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QUENCH MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2016
ACT OF GOD × 20 WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN A HAIL STORM DEVASTATES YOUR VINEYARD? BY LISA HOEKSTRA PURE, HI AND LOW × 22 2016 WAS A HARD YEAR FOR CHABLIS. BUT IT’S NOT OVER. BY EVAN SAVIOLIDIS MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016 × 25 EVERY YEAR, THE EDITORS OF QUENCH CHOOSE THE BEST ASSEMBLAGES, SINGLE VARIETAL AND OTHER DRINKS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
25 36
THE YOUTH REVOLUTION × 28 A NEW BREED OF WINEMAKER IS TAKING OVER THE VINEYARDS OF GERMANY. BY TIM PAWSEY AU NATUREL × 32 EVER WONDER WHAT’S IN YOUR WINE? BY SILVANA LAU BAREFOOT × 36 ARTISANS ARE TAKING OVER VERMONT. BY RICK VANSICKLE GIN BLOSSOMS × 41 THE UPSURGE IN CRAFT DISTILLERS HAS OPENED THE DOOR TO A RESURGENCE. BY TOD STEWART BACK TO OUR ROOTS × 44 A NEW WAY TO LOOK AT (AND COOK) ROOT VEGETABLES. BY DUNCAN HOLMES
DEPARTMENTS IT’S ONLY ROCK ‘N’ ROLL × 48 DURING MY HECTIC YEARS IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, I HAD TO FIND QUICK AND EASY WAYS TO GET COOKING. BY NANCY JOHNSON
A GOURMET’S DREAM × 64 THE REGIONALITY OF ITALY IS CLEARLY EVIDENT AND THE REGION OF EMILIA-ROMAGNA IS NO DIFFERENT. BY GURVINDER BHATIA
NOTED × 50 EXPERTLY-TASTED BUYING GUIDE OF WINES, BEERS AND SPIRITS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
IN THE PINK × 66 REAL MEN DO DRINK PINK. BY TONY ASPLER
NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 3
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WHAT DEFINES A TREND CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS SOMETHING BEING NEW. THEN THE TREND NEEDS SOMEONE TO TALK ABOUT IT, TWEET, POST A GLOWING REVIEW ON FACEBOOK. MAYBE IT NEEDS A SMALL GROUP TO CHAMPION IT. Or even better, a larger group
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4 × @QUENCH_MAG × MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016
So, you can age white wines? Treve Ring’s article “Make Them Age” really opened my eyes about the now-myth (in my mind anyway) that all white wines should be opened young and all reds should be aged. Going to be a bit more careful about what I put in my cellar from now on! Nicole McKinley, email Insight into the thought-process behind the pointscales used in wine tasting is an important factor for those who are new to wine tasting. Tony Aspler wrote one line that resonated deeply with me, that I think all wine lovers, wine writers and consumers in general need to read, over and over: “In short, numbers are shorthand and mean nothing without a vivid description of the wine.” [“Tipping the Scale”, October 2016]. Tony followed up with an almost equally resonating statement – “the wine itself may taste different to even seasoned tasters depending on the day.” If I may be so bold as to add my advice to his well-written column, it would be that we, as consumers, should read tasting notes and taste wines reviewed by a variety of experts until we find someone (or several someones) who shares our taste in wine. Then buy based on that expert’s suggestions. John Parsons, Newfoundland
It takes just a small part of our half-amillion readers to start a trend. Like one of those stadium waves started by one enthusiastic fan, the energy is electric. We stand up, arms flailing in the air, and we can move mountains. When we choose the subjects we cover in Quench, we do so knowing these are things that will excite our readers. The prospect of finding something new is always enticing. So when we write about the new faces of German winemaking, we do so knowing you have a penchant for the next big thing, slowly rising from your chair. And, as we profile the innovative artisanal producers in Vermont or tout the brilliance of natural wines, we know you are standing with arms ready. It’s the one thing I can always count on - our readers will devour those new, exciting things and become their biggest advocate. They are always looking to be Quench-ed.
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CONTRIBUTORS Writer-at-large, Silvana Lau is a part-time globe wanderer but a full-time bon vivant. You can find her restaurant hopping in neighbourhoods across Toronto, obsessing over her gai lan addiction (her all-time favourite vegetable) or asking her friends a variety of quirky “would you rather” questions. Her ideal way to de-stress after a long day involves the 3Cs: Crank up the music, Crack open a bottle of wine and Cook up a storm! Follow her @silzies.
Rick VanSickle is a freelance wine journalist and publisher of WinesInNiagara.com. He lives in Niagara wine country with his family and spends a great deal of time conducting research (some refer to it as simply drinking wine) for his job. It’s about life and living it to the fullest, which is the one thing he is very good at.
Tim Pawsey (a.k.a. The Hired Belly) is a much-travelled food and wine critic. He writes, tweets and shoots for the North Shore News and Vancouver Courier. In 2012, Tim was honoured to be inducted as a “Friend of the Industry” into the BCRFA Hall of Fame. Taste with him vicariously at www.hiredbelly.com and follow him at rebelmouse.com/hiredbelly.
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À LA CARTE Q SCHOOL × 10 BACON IS DELICIOUS. VERY FEW PEOPLE HAVE EVER ARGUED ABOUT THAT. GOOD FOOD BY NANCY JOHNSON × 13 NOVEMBER IS THE TIME OF YEAR TO PULL OUT THE COMFORTING STEW RECIPES. UMAMI BY KATIA JEAN PAUL × 14 CHEF SAMANTHA V. CHIZANGA IS MAKING HER OWN WAY. FEED BY TOM DE LARZAC × 16 TIME CAN BE A CURRENCY. SAVING ANY BIT HERE AND THERE FEELS LIKE I HAVE WON THE LOTTERY. LAZY MIXOLOGIST BY CHRISTINE SISMONDO × 17 SMOKE IS HOT. EVEN IN YOUR COCKTAILS. WHAT’S ON QUENCH TV × 18 CHECK OUT OUR LATEST SERIES OF VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE. BON VIVANT BY PETER ROCKWELL × 19 HOW DO WINES GET THEIR NAMES?
NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 9
Q SCHOOL
TYPE: Large black hogs’ short muscle fibres and Tamworth hogs’ big bellies make great bacon. WHERE: American bacon cuts stripes from the fatty sides of the belly while Canadian bacon is cut from the back. HOW: Thin strips of meat are soaked in brine or rubbed in a salt mixture, then smoked dry with hickory, oak or other types of wood smoke. Though some producers don’t use smoke — they dry it by leaving it in a cold place for a couple of months.
TASTIN’ BACON
There are a few molecules and fatty acids needed to make that bacon taste. If any of these are missing, the result isn’t quite bacon-y: FURANS, PYRAZINES AND THIAZOLES: Sweet, nutty and caramel-like in flavour, these molecules exist in the bacon prior to cooking and are created during the Maillard reaction. ALDEHYDES: These give bacon that grassy, green note. KETONES: Responsible for the buttery, fatty flavours. MAPLE LACTONE: Sweet-smelling compound that gives bacon that smoky, sweet note.
BACOLICIOUS BACON IS DELICIOUS. Very few people have ever argued
about that. What people do ponder and discuss is why bacon is so delicious. And why its deliciousness cannot be copied to the satisfaction of bacon lovers around the world (especially those that have decided to go on a meat-free diet). Bacon has three of the five basic tastes — salty, umami and sweet — plus the added scrumptious taste of fat (which, by the way, is rumoured to be the new sixth basic taste). Salt is a natural nutrient we’re drawn to as mammals; it combines and enhances the umami taste while at the same time complementing the sweetness. The sweet notes in bacon linger with the umami, making the taste change from “palate” to “finish.” The fattiness of the bacon can be subtle, especially if most of the fat is burned off in the Maillard reaction, or prominent; it works with the other three tastes, putting the cherry on top of bacon’s unique taste.
MAKIN’ BACON
The way bacon tastes change based on the type of pork used, where on the pig the meat comes from and how the strips are cured/made. 10 × @QUENCH_MAG × MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016
The biggest contributor to bacon’s yummy goodness is the Maillard reaction: the combination of sugars and amino acids under high heat. The more fat a bacon strip has, the better it tastes when it’s cooked because the sugar in the fat is necessary for Maillard reaction.
FAKIN’ BACON
Everything, from the furans to the lactone, from the umami to the fat, is needed to make bacon, bacon. That’s why it’s so difficult to make a believable bacon replacement. If your bacon flavour is missing even one molecule, it won’t convince anyone. The closest recipe for fake bacon we’ve found uses shiitake mushrooms — a close match when it comes to the combination of salt, umami and sweet (it’s just missing the fat).
SHIITAKE BACON
1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced Soy sauce Liquid smoke Olive oil 1. Preheat oven to 400˚F. 2. In a bowl, coat mushrooms with soy sauce. Dab with liquid
smoke and olive oil. Allow to marinate for about 10 minutes (mushrooms should absorb all liquid). 3. Lay mushrooms on a baking sheet; bake for between 10 and 30 minutes (monitor them during the process to ensure they don’t overcook). ×
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GOOD FOOD BY NANCY JOHNSON
BEEF STEW
This is just a starting point for a tasty beef stew with all the fixings. Add your favourite veggies such as asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, butternut squash or snow peas. Omit the potatoes and serve the stew over noodles or rice. I don’t put salt in this stew since the soup mix is salty enough, but you can add salt at any time to taste. A crusty loaf of French bread is a great accompaniment.
Back to the basics November is the time of year to pull out the comforting stew recipes. This particular stew is one I learned many years ago. It’s a good basic recipe that is far tastier than any others I’ve made.
× Search through our huge library of recipes on quench.me/recipes/
1 onion, chopped 2 lbs beef stew, trimmed of fat and cut into cubes 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/2 tsp pepper 1 tsp paprika 3 tbsp flour 1 package dry onion soup mix 1 cup beef broth 1 bay leaf 1/2 cup dry red wine 4 red potatoes, peeled and chopped 2 carrots, peeled and chopped 2 stalks celery, peeled and chopped 1 cup frozen peas 1 cup frozen pearl onions Minced parsley, for garnish 1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. 2. In Dutch oven, brown onion and beef over medi-
um high heat. Sprinkle with soy. Mix pepper, paprika and flour together. Sprinkle on meat. Add soup mix and beef broth. Add bay leaf and wine. Bring to a boil. 3. Bake, covered, for 1 hour. You can add more broth, as needed. 4. Add veggies and bake, covered, 1 hour. Add peas and pearl onions; bake 30 minutes longer. Remove bay leaf. Serve in shallow bowls, garnished with parsley. MATCH: Great with a Bordeaux. × NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 13
UMAMI BY KATIA JEAN PAUL
MAKING YOUR WAY
one by the neighbour’s son, a chicken and rice dish — the rice neatly turned out of a ramekin — takes first place, much to his ire. “I don’t think he [her son] liked it at all,” recalls Samantha V. Chizanga amusingly. The winning dish was rudimentary, admits the Toronto chef cum digital entrepreneur. Nevertheless, it marked the moment Chizanga, then 16, discovered a latent skill, one that would later shape her career. In the decade since this fortuitous culinary coup, Chizanga has worked in several kitchens and apprenticed under some of Canada’s best chefs, including Adam MacKay of Mediterranean restaurant Paradiso and star restaurateur Susur Lee. During those formative years, the George Brown College graduate steadily worked her way up, first as a garde manger, and eventually creating menus and leading in-house cooking classes. Though Chizanga is versed in everything from New American to fusion cuisine, she does not lay claim to any one style. “I have no specialties. I just enjoy food and its complexities and simplicity. Saying I have a specialty would box me in.” However, as a black female chef in an industry that, despite many advances, remains predominantly white and male, persistent racism and sexism did just that. Frustrated with the lack of diversity and advancement within the industry, Chizanga left restaurant kitchens and, last January, launched Blackculinarian. com, a digital platform featuring interviews with emerging chefs, tutorials, workshops and more, whose goal is twofold: lend a voice to those who do not have one and push the envelope creatively. “Here in Toronto, there are not a lot of opportunities to do what I want to do in the culinary world and there isn’t a lot of representation, so I decided to bring the two ideas together,” says Chizanga. “I want to teach about food in any capacity I can but on the creative [side], so that includes food styling, photography, recipe and product development and culinary content creation, but to people of colour. A lot of people think [that] because it is [called] Blackculinarian.com, I want to exclude all other races, but in reality, I want to give a platform and an opportunity to those who wouldn’t [otherwise] have had one because of who they are. The black in the name obviously [refers] to me but it’s also [for] the black sheep, the odd chefs out and the ones who just don’t fit the classic narrative, and “culinarian” is encompassing of everyone who loves food. A culinarian is the evolved foodie.” 14 × @QUENCH_MAG × MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016
Additionally, with sweet potato gnocchi, Oreo-stuffed pancakes, banana bagels and other such recipes, Chizanga hopes to reach a wider audience with restaurant-style fare, made simple. “The idea is to make what’s [available] in restaurants accessible to the [everyday] consumer. To teach people basic skills, so they can also create beautiful meals without [feeling] intimidated.” While Blackculinarian.com gains momentum in the digital sphere, in the future Chizanga envisions a facility all her own where she could work closely with young culinarians. As for industry kitchens? As more chefs are beginning to speak out against the machismo, misogyny and racism rampant within these culinary spaces, she, like many of her peers both male and female, agrees that kitchens are in serious need of an overhaul. “Don’t get me wrong, not all kitchens are a shady mess, just a lot of them,” says Chizanga. “The treatment of line cooks has to be better. There needs to be some sort of checks and balances for the hospitality industry, someone to hold them accountable for their ways.” ×
PHOTO: ERIC SLYFIELD
A GAGGLE OF TEENAGERS GATHER AT A NEIGHBOUR’S HOME FOR A CULINARY COMPETITION. Among the entries, including
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TIME SAVERS
SINCE HAVING KIDS, TIME HAS BECOME MY NEW CURRENCY. Saving any bit here and there feels like I have
won the lottery, or at least makes me feel like I have a life again. Cooking meals that take hours to make and remind me of yesteryear are not possible any more. Finding time-saving twists on old classics has become a necessity ... though taste never gets sacrificed in the process. I have tried many ways to save time in the kitchen; some work better than others. My go-to gadgets are: a) metal garlic press: it’s fast, the results would otherwise take 10 times as long, and it’s not messy; b) mandolin: despite the fact I think nothing replaces a sharp knife, a mandolin can slice through large quantities with ease; and c) a quality food processor: it slices, it grates, it chops and it mixes, all while you work on something else. Gadgets are not the only way I save time though; canned foods (mainly vegetables) have become a key component of all quick meals. The biggest time-savers with canned foods is that they are all typically pre-cooked; all you have to do is heat them through. Add them to soups, stews or just have them as a side; they all work and taste great. I know nothing replaces fresh produce but there is a reason canned veggies are a pantry staple. Any tricks and shortcuts that I incorporate need to do two things: speed up either prep or cooking time (ie. reheating veggies from a can with no prep), and not sacrifice on the flavours of the meal (no amount of time-saving is worth having food no one enjoys). With regards to the latter, spices and strong flavours help. When something can’t simmer for hours and develop its own flavours, bold spices can replace some of those notes that we always look to achieve while cooking. Chili is a classic dish that takes lots of time. And for me there are few meals that bring back as many memories as my dad’s chili. Unfortunately, his took all day to make and I rarely have time for that. Luckily, this shortcut version brings back those same memories, with all the familiar bold flavours. 16 × @QUENCH_MAG × MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016
SHORTCUT CHILI
2 4 1 1 3 3 1 1 1 1 3 1
Vegetable oil onions, diced garlic cloves, fine chop lb button mushrooms, small dice lb ground beef tbsp chili powder tbsp each salt and pepper diced tomatoes (500 ml can) kidney beans (500 ml can) corn (250 ml can) cup dark beer tbsp tomato paste tsp cayenne, optional Sourdough bread, 2 slices per person
1. Preheat large high-rimmed pan over high heat. Once heated, add vegetable oil, onions, garlic and mushrooms. Cook for 3 minutes. 2. Add beef, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook for another 3 minutes. 3. Reduce heat to medium and add all remaining ingredients except bread. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. MATCH: Serve with side of sourdough bread and a young Shiraz. ×
LAZY MIXOLOGIST BY CHRISTINE SISMONDO
Smoke and mirrors Smoke is hot. From brisket to trout, from chipotle to pineapple, it seems to be in just about everything. And now, it’s finally making its way out of the kitchen and bellying up to the bar. Five or six years ago, smoky cocktails fell into the category of novelty drinks. Few dared to push the flavour profile beyond sour, sweet, bitter or tart. But the Penicillin, a scotch cocktail with a hint of smoke invented by New York bartender Sam Ross, changed all that. Since then, bartenders have taken it further, embracing the sultry taste of mezcal, smoky scotches and smoked bitters. Aaron Male, head bartender at Toronto’s Spoke Club, says that, while he loves working with peated whiskies and mezcal, after years of playing around with different methods, he increasingly steers clear of smoky ingredients and, instead, smokes the drink itself, à la minute. Why? He’s just giving the people what they want. “Some people are leery of smoky, peated scotches, which they find too intense,” says Male. “And, on the other hand, you have the whisky-philes, who think doing anything to a single malt beyond adding a few drops of water is total sacrilege.” So, rather than get into a debate over venial and mortal sins, Male has found that the best way to make everyone happy is to smoke the glass — in a sense, manufacturing his own, all-natural version of liquid smoke, custom-made to each order. For his Keyser Söze (method and recipe detailed here), for example, he torches grapefruit zest on a plank of maple wood, then covers it with a glass, which, as an added bonus, usually thrills the spectators who love watching his little show. “Smoke is really catching on because people’s palates are becoming more educated and adventurous,” says Male. “And bartenders need to find new ways to up our game. Smoke is perfect. It’s magic, really. Because you can add a lot of flavour to a drink with very little, really.”
× Visit quench.me/mixed/ for more drink recipes
Male says the smoke adds a layer of complexity to drinks like his Keyser Söze, which, he points out, is really a very simple drink — a cross between a tequila sour and a paloma. Since smoke isn’t tangible, like, say, watermelon or lemon, it captures people’s imagination. It also really only requires the purchase of a maple plank and a crème brûlée torch, so it’s a pretty easy way to infuse some drama into cocktail hour. As they say, smoke and mirrors.
KEYSER SÖZE
1 1/2 oz Tromba blanco 3/4 oz grapefruit juice 3/4 oz vanilla-mint syrup (recipe below) 1 egg white Place the zest from a grapefruit on a maple plank. Torch it (with a culinary torch). Place a rocks glass on top of the smoking zest and leave it there while you shake the ingredients together in a shaker over ice. Shake well and fine-strain into glass.
VANILLA-MINT SYRUP
1 1 1/2 1/2
cup sugar cup water cup fresh mint vanilla bean
Combine all ingredients into saucepan; gently heat until sugar is dissolved. Cool and let mint and vanilla infuse for an hour. Bottle and refrigerate. × NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 17
What’s on Quench TV For the last couple of years, Quench has been producing quality documentaries on the trials and tribulations of winemakers and the culinary arts. Here is just a taste of what you can watch for free on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/c/ quenchmagazine
BEHIND THE BOTTLE
We know more about what’s in the bottle than what goes into making what’s in the bottle. We interviewed award-winning winemakers who have spent their lives perfecting the art. •• Thirty Bench’s Emma Garner knew she wanted to go into the sciences when she was young, but in what discipline. After taking a year to travel before university, she found an answer. Wine was the way to go. •• Paul Pender from Tawse Winery in Niagara went from being a carpenter to an award-winning winemaker. He has some unique insights into the terrior and what it means for his winemaking style. •• Few leave an impression on the Niagara winemaking community like J-L Groux. A native of the Loire Valley in France, Groux found a home in the early days of the Niagara wine boom. He talks about always innovating and pushing the boundaries while respect the terroir. •• Niagara winemaker, Rob Power says it best: “Once you start to scratch the surface of wine, the complexities are endless. When you start thinking about where those complexities come from, you’re down the rabbit hole at that point.”
LIQUID CONFUSION: HOW (AND WHY) TO TASTE WINE
You have to try before you buy. That’s a given. So if you know how to taste wine, then it will be easier for you to decide when you are at the liquor store. Quench editor-in-chief, Aldo Parise, walks you through the three steps of tasting and gives you a couple of tips along the way. For a look into the making of this video, watch the blooper reel. (www.bit.ly/quenchbloopers) ×
18 × @QUENCH_MAG × MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016
BON VIVANT BY PETER ROCKWELL
ILLUSTRATION: MATT DALEY/SHINYPLIERS.COM
How do wines get their names? While I wish I could pull a Penn & Teller and reveal the magic behind the trick of wine nomenclature, there really isn’t any. No matter what label you’re looking at, its primary name is (or was) either a person, a place or a thing. People make wine and sometimes they become pretty good at it, so it makes sense that winemakers, or winery owners, would want to ensure their fans knew which wines were theirs. Nothing does that better than slapping their names at the top of their wine’s front panel. Though there are famous winemaking families just about everywhere that grapes grow, European wines have always relied heavily on family surnames, especially in places like France’s Burgundy region where vineyards can have multiple owners, and recognizing who makes both the delicious (and the dodgy) can save you from a glass full of mediocrity. Often the winery itself is the star. Again, many European winemakers have taken advantage of their centuries of history by naming their wines after their posh and pricey real estate. Just look to France’s Bordeaux region, where everything’s château this and château that. However, Europe doesn’t own the patent on pushing their property. It doesn’t matter if it’s Australia, California or Canada; if a wine’s name has vineyard or winery in it, it’s named after a vineyard or winery. When it comes to things, most are either invented in a boardroom by marketing types or conceived after a few pints at the local pub. I enter into evidence the Fat Bastard and Ménage à Trois brands. When you can’t lean on who you are, or your geography, you just make something up which often works like a charm, especially with the coveted wine-loving millennials.
× Ask your questions at bonvivant@quench.me
What is Angostura bitters, and why isn’t it sold at liquor stores?
You mean, of course, that little yellow-capped bottle with an enlarged, text-heavy label that, if you own one, is probably resting quietly at the back of your liquor cabinet. With the modern cocktails craze showing no signs of fading, its popularity as a purchase has grown, though few, like yourself, have any idea what to do with it. First some facts. Angostura is a bitters, which means it’s a boozy mix of herbs, botanicals and spices. It has a recipe so secret that apparently only five people alive know its components (which some might consider a good thing). Tasting like it was aged in an old fisherman’s boot, Angostura’s thick, medicinal goodness is actually not bitter at all, adding a balancing yin to the aggressive yang found in many liquor-forward mixed drinks. Named for a town in southeastern Venezuela (now called Ciudad Bolívar), its blend was created from local ingredients by Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert, a German serving as surgeon-general in the Venezuelan military, as a tonic for the troops. Taken in small amounts, and heavily diluted with water, it was considered an all-purpose cure-all and surprisingly effective digestive. Siegert began to sell it commercially in 1824 and eventually moved its production to Trinidad. With advances in modern medicine stealing its thunder, Angostura began promoting its unique attributes to chefs and bartenders. While I don’t know anyone who cooks with it, mixologists are big fans with classic whiskey drinks like the Rob Roy, the Old Fashioned and the Manhattan (among many others) each getting their Angostura on. Why is it sold in supermarket and not liquor stores? Though it clocks in at 44.7%, Angostura’s dense, herbaceous flavour places it firmly in the “non-consumables” category. Which means you’d have to be off your nut to drink more than the bare minimum in one sitting. × NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 19
ACT OF GOD by Lisa Hoekstra
In May, Chablis, Beaujolais and Cognac experienced a freak hailstorm. It was so out of season that France’s national farming federation, la Fédération nationale des syndicats d’exploitants agricoles (FNSEA), declared a state of catastrophe. Yes, you read that right: catastrophe. The hail hit France’s vineyards hard right at the beginning of the 2016 growing season, and it came after a tough April that saw frost and hail damaging first buds in les vignobles. As a result, there was extensive damage that prevented winemakers from spraying their vines and led to an increased risk of disease while, at the same time, reducing the overall yields. “Hail’s kinda one of those things — it is what it is,” says Carl Bogdanoff, viticulture biologist for the Science and Technology Branch of Agriculture and AgriFood Canada. “If it’s super heavy, it can strip a vine clear and your season is over. It’s never black and white. It’s very spotty. So one vineyard could be totally devastated by hail and a kilometre away a vineyard can be untouched.” “Hail can be very devastating depending on the size of hail, duration and timing during the growing season,” says Jim Willwerth, senior scientist at Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute. “Hail of any size can cause injury especially if it is an intense storm. Larger hail can damage more than just the tender parts of the vine, such as leaves and fruit.”
When a hailstorm hits a vineyard, the tiny (or huge) ice spheres may bounce safely off the canopy of the vines, leave little bruises on the berries or dent the vines; or hail can pierce right through the leaves, mar the flesh of the vines and puncture the skin of the berries. Such damage harms the vine. “There can be direct effects, such as loss of leaves and fruit,” explains Willwerth. “But hail damage can also lead to increased disease, especially to the fruit, and even damage the permanent parts of the vine, leading to a longer recovery period.” “If you get a hail storm at harvest or, say, at veraison, that can be a big issue because your fruit can get damaged,” says Bogdanoff. “So if your fruit starts to ripen, it’s changing colour then it can get detritus — you have to really get in there and protect from pathogens.” Hail hitting the vines at different points in the season can have different effects, which kind of goes without saying. But whether or not the damage is slight (vines still produce viable grapes), severe (vineyard has limited-to-no yields but will recover in time for next year) or catastrophic (recovery may take two or more seasons) depends on timing.
20 × @QUENCH_MAG × MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016
“The time of year does have an impact,” Willwerth states. “Early in the season can result in damage to tender shoot and leaves, leading to defoliation and loss of flowers. Hail late in the season can cause significant loss in fruit due to tender clusters being on the vine and a lack of time for the vine to recover.” “If you have hail in the spring when the grapes are pea-sized, then the damaged berries will shrivel up and fall off,” says Bogdanoff. “Vines seem to recover fairly well.” With spring hail, the vines will still produce enough grapes for winemakers to recover their product. However, hail hitting the vines later in the season means there’s less likelihood for recovery, which in turn means a winery’s wine production will be smaller or non-existent. “If it happens in May, then you’ll have new shoots come out and there might be enough time to ripen so you can still get your crop out,” says Bogdanoff. “If it happens in June, then it’ll never ripen and your season is done.” Luckily that doesn’t mean the end of the vineyard for winemakers: the vines will recover and make grapes again in the
coming seasons. “Vines are tender but at the same time quite resilient and can recover if managed correctly with sound decisions following winter injury,” says Willwerth. “Hail storms have damaged fruit and vines in the past, resulting in crop loss, however the vines rebounded well in most cases the following year.” “So I’ve seen hail in June where it just stripped everything off the vines and the crop is just gone — all the leaves are gone. What happens is the vines will sprout out again. They’ll put out new shoots,” Bogdanoff explains. “I’ve seen hailstorms in August where five percent [of the grapes] are damaged and those will just dry up. But the vine itself will pretty much recover and send out new shoots and will grow. It’ll have reserves and all the buds will be fairly protected.” HOW OLD THE VINES ARE WILL DICTATE HOW THE VINES RECOVER FROM A SEVERE HAILSTORM. “I’ve
seen young shoots where the shoots are actually bruised and damaged so anything above where the hail hits the vine will essentially die off,” says Bogdanoff. “The canes and trunks can be damaged, however in most cases normal pruning can mitigate the damage,” says Willwerth. “However, young vines may not recover as easily depending on the severity of the hail damage. Young vines that are being established need more care and are more susceptible to most extreme weather.” Older vines have the advantage of sturdiness; their old growth and thick trunks mean that surface damage inflicted by hailstorms won’t require as much time to regrow. “For older vineyards, you’ll still have the old wood there,” says Bogdanoff. “It’ll send out new shoots so you can recover the next year or the year after.”
“Older vines will be more resistant to extreme weather with respect to moisture (excessive rain or drought) due to established root systems,” mentions Willwerth. “However, no vine is indestructible, regardless of age.” Out-of-season climate seems to be occurring more and more often. People write it off, with a bit of a scoff, as part of global warming or climate change, but what happens if it really is a change of normal weather patterns? Will vineyards still be able to survive, especially in prestigious regions like Beaujolais and Chablis, and in young regions like Canada? On this point, Bogdanoff and Willwerth have differing opinions. Bogdanoff believes climate change will not be the end of vineyards as we know them, while Willwerth believes it to be a great threat. Both agree, though, that growers will have to adapt and develop new technologies and practices to save their vines. “Relative to geologic time, climate change is happening in the blink of the eye,” says Bogdanoff. “But for you and I, and the vineyards, it’s gradual. The growers are pretty smart about it. They can adapt to it. Reporters write about Napa Valley becoming too hot, but that’ll be 20 to 30 years from now. It opens up new opportunities for other regions. It’d be a shame if Napa Valley lost its perfect climate for Cab Sauv, but growers will adapt. It’s such a long-term thing, growers will figure it out.” “Climate change is a great threat because of the risk of extreme weather,” says Willwerth. “This means that growers will have more challenges to deal with, and perhaps these will occur more frequently. As a result, innovative practices will need to be implemented in order to mitigate some of the negative impacts of extreme weather.”
Bogdanoff agrees about the extreme weather issues: “It makes it difficult if you have huge swings in climate — say, hail storms or wind storms — [which] can make it harder for growers to get their crops in. But they figure it out.” Willwerth provides an example in the form of Ontario’s Vine Alert and Tender Fruit Alert programs. These programs exist to monitor the hardiness of vines throughout the winter, when they’re dormant, and to inform wine growers if there are any perceived risks to their grapes. The growers then go all modern, using wind machines and the like to protect their crop. “Each year is different,” writes Willwerth. “But through these programs [they] can inform wine growers on how the plants are responding to weather conditions in a very timely manner.” Climate and weather play a huge role in the development of vineyards around the world, whether it’s here in Canada, where we have hot summers and cold (or very cold) winters, or over in France, where the weather is a bit more mild and manageable. “Here’s a big secret: growing grapes is actually farming, so you’re at the mercy of the weather,” says Bogdanoff. He mentions that, of all the fruit harvesting out there, vineyard growers are actually a bit lucky when it comes to hailstorms. “Grapes are crushed and turned into wine. But if you have an apple orchard and you get hail, it puts dents and bruises in your fruit so you can’t sell it at the market. It becomes an issue growers have to deal with. If they get a hailstorm, they may have to spray for detritus rot and sour rots.” It’s not all doom and gloom, though. No matter what our new normal becomes, scientists and innovative wine growers are on the case. × NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 21
PURE, HI AND LOW by Evan Saviolidis
To quote Dickens, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … ” Indeed, the growers and producers of Chablis can relate in 2016.
Let’s start with the best of times: there are currently two top-notch Chablis vintages on the market — 2014 and 2015 (as well as some excellent top-end 2012s). Both vintages are great yet diametrically opposed. 2014 is classic Chablis, with slicing acidity, deep minerality and long life. 2015, on the other hand, was a warm year, and the wines are ripe and round, providing instant gratification. Now for the worst: 2016, viticulturally, has been the year of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The growing season started with a spring frost, which was followed by hail, which was then followed by a second round of hail and which was finally capped off by a huge mildew outbreak. Even the old-time growers can’t remember such a horrific start to a season. Yields for the fortunate will be half. For others, there will be no grapes at all. I remember interviewing one of the most respected producers in the region this past summer. The look in his eyes was heartbreaking as he recounted that he would have no harvest this year. He followed up by saying that conditions like this only happen once in a generation and that this was his year. Chablis, for many, is ground zero for the argument of terroir. Chardonnay is the grape, of which the majority is unadorned with new oak, allowing the soil known as Kimmeridgian — a clay-limestone mixture pebbled with fossilized seashells — to convey a deep saline/flinty/wet stone minerality to the wines. 22 × @QUENCH_MAG × MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016
PETIT CHABLIS
Historically, Petit Chablis has played second fiddle to regular Chablis. These vineyards, which are situated on the periphery of the appellation, are on a bedrock of Portlandian, a much harder soil containing minimal seashells. It is also worth mentioning that many Portlandian vineyards are located at the top of the slope, just above the more famous Chablis/Kimmeridgian vineyards. Stylistically, Petit Chablis produces wines which are more fruit driven with less minerality than traditional Chablis. It does not mean the wine is of lesser quality, it is merely different. Since the price of land in the more famous Chablis region has steadily increased, many vignerons and young guns have been drawn to the Portlandian lands due to economics, and are now attempting to exploit their potential.
CHABLIS
Basic Chablis is the workhorse appellation. Out of 5,400 hectares, close to 3,000 hectares is dedicated to this appellation. It is also where value can be found alongside mediocrity. Size, vintage variability and production quality all contribute to the final outcome. However, when done well, you can obtain a great bottle of Chablis for $25.
VINCENT DAUVISSAT GRAND CRU LES CLOS 2015 ($175) Vincent Dauvissat is widely considered one of the top two producers in all of Chablis. So, if you come across this limited-production wine, do not hesitate to purchase it! Banana, mineral, lemon balm, anise, flowers and honey are layered overtop a broad mineral/iodine palate. Brilliant finale. Singular stuff!
LOUIS MOREAU VAUDÉSIR GRAND CRU 2012 ($80) A breathtaking, full-bodied Chablis that flaunts a bouquet of honey, apple, citrus, cream, white flowers and minerals. The same is found on the palate, with a massive wave of crushed seashells echoing long into the night. It still has another decade of life ahead — at least.
PATRICK PIUZE LES CLOS GRAND CRU 2015 ($90) This impressive Grand Cru offers significant honey notes that coat the red apple, spice, mineral, lilac, pepper and pear. The minerals carry the finish long into the night. Cellar or drink, the choice is yours. Didier Séguier Winemaker at William Fèvre
CHABLIS PREMIER CRU
Reliability arrives with the forty Premier Cru vineyards, the majority of which are planted on southeast-facing slopes alongside the Serein River, helping to capture early-morning sun and heat, and in turn creating fuller wines. It is generally at this level that one starts to see some new oak influence. $40 brings home the minerality.
CHABLIS GRAND CRU
One of the first things any serious wine lover learns is the seven Grand Crus (or eight, if you count La Moutonne) of Chablis: Bougros, Blanchot, Preuses, Valmur, Grenouilles, Vaudésir and Les Clos. Located directly above the town of Chablis, with a privileged south–southwestern exposure, these 100 hectares are the zenith and produce the fullest wines. 20 years ago, when I first got into this business, they were some of the finest white wine deals in the world. Today, due to demand, prices are out of range for most as they hover around the $100 mark. That said, if you compare them against Grand Cru whites from the Côte de Beaune, there is much value to be had. Also, both purity of fruit and wooded versions exist. It all depends on producer and style. There are certainly challenges ahead for the region, but the quality has never been better. I believe there is much to be positive about right now. I believe it so much, in fact, that although it is rare for me to purchase a case while on a press tour, this time I did just that!
JEAN-MARC BROCARD GRAND CRU BOUGROS 2014 ($80) A ripe Grand Cru with peach, honey, citrus, cream, pineapple, river stone, spice and red apple. Midweight with steely acidity carrying the aftertaste.
CHARLY NICOLLE MONT DE MILIEU PREMIER CRU 2014 ($60) A laser beam of seashore minerality and brisk acidity dissect the lemon, grapefruit, pear, honey, white flower and hints of pineapple. Long and well suited for freshwater perch with a lemon butter sauce.
DOMAINE TESTUT LES GRENOUILLES GRAND CRU 2014 ($80) Made from 50-year-old vines and aged in 17% new oak, this GC Chablis churns out honey-drenched white flowers, peach, yellow apple, orange rind, lemon, white pepper, pink grapefruit and smoky minerals. It just carries on the finish. Drink over the next 15 years.
DOMAINE LAROCHE RÉSERVE DE L’OBÉDIENCE LES BLANCHOTS GRAND CRU 2014 ($90) This bottling is only released in the best years. What makes it even more unique is that Élyse Lambert, arguably Canada’s finest sommelier, helped to create the final blend. A classy Chablis with razor sharp acidity, the apple, lemon, crushed seashells, salty minerals, white flowers and honey just keep on churning out on the extended finale. Drink until 2030.
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DOMAINE BILLAUD-SIMON CHABLIS LES PREUSES GRAND CRU 2014
DOMAINE SÉBASTIEN DAMPT CÔTE DE LÉCHET PREMIER CRU 2015 ($50)
Pure juice of Kimmeridgian rock! Minerals are supported by honey, lemon/lime, white flowers, pear and spice. Weighty, lengthy and full of life. What a top-notch Chablis should taste like.
A softer, rounder style of Chablis due to the hot year. Honey, apple, banana, cream, spice and golden delicious apple. Splendid length and ready to drink, preferably with lobster or seared scallops.
LA CHABLISIENNE CHÂTEAU GRENOUILLES GRAND CRU 2012 ($60) Aged in 10% new oak, this grand cru doles out smoky minerals, honey, flowers, cream, vanilla, caramel, red apple and honey. Closer to a Côte de Beaune white in style than Chablis, but still a seriously good drop of juice.
LA CHABLISIENNE PREMIER CRU LE VOLARENT 2014 ($60) When it comes to terroir, my pleasant discovery on my recent trip to Chablis was the vineyard known as Le Volarent, which produces racy, concentrated and powerful wines with deep saline minerality. This rendition adds flowers, crisp green apple and pear. Excellent length. This wine will age gracefully for 15 years.
PATRICK PIUZE LES FORÊTS PREMIER CRU 2015 ($60) Quebecer Patrick Piuze started his own Domaine in 2008 after having worked at Domaine Brocard, Olivier Leflaive and Verget. He generally harvests his grapes at around 12% potential alcohol to ensure that the terroir expresses itself in his wines. A pure expression of Chablis as vivid acidity, crystalline minerality and citrus qualities explode out of the glass and onto the taste buds.
BILLAUD-SIMON LES VAILLONS PREMIER CRU 2014 ($50)
CHÂTEAU DE BÉRU CHABLIS 2015 ($70) Béru is one of a handful of biodynamic producers in Chablis, and without a doubt, this has helped to propel them into the upper echelon of Chablis producers. This is a full-bodied Chablis with peach, pear, honey, iodine, cream and spice qualities. Weighty but not heavy at all.
GERARD TREMBLAY FOURCHAUME PREMIER CRU 2014 ($40) From vines planted in 1951 comes this mid-weight Chablis, which exudes textbook qualities of mineral, lemon, apple and florality.
GERARD TREMBLAY PETIT CHABLIS 2015 ($40) Sweet apple, fresh-cut white flowers, honey, citrus and peach are nestled on broad shoulders. Creamy qualities kick in on the finale.
DOMAINE BARAT CHABLIS 2015 ($40) A round and appealing Chablis with honey, peach, citrus and apple on the nose. It is when it hits the taste buds that the crushed rock factor explodes. Splendid persistency.
WILLIAM FÈVRE MONTÉE DE TONNERRE PREMIER CRU 2014 ($50)
Straight-up Chablis with chalky minerals, citrus, red and yellow apple and hints of honey. Linear with laser acidity. Long on the aftertaste.
Made from vines planted in 1936. Great density and verve. Apple and pear juice, citrus, lime and smoky minerals all the way around. It should age well for a decade.
DOMAINE TESTUT VIEILLES VIGNES CHABLIS 2015 ($50)
WILLIAM FÈVRE CHAMPS ROYAUX CHABLIS 2014 ($15)
The combination of half-century-old vines and a warm year has produced a lush Chablis with honey, mineral, apple, cherry pit, vanilla and toasty notes. Excellent length.
Fèvre’s workhorse Chablis — year in, year out — is a textbook example of what a good Chablis should be: dry, crisp citrus and mineral driven. It also represents solid value! A perfect foil for oysters on the half shell.
DOMAINE JEAN COLLET & FILS VIEILLES VIGNES CHABLIS 2014 ($40) Made from 80-year-old vines. Deep minerality encapsulates the apple, lemon, white flowers and notes of honey. Mid-weight with brisk acidity and great length.
DOMAINE JEAN COLLET & FILS MONTMAINS PREMIER CRU 2014 ($50) Citrus, apple, honey, white peach and vanilla are built on a dense yet crisp frame. Crushed seashell minerality takes over the palate and carries long into the sunset.
DOMAINE LAROCHE SAINT-MARTIN CHABLIS 2015 ($25) This stalwart of the LCBO and SAQ general lists delivers the goods in the form of citrus, honey, green apple, anise and minerals. Easy drinking and soft on the palate, it should appeal equally to both Old and New World wine lovers.
VINCENT DAUVISSAT PETIT CHABLIS 2015 ($50) This Chardonnay is anything but little. Honey, yellow apple, anise, peach, earth. Fullish, there is great poise and density, as well as length.
JEAN-MARC BROCARD LES VIEILLES VIGNES DE SAINTE CLAIRE 2015 ($50)
LA MANUFACTURE PETIT CHABLIS 2014 ($30)
Fermented via natural yeasts, there is a mix of honey, mineral, binned apple, nuts and citrus. There is depth on the palate as well as elevated acidity for the vintage.
This two-year-old Domaine has produced a superb Petit Chablis that is precise and linear. Apple, cream, peach, anise and minerals. Crisp acidity and fine length round out the package. ×
24 × @QUENCH_MAG × MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016
MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016 Every year, the editors of Quench choose the best assemblages, single varietal and other drinks from around the world. Tasters are Rick VanSickle, Tod Stewart, Silvana Lau, Tony Aspler, Michael Pinkus and Tim Pawsey.
WINE DOMAINE CHATELAIN LES VIGNES DE SAINTLAURENT-L’ABBAYE POUILLY FUMÉ 2014, LOIRE, FRANCE ($19.85)
Made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes that were originally planted by the monks of Saint-Laurent abbey. Pungent and forceful aromas of gooseberry, guava, fresh cut grass and lime zest eagerly leap out of your glass and onto your tastebuds. In a blind tasting, this wine can easily be mistaken for its New Zealand counterpart. However, the subtle flinty touch on the palate proves that it is much more sophisticated and elegant than its New World cousin. Persistent finish. The acidity in the wines is tight, fresh and crisp, making you salivate endlessly, but all this changes with a small hunk of creamy brie or goat cheese. The lip puckering acidity cleanses your palate, getting you ready for that next bite of delicious creaminess. (SL)
DOMAINE DE LA FRUITIÈRE MUSCADET SÈVRE & MAINE SUR LIE 2014, FRANCE ($17.95)
Wow! Smells of the river waft through the glass. In a good way. Not fishy, but the fresh inviting whiff of minerals and water running over a waterfall. Melon de Bourgogne can be quite insipid when yields are high, but thankfully the Lieubeau family (who has 200 years of winemaking history) takes great care in keeping yields low and producing a wine that uses natural yeasts, no
pesticides and no sulfates in their vineyards (that are perched on top of rock cliffs). Lemon zing and green apple flavours come through together with a mouthwatering minerality and even a subtle salinity expressive of the Nantais’ maritime region. The wine spends months on the lees, creating a creamy texture and yeasty flavours that balance out the vivid acidity. Good length. A perfect match with oysters (of course!) or even Korean fried spicy chicken (surprisingly!) The refreshing citrusy acidity and a modest 12% alcohol level (high alcohol intensifies spiciness) works beautifully to tame the heat. (SL)
TRES PICOS DE BORSAO GARNACHA 2014, CAMPO DE BORJA, SPAIN ($20)
Dense purple colour; savoury-herbal nose of red berries, black olives, spicy oak with a floral grace note; full bodied, sweet, juicy black raspberry flavour; mouth-filling, well balanced, carrying its 14.5% alcohol very well. (TA)
TINTONEGRO CABERNET FRANC 2014, UCO VALLEY, MENDOZA, ARGENTINA ($20)
Wild blackberry, smoked meats and streaky bacon fat lead this higher-altitude Uco Valley Cabernet Franc, before a persistent perfumed violet floral takes over. Sueded, dusky tannins support the medium-bodied, lifted and cherry-laden fruit to NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 25
RENNIE ESTATE G 2013, NIAGARA ($55)
An appassimento-style blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc that’s dried for up to 106 days. The nose reveals rich cherry pie, raspberry compote, crushed blackcurrants, graphite, forest floor, kirsch, dried herbs, bramble and toasted oak spices. It’s unfair to drink this now, with that mass of ripe, firm tannins, but underneath there is a range of saturated and highly extracted red and dark fruits to go with expressive vanilla-nutmeg-caramel spices, anise/liquorice notes and earth. (MP)
SOUTHBROOK SMALL LOT NATURAL WINE 2015 VIDAL ORANGE WINE, NIAGARA ($29.95)
Go au naturel! Talented Canadian veteran winemaker Ann Sperling’s orange wine took hand-picked clusters of Vidal grapes (white wine varietal) from her biodynamic vineyard and vinified it like a red. After crushing whole clusters of grapes and stems, the juice is left to wild ferment with the skins giving the finished product a distinct coppery hue as well as tannins and an intriguing complexity usually found in reds. An alluring bouquet of lime zest, crab apple and grapefruit perfumes the nose. It’s equally enticing in the mouth. Your taste buds can easily mistake this wine for a wild or Brett ale (popping up at craft breweries these days). The palate combines a welcoming hint of leather saddle and damp earthy funk, along with Bergamot notes reminiscence of a cup of Earl Grey tea with lemon, all balanced by lively citrus undertones. Don’t be put off by the cloudiness of the bottle. The wine was bottled with lees (yeast residue) to act as a preservative and stabilize the wine as no additional sulphites were used in the making. This orange wine is the best of both worlds between whites and reds (and even beers). The food-friendly acidity like a white, with the subtle tannins in the background providing a structural and richer texture like a red is the perfect dinner accompaniment for challenging food-and-wine pairings or ones that involve multiple courses. You will wish all Vidal’s are as versatile and fascinating as this! (SL)
VANESSA VINEYARD MERITAGE 2012, SIMILKAMEEN VALLEY, BC ($31)
The blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc. An impressive nose of blackcurrants, blackberries, smoky cedar, tobacco and toasted oak spices. It is firm and structured on the palate with a rich broth of dark fruits, elegant spice and vanilla notes and length through the finish. (RV)
NK’MIP CELLARS QWAM QWMT MER’R’IYM 2013, SOUTH OKANAGAN ($50.99)
Intense aromas of mocha, black fruit and leather precede a plush and well-balanced palate of cassis, blueberry and blackcurrant supported by firm but approachable and well-integrated tannins before a lingering close. (TP) 26 × @QUENCH_MAG × MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016
CASANOBLE REPOSADO TEQUILA, MEXICO ($40)
A fragrant reposado offering up warm caramel, butterscotch, vanilla, honey and subtle smoky notes all wrapped around a core of slightly vegetal, cooked agave notes. Full, round and silky in the mouth, this USDA certified organic tequila boasts flavours that lean towards toasty oak and butterscotch with nuances of fresh baked agave. The finish is long with traces of white pepper. (TS)
SPIRITS
a mineral, limestone-spiked finish. TintoNegro is a collaboration project between Alejandro Sejanovich and Jeff Mausbach, colleagues at Bodega Catena Zapata for almost 15 years. Finesse finishes warm; best suited to pork dishes. A new lens for Argentinian reds. (TR)
PITÚ CACHAÇA, BRAZIL ($27)
Cachaça can be bottled either un-aged (like this one) or aged. The white varieties typically form the base for cocktails. Slightly earthy/nutty on the nose with nuances of wet stone and cut grass. While pleasant served neat, with erathy/peppery notes, a crisp, slightly oily mouthfeel and a spicy finish, the spirit really shies when used in a traditional Caipirinha. Combine half a line (cut into wedges) in a rocks glass and add two teaspoons of sugar. Muddle the lime and sugar, fill the glass with ice and add the Pitú. Stir until ice begins to melt and garnish with a lime slice. (TS)
SUNTORY WHISKY TOKI, JAPAN ($40)
The blend lets Hakushu’s vibrant fruit (banana, pear, tropical nuances), Chita’s earthier notes and Yamazaki’s sultana, chocolate and sherry-tinged nuances all shine through. A tribute to a masterful blend. Complex, nutty/fruity/herbal aromas give way to a supple, clean, round and mildly smoky palate. (TS)
LAPHROAIG LORE, SCOTLAND ($200)
Malt lover’s (especially those who opt for the bolder numbers) rejoice; Laphroaig has release its newest — and boldest — expression in Canada. Dubbed “Lore,” this unique dram combines the peaty power akin to the distillery’s knock-out Quarter Cask, along with a combo of uniquely-aged spirits from the distillery’s legendary past. Bottled at 48 percent ABV, it oozes citrus peel, seaside brine, dried flowers, caramel, cocoa, vanilla, mild smoky peat and toasted malt. Brimming with spicy citrus, it’s big, full, peppery and chocolate. Find it. Buy it. Enjoy it. (TS)
ALTMORE SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT AGED 12 YEARS, SCOTLAND ($60)
Part of the Dewer’s Last Great Malts of Scotland collection, this number caught me all unexpected-like. Typically, I like my malts smoky and assertive, but this one seduced with a gentle complexity that had me reaching for more. Dried barley, fruity pear and just a whiff of peat, the aromatics sashayed into flavours of lemon drop, cut grass and a very subtle toasty smoky flavour. On first sip, it seems simple. (TS)
DIXON’S OATSHINE, ONTARIO ($70)
Snugged away in Guelph, Ontario, Dixon’s is a small-batch distillery whose spirits are crafted by one of the youngest female distillers in the province. Oatshine is a unique take on traditional moonshine in that it’s distilled from 100 percent Canadian oats. Fruity aromas combine with hints of toasted oats, traces of wet earth and a dash of peppery spice. Round and gently spicy, the flavours suggest cooked oatmeal, with a touch of fruit and earth. The distillery recommends enjoying it over ice or with ginger beer. (TS)
TINTONEGRO’S WINEMAKER JEFF MAUSBACH
TAIHEI-ZAN CHOGETSU JUNMAI GINJO SAKE, JAPAN ($40/720 ML)
SAKE
A fragrant junmai ginjo from the Kodama Brewery, an establishment that first began making sake since 1913. This award-winning sake is brimming with aromas of flower blossom, Asian pear, almond skin and melon. Pear, honeydew melon and a suggestion of marzipan in the mouth. Elegant and balanced. The name Chogetsu means “clear moon floating over an Akita rice field.” (TS)
KIYASSHO JIKON JUNMAI GINJO OMACHI, JAPAN ($47) This is a very rare sake that is even difficult to source in Japan. Made in single batches by 6th generation Toji (master brewer) Tadayoshi Onishi using the noble Omachi strain (the brewery uses a different one for each sake it makes) of rice and a proprietary yeast. Captivating aromas of anise, Asian pear, nougat and white flower blossom give way to intense, zesty, refreshing fruity/spicy flavours with traces of almond skin and fennel. Complex yet with remarkable elegance and sophistication. (TS)
WAKATAKE ONIKOROSHI TOKUBETSU JUNMAI GENSHU SAKE ($35/720 ML)
I tried this terrific sake (along with many others from Wakatake) at an amazing dinner at Toronto’s Ki restaurant. This sake was served both chilled and warm with two different dishes, aptly demonstrating the versatility of sake when it comes to pairing with food. Fresh melon, green apple, banana and citrus aromas (which became more intense, along with a mild herbal note when warmed), it displays a rich, creamy palate with crisp acidity and flavours of ripe melon, herbs and lime. The silky feel and savoury notes became more apparent when warmed. Good value. (TS)
KODAMA TAIHEIZAN TENKO JUNMAI DAIGINJO SAKE, JAPAN ($70/720 ML)
The daiginjo classification is considered to be the pinnacle of the Toji’s art, with rice grains polished down to half the grain’s original size and a long, cool fermentation employed. Junmai daiginjo is a sub classification of daiginjo, indicating that no additional alcohol has been added. The classification represents a mere 3.3 percent of all sake brewed. This sample also utilizes the traditional kimoto method, where lactic acid is allowed to naturally develop. A subtle, elegant, complex and beautifully balanced sake, with sweet, ripe melon, citrus fruit, a touch of cocoa, steamed rice and smoke aromas that mingle together in the mouth in a ripe, creamy, apple/vanilla/mildly peppery symphony. (TS)
CIDER
GROWER’S PEAR CIDER, ONTARIO ($3/473 ML)
Okay, fans of true perry may be mortified, but this stuff is pretty refreshing. Crisp, light, balanced with subtle Bartlett pear nuances, it’s clean, off dry and thirst quenching. Fun and fruity, it’s a great “gateway” to possibly some more serious stuff. (TS)
ERNEST CIDER, ONTARIO ($3.25/473 ML)
A mash of baked and fresh apple on the nose with wildflower, honey, apple-skin accents and soft effervescence. It straddles the line between dry and sweet on the palate with a range of fresh apple flavours, a kiss of honey and complexity through the clean, crisp finish. (RV) × NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 27
THE YOUTH REVOLUTION by Tim Pawsey
CAST YOUR MIND BACK, maybe a decade or so, and you’ll probably agree: for all its Riesling and other delights, Germany used to seem just a tad staid, or even frustratingly complicated, often tightly bound by tradition. Fast-forward to the present and you might be surprised. Because — even if the monopolies have not yet quite latched on — there’s now a whole new era unfolding in German wine. It’s being very much driven by a group of dynamic young players, determined to quickly make their mark on what has been for many years a somewhat predictable scene. Even more interesting is that, for the first time ever, many of these movers and shakers are women, eager to put to good use newly gained knowledge from the likes of Geisenheim University and travels elsewhere. There’s much more here than meets the eye. Maybe it’s not solely a German thing. But I can’t help but think that in many countries, such as Canada, it’s not so easy or usual for parents to let go of their life’s work at a still relatively young age. Yet in present-day Germany, an older generation appears truly supportive in handing over the reins – in some cases, probably earlier than they expected. All these factors and more are helping to shape the new world of German wine. Meet Juliane Eller, the brains behind Rheinhessen’s Juwel Weine. Raised in a grape-growing family, she says, “I knew very much that I wanted to make my own wine.” She finished her Geisenheim studies in 2013, when she was just 23. “Two days after I came home, I said to my mum and dad: ‘Let’s change everything! Are you with me?’ And they said: ‘Yes. Let’s do it!’ And now we are growing together.” 28 × @QUENCH_MAG × MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016
Today, with an air of quiet confidence well beyond her 26 years, Eller has three vintages under her belt. She works closely with her sister, who handles the tasting room and marketing, as they reshape the family’s 25-year-old commercial vineyard into a 21st-century winery, complete with a refreshing, updated look she herself conceived. Juwel is both a contraction of her name and a play on words, with a clean-lined diamond logo that’s a nod to the process. “Grapes are the rough diamonds of what I’m doing,” she says, “And that’s the idea behind the logo.” Eller has narrowed production down to five varieties that make sense from both viticultural and commercial standpoints: Riesling, Weissburgunder, Grauburgunder, Silvaner and Spätburgunder. The winery’s 120,000-bottle-and-growing annual production is now entirely hand-picked. Plus, “even though it’s not easy,” Juwel is transitioning from conventional to organic farming. Although her parents agreed to help Eller follow her own ideas, there was still plenty of pressure in those first couple of years, she says. Now, however, “People are really interested.” So much so that the winery is selling out its production. Eller says she’s far from alone in transforming what came before. Her Geisenheim class included nine young women, from wine regions around Germany. “At one point,” she recalls, “Our professor asked what we were going to do after we finished our studies. Nine girls raised their hands and said they were going to start their own business, or go home and work in the family business.” “The change is working very positively,” she suggests, “especially as there’s a new spirit of collaboration in the younger generation. It’s not only the young winemakers who are transform-
Juliane Eller
ing Germany but also the young wine drinkers. So many young people are interested in Riesling but they’re also interested in exploring Grauburgunder and other varieties.” Eller says there’s no question her younger clientele has a handle on what she’s doing. Also, just as important, “They’re prepared to pay for it. ‘Because,’ they say, ‘We know what it’s worth.’” Sometimes the next generation is propelled to the fore by unexpected events. Dorothee and Karoline Gaul of Weingut Gaul always intended to enter the family business; both studied oenology and are qualified winemakers. As kids, they worked with their father, Karl-Heinz Gaul, who even gave them a small parcel from which they produced their own “K-D” wine. However, their commitment was hastened by his sudden illness in 2008, which precluded him from ever working again, and which ultimately took his life three years later. Both women are fully involved in the 100-year-old, 18-hectare estate, along with their mother, Rosemarie. What struck me were the changes that have taken place since I last visited, some eight years ago, when their father was still alive. The original, traditional tile and wood-trimmed winery building remains, complete with its life-sized statue of a stallion, which used to be prominent in the winery’s identity and name, Gaul, which means “horse.”
THE BIGGEST CHANGE IS FRONT AND CENTRE ACROSS THE COURTYARD AT THE VINEYARD’S EDGE.
Here, in truly dramatic contrast, the sisters have constructed a weathered, steel-clad, cuboid building housing the cellar, a main-floor tasting room and an upstairs apartment. Reinforced glass floor panels offer glimpses of the cellar below, while an expanse of wrap-around glass makes the most of the vineyard vista. The structure is a brave and bold statement; its clean edges speak to the house style and now much more daring, modern character. In the glass, the wines are impressive and very focused, with interesting comparisons between soils and vineyards. Along with impressive citrus- and mineral-themed RiesNOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 29
WEINGUT WINTERLING SEKT FLEUR DE ROSÉ, PFALZ ($25)
WEINGUT KARL-HEINZ GAUL ASSELHEIMER SPÄTBURGUNDER TROCKEN 2014, PFALZ ($35)
Susanne Winterling (29) enjoys a well-earned reputation for her sparkling wines. This rosé delivers bright floral and fruity notes up front, with Pinot and Chardonnay made in a crémant style supported by fresh acidity.
Forward red berries precede a palate of cranberry and medium cherry with definite, clean stony undertones supported by fresh acidity, with good cellaring potential.
WEINGUT MARGARETHENHOF RIESLING TROCKEN FORSTER JESUITENGARTEN 2014, PFALZ ($35) Benchmark Riesling made by Yvonne Lucas (29) and her brother Martin (28) from one of several celebrated vineyards. Her work experience includes stages in California, Central Otago, Alto Adige and elsewhere. Pronounced apple and mineral notes with a shiste element on a keenly focused palate defined by great length and spiceness.
JULIANE ELLER JUWEL WEISSBURGUNDER TROCKEN 2015, RHEINHESSEN ($23) From 35-year-old vines on limestone, a clean modern style, as lifted tropical, lychee and stone fruit precede a fresh and fruity palate of grapefruit and zesty notes.
JULIANE ELLER JUWEL GRAUBURGUNDER TROCKEN 2015, RHEINHESSEN ($23) Lifted apple and orchard fruits before a bright, fruit -driven, quite creamy, mouth-filling palate, with good length and vibrant acidity before a clean end.
JULIANE ELLER JUWEL RIESLING TROCKEN 2015, RHEINHESSEN ($23) Upfront lemon-lime proclaims a well-balanced palate with clean citrus and orchard fruits underpinned by fresh, structured acidity.
WEINGUT KARL-HEINZ GAUL MUSKATELLER BRUT 2014, PFALZ ($27) Fun, fresh and lively sparkling muscat defined by upfront floral, peach and stone fruit with excellent mouthfeel and good weight.
WEINGUT KARL-HEINZ GAUL SAUSENHEIMER HUTT RIESLING 2015, PFALZ ($50) From the oldest Gaul vineyard, briliant green gold in the glass with mineral and slate notes wrapped in lime notes and racy acidity with distinct stony and gentle spice finish.
WEINGUT KARL-HEINZ GAUL SAUSENHEIMER GRAUER BURGUNDER TROCKEN 2015, PFALZ ($23) Karoline and Dorothee Gaul offer proof that Pinot Gris is also on the rise. Lifted orchard notes with vanilla hints precede a fresh, luscious but elegant palate with added weight from 30 percent in well managed used oak. 30 × @QUENCH_MAG × MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016
WERTHER WINDISCH 8° GRAD 14’ E MINUTEN SILVANER TBA TROCKEN 2011, RHEINHESSEN ($35) Jens Windisch, who started working more sustainably with his viticulturist father 10 years ago, offers an extraordinary, elevated take on Silvaner with this “village wine” now perfectly aged: developed, honeyed aromas before a layered, juicy and broad palate defined by clean apple, citrus and mineral hints.
WEINGUT SCHÄTZEL HIPPING RIESLING 2012, NIERSTEIN ($40) Aromas of slate and citrus over emerging petrol notes, followed by more rounded, generous mouthfeel with layers of citrus and mineral supported by well-balanced but firm acidity with a lingering end.
WEINGUT SCHÄTZEL PETTENTHAL RIESLING 2012, NIERSTEIN ($30) Quite evolved with a distinct petrol nose, superbly balanced and nuanced with understated floral, diesel and intense zest notes wrapped in vibrant acidity with a mineral backbone.
WEINGUT SCHÄTZEL PETTENTHAL RIESLING GG 2014, NIERSTEIN ($60) Still very much developing: lifted citrus notes of lime oil and intense citrus, with a zesty, very clean palate with a bright, lingering end.
WEINGUT SCHÄTZEL REINSCHEIFER RIESLING 2013, NIERSTEIN ($24) Already well developed with pronounced petrol up front followed by a focused palate of taughtly balanced fruit and acidity with classic, citrus and hints of mineral to close.
WEINGUT HÖRNER HORNY ROSÉ 2015 ($20) Multi-red blend includes Spatburgunder, Cabernet Dorsa and Merlot for an easy drinking, dry-ish rosé capped by a fun tongue-in-cheek package.
WEINGUT HÖRNER WEISSBURGUNDER STEINBOCK 2015 ($30) Upfront stone fruit and pear notes precede a luscious mouthfeel with good structure and a solid close.
WEINGUT HÖRNER GRAUBURGUNDER WIDDER 2015 ($30) Flinty notes and hints of citrus before well-balanced fruit and acidity, with orchard and stone fruit underpinned by good structure and decent acidity.
Thomas Hörner
ling in varying styles, the sisters also make a Muskateller Sekt Brut, Grauburgunder, Weissburgunder, Spätburgunder, Gewürztraminer and more. At 25, Thomas Hörner, his formal wine studies completed (along with stints in Burgundy and Austria), is making his own mark at Hörner Hainbachhof, which he runs with his father, Reinhold Hörner. The family comes from generations of wine growers, who have followed the traditional norms, including a major emphasis on large wooden vats, although that’s shifted increasingly to bottled wines in recent times. Other changes include a move to more sustainable practices — with no use of herbicides or insecticides —more precise vineyard management and hand work. Even in his teens, while pursuing his studies, Thomas worked in the family business. Since 2011, he has managed the cellar, as well as worked in the vineyard. The father-and-son team has forged an agreement to make all major decisions together. The most visible evidence of Thomas’s involvement manifests itself in a new label design. It’s a fun play on the family name, using the horns of different animals (bull, ibex and mountain sheep) to represent the winery’s tiers. More than a marketing strategy, the rebranding underscores changes made in the vineyard relating to yields and quality, and a focus on a fresher, drier style with a more moderate alcohol content for the Burgundian varieties, as well as Sauvignon Blanc and Muskateller. The label is both ingenious and eye-catching, arguably one of the freshest designs I’ve encountered anywhere. The bull’s horns are used for everyday drinking wines, the ibex horns for more “serious” varietally driven (and possibly higher acidity) wines, and the ram’s horns reserved for select parcels, oak-fermented wines and those intended for aging.
Particularly fun is a departure for the die-cut (bull horn) rosé label, which — of course — is just plain “Horny.” Not surprisingly, Hörner won a 2016 German Design Award for corporate identity, excellent communications in design and packaging. Riesling guru Stuart Pigott, author of Planet Wine, says he first noticed things changing in about 2002. He suggests that, with the new generation, the traditional suspicion and mistrust that often existed among wine growers has all but evaporated. Wine in Germany, says Pigott, is now being driven by the fact that it’s now part of pop culture; he points to get-togethers featuring “serious tastings” that might last for a couple of hours before giving way to “party wines.” More importantly, he points to the emergence since 1999 of numerous associations, such as Wine Changes or Die Junge Südpfalz, which have blossomed in the last few years. Their proliferation has been fuelled in great part by the success of Generation Riesling, the now 10-year-old program that not only celebrates young winemakers but even “retires” them from the club once they turn 35. “Within these groups, there’s a free exchange of information and a swapping of experiences from working in other regions, such as Burgundy, Marlborough or Sonoma,” says Pigott. “Driving the whole thing is a conviction that ‘we’ is stronger than ‘I’ can ever be. Where else can you see that in the wine world?,” he asks. Even though these are just a few examples, the youthful change rapidly sweeping the country is widespread and multi-regional. Germany is finally on a roll, thanks to a community of young women and men winemakers, who are terroir and quality driven like never before. × NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 31
AU NATUREL EVER WONDER WHAT’S IN YOUR WINE? by Silvana Lau Think that the oak and buttery nuances from your Chardonnay came from the slow oxidization of expensive French oak barrels? Think again. It’s from dusty oak chips or staves floating in a large stainless steel tank before your wine was bottled. This shortcut can partially hide flaws or “beef up” a wimpy (cheap) wine by imparting vanilla and toasty flavours from the wood chips without bearing the costs of labour and materials.
Love the deep hue of the Zinfandel swirling in your glass? Thank Mega Purple for that. Mega-who? You may not have heard of this grape concentrate or colouring agent; there’s a good reason it intentionally flies below the radar. Similar to the Russian Olympic team, winemakers are reluctant to discuss the use of “wine steroids.” When this “cheat” is added to cheap red wines, it has a way of homogenizing flavours and aromas, making wines taste very similar to one another. Mega Purple is added for several reasons: 1) it softens the wine (due to the sugar content); 2) it can hide flaws; 3) it provides some texture to wines that may have suffered from a less than optimal growing season; and more importantly, 4) it plumps up the wine for a more “desirable” darker colour. Many consumers are caught up in the idea that the darker the wine, the better it is. Black fruit is better than red fruit. Heaven forbid if a bottle of Petite Sirah isn’t dark and inky! Winemakers will also tinker around with additives and processes to achieve the desired taste in wines. Is that Sauvignon Blanc not zesty enough? Inject it with some tartaric acid. Is it too astringent and tart? Commence malolactic fermentation. Is that Shiraz not tannic enough? No problem, just throw in some powdered tannin. Too tannic? Fine it with fish stomach or egg whites. Feel like you have been duped or cheated by your winemaker? You can’t blame him for using every tool in the toolbox to make the best possible tasting wine. After all, it is a race to gain popularity with the wine-drinking public and higher ratings from influential wine critics, which urges winemakers from all corners of the globe to use the same tools and creates so many wines that taste alike. 32 × @QUENCH_MAG × MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016
In a pursuit to make the best wine conceivable, some wineries have gone to the extreme by adding illegal additives. A winemaker in Southern Italy added methanol into his wine to increase the alcohol content, causing an uproar as 23 Italians died with many permanently blinded by alcohol poisoning. In 2004, winemakers at a South African winery added vegetable flavourings to their Sauvignon Blanc. The winemakers manipulated the wine’s aroma — altering it to portray aromas of green pepper and fresh cut grass — to make it more marketable to the public. The wine received several awards before the fraud was discovered. I apologize to all the grape nuts reading this. Perhaps ignorance is bliss. But, do we really expect to get a beautiful bottle of wine for under $10 that went straight from vineyard to bottle with no technological manipulation? Or, are we willing to accept that certain techniques and additives are now part of “routine” winemaking processes? Can we just forget about it, drink and enjoy? Winemaking may conjure up romantic images of wine country: rows of twisted old vines tended by passionate families attached to their land for generations, dark underground cellars of cobwebbed barrels that hold history in liquid form. We are romanced with the stories on the fancy labels that describe the magical alchemy of soils, climate, long traditions and ancient practices. Sorry to kill the romance, but like the food industry, wine has been adulterated by industry giants. That bottle of California Cabernet can be more attributed to a lab-coat-wearing chemist than to barefoot grape stompers.
Wine was once a simple commodity; it now has been hijacked by human intervention. Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, some 8,000 years ago, wine was merely made from crushed grapes that fermented into wine. There were no added sugars, no foreign yeasts, no adjustments for acidity, no powdered tannins. Not only were additives not used, but technology such as reverse osmosis and cryoextraction also did not exist yet. There were no fancy labels or catchy names. Zilch. Zero. THESE DAYS, MODERN WINEMAKING HAS TAKEN THE PROCESS FAR BEYOND ITS HUMBLE BEGINNINGS.
Some commercial wines are made in large quantities in an automated fashion that can be soulless. You know exactly what kind of wines I am talking about. The ones that are weighty and flabby but without character. Some are waaaay too smooth, while others have a sharp, acidic tang on the finish. Or even worse, these wines all taste the same, year in and year out. These wines are boring. Yaaaawn. Over time, the science of winemaking has allowed winemakers to understand the processes involved and the factors affecting wine quality, granting them the knowledge their ancestors did not have. However, science may have gone too far. Instead of using science to produce wines with minimal interference, some winemakers have been taking advantage of it to gain complete control over every single aspect of growing grapes and making wine, taking over Mother Nature’s job. Many of the big brand wines are produced in massive quantities in factory-like wineries. The flavour profiles of these wines are meticulously shaped by focus groups to match the average palate. These
wines have little connection with the environment or terroir where the grapes were grown and reflect more of a chemistry experiment than the vineyard expressing itself. At the other end of the spectrum, some winemakers are producing wines with little to no intervention at all. Natural or “naked” wines are a nostalgic snapshot of how wine was made before technology existed. Although “natural” carries no legal definition or certification, the term is used to describe wines that have been grown organically in a biodynamic setting free of chemical additives. Don’t let the buzzwords “organic,” “biodynamic” and “natural” confuse you. Organic and biodynamic are the tools used in the vineyard to grow grapes in an almost spiritual and sacred manner. Natural is the philosophy: it is what happens to the grapes after they are harvested. Simply put, natural wines are made according to old-school methods. They are made following the theory of letting Mother Nature be the key player in growing the grapes, using natural fertilizers and allowing animals such as sheep to graze among the vines. The hand-harvested grapes are then turned into wine using native yeasts with no addition of sulphites — or anything else for that matter! Despite the winemaker being truly at Mother Nature’s mercy, the final product is an honest representation of a piece of land in a particular year. Wine as nature intended it to be. Wine that is truly terroir based. The modern-day natural wine movement has been flourishing in France (the birthplace of natural wines), Italy, Spain, New Zealand and Slovenia. Even Ontario’s own Southbrook Vineyards in Niagara-on-the-Lake has jumped on the bandwagon. “The desire for natural wines is a reaction to many New World NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 33
wines, which are heavily manipulated by the use of cultured yeasts, yeast nutrients, oak additives, flavourings and colourings to produce a consistent and often bland wines. These interventions mask or negate the sense of place and individuality that are regarded as indicators of fine wine,” explains Paul DeCampo, the director of marketing and sales at Southbrook. Natural winemakers, including Southbrook’s Ann Sperling, are returning to the vineyard without the processing and manipulation of technology. This informal group of like-minded producers has one goal in common: to add as little as possible because they believe that unadulterated wines are more complex and fascinating, reflecting their vineyard climate or terroir better. Although there are no concrete definitions of natural wines in the industry, DeCampo explains that natural winemakers emphasize that “it begins in the vineyard, with methods that create living soils using organic matter and biodiverse microbiology. Biodynamic practices promote the development of these microorganisms (flora, fauna, fungi) while avoiding synthetic pesticides, and fertilizers protects this biodiversity.” At Southbrook, grapes are hand-harvested, sorted and prepared for crushing (with or without destemming) and pressing. The grapes undergo fermentation carried out by yeasts naturally 34 × @QUENCH_MAG × MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016
present in the vineyard or the winery environment. “Native or wild yeasts tend to have more diversity than commercial yeasts, which give more complexity to the wines. Native yeasts are generally less efficient in converting sugar to alcohol, so tend to carry lower alcohol levels as finished wine,” explains DeCampo. A secondary fermentation or malolactic fermentation also takes place. The wines are then allowed to develop without the application of sulphites. If sulphites are used, they would be applied later in the bulk aging process, or just before bottling. Fining (adding protein to remove excess tannins) and filtration are generally avoided, although coarse filtration may be practised. Some wines are bottled with some lees (yeast residue), such as Southbrook’s Orange Wine, as they act as a preservative and stabilize the wine without sulphites. TECHNICALLY, NO WINE IS SULPHITE FREE — NATURAL SULPHITES OCCUR DURING THE FERMENTATION PROCESS — BUT AVOIDING THE USE OF SULPHUR DIOXIDE IS A SIGNIFICANT FEAT FOR THE NATURAL WINE FOLKS.
It is the most widely used wine additive. Why? For two reasons. First, it kills bacteria or wild yeasts that may spoil the wine. Secondly, it prevents oxidation of the wine.
AVOIDING THE USE OF SULPHUR DIOXIDE IS A SIGNIFICANT FEAT FOR THE NATURAL WINE FOLKS. IT IS THE MOST WIDELY USED WINE ADDITIVE. WHY? FOR TWO REASONS. FIRST, IT KILLS BACTERIA OR WILD YEASTS THAT MAY SPOIL THE WINE. SECONDLY, IT PREVENTS OXIDATION OF THE WINE. For winemakers to avoid using sulphites, they need to be skilled and cautious. Otherwise, their wine is at risk of spoilage or oxidation. “Sulphites add a structural element, so at Southbrook, we have been working with the inclusion of stems in the fermentation process to replace that tension in the wine,” DeCampo explains. Furthermore, having insight into the microbiology and chemistry of wine allows Sperling to keep the wines stable with minimal interventions, or to avoid sulphites altogether. In fact, she stresses the importance of having a “nutrient desert” in the wine, meaning there are no nutrients for any remaining yeast cells or other microbes to thrive, thus spoiling the wine. Not adding chemicals to the equation of the winemaking process poses several challenges for winemakers. Firstly, without sulphites, wine has no shelf life. It can quickly oxidize and turn into vinegar. “There is still some uncertainty about how the wines will age, although there are examples of no-sulphite-added wines that have aged well,” assures Decampo, mentioning Château Le Puy. Moreover, without fining or filtering, natural wine can have a cloudy hue with sediments floating around, which can be off-putting to some. Hence the wine needs to be decanted before serving. “Consumers need to be prepared to store and serve the wines differently to accommodate these characteristics,” explains DeCampo. Thirdly, the flavours in natural wine tend to be more rustic and earthy, exhibiting barnyard, stable and cowpie aromas related to a natural yeast called Brettanomyces (or “Brett” as the cool kids call it) — a quality that some prize, while others scoff at it. Lastly, being at the peril of Mother Nature, vineyards are more vulnerable to severe weather and disease. Natural wines tend to cost more to produce as approved fertilizers and weed killers are more expensive than their conventional counterparts. But how does wine without added sulphites taste? Natural wines can be mystifying. They refuse to provide a controlled experience: instead, anticipate a surprise and unexpected taste in your palate. Tasting natural wines requires an open mind and curious taste buds. These wines are often low in alcohol, rarely exceeding 14%, even from hot climate regions. The flavours are a bit untamed, exhibiting unexpected wild characteristics your palate and your nose may not be used to. “There is a wide range of flavours possible, although generally,
the wines are less purely fruity in character, with more herbal and savoury nuances,” describes DeCampo. Some, particularly whites and rosés, tend to be darker than usual, with a little effervescence, and cloudy or with clumps of yeast floating about. Natural wines can also be still or sparkling, dry or sweet. These wines are often rugged, which some find alluring, while others think they are unsophisticated or faulty. Along with its fans, natural wine has its share of detractors. The lack of an official “natural” definition and certifying body make it a free-for-all category, which could lead to scrupulous marketing tactics and deceitful claims by wine marketers. Because there are no hard-set rules or definition, any winemaker can call his wines “natural.” Whether or not it’s true comes down to his integrity. Although there is little abuse of the term, a set of standards or accreditation would provide a sense of legitimacy and avoid any confusion among consumers, allowing natural wines to be taken more seriously. Natural wine associations in Europe are now working towards a standard definition. We celebrate the murkiness of freshly pressed apple juice and the stinky Limburger cheese, yet we still shun cloudy, natural, unfiltered wines. We insist on wines that taste homogenous regardless of how they were was grown or made. It’s time to forget everything you know about wine and recalibrate both your palate and expectations. Instead of focusing on specific flavour profiles, we need to consider if manipulation of wines is justified and at what costs. In today’s green society, natural wines have quickly become one of the most intriguing and trendiest wine movements. Conscious consumers are constantly seeking out “local” this and “artisanal” that. They are becoming more aware of what they put in their mouths. They want their dishes to be washed with organic dish soap and their furniture to be built from recycled and reclaimed wood. This is a remarkable concept and should apply to all facets of life. Living consciously requires a holistic approach. According to Alice Feiring, a staunch supporter and natural wine expert, “it makes no sense to want artisanal, organic and minimally processed food, with pure ingredients, and then drink wine with many additives from poor viticulture.” As we become increasingly aware of what’s on our plate, it’s ridiculous that we are not asking the same questions about what’s in our glass. × NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 35
BAREFOOT By Rick VanSickle
It is the strangest of sights. Arriving at the newly erected Fable Farm Fermentory here in Barnard, Vermont, a strapping young man approaches our small group and we exchange the usual pleasantries. He’s dressed in lumberjack chic with a classic newsboy cap and long trousers rolled up a notch or two. We are standing on a driveway that’s covered with fresh, sharp-edged stones made hot by the sun. But the man with the cool hat has no shoes on. HE IS BAREFOOT, and his feet look like he they have not had the benefit of shoes for a very long time. I’m not even kidding.
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It is only later, when we are introduced to the Fable Farm ciTo these guys, cider is a spiritual and other worldly experider makers, that we realize the man with the exposed tootsies is ence, and their method of making them, as pure and natural as Jonny Piana, who — along with his brother Christopher — envi- possible, results in a range of intriguing elixirs. sioned and built the fermentory, a farm-based cider winery proTo wit: ducing aged “cider as wine” and vinegars, among other herbal Fable Farm Rosary 2013 Cider: A blackcurrant and apple elixirs. The fermentory is part of a larger family of organizations pétillant-naturel cider with a burnt-orange hue and subtle working in unison to steward farmland, develop rural businesses sparkle. Notes of mature baked bin apple, spice, wild honey, and promote community experiences in Vermont. currants, citrus and anise. Turns out going shoeless runs in the family, as both brothers These young bearded siblings — part mountain men, part hold court in the cool confines of the cider cellar. They are telling surfer dudes, but all business — are the epitome of the craft-fous about their vision for Vermont cider, the future of all things cused, small-batch unique drinks and culinary scene emerging in delicious in one of the union’s most beautiful states and how it’s the second smallest state (population 620,000) in the US. all tied in to a sort of spiritual nirvana. Their mission statement: “As farmers, we cultivate landscape as it CALEDONIA SPIRITS HEAD is our body; as Earth is Gaia, our farm DISTILLER, RYAN CHRISTIANSEN too becomes a single organism made up of fractaled life forms and repeating geometry.” I honestly don’t know what the hell that means. But I digress. The reality is the Piana brothers are making some of the most fascinating and interesting ciders you will ever taste. They are exploring the outer boundaries of creativity by taking the wine process and melding it with the anything-goes craft beer and natural wine philosophies to offer exciting, pure, refreshing ciders of immense character. While their own estate orchards continue to take root, they get their apples from wild, abandoned and cultivated trees found across their farm and neighbouring fields, forests, backyards and orchards. Yes, they forage for apples — what they call “gleaning” — and climb trees in their bare feet and shake those suckers to the ground to begin the journey of making ciders in a range of zany ways that are closer in style to wine than cider. Everything is wild fermented and made without any additives. After fermenting the ciders dry, they are sent to the cave “to cure and mature through a species succession of micro-organisms in both barrel and bottle.” According to the brothers: “Ciders that are alive mature into an extremely diverse continuum of flavours and will evolve from year to year. Our supply of cider is limited by the purity and phenomenon of the farm and seasons.” NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 37
FABLE FARM OLD EARTH 2013 CIDER ($10) A pétillant-naturel cider from foraged (wild) apples that is barrel fermented and barrel aged with nothing added. It’s super cloudy with bruised apple and brown sugar notes; rich, toasty and elegant on the palate.
WHISTLEPIG 12 YEAR OLD WORLD WHISKEY ($120) Sensational whiskey that’s finished in a combination of Madeira, Sauternes and Port oak casks. Smooth as silk with notes of vanilla/caramel, dried apricots, dates and honey with a long, long finish.
CITIZEN CIDER THE DIRTY MAYOR ($6) A lovely cider with a subtle spritz and not-so-subtle ginger note on the nose and palate. There are lemon-peel and floral notes, leading to a refreshing finish.
SHELBURNE VINEYARD L’ACADIE BLANC 2015 ($20) This import grape from Nova Scotia has found a new home in Vermont. The nose is all melon, apple and freshening citrus with stone fruit and vein of salinity on the finish. A delight.
LINCOLN PEAK VINEYARD MARQUETTE 2014 ($20) Marquette is the standout red grape in Vermont and this one is typical with bold and sassy notes of blackcurrants, plums and ripe cherry, with round tannins and a spicy bite on the finish.
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They walk the walk (damn the shoes!) and talk the talk of a cider/beer/distillates/wine industry that has it all working in mellifluous harmony. They are stronger with all the elements entwined and focused on the real prize — offering a diverse and complete “Vermont” experience for consumers. It’s a symbiotic relationship; an understanding that shared ideas and methods of creating their products — like what works and what doesn’t — lifts the entire community. They feed off each another. Vermont, trying to venture beyond a limiting reputation for its legendary maple syrup and the vast green canopy of forest that covers 75 percent of the state, is a fast-emerging destination that is quenching a lot of thirsts and filling up a lot of bellies with culinary and liquid goodness in an honest and genuine way. Our small collection of bloggers from across the US and Canada based ourselves in Waterbury, a quaint town that punches well beyond its weight class in terms of cool places to eat and drink. From there, nothing is particularly close to anything else in terms of quick and easy traditional wine trails that you see in other wine regions. But that is part of the charm of Vermont: lovely, picturesque drives surrounded by green-covered mountains, rivers, lakes and gorgeous little towns that are irresistible. The Vermont wine industry is relatively new when compared to the rest of the vinous world. Trying to grow grapes in temperatures that can plummet to -40˚C in the dead of winter renders most vinifera (noble grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir) useless — they wouldn’t survive a season. A small group of wineries has emerged to champion what they now know they can grow — hardy Minnesota-developed hybrids such as La Crescent, Marquette, Frontenac Gris, Frontenac Blanc, Frontenac, Brianna and St. Croix, with a sprinkling of Riesling in the warmest pockets of the state. At La Garagista Farm + Winery, in the breathtaking Piedmont chain of hills in Barnard, the backdrop is a scene of serenity as alpine meadow flowers sway in the warm breezes of spring. Here, the approach is to grow only alpine grapes guided by organic, permaculture and biodynamic thought. At the home farm, while observing the native terroir, La Garagista not only grows grapes, but also vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs for their restaurant kitchen. Winemaker Deirdre Heekin says they have attempted to grow vinifera such as Riesling on the farm but it failed to ripen. So, they have embraced hybrids to great success. “We don’t need to make Riesling (and other noble grape varieties). We have enough interesting prime material to make really interesting wines that have so much potential and show so much of what our terroir is here.”
The extraordinary La Garagista Ci Confonde Pétillant Naturel White 2014, made from the Brianna grape, was a highlight for me of the wines tasted during our visit: so fresh and vibrant, with floral notes, papaya, minerality and citrus. At Shelburne Vineyard, a pioneer of Vermont winemaking and a snapshot of what can be achieved with grit and determination in a hostile wine-growing environment that shuns traditional vinifera grape varieties, the owners/partners have set lofty goals. “We will probably make some of the best wines in the New World,” Quebec lawyer and one of the new partners at Shelburne, Sam Coppola, proudly tells us as we taste upcoming vintages of the Great Red Hope in Vermont — Marquette. This winter hearty hybrid, a descendant of Pinot Noir, has no trouble dealing with the kind of winters Vermont experiences. At Shelburne and other local wineries, it is the superstar among red wines — rich, complex, bold and age-worthy. Bravado and proclamations aside, it can lead the way for red wines, but judging from the wines we tasted both in bottle and in barrel, it is best when oak is used judiciously to better show off the currants and blueberries and less of the savoury, meaty notes that oak can amplify.
Shelburne founder/owner Ken Albert had a vision 35 years ago that it could be possible to make commercial wine in Vermont. He planted (and replanted) vines on land he leased from farms and experimented with different grapes. The star grape that would emerge from his research ended up being Marquette, which was released as Shelburne’s first commercial wine in 2000. From the success of that first wine, Albert made the decision to purchase the land that is now Shelburne’s flagship site. The LEED-designed winery opened in February 2008, surrounded by Marquette vines. The operation includes 17 acres of grapes, mostly the super-hardy Minnesota hybrids, with a small planting of Riesling and Vidal. “I had a crazy notion to plant grapes in Vermont,” he says. “I developed a passion for it. If they can do it in Quebec, we can do it here.” For such a young wine industry, Vermont’s “identity” is already established, a major hurdle already out of the way. At the few wineries we visited, there was a sense that grapes like Marquette, La Crescent, Frontenac Gris, Louise Swenson, Frontenac Blanc and Frontenac — all grown in a responsible, sustainable way — are going to drive the industry. NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 39
CHRIS GRANSTROM FROM LINCOLN PEAK VINEYARD
That’s not to say there won’t continue to be experimentation, even with vinifera. I tried Rieslings with Albert in the tasting room. The 2014 vintage was a tad on the sweet side, but the 2015, made much drier, was spectacular, all citrus and river-rock minerality with notes of pear and apple. It was, for me, a style somewhere between Finger Lakes and Niagara. The challenge is finding the right place to plant it so the brutal winter doesn’t murder it every year. A quick bus ride takes us to Lincoln Peak Vineyard in Middlebury. The story of owner Chris Granstrom and his family’s journey from apple tree farmers to strawberry farmers to full-fledged wine growers is inspiring. For Granstrom, the grape growing all started in 2001 with a shoebox full of grapevine cuttings from a fellow in Minnesota strictly for experimental reasons (wink-wink). “I had heard about these new, winter-hardy grape varieties and I sent him an email. I stuck the cuttings in the ground; they grew. Within a few years, grapes took over our strawberry fields, and now we find ourselves one of the largest grape producers in the state of Vermont,” he says. The first batch of commercial wine was only made in 2006 but production has now grown to 25,000 bottles a year. “Some folks may have thought we were crazy to start an enterprise like this, but with some good land, careful farming techniques … it’s all working out. We like to think that we’re helping to turn a new page in Vermont’s long and varied agricultural history.” The wines we tasted were delicious. Granstrom’s Marquette was a winner: a lovely, personable red that wasn’t overdone with oak. His blended and varietal whites all had freshening acidity and a range of fruit flavours that were appealing and well made. “We’re still learning here,” Granstrom says. “We’ve only taken baby steps. We have a long way to go.” Marching side by side with the cider and wine industry is the equally tasty craft spirits and beer side of all this awesomeness 40 × @QUENCH_MAG × MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016
in Vermont. Innovation abounds from boutique distillers such as WhistlePig, Smugglers’ Notch Distillery, Appalachian Gap Distillery and Stonecutter Spirits. The Barr Hill Reserve Tom Cat gin from Caledonia Spirits is one of the most unique spirits you will ever taste; it screams Vermont. Barrel aged in new, charred Vermont white oak, the Tom Cat is a completely unique gin. It has a whiskey-style profile with lovely notes of juniper, sweet wild honey and a floral accent that emerges on the smooth finish. The craft beers, at least from the breweries we tried — Hermit Thrush Brewery, Upper Pass Beer Co. and Foley Brothers Brewing — all had a distinct hopped-up flavour from a flourishing home-grown hop industry. Fresh, vibrant, flavourful beers were a nice complement to the range of tipples and locally grown feasts we enjoyed over three days in Vermont. Our finishing note in Vermont was the Ploughgate Creamery at the Bragg Farm in Fayston and its impact on us all was immediate. Stunning vistas of glorious green mountains, some carved gently with wicked ski trails, was our backdrop. Tables were set up outside in the middle of a giant field, dairy cows grazing happily in an adjoining field. A spectacular barn, the creamery, was in the background and glowed from ambient light once the sun had set. Ploughgate Creamery’s cultured butter is made from fresh Vermont cream sourced from the St. Albans Co-op. The cream is cultured for 48 hours before being churned, giving the butter a distinct tangy, nutty and slightly cheesy flavour. Butter, exquisite cheese from Cabot Creamery and Jasper Hill Farm and a feast of barbecued pulled pork and beef tacos was supplemented by a dizzying array of wine and spirits — some from Vermont, others brought here for the occasion to share with old friends on a glorious last night in Vermont. Bravo, Vermont, bravo. ×
GIN BLOSSOMS by Tod Stewart
The upsurge in the number of “craft distillers” operating around the world has opened the door to a resurgence in gin distillation that brings a new level of complexity to an old spirit.
RE-INVENTING A CLASSIC: BERRY BROS. & RUDD NO. 3 LONDON DRY GIN
“Gins have come a long way since they were introduced to England,” confirms Mike Harrison, sales development director for Berry Bros. & Rudd, the venerable UK wine and spirits merchant and the recipe holder for No.3 London Dry Gin (No.3 refers to the street address of the firm’s London shop). “It has been on the radar constantly,” he maintains, “though it is only recently that it has started to expand at an almost exponential rate.” No.3 London Dry Gin is, in a manner of speaking, a bit of a blast from the past updated for the modern palate. “London Dry,” as Harrison explains, was originally coined to differentiate this style from its more common (sweet) predecessor. Harrison notes that London Dry is often singled out as the most prestigious gin style due to the strict guidelines that must be followed during production. A traditional copper pot still is used for the final distillation once the flavour- and aroma-producing botanicals are left to steep overnight (No.3 uses three fruits and three spices, including grapefruit peel, Angelica root and Moroccan coriander). “Once distilled, the flavour of the gin cannot be altered in any way,” Harrison reveals. “This means that the skills of the distiller are truly apparent.”
IT’S PRONOUNCED KA-ROON: CAORUNN SCOTTISH GIN
From the same side of the pond comes one of the newer craft gins to grace our shelves: Caorunn. Crafted by the Balmenach Distillery in the Scottish Highlands, where distilling techniques have been passed down for more than two centuries, Caorunn has some very unique aspects to it. “Caorunn is a small-batch gin, handcrafted in a copper berry chamber, using a vapour-infusion method,” notes the distillery’s assistant manager Gordon Stevenson. “The berry chamber was manufactured in the US in the 1920s to produce perfume, and it was shipped to Scotland in the 1960s.” When it comes to what goes into the chamber, Stevenson explains, “I use 11
botanicals, five of which are local to the distillery. I forage them the day before I’m due to distill.” This provides more than a few challenges. “As the five Celtic botanicals are seasonal, I have to ensure I gather enough of each prior to the season ending so I have stock to carry us through the winter months,” he says. Stevenson points out that Caorunn is infused in 1,000-litre batches in what he describes as a “very slow process” that he oversees entirely. The work, however, has paid off handsomely.
KNOCKING BACK THE DOOR: DEATH’S DOOR GIN
Founder Brian Ellison didn’t name his Wisconsin-based operation Death’s Door Spirits to invoke the souls of the dead. NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 41
BARRY BROS. & RUDD NO.3 LONDON DRY GIN ($50) Like all London Dry gins, No.3 is juniper-forward, with notes of pine, bright citrus notes and traces of coriander. Crisp and fresh, it’s beautifully balanced with traces of citrus and spice.
CAORUNN SMALL BATCH SCOTTISH GIN ($50) As with the No.3, Caorunn is fashioned in the London Dry style. So there are some definite pine/juniper notes for sure, but there are also notes of cardamon, anise, herbs and dashes of lemon and vanilla. Very smooth with a creamy mid-palate.
DEATH’S DOOR GIN ($43) Keeping things simple has its upside in that each component leaves a clear impression. The wild juniper, coriander and fennel harmonize beautifully, resulting in a clean, crisp gin with a complexity that belies the three main flavour components.
DIXON’S WICKED CITRUS GIN ($40) Juniper, liquorice, woodsy, baked lemon, sweet citrus and papaya with some heat on the finish; not a creamy style, but crisp, fresh and clean.
UNGAVA CANADIAN PREMIUM GIN ($35) Some juniper for sure, but also distinct notes of citrus peel with a dash of coriander and floral nuances. Gently resinous in the mouth, with juniper and spice balancing some floral elements. Fairly complex.
VICTORIA GIN ($45) Juniper’s fragrant evergreen notes are here for sure, but with added complexity from a dash of baking spice (ginger, clove), a hint of anise, a whiff of wildflower and some subtle, earthy tones. Quite assertive in the mouth, with coriander, orange, mild spice and, of course, some refreshing, juniper-imparted bitterness.
top: Caorunn Gin Master, Simon Buley; right: Peter Hunt, master distiller at Victoria Distillers
“Death’s Door is the name of the passage that separates Washington Island from the mainland,” he reveals, adding that the founding of Death’s Door Spirits had everything to do with finding a high-value product for the wheat that’s grown on the island. “We started with bread and baked goods, then made some beer, and finally learned how to produce distilled spirits.” The decision to make a gin, Ellison admits, was because of the preponderance of juniper that grows wild on Washington Island. But this practicality in no way reduced his desire to fashion a top-flight gin. “We didn’t use any other gins for inspiration,” he says. “We simply created a simple spirit using local botanicals, and based it on the premise that ‘less is more.’” To keep things simple, Ellison uses only three botanicals: juniper, coriander and fennel seeds. “We flavour our distillate in a ‘one-shot’ method, placing all three botanicals in an extraction chamber and running the distillate vapour through
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them, directly followed by our condenser. There is no crushing of the botanicals and there are no additional flavours added other than what comes off the pot still with the adjacent extraction chamber.”
SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES: DIXON’S WICKED CITRUS GIN
“Interestingly enough, none of us on the Dixon’s team actually liked gin,” confesses Vicky Dixon proprietor and distiller at Guelph, Ontario’s Dixon’s Distilled Spirits. “The general consensus was that it had the similarity of licking a pine tree.” Rather than abandoning gin altogether, though, the Dixon’s gang decided that making a gin that would appeal to both aficionados and, well, normal people too, would be a fun challenge. “We decided to try a light juniper and citrus blend,” she reveals. It obviously worked. “It got us drinking gin again. And a few of our ‘sworn-off gin’ friends are now back in the gin game.”
Boutique distillers like Dixon’s may not have the marketing clout or history of the larger players, but this gives them something the spirit behemoths don’t have as much of: freedom to experiment and go “off recipe.” That was the thing that certainly helped Dixon’s when it came to producing Wicked Citrus (along with their liquorice-forward Wicked 6). “Our uniqueness comes from our freedom to create new and exciting flavours, but also from the fact that we didn’t like gin. We set out to create a gin that would let notes other than strong juniper shine through.” Although only open for just over a year and with (at this point) a strictly local (and loyal) fan base, Dixon’s aims to grow into the world market. But it certainly strives to stay true to the market that has been so appreciative of its gins and other spirits. “Ontario is our home, and we are very proud Canadians,” Dixon contends. “We have had our doors open for one year, and the local support has been both overwhelming and heart-warming. So it only made sense for us to start out focusing locally and expand from there.”
YELLOW GIN FROM THE GREAT WHITE NORTH: UNGAVA PREMIUM DRY GIN
Taking its name from the expansive area of northern Quebec bordering Ungava Bay, Ungava Gin differentiates itself through the use of northern botanicals that give it a somewhat startling (for gin) lemon-yellow hue. “The northern Canadian botanicals are very unique and add a huge element to our quality,” contends Joshua Groom, On Premise Portfolio Manager, Camus Cognac & Domaine Pinnacle — the latter being the maker of Ungava Gin. “We use them during and post distillation, which we believe creates more balance in the final product, leading to more approachability.” Interestingly, the use of these unique botanicals has an additional side benefit. “Our post-distillation use of botanicals provides an opportunity to have a higher alcohol content without the negative aspect — alcohol burn,” Groom reveals. “It’s the use of our unique botanicals that helps us achieve balance.”
A GIN REBORN: VICTORIA DISTILLERS
“My background is in molecular biology, but I was a bartender for 11 years while I went to school. Distilling brings together art and science very nicely,” says Victoria Distillers’ master distiller, Peter Hunt. A decade ago, out on Canada’s west coast, Hunt and his team crafted Canada’s first premium gin. Today, with a new partnership, a new distillery and new packaging, Victoria Gin has been reborn. Though much has changed, the spirit remains the same. Hunt admits his inspiration came from one of the “big boys,” but he figured he could top them. “We were Bombay drinkers,” he concedes, “but we thought we could make something better. We started with many of the same ingredients as Bombay, but slowly changed several botanicals and adjusted the techniques to refine the spirit further. “We use 10 botanicals that focus on four flavours: citrus, floral, juniper and spice. Our juniper notes are scaled back from your average London Dry, and all four flavour elements are in balance. This makes for a versatile gin that is great in a wide variety of cocktails, but is enjoyable neat.” × NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 43
BACK TO OUR ROOTS
by Duncan Holmes
In the gloaming of a late-summer day, we lost power. It doesn’t happen often so I was a bit shocked when I opened the fridge for a cold one and it was dark inside. And the house, in the half-light, without the sounds of things that need electricity to function, was quite suddenly quiet.
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While I was confident that it was a temporary thing, the dark fridge immediately made me think about food storage, and how we keep stuff cool when the power goes off. It’s always a first consideration. Fridges are full of “Best Before” food: meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, desserts, leftovers. It’s these items and their families — which demand cold temperatures to remain safe and edible — that need attention when the power fails. Way less vulnerable to temperature changes are produce and the whole family of root vegetables — those earthy delights that can last for a long time in a bottom kitchen drawer, a dark cellar or an earthen cave in the back garden. A farmer friend, Gordon, who lives down the road, once had cattle in his barn. It’s now where he stores carrots in sawdust, kept cold in a refrigerated room that was once home to sides of aging beef. He gets to eat unspoiled carrots year-round. I always grow plenty of root vegetables. Carrots, beets, parsnips, rutabagas and potatoes, plus attempts at ginger, ginseng, yams and other roots, tubers and rhizomes that deliciously mature in the dark of Mother Earth. As I write, I’m looking at the variegated leaves of two wasabi plants that pair well with the gun-metal colour of my cabbages and cauliflowers. In due course, I’ll dig up the wasabi, grate the roots and enjoy their heat with my own versions of California rolls and other sushi stars. In my kitchen, I’ve found that root vegetables are very versatile. Steamed and soaked with butter, a favourite herb and a sprinkle of brown sugar, the carrot taproot is a burst of colour and flavour. Roast parsnips in the middle of winter, once they’ve had time to season in the ground, and you’ll make your hero roast a triumph. Can some beets and serve them up with a summer picnic or salad. The produce department of your supermarket is always well stocked with the root families, and their prices are right. Add something from below ground to the seasonal greens that you’re buying from above. BUT BACK TO THE POWER FAILURE FOR A MINUTE.
My choice in the fading light of what became a power-less evening was to sit at the piano — no power required! — and improvise music for an outage. Then, by candlelight, to puddle together titanium white and Payne’s grey to create a stormy acrylic sky for a painting in progress. Was the Mona Lisa done by day, or by the light of flickering candles? And how did those Renaissance guys keep their food from spoiling as they tended to their masterpieces? Somewhere in the middle of these thoughts, I learned that chef friend James Walt of the acclaimed Araxi Restaurant + Oyster Bar in Whistler was out with another book that was right on topic, Araxi: Roots to Shoots, Farm Fresh Recipes. I have included a couple of rooty recipes from Chef James, who was also in charge of the sixth annual Araxi Longtable Dinner. Held in August, 400 guests — that’s four hundred guests — sat at one very long table in the shadow of Mount Currie in Pemberton, near Whistler, to enjoy his rootin’, tootin’ best. No doubt about it, roots are magically marvelous. Out of the earth and onto your plate, their promise is distinctive and delicious tastes, and they deliver big time, every time.
ROASTED BEETS WITH CHICKPEA CAPONATA AND NASTURTIUM PESTO
SERVES 4 AS AN APPETIZER OR AS PART OF A PLATTER This dish is Chef James Walt’s non-traditional take on caponata. It uses chickpeas instead of eggplant but retains all of the sweet and sour flavour. Says chef: “Nasturtiums are fantastic, and I always love the look on people’s faces when they first eat one of these flowers. Where do you find them? Look no farther than your neighbour’s garden or the farmers’ market. While you’re there, pick up some beets: we like ours somewhere between the size of a golf ball and a pool ball so they roast evenly.” ROASTED BEETS
1 lb assorted beets (golden, red or Chioggia), washed and dried 3 tbsp grapeseed or canola oil 3 sprigs thyme 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled Pinch of coarse sea salt NASTURTIUM PESTO
1 cup firmly packed nasturtium leaves, washed, plus 10 to 12 smaller leaves for garnish 1/3 cup grapeseed or canola oil 2 cloves garlic, crushed with the side of a knife 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated 3 tbsp toasted pecans or walnut pieces Zest from 1/2 lemon CHICKPEA CAPONATA
3 1/2 2 2 1 3 1/2 1/2 1/2 1
tbsp good-quality extra-virgin olive oil medium red onion, finely chopped cloves garlic, finely chopped bay leaves tsp crushed coriander seeds Pinch of red chili flakes cups chickpeas, cooked cup fresh cherry tomatoes, halved cup sultana raisins, soaked in hot water then drained cup kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped tbsp curly-leaf parsley, chopped
COOKING ROASTED BEETS 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 2. Cut 2 pieces of aluminum foil, each 10 × 12 inches, and place one on top of the other. Place the beets in the centre of the foil and add the oil, thyme, garlic and salt. Fold the foil around the beets and roll up the edges to create a sealed package. Set the beets on a baking tray and roast for 30 to 40 minutes. 3. To check for doneness, remove the beets from the oven, carefully unwrap them and insert the tip of a knife into one of them. The knife should slide easily in and out. 4. When the beets are cooked, remove them from the oven, unwrap and discard the foil and set aside the beets until they are just cool enough to handle. 5. Using your fingers or a dishtowel, rub the beets to loosen their skins. Peel and then discard the skins. Set beets aside to cool. NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 45
PREPARING NASTURTIUM PESTO Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil on high heat. Add the nasturtium leaves and cook for 20 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the nasturtium leaves to the ice water to stop the cooking. When the leaves are cool, drain them and pat them with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Place the nasturtium leaves, grapeseed (or canola) oil and garlic in a blender or food processor and blend at high speed for 1 minute until smooth. With the motor turned off, add the cheese, nuts and lemon zest then process at high speed for a further 30 seconds until thickened. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate until needed. Pesto will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 2 or 3 days.
1. Simmer and sweat the diced vegetables in the butter, olive and sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the curry powder, cardamom, ground pepper, Tabasco, Worcestershire and herbs, bringing all of the ingredients together. 2. Add the stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft. 3. Blend the mixture in your food processor then additionally season with salt and soy sauce to taste. Your soup may be frozen now or served. 4. Before serving, stir the whipping cream into the warm soup. Do not boil. As an extra touch, add a knob of Stilton to each bowl. If you wish, a minute or so under the broiler works extra wonders.
PREPARING CHICKPEA CAPONATA Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Add the red onion, garlic, bay leaves, coriander and chili flakes and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onion has softened and the garlic is fragrant. Stir in the chickpeas, tomatoes and raisins and cook for 3 minutes to let the flavours combine. Remove from the heat and refrigerate until cool. Stir in the olives and parsley.
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS BAKED ROOT VEGETABLES
TO SERVE: Place 1 tbsp of the nasturtium pesto in the centre of each plate. Spread it across the plate with the back of the spoon. Top with 3 or 4 tbsp of the chickpea caponata. Cut the beets into slices or quarters and arrange them on top of the chickpeas. Drizzle with the remaining pesto and garnish with nasturtium leaves. Serve immediately.
DUNCAN’S WINTER WARM-UP
When you have 1,000 square feet of garden that, in many stages of its late-summer life, is in non-stop production, you must be nimble with the daily pick. As well as fresh-from-the-garden food, stockpots are invariably bubbling with soups, stews and chowders that end up in the freezer late at night. Recipes? You work on them until they taste great, then you stop. In January, February or any time you need a nice surprise when it’s cold out, break open the memories of summer! This recipe won a province-wide contest.
6 large carrots, diced 2 large onions, diced 1 large potato, diced 1 tbsp butter 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp sesame oil 1 tsp curry powder 1 tsp cardamom Dash of ground pepper Dash of Tabasco sauce Dash of Worcestershire sauce Handful of finely chopped fresh or dried herbs, such as oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme 6 cups chicken stock Salt, to taste Soy sauce, to taste 1/2 cup whipping cream Blue or Stilton cheese 46 × @QUENCH_MAG × MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016
This one comes from allrecipes.com and makes good use of vegetables that grow below ground.
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lb new potatoes, halved large rutabaga, peeled and cubed large sweet potato, peeled and cubed large parsnips, peeled and cubed large carrots, peeled and cubed tbsp olive oil tbsp sweet red chili sauce tsp onion powder tsp garlic powder tbsp steak seasoning tsp ground black pepper
1. Preheat oven to 375˚F. 2. Toss potatoes, rutabaga, sweet potato, parsnips and carrots
with olive oil and chili sauce in a large bowl until coated. Season with onion powder, garlic powder, steak seasoning and pepper. 3. Toss again until evenly coated, then spread vegetables into a 9 x 13 inch roasting pan. 4. Roast vegetables in preheated oven for 20 minutes, then stir, return to oven and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes more.
PICKLED BEETS
8 cups beets, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 15) 1 1/3 cups sugar 2 1/2 cups white or cider vinegar 1 cup water 2 tsp whole allspice 1 cinnamon stick, broken 1 tsp salt Wash beets, leaving taproots and 2 to 3 inches of stem. Cook in boiling water until just tender (20 to 30 minutes). Plunge into cold water then remove skins, stems and roots. Combine remaining ingredients in a large pot and simmer for 15 minutes. Pack beets into clean, hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Slice or halve beets if necessary. Return liquid to a boil and then use it to fill the jars of beets, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Seal jars and process in a boiling-water bath for 30 minutes.
CARROT AND CORIANDER SOUP SERVES 6 Another from Araxi: “This is a very simple soup and one that my kids have always loved. It is also a great way to use up carrots, which can take over a farm garden pretty quickly. You can make this soup in larger batches and freeze some for rainy days.”
1/4 cup butter 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 2 medium white onions, sliced 2 cloves garlic, sliced 1 tsp coriander seeds 4 lb local carrots, peeled and roughly chopped 8 cups vegetable stock 1 1/2 cups whole milk 3/4 cup honey 2 pinches fresh nutmeg Sea salt and cracked white pepper, to taste 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped 1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter with the olive oil on medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until they are soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and coriander seeds and cook for 3 to 4 minutes to toast the coriander. 2. Add the carrots then the stock and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low, cover the pot and cook until the carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. 3. Remove from the heat and stir in the milk, honey and nutmeg. Working in batches if necessary, carefully pour the soup into a blender or food processor and purée at high speed until smooth. Season with salt and white pepper. 4. Place a fine-mesh sieve over another pot and strain the soup. Discard any solids. Reheat if necessary. And remember, hot soup should be served in hot bowls. Garnish with the chopped cilantro. ×
NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 47
BOUQUET GARNI BY NANCY JOHNSON
IT’S ONLY ROCK ‘N’ ROLL
I STARTED WORKING IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IN 1978,
just as Saturday Night Fever was dying, punk was rising, and the industry was eating returns on all that disco music. It was a bad time to start my record biz career. On my first day on the job at Warner/Elektra/Atlantic (WEA) in Cleveland, I wasn’t sure I was going to make it to the end of the week. Everything was bigger, hipper, louder and faster than any other office I’d ever worked at. The branch manager swore a lot at the sales manager. The sales manager swore a lot at the sales staff. Laid-back, wild-haired promotion reps came and went; I could barely keep track of them. I had never had music blaring over my head while I tried to answer a phone, music that occasionally was turned up even louder by one of the promotion reps when The Cars came on the radio, because, as it happened, we were breaking The Cars during my first week. I had never worked in a business like the music industry. It was fun and funny and absolutely fabulous. I did make it to the end of that first week and ultimately logged 30 years in the business — mostly in marketing positions, first with WEA Cleveland, followed by a stint at WEA home office in Burbank and then several years with Sony Music Canada — before starting to work for Quench. Every day was interesting. Every day was an adventure. There were a lot of exceptional moments; it’s hard to choose the most memorable, but these are just a few: Bowling was an oddity the artists seemed to enjoy when they came to Cleveland. We took many artists bowling, including Van Halen and Phil Collins. Their entire entourage would join us and it was always fun and a little bit surreal. I have a special place in my heart for Cher. I met her at a Geffen party at one of our conventions. We talked on and off throughout the evening. Seriously, there’s only one way to describe her — Cher is incredibly cool. Alicia Keys did a television interview right in front of my desk. I had to pretend to look busy since I think I was on camera. 48 × @QUENCH_MAG × MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016
Over the years, the industry segued, somewhat reluctantly at first, to digital distribution. Most of the record stores in North America closed. Since our biggest account base was gone with the wind, fewer people were needed in the field. I was put out to pasture, but in the gentlest of ways. WEA moved its headquarters from Burbank to New York with a much smaller staff. The Sony staff moved into smaller digs as well, and the iconic Sony Music Canada building on Leslie Street in Toronto was demolished. The other day I ran into a former promotion director who was at the top of his field back in the day. He and his staff broke more artists than I can remember. He told me he’s doing landscaping now. And the beat goes on.
SPAGHETTI WITH CAULIFLOWER AND PANCETTA
SERVES 4 When I was working full-time and raising my son, one of the things I learned to do very well was to cook quickly and to sneak veggies into the mix whenever possible.
1 1 4 1/2 2 1/2 1/4 2 2
package spaghetti tbsp olive oil cups cauliflower, chopped in bite-sized pieces cup pancetta, diced cloves garlic, minced cup dry white wine cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped tbsp butter Salt and pepper, to taste tbsp parsley, minced
1. Cook spaghetti, reserving 1 cup pasta water before draining. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil. Cook cauliflower and pancetta over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower begins to brown, about 10 minutes.
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2. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in wine and
cook 2 minutes until wine is nearly evaporated. Stir in olives and butter. 3. Add spaghetti with reserved pasta water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until liquid is nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley and some hot red chili pepper flakes, for a kick. MATCH: Uncork a Chardonnay.
BISTRO STEAK WITH BACON FOR TWO
A tender steak is the key to getting dinner on the table after a hard day at the office. This recipe calls for beef tenderloin, but use whatever steak you happen to like.
4 2 1/2 2
slices bacon beef tenderloin steaks, 1 1/4 inches thick Salt and pepper, to taste cup Italian salad dressing slices tomato
1. In a skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain bacon, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. 2. Add steaks to reserved bacon drippings in skillet, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook over medium-high heat about 5 minutes per side or until medium-rare (145˚F), turning once. Remove steaks. Add Italian dressing and cook over high heat, scraping up any browned bits. 3. To serve, arrange steaks on two plates. Top with tomato slices and bacon. Drizzle with warm dressing. MATCH: Serve with a Bordeaux.
EGGPLANT PARMESAN
SERVES 4 TO 6 Many recipes call for frying the eggplant in oil. To cut back on fat, I bake the eggplant slices in the oven until they’re softened and the breading is crisp before covering them in sauce and cheese.
2-3 3/4 2 1 1/2 350 1
small eggplants, cut into 1/4 inch slices cups flour eggs cups bread crumbs Salt and pepper, to taste Extra virgin olive oil Tomato Sauce (recipe follows) g mozzarella cheese slices Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish package spaghetti, cooked
1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. 2. Place the sliced eggplant in a colander set in the sink. Sprin-
kle with salt and let the bitter juices drain from the eggplant, about 3 hours. Rinse well and pat dry. 3. Place the flour on a plate. Beat the eggs in a wide, shallow bowl. Place the bread crumbs in a plastic bag. Season with salt and pepper. 4. Dredge the eggplant slices on both sides in flour, dip in egg and shake in plastic bag of bread crumbs to coat.
5. Arrange the eggplant slices on a baking sheet that has been coated with cooking spray. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake in oven about 30 minutes or until eggplant is cooked through and breadcrumb coating is golden brown. 6. Spread a spoonful of tomato sauce on each eggplant slice. Top with mozzarella. Bake another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Sprinkle with Parmigiana Reggiano cheese. Serve with spaghetti and remaining tomato sauce. MATCH: An Amarone works well with this dish.
TOMATO SAUCE
This is a great all-purpose sauce that is simple but special when made with certified San Marzano tomatoes, grown near Naples in the volcanic soil of Mount Vesuvius. They cost a bit more, but they are worth it. You’ll find them on most grocery shelves with the canned tomatoes.
1/4 1 3 2 2
cup extra virgin olive oil onion, minced cloves garlic, minced cans certified San Marzano tomatoes tsp sugar Salt, to taste
1. Purée the tomatoes in a food processor. 2. In a Dutch oven, sauté the onion in olive oil. Add the garlic
and cook 1 minute longer. Add the tomato purée, sugar and salt. 3. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and cook over medium-low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Purée sauce with an immersion blender, if desired. 4. Serve with Eggplant Parmesan and spaghetti.
GRILLED TWO-CHEESE AND TOMATO SANDWICHES
So easy, so basic, and so many ways to change it up into something new and different. Add Sriracha sauce or chipotle adobe sauce to the mayo. Skip the mayo and spread the bread with basil pesto or chutney. Add thin-sliced pear or apple. Try different cheeses and bread. Sky’s the limit.
8 slices Italian bread Butter, softened Mayonnaise 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated 4 tomato slices 1 cup Gouda cheese, shredded 1. Spread butter on one side of each bread slice. Spread mayo
on the flip side. Divide shredded cheddar among 4 slices, pressing slightly so cheese sticks together. Top each with a tomato slice and shredded Gouda, pressing slightly. Top each with a bread slice. 2. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Over medium-low heat, cook 2 sandwiches at a time. After pressing each with a spatula, cover skillet and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Flip sandwiches and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. MATCH: Serve with Sauvignon Blanc. ×
NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 49
NOTED 93 THIRTY BENCH SMALL LOT WOOD POST 2014, NIAGARA ($30)
The nose starts slow but builds as you swirl it in the glass and opens up to citrus and apple notes with fine minerality and salinity. It’s fully realized on the palate, a lush offering with some weight and power that drives the ripe range of fruits and leads to a long finish with lovely, defining minerals. A generous offering with electric energy. A beauty. (RV)
92 CULMINA DECORA RIESLING 2015, SOUTH OKANAGAN ($26.99)
91 MISHA’S VINEYARD THE STARLET SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013, BENDIGO, CENTRAL OTAGO, NEW ZEALAND ($37)
Upfront floral and citrus notes precede a well-structured palate laden with zest, nectarine and stone fruit, wrapped in bright acidity and keen minerality, with a definite schiste edge and a persistent finish. (TP)
89 ZUCCARDI Q CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013, MENDOZA, ARGENTINA ($19.95)
Dense purple in colour with an earthy, spicy, black-fruit nose topped by a cedary oak note; medium- to full-bodied, dry and savoury with well-integrated oak and balancing acidity. A well-structured wine with oodles of flavour. (TA)
96 K1 TZIMMUKIN 2005, ADELAIDE HILLS, AUSTRALIA ($62.33) Made by fermenting partially dried grapes, Amarone-style. Clear, extremely deep garnet. Classic old claret nose, with cassis and rich strawberry jamfruit surrounded by chocolatey wood aromas. Well-balanced with the high alcohol kept in check by the thickly packed dark berry-fruit flavours and highish acidity. A unique and memorable wine. Drink now. (RL)*
Broken stones, wild herbs, flake sea salt, earthy white asparagus and grilled fennel throughout, with taut, lemon-pith acidity lacing the whole and tangerine, gooseberry and perfumed passion fruit reminding us of the grape. An undercurrent of phenolic grip finishes with stoniness. Unique and characterful, and worth seeking out. (TR)
90 TWO SISTERS VINEYARDS CABERNET FRANC 2012, NIAGARA RIVER ($49) An ambitious Cabernet Franc with plum, boysenberry, mint, spice, scorched earth and anise. Full-bodied and ripe, it clocks in at 14.5% alcohol. Long-lasting. Drink until 2021 to take advantage of its exuberance. (ES)
92 GD VAJRA LANGHE FREISA KYÈ 2012, PIEDMONT, ITALY ($50)
Entrancingly perfumed with wild berries, kirsch-soaked sour cherries and big, bold, juicy tannins. 2008, 2006 and 2003 were also tasted, and they have all aged very well. Francesca Vaira describes Freisa as representative of the people of Piedmont: “It may take a while to get to know them, but once you do, they are your friends for life.” By the way, I love Freisa! (GB)
50 × @QUENCH_MAG × MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016
91 LAMBLIN & FILS CHABLIS PREMIER CRU VAILLON 2010, FRANCE ($20.67)
Clear medium-deep yellow. Nose of sweet apple drizzled with lime and pineapple juice. A warm vintage produced an unusually rich and fruity Chablis with finely honed acidity highlighting peach and lemon-lime flavours. At its best now. (RL)*
91 TAWSE TINTERN ROAD VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2013, VINEMOUNT RIDGE, ONTARIO ($44.95)
Cranberry, red cherry, raspberry, wildflowers, herbs, vanilla and spice are built on a svelte body and dusty tannins. Superb length, and it should be drunk over the next 3 to 4 years. As the vines mature, quality will only get better, and personally I can’t wait. (ES)
Each wine is judged on its own merits, in its respective category. Our scores are based on the wine's quality as well as price point. Readers should assess these, and all wines, using the same criteria. Carefully study the commentaries to get an idea of whether the wine might appeal to your taste. The prices listed are suggested retail prices and may vary from province to province. Since a large number of these wines can be purchased across Canada, check with your local liquor board or private wine store for availability. Our tasters are Tony Aspler, Gurvinder Bhatia, Tod Stewart, Evan Saviolidis, Rick VanSickle, Ron Liteplo, Harry Hertscheg, Sean Wood, Gilles Bois, Sarah Parniak, Treve Ring, Tim Pawsey, Silvana Lau and Jonathan Smithe. QUENCH USES THE 100-POINT SCALE 95-100 = Exceptional 90-94 = Excellent 85-89 = Very good
SPARKLING 93 CA’ DEL BOSCO FRANCIACORTA VINTAGE COLLECTION DOSAGE ZÉRO NOIR 2006, LOMBARDY ($90)
A genuinely impressive bubbly made in the traditional method from 100% Pinot Noir grapes and aged for over 8.5 years on its yeast cells. Copper colour with small pinpoint bubbles. It is bone-dry, with a profile of yeast, brioche, cherry, strawberry, spice, chalk and earth. Long creamy aftertaste with brisk acidity. (ES)
89 NARRATIVE XC METHOD, OKANAGAN ($25)
This non-vintage bubbly is crafted from 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. Secondary fermentation took place in the Charmat tanks at the Okanagan Crush Pad. It has a lively, steady bead in the glass and a pale pink colour plus fresh aromas of apple, tangerine and toasty-creamy notes. It’s mouth-filling with laser-sharp acidity and a range of apple, pear and citrus flavours through a brisk finish. (RV)
88 MIONETTO PROSECCO PRESTIGE COLLECTION, TREVISO DOC ($19.99)
Soft floral, honeyed and lightly spicy scents with a trace of tropical fruit aromatics shift
80-84 = Good 75-79 = Acceptable 70 & under = Below average *Available through wine clubs
to more typical green apple flavour with gentle fizz and an unusual hit of banana on mid-palate. Finishes just off-dry. (SW)
88 CASTILLO PERELADA STARS CAVA BRUT NATURE 2014, PENEDÈS ($22)
Fragrant floral and yellow fruit on the nose with lively mousse, green apple, lime and distinctive, almost metallic mineral emerging on the palate. Lean and refreshingly light in alcohol. (SW)
88 PIPER-HEIDSIECK BRUT NV, AOP CHAMPAGNE ($60)
Leading and completing with dough, toast and lemon curd, this 40/30/30 Pinot Noir/Pinot Meunier/Chardonnay blend is nothing but consistent. Broad and creamy on the palate, with abundant red fruits, corn, brioche and sweet almond on the finish. Tightens and freshens a bit on the end, but this is a generous night club/nightcap-suited fizz. A sweeter NV for those who prefer that style. The cuvée takes in more than 100 crus from around the Champagne region, as well as Pinot Meunier from the Grande et Petite Montagne de Reims region. (TR)
87 ZONIN PROSECCO DOC BRUT SPARKLING WINE ($18.99)
Floral and yellow fruit scents yield to gentle apple and pear flavours with typical refreshing acidity and just off-dry finish. (SW)
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86 TERRA SERENA PROSECCO TREVISO FRIZZANTE NV, DOC TREVISO, VENETO ($16)
Ripe pear, pink florals and a fine pink grapefruit pith carry this simple, light (10.5%) Prosecco. Hints of almond tuck in on the bright palate, finishing with a brisk peach-fuzz bitterness. Chill, use in cocktails or enjoy solo at breakfast/brunch. (TR)
WHITE ARGENTINA 88 ARGENTO PINOT GRIGIO 2015 ($9.95)
It seems everyone is making Pinot Grigio these days. Even the Argentinians. And theirs is less costly than other regions’. Pale straw in colour, this wine has a spicy vanilla-oak nose masking fruit, but once it’s on your palate you experience its white peach and lemon flavours that finish dry on a mineral note with good length. (TA)
88 ETCHART TORRONTÉS 2015, CAFAYATE ($14.90)
Pale yellow. Torrontés is a very aromatic grape reminding of Muscat with intense aromas of exotic fruits (lychee, apriNOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 51
NOTED cot) and floral scents accompanied by herbaceous notes and a hint of dry stones. Light, crisp and dry, the floral and fruity notes can be a bit overpowering to some palates. Drink now. (GBQc)
AUSTRALIA 89 YALUMBA Y SERIES VIOGNIER 2015, SOUTH AUSTRALIA ($17)
Credited with reinstating and introducing a dying-off grape, Yalumba now has the greatest plantings of Viognier in the world. This vintage of Y Series brings the classic lush apricot, jasmine, ginger and honeysuckle to a rich, spicy and full palate. At 14.5% alcohol, this can and absolutely should be paired with protein — think ahi tuna tataki with papaya salad. (TR)
89 PARKER COONAWARRA ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2014, COONAWARRA ($19.95)
Straw-coloured with a nose of lime, this wine also offers a nose of apple and toasty oak with a barnyard note; it’s full-bodied, dry, richly extracted fruit with lively acidity. (TA)
87 LINDEMANS BIN 95 SAUVIGNON BLANC 2012 ($11.10)
A great little value! Passion fruit, pink grapefruit, tomato vine, lime and hints of fruit salad. A lively palate carries the finale. (ES)
87 ROSEMOUNT ESTATE DIAMOND LABEL CHARDONNAY 2015, SOUTH EASTERN AUSTRALIA ($15.99)
CANADA 93 SYNCHROMESH STORM HAVEN RIESLING 2015, OKANAGAN ($35)
Perennial, flagship Riesling sports tropical and stone-fruit notes on the nose. A complex, mouth-filling but still elegant and very focused palate that builds through layers of lemon-lime and peach with firm slate streaks before a persistent and powerful close. (TP)
92 CHARLES BAKER IVAN VINEYARD RIESLING 2015, NIAGARA ($27)
It has an interesting and complex nose of lime cordial, tangerine, white peach, honeysuckle, minerals and a lovely salinity wafting from the glass. It’s a drier expression than I am used to from CB with flavours of grapefruit, lime, river-rock freshness and some savoury notes through the finish. (RV)
92 HENRY OF PELHAM SPECK FAMILY RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2013, SHORT HILLS BENCH ($30)
Made from yields of 2 tonnes per acre and fermented in French oak, this beauty is elegant and concentrated. It reveals a multi-dimensional personality of toast, honey, apple, sweet peach, pineapple, banana, hazelnut, mineral and caper berry. Lobster or crab served with warm butter is perfect for this wine. (ES)
92 HAYWIRE SWITCHBACK WILD FERMENT 2014, OKANAGAN ($30)
Opens with clean citrus and stone fruit on the nose with citrus and crisp white peach playing through on the palate. Delivered in a creamy texture backed by good acidity, a lick of mineral and a subtle touch of oak. (SW)
The Pinot Gris grapes are from the estate organic Switchback Vineyard. Such a creamy, fragrant wonder on the nose. Rich, deep and earthy notes of bruised apple, cantaloupe, brown sugar and almond paste. It has weight and viscosity on the palate, some tannins and shows pie crust, apple filling and citrus in a muscular style. (RV)
86 LINDEMANS BIN 85 PINOT GRIGIO 2012 ($11.10)
91 SYMPHONY VINEYARD ORTEGA 2015, VANCOUVER ISLAND ($15)
Outclasses many Italian versions with higher price tags. Dry and vibrant, with pear, apple, lemon and hints of spice. Medium length and ready to go. (ES)
Aromas of lemon-lime and melon precede a lush palate of stone fruit, peach and zesty notes before a crisp and clean finish. (TP)
52 × @QUENCH_MAG × MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016
91 TOWNSHIP 7 UNOAKED CHARDONNAY 2015, OKANAGAN ($18) Lifted orchard fruit on the nose, followed by a lush palate of bright apple, citrus and tropical hints, supported by good acidity before a crisp and clean, gently zesty end. (TP)
91 SPIERHEAD PINOT GRIS 2015, OKANAGAN ($19)
Upfront tropical and orchard fruits, followed by a complex and layered palate of melon and pineapple, wrapped in firm acidity before a lengthy finish. (TP)
91 CHARLES BAKER RIESLING 2015, NIAGARA PENINSULA ($27)
Made at Stratus, this small-batch Riesling is very pale in colour offering a minerally citrus and pear nose with a honeyed note; on the palate, light-bodied, off-dry, minerally, apple, pear and citrus flavours, beautifully balanced. Lovely mouthfeel with a lime and honey finish. (TA)
91 FLAT ROCK CELLARS NADJA’S VINEYARD RIESLING 2015, TWENTY MILE BENCH, ONTARIO ($29.95) This is the most Mosel-like of Ontario Rieslings. Almost water-white with a lime tint, the nose is all minerally, lime and grapefruit rind; light-bodied, elegant, off-dry, honey and grapefruit flavours, great tension between sweetness and acidity, finishing firmly. The 2015 from Nadja’s has more residual sugar than previous vintages. (TA)
91 HENRY OF PELHAM SPECK FAMILY RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2013 ($30)
An elegant nose of pear, stylish oak spices, apple crisp and citrus for balance. It’s rich and intense on the palate with caressing pear, apple, citrus and lovely oak spices that are just starting to integrate. I want to pair this with lobster from PEI and melted butter and garlic. (RV)
91 DOMAINE QUEYLUS RÉSERVE DU DOMAINE CHARDONNAY 2014, NIAGARA PENINSULA ($34.95) The fruit and oak mesh together creat-
ing a balanced Chardonnay with pear, apple, citrus, anise, white flower and honey qualities. Mid-weight with a great aftertaste and lovely pineapple and peach pinch at the end. (ES)
91 TAWSE QUARRY ROAD CHARDONNAY 2012, VINEMOUNT RIDGE, ONTARIO ($45)
Elegant and full-flavoured with fresh acidity, green apple, citrus, spice and mineral. Subtly oaked and focused on crisp, clean, pure fruit and mouth-caressing texture with a lasting, lingering finish. One of the pioneers in Canada with respect to site-specific wines. (GB)
90 GEHRINGER DRY RIESLING 2015, SOUTH OKANAGAN ($13.29)
Lifted stone fruit and apple precede a bright palate supported by brisk acidity with apple, peach and a touch of citrus before a crisp, clean finish. Great value. (TP)
90 BLASTED CHURCH GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2014, OKANAGAN ($16.50)
Vibrant rose-petal and lychee nose followed by a fruit-driven, quite lush and gently spicy palate before a lengthy end. A versatile food wine and good match for lightly spiced curries. (TP)
90 HUFF ESTATES OFF-DRY RIESLING 2015, ONTARIO ($18)
A huge nose of mineral, green apple, white peach, honey, lime, lilac and smoky minerals leads into a palate full of juicy acidity, light sweetness and a long finale. Drink over the next 5 years. Great on its own or with food. (ES)
90 SINGLETREE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015, FRASER VALLEY ($19) Partial neutral barrel-fermented, yields definite toasty notes up front, with citrus hints, a well-textured and mouth-filling palate of tropical and bright zesty notes before a solid finish. (TP)
90 SINGLETREE SIEGERREBE 2015, FRASER VALLEY ($19) From one of the Fraser Valley’s newest
wineries. Floral and stone fruit on top before a mouth-filling, quite generous palate with apple and peach notes and a little clove before a lengthy end. (TP)
90 BLUE GROUSE PINOT GRIS 2015, COWICHAN VALLEY ($20)
From the original winery’s plantings; white flower and honey notes precede a juicy palate of peach and zesty citrus with hints of mineral. Good length and a crisp, fresh finish. (TP)
90 JACKSON-TRIGGS DELAINE FUMÉ BLANC 2012, ONTARIO ($24.95)
This is a delicious Sauvignon made in Bordeaux style: straw-coloured with a spicy, grassy, lanolin and vanilla-oak nose. Beautifully balanced and elegant, medium- to full-bodied, peachy, grapefruit flavours carried on lively acidity with a spicy oak finish. Great length. (TA)
90 CHARLES BAKER IVAN VINEYARD RIESLING 2015, TWENTY MILE BENCH ($27)
From a warm year comes this top-notch Riesling full of sweet peach, ripe apricot, lime, smoky minerals and white flowers. The bright acidity acts as a counterpoint to the residual sugar, creating a dry personality that is long-lasting. Finishes with an apple note. (ES)
90 THIRTY BENCH SPARKLING RIESLING NV, NIAGARA ($35)
This bubbly is non-vintage but it is primarily from the 2013 vintage. It spent 11 months on the lees and has a dosage from Steel Post Vineyard Riesling. It’s lovely on the nose with lime, mineral, apple and toasty-baked bread notes. It has a gentle mousse and a range of citrus, grapefruit and apple on the palate that’s bolstered by minerality and searing acidity. (RV)
90 DOMAINE QUEYLUS RESERVE DU DOMAINE CHARDONNAY 2013, NIAGARA PENINSULA ($44)
Sophisticated and fresh with bright fruit and mineral concentration; restrained, but complex and enticing with a mouth-watering finish. (GB)
90 NORMAN HARDIE UNFILTERED CHARDONNAY 2014, NIAGARA PENINSULA ($48)
Stealthy in its approach with a tight core of citrus, fruit and mineral and focused, fresh acidity to tie it all together. The wine has intensity and a firm underlying structure matched with great texture from lees contact, complexity and a vibrant, lengthy finish. Hardie is getting international recognition and this wine is a great example of why. (GB)
89 ARROWLEAF BACCHUS 2015, OKANAGAN ($14.40)
Floral, tropical and citrus notes before an easy-drinking off-dry palate of grapefruit and zesty notes with a clean finish. Excellent value. (TP)
89 TOWNSHIP 7 UNOAKED CHARDONNAY 2015, OKANAGAN ($18)
A rich, fruity nose of pear, apple, lemon and cream. A lovely, clean Chard with a basket of orchard fruit and zingy citrus on the finish. (RV)
89 MISSION HILL 5 VINEYARDS PINOT GRIGIO VQA 2014, OKANAGAN ($18.99)
Varietal scents of pear and stone fruit with generous green fruit, lively refreshing acidity and an unexpected ginger spice note on the finish. A good example of Okanagan terroir bringing out special qualities in this grape. (SW)
89 FLAT ROCK THE RUSTY SHED CHARDONNAY 2013, TWENTY MILE BENCH, NIAGARA ($24.95)
A consistently delicious Chardonnay from the lower part of the vineyard. Light straw colour with a green tint; Burgundian-style nose of apple, toasty oak and barnyard notes; medium- to full-bodied, dry, richly extracted peachy/apple flavours with good length. (TA)
89 INNISKILLIN MONTAGUE VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2013, NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE ($24.95)
For some 30 years, this vineyard has been producing very focused Chardonnay. Medium straw colour with a lime tint, this NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 53
NOTED wine has a minerally, apple and pear nose with well-integrated oak. Medium-bodied, it opens on the palate with green pineapple and pear flavours, culminating in spicy, toasty oak on the finish. (TA)
89 TAWSE QUARRY ROAD VINEYARD GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2014, VINEMOUNT RIDGE ($24.95)
An ultra-textbook Gewürz, which flaunts lychee, honey, rose water, orange, mango and cinnamon. Only 12% alcohol but with superb depth, definition and length. Offdry and sound acidity make for an easy pairing with pad Thai or sushi. (ES)
88 FORT BERENS PINOT GRIS 2015, BC ($17)
A peachy-apple nose with a vein of zesty citrus notes. It’s flavourful on the palate with a basket of orchard fruit and a lemon kick on the finish. (RV)
88 HUFF ESTATES PINOT GRIS 2015, PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY ($20)
Ripe on the nose with sweet peach, honey, cream, pineapple, spice and yellow flowers. The palate is tight and linear with an acidic lift, minerals and a spicetinged aftertaste. (ES)
88 CUDDY BY TAWSE CHARDONNAY 2013, NIAGARA ($24.95)
Jim Cuddy, Blue Rodeo’s frontman, has partnered with Tawse to create his own brand. This Chardonnay is mid-weight and features green apple, citrus, yellow peach, spice and vanilla. Splendid length with a mineral backbone and a slight creaminess round out the package. (ES)
88 HIDDEN BENCH ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2014, BEAMSVILLE BENCH ($28.75) Toast, honey, apple, white flower, spice and green apple are all present in this mid-weight Chardonnay. Very good length with crisp acidity. Try with grilled salmon. (ES)
87 TAWSE UNOAKED CHARDONNAY 2015, LINCOLN LAKESHORE ($19) Chardonnay purity in a glass. Sweet apple, pear, white apple, citrus and min-
eral. Refreshing acidity makes me want to pair with a dozen or so fresh shucked oysters. (ES)
87 TAWSE REDFOOT VINEYARD PINOT GRIS 2015, LINCOLN LAKESHORE ($24.95)
Water-white with a moderate perfume of honey, peach, smoke, spice, yellow apple and cream is backed up by minerality, light alcohol, vibrant acidity and very good length. Ready to drink. (ES)
FRANCE 92 CHÂTEAU HAUT-MAGINET 2014, AC BORDEAUX ($14)
Clear medium-deep gold. Intense aromas of grapefruit, apricots, guava and more. Medium-bodied with high lemon-lime acidity and flavours of mango, pineapple and lime. Good value. Best now. (RL)*
91 CAVE VINICOLE A HUNAWIHR MUSCAT 2014, AC ALSACE ($16.50)
Clear medium-deep yellow. Eruptive nose of lime, mango and watermelon. Light-bodied and bone-dry with high acidity. Flavours of lemon and mixed tropical fruits. Forget Gewürztraminer; this is the wine for old-style Cantonese Chinese food. Drink as young as possible. (RL)*
91 CHATELAIN POUILLY-FUMÉ LES VIGNES 2014, LOIRE ($19.95) One of the best Pouilly-Fumé I have tried from this vintage. Pale straw colour; fresh, grassy, green pepper and grapefruit nose. Medium bodied, dry, fresh and lively with elderberry and green fig flavours. Beautifully balanced with great length. (TA)
90 CANET CHARDONNAY OAK RESERVE 2014, IGP PAYS D’OC ($13)
Clear pale yellow. Medium-intensity nose of banana, pineapple and citrus, with sweet chocolate from oak aging as it opens in the glass. Medium bodied with simple, fresh flavours of apple, lemon and more pineapple. Best now. (RL)*
54 × @QUENCH_MAG × MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016
89 CHÂTEAU HAUT PHILIPPON 2014, ENTRE DEUX MERS ($14.95)
A real bargain here. Straw colour with a bouquet of white peach, citrus rind and a suggestion of oak. Medium bodied, crisply dry, grapefruit and gooseberry flavours with a light smoky note; good length. (TA)
89 GUY SAGET LA PETITE PERRIÈRE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014, VIN DE FRANCE ($16.89)
Guy Saget is located in the central Loire region and this wine reveals typical Loire-style Sauvignon fresh grassy and green herbal scents with zesty crisp citrus and sappy green apple flavours, mineral grip and brisk acidity. Well-balanced, stylishly lean wine. (SW)
89 DOMAINE BILLARD CLOS LA TRUFFIÈRE 2012, AOC ST-ROMAIN ($23.33)
Clear, medium-deep lemon-peel yellow. Light nose of lemon meringue pie and lime. Definitely an old-world Chardonnay, well balanced and complex, tasting of ripe apples and vanilla from wood maturation. Has another year or 2 left in it. (RL)*
88 LÉON BEYER RIESLING RÉSERVE 2014, ALSACE ($19.65)
Pale yellow. Aromas of citrus and grapefruit are underlined by a light mineral note. With its vivid acidity, it feels like biting into a white grapefruit. Balance is obviously on the acidic side with great freshness and liveliness on the palate. Ready to drink. (GBQc)
87 BEAUVIGNAC PICPOUL DE PINET 2015, LANGUEDOC ($14.15)
Very pale yellow with grey reflections. Delicate white fruit aromas, (surprising) corn and a salty note. Light body; the minerality matches the fruit in the mid-palate for a good balance. Drink now. (GBQc)
87 JEANJEAN LE PIVE GRIS 2015, IGP SABLE DE CAMARGUE, LANGUEDOC ($16.50)
Pale pink. Light nose of strawberry with candy notes. Light body with a good balance between the acidity, alcohol and
fruit for a round mouthfeel that goes down easy. A tad bitter in the finish for extra freshness. Drink now. (GBQc)
GERMANY 90 WEINGUT AM STEIN WÜRZBURGER SILVANER 2015, DEUTSCHER QUALITÄTSWEIN FRANKEN TROCKEN ($34)
Elegant floral scent suggestive of honeysuckle together with subtle tropical fruit lead the way for expansive honeyed yellow fruits with ripe pear, lemon citrus and some tropical character. Rounds out with deftly balanced acidity and a touch of residual sweetness. (SW)
87 REICHSGRAF VON KESSELSTATT RK PINOT BLANC 2015, MOSEL ($25)
This Pinot Blanc, or Weissburgunder as it’s known in Germany, opens with tight green apple, ripe yellow apple, slate and bitter melon notes. Tight and narrow with a bitter citrus cut, but with a cushion of cream and lees that floods and textures the palate floor. The finish is sparse, much like this wine itself. (TR)
ITALY 89 LA MURA NATURA SICILIA ORGANICO BIANCO 2015, TERRE SICILIANE IGT ($13.99)
Made from 100% indigenous Catarratto grapes, this is another easy-to-like Sicilian white offering appealing aromatic floral and tropical fruit that carries right through on the palate. Tropical fruit flavours meld with a splash of ripe grapefruit supported by refreshing acidity. It will pair comfortably with Mediterranean-style seafoods or grilled chicken, or serve simply as an apéritif. (SW)
89 SANTA MARGHERITA VALDOBBIADENE PROSECCO SUPERIORE DOCG BRUT ($21.99) Fresh, clean apple and honeyed floral scents with lively spritz and characteristic fresh apple flavour. This one has a
little more weight and depth of flavour than one expects from Prosecco, finishing off-dry with balanced acidity and a touch of mineral. (SW)
89 GD VAJRA LANGHE RIESLING PETRACINE 2013, PIEDMONT ($50) Rich and broad, creamy texture with crunchy green apple, peach, lime, mineral; penetrating flavours, focus and length with an elegant restraint. (GB)
88 BOLLA 2014, SOAVE DOC CLASSICO ($13.99)
Opens with fresh grassy green fruit and light herbal scents with sappy ripe green apple and citrus fruit, appetizing acidity and green fruit, and a distinctive almond note lingering on the finish. (SW)
88 CHIORRI ZEFFIRO 2015, IGT UMBRIA BIANCO ($16)
A white blend of Trebbiano Procanico and Grechetto. The nose shows pear, citrus, bruised apple and tropical fruits. It’s round and juicy on the palate with easy-going flavours of pear and apple. (RV)
88 TOMMASI VITICOLTORI LA FORNACE 2014, LUGANA DOC ($18.49)
Floral, citrus, piquant green herb and a whiff of almond on the nose shift to green fruit with a suggestion of ripe pear flavour on the medium-weight palate. Finishes with a distinct touch of bitter almond. Drink soon. (SW)
88 DE ANGELIS PECORINO 2014, MARCHE ($24)
Quite rich and full with tropical fruit, citrus and a touch of fresh herbs, fresh minerality and a long, lingering finish. Bring on the cheese empanadas and seafood ceviche. (GB)
87 CHIORRI GRECHETTO 2015, UMBRIA ($14)
Pleasant aromas of ripe apples and pear, lightly spiced. It’s a round and plump offering on the palate for everyday drinking while dreaming of the hot summer days. (RV)
86 CANTINE COLOMBA BIANCA GRANATELLO 2013, BIANCO TERRE SICILIANE IGT ($12.99)
Gently ripe tropical fruit with background citrus and floral scents lead into full-flavoured melon and tropical fruit with a squeeze of lemon in the mouth. An easy quaffer that will pair well with grilled seafood. (SW)
NEW ZEALAND 91 KIM CRAWFORD SMALL PARCELS SPITFIRE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015, MARLBOROUGH ($24.95)
The winery is back on form with this stunning Sauvignon. Pale straw colour; grassy, gooseberry and grapefruit rind nose; full-bodied, dry, rich mid-palate fruit — passionfruit and grapefruit flavours, finishing crisply with great length. (TA)
91 NOBILO ICON SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015, MARLBOROUGH ($24.95)
Quintessential Kiwi Sauvignon. Pale straw colour with a nose of grapefruit, cut grass and passionfruit notes; medium-bodied, dry with richly extracted flavours of passionfruit and elderberries carried on lively lemony acidity. Great length. (TA)
90 DOG POINT VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2014, MARLBOROUGH ($41.95)
Lots of verve to this Chardonnay with smoky minerals, pear, fresh apple and honey. Even though there is 14%, there is not a trace of heat whatsoever, and crystalline acidity relieves any form of heaviness. (ES)
88 VILLA MARIA PRIVATE BIN PINOT GRIS 2014, EAST COAST ($19.99)
Aromatic green fruit with intriguing spicy and minty aromas. Shifts to ripe, slightly sweet grapey and tropical fruit flavours backed by gravelly mineral and well-balanced acidity. (SW) NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 55
NOTED 89 JACKSON ESTATE STICH SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014, MARLBOROUGH ($20)
Tangerine, passionfruit and guava in this richer, full and fruity Sauvignon Blanc, sourced from 17 parcels across 3 estate vineyards over a 3-week period. Polished and creamy, the bright tropical fruit rests on a floor of lees in this grown-up version of the classic fruity Marlborough style. Named in recognition of John “Stich” Stichbury, the founder of Jackson Estate. (TR)
88 SEVEN TERRACES SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015, MARLBOROUGH ($19)
Crisp, bright and tight, with pithy tangerine, passionfruit, gooseberry and pineapple rind. Acidity keeps this lively and lifted, even through intense tropical fruit. Refreshing, pure fruited Marlborough, savvy and at an excellent price. (TR)
PORTUGAL 87 VINHOS OSCAR QUEVEDO OSCAR’S DOURO WHITE 2015, DOC DOURO ($14)
Straw, Asian pear, white peach and a zap of limoncello light up this easy Douro white blend of Viosinho, Gouveio and Arinto. Lively and light in the mouth, with a thin pear-skin cushion (2 months on the lees) to support, this is lively and ready for an ice bucket and plate of ceviche. (TR)
SOUTH AFRICA 91 BOUCHARD FINLAYSON MISSIONVALE CHARDONNAY 2014, HEMEL-EN-AARDE ($39.95)
From the “Heaven on Earth” region comes this Chardonnay with a good dose of oak in the form of vanilla, caramel and spice that envelopes the tropical fruit, mineral, honey and peach qualities. Lingers and there is a lifted finale, which bodes well for food-friendliness. (ES)
90 WATERKLOOF CIRCLE OF LIFE 2012, STELLENBOSCH ($19.95)
A fascinating blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Sémillon. Straw-
coloured with a greenish tint, it offers a concentrated nose of mango and pineapple; on the palate, it’s medium bodied, dry, projecting grapefruit and peach flavours with a grassy note along with mouthwatering acidity; well balanced. (TA)
88 BEES KNEES CHENIN BLANC/VIOGNIER 2015, WO WESTERN CAPE ($12)
Ripe pear, peach and melon carry this friendly and fuller Western Cape white. White florals, honeysuckle and fine spice take over on the waxy palate, one that carries herbs, lanolin and a lick of lees, and ends with a fine nutmeg spicing and nutty bitterness. Amazing value. (TR)
SPAIN 88 ATLANTIS GODELLO 2015, DO VALDEORRAS ($21)
This is a part of the Atlantis series managed by oenologist Raúl Acha, producing Atlantic wines from different DOs in Spain. Here, Godello has its day, with gobelet-trained vineyards upwards of 25 years old coming together with younger trellised vines from sloping granite and slate, 400-600 m high. The generous palate surges with creamy, oily lees-lined flow, along with pear, yellow apple, melon, and a lift of greengage and bright lemon. Moderate acidity, massive mouth-filling, this is a fuller, oak-free white capable of handling fresh halibut or sablefish with ease. (TR)
UNITED STATES 91 CHATEAU ST JEAN CHARDONNAY 2014, SONOMA ($19.15)
One of the most consistent wineries in California. This Chardonnay is straw-coloured with a spicy, pear-and-grilledcashew-nut nose topped by a vanilla oak note. Full-bodied and dry, its mouth-filling sweet and savoury flavours are balanced by well-integrated oak. Great length, finishing on tropical-fruit notes and great value. (TA)
56 × @QUENCH_MAG × MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016
91 SONOMA-CUTRER VINEYARDS RUSSIAN RIVER RANCHES CHARDONNAY 2014, SONOMA ($27.95)
Peach pie, pineapple, honey, nutmeg, vanilla, caramel, citrus, cream, orange peel and sweet apple are all present in this polished Chardonnay. Excellent length, crisp acidity and a spice-tinged finale cap it all off. (ES)
ROSÉ 93 CHURCHILL’S ROSÉ 2013, DOURO, PORTUGAL ($15.67)
Clear deep tangerine tinged with pink. Simple orange and strawberry aromas on the nose, but this really shines on the palate, with fresh super-ripe strawberries set off with an appealing lemony acidity. Perfect with roast pork, or try it with charcuterie, rustic bread and light cheeses. Drink up. (RL)*
91 MEYER FAMILY VINEYARDS ROSÉ 2015, OKANAGAN FALLS ($20) Generous but quite elegant, very Pinot-driven rosé (from 95% Pinot Noir with 5% Merlot) with dominant strawberry and some earthy, savoury notes; firm mouthfeel and a touch of minerality. (TP)
90 FORT BERENS ROSÉ 2015, LILLOOET, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($17.99)
Pinot Noir (56%) and Merlot blend sports red berry aromas with fresh rhubarb and pomegranate notes and added texture from a portion in neutral oak. (TP)
90 CULMINA SAIGNÉE ROSÉ 2015, GOLDEN MILE BENCH, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($35)
Refreshing and concentrated with very good depth and fleshy strawberry, wild berry, citrus and savoury flavours. Bright acidity and a mouth-watering finish. (GB)
89 NK’MIP CELLARS ROSÉ 2015, SOUTH OKANAGAN ($17.89)
Multiblend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Malbec
and Pinot Noir yields up front cherry and strawberry before a bright palate defined by red fruit and good acidity for a clean end. (TP)
88 CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES CUVÉE ANDRÉE ROSÉ 2015, ONTARIO ($15.95)
This mouth-filling rosé, named for the matriarch of the Bosc family, is an all-year-round pink wine. Made from Pinot Noir, it’s deep pink in colour with a spicy nose of red plums and strawberries. It’s medium-bodied, just off-dry with a ripe red-apple flavour. Great with charcuterie. (TA)
AUSTRALIA
CANADA
92 LEEUWIN ESTATE ART SERIES SHIRAZ 2013, MARGARET RIVER ($36)
93 HAYWIRE FREE FORM RED 2014, OKANAGAN ($55)
Big red fruit kicks things off but then the subtlety of the wine kicks in with plum, white pepper and chocolate — this one comes out of the gate quick but then settles in for a long night of drinking pleasure. (MP)
90 SHOTTESBROOKE SHIRAZ 2012, MCLAREN VALE ($19.17)
ARGENTINA
Clear, very deep plum red. Medium-intensity nose of cherries and sweet black liquorice with a dusting of herbs and black pepper. On the palate, a rich cherryand raisin-flavoured fruit bomb rescued by good acidity, firm and slightly bitter tannins, and warm alcohol. A red-meat barbecue wine if there ever was one. Drink now. (RL)*
89 ALAMOS MENDOZA SELECCIÓN MALBEC 2013, MENDOZA ($16.95)
90 ULUPNA ROYAL PHOENIX SHIRAZ 2009, GOULBURN VALLEY ($55)
RED Deep purple colour with a cedary, spicy, smoky nose of blackberries; full-bodied, mouth-filling flavours of sweet plums and blackberries with a soft tannic finish. A well-made wine. (TA)
89 TRAPICHE FINCA LAS PALMAS GRAN RESERVA MALBEC 2012, UCO VALLEY, MENDOZA ($19.99)
Refined red and dark fruit scents with cigar box and a whiff of mint evolving to blackberry and redcurrant flavours wrapped in velvety smooth tannins; dark chocolate, fruit and spice on the well-integrated finish. (SW)
87 FINCA LAS MORAS RESERVA TANNAT 2014, SAN JUAN ($13)
Firm, stony blackberry baselines an earthen clay and perfumed peony palate, one tense with raging, stemmy tannins and lifted with brisk acidity. Pencil lead and barnyard pervade the black fruit to a bitter espresso finish. Even opening 24 hours in advance of drinking doesn’t exclude needing roast beef or lamb stew to match the ferocity here. (TR)
The vines for this wine are from an 1860s-planted vineyard; they really show off their maturity with a big mineral character but also the richness of fruit, with blackberry, cassis, mocha and liquorice, and a really spicy bite to the finish. (MP)
89 ANGUS THE BULL CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013, CENTRAL VICTORIA ($24.99)
Concentrated dark fruit on the nose highlights blackberry, blackcurrant and mulberry with a whiff of herb and a pinch of cinnamon. Rich, thickly textured in the mouth, showing blackberry and black plum with chewy tannins and stony mineral. A hearty, full-bodied Cab calling for robust, grilled red meat. (SW)
89 ALPHA BOX & DICE APOSTLE SHIRAZ/DURIF 2015, SOUTH AUSTRALIA ($50)
Durif, or Petite Sirah, really makes this wine and gives it life: mocha, blackberry and black cherry with blueberry skin, violets and pepper in there for good measure. (MP)
100% Pinot Noir, wild yeast, aged on skins for 8 months in 800-litre amphorae; no filtration, no sulphur and no additives. It has a rich and layered nose of black cherry, cassis, cocoa and minerality. It’s intense with amazing depth of flavours that include black cherry, chocolate, crushed dark berries, spice and incredible texture and brightness through the finish. (RV)
92 MISSION HILL MARTIN’S LANE PINOT NOIR 2013, OKANAGAN ($25)
A shade lighter ruby colour than the 2012, this is more Burgundian in style than earlier vintages. It presents a cedary, cherry nose from richly extracted fruit; medium-bodied, dry and beautifully balanced with a lovely mouthfeel. Very elegant from first sniff to its long finish. (TA)
92 TAWSE REDFOOT VINEYARD UNFILTERED GAMAY 2015, NIAGARA ($29)
If ever a grape was made for natural winemaking, Gamay is that grape. An exciting nose of plums, forest floor, charred cherry and bright raspberry. It’s crazy good on the palate with vivid, jacked-up cherry and plum flavours that are full and rich through the finish. (RV)
92 VANESSA VINEYARD SYRAH 2012, SIMILKAMEEN VALLEY ($34)
This is a beauty with classic notes of bacon fat, deli meat, leather, blueberry pie, plums, boysenberry and gobs of cracked black pepper and a range of other spices. It is highly complex on the palate, but defined by smooth, silky tannins, rich and savoury dark fruits, pepper and lavish spice notes. (RV)
92 MEYER FAMILY REIMER VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2012, OKANAGAN FALLS ($40)
Deep garnet in the glass, with pronounced strawberry aromas before a medium-bodied palate defined by juicy acidity, well-balanced oak and a lengthy finish. (TP) NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 57
NOTED 92 ROCKWAY VINEYARDS SMALL LOT GRAND RESERVE MERITAGE 2011, NIAGARA ($40)
A blend of 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Cabernet Franc and the rest Merlot, this is an excellent job from the cooler 2011 vintage. The nose rocks with ripe blackberry, thick, rich black cherry pie, loam, leather, pepper and a range of elegant spice notes. The fruit is nicely integrated on the palate with a full range of ripe fruits and hearty mix of earth and spice all bolstered by the racy acidity of the vintage. (RV)
92 FOREIGN AFFAIR APOLOGETIC RED 2013, NIAGARA ($70)
This is 100% Cabernet Franc with 52% of the grapes dried for 125 days in the appassimento style. It is a beautiful thing with a thick, rich nose of cassis, blackcurrants, fine herbs, plums, gorgeous oak spice and sweet cedar undertones. The dark, juicy fruits are joined by kirsch, rousing spice notes and electric acidity on the palate. (RV)
91 HENRY OF PELHAM SPECK FAMILY RESERVE BACO NOIR 2014, NIAGARA ($25)
This the first Baco Noir to be elevated to the estate’s top-tier Family Reserve status. It has a rich and savoury nose of cassis, blueberry, bramble, liquorice and bold spice notes. It’s ripe and big on the palate with a heady fruit profile of cassis, currants and blueberry with rich barrel spices and cracked black peppercorns. (RV)
91 BLUE GROUSE PINOT NOIR 2014, COWICHAN VALLEY ($26)
Upfront notes of warm red berry-fruits, cherry and spicy hints, followed by a rounded, well-textured palate of darker fruit such as mulberry and dark cherry; hints of anise spice and a touch of mineral underneath. (TP)
91 TAWSE QUARRY ROAD UNFILTERED PINOT NOIR 2015, NIAGARA ($35)
An interesting nose of boysenberry, earthy red fruits, minerals, violets and light spice. Lovely texture and gentle
tannins on the palate with an array of ripe red fruits, bramble and a kiss of oak. All natural wine, no sulphur added. (RV)
90 HILLSIDE CABERNET FRANC 2011, OKANAGAN ($21.73)
Lifted red berry and floral notes followed by a well-balanced, medium- to full-bodied palate of deep red fruit such as raspberry, cherry and ripe mulberry with some slightly herbal notes before a plush, lingering end. (TP)
90 JOIEFARM RESERVE EN FAMILLE PINOT NOIR 2012, NARAMATA ($29.90)
Lifted dark berry and earthy notes, followed by a medium-bodied palate with damson and cassis wrapped in juicy acidity with some pleasing savoury and spice notes to close. (TP)
90 HUFF ESTATES PINOT NOIR RESERVE 2014, PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY ($35)
An explosive nose of sweet cherry, raspberry, rose, iodine, beetroot, spice, earth and violets. On the palate, there is cranberry, bitter cherry, fresh acidity and easy tannins. Great length, only 12% alcohol and ready to serve with braised beef or lamb dishes. (ES)
90 BLUE MOUNTAIN VINEYARD RESERVE PINOT NOIR 2013, OKANAGAN FALLS ($39.90) Pretty garnet in the glass, bright red berry notes up front followed by a precise, clean fruit profile of strawberry and cherry. Good acidity, underpinned by savoury and earthy notes in the finish. (TP)
90 STRATUS TEMPRANILLO 2012, NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE ($42)
Yes, there is no typo, this is a 100% Tempranillo from Ontario. From a warm vintage comes this fullish rendition with plum, strawberry, black raspberry, cedar, coffee, pepper and vanilla. It is dry with good grip and a long finish. Now to 2022. (ES)
89 HILLSIDE PINOT NOIR 2012, NARAMATA ($21.73) From 18-year-old vines. Bright red
58 × @QUENCH_MAG × MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016
fruit up front, strawberry and cherry, followed by a vibrant, sweet fruit, medium-bodied palate with firm toast notes through the finish. (TP)
89 HENRY OF PELHAM BACO NOIR SPECK FAMILY RESERVE 2014, ONTARIO ($24.95) Deep purple colour; cedary, blackberry nose with vanilla-oak notes. Medium-bodied, dry, creamy black berry and plum flavours with fresh acidity; well-balanced and lively on the palate with surprising elegance and length for a hybrid. Lovely mouthfeel. (TA)
89 HUFF ESTATES SOUTH BAY VINEYARDS MERLOT 2013, PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY ($39.95)
A dead ringer for a top Saint-Émilion and a worthy successor to the delicious 2012. A deep ruby-purple colour leads into a compelling and polished bouquet of plum, dark cherry, cocoa, coffee, leather, cloves and red flowers. There are lots of firm tannins, but my preference would be to drink it over the next 4 to 5 years. Duck confit all the way. (ES)
88 16 MILE CELLAR REBEL PINOT NOIR 2011, NIAGARA PENINSULA ($22.95)
I’m a fan of this 1,000-case winery’s Chardonnay. This is the first time I’ve tried their Pinot. Pale ruby in colour with an orange rim, its raspberry nose has a light floral note. The wine is medium-bodied, dry, earthy, with red berry flavours in Burgundian style, and a dry finish. The greenness on the end palate suggests young vines but the wine augurs well for future vintages. Roast some peppers and sausages. (TA)
88 CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES CABERNET FRANC 2013, NIAGARA PENINSULA ($14.95) A good effort with Niagara’s signature red varietal. Solid ruby colour; leafy, minty, redcurrant nose with a cedary note. Medium-bodied, dry, redcurrant and cranberry flavours fleshed out with vanilla oak flavours. Ideal with a lightly grilled marget de canard. (TA)
88 MISSION HILL 5 VINEYARDS CABERNET SAUVIGNON/MERLOT 2012, VQA OKANAGAN ($19.99)
Dark fruit with spicy and dried herbal aromas give way to blackberry, plum and blackcurrant flavours in the mouth. The wine is still quite youthful, with green herb, dry tannic grip and forward acidity, finishing with good depth of fruit, stiff tannins, black chocolate and touch of oak. (SW)
88 CUDDY BY TAWSE CAB/MERLOT 2013, NIAGARA ($25) Musician Jim Cuddy has long had an association with Tawse Winery and now has his own brand. A nose of cherry, raspberry, violets and subtle spice notes. It’s vibrant on the palate with rich red fruits, herbs and spice with moderate tannins and good acidity. (RV)
88 BACHELDER LOWREY VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2013, ST DAVID’S BENCH ($44.95)
Bing cherry, rosehip, mushroom, spice, vanilla and earth are all present in this bright in Pinot. Delicate on the tongue; the red fruit carries long. Ready to drink. (ES)
CHILE 89 MONTES TWINS MALBEC/ CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013, COLCHAGUA VALLEY ($12.95)
Deep ruby colour; spicy, toasty-cedary nose of currants with a smoky note. Medium- to full-bodied, dry, plum and blackcurrant flavours; richly extracted, spicy-minty with ripe tannins. Good value. (TA)
89 BARON PHILIPPE DE ROTHSCHILD ESCUDO ROJO 2013, MAIPO VALLEY ($18.95)
A tasty blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Syrah and Cabernet Franc. Dense purple in colour with a smoky, cedary, black-fruit nose. Medium-bodied, dry and savoury flavours of blackcurrant and blackberry with a lovely mouthfeel and a coffee-bean note on the finish. (TA)
89 PASCUAL TOSO BARRANCAS VINEYARDS MALBEC RESERVA 2013, MAIPÚ ($20)
Deep plum, cassis and dried blueberry fill the basin of this fleshy Maipú Malbec, sourced from their estate vineyards in Las Barrancas. After fermenting in stainless, this spends a year in new oak (20/80 French/American), imparting sweet, ripe, toasty richness and potent, silky kirsch. Tannins are thick and sticky; chocolate and cherries linger on the spicy, warming finish. (TR)
88 MIGUEL TORRES LAS MULAS MERLOT RESERVA ORGANIC 2015, CENTRAL VALLEY ($12.95) Ruby-purple in colour with a cedary, spicy, blueberry nose topped by a pencil lead note; medium-bodied, dry, blackcurrant flavour, well-extracted fruit with nicely integrated oak and a dry, savoury finish. Good value. (TA)
FRANCE 93 CHÂTEAU TROTANOY 2013, POMEROL, BORDEAUX ($185)
Full, bright ruby. Pure notes of red fruits, red flowers over subdued oak. Delicious fruity taste; there is thickness in the texture and tannins are a little bit dry at this stage, but there is enough concentration to keep it balanced as they melt. Wait 5 to 7 years before tasting it. (GBQc)
92 CHÂTEAU BELAIRMONANGE 2013, POMEROL, BORDEAUX ($135)
Ruby-purplish. Inviting, complex nose of perfectly ripe red berrries, a floral hint and integrated oak. Bright taste, fine structure of barely firm tannins, great balance and elegance. It can be appreciated now or later. (GBQc)
92 CHÂTEAU LAFLEUR-PETRUS 2013, POMEROL, BORDEAUX ($169)
Ruby purplish. Very elegant nose of red fruits with floral notes and a good deal of fine oak. Equally elegant on the palate, tight but velvety, not especially concen-
trated although far from lacking. Tannins are tender yet firm. Simply elegant and harmonious for years to come. (GBQc)
90 CHÂTEAU BEL-AIR 2013, LALANDE DE POMEROL, BORDEAUX ($28.75)
Bright ruby. Pure and elegant redfruits notes with well-dosed oak. Bright fruity taste, medium body; built on finesse, not on power, it can be appreciated right now. (GBQc)
90 CHÂTEAU LA FLEUR POURRET 2009, ST-ÉMILION GRAND CRU, BORDEAUX ($38.95)
Dark ruby with a garnet rim. Nose is predominantly oaky with notes of black fruits. Medium-bodied, supple and balanced mid-palate. Nice finish, full of fruit and well balanced. Drink now or wait. (GBQc)
90 CHÂTEAU LATOUR À POMEROL 2013, POMEROL, BORDEAUX ($99)
Medium ruby. Ripe red and black berries, well-dosed oak combine in an elegant yet “heavy”nose. Tight on the palate, it remains a medium-bodied wine with a fine tannic granularity that will evolve in a more expressive palate in 5 years or so. (GBQc)
89 CHÂTEAU CORMEIL-FIGEAC 2012, ST-ÉMILION GRAND CRU, BORDEAUX ($38.25)
Dark ruby. Discreet nose of blackberries and graphite. Supple, full-bodied, it fills the mouth with its lush texture. Finish is very tight verging on astringency. Wait 3 to 5 years. (GBQc)
ITALY 92 ALLEGRINI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2011, VENETO ($90)
Lighter in style than previous vintages but still of elevated stature. Full-bodied, both on the nose and palate, it resonates with plum, crème de cassis, dark cherry, raisins, cocoa, anise and violets. Full-bodied and long with the structure to age 2 decades. (ES) NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 59
NOTED 91 COS CERASUOLO DI VITTORIA 2013, SICILY ($46)
Juicy cherry, red liquorice, wild herbs, earthiness and silky tannin structure. Lovely freshness, floral quality and a vinous liveliness. Pretty much a default wine when it comes to pairing with any type of food. (GB)
91 RUFFINO RISERVA DUCALE ORO CHIANTI CLASSICO GRAN SELEZIONE 2011, TUSCANY ($47.95) This is a very sophisticated and elegant Chianti. Mature ruby in colour, it shows a spicy, cedary cherry bouquet with a note of tobacco and dried flowers. Its medium-bodied, dry, sour-cherry flavours are tinged with oak, giving the wine a long, dry savoury finish. Old-style Chianti, beautifully balanced and a joy to drink. (TA)
91 FEUDI DI SAN GREGORIO TAURASI 2011, DOC CAMPANIA ($50)
The volcanic soils soar through this Aglianico, with potent tight minerality, precise acidity and fine, stony texture from top to tail of this generous, classic Campanian red. Dusky anise, leather, tar and scrubby herbs lend grip and interest to the ample, ripe and slightly tuggy tannins, while wild herbs, ripe black cherry, wild plum and blackberry season the generous palate. The finish is long, with fivespice, nutmeg and minerality lingering. 20ish-year-old vines are grown on deep ash and pumice soils, and after 3 weeks fermentation in stainless, this goes into French barrique for 18 months, followed by 9 months more in bottle to settle and smooth. (TR)
91 TUA RITA SYRAH 2011, IGT TOSCANA ($279)
Dark ruby. Red and black berries, a few notes of red meat. In the mouth, you feel its freshness first followed by the tannic structure, very firm and slightly astringent but very finely grained. The abundant fruity extract will ensure a positive evolution. Finish is intense and compact at this early stage. The 2013 coming soon is even better. (GBQc)
90 AZIENDA UGGIANO PRESTIGE CHIANTI CLASSICO 2015, TUSCANY ($16.95)
If you like old-style Chianti then you’ll really enjoy this Chianti Classico. Deep purple in colour, the wine has a spicy nose of plum, blackcurrant and cherry topped with notes of oak. It’s dry, medium-bodied, beautifully balanced with a floral grace note. (TA)
90 CASTELLI DEL GREVEPESA LAMOLE GRAN SELEZIONE 2010, CHIANTI, TUSCANY ($37)
Dark ruby. Black berries with obvious oak, dried fine herbs (thyme, rosemary). Full-bodied, rich texture and ripe fruity taste. Tannins are tight with no graininess. Balanced finish. Drink or hold. (GBQc)
90 GD VAJRA BARBERA D’ALBA 2013, PIEDMONT ($38)
Elegant and fresh with bright cherry flavours, mineral, silky texture, juicy tannins, depth and complexity with lively acidity. I also tasted the 2008, which was fantastic and it will be interesting to taste the 2013 in a few years. (GB)
with a pungently earthy but appetizing overtone and a whiff of green herb on the nose. Characteristic black cherry and dark plum flavours kick in on the palate supported by balanced acidity and light tannic grip. Well made, food-friendly and solid value. (SW)
88 FONTANAFREDDA BRICCOTONDO BARBERA 2014, DOC PIEMONTE ($18)
Consistent year over year, and the 2014 is no different. This Barbera, from the hillsides of Langhe and Monferrato, brings black cherry, anise, worked leather and black raspberry across a fleshy, cured-meats and oak-framed medium body. Scrubby herbs, pipe tobacco and brisk spicing liven the smooth palate, while 6 months in oak barrels and Slavonian casks defines it. An approachable and interesting red for drinking now, especially with wild mushroom risotto or boar pappardelle. (TR)
88 A MANO IMPRINT SUSUMANIELLO 2014, IGT SALENTO, PUGLIA ($26)
Deep ruby. Discreet nose of cherry, kirsch, soft spicy notes. Pleasantly fresh for an Amarone, with an intense fruity taste, thick tannins and not overpowered by alcohol, it is overall well-balanced and promised to a great future as proven by the 1997 tasted the same day. (GBQc)
Susumaniello is an ancient grape, supposedly found only in the Italian region of Apulia (Puglia) and is thought to be a cross between Sangiovese and some unidentified parent (bastard child). Perfumed and fragrant blackberry, delicate black liquorice, heady balsamic and plum; this is light-bodied and soft, but framed with very grippy, downy and thorny tannins. The balsamic lingers on the grippy finish. Fresh and characterful, and lovely with lighter pork or rabbit. (TR)
89 TUA RITA ROSSO DEI NOTRI 2015, IGT TOSCANA ($25.10)
87 FATTORIA DI PIAZZANO BLEND 2 2013, TUSCANY ($24.95)
90 MASI COSTASERA AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA 2011, VENETO ($42.25)
Full ruby. Restrained nose revealing some red-fruits notes. More expressive on the palate with a fresh fruity taste lifted by acidity, spicy notes (cinnamon) in compact, tight and firm mid-palate and finish. Overall quite elegant and refined given its reasonable price. (GBQc)
88 BOLLA 2014, VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOC ($16.99) Cherry, plum and lightly spicy scents
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A blend of equal parts Colorino, Sangiovese and Malvasia Nera. Dense ruby-purple in colour with a cedary, plum and cherry nose; light- to medium-bodied, high-toned, sour-cherry and plum flavours. (TA)
86 FRESCOBALDI CASTIGLIONE 2015, CHIANTI DOCG ($17.99)
Rather muted on the nose with bright, lightly sweet dark cherry flavour, grippy
tannins and brisk, forward acidity. Finishing with firm dry tannic bite. Better with a couple of years additional cellaring. (SW)
NEW ZEALAND 90 ARCHANGEL PINOT NOIR 2012, CENTRAL OTAGO ($39.95)
An explosive nose of dark cherry, black raspberry, damson plum, spice, beetroot, raisins and cocoa are all present in this rather hefty Pinot Noir. It turns juicy on the palate and finishes on an alcoholic note. Beautiful length. Duck breast all the way. (ES)
88 AKARUA RUA PINOT NOIR 2014, CENTRAL OTAGO ($29)
Elegant and nicely restrained with spice, cherry, black pepper and plum flavours, mineral and fresh with round, supple tannins. Great with everything from salmon to barbecue to slightly spicy meat dishes. (GB)
PORTUGAL 88 SOGRAPE CALLABRIGA 2008, DÃO DOC ($28.29)
Reveals influence of bottle age, showing developed plum and cherry fruit, savoury, dry herbal notes, a pinch of cinnamon and a subtle touch of oak on the nose. Dark fruit flavours are encased in sooty dry tannins with still-brisk acidity, finishing firm and very dry. Give it another 3 to 5 years in the cellar. (SW)
SOUTH AFRICA 92 WARWICK TRILOGY 2011, STELLENBOSCH ($27.83)
Clear, very deep garnet. Nose of plums and forest floor with spices and a hint of mint. On the palate it is medium bodied, fruity and soft with blackberry and cherry flavours, all elements being in good balance. Could be kept another year. (RL)*
88 SPIER MERLOT 2014, STELLENBOSCH ($12.95)
Another great-value wine from South
Africa. Light ruby in colour with a tawny hue; smoky, earthy, cherry nose; full-bodied, richly extracted plum flavour with lively acidity. (TA)
87 GLEN CARLOU HAVEN SHIRAZ 2014, WO COASTAL REGION ($20)
Fleshy, earthy black cherry and blackberry fill the mouth of this generous Coastal Region Shiraz. Worked leather, anise, peppercorns and thorns season the generous and soft palate, one supported by ripe tannins and balanced with a gentle swell of acidity. Pink pepper lingers on the finish. Suitable for your skirt steak or grilled skewers. (TR)
SPAIN 96 TERRA DE VEREMA CORELIUM 2006, DOC PRIORAT ($51)
Clear, very deep garnet. Mature nose of black cherry jam and stewed plums with a bit of “barnyard.” Full bodied and very fruity (more cherry jam). The fruit, high alcohol and tannins are in lovely balance now, so drink up. (RL)*
91 LUIS ALEGRE CRIANZA 2010, DOC RIOJA ($16.33)
Clear very deep garnet. Medium-intensity, oaky nose of blackberries with coffee and black liquorice. The alcohol is a bit hot, but the blackberry fruit is tasty and the tannins smooth. Best now. (RL)*
91 BODEGAS FRANCO-ESPAÑOLAS RIOJA BORDÓN 2009, RIOJA RESERVA DOC ($24.99)
Made in a somewhat traditional style but with a modern twist, this blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Mazuelo is aged in American white oak for 24 months with additional bottle aging before release. Opens with enticingly spicy, developed red and dark fruit, and elegant sandalwood perfume. Supple, refined fruit flavours encompass black and red currant as well as blackberry, with lightly firm tannic grip, bright acidity and a splash of milk chocolate on the smoothly integrated finish. (SW)
90 BODEGAS ILURCE RIO MADRE 2013, RIOJA DOC ($19.99)
A new-style single-estate-grown wine made entirely from Graciano. Rarely used on its own, this grape was perceived to show special qualities in this particular terroir, which spurred the decision to produce a single-variety wine. It shows distinctive peppery, spicy scents with dark fruit on the nose and concentrated blackberry and dark cherry on the palate. Well-structured and full-bodied, it finishes with satisfying length rounded out with a deft kiss of oak. (SW)
89 BODEGAS PIQUERAS CASTILLO DE ALMANSA 2010, ALMANSA ($16.95)
A blend of Monastrell, Tempranillo, Garnacha Tintorera and Syrah. Dense ruby-purple in colour with an earthy plum and blackcurrant nose; medium bodied, dry and well balanced. (TA)
89 VIÑA CUMBRERO CRIANZA 2010, RIOJA DOC TEMPRANILLO ($18.99)
Sourced entirely from Rioja Alta, this one reveals characteristic varietal spicy red berry and redcurrant scents with generous ripe red fruit, lively acidity and moderate tannins on the palate. Drinking well with food, it could use another 2 to 3 years to soften youthful acidity and integrate more fully. (SW)
89 CINEMA CRIANZA 2010, DO RIBERA DEL DOURO ($19.17)
Clear, deep garnet. Nose of strawberry jam over very heavy oak, balsamic and vanilla aromas. Full-bodied; the fruit is fading a bit relative to the tannins, but still yields mature and interesting sour cherry and raisin flavours. Drink yesterday with roast venison flavoured with cranberries and juniper. (RL)*
88 BODEGAS LOS LLANOS PATA NEGRA GRAN RESERVA 2007, VALDEPEÑAS DO ($16.99)
Shows strikingly seductive scent of violets together with spicy, oaky dark fruit notes. Not nearly as forward on the palate, showing dark plum and bitter black cherry with NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 61
NOTED dry tannic bite and brisk acidity. Decant for several hours before drinking. (SW)
UNITED STATES 94 ROBERT MONDAVI WINERY TO KALON VINEYARD RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012, OAKVILLE, NAPA ($150)
88 HEDGES CMS 2012, COLUMBIA VALLEY, WASHINGTON ($22.80)
Ruby-purplish. Black berries and toasted oak fill the glass along with soft spicy notes. Medium-bodied, a bit low on acidity and tannins, this is easy to drink and will appeal to most palates. A safe bet when you invite a large group for dinner. (GBQc)
Mondavi’s flagship red is a big, powerful Napa Cab with no harsh edges. Concentrated and ripe, there is cassis, blackberry, plum, raspberry, mint, mocha, creosote, vanilla and earth. Full-bodied with grand length and tannins to take it to 2035. (ES)
DESSERT
90 ROBERT MONDAVI 50TH ANNIVERSARY MAESTRO RED 2013, NAPA ($60)
Reif has a long history with Vidal Icewine, and this is one of their best. Old gold in colour, it has a rich honey, peach and barley-sugar nose. The wine is full-bodied, with concentrated orange and barley sugar flavours; its honeyed richness is balanced and kept in check by its lively spine of acidity. (TA)
This is a special one-off release from the legendary Mondavi winery in Napa Valley to celebrate the 50th anniversary. It’s a blend of 59% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec and has a ripe nose of plums, blackberries, earth/savoury spices and jammy red fruits. It is complex with juicy, ripe fruits and elegant oak spices on the palate. It is mouth-filling, with firm structure and an abundance of tannins yet has finesse and elegance through the finish. (RV)
89 CLINE FAMILY CELLARS ANCIENT VINES ZINFANDEL 2014, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY ($24.99) Lively scents of brambleberry with characteristic Zinfandel peppery spice lead the way for generously ripe wild berry and dark berry flavours backed by good tannic structure, finishing with well-integrated dark fruit, black chocolate and oaky spice. (SW)
88 E & J GALLO GHOST PINES MERLOT 2013, SONOMA ($19.15)
A blend of Sonoma with 14% Napa fruit. Deep purple-ruby colour with a bouquet of plum, black cherry and mocha chocolate; full-bodied, mouth-filling flavours of black plum and cherry with chocolate notes finishing with ripe, grainy tannins. (TA)
92 REIF VIDAL ICEWINE 2013, NIAGARA PENINSULA ($24.95/200 ML)
92 ELEPHANT ISLAND STELLAPORT SOLERA AGED PORTSTYLE WINE NV, NARAMATA, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($28.74)
Made with vintages from 2001 to 2010. Raisin and black cherry on the nose with some earthy hints, an intense red and black fruit entry with cherry and mocha notes over raisin; marmalade with balanced alcohol and very little heat, viscous and long-finishing. Cries out for blue cheese and walnuts. Clever archival-themed package. (TP)
89 PELEE ISLAND LATE HARVEST VIDAL VQA 2010, ONTARIO ($14.50)
Clear medium-deep brass color. Medium-intensity nose of very ripe apple and treacle toffee. Full-bodied, showing apple, peach and papaya flavours. Not overly sweet, as the acidity is in good balance. Drink now. (RL)*
88 QUEVEDO TAWNY PORT, DOC DOURO, PORTUGAL ($20)
Roasted almonds, nougat, figs, orange peel and light fruitcake carry this spir-
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ited, single Quinta tawny port. Fairly streamlined and accessible, with a soft mouthfeel balancing out rustic edges. A noticeable wee burn of alcohol on the shorter finish would be best mitigated by pouring with fruitcake or heady crème caramel. (TR)
87 SANTERO ASTI DOLCE NV, DOCG ASTI, PIEMONTE, ITALY ($17)
This Moscato Asti is dolce, or sweet, with ample sugared pear, white flowers and candied-lemon gummies. Frothy bubbles are cut with a very pithy citrus note, and end with white honey. With an alcohol of 7.5%, this is an attractive sweet fizz to open brunch or close afternoon tea. (TR)
BEER STEAMWORKS BREWING CO PALE ALE, VANCOUVER ($3.99/500 ML)
Bright straw/gold colour showing attractive floral and green herbal hoppy scents with equally appealing citrus and lightly malty flavours, finishing with light hoppy bitterness. Easy to like but characterful. (SW)
GARRISON BREWING RISE ‘N’ STEIN HEFEWEIZEN, HALIFAX ($5.95/650 ML)
Shows characteristic cloudy blond wheat beer appearance with lightly yeasty, spicy and mild malty aromas. Appetizing, light fresh fruity flavours show sweet citrus and mild malty character with gentle effervescence and a touch of nutty malt on the finish. Well-balanced, delicious brew. (SW)
BRETON BREWING COMPANY BLACK ANGUS INDIA PALE ALE, CAPE BRETON ($3.90/473 ML)
Shows lightly hazy amber colour with aromatic floral and minty herbal scents. Initial flavours are quite sweet with fruity citrus rounded by creamy texture, balanced by judicious hoppy bitterness on the finish. (SW)
BRETON BREWING COMPANY RED COAT IRISH RED ALE, CAPE BRETON ($3.90/473 ML) Reddish-tinged mid-brown colour showing nutty, almost smoky toasted malt aromas with softly rounded dried fruit and chocolate sweetness on the palate. A gentle touch of nutty burnt-toast bitterness on the finish. (SW)
PEI BREWING COMPANY GAHAN VIC PARK UNFILTERED PALE ALE, PEI ($3.99/473 ML)
Opens on the nose with highly aromatic herbal and citrus scents and a note of bitter astringency. Dried fruit sweetness with orange peel, together with nutty malt kick in on the palate. Quite bitter hoppy flavours linger on the finish. (SW)
CHARLES WELLS CHARLIE WELLS DRY HOPPED LAGER, BEDFORD, UK ($3.79/500 ML)
Straw-coloured, showing a persistent, lightly creamy head with nutty malt and background herbal hoppy scents. Citrusy fruitiness and dry bitterness contrast on the palate, finishing with lingering hoppy bitterness and balancing citrus crispness. Will appeal to most palates. (SW)
SPIRITS LAMBLIN & FILS CRÈME DE PÊCHE DE VIGNE NV, FRANCE ($28.50)
Made by macerating small, intensely flavoured peaches, this 18% alcohol liqueur is a deep bronze colour, with in-your-face peach aromas. Rich and viscous, sweet as a fresh peach pie, set off with a tinge of peach-pit bitterness. (RL)*
AMARO PUNICO, ITALY ($40)
Inspired by Marsala, Amaro Punico is named in homage to the city’s ancient seafaring origins, and the very important naval base on Punic Island. This sweet amaro entices with a nose of sweet Sicilian citrus, fresh thyme, oregano and cinnamon. The silken palate introduces sarsaparilla, figs, cola, mace and candied anise, with eucalyptus and marmalade ringing on the
finish. The blend includes yellow gentian, oregano, cinnamon, lemon, coriandolo (cilantro), cloves, basil, peppermint and bitter orange. At 30% alcohol, this makes for a lovely sipping amaro post dinner, perhaps with a cube of ice. (TR)
APEROL, ITALY ($27)
Sure, you can enjoy this slightly sweet, slightly bitter infusion of herbs and botanicals on its own, over ice with an orange twist, but better yet, try it in an Aperol Spritz. Combine two parts Aperol with three parts Cinzano prosecco over ice. Add a dash of soda and garnish with a slice of orange. Summer will be back, guaranteed! (TS)
APPLETON ESTATE SIGNATURE BLEND JAMAICA RUM ($30)
Bright and assertive aromas suggesting cinnamon, sultana, candied orange peel, caramel and tamarind. Dry, spicy and warm in the mouth with caramel, toffee, marmalade and some spicy wood notes. Can be sipped neat, but try in a Jamaican Mule: 1 part Appleton Estate Signature Blend, three lime wedges, two parts Fever-Tree ginger beer and a dash of Angostura bitters. Squeeze the limes into a highball glass and muddle. Add ice and build remaining ingredients into the glass. Stir. (TS)
NEWFOUNDLAND SCREECH RUM ($27)
Craft spirits are hot these days, but consider the “original” Canadian craft spirit: Newfoundland Screech Rum. Long before any Canadian liquor board was (for better or worse) created, Newfoundland salt fish was being traded for West Indian rum. I can tell you which party got the better deal. Redolent with vanilla pod, orange zest, sultana and molasses, it’s smooth, rich and spicy, with caramel, toffee, vanilla and citrus notes. Maybe Canada could annex Jamaica. (TS)
BOB’S SUPER SMOOTH PREMIUM SPIRIT, ONTARIO ($27)
Whey? Now way! Yes, whey. Bob’s Super Smooth is a made-in-Ontario whey-based distillate. The practice of producing
whey spirit originated in New Zealand (no doubt due to the country’s prominent dairy industry). The lactose and gluten-free whey spirit is blended with spring water from Ontario’s Elmvale clay plain (cited by Canadian Geographic as the purest ground water on the planet) to create the final “vodka” (it can’t be called such on the bottle thanks to typical draconian labeling regulations). I find it has more aroma and flavour than most vodka, with distinct fruity/estery aromatics and a super smooth (honest), viscous and very clean profile. (TS)
SAKE OKUNOMATSU GINJO SAKE, JAPAN ($15/180 ML)
Ginjo sake is lauded for its complexity, depth, diverse flavour and balance. All of which are here in spades. Tropical fruit, a slight nuttiness, vanilla and a hint of anise. Round, full-bodied, fruity and just barely off-dry with crisp acidity and refreshing tropical/citrus notes. Clean, fresh, classy. (TS)
URAKASUMI KI-IPPON JUNMAI SAKE, JAPAN ($29/720 ML)
Slow brewed using Urakasumi’s specially cultivated distillers’ yeast, this is a rich, intense, full-bodied junmai best served very slightly chilled or at room temperature. Forward grain, green apple, green melon, pear and lemon zest aromatics. Ripe, viscous, elegant and balanced with crisp apple flavours enhanced by some savoury, earthy/nutty notes. Long, crisp finish. (TS)
KUROKI HONTEN NAKANAKA SHOCHU, JAPAN ($40/720 ML)
With Japanese sake becoming the new “it” thing, Japanese Shochu can’t be far behind. This is intriguing stuff, indeed. Toasted nuts, ripe, fresh Asian pear with a certain earthy/wet slate aromatic profile, it’s round, viscous, fruity (ear/apple) with a touch peppery with floral nuances and a long, lingering finish. Serve out of the freezer … or anyway you want. (TS) NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 63
DAVINE BY GURVINDER BHATIA
A GOURMET'S DREAM The regionality of Italy is clearly evident as you travel through this wine- and food-centric nation, and the region of Emilia-Romagna is no different. Located in the northeast part of central Italy, Emilia-Romagna may be the gastronomic heart of the country. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, prosciutto di Parma ham, stuffed pastas such as tortellini and ravioli, sugo alla Bolognese and the balsamic vinegars of Modena and Reggio Emilia all have their origins in Emilia-Romagna. The region is also home to many iconic Italian cultural and artistic names such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Ducati, Luciano Pavarotti, Giuseppe Verdi, Federico Fellini and Arturo Toscanini. And the region’s best-known and often misunderstood wine, Lambrusco, is, thankfully, experiencing a renaissance. Lambrusco may be misunderstood because it is not just one grape variety or wine. It is a family of grapes and each has typical characteristics, as do their respective resulting wines. Also, Lambrusco is a red sparkling wine, typically fruity
with good acidity, sometimes savoury and tannic and generally, relatively dry. Over the years, the market saw mostly cheap, soda-pop-sweet versions of Lambrusco (remember the “Riunite on ice, that’s nice” commercials?), thus creating the perception that this was the typical style of the wine. Traditionally, though, Lambrusco was made using the same traditional method as Champagne, where the fermentation to create the bubbles was done individually in each bottle. Over the past decade, it appears to have experienced a rebirth and the differences in the respective grape varieties and wine styles are being recognized and appreciated. As is, significantly, the wines’ versatility with and affinity for food. According to Alberto Medici of Medici Ermete, the catalysts for its resurgence were likely a mid-2000s article in The New York Times and the awarding of Tre Bicchieri (three glasses — the highest
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award given by the Gambero Rosso publication to Italian wines) in 2010 for the first time to a Lambrusco. The Lambruscos are some of Italy’s oldest grape varieties and may be among the first to be domesticated from wild vines. While there are many different grapes, the main ones are: Lambrusco di Sorbara is the lightest in colour of them all (it may appear to be a rosé, but it is a red wine), as the grapes tend to have relatively thin skins with very little pigment. The grape bunches also have varying-sized berries, which can lead to asynchronous maturation. When well made, the wines tend to be fragrant and floral, fresh and fruity, with bright acidity, finishing relatively dry. Interestingly, while cultivated vines are hermaphrodites and can self-pollinate. Lambrusco di Sorbara behaves as a female and requires a cross-pollinator (usually Lambrusco Salamino), perhaps
an indication of the variety’s evolution from and closeness to wild vines. Sorbaras tend to be great pairings with seafood, fried cotechino, pizza and tortellini in brodo. Apparently, Lambrusco di Sorbara was the favourite wine of the late Luciano Pavarotti. Cleto Chiarli Vecchia Modena Lambrusco di Sorbara shows strawberry and red currant with fresh acidity and a light fizz, while the Chiarli Lambrusco di Sorbara del Fondatore possesses loads of strawberry and raspberry aromas, with bright acidity and dry-ish but fruity finish. The delicious Paltrinieri “Leclisse” Lambrusco di Sorbara has an incredibly pretty and delicate nose, with a purity of red fruit flavours, mouth-filling, expansive, lifted and long. Cantina della Volta’s Christian Bellei only produces bubbles using the traditional method. His father worked for years at Roederer in Champagne and believed the character of Sorbara to be similar to that of Champagne. His wines are elegant, refined, complex and fresh with great balance and wonderful texture. He’s a bit of a rebel in the area, but is making interesting wines and is attracting a considerable amount of attention to the area. Lambrusco Salamino tends to result in wines that are ruby-purple in colour, fruity and grapey, effusive, savoury with good body, bright juicy acidity and finishing dry. It is grown mostly around Modena and Reggio Emilia. The bunches are long and cylindrical, resembling the shape of salami; the perfect match with salami, prosciutto and mortadella and perhaps the ideal wine for barbecue pork. Medici Ermete’s “Concerto” Lambrusco Salamino may be the flag-bearer for this variety, but Alberto Medici is without question an ambassador for not just his wines, but for the region as a whole. His philosophy of raising awareness and working collaboratively with other producers is refreshing and bodes well for the long-term growth and sustainability of the wines and the region. Lambrusco Grasparossa, also known as Lambrusco di Castelvetro, gives wines that are dark with a big, fleshy body, wild red and black fruit, firm but fruit-laden tannins, dry, savoury and bright. While most Lambruscos grow on the plains, Grasparossa also grows on hillsides. The
hillside vineyards tend to contain more clay soils resulting in fuller-bodied wines, while the vineyards on the flats tend to have more sandy soils resulting in more elegant and graceful wines. Cleto Chiarli makes a very good Vigneto Cialdini, which is big, fruity, dry and tannic but the fresh acidity would make it excellent with rich barbecue meats. Fattoria Moretto makes a mouth-wateringly delicious Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro Rosato with loads of red fruit, full, elegant; finishing dry, savoury, fresh and long. Moretto’s “Tasso” could well be the textbook example of Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro. A great match with pasta with meat sauces. Medici Ermete’s Le Tenute Bocciolo Grasparossa DOC Dolce has loads of blackberry and blueberry flavours. Although it contains 60-plus grams per litre of residual sugar, the bright acidity keeps it fresh and lively. Lambrusco Maestri grows predominantly around Reggio Emilia and Parma and gives the darkest wines that tend to be fruity, fleshy, round and effusive with an almost bubble-gum character on the nose. Plantings of Lambrusco Maestri are on the rise, perhaps due to the dark, accessible, fruity and creamy nature of the resulting wines. Maestri bunches tend to have small berries with thick skins, which is not surprising given the deep colour of the wines. Monte delle Vigne’s Lambrusco Maestri wines are great examples with the purply-bright Classico to the slightly more structured, but fruit-enveloped Selezione to the complex, bottle-fermented I Salici. Lambrusco Marani appears to be on the decline as it results in wines that are not quite as fruity as those from Lambrusco Maestri. Rinaldini makes a lovely DOC Reggiano Lambrusco using equal parts Lambrusco Marani, Lambrusco Salamino, Lambrusco Maestri and a splash of Ancellotta (provides colour and often used to soften the wine’s high acidity). What do I suggest? Buy Lambrusco, buy the different styles and types, drink them, drink them with food and all types of food. They are bubbly, fun, delicious, approachable and drinkable, versatile with food, sociable and, importantly, can make you smile. What could be better than that? ×
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your wine deserves the very best home 416.285.6604 RosehillWineCellars.com NOVEMBER 2016 × QUENCH.ME × 65
AFTER TASTE BY TONY ASPLER
IN THE PINK EACH JULY FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, RESTAURATEUR JOHN MAXWELL AND WINE SCRIBE BILLY MUNNELLY HAVE HOSTED AN EVENT THEY CALL MEN IN PINK. It’s held at Allen’s on Dan-
forth Avenue in Toronto. Allen’s is Maxwell’s funky bar and restaurant described by the owner as a “loving tribute to the Irish-American saloons of his native New York.” Men in Pink is an al fresco lunch. Not, as it might appear at first blush, a fundraiser in aid of breast cancer, but a celebration of one of the most misunderstood and maligned beverages — rosé wine. It’s a men-only event and all the guests — usually around 50 — are required to dress in something pink. Ontario winemakers bring along bottles of their rosés that are copiously poured throughout a lunch whose courses are also pink in colour. This year, the menu was buttermilk beet and radish soup, barbecued smoked salmon, barbecued Limousin beef tenderloin (served pink, with a pink peppercorn and rosé sauce ) and a dessert of strawberry panacotta with fresh strawberries and orange sauce. Probably more pink wine is consumed within four hours on those July days at Allen’s than anywhere else on the planet. “How Do You Get Bros to Drink Rosé Wine?” That was the headline of an article in Ad Weekly magazine, published as recently as May of this year. Their advice: “Package It Like It’s Beer.” Not that this pretty wine needs any such marketing machinations since the rosé category has been no. 1 with a bullet on liquor board charts — and around the world — for the last couple of years. Ontarians can choose from 164 rosés currently on LCBO shelves; Quebecers have even more — 187 at the SAQ; and in BC, there are 128 skids at the BCLD. There was a time when real men did not eat quiche or drink pink wine. But this is 2016, and real men wear and drink pink; although quiche, not so much. Conspiracy theorists might ascribe the trend to a feminist plot to emasculate men, but the universal appeal of rosés, whether still or sparkling, has more to do, I believe, with a reaction to the heavy, densely coloured, high-alcohol wines of the New World, and the fact that rosés are not only the quintessential wine of summer but they’re also versatile food wines. 66 × @QUENCH_MAG × MAV WINE AND SPIRITS AWARDS 2016
Rosés are also inexpensive — apart from Domaine Ott’s Château de Selle Coeur de Grain Rosé. The LCBO listed it at $46.95, which is more than double the price of the celebrity rosé Miraval owned by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Miraval looked like a bargain by comparison at $22.95. This wine is a partnership between the A-list couple and the Perrin family, who own Château de Beaucastel. Then there is Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé that sells in the US for $42; and the wine Forbes magazine erroneously named as “The World’s Most Expensive Rosé” in March 2015: Caves d’Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé at $26.95. What these four wines have in common is provenance: they all come from Provence, the spiritual home of rosé; and all, for the most part, are based on Grenache. They are all virtually the same colour — the palest rosés you will see. Flesh pink, in fact. When it comes to choosing rosé, the only thing you have to worry about is the sweetness level. Many producers, especially in Canada, leave some residual sugar in their wines in the belief — mistaken as far as most wine lovers are concerned — that consumers expect a fruity sweetness in a pink wine. Dry ‘em out, I say, and make rosé a year-round wine rather than confining it to the sun-drenched months of summer. × ILLUSTRATION: FRANCESCO GALLÉ, WWW.FRANCESCOGALLE.COM
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