Quench July/August 2014

Simplified

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QUENCH MAGAZINE ... JULY/AUGUST 2014 TRUE MEANING × 22 WHAT MAKES A WINE CANADIAN?

BY RICK VANSICKLE IN THE KNOW × 24 VISIT KELOWNA, THE OKANAGAN’S EPICUREAN PLAYGROUND. BY BRENDA MCMILLAN BACK AGAIN × 27 RETURNING TO THE VINEYARDS OF PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY. BY EVAN SAVIOLIDIS WHEN IT’S GOOD × 30 RIESLING IS INSPIRING LOCAL WINEMAKERS TO GREAT HEIGHTS. BY MICHAEL PINKUS

30

VERY STILL × 32 LEARN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A LIQUOR BOARD STEPS OUT OF THE WAY OF SMALL CRAFT DISTILLERS. BY TIM PAWSEY INTRODUCING ... × 36 QUEBEC’S MEAD AND FRUIT WINE PRODUCERS HAVE A LOT TO DEAL WITH. BY LISA HOEKSTRA GET CRAFTY × 38 QUENCH’S GUIDE TO THE BEST LOCAL BREWERIES.

BY JONATHAN SMITHE NOT YOUR AVERAGE JOE × 41 NEIGHBOURHOOD COFFEE ROASTERS CREATE A TASTE ADVENTURE. BY ROSEMARY MANTINI FISHSTORY LESSONS × 44 A LOOK INTO OCEAN WISE — CANADA’S LARGEST FISHING SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM.

BY TOD STEWART

36

OFF × 48 COOKING FOR A CHECKERED TABLECLOTH.

BY DUNCAN HOLMES

DEPARTMENTS ...

LOW AND SLOW × 52 MORE THAN A HOT GRILL, CREATING REAL BARBECUE IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT BALL GAME.

BY NANCY JOHNSON NOTED ... × 54 EXPERTLY-TASTED BUYING GUIDE OF WINES, BEERS, CIDERS AND SPIRITS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

FINDING AGE-ABILITY × 64 WHY WOULD WINE ENTHUSIASTS PLACE CHILE’S EARLY-DRINKING, PARTY WINES IN THEIR CELLARS NEXT TO THEIR AGE-WORTHY FRENCH AND ITALIAN GEMS? BY GURVINDER BHATIA LIVING BOTTLE SHOCK × 66 BLIND TASTINGS HAVE MADE SMALL WINE REGIONS BIG. BY TONY ASPLER

JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 3

@quench_mag ...

Follow, like and connect with us online.

If you are itching to learn the keys to Italian cooking, do we have a book for you. Quench has launched a new series of ebooks and the first is aptly called Quench Cooks Italian.

Download it now for free at the Apple iBookstore. Search for Quench Cooks or visit www.quench.me/hunger/ quench-cooks-italian/ to start cooking.

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I LOVE TO WORK ON A REDESIGN. IT ALLOWS ME TO RETHINK EVERYTHING. SOMETIMES WHEN YOU ARE IN THE RUSH OF PRODUCTION, THERE’S NO TIME TO MOVE ELEMENTS AROUND. It’s like developing the perfect

recipe. You don’t want to play around with it too much.

But when you have a blank canvas, it’s all up for grabs. The catch phrase around the office was, “more.”

4 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

Great to see that I have a soul brother in Tod Stewart.

Like him I do not Tweet or Facebook and I am proud to say, I too do not have a cell phone.

Avrum Flisfeder, email I’m not the first one to run to the kitchen once I see a recipe, but when I saw the May/June issue’s cover, I knew I had to try it. It didn’t look as good as in the picture but it did taste good. At least there is that.

Helen Marshall, Winnipeg I hate when people take out their phones to take pictures in restaurants. I’m glad to see I’m not the only one to find it annoying.

William Andrzejewski, Oakville I still remember this one wine I had 20 years ago.

The producer is Willm in Alsace. It was the Reisling.

It wasn’t the best wine in the world but I was enjoying it on the beach with some friends. It was one of these unforgettable nights. And now whenever I pass that bottle on the shelves I have to buy it.

Thank God it isn’t that expensive. Sometimes the littlest things will trigger the biggest reaction.

Great piece by Rick VanSickle.

Andrew Bayer, email

We crammed more columns in the front and more wine in the back. In between we added a bunch of what you’ve always loved — unbiased wine reviews and easy to create recipes. I’m sure you’ll love what you’ll see.

Speaking of seeing, it is the summer after all and that’s what a lot of us will be doing. We’ll be trying to cram as many visits as we can into the short, hot summer months. This year Quench is challenging you to think local. I know we’re not asking you for much.

When it’s time to jump into your car, don’t only seek out the wineries, try to find the craft brewery or distiller everyone has been talking about. Or better yet, one that might not have been discovered. There is a plethora of new flavours to seek in all those lovely liquids. But don’t stop there.

A short walk around the neighbourhood will open you up to a wealth of restaurants, bakeries, fish shops and other wonderful spots you may not have noticed. You owe it to yourself to seek out all shiny new thngs. After all, that is what summer is all about. ×

Please enjoy responsibly.

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CONTRIBUTORS ...

Evan Saviolidis is the Wine Tasting Challenge Grand Champion, Instructor for the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers, and teaches wine appreciation courses in Niagara at WineSavvy. For complete information, please visit www.evanwinesavvy.com.

Brenda McMillan is spending a few months in BC’s Okanagan Valley where there is an abundance of excellent wine, food, sunshine. She is enjoying her explorations so much that she plans to travel new roads (and escape Toronto winters) for the foreseeable future. Read about her adventures here.

Tim Pawsey (a.k.a. The Hired Belly) is a much travelled food and wine critic. He writes, tweets and shoots for the North Shore News and Vancouver Courier. He also writes monthly in WHERE Vancouver, and contributes to Taste, Quench, Montecristo and others. In 2012, Tim was honoured to be inducted as a “Friend of the Industry” into the BCRFA Hall of Fame. Taste with him vicariously at www.hiredbelly.com and follow him at rebelmouse.com/hiredbelly.

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Contributors

Rick VanSickle, Brenda McMillan, Evan Saviolidis, Michael Pinkus, Tim Pawsey, Jonathan Smithe, Duncan Holmes Tasters

Tony Aspler, Gurvinder Bhatia, Tod Stewart, Evan Saviolidis, Rick VanSickle, Ron Liteplo, Harry Hertscheg, Sean Wood, Gilles Bois, Crystal Luxmore, Jonathan Smithe

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JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 7

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ONTARIO W AWARDS D PAGE IN FO

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WINE DOUBLE OLDER

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SAM ADAMS BEER IN FOLDER

À LA CARTE Q SCHOOL × 12 LEARN HOW TO POUR THE PERFECT BOTTLE OF BEER. GOOD FOOD BY NANCY JOHNSON × 15 DRESSING UP YOUR SOMETIMES BLAND BUTTER. UMAMI BY JOANNE WILL × 16 IT’S SUMMER FESTIVAL TIME. NEXT STOP × 17 LET’S VISIT PAST MAVERICK CHEFS. FEED BY TOM DE LARZAC × 18 TRY YOUR HAND AT MAKING GNOCCHI. LAZY MIXOLOGIST

BY CHRISTINE SISMONDO × 19 PUNCH UP YOUR COCKATAILS WITH SOME FRESH PEACHES. PREP × 20 MAKING COCKTAIL BITTERS. BON VIVANT BY PETER ROCKWELL × 21 HOW DID THE BLOODY CAESAR BECOME CANADA’S COCKTAIL?

JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 11

Q SCHOOL ...

There is an art to pouring the perfect pint of beer.

The angle, the amount of foam allowed and even the temperature of the glass all affect the quality of the beer as it settles. Unfortunately, many of us don’t know how to pour the perfect pint. So getting things right is paramount. Drinking beer from a properly formed glass improves the tasting experience, allowing all of the aromas and flavours to emerge in perfect unison. Which brings us to ...

How to Pour the Perfect Glass of Beer To help us is Stephen Rich, head brewer at the Beer Academy of Toronto, Ontario, certified Cicerone, Prud’homme Beer Sommelier and Beer Judge Certification Program judge. He has imparted to us the tricks to pouring a good brew.

×× Pick the appropriate glassware for the beer style you are enjoying.

×× Always start with a clean glass at room temperature. ×× Never store glasses in a freezer. ×× Rinse the inside of the glass with cold water to reduce surface tension, then let the water drain out.

×× Open the bottle of beer at the optimal serving temperature for that specific beer style.

×× Lift the glass with one hand, and tilt slightly to a 30degree angle.

×× With the other hand, begin pouring the beer down the wall of the glass, gently, with no glugging.

×× When the bottom third of the glass is filled, tilt the glass upright and continue pouring the beer right into itself rather than along the wall. ×× From half-filled to full, increase/adjust the rate of pour to create the desired amount of foam without glugging. ×× When the bottle is empty, watch the foam settle to a dense cap; admire, and enjoy.

These tips are mainly for your basic beers from a bottle or pitcher. Specialty beers like Wheat, Stout or Belgian Ales all require their own distinctive pour in order to take full advantage of the unique production methods associated with these styles. “Consult a beer or brewing professional for best practices,” advises Rich. ×

12 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

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Visit magazinescanada.ca/ns and newsstands to find your new favourite magazine.

GOOD FOOD BY NANCY JOHNSON ...

compound interest LET’S FACE IT: everything tastes better with butter. When dining out, I’m always thrilled by that little ramekin of whipped flavoured butter that precedes dinner.

Slathered on freshly baked, crusty bread, compound butter — the most common form of which is Beurre Maître d’Hôtel — is one of the best parts of the meal.

With barbecue season in full swing, a slice or two of compound butter melting slowly over grilled steak or corn is an easy way to impress your guests. It has complex flavour but it’s not hard to make. Simply mix softened butter with herbs or other ingredients, roll into a log shape, scrape into small ramekins and pipe into rosettes or press into small butter moulds.

Compound butter will keep in the fridge for a few days and may be frozen up to one month. It’s a lovely way to use an abundance of garden herbs, but you can also use dried herbs; just cut back to half a teaspoon of each dried herb used. Most recipes call for unsalted butter, but here’s my secret: I’ve used salted in a pinch, with absolutely no complaints from my guests.

BEURRE MAÎTRE D’HÔTEL

This is the classic compound butter made by chefs the world over. While this recipe calls for a pound of butter, you can make a compound using as little as 1/2 cup butter. Adjust the rest of the ingredients accordingly.

2

2 1 1/2

cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley leaves tbsp fresh lemon juice Salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, fold in the remaining ingredients.

2. To roll: Place butter on a sheet of waxed paper or plastic wrap. Using the wrap, roll butter into cylindrical shape. Twist ends closed. Chill or freeze. Cut slices 1/2-inch thick to serve.

Instead of parsley and lemon juice, try one or two of the following, adjusting amounts to your taste: roasted red peppers, roasted or fresh minced garlic, sautéed shallots, chives and dill, mustard, harissa or curry paste, sundried tomatoes and oregano, olive tapenade, anchovies, mango chutney, Gorgonzola or Cotija cheese, dried cranberries, pecans, Sriracha sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice, crème fraîche, truffle oil, honey. × JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 15

UMAMI BY JOANNE WILL ...

A Summer of Festivals THERE ISN’T MUCH that will pull a prairie farmer from the field on a summer day — apart from a community event that celebrates local, seasonal eating.

Each July, in the southern Saskatchewan village of Mortlach, a whole day is dedicated to the saskatoon berry. First Nations and early European explorers subsisted on this low-bush berry — Native to Western Canada, its taste is somewhere between a blueberry and a sour cherry, yet smaller in size and higher in protein.

Like most berries, saskatoons are delicious in everything from smoothies and salads to pancakes — but the dish most associated with the saskatoon berry is probably pie.

16 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

During the inaugural Saskatoonberry Festival in 2008, Mortlach’s population (245) swelled tenfold. Entering the village, the view from the corner of the main street was a sea of thousands of visitors, who had a taste of much more than berries. Live music, a parade, craft and food vendors lining the street — dancing and laughter carried on until dusk. The Snowbirds, Canada’s aerobatic flight demonstration team based 25 kilometres away at CFB Moose Jaw, conducted a fly-past.

Summer is the season of food festivals, and in large towns and cities across the country thousands of people regularly turn out for such events. In smaller communities, a festival can turn the town upside down — and put it on the map.

That’s why, seven years ago, some forward-thinking types in Mortlach came together to brainstorm a way to bolster the community. “We were trying to think of a festival we could have to bring people in to experience our community and our businesses,” says Marilyn Forbes, who was part of the original festival team.

“We researched all the festivals to find something that would fit in with this area that wasn’t already up and running in Saskatchewan. Before we came up with ours, we attended the Lancer Chokecherry Festival, the Sour Cherry Festival in Bruno and the St Walburg Blueberry Festival. The Mortlach Business Association took our idea to the community development and agricultural society as a fundraiser, and they went from there.

“After a two-day tourism seminar, we put our heads together and came up with the slogan ‘2,500 people with purple teeth can’t be wrong.’ The first few years we went wholeheartedly into the agriculture side — Prairie Berries held a demonstration of their mechanical berry harvester and there was a horse show at the rink. We had vendors and food available up there, and we’ve always had horse-drawn wagon rides that carry people up to the rink.

“For two years, we focused on Mortlach’s history with short films on Casey Jones, our local archaeologist and arrowhead hunter. One year, our artist-in-residence had street skits. There’s musical entertainment for the whole day with a stage in the main square from breakfast on, and buskers in the park where children’s entertainment continues all afternoon. But I think the saskatoon pies are our main attraction,” says Forbes.

So it’s high summer, the season of food festivals across the country. Whether you make it to the Mortlach Saskatoonberry Festival (July 5), New Brunswick’s Shediac Lobster Festival (July 9-13), Drummondville, Quebec’s Festival de la Poutine (August 21-23) or British Columbia’s Saturna Island Lamb Barbecue (July 1), you’re bound to leave with a new appreciation for local food culture. ×

NEXT STOP ...

Locally sourced ingredients, shareable portions and fresh menus of the season: a handful of Canadian restaurants and their Quench-selected Maverick Chefs are using nature’s finest with aplomb — satisfying the most fickle palates of foodies nationwide with fare that rivals the best eateries on the international scene.

the mavs

CARAMBOLA BISTRO

www.carambola.ca Hudson, Quebec Chef Scott Geiring opened this culinary haunt in 2002 and ever since, he’s proven time and time again that a great dining experience is equal parts quality food and innovative menu.

Specialties including a Polynesian style tuna poke with kimchi, a barley risotto with wild mushrooms and truffle, and a Canadian lobster poutine with aged cheddar and white wine sauce are prepared before patrons in an open kitchen using fresh ingredients brought in daily. The ever-changing tapasstyle menu keeps things interesting while the bring-your-ownwine caveat keeps the bill reasonably low.

WILDEBEEST

www.wildebeest.ca Vancouver, BC Located in Vancouver’s hip Gastown neighborhood, this offbeat restaurant is a meat lover’s dream. Executive chef Wesley Young serves ethically raised meats and sustainable seafood with seasonally sourced local produce in new and unexpected ways. Some of these carefully prepared dishes include a slowcooked natural Angus beef short rib, smoked salt and hay jus; hay-aged, smoked quail, wild berry honey, and salt and pepper; and Yarrow Meadow duck leg rillettes with house pickles and country bread. Like the menu and rather original cocktails, the décor — complete with high ceilings, open kitchen and banquette seating — strays from convention.

THREE BOARS

www.threeboars.ca Edmonton, Alberta With a tiny patio open in the summer, a small bar located on the main floor and an equally intimate dining area aloft, this pint-sized Edmonton eatery has rustic charm by the ton.

Chef-owners Brayden Kozak, Brian Welch and Chuck Elves are all about sharing in the experience — and the food. Fine pours accompany a rich and varying menu of small dishes made to be shared, where farm-to-table fare takes centre stage. Locally sourced ingredients give way to unique creations with an international feel — think miso-braised pork belly, steel cut oats cooked in dashi, pickled beech mushroom, tobiko and hijiki seaweed. It’s a different dining experience that challenges both the palate and the mind, but the initial discomfort is well worth it. × JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 17

FEED BY TOM DE LARZAC ...

Being Italian

GNOCCHI AND ROSÉ SAUCE

SOME PEOPLE get excited about cars, some people get excited

about clothes, but I get excited about food. Not just eating, but all things related to food. So when I got to go to Italy for the first time, I was like a kid in a candy store. New flavours, new smells, new gadgets: it was all a bit overwhelming.

I will never forget the first time I experienced the food culture of Italy. The slow-roasted pork, ragu, whole fish and of course the fantastic pastas. All these things stood out in my mind because they were both simple and tasted like they were homemade. I learned that “simple” can still be tasty, a trend we are seeing a lot in today’s restaurants. Since my trip, I have gone on to make pastas, ravioli and polenta as well as many different sauces. I have even gone on to try my hand at homemade pizza dough. Most of my friends call me crazy, but it tastes better than anything I have bought (I might be biased though).

I have never been shy or intimidated to try a new recipe, except for one … a decade after my first trip to Italy, I still had not attempted gnocchi. Those fluffy, soft one-bite morsels have eluded my kitchen for years. Finally I mustered the courage to try. After a few quick videos and an encouraging word from Mario Batali, I found myself driving to the store to buy potatoes.

At last, a plate full of soft gnocchi that I made was sitting in front of me. I couldn’t have been happier with the way it came out. Once again the sight and smells of Italy were upon me, and the simplicity of the food was beautiful.

18 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

2 baking potatoes (larger and cut in quarters) 1/2 cup flour 1 egg (beaten) 1/2 tsp olive oil 1 garlic clove 1/2 cup marinara sauce 1/2 cup cream

1. Boil potatoes over high heat for 20 minutes, or until all are fork-soft. Spread 1/4 of the flour on a working surface (counter or cutting board).

2. Drain potatoes and peel while hot. Pass through a potato ricer onto floured surface (a sieve with a spatula will work also). Let potatoes steam for 3 minutes.

3. Sprinkle the potatoes with flour generously.

Pour beaten egg evenly over the potatoes. Fold mixture together gently just to incorporate the ingredients. Add flour as needed to prevent sticking. Try to prevent overmixing.

4. Divide into 5 pieces. Roll out into thin logs.

With a sharp knife, cut every half-inch. Repeat for the rest of the dough. Lightly sprinkle with flour to prevent sticking.

5. In a pan over medium, heat olive oil and garlic for 2 minutes. Add marinara sauce and heat for 2 minutes. Add cream, salt and pepper to taste.

6. Add gnocchi (in batches if necessary) to a large boiling pot of salted water. Cook for 4 minutes.

Drain and toss into pan with sauce for 1 minute.

Serve and enjoy.

MATCH: You might as well look around the corner for a wine to match these gnocchi. It’s time to seek out a Canadian Pinot Noir. ×

LAZY MIXOLOGIST BY CHRISTINE SISMONDO ...

Just Peachy WE ALL HAVE FOODS we refuse to touch until they’re in season. For some, it’s strawberries; for others, corn. For me, peaches are always at the very top of the list.

Since peaches are strongly associated with Georgia and the American South, it’s hardly surprising that the ones grown in Canada have an all-too-brief season. And while they’re not native to our climate, turns out peaches aren’t even native to the Americas. They were first cultivated four millennia ago in China, where they were (and still are) prized as a source of energy.

Peaches didn’t remain a secret for long, either, since they quickly spread across India and Persia, making converts everywhere they went. They were grown in both ancient Greece and Rome, and eventually made their way all across Europe.

We import peaches grown in sub-tropical areas when our own are out of season, but they’re such a sorry disappointment. The off-season fruit isn’t merely a lesser version of the peach, it could actually pass for an entirely different species. A bad peach is hard, stringy and dry; in season, the light flesh practically dissolves into rich, sweet juice the moment you pop it in your mouth.

As such, I’m determined to make the most of peach season by eating them fresh, using them in salsas and sauces, desserts and, perhaps most ambitiously, in summer cocktails.

For advice on this latter front, I turned to Kelowna’s Gerry Jobe, owner of Niche Custom Cocktails and Concepts and former “liquid chef” at RauDZ, a restaurant known for making the most of the Okanagan’s considerable bounty. Jobe gently dismissed my idea that the best way to make use of peaches in a cocktail was to reach for the muddler.

“It’s tempting to muddle peaches, since it’s so easy to smash up the soft flesh, but it’s such a waste,” says Jobe. “What do you do with all the extra pulp?”

Instead, Jobe, the waste-not-want-not advocate, likes to turn seasonal peaches into a purée, which can be thinned out with a little lemon juice and water, and if necessary, sweetened to taste with honey syrup (equal parts honey and hot water).

Many cocktail enthusiasts reading are already probably already reaching for a bottle of Prosecco, recognizing that peach purée is the base for the Bellini, a classic bubbly cocktail.

“If you wind up with too much peach purée, you can freeze it,” says Jobe. “Or you can use it to make homemade peaches-and-cream ice cream, something I’ve done before.”

For those wanting to make a more ambitious cocktail with their fresh peaches, Jobe advises adding it to bourbon (a natural pairing), which he does in his original cocktail, the Philosopher’s Stone.

It takes a little bit of work, but it’s worth it. It’s a peach of a drink.

PHILOSOPHER’S STONE

2 oz Woodford Reserve bourbon 1 oz Silk Road “Philosopher’s Brew” tea reduction 1 oz lemon juice 1 oz white peach purée 1 egg white 5 dashes Bittered Sling Clingstone Peach extract

Dry-shake all ingredients, then shake again with ice. Double strain into coupe glass and garnish with peach blossoms. ×

× Visit quench.me/search-mixed/ for more drink recipes

JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 19

PREP ...

Make mine bitter

FOR YEARS YOU’VE GONE to the local grocery store to source your cocktail bitters. Look in the bar and you’ll probably find one bottle of Angostura or even Peychaud’s bitters. Now there are boutique bitter makers popping up all over the place. Google names like Scrappy’s, Bittermans, Bittered Sling and Fee Brothers, and you’ll find a world of ready made droplets that will make your drinks pop.

But you don’t have to stop there. If you are ready to look a little further, you can find all the raw ingredients and make your own bitters.

For those of you who will perfect the recipe, it makes amazing gifts for the home bartender in your entourage.

APRICOT AND ORANGE BITTERS

4 1/4 2 1/2 4 2 1/2 2

whole star anise tsp peppercorns licorice roots (about 4 inches) tsp fennel seeds cardamom pods, cracked tbsp dried orange peel cup dried apricots cups high proof bourbon

Place all the dry ingredients into a sealable mason jar. Pour in the bourbon, making sure everything is covered. Seal the jar and set it aside at room teperature. Shake it once a week for about 3 months. This will allow all the flavours to be properly extracted. Strain through cheesecloth into a serving bottle.

If you like your bitters to have a tinge of sweetness, add a 1/2 cup of maple syrup at the end of the 3 months. × 20 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

BON VIVANT BY PETER ROCKWELL ...

How did the Bloody Caesar become Canada’s cocktail?

ILLUSTRATION: MATT DALEY/SHINYPLIERS.COM

As if I’m not transparent enough, I have to disclose that I love a bloody good Caesar. You know how some people insist on taking food porn shots of everything they eat? I’m the same way with my Caesars. Nothing swizzles my stick more than capturing the beauty of a perfectly garnished version (well, almost nothing).

I see a Caesar as more than a cocktail. How well it’s pieced together is my barometer for the mixology muster of any bar, pub, lounge or family-style restaurant whose door I dare to darken.

Sadly, if you’ve travelled outside of our home and native land and looked to wet your whistle with one, you’ll be out of luck. My best, worst Caesar story took place south of our border. Dude swore he knew what I was ordering, but brought me a glass of vodka and grenadine instead. Usually I get a Bloody Mary and a smirk.

So why is a Bloody Caesar so Canadian and not so anywhere else? According to the Mott’s Clamato website, both its clamjammed beverage and the Caesar cocktail were born separately, but under the same sign, in 1969.

Mott’s says that Walter Chell, the liquid guru at the Owl’s Nest Bar in Alberta’s Calgary Inn (apparently now a Westin), took inspiration from a plate of spaghetti vongole and put together a mixture of tomato juice, pulverized clams, spices and Worcestershire sauce. A lime wedge, stick of celery and peppered rim were added as decoration. It became a national phenomenon.

× Ask your questions at bonvivant@quench.me

Mott’s was playing around with its own clam-meets-tomato mixture and, as luck would have it, found an audience of thirsty Canadians all hailing Caesar and looking for a way to avoid having to mash up some molluscs to enjoy one in the comfort of their own home.

So, as a self-proclaimed aficionado, I’m sure you’re wondering what has been my ultimate Caesar experience. I’ve had them with bacon-infused vodka, with everything but the kitchen sink on the side (though a simple string bean is still the classiest) and with whisky rather than vodka. For me, the excitingly endless variations on the theme make the cocktail so much fun.

My best tip is to never pass up the opportunity to try one at an old-school Canadian airport bar. They may make a million of them, but I find love in almost every glass.

I’ve heard rumours that Zinfandel — my favourite grape — doesn’t originate in California. What’s the deal?

By rumours, I’m betting you mean you read it on the internet.

Though I don’t suggest you believe everything you google, here’s one time social media has something right. Zinfandel is not indigenous to California.

The Golden State may have a firm grip on the grape, but it’s never actually claimed exclusivity. It’s just that no other winemaking country has found any success spelling it out on their labels.

The origin of its name seems to be lost to the ages. One thing is for sure: it became the ‘Z’ entry in the liquor lexicon thanks to American vintners, and they’ve run with it since the mid-1800s.

So where did Zinfandel come from?

Well, if you think DNA testing is just for proving paternity on sleazy afternoon talk shows, think again. In the late ’60s, Cali winemakers started tasting their way around southern Italian vineyards and discovered the flavour similarities between Zin and the juice squeezed from the local Primitivo grape.

More lab shenanigans proved they were both clones of some hard-to-pronounce Croatian grape ( just try, Crljenak Kaštelanski). More testing, which I’m sure will come off a lot more entertaining in the movie version, came to the conclusion that, though Croatian, the mother was really ... wait for it ... a grape called Tribidrag.

I know, I was hoping for Merlot too.

Anyway, because Tribidrag was written down somewhere around the time the Earth was cooling, it wins the name game and is Zinfandel’s true parent. ×

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true mean ing

So, yes, it’s confusing. And it gets more so.

In Ontario and BC, there are VQA wines, non-VQA wines and those blended wines mentioned above. VQA means they are wines of origin and represent a promise of quality and authenticity, according to VQA. A bottle stamped with their logo is supposed to ensure precise adherence to rigorous winemaking standards and that label integrity has taken place. It’s meant to be a message for consumers that they can trust that these are authentic Ontario or BC wines.

by Rick VanSickle

I AM A CANADIAN WINE DRINKER. Yes, I drink Canadian

22 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

Dwight Sick

Which isn’t practical or achievable in other wine regions of Canada and thus not wanted.

In Nova Scotia, for example, the growing season is shorter, cooler and not kind to vinifera grapes, the very grapes VQA has embraced; you know, the noble ones, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Cabernet, etc.

So Nova Scotia has incorporated a wide selection of hybrid grapes (most of which Ontario and BC dug up and replanted long ago in favour of vinifera) and has built a thriving wine industry around those grapes. L’Acadie isn’t a swear word in Nova Scotia.

It’s a staple of the wine industry and produces some stunningly delicious wines that help give that region its identity.

It has rejected VQA rules and written its own credo that has been embraced by many wineries in the new Tidal Bay appellation.

The wines there must follow the same set of standards, which includes making the wines with the four “base” grapes of L’Acadie Blanc, Seyval Blanc, Geisenheim 318 and Vidal making up 50 percent of the blend. The distinctive taste profile is made to reflect the classic Nova Scotian style: lively fresh green fruit, dynamic acidity and characteristic minerality.

PHOTO DWIGHT SICK: STUART BISH PHOTOGRAPHY

Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, that’s a given, but L’Acadie Blanc, Léon Millot, Marechal Foch and even Zweigelt all find their way into my glass from time to time. Hell yes, I am Canadian and I never discriminate, so if I see a Nebbiolo, Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara or anything Appassimento, fill me up. I am nothing if not polite, because I am Canadian.

I’m not a lumberjack or a fur trader. I don’t live in an igloo or eat blubber (yuck!) or own a dog sled (well, I did once). But I certainly know what I like to drink. As I travel across this great land of ours, I drink whatever is put into my glass and I quaff heartily. And I (usually) like it.

I speak English and a little French but not American. I pronounce Meritage like a French word even though it’s a California thing and rhymes with heritage. I believe in diversity, not assimilation, and that the beaver is a truly proud and noble animal.

Canada is the second largest landmass, the first nation of hockey and the best part of North America. My name is Rick, I am Canadian and I drink Canadian wine.

And (with my sincerest apologies to Molson Canadian) I have absolutely no clue what Canadian wine means.

Canadian wine? That just confuses me.

As a young man, I was weaned on local wines that, as it turns out, weren’t that Canadian at all. Some of them still aren’t. In fact, most “Canadian” wines made today aren’t from here at all. That’s a very sad statistic, to be sure. International Canadian Blend (ICB) wines represent 73 percent of all Ontario wine sold and account for more than 54 percent of the grape crop, according to the Winery and Grower Alliance of Ontario (the percentage is similar in BC, according to Constellation Brands, the US owner of Inniskillin and Jackson-Triggs). These are wines made with bulk fruit from anywhere but Canada and blended with a minimum of 25 percent domestic fruit in Ontario or as little as zero percent domestic fruit in BC. Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) wines account for only 27 percent of volume sales and 46 percent of the grape crop in Ontario alone.

Simon Rafuse, winemaker at Blomidon Estate Winery, says: “We’re starting to develop a bit of a Nova Scotia wine culture, slowly but surely.”

But how that even remotely translates to a Canadian identity, well, that’s another matter entirely.

“I’m not sure the average Nova Scotian has a clue what’s going on in the Ontario and BC wine industries, or that Quebec even makes wine,” says Rafuse. “Sadly, our provincial borders make it difficult for us to access anything but the most mass-produced wines.

“I would love for there to be a national wine identity, and for someone in Whitehorse to be able to start a meal off with some Nova Scotia bubbly, have an Ontario Chard with the appetizer, a BC Syrah with the main, and a Quebec Ice Cider with dessert. But until we de-regulate the system and make Canadian wines accessible to people across the country, I think the best we can hope for are strong regional wine identities.”

I suppose that if the Canadian wine industry had started in the 6th century BC, like the French, we might be pigeon-holed into a few mandated grapes or segregated into regional styles, not unlike Burgundy (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay) or Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Verdot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc).

But with barely 30 years under our belts (some say the modern wine industry in Canada really got going in 1988 when free trade with the US began and with the establishment of VQA), we are really just at the starting gate to finding that elusive identity.

CANADIAN WINERIES ARE WELL AWARE of the dan-

gers out there: think Australia and Shiraz, New Zealand and Sauvignon Blanc, Argentina and Malbec. All lovely grapes that make lovely wine, but when the popularity of any one of those wanes, what are you left with? Each of those countries is now struggling to get the world to think beyond their one-trick-pony reputation. It’s just not easy to do.

Winemaker Dwight Sick, from Stag’s Hollow Winery in the Okanagan Valley, scoffs at the notion of a Canadian identity. He even snarls at one for BC. Growing Dolcetto, Tempranillo, Teroldego, Vidal, Grenache, Petite Verdot, Orange Muscat, among 10 other varieties of grapes, he says: “Yeah, crazy, I know, but like I said, if someone tells me I can’t do it, I usually do it anyway.”

A recent study in British Columbia points to Riesling and Syrah as the most likely signature grapes in that province, which prompted a barrage of negative comments from cynics. For Sick, “it just doesn’t make sense.”

He grows both those varieties, and makes some pretty nifty wines out of each, but “it’s detrimental to the industry to tell us what and where we can grow,” he says. “We are somewhat of a wild frontier. It’s about diversity and consistently producing a wide variety of styles of wines across the board.”

Like many, Sick dismisses the idea of a wine identity, especially in a country that doesn’t even have universal shipping of its own wines from province to province. “What will set us apart is our ability to do many things well. Our identity is our lack of identity,” he goes on to say.

Lake Erie North Shore-based Gary Killops, who writes for his own wine blog EssexWineReview.com, agrees with Sick that chasing a local identity is pure folly.

“LENS (Lake Erie North Shore) is still trying to find its own regional identity,” he says. “That will come with time.”

Ontario’s southernmost wine region has always existed in the shadow of Niagara, says Killops, but with new winemakers moving into the region, such as Colio’s Lawrence Buhler and Rori McCaw from Cooper’s Hawk Vineyard, the bar for quality wines in LENS has been slowly rising.

“They both bring experience and have motivated other wineries to discover their own unique vineyard ‘somewhereness,’” he says.

Speaking of that new buzzword, “somewhereness” is bandied about a lot in Ontario as winemakers focus and hone in on what they feel works best in the cool climate and soils of the various appellations around the province.

Simon Rafuse

In the emerging South Coast region of Prince Edward County, it’s indisputably Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Wineries are finding success by drying grapes in the abandoned tobacco kilns that once dotted the landscape there, but in Niagara, the largest wine area in Ontario, it’s not so simple.

Nowhere is the Canadian identity more fractured and divisive than in the country’s most recognized wine region. Niagara, much like the Canadian mosaic of ethnic diversity, is a Petri dish, a microcosm for the world’s palette of wine styles and varieties. Yes, terroir-driven Chardonnays and Pinots, thrilling and distinct Rieslings and Cabernet Francs, but also: driedgrape styles, Bordeaux blends, every Italian variety under the sun, fortifieds, sparkling, bio-organic, crazy blends, wild ferment, natural … nothing is off limits.

“As a relatively new wine region, we have the freedom to experiment without the constraints of 400, 500 or 600 years history. We need to embrace this freedom and use it to our advantage,” says Hidden Bench Vineyards and Winery vigneron and proprietor, Harald Thiel. “Let’s revisit this question in 20 years, when all the vines planted in the last 10 years are fully developed … it could be very interesting.”

Thiel, who makes some of Niagara’s most vineyard-focused Chardonnays, Pinots and Rieslings, says the industry is far too young to have developed a specific identity. “As an industry, we are all pushing hard to improve vineyard and wine quality and market acceptance on an ongoing basis. Our identity might be one of continual improvement and experimentation, to find our best varietals and best wines, and to be fully accepted by our domestic market.” So, like I said, I am Canadian and I drink Canadian wine. But I’m not entirely sure what that means. × JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 23

Ofri Barmor

IN THE KNOW Text and Images by Brenda McMillan

Jasbinder Dosanj 24 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

With over 8,000 acres of vineyards, British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley wine region runs roughly south from Vernon for about 250 kilometres. Kelowna, the largest city in the Valley, is a year-round playground thanks to its beaches and lake and its proximity to worldclass skiing. It is also a magnet for top chefs, as passionate residents and visitors fuel its local epicurean culture. I consulted the travel web sites and was lucky to stay with a fellow who introduced me to off-the-trail secret places adored by those in the know.

I KICKED OFF MY VISIT with dinner

at Quails’ Gate’s Old Vines Restaurant where the view was as spectacular as the repast. This is a place revered by locals as a special occasion spot, but really, Wednesday should be enough of a reason to go. My fellow and I sampled a number of dishes and wines, and raved over each. Executive Chef Roger Sleiman, who has been at Quails’ Gate for eight years, told me his philosophy: “Local is a way of life for me.

“It means dealing with farmers’ issues, extra work to source products at times, filling in gaps, and building long-term relationships with farmers, suppliers and the community. But it’s getting easier. New young farmers are knocking on my door, offering labour-intensive baby salad greens and other produce.” He goes on to say, “seasonality is a big part of life. Cherry season has about eight types all ripening at different times. So when it’s time, we eat and use cherries. It’s the same with apricots, peaches, pears and plums, all from local growers.”

Truly, every seat in the restaurant has a view of the vines, lake, mountains and sky, but then, wineries seem to have grabbed all the best real estate.

When you enter Grapevine Restaurant at Grey Monk Estate Winery, you can’t help but gasp. The lake view, shared by the office of Executive Chef Willi Franz, is breathtaking enough to entertain 35,000 diners each year, although most arrive in July and August.

Chef Franz says his customers are an educated group who expect his food sources to be local farmers and producers.

It makes him smile because when he was a boy growing up in Germany, his family got everything from their farm. He says, “my meats and produce do not have to be organic but I do have to know the grower so I know their ways and methods. It’s all about the story ... I choose ripe tomatoes of different colours for their flavours and know that what is plucked from the field in the morning is delivered to me at 2 pm.”

Lunch at Summerhill Pyramid Winery’s Sunset Organic Bistro with CEO, Ezra Cipes, featured a different view of the lake and a groaning board of tasty treats that included charcuterie, local cheeses and nuts, house-made condiments and warm breads, and more prepared by Executive Sous Chef Jesse Rivard. The “Pyramid” in the name comes from their pyramid-shaped wine cellar where Cipes

SANDHILL PHANTOM CREEK VINEYARD SYRAH 2011 ($40) Elegant, balanced, refined, round integrated tannins, great structure ... Yes, but forget all that. Pull the cork, decant the wine and grill a steak. Pour on a little peppercorn sauce and drop on a lump of blue cheese. This delicious, mouth-smacking wine from one of the world’s best vineyards has loads of flavour and a long finish that only needs family, friends and food to make its life perfect.

VOLCANIC HILLS GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2012 ($19) Made from estate grapes, some from 35-year-old vines, this flavourful wine is an easy choice for the Indian-inspired dishes at the winery’s restaurant. Expect citrus and tropical fruit aromas in this fresh, slightly off-dry quaffer. Alternatively, take it home and Thai one on.

SUMMERHILL PYRAMID CIPES ARIEL 1998 ($85) Oh how lively! Dressed in a straw-yellow evening gown, this vibrant, earthy beauty shows off her full figure while maintaining an acid wit. She is the one you want to hang with at a party as she makes any occasion a special one. Grapes are from Summerhill’s vineyards. Smooth, deliciously bubbly.

GRAY MONK ROTBERGER 2012 ($16) Gray Monk Winery is one of the five estate wineries that started the Okanagan wine industry – and the only one still operated by its founders, George & Trudy Heiss. They make a broad range of wines. I liked their Rotberger because it is picnic perfect and can deftly hold its own with chicken and salads, sausages and pasta, and bread, cheese, olives and love. A pretty colour, complex cranberry and spice flavours, solid acidity and a long finish make the price attractive for this Tavel competitor. Serve cold on hot days.

QUAILS’ GATE O.V.F RESERVE FOCH 2006 ($75) Quails’ Gate is a feast for the senses with vineyards running down the hill towards the water affording unparalleled views. Buy a bottle of wine and take your picnic lunch to nosh lakeside, or dine fine in the open-air restaurant with butterflies, flowers and the scent of fine herbs. I loved the rich, ripe, smooth old-vines Foch with my beef dish as it spotlit this delicious wine’s old-world elegance. Lots of smoky spicy flavour; drink it now. And often.

KALALA ZWEIGELT 2009 ($20) One thing I love about Kelowna is that refined and raw can be found side-by-side, like the shining condo tower across from a sawmill. The same holds true with wineries.

Prestigious Mission Hill Estate in West Kelowna is down the road and around a bend from Kalala, a small organic winery with a metal shed that does double duty as a tasting room and winery. Their Zweigelt, made from estate grapes, spent time in Hungarian oak barrels. Light-bodied, smoky and well-balanced, it is a dandy pizza wine.

TANTALUS 2013 RIESLING ($23) Only 2,700 cases of this remarkable wine were made from old and newer plantings. Delicious, pure, refreshing and slightly off-dry, it is a beautiful expression of the grapes. Aromatic with a touch of tropical fruit, it goes into minerally citrus flavours and has a very long finish. Roast a chicken with lemon and herbs, making sure the skin is really crisp, and you will think yourself in epicurean heaven with a glass, or several, of this wine.

THE BEAN SCENE DECAF LATTE I know this is a wine tasting section, but I just have to rave about the coffee I had at this roastery’s two Kelowna shops. Guatemalan beans are medium-roasted on demand at their main location. Rich, mellow and balanced with nuances of chocolate and toasted nuts, their latte thrilled me every day. And best of all? After three days, the barista knew me by sight and remembered my order. That’s Kelowna.

JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 25

says they have done comparison tastings and the wines there age more slowly than those in other cellars.

Downtown Kelowna, Chef Rod Butters steers RauDZ Regional Table, the restaurant he co-owns with his wife Audry Surrao. While looking at framed portraits of local farmers in the room, I raved about a scrumptious Quince Gin Mule cocktail that puts plain gin and tonic to pitiful shame. Made with quince purée, local Spirit Bear Gin ( jumpin’ junipers!), mint, lime and Fentimans ginger beer, all it needs is a patio to be the perfect summertime refresher.

My fellow and I were lucky to snag seats at the bar one busy Saturday night.

With wines by the glass, we ordered the Ling Cod Feature and their Flat Iron Steak then switched dishes and wines half-way through. We considered licking our plates.

Another plate-licking place is family owned and operated Poppadoms, an upscale eatery featuring local wines and a local spin on Indian dishes. Mum Jasbinder Dosanj, the main chef, her daughters, Jasmine and Aman, and her son, Harry, came to Canada in 2009 from England without any restaurant experience. They have built a following for their

Ezra Cipes

Then, along came a popular menu item — bacon-wrapped local heirloom plums stuffed with local blue cheese. Chef Butters says he’s only doing what he has done for his whole career. “It makes sense to me so I hire local talent and use seasonally what’s available for dishes. I’ve been doing it long before there was a name for it. I’m not here to educate people but to offer something real. And simple.”

I thought his dishes were simply delicious. And so did others. It was Tuesday night and the place was packed, as was Micro Bar, their baguette-shaped resto a couple of doors down. It has 26 barstools and caters to a hip, engaged, drink-and-tapas crowd. Chef Evelynn hustles out incredibly good plates while working in an incredibly small space.

Mark Filatow, Executive Chef and owner at Waterfront Wines Restaurant since it opened a decade ago, shares Chef Butter’s love for local products. Like the others I spoke to, he takes full advantage of the Valley’s bounty, so he preserves fruit, pickles vegetables and uses local artisan’s products, like honey and cheese.

26 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

scrumptious food and innovative cocktails. Mum’s Pakoras are packed with six vegetables, just the way she made them for her children, “to get more vegetables into them,” she says. They are light, fluffy and easily the best I’ve tasted.

Salted Brick in Downtown Kelowna is a happening little eatery with exposed brick walls and the best brisket sandwich I’ve ever had the pleasure to meat.

Chef-Proprietor Jason Leizert slowcoaxed the beef for 16 hours, thinly sliced it, layered it impossibly high on a mini-baguette and topped it with a tangy old cheddar. It was my kind of heaven. Even the accompanying local greens were crisp, fresh and tossed with a dressing I wish I could take home. Chef Leizert uses every part of the beast and is a master of charcuterie.

Salted Brick will cure just about anything, including whatever ails you.

Another dandy spot for a meal is Smack Dab’s, a restaurant on the lake that offers dining on their huge deck and a unique tasting of local wines and craft beers. Smack Dab’s Executive Chef Brad

Horen says, “we are very lucky to work where we do; this area has great wineries that are gaining more international recognition as well as a strong following by the locals. We are lucky to have all the farms and orchards and small craft producers that make the Okanagan what it is. All the ingredients are here, great food and great wine, and the area is still growing. What else can a chef ask for!”

Okanagan Grocery Artisan Breads was a very happy find. Owner and baker Monika Walker and her husband Bill craft scrumptious butter croissants and breads using Naomi, their 12-year old wheat starter, and Arnold, their 100-year-old rye starter (I met them; they said little but smelled delicious). Everything is organic.

And to-die-for delicious.

Bread and honey are a wonderful combination here. The sweet stuff is found at Arlo’s Honey Farm where owner Helen Kennedy has acres of bee-pleasing flowers. There, I donned a bee suit and walked among the buzzers as they landed on my mask and gloved hands. Most impressive, beyond the exhilaration of being so intimate with so many bees, was their gift. I fell in love with the Elderflower honey so prized by Kelowna chefs.

On another farm, I found kids — baby goats — and a dairy that uses their mothers’ milk and that of an offsite producer to make luscious handcrafted cheeses. Carmelis Goat Cheese is owned by Ofri Barmor who, with her husband and daughters, moved there from Israel in 2003 to make goat cheese — and enjoy the skiing.

I found her varied fresh and aged cheeses on restaurant plates. After trying them all, plus the silky goats’ milk gelato, I could not choose my favourite.

Codfather’s Seafood Market was mentioned by many chefs as their source of sustainable, fresh fish. Owner Jon Crofts knows the source and quality of his seafood because he knows its origins, chooses his fish, arranges direct transport and has them cut up in-house. He also sells to the public.

Kelowna residents are a lucky lot.

They live in a balmy land of beauty and plenty surrounded by producers of quality wine and food, and talented chefs who appreciate and promote their local epicurean culture. I’ll be back for berry, cherry and peach season. I know love when I taste it. ×

Every year I feel an urge to visit a specific wine region.

One might even describe it as a calling. Whatever term applies, the destination is the same: Prince Edward County.

WHY YOU MAY ASK? SIMPLE! It is heartening to see the growth and changes of a still nascent region. New wineries are opening every year and quality continues its upward trend. Furthermore, there is something incredibly soothing about the area, which I attribute to the folksy small towns, friendly people and relaxed, cottage country mentality.

by Evan Saviolidis

Back Again MY MOST RECENT TRIP was even more compelling due to

the fact that I was there to taste the excellent 2012 vintage.

Like the rest of Ontario, PEC experienced an extremely early bud break; unfortunately, a week of negative evening temperatures at the end of April caused damage to the tender buds.

Wineries that had wind machines came out the least scathed, losing around 15 percent of their crop. Those without, in some cases, lost upwards of 40 percent.

With the arrival of summer, things became hot. June temperatures, on average, were three to four degrees above normal and July surpassed the 30˚C mark for 17 days, almost three times the average. August produced much of the same. With the arrival of September, one of the earliest harvests on record started under nearly perfect conditions. The saving grace for

PEC was that precipitation was normal, whereas other areas in Ontario experienced drought conditions.

Stylistically, the wines are ripe with fruit forward attributes and this has produced two distinct camps amongst the winemakers, especially in regards to the regions two signature grapes: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. According to Fredric Picard of Huff Estates, “all the elements came together to make the best vintage ever, for me at least. I was able to wait to pick fully ripe grapes without any issues from Mother Nature.” Others, such as Caroline Granger from The Grange of Prince Edward County and Dan Sullivan from Rosehall Run prefer 2011 and 2013, as they were cooler vintages that produced more traditional renditions. Personally, I appreciate the overt nature of the 2012 wines and I suspect many consumers will also.

JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 27

The following are a list of the best wines that were tasted by myself and fellow wine judge, Ara Kafafian.

One of the criteria was authenticity. The majority of PEC wineries import grapes from Niagara to produce Niagara and/or county blends, as a means to supplement income. What has been tasted here is strictly 100% county fruit.

88 NORMAN HARDIE UNFILTERED COUNTY CHARDONNAY 2012 ($39) This rendition is a departure from the reductive style of previous vintages. Read open, oaky and overt. The hazelnut, buttered popcorn and spice mesh with the apple, floral and mineral qualities of the grape. A creamy texture and a lengthy finish make for a delicious drop of juice.

WHITES

92 EXULTET ESTATES THE BLESSED CHARDONNAY 2012 ($40) It’s safe to say that owner/winemaker Gerard Spinosa is making the best Chardonnay in Ontario. This is the 4th consecutive vintage of this wine to capture a gold medal at the Ontario Wine Awards. Luxurious, it pumps out loads of buttered popcorn, hazelnut, cream, mineral, banana, pineapple, red apple and spice.

There is excellent length, medium acidity and enough stuffing to evolve over the next five years.

90 ROSEHALL RUN ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2012 ($29) This full-bodied and concentrated Chard spent 16 months in oak, of which 25% was new. The result is a combination of peach, pineapple, red apple, honey and smoke with a long mineral/spice driven aftertaste. Drink until 2020.

90 CLOSSON CHASE CHARDONNAY 2012, CLOSSON CHASE VINEYARD ($29.95) The CCVC is a luscious Chardonnay that shows a heavy oak influence in the form of hazelnut, toast and spice. Combined with the sweet peach, pineapple, red apples and minerals, it makes for a wine that will appeal to both New and Old World wine lovers.

89 THE GRANGE OF PRINCE EDWARD RIESLING 2012 ($15.95)

87 THE GRANGE OF PRINCE EDWARD WINERY PINOT GRIS 2012 ($14.95)

Superb value without a doubt! The petrol, lime, honey, lilac, smoky minerals, white pepper and grapefruit are supported by an intense mid-palate. The finale is long and the balance between acid and residual sugar is beautifully achieved. Drink over the next 3 years.

If you are looking for a great Chardonnay alternative, here you go! For this price, it a solid Gris with a light to medium body and a pleasing profile of peach, honey, citrus, spice and mineral. The silky mouthfeel, moderate acid and lengthy flavours make for immediate drinking. Pair with a cheese platter or grilled chicken.

88 LACEY ESTATES RIESLING 2012 ($25) Bergamot, peach, lime and mineral come together in this wine.

Even though there is close to 30 grams of residual sugar, the perception is that of an off-dry wine. There is ample length to round everything out.

88 ROSEHALL RUN CUVÉE COUNTY CHARDONNAY 2012 ($21.95) This well-priced Chardonnay delivers up a Burgundian fragrance of hazelnut, toast, mineral, honey, apple and spice. A yin-yang of cream and acid carry the finale. Drink over the next 4 years.

88 KEINT-HE WINERY PORTAGE CHARDONNAY 2012 ($20) Fresh-baked apple-cinnamon pie gives way to orange, lemon, honey and white flowers. There is substance, verve and a rich finish that carries. Quintessential lobster wine, indeed. Drink now to 2018.

28 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

87 THE GRANGE OF PRINCE EDWARD WINERY UNOAKED CHARDONNAY 2012 ($16) Medium yellow, this is alluring Chardonnay exudes aromas of apple, peach, pear and smoky minerals. The palate adds citrus, toast, caramel. It is soft and accessible right now.

87 BY CHADSEY’S CAIRNS WINERY AND VINEYARD RIESLING 2012 ($23) A charming little Riesling with punchy personality of peach, white flower, honey and lime. This flows into candied fruit, mineral and spice on the tangy aftertaste.

87 BY CHADSEY’S CAIRNS WINERY GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2012 ($23) This lithe yet accurate Gewürz doles out a combination of lychee, rose, apple, honey. It is dry with a spice tinged finish. Drink now on its own or with a light app.

REDS 90 ROSEHALL RUN CUVÉE COUNTY ‘THE SWINGER’ SYRAH 2012 ($30)

This is a worthy successor to the equally fabulous 2010. Unfortunately, it is also the last vintage of this wine because the vineyard lease has been assumed by another winery. Ruby/purple colour with a powerful Syrah nose of black pepper, blueberry, cassis, vanilla, mocha, hickory and rosemary. Concentrated, the palate shows great persistency and tannic structure to carry it until 2020. In a blind tasting of Northern Rhône wines, you would be hard pressed to pick this out as Canadian, let alone PEC. Ideal for a BBQing your favourite cut.

88 ROSEHALL RUN CUVÉE COUNTY PINOT NOIR ($22) A delicate Pinot Noir with a pale ruby colour. The perfume of cherry, strawberry, violets and earth carry onto the taste buds.

The lengthy finish and supple tannins make for a wine that will drink well until 2018.

88 DEVILS WISHBONE PINOT NOIR LAKE ON THE MOUNTAIN 2102 ($29) This ready to drink Pinot reveals chalk, cherry, spice, plum and hints of blackberry. Soft in the mouth, there is ripe fruit and soft tannins that round out the drinking pleasure.

88 HUFF ESTATES PINOT NOIR 2012 ($30) The explosive bouquet of cherry, raspberry, plum, smoke and cocoa leads into a ripe palate with mild acid and a slightly creamy texture. Very good length and ready to drink, preferably with porcini-crusted pork tenderloin.

87 ROSEHALL RUN CUVÉE COUNTY GAMAY NOIR ($19) Here is a straightforward, no nonsense Gamay that is made for charcuterie boards and/or terrines. Strawberry, cherry, spice, black pepper and oregano are buttressed by lively acidity and soft tannins.

OPPOSITE: Norm Hardie; RIGHT: Caroline Granger

from The Grange of Prince Edward; FAR RIGHT: Rosehall Run’s Dan Sullivan

88 NORMAN HARDIE COUNTY PINOT NOIR ($39) A cherry explosion encapsulates the plum, earth, rose and clove flavours in this medium-bodied Pinot. There is admirable density and persistency as well as a soft texture. Drink over the next 3 years. As a side note, I had a chance to try a barrel sample of Norm’s premium ‘L’ Pinot Noir. It is a truly magnificent wine, which will easily score in the low 90s when released later this year.

88 HUFF ESTATES WINERY CUVÉE JANINE ROSÉ 2012 ($29.95)

86 WAUPOOS ESTATES WINERY CABERNET FRANC RESERVE 2012 ($29.95)

This 100% Pinot Noir traditional method rosé bubbly spent 18 months on the lees, imbuing the wine with a toasty/nutty quality that melds together with cherry, cranberry, crabapple and citrus.

The small, creamy bubbles caress the palate on the lengthy finale.

Made from 3-year-old vines, this Franc shows admirable cassis, plum, raspberry, earth spice and herb qualities. As for weight, it is on the lighter side, with a medium finish and supple tannins. Drink now. × JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 29

When it’s good Riesling has a lot of passionate friends and fans across this great land.

Here’s what they have to say about the grape they love:

by Michael Pinkus

“I love making Riesling because it is so adaptable to different styles and is such a distinct variety within all those variations.”

Karen Gillis, Winemaker Red Rooster, British Columbia “It is the grape variety, which is perhaps the most attuned to its place, expressing wildly different characteristics when grown on clay with limestone or sandy loam or anything in between.”

Daniel Speck, VP Sales and Marketing, Henry of Pelham, Ontario “Riesling offers Canadian winemakers an opportunity to produce a wine that can be considered truly world-class, perhaps more so than any other varietal.”

Ingo Grady, Director of Wine Education, Mission Hill, BC

Through all these platitudes, the thing I learned most about this wine, and the producers that make it, is that no matter whether you’re east in Ontario or west in British Columbia, if you’re making Riesling it’s because your passion for the wines run extremely deep.

“It plays well with others, it’s versatile, it’s winter hardy, it’s a perfect fit for Canada, heck it’s just glad to be here; and we’re glad to have it.”

Daniel Speck “I don’t think you would say Riesling adapts to Canada’s climate — it’s more like a natural fit.”

Stefanie Schales, 8th Generation, BC

Riesling makes you say WOW … It leaves an imprint on anyone that has a sip of it ... Riesling inspires us to drink more local.

Krystina Roman, Social Bee Rosewood Estates, Ontario “The range of wines produced by Riesling includes more styles than any other varietal. From sparkling wines to Icewines, all levels of alcohol and sweetness — Riesling shines.”

Roger Wong, Winemaker, Intrigue Wines, BC

I think all has been said. Now it’s time to taste some of the best Rieslings Canada has to offer. If you’re a fan of the grape, take this magazine with you the next time you go shopping; if you’re a newbie, it’s time to find out what all the fuss is about.

“It is a variety that is highly ‘terroir-expressive’ meaning that the character is clearly influenced by the vines place of origin.”

Rania Peteres, Marketing Manager, Quails’ Gate, BC

FEATHERSTONE BLACK SHEEP RIESLING 2012, ONTARIO ($16.95)

“I enjoy making Riesling in Canada more than anywhere else ... The Niagara Escarpment and the Northern Okanagan both have Riesling plantings well in excess of 30 years. Not many other vinifera varieties have survived that long in Canada, for many reasons … I believe it is the most unique grape we grow in Canada and really works to our strengths.”

Darryl Brooker, Winemaker, CedarCreek, BC 30 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

The nose is apple and lime while the palate has a lemon-lime grip on the tongue; there’s plenty of mineral here matching well with the green apple tartness, producing a long stunning finish.

MISSION HILL RESERVE RIESLING 2012, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($19.99) Aromas of melon rind and lavender perfume while the palate shows white peach, stony fruit, apple, Bosc pear and a pleasant, approachable tangy quality.

NORMAN HARDIE RIESLING 2012, ONTARIO ($21)

HENRY OF PELHAM RIESLING 2012, ONTARIO ($13.95)

Lime meringue notes kick this one off in the olfactories, and on the palate it’s Granny Smith, lime pith and good acidity.

For the price this, is a real bargain: peach, mineral, lemon, lime and green apple, and the pièce-de-résistance, look for some really beautiful acidity on the finish.

CATTAIL CREEK ESTATE SERIES RIESLING 2012, ONTARIO ($16.95) Nice mineral seam runs through the wine with lemon, peach and apple nuances. Acidity is in good balance, leading to a medium length finish full of green apple.

CAVE SPRING CSV RIESLING 2011, ONTARIO ($29.95)

VINELAND ELEVATION RIESLING 2011, ONTARIO ($19) Another beauty from one of Ontario’s best; complexity that has all the markers of good Riesling: apple, peach, pear, nice minerality, vibrant acidity, lovely lemon drop, ruby grapefruit and green apple on the finish.

Bosc pear, Mac apple and nice mineral tones on the nose; palate shows tons of mineral, chalky and talcy notes with lime fruit.

CEDARCREEK BLOCK 3 RIESLING 2012, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($24.95)

GEHRINGER BROTHERS PRIVATE RESERVE RIESLING 2012, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($14.99)

Great minerality with lemon/lime notes and orange zest, citrus is abound here; all brought together by a refreshing tartness. The best descriptor here is “kick-ass” for both mineral and acidity.

Peach and sweet mineral notes along with whiffs of white fruit; peach reigns on the palate with citrus rind and the nice mineral seam keeps it clean.

RIDGE ROAD RIESLING 2013, ONTARIO ($15.95) You don’t usually think of Riesling as juicy but this one’s got it: pear juiciness starts on the front palate and by mid-palate minerality takes over; there’s also good acidity on the long finish.

SPERLING OLD VINES RIESLING 2011, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($32) Seems simple with aromas of peach pit and apple, but the palate shows complexity from candied lemon peel, lime cordial, lots of mineral, let it linger on the palate and enjoy.

TANTALUS OLD VINES RIESLING 2011, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($30) Mac apple, Anjou pear and lemon candy lead the charge to the nose; lemon and lime tickle the taste-buds along with a stony minerality. A fruit/mineral clash worth repeated sips.

Paul Pender from Tawse

THIRTY BENCH TRIANGLE VINEYARD RIESLING 2012, ONTARIO ($30)

FIELDING LOT NO. 17 RIESLING 2013, ONTARIO ($27)

Chalky mineral nose with citrus pith, delicious apple and peach pit; palate shows off the acidity that holds this one together along with the green apple tartness and stony-mineral on the lengthy finish.

Shows the beauty of what 2013 could be in Ontario; pear, peach, mineral sings on the palate along with crisp acidity. This wine has a long future ahead of it.

8TH GENERATION RIESLING 2012, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($20.90)

ROSEWOOD MIMA’S BLOCK 2013, ONTARIO ($18) Apple, peach, pear and lemon curd all make an appearance on the nose and palate, but the palate is where things get interesting. The wine turns all juicy with bits of pineapple adding tropical flavours to the mix.

TAWSE LIMERIDGE RIDGE RIESLING 2012, ONTARIO ($21) Amazing acidity and minerality here — it all kicks off with lime amongst a pleasant stoniness, then there’s the apple, pear and mineral-talcy palate. For all you acid heads.

INTRIGUE RIESLING 2012, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($16) Good name for a winery obsessed with Riesling. Intriguing lime, peach pit and mineral aromas with a palate full of lime zest and green apple tartness.

If the mineral doesn’t get you the bright acidity will, and if you love both you have a real winner in this bottle. Fruit is peach, lemon and apple, which only bring pleasantries to the mix.

FROM THE LIBRARY …

FEATHERSTONE OLD VINES RIESLING 2006, ONTARIO (N/A) Nose of peach, stone and mineral; palate of tart green apple, peach pit and stone … nice depth and character for an 8 year old Riesling, this one shows no signs of waning any time soon.

VINELAND ELEVATION RIESLING 2008, ONTARIO (N/A) Limeade, grapefruit, peach pit and still with great acidity; there’s also honey and pineapple core nuances adding to the depth of flavour and character; this one has a pleasant sweet/ sour (acid) fight on the tongue. × JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 31

T

by Tim Pawsey

he signs are everywhere. British Columbia is riding a wave of liquor reform — and most agree, it’s long overdue. Much of the attention in recent months has been on the province’s moves to liberalize licensing; and to initiate a level playing field that will make it more equitable for privately owned wine stores competing with those owned by the government. However, almost lost in the shuffle has been the remarkable explosion of activity in the small distilling sector.

Opposite, clockwise from top left ... Odd Society's Gordon Glanz; a column still; Robert Simpson from Liberty Distillery; Most craft distilleries have a bar to sample their wares.

32 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

For the last 25 years, BC’s wine industry, centred in the Okanagan Valley, has been the beneficiary of tremendous expansion greatly buoyed by almost unwavering government support that’s helped build an impressive wine tourism infrastructure. However, only in recent years have other alcohol sectors begun to receive similar attention. There’s been tremendous growth in the craft beer and microbrewing sectors, aided in no small part by consumer interest in all things local. Not to mention a thirst for better quality and often more unique styles of beer. The results have been impressive: small breweries have been springing up in neighbourhoods across the province and a new generation of beer aficionados is not wasting time in regularly trotting their growlers down to the local brewery.

Much in the way that the ascent of BC wines helped make it easier to obtain licensing and siting for Vancouver’s parade of new microbreweries, it’s also become somewhat less complex to obtain the necessary permits from all levels of government to build micro and craft distilleries. Yet, while a few farsighted people may have had some premonition a few years back, nobody could have foreseen the interest that is driving the current unprecedented expansion.

Currently there are about a score of small distillers around the province, with most concentrated in the Lower Mainland. These include Vancouver’s Long Table Distillery — which was the first one to open to the public (early in 2013) in city limits for some 80 years.

Distiller Charles Tremewen and his wife Rita Tremewen artfully renovated an old warehouse in what used to be an industrial neighbourhood on the now heavily condo developed shores of False Creek North. Their tasting room (complete with namesake long table, made from a single, giant slab of Sequoia redwood) is just a few blocks from downtown — and a short passenger-ferry hop from bustling Granville Island.

The distillery marks the fruition of a dream fuelled by a passion for sustainable, handmade products, says Charles, who studied Artisan Distilling at Michigan State in conjunction with purchasing a 300 litre handmade Christian Carl copper still.

The couple were originally inspired by a visit to Portland’s distillery row. They figured there was no real reason why the same couldn’t be achieved in Vancouver, especially given the provincial government’s stated intent to loosen laws or abolish many of the ridiculous statutes that for so long had stood in the way of establishing a local distilling culture.

Long Table’s plan had always included a storefront experience where people could watch the process while they taste, states Charles.

“We wanted to have people coming through the door as part of the business.

It’s the social side — the chance to show the product and let them enjoy it on the premises,” he says.

Very Still

JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 33

That aspect has since blossomed beyond expectations, as Victoria has also moved to permit on-premise cocktail lounges — as long as the distilleries serve only their own products. Already popular are Long Table’s “TGIGNT” tastings, where locals drop in for a Friday after work tipple, enjoy a bite from a food truck outside — and often walk out with a bottle of Long Table gin or Vodka. Tremewen has plans to make a range of products that will likely include limoncello, aquavit — and eventually a brown whisky style.

column. Co-owner Gordon Glanz comes from a background of home winemaking and, later, home distilling. Working for a year at a German winery, he learned fermenting, making Schnapps and more.

When Glanz and his wife noticed the proliferation of craft distilleries in the US (some 300 micro-distilleries in the last 10 years) they felt the time was ripe for one in Vancouver. Gordon headed to Edinburgh’s Heriot Watt University, graduated with an MSc — and visited more than a few icons of distilling en route.

Odd Society, which has placed itself quickly on the map with East Van Vodka, now also has its own cocktail lounge, and is gradually expanding its range of products. Newly unveiled is a Creme de Cassis, modelled on a family recipe courtesy of French Table (and former Hermitage) restaurant owner Hervé Martin.

Joining the line-up are a gin, and an unaged and barley spirit, Mongrel, and later, cask whisky.

He’s quick to admit that getting Odd Society off the ground took “at least five years of work and planning — with no shortage of loops and hoops to be jumped through.” He stresses that his BC Craft Distillery license also requires 100 percent BC agricultural products.

“We use malted barley from Prince George. You have to ferment on-site. You have to distil traditionally — and you can’t use neutral grain spirit.”

Spirits became (and remains) a force with which to be reckoned on the international medals circuit.

However, Behind-the-scenes, Frank Deiter was busy helping others. A methodical, detail-driven technician, he was only too happy to offer advice to anyone else doing battle with the bureaucracy — or formally consult to those intent on establishing a quality-driven distillery similar to his own venture.

Charles and Rita Tremewen

A short hop across the water, Granville Island’s The Liberty Distillery was the first to register its plans, back in 2010, with a view to becoming the destination craft distillery on the Island, which already boasts two breweries and an artisan sake maker. Liberty is the brainchild of long-time wine importer Robert Simpson (who also owns Liberty Wine Merchants) and his wife Lisa Simpson.

Liberty makes a point of distinction, producing premium spirits from only BC grown (and, where possible, organic) ingredients. The distillery opened to the public in the fall of 2013, and offers a gin, vodka and white (unaged) whisky, tasted at their 110 year-old Saloon Bar, which was salvaged from an old hotel. It offers regular tours and tastings with an educational bent.

Head over to ever changing East Van, along a still slightly gritty dockside stretch, and you’ll find Odd Society Spirits, with its impressive long black bar, tasting room — and gleaming 350 litre Holstein copper stills and 15 foot vodka 34 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

A FEW PIONEERS doggedly helped pave

the way for the current batch of newcomers, who are no doubt — at least they should be — forever grateful. Most notable is Frank Deiter, the man who founded Okanagan Spirits in 2004 and really got the ball rolling.

The German born Deiter (who retired from a successful career in forestry) had always been concerned about the huge volume of fruit wasted in the Okanagan that could easily be put to good use.

Deiter applied himself to building a company that would produce at least some of the many styles of distillates he had been used to in the country of his birth. In due course, Okanagan

OKANAGAN SPIRITS CANADOS ($40) This cleverly named apple brandy is a worthy salute to its French inspiration. Made with BC Hyslop crab-apples, it yields tropical, oak and vanilla notes with a lengthy finish.

LONG TABLE MARC DU SOLEIL ($40) A partnership between Long Table and Similkameen’s Clos du Soleil produced this very smooth, vanilla, blackberry and anise toned marc, made with distilled Merlot pomace.

EAST VAN VODKA ($36) Deiter doesn’t mince words as to what it took to get to the present stage. “I was fighting for at least six years to get recognized as a craft distiller — as opposed to being Hiram Walker with a small still! We got a lot of lip service but it’s only since last year that the government came up with something workable.”

He calls the new legislation “a super deal for craft distillers,” which — just as important — means “not only can they be financially successful but also allows them to concentrate on the product.”

However, what’s still missing, he says, is a code of conduct that would give the industry a measure of self-governance.

“I am a bit concerned that we don’t have proper rules in place,” says Deiter, who suggests what’s needed is to “define exactly what is a whisky or what is a fruit brandy.”

Deiter has since sold Okanagan Spirits, which continues to flourish, to pursue other interests. He represents German specialty pot still manufacturer Müller and has been instrumental in helping to establish craft distillers such as Saskatoon’s Lucky Bastard and Lunenberg’s Ironworks in Nova Scotia, as well as Mad River Distillers in Vermont. You could call him the godfather of modern day distilling in Canada — and well beyond.

One of the earliest beneficiaries of Deiter’s knowledge was Victoria Spirits, whose inaugural gin was a tongue-incheek nod to Queen Victoria, with a taste profile that appealed to many enthusiasts.

Since its launch in 2008, it’s made its way across the country and now is entering markets in the eastern US.

Maybe it was serendipitous, but the fact that Victoria Spirits was established barely a few kilometres from BC’s provincial capital, and subsequent appearance in any worthy bar, right under the noses of the bureaucracy and politicians, meant its presence couldn’t be ignored. Those who cared to pay attention could hardly ignore the benefits of a small but determined craft distilling industry, including potential revenue.

In most of those early instances, the evolution of the distilled project was tied directly to an existing venture. In the case of Victoria Spirits, it arose from the proverbial ashes of a small and economically challenging winery.

Just up the way in Cobble Hill, Merridale Ciderworks is a respected, estate cidery and restaurant. It has built its reputation by using fruit from real cider trees, sourced from authentic cider regions in Europe and the UK, such as Somerset.

Over the years, Merridale has continued to build a solid following among true cider lovers. However, forward thinking owners Janet Docherty and Rick Pipes had always wanted to go further by initiating a spirits program. Today they make a number of brandies, including a number of “Oh de Vie.” Further north on Vancouver Island, the proliferation continues, with just opened Nanaimo’s Arbutus Distillery. It joins Hornby Island’s remote but much lauded Island Spirits (makers of Phrog gin) and Shelter Point Distillery, just north of Comox.

There’s no question that craft distilling has truly arrived in BC (and across Canada). This is just a taste of what you can find from the new crop of local distillers. ×

A “quirky,” double-distilled, very clear, slightly viscous, smooth and fragrant vodka that East Van describes as a “single malt” style.

RAILSPUR NO 1 WHITE ($49) The Liberty Distillery’s (Granville Island) triple distilled “white whisky,” yields a smooth, rich and almost honey nuanced sip.

MERRIDALE STAIR’S PEAR BRANDY ($40) A gently smokey, truly smooth and very pear-skin tasting drop from Merridale Ciderworks, made from 100% Bartlett pears, oak aged for 6 years.

ISLAND SPIRITS PHROG PREMIUM GIN ($45) Four years in development, made of 14 different herbs and berries: juniper on the nose, before a complex, smooth palate with hints of cardamom, fennel and cumin — and much more.

YALETOWN DISTILLING CO. VODKA ($43) Fruity and caramel notes on top, followed by a smooth and creamy palate with a hint of caramel.

VICTORIA GIN ($50) The original small batch premium gin is still a hot commodity, with notes of citrus, floral and spice, with a clear complexion. Often spotted with her popular consort, Twisted & Bitter bitters.

JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 35

Quebec’s artisanal wine industry has been around for quite some time now.

By artisanal wines, I’m talking berry and honey based wines that are produced with 100 percent local produce. But you’d have a tough time knowing they exist. Given our national lean towards shouting for provincially made products, you’d think that Quebec’s artisanal wine market — a place where you find many unique beverages that will tempt the taste buds — would be at the forefront of every consumer’s palate. The unfortunate reality is that these products are hidden, lost in the depths of the SAQs, hidden behind shelves and shelves of bigger wine producing regions.

In order to shed some light on these distinct Quebec products, I spoke with producers to find out what it is they have to offer, what challenges they face every season and why it is we don’t see more of them on the shelves.

Intro ducing ...

by Lisa Hoekstra

ENTRE PIERRE ET TERRE IN FRANKLIN, QC

Entre Pierre et Terre is a blueberry, blackcurrant and pear farm found in the Montérégie region along the American border. The farm is run by husband and wife team, Loïc Chanut and Michelle Boyer, who have been making wines from their fruits since 2011. Chanut, the œnologue de formation, spoke with me about their passion for producing artisanal wines.

Their decision to make fruit wines instead of traditional grape wine was easy. “We wanted to produce ‘easy’ to drink, affordable wines,” states Chanut. “We didn’t want to fight with nature ... our climate is ideal for growing these fruits.”

The transition into winemaking with these fruits provided them with a challenge — one that got off to a rough start. “Often, the first trials were failures. It took many years, for example, before the arrival of the sparkling pear (via méthod champenoise) which was successful for two years, during which we refined our production techniques and tested new cultivars.” Their other fruit wines took some experimenting, to get the right taste, colour and structure.

That trial and error served them well, since their pear wines were the first to succeed and roll off the shelves. “Our pears are the most in demand. Their delicate, flattering characteristics make them very airy, feminine products,” says Chanut.

FERME BOURDAGES TRADITION IN ST-SIMÉON DE BONAVENTURE

Shifting east and up to the Gaspé peninsula, we meet Ferme Bourdages Tradition, a strawberry farm run by brothers Jean-François and Pierre Bourdages. They started producing strawberry wine in 2010, when they took over the farm from their parents.

“Production has increased [since the 1940s],” says Jean-François. “Now we grow over 50 acres of strawberries and transform a quarter of them into alcohol.” They chose to branch into strawberry wines because “with colder climates, regions [we] must diversify the production of alcoholic beverages and focus on fruit other than grapes, which is why fruit wines are very important,” says Jean-François. “Our goal 36 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

in transforming the strawberry is to have unique products that can differentiate themselves in the marketplace.”

Having a unique product is what they indeed have. Their repertoire includes four different strawberry wines — rosé, sparkling, an apéritif and a cognac — with their newest product in development, a dry rhubarb wine. “Creating products with strawberries is very special because there is no reference,” says Jean-François.

“We had to go through many samples and do our own research.” They’ve really raised the bar on artisanal wines.

INTERMIEL

IN MIRABEL SAINT-BENOÎT

Our last producer is a honey and maple farmer west of Montreal. In addition to the sweet nectar of the honey bee, they have a maple bush and an apple orchard. Their artisanal wines include mead — made with honey, yeast and water; and maple brandy.

Eléonore Macle, daughter of founders Christian and Viviane Macle, joined her parents in running the estate. “I enjoyed the marketing and business aspect so I attended the International Business program at Concordia. Following my studies, I worked abroad and, in 2006, was ready to take over the family business.”

Like the Bourdages, Macle and her parents aim to bring something unique to the Canadian market. “Many small bee farms produce mead for personal use or to distribute locally,” says Macle. Intermiel aims a little higher — enjoyment nationwide.

“We started with sweet, extra sweet and dry, and eventually moved on to mead with blueberries in it and with apple in it.”

Médiéval is their most popular brand.

“It’s made traditionally, inspired by European mead.” Macle comments that it is made with buckwheat honey, their darkest, and is similar in flavour profile to port.

But the truly original part is the way it’s packaged. “Offered in a ceramic bottle — it speaks for itself,” says Macle. “We were one of the first people to offer this type of bottle to the SAQ. We use real, homemade bee’s wax to seal the bottle.”

Their industry survives on not only the success of the bees, but also the climate. “We do face difficulties because we are reliant on Mother Nature,” says Macle.

“Bees are very dependent on the sun. Lots of sun means lots of honey; whereas if it is

a rainy summer, there will be less honey.”

Climate change and the increasing mortality rate of the honey bee are proving to be interesting challenges.

ENJOYING IT ALL

After meeting the producers and speaking about the products, I couldn’t wait to try them. Like standard grape wines, the glass and temperature of the wine as well as the food you eat with it will affect the notes your taste buds pick up. Chanut has a few suggestions about enjoying his berry and pear wines. “We suggest enjoying the sparkling fruit wines in flutes and the other products in INAO glasses or tasting glasses,” he says.

“For berry wines, I opt for cooler temperatures to accentuate their sharp, aromas.” He serves his iced products on ice, because “they are a product of the cold … and the goal is to reach the resonance of the wine.” When to enjoy is different from traditional wines. Chanut suggests enjoying them for brunch or late-night cocktails. “Sparkling berry wine is festive and saves you from a headache the next day.”

Pairing food with fruit wine is an art.

Fruit wines should pair with charcuteries and white meat; iced fruit wines are apéritifs — “enjoy after meals or as a late-evening sipper to share with friends,” says Chanut.

As for the Bourdages’ strawberry and future rhubarb wines, Jean-François says to serve their popular rosé Julia at around 7°C. All of their products pair well with seafood, specifically the ones they make at their farm. You can find a few recipes on their website — www.fermebourdages.com (though you should know, their website is only in French).

Meads, according to Macle, can be served in wine or port glasses. “Our meads are served usually at 3 to 4°C.” Mead pairings differ depending on the sweetness of the glass. Most are great apéritifs or matches for dessert. The Intermiel sweet Verge d’Or, for example, complements Asian cuisine and white meats; while their medium dry Bouquet Printanier can be enjoyed with seafood, goat cheese and Oka cheese.

QUEBEC’S SCENE

All of this leads to the big question. Why aren’t Quebec artisanal wines (or really any Quebec wine) hyped up like their

counterparts in BC or Ontario? While the rest of Canada shouts their wares to national and international markets, Quebec whispers about them in dark corners — often overlooked.

To the producers I spoke to, this situation doesn’t make much sense, especially in comparison to the “local” hype building across the country. “You don’t see Quebec products as much in the SAQ as you would Ontario wines at the LCBO,” says Macle. “They should be encouraging us, not discouraging us.”

ducers could have more latitude to sell products without having to comply with all the regulations.”

Intermiel, even though they’re one of the few mead producers in the country (many of which are found in Quebec), has difficulty selling their products outside of their estate. “We have an artisanal permit so we can sell at the SAQ or at the farm,” says Macle. “We can’t sell at markets, for example … we have to ask permission every time we want to sell outside of the SAQ or farm.” The reason for this is the con-

Eléonore Macle

Liquor promotion is largely controlled by the SAQ. “The provincial monopoly … imposes the ‘rhythm’ and type of consumerism,” says Chanut. “It offers very little visibility to local producers and communicates little about our wines and even less about berry products.” This limited access to the consumer makes it exponentially difficult to make the general public aware of them. People “have to be seduced by unconventional products, educated,” says Chanut.

“We have to do a lot of advertising and promotions to entice people to buy the product,” says Jean-François. Their peak season is the summer, because of the high number of tourists. They are able to sell a lot of their products direct from the estate. “But the rest of the year, we leave here and sell our products in Montreal, Quebec and other cities.”

“I would like the steps for product development to be simplified,” said Jean-François. “It would be nice if pro-

trol imposed on all alcohol sales, even the marketing. “We have one product that is a mead and apple blend; the SAQ want us to put that it is a ‘flavoured’ mead, when that’s not what it is. We had to fight that change and eventually were able to put it on the back label, which wasn’t ideal,” says Macle.

“I can get my products into the SAQ but I can’t dictate where they will put it in the store or how many shelves are used.”

In contrast, Bourdages seem to have better success in Quebec. “Our products are available in SAQs across the province. We produce about 20,000 bottles annually,” says Jean-François. “The SAQ is the way to reach our customers all year round.” A sentiment that other producers share, even with the limited access.

But it won’t be like this forever and we’ll soon see Quebec’s artisanal wines making their way to Canadian tables. If you have a chance, check your local liquor store for these producers or other fruit wines and treat your palate to something new. × JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 37

GET CRAFTY

by Jonathan Smithe

A MEMORABLE SUMMER needs a few simple things: great

company, a pint of something delicious and a chance try new things. So when you are planning your next summer outing, think local craft brewery. Full of innovative brews to quaff your thirst, these havens from the sun offer more than a cold drink. It’s a place where local meets the world. To help you plan your summer right, Quench has compiled a list of must-visit breweries, brewpubs and microbreweries across the nation. We’ve asked some experts to weigh in and give us a few tips and suggestions. So on we go.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Let’s start the tour off on the west coast in a province known for its delicate wines and artisanal craft beers. All of our stops here were suggested by Joe Wiebe, BC-based beer writer and author of Craft Beer Revolution.

SPINNAKERS GASTRO BREWPUB 308 CATHERINE STREET, VICTORIA WWW.SPINNAKERS.COM

Sit yourself down on the sun-bathed patio, admire the view of Victoria’s Inner Harbour and Washington State’s Olympic, and enjoy a meal made from scratch with locally sourced ingredients. In fact, some of those ingredients come from the brewery itself. “Spinnakers became Canada’s first brewpub when it opened in May 1984,” says Wiebe. “It has a diverse beer list that includes some of founding brewer John Mitchell’s original recipes alongside a range of newer styles as well as casks tapped at the bar every weekday.”

BRASSNECK BREWERY 2148 MAIN STREET, VANCOUVER WWW.BRASSNECK.CA

Joe writes: “Vancouver is the middle of an unprecedented craft beer boom — a dozen new breweries have opened in and around the city since 2012. Brassneck is the most interesting and innovative of the bunch: a storefront operation on trendy Main Street where every drop of beer is sold at the brewery, either by the glass in its 50-seat tasting room or ‘to go’ in three sizes of growlers that you can sample at home.” They don’t prepare food; instead, Brassneck encourages guests to bring food purchased at the local food trucks. A unique twist that supports the street’s commerce while making this rustic, wood-dominated tap-room popular.

HOWE SOUND INN & BREWING CO. 37801 CLEVELAND AVE., SQUAMISH WWW.HOWESOUND.COM

Squamish is the outdoor recreation capital of Canada — even though we suspect that’s a self-proclaimed title, we are inclined to agree. Their festivals and outdoor events are complemented 38 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

perfectly by a great brew, which Howe Sound Brewing is more than happy to provide. “Sample the wide-ranging craft beer menu at the pub and stay overnight in a comfortable room upstairs,” Wiebe suggests.

ALBERTA

ALLEY KAT BREWING COMPANY 9929 60 AVE NW, EDMONTON WWW.ALLEYKATBEER.COM

The longest running microbrewery in Edmonton and the fourth oldest in Alberta, Alley Kat Brewing Company began by making the very original Aprikat apricot wheat ale. Their unique line has expanded into a pale ale and grapefruit ale. Free walk-in tours are held Thursdays at 3 pm and Friday at 4 pm.

WILD ROSE BREWERY BUILDING AF23, #2 - 4580 QUESNAY WOOD DR SW, CALGARY WWW.WILDROSEBREWERY.COM

If you’re travelling through Calgary, it’s more than worth it to pop into Wild Rose Brewery’s tap room. Located in part of Currie barracks — a military base established in 1934 — you can sip one of their craft beers, made with all natural ingredients, accompanied by something scrumptious from their menu.

SASKATCHEWAN

BUSHWAKKER BREWING COMPANY 2206 DEWDNEY AVENUE, REGINA WWW.BUSHWAKKER.COM

You’ll find this brewpub in the Strathdee Building, which was built in 1913 out of the rubble of the Great Regina Cyclone (which was really a tornado). Its beautiful pressed-tin ceiling was restored using the original plans. Inside, you’ll find photos and pictures of the historical development of Regina. Their beer list includes nine regular beers, 20 seasonal beers and a specialty mead. Sample them while you eat something from their seasonal menu.

ONTARIO

Toronto seems to be the mecca for Ontario breweries — which would explain why our experts — Ben Johnson, a Toronto-based writer who covers the city's beer, food and restaurant scene; and Roger Mittag, the Professor of Beer who runs the Prud’homme Beer Certification program and founded Thirst for Knowledge Inc. — chose two from this metropolitan area. But Ontario’s a big place, and we found more than one brewery outside of the big city that is waiting to be discovered.

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05 01 Steve and Tim from Beau's Brewing Company; 02 Brassneck's wide selection of growlers; 03 Brewer Kala Hadfield from Spinnakers; 04 Time to "mash in"; 05 Logan Moore the Assistant Brewery Manager/Brewer at Howe Sound Brewing JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 39

INDIE ALEHOUSE 2876 DUNDAS ST WEST, TORONTO WWW.INDIEALEHOUSE.COM

“Indie is a quintessential beer-drinking experience,” says Ben Johnson. “It’s a cozy, unpretentious place to enjoy a great beer that’s made roughly 20 feet from where you’re drinking it. The brewery’s owner, Jason Fisher,” Johnson writes, “has made an effort to collaborate with local businesses wherever possible … the list of beer names is even spelled out on the wall on recycled pews from a neighbourhood church.”

STEAM WHISTLE 255 BREMNER BLVD, TORONTO WWW.STEAMWHISTLE.CA

“My favourite brewery is Steam Whistle quite honestly,” says Roger Mittag. Anyone who has spent any time in Ontario recognizes the slim green bottle with the familiar blue whistle blazoned on the label. “They have learned from history to focus on one brand instead of dozens,” Mittag states. “They have a unique location in the roundhouse in Toronto at the foot of the CN Tower,” Mittag continues. “The brewery is very advanced .... Their event space is stunning, the retail store beautiful, and their tours are energetic and fun as well as informative.”

WELLINGTON BREWERY 950 WOODLAWN ROAD WEST, GUELPH WWW.WELLINGTONBREWERY.CA

Being Canada’s oldest independently owned microbrewery is more than enough to warrant a visit in our opinion. Drop in for a free tasting any Saturday between 1 and 4 pm.

BEAU’S ALL NATURAL BREWING COMPANY 10 TERRY FOX DRIVE, VANKLEEK HILL WWW.BEAUS.CA

With their amazing mix of year-round brews as well as a growing list of seasonal ones, Beau’s is making a mark in Ontario. If you are close to Montreal or Ottawa, this is the place for you. In the summer, the patio allows you the ideal spot to try a pint of the refreshing Sargon Ginger Beer.

QUEBEC

DIEU DU CIEL 259 RUE DE VILLEMURE, ST-JÉRÔME WWW.DIEUDUCIEL.COM

The brew that draws our eye at Dieu du Ciel is Route des Épices (Spice route). It is made with black and green peppercorns, infusing it with peppery flavour. Just one of a long list of fancy flavour profiles. The St-Jérôme location is the microbrewery while the Montréal location is the brewpub. Check their website for the list of beers that will be available before you visit.

MCAUSLAN BREWERY 5080 ST-AMBROISE, MONTREAL WWW.MCAUSLAN.COM

Owners Peter McAuslan and Ellen Bounsal are some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. They founded McAuslan in 1989 and are known for their two major labels — St-Ambroise and Grif40 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

fon Ales. Their terrace is located on the Lachine Canal, about a ten-minute walk along the Lachine Canal bike path from the Atwater Market. It’s the perfect spot for a drink with friends.

NOVA SCOTIA

ROCKBOTTOM BREWPUB 5686 SPRING GARDEN ROAD, HALIFAX WWW.ROCKBOTTOMBREWPUB.CA

A brewpub found in downtown Halifax, it is located underneath a restaurant called Your Father’s Moustache. Their Sable Island Wheat Ale is worth fighting for a seat in this smaller venue. Call them at least two hours in advance to ensure you get a spot. If you go on a Tuesday night, you’ll get to enjoy some kick-ass trivia.

NEWFOUNDLAND

YELLOWBELLY BREWERY & PUBLIC HOUSE 288 WATER STREET & 1 GEORGE STREET, ST. JOHN’S WWW.YELLOWBELLYBREWERY.COM

YellowBelly is located in a historic building, originally constructed in 1725 — making it one of the oldest structures in North America. Its five floors are home to Irish Red, Stout, Wheat, Pale Ale and seasonal beers, and an extensive menu. Make note to visit where the “Great Fire of 1892” was finally extinguished.

UNITED STATES

Here are a few breweries south of border, suggested by Stephen Rich — a certified cicerone, Prud’homme beer sommelier and the mind behind Definition Ale — and Tracey Phillippi — a BJCP Certified Beer Judge and writer.

FOUNDER’S BREWING COMPANY 235 GRANDVILLE AVE. SW, GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN WWW.FOUNDERSBREWING.COM

“The beers at Founder’s are delicious,” states Stephen Rich.

“They show off flavours that are sometimes traditional, innovative, local or outrageous — but always distinct and purposeful.” The Founder’s taproom overlooks the brewing facilities, allowing customers to peak in on the process that makes the beer their enjoying. Couple that with the fantastic deli menu that is extensive and decently priced — making it a popular place to have lunch with friends.

NEW GLARUS BREWING 2400 STATE HWY 69, NEW GLARUS, WISCONSIN WWW.NEWGLARUSBREWING.COM

Founded in 1993 by a Daniel and Deborah Carey, this brewery brought the Spotted Cow to the masses. “New Glarus Brewing ... are a husband/wife operation that has grown by leaps and bounds since their incorporation,” she says. “They produce rare styles of Belgian Beer like sours, geuze and various fruit-based beer.” Like Wild Rose Brewery in Calgary, New Glarus Brewing only sells locally. “They truly believe they should feed their local market first — a true community-oriented brewery.” states Phillippi. If you’re in the area, look them up and try a Spotted Cow — it might be your only chance! ×

Not Your Average Joe Bleary-eyed, I’m hanging out with the birds on the patio waiting for the coffee maker to finish brewing my first cup of hot, black coffee. It’s 5 am. Oh yes, the life of a writer, awake at any hour waiting for an idea to strike. At this ungodly hour, a good gulp of caffeine feels like Zumba for the brain. A dark roast tasting of chocolate and burnt sugar will fill my cup this morning. There’s something that’s just so sweet about coffee. It’s not simply the taste or the opportunity of sharing a pot with friends. It’s that the story of coffee is the story of people.

by Rosemary Mantini

THE PLAYERS

Jon McKittrick is an independent roaster and owner of Syndicate Coffee. Estate Club is his monthly coffee delivery service.

McKittrick recounts his own coffee discovery moment. “I fell in love with the idea of coffee long before embracing the actual drink. The times having a coffee break with my grandfather, working on his farm as a teenager, left an indelible mark. They were moments of happiness and good, thoughtful conversation.

The coffee was instant and horrible. But so many good memories centred on having a cup of coffee that I embarked on a journey to find a cup that I actually could stomach and enjoy.” He eventually got what he was looking for.

McKittrick says that a great roast, “is all about experimenting and discovering what tastes great and what gets thrown out the window into the garden. I’ll roast each new batch of beans to my standard light, medium and dark roasts to ‘feel’ them out and go from there. That’s the fun part: trying combinations, tweak-

ing, adding, subtracting. I’m like the mad coffee scientist.” McKittrick works with the Organic Products Trading Company to source the best beans because “they’ve developed relationships and work collaboratively with farmers and cooperatives on everything from growing practices to community projects to gender equality initiatives.”

Suneal Pabari and Adam Frank founded The Roasters Pack with the goal of helping more people have that moment when they say “coffee can taste like this?!” The Roasters Pack is a monthly delivery system that sources its coffee from independent roasters all over Canada. “We donate a portion of our profits to CoffeeKids.org,” Pabari explains, “which helps farmers and their communities thrive not only with their coffee farming but with their education, health care, food security and more.” As for choosing which roasters to feature, he says, “I love how diverse each one and their roasts can be. I love how great a lot of their stories and backgrounds are. Most of the ones we work with are small so they JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 41

simply focus on making great coffee. I want to try and help them get their great product into the hands of coffee drinkers.”

Joe Harrison operates Grizzly Bear Coffee, where he, too, offers a monthly coffee delivery service called the Coffeeshare Club. “I loved that smell of coffee [growing up],” Harrison tells me. “I love the way coffee is associated with conversation, creativity and comfort. I love that coffee is a simple drink while at the same time there are complexities and variations based on the beans, brewing methods and culture.”

With so much freshly roasted coffee in reach of almost every Canadian neighbourhood, it’s time to push the Nespresso aside and try something entirely different.

I asked Pabari what impact the prevalence of convenience coffee (like Keurig) has on the roasters he’s met. “It’s tough,” he admits. “That would be one of the most discouraging things about this venture. For many customers, convenience is trumping taste. The encouraging thing is that we know that we’re providing consumers with an amazing cup of coffee, and it creates even more of a taste gap between the k-cup coffees and ours. Great coffee isn’t very accessible to Canadians, as Tim Horton’s and Starbucks practically dominate the market and are the accepted cup of coffee. Luckily, on a trip to Costa Rica in my late teens, I had an incredibly vibrant and complex coffee that changed everything. It didn’t taste like anything I had tried before.” Now, doesn’t that sound like something that would get you out of bed every day?

Despite the challenges, Harrison feels that “the world of coffee drinkers is large, and there is room for all sorts of drinkers.

It’s very similar to the beer industry,” he argues. “There are the major players, like Molson and Labatt, but there is also a strong independent micro brewing culture that thrives.”

DRINK WITH THE PROS

As for which beans and roast to buy, there seem to be so many choices that navigating the cafés and coffee bean aisles can seem a little daunting.

“There are two varieties of coffee beans,” Harrison begins, “Arabica, which has a cleaner and brighter taste, and Robusta, which has a darker and muddier taste.” Pabari continues, “the flavour profile can vary depending on the farm, the soil, the elevation, how the coffee was converted from the coffee cherry to the green coffee bean and more. It can even change from year to year. But it’s one of the reasons that coffee is so diverse (and interesting)!

“For roast levels, it’s easier to understand. One general rule of thumb is that the lighter the roast, the more acidic it will be.

You’ll probably be able to taste fruitier elements or floral elements. The lightest roasts will even have tea-like characteristics!

When you get into darker roasts, you’ll pick up more of the roast42 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

ing characteristics, and it’ll have less prominent acidic flavours.

There will actually be less flavour from the bean itself when you drink the darkest roasts, and more flavours that have been roasted in.” McKittrick adds, “it can be confusing because each brand has its own marketing terms, like Full City, Cinnamon and Italian. I stick to the basic light, medium, dark and blends.”

Suneal Pabari and Adam Frank

TRY THIS

I asked Pabari to let us in on his favourite coffee. “It’s pretty difficult for me [to choose]. All of the ones that we use in the The Roasters Pack have a unique flavour profile and texture, which is why they were chosen. Luckily, I generally have a ridiculous amount of coffee available to choose from; so, I can satisfy my specific appetite. I am currently enjoying the Ethiopian Sidama roasted by Bean North. The strawberry/cherry flavours are so prominent. It’s an amazingly bright, clean and vibrant cup of coffee.”

For McKittrick, Ethiopian beans, particularly those from the Eastern Harar region, are truly awesome. “Ethiopia is considered the birthplace of Arabica coffee and is home to some of the oldest strains of Arabica still in cultivation. The Harar bean is complex in flavour and is a challenge to roast. “ Harrison prefers beans from South America, specifically Honduras and Peru. “I usually roast them to a medium or medium-dark depending on the bean,” he says.

Now you have your hands on fresh, locally-roasted coffee beans. How do you get the most from them? Invest in the right grinder. Sure, blade grinders are available in practically every store that sells household appliances. But, take heed of this advice: just don’t go there. Those spinning blades make uneven mincemeat of the beans resulting in a less flavourful brew. Stick to a burr grinder. They’re more expensive, but the action of two abrasive plates crushing the beans does a better job at maximizing the flavour.

Go buy a good coffee maker. A quick look through my kitchen revealed four different types — an automatic drip, an espresso/ cappuccino maker, a moka and a French press. Which one I use depends entirely on the day of the week, the roast and my mood.

But, geekiness aside, the key to great-tasting coffee is learning how to get the most from whatever coffee maker you own. Coffee experts will tell you that the best coffee is made with a manual pour-over style, like a Hario or Chemex. Some will also insist that the beans be freshly ground, the coffee pushed to the side of the filter to form a divot, the water poured in a clockwise direction, the bloom stirred six times with a bamboo paddle and the coffee steeped for precisely four minutes. Got that?

Joe Harrison

“There exists,” McKittrick suggests, “an entire world of fantastic flavour out there for coffee drinkers, if they can get beyond fast-food, grocery store coffee. Find a small, local roaster. There are more and more of us. Let them know what you currently drink, and ask them to take you on a coffee journey. Any small roaster would be overjoyed with working through all the varieties with you until you have experienced a nice sampling of coffees from light to dark roasts and beans from around the world.” ×

Now it’s your turn to go on a tasting adventure.

That little ritual does produce a tasty cup, but if you’re not yet ready for that level of commitment, here are some useful tips: ×× Water temperature should be about 200°F because if it’s too hot, the brew will be bitter. ×× Buy freshly roasted coffee in small batches. Gabriel de Carvalho Dias, head roaster at Carvalho Coffee, explains that “coffee is like cake — you would not like to eat a two month old cake.”

Over time, coffee oxidizes and loses its flavours. ×× Grind the beans right before you brew.

Bean North Coffee Roasting Co. Ltd Whitehorse, Yukon www.beannorth.com Syndicate Coffee Brampton, Ontario www.syndicatecoffee.ca The Roasters Pack Toronto, Ontario www.theroasterspack.com

Grizzly Bear Coffee Guelph, Ontario www.grizzlybearcoffee.com Carvalho Coffee Oakville, Ontario www.carvalhocoffee.ca Saint-Henri Microtorréfacteur Montreal, Quebec www.sainthenri.ca

JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 43

Fishstory Lessons

by Tod Stewart

The Problem In 1992, the northwest Atlantic cod fishery abruptly and seemingly

inexplicably collapsed. In the same year, the Canadian government declared a moratorium on the Northern Cod fishery.

In the short span of about 30 years, in an area where cod was once “so thick by the shore that we hardly have been able to row a boat through them” (according to English fishermen in the 1600s), and from where, as recently as the early 1970s, an astonishing 800,000 tons were being harvested yearly, the 500-yearold cod industry was finished.

While a number of factors conspired to usher in this disaster, the introduction of highly sophisticated trawlers in the 1950s was without doubt a decisive one. Not only were these ships capable of covering huge distances and scouring the deepest reaches, they also ensnared vast amounts of fish that had no real commercial value, but were vital to sustaining the ecosystem in which the cod thrived.

“One reason scientists suspect cod have not returned is that it was fished to such critically low level that the entire food web has been reorganized and undergone what looks to be permanent damage,” informs Robin Poirier of Ocean Wise.

Created by the Vancouver Aquarium, Ocean Wise is Canada’s largest (though not only) sustainability program and was developed to educate consumers about the issues surrounding sustainable seafood. Ocean Wise staff work directly with restaurants, markets, food services and suppliers to ensure they have the most up-to-date information on the state of the ocean’s fisheries. The Ocean Wise criterion for sustainability addresses not only what is caught, but how it’s caught.

“Now, cod’s former prey, such as lobster, are exploding in numbers,” Poirier continues, “and are actually becoming predators to cod fry, [impeding the cod population’s] struggle to return. This provides further evidence that we need to ensure we are fishing sustainably before more situations occur that alter marine ecosystems that are irreversible.”

Adding to the problem was a lack of regulatory control to keep up with the advancing technology. Overestimates of the resilience of the cod population by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is the final nail in the coffin.

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The end result was not only devastating to the cod stock, but also to maritime Canadians — most significantly Newfoundlanders — many of whose livelihood, as well as social and cultural fabric, were permanently and deleteriously affected. Lest fingers be pointed at Newfoundland’s fishing community for bringing on its own demise (not that it was completely blameless), it should be pointed out that countries including Russia, Germany, France, Portugal, Spain and others, were harvesting considerably more from Canadian waters than Canadians were (in some cases, illegally).

Today, there is little sign of a recovering cod population.* The moratorium, originally intended to last two years, remains in place. The cod fishery remains closed.

Did we learn anything from this debacle?

Well, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the global fishing fleet is now two to three times larger than the oceans can be expected to support. Over 50 percent of the world’s fisheries are fully exploited. Over 30 percent are overexploited, depleted or recovering from depletion. Most of the top ten marine fisheries are fully exploited or overexploited.** There are even predictions that if things don’t change, commercial ocean fishing could be pretty much kaput by 2050. There won’t be any fish left.

The answer to the question then, would seem (depressingly) to be “no.” However, there is some hope.

Most reasonably aware people will concede that nothing lasts forever. This can at times be good (Justin Bieber; Rob Ford).

But most often it’s not so good (my snifter of rum). However, with some planning (and some restraint) we can considerably extend the longevity of things as complex as, say, an ocean’s ecosystem.

And the hospitality industry, for one, is definitely catching on.

THE BUYER

“We are seeing a tremendous following building for what we are doing,” reveals Ian Clifford, one of the three founders (along with his wife, Gabrielle Charlebois, and nephew Evan Clifford) of Toronto’s Just Sushi, the world’s first 100 percent sustainable and Ocean Wise certified sushi restaurant. “It is clear to us that average consumers are deeply concerned with the health of our oceans. We think that one of the big issues is being able to believe in the credibility of whoever is certifying the products as ‘sustainable.’ We have great confidence in the integrity of Ocean Wise and so do our customers it seems.

“An Ocean Wise recommended species is abundant and resilient to fishing pressures; well managed with a comprehensive management plan based on current research; harvested in a method that ensures limited bycatch on non-target and endangered species; and harvested in ways that limit damage to marine or aquatic habitats and negative interactions with other species.”

Clifford says Just Sushi’s decision to follow the Ocean Wise suggestions over those established by SeaChoice (another respected conservation program with five separate conservation groups under its umbrella) was due to the less ambiguous ranking of “sustainable” or “not sustainable” employed by Ocean Wise (SeaChoice uses a “Best Choice,” “Some Concerns,” “Avoid” gradated scale).

It’s no accident that Just Sushi features a sustainable menu (right down to the organic white and purple rice, nori and miso; a zero emission e-bike handles deliveries and the restaurant is Bullfrog powered). Becoming the world’s first 100 percent Ocean Wise sustainable sushi spot was a bit of a surprise bonus.

THE SUPPLIER

“When we got serious about the planning for the restaurant, sustainability was at the top of our list of objectives,” Clifford

maintains. “We didn’t know whether a 100 percent sustainable menu was possible for sushi because we had never seen it before. But once we met Ocean Wise, and started working with Seacore, we realized that we could offer a beautifully varied and affordable selection for our customers. We did not go into this expecting to be the first 100 percent Ocean Wise recommended sushi restaurant in the world, but we were happily surprised, and proud, to be the first.”

Seacore Seafood Inc is a Canadian (based in Vaughan, Ontario — just north of Toronto) wholesaler that specializes (wherever possible) in the sale of sustainably harvested fish and seafood.

For Clifford, the search for a supplier stopped at Seacore’s door.

“They run a very impressive operation. And their commitment to Ocean Wise and sustainability programs and initiatives is equally impressive. They also are the key supplier to Whole Foods in Canada, so they have good buying power, which has helped us manage our costs in our initial location. And the quality of the fish is amazing. Truly.”

Which begs the question: Just Sushi relies on the integrity of Seacore when it comes to procuring sustainably fished product. But how does the company ensure the integrity of the fishers it buys from?

Seacore’s Sal Battaglia works with non-government organizations to ensure there’s no question when it comes to the provenance of the catch he sources. “When there’s any doubt, if we do not have full traceability on the species, then Seacore will not sell it as being sustainable. Only with complete certainty will Seacore sell something as being sustainable. It must be black and white on its sustainable rank, and have no gray areas.”

Battaglia uses the example of British Columbia sockeye salmon to illustrate his point. “We sell all BC sockeye salmon as Ocean Wise sustainable because all BC sockeye salmon falls into the Ocean Wise ‘recommended’ category.”

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THE WILD FISHER

Robin Poirier

THE CHEF AND THE CUSTOMERS

Considering the attention placed on the sustainability of the Ocean’s ecosystem — particularly after the 1992 cod moratorium — one wonders why it took so long before an establishment like Just Sushi opened up. One suspects price could have been an issue. That and the added hassle of sourcing only sustainable menu items. After all, sustainable fishing can be likened to the hand harvesting and sorting of wine grapes. It takes extra effort, which, in turn, translates to higher prices. Interestingly (and possibly, surprisingly), added cost didn’t prove to be much of a hurdle to get over.

“It [wasn’t] difficult at all,” Clifford admits. “And we are learning that customers are happy to pay a bit more for sustainable seafood. We certainly hope this is finally the start of a massive wave towards complete sustainably practices.”

The thing is, the offerings at Just Sushi aren’t at all out of line, cost-wise, when compared to other boutique sushi joints. And the fish is meltingly fresh.

What was difficult, according to Evan Clifford, was finding a chef that, in his words, embraced sustainability and could think outside the box. “When you interview a chef and ask if he’s used sustainable bluefin tuna and he says, ‘yes,’ you know he’s not the right guy,” he says with a slight shake of his head. (Atlantic, Pacific and southern bluefin, top predators in the food chain, are all on the WWF’s endangered list). The Cliffords eventually found their man in chef Eko Prasetyo, who had refined his chops at Edo, a Toronto sushi institution.

As varied and interesting as the menu is at Just Sushi, going 100 percent sustainable means some traditional items didn’t make the cut. Obviously bluefin, but also unagi — eel.

Poirier says that eel is high on the predatory food chain and that, currently, there’s no way to harvest it sustainably. This contention doesn’t sit at all well with PEI eel fisher George Dowdle.

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“They are full of s**t!,” responded Dowdle when told why Just Sushi says no to eel.

“We fish with live trap nets and some use pots. In both cases the eels are live, so we return all undersize and non-target species unharmed. Further, PEI has the most progressive eel season and CMP [conservation management and protection] in the world. Nobody here is allowing any type of dragging for eel. If anyone claims otherwise, they are lying.”

The health of PEI’s fishery is obviously top of mind for Dowdle and others who rely on it for their livelihood. And despite their differences, PEI’s fishers are pretty much in agreement as to what practices need to be followed. The problem is that threats to the fishery sometimes fall beyond their control.

“Anoxic water can be a huge problem,” Dowdle explains. “In a nutshell, what happens is, you have a lot of farm runoff — nutrient loading, as the government likes to call it — getting into the river. This fuels the growth of algae, and the algae burns up oxygen.” The low oxygen levels interfere with the metabolism of the eels and leads to their death.

“I can’t sell a dead eel, only a live one,” Dowdle quips, adding that when anoxic water is detected, eel fishers will collectively agree to postpone the start of the season to lessen the impact on the eel population. And while this is a huge benefit to the eels, it can have significant financial impact on the fishers. They can choose to delay the start of the season, but only the government can extend the season; something it is very reluctant to do. So the eel fishers face a shorter window, typically resulting in smaller catches and less profit. Controlling the runoff in the first place is another thing the government seems equally unenthusiastic about.

“I’ve been pushing very hard for the problem to be recognized and dealt with,” Dowdle says in a voice sounding slightly weary from frustration. “But I’m not having very much luck ’cause, you know, agriculture in PEI basically overrules fishing.”

Dowdle isn’t shy in suggesting that the large potato farming corporations seem to regulate the government, as opposed to vice versa, when it comes to what’s being sprayed on the fields. “These days I’m pretty particular about what I eat,” he admits, “and I won’t even eat a potato out of a field in PEI. Those potatoes are sprayed so damn much it’s a wonder they don’t (expletive) glow.”

He admits the industry has been changing its practices, but still contends there are better ways of doing things. “You shouldn’t put it on a field if you can’t put it in your mouth.”

While it might be hard to think that farming practices in PEI are a serious threat to the fishing industry, fishers are still recovering to some extent from a runoff incident that decimated

“An unsustainable fishery depletes not only the target species, but many other species including those that are endangered, to levels where they may become so low they cannot recover, which appears to have happened to our Atlantic cod.” says Robin Poirier. stocks nine years ago. “I personally lost about five acres of adult oysters. That’s about four to five years of hard work down the tubes. Collectively speaking, the fishers in my river lost about $800,000. And we’re not even talking about the other types of environmental damage resulting from the runoff.”

Luckily, by taking the sustainability of the regional aquatic ecosystem seriously, Dowdle says that signs of recovery are evident, and that eel stocks, in particular, are actually starting to increase. All of which makes his dealings with the Ocean Wise people curious, to say the least.

“I answered a whole slew of questions from an Ocean Wise representative, and talked to him about our fishing practices here, and about how our conservation methods have made us the only province to show a growth in the eel population.” Unfortunately, the certification process seemed to end there.

I followed up with Poirier and found that the reason for this was pretty simple: the person who Dowdle had been dealing with at Ocean Wise had left the organization. Supplied with a new contact, he is once again pursuing certification.

The Cliffords, for one, are urging him not to give up.

“It would be amazing to serve Ocean Wise recommended sustainable Canadian eel!,” enthuses Ian. “And we will encourage Ocean Wise to work with this particular source to determine whether they meet the criteria for sustainability.”

Dowdle is confident that he will, and that it might just come down to giving Ocean Wise representatives more insight into how the maritime wild eel fishery operates.

“The practice of sustainable fishing certainly has a positive effect on our marine environment,” she maintains. “If you look at the same species/similar species that are fished by two different methods under different management systems, you can clearly see the positive impact the sustainable practice makes to ensure we have fish long term.

“For example, albacore tuna is fished off the coast of British Columbia by troll or pole, which is selective to one fish at a time. There is robust management in that area, the stock levels have remained healthy, and the selection of species by the use of pole results in a very low level of bycatch. The BC albacore tuna pole fishery has remained healthy and looks to continue to be healthy into the future. Alternatively, if you examine a species like yellowfin tuna caught in the Indian Ocean by pelagic longline, you’ll see an example of a fishery that is doing very poorly. The Indian Ocean stock has been overfished for some years, biomass levels have declined steeply, and the management in the region has been deemed ineffective. Pelagic longlines also catch a number of incidental species, including endangered and threatened sea turtles, seabirds, marine mammals and billfish, which ultimately perish and are wasted in the fishery.

“It becomes clear that a sustainable fishery ensures low impact on the marine ecosystem and the ability to harvest fish into the future,” she concludes. “An unsustainable fishery depletes not only the target species, but many other species including those that are endangered, to levels where they may become so low they cannot recover, which appears to have happened to our Atlantic cod.”

THE CONSERVATIONIST

THE PAYOFF

“Most of our current recommendations against eel are primarily for farmed eel that are raised in open-net pen systems using young eels captured from the wild, a practice that depletes the population, consumes a high amount of marine resources in feed, and creates pollution from waste during the grow-out in the open ocean,” Poirier admits. “Less [information] has been gathered on small-scale wild eel fisheries, but some concerns include the fact that eels are slow to mature and reproduce — they are not a resilient species — and the stock status for most species is unknown.”

Maybe a first-hand look will provide such information ….

Of course, the ultimate “big question” surrounding sustainable fishing practices is whether or not they are actually leading to a regrowth of depleted populations and a return of ocean ecosystems to a more balanced state. The growth of the PEI eel stocks certainly suggests this is the case. Poirier says that the evidence that sustainable practices are necessary — and succeeding — is abundant.

Finally, as sushi lovers, one significant question remains: does sustainably harvested fish and seafood actually taste better than that caught using other methods?

“Definitely,” answers Ian. “A fish that is caught sustainably, either individually line caught or farmed, is treated differently: better. It is handled more carefully. And we believe this reflects directly on the high quality of the fish we serve.”

Pass the (organic) wasabi. * There have been intermittent reports that cod stocks may be enjoying a bit of a recovery, or that the larger populations have moved away from their traditional areas due to rising ocean water temperatures. However, a 2013 study by Dalhousie University concluded that it isn’t likely that they will return to pre-moratorium levels. ** Citing 2010 data × JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 47

Off

by Duncan Holmes

The nicest thing about a picnic is that, with the flick of a red and white chequered tablecloth and the introduction of a wicker basket loaded with victuals, the whole world can become your dining room. And come wind, rain or intruding critters, your picnic, no matter what the venue, is pretty well guaranteed to inspire memories enough to last a lifetime.

48 Ă— @QUENCH_MAG Ă— JULY/AUGUST 2014

A FEW YEARS BACK, me and the missus were invited to join a couple and their pre-teen daughter in a journey from their home in London to a new home in the south of Spain. We made the trip in a crowded little Bedford van. Crowded, because as well as the five of us, the van was also loaded with Malcolm’s “wine cellar,” cases and cases of precious vintages that he had acquired over the years, and which would become part of the provisional architecture at the new place near Cadiz, on Spain’s sherry coast.

Having bounced across the Channel to Calais on a jaunty June morning — coincidentally the slightly-strange anniversary of D-Day — we stopped at a Carrefour market to load up on baguettes, beurre, fromage, jambon, foie gras, cornichons, fruit and bottles of Badoit — the fixin’s for a picnic lunch. Somewhere between Abbeville and Rouen we pulled off into an expanse of Remembrance-Day-type poppies and soapy-blue flax, spread out a blanket and noshed supremely in the sunshine, in a friendly French field. And avoiding any arches d’or, other symbols of fast-food or North American roadtrip familiarity, we picnicked like that through the rest of France, the Pyrenees and southward across rolling Spain to the Mediterranean.

Picnics like these, and like yours, go back a long way. It would not be surprising to learn that one sunny afternoon Henry the Eighth might have said: “before proceeding with the execution of my latest wife, good people, why don’t we bundle up all of these excessive goodies and eat them as we loll around on the Hampton Court lawn?” And so picnics evolved.

These culinary outings have had some high-profile attention along the way. “If you go down in the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise …” You will remember that it was teddy bears who were picnicking in that classic. William Inge’s dark play Picnic was a hit on Broadway and subsequently became a hit movie.

“Once a Year Day” was a song in Pajama Game, another Broadway hit, when the cast got together for a rollicking company picnic. Pajama Game also became a movie. Another movie was Picnic at Hanging Rock, director Peter Weir’s ethereal take on a possibly-true story about a Valen-

tine’s Day in Australia, when a gaggle of private-school girls went on a picnic and mysteriously vanished.

Many corporations have had, or have considered, a company picnic, complete with kegs of beer, egg and spoon races, baseball games and job-threatening hanky-panky off to the side. At this time of year, as the country tries to forget that ridiculous stay-inside winter-spring and welcomes the zephyrs of summer, thoughts turn to new prospects. The opportunity to eye what’s coming on fresh and local, to pack up the basket, find a spot and eat out.

The participants in these jolly events run the gamut. Loving couples out for a secret tryst, families, friends, lacy and intriguing Jane Austen types, Boy Scouts, Sunday School kids and teams revelling in their latest victory will gather in back yards, public parks and in the shade of the willows by the river to picnic. They do it, formal or thrown together on a whim, knowing that their picnic will gladden the heart and take them to another world of potentially-magical whimsy.

In the Western world, it seems that while picnics offer an opportunity to trot out tastes of the exotic, the staples invariably include foods that over the years have found a niche. Some kind of potato salad, variations of deviled eggs, breads, cheeses, pickles and tasty treats that have lingered long in the fridge, waiting for a reason to be released. And in July, the basket will include the first tastes of the summer season.

Crunchy snap peas, spinach and lettuce for the salad, beets and radishes, cherries and strawberries. And don’t forget breads, biscuits, cakes and cookies. Cheeses pack well for the front part of the picnic. And so, of course, does chicken — cook it ahead of time — sausage, and all kinds of sliced meats from the deli. To drink? If you’re travelling far afield, appoint a designated driver and pack your choices of beers, wines and wellchilled champagne. For the non-drinkers and kids, homemade lemonade.

You will discover that one good picnic leads to another. The world outside awaits; and the rewards of dining in the great outdoors will bless you long after the sun has gone down, the bonfire is lit, the marshmallows have turned golden-brown and the soft notes of “Kum Ba Yah” drift lazily into a starry summer sky.

JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 49

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

These are great right out of the oven, but just as good cold at your picnic. Throw some raisins into the mix if you wish and take along a jar of jam.

2 cups all purpose flour 1 tbsp sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 10 tbsp chilled unsalted butter in pieces 2/3 cup plus one tbsp chilled buttermilk

1. Heat oven to 375˚F. 2. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and

salt into large bowl. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal.

3. Gradually add buttermilk, tossing with fork until large moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball. Divide into four pieces.

4. Shape each piece into 3-inch rounds. Transfer to baking sheet, spacing evenly. Bake biscuits until tester inserted into centre comes out dry, about 20 minutes.

5. Biscuits will be pale. Transfer to rack and cool to lukewarm.

HEATHER’S POTATOES

SERVES 8 HOT AT HOME, OR COLD AT YOUR PICNIC Heather claims to have gotten this recipe from a book, but I’ll always remember it as hers. She likes to entertain, always offering something new and always surrounded by recipe books — right to the moment of serving. There are all kinds of things you can do with a potato and this is one of the tastiest. Mint has the freshest flavour and if you have additional varieties in your garden, by all means use them.

5 1/2 lb new potatoes

8 cloves garlic, finely minced 1 1/2 cups quality olive oil

1 large or 2 small bunches fresh mint, stems removed, leaves finely chopped

1 tbsp coarse salt Freshly-ground black pepper to taste 1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Wash (but

don’t peel) potatoes, cut into large pieces, oil and roast in shallow pan for 2 hours.

50 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

2. Toss the potatoes with the garlic, oil, mint, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

3. Let stand for 30 minutes before serving.

TERIYAKI CHICKEN WINGS

I’ve made these for years, and served them both hot and cold. Unfortunately, I’ve never recorded the recipe, but using these ingredients, they always work. Take them cold to your picnic. And remember some napkins to wipe your fingers.

1/2 1/2 1/2

2

1

cup soy sauce, light or dark cup brown sugar cup water or more cloves garlic, crushed Dash of Tabasco kg chicken wings

1. Stir the ingredients together to dissolve the sugar, bring briefly to a boil, then cool.

2. Toss the wings into the mixture to coat, and bake in a 300˚F oven for an hour or so until cooked. Take along some buttered rolls as an accompaniment.

Stylist friend Antoinette suggested a salad of quinoa, “lots of veggies,” nuts, feta and dried cherries.

DANAE COOKIES

My friend Danae brought these along as a contribution to the wealth of food that ended up on the table at a farm picnic at daughter Jen’s place in the Fraser Valley. Good cookies should always be in a picnic hamper.

1 cup butter 1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar 1/2 cup rolled oats

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs 1/2 cup coconut

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup milled flax seed 1 1/2 cups flour 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp allspice 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon* 1/2 cup molasses* 1. Mix the ingredients together in or-

der, leaving those marked * to be added at the end.

2. Drop 1-inch balls onto a cookie sheet.

Bake at 350˚F for 10 to 12 minutes.

3. Let cool for a few minutes. They will become crispy and delicious.

BEACH PEACHES

When the sun goes down, campfires are often part of a picnic. Either for doing marshmallows at the end of a stick, or simply to warm the body and soul. I’ve shared this “recipe” before, but at one picnic we made a barbecue by scooping out a “bowl” of sand at the beach, lining it with foil and covering burning briquettes with a traditional barbecue wire rack. Finishing the main course, we were left with the last of the glowing coals, half a dozen ripe peaches, a bottle of Grand Marnier and a tub of melting ice cream for dessert. We also had plenty of foil. So we removed the pits from the peaches, loaded the centres with butter and Grand Marnier, then wrapped them in foil and popped them on the barbecue for about 20 minutes, moving them every now and then to prevent burning.

After 20 minutes, we opened the foil and the peaches, and topped them with ice cream. They were sensational. This dessert, of course, can be made at the end of any barbecue meal.

(My experience is that no matter how well you attempt to time your barbecue, the coals won’t be QUITE ready for the steaks, but JUST RIGHT when you’re ready for dessert. Hence the peaches, and a new and efficient use of the barbecue!

Some choose to take along a Coleman stove or equivalent to their picnics. This introduces the possibility of all kinds of hot-food recipes and coffee. It might be a bit too complicated for a picnic.)

LEMON CORDIAL

This was a favourite in the hot Australian summers of my youth. It usually coincided with the lemon harvest — right in our backyard! And it was great for a picnic.

1 1/2

7

1

1

lb sugar Lemons, juiced Rind of 1 lemon oz citric acid l boiling water Mint to taste

Mix all together. When cold, strain and bottle. This is a concentrate. Mix five to one with ice and cold water.

deviled eggs

The web is loaded with “authentic” deviled egg recipes.

This one, on the Food and Wine site, came from Terry Sweetland. I’m not a deviled egg fan — too many as a kid — but they always show up at picnics.

1 dozen large eggs 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard 1 1/2 tsp yellow mustard

3 dashes Worcestershire sauce Sweet paprika or pure ancho chile powder, for garnish 1. In a medium saucepan, cover the eggs with cold water and bring to a rolling boil. Cover, remove from the heat and let stand for 12 minutes.

2. Immediately drain the eggs and gently shake the pan to lightly crack the shells. Fill the pan with cold water and shake lightly to loosen the eggshells.

3. Let stand until the eggs are cool. Drain and peel the eggs; pat dry. Cut the eggs in half lengthwise.

Carefully transfer the yolks to a mini processor.

4. Add the mayonnaise, Dijon and yellow mustards and Worcestershire sauce to the mini processor and pulse until smooth and creamy; season with salt.

5. Using a pastry bag fitted with a star tip or a teaspoon, fill the egg whites with the yolk mixture.

6. Arrange the eggs on a platter, garnish with paprika and serve.

MAKE AHEAD: The recipe can be prepared up to the pastry bag part and refrigerated. If you’re taking them to a picnic, try to keep them cool.

MATCH: Alexis likes to pair a Rosé with these deviled eggs; Rosé wines have enough substance to balance the eggs’ richness, but almost no tannins, which tend to make eggs taste metallic. ×

JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 51

bouquet garni by nancy johnson ...

Low and Slow Most backyard chefs know how to throw a juicy steak on a hot grill. But creating real barbecue is a whole different ball game. Top pitmasters have three words for it: “low and slow.”

BARBECUE BABY BACK RIBS

SERVES 4 The ribs are soaked in brine and then dry-rubbed before grilling. Allow 2 hours prep time and about 3 hours cooking time. Don’t stray too far from the grill during cooking time; the ribs require turning and the grill must maintain a consistent temperature. Some pitmasters fill a clean spray bottle with vinegar and other seasonings to spritz the meat every so often.

Homemade or purchased barbecue sauce can be brushed on the ribs in the last 10 minutes of cooking, although the rub is pretty flavourful on its own. Serve with grilled corn on the cob and Cranberry Pecan Coleslaw.

1 1/2

2

To ‘cue like a pitmaster, think PITMASTER: Preheat the grill and use Indirect heat to create an outdoor oven. Use Tongs to flip the meat — a fork will pierce and release precious juices.

Prior to cooking, use Marinades and rubs to develop interesting flavours but Add Sauces only in the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking. Use a Thermometer to check the internal temperature of meats. Finally, when all is said and done, barbecue is about enjoying good food with friends and family. Eat and Relax. You’re an honorary pitmaster! Don’t forget the serviettes.

A gas barbecue with two burners is the easiest way to learn how to cook low and slow. Preheat the grill to 500˚F, then turn off or lower the heat on one of the two burners. Clean the grill with a crumpled piece of foil and tongs. A safe and flavourful way to oil the grill is to spear half an onion on a long fork, dip it lightly in vegetable oil and then rub it across the grates. Wood chips add an extra dimension of flavour, but remember to follow manufacturers’ instructions.

Don’t stray too far from the ’cue; keep an eye on the proceedings. Crack open a cold one, and soak up some sun while your barbecue does the work.

52 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

cup kosher salt cup sugar racks baby back ribs Dry Rub (recipe follows)

1. In a large stockpot or food-safe plastic container, dissolve the salt and sugar in 4 quarts cold water. Add ribs and refrigerate 1 hour.

2. Remove ribs from brine; pat dry. Season with dry rub and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat grill to 500˚F. Turn off one burner; turn the other burner to medium.

3. Place the ribs over the unlit portion of the grill. Close the lid. As the temperature of the grill drops, make sure it maintains at 300˚F. 4. Turn ribs every 30 minutes until fall-off-the-bone tender, about 3 hours.

THE PITMASTER DRY RUB

Dial up or down any of the ingredients to create a rub to your liking.

4 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1/2

tbsp paprika tbsp ground cumin tbsp chili powder tbsp brown sugar tbsp dried oregano tbsp sugar tsp garlic powder tsp black pepper tsp cayenne pepper

In a small jar, shake ingredients together. Store leftover rub up to 1 week in an airtight container at room temperature.

× Search through a wide range of wine-friendly recipes on quench.me

CRANBERRY PECAN COLESLAW

BEEF BRISKET WITH MOLASSES BARBECUE SAUCE

1/2 1/2

1/4

1/4

4

3

2

1

The unexpected addition of cranberry and nuts adds a welcome change to the usual coleslaw. If you like more dressing, make a double batch of the mayonnaise mixture.

1/2 1 1 1/4 1 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/4

cup real mayonnaise tbsp honey tbsp Dijon mustard tsp celery seeds bag coleslaw mix cup chopped pecans cup minced red onion cup minced celery cup dried cranberries

1. In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, honey, mustard and celery seeds.

2. In a large bowl, combine coleslaw mix, pecans, onion, celery and cranberries. Fold in mayonnaise mixture. Chill 1 to 4 hours before serving.

TANDOORI RACK OF LAMB

It’s not as tricky as it sounds to turn out succulent grilled rack of lamb, and it’s a nice change of pace from the usual beef or pork barbecue. The marinade can also be used with chicken.

2 1 1 2 2 1 1 1/2 1/4 1/2 1/2

racks of lamb cup plain yogurt tbsp vegetable oil cloves garlic, minced tsp minced fresh ginger tsp ground coriander tsp ground cumin tsp cayenne pepper tsp cinnamon tsp ground turmeric tsp salt

1. In a large bowl, whisk yogurt, oil, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, turmeric and salt. Pour over lamb racks. Refrigerate 4 hours.

2. Preheat grill to 500˚F. Clean and oil grates.

3. Turn one burner to medium-low; leave the other burner on high. Remove lamb from marinade. Discard marinade.

4. Place the racks, bone-side up, on the medium-low portion of the grill. Cover and grill 8 minutes, rotating the racks to prevent burning.

5. Continue cooking, covered, for 15 minutes or until it has an internal temperature of 130˚F for medium-rare, rotating the racks as needed. Remove from grill and let rest under a tent of foil for 10 minutes.

6. Serve with a salad of thinly sliced red onions and cucumber dressed with a mixture of plain yogurt, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and minced chives.

MATCH: Lamb pairs well with Malbec, Grenache or Shiraz.

SERVES 4 TO 6 Barbecued beef brisket is delicious thinly sliced and piled on toasted rolls. Serve with Kale Salad with Bacon Buttermilk Dressing.

Molasses Barbecue Sauce cup ketchup cup brown sugar cup water cup cider vinegar tbsp vegetable oil tbsp molasses tbsp yellow mustard tsp horseradish (or to taste)

1 beef brisket, about 2 1/2 lb 2 tbsp olive oil

1. In a large saucepan, combine ketchup, brown sugar, water, vin-

egar, oil, molasses, mustard and horseradish. Cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved and sauce is bubbly.

2. In a large skillet, brown brisket on all sides in the olive oil.

Place brisket in disposable aluminum pan. Pour sauce over brisket. Cover tightly with foil.

3. Meanwhile, heat grill to 500˚F. Turn one burner off; lower the other burner to medium.

4. Place pan with brisket over cooler burner. Cover and grill 2 1/4 to 3 hours or until meat is tender. Make sure grill maintains 350˚F temperature.

MATCH: Zinfandel will stand up and salute the molasses and horseradish.

KALE SALAD WITH BACON BUTTERMILK DRESSING Everything tastes better with bacon, even kale.

6 slices bacon, chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup buttermilk

1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, minced

1 clove garlic, pressed through garlic press

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp paprika Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 bag baby kale or baby spinach (or a combination of both)

3 scallions, minced 1. In a large skillet, sauté bacon until crisp. Drain on

paper towels.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk mayonnaise, buttermilk, parsley, garlic, salt, paprika and pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour.

3. Toss chilled dressing with kale; garnish with bacon and scallions. × JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 53

NOTED ...

90 CHARLES BAKER IVAN VINEYARD RIESLING 2012, NIAGARA ($27)

92 MALIVOIRE MOTTIAR CHARDONNAY 2011, NIAGARA ($30)

A beautiful Chardonnay, wild-fermented in older oak barrels. A showcase for the Mottiar vineyard with a nose of pear, lime, grapefruit and tangerine fruits. Has chalky minerality and light toast and spice. It shows verve and maintains a crisp edge on the palate to go with apple, pear, citrus fruits, intriguing minerality and light spice. Delicious stuff. (RV)

93 LAURENT-PERRIER CUVÉE ROSÉ NV, CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE ($100)

Unbridled pleasure from its captivating salmon-pink hue to very fine bubbles and mousse. The epitome of freshness, lightness and elegance. Very complex nose with floral scents. The palate has a delicate mousse backed by firm acidity, bursting with red berry flavours. A clean, mineral finish. A sublime pleasure to savour on its own. (HH)

90 FLAT ROCK NADJA’S VINEYARD RIESLING 2012, ONTARIO ($19.95) If you like brisk Mosel-style Riesling, you’ll go for Nadja’s. Pale straw colour with a nose of minerals, lime and grapefruit; light- to medium-bodied, crisply dry, elegant with good mid-palate fruit (apricot). (TA)

54 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

Baker’s second vineyard, where he sources his site-specific Rieslings, is located in the Twenty Mile Bench sub-appellation.

Baker has managed to bring a sense of lightness and airiness to this wine with a pretty, floral nose of citrus, stony minerality and soft stone fruit. It has texture on the palate with integrated grapefruit and citrus notes, lanolin, bright acidity and wet-stone minerality. As with all CB wines, you can let this age for a few years in the cellar. (RV)

91 TORRES MAS LA PLANA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009, PENEDÈS, SPAIN ($60)

Few people had faith in a Spanish Cab Sauv in a Burgundy-style bottle, but Miguel Torres proved his detractors wrong.

Aromas of berry, chocolate and spice.

Elegant cassis, wild berries and cedar flavours, with hints of truffle. Balanced, ripe tannins. Long, dry, elegant finish. Very accommodating for lamb dishes. (HH)

91 RIVERA IL FALCONE RISERVA CASTEL DEL MONTE 2006, PUGLIA, ITALY ($24.50)

Dark ruby-purplish. Nice black fruits notes, meaty, dried fine herbs and a fresh menthol-like note that disappears after a while. Full-bodied, balanced acidity; it feels warm and full on the tongue, rich with a chewy tannic core. On the finish, a slightly bitter edge adds energy to the fruit. A wine to explore in the glass as it reveals its complexity. A keeper for another 5 to 7 years. (GBQc)

COLLECTIVE ARTS BREWING COMPANY SAINT OF CIRCUMSTANCE BLONDE ALE, ONTARIO ($14/6-PK) This unfiltered blonde ale has been infused with citrus fruits and bittered with floral, fruity American hops, making for a beautiful summertime ale. Aromas of pineapple, mango and orange are supported by a sweet cracker backbone, spicy floral and grapefruit hops. A softer ale with a full mouthfeel, try it with summer salads, roast chicken and grilled salmon. (CL)

× Find a collection of wine, beer and spirit tasting notes at quench.me/notes/

Each wine is judged on its own merits, in its respective category. Our scores are based on the wine's quality as well as price point. Readers should assess these, and all wines, using the same criteria. Carefully study the commentaries to get an idea of whether the wine might appeal to your taste. The prices listed are suggested retail prices and may vary from province to province. Since a large number of these wines can be purchased across Canada, check with your local liquor board or private wine store for availability.

Our tasters are Tony Aspler, Gurvinder Bhatia, Tod Stewart, Evan Saviolidis, Rick VanSickle, Ron Liteplo, Harry Hertscheg, Sean Wood, Gilles Bois, Crystal Luxmore and Jonathan Smithe.

QUENCH USES THE 100-POINT SCALE 95-100 = Exceptional 90-94 = Excellent 85-89 = Very good

SPARKLING 91 TAITTINGER BRUT RÉSERVE NV, CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE ($65)

A well-balanced blend of 40% Chardonnay and 60% Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Floral nose, a soft mousse on the palate with sweet yeasty brioche and hints of almond. Long, smooth finish.

A solid choice to kick-start a party, dinner or celebration. (HH)

90 CHARLES DE CAZANOVE BRUT ROSÉ NV, CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE ($59)

Aromas of wild berries and savoury toastiness. Juicy acidity, rich flavours and spice notes. The focused, palate-cleansing finish makes it very food-friendly. It’s versatile and good value, which is a good reason not to wait for a celebration to pop the cork. (HH)

WHITE AUSTRALIA 91 BK WINES SKIN N’ BONES WHITE 2012, ADELAIDE HILLS ($30) A fresh, zippy blend of Sémillon (80%) and Chardonnay (20%), from its leesy nose to nutty finish. Lots of lees contact also brings out a round mouthfeel, but the lively acidity keeps it vibrant. Lingers long on the palate with refreshing minerality. Enjoy on its own, with salads or seafood. (HH)

80-84 = Good 75-79 = Acceptable 70 & under = Below average *Available through wine clubs

89 PEWSEY VALE RIESLING 2013, EDEN VALLEY ($24)

The famed Pewsey Vale Vineyard is all dedicated to Riesling and its classic dry Eden Valley style. Delightful aromatics and flavours bring out apple, lemon-lime, floral, pineapple, spice and dried herbs.

The zippy acidity refreshes. Savoury minerality on the finish. Very food-friendly, from seafood to poultry. (HH)

CANADA 92 CAVE SPRING CSV RIESLING 2010, NIAGARA ($30)

The fruit for the top Riesling from Cave Spring is sourced from the 2 oldest, lowest-yielding blocks in the CSV Vineyard, ranging from 32 to 36 years in age. The nose is complex with slate minerality, quince, lime, grapefruit and lanolin notes. It is enthralling on the palate with concentrated, ripe flavours of citrus, tangerine, grapefruit and emerging minerality that is intense and persistent through the finish. Despite the heat of 2010, there is still vivid acidity to lift the flavours and promise another long life for this iconic wine. (RV)

92 CHARLES BAKER PICONE VINEYARD RIESLING 2012, NIAGARA ($35)

An interesting comparison to the 2011 vintage in that this was made with 14 g/l of residual sugar, a lot drier than the 20 g/l RS of the 2011 vintage. The nose is typical of this single-vineyard with lemon-lime, lanolin, swirling minerality and subtle flo-

ral-herbaceous notes. It feels drier on the palate with more mineral notes washing over the palate and riper fruits. (RV)

91 STRATUS CHARDONNAY 2012, NIAGARA ($48)

The Stratus 12 Chardonnay follows in the footsteps of the opulent 2010 Chardonnay with poached pear, vanilla, toasted oak accents and spice on the nose. It’s another rich and textured style of Niagara Chardonnay. Its a 100% wild fermentation and full malo creation that Stratus is championing with succulent and highly extracted fruit, beautiful oak spices, buttery-vanilla notes and fairly decent acidity. It’s a big, fleshy style that shows the vintage and puts the ripe fruit front and centre. (RV)

90 CAVE SPRING RIESLING ESTATE 2012, ONTARIO ($17.95)

Cave Spring’s winemaker Angelo Pavan makes a mean Riesling in the best sense of the word. His 2012 Estate Riesling from the Beamsville Bench is light straw in colour with a mineral nose of freshly squeezed lime and honey. Crisp and dry on the palate, its bracing acidity carries the lime and grapefruit flavours to a satisfying finish. (TA)

90 VINELAND ESTATES ELEVATION SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013, NIAGARA ($20)

A bit rounder and more complex than the regular cuvée with melon, tropical fruits, grapefruit and spice made in the “Fumé” style. It’s juicy with texture on the palate to go with tropical fruits and some wonderful JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 55

NOTED ... spice notes, still maintaining a vibrant core. Lovely, but it should be noted that this was just bottled when tasted. (RV)

89 WAYNE GRETZKY ESTATES NO. 99 RIESLING 2012, ONTARIO ($14)

Celebrity wines usually don’t measure up to the achievements of the name in question. But this is an exception. Pale straw in colour with a hint of lime, this Riesling offers a nose of citrus fruits and minerals with a light floral note. It’s fresh and zesty on the palate with flavours of honey, lime and grapefruit zest. (TA)

88 RIVERVIEW CELLARS GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2012, ONTARIO ($18.95)

A well-made Gewürztraminer from Niagara. Pale straw in colour with a nose of cardamom and lychees; it’s off-dry and soft on the palate with flavours of Turkish delight and rose water. It’s one of the best Gewürztraminers from Ontario that I’ve tried in some time. (TA)

88 TRIUS BARREL-FERMENTED CHARDONNAY 2011, ONTARIO ($19)

Trius is a label that took over a winery.

The Hillebrand name of the original winery has virtually disappeared and the Trius brand is front and centre. Winemaker Craig McDonald’s Barrel- Fermented Chardonnay 2011 has a toasty, apple nose and a creamy palate with a flavour of crushed pineapple and vanilla oak. (TA)

87 RIDGE ROAD ESTATE PINOT GRIS 2013, NIAGARA ($15.95)

No thin, acidic Pinot Grigio here; rather, this a flavourful, ripe style made in the Alsatian model, featuring peach, white flowers, spice, cream and apple. The medium body, density and finish make for a delicious drop of Gris. (ES)

87 COFFIN RIDGE INTO THE LIGHT WHITE 2012, ONTARIO ($20) From Grey County’s first winery. An interesting blend of Geisenheim, L’Acadie Blanc, Frontenac, Frontenac Gris, La Crescent, Prairie Star and Riesling.

Straw colour; spicy, aromatic nose, orange muscat-like; medium-bodied, off-dry and grapey with kiwi flavour nicely balanced by acidity. (TA) 56 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

86 KANAZAWA NOMU 2011, OKANAGAN ($26)

Interesting and fresh with aromas and flavours of citrus, apple, grapefruit and apricot with good acidity. A blend of Viognier and Sémillon. Would pair with poultry, sushi and Asian dishes. (GB)

CHILE 85 PAULITA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2011, CENTRAL VALLEY ($8.25/500 ML)

Light gold. Smells of passion fruit, guava, tangerine and a hint of pineapple — unmistakably Sauvignon Blanc. Surprisingly full-bodied with a nice balance of packedin fruit and acidity. Clean tasting, good value. Drink when you bring it home. (RL)*

FRANCE 93 M CHAPOUTIER ERMITAGE LE MÉAL 2011, RHÔNE ($296.35)

Chapoutier’s top Marsanne is full-bodied, like its little brother Chante-Alouette, but offers more acidity and elegance. Made from 50-year-old vines, the peach, white flowers, honey, Turkish delight, cream, tobacco and spice are a whirlwind on the senses. Loads of minerals explode on the fabulous finale. (ES)

92 ZINCK GRAND CRU PFERSIGBERG RIESLING 2010, ALSACE ($36)

The gentle southeast-facing slopes of the hillsides of Eguisheim village capture the sun, bringing out some ripe, rich flavours.

The marl and sandstone soils give the wine its delicacy and subtle floral and apricot flavour, along with minerality and freshness. Some welcome petrol notes, too. The fresh, firm acidity ensures elegance and structure. (HH)

92 LOUIS JADOT CLOS DES GUETTES 1ER CRU SAVIGNY-LÈS-BEAUNE 2011, BURGUNDY ($50) Clos des Guettes vineyard lies in the middle of Savigny-lès-Beaune between the Côte de Beaune’s Aloxe Corton and Pernand-Vergelesses communes. Opens

with caramel, toast and vanilla on the nose. Rich, ripe white peaches on the palate. Full-bodied with a long finish, laden with spicy vanilla. Sublime with salmon tartare. (HH)

92 M CHAPOUTIER ERMITAGE CHANTE-ALOUETTE 2011, RHÔNE ($79.95)

This 100% Marsanne is a full-bodied biodynamic offering. Honeysuckle, caramel, truffle, wet earth, banana, almonds, cream and spice makes for a thrilling tasting experience. The acidity is on the low end and there is superb length. If you have yet to experience a thrilling white Rhône, this wine should certainly be at the top of your list. (ES)

91 CHÂTEAU TOUR DES GENDRES MOULIN DES DAMES 2010, BERGERAC SEC, SOUTHWEST ($33)

Golden colour. Seductive fruity nose of apricot and quince; slightly herbaceous with fine herb notes and a touch of caramel from the oak aging. Very smooth, round on the palate, invigorating acidity leading to a full, energetic finish. 100% Sauvignon Blanc. (GBQc)

89 BEBLENHEIM ALSACE GEWÜRZTRAMINER RÉSERVE 2012, ALSACE ($16.90)

A highly aromatic wine that smells like rose water and lychees, and tastes like that, too; soft and flattering to the palate, you don’t know whether to drink it or dab it behind your ears. But I’d advise drinking it. (TA)

89 HENRI BOURGEOIS LES BARONNES SANCERRE 2011, LOIRE VALLEY ($24.95)

A refined Sauvignon Blanc. Light straw in colour with a nose of gooseberries and cut grass. Medium-bodied and elegant on the palate; expect crisply dry flavours of grapefruit and gooseberry. (TA)

89 GEORGES DUBOEUF CLOS REYSSIÉ 2011, POUILLY-FUISSÉ, BURGUNDY ($27.30)

Pleasant nose of white and yellow fruits with nuanced oak and a mineral

undertone. Solid presence in the mouth; very dry with barely noticeable oak.

A touch of almond adds complexity to the finish. (GBQc)

88 DOMAINE GIBAULT SAUVIGNON BLANC 2012, AOC TOURAINE ($15.17)

Pale yellow. Nose of guava and gooseberry. Medium-bodied; tastes of pineapple and other tropical fruits with a touch of bitter mineral on the finish. From a difficult vintage, the fruit is a bit light, but the flavours are complex and show good breeding. (RL)*

88 GEORGES DUBOEUF FUN CHARDONNAY RESERVE 2012, VIN DE PAYS D’OC ($16)

Very pale yellow. Nose is citrusy and sharp but subtly so. Fine acidity, slightly minerally with a fatty texture due to partial oak aging. Not without finesse; well done. (GBQc)

88 DOMAINE CAZAL-VIEL VIOGNIER 2012, VIN DE PAYS D’OC ($18) Pale yellow. Pleasant nose of tropical fruits (apricot, quince). Balanced acidity, the fatty texture has a round feel on the tongue. Good length to match. Ready to drink with white meat or a fruit salad. (GBQc)

88 DOMAINE CHENEVIÈRES LES GRANDES VIGNES, CHABLIS ($23)

A pretty Chablis with crushed stone, apple, substantial citrus and apple aromas.

It shows good vibrancy on the palate with ripe apples, peaches, quince and smokyflinty minerality. (RV)

87 CHÂTEAU CAPENDU LES JARDINS DE MEYRAC 2012, IGP PAYS D’OC ($15)

Pale yellow. Delicate, citrusy nose with flower notes and a mineral scent.

Balanced with a round mouthfeel, lively acidity, light body and a refreshing finish.

Ready to drink. (GBQc)

87 DOMAINE LECOMTE QUINCY 2011, LOIRE VALLEY ($15)

Quincy, located south of Sancerre, is a relatively unheralded region in the Loire

that provides a diverging array of Sauvignon Blancs. This one is fairly good considering the price. The nose shows acacia flowers, elderberry, honeysuckle, fresh herbs and grapefruitcitrus notes. It’s bright on the palate with interesting fruit and herb notes and a nice citrus zing through the finish.

Try with seafood or a delicately prepared chicken dish. (RV)

GERMANY 91 MONCHHOF ROBERT EYMAEL MOSEL SLATE RIESLING SPÄTLESE 2011, MOSEL ($24)

Made with a whopping 90 g/l of residual sugar, there is no doubt that this is a semi-sweet Riesling, but the vibrant acidity cuts through the sweetness admirably. The nose shows peach, apple, grapefruit, lime and slate minerality. It is gorgeous and textured on the palate with tangerine, honey, sweet peach and zingy lime notes. (RV)

ITALY 86 UMANI RONCHI 2011, VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI DOC ($12.99)

Floral scents with ripe yellow and tropical fruit on the nose open the way for generously ripe honeyed yellow fruit in the mouth. Well-balanced acidity, a bit of gravelly mineral and honeyed fruit flavours linger on the finish. Great on its own or with a light app. (SW)

PORTUGAL 92 QUINTA DAS MARIAS ENCRUZADO 2011, DÃO ($17)

Encruzado is an indigenous white grape from the Dão region of Portugal.

It’s made in the old-school style and is quite backward with aromas of lemon oil, almond paste, pear, white flowers and citrus that seem poised to evolve over time. On the palate, look for creamy pear and nutty flavours with lemony freshness. Built to age. (RV)

SPAIN 86 BODEGAS CASTAÑO LA CASONA DE CASTAÑO MACABEO 2013, YECLA DO ($11.99)

Sourced from family estate vineyards ranging from 15 to 18 years old, this food-friendly white reveals fresh green fruit with noticeable grapefruit scent and crisp, sappy green apple on the palate.

Finishes with a hint of citrus, lively acidity and gravelly mineral grip. This calls for a rabbit stew with lots of veggies. (SW)

UNITED STATES 91 PAHLMEYER CHARDONNAY 2012, SONOMA COAST ($99.95)

Expensive but really delicious.

Straw-coloured with a green tint; an intense, lifted nose — spicy, barnyard, vanilla oak. Mouth-filling tropical fruit flavours shaded with citrus acidity and a nutty finish. Great length. (TA)

89 SONOMA-CUTRER RUSSIAN RIVER RANCHES CHARDONNAY 2011, SONOMA COAST ($27)

The Russian River Valley provides a cooling effect that gives this Chardonnay its freshness. The nose shows pear, hazelnuts, toasted oak spices, apple and a squirt of lemon. There is fairly bright acidity in the mouth with poached pear, buttercream, vanilla and nutty notes delivered through a clean finish. (RV)

ROSÉ 91 MALIVOIRE MOIRA ROSÉ 2013, NIAGARA ($20)

Malivoire has built a reputation with its rosé program (think Ladybug) and is introducing this single-vineyard effort from Pinot Noir grown in the estate’s Moira Vineyard. It has a pure and delicate nose of pretty cherry, strawberry, tangerine and a whiff of cream. The dominant red fruits carry seamlessly to the palate and offer a refreshing and elegant summer pleaser. Have it with some charcuterie. (RV) JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 57

NOTED ...

88 LAFAGE MIRAFLORS CÔTES DU ROUSSILLON ROSÉ 2013, LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON, FRANCE ($16.95)

Flesh pink in colour with a nose of redcurrants and cranberries topped with floral note; medium-bodied, dry and elegant, nicely balanced with acidity. (TA)

86 BARONNIE DE CANET SYRAH ROSÉ 2012, IGP PAYS D’OC, FRANCE ($11.50)

Pale vermilion tinging to brown. Nose of ripe banana, candy apple, strawberry and watermelon. Light-bodied with strawberry on the palate; mouth-watering acidity. Drink up. (RL)*

RED

90 YANGARRA OLD VINES GRENACHE 2011, MCLAREN VALE ($29)

These 66-year-old Grenache bush vines get reflected heat from their sandy site and cool evening air from nearby Mount Lofty, creating intense, bright aromas and flavours. Look for floral, red cherries, white pepper and cured meat. Soft, juicy acidity with fine tannins and a dry liquoricey finish flecked with coffee notes. (HH)

90 FOWLES WINE LADIES WHO SHOOT THEIR LUNCH SHIRAZ 2010, STRATHBOGIE RANGES ($39)

The dramatic granite landscape of the Strathbogie Ranges offers some cool-climate characteristics. The nose has violets, intense berry and smokiness. Rich, spicy flavours with lots of black fruits and plush tannins. Chocolate notes on the finish.

Will benefit from further cellar time. (HH)

ARGENTINA

CANADA

89 ACHAVAL-FERRER QUIMERA 2011, MENDOZA ($52)

89 REIF ESTATE WINERY CABERNET FRANC RESERVE 2012, NIAGARA RIVER ($21.95)

Bold and well-integrated blend of Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot offering fresh and vibrant black cherry, currant and plum flavours, firm yet velvety tannins, and a refreshing, silky finish.

Great match with traditional Argentinian asado. (GB)

88 ACHAVAL-FERRER MALBEC 2012, MENDOZA ($28)

Quite fresh with elegant raspberry and cherry flavours; soft and juicy with mineral notes, silky tannins and an easy, bright finish. (GB)

AUSTRALIA 91 PETER LEHMANN STONEWELL SHIRAZ 2009, BAROSSA ($90)

Very deep ruby colour. Violets, dark plums, mixed spices and chocolate aromas bolt from the nose. Rich texture, bold tannins and concentrated flavours from very low yields of mature vineyards. Needs taming, so cellar for a few more years. (HH) 58 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

This tasty Franc is a terrific follow-up to the equally delicious 2010. Full-bodied; there is redcurrant, cassis, raspberry, anise, cocoa, herbs, tobacco, cola and graphite. The medium-acidity, ripe tannins, round texture and long finish will ensure 5 to 6 years of cellaring. That said, you can also pop it open tonight and serve with a grilled veal chop topped with an herb-infused demi-glace. Excellent value! (ES)

89 CAVE SPRINGS CABERNET FRANC ESTATE BOTTLED 2011, BEAMSVILLE BENCH ($24.95)

Elegant, this Cabernet Franc reveals a complex bouquet of cassis, cherry, mocha, vanilla, black olive, roasted red pepper, herbs and spice. The palate is linear with impressive length and a tannic structure, which bodes well for 4 to 5 years of aging. (ES)

89 DOMAINE QUEYLUS PINOT NOIR RÉSERVE DU DOMAINE 2011, NIAGARA ($45) This new winery project is a partnership of 12 Quebec businessmen.

Smartly, they have hired the ever-talented Thomas Bachelder, who also produces top Pinot under his own label from Burgundy, Oregon and Canada.

Midweight, this refined Pinot exudes cherry, raspberry, plum, spice and earth.

The tannins are soft and the acid fresh, making for a food-friendly match with duck magret or a pork terrine. (ES)

88 G MARQUIS THE SILVER LINE PINOT NOIR 2012, ONTARIO ($19.95)

G Marquis is a Magnotta label that celebrates the life of the late Gabe Magnotta, the founder of the winery. Ruby-coloured, it has a nose of cherry and beetroot with a light floral note. The wine is dry and medium-bodied, with cherry and cranberry flavours, supple tannins and an energetic spine of acidity. (TA)

87 CAVE SPRINGS CABERNET/ MERLOT 2011, NIAGARA ESCARPMENT ($15.95)

For the price, this is quite a tasty drop!

Plum, spice, cherry jam, vanilla and cocoa meld with a pleasing green edge on the palate. Midweight, supple tannins and a flavourful finish made for enjoyable drinking. (ES)

87 CAVE SPRINGS PINOT NOIR DOLOMITE 2011, NIAGARA ESCARPMENT ($17.95)

This general-list LCBO Pinot is aromatic and flatters with plum, cherry, earth, spice and floral qualities. There is very good length and soft tannins. Drink now with grilled pork tenderloin or tuna steaks. (ES)

CHILE 91 VIÑA RESERVA DE CALIBORO ERASMO BARBERA GARNACHA 2013, MAULE VALLEY ($30)

Youthful, bright purple with beautiful fresh aromas and flavours of wild berries, chocolate and spice; juicy with silky smooth tannins, great balance, immense drinkability and a long, persistent finish.

Delicious as an apéritif, with grilled pork or slightly chilled on the patio. (GB)

84 PAULITA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2011, CENTRAL VALLEY ($8.42/500 ML)

Light pinkish-red. Appealing nose of cassis with a little spice from oak aging.

Light-bodied with high acidity, straightforward black- and red-berry flavours, made for easy and immediate drinking.

You can grill up a nice porterhouse for this wine. (RL)*

92 GÉRARD BERTRAND DOMAINE DE CIGALUS IGP AUDE HAUTERIVE ROUGE 2011, SOUTH OF FRANCE ($52)

FRANCE

A biodynamic Syrah/Carignan-based blend. The intense bouquet features concentrated, ripe black fruit, like blackberries, black cherries and black plums, with a hint of mint. The palate delivers flavours of grilled spice and toasted oak, along with lush, velvety tannins. This is opulent, mouth-filling and very satisfying with roast lamb. (HH)

93 PATRICK LESEC PIERRES DORÉES CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2010, RHÔNE ($50)

91 PATRICK LESEC CUVÉE SUZON BEAUMES DE VENISE 2011, RHÔNE ($20)

The blend for this CNdP is 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre with neutral oak treatment for aging.

The nose is beautiful with kirsch, blackcurrants, violets, fruitcake and undergrowth. It shows energy and verve on the palate with rich black cherry, darker fruits, pepper and subtle spices that are all nicely balanced and smooth through a long finish. Drink now or hold 5+ years. (RV)

93 M CHAPOUTIER MONIER DE LA SIZERANNE HERMITAGE 2011, RHÔNE ($105.50)

Not cheap, but the quality is undeniable. It took some time to coax all the aromas, but when all is said and done, this beauty has a beguiling personality of crème de cassis, raspberry, pepper, smoke, graphite, violets, cocoa, oregano and scorched earth. Dense on the palate, there is fabulous length and enough tannins to take into the next decade. Drink from 2015 to 2026. (ES)

92 DOMAINE DE BILA-HAUT OCCULTUM LAPIDEM CÔTES-DU-ROUSSILLON VILLAGES, LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON ($25.45) Chapoutier’s Midi red overdelivers for the price! This blend of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan exudes plum, spice, cherry jam, cassis, garrigue, anise and sweet cream. Fleshy, there is a long aftertaste and enough structure to allow 6 to 8 years of cellaring. Can be enjoyed with a lightly spicey meal. (ES)

A blend of 50/50 Grenache and Syrah made unfiltered and unfined with low sulphur. Beautifully intense on the nose with an array of blue plum, raspberry, bramble and cherry kirsch fruits with violets and spice. It’s deep and rich on the palate with vibrant red fruits, assertive tannins and lovely spices. Funky good! (RV)

currants, tobacco and incense notes. It’s bright and fresh on the palate with depth of flavour, solid tannins and fairly bright acidity that will serve it well with a few years in the cellar. (RV)

89 MAISON BELLEROCHE SYRAH 2011, IGP PAYS D’OC ($10/500 ML)

Medium-deep plum red. Aromas of strawberry, toast, violets and a nice bit of barnyard. Tastes of cherries; good balance, charming and attractive now but not built for aging. A lively accompaniment to a cheese and charcuterie plate, or duck rillette. Good value. (RL)*

88 CHÂTEAU POYANNE 2011, CÔTES DE BOURG AC ($18.99)

Cherry and dark plum scents reveal signature Right-Bank earthy, dry herbal notes and a whiff of clove. Dark cherry and plum flavours come wrapped in velvety textured, though slightly drying, tannic structure with good weight balancing a well-integrated finish. Satisfying, workman-like Bordeaux at an excellent price. (SW)

91 MICHEL MAGNIEN MOREY ST-DENIS 1ER CRU 2009, CÔTES DE NUITS, BURGUNDY ($51.50)

88 CHÂTEAU DE FONTENELLES CORBIÈRES CUVÉE RENAISSANCE 2010, LANGUEDOC ($19)

90 GEORGES DUBOEUF MORGON J-E DESCOMBES 2011, BEAUJOLAIS ($18)

88 ABBOTTS & DELAUNAY RÉSERVE 2011, MINERVOIS AOC ($19)

Bright medium ruby. Fragrant, delicate nose of red berry fruits, a touch of spice and fine oak. Its acidity provides a lean, precise attack followed by a velvety, fruity middle palate of good intensity and balance. The long harmonious finish is only a tad firm. Drink now or wait up to 4 to 5 years. (GBQc)

Light ruby. Slightly shy nose but there are nice notes of kirsch, earth and red flowers. Very nice on the palate; not without elegance in its fruity, tightbut-still-soft mouthfeel. Well balanced throughout, even in the slightly firm finish of good length. (GBQc)

90 VIEUX CLOCHER SYMPHONIE DES GALETS CHÂTEAUNEUF-DUPAPE 2009, RHÔNE ($31) A plucky CNdP with a nose of rose petals, grilled meat, blueberry, black-

A minty-eucalypt edge on the nose leads to currants, blackberries, wild herbs and a touch of cherry fruit. The blend of Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre shows soft texture on the palate and blackberry-currant fruit, liquorice, mint, bay leaves and pepper. Perfect match with rack of lamb. (RV)

Nose shows rustic earthy mushroom with redcurrant, berry and plum fruit, and a pinch or 2 of spice. Blackberry, blackcurrant and raspberry flavours emerge on the palate with a splash of milk chocolate in a lightly firm tannic structure. (SW)

88 CHÂTEAU PESQUIÉ QUINTESSENCE 2011, RHÔNE VALLEY ($26)

Dense and dark with toasty blackberry, plum and dark chocolate, muscular tannins; kind of in-your-face with a full-bodied finish. Needs some time in the bottle to mellow out and integrate. (GB) JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 59

NOTED ...

87 JP CHENET VIVE LA VIE 2012 ($10)

The splashy, very colourful label will catch your eye first, but you may also be intrigued by the word “Marselan” next to Grenache and Syrah. Marselan is an obscure grape from the south of France; it is a cross between Grenache Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon, combining the main characteristics of the two: generosity and structure. The wine is dark ruby in colour; it has a sweet, fruity taste, soft, powdery tannins, a compact middle palate and a short finish. Drink now. (GBQc)

87 GEORGES DUBOEUF CÔTESDU-RHÔNE RÉSERVE 2011, RHÔNE VALLEY ($16.50)

Medium ruby. Red fruits and spices; nice clean, fruity taste. The Syrah grape (40%) brings a bit more structure to the Grenache base for a medium-bodied blend that is well balanced and finishes a little firm. (GBQc)

87 CHÂTEAU DE RICAUD RÉSERVE DES CÔTEAUX 2010, CADILLAC-CÔTES DE BORDEAUX AC ($24) A Merlot-driven Bordeaux blend showing redcurrants, cherry, cinnamon and a touch of clove on the nose, somewhat masked by sooty dry tannic aroma.

Blackcurrant, blackberry and plum flavours expand in the mouth with a splash of dark chocolate and a dry tannic grip on the finish. Needs another year or 2 to soften youthful tannins. (SW)

ITALY 92 LA FIORITA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2008, TUSCANY ($75) La Fiorita crafts modern-style Brunellos.

Their superb ’08 is a dark offering with lots of concentration and depth. Plum, sweet cherry, spice, raisins and earth work long on the finish, where the tannins will ensure a decade of aging. (ES)

91 VILLA CAFAGGIO CHIANTI CLASSICO 2010, TUSCANY ($20)

Full ruby. Blackberry and other black fruits, earthy notes, smoke and an impression of richness and ripeness. In the mouth, it is fruity, full-bodied; the 60 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

texture is grainy. There is a nice finish, firm without excess. Satisfying now but built to age about 10 years. (GBQc)

91 DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2009, TUSCANY ($59.95)

One of the highlights at this year’s Brunello tasting in Toronto was this producer. I tried all their current offerings, and there was not a bad drop to be found.

The 2009 reveals cherry, flowers, humus, spice and tobacco both on the nose and palate. The acidity and tannins will allow cellaring until 2022. (ES)

91 ARGIANO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2009, TUSCANY ($60)

There is some obvious new oak on the nose. These attributes merge with the sweet cherry, tobacco, leather, liquorice, dried flowers and humus qualities of the Sangiovese grape. The tannins are forward, so hold until 2015 and then drink until 2022. (ES)

91 IL POGGIONE BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2009, TUSCANY ($62) A refined Brunello. Plum, cherries, spice, cocoa, cassis and tobacco create an alluring perfume. It is midweight, as Brunellos go, with excellent length and structure to cellar for another 5 years. Grill up a nice T-bone and enjoy the moment. (ES)

89 RUFFINO RISERVA DUCALE 2010, CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA DOCG ($34.99)

Showing harmoniously developed fruit with subtle cinnamon, clove spiciness and full-flavoured bitter cherry character. Good weight and structure with notes of dark chocolate and still youthful tannic grip. Plenty of room for further development. (SW)

87 BARONE RICASOLI TERRA DI BROLIO 2011, IGT TOSCANA ($22)

Ruby-purple. Red fruits (cherry), hints of strawberry jam and earth. Medium body, firm tannic backbone amplified by strong acidity giving a slightly astringent mouthfeel, but there is a nice fruity taste. Drink now with Italian pizza or wait; it should improve over a few years. (GBQc)

86 DOGARINA CARMÉNÈRE 2011, DOCG PIAVE ($15.50)

An unusual varietal for Italy, this was made in the northeast, just north of Venice.

Medium-deep plum red, starting to fade to garnet. Nose is raspberry and candy aromas in a background of coniferous forest. On the palate, it is light-bodied with high acidity, tasting green and leafy with red berries.

Tannins are fading fast; drink up. (RL)*

85 UMANI RONCHI 2011, SANGIOVESE MARCHE IGT ($12.99)

Bright spicy red cherry and a whiff of green herb carry through to typical Sangiovese bitter cherry flavour with good tannic grip and a lick of dark chocolate on the palate. (SW)

84 PONTE BELLO ROSSO DI PUGLIA 2011, IGT ($10/500 ML)

Medium-deep, pinkish plum-red. Mild nose of strawberry, blackberry and candied plum. On the palate, it is medium-bodied and tastes of tart cherry with a bitter almond finish. Enjoyable with an anchovy, Gorgonzola, green olive and preserved-lemon pizza. (RL)*

82 CASATA MONTICELLO 2011, DOCG BARBERA D’ASTI SUPERIORE ($13.67)

Light to medium garnet. Nose of leather, tobacco, spice and red berries. Light-bodied with high acidity on the palate and sour cherry, raspberry and redcurrant flavours. Drink up. (RL)*

80 GEOGRAFICO TOSCANA ROSSO 2012, IGT TOSCANA ($13)

A blend of Sangiovese and Merlot, it is a light cherry-red in the glass. The nose is of candied red berries with some mint and eucalyptus. Light-bodied, pleasant and simple. Drink soon. (RL)*

NEW ZEALAND 90 JULICHER 99 ROWS PINOT NOIR 2010, MARLBOROUGH ($25) Deep ruby colour with a note of tawny plum; a savoury nose of raspberry and beetroot. Medium-bodied, dry and elegant. Stylish in a Burgundian way. (TA)

SPAIN

UNITED STATES

89 BODEGAS VOLVER PASO A PASO 2012, VINO DE LA TIERRA DE CASTILLA ($17.50)

92 RENWOOD CLARION ZINFANDEL/SYRAH 2010, AMADOR COUNTY ($38)

Full ruby purplish. This 100% Tempranillo shows a deep nose of black berries, spices, oak and earthy notes. Intense and warm, generous with a velvety texture even if the tannins are slightly grainy.

Adequate acidity provides a good balance. The ripe fruity taste is satisfying.

Ready to drink. (GBQc)

88 MONTECILLO CRIANZA 2009, RIOJA DOC ($19.99) Stylish red berry and peppery spice on the nose introduce succulent red berry flavours in a well-balanced, medium-weight package. Lightly firm tannins, a splash of milk chocolate and spice round out the finish. Well-made middle-rank Rioja. (SW)

87 BODEGAS CASTAÑO LA CASONA DE CASTAÑO OLD VINES MONASTRELL 2012, YECLA DO ($11.99)

Produced from dry-farmed vineyards ranging from 40 to 60 years of age, this one reveals spicy raspberry and red plum scents with attractive peppery overtones.

Thick raspberry, blackberry, vanilla and a splash of dark chocolate in the mouth with good tannic structure and balance.

Gutsy, old-fashioned wine. (SW)

86 RAMÍREZ DE LA PISCINA COSECHA 2012, RIOJA DOC ($13.99) This very inexpensive Rioja shows plenty of varietal red berry and spicy character with good weight and structure. Mouth-filling and satisfying, it leans somewhat towards New Worldstyle ripeness. (SW)

85 BODEGAS PIQUERAS MARIUS GARNACHA TINTORERA 2010, ALMANSA DO ($12.99)

Shows ripe plum with peppery background spice, a touch of liquorice and black chocolate on the palate. This is a bold, rather rustic wine to match with hearty meat dishes such as ribs and beef casseroles. (SW)

A wine that captures you with the first taste. Rich, intense and complex, with beautifully focused cherry and wild berry fruit; ripe but balanced with notes of liquorice, fresh savoury herbs and fresh mineral notes that linger and linger. (GB)

91 LE CADEAU VINEYARD DIVERSITÉ PINOT NOIR 2010, WILLAMETTE VALLEY ($64.95) Burgundy prices and Burgundy style.

Ruby-coloured with a spicy nose of struck flint and raspberries. Medium-bodied, lively acidity — a wellcrafted wine. (TA)

86 CAMBRIDGE & SUNSET CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012, CALIFORNIA ($17.50)

Has a little Merlot and Syrah as well.

Medium-deep plum red. Reserved nose of blueberries, plums and a bit of rhubarb.

Medium- to full-bodied; flavours of raspberries and blackcurrants, with sufficient tannins to last until 2015. (RL)*

85 CAMBRIDGE & SUNSET, THE GRASS CUTTER NV, CALIFORNIA ($15)

A Merlot/Syrah blend with some Petite Syrah and Zinfandel to spice things up.

Medium plum red. Nose of cherry and candy apple with some spice from a few months of oak aging. Medium-bodied with lots of cherry and blueberry fruit; some heat from the alcohol. Simple, soft, easy-drinking. If you have a coq au vin recipe you have been hiding, here is your chance to make it shine. (RL)*

84 ZINSANE ZINFANDEL 2011, CALIFORNIA ($16.83)

Medium-deep pinkish plum-red. Nose of candied violets and coffee in the background. Light-bodied; tastes of cherry, redcurrant and cranberry. Acidity a bit on the high side from the cool vintage, but easy-drinking nonetheless. Great with a braised venison or other game meat. (RL)*

DESSERT WINE 94 JOSÉ MARIA DA FONSECA DSF PRIVATE COLLECTION MOSCATEL DE SETÚBAL 1999, PORTUGAL ($53) Named after winemaker Domingos Soares Franco (DSF) and produced in the Setúbal Peninsula, south of Lisbon. It seldom rains there, but the night humidity plays an important role in maintaining moisture. Astonishingly complex nose with scents of cigar box, chestnut and cognac. Very powerful with a sweet, fortified palate accompanied by forceful flavours of honey and apricot. A blockbuster after-dinner sipper. (HH)

92 INNISKILLIN VIDAL OAK-AGED ICEWINE 2012, ONTARIO ($79.30)

A luxury item. Golden straw in colour with an unctuous bouquet of honey, peaches and just a suggestion of oak; rich and full in the mouth with tropical fruit flavours that are beautifully balanced and linger unconscionably long on the palate. (TA)

88 KONZELMANN ESTATE WINERY GEWÜRZTRAMINER LATE HARVEST 2012, NIAGARA ($14.75) Superb value here! It is the spice factor that dominates at first sip, but then the peach, honey, mango and rose reveal themselves. There is a light sweetness, so chill well and then serve with spicy Thai or Szechuan cuisine. (ES)

SPIRITS BRUGAL 1888 EDICION LIMITADA RON GRAN RESERVA FAMILIAR, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ($70)

Enormously complex aromatics embrace dried citrus and tropical fruits, hints of banana, nutmeg, caramel and fine oak.

Richly concocted flavours of sweet fruit, varied spices and dark chocolate wafer come wrapped in a very smooth, almost creamy texture disciplined by dry oakiness on the very long finish. An after-dinner sipper for the connoisseur. (SW) JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 61

BEER MILL STREET BREWERY BELGIAN CHERRY IPA, ONTARIO ($12.95/6PK, PART OF THE SUMMER SEASONAL MIXED PACK)

This cherry-hued brew with a fluffy white head is built from a biscuity malt with hints of caramel and an almost chewy body. It’s brightened by peppery-spice cherry juice (thanks to the addition of Ontario cherries), while leafy hops contribute to a long, bitter finish. This oddball combination of beer styles has ended up creating an elegant ale, lovely and full of flavour. Try it with grilled steak. (CL)

HOFBRÄU MÜNCHEN HOFBRÄU ORIGINAL, GERMANY ($2.95/500 ML)

Founded by the Duke of Bavaria in 1589 as the royal brewery, this Munich brewery is now owned by the state government of Bavaria. Luckily, the recipes haven’t changed much since its inception, and Hofbräu Original is a lager brewed the way it’s supposed to be. This clear, golden-hued beauty smells like rising bread dough and has a perfectly balanced flavour, moving from spicy, snappy hops to doughy sweetness and back again. This thirst-quencher is great for serving to guests — or just neck the royal brew while mowing the lawn and be the king of your own castle. (CL)

ANCHOR BREWING COMPANY ANCHOR STEAM BEER, CALIFORNIA, USA ($13.45/6-PK)

Enterprising breweries invented the steam beer around the time of the California gold rush. Wanting the clean taste of a lager but unable to store it in cool conditions, they created a beer that’s made with a lager yeast, then cooled off in open-air shallow pans (with, you guessed it, steam coming off ). San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing Company popularized the near-extinct style, and its beer is still the go-to selection for this style. This clear, orange brew has aromas of fruity, minty hops balanced by grainy baguette and honey flavours with a bone-dry finish. Time to perfect your fish taco recipe. (CL) 62 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

BELLWOODS BREWERY WHITE PICKET FENCE, ONTARIO ($5/500 ML) Hot and thirsty? This wheat beer is your patio bestie — a delicate, straw-coloured Belgian wit with aromas of fresh-squeezed oranges and perfumey coriander resting on light grain featuring a dry, crisp finish. Its zingy citrus and bubbly feel make it a great Sunday brunch partner to eggy fare. (CL)

BOXING ROCK BREWING THE VICAR’S CROSS DOUBLE IPA, NOVA SCOTIA ($4.98/650 ML)

Forceful fruity malt aromas and piquant hoppy/herbal scents shift to rich, full-bodied fruity and malty flavours.

Hints of spice, dried citrus fruit and a dry, bitter hoppy finish. (SW)

PROPELLER BREWING PROPELLER IRISH RED, NOVA SCOTIA ($4.75/650 ML)

Showing very dark reddish-brown colour with rich malty, yeasty and hoppy aromas. Full flavours of malt and bitter chocolate in the mouth. A light touch of fruitiness balances bitter chocolate notes on the finish. Very satisfying Irish-inspired brew. (SW)

FLYING MONKEYS CRAFT BREWERY HOPTICAL ILLUSION ALMOST PALE ALE, ONTARIO ($3.49/355 ML)

Dark amber in colour with a creamy, fairly persistent head. As the name suggests, the aroma does give a very pronounced hoppy impression, together with fresh fruity malt character on the nose. Very nicely poised between robust malty flavour and firm dry bitterness in the mouth, it finishes with attractive fruity notes on the long finish. (SW)

FLYING MONKEYS CRAFT BREWERY SMASHBOMB ATOMIC IPA ($3.49/355ML)

Medium amber in colour with a good, persistent head, this is a classic IPA with distinctive individual character. Citrus and herbal scents with dry malty aromas on the nose open the way for lightly sweet malt on the palate. Sweet fruity notes contrast with bitter herbal hoppy character on the finish. (SW)

FLYING MONKEYS CRAFT BREWERY NETHERWORLD CASCADIAN DARK ALE ($3.49/350 ML)

Made with a substantial dose of West Coast hops, this one has an almost stoutlike dark colour, with toasty dark malt aromas showing both fruity and bitter overtones. Somewhat reminiscent of English Porter on the palate but with more robust grip over pleasant fruity sweetness, finishing with chocolate malt-style dry bitterness. (SW)

CIDER CLOS ST-DENIS POMME DE GLACE ICE CIDER 2010, QUÉBEC ($25/375 ML)

Bright dark-gold colour. Fresh apple skins, caramel, cooked apples and biscuit. Lively sweet taste, intense apple flavour. The pleasant finish has great acidity that cuts through the sugar, with a clean but short aftertaste.

Drink now with blue cheese or a fruity dessert. (GBQc)

DUBLIN’S PUB APPLE CIDER, QUEBEC ($11/4-PK)

Fresh and crisp with pure apple flavours and great acidity, finishing refreshingly clean and dry. Such a pleasant change from so many of the excessively sweet ciders on the market. (GB)

DUBLIN’S PUB RED APPLE CIDER, QUEBEC ($11/4-PK)

Fresh with pure apple flavour; slightly fuller-bodied than the regular cider from the addition of quality caramel, but still finishing clean. (GB)

DUBLIN’S PUB BLACK VELVET CIDER WITH DARK BEER, QUEBEC ($11/4-PK)

Great balance and a richness from the addition of dark beer that gives it roasted aromas and a velvety, creamy texture with the fresh apple flavour in the background. Essentially this is a bottled Crown Float without the sweet finish from the commercial ciders used in most bars. Unique and well-made.

Drink on its own. (GB)

WELL NOTED ...

89 PILLITTERI ESTATES EXCLAMATION CELLAR SERIES RESERVE WINEMAKER’S RED, NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE ($40)

92 PETER LEHMANN MENTOR CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010, BAROSSA, AUSTRALIA ($45)

This full-bodied blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon spent 24 months in barrel before hitting the shelves. The final product reveals violets, cassis, vanilla, dark cherry, tobacco, anise and cocoa. The tannins are firm and based on the concentration and length. I would opt to drink over the next 6 years. (ES)

A tribute to the founder’s tireless mentorship of countless people. Sourced from a number of Barossa subregions. On the nose: bold, ripe plum, violets, blackcurrant and lifted cassis. On the palate: rich, spicy, sweet blackcurrant flavours supported by firm, fine-grained tannins.

Complex chocolate on the finish. Ready for all manner of red meats. (HH)

Sourced from Langmeil’s original vineyard, The Freedom, first planted in 1843.

Intense, fragrant mint and chocolate aromas. An “old-school” style, so brace yourself for a fruit bomb that explodes with concentration, complexity and juiciness.

Rich, ripe warm-climate flavours, soft tannins and long finish. Worth lingering over after dinner. (HH)

LA FACE CACHÉE DE LA POMME NEIGE PREMIÈRE ICE CIDER 2011, QUÉBEC ($25/375 ML)

89 KIM CRAWFORD PANSY ROSÉ 2013, HAWKES BAY, NEW ZEALAND ($18)

This Merlot/Malbec blend is the first rosé in the Kim Crawford portfolio. The name comes from the bright colours found in pansy flowers. The nose shows a basket of fresh raspberries, cherries and tropical fruits that jump from the glass.

It’s ripe and zesty in the mouth with delicious red fruits. Perfect summer sipper or pair with summer salads. (RV)

95 LANGMEIL THE FREEDOM 1843 SHIRAZ 2008, BAROSSA, AUSTRALIA ($115)

Appealing dark honey tint. Cooked apples, apple skins, soft caramel and spicy notes come out of the glass.

Refreshing acidity, smooth mouthfeel; moderately sweet with generous fruity taste lifted by the almost cutting acidity.

The long and complex finish lingers.

Great on its own, with a fruit dessert or dark chocolate. (GBQc)

87 CAVE SPRINGS GAMAY NOIR 2012, BEAMSVILLE BENCH, ONTARIO ($15.95)

Cave has always been a strong proponent of this varietal. The pepper, strawberry, cherry and earth combine with the fresh acidity and mild tannins, making for lovely patio-sipping/grilling this summer.

Put a slight chill to it and match up with grilled sausage or pulled pork. (ES)

89 RENWOOD BBQ ZINFANDEL 2011, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES ($24)

Ripe and intense, but well-balanced and harmonious, with black raspberry and toasty spice flavours of plum, black cherry, liquorice and cracked pepper; rich texture and a vibrant finish. Perfect with — what else? — barbecue. (GB)

INNIS & GUNN IRISH WHISKEY FINISH, 7.4% ABV, SCOTLAND ($3.25/ 330ML)

Innis & Gunn has risen to prominence by offering a range of unique, cask-aged beers, many of which are “limited editions,” or, like this Irish Whiskey Finish, “seasonal selections.” A Scottish stout aged in contact with Irish whiskey-infused American oak, it shows aromas of fruitcake, dark roast coffee, molasses, and dark chocolate. All of these reappear on the palate, along with some malty, sweet oak notes, and the finish is rich, full-bodied, and warming. (TS)

JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 63

DAVINE BY GURVINDER BHATIA ...

finding Age-ability Cheap and drinkable is how many people described Chilean wines 15 to 20 years ago. Much of that perception had to do with the types of wines being exported from the long, narrow South American country. Age-ability generally was not a consideration. Why would wine enthusiasts place these early-drinking party wines in their cellars next to their age-worthy French and Italian gems?

Times do change. The perception of Chilean wines has evolved over the past decade and with good reason. The quality of the wines has improved dramatically as winemakers and vineyard managers have better identified the appropriate vineyard sites for specific grape varieties.

Better viticulture has also played a significant role as has the move to sustainable farming practices. Chile is a relatively isolated country surrounded by natural barriers (Pacific Ocean to the west, Andes Mountains to the east, Atacama Desert to the north and the Antarctic to the south), which makes it less susceptible to many vineyard diseases that have affected most other wine-producing regions. The result is that Chilean producers have a relatively natural ability to farm sustainably, organically and biodynamically.

This in and of itself will not result in better wine, but it goes to the health of the fruit and the vineyard. You still need good vineyard management and winemaking.

On a recent trip, I had the opportunity to taste several vintages of two different wines that clearly demonstrated Chile’s ability to produce not just great-quality and regionally diverse wines with a sense of place, but also those with the ability to age well.

VIÑA LA RESERVA DE CALIBORO ERASMO, MAULE VALLEY ($40)

Caliboro is a collaboration between the Solar O’Reilly family (the landowners) and the Count Francesco Marone Cinzano, owner of Col d’Orcia, one on Montalcino’s most respect Brunello producers. Located in the Maule Valley (and seemingly in the middle of nowhere), the vineyards are adjacent to a river and dry-farmed. There is ample sunshine and a refreshing breeze that blows through the property.

Cinzano planted the property with hundreds of vines from Europe. Erasmo started as a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Starting with the 2007 vintage, a small amount of Syrah was also added to the blend. Since its first vintage in 2001, Erasmo has quickly become recognized as one of the country’s best wines and an indication of the evolution of the country’s wine industry.

2004

Beautiful aromas of dark fruit and slightly floral; very elegant with a silky texture, velvety tannins and a round, soft finish.

Still has a lot of life.

64 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

2005

Dark fruit and a touch of spice; ripe fruit with dark chocolate, blackcurrant and a touch of toastiness. A little fatter than the 2004 and a little more straightforward but still drinking very well.

2006

Complex nose showing ripe fruit, nice balance, firm yet supple underlying tannins, a touch of minerality and a layered finish.

2007

Bright aromas and fresh flavours of blackberry and black cherry with great elegance; a beautiful texture that glides over the palate while filling the mouth with flavour, fresh minerality and a long length.

2009

Still young, but showing nice construction and balance, black fruit flavours, soft tannins and good length. A good effort in a tough dry vintage resulting in a very well made and drinkable wine.

2010

Fresh, bold and ripe with pure flavours of blackberry and cherry, balance and structure with well-integrated tannins; lovely fresh minerality, juicy, multidimensional and a long, complex finish. Already great, this will be an outstanding wine for many years to come.

EMILIANA COYAM, COLCHAGUA VALLEY ($29)

Emiliana was one of the first wineries in Chile to embrace the idea of sense of place and sustainability. In the early 1990s, most wineries were using the same pesticides, the same herbicides and the same vinification techniques, and there was little attention paid to regionality.

The people at Emiliana felt that they needed to change and realized that the best way to obtain the fingerprint of a place was through respect of nature via sustainable, organic and biodynamic farming. Today, export manager Fernando Pavon calls the concept of sustainability a “tattoo” for every employee at Emiliana.

Coyam is a wine created from the winery’s vineyards in the Colchagua Valley. The blend has changed, but has become predominantly Syrah and Carménère with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

2001

Still fresh with good fruit and structure, vibrant colour showing little signs of its age, touch of spice, soft elegant tannins and a nice freshness on the finish. Drinking extremely well and still has some years. Predominantly Merlot, Carménère and Syrah.

2004

Showing a firm structure, dark fruit with a touch of fresh herbs; elegant and drinkable with many years left.

2007

Very fresh and elegant with ripe black fruit flavours, fresh herbs, firm tannins, bright acidity and a long finish.

2011

Just a baby and quite tight and closed, but showing all the qualities of a wine that will age well. Ripe black fruit, fresh herbs, earth, spice and great underlying structure. ×

SPAIN & PORTUGAL TOUR THE PASSION OF THE IBERIAN OCTOBER 3 – 16, 2014

Tour Spain and Portugal

with WH Henry Travel Inc.

The Iberian Peninsula, home of two wine producing countries known worldwide for their long winemaking history, unique varietals and luscious wines. The countries Spain, where Tempranillo, sherry, Albariño, Catalonia and Cava are familiar faces; and Portugal, where Vinhos Verdes, Port and Alentejo are just a few of the many native varieties.

AGENCE DE VOYAGES W. H. HENRY INC.

TRAVEL AGENTS

Our tour will take us through seven regions of the northern Iberian Peninsula: we will start in Spain with the Ribera del Duero, Burgos and Rioja; the Portugal leg of our trip will include Vinho Verde, Douro, Oporto and Lisboa. Visit vineyards, see picturesque cityscapes and enjoy the varied, warm weather.

12 NIGHTS IN THE IBERIAN PENISULA: $5,965.00*PER PERSON, SINGLE SUPPLEMENT $1,970.00 *price based on double occupancy, including GST/HST, QST and FICAV contribution of $2.00/$1000. Quebec licensee.

Please call Lucy Rodrigues at 514 369 3300 or email whhenrytravel@gmail.com for brochure.

WH Henry Inc. 5165 Sherbrooke Streat West, Suite 500, Montreal QC H4A 1T6

JULY/AUGUST 2014 × QUENCH.ME × 65

AFTER TASTE BY TONY ASPLER ...

Living Bottle Shock In 1997, I published a book entitled Travels With My Corkscrew. If I were ever to write the sequel, it would have to be called Travels Without My Corkscrew. I cannot count the number of these gadgets I have lost to airport security staff by inadvertently leaving them in my carry-on luggage.

In that book, I wrote a couple of sentences that speak to my own history of wine drinking: “There are two stages in an oenophile’s life. The first is the discovery of wine; the second, the revelation of fine wine.” Niagara College flattered me by having these words painted on the wall at the entrance to their wine store.

Not quite as portentous as Dante’s words written at the gateway to hell: “Abandon hope all ye who enter here.” But the words have a certain element of truth.

In nearly 40 years of chasing the grape around the world, I have come to understand that this notion of discovery not only refers to wine drinkers but also has some traction when it applies to the marketing efforts of emerging wine regions. I’m thinking specifically of Chile and Argentina. When both these countries entered the export market they did so with wines priced at bargain-basement levels. (Remember Fuzion Shiraz Malbec from Argentina that entered the Ontario market in 2006 at $7.45 and consumers went nuts over it? At one point, the LCBO was reporting sales of 1,000 cases a day.)

When a region gets a reputation for low-cost wines that are actually drinkable, it’s hard to take them seriously as a producer of fine wines that are expensive. If you get used to paying under $10 for what has become your house wine, you don’t really feel inclined to fork out $50 and more for products from the same winery, let alone that region. You fall back on the old assumptions that only France can make wine that’s worth spending that kind of money on.

How, then, does an emerging wine region convince the world that its vintners can make wines whose quality can rival that of Bordeaux and Burgundy, and raise their prices accordingly?

The earliest example of how this can be accomplished was in 1976 when Steven Spurrier, a young English wine merchant, put on a blind tasting in Paris, pitting California Chardonnay and Cabernet 66 × @QUENCH_MAG × JULY/AUGUST 2014

Sauvignon against white Burgundy and red Bordeaux. California took top spot in both categories. You may have seen the Hollywood version, Bottle Shock.

This David-and-Goliath precedent was emulated with the release of Seña 1996, a Chilean blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, created by Viña Errázuriz with help from Tim Mondavi. I participated in a blind tasting in New York featuring three First Growth Bordeaux and Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve alongside Seña. While Seña didn’t win that bout, it did very well. So much so that an emboldened Eduardo Chadwick, the owner of Errázuriz, mounted a more ambitious tasting in 2004 in Berlin — orchestrated by the same Steven Spurrier

— and an oenological circus that Chadwick would tour to seven other major cities around the world, including Toronto. At the initial Berlin tasting, 36 European wine experts, after blind-tasting 16 wines, put Viñedo Chadwick 2001, Errázuriz’s flagship Cabernet blend, and Seña 2001 in first and second place, above iconic wines of France, Italy and California. The results from the other cities were also very favourable to the Chilean upstarts.

And with that halo effect, Errázuriz helped other producers of fine wine in Chile to raise their prestige and the prices of their wines. The last time Seña appeared in the LCBO’s Classics Catalogue, the 2008 vintage was listed at $99; Viñedo Chadwick 2006 was listed at $165. So much for house-wine prices. ×

ILLUSTRATION: FRANCESCO GALLÉ, WWW.FRANCESCOGALLE.COM

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