5 minute read
IT'S BEEN FUN - ZOOM ONLINE TASTINGS
by Margaret Swaine GLOBAL GETAWAY Columnist and Author www.margaretswaine.com
The pandemic has encouraged many businesses to get very creative in how they promote and sell their wares. The drink industry is no exception and I have been the fortunate recipient of their innovations. I’ve had Zoom powered tastings where wines have been sent to me in miniature bottles, food grade plastic pouches, or even full bottles and more often accompanied with food pairings. I’ve enjoyed spirits sent along with all the ingredients to make several cocktails. As summer heated up, I’ve found multiple types of hard sodas in my delivery box. It’s been fun. Here are my recommendations on what to drink based on my home office tastings.
The aperitivo spritz (a mix of sparkling wine and red hued bitter aperitif such as Italy’s Campari) before dinner is all the rage in Europe. In Canada we can now make a native version using Amalfi Aperitivo created by Davide and Bruno Codispoti of Vaughn. Flavoured with hibiscus, chamomile, rose hips, lemon peel, quinine and more it’s got lots of character. Mix it with a value priced sparkler such as Toro Bravo Secco from Spain ($11.95) or the lovely Fiol Prosecco, which scored 92 points at this year’s New York international wine competition and is a bargain $13.95 (Limited Time Offer until August 15 at the LCBO). If you want to keep it simple Amalfi Spritz is available in 355mL bottles (four pack for $12.95).
I’m a big fan of the cocktail “dark and stormy” made with ginger beer topped with rum. Havana Club’s new Cuban Smoky (LTO $42.50 at the LCBO) made with rum aged in former Islay whisky casks, has rich, sweet caramel rum flavours enhanced by a smokiness that’s perfect for this cocktail. Use a good quality ginger beer brand such as fever-tree in the mix. If you want to really up the experience, Appleton Estates Black River Cask 15-year-old ($79.95) is a smooth sipper that’s spicy, fruity and zesty. If you’re budgeting, their standard mixer rum, Kingston 62 Gold ($28.25) re-named in Gin honour of the year of Jamaican independence is bold flavoured and lively.
A number of lovely new Canadian whiskies have emerged recently. Canada’s whisky blending rules allow for a 9.09% addition of wine or other spirits aged at least two years in wood. This can lead to such exceptional creations as Forty Creek Foxheart whisky ($44.95) infused with 12 year old Caribbean rum. It’s named after master blender Bill Ashburn’s other passion, the home of his world champion wire fox terriers. On the palate it’s creamy smooth with hints of molasses, tropical fruit such as banana, and wood. Multi layered and ultra smooth it maintains a structure and elegance that is divine.
The Forager Whisky ($34.95) is Canada’s first whisky infused with wild botanicals; namely juniper, spruce tips, mugwort, Labrador tea and sweet fern. It was sent to me with delicious pairing dishes from Antler Kitchen and Bar in Toronto. This whisky is perfect to add an edge to cocktails. Even a simple Forager and tonic was elevated to a more full and layered experience.
Durham’s own Howitzer ($36.95) is a Canadian whisky brand started by hockey teammates and small town lads Mike Brown and Craig de Blois. Corn based, aged for five years and finished in bourbon barrels, it’s velvety smooth and bold enough to be great in a cocktail or as a sipper. There’s a sweetly aromatic note of vanilla, caramel and dried apricot that carries through on the palate. Howitzer is the hockey term for a booming slapshot and the name of a retired artillery gun.
Georgian Bay released their first barrel aged spirit that’s 96% corn based with the rest rye, Georgian Bay Whisky ($34.95). It has spiced nose with light vanilla, char notes and hints of ginger. Not sweet, it’s dry, spiced uplifting and clean – perfect mixed with ginger ale.
There has been lots happening in gins, a still wildly popular category. I found my new favourite cocktail gin in UK’s Ableforth’s Bathtub Gin ($59.95). Crafted in a copper pot still, using a host of traditional botanicals namely juniper, cardamom, orange peel, cassia bark, coriander seed and clove, it’s bold, clean and fresh with vibrant flavours. It stands its ground in a Negroni, makes a perfect G&T and shines in pretty much any other gin drink.
Glendalough Rose Gin ($35.85) from Ireland is infused with local wild botanicals and three varieties of rose petals: hence its pretty pink hue and lovely overlay of roses in aroma and taste. Juniper is there as a solid undertone augmented with suggestions of Turkish delight and pink peppercorn. It makes a fun twist on a G&T.
Romeo’s X Pink Gin ($39.95) adds watermelon extract, cucumber, dill, lavender, lemon and almond along with the obligatory juniper to produce its distinctive character. Slightly sweet (there is added cane sugar), the melon and cucumber dominate on the palate. There is so much going on, I drank this simply chilled as a martini. Just add a melon or cucumber slice to garnish.
One of my favourite persons in the drink business is Sandro Bottega. Bottega is a fourth generation family company in Italy that is a leading producer of Prosecco but also make delicious liqueurs, grappas, gin and more. You can’t go wrong with any of their products. Two of their newest liqueurs are Pomegranate ($24.80) made with a minimum of 25% Sicilian pomegranate juice and Ginger made with root grown in Vietnam. Bottega Gin Bacur ($44.05) is made from Tuscan juniper berries, Veneto sage leaves, lemon zest from Sicily and mineral water from the Italian Alps.
On the wine side of things, the Austrians organized an incredible “home edition” tasting sending me four select wines from 10 different producers. Those 40 wines came in small bottles holding about three ounces each – an incredible experience which reinforced my love for Austrian grüner veltliner in particular. There’s almost always availability of this Austrian white grape variety wine at the LCBO. Some of my favourites in the under $20 price range are from Rabl, Domain Wachau and Allram.
Cavinona, an Ontario based wine agency specializing in indigenous Italian wines, has over 70 producers in their portfolio. I was so impressed by the quality that I’m now a devoted customer.
The Rueda wine region of Spain organized a virtual class with master sommelier Bruce Wallner leading the tasting, and the wines sent ahead in food grade plastic pouches. The native verdejo grape really shines in this area. Available now at the LCBO is the medium bodied, fresh, fruity/floral Marques de Riscal Rueda ($14.95).
Cheers to all!
