. Don’t wait for a special occasion to open that “special” bottle. Treat yourself and don’t stress about it.
DRINK MORE CANADIAN WINES
Canada is producing outstanding quality wines comparable to some of the best in the world. Riesling, Gamay, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, bubbles glorious bubbles and so much more. We should be proud and support Canadian wine producers. But we shouldn’t drink Canadian just because it’s Canadian. Support the producers that are growing quality wines and raising the bar for our industry.
DRINK MORE SPARKLING WINE AND DRINK IT WITH FOOD
Sparkling is underrated, underappreciated and not just for special occasions. Bubbles come in so many different styles and price points, and often we forget how incredibly food-versatile they can be. Whether Champagne, Prosecco, Cava, Crémant or the multitude of others, make quality bubbles part of your everyday enjoyment.
THINK SMALL
Support small producers, those that produce sustainably and those whose wines exhibit a sense of place. Wine should be a reflection of where it’s grown. We are all more concerned with where our food comes from. Shouldn’t this concern also extend to the wines we drink? Support passion, quality and veracity.
EAT DISCERNIBLY
Support restaurants that have wine lists with quality wines and reasonable markups. Too many restaurateurs inexplicably build their wine lists not based on quality, but based on what they’re getting from the importer. They certainly wouldn’t create their food menus that way. There are too many wine lists with 400%-plus markups. It’s time to put quality and value first. Support those that do, and for those that don’t, let them know so that they can get better.
SUPPORT REAL WINE BOUTIQUES
Wine boutiques offer consumers wines that are undiscovered, undervalued and hard to find. They provide quality, value and knowledgeable staff. They raise the wine and culinary culture of our community. For those of you who have the chance, buy wine from independent, locally-owned wine shops.
DON’T AGONIZE OVER FOOD AND WINE PAIRING
There is no question that food and wine make wonderful partners and there are certain pairings that can definitely enhance the dining experience. The problem is when people agonize over attaining a perfect pairing and fret over “making a mistake.” In general, if you drink well-balanced wines and serve them with food that’s prepared well and balanced in its flavours, chances are the two will taste good together. Of course, there are pairings that enhance both the wine and the food, but the fear of failure often results in unnecessary stress. Food and wine are meant to be fun and experimentation often results in finding great pairings that you may not have expected. Keep an open mind, try lots of wines with lots of different types of food and don’t stress out over always needing to have a perfect match.
PUSH FOR CHANGE
We need to push our elected officials to move more towards a European understanding of wine and cuisine being not just an integral part of culture, but an important part of our country’s economy. The more we build a culture around wine and food in this country, the more we have the ability to diversify our economy and carve our share of the ever-growing multi-billion dollar culinary tourism industry. ×
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AFTER TASTE BY TONY ASPLER
LOOK INTO MY MAGIC BALL HAVE YOU EVER TASTED A WINE CALLED TAZZELENGHE? Actually,
it’s a rare grape variety grown in the Colli Orientali del Friuli zone. The term, Tazzelelnghe, translates as “tongue cutter,” so named because of its egregiously high acid and tannin content. When you think of Friuli, what springs immediately to mind is white wine, particularly Friulano (once known as Tocai Friulano, but the Tocai was dropped at the insistence of the Hungarians, who argued that it caused confusion in the market with their sweet wine, Tokaji). Friuli — located in the extreme northeast of Italy, bordering on Austria, Slovenia and the Adriatic Sea — also grows the indigenous Ribolla Gialla and Malvasia Istriana, as well as three of Italy’s best dessert wines, Verduzzo, Ramandolo and Picolit; but there is also a bewildering number of autochthonous red varieties that even the most ardent wine geek may never have heard of. In his monumental study Native Wine Grapes of Italy, Ian d’Agata writes that there are 38 varieties (21 red and 17 white) that you will only find in Friuli, “and only 15 had been previously described in existing literature and ancient documents.” The names of the most significant red varieties trip off the tongue with the musically mellifluous sound of the Italian language: Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Schioppettino, Terrano and, of course, the above-mentioned Tazzelenghe (see page 33 of the February/March 2017 issue). Friuli also contributes to the oceans of Prosecco exported from Italy (exports that amounted to 306 million bottles in 2014). We tend to think of Prosecco as a product of Veneto, coming from Valdobbiaddene and Conegliano; but the name Prosecco originates from the eponymous village that is now a suburb of Trieste and reputedly the place where the Glera grape — the major constituent of Prosecco — was first propagated. But the region is far and away a white-wine zone, boasting the largest proportion of white wines to red of all of Italy’s 20 regions. The split is a remarkable: 77 percent white to 23 percent red. The combined weight of Prosecco and Pinot Grigio account for much of this imbalance. I’m going to make a prediction here: The next big thing might just be a wine that comes from this region — sparkling Ribolla Gialla, made either from 100 percent of this native variety or blended 66 × @QUENCH_MAG × NEXT BIG THING ISSUE 2017
with Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, and/or Pinot Nero. In addition to its indigenous varieties, producers in Friuli Venezia Giulia — to give it its full name — also grow international varieties such as Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir. But for all the plethora of wines it produces, Friuli Venezia Giulia is not on the radar. The region with its spectacular mountains (the Dolomites) has yet to capture the imagination of wine tourists as Tuscany, Piedmont, Veneto and Sicily have. Just to show how overlooked the region is, when I googled Friuli on my phone using voice recognition I was sent to a website called “Free Willy.” Friuli Venezia Giulia may lack the international recognition factor of Chianti, Piemonte and neighbouring Veneto, but it can rightly claim to be the nursery for the entire Italian wine industry. The region currently produces 80 percent of all of Italy’s rootstocks — which amounts to 20 percent of the total amount of rootstocks propagated in the EU counties and 25 percent of what the rest of the world produces. It’s now Friuli’s time to step into the spotlight. With the 2016 harvest, Friuli Venezia Giulia became Italy’s 334th DOC. And with the ever-expanding Italian DOC system, we may yet see a super-DOC that includes all the regions of the northeast where the ubiquitous Pinot Grigio is grown — Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC. But first, I guess we have to cut our teeth on Tazzelenghe. × ILLUSTRATION: FRANCESCO GALLÉ, WWW.FRANCESCOGALLE.COM
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