One of my weaknesses is the often silly Bachelor/Bachelorette reality show. Don’t ask me why, but every season I’m hooked. Perhaps, I’m fascinated by people looking for love on national TV or perhaps the show is much easier to watch with a glass of wine in hand, which is perhaps the best way to view this show.

If you watched this Monday’s episode, you couldn’t miss the scene in the wine cellar at the Bearfoot Bistro restaurant.  I spent more time figuring out what wines were in the cellar than watching what Jillian (the Bachelorette) and Michael (one of the remaining men) were saying to each other.  As best as ABC tried to cover up what was in the cellar, I spotted verticals of Dominus, Tignanello, Domaine Serene from Oregon and Opus One. I saw lots of great Magnums from some of the same producers, too. And to boot, there was sofa in the wine cellar…hmm…wonder what goes on in here after-hours…  I’m sure there’s a lot of what happens in the wine room stays in the wine room nonsense going on.  This restaurant does have an amazing wine list.

Although much to Jillian’s dismay “none of the bottles, seriously, are from the 1800s.”  The oldest bottle happens to be a dessert wine, a 1907 Blandy, Bual from Madeira, Portugal.   Note to Barefoot Bistro – you spelled Madeira incorrectly on your website and I’m happy to recommend a good sommelier.  But Michael, you were right about the dust on the bottles, I had to pause my PVR to catch it on a few!

Then we got to see Jillian try and open the Champagne with a saber. (no, it was not a “light saber” for all you Star Wars geeks out there.) Kudos to Jillian for doing it quite well although it seemed like half the bottle squirted out on the floor. I like the idea of sabering, but there seems to be a lot of wasted Champagne. Unless the sommelier is a trained professional and promises not to spill an ounce, then I would go for the more traditional method of opening champagne. If I’m ordering a bottle of Vintage Dom Perignon or Krug Champagne there is no way I’d want to lose a drop! But hey, something cheap and cheerful – go for it!

But the best line of the night came from the Wine Director/Manager who said “You know what they say about Champagne?  Burgundy makes you think of silly thoughts, Bordeaux makes you talk about them and Champagne makes you do them.”  Like who makes up this sh!t?    My guess it was the producers, but man, there are way better quotes about Champagne than that one.

If you are a fan of the Bachelor/ Bachelorette show, you need to check out my fellow Facebook friend’s website www.realitysteve.com for his slant on the show. He has a great sense of humour and really tells it like it is.

The annual dilemma if you have the Dad or Father-In-Law that has everything (like most of do).   Beside from taking your Dad to the movies to see The Hangover for great Father and Son bonding, here are some wine suggestions that will have your Dad or Father-In-Law running back to the store for more!

For the Strong, Silent Dad:  I think a great Malbec would be perfect.  The 2007 Domino Del Plata Susana Balbo Signature Malbec ($27.95) is no exception.  Think baking spices and mocha here with a long, generous finish.

For the Dad who drinks white wine:  2007 Stags Leap Chardonnay is a great choice.   It’s a classic Burgundian style Chardonnay but from Napa Valley with pear and green apple notes, great acidity with a fantastic finish.  Yes, I know it’s $29.95 but hey, your Dad is worth it! 

For the cheap and cheerful Dad:  I have the perfect Portuguese wine, it’s the 2006 Duque De Viseau Red from the Dao region.  Very approachable with red berry fruit characteristics this little gem pairs well from any on the BBQ to just drinking on it’s own and it’s only $13.95. 

For the Sports Dad:  I know beer is perhaps an obvious choice, but I think the 2006 Kaiken Ultra Malbec would make an excellent selection.   Lots of ripe black fruit and it’s a great price at $19.95. 

For the wine aficionado Dad:  What dad would not be totally blown away getting a bottle of the 2004 Ségla from Bordeaux?   This is the second wine from Château Rauzan-Ségla located in Margaux.  This wine. when I tasted it, is coming along nicely. but it is highly complex and needs time.  Why not pick up a bottle for your own cellar, too!   Definitely not for the drink-it-now type.  

And saving the best for last, for the Dad who appreciates a good wine: Try the 2006 Fattoria dei Barbi Morellino Di Scansano.  It is mostly Sangiovese (85%) and really reminds me of a lighter Brunello and it won’t break the bank at $17.95 a bottle.  Very approachable and great with steak or lamb kebobs.   This is the hit of the Father’s Day release at LCBO Vintages this month. 

Happy Father’s Day!

I cannot remember the last time I had or ever made Hamburger Helper. Since moving, I am in an area that gets all kinds of free samples from cereal to tuna. So you can imagine my surprise when a box of Lasagna Hamburger Helper arrived at my doorstep.

Considering the economic times I thought I would get in the spirit and whip up this dish. Of course, I did use organic extra lean ground beef from Beretta Farms which cost me triple the price of normal lean ground beef purchased from a discount grocery store. I followed the recipe and made the creamy version by adding a bit of milk to mixture.

While it was cooking and tasting the flavours in the dish, I was trying to think of wine to pair with it. For white, I was thinking Chardonnay with some barrel aging to as it would have a more creamier texture than an unoaked Chardonnay. It would also have to have good acidity, too. So I was thinking a Sonoma or even Ontario Chardonnay would work here. For a red, a Valpolicella or Chianti would work as both have nice red fruit flavours and great acidity. I decided on a 2007  Barbera D’Alba  ’Torriglione’ from Renato Ratti which is currently available for $19.95 in Vintages. This wine hails from the Piedmont region in Italy but most people know this area for Barolo. What is so great about the Barbera grape variety is that it is very approachable when young and pairs well with many foods because of its high acidity.

What a wine! Very floral on the nose, lots of violets here but also had nice red berry characteristics both on the nose and in the mouth. Very nice finish too. Although the alcohol on the label said 14%, it was well integrated in the wine and did not over power the dish. It was so good it had my husband and I going back for seconds not only for the wine, but the food too.

Would I make this again, for sure but it’s our family’s little secret!

With the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors out of town this week, I totally indulged at the Body Blitz Spa late this afternoon with a total head to toe scrub.   When I got home shortly after 7 p.m.,  I decided to pull out one of my Bertolli dinners from the freezer.  I decided on the Steak, Rigatoni and Portabello Mushroom dish.   The pairing according to the Villa Bertolli website suggests a Pinot Grigio of which I had none.  So,  I looked through my wine cellar looking for an alternative match.  It had to have good acidity but not overly sweet or full bodied.  So I decided on the 2004 Chardonnay Semillon from Hester Creek located in the Okanagan Valley.   At  only 12.9% alcohol, I knew that it would be light bodied enough to not over power the dish.   All I can say is “wow” what a fantastic wine.  It is drinking very well now and has a lot of tropical fruit notes without being too fruity.  The acidity was still there and I thought the match with the food went very well.   Because it had some age, the colour was deep gold and very bright.  I found the Semillon really shone through as I got a bit of oilyness on the finish.   This one would have been tough for me in a blind tasting for sure!

We all come across unusual scenarios when it comes to wine.  For example, you might know someone who prefers ice in their fifty-dollar bottle of Chardonnay or–worse yet–in their red wine.  Or you may have that friend that absolutely loves Shiraz with oysters.  But some people prefer their Gruner Veltliner shaken, as was the case a few weeks ago for a fellow Sommelier.

The Sommelier had a request for a bottle of  2007 Gruner Veltliner and brought it over to the table.  He presented the bottle to the guest and then poured a taste.  The guest then told him that it need some “air” because he thought it was still a bit tight.  The Sommelier suggested decanting into one of their beautiful white wine decanters, which he declined.  Then he suggested pouring a few ounces in each guest’s glass because he knew it would also open up quickly that way. 

But that was not a reasonable solution for this guest and he told the Sommelier to put the screw cap back on and pass him the bottle.  As soon as he handed it to him, he immediately stood up and shook that bottle like there was no tomorrow.  The other guests were simply looking on like this was a normal scene in their world.  When he was done, he said, “It’s ready now,” and handed the Sommelier the bottle to pour out to all the guests. 

Then the Sommelier went into the kitchen and burst out laughing… 

Obama sips a 2002 Stratus Red on Parliament Hill….

 

This is the email that Stratus has sent out to all its subscribers:

 

Big news…

 

President Barack Obama enjoyed our 2002 Stratus Red at yesterday’s luncheon with Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

 

Served with the main course of Applewood Smoked Plains Bison, the 2002 Red marks the first of the Stratus Red lineage. It was released in 2005 when we officially opened and immediately received rave reviews. No doubt that time in cellar has made it even better!

 

We are honoured that this debut vintage of Stratus Red was uncorked in celebration of the President’s visit and thought you might like to know.

 

With any luck, you may still have some in your cellar.

 

Cheers!

 

http://www.stratuswines.com/index/page/name/media

P.S. - I’m going to check my cellar right away. 

 

 

 

 

 

I remember during my first sommelier course we had a class on Beer. My experience with beer hadn’t gone much beyond Coors Light from my college days in the nineties and I sincerely hated beer. Each sommelier student had to announce their favourite beer to the class. As I sat there listening to all these exotic beers from my fellow classmates, I dreaded what I would say. I took the safe route and blurted out “Corona” as someone else had also indicated that was their favorite too. I had only sipped Corona on occasion and, to be honest, it didn’t appeal to my personal taste. After taking that class, I really gained an appreciation for beer (thank you, Stephen Beaumont) and decided I preferred ales to lagers and would have a few Schneider Weisse or Chimay beers a year.

That was until I tried the Mill Street Organic beer. Yes, it’s a lager but it’s a lighter style (only 4.2% alcohol) with an amazing floral bouquet and the requisite banana flavour that I love about beer. Perhaps because it’s made in a European style that makes it appeal to my taste buds. It pairs with anything from fish and chips (has that great acidity to cut through the grease), to hot dogs, to salads and fruit. In Ontario it’s available at the LCBO and the Beer Store and on tap some local Toronto pubs and restaurants. Or better yet, head on down to the Mill Street Brew Pub next time you are TO.

This beer rocks!

Click on the image below for this beer’s tasting notes here:

Organic wines are, essentially, wines that are made from organic grapes that were grown free of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and growth stimulants. In most cases, grapes are handpicked at harvest so that only the best quality grapes are selected.  In the winery, only clean, non-contaminated stainless steel tanks and barrels are allowed.  Winemakers are discouraged from adding sulphur dioxide to the wine, but it is permitted in some cases.

 

Biodynamic wines are very similar to organic wines, in the sense that the grape farmer use homeopathic, herbal-based compost and field sprays, as well as following a very strict vinification process. However, the key difference is that biodynamic growers focus on the vines themselves and believe that they respond to forces of nature and that the growth of the leaves, roots, buds, flowers and fruit are influenced by the position of the moon and stars with certain constellations.  All of these forces play in the sustainability component where winemakers work within their own environment and natural eco-system to produce wines that pay homage to their own terrior.

 

 

 

When you think of wine growing regions, Japan isn’t the first place you would think of. While it’s true that many, if not most countries, are growing grapes, but is the quality of the wine any good? Recently I had the opportunity to put wines from Japan to the test.

First of all, there have been active wineries in Japan since 1875 and many have been passed through the family, in as many as four generations. The climate in Japan tends to be warm and very humid, with high rainfall which can make grape growing very challenging. After experimenting with North American grape varieties in the early days, the Japanese discovered some of their own varieties that do very well in their climate.

The Koshu grape variety is considered the star in the white category. This grape truly reminds me of Riesling with its green apple, mineral and floral notes with high acidity on the finish. I can see where this wine would be an excellent match with wasabi. Two of my favourites were the 2006 Rubaiyat Koshu Sur Lie and the 2006 Grace Gris De Koshu. Some of the other whites I tasted also reminded me of Chenin Blanc showing hints of honeysuckle, minerality and really high acid. Overall, I was quite impressed with a few whites and felt that they were wines that were not only food-friendly, but are great just on their own.

Koshu grapes

One red wine I tasted was the 2000 Chateau Sakaori made with a grape variety called Muscat Bailey A. This is a hybrid variety which is a crossing of Bailey A and Muscat Hamburg that was created over 100 years ago. This rustic wine really grew on me. I found the finish to be very savory with a dried cranberry flavour. This would be a great match with a savory Japanese dish such as Miso Glazed BBQ Duck. I also tasted from Obuse Winery, their 2005 Merlot Ordinaire. This wine is extremely popular in Japan and sells out almost immediately upon release. If you have the chance to fly on Air Nippon throughout Europe make sure to look for this wine.

As the North American market has developed a taste for Sake over the last decade, I hope I’ll see some of these interesting wines added to wine lists across the county.

Last Thursday, I attended this fantastic event held here in Toronto and thought I would share some of the highlights for me at this tasting.

Let’s begin with some whites:

The quintessential Sauvignon Blanc:   The 2006 Chalk Hill Sauvignon Blanc had lots of ripe tropical fruit and minerality backed up with great acidity on the palate.  This wine was fermented 50% in stainless steel and 50% oak.

Favorite White:  I had two favorites here.  First was the 2006 La Crema Chardonnay with its mango and peach flavours touched with a kiss of oak.  The second was the 2005 Chalk Hill Chardonnay.  Chalk Hill is known best for its Chardonnay, as these vines have been around since 1972.  This stunning wine had lots of banana and stone fruit as well as vanilla and a hint of spice followed up with a great finish.  I can see why Wine Spectator awarded this wine 90 points!

Moving on to the Reds:

Best Zinfandel:   This Zin really took me by surprise.  I picked the 2006 “Director’s Cut” Francis Ford Coppola Zinfandel from the Dry Creek Valley which is renowned AVA for growing Zinfandel.   This wine is everything you want in a Zin–big black ripe fruit and spice with low tannins.

A must have Pinot Noir:  I absolutely loved the 2005 Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Pinot Noir from Carneros.   This delicious Pinot Noir had just stunning cherry and strawberry flavours and could definitely hold up to any steak.

Yummy, plummy Merlot:   This hands down was the 2005 Chalk Hill Merlot.  This wine is 79% Merlot and 21% Malbec.   I ended up chatting with the agent that represents this wine in Ontario and while we were talking it just got better in my glass.  Lots of dark plum, mocha and bitter chocolate here with an extra long finish.   Only 2000 cases were made of this easy drinking Merlot, so you’d better get your hands on some fast.

Best Priced Cabernet:  I love to find hidden gems and this Cabernet truly did it for me.  The winner here was the 2005 Souverain Cabernet Sauvignon from the Alexander Valley.  This wine was very complex with black fruit, clove spice and pencil shavings, all the right makings of a fantastic Cabernet.

A lot of these wines are available through the winery so check out their websites for more information.