Happy Gobble Gobble!

Thanksgiving is around the corner and I know that I’ll be thankful for that wonderful bottle of wine, of which I have yet to choose! Whether you’re having a quiet thanksgiving at home, celebrating with friends or looking for some magic elixir to make family time a happy time, there certainly is a wine for the occasion. I have to admit that I’m not a foodie. I mean, I love to eat and I love great food but I often prefer to focus more on the wine than the actual pairing of it with food. I bet a few of you just gasped at that! Hopefully not. 🙂

Really, any wine that you enjoy would probably be a good choice. Here are some typical varieties that are often suggested for a turkey dinner…then lunch…lunch again….sick of turkey yet? You will be!

Sparkling wine from Burgundy
Made from Pinot Noir and Gamay
$18.95

Elk Cove Pinot Noir
Oregon
$36.95

Pinot Noir : Always a classic pairing with turkey. Try something from Oregon or Burgundy.

Sparkling Wine: Better yet, have a sparkling Rose!

Beaujolais: Made from the Gamay grape. Try a “Cru” wine (eg. Brouilly, Morgon) and serve slightly chilled. Ontario also has some fabulous Gamay.

Beaujolais Wine $18.95

A lovely Syrah
E. Guigal
Crozes Hermitage
$24.95

Have a blended white!
Henry of Pelham
Family Tree White
$17.95

Syrah: Try a Syrah from the Northern Rhone region of France.

Riesling: Great with food. Try an Ontario Riesling! If you want a slightly off-dry style (but not too sweet, save that for dessert), then try a German “Kabinett” Riesling.

Tawse Sketches of Niagara
Chardonnay $19.95

Gewurtztraminer: The spiciness of this grape variety should go nicely with gravy. Mmm…gravy.

If you want some other whites, try an Albarino, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris or a Viognier. Why not try a Rose wine? There is so much that you can do to pair your wine with the holiday bird. Whichever wine you decide on, just make sure to enjoy it with great company. Happy Thanksgiving!

That chardonnay is oh so cool…

Great venue

A few weeks ago I attended the Discover Chardonnay tasting at the Roy Thompson Hall here in Toronto. It was to finish off the International Cool Climate Chardonnay celebration taking place over the weekend in the Niagara wine region. I was so excited about this event. I couldn’t make it out to wine country so I just let the wines of the world come to me. I just love chardonnay. I know that there are many people who are very “ABC”: anything-but-chardonnay.

Well, I say to those ABCers: “try a cool climate chardonnay!”

I was eager and early

Ontario Represent!

So what’s the big deal with cool climate chardonnay? Well, usually when you say “chardonnay”, people often imagine a style of wine that’s super buttery, oaky with high alcohol. Sometimes, this style of wine can also be quite flabby. This style of wine penetrated the marketplace and gave the grape a bad rap. Bigger ain’t always better! This type of wine will often come from a warmer climate where the grapes ripen sometimes too well. The riper the grape, the more sugar it will have. When sugar increases, acid decreases. Acidity is what gives wine it’s “zing!”…it’s liveliness. Warmer climates sometimes have a harder time maintaining the acidity in their wines because, well, you guessed it – it gets too warm. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had some wonderful chardonnays from warmer climates. There are some stellar examples in my wine rack. I’m just saying that we need to start looking at the cooler climates of the world to save chardonnay from being alphabetized…no more ABC!

My favourite sound – pop!

What is considered a cool climate? Many factors contribute to creating a climate that is considered cool:

latitude (how far north or south the location is from the equator)
altitude (how high up the vineyards are)
proximity to large body of water (water acts like thermal regulator)

Cool climate chardonnays really show their sense of “place”. They express where they were born and raised. Chardonnays coming from cooler climates are delicate, elegant and have wonderful minerality. They can be extremely refreshing (from that great acidity) and complex.

Candians make great wine!

It was great to see so many Ontario wineries represented. I’m a huge advocate of Canadian wine. Specifically, Ontario wine. We have such wonderful “cool climate” factors for producing examples of yummy mineral-driven chardonnay:

Tawse
Lailey
Inniskillin
13th Street
Flat Rock Cellars
Angels Gate
Coyotes Run
Hillebrand
Closson Chase
Le Clos Jordanne

www.coolchardonnay.org/category/winery/canada

“Thirty Ontario wineries started the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Association – a not-for-profit group devoted to reinstating the dignity of chardonnay.” – http://www.coolchardonnay.org

www.coolchardonnay.org/category/winery/founding-member-wineries

I’m a lover of Ontario Chardonnay. I’ll shout it out loud! I did, however, taste some lovely Chardonnays from other parts of the world. Don’t hate me Ontario. My love affair with you will never be overshadowed.

Vie di Romans

This Italian Chardonnay was one my personal highlights of the tasting. It was spectacular. Too bad you can’t buy it anywhere yet!

“located within the DOC zone of Friuli Isonzo, in the most easternmost area of northern Italy, close to the Slovenian border. The Adriatic is barely 20 km (1243 miles) to the south, and the first slopes of the Alps about 30 km (1864 miles) to the north.”

Interesting read:
www.coolchardonnay.org/node/1038

I think Chardonnay is one cool grape. No more ABC! Unless it’s the Jackson 5. Enjoy!

Cool Chardonnay

ABC. Not only are these the first three letters in the English alphabet, these three letters also signify a horrible acronym meaning “Anything but chardonnay”. It’s time to rid the wine world of this “ABC” attitude and change it to mean “All about chardonnay”. Wait, wouldn’t that be AAC?

Why has chardonnay gotten such a bad rap? Well, I think it’s because the market has been saturated with so much bad chardonnay that it’s given the grape a bad name. Lots of overly oaked, flabby wine has deceived the public that this is the only style of wine that this grape can make. Totally not true! I myself am a HUGE lover of chardonnay. Like our friendly grape – Riesling, Chardonnay can really show off it’s “terroir” – that is, it’s sense of place…where it comes from….it’s expression of the land. It’s such a versatile grape that can be made into many different styles.

“It’s time for the re-birth of Cool…” – www.coolchardonnay.org

“Not all chardonnay is created equal. Add in a bit of cool – cool by altitude, by latitude, by marine influence or by climatic conditions – and you have an entirely different experience. Chardonnay vines that are grown in cool climates and encouraged to allow asense of place to shine through can produce a wine that is balanced, refreshing, complex and elegant. And when done right…cool climate chardonnay can be a magical wine. ” – www.coolchardonnay.org

The weekend of July 22-24, Niagara wine country is having a Cool Climate Chardonnay celebration and we’re all invited! For three days, many of the wineries are going to have various events from parties, lunches to tastings. Sunday July 24, in Toronto, LCBO Vintages will be hosting a large tasting at Roy Thompson Hall. For three hours you can walk around and taste cool climate chardonnays from all over the world. It’s expensive at $95 per ticket, but it should be a great tasting. See my “hint” at the end of this post to get cheaper tickets.

“Thirty Ontario wineries started the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Association – a not-for-profit group devoted to reinstating the dignity of chardonnay. The i4c is a “coming together” of the finest examples of cool climate chardonnay in the world – a casual but in-depth weekend celebration of wine, food and learning, with an eye to reinvigorating a seriously cool wine.” – www.coolchardonnay.org

If you want to go to the tasting at Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto, visit this site to purchase cheaper tickets:
www.coolchardonnay.org/content/blend-your-own-chardonnay-celebration

Do I pick bad wines?!

http://www.corksandcaftans.com
I just love this pic.

I was at the tasting bar at Summerhill last week (aka. my hangout) and a young man walked in wanting to try some wines that were available for sampling. He was looking for some whites. I offered up my opinion in what whites I enjoyed. I was really excited about two that I urged him to try. One was a Vouvray and the other was a Pinot Gris from Alsace. I was convinced that he would love them as well! Why wouldn’t he right? It turns out that he hated the Pinot Gris that I suggested and was “undecided” about the Vouvray. I think his exact words were “I need to think about that one”. Gasp! How could I have absolutely loved these wines and this person not! Well, I decided not to beat myself over it. This is the nature of wine. Every person is different. Doesn’t make one’s taste any better or worse. Of course, the more you try different wines, the more you get a sense of what you may or may not like and what styles of wine you prefer. Have you ever bought a wine based on high score given by a wine critic, only to take it home and hate it? I have. This is what makes wine so versatile. There is a wine for every discerning taste. I’ve heard people say “I hate Chardonnay” or “Do you like red or white wine”. I find these statements quite funny because it’s like saying “I hate comedies” or “Do you like creme brule or chocolate mouse”. How can you choose? There are great examples grape varieties and blends and wine styles from every region on the planet. You can’t blacklist an entire variety or limit yourself to just one colour of wine. Maybe you don’t like overly oaked Chardonnay…maybe you prefer a Chablis. It’s the same grape just made in a different style. It took me a few moments to get over this one guy not liking my wine picks. I was redeemed when lots of other people loved those sames wines. Whew! 🙂
I don’t know how critics do it!

My Birthday with Beringer

Laurie Hook and myself

I recently celebrated my birthday and what better way than to spend it tasting Beringer wines with the head winemaker herself! Happy birthday to me! Hosted by Wine Align, the event was located at the trendy Yorkville restaurant Sassafraz. The event was featuring wine with tapas-style food. Ok, tapas it was not. It was like a five-course dinner! The food was delicious and there was a lot of it. Good thing my dress was stretchy.

Love the place setting

The chief winemaker for Beringer is Laurie Hook. She made the tasting very casual and really gave us a sense of Napa throughout the ages. She’s a real history buff so she described what the Napa Valley looked like millions of years ago geologically speaking and what makes it so unique. She discussed everything from the growing of the grapes to the wine making methods at Beringer. After the tutored tasting, she made sure to go to every table to talk to people. She was super. No attitude and very approachable. 🙂

Fancy Shmancy!

Wines Tasted:

2009 Nappy Valley Chardonnay
2008 Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay

2009 Napa Valley Pinot Noir

2008 Napa Valley Merlot

2008 Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2007 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

A surprise on the menu: 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon

Some examples of what treats were on the menu:

* Spice rubbed lamb chops with olive jus

* Buffalo mozzarella and aged asiago ravioli, tomato basil broth and chiffonade of Swiss chard

* Seared beef tenderloin with shallot confit pommes royale, sauteed shitake and asparagus fricasse, lobster butter

Lobster butter?! I love these two on their own…and now, combined!


Delicious Food…yum

It was such a great way to spend my birthday. At the end of the tasting, Executive chef, Bradley Macdonald, came upstairs to see how we liked the food. Of course, we all clapped. The food was delicious. We asked him how he liked the wine. When he said that he wasn’t allowed to try any on the job, we made sure that the situation was rectified. He joined us for a glass. What really topped off the night was the celebrity sighting downstairs in the restaurant: Collin Ferrel, Bruce Willis, Jessica Biel and Ethan Hawk sitting at a table. They were in Toronto filming Total Recall. I heard that the Beringer winemaker, Laurie, gave the table signed bottles of wine.

Beringer Website:
www.beringer.com

I strongly urge you to join Wine Align. It’s an online community where you can get tasting notes on what’s in the LCBO and read both reviews of professional critics and regular people.
www.winealign.com

Burgundy…my love

Inside the AGO

This past March, I attended the annual Vintages Burgundy Taste & Buy event. I look forward to this event every year. It’s like Christmas for me. Every delicious glass I smell and taste is like a gift from Santa himself. I was curious to see what this year would bring. The event is normally held at the King Edward Hotel but this year the venue had been moved to the Art Gallery of Ontario. Although the venue this year was more modern and spacious, I missed the catered food from the King Edward. The wine agents were all very nice and once we proved that we were serious wine tasters, they were quite eager to talk to us about their wines. So with the coiled wine list booklet, I was off to do some tasting!


I love Burgundy

If you’re a lover of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, then look no further than the region of Burgundy France. It’s amazing to taste the differences in wines that the region offers. Two wines from across the road can taste completely different from one another. This is the nature of Burgundy – diversity between wines made with the same grape.

Whenever I attend a wine tasting, I know that I’m not going to make it through all the wines. Even with all that spitting. After I taste, I jot down a few brief points that are of interest and then I give it my own personal score. I use a five point scoring system so when I refer back to my notes, it’s easy to see what wines really stood out. Three and above is what I give a wine that I consider to be good. Three usually means “decent for the price”. Four and above is for a wine that I really enjoyed. I rarely give a five. A five would mean that the wine is soooo good, I’d be an idiot not to just run out of the room with the bottle – opened or closed. Wouldn’t matter. 🙂

Stephane Charreyron

The winemaker, Stephane Charreyron, from Domaine D’Ardhuy and myself. He was so much fun to talk to! He had a passion and enthusiasm for wine that just made me smile. His wines were absolutely delicious. This table was one of the highlights of my night.

www.ardhuy.com

Here are some of the other producers that I enjoyed at the show. Look for them at your local wine shop:

Domaine Jacques Prieur www.prieur.com
Daniel Rion & Fils www.domaine-daniel-rion.com
Chanson Pere & Fils www.vins-chanson.com

Burgundian wines can be quite confusing. The region has over a thousand years of history and with some time, you’ll begin to taste the differences between the villages and producers. You’ll then find the ones that suit your taste. Here are some key facts that should get you going:

The main grapes used for winemaking are Pinot Noir for red and Chardonnay for white.
Burgundy wines are all about expressing the land from which the grapes originate.
There are five sub-regions in Burgundy to know: Chablis, Cote de Nuits, Cote de Beaune, Cote Chalonnaise and Maconnais – each of these regions have key villages and vineyards
Wine from the Chablis region will generally be white (Chardonnay) and un-oaked.
If the wine has a designation of AC Bourgogne (Appellation Bourgogne Controllee) then the fruit sourced to make the wine could have come from anywhere within the Burgundy region. These wines are often a good introduction to the area for not very much money.

Enjoy your next bottle of Burgundy! I know I will. 🙂

http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649

Going Sideways …

I recently made a trip out to California for work. I know, lucky me! I am fortunate to have a job that allows me to get to sunny Santa Monica a few times a year. I left just at the right time as Toronto was calling for a snow storm. Being in Santa Monica in late February was a real treat. It was sunny and warm with flowers beginning to bloom. I could get used to that kind of winter. For a few years now, I’ve always wanted to visit the Santa Barbara wine country. This region was featured in the movie Sideways. Every time I was in the LA area, my plan of visiting the wine region was put on hold due to fires around the Santa Barbara. It seemed that California was always burning when I was there! This past trip, it seemed that luck (and nature) were on my side. Santa Barbara is about 2 hours or so from Santa Monica and then another half hour inland to wine country. The drive up to Santa Barbara is really gorgeous. You will go through the Malibu Canyon where windy roads and steep cliffs await you. Then you’ll find yourself driving along the ocean coast where on one side, you’ll see the snow covered mountains and on the other side, restless waves crashing against the beaches. The most beautiful of all the wine trails in the Santa Barbara wine region is the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail (Foxen Canyon Road). It’s one of the more scenic routes and has some great wineries along the way.

We started our journey at the small town of Los Olivos. Note that when coming to this area, make sure that you have enough gas as finding a gas station around here can be challenging. Los Olivos is a cute town full with tasting rooms and cafes. All the wineries of the area have tasting rooms here in the town just in case you can’t get out to the wineries themselves.

Driving along the Foxen Canyon wine road, my eyes opened wide as I took in this picturesque area. It was pretty spectacular. There were rolling hills with sharp contrast between the green of the grass and the blue sky. The landscape was barren with funny looking trees and cattle grazing. The pictures attached to the end of this post really don’t do this region justice. It felt like my husband and I were the only two people in the whole area as it was so quiet. We took the top down on our red Mustang convertible and soaked in the sunlight. We had such a relaxed, slow-paced day. Driving along the road, we really took our time to take in the sunshine and enjoy the scenery. At each winery visited, the people were laid back and cheerful. They were eager to share the history of the area and the wines with us. The tastings were usually no more than $10 plus you could keep the glass as a souvenir. The tasting fee was usually waived if you purchased a bottle. This region is well known for Rhone-style wines as well as for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It would have been great to have continued driving all the way out to the Paso Robles region. That will be for the next trip!

Wineries visited:

Curtis Winery
http://www.curtiswinery.com

“We specialize in Syrah, Grenache, Viognier and other artisan Rhône-style wines from Santa Barbara County’s Santa Ynez Valley. Here, we put down roots as one of California’s first wineries dedicated exclusively to Rhône-style wines. Since then, nothing has changed. We still live for Rhônes.” – Curtis website

I liked everything I tried! Since this was my first stop, I had to be conservative in my purchases. I ended buying the 2005 Mouvedre from grapes grown in the Santa Ynez Valley.

Foxen
http://foxenvineyard.com

“If you don’t know FOXEN,
you don’t know Dick . . . or Bill.” – Foxen Vineyard website

Haha! I just love that quote above. I love it as much as I love the wines coming out of this winery! This winery actually has two locations. One location is the new solar-powered winery and tasting room. Here, Burgundian-style wines are featured such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The other location is located up the road and is now called Foxen 7200 (because the address is 7200 Foxen Canyon Road). This is where the famous Foxen “shack” is located. I remember seeing the tasting bar in “Sideways”. I can’t believe that I was there! It really is a shack! This location has wine for tasting that focuses more on their “Bordeaux and Cal-Ital-style” wines. We were given some snazzy anchor temporary tattoos too. 🙂

Riverbench Winery
http://www.riverbench.com

Located in the Santa Maria Valley, this winery is creating some lovely Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. I purchased the 2007 Estate Chardonnay. I preferred the Estate to the Reserve. A week later, I was enjoying the bottle with a few friends and it was a great success.

“Riverbench Vineyard was established in 1973, when its first Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes were planted on the property. For years since then, some of the most renowned wineries in Santa Barbara County have purchased our fruit for their own wines. Over time Riverbench has become a prominent name for high quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the Santa Maria Valley.” – Riverbench Winery website

Kenneth Volk Vineyards
http://www.volkwines.com

“At Kenneth Volk Vineyards, our main focus is on vineyard designate wines from Santa Barbara. We understand the importance of terroir, unique soil, and the sea influence in this region, which is gaining renown for its cool climate and ideal growing conditions.
Our second focus is on Bordeaux varietals from Paso Robles. These quality wines boast ripe fruit flavors and are suitable with a variety of cuisine.” – Kenneth Volk website

I purchased the Kennth Volk 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon made from some of their vineyards in the Paso Robles region. What was interesting about this winery is that they had a wine made from the Tempranillo grape variety which is normally seen only in Spanish wines. It was delicious.

Byron Wines
http://www.byronwines.com

“You are on the eastern edge of the Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara County. The temperature is mild, the wind is steady and the terrain is gentle and rounded. In the winter these hills are tinted gold and raw sienna. In the summer they are all shades of green. Our wines are a reflection of their surroundings. Every time you taste one of Byron’s wines you are surrounded by the flavors, textures and scents that can only come from here the Santa Maria Valley.” – Byron Wines website

We ended our day back in Los Olivos at the Byron tasting room. Wines from another winery called IO were also available here for sampling and purchase. I believe that the founder of Byron started IO. We ended up buying the IO Nielson Vineyard Viognier 2007. It was delicious! I’m really into Viognier right now. My wine rack is seeing an increase in the number of bottles filled with this yummy grape.

I think 5 wineries in one day is a great effort! I am definitely planning another trip out to this region. It was visually breathtaking and mouthwatering delicious. These are the wineries that I hope to visit on that next trip:

Qupé
Rancho Sisquoc
Fess Parker
Blackjack Ranch
Cambria
Firestone
Fess Parker

Also, the town of Solvang, a cute Danish-inspired town. It’s a must!

Visit the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail:
http://www.foxencanyonwinetrail.com

For more information about the Santa Barbara Wine Region:
http://www.sbcountywines.com

I just had to throw this in:
http://www.santabarbaraca.com/sideways

Yes that’s right! You can tour every location from the film “Sideways”. I have to do that next time I’m in the area.

In my honest opinion, I found the geography of the Santa Barbara wine country to be more beautiful than both Sonoma and Napa. Maybe I’m just a more rustic-kind-of-gal. Sure, you don’t see the grand estates like you do in Napa but this region is breathtaking in a different way with fantastic wines to back it up. Sadly, I didn’t run into Miles…maybe next time! I also drank some wonderful Merlot. Shhh.

http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649

Tasting Notes – Feb 16, 2010

Hello wine lovers! Things have been quiet on the blog lately as I’ve been preoccupied with my new hobby of figure skating! My attention to wine has been a bit diminished but don’t worry, I’m still tasting as often as I can…after skating that is. I should try a tasting before I skate, maybe I’ll get in some good jumps!

Caves des Vignerons de Buxy Montagny Les Chaniots 1er Cru 2007 $23.95
This is a Chardonnay from Montagny in Burgundy. The picture here is from the 2004 vintage. I tried the 2007 vintage and it was lovely. This wine is crisp with great minerality and citrus flavour and aroma. The tasting note says that this wine will only improve within 2-3 years. As we’re now in 2010, this wine should be coming close to its prime! Yum yum give me some! Actually, just give me the entire bottle. 🙂

Louis Max Beaucharme Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2007 $19.95
When I first saw this bottle on display, I thought “how cute”! I just love the label design. It’s definitely not your typical Burgundian label. When I tried this wine I thought, “mmm mushroom risotto”. It has a wonderful aroma filled with red berry and earthy notes. It’s a simple wine, offering great flavour and value. I think for a wine just under $20, this is a wonderful find.

Tasting Notes – Nov 15, 2009

This week I didn’t really do any formal tastings but I did have some enjoyable wines, two of which happen to be wines that I’ve been meaning to try anyways. Lucky day!

St. Francis Chardonnay 2007 $19.95
I discovered this wine from Sonoma last year which would have been the 2006 vintage release. I loved it…people loved it. The cases were flying off the shelves at my local wine shop. This year, the wine is just as good. However, it does have a heavier oak flavour than last year. If you love that big, buttery, oaky California Chardonnay then you’ll enjoy this wine. The grapes were sourced mostly from the Russian River valley and the wine aged in both French and American oak. This wine is full-bodied, creamy and feels like golden butter going down. But don’t let the oak scare you. It’s not so full of oak that you can’t enjoy the fruit.

Pierre Amadieu La Grangeliere Vacqueyras 2007 $21.95
This wine is from the Southern region of France, specifically, the Rhone. I think this is one of my favourite wine regions. Vacqueyras is located not to far from the famous Chateauneuf-du-Pape village. I find that wines from Vacqueyras and Gigondas are nice alternatives to the more expensive Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Although, Gignondas wines can be a bit on the expensive side nowadays. This wine is a blend of Grenache and Syrah. 50% of the wine was aged in new oak and you can really tell by the intense aroma.

Amity Vineyards Pinot Noir $23.95
A friend of mine opened this for us girls during a small house-warming get together. Let it sit for a few minutes just after opening and you’ll be delighted. It’s a nice Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Too bad I accidentally knocked over a glass. I hope the floor enjoyed it. This wine is medium-bodied with all those flavours typical of a Pinot Noir such as strawberry, cranberry and cinnamon spice. Oregon is known for their fabulous Pinot Noir. Next time you’re in your wine shop, see if you can find something from this region. I don’t think that you’ll be disappointed.