Tidings May/June 2012

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//features 20// seaing

by Rosemary mantini A dream in Sardinia.

22// popularity

by Michael pinkus

Building off Pinot Noir’s movie debut.

42

24// shake

by brenda mcmillan Using ports and fortified wines in mixed drinks.

26// mixo

by tod stewart 8 of Canada’s top mixologists share their favourite recipes.

32// vintage by rick Vansickle

See how cellared wine matches up.

36// character is sexy

by carolyn Evans-Hammond What indigenous varieties can do for you.

39// names by gilles bois

Southwest France is growing its reputation.

42// game changer by matthew sullivan Cooking a bit of game.

47// per cent

by Sean Wood

How is high alcohol killing recipes?

Chefs chime in.

24 39 tidingsmag.com

\\ 3

//Ă la carte 7// Contributors 8// from the editor 11// Conversations Letters to the editor.

13// Simple Living Michael Volpatt

14// Umami

55

Joanne Will

17// Anything but

martinis

sheila swerling-puritt

18// Bon Vivant Peter Rockwell

46// pours

rosemary mantini

50// discovery jonathan smithe

52// Davine

Gurvinder Bhatia

55// Bouquet Garni

52

Nancy Johnson

//notes 51// the mav notes

54// the food notes

An appetizing selection of food-friendly faves.

59// The Buying Guide

58// Must try

Top wines from around the world scored.

maria pata

66// final word

Argentina // p. 59 Australia // p. 59-60

Tony Aspler

Canada // p. 60-61 chile // p. 62 France // p. 62-63

17

germany // p. 63 Italy // p. 63 mexico // p. 63 New Zealand // p. 63 portugal // p. 64 South Africa // p. 64 spain // p. 64 United States // p. 64-65 spirits // p. 65

4 // May/June 2012

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The Best Value « Vin de France » International Selection 2012

Since August 1st 2009, the Common Organization of Agricultural Markets has established a new wine classification for European Union countries in order to protect the interests of consumers and producers, and to promote the production of high-quality products. The four original categories have now given way to three. “Vin de France” is a wine without any geographic indication, replacing Vin de Table, which allows for the indication of grape variety and vintage on the label.

THE 3RD INTERNATIONAL SELECTION — BEST VALUE VIN DE FRANCE The 2012 Best Value “Vin de France” International Selection was held February 3rd on a very cold day in Paris. A highly qualified international jury was invited to judge 242 “Vins de France”. The impartiality and professionalism of the Best Value Vin de France blind tasting competition was assured by the Union des Oenologues de France.

“I thought the competition was well organized and was impressed by the diversity of the judges on the panel.

The medal winners were really challenged to impress a very wide range of palates,” spoke Kathy Cannon, Director, LCBO Wines.

The jury was composed of experienced buyers, wine journalists and oenologists from around the world and gathered in Paris to evaluate an impressive selection of affordable wines from the “Vin de France” category.

Sopexa doub to come frid

«VIN DE FRANCE» CATEGORY Produced exclusively in France, Vin de France products have no precise geographic indication and focus mainly on brand names. Producers are given more latitude with grape and vintage mentions which give them the opportunity to create new and different styles of quality wines at affordable price points.

Producers of Vin de France can create single variety wines or concoct original blends of two or more varieties from a specific vintage or from an “assemblage” of different harvests. The straight forward “single varietal” wines should satisfy the Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon aficionado whilst helping France regain market shares lost to New World countries.

Best Value « Vin de France » International Selection 2012 Jury.

In all, 242 wines from 56 négociants (traders) and producers were presented. The overall level of quality as surprisingly high since the maximum percentage (30%) of medal winners was easily attained. 12 gold, 32 silver and 29 bronze medals were awarded. The overall selection of medal winners seem to reflect consumer habits of many European, American and Asian markets since 31 white wines, 30 reds and 12 rosés won medals.

Four whites, one rosé and seven reds stood out and earned gold medals. Noteworthy amongst them: - A surprising Pinot Noir (Le Secret des Étoiles 2010 from Direct Wines-Le Chai au Quai), brimming with character and ripe fruit flavours; - A lovely Sauvignon Blanc (Kiwi Cuvée 2011 Les Grands Chais de France) in a very explosive fruity New-Zealand style; - Some lovely blends from Gabriel Meffre (Princes de France), Castel Frères (Vieux Papes) and LGI (Chapelle du Bois) showed great balance and a lovely youthful fruity character;

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AVAILABILITY

Products from the “Vin de France” category are available in all Canadian markets. Quebec presently has about five products on its shelves; luckily included in this limited selection is the soft and fruity silver medal winner Chardonnay 2011 from Grand Sud. A larger selection is found in Ontario, where there are approximately 10 offerings.

Look for the intense and lively Sauvignon Les Fumées Blanches from François Lurton, a medal winner.

An upcoming category showing great promise, “Vin de France” should contribute to restore France’s wine image when it comes to affordable wines. These wellmade, good quality and well-priced offerings should satisfy new consumers wanting to discover French wines with a more modern approach. Some of the medal winners might bring back fans that had distanced themselves from their first love, these flavourful yet elegant wines of France.

Kathy Cannon thinks so, too. “There are some really great wines in the Vin de France quality level,” she said.

“Many of the gold medal winners were outstanding wines that pleased a diverse range of judges. I think this segment has opportunity to invite new customers into the French wines and hopefully start to turn the sales to a positive trend.”

ble page day There were many more satisfying whites, reds and rosés to be discovered in the silver and bronze medal categories. As an example, the classic Fumées Blanches Sauvignon from François Lurton is a repeat medal winner worth seeking out.

Vive la France…and Vin de France!

Nick Hamilton, sommelier

Out of the 56 négociants/producers that submitted wines, some faired extremely well with consistent offerings, Gabriel Meffre, LGI Southern Wines, Les Grands Chais de France, Castel, Badet Clément and Famille Bougrier.

More information is available on www.vindefrance-cepages.org

//from the editor May/June 2012 Issue # 303

i never got that memo

\\

Editor-in-chief

Aldo Parise editor@tidingsmag.com

I love issues like these. Within the following pages you will find a wide mix of wine and food editorial. From Sardinia to Pinot Noir to game meats, we cover it all. But like some of the specialty issues you have loved over the years — Maverick Chefs and the upcoming Canadian issue in July — this month has an overall theme.

And cocktails is its name. With summer around the corner, we’re shedding our winter skins, getting ready for the warm days ahead. Having a cocktail in your hands never hurts.

Now we’ve looked into several different ingredients for our mixed drinks. Whether it is straight up spirits or fortified wines, they all have one thing in common — high alcohol.

In those elements high degrees of alcohol are standard. Longstanding traditions have set percentages we are used to. But about ten or so years ago an unexpected trend started to rear its head. Fifteen to sixteen per cent found its way etched into our wine labels.

You’ll hear a lot about heavily extracted New World wines that have no choice but to wear the high alcohol badge for fear of leaving too much residual sugar in the mix. Then what is the Old World’s excuse.

I remember quite well the rich, tannic French and Italian wines I drank in my much younger days. At twelve per cent you felt the mouth-coating essence of the grapes true nature, not the sting of beefy alcohol. It really seems like someone decided that is what we wanted as winelovers; but I never got that memo.

I’d hate to think where we are going. Will the twenty per cent mark be reserved for Port, or are we headed toward that shining number on our Premier Cru? My palate couldn’t take it.

Contributing Editors

Gurvinder Bhatia, Tod Stewart Contributing food Editor

Nancy Johnson Contributing Lifestyle Editor

Rosemary Mantini Columnists

Tony Aspler, Peter Rockwell, Michael Volpatt, Joanne Will, Sheila Swerling-Puritt Contributors

Michael Pinkus, Brenda McMillan, Sean Wood, Harry Hertscheg, Evan Saviolidis, Gilles Bois, Rick VanSickle, Carolyn Evans-Hammond, Matthew Sullivan, Maria Pata, Jonathan Smithe, Sean Wood Tasters

Tony Aspler, Rick VanSickle, Evan Saviolidis, Gilles Bois, Harry Hertscheg, Sean Wood, Jonathan Smithe, Ron Liteplo and Gurvinder Bhatia COPY DESK

Jennifer Croll, Kathy Sinclair web editor

Rosemary Mantini Creative by Paris Associates Art Direction

Aldo Parise Production

ww+Labs, cmyk design, studio karibü Illustrations & Photography

Matt Daley, Francesco Gallé, Push/Stop Studio, august photography Cover Design

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Audited by

8 // May/June 2012

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conversations\\

Kylix Media CFO

Lucy Rodrigues Circulation

circ@tidingsmag.com Accounts

Marilyn Barter accounts@tidingsmag.com Advertising Representation Dovetail Communications

Senior Account Executive Jacquie Rankin: jrankin@dvtail.com 9 05-886-6640 ext 304 Sales Associate Amanda Jones: ajones@dvtail.com 905-886-6640 ext. 308 www.tidingsmag.com www.tidingseats.com Now in our 39 th year Kylix Media, 5165 Sherbrooke St. West, Suite 414, Montreal, Quebec, H4A 1T6, Tel: 514.481.6606, Fax: 514.481.9699.

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Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. © 2012 Kylix Media Inc. Printed in Canada.

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I appreciated Sheila Swerling-Puritt’s article on Chartreuse (“A Little Bit Green”). Few people seem to know about this pretty liqueur that tastes so good despite its green hue. I’ll give Sheila’s cocktail recipes a try and hope that everyone learns to love it as much as I do.

... It turned out to be a hit, and easy to put together, too! ...

R. Sagget, Toronto

I gave Jagjit Bhattia’s Lamb Kebab recipe a try this weekend. My kids love lamb, but aren’t so keen on spice, so I eliminated the green Serrano chili pepper. It turned out to be a hit, and easy to put together, too!

Frances Mache, email

The travel articles are probably my favourite part of the magazine. It’s nice to read about a place I might be planning on visiting and all of the food and drink establishments that are worth trying there.

Gary Post, email

Gurvinder Bhattia’s article “Reserved No More” was quite revealing. But, there’s one demographic he didn’t include. Many of us who grew up with homemade wine also seek to expand our knowledge and experience of quality wine. Our parents don’t pop the cork on a $700 bottle of wine at dinner. They pour whatever they proudly made themselves last fall. Of course, there’s no arguing with that. But, it does provide us with a particular perspective from which to begin exploring professionally produced wines.

L. Stotta, Vancouver

Material chosen for publication may be edited for clarity and fit. Please e-mail your comments and questions to editor@tidingsmag.com.

tidingsmag.com

\\ 11

//contributors

//online + more on tidingsmag.com

Follow us on twitter and tumblr Quenchbytidings.tumblr.com twitter.com/quenchbytidings Mixology As a serious professional writer committed to learning as much as she can about wine, Brenda McMillan drinks the stuff every day. Also an aficionado of travel, food and other Bohemian pursuits, she often leaves the country in the name of research. Her adventures show up in Canadian and American publications like wine thieves in cellars. Find her, glass in hand, at Ms.Ink@mac.com.

Find a series of new Icewine cocktail recipes for your sipping pleasure.

Features Join in on the Riesling debate and have your say.

Q and A Why eggs should be brought to room temperature, and other culinary mysteries.

Travel Come experience Barolo’s hidden treasures.

Cooking School Add these healthy go-to meals to your collection: squash and bean cannelloni and mozzarella spiedini.

Rosemary Mantini has always been a dreamer; so, imagining herself on the shores of sunny Sardinia came as second nature to her. “Listening to Sardinian music helped put me in the right cooking mood,” she admits.

“Although I think I may have driven liquor store staff a little crazy with all of my special requests!” Feel free to tell her your own dreams of travel, food and drink at rmantini@tidingsmag.com.

blogs Get your food and wine fix, updated weekly. This month, Kitchen Mama lets you in on some great food buys.

Plus!

Original recipes; a daily serving of food

and drink news and views; culinary tips, tricks and techniques.

A former engineer, Gilles Bois is now devoting time to his passion, tasting wines from all over the world and meeting the people who make them. As a wine judge or in the vineyard, he is always on the lookout for an original bottle worth writing about.

Next Month In Tidings 12th annual canadian issue Canada’s microbrew scene All Baco-ed out Rolling lobster Funny wine laws PEI’s spirit triumphs

Matthew Sullivan lives in Toronto. Besides writing about wine, he is a lawyer practicing public law, which helps pay the bar tab. His weekly wine column for Precedent Magazine can be found at www.lawandstyle.ca/shortcellar.

12 // May/June 2012

Canada’s Best Sangria ... And So Much More

recessionary exploring\\

Simple living

by michael volpatt

chicken stock and one to put into my soup. An important lesson that I have learned while shopping at Asian groceries is that they use every part of the animal in food preparation. This was the first time I saw a carcass display, and it was truly a thing of very affordable beauty.

I highly encourage you to break your regular stride and discover new places to shop.

On Sunday my friend Jeffrey and I visited one of my favourite grocery stores in San Francisco. New May Wah is located on Clement Street in the Richmond district and has one of the largest selections of Asian foods that I have ever seen. More important, however, is the myriad of fresh vegetables, meat and fish that they carry at very affordable prices. When it comes to recession cooking, this is the place to shop. But honestly, I think their selection is so amazing that I shop at New May Wah frequently — recession or no recession.

I went with one thing in mind: I wanted to make black bean soup with the ham hocks that I purchased from another favourite Asian grocery store, Pacific Supermarket. The aisles, however, got the best of me, and I found myself roaming up and down, ogling all of the products, sauces, beans and things we do not have in our “regular” grocery stores. Then it appeared: a bag of pearl barley, and my mind took me back to a restaurant that has the best barley soup. Snatching up the barley, I quickly dialed Jeffrey’s mother for her thoughts on how I should make the soup, and I was on a mission.

Her wisdom came quickly and she advised making a broth from the hocks using carrot, celery, onion, a bay leaf and peppercorns. Cook it for a while, and then add your barley. I hurried to the fresh veggies and gathered what I needed, but the shiitakes stopped me dead in my tracks and so I snatched those up too (they were only $2.79 a pound — no lie).

Making our way to the meat department, Jeffrey spotted a chicken carcass display. Fifty-nine cents for a chicken carcass?

What? A can of broth costs more than that. We knew immediately what needed to be done. We grabbed four. Three for

I also suggest you try this soup:

1 very large stock pot 5–6 ham hocks 1 chicken carcass or collection of chicken bones 4 medium carrots 4 celery stalks 2 medium onions, halved, skins removed 1 bay leaf 1 tbsp peppercorns 2 cups of pearl barley 4 cups of shiitake mushrooms, cut into strips Kosher salt

1. Place the ham hocks, chicken carcass, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 1 onion and the bay leaf and peppercorns into the stock pot.

2. Cover with water, add about 4 additional cups of water and cook on medium heat until the liquid has reduced by half (2–3 hours). About 30–45 minutes into cooking you should skim the top of the soup, removing the foamy muck that presents itself during the cooking process.

3. While the broth is cooking, clean the remaining veggies and dice into small pieces. Cut the mushrooms into strips. Set aside.

4. Once the liquid has reduced, remove from heat and strain the broth into another pot. Remove the ham hocks and chop off the cooked meat.

5. Add the meat, veggies, mushrooms and barley to the pot with the stock and cook until the barley is tender.

6. Taste the soup and add salt as desired. …… You can go budget for your wine also. A simple Passe-ToutGrains from Burgundy or Canada (see page 66) will do nicely. tidingsmag.com

\\ 13

saskatchewan’s pulse\\

Lentils are being hailed as the latest superfood, but they’re not exactly new; mentioned in the Bible and uncovered in Egyptian tombs, they are one of the oldest known cultivated crops.

At around 30 per cent protein (the third highest of any nut or legume), rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre, easy to cook and store, and inexpensive to buy, it’s tough to overlook lentils.

They’re good for soil conservation and work wonders in crop rotation, and they thrive in the Canadian prairie.

Once a relatively unknown specialty crop in the 1970s, lentil production in Canada now positions us as a major world player: we’re the largest global exporter of lentils, and Saskatchewan is the largest production area in the country.

“The game changer has been the amount of research and development that has gone into this industry,” says Greg Simpson of Simpson Seeds, a three-generation family business near Moose Jaw. “The farmers of Saskatchewan are very progressive and innovative people, and that makes us the best lentil producers in the world. It’s everything from the best of agronomics, because of our relationship with the Crop Development Centre in Saskatoon, to the advanced technology in the equipment we use as farmers, which employs minimum tillage techniques.

We’ve come a long way from the 1980s until now; we used to be a one-horse show with the Laird lentil, and now we’ve got a lot of diversity with a multitude of sizes and varieties.”

Incorporated in 1979, Simpson Seeds exports lentils and other special crops and seeds to 70 nations worldwide. So where do all the lentils go?

“Every variety has its major destination,” says Simpson.

“For large green lentils, our top three buyers are Algeria, Iran

14 // May/June 2012

umami

by joanne will

and Colombia. For small green lentils, our main buyers are Mexico, Morocco, Greece, Italy, Spain and Peru. For red lentils it’s Turkey, India, Pakistan, Colombia, Bangladesh, North Africa and Egypt. Those are the major markets, but we also deal with the Caribbean, North Europe and Eastern Europe.

We even see lentils sliding into St Petersburg, and Georgia and other former Soviet states.”

Most of the lentils produced in Canada supply global markets, but there is growing demand here at home, driven by a diverse immigrant population and an increasingly healthconscious society.

“Everybody is rediscovering the value of cooking your own food, getting away from processed foods, and the importance of bio-nutrition — knowing that most of our body health is going to come from what we eat. The more you eat good nutritional foods like lentils you can bio-fortify yourself with iron, drop your blood sugar, and get the benefits of cancer-fighting components like selenium. You also see weight loss because of satiety, which means you feel full after eating lentils. All kinds of benefits are starting to show up in research,” says Simpson.

What’s the best way to prepare lentils?

“I really love them in soups; it’s the easiest and most diverse way to work with lentils,” Simpson says. “I also enjoy them in casseroles, salads, and even as meat extenders — whether in a burger or lasagna — or even in ‘Snack Attack’ cookies, which my mom makes quite often to treat the boys at work.”

They may have thousands of years of history, but at this year’s Canadian Food Summit, grocery magnate Galen Weston called pulse crops (which include lentils) the “food of the future.”

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wurly derby\\

It was my privilege to be invited to attend the Kentucky Derby at America’s legendary Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky — eight times, no less. I was mostly up on Millionaires Row, where one gets to see the famous folks and amazing hats, not to mention a great view of the race. Now back in Canada, I am still glued to my television on the first Saturday in May to watch the Run for the Roses.

Kentucky is the home of delicious Bourbon whisky, a spirit for all occasions.

The mix of grain from which this elixir is made must be at least 51 per cent corn, although some specimens use more. The rest of the “mash bill” is made up of small grains, malted barley, rye or wheat for flavour. The newly distilled spirit must then be aged in new charred American white oak barrels for a minimum of three years.

Most distilleries allow longer aging, but stop before the Bourbon is too woody.

(Those barrels may not be reused for Bourbon, but Scotch and tequila distillers snap them up to age their products.)

Bourbon is delicious neat but partners nicely with branch water (look it up), watermelon juice, mint, ginger ale, sage and apples. I personally have a soft spot for Manhattans and Old Fashioneds.

anything but martinis by sheila swerling-puritt

With the assistance of a dozen or so faculty from Toronto’s George Brown Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts, I have put together a tasting of Bourbons.

We first tasted and nosed them neat then added a little water to release the esters.

Knob Creek Small Batch 9 years, 43% alc.

Bulleit Bourbon 45% alc.

Nose: Vanilla, caramel, fruity Taste: cinnamon, good mouthfeel Finish: complex spices, great finish

Nose: honey, vanilla, floral Taste: cinnamon, ginger Finish: toffee, spicy, well balanced

Jim Beam Black Bourbon 6 years, 43% alc.

Nose: toffee, tobacco, floral Taste: assorted fruit, caramel, vanilla Finish: long, smooth

Wild Turkey 40% alc.

Nose: flowery notes Taste: assorted fruits Finish: long and warm

Four Roses Small Batch 45% alc.

Crafted from 4 select bourbon casks, 40% rye grain Nose: vanilla, caramel, not aggressive Taste: spice, fruitiness Finish: lingering, smooth and subtle; give it time to breathe

+ Visit tidingsmag.com/drinks/ for more drink recipes

Nose: caramel, toffee Taste: citrus, apricots, banana Finish: fine sipping whiskey, very long finish

Makers 46 47% alc.

Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select 45.2% alc.

Nose: caramel, floral Taste: dried fruit, vanilla Finish: smooth, complex finish

jimmy russell’s mint julep 2 1/2 oz Wild Turkey Bourbon 3 sprigs of mint (6–8 maturesized leaves) 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar 2 cups crushed ice In a traditional silver julep cup or double old-fashioned glass, muddle two sprigs of mint with the brown sugar and one ounce of Bourbon, crushing the mint leaves. Add the crushed ice, remaining bourbon, and garnish of sprig of mint.

Sip through a straw.

tidingsmag.com

\\ 17

vertigo and easy drinking\\

18 // May/June 2012

secutive vintages. This way gives you a real historical view of the winemaking process as it relates to one producer. Unfortunately, finding liquid that meets those criteria usually requires a visit to the winery or having a friend with a very impressive cellar.

How do I know when a wine is ready to drink?

My expert answer is ... it depends on the wine. Modern winemakers know one thing for sure about their customers (that’s you, btw). It’s that they like to drink wine and usually can’t wait more than 20 hours before uncorking or uncapping whatever they toddle home with from their local liquor store.

With this knowledge firmly in mind, most juice squeezed out nowadays for mainstream sale isn’t meant to be hanging around for more than a year past the vintage date. Will the majority of popular, everyday wines survive longer than 12 months? Sure.

The question you need to ask yourself is why you would let them.

Since they’re designed for drinking rather than keeping, the average bottle of wine won’t get much better than the day you bought it. That said, if you keep it too long (especially a white wine), you may wind up with a glass of something that’s beginning to fall apart (excessive sediment or discolouration are telltale signs of over-aged liquid).

The best rule of thumb is to let the price tag be your guide.

For the most part, wines under $20 should be drunk within that one-year timeframe (arguably longer, if they are being kept in an ideal wine cellar environment).

Bigger-boned wines have a price tag to match, so if you’re spending the big bucks, expect that your dough equals longevity. When you drink them is up to you. You’ll want to stay close to vintage charts and supplier websites to see how your collection is maturing. If you need help drinking what you open, you can always email me.

+ Ask your questions at bonvivant@tidingsmag.com

Illustration: Matt Daley/Shinypliers.com

What’s the difference between a vertical and a horizontal tasting?

I know what you want me to say: if I’m having only a few glasses, it’s a vertical tasting; more than a few, and things get horizontal.

I’ve never figured out why we can’t just call a tasting “a tasting,” and forget about adding snooty descriptors. Of course, that’s not the way the wine world revolves. It wouldn’t be a proper analysis of vino without a trip on the light bombastic — not to mention an obnoxious abundance of over-thetop sniffing and slurping.

Don’t get me wrong; no one likes a good side-by-side comparison of juice more than I do. I just think posh terminology has a way of keeping the average wine joe in his place and out of the bigger picture.

Now that I’ve got that off my keyboard, you had a question.

When like-minded wines gather together, there’s a great opportunity to really dig deep into the glass, depending on how you approach what you’ve got uncorked in front of you.

If you’re lucky enough to have a selection of wines that have all been produced from the same vintage, you’ve got yourself the makings of a horizontal tasting. Sounds easy, right? Think, though: for this kind of exercise to really work its magic, there has to be some thought put into the lineup.

You wouldn’t want to mix colours or styles, and if you’re hoping to learn something about the year from the experience, the selection of wines should have some relationship to each other. My preference is to keep things national (say, wines from France) and regional (and then, wines from Bordeaux), so you can put the vintage under a microscope and discover how it influenced specific wines.

In those countries/regions where fruit mingles, you might think about going one step further and tasting individual grape styles together.

A vertical tasting is harder to pull off; it needs all bottles to be from the same line and made by the same winemaker from con-

bon vivant

by peter rockwell

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bracingly fresh and shared with the table. Sauces and garnish are a matter of personal preference but are best used sparingly. When accompanied by an icy shot, straight up, oysters are a wildly delicious way to satisfy the cocktail hour.

seaing

by rosemary mantini

A while back, I found myself contemplating Sardinia.

Anchored in the middle of the Mediterranean just off the coast of Rome, it’s like a portal to another Europe. Yet, it seems to rarely draw the attention of Italian food and wine junkies, which is exactly why I set my sights on it. Conjuring images of the boot tends to produce the usual suspects — Tuscany, the Veneto, Sicily. Yet, Sardinia must surely brandish the same charms as the rest of Italy. I’ve never been to Sardinia, and since offers of free trips aren’t exactly cluttering up my inbox, I figured I’d have to go about this exploration in a somewhat more creative fashion — three nights, Sardinian-style, in my own kitchen.

First stop: my local purveyor of wine.

What better way to learn about a place than to consume its fruit? For a relatively small island, Sardinia grows an impressive variety of grapes. Cannonau, the local name for Spanish Garnacha or French Grenache, is probably the one that literally covers the most ground. Vermentino comes in a close second. However, getting your hands on Sardinian wine can be tricky. The region only exports so much.

I scoured practically every wine store in Ontario and found a measly three. So, when you happen upon one, grab it.

Terroir is that elusive concept that allows the drinker a glimpse into what the locals experience every day. Sardinia has a perfect climate — 300 sun-drenched days, temperatures that hover between 17° and 30°C during the long growing season, and expansive sandy beaches that are perfect for sipping a chilled glass of Vermentino under the shade of an umbrella. There’s a treasure trove of good wine to be had. Demand that your local wine store find some for you to try.

For an island that’s been held under various forms of foreign occupation for most of its history, it remains a culi-

20 // May/June 2012

nary conundrum. What are the flavours and aromas that characterize this place?

Those influences must make Sardinia beautifully exotic. Not quite like the wilds of the jungle, but more Eden-like. It seems to me to be like some mythical land that time forgot. How else to explain the fact that Sardinia boasts one of the top three largest populations of centenarians in the world? This is a place that even claims its own distinct language – not a dialect of Italian like you’ll find in the rest of Italy, but a bona fide Romance language.

Here’s something else that’s a mystery to me: why are there are so few Sardinians working in the restaurant industry in Canada? Clearly, having someone else serve me authentic fare isn’t going to be happening any time soon. Fine. A few choice supplies and I’m on my way to that sunny, warm island — figuratively, of course. When life gives you lemons, drink Limoncello (also made spectacularly well in Sardinia).

Someone once told me that mine is a bread-eating family. Exactly what that means is unclear to me. Oh, true enough, I’ve gone and placed the quintessential breadbasket on the table for my Sardinian dinner. It’s loaded with my rendition

of “music paper” bread. Crispy and ovenbaked, music paper bread is so called because the dough is stretched thin until you can almost see through it. It was a traditional snack eaten by shepherds. Make extra, because it can be kept for up to a year before it begins to go stale. Given that I only thought of adding this bread to the menu in the hour or so before dinner, I decided to go via the path of least resistance (ok, the lazy way) and bought fresh pizza dough.

Roll it out, super thin, for a similar effect.

A typical Sardinian main course is relatively easy to replicate. The island’s claim to fame is roast suckling pig on a spit. Lacking a spit, I opted instead for roast boar (also an island resident). On night #2 of my improvised Sardinian escape, I prepared semolina gnocchi in beef sauce. The final meal of my three-night tour was a tasty pair of grilled pork chops simmered in red wine vinegar.

On a final note, I have to say something about one of Sardinia’s more infamous culinary contributions. Casu Marzu (maggot cheese) is made by introducing small cheese flies to a wheel of sheep’s milk cheese. No, this isn’t some crazy attempt at sardonic humour, and no, you can’t buy it here. The flies lay their eggs and the larvae feast. The point of allowing maggots to infest the cheese is to speed up the aging process. In a relatively short time, that hard wheel of cheese turns into a well-aged, creamy, dripping delicacy with … well … live maggots writhing through it. Aficionados spread it on music paper bread maggots and all. Extra protein, anyone?

Not your thing, eh? Try these Sardinian classics instead.

Sella & Mosca Cannonau Di Sardegna Riserva 2008 ($14.95)

sardinian couscous (fregola stufada) Serves 4

Sardinian Couscous is toasted, so it ends up giving a warm, nutty flavour to the entire dish. If you can’t find the Sardinian version, any type of couscous will work.

1 lb Sardinian semolina couscous 4 cups meat broth 85 g pork fat 2 medium-sized chopped onions Olive oil 1 sprig of fresh parsley, chopped 1/3 cup grated Pecorino cheese

1. Cook the couscous in the meat broth for 10-15 minutes, and drain if necessary, setting the broth aside.

2. In a pan simmer the pork fat with the chopped onion in some olive oil, then add the chopped parsley.

3. In a baking dish spread a layer of the couscous, then a layer of the cooked onion

and a sprinkle of Pecorino cheese. Repeat until all ingredients are used.

4. Cook in a 375°F oven for 20 minutes. The couscous is ready when it is dry enough to be eaten with a fork.

macaroons (amarettus) In this land of milk and honey, almonds are a key ingredient in traditional pastries and cookies.

Bitter almonds can be pretty difficult to find here. Use almond extract instead. It has the same depth of flavour without the cyanide!

1 kg ground almonds 900 g icing sugar Grated rind of 4 lemons 2 packets vanilla sugar 18 egg whites (beaten until stiff) 150 g bitter almonds

1. Combine the powdered almonds and the sugar in a bowl. Add the lemon rinds, vanilla sugar and, lastly, delicately add the stiff egg whites.

2. Wet hands with water or fruit brandy, and form into balls.

3. Place balls on greaseproof paper and place in the oven. For a finishing touch, place a whole almond in the middle of each macaroon.

4. Cook in a 325°F oven for about 20 minutes. Watch them to make sure they don’t burn.

Recipes courtesy of the Italian Trade Commission

Mind-blowing. Really. I was not expecting this level of complexity.

This wine kept surprising me with layers of aromas and flavours. If you’ve ever questioned how wine can be juicy, this one is your answer.

That was the first descriptor that jumped to mind after my first sip. A velvety and silky mouthfeel gives way to a robust and lingering finish.

There’s intense leather with undertones of cola and dark chocolate on the bouquet, and flavours of dark cherry, chocolate and sweet spices, like cinnamon and cloves. This wine is an incredible value. I drank this one on the first night of my pseudotour, paired with roast boar.

Argiolas Costera Cannonau Di Sardegna 2009 ($17.95)

The first bottle I sampled was corked. Unfortunately, the smell of wet cardboard does nothing to enhance one’s enjoyment of wine.

Second try: there’s a lovely aroma of dark cherries and summer berries with a hint of tar and black pepper here. Dark sour cherry continues through to the palate with the addition of chocolate and a slight nuance of menthol. The finish is slightly tannic. Pair it with any kind of roasted meat.

Argiolas Serra Lori Isola Dei Nuraghi Rosé 2010 ($12.25) This is definitely not your grandmother’s rosé. It’s strawberry in colour with aromas of raspberry, cherry, strawberry and cranberry.

Flavours of strawberry, spice, and red currant coat the tongue. Nicely tart on the finish, and balanced acidity leaves you ready for the next sip. Grilled pork chops or vegetable tossed pasta would complement the wine’s fruit flavours perfectly. •

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popularity

by michael Pinkus

It has now been eight years since the movie Sideways launched the Pinot Noir craze into the stratosphere. Not that Pinot wasn’t already a much-lauded grape, but it seems that Sideways turned everybody into a Pinot drinker. People you thought were staunch Cabernet and Shiraz drinkers suddenly turned to Pinot Noir just to see what the hype was all about.

The same went for winemakers. Every time a grape gets popular, more and more producers jump on the bandwagon in the hopes of cashing in on the trend. The problem is that vines are slow to catch up.

If you are a grower of Merlot, and suddenly Pinot Noir is the hot grape, you have two choices: wait till the market comes back to your chosen grape and ride out the “bad” times, or rip out and replant in the hopes you can catch the wave. It’s a big gamble; in the first instance you’re making an “unpopular” wine (yet even post-Sideways, Merlot sales weren’t as bad as reported, and are up substantially now). In the second scenario you need to wait three years before you can even pick those new grapes to make wine, and in the case of a red, another two years before it is ready for market (after barrelling, bottle aging, etc.). So you hope that the “in grape” stays in, or you’ll end up on the losing end of your gamble.

Case in point: in Ontario, when the Australians turned Shiraz into the hip wine, many producers in the province figured it should be done here. Um, no. We have enough trouble rip-

22 // May/June 2012

ening Cabernet Sauvignon. Pinot is well suited for places like Ontario, New Zealand, Oregon, Northern California, and Burgundy (its traditional home), since it likes the cooler temperatures. But what about those places that jumped on the bandwagon on a wing and a prayer, knowing in the back of their minds that Pinot Noir had no business growing there? Places like Chile, Argentina, and Australia — hot climates the lot — do well with heat-seeking grapes like Cabernet, Shiraz, Mourvédre, Grenache, Malbec and Carmenere, but theoretically have no business looking at Riesling or Pinot Noir, let alone trying to grow them. Well, in our post-Sideways world these countries decided to give it a whirl, and there were some phenomenal failures. Overripe fruit, jammy, nowhere near the finesse we have all come to expect from this delicate grape — they were making Cabernet-style Pinots.

But now, eight years later, the bloom is off the rose, so to speak, and the focus is back on making quality wine and not just pushing out something with Pinot Noir on the label. This has opened the door for some really good stuff from some very interesting places. Lately I have been impressed with some of the Pinots I have tasted from some not-so-obvious places.

Countries that are considered hot climate and not ones you would immediately think of as producing good quality Pinot Noir. You owe it to yourself to give these a try — and in many cases the values are incredible.

Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Pinot Noir 2010, Limarí Valley, Chile ($19.95)

The newest entry into the Marques line is made from relatively young vines, planted in 2006, and has 25% new French oak involved in its 14-month aging process. A welcome addition to the line, as it bridges the gap between the Californian juiciness and the Burgundian earthy minerality of Pinot.

Cranberry, cherry and strawberry combine with some coffee notes to give this one some focus in both aroma and flavour, along with excellent length on the finish.

Montes Limited Selection Pinot Noir 2009, Casablanca Valley, Chile ($14.95)

Another top dog from Chile that shows a seductive side to the grape: dark fruited, a touch leathery with some exotic spices.

Josef Chromy Pinot Noir 2009, Tasmania, Australia ($27.95)

I really enjoy Tasmanian Pinot Noir, especially when Chromy’s name is on it.

This one has raspberry and cherry fruit with spice and slightly woody nuances; the fruit really lingers on in the whole mouth.

Vina Leyda Las Brisas Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009, Leyda Valley, Chile ($16.95)

Pinot from Chile by all rights should be a jammy affair, but if you find the right one you can hit a sweet spot between the juicy and the earthy and have yourself a really good experience. Nice sour-fruitiness here: sour black cherry, cranberry cocktail and a touch of spice to bring it all together.

There’s also a fresh earth aroma and taste that really grounds the wine (ha ha).

Cono Sur Vision Pinot Noir 2008, Colchagua Valley, Chile ($16.95) With a production of 15,000 cases, this wine is made using the first planting of Pinot Noir in Chile (from 1968) and

represents fruit from a single vineyard.

The nose has lots of raspberry, while the flavours are sweet cherry and raspberry.

Nice acidity balances that fruit with a little spice on the finish — there’s also a nice mineral component to this wine that adds so much to the tasting profile.

Loredona Pinot Noir 2009, Monterey, California ($16.95)

Not exactly one that fits on this list, but it really deserves a plug for value. From the Monterey area of California, where Pinot and Chardonnay rule the roost, this wine is an all-star. Floral and cherry on the nose leads to raspberry, cranberry and cherry on the palate, with a little earthy spice on the finish. With a sumptuous juiciness through the palate, this wine is a real winner.

Cono Sur Bicycle Series Pinot Noir 2010, Valle Central, Chile ($10.95)

For those not willing to pay an arm and a leg for Pinot but still want great Pinot taste, in something they can recognize as Pinot Noir, this really is the answer. Year after year I taste it and think the previous year was a fluke, and year after year I learn it wasn’t.

Errazuriz Wild Ferment Pinot Noir 2010, Casablanca Valley, Chile ($19.95) Learn to love wild ferment wines, because they have such interesting characteristics not found in other wines.

This Chilean Pinot is light coloured in the glass and even lighter on the nose, but there’s good flavour here with sour cherry and loads of spice.

Yabby Lake Pinot Noir 2007, Mornington Peninsula, Australia ($49.95) Earthy with sweet cranberry and hints of cherry; nice tannins and spice on the finish.

Pike Lenswood Hills Pinot Noir 2010, Adelaide Hills, Australia ($17.35)

This one entered the Ontario market a few years ago and I consistently go back to it to prove that done right, you can make great, stylistic, and varietally correct Pinot in the heart of Australia, even if it does touch the 14% alcohol mark.

Cono Sur Ocio Pinot Noir 2009, Casablanca Valley, Chile ($59.95)

The Sur has one of the best values on the market, but they show here they can also go high-end, with great results. This Pinot is amazingly interesting both on the nose and palate-wise: lovely raspberry notes with plenty of spice. But the standout here is that great spiced finish. •

Josef Chromy Pepik Pinot Noir 2010, Tasmania, Australia ($26) Pinot Noir from Australia is mostly a jammy affair, but the Chromy wines have true cool climate character, due to their Tasmanian roots. Lovely strawberry with an earthy quality, and just the right amount of spice and acidity on the finish.

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by Brenda McMillan

Shake porto splash

Dust off the cocktail shaker and old-fashioned glasses you put

in the back of the cupboard: nifty drinks with fun names are back in a big way, and you’ll have to shake more than your booty to make an impression now. Lucky for you, I have some delicious and unusual recipes to share. All have been tested (hic) and none need a paper umbrella.

I decided to focus on cocktails made with fortified wines after enjoying a Porto Splash (recipe follows). While savouring its refreshing tang and the view of Porto across the Douro River, I realized that I’d never thought of reaching for Port, sherry, Madeira or Marsala when I was thirsty for a cocktail. But, why not? Vermouth, probably the most famous fortified wine to share a shaker, has been happy in its role for decades. It is time for the others to jump into a shot glass.

Find some pretty glasses and have plenty of ice on hand before you attempt these recipes for a crowd. Most are straightforward, and all yield tasty results.

And if you overindulge, The Corpse Reviver is reputed to restore your vigour.

But take that advice with a dash of bitters.

White Port comes in styles from dry to very sweet (Lagrima). Made from white grapes grown in the Douro region of Portugal, these fortified wines are mostly bottled young but can be aged in casks for much longer. For these recipes, use young wines.

24 // May/June 2012

2 oz dry white Port 2 oz tonic Lemon wheel Pour Port and tonic into a glass of ice and add the lemon wheel.

Stir and serve as an aperitif with nuts and soft cheeses.

caipi porto 1/2 lime, macerated (see below) 1 tsp of sugar Crushed ice 2 1/2 oz of Sandeman White Port (dry) Prepare and serve in a caipirinha glass. Cut the lime into 4 chunks. With a spoon or muddler gently crush the lime against the bottom and sides of the glass. Add the sugar. Top off with crushed ice and add white Port. Stir well and pop in a straw. Best served with palm trees and a view of the ocean.

Some recipes combine ruby Port and Vermouth.

I recommend using ruby because it is inexpensive and readily available. Smooth and pleasingly sweet, you can drink the rest of the bottle easily with a chocolate cake or character-laden cheese.

devil’s luck

2 oz ruby Port 1 oz dry Vermouth 1 tsp lemon juice Stir all ingredients together in a mixing glass filled with ice.

Strain into a glass.

porto cup

Dash bitters Maraschino cherry Stir all ingredients with ice then strain into a cold martini glass. Garnish with a longstemmed maraschino cherry.

Supposedly this drink originated in Manhattan in 1874, but there are many versions of it and many lay claim. You don’t need a history lesson to enjoy it.

Lillet, a fortified French aperitif established in 1872, is 85% red or white Bordeaux wine and 15% citrus liqueurs.

The cinchona bark from Peru adds quinine, so it is as natural a fit for gin and a martini glass as James Bond.

1 strawberry, frozen and slightly defrosted, or fresh 1/2 oz simple syrup (1 cup sugar in 1 cup water; simmer until sugar is dissolved; cool) 2 oz ruby Port 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice Club soda, or other lemon/ lime soda Cucumber wheel In a cocktail shaker, muddle the strawberry with the simple syrup. Add remaining ingredients except soda.

Shake with ice and strain into an ice-filled Collins glass. Top with a splash of soda and garnish with a cucumber wheel. Then toast to warm weather. Simple syrup keeps for weeks in the refrigerator.

1 oz white Lillet 1 oz gin 1 oz orange liqueur, like Cointreau 1 oz fresh lemon juice 1/4 tsp Absinthe or Pastis Maraschino cherry Shake all ingredients well with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and sip to find each flavour clearly defined. This hearty, tasty cocktail is reputed to be a hangover cure, thus the name.

Four of them would put you back into your original (near death) condition.

manhattan

vesper martini

2 oz whisky (Canadian rye is patriotic, but Bourbon is also popular) 1 oz sweet Vermouth

corpse reviver (no. 2)

2 oz dry gin 3/4 oz white Lillet Lemon twist To a glass half filled with cracked ice, add the gin, then

the Lillet. Stir (never shake!) and strain into a chilled martini glass. Add a lemon twist and make sure you don’t get any on your tuxedo. From Casino Royale by Ian Fleming.

Marsala is produced in the area around the city of the same name in Sicily. Aged in casks in a similar solera style as sherry, it was originally fortified to withstand ocean voyages more than 200 years ago. It is still made in this manner. In sweet and dry styles, it should be noted that aged Marsala is far superior to the wine used for cooking.

nelson’s knockout 1 1/2 oz ruby Port 3/4 oz Marsala 1/2 oz Lillet 1 tsp orange liqueur 3 oz lemon/lime soda Pour ingredients into an ice-filled wine glass. Stir.

Delicious and refreshing.

The grapes for Spain’s most famous fortified wine are grown in the white soil (called albareza) close to Jerez. I used Fino because I had it on hand, but any dry sherry will be fine. Serve with Flamenco music and dream of tapas. Olé!

jerez cocktail

2 oz dry sherry 1 tsp peach brandy 1 tsp Triple Sec Peach wedge (optional) Pour ingredients over broken ice in an Old Fashioned glass and garnish with a peach wedge, if they are in season.

andalusia 1 1/2 oz dry sherry 1/2 oz white rum 1/2 oz brandy

Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Serve with sunshine.

Dubonnet Rouge is a combination of fortified wine, herbs and spices, with a little quinine. It originated in France in 1846, but now also comes in Blanc and Gold (vanilla and orange) flavours.

Queenie special, aka zaza.

Lemon wheel

2 oz gin 1 oz Dubonnet Place a wheel of lemon in the bottom of a small cocktail glass. Add ice. Mix the gin and Dubonnet and pour it over the ice.

mint julep

Handful of fresh mint 1 tsp sugar 2 oz red Dubonnet 3 oz Bourbon Muddle mint with sugar and add ice, Dubonnet and bourbon. Stir and serve with a sprig of mint. Y’all enjoy.

fortification 1

oz gin

1/2 oz cream sherry, such as Harveys Bristol

1/2 oz red Dubonnet 1/2 oz dry Vermouth 1/2 tsp orange liqueur, like Grand Marnier In an Old Fashioned glass almost filled with ice cubes, combine all the liquids.

Stir well and garnish with a lone cherry. •

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Mix by Tod Stewart

From the bars of British Columbia to the nightclubs of Nova Scotia, and all points in between, Canada has become cocktail country. The new frontier of intriguing potables is being forged by a wave of creative mixologists who are as comfortable with the classics as they are with creating their own signature libations.

Once tied with the epithet “bartender,” today’s mixologists do more than tend the bar; in some cases, they actually own the bar. In fact, they are much like executive chefs of the liquid realm, creating original recipes using fresh, unique and often local ingredients for their typically extensive menus. “A mixologist is a creator, an artist. A bartender is someone who more often executes the creations of others and follows a recipe,” emphasizes Pierre-Olivier Trempe, whose company, MadeWithLove, has staged mixology competitions in major cities across the country starting in 2009 (many of the mixologists interviewed in this article are regional winners of such competitions). Trempe sees mixology as more than just creating cocktails.

“There are so many beautiful things and creations reserved to a selected group of people. Mixology and cocktail culture are part of those. The mission of MadeWithLove is to democratize mixology and cocktail culture in Canada to as many people as possible. On a more personal level, I love working with passionate people. Giving them the opportunity to showcase their art to the public and to give them the spotlight they deserve fulfils me.”

Laura Panter, of the Toronto-based The Martini Club International Inc., a company of professional mixologists and drink designers, adds that mixology “is an exciting combination of art and science. The deeply rooted history of cocktails tells an incredible story that links politics,

26 // May/June 2012

entertainment and culture. The classic cocktail resurgence has given bartenders a wonderful foundation to work from, building and creating modern classics.”

Considering the responses received from these not-socalled “bartenders” during my cross-country bar-hop (read, sending out a zillion emails and praying for responses), there can be no arguing that passion and artistry are indeed key weapons in the mixologist’s quiver of exotic ingredients.

What motivates these people?

What inspires them? What led them down a somewhat offthe-beaten-track career path, and what trends do they see emerging in Cocktail Country?

Vancouver

( vancouver )

Jason Browne

Calabash Bistro

cohiba rakstone 1 ½ oz Havana Club rum ½ oz LBV port 1 bar spoon cocoa nib infused rum* 1 bar spoon agave syrup 4 dashes Peychauds bitters

Stir all ingredients with ice. Flame Cohiba cigar and vanilla pod mist** into double old-fashioned glass with no ice. Strain in drink. *To make the cocoa nib infused rum, infuse 750 ml rum with 2 cups cocoa nibs for 3 to 4 days, or to taste. ** To make the mist, infuse 50 ml overproof rum with 1 inch Cohiba cigar and 1 inch vanilla pod. Infuse for 1 week, then fine strain. Pour into atomizer to mist.

You may be the type who enjoys a good cigar with a drink.

But a good cigar in a drink? The brainchild of mixologist Jason Browne of Vancouver’s Calabash Bistro, the Cohiba Rakstone combines Browne’s favourite spirit, rum, with, among other things, a mist that he created by infusing over-proof rum with a portion of a Cuban Cohiba cigar and a vanilla pod. If anything, this shows you the length today’s innovative mixologists will go beyond the usual.

Then again, Browne’s journey into professional mix-

x

ing followed something of an unusual route. “I was originally planning to go to university to study marine biology,” he concedes. “But after hitting a bunch of bars after I turned the legal drinking age, I decided it would be a whole lot more fun to own my own bar.”

Originally from Reading, England, Browne moved to Vancouver in 2009 and landed his current gig at Calabash in 2010 having worked his way through a variety of restaurants, both chains and smaller establishments. The chain establishments saw Browne acting in a “bartender” position as defined by Trempe — mixing drinks developed by others. The smaller restos offered more leeway to get creative. “I had free reign to do what I wanted, so it became more about creating seasonal drinks with fresh ingredients and also finding out about the classics so I could tell a story and educate people about what they were drinking.”

Browne acknowledges that there is certainly an interest in the “classic” cocktails among consumers, but the trend many mix masters are jumping on is in actually recreating the classics, not just mixing them.

He says this involves “taking them apart and looking at every minute aspect of the drink, then rebuilding them with homemade bitters, syrups and liqueurs.

Even looking at the type of ice they use, which many people would never assume would be one of the most important parts of the drink.”

About a six-minute drive from Calabash, on Granville Street, Graham Racich is shaking things up at The Refinery. Racich (who, coincidentally, also comes from a science background), sees mixology as creating a “harmonious whole from contrasting elements.”

He’s noticed a trend to bolder, more assertive “spiritforward” cocktails, and this suits him just fine.

Lou Berkowitz

“I like bold!” he trumpets. “Bourbon has been the spirit of choice as it has a sweeter, more robust character.” He also notes that those in his position are becoming much more knowledgeable about their craft and their ingredients, and this, in turn, has intensified customers’ thirst for more information. “The ability to knowledgeably create cocktails and inform guests of what they are drinking and why has created a retrorevolution back to spirit-forward cocktails. We are ushering in a new era of greater understanding and appreciation of our libations.”

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( vancouver ) Graham Racich The Refinery

miss-is-sippin’ 2 1

oz bourbon oz black currant tea syrup ¾ oz fresh lime juice Dash of homemade apple bitters Egg white Chill rocks glass and discard ice before pouring cocktail. Combine all ingredients in a Boston shaker — first dry shake (shake without ice), then add ice and shake a second time (this will increase the body of the drink). Strain cocktail into previously chilled rocks glass and garnish with fresh cracked black pepper.

somewhat since then. “Cocktails are now trendier, and the preparation of them is more elaborate and time-consuming,” he observes. And probably the most time-consuming of all to make are the new wave of barrel-aged cocktails that Nepulangoda says have become the rage. These are often classic cocktails like the Manhattan or Negroni that have been “finished” in oak barrels for several weeks, or even months. The oak reduces the drink’s alcoholic bite and imparts an added level of complexity to the end product. If you think Toronto this sort of technique pushes the limits, you should Travelling about 3,300 kilometres east of Vancouver see what Nepulangoda has up his sleeve. by way the crow (or Boeing 737) flies will deliver you Taking a page from the molecular gastronomy handto another city with a flourishing cocktail culture. book, a French mixologist devised a way of creating “alThe bar scene in The Big Smoke is thriving and cock- cohol pearls” using Cointreau, water and a special vegan tails are cool thanks to award-winning bottle sling- “gel.” When processed in one of the very few specialized ers like Nishantha (Nishan) Nepulangoda of Blowfish kits given exclusively to VIP bartenders by Cointreau, Restaurant and Sake Bar. With the alcohol hardens into pearls. a slew of international awards Where does Nepulangoda fit ( toronto ) and guest appearances to his into this? “There are a very limcredit, the Sri Lanka-born ited number of these Cointreau Jordan Bushell Nepulangoda has worked with kits around the world,” he exHennessey Brand Ambassador some of the best mixologists plains, “and I fortunately own in the business and loves the the only one in Canada. I got ever-changing palette of fresh this for winning first prize in 1 ½ oz Hennessy VS ingredients that Canada’s the Cointreau cocktail competi1 dash of cherry bitters natural bounty provides. “The tion two years ago.” He uses the 1 ½ tbsp yuzu juice choices in Canada are endless, “Cointreau caviar” in his signa1 tbsp fresh pink grapefruit juice and I never get tired of exture cocktail, Caribou Crossing 1 tbsp fresh orange juice perimenting to find out what — you can find the recipe on the 1 tbsp agave nectar works with a particular spirit next page — but you’ll have to get Sour cherry or liqueur,” he confirms. in good with Nepulangoda if you For Nepulangoda, the cockwant the real deal.

In a shaker tin, add all liquids and tail scene has been alive and Just as Cointreau saw the shake with ice. Fine strain into a rocks well since he first got into it in potential in Nepulangoda, the glass filled with ice. Garnish with a the 1990s, but it has changed largest Cognac house in France, sour cherry.

san fran sour

28 // May/June 2012

Hennessey, was so impressed by the talents of veteran mixologist Jordan Bushell that it appointed him Media and Trade Specialist (aka Brand Manager) to represent Hennessey cognac across the country.

One doesn’t typically think mixed drinks when it comes to cognac, though producers have been flogging it as mixable spirit for well over a decade. “It’s very exciting to work on a brand that has such a rich his( toronto ) tory, and a drink that’s so versatile to mix with,” Bushell reports.

Nishantha Nepulangoda With over 12 years of experiBlowfish Restaurant and Sake Bar ence under his belt “manning the sick behind a plethora of venues, from seedy rock bar to white 2 oz Skyy vodka tablecloth restaurants and high½ oz Cointreau end nightclubs,” Bushell puts ½ oz Vice experimentation and innovation 2 oz housemade lime cordial front and centre when it comes to ½ oz Japanese yuzu uncovering the secrets of a great 1 oz fresh grapefruit juice mixologist — and a great cocktail. ½ oz housemade jalapeno black “Mixing is all about experimentapepper syrup tion,” he asserts. “Through trial 3 dashes housemade grapefuit bitters and error we find out what works, Dragon fruit what doesn’t, and what we can Cointreau caviar (24 carat gold) build off to create some really Orange blossom with dry ice fantastic beverages.” His recipe Shake all ingredients. Double strain for San Fran Sour puts his words and pour into stem-less martini glass. into a glass using such ingredients as cognac, yuzu juice, agave nectar and cherry bitters.

The Martini Club International

caribou crossing

( québec city ) Lou Berkowitz _ Cuisine Urbain

maker’s iced tea

1 ½ oz Maker’s Mark ½ oz white birch syrup 6 oz oolong tea (cold) ½ oz yuzu juice 1 dash old fashioned bitters

Yuzu slice Fresh mint and fresh coriander Pink salt Cane sugar

Shake Maker’s Mark, birch syrup, tea, yuzu juice and bitters together well and strain into a highball glass full of ice. Garnish with a yuzu slice and a mint leaf and sprig of coriander. Rim with a 50/50 mix of pink salt and cane sugar.

ity to combine ingredients to create flavour sensations is the common ground beQuébec City tween chefs and mixologists.

Lou Berkowitz at Cuisine Urbain “People who like cooking are 1 oz white grape vodka developed a passion for cooking the ones who like cocktails,” ½ oz elderflower cordial or liqueur at age 15, and spent several years he asserts, while also noting 1 oz fresh lime sour as a pastry chef before hangthat creative cocktails typi2 oz Ocean Spray white ing up the apron and grabbing cally appeal to adventurist cranberry juice a shaker, as well as a few other palates who are willing to Cucumber rounds not-so-common items. part with a few bucks for the Sliced grapes “I went out and picked up chance to enter a new taste Lime wheels some liquid nitrogen, oak barrels territory. “It’s not everyone Add white grape vodka, elderflower and a deep freezer and in doing so, who is willing to pay $14 for a cordial, lime sour and white crana certain passion was born which barrel-aged Negroni, or a gin berry juice to a goblet filled with ice. has now become full-time work. and tonic made with nitrogen Garnish with cucumber rounds, sliced I have since been devoted to the and served in a soup bowl grapes and lime wheels. development of bitters, syrups with some picked cucumber.” and plant infusions,” he says.

Like a chef, Berkowitz is Though he took a few courses on the subject, specific about the ingredients used for certain of his creBerkowitz considers himself to be self-taught, using ations, like his Maker’s Iced Tea. “I’m using Maker’s Mark a few books and a lot of experimentation to hone his [bourbon] for that one. The reason is simple; it contains craft. However, his connection to the food world gives a high percentage of red winter wheat, which results him a unique approach to cocktails. “Mixology is very in a comparatively soft and gentle spirit that marries close to the kitchen,” he explains, adding that the abil- nicely with the oolong tea, fresh herbs and birch syrup.”

emerald punch

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( quebec city ) Marc André Fillion _ mixologiequebec.com/Boudoir Lounge

(Frankie Solarik and Aaron Gaulke) became Cormier’s mentors, sharing with him mixing techniques as well as business insight.

1 branch of oregano 1 ½ oz favourite vodka Though he admits the geographical locaSpice with pepper and Tabasco 2 oz tomato purée tion of Halifax typically means trends arrive Parmesan (for garnish) 2 oz pepper purée slower, he makes a few predictions as to where 1 dash of pepperoni syrup things are going. “Bitters-based cocktails, aged (the magical ingredient!) cocktails, the use of egg whites, yolks and full eggs, savoury cocktails, beer cocktails, winePut everything (except Parmesan) in shaker full of ice, based cocktails and punches” will all continue shake vigorously. Strain into a martini glass. to gain popularity, he thinks. But the most The secret: frost the rim of the glass with Parmesan. important trend may be a change of attitude among the indigenous population.

And since he’s noticed a trend towards cocktails that “I’m extremely happy that Halifax is finally startfeature different sugars and salts, the Maker’s Ice Tea is ing to step outside its comfort zone and experiment rimmed with a blend of cane sugar and pink salt. with cocktails,” he confides. “I am really enjoying the As with Berkowitz, experimentation and trial passion that is starting to spread among some of the and error got Marc André Fillion (Boudoir Lounge/ bartenders in this city. It is a very slow trend, but I feel mixologyquebec.com) hooked on mixology. “I love it will continue to grow, and this is what I am trying to to play with liquids,” he confesses, “to make totally accomplish — to spread the awareness and interest in new flavours by mixing things together in a way that well-crafted cocktails.”

Over at The Bicycle Thief, mixologist Jeffery Van seems weird but which leads to wonderful results.”

Cocktail gestalt, as it were.

Horne reports that his clientele are pretty aware Though he has seen an increased interest in the of cocktails, and are all over the spectrum when it classics, Fillion is much more interested in putting comes to classics or new creations. “We do our best new twists on old faithfuls, or creating totally new to satisfy our customers’ traditional requests while “concocktions”. His featured recipe, the PizzMartini, also introducing them to new, exciting creations,” he is pretty much a meal in a glass. “The secret is to frost explains. Trends behind the bar mimic what goes on the rim of the glass with Parmesan!” he reveals. in the restaurant’s kitchen. “The Bicycle Thief serves fresh Italian food made by hand,” Van Horne reveals.

Halifax “At the bar we follow the same philosophy. We use “People tend to forget that we have one of the most exciting bar scenes in the country.

They seem to stop once they hit Toronto,” ( Halifax ) laments The Middle Spoon’s Jenner Cormier in response to my queries about mixolJenner Cormier ogy out east. “It would be amazing to get The Middle Spoon some exposure for Halifax; to put us on the map, so to speak, for a cocktail destination.”

With guys like Cormier leading the charge, ½ oz fresh lemon juice that kind of exposure should take nothing ½ oz fresh pineapple juice more than a bit of time. ½ to 1 oz agave & black peppercorn Cormier’s cocktail epiphany came while syrup (depending on how sweet taking a bartending course at Toronto’s you would like it) BartenderOne. Heeding the advice of one of 2 dashes pink grapefruit bitters his instructors, he headed out one night to 1 oz honey bourbon (we use Barchef Toronto on the city’s hip Queen West Evan Williams) strip. “Once the bartender started mixing ¾ oz aged tequila or mezcal my drink, I literally had to pick my jaw off ¾ oz B&B the floor,” he confesses. “I sat at the bar that 1 egg white night from eight o’clock till they closed the Ground allspice berries (for garnish) place at 2:30 am trying to digest as much inShake all liquid ingredients hard, strain into a goblet, and garnish formation and as many cocktails as my body with fresh ground allspice berries. and wallet could afford.” The guys at Barchef

pizzmartini

for the troops

30 // May/June 2012

( Halifax ) Jeffery Van Horne _ The Bicycle Thief

clementhyme

½ oz honey syrup (1:1 honey to water) 2 1½ ¾ ¾

sprigs thyme (save 1 for garnish) oz Beefeater 24 oz Lillet Blanc oz fresh squeezed Clementine juice

Muddle honey syrup and thyme, add the rest of the ingredients, shake hard, and fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish with a sprig of thyme.

all fresh ingredients, hand-pressed juices, handmade syrups that include fresh herbs, spices and nuts. Fresh ingredients are very important. People don’t want to be served a pre-frozen meal, so why would they want a cocktail made from an add-water mix?”

à votre santé

To conclude, Panter from The Martini Club International Inc. offers a summation of the state of mixology in Canada: “There are many incredible inspirations

in our industry, from the innovative bartenders at the turn of the last century (the most famous being Professor Jerry Thomas), to those who made mixology a craft before it was trendy again (such as Dale DeGroff ). These days, the craft of the cocktail involves historians, philosophers and alchemists, and the international community that we are thrilled to belong to is a constant source of inspiration.”

Cheers, Canada! •

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Vintage by rick vansickle

He brought two new wine stems, and without saying a word, poured only the smallest of drops into our glasses. It was our 1975 Château Montrose, a usually gorgeous second growth SaintEstephe Bordeaux that we had bought at auction and cellared for more than two decades.

Hesitantly, he asked us to sniff it (not a good sign). Bringing the wine close our nostrils was simply horrifying. The dreaded word was hanging in the air. Corked. Horribly, beyond hope, corked. Like old socks and really stinky sweaty armpits corked.

This kind of thing happens from time to time, especially for those of us who have a few old bottles tucked away in the cellar. But we told James Treadwell, the restaurant’s sommelier/owner (along with his chef dad Stephen), that it was okay. All was well. We had brought along a spare. That gloomy face quickly disappeared.

Buying and holding good wine is a perilous adventure. Those who choose to cellar their prized treasures always run the risk of waiting too long, or, as in the case of the Montrose, hanging on to a wine that never really had a chance. Cork taint does not occur in the cellar; it’s doomed from the moment it is bottled.

For those of us who collect wine to drink as it ages, the rewards can be extraordinary and well worth the risk. A perfectly cellared bottle of wine develops such extraordinary nuances and flavours as it ages. Tannins and acidity soften, fruit integrates with the oak, and wonderful tertiary notes emerge that can only develop with age. Not all wines age gracefully, of course, but when you find the styles that do well over time, the experience can be ethereal.

Drinking those aged wines, however, can pose problems when pairing with food. Acidity and tannins are prime catalysts for successfully matching foods to wine. When acid loses its sharp edges and tannins soften, you are relying on subtle, albeit amazing, flavours when finding a perfect food mate for mature wines.

32 // May/June 2012

We decided to put the pairing challenge to various sommeliers and chefs. We uncorked five well-aged wines of various styles to solicit their thoughts on how to couple these wines with foods and asked them why it works.

Château Lascombes 1975

Dufferin County lamb with mint salsa verde

Once the nasty business of the corked Montrose was laid to rest, Treadwell, a masterful sommelier who specializes in matching local cuisine to small-production Ontario wines, carefully liberated the fragile cork from the bottle of the “spare” we had brought.

It was a 1975 Château Lascombes, a second growth property in Margaux, made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a pinch of Petit Verdot. The smile sweeping across Treadwell’s face as he nosed the 37-year-old wine said it all: we were in for a treat.

The 1975 vintage in Bordeaux was noted for its ripe fruit, high tannins and longevity. It was a bright spot in an otherwise lackluster decade, and the wines have proven to stand the test of time. The question was always those aggressive tannins and whether they would ever come into balance with the fruit.

The nose showed a riot of leather, cherry, earth and roasted meats while in the mouth it still had some of its vigour of youth but with nicely rounded tannins, good structure and texture.

Treadwell said the wine deserved a traditional pairing, and suggested the roasted rack of Dufferin County lamb with mint salsa verde and duck fat fondant potato. “Lamb and Bordeaux have always been a classical pairing,” he says. “When dealing with mature Bordeaux (in this case, the 1975 Lascombe), I think lamb is still your best option, but stay away from strong flavours in the dish (marinades such as hoisin and soya, excessive spices, etc.),” he added.

We didn’t like what we were seeing. The sommelier was heading our way all gloomy-faced. It looked bad. We braced ourselves for the worst. Like a doctor with bad news, he approached our secluded window-seat table at the exquisite Treadwell Farm to Table Cuisine restaurant, in the tiny lakeside Ontario enclave of Port Dalhousie.

He avoided eye contact. Thankfully, we were already sitting down.

The dish we settled on was on the “subtle side, with the most pronounced flavour in the dish (outside of the lamb) being the mint in the salsa verde,” Treadwell explained. “I find that herbs such as mint and thyme can work well with the savoury-driven flavours of mature wines, without overpowering the wine’s delicate fruit flavours.”

Alternate pairing: Treadwell brought out a selection of cheeses that worked beautifully with the wine: Fourme d’Ambert (blue), Toscano (Piave-style), and Thundering Oak (Gouda-style).

Then it dawns on him. The Shiraz would go perfectly with tender braised beef cheeks on a tortilla with a chilli tamarind sauce (garlic, ginger, chillies, fish sauce and coriander roots), garnished generously with fresh-squeezed lime with a side of pickled red cabbage and Granny Smith apples. He calls the dish the Cheeky Bessie.

Hynam-Smith says the pairing “does not go down a normal path. Wine with spicy food attacks a different part of the palate.”

Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz 1992

Pillitteri Vidal Icewine 1998

Braised beef cheeks on a tortilla with a chilli tamarind sauce

We’re in the St. Catharines kitchen of chef Adam Hynam-Smith and Tamara Jensen, the super food truck duo playfully called El Gastrónomo Vagabundo. Hynam-Smith is a bold and brash Australian who loves his native staple of Shiraz, that spicy grape that made his country famous in the wine world. Those familiar with the “El Gastro” team come to expect spicy fare whenever their food truck parks to dish out its delectable and inventive tacos, tortillas, soups, and salads.

We opened up a Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz from 1992, an iconic Australian red from the Adelaide Hills region.

It was beautiful on the nose with notes of stewed plums, warm cherries, raspberries, kirsch and lovely peppery spices. It was still lively on the palate with ripe fruits, but with softening and drying tannins. Hynam-Smith picked up notes of overripe blood plum and just a “smidge” of bitterness. He started rifling through his fridge for ingredients. He whipped up a pan-roasted dukkah made of cumin, coriander, sesame seeds, hazelnuts and salt. It’s pungent and esoteric, but not quite right with the wine.

Seared foie gras with quince jam

“People drink Icewine far too young,” says Allison Slute, resident sommelier and export manager for Niagara’s Pillitteri Estate Winery. She has just poured a stunning 1998 Pillitteri Vidal Icewine, a classic example of just how magically these sweet wines develop beyond the ripe apricot, peach and honey notes of their youth. The mature, secondary flavours can be complex with toffee, caramel, and nutty-spicy notes washing over the palate. But while the flavours transform into all those sublime and mellow confected notes, the natural acids soften and the sweetness folds into the rich fruit profile.

Slute, who travels up to 90 days a year to market and sell Pillitteri Icewines in Asia, Europe and the US, says the 1998 Vidal shows “the perfect balance between maturity and freshness that make it ideal for food pairings.” She suggests a savoury seared foie gras with some traditional accompaniments like a quince jam or paste, brioche toast, or “maybe even a little frisée salad on the side would be nice.” Slute says it’s important to not let the chef “overdo” Icewine and food pairings. A simple pan-seared scallop with a buttery glaze works beautifully, as would a big, fat piece of duck (or even game meats such as venison and elk).

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Allison Slute suggests a savoury seared foie gras with some traditional accompaniments like a quince jam or paste, brioche toast, or “maybe even a little frisée salad on the side would be nice.”

On the sweet side, says Slute, a “luxe bread pudding would be a really interesting pairing — brioche bread as a base, vanilla bean custard, with the addition of some brandy-cognac-soaked dried apricots and sliced almonds. I would even go so far as to use the brandy-cognac to soak the apricots in the custard, or to flavour a crème anglaise to accompany the bread pudding.”

Joseph Phelps Insignia 1997 Foie gras three ways

Mark Moffatt, general manager and sommelier at the popular Crush Wine Bar in downtown Toronto, has a word for the Joseph Phelps Insignia 1997 he just poured into our glasses. “Captivating.”

The iconic Napa Valley Cabernet (with a bit of Merlot and Petit Verdot) shows “great notes of blueberry, dried strawberry, vanilla, cocoa and liquorice,” Moffatt says. “The purity of fruit on the palate is impressive.”

The wheels are turning for Moffatt. He’s thinking about a mint-infused rack of lamb to “soften the tannins,” which are still very much alive in this big trophy wine. At the same time, the “fresh earth notes are calling to me.” Maybe an egg yolk pasta with wild mushrooms and black truffles, he suggests.

34 // May/June 2012

One thing you want to do with an older vintage wine such as this, says Moffatt, is to avoid the obvious. “Stay away from lean cuts of beef. Anyone can pair Cali Cabs with steak. Where’s the fun in that?”

He says it’s key for the chef to understand the age and vintage of the wine when preparing and matching food to it. “The food has to be precisely prepared and the wine has to be of outstanding quality.” Moffatt says the perfect match for the Insignia is something he calls foie three ways: seared foie gras, foie gras au torchon, and foie gras terrine. He would serve it with three separate compotes made of cherry, blueberry and strawberry.

Domaine Schlumberger Cuvée Christine Gewürztaminer 1990 Rabbit pasta with fordhook greens, fazzoletti and triple crunch mustard cream sauce

We had saved our final wine, the Domaine Schlumberger Cuvée Christine Gewürztaminer 1990, for last. It was a much more complicated wine to pair with food, and we were looking for an entrée rather than a dessert like restaurants traditionally serve with late harvest Alsatian whites (or any sweet white wines).

On the 54th floor of the TD Bank Tower in Toronto, the view is spectacular. You can see forever on a sunny day with the panoramic view at Canoe restaurant. Presiding over the wine list at Oliver and Bonacini’s flagship restaurant, head sommelier William Predhomme takes his job quite seriously, and has earned a reputation for designing creative tasting menus with inventive wine pairings. The top Toronto restaurant caters to a well-heeled clientele of Bay Street bankers and discerning diners who jam-pack the eatery from lunch to dinner looking for only the finest in food and wine.

He deftly opens our sweet treat and presents a perfectly preserved cork. The wine is surprisingly fresh for 22 years in a bottle.

It has developed interesting nuances with time. White flowers, dried apricot, buckwheat honey, mango, cloves, tropical fruit compote, and lychee nut all with a viscous, weighty feel on the palate.

It’s not “flabby,” says Predhomme, savouring a long sip. “But it is lower in acid.”

Predhomme takes a regional approach to wine-food pairing.

In this case, he thinks about Alsace and the foods that are matched to the wines there. Hearty Germanic fare with a French flair, lots of pig, and mustard come to mind for matching with Gewürz.

He brings out a maple-braised St. Canut suckling pig (shoulder cut) with spring onion and green tomato relish. It is luscious with the Gewürz. The fatty goodness of the rich pork melts in your mouth next to the sweet and spiced wine.

But what comes next is awe-inspiring.

He brings a plate of rabbit pasta with fordhook greens, fazzoletti and triple crunch mustard cream sauce. Predhomme calls it the “X-Factor” pairing.

X-Factor? How about wow factor. The first taste, as the fruit, spice, rabbit, greens and mustard come together, is explosive. It’s a cacophony of succulent flavours that balance out into seamless perfection, a fabulous melt-in-your-mouth paragon of deliciousness. It is hard to imagine a more dynamic food-wine pairing.

The dish “brings out the spice in the wine and plays down the sugar,” says Predhomme. “It’s all flavour country.”

Indeed, the dish accomplishes exactly what you want when pairing old wines to food. “You don’t want the wine to overwhelm or compete with the food,” he says. And, in the case of the rabbit and mustard dish, this is evident in the harmonious pleasure that is derived from every sip and every bite.

A gorgeous marriage of food and wine that gives both an equal voice at the dinner table. •

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3/29/12 1:04 PM

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Character is

Now this is amusing. “Old men in sports cars were beyond pity or comprehension. It was as if they’d paid a great deal of money to purchase a huge piece of attire that pointed at their waning potencies. It was as if something had gone in their heads, some bit of wiring had become confused and they had got exactly the opposite effect of the one they’d desired.”

From “My £35000 penis extension,” a piece by A. A. Gill in GQ. This excerpt, of course, made me think of wine. How, pray tell, do you get wine from that, you say?

Well, it ’s a perfect parallel.

It could have just as easily read: “Old men [drinking 1996 Cristal at dance bars/1999 Screaming Eagle on first dates/2000 Mouton in restaurants] were beyond pity or comprehension. It was as if they’d paid a great deal of money to purchase a huge piece of attire that pointed at their waning potencies ...”

Works, doesn’t it?

Point is, the fastest way to improve potency with the ladies and dare I say, gents even, is to flash a bit of vinous adventure. Character is sexy. Pouring Californian cult Cabernets and inflated classed growth Bordeaux in public is about as sexy as grey hair on almost anyone but George Clooney.

36 // May/June 2012

Speaking of George, I’d argue he isn’t magnetic because he’s mature, fit and handsome, though that helps.

He’s hot because he’s freewheeling.

He probably inspired the phrase, “Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing.”

I suspect that should George ever invite me to his villa/ beach home/ penthouse, he would pour for me something fun. Not a Cab, Merlot, or yet another Shiraz. And certainly not yet another Chardonnay — even if it was from Puligny-Montrachet (though I might make an exception if the mood struck). No. George would pour me a glass of juice squeezed from some cool little indigenous grape from Spain, Italy or France. A drop of passionfruitscented Sciaglin from Friuli, perhaps.

Or maybe a sip of saturated Sciascinoso: all blueberries, black berries and olive, heady and hugely hedonistic.

To scout out some of the more character-building wines on the planet, I sipped, spat, and scribbled my way though about 50 samples of so-called autochthonous wines one Saturday morning in Toronto with a couple of other writers — Gord from The Toronto Star and Irv from The Medical Post. Autochthonous (yes, it’s really spelled like that) is a fancy word for indigenous; use it at your own risk.

What Indigenous Varieties Can Do For YOU

by Carolyn Evans-Hammond

Vinchio Vaglio Serra Grignolino d’Asti 2011, Piedmont, Italy ($18.65)

Grape: 100% Grignolino This wine would make such a sassy little aperitif.

Yes, it’s a pretty pinky-coral, but I assure you it’s nothing like that Californian Zinfandel your teenage daughter serves her friends. This beauty yields immediately intriguing flavours of quiet black and red currant scored with white blossoms, a light chalky bitterness, and come-hither salty minerality. Resonant. Suave.

Food pairing: Smoked fish.

Conversation fodder: The name Grignolino comes from the word grignole, which means “many pips” in Italian. Grignolino’s abundance of pips (grape seeds) imparts a telltale hint of bitterness.

And of course, bitter is a good thing in the Italian food and wine scene with its olives, radicchio, Campari and all the rest.

Accademia dei Racemi Sum 2008, Puglia, Italy ($25.15)

Gregory Perrucci

Santa Venere Vescovado 2011, Calabria, Italy ($24.30) Grape: 100% Guardavalle If you like the fleshy, spiced-peach character of Pinot Gris from Alsace, you’ll love this tongue-coating Guardavalle from Calabria. Seductive aromas and flavours of stewed stone fruit, tangerine and pear are delicately kissed with warm touches of nutmeg and cinnamon.

Food pairing: Seared scallops or Dungeness crab cakes.

Conversation fodder: Guardavalle isn’t just a grape, it’s a town in Calabria.

Grape: 100% Sussumaniello Red and black liquorice flavours anchored with attractive chewiness, bright acidity, and a savoury-spicy appeal gives this wine a rustic yet well-balanced character. A bit of grilled meat and bonfire add extra strokes of goodness. What’s not to love?

Food pairing: Wild mushroom and truffle risotto.

Conversation fodder: A 2008 study from Italy reveals the Sussumaniello grape’s DNA is similar to Sangiovese. Experts suspect it’s a crossing of Sangiovese and another, as yet unidentified, variety. Feel free to guess.

Cantine Fina Taif 2010, Sicily, Italy ($24.10) Grape: 100% Zibibbo Aromas of sweet peach lead to a refreshing, off-dry palate teeming with chin-drip stone fruit, nuts, table grapes and lemon zest.

Food pairing: Roasted nuts.

Conversation fodder: Zibibbo, which is part of the Muscat family of vitis vinifera varieties, is one of the oldest genetically unmodified vines still in existence.

Emilio Bulfon Sciaglin 2011, Friuli, Italy ($22.10)

Grape: 100% Sciaglin Restrained crisp fruit suggesting citrus, peach and passion fruit forms the backdrop for minerals, dried herbs, sea salt and a dry crank of white pepper. A wonderful food wine.

Food pairing: Poached prawns.

Conversation fodder: Sciaglin is such a rare grape variety that it isn’t even mentioned in the Oxford Companion to Wine. Emilio Bulfon’s mission is to revive nearly extinct grape varietals such as this gem. Well worth a taste.

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Ibervinum Ad Libitum 2010, Rioja, Spain ($24.50) Grape: 100% Maturana Tinta Attractive and clean flavours of red and black forest fruit are threaded through with an enticing minerality, a floral note somewhere, and slight puff of smoke.

Food match: Grilled salmon.

Conversation fodder: The winemaker for this wine, Juan Carlos Sancha, has a mission: to revive some of Rioja’s indigenous grape varieties. He’s now doing so in tiny quantities with Maturana Tinta as one of his babies. A mere 17,500 bottles of the Ad Libitum 2010 was made.

Snap up a case.

Terra di Briganti Sciascinoso 2009, Campania, Italy ($23.50) Grape: 100% Sciascinoso So compelling. Flavours of black olive, blackberry and blueberry swirl around in this complex red that’s edged with leather, freshly turned earth and black peppercorn. Quite refined yet hugely hedonistic.

Food pairing: Roasted pork tenderloin.

Conversation fodder: Sciascinoso is pronounced SHAHshee-NOH-zoh. Knew you were wondering.

Cantina Ma.Ri.Ca. Ramosceto 2010, Marche, Italy ($19.30) Grape: 100% Lacrima di Morro d’Alba Move over Malbec; hello Ramosceto. Think macerated cherries with hints of wildflower, rosewater, dried plum and cherry. Rich with extract, yet also quite lively and fresh.

Food match: Grilled Italian sausage.

Conversation fodder: Lacrima di Morro d’Alba is both the grape variety and the tiny wine appellation in the Marche from which it hails.

Emilio Bulfon Piculit Neri IGT 2010, Venezie, Italy ($22.75)

Fattoria Paradiso Barbarossa 2008, Emilia Romagna, Italy ($34.25) Grape: 100% Barbarossa Fantastic perfume of lush fruit leads to a tidal wave of smooth goodness. Ripe black and red cherries, warm wood, crushed violet petals, roasted meat and a plush velvet mouthfeel.

Food pairing: Slow roasted beef.

Conversation fodder: Barbarossa improves with age. On average, it can be cellared for up to a decade.

38 // May/June 2012

Grape: 100% Piculit Neri With an easy, affable appeal, this wine will resonate with those who like their reds bright, fruity and crisp — Beaujolais lovers take note.

Piculit Neri rips across the tongue with vibrant flavours of raspberry, red currant, apple skin and free love. Quaffer.

Food pairing: Charcuterie.

Conversation fodder: As noted, Emilio Bulfon likes to focus on rare grape varietals.

This is yet another example of his successes.

Vinchio Vaglio Serra Rebus 2009, Piedmont, Italy ($22.10) Grape: 100% Ruché Fine, floral and flagrantly fragrant, this stylish little feminine wine hides its power beneath a deceptively wellpoised and delicate structure, much like a fine Pinot Noir. Wild raspberry and violet. Perhaps a wink of rose and nod of lilac. Charms the senses with complexity, finesses and persistence.

Food pairing: Duck confit.

Conversation fodder: No one knows for sure where this grape came from.

Some (probably the Italians) say that it is indigenous to the Asti area of Piedmont. Others (likely the French) argue that the grape was originally imported from France. Regardless, it has been growing in Italy for at least a century, and was only recently exported.•

names by gilles bois

The wine region roughly located in the southwest corner of France is called just that: Southwest. A few years ago, a semiofficial search for a more distinctive name was launched, but in the end it didn’t change — maybe because this rather simplistic designation is, in fact, very democratic. It reflects the fact that no single appellation, out of the 16 included in the area, should dominate the others, even if some are more familiar. But if the name lacks originality, the wines certainly don’t.

How come, then, such unique wines are still relatively ignored by winelovers?

The Southwest has given birth to major grape varieties since the beginning of its viticulture days during Roman times.

Malbec, Chenin, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc come to mind. DNA tests have actually proven the latter two were very happily married to give us the much-loved Cabernet Sauvignon. Obviously, we owe a lot to the Southwest. But a large number of indigenous grapes remain hidden, like lost treasures. Dedicated ampelographers such as Guy Lavignac (who published a comprehensive book on the subject) are helping to turn a light on them, and today, enthusiastic producers are using them to make original wines.

Time to discover and enjoy.

malbec : where it all began

Our first example is sometimes referred to as “black wine.” Black wine is made from Cot, a grape that originated near the village of Cahors; today, Cot is the main ingredient in the wine of the same appellation. History tells us that a wine merchant by the name of Malbec helped spread the grape in other regions, and you know the rest. The wines are concentrated, velvety, but full-bodied. Rich with black fruit, plum and tobacco aromas, in a style quite different from Argentina and other New World countries. The best are age-worthy, easily 10 years or more, with exceptional cuvées lasting 30 years.

89 Château Lamartine Cuvée Particulière 1999, Cahors ($21)

Deep ruby, the rim is still purplish after more than 12 years. The nose has evolved and acquired tertiary aromas of cedar, leather and spice box, but the rich black fruit is still very present, plus earth, kirsch and hints of iodine. Allowed one hour to breathe, the wine was tannic at the core but smooth on the outside with a good concentration of fruit in a somewhat linear middle palate and a long finish. Maybe slightly over its peak.

92 Château Lagrezette Le Pigeonnier 1997, Cahors ($100)

This is the top cuvée of the domaine, with a very low yield of 18 hl/ha. Very dark colour. Rich and enticing nose of black fruits, thyme and other herbs, a flowery touch reminiscent of rose. There is such a tight core of black fruits, wrapped in concentrated, firm but tender tannins, and an exceptionally long finish.

Will keep many more years and gain more complexity.

did you say “tannic?”

In a similarly generous and full-hearted style are the reds made from Tannat.

The name literally means “tannic” in ancient French. In fact, Tannat is almost always blended with other grapes to soften its rough edges.

You know what a tannic wine is if you’ve ever tasted a young, traditionally-made Madiran. But after a few years of bottle aging, the wines become thick and chewy, feel nourishing, and make an ideal companion for the local cassoulet, a hearty stew based on white beans and a variety of slowly cooked meats (pork, lamb, duck or goose, partridge, or even sausage, depending on the version).

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90 Château LafitteTeston Vieilles Vignes 2008, Madiran ($22)

Purple. Black fruits, ripe, some oak and liquorice, but the nice fruit takes over.

Compact and powerful, it weighs on the tongue. A notable acidity adds to the massive tannins. It may seem excessive at this stage, but time will overcome its fierceness.

velvety mouthfeel. The tannic core is firm but wrapped in silk. Exquisite balance in the finish. Great wine and 100% Tannat.

87 Domaine Ilarria 2008, Irouléguy ($22)

Tannat is blended with Cabernet Franc (45%) in this red from an appellation next to the Spanish border. Ruby purple colour, the nose shows red fruits, vanilla,

if you are a “red only” type. The grape is often called Fer Servadou, but it has over 20 other names, the most common being Mansois and Braucol.

89 Château Lecusse Cuvée Spéciale 2009, Gaillac ($14)

Purple colour. Open and light nose of red fruits, with a little spice and green pepper for extra freshness. Medium bodied at most, supple with lots of delicious fruit in the middle palate. Delicate tannins for a very pleasant wine that is easy to drink.

89 Domaine du Cros Lo Sang del Païs 2010, Marcillac ($14.25)

Purplish. Red and black fruits, a light vegetal note and something that calls to mind fresh blood (is this why it’s called “blood of the land?”) In the mouth, it is fresh and fruity, with a consistent body of thick flavours and a velvety texture.

blend is best

Lionel Osmin with winemaker Damiens Sartori in the cellars of osmin

88 Château Montus 2006, Madiran ($28)

Almost black with a dark ruby rim. Oak still dominates the nose at this stage, with toast and pastry notes over jammy fruit of great purity. On the firm side in the mouth with its low acidity, the middle palate is tight and narrow but the finish is very long.

Still needs time to reach its full potential.

94 Château Montus Cuvée XL 2000, Madiran ($88)

Very dark. Complex nose of black fruits, red flower notes and hints of barnyard.

Lots of fruit on the palate, massive but

40 // May/June 2012

strawberry jam and hints of green pepper and earth. Balanced and fresh with a good fruity taste, it is medium to full bodied with slightly rustic tannins that are a bit dry in the finish.

ferocious

One of my favourite red grapes is Fer. The word has the same Latin origin as “ferocious,” reflecting its wild nature and robustness. Interestingly, the wines are rather light, full of freshness and have an original bouquet. They go nicely with poultry and sandwiches, and are especially welcome served cool on a summer day

There are just as many hidden treasures among the white grapes as there are among the red. A good dozen are still being grown today almost exclusively in the Southwest, sometimes because they are difficult to grow in other climates. Their wines come in both dry and sweet styles and are usually a blend of two or three varietals. Courbu, Len de l’El, Gros Manseng and its sibling Petit Manseng are found under many appellations. Colombard and Ugni Blanc are also clearly associated with the Southwest, even if they do not originate from there.

Len de l’El often raises the question of its name, as it means “away from the eye.”

The eye in question is in fact the bud, where the cluster is attached to the vineshoot by the peduncle.

87 Producteurs de Plaimont Colombelle L’Original 2010, Côtes de Gascogne ($12) This blend of Colombard and Ugni Blanc has a light grassy nose with citrus notes. Acidity is delicate; it feels nicely fresh with good fruit and balance, albeit light in body. Its pleasant taste gains some fatness in the finish. Perfect with fish of the day.

89 Osmin Pyrène Cuvée Marine 2010, Côtes de Gascogne ($12)

A blend of Gros Manseng and Colombard with some Sauvignon Blanc. Pale yellow.

Perfumed and fresh, it showcases a mix of citrus and ripe tropical fruits and a hint of orange blossom that is as irresistible as it is original. Very good presence, tame acidity and a round middle palate leading to a balanced finish of moderate length.

Goes nicely with white meat or poultry.

it holds the promise of a fine evolution over the next 4 to 5 years. Made from Courbu (80%) and Petit Manseng, this blend is usually associated to sweet wines, but this interpretation is perfectly dry.

92 A. Brumont Brumaire 2007, Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh ($25)

Petit Manseng is a grape particularly well suited to the making of sweet wines. This is a fine example with its bright amber

alain brumont

88 Uroulat Cuvée Marie 2010, Jurançon ($22)

This barely-a-blend of Gros Manseng and a tiny amount of Courbu has a bright yellow colour. The nose is elegant with tropical fruits, noticeable oak, some light tobacco and lanolin, plus gunpowder as a mineral touch. Ripe flavour yet vivid acidity, good richness and thick texture.

Nice freshness in the vigorous finish. The wine spends 10 months in oak, of which 10% is new. Drink over the next 2 to 3 years, ideally with a richly textured dish of white meat or seafood.

90 Château Montus 2008, Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh ($23)

Straw yellow. Intense and fresh nose with obvious oak along with citrus notes.

Penetrating flavour, sharp acidity and silky texture. Not very complex at this stage, but

colour, complex nose of dried exotic fruits, dark honey, brown sugar, toffee and dried nuts. Equally complex taste, delicate acid/sweet balance and a good deal of freshness. Long lasting finish.

94 Robert Plageoles & Fils Vin d’Autan 2000, Gaillac ($66)

Made with Ondenc, an extremely rare indigenous grape only found in Gaillac.

Susceptible to rot, it has a very low yield.

But its unique profile reaches its utmost expression in this sweetie. Dark yellow with amber reflections, the nose explodes with dried figs, toffee, candied fruits, dark honey and dried herbs. Notes of smoke and light tobacco develop in the glass. Silky texture with precise and pure flavours.

Quite sweet, but the lively acidity makes for a perfect balance and impressive freshness.

Great length, too. Truly unique. •

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Game

changer

by Matthew Sullivan

42 // May/June 2012

Julius Caesar’s memoir about his war in Gaul is not a particularly funny book.

I discovered that this past summer when I tried to read all seven turgid volumes. However, amidst all the veni vidi vici, I fell upon one curious episode; Caesar gives us the first reference in Western letters to the most delicious of all animals, the elk.

According to Caesar, elk live in Germany. They are just like large goats, except that they have no knees. Their legs are completely rigid, and so they have to sleep by leaning against a tree.

When the Germans want to hunt them, they sneak up to the elk’s favourite tree and saw it away until the trunk is completely severed but still balanced upright on the stump. In the evening, the unsuspecting elk slumps against the tree for a little shut eye, and boom! It topples helpless to the ground, where the German can harvest it at his leisure.

This is, of course, complete codswallop. Elk have knees.

Knees are pretty much essential. The only quadruped without knees is a dining room table. My theory is that when Caesar was “questioning” some captured German soldiers for material to pad out his book, these barbarians decided to have a little fun with the inquisitive Italian dude. They also informed him they hunted unicorns and elephant-sized cattle. Julius Caesar, the most bad-ass Roman general in history, ate it up with a spoon. I guess he didn’t notice how his captives kept giggling.

The other thing the German informants failed to tell him was how tasty elk is. Perhaps they didn’t want to give away the secret.

Certainly the best steak I ever had was from elk. The dense, dark meat is packed with complex nuances, and sometimes has a minerality like a bottle of Graves.

Game meats are now a hot item in Canadian cuisine. “Chefs have always loved these things, but the collective palate is advancing just now,” Brook Kavanagh told me when I met with him at the restaurant La Palette, in Toronto, where he has been head chef for seven years.

A range of factors seem to be bringing game meats into focus: a concern with more authentic food, a quest for different flavours, and perhaps even a touch of Canadian pride, since some of the best game is in our Northern hinterland. “There are so many animals out there besides cows, sheep and pigs. From an ecological perspective, it’s good to focus on other animals besides cows and pigs. Plus, it is often better quality meat — muskox and bison are raised in pristine conditions; big forest-like conditions, arguably better than what their wild counterparts live in.”

The only problem with game meat is that it’s often not as wild as we think it is. Strict regulations about how animals are raised and slaughtered keep almost all wild meat out of restaurants and butcher shops. Most “game meats” are raised on some sort of a farm. However, the mere fact that it is farmed meat doesn’t mean that it is inferior. “It depends on the farm,” Brook said. Some game farms are essentially a tract of woods with a big fence. “The more an animal can eat what it wants to eat, the better it will be.

A fenced-in area in a forest will taste wild ... terroir is as important for game as it is for wine.”

High quality farmed venison and elk can have the rich, earthy flavours of hunted game. However, if you crave the authentic taste of truly wild meat, you have only a few options. You can buy a rifle. You can hang out at an aboriginal reserve. Or, if you’re in Toronto, you can visit La Palette, where Chef Brook has a special connection that sometimes brings in muskox and caribou from Nunavut. “I’d say we get about 80 per cent of all the wild meat that comes into the city,” he said.

His muskox is incredible; a dense but tender meat with a distinct bready flavour. “It’s the same animal as it would have been 30,000 years ago,” Brooks says with a grin. “It was a contemporary of the woolly mammoth, but the muskox survived the Ice Age. It’s closer to sheep or goat than ox. It’s got lamb-like fat, and some cuts are very well marbled, almost like Kobe beef in the sirloin, but instead of corn, they eat arctic lichen.” Other animals on the menu have almost as fine a historical pedigree. “Wild boar is its own species; it has tusks and hair. It’s Iron Age pork, the kind of pig our ancestors used to eat. Wild boar would be the original, or at least as original as you can get.”

The special flavours of game meats present some challenges when it comes time to select a wine. “Game meats tend to be quite lean, so wines paired with them have to have some level of tannin, but not anything so young or strong that will overpower the flavour of the meat,” Lesley Martin, a Toronto sommelier told me. “Braised game or game served with a sweet, fruity sauce can hold up to richer, New World wines such as Washington Syrah or even a restrained Australian Shiraz. Grilled meats, however, need more tannin and structure to help coagulate the proteins, resulting in a softer overall mouth feel ... a well-aged Bordeaux would work well.”

Of course, game can also include flavourful birds like partridge or quail. “A game bird simply roasted would be lovely with a lightly oaked white Burgundy or an aromatic white such as Pinot Gris,” says Lesley. “Served with a rich berry sauce, however, and it can hold up to richer, lower-tannin red wines such as Merlot or Grenache.”

For my own part, I like to open a Barolo with my muskox. The tannins massage the dense protein, while the Nebbiolo’s autumnal flavours pick up on the wild accents in the meat. I also choose Barolo because it cellars for so long. It’s a little insulting to eat an Ice Age animal with anything but the oldest wine you’ve got.

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wild boar belly stuffed duck neck Recipe by brook kavanagh Serves 4

pan roasted pheasant with oyster mushrooms in a whiskey raspberry sauce Recipe by chef ryan marino Serves 4

Chef Ryan makes a mixture of equal parts kosher salt, white pepper and granulated garlic, which he calls a “Trimix”. It’s a great seasoning to have on hand for all kinds of meat and poultry dishes.

2 pheasants 2 tbsp canola oil “Trimix” (equal parts kosher salt, white pepper, granulated garlic) 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup flour 1 cup chicken stock 2 cups red wine 6 tsp whiskey 6 tsp Chambord 2 cups oyster mushrooms, sautéed 2 medium shallots, peeled, thinly sliced and sautéed 2 tbsp butter 1 cup raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. 2. Remove backbone from pheasants. Cut each pheasant into four parts (2 breasts, 2 legs).

3. In large skillet, heat canola oil. Add pheasant, season with “Trimix” and sauté until browned. Place pheasant in roasting dish.

4. Roast uncovered 20 to 25 minutes per pound or until juices from thigh run clear when pierced with a fork.

5. Meanwhile, in the same skillet, melt 1/4 cup butter. Whisk in 1/4 cup

flour to make a roux.

6. Cook, stirring constantly until brown, about 10 minutes. Add chicken stock and wine. Cook, uncovered, until sauce is reduced by 1/3.

7. Add whiskey and Chambord. Stir in sautéed mushrooms and shallots.

Whisk in butter.

8. Add raspberries. Serve sauce with pheasant.

44 // May/June 2012

At La Palette I buy ducks with the heads and feet intact. The breasts I cure or roast, legs confit, hearts, kidneys and livers pâté. The carcass makes stock, and the necks I stuff with boar belly bound with duck wing mousseline. After a slow confit in duck fat, the neck skin softens and becomes a novel sausage casing. This old French technique of stuffing a duck’s neck makes great use of a part of the animal that may otherwise go unused.

Leaving the head on provides more than just context; the cheeks and tongue are meltingly tender, the skin crispy and flavourful.

1/2

cup trimmed duck wing meat clove garlic ribs celery tsp sage tsp salt cup cream cups cubed wild boar belly duck necks, heads on bunch of thyme l duck fat

1 2 2 4

1/2 2 4 1 2

1. In a food processor purée duck

wing meat, garlic, celery, sage, thyme and salt. Continue to blend while slowly incorporating cream. Blend to smooth, stir in belly cubes, reserve in fridge for 30 minutes.

2. For the duck neck, pull neck skin away from vertebrae up to the head, chop off skinned vertebrae from head, and save for another day’s soup. Stuff necks with belly-wing mixture, wrap in aluminum foil, place in a tall pot, cover with duck fat and gently cook at 320˚F for 3 hours.

3. To serve: On medium heat fry necks and heads until crispy and golden. At La Palette I serve them with a bit of seared wild boar tenderloin stuffed into the mouth on a bed of braised red cabbage, chestnuts, apple, celeriac, parsnip and leeks.

pickled bison kidney and bone marrow persillade Recipe by brook kavanagh Serves 4

venison paprikash recipe by chef ryan marino Serves 4

Chef Ryan Marino is co-owner of The Corkscrew Saloon, a restaurant housed in a historic 19th century house in Medina, Ohio. He serves only the freshest ingredients, harvesting herbs and vegetables from the restaurant’s garden, sourcing crisp greens from a local greenhouse, and bringing in fresh seafood from Hawaii. Use sweet Hungarian paprika in this dish and add a little heat with Sriracha sauce.

4 venison loin steaks or 1 beef flank steak, thinly sliced “Trimix” (equal parts kosher salt, white pepper, granulated garlic) 1 large green pepper, seeded and chopped 1 large onion, chopped 1 tsp dried thyme 2 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika (or to taste) 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup flour 3 1/2 cups beef broth 1 cup white wine 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp Sriracha sauce (or to taste) 3/4 cup sour cream Paprika, minced

1. In a large skillet, season venison with “Trimix” and sauté until cooked through.

2. Remove meat and drain all but 1 tablespoon fat.

Add green peppers and onion. Season with thyme and paprika. Sauté until softened.

3. Add garlic. Sauté 1 minute more. Remove vegetables.

4. In same skillet, make roux: Melt butter. Whisk in flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until roux is the colour of peanut butter.

5. Add beef broth, white wine, Worcestershire sauce and Sriracha. Cook until thickened.

6. Add steak and vegetables. Heat through. Stir a bit of the sauce into the sour cream. Then stir the sour cream into the sauce. Garnish with paprika.

I like to serve this intense fresh condiment with cast iron seared bison hanger steak. The hanger is located right beside the kidneys of the animal, and carries some of the kidney fat flavour in its meat. Serving a hanger steak with a bit of kidney references that flavour, and results in an earthy harmony. As it is a filtration organ, the kidney should be as fresh as possible. Pickling the kidney refines its strong aroma, and it may be stored for weeks once preserved like this, so you needn’t fret about using it all up in one meal. Use a bit here and there whenever you wish to add some earthy intensity to any meat dish.

pickled kidney

1

bison kidney cup rendered bone marrow 1 large white onion, julienned 3 tsp mustard seeds 2 tsp black peppercorns 4 cloves smashed garlic Capers 2 cups red wine vinegar 1 cup red wine 1/4 cup salt 2 tsp brown sugar 1 cup bison stock

1. Soak the kidney overnight in water to draw out any impurities. Trim away the tough white connective tissue. Slice kidney into small pieces.

2. Gently sauté kidney to medium in a bit of the rendered bone marrow. Remove kidneys from pan, reserve in pickling jar.

3. To the still hot pan add julienned onion, mustard seeds, peppercorns, smashed garlic, capers, red wine vinegar, red wine, salt, brown sugar and bison stock.

4. Allow pickling liquid to chill, then strain into kidney jar.

1/4

bone marrow persillade

1 2 4

diced shallot tsp pickling liquid tsp rendered bone marrow fat 1/3 cup pickled kidneys 1 bunch roughly chopped flat leaf parsley Handful of arugula A few drops of truffle oil

1. After removing your steaks from the pan to rest, pour off

any excess oil. Add shallots to hot pan, sauté to golden, deglaze with the pickling liquid. Whisk in the rendered bone marrow fat. Remove pan from heat, stir in kidneys, parsley and arugula, finish with truffle oil. Serve over the steaks. •

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pours

sweets victory\\

What happens when Niagara Region’s best chefs and mixologists are pitted against each other in a battle for cocktail supremacy? Nerves are shaken, emotions stirred, appetites whetted. And after the glasses are emptied, only one is left standing. The winner of the 2012 Flash & Panache — Icewine Cocktail Competition is Stone Road Grille’s Chef Ryan Crawford and owners Heidi and Perry Johnson, featuring the I-Swine-Tini.

Swine? Perry explains that it’s all Ryan’s doing. He and Sous-Chef Amanda Sentineal confess to a pork obsession, going as far as raising their own Berkshire hogs. From there, it’s a short walk into the history books. Bacon is marinated in Scotch whisky, which, in turn, infuses the liquid with its smoky goodness. Perry explains that it “tastes a lot like having bacon for breakfast [and] washing it down with a shot of Scotch.” He reassures me that there’s no mistaking the fact that one is consuming whisky. Still, that classic smoky bacon bouquet comes through on the palate in very subtle ways.

46 // May/June 2012

by rosemary Mantini

Pillitteri’s Gewürztraminer Icewine adds a hit of tropical fruit and citrus flavours, while a dash of cranberry juice “dries it off.” This very drinkable martini is a mouth-watering rich and elegant golden-brown colour. Perry and Ryan have hit upon a hip, bring-the-country-to-the-city kind of cocktail, perfect for any gathering.

The one feature that does raise a few eyebrows is the garnish: a rasher of fresh bacon skewered and served across the top of the glass. The first few people in line to try it at the competition the night of January 21st weren’t quite sure what to make of it. “In hindsight,” Perry admits, “I would have ensured the bacon garnish was warm and not nearly frozen.”

Want to try one for yourself? The team at Stone Road Grille plans to serve the I-Swine-Tini throughout the winter. However, Perry is considering making it the restaurant’s signature cocktail, in which case it will be available anytime. After all, the popularity of pork seems to be perpetually on the rise, and Ryan and Amanda seem determined to continue raising their own hogs. Talk about the perfect combination of food and drink!

But why stop there? Are any other creative pairings in the works? “I may have to draw the line on the Fresh Perch Daiquiri and the Kobe Beef Iced Tea,” Perry insists.

The Stone Road Grille, located in the Garrison Plaza in Niagara-on-the-Lake, is famous for being the place where locals dine. In fact, it was word-of-mouth that ultimately brought it to the attention of tourists and foodies alike from far and wide.

Ryan, who has been the executive chef and sommelier at the restaurant since 2004, and owners Perry and Heidi are passionate about showcasing the best of Niagara. Eclectic dishes like Carrot and Ginger Risotto with Smoked Ham Hock Ragu are constructed around fresh and seasonal produce and locally produced artisan charcuterie, preserves and breads.

With that kind of hands-on attention to detail, we’re likely to see many more winning combinations in the future. Hog Wallbanger, anyone?

I-Swine-Tini 2 2

parts bacon-infused Scotch whisky* parts Gewürztraminer Icewine 1/2 part (splash) of cranberry cocktail Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and pour into a martini glass. Garnish with a sprig of well-cooked bacon.

…… To make bacon-infused Scotch: place cured and smoked pork hock in a plastic tub with contents of a bottle of Scotch and refrigerate for 48 to 72 hours. •

+ tidingsmag.com/drinks has all the cocktails created for the Icewine Cocktail Competition

by sean wood

per cent Is it Time to Reverse the High Octane Trend in Table Wines?

A Growing Number of Chefs and Wine Lovers Seem to Think So.

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I recently tasted some very fine older Grand Cru Bordeaux — several from the excellent 2000 vintage, by no means old by Bordeaux standards. While it must be said that even in some of these splendid bottles, alcohol had crept up somewhat from the historical past, levels nonetheless remained far short of the 14 per cent to 15 per cent that have become all too common.

The hallmark of truly great wine is not only complexity but, perhaps more importantly, exquisite balance. These bottles had that in spades, beautifully nuanced fruit with notes of spice, subtle oak and earthiness as well as savoury and meaty character.

All elements melded together harmoniously and lingered on the palate, with staying power for years to come. These are table wines in the classic sense, balanced and refined, with alcohol kept well in check.

Unfortunately, the wine world has been moving in a very different direction in the last decade or so, increasingly dominated by big, heavily extracted, high alcohol wines.

Few foods can stand up to their bold, dominating flavours. Is it, perhaps, high time to get back to true table wines that achieve their highest peak when paired with equally fine foods? Wine and food are meant to be enjoyed together. When neither dominates, both taste better as a result.

a compelling case

David McMillan is chef and owner of Joe Beef, a small restaurant located in Montreal’s Little Burgundy district. David first came to my attention when reading a feature article by Chris Nuttal-Smith that appeared in the Globe and Mail. Chefs from across the country were asked about their expectations and hopes for 2012. McMillan, a man of fervent conviction, delivered an opening salvo that immediately caught my eye. “We can’t give away Australian wine any more. People’s taste has changed. They’re getting back to drinking Old World style wines, natural wines, low-alcohol, small production wines that go with food instead of killing it … There’s nothing I can prepare in the kitchen that has more flavour than a 15 per cent alcohol Cabernet Sauvignon from sundrenched Australia or California. Supercaramelized, burned onion short ribs? I don’t want to cook that food. We want to

48 // May/June 2012

buy wines from real people who work as winemakers at family-run wineries. Small restaurants, small producers, small fisheries, small wineries: small is better.”

I caught up with David McMillan by phone in late February and first asked him if it was really true that people were shunning big New World wines. He responded, “I have been cooking for 25 years in Montreal and have followed the tastes of my clients over the years. I have had to change the kind of food and wine that I serve. As people have become older, they cannot stand the heavy oak and high alcohol.” When asked if this was also true of the younger crowd he replied, “The fun thing is that on any given night, there are young and old alike. The young, who are starting to dine out more frequently, are there to learn and we are indoctrinating them into a lower alcohol regime.”

To McMillan, it is all about the difference between a healthy beverage and one that is not. To illustrate his point he asked if I had ever noticed what happened to a glass of water that had wood chips soaking in it overnight (I had, and the resulting muddybrown sludge is not pretty). “Exactly”, he said. “There are very complex chemicals in wood, and you would never drink it.”

We talked about the time when big Californian and Australian wines first started coming on the market in Canada. “We loved it and loved it and then got tired of it real quick!” McMillan remembers. He followed that up with the observation, “The classics are the classics for a reason. They all have their application in dining.”

The conversation turned to why the heavily extracted fruit-bomb style has become so pervasive. Among many factors — including more wines coming from warmer New World climates and a general warming trend, even in Old World regions — there is also what some refer to as “The Parker effect,” named for the hugely influential American wine critic, Robert Parker, editor of the Wine Advocate and originator of the hundred-point wine scoring system. Parker’s tastes run to powerful, heavily extracted, higher alcohol wines. These score 90 points or more on his scale. It is no secret that his personal preference for the big bombs has had a wildly disproportionate effect on tastes

and winemaking in general. Many wines, even in Bordeaux, have been re-styled to achieve the highest possible Parker score.

No wonder! The difference between a Parker 90 and a Parker 88 or 89 can make a wine or give it the kiss of death. Somewhat tongue-in-cheek, McMillan concluded that he had figured out that Parker’s scale is really all about concentration.

Laughingly he says, “The kinds of wines I like to drink score in the low 80s.”

similar views

McMillan’s sentiments are echoed by Michael Howell, respected chef and owner of the Tempest in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

Howell is a leader in the Slow Food movement, strongly committed to locally sourced foods. He observes, “We are being forced in this direction by the tastes of middle America. Sommeliers, wine retailers and producers will go where the money is.”

Importantly, Howell notes, “From a chef’s perspective, current trends in dining are shying away from meat towards ethnic cuisine. Flavours are becoming more precise. Small and subtle flavours need to be paired with wines that reflect current trends.” Sean Doucet, formerly executive chef and now director of operations for the Delta Halifax, and also a devotee of the local sourcing philosophy, is categorical about the kinds of wines that match well with foods.

“When I am pairing a certain dish with a wine, I definitely steer away from high alcohol. I look for wines in the 12 per cent to 13 per cent range. 14 per cent to 15 per cent will overpower delicate dishes. Even if you are going the contrasting route, too much alcohol will simply overwhelm most foods.” When asked what kinds of wines he is seeking out for the hotel’s Harbour City restaurant, he responds, “We are definitely going in the direction of local wines, especially to pair with our great local seafoods. Quite honestly, I steer away from big Aussie fruit bombs. I can’t remember the last time I paired a wine like that unless I was specifically asked to.”

weighing in

I recently asked readers of my Halifax Chronicle Herald column, Wood on Wine, their opinion on the controversy. Every-

one who responded wanted to see lower alcohol levels. Bill Hughes of Halifax wrote, “I preferred when wines were in the 12 per cent range. There’s something about enjoying a few glasses of wine (with or without food) without getting too giddy. More alcohol simply spoils or overpowers fine foods and numbs the palate and other senses … Higher alcohol in wines goes along with super-sized drinks, king-sized portions and suicide wings. I am with the Mediterraneans when they explain their food as ‘less is more,’ and this is how I feel about wine. However, that’s not to say there’s no room for a big fat Barolo. Bring it on!”

Chris and Shannon O’Shea wrote, “Being regular wine consumers, we too have noticed the trend in higher alcohol, especially from places like Australia. Overall, some of these wines are successful and some not so much. We do know that the higher alcohol does not, generally speaking, enhance the tasting experience. So what gives? More sugars in the grapes that need to be converted to alcohol? Is it done to prop up what might be considered flat or uninspiring wines with a spark of alcohol? Or maybe it is a trend in winemaking to create a bolder flavour profile. In our minds it is not really needed in most cases.”

a response

It does seem that the message is getting through that high alcohol is a problem.

There is the growing concern with health, as well as the elephant in the room, namely, the Draconian consequences of drinking and driving. To be fair, producers have been responding to consumer tastes. It is also not a simple matter to resolve. I offer two thoughtful views from the producer perspective.

Sandro Boscaini is the well-respected president of Veneto-based Masi Agricola.

They also operate a satellite operation in Mendoza, Argentina. He notes this new trend came from the New World, primarily California and Australia, and projected hot region wines as full-bodied fruit and high alcohol. He adds, “Even historic production regions with better viticultural practices, aiming to lower yields, combined with global warming effects are now easily reaching higher average alcohol.”

Sandro Boscaini from Masi Agricola

Boscaini agrees that there is a need to address the issue: “More and more there is a request for less alcohol but … consumers do not want to go back to the watery low alcohol wines of the past, rather they aim to taste richness with less alcohol.

Drinking and driving is an incentive.” He goes on to say, “It is almost impossible to comply to this unless adopting a certain technology (more on this later) that reduces original natural alcohol content …

Obtaining an unbalanced wine may be a dangerous effect of this practice.”

Niel Groenewald, winemaker for Bellingham in South Africa, concurs that the trend has increased in South Africa over the last 15 years, with alcohol going from 13 per cent to almost 15 per cent. He also notes that 15 per cent on the label can mean 15.49 per cent, according to South African export laws. Groenewald lays much of the blame on wine scribes and others. “International wine consultants have pushed the riper style of wines: juicier tannins, more extraction, this in conjunction with wine journalists giving higher ratings for these fruit bombs and junk tannins.”

He admits that in the early 2000s, grapes in South Africa were picked riper, and cropped lower producing, over-extracted wines. However, since 2006, he

says, “I have had a serious drive for lower alcohol, bringing back the fruit, elegance and finesse. I believe terroir gets disguised if grapes are harvested over-ripe.”

Groenewald believes that much can be achieved by proper site selection, especially in cooler, higher altitude locations. Canopy management and balanced growth will also help to achieve riper tannins at lower sugars, but he thinks that resorting to technology is necessary. At Bellingham, he says, the drive has been to lower alcohol without compromising on ripeness, by experimenting with spinning cone technology and membrane separation, which are legal practices in South Africa.

Groenewald concludes, “I do not believe we will be making our best red at 12 per cent, but we can indeed make proper terroir-driven wines in a warmer condition at alcohols of 13.8 per cent to 14.3 per cent — in my opinion, the sweet spot for South Africa.”

It does seem that the movement towards lower alcohol in table wines is gaining more traction. It is certainly reinforced by the trend towards lighter, healthier cuisine. To give Chef McMillan the last word, “How can you offer healthful cuisine without offering similarly healthful low alcohol wine?” •

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a summer dessert\\ Desserts can be boring. It’s not that I’m tired of chocolate or a simple phyllo.

I just can’t be bothered some times. But when you have people coming over, you need something sweet to end the night with, or else be chastised for being the worst host in the world.

Now I might be overstating it a bit but you get the gist. An end of supper gem can help bring everyone together. I recently had a dinner party where six of my foodie friends were clamouring at the door. It was sort of last minute, though I did have two days to prepare. I focussed on the main dish and the appetizers, and for a while forgot about dessert. When I was eagerly reminded by my wife, I had to work fast.

Once at the grocery I saw some spring fruit coming in. As the temperature starts to work its way up the mercury, we see an influx of strawberries, blackberries and the like. It sparked an idea.

I had just found a bottle of Bianco vermouth. This clear version of the very popular — and heavier — red, sweet vermouth has very impressive notes of orange, vanilla and summer flowers. It’s much more subtle than its rosso brother, which makes it ideal for fresh fruit.

So I made things easy. I placed a handful of small, cut fruits into a number of 250 ml decorative jars and filled it up with the Bianco. I also added a bit of raw sugar in each to create a more desserty feel (about half a teaspoon). I then closed up the jars and placed them in the fridge till it was time to serve.

You should have seen their faces. Once I placed the jar in front of them with a small straw wedged inside it, I knew we had a winner.

50 // May/June 2012

discovery

by Jonathan smithe

the mav notes\\ 90 Cave Spring Cellars Blanc de Blancs CSV 2004, Beamsville Bench, Niagara ($39.95) Lovers of mature attributes in their bubblies: you will go crazy for this beauty! Having aged an unheard-of (for Ontario) 70 months on the lees, this vintage Chardonnay serves up a bouquet of brioche, toast, brown butter, caramel, hazelnut and honey. The texture is creamy and the finish long, with minerals and citrus adding an extra dimension. It easily bests many pricier Champagnes! (ES)

90 Marchesi Alfieri Alfiera 2008, Barbera d’Asti Superiore, Piedmont, Italy ($39) Ruby purple. Beautiful nose of red fruits; deep, noticeable oak. Still young, it will gain in complexity over time. Quite firm in the mouth, but full of juicy extract; nicely balanced.

Hard to resist already, it will improve further. (GBQc)

Highland Park 12-Year-Old 43%, Scotland ($64.99) Highland Park is arguably the most balanced of all Single Malts. Nose reveals subtle peated malt combined with floral and spicy overtones.

Mouth-filling flavours convey a wide spectrum of fruit, malt, spice, refined peat smoke and an elusive herbal mineral note on the finish. (SW)

91 Foxglove Chardonnay 2009, Central Coast, California, United States ($20)

A simply gorgeous Chard from the Paso Robles region on the Central Coast. The nose displays apple-pear fruit beautifully balanced with spice and toasted oak notes. The fruit follows to the palate with added roasted almonds, carambola and interesting spices, all balanced and lasting through the finish. (RV)

90 Boekenhoutskloof Porcupine Ridge Syrah/ Viognier 2010, Swartland, South Africa ($16.95)

Northern Rhône style, smoky blackberry nose with a herbal note; full on the palate, dry and savoury with a bitter chocolate finish. Lively acidity, full-bodied and amazing value. (TA)

90 Domaine Daniel Rion & Fils Les Grands Vignes Nuits-St-Georges 2009, Burgundy, France ($50)

A tightly wound Pinot with subtle yet interesting dark fruits, bramble, forest floor and red berry fruit on the nose. It’s silky on the palate and opens up to intense raspberry, wildberry fruit, wonderful spice notes and fine-grained tannins. Try with grilled salmon and teriyaki shiitake. (RV)

91 Montez Condrieu 2007, Rhône Valley, France ($37)

Bright medium-gold. Huge, powerful Viognier nose of fresh peach pie and blossoms. Medium-bodied, the pie theme continues in the mouth with flavours of apricots and sweet pastry. Good acidity and an extraordinarily long finish. Memorable. (RL)*

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wind is changing\\

Napa is often referred to as “the Bordeaux of the New World” due to the quality of the Cabernet Sauvignon, in particular, and other Bordeaux varietals grown in the area. And Cabs such as Screaming Eagle, Harlan Estate and Bryant Family, among others, have commanded “First Growth-like” prices both on release and on the secondary market.

But the question that always arises is whether Napa Cabernet has the ability to age. Forget whether this Cab has the ability to age to the degree of Bordeaux, which often continues to evolve after three or four decades in the cellar. Many people question Napa’s ability or willingness to produce wines that will age well beyond a decade, let alone two.

Some point to the differences in climate. Bordeaux has a relatively moderate maritime climate, allowing the wines to maintain a natural acidity which, combined with the fruit and tannin structure, results in wines with good aging potential.

Napa possesses a Mediterranean climate with an abundance of sun and heat, which can result in increased ripeness and sugar levels in the grapes. This often translates to wines of higher alcohol, lower acidity and plush tannins — factors that make the wines more approachable when they are young, but not necessarily conducive to aging beyond a decade at the most.

I recently attended a comparative tasting of older vs younger vintages of some prominent Napa Cabernets, led by the winemakers of the wines presented. Wines from the 1980s

52 // May/June 2012

davine

by gurvinder Bhatia

and early ’90s were compared to those produced in the late 2000s. The older vintages had aged extremely well, possessing a refined elegance and maturity along with lower alcohol and less jammy fruit ... some might argue Bordeaux-like.

There seemed to be a distinct stylistic difference in the younger wines. Higher alcohol, ripe tannins and jammy fruit seemed to indicate wines that were produced to cater to the consumer who is more inclined to trunk age their wines than cellar them.

Perhaps the style is a result of the climate (as many of the winemakers indicated), perhaps it is due to market factors, but one thing is clear ... it’s time to end the Bordeaux of the New World debate once and for all.

That is not to say that Napa doesn’t produce great wines. It does, and some of the best wines in the world are grown in this small valley. There was a time when the comparison to Bordeaux may have been necessary to build Napa’s image and draw attention to the quality of wines being produced. But that time has passed. We all know that Napa produces great wines, but they are clearly different from Bordeaux. Producers should stop trying to be something they are not, and be happy with what they have (and the wine media needs to stop fuelling the comparisons): one of the most beautiful wine-producing regions in the world, with the ability to grow outstanding quality wines.

Not a bad compromise.

2008: Quite extracted and jammy with soft, ripe tannins; a little one-dimensional and a little hot (the 14.9% is showing).

Needs a little restraint and a more balanced touch.

Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 1988 vs 2008, Napa Valley ($150)

1988: Leather and hints of earth with not much fruit, but not showing signs of oxidation. Has held up well, but not a lot of life left.

2008: Bright aromas and flavours of blackberry, blackcurrant, dark chocolate and black cherry with firm but plush tannins and a lingering finish.

Silver Oak Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 1992 vs 2007, Napa Valley ($135)

1988: Still possesses great fruit and freshness, hints of herbaceousness and coconut, nice elegance and balance and a touch of acidity.

2007: Much more forward, with ripe fruit, dark tannins with a touch of char; lacks some of the elegance of the older vintage.

Staglin Family Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 vs 2008, Rutherford ($200)

1996: Very elegant with dark fruit flavours, mushroom and forest floor, and a touch of herbaceousness; multi-layered, subtle and quite delicious.

Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon 1992 vs 2007, Stags Leap District ($80)

1992: Showing signs of approaching the end of its lifespan,

but still showing nice tertiary characteristics of mushroom and coffee with a refined elegance, fading on the finish.

2007: Quite ripe and extracted, lots of sweet tannin and dark chocolate; a little heavy on the oak but still quite tight; may become more refined with time.

Silverado Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 vs 2008, Stags Leap District ($85)

1999: Lots of dark fruit aromas and flavours with a ripe,

juicy mid-palate, hints of chocolate, firm tannins and a long finish with still quite a bit of life.

2008: Quite fresh, with dark berry and currant aromas and flavours with a hint of duck-fat and fresh earth; not overdone, with firm tannins and a rich finish.

Cliff Lede Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Poetry’ 2001 vs 2008, Stags Leap District ($165)

2001: Great balance and structure with lots of layers, elegant and firm tannins, loads of fresh rich fruit and a lengthy finish.

2008: Multi-dimensional with loads of ripe fruit, but not overdone; hints of tobacco and leather; a touch opulent, but still maintains excellent balance and well integrated tannins. • tidingsmag.com

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//the food notes 88 Wente Riva Ranch Chardonnay 2010, Monterey, California, United States ($25.99) Touch of tropical fruit on the nose, with lovely aromas and flavours of bright apple; hints of citrus, creamy texture, with a fresh, lively, lingering finish and great balance. Ideal with lobster bisque. (GB)

89 Tawse Growers Blend Cabernet Franc 2009, Niagara ($26.95)

Tawse has turned in an impressive array of Francs in 2009. This mid-weight wine is absolutely delicious with complexity, presenting itself in the form of cassis, raspberries, violets, dark cocoa, tobacco, herbs and spice. It is ripe with good concentration and supple tannins on the great finish. Serve with a pappardelleand-veal ragout or a herb-scented leg of lamb. (ES)

87 Mt Boucherie Estate Collection Gamay Noir 2010, Okanagan ($15) The fresh nose wafts scents of floral, herbs and raspberry bush.

Vibrant acidity, taut texture and lighter-bodied frame enhance its red-berry flavour and lingering mineral finish, flecked by cranberry and rhubarb. Serve slightly chilled to brighten its earthy fruit. Very vegetarian-friendly. (HH)

88 Montes Limited Selection Pinot Noir 2009, Casablanca Valley, Chile ($14.95)

Tawny ruby in colour, it offers a nose of sweet rhubarb and raspberry with licks of vanilla oak, aromas that are replicated on the palate; it’s beautifully balanced, firmly structured and finishes on a dry, spicy note. A wine for roast chicken or veal. (TA)

90 Cave Vinicole de Hunawihr Gewürztraminer Grand Cru Schoenenbourg 2004, Alsace, France ($21)

Clear, light brass, typical nose of lychee, spice, flowers and grapefruit. Full-bodied and almost bone-dry, but luscious with pear and melon flavours. A slight flower-petal bitterness on the finish adds interest. Sufficiently complex to stand up to Thai food. (RL)*

86 Cantina Clavesana D’OH Dolcetto di Dogliani 2010, Piedmont, Italy ($13)

Now, this is a fun little Dolcetto all dressed up in a clever package. The nose shows cherries, plums, kirsch, wild berries and savoury spices and herbs. All those fruits come together nicely on the palate with pepper and spices chiming in. Fun wine that would go well with veal parmigiana. (RV)

54 // May/June 2012

90 Wolf Blass Gold Label Chardonnay 2009, Adelaide Hills, Australia ($20) Modern-day Chards from Australia, such as this one, have evolved over time to cut back on the oak and let the ripe fruits play a starring role.

The nose on this beauty show ripe apple, peach and pear notes to go with cream, spice and minerality. It’s creamy and buttery on the palate but still maintains its freshness and lovely fruit flavours. Enjoy with broiled lobster. (RV)

bouquet garni

the chicken factor\\

“It tastes just like chicken!” If I had a dime for every time I’ve heard that line, I’d be a millionaire by now. Let me tell you, I’ve tried frog legs, eel, alligator, rabbit and kangaroo. And despite assurances to the contrary, none of it tasted even remotely like chicken. In fact, frog legs happen to taste just like frog legs. Eel tastes exactly as I imagined eel would taste, if I ever really imagined the taste of eel at all. And so on.

I’m not a fussy eater, but I made a vow long ago that I would never eat anything uglier than I am. That’s why snails, gators and frogs are officially off the menu. Chicken, however, is economical, low in calories and versatile. And you know what tastes just like chicken? Chicken!

grilled chicken with nectarines serves 4

Peaches can be used in this dish, although I prefer the smoother skin of the nectarine. Sriracha sauce lends a distinctive roasted red-pepper note, but you can also use chipotle or other hot sauce.

1/3 1/3 1

1/2 2 1 3 4

cup peach preserves cup peach nectar or juice tbsp fresh lemon juice tsp Sriracha sauce, or other hot sauce tsp olive oil tbsp minced cilantro, plus more for garnish nectarines or peaches, cut in half and pits removed boneless chicken breast fillets

1. Coat grill rack with cooking spray. Preheat barbecue to medium-high heat.

by nancy Johnson

2. In a bowl, mix peach preserves, peach nectar or juice,

lemon juice, Sriracha sauce, olive oil, cilantro, salt and pepper.

Transfer 1/4 cup of peach sauce to small bowl and set aside.

3. Brush nectarines and chicken with sauce. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 7 minutes per side, brushing with additional sauce as needed.

4. Grill nectarines until slightly charred, about 3 to 4 minutes.

5. Place chicken and nectarines on platter. Drizzle with reserved peach sauce. Garnish with cilantro. …… Serve with a peachy-raspberry rosé from Provence.

Not so Satay ginger garlic coconut chicken thighs serves 4

This dish is similar to chicken satay, without the fuss of slicing and skewering chicken breasts. Start this dish the night before; the chicken thighs must be marinated overnight.

1 4 1 1

1/4 2 1

1/2

8

2-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped cloves garlic, peeled small onion, peeled and quartered can coconut milk cup brown sugar tbsp low-sodium soy sauce tbsp sesame oil tsp turmeric bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed

1. Place the ginger, garlic and onion in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.

+ Search through a wide range of wine-friendly recipes on tidingsmag.com

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2. Add coconut milk, brown sugar, soy sauce,

sesame oil and turmeric. Process until blended.

3. Place chicken in glass or ceramic oven-proof

baking dish. Pour garlic-coconut mixture over chicken and cover. Refrigerate overnight, turning chicken a few times.

4. Preheat oven to 375˚F. 5. Roast chicken in marinade, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve with jasmine rice and roasted green beans with mushrooms. …… A German Riesling Spätlese is a balanced and fruity choice with this dish.

garlic, parsley and tomatostuffed chicken breasts serves 4

chicken biryani serves 4

This is a delicious Indian dish, easy to prepare all in one pot and with a blend of spices that lend a mysterious and exotic note.

1 1 1 4 3

tbsp butter onion, chopped bay leaf boneless, skinless chicken fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces tbsp biryani or mild Indian curry paste 1/4 tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp kosher salt 1 1/2 cups basmati rice, rinsed 1/2 cup golden raisins 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth 2 tbsp chopped cilantro

1. In a large Dutch oven, heat butter. Add onion and bay leaf. Cook until

onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and sauté about 5 minutes, or until golden.

2. Stir in curry paste. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric and salt. Cook about 2 minutes or until spices are aromatic.

3. Stir in rice, raisins and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through and rice has absorbed liquid, about 20 minutes.

4. Turn off heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

Garnish with cilantro. …… A California Chardonnay or Alsace Gewürztraminer will work with this dish.

56 // May/June 2012

Ancient Romans used a salted fish sauce called garum, believed to have enhanced the flavour of food much the same way anchovy paste enhances this dish. The paste is a good item to keep on hand as it infuses many dishes with “umami,” the elusive fifth flavour. Use this recipe as a starting point for many different types of stuffed chicken breasts.

3 garlic cloves, peeled and pushed through a garlic press 1 tbsp anchovy paste 1/4 cup chopped parsley 2 tsp olive oil 4 chicken breast fillets, pounded to 1/4-inch thick and patted dry 2 plum tomatoes, sliced 2 tbsp olive oil

1. In a small bowl, mix garlic, anchovy paste, parsley, 2 tsp olive oil, salt and pepper.

2. Spread chicken fillets with parsley mixture.

Place a tomato slice on one-half of each fillet. Fold each fillet in half. Use kitchen twine to hold folded fillets together if necessary.

3. Preheat oven to 325˚F. 4. Heat 2 tbsp oil in large skillet. Sauté chicken 2 minutes per side.

5. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place chicken on baking sheet. Roast in oven 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, and remove twine before serving. This dish is great with baked potatoes and sautéed zucchini. …… Match the anchovy stuffing with a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

honey mustard chicken with apples

Chicken Legs with Smug Wife Barbecue Sauce

serves 4 to 6

Chicken legs are one of the most economical parts of the bird, and they are great on the grill. I buy them on sale and store in the freezer so I always have a tasty, inexpensive choice for dinner.

I am absolutely obsessed with honey mustard; my fridge is filled with it, from well-known squeezable brands to esoteric little jars of sweet-hot heaven. With this recipe, use any honey mustard you have on hand. It’s all good.

8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed 2 tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, peeled and thickly sliced 2 Cortland or other baking apples, cored, peeled and thickly sliced 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 3 tbsp honey mustard 1 tbsp butter, softened 1 tbsp flour

1. Preheat oven to 450˚F. 2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In large

oven-proof skillet, sauté chicken in hot olive oil until golden brown on both sides, about 9 to 10 minutes.

Remove and set aside.

3. Pour off all but 2 tbsp of the drippings. Add onion and apples. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, mix broth with honey mustard.

Add to skillet and bring to a boil. Return chicken to skillet. Transfer to oven and roast chicken, apples and onions until chicken is cooked through, about 15–20 minutes. Remove chicken, apples and onions and set aside.

5. Place skillet with pan juices on stove.

6. Make a beurre manié: mix butter and flour in small bowl to make a paste. Bring pan juices to a simmer. Whisk in beurre manié. Bring to boil, whisking until thickened. Serve sauce with chicken, apples and onions. …… A Pinot Grigio with hints of apple is a nice match.

Serves 4

8 3

whole chicken legs cups Smug Wife Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)

1. Spray grill with cooking spray. Preheat to medium-low.

2. Season chicken legs with salt and pepper. Place on grill, skin side down. Grill 20 minutes.

3. After 20 minutes, brush with Smug Wife Barbecue Sauce. Continue

cooking, turning pieces frequently. Grill an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Smug Wife Barbecue Sauce Here’s the story: Many years ago, as newlyweds, my then-husband and I visited an enormously annoying couple. Not only was the smug wife willow-slim, model-tall and Scandinavian-blonde, she had a humongous claim to fame — her wickedly delicious homemade barbecue sauce. Determined to out-sauce her, I came up with the following Smug Wife Barbecue Sauce. Brush it on, and brush off the smugness.

1 1

tbsp butter onion, minced 3/4 cup ketchup 1 tbsp brown sugar 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp steak sauce, such as A-1 Sauce 1 tbsp cider vinegar 1/4 cup water Dash Tabasco sauce

1. In a saucepan, in hot butter over medium-low heat, sauté the onion

until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to boil.

2. Lower heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If desired, use an immersion blender to smooth out sauce. …… Barbecue is where I break out the Zinfandel or the Labatt’s. •

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must try

a little tart\\

by maria pata

Asparagus Tart Serves 6

To my mind, nothing says warm weather like a taste of tropical sunshine. These sunny days make me think of coconut milk, pineapple juice … asparagus. Yes, you read that right. I am definitely in deep with the greenspear-loving camp. Ok, so asparagus isn’t exactly a tropical vegetable. Why should such a little detail get in the way of a great pairing? On these early summer evenings, I light the bbq, thread a handful of fresh asparagus onto a skewer (the thicker stemmed spears work better for this) and grill them until they’re smoky, juicy and still a little crispy. Put a cocktail in my hand and I’m no longer sitting in a lounge chair on my backyard patio. Is that the quiet lapping of the waves on the shore I hear? Fine, so it’s just someone doing the dishes nearby. Whatever. The point is that with such a short harvest season take advantage of fresh asparagus when you can. Snap up a few bunches as soon as you see them, and try using them in some new creation, like this tasty asparagus tart I made recently. Soon, you, too, will find yourself singing the praises of the lovely asparagus spear.

58 // May/June 2012

The chickpea flour adds a subtle nutty flavour to the crust. Feel free to use regular or whole wheat flour instead. Just for fun, I used gluten-free allpurpose flour to great success. You’ll need one 8-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.

pastry

6 2 2

cup all-purpose flour cup chickpea flour tsp salt tbsp cold, unsalted butter large egg yolks tbsp ice water

3/4 1/2 1/2

1. In a large bowl, combine flours and

salt. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles pea-sized meal.

2. Stir in egg yolks. Add ice water. Stir dough briefly; tip dough out onto a cutting board. Use your hands to quickly bring the dough together into a ball.

3. Wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

4. Sprinkle flour over a cutting board.

Roll the dough out to a 9-inch round.

Place the dough carefully into a tart pan with a removable bottom. Press dough into the sides of the pan. Prick the bottom of the shell all over and chill for 10 minutes in the freezer.

5. Line the chilled shell with parch-

ment paper or foil. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 375°F until edges of crust are just beginning to turn brown, about 10 minutes.

6. Remove parchment and weights.

Continue baking for another 12 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

filling Pinch of salt 12 asparagus spears, trimmed 2 eggs 2 egg yolks 1/2 cup coconut milk (or 35% cream) 3/4 grated Parmigiano

1. While the pastry shell cools, grill or

steam asparagus until desired texture is reached. Cut spears into 1-inch lengths.

2. In a small bowl, combine eggs and coconut milk or cream. Stir well.

3. Place cooled pastry shell on a baking sheet. Distribute the asparagus over the bottom of the shell. Pour egg mixture overtop. Sprinkle with grated cheese.

4. Bake at 400°F until the filling is puffed and lightly golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool. …… Serve with your favourite sparkling wine or a cool tropical cocktail. •

Tidings uses the 100-point scale 95-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

90-94. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

85-89 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

80-84. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

75-79. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

70 & under. . . . . . . . . . .

exceptional excellent

very good good acceptable

below average

Our Scoring

System

* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . available through

wine clubs green. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . white & rosé wines red. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . red wines

the commentaries in order to get an idea of whether the wine might appeal to your taste. The prices listed are suggested retail prices and may vary from province to province. Since a large number of these wines can be purchased across Canada, check with your local liquor board, or its website, for availability.

Our tasters are Tony Aspler (ON), Sean Wood (NS, NB), Gilles Bois (QC), Evan Saviolidis (ON), Harry Hertscheg (BC), Gurvinder Bhatia (AB), Rick VanSickle (ON), Ron Liteplo (AB) and Jonathan Smithe (MB).

Argentina // p. 59; Australia // p. 59-60; Canada // p. 60-61; Chile // p. 62; France // p. 62-63; germany // p. 63;

Each wine is judged on its own merits, in its respective category.

Readers should open their palates to compare the relationship between quality and price. We’d also ask you to carefully study

Italy // p. 63; mexico // p. 63; New Zealand // p. 63; portugal // p. 64; South Africa // p. 64; Spain // p. 64;

the notes\\ /Argentina /

93 Sergio Traverso Malbec Blend 1314 2005, Mendoza ($18)

Deep red, just tipping from plum to brick, indicates this is hitting its prime. Mostly Malbec, a wine for quiet contemplation as the nose evolves over hours: plum jam and cassis lead to nutmeg and liquorice, with an overlay of vanilla from judicious use of oak. Packed with red and blue berries and nicely balanced, this will plateau for a few more years. (RL)*

87 Santa Julia Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2010, Mendoza ($12.95) From the folks who brought

you Fuzion, a good-value Cab. Dense purple-black in colour with vanilla, sandalwood and blackcurrant nose; fruity and firm with flavours of plum, black cherries and currants; spicy clove and cinnamon finish. (TA)

87 La Posta Cocina Tinto 2010, Mendoza ($13)

This is an interesting blend of Malbec (60%), Syrah (20%) and Bonarda (20%) with deep, rich aromas of plum, smoke, spice, tar, earth, black cherries and cassis. It is bold and substantive on the palate with black raspberry, cassis, cherry, tar, spice and leather notes. Has enough to stand up to blackened fish. (RV)

+ A searchable listing of our tasting notes is at tidingsmag.com/notes/

United States // p. 64-65; Spirits // p. 65

/Australia /

88 Wyndham Estate Bin 222 Chardonnay 2010, South Eastern Australia ($14.99)

Aromatic tropical and citrus-fruit scents with a lightly buttery overtone.

Delicate lemon citrus flavours combine with a hint of tropical fruit on the palate. Gently fresh acidity and a touch of lemon butter on the finish. (SW)

88 Grant Burge Summers Chardonnay 2010, Adelaide Hills ($20)

With fruit from Burge’s Summers vineyard in the relatively cool-climate Eden

Valley, and from the Adelaide Hills, this Chard shows inviting citrus, light toast and vanilla, charred oak and cream notes. The fruit is intense on the palate, but nicely balanced with the oak, spice and acid. Could try this with grilled veal chops with mushrooms. (RV)

93 Geoff Hardy Hand Crafted Cabernet/ Tempranillo 2004, McLaren Vale ($19)

Deep plum-red with fine particles. Can be enjoyed for its sophisticated nose alone: cassis, cedar and black cherries open in the glass to enchanting violets and liquorice. Medium-bodied

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//the notes and beautifully balanced, the flavours are of fresh, clean berries with a hint of eucalyptus. Very long finish. Good for several more years. (RL)*

full-bodied and dry with a fruity, blackberry flavour and very classy for its price tag.

Try it with roast lamb or a pork chop. (TA)

93 Wolf Blass Grey Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Langhorne Creek ($30)

88 Rymill The Yearling Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Coonawarra ($14)

What a gorgeous wine, with a nose of cassis, blackcurrants, plums, earth, sweet oak spice and mocha. It is textured on the palate with layers of concentrated dark fruits, chalky tannins, chocolatemint notes, lavish spice and a long, long finish. Serve with rack of lamb. (RV)

91 Geoff Hardy K1 Shiraz 2005, Adelaide Hills ($22) Practically opaque, dark plum-red. Interesting nose of roasted meat, menthol, fig and chocolate. An assortment of ripe red berries ride on lots of acidity to a medium-length finish. Drink up soon. (RL)*

91 Wolf Blass Grey Label Shiraz/Cabernet 2009, Coonawarra ($35)

The blend is 70% Shiraz and the rest Cab. I love the mature blueberries, currants, mocha and pepper notes on the nose.

It’s rich, expressive and velvety on the palate with layers of lush currants, blackberries and spice. Will age well in the cellar. (RV)

89 Sister’s Run Shiraz 2008, Barossa Valley ($15.95)

Dense purple-black in colour with a fruitcake nose, tinged with sweet herbs. It’s

60 // May/June 2012

Shows good varietal character with prominent blackcurrant, blackberry and green herb; notes of clove and cinnamon. Refined blackcurrant flavour in the mouth is complemented with a lick of spice and chocolate. (SW)

88 Wyndham Estate Bin 555 Shiraz 2008, South Eastern Australia ($16.99)

Dark berry scents with minty herbal and spicy clove lead the way for generous, fleshy berry flavours with some currant notes on the smoothly textured palate. Long, well-integrated finish. (SW)

87 Wolf Blass Yellow Label Merlot 2010, South Australia ($17) The iconic Yellow Label from Wolf Blass rarely disappoints and is a stalwart in the price category. The nose shows plum, black fruits and subtle spice notes while the palate delivers plum, earth and liquorice on a bed of supple tannins. (RV)

86 Lindemans Bin 40 Merlot 2010, South Eastern Australia ($12)

A simple, yet delicious, value wine with cherry fruit, blackberry and soft spices on the nose. It’s lightly spiced on

the palate with some chocolate notes on the finish. (RV)

86 Rosemount Diamond Label Merlot 2006, South Eastern Australia ($16) This multi-regional Merlot displays plum, blueberry, herbs, cocoa and raspberry aromas. It’s quite fruity on the palate with raspberry, chocolate, vanilla and pepper flavours. To enjoy now. (RV)

/Canada / 91 Bachelder Niagara Chardonnay 2009, Niagara ($31.95)

This is one of three Chardonnays Thomas Bachelder has made in Burgundy, Oregon and Ontario. Light straw in colour, it offers a bouquet of spicy Meyer lemon and green apple with a mineral note; elegant, clean and beautifully balanced with well-integrated oak and good length. (TA)

91 Cave Spring Cellars Riesling Icewine 2008, Niagara ($49.95/375 ml)

starts off with a pale greenyellow colour and then follows with significant minerals, smoke, lime cordial, bergamot, peach and yellow apple. Although it is light-bodied, it is oh so flavourful, with just a drop of residual sugar offering a counterpoint to the tangy acidity. The length is excellent. A perfect pairing may be found with either spicy sushi or braised pork with an apple-onion compote. (ES)

90 Vineland Estates Vidal Icewine 2010, Niagara ($42/375 ml)

Here is my sweetheart from this year’s Icewine Gala. The deep yellow colour ushers in candied peaches, dried apricots, sponge toffee, figs and mangoes. Full-bodied; the fruit just lingers on the tongue, and the acid is just right. (ES)

90 Riverview Cellars Buona Notte Icewine 2009, Niagara ($99.95/375 ml)

This is always one of the top Riesling Icewines in Ontario!

A nose of smoky minerals, peach jam, lime cordial, honey and flowers meet up with grapefruit on the palate. Great concentration, aftertaste and acidity will ensure a decade of aging, but there is no need to wait, as there is immediate gratification to be had. (ES)

Riverview has crafted a singular Icewine blend of two-thirds Vidal and onethird Riesling. The latter was also botrytis-affected. Partially barrel fermented/aged, the nose of peach jam, spice, mushrooms, wax, honey, lime and lanolin is also found on the taste buds. The flavours are lasting and offset by constant acidity. (ES)

90 Tawse Sketches of Niagara Riesling 2010, Niagara ($17.95)

89 Henry of Pelham Reserve Off-Dry Riesling 2009, Niagara ($15.95)

This great-value Riesling

This is a great follow-up to

the fabulous 2008 Reserve. It is light- to medium-bodied with a punchy nose of lime, lemon peel, minerals, grapefruit and peach. The length and acidity work as one, making for a long and tangy finish. (ES)

89 Hinterbrook Riesling 2010, Niagara ($17.95)

Hinterbrook Estate is a new Niagara winery that’s made an impressive debut with Riesling. The wine is pale straw in colour with reflections of lime. It has a nose of petrol, minerals and grapefruit — all the characteristic aromas of a fine Riesling. It’s off-dry with flavours of peach, honey and citrus, sustaining well on the palate. (TA)

89 Fielding Estate Vidal Icewine 2009, Niagara ($22.95/200 ml)

Peaches studded with cloves, ginger, apples and tropical fruit are all part of this well-priced Vidal Icewine.

It is not overpowering.

Rather it is both elegant and well defined, carrying its sweetness and acidity in tandem. (ES)

89 Tawse Wismer Vineyard Riesling Lakeview Block 2010, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara ($24.95) This Riesling possesses a bit more weight than the Sketches but is not as long on the taste buds. The colour, once again, is a pale green/ yellow, and a profile of minerals, peach, Asian pear and lanolin resonate on the nose and palate. (ES)

89 Konzelmann Estate Riesling Icewine 2008, Niagara ($58/375 ml)

This Riesling is starting to show mature petrol aromas, which intersect with dried apricots, golden raisins, flowers, honey and lime zest.

Delicate and flavourful, the aftertaste hangs around for a while, while the crisp acidity frames everything. (ES)

88 Cave Spring Cellars Dry Riesling 2010, Niagara ($14.95)

Normally my preference, when it comes to Cave’s entry Rieslings, is for their off-dry version. But in 2010, my taste leans to their dry rendition.

Petrol, the dominant quality, is accompanied by bergamot, lime and minerals. Acidity is present but not overpowering, making for a refreshing summer sipper. (ES)

88 Cave Spring Cellars Chenin Blanc 2009, Niagara ($17.95)

This offering is an off-dry Chenin, along the lines of a ripe Vouvray Demi-Sec. Light yellow in colour, there is Golden Delicious apple, mango, wet wool, minerals, citrus and honey, which are supported by the crisp acidity. Pair it with goat cheese– and asparagusstuffed crêpes or scallops in a Dijon cream sauce. (ES)

88 Cave Spring Cellars Estate Bottled Chardonnay 2010, Niagara ($18) There is more weight to this wine than in past vintages, thanks to the heat of 2010.

Smoke, cream, vanilla,

banana, citrus, spice and hints of pineapple work as one, both on the nose as well as with the lengthy aftertaste. It is elegant with just the right amount of acid. (ES)

87 Mt Boucherie Estate Collection Pinot Gris 2010, Okanagan ($14.99) Savoury fruit-peel aromas with intense scents of peach, pear, citrus and Golden Delicious apple. Rich pear compote and honey-melon flavours wrap around a waxy texture. Apricot and golden raisins resonate on the spicy finish. Enjoy with seafood crêpes. (HH)

90 Tawse Cabernet Franc Icewine 2010, Niagara ($34.95/200 ml)

Crème de cassis, raspberry liqueur, strawberry jam, allspice and a slight herbal undertone make for a pleasing red Icewine. The acidity relieves any heaviness, and the red and dark fruits echo on the great aftertaste. (ES)

89 Between the Lines Cabernet Franc Icewine 2009, Niagara ($39.95/375 ml)

The strawberry, guava, spice, thyme-in-honey, raisins, dried flowers and blackcurrant are the crux of this sweetie.

Mid-weight and refined, the dark and red fruits carry the lengthy aftertaste. (ES)

88 Mt Boucherie Family Reserve Pinot Noir 2006, Okanagan ($29.99) Fragrant aromas of forest floor, violets, red cherry and

sassafras capture its varietal essence. This earthy, savoury theme resonates on the tart, lean palate, accompanied by a cherry core, dry tannins, spicy overtones and a mineralbacked finish. Try with hot-smoked salmon. (HH)

87 Mt Boucherie Family Reserve Zinfandel 2008, Okanagan ($34.99)

Wafts of blueberry accompany the smoky, meaty scents.

The juicy mouthfeel elicits flavours of dark berries, tar and mineral leading to creamy vanilla and then lingering liquorice. Bright acidity balances ripe tannins.

Pairs well with marinated grilled meats. (HH)

86 Mt Boucherie Summit Reserve Syrah 2007, Okanagan ($24.99)

Restrained yet complex aromas of blueberry, red cherry, black pepper and hints of sausage. The austere mineral-driven palate offers tart raspberry and blackberry flavours. Somewhat astringent tannins give way to focused cocoa and coffee bean. Pair with lamb shanks. (HH)

85 Mt Boucherie Summit Reserve Merlot 2008, Okanagan ($19.99)

Fragrant aromas of raspberry, plum pudding and vanilla.

Lively acidity enhances the mocha and chocolate-covered cherry flavours. Finishes with notes of tea, tobacco and prune before giving way to lingering cedar.

Match with grilled vegetables and sausages. (HH)

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//the notes /Chile / 89 Emiliana Novas Gran Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2011, Casablanca Valley ($12) The fresh white grapefruit– and jasmine-scented nose perks you right up. An herbaceous liveliness combines with citrus flavours and lingering white pepper. These ocean-influenced organically grown grapes make a very expressive, well-balanced quaff. Delicious with lemonstuffed roast chicken. (HH)

85 Falernia Chardonnay 2009, Elqui Valley ($12.99)

Mellow citrus, tropical fruit and banana with a light oaky vanilla note and creamy texture, all kept in balance by brisk acidity and an agreeable trace of mineral. (SW)

91 Undurraga Altazor 2007, Maipo Valley ($49.99)

Cab Sauv (61%) and Carménère (29%) dominate this five-varietal blend, with splashes of Syrah, Carignan and Petit Verdot. Deep aromas and rich flavours of black cherry, cocoa and cedar. Ripe, plush tannins frame the concentrated, full-bodied palate. Liquorice lingers long on the finish.

Match with beef. (HH)

87 Chocalan Gran Reserva Blend 2009, Maipo Valley ($26.99)

Cab Sauv (33%) and Syrah (29%) lead in this six-varietal blend. Opens with savoury-

62 // May/June 2012

toned aromas of red cherry, cedar and chocolate. Maritime-influenced vineyards ensure bright acidity and an elegant structure. Firm tannins and black cherry and mocha flavours lead to a toasty spice finish. Match with stewed meat. (HH)

84 Falernia Sangiovese 2009, Elqui Valley ($12.99)

Mellow, ripe red fruit on the nose and soft, lightly sweet fruits with a suggestion of bitter cherry flavour, gentle tannins and a splash of milk chocolate on the finish. (SW)

/France / 92 Huet Le Mont DemiSec 2005, Vouvray, Loire Valley ($34.75) Pale yellow. Great finesse in the sharp dried fruits (apple, pear) aromas with cutting minerality. Fat on the palate, open and full — even imposing — flavour. Racy acidity and lots of mineral taste. Excellent length. Still young, it can wait a few more years. (GBQc)

89 Vignes Moingeon 2009, Saint-Aubin Premier Cru ($25)

Made near Chassagne-Montrachet and shares many of the attributes. Polished light lemon-yellow, with flowery and apple aromas that open to pears in the glass. Fullbodied with citrus acidity and flavours of lemon and apple. Long finish. Needs more time. (RL)*

89 Jaffelin 2010, Chablis ($28.99)

Crisp Chablis style with green apple, lively acidity and focused minerality from start to finish. Well-balanced, elegant simplicity. (SW)

88 Domaine Grand Tradition Côtes du Jura Blanc 2009, Jura ($22)

Warning: This old-style Jura white is a blend of Chardonnay and Savagnin and is completely unexpected if you’ve never tried this style before. The nose is quite sherry-like, with slightly oxidized and unique notes of citrus peel, roasted nuts and apple skin. It’s very dry, oily and unctuous on the palate with fresh grapefruit, green pistachio, fino sherry and ginger flavours. Try this unique wine with raclette, fondue or white meats. (RV)

88 Laroche Chablis St-Martin 2010, Burgundy ($23.95)

Pale yellow. Not as ripe as the 2009, the nose is more classic with nice citrus fruit. Vivid acidity; it feels elegant and round, very dry and balanced.

Ready to drink. (GBQc)

87 Cave Vinicole de Hunawihr Riesling Grand Cru Schoenenbourg 2005, Alsace ($18)

Pale lemon, the nose is predominantly peaches with a touch of petrol.

Full-bodied apple-pear flavours with mouth-watering acidity and an interesting peach-stone bitterness on a long finish. (RL)*

87 Château Rouquettesur-Mer Cuvée Arpège 2010, La Clape, Côteaux du Languedoc ($19)

Pale yellow. Extremely fresh nose: floral notes, minerally. A little sharp due to its acidity; light body, very fresh with a slightly mineral finish. (GBQc)

79 Prince Pirate Blanc 2010, Vin de Table Français ($8)

Clear, pale, silvery yellow with nice citrus aromas. Lightbodied, with crisp acidity over flavours of apricots and lemons. Everyday wine at a good price. (RL)*

91 Maison Roche de Bellene Vieilles Vignes GevreyChambertin 2009, Burgundy ($48)

This Pinot Noir displays a complex and floral nose of violets, earthy darker fruits, barnyard, mocha, truffles and spice. It is pure joy on the palate, with seamless raspberry-cherry-currant fruits and exciting spice woven in. It’s already coming into balance but has the stuffing to evolve for several more years. This is what Burgundy is all about. (RV)

90 Château Tour des Gendres Gloire de Mon Père 2008, Bergerac, Southwest ($21.95)

Dark purple. Inviting nose of black fruits, ripe with just enough oak. Good freshness with chewy, generous tannins and lots of fruity taste. Very tight finish.

Excellent stuff. (GBQc)

89 Château Rouquettesur-Mer Cuvée Amarante 2010, La Clape, Côteaux du Languedoc ($18) Red fruits and a touch of violet, eucalyptus and some oak notes with something salty and iodine. The mouth follows in a harmonious mix of flavours and a great balance. (GBQc)

89 Domaine Pierre Fil Cuvée Elisyces 2007, Minervois ($19.95)

A blend of Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre and other local varieties. Deep ruby in colour with a truffle, barnyard and black raspberry nose, it has a perfumed raspberry flavour; some sweetness here, full-bodied and fleshy but elegant in a Rubenesque kind of way. (TA)

89 Château Cambon la Pelouse 2008, Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux ($24.90)

Cherry red. Discreet but refined nose of kirsch and floral notes. Intense fruity taste; fully ripe, finely grained tannins give an elegant mouthfeel built on balance and harmony lasting through the long finish. (GBQc)

89 Château Cambon la Pelouse 2001, Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux ($25)

The 2001 vintage in Bordeaux hides some fine wines that are often underestimated in comparison to the much-celebrated, and great, 2000. This fine example shows signs of evolution in its colour and on the nose. Complex and hard to describe, the fruit is still present, but tertiary aromas

(animal scents, etc.) take the front stage. Silky, it tastes fruity in its great elegance. Delicious and at its peak. (GBQc)

88 Laroche Mas la Chevalière 2009, Vin de pays d’Oc ($17.40)

This 50/50 Syrah and Merlot blend has a nice purple colour.

Syrah-dominated nose of ripe red and black fruits; very little oak, as only 25% of the wine spends time in it. Built on balance, it shows freshness and roundness in the mouth.

Well made. (GBQc)

86 Château La Croix de Queynac 2009, Bordeaux ($14.95)

Here’s a tasty claret at an even tastier price. Dense ruby in colour with a nose of cedar and sweet red berry fruit; it’s medium-bodied and nicely balanced, with a dry currant and blackberry flavour and enough tannin to give it some ageability. (TA)

84 Moulin de Gassac Classic Red 2010, Pays d’Hérault IGP ($9.99)

Moulin de Gassac has established a solid reputation for characterful regional wines. This entry-level offering shows straightforward fruit, good balance and moderate alcohol. For everyday drinking. (SW)

/Germany / 90 Anselmann Huxelrebe Auslese 2009, Pfalz ($17.95)

Huxelrebe is a German grape

first propagated in 1927 by crossing Chasselas with a Muscat clone, which produced an early-ripening variety. Straw-coloured with a greenish tint, it has a honeyed nose of ripe peaches; it’s rich and unctuous on the palate with a sweet core.

Try it with blue cheese or a fruit-based dessert. (TA)

/Italy / 88 Piera Martellozzo Blu Giovello NV, Prosecco DOC ($15.99)

Fragrant green-apple scent with equally lively fresh green fruit and a trace of lime on the palate. Finish is drier than usual and is the better for it. Very refreshing, the way Prosecco should be. (SW)

90 Villa Cafaggio Chianti Classico Riserva 2007, Tuscany ($37.25)

Full ruby with signs of evolution. Expressive nose; delicate hints of dried fruits, black olives. Harmonious on the palate; elegant with very good balance up to the finish, when it becomes a little warm. (GBQc)

88 Batasiolo 2009, Langhe Rosso DOC ($19.99)

Developed, warmly ripe red fruit with a pinch of clove, cinnamon and minty herb on the nose. Adroitly balanced cherry fruit, lightly firm tannins, brisk acidity and a suggestion of baking chocolate on the finish. (SW)

88 Marchesi Alfieri La Tota 2009, Barbera d’Asti, Piedmont ($23)

Lively nose of mixed red fruits (strawberry, raspberry), very little oak. Nice fruity taste, supple tannins, well-dosed acidity for a perfect balance.

Enjoyable. (GBQc)

87 Umberto Fiore Barbaresco 2006, Piedmont ($16.95)

A mature, well-priced Barbaresco. Tawny ruby in colour with a nose of tar, rose petals and dried cherries; medium-bodied, dry and firmly structured with a tannic lift on the finish. (TA)

/Mexico / 89 L.A. Cetto Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Valle de Guadalupe ($11.95)

Medium ruby. Not your typical Cab Sauv, but still a nice nose of kirsch, hints of tobacco and fruit stones.

Very supple, its medium body is elegant and well balanced with a clean finish.

Surprising in many ways, but still nice and with an attractive price. (GBQc)

/New / Zealand 89 Carrick Pinot Noir 2009, Central Otago ($33)

Light ruby. Lots of oak on the nose but with beautiful “yummy” red fruits and Thrills gum. Tight palate, fine tannins, nice fruity taste. Good balance and length. (GBQc)

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//the notes /Portugal / 85 Quinta das Amoras Estate Bottled Vinho Tinto 2009, Lisboa ($10)

A blend of local Castelão, Camarate, Tinta Miúda and Touriga Nacional varieties.

Offers intriguing spicy clove and a dusting of cinnamon with lightly sweet, ripe red fruits, moderate tannins and a splash of milk chocolate. (SW)

/South / Africa 89 Boekenhoutskloof The Wolftrap White 2010, Western Cape ($15) Viognier (67%), Chenin Blanc (19%) and Grenache Blanc (14%). Opens with aromatic peach and lemon citrus notes and a light floral lift. Clean stone-fruit flavours come with a smooth mouthfeel, wellbehaved acidity and a lightly sweet fruit sensation on the finish. Could pass for a good Rhône blend. (SW)

87 Goats do Roam White 2010, Paarl ($11.95) A blend of Viognier (68%), Roussanne (17%) and

Grenache Blanc (15%). The wine is a light straw colour with a bouquet of peach, minerals and white flowers.

Medium-bodied and dry with lively acidity, it’s terrific value and a versatile food wine. (TA)

89 Post House Blueish Black Blend 2010, Stellenbosch ($14.30)

Deep purple-black in colour; spicy, peppery, floral, blackberry nose with an oaky note; lovely mouthfeel, elegant and muscular with a firm finish.

Great value. (TA)

89 KWV Cathedral Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Western Cape ($16.99)

Reveals Bordeaux-like aromatics with just a whiff of sooty dry ink, characteristic of some older Cape vines. Classic piquant blackcurrant and green herbal flavours are supported by lightly astringent tannins and slightly prominent acidity. Well-integrated fruit, cinnamon, clove, fine oak and a trace of mocha on the finish. (SW)

87 Obikwa Cabernet Sauvignon 2011, Stellenbosch ($8.95)

Another amazing-value wine from South Africa. Dense purple colour with a smoky, earthy nose of blackcurrants; full-bodied and soft on the palate with plum and cassis flavours and a note of graphite. A true hamburger or pizza wine. (TA)

/Spain / 89 Bodegas Castaño Pozuelo Reserva 2007, Yecla ($14.95)

Full ruby. Open nose of black fruits, only a little oak.

Supple attack, nice fruity core, abundant soft tannins.

Nice fruity finish of good length. Generous style and a good buy. (GBQc)

84 Bodegas Piqueras Valcanto Monastrell 2009, Almansa ($9.99)

Shows deep colour; good fruit intensity with structure and well-rounded smoothness on the palate. Drink with grilled red meats and lightly spicy Mediterranean dishes. (SW)

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64 // May/June 2012

/United / States 92 Etude Chardonnay 2009, Carneros, California ($45)

Wonderfully fresh, with great minerality and touch of acidity; bright apple, citrus, touch of spice; great mouthfeel. A fantastic example of a California Chardonnay that is rich and still fresh. No new oak, and no malo. I keep thinking oysters and shellfish. (GB)

88 Beaulieu Vineyard BV Coastal Estates Chardonnay 2007, California ($10.95)

When I looked at the price I thought at first it was a misprint. It’s straw-coloured with a mature, high-toned nose of apple and toasty oak; on the palate it’s dry, nutty and toasty, with apple and pineapple flavours. What’s impressive for the price is its full-bodied, voluptuous mouthfeel and concentration of flavour. (TA)

87 Château St Jean Chardonnay 2010, Sonoma County ($19.99) Nice mix of tropical fruit, apple, lemon and pineapple

with a touch of richness and evident oak influence, but good balance and integration and a hint of acidity. A decent value in a more traditional style. (GB)

93 Etude Heirloom Pinot Noir 2008, Carneros, California ($125)

Winemaker Jon Priest’s statement that “Pinot Noir shouldn’t be obvious. It should be constantly changing in the glass” is clearly evident in this wine. Possesses a great mouthfeel with silky and velvety texture, bright black cherry, raspberry, plum and earth; fresh acidity, firm backbone, yet elegant, refined and pretty with its floral nose.

The wine keeps revealing itself with every sip and the longer it stays in the glass.

Will definitely benefit with a couple of years in the bottle, but it’s so delicious now, it may not last in the cellar. (GB)

91 Etude Pinot Noir 2009, Carneros, California ($62)

Ripe and fresh dark-cherry and wildberry aromas and flavours, with hints of earth and spice and a beautiful touch of minerality on the silky finish. Quite approachable, but still has a robust quality, as the flavours are really full and well defined.

Grilled roast pork or chicken would be perfect. (GB)

90 Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Sonoma County ($18.95) Bright, full ruby. Some complexity on the nose; fruit

has finesse, oak is well dosed.

Equally balanced on the palate; good extract, elegant and round. A complete wine, very well made. (GBQc)

90 Landmark Grand Detour Pinot Noir 2008, Sonoma County ($39.95)

Burgundy meets New Zealand in this stylish Pinot from Sonoma. Tawny ruby in colour, high-toned cherry nose; richly extracted, supple and lively on the palate with a firm finish. (TA)

90 Lachini Pinot Noir Estate 2008, Willamette Valley, Oregon ($44)

This Oregon Pinot is sourced from estate fruit in the Chehalem Mountains, and wow, what a delightful surprise. The nose reveals juicy, wild black and red fruits, toasted vanilla, earth, plum and fragrant floral notes. It shows both power and grace on the palate with lush, generous fruit, surprising poise and balance with its array of spice and fine oak stylings and acidity. Cellar for five years, or decant and drink now. Pair with pheasant or veal. (RV)

90 Château St Jean Cinq Cépages 2001, Sonoma County ($88)

Showing leather, cedar box and spice with hints of bitter chocolate; soft tannins; quite plush and complex, still possessing good fruit, but showing its age quite well. Drinking well now, but may hold on for a few more years. (GB)

89 Plume Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Napa Valley ($29.99)

Aromas of blackcurrant, black cherry and liquorice. Elegant acidity and fine-grained, plush tannins serve up rich red cherry fruit. The clean, fruity finish lingers with liquorice and vanilla notes. A worthy grill companion. (HH)

89 Château St Jean Cinq Cépages 2008, Sonoma County ($88)

Quite elegant and balanced with bright black cherry and boysenberry, soft approachable tannins, hints of dark chocolate and a rich, round finish. Possesses a nice refined elegance and restraint. (GB)

88 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir 2009, Sonoma County ($24.99)

Approachable, with aromas and flavours of dark cherry, raspberry, red currants, cola and an intriguing earthiness.

Great balance; soft, supple tannins and vibrant, with a nice underlying structure and fresh bit of acidity on the silky finish. Great with salmon, roast chicken and pork, roasted portobello mushrooms. (GB)

87 Murphy-Goode Liars Dice Zinfandel 2009, Alexander Valley, California ($35)

Bright, ripe red and black cherry, raspberry and plum, with hints of dark chocolate and spice; good structure, vibrant with good length and quite rich without being over the top. Needs ribs or a juicy steak. (GB)

86 Peachy Canyon Incredible Red 2010, Paso Robles, California ($22.99)

Easygoing, fresh and juicy with bright aromas of cherries, raspberry and currant; soft texture and pleasant finish. (GB)

85 Beringer Stone Cellars Merlot 2009, California ($14)

Shows notes of ripe cherry, herbs, wild berries and a touch of eucalyptus on the nose.

Nothing too complicated here, just a well-crafted red. (RV)

/Spirits / The Macallan 12-YearOld Sherry Oak 40%, Scotland ($89.99)

Displays the opulent richness of Macallan’s 100% sherry cask style with plenty of sherried fruit, vanilla, caramel, spice and a trace of smokiness.

Plush flavour has a touch of sweetness and creaminess, offsetting ashy dryness and lightly fiery alcohol. (SW)

Highland Park 18-YearOld 43%, Scotland ($144)

Aged in a combination of American and Spanish sherry casks, the nose here is more mellow than the 12, with a subtle interplay of citrus, cinnamon spice, honeyed floral and fine malty notes. Richly powerful expression in the mouth conveys sweet dried fruit with a trace of vanilla. Very complex finish shows lightly smoky dry oak with a lingering spicy/floral counterpoint. (SW)

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make way for ptg\\

The only blended wine produced in Burgundy is a simple red they call Passe-Tout-Grains. Grown mainly in the Côte Chalonnais, the southern part of the region where Gamay flourishes, the wine must be two-thirds Gamay and one-third Pinot Noir (although producers are permitted to blend in up to 15 per cent of white varieties, such as Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay). The Gamay and Pinot are co-fermented, usually starting off with carbonic maceration (the Beaujolais technique which involves starting with uncrushed berries in stainless steel tanks and then reverting to the traditional barrel fermentation).

Passe-Tout-Grains is a simple quaffing wine not for ageing but for drinking young and lightly chilled or at room temperature - and with the added virtue of being relatively inexpensive.

The LCBO currently offers Jaffelin Bourgogne Passe-ToutGrains 2009 at $14.95. The SAQ has a Bouchard Père et Fils 2010 and a Philippe Thorin 2009 at $15.70 and $15.95 respectively. I couldn’t find any Bourgogne Passe-Tout- Grains in British Columbia’s liquor board stores but I did sample what I believe to be the only wine of this style to be made in BC – Joie Farm PTG 2009. This wine is actually an inverse of the Bourgogne model, being 63% Pinot Noir and 37% Gamay (refreshed by 10% Gamay from the 2010 vintage). It was absolutely delicious, a mouthful of strawberries and cherries with citrus acidity and a touch of oak spice.

66 // May/June 2012

final word

by tony aspler

Now I believe that Passe-Tout-Grains is a no-brainer for Canadian wine producers in regions that have difficulty ripening Bordeaux varieties, let alone Syrah. Ontario is a natural home for Passe-Tout-Grains (and how clever of Heidi Noble and Michael Dinn to appeal to the non-French speaking consumer by calling their wine PTG). The only producers in the Niagara Peninsula and Prince Edward County regions who currently make a wine that approximates this style are Malivoire with their Cat on the Bench Pinot Noir label – 85 per cent Pinot and 15 per cent Gamay - and Long Dog with their Tumbling Stone – a 50/50 blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir which they have been making since 2007. Long Dog’s Galahad 2010 is a 60 Pinot Noir/40 Gamay blend, organically grown and vinified, hand harvested and fully de-stemmed. Malivoire Cat on the Bench 2007 doesn’t exactly fit my definition of being relatively inexpensive, clocking in as it does at $100.20 a bottle; but then they only made 20 cases.

Not only is Passe-Tout-Grains a delicious wine for sipping but it’s also a versatile food wine. Serve it at room temperature and it can accompany hamburgers, chicken, veal and ham; chill it to 16 degrees Celsius to bring out the freshness and it makes an admirable match for salmon or tuna. And it should sell for a lot less than Pinot Noir. So let’s hope our winemakers take up the challenge. •

illustration: FRancesco Gallé, www.francescogalle.com

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