EverythingWINE

While Vancouverites whooped it up on February 27, during the most drunken Olympics in recent history, an epic magnitude earthquake pounded the coast of Chile. At 8 point 8 on the Richter scale, it was 500 times stronger than the Haitian quake and resembled a scene from the movie, 2012. It created tsunamis that washed away swaths of coastal communities and has so far killed over 700 people. How can one think about wine in the face of this tragedy?

Although no comparison to human life, a lot of wine was lost too. According to Wines of Chile, “125 million liters, including bulk, bottled, and aging wine.” Their estimated figure is the equivalent of US$ 250 million, just 12.5% when compared with the 2009 vintage of 1.01 billion liters. A bucket in the lake, really. So, instead of worrying about them, wine industry reps are encouraging donations to the Red Cross and the Levantando Chile Fund.

Wine producing Bio Bio was the epicenter, but Maule, Colchagua and Cachapoal valleys were the worse affected. The biggest losses were at wineries with no power to pump out broken tanks and barrels. With the 2010 harvest ready to pick soon, most wineries are scrambling to get power turned on and get back to business.

Which begs the question: what will the 2010 Chilean vintage taste like? Shaken, addled, or slightly effervescent? Maybe the fruit will have more powerful flavours after having the full weight of the earth affect its development. Or, like a bottle of wine, vines could have gone into shock and aftershocks, and slowed their ripening. Scientists say the caused time to shift so the wines could have a time-tripped effect. Who knows?

The night of the earthquake, after a long day at Canada Hockey Place, I reached into my stash and pulled out a Chilean cab/syrah that I knew nothing about. Botalcura 2006 Delirio Syrah/Malbec is somewhat new, has a fun label and is reasonably priced, so I brought some home. Nothing could have tasted more comforting. It has a generous, pillowy body with sturdy backbone and the smell of a cabin in the woods complete with campfire, like coming home. Drank over the next two days, the mouthfeel softened, the blackberry, cassis and plum continued to integrate, and more pepper and spice emerged.

And each time I sipped it, I thought of the forward thinking Botalcura staff of 2006 and wondered if they'd ever imagined an 8.8 earthquake in their backyard.

So, here’s to Chile. Long may you run!
 

Ask any American what they know about Canadian wine and ten to one they’ll answer, Icewine. Their myopia is both a blessing and a curse. Although our amazing dry wines are largely ignored, this golden nectar is firmly understood as Canadian as maple syrup.

That is likely the response Olympic visitors had at the Inniskillin Icewine Gallery, which faces the Ice Gate sculpture at Richmond’s O Zone. There, and for the next three days, one can sample scrumptious icewines from the Okanagan Valley and the Niagara Bench – including the Olympic Commemorative Edition 2006 Vidal Icewine from Niagara.

The difference between real icewine and late harvests or Sauternes is that non-boytrisized grapes are left on the vines in sub-zero temperatures, picked as little ice balls at a minimum of 35 Brix, and crushed and fermented while still frozen. The result is a drink that is thick and sweet but clean, and has a finish that lasts all day. Good ice wine is the closest thing to nectar one can experience in the third dimension.

Canada’s home ice advantage – and the reason Canucks are number one in production – is the consistently glacial weather, climate change notwithstanding. While Inniskillin remains a gigantic producer, over the years more newcomers have dipped their toes in the ice and found gold.

Paradise Ranch Riesling Icewine was something I first tasted five years ago in California. It was one of only two Canadian wines carried in Bottle Barn, both of them icey, and comes from a winery that specializes in dessert wines. This was the icewine that hooked me on the riesling grape, all fresh and sweet with clean acidity and redolent of peach, lemon lime, and notes of tangerine. Nowadays, it makes say I wish I knew how to quit you.

'Whistler' Chardonnay Icewine is a second label of Paradise Ranch to commemorate the Winter Olympics and is made with grapes from the Similkameen Valley. Mango and honeyed apricot dominate the nose, and spicy baked apples follows through on the palate. The finish is like a warm slice of apple pie and probably tastes perfect with one.

Pentage Winery Icewine is a delectable blend of semillon, muscat, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and viognier, beautiful balanced with Lifesaver-level sweetness. It has summery aromas of kumquat, honeyed ripe apricot, and orange marmalade, and a palate lush with mango, apricot, grapefruit, pear and orange rind, butterscotch and fig, with a lovely acidic lilt in the mid-way. The custardy finish lasts for hours, and pairs great with shortbread, cheesecake or marzipan.

So, although Canadian athletes haven’t scored as much gold metal as desired, Canada already has as more liquid gold than any other nation.

Go Canada!
 

After hearing all the reports about the Vancouver Olympic Committee taking a hard line in the protection of their official sponsors, I somewhat expected a deluge of signage at the Olympic venues. Instead, I found an amazing lack of in-your-face promotion and worry that fans are not getting the Canadian wine message.

The official 2010 wine sponsors are Jackson Triggs, Inniskillin, and Sumac Ridge. They have all released new bottlings with Olympics labels, such as the JT Esprit wines the Sumac Tribute Brut, and Inniskillin Commemorative Icewine. But what about their other wines, the ones that have been quietly delivering satisfaction before the circus came to town?

Sumac Ridge is one of the oldest producers in the Okanagan. They make great wines and lots of them. The Tribute Brut – New World Class Wines, October 31, 2009 - is an excellent bubbly, very crisp and clean with delicate citric fruit, and perfect for special occasions.

The Sumac Gewürztraminer, on the other hand, is a delicious everyday sipper, and – I was surprised to learn it’s the #1 seller in the BC liquor stores. Not much of a surprise, really. This gewürzt is fresh and lively on the nose and in the mouth. Lots of peaches, mango, and pineapple are wrapped into a crisp palate with a zesty, spicy finish. It goes with anything hot, spicy or sushified, and I mean anything.

Inniskillin is a large producer working both sides of the country – Niagara and Okanagan. One of the first Inniskillins I ever tried continues to be a favorite. The Dark Horse Vineyard Meritage is indeed dark - almost opaque in color - with long skinny legs that coat the glass. Its nose is full of chocolate, toffee, coffee, ripe black and purple fruit, spice and sweet oak. All of that continues on the palate, which is jammy and robust with a soft mouthfeel and chewy tannins, leading to a long, spicy finish. This is the ultimate cold  weather wine to cozy up with steaks, stews and rich Italian food. And chocolate, natch.

Jackson Triggs is also bi-coastal, and has received particular acclaim for their shiraz from Okanagan. JT’s Proprietors Reserve Shiraz is totally opaque and actually tastes black. Black berry, black cherry, black licorice all the way, plus ripe plum, caramel and sweet oak. The tannins are soft and it has a juicy, lip smacking finish of lingering toffee. Well built and solid enough to satisfy any syrup sucker – including Stephen Colbert.

Further proof that Canada excels at more than ice wine. See you at the games!
 

Every year, just before February 14th, people scurry to find the perfect token of affection for their loved one. But what about the other 364 days? Personally, I go with the Rodgers and Hart classic, My Funny Valentine, that Each day is Valentines Day, so I cooked my Valentine dinner on February 10th.

I assembled the most aphrodisiac food and wine I could find. Top of the list: oysters - high in zinc for increasing testosterone levels. Halfway through eating them garnished with mango salsa, hubby and I agreed - they work.

To pair with oysters, nothing is more romantic than a good sparkler. Blue Mountain Brut was an easy choice. As a cult favorite, Blue Mountain wines were always difficult to obtain, but thanks to the current recession, they are now available in stores. After their upcoming gold label bottles appears, I hope they Don’t change a hair for me.

This NV Brut has such a fine mousse and exudes aromas of toasty lemon and green apple. The palate is crisp and fresh with tart apple and citric notes leading to a dry, clean finish that leaves a tingle of lemon. It was so perfect with our oysters; we almost jumped into bed that moment. But I said, Stay little Valentine, stay.

For our main course, I baked-broiled chicken thighs in a Mediterranean-style sauce and topped them with olives and another aphrodisiac, avocado, cut into heart shapes.

As an accompaniment: Mon Coeur 2007, romantic in name and effect. This Cotes-du-Rhone Syrah from ancient family-owned winery J.L. Chave is wild and lusty in its approach and hearty in delivery, perfect for prowling any lover. It has luscious aromas of spicy red, black, and purple fruit, with notes of cola, licorice and lavender. The velvety mouthfeel is deep and complex with chewy blackberries and black cherry, silky tannins, chocolate, earth, anise, and brown spices. Savoring the sarsaparilla/plum sauce finish, hubby asked me, Is your mouth a little weak?

For dessert, dark chocolate. My favorite is Dove and not just because the name is one letter from “Love." As expected, it melted smoothly with Mon Coeur, and created a plum pudding flavour. The Brut complemented Dove too, but from a crispier, root beer float angle. They both Made me smile from my heart.

Funny is sexy and My Funny Valentine has more amusing, borderline insulting lyrics to learn. Singing them would be a very funny Valentine, indeed.

Super Bowl Sunday, just two days away, is a time to tailgate on the couch, slog Molsons and crunch Doritos while clapping and cursing your way through this great American gladiatorama. A half time show with British Invasion rockers The Who may inspire a 30 minute dance party as well as indulgence in dark, bitter ales. But if hops and barley are not your thing, what wines are appropriate for a Super Bowl game? Indeed, what wine would Pete drink?

Not a deep thinker, that’s for sure.

Consider the most common football foods: pizza, nachos, chips, dips, cheese, prawns, chicken wings, barbeque ribs. That’s a lot of oily, spicy, acidic, high protein food to pair.

If you’re a die-hard Saints or Colts fan, go ahead and spring for real champagne. It always tastes sweeter when your team wines. For the rest of us, the clean, delicate Segura Viudas Reserva Brut is a sure bet. Crisp, dry rieslings are great for cutting through the cholesterol and refreshing the palate. The fresh, lively See Ya Later Ranch Unleashed Riesling, with its lovely citrus and apple notes, is a forward pass with potato chips. 

For a red that’s light as the feet you're watching, a fruity pinot noir will go down without leaving cleat marks on the tongue. The Rodney Strong 2005 Russian River Pinot Noir has a medium but round body with toasty red fruit and gentle tannins and will play with almost anything on your food field. At six dollars off it’s a touchdown.

If you’re looking for beefier team players, a spicy zinfandel or meaty syrah can handily tackle the heat of wings, pork and sausage. Zynthesis 2007 Old Vine Zinfandel has ripe, spicy black fruit and enough brawn to drop kick any strong flavours. For a full mouthfeel of smoky fleshy pluminess, Don Miguel Gascon Syrah can defend itself against the feistiest of barbeque sauces.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday, everybody. Go Saints.

But getting back to the halftime lineup, I have long thought that Who survivors Townsend and Daltry should merge with remaining Beatles McCartney and Starr and go on tour as the Whotles.

Who’s with me?
 

It’s not always easy to finish off a bottle of red wine. Especially after a long meal that started with whites. You want a few ounces of liquid cassis to wash down the chocolate mousse, but once sated, you can’t take one more pour. So, when it comes to keeping that half bottle drinkable for the next day, what do you do, dear?*

There are many techniques for preserving next day reds, each with its own consequence. Some people like to store re-corked bottles in the refrigerator. The idea is to slow the oxidation process, but it also slows down the drinking process the next day, when you’re waiting for the bottle to defrost. Decanting into a half bottle is good for a long-term holding, but it still means aerating the wine. Vacuums are kind of a good idea – certainly good for the pecs – but you never know what you’re pumping out besides oxygen. Nitrogen gas is for industrial users and might do more harm than good at home.

For me, the best action for preserving red wine is none at all. I just re-cork the bottle and leave it on the counter to sort itself out without intrusion. When 90% of what I drink is new to me, it hardly makes sense to tamper.

In fact, I prefer to finish a firmly built young red the next day. If it’s a well-made wine with strong tannins, it usually tastes better with exposure time. Like the living thing it is, the mouthfeel becomes smoother, the nose more open and more complexity is revealed. 

Once such red is the Sierra Los Andes 2008 Malbec. For an affordable wine, it demonstrated the ability to unfurl while remaining remarkably stable after 24 hours. It is pleasant and immediately quaffable upon opening, but by the next day if develops a rich, velvety mouthfeel and more vibrant notes of kir, cassis, plum and mint. Given time, it becomes a more elegant, complicated version of itself and for a Bordeaux-style wine that is a beautiful thing to experience.

Moment de Plaisir 2008 Grenache is a Vin de Pays D’Oc with over-the-top ripe fruit and hairy tannins that will sizzle your tongue after opening. A Vinturi is appropriate at this point, but the next day the palate smoothes out considerably while revealing more wood, spice, black pepper and chocolate flavours. Same ripeness, softer approach.

So don’t be afraid to revisit that leftover red the next day. It just might astonish you.

* From the Maurice Sendak-illustrated book of the same title by author Sesyle Joslin

Forget what you heard in the movie, Sideways, Northern California and Oregon are really where it’s at for great pinot noir. At Everything Wine on Wednesday night, Vintage Room Consultant Chris Sharpe poured a flight of pinots from Sonoma County and Williamette Valley, and the group didn’t need to be Miles Raymond to appreciate their qualities.

Because of my Olympic job training, I couldn’t go to this tasting, so I sent my intrepid associate Ivana to collect notes and photos.

She said Chris connected pinot noir's fickle character in the vineyard to its fickle aromas in the glass. He described the Oregon “cool climate” pinots as having fresh red fruit, tomato, and an herbaceousness often remedied by the use of new French oak barrels. Riper and darker fruit and more floral aromatics, he said, define the Californians. These, he contrasted with Burgundies, which are often marked by barnyard notes.

All of the Oregon pinots poured came from the mighty Williamette Valley. Brooks Janus 2006 had a spicy sausagey, earthy effect with nice acidity and a powerful mouthfeel, finishing with a slightly sweet note.

Panther Creek 2006 Shea Vineyard opens with coffee, toffee, and caramel on the nose, turning earthy on the palate with cherry and caramel notes. A long, warm finish brings together all the flavours.

The Andrew Rich 2005 is full of cherry and coco beans, plus a little soil and even a touch of pomegranate. Beautiful acidity on the soft plate and a fresh, clean finish make it excellent with food.

Where Chris found the Firesteed Cellars 1998 Citation is anyone’s guess, but it sounds like a treat. Ivana said, “the flavours were so integrated it was hard to pick them out.” Brick coloured, of course, she also got subtle notes of charred cherry piecrust, and found its acid still lively.

South, to my old ‘hood, I was pleased to hear that Dutton-Goldfield’s Dutton Ranch 2006 Freestone Hill Vineyard, Russian River Valley, made such a big impression on the group. The aromatics are undeniably “girly” with pretty vanilla, cherry and violets, which carry through the mouth and finish. One attendee said it tastes like a “Christmas spice orange peel cake”.

La Crema is a big name in pinot and their entry-level Sonoma Coast Pinot is immensely popular. This 2006 Russian River release is yet more full and rich, with spicy ripe red and black cherries and the earthiness of a redwood forest floor.

Anthill Farms 2006 Tina Marie Vineyard is made from grapes grown in the Green Valley sub-appellation of RRV, on the edge of a fog belt. This 2006 Pinot is all red cherry, red currants, delicate acidity and hot soil.

Finally, from the Sonoma Coast came Flowers 2005 Andreen-Gale Vineyard Pinot. This vintage showed different aromas with every sniff, Ivana said, and had a complex mix of red cherry, tomato, herbs, and a whiff of salty soil.

While this is only a thin slice of American Burgundies, I’d be curious to know if you have any favourites from the south, especially from other regions. What pinots make your heart break with joy, and why?
 

Is this rain relentless enough? After splashing through it all day, one can’t help but crave bulky comfort food to buffer the wet outside and warm up from the inside. Spaghetti with meat sauce is a classic comfort dish for days like this, with pasta providing the carbs, the meat offering protein. Throw in some salad, good bread and a bottle or two of full-bodied wines, and all can be made well in your world.

Sheltering from the storm, our friend Macy cooked up a delicious meal of fresh pasta with a Bolognese sauce featuring, ground beef and pork, and italian sausage. It was not heavy on tomato paste so I felt like we could go two ways with it. Whites before reds, we started with Tenuta Villanova ’08 Pinot Grigio from the Friuli region of Italy, source of some of best PG’s in the world. This estate does a pretty good job, considering they’ve been producing for only, what, 500 years?

This wine is crisp, but rich, with a nose of ripe citrus, melon, peaches, white grapefruit and flowers. In the mouth, we got pomello and lime with the pitty flavour of stone fruit. Lively acidity on the finish makes it perfect for cleansing the meat’s oil from the palate. Super well balanced and elegant, it stood up to the sauce with style.

On the red side, the No Time ‘08 Garnacha from Navarra, Spain totally complemented the meat and asagio cheese. It’s an almost opaque wine, with the bright purple legs of youthful vigor. On the nose it has deep, ripe black fruit mixed with chocolate, and the taste has the same succulent fruit plus some spice, pepper, and briary woodnotes. Kind of wild tasting, like something from the Languedoc, and it definitely responds to a good breath of air. The film noir-ish label design– reminiscent of Lo Tengo – looks very cool sitting on the table. And being named for a hit song from the Guess Who gives No Time’s long, fruity finish a sweetly sentimental edge.

Feeling a little sideways about American Pinot Noir? Come by Everything Wine on January 20th for a tasting that will feature Burgundian gems from California and Oregon. Vintages Room consultant Chris Sharpe will be leading intrepid enthusiasts on a stateside tour of this "heartbreak grape" which, by the way, is called that as much for making your heart go boom-boom as it is about vineyard fussiness.

Cheers!

I’m still on the hunt for great values in wine, especially after reviewing my credit card spending for the last two weeks. That’s it, the holidays are over. No more overpriced pinots and bodacious bubbles for me. Just some good straightforward, down-home wines that go well with food and won’t bust my Canadian bank account, please.

Time for a trip to Italy.

The words, “Italian” and “Wine” are so representative of each other as to be practically redundant. Two thousand years ago, Italy more or less invented the winemaking process that we know today, and currently, it is the world’s biggest producer of fermented juice. With million acres of vines growing over 350 different varietals across an area roughly the size of Arizona, no one can say there isn’t enough Italian wine to choose from.

I found two – Cavallina and Canaletto – to satisfy my cash-poor wintry soul and I tried them both at a dinner prepared by my associate Ivana. We were blown away at what matches they made.

Cavallina 2008 Grillo/Pinot Grigio is a wine from Sicily with enough freshness to clean up a hot palate. Case in point, Ivana’s green curry with chicken, prawns, cauliflower and red and yellow bell peppers. Very hot and spicy, but tempered helpfully by the mango and jicama green salad. The Cavallina meshed brilliantly with everything. Its ripe apple, melon and lime flavours provided zesty relief to the curry’s heat and the lively acidity scrubbed our coconut milky tongues clean.

For dessert, we enjoyed my husband’s specialty, Hello Dollies. These are a bar-like concoction with a base of graham cracker crumbs supporting layers of pecan, chocolate chips and coconut shavings. The Cavallina was ok with that, but better yet was the Canaletto 2006 Primitivo, made with Alberello-trained grapes from the boot heel Puglia region.

This primitivo is dark and smoky, more in the style of a Sicilian nero d’avola than an American zinfandel. Purple/black opaque in color, it has deep, ripe black fruit on the nose and palate, plus whiffs of wood smoke and graphite. The blackberries and plums have a dried, burnt quality, like a bottled campfire, and although the mouth is soft, it does not lack acidity. Washing down chocolate-rich Hello Dollys made the fruit jump from the glass, and its lingering woodiness made the coconut shaving taste like a walk in the jungle.

That you can pair Italian wine with Indian curry and American cookie bombs gives me the sense that the food world is a small world indeed.

Happy New Year and hello 2010!

A hearty Happy New Decade is also in order. Has it really been ten years since we thought the world would explode in the Y2K meltdown?

Now that the parties are over and since what happens next is anyone’s guess, it feels good to tighten up the old spending belt and start drinking cheap again. But, I don’t mean drinking plonk.

Here are a few good things to tastefully ease out of splurge mode and into moderation:

Sierra Los Andes 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, Mendoza Argentina
This light and lively refresher will transport you to a South Pacific island. Tropical fruit like gooseberry, guava and grapefruit dominate, while green apple and grass on the nose makes you see the color green. Scintillating acidity gives it a refreshing mouthfeel, perfect for hot and spicy foods, as well as shellfish.

Man 2008 Shiraz, Coastal South Africa
For a wine that will stand proudly next to anything on the drinks table wearing a label that won’t embarrass you, get Man. Man Vintners provides a quality wine for a great price. It’s drinkable right out of the bottle, and if it doesn’t get finished, it tastes fine the next day. The nose has warm blackberry, plum and spice, which get riper on the lush palate. Chewy tannins and a rush of spicy fruit on the finish make this an accessible every night wine, perfect for meats - particularly grilled – or stews, or anything hearty.

Double Dog Dare Chardonnay, California
Yes, it’s another critter wine getting their yellow tail on, but this cheapo is worth checking out. The nose has the slightest hint of oak on top of a lot of fruit. Ripe, sweet tropical fruit gives it a rounded softness, and an apply lemon acidity cleans up mid-palate. Then, a long, sweet finale. This would be fantastic with hot, spicy dishes from South Asia or South Pacific. Or, with lemon meringue pie. It was good with my turkey burrito. One could save a bundle on this ten bucker from California.

Please tell me about your own value finds at Everything Wine, perhaps after you’ve stocked up on it. I am always looking for sterling examples of the price/quality wine dichotomy to rave about because, like a T-shirt in California once said, “Friends don’t let friends drink plonk.”

Ideas, please.