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QUENCH MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017 MASTERCLASS × 20 THE MARTINI! NO OTHER COCKTAIL HAS BEEN THIS MISINTERPRETED. TILL NOW. BY TOD STEWART IN THE KNOW × 23 IS SHERRY ONE OF THE MOST VERSATILE WINES EVER CREATED? BY TREVE RING BALL OF CONFUSION × 26 MOST OF BURGUNDY LEAVES MANY WINE LOVERS SCRATCHING THEIR HEADS AND BABBLING INCOHERENTLY IN THE CORNER. BY MICHAEL PINKUS
29 40
REVISITED × 29 GOING BACK TO ABRUZZO AFTER ALMOST 10 YEARS IS A REAL EYE OPENER. BY MICHAELA MORRIS SNAP, CRACKLE, POP × 32 CANADA HAS TAKEN TO PRODUCING SPARKLING IN A BIG WAY. BY RICK VANSICKLE ON A ROLL × 38 THE OKANAGAN’S USE OF GERMAN VARIETALS IS MORE THAN A FAD. BY TIM PAWSEY THE GREAT HOOCH OF CHINA × 40 BAIJIU IS HELPING BUILD BRIDGES, ONE GLASS AT A TIME. BY SILVANA LAU LOAFING × 44 THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THAT THE SMELL OF AN OUT-OF-THE-OVEN LOAF OF BREAD. BY DUNCAN HOLMES
DEPARTMENTS THE CHRISTMAS LESSON × 48 THE YEAR I RECEIVED THE ABSOLUTELY BEST ADVICE EVER — PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE JERKS. BY NANCY JOHNSON NOTED × 51 EXPERTLY-TASTED BUYING GUIDE OF WINES, BEERS AND SPIRITS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
EMBODYING CHANGE × 64 FOR OVER A DECADE, I HAVE BEEN VOCALLY OPINING THAT SOME OF THE BEST-VALUE WINES IN THE WORLD ARE GROWN IN THE MARCHE REGION OF ITALY. BY GURVINDER BHATIA FLIGHT FROM THE FLUTE × 66 IT’S TIME TO RELEGATE THE CHAMPAGNE COUPE TO THE ICE CREAM PARLOUR. BY TONY ASPLER
DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 3
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IT’S ALWAYS NICE TO DISCOVER SOMETHING NEW. BUT ONE THING WE DON’T REALIZE IS, IT’S RARELY THAT NEW. At least in some instances, it’s simply
new to us. That’s the fun part. This issue was a real eye opener for me. When contributing editor, Tod Stewart, first brought me the idea of Baijiu — China’s home-grown spirit — I was in. I knew that most people had not heard of it. Some may have come
4 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017
Roots and shoots my favourite ingredients to cook with! Their colours alone make me giddy. I was absolutely thrilled to read Holmes’s article “Back to Our Roots” - good to see beets, carrots, onions and potatoes getting placed center stage instead of as supporting characters. I can’t wait to pick up Chef James Walt’s new cookbook… because I’ve used every recipe in my trusty Recipes from the Root Cellar cookbook [Andrea Chesman, 2010]. Susan Wilkinson, Moose Jaw Is there an industry in this world that hasn’t been dominated by the big corporations? Sometimes it makes me sick, figuratively and literally, knowing that big corp producers will do anything to make their product more palatable and marketable. Thank you, Silvana Lau, for shedding some light on this sacrilege in the wine industry. And for showing me what to look for if we want a wine without all the hocus pocus. Cheers to wines, Au Naturel! James Addock, Toronto Quench’s Mav Wine and Spirits awards are the only annual wine list I trust - I look for it every year! Thank you for putting together another great selection! Ashley Lee, email
across it in passing — either while travelling or visiting a friend’s home. It’s simply not on our radar. Well, now it is. That’s what’s interesting about the months of December and January. It’s the time we spend visiting others, enjoying hospitality as we navigate through the holiday season into the new year. We forget that’s the best way to open your palate. By visiting others. I often joke at events — or maybe it’s not a joke — that if you want to taste new things, go over to a friend’s house. They often cook differently from you, buy wines you may not have considered, travelled to new places and brought back a bit of its spirit. Those small day trips can open up new worlds and new diversions. You are boldly going where no one has gone before. Oh, wait, it’s true: someone already knows about it.
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CONTRIBUTORS Peter Rockwell is a drinker with a writing problem. Our resident Bon Vivant has spent over 20 years filling his glass and transforming what he finds into words. You can read his weekly drinks column, Liquid Assets, in issues of Metro across Canada and follow his adventures on all social media channels @TheRealWineGuy.
Michaela Morris is a freelance wine writer, educator and presenter. Though based in Vancouver, she sits on wine panels and judges both locally and abroad. Michaela holds the WSET Diploma, is a Vinitaly International Academy Certified Italian Wine Expert and a Master of Wine student. She balances out all of the eating and drinking with yoga, and occasionally cheats on wine with a Negroni.
Wine is a never-ending story, and an infinite source of discoveries, that keeps Gilles Bois busy all year long as a wine judge or among friends, at home and abroad. He likes to share his passion with the people who make wine and with readers across Canada.
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Nancy Johnson njohnson@quench.me Contributing Editor
Tasters
Tony Aspler, Gurvinder Bhatia, Tod Stewart, Evan Saviolidis, Rick VanSickle, Ron Liteplo, Harry Hertscheg, Sean Wood, Gilles Bois, Jonathan Smithe, Tim Pawsey, Crystal Luxmore, Silvana Lau, Treve Ring
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DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 7
Q SCHOOL
GET OUTSIDE
Show guests you don’t need warm weather to enjoy nature with an outdoor party this winter. Here’s how to make it a success. LIGHT A FIRE
Bonfires are the focal point of most winter gatherings. It warms guests, cooks food and lights the space. If you don’t have a large yard or can’t create a pit big enough, try a Pleasant Hearth fire pit (there are several options; you can buy them at Lowe’s, Canadian Tire and more). A note before you flick the match: check your area’s fire codes for rules and regulations governing backyard fires to make sure you’re allowed.
STAY WARM
Fire keeps one side of your guests warm — when they’re near it. Ensure frostbite doesn’t make an unexpected appearance by: •• Clearly indicating on your invitations that this will be an outdoor gathering so guests dress appropriately •• Having extra wool blankets available in a clearly marked and easy-to-access basket •• Keeping scarves, mittens, toques and jackets on hand for anyone who is underdressed or feels more of the chill after hours outside •• If you’re feeling generous, purchase Lava Seats from Canadian Tire or Amazon. These nifty little inventions heat up in the microwave and stay warm for up to six hours. Best part? You can reuse them for family evenings later!
GET COMFY
Finding seating outside can be challenge, especially with a few feet of snow. Hay bales make ideal seats — throw on a thick blanket for a cushy spot to set your rump. If you don’t have hay bales, use patio furniture made from thick plastic (thin plastics tend to snap in the cold) or wood. Metal furniture is a risk — skin and cold metal are never a good mix. 8 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017
COOK FOR HEAT
Pick recipes served hot with a spicy kick. Here are some of our favourite winter party dishes: •• Chili and soups, cooked on the fire in an iron kettle/pot or cooked inside and served in a thermos •• Barbecue or roasts, cooked in the fire or prepared inside and served on a heated pizza stone •• Hamburgers, served slider-style on a heated tray •• Fire fondue, cooked and kept warm in a large iron griddle over the fire •• Hot dogs and marshmallows, because you’ll need traditional fireside fare •• Serve each dish one at a time instead of buffet-style to ensure guests are able to eat it piping hot.
SET THE MOOD
There are a plethora of winter décor ideas online. We’ve found a few of the easiest: TABLES: For the table, go with rich, bold colours like red, green and plaids. Use nature to round out the look, adding pine cones, twigs and cranberries as accents. LIGHTING: Reuse your little white Christmas lights by hanging them on fences, tree branches and in bushes. If you’re feeling extra crafty, make heavy-duty luminaries by filling up pails with snow and adding large candles or tall lanterns. DÉCOR IDEAS: Snowshoes, skis, toboggans and shovels placed around the space are excellent accent pieces that double as activities. Use the snow around you to create an igloo-like wall — it’ll look pretty while it traps the heat closer to the fire and blocks the wind. If you’re looking for something a bit more cohesive and eye-catching, search “outdoor winter party themes” online and enjoy! ×
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GOOD FOOD BY NANCY JOHNSON
PERFECT DISH Stuffed pork chops are one of the easiest dishes to make for holiday company because they braise in the oven for 1 1/2 hours while you enjoy cocktails and appetizers with your guests. But browning the stuffed chops can be messy and frustrating as you try to keep the stuffing contained. A little trick I learned a while ago is to brown the chops before stuffing, making the whole process much easier. Have fun with this — try your favourite stuffing recipe, and add-ins like nuts, bacon, dried fruit, oysters and chestnuts. I’ve even been known to stuff chops with prepared storebought stuffing mix. But mum’s the word on that.
× Search through our huge library of recipes on quench.me/recipes/
STUFFED PORK CHOPS SERVES 4 TO 6
6 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 1/4 1/4 1/4 1 1
bone-in pork chops, about 1 1/2 inches thick tbsp butter tbsp olive oil small onion, diced celery stalks, diced apple, peeled and diced cups dried white bread, diced egg, beaten tsp sage tsp basil tsp thyme Salt and pepper, to taste cup chicken broth bay leaf
1. Preheat oven to 325˚F. 2. With a sharp knife, cut a pocket in meat by cutting horizon-
tally through each chop, almost to the bone. 3. In a large skillet, melt butter and oil. Sauté chops until golden on both sides. Set aside. 4. In same skillet, in pan drippings, sauté the onion, celery and apple until softened. Remove skillet from heat and stir in bread, egg and seasonings. Salt and pepper to taste. Moisten with a bit of chicken broth, if needed. Stuff each chop with stuffing mixture. 5. In a 13” x 9” baking pan, add chicken broth and bay leaf. Arrange stuffed chops in pan. Cover with foil and bake 1 1/2 hours or until fork-tender, turning once during cooking. Serve chops with pan juices. MATCH: Pair with Pinot Noir. × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 11
UMAMI BY KATIA JEAN PAUL
Guilt-free pleasure
TO BE A GOURMAND WITH A DOGGED SWEET TOOTH AND UNFORGIVING FOOD SENSITIVITIES IS TO FLIRT WITH DISCOMFORT AT BEST AND DEBILITATING MALAISE AT WORST. While one knows the dis-
comfort to inevitably follow, invariably, giving in to temptation and savouring tiramisu or a perfectly flaky crème brûlée seems well worth the ensuing indisposition. Those with food allergies, however, don’t have the luxury to gamble with even a dollop. Ignoring dietary caveats, indulging and in some cases, merely touching that which is verboten can have severe consequences. Viviane Nguyen’s eldest son Ethan was only 10 months old when he touched the frosting on the cake alongside which he posed for his first birthday party invitations, causing an allergic reaction so severe, it sent him to the emergency room. “He started to have a runny nose, runny eyes,” recalls the mother of two. “He threw up many times and he [developed] a rash [all over his body].” A series of tests revealed he suffered from a total of 30 food allergies, including the top 10 food allergens (dairy, eggs, soy, wheat and gluten, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and seafood, sesame, sulfites, and mustard), and less common ones, such as chicken and strawberries.
“I thought, ‘What am I going to do?’” remembers Nguyen. “How am I going to feed this kid? How will I bake a cake for him? His birthday is coming [up] soon.’” Nguyen contacted all the bakeries in Montreal, where she resides, only to be told that none could bake a birthday cake free of all of Ethan’s food allergens. A birthday celebration sans cake growing nearer, Nguyen went the do-ityourself route. “I decided to look online. I bought all the recipe books and I tried on my own,” recounts Nguyen. “It was very trial and error.” Not quite a cake, a jumbo cupcake free of all of the offending foods made the cut, and how it came to be was the impetus behind Petit Lapin, Montreal’s first allergen-free, gluten-free and organic bakery, which Nguyen opened in 2014. “He [Ethan] was able to enjoy his first birthday cake without any worries,” remembers the notary-cum-entrepreneur. “I wanted to share his happiness with other kids and parents living with the same situation.” At 342 sq ft, the cozy patisserie, awash in white and peppered in blue accents, is a purveyor of sweets that rivals traditional buttery, saccharine cakes and pastries. Cupcakes, donuts, miniature pies, madeleines, macarons
12 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017
and the like are devoid of the top 10 food allergens while preserving the taste, feel and consistency of traditional confections. Nguyen achieves this with triedand-true vegan baking sleights of hand, like substituting eggs with banana or prune purée, making chocolate mousse with avocados and swapping dairy for oil. Despite the stringent measures, which she must take to ensure all sweets remain allergen-free (no outside food or dogs are allowed inside the bakery, and Nguyen checks in with suppliers weekly to ensure ingredients remain safe to use, among other precautions), the self-taught baker leaves ample room for innovation. Case in point: Petit Lapin’s deluxe cupcake, a cupcake-meets-donut confection. In the two years since Nguyen’s opened shop, Petit Lapin has spurred similar outfits around Montreal, though Nguyen’s bakery remains unique in that its products are free of more than the top 10 food allergens, specifically 30, to accommodate the person who first inspired her venture. As the vegan, allergen-free bakery trend gains momentum, Nguyen hopes to offer baking workshops and expand with a second, bigger location, one with a sitting area for sweet-toothed foodies to enjoy all manner of sweets, worry-free, alongside allergen-free gourmands. ×
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MAC-ING IT UP NOTHING SAYS COMFORT LIKE MAC AND CHEESE. Even
beyond the realm of food, there are few things that provide the same sense of comfort, warmth and coziness. Plus, who doesn’t feel like a kid when they eat a big bowl? I know I do. Just because mac ‘n’ cheese creates a sense of nostalgia like few others doesn’t mean you need to reach for the closest box of Kraft Dinner (I’m not knocking it, just saying there are other options). Creating a grownup version of an old classic still brings back the same memories, but has the added bonus of delighting to the taste buds as well. Mac ‘n’ cheese can be made hundreds of different ways; essentially it is nothing more than pasta, thickened cream/milk and cheese. While this may seem simple enough, I know firsthand that it is not as simple as it may seem. You often hear that it’s the simple things that are the easiest to mess up. This is no exception. It took me several attempts to get the ratios “right.” It either came out too thick, or too runny, or too floury, and it never came out the way I remembered it. Finally, with a little guidance from some friends, the ratio of the roux (fat and flour) and cream finally worked out. When making mac ‘n’ cheese, it is really the cheese that imparts all the flavour; finding the proper blend was the next task I had to tackle. Luckily this one makes for edible mistakes, if you can even call mac ‘n’ cheese of any kind that. I personally like the combo of cheddar and Parmesan (replaces some of the salt). Although cheddar has a great bite, I have also had Gorgonzola mac ‘n’ cheese, Gouda mac ‘n’ cheese, and even simply mozzarella. All were great. Bottom line, don’t be afraid to experiment. Not every version may work out, but you may stumble upon the version that re-creates those childhood memories. 14 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017
MAC ‘N’ CHEESE SERVES 4
2 2 1 2 1/2 1/2 4 4 1 1 1 3/4
cups elbow pasta large shallots garlic cloves, fine chop tbsp olive oil lbs cremini mushrooms, small dice lb bacon, cut up into small strips tbsp butter tbsp flour cup whole milk, warm cup cream cups cheddar cheese, shredded cups Parmesan cheese, shredded
1. Boil pasta in salty water till al dente. Drain and reserve. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. In a separate medium-sized pot over medium heat, sauté shallots and garlic in olive oil. After 3 minutes, turn heat to high and add mushrooms. Cook for 3 minutes. Remove and set aside. 3. In the same pan, cook bacon for 4 minutes until some of the fat is rendered out, but bacon remains soft. Remove from pan and reserve. 4. Into the same pot over medium heat, add butter. Add flour and whisk together to form a roux. When all flour has been absorbed, add half of the milk and cream. Whisk constantly to ensure no lumps. When smooth, add remaining milk and cream until mixture is smooth with no lumps. 5. Add cheese and stir until all cheese has melted. Add pasta and mushroom mixture. Stir well to coat all pasta. 6. Transfer to oven-safe dish. Top with reserved bacon and place in the oven. Cook for 30 minutes. ×
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LAZY MIXOLOGIST BY CHRISTINE SISMONDO
Top of the list Sherry always seems to be at the top of everybody’s “Most Likely to Succeed” list. Despite this, outside of Andalucía’s famous sherry triangle, it’s still a relatively rare sighting at your average happy hour. Unless, that is, you happen to be spending those happy hours at one of the many new tapas bars that specialize in all things Spanish. In that case, you’re likely to see folks quaffing back Fino and discussing how best to snap up as much of the forthcoming allotment of the rare Palo Cortado as possible. Sherry lovers are practically a secret society. Members of the Ottawa chapter are often found perched at Hintonburg’s Bar Laurel, where bartender Matt Millard does a brisk trade in sherry — straight and mixed up into cocktails. The choice to use sherry in mixed drinks is a no-brainer, says Millard, in part because it’s still a hidden gem and, as such, relatively affordable. “That’s part of what makes it amazing for us as a cocktail ingredient, because you can give the customer a great drink at a pretty approachable price,” Millard explains. “A little can go a long way in terms of adding depth and complexity to a drink.” This is only one component of Millard’s sherry repertoire. He loves to pair bone-dry Fino with Iberico ham, rich sherries with dessert and, in addition to using it as a modifier, cocktails that utilize sherry as the main ingredient, as well. “If I want to use it as a base, it’s usually for a low-alcohol cocktail, like a Sherry Cobbler,” he says, referring to a classic concoction that’s made with sherry, citrus, sugar and crushed ice. “That’s perfect for somebody who wants a lighter, low-octane drink.” When using sherry as the main feature, Millard advises using drier sherries and, when looking for a modifier, turning to sweeter cream sherries or the rich Pedro Ximénez, which generally has a pronounced dried-fruit flavour profile. PX gives a drink a real, strong backbone, whereas a Fino tends to get lost in spirit-forward sturdy cocktails. This sherry rule is bound to have multiple exceptions, but it’s a very useful starting point. As is Millard’s recipe for a Cuban Redolence, a classic daiquiri with a little Spanish twist. With this recipe in its corner, sherry is sure to succeed.
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CUBAN REDOLENCE
1 1/2 oz Amontillado sherry (Millard recommends Lustau) 1 oz Havana Club 7-year-old rum 1 dash Angostura bitters 1/2 oz pineapple juice 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice 1/4 oz simple syrup 2 level bar spoons fine sugar Add all ingredients to an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Double-strain into a chilled coupe glass. Express lemon oil from a peel over the top of the drink, then discard and garnish with a mint sprig. × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 17
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50+ WINERIES AND CRAFT BREWERIES • 30 CHEFS
Meet the winemakers, brewmasters, chefs, farmers and food producers responsible for the innovation and quality evolution of the Canadian craft beverage and culinary industries.
NORTHERNLANDS IN FOLDER MAY 2 – 6, 2017
S H AW C O N F E R E N C E C E N T R E E D M O N T O N , A L B E R TA
This year’s festival welcomes Italy as a featured country. In support of the High School Culinary Challenge & Edmonton Community Foundation Grateful Palate Fund
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Participating chefs include:
Vikram Vij
Jacob Pelletier
Jakob Lutes
Daniel Costa
John Jackson and Connie DeSousa
Mandel Hitzer
BON VIVANT BY PETER ROCKWELL
ILLUSTRATION: MATT DALEY/SHINYPLIERS.COM
Why do large format wine bottles have biblical nicknames? Someone once told me that, back in the day, the best glassmakers in Europe were of the Jewish faith and assigned the names of ancient kings to their various sizes of output as a recognition of their regal volumes while, at the same time, making life easier on themselves when it came to inventory management. While I think it makes perfect sense (not to mention it’s poetic), I seem to be the only one who’s ever heard of that theory so it needs to be taken with a pillar of salt. One piece of the previous that does seem to be a part of most explanations is that huge bottles have a certain majesty that warrants a name of equal reverence. The thing to remember is that they are just nicknames. In the liquor world, only the magnum (assigned to a receptacle holding 1.5 litres of liquid) is an officially recognized size. A twist on the Latin word magnus (which means great), magnum loosely translates to “a big thing” which, when you consider how many other large, imposing things are called a magnum (e.g. Clint Eastwood’s favourite onscreen sidearm), seems a logical name for a big mainstream bottle. All the rest are used, abused and often switched around depending on the wine region, which means references to the likes of Jeroboam (3 litres), Methuselah (6 litres), Nebuchadnezzar (15 litres), Solomon (20 litres) and Melchizedek (30 litres) may not mean the same thing to a winemaker in Bordeaux that it does to one in Champagne. Today these tongue-twisters are primarily used as the questions to Jeopardy answers. “I’ll take Redundant Wine References for 100, Alex.”
× Ask your questions at bonvivant@quench.me
What is meant by a “Grower Champagne?”
Sorry to be the one to break it to you, but even in the most pretentious wine region on the planet, there are still those winemakers willing to take it to the next level. It’s sort of the same David-vs-Goliath kind of thing that’s been going on between craft and big-box brewers. With limited marketing power, the little guys take on the really big guys using what sets them apart: A reliance on their own homegrown ingredients and a flavour profile that uniquely reflects where they’re made. Since the closest average consumers ever get to actually drinking Champagne is vicariously through a James Bond movie, the idea that there is a difference between the outputs of the region’s larger and smaller wineries may come as a bit of a surprise. It isn’t necessarily a question of quality, it’s more about how intimate a producer can continue to be with its wines and still meet supply and demand. In defence of the mega-makers (like they need my help), once you get to a certain level of fame, expectation is that you’re able to keep the pipeline filled with your juice. That’s not exclusive to high-end sparkling wineries; the same goes for those that make your favourite reds and whites. In the end, it’s unlikely that a wine producer can exclusively rely on the fruit from its own vineyards, and every one of the old-school methods of production, once its popularity reaches international proportions. Those claiming the title of Grower Champagne are small, family-owned wineries where everything is hands-on, with those hands most likely at the ends of the arms of someone with the same last name that appears on the label. Their grapes are their own (no buying extra fruit from contracted independent vineyards) and, arguably, their wines are the true taste of the region’s terroir. The cool thing is that the movement has brought attention to the individual personality of Champagne, a part of France that, more than any other, has become the bastion of humongous brand names. × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 19
MASTERCLA by Tod Stewart
“YOU OUGHTA GET OUT OF THOSE WET CLOTHES AND GET INTO A DRY MARTINI.” CHARLES BUTTERWORTH (MAYBE)
The martini. It’s probably safe to say that no other cocktail has been debated, discussed, dissected, misinterpreted, reinvented and revered as much as the martini. Often referred to as the King of Cocktails, the martini’s origins are as debatable as the perfect ratio of ingredients. Whether something akin to the martini was first whipped up in the 1860s, or whether it was invented by a New York bartender in the early 1900s, it has endured and evolved, and has begat quotes, quips and numerous understudy roles in stories, novels, plays and movies. Which is pretty amazing when you consider it is one of the simplest cocktails to make (though fastidious preparation is often the order of the day). The Martini Club International’s “workbench” would likely even intimidate Ben Sanderson, the alcoholic anti-hero of the booze-soaked book (and great film) Leaving Las Vegas. Headquartered (perhaps not coincidentally) in Toronto’s Distillery District, the team of Michelle Hunt and Laura Panter has been one of my consistently reliable go-tos when it comes to all things cocktail. The workbench in question is, of course, a prodigiously proportioned and tantalizingly stocked bar, behind which Hunt is demonstrating the art of crafting the perfect martini. “What, in your mind,” I ask her as she collects the liquid components, garnishes and assorted and sundry tools of her trade, “makes for the perfect martini?” “It’s that essential balance of liquor smoothed out with vermouth, expertly chilled,” she informs, apparently having been asked the same question on more than a few occasions. “The martini is the most perfect cocktail ever,” she adds matter-of-factly while icing down a sleek glass beaker. “It has been overshadowed by whisky cocktails for many years now, but when you break down the components — the beautiful and so, so delicate interplay of gin, vermouth and slight dilution — and see the end result that, visually, is so simple; a stunning see-through liquid. The way, when sipped, it tingles on your tongue and warms your belly … everything glows in the light of a martini.” 20 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017
As Hunt combines in the beaker the two main elements (yep, that’s it, spirit and vermouth — in this case, Star of Bombay gin and a Spanish Yzaguirre vermouth) with just a dash of orange bitters, I bring up the subject of ratios, which appear to be all over the map these days. At a swanky Grey Goose Boulangerie Bleue event held this summer at the Island Yacht Club’s The Spoke Club in Toronto, I was served a martini that combined vermouth and vodka in equal proportions. The flip side of this approach is, well, the flip side. “A perfect martini should be made by filling a glass with gin, then waving it in the general direction of Italy,” Noël Coward apparently once advised. And there have been umpteen others quoted as saying similar things. “That, my friend, is not a martini,” Hunt scolds. “It’s a cold glass of gin.” It is also extremely insulting to the fantastic vermouths coming out of places like France and Spain. Hunt considers the no-vermouth “martini” to be the worst mixing trend out there. “We always encourage guests to try more vermouth,” she admits. “We have found that people order a martini ‘dry’ because they think they should, not because it’s their preference.” Personally, I blame Butterworth. PHOTOS: ELVIS DEANE
ASS LAURA PANTER
“It’s a matter of taste,” Hunt concedes, suggesting that people should order or make a martini the way they prefer it. “But never leave out the vermouth.” As Hunt gently stirs together the ice, vermouth and gin, another obvious question must be asked. “So, shaken or stirred?” The “shaken or stirred” debate opens up a whole new proverbial jar of olives. Each mixing method has its proponents and its detractors. The University of Western Ontario apparently ran a study — government-funded, no doubt — that concluded that shaken martinis were higher in antioxidants than stirred ones. I figure this makes the shaken ones a better hangover cure. Maybe James, James Bond, was onto something. Hunt takes the opposite view. “If you shake a martini, you break down more ice and the cocktail is more diluted. Some people prefer it this way. We go for the stirred martini — gentle and elegant. Not a mad dash, but a slow, leisurely waltz towards perfection.” Hunt pours her take on perfection (a measure of two ounces is what she figures is ideal) into the recognizable invertedcone-on-a-stem glass. “The martini was originally served in a coupette, not the art deco martini glass we are used to,” she enlightens. “Essentially, you need a glass with a stem and a small bowl to keep the liquid chilled.”
Of course, the third and final ingredient that seals the deal on a martini is the garnish. Olive or lemon peel, right? Maybe a pickled pearl onion. Nice and simple, yes? Well, actually, no. Of course not. “Always garnish in odd numbers,” Hunt instructs. For a nanosecond, I debate asking why. But the distance between my mouth and the rim of the martini glass was diminishing by the second. So I opt to shut up already. “For olives, one if it’s very large. Three medium, five small. The choice of olive, lemon or pickled onion should be based on the nuances of the gin you are using. Some gins are too delicate to stand up to salty olive brine. With a lemon twist, make sure you have the peel and not the pith.” THE FIRST ICY SIP OF THE MARTINI — LIKE AN ELECTRIC CHARGE OF BRISK CITRUS AND JUNIPER, MADE SAVOURY BY THE SLIGHT HINT OF OLIVE BRINE — ZAPS MY PALATE INTO A STATE OF BLISSFUL SURRENDER.
For a second, I’m speechless, much to Hunt’s relief. Then I recompose myself and get back to the matter at hand. “So,” I attempt (which I’m sure it came out more or less as “thsow”), “how outside of ratios has the martini evolved?” “There’s a huge range of vermouths to choose from,” Hunt enthuses. “We do taste tests with vermouths. Italian vermouth is DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 21
MICHELLE HUNT
very different from French, for example. On top of that, the number of gins out there to experiment with is amazing.” Ah yes, the number of gins, and the growing number of vermouths, has really been changing the martini landscape. I was introduced to a fellow who has not only witnessed firsthand the expansion of the gin category, but who’s also been partially responsible for it. I meet Ivano Tonutti, Technical Director & Senior Scientific Officer for Tradall S.A. — or “Master of Botanicals”, when it comes to the company’s Bombay Gin — on a warm summer night on the tall ship Kajama, docked in Toronto Harbour. The event was marking the launch of Bombay Sapphire’s newest and most upmarket gin to-date, the Star of Bombay. Tonutti had the enviable task of elevating one of the world’s most recognized gin brands to a new a level. “I wanted amplification,” he asserts. “To take what we already had and build on the intensity, complexity and style.” The perfect martini, because of its simplicity, requires the best of the best in terms of components. Tonutti takes me though a sampling of the dry botanicals that go into Star of Bombay — including the two newest components: ambrette seed from Ecuador and Sicilian bergamot (which fans of Earl 22 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017
Grey tea know well) — before treating me to a straight-up sample. It’s an engaging gin that manages to be light and crisp, but at the same time deep and complex. It has nuances of juniper, smoky spice, anise and citrus peel with a peppery note for added intrigue. The palate is viscous but still razor-edged, clean and assertive while at the same time elegant and restrained. It’s actually designed to be enjoyed neat. You’d never guess it’s bottled at a 47.5 percent octane, the way it slides across the palate. “Mouthfeel is such an important part of the whole martini equation,” Tonutti asserts, adding that, in the case of a Star of Bombay martini, olive rather than lemon is the preferred garnish. Which makes sense given the citrus notes already present in the gin. Ah, the gin. But, of course these days, it’s not always about gin. Part of the martini evolution has to at least acknowledge the role vodka has played. Bond may have made it popular — it’s been a thing since the 1950s — but preference has kept it going. Mike McLean, the mixologist in residence for Beam Suntory — and chief spokesperson for Canada’s own Alberta Pure Vodka — sets a few things straight, as it were. “There is a much greater interest in cocktails today, both classic and contemporary,” he reveals. “Gone are the days of people ordering for quantity.” Say bye-bye to the “three-martini lunch” (too bad, says I). “The base spirit, the technique, the ice and the glassware really affect the overall cocktail experience,” McLean emphasizes. “For a vodka martini, specifically, I prefer the triple-distilled Alberta Pure Vodka that’s made with a combination of Canadian grain and glacier water. It gives the martini a distinctive smoothness, purity and clarity. Can I mention Alberta Pure Vodka won a double gold award at the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition?” Yeah, sure. But in the meantime, buy some ad space, okay? Gin? Yes. Vodka? Okay. But what of those “other martinis.” You know the ones: chocolate, lychee, blue, pink and marshmallow. Maybe it’s all about the glass. Or not. I’ll leave it to Hunt and Panter. “It’s about integrity, not about a glass. If you remove the vermouth and replace it with something else in the same quantity, you are playing with the martini genre. If you are putting blue curaçao, pineapple juice and an umbrella in a martini glass, then you are pissing me off.” Enough said. ×
IN THE KNOW
by Treve Ring
SERGIO MARTÍNEZ, CELLAR MASTER AT LUSTAU
IS THERE ANY WINE MORE MISUNDERSTOOD THAN SHERRY? If you
think this ancient wine is too sweet, too dry, too hard to understand, unfashionable or unrefined, it’s time to change your mind because historic Sherry is one of the most versatile wines ever created. Furthermore, its considerable evolution has been marked by the influence of many of the world’s greatest civilizations: the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Moors, Spanish and British. It is now firmly in the practiced hands of those in the know; sommeliers, collectors, bartenders and chefs have long made Sherry their amigo. From light, lithe and salty to rich, unctuous and sweet, the Sherry spectrum covers all bases and tastes, and is a secret weapon in pairing with foods. Here are a few wines you’ll want to be amigos with.
MANZANILLA
Delicate and bone dry, with yeast and green apple notes, this light sherry is produced exclusively in the coastal town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and picks up distinctive salinity and saltiness from the marine environment. PAIRING: Like begets like. Seaside Manzanilla is the ideal partner for fish and shellfish — sardines in particular.
FINO
Bone dry and crisp, with sharp aromas of almond, fresh bread, straw, tea leaves and wild herbs. PAIRING: It is widely appreciated with the quintessentially Andalusian cured meats and Iberico pork, but fares very well with fish and shellfish.
AMONTILLADO
An aged Fino, from which the flor has died away, after 6 years or so. Ambidextrous Amontillado combines the anaerobic effects of flor (as in Fino and Manzanilla), with a later oxidative style (like Oloroso). The result is a gently earthy, pungent, hazelnut-clad, medium-bodied wine. DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 23
HIJOS DE RAINERA PEREZ MARIN LA GUITA MANZANILLA NV, DO MANZANILLA, SANLUCAR DE BARRAMEDA ($22.50) Manzanilla’s delicacy is evident here, the result of the wine’s proximity to the sea. The constant humidity and temperature afforded by the marine environment means that flor can thrive year round, so the wine is more protected (thus more delicate) than in-land Fino. Pretty and finessed, with fine crystalline citrus, delicate white floral and a whisper of fine sea salt through the bone-dry finish. Ideal with sardines on toast, jamón, and herb-brined olives. I only wish this was half-sized; its delicacy means it doesn’t have a lengthy shelf life so, unless I plan on opening it with a few, it won’t last long enough for me to fully enjoy it.
APOSTOLES VORS PALOMINO FINO, PEDRO XIMÉNEZ NV, DO SHERRY ($35/375 ML) Apostoles is a minimum of 30 years old, but in reality, much older: the Solera was begun in 1862 with the visit of Queen Isabella to Jerez. Rich and intense on the nose, with sweet roasted hazelnuts, fresh figs and sea salt. The lengthy and complex palate is layered with marmalade, dark honey, sweet tobacco, earthy orange oil and salted walnut richness. 6 to 8% Pedro Ximenez sweetens and fattens up Palomino’s linearity, yet blunts the finish ever so slightly. Slight warmth on the finish, best absorbed with paté or blue-cheesestuffed dates. Gonzales Byass is one of the dwindling number of shippers with soleras of this age and quality, so when you see this outstanding wine on the shelf at this price, act quickly.
TIO PEPE EXTRA DRY PALOMINO NV, DO SHERRY ($22) LUSTAU SHERRY SOLERA RESERVA DELUXE CREAM CAPATAZ ANDRES PALOMINO FINO, PEDRO XIMÉNEZ NV, DO SHERRY ($12.95/375 ML) By definition, Cream sherry has more than 115 g/l RS, so you can be expecting a sweet, or dolce, drop here. Darker walnut in hue, caramelized brown sugar/crème brûlée, dried fig, soft, warming and hugging on the palate, with ample warmed, quince paste and espresso on the finish.
EL MAESTRO SIERRA OLOROSO 15 YEARS OLD NV, DO SHERRY ($20/375 ML) As an Oloroso, this has been aged oxidatively, with no time under flor. A sweeter nose opens, with subtle treacle notes, fine earth and boozy walnuts, before a dry palate. Confident and slightly punchy, with roasted wood and oxidative notes leading until subtle bitter orange on the finish. Rustic and authentic, with a noticeably weightier palate versus the biologically aged (flor-affected) styles. Can stand up to meatballs, spiced patatas bravas or smoked jamón.
FERNANDO DE CASTILLA PEDRO XIMENEZ NV, DO SHERRY ($64/375 ML) How is it that with over 400 g/l of residual sugar, this exceptional, rare Sherry cannot finish sweet? Raisins, concentrated beef jus, roasted spices, bitter bergamot, blackstrap molasses, dark chocolate, espresso and earthy tobacco swirl throughout the layered wine, with more and more revealed with every swirl. A true marriage of potent savoury and potent sweet. The finish lingers for minutes, with a savoury, subtly bitter and salty afterglow. Only 15% alcohol here, and one of the most outstanding wines I’ve tried in a long time.
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Classic and familiar, high-volume and famous, with pungent, oxidative green apple, dried apple and large-flake sea salt. Crunchy, aggressive acidity finishes tightly, with salted almonds. Simple and effective, especially chilled with prawns or olives.
LUSTAU PUERTO FINO NV, DO SHERRY ($14/375 ML) Muy seco, very dry. Slightly deeper yellow in hue, with potent brininess streaking across a rounder palate, bolstered with roasted salted almonds and dried straw. The finish is clean and tangy with Seville orange oil. Aged in El Puerto de Santa Maria, on the Atlantic coast of southern Spain.
FERNANDO DE CASTILLA AMONTILLADO NV, DO SHERRY ($60/375 ML) Was on the wine list at El Bulli. Extreme concentration — layers upon layers. Nuttiness hints of oxidative aging, married with briny saltiness. Well-roasted salted almonds, fresh walnuts, very fine orange and almond oil. Bone dry, with sea salt flaking across the finish. This elegant, lighter-bodied wine carries lightly sweet caramel notes through the exceptional finish. Over 20 years old, defined by “Antique Amontillado” on the label, this producer doesn’t use VOS terminology (Vinum Optimum Signatum, sometimes referred to unofficially as Very Old Sherry)
FERNANDO DE CASTILLA PALO CORTADO NV, DO SHERRY ($68/375 ML) Wines more than 30 years old go into this blend, though the producer chooses not to use VORS labelling. This one carries a gentle weight on the palate, with the Palo Cortado cushion of glycol adding heady complexities to this layered, mesmerizing blend. Scents of subtle caramel, sunwarmed wood, earthy tobacco, wild herbs, roasted walnuts, hazelnuts, flaked dark salts throughout the dry, savoury body to an exceptional finish. Roast pork tenderloin or duck would suit very well.
PAIRING: Due to its multifaceted process, these wines can multitask extremely well with
numerous dishes. Poultry is primo, and these wines’ earthiness also particularly likens them to mushroom and nut dishes.
WHEN SHERRY PAIRING: IF IT SWIMS, DRINK FINO IF IT FLIES, DRINK AMONTILLADO IF IT RUNS, DRINK OLOROSO OLOROSO
Oloroso means “scented,” and these fragrant, walnutty wines deliver. This dry, structured wine is made in the presence of oxygen (without flor) and prime for maturing. Dried fruit, tobacco leaves, leather and toasted walnuts are characteristic. PAIRING: Break out the scented olorosos with the main course: thick pork chops will suit, and for apero, foie gras is a natural pair.
PALO CORTADO (PAOW-LO CORE-TAD-DO)
In a similar vein to Amontillado, this wine ages under flor but shifts to oxidative aging when the flor dies off after 2 to 3 years. A Palo Cortado will be fuller bodied than an Amontillado because the flor effects have not been as lengthy. PAIRING: Poultry rules — especially birds with gamey, earthy flavours like quail and goose or the dark meat of turkey.
CREAM
A sweetened Amontillado or Oloroso. Rich, full-bodied, round, smooth and caramel sweet with gentle notes of apricot and rose petals. You may have heard of Harveys Bristol Cream? PAIRING: Of course you can pair it with pastries, cakes and fresh fruit flan, but glazed ham is a winning choice.
PEDRO XIMENEZ
PX, as it’s affectionately called, is one of the wines (some swear THE only) to pair with ice cream. This is made from sundried grapes, resulting in a concentrated, luxuriantly rich and velvety specialty with dark caramel, dried figs and sultry spices. PAIRING: Brilliant drizzled on vanilla bean ice cream with fresh cracked black pepper. You can also use potent blue cheeses or dark chocolate here. ×
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DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 25
BALL OF CONF SION by Michael Pinkus
Burgundy is a place ripe with confusion. Beyond the two main grapes of the region being well known and well documented — Chardonnay and Pinot Noir — the rest of the place leaves many wine lovers scratching their heads and babbling incoherently in the corner. Beyond the basics of white is Chardonnay and red is Pinot Noir, the confusion lies in the various communes and sub-regions into which the area is divided. There have been countless books and many thousands of hours gobbled up discussing the lands and soils — the terroir, if you will — that make Burgundy so unique, wonderful and well suited to the spawning of Chardonnay. Since it would be difficult to delve that deep in this brief re-introduction, let’s touch on some generalities and important sub-regions as a refresher on the white side of Burgundy. The interesting thing to note about Burgundy is that the region grows almost double the amount of white wine grapes as red wine grapes (between Chardonnay and Aligote, they make up approximately 60 percent), encompassing approximately 29,000 hectares and some 25,000+ AOC-classified vineyards. The AOC sys-
tem in the area was officially established in 1935 by statutory order and Burgundy has more AOCs than any other French region, which is probably the leading cause of the confusion that surrounds it. Besides its still wines, Burgundy also produces some excellent sparkling wines, though they make up only about 7 percent of the region’s overall production. In fact, most are made the same way bubbly is made in Champagne (some six hours north by car) and using the same grapes, but because they are made in Burgundy, these wines can only be called “crémant” and sell for a third the price or less. Looking for great sparkling wine values? Check out le crémant de Bourgogne and you won’t be disappointed. The true heart of Burgundy is the Côte d’Or, considered the most coveted region and thus commanding the highest prices for its wines. Excluding those
26 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017
in Chablis, this is where all Grand Cru vineyards are located, with the Côte d’Or split into two sub-regions: Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune. Grand Cru wines make up about 2 percent of all Burgundian production, while the still-stately, but “lower” in stature, Premier Cru (1er) wines make up a mere 12 percent or so, which means that less than 15 percent of all wines made in Burgundy are made using “status” grapes. Think Bordeaux and its First Growths, but unlike Bordeaux, here it is all about the vineyard and less about the producer (with a few exceptions). Let’s not forget about Chablis, which is the northernmost region of Burgundy and a world all its own. Chablis wines delivered to market are known for their austerity, their minerality and their “stony” or “flinty” character. AOC wines from this region are all Char-
FU-
LOUIS BOUILLOT PERLE D’IVOIRE BLANC DE BLANCS BRUT CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE NV ($19.95) Crisp and lively acidity with citrus and vibrant minerality: what more could you want in a bubbly?
JEAN COLLET & FILS MONTÉE DE TONNERRE CHABLIS 1ER CRU 2014 ($37.95) Lime meringue, mineral, stony and crunchy green apple.
CHÂTEAU DE CHAINTRÉ POUILLY-FUISSÉ 2014 ($27.95) Pouilly-Fuissé is the most well known part of the Mâconnais sub-region: lime, lemon, apple and mineral run right through this wine from beginning to end.
BAILLY LAPIERRE RÉSERVE BRUT CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE NV ($19.95) Nice little bit of fizz here with apple, lemon drop and good finishing acidity; and at under $20, it’s an easy, everyday kind of bubble.
VIGNERONS DE BUXY LES CHANIOTS MONTAGNY 1ER CRU 2013 ($24.95) Vanilla, butter, spice, peach cobbler, mineral notes; plus it’s got a creamy mouthfeel, but with good balancing acidity.
DOMAINE BOUCHARD PÈRE & FILS LES CLOUS MEURSAULT 2013 ($44.95) Orange peel and apple sauce with touches of toffee, but it does not lean sweet because of the balance of acidity that keeps it lively. Frédéric Weber, winemaker at
Domaine Bouchard Père & Fils
HERVÉ AZO CHABLIS 2014 ($24.95) Great introduction to basic Chablis that touches all the cornerstones of the region: mineral, floral, citrus and tart green apple.
donnays and they too are divided into Grand Cru (seven) and Premier Cru (about 40) vineyard sites. Not everyone can afford these top-tier wines, nor do they want to wait the five to seven years required to drink them at their peak of age-ability. However, in my opinion — and experience — Chardonnay is best enjoyed before the five-year mark because the wine still retains the fruit character most people seem to enjoy. Remember, as whites get older, they gain colour and, in turn, more tertiary characteristics (mushroom, almond, hazelnut, spiced wood) and drop their fruit. Amongst the Cru wines are a variety of villages and sub-regional wines that offer excellent Bourgogne expression without the money-sucking price tags. To dive deeper into Burgundy, Google “Books about Burgundy wine” and you’ll be inundated with suggestions.
MALLORY & BENJAMIN TALMARD MÂCON-UCHIZY 2014 ($16.95) A budget-friendly Burgundy wine from a lesser-known, village-named sub-region in the Mâcon. Fresh apple and pear, with upfront fruit and touch of vanilla backing.
DOMAINE DE CHALET POUILLY POUILLY-FUISSÉ 2013 ($34.95) Lime pith and zest plus a pleasant green apple note that adds a little something extra to the acidity on the finish.
DOMAINE HAMELIN BEAUROY CHABLIS 1ER CRU 2012 ($33.95) Enough creamy texture to be mistaken for a US bottle but with enough elegance to make it French; spicy finish with good acidity.
HENRI DE VILLAMONT CLOS DU CROMIN MEURSAULT 2013 ($61.95) Full-bodied flavour of Chardonnay, with apple and pear being prominent, and all riding a wave of minerality and lively acidity.
SIMONNET-FEBVRE & FILS CÔTE DE LECHET CHABLIS 1ER CRU 2013 ($42.95) Not all Chablis is about mineral and stoniness; some offer up a modern take with a creamy texture on the mid-palate, before ending with the signature minerality of the region. × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 27
X Ad SANDERSON TO COME
REVISITED by Michaela Morris
When I first visited Abruzzo in September of 2007, it was still warm enough for a sundress and harvest had just begun. I couldn’t wait to get into the vineyard. To my dismay, though, it wasn’t in the cards. I had to sneak away from the group in order to walk among the vines; wineries were more keen to present their barrels and state-of-the-art facilities.
I understand the desire to show off new oak and modern equipment; investment in the cellar is a perceptible sign that producers are taking their wine seriously. Abruzzo had a well-entrenched reputation for producing low-quality bulk wine. 40 years ago, there were only a couple of estates — namely Valentini and Emidio Pepe — that were bottling their own wine. While these numbers have grown, 70 percent of the production of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC is still shipped outside the region to be bottled, taking quality control out of the hands of the growers. But I wanted to start at the beginning. At one of the wineries, I spotted a bin of white grapes. I picked up two bunches lying side by side. One was long and conical with green berries while the other was pyramid shaped with grapes that had a deep pink hue. When I asked what grape varieties they were, I received a oneword answer: Trebbiano. “Different clones?” I pressed. This time a monosyllabic no was the only reply. But, even to my untrained eye, they simply couldn’t be the same. I left Abruzzo somewhat disappointed. The region was beautiful, blessed and bountiful, with a charming rusticity and welcoming and generous people. Yet the wines lost something in translation. Overall, the Trebbiano were lackluster and the only true beacon of hope amongst the whites was a glass of fresh and vibrant Pecorino that I greedily gulped by the seaside. (Until that moment, I didn’t even know that there was a grape called
Pecorino.) As for the Montepulciano wines, they largely occupied two extremes: cheap and generic on the one hand and overoaked and over-extracted on the other. I finally returned to Abruzzo exactly nine years later. To my delight, this time, producers were genuinely eager to take my colleagues and I into the vineyard. However, the irony is that on this visit, it was pouring rain. Nevertheless, I had the distinct impression that the focus had shifted — or is shifting — to the vineyard. Undeterred by the soggy weather, winemaker Cristiana Tiberio greeted us at the Tiberio estate with a collection of rubber boots. She led us directly into her Fonte Canale vineyard to the original plot of old-vine Trebbiano Abruzzese that her father discovered. Herein lies the explanation of those two dissimilar bunches of Trebbiano I’d observed on my previous trip to Abruzzo: “Trebbiano” refers to a group of unrelated grapes rather than to one single variety. While Trebbiano Abruzzese is native to Abruzzo, the much lesser quality Trebbiano Toscano has taken over plantings. To add insult to injury, another grape called Bombino bianco is commonly mistaken for Trebbiano Abruzzese. And the icing on the cake is that a wine labelled Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC can be made with any or all of these grapes. Furthermore, the rules do not allow producers to state which grape is actually used. Confusing, right? Some producers aren’t even entirely certain what they have growing in their vineyard. DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 29
White COLLINE PESCARESI TIBERIO PECORINO 2015, IGT, ($28)
Precise aromas of sage flower, chamomile and even some pine. Fantastic concentration and richness but carries weight and alcohol well. Must be all that minerality and juicy acidity.
FONTE CANALE TIBERIO TREBBIANO D’ABRUZZO 2014, DOC ($43) Unequivocally 100% Trebbiano Abruzzese. Apricot, almond blossom and cream, with citrus and flinty undertones leading to a long subtle nuttiness finish. Think Chablis from a warmer clime.
VALENTINI TREBBIANO D’ABRUZZO 2012, DOC ($134) If you want to try one of Italy’s greatest white wines, here it is. I recommend putting it away for a few years to allow that complex tangle of green olive, butter, smoke, mountain honey and anise to develop.
Red CASA MONTORI MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO 2013, DOC ($16.35)
A solid producer that deserves some attention. While their Fonte Cupa line offers greater complexity and concentration, the Casa Montori is clean, honest and good value for the money. Liquorice and red berries with a firm grip of tannin and rustic charm.
TORRE DEI BEATI MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO 2014, DOC ($23) I love the freshness here and the purity of the Montepulciano grape. There’s a rare fragrant floral element and minerality besides the juicy redcurrant and raspberry flavours. The more oak driven Cocciapazza ($34–44) is well managed and also worth discovering.
CATALDI MADONNA MALANDRINO MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO 2014, DOC ($26) Refreshingly unoaked and deliciously fruit-driven, with red plum and wild strawberries supported by supple tannin. If you ever come across their Frontone Pecorino, don’t hesitate.
MASCIARELLI MARINA CVETIC MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO 2013, DOC ($34) Gianni Masciarelli was one of the first to introduce French barriques to Abruzzo and the oak is very much in evidence here. Tar and chocolate balanced by blackberry, pepper and coffee notes, it’s a full and fleshy style with teeth-coating tannin. 30 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017
Tiberio knows for sure, though. She is the epitome of what Abruzzo needs in order to move forward. Equipped with a chemistry degree and an exacting nature, she tested the DNA of every single vine and pulled out those that weren’t Trebbiano Abruzzese. “My colleagues thought I was crazy, wasting time and money to research such a lowly wine,” she recalled. “Now the same producers are asking me for cuttings.” Tasting her Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC made from 100 percent Abruzzese, I understand why. Delicate yet concentrated, with finesse and length, it’s a complete departure from the sea of unremarkable wines with the same label. Until Tiberio came along, the legendary Valentini estate was really the only benchmark for Trebbiano Abruzzese. Produced in tiny amounts and sold for much more than any other bottles from Abruzzo, Valentini’s wines are shrouded in mystery. Visitors aren’t allowed into the cellar in order to avoid contamination of the ambient yeast. The lousy weather means we can’t check out the vineyard either. Instead, we spend a captivating morning chatting with Francesco Paolo Valentini and his family in their living room. Valentini’s discourse is more philosophical and romantic than scientific. For him, Trebbiano Abruzzese is an expression of the Abruzzo identity: “When I crush the grapes, it’s the same perfume and flavours of the Dritta di Loreto olives that have been growing in our area for 2,000 years. It’s the smell of time and our land.” The 1978 vintage he opens for us is a pure translation of this expression. BUT IN ORDER FOR A WINE TO TRANSLATE THE LAND, BALANCE MUST BE ACHIEVED IN THE VINEYARD. A fo-
cus on quantity has long held Abruzzo back. Tendone, or pergola, trellising is considered traditional in the region and commonly associated with high yields. In this system, a thick roof of leaves covers the grapes, a roof that can hinder ripeness and trap humidity, leading to rot. In the ’80s, the dynamic Gianni Masciarelli introduced the French system of guyot, and other producers adopted it in an effort to increase quality. However, today people are rethinking the pergola due to the warmer temperatures and earlier ripening attributed to climate change. Shade provided by the pergola is now considered helpful in slowing down ripening and protecting sensitive grapes, like Trebbiano Abruzzese, from sunburn. In terms of quality, it’s all about how the pergola is managed. The deluge has reached an apex when we arrive at Nicodemi. Elena Nicodemi was demonstrably upset that she could not take us into the Montepulciano vineyard her father had planted in the 1970s. In lieu of a tour, she had prepared a handout explaining the changes they had made to their pergola. Besides reducing fruiting canes to two from the traditional four, they thin and position shoots in order to balance the canopy and let sunlight in. This has cut yields by half and increased labour costs by 50 percent but the resulting wines are ripe, balanced and focused.
CRISTIANA TIBERIO
Elena Nicodemi likens Montepulciano to the Abruzzese people: “It has a strong, tough character. You have to work very well in the vineyard otherwise you have problems in in cellar.” Montepulciano can be very tannic and if it isn’t ripe, it gives green flavours and an exaggerated bitterness. Getting the grape to ripen properly is a challenge. Within the same bunch, you can find berries at different stages of ripeness. In order to be absolutely certain, Fausto Albanesi at the up-and-coming Torre dei Beati estate makes several painstaking passes through the vineyard, picking bunch by bunch rather than parcel by parcel. Even with all of the efforts in the vineyard, the work in the cellar is just as important. Montepulciano, for example, can be a very reductive grape, giving off-aromas. Various vinification techniques, including aging in wood, can help counter this trait. An unfortunate trend, however, has been the over-enthusiastic use of new oak to try to cover up bitter, unripe flavours. But the pendulum seems to be swinging the other way, at least among rising stars like Praesidium and Cataldi Madonna. Both wineries have moved away from barriques because they impart too much of their own personality. The most intriguing Montepulciano in my books are those that have freshness and highlight the bright red fruit and sweet herb nuances of the grape. What of that beacon of hope I tried on my first trip? Pecorino is shining even brighter today. Originally from the neigh-
bouring region of Marche, it was virtually abandoned because it is naturally low yielding. While Marche producer Cocci Grifoni is responsible for its “rebirth,” Luigi Cataldi Madonna reintroduced it to Abruzzo. He is also credited with baptizing Pecorino since he was the first producer in Italy to reference it on the label. Cataldi Madonna admits to struggling with the grape at first, trying to tame its intrinsically high acid and initially failing to capture its distinctive aromas of Mediterranean herbs. A combination of changes in the vineyard (less de-leafing) and in the winery (reductive winemaking) eventually allowed Pecorino’s true character to shine. After an apoplectic rant against natural wine (his are NOT), Cataldi Madonna treated us to a vertical of his Frontone Pecorino going back to 2004. Earlier examples are seriously over-oaked but by 2008 the change to stainless steel made for a vastly improved wine. With 2010, he’d clearly hit his stride. Cristiana Tiberio who, along with Cataldi Madonna, makes one of Abruzzo’s best Pecorino calls it “a nervous wine, not elegant but dynamic.” Dynamic is an equally fitting descriptor for the new generation in Abruzzo. They are proud of their land and aspire to share it through their wines. What they’ve also managed to capture in the same bottles is their thoughtful, genuine and charismatic personalities. × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 31
SNAP CRACK KEVIN PANAGAPKA FROM 2027 CELLARS
It’s another stinkin’ hot day during the endless summer of 2016 in Ontario; it’s well into the 30s with a low, stifling haze of humidity cutting through what little clothing one can get away with wearing for this vineyard jaunt. I am sweating profusely.
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P J-L GROUX
LE by Rick VanSickle
Stratus Vineyards winemaker J-L Groux, smartly shaded under a wide-brimmed straw hat, and looking rather cool and annoyingly unbothered, gently kneels down to reveal bunches of tiny green Chardonnay grapes shielded by a full canopy of leaves on this mid-August day. “They will ripen quickly now,” he declares, predicting (correctly, by the way) a Labour Day weekend harvest. It’s an early pick for most Chardonnay in Niagara, but just about ideal for Groux’s little-known sparkling program that began its journey a long time ago. The grapes we are looking at today won’t be in your flute for another seven years — “at least,” says Groux. Instead, they will be harvested, pressed, fermented and left to silently rest on their own dead yeast cells (lees) for seven years, gaining complexity and flavours during their slow march to becoming Niagara’s newest traditionally made sparkling blanc de blancs (100 percent Chardonnay), vintage 2016. The base wine will slumber beside five other vintages of Stratus sparkling wine, with the first one from 2011 not scheduled for release until 2018. This kind of work is not for the faint of heart or those who need to see the fruit of their labour turned quickly into cash. However, Groux is in that most unique position with Niagara sparkling wines: he not only helped pioneer the modern era of sparkling wines in Ontario in 1988 as the winemaker at Trius (then called Hillebrand), when he knew of only one other traditionally made sparkler being made (Château des Charmes), but he is also part of the Second Coming of Ontario sparkling winemakers. In fact, Canadian winemakers are re-energizing the craft of sparkling wines — and in particular, using the traditional method, following the Méthode Champenoise made famous by the vineyards of Champagne, France in the early 1600s. DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 33
However Champagne wasn’t the first region to produce a sparkling wine — that distinction goes to Blanquette de Limoux and the Benedictine Monks in the Abbey at Saint-Hilaire near Carcassonne in 1531. They achieved those delightful bubbles by bottling the wine before the initial fermentation had ended, a process now called the ancestral method. The Champagne method, which requires the addition of sugar to a finished wine to create a second fermentation in the bottle, was discovered over a century later but was not popularized (because glass makers could not prevent their bottles from exploding due to the pressure) until the mid-1800s. Once an appropriate bottle was developed, production of traditionally made Champagne went from 300,000 bottles in the early 1800s to 20 million bottles by 1850. Today that number is closer to 350 million bottles. Ontario’s sparkling wine production has a slightly less illustrious past. Without going all the way back to the Baby Duck days, 1988 is a good place to start looking at the beginning of quality sparkling wines in Ontario, with both Hillebrand and Château des Charmes making traditionally made sparkling wines from Chardonnay and Pinot grapes. At Hillebrand, Groux riddled everything by hand, built a specially designed underground cellar for the wines and the sparkling program grew quickly to 10,000 bottles. With a new millennium on the horizon, production ramped up to 100,000 bottles for Year 2000 bashes and suddenly corks were popping all over Niagara and the category began taking off. Despite just a handful of Ontario wineries making sparkling wine pre-2000, there are 55 wineries now in the game if you include those like Stratus that have a base wine sitting on the lees waiting for the magic to happen. As with all the wines Groux makes, with meticulous blending and contemplation, his as-yet-unnamed Stratus sparkling wine — 150 cases maximum — has been thoroughly thought out. He began growing and researching “sparkling” grapes in 2006, severing off a portion of the Chardonnay vineyard and leaving the canopy on those vines to shade the grapes, then picking them a full month before any other Chardonnay grapes. He didn’t reveal his first official base wine, the 2011 vintage, to the Stratus owners until 2013, but “they loved it,” says Groux. No one outside Groux’s tight circle has tried the wine. In fact, he wouldn’t even let me see it! Seven years on the lees is a long time, so look for a complex sparkling wine made in the traditional style but fully and completely a “Niagara blanc de blancs,” Groulx says, with a nod to Champagne and some of the methods they use to grow and make what is arguably the world’s greatest expression of bubbly. It begins with the grapes, picked early when they have a low brix (sugar) level and bracing acidity, what Groulx calls “low flavours.” “I don’t want tropical fruit or lime,” he says. “The aromatics will build on the lees. We will make a style that’s complex and interesting. But we are in Niagara; it will always be Niagara.” What Groux means, and it’s a sentiment shared throughout Ontario: you can learn from Champagne, you can take your cue from Champagne, but Niagara sparkling will never be Champagne — that’s just silly. 34 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017
Few in Ontario, or even Canada, have the luxury of growing grapes specifically for sparkling wines. More often than not, the vintage dictates where your Pinot Noir or Chardonnay grapes are headed — and it’s not always going to be destined for sparkling wine. I KNOW OF ONLY THREE WINERIES IN CANADA that dedi-
cate the majority of their production to sparkling wines — Hinterland Wine Company in Prince Edward County, Bella Wines in the Okanagan Valley and Benjamin Bridge in Nova Scotia. A handful of others have embarked on (or built on) an aggressive program of traditionally made, vintage-dated sparkling wines with extended lees aging in various styles (notably Château des Charmes, Henry of Pelham, 13th Street Winery, Cave Spring Cellars, Flat Rock Cellars, Jackson-Triggs and Peller Estates in Niagara; and Haywire, Blue Mountain, Sumac Ridge and Summerhill in BC). The fact is, the vast majority of wineries making sparkling wine have one or two examples made in the fruity and forward charmat or cuve close methods: delicious, yes, but more intended for a domestic market than for turning heads internationally. Eugene Mlynczyk, a Master of Wine and luxury portfolio manager for Constellation Brands Canada, sees a genuine opportunity for sparkling wines in Canada. He says the number of producers and volume produced doubled between 2004 and 2014. But the growth isn’t fast enough if Canadian producers want to keep up with popularity around the world. While Canadian sparkling wines account for a 3 to 4 percent share of all wine produced, other countries have escalated that to 7 to 10 percent market share. Mlynczyk, who wrote a research paper on sparkling wine in Canada for his Master of Wine certificate, says: “The industry believes they should focus on sparkling as part of their program. But you can’t cowboy sparkling wine. You can’t ride by the seat of your pants.”
JAY DRYSDALE’S BELLA WINES IS ONE OF ONLY 3 CANADIAN WINERIES DEDICATED TO SPARKLING
He says there needs to be a “critical mass” of wineries growing grapes specifically for sparkling wines: “Don’t make this an after-thought; that won’t grow the category.” The competition is tough, says Mlynczyk, with Crémant, Champagne, Prosecco, California and Cava sparkling wines commanding the biggest share of the pie on wine store shelves. Among these regions, all but California are closely regulated for what can and can’t be done with sparkling wines. In the New World, it’s a little more complicated (or less complicated, depending on your point of view). Though the VQA has stated rules that apply to the various styles (which were under review at the time of writing) made in Ontario and BC, it’s up to the winery to decide what kind of sparkling wine they want to pursue — and that’s drawing from a wide range of styles, from the method to the grapes used in the cuvée to finishing the wine. “The wine industry believes strongly in the traditional method over charmat but winemakers want the freedom to produce their own style,” says Mlynczyk. “Producers don’t want regulation on one style over the other.” That’s what the New World is all about. Anything goes, and with that, there’s good and bad. “Some producers want flexibility, while some feel there should be regulation,” Mlynczyk says. And therein lies the rub. You go to one winery and they show you a complex and elegant traditionally made, vintage-dated blanc de blancs with seven years of lees aging, and right next door, they show you a simple, fruity charmat made with non-traditional grapes that has lots of fizz but no stuffing. It can be confusing for consumers. Perhaps the future, the map that will determine Canada’s sparkling wine destiny, is in the hands of a dedicated group of winemakers who belong to the elite Fizz Club established in 2013 by Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) in St. Catharines.
Fizz Club was Dr. Belinda Kemp’s creation. As the senior scientist in oenology at the university, Kemp wanted to create a “sparkling wine support network” based on sharing knowledge among winemakers. The club already has the maximum number of 38 winemakers subscribed, all of whom are producing sparkling wine or have one in the works, and the session this month, focusing on traditionally made sparkling wines, is full. “I wanted to get all the sparkling winemakers together to show them what was happening in the rest of the world,” Kemp says. To that end, 26 Ontario winemakers (including Groux) and two scientists (including Kemp) travelled to Champagne this past summer on a technical and educational journey to learn from winemakers there exactly how they achieve greatness with their bubbles. The trip included intense visits to such revered houses as Taittinger, Moët et Chandon and Champagne Jacquinot & Fils. Kemp says the lessons learned were invaluable: everything from picking times and vineyard canopy, to specific grape clones that work best for sparkling wine, riddling, disgorging and dosage was covered. One of the key elements of sparkling wine production, says Kemp, is how to treat the base wine. “In some camps, the base wines were being made like a still wine. You can’t do that,” she says. “There’s too much cleaning up of the wine; we need a bit more dirty winemaking in the base wine.” It’s a key to making quality traditionally made sparkling that is not lost on Groux: “I’m doing everything the opposite of all my other wines.” Change is coming. Canadian wineries are ready to take fizz to the next level. “The quality is rapidly increasing,” says Kemp. “But we’re just scratching the surface. It’s a really exciting time that will show in the wines in the next few years.” DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 35
JEAN PIERRE COLAS FROM 13TH STREET WINERY
INNISKILLIN SPARKLING VIDAL ICEWINE 2014, NIAGARA ($80) The nose is a gorgeous mélange of orange marmalade, honeycomb, peach and mango. It has a rousing mousse on the palate to go with sweet, compoted fruits, fresh and delicate notes of pineapple, tangerine and peach, and a luxurious texture that’s accentuated by the tiny bubbles that tickle the palate through the finish.
13TH STREET GRAND CUVÉE BLANC DE NOIR 2007, NIAGARA ($59) A generous nose of lemon and brioche, green apple and fresh-baked bread with creamy vanilla and toast accents. It’s built in an austere style, with very low dosage, chiselled acidity and a fine mousse that tickles the palate, giving way to fresh apple and lemon flavours that are just beginning to soften.
CAVE SPRING CELLARS BLANC DE BLANCS BRUT NV, NIAGARA ($30) Traditionally made sparkler with 30 months on the lees, this is simply gorgeous on the nose with bright apple, ripe pear, toasty–yeasty notes and profound
minerality. It is complex and elegant on the palate with a tight bead of bubbles and shows a range of orchard fruits, lemon, toast, roasted almonds and laser-sharp acidity through the finish.
HINTERLAND LES ETOILES 2009, PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY ($49) Only 80 cases of this aged Les Etoiles (on the lees for 5 years) are available. It has a beautiful, engaging nose of brioche, yeast, baked bread, bright citrus, pear and apple. The soft, elegant mousse carries toasty, mature citrus notes with subtle green apple flavours and minerals with a creamy texture through the long, luxurious finish.
2027 CELLARS BLANC DE BLANCS SPARKLING QUEENSTON ROAD VINEYARD 2013, NIAGARA ($30) Sparse use of added sugar here with a 4.5 g/l dosage in this 100% single-vineyard Chardonnay bubbly. A vigorous bubble in the glass with a nose of flinty minerality, baked bread, citrus and green apple. It’s energetic and fresh on the palate with tangy lemon-citrus, apple and flint notes; juicy yet austere at this early stage.
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BENJAMIN BRIDGE BRUT 2008, NOVA SCOTIA ($45) Made in the traditional style, it’s a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, L’Acadie and Seyval, with a brilliant nose of lemon chiffon, peach and saline minerality that is piercing and inviting. It shows a gentle mousse on the palate with a ripe citrus, peach tart and mineral attack that adds subtle spice through a long and vibrant finish.
BIG HEAD BIG BANG SPARKLING NV, NIAGARA ($45) A blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, all wild fermented, 31 months on the lees with a dosage of recioto-style (sweet dried grape) Chardonnay. The nose is all expressive lemon, biscuit, toast, brioche, pineapple and grapefruit, which is as refreshing as it is elegant. The bead is gentle and persistent with flavours of lifted citrus and apple that are rich and textured through the finish.
CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES BLANC DE BLANCS 2012, NIAGARA ($29) Traditional-method Chardonnay that spends 24 months on the lees. The nose
shows an inviting range of toast, lemon, crisp apple and fresh-baked bread notes. It’s finely balanced on the palate with tight bubbles that pop and crackle in the glass and shows creamy apple and pear, brioche, toast, citrus that all lead to a refreshing, lasting lemony finish.
FEATHERSTONE CUVÉE JOY 2012, NIAGARA ($35) A traditionally made, 100% estate Chardonnay bubbly with a nose that shows a balanced mélange of pear, citrus, freshbaked bread and yeasty–toasty notes. It’s fresh and lively on the palate with a persistent bubble that highlights the pear, lime and lemon fruits that are bursting with flavour and vitality.
HENRY OF PELHAM CUVÉE CATHARINE CARTE BLANCHE ESTATE BLANC DE BLANC 2010, NIAGARA ($45) This top sparkling wine from HoP is made from 100% estate Chardonnay and spends 54 months on the lees. The nose is lemony with notes of biscuit, toasted vanilla, saline minerality and brioche. The palate reveals a lively bubble with lemon-citrus, toasty–yeasty notes, orange peel, and subtle earthiness on a luxurious, silky and vibrant finish.
JACKSON-TRIGGS ENTOURAGE GRAND RESERVE SPARKLING MERLOT 2013, NIAGARA ($30) Those who like their sparklers rich, bold and able to pair with red meats, look no further. Pouring a robust head of bubbles, this sparkler has a nose of black cherries, crème de cassis, black currants and rich spice notes. It’s thick and juicy on the palate but still shows some balance between the ripe and earthy red fruits and racy acidity.
WESTCOTT VINEYARDS BRILLIANT SPARKLING BRUT 2013, NIAGARA ($33) Traditionally made sparkler from a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It has a gorgeous and complex nose of perky citrus, apple, flinty minerality and toasty biscuit. It shows bright acidity and persistent bubbles on the palate with a range of citrus and apple fruit, brioche and toasted almond through a long, vibrant finish.
FLAT ROCK CELLARS RIDDLED SPARKLING 2009, NIAGARA ($30) 92% Chardonnay with the rest Pinot Noir and spends 4 years on the lees before disgorging. The nose shows lovely and inviting brioche, toast, lemon-lime, grapefruit and apple notes. A soft but persistent mousse delivers an array of bright lime, green apple and creamy pear notes.
THIRTY BENCH SPARKLING RIESLING NV, NIAGARA ($35) It’s lovely on the nose with lime, mineral, apple and toasty-baked bread notes. It has a gentle mousse and a range of citrus, grapefruit, and apple on the palate that’s bolstered by minerality and searing acidity.
JACKSON-TRIGGS ENTOURAGE GRAND RESERVE BRUT 2012, NIAGARA ($25)
ROSEHALL RUN CEREMONY BLANC DE BLANC BRUT, PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY ($35) This 100% estate Chardonnay was finished with a minimal dosage of 2.5 g/l. The nose has a lovely biscuit note to go with lemon chiffon, fresh citrus, brioche and toasted vanilla. The tiny, vigorous bubbles are persistent in the glass and show bright acidity, which gives a lift to the fresh lemon-citrus and green apple flavours.
This is a Pinot Noir-driven blend with Chardonnay and a touch of Gamay. It spends 2 years on the lees. The nose shows fresh red berries, lovely yeasty– toasty notes and a subtle anise accent. The flavours range from rich cherries and raspberries to bolder cranberry and toasted vanilla.
FIELDING ESTATE SPARKLING ROSÉ NV, NIAGARA ($30) A non-vintage Rosé traditionally made from 84% Pinot Noir and the rest Chardonnay with the bulk of the fruit from the 2013 vintage. It’s quite toasty on the nose
HAYWIRE PINK BUB 2014, OKANAGAN ($30) Made with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and a tiny drop of Syrah as the dosage. The colour is pale salmon with a tight and steady stream of bubbles and a nose of strawberries, raspberries, bramble and a subtle herbaceous note. On the palate, there is an earthy note to go with a basket of vigorous red fruits that’s more fresh and lively than austere.
KONZELMANN MÉTHODE CUVE CLOSE ROSÉ, NIAGARA ($16)
This Pinot/Chard blend spends 24 months on the lees. It shows an elegant combination of biscuit, citrus, apple, vanilla toast and brioche on the nose. It’s lively and perky on the palate with bright citrus and green apple, and added toast and vanilla on a refreshing finish.
13TH STREET CUVÉE ROSÉ NV, NIAGARA ($26)
with fragrant red fruits, herbs, raspberry and leesy/floral notes. It has good acid lift on the palate with tart red fruits, lovely finesse, a lively mousse and a toasty note through the finish.
Lovely, friendly sparkling rosé with a nose of strawberry, cherry, violets and subtle cassis notes. It’s tart and lively on the palate with bright red fruits that soften through the finish.
NARRATIVE XC METHOD, OKANAGAN ($25) 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay with secondary fermentation in charmat tanks. It has a lively, steady bead in the glass and a pale pink colour. It has fresh aromas of apple, tangerine and toasty-creamy notes. It’s mouth-filling with laser-sharp acidity and a range of apple, pear and citrus flavours through a brisk finish.
SUMAC RIDGE STELLER’S JAY SPARKLING SHIRAZ MÉTHODE CLASSIQUE NV, OKANAGAN ($26) A fun, bold sparkler that shows modest effervescence in the glass with a range of forward fruits including cassis, blueberry, black cherry and blackberry with added spice notes on the nose. It’s rich and complex on the palate with some tannic structure to go with layers of dark fruit and spice.
TAWSE SPARK 2014, NIAGARA ($25) A blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris that’s made in the traditional method with 12 months of lees aging. The nose shows ripe orchard peach, lemon and grapefruit. It’s fresh and fruity on the palate with plenty of orchard fruits, delivered on a soft mousse with a brisk, lively finish. × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 37
ON A ROLL by Tim Pawsey
SINGLETREE’S ANDREW ETSELL
Like platform shoes, headbands and bell bottoms, even wine fashions eventually come and go. Consider this: barely more than a couple of decades ago, when the Okanagan was just spreading its wings, the most widely planted white vinifera was Pinot Blanc. However, with the onset of free trade and eyes very much on the consumer’s love affair with California and Australia, BC marketers encouraged growers to plant more commercially recognizable grapes — such as Chardonnay. Sadly, in the process, except for a few notable survivors, much of the region’s established Pinot Blanc plantings vanished — along with many of the other original vinifera varieties. Pinot Blanc arrived in Canada thanks to the efforts of viticulturist Dr Helmut Becker, who, in the 1970s, headed up the respected Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute. Among his claims to fame, Dr Becker was one of the first to appreciate the importance of cultivating a global wine industry based on quality. He worked hard to trial varieties that were suited not
only to the Okanagan and Niagara but also to regions in New Zealand, Australia and elsewhere — even in Japan. When Becker met Gray Monk founders George and Trudy Heiss, he was impressed with their perseverance in coming up with the best possible clones for the region. They invited him to the Okanagan to initiate an experiment to determine which vinifera varieties would make the most sense. At the time, most of the region’s less than desirable wines consisted of bulk production from hybrids. The Heiss family, who had initially planned to grow (and planted) hybrids, had decided to grow vinifera instead, especially given Geisenheim’s success in developing early-ripening clones more likely to survive the cold Okanagan winter. Trudy and George Heiss were interested in making the cool climate, Germanic wines with which they had grown up — and which they suspected could thrive in their as-yet-uncharted corner of the world.
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Becker supplied them (at no charge) with no fewer than 27 different vinifera to be trialled in three-acre test plots. The experiment, which lasted from 1977 to 1985, became known as the Becker Project, and very much laid the foundation for the modern-day BC wine industry. Pinot Blanc was generally regarded as the most successful of the Germanic varieties but also successful were the likes of Ehrenfelser, Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Auxerrois, Bacchus, Ortega, Siegerebbe and many more. Pioneers like Gray Monk and Gehringer built their reputations on easy-drinking, approachable vinifera that were often fruit-driven and made in an off-dry style. Gray Monk, of course, blazed a trail with Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), which Trudy Heiss notes with some satisfaction has now overtaken Chardonnay as BC’s most widely planted variety. Based on a 2015 crop report, Pinot Gris now ac-
WINEMAKER MATT DUMAYNE ALONG WITH OWNERS LAYNE ROBERT CRAIG AND BRENDA HETMAN-CRAIG
counts for 12.5 percent of BC production, compared to Chardonnay’s 10.4 percent. Trudy Heiss will also remind you that, in the mid-1970s, the Canadian Department of Agriculture did everything possible to deter them from planting Pinot Gris. “They told us it would never grow here,” she says. But two years after the Heiss family planted the 50 remaining vines that survived quarantine, the government was suddenly curious to know more. Yes, it’s the lesser white varieties, which — while miniscule in the grand scheme of things — still command a certain charm, make excellent wines and do have their place at the table. Not only that, many offer a truly viable alternative in more borderline regions where ripening “mainstream” vinifera in some years can still prove a challenge.
SIEGERREBE
When family members said they wanted to pull out Gray Monk’s Siegerrebe in favour of planting something more commercial, Trudy Heiss promised that, if it ever happened, “there’d be a body in the parking lot the next day.” And it wouldn’t be hers. Gray Monk’s Siegerrebe is one of the best-kept secrets in their (expansive) portfolio. Its rose petal and spicy aromas are often similar to Gewürztraminer, which is one of its parents (along with Madeleine Angevine). The grape makes an appealing, off-dry and often quite complex white with hints of citrus, such as tangerine and grapefruit.
In recent years, more than a few wineries have borrowed a page from Gray Monk’s book. Among a growing number of successful producers are Chaberton and Singletree (in the Fraser Valley), Sunnybrae and Recline Ridge in the Shuswap, the Cowichan Valley’s Venturi Schulze and Blue Grouse, Pender Island’s Sea Star, and Comox’s 40 Knots (whose whippet is named “Ziggy” in its honour).
ORTEGA
Another example of a blending wine put to good use, Ortega is used in some parts of Germany to boost Riesling in poorer vintages. A cross of Müller-Thurgau and Siegerrebe, it’s grown to be a worthy hallmark wine on Vancouver Island, made by Blue Grouse, Zanatta and Beaufort, among others. Most notable achievement to date: Enrico Winery’s Tempest Ortega 2014, the first wine from Vancouver Island to win a coveted British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence, in 2014. Interestingly enough — and perhaps a comment on how seriously or not some choose to take the variety — a major Okanagan media outlet chose to remove all mention of the award from its initially published list. Other noteworthy Ortega producers include Sea Star, Larch Hills and Recline Ridge. Proof that Ortega’s star is on the rise is also increasingly evident in England, where the variety thrives in maritime-influenced sites.
BACCHUS
Another grape that owes much of its success to Gray Monk, which now blends it into their Latitude 50 white blend, Bacchus was also the first variety to prove successful on a larger scale in the Fraser Valley. When Domaine de Chaberton’s original owners established their vineyard in south Langley, they built a successful private label business around this cross of Silvaner, Riesling and Müller-Thurgau. A popular wine on many local lists, it suggested there really was a future for off-dry whites, especially in a culinary culture just beginning to explore Asian cuisines more fully. Bacchus continues to be a significant mainstay of the Chaberton portfolio. Another good example of dry Bacchus is made by Blue Grouse and off-dry by Arrowleaf Cellars.
AUXERROIS
Occasionally affectionately known as “Pinot Ox”, it was again Gray Monk that orchestrated the variety’s arrival in Canada. At the time, there was only about one row but the grape’s early-ripening appeal and good winter resistance meant it eventually enjoyed relatively wide planting by the fledging industry. And Gray Monk’s effort encouraged several others to plant Auxerrois. Also popular as an ice wine grape, it remains a mainstay at Gehringer Brothers, where Geisenheim-trained Walter Gehringer still grows as many vines based on the original Becker plantings as anyone else. ×
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THE GREAT HO OF CHINA by Silvana Lau
What packs a whopping alcohol content ranging from 40 to 60 percent, is the world’s best-selling liquor by volume, and was pivotal in breaking the ice between the American President Richard Nixon and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai during tense Sino-American relations in the ’70s? Baijiu! Bai what? Pronounced “bye-jyoh,” China’s national spirit has an undeniable flavour and aroma with a history spanning more than 5,000 years.
Although baijiu, or “white alcohol,” is the world’s most consumed spirit, chances are many people outside of China have never heard of it. More than 99 percent of this pungent, spicy, savoury and often sweet traditional liquor is produced and consumed in China, where it has a billion-strong fan base. Hence, the clear spirit being the most consumed liquor globally. Baijiu shows up on the table for all occasions. Businessmen will go head to head, trying to impress each other by seeing who can down more of the stuff. No birthday, wedding or Chinese New Year celebration would be complete without it. Friends and family toast each other with this Chinese firewater while wishing health and happiness for each other. Akin to vodka for the Russians, soju for the Koreans and whisky for the Scots, baijiu is a national symbol and a social lubricant for the Chinese. During the Chinese Civil War, Chairman Mao Zedong and his Red Army used Moutai (the renowned sorghum-based baijiu brand) to sterilize their war wounds and calm their nerves. Following the Communist victory, the government declared Moutai to be China’s “national wine” and it became the official drink at state dinners. Consequently, Moutai became the most prestigious baijiu 40 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017
OOCH SORGHUM IS THE MAIN GRAIN USED IN FERMENTING BAIJIU
brand used by Chinese leaders to toast visiting dignitaries. Along with Richard Nixon getting glassy-eyed at the table dinner over Moutai, Britain’s Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher, was served this intoxicating spirit after she agreed to return Hong Kong to China. Government officials in China have been pounding back so much baijiu — and not the average hooch, but the expensive stuff (in 2013, the most expensive bottle of Moutai had a price tag of $327 USD) — that President Xi Jinping implemented an austerity campaign in 2012 to clamp down on government officials’ abuse of public funds. Since the shutdown of the pleasure palace, and introduction of nationwide anti-corruption measures, China’s baijiu producers have been experiencing a hangover. The government’s annual consumption of the spirit contributed to as much as 35 percent of all baijiu sales in China. To add more insult to injury, the influence of Western culture is resulting in 18- to 25-year-olds choosing brandy and bourbon over baijiu. Millennials just aren’t as interested in baijiu as their elders once were, which will ultimately have a profound effect on the national spirit for years to come.
Needless to say, baijiu producers have looked westward for a chance to recuperate some of their lost sales. Shu Guo, from HiBridge Consulting, has been importing Chinese liquor, including baijiu, to Canada since 2005 and believes that the West is ready to give China’s national spirit an honest shot. Guo is hopeful that non-Chinese consumers will develop the same affinity for it as their Chinese counterparts. “As Canada is an immigrant society, baijiu has potential in the Canadian market,” explains Guo. But can the unaccustomed be won over? There are a few stumbling blocks ahead. First, up until a few years ago, baijiu was only being sold in China. Thus, traditional names and conservative labels are designed to attract Chinese consumers. Not only is it tricky for non-Chinese to pronounce the names on the labels, it is also extremely challenging for them to remember those names. Baijiu bottles are in desperate need of a makeover to appeal to international audiences. Second, Western palates aren’t used to a fermented spirit made with unfamiliar ingredients like sorghum (a cereal grain), glutinous rice, millet, wheat, corn and peas. Compared to Western spirits, baijiu has a distinct production method. With scotch DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 41
The Four “Fragrances” of Baijiu Rice Aroma
A style produced and mainly found in Southern China. The gateway baijiu is made from rice. It is more similar in taste (but stronger in alcohol strength) to Japanese sake or Korean sochu. Aficionados should give it a shot. If you are still skeptical about its mildness and mellowness, try it infused with a snake! Try Guilin Sanhua Jiu (sans snake).
Light Aroma
A sorghum-driven style that is popular in Taiwan and Northern China. Fermented in ceramic jars, keeping the aroma fairly neutral and making it the perfect style for newbies. The qu used in this style is usually made with peas, exhibiting sweet and floral notes. Although this style may have a “light” aroma, the alcohol content is far from it. Some light aroma baijius are 56 percent ABV. Check out Fenjiu, Er Guo Tou 50 years or Chu Yeh Ching.
Strong Aroma
The most ubiquitous and widely consumed style originates from the Sichuan province. Fermented in earth pits with recycled mash, which is responsible for the pungent, robust and spicy flavours developed over the aging process. Strong aroma baijius are pricier than their light cousins. In 2012, a bottle of 1960 Wuliangye sold for over $150,000 US at a liquor auction fair in Hangzhou. If you don’t have that kind of cash, try Red Star Erguotou. It is one of the most prominent baijius in Beijing and can be found almost everywhere. Red Star is the baijiu for the people, a brand produced by the working class for the working class.
Sauce Aroma
If you are feeling saucy, this is the style of baijiu to try out. Produced in the southwestern region of China, they are the funkiest and most complex. Savoury herbs, soy sauce, sweaty socks, blue cheese, mushrooms — really anything with umami notes. This style is a tough one to get past for baijiu beginners. However, it pairs well with pickled snacks. It may come as a relief to know that no soybeans or soy sauce are used in the production method. In fact, it uses only sorghum, which is steamed and cooled; it goes through eight rounds of fermentation and distillation, with a minimum of three years of aging. This full-bodied baijiu is the most labour intensive to produce, explaining why it will set you back a few hundred dollars for the most famous and priciest brands, such as Moutai. If you aren’t willing to part with some serious cash, try out the slightly cheaper alternative, Wu Liang Te Qu, which sells for a little under $100. 42 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017
and other spirits, the conversion of grain to alcohol is a two-step process: the grains first go through a malting process (where they are steeped in water until the starches transform into fermentable sugars) and then they are fermented. BY CONTRAST, WHEN MAKING CHINA’S NATIONAL SPIRIT, FERMENTING CARBOHYDRATES INTO SUGARS AND THEN INTO ALCOHOL IS ONLY A ONE-STEP PROCESS. Unlike most liquor production, yeast is not used when
making baijiu; instead, qu (pronounced “chew”) is the most crucial ingredient. This starter culture is formed from a brick of compressed grain containing airborne elements like mold, yeast, bacteria and even tiny insects. This solid-state fermentation is unique to baijiu production, allowing sugar conversion and fermentation to happen simultaneously. The wild yeasts and local air to which the qu is exposed are what gives the finished product a nuanced terroir. During production, water and qu are combined with a host of grains specific to the area of the country (namely, rice in the south and sorghum in the north). The mix is then left to ferment in everything from mud pits to clay jars, often buried underground. The final distilled product is stored in a variety of vessels and aged anywhere from six months to several years. Baijiu production is a laborious process but it is almost always handcrafted using traditional methods. There are thousands of distilleries and several “Mom and Pop” distillers across China, each with its own “secret” unique recipe. The smallest variations in ingredients and environment can lead to significant changes in the final product, consequently introducing flavours that the uninitiated may not understand. Baijiu can be funky tasting to the foreign palate. Those who have tried baijiu identify it as a throat scorcher with nose-wrinkling aromas of soy sauce, blue cheese and sweaty socks. However, that is just one style (sauce aroma) among four that define baijiu. The spirit is categorized based on its aromatic profile, with there being four main classification styles or “fragrances”: rice, light, strong and sauce (see sidebar for descriptions of each aroma). Depending on which style of baijiu you try, the diverse flavours are extreme, ranging from palatable to paint thinner. Among Western expatriates and foreigners doing business in China, baijiu often seems like the hard kid to love. It has developed a bad reputation not only because of its fiery alcohol content and unusual taste but also because of the way the spirit is traditionally consumed, ganbei-style. The Chinese take toasting very seriously. The People’s tipple is served neat in shot-sized glasses and consumption always begins with a salute or tribute to show respect and build relations. As with most things in China, there’s an etiquette associated with drinking baijiu, which consists of the following elaborate steps: 1) Embrace the concept of humility (a challenge in itself for many); 2) Show the utmost respect by gripping your shot glass using both hands, making eye contact with the host and everyone else, and, oh yes, not forgetting to smile; 3) After the toast, shout GANBEI!, which translates as “dry the glass” and, you guessed it, means “bottoms up”; 4) Consume the baijiu in one gulp (you better follow suit, or be forever labelled as the disrespectful wuss); 5) Turn your glass upside down to show that you have finished the entire glass, hence giving face to the person who made the toast; 6) Repeat steps one to five (it
“INFLUENCED BY ANCIENT CHINESE PHILOSOPHERS LAO TZU AND CONFUCIUS, CHINESE PEOPLE ALWAYS BEHAVE IN A MODERATE WAY BY HIDING THEIR REAL CHARACTER. BUT WHEN DRINKING BAIJIU, ALL DISGUISES WILL BE BURNED AWAY WITH ALCOHOL.” JAMES YE OF PREMIER COASTS TRADING
is very common for multiple shots to be drunk in quick succession, leaving you with no time to adapt to the flavour). Phewww! That’s a lot of rules for one little drink. Unfortunately, the ganbei-style of drinking baijiu is to blame for why many newbies quickly grow to hate baijiu. While scotch is slowly savoured, forget any fancy ideas of relishing in the aromas of baijiu because, according to the Chinese, the spirit is not to be sipped. Moreover, having “face” is a crucial notion in China, and the association between that and drinking can make for a very unpleasant experience for the unversed. In China, the drunker a person becomes from drinking baijiu (or any other liquor), the more “face” has been bestowed upon them. Hence, it is very common for Chinese hosts to get their visitors as drunk as possible as a sign of honour and dignity. The Chinese are pleased when their guest shows mutual respect by bridging the cultural gap and drinking baijiu with them. “It has been a rite for people in China, no matter if you are a businessman or a labourer, to drink baijiu when having dinner together. Influenced by ancient Chinese philosophers Lao Tzu and Confucius, Chinese people always behave in a moderate way by hiding their real character. But when drinking baijiu, all disguises will be burned away with alcohol. You will see the nature of the people sitting beside you. Is he is reliable or not?” explains Chinese spirit importer James Ye of Premier Coasts Trading. Furthermore, baijiu can help break the ice, lubricate deals and build consensus when doing business in China. It can be quite the sight to see your Chinese associate act like you have known each other for years after a few stiff shots of baijiu. “When baijiu becomes a social tool, sales can be huge because of China’s enormous population,” Ye further explains. (Hint hint, wink wink, this is a useful tip for those doing business in China.) Undoubtedly, foreigners who knock back successive shots of high-proof and lukewarm baijiu don’t often become fans of the spirit. Ye believes that for baijiu to succeed outside China, it needs to be made more accessible and presented in a less intimidating and creative way. “Baijiu is consumed straight up by Chinese people. Given the high alcohol content, sometimes it is a challenge for non-Chinese people to take in such a bold drink.”
For rookies, Ye suggests diluting baijiu with ice or using it as a base spirit when making cocktails. Doing so is heading in the right direction. To popularize baijiu among the inexperienced requires some imagination. In an effort to create a more stylish image, promoters have been rebranding China’s drink of choice to an entirely new audience: the craft cocktail scene. Capital Spirits Bar has been pivotal in spreading the baijiu gospel. Opened by a group of expats living in Beijing, the world’s first cocktail bar dedicated to baijiu has created cocktails that appeal to a wider audience by highlighting and balancing the dominant flavours of the spirit instead of masking them. Cocktails may not be the traditional way to consume baijiu, but the avant-garde bar has made this old-school drink cool among foreigners and young Chinese — in China and around the globe. This new way of consuming baijiu has spread around the world with baijiu-based cocktails on bar menus from London to Los Angeles. The intoxicating spirit may be finding a home abroad. The Western world is slowly starting to embrace baijiu with a growing number of foreign brands. Some producers outsource the spirit from China and rebrand it to attract international markets, such as ByeJoe in the United States and HKB in Hong Kong, while others are producing their versions of baijiu using local ingredients, such as Vinn Distillery in Portland, Oregon, and Canada’s own Dragon Mist Distillery. Despite hard-to-pronounce Chinese brand names, a strange taste and a frenzy-based drinking culture, whatever the roadblock, don’t be too quick to judge baijiu. Remember the first time you had a peaty scotch like Lagavulin, and it tasted like you were sucking on a burnt campfire log? Or when you knocked back a vigorously bitter swig of minty Fernet Branca? Likely you didn’t love them the first time either. The trick to appreciating the world’s most consumed liquor is embracing its outlandish flavours, either ganbei-style or in a cocktail. Having already grasped the concept of quinoa whisky and spelt vodka, and grown to love smoky mezcal, why not give baijiu a try? Just as American diplomat Henry Kissinger said to China’s leader Deng Xiaoping in 1979, “If we drink enough Maotai, we can solve anything.” It’s worth a try. × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 43
LOAFING by Duncan Holmes
44 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017
The thing about bread is that it really is easy to make. Given the number of perilous cooking challenges that are presented to us for construction in our kitchens, a loaf of bread is simpler to make than just about anything else. Flour, yeast, salt and water. That’s it. Bring them together and, without much ado, you’ll have bakedom’s greatest reward: a loaf of bread.
Not only is bread easy to make, but each step along the doughy way is a plateau of pure delight. After just two to three hours, you will have deliciously crisp and chewy crusts — and slices of a formidable world staple. I’ve never read what it is about bread that turns us on, but I suspect that any study — as well as discussing its primeval roots — would somehow determine that, in many, many cultures, bread is an icon of life itself. “Bread on the table” stamps the difference between have and have not. It’s an indicator of economic availability, that there is more. And we are at one with its mysteries: a loaf, fresh from the oven, is pure magic when we break bread together. Once you have made bread — and there are few kitchen moments more rewarding than tasting your first loaf — you can dub yourself a baker. Butter up a slice and, with braggadocio and feigned generosity or otherwise, share the rest. Commit to doing it again. And again. Consider whether it’s really necessary to buy bread when you can bake your own, made with hands, heart and soul. In an ongoing odyssey that will last a lifetime, I have been making three loaves of French bread every Saturday morning for years. Sure, it’s food, but it’s also a search for the perfect loaf — and a journey of recurring delights to get there. I know that the perfect loaf is out there, beyond the Valley of Ten Thousand Ovens, along the Glen of Gluten and far, far away in the Kingdom of Knead. Hopefully I will live to slice and share it. And the maps? There are many. I’ve included the recipe for the loaves I regularly bake, and offer these additional notes:
Allow yourself LOTS of time. Bread baking is not a hurried thing. You don’t “whip up a loaf.” The best bread is made in association with another activity, like reading a book, going shopping or having a nap. Some of my best loaves rose while completely forgotten — and they forgave me every time. The best loaf is a well-kneaded loaf. Again, don’t hurry. More kneading encourages ongoing interaction between the ingredients and makes for a finer loaf. It is rare that I knead for less than 20 minutes. It’s fun, and great for the heart. You will find that consistent, energetic kneading can increase your heart rate by 20 beats per minute — and that’s good medicine. There are variables that will affect your loaf. Your flour, the temperature of your kitchen, even the weather. In time, you will be able to “feel” these things. You won’t be able to change them, but you’ll know what they are. You will know when it’s a good bread-making day. Once you get the feel of dough, you will gain the confidence to venture into other yeast areas: sweet dough for sticky cinnamon rolls, Danish pastry, magnificent kugelhopf, braided loaves and buns. I often do some extras when I’m making bread, then freeze them without even a taste. They’re a great surprise with coffee when everyone least expects homemade goodies. Be kind. There are those who say dough should be thrown to the counter during kneading, that bread-making is something you should do when you’re mad at the world and need to get rid of frustration. Yes, bread-making is therapeutic, but I’ve never used dough as a punching bag. Make bread as you would make love — with purpose, care and profound affection. DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 45
DAD’S PRIZE-WINNING SULTANA CAKE
SATURDAY FRENCH BREAD
MAKES 3 LOAVES This is the recipe I use to make French bread every Saturday, one that was worked into quantities and words after visits to a very small bakery in the north of Provence. Before it, I had never added dry yeast to dry flour. But it works, and it’s the way I always do it.
7-8 1 1 3
cups all-purpose flour package active dry yeast (7 g) tbsp salt cups tepid water
1. Into a large bowl, measure 7 cups of flour and
stir in the yeast and salt. Form a well in the flour and pour in the water. With a spoon, a scraper or your hands, slowly pull the flour into the liquid until it is fully absorbed. 2. Work the dough into a ball and roll it out onto a floured surface. The dough will be tacky. Lift, turn and knead, adding small amounts of flour, for 15 to 20 minutes. The dough should now no longer stick to the counter. 3. Grease your bowl and allow the dough to rise until doubled in volume, about 2 hours. (I let the dough rise on the centre rack of the oven. Before closing the oven door, I add boiling water to a pan placed on the bottom rack; the steamy water helps the dough rise.) 4. Punch the dough down, then let it rise until doubled again. Cut the dough into 3 loaves and then let them rise again. 5. Preheat the oven to 475˚F. 6. Just before you put your loaves in the oven, add more water to the pan in the oven to create more steam. Slash the tops of your loaves with a sharp blade, spray them with water. Place in the oven to bake, respraying every 5 minutes or so, for 15 minutes. 7. Carefully remove the water pan from the oven. Reduce the heat to 400˚F. Bake loaves for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until they are brown and hollow-sounding when tapped. Loaves or long baguettes, your bread will taste great.
46 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017
MAKES 1 CAKE For most of his life, he never knew it, but my father always had the makings of a superb cook. As with everything he did, he was meticulous, and very concerned about the success of his product. This recipe consistently won him first prize at country fairs late in his life. These are Dad’s instructions.
3 eggs 3/4 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups sultana raisins 1/2 cup milk 1 tsp baking powder 1. Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs and beat with an old wooden spoon. 2. Add some of the flour and the sultanas, then alternate adding the remaining flour, milk and baking powder. Pour the mixture into a greased and lined 8-inch round tin. Parchment paper works best as a liner; it keeps the heat away from the sides of the cake. 3. Bake in a very slow (250˚F) oven for 2 hours. Test doneness with a skewer. 4. The baked cake should be wrapped in newspaper overnight. The only purpose of this seems to be to hide the cake from those who would immediately devour it. The next morning, there is less interest in consuming it all in one sitting.
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Every kitchen needs a cookie jar to raid. Keep this recipe handy so you can make these cookies again and again to keep your jar topped up. They’re crunchy and mighty tasty.
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup white sugar 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla 2 eggs 1 cup chocolate chips 1 cup nuts, chopped 1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F. 2. In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and
salt, then set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugars and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs. 3. Add the flour mixture. Beat at low speed until a soft dough forms. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. 4. Drop heaping teaspoons of dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies turn golden brown. Cool completely before storing.
MAKES 1 British Columbia First Nations served barbecued salmon with bannock during Expo 86 in Vancouver. It was in an area at the extreme east end of the grounds that took ages to get to, but we went back at LEAST once a week for the entire 5-month term of the fair. I’ve never determined how bannock got from Scotland to the First Nations Pavilion at Expo 86, but the Scots are great engineers. If you wish, you can add grated cheese to the flour. Bannock makes an incredible dipper for clam nectar when you’re sitting around with friends at the beach.
4 1/4 3 1 1 1/2 1/2
cups all-purpose flour cup sugar tbsp baking powder tsp salt cups water cup butter, melted
1. Mix the dry ingredients together. Scoop out
a hollow in the centre of the dry mix and add the water and melted butter. Stirring with a fork, add more flour as required to make a soft dough. Pat into a 10-inch cast-iron frying pan, covering the bottom of the pan. 2. Cook over low heat, checking frequently until the bottom is well browned. Turn over and continue to cook until the bannock is brown on both sides. All this will take about 45 minutes. 3. Handle the dough as little as possible. 4. To bake in the oven, press the dough into an 11inch springform pan and then bake at 425˚F for 20 to 25 minutes on one of the lower racks. ×
BANNOCK DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 47
BOUQUET GARNI BY NANCY JOHNSON
THE CHRISTMAS LESSON WHEN I WAS A KID, CHRISTMAS MORNING WAS A VERITABLE FREE-FOR-ALL. There were four of us, two
boys and two girls, wildly tearing through the mountain of presents under the tree. Like most parents of the 1950s, mine didn’t shower us with gifts all year long; they waited until Christmas to spoil us rotten. But there was one Christmas when there wasn’t enough money for presents. I was just a kid, but I knew something at work had gone wrong for my dad. He came home in the middle of the afternoon in early November and uttered just two words to my mother: “I quit.” Those two words threw my mother into a tizzy that in turn threw all four of us kids into tizzies, so that the entire household was turned upside down, with my mother crying and all of us kids wailing at the top of our lungs while my poor dad, who prided himself on being the breadwinner of the family, sat slumped at the kitchen table with his head in his hands. The story went something like this: My dad was the company’s top sales rep, beloved by all. Then one day some new guy barged in like gangbusters. This uber-salesman and my friendly, charming, down-to-earth, low-key dad took to each other like oil and water. And so, after putting up with “that blankety-blank arrogant, loud-mouthed jerk” for just so long, my dad quit the company he had been with for 10 years. Just like that. Cold turkey. With no prospects. And no new job in sight. 48 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017
That year, my parents bought us each one small gift. My mom, always the family cheerleader, made a game of it. We had to sit on a balloon until it broke, revealing a folded slip of paper that had been tucked inside, our first clue to finding the gift that had been hidden somewhere in the house. The balloon clue led to the next clue and so on until we each found our Christmas present. My gift turned out to be my very last doll, a huge stiff plastic thing that my mom thought I would like because it had brown eyes, like mine, something unusual among the blue-eyed, blonde-haired dolls of the ‘50s. The funny thing is, I don’t remember that long-ago Christmas for the lame balloon game my mother foisted on us, or for the doll that I was too old to appreciate. I remember it because of the lesson I learned from my dad, a lesson that’s helped me navigate all the diverse personalities I’ve come across in my long career. Just after Christmas, my dad landed an even better gig at a competitor’s company, and was eventually promoted to vice-president. But, long before he became a VP and about a year after he was hired, the blankety-blank arrogant, loudmouthed jerk came to work at my dad’s new company. This time, my dad decided to ignore his nemesis, because, as he said, “if it wasn’t that jerk, it would be some other jerk.” That is absolutely the best advice I’ve ever received — pay no attention to the jerks. Don’t let them ruffle you or influence your decisions. In all cases, you be you.
× Search through a wide range of wine-friendly recipes on quench.me/recipes/
JERK CHICKEN WITH SWEET POTATO
1 2 1 2 2 1/2
1. Cook pasta until tender. Reserve 1 cup pasta water. 2. In a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat oil. Sauté pancetta until
The perfect way to forget about those annoying jerks at the office is to make this spicy Jamaican dish when you get home. You’re in control here — dial the heat up or down when you mix up the seasoning.
large sweet potato Jerk Seasoning (recipe follows) boneless chicken breast fillets, cut into strips Granny Smith apple tbsp canola oil scallions, thinly sliced cup apple juice Cooked rice
1. Peel sweet potato and cut into bite-sized chunks. Place in a microwave-safe baking dish. Add 1/2 cup water. Cover and microwave on high 3 to 4 minutes or until sweet potato is tender. Drain. 2. Make Jerk Seasoning: In a bowl combine 1 tsp crushed red pepper (or to taste), 1/2 tsp ground allspice, 1/4 tsp curry powder, 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1/8 tsp dried thyme, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste) and 1/8 tsp ground ginger. 3. Toss chicken strips with jerk seasoning. Peel and cut apple into bite-sized pieces. Heat oil in a large skillet. Sauté chicken 2 minutes. Add apple and green onion. 4. Sauté until chicken is done and apple is crisp tender. Stir in sweet potato and apple juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 minute. Serve over rice. MATCH: Pair with a Riesling or something light, refreshing and bubbly.
GARBANZO SOUP
My dad loved making soup. It was his way of unwinding after a long work day. This soup brings a little bit of Italy to my kitchen and reminds me of the soups my dad used to make. When making soup with pasta or noodles, I never add the pasta to the pot of soup. By keeping them separate, and storing leftovers separately, you avoid having the pasta soak up all the broth.
1 2 4 1 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1/2 1/2 3
cup ditalini pasta tbsp olive oil slices pancetta, diced onion, diced carrots, diced celery stalks, diced tbsp tomato paste cloves garlic, minced tbsp fresh rosemary, minced tbsp fresh basil, minced tsp anchovy paste tsp red pepper flakes cup dry white wine cups chicken broth
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed 1 can diced tomatoes in juice Salt and pepper, to taste Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
crisp. Place on paper-towel-lined plate. 3. In same pot, sauté onions, carrot and celery in pan drippings, 2 minutes. Cover and cook over medium heat until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, rosemary, basil, anchovy paste and pepper flakes. 4. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Deglaze pan with wine, scraping up any browned bits. Cook until wine nearly evaporates, about 3 minutes. 5. Add broth, garbanzo beans, tomatoes and reserved 1 cup pasta water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes. 6. Transfer 2 cups of soup to a food processor. Purée and return mixture to pot. Season soup with salt and pepper. Place some pasta in the bottom of 4 soup bowls. Ladle soup over pasta. Top each serving with Parmesan and pancetta. MATCH: Open a Valpolicella.
BANANA NUT BREAD
Let’s face it, there are all kinds of nuts at the office who, in turn, drive you nuts. When you’re feeling down after a rough day, treat yourself to this comforting banana nut bread.
2 1/4 1/2 3 1/2 1/2 2 1 1 1/2
eggs cup sugar cup canola oil ripe bananas, peeled and mashed cup sour cream cup pecans, chopped cups flour tsp baking powder tsp baking soda tsp salt
1. Grease and flour a 9”x 5” loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350˚F. 2. In a large bowl, with electric mixer, beat eggs. Beat in sugar,
oil, bananas and sour cream just until blended. Stir in pecans. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir into banana mixture just until combined. Scrape into prepared loaf pan. 3. Bake for 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack to cool completely. MATCH: Banana bread is great with a simple cup of coffee, but if you’re just home from a hard day at the office, add a splash of your favourite cordial to your coffee. × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 49
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HARPERCOLLINS IN FOLDER
NOTED 91 ATAMISQUE CATALPA OLD VINES MALBEC 2013, ARGENTINA ($20)
93 CEDARCREEK PLATINUM RIESLING BLOCK 3 2015, KELOWNA MISSION, BC ($24.95)
Mmmmm … Malbec! Argentina Malbecs sometimes get the short shift for being gloopy and simple. Not this baby! From 70 year old vines toughing it out 1,200 meters above sea level, this totally engaging mouthful is dense and rich, with a tarry, smoky, plum/currant/mint aromatic profile enhanced with a shot of chocolate and tobacco. Concentrated, chewy and totally the bomb, it’s got smoke, mineral and dark fruit everywhere, and an incredible smooth, long, silky finish to boot. (SL)
91 BLUE GROUSE QUILL RED 2014, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($19)
A superb example of how good BC Riesling can be. Lifted floral, citrus and orchard notes up front with some stony notes, followed by a lemon-lime, mineral-toned palate, buoyed by mouth-watering acidity and a powerful but elegant close. (TP)
With Merlot (54.5%) and Cab Franc (39.5%) and Marechal Foch (6%) sourced from Oliver and the Cowichan, this well-constructed blend sports forward plummy notes before an approachable palate of mocha and damson, wrapped in easy tannins before a plush and rounded, lengthy finish. (TP)
90 BIG HEAD OLD VINES CHARDONNAY 2015, NIAGARA LAKESHORE ($38)
92 PETER WEBER BRUT BLANC DE NOIRS NV, AC CRÉMANT D’ALSACE, FRANCE ($17.67)
Made from 32-year-old-vines, this is a ripe and giving Chardonnay that exudes copious amounts of pineapple, peach, honey, sweet apple, banana, cream and spice. There is oak, but it was applied judiciously. Long, full texture, succulent and ready to drink. (ES)
89 LINDEMANS GENTLEMAN’S COLLECTION CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2015, SOUTH EASTERN AUSTRALIA ($18.99)
Stiffened with a splash of fortified wine, this one offers deeply scented spicy red and dark fruit on the nose with dark cherry and cassis on the palate. Somewhat sweet fruit character is reminiscent of Ruby Port. Well balanced and structured, it finishes with lingering cassis, bitter cherry and tannic grip. Interesting and approachable. (SW)
91 BIRICHINO BECHTHOLD VINEYARD OLD VINES CINSAULT 2014, LODI, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES ($46)
So juicy and fresh with bright acidity, red and black fruit flavours and silky-smooth tannins, this is such a great wine to match with seafood off the grill with a slight char and smoky character. (GB)
91 IL VELTRO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2006, DOCG, ITALY ($27)
Clear medium-deep garnet. Mature, forward and somewhat dusty nose of raspberry, plum and chocolate. Flavours of stewed fruits, strawberry jam and raisins, but the fruit is fading. Drink immediately. (RL)*
× Find a collection of tasting notes for wine, beer and spirits at quench.me/thenotes/
Medium-deep gold with plenty of bubbles. Concentrated, grapey nose with green apple and orange overtones. Rich ripe apple accented with red berry flavours on the palate, with a touch of sweetness. Drink up. (RL)*
93 BLACK HILLS NOTA BENE 2014, OKANAGAN ($52)
Arguably BC’s original and iconic “icon wine” from the South Okanagan lives up to its billing. Aromas of red and black fruit with a slightly earthy edge before a well-structured palate emphasized by sweet but not overripe fruit, some spicy notes with raspberry, blueberry and a touch of pepper, underpinned by firm tannins and good acidity with lingering spice and cassis. Promises to evolve in 3 to 5 years. (TP)
DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 51
Each wine is judged on its own merits, in its respective category. Our scores are based on the wine's quality as well as price point. Readers should assess these, and all wines, using the same criteria. Carefully study the commentaries to get an idea of whether the wine might appeal to your taste. The prices listed are suggested retail prices and may vary from province to province. Since a large number of these wines can be purchased across Canada, check with your local liquor board or private wine store for availability. Our tasters are Tony Aspler, Gurvinder Bhatia, Tod Stewart, Evan Saviolidis, Rick VanSickle, Ron Liteplo, Harry Hertscheg, Sean Wood, Gilles Bois, Sarah Parniak, Treve Ring, Tim Pawsey, Silvana Lau and Jonathan Smithe. QUENCH USES THE 100-POINT SCALE 95-100 = Exceptional 90-94 = Excellent 85-89 = Very good
SPARKLING 94 SUNNYCLIFF BRUT CHARDONNAY/PINOT NOIR NV, AUSTRALIA ($13.33)
Medium yellow with a myriad of bubbles. Smells like a McIntosh apple decorated with a rose petal; also some peach and pastry-dough aromas. On the palate, the apple changes to Granny Smith with lemon and melon accents. Nicely balanced acidity. Good value. Drink up. (RL)*
91 KWV CATHEDRAL CELLAR BLANC DE BLANC BRUT 2010, PAARL, SOUTH AFRICA ($16.95)
If you like sparkling wine in Champagne style, then don’t miss this terrific bubbly from South Africa at a bargain price. Golden straw in colour, it offers a toasty, smoky nose of brioche and honey; it’s dry, medium-bodied but rich and full on the palate with a toasty, nutty, apple and honey flavour with fresh lemony acidity. (TA)
90 PETER WEBER BRUT NV, AC CRÉMANT D’ALSACE, FRANCE ($17) Pale silver-yellow with lots of fine bubbles. Moderate nose of apple and pineapple with a hint of lime peel. Light-bodied, crisp and refreshing with apple and assorted citrus flavours. Would make a great bellini. Drink up. (RL)*
80-84 = Good 75-79 = Acceptable 70 & under = Below average *Available through wine clubs
90 BIG HEAD BIG BANG SPARKLING NV, ST DAVID’S BENCH, ONTARIO ($45)
If you enjoy mature elements in your bubbly, this wine will fall smack-dab in your wheelhouse. Yeast, caramel, bruised apple, honey, dried flowers and caramel flow out of the glass. Crisp with creamy bubbles. Long lasting. (ES)
90 CHAMPAGNE MOUTARD PÈRE ET FILS GRANDE CUVÉE, AC CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE ($55)
Toast and a sweep of sweet brioche opens the nose of this Blanc de Noirs. 100% Pinot Noir from the heavy clay, limestone-laced soils of Buxeuil and Polisy in the Côte des Bar. The Moutard family have been making wine since the 17th century, and this is their flagship wine. 36 months on the lees, this full and toasty NV draws cherry and nuts along a creamy, doughy palate. A pin-prickling acidity lifts the weight to a lingering finish. A richer style, to pair with protein, at an excellent price. (TR)
89 JACKSON-TRIGGS ENTOURAGE SAUVIGNON BLANC GRAND RESERVE SPARKLING, NIAGARA ($30) Traditionally made Sauvignon Blanc that spends 12 months on the lees. The nose shows lovely herbaceous notes of melon, citrus, fresh hay, grass and citrus with biscuity undertones. It’s bright and lively on the palate with a vigorous
52 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017
mousse to go with citrus and herbs through a sparkly finish. To be served at your next movie premiere or movie night for that matter. (RV)
88 KONZELMANN MÉTHODE CUVE CLOSE RIESLING, NIAGARA ($16) A spritzy entry with a nose of expressive lime, grapefruit, apple and mineral notes. It has a firm acidic backbone, mellowing bubbles, citrus and floral notes on a refreshing finish. (RV)
88 GANCIA PROSECCO DOC, ITALY ($18.99)
Shows strikingly pronounced floral, green apple and spicy orange-citrus on the nose. The same themes reprise in the mouth, backed by soft fizz and distinctive orangey flavour lingering on the off-dry finish. (SW)
88 SUMAC RIDGE STELLER’S JAY SPARKLING GEWÜRZTRAMINER NV, OKANAGAN ($22)
Lively mousse with an attractive nose of citrus, pineapple, lychee, guava and fresh apple. It’s perky and refreshing on the palate with a range of lemon, lime and tropical notes. (RV)
88 CATHERINE ET PIERRE BRETON LA DILETTANTE VOUVRAY BRUT NV, AOC VOUVRAY BRUT, LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE ($46) Pretty floral, elderflower and apple blos-
som scent this lifted and light sparkling Chenin Blanc from Vouvray. Gentle white peach lingers on the bright, dry finish. Effortless and easily drinkable, especially at brunch. (TR)
87 WOLFBERGER CRÉMANT D’ALSACE BRUT NV, AC ALSACE, FRANCE ($25)
Frothy, expansive mousse sets the stage for this dry, racy and intense Crémant. Full of salted crisps, delicate white florals, light orange, red apple and lemon pith to a shearing palate. A blend of 90/10 Pinot Blanc/Pinot Auxerrois, this equates to a bone-dry fizz, ideal for canapés. (TR)
WHITE ARGENTINA 89 LÍRICO CHARDONNAY 2014, MENDOZA ($13.50)
Clear, medium-deep lemon-peel yellow. Faint bouquet of lemon-lime, overshadowed by serious earthy aromas. Tastes soft and full-bodied; good warm-climate Chard typicity, ripe apple and citrus flavours and lots of alcohol. Drink up. (RL)*
85 ARTIS MIXTUS CHARDONNAY/ CHENIN 2014 ($12.99)
Lightly scented floral and yellow fruit on the nose with a distinct lemon-citrus note shifting to clean lemon flavour with a squeeze of lime and light mineral grip. A light-bodied casual pairing for simply prepared fish dishes or as an apéritif. (SW)
85 BODEGA NORTON BARREL SELECT SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014, MENDOZA ($13.20) A grassy, sweet-pea quality greets the senses, which is the followed by citrus, grapefruit, anise and vague florality. Light-bodied. Chill well before serving. (ES)
AUSTRALIA
of lychee, guava and citrus hints with a lingering end. (TP)
87 LINDEMAN’S BIN 90 MOSCATO 2014, SOUTH EASTERN AUSTRALIA ($11)
90 HENRY OF PELHAM RIESLING ESTATE 2013, SHORT HILLS BENCH ($17.95)
A very affordable year-round sipper. Almost water-white in colour with an aromatic, orange-blossom nose that has a note of lemon rind; mediumbodied, off-dry, grapey Muscat flavour with enough acidity to balance. Good mouthfeel. (TA)
My favourite Riesling from HOP, as it regularly delivers above its price tag. It is delicate and flavourful with lots of tension. There is lime, bergamot, smoky mineral, white flower and green apple. Even though there is some residual sugar, it comes across as dry because of the acidity. Drink over the next 5 years. Pair with Cajun-spiced pork chops topped with an apple slaw. (ES)
CANADA 92 TERRA VISTA FANDANGO 2015, OKANAGAN ($24.90)
90 BLUE GROUSE ESTATE PINOT GRIS 2015, COWICHAN VALLEY ($20)
Honey, stone fruit and tropical aromas before a citrus and mineral-toned palate defined by a generous mouthfeel. Layered with lemon-lime on a lengthy finish. (TP)
91 CHABERTON ESTATE RESERVE PINOT GRIS 2015, VQA SIMILKAMEEN ($16.25)
From some of the oldest Pinot Gris vines on Vancouver Island. The nose is refreshing with lime, melon, citrus and honeysuckle notes. Nice and perky on the palate with juicy citrus notes, melon, peach and minerals in a vibrant, clean style. (RV)
Lengthy skin contact delivers a truly appealing, medium-salmon colour, with stone fruit, quince and orchard fruits up front, followed by a just-dry palate, hints of citrus and nectarine, and a touch of spice. (TP)
91 TINHORN CREEK OLDFIELD SERIES 2BENCH WHITE 2015, OKANAGAN ($20)
This top-tier white from Tinhorn is a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Sémillon and Muscat from the Diamondback Vineyard. It has generous aromatics of ripe and creamy pear, tropical fruit, apricot, ginger and a range of well-integrated spice notes. Weight and viscosity on the palate, with ripe and voluptuous fruit, lovely texture and a creamy-spicy finish. (RV)
90 CHABERTON ESTATE RESERVE SIEGERREBE 2015, VQA FRASER VALLEY ($16.25) Floral and tropical notes on top before a layered and generous off-dry palate
90 CHABERTON CHARDONNAY RESERVE 2014, FRASER VALLEY ($21.99)
Tropical and orchard fruits with a hint of caramel precede a structured palate with pear and toasty oak notes before a sleek close. (TP)
90 MISSION HILL LIMITED EDITION VIOGNIER 2015, OKANAGAN ($22)
Lifted orange blossom, stone fruit and floral notes before a nectarine and citrus-toned palate supported by juicy citrus and bright acidity. Lingering finish. (TP)
90 BIG HEAD BA CHENIN BLANC 2014, NIAGARA LAKESHORE ($34) Partially affected by noble rot, this is Chenin, with its honey, wax, mushroom, chamomile, apricot and bruised apple. Rich, off-dry and long-lasting, with some warmth on the finale. Pair with a torchon of foie gras or red curry dishes. (ES)
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NOTED 89 HENRY OF PELHAM RIESLING 2015, NIAGARA ($14.95)
One of the best-value Rieslings in Ontario. Pale straw in colour. Minerally, lime and grapefruit nose heightened by floral and honey notes. Light-bodied, off-dry, grapefruit and honey flavours in Spātlese style. Well balanced with a touch of bitterness on the finish. (TA)
89 MCMICHAEL COLLECTION GROUP OF SEVEN CHARDONNAY 2014, NIAGARA ($14.95)
Gold-medal winner at this year’s Ontario Wine Awards, this wine packs a lot of punch for the price. Mid-weight, the fruit works in tandem to produce a profile of pear, apple, citrus, cream, spice and honey. It lingers with a crisp edge, making for a beautiful partner with salmon or halibut. (ES)
89 CAVE SPRING ESTATE BOTTLED CHARDONNAY/MUSQUÉ 2014, NIAGARA ($16.95) Musqué is an aromatic clone of Chardonnay that gives a floral top note. This wine is light straw in colour with a nose of apples and apple blossom. Dry and medium-bodied, it’s surprisingly light on the palate for its 13.6% alcohol. (TA)
89 CEDAR CREEK EHRENFELSER 2013, KELOWNA MISSION ($16.99)
that would be a great match with the natural perception of sweetness of sashimi and works well with Asian flavours, even if slightly spicy. (GB)
cordial, white flower and some minerality. Off-dry and approachable; chill well and serve with sushi or General Tao chicken. (ES)
89 LUCKETT VINEYARDS BURIED WHITE 2013, GASPEREAU VALLEY ($38)
87 PONDVIEW ESTATE WINERY VIOGNIER 2015, NIAGARA ($16.95)
This idiosyncratic wine is made from 100% L’Acadie grapes and subsequently buried in Hungarian oak barrels for 12 months, 8 feet underground in the same soil in which the vines grow. Shows some complexity on the nose with tropical fruit, banana, caramel and vanilla. Buttery, toasty and citrus flavours show up in the mouth, backed by brisk acidity and mineral grip. Toasted, almost crème brûlée, notes linger on the finish. (SW)
88 SINGLETREE HOMESTEAD 2015, FRASER VALLEY ($17)
A white blend of Grüner Veltliner, Chardonnay and Kerner with gorgeous aromatics of lush tropical fruits, peach and pineapple. There is a touch of sweetness on the palate to go with ripe, rich layers of tropical fruits that are zesty and vibrant through the finish. (RV)
88 CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES PAUL BOSC ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2013, ST DAVID’S BENCH ($22.95)
From some of the oldest vines in the valley. Floral perfume; tropical notes, lychee, melon and pear all intermingle in harmony with gentle, mouth-filling acidity. (TP)
Starting to show mature notes of crème brûlée, which melds with hazelnut, vanilla, apple, pear, baking spice and quince. Medium body with a creamy texture. Butter-poached lobster would be nirvana with this wine. (ES)
89 HENRY OF PELHAM ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2014, NIAGARA ($19.95)
87 CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES ALIGOTÉ 2015, NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE ($14.95)
89 ROAD 13 CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK CHENIN BLANC 2014, OKANAGAN ($25)
87 HENRY OF PELHAM RIESLING 2015, NIAGARA ($14.95)
Light straw colour with a spicy, cedary, apple nose. Medium body, dry, apple and green-pineapple flavours with an oaky note and a lively acidic spine. (TA)
Bright and juicy with stone-fruit flavours and a hint of residual sweetness
A pale straw colour leads into a perfume of apple, lemon, pear, white flower and hints of honey. For an Aligoté, there is nice weight, depth and length. Ready to drink with freshwater fish or brie. (ES)
From a warm vintage comes this soft Riesling, revealing peach, honey, lime
54 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017
A refreshing style of Viognier that captures some of the exotic nature of a Condrieu. Nectarine, citrus, honey, anise, fresh flowers. There is the classic Viognier yogurt/creaminess in the mouth with great length. (ES)
86 BENJAMIN BRIDGE VERO 2014, NOVA SCOTIA ($21.95)
A blend of 100% Nova Scotia grapes showing grapefruit, green apple and stone fruit with characteristic vibrant acidity and firm mineral, finishing with an initial trace of sweetness, then bone dry. (SW)
CHILE 88 SANTA RITA RESERVA CHARDONNAY 2015, VALLE DE CASABLANCA DO ($16.99)
Richly aromatic ripe melon, tropical fruit and vanilla on the nose, with generously ripe fruit and lightly buttery sensations tempered by well-balanced acidity in the mouth. Crowd-pleasing New World style. (SW)
FRANCE 92 EMILE BEYER L’HOSTELLERIE GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2012, ALSACE ($39.95)
The quintessential Alsace Gewürz: neon yellow in colour with an intense and characteristic spicy nose of lychee and rose petals. Full bodied on the palate, dry with honeyed lychee and rosewater flavours that linger on the palate for an unconscionable time. (TA)
92 CHÂTEAU LA NERTHE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE BLANC 2014, RHÔNE ($56.95)
We don’t see a lot of white Châteauneuf-
du-Pape (only 1 in every 16 bottles from the region is white). A blend of 38% Roussanne, 31% Grenache Blanc and the rest Clairette and Bourboulenc, this wine is surprisingly light in colour with a greenish tint. It shows a spicy, honeysuckle and apple nose with a touch of oak; full bodied on the palate, it’s dry and elegant with apple and pear flavours, beautifully balanced with great length. (TA)
90 BERNARD BAUDRY CHINON BLANC 2014, LOIRE VALLEY ($30)
Chenin Blanc from Chinon; this is from 10-year-old organic vines on clay and limestone soils, fermented wild and aged in neutral barrel. Earthy lees, apple skin, fennel, wild herbs and meadow flowers are scented with subtle honeysuckle and anchored by a weighted clay base. Chiseled, chalky acidity focuses the streamlined palate to a lingering, stony finish. Purity plus depth, this savoury and characterful Chenin is memorable and worth seeking out. (TR)
89 JOSEPH CATTIN RIESLING RESERVE 2014, ALSACE AC ($23)
Subtle floral, lemon-citrus and mineral aromatics lead the way for classic Riesling flavours, showing fine citrus, bright mineral and lively acidity, finishing quite dry. An exceptionally well-balanced example of Riesling made in the dry, food-friendly Alsatian style. (SW)
89 DOMAINE DUPEUBLE PÈRE ET FILS 2015, BEAUJOLAIS BLANC AC ($29)
Mellow citrus, apple and floral scents with an intriguing minty overtone lead the way for smoothly rounded ripe green apple and secondary citrus flavours, with stony mineral on the harmoniously balanced palate. (SW)
89 CHÂTEAU DE CHAMIREY BLANC 2013, MERCUREY, BURGUNDY ($31.75)
Pale straw yellow. Oaky nose of toasted bread with notes of white fruits and chalk plus a hint of smoke. Rich and full
mid-palate with balanced acidity and oak. Nice long finish. Drink or hold a few years. The Mercurey appellation is a good source of fine Burgundy wines at an affordable price. (GBQc)
bright and crunchy palate, one corseted with fine bones and lingering with a hum of minerality. Vineyards from the Mosel, Saar and Ruwer are utilized in the RK blend, their “entry-level” cuvée. (TR)
88 LES JAMELLES SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015, PAYS D’OC ($13.95)
GREECE
Very pale in colour with a spicy, grassy, green plum and spearmint nose. Light bodied, crisply dry, gooseberry and green plum flavours. Good value. (TA)
89 TROUPIS MOSCHOFILERO 2015, PELOPONNESE ($16.95)
88 COMBE ST JEAN 2012, BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY AC ($24.99)
Shows deep gold/straw colour from bottle development, with softly scented green apple and floral notes on the nose. Pure green apple and mineral flavours backed by bright acidity accurately reflect the simple elegance of cool Burgundian terroir. (SW)
GERMANY 90 DR H THANISCH BERNKASTELER BADSTUBE RIESLING KABINETT 2014, MOSEL ($27)
With a sheen of petrol and a surge of honey, this Mosel Riesling opens with a potency that carries through to the finish. Light flinty smoke, rich pear, light white florals and spiced quince paste are tempered by a thin frame of bitter herbs. From a steep southwest-facing slope of medium deep, stony, loamy weathered schist, this absorbs the sunshine and reflects it back in powerful wines like this one. This Kabinett balances out 91 g/l RS with 8 g/l acidity in a tidy 8% alcohol bottle. Delish now, and over the next decade. (TR)
89 REICHSGRAF VON KESSELSTATT RK RIESLING TROCKEN 2015, MOSEL-SAAR-RUWER ($24)
Heady white florals, petrol and pear skin lead off this cool, young, dry Riesling, from a 600-year-old+ wine estate in Trier. Quince, mandarin and spiced yellow apple pick up on the medium-bodied,
Reminiscent of a Muscat/Gewürztraminer. Pale straw in colour with an aromatic spicy, minerally nose of white peach. Medium bodied, dry and elegant; fresh peach and citrus flavours with a long finish. A delicious apéritif wine. (TA)
86 THALIA WHITE SAUVIGNON BLANC/VILANA 2014, PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION CRETE ($11.99)
Lightly pungent green herbal Sauvignon-like notes with background tropical fruit scents yield to bright citrus and tropical fruit flavours suggestive of pineapple, with refreshing acidity and appetizing mineral dryness. (SW)
ITALY 93 ANTINORI CASTELLO DELLA SALA CERVARO DELLA SALA 2014, UMBRIA ($57.95)
Chardonnay with 15% Grechetto. Shining straw in colour, a prelude to a stellar wine: a rich and expressive bouquet of apple and toasty oak with citrus and barnyard notes. Full bodied and dry, with apple, pineapple, green-nut flavours and beautifully integrated oak. Just a joy to drink. (TA)
89 VILLA MONDI GARGANEGA/ CHARDONNAY 2014, IGT VENETO ($13)
Clear medium-deep gold. Very fruity nose of papaya, pineapple and peaches. Medium-bodied, a bit austere and acidic from the indigenous Garganega grapes, a food wine: try it with seafood, especially calamari, or garlic shrimp. Drink up. (RL)*
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NOTED 89 PALA I FIORI VERMENTINO DI SARDEGNA 2015, SARDINIA ($14.95)
I’m a great fan of Vermentino, a very versatile food wine. This wine is pale straw in colour with a smoky, minerally nose of apples and a floral grace note; medium bodied and dry, it’s got great length finishing on a grapefruit-zest note. (TA)
89 FEUDO PRINCIPI DI BUTERA INSOLIA 2014, SICILIA DOC ($18.99)
Opens with scents of delicate wild flowers, citrus and yellow tropical fruits. Ripe lemon-citrus leads off on the palate, with secondary tropical fruit flavours supported by fresh acidity, mineral and a suggestion of almond on the finish. A polished wine that will pair with grilled seafoods, roast chicken and other white meat dishes. (SW)
88 S MARIA LA PALMA BLU VERMENTINO 2015, SARDINIA ($22)
Fresh and light with delicate citrus and herbal aromas and flavours, and a pronounced salinity that works well with the natural salinity of shellfish, like mussels, clams and shrimp. (GB)
87 GIORGIO & GIANNI PINOT GRIGIO 2014, VENETO ($13)
Almonds and Mediterranean citrus hallmark this Venetian Pinot Grigio, one more complex than its contemporaries at this price point. A slick of lees cushions the whole, while wild herbs and bright acidity add interest through the spiced finish. One to seek out. Great with a light and airy rabbit dish. (TR)
87 UMANI RONCHI VILLA BIANCHI 2015, VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI DOC CLASSICO ($13.99)
Opens with fragrant floral and citrus notes and a whiff of almond. Lively fresh citrus flavours are balanced by brisk acidity and a lick of mineral, finishing crisply dry. An ideal pairing for shellfish and other light seafoods. (SW)
87 MEZZACORONA ESTATE GROWN PINOT GRIGIO 2015, TRENTINO DOC ($14.79)
Bright floral and green apple scents give way to apple and crisp pear flavours with a touch of lemon-citrus, mineral and refreshing acidity in the mouth. (SW)
87 A MANO BIANCO 2015, IGT PUGLIA ($22)
Fleshy white peach, orange blossoms and sherbet are seasoned with exotic jasmine and light ginger in this juicy medium-bodied white. Fiano Minutolo, Falanghina and Greco are fermented cool in stainless to preserve acidity along with the ripeness of southern Italian sunshine. Tasty on its own, or with calamari or clams. (TR)
86 MASI MODELLO DELLE VENEZIE PINOT GRIGIO 2015, VENEZIE IGT ($12.10)
This Pinot Grigio is priced right. It delivers some white peach, earth, lemon and spice. Light-bodied with sound acidity and a linear structure. Fried seafood, please. (ES)
NEW ZEALAND 90 ARA SINGLE ESTATE PINOT GRIS 2014, MARLBOROUGH ($22.99)
Lively aromatic, complex scents of spring flowers, lime, grapefruit and hints of stone fruit. Characteristic varietal apple flavour comes through on the palate with apricot, a trace of lime, distinctive mineral character and deftly balanced acidity. A fine example of Kiwi Pinot Gris. (SW)
89 VILLA MARIA CELLAR SELECTION PINOT GRIS 2015, MARLBOROUGH ($19.95)
Regular readers of these wine reviews will be familiar with my indifference to Pinot Gris, but recently I tasted this one that could make me change my mind. Almost water-white in colour, but it has lots of flavour. The nose is minerally, peach pit and you experience well-extracted flavours of white peach and lemon. (TA)
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89 WITHER HILLS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015, MARLBOROUGH ($19.95)
Very pale in colour but don’t let that put you off — this wine has lots of flavour. A grassy nose of green plum and grapefruit zest. Medium bodied; dry with gooseberry and elderberry flavours and great length. (TA)
88 RAPAURA SPRINGS MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015, MARLBOROUGH ($16)
Young peas, tinned asparagus, fragrant passionfruit and mandarin are scented with lively acidity and medicinal-tinged herbs. Very complete and round on the palate, with Sauvignon’s vegetative side on full display. An easy, accessible, familiar style, made well. (TR)
PORTUGAL 88 SERRA VINHO VERDE 2014 ($10.75)
Clear medium-deep yellow. Mediumintensity nose of Granny Smith apple and a bit of spice, reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc. Light-bodied with high and crisp acidity over refreshing lemon and tangerine flavours. Great value for the deck on a hot summer day. Drink immediately. An amazing wine for your favourite seafood dish. (RL)*
SOUTH AFRICA 91 AA BADENHORST SECATEURS CHENIN BLANC 2015, WO SWARTLAND ($23)
From the man credited with figureheading the Swartland Revolution, this Chenin Blanc is a highlight of the South African offerings on our market. If you see it, buy. And this is his “entry-level” Secateurs line, from selected old-bush vines on granite slopes. Cream, wild herbs and meadow flowers are drawn across a very waxy palate, where spiced pear and subtle fennel notes join in. Savoury, with precise lemon-zest
vibrancy, broken stones, roasted nut, medicinal lemon balm and gentle honeycomb, this young vintage finishes smoothly, with some gentle waxy warmth. Drinking now well, but will hold with short-term aging. (TR)
89 EXCELSIOR CHARDONNAY 2014, WINE OF ORIGIN ROBERTSON ($17.99)
Shows surprisingly intense scent of lime with background tropical fruit notes. Pure lime hits the palate first, together with lemon, gritty mineral and vibrant acidity. Pure crisp clean flavours call for grilled seafoods or lightly spiced oriental dishes. (SW)
87 ANTHONIJ RUPERT CHENIN BLANC 2015, WO WESTERN CAPE ($13)
Ripe melon, creamy pear, greengage and fleshy nectarine is textured with spicy apricot fuzz. Lees plumps out the round mid-palate, before a bright bitter citrus and herb finish. Though a tad clumsy, this incredible-value, youthful wine brings all of Chenin’s orchard-creamy richness and is a worthy buy. Have with a fish paté or grilled squid. (TR)
SPAIN 88 DON AURELIO VERDEJO 2014, VALDEPEÑAS ($18)
The wine possesses a wonderful broad texture while still maintaining freshness with flavours of citrus and a hint of nuttiness, which allows it to pair well with seafoods that tend to be meatier like swordfish and lobster. (GB)
87 LACRUZ VEGA VERDEJO 2015, DO LA MANCHA ($18)
This ripe, punchy and fruity Verdejo is pierced by a herbal lime pith. Peach, pineapple rind, tangerine, green apple and melon move briskly on the palate, swept along with a broom of scrubby herbs and spicy saffron. Great value for a taste of the Mediterranean. Seafood paella, here’s your match. (TR)
87 MARQUÉS DE CACERES ANTEA 2013, RIOJA DOC BLANCO ($18.99) Limited edition. Made from Viura and Malavasia grapes fermented in new French barriques, this wine offers intense yellow fruit and mellow, oaky vanilla aromas. Equally concentrated flavours in the mouth pick up leaner green fruit notes, with a trace of lime and focused acidity. Finishing very dry but with a contrasting splash of vanilla. (SW)
89 JOSEPH MELLOT LE RABAULT 2015, LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE ($26.15)
Pale salmon-pink. Crushed strawberries, hints of candy and cinnamon bring freshness to the seductive nose. Delicate fruity taste. More body than most rosés with a great balance from the mid-palate to the medium-length finish. Ready to drink. Might overwhelm some fish dishes but it’s worth a try with sushi or a simple salmon sashimi. (GBQc)
UNITED STATES 90 STAGS’ LEAP VIOGNIER 2014, NAPA ($32)
Bright and fresh with a firm underlying structure and tropical fruit aromas and flavours, with the ability to pair with both delicate and flavourful seafood dishes, chicken and pork dishes and Asian cuisine. (GB)
88 SUE-ANN STAFF FANCY FARM GIRL FOXY PINK 2014, NIAGARA ($15)
A unique blend of 92% Riesling and 8% Cabernet Franc, but it works nicely here under Sue-Ann Staff ’s guidance. It has a vibrant, electric nose of raspberry, cherries, grapefruit, apple and brilliant citrus fruit. It’s a touch off-dry on the palate, but well balanced by the racy acidity that highlights a mélange of citrus, apple and red berries. Refreshing and thirst-quenching. (RV)
88 JOEL GOTT SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014, CALIFORNIA ($19.95) Very pale in colour with a grassy, kiwi nose. Medium to full body, dry, with well-extracted elderberry and green fig flavours; full in the mouth. (TA)
88 COLUMBIA CREST CHARDONNAY 2013, WASHINGTON ($20.95)
Deep straw in colour with a spicy, oaky, apple nose already showing traces of undergrowth; full body, dry, pineapple and candy apple flavours. An easy-drinking Chardonnay with well-balanced fruit and oak. I wish it were summer so you can crack this open on the patio. (TA)
ROSÉ 89 CHÂTEAU D’AQUÉRIA TAVEL 2015, RHÔNE VALLEY, FRANCE ($21.95)
Beautiful dark orange colour. Muted nose with only hints of red fruits and blood orange. Its light to medium body offers more than most rosés; the soft
mouthfeel has a ripe, fruity taste lifted by fine acidity. It finishes a tad warm without losing its balance. Drink over the next 2 years. (GBQc)
88 LA CADIERENNE GRANDE TRADITION BANDOL ROSÉ 2015, PROVENCE, FRANCE ($20.95)
A blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Mourvédre. Like most Provence rosés, very pale pink in colour with a bouquet of red liquorice and red plum backed by wood spice; full body, dry, mouth-filling and unctuous on the palate with cherry and plum flavours. (TA)
87 HENRI BOURGEOIS PETIT BOURGEOIS ROSÉ 2015, IGP VAL DE LOIRE, FRANCE ($17.95)
Very pale salmon pink. Delicately perfumed nose with hints of crushed strawberry and acetone. Light body, slightly acidic mouthfeel with a delicate fruity taste. It finishes on a warm note of alcohol. Drink now. (GBQc) DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 57
NOTED 85 DOMAINE DU PÉGAU PINK PÉGAU 2015, VSIG FRANCE ($19.95) VSIG is the lowest French appellation, equivalent to table wine, but this is only because Châteauneuf-du-Pape does not allow for the production of rosé under its appellation. Domaine du Pégau is otherwise well reputed, but this rosé falls a little short of what might be expected from such a quality producer. Light nose of strawberry allowing the alcohol to be perceived. The very light body is amplified by residual CO2, but it alleviates the warm alcohol feeling. Finish is short. Don’t wait. (GBQc)
RED ARGENTINA 89 LA POSTA ANGEL PAULUCCI VINEYARD MALBEC 2014, MENDOZA ($15.95)
Dark ruby. Perfumed nose, generous notes of red fruits and vanilla oak. Supple, medium-bodied, less oaky than the nose suggests; fresh, fruity taste. Soft but tight tannins. Overall quite pleasing right now, so don’t wait too long. (GBQc)
89 TRAPICHE FINCA LAS PALMAS GRAN RESERVA MALBEC 2012, MENDOZA ($16.95)
Dense purple-black with a spicy, cedary plum nose. Full body, dry, with a spicy plum and mocha-chocolate flavour. Firmly structured. A great barbecue wine. (TA)
89 MANOS NEGRAS RED SOIL SELECT PINOT NOIR 2011, NEUQUEN, PATAGONIA ($20.79) Developed red fruit on the nose shows strawberry and raspberry, with a pinch of clove, cinnamon spice and a touch of vanilla. Evolves in the mouth to blackberry and blackcurrant flavours with background raspberry. Finishes with firm tannins and a light dollop of black chocolate. A good Pinot with a distinctive Patagonian identity. (SW)
88 GRAFFIGNA MALBEC RESERVE 2014, SAN JUAN ($17.95)
A very serviceable, all-purpose red. Purple-ruby in colour with a cedary, plum and tobacco nose. Medium to full body, dry, fruity with a lively spine of acidity. Barbecue-ready. (TA)
87 DOÑA PAULA LOS CARDOS MALBEC 2015, MENDOZA ($12.30)
Violets imbue this full and round Mendoza estate vineyard Malbec, seasoned with black pepper and dried herbs. Soft velvet on the palate, anchored by the clay soils, and with pretty acidity afforded by 1,000 m in altitude. Great value, considering all that goes into this. Pair now with grilled ribs. (TR)
AUSTRALIA 93 OCHOTA BARRELS I AM THE OWL SYRAH 2014, ADELAIDE HILLS ($43)
Sourced from “the gorgeous section” of 17-year-old vines, this was bottle 1,482 of 2,262 from Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills and produced in a natural way by Taras Ochota and his wife, Amber. Textured, perfumed dark plum, fine smoke and herbal brambled blackcurrant pulse with a taut acidity along fine, slightly grippy and cloudy tannins. Persistent violets dart in and out of the fresh palate, one that draws deliberately lazy along the medium body. Mineral salts vibrate along the lengthy finish. Whole bunch, without additions, and rested 10 months in French barrique. This is as pure and patient a view of cooler-climate Oz Syrah that you will find. Enjoy this beguiling wine over an evening. (TR)
89 MITOLO JESTER SHIRAZ 2014, SOUTH AUSTRALIA ($22.95)
Deep purple-ruby in colour with a herbal, blackberry bouquet accented by a light floral and oak note. Full body, spicy blackberry flavour, good fruit in mid-palate with lively acidity and a liquorice note on the finish. (TA)
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88 LINDEMAN’S BIN 50 SHIRAZ 2015, SOUTH EASTERN AUSTRALIA ($12.10)
A useful house wine. Deep purple-ruby colour with a cedary, blackberry, dark-chocolate nose. Medium to full body, dry, smoky, savoury flavours of blackberries and blackcurrants with a vanilla oak note. Great value — a hamburger wine par excellence. (TA)
BRAZIL 83 SALTON INTENSO MERLOT 2011, TANNAT ($13.83)
Clear deep garnet. Faint nose of blueberries and some oak spice. Medium body with fresh, simple dark berry flavours. Tannins almost gone; drink up. (RL)*
CANADA 93 JOIEFARM EN FAMILLE PINOT NOIR 2013, NARAMATA BENCH ($29.90)
Vibrant red fruit, cherry and strawberry notes before a supple, cherry chocolate palate, with a slightly earthy edge. Lush and sleek, with supple tannins, well-balanced fruit and acidity with a lingering, gently savoury finish. (TP)
93 JOIEFARM EN FAMILLE RESERVE PINOT NOIR 2014, OKANAGAN ($40)
This is from Joie’s top tier, and it lives up to the billing — a highly aromatic nose of rich cherry, incense, toasted barrel spices, caramel and violets. Ripe cherry is the driving force on the palate with silky tannins, integrated spice and plenty of uplifting acidity to keep everything in check. (RV)
93 BLACK HILLS NOTA BENE 2014, OKANAGAN ($52) The blend is 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc with barrel aging in an 80%/20% French and American oak. This is a sleeping beauty; let it breathe to reveal a range of
blackcurrants, crunchy raspberry, saddle leather, savoury spice notes and wet earth. It is rich but highly structured on the palate with gorgeous and generous dark berries, raspberries, earth, elegant barrel spices and such a wonderful finish that is smooth and long with plush and integrated tannins. (RV)
92 TINHORN CREEK OLDFIELD SERIES SYRAH 2013, OKANAGAN ($32)
Young and tight at the moment with a promise of very good things to come. The nose shows savoury dark fruits, barrel spice, lavender, toasted vanilla and white pepper. It displays a range of rich and robust red and dark fruits on the palate, rousing spice notes all delivered on a bed of softening tannins. (RV)
92 BLACK HILLS SYRAH 2014, OKANAGAN ($35)
Such a pretty Syrah with a wild side. The nose shows boysenberry, ripe plum, currants, subtle gamey notes, a floral accent and rich, savoury spice notes. It is well balanced on the palate with a full spectrum of dark fruits and sweet barrel spices that all benefits from brilliant acidity. Simply delicious. (RV)
92 CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES PAUL BOSC VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2014, NIAGARA ($35)
It’s been a while since this wine has been produced — the fruit was declassified in 2013, 2012 and 2011. It was worth the wait. Let it open up; it will reveal a complex nose of pretty yet assertive black cherries, strawberries, liquorice, earth, loam, violets, cassis and elegant oak spices. It is silky on the palate with a range of red fruits, beetroot and lovely barrel spices all perked up by that racy cool-climate acidity. A beautiful Pinot. (RV)
92 JOIEFARM EN FAMILLE RESERVE PINOT NOIR 2014, VQA OKANAGAN ($35.90)
Seductively perfumed fine red fruit comes harmoniously knitted with cinnamon, a light whiff of clove and refined oak. Con-
centrated, lightly bitter cherry leads off in the mouth backed by firm tannic grip and still-youthful acidity. Finishes with dark fruit, dark chocolate and dry tannic bite. All the elements are here, but it needs 3 to 5 years additional cellaring to become harmoniously integrated. (SW)
91 BLACK HILLS SYRAH 2014, OKANAGAN ($34.70)
92 MISSION HILL TERROIR COLLECTION ORGANIC MERLOT 2013, SOUTH OKANAGAN ($50)
Smoky, peppery notes of damson and black cherry precede a still-shy but textbook palate of black pepper, spice and some savoury hints wrapped in firm tannins and well-managed oak through a lingering, juicy finish. A few more years will develop layers of added spice and complexity. (TP)
Lifted berries up front; redcurrant, boysenberry along with some earthy notes. On the palate, a silky, smooth entry, medium to full body, with approachable but finessed and structured tannins. Definite mineral and a touch of spice from an excellent balance of oak and fruit. An extraordinary pure expression of the variety. (TP)
91 STAG’S HOLLOW GRENACHE 2015, OKANAGAN FALLS ($34.99)
91 CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES ST DAVID’S BENCH VINEYARD GAMAY NOIR DROIT 2014, NIAGARA ($18)
91 HENRY OF PELHAM CABERNET/MERLOT SPECK FAMILY RESERVE 2010, SHORT HILLS BENCH ($39.95)
A single-vineyard, unoaked beauty with a lovely smoky, savoury nose of black cherries, plums and underlying spice notes. It’s soft and silky on the palate with rousing red and dark berries, all nicely integrated. Serve slightly chilled, turn on the barbecue and voila! (RV)
91 JOIEFARM PINOT NOIR 2014, VQA OKANAGAN ($25.90)
This Bordeaux-modeled blend has started to transition into adolescence as the tannins have softened and complexity has emerged. Cassis, tobacco, black cherry, mocha, vanilla and spice are apparent from start to finish. It is complex, layered and long. It will go another 6 years. (ES)
90 CHABERTON GAMAY NOIR 2015, FRASER VALLEY ($15.95)
Opens with elegantly perfumed fine varietal scents of cherry, hints of strawberry and notes of cinnamon, clove and refined oak. Generous dark cherry-fruit in the mouth comes enveloped in velvety tannins with deftly balanced acidity and a judicious touch of dark chocolate. A lovely wine, true to Burgundian style, drinking well now. (SW)
91 JOIEFARM PTG 2014, OKANAGAN ($26)
Bright red berries and floral notes, with vibrant redcurrant and raspberry entry on a plush, medium-bodied palate. A pure fruit expression with pepper and spice notes before a gently savourytinged finish. (TP)
Estate-grown Gamay, made with a definite nod to Beaujolais. Cherry and raspberry on top precede a vibrant, light- to medium-bodied, appealingly acid-driven, juicy palate with a definite savoury edge through the close. (TP)
90 CEDAR CREEK SYRAH 2013, SOUTH OKANAGAN ($22.29)
A classic blend from JoieFarm of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Gamay. It’s a unique Canadian wine with a nose of black-cherry cane cola, plums, raspberries and a full range of savoury spices. It is juicy on the palate with some tannic structure to go with black cherry, black liquorice, pepper and spice. (RV)
The winery has reintroduced this variety, from a block above Osoyoos Lake, after an absence of a few years. With 8% Malbec, 3% Viognier, 2% Merlot and 1% Cab Franc. Lifted black fruit with pepper notes and plum, prior to a medium-bodied palate, emphasizing spice and some meaty notes with lingering spice through the close. (TP)
DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 59
NOTED 90 HENRY OF PELHAM SPECK FAMILY RESERVE CABERNET/MERLOT 2010, NIAGARA ($39.95) Deep ruby in colour with a mature rim. Cedary, blackcurrant nose with well-integrated oak and a floral grace note. Medium body, dry, claret-style; elegant and well balanced. A beautifully crafted wine. Will work well with braised lamb ribs. Add some spicy chimichurri for an added kick.(TA)
89 JOIEFARM GAMAY 2014, VQA OKANAGAN ($25.90)
Opens with scents of plum, cherry, dry savoury and peppery spice. Sweet dark plum and black cherry flavours, dried herbal notes and a deft touch of oak on the palate. Calls for grilled red meats, especially lamb. (SW)
87 MCMICHAEL COLLECTION GROUP OF SEVEN CABERNET/ MERLOT 2014, NIAGARA ($14.95)
A perfume of blackcurrant, cherry, herbs, cocoa powder, violets and spice meets up with a medium-bodied palate that presents soft tannins and sound acidity. Great length and ready to drink. (ES)
87 PONDVIEW ESTATE WINERY LOT 74 CABERNET/MERLOT 2015, NIAGARA ($14.95)
If you are looking for go-to everyday dinner red, then this is your wine. A blend of Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon and Merlot, it offers pleasing cassis, plum, violet, herbs, cocoa and spice attributes. Mid-weight with very good length and supple tannins. Ready to drink. (ES)
CHILE 88 VILLARD EXPRESÍON RESERVE PINOT NOIR 2012, CASABLANCA VALLEY ($11.67)
Clear medium-deep garnet. Unusual nose of light cherry aromas overlaid with raw tobacco, menthol and wood. Light-bodied with high acidity over raspberry and sour cherry flavours. Tannins nearly gone; drink up. (RL)*
88 CONO SUR ORGANICO PINOT NOIR 2015, CENTRAL VALLEY ($16.80)
Full ruby. Spicy nose with cherry and red berry notes. Light-bodied but quite expressive with lively acidity. The spiciness brings energy to the mid-palate and to the lengthy finish. Ready to drink. (GBQc)
87 BODEGA EL ESTECO DON DAVID CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVE 2013, CALCHAQUI VALLEY ($14)
Roasted onions, cured meats and freshly ground coffee fill this fuller Calchaqui Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Earthy branch, roasted yams, cassis and black cherry back it up, while firm, rustically grippy tannins frame it all. 12 months in new barrels explains the woody intensity here, while a warming rush of heat on the espresso-lined finish welcomes pairing with grilled meats. Simple, effective. (TR)
85 ICALMA RED WINE 2014, CENTRAL VALLEY ($11.99)
An unpretentious though pleasing drop showing gentle scents of raspberry, blackberry and green herb, which play through in the mouth, backed by moderate tannins and a splash of dark chocolate. (SW)
FRANCE 94 LA CONQUÊTE 2009, AC POMEROL ($78)
Clear, very dark garnet. Potent, woody nose of raspberries and blackberries accompanied by vanilla and coffee. Medium body with soft and silky but still-operational tannins over plummy fruit. Excellent accompaniment to duck confit with truffled gnocchi. Will keep for another year or so. (RL)*
92 DOMAINE DE LA MORDORÉE REINE DES BOIS 2012, CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE, RHÔNE VALLEY ($79)
Dark ruby. Black berries, oaky notes of large used foudres. Full-bodied, it remains fresh in spite of its thick texture
60 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017
and chewy tannins. Its power is revealed in the finish where the firmness is quite present. This is a young wine with an aging potential of 8 to 10 years. (GBQc)
91 DOMAINE DE LA CENDRILLON INÉDITE 2010, CORBIÈRES ($27.95) Dense purple-ruby in colour with a cedary, smoky, plum and black-cherry bouquet augmented by a floral note. Full-bodied and dry with well-extracted black fruit and liquorice flavours. Firmly structured with a note of fresh mushrooms on the finish. Great balance and an intriguing wine. (TA)
90 PAUL MAS ESTATE GARDEMIEL VINEYARD MALBEC 2014, PAYS D’OC ($19.99)
Sourced from a single vineyard in the foothills of the Pyrenees, this is a complex, inviting wine offering deeply perfumed fine fruit accented by elegant notes of sandalwood and clove. It also delivers on the palate, showing lovely raspberry and ripe blackberry flavours with supple tannins and brisk acidity, finishing with dry tannic grip. (SW)
90 CHÂTEAU CAMBON LA PELOUSE 2012, HAUT-MÉDOC, BORDEAUX ($27.55)
Dark ruby. Recognizable Bordeaux nose of red and black fruits with earthy notes. Gorgeous fruity taste, tight and full mid-palate with fine, barely firm tannins, all in a nice balance. Approachable now, it can wait 4 to 5 years in the cellar. (GBQc)
89 CHAPOUTIER MARIUS GRENACHE/SYRAH 2015, RHÔNE ($12.95)
Deep ruby in colour with a savoury-herbal blackberry nose. Medium body, dry, blackberry flavour with well-integrated oak finishing with soft, grainy tannins. Good value. (TA)
89 LES VIGNERONS DU CASTELAS CÔTES DU RHÔNE VILLAGES VIEILLES VIGNES 2013, RHÔNE ($17.95)
A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan.
Deep ruby in colour with a savoury nose of black raspberry, oak and an herbal-floral note; medium-bodied, lean and sinewy on the palate with expressive mid-palate fruit and lively acidity. (TA)
89 CHÂTEAU TOUR DE SARRAIL 2010, BORDEAUX ($19.95)
A well-priced claret from a great vintage. Dense purple-black in colour with a cedary bouquet of blackcurrants with oak notes. Medium-bodied, dry with a savoury blackcurrant flavour; firmly structured. Ready for drinking now but will cellar for a decade. (TA)
89 CHÂTEAU TEYSSIER MONTAGNE SAINT-EMILION 2012, BORDEAUX ($24.95) Dense ruby in colour offering a cedary, blackcurrant nose with a liquorice and floral note. Medium body, dry, savoury, redcurrant and cranberry flavours with ripe, grainy tannins carried on a spine of lively acidity. (TA)
88 CLOS BAGATELLE SAINT-CHINIAN 2015, LANGUEDOC ($13.95)
Bright ruby. Spicy nose with inviting notes of red berries and dark chocolate. Medium-bodied crisp fruity taste, soft tannins, little or no oak. Delicious now for its fruit; there is no need to wait. (GBQc)
88 LA CAVE DE SAUMUR CABERNET FRANC 2014, SAUMUR ROUGE AC, VAL DE LOIRE ($14.99)
Aromatic red cherry with spicy, herbal and smoky notes. Slightly bitter cherry flavour backed by cool-climate brisk acidity; slightly stiff but approachable tannins and finishing very dry. Fine pairing for charcuterie and medium ripe cheese. (SW)
88 CHÂTEAU RIGAUD 2012, FAUGÈRES ($16.95)
A blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache — deep ruby in colour offering a spicy, cedary nose of black fruits with pencil lead and herbal notes. Medium-bodied, dry, inky, black raspberry flavour with a firm tannic finish. (TA)
88 DOMAINE ROCHE-AUDRAN MERLOT 2014, VIN DE FRANCE ($17)
Enticingly ripe fleshy red fruit showing spicy and earthy aromas evolves on the palate to more typical varietal plum flavours supported by velvety tannins and appetizing acidity. A medium-weight, well-balanced wine to pair with grilled red meats and hard-ripened cheeses. (SW)
88 CHÂTEAU DES ESTANILLES L’IMPERTINENT 2013, FAUGÈRES, LANGUEDOC ($18.60)
Ruby-purplish. Inviting nose of black berries and spicy notes. Fresh and fruity medium-bodied palate, well balanced overall. Easy-drinking and quite pleasant, obviously well made. Ready to drink. (GBQc)
88 FAMILLE PERRIN L’ANDÉOL RASTEAU 2013, AC RASTEAU ($20)
Dark cherry, black raspberry and thorny florals fill this meaty Rasteau. Flirting with wildness, there is a garrigue and white-pepper herbaceousness that filters throughout the fleshy palate, with dark cocoa textured tannins drying on the finish. This honest rusticity is best paired with lamb or hearty mushroom ragout. (TR)
88 LABOURÉ-ROI MAXIMUM PINOT NOIR 2014, BOURGOGNE AC ($21.99)
Attractive Pinot varietal red cherry and raspberry on the nose with bright, lightly sweet cherry flavour tempered by gentle velvety tannic grip and food-friendly acidity. Finishes with a splash of dark chocolate. (SW)
88 CHÂTEAU D’ANGLÈS CLASSIQUE RED LA CLAPE 2012, AC LANGUEDOC LA CLAPE ($25)
Scrubby Mediterranean herbs season this Languedoc red, from the limestone-laced sloped soils of La Clape. Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre were grown without chemicals, and picked throughout a 2-month harvest, led by the ripeness of each grape. 30 days maceration was followed by 18 months
in vat, before bottling without fining or filtering. The result is a finely textured, medium-bodied, bistro-rustic red, scented with plums, wild cassis and thorns. Tannins are appropriately grippy/sticky and acidity is brisk through to the drying finish. Enjoyed with pork chops and lardon-lashed lentils. (TR)
85 JEAN-CLAUDE MAS SYRAH RESERVE 2014, PAYS D’OC ($12.95) A workhorse Syrah that is distinctly peppery with violets, cassis, vanilla and oregano. Ready to drink, preferably with charcuterie or hamburgers. (ES)
85 JEAN-CLAUDE MAS CABERNET SAUVIGNON/MERLOT RESERVE, PAYS D’OC ($13.95) From France’s land of sunshine comes this easy-drinking blend that features cassis, plum, dark cherry, herbs, rubber, spice and cocoa. Medium length and ready to pair with pasta or pizza. (ES)
GREECE 89 KIR-YIANNI KTIMA YIANAKOHORI HILLS 2012, MACEDONIA ($19.95)
If you want to have something different in the way of a red wine, try this blend of Xinomavro, Merlot and Syrah. It’s dense purple-ruby in colour with a spicy, cedary nose of plums and black cherries; medium- to full-bodied, it’s dry and firmly structured with ripe tannins. (TA)
ITALY 92 TERRE D’UVA NEGROAMARO 2012, IGP SALENTO ($13.83)
Clear, very deep plum red just tipping to garnet. Bouquet of red and black berries over raisins and black liquorice. On the medium-bodied palate, there are surprisingly bright and fresh strawberry and cherry flavours balanced by good acidity and soft tannins. A fruit-forward crowd-pleaser at a good price for the quality. Drink now. (RL)* DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 61
NOTED 90 GIANNI BRUNELLI ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 2014, TUSCANY ($46)
A delicious mouthful of tasty juice showing raspberry and cherry with spice and mineral. Great balance and freshness, ready to drink, with good length and hints of liquorice on the juicy finish. (GB)
90 GIANNI BRUNELLI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2012, TUSCANY ($95)
January 2017 release. Elegant and rich with pure, pretty red-fruit flavours highlighted by spice, floral notes and hints of blood orange. Although the wine is quite graceful, there’s ample structure and firm tannins with depth and complexity, finishing with loads of fresh minerality. (GB)
89 VIETTI PERBACCO NEBBIOLO 2013, LANGHE, PIEMONTE ($31.25)
Pale ruby. Discreet nose with fine notes of fully ripe red berries. Fresh attack, full body. The Nebbiolo tannins have something remarkable in their power and firmness without any graininess. The finish is very tight with a clean fruity taste. (GBQc)
89 LE MICCINE CARDUUS MERLOT 2010, TOSCANA ($34.50) Dark ruby. Perfumed nose on notes of ripe red berries. Fresh fruity taste, balanced acidity in a medium- to full-bodied mid-palate. Definitely well made but without individuality or expression of a particular terroir. (GBQc)
88 DONNAFUGATA SEDÀRA 2014, SICILIA DOC ROSSO ($19.49)
Heavily scented fleshy and spicy ripe red fruit on the nose evolves to rich sweet fruit, raisiny spice and milk chocolate on the palate. Easy to like, approachable wine to pair with spicy Mediterranean-style grilled meats. (SW)
88 VIETTI TRE VIGNE BARBERA D’ALBA, PIEMONTE ($28.80)
Medium ruby. Raspberry and other red
fruits on the nose. Barbera is known for its high acidity but this is not a problem here; the wine has a good deal of freshness, medium body and tight, supple tannins. The finish is clean and well balanced. Enjoy it right now. Time to make pasta. (ES)
88 FRESCOBALDI CAMPO AI SASSI ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 2014, TUSCANY ($36)
Delicate, floral and silky in texture with cherry, strawberry and mineral, vibrant with lifted acidity and focus, showing almost more like a Chianti. Quite mouth-watering. (GB)
88 FRESCOBALDI CASTELGIOCONDO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2011, TUSCANY ($65)
Elegant, approachable and balanced with cherry and berry flavours; savoury and silky with refined tannins and notes of tobacco, spice and mineral on the finish. A great Brunello to drink now. (GB)
87 TENUTA S ANNA ROSSO DI LISON 2015, VENETO ($19)
Quite fresh, fruity blend of Merlot and Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, but also slightly earthy with a round texture and lifted acidity on the finish. A great value. Deceptively has the ability to pair with meatier, rich and flavourful dishes like grilled baby octopus in tomato sauce. (GB)
SOUTH AFRICA 91 WATERKLOOF CIRCUMSTANCE SYRAH 2012, STELLENBOSCH ($22.95)
Most definitely a cool-climate interpretation of Syrah. Grown at higher elevations and on granite soils (which Syrah loves), it is elegant, with black pepper, violets, plum, oregano, cured meat and hints of hickory. Tannins are flush and provide 5 years of cellaring if so desired. Rack of lamb marinated in rosemary and garlic is the way to go. (ES)
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SPAIN 91 TORRES COS PERPETUAL 2013, PRIORAT ($49.95)
A blend of Garnacha and Cariñena from 80- to 100-year-old vines. Dense purple colour. Creamy blackberry nose with vanilla oak. Full-bodied, rich plum and raisin flavours with balancing acidity; firmly structured and lingering with a coffee-bean note on the finish. Chunky mouthfeel. Grill up a steak with a small dollop of salsa verde. (TA)
88 TORRES IBÉRICOS CRIANZA 2013, RIOJA ($16.95)
Made from 100% Tempranillo and aged 12 months in a combination of American and French, of which a portion was new. Strawberry, raspberry, plum, cedar, coconut, vanilla and tomato concentrate are all in play. Fine length with suave tannins. Lamb chops are the way to go with this wine. (ES)
87 LACRUZ VEGA TERROIR 2012, DO LA MANCHA ($18)
Tempranillo, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon from DO La Mancha fill out this smooth, full blend, redolent with sun-baked black fruits, liquorice, pipe tobacco and sweet spice, and built on 6 months in American and French oak. Tannins are supple, dusky and downy textured through the pencil-laden, drying finish. Some interesting detailing here, and worth adding into your mid-week rotation, especially with grilled sausages. (TR)
85 OSBORNE SOLAZ TEMPRANILLO/CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012, VINO DE LA TIERRA DE CASTILLA, VALDEPAÑAS ($11)
Ripe, sweet raspberry and candied cherries rule this simple, easy blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon from Vino de la Tierra de Castilla. A touch of sweet oak supports the juicy fruit, providing enough structure to partner with grilled burgers. Crack and drink this great-value wine now. (TR)
UNITED STATES 92 ROBERT MONDAVI CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013, NAPA ($34.75)
Very dark colour. Discrete nose of black fruits (black berry, blackcurrant) and well-dosed oak. Full bodied, supple texture, low in acidity but not lacking or feeling flabby. Tannins are finely grained and tight; this is a serious wine, able to age. Try it in 5 years. (GBQc)
92 HOLLORAN PINOT NOIR 2012, WILLAMETTE VALLEY ($36) Clear medium-deep plum red. Robust nose of raspberry, cherry and violets with noticeable but tastefully applied oak. Light body with high acidity and prominent alcohol over lean raspberry and cherry flavours. Will keep for another year. Dare I say pulled pork? There, I said it. (RL)*
91 ANGELA ESTATE VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2012, YAMHILLCARLTON AVA, WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON ($95)
From their Angela Estate vineyard in Yamhill-Carlton, this perfumed and generous Pinot shows the finesse of its ancient marine sedimentary soils. Ripe strawberry, raspberry and cherry are seasoned with rosehips, fine salts and pink peppercorn, and bracketed with fine, sticky/grippy tannins. Medium to full body, fleshy and round, with a snappy acidity to drive the whole through a lingering, warming finish. (TR)
89 DROUHIN OREGON CLOUDLINE CELLARS PINOT NOIR 2014, WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON ($32.29)
Opens with scents of violets, cherry, a whiff of minty herb and a touch of vanilla. Generously ripe dark cherry flavours come in a nicely balanced and structured package, finishing with a lick of mineral and a deft touch of oak. An interesting wine showing both Burgundian and New World influences. You can go as simple as a carpaccio or as complicated as a Beef Wellington. (SW)
89 EVENING LAND PINOT NOIR 2013, WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON ($41)
Pale ruby. Fine, delicate nose of red berries with notes of fruit stones. Supple and soft on the tongue, it is not without finesse. A fine example of Pinot Noir in a rather soft-toned style, a sign of mastered winemaking. Drink or hold. (GBQc)
SPINDRIFT BREWING CO KNOTTY BUOY PILS LAGER BEER, DARTMOUTH, NOVA SCOTIA ($4.25/473 ML)
A Bavarian-style lager showing pleasantly aromatic floral and green herbal hoppy scents with underlying malty aroma. Slightly sweet citrus and malty flavours on mid-palate shift to a hit of bitter dryness on the finish. Offers broad appeal with a bit of character. (SW)
88 FREI BROTHERS RESERVE DRY CREEK VALLEY ZINFANDEL 2014, SONOMA ($25.95) Dense purple in colour with a nose of leather, plum and vanilla oak; full-bodied, fruity-earthy blackberry and plum flavours with a suggestion of tannin to give the wine structure and a warm alcoholic finish. (TA)
SPIRITS
DESSERT
FORTY CREEK PREMIUM BARREL SELECT WHISKY, ONTARIO ($28)
91 BIG HEAD RIESLING ICEWINE 2014, NIAGARA LAKESHORE ($68)
A blend of grains including rye, barley and corn lends complexity to this whisky, as does aging in American and Canadian oak. Toasted nuts, marmalade, vanilla, buckwheat honey and a whiff of baking spice on the nose. Warm and round on the palate with suggestions of honey, toffee, sweet/spicy oak and vanilla with a long, moderately spicy finish. A bit softer and less edgy than your typical Canadian whisky. (TS)
Fermented via natural yeasts, this brilliant sticky exudes petrol, honey, beeswax, honeycomb, thyme honey, coconut and spice. Rich with lifted acidity and a prolonged stone-fruit/lime aftertaste. Don’t automatically think dessert. You might want to sear some foie gras with this wine. (ES)
89 PONDVIEW VIDAL ICEWINE 2014, NIAGARA ($19.95)
All Vidal with its honey, peach, apricot, lychee, orange marmalade and sponge toffee qualities. Rich and sweet with a good amount of acidity giving the proper lift. Ready to drink by itself or with some blue cheese. (ES)
FORTY CREEK COPPER POT RESERVE WHISKY, ONTARIO ($30)
BEER PICAROONS SIMEON JONES RIVER VALLEY AMBER ALE, KING’S LANDING, FREDERICTON, NEW BRUNSWICK ($3.99/500 ML) Rich amber colour, with a robust
nutty malt aroma and firm, but not overbearing, malt flavour. A touch of raisiny sweetness and a hint of citrus on mid-palate. Finishes with agreeable light bitterness. (SW)
Another award-wining whisky from the Gimsby, Ontario-based Forty Creek Distillery Ltd. The Copper Pot Reserve bears certain characteristics of the flagship Barrel Select, including the aromas of toasted nuts and caramel, along with some citrus peel notes. A bit weightier in the mouth, the Copper Pot sports additional complexity and warmth due to the higher (43%) alcohol level. Lots of caramel, walnut, spice and candied fruit flavours with vanilla, toasty oak and mild spice on the finish. (TS)
DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 63
DAVINE BY GURVINDER BHATIA
EMBODYING CHANGE
For over a decade, I have been vocally opining that some of the best-value wines in the world are grown in the Marche region of Italy. Located on the east-central coast of the country, along the Adriatic, the region of Le Marche is still predominantly rural, with a strong agricultural spirit. The prefix “Le” (pronounced lay) is plural, referring to the group of territories that collectively form the region. Agriculture has remained a significant economic driver in part because the mezzadria system of feudal land tenure (the farmer paid to the landowner a portion of the land’s production as rent), which was abandoned in most regions of Italy in the 1960s, was maintained in Le Marche until the 1980s. This unhurried desire to embody change, according to many producers, allowed gradual evolution that has contributed to the survival of the region’s native wine grapes. According to the Istituto Marchigiano di Tutela Vini (IMT), Le Marche, along with Campania, has the highest percentage of native grapes that are actually used to produce wine (not just anecdotal). Unlike many regions in Italy, there was not a significant movement to plant international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay. Financially, the decision to continue to grow native grapes was difficult since international
varieties commanded higher prices. But the strong cultural attachment to the land perhaps also resulted in a strong advocacy for the native grapes. The region’s government programs seem to have also contributed. The government provided financial assistance to wine growers. According to the IMT, the government paid for half the costs to restructure vineyards and modernize wineries as well as provided economic incentives for employers to hire young people to work in agriculture. Because these efforts to improve the quality of the region’s wines were so present, it only made sense for the government to also assist producers to sell their wines. Numbers provided by the IMT indicate that in 2005, the government invested 400,000 euros in the promotion of the wines from the region. This investment grew to 4,700,000 euros in 2015. Over 700 wine producers are members of the IMT, which is not surprising given the seemingly progressive nature and effectiveness of the organization. The main native grape of Le Marche is the white grape Verdicchio. While most North Americans associate Pinot Grigio (aka Pinot Gris) as the signature white
64 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017
grape of Italy, it’s not even native to that country (Pinot Gris originated in France). Verdicchio, in my opinion, is more versatile than Grigio and has the ability to age and evolve over several years. Overall, the quality of Verdicchio is quite good and consistent, the wines are food-versatile and have the ability to not just age, but are actually better with a few years in the bottle as opposed to, in many instances, immediately upon release. During a recent conference in Italy, organized by Collisioni Vino and the Istituto Marchigiano di Tutela Vini, we had the opportunity to taste over 80 Verdicchios with several dating back to the 1990s. A COMMON ATTRIBUTE TO MOST VERDICCHIOS IS AN ALMOND FLAVOUR and a firm backbone that not
only allows the wines to pair well with a variety of foods, but plays a part in the age-worthiness. The wines, in general, developed more complexity and depth with age along with a flinty character and the almond flavours becoming more pronounced. From my experience, Verdicchio actually tastes better with three to four years of age and can continue to age well for upwards of 15 years.
Lorenzo Marotti Campi in the vineyard speaking about Lacrima
I also had the opportunity to taste a seven-vintage vertical of Marotti Campi Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore Luzano and an eight-vintage vertical of their Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva Salmariano that is consistently, in my opinion, one of Italy’s top white wines. Even the inexpensive Luzano aged remarkably well, showing acacia honey and a pronounced nutty almond character while maintaining a fresh salinity. The 2001 was still remarkably fresh. The Salmariano really seemed to come into its own with six to eight years of age. The 2007, 2008 and 2010 were delicious, savoury, flinty, minerally, slightly nutty (blanched almond) and salty and only starting to reveal their layers. Verdicchio is best represented by two different DOC classifications of wines based on where it is grown. Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi is grown on rolling hills closer to the sea and tend to be round, delicately floral, subtly fruity, minerally and salty. Verdicchio di Matelica is grown inland at higher elevations in a cooler microclimate, resulting in wines that tend to be crisper, steelier and higher in acidity. The production of Matelica is much smaller than that of Jesi, representing only 10 percent of Jesi’s total production. These wines seemed to possess a firmly tight core when young and benefited even more than Jesi with a few years of age, the wines almost seemingly taking a breath, relaxing and becoming more expressive. For restaurateurs, Verdicchio by the glass provides an everyday alternative to Pinot Grigio, while for consumers, the wine provides an affordable option for a white wine to put down in the cellar. The Marotti Campi Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Riserva Salmariano, for example, retails for around $30 and can easily age for 10 to 15 years. Marotti Campi’s Verdicchio Luzano can age for 8 to 10 years and retails for just over $20.
Other native white grapes, while still not common, are gaining visibility. Biancame is used to make Bianchello del Metauro wines that can be delicate, perfumed and savoury. Ribona (also known as Maceratino Bianco) is used in the Colli Maceratesi wines that tend to exhibit herbal, savoury, mineral and salty notes, making them an excellent match with baccala (salt cod). With respect to native red grapes varieties, Montepulciano and Sangiovese are prominent and produce some excellent-quality and value wines. They can be found in varying proportions in wines classified as Rosso Piceno and Rosso Conero. There are also small quantities of wines produced using the aromatically intriguing Vernaccia Nera and Aleatico grapes. But the most interesting and important native red grape of Le Marche is the aromatic Lacrima variety. Typically, Lacrima results in wines that possess aromas of roses and violets with aromas and flavours of red and black fruit, pepper, herbs and savoury notes. The name of the grape refers to the
tendency, when the grapes are ripe, of the skins to break and release “tears” of juice. An eight-vintage vertical tasting back to 2002 of Marotti Campi’s Lacrima di Morro d’Alba Orgiolo showed the wine’s ability to age well with the 2006 still floral, spicy and juicy and the 2004, still fresh, exhibiting blackberry, balsamic and peppery notes with lifted acidity on the finish. A number of interesting Lacrima di Morro d’Alba wines were tasted, but, in my opinion, Marotti Campi’s possess the best freshness, purity of fruit, balance, depth and importantly, drinkability. There seems to be a refreshing salinity in all of Marotti Campi’s wines, which contributes to the compulsion to take another sip, as opposed to resulting in palate fatigue due to excessive richness and extraction. For years, the wines from Le Marche have been Italy’s best-kept secret. The word is out and although prices have begun to creep up (from where have wine prices not increased), the region, along with the Dão in Portugal, still grows wines with the best price-quality ratio in the world. ×
DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017 × QUENCH.ME × 65
AFTER TASTE BY TONY ASPLER
FLIGHT FROM THE FLUTE
THE UNIVERSAL SYMBOL FOR CHAMPAGNE IS THE SAUCER-SHAPED GLASS — EVEN TODAY, WHEN MOST OF THEM HAVE BEEN RELEGATED TO THE ICE CREAM PARLOUR. The coupe was designed for Queen Victoria, who
found that the bubbles in Champagne gave her flatulence. The purpose of the shallow shape is to help flatten the wine, i.e. to remove the bubbles the vignerons of Champagne had laboured so long and lovingly to introduce into it. Queen Victoria, having emasculated her Champagne, used to add Lochnagar malt whisky to her claret, thereby simultaneously ruining another two of the planet’s outstanding alcoholic beverages. To add insult to injury, one of her subjects invented the swizzle stick. Think of a tiny umbrella frame whose spokes can slide into its handle. By opening it and twirling it in a Champagne coupe you effectively kill the mousse. Maybe that’s why the French eventually adopted the elongated flute as the desired receptacle for Champagne, since the aperture is too small to accommodate a swizzle stick. But the French have only themselves to blame for legitimizing the coupe as the de rigeur Champagne glass. The cover of Patrick Forbes seminal book, Champagne, The Wine, The Land and The People (published in 1997), bore the photo of a piece of Sèvres porcelain, moulded, it is said, from Marie Antoinette’s left breast. Charming as that may be, champagne tastes better out of clear glass than out of a china bra. Just as it does from a glass rather than an actress’s slipper. As we know, the wheel of fashion turns inexorably and now Champagne producers have shunned the cow’s udder-shaped flute in favour of a vessel usually reserved for white wines — a tulip-shaped glass — the better to appreciate the bouquet while still enjoying the display of the upward passage of the bubbles. 66 × @QUENCH_MAG × DECEMBER 2016/JANAUARY 2017
It was Richard Geoffroy, Dom Pérignon’s chef de cave, who alerted me to the trend when he served me his Dom Pérignon P2 1998 in what looked like a Riedel Chardonnay stem. Geoffroy gave up using flutes 16 years ago because, he says, “they don’t do justice to the wine.” So what are we to do with all those flutes we’ve been using for Champagne and carefully washing by hand all these years? Demote them to Prosecco? Some years ago I was involved in a tasting at Inniskillin to determine the ideal glass for Icewine. Georg Riedel, whose company produces glasses to enhance the flavour of just about every variety of wine, was commissioned to design the perfect glass. Our panel eventually settled on a design whose bowl starts in a V and then curves out into a tulip shape. I had been a great fan of Riedel glasses ever since Robert Mondavi conducted a tasting of his wines using several glass shapes. Riedel won through in each trial. Riedel’s glasses for individual grape varieties were designed to deliver the wine precisely on the palate to emphasize its best qualities (as opposed to the Les Impitoyables line of glasses by Peugeot, which “intensify the characteristics of wine by enhancing their qualities or bringing out the slightest flaw.” Hence the name, which translates as “the Merciless Ones.” And then, from a true believer, I left the Riedel congregation when the company introduced the O series of tumblers — wine glasses without stems but each designed for a specific grape variety. The first thing a wine lover learns is not to hold a glass by the bowl. Your body heat will warm up the wine and your fingers will leave prints on the glass. The rationale behind this “innovation” was that these glasses are safer in the dishwasher. But they do have one advantage over stemware. They float in hot tubs. × ILLUSTRATION: FRANCESCO GALLÉ, WWW.FRANCESCOGALLE.COM
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