Everyone wants a pub to call their own and now you can at MyPlace Pub in the Bloor West Village.    And according to owner/chef Brad Long they’ve only been open a week and they already have regulars!  And I can see why with the great selection of beer, wine and upscale pub food.   Were not talking greasy, overbattered fish and chips either.

I had the Black Cod fish-and-chips that literally melted in your mouth.  Of course, I washed it down with a Blanche de Chambly, a Quebec white ale with great acidity and citrus notes.  Other great beers of note including Mill Street, Muskoka, Steam Whistle and Big Rock, but also stouts and dark ales.

But let’s get to the wine list.  It’s very Ontario-focused, including red and white wines from Tawse, Flat Rock, Stratus, Henry of Pelham and Malivore to name a few.   For dessert, they even have a Prince Edward County Ice Cider, which would go great with their Norfolk Empire Apple Pan Dowdy.

I also had the opportunity to taste the Kozlicks Triple Mustard Crusted lamb chops, which I think it would pair well with the Prospect Shiraz from BC, and the pierogies which re hand made in house.  Hands down, these are the best pierogies I have ever tasted and they would be a fun match with the Tawse Echos Chardonnay.

There are too many great dishes to list, so head down one night have a seat at the bar, cozy up in the newly covered banquettes in the dining room or head up to the roof top patio to take in the last few nights of summer!

It really is ‘touch and go’ at CLO Wine Bar.  When I was in NYC this week, I stopped by the bar, located in the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle.   When you walk in, you are greeted by a friendly host who explains how to locate a wine on their unique menu system.  You hold your hand over the table and a menu screen appears and you use gestures to navigate through over 100 wines available.  The display gives you all the information you need about each wine such as producer, region, grape, vintage, price, tasting notes and bottle location in the bar.  Once you pick your wine, you walk over to the machine, insert your card and voila!  Every wine (except sparking) is hooked up to an Enomatic machine and gives you an exact 4 ounce pour of the wine of your choice…just make sure your glass is underneath the spout.  Then you can go back to your seat and enjoy your wine.   There is a small menu available to enjoy a cheese plate or charcuterie with your wine.

 

I thought the concept for this place was great, but I was hoping for 1 or 2 oz pours to allow for an opportunity to taste more wines.  Trust me, after a few 4 ounce pours, they will all start to taste the same.  Not only that, but your bill could be well over $100 for wine samples alone.  Now, if you ever wanted to try a glass of Krug champagne or Opus One without splurging on an entire bottle, then here is your opportunity!

Since having recently come back from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, I have had hankering for Oregon Pinot Noir.  But what would I pair with it?   I’ve been craving a really good pulled pork sandwich and decided to try The Stockyards Smokehouse and Larder near my house.  I was also in luck, as the LCBO recently released some great Oregon Pinot Noir to our market here in Ontario.  Much to my delight, I was able to pick up the 2006 Maysara Jamsheed Pinot Noir, with its beautiful cherry and earthy flavours.  What an amazing match in terms of flavours of both the food and wine and the finish was outstanding. Their pulled pork sandwich was one of the best I have had in a long time, the BBQ sauce just having the right amount of sweetness and acidity.  I also liked the coleslaw topping, too. I hear the ribs at The Stockyards are amazing but, alas, only available Sundays, Tuesday and Friday…stay tuned!

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.

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.

Yes, it’s true Nabisco Foods (the company that owns the Triscuit brand) is getting into food and wine pairing.   The September 30, 2008 issue of Wine Spectator has a two-page ad from Triscuit featuring their “Rosemary & Olive Oil” cracker paired with 3 cheeses.

The really cool thing is that there are recipes to go along with each pairing.  For example, take their Herby Blue Cheese and Pear recipe.  I personally would not pair a blue cheese with a Chardonnay because the blue cheese flavour is typically quite strong and, in most cases, would over power the wine.  But in this recipe, they are using a creamy blue cheese which is not as strong, adding 2 oz of milk (to thin the cheese), then spreading this on the cracker and topping it with a pear slice and some toasted almonds.  The sweetness of the pear and the toasted almonds help with neutralizing the cheese and enhance the fruit and toastiness of the wine.

The other recipes include a Creamy Smoked Salmon and Brie, topped with Capers and Crème Fraiche and a Zesty Monterey Jack and Olives topped with Orange Zest, which all pair well with an oaked Chardonnay.

Unfortunately, these fun recipes are not listed on their website, nor is this ad featured on their website either, even though they are currently running an on-line promotion with Turning Leaf Wines. Pick up your issue of Wine Spectator soon!

Note to Nabisco Foods: I love the ad in Wine Spectator, but remember that food and wine lovers are everywhere, especially here on the Internet.

 

 

 

 

 

Looking for a diversion between wineries?  Then head to El Dorado Kitchen located in downtown Sonoma where they serve lunch and dinner daily and brunch on Sunday.  I had the opportunity to dine here for lunch on my way to the Russian River Valley during my visit to Napa/Sonoma in July.

It was such a gorgeous day that I opted for the outdoor patio underneath the fig tree.   Much to my surprise, I was presented with a small cocktail menu and promptly ordered myself the “EDK Mojito”.  Let me tell you that it was a refreshing taste to my palate after a busy morning of wine tasting and spitting.   The mojito was absolutely delicious, just the right amount of light cruzan rum,  lime juice, soda and fresh mint.  Of course, I did have a long look at the wine list and loved the great selection of half bottles mostly from Napa and Sonoma.    The wine list itself was quite extensive and it broken down into grape varieties.  I loved the “off the beaten path reds” selection featuring some interesting wines such as the Viader “Dare” Cabernet Franc or the Verdad Tempranillo from the Santa Ynez Valley.

For lunch I had the salmon croquettes which consisted of a single salmon and yukon gold potato cake topped with a frisee in red pepper remoulade which was absolutely delicious.  Other lunch choices included a forest mushroom pizza (a nice Pinot Noir would pair nicely), steak and truffle fries and chicken curry flat bread.

Dessert is also a must have at El Dorado Kitchen and I indulged in the chocolate s’mores tart!  Picture a chocolate ganaceh sitting on top a graham cracker crust bottom, decandant merangine on top with vanilla ice cream and you have heaven in bowl.  I ate every last bite!  Other interesting choices included a chocolate sea salt cake and the homemade ice cream sandwiches such as butterscotch cookie with carmel icecream with a carmel dipping sauce.  Talk about over indulging in a good way!  Just remember to watch out for falling figs if you happen to sit under the fig tree!

Where else can you listen to Led Zepplin and taste an amazing Cabernet Sauvignon but at Cliff Lede Vineyards located in the heart of the Stag’s Leap District.  I was greeted by Rikki, who would be giving me a personal tour of this stunning property.   The open and airy tasting room leads you to the outdoor patio area, providing an amazing view of the vineyards.  On the property is a contemporary art gallery that combines the owner’s love and appreciation of art and wine.   Since the owner is also a lover of great rock music, each block of the vineyard is named after a rock song such as “Hotel California”, “Light My Fire” and “Stairway to Heaven”.   The stunning cellar located on the south-west side of the vineyard boasts an amazing view of the valley floor below and the steep hillside vineyards to the east (Vacas Mountain Range) with the Poetry Inn nestled right up there.  I loved looking into the fermentation room and seeing the picture of Grace Kelly keeping her watchful eye on the winemaking process.

During my visit, I tasted the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, which had lots of tropical fruit notes on the nose and in the mouth, like mango.  For such ripe fruit and high alcohol the wine still had great acidity with a medium finish.  I also lucked out and was able to taste the sold-out 2005 Sauvignon Blanc.  The amazing thing was that the 2005 still holding its own, showing lots of fruit and great acidity even though it was already 3 years old   But the kicker for me was the 2005 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon which is 100% from the Stag’s Leap District.  Lots of black currents, black cherry, bitter chocolate, baking spices and cloves.  The fruit and alcohol were extremely well integrated and the layers of complexity of this wine was so refine.  I can see this wine being able to age another twenty years, if you have the patience, but it can be enjoyed now with a nice medium rare steak or lamb kabobs on the BBQ.  Or, even better, pair this wine with some great classic rock.

            

When you think of Sherry, a few things come to mind.  It might have been your Great-Aunt Matilda’s favorite drink (does Harvey’s Bristol Cream come to mind?).  You may love to cook with it or you may associate it with drinking it out of a paper bag.  What ever your connection, Sherry drinking has been on the decline for the past 10 years or so.  Sherry is a fortified wine that comes from or around the town of Jerez, Spain.   One of the biggest myths about Sherry is that is tends to be sweet, but actually it can be made in a dry or sweet style.  That said; remember that Cream Sherries are always sweet. 

Sherry comes in many different styles so here are a few to consider:

Manzanilla Dry – ­ This is light, very dry style sherry with delicate flavours. Pair it with almonds, ham or even olives.  Most of these Sherries have a saltiness to them that is picked up from the near by ocean.  Made with the Palomino grape variety.  Try the Lustau Papirusa Manzanilla Sherry available at Vintages (Ontario only).  Serve chilled. 

Amontillado Dry -­ Another dry sherry with hints of smoke and raisins with a distinct nutty bouquet, medium Amber colour.  Aged in the Solera method where new sherry is continually being blended with other aging Sherries to ensure consistency.   It is made with the Palomino grape variety.  Try the Lustau Solera Reserva Dry Amontillado Los Arcos, Parker gave it a score of 90 which is available through Vintages.  Serve slightly chilled.  Great on its own or with some Spanish cheeses. 

Oloroso – ­ Don¹t let this Amber coloured sherry scare you away!   This is a great match with tapas, salty nuts, olives, antipasto and my favorite Manchego cheese from Spain.  It is a dry sherry made from Palomino grapes. Try the Marqués Del Real Tesoro Almirante Oloroso Sherry for $16.95.  Serve slightly chilled. 

Pedro Ximenez -­ Sweet, Sweet, Sweet!  This is a classic dessert sherry made exclusively with the Pedro Ximenez grape.  Lots of figs, dried fruits, honey and raisins flavours.  How they acheive the sweetness is by drying the grapes under the hot Spanish sun (therefore concentrating the sugars) then aging in Solera.   Try the Osborne Pedro Ximenez 1827 Sweet Sherry over your next bowl of vanilla ice cream, it is an amazing pairing! 

It is definitely an acquired taste but hopefully after reading this, it may just inspire you to pick one up.  And if you decide that you don’t like Sherry, you can always keep it around for cooking.

It is truly wonderful to see more and more people using sommeliers in restaurants. A growing number of us are here to help guests find a great value wine on a wine list, not just the expensive stuff.

What I find is most people stick to what they know which is either a California Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley or an Australian Shiraz from the Barossa Valley. Finding good value in these areas is often difficult as they are very popular and the price tends to reflect their popularity. But not many people know that not only are there fantastic ready to drink wines outside of these areas but the price is right too.

Case in point, when I was in South Beach last winter, I dined at Prime One Twelve Steakhouse on Ocean Drive. When I looked at the list, there were a lot of overpriced Cabernets, Brunellos and Shirazes so I asked the sommelier for assistance. When I introduced myself, I gave him the following information:

• my price range
• the characteristics that I liked in a wine
• what I thought was drinking well
• insights from what he had recently tasted

He gave me a 2 or 3 great options and I decided on the 2001 MacRostie Syrah, Wildcat Mountain Vineyard located in Sonoma, specifically the Carneros region. This was an amazing choice and was probably not something I would have chosen otherwise.

The next time you’re out for a meal, have fun and take the recommendation on a Rioja from Spain, or a Claret from Washington State or even a Pinot Noir from New Zealand. Don’t forget, the more information you can give us, the better the wine we can bring to your table.