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QUENCH MAGAZINE ... FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 ROOTS × 22 HOW DOES A VARIETAL’S ROOT STOCK AFFECT THE FINAL PRODUCT. BY BRENDA MCMILLAN A PARTY AT FLOOR LEVEL × 24 IT MIGHT BE FREEZING OUTSIDE BUT WITH A BLANKET, CRUDITES AND SOME IMAGINATION YOU CAN CHANNEL THE SUMMER VIBES. BY LISA HOEKSTRA NON-TRADITIONAL × 28 THE HOME OF MALBEC, CAHORS SHINES IN DEEP PURPLE NEON. BY TIM PAWSEY THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY × 31 HIGHLIGHTING THE PRODUCERS OF NOTE IN THE SOUTHWEST OF FRANCE. BY EVAN SAVIOLIDIS
28
LE JARDIN × 34 THE LOIRE IS MORE THAN FRANCE’S GARDIN. BY MICHAEL PINKUS STILL LIFE × 36 QUENCH PROFILES A FEW OF THE MANY DISTILLERS (AND DISTILLERIES) THAT ARE KEEPING THE INDUSTRY ABUZZ. BY TOD STEWART BREAKING GROUND × 42 FOLLOW SOUTH AFRICA’S MISSION TOWARDS FULL SUSTAINABILITY. BY ROSEMARY MANTINI ROGUE RANGERS × 44 WHEN FRIENDS MEET, GOOD WINE ISN’T TOO FAR OFF. BY RICK VANSICKLE TASTES OF HOME × 47 COMFORT FOOD CAN MEAN A LOT OF THINGS. BY DUNCAN HOLMES
47 DEPARTMENTS ... A TIP OF THE IRISH HAT TO ST PADDY × 52 EVERYBODY’S IRISH ON ST PATRICK’S DAY, INCLUDING ME. BY NANCY JOHNSON
LIGHTER THAN RED × 64 THE HEART OF PROVENCE IS PINK. BY GURVINDER BHATIA
NOTED ... × 54 EXPERTLY-TASTED BUYING GUIDE FOR WINES, BEERS, CIDERS AND SPIRITS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
DEFINING PLÉNITUDE × 66 MOËT ET CHANDON ARE REDEFINING DOM PÉRIGNON. BY TONY ASPLER
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 3
@quench_mag ... Follow, like and connect with us online. OUR SECOND BOOK, QUENCH COOKS THINGS WITH WINGS, IS NOW AVAILABLE AT THE IBOOKS STORE. See an
Wine fads annoy me, none more so than “ABC”. The article about how ABC isn’t true [November issue] and how Chardonnay can be dynamic and expressive when grown right made me want to shout “yeah, same with every other wine!” I wish people would step back from these fads and realize that wine appreciation is subjective – everyone has their own preferences. Just because someone tells you “ABC” or “Merlot Sucks” doesn’t mean it’s true! Find your own favourites and move on. Gunther Fried, Calgary
excerpt on page 20. You can get both books in this series for FREE at books.quench.me. You can also search for the ebooks in the Kindle or Kobo store.
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10 Terrific Dips for the Holidays was a god-send. For our first Christmas in our new home (our dream home to be precise!), we threw a huge party and I wanted to make everything from scratch. I made all 10 dips if you can believe it! People are still talking about the Beer Cheese spread – it was gone before my husband could even try it! Alana Ferguson, email
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NO MATTER HOW MANY YEARS PASS, I SIMPLY CAN’T GET BEHIND THE FREEZING COLD WINTER. I do
enjoy skiing and walking in the snow, but it’s almost impossible to get behind the incredibly cold temperatures. Enough is enough. I always start to get a little stir crazy around the early part of February. I ache for the sun or even a light spring breeze.
4 × @QUENCH_MAG × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
Tried the Burrowing Owl Syrah from your Notes [December/January] the other day. First time I’d ever spent over $20 on a wine. It was fantastic. Going to try another $20+ bottle from your Notes next issue. Alexander Narducci, email
I huddle around my warm cooktop waiting for the cold snap to … snap. It’s also around that time that I think about thawing out and remember what summer is really about. It’s a cool gazpacho on a wind swept terrace in Provence. Or a so-easy-todrink Cahors in my glass while my feet are in the sand. It’s homemade paté and grated carrot salad (see page 24). It’s all those things and so much more. In this issue, we celebrate the brightness of summer by way of France. Soaking in all it’s flavours and aromas is the closest we can get to August in February. That or booking a flight down south. You choose.
GREAT BEER LIVES
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Lot #7978 3 Notas, 2010, Vinho Regional Alentejano A great value wine with nice development, it is produced from three native Portuguese varieties, Aragonez, Moreto and Trincadeira. The 3 Notas 2010 has started to develop a brick ruby hue. The wine was matured in American oak and has a delicious mellow character with autumnal notes of treacle, smoke, forest leaves and dark fruits. Medium-bodied with firm acidity, and a raspberry and sour cherry finish typical of the Trincadeira variety, it is ready to drink and will continue to mature for several more years. Aragonez, Moreto, Trincadeira Mellow, treacle, smoke, dark fruits Sour cherry, red berries 18° C
2015-2018, M7 D9 roast loin of black pork with fennel and garlic-creamed yellow potatoes
CONTRIBUTORS ... Whether poring over the etymology of newly discovered words, researching the latest woodworking technique or tracing the history of the sweater, an avid sense of curiosity guides Katia Jean Paul. That and an insatiable desire to deliberate on the aesthetic pleasures of the world, be it fashion, art, culture, architecture, design, food or travel. While she is a minimalist dresser at heart, she voluntarily lends her palate to every and all experiments of the culinary kind.
Michael Pinkus’s love affair with wine began over 20 years ago and continues to this day. Michael is an award-winning journalist as well as a national and international wine judge. He is the head writer for OntarioWineReview.com and is President of the Wine Writers’ Circle of Canada.
Evan Saviolidis is the Wine Tasting Challenge Grand Champion, Instructor for the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers, and teaches wine appreciation courses in Niagara at WineSavvy. For complete information, please visit www.evanwinesavvy.com.
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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 7
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À LA CARTE Q SCHOOL × 10 SERVING UP WINE. GOOD FOOD BY NANCY JOHNSON × 13 CORNISH HEN REALLY DOES ROCK. UMAMI BY KATIA JEAN PAUL × 15 JANICE POON ON BEING HANNIBAL LECTER’S COOK. NEXT STOP × 16 TEA SHOPS ARE MAKING A COME BACK. FEED BY TOM DE LARZAC × 18 REMEMBERING THE SUMMER. LAZY MIXOLOGIST BY CHRISTINE SISMONDO × 19 DRINKING BUTTER. YES, WE SAID IT. QUENCH COOKS THINGS WITH WINGS BY NANCY JOHNSON × 20 SEE A PREVIEW OF OUR NEW EBOOK. BON VIVANT BY PETER ROCKWELL × 21 WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT A BLIND TASTING?
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 9
Q SCHOOL ...
Serve it up You’ve selected your favourite wine and prepared the perfect dinner pairing; now it’s just a matter of serving the wine so that all of the flavours shine. To have all the finesse of a sommelier at your own dinner party, follow these simple guidelines. TEMPERATURE •• Check the back label for the ideal serving temperature from the producer. If there is no ideal serving temperature, here are some general guidelines: •• Light, dry whites, rosés, sparkling wines: 4 to 10°C •• Full-bodied whites and light, fruity reds: 10 to 16°C •• Full-bodied reds and port: 16 to 18°C
Remember that the wine will warm up in the glass, releasing new aromas and characters, so serving slightly over-chilled isn’t the end of the world.
GLASS •• Clear crystal, so the wine’s colour and appearance is unimpeded.
•• Thin rim, so there isn’t anything affecting the feel of the wine as it passes your lips. •• Large bowl that holds 10 to 18 oz. •• White wine in glasses with a thin opening to concentrate the aromas. •• Red wine in glasses with a wider opening to help the wine aerate and open up in the glass.
•• Sparkling wine in tall, thin glasses to concentrate the bubbles. •• Dessert wine in small glasses for more concentrated portions. POURING •• Standard pour is 5 to 6 oz. If you need a visual, pour 3/4 cup water into a wine glass. •• Have a napkin on hand to wipe up any spills. •• Hold the wine bottle near or on the label. •• Pour into the middle of the glass. •• Stop deliberately and abruptly; rotate the bottle with a sharp twist as you return the bottle to its vertical position. This snappy motion picks up any drops and forces them back into the bottle. ×
10 × @QUENCH_MAG × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
× Visit quench.creatavist.com for more of Q School
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One of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s founding-family wineries, Reif opened in 1982, after founder Ewald Reif planted its vineyards in 1977; the property was later acquired by nephew Klaus W. Reif. Today, the large 50-hectare site produces a complete range of varietals, including Vidal Icewine, a perennial medal winner. Premium “first growth” reds from the oldest vines are turning heads as well. The winery boasts one of the most sophisticated, educational tasting room experiences in Niagara, complete with themed flights, blind tastings, food pairings and a new sensory wine garden. The neighbouring Victorian mansion is a splendid setting for weddings and other catered functions.
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GOOD FOOD BY NANCY JOHNSON ...
Cornish Hens Rock
IN NORTH AMERICA, THE ROCK CORNISH GAME HEN ISN’T A GAME HEN AT ALL, BUT A BREED OF SMALL CHICKEN WITH A HIGHER RATIO OF WHITE MEAT TO DARK MEAT THAN TRADITIONAL CHICKENS. A cross
between the Cornish game and Plymouth Rock breeds, the Cornish hen was reputedly bred in the mid-1950s by a Connecticut farming couple. It weighs between one and two pounds and will serve one person. A duo of roasted Cornish hens, nestled in a bed of roasted winter vegetables, makes a perfect main course for a romantic Valentine’s Day dîner pour deux. Other than roasting, the hens can be “spatchcocked” (split in half ) and barbecued on the grill. The hens cook quickly and are ready to eat after reaching an internal temperature of 180˚F. Cornish hens need about an hour in the oven at 350˚F; if stuffed, an hour and 15 minutes. Split hens cooked on the grill or under the broiler will take about 25 to 45 minutes. In every case, use a meat thermometer and watch for the juices to run clear. To stuff, use about 1 cup of traditional bread stuffing or try a package of cooked brown and wild rice pilaf. Add slivered almonds, minced dried apricots or cranberries to the pilaf for an interesting twist. You might also want to add grainy goodness by stuffing with a quinoa or barley pilaf. Because it is not actually a game bird, the Cornish hen’s flavour is not gamey at all but more of a delicate “chicken lite.”
HONEY BUTTER GLAZED CORNISH HENS
Nothing says lovin’ better than a generous dollop of honey butter as a basting sauce. The Dijon mustard adds a bit of heat. Try substituting Sriracha or buffalo wing sauce instead, adding more or less to taste.
ROSEMARY GARLIC CORNISH HENS
1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. 2. In a medium bowl, combine butter,
Change this recipe by using an orange, orange juice and tarragon instead of the lemon and rosemary. Shallots can stand in for the garlic as well. Cut carrots, parsnips and butternut squash into cubes, toss with olive oil and roast on a separate baking sheet along with the hens.
MONTREAL SPICED GRILLED CORNISH HENS
2 2 3 1 12 1/3 1/3 1
1/2 1/2 1 2
cup butter, melted cup honey tbsp Dijon mustard Cornish game hens
honey and mustard. Arrange hens in roasting pan. 3. Roast 30 minutes. Pour honey butter over hens and roast an additional 30 minutes until cooked through, basting occasionally. MATCH: Good with a Chenin Blanc.
Montreal steak and chicken seasonings are my go-to spice blends for when I want big, bold flavour. In this basic recipe, any piquant seasoning mix of your choice will do. Think Thai, tandoori and Cajun as well.
2 tbsp olive oil 1 1/2 tbsp Montreal Chicken Seasoning 2 Cornish game hens, each spatchcocked
1. In a small bowl, mix oil and seasoning. Rub over hens. 2. Grill over medium-low heat with lid closed 25 to 30 minutes or until cooked through, turning frequently. MATCH: Try with a sparkling rosé.
Cornish game hens tbsp olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste sprigs fresh rosemary small lemon, halved cloves garlic, peeled cup dry white wine cup chicken broth tbsp lemon juice
1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. 2. Rinse hens and pat dry. Rub with 1
tbsp of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Crumble leaves from 1 sprig rosemary over chicken. Place 1 lemon wedge and 1 sprig rosemary in cavity of each hen. Place in a roasting pan and arrange garlic cloves around hens. Roast, uncovered, 30 minutes. 3. In a medium bowl, whisk together wine, chicken broth, lemon juice and remaining 1 tbsp oil; pour over hens. Continue roasting about 30 minutes longer until cooked through, occasionally basting with pan juices. MATCH: Pour a Sauvignon Blanc. × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 13
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UMAMI BY KATIA JEAN PAUL ...
A feast for the eyes CARE FOR SOME LUNG AND LOIN BOURGUIGNON? A
roast loin of pork or tandoori liver, perhaps? On the NBC thriller Hannibal, Mads Mikkelsen’s Dr Hannibal Lecter slices, dices and skewers meat to perfection, rendering the most exquisite gourmet meals to ever grace prime-time television. But his haute cuisine is not what it seems. Pork, veal and other familiar meats are routinely absent from Dr Lecter’s table. Rather, the forensic psychiatrist’s game of choice is ... human. Ghastly, isn’t it? But, there’s an art to making the limbs of the gruesomely departed look both ghoulish and appetizing. While Mikkelsen does a fine job as the good doctor-cum-cannibal, the real artist behind all those delectably macabre meals is Janice Poon, a Toronto-based food stylist who has built a reputation as the go-to gal for unusual requests. “While I was struggling with a rewrite of my current novel, I got a phone call from the Hannibal production, which was just starting up,” says Poon. “They knew I wasn’t food styling anymore but had heard I was the only person in town who could do the job and would I please consider it. I said, ‘Why not. It would be a nice break from staring at a blank page.’ I had no idea Hannibal would be so absorbing.” Since its debut in April 2013, the show has gained critical acclaim while Poon’s food styling, the trials and tribulations of which she documents with humour on her blog, aptly titled Feeding Hannibal, has an ardent following of its own. Self-proclaimed “Fannibals” devour Poon’s unadulterated musings complete with illustrations, which she follows up with a recipe adapted from the human dish du jour. “Food, when prepared for photography, is treated like a supermodel. It needs to be propped up, oiled, sprayed and
otherwise manipulated to stand up under the hot lights for the time it takes the photographer and the client to agree on the perfect shot,” says Poon. The inspiration to become a food stylist came during an advertising shoot Poon art-directed during her ad agency days — though the artist began food styling when a photographer, on the advice of the gourmet shop owners next door, entered her interior design shop in Yorkville and asked if she could make a Chinese-carved winter melon soup for a shoot. Since then, she has styled food for various clients, including CBC, Sony Pictures, General Foods, Prince Luitpold of Bavaria and Epicure Magazine, where she served as art director in the late 1980s. “My background as an advertising art director gave me an understanding of photography and I had been cooking since childhood, so it was very familiar territory for me,” says Poon. While she picked up the tools and tricks of the trade along the way — “to photograph ice cream, use a substitute such as shortening mixed with icing sugar. Real ice cream melts too fast,” is one — Poon insists food styling is “mostly about observation and problem-solving,” which, what with having to find the perfect animal substitutes for human offal, Hannibal offers plenty of chances to exercise. “I don’t take food styling jobs unless they promise to be challenging,” says Poon. “Otherwise it’s just shopping and loading the car, which is not particularly rewarding.” From styling on Hannibal, whose third season premieres in the spring, to writing the Feeding Hannibal cookbook, slated for release later this year, food is ever-present in Poon’s day-to-day, except for maybe on her own dining table: “I wish I had more time to actually eat it.” × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 15
NEXT STOP ...
afternoon tea Since its inception during the third century AD, tea has become the most widely consumed beverage worldwide — after water. Customs and ceremonies around this originally medicinal drink abound, including afternoon tea, courtesy of our neighbours across the pond. Presently, tea rooms from east to west, with a staple of seasonal blends both old and new, delectable finger food on tiered trays and even Victorian hats, celebrate the ritual and all its charms.
CAMELLIA SINENSIS
www.camellia-sinensis.com Teatime at this serene Montreal establishment is an experience. A selection of some 40 teas, sourced from China, Japan, India, Vietnam and Taiwan by owners-cum-tasters Hugo Américi, Kevin Gascoyne, François Marchand and Jasmin Desharnais can be enjoyed using the infusion technique from its country of origin. Whether steeped Gaiwan, Gong Fu Cha or Senchado-style, the menu boasts the ideal sweet accompaniment for your brew of choice, including Japanese-style pastries made in house.
VENUS SOPHIA TEA ROOM & VEGETARIAN EATERY
www.venussophia.com In Victoria’s Chinatown district, this quaint tea room is the fruit of a love affair that, incidentally, blossomed over a cup of tea. Husband-and-wife team Sallie and Alain El Alaily run the vintage-inspired eatery, where afternoon tea includes classic varieties like Earl Grey and Darjeeling alongside signature blends like the house’s Cherry Blossom tea (Japanese sencha laced with natural cherry and rose notes). Sandwiches, scones, savouries and petits fours — think roasted butternut squash aioli sandwiches and Blue Sapphire Earl Grey shortbread — sweeten the deal while vintage bicycles overhead add to the whimsical atmosphere. 16 × @QUENCH_MAG × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
GRANDMA’S TEA ROOM
www.besidethetrail.ca/tearoom/ Grandma’s tea room in Charlottetown, PEI sheds the stuffiness of the old-world custom but not its charm. Located inside a bed and breakfast, patrons are invited to sip on any one of 22 tea varieties, ranging from traditional to fair-trade blends. Homemade tea scones, with owner Cindy Cousineau’s signature clotted cream, and an assortment of finger sandwiches and sweets are also on the menu. Victorian hats are optional, though they’re free to borrow and make afternoon tea all the more fun.
WINDSOR ARMS HOTEL
www.windsorarmshotel.com/tearoom/ The Toronto Windsor Arms Hotel’s afternoon tea service, much like its posh tea rooms, is a sophisticated affair. Black Velvet (ginseng, peppermint, liquorice and China black) and Russian Caravan (lapsang, souchong and bergamot) are just a couple of the eclectic teas on offer, together with a glass of sherry, Chardonnay or Prosecco for good measure. The delicacies on offer, like a goat cheese and caramelized shallot tart, and smoked salmon and wasabi sour cream with salmon caviar sandwiches, are equally enticing. ×
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FEED BY TOM DE LARZAC ...
Remembering the summer IN THE MIDST OF THIS WINTER WEATHER, I AM CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR REMINDERS THAT SUMMER IS AROUND THE CORNER, A GLIMMER OF HOPE THAT WARMER TEMPERATURES ARE COMING. In order to achieve this, I
start to think about my favourite summer destinations and the foods that remind me of those places. I love Italy, and all the food and smells that come along with it. Is there anything more synonymous with Italian food than the mighty meatball? It wasn’t all that long ago that I had my first meatball sandwich. A-hole-in-the-wall restaurant with 10 items on a chalkboard menu; 20 seats with non-matching plates. But the food was fantastic. The sandwich combined all the great flavours of Italy, wrapped up in a warm, crusty bun (that always needs to accompany good pasta, to soak up the last bits of sauce) all made it easy to consume. The combination of a crunchy bun, soft dough and a warm sauce just can’t be beat. I went home and had to recreate it. The flavours were not the hard part to figure out. High-quality simple ingredients will provide a surprisingly rich taste. It was the cooking method that was the tricky part. Finding the right balance of seared meat and soft “fall apart” texture took some trial and error. Browning in a pan, and then transferring to a sauce, yielded a tough meatball. Simply cooking it in sauce from scratch yielded too soft a texture. So off to the oven we went. A short sear (in the oven) followed by baking them in sauce — exactly how I wanted them. My meatball sandwich was created; now about that fresh bread... These sandwiches are a perfect combo between the hearty winter meals that make us feel cozy and warm, and the fresh flavours of summer tomatoes and pesto that make us want to go outside and bask in the sun.
18 × @QUENCH_MAG × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
MEATBALL SANDWICHES 1 1 2 3 1/2 1/4 1 2 6-8 1
lb ground pork lb ground beef (or veal) whole eggs garlic cloves, chopped cup parsley, chopped cup bread crumbs tbsp oregano, salt and pepper (each) cups tomato sauce (pick your favourite) Italian sandwich buns small jar pesto Parmesan for grating, to taste
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 2. Combine pork, beef, eggs, garlic, parsley, bread crumbs,
oregano, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and combine. Mix until all ingredients evenly dispersed 3. Form mixture into meatballs, each slightly larger than a golf ball. Line in a high-sided ovenproof container in a single layer, so the meatballs are not touching. If mixture is overly sticky, add additional bread crumbs to make it easier to handle. 4. Bake meatballs for 10 minutes. 5. Reduce oven temp to 350°F. Add tomato sauce, and place back in the oven for an additional 20 minutes. 6. Cut sandwich buns in half lengthwise and spread pesto on both sides. Add sauce and meatballs to buns, add Parmesan over hot meatballs, and cover with a little more sauce. MATCH: Serve with a nice wicker-covered Chianti (if you can find one). ×
LAZY MIXOLOGIST BY CHRISTINE SISMONDO ...
I Can’t Believe It’s Butter They say there are three secrets to French cuisine. Number one? Butter, of course. Numbers two and three? Butter and, well ... also butter. Low-fat devotees will shudder at the thought of these yellow bricks being used for everything from garnish to base cooking oil, but even those who think nothing of slathering a grilled rib-eye or dressing a salad with it might be taken aback with the notion of drinking it. Butter cocktails, however, are challenging this final frontier; it has finally been called to the bar. Some of this new-found interest in drinking butter stems from the paleo fad of blending butter into the morning’s coffee (yes, really) and fat-washing in cocktails. The latter is a simple process for infusing butter, bacon and other fats into booze (mix together, refrigerate overnight, strain), so that, even after the fat is strained off, the flavour of, say, brown butter or duck fat remains in the spirit. But buttery drinks’ deepest roots go all the way back to the colonial era, when they weren’t afraid of an extra layer of fat and hot buttered rum was a winter staple. “The fat itself doesn’t really add any flavour to a drink,” explains Robyn Gray of Rosewood’s Hotel Georgia in Vancouver. “But it’s an excellent conductor so that, when the fat lingers in the mouth a little, it translates the flavours of the base spirit beautifully for the palate.” More intense flavours? Sign me up. But the problem I’ve encountered in the past is that hot buttered rum can easily separate and wind up with an oil slick up top, a challenge even for the most diehard of fat-enthusiast paleos. Some fix this with a “batter” of blended butter, sugar, spice and softened vanilla ice cream that can be stored in the freezer. Simply spoon it into a cup of rum and hot water whenever you start to feel your arteries getting a little too clean. Gray has a different solution that he uses for the hot buttered rum served in the 1927 Lounge at the hotel — namely, a compound butter that he whips into the hot rum à la minute. “The butter is the perfect conduit for making those Christmas flavours more pronounced and lasting,” he says. “The clove, maple, vanilla, cinnamon and, of course, rum, just cling to the palate and hang out there even after you’ve finished the drink.” Now that’s rich. And here’s how to get all buttered up at home.
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ROBYN GRAY’S HOT BUTTERED RUM
From the 1927 Lounge of Rosewood’s Hotel Georgia in Vancouver.
1/2 1/3 2 1 1 1 1 1
Compound butter lb unsalted butter, softened cup brown sugar tbsp maple syrup tsp ground cinnamon tsp ground glove tsp ground nutmeg dash vanilla extract dash kosher salt
3 oz boiling water 2 oz Gosling’s Black Seal Rum
MAKE THE COMPOUND BUTTER: Add all ingredients to a blender or mixing bowl, blend until smooth, then transfer into a mason jar. Chill in the refrigerator until hard. As it sets, the compound will become more complex. For best results, let thaw to room temperature before mixing into final drink. MIXING THE HOT BUTTERED RUM: Mix a tablespoon of compound butter with boiling water and rum in a preheated ceramic mug. Bar whip, swizzle or stir until fully incorporated. Garnish with a cinnamon stick. ×
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 19
QUENCH COOKS THINGS WITH WINGS BY NANCY JOHSON ...
COUSCOUS AND CHICKEN SALAD WITH LIME VINAIGRETTE SERVES 3 TO 4 Couscous is semolina pasta from Northern Africa. This sunny salad pairs couscous with some of my favourite things — chicken, oranges or pineapple, dried cranberries and a sweet-tart lime dressing. Top the couscous with avocado and almonds, and you get my California version of a Moroccan dish. In fact, the first time I ate couscous was at a Moroccan restaurant in Palm Springs. This tasty salad takes me right back to that hot summer evening.
3 cups cooked couscous 2 cups diced cooked chicken 1 can mandarin oranges or pineapple tidbits, drained 2 tbsp dried cranberries 1 avocado, peeled and sliced 1/4 cup sliced almonds or chopped walnuts
Lime Vinaigrette 3-4 tbsp lime juice 1 tbsp honey 1/2 tsp sweet paprika 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1. In a large bowl, mix couscous, chicken, mandarin
oranges or pineapple and cranberries. 2. Make Vinaigrette: In small bowl, whisk lime juice, honey, paprika and olive oil. 3. Gently mix vinaigrette with couscous mixture. 4. Garnish salad with avocado and almonds. MATCH: Serve with a California or Australia Moscato. ×
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BON VIVANT BY PETER ROCKWELL ...
What’s so special about a blind tasting?
ILLUSTRATION: MATT DALEY/SHINYPLIERS.COM
Of course, for full disclosure, you’re talking about a tasting where the bottles are bagged or otherwise disguised so that no one will know what they’re putting in their mouths. While I’m not sure how special they are, blind tastings have two main objectives: 1) they offer professionals a chance to review a wine on its own merit without encouraging any bias or prejudice against the producer and/or country of origin; and 2) it gives wine geeks a chance to try and get their James Bond on by showing off their palate prowess as they attempt to determine what’s in their glass with only a few hints (maybe) and their past experiences to go on. Call me irresponsible, but to quote The Pursuit of Happiness, one of Canada’s greatest bands of the ‘80s, “I’m an adult now.” Show me the label. I can taste a wine knowing who pressed the berries and still make an impartial assessment without any fear of unleashing some personal retribution on the winemaker. I have no hunger for games. So guessing who made what and the ancestry of its flavour profile is about as entertaining for me as watching grape juice ferment. If going blind is your vision, there are a couple of options. The classic version (often called a single-blind tasting) allows a little leeway for the participants. Generally they’re told the wine’s homeland and maybe the fruit used to make it. If the organizers are feeling especially giving, they might also reveal the vintage. During a double-blind tasting everything’s a secret. Black glassware might even be employed to try and disguise the colour of each wine being presented for evaluation. Not that I want to put a cork into anyone’s party; it’s just that I spent my university years behind a cash desk selling booze. The last thing I’m interested in doing is putting more bottles into brown paper bags.
Does the size of the bottle affect the taste of a wine? When it comes to bottles, size does matter, unless you count yourself in the majority of wine buyers who tuck into their purchase within 48 hours of its arrival home. To most of you, cellaring a wine is so 17th century. You buy it for a certain occasion (which could be as pedestrian as “it’s Monday”), and liquid hits glass sooner than later.
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If you cracked open a variety of bottles sizes, all containing the same wine from the same vintage, and give them a swirl, you shouldn’t discern any difference in personality. The one caveat is age. My previous paragraph of brilliance proves itself true only with wines that haven’t been around too long, because time and wine bottle size don’t always get along so well. That’s the reason why the current 750 ml package is the dominant design on store shelves. While its volume is just about right for sharing between two people, it also allows the wine to mature at a near-perfect rate. I’m talking volume versus air here, folks. Over time, air trapped in the bottle starts to do its not-so-dirty work on a wine, eventually deteriorating full-bodied vino to a point where fruit, acid and (in reds) tannins are as harmonious as a Beach Boys greatest hits album. A smaller and larger bottle each has proportionately about the same amount of air inside it as its 750 ml brethren; so it makes sense that the weenier the receptacle, the quicker its cargo will age, and vice versa for a jumbo bottle. So yes, if you’re a collector, your bottle of choice can dictate how your wine will taste in the long run. It’s never been a problem for me; I’m way more “Mr 48 hours.” × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 21
ROOTS ARTISANAL BREAD VARIES IN STYLE — A LOVELY EXPRESSION OF ART AND RAW MATERIALS. Naturally we
credit the baker and not the quality of the raw ingredients, but is this a fair assessment? What about wine? We credit the winemaker and focus on the finished product. Is that fair? I asked growers in Canada and Portugal about their vineyards and what it takes to produce stellar wines. Their surprising New World/ Old World answers make perfect sense. RICHARD CLEAVE: 90 percent of the work it takes to make excellent wine is done in the vineyard. Phantom Creek Vineyard in Oliver, BC, is one of the most revered in Canada. Ranked as one of the top ten vineyards in the world, this special seven-acre parcel produces a limited quantity of superior grapes. Owned by master vineyard manager Richard Cleave, Phantom Creek Vineyard supplies Cabernet Sauvignon (three clones), Syrah, Malbec, Petit Verdot and a few Merlot and Cab Franc grapes for Sandhill’s Small Lots program. I met Mr Cleave at his home, which is surrounded by his vines. I wanted to know his grape-growing secrets. The first, he tells me, is to love what you do. RC: My hobby is grape growing. I’ve been doing it for forty years and can count the days I didn’t want to work on two hands. It is also important to love hanging out at “The Beach.” Cleave’s cheeky nickname for his vineyard sprang from its sandy soil. He chose the property because its sand allowed him tight control over vine growth through rootstock and irrigation. With his four decades of Okanagan vineyard experience, he made careful choices. RC: Vines need irrigation and nutrition. Grape growing is simple but it takes damn hard work to do the job properly. Although many vines in the Okanagan, especially hybrids, are planted directly on their own roots, Cleave chose to use a rootstock called Riparia Gloire de Montpellier (RGM). Rootstock is just that: grapevine roots with a stem that will accept a grafted grapevine of a different varietal and raise and nurture it like an adopted child. Today’s rootstocks have superior resistance to phylloxera (root louses that once decimated vineyards), drought and nematodes (parasitic nasties). He buys one-yearold already-grafted rootstock from Ontario. After the first year of growth, Cleave cuts the vine back to two buds and in the second year, grows a trunk. In the third year, he crops a little and in the fourth, and thereafter, it is a full crop. Cleave chose RGM rootstock because it is the most restrictive. This firm parent supplies only enough food and water for a minimum of canopy (leaf ) growth, which is what Cleave was aiming for. Allowing just enough leaves ensures that most nutrients are spent making great grapes. Restricting irrigation and strategically removing leaves and lateral shoots to allow dappled 22 × @QUENCH_MAG × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
by Brenda McMillan
light on the grapes on the south side (so they don’t overheat) and to expose them on the north side (for air circulation) offers the optimal environment for grape tastiness. Cleave also plants more vines per acre, but restricts each vine to 2.75 pounds (for Cabernet Sauvignon, for example) and prunes bunches if they get too heavy. Everything is focussed on quality, not quantity. RC: It takes you 10 years to learn grape growing. I still learn something new almost every day. I asked about field blends, an old method of planting more than one varietal in a vineyard based on different soils, sun and wind exposure, and the preferences of each grape varietal. Cleave likes the idea of having the grapes ripen at the same time and fermented together, since the resulting wines are more smoothly integrated — blends from different fermentations are not as much so. He works very closely with Howard Soon, master winemaker, Sandhill Wines, in Kelowna. RC: I trust him [Howard] implicitly. HOWARD SOON: Trust is the key element. We [Richard and I] can talk about anything. They met in 1980 when the grower was “progressive and always pushing for ways to be more efficient” according to the winemaker. Now solid partners in wine, their names and signatures on the back of Sandhill’s bottles demonstrate their connection. HS: As far as I know, Sandhill is the only company that puts the names of the grape grower and winemaker on the bottle. Soon has great respect for growers, their vineyards and their importance to his wine. HS: Terroir links geography, grapes and the grower. It is a combination of a single vineyard, plus the knowledge of the humans who know how to grow grapes there, in that specific spot. Many successful growers live with — or close to — their grapes. I wondered how much great wine owes to grapes and how much is winemaker expertise. Cleave says it is 90 percent grapes. Soon, a very humble guy who works with a team of four winemakers, was less specific. HS: Great wine always starts with great grapes, but doesn’t end there. Those grapes have to be handled gently and respectfully. As a demonstration of how harmoniously the winemaker and grower work together, Soon asked Cleave for suggestions about how to improve the wine before the 2013 harvest. His answer was straightforward: try blending before fermentation, not after. In response, half the harvest was blended and barrel fermented, while the rest of the varietals were fermented individually. The results will be bottled soon, but from what I tasted in the co-fermentation barrel, and Soon’s declaration that blending and barrel fermenting is the way to go, the 2013 Sandhill ONE will be seamlessly sublime.
left Phantom Creek Vineyards’ Richard Cleave provides grapes for Sandhill’s Small Lots Program; Top Howard Soon from Sandhill thinks the grape grower is key.
IN EUROPE, CULTIVATED GRAPES MARCHED IN WITH THE ROMANS. Knowledge and skills were passed down from
generation to generation, and while today’s viticulturists study to learn their craft, many also have the advantage of good genes. GONÇALO SOUSA LOPES, GROWER: My dad and my grandfather were involved with wine. RUI CUNHA, WINEMAKER: My great-grandfather founded the Port House Adriano Ramos-Pinto. I interviewed grower Gonçalo Sousa Lopes and winemaker Rui Cunha from Portugal’s Covela estate on the right bank of the Douro River, to find out how they work together to produce exceptional red, white and rosé wines. Sousa Lopes manages 19 hectares of Covela vineyards and 40 hectares at Boavista, Covela’s sister property in the DOC Douro region. In the Covela vineyards, the vines are between two and 25 years old in south-facing terraced vineyards that form a natural, sun-catching amphitheatre. GSL: The decision about what varietal/clone to plant really depends on the type of wine you want to make, the soil type and the climate. At Covela, each [small] plot is planted with a single varietal. Planting mono-varietally makes it easier to prevent diseases, and it is better to have separate varietals for the blending process later. While Sousa Lopes chooses to plant single varietals, he also tastes the value of field blends. GSL: At Boavista, we have traditional Douro field blends. In new vineyards, field blends would not be an advantage because they are generally more difficult to tend due to the different sensitivities of each grape to various types of diseases and
pests, and because each varietal has its own ripeness point. I do, however, have to say that wines produced from field blends are generally more complex. As vineyards in the Douro Valley are not irrigated, roots have to penetrate deeply to find the water they need. Temperatures in the summer reach 40˚C, so leaves also have work to do. Our Old and New World growers agree about the importance of rootstock and pruning. GSL: We use rootstock with a root system capable of digging deep. They are able to produce vines of low to medium growth and low yields of fruit. I always plant for the best quality. We prune so we leave shade over the grapes during the hottest hours of the day, but take care not to create too dense a canopy that can shelter unwanted humidity and cast impenetrable shade over the inner leaves. Sousa Lopes and Rui Cunha work together to ensure grape excellence. RC: We are a team. Meetings where we hold key discussions and decisions are held several times a year. Of course, as the harvest gets closer, the number and rhythm of meetings also intensify. From visiting the site, looking at the soil, seeing the balance of the vines and tasting the berries, I can be nearly 100 percent sure that this particular vineyard will produce an excellent wine. And of course, I immediately start thinking what the wine will be. Great wine, like great bread, stems from passion and devotion. No matter how you slice it, these growers and winemakers demonstrate that respect — of land, of vines, of grapes and of each other — is as integral to excellence as sunshine. × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 23
A PARTY AT FLOOR LEVEL by Lisa Hoekstra
PICNICS ARE FUN … GRASS BETWEEN YOUR TOES, CRINKLING UNDER YOUR CHEQUERED BLANKET. Quaint wo-
ven basket sitting with one half of the cover flipped open. Warm summer breeze rustling the leaves as the sun beats down. Kids are off in the distance, flying a kite or fighting over a stick … whatever it is that kids do at picnics. Too bad it’s still freezing outside. What if I were to tell you that you could bring the enjoyment — albeit not the grass, wind and sun — of a spring picnic right onto your living room carpet? You just need to set the ambiance and prepare the perfect picnic menu, and you can spend the day at the “park.” This indoor picnic won’t be copied after the North American tradition of potato salads and sandwiches; instead we’re going to pull some inspiration from French cuisine and culture. “When people say let’s have a picnic here (in North America), everything goes plastic,” states Laura Calder, host of the Food Network’s French Food at Home and author of four cookbooks including Paris Express. “When the French say picnic, they mean … impromptu, casual eating. At French picnics, everyone has to bring a dish, no plastic allowed. All the wine glasses are glass and everyone brings their own cutlery.” In France, quality will always come before quantity, from the food to the utensils and dishes. “The most important element of a picnic, whether it is European or French-Canadian, is qualitative,” says Justin Keating, owner of Quebec’s l’Hôtel du Vieux-Québec and partner of Tournebroche restaurant. “You need to be in the moment, appreciating the experience and relaxing.” Above all else, eating in France is a social event — regardless if it is at a picnic or a high-class restaurant. “They practice the art of conversation and we don’t. It’s totally different,” says Kasey Wilson, award-winning food and travel writer, broadcaster and author, whose culinary career started with French cuisine at the École de Cuisine La Varenne. “They’re having a good time. They really relate to one another.” With this firmly in mind, it’s time to start planning our own indoor picnic — whether it’s for your immediate family or a whole dinner party. 24 × @QUENCH_MAG × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
SETTING THE AMBIENCE
The first step is to move the furniture to the walls or, if you have the luxury of space, out of the room altogether. There will be no stuffy dining room tables during our French indoor picnic. Oddly enough, the empty room will put guests at ease when they walk in. “Friends had invited far more people than there was room at the table,” Calder recalls of one dinner party she’d attended in Paris. “So they moved the table and put cushions on the floor. It was instantly informal — any sense of stiffness is immediately eradicated.” Next, use an area rug or a big fluffy blanket spread out on the floor to provide the illusion of a picnic blanket. “[Try] a Persian rug or a faux Persian rug … it’s kind of colourful and formal.” suggests Calder. “At an exhibit in Paris, they talked about how a carpet creates space ... if you empty the room and put the carpet down, you’ve got an intimacy that wasn’t there.” Picnics may be casual, but that doesn’t mean you need to go completely informal. You can still make the atmosphere feel fancy with some well-placed accessories. “I like the idea of not bringing it down,” Calder continues. “Imagine you’re all sitting on the floor, so you put cushions around. Put candles around and boards of food. A feeling of decadence.” If you’d rather keep guests off the ground, an alternative to sitting on the floor is to make your coffee table the centrepiece (where you will have all of the food), then set footstools and ottomans around the table. “I can’t sit on the floor myself because I’m not 20 years old. I’d offer lower seating,” says Wilson. “I would drape the table … put chairs around that little table to make it picnic-ish.” Wilson also suggests that, if you have large windows, you move the coffee table under the window with the seating in an arc around it. This way everyone can enjoy the view of the great outdoors, just as they would for an outdoor picnic. The final option for setting up your living room picnic is to lay out everything buffet style in the dining room and have everyone sitting on cushions or ottomans in the living room. “When the weather is less enjoyable [in the summer months], we will set up at one of our homes,” says Keating of his group of friends who usually meet for picnics. “We set everything up on a table and everyone eats at their leisure.”
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 25
Kasey Wilson provided this delicious pâté recipe from her cookbook Spirit & Style: The New Home Cooking. A great spread for a baguette!
2 cups butter 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 Granny Smith apple, chopped 4 shallots, minced 2 lbs chicken livers, trimmed, rinsed, patted dry and cut in half 1/4 cup cognac or brandy 1/4 cup whipping cream Juice of 1/2 lemon 2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp white pepper 1/4 tsp Spice Parisienne 1. In a large skillet over moderate heat, melt 1/4 cup butter, add onion and sauté about 5 minutes or until onion is wilted. Add apple and shallots and cook about 2 minutes. Put onion mixture in a food processor or blender. 2. In the same skillet, melt 1/4 cup butter and sauté chicken livers until brown on the outside, but still red and juicy on the inside. Add cognac or brandy and simmer about 3 minutes. 3. Add liver mixture to onion mixture in food processor and let cool to room temperature. Add whipping cream. Process until mixture is completely smooth. Transfer to a bowl. 4. Beat the remaining 1 1/2 cups butter in a large bowl until it is smooth and fluffy. Gradually add liver mixture to butter, beating well after each addition. Stir in lemon juice, salt, pepper and Spice Parisienne. Season to taste. 5. Pack pâté into a terrine or small ceramic crocks and smooth the top. Cover with a thin layer of melted butter. Chill at least 6 hours or overnight. 6. Fresh pâté keeps 4 days in the fridge.
26 × @QUENCH_MAG × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
PÂTÉ MAISON
PACK THE PERFECT PICNIC LUNCH
French cuisine isn’t stuffy and snobby — don’t let the haute cuisine stereotype fool you. In France, picnic foods are as casual and relaxed as the setting. “It can be as simple as buying a piece of cheese and sipping a glass of wine … with friends or co-workers on their civilized two-hour lunch break,” says Wilson. “When I think about what they do for picnics, it’s pretty darn simple. They get fresh fruit and saucisson (large sausage). And they just go for a stroll.” Keating and his crew at l’Hôtel du Vieux-Québec use picnic baskets as a way to give guests a delicious continental French breakfast without forcing them to rush out the door in the morning. “We fill it … and hang it on guests’ doors in the morning,” says Keating. “We err on the side of excess so that many people save the basket to picnic in their room at lunch.” The contents will keep and don’t need to be eaten at a specific temperature. “One of the main stresses when having a big dinner is having everything the right temperature,” says Calder. “But for picnics, food can be room temperature.” Planning for all of your dishes to be served this way means you won’t need to spend hours cooking; you can spread the prep work across a few days instead. “Prepare the menu ahead of time and think room temperature,” says Wilson. “[The day of ] fill up the coffee table with all the dishes and let friends pass them around and take whatever appeals to them in the order they want.” In contrast, Calder suggests using platters and trays instead of a coffee table. “The other thing I like about the picnic is the wooden board and platters. If you put it on platters, [guests] can decide if [they] want one carrot or three,” she says. “You fill a giant platter with bitey things … you can just plunk it down and everyone sits around it. It’s very convivial and casual.” Ultimately, the trick for your menu should be that it can all come out at once and be picked over by your friends and family. Calder discourages doing any courses, “so you’re not running back and forth clearing plates. It’s a very linger-y, kind of go-atyour-own-pace sort of meal.” “Plan the evening so you do not have to go into the kitchen and you’re relaxed — guests will appreciate that more than anything else you do,” says Wilson. “I think when people come to your home, they’d rather you’re with them and sitting down, enjoying the dinner or lunch as they are.” Now that we know how to present our menu, the question remains: what do we serve? “It is hard to go wrong with the traditional elements of a French picnic: delicious fresh bread, a selection of cheeses, spreads, wine, fruit and dessert,” says Keating. “Usually you would assemble these elements at the site.” His continental French breakfast baskets include baked croissants, pastries, local cheeses, fruit, yoghurt and freshly squeezed orange juice. Calder suggests “beer, bread and this picnicky platter thing,” quiches, beef or pork roast with celery rémoulade, radishes and olives, sliced sausages, roast chicken, “salads sort of like the ones you can carry around, carrot salad, anything that can stand up,” and of course, baguettes and pâtés.
Wilson suggests ratatouille — “cook vegetables separately so they retain flavour and texture” — pâté, onion tart, raspberry truffles and, “of course, cheeses” served with Château Miravel rosé, Grenache Blanc or a Beaujolais.
SPEND THE DAY IN THE PARK
Having an indoor picnic instead of a formal dinner is kind of like spending the day at the park — it’s easy, casual and very fun. “This is a great way to throw the first dinner party you’ve ever thrown,” says Calder. “When you say picnic, the pressure is off completely.” “Lay out a nice tablecloth and choose some finer foods you would not normally have,” says Keating. “Make it an event so that you get a sense that you are doing something special.” Remember to take the time to really linger over the food and engage with your fellow picnickers. In fact, if you can, have a separate wicket basket that you can leave by the front door where guests (or family members!) are ‘encouraged’ to leave their phones. This way everyone can be immersed in the spirit. Now, go enjoy the last throes of winter with a casual, relaxed and delicious indoor picnic.
PICNIC ON A PLATTER
In her cookbook Paris Express, Laura Calder has loads of delicious recipes that would make great additions to an indoor picnic (or any dinner!). But it is her note about Picnic on a Platter that really gets my mouth watering. “The French call it an assiette de crudités … you’ll need a nice big platter to start with, and upon it you artfully arrange things like julienned carrots, cooked green beans, halved boiled eggs, sliced cucumber and avocado, some curls of ham, possibly some marinated artichokes or boiled baby potatoes, a heap of tiny radishes … whatever you’ve got around, you simply arrange all together on the platter to look as jewel-boxy as possible. Serve pots of vinaigrette and mayonnaise on the side, and let people help themselves. All you need to round out the feast are a few baguettes, perhaps a doorstop of Roquefort, and a bottle or two of chilled rosé.”
GRATED CARROT SALAD
Another great picnic recipe from Paris Express this Grated Carrot Salad that will really “stand up,” as Calder says.
4 2 to 3 1/4
cups grated carrots generous handfuls fresh parsley, chopped cup olive oil Squeeze or 2 of lemon juice Squirt of soy sauce Salt and pepper, to taste
Toss carrots in a roomy bowl with the parsley and olive oil. Season with lemon juice, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Toss again and serve. × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 27
NONTRADITIONAL by Tim Pawsey
It’s safe to say the Villa Cahors Malbec, right in the heart of Cahors, is purple. In fact, it’s definitely the most purple place I’ve ever been in. Even more so at night when, with its mantle ablaze in swathes of luminescent indigo, this no holds barred tribute to Malbec feels more like a nightclub than a wine info centre. In a world not short on wine promotion, the Villa Cahors Malbec is also among the most potent and enthusiastically supported whose threshold I’ve ever crossed. It’s easy to see why. There’s a real energy here, as visitors sample the some 50 wines on offer, paired with artfully created canapés, and maybe book in for the next festive food and wine event — on our visit, a seasonal gastronomic salute to the walnut. In Cahors for the first time, I wasn’t prepared for the absolute, serene beauty of the place, even by French standards. Roads wind and climb their way up impossibly steep slopes, where châteaux (in some cases dating from the middle ages) command almost every hilltop. Often (though not necessarily always) immaculately tended vineyards cascade down to the River Lot in the valley below. A plethora of grape varieties is grown in this wider corner of France — perhaps not surprising when you consider just how much wine is produced in Languedoc and the South West. Some varieties are well known; others, from Négrette to Gros Manseng, not so much. Malbec has been the red king for years. It’s descended from Prunelard, a rare, beautiful plummy and peppery drop that lives up to its name. Known locally also as Côt — not to be confused with Lot, the principal river that winds its way through the Cahors region. Like other regions close to the Mediterranean, grape growing here dates from Roman times. As elsewhere, the vines devastated by phylloxera in the 19th century proved to be an unlikely 28 × @QUENCH_MAG × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
boost for the New World and for Malbec in particular. Cahors’ misfortune turned out to be Argentina’s gain. Malbec’s demise wasn’t confined to phylloxera. The challenges it faced over the years ranged from the disruptions around two World Wars to the (still much talked about) devastating frost of 1956 that almost wiped out forever the resurrection of what had once had been one of Europe’s most abundant varieties. Yet one more threat was its fall from favour with the Bordelaise, who had traditionally used it for blending. However, despite all too often being cast as poor cousins to their more affluent neighbours in Burgundy and Bordeaux, Malbec and Cahors soldiered on, to the point that, with Malbec’s international fortunes on the rise (thanks in great part to Argentina), the region is again on a roll. Cahors makes for a fascinating study of ancient and modern. As often as not, the new breed of winemaker taking over the reins has travelled and worked vintages in other countries and a different hemisphere. Blending New World experience with traditions that reach back several generations, today’s Cahors vigneron can draw on the benefits afforded by centuries of learning to blend with modern techniques — employed from vineyard to winery — an outlook that truly combines the best of all worlds. One such voyageur, seventh generation winemaker Fabrice Durou, worked at a multi-client Yarra Valley crush pad to
be exposed to a wealth of different tastes and techniques. On his return, he found himself seeking to chart a different course from that pursued by his father and grandfather (and their forebears) for the family’s Château de Gaudou. The winemaker now makes two distinct lines. One very much carries on the family styles, marked by traditional labelling in “tier” selections that give prominence to the higher terraced and more complex geology. The other focuses much more on specific terroir, such as the highest elevation, southwest facing, almost all gravel slope. The reserve wine he makes is fermented in a large wooden vat, using carbonic maceration and punch down, while another is concrete egg fermented. Another project — to focus on just one stony enclave — was a departure from what had been done before, but there’s no question that it challenges the best of any premium New World styled Malbec I’ve seen from elsewhere, while retaining all the appeal and complexity that this ancient place so often reveals. ONE THING ABOUT THE WINE WORLD THAT NEVER FAILS TO AMAZE ME IS HOW EVERYTHING — AND EVERYONE — IS CONNECTED. Yes, I know, that
does sound a little bit trite but a few happenings over the last few years have made me even more convinced about six degrees of viticultural separation. Over dinner, not far from the impressive homage to Malbec, I meet “new gen-
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03 04 01 Château de Gaudou winemaker Fabrice Durou learned his trade in Australia before coming home to Cahors; 02 Pedro Parra holds up freshly excavated limestone; 03 Pit digging in Cahors; 04 “New generation” winemaker, Germain Croisille, of Château les Croisille FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 29
CHÂTEAU DE GAUDOU 2012 LE SANG DE LA VIGNETTE ($30) A luscious, velvet-toned, generously black fruited but superbly structured Malbec, fermented in a newly acquired concrete egg fermenter of the kind now employed by leading edge winemakers the world over.
CHÂTEAU DE GAUDOU RESERVE CAILLOU 2011 ($35) From 60 year old vines on a high elevation, south west facing, almost all gravel slope. Durou ferments in a large wooden vat, using carbonic maceration and punch down to make a plush and opulent wine that sports a complex, definite schist-y edge beneath its floral, violet-toned opening and lingering pepper spice that often accompanies more premium offerings.
CHÂTEAU PINERAIE 2010 ($19) 100% Malbec. From the middle terrace, 12 months in barrel with 20 percent new French oak. Middle terrace. Forward bright red berries followed by a plush and juicy mocha-toned palate with good structure and firm tannins with a spicy end.
CHÂTEAU LES CROISILLE DIVIN CROISILLE 2010 ($39) From 30 year old vines, 18 months in fine grain French oak. Definite toasty oak up front followed by a luscious but still grippy plummy and black fruit palate with great persistence and distinctive spice through the finish.
PARCELLE DES ORIGINES A822 2012, AOP CAHORS ($40) This 100% Malbec is made by brothers Pierre, Sebastien and Christophe Sigaud, from 35 year old vines grown on a unique clay and limestone site at la Métairie Grande du Théron. 18 months in French oak. Vibrant cherry fruits on a plush palate underpinned by good acidity.
CHÂTEAU DE CHAMBERT GRAND VIN 2009 ($40) From a mix of the best sites on limestone and clay soils. Forward notes of bright cherry with hints of anise and black pepper and mineral notes, bright acidity, and a lingering finish.
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eration” winemaker, Germain Croisille, proprietor of Château les Croisille, another proponent of more terroir-focused wines. As we taste our way through an impressive range, he mentions a collaboration with Altos Las Hormigas in Argentina, in a project led by flying winemaker Alberto Antonini and Chilean soil guru Pedro Parra. This same dynamic team is also working closely with Okanagan Crush Pad. As it happens, I had recently attended a tasting of some more unusual Chilean wines — and heard about their Okanagan ideas. Mendoza-based Antonini and Parra make regular trips to various regions in Europe to keep tabs on what’s happening. Over the last seven years, the role played by limestone in the soil has become a focus of their work, says Altos Las Hormigas technical director Leonardo Erazo. “The complexity in the wines comes from different types of limestone. When they saw limestone in Cahors in so many places — it’s everywhere, even in the house — they got very excited,” says Erazo. Traditionally, elevation (contrasting valley fruit with terrace and plateau soils) has been used to tier the wines. Most of the bigger vineyards are situated on the valley floor, close to the River Lot, while a third of the plantings are higher up the slopes (coteaux) and on the plateau. Referred to as “terraces,” the benches vary in age and geology, although the base soils are alluvial. In recent years, the tendency has been to concentrate more on the higher elevations and the coteaux, with their varied soils ranging from limestone and chalk, to gravel and clay. The Altos team is collaborating with vignerons at three forward-thinking Cahors producers: Bruno and Didier Jouves at Domaine du Prince, Sébastien Sigaud at Metairie Grande du Theron, and Croisille. Antonini and Parra went to work digging soil pits to determine the variations in soil and to identify the best limestone sites. “We went straight for the limestone’” says Erazo. “You can see the cuts in the plateau. It’s all limestone. When we started digging, what we found was amazing. It’s very diverse — some of it is just like in Burgundy, changing every 200 metres.”
The team was convinced: Cahors could get a lot more value for its wines by focusing more on the differing terroirs. The project has embarked on its own special collaborative label. The first vintage (aged in concrete with no oak influence to best express the terroir) was made in 2014. Erazo says that the grapes have such pleasing acidity and the tannin is a bonus; and that the team has been fine-tuning some “nice results.” He also says it’s been exciting to work in some different techniques, from picking by hand to very soft extraction, with much shorter maceration times — and no use of oak. Erazo (who recently spent two months in Cahors) says it was a bit of a challenge. However, “the winemakers there were very receptive, even though we completely changed the winemaking process.” The whole adventure underscores just how much the wine world has evolved in the last relatively short while. 20 years ago such a collaboration would have been highly unlikely, if not blocked by force of tradition. However, the team at Altos Las Hormigas — already well regarded as one of Argentina’s top Malbec producers — were determined to truly explore the origins (and modern possibilities) of the variety. No wonder they wound up in Cahors. Much of the appeal of Cahors’ “black wines” lies in their dark, brooding and sometimes quite tannic personality. The premium wines, often with serious, expensive French oak, are shoo-ins for the hearty game cuisine of the region. The heftier and even more rustic styles cry out for wild mushrooms, chestnuts, garlic, truffles, game dishes and more. The Altos Las Hormigas approach will be to make a more approachable (international) style, yet one which still very much (if not maybe even more) reflects the terroirs that Antonini and Parra have identified. In keeping with what youthful, progressive winemakers like Fabrice Durou have initiated, the collaboration combines the sentiment of tradition with the technical benefits and reality of progress. But most of all, there is at the heart of it, a beautiful irony that transcends oceans, hemispheres and time, of Malbec coming home. ×
THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY by Evan Saviolidis
I just checked another spot off my bucket list — and this one was long overdue. My first encounter with this region was in my very first wine class, back in Montreal, some 20 years ago (yes, I am dating myself ). Because of the French population, it only makes sense that the wines be omni-present in the Quebec market. As for Ontario, we don’t see many renditions, as the LCBO’s thinking and purchasing has long been trained elsewhere — a very sad state of affairs if you ask me. Even more frustrating is the fact that there has been a trio of great red vintages (2009 to 2011) that we haven’t even seen a smidge of! Coupled with insanely low pricing, especially when compared to its more famous neighbour to the north, Bordeaux. I can only be referencing the still silent area of South-West France — the bastion of bargains. As your plane descends upon the region, the first thing you will notice, other than the massive Airbus plant, is the surrounding terrain, which can essentially be described as a Lays potato chip — undulating. The rolling hills start south of Bordeaux and finish at the Pyrenees Mountains/Spanish border. The second thing you notice is this region isn’t only about vines — as opposed to some of the more famous French wine regions. On this massive swath of land, only 16,000 hectare are dedicated to the vinous craft. Other agricultural pursuits include orchard fruit, corn, wheat, duck/foie gras farms, black truffles (Périgord) and Roquefort cheese … to name a few. When looking at the SW wine map, you can roughly divide the styles of wines by location. The areas closest to Bordeaux produce doppelgangers and, for the purpose of this story, are uninteresting. The real jewels in the crown are those to the south, which rely on their indigenous and historic grapes.
GAILLAC AOP
One of the earliest histories of viticulture of ancient Gaul was based in Gaillac. Since the first century AD, Roman traders shipped the wines to the north and east. Archaeological digs confirm this. Post-Romans, viticulture dried up as the region fell under Barbarian rule and wouldn’t return until the arrival of the Benedictine monks in the 10th century. It was the monastic orders, with time on their hands, who documented and developed viticulture and vinification during the Middle Ages, since wine was needed for the sacrament. The strong wines of Gaillac also found favour in jolly old England, much to the chagrin of Bordeaux. Today, all colours of wines and styles are made. Red wines account for 60 percent of production and are made from any combination of Braucol (Fer Savadou), Duras, Prunelard (father of Malbec) and Syrah. It is well documented that they can age upwards of a decade. Rosés are made from the same grape tandem. There are also some Primeur (Nouveau) wines made from Gamay. As whites go, there are dry, sparkling and dessert versions. Mauzac (seven different clones), Len d L’El, Ondenc, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle are the options. It is worth mentioning that the Len de L’El, historically, was used for dry wines, but is now relegated strictly for dessert wine production. 20 years ago the vignerons realized that the grape benefited from the “vent d’autan,” a dry, warm wind in the autumn. This helps to raisin (passerillage) the grapes, in turn producing concentrated dessert wines. These singular stickies must be tasted to be believed. PRODUCERS OF NOTE: Domaine Rotier, Domaine des Terrisses, Château Lecusse, Domaine de Perches FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 31
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01 Alain Brumont from Château Montus; 02 Clos Troteligotte’s Christian Rybinski; 03 Martin and Mathieu Béraut, owners of Domaine de Pellehaut; 04 A distinctive sense of terroir pervades every part of the South West; 05 Winemaker at Château Lecusse, Mogens N. Olesen
CAHORS AOP
Cahors is where you find terroir Malbec, known locally as Côt or Auxerrois. Even though the grape might be synonymous with Argentina, it is in Cahors where its passport was issued, and for my taste, the best renditions. Furthermore, the French versions are dry, not sweet, like many of their South American cousins. Before phylloxera ravaged the vineyards in 1884, there were over 40,000 ha planted, making it one of the biggest vineyards in the world at that time. By the time it received AOC/P status in 1971, only 300 ha remained. Today, the number of plantings has reached 4,300 ha, as investment has returned to the promised land. Ironically, some of the main investors are the Argentineans (see page 28). Why? Limestone and price! The symbiotic relationship between the varietal and soil is undeniable, and the cost of one hectare in Cahors is only $20,000 where in Argentina it is $30,000. In recent years, the region has refined their wines into three distinctive styles as they relate to the location of the plantings and the Lot River. The vineyards closest to the river, with the least amount of slope, tend to be soft and fruity, with prices hovering around the $15 price point. At mid-slope, things start to become interesting. With better exposure, the wines become richer and more powerful, and prices range between $20 and $30. The top of the slopes and plateaus is where you find the most intense and complex wines. Prices easily surpass the $30 mark and the juice is long lived. These latter two categories are, without a doubt, the best. Law has always mandated 70 percent minimum Malbec for basic Cahors AOP wines, with the remainder being Merlot and/ or Tannat. Recently, a new designation, Cahors Malbec AOC was created to recognize wines that are at least 85 percent of the grape, but in practice they usually are 100 percent. This designation applies to the previously mentioned mid and high slope wines. If you are passing through Cahors and don’t have time to visit some wineries, don’t fret. In the heart of the town, you can visit the purple neon tinged Cahors Malbec lounge, which could easily double for a night club after midnight. For a nominal fee, you can enjoy a selection of wines in a relaxed atmosphere. PRODUCERS OF NOTE: Château Lamartine, Château Lagrézette, Château du Cèdre, Clos Troteligotte, Château Eugénie
CÔTES DE GASCOGNE IGP AND BRULHOIS AOP
The largest region in South-West France, it shares the same borders as Armagnac, known for its famed brandy. When spirits sales started to dry up in the 1980s, producers turned their sights to dry table wine production, notably white, which were the majority of plantings. Today, these dry aromatic whites include Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Petit Manseng and Sauvignon Blanc. To preserve the freshness, the law mandates night harvesting, when the acid levels are at their peak. These bargain priced, crisp whites are ideal with shellfish, ceviche, fresh water fish, milder cheeses and chicken dishes. There are also some reds and rosés that do the job. Brulhois is a small appellation of 200 ha that abuts Côtes de Gascogne. There are 35 producers and one rather large co-op, which has seen its greatest success in the Quebec market. AOP production is only red and rosé. When white is made, it falls under the CDG IGP designation — got to love idiosyncratic French wine laws.
Here you find the Abouriou grape, which is high in tannin and low in acid, as well as Tannat, Malbec, Fer Savadou and the three main Bordeaux varietals. PRODUCERS OF NOTE: Château de Cassaigne, Domaine de Joÿ, Domaine de Pellehaut, Domaine de Millet
SAINT-MONT AOP
I am usually sceptical when I find out that a co-op produces an appellation’s entire production. More often than not, the quality is lacklustre. Happily, after tasting the portfolio of Plaimont, I can say that quality is their ethos. Furthermore, they are attuned to their vinous history. They are the caretakers of 150-year-old pre-phylloxera vines and manage a vineyard museum, with 29 old-school varieties, many of which have no name and which are being studied for future propagation. Whites are made from Petit Courbu, Arrufiac, Gros Manseng and Petit Manseng. The first two, which disappeared after phylloxera, found new life in the 1970s under André Dubosc, the legendary South-West producer, who set about resurrecting the wines of Saint-Mont and other neighbouring appellations. Reds are made from a minimum of 80 percent Tannat and Pinenc (Fer Savadou) combined. You may have noticed that there are many different synonyms for Fer Savadou, which is known for its richness and fruitiness. During the Middle Ages, there were two main pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostole and the shrine of St James the Great. Both ran through different parts of South-West France. During this journey many pilgrims discovered Fer Savadou, but with multiple stops, languages and dialects, it was inevitable that many synonyms would arise.
MADIRAN AOP AND PACHERENC DU VIC-BILH AOP
The local grape, Tannat, is renowned for its elevated levels of tannin. Historically, the rule of thumb was that a great Madiran shouldn’t be touched for at least a decade — unless you had masochistic tendencies. Then, in the 1980s, the vignerons realized the importance of working with the vine so as to obtain better ripeness. Part of this awakening included leaving the grapes on the vine as long as possible, taking full advantage of the Foehn, a warm southerly wind that provides warm autumns and a late harvest. These viticultural changes really took hold in the 1990s and today, the wine shows more depth, complexity and rounder tannins, allowing for younger drinkability, if so desired. Possible blending fodder, for softness, includes both Cabs. It is also interesting to note that the majority of the world’s Tannat is divided between Madiran and Uruguay. White wine does also exist, but once again, a singular French wine law comes into play. These wines are labelled as Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh. The two main grapes are Gros Manseng, which is used for dry white production and Petit Manseng, for dessert, due to smaller berries with higher sugar capabilities. Combined with the Foehn, the grapes shrivel up to make some delicious liquid gold. PRODUCERS OF NOTE: Château de Viella, Château Montus, Château Bouscassé, Domaine Berthoumieu, Château du Cèdre, Domaine Laougué. × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 33
LE JARDIN by Michael Pinkus
The Loire Valley, known as the Jardin de la France because of its abundance of vineyards, orchards and fields of fruits and vegetables, is one of those wine regions that doesn’t immediately come to mind. As much as I’d like to tell you it’s one of the most popular regions in France, I can’t … but I would bet you drank a wine from one of its mainstay grapes at least once this summer — and I’ll bet you another guinea or two that it’s from the place that made it even more famous: New Zealand. By now I’m sure you’ve figured it out, the main grape in this region is Sauvignon Blanc; but that’s not the only thing they grow. In fact, the big three are all white (not surprising considering its northern situation). Along with Sauvignon Blanc, you’ll find Chenin Blanc and Melon de Bourgogne also flourishing in these soils as well as some minor red production using Cabernet Franc, Gamay and Pinot Noir. The appellations are almost household names too — or at least, are very familiar to wine lovers. Running east to west, they are Muscadet, Anjou, Saumur, Chinon, Vouvray, Touraine, Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé just to name a small handful … 87 appellations in all. A couple of things you may not know are that the Loire is second (in France) only to Champagne for sparkling wine production. Here they call it Crémant de Loire. The history of winemaking in this region dates back to the first century — that’s a mighty long time to be fermenting grapes continuously. The Crémant designation is given to any sparkling made in the Loire that is made in the traditional method no matter the appellation — while the label of Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France refers to any varietal vinified outside its designated AOC regions’ regulations (e.g. Chardonnay is grown and may be used, but is not a recognized variety of the appellation). The region itself can be divided into three main parts: the Upper Valley, where Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé exist, is Sauvignon Blanc dominated; the Middle Valley, where Chinon and Vouvray are located, have both Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc being pressed; and the Lower Loire is made famous by the Muscadet appellation, where Melon de Bourgogne is king. The Valley has in excess of 185,000 acres of planted vineyards, and because it is in a marginal climate zone for grape growing, has similarities to many northern regions of Canada, such as the struggle to achieve minimum sugar levels. It is able to do this because the Loire River acts in much the same manner as the Great Lakes, providing protection to the regions’ vineyards and keeping the temperature a few degrees warmer than in the surrounding areas. Areas both north and south of the Loire can’t sustain vineyards. But enough about what makes the region able to grow the building blocks of delicious wines. Let’s look at the finished product — from the red and whites to those with bubbles. 34 × @QUENCH_MAG × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
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01 Thibault Roger, the winemaker at Jean-Max Roger; 02 The soil in and around the Loire Valley is varied — from chalk to marl and gravel; 03 Thierry Delaunay from Domaine Joël Delaunay in AOC Touraine
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DOMAINE BELLEVUE TOURAINE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2012 ($13.95) This wine sits in the anti-New Zealand camp of Sauvignon Blanc with sweet grass, grapefruit pulp and some peach nuances to round it all out, but everything here is subtle.
CLOS LES MONTYS VIEILLES VIGNES MUSCADET SEVRE & MAINE SUR LIE 2013 ($14.95) Hay and quince with a touch of mineral backing it all up, pretty smooth across the tongue with a nice lime zest on the finish. Perfect accompaniment for mussels.
PASCAL JOLIVET SANCERRE 2013 ($29.95) Sweet grass and grapefruit dominate this Sancerre with lovely hints of floral that keep swinging in for added depth.
JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE LES CHANTE-ALOUETTES POUILLY-FUMÉ 2013 ($28.95) Nice complexity with mineral taking charge of the herbal and lemon pith; this wine just keeps on giving especially on the long finish; not sure if I’d want to pair it with anything except a sunny afternoon — it’s just that good.
ROGER CHAMPAULT LES PIERRIS SANCERRE ROUGE 2013 ($23.95) Gentle yet inviting on the nose with smoky-raspberry notes. Palate shows beetroot, cranberry and peppery goodness all the way to the finish; comes off as very Pinot-esque.
CLOS LE VIGNEAU VOUVRAY 2012 ($19.95) Pleasant sweet/dry ratio of pear and green apple that combine to make this one of those wines you just wanna keep sipping on.
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DOMAINE DU PETIT MÉTRIS LES TÉTUÈRES COTEAUX DE LAYON-CHAUME 2009 ($38.95) There is a pretty floral note reminiscent of orange blossoms along with apricot and some mango; but what makes this really enjoyable is the sweetness to acid balance.
DOMAINE DE VAUGONDY DRY VOUVRAY 2012 ($16.95) Here you have a wine that has so much in the way of apple qualities you’ll look at the label to make sure it’s really a wine, and not something from your kid’s juicebox, you’ve been poured.
HENRI BOURGEOIS PETIT BOURGEOIS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2012 ($15) Herbal zesty-ness with a real grassy backbone, the mineral undertones elevate both and comes across more lemon pith and seed than pulp.
CHÂTEAU MONCONTOUR TÊTE DE CUVÉE BRUT VOUVRAY ($17.95) There’s a certain amount of praline nuttiness in this bubbly that gives it a fun, toasty sweetness along with apple, orange zest and well-balanced acidity.
DOMAINE CHAUVEAU POUILLY-FUMÉ 2013 ($23.95) Gooseberry, grapefruit and herbal notes take charge on the nose; the herbal backs off the palate helping to round out the pleasant mouthfeel and long finish.
JOËL DELAUNAY SAUVIGNON BLANC TOURAINE 2013 ($14.95) Definite signs of grass in here, but this one leans more heavily on the tropical side of Sauvignon Blanc from the get-go. There’s also a citrus mid-palate and a pith-y finish; these swings make it a wine hard to find boring. ×
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STILL LIFE PORTRAITS OF KINDRED SPIRITS
They are the pioneers. Whether upholding the traditions of centuries old distilling institutions, or carving new spirituous inroads, today’s master distillers are crafting heavenly concoctions in the vapors of the angel’s share. Here are profiles of but a few of the many distillers (and distilleries) that are keeping the industry abuzz. by Tod Stewart
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MASS PRODUCED … BY HAND: THE PATRÓN SPIRITS COMPANY
It may seem incongruous to put the term “handmade” in the same sentence as “over 20 million bottles per year.” Yet The Patrón Spirits Company, maker of the Patrón line of ultra-premium tequilas, can accurately lay claim to both statements. “Everything is done the same way today as we did 25 years ago,” emphasizes Patrón’s regional vice president, Burt Stewart. 25 years ago, in 1989, The Patrón Spirits Company co-owners John Paul DeJoria and Martin Crowley had a vision of raising the quality and profile of tequila above the salt/shot/lime/repeat/ pray-for-a-merciful-death-the-next-day level for which it had become infamous. Enlisting the considerable expertise of Master Distiller Francisco Alcaraz, they came up with a recipe and a production process that spared no expense. You pretty much have to watch the entire procedure play out to understand the amount of labour involved in crafting and packaging the Patrón family. Since the Hacienda de Patrón (the distillery and office complex) is closed to the public, this isn’t something all that many people are able to do. However, the artisanal nature of Patrón tequila begins even before the stills are fired up. It’s a brisk September morning in Jalisco’s Los Altos (Highland) Weber Blue Agave fields in the municipality of Arandas. I’m with Patrón agronomist Miguel Angel, watching the harvest of the piñas — the heart of the agave plant (which is not, as some might suggest, a type of cactus) — as the sun begins to gradually warm me up. Using a coa (essentially a hoe-shaped knife on the end of a long pole), the jimadores shear the leaves and much of
the skin off the plant (more skin than most other tequila producers would insist on, according to Angel). Angel explains that in order to keep a steady supply of top-quality agave available, long-term contracts are negotiated among eight agave-growing families in the Highlands. Once harvested, the piñas are checked for sugar levels using a refractometer (the same gizmo used by grape growers). The ripest specimens are selected and trucked off to the distillery where they are halved, quartered and loaded into traditional stone ovens where they are slowly steamed for 72 hours to convert the plants’ starches to sugars. It was interesting to taste the difference between raw agave (which doesn’t taste like much), the sweet, nutty/vegetal properly cooked sample, and the charred bitterness of an overcooked section. From here, the agave is shredded and the juice extracted. The extraction process for Patrón tequila, once again, follows tradition. The shredded agave is loaded into a circular trough and crushed by a two-ton Tahona wheel. The resulting mix of agave fibre and juice is fermented in large pine vats before distillation. The distillery does use a pair of more modern roller mills to extract a percentage of juice. This is fermented separately, without fibres. Spirit distilled from roller milled agave tastes different than that from Tahona wheel-crushed plants; the former being fruitier, the latter slightly earthier. The traditional Patrón tequilas combine the two for the final product. The new Roca (Spanish for “rock”) Patrón family uses only Tahona-extracted fibre and juice. After the final blending of the distillate, it is sent to the barrel aging cellars in the case of the reposado (rested) or añejo (aged), and to the bottling line for the silver.
John Paul DeJoria from Patrón
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If the whole process sounds like a hell of a lot of work, it is. In fact, some 1,200 locals are employed in the crafting and packaging of the Patrón products. A commitment to the regional economy, its employees, and a massive pledge to the environment keep the Patrón operation both traditional and forward-looking. “Other companies expand by automating,” Angel explains. “At Patrón, rather than automate, we replicate.” This means expanding the number of Tahona wheels from one to 10; increasing the number of cooking ovens and fermenting vats; expanding the composting facilities and hiring more people. The company prides itself in saying that 60 hands touch each bottle of Patrón during creation. And those bottles? Not only are they hand inspected, finished, numbered, labelled and packed, but they’re also made by hand from recycled glass.
makes a living; but the person who turns those potatoes into vodka makes a lot of money.” Thought Rheault: “Why not apply for a Spirits License for Northern Ontario to promote agriculture in an area known largely for lumber? What a perfect way to diversify our economy.” Five years later, the company is producing a range of spirits — including the award-winning Loon Vodka — from a 280-litre German-made still that combines a pot and a 20-plate refracting column while they await delivery of a new 3,000-litre still (and, as one might suspect, the construction of a new room). Besides its unique (and methanol-free) Loon Vodka crafted from an ancient Russian formula, Distillerie Rheault produces fruit liqueurs and Rheault’s Spirit — a “white dog” whisky people can age to their own tastes in an accompanying two-litre micro cask.
“The chances of finding botanists, finding a pot still, finding a guy who’s gonna help me — the chances of all that; you’d say it couldn’t be done … but it happened.” Jim McEwan, production director, Bruichladdich
“GOOD BOOZE GROWS IN ONTARIO”: DISTILLERIE RHEAULT
Sure, the awesome home theatre in your living room may be the envy of the neighbourhood, but Mireille Morin and Marcel Rheault have you beat: they’ve got a still. Which probably makes them way more popular than you with the people next door. “It is truly in our living room, which is 24 by 26 feet,” Morin confirms. “The rest of the equipment — fermentation tank, mash tank and so on — are just below, in the garage.” Now, before you offload your HDTV setup on Kijiji to make way for your very own micro booze kettle, you might want to consider what Morin has to say. “We’re actually the only distillery in a house in Canada … and were told we’d be the last one.” You see, Distillerie Rheault — as the operation is called — is located in Hurst, Ontario, a scenic 13-hour or so drive north of Toronto. As the town falls within the Unorganized South West Cochrane District, Morin and Rheault were able to bypass a lot of by-laws that would typically prevent this sort of entreprenhoochship happening elsewhere in a province not exactly famous for lenient booze laws. Originally bitten by the distilling bug after taking a course at Michigan State University, the pair had previously been growing hydroponic English cucumbers in a commercial greenhouse. At a presentation they were giving along with Agriculture Canada, the duo was given a piece of sage advice by Ron Gerald, director of the horticulture and special crops division. Said Gerald to Rheault: “You know, Marcel, the person who grows potatoes 38 × @QUENCH_MAG × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
THE WHISKY MAKER’S GIN: BRUICHLADDICH
There may be few things you can really count on in the world today, but you can always count on Jim McEwan to weave an engaging yarn. Though his “official” title with Islay’s Bruichladdich distillery is the somewhat dry sounding production director, McEwan is one of the world’s most respected whisky makers. Which is why it was so fascinating to hear him talk passionately about … gin? It’s no secret that barrel-matured spirits can be a pricy proposition. Not only is there something of a worldwide barrel shortage at the moment that is influencing prices (in the upward direction), but spirits tied up in casks don’t make the distiller much money. Like, none. While it would be nice to release current aged stock to market, soaring global demand has severely depleted many a distillery’s reserves. Whisky distillers in particular have tried to fend off the accountants by releasing new, un-aged products (such as “white dog”). McEwan took a different tack, figuring (correctly) that he could craft a top-quality, distinctive, artisanal spirit that didn’t require aging, would inject some cash flow into the distillery, and wouldn’t sully an otherwise stellar distilling reputation. Enter The Botanist, a unique gin that reflects not only McEwan’s distilling talents, but also the flavours of Islay’s native botanicals. It started, according to McEwan, as “a crazy dream.” But the pieces began to fall into place.
“Amazingly, two botanists had come to Islay,” McEwan recalls. “They were staying in Port Ellen — not far away — so I went to see them. They were a husband and wife team [Richard and Mavis Gulliver] … and I explained this crazy dream I had to them.” Out into the field they went, returning with a collection of 30 local botanicals, of which McEwan selected 22. His experience as a blender shone though as he created his blend simply by rubbing the elements together and seeing which worked best. Enlisting a cranky old (circa 1959) Lomond still (affectionately called “Ugly Betty”) and developing a unique infusion box that would allow the heated, pressurized alcohol vapours to extract flavours and aromatics from the botanicals, McEwan finally employed some, how should this be put, “Scottish persuasion,” to convince a British small batch gin distiller to dump some secrets. Long story short, McEwan distilled what many were convinced he couldn’t, but all concede he did: a complex, highly aromatic and beautifully textured artisanal gin.
to this the fact that Gascons are notoriously temperamental and not known to cooperate with each other, and the idea of a unified marketing effort basically goes the way of the angel’s share. Comparisons between cognac and Armagnac are (despite being inevitable) actually pretty pointless. The terroir between the production regions differ; the grape varieties used to make the base wine differ; the distillation and aging regimes, and the type of wood used for maturation differ. They are both French brandies, but that’s about it. Layus-Coustet points out that though the region — and the production of Armagnac — has not really changed that much, technological advancements have allowed for improvements in the base wines that are distilled, which, in turn, result in higher quality products as well as new products. Un-aged Blanche d’Armagnac was granted an AOP in 2007, having attained a (probably rare) consensus among the region’s producers for production and packaging standards. Even the youngest “VS” Armagnacs (which M. de Montal scoffed at in the past) are now less rough and considerably more drinkable. Speaking of M. de Montal (a fellow who has been known to do things the way he wants, when he wants), Layus-Coustet admits, “He can be a bad boy. Just like Armagnac is the bad boy of brandy. But they are both true Gascons: not neutral and flat; rather at once fiery and sophisticated.”
APPLE SAUCE: CALVADOS BOULARD
Montal’s Philippe Layus-Coustet “The chances of finding botanists, finding a pot still, finding a guy who’s gonna help me — the chances of all that; you’d say it couldn’t be done … but it happened.”
THE BAD BOY OF BRANDY: ARMAGNAC DE MONTAL
“The French people export cognac,” says Philippe Layus-Coustet, general manager of the respected firm of Armagnac de Montal “but they drink Armagnac.” Hailing from Gascony, the land of D’Artagnan and Cyrano de Bergerac, Armagnac — much like calvados — is another exceptional French brandy that has historically been lost in the shadow of cognac, though it has been around longer (Armagnac is possibly the oldest brandy distilled in France). The distillation of Armagnac has remained rustic and local, left to the hands of close to 200 regional farmers (who often avail themselves of the services of a travelling, portable still). This ensures consumption stays more or less in country (50 percent goes to the export market in contrast to cognac’s 99 percent). Add
“That’s a bit of a difficult question to answer since I don’t have any samples from 1825 as a comparison,” jokes Vincent Boulard when asked about changes in the style of calvados, France’s inimitable apple-based brandy, since the inception of Calvados Boulard in said year. Five generations later, M. Boulard is at the helm of a distillery that has become the leader in the production of calvados, with 80 percent of its production being exported to markets across the globe. As with Armagnac, calvados has played understudy to cognac’s lead on the French brandy stage. That being said, the distilled cider has gained a high reputation and a loyal following from connoisseurs as well as bartenders worldwide, the former due to its exceptional quality, the latter because of its versatility. Just because it tends to slip under the radar of trend hounds, this doesn’t mean that exciting developments haven’t been afoot within the calvados industry. “My grandfather’s generation focused on the significance of wood aging and its influence on the character of calvados,” Boulard recounts, “and that is for sure a very important aspect. However, I am personally convinced that the present and future of calvados will depend on the importance given to the fruit used to produce it. When you consider how tasty an apple is, and when you consider the hundreds of different varieties of apples available to us, the potential for calvados to develop a greater range of flavours – and especially aromas – is certainly there.” FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 39
PATRÓN
ROCA PATRÓN SILVER ($80) Made from cooked blue agave that has had its juice extracted using a two-ton Tahona wheel, the Roca (“rock”) line is the newest from Patrón. The Silver, bottled at 45% ABV, shows earthy, mildly smoky cooked agave aromas combined with just a dash of white pepper. Clean and balanced on the palate, it boasts rich, pure earthy agave flavours with mild pepper notes wrapped in a dry, elegant package.
ROCA PATRÓN AÑEJO ($90) The Roca Patrón Añejo, (44% ABV) is aged for 14 months in ex-bourbon barrels. It leads off with spicy oak notes combined with some mildly stony/vegetal agave nuances, as well as a touch of caramel, ginger and eucalyptus. Nice complexity in the mouth with spicy oak notes mingling seamlessly with the distinctive cooked agave flavours and a good measure of pepper, baking spice and smoke that trail off into a long, balanced finish.
DISTILLERIE RHEAULT LOON VODKA ($45)
Crafted using an ancient Russian recipe that calls for the use of rye or wheat, quadruple distillation, the addition of milk during the last fermentation and filtration through activated charcoal, Rheault’s award-winning Loon Vodka has two things not typically found in vodka: aroma and flavour. Spring flowers, pear, vanilla and a very unusual pumpkin-like aroma reminiscent of sake. Viscous, slightly spicy with some vanilla and faint herbal/ vegetal nuances and very nice overall balance.
BRUICHLADDICH
THE BOTANIST ISLAY DRY GIN ($50) While his Bruichladdich Islay single malt scotches age patiently, master distiller Jim McEwan satisfies his curiosity (and the accountant’s impatience) with this superlative gin featuring the aromas and flavours of 22 local botanicals. Complex and fragrant with multifaceted aromas of juniper, lemon, cardamom, nutmeg, pine, cedar and cut flowers. Fresh, clean, dry and rich with seamlessly integrated flavours and notes of anise and cinnamon. Hold off on the tonic with this one; savour it neat.
ARMAGNAC DE MONTAL
ARMAGNAC DE MONTAL XO ($89) Aromas of toasted walnut, dried apricot, treacle, earth, leather and prune are all detectable in this complex and aromatic XO. Rich and warm in the mouth with layers of dried fruit, Christmas cake, nutmeg, vanilla, clove and anise on the palate with a comforting, lingering finish.
ARMAGNAC DE MONTAL 1977 ($110) Hints of dried orange peel, cocoa, rancio, vanilla, aged wood and a mild earthiness round out the aromatic profile of this classy brandy from the Bas Armagnac region (generally regarded as the best of the region’s three distinct areas). Rich, smooth and flavourful with hints of dried apricot, toasted hazelnut, vanilla and a touch of prune. Very long and well balanced.
CALVADOS BOULARD
BOULARD CALVADOS PAYS D’AUGE GRANDE SOLAGE ($50) Seductive aromas of apple cider, vanilla and flower blossom with traces of caramel glide into a flavour profile that features nutmeg-infused baked apple, fruitcake, clove and toffee. Perfect for fireside sipping.
BOULARD CALVADOS PAYS D’AUGE XO AUGUSTE ($195) Named in honour of Pierre-Auguste Boulard, the company founder, this is a complex, multifaceted spirit that offers up a bevy of intriguing aromas including rich apple compote, vanilla, caramel, toasted nuts, polished wood and fruity/spicy nuances. Very intense flavours suggesting baked apple, clove, and honey with nutty/woody overtones. Incredibly long on the finish.
MILL STREET BREWERY
MILL STREET BREWERY TANKHOUSE BIERSCHNAPS ($35) Using Mill Street’s flagship Tankhouse Ale as a base (with some additional hops thrown in for good measure), this 45% ABV spirit captures the soul of its mother brew. Up front gingersnap, with pine resin, grapefruit peel and malt aromatics. Powerful and intense in the mouth with recurring ginger/candied dark fruit flavours with suggestions of vanilla and herbs. Dangerously drinkable. Try a chilled shot with a Tankhouse Ale chaser … if you dare. 40 × @QUENCH_MAG × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
Boulard points out that in spite of the numerous varieties, the apples in their orchards (planted in the heart of the calvados production area — the Pays d’Auge appellation) fall into one of four flavour categories: bitter, bitter-sweet, sweet and tart/acidic. The key to great calvados, he says, is finding the ideal blend of these styles. An experimental 80-hectare orchard planted by Boulard’s father for this exact purpose has helped with this task. But experimentation has also extended to the distilling process. “Distilling is largely the art of capturing aromas when you turn a liquid into gas,” Boulard reveals. “And distilling a cider at five percent alcohol requires a different approach than distilling a wine at nine percent alcohol.” Knowing this, Boulard and his distilling team have been investigating the impact of altering both the age of the base cider and length of distilling cycle, as well as the temperature of the still.
The still at Mill Street’s Brewpub
“Traditionally, the cider was left for up to a year before being distilled,” he explains. “But as the cider ages, more unwanted volatile compounds develop. We have found that distilling the cider when it is only two months old – or less – results in more esters and a more aromatic final product.” When it comes to distilling techniques, Boulard’s team has employed gas chromatography to help them determine the point in the distilling process when the maximum concentration of aromatic compounds has been released. Though it sounds pretty high tech, Boulard insists that he has no intention of abandoning tradition. “The Boulard vision of calvados embraces both tradition and modernity,” he confirms, while adding that it’s important to decide which traditional practices are worth preserving and which ones should be abandoned.
Of course, it’s important not to lose sight of why Boulard is undertaking all this work. The end result is to create a spirit that is a pleasure to drink. For maximum enjoyment, Boulard feels that the use of the traditional balloon-shaped brandy “snifter” is one of those traditions that’s best abandoned. “A longer, thinner glass — more like a standard wine tasting glass — will give you the best aromatic profile,” he advises.
THE SPIRIT OF BEER: MILL STREET BREWERY
Helping to establish a successful, highly acclaimed and expanding microbrewery and beer hall might be enough for some people, but not for Mill Street brewmaster Joel Manning. On a “fact finding” mission through Germany, Manning was introduced to a uniquely Teutonic tipple: bierschnaps. A far cry from the gloopy “schnapps” (note spelling) we were at one time inundated with (those of the peppermint, root beer, peach, etc. varieties), bierschnaps are high-octane spirits made from the double distillation of beer (typically brewed to a slightly higher than normal strength for more efficient processing). Manning decided to try his hand at crafting the first ever Canadian bierschnaps and jumped into distilling with both feet, experimenting to perfect the technique, then acquiring a production-level kettle from Germany that combines elements of both a pot and column still. Not only would it be the first such ultra-niche product in the country, it would be the first time since 1990 that Toronto’s Distillery District actually produced potable spirits. Manning had the physical space in his newly constructed Beer Hall, the raw material and the still. What he didn’t have was a stillmaster. Enter Kaitlin Vandenbosch, a young Mill Street employee with the ideal background for the job. “I got hired by Mill Street right out of Heriot-Watt University in Scotland with a degree in brewing and distilling,” Canadian-born Vandenbosch reveals, suggesting that perhaps the Mill Street brass wanted her for her distilling rather than brewing skills, though they didn’t let on about it. In any case, when the opportunity arose to head up the distilling end of things, she had her work cut out for her. But bierschnaps was something of a new frontier … and a new challenge. “There aren’t a lot of examples of bierschnaps in North America, or even in Europe,” she maintains. “By the time I got on board, Mill Street had already experimented with distilling every beer it made using a small lab still, and we determined that ales made a much better base than lagers,” she explains, noting that the higher sulphur content in lagers necessitates a much slower distillation and/or extended barrel aging. Vandenbosch has made four bierschnaps to date, one from Mill Street’s Tankhouse Ale (in a few different versions), Coffee Porter, Frambozen (from raspberry/wheat beer), and Vanilla Porter. “The Tankhouse will be our mainstay,” she suspects. “The rest will probably follow along with our seasonal beers.” The concept of “seasonal spirits” will no doubt add to the uniqueness of Mill Street’s already rather exclusive distillates. With Vandenbosch’s talent and curiosity combined with Mill Street’s penchant for experimentation and innovation, who knows what may bubble out of the team’s cauldron in the future. × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 41
BREAKING GROUND by Rosemary Mantini
THE SOUTH AFRICAN WINE INDUSTRY HAS BEEN ON SOMETHING OF A MISSION OVER THE LAST 21 YEARS.
Beginning in 1994 with the birth of democracy and the rise of a new idea called sustainability ethics, South African winemakers have been showing the rest of the world what it means to tend to the environment, economy and community as a whole, in positive and profitable ways. “As far as we are aware,” reveals Jackie Olivier, global marketing manager of Two Oceans Wines, “South Africa has the only industry-wide initiative of this kind amongst wine-producing nations and it is certainly a significant competitive advantage, helping to build our reputation and credentials.” Most of us judge wine by the joy it can bring to our palates. Certainly Estelle Lourens, winemaker at Uitkyk Wine Estate, encourages us to do that. “For me, it’s important to give people the wine that they want,” she says, “and to love what they’re tasting. It doesn’t have to be the best quality wine or the most expensive, as long as you love the wine that you drink.” Lourens makes it sound so simple. There is, in fact, a whole lot more going on back at the farm.
ECO-SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainable environmental practices are, relatively speaking, the easy part of the sustainability ethics equation. Many South African wineries have abandoned the use of toxic chemical fertilizers or pesticides in favour of natural alternatives. “When we farm,” explains Lourens, “it’s a huge impact on nature. We are really working the land, and have been doing so for many years, and now it’s time for us to really get back to how it was before.” Large-scale agriculture can crowd out native plant and animal species leaving a landscape that is unable to keep itself healthy. Since Uitkyk sits on 600 Ha of farmland, one of the initiatives among other conservation projects that Lourens and her team implemented was to set aside over 300 Ha to encourage the return of the threatened Silver Tree. “Nature makes its own way back. You can see more bird life coming back to the farm in lots of different ways and we’re doing quite a bit to enhance that.” Along with tree plantings, Uitkyk has also created a habitat for owls. These birds of prey offer a side benefit to the farm, too. They keep the rodent population under control! 42 × @QUENCH_MAG × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
I have to admit that apart from perhaps irrigating the vines, I never thought about how much water wineries actually use. According to Olivier, it’s a lot. In a land known for drought, she says, managing water usage is paramount. A staggering supply of wastewater is generated during the crush to wash the grapes and to clean out winemaking equipment. Wineries across the country have addressed this problem head on. Albert Gerber, managing director at Durbanville Hills, tells me that his was one of the first wineries to install its own water treatment system. That lovely beverage we enjoy not only impacts land and water use, but also the air we breathe. A considerable amount of carbon dioxide is released into the environment during fermentation. To counter that, Durbanville Hills has planted “six hectares of olive trees to assist with the conversion of carbon dioxide to oxygen. … The orchards are leased to an olive-farming specialist in the area who produces high-quality extra-virgin oil.”
DURBANVILLE HILLS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013, CAPE TOWN ($12) Pretty pale colour with an enticing bouquet of apricot, peach, tropical fruit, vanilla and an undertone of almonds. Tastes like summer fruit, grilled peaches and green apple with a refreshing citrus finish.
FLAT ROOF MANOR MERLOT 2013, STELLENBOSCH ($12) Grown on the Uitkyk Wine Estate, this wine has aromas of soft summer berries, sandalwood and bell pepper with a hint of tar. On the palate, this merlot tastes of green pepper, ripe black cherries with a touch of barnyard.
TWO OCEANS CABERNET SAUVIGNON/ MERLOT 2013, WESTERN CAPE ($12) Shows a rich bouquet of dark plum, cherry, summer berries and liquorice. On the palate, this wine shines with cherries, spice and beetroot.
ECONOMY
“South Africa had a lot of catching up to do after years of economic isolation,” Olivier admits. “Before re-entering world trade, our industry had a long, hard look at our strengths and weaknesses, and what we needed to do to become a viable competitor in the global market. With growing numbers of consumers around the world wanting assurances that the goods they buy are made according to sustainable principles, this places South Africa in a strong position. Two Oceans itself is the leading sponsor of an eco-cultural annual festival in the seaside town of Hermanus in the Western Cape, [which] has become an important economic stimulus for the town and a major driver of tourism.” The South African wine industry is integral to the country’s economic health. On a local scale, many wineries have become important opportunity incubators through job creation — more than 275,000 jobs, directly and indirectly, are sustained by the industry according to Olivier — and initiatives aimed at directing wealth to local families and the communities in which they live.
working with us for many, many, many years. It’s our responsibility to take care of them and to make sure that they have a future on the farm, [and that they and their children have] opportunities for advancement.” I suspect that rolling out the kind of changes required by a concept like sustainability ethics is no easy task. Lourens confirms it. “[It’s been] definitely positive for us because it shows commitment from both sides — the workers as well as management — to create a system where everybody is really looking out for each other. … Lots was put into this and we need to get the word out. This is important to us. People should really buy into the system when they look for what types of wine to buy.”
Albert Gerber from Durbanville Hills
Flat Roof Manor’s Estelle Lourens
SOCIAL EQUITY
To that end, Durbanville Hills donates 100 percent of the money generated from its olive oil sales, and a percentage of the selling price of each bottle of wine, to its employees via the social arm of the winery called The Durbanville Hills Workers’ Trust. The winery and its community partners have also established a teacher-run daycare on the farm, funded under-resourced community schools and instituted life skills programs for adults. Olivier reports, “we support a broad spectrum of cultural outreach, life skills, youth support and job creation programs.” Lourens neatly sums up the industry’s efforts towards social equity like this: “For everybody, that’s a huge concern because there’s been a lot of bad publicity for a long time about the South African industry. But I think it’s all about our responsibility to take care of the people who are working for us. It’s one of our big efforts. The people who are working for us are knowledgeable about what they are doing because some of those people have been
DRINK WINE AND FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT, TOO
There are a number of ways that we can support wineries in their efforts to make meaningful improvements to the environment and the communities in which they operate. Here is a partial list of accreditations that ethically sustainable wineries have been awarded. Look for them on the bottle. Or, check out the Ethical Trade link on the Wines of South Africa website for more information. ISO 14000: This is an international environmental manage-
ment standard that assists organizations in improving their overall footprint. IPW: The Integrated Production of Wine accreditation requires members to employ environmentally-friendly grape growing, cellar and harvesting methods, as well as proper grape transportation and waste management. WIETA: The Wine Industry Ethical Trade Association provides training, technical assessment and audits to determine members’ compliance. BWI: The Biodiversity and Wine Initiative is a partnership between the wine industry and conservation groups. × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 43
Rogue Rangers words and pictures by Rick VanSickle
EVERY SO OFTEN, WHEN TIME AND DISTANCE PERMIT,
they come together for a board meeting and a few beers in a tiny, crowded Grimsby, Ontario garage, to discuss the business at hand: Fermentation, pH, oak, battonage and the finer points of crafting a homemade wine that they can collectively call their own. Their scavenged array of winemaking equipment shares quarters with hibernating lawn chairs, bikes, long-forgotten pots and pans, discarded children’s toys and lots and lots of empty beer cans. They are friends from various backgrounds — a doctor, a wine and food writer/editor, a winemaker, a marketing specialist, a management consultant and a wine accessories salesman. All lead complicated and busy lives, but as soon as harvest is over in Niagara these Rogue Rangers begin the annual ritual of finding enough grapes to make a single barrel of wine that they will eventually guide through the winemaking process, bottle, label and divide between them. 44 × @QUENCH_MAG × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
It is their pride and joy, a badge of honour, and most importantly, says Stephen Gash, “A good excuse to get together and chew the fat. Camaraderie is what drives it, for sure.” They call their little project the Grimsby Garage Cru and it began like all cool projects do, over a pint or two of good beer. They were sitting around and “someone says ‘it would be fun to make some wine of our own,’” Gash, whose day job is managing director of the Malivoire Wine Company on the Beamsville Bench in Niagara, explains. He says the group wanted to focus on white wines because of the time and attention to detail needed to make red wines. Their first effort was The Grimsby Garage Cru Chardonnay 2011, a bold statement with ripe pear, citrus and a creamy-buttery-spicy profile on the palate from the new, single French oak barrel they bought for the project. The wine was purchased as juice from the Beamsville Bench sub-appellation, then fermented in barrel inside Gash’s garage at his family home in Grimsby and finally transferred to a steel tank for finishing.
Gash watched over the wine with Jay Johnston, winemaker at Flat Rock Cellars, popping by every so often to make sure everything was coming along the way it should. Lab analysis was conducted from samples taken to friends’ wineries. The toughest job is bottling and labelling everything by hand. The whole gang comes together for that. More beer flows. The music is cranked up loud. “We’re not aiming for award-winning wines,” says Gash. “We just want a true expression of the vineyard.” The Grimsby crew took a break in 2012 (“the group needed a reprieve … it’s very stressful, you know,” says Gash) but got back in the game in 2013 with a barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc called the Grimsby Garage Cru Fume Blanc Niagara-Lakeshore 2013, an expressive Sauvignon Blanc with grapefruit, kiwi, herbs, citrus and spicy oak nuances on the finish. For Jamie Drummond, director of programs and editor of Toronto’s Good Food Media, the idea of the Grimsby Garage Cru is “akin to a bunch of Italian guys getting together in the garage and making wine.”
HERE IS A SELECTION OF “ROGUE RANGER” WINES. THEY MAY BE DIFFICULT TO FIND, BUT THEY ARE WORTH CHASING DOWN.
Drummond is the newest member of what he calls Grimsby’s “guerrilla winemakers” and enjoys as much as anything the friendship of six guys in a garage creating something they can call their own. “We all have a love of wine. It’s just an excuse to get together, drink beer, listen to music and make wine.” THE GRIMSBY ROGUE RANGERS CERTAINLY AREN’T THE ONLY BRAVE SOULS TO MAKE WINE OFF THE GRID, CHASING THEIR DREAMS OF THE VINOUS KIND. It has become a passion for
more and more amateur or wannabe winemakers to craft wine from scratch that they themselves like to drink, from grapes they source at trusted vineyards. Take Niagara chef Ryan Crawford. His interest in making wine was piqued while working at the Stone Road Grille, which was a winemakers’ hangout in Niagara-on-the-Lake. “With myself firmly established in wine country I was eager learn more: What is bottle shock? Why does filtering dumb down a wine? What does the wine taste like in different vintages of oak? How do yeasts affect wine? Barrel ferment or not?” He started visiting wineries and asking these questions of key winemakers and eventually helped out around wineries to soak up as much knowledge as he could. Working with Lailey winemaker Derek Barnett, a special block of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Dyck Vineyard was sourced in 2010. With a lot of help from various wineries and winemakers, the Crawford Wine Project was born. Cabernet was first, Pinot Noir “The Duke” 2011 was next and the wines found favour on select restaurant wine lists in Ontario. “Now as I begin to sell the wine, I share with everyone the camaraderie and spirit of the community of Niagara,” says Crawford.
92 KITTEN SWISH PINOT NOIR I’M HERE NOW (WAIT … WHAT WAS THAT?) 2012, RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY, CALIFORNIA ($39) A nose of warm cherry pie, raspberry purée, soft vanilla spice and subtle savoury-earthy notes. It is a complex yet comfortable Pinot on the palate with tangy red berry fruit kissed with anise in a polished, spicy package that’s supple and smooth through the finish. Very different, very fine.
93 KITTEN SWISH MOUTH FLOWERS CABERNET SAUVIGNON STUHLMULLER VINEYARD 2012, ALEXANDER VALLEY, CALIFORNIA ($33) A dark, ruby impression in the glass with an expressive nose of maraschino cherry, blackcurrants, cocoa, violets and baker’s rack of spices. It’s a mouth-filling drop with flavours ranging from blackberry to mature cherry that melts in your mouth. Interesting espresso note melded to a range of spice completes the package. Pure pleasure.
88 GRIMSBY GARAGE CRU FUME BLANC 2013, NIAGARA (NA) Sourced from the Niagara-Lakeshore sub-app but not officially a VQA wine, this oaked Sauvignon Blanc has a spicy nose with grapefruit, kiwi and grassy-herb notes. It has good verve on the palate that lifts the quince, grapefruit, tangerine and oak spice through the finish.
90 NORTH SHORE PROJECT SYRAH ROSE 2013, LAKE ERIE NORTH SHORE ($22) This is a delicious rosé with a gorgeous nose: black cherry, cassis, mature red fruits and a touch of white pepper. It’s made in a bonedry style and shows vibrant, savoury red fruits bolstered by fresh acidity.
88 TERRA LEMNIA MUSCAT OF ALEXANDRIA 2012, GREECE ($23) This is an extremely rare and dry Muscat from Limnos with an aromatic nose of lemon drop, lanolin, oyster shell, citrus and grapefruit that is, oddly, reminiscent of Hunter Valley Semillon. It is quite delicious on the palate with grapefruit and lemon flavours in a perfectly dry style, all bolstered by bright acidity.
91 CRAWFORD WINE PROJECT “THE DUKE” PINOT NOIR 2011, NIAGARA ($24) I love the nose on this non-textbook Pinot with its rustic black cherry, foraged mushrooms, wild field raspberry, forest floor, lifted perfume and light spice notes. The fine and silky tannins are fully integrated with complex earthy-bramble, cran-cherry and wonderful mocha-vanilla flavours. There is a polished feel on the palate but still enough wildness to stand out in a crowd.
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Then there’s Toronto sommelier William Predhomme and partner Jonas Newman, owner and winemaker at Prince Edward County’s Hinterland winery. Together they created the North Shore Project with the goal of making Syrah from sourced grapes grown in Lake Erie North Shore. After a successful launch of their first wine, the North Shore Project Syrah 2012, their second wine was a rosé style Syrah from the 2013 vintage. Predhomme believes that Ontario, and more specifically the Lake Erie North Shore region, is perfect for making cool-climate Syrah in the style more commonly associated with the Northern Rhône, rather than those big jammy examples from Australia. Perhaps not at the Côte-Rôtie or Hermitage level but more in tune with Crozes-Hermitage. Their wines now appear on restaurant wine lists around Ontario. With crop damage to Syrah throughout Ontario in 2014, Predhomme and Newman have turned to Gamay from Niagara for their next project. Newman, who makes some of Ontario’s finest sparkling wines in Prince Edward County at Hinterland, goes far afield for yet another project of his, the Terra Lemnia wines from the Greek island of Limnos. The red grape called Limnio (which means “of Limnos”) is indigenous to the island and was written about in the Iliad by Homer over four thousand years ago. The white grape, called Muscat of Alexandria, has been grown on the island for over a century. The Limnio thrives on the rugged, hard to access terrain on the east side of the island and the Muscat is grown on the west side. Newman has coined the phrase “the Valley of the Muscat”, which is an area around St Demetrios where one can see a rather dramatic valley planted to the Muscat vine. His Terra Lemnia Muscat of Alexandria 2012 (which can be purchased through private order) has an aromatic nose of lemon drop, lanolin, oyster shell, citrus and grapefruit that is, oddly, reminiscent of Hunter Valley Semillon. It is quite delicious on the palate with grapefruit and lemon flavours in a perfectly dry style all bolstered by bright acidity.
TAKING THE “ROGUE RANGER” MONIKER TO A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL IS BRAD ROYALE, A CALGARY SOMMELIER AND WINE DIRECTOR FOR CANADIAN ROCKY MOUNTAIN RESORTS. Royale created the Kitten
Swish brand of wines after a decade of trundling through the world’s vineyards to discover what works best and what would fit into his vision of a brand. He calls himself a “micro négociant” who “finds curious little drops of delicious wine from parts of the world and then puts these drops into mouths.” His focus has been on California, in particular from the Stuhlmuller Vineyard in California’s Alexander Valley, where Royale will go into the barrel cellar and taste, and come up with a blend he’s happy to produce under the Kitten Swish label. The Kitten Swish “Mouth Flowers” Cabernet Sauvignon Stuhlmuller Vineyard 2012 from Alexander Valley is a bold expression with maraschino cherry, blackcurrants, cocoa and violet notes that is mouth-filling and a fine example of Alexander Valley terroir in California. He also currently has a Russian River Valley Pinot Noir on the shelves, mostly through his company’s network of wine shops and restaurants in Calgary, which is sensational. He tweeted me his impression of the wine, as only the colourful and expressive Royale can do: “2012 Kitten Swish Pinot Noir ‘I’m Here Now’; the warm pack of nibs in your pant pocket, juniper, cherry jam on her lips.” You get the sense that this Rogue Ranger is just getting started. With a couple of Zinfandels, a Chardonnay, Cab Sauv and Pinot Noir, under his belt, and a plan to distribute his wines far beyond Alberta, Royale is now looking beyond California for his next Kitten Swish wines. He wants to make Grenache from the Languedoc, Riesling from the Rheingau, and is currently making a Cabernet Franc from the Okanagan Valley’s Laughing Stock vineyards. His ultimate goal is to create a global brand as a full-blown négotiant, not unlike a curator at a fancy museum. “The museum is set up,” says Royale, “I just need to go in and rearrange the art work.” ×
tastes of home by Duncan Holmes
On blustery Monday, November 6, 1882, my great-grandfather, his wife and their four siblings left Glasgow to begin an often-harrowing voyage on the sailing ship Oamaru, which three months later would deposit them in faraway New Zealand. I know about this departure and most everything else that happened along the way, because great-uncle Robert, then just ten and one of the siblings, kept a daily diary. Latitude-longitude, weather, life, death — yes, a baby died during the voyage and was “dropped into the great deep” — it was all there. Carefully recorded in pencil in a little black book, which I still treasure. FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 47
While there were plenty of other details about shipboard life, Robert’s entries, as might be expected of a hungry kid between bouts of seasickness, were mostly about food. While he wrote of the animals and birds on board that were slaughtered and cobbled into meals, about fish, and the occasional albatross, his gastronomic entries were mostly about porridge. That’s right. Day after day after day and nautical mile after mile. About tummy filling, always satisfying porridge. Robert never mentioned whether the porridge or anything else on board was food to be fondly remembered. But I know from family records and my own experience that rolled oats cooked into porridge — albeit these days with brown sugar and cream — remains three generations later a reminder of comfort from faraway Scotland and a journey beyond its shores. It is a staple that has stuck for more than a century. Our memories of why we eat certain foods from far-away places may not involve sailing ships, but many of us have special corners in our palates for tastes from somewhere else and other times. They may come from our childhood roots, or they are foods that we associate with good times and well-remembered happenings along the way. Having re-established ourselves, we either make our own “porridge,” or leave it to aging rellies to duplicate “old country” magic in the kitchens of the new lands. The world has shrunk considerably since sailing-ship days; we tend to move around a lot more than we once did and food roots are more difficult to define. We’ve been introduced to more and more foreign flavours, and we like them. Example? At two or three, my grandson was wolfing down sushi loaded with wasabi, enjoying fiery foods in other lands. Will these become his “porridge” memories? Or will Big Macs and their endless cousins become part of a melting pot of international taste? I talked to three re-established people about all of this. Friend Stephanie Yuen is the maven of Asian food in Vancouver and if you ever have her over for dinner — or for any reason — it’s totally predictable that she will bring along a chicken, the beginnings of a pot of congee comfortably remembered from her native Hong Kong and now a Yuen staple on this side of the Pacific. Steph says congee can be thick or thin, creamy or clear, but made with rice it is always more filling than clear soup. It can be plain, or include vegetables and/or meat. It is easy to digest, often enjoyed by Steph and her family for breakfast, lunch or a latenight snack. More? It’s big for weekend family brunches, paired with home-cooked wok-fried noodles, a variety of other side dishes and dim sum. “Congee is much like mom or grandma’s chicken soup,” says Steph. “It’s cooked for a long time with TLC to become a soothing 48 × @QUENCH_MAG × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
meal substitute when you’re under the weather — for an exhausted stomach or a tired body. It’s also a yummy hang-over food, with a perfect ying-yang-balance. Even more, it has all of the protein and vitamins you need.” Jack Evrensel spawned, nurtured and later sold four of the most successful and best-loved restaurants in Vancouver and Whistler. His Top Table Group included Blue Water Café, Cin Cin, West and in Whistler, Araxi. Excelling with his leadership, they won awards year after year. Jack is Armenian-Canadian, noting that for the last 4,000 years, the “knot” that is Armenia, was the land between the Black, Mediterranean and Caspian seas. With Mount Ararat as the centre, Armenians have been referred to as the children of Noah. While he has access to the best food anywhere, real comfort for him comes with anoush abour, an Armenian pudding that means sweet soup. The dish is traditionally prepared during Christmas and Easter, but can be enjoyed throughout the year. Fellow Quench scribe and wine guy, Tim Pawsey offered a cornucopia of rich memories of food that was all part of family life in his native England. “My dear mum cooked well, but with reluctance,” said Tim, “which explains why she’d happily turn over the kitchen to my dad. His specialty was kippers — eventually banned because they stank up the house. “Unbeknownst to me, he introduced me to foraging in various ways, from early morning forays to spin for fresh mackerel, to more frequent crack-of-dawn mushroom-hunting sorties. We’d walk for miles on the moors to find the freshest mushrooms that had popped up overnight, whip them into a mixed grill of thick rashers of bacon, an abundance of lamb kidneys, fresh pork sausages and garden tomatoes. The kidneys grilled and the rest fried up in one pan — which we joyously consumed and looked forward to as the best meal of the week. “From those pre-cholesterol panic times, it remains etched in my memory as one of the simplest and most satisfying treats — involving a true neighbourhood butcher, and cherished time with my dad.”
oatmeal porridge SERVES 3 TO 4 I don’t know what they did for milk or cream on 19th century sailing ships, and great-uncle Robert made no mention of how he dressed his porridge, but we have access to milk or cream, and it makes a bowl of porridge a mid-winter or anytime great breakfast.
4 cups water 1 cup rolled or steel-cut oats 1/4 tsp salt Brown sugar and cream 1. In a medium saucepan, boil the water. 2. Add the oatmeal, stirring to prevent sticking. Add the salt, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 3. Serve with brown or white sugar and rich milk or cream.
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stephanie yuen’s congee MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR 6
2 1/2-3 lb chicken (Rub inside and out with 1 tbsp sea salt. Do not remove skin.) 1 1/2 cup long grain rice (Add or reduce the amount of rice depending on how thick you like your congee) 3 pieces dried scallops (Available in Asian supermarkets. Rinse and soak in hot water for an hour.) 8 slices skin-on ginger Cold tap water to fill 2/3 of a 12-qt stock pot 1 cup thinly-sliced green onion 1 cup coarsely-chopped cilantro Mixture: 1 tbsp sesame oil and 2 tbsp light soy sauce in a small bowl Salt to taste 1. Place chicken, rice, dried scallops with soak-
ing water, ginger slices and cold water in the stock pot, cover and bring to a boil on high. Remove cover and let it boil for 15 minutes. 2. Reduce heat to medium high and cook semi-covered for 45 minutes to an hour, making sure rice is rolling in the pot. 3. Stir occasionally to prevent from sticking to the bottom. Rice should start to break down and liquid will turn into a thicker and milky-like texture. Reduce to low heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes. 4. Transfer chicken to a dish and let cool for a few minutes. Using two soup spoons; remove skin and debone, discard both. With the spoons; shred chicken meat into thinner strands. Return meat to pot and stir well. You can add more hot water to the pot here if you prefer a less-dense congee. 5. Bring the congee back to a boil on high and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. 6. To serve add 1/2 tsp each of green onion and cilantro into the bowl, ladle in congee and drizzle on sesame oil and soy mixture. Allow to simmer even during serving to keep the congee hot.
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STEAK AND KIDNEY PIE
SERVES 6 I am sure that Tim Pawsey’s dad had no need of a recipe when he filled and cooked his weekend pan of foraged and other goodies. It was simply a gathering of great tastes and textures. Steak and kidney pie was another likely staple in Tim’s Blighty background, as it was in mine. I went through some awful recipes that called for beef kidneys. My choice has always been lamb. And sliced mushrooms.
1 1/2 4 or 5 3 1/2 1/2 2 1
lb top round or steak of your choice lamb kidneys tbsp butter cup chopped onion cup sliced mushrooms cups beef stock cup red wine Flour, salt and pepper
1. Cut steak into 1/2-inch pieces; wash kidneys, remove the membrane, cut in half, core and thinly slice; melt the butter in a pan over medium heat and add the kidneys, onion and mushrooms; cook, stirring for about five minutes. 2. Toss the beef pieces in flour mixed with salt, pepper and other seasonings you may choose. Add the beef to the pan and brown. Add the beef stock and wine. 3. Bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour. Cool, and then transfer to a baking dish and cover with pastry dough, below. 4. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown, in a pre-heated 425˚F oven. For a shiny top, brush with beaten egg.
PASTRY DOUGH
Cut 1 cup lard into 2 cups flour and beat until the mixture has the appearance of corn meal. Mix together an egg, tbsp of vinegar and 2 tbsp cold water. Add to the flour mixture and bring together as dough. Rest for an hour or so in the fridge, then roll. Cover the (cooled) beef mixture and bake as above.
JACK EVRENSEL’S ARMENIAN PUDDING An elegant dessert for four. I’d choose a Port.
1 cup skinless whole grain wheat, soaked overnight 1 1/2 cups dried apricots — they are natives of Armenia — quartered and soaked overnight 1 1/2 cups raisins, soaked overnight 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup pine nuts 1/3 cup walnuts 1/3 cup almonds 1/5 cup pistachios 1. Wash wheat, boil until open. Let it cool down. Boil again, then lower heat and simmer, add warm water as required until grains are tender and water absorbed. 2. Add sugar, raisin, apricots and pine nuts, mix well and continue to cook for approximately half an hour. Remove from heat, pour into glasses or deep dish. 3. While still warm, top with walnuts, almonds and pistachios. Refrigerate. Dust with cinnamon before serving. × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 51
BOUQUET GARNI BY NANCY JOHNSON ...
A TIP OF THE IRISH HAT TO ST PADDY Everybody’s Irish on St Patrick’s Day, including me. AND WHILE I LAY CLAIM TO MOSTLY AN ITALIAN HERITAGE, I AM 1/4 IRISH ON MY MOTHER’S SIDE. My
grandmother’s name was Annie Gildea — faith and begorrah — and isn’t that an Irish moniker. The Gildea name (pronounced Gilday) means “son of the servant of God” and I have to admit, I kind of like the sound of that. Interestingly, John Lennon had Gildeas in his family tree. Born in Omagh, Tyrone, Ireland in 1849 to Charles Gildea, Eliza Jane Gildea married William Henry Stanley in 1868 and was Lennon’s great-grandmother. Although I have never been able to connect the dots, I’ve convinced myself our Gildea branch has roots in the Lennon tree. Or maybe not, but a girl can dream, can’t she? My maternal great-grandmother was a Maher, like the television personality Bill Maher. Again, I have not been able to definitively identify Bill as a family member, but it’s not for lack of trying. While Bill Maher has never invited me to a family dinner, I have to point out that his nose exactly resembles my great-grandmother’s nose. Coincidence? I think not, Mr Maher. According to legend, the Mahers — or O Meaghers — are direct descendants of the King of Munster, a fact that has not been lost on my granddaughter Paige. We are not quite sure who the King of Munster was, where he lived or what exactly made him king, but Paige has kindly asked us all to call her “Princess of Munster.” 52 × @QUENCH_MAG × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
St Patrick lived 1,500 years ago and made his mark on Ireland when he explained the Christian holy trinity with a three-leaf clover. Since then, the anniversary of his death has become a celebration of Irish heritage. Although most advertisers push the luck-of-the-Irish four-leaf clover on us for this holiday, it is the three-leaf clover that truly represents our beloved St Patrick. I celebrate St Paddy’s Day, not just because I’m Irish, but because I really and truly love a good party. And who doesn’t love a girl who loves a good party? Take note, cousins Julian and Sean Lennon, as well as dear cousin Bill Maher — I’m an absolute blast at family reunions!
IRISH COFFEE
Not an Irish import at all, but an invention of San Francisco’s Buena Vista Café on Fisherman’s Wharf. Worthy of a visit to San Francisco, just to taste the real deal.
1 1/2 6 1
oz Irish whiskey oz strong black coffee tsp sugar or 1 sugar cube Sweetened whipped cream
In an Irish glass coffee mug, mix whiskey, coffee and sugar cube. Top with whipped cream.
× Search through a wide range of wine-friendly recipes on quench.me
CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE
SERVES 6 The Irish will tell you this isn’t a traditional dish. More than likely, it became popular with 19th-century immigrants who found plenty of beef in North America. In this recipe, corned beef is simmered for several hours with a medley of vegetables. Because their flavour is cooked out during the long simmer, the vegetables are eventually discarded. The actual vegetables brought to table are simmered in a separate pot for a much shorter period of time. When purchasing corned beef, choose the flat cut over the point cut for best flavour. Use the seasoning packet if desired.
1 corned beef brisket, about 4 lb, with seasoning packet 1 carrot, peeled and chopped 1 onion, peeled and chopped 3 cloves garlic, peeled 1 tsp dried thyme 1 tsp dried parsley 1 bay leaf 5 black peppercorns Seasoning packet (optional) Vegetables 1 small head cabbage, quartered 7 red potatoes, scrubbed 3 carrots, peeled and chopped Salt to taste Butter, for garnish Horsey Sauce 1/4 cup prepared horseradish 1 cup sour cream 1. In a large Dutch oven, place brisket, carrot, onion, garlic, thyme, parsley, bay leaf, peppercorns and corned beef seasoning packet. Cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low for 3 hours or until tender. Remove corned beef from pot and let stand 15 minutes. Discard vegetables and water. 2. Meanwhile, in a smaller pot, cover cabbage, potatoes and carrots with water. Bring to a boil, add salt; cover and simmer about 30 minute or until tender. Drain, dot with butter and serve with corned beef. 3. Make Horsey Sauce: In small bowl, mix horseradish and sour cream. Serve with corned beef and vegetables. MATCH: Serve with a crisp white such as Riesling or Irish Stout.
IRISH STEW
SERVES 6 I enjoyed Irish Stew at the home of my friend Aideen O’Brien, who moved to Toronto from Ireland many years ago. This recipe is about as real as it gets. When adding flour to thicken the stew, be sure to whisk it into the water until it’s completely smooth. Lumpy gravy is a result of a lumpy flour-water mixture. Keep it smooth.
1/3 2 3 2 2 4 4 4 1 1 1 1 1/2
cup plus 1 tbsp all-purpose flour, divided lb lamb stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes tbsp canola oil, divided medium onions, chopped garlic cloves, minced cups beef broth large red potatoes, peeled and cubed medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces cup frozen peas tsp Worcestershire sauce tsp dried thyme tsp salt tsp pepper
1. Place 1/3 cup flour in a large plastic bag. Add lamb, a few pieces at a time; shake to coat. 2. In a Dutch oven, brown lamb in batches in 2 tbsp oil. Remove and set aside. In the same pan, sauté onions in remaining oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. 3. Add broth, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Return lamb to the pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour or until meat is tender. 4. Add potatoes and carrots; cover and cook for about 45 minutes or until veggies are tender. Stir in peas, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook 10 minutes longer or until peas are cooked through. Combine remaining flour with water until smooth; stir into stew. Bring to a boil and cook until bubbly. MATCH: A Sauvignon Blanc is a nice accompaniment. × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 53
NOTED ... 91 COLOMÉ TANNAT LOTE ESPECIAL 2013, SALTA, ARGENTINA ($32)
91 WOLF BLASS GOLD LABEL RIESLING 2011, ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA ($21.99)
Dark and bold. Loads of ripe dark blackberry, black plum and currant with a great juicy quality; muscular but far-from-overwhelming tannins and a bright freshness to the long finish. Argentine wineries are doing themselves a great disservice by not exporting more Tannat. Such a great variety, and a great alternative to Malbec for those who want a broader perspective of what this versatile country is capable. (GB)
Beautifully fresh and elegant with lively bubbles, hints of acacia blossom and a purity of apple, peach and pearfruit flavours; just the right amount of soft acidity on the delicious, slightly nutty finish to keep it vibrant and fresh. Consistently excellent vintage after vintage and perhaps the finest Prosecco produced. (GB)
Expansively aromatic lime citrus, floral and petrol notes. Lime and mineral kick in strongly in the mouth, backed by very brisk acidity and lingering citrus fruit sensations on the finish. Impressive varietal character and value! (SW)
93 TAWSE RIESLING ICEWINE 2013, NIAGARA ($35/200 ML)
This is one of the best Icewines I have tried in a long time. The beauty lies in the balance of this sweet wine, not an easy feat with super-sweet Icewines. It shows incredible intensity on the nose with sweet tropical fruit, mango, papaya and candied citrus. There is freshness on the palate and depth of fruit in the peach, tropical notes and electrifying lemon and tangerine. All that sweetness is made fresh by wonderful balancing acidity. (RV)
92 RUGGERI GIUSTINO B PROSECCO 2013, VENETO, ITALY ($39.99)
88 MT BOUCHERIE SUMMIT RESERVE BLAUFRÄNKISCH 2010, OKANAGAN ($25)
An acclaimed Austrian varietal (aka Lemberger). Wild berry aromas with smokedmeat notes. Fresh, lively and refreshing, with flavours of blueberry, cherry, raspberry and sweet plum. Well-balanced tannins. Gains complexity with aeration. A match for falafel, hummus and/or feta cheese. (HH)
87 BRUMONT GROS MANSENG/ SAUVIGNON 2013, CÔTES DE GASCOGNE, SOUTHWEST, FRANCE ($13)
CAMERON’S BREWING RPA (RYE PALE ALE), ONTARIO ($12.95/6-PACK) This pale ale made with rye pours a cloudy amber with a rose-blush undertone and is topped by a big, off-white fluffy head of foam that lasts to the final sip. An intense, focused aroma combines fresh grapefruit, pine and pineapple. The tongue tingles with a fresh, juicy mango, pink grapefruit and pineapple. A hint of caraway bread intermingles in a fresh, bold symphony of flavour on a full, creamy and bubbly body. Firm bitterness and hop flavours build into a long, clean finish. (CL)
Pale yellow. Floral, citrus and grassy notes combine in a fully fresh nose. Light on the palate but very tasty, it satisfies the palate and cleanses it with its vivid acidity and residual CO2. Drink now with salads or white fish. For more on the Southwest region of France turn to page 31. (GBQc) 54 × @QUENCH_MAG × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
× Find a collection of tasting notes for wine, beer and spirits at quench.me/notes/
Each wine is judged on its own merits, in its respective category. Our scores are based on the wine's quality as well as price point. Readers should assess these, and all wines, using the same criteria. Carefully study the commentaries to get an idea of whether the wine might appeal to your taste. The prices listed are suggested retail prices and may vary from province to province. Since a large number of these wines can be purchased across Canada, check with your local liquor board or private wine store for availability.
Our tasters are Tony Aspler, Gurvinder Bhatia, Tod Stewart, Evan Saviolidis, Rick VanSickle, Ron Liteplo, Harry Hertscheg, Sean Wood, Gilles Bois, Crystal Luxmore and Jonathan Smithe. QUENCH USES THE 100-POINT SCALE 95-100 = Exceptional 90-94 = Excellent 85-89 = Very good
80-84 = Good 75-79 = Acceptable 70 & under = Below average *Available through wine clubs
SPARKLING
This is an electric sparkling wine that shows youthful exuberance with a tight, energetic mousse. Can age for 5 or more years. Gorgeous. (RV)
94 BENJAMIN BRIDGE BRUT RESERVE 2008, GASPEREAU VALLEY, NOVA SCOTIA ($74.50)
90 PETER WEBER ROSÉ BRUT NV, CRÉMANT D’ALSACE AC, FRANCE ($15.67)
Made from 100% estate-grown fruit, this outstanding fizz spent 5 years on the lees. Subtle scents of berry-fruit and brioche on the nose transition to green apple notes in the mouth, with citrus and berry kicking in on mid-palate. Layered flavours are backed by elegantly creamy texture with good weight and signature incisive acidity. A little more approachable than the benchmark 2004, this may be Benjamin Bridge’s best yet. (SW)
93 PERRIER-JOUËT CUVÉE BELLE ÉPOQUE BRUT CHAMPAGNE 2006, CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE ($189.95) This is a Champagne I’d like to drink for the rest of my life. Pale straw in colour with a mature, toasty nose of apples and baked bread. Elegant, beautifully balanced with great length. Seamless and exciting. Simply a joy to drink. (TA)
92 HENRY OF PELHAM CUVÉE CATHARINE ESTATE BLANC DE BLANC CARTE BLANCHE 2009, NIAGARA ($45)
The nose shows lemon, toast, brioche, minerals, green apple and baked bread all wrapped up in myriad citrus notes. It lights up the palate with zesty lemon zing, baked apple and quince with a crisp and laser-sharp beam of acidity.
Made by the method traditionelle, it exhibits a medium-deep tangerine colour with a vigorous mousse. Aromas of apple and cantaloupe with a hint of sweet caramel. Sophisticated and yeasty with flavours of mango, banana and lemon leading to a long finish. Drink up. (RL)*
92 CIROTTO ASOLO PROSECCO SUPERIORE DOCG 2013, ITALY ($19) Pale silvery-yellow with a vigorous mousse. Clean medium-intensity nose of red apple, peach and pastry dough. Light-bodied and just off-dry with a good balance of sweetness and acidity. Flavours of peaches and apricots with a slight bitterness on a surprisingly long finish. Drink now. (RL)*
90 PIPER–HEIDSIECK CHAMPAGNE BRUT NV, CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE ($55) It has been a long time since I tasted a non-vintage Piper this good. Toast, caramel, citrus and apple weave through a creamy texture, fresh acidity and long finish. Oysters on the half shell, anyone? (ES)
88 ZONIN PROSECCO BRUT, VENETO, ITALY ($14.95) I was particularly taken with this Prosecco Brut, which is great value for the price. It’s soft and creamy on the palate
with melon and pear flavours. Very easy drinking. A wine to serve before a meal or at party celebrations. (TA)
88 PALATINE HILLS PRESTIGE NV, NIAGARA LAKESHORE ($22.95)
Even though the label says it is non-vintage, the majority of the base wine for this bubbly came from the cool 2009 vintage, which was perfect for sparkling wine production. Made from 100% Chardonnay, it spent 30 months on the lees, imbuing the wine with yeast, brioche, cream, peach, anise and apple qualities. The palate shows fine mousse, fresh acidity and very good length. (ES)
WHITE ARGENTINA 86 FINCA LAS MORAS CHARDONNAY 2014 ($9.99) Lemon citrus and fresh floral scents expand on the palate with citrus, green apple and light buttery flavours and refreshingly clean acidity. Medium weight and well-balanced, this is a first-rate value for everyday drinking. (SW)
AUSTRALIA 88 BECKETT’S FLAT FIVE STONES SAUVIGNON BLANC/SÉMILLON 2013, MARGARET RIVER ($19) From the cool Margaret River comes
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 55
NOTED ... this kosher and vegan-friendly wine. This blend shows a personality of peach, honey, apple, lime, cream, herbs and minerals. The palate is mid-weight with very good length and a slight sweet edge. Put a good chill to it before serving. Enjoy with pea and pesto linguine. (ES)
88 MT BOUCHERIE RIESLING 2012, SIMILKAMEEN VALLEY ($16)
AUSTRIA
Fragrant with honeysuckle, ginger and key-lime-pie aromas. Mouthwatering acidity balances off-dry sweetness up front, while turning drier on the orange-peel-laden finish. Bursts with tangy flavours of green apple, apple cider and spicy quince. Serve with tuna tataki. (HH)
88 ZANTHO GRÜNER VELTLINER 2013, BURGENLAND ($18)
88 TINHORN CREEK PINOT GRIS 2013, OKANAGAN ($22.99)
A fresh style of Grüner with a nose of melon, peach, ginger and bright-apple notes. It’s crisp and lively on the palate with grapefruit, melon and peach all lifted by racy acidity. (RV)
87 ZANTHO SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013, BURGENLAND ($18)
A fresh and airy nose of tropical fruit, grapefruit and lime. It’s pure on the palate with lime zest, citrus and grapefruit flavours that travel on a firm acidic backbone through the finish. (RV)
CANADA 89 MT BOUCHERIE SÉMILLON 2011, OKANAGAN ($15.50)
This unoaked Sem delivers fresh scents of lemon, lanolin and beeswax with herbal notes. Citrusy acidity sets up a round, textured palate with flavours of green apple and lingering quince. Finishes with lemon oil and honeysuckle. Sémillon’s slightly oily texture makes it a good match with sablefish. (HH)
89 PALATINE HILLS NEUFELD VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013, NIAGARA LAKESHORE ($18)
This is a superb barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc from the lakeshore. Huge fruit salad, honey, passion fruit, guava, pink grapefruit, cream, spice and mineral weave around a core of refreshing acidity. Fine depth and excellent length make for an ideal partner with a halibut filet or even a grilled rosemary-scented veal chop. (ES) 56 × @QUENCH_MAG × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
Nice round texture with fresh aromas and flavours of citrus, passion fruit and mango; mouth-filling and bright on the juicy finish. Great match with grilled halibut and fruit salsa, shellfish or any white meat. (GB)
87 QUAILS’ GATE CHARDONNAY 2013, OKANAGAN ($20)
Reflects its 50/50 treatment of barrel and tank fermentation. Expect enticing aromas and flavours of baked apple, poached pear and lemon tart. Sleek acidity, lively mouthfeel, medium body and well balanced, with white peach and vanilla on the finish. Pairs well with lemon-stuffed roast chicken. (HH)
CHILE 90 FAMILIA GARCES SILVA BOYA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013, LEYDA VALLEY ($14.95)
I am a big fan of the crisp, flavourful Sauvignons of Chile’s Leyda Valley. Pale straw in colour with a grassy, gooseberry and elderberry nose, this medium-bodied wine is crisply dry and remarkably elegant with mouth-watering acidity. A great match with smoked salmon or ceviche. (TA)
89 MONTGRAS AMARAL SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014, LEYDA VALLEY ($13.85)
Hernan Gras used to make wines for the Brights Winery in Niagara before he left for his native Chile to start up his own operation in 1993. Very pale lime colour,
the wine has a mineral, grassy, green fig and grapefruit nose; it’s medium-bodied, with a crisply dry grapefruit flavour and a final flourish of elderberry. (TA)
88 CONO SUR BICICLETA VIOGNIER 2014 ($9.95)
Consistently one of the best-value whites at the LCBO. The current 2014 vintage is light straw in colour with a nose of honeysuckle and white peach, flavours that are replicated on the palate. It’s medium-bodied and dry on the finish. At this price, you can’t go wrong. (TA)
86 CARMEN RESERVA CHARDONNAY 2014, CASABLANCA VALLEY ($14)
Pale yellow. Sharp nose; aromatic with citrus and lanolin notes, slightly grassy. Lively attack, refreshing but fat texture in the mid-palate; warm, lasting finish. Expressive and generous but not especially elegant. (GBQc)
FRANCE 90 PIERRE SPARR GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2012, ALSACE ($16.95)
This is the wine for Gewürz lovers on a budget. Golden straw colour. Spicy, lychee nose. Elegant rose petal, mango and lychee flavours; lovely rich mouthfeel, good length. Great value. (TA)
90 JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE LES CHANTE-ALOUETTES POUILLY-FUMÉ 2013, LOIRE ($29)
A floral nose with citrus, tangerine, lemon-lime and minerals. The Sauvignon Blanc fruit is rich and ripe on the palate with lemon, gooseberry, grapefruit, jasmine and an interesting finish. (RV)
90 DOMAINE HAMELIN CHABLIS 1ER CRU BEAUROY 2011 ($30)
This domaine was started in 1840s by the Hamelin family, so there’s a lot of history on its side. The grapes for the Beauroy were planted in 1980, and the 2011 vintage offers up a pure and gentle Chablis with white flowers, grapefruit,
lemon, crushed oyster shells and soft ocean-breeze aromas. The palate reveals a vein of chalky minerality, apple skin, lemon and a profound interplay of minerality and acidity that brings a sense of harmony to the wine. (RV)
89 DOMAINE LA HAUTE FÉVRIE MUSCADET SÈVRE-&-MAINE 2013, LOIRE ($13.95)
Muscadet from the Loire Valley is a very versatile food wine, and it’s great value compared with the neighbouring Sauvignon Blanc of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. Pale straw in colour with a nose of grapefruit rind and green apple, it opens on the palate to flavours of green pear and almond. It’s medium-bodied, fresh and lively. (TA)
89 DOMAINE DU TREMBLAY JEAN TATIN 2012, QUINCY, LOIRE VALLEY ($21)
Very pale. Grassy nose with citrus notes, typical of Sauvignon Blanc; distinctive. Sharp attack, nice freshness. Light body, but the intense flavour fills the mouth. Ready to drink on its own or with seafood or light cheeses. (GBQc)
89 JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE LES CAILLOTTES SANCERRE 2012, LOIRE ($26)
Just a lovely Sauvignon Blanc with a nose of guava, grapefruit, herbs, minerals and subtle grassy notes. Wonderful freshness on the palate with citrus-herb overtones, an earthy-mineral feel and a tangy, zesty finish. Great with spaghetti alla puttanesca. The capers will allow the wine to pop. (RV)
89 A & P DE VILLAINE LES CLOUS AIMÉ 2012, CÔTE CHALONNAISE, BURGUNDY ($35)
Straw yellow. Apple-pear, lanolin, wet stones: a nice combination. Balanced acidity in the soft and flavourful mid-palate, slightly tartaric (you feel it on your teeth). The round finish has good weight and length. Drink now or wait a couple of years for more complexity. (GBQc)
88 BOUCHARD PÈRE ET FILS MÂCON-LUGNY SAINT-PIERRE 2012, BURGUNDY ($16.50)
A good introduction to white Burgundy at an affordable price. Medium straw colour; fresh bouquet of apples and green pineapple; well-balanced, medium-bodied, dry and versatile. (TA)
88 JEAN-PAUL BRUN TERRES DORÉES CHARDONNAY CLASSIC 2012, BEAUJOLAIS ($25)
Juicy and floral. Pear and peach flavours, hints of almond and hazelnut, and a great mineral quality that lifts the finish and keeps the wine bright. Versatile food wine and great as an apéritif or with seafood and white meats. (GB)
87 FAMILLE BOUGRIER 2013, MUSCADET SÈVRE & MAINE AC ($13.99) This well-made, unpretentious Muscadet shows lively green apple with a trace of pear and light floral note on the nose. Very crisp green fruit and stony mineral on the palate, finishing almost bone dry. An ideal match for oysters on the half shell. (SW)
87 JEAN PERRIER ET FILS CUVÉE GASTRONOMIE 2012, SAVOIE ABYMES ($17)
Very pale. White fruit (peach, pear) with hints of apricot and chalk. Delicate acidity, nice volume, clean taste and short finish. This 100% Jacquère, a grape only found in the Savoie region of France, will pair perfectly with seafood or white fish. (GBQc)
ITALY 89 E VON KELLER SÜDTIROL CHARDONNAY 2010, ALTO ADIGE DOC ($13.17)
Clear, medium-deep lemon-peel yellow. Light nose of tangerine over banana. Shows its Italian heritage. Full-bodied, classy and austere with mouth-watering acidity, tasting of ripe apple with lemony accents. This is a food wine — try it with roast turkey breast or Cornish hen. Drink up. (RL)*
89 BORGO MAGREDO PINOT GRIGIO 2013, FRIULI ($28)
Fresh, delicate and bright aromas of dried pineapple, pear and honey with a full-bodied palate, complex mineral, apple and mango flavours followed by a lingering and lively finish. Definitely stands out amongst the many insipid Grigios on the market and will make you rediscover how good Italian Pinot Grigio can be. (GB)
88 TENUTA S ANNA GOCCIA CHARDONNAY 2012, VENETO ($22) Bright and balanced with aromas and flavours of apple and citrus. A slight nuttiness, round texture and a nice touch of acidity on the finish to keep it fresh. Enough structure to pair with baked pork, but approachable enough to drink on its own. (GB)
87 FRESCOBALDI PIAN DI REMOLE 2013, IGT TOSCANA ($17)
Very pale. Notes of white (apple) and tropical (pineapple) fruit. Good presence, round and fatty texture, moderate acidity; it goes down easy. Welcome lifted finish. The often-bland Trebbiano grape benefits from the addition of 50% Vermentino. Drink now. (GBQc)
87 TERREDORA DI PAOLO LOGGIA DELLA SERRA 2012, GRECO DI TUFO, CAMPANIA ($21) Pale yellow. Candied lemon, pear, apricot and a mineral edge. The lively acidity is enhanced by a trace of residual carbonic gas. Its fatty and thick texture lubricates the palate; nice fruity taste and bitter lifted finish. Drink now. (GBQc)
NEW ZEALAND 88 JACK’S CANYON SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013, WAIPARA ($19.99)
Ripe gooseberry scents backed by fresh grassy herbal and mineral aromatics lead the way for crisp lean green fruit and grippy mineral on the palate. Less exuberant than the average Kiwi Sauvignon, this one is more akin to Old World styles. Excellent pairing for fresh seafood. (SW) FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 57
NOTED ... SOUTH AFRICA 87 FLEUR DU CAP CHARDONNAY 2013, STELLENBOSCH ($14.99) Well-balanced New World Chardonnay with citrus, tropical fruit a light touch of butter, refreshing acidity and a crisp, clean finish. (SW)
UNITED STATES 90 PLUME CHARDONNAY 2012, NAPA VALLEY ($30)
It’s quite fresh and vibrant on the nose with citrus, peach, tropical fruit, light toast, spice and a ripple of minerality. It’s generous on the palate with creamy peach, pear, toasted vanilla spice and a nice, crisp vein of citrus to keep it all balanced and refreshing. Well done at this price. (RV)
87 STERLING VINTNER’S RESERVE COLLECTION CHARDONNAY 2013, CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COAST ($13) Lemon citrus with toasty buttery vanilla notes on the nose move to juicy ripe citrus and green apple in the mouth, backed up by brisk acidity and agreeable buttery spiciness on the finish. (SW)
ROSÉ 88 BENJAMIN BRIDGE CABERNET FRANC ROSÉ 2013, NOVA SCOTIA ($22.95)
Partridge-eye colour in the glass, with scents of red cherry and hints of strawberry. Cherry and cranberry flavours more dominant on the palate. Great mineral grip, subtle leesy, creamy character, finishing with a light touch of residual sweetness. (SW)
87 AVONDALE SKY LADY SLIPPER ROSÉ 2013, NOVA SCOTIA ($17)
Shows cherry and cranberry scents with dry red cherry and raspberry flavours in the mouth, accented with a pinch of spice and finishing very dry. This is rosé that needs to be paired with food. (SW) 58 × @QUENCH_MAG × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
RED ARGENTINA 88 TRAPICHE EXTRAVAGANZA RED BLEND 2013 ($18) A blend of Malbec, Bonarda and Syrah that shows earthy-spicy red fruits with added bramble, toast, vanilla and violets on the nose. It has good tannic structure on the palate, cherry-raspberry fruit, cinnamon and nutmeg spice, and good acid lift on the finish. (RV)
87 TRAPICHE PURE MALBEC 2013, MENDOZA ($16) Pure, in this case, means 100% unoaked Malbec fruit grown from select vineyards in the Uco Valley. The nose shows plums, juicy wild berries and raspberry. This is a simple wine that delivers honest pleasure with flavours of liquorice, plums, savoury cherry-raspberry, all delivered on a vibrant finish. (RV)
mouth supported by solid structure, good weight and excellent balance. Fruit, oak and fine spice round out the long, harmonious finish. (SW)
89 WOLF BLASS GOLD LABEL PINOT NOIR 2012, ADELAIDE HILLS, SOUTH AUSTRALIA ($22.99)
Attractive, warmly ripe scents of cherry, vanilla, cinnamon and a trace of oak. Varietal bright cherry flavour on the palate is supported by lightly firm tannic grip, balanced acidity and deftly integrated fruit, spice, discreet oak and a light splash of chocolate on the finish. (SW)
89 WOLF BLASS GOLD LABEL SHIRAZ 2012, BAROSSA VALLEY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA ($23.99)
Deeply scented raspberry and blackberry fruit accented by cinnamon, clove and a touch of pencil-box oak on the nose, with richly concentrated and textured dark berry-fruit, a trace of minty eucalyptus, dark chocolate and solid tannic grip. (SW)
AUSTRALIA
AUSTRIA
91 WYNNS COONAWARRA ESTATE BLACK LABEL CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010, COONAWARRA ($27.95)
89 ZANTHO ZWEIGELT 2012, BURGENLAND ($18)
This wine is a recent addition to the Vintages Essential program at the LCBO. Polished and dense, Coonawarra’s hallmarks of eucalyptus/menthol and cassis mesh with violets, graphite, dark cocoa, smoke and raspberry. Hold until 2016 and then drink until 2024. I also had the opportunity to try the 2012, and it is right on par with the 2010! (ES)
90 WOLF BLASS GOLD LABEL CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012, COONAWARRA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA ($23.99)
This fine Cabernet Sauvignon reveals classic Coonawarra terroir with refined cassis, cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus and subtle oak on the nose. Blackcurrant and blackberry come to the fore in the
This all-but-forgotten varietal finds a good home in the vineyards of Austria. The nose shows plums, smoky-savoury notes, anise, liquorice, campfire smoke and spice. It’s lively on the palate with meaty dark fruit, spice and lovely texture through the finish. (RV)
BULGARIA 87 LOVICO GAMZA 2011, DANUBIAN PLAIN ($13)
Opens with an earthy nose of herbs, red berries and cedar that continues on the front palate. It’s medium-bodied, balanced and quite rustic. Ripe red fruit on the mid-palate, with lingering tobacco and cedar. Excellent value, food-friendly and something out of the ordinary. (HH)
CANADA 90 JOIEFARM PTG 2012, OKANAGAN ($24)
A “passe-tout-grains” blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir, exuding both the fruity and the savoury. Fragrant aromas of raspberry with hints of fresh sage. Bright flavours of red cherry, black plum, cola and that hint of sage. Finishes with savoury meat, liquorice and white pepper. A go-to wine for grilled sausages. (HH)
89 JOIEFARM GAMAY 2012, OKANAGAN ($24)
Pleasing aromas of floral, plum and white pepper become more complex and meaty as the wine opens. Bright acidity balances lithe tannins, while rich flavours of brambly fruit and earthy cardamom delight. Finishes with food-friendly meaty savouriness. Very tasty with pulled pork sliders. (HH)
89 HENRY OF PELHAM BACO NOIR RESERVE 2012, ONTARIO ($24.95) For my taste, this is the best Baco in Ontario. Full-bodied, it has copious amounts of jammy dark fruit, supported by smoke and cocoa notes from new barrel aging. Fresh acidity and a slight sweetness round out the texture. There is solid length and 5 to 6 years of life ahead. (ES)
89 PALATINE HILLS NEUFELD VINEYARD MERLOT 2012, NIAGARA LAKESHORE ($25) Winemaker Jeff Innes has really upped the quality of the wines since his arrival at Palatine. Case in point, this Merlot that absolutely flatters with huge plum, dark cherry, cola, spice and vanilla. It is ripe with good depth, a round texture and enough tannins to allow 5 years of aging. (ES)
89 TINHORN CREEK CABERNET FRANC 2012, OKANAGAN ($26)
Supple, refined and elegant style showing dark plum, cherry and spice, fresh herbs, velvety, well-integrated tannins and a silky finish. A nice match with grilled chops. (GB)
89 TINHORN CREEK OLDFIELD SERIES MERLOT 2010, OKANAGAN ($32)
Dark, round, supple and velvety with a plush mouthful of dark plum and currant. Hints of roasted meat and pepper. Finishing with elegance, focus and length. (GB)
88 FLAT ROCK PINOT NOIR 2012, NIAGARA PENINSULA ($19.95)
Jay Johnston, the winemaker at Flat Rock Cellars in Niagara, has a way with Pinot Noir. His 2012 Pinot is ruby-coloured with an earthy, raspberry nose and a light note of violets. It’s medium-bodied, dry with raspberry and cherry flavours; nicely balanced and light on the palate. Great with duck breast or lamb cutlets. (TA)
88 QUAILS’ GATE MERLOT 2012, OKANAGAN ($25)
Aged 18 months in French and American oak with 5% each of Cab Sauv and Syrah. Delightful scents of red fruits and dried herbs. Bright acidity, firm tannins and flavours of cassis and black cherry. Finishes dry and savoury with dark chocolate and smoky cigar notes. Serve with braised meats and potatoes. (HH)
88 PALATINE HILLS NEUFELD VINEYARD MERITAGE 2012, NIAGARA LAKESHORE ($30)
Slightly tight at this early stage, Palatine’s Meritage might even turn out to be better than their Merlot. Cassis, earth, vanilla, cherry, roasted red pepper, oregano and red/dark flowers reveal themselves. The tannins still need to resolve themselves, so hold until 2016 and then drink with a nice rare duck tenderloin until 2022. (ES)
87 MT BOUCHERIE FAMILY RESERVE GAMAY NOIR 2012, SIMILKAMEEN VALLEY ($20)
Appealing herbal, red cherry and mocha aromas. Flavours of redcurrant, raspberry pie, rhubarb and some meaty savouriness. Vibrant acidity balances soft, dry tannins. Vanilla and a crack of black pepper linger
long on the finish. A versatile match from burritos to burgers to beet salads. (HH)
86 MT BOUCHERIE SUMMIT RESERVE ZWEIGELT 2010, OKANAGAN ($17)
Scents of wild berries, forest underbrush and strawberry-rhubarb pie. Sour cherry acidity and lighter body still deliver intense flavours of cranberry, raspberry and black plum. Unoaked, so the tannins are light and bright. This red stands up well to tomato-sauced dishes. (HH)
CHILE 89 CONCHA Y TORO WINEMAKER’S LOT 148 CARMÉNÈRE 2012, RAPEL VALLEY ($18.95)
This is a solid Carménère, which features cassis, blackberry, black cherry, violets, anise, mint, roasted herbs and chocolate. It’s medium-plus bodied with an attack of rich fruit that leads to some dry tannins on the finale. Drink over the next 3 years. (ES)
89 BODEGA VOLCANES DE CHILE TECTONICA RED 2011 ($19.95)
I was in Chile for the 1985 earthquake, 8 on the Richter scale, so this recommendation is an earth-moving one for me. A blend of Grenache, Petite Sirah and Mourvèdre. Dense purple in colour, it offers a nose of blackcurrant and vanilla. It’s a beautifully made wine, elegant, fresh and juicy with spicy black fruit flavours. Break out the BBQ ribs. (TA)
87 CONCHA Y TORO CASILLERO DEL DIABLO RESERVA CARMÉNÈRE 2012, RAPEL VALLEY ($12.95)
For its price point, this Carménère really over-delivers. Cassis, violets, raspberry, cocoa and the telltale spice/ herbal note of the varietal are built on a medium-bodied frame. It is elegant, with some dusty tannins that make pairing with a medium-rare grilled steak a fine choice. (ES) FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 59
NOTED ... FRANCE 90 VIDAL FLEURY DOMAINE DE VIEILLE FONTAINE CÔTES DU RHÔNE VILLAGES 2012, RHÔNE ($17.95)
Dense purple in colour with a nose of blackberries, wild herbs and floral grace note. Dry and elegant with a lovely mouthfeel, this Rhône blend has a rich flavour of blackberries and black liquorice. Great value. (TA)
90 LAVAU RASTEAU 2012, RHÔNE ($20)
Fragrant blueberry, cherry pie, campfire smoke, earth, anise and sweet spices on the nose of this full-bodied Grenache/ Syrah 50/50 blend. It has rich, intense fruits on the palate with a spicy edge that should pair well with lamb chops. An intriguing and unique red wine. (RV)
90 CHÂTEAU DE CHAMIREY MERCUREY 2011, BURGUNDY ($30)
Medium ruby. Clean, spicy nose of small red fruit with a hint of vanilla. Medium body; plenty of fruity extract energized by the fine acidity. Compact finish, nice and firm. Ready to drink but will hold 3 to 5 years. (GBQc)
89 CHÂTEAU ROUSSEAU DE SIPIAN MÉDOC CRU BOURGEOIS 2010, BORDEAUX ($30) Bright berry-fruit, earth, anise and fullon spicy oak elements on the nose of this modern-style Bordeaux. Shows some elegance on the palate with savoury red berries, liquorice and rich spice notes. Good-value Bordeaux that can cellar for 5 or more years. (RV)
88 CHÂTEAU HAUT MAGINET 2010, AC BORDEAUX ($13.83) Clear medium-deep plum red. Medium intensity but complex nose of strawberry, cranberry and plum, with leather and cedar accents. Medium-bodied with prominent alcohol and high acidity. Fresh, light cherry flavours with coffee, spice and a bit of mint. Tannins need another year to soften. (RL)*
60 × @QUENCH_MAG × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
88 VILLA PONCIAGO BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES 2012, BEAUJOLAIS ($14.95) A bargain-price Beaujolais. Pale ruby colour with a nose of cherries; light on the palate, fresh and fruity with a sour cherry flavour. Easy drinking chilled or at room temperature. (TA)
88 DOMAINE HOUCHART 2011, CÔTES DE PROVENCE ($16)
Medium ruby. Red fruits, spices and earthy notes. Delicious fruity taste, tight and intense mid-palate getting a tad warm near the finish. Soft tannins. Drink or hold up to 5 years. (GBQc)
87 MAISON ROCHE DE BELLÈNE CÔTE DE NUITS VILLAGES 2011, BURGUNDY ($25)
Bright ruby-red. Typical, good-quality Pinot Noir nose of red fruits, cherry, spicy notes (cinnamon) and a touch of earth. Light to medium body, dry tannins, adequate fruity extract. A bitter edge in the finish tastes like fruit stones. The back label is full of detailed information, not seen often on French bottles. Drink within 2 years. (GBQc)
87 CATHERINE ET CLAUDE MARÉCHAL GRAVEL 2011, BURGUNDY ($29)
Bright ruby. Attractive nose of red berries, strawberry, fruit stones and a light earthy note. Tight and a bit backwards, it feels narrow in the mouth. Fruit is a bit lean, tannins are firm so it’s more structured than fleshy. Less easy to enjoy than the 2010. Drink over 2 to 3 years. (GBQc)
GERMANY 89 KARL ERBES RIESLING SPÄTLESE ÜRZIGER WÜRZGARTEN 2008 ($17.17) Clear medium-deep yellow. Mature but fresh nose of peaches, apricots and “petrol.” Full-bodied with a soft mouth-feel. The fruit — apples, peaches and citrus — is still fresh with lively acidity. Will last another year or two. (RL)*
ITALY 93 CAPEZZANA TREFIANO RISERVA 2008, CARMIGNANO, TUSCANY ($72)
Rich, complex, balanced and elegant with black cherry, dark plum, liquorice and savoury spice. A touch of mineral, well integrated muscular tannins and loads of fruit with more mineral on the long finish. Perfect with wild boar chops. (GB)
92 POGGIO ALLE NANE LE MORTELLE 2010, IGT TOSCANA ($56)
Very dark. Intense black fruit, liquorice, toasted oak, soft spices, dark coffee. Full-bodied, fleshy, barely rough thick tannins. Compact and verging on being massive at this stage. Impressive. Better wait. (GBQc)
90 TENUTA GUADO AL TASSO IL BRUCIATO 2012, BOLGHERI, TOSCANA ($26)
Dark, purplish rim. Ripe red and black fruits, obvious oak and a touch of eucalyptus. Smooth texture over firm tannic backbone. Intense and generous mid-palate, lots of acidity too. It will improve, so ideally wait a minimum of 3 years. (GBQc)
89 GIACOMO MORI CHIANTI DOCG 2011, TUSCANY ($20)
Classic Chianti with a nose of crushed red and blackberries and integrated spices. It has lovely balance on the palate with firm tannins to complement the meaty fruits and savoury spices. (RV)
89 ANTINORI VILLA ANTINORI 2010, IGT TOSCANA ($25)
Full ruby. Cherry and other red fruit, some oak notes in a classical Tuscan nose. Moderation is the theme on the palate: acidity, body, structure are all in check. So are the tight tannins in the balanced finish. Elegant. (GBQc)
89 BORGO MAGREDO PINOT NERO 2013, FRIULI ($28)
Pretty and graceful. Lovely aromas and flavours of juicy raspberry and cherry,
savoury fresh herbs, juicy acidity, hints of spice and smoke, a silky, caressing texture, and a lasting, lifted finish. Pair with everything from Indian cuisine to baked salmon and earthy vegetarian dishes. (GB)
88 TERRENOSTRE DOLCETTO D’ALBA DOC 2010 ($12.67)
Clear medium-deep garnet. Nose of smoky plums and strawberries. Light bodied with high acidity and still-prominent tannins. Flavours of tart raspberries and cranberries. The acidity makes this the quintessential spaghetti and tomato-sauce wine. Drink up. (RL)*
88 MORISFARMS MORELLINO DI SCANSANO 2012, TUSCANY ($20.99)
An interesting unoaked red crafted from 90% Sangiovese and the rest Merlot and Syrah. It shows bright raspberries, cherries, violets and anise on the nose. The palate reveals pure berry-fruit tinged with black liquorice and pepper. This is wine stripped down to its purest form and a great match for grilled vegetables and salumi. (RV)
88 BATASIOLO BAROLO 2010, PIEDMONT ($29.95)
The hallmark of the fabulous 2010 Barolo vintage is florality — and there is certainly none lacking in this wine. Add the cherry, plum, tobacco, earth, round tannins and very good length, and you have a solid-value Barolo that has mid-term aging potential. Pair with a mushroom risotto topped with duck breast. (ES)
NEW ZEALAND 88 TUA TUA BAY PINOT NOIR 2010, MARLBOROUGH ($19) Clear pale garnet. Fully developed nose of cherries under a layer of tobacco and leather. Light bodied with bright red-berry flavours. Ready to drink. Try with simple breaded veal cutlets or à la Parmigiana. (RL)*
SOUTH AFRICA
UNITED STATES
87 NEDERBURG WINEMASTER’S RESERVE SHIRAZ 2012, WESTERN CAPE ($12)
90 LOUIS M MARTINI NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2011, NAPA VALLEY ($30)
A nose of cherries, plums, savoury spices, smoke, leather and pepper. Good fruit profile on the palate to go with peppery spices. Pair with lamb stew or game bird. (RV)
86 STELLENZICHT RED ESCAPE RED BLEND 2010, STELLENBOSCH ($14)
Deep, dark aromas of blackberry, black cherry and black pepper. Rich, ripe fruit with soft acidity and sweet tannins. Lingers with chocolate notes. The 17.5 g/L of residual sugar results in a very off-dry palate. A wine for the cocktail round. (HH)
85 TWO OCEANS CABERNET SAUVIGNON/MERLOT 2013, WESTERN CAPE ($11)
This 60/40 Cab Sauv/Merlot blend has straightforward, savoury scents of plum and herbs. The palate is quite simple and fruity with some rubber hints on the finish. Chill slightly and aerate. (HH)
SPAIN 89 MENGUANTE SELECCION GARNACHA 2008, ARAGON ($16.95)
Spain is producing some very stylish red wines at affordable prices these days. This wine is deep purple in colour with a high-toned nose of spicy raspberries and cedar. On the palate, it’s dry with savoury flavours of black cherries and tobacco with a firm tannic finish. (TA)
87 OSBORNE SOLAZ TEMPRANILLO CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012, LA TIERRA DE CASTILLA ($11)
A 50/50 red blend featuring Tempranillo’s acidity ‘n’ fruit and Cab Sauv’s structure ‘n’ spice. Bright aromas of strawberry, blackcurrant, cinnamon and mint. Lots of cherry, cassis and mocha flavour, balanced by juicy acidity and soft tannins. Spice-laden finish. Try with chorizo ‘n’ grilled peppers. (HH)
A pleasant Napa Cab that doesn’t push the boundaries of concentration or oak saturation. The nose shows rich blackberry, toasted vanilla, cedar, blue plums, oak spices and sweet herbs. The flavours on the palate range from blackberries and currants to rich cherries, anise, black liquorice and interesting spice notes that are balanced and build in intensity through the finish. (RV)
90 BELLE GLOS CLARK AND TELEPHONE VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2013, SANTA MARIA VALLEY ($45)
Caveat emptor — please read this tasting note before purchasing! If you are a Pinot Noir lover, then you will be alarmed with what is in the bottle, and probably score it in the low 80s, as it has more in common with Australian Shiraz or Argentinian Malbec. That said, this is a purple-coloured, super-concentrated, oaked monster that gushes jam: plum, dark cherry and raspberry, as well as cocoa, vanilla and clove. Based on these attributes and the ambitious nature of this wine, I give it 90 points. (ES)
89 SOUVERAIN CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010, NORTH CALIFORNIA COAST ($21.99)
Blackcurrant and blackberry with typical Cabernet varietal green herb, cinnamon and clove bouquet lead into rich ripe blackberry flavours encased in a rounded supple tannic structure. Finishes very dry, with well-integrated fruit, spice and a subtle touch of chocolate. (SW)
88 SMOKING LOON CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012, CALIFORNIA ($14.95)
Cassis, blackberry, raspberry, mint, violets, vanilla and anise are all present in this friendly and accessible Cab. It is balanced with no overt alcohol, soft tannins and a slightly sweet finish. Drink now. (ES) FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 61
88 LOUIS M MARTINI CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012, SONOMA COUNTY ($18.95)
A superb value from the realm of California Cabernet. The blackberry and blueberry fruit meet up with violets, roasted herbs, vanilla and spice. Medium-plus body with very good length and some gritty tannins on the aftertaste. Drink over the next 3 years. (ES)
88 MARK WEST PINOT NOIR 2013 ($18.99)
Fragrant ripe cherry accented with spicy, light herbal overtones on the nose with bright cherry flavour in the mouth. Tannins are velvety with a light splash of dark chocolate on the dry finish. Polished, varietally correct Pinot. (SW)
88 LOUIS M MARTINI SONOMA COUNTY CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012, SONOMA ($19)
From a warm vintage in California this value-oriented red shows waves of blackcurrants, spicy plum and oak spices on the nose. There’s a lot happening on the palate with currants, blackberry, plum and anise fruit to go with rich baking spices and a touch of eucalypt. (RV)
DESSERT 94 LA FLEUR D’OR 2009, SAUTERNES, FRANCE ($13.58/375 ML)
Clear medium-deep honey-yellow. Nose of peaches, apricots, “noble rot” and honey. Full-bodied, viscous with a velvety texture. Flavours of apricots and peaches with a touch of hazelnut bitterness for additional interest. Luxury in a glass at an attractive price. Will still improve with a little more time. (RL)*
92 LUSTAU EAST INDIA SOLERA SHERRY, JEREZ, SPAIN ($22.95/500 ML)
Sherry, I am delighted to report, is making a comeback — and high time too. This one really set my taste buds rocking. Brown in colour with an olive-green rim, the bouquet is all hazelnuts and dried 62 × @QUENCH_MAG × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
figs. It’s unctuous and sweet on the palate with honey, malt and orange-peel flavours that linger forever. (TA)
91 TAYLOR FLADGATE LATE BOTTLED VINTAGE PORT 2009, PORTO, PORTUGAL ($18.55)
This LBV shames some vintage ports — easily! From a hot vintage comes this super-ripe and opulent wine with loads of dark fruit, chocolate, raisins, violets, pepper and orange peel. It is long on the finish with some unresolved tannins that will allow for some short-term aging, if so desired. (ES)
89 SANDEMAN LATE BOTTLED VINTAGE PORT 2009, PORTO, PORTUGAL ($16.95)
In the past decade, Sandeman has really elevated its game. This full-bodied Port is ripe and elegant on the palate. Plum, cassis, violets, spice, earth and smoke flavours are long-lasting. A quintessential fireside sipper with Stilton cheese. (ES)
BEER WELLINGTON CRAFT BREWERY SPECIAL PALE ALE, ONTARIO ($2.70/473 ML)
This beer is perfect after a day of sledding or skiing. Aromas of plum, maple, biscuit and leafy, floral hops are followed by an initial sip of digestive biscuit, then mild fruitiness and spicy, floral hops which lend the beer a crisp, dry finish. Pair this traditional British-style pale ale with fish and chips, sausage or a vegetable curry. (CL)
AB INBEV LEFFE BRUNE, BELGIUM ($14.60/6-PACK)
The dubbel is a Belgian beer style invented in 1926 by a brewer who worked with the monks at Westmalle Abbey to improve their brown ale. He did it by punching up the alcoholic strength, hence the name “dubbel.” Leffe Brune is a full-bodied ale with a rich, slightly sweet flavour that’s a bit like biting into banana walnut bread drizzled with caramel — sip it with hot cinnamon buns after tobogganing. (CL)
UNIBROUE 17, QUEBEC ($9.94/750 ML)
Designed to mark the brewery’s anniversary, 17 pours a deep burgundy, the red highlights hinting at its rich caramelized malts. Aromas of oak, caramel, ginger and liquorice root give way to flavours of burnt toffee and spice with a slightly tannic, oaky finish thanks to the addition of oak spirals in the fermenter. Called “Grande Reserve,” brewmaster Jerry Vietz has bottles cellared from 2007 and says it’s still developing in the bottle, gaining deeper fruity notes with age. Buy a case and lay some down. Pair with ginger cookies and vanilla ice cream. (CL)
FULLER, SMITH & TURNER PLC FULLER’S GOLDEN PRIDE, LONDON, ENGLAND ($3.50/500 ML)
This formidable British barley wine, made by the respected 166-year-old London brewery, is the strongest brew (8.5% ABV) in Fuller’s fleet. Yet it’s an easy sipper, striking a perfect balance between sweet and bitter. Notes of toast, candied cherries and orange, and a floral clipping at the end. Pair with sharp Cheddars or Stilton and walnuts. (CL)
MUSKOKA BREWERY MAD TOM IPA 6.4%, ONTARIO ($15.99/6-PACK) Unfiltered, and dry hopped using Chinook and Centennial hops, this well-crafted IPA offers emphatic hoppy, fruity and rich malty aroma. Full-flavoured nutty malt, characteristic bitterness and a touch of dried fruit with a hint of spice on the finish. (SW)
MUSKOKA BREWERY DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY STOUT WINTER BEARD FLAVOURED STRONG BEER 8%, ONTARIO ($15.99/750 ML)
Soft aromas of fruit and chocolate carry through the same themes on the rounded, ultra smooth palate. Very nicely balanced, with lingering red fruit and chocolate lingering on the gently bittersweet finish. An ideal winter warmer with flavours that are vaguely reminiscent of kirsch torte. (SW)
WELL NOTED ... 95 CA’ LA BIONDA AMARONE CLASSICO 2007, VALPOLICELLA DOC, ITALY ($35.83)
95 K1 PINOT NOIR 2010, ADELAIDE HILLS, AUSTRALIA ($30) Clear medium-deep garnet. Intense nose of raspberries and violets with a hint of cloves. Light-bodied with high acidity and soft tannins, tons of sweet juicy-berry-fruit. Soft and delicious. Drink now. (RL)*
Clear deep garnet. Forward nose of raisins, cherry jam, cinnamon and leather. Medium- to full-bodied, packed with ripe sour-cherry and raisin flavours with mouth-watering acidity and a bitter almond finish. High alcohol (15.5%) is well integrated. Worth the wait to this point, but drink over the next couple of years. (RL)*
90 PÉREZ CRUZ CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVA 2012, MAIPO ANDES, CHILE ($15.95)
One of the best Chilean Cabernets for the price. It’s blended with a little Carménère and Malbec. Deep ruby colour, the wine has a bouquet of blackcurrant and toasty oak; it’s medium-bodied, elegant with a juicy cassis flavour, lovely mouthfeel and an engaging floral note on the finish. (TA)
87 FLAT ROOF MANOR MERLOT 2011, SOUTH AFRICA ($11)
Cheerful cherry, berry, currants and sweet vanilla notes on the nose of this inexpensive red. It’s made in a fruit-forward style with a range of red berries on the palate to go with a touch of liquorice on a smooth finish. (RV)
91 JOIEFARM PINOT NOIR 2012, OKANAGAN ($23)
Complex nose features violets, bright cherry, toasted spice and a hint of forest floor. Firm acidity, soft tannins and a medium body deliver juicy flavours of red and black cherries with hints of dried thyme. Finishes dry with earthy clove notes. Perfectly suited for sautéed duck breast. (HH)
91 DOMAINE VACHERON SANCERRE 2013, LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE ($32)
Pale yellow. This is Sauvignon Blanc at its best: clover flower, delicate white fruit and citrus notes, only a hint of grassiness. Delicate and pure flavour, clean mid-palate leading to a nice, round, perfectly balanced finish. Ready to drink. (GBQc)
91 PLUME CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2011, NAPA VALLEY, UNITED STATES ($30)
88 MIGUEL TORRES SANGRE DE TORO 2013, CATALUNYA, SPAIN ($12.95)
This wine really packs in the flavour, and for the price, it is a steal. It is rich and flavourful, full of raisins, plum, vanilla, liquorice and lilac. There is density, very good length and some underlying tannins. Pair with sausage and peppers or vegetable casseroles. (ES)
The grapes are sourced from a variety of sub-appellations in Napa; the result is a balanced, tasty and well-priced red wine. The nose shows savoury cherry fruit, blackcurrants, cocoa, forest floor and sweet oak spices. On the palate, look for concentrated cherry, cassis, black liquorice, loam, baking spices and eucalypt to go with smooth tannins. This is drinking really fine right now; no need to cellar. (RV)
MILL STREET BREWERY COFFEE PORTER BIERSCHNAPS ($35)
Earthy aromas lead to hints of caramel, toast, espresso and toasted nuts followed by a viscous texture and a taste profile featuring fig, black coffee, cocoa and black pepper. It bids farewell with a long, coffee-tinged finish. Unique and very enjoyable. (TS)
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 63
DAVINE BY GURVINDER BHATIA ...
LIGHTER THAN RED There are ample good reasons why the southern French region of Provence is not just a popular holiday destination, but a region whose real estate is a hot commodity with Paris socialites and the Brangelinas of the world. An abundance of sun, luscious countrysides, fields of lavender and golden sunflowers, olive trees, stone-walled country estates, azure blue-sky seashores, beaches filled with beautiful people ... what’s not to love? Don’t forget the cuisine, which is based on an abundance of fresh fruit, vegetables, olive oil, nuts and fish (the staples of the Mediterranean diet) and also truffles, chevre, wild boar and lamb. It’s more common than not for locals and tourists alike to sip rosé while enjoying soupe au pistou (vegetable soup with pesto), grilled sardines, bouillabaisse, pumpkin soup with roasted chestnuts, ratatouille, pissaladière (onion tart) and salade Niçoise. The explosion in the popularity of the region’s wines is surely due to all the reasons previously stated — with just cause. The wines of Provence are fresh, vibrant, flavourful, immensely drinkable and great with food. I was impressed by the savoury, ripe and fresh red and white wines from Château Beaulieu, Mas de Cadenet and, in particular Domaine Ott. But it’s the rosés that are the real stars. The rosé wines of Provence account for 88 percent of the region’s total wine production. Local wine regulations require rosé (and red) wines to always be a blend. The main grapes include Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, Mourvèdre, Tibouren and Cabernet Sauvignon. Fresh, dry, fruity, savoury, round and tones of mineral characterize what is generally referred to as the Provençal style. The gusty Mistral winds keep the grapes dry and healthy while contributing to the natural vibrancy (for rosé, white and red). According to Vins de Provence, rosé consumption in France has more than doubled in the last 20 years and, over the past five years, Provençal rosé exports have dramatically increased. Matthieu Negrel of Mas de Cadenet has seen his rosé sales to the US 64 × @QUENCH_MAG × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
double every year since 2009. Domaine Ott’s rosé wines, which sell for US$50 and are referred to in NYC as the “pool juice of the Hamptons,” are on tight allocation and always sell out. The wines are fun, well made, accessible, complex, versatile food wines and well suited to casual, unstructured meals, tapasstyle dining and ethnic cuisines. Provence rosé appeals to a new generation of wine drinker free from pretentious biases and true wine lovers who drink what they like as opposed to what someone else thinks they should be drinking. They represent quality, simplicity, a focus on what’s important and the ability to leave your troubles behind (as least for a few moments). I said it while I was there and many times since I’ve been back: Provence rosé is more than just a style of wine. It represents more than just a way of life. Provence ... it’s a state of mind.
MAS DE CADENET ARBAUDE ROSÉ 2013, CÔTES DE PROVENCE ($22) Light salmon in colour with aromas and flavours of strawberry, citrus, redcurrant with a hint of anise. Refreshing, flavourful and easy drinking. Great as an apéritif or with peel-and-eat shrimp. Syrah, Cinsault and Grenache.
MAS DE CADENET ROSÉ 2013, SAINTE VICTOIRE CÔTES DE PROVENCE ($28) Quite complex with peach, grapefruit and spice, a bit of smokiness, good structure and depth with a full, mouth-filling texture and a long finish. A great match with grilled pork or Indian cuisine. Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah.
MAS DE CADENET MAS NEGREL CADENET ROSÉ 2013, SAINTE VICTOIRE CÔTES DE PROVENCE ($40) Quite complex on the nose with bright red fruit and vanilla; full-bodied and complex with cherry, currant, raspberry, liquorice and fresh herbs; slightly leesy with elegant tannins and a wonderful round finish. Fermenting and aging in used barrels gives the wine a unique weightiness and complexity that, if tasted completely blind, one would easily mistake it for a complex red wine. Pair with everything from shellfish to duck to grilled lamb. Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault.
DOMAINE OTT CLOS MIREILLE ROSÉ 2013, CÔTES DE PROVENCE ($60)
Matthieu, Guy and Maud Négrel from Mas De Cadenet
A lovely pale pink colour with aromas and flavours of strawberry, grapefruit and lime citrus, fresh herbs, soft texture, lively crisp acidity and a refreshing quaffability while still possessing an intriguing complexity. Perfect as an apéritif, versatile with a range of hors d’oeuvres and lovely with fresh seafood or poached chicken and fish. Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah.
DOMAINE OTT CHÂTEAU DE SELLE ROSÉ 2013, CÔTES DE PROVENCE ($60) A beautiful fresh nose showing citrus, peach and a touch of spice with lovely flavours of citrus. A subtle, quaffable fruitiness and loads of savoury fresh herbs with great wet stone minerality and a refreshing finish. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.
DOMAINE FONTLADE VIN ROSÉ CUVÉE SAINT QUINIS 2013, CÔTEAUX VAROIS EN PROVENCE ($30) Elegant, full and fresh with aromas and flavours of strawberry, peach, fresh herbs and a touch of spice. Quite minerally and chalky with bright acidity on the refreshing finish. Cinsault and Grenache.
CHÂTEAU COUSSIN CUVÉE CESAR ROSÉ 2013, SAINTE VICTOIRE CÔTES DE PROVENCE ($60) Produced to honour the French artist Cesar, who is best known for his sculptures fabricated from scrap metal, the wine is savoury and full with strawberry and cranberry flavours, and loads of fresh herbaceousness; full in the mid-palate and an elegant and lingering finish. Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah.
CHÂTEAU BEAULIEU ROSÉ 2013, COTEAUX D’AIX-ENPROVENCE ($22) Quite fresh with floral aromas and hints of tropical fruit; flavours of citrus, lime and fresh herbs, well-structured, lovely minerality and a refreshing acidity on the finish. Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cinsault. × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 65
AFTER TASTE BY TONY ASPLER ...
Defining Plénitude OVER MY CAREER AS A WINE WRITER I’VE HAD THE PLEASURE AND PRIVILEGE OF TASTING SOME VENERABLE WINES, AND NONE MORE EXCITING THAN OLD CHAMPAGNE. In 1976, I visited Moët & Chandon and was
given a glass of the legendary 1911 vintage by the Comtesse de Maigret. It had been disgorged that morning to impress a group of visiting English wine merchants, and I was lucky enough to have what was left in the bottle. The wine had lost its bubbles, but it tasted like a beautifully mature Meursault. I had no idea that Champagne could last that long. It was explained to me that, as long as the wine remained in contact with its lees, the aging process is very slow. So it was with great anticipation that I went to the Trump Hotel in Toronto last November to meet Richard Geoffroy, Dom Pérignon’s chef de cave, to be introduced to a Champagne simply called Dom Pérignon P2 1998. P2 is short for Plénitude 2. Richard Geoffroy started as a Champagne-maker with Moët Chandon in 1990 and has made 16 vintages of the company’s prestige cuvée, Dom Pérignon. He and his cellar staff discovered over the years that there were certain stages in the evolution of a vintage Champagne left on its lees, where it will change character. They called these passages plénitudes (completeness), and they determined that there were three of them in the life of a Champagne. The first plénitude for the 1998 vintage was in 2004 — which is the usual amount of time that Dom Pérignon spends on its lees before it is released for sale the following year. The time on the lees for Dom is twice as long as the regulations require. The wine I was about to taste was the same 1998 vintage held on its lees for 15 years. As 1998 was a warm year, in describing it Geoffroy couldn’t help resorting to a flight of poetry. The character of the vintage, he said, “shows in aromatics beyond the silver character of iodine and smoke, the sheer ripeness of the fruit. The richness comes from the ripeness of the fruit.” At noon — an excellent time for Champagne, but then again, what time isn’t? — we tasted Dom Pérignon P2 together. Not out of flutes shaped like cows’ udders, which I was expecting, but served in wine glasses that looked like the Reidel Chardonnay stem. Geoffroy gave up using flutes 15 years ago, because “they don’t do justice to the wine.” Well, I’m here to tell you that P2 is magnificent, pure and precise with a creaminess in mid-palate and a life-giving spine of lemony acidity. The wine is amazingly young both in its visual appearance and on the palate, or as Geoffroy put it, “bafflingly youthful, rather insolent in a way.” The third Plénitude, says Geoffroy, will have been left on its lees for 35 to 40 years.
66 × @QUENCH_MAG × FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
If you’re thinking you can replicate the Plénitude concept in your home cellar by leaving a bottle of Champagne for seven or 15 years, forget it. In order to work its magic, the wine has to be resting on its lees. When you buy Champagne it has already been disgorged. The dead yeast cellars have been removed, first by riddling the bottles until the sediment rests on the crown caps; then the necks are immersed in a freezing solution. When opened, the pressure of the gas ejects a plug of ice containing the yeast residue, leaving a clean wine. The bottle is then topped up with sweetened wine to create the house style. Or unsweetened for Brut Zero. If you’re asking, “What is the cost of P2?”, you probably can’t afford it. Neither can I. It will retail for about twice the price of the current vintage of Dom Pérignon. I just hope I’ll be around to sample P3 though. × ILLUSTRATION: FRANCESCO GALLÉ, WWW.FRANCESCOGALLE.COM
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