The Cellar Door: Issue 20: Oregon & Washington

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Cellar Door Wine a n d p o ss i b i l i t i e s b y Ba n v i l le & J o n e s W i n e Co.

A TASTING TOUR OF

OREGON & WASHINGTON

Issue 20 February 2015 – May 2015

Honest food created from the diversity of the lands and waters of our great country.

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contents Features

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25 Continental Divide: Wines and Vines of the Cascades Andrea Eby roadtrips through the vast expanse of Washington wine country (so you don't have to!).

38 Urban Wines and International Flair: An Interview with Dana Frank Dana Frank on Portland’s unique urban wine scene and the joy of Italian wine.

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42 Winter Comfort: In the Kitchen with your Favourite Sommeliers Mike Muirhead, Andrea Eby, and Jill Kwiatkoski share their favourite winter recipes, with wine pairings to warm the coldest winter nights.

48 Take your Palate to Portland Tracy McCourt leads an armchair tour of the best food and libations that Portland has to offer.

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Cover: Mt. Hood provides the stunning backdrop to Cascade Cliffs Vineyard & Winery in the Columbia River Gorge (Washington State Wine courtesy of AndrĂŠa Johnson Photography)

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contents Columns 10 A Message from Tina Jones 14 Ask a Sommelier 34 36

18 Banville & Jones and Company 20 Behind

the Label Cristom Vineyards

22 Gluggy Don't Judge a Book by its Cover

31 Gary’s Corner Creating an Identity

34 Chef Profile Eraj Jayawickreme, The Velvet Glove at The Fairmont

36 Trending An Era of Ethical Indulgence

52 Banville & Jones Wine & Food Events 54 Banville & Jones Wine Institute 56

56 Best Manitoba Sommelier 2015 58 Culinary Partners 59 Sidebar Let Me Find You a Deal

60 Shopping List 62 Top Picks

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Cellar Door Editorial Director Lisa Muirhead lisa@poisepublications.com Editorial Board Tina Jones, Andrea Eby, Sylvia Jansen, Gary Hewitt, Mike Muirhead

Graphic Design Ryan Germain | ryan.germain@gmail.com Advertising Sales Director Vanessa Shapiro vanessa@poisepublications.com

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Contributors Tina Jones, Todd Antonation, Pauline Boldt, Grant Clitsome, Jan de Vlaming, Andrea Eby, Anna Everett, Gary Hewitt, Jennifer Hiebert, Sylvia Jansen, Eraj Jayawickreme, Jill Kwiatkoski, Paul Martens, Ian McCausland, Tracy McCourt, Alyson Mitchosky, Andy Muirhead, Mike Muirhead, Maureen Stewart Published for Banville & Jones Wine Co.

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For advertising information, please contact vanessa@poisepublications.com

Banville & Jones Wine Co. is a fine wine boutique in Winnipeg, Manitoba that specializes in promoting wine education and lifestyle. Opened by sisters Tina Jones and Lia Banville in 1999, it is located in a three-storey Tuscaninspired facility that houses fine wine and accessories, an educational facility, and a private function room.

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Photo by Pauline Boldt

a message from tina jones TINA’S FAVES CRISTOM 2008 LOUISE PINOT NOIR An elegant and amazing Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, just the right wine for a perfect roast beef with mushrooms on the side!

CANOE RIDGE 2010 RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON From Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills in Walla Walla Valley, a Cabernet Sauvignon with lots of character and panache!

ANY PINOT GRIS From Oregon or Washington, alongside a fun salad with piquillo peppers. It sounds crazy, but it works!

Welcome to our armchair tasting tour of Washington and Oregon!

Our wine experts have travelled, tasted, and talked to winemakers.

Together they have brought back enough wisdom on the Pacific Northwest to make us fall in love with yet another part of the wine world!

So huge is California’s influence in American wines that we sometimes forget that Washington and Oregon are the second and third largest producers in the United States. But to open a bottle of powerful Washington Cabernet Sauvignon, or a beautiful Oregon Pinot Noir, is enough to remind me that these are very, very different places from their giant neighbour to the south! These two states have great wines, great wine culture, and a lot to offer.

So enjoy yet another tour, organized by the experts at Banville & Jones. Tracy McCourt talks to Dana Frank, a Sommelier and winemaker who is changing the game in Oregon; Andrea Eby takes us on an amazing adventure into Washington State’s wines; and Gary Hewitt explores what it takes to put your wine region on the map.

And speaking of putting us on the map, Sylvia continues to add to our team’s incredible education achievements and takes the world by storm with her special scholarship from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) diploma program. See page 57 for our story on Sylvia being among the best in the world!

Enjoy!

Tina Jones

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ask a sommelier Does sweet vermouth go off the same as dry? Also, how long can I keep my dry vermouth (refrigerated)?

—Jeff Parker Dear Jeff, The short answer to your first question is yes: the sweetening of some vermouths does not really protect its distinct aromas. On your second question, it is best to treat any open vermouth like you would a good bottle of unfinished wine: use a gasblanket preserving system (such as Private Preserve) or a vacuum pump (not as effective); refrigerate it (not in the door where it sloshes back and forth); and finish it promptly. The natural botanicals in vermouth will lose their aromatic qualities over time.

Vermouth is fortified to about 15% to 20% alcohol, lending a bit more stability than regular table wine, but not much. Even a week will show oxidation and wear on the best aromas and flavours of your (dry) vermouth, and after a month these fall away significantly. An alternate solution is to purchase vermouth in smaller bottles and/or transfer unused vermouth to smaller bottles, reducing the amount of air contact. You could try the wonderful innocent bystander’s Causes & Cures ($26.99), a small-format (500 ml) semidry white vermouth from Australia.

Banville & Jones Wine Co. also carries a few other artisanal vermouths in the regular (750 ml) bottle size.

—Sylvia Jansen As a new collector of wine, how do I know which ones to drink soon and which ones to save?

—Amy Cross Mattei Dear Amy, Wines are built of the components sugar, alcohol, acid, fruit extract, and, for red wines, tannin. Generally, each component helps preserve a wine, and when the components are in balance,

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a wine may develop attractive mature character with bottle age. Surprisingly, few wines meet the standard for longterm evolution: most light white wines are best within 12–18 months and light reds perhaps up to two years.

Many medium-bodied wines mature positively for 2–6 years, and a small number—mostly full-bodied, high acid, or tannic wines—age longer.

Such wines are often attached to higher price tags.

information on the producers, wines, and recommended cellaring times. For more information about the Cellar Starter Program, see page 61.

—Gary Hewitt On behalf of the bar I work at, what is the best boxed wine out there?

—Brad Cartman Dear Brad, Great question! Large formats are a great option to have on hand in a bar; the technology behind them means that wine stays fresh longer and can be economically incorporated into the latest trendy cocktail. As for which brand offers the best product, that’s a tricky question. The best boxed wine is the one that delivers the best taste for the price your customers are willing to pay!

Even if a wine seems appropriately structured, often the best indicator that a wine will age well is the track record of past vintages. Personal taste is equally important—make sure that you like the taste of mature wines before investing big bucks! An easy way to start to build your cellar with wines intended to mature over the midterm (2–6 years) is to join the Banville & Jones Cellar Starter subscription program. Our Sommeliers and buyers do the homework, and subscribers receive a case every few months.

Each crate comes packed with

For basic by-the-glass pours, a smooth, fruity red and crisp, refreshing white wine should do the trick. Some of the most popular grape varieties tend to be Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay for whites and Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Shiraz for reds. As for specific brands, some of my favourites are the boxed wines from De Bortoli Pinot Grigio and Shiraz ($24.99/2 litre) and Vernissage Syrah/ Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay/ Viognier ($32.99/1.5 litre). There are cheaper options out there; however, if premium wine-based cocktails are on your menu, then spending a little more on a great quality boxed wine is a must!

—Andrea Eby

IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR OUR SOMMELIERS, EMAIL US AT WINE@BANVILLEANDJONES.COM, OR FIND US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER @BANVILLEJONES

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Friends of Banville & Jones: 1. John D'Anna, Director of Sales and Marketing for Cristom Vineyards, Oregon; 2. Sam Lingenfelder and friend Bianca help out at harvest time at Lingenfelder Wines, Germany; 3. Winemaker Steve Doerner at Cristom Vineyards, Oregon; 4. Jill Kwiatkoski and Andrea Eby with Aldo Steccanella of Ca Maiol/Provenza Wines; 5. Micheal Brown of Sokol Blosser at the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting (Feast Portland); 6. The Union Wine Co at the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting event at Feast Portland.

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11 11. Congratulations!

Bomber alumnus Nick Miller presented Jackie Stephen with the 2014 IBAM Community Hero Award in recognition of her dedication to volunteer work in Manitoba.

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7. Tina Jones with Rick and Bronnie Burge of Burge Family Winemakers in Australia; 8. Winemaker Alberto Eckholt of Montes Wines with Melanie Eldridge of Trialto at a Canadian Association of Professional Sommelier (CAPS) event; 9. Andrea Eby with her fellow WSET grads at Hedonism Wine, London; 10. Gaudenzio Bonato, Jill Kwiatkoski, Samia Torcivia, and Federico Bonato in Italy.

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behind the label: cristom vineyards

By Mike Muirhead, Sommelier (ISG, CMS)

Cristom 2012 Marjorie Pinot Noir $83.99

Cristom 2012 Louise Pinot Noir $69.99

Oregon is a place of unexpected surprises. The first place I went on my tour of Oregon vineyards was, unexpectedly, an aviation museum. I found it odd that they would take a bunch of wine nerds to a museum, but I was surprised and delighted when I walked in and saw Howard Hughes’s Spruce Goose on full display. It was such an odd place for this giant piece of history that I remember thinking: why on earth would anyone put that here?

I found my surprise and delight of coming upon the Spruce Goose mirrored time and again as I explored the wines of the Willamette Valley. One of the highlights was a walk through the vineyards of Cristom, a vineyard whose success pivots on the contributions of three key families.

Nestled in the rolling hills of the Eola-Amity Hills subregion of the Willamette Valley and named after owner Paul Gerrie’s children (Christine and Tom), Cristom creates some of the most consistent and elegant wines to come out of the region. Winemaker Steve Doerner and vineyard manager Mark Feltz round out the families that put heart and soul into running Cristom.

We started our walking tour of Cristom among the Pinot Noir vines of the Marjorie vineyard. Our final destination was lunch in the Eileen vineyard, and host John D’Anna was full of history and information about each of the vineyards

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Cristom 2011 Mt Jefferson Cuvée Pinot Noir $42.99

Cristom 2013 Estate Viognier $42.99

we walked through en route. Cristom’s workhorse is their Mount Jefferson Cuvée, a Pinot Noir from their estate fruit as well as selected Willamette sources. Their single vineyards tell the family history: Marjorie, Eileen, Louise, Jesse, Emilia, and Germaine all get their names from matriarchs of the Cristom families, and each has distinct characteristics that makes them unique. They range in soil types, altitude, exposure, and different Pinot Noir clones, which give winemaker Steve Doerner the opportunity to let each terroir shine.

Sommelier Tracy McCourt visited Cristom recently and had a chance to sit down with Steve and his vineyard team as they pulled in harvest. Her biggest take away was the sense of family that surrounded the winery. “It was like walking into the home of someone that just happens to produce highquality wine—everyone was laid back and relaxed, but the standard was always for the highest quality winemaking.”

Tracy had a chance to do a back vintage tasting againstsome of Cristom’s counterparts: “The 1996 Willamette Valley Reserve was lively and fresh and stole the show.”

The diversity of Cristom’s wines is representative of the range you will encounter when you dive into the region’s offerings. While Oregon may not be the first region that springs to mind when you think of American wines, it is worth exploring precisely for these unexpected finds. 

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gluggy

By Jill Kwiatkoski, Sommelier (CAPS)

Don't Judge a Book by its Cover We are taught not to judge things at first glance. But... we all do it. It is human nature to take note when we see something strange, questionable, or quirky. The wine industry is certainly full of judgement: a famous wine critic posting one little score can make or break a wine’s status.

But every now and again, we should let our wine snobbery guard down and just have fun with it! After all, wine is made by millions of hard working folks who, in the end, just want you to enjoy their product and carpe diem.

Fun marketing and not-so-serious wine packaging continue to evolve as interest and sales grow in our market. From hilarious labels that make you laugh out loud to names featuring racy double entendres to clever and practical packaging—the wine world knows how to have fun.

If you have perused our Australian section at Banville & Jones, you will quickly find the brilliantly marketed saucy retro packaging from the creative crew at Some Young Punks winery. With names like Quickie, Naked on Roller Skates and Passion Has Red Lips and the funky pulp art labels, these bottles will grab your attention, make you look twice, and tempt you to pick up a bottle for a fun gift or to bring to a party. The wines are well made, clean and crisp, juicy and jammy—everything you want in a fun Aussie wine.

Don’t think for a moment that posh Champagne and sparkling wines aren’t riding this marketing train— they have been for quite some time. European sparkling wines from Champagne to Prosecco are taking a page from the fun branding trend with coloured sparkling wine bottles.

We have recently stocked the latest pure white bottle of Cava from Anna de Codorníu ($18.99) at Banville &

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Jones. A stand out on the shelf, this Spanish sparkling wine is turning heads. On a smaller scale, the creative 200 ml bottle of Prosecco from Il Mionetto is a great choice for those occasions when you want just one glass of bubbly to start the night. This itty bitty gem is not only fun, it is enjoyable and practical too! Why uncork a whole bottle of bubbles when you feel like only a glass?

Growing in popularity (and creativity) are the bag-in box wines. Vernissage (1.5L) is a funky bag-in-box housed in a cardboard designer purse. This award-winning design and playful creation is from a Swedish design team that collaborated with a high-quality wine producer from the south of France to produce a modern and elegant take on boxed wine.

A Spanish producer that is creatively offering us something for every season is Sanviver and their incredible summer and winter Lolailo sangrias. Whether it is a hot mosquitoslapping Manitoba summer day or a freeze-your-tush-off -30°C night, Sanviver sangria has got us covered! The summer sangria comes in a smart, colourful 3-litre box that is recyclable and the collapsible bag squishes down to almost nothing. The closure keeps the sangria fresh in the fridge for weeks after it has been opened. The winter sangria is a comforting mulled-wine-style sangria to sip by the fireplace that also comes in a larger format—the 1.5L bottle.

Whether you are on the hunt for something funny and eye-catching or something unique and volume conscious, go ahead and have some fun with your selection. Wine producers have responded to the playfulness of customers by offering creative and fun packaging that reflects some really great products. 

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HAS GONE MOBILE! Using the Banville & Jones mobile app, you can: • Search the complete Banville & Jones inventory of wines • Track your purchases • Bookmark wines • Keep your wine notes and ratings at your fingertips • Order wine online for delivery—for yourself or as a gift • See other wine ratings and notes in the Banville & Jones wine community • Scan any wine bar code in the store (or in the restaurants of our culinary partners) to see product information and ratings

The best selection of wine in Manitoba, right at your fingertips.

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When Winnipeggers Paul and Shirley Martens headed to South Africa in 1996, they thought they were going for a holiday. They returned with a love of the South African people, culture, and their imminently drinkable wines! They formed Blend Imports and return each year to explore South Africa’s boutique and family-focused wineries, bringing the most interesting and affordable wines back to Manitoba to share with you.

This collection shows the diversity of South African wines: from Adi Badenhorst’s very affordable and wellbalanced Curator blends to three rare gems by Crystallum and Alheit Vineyards, available exclusively in Canada at Banville & Jones Wine Co. Pour unto others as you would have them pour unto you.

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 Crystallum Paradisum ($64.99)

 Alheit Vineyards Cartology ($43.99) A complex and powerful white, this blend displays ripe stone fruits, quince, limey citrus and honey and ends with a persistent finish.

The very intense bouquet shows plush black cherries, boysenberry and the palate is full-bodied with very ripe black cherry and cassis fruit on the entry and an undertow of menthol.

 Crystallum Clay Shales Chardonnay ($41.99)  A.A. Badenhorst Family Wines The Curator Red ($15.99)

A.A. Badenhorst Family Wines The Curator White ($15.99) This Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, and Semillon blend offers aromas of lemon candy, stone fruits and flowers lifted by exotic notes of honey, licorice and resin.

This well-balanced blend of Shiraz, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, and Viognier presents blackberries and violets on the nose with red berries, plum jam, thyme and sage on the palate.

This elegant Chardonnay shows notes of pear, white peach and butterscotch— and bears an impossibly long finish!

Sunset at the Canyon Ranch Vineyard, Yakima Valley AVA Washington (Washington State Wine courtesy of Andréa Johnson Photography)

continental divide:

wines and vines of the cascades

By Andrea Eby, Sommelier (ISG), CSW It began with a conversation. A family vacation to Vancouver; we would see the sights and spend a few days in the Okanagan on the way home. So far, so good. Then the negotiations began.

Me: “You know, I’ve been thinking, we’ve never driven to Vancouver through the States, what if we went that way?”

Husband: “I’ve always wanted to check out Glacier National Park. Let’s do it!”

Me: “Seems a shame to be that close to Walla Walla and not check it out.”

Husband: “What the hell is a Walla Walla?”

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Many conversations later I had convinced him that visiting Washington’s vineyards was essential to my career. Let me begin by saying: “objects on the map are farther than they appear.” Nothing could prepare me for the 500-mile journey from Glacier National Park to Walla Walla, Washington. Enormous stretches of deserted highway and hour upon hour of hairpin turns, all through virtual oceans of wheat and “Scablands” (the fitting name for the geological landscape created by the ancient Missoula floods). Never have I been anywhere so brown, so barren, yet so beautiful. After 16 hours of driving and one episode of projectile cherry vomiting (by my youngest son), we finally arrived in the quaint college town of Walla Walla, as famous for its onions as it is for its wines.

Why would I subject myself to this special form of torture? It was, and still is, my belief that to truly understand a wine region you need to experience it; you need to feel the dirt, see the slopes, taste the grapes, and, most importantly, talk to the people.

Washington’s wine industry is like no other. Specializing in Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Washington’s premium red wines tend to display massive concentrations of fruit, refreshing levels of acidity and firm, ripe tannins. Many white grapes are also grown, with Chardonnay and Riesling leading in terms of acreage. Washington State’s viticultural industry is still young, and experimentation with different grapes and wine styles is common.

Syrah is showing great potential and promises to be a wine to watch.

Many experts feel that it is the deep, well-drained, yet low-nutrient soils (a result of the repeated flooding of the area over 10,000 years ago) that plays a significant role in the superb quality of many of the wines. Those soils, coupled with the Club-Med like sunshine, low rainfall, and large diurnal temperature swings, make for almost perfect viticultural conditions.

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The Willamette Valley in Oregon (photo by Tracy McCourt)

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN: OREGON Across the state line (for all intents and purposes, the Columbia River), in Oregon things couldn’t be more distinctive. Oregon’s vineyards are planted on slopes, high above the Missoula flood soils; the volcanic-based soils differ substantially from those of flatter Washington State sites.

The climate (cloudy days, sometimes insufficient heat units in summer, and unpredictable rains) can lead to greater vintage variation than that seen in Washington State. Akin to Burgundy in both grape varieties and scale of production, Oregon remains dominated by small, artisan producers, and most wines are produced from estate fruit.

Willamette Valley, Oregon’s most famous wine region, is mere miles from the Pacific Ocean and is characterized by long, rainy seasons followed by warm, dry summers. Green, lush, and situated at the same latitude as Burgundy, France, Oregon has built its reputation on Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay (although pockets of experimentation continue). Pinot Noir from the Willamette has effectively put Oregon on the world wine map. A spectacular combination of cranberries, earth and bergamot, Willamette Pinot is often said to combine the best characteristics of Burgundian and Californian Pinot Noirs.

With Portland only minutes away from Oregon’s finest vineyards, the city has quickly developed a thriving urban wine scene and culture. If you are lucky enough to find yourself in Portland with time to spare, take a trip to the Willamette Valley and be sure to stop at iconic Willamette institutions Cristom, Archery Summit, Argyle, and Domaine Drouhin. By no means is the Willamette all there is to Oregon wine, however; if time allows, make sure to explore the Umpqua, Rogue, and Columbia Valleys. Each is unique, with unrivalled scenery.

Willamette Valley's Pinot Noir put Oregon on the world wine map.

The majority of the grapes used in the production of Washington wine are grown east of the Cascade Mountains, in large irrigated oases that dot the banks of the Columbia River, with grapes trucked to wineries near Seattle for vinification. The powers that be are smart enough to realize that they need to bring the wine to the people, not the people to the wine. As a result, American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) such as Walla Walla, Waluka, Yakima, and Horse Heaven Hills may mean a great deal to wine geeks, but Seattle rings more bells with the average consumer.

Crossing over the Cascade Range from Eastern Washington to the Pacific side, it is evident just how big a role the mountains play. Dry and desolate in the east, vineyards are reliant on the massive Columbia River for their irrigated salvation; west of the Cascades, precipitation is plentiful. At the higher latitudes, around Seattle, the combination of endless rain and cloudy skies means that grapes fail to ripen and fall prey to fungus and rot; thus vineyards here are few and far between.

The American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) of Washington State's wine country (Washington State Wine courtesy of AndrĂŠa Johnson Photography)

Mt Adams looms behind the rural Washington landscape (photo by Pix by Marti)

A great way to learn about Washington State wine, without the epic drive, is to take a leisurely flight to Seattle, rent a car, and spend a couple days tasting your way through the cellar doors of nearby Woodinville, where many wineries have their shrewdly located tasting rooms. Be sure to visit Chateau Ste. Michelle, a beautiful Washington State institution that offers fantastic tastings and a fabulous summer concert series.

If you do choose to venture into the wild, wild east, stop in at Col Solare, where Italy’s famed Piero Antinori crafts Italian-inspired reds in Washington’s Red Mountain AVA. If you are enjoying the drive and can continue on, make your way to Walla Walla where you can visit L’Ecole No 41. Situated in a 1915 schoolhouse, wine pupils can spend their school time tasting awardwinning, Bordeaux-inspired reds and one of the best Semillons in North America.

In case you are curious, our epic family vacation did not end in divorce. However, my exploration of the Okanagan was cut short by a case of the chicken pox. Part-time Sommelier, full-time mom—just the way I like it. 

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THE BEST OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST Washington

Oregon

Columbia Crest 2010 Two Vines Merlot Columbia Valley ($15.99)

Union Wine Co. 2013 Underwood Pinot Noir Oregon ($18.99)

Chateau Ste. Michelle 2011 Gewürztraminer Columbia Valley ($16.99)

Cristom 2012 Pinot Gris Willamette Valley ($24.99)

Charles Smith 2011 Vino Pinot Grigio Washington State ($19.99) Canoe Ridge Vineyard 2010 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills ($35.99) Spring Valley Vineyard 2008 Uriah Walla Walla Valley ($72.99)

Mouton Noir 2012 Love Drunk Rose, Oregon ($24.99) Argyle 2012 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley ($37.99) Domaine Serene 2011 Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir Willamette Valley ($119.99)

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gary’s corner Photo by Paul Martens

By Gary Hewitt, MSc, CWE, SGD, AIWS

CREATING AN IDENTITY Think of Napa Valley.

Does “Napa” evoke an image of rich, intense, lavishly oaked red wine?

Perhaps it evokes visions of a land of vineyards, welcoming cellar doors, restaurants, delicatessens, healthful living, and justifiable indulgence.

Perhaps “Napa” evokes a vision of a desirable lifestyle.

Now, think of Chianti. Now, think of Champagne. Are you ready to pack your bags?

These names are intimately associated with great wines. But my guess is that you also thought of Tuscan sunshine, historical cities, and great Italian food; for Champagne, festivity and celebration likely sprang to mind. Such wine region names, so full of nuance, are much more than geographical appellations used to inform wine cognoscenti; they are successful marketing brands.

Clearly, such brands encompass a great deal more than the liquid in the bottles. In fact, wine style can change significantly without affecting a brand’s reputation. Bordeaux, a modern icon of full-body, oak-aged reds, used to make pale pink, light clairet—and Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot were grapes of little consequence. Certainly, Bordeaux built a reputation based on the quality of its wine, but even as styles changed, simply putting “Bordeaux” on a wine label continued to “justify” a higher retail price! Wine producers are acutely aware of the economic benefit of branding and scramble to put the most prestigious wine region names on their labels.

Now, imagine that you make wine in a new and remote inland region far from the populated coast. Your arid region lies in the rain shadow of the Rocky Mountains and is better known for wheat fields, wilderness adventure, and glacier-scoured landscapes. You proudly release your wine under the appellate Washington State, Columbia Valley, or Yakima Valley…to the clapping of one hand. Ouch.

Until recently, and despite success in local markets, such was the response to Washington State wines in markets further afield. Public perceptions that Washington’s climate was too cold for fine wine, especially fine red wine, held Washington wines back. However, today Washington wavers on the tipping point of creating a successful regional identity. Putting the pieces in place à la Bordeaux or Napa Valley brought them to this point.

First, the quality of the wines was established. Thirty years ago, a handful of pioneering producers created truly excellent wines from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, and Semillon. The wines achieved critical acclaim, brought Washington wines to consumers’ attention, and created a few star producers. Even though the fledgling industry was small and distribution was limited, this early work associated specific grape varieties with Washington State, a second important element in the creation of a regional identity.

Next, producers banded together to “brand” their wines as American Viticultural Areas (AVAs, the U.S. designation for defined wine regions), and the number of Washington AVAs skyrocketed from zero in 1982 to thirteen in 2014. Now Washington wines carry colourful, evocative local names such as Horse Heaven Hills, Rattlesnake Hills, and Wahluke Slope.

As AVAs were created, regional styles emerged, including a Bordeauxesque

red wine style and a gutsy, intense style of Syrah regionally distinct from wines from the Rhône or California.

Yet, even with these pieces in place, the creation of a regional identity depends on effective marketing. To this end, the industry-wide trade organization Washington State Wine promotes industry leaders such as Chateau Ste. Michelle Estates, boutique producers, pioneers, and heroes; education; wine tourism; and regional cuisine. All of this, and more, is necessary. Wineries must send their wines into the cold, cruel world of wine competitions, trade shows, and critical review. People who influence taste trends in specific markets, such as critics, restaurateurs, and Sommeliers, must be visited or invited to visit.

Today, Washington ranks second nationally in the U.S. for premium wine production, with over 40 per cent of vineyards less than 10 years old, and a new winery opening every 15 days!

Optimism runs high. However, no Washington region is yet a “Napa.”

The remoteness of many AVAs remains a significant hurdle, although creative minds may turn “remoteness” into an advantage.

Locally, in Manitoba, new direct shipping opportunities have lowered a barrier to distribution of Washington wines. Who knows? Someday soon, you may imagine lovely images evoked by the mention of Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley, or the lilting Walla Walla Valley. 

WINES OF WASHINGTON Beautiful established wines:

Washington wines to watch for:

Joel Gott 2012 Riesling Columbia Valley ($26.99)

Syncline 2009 Subduction White Columbia Valley ($31.99)

Canoe Ridge 2011 Reserve Merlot Horse Heaven Hills ($41.99)

L'Ecole No. 41 2011 Syrah Columbia Valley ($67.99)

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chef profile

Eraj Jayawickreme, The Velvet Glove at The Fairmont Photos by Ian McCausland By age 13, Eraj Jayawickreme had decided he wanted to become a chef. He started his career in earnest at the age of 15 at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto, and his longevity speaks to his curiosity and thirst for new challenges. As executive chef at The Velvet Glove at The Fairmont, Chef Jayawickreme brings energy infused with hard work, experimentation, and creativity to the kitchen. He is a strong proponent of local producers and avidly supports the growing community of artisanal producers in the province.

Your favourite current food trend: An emerging trend that I am interested in and am experimenting with is neurogastronomy. This is the emerging science of manipulating your perception of how the brain creates flavours. It is done by using sounds, aromas, and visual cues to trick the brain into thinking you are tasting a flavour that is not present in a dish. For example, Diageo discovered having real grass and bird sounds around you caused the brain to pick up more grassy overtones in your single-malt whiskey. We are playing with bringing nature into the plating presentation to evoke a feeling of the outdoors while you are eating. Just like the Snail Garden on the current menu.

The secret ingredient in your fridge: Well if I told you that it wouldn’t be a secret anymore…

If you weren’t a chef: I would definitely be a photojournalist explorer for National Geographic. Travel, nature, and photography are things I love, but was never truly able to do too much as I focused all my time on culinary arts.

Favourite current dish on The Velvet Glove menu: I’m really enjoying bison, and I love that we have been able to introduce it onto the Velvet Glove menu. We serve our hand-cut bison carpaccio with horseradish charcoal oil, hay mayonnaise, pearl onions, caper berry and crisp artichokes, and bread rusks. Including local game and meats on the menu gives it an authentically local feel, which I believe is important.

Favourite wine: I had the honour of receiving a case of Opus One 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Blend. It was a beautiful wine, one that I know I will not be able to try again in my lifetime. It took my breath away! Simply delicious! When I need an Opus One fix, I turn to the award-winning wine list at the Velvet Glove, which serves the 2009 vintage of the Opus One.

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Favourite food travel destination: Toronto. There are many region-specific restaurants that are fabulous, be it a great Ethiopian or Tibetan. There truly is a spot to meet your craving and they are open late into the morning, so I am able to go after dinner service. That said, I think there is an exciting food movement in Winnipeg, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the Velvet Glove evolves over the next few years with this movement.

What Chef E brings to The Velvet Glove kitchen: The one thing I feel I have brought to the Velvet Glove is a focus on some of the great ideas that are taking place in some of the greatest kitchens around the world. Be it techniques, or working with farmers to grow regionspecific produce, or just focusing on ways of cooking food that have been forgotten over the years, like fermenting.

My focus is to make great food with a touch of whimsy and add a modern twist to some of the classics (like Chicken Wellington). The Velvet Glove is one of Winnipeg’s most celebrated dining destinations, and I am looking forward to bringing it back into the spotlight it deserves. 

BRAISED VEAL BREAST 2 lb veal breast 1 onion, peeled and

rough cut 1 carrot, peeled and

rough cut 2 stalks celery, rough cut 1 bulb garlic, peeled and crushed 1 cup mushrooms,

quartered 2 cups red wine 8 cups veal stock 2 tbsp white peppercorns 1 bunch fresh rosemary 3 bay leaves 2 roma tomatoes, seeded

and rough cut

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350º F. 2. Season the veal with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Heat the oil in a heavybottom pot over medium-high heat and brown the veal on all sides for 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Remove the veal and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, while stirring occasionally, the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, peppercorns, and mushrooms until they begin to slightly caramelize, about 15–20 minutes.

4. Deglaze the pot with the wine and add the rosemary, bay leaves, and tomatoes.

5. Add the veal back to the pot and add just enough veal stock to cover the meat. Let the liquid come to a simmer, cover and transfer to the oven. Let braise for 3–4 hours, turning and skimming the excess fat that collects on top of the liquid, until the meat is very tender.

6. Remove the veal from the stock and set aside to cool.

7. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve and return to another heavy-bottom pot.

Reduce by half and set aside until needed.

8. Shred the veal by hand. Re-heat with a bit of stock when plating.

PARSNIP MASH 6 medium sized parsnips,

peeled and sliced in ½” rounds 2 parts homogenized milk 1 part water 1/2 bunch thyme 2 bay leaves

1. Place the parsnips in a heavy-bottom pot. Cover with the water and milk. Add the bay leaves and thyme, bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a medium heat; cook until the parsnips are tender.

2. Remove the bay leaves and thyme; strain the parsnips, reserving the liquid.

3. Place the parsnips in a food processor, adding a bit of the liquid until smooth.

4. Pass the purée through a fine strainer and set aside.

5. To reheat add a bit of butter, salt and white pepper.

GLAZED VEGETABLES 2 cups trimmed root vegetables,

carrots, celeriac and turnip 1/2 cup baby leeks 1/2 cup pearl onions 1 tbsp unsalted butter 1 tsp sugar 2 sprigs thyme 1 bay leaf 1 tsp white wine vinegar 1 tbsp tarragon, minced 1 tbsp chives, minced

1. Blanch each type of vegetable in a separate pot until they are “al dente.” They should still have a bit of a crunch to them. Refresh in ice water directly after blanching them and set aside.

2. To re-heat, combine all of the vegetables (except for the leeks) in a sauce pan with 2 oz of water, thyme, butter, sugar, bay leaf, and white wine vinegar.

3. Toss the vegetables together for 1–2 minutes over low heat, add the leeks, and sprinkle with chives, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Remove the thyme sprigs and plate.

www.banvilleandjones.com 35

trending

By Sylvia Jansen, Sommelier (ISG, CMS), CSW, AIWS

An Era of Ethical Indulgence When the Canadian Museum for Human Rights opened its doors to visitors, it ushered in a new era.

The museum is dedicated to the evolution, celebration, and future of human rights. It is about learning and discovery, engagement and inspiration. The building itself stands on historic grounds, anchored by prairie grasses and reaching to the sky with a glass cloud.

Tucked inside this architecture is a restaurant with a similar heightened awareness. Era Bistro offers a dining experience that sources food locally or through Canadian partnerships wherever possible. The wine list matches the food and reflects the values of the museum.

In wine production, there are many ways of expressing the concepts of fairness, decency, openness and care for the planet and its people.

In some cases, governments or nongovernmental agencies oversee and certify these efforts. In other cases, the initiatives come from the industry, where members hold themselves to a high standard and have their own audit system. In still other examples, the high standards arise from traditions that are less formal, but depend upon an open, transparent relationship between small family wine producers and the retailers who deal with them directly. Some of these initiatives and traditions are reflected in the wine list of Era Bistro, and the restaurant provides a key to its wines (see sidebar).

Wines from producers that hold to these standards are not necessarily the cheapest to produce. To use organic or biodynamic methods is often

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more labour intensive. Additional costs are incurred for wineries to pay workers fairly and offer benefits (in some jurisdictions the concepts of minimum wage or minimum labour standards are poorly articulated or poorly monitored). In almost every case there are fees levied by certification bodies or industry associations that oversee these standards. But where vineyards have been well tended, and where producers and employees have made a good living, the wine they produce shows that extra care. It turns out that enjoying sustainability is not just good for the planet or for the conscience: it’s downright delicious. 

Era Bistro at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights (design/photography by Number Ten Architectural Group)

Era Bistro’s wine list reflects a broad concept of sustainability. These wines are produced through farming and winemaking practices that honour various principles that are sensitive to the physical environment and long-term health of the planet; socially sustainable by being responsible to workers and society at large; and feasible to maintain economically.

(FT) = Fair Trade: International certification for trade that sustains the producer, his or her community, and the relationship with the buyer.

(WIETA) = Wine Industry Ethical Trading Association (South Africa): Voluntary association that holds members to specific principles of fair treatment and rights for workers.

(BEE) = Black Economic Empowerment: Initiative launched by South African government to encourage participation in the economy of previously marginalized groups.

(IPW) = Integrated Production of Wine: A voluntary (industry initiative) sustainability approach of conserving natural resources and the environment; assuring the well-being and health of people; and encouraging sustainable agriculture in the future.

(B) = Biodynamic Winemaking Practices: An environmental approach that nurtures the natural health of vineyards, and seeks balance with people and the planet in the long run.

(S) = Sustainable Winemaking Practices: An approach aiming for the long-term viability of land; for many producers it also includes viability, fairness, and openness with people as well as cultivation in harmony with the environment.

(CN) = Carbon Neutral: Aims to neutralize carbon emissions through practices that include tree planting; protecting wetlands and bird sanctuaries; and reducing the weight of shipping (incl. glass bottle weight).

(LR) = Lodi Rules: 3rd party-certified (California). Standards include wide-ranging principles of business, ecosystem, and human rights. Farming practices support biodiversity, water and air quality, soil health, and employee and community well-being.

(A) = Aboriginal Owned (Canada): Owned, managed, and operated by First Nations peoples; an approach supporting the economic empowerment of a group historically marginalized.

Tolaini is on a tear, making some of the best wines representing the warmer Castelnuovo Berardenga subzone of Chianti Classico.

—Monica Larner, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Chianti Classico was named one of the top three Chianti Classico Riservas by Decanter magazine.

Al Passo 2009 was awarded 93+ points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.

The wines of Tolaini Estates are available exclusively at Banville & Jones Wine Co.

Winnipegger Pierluigi Tolaini returned to Tuscany to fulfill his dream of buying a parcel of land and making the finest Italian wine in the world. In 2013, the team at Tolaini Estates started the three-year organic vineyard certification process, and they are now working the entire estate 100% organically.

Valdisanti 2009 was awarded 94 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.

The 2009 and 2010 vintages of Picconero were awarded tre bicchieri by Gambero Rosso.

Banvilleandjones.com | 204.948.9463 wine@banvilleandjones.com

Urban Wines and International Flair:

an interview with Dana Frank Interview by Tracy McCourt, Sommelier (CAPS) When we think of wineries, we most often picture them in rural settings—but the landscape is changing.

Urban wineries are facilities offering winemakers the opportunity to bring grapes in from nearby wine country and produce wine within the city limits. Affordable, experimental, accessible—winemakers in Portland have embraced the urban winery model and are proving that great wine can be made in their own backyard.

Sommelier Dana Frank is the wine director at Ava Gene’s restaurant in Portland, where she is oversees an extensive all-Italian wine list. She and husband Scott Frank are also busy Oregon winemakers who champion the urban wineries in the city and make wine for their label—Bow & Arrow—within Portland’s city limits.

Tracy McCourt (TM) How new is the urban winemaking scene in Portland?

Dana Frank (DF) The ladies who kick started it have a winery called Hip Chicks Do Wine. They have been at it for more than 10 years. Then Enso came along, Seven Bridges, and a few more. There was no big promotion like “We make wine in the city!”—it was more like “that’s just where we make wine.” When Enso and the SE [South East] Wine Collective opened, there was a realization that people were making wine in the city.

They have a tasting bar, they have music, there is real food and the SE Wine Collective does gobs of events.

They are tapping into what makes Portlanders tick.

In the summer, they are like, “We want you to come drink wine and hang out in our tasting room. Bring your dog!”

TM You and Scott are very involved in the urban winery scene, and Bow & Arrow is one of the most recognizable urban winery labels coming out of Portland. Why do you think this trend is gaining traction in Portland?

DF I think that the urban wine scene is a really interesting movement, and I think that more people are going to jump into it. For me, a winery in the city is lasting because there is a segment of the population that—even though wine country is only 45 minutes away—don’t want to drive down there to drink wine and then drive back. It’s a commitment of a day. If you’re in town and you think, “Oh, I just want to see what is going on at the SE Wine Collective,” you can go there for a couple of hours, and in ten minutes, you’re home.

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Dana Frank at Ava Gene's in Portland, OR (photo by Tracy McCourt)

TM Is the concept of the urban winery only happening in Portland, or is it happening in other U.S. cities?

DF I think it’s mainly Portland. There are a couple of city wineries in New York and in Santa Rosa in the Bay area, but I feel that maybe Portland is where it’s really going to erupt. There are 11 or 12 of us that are a part of the Portland Urban Winery Association.

There are a number of other smaller associate members that make their wine here, but they are just starting.

Cooper’s Hall is a restaurant with a full-on wine production facility. They are only serving keg wine on tap. Joel Gunderson, who is one of the partners and the wine director, is kind of revolutionizing this idea of kegging wines. Not only are they working with their partner winery and kegging all of their wine to serve, they are also sourcing bulk juice from California and Washington and kegging that. He is working really hard on a program to sell kegged wine to other restaurants. That’s the newest production facility in Portland, and they just have one small winery working with them in that space this year.

TM Is the urban winery scene born out of the restaurant industry here, or is it a patchwork of people all coming from different places or backgrounds?

DF In Portland, the restaurant and wine industries are very intertwined. It’s interesting because so many

people in the wine business here kind of fell into wine accidentally—not necessarily on the restaurant side, but on the production side. It’s not like Europe where people are raised growing grapes and making wine, and then they go to oenology school, and then take over for their dad or their grandfather. For example, my husband studied experimental theatre, and now he owns a winery and is a winemaker. It’s sort of like this “oops” thing. He needed a job; he got a job selling wine in a local grocery store. One thing led to the next, and he worked harvest for a couple of vintages at someone’s winery. They asked him to be their assistant winemaker, and he thought “Okay, I kind of like this…” So many people here have fallen into the wine industry that way.

The Eastside came out of this rustic DIY atmosphere, and now all of the gentrification is happening there. The west side of the river has always been a little bit more polished, planned, and meticulous. It’s beautiful and it’s such a cool part of the city, but it has such a different feel than this sort of urban funk you get on the Eastside.

TM A lot of the urban wineries are on the Eastside of Portland, which seems like a more residential area rather than a place where one would make wine. Is there a reason for that?

DF Quite a bit. Anne Hubtach, who has Helioterra wines with the SE Wine Collective, has a really great presence in the city. Division Winemaking Co has a great presence.

Our wine, Bow & Arrow, has been received really well.

2014 is our fifth vintage and we have received great support, and it’s so awesome. Some of us have more of a focus outside of Portland than others, so there are some people that are doing tons of national and international distribution. And then some of us—for example Bow & Arrow— just distribute in California, New York, Chicago, a little bit in Seattle. We want to keep it kind of close to home. This is a local wine city—people love it.

DF One of the things I love so much about Portland is all of these “pocket” neighbourhoods. You can leave one neighbourhood that has a very distinct personality and go to the next, which has its own totally distinct personality. There are things happening in both places— commerce, places to eat and drink coffee, parks, shops, and galleries—but every neighbourhood is different.

TM The west side of the river feels like it could exist in any other North American city…

DF …whereas I feel you can walk around Eastside neighbourhoods and think, “Oh, that’s so Portland.”

TM How much wine from urban wineries is finding its way into new restaurants in Portland?

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TM There are so many people in this city who just want to consume Oregon wine. But at your restaurant, Ava Gene’s, you do an all-Italian wine list—which is fantastic, but is sort of against the norm in this city.

DF It’s totally against the norm. It’s the first time that I have done a 100 per cent Italian list. The original wine director who opened the restaurant is a friend named Carly Laws. I’ve never questioned it, even being married to somebody who makes Oregon wines and being involved in the Oregon wine trade. My education is in European wine, and my love is European wine.

That never waivers for me. I drink some Oregon wines that I really love, and every once in a while I come across a California wine that I am totally intrigued by, but I love, love, love European wines.

TM Italian wine is a vast subject and they are all so distinct, but they tend to be great food wines. Can it be daunting for people to approach an all-Italian list?

DF We haven’t made it easy for people—I will say that for sure.

There are times I wish I could make it easier, but the kind of wines that are on this list are the kind of wines that I believe in and want us to represent.

There isn’t a way to make it simple for people, and so the focus is on training the staff and having a wine director that is here to hold people’s hands and help them through the process of choosing a bottle.

Italian wine is fun, because there are so many myths to debunk. Soave doesn’t have to be cheap crap; Lambrusco doesn’t have to be overly sweet and headache-inducing; Chianti doesn’t have to be a wine you hate. There are all of these myths about Italian wine and it is so fun to prove people’s theories wrong while still making it fun for them in an approachable way.

TM What are you loving right now in Italian wine?

DF Oh my gosh. I have so many loves!

The last six months I’ve been on this kick with Alto Piemonte wines, so Nebbiolo and blends of Nebbiolo from high mountainous regions. I’ve just been obsessed. I love wines from Boca and Gattinara Colline Novaresi with their acidity, gumption, and character. On the richer side of things I love Teroldego. I am not a big fullbodied wine drinker most of the time, but Teroldego has something special— that balance of richness with acidity and minerality that is so interesting to me. I also love white wine so much.

I love Ligurian wines; Trebbiano may be one of my favourite grapes.

TM How many bottles do you have on the list here at Ava Gene’s?

DF About 400 on the list now, and about 90 per cent are organic or biodynamic—sustainable at the minimum. We want to be working with farmers both on the food side and on the wine side at Ava Gene’s, so if the grapes are farmed by hand, by a family, that’s all the more reason for me to pay attention to that winery. It’s often easier to sell a wine if you know the story of the people who made it than with all of the technical data and flavours, because eventually they all taste like blackberries or raspberries or wet rocks or whatever—but if there’s a story, people connect to that.

TM If you had to be away from Portland for a year what would you miss the most about it?

DF I think the camaraderie that exists here is what I would miss. It’s really special. People are very supportive of each other; nobody is rooting against anybody else. I also think that Oregon is one of the most beautiful places in the world. I don’t know anywhere else that you can live in a really beautiful, well-kept city and drive an hour and be at the beach, and drive 45 minutes and be at the mountains, and drive 45 minutes the other way and be in wine country. It is really the most beautiful state. 

Photo by Alyson Mitchosky, jaymitchphotography.com

Another Bordeaux-inspired wine, the 2009 Valdisanti represents a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc (in that order of importance).

On the nose, it shows delicate embroidery of spice, dark fruit and smoked cedar. There’s a dusty mineral dryness to the finish backed by lush layers of red berry fruit and dark chewing tobacco. The mouthfeel is polished and tight, with beautifully integrated tannins. 94 points.

—Monica Larner, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Available exclusively at Banville & Jones Wine Co. Banvilleandjones.com | 204.948.9463

Winter Comfort:

In the Kitchen with your Favourite Sommeliers

By Andrea Eby, Jill Kwiatkoski and Mike Muirhead The cold winter months beg for some comfort food (and even more comforting wine). Because wine and food are such intertwined pleasures, Sommeliers often have an appreciation for food that runs right alongside their passion for wine, each informing the other. When asked to contribute their favourite winter comfort food recipe, each of our three Sommeliers approached the task from a different angle. Andrea started with a wine she was obsessing over (the Pian dell’Orino Brunello) and crafted

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Photos by Ian McCausland

a burger that would pair with her wine. Jill cooked up her most comforting chicken pasta and chose a trio of fresh wines to compliment the dish. Mike started with his favourite cut of meat—pork tenderloin—and collaborated with his wife, Maureen, to come up with a deliciously simple and nutritious recipe that fits into their hectic schedule as new parents. Whether you start with the wine, the meal, or your schedule, each of these dishes comes with three perfect wine pairings for every budget and palate.

MIKE’S BRINED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH DIJON ROSEMARY GLAZE, SWEET POTATO WEDGES, AND CAULIFLOWER PURÉE Serves 4 Brined Pork Tenderloin 2 1/4 cup 1/4 cup 5 cups 2 tbsp 1 tbsp 2 tbsp 1 tsp

large pork tenderloins kosher salt white sugar water olive oil Dijon mustard brown sugar fresh rosemary, chopped

Combine salt, white sugar, and water in a large bowl. Mix well to dissolve. Submerge pork in brine and marinate for 2–3 hours in refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Dry pork with paper towels, season with pepper, and bring to room temperature. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the tenderloin and brown 3–5 minutes per side.

Transfer pork to parchment-lined baking sheet and liberally glaze with a mixture of the mustard, brown sugar, and rosemary. Roast about 15 minutes or until temperature reaches 140°F in thickest park. Remove from oven and tent with foil. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Cauliflower Purée

1 tsp 2 tsp 2 lb 3 tbsp

1 head 4 cloves 2 tbsp 1/3 cup 2 tbsp

kosher salt fresh ground pepper medium sweet potatoes olive oil

Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1-inch wedges. Liberally season with salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Roast on a large parchment-lined roasting pan on the centre rack for 45 minutes.

PAIR WITH: Aragonesas 2012 Don Ramon Garnacha Y Tempranillo Campo de Borja, Spain $12.99 Majella 2013 Riesling Coonawarra, Australia $27.99 Domaine Lafond 2011 Roc Epine Chateaunuef-du-Pape, France $64.99

cauliflower garlic, crushed herb and garlic or plain cream cheese grated parmesan butter salt and pepper to taste

Clean and cut cauliflower into florets and place in boiling water along with crushed garlic. Boil until fork can be easily inserted into cauliflower. Drain, mash or blend with a hand blender and add cream cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Finish with butter.

JILL’S CREAMY CHICKEN PASTA Serves 4 2 1 tbsp 1/2 2 cups 1 1 2 1 can

1/2 tsp 1 cup 3 cups

chicken breasts, sliced into 1/4” pieces olive oil red onion, sliced sliced cremini or white mushrooms red and yellow pepper, diced cup of asparagus, chopped garlic cloves, minced unsweetened coconut milk salt & pepper Italian seasoning crumbled feta cheese penne pasta (dry)

PAIR WITH: Buehler 2013 Chardonnay Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, USA $21.99 Guicciardini Strozzi 2013 Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Italy $16.99 Blue Mountain nv Brut Okanagan Valley, Canada $31.99

In a large frying pan, heat olive oil and sauté seasoned chicken over medium-high heat until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add a smidge more olive oil to the pan if needed. Sauté red onion until softened, add mushrooms and sauté until browned and moisture has been reabsorbed. Add peppers, season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning and sauté until softened. Add asparagus and minced garlic and sauté for 2–3 minutes more. Add chicken pieces and coconut milk to the pan and stir. Simmer over medium heat until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.

While coconut milk is thickening, add pasta to salted boiling water and cook for 11 min. When cooked, drain pasta well and put back in large pot. By this time, your coconut milk should be slightly thickened. Add coconut milk mixture to pasta and toss together. Serve each portion topped with crumbled feta cheese.

ANDREA’S BURGERS WITH PORCINI MUSHROOMS AND HOMEMADE KETCHUP Serves 6 1/2 cup 1/4 cup 1 1 1 tsp

white wine vinegar brown sugar 14-ounce can diced tomatoes small red bell pepper, finely chopped finely grated fresh ginger

salt and pepper 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing 2 medium onions, thinly sliced 1 lb porcini mushrooms* 1 cup red wine 6 slices pancetta 1 tbsp minced herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano) 6 four-inch focaccia squares, split horizontally 1 1/2 lbs ground lamb 1 lb ground beef chuck 6 slices young Pecorino cheese (4 ounces)

Homemade ketchup: In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar and sugar and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until a medium amber caramel forms, 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully add the tomatoes and red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is very thick, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree. Strain the ketchup through a sieve. Stir in the ginger and season with salt and pepper.

*If porcini mushrooms are out of season, or your price range, substitute brown button mushrooms. For a hint of porcini flavour, add 1 teaspoon of powdered porcini seasoning to the cooked button mushrooms.

Burgers: Combine the seasoned ground lamb and beef and gently shape into six 1/2-inch-thick patties. Griddle the burgers over high heat until browned, 2 minutes per side.

Transfer to a baking sheet and continue to cook in 350°F oven for about 8 minutes. Top each patty with a slice of cheese and bake for another 2 minutes. Remove from oven and cover loosely with foil.

PAIR WITH: Pian dell’Orino 2008 Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Italy $129.99 Tolaini 2010 Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, Italy $53.99 Strozzi 2013 Titolato Morellino di Scansano DOCG, Italy $21.99

Toppings: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until golden, 15 minutes. Add the red wine and simmer on low until the liquid has been absorbed (about 15 minutes). While caramelizing onions, crisp pancetta in a 400°F oven for 6 minutes, turning once after 3 minutes.

In another large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil, add the mushrooms and cook over medium high heat until mushrooms are tender and browned. Stir in the minced herbs and keep warm.

While the burgers rest, lightly brush a griddle with oil and toast the focaccia on it until lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the focaccia to plates. Set the burgers on the focaccia and top with the onions, mushrooms and a dollop of the ketchup. Close the burgers and serve.

A TOAST TO YOUR LATEST SUCCESS.

Where do you go from here?

Celebrating your success is well deserved but in business, it’s never a time to stand still. New opportunities await and bold moves make the difference between one good year and a long-term trend of profit and growth. With the right blend of services, experience and thought leadership, MNP’s business professionals will help position you to seize new opportunities and keep them flowing.

Contact Andrew Stibbard, CA, Regional Managing Partner at 204.788.6097 or andrew.stibbard@mnp.ca

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12/16/2014 10:53:50 AM

Sun sets over the Portland habour

take your palate to portland

By Tracy McCourt, Sommelier (CAPS) Portland, Oregon is a dream destination for anyone who loves to eat and drink. The city is easy to navigate (especially by bicycle!), unpretentious, and you are hard pressed to walk more than a few feet without finding a fantastic restaurant. What sets Portland apart from other American food meccas is the strong sense of community (at every restaurant you are bound to get recommendations from staff for a dozen more— often their neighbours), and the unwillingness to just

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sit around and wait for things to happen. This is a doit-yourself city, and if that means building a winery on a residential street so budding winemakers can hone their craft, it shall be done. So, even though casual is the way of life in Portland, do not let the laid back nature of the city fool you. There is some seriously dedicated talent in the city’s food, wine, and beer scene—just bring your appetite and a sense of adventure.

A sampling of handcrafted meat from one of Portland’s favourite restaurants, Olympic Provisions, at the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting event, Feast Portland Festival (photo by Tracy McCourt)

The Food When you combine Portlanders’ love of great food, all things casual, and their DIY attitude, it is no surprise that there are more than 500 food trucks (though they call them carts) on the streets. Food carts can be found all over the city in groupings of various sizes known as “pods”— the largest is located downtown at SW 9th and Alder Street and offers an endless variety of food choices. A great tool for finding food carts all over the city is the FoodCart PDX app, which will fill you in on a food cart’s location and operating hours, and help you map the way to your next meal.

If eating dinner on the street isn’t for you, don’t despair! There are plenty of fantastic restaurants to choose from.

“Fresh and local” are synonymous with Portland restaurants, but the inspiration for some of the city’s most interesting food is anything but local. At Bollywood Theater PDX, Chef Troy MacLarty pays homage to Indian street food and culture at two very busy locations, and the food is outstanding. If Brisket Pho Sandwich sounds delicious (and it is!) then head over to Smallwares, a self-proclaimed “Inauthentic Asian” eatery in the northeast part of the

city. Smallwares occupies a bright, modern space, and has an eclectic menu and a cozy bar, Barwares, right next door. This is the kind of place Portlanders flock to for its inventive menu items and lack of ego. For a twist on traditional, there’s Ava Gene’s on SE Division Street, which offers Italian fare from Chef Joshua McFadden’s kitchen. Known for his simple and delicious vegetable dishes and hearty pastas, Chef McFadden can elevate a simple celery stalk to an elegant salad worth writing home about.

When the city’s incredible food culture exploded a few years ago, the folks at Bon Appétit magazine decided to hold an annual festival celebrating Oregon’s bounty, and Feast Portland was born. The fourday event takes place in September and combines small dinner events at local restaurants and large outdoor tasting events. Hundreds of chefs, winemakers, brewers, and artisanal food producers participate, and it is a great way for visitors to get a crash course in everything delicious that Oregon has to offer.

Information goes up on the Feast Portland website in the summer for each year’s fall festival.

Portland's food carts (Photo by Visitor7 | CC BY-SA 3.0)

FAVOURITE FOOD CARTS The Whole Bowl, has five locations and has been serving up vegetarian bowls for over a decade.

The deceivingly simple bowl of rice, beans, avocado, cilantro and other great stuff is dressed in lemon garlic sauce (named “Tali Sauce” after owner Tali Ovedia) that is so delicious, it is easy to see why it always has a line up down the sidewalk.

Tabor Czech Food features the Schnitzelwich on an extensive sandwich menu, as well as goulash and a list of delicious soups.

Carte Blanche is among the best of the Southeast food carts. Run by four friends, the menu features serious comfort food made with seasonal, organic ingredients. Enjoy whimsical menu items like Important Helmet for Outer Space (a red wine and hoisin brazed pork shoulder) or Krampus Day Miracle (a Za’atar honey fried chicken sandwich).

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Left: The SE Wine Collective (photo by Josh Chang courtesy of the SE Wine Collective); Right: Enso Urban Winery + Tasting Lounge (photo by Kristine Weilert, We Are SISU)

The Wine A growing number of winemakers based in Portland are sourcing fruit from Oregon, California, and Washington State and making their wine in facilities right in the city—often on residential streets.

Visiting these “urban wineries” is a great way to spend an evening.

The urban wineries I visited had tasting rooms that offer everything from snacks to full meals, and the atmosphere is more upscale bar than stuffy tasting room.

Enso, an urban winery also in the southeast part of the city, is located in a re-purposed garage that has an inviting Old World living-room feel to it, where you can watch wine bubbling away in fermenters just past the long bar in the main room.

They offer a sparkling Pinot Gris made in the Methode Ancestrale by the glass, or you can try The Prince, which is a co-ferment of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.* Enso is a great place to explore and sip new things.

At the SE Wine Collective you can have a full meal while mingling with Oregon winemakers. The wine menu offers great local wines like Bow & Arrow and Helioterra, but also features wines from all over the world that have inspired the winemakers.

*By co-fermenting the grapes instead of blending after fermentation, a winemaker takes a bit of a risk, as there is less opportunity to make adjustments to finish a wine. Co-fermentation is an old practice, uncommon these days, that makes for intriguing wines, often with accentuated white grape characteristics.

SE Wine Collective and Division Winemaking Co co-owner Kate Munroe (left) and Jessica Altieri, CEO of Wine Channel TV (right) at the 2014 Rosé stomp (photo by Josh Chang courtesy of SE Wine Collective)

The Beer Portland has a well-established craft beer culture, with more than 58 local breweries. The historic Pearl District was the site of the city’s first breweries, Bridgeport Brewing and Widmar Brothers Brewing, which took up shop in 1984.

For the beer lover, there are walking and bike tours of breweries and several great beer festivals, notably: Portland Beer Week, 11 days of festivities at the beginning of June; Oregon Craft Beer Month in July, which features over 500 events; and the Portland International Beer Festival in August.

Sit at a communal table, try a local brew, and remember to leave your high heels at home when visiting Portland—just relax and enjoy the local fare in one of the best food cities in North America. 

Fresh air grows

fresh ideas ...add nature to your agenda!

Offering beautiful natural settings, team and leadership building activities, as well as several distinctive rental venues, FortWhyte is the ideal location for corporate events – business meetings, retreats, company barbecues, and client functions.

Our Lakeside Meeting Room, Siobhan Richardson Field Station and cabins, with full amenities and catering services, are available year-round.

Corporate Retreats Team Building Meeting Spaces & Catering For more information, or to view our 2015 Corporate Program Guide, please visit:

fortwhyte.org/corporate The contenders in the Widmar Brothers Brewing Sandwich Invitational, the kick off event for the 2014 Feast Portland Festival (photo by Tracy McCourt)

PORTLAND PROFILE Portland is a place of collaboration when it comes to food and wine, so it is fitting that a married couple—who just happen to be a cheesemonger and a winemaker—should opt to combine their two talents under one restaurant/winery roof. Cyril’s at Clay Pigeon Winery is the co-production of husband and wife team Sasha Davies and Michael Claypool. Here they combine Davies’ cheese-making expertise with Claypool’s stellar winemaking in an airy, industrial restaurant and urban winery in Southeast Portland. A must-visit while in the city, the Monger’s Mac and Cheese paired with a glass of wine made right on the premises is a combination worth pining for.

oto Ph

by M Ian

cC a u sland

Wine & Food Evenings

Cooking Class

Banville & Jones invites you to join us for a new series of wine and food pairing! Our talented Sommeliers work with Winnipeg’s most talented chefs to create the ultimate pairing experience.

Learn from the best! Banville & Jones Sommeliers team up with Winnipeg’s premier chefs to share recipes and wine pairings.

Cost: $85.99 per person

Friday, February 20: Cookin’ with Spice

Saturday, February 7: Exploring Tuscany Friday, February 27: Exploring France Friday, March 6: Tapas Style

BANVILLE & JONES

Friday, March 20: Exploring Italy

wine & food

Saturday, April 25: Out of the Ordinary

events schedule

Cost: $89.99 per person

Thursday, March 26: Keep it Simple

Luxury Tasting Taste the luxury when our Sommeliers open the doors to our specialities cabinets to explore some of Banville & Jones’s exclusive treasures.

Cost: $99.00 per person Friday, February 13: Australia’s Best Saturday, March 14: The Mediterranean Saturday, April 18: Pinot Around the World

FEBRUARY 2015 THROUGH JUNE 2015

Click on the Events & Classes tab at www.banvilleandjones.com for updated information on Wine & Food Events.

1616 St Mary’s Rd, Winnipeg 204.948.WINE (9463) wine@banvilleandjones.com Banville & Jones Wine Co. Store Hours Monday to Friday 10 am to 8 pm Saturday 10 am to 6 pm Sundays and holidays 11 am to 6 pm

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To reserve a space or book a private wine tasting event, call 948-WINE (9463) • Tickets for events are non-refundable, but are exchangeable 14 days prior to the event.

• Events begin at 7 pm and take place in the 2nd floor Tuscany Room unless otherwise noted.

• Prices do not include taxes.

Grazing in the Field

By Lisa Muirhead Upon receiving an invitation from Jill Kwiatkoski to attend the 2014 Grazing in the Field event in September, I was excited, but not quite sure what I was in for. We stepped onto the bus, bound for Optimist Holsteins dairy farm near Otterburne, MB, where everyone around us was buzzing with excitement.

Grazing in the Field At the farm, we were handed cocktails and appetizers as we gathered to hear Hans and Nelleke Gorter, the dairy farmers who were hosting us, tell their family’s story. It was engaging to hear about the hard work and dedication that goes into life on the farm. After a comprehensive tour of the dairy farm, we sat down in a huge open-air tent to tables set with fresh bread and butter and quarts of fresh pasteurized full-fat milk from the cows we had just met.

Between each course, Chef Ben Kramer (Diversity Foods) spoke about the food, Chef Reg Hendrickson about the cheeses, farmers Richard and Kristy-Layne Carr about the provenance of the Manitoba meat

we were enjoying, and Tracy McCourt (Banville & Jones) about the wine pairings. Each story added a new dimension to our meal. It was such an intimate way of learning about the hard work and commitment that goes into everything we put on our plates that it created a connection between all of us enjoying the meal and those who brought it to the table.

This unique event showcases innovative local family farms, and gives a bunch of city folks a chance to connect to the rural life that fuels this province. The intimacy is preserved by its size: only 100 tickets are sold for the annual event. The price of the ticket ($150 plus tax) gets you a Motor Coach ride to and from the farm, cocktails, appetizers, and a six-course astounding meal with cocktail and wine pairings. It’s the best deal of the year.

Tickets go on sale in February online at grazinginthefield.ca, and your best bet to get them before they sell out is to follow Grazing in the Field on Twitter and Facebook. 

Farm Dinner Experience GrazingintheField

@grazingMB

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2015-01-13 4:09 PM

BANVILLE & JONES

wine institute

WINE APPRECIATION COURSES

The Essentials of Wine Course

Essentials of Wine Workshops

Do you have two evenings for a few Essentials on the magic of wine? In two classes, we will take you on a tour of the world of wine. The Essentials give you a grounding in the world’s wine styles and grape varieties, and the basic tools in understanding food and wine harmony. You will walk away with a new understanding of price and quality in wine, a better understanding of your own palate, and a systematic approach to tasting that makes sense! No previous knowledge or experience is needed—just bring your interest! Classes run two evenings, 7:00 to 9:00 pm, 2nd Floor Tuscan Room of Banville & Jones

The Essentials Workshops give you tools that professionals use in assessing wine; we help you navigate wine stores and restaurant wine lists; and we do it all while fuelling your passion for the subject!

Course Offerings: March 11 & 18 (Wednesdays) or May 6 & 13 (Thursdays) Cost: $79.99 plus GST

No previous experience is required. Workshops will interest those who have completed Wine Essentials, chefs and service professionals looking to expand their knowledge—and, in fact, any wine lover! Workshops are one evening, 7:00 to 9:00 pm, 2nd Floor Tuscan Room of Banville & Jones.

Workshop Offerings: • Wednesday, February 11: Wine & Cheese ($50.00/person) • Wednesday, February 25: Wine Route to Chile ($50.00/person) • Wednesday, April 8: Food & Wine Pairing ($65.00/person) • Thursday, April 23: South Africa ($50.00/person) • Wednesday, June 17: California's Central Coast ($60.00/person)

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CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS

Wine Specialist (Includes WSET® Level 2 Award in Wines & Spirits) Wine Specialist is an entry-level program for wine enthusiasts and for those interested in restaurant, hospitality, and wine trade professions. Based on the world-renowned WSET® Level 2 Award in Wines & Spirits, the program gives an excellent all-round wine and spirits knowledge. It covers key grape varieties; major wine regions; sparkling, still and fortified wine styles; and principle varieties of spirits. The Wine Specialist component also covers the fundamentals of service standards in the wine trade.

Banville & Jones Wine Institute is offering two deliveries of an intensive 3-day version of the WSET® Level 2 Award in Wines & Spirits and BJWI Wine Specialist program that will cover the full course material, tastings, and the examination. This program will be of interest to anyone whose schedule does not easily allow for eight weeks of classes, but who can commit to advanced study before the course and to three days of intensive work.

Cost: $695, plus GST

Spring School: March 16, 23, and April 6, 2015

Candidates who successfully complete the WSET® component will receive a certificate and WSET Level 2 Award in Wines & Spirits lapel pin; candidates who successfully complete the service component also receive the Banville & Jones Wine Specialist certification.

• 3 sessions of 8 hours, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm

Cost: $695, plus GST

• 3 sessions of 8 hours, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm

Course starts April 13, 2015 (Mondays)

• 1.5 hour exam on day 3

• 8 sessions, 2.5 hours per week, 6:30 to 9:00 pm

Click on the Events & Classes tab at www.banvilleandjones.com for future dates and descriptions of the Wine Steward and Professional Sommelier programs.

• 1.5 hour exam on week 9

• 1.5 hour exam on day 3

Summer School: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 21–23, 2015

WSET Spirits: A New Program!

French Wine Scholar Certification Program

New this winter, we will present the WSET® Level 2 Award in Spirits, a specialized program covering spirit types, production methods, tasting evaluation, major brands, and end-use in the market. Each class will focus on a major spirit type. Much more in-depth than the coverage in WSET Wine & Spirits programs, this course is ideal for those working in a spirits environment (bartenders, sales representatives), those planning on advancing to the Professional Sommelier Program, or those simply with a fascination for spirits. There are no prerequisites, but participants must be over 18 years old to partake in sampling.

French Wine Society programs, based solely on the wines of France, are endorsed by Wines of France/ French National Wine Office. The French Wine Scholar program covers lesser known regions such as the Jura and Savoy along with famous regions such as Bordeaux and Burgundy. Each session includes a regional wine tasting. This program will be of interest to those in the wine trade, in hospitality, wine enthusiasts, and individuals aiming to take the Professional Sommelier Program. Graduates earn the French Wine Scholar (FWS) post-nominal and are eligible for further study for Master Level Certificates (www.FrenchWineSociety. org). There are no prerequisites, but participants must be over 18 years old to partake in sampling.

• Length: 8 weeks (7 sessions, plus a 1.5 hour exam on the 8th week) • Time: 6:30–9:00 pm • Dates: Starting March 9, 2015 (Mondays) • Cost: $750, plus GST

• Length: 10 weeks (9 sessions, plus an exam on the 10th week) • Time: 6:30 to 9:30 pm • Dates: Starting April 8, 2015 (Wednesdays) • Cost: $850, plus GST

Register for all courses by calling Banville & Jones Wine Co.: 204. 948.WINE (9463) or by email at bjwi@ banvilleandjones.com. All courses are held in the Tuscany Room on the 2nd floor of Banville & Jones Wine Co. For full course descriptions, visit banvilleandjones.com and click on Events & Classes.

Best Manitoba Sommelier 2015 The Manitoba Chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS) recently held its inaugural Best Manitoba Sommelier Competition, Sunday, January 11, 2015. The six-part competition included tests in Theory, Blind Tasting (written), Blind Tasting (verbal), Table Service and Food and Wine Pairing. Sommeliers Brooklyn Hurst, Darren Raeside, Tracy McCourt, Rob Stansel, and Sean Dolenuck, all graduates of the Banville & Jones Wine Institute’s Sommelier Diploma program, battled it out in the daylong competition. After a gruelling day of evaluation

by CAPS-accredited judges, Sean Dolenuck came out victorious and was named Manitoba’s Best Sommelier.

CAPS will be supporting Sean as he prepares to compete at the Canadian Association of Professional Sommelier’s National Competition in Toronto March 6–8.

CAPS is a not-for-profit organization of Sommeliers, wine lovers, and restaurateurs who support events and education related to the beverage industry in Manitoba and beyond. CAPS provides a forum that encourages camaraderie, ongoing professional development, and networking for its members.

For more information contact: Sylvia Jansen, President sylvia@banvilleandjones.com Sharon Steward, Vice-President steward.sharon@gmail.com Andrea Eby, Director of Operations andrea@banvilleandjones.com Christopher Sprague, Treasurer sommelier529@gmail.com twitter @manitobaCAPS

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Sean Dolenuck, Best Manitoba Sommelier of 2015 (photo by Mike Muirhead)

SYLVIA JANSEN, GRADUATE AND SCHOLARSHIP WINNER It is with great pride that we announce that our own Sylvia Jansen has graduated from the WSET Level 4 Diploma Program. Sylvia completed the six arduous units at the flagship London, England, school, where her accomplishments have earned her a wine discovery trip to Germany awarded by the Wines of Germany Scholarship. This prestigious award is given to only two Diploma graduates worldwide—one from the UK and the other chosen from the rest of the world!

Along with being one of our senior Educators with Banville & Jones Wine Institute, Sylvia also serves as the President of the Manitoba Chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS), nurturing and supporting the wine community in Winnipeg and across Canada. The Wines of Germany Scholarship will provide Sylvia with experiences and opportunities that will directly benefit wine education in Manitoba.

Sylvia joins faculty member Gary Hewitt as one of only a handful of Canadians to have graduated from this daunting course. Both rank among the top 1% of worldwide graduates to win scholarships in their respective years. We wish the third member of our faculty, educator Andrea Eby, good luck as she begins the second half of her Diploma studies this year.

We are so proud of our faculty here at Banville & Jones. Their commitment to continuing education ensures that we remain the leader in wine and spirits education in Manitoba. Please join us as we celebrate Sylvia's achievements and newest designation.

Cheers for Sylvia Jansen, Sommelier (ISG, CMS), AIWS

Interested in joining Winnipeg’s wine community?

Join the Manitoba Chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS)!

CAPS is a not-for-profit organization of Sommeliers, wine lovers, and restaurateurs that supports events and education related to the wine and spirits industry, and communicates on events in Manitoba and beyond.

Get news and information on wine events such as Winemaker Tastings and Sommelier competitions here in Winnipeg.

For membership information contact: Domer Rafael: domerrafael@gmail.com or Mike Muirhead: mike@banvilleandjones.com Follow us on twitter @manitobaCAPS

culinary partners 529 Wellington serves only Canadian Prime beef and fresh seafood, with impeccable service in an elegantly restored 1912 mansion on the banks of the Assiniboine River. 529 has quickly become a world-renowned icon in the restaurant industry. An exquisite menu and extensive wine cellar make for truly memorable food and wine experiences at 529. Just ask Brad Pitt or Jennifer Lopez!

Chef Louise Briskie-de Beer and partner Faiz de Beer love to share the fruits of their travels by bringing global cuisine with Manitoba flare to your palate. Cafe Savour’s atmosphere is as unique and delightful as the food, perfect for an intimate, formal dinner for two or a group of friends out to enjoy a casual evening of relaxing laughter. Open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday starting at 5:30 for dinner.

529 Wellington Crescent 204.487.8325

956 St Mary’s Road 204.254.4681

Located in beautiful Kildonan Park, Food Evolution is a retromodern restaurant that transforms the best dishes of your Winnipeg childhood into modern classics.

Executive Chef Michael Dacquisto has created a menu that will suit the casual park-goer and the destination diner. In addition to the sit-down dining experience overlooking the gorgeous park, the quick-service café offers wood-fired pizza, sandwiches, lighter fare, soft serve ice cream, and specialty coffees.

Fine fare, done right. SMITH is a new culinary experience built on craftsmanship and a dedication to the finer points located in the Inn at the Forks. Celebrate the truth of honest food created from the diversity of the lands and waters of our great country.

75 Forks Market Road 204.922.2445

Chef partner Tristan Foucault has reinvented the menu on the corner of King and Bannatyne. Peasant Cookery goes back to the land with uniquely prepared Old World dishes and top-notch service. This is real food, freshly harvested, and the seasonal ingredients speak for themselves.

Literally everything is made from scratch by Tristan and his team.

100-283 Bannatyne Avenue 204.989.7700

Located in the heart of downtown Winnipeg, 295 York is a modern seafood and steakhouse. The lunch menu boasts unique, contemporary takes on classic steakhouse fare, and dinner focuses on prime cuts of beef and fresh seafood. Chef Jesse Friesen and his team work with the freshest ingredients and smoke all of their own meat in-house. Offering daily features and live music in the lounge.

295 York St 204.896.7275

2015 Main St, Inside Kildonan Park 204.284.7275

Across the Board Amici Restaurant Best Western Plus Winnipeg Airport Hotel Blaze Bistro Bombolini Brooklynn’s Bistro Café 22 Café Dario Chew D-Jay’s Restaurant Diana’s Cucina and Lounge Elements

Elkhorn Resort Earl’s Restaurant and Bar Enoteca Era Bistro at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights Food Evolution Horfrost Hotel Fort Garry Hy’s Steakhouse Jane’s Restaurant and Red River College Joey Kenaston Joey Polo Park

Joey’s Only Seafood Los Chicos Restaurante Y Cantina Mano a Mano/Teo’s Market Burger Mere Hotel Olive Garden Italian Restaurant Pizzeria Gusto Sabai Thai Segovia South Beach Casino & Resort St. Charles Country Club

Swiss Chalet Thermëa Spa The Velvet Glove at the Fairmont TR McCoy’s Italian Restaurant The Victoria Inn Tony Roma’s Urban Prairie Cuisine Vera Cucina Wasabi Sabi

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By Sylvia Jansen,

Sommelier (ISG, CMS), CSW, AIWS

Let Me Find You a Deal Two-buck Chuck. Two-Euro Mario. You know the wine: in U.S. and European groceries stores, the bottle is inevitably on the shelf right next to the floor. Back home, the wine might be similar, but the price is not.

Manitoba is affectionately known as a “price-sensitive market.” In other words, Prairie Canadians love to pay less.

We want to pay less. Everybody knows somebody who can get them a deal.

The wine deal is not so straightforward.

The first issue is cost. Bringing wine into our fair province is no small feat. Importing a wine from a region like the south of France involves trucks, ships, storage, and border crossings; currency exchanges; Canada excise and duty; then more truck trips and storage costs. (Internationally, brokers also trade in huge containers of wine from country to country; these wines might be blended with other wines and packaged in the destination country.)

When the bottle arrives, Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries (MBLL) handles it first (all alcohol must be ordered through the provincial board, even for private wine stores). Adding to previous costs, MBLL levies a mark-up of 95 per cent on every bottle. With other surcharges, package equalization fees, margins and the like, the dollars multiply. The bottle of French table wine that leaves the winery at a measly $2.00 CAD sees charges of freight, customs duty, excise, MBLL surcharges, and mark-up that add another four times or more to that price. To land a bottle of wine on the retail shelf at less than $10.00 in any store in Manitoba is really a feat.

The second issue is the quality of wine inside that bottle.

In the best cases, producers are able to use good fruit from larger, flatter, more easily mechanized vineyards. In some years the bargain wine might also contain fruit that is not up to snuff for the regular brand, but still acceptable. In the

worst cases, the bargain wine will involve large industrially farmed vineyards in dry areas with irrigation (which makes the crop easy and predictable to grow, but diminishes regional water supplies); will be purchased at low, low prices (sometimes barely break-even for the farmer); will have a harvest process that concludes by backing up trucks and dumping grapes, leaves, and other stuff into the crusher; and will involve fermentation with significant adjustments (wood chips, colourants, tannin additives or smoothers, acid and sugar adjustments to meet a standardized palate expectation, etc.).

Now, truthfully, winemaking adjustments and interventions are not uncommon, even for some really good wines. It is the extent and nature of these that tell the tale. The worst, the lowest of the low, take actual faulted wine, charcoalstrip and micro-filter all the bad stuff (and flavour) away, then add back concentrated juice and adjust merrily. Not too pretty, and not much of a bargain.

At its best, the bargain wine will be good value. It might not have a lot of character, but it should be pleasant to drink and without faults. In our price-sensitive market, though, it’s cruel irony that the bargain still looks expensive compared to that bottom-shelf price elsewhere.

Don’t get me wrong: I love a deal. I have bought bargain wines in grocery stores elsewhere. Our buyers do the same, to find the best wines at the best prices. And despite the teasing from my friends that I only taste wines that live in locked cabinets, I also select our own bargain wines for some occasions. It is only in opening the bottle that you know whether it’s just a liquid that tastes like wine, or the real deal.

So here’s to you, always dealing. 

www.banvilleandjones.com 59

shopping list Anna de Codorníu nv Cava Penedes, Spain $18.99..................................................................................................................…22 Aragonesas 2012 Don Ramon Garnacha Y Tempranillo Campo de Borja, Spain $12.99 ..........................................................43 Argyle 2012 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA $37.99 ............................................................................................28 Blue Mountain nv Brut Okanagan Valley, Canada $31.99........................................................................................................…44 Buehler 2013 Chardonnay Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, USA $21.99....................................................................…44 Canoe Ridge Vineyard 2010 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills, Washington, USA $35.99.....................…10, 28 Canoe Ridge 2011 Reserve Merlot Horse Heaven Hills, Washington, USA $41.99....................................…...........................31 Charles Smith 2011 Vino Pinot Grigio Columbia Valley, Washington, USA $19.99...............................................…...............28 Château Ste. Michelle 2011 Gewürztraminer Columbia Valley, Washington, USA $16.99...................................…................28 Château Ste Michelle 2011 Merlot Columbia Valley, Washington, USA $21.99........................................................................62 Columbia Crest 2010 Two Vines Merlot Columbia Valley, Washington, USA $15.99...............................................................28 Cristom 2012 Pinot Gris Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA $24.99........................................................................................…....28 Cristom 2011 Viognier Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA $24.99........................................................................................…....20 Cristom 2011 Mt. Jefferson Cuvée Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA $42.99............................................................20 Cristom 2012 Louise Vineyard Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA $69.99................................................................10, 20 Cristom 2012 Marjorie Vineyard Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA $83.99............................................................….20 De Bortoli Premium Reserve Pinot Grigio, Australia (2L box) $24.99.......................................................................................14 De Bertoli Premium Reserve Shiraz, Australia (2L box) $24.99.................................................................................................14 Domaine Lafond 2011 Roc Epine Chateaunuef-du-Pape, France $64.99.....................................................................................43 Domaine Serene 2011 Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, USA $119.99.............................................................28 Guicciardini Strozzi 2013 Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Italy $16.99.......................................................................................…44 Il Mionetto nv 1887 Prosecco Veneto, Italy (200mL) $6.99..................................................................................................…22 innocent bystander nv Causes & Cures Dry White Vermouth, Australia (500 ml) $26.99........................................................14 Jax Vineyards 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California, USA $57.99......................................................................62 Joel Gott 2012 Riesling Columbia Valley, Washington, USA $26.99.........................................................................................31 L'Ecole No. 41 2011 Syrah Columbia Valley, Washington, USA $67.99...............................................................….................31 Les Domaines Auriol 2013 Marsanne Roussanne Languedoc-Roussillon, France $10.99............................................…..........62 Majella 2013 Riesling Coonawarra, Australia $27.99.............................................................................................................…43 McGuigan 2014 Bin Series 9000 Semillon Hunter Valley, Australia $18.99............................................................................…62 Mouton Noir 2012 Love Drunk Rosé Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA $24.99......................................................................…28 Opus One 2009 Napa Valley, USA $473.73............................................................................................................................…34

60 http://banvilleandjones.cornervine.com

Pian dell’Orino 2008 Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Italy $129.99..................................................................................…46 Rabl 2012 Käferberg Grüner Veltliner Kamptal DAC, Austria $34.99...................................................................................…62 Sanviver nv Lolailo Sangria Madrid, Spain (3L) $31.99..........................................................................................................…22 Sanviver nv Lolailo Winter Sangria Madrid, Spain (1.5L) $15.99............................................................................................…22 Some Young Punks 2013 Naked on Roller Skates Shiraz/Mataro McLaren Vale, Australia $29.99..........................................…22 Some Young Punks 2013 Quickie Sauvignon Blanc Adelaide Hills, Australia $26.99...............................................................22 Some Young Punks 2013 Passion Has Red Lips Cabernet/Shiraz McLaren Vale, Australia $27.99............................................22 Spring Valley Vineyard 2008 Uriah Walla Walla Valley, Washington, USA $72.99.....................................................................28 Strozzi 2013 Titolato Morellino di Scansano DOCG, Italy $21.99...........................................................................................46 Syncline 2009 Subduction White Columbia Valley, Washington, USA $31.99..........................................................................31 Terre Mare Magnum 2012 Vernissage Red Vin de Pay d’Oc, France (1.5L) $32.99......................................................................14, 22 Terre Mare Magnum 2013 Vernissage White Vin de Pay d’Oc, France (1.5L) $32.99..............................................................14, 22 Tolaini 2010 Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, Italy $53.99......................................................................................................46 Union Wine Co. 2013 Underwood Pinot Noir, Oregon, USA $18.99...........................................................................................28 Zestos 2012 Malvar Old Vines Vinos de Madrid, Spain $15.99.................................................................................................62

Due to the nature of the wine industry, any prices and vintages listed in this publication, as well as the availability of the product, are subject to change and cannot be guaranteed by Banville & Jones Wine Co.

CREATE YOUR OWN WINE CELLAR The Banville & Jones Cellar Starter Program provides a quarterly selection of wines intended for wine enthusiasts keen on creating a personal cellar. Our buyers seek out excellent cellar-worthy wines from around the world. The wines are generally new to the market, predominantly red, and frequently off the mainstream radar.

Information packages covering details of producers, wines, regions, tasting notes, and cellaring potential are included. For more details, please contact Banville & Jones at wine@banvilleandjones.com or 204.948.9463.

* CUSTOMER PICK *

top picks

GRANT CLITSOME

JAN DE VLAMING

MIKE MUIRHEAD

Jax Vineyards 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California USA $57.99

McGuigan 2014 Bin Series 9000 Semillon Hunter Valley, Australia $18.99

Les Domaines Auriol 2013 Marsanne Rousanne LanguedocRoussillion, France $10.99

This is an outstanding quality Napa Cabernet Sauvignon with lots of dark fruit, spice, chocolate, and espresso on the nose. The wine has smooth tannins on a full-bodied frame, and the finish goes on and on. This wine pairs well with a great dinner, and a game night win!

This bright and fresh white wine comes to us from the Hunter Valley in Australia. It is medium bodied with aromas of fresh lime, rose, and bright citrus flavour. It has a high level of acidity, making it a great food wine. I like to serve it with grilled fish or other seafood.

One of my new go-to favourite patio wines for the summer, this is also a great easy-sipper for the winter months. This blend of Marsanne Rousanne from the south of France has lots of stonefruit, kiwi, and pear with a great, fresh finish. It really pairs nicely with crisp citrusy salads and prawn cocktail.

ANNA EVERETT

GARY HEWITT

JILL KWIATKOSKI

Château Ste Michelle 2011 Merlot Columbia Valley, Washington $21.99

Rabl 2012 Käferberg Grüner Veltliner Kamptal DAC, Austria $34.99

Zestos 2012 Malvar Old Vines Vinos de Madrid, Spain $15.99

This Merlot hits the nose with rich, black fruit, spice, and a hint of oak. On the palate, it has plum, blackberry, and notes of leather.

This easy-drinking red benefits from a little aeration and finishes with a wonderful smooth velvety taste. It holds up to pork or lamb, but is also great on its own.

A great example of why Grüner Veltliner is considered a world-class grape variety—ripe apple and peach, full body, rich mid-palate, a touch of honey and spice, and a long finish.

Don’t serve too cold. You can enjoy it on its own, but ya gotta know, GV loves food. Prost!

Amazingly refreshing and bright, this unique wine from Spain is the perfect white to try if you are looking for something different. It has crisp acidity with a mellow richness. There are notes of white peach and pear with hints of orange blossom, fresh spring grass, and minerality.

62 http://banvilleandjones.cornervine.com

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