Quench Magazine Winter 2021-2022 issue no.369 by Quench Magazine

Mavericks

WINTER

369 2021/2022

Food Wine Life

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ENTRÉES

The Mind behind the Maps Michaela Morris

There is currently no one more adept at giving context to place than Alessandro Masnaghetti.

The Real Wolf of Wine

Gurvinder Bhatia

Jermaine Stone chats about all things hip-hop and wine and doing it for the intention, not the attention.

tawâw Inspirations & Aspirations: In conversation with Shane Chartrand Jennifer Cockrall

The cookbook co-authors speak about how tawâw has taken on a larger existence than either of them could have imagined.

A Place Where They Belong

Tim Pawsey & Aman Dosanj

The Rise of the Okanagan’s Indian-Owned Wineries

A Field Guide to U.S. Barbecue Adrian Miller

The turn of the 20th century sparked a period of innovation that gave rise to multiple barbecue styles.

The Wines of the American Southwest

Jessica Dupuy

The American Southwest may not seem like the ideal place to grow wine, yet, it’s the birthplace of the first European vine plantings in the U.S.

AMUSE-BOUCHES 8 | THE BOOZY BACKSTORY Christine Sismondo Reinventing Irish Whiskey.

70 | THE BUYING GUIDE The best wine, beer and spirits from around the world recommended by our experienced panel of tasters. 18 | CAN PINOT NOIR & CHARDONNAY THRIVE IN NEW BRUNSWICK? Craig Pinhey 79 | BREWED AWAKENINGS Robin LeBlanc Fermenting change. 26 | THE ETHICS OF HUMMUS Omar Mouallem 34 | RECLAIMING BLURRED LINES Aman Dosanj A short story using emojis about cultural appreciation vs. appropriation.

80 | THE QUENCH CROSSWORD PUZZLE Test your wine knowledge.

DIGESTIF

43 | BOOK REVIEW: RODNEY SCOTT’S WORLD OF BBQ Adrian Miller 82 | AFTER TASTE Tony Aspler The inspiration for Tony Aspler’s literary 44 | BOOK REVIEW: ADRIAN MILLER’S BLACK SMOKE wine detective Ezra Brant also inspired him to become a wine writer. 4

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The Debaters: Bordeaux – Terroir vs. Château-style Barbara Philip MW & Michael Apstein

Quench approached two of the globe’s esteemed wine experts to consider the question.

Irish Whiskey Ascension

Tod Stewart

An rud nach leigheasann im ná uisce beatha níl aon leigheas air.

Essential

Aman Dosanj Seasonal vineyard workers from Mexico are not stealing Canadian jobs, they’re actually creating a shit-ton of them.

Sicilian Cuisine: Ogni ricetta ha l’impronta della famiglia

Melissa Muller The island’s regional cuisine is one of the most nuanced and rich in all of Italy.

Wine & Gastronomy Fighting the Mafia in Southern Italy Åsa Johansson

The Italian Mafia have found themselves in a golden position with the current global health crisis. But there are those who are fighting back.

Mendocino County: Cradle of Biodynamic Viticulture

W. Blake Gray

How it got there is an interesting tale full of hippies and cannabis.

SHAREABLES 19 | CHEF PROFILE: SOFIA B OHLSSON Åsa Johansson The Swedish west coast meets Japan at Vrå 24 | FAVE 5 with STATUS/NON STATUS Tom Murray 29 | CHEF PROFILE: ANGUS AN Michaela Morris “Learning Thai food saved my career.”

56 | CHEF PROFILE: DAVIDE GUIDARA Åsa Johansson A rising star in Italy, his cuisine is vegetable based & pushing your flavour boundaries. 61 | REDUCING YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT, ONE WINE PURCHASE AT A TIME Michelle Bouffard 69 | FAVE 5 with WILL SERGEANT Tom Murray

38 | CHEF PROFILE: MICHELLE WALLACE Jessica Dupuy Applying classic culinary techniques to Texas barbecue. 49 | FAVE 5 with SCHERRIE PAYNE Tom Murray

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Letter from the Editor FOR MOST OF MY 25-PLUS YEARS IN THE WINE INDUSTRY, I BELIEVED THAT WINE AND FOOD WERE THE GREAT EQUALIZERS. They have the ability to bring people together and if domestic and international relations were conducted at the dinner table, we would have far fewer problems in the world. The past few years have made me question the naivety of this notion. As wine becomes increasingly mainstream in our society, the actions and attitudes of too many industry professionals have served to polarize, rather than unite. In the past few months, I’ve had a winemaker and a wine educator both lament to me that since the murder of George Floyd, they are no longer able to tell racist jokes. But they wanted to be clear that they are not racists, and no offense is intended. WTF!!! It is also increasingly tiresome to listen to producers who with one breath express their desire to benefit economically from the Asian market (China in particular), yet, with their next breath, ridicule and mock the cultures and people they wish to cultivate as customers. The western wine industry’s homogenization of “Asian” cuisine and ignorant oversimplification that the best pairing for said cuisine is “sweet wine” is mildly offensive in comparison. The scandal involving the Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) exposed classism, racism and sexual harassment issues that have been prevalent for too long. But with the heightened status and prominence of the sommelier profession and emergence of “celebrity somms” (due to movies like SOMM, the increased importance of wine in restaurants, and the general rise in interest in wine), the privilege and arrogance of the white-male-dominated CMS finally exposed its frat house mentality. Of the tens of thousands of people I have encountered in the wine industry, I would only characterize a few as arrogant assholes, but that group is disproportionately represented by those possessing the Master Sommelier designation (to be clear, the inexcusable conduct endemic in the CMS is mirrored in other wine industry organizations whose hypocrisy in shaming the CMS must not be overlooked). Given the past history of the CMS and its current issues, I tend to agree with regular Quench contributor W. Blake Gray that the CMS “is badly out of date, and might as well be bulldozed into the earth.” (Nov 19th, 2021, www. wine-searcher.com) The wine industry is in dire need of a head shake and reset. It only stands to benefit by recognizing and respecting its growing global consumer base. Wine and food should serve as a conduit to learn about and appreciate different cultures. The context of people, place, culture and history provides wine and food with the unique ability to make the world a much more inclusive place. Accessibility, education without condescension, and respect should be the rule, not the exception. In fact, these should be the hallmarks of the wine industry, and I believe they are for the vast majority of its members. Classism, racism, gender inequity, sexual harassment and discrimination based on sexual orientation have no place in our society, let alone the wine industry. The rationalization that it will take time for the old-boys-network to evolve is preposterous. There were eleven of us having dinner with the winemaker who lamented the perceived inappropriateness of his racist jokes. I was the only person of colour at the table (as an aside, none of the others at the table raised a concern with the winemaker’s comments – perhaps they should look up the definition of allyship). Soon, those sitting around the table at such events will likely more accurately reflect the changing faces that make up the wine industry. With globalization and the growing number of wine consumers, the industry has a tremendous opportunity to democratize wine. But for that to occur, it needs to put a lid on the frat-boy mentality and colonial attitudes and realize that actions and words need to change. Before long, the majority of wine consumers will represent the multicultural world in which we live. This is something to celebrate, a necessary evolution that will benefit everyone. If we are going to get there, it’s imperative for the wine industry to lose its ugly side and embrace without compromise the unification role that it is so well positioned to fulfill. Gurvinder Bhatia editor-in-chief

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CONTRIBUTORS Aman Dosanj

Aman Dosanj is a food and marketing geek, former England and Arsenal footballer, feminist, middle child, not your conventional brown person, adventurer, From the Wild alum, imperfect environmentalist, storyteller, and just weird enough to be interesting. She is known for her ability to educate, connect and tell stories through food, working with local farmers and producers to create edible adventures in unexpected places with The Paisley Notebook.

Editor-in-chief Gurvinder Bhatia editor@quench.me

Barbara Philip MW

Managing Editor Tom Murray

Barbara Philip MW was the first Western Canadian to achieve the Master of Wine designation in 2007. She is currently a Category Manager for BC Liquor Stores where she is responsible for the European selections as well as all the sparkling and fortified wines. With her husband, Iain, Barb runs Barbariain Wine Consulting and regularly works as a presenter, journalist and judge. Barb has been recognized for her work in European wine by some of the world’s most prestigious wine organizations and is a member of the Confrérie des Gentilshommes de Fronsac, the Confraria do Vinho do Porto, the Commanderie des Grands Vins d’Amboise and the Confrèrie des Chevaliers du Tastevin in Burgundy. Her cocktail of choice is a gin & tonic and her go-to restaurant that never disappoints is Dachi in Vancouver, BC.

Jennifer Cockrall

Jennifer Cockrall is a food & drink writer residing in Naramata, BC, on unceded Syilx (Okanagan) territory. She writes books about food culture, culinary community, and agriculture. She is currently at work on a book about seed saving and seed banks around the world. Jennifer is always grateful for a meal that someone has cooked for her.

Jessica Dupuy

Jessica Dupuy is a wine and spirits columnist, certified sommelier and WSET Diploma candidate. She is the author of several books including Uchi: The Cookbook; The Salt Lick Cookbook: A Story of Land, Family and Love; The United Tastes of Texas; Tex-Mex: Traditions, Innovations, and Comfort Foods from Both Sides of the Border. Her latest book, The Wines of Southwest U.S.A. covers the emerging wine regions in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado. Jessica lives in the Texas Hill Country, just west of Austin, with her family. Among the things she enjoys most are cooking with her kids, sharing great wine with friends, and fly fishing with her husband.

Michelle Bouffard

Michelle Bouffard is a sommelier, author, speaker, educator and consultant based in Montreal. Her first book Dis-moi qui tu es, je te dirai quoi boire was published in 2017 and for the past six years, she has been the sommelier on the popular Quebec cooking show Curieux Bégin. In 2017, Michelle founded Tasting Climate Change, an international symposium to explore the challenges and solutions in the wine industry. Ever the eternal perfectionist, she is continuing her studies at the prestigious Institute of Masters of Wine.

No. 369 Exploring the regional diversity of wine & food and why it matters; Mavericks

Contributing Editors Michaela Morris Tod Stewart Columnists Tony Aspler Robin LeBlanc Christine Sismondo Contributors Adrian Miller Aman Dosanj Åsa Johansson Barbara Philip MW Craig Pinhey Jennifer Cockrall Jessica Dupuy Melissa Muller Michael Apstein Michelle Bouffard Omar Mouallem Tim Pawsey W. Blake Gray

Editor & Publisher Gurvinder Bhatia editor@quench.me Accounts accounts@quench.me

Tasters Tony Aspler Gurvinder Bhatia Michaela Morris Michelle Bouffard Tim Pawsey Christopher Sealy Donatella Dicca Christine Sismondo Robin LeBlanc Creative Director Alex Chan Creative by Studio Reface Quench, Food and Drink Magazine (founded in 1972), is a registered trademark of Vinomania Consulting Inc. It is published 3 times a year (Fall, Winter, Spring). Quench Magazine and Quench Digital are published by Quench Media and Experience Corp.

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THE BOOZY BACKSTORY

Christine Sismondo

Photo credit: supplied Photo credit: supplied

Spring barley on Robert Milne’s farm in Co. Wexford, Ireland, bound for Waterford Distillery.

Grace O’Reilly, Waterford Distillery agronomist

WHEN I VISITED IRELAND’S WATERFORD DISTILLERY THIS FALL, THE FIRST PERSON I MET WAS GRACE O’REILLY — THE HOUSE AGRONOMIST. I’ve been to more than my fair share of distilleries, but this was a first for me; I’ve never even heard of a farmer on staff. Sure, you meet people who buy the grain and know a lot about agriculture, but O’Reilly, a fifth-generation farmer from County Meath (north of Dublin), isn’t just there to test the grains for proteins. Her role is to work with the (roughly) 100 independent farmers the distillery sources from and help them grow the best barley possible. And if their grain makes the cut, they’ll get a special reward — not only will they be paid a premium for the barley, the farmers’ names will go on the bottle. This might sound like a gimmick. It’s not. At our first pub in Waterford, before we met O’Reilly, the bartender at Tully’s asked us which farm we wanted our whisky from. All

Reynier, who owned Scotland’s Bruichladdich distillery from 2000 to 2012, is often credited for the re-invention of Islay whisky (with the help of master distiller Jim McEwan, of course) with small-batch expressions, minimal use of peat and bold ideas, some of which surely grew out of his experience in the family trade as a wine merchant. When Bruichladdich was sold to Remy Cointreau in 2012 (despite Reynier’s objections) he left the company, taking two copper stills with him. Both stills now live in Waterford, where, for the past six years, Reynier has been working on making the world’s most “profound” single malt. I’m not sure about profound, but I can say that this delicious whisky revived my flagging interest in a category that often feels like it’s lost its way, thanks in part to the emphasis and reliance on oak for so much of the flavour. So, can Reynier reprise his success on Islay and re-invent the single malt? I think he might already have.

her bottles were single-farm expressions. And, you know what? They do all taste distinct. Which is the very point Mark Reynier, Waterford’s founder and owner, is trying to make with his “barley-forward” whisky. Waterford is firmly committed to moving this noble Irish grain back to the centre of the story, as well as change the conversation about whisky so that it includes words like “microclimate” and, of course, “terroir.” That’s a real 180 degree turn. For years now, we’ve talked about casks, yeasts and, in some cases, peat, as the primary drivers of flavour in brown liquor. To many, grain is mainly seen as the fuel to be converted into alcohol. “Well, that’s really the whole problem, isn’t it?” says O’Reilly, as we drive north of Waterford to visit a barley farm. “When Mark first came here and told us what he wanted to do, I thought he was nuts. Once we started to understand the project, though, it all made perfect sense.”

Christine Sismondo, PhD, is an historian and the author of America Walks into a Bar: A Spirited History of Taverns and Saloons, Speakeasies and Grog Shops; Mondo Cocktail: A Shaken and Stirred History; and, most recently, Canadian Spirits: The Essential Cross-Country Guide to Distilleries, Their Spirits and Where to Imbibe Them (with Stephen Beaumont). Sismondo also acts as Canada’s Academy Chair for The World’s Best 50 Bars and as a judge for the World Gin Awards. Christine lives in Toronto and is working on a new book about cocktails and art. Her cocktail of choice is a Pisco Sour.

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Alessandro Masnaghetti: The mind behind the maps by Michaela Morris

Photo credit: supplied

Alessandro Masnaghetti and producer Barbara Sandrone look at a section of one of Masnaghetti’s Barolo vineyard maps

Wine acquires its context through people, time and place, and there is currently no one more adept at giving context to place than Alessandro Masnaghetti. 10

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Image credit: supplied

Bricco di Nizza, located about 2 km northwest from Nizza Monferrato

“A map is an instrument, a medium,” says Masnaghetti, whose name has become synonymous with maps. Through his company Enogea, he has drafted and published detailed maps of some of Italy’s most prestigious denominations and his accompanying commentary takes the viewer on a journey through the vineyards with him. They have become essential tools for wine professionals and are equally venerated by serious aficionados. The most celebrated are those of Barolo - so detailed that he has compiled not just one but two books that consider the region’s vineyards from every angle. The maps convey the natural features of terroir like soil, temperature, steepness and aspect of slope as well as which grape is planted where and ownership of each parcel. The man behind the maps is just as multifaceted as the maps themselves, and as fascinating as the regions he charts. Before assuming that Masnaghetti was born with wine running through his veins, consider that he is originally from Milan. A hub of industry and finance, this northern Italian city is far more famous for fashion than wine. “My father drank really terrible wine. It was a spritzy red, acidic and bitter with green tannins.” While this may have delayed his appreciation for wine, Masnaghetti muses that his father’s career as a technical draughtsman influenced his post-secondary pursuits. He studied nuclear engineering at Milan’s prestigious Polytechnic University, earning his degree circa the Chernobyl disaster of 1986.

Soon after, Italy passed an anti-nuclear referendum. Without a job in his field, Masnaghetti worked briefly as a general engineer, but his heart wasn’t in it. He was, however, a budding epicurean. “I don’t really know how this passion was born. My family wasn’t interested in gastronomy at all.” He does recall amusing himself as a young boy by peering in the window of a pastry shop watching the bakers at work. As he grew up, dining out became a hobby. On a lark, he submitted some of his personal restaurant reviews to I Ristoranti di Veronelli, Italy’s counterpart to France’s Michelin restaurant guide. It was founded by the late, great Luigi Veronelli, one of Italy’s most renowned and influential food and wine critics. “I didn’t expect a reply, and above all, I didn’t expect one from the boss.” Not only did Veronelli write to thank him, he invited Masnaghetti to lunch. When he arrived, Veronelli introduced him to Fattoria Zerbina’s Cristina Geminiani, who later became Masnaghetti’s wife. “We always say that it was Veronelli who introduced us, even though we had met a few days earlier at a wine tasting.” Veronelli also asked Masnaghetti to write for his wine guide, which he did until 1996. He went on to become the first editor of the Guida Vini dell’Espresso and eventually created his own newsletter, Ex Vinis. “From the time I started working for Veronelli in 1990 until 2015, my principal activity was as a wine taster. The new generation knows me as a cartographer, and no one remembers

that I was a wine taster – of many wines.” In the golden era of L’Espresso, he was tasting 15,000 to 18,000 wines a year. Masnaghetti supplemented his practical experience with courses on viticulture and oenology at the University of Bordeaux, sharpening his critical perspective. “When you visit wineries, you collect a lot of information, which can be contrasting. One of the best ways to put everything in order is to produce a map.” Spoken like a trained engineer. The first wine region he mapped was Barbaresco in 1994. It was based on legal land parcels rather than actual vineyards. Alas, Masnaghetti was ahead of his time and his early maps were slow to sell. Still, he persevered, using whatever pictures were available, visiting each region to verify and draw in vineyards one by one. This painstaking work set him apart. “My point scores weren’t as high as other journalists but the fact that I had this detailed knowledge of the territory helped me earn credibility with the producers.” He also made a point of visiting every winery within a zone, regardless of its repute. “I dedicate the same time and the same importance to each one. I did this as a wine taster and when I became a cartographer, it became even more important for me.” As satellite imagery improved through the mid-2000s, so did the precision of Masnaghetti’s maps. However, they were still slow to catch on. “Today everyone talks about crus and vineyards, but even just 10 years ago it was difficult for many producers to

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Photo credit: supplied

Bussia Soprana farm estate

understand the value of these maps.” Starting with Barbaresco and Barolo was natural as esteemed vineyards have long been recognized in the Langhe. Masnaghetti soon followed with Valpolicella, where the tradition of crus is also well-entrenched. In selecting which regions to document, Masnaghetti balances his predilections with the economic reality. “Selling a book on Barolo or a map of Chianti Classico is easy - one of Taurasi, less so but the quantity of work would be identical.” As for Chianti Classico, it was in obvious need of a map, according to Masnaghetti. “The zone is extremely varied and complicated; it was too intriguing not to make a map.” In the same breath, he derived satisfaction from Montepulciano, which he describes as a more homogenous area. “Sometimes simple work is more useful and beautiful than complicated work that you don’t succeed in translating.” He has also ventured beyond Italy, partnering with Vinous’ Antonio Galloni to create maps for Napa and Sonoma - the latter due out at the end of 2021. He speaks fondly of the estates’ enthusiasm and willingness to collaborate while noting that geographical records of California lack the detail found in Italy. “This makes it more difficult to talk about the territory but at the same time, it makes the challenge more fun.” It is clear that each project has been uniquely gratifying on several levels. Masnaghetti expresses affection for the wines of Bolgheri and their connection to Bordeaux as well as admiration for the geology, describing it as 12

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intuitive to explain and understand. “It is very ‘engineered’ but it is also a fantastic place. Even when you go in winter, as soon as the clouds disappear, there is a distinct perfume…” Sadly, fragrances have yet to be captured by maps. Nevertheless, Masnaghetti has found a way to transport the viewer to the region of Barolo through his Barolo MGA 360 site. “When you see a map of a hill you can only imagine you are there, but when you see a photo taken with a drone that you can move, you are no longer just a spectator.” He recently launched a similar series for Chianti Classico and Barbaresco, which should be unveiled within the year. The beauty of this new generation of maps is their ability to convey the landscape, which has become Masnaghetti’s great objective. “Rarely does the landscape have a direct influence on the style of the wine but it does explain a lot.” A change in landscape, such as different vegetation suggests a change in soil or microclimate, and it is these factors that contribute to shaping the wine. Masnaghetti illustrates his point using the villages of Barolo. He describes the hills of La Morra as softer and rounder than those of Serralunga, which are much steeper. The visual difference is obvious to anyone who casts an eye on the landscape. According to Masnaghetti, the key to this difference is the soil: in Serralunga, there is more sand, thus more erosion resulting in steeper slopes, whereas in La Morra there is more clay and therefore less erosion yielding softer hills. “It gives me a lot of satisfaction when I explain

this to people, and I see in their eyes that they understand. It is the passage from simply tasting a wine to putting it in a context.” The depth of Masnaghetti’s work would not be possible without a genuine love of wine itself. He is a fan of Champagne - but it doesn’t have to be anything fancy. “It’s a beverage of relaxation.” His tastes are classic. He drinks Nebbiolo, Bordeaux - and Sangiovese when he wants something aged. “It gives the most satisfaction of Italian wines when old. You can try wines from the ‘70s and ‘80s that are still in great shape,” he declares, while admitting that he doesn’t have a particular affinity for wines that have been aged. Masnaghetti believes that if the wine is good, it should be drunk. “For me, there doesn’t exist a special occasion for wine. I open a bottle when I want it.” At the table he prizes quality over quantity. “I prefer one bottle, maybe two that are very good rather than the great confusion in your head of what you drank.” As always with Masnaghetti, it is a sense of order that prevails.

Michaela Morris is an international wine writer, educator and speaker based in Vancouver, Canada. She has worked in various capacities of the industry for 25 years. Besides holding the Wine & Spirit Education Trust Diploma, Michaela is an Italian Wine Expert certified through Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) and leads seminars on Italian wine around the globe. Not surprisingly, her go-to cocktail is a negroni.

Photo credit: supplied

The Real Wolf of Wine:

Collecting Infinity Stones

Quench editor-in-chief Gurvinder Bhatia sat down for a Zoom with Jermaine Stone - aka the wolf of wine, aka the czar of vibes, aka young Thanos, to chat about all things wine and hip hop. In a broad ranging discussion, they talked about bringing the two together, changing the traditional perceptions about both, elitism, inclusivity, starting people off with the good stuff, and doing it for the intention, not the attention. As a young hip-hop fan discovering wine in Brooklyn, Jermaine Stone, the founder of Cru Luv, a New York-based wine branding and marketing firm, definitely did not feel seen. They didn’t know how to speak to me as a consumer. They didn’t represent people of color, they didn’t represent young people. That’s one of the reasons why I founded Cru Luv which is a creative agency dedicated to blending the best elements of wine and hip-hop in the most authentic and organic way we can.

Let’s see. Wu Tang. Lots of Wu Tang Clan, lots of Notorious B.I.G. I was into anyone who was an East Coast artist, but there were also people like (West Coast rapper) Snoop Dogg who really inspired me. I was a big fan of Onyx. So, I’d say ‘92 - ‘94, those were the glory days for me, when I was really into it, towards the end of my high school, early college years. I was aggressively going after a record deal. You know at that time, hip hop was really different, the music industry was really different. You couldn’t just throw your music online and promote it, you had to get it to different labels and hope that they listened to your demo. Photo credit: supplied

That quest for authenticity started young. The first memories that Stone has of hip-hop was of rapping freestyle into instrumentals on the karaoke machine with his brother.

Stone’s taste in hip-hop reflected those of a young listener in the early ‘90s.

So I could always memorize the flow, and being able to flow on a beat in itself, which is, you know, that’s a skill. My brother and I, we started freestyling one day, I was probably about 12, and it had to be my first time, and I wasn’t bad. I wasn’t good, but I wasn’t bad. And my brother was horrible. So, him being the older one, he just kind of turned into nurture mode and he nurtured me into becoming an artist at a young age.

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Stone shares his thoughts on the commercialization of hip-hop and wine. They weren’t reflecting what the people really felt. It didn’t sound like it did in the basements in the Bronx that it came up in. But don’t get me wrong, it was awesome, it was just that it was

But let’s go back to Stone’s first encounter with wine as a kid.

Photo credit: supplied

My brother and I would always go and hang out in front of record labels, and that’s how we got to meet a ton of people. I ended up on one of those trips meeting LL Cool J, and he had heard me rap. LL’s people got my contact info and were really good about following up. I talked with them a bunch, and they’d signed me up for some battles, but nothing ever worked out with that. So I was really active in the underground scene trying to make a name for myself, but the love went away after I got deeper into the music business. The business of music kind of turned me off. And at that time, coincidentally, I was working my way up in the wine industry, so I just completely transitioned and started focusing on wine.

The only exposure I had to wine at that time was Sorrel. It’s a drink that they make during the holidays in the Caribbean, and my mom would put in Manischewitz wine, you know, the Concord grape. And so every once in a while when she was making this I’d dip my finger in the wine and taste it. But growing up, that was my only exposure to wine and seeing it on TV, obviously. Champagne in clubs and things like that, but at that time I didn’t associate Champagne with wine because of the way that it was exposed and marketed to us. I kind of connected it more with spirits. What changed his experience with wine? My reverence for wine grew when I started working on the wine auction side of things at Zachys (Wine Auctions) in the shipping department. My friend told me he was working at a liquor warehouse and they were still hiring, so I popped in my application. I didn’t even know

pensive. I was shipping $16,000 bottles of Petrus, you know, just seeing things like that as a young man, it interests you, and having the opportunity to drink some of these, you feel like you’re a king or something like that. It just elevates your selfworth, and that was what attracted me to wine and got me super interested.

Photo credit: supplied

Working in the warehouse and seeing the reverence with which some bottles were treated was intriguing to the budding wine maven, but it was when he began tasting seriously that things opened up. I was probably in the industry for about seven years already before I even thought of it as something that reflected my personal lifestyle, and it was a bottle of, I want to say 1998 Leflaive, I forget exactly which one, but I remember the producer, and it was the first time that I got it, the first time that I totally just understood. Wow, this is what everyone’s been going crazy over this whole time. Photo credit: supplied

the most palatable version of hip hop for everyone on a wide scale. It just lacked authenticity. It continued to grow and, you know, grew into something different. I wanted to make sure that wine culture kept its soul and hip hop kept its soul, so as wine and hip hop culture grew, and I knew it was coming, but I felt like if people that weren’t really entrenched in the culture grabbed on to it, it was going to turn into a novelty. I had to do what I had to do to jump out there, put some skin in the game and blow things up to what you see now. 14

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that it was a wine storage facility. So, my first job was technically with New York Fine Wine Storage – they supported Zachy’s wine auctions fulfillment - unpacking boxes of wine, checking the descriptions to make sure that I’m shipping the right thing and sending it out. But I noticed that the auction bottles were always treated differently, like people carrying it in extra carefully. The bottles were dusty, the wooden cases looked like they were found at the bottom of an ocean sometimes. So it just interested me. And you hear about how older wines are always more ex-

He’d been in the industry for several years when he began thinking that this was going to be a career, but that he was also running in one spot. I felt like I was approaching a ceiling. When you haven’t seen anyone that looks like you in a position much higher than you, you unintentionally write it off. I assumed that the highest I could go was like a logistics manager. I didn’t think that I could become an auction director at any company. Yeah, I thought there was a ceiling so

Photo credit: supplied

I assumed that, after I hit a certain point in my career, I would just open a logistics company. But I was hired by Wally’s (Auctions) to become a founding director, and that was at about nine and a half years in. That opened me up to realize like, you still have a much longer way to go here. There, they were tapping into my entrepreneurial spirit, and because we were working with them in a startup phase, that interested me in a completely different way. I always assumed that I would be an entrepreneur. Getting those training wheels, and working with the Wally’s family like that, that was big for me. As a person of color, Stone experienced some ignorance from customers not used to seeing an African American in his position. That’s kind of where you experience some ignorance, you know, asking ‘why? How did you start doing this, what are you doing here?’ Like, you’re not asking my white counterpart that. I walk in as a manager with a white assistant, and they will talk to the white assistant and think I’m the help. Things like that happened a lot, but internally from the industry I’ve definitely been brought along. I feel like people have always felt that I was in a unique space and were kind of interested and wanting to get to know about it. I feel like I’ve been pretty well received. There’s some ignorance here and there with some customers, and every once in a while misunderstandings from people making assumptions.

Wine and music are both art forms with parallels, especially in that they both elicit emotions. Stone has various methods for bringing the two together. One is the vibe. You think about the vibe that you will enjoy a particular varietal in and the vibe you will enjoy a specific song in. You might be just getting your evening started and you think about what you’re drinking in that situation, something maybe high acid, light and refreshing. If you’re in a more somber mood and chill, having a conversation, maybe something a bit more full-bodied and more complex that’s going to provoke conversation. And it’s the same thing with music and moods. You can also look at it in terms of the type of people that are connected. The whole thing behind passion vs. patience. Winemakers and people who make music have to have both and I realized that there was a similar mindset. When I first started connecting wine and music I wanted to try to connect with people, you know, go to influencers in wine and influencers in music and show that these people are connecting together so that people that see themselves in these influencers, they can feel connected and say ‘hey, I can do that too.’ The same way that I mentioned I didn’t see anyone that looked like me and spoke like me, and that deterred me from thinking that it was even a possibility. I wanted to create those possibilities in people’s minds by showing them people that looked like them and spoke like them enjoying wine in a very honest and enthusiastic way. But also I wanted to show that the wine community appreciates

and is receiving these people well. It helps make it more inviting. They don’t know that there are cool people like you and I that exist. I wanted to expose the fun side of wine. That didn’t mean that it wasn’t difficult for Stone, at least initially. I’ve had people say ‘this is not going to work, focus on something else like selling wine to people that are already buying it. It will be a lot easier.’ Other people have said ‘good on you for fighting the good fight’ in the most sarcastic way. But other people are like ‘wow this is really cool, thank you for doing this.’ And you know the people that see themselves in me, and the guests on our show, are from all different walks of life. That’s what inspires me just seeing how well received it’s been. Stone speaks to elitism in wine. It’s a top down thing from the wine industry, and when I say top down I think of the winemaker at the top, you know, it all starts with the winemaker and gets misconstrued in the middle where people think wine is this elitist thing, and it can only be enjoyed by the elites, but it started with the hard working farmers that are busting their ass every day. So when I think about that I think about the mentality of the winemakers that I’m seeing, which is a much more modern, cool and much more inclusive approach. That mentality is out there when they’re creating the wines, but also in the marketing. Wine labels, the names of the wines, they’re trying to attract a different

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Photo credit: supplied

I see it happening, honestly with the decline in white tablecloth service restaurants. I also think restaurant culture is getting a lot younger. I was actually inspired by a restaurant here in New York called Charlie Bird. Yeah, I love that place, all they play is hip-hop, but they have one of the best wine lists in New York City. And amazing food, so it was just so elevated. That’s one of the places that let me see that the world is ready for this. But I think the food, you know guys like the Ghetto Gastro (New York based collective of chefs and food enthusiasts) are out there doing similar things to what we’re trying to do for wine. So, I see it happening. Stone recently returned from Italy and discusses his experience and pulling influences from different cultures. In Italy, wine culture and food culture are truly one and the same. It’s like you don’t have a meal without wine, that’s just how it is. So I take that and I think about initiatives that I have like Tasting Notes from the Streets, which is a wine and food pairing show, but it’s really a show about the culture behind the food and wine is really a character on that show. Like, this is how you can apply wine to this part of your culinary life. But I pulled different things from different places, like I just love French wine. I definitely celebrate French wine a lot, and there’s just so much history there. What is the next step to continue the evolution for Stone and Cru Luv.

type of wine drinker now. There was a point in the wine industry where they started trying to clean up some of the super racist, super sexist shit. And people are owning that shit and trying to clean it up. And I’m seeing that from the top down, which is very inspiring. Stone believes that getting diversity at the decision making level is when we’ll actually start to see real change as opposed to tokenism. It’s exactly what we need. The people that are making the decisions have to understand the people that are drinking the wine. I noticed when going door to door with the brands that I work with, I’d speak to different store owners, and

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they’d say, ‘Oh, my people don’t drink that, my crowd doesn’t drink that,’ you don’t even look like the people that you’re selling this wine to so how do you know? It’s crazy. The people that are making the decisions don’t truly understand the audience that they’re selling to, so the more that that happens, and it’s happening a lot more because of a ton more younger entrepreneurs, I think you’re going to see a lot more understanding in the coming years. On food and its connection to making wine and hip hop more accessible. No one’s sitting down and writing a bunch of tasting notes for a meal, it’s like ‘this is just delicious.’ No, I agree. I think that it’s happening,

Right now we want to grow and develop our video content. It’s all about reaching the people. And I know that my crowd really digs into that great looking video content. We want to continue to find different ways to connect wine and hip hop. I think the next big step is in media, and events surrounding the media that we are doing. Tasting Notes From the Streets is a video and event series. The show is about my friend Terrence and I traveling around New York City, pairing our favorite foods from the hood with the best wine from all over the world. The first episode we’re pairing German Pinot Noir with Jamaican beef patties and it’s amazing. Two weeks later, there was an event where you could link with us, and drink German Pinot Noir and eat Jamaican beef patties. We want to do much more of that, find ways to not just create the conversation, but create the activation. Stone sees more and more young people getting into the industry and doing things differently as the older generation’s power starts to wane. What I’m finding with this generation is everyone wants to be heard. Everyone has something to say, and they want their opinion out there, so I think there’s going to be a lot more of that. You want to put that beacon out to say ‘hey, I’m one

of you, and I want to find you so we can drink and enjoy wine together.’ The wine social media community is only going to grow, and that’s going to encourage more bloggers and more content creators. That’s what I see happening. With so much information readily available, Stone suggests ways to sift through the noise and find information that is useful and credible. I try to look for genuine people. I have this saying, ‘do it for the intention, not the attention.’ And whenever I see someone that’s doing something for the attention, they’re just making a novelty out of themselves. That’s when I’m just like, ‘okay, we don’t need to watch that video.’ Not to say that everything needs to be super serious, but pay attention to what you’re doing, take the time. I’ve seen people spouting out incorrect knowledge and it just shows the amount of attention that they pay to their craft and what they’re putting out. The safe bet is the best bet, you know, go with people that put the energy and time into creating good solid content. Keep your eye out for people that are paying attention to what they’re doing and are putting out quality content. That’s how I sift through the madness. On the industry’s counter-intuitive strategy of mass marketing low quality sugar-laden wines to the average consumer vs. encouraging them to drink better, and that doesn’t mean more expensive, but just drink better quality and ultimately the entire industry will benefit. There’s a guy I interviewed, Marquis Williams from Highly Recommended (a wine club in NYC). He’s on a similar mission to me where he’s trying to give better wine to his community. And he actually said ‘start people off with the good stuff.’ You know, why start them off with crap if you know it’s crap. I’m like, that makes total sense. That’s how I started out, I started out in wine auctions drinking high quality wine so, give people the opportunity to taste great wine

and let them make the decision. He has connected with an impressive list of people, but Stone still has a long list of those he would like to interview. We pride ourselves on interviewing the diversity of people that are connected through this beverage. We’re still trying to get the Jay Z interview, fingers crossed, he hasn’t answered my calls yet, but, I would love to interview Big Daddy Kane because I know he’s a serious wine drinker and he knows this stuff. I’d love to interview Lebron, and I don’t think he’s too far away, man, if he knew Wine & Hip Hop existed, he would want to get on the show. So what’s up next for Stone? We’re a bit behind because we planned on doubling down on events in 2020. Obviously that went out the window and we transitioned into doing digital events and that helped the business grow a lot. I think Cru Luv is going to be the next LVMH having a variety of different high end products focused at a certain demographic and we’ll be known for quality. But we will be innovators and game changers. The amount of shows that I have in my mind I don’t have time for, you know, I see us definitely going to more network driven things, like right now on the wine show, which is a really cool show that’s on the Sundance Network here in the US. I can totally see us branching out doing a lot more media, a lot more events and putting out more new brands. We worked with Raekwon from Wu Tang, when he created Licataa. We helped him source the wine, but we also helped with the creation of the brand. But that’s how I see us working. There might be some things that are not celebrity driven at all, and simply culturally driven, and figuring out how to connect the culture of where I come from, with where the wine may be from. I love imported stuff so I can totally see importing a lot more wines. I definitely think we’ll be working with someone from Germany, at some point, as well as wine from Portugal. I definitely have some affinity for port wine. But we definitely have a long way to go.

Photo credit: supplied

And what do Stone’s friends from his hip-hop days think of his venture? They love it, they think this is so cool. Those are the guys that keep connecting me with all the artists that I’m interviewing. So they’re all about it and they see the need for this as well.

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Pinot Noir & Chardonnay By-The-Sea By Craig Pinhey

Photo credit: supplied

Robert Cyr and Paul Leger working on the initial stages of St. Andrews By-The-Sea

It was not that long ago that Canadian experts in grape growing would have declared that Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were not financially viable for a winery anywhere in the country. This was debunked in the late ‘80s through ‘90s in Niagara, Ontario and British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, and then emphatically proven to be a very silly thought in the decades to come, from coast to coast. Canada is making some of the best wines in the world from Burgundy grapes, both as sparkling and still wines. Most of these are being grown in Niagara and BC. But there are excellent versions from the cold terroir of PEC (Prince Edward County), Ontario, where they typically have to bury the vines in the winter, and more recently from selected spots in Nova Scotia. In parts of the Annapolis Valley, the climate during the growing season is very similar to Chablis and Champagne, and the winters aren’t nearly as cold as PEC or Quebec, where they have also buried vinifera vines with some success. Still, it seemed unlikely when someone planted Pinot Noir vines in St. Andrews By-The-Sea, the idyllic New Brunswick town that looks across the seasonally whale-filled waters to Maine. While New Brunswick has some successful wineries using cold-hardy hybrids, it is hard to ripen vinifera grapes like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the shorter growing season, particularly with the added risk for winter damage and spring frosts from the cooler winters. Even more unlikely is the fact that Robert Cyr and Paul Leger, his brother-in-law and partner in the project, did not bury the vines. Cyr is a New Brunswick government employee with a Masters in Engineering who specialises in improving service using a process engineering mindset. “Paul and I had never sat on a tractor before. We were a couple of guys who work in offices.” But his engineering mind proved valuable. He home brewed in the ‘90s as a hobby but eventually started thinking about distilling - grapes and wine. “I wanted to show my kids that dreams are possible,” says Cyr, “to see that I can take an idea and use a set of actions to get things done. I liked the idea of something

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incremental; you can plant more vines every year, ramp it up and learn new things along the way.” In 2019 Cyr studied temperatures in different parts of the province, looking at GDD (growing degree days), and came up with his own model for predicting the best areas for temperature and soils. This led him to Saint Andrews, where Leger lived. On looking around they found a promising bit of land on a nice south facing slope right next to the Rossmount Inn, one of the region’s best restaurants, owned and operated by Swiss ex-pats Chris and Graziella Aerni. “I wasn’t sure at first who owned the land but knew it was next to the Rossmount. Paul said ‘I’ll ask Chris tomorrow, we’re playing golf.’ Chris said ‘You had me at grapes.’” Land was cleared and prepped, largely by Aerni, and soil testing was done with government help. The drainage was great due to the amount of sand in with the clay, so they did not need drainage tiles. The pH was low but that was easily adjusted with lime. In Spring 2020, they planted 50 Pinot Noir vines, 25 of clone 115 and 25 of clone 82, all bought from Vinetech in Ontario. Cyr credits Aerni’s friend Hanspeter Stutz of Nova Scotia’s Domaine de Grand Pré winery for suggesting Burgundy grapes when they walked the site during a 2019 meeting at Rossmount. Instead of burying the vines they made their own A-frame trellis set-up, with a winter fabric to keep the vines warm. It worked. They had no issues with winter kill. Based on this success they committed to plant more vines in June of 2021. Because of the Pinot Noir shortage they ended up with 300 Chardonnay (clone 95), and 250 Pinot Noir (mostly clone 777 with a trial of ten 667). They also went with a commercial trellis system with the protective winter fabric for this year. Fingers are crossed. It is still early, but they are optimistic. Cyr and Leger plan 14 more rows in 2022, and eventually hope to get to 50 rows. Eventually they will build a small winery and Cyr plans to become properly educated as a winemaker. Depending on yields, the production could be in the range of 1000-2000 bottles per year. If all goes well, St. Andrews By-The-Sea could be another notable Canadian destination for Burgundy grapes. NOTE: Cyr is very thankful for the help he received along the way, including from the Aerni’s - where would they be without the land? - but also David Craw and Sonia Carpenter from Motts Landing Vineyards for advice and inspiration, and the folks at Vinetech and Dubois Agrinovation.

Craig Pinhey is the only person to have judged all the national Canadian competitions for wine, beer and spirits. Originally from Nova Scotia, he worked as an engineer in Ontario for 12 years before relocating to New Brunswick, where he became the province's first sommelier. His Good Drink column has been running in the Brunswick News for over two decades. Craig co-authored The Wine Lover's Guide to Atlantic Canada.

PROFILE:

Sofia B Ohlsson

The Swedish west coast meets Japan at Vrå By Åsa Johansson Photos supplied by Vrå

Photo credit: supplied

FROM WHOM DID YOU GET THE PASSION

YOUR GO-TO RESTAURANT:

FOR JAPAN?

Trattoria la Strega, a wonderful Italian restaurant in Gothenburg.

I have learned a lot from Toshio Tanahashi who is a Buddhist temple chef that happily shares his knowledge of Shojin cuisine in the world. Toshio has visited us at Vrå twice and guest performed and held workshops. I also stayed with him in Japan, in Niigata. I got to learn more about the incredible tradition, created throughout thousands of years of tradition. A tradition that also includes culture and technique. I also guest-starred at Satoyama Juju which is a design hotel in the mountains with a star restaurant that focuses on the natural cuisine associated with the place. In addition, I have read a lot about Japan and learned from other chefs I have worked with. WHERE DO YOU LIVE:

WHO IS YOUR MOST SIGNIFICANT CULINARY INFLUENCE:

My grandmother WHAT DO YOU DRINK AT HOME:

Red wine, sparkling water, coffee and my homemade herbal tea MUSIC YOU LISTEN TO WHILE COOKING:

Dreamy rock from the ’70s, soul, hip-hop and reggae HOW DID YOU START COOKING:

Always loved it! ON THE FUTURE:

Very high ambitions

Gothenburg, Sweden Photo credit: supplied

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP:

Partille, close to Gothenburg, Sweden FAVOURITE COMFORT FOOD:

Old school Swedish pancakes with homemade jam FAVOURITE INGREDIENT TO COOK WITH:

Mushrooms and mackerel DISHES AT VRÅ HAVE A FOCUS ON LOCAL INGREDIENTS BUT ARE INSPIRED BY

Sofia B Ohlsson is one of Sweden’s most

talented chefs. She started as a sous chef at the restaurant Vrå, in Gothenburg, on the Swedish west coast. The restaurant is inside the Clarion Hotel in the city centre. Two years ago, Ohlsson took over as head chef and started to mix her two big passions with a focus on Swedish ingredients and Japanese techniques. Sofia uses fish and shellfish from the west coast, cheese from local producers, and has made a difference for the local food chain. Her dishes are as beautiful as artwork and every bite provides an explosion of flavor. She has also set the trend among the country’s restaurants to use Swedish oysters. They come from the only oyster producer in Sweden, Lotta Klemming.

JAPANESE TECHNIQUES. HOW COME?

The way to take care of the product from sea to table or from garden to table has so much craftmanship, highly developed techniques and refined esthetics in Japan and that inspires me a lot. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE FOOD SCENE IN GOTHENBURG AT THIS MOMENT?

Fun, sustainable, creative. COMPARED TO STOCKHOLM OR COPENHAGEN?

Scan the QR code to see Sofia’s recipe for Sashimi on mackerel with yuzu and oyster leaves.

Fewer guests that go out during weekdays. BEST CHILDHOOD FOOD MEMORY:

Sun-warm freshly picked strawberries, my grandmother´s blueberry pancake with freshly picked wild blueberries.

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Soul Food (paperback)--$20

Join Adrian Miller for a fascinating journey through African American culinary history! @soulfoodscholar The Soul Food Scholar Fan Page

The President’s Kitchen Cabinet (paperback)--$20 Black Smoke (hardcover)--$30

at www.soulfoodscholar.com

The majestic condors soar above the Andes capturing in their flight Argentina’s finest wine appellations. 2019 Flight of the Condor Cabernet Sauvignon 91 Points James Suckling 2019 Flight of the Condor Malbec 90 Points Tim Atkin MW

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tawâw Inspirations & Aspirations: In conversation with Shane Chartrand By Jennifer Cockrall

Photo credit: All supplied

Chartrand in the kitchen

Shane Chartrand and friends.

wine poached pears

There are more than a few notable chefs out there, but how many can boast inclusion in a colouring book? Shane Mederic Chartrand of the Enoch Cree Nation, west of Edmonton, Alberta, Treaty 6, can make that claim. There he is, arms crossed in his chef jacket, among the pages of Indigenous Legends: Extraordinary Natives from A to Z, an all-ages coloring book by Henry RedCloud Andrade. That was back in 2017. Since the release of his first cookbook, tawâw: Progressive Indigenous Cuisine (House of Anansi, 2019) he’s been featured on BBC World Service, Australian public media, as well as various television documentaries and cooking shows like Wall of Chefs, Iron Chef Canada, and the Red Chef Revival documentary series. In 2021, he was chosen to represent Canada for the United Nation’s Recipe for Change campaign through its International Fund for Agricultural Development.

Shane fields insane volumes of requests for yet-another media interview, or to be on a podcast, or a television show, or any manner of the COVID-shift virtual appearance new reality. I get swept along too, as the ghost writer who became the cookbook’s co-author. Together we marvel that two years after its launch, tawâw is still part of our daily work, and that it has taken on a larger existence than either of us ever imagined from the fixed short lens of just trying our best to hit a cookbook deadline and make something that we could be proud to call our best effort. We talked by phone recently about this “tawâw afterlife” phenomenon when I found an old voice memo we recorded shortly after we got the book deal. We were two years into circling around the idea of writing a cook-

book, and another two full years before we went to print. Jennifer: Did you get the audio file from October 2017 that I found on my phone and sent to you? Shane: It’s crazy. I just listened to it. Jennifer: Yes, it’s fascinating to hear us talking about a book that is so much a part of our lives now, but in that conversation, it hadn’t been written yet. Shane: All I can say is that where we were heading is not where we ended up. First of all, I didn’t think it would happen. I didn’t believe I had it in me to make it happen. Jennifer: That’s what was so amazing. We’re totally in the weeds. We’re still throwing

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Photo credit: Cathryn Sprague Photography

around ideas for the major visual elements of the book. But then, I ask you why we are writing the book and in that moment, your tone changes completely. You have total conviction and precision when you reply, We’re writing this book to embrace a massive, positive message: there’s beauty and creativity in the Indigenous world, and that it’s for everybody to celebrate. I have stories, friendships, recipes, and protocol that we need to expose to Indigenous and non-Indigenous people that I want to share. Shane: It was about the message, and that didn’t change from day one. Jennifer: Yes, even though we didn’t know which recipes were going to be in the book, or how the elements would come together, your response gave me a lot of information and direction. And the confidence that we would get there. You gave tawâw the “why,” but neither of us knew the “how.” That was scary. tawâw co-authors Shane Chartrand & Jennifer Cockrall

BEST OF THE VINE

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Shane: It was scary! Not like you’re-in-physical-danger-scary, but scary in the sense that I could screw up my career if I write a bad book...if we write a bad book. Jennifer: I remember feeling so much pressure to get it right for you, for your story, and for what it meant already to so many people that you were writing a big, bold cookbook. Shane: And we had to tell the truth. Everything had to be realistic. You know, we weren’t going to be pretending that we go out and shoot crossbows, you know what I mean? And with a cookbook, or any book, I now know that the big thing is: you can’t fake it. Jennifer: I know you, so I know your stories and how open you are about sharing them. But I think that many people were surprised at how raw some of the stories are, and how much emotion you share in this book. Shane: I’m an Aries. Let’s start there. [laughs] I like emotions! My whole life is emotions. If we’re not emotional, we’re just robots.

Jennifer: I think that the fact that we had such a defined vision for the book, about that “massive positive message” really helped keep things on track when we were tired or when our personal lives exploded. We could have both bailed on the cookbook more than once. But in fact, we had such a good time and we got along so well, that it was a good antidote to all the pressure and the fatigue and the personal stuff. I mean there were

Shane: OK, so the reason why your name is on the cover--I wanted it to actually be bigger than it is-Jennifer: Well, I have a ridiculous name. It’s too long. It’s six syllables, compared to your three. Shane: Yes, you did not want your name on the cover until almost near the end when we were going to print! And remember when I was told early on in the process that I needed to have an all-Indigenous cookbook team? This was not by an Indigenous person, by the way. I said no, I’m finding the best writer I can, the best person for the job. It’s a very interesting book because it isn’t just an Indigenous book. The people in my life are not just Indigenous people. And I want to talk about people as they are, for who they are.

Jennifer: That would be extremely cool. I feel like we were just at the beginning of learning so much that is out there. And....we need to get even more people into the tawâw army. Shane: Yes! And that’s the army that needs to take over!

Jennifer: Still, these are your stories and your recipes. It’s your life! But eventually I came to see the role that my name and my involvement could have. That was a way for some non-Indigenous people to see how to celebrate Indigenous food and culture, respectfully and appreciatively. Shane: And that’s why your name is on the book. Not to mention that it is our book, all the work you did to learn the stories, write down the recipes, make sure they worked. I didn’t know anyone in the literary world. I needed you. The fact that I surround myself with the best people I can think of, helping me get to where I want to be, that’s part of the larger story. Jennifer: Yes, it wasn’t until we were touring the book and I started seeing how different groups of people responded to it in different ways, then I got it. Shane: I know, tawâw is still an on-going idea to me. We’re not done yet. We have to decide what we’re going to do next...realize another

Photo credit: supplied

Shane: I had to. And it’s probably the reason that the book still resonates with so many people. I got a text the other day that we’re changing lives with what this book means to people. Because they’re scared to speak up and speak out. Indigenous people are scared to speak out, but not just Indigenous people. Everyone is scared to talk about what makes them scared, what makes them happy, what makes them strong, what makes them great, what their dreams and passions are. We all have a narrative and a direction, but we also all get lost sometimes.

And then the discussion about having my name on the cookbook cover as co-author. That was a big deal. You’re too generous a person, and for all sorts of reasons, I was pretty adamant that this was your story, your recipes, and your book.

dream. It could be a kid’s cookbook. Or just a kid’s story book. It could be a food podcast. Or a television show where you and I go to different Nations and talk to Elders and learn different recipes. How cool would that be?

Photo credit: supplied

Jennifer: But you’re not scared to talk about the good and the bad things you deal with in life. You wanted to include stories of being a ‘60s Scoop kid, and of you in foster care in 10 different homes until you were adopted. Did it ever worry you that you were opening yourself up, letting people see your world, your struggles, and your joy?

really only a couple of tense times during the whole five-year process of writing the book. One was when the publisher pushed us, correctly, to change the book title from Marrow to tawâw, the Cree word that encompasses the idea of “welcome, come in, there’s room.”

Scan the QR code to see Shane’s recipes for Warm Pumpkin Salad with Seared Cucumber and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds and Wine Poached Pears

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Photo credit: Olde Nightrifter

FAVE 5 with STATUS/ NON STATUS By Tom Murray

According to Adam Sturgeon of Status/Non Status, London, Ontario is both a hard rock and a hard luck town. “There are a lot of social struggles going on here,” the singer-songwriter acknowledges. “It’s almost a little bit unsafe nowadays. But one thing that’s happened is there are a ton of empty buildings, and so we’ve started putting on a lot of our own festivals and shows.” It’s a DIY town, and Sturgeon and his collaborators in Status/Non Status are used to taking care of things themselves. Named after the political and legal distinction between status and non-status Indigenous people in Canada, Sturgeon and Status/Non Status started out in 2009 as indie-rockers WHOOP-Szo. The band released 4 records and one remix album before changing their name to reflect Sturgeon’s family history. As the grandson of an Anishinaabe Armed Forces enlistee who was required to turn in his status card to join, thereby terminating his Indian status, Sturgeon exists in a limbo of sorts, an Indigenous man who is not legally Indigenous according to the Canadian government. Sturgeon and his band tackle assimilation, the residential school system, questions of identity and more on the first official Status/ Non Status release, 1 2 3 4 500 Years. We spoke with the musician and educator about five of his favourite venues to play in London.

AEOLIAN HALL It’s a beautiful space, kind of like an old church steeple with incredibly tall ceilings, and it’s just up the road from my house. Aeolian Hall is mainly a seated space so you’re gonna see a lot of folk and adult contemporary stuff, Christmas concerts, Irish bagpipes, that kinda thing. There have been some pretty cool shows that have come through. I saw Tanya Tagaq at the hall, and Doom Squad, which was probably my favorite show that I’ve seen there. It’s all kind of like a co-op run, there’s little ladies that greet you and it’s got kind of a funny, dated vibe. Very cool, though; I think even Buffy Sainte-Marie stopped in there one time for a quick visit.

It’s got a glass backing that overlooks the river, just this beautiful view. We’ve played there a few different times in different parts of the museum, and I’m really looking forward to seeing more shows there.

CALL THE OFFICE Call the Office is a legendary venue in these parts, they’ve hosted everyone. We’ve seen some really amazing shows there, and we’ve also gotten to perform with some of our heroes, like The Constantines. It’s one of those places that every young local musician dreams about playing when they’re just starting out. Call the Office has been closed through the pandemic but it’s still standing. We’ve heard numerous different rumors about improvements that they want to make, we’ve seen the roof get shingles all blown off. It looks like it might fall over. Is it going to be condemned? Is it going to be improved? It’s closed right now so those questions are up in the air. We shall see.

FOREST CITY GALLERY It’s Canada’s first artist-run center, and a big part of the music community even though their focus is on art. Forest City Gallery isn’t able to throw shows while there’s art on the walls, I think that’s one of the rules, but when they don’t they have a really cool concert series called Hear Here. Nihilist Spasm Band, who are like the first ever noise band (they formed in 1965), still have their equipment in that space. The gallery is actually about to move into a new space next to Odyssey Records, which is my next choice.

ODYSSEY RECORDS I like to pair Odyssey Records with Forest City Gallery because they’ve also been hosting some really interesting shows, and they sell some really cool music. They’re kind of a newer record shop in town and now that they’re side by side with the gallery it’s almost like a tag team. It’s also good to have these smaller venues for bands that are coming through on a Monday or Tuesday or whatever, and there’s less of an audience to see them.

MUSEUM LONDON It hasn’t been fully active because of the pandemic, but Museum London is an amazing space. It’s right at the fork of the river and a really important part of our community, kind of like the center of the entire city. It’s all new, it was launched when the Junos were here (in 2019). 24

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The Ethics of Hummus by Omar Mouallem

I don’t have many rules around the food in our house. I’m not committed to organic or free-range,

so long as the ingredients are quality enough. Only on hummus do I have laws important enough to share them with my wife for whenever it’s her turn for a grocery run. She knows never to bring home gimmick hummus, the likes of which now includes gingerbread and key-lime pie flavours, not that she would ever bring home such aberrations. Personally, I don’t think hummus needs anything more than a well-balanced blend of chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon, and oil, but I’ll allow myself the occasional roasted red pepper blend for a taste of something resembling muhammara (a more delicate and supreme Middle Eastern dip only recently appropriated by Whole Foods). When it’s my turn to shop for hummus, I try for the small batch hummus you might find at a Lebanese grocer, but only if I have time to drive halfway to the other side of the city. But my firmest hummus rule is that, whatever the recipe, it wasn’t made by Sabra, the world’s top brand with up to 60 percent of North America’s $601.39 million market share, or Tribe, Big Chickpea’s number-two brand.

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My reasons are not to do with quality, at least not entirely. Tribe is too thick and soft on the lemon and garlic, but Sabra closely resembles the hummus my mom used to make before it became a grocery store section. My problem is with their ethics. Tribe and Sabra are two of one-hundred-plus products compiled by BDSguide.com, an exhaustive directory of pro-Israeli companies and groups to avoid as part of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Israel movement. It was modelled after similar anti-apartheid actions against South Africa in the 1980s. While I don’t follow the BDS call, Sabra and Tribe are considered by many to be particularly bad offenders. Osem Group, an Israeli company that acquired Tribe from Americans in 2008, is tied to Jewish National Fund, a century-old colonial project responsible for the forced expulsion of thousands of Palestinians. They’re also set to launch more eviction proceedings of hundreds of families in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Sabra, for its part, has supported the Golani Brigade, a notorious Israeli military unit likened to a “renegade militia” by Haaretz after

multiple stories going back decades in the Israeli newspaper and the New York Times exposed “hate crime,” “abuse,” and “widely publicized murders” against Palestinians. Its parent company, Strauss Group, proudly stated its support for the brigade with food and funding under its website’s “Corporate Responsibility” headline (since removed). This has led activists to call Sabra and Tribe “apartheid hummus,” even going so far as to sticker in-store products and billboards with the label. I wouldn’t go that far, but when I see an open tub of hummus at a party, probably being vandalized with baby carrots, I always search for the lid before scooping it on my paper plate. My ban on Tribe is new, resulting from 2021 expulsions in Sheikh Jarrah and accompanied protests. But my Sabra ban has been in effect since 2017, after spending a week in the Holy Land, where I witnessed relentless intimidation and humiliation of Palestinians, and heard stories of imprisonment and torture from teenagers. From then on, no Sabra shall enter the gates of my mouth. Tribe, too. Of course, it’s not just about their support of initiatives likened to ethnic cleansing by a growing number of advocates and journalists. Probably dozens of BDS products go in and out of my kitchen without a second thought. It’s the symbolism of hummus. Sabra and Tribe actively contribute to the oppression of Palestinians with a staple of their diet, a food that was learned from them, and that Israelis themselves one avoided because it was too Palestinian. “In the first two decades of the state, the Israeli people didn’t really eat local food,” Israeli food journalist Ronit Vered told NPR. “It’s also a political issue. If I eat Palestinian food, in a way, I acknowledge that they exist, that there are other people here who have food of their own.” Only after the Israeli army started serving soldiers hummus in the late 1950s did hummus gain acceptance as Jewish cuisine. Now, it’s a subculture with hummus festivals and International Hummus Day Celebrations to “discover the rich tapestry behind the Israeli national culinary treasure that is hummus,” in the words of its office of tourism. The government is careful not to call it Jewish cuisine, but some do claim it as an ancient Jewish delicacy, based on a reinterpretation of the Hebrew Bible, which purports that the son of Salmon dipped his bread in mashed chickpea, not vinegar. The theory, first published in an article titled The Hummus

is Ours, fails to ponder whether Boaz’s recipe in fact came from the Israelites, and not the Moabites, Canaanites, and so on. Unlike the Holy Land today, borders in the time of Boaz were very open. But never mind that. As Israeli food journalist Gil Hovav once put it: “Food is about memory and identity. … Claiming ownership over a food is a way to assert a nation’s narrative. Israeli Jews have made hummus their own.” The effort to stake a flag in this humble food has been dubbed the “Hummus Wars,” and it has as many fronts as Israel has borders. But food flows like the wind, and for that reason I can’t accept claims of Palestinian, Syrian, Egyptian, or Lebanese origins either. Especially Lebanese, as I know well my people’s tendency to lay claim to everything, even Salma Hayek. In 2008, the Lebanese government was so incensed by how hummus had become marketed in Europe as Israeli that they petitioned the EU to only allow their exported hummus designated as such, akin to Parma cheese and Champagne. Rejected, Lebanese instead engaged with Israelis in a years-long war of Guinness World Records for the largest hummus spread (Lebanon currently holds the title). Palestinians merely take credit for making hummus a symbol. Certainly, they made it political. But the fact is, no nation owns hummus any more than one owns wine. What we commonly call “hummus,” and what Arabic-speaking people have for centuries called hummus-bit-tahini (“chickpea with tahini”), is a regional cuisine that could have been “invented” by any number of Middle Eastern and North African ethnicities, including Jewish. Israel was colonized by many Mizrahi Jews, people once identified as “Arab” or “Oriental” Jews before the great divide that purged them from their Arabic homelands. They spoke the same language as their Arab expellers, read the same books, and, more to the point, cooked the same dishes. Lost in all the de-colonization discourse around hummus is the fact that Israeli, Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian borders were sketched by the same European imperialists. If hummus-bin-tahini is, as most scholars agree, a dish invented somewhere in the Levant, then it’s no more Arab than it is Israeli or Jewish. But Sabra and Tribe is a pulse too bitter for me. I would rather eat gingerbread hummus, or none at all.

Omar Mouallem is an award-winning writer and filmmaker. His second film, The Last Baron, documents the unlikely link between fast-food and Lebanese refugees. His second book, Praying to the West: How Muslims Shaped the Americas, was released this past fall. Omar is also the “fake dean” of Pandemic University, a virtual school he founded in support of writers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Angus An

Photo credit: Darren Chuang

PROFILE:

By Michaela Morris

FAVOURITE COMFORT FOOD:

My mom’s dumplings and wontons. FAVOURITE INGREDIENT TO COOK WITH:

Fresh and seasonal ingredients. It’s kind of general but I do just like to see what is fresh and best, I get super excited by that. Beyond that, the one ingredient I love to use at home is probably lemon, or good extra virgin olive oil. BEST CHILDHOOD FOOD MEMORY:

Every Chinese New Year, my family would prepare a feast for friends and family. We hand made dumplings and we would feast for days. I remember helping out a lot in the kitchen from kneading the dough for dumplings to making the dipping sauce. It was always so fun to see how food brings people together. YOUR GO-TO RESTAURANT:

Hard one. Cioppino’s, Kissa Tanto, Masayoshi and Marutama all tie for my go-to. (Vancouver) WHO IS YOUR MOST SIGNIFICANT CULINARY INFLUENCE:

“Learning Thai food saved my career,” says Angus An. With long time aspirations of becoming an architect, An earned a Fine Arts degree at the University of British Columbia. “I was hoping to get a master’s in architecture but realized I wanted to do something more hands on, more tactile that you can feel and even taste.” He was weaned on the Food Network and from his first job at 15 as a busboy in a Chinese buffet, he had always worked in restaurants, cooking his way through university. “I always enjoyed that comradery in the kitchen and the fast-paced environment. I decided to turn that into a career.” He went to New York to study at what is now the International Culinary Center. After working in Montréal’s acclaimed Toqué Restaurant with Normand Laprise, he headed to London. “I was a very naïve, macho French cook and wasn’t interested in Thai food. I thought it was too low end for me,” he said. That is until his Aussie roommate introduced him to Nahm, David Thompson’s one-star Michelin Thai restaurant. “I was quickly blown away by the quality of the food, particularly the depth and balance of flavours. I realized how little I knew about cuisine in general. It humbled me. I wanted to learn Asian techniques to build flavour in my French food but I didn’t think I’d be cooking Thai food for the rest of my life.” When An returned to Canada in 2006, he and his wife Kate opened Gastropod, a modern fine-dining restaurant based on locally sourced, sustainable and homegrown ingredients. Despite much acclaim and numerous awards, it was ahead of the curve and struggled in Vancouver’s fickle market. “People weren’t ready for that type of dining.” In 2009, he shut it down and rebranded the space as Maenam. “From a personal creative side, I was disap-

pointed to see Gastropod go. As a young chef, I thought the plate was a blank canvas, and I could cook what I wanted, and people would eat it. As you get older, you learn this just isn’t realistic.” Twelve years later, Maenam is a Vancouver institution. An has also opened another four restaurants with the same partnership group and one - Popina Canteen - with equally renowned Vancouver chefs Robert Belcham, Hamid Salimian, and Joël Watanabe. Equipped with a solid team, he has been able to step away from day-to-day kitchen duty and, after almost a year delay, he launched his first cookbook in August 2020. Maenam: A Fresh Approach to Thai Cooking was four years in the making. “A combination of traditional and modern Thai, it’s a collection of recipes from day one - some restaurant favourites and some of my favourite recipes that never made it onto the menu. There’s one for Uni Sundae, a savoury dessert with seafood. Not very Thai but fun.” As for the future, An acknowledges uncertainty due to the pandemic. “Pre-Covid, we were looking for a space for a vegetarian restaurant. I’m certainly not eager to open anything new up right now.” Long-term, he is considering teaching. “We need to find a way to mould more young chefs as we are lacking in qualified cooks. I am thinking about what we do as chefs and restaurateurs to help with the educational process.” Whatever is on the horizon, in An’s hands it will be boldly but elegantly seasoned.

Professionally, it was chefs David Thompson and Normand Laprise. Personality and cooking stylewise they are so different, but I think I learned so much from both of them and combined this into what we serve at Maenam today. Personally, it would have to be my mom and my grandmother. I always liked to help out in the kitchen as a kid and growing up with both of them, some of my fondest memories are cooking next to them. WHAT DO YOU DRINK AT HOME:

Champagne! I love Champagne and could drink it with every meal and every day. MUSIC YOU LISTEN TO WHILE COOKING:

It depends on the mood and weather. Usually, I have a couple of easy listening stations on Spotify that set the mood while I’m cooking with a glass of wine or Champagne. But mostly, in the afternoon when I cook, my son Aidan practices his piano, so I tend to listen to him.

WHERE DO YOU LIVE:

Vancouver, Beautiful British Columbia! WHERE DID YOU GROW UP:

I was born in Taiwan, moved to Canada when I was 11 and grew up mostly in Maple Ridge, BC.

Scan the QR code to see Angus An’s recipe for Scallop ceviche

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A Place Where They Belong:

The Rise of the Okanagan’s Indian-Owned Wineries By Tim Pawsey and Aman Dosanj

Photo credit: Cathryn Sprague Photography

Volcanic Hills Estate Winery

The story of British Columbia’s modern wine industry—albeit remarkable in terms of its rapid growth and success—is usually portrayed as one of risk-taking, combined with an abundance of unbridled optimism. Yet, often missing from the narrative of 40 or 50 years ago are the very real hardships endured by immigrants who worked in the orchards and vineyards of their adopted homeland.

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Photo credit: Ryan Grifone © soro soro studio

Ursa Major Winery

The South Asian community, in particular, has played a pivotal role in the Okanagan’s growth. Many families who came from farming backgrounds (often in Punjab) brought their agrarian skills to bear in establishing and nurturing vineyards, especially during the shift from hybrid to vinifera production. As Karnail Sidhu of Kalala Organic Estate Winery puts it, “I’m from a state [Punjab] that has only 1.5 percent of [the] total landmass, [but] we produce 70 to 80 percent [of the] food for the whole country [of India] — I think we know something about farming.” For most, if not all in the community, the Eurocentric culture that shaped every aspect of viticulture and winemaking was indeed foreign. Gold Hill manager Navi Gill recalls: “There were lots of challenges because my parents had no idea what wine was. We never drank wine. You would just hear about it.” When Gill’s great-uncle first arrived in Canada (in the mid-1960s), like many Indo-Canadians he worked in pulp and paper mills around Fort St. John before moving to the warmer lower mainland and then the Okanagan. “He worked as a labourer in the vineyards and orchards from Penticton to Cawston— often for Portuguese families. Once he had saved enough he bought his first orchard in Oliver, in the late ‘70s.” Gill’s uncle came in 1984. He too worked as a labourer, before buying a 15-acre parcel in Osoyoos (now home to the winery) with Gill’s father, who arrived in 1987 and worked also as a labourer. Originally the family had a farm on Lakeshore Drive (now the site of Walnut Beach Resort). “At the time Poplar Grove was expanding. Tony Holler and Ian [Sutherland] convinced my dad to start converting to grapes (in 2005),” he says. That, in turn, led to building Gold Hill, which made its first vintage in 2009. “My family comes from a farming background; literally every generation was farming. It’s second nature... we’ve been very successful

in adapting to growing grapes and are known as some of the best growers in the valley,” says Gill, who truly believes the grapes planted in the last decade “showcase what we can do best—and are becoming known on the world stage.”

“We came here in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Our background has always been farming. It’s a big part of our culture and heritage,” says Volcanic Hills president Bobby Gidda. “We like to be outside and play in the dirt! That’s where our family’s passion has been for generations.” Originally, the family was one of the largest apple growers in West Kelowna, growing 3000 bins of apples annually. As to how the family got into grapes, Gidda’s parents heard of an opportunity to look after an existing vineyard and harvest the grapes. At that time, it was government-funded, he says, so they just had to get a certain sugar level and were paid by weight. “Once the great pull-out happened, we really enjoyed working with the wineries at that time. When we said we wanted to do it properly they told us the grapes we should be planting. As we learned more, we developed a rapport with all the wineries. After we had produced the vintage the winemakers would show us what we’d achieved.” By the early 1990s the family had 250 acres under vine, supplying the likes of Jackson Triggs, Mission Hill and Gray Monk. “Most were very encouraging and willing to teach,” says Gidda, “even if, at the time, the wines weren’t that great, with the government subsidies ongoing. But once that changed the quality began to emerge.” Those relationships included Allan Marks, the first winemaker at Mount Boucherie, as well as with Eric Von Krosigk (at Summerhill), and Elias Phiniotis at Domaine de Chaberton, as well as Gehringer Brothers and more. “With all these wineries we had great rela-

tionships and they really helped us. When we built Mt. Boucherie we went to many of them for advice. After the brothers went different ways in 2008, the plans for Volcanic Hills took shape, with the winery opening in 2010. It continues to be a family affair, says Gidda. “My Dad is still hands-on and my cousin helps my dad on the farming side, while my brother, sister and myself all work here. My wife is the book-keeper. But she’s also designed some of the new labels for our new Gidda Family Estate reserve tier wines.” He adds that it’s encouraging to see the number of Indo-Canadian wineries grow since 2000, with some eight or nine operations currently flourishing.

Suki Sekhon (co-owner, Vanessa Vineyards) also comes from a long line of farmers who originally hail from Punjab. However, it was his background in commercial real estate that first got him interested in wine, as he initially investigated the possibility of leasing vineyards. In the process, he came to understand the Okanagan’s potential, especially the growing demand for quality red grapes and decided to plant his own vineyard. Also, says Sekhon, his Sikh heritage played a role. “In my mind was the idea to buy land, farm it and keep it for the next generation.” He refers to the group he put together as the ‘Dream Team,’ with the late Harry McWatters, viticulturists Richard Cleave and the late Robert Goltz all consulting. “I said let’s find the best vineyard site in Canada where we can grow the best grapes we can. We went all over, to Kelowna and Osoyoos, but eventually ended up going to the Similkameen, where I’d actually never been. But I fell in love with the site which we eventually bought.” QUENCH.ME

Photo credit: supplied

Kalala Organic Estate Winery, proprietor/managing director Karnail Singh Sidhu

“I said to the boys, “Guys, let’s go plant it! And they said, ‘You know you have to order plants?’ And I said, ‘OK, how hard can that be?’ And they gave me the book of all the different root stocks. And then they tried to convince me to grow half white and half red—for cash flow purposes. I said: ‘You told me this was the best red site but you want to plant it half to white! If I want to grow white grapes I’ll go buy another vineyard!’” After a few years, when Peller Estates (who purchased most of the fruit) started to consistently win medals with their Small Lots label, Sekhon decided it was time to get into the wine business properly. He engaged Peller winemakers Howard Soon and Karen Gillis to make the first vintages, and eventually opened the winery in 2015. Soon officially became Vanessa’s winemaker on his retirement from Andrew Peller in 2017. “As kids, we would go to the blueberry and strawberry farms. Back in the ‘50s and ‘60s a lot of the Punjabis were immigrants and farmworkers. So, if you go back to our heritage, it would be we worked on the farms. Now when you go up there (to the Okanagan) you find the Punjabis own all the land!”

“Kismet” or destiny best describes stumbling across Canada’s emerging region, to do what you’ve always done: farm. For Sukhi and Balwinder Dhaliwal at Kismet Estate Winery, transitioning from growing crops like corn, rice and cotton across three harvests in Punjab to wine grapes with a single harvest was just a matter of learning. According to Sukhi, “The first thing, we just didn’t speak English when we came from India, that’s a hard part...but then we learned everything; a totally different business — we never worked in vineyards in India, we didn’t even see a vineyard in India.” Sukhi’s brother

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and business partner, Balwinder adds, “We came here, we learn, we work hard, and now we’re in this business. You watch.” Arriving in Oliver in 1991, the brothers found a vineyard job in ’92. From there, they worked their way up to management until they bought their first 10-acre property. Fast-forward and “we’re close to 400-acres right now — I think the third largest grape-grower in the South Okanagan,” share the brothers. Together they supply high-quality grapes to everyone from Mission Hill to Peller Estates, Blasted Church to Red Rooster. The remaining crop is used to produce Kismet’s 8,000 to 10,000 cases. Not only does this preserve the grapes’ market value, it yields an opportunity for the family to share their story. As Operations Manager Neelam Dhaliwal puts it, “Kismet is essentially a passion project, the storytelling base to tell our story and put our quality in the market. Top-down, people think about the winery before they think about the grower,” and so Kismet bridges that gap.

Organic farming runs through the veins of Karnail Sidhu. Shortly after moving to Canada’s west coast from the tiny village of Kalala (Punjab), Sidhu discovered his engineering diploma was void. And so, it was time to resort to plan B — his farming roots. Scouring the Okanagan in search of work, Sidhu bounced around orchards, vineyards and packing houses before securing a position at Summerhill Pyramid Estate Winery. Attributing much of his success to his time at Summerhill, Sidhu explains, “that’s where I got a platform to grow — I worked there for over ten years.” He continues, “they liked my work ethic...I am known for never saying no to anything!” So, it’s no surprise that Sidhu rose to the ranks of vineyard manager after com-

pleting a viticulture course, before leaving to start Kalala Organic Estate Winery in 2006. The journey wasn’t without obstacles. “The biggest challenge was about wine — talking about wine, tasting wine because back home, very honestly, I don’t know what the wine is [was]. We were growing sugar cane, rice, we did everything. My dad was [a] really good farmer, and I learned a lot from him — it didn’t matter what kind of crop, they need good aeration. So I learned from him how to manage vineyards.” Despite his stellar grape growing reputation, it hasn’t been easy to shift bias-fuelled perceptions and behaviours from consumers either. “People sometimes think you don’t have the knowledge you’re supposed to because [of] your colour.” Sidhu went on to share a tasting experience, where the patron commented how ‘it is better than I thought.’ “I refused to give her the next taste [and asked] why it shouldn’t taste good? She doesn’t have any [answer]. The wine she was tasting that time won ten different medals from ten different competitions and was written in different places as one of the best examples of Gewürztraminer in Canada [at] that time.” But comments like those do not deter Sidhu from building a more inclusive wine industry: “Organic shouldn’t be expensive. We’re doing everything organic[ally], and we are certified. To me, food should be affordable to everybody — it should not discriminate. That’s why we kept our price, so everybody can afford it.”

When it comes to Eau Vivre Winery, the backstory is a little different. Born into an Indian Army family, Sukh Bajwa moved around a lot as a child. “Every time we went on summer vacations to the village [Batala in Punjab], they [his uncle] would ask me to help out and do

Photo credit: supplied

Volcano Hills president Bobby Gidda

things [around the farm], and [I was] like ‘Nah, I’m too educated [in civil engineering] for this.’ I’d help out for a month or two months that I was there, but I was never really interested in it. And now, I’m 50 years old and all brown from working in the sun,” he recalls with a laugh. With impeccable timing, Neetu, Sukh’s wife and business partner adds, “I call it a midlife crisis!” Marrying in 1996, Sukh joined Neetu in Squamish in 1997. Visiting the Okanagan Valley in 2005 for two to three days of non-stop winery hopping, “we were just hooked. It was over, right?,” says Sukh. “The real passion for wineries started when we almost purchased something in Mendoza, Argentina. In 2009, we took a trip there, and I was like, I’m not going back home!,” Neetu interjects. After searching for a boutique winery for several years, they took over Eau Vivre in 2017, “that was our dream come true,” she beams. And now it is a case of trial and error with the help of a consultant. In Sukh’s words, “I had no idea how to make wine, so we have a consultant. He comes in once a week or once every two weeks, wherever it’s required. He’s the one who’s teaching me — it’s been three years since he’s [been] on board with us. I’m learning more every day; every year, every vintage, I learn more. He’s slowly stepping back as I learn more. It’s a nice, neat journey, [where we’re] learning a lot.”

The journey from labourers to winery owners has sparked a new generation of Canadians to rise within the industry. That is particularly the case for Rajen Toor from Ursa Major Winery; a first-generation winemaker literally born and raised on his family’s estate vineyard in Oliver. The Toor family first arrived in Winnipeg in the 1980s, “driving cabs, sewing, [working

in] life insurance and all that random stuff” before reverting to their farming roots that spanned generations in Punjab. Eventually moving to the Okanagan in 1988 to farm the land as apple orchardists, the family was approached by Langley-based Chaberton Estate Winery with a proposition. As Rajen recalls, “They said if you guys are willing to pull out all your [apple] trees and plant a vineyard here, we can help you get situated, help with expertise, help with consulting, and we would buy all of your grapes. So that seemed like a no-brainer. I was very, very young; this was in ‘94. They pulled out all the orchard trees and planted the vines at our estate property. So pretty much all reds because that’s what the growing area is known for, and then they were just growing grapes for this winery for another ten or so years” until the Toor brothers opened Desert Hills Estate Winery. Rajen is now an instrumental part of the transition into farming organically. “Why would we not give back to the land after how much it has given us?,” he says. “Farming conventionally for 25+ years and then continuing to do so is not really the answer. What’s gonna happen is the soil is going to harden off and it’s going to be completely devoid of organic material and the vines are going to start dying. The only way to preserve the land and let it keep giving is to get back to it, so feed it with organic material, ease up on the chemicals, and just be a little bit gentler on the land.” The Okanagan is a place where things are possible; often you just have to carve the path for yourself. The rise of Indian-owned wineries is a story of hardwork, partnership, farming first philosophies, and perseverance. In recent years, grape growers are stepping away from the shadows to lay the foundations for future generations to unapologetically tell their stories and take flight. It’s safe to say Canada’s Indian populations have not only

taken their rightful seat at the table as grape growers, but viticulturists, winemakers and winery owners, too. And the Okanagan Valley is better for it.

“If nobody hired me when I was looking for work — I had no experience — it would be a big loss for your industry in the organic sector. We have room; we have to make room.” — Karnail Sidhu.

Tim Pawsey (aka the Hired Belly) is a well-seasoned food and wine journalist who’s spent the last few decades documenting in particular the ascent of British Columbia wine and food. He has also traveled to most of the world’s major wine regions. Tim is a founding director of the BC Hospitality Association (which supports those in the hospitality industry facing financial crisis due to a health condition). His go-to restaurant that never disappoints is Le Crocodile in Vancouver, BC. Aman Dosanj is a food and marketing geek, former England and Arsenal footballer, feminist, middle child, not your conventional brown person, adventurer, From the Wild alum, imperfect environmentalist, storyteller, and just weird enough to be interesting. She is known for her ability to educate, connect and tell stories through food, working with local farmers and producers to create edible adventures in unexpected places with The Paisley Notebook. The best concert she ever attended was Florence and the Machine in Hyde Park, London.

QUENCH.ME

(Reclaiming) Blurred Lines (hey, hey, hey)

WINTER 2021/2022

A Field Guide to U.S. Barbecue By Adrian Miller

Photo credit: supplied

Kansas City burnt ends

Barbecue brings together a fun mix of food, folklore and fussing. Meat-loving Americans eagerly argue about what true barbecue is and where to find the best version of it. As timeless as these food fights seem, the notion that barbecue has a terroir is little more than a hundred years old. At the turn of the twentieth century, barbecue transitioned from whole animal cooking in rural areas to cooking smaller cuts of meat in urban centers. As barbecue historian Robert F. Moss observed, this culinary shift sparked a period of innovation that gave rise to multiple barbecue styles that placed an emphasis on certain meats, sauces, and side dishes. Here’s a helpful field guide to its regional barbecue styles:

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BBQ pork sandwich with coleslaw

Virginia: Though barbecue’s early history is hazy, this southern state is generally recognized as American barbecue’s birthplace. It was here that Native American, European colonizers, and enslaved Africans melded their meat cooking techniques to create barbecue. Free and enslaved Virginians were primarily responsible for spreading barbecue across the American South. Whole animal cooking predominated, and beef, lamb, pork, or wild game could show up over the pit. Curiously, Virginians didn’t fervently promote their birthright, and now other states get much more barbecue love. North Carolina: When it comes to barbecue, this state is split in two on the topic of barbecuing pork. In the eastern part of the state, cooking whole hogs seasoned with a vinegar and red pepper sauce is the longstanding tradition. This barbecue is served by chopping up and mixing everything, including the crispy skin. By the 1920s, in the western part of the state, German immigrants started a new style by barbecuing pork shoulders and saucing them with a vinegary tomato sauce. This is also known as “Lexington-style” barbecue. Favored side dishes are coleslaw and “hush puppies” (a cornmeal fritter). South Carolina: This state’s barbecue tradition shares much in common with Virginia and North Carolina. Pork is the go-to meat here and it can be either chopped or whole. Barbecue diners in different parts of the state

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show allegiance to either a vinegar and red pepper, mustard-based, or tomato-based barbecue sauce. An interesting side dish served here is “barbecue hash,” where meat and/ or organs (usually pork liver) are ground, cooked in a gravy, and served over rice. Deep South: This region mainly includes Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. It’s an area where pork shoulder, pork spareribs, and chicken usually play a starring role and are served with a slightly sweet, vinegar and tomato-based sauce that tends to be thin. Soulful beverages, side dishes, and desserts like syrupy sweet tea, cornbread, greens, macaroni and cheese, pickles, peach cobbler, potato salad, and sliced white bread are accompaniments. In Georgia, barbecue often comes with Brunswick stew--a medley of chicken pieces, tomatoes, and assorted vegetables that descends from a hunter’s stew made with wild game. Memphis, Tennessee: This is barbecue’s version of “Funky Town,” where anything can happen on a barbecue plate. The city has two signature barbecue items: pork spareribs and a pork shoulder sandwich topped with coleslaw. Even spareribs are divided into categories, mainly based on the way they are seasoned. “Dry ribs” were created at The Rendezvous restaurant, where slabs of pork spareribs are smothered with a Greek herb seasoning. “Wet ribs” means that the slab has been slathered with a thin, sweet, tomato sauce. Memphis is one of the few places

where one finds a tangy mustard slaw on the menu, as well as unusual specialties like barbecued bologna and barbecued spaghetti, where barbecue sauce is substituted for marinara and mixed with grilled meat. Kentucky: Lamb, specifically mutton, gets top billing in this state. The focal point is Owensboro where mutton is often paired with a Worcestershire sauce-based condiment called “black dip.” In other parts of the Bluegrass State, beef, chicken, ham, and pork steaks are on barbecue restaurant menus. One distinctive side dish is a thick meat (typically chicken and lamb) and vegetable stew called “burgoo,” another descendent of a hunter’s stew. The South Side, Chicago, Illinois: During “The Great Migration,” thousands of African Americans left the rural South and moved to Chicago. Over time, a majority settled in the southern and western parts of the city. It’s the South Side that stamps its name on this regional style featuring pork sparerib tips, hot link sausages, French fries, fried chicken, and sliced white bread. When served, this barbecue is often drenched in a thin, sweet tomato-based barbecue sauce. Kansas City, Missouri: One of the nation’s great agricultural centers is home to a thriving, but eclectic, barbecue style. Beef, “burnt ends” (crispy shards of beef brisket), chicken, lamb, mutton, pork shoulder (either chopped

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Beef rib from Micklethwait Craft Meats in Austin TX

or sliced), or pork spareribs are popular menu items. The typical side dishes are baked beans, coleslaw, a mound of French fries, and sliced white bread served with a thick, sweet, tomato-based sauce.

“hot guts” are very popular and served with a chunk of cheddar cheese, coleslaw, jalapeno peppers, pinto beans, potato salad, and saltine crackers. For a sense of nostalgia, barbecue is served to customers on butcher paper.

St. Louis, Missouri: This city shares much in common with Kansas City, but it has some unusual items. One is turkey “ribs” where a turkey’s shoulder blades are butchered in a way where enough meat is left so that it resembles a baby back rib. Another is “snoots,” which is the very end of a pig’s snout. It’s usually crispy and might be slathered with the sweet, tomato-based barbecue sauce also found in Kansas City.

South Texas: Long before Texas was a country or a state, Latinos barbecued by digging a deep vertical hole in the ground, filling the bottom with a combination of burning hardwood coals and rocks to retain the heat. Traditionally, the hole was alternately layered with moist vegetation and meat, buried with dirt, and then uncovered hours later when people were ready to eat. Today, the same is accomplished by digging the hole but using metal containers and sheet metal as a cover. A cow’s head, known as “cabeza,” or a young goat, called “cabrito,” are prepared this way.

East Texas: Enslaved African Americans brought old-school barbecue here in the early decades of the nineteenth century. In addition to whole animal cooking, including goats, you’ll find beef brisket, pork spareribs, and sausage. Given the proximity to Louisiana, Creole-based foods accompany barbecue in this part of the state. Typical options are boudain (an unusual spelling variant from boudin), a meat and rice-filled sausage or a highly seasoned, as well as an uncased, meat and rice mixture called “dirty rice.” Central Texas: Central European immigrants brought their indirect smoking techniques to this area in the 1800s. They opened meat markets and smoked unsold cuts to feed nearby workers during lunchtime. Beef brisket, pork spareribs, and a finely ground sausage called

Adrian Miller is a food writer, recovering attorney, and certified barbecue judge who lives in Denver, Colorado. He served as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton with his Initiative for One America – the first free-standing office in the White House to address issues of racial, religious and ethnic reconciliation. Adrian’s first book, Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time won the James Beard Foundation Award for Scholarship and Reference in 2014. His most recent book, Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue, was published in 2021. Adrian is featured in the Netflix series High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America. His go-to restaurant that never disappoints is Georgia Brown’s in Washington D.C.

Santa Maria, California: This is a unique barbecue tradition featuring beef tri-tip seasoned with garlic, salt, and pepper, then cooked over red oak wood and served with pinquitos, a small pink bean native to the area, a salad, and salsa. Now, you’re all set for your smoked meat safari in the United States. If you do ever get into an argument about which regional style is the best, just remember not to yell with your mouth full of delicious barbecue! Scan the QR code to see recipes for Old Arthur’s Pork Belly Burnt Ends and Ed Mitchell’s Mother’s Whole Turkey Barbecue

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PROFILE:

Michelle Wallace, Gatlin’s By Jessica Dupuy

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to launch a food truck serving specialty sandwiches. But when she struck up a conversation with Gatlin, the rest was history. Wallace shared some of her story on Texas barbecue and Southern cooking. BARBECUE MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT REGIONS ACROSS THE U.S. WHAT’S UNIQUE ABOUT TEXAS BARBECUE?

How do you apply classic culinary tech-

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GATLIN’S ALSO HAS A FOCUS ON SOUTHERN CUISINE. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THAT?

Southern food is really an integral part of our history. Growing up as an African American in this country, many of the meals we ate really translate to the history of slavery and our need to be resourceful with the ingredients we had. In so many dishes, you see traces of the flavors and ingredients we brought from Africa, such as yams, okra, and dirty rice. At Gatlin’s, we make about 150 pounds of collard greens a week. We smoke the neck bones we use for the stock to simmer the greens. It takes time to make the stock, and we simmer everything slowly so that it all comes together. Southern cuisine isn’t just something you can whip up. We use simple ingredients, but the flavors are layered and complex. It’s time. It’s patience. It’s just who we are.

YOUR GO-TO RESTAURANTS IN HOUSTON:

I always try to make it over to Pondicheri, a local Indian restaurant. I absolutely love their food. I also love the Asian food at Street to Kitchen. And I’m always on the hunt for the best burger. Right now, I’m a big fan of The Post Beer and Wine Garden in the Heights neighborhood. WHO IS YOUR MOST SIGNIFICANT CULINARY INFLUENCE:

Not to be super cliché, but my grandmother had a natural take on food. I used to love to watch her cook. She was never super elaborate, but she took her time, and she never measured anything. It was all by taste. It taught me to use my senses to go beyond what a recipe might say to make sure the end result was delicious. MUSIC YOU LISTEN TO WHILE COOKING:

When I first started at Gatlin’s, the kitchen was super quiet. There was no music. But I just love working with a little more energy. Now, we’re always listening to something like Motown jams or CeeLo Green. And I love this local Houston rapper, Tobe Nwigwe. He’s a Nigerian-American with this really amazing voice, and I love his unique sound.

BEST CHILDHOOD FOOD MEMORY:

My dad was a police officer when I was growing up in St. Louis. Oftentimes he would bring home barbecue from all the great barbecue spots in town when he would get off his shift. But he liked to make it himself during his time off. My favorite memory is when he would pull off a little piece of meat just before it was ready and sneak it to me, and we’d snack on it. It was just the two of us out there taking a little sneak peek before we served it to the family. I had a big family, and it always made me feel special when we would share that little bite together. It was the best.

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niques to down-home barbecue and Southern cooking? The two approaches may seem incongruent. But if you ask Michelle Wallace, the answer is deep in the soul. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Wallace grew up in a big family with a knack for home cooking. Though she initially thought she’d follow in her mother’s footsteps with a career in nursing, after college she switched tracks and enrolled in the culinary program at the Culinary Arts Institute of Houston. The experience afforded her a chance to study abroad in Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai, where she learned to draw on the bold flavors of traditional regional Chinese cuisine. After returning to Houston, she worked at celebrated seafood restaurant, Pesce, and later for a boutique catering company. But in 2016, she was lured into the magic of Texas barbecue. Gatlin’s is a family-owned restaurant specializing in Texas Barbecue and Southern Cuisine in Houston’s Oak Forest neighborhood. The concept grew out of a pastime of Greg Gatlin, who had garnered a local reputation for making barbecue for special events and tailgating functions for his alma mater, Rice University. Eventually, he launched a restaurant in 2010. Once word spread of the family’s flavorful barbecue with classic Southern accents, daily lines started forming out the front door with hungry patrons, eager to get a plate of finger-lickin’ goodness. Though Gatlin managed much of the kitchen, he was inspired to bring on a little more expertise after an engaging conversation with Wallace at a mutual friend’s dinner party. At the time, Wallace already had plans

First of all, Texas is cattle country, which means the barbecue is all about beef. Brisket, ribs, and all other cuts of beef are going on to the smoker these days. You’ll also notice that there isn’t a lot of barbecue cooked with sauce. It’s all about the rub. You may find a barbecue sauce at the table like you would ketchup or mustard at a burger place, but it’s really meant more as a condiment, not as part of the cooking process.

FAVORITE INGREDIENT TO COOK WITH:

There are a couple of things I always have on hand, like fish sauce. I use it all the time when I cook. But I also love mussels. I’ll make them with all sorts of different ingredients like pancetta, blue cheese, and basil, or Thai curry, or Spanish chorizo.

FAVORITE COMFORT FOOD:

There’s a little Asian market here in Houston called Viet Hoa that I love. Sometimes, I’ll go pick up a roasted duck and make some flavorful noodles or fried rice to go with it. It’s one of my favorite things.

Scan the QR code to see Michelle’s recipe for Miso Glazed Smoked Salmon

The Wines of the American Southwest By Jessica Dupuy

When most people think of the American Southwest, images of expansive desert landscape, rugged terrain, and dramatic sunsets tend to come to mind. The home of the American West, this iconic region primarily made up of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado, may not seem like the ideal places to grow wine. Yet, historically, it’s the birthplace of the first European vine plantings in the United States—thanks to early Spanish missionaries who brought a few vines along with them in the early sixteenth century. Fast forward a few hundred years to the 1970s, and you’ll find this region is burgeoning with thriving wine industries in each of its contiguous states.

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The Southwest is enormous, spanning more than 1,300 miles (2,100 km) from east to west and north to south. The combination of soils, climate, and elevations ranging between 3,000 and 6,000 feet all combine to make the region a unique wine-growing landscape similar to the warmer parts of Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy. In general, the Southwest tends to yield earthy, full-bodied reds and crisp, vibrant whites evocative of Old-World techniques rather than the riper, more oak-driven styles of the New World. This common thread says as much about the arid growing conditions and similar Mediterranean soils of the region as it does about the overall winemaking approach of its top producers. The one departure from this style includes Colorado’s cooler, higher elevation West Elks region, where you’ll find alpine-influenced wines more emblematic of Alsace, Alto Adige, and Mosel. Though the Southwest continues to experiment with grape varieties, many producers have leaned into warm-climate Mediterranean varieties such as Sangiovese, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Aglianico, Tempranillo, Malvasia Bianca, Vermentino, Roussanne, and Viognier to best represent what the region can offer. (Some Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir can be found in Colorado’s cooler, mountainous areas.) While Texas leads in overall vineyard plantings and production, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado have also evolved with compelling stories and promising wines that could easily stand alongside wines from around the world.

NEW MEXICO With its idyllic mountain-meets-desert landscapes, a rich cultural history, and hallmark pastel-colored sunsets, New Mexico has indeed earned its moniker, The Land of Enchantment. Its geography is influenced by the Rio Grande River and its expansive basin that extends beyond its meandering path. Early Spanish mission settlement gave rise to vineyard plantings for sacramental wine production, giving New Mexico the distinction of being the first place in the United States to have planted Vitis vinifera—more than a century before California. Despite its lengthy history, today’s New Mexico wine industry is still relatively small with roughly 1,500 acres under vine and just more than 50 wineries scattered throughout the state. New Mexico is home to three American Viticultural Areas (AVA), including the Mesilla Valley, the Mimbres Valley, and the Middle Rio Grande Valley. The Mesilla Valley is the smallest, with only about 50 acres of vineyards. Yet, it is one of the most visited with the small town of Las Cruces as a popular hub for tasting rooms such as Luna Rossa Winery, Amaro Winery, D.H. Lescombes, and the nearby La Viña Winery. 40

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Located in the southwestern part of the state, the Mimbres Valley spans more than 636,000 acres and is the largest geographical viticultural area with more than half of the state’s overall plantings. The Middle Rio Grande Valley is situated along the mid-section of the Rio Grande in central New Mexico, stretching from Santa Fe to just south of Albuquerque. The AVA is home to nearly a dozen wineries, including iconic sparkling wine house Gruet and the new Noisy Water Winery tasting room in Albuquerque. Just north of Santa Fe, in Dixon, a handful of wineries including Vivàc and La Chiripada have found success in some of the cooler, higher elevation sites at the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains. Much of New Mexico’s modern wine industry owes its success to Luna Rossa winery and its pioneering founder, Paolo D’Andrea. A fourth-generation grape grower, D’Andrea was one of a handful of European immigrants who made their way to the Rio Grande river basin in the 1980s. Along with Laurent Gruet, D.H. Lescombes, and Bernd Maier, he is part of a handful of visionaries who brought their wine knowledge and skills from the Old World to New Mexico. Originally from a small village in the Friuli-Venezia-Giulia region of northeastern Italy, D’Andrea studied winemaking and viticulture while at university. He came to New Mexico in 1986 to teach the local workforce how to prune vineyards and as luck would have it, he never left. D’Andrea married and started a family, eventually planting a vineyard. In 2001, he opened Luna Rossa Winery bringing classic Italian varieties such as Sangiovese, Barbera, Dolcetto, Refosco, and Montepulciano to New Mexico. But D’Andrea’s impact extends beyond Luna Rossa. He’s also the state’s most prominent grape grower, managing more than 330 acres of vineyards (133.5 hectares) in the Mimbres Valley. Though much of his yield goes to his own production, many of New Mexico’s top producers also purchase grapes from him. Today, D’Andrea focuses primarily on vineyard management, while his son, Marco, now manages winemaking. An enology graduate of the University of Udine in Friuli, Marco is part of the next generation of New Mexico producers to lead the state into its next chapter.

TEXAS Considering its proximity and adjoining border, it’s no surprise that Texas is technically the second state in the U.S. to see plantings of European grape varieties. But as with the rest of the Southwest, it wasn’t until the 1960s and 1970s that production in Texas started to pick up. Today the state has more than 450 permitted wineries and 8 AVAs, including the Texas Hill Country and the Texas High Plains, the two most important regions of the Lone Star State.

Once a wild, untamed frontier of craggy ranges blanketed by evergreen yaupon and sprawling oak trees, it’s doubtful the original German settlers to the rugged Texas Hill Country would have envisioned its future as a place for relaxing weekend escapes. And certainly not as a wine destination. Yet today, this AVA tops the list for the vinously curious, drawn to its rustic topography and the prospect of what the wines of the Lone Star State have to offer. These days, the ever-increasing number of visitors to the Hill Country has persuaded a similar escalation of tasting room openings to help slake their thirst. You’ll find more than 50 of them within a close radius of Fredericksburg. Among those not-to-miss are Lewis Wines, Ron Yates Winery, William Chris Vineyards, Pedernales Cellars, Adega Vinho, Sandy Road Vineyards, and Lost Draw Cellars. But while the Hill Country may be the playground for Texas wine tourism, the Texas High Plains AVA is the state’s viticultural heart. More than 75 percent of the grapes grown in Texas come from the dusty, windblown Panhandle near Lubbock. Though seemingly flat and unremarkable, with miles upon miles of cotton, peanut, and row crop fields, this region sits atop the Llano Estacado, an expansive mesa formation noted as one of the largest tablelands on the continent with elevations between 3,000 and 4,500 feet. Lately, the High Plains has become a destination in its own way. And for people like Kim McPherson, the timing couldn’t be better. McPherson is the son of Clinton “Doc” McPherson, who many refer to as the “Father of the Texas Wine Industry.” In 1968 he planted an experimental vineyard in the High Plains that would lead to the launch of Llano Estacado Winery, one of the oldest and largest producers in the state. His son, Kim, carried on his father’s ambition. The younger McPherson studied enology and viticulture at the University of California-Davis and made wine for Napa’s Trefethen Winery and at Llano Estacado Winery before launching his eponymous McPherson Cellars in 1998. Kim McPherson’s early commitment to warm-climate varieties has helped pave a more prosperous path for the Texas wine industry. Moreover, his wisdom and guidance has helped many of the state’s up-and-coming producers chart a course of their own.

ARIZONA Though Arizona is most associated with sunshine, cactus, and the Grand Canyon, it’s fast becoming a region-to-watch. The state boasts various microclimates with mild winters and often sweltering summers that quickly ripen fruit. Arizona has three main growing regions, including the Sonoita and Willcox AVAs, and the Verde Valley, which is awaiting AVA approval.

East of Tucson, near the state’s southeastern border, the Willcox AVA is home to more than 70 percent of Arizona’s grape production. Most of the region’s vineyards are planted at elevations between 4,000 and 5,500 feet, allowing for up to a 50° F variation in diurnal temperature during the growing season. Willcox is home to roughly 1,000 acres of vineyard and nearly two-dozen wineries and tasting rooms, including Pillsbury Wine, Bodega Pierce, and Sand Reckoner. Located about an hour southeast of Tucson, in the state’s southeastern corner, Sonoita is a region of rolling hills and expansive cattle ranches flanked by a series of mountain ranges. Here, a few of the industry’s top visionaries have staked their claim, including Callaghan Vineyards, Dos Cabezas Wine Works, Rune Wines, and Los Milics Winery. A key figure in Arizona’s wine story, Kent Callaghan has been one of the industry’s most trusted advisors and mentors for more than 30 years. He helped his parents plant and launch Callaghan Vineyards in the 1990s, and discovered that warm-climate varieties from the Rhône, Spain, and Italy would be the future for Arizona wine. Callaghan mentored a young Todd Bostock who had taken an eager interest in wine more than 20 years ago. Bostock began in the cellar with the late Al Buhl, founder of Dos Cabezas Wine Works, which initially launched in 1995. A few years later, Bostock had worked his way up to head winemaker and was joined in partnership by his parents to plant their own family vineyard in 2004. In 2006, Bostock, his parents, and his wife Kelly took

Photo credit: Kurt Weddle

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Hawkridge Rock at Bookcliff Vineyards in Colorado

Vineyard in the Texas High Plains AVA

ownership of the winery from a retiring Buhl and have since carried the torch for quality Arizona wine. Nearby, James Callahan of Rune Wines has leveraged his previous winemaking experience in New Zealand’s Wairarapa region, California’s Russian River Valley, and at Washington’s notable Gramercy Cellars to showcase Arizona’s terroir from each of its growing regions. Taking a low intervention approach in winemaking, Callahan places emphasis on Rhône Valley varieties, producing elegant, expressive wines from Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, and Grenache Blanc. Just down the road, Los Milics Winery from Pavle and Carla Milic is the latest addition to Sonoita. Leaning on decades of experience in running wine programs for fine dining restaurants in New York, Napa, and at Scottsdale’s James Beard Award-winning FnB restaurant, Pavle Milic has fully invested in the potential for Arizona wine. The new expansive winemaking facility and vineyards are a precursor to the property’s forthcoming high desert luxury hotel and restaurant, which promises to offer a taste of Arizona fine dining. A couple of hours north of Phoenix, the Verde Valley is in the heartland of Arizona’s most visited towns, including Sedona, Jerome, Camp Verde, and Cottonwood. Though early plantings date back to the late 1800s, the region experienced a rapid resurgence in wine production in the early 2000s. Much of the region’s success is thanks to Maynard James Keenan of Caduceus Cellars, Merkin Vineyards, and Puscifer. Keenan moved to the area from California in the late 1990s and

noted a striking resemblance to the iconic wine-growing regions in Italy, Spain, and Australia. Though internationally known as the lead singer for the rock band Tool, Keenan’s insatiable curiosity about wine prompted him to plant a vineyard in 2002. Today, he owns eight vineyards in both the Verde Valley and Willcox. Keenan has also been an instrumental force in launching the Arizona Vignerons Alliance (along with Todd Bostock and Kent Callaghan), a missional organization to help raise the standard of quality for Arizona wine. He’s also been a key contributor to the Southwest Wine Center, an enology and viticulture program at the Yavapai Community College. Through his Four Eight Wineworks project, he has helped upstart wine producers launch their own brands, including Chateau Tumbleweed, Bodega Pierce, and Heartwood Cellars. His community leadership has helped revive the towns of Jerome and Cottonwood through his winery tasting rooms and the farm-fresh Osteria at Merkin Vineyards, as well as a forthcoming hilltop tasting room, restaurant, and coffee shop overlooking the entire valley.

COLORADO While most people view Colorado as a Rocky Mountain winter playscape, they’re often surprised to find that there’s a vibrant, burgeoning wine industry. In the northwest part of the state, you will find a veritable fruit basket of orchards and vineyards, as well as a broad selection of wineries and tasting rooms throughout Denver and Boulder showcasing Colorado wine.

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Storm Cellar Winery, owners Jayme Henderson and Steve Steese

Located on the “western slopes” of the Rocky Mountains, between Palisade and Grand Junction, the Grand Valley AVA is Colorado’s primary growing region. With nearly 800 acres under vine, the region accounts for more than 80 percent of Colorado’s overall plantings. The Colorado River bisects this arid, desert mountain landscape at the mouth of the DeBeque Canyon. Jutting out from a bend in the river is a dramatic rocky outcrop called the Book Cliffs, which reflects solar energy onto the valley floor, offering consistent warmth through the region. Breezes from the Colorado River keep air flowing through the vineyards during the hot summers and provides warm air during cold winters. Along the warmer valley floor, producers work with Rhône varieties such as Syrah, Viognier, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Roussanne. But in the cooler higher elevation sites, varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon are more prominent. Colorado’s second AVA, the West Elks, is located about 65 miles southeast of the Grand Valley, between the small towns of Hotchkiss and Paonia. This tiny region hugs the North Fork of the Gunnison River as it snakes to the southeast and is home to several small, artisan producers that represent about 10 percent of the state’s overall plantings. Here, growing conditions are significantly cooler, and plantings of Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay can be found at elevations as high as 7,000 feet, making it one of the highest growing regions in the world. Colorado also has a few outlier vineyard areas, including one in the desert terrain of the state’s southwest corner, around Mesa

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Verde National Park, where Rhône varieties do well. The second is on the Eastern slope of the Rockies, near Denver, where harsh winter conditions only allow for cold-hardy varieties such as St. Vincent, Chambourcin, and Seyval Blanc. For Denver sommeliers Steve Steese and Jayme Henderson, Colorado wine became more than a curiosity, it became a full-time job. Having sampled selections from BookCliff Vineyards, Colterris, Creekside Cellars, Carlson Creek, and more, the two took a leap of faith in 2017 and bought an existing 23-acre vineyard in the West Elks AVA. At an elevation of 6,000 feet, the vineyard had been planted in 1987 with Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Sauvignon Blanc, but it required a little TLC. While bringing the land back to health, the two also released their Storm Cellar brand using both estate grapes as well as grapes from the Grand Valley. But the Storm Cellar is only one example of the many promising producers out of Colorado. The Stone Cottage Cellar, Colterris, BookCliff Vineyards, Sauvage Spectrum, Red Fox Cellars, Creekside Cellars, Buckel Family Wines, and Carboy Winery are also worth a look.

Challenges Just as every wine-growing region experiences its own set of challenges, the Southwest is no exception. Late spring frosts and early fall freezes weigh in as one of the top concerns across the region. Due to its higher elevations, Colorado’s growing season is usually shorter than the other areas by a couple of weeks, often making it difficult for some grapes to ripen fully.

Across the region, the effects of climate change are evident with temperatures estimated to have warmed between one-half and one degree (F), or around .56 degrees (C), and severe weather events including intense thunderstorms with hail and wind, substantial flooding, and more extended periods of drought. But because these regions are still relatively young, significant data comparing the conditions of previous growing seasons is lacking. However, because producers have been working with warm-climate varieties for the past decade, in many ways, it may be that the Southwest is uniquely poised to withstand the impending changes brought on by the effects of climate change. This silver lining, along with a promising increase in quality wines and committed grape growers and winemakers, spells a bright future for the Southwest.

Jessica Dupuy is a wine and spirits columnist, certified sommelier and WSET Diploma candidate. She is the author of several books including Uchi: The Cookbook; The Salt Lick Cookbook: A Story of Land, Family and Love; The United Tastes of Texas; Tex-Mex: Traditions, Innovations, and Comfort Foods from Both Sides of the Border. Her latest book, The Wines of Southwest U.S.A. covers the emerging wine regions in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado. Dupuy lives in the Texas Hill Country, just west of Austin, with her family. Among the things she enjoys most are cooking with her kids, sharing great wine with friends, and fly fishing with her husband.

Adrian Miller

Photo credit for book cover: supplied

BOOK REVIEW

Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ: Recipes & Perspectives from the Legendary Pitmaster by Rodney Scott and Lolis Eric Elie, Clarkson Potter, New York, 2001, 225 pages, $29.99 USD/$39.99 CDN.

Why do you need to get your hands on Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ

right now? First of all, Scott is one of the most dynamic figures in contemporary barbecue. Second, his is the first cookbook by an African American professional barbecuer published by a major commercial press… in three decades! Let that sink in for a moment. Third, this cookbook’s storytelling, accessible prose and tantalizing recipes completely immerse you in the mind of a pitmaster at the top of his craft. The first section of the book is straight biography. Co-writer Lolis Eric Elie weaves an utterly compelling narrative about Scott’s life journey in barbecue. Readers learn what it was like to grow up in Hemingway, South Carolina, of the dedication it takes to become a pitmaster, and how he started on the path to greatness when others told him that his best destiny was mediocrity. The World of BBQ is not solely about self-promotion. Scott is astonishingly, and refreshingly, honest about his trials and tribulations on the path to greatness. Foremost is his strained relationship with his father Roosevelt “Rosie” Scott. The next section is about the barbecue craft itself. World of BBQ differs from other cookbooks because Scott is a specialist in the fading art of whole hog cooking. Here, he breaks down the process from the ground up by showing the elements of this old school form of barbecue. Scott even shows the reader how to build one’s own cinderblock barbecue pit and a “burn barrel” from a steel oil drum in case you want to burn down your own coals. Then comes the cooking process. As any cook knows, it’s a lot easier to cook an animal broken down into smaller parts than it is to cook a whole animal. With the latter, different parts cook at different rates, and this is a core challenge for whole hog cooking. Scott demystifies the process by providing ample tips on fire management, the cooking process, and seasoning. A slip in attention to detail at any time during the barbecuing process can lead to disaster. That’s why Scott earnestly declares that “Whole hog is king in the barbecue world. Barbecuing briskets and pork shoulders

well is an art that takes time, skill, and dedication. But it doesn’t take the twelve hours of concentration that a whole hog requires.” The latter half of World of BBQ pivots to recipes that should be less daunting to the home cook. Though Scott openly pledges his allegiance to the Big Green Egg, all of the recipes are easily adapted to most grill setups. Mercifully, Scott avoids giving overly complicated recipes for beef, chicken, fish, and turkey dishes. He also spares cooks from getting exotic ingredients that they may only use once. Scott also provides helpful tips for barbecuing meat. For example, pork spareribs are done “[w]hen you pick the slab up, it should sag or flop easily. If a slight tear develops in the meat between the bones, that’s another sign of doneness.” Scott doesn’t provide a recipe for a plant-based entrée which is a missed opportunity given the current fervor for smoked vegetables like jackfruit and portobello mushrooms. In addition to standard barbecue fare, Scott also shows off his culinary range by including southern food essentials like crispy fried catfish or chicken, smoky pork-laden collard greens, or creamy pimento cheese. At his multiple restaurants in Charleston, South Carolina, Atlanta, Georgia, and Birmingham, Alabama, customers love these items as much as the barbecue. Scott’s barbecue world also contains a fair amount of mad scientist moments and whimsy. A chocolate layer cake spiked with pork cracklings, macaroni and cheese anchored with condensed cream of chicken soup, and a tequila cocktail infused with honey barbecue sauce syrup are just a few examples of how Scott bends culinary norms. Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ clearly demonstrates why Scott is one of the more intriguing and exciting figures in the contemporary world of barbecue. This cookbook is essential for any barbecue aficionado who desires to be simultaneously steeped in tradition and peer at the cuisine’s cutting edge. Each page of this beautifully photographed cookbook breathes life into Scott’s personal motto: “Every day is a good day.”

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Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue by Adrian Miller, The University of North Carolina Press, 2001, 301 pages, $30.00 USD/$40.00 CDN

Just as a good piece of barbecue takes some time to cook, Adrian Miller’s Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue is going to be simmering in the minds of readers for some time to come. Along with the Netflix docuseries High on the Hog, Black Smoke is a necessary corrective to the way in which African American pitmasters have been written out of their own food history. An engaging, intensely researched, and breezily written account tracing barbecue from Indigenous cooking techniques through to the current generation of pitmasters, Black Smoke has also kicked up conversations among those who have devoted their lives to the art of ‘cueing. In lieu of a standard book review, Quench reached out to a couple of pitmasters to ask their opinion of the book.

Edwards: I know what he means, I’ve had people tell me that my food is “not competition style.” My people weren’t cooking this food for any damn competition. They were trying to eat. That’s how this all came about. The guy who was telling me about “competition style barbecue” looked at me like “oooh.” He didn’t understand that the food my ancestors got was scraps that was thrown out. It was the roughest, toughest part of the pig, and they had to cook it down to where they could eat it. That’s why Black people like to eat meat falling off the bone. There’s a lot of history about the whole thing that they don’t get, and it’s in the book.

Quench: How did you feel when you read the book?

Quench: Though in this case the translation is flawed; it would be like if America took credit for the invention of ramen.

Lonnie Edwards, Ribtown BBQ , Los Angeles CA: I was just jumping up and down, like, wow, this is incredible. It was a long time coming, a book about the culture that really did all the barbecuing. I’m a California kid but my roots are southern, so I’m very lucky that I was raised around a lot of southern people and I understand where the roots of this culture comes from. In my opinion, other than people like the Native Americans who would have cooked on a stick over an open fire, modern barbecue comes from African Americans, particularly slaves. It’s all in the book. Michelle Wallace, Gatlin’s BBQ, Houston TX: It definitely made me feel proud to be in this particular area within the culinary world. It really showed the importance of barbecue, and how it affected food within our culture. It’s so major. I mean, he covers the evolution of it all, from cooking over a live fire, coals and wood, from where it started to where it is now. Quench: If you were to read about barbecue in the mainstream you’d see a monoculture where white people are the arbiters of quality. As Miller points out, that ignores the people who have actually progressed the art. There’s also a dismissal of history, whether intentional or not, explaining why barbecue developed as it did.

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Wallace: I know what he means, though I came up differently. I was classically trained in the French brigade, I studied in China, then I eventually ended up in Texas barbecue. The book really covers a bit of the range of barbecue. I mean, there’s just so many similarities across the board when it comes to smoking and grilling meats over live fire. It’s almost just like a soulfulness that translates from culture to culture, you know?

Edwards: I’ll be honest, it’s true. I’m not sure if white Americans want to ignore the role that African Americans play in the history of barbecue or if they just don’t know or want to know. I just scratch my head at all of these barbecue organizations and groups and it’s all non-Black. It’s like we don’t exist. Quench: Michelle, was there a part of the book that you really enjoyed? Wallace: Definitely. He mentions that barbecuing and smoking were a way for Black people to build businesses at a particular time. I was enamored of that because I work for a family business and can relate to that. Selling food is a means to an end, whether in our culture or beyond our culture, and there’s something about him writing about African American entrepreneurs in the barbecue business that really grabbed me. Quench: Final thoughts, Lonnie? Edwards: Now that it’s getting out there with the book and other things it’s (the history) not going to ever get buried again. They can try to bury it and push it to the side, but it’s not going to happen. I’m glad people are talking about it now, it’s very personal to me and hopefully things will continue changing for the better.

Photo of book cover supplied

BOOK REVIEW

QUENCH PRESENTS THE DEBATERS

Bordeaux: Terroir vs Château-style

The question of whether terroir or house-style is more responsible for the character of a wine is an age old debate. In an historic region such as Bordeaux, that question takes on added dimension due to the attention attracted and prices commanded by the region’s top wines. Quench approached two of the globe’s esteemed wine experts to consider the question. In traditional debate style, we assigned each of them the side they would argue in favour of – so, not necessarily a reflection of their personal opinion or point of view. RESOLUTION: THE WINES OF BORDEAUX ARE INFLUENCED PREDOMINANTLY BY TERROIR As there can be and generally is a significant amount of crossover between nature vs human influence, for the purposes of the debate, terroir refers to wines that reflect the sites in which they are grown. The primary factors being soil, climate, aspect, sun intensity and vintage. And now to introduce the debaters: Barbara Philip MW was the first Western Canadian to achieve the Master of Wine designation in 2007. She is currently a Category Manager for BC Liquor Stores where she is responsible for the European selections as well as all the sparkling and fortified wines. Through Barbariain Wine Consulting, Barb works as a presenter, journalist and judge. Barb has been recognized for her work in

European wine by some of the world’s most prestigious wine organizations and is a member of the Confrérie des Gentilshommes de Fronsac, the Confraria do Vinho do Porto, the Commanderie des Grands Vins d’Amboise and the Confrèrie des Chevaliers du Tastevin in Burgundy. Barb will argue in the affirmative supporting the resolution that the wines of Bordeaux are influenced predominantly by terroir. Michael Apstein MD has written about wine for over three decades. He received a James Beard Foundation Journalism Award in 2000 and was nominated again in 2004 and 2006. In 2008, he won the Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne Press Trophy and in 2010, he was nominated for the prestigious Cordon Bleu World Food Media Awards. Dr.

Apstein is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a member of the Division of Gastroenterology at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He lectures and writes frequently about wine and health and regularly judges at international and national wine competitions. Michael will oppose the resolution and argue that the wines of Bordeaux are influenced predominantly by château style. Each of our debaters will have 1200 words to present their argument. There will be no rebuttal because this is print and we’re just having fun. Quench readers will judge the quality of the evidence and arguments. Let us know who you think makes the best argument.

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The wines of Bordeaux are influenced predominantly by terroir

Bordeaux: It’s all about the Château

By Barbara Philip MW

by Michael Apstein, MD

vs As wine professionals and collectors we tend to focus on a tiny percentage of Bordeaux châteaux, learning the intricacies of their businesses and memorizing their house styles so we can ‘blind’ taste them over and over. The more often we can correctly identify a particular château from this small subset, the more we convince ourselves that it is house style that really makes the wine. In reality, styles of these great estates change dramatically over time, sometimes as a result of fashion but always within the boundaries set by the natural factors in the vineyards. Meanwhile, there are thousands of other “lesser” Bordeaux whose château styles are not recognizable in a blind tasting. We wouldn’t even try. An experienced taster, however, would be able to identify their region and quality level based on markers left by the distinctive Bordeaux terroir. The dominant maritime climate gives even a humble Bordeaux AOC identifiable characteristics, while varying mesoclimates, soil types and slopes carve out more specific appellations and lay down the potential for quality. Most wine professionals would agree there is a notable difference between a wine from the left bank vs one from the right, and that wines from Pauillac tend to have more power than their more delicate counterparts from Margaux. At the very top end, châteaux are associated with their particular site characteristics like the stony terraces of Ausone or the precious blue clay button of Pétrus. These latter are great terroirs and, without them, no amount of skilled winemaking could produce wines as magnificent as they are. Terroir determines the parameters for winemaking style, is reflected in vintage variation and is the true point of difference for the wines of Bordeaux. Bordeaux winemaking is technologically advanced with lots of sophisticated tools available to aid in the production of fine wine. It is also a culture of consultants, whom producers contract to help them perfect their house style. However, winemakers and consultants can only work with what they are given. Skilled though they may be, their choices are limited by the natural elements of their site. A low lying, water retentive vineyard on

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The Bordelais talk about the importance of terroir—and there’s no doubt that it’s important— but the real focus is, and always has been, on the individual property. Just look at the famed Médoc Classification of 1855 established because Emperor Napoleon III wanted to highlight Bordeaux’s best wines for visitors to the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris. That classification ranked properties—the châteaux themselves—not the terroir. In contrast, in Burgundy, which is the ultimate expression of terroir, the wine authorities ranked the vineyards, not individual estates, because terroir drove that classification. That terroir-driven classification is what led the Burgundy lieux-dits to be recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. (Bordeaux is also a UNESCO World Heritage site recognized for the city itself, not the vineyards.) The regulations of the Médoc Classification of 1855 allow the classified properties to add vineyards, either by purchasing or leasing them, from unclassified parts of the appellation and still include grapes from those vineyards in their Grand Vin without losing, or even diminishing, its ranking. So, for example, in 2012 when Château Prieuré-Lichine acquired unclassified Château Pontet Chappaz, those vineyards automatically were promoted to Prieuré Lichine’s Fourth Growth status. In essence, the terroir changed, but the estate’s brand and label remains unchanged. And why? Because the focus has always been on the châteaux, not the land. Although the classification system in St. Emilion eliminated the loophole that allowed the automatic elevation of non-classified land, its criteria emphasizes the brand as well. From 20 to 35% of the criteria for inclusion into St. Emilion Grand Cru Classé or Premier Grand Cru Classé levels, respectively, involves marketing the wine. Indeed, it was the focus away from terroir and towards marketing criteria that led Château Cheval Blanc and Château Ausone to withdraw from the St. Emilion classification system due for renewal in 2022. Of course, this being France, there are always “les petites dérogations” (little exemptions). Château Lafite-Rothschild has 4.5 ha (11.4 acres) of vineyards in St. Éstephe, outside of its Pauillac appellation. The grapes from these vineyards consistently represent

vs the right bank is not going to yield ripe Cabernet Sauvignon and, particularly in a wet year, the quality of Merlot in the Médoc will suffer. Picking times, vinification and aging (notably oak use) will, of course, affect the final wine but only after terroir has already left its mark. In the 2000s, the search for balance and finesse in Bordeaux has placed greater emphasis on terroir than ever. It has meant re-thinking new oak percentages, for example, and moving away from techniques popularized in the 1990s that valued concentration above all else. The trend is to be more sensitive to the raw material, recognizing that powerful Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines from the gravelly Haut-Médoc may benefit from a high percentage of new oak while softer Merlot-based wines may not. Respecting terroir is not just important for the red wines and applies to dry whites and Sauternes as well. Certainly the luscious dessert wines of Sauternes are associated with layers of flavour that include a toasty oak element. But the depth and concentration from botrytis infection (a direct result of terroir) is needed to balance the oaky flavours. Vintage is an aspect of terroir that affects not only quantity and quality but influences pricing and sales as well. Because of Bordeaux’s changeable annual weather conditions, châteaux have to adapt their winemaking practices to what nature gives them and, especially in challenging years, house style takes a back seat. Difficult vintages like 2013 and 2017 meant reduced yields and lighter bodied wines for many producers while some of the petits châteaux were not able to make wine at all. If château style were able to override terroir, there wouldn’t be a need to taste the wines every vintage. Journalists could just issue one score per estate. Yet the annual Union des Grands Crus barrel tastings garner a lot of global attention. En Primeur draws thousands of importers, merchants and journalists to Bordeaux each spring to evaluate the wines. In the weeks following the tastings, châteaux release their prices based on perceived demand and point scores. Price fluctuation according to vintage is notable for the Classed Growths where the market can see a release price drop by 17% between 2016 and 2017, then rise 17% for 2018, as was the case for Château Margaux. One of the reasons there is less talk about terroir in Bordeaux than there is in, say, Burgundy, is the effect of the various classification systems. Because they rate estates, classifications draw focus to the individual châteaux and away from the land itself. In most systems, a château can expand or contract its vineyard holdings and retain its classification, seemingly flouting the idea of terroir. It can’t, however, increase its vineyard area beyond the appellation boundaries and retain the AOC designation. The communal terroir must be respected. At first glance, the 1855 Classification of the Médoc does not seem to have placed much value on terroir, ranking the châteaux based on their historical selling prices. In reality, it is a ranking of terroir as the better sites had enabled the

about ten percent of the Grand Vin, according to Jane Anson’s authoritative book, Inside Bordeaux. The wine regulations allow Lafite to include these grapes and still carry the Pauillac appellation. The focus clearly then is on the name Lafite-Rothschild, not the terroir or even the appellation. Similarly, Château Beaucaillou has vines in Cussac, which lies outside of the St. Julien appellation, but those grapes can be included in their St. Julien Grand Vin. Again, the focus is the Beaucaillou name, renown, and reputation, not the origin of the grapes. Another example is the change in character of the wines from Château Gruaud Larose and from Château Lagrange. The wines from Château Lagrange were rustic and angular until Marcel Ducasse took charge in 1983 and transformed them into refined and polished ones over the next decades. At Gruaud Larose, Georges Pauli beefed up the wines using a “more is better” approach after he took over in 1970. The winemaking philosophies redefined the wines from these châteaux, while the terroir remained constant. The transformation of an estate’s wines based on winemaking is not limited to the Médoc. One only needs to look at other estates whose ownership changed, such as Château Pape Clément in Pessac-Léognan or Château Pavie in St. Emilion, to recognize the importance of the estate over the terroir. The terroir of these properties did not change, but the wines, which became super-charged, certainly did. And speaking of St. Emilion, the focus of so-called garagistse who embraced super-ripe grapes, maximum extraction and other techniques to produce muscular wines was, and still is, on their particular estate, not the terroir. The location of the vineyards of Château Gloria in St. Julien, which Henri Martin created from scratch, shows how estate trumps terroir. Starting in 1939, the well-connected Martin convinced friends who owned classified properties in St. Julien to sell him parcels of their vineyards. As a result, Gloria’s vineyards are dispersed in three disparate sections of St. Julien all with different terroirs, according to Anson’s Inside Bordeaux. One could argue that, by happenstance, Gloria represents a St. Julien blend, but in reality, the character of Château Gloria’s wine comes from what happens in the winery. Indeed, it is marketed as Château Gloria, a brand, not as a quintessential St. Julien blend. Another sterling example of the importance of estate over terroir was the transformation of the wines of Château Margaux after André Mentzelopoulos purchased it in 1977. Chateau Margaux went from making a series of unexciting wines in the early 1970s that in no sense lived up to their classification—the very definition of “underachievers”—to a wonderful 1978 and magnificent 1982s and 1983s. Even the 1981 Margaux was an order of magnitude better than anything produced in the 1970s. The terroir did not change. The philosophy of the estate did. Though Paul Pontallier was not in charge at that time (he joined in 1983 and became general manager in 1990), he once told me that the secret to making better wine quickly was selection, selection, selection. What he meant was

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vs producers to make good wine on a consistent basis for the century leading up to the classification. On the right bank, it is interesting to note that both Ausone and Cheval Blanc have seceded from the soon-to-be-reviewed St. Émilion classification believing terroir should carry more weight on the scoresheet. Their move is indicative of the current thinking in Bordeaux where the châteaux are talking more and more about their vineyards and what makes them stand apart. “Sense of place” or terroir is what makes wine wine. It is the point of difference between wine and other beverages and between wines themselves. When AOC law was created to promote the natural, uncopiable aspects of regions and their vineyards, Bordeaux terroir was immediately recognized and encoded. The law also acknowledged the historical ability of particular communes to produce superior wines reflective of their unique origins. One of the hallmarks of a Bordeaux, and any great wine, is an identifiable manifestation of terroir in the glass. It is what merchants, collectors, journalists and sommeliers look for when tasting and how they can confidently recognize a St. Émilion over a St. Estèphe. Regions around the world can implement Bordeaux’s techniques and import its expertise but climate, soil and vintage variation cannot be transferred. Though there are many interesting Bordeaux style wines from Napa Valley to Mendoza to Shandong, they reflect their own terroirs. They are not Bordeaux. As much as a Bordeaux château might try to define itself by its style, the place where the grapes are grown will always set the parameters within which the producer must work. In fact, châteaux throughout the quality hierarchy in Bordeaux are demonstrating an increasing sensitivity to terroir as they adapt to each vintage and combine stylistic choices with raw material to create their signatures.

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selecting only the best grapes from the Grand Vin, relegating the others to a second or third wine or even selling some off in bulk. So, while the terroir at Margaux is superb by all reports—it is one of the few Bordeaux classified estates whose size has remained relatively constant—the leap in quality came about because of the stellar new management team. And that’s why Château Margaux is revered today. Peter M. F. Sichel, who has been involved in the Bordeaux wine business for a lifetime and has forgotten more about Bordeaux than most people will ever know, agrees that “it’s the winemaking that makes all the difference, in addition to the composition of the grapes, rather than soil.” He continues with other examples to make his point: Rauzan Segla, highly ranked in the original classification, “became far from good under the ownership of British brewers and now has regained its status under the present owners, who have spared nothing to make it great again.” He also lists Palmer, where he personally watched the transformation, Beychevelle in St. Julien, the right-bank properties of von Neiperg and Château Figeac, and any property of the Lurton family. My final compelling argument showing the importance of brand over terroir is the emergence of second and even third wines. With increasing parcellation in the vineyard and more precision in the cellar, producers have upped their game with the Grand Vin, relegating more and more production to their second and third wines. The individual châteaux have an opportunity like never before to fine-tune their styles, enhancing the quality of their wines. With these second wines, they have created what is in effect another brand accompanied by enormous economic success. The second wines of the 1st growths now sell for what the Grand Vin sold for a decade or so ago. With rare exceptions, the second wines are primarily a selection in the winery. Yes, some vineyard plots always wind up in the second wine, but essentially the second wines and certainly the third wines are crafted in the winery, not in the vineyard. Like the Grand Vins, they have become “brands,” commanding prices based on the reputation of the individual château, not the appellation or the terroir. The Médoc Classification of 1855 highlighted the top properties in Bordeaux, without mentioning about terroir or appellations. One hundred-sixty-six years later, nothing has changed.

FAVE 5 with SCHERRIE PAYNE by Tom Murray

Scherrie Payne loves a plane ride. That’s where the lead singer of Scherrie & Susaye, Formerly of The Supremes gets most of her creative ideas. “This was before the pandemic, of course,” she warmly chuckles over the phone from her L.A. home. “I’d have my notebook out and a glass of wine, working on whatever play or screenplay I was working on. I’d get an awful lot done on those overseas flights.” As the pandemic winds down, possibilities are again opening for the multi-talented Payne, whether for her side hustle as a writer or ongoing career as a Supreme, both original and spinoff. Payne took over from Diana Ross’s replacement Jean Terrell in 1973, leading the trio through three more albums before the group folded in 1977. The group reconstituted again as Former Ladies of the Supremes in 1986, enjoyed tremendous success as a live touring act (occasionally working with Ross), and then became Scherrie & Susaye, Formerly of The Supremes in 2017, with Joyce Vincent of Tony Orlando & Dawn fame stepping in as the third. Payne has been performing and recording since the late ‘60s, gracing the stages of innumerable venues. Because of this she thinks less in terms of venues and more in terms of countries; therefore, here are Sherrie Payne’s favourite places to sing in:

FRANCE I’m looking forward to returning to France as soon as we can. A while back we played a jazz festival in the south (Jazz à Vienne in Vienne, 35 kilometres south of Lyon) where they have this theater that’s built into the mountainside. I remember it because the Temptations were on the bill with us, as well as Chic with Nile Rogers. The seats are so wonderful, they’re built out of the rock from the mountain. That was a great tour, we traveled all over the southern part of the country on a bus, just a privilege to see that countryside.

DUBAI I also really love playing on the QE2, which is permanently docked at the marina in Dubai now, though we’ve performed on it before that. Once, Carroll O’Connor, the deceased actor, had a cabin across from mine. He was such a nice man, and because his seat was right next to ours at the dining room table, we’d eat together, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We were (around) the same age so we got on really well. Then, of course, Quincy Jones has his club (Q’s Bar & Lounge) over there, which is first-rate. It’s just such a fantastic city.

JAPAN Japan is another favorite place of mine, we’ve played in so many venues all over the country. I remember we did a tour there in 1989 that was so lovely, we would play places like the Blue Note (in Tokyo). It’s been too long since we’ve been there. The Japanese people are so nice and polite, they gave us standing ovations. Coming from Detroit I hadn’t been anywhere except Puerto Rico with my mom and my sister (Freda Payne, known for the hit single Band of Gold in 1970) back in the ‘60s. It was an eye opener for sure.

CATALINA JAZZ CLUB, LOS ANGELES I can’t leave out the Catalina Jazz Club because it’s right here in Hollywood, and I’ve seen so many memorable shows there. We’ve performed there several times, and while it’s a club it’s not small and sweaty, it’s quite upscale. I love playing there but I also love seeing people play there; I’ve gone to see Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis there. And who else, many acts I’ve gone to see over the years, but they’ve all blurred together for me. I did get to see Kurt Elling, a delightful jazz performer, there. That was a highlight.

BALTIC SOUL WEEKENDER, 120 KM NORTH OF HAMBURG, GERMANY

Photo credit: Phillipe Lee

Scan the QR code to watch videos of Scherrie Payne performing.

What a classy festival that is. The other acts (always drawn from classic soul, funk, house and disco performers) are always people that you know and haven’t seen in years, so it’s just so much fun. You also meet so many new people, and they become friends as much as they are fans. The energy is just so charged, you know? Germany has some great food over there, by the way. QUENCH.ME

Photo credit: supplied

Irish Whiskey Ascension

By Tod Stewart

An rud nach leigheasann im ná uisce beatha níl aon leigheas air. It’s an ancient Gaelic proverb, the meaning

of which translates to: What butter or whiskey does not cure cannot be cured. “These were the two best things an Irish home could have in the larder,” informs Santina Kennedy, the in-house Food Historian at Powerscourt Distillery located just south of Dublin. The phrase shows not only the reverence the Irish have for their local dairy products and, of course, their whiskey, but it also hints at something that has always existed but is now being more fully appreciated: the combination and intersection of Irish food, drink, and culture.

One of the oldest European spirits (the word whisk(e)y itself being derived from the Gaelic uisce beatha or water of life), Irish whiskey was once the most popular spirit in the world. Though falling rather dramatically from its lofty position in the spirits hierarchy, the popularity of Ireland’s native spirit has rebounded significantly. “Irish whiskey stands out due to its rich and vibrant history dating all the way back to 50

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the 12th Century, as one of Europe’s earliest distilled drinks,” confirms Jack Teeling of Dublin’s Teeling Distillery. “During the 17th and 18th centuries, Irish whiskey flourished and was to be found across the four corners of the globe, with Dublin creating the most flavoursome and popular whiskies of the time.” “It was the British Empire that really sparked the success of Irish whiskey,” notes Noel Sweeney, Powerscourt Master Distiller. “It spread throughout the commonwealth and developed strong markets in America, India - even Africa - wherever the British took their drink. The industry boomed until about 1905, then started to go into decline for various reasons.” The bigger they are, the harder they fall, or so the saying goes. The 20th century certainly tripped Ireland’s whiskey giant. Disruptive economic and political factors - wars, independence, punitive taxes, prohibition in the United States and the temperance movement at home - brought the industry to its knees. The close to 30 operational distilleries in 1887 shrank to but two by the mid-1970s. Luckily, a complete slide into the abyss didn’t hap-

pen, and the latter part of the 1980s saw the beginning of a slow but steady resurgence. Today, the number of working distilleries has returned to, and likely exceeded, that of the country’s distilling glory days. Bernard Walsh, Managing Director of Walsh Whiskey, reckons that the “Big Bang” phase of distillery expansion has likely cooled. “We are now in the early stages of those new distilleries settling down to produce a full suite of Irish whiskey styles.” In a dramatic example of what goes around, comes around, Irish Whiskey Global: Irish Whiskey International Trade Report 2021 notes that “Irish whiskey was officially the fastest growing spirits category in the world over the past decade, with 140% growth in sales from 2010 to 2020.” In fact, it’s estimated that by 2025, sales of Irish whiskey in the United States will surpass that of scotch, its main competitor. While the COVID-19 pandemic had a slight negative impact, global sales of Irish whiskey in pre-COVID February 2020 broke the 12 million case mark. The Report also revealed that “Across all major markets, 2020 saw a continuation in the trend towards pre-

mium-and-above Irish whiskey, with strong growth at higher price points expected in coming years.” Not only are the number of distilleries returning to pre-decline levels, a newer style of Irish whiskey is emerging based - somewhat ironically - on a much older style. Until the introduction of the Coffey or continuous still, Irish whiskeys were crafted using copper pot stills. The Coffey still, which allowed for spirits to be made continuously and comparatively cheaply, was not exactly welcomed by most Irish distillers, who went as far as to declare that any spirit coming out of the new contraption shouldn’t even be called whiskey. Nonetheless, the use of the Coffey still eventually became accepted. One of the offshoots was a style of Irish whiskey that was lighter in body, less assertive in flavour, and less complex. The newer breed of distillers are looking for a bit of a return to the original style. “I was interested in what made Irish whiskey so interesting back in the 1800s,” Walsh says. “Traditional Irish whiskies were a blend of single pot still [a distinctive style of whiskey unique to Ireland that uses both malted and unmalted barley in the mash] and single malt whiskies, without the inclusion of column-distilled grain spirits. In the 1900s, this more assertive style largely disappeared. We wanted to push forward by going back to what Irish whiskey had historically - and originally - been like.” Experimentation with different wood types for maturation and finishing is also becoming standard practise for both new and established distillers. Katherine Condon, Distiller at Irish Distillers (producer of the Jameson brand, among others) reports that her company’s commitment to wood experimentation and maturation has taken it around the world in search of exciting new varieties. “One example is the new limited-edition release Method and Madness single pot still

Photo credit: supplied

Jack Teeling, founder and managing director of Teeling Whiskey

Noel Sweeney master distiller and blender at Powerscourt Distillery

Irish whiskey finished in virgin mulberry wood.” A world first for Irish whiskey, this release features spirit finished in white mulberry wood felled from central Hungary. “The wood is harvested and air-dried for two years at the Kádár sawmills in Tokaj before being transferred to a cooperage in Budapest. The relatively high porosity and medium toasting [of the wood] impart elevated flavours of wood spices and enhanced toffee sweetness to the whiskey.” Walsh reports that finishes in his Writers’ Tears whiskey stable include “Seaweed IPA Cask Finish,” “Marsala Cask Finish,” and “Mizunara Japanese Cask Finish.” He also says that Writers’ Tears has another first for Irish whiskey involving a unique collaboration in Canada on route that is set to be launched this fall in Toronto. Teeling says his distiller uses over 100 different varieties of casks. Irish law says the casks must be made of wood. It doesn’t stipulate the type. Chestnut? Acacia? Amburana? Knock yourself out. Not surprisingly, a return to the use of native Irish oak is being tried by a few distillers. “Before the term Emerald Isle became synonymous with Ireland, it was actually called the Wooded Isle because 90 per cent of the island used to be covered in forest,” Donal O’Gallachoir of Glendalough Distillery explains. “However, the once plentiful indigenous Irish Oak was almost completely cleared away. The only places you find it now is on (the grounds of) old manor houses and in the more mountainous areas. The original oak for aging Irish whiskey would have likely been our own, and as we went around the world looking for various finishing casks, it dawned on us to take a look at what would have been used historically.” As O’Gallachoir notes, Irish oak isn’t easy to come by (largely due, Sweeney quips, to the past British penchant for chopping it all down to build warships), and his distillery goes to some length to ensure sustainable harvesting.

“We harvest the oak trees in a very sustainable way,” O’Gallachoir reveals. “For every one tree felled, seven more are planted. The type of tree we use - Dair Ghalda - is a rare and unique native variety that’s very porous, and fast growing due to the climate in Ireland, and it lends flavours like sticky toffee and black molasses to the matured whiskey; a whiskey that has a character like nothing else out there.” With the ongoing interest in Irish whiskey has come a corresponding interest in whiskey tourism, as well as a desire to explore the ways whiskey fits into Irish culture, gastronomy and hospitality. “The majority of Irish people throughout Irish history had a very hard life,” Kennedy reveals, “and a little drop of something to take the edge off was always welcome. Whiskey also fuelled a lot of our literary traditions, poetic traditions, music traditions…and our sense of fun and hospitality. In any case, for a lot of Irish people, whiskey was almost a necessity to get through the hardships of life.” Kennedy also explains that whiskey was so ingrained into Irish culture and tradition that there was literally nothing that could come between the Irish and their drink. Even at the height of the temperance movement there was a place for whiskey. “Everyone, no matter how influenced by the temperance movement they may have been, recognized that a wee drop of something was a part of Irish hospitality, particularly for special visitors… the Catholic priest, for example. It was still perceived as something special. You might have come in for a cup of tea, but it wouldn’t be long before a bottle of whiskey came out.” She also points out that St. Patrick’s Day happens to fall in the middle of Lent. So even though most people would have stopped drinking for that period, you were effectively allowed to give up Lent on St. Patrick’s Day and indulge in a nip or three. Whiskey was synonymous with wakes - both of the traditional sort and what was QUENCH.ME

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Jameson Black Barrel (40%, 750ml, $50)

Sporting a fragrant nose of rich charred oak (it’s aged in double-charred casks), dried fruit, toasted hazelnut, pear, vanilla, creme brûlé, the flavour profile of this assertive dram leans toward dried fruit, vanilla, mild smoke, clove, and brown butter, all of which segue into a long, warm, mildly spicy finish.

Photo credit: supplied

called the American Wake. When a son left for America, that was ultimately the last he’d see of his family. This sort of wake would go on for a few days and those attending would typically have been well lubricated with whiskey. Of course part of the Irish tradition of hospitality maintains that your guests are fed and not just watered. Gastronomy might not come immediately to mind when you think of Ireland, but Kennedy thinks this is changing as more people discover the island’s bounty. “I’m really proud of our food culture that isn’t celebrated enough,” Kennedy confesses. “The pairing of local food with our whiskey speaks to our inherent hospitality that dates back to the time when hospitality was written right into law. When a stranger arrived at your door you made sure they were given food and drink. I think this has remained an inherent part of who we are - and why people come to Ireland.” Kennedy points to the superb raw materials at the heart of Irish cuisine. “We have the best dairy produce in the world; we have a fantastic culture of producing artisanal, family-farm produced food items.” All of which can work with Irish whiskies. “There are some very natural pairings: chocolate - especially that with nuts and citrus. But this is a bit limited. So, with an eye to Irish history, we are looking at the foods that would have been produced in the past creamy cheeses where the fat content works with the alcohol component in whiskey.” Speaking of alcohol, one of the keys to making food and whiskey work together should be dead obvious, but it’s often overlooked. “The legislation states that Irish whiskey can only be bottled above 40 per cent alcohol, but that doesn’t mean that’s the way you should drink it,” Sweeney cautions. “Especially with food pairing; you can dilute it down a bit to allow the flavours to best mingle with the food.” No matter how dynamic, an industry can’t grow without people to harness and direct that growth. Renewed curiosity in distilling by Ireland’s younger generation will be instrumental in the renaissance of the Irish whiskey industry. As Walsh colourfully puts it: “Youth will, and should, have its fling! Given the many decades that Irish whiskey was in the doldrums, it is both inevitable and essential that there is an influx of younger generations to fill the void and seek out their ‘fortunes’ in a sector that is rebuilding towards the status it held 100 years ago. There is plenty of room for both young and new masters in the Irish whiskey scene. We need the Banksys and Lady Gagas of the new generation to join those of us who are closer to the Damien Hirst and Pink Floyd phases of our careers. With that sort of community we can safely say that the best is yet to come for Irish whiskey!”

Powerscourt Fercullen AGED 8 Years (40%, 700ml, $62)

In spite of a certain trend away from them, Master Distiller Noel Sweeney feels that age statements on whiskeys give the consumer a certain degree of authenticity by letting them know exactly what they are getting. Powerscourt Distillery’s Fercullen Aged 8 Years marries aged malt and grain whiskeys. It delivers a crisp, fresh nose of citrus compote, vanilla bean, white pepper, and toasted grain. A dash of cracked pepper on the palate accentuates the citrus fruit, sweet vanilla oak, and nutty, toasted barley flavours. Some peppery spice sticks around on the lively, memorable finish.

Roe & Co. Blended Irish Whiskey (45%, 750ml, $50) This blend of grain and malt whiskeys was crafted by Roe & Co.’s Master Blender, with input from a group of five bartenders. Aromatic nuances suggest pear, vanilla, lemon rind, nougat, marzipan, and toasty oak. Mid-weight in the palate, it delivers a warm, smooth, attack that leads into flavours hinting at charred oak, with a touch of baking spice/white pepper, vanilla, and pear.

Glendalough Distillery

Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey (46%, 750ml, $52) Teeling’s Small Batch is aged in ex-bourbon casks before being transferred to ones that used to hold Central American rum for an additional 12 months. Sultana, caramel, vanilla, marmalade, cocoa powder, and fruitcake all mingle in a quite complex aromatic collage. There are distinctive fruity notes on the rich, full palate, with nutmeg, vanilla, and some slightly charred oak notes as well. It finishes with some floral, caramel, savoury notes.

Writers’ Tears Double Oak Irish Whiskey (46%, 700ml, $63) This triple pot still-distilled whiskey is aged in a combination of American ex-bourbon and French ex-cognac casks, resulting in expressive aromatics. Very intense, with ripe pear notes dominating, there are also suggestions of vanilla, toffee, baked apple, baking spice and traces of malted barley. Silky and round in the mouth, it boasts complex, ripe fruit and warm spice notes. Its long finish features hints of toasted nuts, and just a dash of smoke.

Tod Stewart has been a beverage alcohol industry professional for close to 40 years. He is an award-winning journalist and published author who has worked as a consultant, trainer, and educator to the hospitality industry, the Ontario wine industry, and the beverage alcohol trade. He has traveled and written extensively about international food, drink, culture, and history. His book, Where The Spirits Moved Me is currently available on Amazon and Apple. His cocktail of choice is a classic martini and the best concert he ever attended was Jethro Tull in 1978.

Essential By Aman Dosanj

Seasonal vineyard workers from Mexico are not stealing Canadian jobs, they’re actually creating a shit-ton of them. The Okanagan Valley’s wine industry weighs in. “They [seasonal workers from Mexico] need to be viewed as the essential part of our business. Without that labour force, we have no ability anymore to grow the fruit. They are very simply the lifeblood of our business now. Without them coming, we wouldn’t be able to function as we do today — by any means, it would not be a pleasant scenario, leave it that way.” — Matt Mavety, owner/winemaker/ manager, Blue Mountain Vineyard & Cellars. Time and time again, particularly throughout the pandemic, we have witnessed just how polarized humanity is. From wearing a mask, disagreements on climate change and

vaccines, to the somewhat simple request to “matter,” the last two years have questioned the world in which we live, as well as our role in that equation, Canada’s wine industry included. When it comes to the pre-pandemic world, sure, it was convenient, but whatever back or normal was, it never worked. As a wine region, the Okanagan Valley— British Columbia’s largest grape-growing region—is stunning. With crazy diverse microclimates, ancient volcanic and glacial soils, plus a short yet intense growing season (with low disease pressure), you can see why the region has attracted talented winemakers and

Jorge, Alfredo, and José, at Tantalus Vineyards Photo credit: supplied

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Photo credit: Shawn Talbot Photography

Sperling Vineyards

viticulturists from across the globe. That really has shaped how we see the Okanagan. Often hidden from the “truly international” narrative, however, are the contributions of temporary “foreign” farmworkers, mainly from Mexico. This is nothing new since agriculture has long carried the burden of racism. Having experienced it first-hand at a prominent family farmed winery, I can say it’s not all unicorns, Best Managed Companies awards and Pinot Noir. With biases rampant and fermented within the company culture, management at a former place of employment found no discomfort in repeatedly referring to their colleagues as simply “The Mexicans,” merely a line item, a means to an end. Now imagine my glimpse of this in a very white, male-led industry multiplied by hundreds across our Valley. Here’s the thing: the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) is a Canadian government program introduced in 1966 between Canada and Jamaica. Expanding to other Caribbean countries, plus Mexico, the program came to B.C. in 2004 to aid local labour shortages within agriculture. The program has since been well-used across the Okanagan Valley, particularly in areas where vineyard acreage is large, the population is small, and the unemployment rate is relatively low: 5.1 percent, according to the 2021 Labour Force Survey. As Felix Egerer, viticulturist at Tantalus Vineyards in Kelowna explains, the SAWP process is far from a “dial-a-worker” scenario. The annual process involves a hefty amount of paperwork where “Canada makes sure you do your due diligence to hire Canadians first.” He continues, “I’d love to hire local people [to] give them the opportunity, and inject money back into the economy that way. But it’s impossible.” Farming the land since 1971, Blue Mountain Vineyards & Cellars in Okanagan Falls utilized local labour from migrant East Indian communities until 2010. “But times change — 54

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families get older, and there wasn’t necessarily the next generation [of Canadian-Indians] wanting to carry on doing this kind of work, or they found other means (either construction or their own farms),” says Blue Mountain owner Matt Mavety. That realization prompted the Mavetys— well-known for iconic Pinot Noir and sparkling—to hire their initial six-person out-ofcountry crew from Mexico in 2008. Despite rising unemployment rates amongst Canadians as a result of the global pandemic, “There are not enough local people who are willing to do the [vineyard] work. There are definitely not enough local people who would be coming back on a repeat basis, which has a lot of value for us in terms of being able to operate,” he explains. This year, the winery increased their SAWP intake to 17, with returning workers Alfonso, Javier, José and Antonino contributing to Blue Mountain’s reputation for over 13 years. Before Sperling Vineyards in Kelowna joined SAWP in 2020, they would form a base crew in the spring only to scour hostels and job boards to hire international (Japanese) students to fill gaps. As proprietor and winemaker Ann Sperling shares, “Part of it [the challenge] is the lead time, so you’re interviewing somebody [local] in probably November, but they wouldn’t start until February or March. When we have hired Canadians, they’re not used to the hours, the type of repetitive work, [and] just the physical needs. Often, they’d work for maybe a week or two then they move on…they [Canadians] weren’t really prepared to work for eight months, so it felt like we were always training. We’d get to a crunch period when there’s tucking, leaf plucking and thinning to do, and we wouldn’t have enough people.” When asked whether seasonal workers from Mexico are “stealing” Canadian jobs, the resounding —and very quick—reply was no (well, no, no, no and “yeah…no”). “No, I would say there appears to be no will to do this kind of work,” states Mavety.

When you look at the bigger picture, the B.C. wine industry contributes a massive $2.8 billion annually to British Columbia’s economy (as of January 2020). That breaks down to 929 vineyards, 370 licensed wineries, 10,260 acres of planted land, over 1,000,000 visitors annually, and a tourism and tourism-related impact of $600 million. That economic impact relies on the ability to grow grapes, before the sexy winemaking and drinking part can begin. As Rickard Branby, winemaker and vineyard manager at Sperling Vineyards puts it, “In this industry, to go from pruning to shoot thinning, to tucking to picking, if you don’t have these guys there’s no wine in the bottle. That’s just the way it is. No matter what nationality comes to work with you.” So why are these temporary “foreign” farm workers still classified as “unessential” and “unskilled” labour when it kind of sounds like they are arguably more essential to the overall winemaking process than even the expat winemakers?

“You can’t make good wine out of shit grapes but you can make shit wine from good grapes! I would say 95 to 98 percent of the quality comes from the fruit.” — Felix Egerer As Mavety explains, “work is seasonal. That is a reality in terms of a farming operation, but it’s not just farm work, it’s not unskilled labour. They’re learning how to grow grapes at the end of the day.” Pruning sets up the architecture and vine structure for not only the current season but the following. Having workers who loyally return for a decade in the case of Tantalus, thirteen years for Blue Mountain or just two for Sperling, is a valuable competitive benefit. Skilled hands are touching every plant, identifying problems in the vineyard, and essentially producing

Photo credit: supplied

QUICK FACTS: Year Enrolled in SAWP:

Blue Mountain Vineyard & Cellars 2008; Sperling Vineyards 2020; Tantalus Vineyards 2011 Current Acres Farmed:

Blue Mountain Vineyard & Cellars 100; Sperling Vineyards 50; Tantalus Vineyards 72 Average Case Production Per Year:

José, Alfredo, and Jorge at Tantalus Vineyards

the high-quality wines we’ve come to expect from these award-winning, internationally recognized wineries. For Sperling, “It’s [SAWP] made a big difference to the quality of work, the efficiency of work, and the peace of mind knowing that you have good people.” Each growing year is not without challenges. Fortunately for businesses like Blue Mountain, their out-of-country crew was secured before the COVID-19 lockdown, which meant 2020 was a “good season.” With an abnormally early spring, going into 2021 was a different story. “We were only able to get three out of our original twelve here by mid-February, and everyone else was held up in problems getting work visas issued and stuff like that. We were really having to sit back and contemplate how we were going to farm this year because there’s no way we could have farmed 100-acres with three guys and trying to find anybody local. They are so much so important in the process now,” says Mavety. Delays in visas this year also stirred concerns for seasonal workers. For Marcos Estrada Gonzalez—a vineyard worker for two harvests at Sperling Vineyards—working in Canada for the past six years is a big help to his family in Durango, Mexico. After the translation app malfunctioned on Estrada Gonzalez’ phone, it was time to dial in his brother-in-law Roman in Yuma, Arizona, who acted as our real-life translation app on speaker phone instead. As Roman explains, “They have to sacrifice on both sides—his wife, his family—but like he says, it’s for the family to get [a] better life in Mexico. The family knows that. It’s really hard, but they know if they do that they’re gonna be better in Mexico.” After the maximum eight-month contract is up, Estrada Gonzalez takes a week off before working one of three job options—in coal mines, driving a taxi or working the corn fields—seven days a week, twelve hours a day in Mexico (wherever he can). “I know for a fact he never stops working,” says Roman.

For José, Jorge and Alfredo of Tantalus Vineyards, returning for ten years has allowed the late-30-year-olds to voluntarily learn English; a step towards completing their high school education in Mexico. With a sense of pride, “They’re all very ambitious, our guys!” Egerer exclaims. As with Estrada Gonzalez, the sacrifice is real: “Those guys are away from home from their family for eight months out of the year. They [José, Jorge and Alfredo] all have kids. So you miss out twothirds of them growing up, essentially. And that just that blows my mind! I don’t think I could do it. I don’t think I have it in me.” As a business “we try to try to support them as much as we can there with a Wi-Fi booster, so everyone can stream lessons at the same time, [and] stuff like that, because we very much consider them part of our family.” This relationship is one of partnership, mutual respect as people, and progress. “For them, coming to Canada and the Okanagan is obviously very important in terms of providing money for their family. If they’re trying to educate their children, all of it costs money,” says Mavety. With a semi-permanent crew returning on a yearly basis, his colleagues are now investing in their respective communities and family farms in the hopes of securing a brighter future. With caution, he adds, “Now that also doesn’t bode well for the long-term stability of labour coming here. That is something you can’t control.” For sure, that is an interesting dilemma for the future of Canadian wines (unless you can create a working environment where your seasonal crew becomes as intergenerational as the winery itself). An economic impact of $2.8 billion is no small number. The B.C. VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) label assures us the wine is 100 percent grown and made in British Columbia but at the same time, it is very much a product of Mexican—and French-Canadian—labour. Without these essential, skilled hands, would there be winemakers, cellar hands, sales and

Blue Mountain Vineyard & Cellars 14,000; Sperling Vineyards 4,000; Tantalus Vineyards 8,500

marketing departments, tasting room staff, wine reps, and a shit-ton more? For me, the answer has always been no. Maybe, one cold, dark, wintry pandemic night, we will crack open a bottle, ditch the racial resentment and remove the stain of misplaced blame by finally saying thanks to every single human who made it possible.

“I couldn’t do my job without those guys, there’s no chance. I wouldn’t be good at my job without them, and we [Tantalus Vineyards] couldn’t be good as a business without them, and we wouldn’t be making the quality of product that we make without those workers. I am extremely grateful…I very much enjoy having them [José, Jorge, Alfredo] around. It’s always sad to take them to the airport when they leave, and it’s really great when I get to go pick them up in spring. [I] love them to death.” — Felix Egerer Be like Felix (Ann, Matt and Rickard).

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PROFILE:

Davide Guidara, Tenerumi By Åsa Johansson

WHY A VEGETABLE CUISINE AND WHY DON’T YOU WANT TO CALL IT VEGETARIAN?

It is a cuisine that I love to define as vegetal. I do not want my cuisine to become part of a vegetarian or vegan context canonized according to the classic theory that in those places you eat badly. I want to make people understand that vegetables can be even more interesting than the animal protein sector. WHAT IS INNOVATION FOR YOU?

Photo credit: supplied

Today, for me, the real concept of innovation is getting rid of all those superstructures that have characterized the world of haute cuisine. I want people to understand that you can enjoy great cuisine in an informal and easy setting. WHAT DO YOU NEED TO BE CREATIVE:

A lot of music and a lot of time to study. WHAT DO YOU DRINK AT HOME:

Sparkling water and Kombucha (fermented tea). MUSIC YOU LISTEN TO WHILE COOKING:

Born in 1994, Davide Guidara is seen as a rising star among young Italian chefs. After experiences at Noma in Copenhagen and other high-end restaurants in Italy like two-star Michelin restaurant Don Alfonso, he has now opened his own restaurant, Tenerumi. The restaurant is a part of the luxury resort Therasia on the Eolic island Vulcano, just outside Sicily. The setting is stunning. From the eight tables arranged on a grassy area, you admire the postcard-sunset over the Mediterranean Sea while the moon and the island of Lipari are watching in the background. Davide Guidara is young, determined, and humble. He continues to study with a focus on forgotten Sicilian vegetables and intense umami flavours. His cuisine is vegetable based without any animal protein. The dishes are colourful and stylish with such intense flavours it takes your breath away. Together with Guidara’s dishes, he serves homemade drinks and wine (but you have to ask for it), kombucha (fermented tea) and creative cocktails. Eating here means pushing your flavour boundaries. Be prepared for a food memory that you’ll cherish for the rest of your life. WHERE DO YOU LIVE:

In Milazzo, close to Catania, Sicily. WHERE DID YOU GROW UP:

San Salvatore Telesino, Benevento, Naples, Italy

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FAVOURITE COMFORT FOOD:

Bread and tomato with oregano and basil FAVOURITE INGREDIENT TO COOK WITH:

All legumes, especially beans and lentils. Because they can have multiple interpretations and for their high content of glutamic acid. BEST CHILDHOOD FOOD MEMORY:

Preserved and pickled vegetables that my grandmother used to make. YOUR GO-TO RESTAURANT:

There are no specific restaurants, my favourite ones are those that offer simple but very tasty cuisine.

It depends on the moment, during the preparation, we range from rock to some pieces of classical music, while during the evening service we listen to electronic music. HOW DID YOU START COOKING:

I have no memory of it, but when I was nine years old, I went into the house after school telling my mother that I wanted to become a chef. ON THE FUTURE:

Continue to study to always offer something more exciting to my guests and continually try to improve both professionally and personally.

YOU HAVE A PAST AS A PROFESSIONAL TENNIS PLAYER, ARE THERE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN A SPORTSMAN AND A CHEF?

Certainly, cooking is pure team play so tennis does not influence this area. Tennis has helped me to do a lot of self-criticisms. In tennis it all depends on you, it teaches you to reflect and how to adopt different strategies based on the opponent and this helps both in private and professional life. WHO IS YOUR MOST SIGNIFICANT CULINARY INFLUENCE:

Nobody. I believe that many have contributed to my training, and I think it is good because today I have a very specific style. It is based on a few ingredients, strong and concentrated flavours, local products and an additional international thought. Sometimes it happens that those who are too influenced by a single style then go and create a copy.

Scan the QR code to see Davide’s recipe for Tomato Salad

Sicilian Cuisine:

Ogni ricetta ha l’impronta della famiglia By Melissa Muller

Photo credit: Alfio Garozzo

Melissa Muller

Imagine a land where emerald-green grain fields are surrounded by snow-filled mountain peaks which cast their shadow on deep blue seas, a land where animals graze on wild herbs and produce milk that varies daily in flavor depending on their intake. Imagine a land so fertile that fruit trees sprout from the ground, simply because a few pits were spit out by a farmer who stopped for a snack, a land where a tomato tastes like the exaggerated version of itself simply because the intense summer sun concentrated its flavors. Imagine a sea so abundant that a simple fishing net tossed with ease from a boat comes back overflowing with sardines. Imagine a land where you can

immerse yourself fully in nature, where there are areas still untouched by globalization. This earthly paradise is Sicily, the land where I have always felt rooted, and the place that is now my home. As a child I spent every summer in my grandmother’s small mountain village in southwestern Sicily. Throughout my life, I have dedicated both my academic and professional realms to QUENCH.ME

Photo credit: supplied

Spring at Feudo Montoni

the study and representation of Sicilian culture. The intriguing history of the island always fascinated me due to its unique existence as a crossroads of several opposing civilizations, and I became specifically enthralled with how centuries of history were tangible in the island’s cuisine. Through food, I found a means to travel in time through the two-thousand-year-old history of Sicily. Several years ago, I made the life changing decision to relocate from New York City to Sicily where I live with my husband and family at Feudo Montoni, a winery and farm in the mountainous heart of the island. Every new day gives me the opportunity to experience local traditions firsthand. Yet, the deeper I delve into the roots of the cuisine, the more challenging it becomes to define Sicilian food or to simply name a few “traditional” dishes. Outside of Sicily, Sicilian cuisine was once associated with dishes such as spaghetti with meatballs, recipes that were portrayed as Sicilian in various films about Sicily. Today the perception of the island is evolving and dishes such as caponata, pasta with sardines, rice balls and cassata are known as “typical” Sicilian dishes, but again this is an over simplistic conception. The island’s regional cuisine is one of the most nuanced and rich in all of Italy and before defining what is traditional and authentic, there are several influences to first put into context. From province to province, from town to town, and from family to family, often a dish will have the same name in different areas, but the ingredients and preparation styles differ. How can one determine which is the most authentic version? Of course, everyone claims that their version is the “real” recipe, but I’ve come to understand that such claims of authenticity can only be made for one’s own

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area and family. Take something as simple as tomato sauce, for example. So many variations exist and there is no one recipe, starting with which variant of tomato plant to seed for the sauce. As my dear elderly aunt Zia Franca puts it: “Ogni ricetta ha l’impronta della famiglia,” or “Every recipe contains the imprint of the family.” This vast range in the execution of so-called “traditional dishes” throughout Sicily cannot be underscored enough. Just as Sicily is home to a mosaic of architectural remains from the past, combining Greek temples and Roman mosaics with medieval Jewish bathhouses, Norman palaces, and ornate late-Baroque-era cathedrals, Sicilian cuisine is a patchwork of different cultures and time periods. Because of its strategic position between North Africa and Europe, and its highly fertile soil, it has long attracted visitors, from invaders to traders. Over time, Sicilians have embraced several food traditions brought to their shores, melding techniques, recipes, and ingredients from other ethnic groups with the pre-existing cuisine. Separated from mainland Italy by the Strait of Messina, Sicily is often referred to as a “continent” not only because it is the largest island in the Mediterranean, but because there are so many “Sicilies” within the region. What is traditional in one area, is unknown in another. Sometimes the differences stem from the historical influences in a sub region. Just as each city has different predominant architectural influences, the same goes for the food. On the western coast, for example, where the North African influence remains strongly ingrained, couscous with seafood is an iconic dish. Alternatively, in Modica, on the southeastern corner of Sicily, artisanal Aztec-style chocolate is crafted, as it was brought to this area from the New World by Spanish conquistadors.

Every Sicilian dish can be considered a web of history. A perfect example is the cassata, a cake that most likely originated during the Muslim rule of Sicily in the tenth century. In Arabic, the word qas’ah means a large deep bowl, the vessel in which the dessert is prepared. However, over the centuries the dessert transformed as new ingredients and cooking techniques were introduced to the island. The filling of the cake is prepared with ricotta, which existed as far back as the Greek period, and was written about by Homer in The Odyssey. The ricotta is sweetened with sugar, which was introduced to the island during the Muslim rule. During the Norman era, almond paste, invented in the convent of the Martorana, was added to the cake. Later the Spanish introduced chocolate, which was added to the filing. Toward the end of the nineteenth century, a Palermitan pastry chef, invented the so-called cassata siciliana, adding decorative pieces of candied fruit and a final cover of icing in a very ornate manner. Made in the round form of a sun, which sets and is reborn the next day, the cake is a symbol of the death and resurrection of Christ, and thus is a staple on the Easter table. When speaking about Sicilian cuisine one must break down the island into its sub-regions and understand the geographic and climatic distinctions. While Sicily and its archipelago is divided into 9 provinces, in terms of cuisine the provinces do not create culinary sub-regions. To better understand the food traditions in broad terms, we should break down the island into northern, southern, eastern and western corners, as well as the coastal and internal areas of each corner. In addition, one must consider the differences between the food of the plains, hills, mountains and volcanoes, as well as the

Photo credit: supplied

surrounding cities and villages. However, to describe such differences, it would take several volumes. Therefore, I will focus primarily on the main differences between the coastal areas and the interior heartland of the island. In the interior areas of the island, on the outskirts of rural villages, are immense landscapes, filled with forests and farmland. Wild herbs and plants, including wild fennel, borage, catamint, oregano, chard and nettles are staple ingredients in the local cuisine. It is in the core of the island where I live with my family, and where life seems to be frozen in the past. It’s an area where large expanses of grain and legumes are cultivated; in fact, historically, this area was known as the so-called “granary” of the Roman Empire. As a result, in our area, it’s normal to wake up to a serenade of delicate bells as flocks of sheep are herded around the land. This is an area where livestock are pastured, specifically cows, sheep and goats, and where cheesemaking is widespread. In the mountainous forests, however, it is more common to find pigs, including the black pigs of the Nebrodi mountains, as well as wild game. In these areas preserved meats, such as salame and prosciutto are traditional. Historically, in all interior areas, there were no traces of seafood but rather dishes prepared with meat, preserved meats and cheeses. In addition, in the forest, mushrooms are foraged and are very typical in the sub-regional cuisines. Moving towards the coastal areas, Sicily is surrounded by three seas: the Mediterranean Sea on the south, the Tyrrhenian Sea on its north coast, and the Ionian Sea on its Eastern coast. Swordfish historically hail from the rough waters in the Strait of Messina, the body of water situated between mainland Italy and Sicily. Tuna, on the other hand, was traditionally caught and processed by the tonnara on

the Western coast, and Southeastern tip of the island, practices that date back to the Muslim rule. Today, the types of fish that are typically sold at the various ports not only depends on the location of the fish, but on the size of the port and the types of fishing boats. For instance, at the port of Sciacca, white shrimp are commonly found, as the boats are all dayboats, and the shrimp are caught locally. In Mazara del Vallo, rather, on the southwestern corner of the island, the boats go to sea for long periods to catch the prized red shrimp, which are fished in the waters around Tunisia. When comparing a dish that is made both in the interior areas and the coastal areas, such as pasta with sardines, we can see how the recipes are influenced by their geographic position. In the coastal areas, such as around Palermo, pasta con le sarde is prepared in the spring when sardines are abundant in the sea. The fish pulp is cooked with onions, raisins, pine nuts and tender green fennel, which grows in abundance in the wild during the same period. In the interior areas, pasta con le sarde is also prepared, but in these areas, fresh seafood was historically unavailable, and the dish was classically prepared with preserved salted sardines or anchovies that were brought into the areas by merchants. To balance the saltiness of the fish, tomato sauce was added to the other ingredients. In Palermo, one would say that pasta con le sarde with tomato is a sacrilege, but ultimately both recipes are equally as authentic. There are also multiple climatic zones, created by latitude and altitude. Such climate differences create areas where different types of food can be cultivated. For instance, in the southeastern tip of the island, which is located on the same latitude as Tunis, tomatoes and almonds are commonly cultivated. In

water rich areas such as in the mountainous territory with natural springs and in the river basins, fruit is cultivated, with specific attention to citrus groves. In the forest areas, nuts such as chestnuts and walnuts are common. There is a specific climatic area with ideal conditions for most cultivation: prickly pears, cherries, pistachios, olive trees, etc. Of course, products from all around Sicily are available in the many bustling markets around the island, but when such delicacies are cultivated by a village, they tend to become integrated into the local family dishes. Speaking of Sicilian food, I cannot omit the subject of wine. Here at our winery, we face the same questions regularly. Many ask us to describe the indigenous Sicilian grapes and their wine styles, such as Nero d’Avola, the princess of Sicilian grapes, and we are unable to provide a simple answer. The grape expresses itself in multiple ways depending on its geographical position and there is no such thing as “the” Nero d’Avola. Traditional dishes are also based on the time of year, not only on the seasonality of a vegetable or fruit, but on a specific holiday. For instance, nowadays, arancine, or rice balls can be found all year round in Palermo and Catania, but they are traditionally eaten for the Feast of Saint Lucia, every December 13. For Saint Joseph’s Day, which falls every year on March 19, traditional doughnuts, known as sfinci are prepared, with countless variations around the island. A mere list of traditional holiday foods could fill all the pages in this publication, if not more. Beyond its multi-ethnic makeup, Sicilian cuisine is characterized by a melange of both simple and complex preparations. Traditional Sicilian cooking stems from two main class distinctions: from aristocratic kitchens, where

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Photo credit: supplied

Vineyards at Feudo Montoni

splendor and spectacle were of utmost importance, and from the homes of the peasants, who were bound more by necessity but mustered a creative imagination that embodies Sicilian identity. The aristocratic strain can be traced back to 1805, when Maria Carolina, the wife of Ferdinand I, the king of Sicily and Naples, and the sister of Marie Antoinette, imported French chefs to the royal court in Palermo. These chefs became known as monzù, a corruption of the word monsieur and a title used to emphasize the chefs’ superior status among the servants of the house. The elevated cuisine that resulted due to the presence of the monzù chefs was refined but bold, combining French technique with Sicilian ingredients. Gradually the cooks who had apprenticed under the French monzù took over the aristocratic kitchens and continued to bear the prestigious title. Peasant cuisine, on the other hand, was meager and unrefined, but it too contained typical Sicilian ingredients. Like in most regions of Italy, there is a profound difference in the elaborate and embellished quality of aristocratic dishes with those of the masses, which were more simple and ingredientdriven. In Sicilian cuisine, however, several peasant dishes mirror foods of the upper class. In such preparations, expensive main ingredients are substituted with those of lesser value, and the name of the meager dish reflects its aristocratic origins. There is an underlying paradox when naming and modeling a peasant dish after an expensive aristocratic preparation, reflecting a sense of irony and cunningness that Sicilians value highly. Convents are mainly to thank for the elaborate dessert tradition of the island. Before the advent of pastry shops in the nineteenth century, most sweets were produced by cloistered nuns who coveted the recipes, keeping 60

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them top secret. Initially, desserts prepared in convents were not sold to the public, but rather were gifted to bishops, dukes, counts, and others who helped support the mission of the sisters. Sweets such as frutta di Martorana (fruit-shaped marzipan), ova murina (spiced almond crêpes stuffed with milk custard), and cannoli were all born in the realm of the monastery. Nuns were usually the unmarried second daughters of noble families and often were accompanied by servants. Sometimes servants taught the nuns dessert recipes, while other times individual nuns devised their own personal creations. Widespread throughout the island is cibo da strada, or street food. Although present in most Sicilian cities, street food is ubiquitous in Palermo, and is available night and day. Dispersed in many corners of the capital, vendors sell a wide range of delicacies that are meant to be eaten while standing. To understand Sicilian cuisine is a challenging undertaking, not so much for the realization of the recipes, but for the historical and cultural context behind the recipes. Sicilian cuisine is like its people: mysterious, profound, very kind, appetizing and a mixture of different cultures. But as soon as you enter the realm of Sicilians, you are transported immediately to a second level, in which you can perceive a certain melancholy and joyful vision of life akin to the agrodolce (the sweet and sour element), made up of vinegar and sugar that goes into an eggplant caponata. Thereafter is another, much deeper level, revealing the Sicilians’ sensitivity and secretive nature. And there is yet another level in which you succumb to a “disease” known as sicilitudine, from which you cannot heal yourself and there is no cure and you end up like me: not being able to live without Sicily.

Melissa Muller is an anthropologist and writer based in Sicily. Born and raised in New York, she holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University. Her studies revolved around the gastronomy of the Mediterranean regions with specific focus on Sicily, the island from where her maternal grandmother hailed. After her studies, Melissa opened a Sicilian restaurant in New York City that become a laboratory where she shared her love of Sicilian cuisine, along with her cultural research of the island. After several years of intense research, she wrote Sicily: Recipes Rooted in Tradition (Rizzoli). A time came when her distance from Sicily no longer satisfied her soul, and although she had created a corner of Sicily in Manhattan, Melissa made a life changing move to her beloved Sicily. She now lives with her family at Feudo Montoni, her husband Fabio’s organic farm and winery in the center of the island, where she is specifically dedicated to the organic cultivation of heritage Sicilian plants and the production of food products. She is assembling her fieldwork for a second book, a work of narrative non-fiction with recipes intertwined that will focus on the uncontaminated rural heart of Sicily that is now her home.

Scan the QR code to see the recipe for Capretto al Forno di Nonna Adele (Grandma Adele’s Roasted Goat), a recipe “authentic” to Melissa’s family Christmas Sicilian table that she shares with pleasure with Quench’s readers.

Reducing Your Carbon Footprint, One Wine Purchase at a Time By Michelle Bouffard

The impact of climate change on our planet has been frightening. You can see it in extreme weather events like the wildfires in Australia, British

Columbia and California. Hail regularly reduces the crops of beloved wine regions such as Burgundy and Champagne, and frost damages vineyards that were never threatened before. Consumers want to be part of the solution but they are not sure how. One of the biggest differences we can make is by purchasing a wine sold in packaging with a reduced carbon footprint. The wine industry revolves around tradition. There is an emotional attachment around the ritual of opening a bottle of wine at the table, but there is also a preconceived notion that a heavy bottle contains higher quality wine than a lightweight bottle. Because of this the wine industry has been slow to adopt alternative packaging, which is one of the most effective ways of reducing their carbon footprint. Nordic countries have been good at embracing environmentally friendly packaging and communicating to consumers the benefits to the environment. Alko, the monopoly in Finland, shared information that shows the carbon footprint associated with different types of packaging, making it easier to understand. While a traditional glass bottle of wine (540 grams) has a 675 CO2e/L, a lightweight glass bottle (420 grams) has a 525 CO2e/L. Better yet, an aluminum can has 190 CO2e/L, a wine pouch 96 CO2e/L and a Bag in Box 70 CO2e/L. Considering that 90% of the wine sold is consumed within the first two weeks of purchase (Jancis Robinson 2021), one must wonder why there is not a large amount of everyday drinking wines sold as Bag in Box. Sure, they don’t have the same shelf life as a

bottle of wine, but this is not relevant if the wine is meant to be enjoyed when fresh and youthful, which is the case for most of the wine sold. The Systembolaget (government-owned liquor store chains) in Sweden is inspiring in that regard. Fifty-one percent of the wine sold by the Swedish monopoly is in Bag in Box (BIB), and it’s good quality wine! Many producers have had to adapt if they want to stand a chance at seeing their wine listed in that market. Hopefully, other countries will be inspired by the success of BIB in Sweden, though education and communication is key. Elsewhere, most wines sold in BIB are entry level and inexpensive, so consumers associate BIB with low quantity wines. But mid-price and premium wine meant to be consumed young are also suited to this type of packag-

ing. réZin, an import company in Québec that represents environmentally aware producers, recently sold a qualitative Beaujolais in a BIB 3L from the reputable producer Christophe Pacalet, at the Societe des alcools du Quebec (SAQ). The wine sold out in four weeks. When quality and good communication are ‘au rendez-vous,’ success is too. More of these initiatives need to be embraced. Another type of packaging that should be embraced for early drinking wines are aluminum cans. Currently, the wine industry is losing popularity with younger generations such as millennials and Gen Z. One of the reasons is that they drink less and therefore opt for hard seltzer and ready-to-drink cocktails sold as a single serving. Many surveys conducted by research firms such as Wine Intelligence have shown that sustainability has also had QUENCH.ME

a big impact on the purchasing decisions of those generations. This information makes a strong case for selling wine meant for early consumption in ready-to-drink cans, with producers reaping both a business and environmental advantage. Once again though, a good marketing and communication strategy is key to convey this information. Environmentally friendly packaging has another advantage in the reduced carbon emissions during transportation. For example, most wines sold in BIB are bottled at the destination. This means they are shipped in either a Flexitank or an ISO container. While a 20’ dry container contains 9 900 litres of wine, a Flexitank contains 24 000 litres of wine. Audrey Chaufournier, director of quality, security and environment at Gabriel Meffre, says they have reduced their carbon footprint considerably by adopting lightweight bottles but also, from the reduced carbon emissions ensued from transporting lighter weight bottles. The

combination of an environmentally friendly packaging and reduced carbon emissions during transportation has the biggest impact on the carbon footprint of a bottle of wine. The choice of closure is also important. In the last couple of decades, cork fell out of favour with many producers. The increasing problem of cork taint was to blame. Winemakers did not want to risk having their wines contaminated with 2,4,6 trichloro-anisole (TCA), the chemical compound responsible for tainting wines with mouldy and wet cardboard aromas. Alternative closures, especially Stelvin, became prevalent in new world producing regions where tradition is not as important. But cork is gaining popularity again as improved technology has allowed cork producers such as Amorim and Nomacorc to greatly reduce TCA problems. More importantly for the environment is the carbon footprint associated with cork. Amorim has done a fantastic job at communicating the sustainability of cork. A cork tree can live up to 200 years. The first harvest takes place when the tree is 25-year-old, and every time cork is harvested the tree’s ability to retain carbon dioxide (CO2) is increased by five. According to Amorim, cork oak forests retain more than 14 million tons of CO2. Carlos de Jesus, Director, Marketing & Communication at Amorim Cork, says that each ton of cork produced retains 73 tons of CO2. When it comes to the cork itself, the spectrum of absorption of CO2 varies between -87 grams of CO2 per unit (cork for spirits) to -592 grams (sparkling wine cork). In addition to that, cork is recyclable. It can be transformed to many other secondary products including shoes, bags, sports equipment, furniture and cork floor. And, cork is

biodegradable. This means you can put your cork in your compost if you don’t have a dedicated recycling depot near you. The full circle of sustainability speaks strongly in favour of using cork as a closure. Stelvin can also be recycled; however, most consumers do not recycle their screwcaps and in contrast to cork, Stelvin is not biodegradable, and usually just ends up in the landfill. In the last few decades many other environmentally friendly and innovative packagings have been developed using such material as flaxseed, bioplastic, recycled cardboard and polyethylene furanoate. Corks made from renewable polymers derived from sugarcane and capsules made of sugarcane are also available. Some producers have even stopped using labels and adopted serigraphy. Solutions exist, and the future is likely to offer even more options for producers. Consumers must follow. Every purchase sends a strong message to importers, distributors, retailers and producers that wine drinkers are ready to leave behind traditions to ensure a sustainable future. Use your purchase to voice what matters. If the bottle is heavy, don’t buy it.

FIVE WINES OFFERED IN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PACKAGING: Vignobles JeanJean, Le Pive Gris Sable de Camargue IGP, aluminium cans 250ml $5.50, BIB 3L $50.25 Dry, light and crisp with fresh notes of peach and grapefruit mingling with delicate flowers. A great wine to sip on to bring a little sunshine to the day when summer seems so far away. Offers good value for money.

C’EST DANS LE SAC 2020, Coteaux du Pont du Gard IGP, 1.5L $29.75 Made by the respected Southern Rhône cooperative Les Vignerons d’Estézargues. Established in 1965, the co-op started to make natural wine in the 1980s. C’EST DANS LE SAC is a project developed by the import wine company réZin. The owners wanted to offer a well-priced organic wine with a reduced carbon footprint. Full body with supple tannins and generous notes of cassis

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and plum mingling with black pepper and garrigues aromas. A gentle touch of licorice and violet adds complexity. Good for you, and good for the planet.

Christophe Pacalet Beaujolais Les Marcellins 2020, BIB 3L $58.50 I can’t think of a better wine for everyday drinking. Dry and light with delicate tannins and mouth-watering notes of raspberries and strawberries, this Beaujolais is suited for the aperitif as it is around the table. Its versatility makes the wine ideal to drink over many days, and the BIB is perfect for that. Serve slightly chilled. Lasts 8 weeks once opened.

Sumarroca Tuvi 2020, Penedès $15.50 Sustainability is at the heart of every decision at Sumarroca. The capsules are

made of sugar cane without aluminium or light in aluminium, and the wine is bottled in a lightweight bottle of 410g. (Xarel-lo 50%, Gewurztraminer 30%, Riesling 10%, Viognier 10%) Dry and aromatic with a charming nose, with aromas of litchee, lemon, white flowers and apple mingling.

Gabriel Meffre Côtes du Rhône Laurus 2019 (lightweight bottle) $19 (Viognier 32%, White Grenache 28%, Roussanne 23%, Marsanne 17%) Gabriel Meffre has done a lot of work and research to find a lightweight bottle that was strong enough to avoid breakage during transportation, and they have succeeded. Full body and rich with silky texture and generous notes of stone fruit and white flowers. The pleasant bitter citrus notes on the finish compensate for the soft acid. A great partner for lobster and scallops.

Photo credit: Pietralunga Photos

Libera Terra

Wine and Gastronomy Fighting the Mafia in Southern Italy by: Åsa Johansson

Photo credit: Valter Molinaro

The Mafia is becoming more and more sophisticated. No longer haphazardly shooting in open streets, the infamous criminal organization instead

Olives

is moving higher up in society, attempting to deflect attention away from itself. Wine and gastronomy are still an important source of income for the loosely organized association of criminal gangs, often referred to as La Cosa Nostra, but in Italy some brave individuals are fighting back. “Today the Mafia shoots less and they have put on their fine clothes,” explains Valentina Fiore, general secretary of Libera Terra, a non-profit cooperative dedicated to rebuilding land seized from the mafia. “They are becoming more and more sophisticated and to us citizens, it seems that the mafia no longer exists. In this way, the Mafia can work in peace, more and more often in northern Italy and abroad.” Born in the mid-1990s, Libera Terra works in Sicily and other parts of southern Italy, taking care of property and land confiscated from the Mafia by the Italian government. Libera Terra produces wine, olive oil, tomatoes, wheat, and other agricultural products. Today, they provide work for over 160 people. The wines from Libera Terra’s winery Centopassi consistently win awards in the Italian wine guides. The organization also works with education and prevention in schools and workplaces, trying to penetrate in areas where the Mafia is, or has been, strong. “The goal is to create a positive chain; create jobs, sell our products, raise money, be able to hire more people and show that you can survive without belonging to the Mafia,” Fiore says. In contrast to the Hollywood portrayal of the Mafia as urban criminals, the organization actually has its roots in agriculture. Their genesis can be traced back to the 19th century, when a proto version of the Sicilian Mafia began to take care of land owned by noble families. Well over a century later and what started as a loose body of former bandits became a feared crime syndicate, often operating with impunity on the island. For a long time the Italian government was unable to do anything positive with what they confiscated. This allowed the mafia to say ‘see what happens when the government takes over?’

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Photo credit: supplied

Giovanni Allucci

Cotti in Fragranza

“Therefore, it is extra important that the government, in this case with our help, shows that when land is confiscated, it is not just allowed to decay,” says Fiore. “In some villages, the mafia provided work for eighty percent of the population. A void that had to be filled when the illegal jobs suddenly disappeared.” The Italian Mafia have found themselves in a golden position with the current global health crisis. Today, they’re recruiting new people, buying clean businesses, and finding ways to benefit from new needs in healthcare, all to gain influence and advance their position. Ironically, Fiore refers to the Mafia as a “chronic virus.” “They take advantage of the difficult situation after the pandemic and destroy the legal economy,” she says. “The Mafia has large amounts of cash available and can therefore offer simple and fast solutions to those who are having a hard time, both in Italy and abroad. Today, serious political solutions are more important than ever.” Libera Terra also works organically. “It is important to give dignity not only to us humans but also to the land we work with,” Fiore continues. Seventy percent of their products are sold through Italy’s largest food chains. “We, at Libera Terra, hope that when people go shopping and see our products, they are reminded that the Mafia still exists and that the battle has not yet been won,” she says. Another organization is called Cotti in Fragranza, which works in Palermo’s juvenile prison, Malaspina. Here, inmates are trained to become bakers. The name Cotti in Fragranza roughly translates to “cooked on the bare deed,” a name that plays with the Italian words for “taken on the bare deed” (colti in fragranza).

“The chance of returning to the criminal world once you are out, is great, but it decreases drastically if you learn a profession while in prison,” says Nadia Lodato, who is the initiator of the project together with Lucia Lauro. Lucia and Nadia have also opened a bistro in central Palermo called Al Fresco, and soon they will open a small hotel. “Most of the former prisoners stay with us when they are released and continue to work on the project. The funny thing is that they make more money than us, who work with social prevention,” says Lodato, who laughs and then quickly adds “every person we get away from the criminal world is worth all the gold that shines in the whole universe.”

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CAMPANIA The town of Casal di Principe is just outside Caserta, a half-hour drive from Naples. The city consists of simple residential buildings, small shops and a bar. Here people have lived on agriculture since time immemorial. The population is poor despite the large cultural monuments that exist in the area, which could make it possible for the town to make a living from tourism. For example, the large castle La Reggia di Caserta, a copy of Versailles, once housed the Spanish royal family Bourbon, who ruled in southern Italy before the country was united in 1861. Despite its historical importance and grandeur, after years of neglect, it is now a dilapidated castle park. The impressive halls and rooms, despite being worn and neglected are so beautiful that you lose your breath. In theory, the castle has nothing to be ashamed of in front of its French counterpart. Also in the area is Italy’s second-largest Roman arena, after

the Colosseum, called Santa Maria Capua. This is where the gladiator Spartacus trained and started his famous rebellion against the Roman emperor. Against all odds, he persevered with his men for over two years against a formidable Roman army. Casal di Principe is also the headquarters of la Camorra, the Mafia from Naples. Here the Casalesi clan held power until year long investigations eventually put the highest-ranking members of the criminal organization behind bars. When the Mafia bosses were imprisoned, the large land estates and luxury villas that had been under the control of the Casalesi clan were confiscated. “We are the only two people left,” says Vincenzo Letizia, co-manager of the Vitematta winery in the small town, which is also known for its production of buffalo mozzarella. He says that the rest of his schoolmates have either moved or are in prison. Letizia remembers how he got stopped one day as a little boy by one of the bosses in his big nice new car. “We went and bought ice cream. This was the mafia´s strategy to bind children and young people to themselves from an early age. I thought it was exciting,” he says. When he got home, he was scolded by his mother, who was beside herself with anger. “After that, my father was always waiting for me outside the door until I came home to be sure I did not end up in the wrong company.” And he didn’t. “I chose to stay in Casal di Principe even though the prospects were not the best. In the area, agriculture has always been a source of income, so I invested in wine production.” At Vitematta, Letizia works with traditional grape varieties such as the green grape

asprino, which is excellent for sparkling wines. Production increases every year, and in the past year they have also won awards in several of the Italian wine guides. “It’s fun with awards and attention, but that’s not our goal,” Letizia notes. “In addition to creating jobs, we also accept disabled people who can come here and participate and work. We try to give back as much as possible to Casal di Principe, which needs hope for the future.” Another person who has spent his whole life fighting la Camorra is Giovanni Allucci. In 1998 Allucci started the organization Agorinasce, the name of which refers to the Italian words; agricultura (agriculture) and nascere (birth). His goal is to convert confiscated land into agriculture. “Right now, we are working on a project to turn a large, confiscated property into a buffalo farm with mozzarella production,” he says. Allucci is a quiet and energetic man who has devoted his whole life to trying to prevent criminal organizations from advancing. Today, Agorinasce works in six municipalities in the area around Naples and is responsible for 157 confiscated properties. The latest information shows that the various mafias are changing and becoming more and more sophisticated. To understand the phenomenon even better, it is enough to follow the latest reports: the criminal economy is worth thirty percent of the official economy in the province of Caserta and the mafia economy in Italy is estimated at a value of fifteen percent of the country’s GDP. The leading “products” are drugs, prostitution, and extortion, which raise almost € 20 billion each year. Cigarette smuggling and waste trading are missing from the bud-

Photo credit: supplied

Confiscated villa

get. Not only that, organized crime registers a total of about € 150 billion in revenue and, compared to just over € 35 billion in costs, has profits of over € 115 billion. Alarming figures that even exceed the annual turnover of some European energy giants. “The criminal organizations will certainly benefit from the corona crisis and the unemployment it brings. How much it will affect and exactly how we do not know yet. We are awaiting future investigations,” says Allucci. Together with Allucci I visit a confiscated farm called La Balzana. It is two hundred hectares in size. The walls on the beautiful but dilapidated houses are full of graffiti and all the windows are broken. “They always do so, la Camorra, as soon as a land or villa is confiscated, they go here and destroy everything so that we have more work to do,” says Giovanni without changing facial expression. “The idea is to create a buffalo farm where twenty different producers can share the land and produce mozzarella. We will have an education centre and we also want to get university students to come here,” Giovanni explains as we walk around the large property. Another villa, which belonged to a clan member of Casalesi in Casal di Principe, has been converted into a pizzeria. On the wall hangs a photo of Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, the two heroic judges who dedicated their lives to fighting the mafia but were murdered in the mid ‘90s. Inside the restaurant the decor is simple, and around the tables are two school classes from Milan. “This school from Milan comes here every year on a study trip with high school classes,” Allucci says. ”It is a big part of our work to engage with students and teachers here in the

area and other regions.” “The people who work with us believe in what they do, otherwise they would not have the strength.” He says he still has hope. That is something that he will not give up. “I think we make a difference. I have never had the drive to make money or to become famous. This is my life,” he says humbly. Food, agriculture, wine - and brave people are without a doubt one of the recipes for winning against the advance of la Camorra and the mafia. May today’s brave fighters endure longer than the rebel gladiator Spartacus.

Åsa Johansson came to Italy from Sweden in 2001 because she loved Italian films from the ‘50s and ‘60s and wanted to learn Italian. It was love at first sight. Following a degree in political science and journalism at the University of Florence, she now writes about wine, food, and travel for Swedish, Norwegian, Italian and Canadian publications. Åsa travels back to Sweden on a regular basis to hold courses and seminars on Italian wines. Since 2019 she produces her own extra virgin olive oil, La Collina Blu, from the olive trees on the Tuscan hills where she lives with her husband Stefano and two children. Her latest project is Sweden’s first podcast about Italian wine.

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Mendocino County: cradle of biodynamic viticulture

Photo credit: Kim Carroll

Working in Paul Dolan Vineyards

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By W. Blake Gray

Today, Mendocino County is the center of organic and biodynamic viticulture in the U.S. How it got there is an interesting tale full of hippies and cannabis.

While its wines (particularly from Anderson

Valley) are well-regarded, Mendocino is not a large producer by volume. It has only 3.7% of the grapevines planted in California. But it has fully one-third of California’s certified organic vineyards, and it has 10 times as many biodynamic vineyards as any other county. This is not a new development. Mendocino County led the way in North America for organic and biodynamic viticulture starting in the late 1970s. It wasn’t a few small iconoclastic growers: then-radical ideas about agriculture were adopted early by the region’s largest wineries. This is still the case today. Bonterra is the largest, most visible brand of organically grown wine in the country. Also in Mendocino County, Frey Vineyards is the largest organic, no-sulfite-added winery in the U.S. This is not a small winery or grower with a vision: it’s a thriving multigenerational family business. Many smaller Mendocino wineries and growers also are dedicated to organics and/or biodynamics. How did this come to pass? Why Mendocino? The answer will take you into a deeper consideration of the meaning of “terroir.” We often think of terroir as the climate and soils of a site: its geographical potential, essentially. Geography is destiny, and that plays a role in the development of Mendocino County into the fine wine region it is today. But terroir also has a human element: the culture of the people who grow the grapes and make the wine. Champagne tastes like Champagne not just because the soil and grapes make it possible, but because the community decided long ago that that’s the kind of wine they want to make. In Mendocino County, wine grapes eventually became organic and biodynamic because of first a hippie migration, and then because of what Stanford University history professor Martin W. Lewis calls the “hippie-redneck synthesis.”

Let’s start with the migration. In the late ‘60s, many of the hippies who had flocked to San Francisco for the Summer of Love were dissatisfied with the urban lifestyle. Their optimistic spirit about creating a new type of society led them to want to move to the countryside. Many formed communes. The main industry in Mendocino County had been logging, but the coast was mostly logged out. Inland land was cheap -- one famous commune (Albion) bought 120 acres for $50,000. The county is relatively close to San Francisco, about a three-hour drive, and it was so underpopulated that it was also possible to squat in remote locations, so that’s what many people did. While they wanted to grow their own fruits and vegetables, they quickly discovered that farming was difficult. This was not the rich loamy soil of the Midwest. Like a lot of postlogged areas, the clearings that existed in Mendocino County tended to have poor soils. The weather was often cool and foggy. (Your vinous brain is saying, “That’s a perfect recipe for great wine!”) The one cash crop they could reliably grow was cannabis, so they did. Even today, cannabis is the most important crop in the county. City-bred hippies desperately needed farming advice. But they weren’t looking for Monsanto to teach them how to use herbicides. Enter Alan Chadwick, the father of biodynamics in the U.S. Chadwick was a Shakespearean actor who arrived at University of California, Santa Cruz in 1967 with a self-assigned mission of teaching young people to garden. Chadwick’s mother was a follower of Rudolf Steiner, who created the theory of biodynamics, and she hired Steiner to teach her sons how to grow plants with his system. Chadwick is now considered one of the founders of the organic food movement, but he was an eccentric with a bad temper and he wore out his welcome at the university.

He left in 1972 to manage the gardens at a Zen retreat in the Muir Woods just north of San Francisco, but he wasn’t a Buddhist and lacked patience with the retreat’s culture. So he ended up where so many other disaffected hippies did: Mendocino County, as manager of the Round Valley Garden Project. Chadwick was ahead of most people at the time in considering the importance of soil health. In the early ‘70s, the prevailing belief was that if soil wasn’t producing large enough crops, that could be remedied with chemical fertilizers. Chadwick believed that soil is alive and he nurtured it with compost. This was radical thinking that would not have been embraced by farmers in most places. “I know a number of local cannabis growers,” Lewis said. “They grew up in the area. Some of them had hippie parents. There are plenty of people who went to school together, they played soccer together. You’ve got to get somebody to grade your road. You’re cooperating with people. You’re raising your kids together. Growing up in Calaveras County, I witnessed hippies growing cannabis. Struggles with their neighbors. In Calaveras County the conservatives won, and the hippies left. In Mendocino County cannabis has become a part of the culture. For the most part it’s pretty chill.” The first major winegrowers to be influenced by Chadwick’s garden were the Frey family. “In the mid-’60s, the Army Corps of Engineers was going to build a dam where my parents had a place,” Jon Frey said. “It would have flooded a front field at my parents’ place. My father figured he would plant grapes to improve the value of the property in case it was under eminent domain. He was friends with John Parducci. (Parducci) said, ‘Maybe try this newfangled Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s all the rage down in Napa.’ We started planting in ‘66. They had a real tough time

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Photo credit: supplied

Photo credit: Kim Carroll

Paul Dolan

Katrina Frey

getting them going. My dad was never much of a farmer.” Jon Frey left home after high school but came back to take care of the grapes. In the summer of 1976, he signed up for a horticulture class at Chadwick’s garden. “It was a pretty interesting place to go to school,” Frey said. “Also it was free, which was very helpful at the time because I was broke. It was a pretty rigorous curriculum. It was very formal. He was very eccentric. A very interesting character and a little bit tough to work with. You had to be at his lectures on time or he would get mad and stomp up and down. That’s where I first got turned on to the topic of organic agriculture. I had done field work in pears and grapes. You would see agricultural ingredients: bags with skull and crossbones on them. You would go out and spread them on the landscape.” What Frey learned through Chadwick cemented organic viticulture for him as a philosophy: concern for soil health, and for the health of workers in the fields. “We don’t have a lot of immediate neighbors,” Frey said. “We had a neighbor who planted a Cabernet vineyard. They were all in favor of (organics). Mendocino County’s kind of a far-flung place. I don’t think it’s quite the same as if you were in the Midwest cheek to jowl with everyone.” Organic viticulture spread from Chadwick to the Freys, and from there to their good friends the Fetzers, and that’s when it made the leap to being big business. Moreover, the Fetzers’ enthusiasm led to dozens of other farmers throwing away their pesticides. Jim Fetzer, one of 11 siblings who ran Fetzer Vineyards, came to visit Chadwick while Jon Frey was there. So when Fetzer winemaker Paul Dolan expressed an interest in farming organically, he found a receptive audience. This was very unusual at the time. Jon Frey said that even though his family’s winery was

certified organic in the 1980s, they didn’t put the word “organic” on the label because there was a stigma. “Back then it had the negative connotation of hippies eating wormy apples,” Frey said. But as Fetzer Vineyards continued to expand, when Dolan began asking farmers to grow organically for him, they were more open to it than farmers elsewhere might have been: the hippie-redneck synthesis in action. “They thought we were nutcases,” Dolan said. “But we were buying a lot of grapes by then. We had become a big company: a million cases. I really became close to the farmers, telling them what I thought was quality, every year tasting wines with the growers. When we started doing organic, we created a forum where we would have topics and I would bring in guest speakers and we would talk about different aspects of organic farming. And we were successful. Some were reluctant, but the farmers wanted to participate with us and there was a level of curiosity there.” In 1990, Fetzer created Bonterra, an organic-grapes-only brand that was way ahead of its time. Bonterra might have disappeared, or become just another conventional wine brand, when Brown-Forman -- best known as the producers of Jack Daniel’s whiskey -- bought Fetzer in 1992. But Dolan and the Fetzers had not only created a network of organic growers; their wines had found a market. Concha y Toro bought Fetzer and Bonterra in 2011; they were easy to convince to stay the course because the company makes wine from organic grapes in Chile for the Emiliana brand. Today, it’s not unusual for wineries anywhere in California, or the world, to commit to organic viticulture. But it’s still uncommon for large companies to do it. That’s a living remnant of Mendocino’s hippie agriculture roots, just like the Hog Farm, the longest-running commune in North America. It was founded by the hippie

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Jonathan Frey and son Johnny Frey

clown Wavy Gravy and today it runs Camp Winnarainbow, a nonprofit performing arts school for kids. Camp Winnarainbow teaches classes in, among other things, unicycle, stilt walking, clowning and clown philosophy. I bought some cannabis grown at a nearby farm -- organic of course -- and went on Twitter to express my delight at the idea that people might have taught clown philosophy in the morning and harvested my weed in the afternoon. A Twitter follower responded to me and we had a nice conversation: he’s from Sonoma County but had been a student at the Mendocino camp, and he called it “the happiest place on Earth.” You know what he does for a living? He grows wine grapes -- biodynamically of course. “There are people who are still attracted to Mendocino because it is one of those places to get away to,” Dolan said. “There’s still the feeling that people can go up there and do their own thing. You look at the geography of it. There’s lots and lots of woodlands. That gives people a hideout and shelter. This feeling of being on one’s own. Sonoma’s much more developed now and Napa has become the high-end world. In Mendocino, spiritual seekers are looking for a setting. An environment. A space to explore in.”

W. Blake Gray is US editor for Wine-Searcher, the world's most-visited wine website. He has written about wine for many publications including the San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times. In 2013 he won the Roederer Award for best online wine writer in the world. During the pandemic, Blake rediscovered his childhood love of cheeseburgers, but his death-row meal is steamed crabs. His cocktail of choice is a Manhattan. Blake lives in San Francisco.

Photo credit: Will Sergeant

FAVE 5 with

WILL SERGEANT By Tom Murray

If there’s any one musician who exemplifies the spirit of this column it’s Will Sergeant of Echo & Bunnymen. Not because the hugely influential guitarist (and now author) can readily declare his favourite venues; Sergeant himself admits that he doesn’t really think in those terms. But if you flip through his autobiography, Bunnyman: A Memoir (Constable/Little Brown; 336 pp) you can’t help noticing that it was a particular venue where he found his lot in life. That was Liverpool’s Eric’s Club, which only lasted four years but acted as a spawning ground for such now legendary area acts as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, The Teardrop Explodes, Dead or Alive, and of course, the Bunnymen. The importance of Eric’s is clear in Sergeant’s memoir, though the book is more about the milieu in which he grew up in than the band that became his bread and butter, or the scene that propelled them. The Bunnymen themselves toured all over the world on the back of such beloved singles as The Killing Moon, Lips Like Sugar, The Cutter, and Never Stop, and they continue on today. We spoke with Sergeant, who also records solo under such names as Weird as Fish, Glide, and on Themes For GRIND, about some of his favourite places to play in the world.

NORTHERN SCOTLAND Years ago we did a tour right up at the top of Scotland, these little tiny village halls, places like that. We took a little p.a. system with us and the light show was these little anglepoise lamps that we bought. We’d just put them on top of our amps and turn them on. It was very low key. Ian Broudie (who produced Crocodiles and Porcupines) came with us and mixed for us on a little mixer. It was a good laugh, we’d sort of go from little venue to little venue with these carloads of fans following us. We’d all be on the same ferries going to the islands and that was cool. You’d see the same faces at every gig.

Fillmore for a time but now it maybe has changed back. It’s got lots of space, just this really long room with balconies on the side, and it’s not one of those sit down gigs where you can’t really feel the vibe.

THE WARFIELD, SAN FRANCISCO There’s a great venue in San Francisco that I always enjoy playing at called The Warfield. It’s got these six chandeliers on the ceiling going all the way down to the back, and it just looks fantastic. That’s a good place, it’s always a great vibe in San Francisco, but that’s as much to do with the crowds as it does the venue, you know. You’re feeding off the energy, which is essential, and crowds at the Warfield always seem to have it.

THE BARROWLANDS, GLASGOW Glasgow is one of my favorite places to play, and Barrowlands is one of the best places ever. There’s just so much energy there and this sprung dance floor, so it moves when people are dancing or jumping up and down. When people in Glasgow like you they like you a lot, so it moves. That’s what it’s all about, you know, when the crowd are having a good time. It means that you’re also enjoying it, and it pushes you to go harder.

THE ACADEMY, LIVERPOOL We started playing Philharmonic Hall whenever we were home, and it’s like a sit down place and I don’t like it. I don’t see why we’re doing it, it’s a bit too hoity toity. My favourite place in Liverpool was the Royal Court Theatre (which is now exclusively theatre), that was our place. It was a stand up venue, there were no seats and it was great in the early to mid ‘80s. The crowd were like a football crowd, you know, like, “blergggggh,” they egged you on. Nowadays we’re usually at another place called The Academy where we sometimes do Christmas shows and it’s great for us.

IRVING PLAZA, NEW YORK We used to like playing in unusual places, you know, where nobody else would think of going, but we don’t do that so much anymore. Still, there’s a few standard venues that we enjoy going back to, like Irving Plaza in New York. It’s always been a fun city for the Bunnymen, and Irving Plaza always stands out on tour. I think it was called the

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The Buying Guide All wines listed are recommended by our experienced panel of tasters. Each wine is rated based on its varietal character, representation of style and/or region, balance and price-quality ratio. Readers should assess these, and all wines, using the same criteria. Browse our experts’ tasting notes to find the wines that may appeal to your taste or pique your interest to try something new. After all, one of the best parts about wine is the discovery. The prices listed are approximate retail prices and will likely vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. A large number of these wines can be purchased across Canada and the USA, so check with your local private wine store or liquor board for availability. Our tasters are Tony Aspler (TA), Gurvinder Bhatia (GB), Michelle Bouffard (MB), Michaela Morris (MM), Tim Pawsey (TP), Christopher Sealy (CS), Donatella Dicca (DD), Christine Sismondo (CSO) and Robin LeBlanc (RL).

Stellar Values (Buy by the Case): Incredible values that overdeliver with respect to their quality/price ratios. Ideal for everyday drinking and entertaining. Wines in this category retail for less than $25 Quinta de Curvos Loureiro Vinho Verde DOC, 2020, Vinho Verde Portugal ($14) Minerally, lemongrass nose with a light floral note. This offers spicy, lemon and white peach flavours in the mouth, carried on zesty acidity. (TA)

Quinta da Pellada Outeiro Dão DOC, 2017, Dão Portugal ($17) Portugal is home to well-priced hidden gems, and this is a great example. The wine is made by the talented Alvaro Castro and his daughter Maria. The vines are located at 500 metres at the foot of the Serra da Estrela mountains which allows the grapes to retain freshness and acidity. Made from a blend of Alfrocheiro, Touriga Nacional, Jaen and Tinta Roriz, it has a medium body with expressive notes of cassis, violet, dark plum, dark cherry and spice. Firm tannins and fresh acidity give good structure. Delicious with rack of lamb. (MB)

Château Mont-Redon Réserve Blanc Côtes-du-Rhône AOC, 2019, Rhône Valley France ($18) A lightly floral nose with lime, peach and mineral notes that echo on the palate. A beautifully balanced wine with a lovely mouthfeel. (TA)

Navarro Lopez Para Celsus VdlT, 2019, Castilla-La Mancha Spain ($19) Made with organically grown Tempranillo grapes, the wine shows lovely plum, cherry and spice flavours, smooth, well integrated tannins and a bright finish. The ideal Tuesday night pizza wine, but also perfect for Sunday roast chicken and burger Friday. (GB)

Fort Berens Rosé Lillooet VQA, 2020, British Columbia Canada ($20) Made from 100 percent Lillooet estate fruit, yielding yet more proof of Lillooet’s emergence as a new wine region - almost unthinkable a decade or so ago. The Pinot character is apparent, but the blend also includes Cabernet Franc and Merlot from the winery’s new Red Rock vineyard, planted in 2018. Up front red berries with vibrant, juicy cherry, raspberry and melon notes with just a hint of sweetness. Fruit-driven but overall kept almost dry and gently tart. (TP)

Peter Lehmann The Barossan Shiraz, 2019, Barossa Australia ($20) Dense, ripe and generous notes of cassis, dark plum and black pepper with a pleasant touch of eucalyptus. Ripe yet firm tannins with fresh acidity balancing the richness of the wine. Well-made. While it is enjoyable to drink now, it will reward those who age it for 5-7 years. Suited for barbecue ribs or tagine. (MB)

Family Tree The Padré CabernetMerlot Niagara Peninsula VQA, 2019, Ontario Canada ($22) The cedary, blueberry bouquet with oak spice opens on the firmly structured palate to flavours of red plum and blueberry with a fine mouthfeel. (TA)

Waterkloof Circle of Life Chenin Blanc/Sauvignon Stellenbosch WO, 2017, Western Cape South Africa ($22) Very pale straw in colour with a grassy, green plum nose that seems to favour the

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Sauvignon in the blend. Medium-bodied and crisply dry, flavours of green plum, grapefruit and gooseberry fill the mouth to a very long finish. (TA)

Quinta da Rosa La Rosa Douro DOC, 2019, Douro Valley Portugal ($23) The combination of scorching hot days and cool nights in the Douro Valley region gives wines that have intense dark fruit balanced with fresh acidity. The best producers manage to make full-bodied yet elegant wines, and it is always the case with Quinta da Rosa. Made from a blend of Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca, this full-bodied wine has fresh acidity, fine and firm tannins and lush notes of dark cherries, cassis, dark plum and licorice. A good pairing with grilled steak. (MB)

Zarate Albariño Rías Baixas DO, 2020, Galicia Spain ($24) Located in the Val do Salnés sub-region of Rías Baixas, Domaine Zarate never disappoints. The wine is crisp and dry with expressive notes of peach and white nectarine and a pleasant salty tang on the finish. A natural for steamed clams but equally delicious with spicy Thai food. (MB)

Madonna delle Grazie Aglianico del Vulture DOC ‘Messer Oto’, 2017, Basilicata Italy ($24) Mt. Vulture, the ancient extinct volcano in the southern Italian region of Basilicata, generated two scenic lakes and its surroundings are the perfect environment for grape growing. At the bottom of Mt. Vulture, sits the Roman city of Venosa, home to the poet Horace (who famously wrote the phrase “Carpe diem”) and the Madonna delle Grazie Winery. Along with Nebbiolo and Sangiovese, Aglianico is one of Italy’s most important red grapes, but because it is grown predominantly in the south, it seems to have taken longer than the other two grape varieties to receive the international recognition it deserves. The

area around Mt. Vulture is one of the best growing sites for Aglianico. This wine is rich, elegant and refined, with red and black fruit, silky tannins, fresh and minerally with a long, lifted finish. (GB)

Jean-Paul Brun Beaujolais AOC ‘L’Ancien’, 2018, Beaujolais France ($25) Juicy red and black fruit flavours with a savoury spiciness, mineral notes and lightly dusty, earthy elegant tannins with a bright finish. A versatile wine for just about anything on the dinner table, but also very pleasant to drink on its own. (DD)

Off the Wall (Absolutely worth a shot): Unique, distinct, interesting wines from lesser-known grape varieties or regions that are worth tasting because they are that good. Don’t bypass them because they may be unfamiliar or judge them by the first taste. These are well made wines and your palate deserves to give them a shot even if it takes a little time to get to know them. Lion Gri Saperavi, 2010, Moldova ($23) Truly a bit of an oddity but worth a try for the curious. Native to Georgia, Saperavi is found in several former Soviet republics including Moldova. It gives pitch black wines and at over 10 years old this is still saturated in colour. Aromas reveal development with leather, a touch of shoe polish, dried forest berries and sweet herbs. Rather rustic and hearty with eye watering acidity and scratchy tannins, it needs some robust, braised meat fare. Definitely a wine that grew on me as I revisited and happily went back for a second glass. (MM)

Stag’s Hollow Albariño Okanagan Falls VQA, 2020, British Columbia Canada ($24) This winery has a couple of Spanish varieties in its portfolio. Up front citrus and stone fruit with tropical and honey hints lead to a generous, fruit-driven palate of peach and lemon. It’s nuanced by a touch of grapefruit zest, a hint of spice and a mineral streak, with just a touch of salinity that can define Albariño. Luscious and elegant, the extra weight and mouthfeel come partly from six months on the lees in concrete. But the profile is still bright and vibrant, underpinned by juicy acidity. (TP)

Garzón Tannat Reserva, 2018, Uruguay ($26)

Feudo Montoni Inzolia dei Fornelli Sicilia DOC, 2018, Sicily Italy ($33)

Under-the-radar Tannat grape has made a name for itself in Uruguay – not the first country that comes to mind for wine. One of the leading producers, Garzón allies new world fruit with old world structure. Aromas evoke the forest in the rain with woodland flowers and a touch of coffee. There is richness to the dark berries, but this is matched by dry tannins and assertive acidity with that intriguing undergrowth repeating. (MM)

Inzolia is one of the many treasures of Sicily and Feudo Montoni offers a great expression of the grape. Dry crisp acidity with chalky texture, firm structure and notes of Meyer lemon and white flowers. The salty tang and mineral notes linger and make the wine mouth-watering. A great partner with shellfish. (MB)

Niepoort Clos de Crappe Branco Douro DOC, 2019, Douro Valley, Portugal ($30) Rabigato, Códega do Larinho, Gouveio and Malvasia Fina This wine is produced from vines with an average age of 80 years old on granitic soils of the Douro. Whole bunch pressing and a co-ferment in barrel produces a wine with a reductive nose, that opens with time or a decant. It challenges the ‘classic’ wine drinker who might be surprised that this wine with delicate white flower notes and fresh apple and pear aromas is indeed from Portugal. The palate is engaging with more apple, pear laced with a salted mineral-like feel. Light to medium body with good mouthfeel. Some time in the cellar will yield good times. (CS)

Stoneboat Rock Opera Reserve Okanagan Valley VQA, 2015, British Columbia Canada ($31) From the first, original 1998 Okanagan plantings of Pinotage. Up front dark berry fruit, black cherry and blue plum with a hint of bacon and stony notes. The plush, well-rounded palate is emphasized by blueberry and black cherry and supported by well-integrated tannins. Intensely fruit-driven but focused and balanced with good acidity, before mineral and spice notes follow through the lengthy end. Layered, complex and elegant with alcohol kept in check. An excellent varietal expression from a stellar vintage. Rewards even more with time in the glass. (TP)

GD Vajra Barbera-Freisa Piemonte DOC, 2018, Piedmont Italy ($32) Said to have been inspired by “one mysterious bottle” found in the cellar and produced by Carlo Vaira in 1970, this blend of 55% Barbera and 45% Freisa brings together the freshness and approachability of Barbera with the slightly wild and intriguing character of Freisa to create a wine that ends up being seamless, interesting, well balanced and absolutely delicious. This could be in my “house-wine” category as well if there wasn’t such a small amount produced and exported. From one of the most generous and genuine families in the wine industry. (GB)

Cellar-worthy (Rewarding patience): Wines that will not only benefit from some time in your cellar, but will evolve, develop and reward those with patience. Cellaring times are recommendations only and optimal drinking windows will depend on each individual wine lover’s personal preference. Intersection Alluvia Merlot, 2016, British Columbia Canada ($29) Aptly named for a block of Merlot planted on alluvial soils left by an ancient creek system. Vibrant red and black fruit with mineral hints, wild bramble and blackberries - an intense fruit-driven entry but with elegance and excellent focus. The generous and well-balanced palate is defined by mulberry, raspberry, ripe blackberry and pepper spice with lushness that lasts right through the finish. Superb mouthfeel, tension and balanced acidity with well-integrated oak, this is layered and textured. (TP)

Cusumano Noà Sicilia DOC ‘Vigneto Sotto Le Case’, 2016 Sicily Italy ($32) A blend of 40% Nero d’Avola, 30% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. The dense purple-black colour suggests a powerful, full-bodied wine. The nose offers rich plum, vanilla and oriental spices while the palate expresses flavours of plum, prune and licorice held together with ripe tannins. (TA)

Dievole Novecento Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, 2016, Tuscany Italy ($35) 95% Sangiovese with a splash of Canaiolo and Colorino give the wine a deep ruby colour. The intense bouquet of cedar, cherry and oak spice promises a rich palate, which it delivers in spades. Well-structured with ripe tannins and an intriguing saline note on the finish. (TA)

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Lang Vineyards Syrah-Viognier Okanagan Valley VQA, 2018, British Columbia Canada ($35) Quite simply, the best Syrah I’ve tasted from BC this year. Deep purple in colour. The nose is cedary, spicy and savoury offering blackberry with a floral top note. Medium-bodied and dry with flavours of blackberry and black cherry carried on lively acidity to an end taste of dried herbs and white pepper. (TA)

Township 7 Reserve 7 Okanagan Valley VQA, 2018, British Columbia Canada ($39) Winemaker Mary McDermott continues to build an impressive portfolio across the board, especially with this blend of 50.5% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17.5% Cabernet Franc. Inviting, vibrant aromas of black berry fruits with some sage hints lead to a mulberry, damson and raspberry palate with spice and pepper notes. Well-structured tannins and juicy acidity play with the generous fruit character in perfect harmony, with just a touch of savoury. Balanced and layered, this is very approachable now but with no shortage of aging potential. (TP)

Château Montus Madiran AOC, 2016, Southwest France ($39) Compelling scents of dark wet earth and rust weave through warm black berries. While full, this is not rich. Imposing tannins kick in quite quickly reaching a manageable crescendo. They are slightly arid though not drying and there is enough fruit to pad the frame. Savoury and irony with an energetic finish. If you like your wines firm, this is drinking now but has the genes to last another 5 to 10 years, during which time its earthiness will amplify. (MM)

Domaine Vincent Carême Vouvray AOC ‘Le Clos’, 2019, Loire Valley France ($50) This wine is so beguiling that before realizing it, I had finished a glass. Made from gnarly, 60-year-old Chenin Blanc vines, it offers succulent orchard fruit notes of quince and apricot laced with mineral and just a hint of mushroom. The acidity is bracing and linear in this structured white. It flows effortlessly across the palate and simply vibrates with positive energy. I’d take a chance on this and buy a couple of bottles to tuck away for 5 to 10 years. (MM)

Tantalus Riesling Okanagan Valley VQA ‘Old Vines’, 2018, British Columbia Canada ($40) The 2021 BC Lieutenant Governor’s Awards Wine of the Year title is well deserved for this complex, electric, chalky, chiseled masterpiece. Floral and herbal aromas with citrus zest and a touch of tropical fruit lead into focussed, mineral driven, penetrating flavours 72

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of lime, pear and tangerine. A multi-dimensional delight that reveals more with every swirl of the glass and taste, but it is still just a baby. Put away a few bottles, if not a case and watch this beauty continue to develop and evolve over the next decade and more. (GB)

Roberto Voerzio Disanfrancesco Langhe DOC Nebbiolo, 2013, Piedmont Italy ($65) Roberto Voerzio, one of the original ‘Barolo Boys’ of the modern movement, manages to present a wine that, both traditionalists and newcomers to Nebbiolo will agree, is all about pleasure. The wine is still in evolution presenting ripe forest berry fruit, plum and glimpses of candied cherry. Aromatics persist with dusty florals, spice and vanilla to black licorice. There are notes of tobacco, truffle and mint starting to emerge. The palate is very fine with tannins wanting to spend a little longer in the cellar, yet willing to relax with a decant. At the core, the flavours are still youthful berry and more plum, with a creaminess verging on chocolate. A classic wine in the modern era of Barolo. (CS)

White Rock Vineyards Claret, 2018, Napa Valley California USA ($99) Rich, concentrated and layered with an abundance of plum, blackberry, wild berry, spice, liquorice, mocha and mineral that are integrated and balanced, combining power and finesse, polished yet firm tannins with a long, lifted finish. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with small percentages of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. This should continue to develop well over the next 5-8 years. (DD)

Palladino Barolo DOCG ‘Parafada’, 2016, Piedmont Italy ($101) Palladino is one of Serralunga d’Alba’s finest and most understated producers. The Parafada is rich and elegant with an immense complexity from the first perfumed aromas which capture you and draw you in to the never-ending lingering finish that keeps bringing you back for another taste. The wine is a complete, elegantly wrapped package with harmonious red fruit, spice, herbs and liquorice, firm, yet graceful tannins and a robust, yet lithe frame. (DD)

Argiano Solengo Toscana IGT, 2018, Tuscany Italy ($110) Bordeaux grapes Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Merlot are given a 5% lift of Sangiovese. The 2018 is very Bordeaux-esque on the nose with a minty greenness, blackberry and black currant punctuated by sweet, toasted oak. Very concentrated, rich and densely packed on the palate. The fruit absorbs all the wood. At the moment, tannins are immediate - very chewy and robust. I’d give this a couple of years to fully knit and mellow somewhat. (MM)

White Rock Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Laureate’, 2016, Napa Valley California USA ($170) Rich and plush layers of black cherry, wild berry, currant, plum, anise and fresh herbs with amazing depth and complexity, concentrated and intense, but still incredible elegant and stylish with texture and balance, finishing with a long, persistent aftertaste. Has the tannic structure, freshness and abundance of fruit to age well and continue to evolve for at least a decade. (DD)

Top Sustainable Wine Picks Sustainability refers to social, economic and environmental practises. It is important to understand that it is a process and journey rather than a finite destination. No one is perfect and we make no claims as to the degree to which the practises of these producers align with varying global standards, guidelines and certifications. But, the wines selected for this category are from producers who appear engaged in sustainable practices and, in the opinion of the reviewers, deserve recognition. Of course, they also taste great. Sumarroca Brut Nature Gran Reserva Cava DO, 2017, Penedès Spain ($18) I highly respect this producer for the strong commitment to sustainability and the ability to produce characterful and authentic wines that offer great value for money. Made of almost equal parts Parellada, Xarel-lo and Macabeo with just a touch of Chardonnay, this Cava offers the classic expression of sparkling wine in the Penedès region. Dry and bright with elegant bubbles and notes of brioche in harmony with apple and mushroom. (MB)

Alois Lageder Pinot Bianco Südtirol - Alto Adige DOC, 2020, Alto Adige Italy ($20) Besides being leaders in organic and biodynamic practises, the Lageders have whittled the weight of their bottles down from 750 to 450 grams and eliminated screwcaps and foil capsules to make them easier to recycle. And the Pinot Blanc inside the bottle is lovely. It flirts with lemon and pear on the nose with a slight suggestion of lees, flint and white blossoms. The palate starts out minerally and stony then reveals

puckeringly succulent green plum. Its light yet lively and satisfies with a gentle tactile tug. Excellent value. (MM)

CedarCreek Estate Riesling Okanagan Valley VQA, 2020, British Columbia Canada ($21) A classic wine from one of the Okanagan’s pioneering estates, CedarCreek’s 2020 Riesling exhibits the lovely flavour intensity of the vintage. Scents wet stone and apple blossom meet the lemony, green apple sorbet palate. Positively racy with just a kiss of sweetness making for a deftly balanced Riesling. Terrific vibrancy and length. Besides eliminating pesticides and chemical fertilizers as per organic certification, CedarCreek has focused on biodiversity and soil health. Efforts include sowing cover crop and encouraging wildflowers for bees, establishing a worm farm and ‘employing’ chickens and kestrels as natural predators for pests. (MM)

Argiano Non Confunditur Toscana IGT, 2019, Tuscany Italy ($30) Argiano has recently become plastic-free – the first winery in Montalcino to achieve this – and attained full organic certification as of 2020. An affordable and satisfying blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese, Non Confunditur exhibits appealing sweet Mediterranean herbs tangled with blackberry, cherry and an understated smokiness as it sits in the glass. Lush black fruit fills the palate and is balanced by tangy acidity. Tannins are broad and bit chewy yet supple giving appropriate structure and shape to the wine. The finish is earthy demonstrating some of that magic Tuscan dustiness. Well done! (MM)

Gini Vecchie Vigne Soave Classico DOC ‘Contrada Salvarenza’, 2016, Veneto Italy ($42)

Josmeyer is one of the great biodynamic producers in Alsace. The wines always offer balance between richness and freshness, and this Pinot Blanc is a great example. Dry with a medium body, bright acidity, generous notes of apple and touch of honey and hay. Succulent with roasted lemon chicken. (MB)

This is without a doubt one of the finest wines made from the Soave Classico region. Salvarenza is a small plot located within the cru of La Frosca and the vines are over 100 years old. A third of the vines are ungrafted. The wine is dense and compact with bright acid and a chalky texture. Notes of pear and hazelnut mingle with a touch of vanilla. Long finish with mineral notes lingering. Absolutely stunning and the ideal partner for a piece of fresh halibut. (MB)

Tenuta Gorghi Tondi Coste a Preola Grillo Sicilia DOC, 2018, Sicily Italy ($28)

Domaine Laroche Chablis 1er Cru ‘Les Montmains’ AOC, 2019, Chablis France ($42)

Located within a World Wildlife Fund Nature Reserve, the Gorghi Tondi estate works to preserve and encourage biodiversity and follows organic viticulture predominantly of grape varieties indigenous to Sicily. The Grillo is golden in colour but fresh and youthful in its delivery. Ample and mouth filling but never heavy, it sports tropical fruit and peach on a lip-smacking spine and finishes with a subtle salty tang. A very reasonable 12% alcohol belies this wine’s deep south origins. (MM)

Grégory Viennois is a talented winemaker and the Chablis of Domaine Laroche always offer typicity and great value. The 2019 Montmains has a great combination of ripeness and tension. It boasts crisp acidity with concentrated lemon, a pleasant austere profile and notes of mushroom and wet stone. Nice creamy texture and a long finish. Tempting to drink now but it will reward the drinker who puts the wine in the cellar for 5 to 7 years. (MB)

Josmeyer La Mise du Printemps Alsace AOC, 2020, Alsace France ($22)

Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County, 2018, California USA ($28) Early adopters of solar power in 2001, Rodney Strong was the first winery in Sonoma County to offset its carbon footprint. They have also introduced moisture sensors in the vine’s canopy allowing them to significantly reduce water usage for irrigation. This well-priced Cabernet Sauvignon is characteristic in its varietal and offers a regional expression. It delivers blackberry, black currant, ripe tobacco and baking spice notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. The tannins are plush and soft for a friendly and easy-tolike red. (MM)

Wachter Wiesler Eisenberg DAC Reserve ‘Eisenberg’, 2017, Burgenland Austria ($48) and Wachter Wiesler Eisenberg DAC Reserve ‘Deutsch Schützen’, 2017, Burgenland Austria ($48) Christoph Wachter began working at his family winery when he was just 20 years old. He took over full responsibility in 2010, and now organically farms in Südburgenland, in the towns of Eisenberg and Deutsch Schützen. His wines are elegant and expressive examples of Blaufränkisch that are floral, spicy and minerally with a lip-smacking purity of fruit, silky texture and bright acidity. Starting in 2017, Christoph started bottling

two village wines to showcase the ability of Blaufränkisch to express the site in which it is grown. The Eisenberg village wine is finessed and focussed with a stony minerality and pretty fruit from 40+ year old vines grown in the green schist of the Eisenberg hill. The Deutsch Schützen soils contain more clay and loam which result in darker fruit and big, plush tannins with a mouth-watering quality and accessibility. Both are outstanding wines from one of the region’s rising stars. He is still evolving and his wines will only continue to get better. (GB)

Cristom Pinot Noir Willamette Valley AVA, 2018, Oregon USA ($48) I have been following Cristom for over twenty years and this is perhaps one of the best vintages of this cuvée that I have ever had. Steve Doerner is an extremely talented winemaker and Pinot Noir has been his muse for multiple decades. This Pinot Noir is compact with fresh acid, light yet firm chalky tannins, abundant notes of dark cherries, red gooseberries and a touch of dried herbs. The vanilla from the oak is well integrated. While it is tempting to drink the wine now, it will fully express its potential in 6 to 7 years. (MB)

Negretti Minot Nebbiolo d’Alba DOC, 2017, Piedmont Italy ($50) The Negretti estate is one of over 100 Piedmont producers that has signed onto the region’s Green Experience certification with its ‘ten commandments’ of sustainable commitments. Brothers Ezio and Massimo dedicate this Nebbiolo to their great grandfather Minot, original founder of the Barolo-based property. There is a subtle suggestion of wood with wafting vanilla nuances, but it is strawberry and raspberry that comes to the fore. Fine boned and quite delicate, especially for the torrid and dry 2017 vintage. Long and grippy, the tannins are Nebbiolo in character but with the volume turned down low making this immediately accessible. Lingers with mint and white pepper notes. (MM)

Quench House Wines: What the editors and writers of Quench are drinking at home and why. Segredos de São Miguel Vinho Regional Alentejano, 2019, Alentejo Portugal ($15) One of my ‘go-to’ house reds, that’s remarkably good value - so much so, that I sometimes pour it from a carafe, so people don’t dismiss it because it’s under screwcap. They’re often happily swayed into thinking it’s worth a few dollars more! An approach-

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able, medium-bodied, dry red blend of Alicante Bouschet, Aragonez, Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional with solid fruit and good acidity. It’s perfect for pizza or pasta nights - or for just about anything braised or with a tomato-based sauce. (TP)

Feudo Antico Pecorino Terre di Chieti IGT, 2019, Abruzzo Italy ($16) Sounds like a cheese but Pecorino is the name of a grape variety! Pale straw in colour with a minerally, peach pit nose. This is medium-bodied and dry with melon, citrus and pear flavours and a light floral note. Good value. (TA)

Szászi Birtok Zenit Balaton-Felvidék PDO, 2019, Lake Balaton Hungary ($20) The beauty of the wine resides in its simplicity. Delicate aroma of pear and apple, white flowers, with a nice herbal edge. It might just create an image of being beside Lake Balaton at the transition of spring to summer. The palate is rich yet light, with citrus pith, green pear skin and a supple soft mouthfeel. It is the wine to keep you focused while you write your memoirs. (CS)

Carpineta Fontalpino Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG, 2019, Tuscany Italy ($23) There is nothing more comforting than a good glass of Chianti with a Margherita pizza. This is exactly how I enjoyed this wine. Dry with fresh acidity, bright notes of cherries, a delicate touch of cinnamon and dusty tannins giving good structure. The wine I want to drink every day. (MB)

Tiberio Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC, 2019, Abruzzo Italy ($24) Bright and transparent cherry red in colour, this is neither a rosé nor a light red. It is its own category - Cerasuolo - truly an all-season, chameleon wine. Besides the vivid hue, tactile tannins further distinguish it from a typical rosé. You can drink this chilled but letting it warm up also works in its favour releasing the blood orange, rhubarb and cranberry flavours. Further nuanced by an herbal twist and thirst-quenching juiciness, this is very easy drinking – but that doesn’t mean it isn’t complex. Best of all, is its compatibility with food. I have enjoyed this with fresh caught salmon, tomatoes and burrata and it is now my go-to with saucy spaghetti. (MM)

Pearce Predhomme Cinsault-Syrah, 2018, Stellenbosch South Africa ($25) Pearce Predhomme is a collaboration of Canadian industry vets Nicholas Pearce and Will Predhomme founded with a mission to create “crushable” wines from their favorite appellations. This wine has a mouth-watering stony minerality, is a great example of light-weight, but full-flavoured with vibrant 74

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acidity, grippy but elegant tannins, and loads of fruit and spice. Sleek and definitely crushable with a high affinity for anything on the dinner table. (GB)

Best of the Rest: Wines that are Recommended and Highly Recommended by our experienced panel of tasters listed by price from low to high: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Roche Texture Pinot Noir Naramata Bench, 2019, British Columbia Canada ($27) A rising star on the Naramata Bench, Roche was established a decade ago by Penelope and Dylan Roche, who draw on their heritage and experience in Burgundy and Bordeaux. Forward red and dark berries with earthy undertones lead into a strawberry, cherry palate wrapped in savoury and spice with nicely integrated tannins. (TP)

Domaine Guion Cuvée Domaine Bourgeuil AOC, 2017, Loire Valley France ($29) If you need a wine to gently transport you to a Paris bistro along the Canal Saint-Martin where you’d be waiting for a dish of Steak Frites or a Petit Farcis, what you might have in your glass is this delightful Cabernet Franc from Bourgueil. Made from the domain’s younger vines - 40 to 50-years-old, it expresses plum and bramble fruit, with blue currant and a fresh zesty herbal tone of classic Cabernet Franc. This is not underripe, it is just right. The palate is plump with blue and black berry fruit; some say raspberry. Overall, a pleasant medium-bodied wine, firm and lean with the right amount of fruit pleasure. I’m sure you will have one more glass! (CS)

Cave Spring Riesling CSV Beamsville Bench VQA, 2018, Ontario Canada ($30) This is one of my favourite wines made by Cave Spring. Made from their finest micro-parcels of mature vines on the Niagara Escarpment, the wine is already charming. But from my experience, it only gets better with a few years in the bottle. Juicy notes of lime sorbet and stone fruit with tangy acidity balancing the gentle touch of residual sugar. Pleasant wet stone notes on the finish. A natural for take-out sushi. (MB)

Cantina Roccafiore Montefalco Rosso DOC, 2018, Umbria Italy ($32) Sangiovese, Sagrantino, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon. This certified organic producer is located in Umbria, not far from the historic

city of Perugia, which is renowned for its arts, culture and wine. This ‘Rosso’ expression of Montefalco is a softer version of the great Sagrantino di Montefalco wine. It presents aromatics of ripe, warm confit of black cherry and plum, and subtle savoury spice. The palate is firm and structured with velvet tannins and balanced acid to compliment the flavours of bramble fruit. This is a great wine to enter into the ‘less talked about’ history of Montefalco wines. (CS)

Little Engine Silver Sauvignon Blanc Okanagan Valley, 2020, British Columbia Canada ($34) Pale straw in colour with a grassy, lanolin and green plum bouquet, this delicious Sauvignon offers vibrant, crisply dry, passionfruit and gooseberry flavours. Tasted blind, it could be a fine white Bordeaux. (TA)

Phantom Creek Chardonnay Okanagan Valley VQA, 2019, British Columbia Canada ($40) From the historic Becker Vineyard, initially developed in 1977 on the upper reaches of Black Sage Bench. Forward orchard fruits and creamy notes lead to green apple and pear with vanilla and buttery flavours. Impeccably balanced by moderate acidity with spice and mineral hints through the lengthy finish. (TP)

Filipa Pato Nossa Calcário Bical Bairrada DOC, 2018, Bairrada Portugal ($48) Filipa Pato is one of the chief protagonists for fine wines of Portugal. The evidence is here in this wine from 40-plus year-old vine Bical sitting on calcareous soils in the Ois do Bairro vineyard. Subtle yet present, complex and refined aromas of creamed lemon-pear with a gentle white floral note. You may sense honey, nuts and apricot skin. The freshness of this wine is persistent in aroma and on the palate, with quiet energetic flavours of sweet apple, pear and lemon. There is subtle texture adding to the sensual nature of this wine. Drinking this wine provides a glimpse into the greatness of what Portuguese white wines have to offer! (CS)

Domaine de Fa Saint Amour AOC, 2018, Beaujolais France ($50) Anyone familiar with Domaine Graillot’s gorgeous Crozes-Hermitage will want to check out brothers Antoine and Maxime’s new property in Beaujolais - Domaine de Fa. The Saint Amour is a bit funky at first but give it a quick swirl to allow all of its absolutely pure brambly raspberry and blackberry nuances to flow from the glass. There is a dark floral tinge and a lively granite undertow as it embraces the palate with fleshy, juicy fruit and supple sneaky tannins. Enjoy enthusiastically with roasted chicken. (MM)

Luke Jefferson Pinot Noir ‘Symbion’, 2018, Willamette Valley Oregon USA ($50) A side project from Cristom Vineyards winemaker Steve Doerner, the Symbion shows bright cherry and red berries with spice and earth, focussed and lightly tannic with medium body and nice complexity on the finish. (DD)

Yoshida Sake Brewery Company Gassan Izumo Junmai Ginjo, Shimane Japan ($57) Using an indigenous rice called Gohyakumangoku, a grain that can be polished down to 60% of its original mass, this is combined with the high-quality soft water found in the Shimane prefecture area. This sake, produced with an ancient method called Kimoto generates a wine of delicate aromas and flavours of candied melon, musk melon to minted cotton candy. Floral aromatics abound with apple and pear blossom to tropical fruit. The palate is medium-bodied, showing its 15% abv, but balanced with a saltiness and mineral spice with more of the same fruit flavours. This is a fine and rich wine that redefines what we consider to be ‘wines of the world’. (CS)

Luigi Bosca Finca Los Nobles Malbec Verdot Field Blend Las Compuertas, 2018, Mendoza Argentina ($60) Opaque purple in colour, the wine has a spicy nose of plum, dark chocolate and rose petals. Full-bodied, dry and savoury. Plum and blackcurrant flavours fill the mouth ending on a note of cocoa. (TA)

Nusserhof - Heinrich Mayr Elda Vino Rosso, 2019, Alto-Adige Italy ($62) This is a wine to behold - Schiava made with the utmost care. It is artisanally crafted from 90-year-old vines. The wine expresses roasted black cherry, earthy smoke inflected red currant and rose petal. There is some good funk (I am talking Parliament type funk) as there is little sulphur added. The nose will remind you of all things Burgundy, Savoie and Barolo. This is a mountain wine of freshness. The palate opens to earthy tart red fruit of cherry, raspberry and boysenberry. With a long maceration and 30-month élevage, this is a serious wine for the intellectual, hedonist and outright curious. It is Schiava redefined! (CS)

Kumeu River Chardonnay ‘Hunting Hill’, 2019, Auckland New Zealand ($65) Kumeu River is a stellar producer who crafts top notch Chardonnay on the North Island of New Zealand. It is well-known by wine professionals as we’ve all been tricked in blind tastings thinking it was a premium Burgundy. Hunting Hill is a vineyard that was first planted in 1982. It gives concentrated

wine with fresh acidity, ripe notes of lemon and stone fruit and pronounced hazelnut and mineral notes on the finish. Absolutely stunning with lobster. (MB)

Mosse Les Bonnes Blanches Vin de France, 2018, Loire Valley, France ($65) Embracing biodynamic and natural practices, the Mosse family crafts distinct wines from Chenin Blanc that are improving with each vintage. There is nothing but clarity with this wine. Aromatics are filled with a ripe, rich creamed orchard and stone fruit medley of nectar. It is all the pleasant intensity that Chenin can provide. Imagine a wild orchard in the fall and engage with flavours of bruised apple to pear over an earthiness that is like sweet roasted almonds. This is a wine that can cellar. Or decant and enjoy. (CS)

Little Engine Gold Pinot Noir, 2018, British Columbia Canada ($67) The name recalls the classic childhood story that teaches perseverance and hard work are ultimately well rewarded - indeed the case here. The aroma invites with vibrant red berries, cherry, violet and some earthy hints. A supple, mouth-filling palate with seamless tannins. Cherry, vanilla, chocolate and spice with a savoury touch through the lengthy close. Truly the sum of its parts, this Pinot is luscious but structured with serious power behind ‘velvet glove’ finesse. Low yields reward with pure fruit and deft acidity, all in absolute harmony. (TP)

Rocca di Montegrossi Geremia Toscana IGT, 2016, Tuscany Italy ($69) Located in Monti in Chianti, Rocca di Montegrossi makes tremendous, pristine Chianti Classico. Along with Sangiovese, the estate has plantings of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon brought together in this full, ripe, enveloping barrique-aged red. The nose is warm and inviting with aromas of mint, blackberry and plum. Broad tannins are soft and plush punctuated with a pop of acidity that speaks to the freshness of the region. There is a toastiness and just a hint of chocolate on the backend. Finishes clean. (MM)

Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay Hemel-en-Aarde Valley WO, 2020, Cape South Coast South Africa ($70) Attention all Burgundy-lovers, this South African Chardonnay is a MUST try. So deftly crafted and finely etched, it delivers equally on an intellectual and sensual level. Subtle toasted nuts and hints of butter lead to fragrant white blossoms and perfectly ripe honeydew melon. There is a richness to the fruit but so much steely cut, poise and balance. Medium weight but really very light on its feet, this soars effortlessly across the palate. A solid contender for my wine of 2021! (MM)

Tesselaarsdal Pinot Noir Hemel-enAarde Ridge WO, 2020, Cape South Coast South Africa ($100) I tasted the previous vintage of Tesselaarsdal wines knowing nothing of their background. Enthralled by the purity and grace, I simply had to learn more. A descendent of freed slaves, Berene Sauls is the owner and winemaker. She started out as a babysitter for the owners of Hamilton Russell where Anthony Hamilton Russell soon asked her to work in the winery and eventually encouraged her to make her own wine. Her sixth vintage of Pinot Noir, the 2020 starts out evocatively floral with some toasty wood, spice and smoke underneath. Sinewy in muscles and linear in acidity in thrillingly old-world Pinot Noir way, it is disciplined in its grace. (MM)

RECOMMENDED Family Tree The Goat Lady Chardonnay Niagara Peninsula VQA, 2020, Ontario Canada ($17) Lightly toasty, spicy nose of apple and melon with these flavours replicating on the palate. Richly extracted flavours of orange, lemon and apple wrapped in well-integrated oak. (TA)

Maurer Oszkár Kadarka Subotica PDO, 2020, Subotica-Horgoš Serbia ($31) Kadarka is a native grape to the wine making regions in and around the border of Serbia with Hungary and Croatia. Oszkár Maurer is on a path to revive this grape with several offerings. This one is for the natural wine enthusiast. Bush trained, low yielding old vines create a wine of intense pomegranate, currant and white cherry aroma with rose petal and white pepper spice. The palate is super savoury with more cranberry and pomegranate. Salty fennel and celery notes help define a very energetic first wine from the Maurer portfolio. (CS)

Peter Jakob Kühn Jacobus Riesling Trocken, 2020, Rheingau Germany ($33) Rheingau is home to many dry Riesling wines. This wine, Jacobus carries the namesake of the founding father of the winery. It is a traditionally made dry Riesling and exhibits all Riesling-ish-ness. The nose is honey golden apple with chamomile. The aroma is of a medium intensity that is like beeswaxed sunshine driven by a wet stone mineral tone. The palate is bright with great verve, more gold and yellow apple, yes to lemon and white peach, though it’s not that simple. Crisp, clean and complex. It is the biodynamic approach that helps this wine shine. (CS)

Mark Angeli Rosé d’Un Jour Vin de France, 2020, Anjou France ($45) The name of this wine is a play on the AOC Rosé d’Anjou which allows for medium sweet QUENCH.ME

rosé from the Grolleau Noir. Using Grolleau Gris, Mark Angeli revisits a classic Anjou style rosé that is meant to be medium sweet - a not-often-seen style of wine reminiscent of the ‘old days’. With notes of strawberry and raspberry, it’s almost like taking the rich flavours of red and blue Nerds Candy and making it into a wine for adults. The acidity is pronounced giving freshness and lift. Mark Angeli applies low intervention, biodynamic vineyard practices allowing for a clarity in expression of naturally sweet fruit flavours. This wine won’t fatigue the palate and you will likely finish the bottle before you finish dessert! (CS)

Ojai Sans Souffre Ajouté - GrenacheSyrah Santa Rita Hills AVA, 2019, Santa Barbara California USA ($50) A masterful blend of Grenache and Syrah inspired by the Rhône Valley of France, made in a cooler climate of California. Aromatics of bright crunchy red berry fruit leap from the glass. Grenache creates a lovely perfume and Syrah provides a smoky sultriness to the proceedings. The palate is smooth and fullfledged with grippy tannins and a pleasant tartness. It is a flavourful wine but not a fruit bomb. Ready for consumption, it is elegant and complex in its youth. (CS)

Stags’ Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, 2017, California USA ($58) While I admittedly lean towards firm Italian and French reds, sometimes I just want to wrap myself up in a lavish Napa Cab. Full of brambly berries, blueberries and black cherry with cinnamon and polished oak spice, this is full and exuberant. Some chewy wood tannins show up on the finish where dried plum is offset by a gravelly note. This should drink well over the next 5 or so years but there is also something to be said for immediate gratification. (MM)

Domaine Génot-Boulanger Mercurey Premier Cru ‘Saumonts’, 2018, Burgundy France ($70) You could call Domaine Génot-Boulanger under-the-radar or an up-and-comer; either way, it is an estate to seek out. Situated in Meursault, the Lavollée family also boasts holdings in renowned villages like Chambolle-Musigny and Volnay. However, it was the slightly more humble Mercurey Premier Cru ‘Saumonts’ that charmed me. It speaks so clearly ad simply of Burgundy with briary red berries, earthy soil and stone. There is black strawberry on the palate and chewy but fine fruit tannins. Still pulpy and youthful with bright acidity and seamlessly integrated oak, this offers excellent value in the world of Burgundy and is a lovely modest 12%. (MM)

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Before… Sparkling wines, fino sherries, other wines that would traditionally be served before dinner Medici Ermete Carezza Metodo Classico Lambrusco Modena DOC Secco, 2018, Emilia-Romagna Italy ($25) A relatively new wine from Lambrusco leader Medici Ermete, this popsicle cherry red Lambrusco di Sorbara is made using the traditional method – so second fermentation in the bottle – rather than the tank aka Charmat method. I suspect it doesn’t remain on the lees for too long as it is fruity rather than savoury and autolytic. Lovely lilac scents come through on the nose, and it is a joyful mouthful of cranberry and red currant. The mousse is soft and creamy but fairly persistent, melting leisurely. It would be inappropriate of me to say – drink with abandon. (MM)

Unsworth Vineyards Charme de l’Île Sparkling Rosé Vancouver Island VQA, n/v, British Columbia Canada ($25) Charme de l’Île is a registered trademark of Vancouver Island guaranteeing a sparkling wine made in the Charmat method using island grapes. There are a handful of wineries like Averill Creek, Enrico and Unsworth championing this style. The latter offers a zesty, zippy example offset with just a touch of residual sugar to soften the acid blow. It is dominated by Pinot Noir and hints at strawberry but is more reminiscent of lemon sherbet. Light and frothy, the bubbles subside swiftly but do their job cleansing the palate and leaving behind flavours of grapefruit in their wake. Straightforward yet super fun. (MM)

Blue Mountain Gold Label Brut Okanagan Valley, n/v, British Columbia Canada ($28) 57% Pinot Noir, 39% Chardonnay, 4% Pinot Gris Always a great alternative when you want a fine sparkling wine without paying the price of Champagne. Delicate bubbles with subtle notes of brioche and acacia in harmony with red currant, lemon and apple. The dosage of 8 grams is integrated balancing the bright acid and adding a touch of roundness. I highly recommend serving it with gougères. (MB)

Filipa Pato 3B Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature, NV, Bairrada Portugal ($32) A fresh and bright blend of Maria Gomes, Bical and Cercial from a producer that is not just growing outstanding wines and bringing a significant amount of attention to the region, but is growing wines that are

outstanding value for the dollar, regardless of price point. This delicious bubbly shows pear and fresh herbs with mineral and lightly smoky notes, refined lively bubbles and a dry, but mouth-watering finish. Perfect for apero, but don’t dismiss its ability to marry with your entire meal. (DD)

Gustave Lorentz Zéro Dosage Crémant D’Alsace, 2018, Alsace France ($35) Talk about a gastronomic wine, this dry, high acid sparkling isn’t just your perfect match for oysters and French fries, but sucking pig, crispy duck, Tandoori chicken and a wellseared Bistecca Fiorentina all came to mind (and stomach) when I tasted this clean, racy, crisp, and citrus zesty wine. Predominantly Pinot Blanc with some Chardonnay and a touch of Riesling. Invigoratingly delicious and a great value. (GB)

Fitzpatrick Fitz Brut Okanagan Valley VQA, 2016, British Columbia Canada ($39) On the western shore of Lake Okanagan, this site loses the sun early in the day behind steep hills, providing an ideal cool spot on which to grow grapes for sparkling wine. Fine bubbles and a good mousse present up front citrus and tropical fruit with classic brioche notes before a well-textured, quite generous palate, enhanced by 24 months lees aging of the base wine. Citrus and mineral flavours linger through the close. (TP)

Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Blanc de Blancs Cuis 1er Cru Brut Champagne AOC, NV, Champagne France ($76) Lively, elegant and refined, there is a juiciness to the creamy texture that gives it both a lightness in weight and depth in flavour. Bright and floral with citrus, apple, brioche, stone fruit and honey, oyster shell salinity and chalky finish. A pretty, elegant and nuanced wine. Outstanding and a bargain when it comes to Champagne. But it by the 6pk. (GB)

Larmandier-Bernier Terre de Vertus 1er Cru Brut Nature Champagne AOC, 2014, Champagne France ($107) Larmandier-Bernier has been growing grapes according to biodynamic principles for the last twenty years. Their Champagne is always singular and pure and very expressive. Terre de Vertus is made from Chardonnay vines located in the lieu-dit Les Barillers in the middle of the Vertus slope. The gold colour and the pronounced brioche notes are the result of ageing the wine on the lees for a minimum of 5 years before disgorging. Almost more like a wine than a Champagne, it has a creamy texture and notes of hazelnuts and acacia in harmony with lemon flavours. Long lingering chalky finish. Very elegant bubbles. Stunning despite the cooler 2014 vintage. (MB)

…and After Dessert wines and digestifs that would traditionally be served after dinner Barbeito Veramar Medium Sweet 5 Year Old Madeira, Portugal ($21) Barbeito continues to lead the way with contemporary Madeira wines. This wine, based on Tinta Negra, is aged in French oak barrels for over 5 years in the Canteiro method. A blend of select barrels produces a wine of deep crème caramel aroma, with roasted hazelnut and nougat touched by orange liqueur and aromatic spices. The palate is bright with a nice balance of sweet to acid and a brandied sugar cane mouthfeel. A great post dinner sipper with nuts, cheese or a rich savoury dessert. (CS)

Marolo D.Ulrich Amaro, Piedmont Italy ($65) The Ulrich Amaro was originally made in 1854 by Dr Domenico Ulrich and is now produced by the Marolo Distillery. Infused with herbs, flowers, fruits and roots, this is an incredibly well balanced digestif with the right amount of bitter and without the excessive sweetness of so many amari whose producers are attempting to make them accessible to a broader audience, but in the process lose the both the character and effective digestive purpose of the product. Delicious on ice, straight up, as the complex bitter component in cocktails or pour over vanilla gelato for an intriguing dessert. (GB)

SPIRITS Appleton Estate 15-Year-Old ($80) A well-aged Jamaican rum that probably had a lot in common with this Appleton Estate 15-Year-Old, inspired Trader Vic to make the Mai Tai cocktail about 75 years ago. It’s a rich and buttery spirit with a perfect little kick of heat at the end. Like so many Appleton expressions, it’s full of ripe banana and pineapple with a lovely hit of clove, cinnamon and dry oak to balance it out. You might not want to “waste it” in a Mai Tai, but it would surely make a great one. (CSO)

Kingston 62 Gold ($30) Also from Appleton Estate, Kingston 62 Gold was released in Ontario earlier this year, although it may taste familiar to rum enthusiasts, since it’s a re-brand of (the now discontinued) Appleton Special. This a classic mixing rum that brings character and life to tropical cocktails and makes a terrific “Safe Harbour”—the name we use for rum and ginger beer mixed drinks that aren’t made with rum from Bermuda. (CSO)

Gosling’s Papa Seal Single Barrel Bermuda Rum ($250) Speaking of rum from Bermuda, Gosling’s Papa Seal Single Barrel Bermuda Rum could be used to make a Dark ‘n Stormy (the company trademarked the name of the drink and gently suggests it can’t be made with any rum other than Gosling’s) but we reckon you’re not going to want to do anything other than sip this straight. An expert blend of 10and 21-year old rums from other Caribbean countries (Gosling’s isn’t a distiller but, instead, a blender with ageing facilities) this starts out with a distinct salted caramel taste and aroma then opens up to show off a little candied orange, marzipan and light oak. (CSO)

Diamond Reserve 151 Demerara Rum ($75 USD) Destined to be a smash hit with tiki bartenders, Diamond Reserve 151 Demerara Rum is sure to surprise anyone bracing for a hot spirit—you’d never believe this was 75 percent ABV if you didn’t know it. That said, we think the caramel nose and rich flavour used to balance out the heat of a strong spirit is a little over the top, which sadly overwhelms any of the more subtle fermented fruits and spice we’re used to tasting in Guyanese rums. Still, we predict the “rum float” is about to make a comeback this year. (CSO)

Forty Creek Foxheart Canadian Whisky ($45) We’re old enough to remember when Canadian whisky ambassadors had to find creative ways to put a positive spin on this country’s rule that you could add a small percentage (9.09%) of other spirits to the blend and still call it whisky. Now the practice is right on the front label with some expressions, including Foxheart, which is infused with Jamaican rum. Not all hybrid spirits work out as well as this one, which is a nice meld of classic Canadian grain, butterscotch and a surprisingly rich display of tropical fruit. (CSO)

BEER & CIDER Muskoka Brewery Tread Lightly, Bracebridge, ON, Canada (4% ABV; 473ml can $3.00 CDN) Muskoka Brewery up in Bracebridge has seen a lot of action in their 25 years in business. Often at the forefront of brewing innovations (their Mad Tom IPA was one of the first aggressively hopped beers in the Ontario market and Detour was the province’s first session IPA) while being an industry leader in becoming a sustainable and environmentally conscious brewery looking to be a force for change in their community. Tread Lightly, a recent addition to their core lineup, is a light

beer that doesn’t sacrifice quality with its low ABV. Light citrus notes with a bit of biscuit and a crisp finish. (RL)

Stone Brewing 25th Anniversary Triple IPA, Escondido, CA, USA (12.5% ABV; 355ml cans $17.00 USD/6-pack) The brewery that’s known for being loud, angry, and aggressive is celebrating their 25th anniversary the only way they know how — with something aggressively over the top like a 12.5% triple IPA. The beer was originally conceived by Kris Ketcham, Sr. Manager of Brewing & Innovation for the 7th Anniversary of Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station, and was amped up to celebrate the brewery’s 25 years. Expect an opaque orange colour with notes of citrus, pine, and peach and a surprisingly small amount of alcohol burn. (RL)

Godspeed Brewery Ochame Green Tea IPA, Toronto, ON, Canada (6% ABV; 355ml can $3.50 CDN) Since 2017, Godspeed Brewery has been brewing some incredibly well-crafted and elegant beers made with struggle and love. Owner/Brewmaster Luc Lafontaine came from a hell of a pedigree as head brewer at famed Montreal brewery Dieu du Ciel along with spending a few years developing a brewery in Japan before making Toronto his home. The Ochame uses green tea picked every year from Lafontaine’s tea field in Japan. Some lovely lemon zest and floral notes from the tea balancing the hop astringency nicely, with sweet honey and biscuit on the finish. (RL)

Green Bench Brewing Co. Saison de Banc Vert, St. Petersburg, FL, USA (7.8% ABV; 500ml bottle $11.99 USD) Green Bench Brewing have been making tremendous waves beyond the shores of their home in St. Petersburg, Florida. Owners Steven Duffy, Nathan Stonecipher, and Khris Johnson have strong historical ties to the waterfront city known in the early 1900s as the “City of Green Benches” and represent their home well both in how they act as a brewery and in the high quality of their beers. The Saison de Banc Vert, part of their core line, is 100% oak fermented and aged in wine barrels before being conditioned with Brettanomyces. Packed with fruity esters and a slight peppercorn note that dries out in the finish. (RL)

Queer Brewing Co. Flowers, London, England, UK (4% ABV; 440ml can £4.00 GBP) Led by beer writer, photographer, and artist Lily Waite, Queer Brewing was set up in 2019 as a way to provide visibility of LGBTQ+ people in and around the beer world and

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foster a sense of community. The organization has raised thousands for charities, and what originally started as a collaboration and event series has led to Queer Brewing’s own brand beer being released to stores and bottleshops throughout the UK. Brewed at Manchester’s Cloudwater Brewing Co., Flowers is a witbier that features flavours of coriander and curaçao orange with Saaz and tettnang hops providing a bright bitter snap at the end. (RL)

33 Acres Brewing Co. Tropical Popper, Vancouver, BC, Canada (5.5% ABV; 473ml cans $21.12 CDN/4-pack) Vancouver’s 33 Acres Brewing opened under the ethos of celebrating all the binding elements of life, from community and friendship to the boundless limits as a result of hard work. The space itself is very hip and minimal, with beer label designs falling within a single circle. Tropical Popper is a fairly recent release with heavy notes of passionfruit, mango, and pink guava with a “popping” acidity. Perfect for sipping on the beach overlooking the pacific. (RL)

Birrificio Lambrate Atomic, Milan, Italy (6.2% ABV; 355ml can € 4.15) For over 25 years the folks at Birrificio Lambrate have been brewing their beer out of Milan, practically pioneering the Italian craft beer market. Throughout their years in business they have experimented with different styles, ingredients, and brewing methods and their 25th anniversary celebration beer, Atomic, is an IPA that gathers all of the experiences into one. Salted water was used to enhance the hops, English ale yeast was used, and different hot hopping techniques along with a double dry-hopping make this beer an explosion of Mosaic, Chinook, Citra and Simcoe hop character. Expect a lot of pine and citrus with subtle tropical notes. (RL)

Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery Heir Apparent, Goochland, VA, USA (11.5% ABV; 473ml can $4.50 USD) Based out of beautiful Virginia, Lickinghole Creek is a majority woman-owned farm brewery that takes great care to be water conscious and mindful of their biological footprint in their home. Their name pays homage to Little Lickinghole Creek, which runs through the farm’s hills and since pre-colonial times was where animals would stop to take a drink. They hope to continue that tradition. The Heir Apparent is an imperial stout brewed with Mexican peppers, Vanilla, Cinnamon and Cocoa Nibs that make for a very warming but still balanced drink. (RL)

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District Brewing Co. West Coast Wheat Lager, Regina, SK, Canada (4.7% ABV; 355 ml cans $13.47 CDN/6pack)

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Located in the famous Warehouse District in Regina, District brewing has been making beers that go under the category of “simple yet done well” for several years. Brewmaster Mbaku Hamidu Admau has ensured that quality doesn’t get passed over to make a simple, elegant beer that can be enjoyed by everyone. The West Coast Wheat Lager, sour mashed and generously hopped with Sorachi Ace hops, brings out large notes of lemon peel and verbena with a hint of cracked pepper in the finish. (RL)

Yukon Brewing Co. Bonanza Brown, Whitehorse, YT, Canada (5% ABV; 355ml cans $17.10 CDN/6-pack) Originally launched as the Chilkoot Brewing Co. Ltd. in 1997, Yukon Brewery has been a fascinating pioneer in a brewing scene that has found itself growing more and more over the past five years. Owners Bob Baxter and Alan Hansen (also head brewer) have spent years promoting the products and people of the Yukon and remain as genuine as ever. Bonanza Brown started out as a tap-only beer that could be made available in growlers, but was so popular that it soon became part of the core lineup. Chocolate and slight nut character with a rich malty warmth that should stand well against the Yukon chill. (RL)

Blind Enthusiasm Smooth Operator, Edmonton, AB, Canada (8.7% ABV; 375ml bottle $12 CDN) A brown ale using a range of dark malts and aged in Port barrels for 24 months, the beer is a nicely balanced and integrated composition of slightly bitter chocolate, cola and port-ishness, while being incredibly easy to drink and carrying its alcohol extremely well. Finishes clean, dry, long and smooth with just the right amount of very appealing bitterness. Another great offering from this community minded brewery at the centre of Edmonton’s Ritchie neighbourhood’s revitalization. (GB)

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BREWED AWAKENINGS

Robin LeBlanc Photo credit: Red Tape Brewery

Fermenting Change GOOD LORD, WHERE DO YOU EVEN BEGIN IN BREAKING DOWN THE EVENTS OF THE PAST YEAR? 2020, I think it’s safe to say, was a massive disruption for the entire drinks industry. Bars closed, taprooms were converted into an extension of the production space, and the main focus of every week was to just get through it. 2021, by contrast, was the year of adaptation and sustainability through the long haul of a global pandemic. New bylaws surrounding sales were placed and put into practice. In parts of Canada, breweries found their rhythm in their online stores and in dealing with delivery apps now able to offer beer. By the time summer came around there were so many reopenings and lockdowns that the drinks industry became an efficient well-oiled machine, able to snap into action within days to supply beer to pubs or close off and put energy into the online shop. Where last year was all about getting through it, 2021 involved operating and growing within the ever-changing landscape. It was also the year where, after the public stepped up to help their local breweries by constantly ordering their beer, the breweries worked to become more of a positive change in both their local area and the world through works of charity, collaborations, and lifting up the marginalized. To be clear this isn’t necessarily anything new. One of the amazing things about craft breweries is that many of them set out to make their spot a community hub and are no strangers to sponsoring charity events or supporting local businesses. But a global pandemic has a way of putting things into perspective and when faced with the option of self-interest in order to stay afloat, many breweries strengthened their resolve to make a grim world better by helping. Counterpoint Brewing in Kitchener, Ontario, for instance, has been doing well with their Diversity & Inclusion series of beers, which features brews created by local BIPOC culinary experts and artists, seeking to bring attention to the ways diversity augments communities. One of their latest, Outameni jackfruit sour with ginger and lime, was made with Chef Teneile Warren of Nyam with proceeds going to the ACB Network of Waterloo Region. Other examples are pretty easy to find. Rebellion Brewing Co. in Regina offered free tacos at their taproom for healthcare workers. Vancouver Island Brewing partnered with the Pacific Salmon Foundation for their 2021 “Pod Pack’’ case of four beers, with proceeds going towards helping restore B.C. salmon stream, operate hatcheries, and research. Red Tape Brewery in Toronto developed the Pride Series, beers made in collaboration with seven members of the LGBTQ+ community with proceeds going to ACT Toronto. Breweries have also been taking more time looking inwards to see

what changes they could make within the brewing industry itself. The past two years have seen a few reckonings that made it into the public sphere lately, with discussions on discrimination towards BIPOC, LGBTQ+ people, and women along with fair wage practices being started. The largest moment, kicked off by Brienne Allan at Notch Brewing in Salem, Massachusetts, saw countless anonymous people within the industry detailing stories of discrimination and abuse. In order to ensure the conversation surrounding these issues kept going, the Brave Noise international collaboration project was created. Kicked off by Allan, any brewery in the world who wishes to participate are given a recipe to brew with proceeds going to a charity or organization of the brewery’s choice that addresses issues that fight gender discrimination, racism, sexual assault, and harassment within the industry. Although it was an American-based initiative, over 14 Canadian breweries happily participated, including Little Beasts Brewing in Whitby, Ontario; Jackknife Brewing in Kelowna, BC; Troubled Monk in Red Deer, Alberta; and Truro Brewing Co. in Truro, Nova Scotia. On the business side, more breweries than ever this year have tackled the issues that come with being paid minimum wage by committing to being a certified living wage employer. Ontario in particular saw a rise, as Toronto’s Left Field Brewing announced they would offer a living wage at the start of the year, making them the fourth brewery in the province to do so. They were soon followed by Block Three Brewing, Anderson Craft Ales, Little Beasts Brewing Co., and Napanee Beer Co. in offering their staff fair and liveable wages, and hopefully leading the way to building an industry that allows their staff to prosper instead of just getting by. Honestly, one has to admire this renewed zeal to improve the outside and inside of the industry. I’m not going to lie to you folks, the world has looked pretty grim these past couple of years. But one of the things that has been getting us through it all has been sticking together and helping one another out. And through it all, craft breweries have been there to do their bit, all while handing us a much-needed pint.

Robin LeBlanc is an award-winning beer columnist, author, and podcaster with over a decade of experience in writing about the ins and outs of the beer world. In 2011 she started her blog The Thirsty Wench, which went on to win multiple awards including the Saveur Magazine Best Food Blog Award in the beer category. She has been a contributor, columnist, and co-author of both editions of the Ontario Craft Beer Guide. In addition to her regular contributions in multiple publications, she is the co-host of the Ontario Craft Beer Guide The Podcast. Robin lives in Toronto.

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Jay-Z said he was "just getting better with time, like" this wine Name of 228-litre barrel traditionally used for aging in Burgundy Tannat is the main grape variety in this country Pre-dinner drink that stimulates the appetite Iron-rich volcanic soil dominating Willamette Valley’s Dundee Hills One of the five main taste sensations – described as a mouth coating savouriness Leonardo da Vinci created The Last Supper for the Duke of Milan reportedly in exchange for a vineyard. Although it was destroyed by fire, DNA analysis determined that the grape variety likely grown was _____________ di Candia Aromatica Nova Scotia’s blanket appellation for crisp, aromatic, still whites based on a blend of hybrids led by L'Acadie Blanc This peninsula boasts the largest planted area of all viticultural regions in Canada Loire Valley appellation Cour Cheverny features this rare white grape Miles drank this Merlot-based wine in the film Sideways This winery was purportedly the first in California to charge US$100 for a bottle of wine County in England with the largest area under vine This sweet wine played a prominent role in the 2008 film Dean Spanley about canine reincarnation The only wine region shared by Chile and Argentina A white wine from this California region won the state's first major wine award, the Grand Prix at the 1889 International Paris Exposition The sweetest and richest style of Madeira The process of drying grapes for Amarone This California ranch owned by George Lucas is also a vineyard and winery In Italy, Muscat of Alexandria is known as ________ The first name of the founder of Chile's largest wine company Highly prized in Portugal’s Douro Valley, this red grape is thought to have originated in the region of Dão Before establishing his own winery Robert Mondavi was ousted from this estate Chile’s most expensive wine is named in honour of a former captain of the country's national polo team Peninsula in Australia known for Pinot Noir Also known as the heartbreak grape At 1.46 hectares, this is the smallest Barolo cru Val do Salnés, O Rosal and Condado do Teo are all subregions of this Spanish DO California produces the most wine of any US state, Washington is second and this state is third Egg whites are sometimes used to soften astringent tannins in what winemaking process? This soil, most often associated with New Zealand, is a hard fractured residual rocky material that forms from the decay of sandstone

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Spanish region known for Mencía grape The most planted grape variety in British Columbia This cool, high-elevation valley is the current hotspot for fine wine in Argentina Mudgee-based winery credited with producing Australia’s first Sangiovese in the 1970s Name of mountains protecting the region of Pfalz from rain bearing westerly winds Aphid that plagued Europe in the 1800s A splinter group of high quality, organic sparkling wine producers that have formally separated from the Cava DO The region of Kamptal is in what country? Classification level in Austria’s Wachau region for a wine with minimum of 12.5 abv. This cross between Zinfandel and Dobričić is Croatia’s flagship grape Region in Italy with the largest area of certified organic vineyards This country has the most hectares of planted grapevines outside Europe Silvaner is the flagship grape of which German wine region? Red grape native to Croatia’s Northern Dalmatian coast grown mainly on the limestone terraces of Primošten Sangiovese goes by this name in the Maremma region of Tuscany This company was the first to varietally label Chardonnay, and is still a major producer today The world’s most southerly wine region Montlouis-Sur-Loire, Anjou, Savennières and Vouvray are all made from this white grape This prominent Argentine winery is run by an emergency room doctor in San Francisco If you were on the island of Corsica, what would you call Sangiovese? This widow is credited with producing the first Brut, or dry Champagne The owner of California's high-priced Screaming Eagle winery also owns this NHL team The owners of the Vancouver Canucks hockey team also own more vineyard acreage in this wine region than anyone else If you were enjoying a glass of Fiano with freshly caught King George whiting overlooking Port Willunga, you’d be in this wine region White grape with tremendous ageing potential planted in the Hunter Valley Italian producer credited for the reintroduction of orange wine This wine region shares its name with a type of cabbage that originated near Beijing Sweet wine made from frozen grapes The sensation of astringency on palate comes from _________

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AFTER TASTE

Tony Aspler

LONG BEFORE I GOT INTO THE WINE WRITING BUSINESS, I VISITED THE HOME OF A SPANISH FRIEND WHOM I HAD MET IN LONDON, ENGLAND. His family owned a bodega in Jerez de la Frontera, where at lunch and dinner three generations of the family would come together around a large table. There, children, as young as four, sat with the adults, and in front of each place was a small copita. As the bottle of fino sherry was circulated around the table, an ounce or so was poured for the children and then watered down. The father of my host, who owned the bodega, saw the look of surprise on my face as the children raised their glasses to toast me as a guest in their house. “You seem surprised that the children are drinking wine,” he said to me. “As you see, what they are drinking is diluted. This way, we are teaching them to respect alcohol and to pay tribute to the wine that has put food on our table.” In the following years I have been privileged to lunch or dine in the homes of many European wine families, and I have witnessed the same sharing of wine with children too young to hold a driver’s license. I contrasted this with my own upbringing in London and Montreal. My parents did not drink alcohol, but they kept a bottle of wine for sacramental purposes. Every Friday evening my mother would light the Sabbath candles, and my father would say a prayer over the bread while pouring a thimble of wine into a silver goblet. The blessing was in Hebrew – a prayer recited over a cup of wine immediately before the meal on the eve of the Sabbath, which translates as, “Blessed art Thou, oh Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.” This same ritual of wine and bread is central to the Christian faith as the Eucharist – a commemoration of Jesus’s Last Supper with his disciples. After reciting the blessing over the wine and bread, my father would raise the goblet and take a sip, barely wetting his lips. Then he would pass the goblet to me. Now, that bottle of wine my mother brought out every Friday night was stored thereafter in a heated linen closet. I mentioned that she only poured a thimbleful, which meant that the bottle lasted for at least a year. Resting in that warm environment, 82

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it began to oxidize as soon as the cork was pulled. Naturally, it was a sweet kosher wine. The result was that the wine tasted like lukewarm prune juice. After such an introduction to wine, how then did I become a wine writer? It took a lot of beer as a McGill student to rinse away the memory of that Friday night wine, I can tell you. When I went to Dublin for post-graduate work Guinness also helped; but it wasn’t until I moved to London in the 1960s that I began to take an interest in wine. I signed up for a training course at Grants of St. James’s, a leading wine merchant in London. The course was given by the late Gordon Bucklitsch, who ignited my interest in wine and made me realise there was a world of pleasure to be had from the fermented grape beyond lukewarm kosher wine. In thanks for his awakening in me a love of wine, I modelled my wine writer detective, Ezra Brant on him. Bucklitsch taught me that there are two stages in an oenophile’s life. The first is the discovery of wine. The second is the revelation of fine wine. RIP Gordon Bucklitsch.

Tony Aspler, Order of Canada recipient, has been writing about wine since 1975. He is the author of 18 wine books, including The Wine Atlas of Canada and three wine murder mystery novels. The best concert he ever attended was Rush with the Tragically Hip as the opening band. His favourite comfort food is milk chocolate and his cocktail of choice is a Kir Royale. At home, he drinks wine (lots of wine).

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Quench Magazine Winter 2021-2022 issue no.369

Articles inside

BOOK REVIEW: ADRIAN MILLER’S BLACK SMOKE

BOOK REVIEW: RODNEY SCOTT’S WORLD

CHEF PROFILE: SOFIA B OHLSSON Åsa Johansson

THE BOOZY BACKSTORY Christine Sismondo

CHEF PROFILE: ANGUS AN Michaela Morris

CHEF PROFILE: MICHELLE WALLACE Jessica Dupuy

RECLAIMING BLURRED LINES Aman Dosanj

THE ETHICS OF HUMMUS Omar Mouallem