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QUENCH MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 IT’S ALL HAPPENING × 18 NEW BRUNSWICK IS INVESTING IN ITS BURGEONING WINE INDUSTRY. BY CRAIG PINHEY IN QUEBEC × 20 LA BELLE PROVINCE BETS ON VINIFERA. BY ANDRE PROULX WE DO IT ALL × 23 CANADIAN ARTISANAL CHEESEMAKERS ARE PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES. BY LISA HOEKSTRA
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20 UNDER $20 × 26 GET YOUR CELLAR READY FOR THE NEW YEAR. BY MICHAEL PINKUS REIMAGINED × 30 AUSTRALIA COMES OUT FROM BEHIND THE SHIRAZ FRUIT-BOMB SHADOW. BY TIM PAWSEY GROWING OLD × 34 TRACKING DOWN THE OLDEST VINES IN SOUTH AFRICA CAN BE TRICKY. BY TREVE RING HEARTBREAKING × 39 PINOT NOIR IS THE BAD BOY OF THE BC WINE SCENE. BY TIM PAWSEY YAY WINTER! × 44 THE COLD WEATHER BRINGS ITS OWN KIND OF COOKING. BY DUNCAN HOLMES
DEPARTMENTS A CHRISTMAS CAROL × 48 SPENDING SOME TIME WITH CHRISTMASES PAST. BY NANCY JOHNSON NOTED × 50 EXPERTLY-TASTED BUYING GUIDE OF WINES, BEERS AND SPIRITS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
THE ADVENTURES OF CONSOLIDATION × 64 IS CONSOLIDATION IN THE CANADIAN WINE WORLD A GOOD THING? BY GURVINDER BHATIA AGING GRACEFULLY × 66 WINE IS AN INVESTMENT. MAKE SURE YOU STORE IT RIGHT. BY TONY ASPLER DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 3
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THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE BAD MOUTHING THE 100-POINT WINE TASTINGS SCALE. Developed by Robert Parker
decades ago, he used it to help illustrate his point of view. A punctuation to the tasting note he had written. There’s nothing wrong with that, especially if you are a wine writer with personal experience of the wine world — which Parker and many of our writers have. The problem is how it’s made its way into our wine psyche.
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I’ve been following wine writers and reviewers since I joined Twitter — I’ve found a few new wines through tweets. And recently I followed your @quench_mag account. Your wineIQ tweets are great and have helped me build my list of favourites (and my collection). Jason White, email Thanks, Tony Aspler for the interesting article about newcomers challenging the establishment with competitions [“Match Up”, November 2017] and tasting notes about CheckMate wines. I agree on many points. I try to find new wines and do not like someone telling me what I should like or not. I find the best ones by trying them myself. Competitions like these, where newcomers are “flexing” their muscles, sure they help the wineries get exposure, but in my opinion, we need to enjoy what gives us happiness. Randall Gill, Surrey, BC I laughed when I read Nancy’s thoughts on “the millennials’ annoying newly created word ‘adulting.’” [“What’s in a Name”, October 2017] It’s a term my friends and I use. A lot. Because we’re 30-somethings that don’t feel like adults most of the time. But I agree with Nancy about the ridiculousness of “glazed yeast ring”. That sounds like I’ll take my doughnut to go. Jessica Nagorski, email
In an average issue’s buying guide, we have over 14 tasters. Each of our seasoned writers has spent countless hours at the glass honing their palate — sounds like an awful job, I know. They are writers who can paint a picture of what to expect from a bottle in under 50 words. They are very skilled at being concise and illuminating. But each writer is an individual, with clear experiences and viewpoints. No two are the same. How can we use a universal scoring system to categorize our buying guide? One person’s 90 is another’s 80. Scores get disjointed in the mass of our tasting notes. It would be fine if we only had one taster. That’s why Parker made it work so well. But we are an amalgam of writers sitting around one table. So why am I writing this? Starting in our February/ March 2018 issue, we will be reimagining our buying guide. The scores will be gone but the rest is yet to be redrawn. We’d like your input in how to make it better. Email editor@quench.me and let us know how The Notes should look, post scores.
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CONTRIBUTORS André Proulx is a freelance wine writer and owner of www.andrewinereview.ca. While much of his time is spent in vineyards in Ontario, you can find him scouring the globe for the next up-and-coming wine region. When he’s not traveling, you can find him at home preparing the right meal to pair with his new finds. You can follow his adventures on twitter/Instagram @andrewinereview
Treve Ring is a wine writer and editor, wine judge and speaker, and endless traveller. A certified sommelier, WSET diploma holder, French wine scholar and Sherry instructor, she is based on Vancouver Island, though she is most often found on a plane or in a vineyard. She has spent the last few years concentrating and researching sparkling wine globally.
Robin LeBlanc is a beer columnist, award-winning blogger at TheThirstyWench.com, and co-author of The Ontario Craft Beer Guide, a guidebook to all of Ontario's breweries now in its second edition. She lives in Toronto.
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DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 7
UMAMI BY LISA HOEKSTRA
Not so little LITTLE FARM WINERY IN CAWSTON, BRITISH COLUMBIA, HAD A RUN OF 1,100 CASES IN 2016, AND OWNERS ALISHAN DRIEDIGER AND RHYS PENDER MW WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY — SMALL. The couple pur-
chased Little Farm in 2008 and released their first vintage in 2011. While their wines are grabbing attention, they didn’t always intend on being winemakers. “We were only planning on growing and selling our grapes,” says Driediger. “We planted in 2009 and had a rough go of it … Fast-forward a few years and the vineyard is finally producing some fruit. After all that we had been through with these vines, we had to see what they’d be like as wine and decided to make it ourselves.” They chose two white varietals because Little Farm’s soil is perfect for whites. “Rhys was — and still is — such a wine nerd that, as soon as he saw that our soils were high in calcium carbonate, he got really excited and said Riesling and Chardonnay
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were the way to go,” explains Driediger. “These varieties really showcase the calcium carbonate’s effect: a minerality in the wines. And we love Riesling and Chardonnay. So, worstcase scenario, if nobody ever bought our wine, at least we’d be happy drinking it for the rest of our lives!” Luckily (or unluckily) for Driediger and Pender, people do buy their wines. The limited quantities make grabbing a bottle extra special for their fans. “For us, small-batch winemaking is, by default, all we can do,” Driediger explains. “It does allow a more intimate relationship with the wine as it progresses from fermentation to bottle. Each batch’s behaviour is slightly different, each barrel is a little different. You get to know them all a little bit. You have a little relationship with all of them.” She continues: “We really do very little in the cellar and do a whole lot in the vineyard, tending to the vines. That is where all the work happens, and that is what we want to taste in our wines … not the taste of a lot of winemaking. Minimal intervention means the wines aren’t interfered with along the way and are allowed to be what they naturally are. It was the only way to go!” In order to keep their minimalistic approach, they do everything by hand, using traditional techniques like small-basket pressing, foot trodding instead of using a crusher destemmer, natural fermentation and leaving the wine on the lees. Driediger’s fermentation experience is inspired by her baking and culinary background. “It’s so interesting how these natural processes work and that people have used these processes for generations …. and how nature affects the end product, too. For example, bread from a sourdough starter can taste differently depending on how hot or cold the day is, how active the starter is that day and at what point of its daily cycle you use it. This carries over to wine — what’s going on in the vineyard, the growing season, the natural flora on the berries — the taste of each vintage is slightly different. It’s so cool to know that all the variables we can control are kept the same: it’s nature that’s responsible for the variation. And the pieds-de-cuve that we make to kick off our fermentations are in effect the same thing as a sourdough starter!” ×
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GOOD FOOD BY NANCY JOHNSON
A swirl for the holidays CINNAMON SWIRL TEA BREAD MAKES 1 LOAF
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup sugar 2 large eggs 2 tsp vanilla 2 1/4 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 2/3 cup buttermilk CINNAMON SWIRL FILLING
Who knew the inner bark of an evergreen tree could taste so good? I’m talking about cinnamon, that sweet and aromatic spice that makes everything taste amazing — from coffee to cake to Fireball Whisky. Produced in Indonesia, China, Vietnam and Sri Lanka, cinnamon is thought to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial properties. It may lower cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. But, to me, the real bonus is that Cinnamon. Tastes. Outrageously. Good. You can buy ground cinnamon, or you can grind your own, using cinnamon sticks and a spice mill or coffee grinder. For starters, try this Cinnamon Swirl Tea Bread, a lovely addition to Christmas breakfast or as a warm and welcome holiday hostess gift. For the record, when I bake for the holidays, I start with all fresh ingredients. This is the time of year to empty out that old tin of baking powder and buy a new one; to invest in fresh butter, eggs, flour and top-quality cinnamon. Use vegetable shortening to grease the pan. And finally, if desired, add a small handful of chopped pecans or walnuts to the Cinnamon Swirl Filling.
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3/4 2/3 1/2 1/2
cup light brown sugar cup flour tsp cinnamon cup butter
1. Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and sprinkle with flour. 2. Make Cinnamon Swirl Filling: In a food processor, mix together the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Add the butter and pulse until the filling looks like coarse crumbs. Set aside. 3. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to the beat the butter with the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, lightly beating after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. 4. In another large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With a wooden spoon, stir one-third of the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Stir in half of the buttermilk. Repeat, then add the remaining flour mixture. 5. With a spatula, scrape half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Gently spread half of the Cinnamon Swirl Filling over the batter. Add the remaining batter and top with the remaining filling. 6. Bake the loaf for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool on a rack. Slice and serve. × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 11
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LAZY MIXOLOGIST BY CHRISTINE SISMONDO
FLIPPIN’ GREAT If you were of legal drinking age and hanging out in cocktail bars a decade or two ago, you may recall a drink known as the Chocolate Martini. Unfortunately, despite its promising name, it didn’t taste much like a martini — nor chocolate. It was just vodka and syrupy crème de cacao.
“That hearkens back to the ‘90s, a very sad, broken era in our history of bartending when cocktails weren’t made with ultra-fresh components,” says Joel Carleton, head mixologist at a Winnipeg bar consultancy, Bee’s Knees Bar Services. “At that time, ideas of balance and palate engagement had been completely lost and, although a bunch of sugar in a glass perhaps tastes delicious at first, there’s no endurance there.” But the chocolate cocktail category can be rehabilitated and brought back to life, says Carleton. It just has to be rebuilt and reimagined with ingredients and techniques that are more inline with contemporary cocktail culture. For Carleton, the obvious choice was to try it in a “flip,” a category of cocktails that fell out of fashion in the 20th century, but is currently experiencing a revival. “It’s a pretty straightforward family of cocktails that contain a whole egg and warm spices and bold spirits — it was kind of the first eggnog,” says Carleton. “We used Crown Royal as the base spirit and added a bittersweet Amaro and Scrappy’s chocolate bitters, so all those things came together to give it hints of café and chocolate.” No surprise, really, since flips are an amazing tool for balancing cocktails with even the most difficult ingredients — spiced, bitter, potent and sweet ingredients are somehow always pulled together and rounded off by the miraculous power of egg. Carleton wanted to take it up and notch, though, and added a little smoke to the drink — in part, because he wanted to play with barrel stave shavings from the local whisky distillery, Crown Royal. The final result is a sturdy, yet silky and indulgent, perfectly balanced chocolate cocktail. Exactly what you need for your holiday celebrations, since this crowd-pleaser is sure to win over anyone who likes chocolate and cocktails. Which, last we checked, is pretty much everyone.
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SMOKED CHOCOLATE FLIP
If you don’t have a PolyScience or Breville smoking gun, try this drink without the smoke component; it’s still a great drink.
1 oz Crown Royal 1/2 oz Averna Amaro 1/2 oz slow-cooked, maple-spiced cordial* 2 dashes Scrappy’s chocolate bitters 1/2 oz heavy cream 1 whole egg Garnish: Grated nutmeg, cinnamon and dark chocolate shavings In a glass decanter, batch together the whisky, amaro and cordial. Use a smoking gun to pump smoke into the decanter and swirl about to infuse the liquid with smoke. Pour the contents into a shaker tin. Add the cream and egg. Shake hard with ice and double strain into a coupe. Grate whole nutmeg and cinnamon overtop for aroma, and take a peeler to a block of dark chocolate to create shavings.
*Slow-cooked, maple-spiced cordial: Take one quart premium
Canadian maple syrup, one quart water and a handful of nutmeg pieces, a couple cinnamon sticks and green cardamom pods, and throw it all into a slow cooker for 4 to 6 hours. ×
DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 13
MUST TRY BY NANCY JOHNSON
WINNER, WINNER! TURKEY DINNER. My mother never understood why I eagerly grabbed the turkey carcass from her holiday table for stock. To my mom, turkey soup was made with bones and meat. But, I explained, although stripped of much of its meat (the meat having been parcelled out to my siblings for turkey sandwiches), the turkey bones and what little meat was left still had a lot of flavour. Here, an ordinary pot of water transforms those leftovers into a deep, rich stock that can be divided into 1- to 2-cup servings and frozen for future use. If the turkey is quite large, break it into pieces. There is no salt in this stock. You may add salt later when using the stock in a recipe, or cheat a little bit and add chicken bouillon cubes to amp up the flavour. The stock will spend the night in the fridge in several smaller containers, which will ensure it cools quickly.
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TURKEY STOCK
MAKES ABOUT 10-12 CUPS
1 turkey carcass 1 onion, quartered 2 carrots, peeled and chopped 2 stalks celery with leaves, chopped 1 parsnip, peeled and chopped 5 peppercorns 2 bay leaves
1. In a large stockpot, barely cover the turkey carcass with water (usually about 12 cups, depending on the size of the turkey). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Skim off any impurities that rise to the surface. 2. Add the onion, carrots, celery, parsnip, peppercorns and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 3 hours. Strain the stock, discarding any solids. 3. Place the stock in several 2-cup containers and refrigerate. The next day, skim off the fat, strain again if desired and ladle the stock into freezer containers. 4. Stock can be frozen for up to 3 months. Use in any recipe calling for chicken stock. ×
BON VIVANT BY PETER ROCKWELL
ILLUSTRATION: MATT DALEY/SHINYPLIERS.COM
Can I drink red wine with fish? For me, James Bond movies are like a Magic 8 Ball — watch one, and all of life’s important questions will be answered. Take this quote from Sean Connery’s 007 to the conniving Red Grant said halfway through the third act of From Russia with Love: “Red wine with fish. Well, that should have told me something.” That flick is over 50 years old, Bond’s suggestion - that what you choose to sip alongside your grilled sole (spoiler alert: Red chose red) is a sure barometer for how much you know about wine - still resonates. Those two sentences have probably done more to perpetuate a wine-pairing old wives’ tale over the years than anything else. You see, there are a lot of fish in the sea and the term casts a huge net. Claiming that white wine is the only mate for “fish” is akin to saying you can’t drink “craft beer” without a beard. Now, while Bond’s choice of fishy dish (grilled sole) does lend itself to a white partner, there are plenty of aquatic eatables that pair swimmingly with a glass of red. The best myth-buster is salmon, a meaty piece of fish that makes a match-made-in-heaven with the very red Pinot Noir grape. Tuna goes best with red as well. You can go Pinot, switch it up to a rustic Spanish Rioja or swing a bit lighter with a Gamay-based French Beaujolais or an Italian Veneto red blend. Calling shark a fish may be pushing it, but thick, steak-like cuts share its beefier cousin’s love of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Even most shellfish, which on their own typically align with white wines, can be lured to the red side. Think Sangiovese with deep-fried calamari or any seafood pasta where tomato sauce is added to the mix. So, yes, though many fish dishes may get overpowered, there are lots of options to get your red on.
What’s an appellation?
It’s all about location, my friend. A French wine is just French and an Italian just Italian. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. There are gallons of good wines made from a blend of grapes (sometimes the same variety and sometimes not) in every country that has vines in the ground grown in various areas within its borders.
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Over time (and that could be centuries), many regions within wine-producing countries have gained notoriety for their superior output and have been awarded special recognition. While these are referred to as “appellations” in France, many other countries use the term, with others translating it into their own language. The rules and regulations that define the personality of the wines from each appellation are fiercely defended to protect the reputation of the area and what pours out of it. Though some appellations can be huge in size, the vast majority are smaller pieces of geography within a larger one that come together to make up the liquor landscape of a country. A good example is France’s Bordeaux. The region is its own appellation, yet within it are a number of others, including the prestigious landmasses of Margaux and Saint-Émilion. So, if you’re a wine fan who likes the general style of a particular country, digging deeper into its unique appellations (or whatever they call them in the land you’re loving) will show your palate its nuances and how terroir makes a wine. Of course, it might also turn you off a country all together. Fingers crossed. × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 15
LAGER THAN LIFE BY ROBIN LEBLANC
I’ll have what they’re having I have a confession to make. I’ve been writing about beer for nearly seven years and, in that time, I feel privileged to have tried a wide range of excellent, creative and flavourful beverages. A plethora of kettle sours, lambics, fruit-infused ales, barley wines and various barrel-aged concoctions. But at the end of a long day, all I want is a good, simple lager. As of writing, my most consumed beers are Steamwhistle Pilsner, a crisp and wonderful beer when fresh, and Side Launch Brewing Mountain Lager, a very straightforward-style Munich Helles. Now, my personal preference is no slight at all to the more adventurous beers that are out there, but one of the key tenets of the craft beer movement is to have options. I like one of my options to be a beer I don’t have to think about if I don’t want to. My only rules are that the beer has to be well made, have a balanced profile and be fairly straightforward while not lacking in subtle nuances that make it interesting.
It seems I’m not the only one who desires this, as the past two years have seen a rise in the “simple done well” beers. Pilsner, Munich Helles, Kolsch — even a return to a more refined variation of the Pale Ale — almost every brewery has at least one of those styles and they’re proving to be immensely popular. But what caused this rise of accessible go-to beers? Well, customer demand certainly fits into it, but another reason is that brewers have begun to look no further than their own fridge for inspiration, matching their talents with what they ideally want in a beer to clock out to. Toronto’s Amsterdam Brewery is no stranger to accessible beers. The 3Speed Lager, with a mildly sweet grain character
16 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018
and slight hop bitterness, has been a constant on beer menus throughout Ontario. Brewmaster Iain McOustra didn’t even hesitate when asked about his favourite go-to beers, one of which is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. “Sierra Nevada’s just a classic,” he says. “Everything about the malt-hop balance, the flavour that you only get when you use whole hops instead of pellets or extract ... that balance is always something that just sticks out for me. It’s one of the beers that first got me into craft beer and it’s stayed in my fridge ever since.” McOustra’s other two choices, the iconic Orval Trappist Ale and Tooth & Nail’s Vim & Vigor (easily one of the best pilsners in Ontario), also strongly reflect what he looks for in a beer in order to
relax. “It has to be like a favourite record, something interesting but familiar. Something where you can enjoy the different nuances, but at the same time understand the beer enough so you can appreciate it for what it is.” Hearing McOustra talk about beer this way, you begin to understand a bit more about the ethos of the brewery itself and in its offerings. For instance, the latest iteration of Howl — a mixed fermentation farmhouse beer — has a lot of elements that demand attention, from different strains of brett to different barrel notes. But there’s no lack of cohesion between these flavours, which all work to form something that is both unique and familiar. Meanwhile, in the next province over at the famous Microbrasserie Dieu du Ciel, head brewer Jen Nad’s choices are similar, mixing balance of flavours, freshness, consistency and nostalgia to make her ideal quitting-time beer. One such constant is, remarkably, Labatt 50. “The first case of beer I ever bought was a two-four of Labatt 50, so there’s an element of nostalgia involved. But I also really like the simplicity of it. Sure, it’s a macro beer, but it’s got a decent body and nice bite to the finish that makes it more palatable than some of the other big brands. And the fact that it’s available in any beer fridge in any dépanneur in this province is a plus, especially at 10:55 pm on a Tuesday night.” Nad also enjoys beers with a solid, juicy hop profile. Two such beers that have been sharing space in her fridge are Vox Populi Double Fruit Punch IPA, with a large kick of tropical fruits and a touch of pine, and Dieu du Ciel’s own Moralité American IPA. “Moralité is a constant, but is it cheating? I mean, all employees get an allowance of a six-pack per week. I could theoretically choose whatever I want from our catalogue but all I want at the end of most weekdays is a nice, cold Mo’.” So, if it’s been a long day at work and you just want a simple beer to drink to decompress, by all means crack one open. More than likely the brewer of your favourite beer is doing the exact same thing. ×
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DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 17
IT’S ALL HAPPENING by Craig Pinhey
New Brunswick’s wine industry is growing. Although estimated by Vins NB Wines at a modest 80 tonnes of grapes per year, with an approximate economic impact of $7.75 million, recent changes have resulted in more optimism and investment. Nova Scotia has received much more media attention lately — primarily because of the quality of their traditional method sparkling wines and the introduction of the Tidal Bay white wine appellation — but the actual number of wineries is not that different, around 20 in each province. The difference is that most of New Brunswick wineries are based on “other fruit,” whereas Nova Scotia has considerably more wine grape production. But that is also changing. Since the New Brunswick Liquor Corporation (ABNL, the province’s liquor monopoly) introduced a grocery store program for New Brunswick wineries, the market for local wine has dramatically increased, which has induced investment in new grape vines and wine production. The best example is the ongoing expansion at Magnetic Hill Winery in Moncton. According to The Wine Lover’s Guide to Atlantic Canada, published in 2016, Magnetic Hill makes 1,800 cases of wine a year, however, that will soon change. “The sky is the limit now after this expansion,” says Zach Everett, winemaker and son of founders Jeff and Janet Everett. “We haven’t set a magic number of total cases, but we can easily say that we have the capacity to produce upwards of 20,000 cases of wine here now. Our immediate goal is 10,000 cases, but we can scale up from there comfortably in our new home.” The nearly finished winery towers over the existing B&B and winery, which are nestled in among vineyards growing mostly Petite Pearl, a black grape originating from Minnesota. The Everetts are making a significant investment in the province, and it’s all at their own risk. While Nova Scotia offers ample assistance in the form of low-interest loans for agricultural investment, New Brunswick has no similar program. “This is turning out to be about a $2-million project in terms of buildout and equipment purchasing over the near future,” explains Everett, adding, “I am thinking that, next year, we’ll be going from an eight-person workforce to a 16-person workforce.” 18 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018
He is quick to point out, though, that this investment has a much wider scope, in terms of its potential impact. “We grow and buy over 230,000 lbs of local fruit from a range of local farmers,” he notes. He also estimates that their wedding business alone — they typically host 20 per year — has a local impact in the six-figure range. Magnetic Hill makes a lot of wine from strawberry, rhubarb, cranberry, blueberry and other local fruits, but what’s really exciting is their increase in grape planting. “We now have a proven track record with several harvests of some new cold-hardy varieties,” says Everett, “like Marquette out of Minnesota, that have shown us what quality and yields to expect, and it is leading to a lot of people on the fence right now about increasing plantings that we’ll commit to very soon.” ALTHOUGH THE NEW GROCERY STORE SALES PLAYED A BIG FACTOR IN MAGNETIC HILL’S DECISION TO EXPAND, the winery was already having trouble keeping up with demand.
Opened in 2005, it is one of just a few New Brunswick wineries easily accessible from a major route. In fact, as you drive through Moncton, the winery is visible from the Trans-Canada Highway. “Our original winery was conceived as a 500-case winery where we would sell 100 percent from farm gate,” explains Everett, “We outgrew that in our first couple of years and have been on the fence with what to build ever since. We did have an expansion in mind back in 2011 or so, but we ended up being so frustrated by red tape and building-code bylaws that we scrapped that plan after more than a year of ‘back and forths’ and engineering plan changes. Since then, we were — and are — busting at the seams to keep up with demand.” The younger Everett had previously been the owner and winemaker at a pioneering winery in Mexico, which focused on local fruit. “A consequence of the grocery store pilot program,” he
MAGNETIC HILL ILLUSIONS, NV ($14.99) A great example of rhubarb wine that surprises by coming across as a mostly dry, crisp, fruity white. It serves a purpose similar to a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. If you weren’t told it was rhubarb, you’d probably assume it was a grape wine, hence the name.
MAGNETIC HILL L’ACADIE BLANC, 2016 ($16) A really great first-go at L’Acadie for Magnetic Hill. Sourced from a local grower in New Brunswick, it has the signature white flower and green apple/pear notes of L’Acadie, and is medium-bodied, fresh and dry, with good acidity. Perfect with fresh fish and shellfish.
MAGNETIC HILL MASCARET ($15.99) A red blend made mainly from Marquette with some Frontenac and Petite Pearl. A combination of estate fruit and other NB growers. It is dry, with a lot of similarity to some Pinot Noirs. Its firm acidity makes it a good food wine.
GILLIS OF BELLEISLE PREMIUM RED ($25) Winner of a silver medal at the 2017 All Canadian Wine Championships. 100% estate-grown Marquette. Smooth, with dark fruit and oak influence.
ZACH EVERETT
says, “was that it actually made me move back to New Brunswick to buy a stake in the family winery and expand the business with my parents. We basically needed to grow to even think about being able to support two families here.” Gillis of Belleisle Winery, in Springfield, not far from Saint John in the Saint John River Valley, is another winery undergoing expansion to meet anticipated demand. “Our expansion is designed to meet the growing local demand through the grocery store program,” explains Alan Gillis, who runs the family-owned winery. “The rough investment is approximately $450,000, which includes our new storage building, wine press, pump, 40-plate filter system, mono-block bottling line and a few other odds and ends.” “These improvements will allow us to maximize the value out of what we grow and buy from New Brunswick,” he notes. “An example of this is that our new press is pressing an estimated 200
litres more per tonne than our old press. This, in turn, means we are bottling more and have more product for the year, and will hopefully not run out of supply for the grocery stores … which is what’s going on with all the wineries at the moment.” “With the expansion, we are increasing our existing workforce by one person, initially on a full-year basis,” adds Gillis. Gillis of Belleisle’s expansion was supported, in part, by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, which provided a repayable loan of approximately $175,000, and a grant of around $30,000 from Opportunities New Brunswick. With Magnetic Hill and Gillis of Belleisle as examples of positive growth, it is expected the province will see more investment and we’ll start seeing more New Brunswick wine joining BC, Niagara and Nova Scotia on liquor board shelves. This is the beginning of great things. × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 19
It’s the middle of July. I am walking down Rue Racine as wine fills the glasses of festival attendees from Italy, France, the United States and Quebec. It’s the Festival des vins de Saguenay and I come to the booth manned by Yvan Quirion. Yvan is from the Vignoble du Domaine St-Jacques. He is humble, but eager to share his wines. Up until this moment, my knowledge of winemaking in Quebec is that there are some winter-hardy hybrids planted … and that’s pretty much it. We go through the wines that Yvan has brought to the festival. My eyebrow raises when I see that he has a Pinot Gris and a Pinot Noir. My other eyebrow raises when I taste these wines ...
THERE IS SOMETHING GOING ON
IN
by Andre Proulx
QUEBEC
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YVAN QUIRION AND LUC ROLLAND
There are approximately 660 hectares of vines planted in Quebec, of which approximately 33 hectares are vinifera. While it is truly the infancy of a burgeoning wine region, it isn’t the first time that grape growers have attempted to grow European varietals in the province. In the 1980s, growers attempted to plant vinifera and learned quickly that Quebec’s winters are not friendly to the European varietals. The challenges were clear: how to deal with cold winters and a short growing season. Domaine St-Jacques is located a half hour south of Montreal. They planted their first parcel of vinifera in 2008. Quirion uses geotextile to protect his vines and is convinced that, with the proper technique, he can keep all the vines alive. However, growing pains accompanied using this experimental material and technique. In the first winter after the vines were planted (2008-09), Quirion lost 60 percent of the vines he had planted. Rather than looking at the experiment as a failure, though, he saw that winter as a success because he didn’t lose all of the vines. Keeping the vines
alive became an obsession. He replanted his vineyards and by the spring of 2010 not a single vine was lost. Thus, keeping vinifera alive through the Quebecois winter became a very real possibility. Domaine St-Jacques isn’t the only winery using geotextile in Quebec. Coteau Rougemont is 50 kilometres from Domaine St-Jacques, and east of Montreal’s south shore. I spoke with winemaker Patrick Fournier about the winery. Fournier has been with Coteau Rougemont since they opened their cellar doors in 2010. He explained to me that they went with geotextiles after first experimenting with burying their vines. Since the soil at Coteau Rougemont actually made it impossible to bury the vines, they made the decision to use mulch to hill up on the vines. Bringing in mulch from outside the vineyard introduced a new set of problems, since it brought bacteria and fungi that would then target the vines. Nowadays, winter in the vineyards at Coteau Rougemont sees the emergence of what looks like a small army camp as geotextile is strung over the vineyards, so they look like a long row of tents.
Quebec will always be limited by its climate. The south shore of Montreal shares the same latitude as France’s Médoc region — only without the jet stream. So, the growing season here is short. There is enough time to ripen the fruit properly but it’s unlikely you will ever see late-ripening varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. BEING ABLE TO MAKE WINE IS ONE THING, SELLING IT IS ANOTHER STORY. Quirion also acts as
president of the Quebec Winegrowers Association (QWA). Once he recognized the potential for winemaking in Quebec, the organization set out to create a standard of quality for the industry. Quirion explained that he first approached the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) with the hopes of joining, but the talks fell apart because the use of hybrid grapes became a sticking point. In Ontario, there are only eight hybrids that are approved for VQA designation. Instead, the Quebec Certified wine designation was created for consumers to identify that wines have been grown in the DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 21
DOMAINE ST-JACQUES PINOT NOIR, 2015 ($25.95) Aromas of ripe red cherry are layered over a nice earthiness. Flavours match the nose with the earthy note lingering a bit on the finish. The tannin is approachable now, but has enough structure that this should evolve nicely over the next 3–5 years if cellared.
DOMAINE ST-JACQUES RESERVE CHARDONNAY, 2015 ($23.95) Bright golden delicious apple and a nice mineral note jump out of the glass front and centre. On the palate, this brings a crisp and refreshing acidity that begs to be paired with shellfish — whether you’re thinking clam pasta or freshly shucked oysters.
COTEAU ROUGEMONT PINOT GRIS, 2015 ($24) There is a nice depth on the nose, with bruised apple, peach and nice mineral poking through. The texture of this wine is nice and weighty on the mid-palate and it fills your mouth from bottom to top … before everything is pulled away clean by nice acidity.
COTEAU ROUGEMONT CHARDONNAY LA CÔTE, 2015 ($24) There is a nice aroma of sponge toffee layered over baked apple. On the palate, this wine opens with fantastic depth and weight filling your mouth with apple and spice. As the wine starts to finish, the fruit is caressed by a vanilla note that lingers for a moment on the finish. The vanilla and spice that lingers is balanced by a nice acidity, so it only sticks around like a polite houseguest before leaving.
COTEAU ROUGEMONT’S WINEMAKER, PATRICK FOURNIER
province. The program is overseen by the Conseil des appellations réservées et des termes valorisants (CARTV), an organization created by the Quebec government to help protect the authenticity of provincial products, and the terms used to identify and promote them. Similar to VQA, the QC designation means that 100 percent of the grapes in the bottle come from Quebec. The budding industry has received some support from the SAQ and Coteau Rougemont is on some wine lists in Montreal and Quebec City. However, Quirion still feels the Quebec market hasn’t quite embraced local wine. He believes it will take recognition from outside the province before these wines start to gain the recognition that they deserve. Both Coteau Rougemont and Domaine St-Jacques were present at the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration hosted in Niagara this past July, so that’s a start. They were welcome additions to an event that featured a strong contingent of Canadian wineries from British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia. I feel the greatest strength of Quebec wines lies in the value they deliver. The Pinot Noir from Domaine St Jacques
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is $25 and the Pinot Gris from Coteau Rougemont is $24, and the remainder are priced comparably. Quirion believes that the affordability of these wines will be the key to their success. He doesn’t want the wines to be out of reach for the average consumer in Quebec. There may be plans down the road to make some single-block wines or a high-end reserve, but for now Quebec wineries only care about getting their bottles into the hands of consumers. What’s next for the wine industry in Quebec? While most wineries are located south of Montreal, there are also vines planted in the Eastern Townships and near Quebec City — the province’s wine-growing regions have not been clearly defined yet. Fournier believes that we will see focused winemaking develop in different areas — he suggests there might be some specialization for Pinot Noir or sparkling. And more grapes are being planted: Quirion plans to double the amount of vinifera he has planted in his vineyards and Coteau Rougemont is planning to add Pinot Noir and Riesling to their existing plantings. ×
by Lisa Hoekstra
WE DO IT ALL Making cheese in Canada is a treat. We have access to some of the best ingredients — especially if you consider that it was the export of Canadian milk in 1864 that launched the commercial production of cheese, pulling it away from its farm-made roots (which we’re now veering back to). “I have always been interested in using the ingredients that nature supplies to produce the finest possible foods, and love making things from scratch,” says Debra Amrein-Boyes, co-owner of The Farm House Natural Cheeses. “I started cheesemaking while living in the Swiss Alps, using the milk produced in the alpine meadows above our village. In 2002, my husband and I decided to diversify our small, family dairy farm in British Columbia. That’s when we started cheesemaking in earnest!” Amrein-Boyes is part of La Guilde Internationale des Fromagers, Confrerie de St Uguzon; she is only one of 12 people in North America who can claim to be a member. “It is a great honour to have been inducted into the Guilde, and to be counted among some of the world’s finest cheesemakers and supporters of the craft of cheesemaking,” Amrein-Boyes states. At The Farm House Natural Cheeses, they make cow’s- and goat’smilk cheeses, all certified organic and ranging across all the styles. “We produce …. fresh spreadable and semi-soft cheeses through to firm and hard varieties,” says Amrein-Boyes. “We are … known for our traditional cloth-bound Cheddar and our Heidi, which is a seasonal Alpine-style cheese made only from the summer milk, when the cows are grazing the lush fields of the Fraser Valley.” DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 23
Patricia Bertozzi from Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Company in Prince Edward County shares Amrein-Boyes’ sentiments about Canada’s history for providing the best ingredients. “Eastern Ontario has had some of the earliest Canadian farms in barley, apples, milk and cheese. It is an agricultural area that has seen many changes over the years, including the closure and consolidation of most of the small cheese-making dairies,” explains Bertozzi. She and her brother decided to open Fifth Town because she believes “it is essential for Canada to become self-sufficient in our food production. Recently, the Quinte region [an area that includes Belleville, Trenton and Prince Edward County], a longstanding and historically significant agricultural area in Ontario, has seen an explosion of local food, agri-tourism, the opening of more than 40 wineries, and a growing amount of breweries.” Bertozzi’s Platinum LEED-certified estate produces soft, bloomy rind, washed rind and tomme-style goat’s-milk French cheeses, Italian-style goat’s-milk and buffalo’s-milk Taleggio, Parmesan, and Dutch-style Goudas (both plain and flavoured). Canadian cheese now spans every European style available as well as some unique styles created here. It makes the question 24 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018
posed on a Canadian cheese website very appropriate: “Why buy imported when you can enjoy hundreds of Canadian cheeses produced by local cheesemakers?” One great way to try out all the cheesy goodness that Canada has to offer is through a cheese tasting. The first thing you need to know is the six types of cheese: firm, semi-soft, soft, fresh, blue-veined and hard. “These categories are used to classify cheeses based on their moisture content on a fat-free basis,” explains Bertozzi. “Other descriptive terms are then added based on the firmness and ripening characteristics, such as ripened, surface-ripened, blueveined, unripened or fresh.”
FIRM & HARD CHEESES
Firm cheeses contain 50 to 62 percent moisture and are firm (obviously) and elastic. They are not aged and fall at the milder end of the taste spectrum. According to Amrein-Boyes, they have undergone longer production methods to “lower the final moisture level in the paste.” In contrast, hard cheeses have less than
50 percent moisture, making them harder to grate as well as good for aging and storing for several years. “A firm cheese could be a youngish Gouda,” says Bertozzi, “while a hard cheese could be a two-year Gouda or Parmigiano Reggiano.”
SEMI-SOFT CHEESE
Semi-soft cheese production includes washing, brushing and natural rinds. They have between 62 and 67 percent moisture with a soft, creamy texture. These cheese are washed in brine with red smear and, for some cheeses, alcohol (though that’s not required). “Semi-soft cheeses are usually ready to eat within a few weeks, as the moisture content is higher, supporting faster ripening,” Amrein-Boyes explains.
SOFT CHEESE
Soft cheese has two types — bloomy rind or washed rind. Bloomy rind has a rich, creamy texture with a slight elasticity. Washed rind has the same characteristics, except that during the aging process, the cheese is regularly turned, brushed or washed in brine with beer, mead, wine or spirits. The moisture content falls between 67 and 80 percent. “Soft, unripened would be a burrata,” Bertozzi says. “A soft, ripened would be a Brie or Camembert.”
FRESH CHEESE
These cheeses are meant to be eaten immediately, as they are quite, well, fresh. They have over 80 percent moisture content. Bertozzi uses cream cheese as an example. “Fresh cheeses are the simplest, and can be easily made at home for a great texture and flavour experience,” mentions Amrein-Boyes.
BLUE-VEINED CHEESE
Blue-veined cheeses are a combination of styles, in a way. “They can be of semi-soft or even firm types, and are aided in ripening by the introduction of a certain type of mould,” explains Amrein-Boyes. Production methods for blue-veined cheese follow the same process as semi-soft or firm cheeses. “A blue-veined cheese could be a soft or a firm cheese. For example, a soft Gorgonzola dolce or a harder Gorgonzola picante),” adds Bertozzi. It should be mentioned that there is a difference between Canadian-made and uniquely Canadian cheese. Both categories are made with 100 percent Canadian ingredients, however the former is made in a style brought to Canada from somewhere else in the world and the latter is a cheese style unique to Canada, one that’s been developed or created here. “There really are only a certain number of processes for cheesemaking, so you can find similar types of cheese all over the world,” Amrein-Boyes explains. “What makes a cheese special is the local take on a traditional recipe, and the terroir influencing the flavour of the milk.” “Until about 20 years ago, most Canadian cheeses and cheesemakers focused on cheddar,” explains Bertozzi. “Quebec led the way in the artisan cheese industry and developed Europe-
an-style cheeses and [Quebecois cheesemakers] have won some major cheese awards both domestically and globally.” According to the Canadian Cheese Directory, there are 1,050 cheeses made in Canada, with the majority falling into three types: firm (35 percent), soft (25 percent) or semi-soft (22 percent). Choosing the right cheeses to serve at a tasting comes down to type and number. One strategy is to select one cheese from each category. “Usually six cheeses on a board is a good start, chosen by texture, colour and ripeness, or intensity of flavours,” explains Bertozzi. “A soft goat chèvre (plain or flavoured), burrata or buffalo mozzarella; a blue (either a Brie style or a harder selection); an aged cheddar; a buffalo Gouda (like our international gold-medal winner Buffalina); a French-style crottin or Valençay-style goat cheese pyramid; and a hard, washed-rind tomme style.” Amrein-Boyes agrees, though she suggests between five and seven different cheeses: “It’s tempting to try more, but the palate can become overwhelmed and confused.” “There are so many fantastic Canadian cheeses to choose from,” she mentions. “My personal favourites are: Farm House Heidi (seasonal cow’s milk cheese); Farm House La Pyramide (a French-style goat’s milk cheese); Glengarry Cheesemaking’s Lancaster (a washed-rind cow’s milk cheese from Ontario); Fromagerie du Presbytère’s Laliberté (a bloomy-rind semi-soft cheese from Quebec); Zacharie Cloutier from Fromagerie Nouvelle-France (a firm sheep’s milk cheese from Quebec).” Whether you choose to serve them one at a time or all at once on a board, having the right accompaniments makes a big impact. As with any tasting, the flavours can change depending on the pairings. Select a variety of crackers and breads that your guests can use to sample the cheeses — encourage them to change up the pairings, too, and make note of how that affects the flavour. “Keeping the accompaniments simple allows the flavours of the cheeses to take centre stage,” Amrein-Boyes states. “I personally love artisan rye breads and simple oat crackers with cheese.” For the beverages, wine is always a classic. You could even make the event a double tasting — wine and cheese. Pick out a white, rosé, red and maybe even a sparkling or dessert wine to sip throughout the night. Bertozzi suggests a lighter, citrusy wine for goat cheese, sweeter dessert wines for blue cheeses and “perhaps a local Pinot Noir or Cabernet Franc for the stronger aged cheeses.” For non-wine lovers, serve up beer or cider. “Certain types of cheese, like the Goudas and cheddars, are also great with cider, beer and ale,” Amrein-Boyes mentions. When you’re tasting, keep an eye out for the true qualities of a great cheese. “I look at texture or mouth feel, smell and, most importantly, taste,” says Bertozzi. “A lot of great cheese looks very ugly.” Never judge by appearance — or smell, for that matter — cheese needs to be tasted to truly know its quality. And always keep in mind the talent and passion of the cheesemakers behind each piece. “What goes in, comes out,” explains Amrein-Boyes. “So, the highest quality and freshest milk is key to good cheese. That being said, a cheesemaker must pay strict attention to every detail of the process or things can go wrong quickly. An artisan cheesemaker is working with a raw ingredient that is different every day, so it helps to have that certain instinct — a feel for the craft.” × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 25
20 UNDER $20 by Michael Pinkus
Throughout his whole life, my father was a businessman and one thing he always told me was that everyone loves a deal (including him). The other piece of advice was, “and when you find a deal, buy heavy.” How true are those words. For example, on Boxing Day and Black Friday, people flock to the malls and stores in search of those bargains — or at least a better price than they would get on any other day.
When it comes to booze, wine and beer here in Canada, we aren’t as lucky as our southern neighbours, who can walk into a grocery store and find “2 for…” deals, or wander into a specialty shop and take advantage of deep discounts and multiple-purchase specials (Buy 6, get 10% off; Buy 12, take 25% off ). Sometimes they’ll even throw in a bottle or take money off white-sticker prices — or any number of other money-saving offers — to keep customers coming back or buying more, proving that everyone loves a deal. But when it comes to wine in this country, for the most part, we don’t get those kinds of enticements. On the other hand, with wine, quantity isn’t always the goal of bargain hunters. Sure, it’s great to get “2 for $5” or “3 for $10,” but the wines that really get my juices flowing are those bottles that over-deliver for the price I end up paying. You know the ones I am talking about. The bottle you play The Price is Right with: “What would you pay for that?” Nothing makes wine lovers smile wider than to hear a guess that’s double or triple the actual retail price; those are the bargains we seek. I taste a lot of wines over the course of the year, in search of just those kinds of finds. These are the bottles I text my friends about right from the tasting-room floor; the ones I mention at parties and get-togethers with a sly “next time you’re at the liquor store, you gotta get…” Not everyone can afford those $70 to $80 bottles that are consistently good year in and year out from “that” producer out of California or Australia, the ones that make everyone swoon. What the majority of us want is those $15 to $20 finds that make us feel like we’re drinking a $60, $70 or even $100 bottle, when we didn’t even spend half that amount. Here are my best wine finds from the past few months. 26 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018
R
BORSAO BEROLA 2013, SPAIN ($18.95) Rich black fruit with vanilla, spice, pepper, plum and black cherry that lingers long into the night.
KENWOOD CHARDONNAY 2015, CALIFORNIA ($18.95) Buttery with juicy pear and peach purée plus vanilla and a touch of spice keeping it real – real good, that is.
EL GORÚ MONASTRELL/SYRAH/PETIT VERDOT 2015, SPAIN ($13.95) Juicy and sweetly smoky with vanilla, black cherry, plum and a delicacy of dark fruit, it’s truly an easy recommendation.
DOMAINE LAFAGE CUVÉE NICOLAS VIEILLES VIGNES GRENACHE NOIR 2015, FRANCE ($17) With blue and black berries, hints of floral and delicate spice, this is a really pretty wine that’s worth a multi-purchase.
M. CHAPOUTIER RASTEAU 2014, FRANCE ($19.95) Delicate dark fruit, black cherry, black raspberry, a touch of cranberry and white smoke. The Rhone Valley consistently delivers good-value wines.
DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 27
DE WETSHOF LIMESTONE HILL UNWOODED CHARDONNAY 2016, SOUTH AFRICA ($16.95) Pleasantly unoaked and must-have lees contact involved in its makeup. There’s a pleasant weight with yellow plum, peach, sweet apple and floral.
THORN-CLARKE TERRA BAROSSA SHIRAZ 2015, AUSTRALIA ($17) Robust blackberry, mocha, black raspberry, liquorice and plum. Best described as layered and lovely.
LA TREMENDA MONASTRELL 2012, SPAIN ($19.95) Elegant and juicy with red berries, red liquorice, spiced cherry and herbal notes.
CAMPO ARRIBA MONASTRELL/ SYRAH/TINTORERA 2014, SPAIN ($17.95) Spicy quality that wraps itself seamlessly around the red and black berries, mineral and floral.
INVIVO GISBORNE CHARDONNAY 2016, NEW ZEALAND ($17) Peach, melon, vanilla and buttery notes with delicate spice. A great-value Chardonnay to be bought by the case.
SAGRADO TINTO 2013, PORTUGAL ($14.95) Plum, black cherry and chocolate with a creaminess on the palate that is reminiscent of Port, but on the dry side.
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TOP LEFT: Santos and Ioana Ortiz from Ego Bodegas; BOTTOM LEFT: José Luis Chueca, winemaker at Borsao; TOP: Sam Clarke, Ben Chapman and Cheryl Clarke from
Thorn-Clarke in Barossa
XAVIER CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2015, RHÔNE VALLEY, FRANCE ($17.95) PEREZ CRUZ LIMITED EDITION CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2015, CHILE ($19.95) Minty black fruit, cassis, blackberry, plum, pepper and spice, this wine drinks well and at a good price. The Reserva is good, the Limited is better.
BENI DI BATASIOLO LANGHE NEBBIOLO 2015, ITALY ($16.95) A good-drinking straight Nebbiolo with plenty of red, black and blue fruit. It’s all over the map, but in a good way.
PASSO DEL CARDINALE PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA 2014, ITALY ($18.95) Sweet plum and cherry with leather and vanilla backing. Zinfandel drinkers should recognize the beginning, but the finish is all Italy.
FAMILIA CASTAÑO HÉCULA MONASTRELL 2013, SPAIN ($13.95) New label, same delicious wine. Rich blackberry, plum and black cherry with vanilla and toasted spices. Great value.
Plum and black cherry with meaty notes and some liquorice and blackberry, all ending with a smoky finish.
ZENI MAROGNE RIPASSO VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE 2014, ITALY ($17.95) Chocolate, black cherry, smoky-vanilla and spices, but the palate trap is the long mocha finish.
SISTER’S RUN CALVARY HILL SHIRAZ 2014, AUSTRALIA ($18.95) Pretty wine with an intensity of dark fruit, mocha, licorice and spice. Sister’s Run constantly delivers delicious wines with good value attached.
WILDASS MERLOT 2015, ONTARIO ($16.95) From Stratus in Niagara. Nicely layered with mocha, blueberry and vanilla, all while being well-spiced and pleasantly oaked.
LAURENT PERRACHON ROCHE BLEUE JULIÉNAS 2015, FRANCE ($19.95) There’s a spicy component within that helps the black cherry and smoky notes meld well with the blueberry on the finish. × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 29
REIMAGINED by Tim Pawsey
Remember back in the day when you asked people what wine they drank and they’d have a simple answer? As often as not, it was “Shiraz” — as in Australian Shiraz. After all, especially for Gen Xers, Aussie Shiraz was the equivalent of wine with training wheels. It was big, red and juicy — and it seemed to suit just about any occasion, with or without food, at least for some people. 30 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018
What’s more, if you’re of a certain age, you might even remember when that answer would have been Aussie Chardonnay — quite possibly with a “Bin” moniker of some kind. Few other New World wine regions have had such an impact as Australia on shaping what we drink. Back in the day, it was this great continent that introduced many consumers to the idea that wine could not only be approachable but also consistent between vintages. Combined with that national characteristic of irreverent humour, wrapped in refreshing candidness, Australia was the first wine-producing country to take direct aim at the inherent snobbery that had defined wine’s image for so many years. Moreover, the country has managed to chart a monumental shift over the last decade. The original plans had called for a massive expansion of Shiraz, based very much on its international success. Perhaps, not surprisingly, Aussie marketers had assumed Shiraz would just keep on going, ad infinitum; that consumers would never tire of their newfound darling. That was until Australian Shiraz was jilted by Argentinian Malbec.
In the early 2000s, Australia, which had blossomed on the wine scene in a relatively short span of time, embarked on an aggressive program of expanded plantings. Somewhere along the line, however, all that changed, as the country’s winemakers took a turn towards more freshness, lower alcohol and more food-friendly bottlings. Fatigue might have set in. Or, perhaps, more likely, a generation of flying winemakers brought home new discoveries from their adventures around the world. No doubt it’s the latter that has sown the seeds for the new Australia, which cherishes its history but also seems to have a greater appreciation for its diversity and mosaic of contrasting regions. If this appreciation existed before, it was lost in the rush to maximize production and bolster exports at all costs. Shiraz, which is grown in every principal region, will and always should be Australia’s wine. But the grape is no longer the monolith it once was, as other varieties are now coming to the fore. Wine is a creature of fashion, and shaped by fickle public taste, which makes it easy prey for mar-
keters’ whims. Yet, Australia is witnessing the rebirth of once lesser varietals and there is a new breed of winemaker who is deeply committed to revolting against the homogeneity that, some argue, defined the region for far too long.
GRENACHE ASCENDANT
At a recent Vancouver tasting, it quickly became apparent that Grenache is a rising star. Interestingly, however, the variety is hardly a newcomer. As one of the original pillars of the early industry, it was once the most prevalent red grape grown in Australia. In fact, at one time, its plantings exceeded those of Syrah. One reason Grenache was so ubiquitous was the role it played in the sweet and fortified Port styles that once ruled the Australian industry, particularly in the Riverland, which is still regarded as the industry’s backbone. Early growers loved the grape for its ability to flourish in heat and drought — factors that are once again coming to the fore, as a shifting climate continues to have a significant impact on wine around the world.
MAC FORBES
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JANSZ TASMANIA PREMIUM CUVÉE MÉTHODE TASMANOISE NV ($28) Wine lovers outside of Australia used to hear little about Tasmania because most of its production wound up in big-brand blends, most notably sparklers. This Chardonnay and Pinot Noir blend sports a persistent mousse and a fine stream of bubbles with pear and citrus in bright acidity.
BK SKIN-N-BONES WHITE 2016 ($35) From a cooler, 400- to 600-metre site in Adelaide Hills, and made from 100% Lobethal Savagnin. Yeasty, toasty, edgy notes on top with an herbal-, citrus- and saline-toned palate. Layered and appealingly provocative, with a slightly savoury-salty tannin finish.
MAC FORBES CHARDONNAY 2015, YARRA VALLEY ($50) From a higher site around 150 metres. Lifted notes of orchard fruit, with restrained vanilla-oak hints on the palate. Elegantly balanced with good acidity through tropical, apple and pear notes to the finish.
VOYAGER BROADVALE BLOCK 6 CHARDONNAY 2014, MARGARET RIVER ($55)
YALUMBA TRI-CENTENARY BAROSSA VALLEY GRENACHE 2012 ($70)
Citrus and mineral on the nose followed by a well-balanced, gently zesty palate. Intertwined with some creamy notes and oak, and alcohol well in check at 11.5 abv.
From 128-year-old vines grown on a sandy site. Violet, cassis and floral notes before a mouth-filling and luscious palate with plum, dark cherry and chocolate notes, and approachable tannins, through a spicy, lengthy end.
STONIER FAMILY VINEYARDS PINOT NOIR 2015, MORNINGTON PENINSULA ($60)
OCHOTA BARRELS FUGAZI MCLAREN VALE GRENACHE 2016 ($40)
Vibrant crushed red berries on top with cherry and strawberry hints precede a lively, fresh and juicy palate, with a hint of herbaceousness in the background. Well-structured with moderate tannins and spice through the finish.
From 68-year-old vines. Floral and cherry notes up front, followed by a medium- to full-bodied palate with vibrant red berries and approachable tannins beneath elegant acidity and a vibrant, lingering finish with a little savoury element.
TOLPUDDLE PINOT NOIR 2015, TASMANIA ($65) Hand-picked and whole-bunch fermented in open fermenters. Lifted, aromatic red berry, fruit-forward notes with earthy hints followed by cherry and damson with a pleasing, savoury edge underpinned by spice and forest floor. Excellent structure, focused fruit, firm tannins and lingering fruit wrapped in bright acidity.
SPINIFEX ESPRIT 2014, BAROSSA VALLEY AND EDEN VALLEY ($41) Blend of Grenache (91%), Mataro (7%) and Cinsault (2%) from vines 75 to 150 years old, dry grown and hand-harvested. Perfumed and gently peppery, defined by intense fruit and a quite viscose palate. Raspberry and cherry, with leather and spice notes through the finish. 32 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018
ALPHA BOX & DICE DEAD WINEMAKER’S SOCIETY ADELAIDE HILLS DOLCETTO 2015 ($26) Forward notes of red berries, dried cherry and raspberry with a clean, fresh palate tinged with some herbal notes and a savoury streak. Underpinned by good acidity and wrapped in approachable tannins.
LUKE LAMBERT CRUDO SYRAH 2016, YARRA VALLEY ($42) Varietal meaty and smoky notes on top precede a well-balanced, generous palate of red and black fruit and perky spice marked by vivacity and freshness.
TORBRECK RUNRIG 2014, BAROSSA VALLEY ($253) From old, dry-grown, well over 100-year-old vines, plus some Viognier. Appealing, lifted aromas of black fruit, cherry and plum followed by a plush and opulent palate with mulberry, blue fruit and anise over spicy notes. Some pepper notes and earthy, savoury elements in the relentlessly generous, lengthy finish.
ADAM WADEWITZ AND MARTIN SHAW, AT TOLPUDDLE VINEYARD
particularly in cooler climate areas, such as Mornington Peninsula, Geelong, Macedon Ranges, Yarra Valley — and Adelaide Hills, where it’s the third most-planted grape after Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. In the past, much of Australia’s Pinot production went into sparkling wines, including juice from Tasmania. Most of these areas lie in the southern, cooler-latitude growing areas, and most benefit from maritime influences. Tasmania, in particular, has increased its Pinot plantings in the last 15 years, while Mornington (near Melbourne) has been garnering plenty of international acclaim. Stonier Wines, one of Mornington’s original producers, first planted Pinot Noir in 1982.
MEDITERRANEAN TWIST
Grenache’s history dates from 1832, when it first arrived in Australia. But its principal promoter was Dr. Christopher Rawson Penfold, who tracked down what he felt were the best cuttings and imported them to Clare Valley in 1844. Later, its popularity spread to Barossa and McLaren Vale, as well, prolifically, to the Riverland, which emerged as the driver of the huge engine behind the country’s bulk industry. In more recent years, the grape found favour with winemakers using it in ascendant “GSM” (Grenache/Shiraz/Mouvedre) blends, which very much helped rekindle interest as growers sought out old vines to propagate. With strong connections to southwest France, Barossa’s Spinifex (whose wines are hailed by James Halliday as “superb”) is emblematic of new-style Australia. Decamped Kiwis and married couple, Peter Schell and Magali Gely blend tradition and diligent sourcing with modern know-how. Thanks in great part to Gely’s family’s winemaking background in France, and the couple having worked there extensively, they combine the best of Old and New Worlds. Spinifex Esprit is predominantly old-vine Grenache, with Mataro and Cinsault, hand-harvested entirely from vines between 75 and 150 years old.
More French and biodynamic influences have helped shape the mantra of Ochota Barrels. The quirky but dedicated and highly respected duo of ex-punk rocker Taras Ochota and his wife, Amber, drew on their extensive world wine (and surfing) travels across Europe and North America to return to their roots in Adelaide Hills. Their focus is mainly on Grenache and Gamay. After cutting his teeth at Nepenthe and Two Hands, Taras went on to work as a flying winemaker of some stature, sourcing mainly Italian varieties to wrangle into million-litre batches for Scandinavia’s Oenoforos. When he tired of that, it was time to head home and get real. The couple decided to concentrate on making super-premium Grenache and Shiraz in McLaren Vale and Barossa, using old vines from ideal single-vineyard sites. And they haven’t looked back.
PINOT IS COOL
It’s unlikely that Pinot Noir is a variety that you might think of being quintessentially Australian, but the variety was among the earliest vines imported in the mid-19th century. And its success was as spotty as elsewhere in the world. However, Pinot has recently been gaining ground,
Increasingly, these days when we see a lineup of Australian wines, chances are it will include not only more elegant and premium styles of Shiraz and more-nuanced, less-oaked Chardonnays from all over but also a smattering of unexpected — though by no means unknown — varieties. Grenache will likely be there, as well as Dolcetto, Nebiolo and others. While there may well appear to be an Italian connection, it has less to do with postwar immigration to Australia than a quest for more Mediterranean varieties that make sense in a rapidly shifting world of climate change. Also, it’s not just the varieties that are changing. Regional shifts are also afoot, like those in the Riverland. Long dismissed for its vast plantings and bulk wine reputation, the Murray River region is also seeing its share of forward-thinking experimentation, using grapes such as Fiano, Vermentino and Nero d’Avola, varieties known to survive and thrive in Mediterranean settings like Sicily. What you’ll pick up on is a theme, a shift in style that yields a freshness — regardless of the variety — that maybe wasn’t previously apparent. It’s not about a desire to move away from oak but more about a need to use it more judiciously. As new regions come to the fore and old ones hone in on years of experience and tradition, it becomes increasingly apparent that Australia is far from monolithic. Today, it’s much more than the sum of its parts. × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 33
Older vines, like older people, have much to share. Their lines, gnarls and depth contain many stories. When you give time and consideration, you can learn a lot. What old vines and old people may lack in production or speed, they more than make up with character. There is a wisdom that comes with age, a layering of experiences, years, vintages. With each passing season, each harvest, each vintage, roots become deeper, more grounded, more stable.
GROWING 1972
by Treve Ring
OLD CINSAULT DARLING
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VINE WHISPERER ROSA KRUGER
CHENIN BLANC PAARL
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ANDRÉ MORGENTHAL AND JACO ENGELBRECHT
When viticulturist (vine whisperer) Rosa Kruger began seeking out South Africa’s old vineyards in 2002, the only guides available were oral; there were no maps plotting the country’s old vines, many abandoned and mostly forgotten. A lawyer by trade and an adventurer at heart, Kruger’s travels through vineyards in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Argentina prompted her to question where all the old vines were in South Africa. At that time, she was working as a vineyard manager at Franschhoek’s L’Ormarins, the main estate in the Anthonij Rupert portfolio, and word quickly spread that she was on the hunt to track down and map out these old plants. Through countless hours of road tripping and stories passed by word of mouth, she came across old blocks in areas that we now consider to be some of the holy grail of Cape winemaking: Skurfberg, Moutonshoek, Skerpioen, Piekenierskloof, Skurfkop and more. For the last decade, Kruger has been meticulously mapping Cape’s old vines, building a registry of vineyards and helping match winemakers who share her vision of vine preservation and terroir expression to specific sites. In 2014, with help from the South African Wine Industry Information & Systems (SAWIS), she released the first-ever website cataloguing old vineyards. 36 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018
Some of the most lauded names in Cape today are a result of her pairing: Eben Sadie, Chris and Andrea Mullineux, Adi Badenhorst, Chris and Suzaan Alheit amongst them. Kruger considers a vine to be recognized as old when it reaches 35 years; as of 2017, there are 2,618 hectares of old vines accounted for, with Chenin Blanc making up nearly half. Less than 10 percent of these vines are estimated to have revitalized and in use as a wine brand. According to Kruger, 10 of those vineyards are older than 100 years. But Kruger’s quest is not just a race against time. Approximately 30 percent of South Africa’s total vineyards are less than 10 years old. In recent years, over 40 percent of the vineyards were replanted as the industry shifted from volume production to quality wines. And now old and new vineyards are under another threat, from higher economic returns for lands utilized differently. Other agricultural crops, like apples, are commanding higher prices than grapes (and have a much shorter growing cycle). A booming population and robust construction of homes, retail and industrial sites also mean prime vineyards and potential wine growing sites are being scrubbed up. CurPHOTO: CLIFFORD ROBERTS
HUIS VAN CHEVALLERIE FILIA CHENIN BLANC BRUT NATURE KAP KLASSIEK 2014, SWARTLAND ($70) rently, vintners are in a rush to secure vineyards. As many smaller producers and garagiste projects are only able to lease lands, this leaves them highly vulnerable to the whims of the economy and landowners. In 2016, generous funding from Antonij Rupert Wines’ Johann Rupert — part of a family that has hundreds of years of history on the Cape — propelled the project to the next level, and formalized the Old Vine Project (OVP). This not-for-profit, public-benefit organization has allowed Kruger to continue searching out old sites. It has also seen the development of the OVP certification system, in effect from the 2017 vintage, and classifying vine heritage as over 35 years of age. In order to achieve certification, vineyards must be farmed sustainably and holistically, with low intervention in the cellars encouraged. The guidelines stipulate that “Wines made from old vineyards should be given the chance to reflect their specific terroir.” The funding has also allowed Kruger to be joined by two respected and well-known figures in South African wine, who have been tasked with managing and steering the program. Viticultural consultant Jaco Engelbrecht is on board to work with growers to restore old vineyards, and assist with increasing yields and productivity through proper viticultural techniques, one of the reasons the sites were abandoned in the first place. Old vineyards have to be economically viable for the grower, and the winemakers using them. The team has also been bolstered by André Morgenthal, a long-time WOSA ambassador, who has come on board as communications manager to spread the word internationally and encourage growers to “plant to get old.” According to Morgenthal, one hectare of old vines costs about ZAR45,000 ($4,300 CAD) to work, yielding an average of three tons. To be financially viable the grower requires approximately ZAR15,000/ton ($1,433 CDN), though most are paid only about ZAR4,000/ton ($380 CAD). Naturally, many growers choose to scrub up old vines because they aren’t financially lucrative. It is the hopes of the OVP that through education and promoting good viticultural practices, and connecting growers with vintners who appreciate the value of these old vines for their wines, they can affect positive growth on both sides. The OVP will also promote the wines and growers through international tastings for media, trade and consumers. The more demand there is for these wines, the more lucrative it will be for the growers who tend these old vines. There are currently eight wineries registered with the project, and hope that more will sign on soon. Winemakers pay an annual fee of ZAR5,000, and growers ZAR1,500, to be a member. Like vines, these things take time to root. Fortunately, there’s a growing collective of vintners, consumers and growers who value what old vines share, and are willing to wait — and pay — for it.
Gnarly 40+-year-old dry-farmed bush vine Chenin from Paardeberg, planted at 330m. This zero-dosage traditional method fizz is native ferment, with 14 months on the lees to build a cushion around this lean and racy form — just enough to prop up the green apple, salts, smoked stone, cereals and lemon pith raciness of the Chenin. This wine vibrates with bright lemon and grips with stone.
RAATS FAMILY WINES OLD VINE CHENIN BLANC 2016, STELLENBOSCH ($35) Old vertical hedge and bush vine Chenin Blanc (averaging 45 years) from three vineyards in Stellenbosch go into this savoury, herbal white. The decomposed dolomite granite and Table Mountain sandstone astutely increase the earthy, mineral background of this concentrated wine. Subtle honeyed pear, green fig and ripe quince are in the shadows, playing a supporting role to the broken stone, earthy lees, salts and medicinal-tinged wild herbs dominating this complex and arresting white.
DAVID & NADIA CHENIN BLANC 2016, SWARTLAND ($40) Delicacy and potency is always a winning combination. Six dry-farmed Chenin Blanc vineyards in the Swartland, with vine age ranging from 35 to 49 years, are expressed through yellow fruits, lightly perfumed white blossoms and a grip of pear skin. A bed of lees and hay slicks the palate, but this wine is kept light, bright, fresh and fragrant.
ALHEIT VINEYARDS MAGNETIC NORTH MOUNTAIN MAKSTOK 2016, CITRUSDAL MOUNTAIN ($90) Hilltop, north-facing ungrafted Chenin Blanc from the Citrusdal Mountain region, this wine is from two adjacent parcels, one 31 years old and its mate 36 years old. Shining. Bright orange, tangerine pith; crisp, singing acidity and a riff of tannins. Exceptional length and a salted finish. Nimble, tight and alive. Drinking beautifully now, but has a long while to go.
AA BADENHORST GOLDEN SLOPES 2016, SWARTLAND ($55) Fifty-year-old Swartland Chenin vines show young and direct at this youthful age, with a knit energy that hints at the longevity of this wine. Yellow fruits, fleshy pear and quince on the textural palate, with a blush of residual sugar deftly balanced with streaming acidity through to the very lengthy finish. Will reward with time in the cellar. DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 37
THE SADIE FAMILY WINES VOETPAD 2016, SWARTLAND ($70) This is an exceptional, small-lot field blend of Sémillon Blanc, Semillon Gris, Chenin Blanc, Palomino and Muscat d’Alexandrie from a 1.4 ha own-rooted site of vines approximately 129 years of age. There’s an incredible flow and grace to this wine, which makes sense when you stop to think that these vines have all been growing together for over 100 years. Textural and streaming, with floral lemon blossoms, gooseberry and pear skin scenting a bed of broken stones and nut shells. Fine salts stream throughout to the lingering finish. In perfect balance now, but will certainly continue to age gracefully.
John Seccombe, winemaker at Thorne & Daughters Wines, with his daughters
GABRIËLSKLOOF ELODIE 2015, BOTRIVIER ($30) Part of their Landscape Series, this wine is from two dryland bush vine Chenin vineyards in the Paardeberg region of the Swartland, approximately 38 years old in age. There’s an alluring waxiness to the palate, which bases the smoked stone, quince preserve, subtle pear blossom and Meyer lemon on the streaming palate. Great structure and presence, this is a wine that will impress over the next decade.
REYNEKE BIODYNAMIC CHENIN BLANC 2015, STELLENBOSCH ($25)
THORNE & DAUGHTERS PAPER KITE OLD VINES SEMILLON 2016, SWARTLAND AND FRANSCHHOEK ($30)
Biodynamic beauty. Reyneke was South Africa’s first certified biodynamic vineyard and winery. This is 47-year-old Chenin on decomposed granite loams from a single vineyard in the Polkadraai Hills, just west of Stellenbosch. Lean and nimble, this wine vibrates the length with a flinty mineral hum, with savoury meadow herbs, lemon thistle and quince lining the medium palate. There’s a gentle but streaming wild bergamot/Earl Grey tea that lingers on the finish.
Swartland Sémillon planted in 1964 is joined with some La Colline fruit from Franschhoek and splashed with 5% 56-year-old Sémillon Gris from Paadeberg’s Siebrietskloof vineyard in this alluring white. Herbal and savoury, with medicinal pear, white cherry, wild honey and lemon verbena streaming the length of the elongated palate. A fine, grippy spice holds the frame tight, and provides structure for the longevity of this wine in bottle. Serious beauty.
ADORO WINES NAUDÉ OLD VINES CHENIN BLANC 2013, WESTERN CAPE ($40) Adoro is Ian Naudé’s old vines range. For the 2013 Chenin Blanc, grapes were sourced from Elgin, Paarl and Darling, all from vines 35–50 years old. A swing of reduction leads into this richer, riper and powerful wine, with flinty stones continuing along the creamy palate. Yellow fruits, bright lemon curd and a brace of citrus freshen this structural wine through to the spicy finish. 38 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018
MULLINEUX & LEEU FAMILY WINES OLD VINES WHITE 2014, SWARTLAND ($30) Three parcels of Chenin Blanc from 35 to 70 years, 80-yearold Clairette Blanche and 55-year-old Sémillon Gris are tipped with 16-year-old Viognier in this concentrated, textural blend. Salted dried herbs, green fig, white apricot and orchard blossoms fill the palate, kept tightened with brisk acidity and the frame of old foudres. Lovely layers of complexity that will continue to merge in bottle. ×
HEARTBREAKING
by Tim Pawsey
Is Pinot Noir getting a bad rap? If not, then how come people the world over still refer to it as the “heartbreak grape”? It’s a reflection of the belief that, even in a good vintage, and for the most seasoned of vintners, Pinot can pose significant challenges. But that may not be so much the case in BC, where Pinot Noir has been flying under the radar for some time now. If the variety truly is as soul crushing as its reputation suggests, then how come there aren’t a whole bunch of broken-hearted BC winemakers lying around lamenting their failures? If anything, the opposite is true.
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All around BC, Pinot appears to be coming into its own — even if it’s still somewhat overshadowed by Syrah. Indeed, you could be excused for thinking it’s the latter that has emerged as BC’s red grape of choice. Following a string of good vintages, the Rhône variety has rightly gained plenty of attention, scooping up medals like nobody’s business. But the numbers speak for themselves. Syrah, which is actually planted mainly in the South Okanagan, on Skaha Bluffs and the Naramata Bench, actually accounts for only 4.1 percent of the province’s production and ranks seventh in production (2015). By comparison, Pinot Noir continues to make gains, especially in areas once considered outliers or “borderline ripening” wine regions. In fact, it now accounts for 7.83 percent of the province’s total production and ranks fourth overall, after Merlot, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. As overall plantings in BC have increased dramatically in the last few years, Pinot Noir has more than kept pace, recently eclipsing Cabernet Sauvignon. Yields have almost doubled in five years, which seems to have come about for a number of reasons. In the last two decades, a changing climate has had many implications. For instance, plantings of Pinot Noir in the south Okanagan, once quite common, are now a rarity. Only a few remain, as wineries explore with other more heat-tolerant varieties — such as Syrah. Elsewhere, however, the reverse is true. There are also less tangible reasons as to why Pinot Noir is on the rise. As the BC industry matures, and winemakers seek out a more sophisticated customer, there’s a need to fill a niche that maybe wasn’t there before, in a post-Parker world that heralds a return to elegance and subtlety long overlooked. Plus, as BC’s food and wine culture matures, Pinot Noir is emerging as the more flexible red that works with everything from wild salmon to mushrooms, duck and more, as well as many local cheeses. In any case, the number of BC wineries choosing to concentrate on Pinot is steadily growing, from a short list including the likes of pioneering Blue Mountain (the first BC winery to focus on Pinot Noir), Cedar Creek and Quails’ Gate, to well over a dozen very Pinot-driven purveyors, such as Spierhead, Meyer, Tantalus, Howling Bluff and more. What’s also changed is that BC Pinot Noir is no longer an “also ran” varietal but has emerged as a serious, terroir-driven contender that can hold its own beside wines from Pinot-centric regions around the world. Fuelling that image is the realization that Pinot Noir offers a more precise expression of the terroir than most other varieties. What this means is that Pinot is very much part of the movement that’s drilling down which grapes do best in specific pockets of the Okanagan and elsewhere. Moreover, a by-product of the warming climate, regions once considered inhospitable to red vinifera have stepped forward. On Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, in particular, Pinot Noir has become increasingly successful, with some formidable proponents, such as Averill Creek owner Andy Johnston. Johnston has been leading the Pinot charge on the Island for well over a decade now. He was among the first to grasp the true potential for the variety, convinced early on that, handled properly, Pinot could produce a wine comparable on a world scale. 40 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018
Averill Creek also helped sow the seed for others. At nearby Unsworth Vineyards, which was established less than a decade ago, Pinot Noir is emerging as the flagship wine. In fact, Unsworth’s 2014 Pinot Noir was selected as this year’s Canadian Culinary Championships Gold Medal Plates Mystery Wine. Another Island winery making a name for itself, Blue Grouse Estate Winery, is also highly committed to its program, now producing a single-vineyard Cowichan Valley Pinot under its Quill label, as well as a fuller bodied, more firmly oaked, estate-grown wine. Other outliers beyond the Okanagan now coming on stream include Fort Berens in Lillooet, 250 km northeast of Vancouver, and Baillie-Grohman, in the Creston Valley. While by no means as Pinot focused, both of these producers have shown they have no problem in growing satisfactory Pinot Noir, with plenty of potential.
THE DRIVE FOR PERFECTION
Given that BC at large, and the Okanagan in particular, are such young growing regions, most people when they jump into winemaking don’t have their minds set on making Pinot Noir, says Howling Bluff’s Luke Smith. It may not have been his original intention but the Naramata Bench winery owner is among a handful of winemakers taking Pinot to the next level. His wines consistently win medals at important competitions, including no fewer than four notoriously challenging BC Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Excellence in BC Wine, which recognize only a dozen out of some 400 entries each year. Smith who, along with his son Daniel, turned a former peach and experimental apple orchard into an award-winning vineyard, believes some of the Pinots being grown around him are already “world class.” He admits it’s purely subjective but bases his opinion on comments made by visitors to his wine shop from all over the world, whom he always asks what they think. He’s noticed a real change in the typical tasting room visitor compared to five or seven years ago. “Then, the average person was learning about wine and would say ‘what have you got?’ Those people still come. But now, a significant number will say, specifically, ‘I’ve heard about your Pinot Noir.’” He says many travel from south to north, starting in Russian River, through Willamette and ending up in the Okanagan, tasting Pinot all the way. While he’s happy to offer accolades for peers elsewhere — citing more northern 50th Parallel as an example — he feels the Naramata Bench, in particular, offers a unique series of varied terroirs. Smith feels that the Naramata Bench is unique in that there are three observable differences. “All you have to do is drive a convertible [in the] early evening in late summer along Naramata Road. What you’ll notice is significant temperature variations. What you feel is the cold air being channelled down the chutes and streams. It’s important, because it shows the presence of cooler air so beneficial to Pinot Noir,” says Smith. “On average, everything on the east side of Naramata Road was never underwater. The soil is glacial till, gravel boulders, rocks and so on. By comparison, everything on the west side is
TANTALUS WINEMAKER DAVID PATERSON
MEYER FAMILY VINEYARDS WINEMAKER CHRIS CARSON
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AVERILL CREEK PINOT NOIR 2014, COWICHAN VALLEY ($27)
MEYER FAMILY VINEYARDS MCLEAN CREEK PINOT NOIR 2015, OKANAGAN FALLS ($40)
From higher elevation, 200 m, south-facing vineyards, a mix of glacial sand and gravel. Forward dark cherry, floral, perfume and leather hints precede a well-balanced cherry and plum palate wrapped in silky tannins, with some spice and savoury notes before a smooth finish.
From the steep, south-facing home vineyard, established in 1994, on alluvial and glacial deposits, gravel and sandy loam. Black cherry and violet up front with some earthy undertones before a well-structured balance of fruit and acidity. Medium-bodied with expressive fruit flavours, some forest-floor notes, well-integrated tannins and a pleasing savoury edge through a firm finish.
BAILLIE-GROHMAN PINOT NOIR ESTATE 2014, CRESTON VALLEY ($25) Sustainably grown, handpicked and aged in French Oak (15% new) for 12 months. Vibrant wild berry and floral notes with spicy hints before a well-textured palate with black fruit, savoury, mushroom and plum notes through an elegant finish.
CEDAR CREEK PLATINUM BLOCK 4 PINOT NOIR 2014, KELOWNA MISSION ($54) A powerful expression of the variety yields intense dark fruit and floral notes on the nose followed by a robust and well-structured palate with black cherry, plum and a mineral hint wrapped in firm but well integrated tannins through a smooth finish.
HOWLING BLUFF SUMMA QUIES PINOT NOIR 2014, NARAMATA BENCH ($35) From the oldest planting and consisting mainly of silty deposits. Vibrant, lifted plum and red berry notes, followed by elegant layers of cherry and strawberry on a light to medium palate with some earthy undertones and well-integrated tannins.
LA FRENZ DESPERATION HILL PINOT NOIR 2015, NARAMATA BENCH ($30) Five clones, hand-harvested and fermented separately. This elegant and delicate wine has a red colour especially deep for the variety. Lifted notes of black fruit with earthy tones precede a plush palate with well-integrated tannins, vanilla and dark cherry alongside a pleasing savoury edge.
LAUGHING STOCK PINOT NOIR 2014, NARAMATA BENCH ($32) From heavier, silty soils on a high Naramata bluff. Handpicked, destemmed and whole-berry fermented, then aged 16 months in a mix of new and used French oak. Forward notes of ripe cherry and strawberry with earthy undertones on a well-rounded, supple palate with excellent balance and structure.
MAVERICK ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2014, GOLDEN MILE BENCH, OLIVER ($29) From one of the valley’s southernmost Pinot plantings, south of Oliver, on an east-facing slope. Hand-harvested and whole-bunch fermented in a large wooden vat, then aged in mainly used French oak. Forward cherry and raspberry notes with layers of red and black fruit and good acidity, on a gently spicy palate with lingering mineral and spice in the close. 42 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018
QUAILS’ GATE PINOT NOIR CLONE 828 2014, WEST KELOWNA ($60) Aged in French oak for 10 months. Lifted strawberry and red berry notes precede a well-balanced palate shaped by elegant acidity, with cherry, spice and earthy notes for a pure expression of the variety — which winemaker Nikki Callaway dubs her “Audrey Hepburn” Pinot.
STAG’S HOLLOW RENAISSANCE PINOT NOIR 2011, OKANAGAN FALLS ($40) Cherry, earthy mushroom blend of Dijon clones that uses entirely estate-grown fruit aged 15 months in 100% 2nd fill French oak barrels. From a challenging vintage, now benefitting from a few years in the bottle and showing lifted dark cherry, earthy and spice notes with fine tannins and still fresh fruit.
SUMMERHILL SINGLE VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2013, CHANDRA VINEYARD, OLIVER ($35) 100% organic. Crushed dark berries on the nose with hints of strawberry, plum and raisin before a complex and layered palate of plum and cedar notes underpinned by earthy and savoury elements, with hints of clove and five spice, black fruit and spice supported by firm tannins through the close.
TANTALUS PINOT NOIR 2014, EAST KELOWNA BENCH ($28) Upfront herb, spice and black fruit, followed by a perfectly balanced palate of floral, cherry and raspberry wrapped in a mineral streak, with elegant mouthfeel, well integrated, structured tannins and a lingering, gently stony finish. “A classic BC Pinot Noir vintage. If you couldn’t make a good Pinot in that year, you probably shouldn’t have,” says winemaker David Paterson.
TIGHTROPE PINOT NOIR 2015, NARAMATA BENCH ($30) Grown on a less heated, north-facing slope, on silt clay soils. Vibrant black fruit and floral perfume notes invite before a dark-fruited palate emphasized by dark cherry and cassis, with spice, herb and mocha notes, supported by approachable, silky tannins.
UNSWORTH VINEYARDS PINOT NOIR 2015, COWICHAN VALLEY ($27) From clay and gravel soils over an alluvial base. Forward red berries with layers of raspberry, cherry, vanilla and spice notes. Medium-bodied, with juicy acidity, earthy undertones and an elegant mouthfeel through a gently spicy close.
walks, along with canapés from prominent chefs, a break-out session on clones and a wrap-up live band and dancing. On hand to offer his comments was Richard Hemming MW, who writes for jancisrobinson.com, as well as many others. (At the inaugural BC Pinot Noir Experience in 2015, keynote speaker Steven Spurrier suggested BC’s potential might one day rival Burgundy.) As fully intended, the event was anything but a typical formal wine tasting. Rather it was more a down-home celebration of the variety, with a chance for everyone to connect with the people behind the wines. It was all and only about Pinot, with a range of styles and vintages poured from across the province. Now in its third year, the festival was the brainchild of Meyer Family Vineyards winemaker Chris Carlson, who brought it to fruition with JAK Meyer and Luke Smith. Another key organizer, Tantalus winemaker David Paterson, makes no bones about his love for the variety. “We believe that Pinot Noir is the DANIEL DRAGERT, WINEMAKnumber one red grape in the Okanagan,” ER AT AVERILL CREEK says Paterson, who also happily embraces the opportunity that BC enjoys as a still emerging region. “I think one of the best things about BC Pinot right now… is that everyone is only ‘stardust’ from millions of years ago, where it hit Okanagan Lake now learning their terroir. Every year it seems to get better. Most of and created hundreds of feet of silt. Literally, in a space of just the best sites are only 10 to 15 years old.” 15 metres, you get wildly diverging soil types. Add to that where Paterson suggests the more northern, granite-based soils these cuts are, where a stream has occurred. Over time, as it (such as at 50th Parallel) “yield ethereal, lifted wines.” Further carved its way through, it brought materials down from the east south, the more full-bodied wines reflect their more dense, silty side of the road to the west.” soils. He reckons the variation in terroirs “is what makes BC For Howling Bluff, says Smith, that results in three distinct Pinot special” — and reminds us that globetrotting viticulturist terroirs: “very mixed material, rocks of all sizes, from what and soils specialist Pedro Parra likes to compliment the Okanaused to be the bottom of Three Mile Creek; 10 metres away, gan for its “glacial barf ”! nothing but silt; and then, on the other side of the road, just In the absence, so far, of an Okanagan flagship grape, says rock, gravel and dirt.” JAK Meyer, “We feel that Pinot Noir is one of the few that should “All that, combined with the microclimates caused by the be a signature varietal — and that it’s starting to emerge that way.” Howling Bluff’s Luke Smith is even more bullish. He says, cuts, as well as the warming effect of the lake in winter, and cooling in the summer, results in a narrow band that’s ideal for Pinot “We’re maybe just a vintage away from the world taking notice of BC Pinot Noir.” And as for that “heartbreak grape” thing? Not Noir,” he suggests. exactly true, says Smith. “It’s more like the ‘hard-work grape,’” he says. “Because not once — from spring, through bud-break, harvest, crush from barA PLETHORA OF PINOTS No better proof exists of Pinot Noir’s newfound popularity than rel to bottle — can you turn your back on it. While every other vathe annual BC Pinot Noir Experience, which attracts more than riety just behaves, the instant you finish whatever you’re doing, 300 enthusiasts to Kaleden’s Linden Gardens. The 2017 edition Pinot Noir does not. The heartbreak happens if — at any one of featured 34 producers grouped among the rose bushes and leafy those stages — you don’t keep your eye on it.” × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 43
YAY WINTER!
by Duncan Holmes
Yay for puddings and pies, soups and stews, custards and creams, hot savouries and slathered-on sauces. Welcome blessed winter, the season that, by its very coldness, gives us a chance to plunge guilt-free into the rich stuff that bakes and bubbles in our kitchens, makes the season sing, warms the cockles and lards out cuddly comfort. Who knows why this leap into gravy and other soul-embracing food happens. We can only guess that it really is the cold outside that temporarily turns our biologic body clocks away from the endless compulsory salads and sandwiches of summer, and gets us delving into the potential of Dutch ovens, slow cookers, spring-form pans and all of the other tools, techniques and containers that let us craft and cook the best of soulful, satisfying and unabashedly sinful nosh. Speaking of tools and rich tastes, why don’t we pause for a moment and bake a couple of trays of butter-rich shortbread, just to have around. So simple: flour, icing sugar, cornstarch and lots of butter to bring it all together. And if you’ve never piped cookies through a bag, this is your chance. It’s quick and there’s a consistency to your cookies. The bag will become an ongoing kitchen tool, and you’ll feel like a pastry chef. (See the following recipe.) Quick switch. For most of my life, I’ve made meat pies at this time of year. Top and bottom pastry with a filling of ground beef, onions, mushrooms and a well-seasoned gravy to bring it all together. They’re the best. I keep the filling on the sloppy side. It’s not a chunky, possibly-dry steak and kidney. We had un ami français over for dinner one night and I made one — big as always — in one of my Emile Henry dishes. Served 44 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018
it with roasted seasonal vegetables— parsnips, rutabagas, kohlrabi, spuds and cabbage from the garden. Our guest delightfully proclaimed, “This is the only tourtière I’ve ever been able to eat." Tourtière? I didn’t know I’d made one. Remember soup. Being that it’s cold outside, I shamelessly return again to my prize-winning Winter Warmup, a soup that intentionally incorporates root vegetables, those full-offlavour babies that linger long in the garden, suck up goodness from the enfolding soil and come to the kitchen as bundles of satisfying sweetness. The season just past blessed us with not only “yellow, and black, and pale, and hectic red” leaves to rake, but also with snappy, shiny apples. Time for strudel. (I cheat on the puff pastry.) Slow cooking is really the easiest way to make a mighty meal. Get it started as you’re heading off to work, set it on low and come home to a cooker full of ready-to-eat. Bite-sized beef of a lesser cut, onions, potatoes, beans that you froze in small bags at the height of the season, mushrooms, carrots and any other bits from the bottom of the fridge that need a home. Top it all with chicken stock, season as you wish and you’re done. Any leftovers can be frozen as meals for another day. Slow cookers are versatile: I’ve cooked bean dishes, curries and stuff with “heat.” Taste triumphs in the slow cooker. As an aside, my partner has been pushing a paleo diet in recent times. Google it, and make it a possible resolution for 2018. In the meantime, as winter winds howl, and windshields need a morning scrape, revel in the familiar and the fab of wonderful winter.
STOLLEN
Don’t be scared. It’s wonderful to present this rich stück for dessert and say it’s a recipe you got from Beethoven’s mother, or stole from a cook in a place in the high Alps or … pick your own fib.
1 2/3 cups flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp crushed cardamom 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/8 tsp salt 1 egg 1/4 tsp vanilla 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp cottage cheese 6 tbsp soft butter 6 tbsp ground almonds 1/4 cup currants 2 tbsp lemon peel 1/4 tsp almond extract 1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl. Crack the
egg into the centre and mix by hand. Roll the dough into an 8” x 10” rectangle then fold it over to make a 4” x 5” rectangle. 2. Bake at 325˚F for 45 minutes. Glaze while hot with 3 tbsp icing sugar blended with 1 tbsp soft butter.
RICH CUSTARD
3/4 2 1/8 1 1 4 2 1 1/2 1
cup sugar tbsp cornstarch tsp salt cup milk cup cream egg yolks, well beaten tbsp butter tsp vanilla cup whipped cream
1. In the top of a double boiler, combine the sugar,
cornstarch and salt. Mix milk and cream together. Gradually stir in the milk-cream mix. Cover and cook mixture over boiling water for 8 minutes without stirring. 2. Uncover and cook for about 10 minutes more. Add the egg yolks and butter. Continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes more. 3. Remove from the double boiler, cool, stirring occasionally to release steam. Once mixture has cooled, add the vanilla and fold in the whipped cream. Chill the custard. It will have the consistency of heavy whipped cream.
APPLE STRUDEL
You could make “scratch”’ pastry for your strudel, but my choice is to use store-bought puff pastry. (I know, it’s cheating.) Granny Smith apples work best for this recipe.
1 1/2 60 200 100 2 100 1
kg apples Juice from 1 lemon g raisins soaked in rum g butter, melted g sugar tbsp vanilla sugar g bread crumbs Pinch of cinnamon egg, beaten Melted butter, for daubing Icing sugar, for dusting
1. Peel and seed the apples. Slice very thin and dribble with lemon juice. In a bowl, combine 2 tbsp raisins and 1 tbsp vanilla sugar. Brush the pastry dough with half of the melted butter, using the rest of the butter to fry the breadcrumbs. 2. Combine the crumbs with the remaining vanilla sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle overtop the pastry. Distribute the apple slices evenly overtop the pastry. 3. With the help of a clean dish towel, roll up the pastry. Make sure the ends are well closed. Place the strudel on a greased baking tray. 4. Brush with the beaten egg and bake in a preheated 350˚F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, occasionally brushing with melted butter. When done, let the strudel cool and then dust with icing sugar. Serve warm or cold.
SHORTBREAD
This recipe was a standard for years on the side of the Canada Starch box, cornstarch being one of the recipe’s principal ingredients. Triple or quadruple for larger quantities. If you’re piping, a bit more butter will make things easier.
1/2 1/2 1 3/4
cup cornstarch cup icing sugar cup sifted flour cup butter
1. Preheat the oven to 300˚F. 2. Sift the cornstarch, icing sugar and flour together in the bowl
of a mixer. Blend in the butter to make a soft, smooth dough. 3. Pipe the dough about 1 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. If you’re making your cookies by hand, flatten with a lightly-floured fork. 4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are slightly brown. Be careful as you pack them away, they are very “short.”
DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 45
SEAFOOD GUMBO WINTER PUDDING
It was a custom at our place to load puddings like this with small change. Seriously. Maybe an incentive for the kids to eat more? (Don’t swallow them!) So, you can, if you wish, wash some nickels and dimes and add them to the final mix. In inflationary times, you may even wish to consider loonies and toonies!
1 cup soft bread crumbs 1 cup raisins 1 cup currants 1 cup dates, chopped 1/2 cup citron peel, chopped 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp cloves 1/4 tsp allspice 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 1/3 cup treacle or molasses (I’ve also used maple syrup) 1 cup milk
1. Mix together the bread crumbs, fruit and nuts;
dust with a small amount of flour. Stir together in another bowl the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. In yet another bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. 2. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the molasses. Alternating with the dry ingredients, add the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Fold in the fruit, nuts and bread crumbs. 3. Fill a greased bowl, or individual moulds filled two-thirds full and cover with foil. In a water bath, steam in a 350˚F oven until done, 1 to 2 hours for small moulds or 3 hours for a large mould. 4. Serve hot with a sauce, whipped cream or ice cream. If you make this pudding ahead of time, reheat by steaming for 2 to 3 hours. To serve, invert the pudding so it comes out of its mould and top with a holly sprig.
46 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018
SERVES 6 TO 8 For a couple of weeks in the ‘80s, my daughter Tracy worked as an entertainer on a Mississippi riverboat — all the fascinating way from New Orleans to Natchez. She mailed me this recipe on a postcard. Chowders? Gumbos? The right stuff for December. You can use freshly-cleaned crab, or fresh or frozen lump crab meat, but it is nice to have the claws and a few chunks from the body in the gumbo. "File" is powdered sassafras leaves. It’s a thickener, so don’t overdo it; a tablespoonful is about right. If you can’t find file, add thinly sliced young, tender okra at the beginning instead.
1/2 1/2 1 1 1/2 1/4 450 450 450 2 1 1
cup flour cup vegetable oil large onion clove garlic bell pepper, chopped cup parsley, chopped g shrimp g crab meat g oysters, with oyster water bay leaves tbsp Worcestershire sauce Salt and pepper tbsp file Tabasco sauce, to taste
1. In a large pot, make a roux by browning the flour in well-heated vegetable oil. Lower the heat and gradually add 2 litres of water. Add the onion, garlic, pepper and parsley, and cook for 30 minutes. 2. Add the crab meat, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings, but save the file. Cook for 15 minutes. Add the shrimp and oysters. Cook for about 5 minutes more on high heat until the oysters begin to curl. Do not overcook the shrimp and oysters. 3. Cut the heat, add the file and serve. Add Tabasco sauce, if desired.
WINTER WARMUP
I created this soup years ago, put together with endof-season vegetables from the garden. When it’s cold outside, break out the memories of summer!
6 large carrots, diced 2 large onions, diced 1 large potato, diced 1 tbsp butter 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp sesame oil 1 tsp curry powder 1 tsp ground cardamom 6 cups chicken stock Dash of Tabasco sauce Dash of Worcestershire sauce Freshly ground pepper Soy sauce and salt, to taste Handful fresh or dried herbs, finely chopped (oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme) 1/2 cup whipped cream, to serve Blue cheese or Stilton, to serve (optional)
1. In a pot over medium-high, simmer and sweat
the diced vegetables in the butter, olive and sesame oil. Add the curry, cardamom, ground pepper, Tabasco, Worcestershire and herbs. 2. Add the stock and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. 3. Blend the mixture in a food processor, then season to taste with salt and soy sauce. The soup can be served now or frozen for later. Before serving, stir in the whipped cream. Do not allow the soup to boil. As an extra touch, add a knob of blue cheese or Stilton to each bowl. If you wish, a minute or so under the broiler will work extra wonders.
MY TOURTIÈRE
As with many recipes, this one included, there are purists. This is a meat pie with a fancy French name. And, as I said above, keep your mixture on the sloshy side. The quantity of ground beef and vegetables needed will depend on the size of your baking dish. Pair it with mashed potatoes if you wish, and some mixed vegetables. Something red and robust would be my choice for a wine. PASTRY
1 2 1 1 2-3
cup lard (or butter, if you wish) cups flour egg tbsp vinegar tbsp cold water
1. Cut the lard into the flour and mix to the consistency of corn meal.
2. Mix the egg and vinegar together. Add to the flour-lard mix.
It will begin to look like pastry. Add just enough water to make it pastry. Don’t overmix. 3. Remove from the bowl and shape into a ball. I always use the pastry at this stage but others leave it in the fridge for an hour or so first; I won’t argue. 4. Roll out the pastry and line the bottom of your dish. You should have enough left to cover the filling and seal the edges FILLING
500 1 6 900 1 1
g ground beef large onions, diced large mushrooms, diced ml beef or chicken broth tbsp flour Salt and pepper Herbs of your choice Splash of Tabasco sauce Splash of soy sauce egg yolk
1. Fry up the ground beef, onions and mushrooms until the mix has browned. Empty the pan into a bowl. Deglaze the pan with broth, then add that to your mixture. If needed, add more broth to the bowl to keep the mixture almost fluid. 2. Return the mixture to the pan. Mix the flour with 1/2 cup water. Add the salt, pepper and herbs, followed by the Tabasco and soy sauce. 3. Simmer on low for 30 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning. Let the mixture cool, then spoon into the pastry-lined dish. 4. Cover with the remaining pastry, seal and crimp with your thumb and forefinger. Make some holes in the pastry with a fork to let air escape. Your tourtière is ready for the oven. 5. Preheat the oven to 400˚F, brush the top of the pie with egg yolk and bake for about 40 minutes until golden brown. Winter wonderful. × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 47
BOUQUET GARNI BY NANCY JOHNSON
A CHRISTMAS CAROL IF I WERE EBENEZER SCROOGE, I WOULD HAVE SPENT A LITTLE MORE TIME WITH THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST. I mean, who wouldn’t want the chance to go back in time
and relive all the holiday fun? What’s that, you say? Scrooge had a lonely boarding school childhood and no holiday fun? Why, that’s positively Dickensian! As for me, my Christmases past were always a blast. Family, friends, food and fun ruled the holidays — and still do. And I have Charles Dickens to thank for that. Charles Dickens’ novella A Christmas Story, published in 1843, fuelled the Victorian resurgence of Christmas, with its transformation of a cold, self-interested miser into something of a jolly, kind and giving Father Christmas. Dickens wrote much of the story in his head during night-time walks, a practice I often employ for my own written words, although I skip the nighttime walks and lie on the couch, sleeping. At the beginning of the 19th century, believe it or not, Christmas was not much celebrated. After Queen Victoria married Prince Albert, the royal couple decorated a Christmas tree with fruits, candies and candles, a tradition from Prince Albert’s German childhood. And the Victorian people were enthralled. Then Charles Dickens fanned the flames of Christmas cheer with his novella focusing on compassion, charity and goodwill. The phrase “Merry Christmas,” was popularized during Victorian times by Dickens’ novella. The phrase “Bah! Humbug!” (which I use often during the holidays) also entered the English language through A Christmas Carol. Even today, the name Scrooge remains a descriptive noun for a miser, even if the miser in question is a character as quackily-cute as Disney’s Scrooge McDuck. Bottom line: Christmas is about family, friends, community, kindness, giving back and huge love. Make yours as special as you can, record it to memory and hold it close. Christmas 2017 will only be here for a very short time. Bring it! Here, as frugal as Scrooge, I offer recipes for enjoying every last bit of the Christmas turkey. 48 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018
ROTINI, TURKEY AND CHEESE BAKE
SERVES 4 TO 6 Sort of mac and cheese but with the bonus of roasted turkey and vegetables. If you have leftover veggies, chop them into bite-sized pieces and use them instead of the frozen peas and carrots. I like rotini because it catches the yummy cheese sauce, but you can substitute a pasta of your choice. For the best melt, grate your own cheese either by hand or in the food processor. Top this dish with sliced almonds, if desired.
450 2 4 6 4 1/2 1/4 4 2-3 1
g rotini, cooked cloves garlic, minced tbsp butter tbsp flour cups milk tsp grainy mustard tsp dried thyme Salt and pepper, to taste cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded cups cubed roasted turkey package frozen peas and carrots, thawed
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. 2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Sauté the garlic over
medium-low heat until tender. 3. Whisk in the flour. Cook while whisking for 30 seconds. Add the milk, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium. 4. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese until melted. 5. In a large bowl, gently fold together the cooked rotini, turkey, vegetables and cheese sauce. Transfer to the baking dish. Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly. MATCH: Serve with Chardonnay.
× Search through a wide range of wine-friendly recipes on quench.me/recipes/
KENTUCKY HOT BROWN SERVES 4
GREEK TURKEY BOWL SALAD
SERVES 4 The recent culinary craze that kind of refuses to go away (because it’s so good) is all about nutritious bowls for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This tasty bowl brings together turkey, brown rice and Greek salad ingredients. Cut the turkey and vegetables into similar shapes and sizes for the best presentation. You can make it a Tex-Mex bowl by combinijng turkey, black beans, salsa, cilantro, guacamole and cheddar cheese. Or, for an Italian version, use cooked farro, turkey, salami or pepperoni, pepperoncini peppers, cherry tomatoes, Castelvetrano olives and chunks of Provolone cheese. Add minced oregano to the vinaigrette.
2 2 1 1 1 1 1/2 1/2 1 1
cups brown rice, cooked cups roasted turkey, chopped cup garbanzo beans, drained cup cucumber, chopped cup red bell pepper, chopped cup cherry tomatoes, halved cup red onion, chopped cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped package feta, crumbled tbsp mint or parsley, minced Pita bread House Vinaigrette, recipe follows
With an ice cream scoop, place 1/2 cup rice in the each centre of 4 bowls. Top with equal portions of turkey, beans, cucumber, pepper, onion, tomatoes, olives and feta. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Garnish with mint or parsley. Pass the pita bread. MATCH: Uncork a medium-bodied, dry Rosé.
HOUSE VINAIGRETTE
This is a basic vinaigrette that can be dressed up with garlic, shallots or herbs. Add more vinegar or olive oil, if desired. Instead of red wine vinegar, try balsamic or champagne. Honey or sugar can be added as well.
2 1 1/4 1/3
tbsp red wine vinegar tsp Dijon mustard tsp kosher salt cup extra-virgin olive oil
In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard and salt. Gradually whisk in the olive oil.
2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp flour 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated Pinch of ground nutmeg Salt and pepper, to taste 450 g roasted turkey breast, thickly sliced and warmed in an oven or microwave 4 thick slices artisan bread, lightly toasted 1 large tomato, sliced 8 slices bacon, cooked 1. Preheat the broiler. 2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
Whisk in the flour to form a roux. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, whisking, for 1 minute. 3. Whisk in the heavy cream and cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and whisk in the cheese until smooth. Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper. 4. Place the toast on a rimmed, parchment-lined baking sheet. Layer each piece with turkey breast. Top each open-faced sandwich with one or two tomato slices. 5. Pour the cheese sauce over the sandwiches, making sure they are completely covered. Sprinkle with additional Pecornio Romano cheese. 6. Broil until the cheese is lightly browned and bubbly, about 1 minute. Remove and criss-cross two pieces of bacon on top of each sandwich. MATCH: Very good with Sauvignon Blanc.
MAJOR GREY TURKEY SANDWICHES
MAKES 4 SANDWICHES Let’s face it, turkey sandwiches are the best part of the holidays. I toast whole wheat bread, spread cranberry sauce on one slice and mayo on the other. A dash of salt and pepper and a crisp Romaine lettuce leaf and I’m happy. Here, turkey is paired with chutney for those who like things sweet and spicy.
2 1 2 1/3-1/2 1 8
cups roasted turkey, shredded celery stalk, thinly sliced tbsp Major Grey chutney cup mayonnaise tsp scallion, minced Salt, to taste Crisp lettuce leaves slices country bread, toasted if desired
In a large bowl, mix together the turkey, celery, chutney, mayo and scallions. Season with salt. Divide filling among 4 slices of bread, about 1/2 cup each. Top each one with lettuce leaves and a second slice of bread. MATCH: This sandwich calls for a nice cold beer. × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 49
NOTED FINCA DECERO MINI EDICIONES PETIT VERDOT 2012, AGRELO, MENDOZA, ARGENTINA ($34)
An excellent mono-varietal bottling of Petit Verdot showing vibrant dark colour, juicy wild blueberry and mocha flavours, firm tannins and a bright finish. A great match with bison, elk or other wild game. (GB)
SPERLING VINEYARDS LATE HARVEST RIESLING 2015, OKANAGAN VALLEY ($30)
BEAU’S ALL-NATURAL BREWING COMPANY LUG-TREAD, VANKLEEK HILL, ONTARIO ($16.95/4-PACK, 600ML)
Showing deep straw/gold in the glass with refined floral and honeyed citrus scents. Elegant, medium-sweet, honeyed lemon citrus, drying mineral, well-balanced acidity and lingering lemon honey on the finish. (SW)
LA FLEUR D’AMÉLIE 2010, AC BORDEAUX, FRANCE ($19.50) Previously tasted October 2013. Now a clear, very deep garnet. Fairly intense nose of raisins, dates, prunes and treacle toffee. Mature cherry fruit now starting to fade behind tannins and oak flavours. Drink up, it won’t get better. (RL)*
ARROWLEAF ZWEIGELT 2015, LAKE COUNTRY, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($19)
A fruit-driven, medium-bodied expression. 12 months in equal parts eastern European, American and French oak yields aromas of crushed red berries before a juicy palate wrapped in appealing acidity with darker berry notes. Has a slightly herbal edge with good length and some spice notes in the finish. Excellent value. (TP)
REDSTONE CABERNET FRANC 2013, NIAGARA ($40)
Shows a deep red colour in the glass with rich aromas of blackcurrants, blackberries, cedar cigar box, lavish spice notes and savoury herbs. Highly structured on the palate with a range of dark fruits, tobacco, earth, herbs and ripe/firm tannins. (RV)
TERRE STREGATE SVELATO FALANGHINA DEL SANNIO 2015, CAMPANIA, ITALY ($16.95)
Falanghina is an ancient grape variety grown in the hills north of Naples. Bright straw in colour, it has a spicy, pine needle and citrus nose. Medium-bodied and dry, well balanced and fresh on the palate, showing spicy melon and lemon flavours ending on a note of green nuts. (TA)
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Lug-Tread is a golden ale with sweet arrowroot and some subtle grassy notes. It’s a well-balanced brew with a crisp, bitter finish. We love to serve it with holiday meals like roast ham or roast chicken. The bubbles refresh the palate after each bite and the flavour profile can stand up to rich meats. (TL)
CEDARCREEK RIESLING 2015, OKANAGAN ($18)
Lively aromas of lemon-lime announce a citrus and stonefruit off-dry palate with stonefruit, peach and orange hints, wrapped in bright acidity. An alluring sweetness and purity of fruit. (TP)
BARONE PIZZINI SATÈN 2013, FRANCIACORTA, LOMBARDY, ITALY ($36)
Pale gold, adequate effervescence (“satèn” means less CO2 and less pressure in the bottle). Inviting nose with delicate notes of white peach, butter, fresh mushrooms and chalk. Bone dry, the soft acidity is balanced well in the ascending mid-palate leading to a finish of very good length. Ready to drink. (GBQc)
× 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, Sean Wood, Gilles Bois, Crystal Luxmore, Tara 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 92 RECAREDO TERRERS BRUT NATURE GRAN RESERVA NV, PENEDES, SPAIN ($50)
If you shun Cava for being too sweet or too forgettable, please seek out this iconic producer and this exceptional bottle (new to our market). The biodynamic family grower/producer uses only estate fruit in this cuvée, from vineyards located in the calcareous soils of Alt Penedès’ Bitlles Valley Highlands. You get the soils at once, with the grip and freshness in this striking fizz. I love (geek) the transparency in labelling here: aged 70 months, disgorged on March 3, 2017, and hand-disgorged without freezing the neck and with no dosage. Pixelated mineral, lemon pith and dusty, sun-baked stone on the tight and nimble citrus-scented palate. Grounded with a firm gravitas, but lifted with an effortless stream of fresh acidity (12% alcohol). This is a wine of place and time — not something you can usually say about Cava. Plus, when was the last time you drank a Gran Reserva Cava? Si, never. (TR)
91 DOYARD-MAHÉ ROSÉ CHAMPAGNE NV, FRANCE ($38.33)
Mostly Chard, with some oak-fermented Pinot Noir. Clear deep vermilion with lots of bubbles. Faint nose of orange and yeast. Slightly sweet, tastes of McIntosh apples sprinkled with a bit of sugar and a few drops of lemon juice. Drink now. (RL)*
80-84 = Good 75-79 = Acceptable 70 & under = Below average *Available through wine clubs
90 CAVE SPRING CELLARS BLANC DE BLANCS BRUT NV, NIAGARA ($30) Elegant nose of lemon, brioche, green apple, limestone minerality and grapefruit. Fine and vigorous mousse on the palate, lovely texture and verve with a nutty, fresh profile of citrus, apple, biscuit and vibrant energy through the finish. (RV)
90 BARONE PIZZINI SATÈN 2013, FRANCIACORTA, LOMBARDY, ITALY ($36)
Pale gold, adequate effervescence (“satèn” means less CO2 and less pressure in the bottle). Inviting nose with delicate notes of white peach, butter, fresh mushrooms and chalk. Bone dry, the soft acidity is well balanced in the ascending mid-palate leading to a finish of very good length. Ready to drink. (GBQc)
89 SEE YA LATER RANCH SPARKLING BRUT, OKANAGAN FALLS ($22) A slightly shy nose, opening up with crisp green apple and citrus flavours, fine creamy mousse and zesty minerality on the palate. Very well-priced, polished fizz. (SW)
89 VINCENT CAILLÉ X BULLES NV, VIN MOUSSEUX BRUT METHODE ANCESTRALE, PAIS NANTAIS, LOIRE, FRANCE ($24)
A singular Pét-Nat from the iconic Vincent Caillé, a fifth-generation vigneron and one of the few organic producers in Pais Nantais. This ancestral fizz perfectly captures melon’s youthful and innocent charm. The wine epitomizes pretty and fragrant pear blossom and rosewater
carried along a fine zip line of green apple acidity and a fine bubble to a snappy, mineral-water finish. At 11% alcohol, this defines smashable. This grape is perfectly suited to this style. (TR)
89 V8+ RIBOLLA GIALLA SPUMANTE BRUT NV, FRIULI, ITALY ($34) Bright, crisp and fruit-driven, showing citrus and white pepper. Zippy with lively bubbles, creamy texture and a sleek finish. (GB)
88 LUMINOS BRUT ROSÉ NV, CURICÓ VALLEY, CHILE ($13.50)
Medium-deep pink with a hint of orange and plenty of fizz. Faint nose, strawberries with a hint of toast. Flavours of mixed red berries and a bit of citrus. Very fruity with good acidity; light and refreshing. Drink up. (RL)*
87 VICENTE GANDIA SANDARA WINE MOJITO SPARKLING, SPAIN ($15) Offers unusually concentrated lemon and green herbal scents with medium-sweet lemon and ripe yellow-pear flavours. Sweetness is balanced with refreshing acidity and gentle spritz. Makes an ideal apéritif. (SW)
87 NAVARRO LÓPEZ GARNACHA ROSADO FRIZZ CHIC NV, VALPEDEÑAS, SPAIN ($18)
Fresh and juicy with strawberry, cherry and citrus aromas and flavours. Slightly fizzy with a touch of residual sweetness on the finish. A great match with spicy Italian sausage, bratwurst and pulled pork. (GB) DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 51
NOTED WHITE AUSTRIA 92 HEIDI SCHRÖCK FURMINT 2013, NEUSIEDLEREE-HÜGELLAND, BERGLAND ÖSTERREICH ($35)
Furmint is a beautiful thing, and Heidi Schröck, a leading light of Austrian low-interventionist winemaking, is a terroir transmitter for this buzzing, understated, nonchalant and chic grape. Their south-facing vineyards shade the softly rolling hills around Lake Neusiedl, forming a sort of natural amphitheatre. Nervy and electric, with chamomile scenting ample salts, medicinal lemon, flax, smoked stones, meadow grasses and green apple crispness. A slick of honeyed lees softens the stony base and hints at the age of this wine, one that is entirely not about the fruit. An intellectual stunner now. (TR)
90 NIKOLAIHOF GRÜNER VELTLINER FEDERSPIEL 2015, WACHAU ($38)
Rich, fresh, complex with great finesse showing stone fruit, white flowers, cracked pepper and minerality. Food-versatile and will likely gain complexity with a few more years of aging. Pair with everything from Tandoori salmon to a grilled veal chop. (GB)
89 DOMÄNE WACHAU TERRASSEN FEDERSPIEL 2015, WACHAU ($21.95)
Dry, this mineral-driven Riesling also flaunts bergamot, citrus, orange peel and notes of honey. There is loads of freshness, which helps carry the finale. Pork schnitzel, please! (ES)
AUSTRALIA 91 BK WINES SKIN-N-BONES WHITE 2016, LENSWOOD, ADELAIDE HILLS, AUSTRALIA ($35)
Highly perfumed, shining golden-yellow hued, with bruised apricot, orange blossom, pear skin leading the streaming, del-
icate and savoury form. The fading musk twinkles with lemon-lime sherbet before a bright, salted, white grapefruit twist on the lingering finish. It’s all wabi-sabi, on the edge riding floral/fresh and decay, all still intriguingly leading you to glass after glass (especially at 11.8%). Savagnin was brought to Oz from Spain and planted as Albarino. This is an “orange wine,” destemmed and fermented like a red with 1 month on skins in a fermenter before being pressed off to barrel for 9 months. In the mix is a new barrel from a forest in Jura, completing the circumference of this grape’s journey from Jura to Spain to Oz back to Jura. (TR)
88 FRANKLIN TATE ESTATES ALEXANDERS VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2013, MARGARET RIVER, AUSTRALIA ($30)
The vineyard is close to Willyabrup and mostly planted with the ubiquitous Mendoza clone. Partly barrel fermented (new and older French barriques) with a good amount of solids, this one saw a good amount of battonage in barrel before bottling 1 year later. Holds the wood, lees and ripeness very well, expressing a pure and creamy core of spiced yellow apple, pear and lemon to a vanilla-tinged finish. (TR)
eral accents on the palate and laced with pure honeycomb that finds a nice balance with the natural acidity. (RV)
92 KITSCH DRY RIESLING 2016, EAST KELOWNA BENCH, OKANAGAN ($25)
Flinty notes on top with citrus and apple notes on a bright, fresh palate buoyed by keen acidity and a focused dry profile, from just .3 g/l residual sugar, with a crisp, clean and slightly schiste ending. (TP)
92 HAYWIRE SECREST MOUNTAIN CHARDONNAY 2016, OLIVER, OKANAGAN ($25)
Destemmed, soaked, then whole-bunch pressed into concrete eggs. Forward stonefruit and tropical aromas followed by a luscious, rounded palate. Dry and fruit-driven with elegant mouthfeel supported by hallmark acidity and freshness through the finish. (TP)
91 OKANAGAN CRUSH PAD NARRATIVE PINOT BLANC 2016, OLIVER, OKANAGAN ($23)
CANADA
From a high-elevation planting, wholebunch pressed, then stainless steel and concrete fermented. Fresh, lifted tropical fruits on top followed by a well-textured, precise varietal palate of pineapple and melon notes balanced by well-proportioned acidity through a clean finish. (TP)
94 JOIEFARM EN FAMILLE RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2015, OKANAGAN ($36)
91 JOIEFARM EN FAMILLE RIESLING 2015, MISSION DISTRICT AND SUMMERLAND, OKANAGAN ($28)
93 CULMINA N°003 EN COTEAUX RIESLING 2016, OKANAGAN ($35)
91 HENRY OF PELHAM SPECK FAMILY RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2010, SHORT HILLS BENCH, NIAGARA ($29.95)
Bouquet is the apt term here for the refined, subtle floral, stone fruit, melon and light nutty, buttery character on the nose. Quite Burgundian in style on the palate with apple and citrus flavours, deftly balanced acidity and drying grip on the finish. Has a lot to offer now but will continue to evolve over the next several years. (SW)
This is all about opulence and style with an intense and generous nose of peach, pear, Mandarin orange, apricot and earthy minerality. It’s texturally beautiful and layered with orchard fruits and min-
52 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018
Mainly from old vines on the Becker test block at St Hubertus. Upfront notes of citrus and mineral before intense, full-fruited luscious layers of lemon-lime with some honeyed notes and a touch of spice, carried by perfectly balanced acidity with some ginger and spice hints through the lingering, juicy close. (TP)
Light straw in colour with a nose of apple, spicy oak and a barnyard note. Medium-bodied with dry apple and pear
flavours. Well balanced with just the right amount of oak, giving the wine a spicy lift on the finish. Great length. (TA)
90 CEDAR CREEK RIESLING 2015, OKANAGAN ($18)
Lively aromas of lemon-lime announce an off-dry citrus and stonefruit palate with peach and orange hints, all wrapped in bright acidity. An alluring sweetness and purity of fruit. (TP)
90 TOWNSHIP 7 ROMAR VINEYARD VIOGNIER 2016, OKANAGAN ($23)
Such a beautiful expression of this Rhône varietal with a nose of apricot, peach, honeysuckle, Mandarin orange and ginger. Lovely texture on the palate and clean, fresh impression to go with fullon tropical fruit, peach and a smidge of ginger. (RV)
90 BENCH 1775 VIOGNIER 2016, OKANAGAN ($24.90)
A fragrant, minerally, peach-pit and honeysuckle nose. Medium-bodied, round and beautifully balanced with ripe lychee and melon flavours. Sustains well on the palate. (TA)
90 JOIE FARM EN FAMILLE RESERVE GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2015, OKANAGAN ($28)
Classic varietal nose shows highly perfumed rose petal with a pinch of white pepper. Orange citrus and lychee are both identifiable on the opulently flavourful palate. Balancing acidity adds freshness to the off-dry finish. (SW)
90 CLOSSON CHASE VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2015, PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY ($39.95)
Straw colour with a tropical fruit nose lifted with oak spice. Full-bodied, clove and green pineapple flavours, rich and full on the palate, with lively acidity and vanilla oak notes. (TA)
90 MISSION HILL PERPETUA CHARDONNAY 2015, OKANAGAN ($73) Pale straw in colour showing a spicy pear and apple bouquet with oak notes. Full-bodied, richly extracted apple and pineapple flavours carried on lively acidity and backed by vanilla oak. A rich and powerful wine. (TA)
89 CEDARCREEK RIESLING 2016, OKANAGAN ($15.99)
Very pale in colour with just a hint of lime, offering a minerally, grapefruit nose. Light- to medium-bodied, off-dry with golden raisin and grapefruit flavours and a touch of honey. (TA)
89 CHATEAU DES CHARMES ALIGOTÉ 2016, NIAGARA ($16)
Lovely and zesty nose of melon, peach skin, green apples, ginger and subtle tropical notes. Deliciously fresh on the palate with an array of orchard fruits, just a hint of ginger and minerality on the finish. (RV)
89 SEE YA LATER RANCH RIESLING 2016, OKANAGAN FALLS ($16.99) Floral, citrus and petrol aromas, shifting to more stone fruit on the palate, with fine peach flavours. Refreshing but not overbearing acidity and a zesty tingle on the tongue. Very good value. (SW)
89 CEDARCREEK THE SENATOR 2016, OKANAGAN ($18.99)
An unusual blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Very pale in colour. Apple and pear nose with a grapefruit-zest note. Medium- to full-bodied, dry, ripe pear flavour with an engaging floral note. Good mouthfeel with lively acidity. (TA)
89 HENRY OF PELHAM FUMÉ SAUVIGNON BLANC 2016, SHORT HILLS BENCH, NIAGARA ($19.95)
A grassy, grapefruit nose. Medium-bodied, dry, very Bordeaux-like in style, with green plum and lanolin flavours. Well balanced with a fine mouthfeel. (TA)
89 KRAZE LEGZ WINERY SKAHA VINEYARD UNOAKED CHARDONNAY 2016, OKANAGAN ($21) Fragrant floral and very pure citrus scents shift to clean green apple fruit flavours and a bright, crisp finish. Understated, food-friendly wine showing elegant simplicity. (SW)
89 BLUE GROUSE ESTATE PINOT GRIS 2016, COWICHAN VALLEY ($22) Gorgeous aromas of melon, peach, honeysuckle, citrus and integrated cream and spice notes. It’s a ripe and round rendition of Pinot Gris on the palate
with a creamy/spicy profile that highlights a range of orchard fruits and hints of tropical fruits. (RV)
89 CASTORO DE ORO CANADA 150 CHARDONNAY UNOAKED 2015, OKANAGAN ($23) The nose is an expressive mix of pear, peach and tropical fruits with just a hint of freshening citrus. Clean, fresh and generous on the palate with pure orchard fruit flavours and a zesty citrus finish. (RV)
88 PONDVIEW ESTATE WINERY SAUVIGNON BLANC 2016, NIAGARA ($17.95)
This Sauvignon Blanc delivers above its pay grade. A huge bouquet of nectarine, guava, passion fruit, poached pear and grapefruit. On the palate, it is dry with fresh acidity and very good length as well as added nuances of lemon balm and minerals. Oyster time! (ES)
88 REDSTONE GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2016, NIAGARA ($21.95)
There is a slight peach colour, which denotes some skin contact. Honey, rose water, anise, cold cream, pink grapefruit are all in play. Off-dry with an extended finale. Serve alongside your favorite spicy cuisine, from Indian to Asian to Mexican. (ES)
88 TAWSE QUARRY ROAD VINEYARD GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2016, VINEMOUNT RIDGE ($24.95)
Peach, cream, honey, white pepper, flowers and citrus are all in play. Off-dry and ready to serve. Try with Munster cheese or tarte flambée. (ES)
88 MCWATTERS COLLECTION CHARDONNAY 2014, OKANAGAN VALLEY ($30.95)
Light straw in colour with an earthy, undergrowth nose of apples; medium to full-bodied, sweet apple flavour, round and full in the mouth but lacking energy to give the wine length. (TA)
87 PONDVIEW ESTATE WINERY RIESLING 2016, NIAGARA ($17.95)
Made in an off-dry style, this is a crisp Riesling, featuring lime, green apple, white peach, powdered candies and minerals. Fine length and well suited to pork dishes. (ES) DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 53
NOTED 87 REDSTONE VIOGNIER REDFOOT VINEYARD 2015, LINCOLN LAKESHORE ($24.95)
Features classic Viognier aromas of banana, apricot, fresh flowers, honey, cream and anise. Medium body, crisp acidity and great length. Drink now. (ES)
86 PONDVIEW ESTATE WINERY VIOGNIER 2016, NIAGARA ($17.95)
A lighter style of Viognier with aromas of peach, honey, banana, flowers, spice and cream. Crisp and ready to drink. (ES)
CHILE 92 CORNELLANA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2016, CACHAPOAL VALLEY ($9) Clear, silvery yellow. Rich and complex nose including gooseberry, guava, stone fruit, pineapple and apple aromas. Medium-bodied, riper and denser than most NZ Sauvignon Blancs but with balancing acidity. Ready to drink when it reaches your house. A reliable house wine, and great value. Delicious with broiled fresh figs topped with goat cheese. (RL)*
89 ERRAZURIZ CHARDONNAY WILD FERMENT 2015, ACONCAGUA COSTA, CHILE ($24)
With vineyards 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean at La Escultura Estate, this Casablanca Valley wine embraces the cool stream of air from the chilly Humboldt Current that cycles off-shore. The whole-cluster fruit was fermented in stainless before partial MLF and 10 months’ aging in French oak (17% new). White peach leads the tropical fruit on the medium body and creamy palate, finely spiced on the finish. A lovely, serious, fresh, approachable New World Chardy at an incredible price. (TR)
87 ERRAZURIZ ESTATE SERIES SAUVIGNON BLANC 2016, ACONCAGUA VALLEY ($16)
Highly aromatic green herbal, asparagus and snap pea scents give way to gooseberry fruit on the palate, with characteristic lively acidity and mineral on the long, fruity finish. (SW)
FRANCE 93 CLOS DU MOULIN AUX MOINES PERNAND-VERGELESSES LES COMBOTTES 2014, AUXEY-DURESSES, CÔTE DE BEAUNE, BURGUNDY ($67)
Lovely matchstick and flint leads out this Pernand-Vergelesses, from Clos du Moulin aux Moines. The youngest vines in Les Combottes vineyard are around 40 years old, sloping off Corton Charlemagne, with similar soils (white marl on clay-limestone). The wines are lifted with mineral salts, lemon blossom and pine nuts, very well grounded by a bed of lees. A finessed beauty now, and will cellar very well in the short and longer term. (TR)
88 ORMARINE LES PINS DE CAMILLE 2016, PICPOUL DE PINET AC, LANGUEDOC ($16)
Shows bright floral and tropical scents with a distinctive whiff of pine, shifting to ripe green tropical fruit backed by fresh acidity and an intriguing briny note on the finish. (SW)
88 MARC BRÉDIF VOUVRAY 2016, LOIRE ($20)
Very pale yellow. Almost muted nose, with only hints of floral scents and a mineral whiff. Not completely dry, a trace of CO2 energizes the fatty mid-palate. Lovely finish of good length. Easy to drink now, but it can hold for 3 to 5 years. (GBQc)
88 MARNIER LAPOSTOLLE CHATEAU DE SANCERRE 2015 ($31)
Opens with floral scent together with opulent citrus, passion and tropical fruit on the nose and similarly exuberant flavours in the mouth. Signature mineral and refreshing acidity get a bit lost in the mix. (SW)
87 ALAIN BRUMONT LA GASCOGNE 2015, CÔTES DE GASCOGNE ($12)
Very pale yellow. Herbaceous notes fill the glass accompanied by soy beans, lime and green apple. Light and fresh, it cleanses the mouth with its affirmed acidity and bright fruit. Great right now with a tuna sandwich. (GBQc)
54 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018
87 WILLM RESERVE RIESLING 2016, ALSACE ($15.95)
Very pale. Delicate citrusy nose with a mineral note and pear/peach developing in the glass. Sharp acidity, citrus taste, light body. Good persistence and refreshing finish. Drink up on its own or with river fish in a buttery sauce (sole meunière comes to mind). (GBQc)
GERMANY 88 WEINGUT BURG RAVENSBURG RIESLING 2015, QBA BADEN KRAICHGAU ($24)
This trocken Burg Ravensburg is a VDP Orstwein, noted to be from superior soils and a village’s best vineyards. The producer has been making wine since 1251, so they have some practice. A warm rush of medicinal white cherry and lemon prickle the palate, as well as a swig of sulphur. The palate is lined with a dense layer of lemon before crunchy pear and thistles close out the punchy finish. Potent and direct Riesling, packing a lot of intensity into a 12.5 degree frame. Can easily take on assertive pork dishes. (TR)
87 CLEAN SLATE 2015 RIESLING, QBA MOSEL ($13)
Mid-sweet with pear gummies, red apples and a firm grip provided by the steep, blue slate soils of the Lower Mosel and the prickly pepper spiciness of the Middle Mosel. Juicy, bright and easy, this is a fresh entry-level Riesling to introduce you to the textures of the Mosel — at a great price. (TR)
87 BISCHÖFLICHE WEINGÜTER TRIER DOM DRY RIESLING 2014, QBA MOSEL ($18)
Petrol and sulphur open this Mosel Riesling, characterized “dry” but with evident residual sugar. Fermented in stainless, where it spends a few months on lees before bottling, this is a light, simple, dry-ish (9 g/l RS) Riesling, filled with lemon tart and white peach. Finishes with an efficient snap. Drink now. (TR)
ITALY 91 FRESCOBALDI CASTELLO DI POMINO BENEFIZIO RISERVA 2015, TUSCANY ($36.95) Bright straw in colour with a spicy, toasty, oaky, lemon bouquet. Medium- to full-bodied, dry, clovey, peach-melon flavour with well-integrated oak. A beautifully balanced wine. (TA)
90 TERRE STREGATE SVELATO FALANGHINA DEL SANNIO 2015, CAMPANIA ($16.95)
Falanghina is an ancient grape variety grown in the hills north of Naples. Bright straw in colour, it has a spicy, pine needle and citrus nose. Medium bodied, dry, well balanced and fresh on the palate, showing spicy melon and lemon flavours ending on a note of green nuts. (TA)
89 SELLA & MOSCA LA CALA 2015, VERMENTINO DI SARDEGNA, SARDINIA ($22)
Citrus, green apple and tropical fruit with a hint of banana on the nose. Evolving on the palate to crisp lemon citrus and tropical fruit, balanced by lively acidity with a long, fresh-fruit finish. (SW)
89 ALOIS LAGEDER SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015, ALTO ADIGE ($25)
Very pale. Fresh nose of unripe fruits, green lemon and asparagus. Clean and lively on the palate, the cutting acidity is especially present in the finish. The domain is known for its rigorous organic winemaking. (GBQc)
89 ATTEMS CICINIS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2016, COLLIO GORIZIANO, FRIULI ($35)
Bright pale yellow. Apricot and other yellow fruits, flint and smoky notes, passion fruit. Ripe taste, balanced mid-palate and finish. Ready to drink. (GBQc)
87 IL POGGIONE BIANCO DI TOSCANA 2016, TUSCANY, ITALY ($16)
If you’re ready for a change from Pinot Grigio, this IGT Toscana white is a blend of 70/30 Vermentino/Chardonnay in stainless to preserve the crisp, bright fruit. Green apple, melon, Asian pear and perfumed lemon blossom on the clean,
simple palate. Drink now, preferably with kale salad. (TR)
87 ROCCA DI MONTEMASSI CALASOLE 2014, VERMENTINO MAREMMA TOSCANA ($20)
Opens with shy floral and delicate fruity scents, broadening on the palate with intense green-fruit flavours supported by bright acidity and a touch of mineral on the finish. (SW)
87 LI VELI FIANO 2016, IGT PUGLIA ($24)
Grilled Seville oranges, bitter pear skin, crabapple and sharp stones in this Fiano from central Apulia’s Itria Valley, and there’s an acrid, bitter rim that sharpens the finish. This is Fiano Minutolo — mini, for the size of the small berries, which are said to contribute to the spicy character of the wine. Certainly has a snappy spice and the Mediterranean heat. Helps to tame it with food: try spicy calamari. (TR)
85 BARONE MONTALTO IL PADRINO PINOT GRIGIO 2015, TERRE SICILIANE, SICILY ($14/1 L)
Scent of ripe grapefruit with a whiff of herb yields to lemon citrus and yellow tropical-fruit flavours with refreshingly light acidity and a long, fruity finish. Easy drinking, good value. (SW)
NEW ZEALAND 89 LEFT FIELD SAUVIGNON BLANC 2016, NELSON ($15.95) Pale straw colour with a green tint. Grassy, elderberry and green plum bouquet. Medium-bodied and crisply dry. Gooseberry and grapefruit flavours with lively acidity. (TA)
PORTUGAL 92 ANSELMO MENDES ALVARINHO CONTACTO 2016, DOC VINHO VERDE ($24)
There is Vinho Verde you think you know, and then there are wines like this. From one of Vinho Verde’s icons, this is Alvarinho from the Monção and Melgaço subregion, regarded as a “cru” in quality.
For this wine, the vineyards sidle the river, and are blanketed with stones. The Contacto refers to the fact that this wine spent extended time on the skins. Wild pear is slicked with salts, meadow herbs and scented with a perfume of wild mint. The form is greyhound sleek and the finish lingers with savoury allure. Best with some breathing space. (TR)
SOUTH AFRICA 89 CREDO NUMEROUS QUATTUOR CHENIN BLANC 2014, STELLENBOSCH ($16.95)
Neon yellow in colour, this wine offers a toasty, nutty nose with barnyard notes. Medium- to full-bodied and dry, the lingering flavour of creamy pear purée fills the palate, nicely balanced with lemony acidity. (TA)
88 THELEMA MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS WHITE 2014, STELLENBOSCH ($16)
Offers smoothly rounded, lush tropical and stone-fruit flavours with light, stony mineral grip and a crisply refreshing finish. (SW)
UNITED STATES 90 ROBERT MONDAVI CHARDONNAY 2014, NAPA ($29.95) Light straw colour with a spicy, bakedapple and citrus nose augmented by a vanilla-oak note. Full-bodied, sweet peachy-pineapple flavours with well-integrated oak and a lively spine of acidity. Long finish. (TA)
ROSÉ 91 ROCHE WINES ROSÉ 2016, NARAMATA BENCH, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($19)
This deliberate nod to France blends Zweigelt with a splash of 3% Schönberger for a delicate, pale salmon colour. Subtle, red-berried palate with luscious strawberry over mineral notes plus rhubarb and melon hints. Clean, refreshing finish. (TP) DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 55
NOTED 90 DAMES ROSÉ 2016, OKANAGAN ($23)
This wicked blend of Pinot Blanc (80%) and Pinot Noir (20%) washes away in just one sip the memories of all those candy-floss rosés. There’s a deliberate nod to Provence here, with a pale salmon hue and lusciously refreshing strawberry notes that hover over a pleasing nice mineral streak with a crisp, clean finish. (TP)
89 CAMPELO MESA DO PRESIDENTE VINHO ROSADO 2016, VINHO VERDE DOC ($15)
RED ARGENTINA 92 FINCA DECERO REMOLINOS VINEYARD PETIT VERDOT 2012, AGRELO, MENDOZA ($34)
An excellent mono-varietal bottling of Petit Verdot showing vibrant dark colour, juicy wild blueberry and mocha flavours, firm tannins and a bright finish. A great match with bison, elk or other wild game. (GB)
Blend of three native varieties shows great charm, offering soft floral and lightly scented red-berry character with gentle spritz and refreshingly light, fruity finish. Ideal as an apéritif. (SW)
90 DONA PAULA 1100 RED 2014, VALLE DE UCO, MENDOZA ($25)
89 BLACK HILLS ROSÉ 2016, SOUTHERN OKANAGAN ($25.15)
90 FINCA DECERO REMOLINOS VINEYARD THE OWL & THE DUST DEVIL 2014, MENDOZA ($30)
Produced from Pinot Noir. Deep pink colour with a raspberry nose tinged with a light herbal note. Medium-bodied and just off-dry. Fruity raspberry flavour and nicely balanced. (TA)
88 CHEVALIER MONOPOLE BRUT ROSÉ, BURGUNDY, FRANCE ($15.95)
Pale salmon pink in colour with tiny bubbles; sweetish strawberry nose; medium-bodied, just off-dry with strawberry and cranberry flavours. Great value. (TA)
88 KRAZE LEGZ WINERY SKAHA VINEYARD ROSÉ 2016, OKANAGAN ($21)
Made from 100% Merlot, showing just a very pale, rose-coloured hue. Fragrant floral and red-berry character with strawberry; secondary cherry flavours in the mouth. Offers easy-drinking charm. (SW)
86 DOMAINE DU SALVARD CHEVERNY ROSÉ 2016, LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE ($23)
A pretty rosé, with cherry, strawberry and floral notes and light, minerally edge on the finish. Try with grilled shrimp. (GB)
Floral and spicy with dark berries, soft juicy tannins and a fresh finish. Great value for the dollar. (GB)
Rich, bold and structured blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Tannat, all grown in the diverse soils of the Remolinos Vineyard in the shadows of the Andes Mountains. The name refers to the owls that protect the vineyard from pests and the whirlwinds (remolinos) that blow through the vineyard to keep the grapes dry and healthy. (GB)
89 DOMINIO DEL PLATA CRIOS DE SUSANA BALBO 2015, MENDOZA ($17.95)
Dark ruby. Light fruity nose, spicy, inviting. Light bodied, well balanced, very fruity. Probably no oak was used in the winemaking. Good length and ready to enjoy. Syrah and Bonarda in equal parts. Bonarda is a grape to watch in Argentina. (GBQc)
88 LA LINDA PRIVATE SELECTION OLD VINES MALBEC 2014, MENDOZA ($15.95) From the venerable house of Luigi Bosca comes this intensely coloured and perfumed Malbec full of blackberry, plum, blueberry, violets and anise. Full bodied with good density and a lingering bluefruit aftertaste. (ES)
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87 BODEGA RENACER MILAMORE 2015, LUJÁN DE CUYO, MENDOZA ($37)
Sweet dusky and downy violets, cassis jam and balsamic jus flow through this Amarone-style wine through to a vanilla-pod finish. Blueberries, potpourri and alluring, intriguing violet flow throughout this plush, off-dry and full-bodied blend of Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Bonarda. What this wine has in impact (a lot!) it lacks in finesse (overt and clunky) at this stage. After harvest, the grapes were placed on drying racks outside, where wind and the elements dried the berries and concentrated the flavours and sugars. (The grapes lost approximately 30% of their weight in this process.) After a wild yeast ferment and MLF in French oak barriques, this wine aged for 12 months in new French oak. Alberto Antonini consults on this project, one run by winemaker Pablo Sanchez. (TR)
AUSTRALIA 93 GEOFF HARDY MONTEPULCIANO 2013, LIMESTONE COAST ($26)
Attractive medium-intensity nose, smells like a rum-and-raisin chocolate bar. Medium-bodied with crisp sour black cherry fruit and the classic Montepulciano bitter almond finish. An Italian vintner would be proud of this wine. Will improve for another year or so. (RL)*
93 PEPPERTREE CALCARE SINGLE VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013, COONAWARRA ($39.95) Spicy blackcurrant nose perfumed with vanilla oak. Medium bodied (surprisingly for the depth of colour), dry and elegant. Beautifully balanced, fresh and lively on the palate with a juicy blackcurrant flavour. A seamless wine. (TA)
90 FRANKLIN TATE CABERNET/MERLOT 2015, MARGARET RIVER ($19) A nose of cedar, blackcurrant and vanilla oak. Medium-bodied and dry, it’s very elegant, beautifully balanced and firm with good length. The perfect wine for lamb chops. (TA)
89 PIRRAMIMMA PETIT VERDOT 2014, MCLAREN VALE ($29)
Ripe, sweeter blackberry, sarsaparilla and cassis are pierced with peppery thorns and cushy black berry fruit in this generous, perfumed Petit Verdot, an iconic highlight not just of Pirramimma’s portfolio, but a solid benchmark of PV everywhere. Gritty, tuggy tannins hug the plush black fruit, one streaming along the medium-bodied, velvet-lined palate and shown through a filter of anise and violets, and finishing with dark chocolate. (TR)
86 WOOLSHED SHIRAZ 2015, LIMESTONE COAST ($14)
Rubber and tar filters throughout this old-school Aussie Shiraz, labelled solely as Wine of Australia. Thick blackcurrants, cassis and black plum are all lifted by a swell of acidity, but plummet to a shorter finish. Tannins are a bit gummy, and the reductive note grows the longer it is in the glass. Try with burgers for best results. (TR)
BRAZIL 88 SALTON CABERNET FRANC/ MALBEC 2014 ($15.33)
Clear, very deep garnet. Fairly intense nose of raspberry, opening to raisins and milk chocolate in the glass, with some leather and dusty overtones. Light-bodied, with raspberry and strawberry flavours, good balance, still some soft tannins showing. Drink up. (RL)*
CANADA 94 THE OLD THIRD PINOT NOIR 2015, PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY ($49) The first thing you’ll notice is the vibrant and bright cherry-red colour of this young wine, then the aromas of perfumed violets and muted potpourri followed by super-charged and penetrating cherries, bramble and cranberry that intermingle with cassis, red liquorice and seamless, integrated fine oak spice. The delivery on the palate is like velvet, such smoothness and texture then purity of cherry fruit that’s deep and lingering, all supported by a mixture of cassis, small wild berries, subtle oak spice and minerals. (RV)
94 HAYWIRE FREE FORM 2016, GARNET VALLEY, OKANAGAN ($55) From the winery’s recently planted, high-elevation, organic vineyard. Made in two amphorae, whole-bunched in one and de-stemmed in the other, on skins for 10 months, with no additives or other manipulation except for being topped up. Brilliant crimson hue with strawberry, medium cherry and sage notes on the nose before a lush, fuller-bodied palate with structure and elegance, underpinned by a gentle hint of savoury. (TP)
93 JOIEFARM GAMAY 2015, NARAMATA BENCH, OKANAGAN ($26)
Shockingly delicious; the best Gamay I have tasted this year. It shows beautiful brambly and savoury red fruits, plums, herbs and underlying, but not intrusive, oak-spice notes on the nose. It explodes on the palate in a riot of red and dark fruits, layer upon layer of fleshy fruit, with complementing spice, bramble and herbs. (RV)
93 VANESSA VINEYARD MERITAGE 2013, SIMILKAMEEN VALLEY ($37)
The nose shows an intense array of black cherry, raspberry, blackcurrant and interesting, elegant oak spices. It’s nicely balanced and integrated at this point with a smooth delivery on the palate, showing equal parts red and dark fruits that are layered and melded to beautifully evolved tannins and spice. (RV)
93 OSOYOOS LAROSE 2014, SOUTH OKANAGAN ($46)
Lifted black fruit, and hints of cedar and spice on the nose, followed by a bold but elegant palate defined by firm but already approachable tannins, balanced by good acidity with a lingering, gently spicy end. Arguably the best to date. (TP)
92 VANESSA VINEYARD SYRAH 2013, SIMILKAMEEN VALLEY ($35)
The smoky nose shows an eclectic range of leather and charcuterie, then opens up to thick, rich dark fruits, black peppercorns, vanilla and savoury spices. This is serious Syrah on the palate: dark, dense and concentrated with a silky feel. An array of fruit flavours — cassis, currants and plums — followed by tobacco, leather, grilled meats and pepper, all carried on a bed of fine tannins. (RV)
92 CULMINA HYPOTHESIS 2013, OKANAGAN ($42)
Has a nose of dark cherry, blackcurrants, blackberries, savoury oak spices, violets and elegant oak notes. A big wine that maintains a sense of elegance on the palate with ripe dark fruits, judicious oak spices, balancing acidity, graphite and the stuffing to cellar for 6+ years. (RV)
92 PELLER ESTATES SIGNATURE SERIES MERLOT 2012, NIAGARA ($49)
This beauty spends 18 months in French oak. It has a rich, appealing nose of concentrated black cherries, blackcurrants, wild berries, toasted vanilla, sweet tobacco and fine oak spices. The flavours explode on the palate with earthy red fruits, cassis, graphite, elegant spice notes and dried herbs on a structured frame of fine tannins and long finish. (RV)
92 TINHORN CREEK THE CREEK 2015, SOUTH OKANAGAN ($55)
With estate fruit from Black Sage Bench and Golden Mile Bench, the winery’s new flagship is a Cabernet-dominant (53%) blend with 19% Merlot plus Malbec, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. Well-integrated with balanced oak and luscious but measured blue and black fruit, with a touch of spice on the lingering finish. (TP)
92 MISSION HILL COMPENDIUM 2014, OKANAGAN ($84)
A dense purple blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Cedary, blackcurrant and plum bouquet with spicy new oak notes. Full-bodied, richly extracted black-fruit flavours with savoury dark chocolate and coffee bean flavours ending on grainy, cocoa-like tannins. Beautifully balanced and voluptuous. (TA)
91 CARSON PINOT NOIR NARAMATA VINEYARD 2015, NARAMATA BENCH ($26)
Crushed strawberry and cherry on top with some violet notes, followed by a ripe, full-bodied, lush red-berried palate that exemplifies the extremely hot vintage. Rounded and approachable. Slightly chalky tannins under good acidity with a touch of mineral and spice on the lengthy finish. (TP) DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 57
NOTED 91 BLACK SAGE SHIRAZ 2015, SOUTH OKANAGAN ($29)
Lifted notes of black fruit and some meaty, gamey notes with hints of leather and clove spice, before a full-bodied palate of vanilla, blackberry, cassis and chocolate enlivened by juicy acidity, well-rounded tannins plus black-pepper spice and a lingering close. (TP)
91 REDSTONE CABERNET FRANC REDSTONE VINEYARD 2013, NIAGARA ($40)
Rich aromas of blackcurrants, blackberries, cedar cigar box, lavish spice notes and savoury herbs. Highly structured on the palate with a range of dark fruits, tobacco, earth, herbs and ripe/firm tannins. (RV)
90 ARROWLEAF ZWEIGELT 2015, LAKE COUNTRY ($19)
Yields aromas of crushed red berries before a juicy palate wrapped in appealing acidity with darker berry notes, a slightly herbal edge with good length and some spice notes on the finish. Excellent value. (TP)
90 JOIEFARM PINOT NOIR 2015, OKANAGAN ($25)
Enticing ripe cherry and strawberry with a touch of spice on the nose, shifting to raspberry and dark chocolate in the mouth. Tannins are moderate but firm and forward acidity is settling down. Drinking well now with food but can benefit from further cellaring. (SW)
90 CEDAR CREEK PINOT NOIR 2015, OKANAGAN ($25)
Intense raspberry, strawberry and cedar notes on top, before a palate of dark red berries and raspberries, with well integrated oak, that opens in the glass to show plush, more spicy layers and well-rounded tannins. (TP)
90 SEE YA LATER RANCH PING MERITAGE 2015, OKANAGAN FALLS ($25)
Opens with a whiff of cedar, cinnamon, clove and a trace of green herb over developing dark fruit. Predominantly blackcurrant and blackberry linger on the finish. (SW)
90 BLACK SAGE CABERNET FRANC 2015, SOUTH OKANAGAN ($26) The earliest harvest on record yielded forward red berries, with bright cherry and redcurrant before a medium-bodied palate of wild strawberry and cherry with a gentle, savoury, earthy edge, grippy tannins with good structure before a pleasing, well-rounded close. (TP)
90 TAWSE UNFILTERED REDFOOT VINEYARD GAMAY 2016, NIAGARA ($29)
Aromas of highly extracted plums, cherry kirsch, raspberry pie, forest floor and subtle spice. Bright and juicy on the palate with high-toned cassis, cherry, raspberry and plum notes with soft tannins and delicate spice that is full and rich through the finish. (RV)
90 INNISKILLIN MONTAGUE VINEYARD MERLOT 2015, FOUR MILE CREEK, NIAGARA ($29.95) Deep purple-ruby in colour with a spicy, cedary nose of plum, cherry and a touch of oak. Medium-bodied, dry, juicy, black cherry flavour with well-integrated oak. Lovely mouth feel with a long finish and gentle tannins. (TA)
90 BENCH 1775 CABERNET FRANC CLONE 214 2013, OKANAGAN ($34.50)
A cedary, blackcurrant nose broadened by oak spice. Medium bodied, dry, elegant and well balanced with zesty acidity and red- and black-currant flavours. Good length. (TA)
89 CAVE SPRING CELLARS CABERNET FRANC 2015, NIAGARA ($18)
The nose shows a bright range of cassis, cherry, cedar cigar box, cloves and cinnamon. The cassis fruit shines on the palate with a herbs, liquorice, savoury spices, earth and freshening acidity. (RV)
89 WILD ASS RED 2015, NIAGARA ($19.95)
Stratus winery in Niagara has a second label called Wild Ass. A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Sangiovese. Deep purple in
58 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018
colour, the nose is spicy-cedary plum with a grace note of violets. Medium-bodied and dry, it’s richly extracted with a black cherry flavour carried on lively acidity. (TA)
89 THIRTY BENCH WINE MAKERS RED 2014, NIAGARA ($24)
Shows earthy red fruits, blackcurrants on the edge, savory spice notes and campfire smoke. The Cabernet Franc dominates the palate with notes of dried herbs, sage, red berries, oak spice, good acidity and length through the finish. Good-value Niagara red wine. (RV)
89 TAWSE UNFILTERED REDFOOT VINEYARD GAMAY 2016, LINCOLN LAKESHORE ($28.95)
A delightful Gamay with a profile of plum, strawberry, black pepper, dry earth and flowers. A lifted palate and easy tannins make for an excellent match with charcuterie and terrines. (ES)
89 REDSTONE CABERNET FRANC REDSTONE VINEYARD 2013, LINCOLN LAKESHORE ($39.95)
Bouquet of cassis, plum, tobacco, liquorice, herbs, violets and dark cocoa. Fullish, it is concentrated and the aftertaste lingers. A job well done from a difficult red wine vintage. (ES)
88 RIVIÈRE DU CHÊNE CUVÉE WILLIAM 2016, ST-EUSTACHE, QUÉBEC ($14)
Minerally, oak notes of hot butter and smoke with hints of tropical fruits and struck match. Affirmed acidity from start to finish with a fatty mid-palate of very good volume and flavour intensity. Drink or hold 1 to 2 years. (GBQc)
88 ROCKWAY PINOT NOIR 2014, NIAGARA ($19.95)
Pinot Noir is the winemaker’s Holy Grail and Ontario is beginning to make some stunning examples. Mature ruby in colour, Rockway’s Pinot has an earthy, cherry nose backed by a light oak note. It’s medium-bodied, dry, offering plum and cherry flavours with a spicy note and balancing acidity. (TA)
88 BENCH 1775 PINOT NOIR 2014, OKANAGAN ($29)
Mature ruby in colour with an earthy, raspberry and tomato-leaf nose. Medium bodied, dry and savoury. Firmly structured with a note of smoky tar on the finish. (TA)
88 TAWSE LAUNDRY VINEYARD CABERNET FRANC 2013, LINCOLN LAKESHORE ($32.15)
Typical cool-climate Franc notes of cassis, raspberry, tobacco, graphite, violets, cocoa and green notes. Elegant, with finegrained tannins and freshness. Ready to drink with braised meats and stews. (ES)
88 TAWSE QUARRY ROAD UNFILTERED PINOT NOIR 2016, VINEMOUNT RIDGE ($34.95)
An elegant frame supports cherry, raspberry, rhubarb, beetroot, iron, vanilla and spice. Fresh acidity and suave tannins add support. Magret de canard would be bliss! (ES)
87 PONDVIEW ESTATE WINERY MERLOT RESERVE 2015, NIAGARA ($22.95)
Plum, dark cherry, herbs, cocoa and baking spice appear in this easy-drinking Merlot. The tannins are supple and there is a dash of mint on the finale. (ES)
CHILE 92 PROPUESTA BY ECHEVERRÍA 2012, MAIPO VALLEY ($13.50)
Opaquely deep garnet. Fairly intense, mature nose of blackcurrant, raspberry, liquorice, cinnamon and a hint of barnyard. Light bodied with ripe blackberry fruit and strawberry-jam flavours. Very fruity with smooth tannins and noticeable acidity leading to a long finish. Not made for long aging; drink now. (RL)*
91 CASA NUEVA GRAN RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012, CURICÓ VALLEY ($14.17)
Clear deep garnet. Oaky nose with cherry jam and coffee scents. On the palate, classically fruity Chilean Cabernet with blackberry and blackcurrant flavours, but nicely balanced. Decent acidity made it enjoyable with a grilled Brie cheese sandwich. Will last another year or so. (RL)*
89 VIGNO UNDURRAGA OLD VINES DRY-FARMED CARIGNAN 2011, MAULE VALLEY, CHILE ($43)
91 CHÂTEAU MONTUS CUVÉE PRESTIGE 2009, MADIRAN, SOUTHWEST ($70)
88 VINA SAN PEDRO EPICA 2015, MAIPO VALLEY ($13)
89 LE SECRET DES CAPITELLES SAINT-CHINIAN 2014, LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON ($18.95)
Dense and thick anise, potent leather, black liquorice, and ample kirsch. Blackberry, dried black plum in this dryfarmed, old-vine Carignan from Maule. There’s a fragrant, dusky potpourri spicing this potent, ripe, dense, thick palate, with concentrated salty wash on the hot finish. Requires equally dense red meats to match the intensity. Decant. (TR)
Red and black berries, a floral grace note, little oak. Fresh attack, sweet fruity taste, light- to medium-bodied. Easy to drink with an irresistible fresh, fruity taste. (GBQc)
88 SANTA RITA DARK CELLAR 2015, CENTRAL VALLEY ($14.95)
The spicy nose of red fruits remains fresh. Generous on the palate, full-bodied with grainy and slightly rough tannins. You get your money’s worth. (GBQc)
87 PÉREZ CRUZ CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVA 2014, ALTO MAIPO, CHILE ($15.50)
Potent and driving VA opens this dense Cab Sauv from Alto Maipo. Roasted onions, roasted meats, rubber, shellac, with soft tannins lined by grippy and gritty sides to a warming finish. There is a bright, welcome lift of acidity. Best with your grilled meats BBQ. (TR)
FRANCE 92 LA FLEUR D’AMÉLIE 2010, AC BORDEAUX ($19.50)
Fairly intense nose of raisins, dates, prunes and treacle toffee. Mature cherry fruit now starting to fade behind tannins and oak flavours. Drink up, it won’t get better. (RL)*
91 DOMAINE LAFAGE CUVÉE NICOLAS VIEILLES VIGNES GRENACHE NOIR 2015, IGP CÔTES CATALANES ($17) Full-bodied and rich, it is a sexy red with kirsch, blackberries, liquorice, garrigue and olive. Perfect with roasts. Drink until 2020. (ES)
Opaque and very dark. Burnt wood, jammy blackberries on the nose could mean a flabby wine on the palate but it retains enough freshness to be balanced. Velvety on the outside and very firm at its core, its tannic backbone is firm and tight, becoming dry and a bit rough around the edges in the finish. Better to wait another 5 years or so. (GBQc)
A pretty purple-violet colour exhibiting a savoury, black-cherry nose with vanilla-oak notes. Medium- to full-bodied, dry, sour-cherry and plum flavours, with lively acidity ending on a herbal note. (TA)
89 DOMAINE JESSIAUME 2017, SANTENAY PREMIER CRU LES GRAVIÈRES AC ($48.99)
Floral fragrance with cherry and dry, savoury aromas give way to rounded, elegant raspberry and dark-cherry flavours on the palate. Still shows youthful acidity and rather stiff tannins, but with a promise of velvety smoothness to come. Has the solid fruit and structure to reward patient cellaring. (SW)
88 CHÂTEAU JOUANIN 2012, AOC CASTILLON CÔTES DE BORDEAUX ($15.67)
Clear, deep-plum red. Medium nose of raspberry, maple syrup, vanilla and raisins. Prune, cherry and woody flavours with quite high alcohol and acidity, and soft tannins. Long finish. Drink up. (RL)*
88 MANOIR DE MERCEY MERCUREY 2014, BURGUNDY ($29.95)
Plum, raspberry, sweet cherry, beetroot, button mushroom, liquorice and red flowers waft out of the glass and onto the palate, where brisk acidity and supple tannins round out the experience. Needs some duck to make it work perfectly. (ES)
87 CHÂTEAU DE FESLES LA CHAPELLE 2015, ANJOU, LOIRE ($18)
Light ruby. Fresh red fruits (cherry, raspberry) with a light touch of spice and green pepper. Slightly vegetal on taste DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 59
NOTED but there is also a lot of red fruit. Supple texture, light- to medium-bodied and good acidity, turning sharper in the finish. Great with grilled red meat. (GBQc)
87 DOMAINE DU SALVARD CHEVERNY ROUGE 2016, LOIRE ($23)
Soft texture and juicy with supple cherry and redcurrant notes, a touch of pepper and fresh herbs. A blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay. (GB)
85 CHÂTEAU DU PIN 2012, AOC BORDEAUX ($13.33)
Clear, very deep garnet. Mature nose of raisins, instant coffee and a bit of leather. On the palate, it is nicely balanced except for somewhat high alcohol. The black-cherry fruit is a bit green-tasting, likely due to the difficult vintage. A good background accompaniment to grilled venison and cranberry sausages. Drink up. (RL)*
ITALY 93 ORNELLAIA 2013, BOLGHERI SUPERIORE ($199.95)
A polished Ornellaia with a creamy texture and flavours of cassis, plum, raspberry, anise, herbs and vanilla. Full-bodied, the tannins are ripe, but dusty, with an impressive finale. Cellar for a couple of years so everything folds together and then drink for another 15 afterward. (ES)
91 TERREDORA DI PAOLO IL PRINCIPIO IRPINIA 2009, AGLIANICO DOC ($25)
A classic Aglianico showing complex, developed red and dark fruit, spice, savoury and tobacco aromas, with thickly textured dark berry and black plum on the palate. Generous fruit is backed by velvety tannins in a well-balanced, richly satisfying package. (SW)
91 PLANETA DOCG CERASUOLO DI VITTORIA 2016, SICILY ($26) The only DOCG in Sicily, this wine takes its name from Cerasa, or “cherry” in Sicilian dialect. This is a 60/40 blend of indigenous varieties Nero d’Avola and Frappato from the countryside of Dorilli
between the sea and the Iblean mountains. 14 days on the skins, this wine spent its life in stainless before being bottled. Medium bodied with salted raspberry, plum-cherry bodied, wild tobacco, geraniums, anise, olive, sea salt and squid ink, the complexities of this wine are revealed over the course of an evening. The finish is lingering and haunting. Drinking beautifully now, with or without food (but stunning with fennel, sardines and orange, or a funghi pizza). (TR)
91 TEDESCHI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA 2012, DOC AMARONE CLASSICO, VALPOLICELLA, VENETO ($50)
From grapes harvested in various hilly clay/limestone vineyards (Mezzane and Tregnago hills) across Valpo, this is a blend of Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Rossignola, Oceleta, Negara and Dindarella vines averaging 20 years in age. The grapes were racked and dried for 4 months before a gentle press, a 2-month ferment and a 3-year stay in Slavonian oak and a 6-month stint in bottle after blending. Leathery blackcurrant and ripe plum is imbued with a twiney thread and tarry undercurrent, which seasons the full, potent core through to a humming and lengthy finish. The heft (not negligible at 16%) is surprisingly lifted with a wispy cloud of acidity and bracketed with gritty tannins. A serious lens to modern Amarone Classico, a wine that has often become a caricature. Lay down. (TR)
91 TRIACCA SFORZATO DI VALTELLINA SAN DOMENICO 2010, LOMBARDY ($54)
Floral and structured with rich fruit, bold, velvety tannins and a long, lifted finish. Chiavennasca grapes (the name for the biotype of Nebbiolo most common in the Valtellina) are dried Amarone-style to create depth, length and elegance. (GB)
90 PLANETA FRAPPATO VITTORIA 2015, SICILY ($24.95)
Supple offering with wall-to-wall raspberry, cherry, rose, violets, clove and minerals. Sound acidity and velvety tannins alongside a long floral, saline aftertaste. Drink over the next 2 to 3 years. (ES)
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90 PLANETA ETNA ROSSO 2015, DOC ETNA ($30)
Entirely Nerello Mascalese, a grape only found on this tip of Sicily, and born from the volcanic soils and altitude of Etna DOC. Sourced from Planeta Etna’s Feudo di Mezzo winery at 500m altitude, this wine was fermented in wood vats and stainless, and spent 18 days with the skins before resting in the same for 6 months. Pretty and fine-grained, dusted with stony tannins, violets, wild raspberries, black cherries, and salted wild herbs, and textured with a pixellated acidity. This wine contradicts its 14% alcohol, with a youthful exuberance that streams it skyward and encourages cellaring for the next 5+ years. (TR)
90 LUCE DELLA VITE LUCENTE 2014, IGT TOSCANA ($33)
Dark ruby, purple rim. Ripe red and black berries with a fair amount of oak, which brings pastry notes to the nose but it’s not excessive given the full-flavoured palate. Full-bodied and a tad bitter, it has an even better future ahead of itself. Merlot with 25% Sangiovese. (GBQc)
90 CIABOT BERTON BAROLO LA MORRA 2011, PIEDMONT ($53)
Worn leather, worn cherry, ripe and savoury and finely salted on the mellow palate, showing much more age than its age. Tannins are softly tuggy, and dried rose petals linger on the finish. This is from Cabot Berton’s 8 ha of hillside Nebbiolo on sandy, marl and calcareous clay soils. After maceration on the skins for 16 days in concrete, this spent 18 months in Slovenian oak casks, followed by a tightening 6 months in stainless before bottling. (TR)
89 FATTORIA DI PIAZZA PIAZZANO CHIANTI 2015, TUSCANY ($14.95) This is the kind of wine you buy by the case. This Tuscan beauty punches well above its weight in the flavour department. Deep ruby in colour, it has a plummy, earthy nose. Medium-bodied and dry. Sour-cherry and plum flavours fill the mouth, given structure by ripe tannins and a lively spine of acidity. (TA)
89 PASSO DEL CARDINALE PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA 2014, PUGLIA ($18.95)
Lots of raisins, plum, raspberry, black tea, cola, cocoa, purple flowers and dried earth. Full-bodied, there is a long finish and present tannins. BBQ all the way. (ES)
89 GIACOMO MORI CHIANTI 2014, TUSCANY ($21.95) Expect a smoky-cedary nose of cherries and vanilla oak. Medium-bodied and dry. Sour-cherry flavour with zesty acidity and a lingering finish. A well-made, understated wine that’s delicious. (TA)
89 BRANCAIA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2015, TUSCANY ($24.95) A light and elegant Chianti made from 100% Sangiovese. Cherry, dried leaves, tobacco and spice play nicely together. Lengthy with 5 years of life ahead. (ES)
87 RUFFINO IL DUCALE 2014, IGT TOSCANA, ITALY ($18.50)
Smoked meats, singed cassis and a flush of mint open this blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Syrah. A 10-day ferment, followed by another week on the skins preceded MLF and 1 year in oak (mix of new and old). A modern, polished and medium-bodied blend, slick on the palate with cherry jam, more minty eucalyptus, roasted meats, grilled onions and black pepper. If you’re doing fire-roasted beef and want a wine to match, here you go. (TR)
NEW ZEALAND 88 SUMMERHOUSE PINOT NOIR 2013, MARLBOROUGH ($21.33)
Clear, medium-deep plum red. Fairly intense nose of raspberry and violets, with some oak. Light-bodied, tastes of sour-cherry candy. Will last another year. (RL)*
PORTUGAL 88 JOSÉ MARIA DA FONSECA PERIQUITA 2015, VR TERRAS DO SADO, SETÚBAL PENINSULA ($9)
Definition of value? At less than a tenner on private liquor shop shelves, this one shows, again, the value in Portuguese wines. From the Setúbal Peninsula, it’s a
regional blend of Castelão, Trincadeira and Aragonez, exuberantly rustic, with gutsy black plum, leathery blackcurrant and gritty/tuggy tannins to the spicy finish. This is not some sweet, dumbed-down marketing wine, but rather an authentically rustic and honest, simple, gutsy red for casseroles or stews. Stock up. (TR)
86 CASA ERMELINDA FREITAS MONTE DE BAIA 2015, PALMELA, SETÚBAL PENINSULA ($12.50)
Potent and powdery lined, this is a dusky, rustic blend of Castelão, Touriga Nacional and Syrah from Setúbal. Sweet and ripe with black plum, blackberry, black cherry and potent cassis, framed with gritty/grippy cocoa tannins and hugging a solid core of black fruit. Best taken with an equally simple and rustic plate, like sausages or lamb casserole. (TR)
SOUTH AFRICA 91 THELEMA MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS RABELAIS 2011, STELLENBOSCH ($55)
A blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot, this is a wine of great depth and character. Evolving dark fruit on the nose reveals complex notes of cinnamon, clove and a whiff of tobacco. Concentrated dark fruit flavours come in a firmly tannic structure with assertive acidity that needs time to soften. Best with another 5 years in the cellar. (SW)
90 THELEMA MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS SHIRAZ 2012, STELLENBOSCH ($30)
Elegantly scented raspberry, accented by varietal peppery spice and dry herbal notes, which evolve towards dark berry fruit and a pleasantly earthy character on the palate. Finishes with dark chocolate and a dry, tannic grip. Drinking well now but will develop further. (SW)
89 THELEMA MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS SUTHERLAND CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013, ELGIN ($23)
Shows dark berry fruit with a whiff of menthol on the nose. Juicy blackberry and blackcurrant flavours, with solid, well-balanced structure, finishing firm and dry. (SW)
86 FAIRVIEW GOATS DO ROAM RED 2015, WESTERN CAPE ($15)
New World wine? Fairview Cellars was established in 1693. That’s right. This is a blend of Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Petit Syrah, Carignan and Cinsault from Paarl, aged in tanks and barrels. Ripe, juicy and smooth, this medium-bodied, easy-drinking red carries smoked meats, cherries and stewed cassis to a short, clipped finish. There’s a driving level of VA and some reduction brewing underneath the surface of this screw-capped wine that detract. That said, a partnership with smokey beef ribs will mitigate. (TR)
SPAIN 97 TELMO RODRIGUEZ LAS BEATAS 2013, RIOJA ($182)
Notes of garrigue come out first, followed by a floral/animal touch and delicate red fruit notes; not much oak. Stupendous finesse on the palate, the delicate powdery and tight tannins are very refined. Fruit is pure and precise with great distinction. From a 1.9ha single vineyard and made by a rising star of the Rioja, this is extremely refined and seductive, not powerful or meant to dumb your tasting buds. An achievement in winemaking. (GBQc)
91 TELMO RODRIGUEZ ALTOS DE LANZAGA 2012, RIOJA ($93)
Clean and fresh fruity nose, with a little oak and a floral grace note. Tight on the palate, with tender, chunky tannins and fleshy fruit. Nice fresh taste overall. Clean, pure finish. Excellent now. (GBQc)
90 EL GORÚ MONASTRELL/ SYRAH/PETIT VERDOT 2015, JUMILLA ($13.95)
An opaque, purple-tinged colour leads into a bouquet of blackberry, crème de cassis, spice and cocoa. Excellent length with tannins to either drink or age. Grill up some steak and go to town. (ES)
88 TOCADO GARNACHA 2015, CAMPO DE BORJA ($8.25)
A real bargain here. Deep ruby colour. Spicy-cedary, black raspberry nose. Medium-bodied and dry with a floral note. Inky and fruity with a firm tannic finish. (TA) DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 61
NOTED 88 SEÑORÍO DE P. PECIÑA CRIANZA 2012, RIOJA ($21.95)
Old-school Rioja all the way with dried fruit, leather, tomato paste, herbs, cedar and cured meats. Mid-weight, fresh acid and easy-going tannins complete the package. Lamb skewers would be perfect! (ES)
UNITED STATES 91 CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE CANOE RIDGE ESTATE MERLOT 2015, HORSE HEAVEN HILLS, WASHINGTON ($32)
An earthy, herbal, black fruit nose. Medium- to full-bodied, dry, black plum flavour backed by spicy oak with an engaging floral note and ripe tannins. A beautifully balanced wine. (TA)
90 RAVENSWOOD OLD VINE ZINFANDEL 2015, LODI, CALIFORNIA ($21.95)
Cedary, spicy, plum nose backed by an oaky note. Full-bodied, porty, sweet plum flavour with balancing acidity and well-integrated oak. (TA)
90 DONKEY & GOAT CARIGNANE 2015, MENDOCINO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA ($50) After a 10-day maceration, it spent an additional 10 months in neutral French oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. Dusky plum, raspberry, mineral, black cherry and dried thyme is carried with fine, persistent acidity, lifted and bright, all with a persistent perfumed overhue of wild blueberry. Bottled unfined and unfiltered (so overtly cloudy), this wine has a grippy duskiness on the lingering finish. A lovely pour, though wish it was about half the price. (TR)
89 IRONSTONE VINEYARDS PETITE SIRAH 2015, LODI, CALIFORNIA ($23)
Attractively scented red fruit with peppery spice lead the way for ripe berry flavours, a splash of vanilla and enough peppery and savoury bite to provide food-friendly balance. (SW)
89 ERATH WINERY DUNDEE PINOT NOIR 2014, OREGON ($30)
Deeply scented raspberry and cherry, accented with a splash of spicy and herbal notes and sweet dark-cherry flavour dominant in the mouth. Rounds out with dark chocolate. (SW)
URUGUAY 90 BODEGA GARZON TANNAT 2014, MALDONADO ($19.95)
Uruguay is making waves with this tannic variety. It has a cedary, blackberry nose with toasty oak notes. Medium- to full-bodied, it has a dry, spicy blackberry flavour buttressed with firm but ripe tannins. (TA)
DESSERT IL POGGIONE VIN SANTO SANT’ANTIMO RISERVA 2015, DOC SANT’ANTIMO, TUSCANY, ITALY ($35/500 ML)
Muscat since 1946. Heady aromas of orange marmalade, citrus peel, honey-drenched flowers and spice inundate the senses. Sweet, rich and soothing. Excellent value! (ES)
DOMAINE DE PINNACLE ICE CIDER, QUEBEC ($26.30/375 ML)
A rich, treacly sweet cider that hails from Quebec, where the winters are so cold that some apples are left on the trees to shrivel up, producing super-sweet, concentrated juice. This cidre de glace drinks like a honey-packed apple reduction, with some tart acidity. Serve it in a pony glass alongside a cheese plate; it goes especially well with fresh chèvre and rich, triple-cream brie. (TL)
CHÂTEAU FONTEBRIDE 2011, AC SAUTERNES, FRANCE ($19.17)
Clear, medium-deep yellow. Reticent nose of Sauternes rot, honey and rhubarb. Full-bodied, viscous and luscious with peach, apricot and honey flavours on a long finish. Perhaps a bit low on acidity. Will last a long time. (RL)*
This blend from Trebbiano and Malvasia was dried on straw after harvest to increase the sugar concentration before pressing. A long, long fermentation and 5 years in barrel (caratelli, 100 litres) followed, with the wine in contact with the madre (“yeast”) the whole time. Worn orange in hue, with potent honey, burnished orange, golden raisins, walnut, dried apricot, candied tangerine, almond biscotti and chestnut filling the potent frame, one that inches lackadaisically on the palate. There’s a tightening grip to close out, though the finish echoes on. A beauty with biscotti and cantucci. (TR)
SPERLING VINEYARDS LATE HARVEST RIESLING 2015, OKANAGAN VALLEY ($30)
KRAZE LEGZ WINERY SKAHA VINEYARD ROGUE 2014, OKANAGAN ($50/500 ML)
GREAT DIVIDE BREWING YETI IMPERIAL STOUT, COLORADO, UNITED STATES ($10.95/650 ML)
Showing raisiny, slightly burnt aromas reminiscent of Madeira and complex, rich dried fruit, toffee and enough acidity to temper the opulent sweetness. (SW)
TORRES FLORALIS MOSCATEL ORO, SPAIN ($16.95/500 ML)
Torres has been making this fortified
62 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018
Showing deep straw/gold in the glass with refined floral and honeyed citrus scents and elegant, medium-sweet, honeyed lemon citrus, drying mineral, well-balanced acidity and lingering lemon honey on the finish. (SW)
BEER & CIDER When Yeti appeared on store shelves in 2005, it was as hard to find as the mystical creature Yeti is to spot in the wilderness. Craft-beer nerds were so enamoured with the big, roasty, boozy Russian Imperial Stout from Denver’s Great Divide Brewing, that the brewery spawned Yeti off into an entire series, including an espresso
oak-aged Yeti and an oatmeal Yeti. Serve it in a snifter, you’ll taste and smell loads of vanilla, caramel and chocolate notes. (TL)
DRIFTWOOD BREWERY BLACKSTONE PORTER, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($6/650 ML)
One of B.C.’s most beloved breweries is Driftwood Brewery. They opened in Victoria at the beginning of the craft beer boom in 2008, and won over hopheads with their wonderful Fat Tug IPA. Pick up this seasonal brew, an easy-drinking, full-flavoured, roasty porter. Expect aromas of dark chocolate and brewed dark-roast coffee, with a smooth mouth feel, medium body and building, bitter finish. (TL)
BIERES DE CHIMAY WHITE CAP, BELGIUM ($3.65/330 ML)
This Trappist beer is made at a Scourtment Abbey, a picturesque monastery in Belgium resting on France’s northern border. Pouring a deep gold, this effervescent ale’s nose is packed with fruity aromas reminiscent of apples, tangerines, plus caramel and a hint of peppery spice. The complex flavours follow through on the palate, and each sip ends with a dry finish. Pair it with an intense, aged, sharp cheddar. (TL)
SIERRA NEVADA PALE ALE, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES ($3.20/473 ML)
Revisit this classic American-style pale ale as it reaches middle age — it hit the scene 36 year ago when most beer was light and flavourless. Brewed using a hefty dose of fruity and piney whole-leaf hops, the bitterness is nicely balanced by the mix of bready and caramel malt. This brew is “finished” in the can or bottle in the same style as Champers. The brewer adds a sprinkle of fermentable sugar and yeast to the beer, seals it up and lets it carbonate the natural way. (TL)
THORNBRIDGE BREWERY JAIPUR IPA, ENGLAND ($3.60/330 ML)
Brewed on the grounds of the grand English estate Thornbridge Hall, this IPA get its intense grapefruit and spruce notes from big, bold American hops. Pouring bright golden, the bitterness is fairly matched by a honey, caramel malt base. Try it with intense dishes like spicy beef Pad Thai and a nice slice of Stilton. (TL)
ESTRELLA DAMM DAURA, SPAIN ($14/6-PACK)
Unlike other low-gluten brews, this one from Spain still has a pleasant, crackery malt flavour because it’s still brewed with malted barley. Using a proprietary technology, the beer is stripped of the barley’s gluten protein (down to 3ppm) but still retains the grainy flavours. Light-bodied and refreshing, this lager’s malt bill is balanced by light lemon and lime notes from the hops. A nice palate cleanser during the holiday season. (TL)
WINTER’S BLUSH ERNEST CIDER, NEWMARKET, ONTARIO ($20/6-PACK)
Crafted using the dry, spritz-y base of Ernest Dry, the flagship of new Ontario cidery Winter’s Blush pours a light pink with a lovely bouquet of cloves, orange peel and red delicious apples on the nose. Fermented with a touch of fresh-pressed cranberry juice, and steeped with orange peel, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves, this off-dry apple sparkler sips a bit like Christmas. Pair it with turkey dinner, the cranberry juice will find harmony with turkey, cranberry sauce and all the fixings. (TL)
BEAU’S ALL-NATURAL BREWING COMPANY LUG-TREAD, VANKLEEK HILL, ONTARIO ($16.95/4-PACK, 600ML)
Beau’s officially became the largest independent organic brewery in Canada when Mill Street was acquired by AB-InBev in 2015. They’ve also expanded their distribution to across the country, so more folks can get their hands on these organic brews. Lug-Tread is a golden ale with sweet arrowroot and some subtle grassy notes. It’s a well-balanced brew with a crisp, bitter finish. We love to serve it with holiday meals like roast ham or roast chicken. The bubbles refresh the palate after each bite and the flavour profile can stand up to rich meats. (TL)
SIDE LAUNCH BREWING COMPANY WHEAT ALE, COLLINGWOOD, ONTARIO ($2.90/473 ML) This wheat ale is brewed in the traditional style of a German Hefeweizen (hefe means “yeast,” and weizen means “wheat”). It’s a hazy, deep golden brew with a creamy mouth feel thanks to the
flaked wheat, and lovely notes of banana and cloves courtesy of the yeast. This is a great pick to serve with brunch: it’s fruity, bubbly, and pairs well with sticky fare like Eggs Benedict. (TL)
UNCLE LEO’S BREWERY SUNBURST PALE ALE, LYONS BROOK, NOVA SCOTIA ($4/433 ML) Hazy blond in colour, with pronounced citrus and malty aromas, and smooth, creamy, fruity malt flavours. It finishes with agreeable, hoppy bitterness. (SW)
BRETON BREWING COMPANY BLACK ANGUS INDIA PALE ALE, CAPE BRETON, NOVA SCOTIA ($3.99/473 ML)
Opens with fruity malt and herbal, hoppy scents. Smooth, full-flavoured, sweet raisiny richness in the mouth is offset by balancing hoppy bitterness on the long, fruity finish. A heady brew. (SW)
SPIRITS BRUICHLADDICH BLACK ART 5 SINGLE MALT SCOTCH, ISLAY, SCOTLAND ($300)
The fifth edition of this whisky, but the first under Adam Hannett since taking over as head distiller when the legendary Jim McEwan retired as master distiller. Fruity and floral aromas with honey, tobacco, vanilla, cinnamon, creamy texture and long mellow finish. (GB)
EMILIO LUSTAU VERMUT, SHERRY-JEREZ-MANZANILLA, SPAIN ($40)
Sasparilla, warm marmalade, cedar, toast, walnut and potent gingersnap warmth in this stunning, textural (and very rare) sweet vermouth (aromitized wine, and the first premium one from Lustau). Amontillado and Pedro Ximeneth, each aged in their own soleras for 10 years, were macerated with 10 botanicals before bottling. This traditional recipe incorporates wormwood, gentian, coriander and rich marmalade, textured with dried and frizzed sage to scent the velveteen whole. So balanced and complete, this vermouth doesn’t even need an ice cube to be brill (though that could elevate it to another dimension). (TR) DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 63
DAVINE BY GURVINDER BHATIA
THE ADVENTURES OF CONSOLIDATION
THE ANNOUNCEMENT EARLIER THIS FALL that Andrew Peller Limited
was purchasing well-known and established British Columbia wineries Gray Monk, Black Hills and Tinhorn Creek for a combined $95 million created quite the stir in the Canadian wine industry. The sale of any one of the wineries might not have caused a great deal of surprise as each, for various reasons, had been rumoured to be on the market. It should be clarified, though, that although the purchase was announced with a combined price, the wineries involved in the transactions are not related.
THE ACQUIRED
Gray Monk Estate Winery, located in Lake Country just north of Kelowna, was established in 1972 by George and Trudy Heiss and was one of the first BC wineries of the modern era. The couple introduced Pinot Gris to British Columbia and the variety is now the most widely planted white grape variety in the province. Black Hills Estate Winery, located near Oliver in the southern Okanagan on the Black Sage Bench, is the maker of Nota Bene, which may be the most successful Bordeaux-style wine not just in BC, but in Canada. Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, located just south of Oliver on the Golden Mile Bench (the Okanagan’s only officially recognized sub-zone), was
established in 1993 and owned approximately 150 acres of vineyard land. Together, the three wineries generated approximately $25 million in annual sales and owned a combined 250 acres of vineyard land throughout the Okanagan.
THE PURCHASER
Andrew Peller Limited (APL) is an Ontario-based publicly traded company (we will come back to this) traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange. APL owns a number of wineries and brands, such as Peller Estates, Trius, Hillebrand, Wayne Gretzky, Thirty Bench, Calona, Copper Moon, Hochtaler and Domaine D’Or. Two of the better-known BC wineries that they also own are Sandhill and Red Rooster.
WHY?
While the rationale for APL’s purchase appears relatively straightforward (and is expressly mentioned in the press release announcing the purchase), let’s explore the possible effects of the transaction. APL indicated that it believes “there is significant opportunity for growth in the Okanagan wine region” and the purchase will “significantly strengthen our presence in the region.” The purchase also provides the wineries being purchased with greater resources and access to capital. Consolidation occurs in all industries and the phenomenon is not new
64 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018
in the wine industry. It has occurred in Australia, the United States and in Canada with Vincor and then Constellation (although Constellation recently sold its Canadian wineries to the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan). Reasons for consolidation in the wine industry were explored by Harvard University Business School’s Michael Roberto in a paper published in the International Business & Economics Research Journal in February 2013. Beyond the obvious economic efficiencies that can result in sales, marketing, distribution and accumulative administration costs, Roberto suggests that demand has increased in the premium wine category and that wineries will acquire other wineries to gain entry to this market. This could very well apply to the APL purchase as Black Hills, in particular, is viewed as a premium wine producer. Most often, and we have seen this particularly in the Australia and the United States, and in Canada with Vincor/Constellation, consolidation leads to homogenization. This is particularly dangerous in an industry that is still relatively young, small and lacking a critical mass of wineries that are confident and comfortable enough to make high-quality, terroir-based wines that reflect the BC vineyard sites where they are grown. Many wineries are still finding their way.
With the Canadian wine industry at the stage where it is just starting to get international recognition, continuing on the path to quality, diversity and wines that express a sense of place is more crucial now than at any point in our young industry’s history. Importantly, it is predominantly a few independents that are responsible for the quality evolution. Homogenization, as a result of consolidation, could potentially damage a reputation that is just now emerging on the global stage. When Constellation acquired Robert Mondavi in the early part of this century, the words of John Shafer, founder of Napa’s Shafer Vineyards, in the October 20, 2004 issue of the Wine Spectator, should act as a sober reminder that “given the track record of smaller wineries that have been acquired by larger companies … History will tend to support the idea that quality will go down, not up.” Too often when consolidation occurs, the result is spreadsheet wines — when viticulture and winemaking decisions are being made by accounting and marketing departments as opposed to winemakers — and the quality and identity of the wines suffer. Significantly, the APL transaction results in a high percentage of BC’s wine production being controlled by Ontario-based companies who have interests across the country. The danger is that Canadian wines will be marketed generically, eroding the progress that BC wineries have made independently in creating wines with a local identity and sense of place, and raising their image and profile. We also must keep in mind that APL is a publicly traded company with a mindset of maximizing shareholder value — a concept often in contradiction with making great wine, which is often much more a labour of love. While it is possible to create quality wines with a sense of place AND make a profit, that’s not easy. By focussing on profit instead of quality and diversity, a likely effect will be that the mid- and lower tiers will be a battlefield, an acceleration of the race to the bottom, which is not good for the consumer or the industry.
OPPORTUNITIES?
Because there will likely be an even greater glut at the low and mid-tier levels, it is imperative that independents focus on quality
wines with a sense of place. There must also be clear distinctions made between the terms premium, quality and terroir-based. “Premium” is generally used to refer to a higher price point. It is important to understand that price and quality are not necessarily inversely related. Quality can exist at all price points and higher priced wines are not always objectively better made. We must also distinguish between “quality” and “terroir-based” wines. A wine can taste good, but it may have no sense of place. Rhys Pender, Master of Wine, educator and co-owner of Little Farm Winery in BC’s Similkameen Valley, emphasizes that the best way for BC wineries to stand out and distinguish themselves is to focus on the vineyard and expressing that site in the bottle — a wine that blends grapes from different regions or different sites loses its identity. Pender is emphatic that the need for the province to establish new sub-zones (in addition to the already established Golden Mile Bench) is even greater now and will assist in raising the quality, identity and profile of the BC wine industry. BC consumers support their wine industry, but that can be a pro as well as a con. It’s important not to mistake popularity for quality. The industry’s leaders, the ones responsible for the quality evolution must push to raise the bar even higher and make wines that represent where they are grown. That’s right, grown. Remember, wine is an agricultural product and should have a sense of place and tell a story about where it’s from. Despite all the potential dangers inherent with consolidation, the ability to distinguish themselves among the masses is an opportunity that independent BC wineries must not pass up. Joe Shafer’s words are likely correct with respect to the corporate wineries, but consolidation could allow for independent BC wineries to soar. Ultimately, the power lies with the consumer. We are all more and more concerned with where our food comes from. It’s time that concern also extended to the wines we drink. Support quality and diversity, eschew conformity and homogeneity, and be proud to champion the wines that truly reflect and represent the Golden Mile, Black Sage, Naramata, Lake Country, Lillooet-Lytton, and on and on and on. ×
• custom design & build • Premier Cru kit racks • wine coolers & accessories • established 1995
your wine deserves the very best home 416.285.6604 RosehillWineCellars.com DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 × QUENCH.ME × 65
AFTER TASTE BY TONY ASPLER
AGING GRACEFULLY MARC RUSSELL SITS ON TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF WINE — BUT NONE OF IT IS HIS. Russell
is the proprietor of the Fine Wine Reserve in Toronto, which houses the collections of those who don’t have space at home to store their own wines. The original 3,500-square-foot underground cellar in the heart of Toronto, with 170 wine lockers each accommodating 70 to 7,000 bottles, became too small to meet the demand for long-term storage as more and more Ontario wine lovers downsized to condos. So, Russell opened an even larger facility north of the city for long-term storage — a 20,000-square-foot space that is already nearly half full. “If you’re storing for six months to a year, you can probably get away with lower-quality conditions. When you’re looking at long-term storage, we are trying to re-create the natural European-style cellar where you don’t have any refrigeration unit. It’s 55 degrees Fahrenheit and it’s always 55 degrees Fahrenheit. There’s no fluctuation and it’s deep underground; it’s usually wet and humid. And those are the best possible conditions for wine.” That’s difficult to recreate in the classic, artificial North American context — whether that’s in-home or in a commercial cellar. Just a three-degree fluctuation on a daily basis will cause your wine to suck in air and expel it back out again. The second thing is the need for high humidity: you need to keep 66 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018
the top part of that cork moist, otherwise you’re going to lose half your cork when you extract it. Since most of us don’t have dozens of wines by the case to store, what does Russell recommend for wine lovers who want to build a cellar in their home? “You need to find a qualified cellar builder. Don’t get your home builder or renovator to do it because they just don’t know how to do it. You end up with condensation problems, mould and temperature fluctuations, and everything else. If you’re just keeping wines for a couple of years, it’s probably okay but if you’re wanting to age wines for 10, 15, 20, 25 years, you’re going to get off on the wrong foot. So, make sure you get a qualified cellar builder who understands the problems.” And what about standing units? “They’re fine for shorter term storage — one or two or maybe three years,” he says, “but you don’t want to age high-quality wine in a wine fridge; they’re just not designed for that. You put it in a properly designed cellar and you bring it into the wine fridge as you’re ready to serve it.” And if you don’t want to go to the expense of a wine fridge? “Keep the wines out of the sunlight, out of the heat, free from odours or big vibrations. If you have fine Bordeaux and Burgundy you want to age for more than five years, you don’t want to treat it badly when it’s young. If it’s not being stored for a long time, and you’re going to drink it within two or three years — or four years — just keep it in basic conditions.” × ILLUSTRATION: FRANCESCO GALLÉ, WWW.FRANCESCOGALLE.COM
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