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!

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!

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.

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.

 

 

 

 

 

Although there was great potential for this film to recount the story about the infamous Paris tasting of 1976, I felt Bottle Shock struggled with its plot and character development.  Alan Rickman who played Steven Spurrier was fantastic in his role as the “snobby wine brit”.  Dennis Farina who played the American ex-pat “Maurice”, and Steven’s only friend in Paris, provided the comic relief in the film.  However, I would have like to have seen a bit more of Bill Pullman, who portrayed Chateau Montelena owner Jim Barrett.  Equally as shallow was Bo Barrett’s character played by Chris Pine.  Freddy Rodrigues, who I absolutely love in HBO’s  Six Feet Under, played Gustavo Brambila, whose character could blind taste any wine perfectly and, of course, was the first of the boys to have a liaison with young, attractive wine apprentice named Sam, played by Rachael Taylor.  Sam’s character, of course, provided the requisite love triangle between the two boys at Chateau Montelena.  I guess hot women were few and far between in 1970s wine country.

 

I certainly enjoyed the more technical aspects of the movie, which shows Bo & Sam driving out to UC Davis to get an explanation of the scientific reasons why their perfect-tasting Chardonnay turned brown in the bottle, which was then due to turn clear after a few days.  I thought the actual Paris tasting was fascinating to watch and seeing the “who’s who” of the wine world of the 1970s.   Portrayed at the tasting were Pierre Brejoux, from the French AOC and Aubert de Villaine representing DRC (Domaine de la Romanée-Conti), and there was even one women on the panel, which, considering this event took place in the 1970s speaks volumes.   I have to say watching Steven Spurrier driving a Gremlin and eating KFC straight out of the bucket in his car was quite entertaining.

 

Although this film struggles between drama and comedy from scene to scene and, whether you are a wine lover or not, I think anyone can find this film enjoyable and certainly gain an appreciation of wine and how this simple tasting not only put California wines in the forefront and changed the wine world as whole forever.

 

Pair this movie with your favorite oaky, buttery chardonnay and a bag of popcorn, and you have a match only made in California.

Whites

We all know Labour Day is just around the corner and there are still a few weeks left at the cottage this summer.  So, why not pick up a few interesting gems in the latest Vintages release in Ontario.

BEST FOOD MATCHING WINE is the 2007 Tawse Sketches of Niagara Riesling which is blend from four different Riesling vineyards in Niagara.  This wine is just as good on its own as it is with food.  If you like your wines with a hint of sweetness than this wine is for you.

FUN TO TRY is the 2006 Gracia De Chile Reserva Superior Chardonnay.  This organic wine is from the Bio Bio Valley in Chile which is a cool climate region suited for growing Chardonnay.  Tropical fruits dominate this medium plus bodied wine that would pair nicely with chicken on the BBQ.

BEST WINE WITH FRESHLY CAUGHT PICKEREL is the 2006 Fattoria Laila Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi Classico Superiore from the La Marche region in Italy.  This wine has a lot of citrus fruit and great acidity.   I really encourage you to give this Verdicchio a try!

Reds

There are a lot of great Chilean reds in this Vintage release but I thought I’d go off the beaten path here and see if I could find some other cool choices.

FUN WINE TO FOOL YOUR FRIENDS- 2005 Fontanafredda Barbera D’Alba Raimonda.  This Barbera is ready to drink now and will pair well with grilled meats especially Italian sausage.   Betcha none of your friends will be able to figure out this wine in a blind tasting but they’ll all love it!  And at $16.95, you’ll be picking up more than one.

FOR YOU ITALIAN FANS, I highly recommend the 2004 La Ragose Valpolicella Classico Superiore ($22.95).  This producer is well known for it’s Amarone but this Valpolicella is nothing but light as this wine is fermented with the lees and skins leftover from their fine Amarone!

GREAT VALUE- Go with the 2004 Finca Antigua Crianza.  This wine hails from the La Mancha region in Spain and is blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.  Think blackberries, blackcurrents and plums all integrated together.  Again a great match with anything from the BBQ.

Lastly,  this wine is not in this release but when I was at the cottage last week, I picked up a bottle of the 2004 Artesa Reserve Tempranillo ($25.95) from California. It was an excellent match with our peppercorn crusted strip loin and we didn’t even need to decant it.  Now the Artesa Cabernet Sauvignon is in this release but why not try something different for much less.

Oh, and most these wines I mentioned are under $20.00 (except where noted) so go ahead, be adventurous and surprise your friends this weekend!

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.

            

On the last day of my visit to Napa/Sonoma, I stopped in at Viansa winery located in Carneros, within Sonoma County.  I was told that there were many Italian varieties being planted here such as Sangiovese, Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo, and Pinot Grigio just to name a few.  Once I heard that these unique grapes were being grown in Sonoma, I knew I needed to see and taste for myself.

Upon arrival, I met winemaker Ron Goss and was told we would be tasting his 2007 “Pierina” Vernaccia for the very first time, so I knew I was on to something good.  This wine is perfect for a hot summer day and it has lots of tropical fruit characteristics such as pineapple and floral notes with great acidity and fruit on the finish.  This wine is dry and comes through very clean and mouth cleansing on the finish.   I also tried the 2007 Arneis, which had a lot of stone fruit characteristics, such as apricot and peach, and even some spice.  This would be a perfect wine with any Asian or Thai food with its richness on the finish.

I also tried the ‘06 Farneta which is 100% Primitivo.  Ron told me they actually use a Primitivo clone so they cannot call it Zinfandel.  This wine had lots of black raspberry, brambleberry and cloves.  The ‘04 “La Nebbia” Nebbiolo had lots of cherry and rose petal aromas and was very well integrated.  This would be the perfect wine to have with pizza from Viansa’s outdoor wood oven.

For the dessert wine lover, the ‘05 Late Harvest Primitivo is amazing.  Lots of raisins and fig, backed up with just the right amount of sweetness and the acidity.   This wine is a great alternative to port and can be paired with a bitter chocolate dessert.

Viansa is truly “the sweet life” in the heart of Sonoma.   The wine bar and tasting experience was like being in an Italian marketplace where you can sample wine and purchase a variety of wine-related merchandise and specialty foods.  You can also purchase olive oil, which is estate harvested from over one thousand olive trees located on the property.

The winery is very close to Infineon Raceway.  For those who are looking for a diversion from the noise and action of the speedway, Viansa would be the perfect choice to enjoy some fine wines, shop and have lunch from the outdoor wood oven.  The elevated view is spectacular and stretches quite far to the north and east overlooking the Viansa vineyards below.  So, sit back, sip and enjoy!

This is my first post which I hope will eventually evolve into a true wine lovers blog. There is so much to discuss, I am truly excited!

And to start, a bottle I had last night was the PATRICE RION BOURGOGNE PINOT NOIR 2004. This wine is very much geared toward the American market as there was not much earthiness, barnyard, or leather notes that are typical with a red from Burgundy. Also, the wine label noted the grape variety which is very uncommon as well. I guess they figured more North Americans will buy their wine if the know what the grape variety is. Plus, there is the whole “Sideways” effect that I won’t even get into yet (future post).

I found this wine to be quite fruit driven with lots of cherry notes. The alcohol is low (only 12.5%) which puts it into the light to med. bodied camp. It is a screwcap so I would not cellar it for any length of time and I would recommend decanting for aeration. I did not decant and found the second glass better balanced than the first. It paired very well with my halibut burrito and my husband’s steak burrito. This wine would go well with any fish, especially salmon as well as pork, duck or lamb.

Cheers.