Reserva Wine Magazine

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This Month…

Wines If You Have a Glass … … … … … … …4 To Smell or Not to Smell: That is the Taste … … … …6 Osborne … … … … … … …8 Champagne vs. Sparkling Wine … … … … … … …10

Wine & Food Odd Pairings: Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Along … ..12 The Sweet N’ Low on Ice Wine … … … … … … …13

Accessories Words & Wine … … … … … … …14 Reserva Recommends … … … … … 15

… At Reserva Magazine

Photo by: ‘linhtinh’ @ Flickr

Culture Spotlight on the Niagara Wine Region … … … … … … …16 Redtail Vineyard Thinks Green … … … … … … …18

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Letter from the Editors…

Reservawww.winereserva.com Magazine Team Editor-in-Chief: Caroline Pigott

Hello!

Wine drinkers have much to celebrate as we prepare for the exciting launch of Reserva Magazine – Canada’s premier magazine for everything wine. Join us as we set out to explore the hidden gems of the far-reaching far wine world; getting you up to date with the latest in the wine industry. It is our mission to take your experiences with wine to new heights as we introduce you to a magazine that explores, not only wine tasting in general, but also how wine is incorporated into cooking, culture, art and much more!

Perhaps you are an individual who finds simple pleasures over a glass of wine with friends or maybe you are a sommelier, trained and knowledgeable in all aspects of the wine service; wherever you stand in the world of wine, rest assured our pages are graced with information you will be interested in.

Especially as winter is hovering just around the corner, we look forward to providing you with all of the exciting and fun things we have planned for Reserva Magazine. Maybe you need to dust off the wine glasses and dig out that cork screw from the back of the drawer or perhaps you never put them away at all. Regardless, it’s the perfect season to cozy up near a warm fire and lose yourself in the engaging world of wine; expert chefs dishing the latest wine related news from the culinary world, wine connoisseurs spilling their brutal honesty over what wines are worth celebrating over this season or simply catching the inside scoop about what aficionados of the wine industry are talking about.

So as the launch of Reserva Magazine approaches, get ready to raise your glass and make a toast to delectable foods, great friends, fun adventures and most importantly…you guessed it, wine!

Managing Editor: John Greco Associate Editors: Melissa Bessey Adam Porter Glenn Macaulay Photogrpaher: Melissa Bessey Contributors: Anne Donafeld, Robert Antidormi, Glenn Macaulay, Kathryn Borel, Amol Sharma, Jennifer White Senior Editorial Designer: ONAMAP Interactive Graphic Design & Layout Team Webmaster: ONAMAP Interactive Web Team Executive Director: Omar Murji

Yours truly,

Contact Reserva Magazine at: info@winereserva.com www.winereserva.com ISSN: 1920 826X Reserva Wine Magazine is published by The Organic Press www.organicpress.ca

Caroline Pigott, Editor-in-Chief

John Greco, Managing Editor

Reserva Magazine is a proud member of the ONAMAP Network www.onamap.ca

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If You Have a Glass, I Have a Great Chardonnay…

By: John Greco

When I joined the team at Reserva wine magazine, I asked but one question: do I have to be an expert on wine in order to be successful?

After all, I’m certainly no pundit on the topic. I was quickly addressed with an answer that quite surprised me. “The less you know, the better.” I didn’t completely understand how that was possible, a wine writer with absolutely no knowledge of the wine industry but when it comes to sampling wine and writing my opinion you only have to twist my arm so far.

After much pondering I suddenly realized why the knowledge that I possessed, or lack thereof, ceased to be important. It seemed quite clear to me after conducting some personal research that anyone could sample a wine as long as you could see, swirl, smell sip, swish and…spit? I guess if you’re sampling more than one, however, in any event, today I will choose to swallow my wine. So there we have it, six s’s that become a right of passage for any novice wine taster to graduate to the ranks of a true connoisseur. And my first right of passage happens to be a 2009 Chenin-Chardonnay by Argentinean winemaker, Fuzion.

For those of you in the not-know, a Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. A very neutral grape in itself, many flavours associated with the chardonnay are

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When I hold my glass up to the light, the chardonnay is as clear as the glass I will soon be drinking from. The colour is a soft yellow that sparkles just as much as it dances with every swirl of my glass. With safer methods of making wine today, the practice of seeing my wine may not be very important now, however, it is around for a reason. One hundred or even two hundred years ago, the wine tasting process we know today was used to determine if a wine was safe to drink. In the ‘seeing’ portion of the six s’s, I will look for any brown, muddy, orange or other non-winelike colours. It is not unusual to spot pieces of cork floating in your glass, however, one must be sure that it is cork and it is safe to proceed to the next step.

contributed to the geographical area where the grapes are grown and the oak used in the production process, lending characteristics to the colour, flavour,, tannin profile and even the texture of the wine. A chardonnay is a crucial component in many sparkling wines and champagnes and remains one of the most widelywidely planted grape varieties in the world.

The first aspect of my wine tasting begins with selecting the proper glass. Although there are many types, I have chosen a wide and shallow glass as illustrated in the picture. As different shapes of glasses accentuate the unique characteristics in the various styles of wine, my wide mouthed glass will promote rapid oxidization consequently altering the flavour of the wine. Because a chardonnay tends to have a low acidity and is richer with its wood aging, the wide-mouthed mouthed glass will help produce more airflow, bringing out the wonderful aromas and richness of the chardonnay grape.

No I take a deep breath and open up my passageways. It is often said that we learn a lot about the wine we are about to drink through simply sniffing the wine before we actually drink it. Some things that I’m asking myself while sniffing the wine are: Does it smell like wine? Do I like the overall fragrance? Does the wine smell fresh or does it smell quite foul?

Are there any familiar scents that I can detect in the wine’s perfume? To be frank, my first impression when sniffing this chardonnay was that I couldn’t really break down the perfume to any particular scent. On the back of the bottle the Tasting Notes describe it as “…a lovely dry wine with floral and

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citrus notes.” Suddenly a smile came across my face and it hit me. I did in fact detect those subtle hints when I new what to look for. It was like sniffing a bouquet of flowers with a citrus twist. Something I was very excited about finally tasting. But there was still more steps to be carried out before I could officially indulge.

Now comes the swirl. I’ve heard the swirl is less about watching the wine dance in the glass and more about giving me a chance to evaluate the first two steps one more time. So I coat the inside of the glass with the wine as I swirl it around and watch it slide gracefully back down the sides of the glass. I take a long and hard sniff of the wonderful aromas as they float into the air with every swirl. This gives me a more detailed idea of the different scents associated with this chardonnays perfume. Since I’m a novice, the scent is once again the same, however, I can smell the aromas more clearly without having to put my nose right into the glass.

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Now that I have seen my wine in the right light, sniffed my wine as it rested in my glass and swirled my wine to ensure I basked in all of the aromatic goodness, I want to tease my taste buds with a small smell sip. The smell sip will not only enhance my idea of the wines aromas, however, it will also provide the me with some insight as to whether or not I want to commit to a larger mouthful. After a small smell sip, I quickly detect a sweet taste on the tip of my tongue but as the wine moves around my mouth, attacking the rest of my taste buds, its floral and citrus aromas quickly take over.

Now that I know for certain that I like the flavour and aromas of this wonderful wine, I commit myself to a larger sip, but this time I indulge in a lot more fun. I swish the wine around in my mouth taking in the wonderful floral and citrus aromas that create such a beautifully bodied wine. I even gargle a bit at times. Besides being the only time you can rightfully gargle a drink at the dinner table, our taste buds are everywhere in our mouths and I want to make sure I make the most of it.

And for this tasting I can confidently say that I did.

The resulting taste is exactly what the winemaker, Fuzion,, described in the Tasting Notes. Except to my pleasant surprise, the wonderful first impression of a natural sweet explosion when the wine first hit my taste buds; a characteristic I can only attribute to the natural embodiment of the two primary flavours of the wine: The aromatic floral aspect and the wonderfully fruity citrus taste that when combined, create a glass of wine you don’t want to put down…even if you’re a red wine lover.

So if you are looking for a nice chardonnay for the holidays to pair with chicken, seafood or salads, you might as well infuse yourself with Fuzion’s 2009 chardonnay and join me in a little gargling at the dinner table this season.

For $7.95 a bottle at the LCBO, you can’t go wrong.

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To Smell or Not to Smell: That is the Taste

Photo by: ‘adamwilson’ @ Flickr

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By Robert Antidormi

Nowadays, when my nine year old daughter rides her bicycle, she no longer consciously thinks of what she needs to do to keep from falling or moving forward. The routine has been programmed through teaching and repetition; a process learned by practice which she now enjoys. With regards to ‘tasting’, why think twice about how to taste when we have all been doing so since the beginning of our existence. If you studied Cubism, would you admire Picasso’s work even more? Would working with marble make you hold Michelangelo in greater esteem? Perhaps the very tantalizing aspects of wine would be enhanced if the methodology to ‘tasting’ was examined more closely. With that said, let me ask you one question: do you like the wine you are having?

You may say, “I like this wine.” But why do I like this wine? Why does the same newly opened bottle of wine that you loved last month smell like old, damp newspaper? When practicing tasting techniques, I always give the example of blindfolding an individual and peeling a ripe banana just below their nose. Chances are the blindfolded individual would associate the smell with a banana without the visual confirmation. Why is this? Behind our nasal cavity in our forebrain, we have a membrane named Olfactory. The Olfactory Membrane senses an external stimulus (smell) and encodes it through the central nervous system back to our brain. The aroma of a banana (or wine) is quickly detected through memory experience due to the recognition of smell.

Odours have very powerful associations. Out of nowhere you are hit with a thought of a prior place in time due to a whiff of something in the air. For me, it is the powdery pink gum found in packs of hockey trading cards that immediately reminds me of the innocence of my youth. The connection with our sense of smell and our emotions are intrinsically linked. Our ability to experience and express emotion is attributed to how the brain processes smell. Some can differentiate the acuity of smells better than others.

Scientists believe that through evolution, a woman’s greater sense of smell developed as a detector of poisons and other dangers that could have harmed their children. It became a genetic predisposition, an alarm mechanism.

(One point for the ladies!)

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I was always somewhat suspicious or guarded, when receiving wine tasting tips from those who were gracious enough to lead me through their experiences. I assumed that it would intimidate me more than I already was and leave me disenchanted with wine in general. “What is the big deal? I know how to taste!”

Then I learned to try these wine tasting techniques privately. I started taking notes.

The wine experience became a ceremony of sorts that intrigued me. It became more than just wine to me. Each event was a revelation. Each nuance I detected was more meaningful than I could have ever imagined. Was there a correlation between the techniques that I was practicing and the enjoyment that I was receiving? Absolutely! Actively smelling our food and drink at least doubles the pleasure for us.

The term ‘taste’ is actually an impression interpreted by our mind through what we sense with our nose and mouth. It is only by liquids or solids contacting our tongue and by the invisible vapours travelling through our nasal passage, that messages can be carried to our brain. Physiologists have identified at least four elements of taste in our mouths: sweetness, sourness, saltiness and bitterness.

Others argue that there are more elements; however these particular four are sensitive to the different areas of the tongue. Take granulated sugar for example. It really does not give off any odour. Now place a bit of sugar on the tip of your tongue. The impression of what it is will most likely be detected by your brain.

The importance of the nose. Do you recall tasting your food or drink when your nose was stuffed up or when you had a cold? Did you notice how the food and drink seemed off? Try pinching your nose the next time you take a sip of wine and take note of the difference. The nose is by far the greatest instrument and indicator of sense. Being more aware of what you smell is the greatest lesson to ‘tasting’. The temperature of what you taste is also something to be aware of. By warming up your wine naturally, more vapors are emitted. Take for instance, hot soup compared to cold soup,

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www.winereserva.com or when entering a kitchen, with just the smell from what is in the hot oven, you can almost taste how great the meal is going to be.

I am often asked ‘at what temperature should I serve wine ‘x’’? Each wine varies. What I do enjoy is watching the wine from the same bottle evolve over the duration of the course of a dinner.

Serving red wine from a cellars cool temperature? Try it initially and then again an hour later. You should be able to pick up more nuances the warmer the liquid gets. Keeping things simple, here is a general rule that I use: Remove the white wine from your fridge 20 minutes prior to opening it; Place your red wine in your fridge for 20 minutes then remove it to enjoy.

First and foremost, wine has to ultimately be refreshing. refreshing Having touched on the importance of smell, it only makes sense not to wear perfumes, colognes, use toothpaste, chewing gum, smoke, or any other distracting scent prior to tasting. In terms of your visual environment, a white backdrop, white tablecloth, napkin or white paper will do. And how about the glassware? There are many designs for particular grape varietals and styles that you can invest in, but this is not necessary.

Choose a glass with a stem so not to smudge the glass or unnecessarily warm your wine with your hand. An inch of wine in an 8oz glass is fine. The air above the wine in the glass contains important vapours that need to get to your nose. nose Now the wine is in your glass. Holding the stem, give the wine a swirl and coat the inside of the glass. This does take a bit of practice. Place the glass down and observe the streams of wine. If they are thick streams, the levels of alcohol are high. Hold it against the white backdrop and observe if it is clear. Cloudiness is a sign of faulty wine. Details of variation of colors are for you to explore. Feel free to note what you see. All observations are useful.

“A dark purple core with an amber rim.” It is an exercise that takes time but is well rewarded. Barely seeing

your finger through the liquid may indicate the tannins of the grape are heavy. This may mean the origin is a warm climate, a thick skin grape or it could simply be the winemaking technique. Maintaining a diary of tasting notes is a great reference tool.

Coating the glass with wine brings the vapours to the empty portion of the glass. This is the moment to place your nose and partially opened mouth in the glass to the vapors you just released.

Inhale slowly through the nose and mouth. What are your first impressions?

Is it healthy?

The odd bottle may reveal a smell of “old, wet newspaper”, in which case it may be corked. Do you like what you smell? Do you pick up any particular fruit? Vegetables? Oak? I associate the bell pepper in red wine with Cabernet Sauvignon. Or the detection of lychee fruit in white wine with Gewürztraminer.

More important than the detective “who done it?” is that I am enjoying the aromas. I’m seeking aromas in my wine and food.

When you sip the wine, coat your entire mouth with it so your tongue is alerted.

When you feel more comfortable, try to gather in air at the same time the wine is in your mouth. This takes the vapours above the liquid to the back of your mouth into your nasal passage.

How much sweetness have you detected at the tip of your tongue? Perhaps you want to take it a step further and address all the other elements of taste. With time you will be able to tell the Chardonnay from the Sauvignon Blanc. Now, spitting is recommended to keep you alert, especially if you are sampling more than a few wines! Otherwise this could get a bit messy.

We would be remiss without noting how much unconscious smelling is going on.

We ride our bicycles unaware of those initial awkward and reinvigorating explorations. And yet, we continue to move forward. It is time to smell more actively and appreciate a more meaningful taste. To absorb with our eyes wide open is to experience reverence in the delights of wine and food. It is now up to you.

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OSBORNE DOMINIO DE MALPICA 2006 CABERNET SAUVIGNON

I’m not a wine expert. I’m not a wine connoisseur. I couldn’t tell what grape from which vineyard in any region would be best suited to win an award for best harvest of 2009. To be honest, I can’t even tell you if there is such an award to be given. What I can tell you is that I’m a wine drinker and because of that I find wines that I enjoy and drink again and again.

What kind of wine I’m going to purchase comes down to two easy rules: What colour do I feel like drinking? And how much I want to spend? I was raised to believe that the colour of wine you drink had to reflect the meal you were sitting down to eat.

If you had meat on your plate it was red wine in your glass. If you had chicken or fish then it had better be white. If you’re having caviar on top of hundred dollar bills then only a bottle of Krug champagne should suffice. And sure, pairing the perfect wine to what’s on your plate is important but I’ve found that I’m much more likely to sit down to a bottle of wine than I am to sit down to a meal that requires a good wine.

By: Adam Porter

So my rule for colour choice has come down solely to what kind of night I’m in for. If my night is going to be slow paced, relaxing and a long night of drinking then I’ll go for a red wine.

Something I can sip, and taste and casually go back to the bottle after it’s been left to breath. If the night calls for more of a social setting, a gathering of friends, mingling in a kitchen or on a rooftop patio then I’ll take along a bottle of wine. Easy right?

“ I was raised to believe that the colour of wine you drink had to reflect the meal you were sitting down to eat.

If you had meat on your plate it was red wine in your glass. If you had chicken or fish then it had better be white.”

Photo by: ‘tobiastoft’ @ Flickr

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The second rule, how much I want to spend, may be even easier. I constantly fool myself into believing that I have an endless cash flow at my disposal, but the truth of the matter is that I purchase wine more often than I have money deposited into my account. After a week of trying five or six bottles of wine I’m more than likely to get a call from the bank about suspicious activity on my account if it weren’t for the second rule: Keep all wine purchases under $15. It works like a charm and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to try an enormous selection of good wines while keeping a couple of bills back in their wallet. You’d be surprised at how many wines there are out there that you can pick up for under fifteen dollars.

Good wines too. In fact more and more wines are coming out under or around the ten dollar range that fit perfectly into the category of “Proud to Show up at a Wine Party with” and always get the party patron response of “Really? You paid how much for it?”

Fortunately I’ve found a favorite wine that falls perfectly inside those two guidelines:

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Osborne Dominio de Malpica 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon From the Tierra de Castilla region in Spain, you can pick up a bottle of this wine for only $14.95 at the LCBO. This cab sauv was first introduced to me at a dinner party a couple of months back, the chef had made a perfect prime rib roast and paired it with a full glass. When tasting wine most people start with swirling the glass to examine the colour, I always tend to skip that step and go straight to the nose.

Partially because I love to pick out as many scents as I can from the wine, partially because it’s one step closer to tasting the wine. There’s a peppery spice aroma that you pick up right off the bat, which is why it’s said that this wine compliments any type of meat or game you could choose to pair it with.

Next comes my favorite part: the taste. Here we have a full bodied flavor where the longer you allow it to breathe the more it opens up. This suits me just fine, as I tend to take my time when seated in front of perfectly cooked meat. From the moment I sipped the wine I loved the intense, yet modestly balanced taste that left behind a smooth finish. And not the unfortunate lengthy finish that some wines leave you with where you’re forced to chase it away with the food on your plate. The taste of this Osborne wine encompassed the food and enhances the flavor. flavor You’re most likely aware of Osborne Wineries, or are at least familiar with their trademark bull on the logo and Solaz wines. What you may not know is that having been around since 1772, they grew from the production of renowned sherry to now include wine, spirits and even energy drinks. It’s clear that with over two hundred years under their belt they’ve got a pretty good idea of how to use the best ideas and the latest technology to achieve great tasting wine. But I’m not a wine expert. I just love drinking great wine.

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Wines Sparkle and Taste – Will it be Champagne or Sparkling you this Holiday Wine for Wines

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Season?

Season?

By: Caroline Pigott

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Champagne. The drink of choice commonly enjoyed on such celebratory occasions as weddings, anniversaries and of course, New Year’s Eve. If you’re like me, the very thought of “bubbly” makes you excited and ready to celebrate. But as you reach for your favourite sparkling drink this season, will you be reaching for Champagne or sparkling wine? Do you truly know the difference between the two?

Many of us make the mistake of placing Champagne and sparkling wine in the same category. You might stand in the “sparkling wine” section of the liquor store and contemplate over two different bottles, wondering if the more expensive bottle is worth the investment or if you should just opt for the less expensive one. You may be wondering “What really IS the difference between these two aside from the potential dent in my wallet?” We do this with still wines as well. And it’s true there are less expensive red and white wines that are true competitors to their vintage counterparts, but can the same be said about Champagne versus sparkling wine?

I’ll admit I’m the person who often contemplates whether a product is truly “worth it”. And when it comes to sparkling wine, I wonder if the friends of mine who consider themselves true “connoisseurs” would REALLY taste the difference. I’m not talking about matching a bottle of Moet & Chandon to my University favourite, Baby Duck. Instead, I decide to compare popular sparkling wine Henkell Brut to popular Champagne Veuve Clicquot. Two brands produced in two different countries: Henkell Brut in Baden, Germany and Veuve, in Champagne France.

Now before I go into the results of my “experiment” I’ll explain the true difference between sparkling wine and Champagne.

When you see a bottle with the word “Champagne” listed on it, the product originated in a small region of France near Paris of the same name. But this isn’t the “be all end all” of why bubbly drink is so celebrated. In order to truly achieve “Champagne” status, your bubbles must be treated to a traditional process called the Champagne method or

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champenoise.. This process dates back to 1638 when a Benedictine monk named Dom Pierre Pérignon perfected the process of using a second fermentation to make ”boring” still wine sparkle. Celebrating his accomplishment, the monk could be heard calling out “come quickly I’m drinking stars!” This new concoction truly is the “party dress” of wines.

Dom Pierre Perignon thankfully decided not to keep this process a secret and we now see wineries across the globe perfecting this same traditional method. Although it may be created the same, the catch is if it’s not made in Champagne, it can’t be referred to as Champagne. With its bubbly appearance, the name sparkling wine instead was created. So as I mentioned above, I decided to test true Champagne against a sparkling wine. Both Henkell and Veuve are created using the “Champagne method” yet one is listed for $14.65 and the other is listed at $64.95 at the LCBO.. Will I really taste a difference? difference I take out my long stemmed narrow flutes to prepare for this exciting test. The lean design of these glasses reduces the wine’s surface area and keeps the bubbles from spreading out.

I decide to try the $64.95 bottle of Veuve first. I had my first wedding anniversary to celebrate and thought “why not try the more expensive bottle for such an occasion?” I also couldn’t resist the enticingly bright yellow label. My husband and I pop the cork and much like the sparkling wines we’re accustomed to sampling, the bubbles wander to the surface, creating a mini explosion over our counter top (perhaps we could have been more careful?).

Next is the Henkell Brut. We pop the cork, this time opening the bottle the proper way as sommeliers advise – twisting the bottle away from the cork at a 45 degree angle in order to break the seal, creating a whisper rather than a loud bang and yet another counter mess.

I can smell the aroma of the wine immediately. As it pours into the glass, I keep a close watch on the bubbles, to see if they too continuously rise to the top as with the Veuve - and they do! By looks alone, I must admit, I can’t tell the difference. I take my first sip and feel the playful tingle against my tongue, immediately tasting the familiar citrus and apple enhanced with a moussetype feel engulfing my entire mouth. Very clean and crisp, it’s difficult to tell the difference; although I must point out that the Veuve holds its own in the dry and elegant category.

But is that just my mind playing a trick on me? Am I associating my taste with price or with real distinction?

Ultimately, my final conclusion is that both wines are excellent selections to bring in the New Year. If you’re looking for classy Champagne that certainly competes with the likes of Moet and Chandon and, dare I say it, Dom Perignon, then Veuve is a wallet-friendly contender. But if you’re thinking of ringing in the New Year and saving the few extra dollars to put towards a fabulous new outfit, go with the Henkell, a wine that sacrifices neither taste nor budget.

Either way you choose to celebrate, be sure to raise you glass and cheers to a Happy New Years!

We toast to our special occasion and take the first sip. Much to my delight, dancing bubbles tickle my tongue and extend to the tip of my nose. As for the taste, I was pleasantly impressed with its purity, along with the fresh fruity infusion and elegant feel. Being Brut (meaning crude or earthy), it is meant to be dry but I could still taste the sweet hints of apple, caramel and citrus. In addition, the sparkle seemed unending with the bubbles consistently rising to the top in between each sip.

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Odd Pairings Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Along?

By: Amol Sharma As the opening sequence of the classic show “The Odd Couple” appeared on my television screen, I became inspired to research how other odd couples get along. Can two divorced men live together in an apartment without driving the other crazy? As the show indicates, you can take them to the brink, but they work it out every time. But how about odd food and wine pairings?

It appears that the sweetness of the wine tames the spice in the chip, when you marry the Buffalo Bleu with a 2007 Boutari Moschofilero (Greece) (pronounced ("mo-sko-FEEL-ero").

Cheese, chocolate, oysters, and chicken; these are a few of my favourite things… to pair with wines. Just like two pieces of a puzzle, these pairings fit. But, what about foods we don’t think of to pair with wine? Why don’t I think of grabbing a bag of Lays potato chips when I open a bottle of Pinot Noir? Or order a glass of Merlot with my nachos? Wine pairing is filled with infinite possibilities that might not be traditional but, if given the chance, might be added to your list of favourite treats.

Striking up a conversation with Matt as he enjoyed a rare piece of Kobe beef, I find myself laughing as he tells me what he enjoys pairing wine with. Hot dogs and Shiraz. He tells me the mustard and ketchup mix well with the Shiraz. If he doesn’t have a Shiraz, he’ll substitute with a Zinfandel.

Because I’m no professional when it comes to the world of wine pairing, I decided to venture off the beaten track and surf through a multitude of online wine forums for more information. What I discovered was that when people enjoy an odd pairing, they really enjoy that pairing.

How counterintuitive is it to think of football and wine? I’m sure I’m not alone when I say it’s hard to imagine a group of die hard football fans eating chips and hot dogs while pouring a glass of Chardonnay. But guess what? The foods you think would go well with a can of beer, actually go well with a glass of wine too.

The Dallas Morning News ran a piece on pairing wines and gourmet chips. After narrowing the selection to two flavours of Kettle Chips: Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper, and Buffalo Bleu, they paired them with reds and whites that cost less than $15 (USD) a bottle. Between the cost of chips and the cost of the bottles, the pairings not only entice the palate, but excite the wallet! With Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper, they found 1 + 1 = 3 (Cava, Spain) worked well as the salt brings out the flavour of the wine, whereas the 2007 Laurenz und Sophie Singing Grüner Veltliner’s (Austria) savoury flavour is complimented by the pepper in the chips.

The Buffalo Bleu chips matched up well with a 2008 Borsao Red (Spain), with the fruity flavour of the Borsao dancing gracefully on your taste buds, mixing well with the spice in the chips.

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Reading about odd wine pairings made me curious to know what the “real world” really thinks. So I decided to visit busy BLT Prime in Manhattan and ask some patrons what their guilty wine and food pairing pleasure is.

I then sit down with Brenda as she waited for a table and enjoyed a blood red Malbec. Her love for Twinkies and a glass of chardonnay started in college. Now that she no longer needs to select wines based on a clearance price tag, Brenda loves the buttery flavour of Murphy-Goode Chardonnay Alexander Valley Island Block 2006, and says it usually runs $15 - $20 (USD) a bottle. Joining in on the conversation, Eddie says he tends to follow the rule of pairing similar flavours. He says buttery Chardonnays without a doubt go explosively well with popcorn and extra butter.

I’m now intrigued about odd wine pairings and look forward to trying some of the suggestions mentioned above with family and friends this season. Instead of a Chardonnay with turkey, perhaps I’ll try pairing a Carignan with short ribs? As we all come together over the holidays, why not introduce odd couples to the dinner table? (And I don’t mean your cousin’s new girlfriend!)

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THE SWEET N’ LOW ON ICE WINE

By: Jennifer White

For a recent holiday party I decided to swap the usual heavy and thick, spiced egg nog for a much more elegant ice wine to serve with dessert. The holidays are a guiltless excuse for indulgence and there is nothing better than indulging in sweet and sweet. After studying the flavour profile and food chart provided on the Peller Estates winery website, I discovered that ice wine harmonizes perfectly with warm baked fruit desserts. I took this cue to whip up a cranberry pear tart on a delicate flaky crust with powdered sugar. Satisfying on its own, but divine when paired with a complimenting ice wine. The chart guided me to the Private Reserve Vidal with warm notes of honey and brown sugar to draw on the caramelized juices of the baked fruit. The tangy smooth and sweet flavours of lingering citrus and star fruit added to a more explosive indulgence and it also proved a party pleaser. I have to say that the spiced egg nog was not missed.

Canada is known for boasting some of the top ice wines in the world, but it has not always been that way. In the early 1800's, German winemakers were the first to discover that they could make a sensationally sweet wine in a rare harvest of the winter frost. It wasn't until nearly two centuries later in the 1980's that Canada's Niagara wine peninsula adopted the harvesting of frozen grapes to become a worldwide leading region for ice wine.

Photo by: ‘Rivard’ @ Flickr

For Niagara's Peller Estates, the making of ice wine is a tedious and timely task. To make ice wine, grapes are left to freeze in temperatures of -10c, plucked off the frigid vine and pressed to produce small drops of concentrated juice. Finding the balance between sweetness and acidity is key in crafting the perfect ice wine. Peller Estates will refreeze each grape eight to ten times in order to draw out a strong, more concentrated and balanced flavour. Only a tiny drop of juice is extracted from each grape, which is why ice wine is considered a luxury dessert beverage meant to be sipped and savoured.

Pairing ice wines with desserts is always a classy finish to a meal. Try the cranberry pear tart by mixing dried cranberries and peeled pear wedges with brown sugar and cinnamon and using a pre-made pre pastry sheet for the crust. Cut the dough into 6-8 squares and pile each with heaping's of the fruit mixture, keeping a 1/2 inch space around the border. Top each tart with a slice of butter and bake at 325 for 30 minute. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with Peller Estates Private Reserve Vidal Ice wine, available at your local LCBO. For more inspiration or for a unique holiday gift idea Peller Estates offers weekly $20 ice wine and cuisine pairing course. As well “how to” tips on incorporating ice wine into your cooking, the course briefs you on the pairing of ice wine with four dishes. For an even more extravagant tutorial, the two day intense ice wine weekend takes you right into the sub zero vineyards and includes tastings of 25 different ice wines and 16 paired courses.

The weekend even ends with an ice wine competition to test out your newly acquired wine knowledge. Even if you don't have the chance to take a course, there is always one pairing that will never fail. No matter how you have your ice wine, it is the pride of Niagara's chilly winters that is sure to warm up holiday desserts.

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WORDS & WINE By: Glenn Macaulay

An Interview with Toronto’s Kathryn Borel Jr. – Author of Corked: A Memoir We asked Kathryn Borel Jr., Toronto-based author of Corked: A Memoir about wine, gifts, books and the Holiday season: Living in Toronto, where would you go to find a unique gift for a wine lover?

Because I haven't yet become a young jillionaire,, my focus is not so much on wine paraphernalia. I'd prefer to spend my money on actual wine... and the most breathtaking (and accessible) place to do so is in the sprawling vintages section of the Summerhill LCBO. But if you're the type who's financially solvent enough to make it rain at the strip club, The Wine Establishment on the Esplanade has h everything. www.thewineestablishment.com.

If money were no object, what would the ultimate wine accessory be?

I pitched this question to my father, who is 87,000 times more educated on matters oenological. His dream object is a pair of 19th century silver wine decanter holders — one of only two sets ever made — worth $350,000, stolen from the great wine collector Graeme Lyons' Lyon London home last week. He would settle with the thieves for, say, half of the original value (leaving ethical considerations aside.)

What would you give to someone who wants to get into wine?

Any book by Hugh Johnson. World Atlas of Wine, for example.

The Holidays can be expensive. Which reasonably priced wine would you bring to a Holiday party that doesn't taste cheap?

Any 2007 Pinot Noir from a top Niagara single vineyard. 2007 was the best harvest of the century in this part of the world.

Besides your own, what's your favourite book on wine and/or wine culture?

An ex-boyfriend boyfriend of mine gave me a copy of Neal Rosenthal's Reflections of a Wine Merchant. He's one of the most influential wine tasters and importers in North America. It's a great wine 101... it makes the world of the wine business accessible and strange and funny. f Which wine would you love to find in your stocking on Christmas morning?

A 2001 Chateau d'Yquem.

Check out Kathryn and her wonderful book about a father-daughter daughter journey through the wine regions of France at www.kathrynborel.com

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RESERVA RECOMMENDS…

Photo courtesy of: www.goodegg.ca

By Glenn Macaulay

Good Egg 267 Augusta Ave., Toronto www.goodegg.ca Phone (416) 593-GOOD Hours: Sat, Sun, Mon 11 – 6 Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri 11 – 8

One half of the store is decked out with bookshelves, offering a treasure trove of selections for both adults and children. Foodies and wine aficionados will love the selection of books on wine, travel and food culture and of course a great collection of cookbooks. You’ll also find delightful little accessories among the stacks, including this colourful A di Alessi Parrot sommelier corkscrew I found, which would make a perfect gift for the wine lover on your shopping list:

Its community-centric philosophy extends into the classes, demos and workshops it offers. The current run of knife skills classes taught by Olivia Go, a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts in NYC, has been very popular and sometimes difficult to get into. The store is also available for private functions, so if you’re looking for a new and interesting spot for your next holiday party, perhaps Good Egg is right for you.

Photo courtesy of: www.alessi.com

If you love food and wine, you’d be hard pressed leaving Kensington Market’s Good Egg without buying something. Much like the neighbourhood it’s in, Good Egg is relatively small, but big on quirkiness and warm, friendly service courtesy of its knowledgeable staff.

Being surrounded by the fresh food of the Market, Good Egg would make a great stop on a stroll to inspire you to cook something magnificent or just stop by on a cold day and warm up to its unique charm.

The other side of the store features unique cookware including Le Creuset, a good selection of magazines, art, accessories and gifts.

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Spotlight on the Niagara Wine Region By: Melissa Bessey

If you live in Toronto and desire an afternoon escape from the big city, head down the Queen Elisabeth Highway out of the GTA and in just over an hour the city; or should I say condo lined landscape, will change from urban to rural and there, the Niagara Region begins. Once you drive over the Burlington Skyway and see the industrial site of Hamilton Harbour don’t be discouraged because behind the ‘big smoke’ lies the picturesque Niagara Escarpment and rest assured that amid much recent development, protected wildlife, natural habitat and country roads are just ahead.

As one of Canada’s most prime agricultural regions, Niagara grows most of Ontario’s tender fruits annually and the Carolinian forest provides mineral rich soil that allows endangered species to call home and vineyards to thrive year round. Many of the regions wine makers have won international recognition and awards for their sweet and succulent ice wines, including Inniskillin, Royal de Maria and Magnotta, to name a few.

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Because ice wine can only be produced after the grapes have naturally frozen on the vine during the coldest temperatures and need to be picked by hand, ice wine harvesting makes winery tours popular in Niagara, even in the winter. As one of four VQA recognized viticultural areas within Ontario, Niagara is unique not only for housing a world wonder (the Falls) but is also home to many historic sites like the Brock Monument, the Laura Secord Monument at Queenston Heights and the region’s oldest township, Niagara-on-the-Lake which is proud home of the Shaw Festival Theatre.

There are over 65 vineyards throughout Niagara and the number continues to grow. In addition to taking tours at individual vineyards, many multi location tours are available and you can also find maps of driving routes for those who wish to experience the sites individually.

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There are many resources available for researching Niagara vineyards and setting up tours, some of the top informational resources include: the Niagara Wine Region Magazine, http://www.wnylife.com/niagarawineregion/, Tourism Niagara, http://www.tourismniagara.com/home.html, and the particularly famous Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake, http://www.wineriesofniagaraonthelake.com/.

Any time of year, the Niagara Wine Region is a highly recommended destination for wine lovers and outside of individual and group winery tours, there are several festivals including the Niagara New Vintage Festival, the Niagara Ice Wine Festival and the annual Grape & Wine event in downtown St. Catharines which support local wines and bring together the community and welcomed visitors. Festivals often have live

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entertainment and educational seminars on wine making and wine appreciation. Another benefit to the region’s wine festivals are the many culinary experiences offered which showcase Niagara’s fresh produce, including in season fruits and vegetables.

Overall Niagara sets a good example for buying local as it’s hard to go to the grocery store and justify buying tomatoes that say grown in the USA when you pass farm fields every day and see produce being grown in your own community. In Toronto the fields may not be right outside your front door but they are not far away so whether you are purchasing wine or fresh produce, think local and support the future of Niagara’s agricultural sustainability.

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REDTAIL VINEYARD THINKS GREEN Canada’s only ‘Off‘Off-Grid’ winery stays small but thinks of the bigger picture.

By: Anne Donafeld

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With beach gear in hand and thoughts of the white sands of Prince Edward County, relaxing on the shore was all we had planned for a summer's day, when some friends and I took a wrong turn or two and headed down leafy 'Partridge Hollow Road.' On this little mission we spied a number of cars turning into what turned out to be a new boutique winery which had opened only months before. While we hadn't the time to explore it that day but we had heard of the little winery and its unique commitment to 'green' principles, and thought it might deserve a little more investigation.

Redtail Vineyard, a retirement dream cherished by couple Pauline Joicey and Gilbert Provost, was named for a pair of majestic Red Tail hawks nesting near their home. The organic vineyard opened its doors to great public interest in May 2009 as Canada's only 'off grid' winery which is completely solar powered. They had summered for years in the Prince Edward County before finding their perfect piece of land in December of 2002. Located near the quaint town of Consecon, Ont., over the next few years their 11-acre 11 parcel of land saw the planting and tending of thousands of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris vines, and with only Pauline and Gilbert working in the vineyard, the hours were long and hard to say the least.

The work could possibly have been easier but for the fact that the couple's dedication to growing 'green' does not stop at solar power. They decided to use organic methods

of growing their grapes, which ruled out all the normal herbicides, fungicides and pesticides used by most other wineries.

Charmingly simple home-made soap and nettle tea serve as pesticides, while any gardener's back will ache in sympathy at the method of weeding the entire vineyard; by hand.

This is a time when being environmentally responsible seems as much a fad as a way of life. Driving a Prius or toting our metal water bottles have become token actions to ease our conscience rather than making a sincere effort to change the way we impact this planet. There are those out there, however, who truly believe that we should cause as little harm as we can to our home. The Redtail philosophy that guides their operation is one based on respect.

"Our approach in the vineyard is driven by our deep love and profound respects for Nature...our work ethics ensure that all activities in the vineyard aim at protecting all and every creatures of nature whether it is life underground or keeping birds and raccoons from damaging our crop."

It would be remiss however, not to mention that harnessing the power of the sun also has its economic benefits. The decision to go solar-powered came early on, upon a quote from Hydro One about the price of electricity for their winery.

"They wanted an arm and a leg!" exclaims Gilbert, "and when we looked into solar we

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found there wasn't much of a price difference between the two." And so it was easy to produce power in a way that fit both their budget and philosophy. "We love it, it's absolutely fantastic, and at the same time it saves dumping upwards of 55 kilos of pollutants into the environment every year."

Similarly, the pesticides and other chemicals that are normally required to run a vineyard can be pricey, and Joicey and Provost find that by putting in the manual labour instead, they're actually saving money. That said, they admit that a larger operation would require a considerable amount of labour power to do the same thing. The couple themselves will have to hire another staff member next summer to help out now that the winery itself is open.

They are content however, with keeping their operation small and personal. They trust that the hard work reflects itself in the premium quality of their product, and aching muscles or not it is worth their labour of love.

So pick up a bottle or two of their wellreviewed Redtail Pinot Gris or fine Pinot Noir, but don't expect to carry it out in a disposable bag or two. "We use no plastic," says Gilbert, who instead offers 6- bottle reusable cloth bags which can be used time and again, or paper bags for smaller orders.

The couple would love to have you stop by the winery in person for a tasting. You may not find them right away, though, with all the hard work to be done. Explains Gilbert, "when you come to visit, if we are not at the winery, we are working in the vineyard." With the charming Prince Edward County lack of pretension, he advises guests to just "honk your horn and we will join you right away."

For more information on the Redtail Vineyard you can visit their website at www.redtailvineyard.com

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