Milk Thistle Is My New Best Friend

As we follow the long and winding road to the end of 2010, our thoughts turn to New Year’s Eve. Actually, since old longtime friends are coming over to celebrate, our thoughts have been on New Year’s Eve for a while.

Thoughts also turn to New Year’s Day…with fresh starts, resolutions, hangovers…not in that order. I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions. Any time is a good time for personal change. Yours, not mine.

But I’m always interested in hangovers, or rather, hangover cures. Wine Out Loud has a great list of cures but experience has taught me that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. But, short of abstinence, can you prevent a hangover?

Moderation is the only sure-fire prevention that I know. But when it’s a celebration, isn’t moderation just a form of abstinence? And moderation becomes ever more challenging as the alcohol levels in wine go higher and higher.

My experience tells me that drinking fine wine significantly reduces the risk of a hangover. Fine wines (which I arbitrarily define as wines worthy of aging) tend to have fewer of those chemical additives that mass-market winemakers rely on for consistency. For the same reason, drinking organic and Biodynamic wines reduces the risk of hangover.

Jancis Robinson recommends Milk Thistle, which contains silymarin. Our homeopathic reference book tells me that Milk Thistle has been used for centuries as a homeopathic treatment for liver disease and for protecting the liver from toxins, including alcohol. Jancis Robinson says she’s been using it for over a decade and swears by its efficacy. Her 2001 article also offers a few other preventions (most anything bitter). Milk Thistle is readily available at many pharmacies. I tried it at Christmas and felt great the next day. It’s on my “to do” list for New Year’s Eve. Here’s to you, Mrs Robinson.

I’ve also found that putting a couple of painkillers next to the bedside table before you start the evening, and downing them when you go to bed, will help get you started early on the road to recovery. But if you’re not sure that you’ll end up in your own bed at the end of the night, you may have more important preventions to worry about.

Just remember that Milk Thistle does not give you a free pass to drink and drive at the end of the evening. So enjoy but play safe.  

All the best in 2011!

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Great Videos from Hugh Johnson

Over the past 2 weeks, Decanter Magazine has been posting on YouTube a series of short "how to" videos, originally made in 1984 by Hugh Johnson.

Just go to YouTube and search for "how to handle a wine".  The fashions may be cringe-worthy but his advice...from opening and serving wine, to wine storage, to ordering wine in a restaurant...stands the test of time.

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Mind the GAP

I like to think that I’m a “glass is half-full” person. But that optimism goes hand-in-hand with having high expectations…of myself and others…especially when I’m paying a lot of money for something. This brings me to a final thought about our trip to Peru.

People ask 3 “organizing” questions of us after our return from Peru:

Q: Did you organize it yourself or did you go with a group?

A: A group. For most of our trips, we organize it ourselves. We love the freedom of setting our own schedule. But for trips with complicated logistics, especially in developing countries, travelling with a reputable tour company is the way to go.

Q: What tour company did you go with?

A: GAP.

Q: Would you recommend them?

A: No.

GAP stands for Great Adventure People. It built what seems to be a good reputation (we asked around) on organizing trips throughout the developing world for the “backpacking & hostel” segment. In more recent years, GAP has expanded beyond its original customer base to offer trips in what GAP calls the “comfort” category. Now, “comfort” is defined by GAP as “maintaining the comforts you are used to at home” and GAP’s examples are such things as air conditioned rooms, hot water, and air-conditioned tourist buses.

On our trip, GAP fell far short of their standards, our expectations, and in comparison to another Canadian tour company with which we travelled the last time we went to South America: Adventures Abroad. The shortcomings? I’ll mention just a few.

We had small, cramped vans, not buses, for travelling around the country. (Imagine being six foot tall and spending 11 hours one day in a van built for 5-foot, 5-inch Peruvians.) Two hotels lacked hot water. Part of the responsibilities of a tour guide is to keep his group away from highway rest-stops and restaurants where sanitary standards are lacking. All fifteen members of the group were violently ill at one point or another and many required the treatment of a physician. Inevitably, there were many jokes about why they named this company “GAP”.

The kicker? In such situations, what matters is not only what happens during a trip but also how a company responds, after the trip is over, when they know that their customers are dissatisfied. GAP encourages its customers to complete a tour evaluation. And so we did. We told them what went right (yes, some things were outstanding), and we told them what went wrong…seriously wrong.

Did we hear back from GAP? An acknowledgment? A thank you? A commitment to fix what went wrong? Not a peep. And that, dear reader, tells you all you need to know about GAP.

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Do More Expensive Wines Taste Better?

Check out the latest Freakonomics podcast on whether more expensive wines taste "better".   It's great fun (if listening to economists can be called fun). 

Their basic point?  Too many "experts" make wine out to be something complicated and too many consumers buy wine based on what these experts tell them they're supposed to like or, worse, based on price.  To quote from their concluding remarks:  "Wine isn't supposed to be a drag...it's a celebration...civilization in a glass..."

So, especially for the next 2 weeks, drink what you like and lots of it.  Just relax and enjoy!  

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La Bovedas

After driving south from Chiclayo to Trujillo, dinner is at La Bovedas, located in the Hotel Libertador.







We start with a refreshing Sauvignon Blanc from Chile, matched to my Halibut cebiche, with manioc (yucca), corn, sweet potato with some leche de tigre on the side.  Michèle takes a salad of green asparagus, artichokes, mushrooms, and spinach with bell pepper vinaigrette.

For the main course, Michèle takes the Grilled Halibut, Sautéed Vegetables with Tarragon and Cumin, in an Asparagus Soup. (She loves her asparagus! And Peru is the world’s leading exporter, so why not enjoy it as fresh as it is here?)

My choice is North Shore Grouper Fillet, Sautéed Parsley, and Stir-Fried Potatoes. It’s all brilliant!

My choice for a matching wine is La Linda Viognier 2008 (from Leoncio Arizu), Mendoza (Argentina) 14.5% ABV. Deep yellow colour, aromas of apricot, pineapple, almond, sweet spice and floral notes. The apricot flavour dominates on the palate. Medium acidity, it’s round at first but with a bite of crisp acidity on the finish, along with some bitterness. Interesting change through the palate! It matches up well with both dishes.

Dessert for me is Tres Leches (this time the 3 “milks” are coffee cream, Baileys, and condensed milk) …Almond bavarois with amaretto, caramel, and orange sauce with Cointreau for Michèle.

Definitely the place to be in Trujillo. In fact, we liked it so much we went back two days later for lunch, just before heading back to Lima and home.

Michèle’s appetizer was Spicy Shrimp and Corvina with (wait for it) Green Asparagus and Potatoes. My choice is North Pacific Salmon in a Ginger Sesame Sauce.  Both dishes reflect the Asian influences in Peruvian cuisine.  Superb.

For the main course, I take a classic regional dish: Cabrito con Tacu Tacu (baby goat with grilled rice and beans) and Michèle orders the Alpaca Filet Mignon on a bed of vegetables. Delicious.

Our final Peruvian wine: You guessed it…Tacama Seleccion Especial 2008, Ica Valley, 14% ABV. A blend of Tannat and Petit Verdot. We tried the 2009 earlier in the trip. Consistent aromas and flavours of red and black fruits, anise, and black pepper. I found the 2009 to have some grippy tannins but with an extra year of aging, the 2008 is softer and better integrated with the fruit on the finish.

A wonderful way to while away an afternoon and finish our wine and food adventures in Peru.  If this is the world's emerging style of fine cuisine, count me in!

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The Provenance Paradox

Regular readers know that I like to find wines that are “off the beaten track”. I look for wines made from lesser-known traditional varietals, unusual blends, or underappreciated regions. Apart from the delight in finding something new, I've found some of the best value in wines that aren’t as well-known, especially when compared to wines that are over-hyped.  It's something that we all know instinctively, that you can find good value if you're willing to look for it.

This month, Harvard Business Review has an interesting article entitled “Why You Aren’t Buying Venezuelan Chocolate” that validates that approach. (That sound you hear is me patting myself on the back.) As the author, Rohit Deshpandé, writes,

A product’s country of origin establishes its authenticity. Consumers associate certain geographies with the best products: French wine, Italian sports cars, Swiss watches. Competing products from other countries—especially developing markets—are perceived as less authentic. Even when their quality is on par with that of established players, the developing-market firms can’t command a fair price. The lower price, in turn, reinforces the idea that the offering isn’t as good and that the region doesn’t make premium products.

Professor Deshpandé calls it “the provenance paradox”.

Here’s a short (13-minute) video interview with Professor Deshpandé, with examples of the challenges faced by companies like Concha y Toro (one of Chile’s best wine-makers) and how other companies, like Corona beer, overcame the challenge.

For anyone who’s trying to bring lesser-known wines into the marketplace, whether a Canadian winery, an importer, or as a sommelier working with clients in a restaurant, it’s a fascinating examination of what you’re up against.

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Big Ben

Flying north from Lima, we spent a couple of days in Chiclayo, visiting the ruins at Sipan, where we began to learn about one of the most fascinating pre-Incan civilizations: the Moche. Not much to say about the cuisine in Chiclayo. Most remarkable was our dinner at Neuva Nueva Venecia, a very busy pizzeria about halfway between our hotel and the Plaza de Armas. Great, thin-crust pizza. A half-litre of a good red wine for $2!

From Chiclayo, we motored south to Trujillo, the 3rd largest city in Peru. Here the main attractions are from the Chimu civilization: the Huaca de la Luna and the ruins of Chan Chan, the largest pre-Columbian city in South America. We’re getting a much greater appreciation for the size and sophistication of these civilizations. The Europeans didn’t bring civilization to the Americas, they brought a different civilization to the Americas…and not an entirely better one.

At midday, we drive out to Huanchaco, right on the Pacific, for lunch at Big Ben. Although it has some interesting specialities, for lunch all we need is something simple and fresh.

My choice is grilled Corvina with fries. Michèle takes a grilled Corvina with mushrooms and white asparagus in a garlic sauce. Freshly caught that morning, the fish is Mmm...Mmm...good.

And the perfect accompaniment is the local beer, Pilsen Trujillo. Light yellow colour, crisp, not the best pilsner I’ve ever tasted but sometimes sentiment wins out over flavour!  Served with a bowl of the addictive cancha (roasted corn).

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A Little Daube’ll Do Ya

For us, wintertime means more full-bodied food, full-bodied wines.

When I was growing up, my mother made a mean beef stew. It was one of my favourite meals and my fondness for hearty dishes with braised meats hasn’t diminished. It defines comfort food.

I recently came across a recipe from Wine Spectator for “La Daube de Boeuf” that fits my definition of comfort food. This particular recipe is from the Bordeaux region but you can find “daube” recipes throughout the regions of France. It’s simple to make (hey, I did it!), fast, and delicious.

I made a couple of changes from the recipe. First, the recipe calls for “press wine”, a wine made from squeezing the pomace (skins, stems, seeds, pulp, spent yeast) in a press. Its tannins, even astringency, make it a wine perhaps better suited for cooking than quaffing. As far as I know, press wine is impossible to find here but, as the recipe mentions, any full-bodied wine will do. However, the key characteristic of press wine is tannins, so I’d recommend going to Vintages and picking up a Madiran, Mourvèdre, or Pinotage. I didn’t have time to head to Vintages, so I picked up an inexpensive Minervois from my local LCBO outlet.

Second, I added some “herbes de Provence”, which adds a bit more oomph to a recipe that seemed bland to me.

The recipe suggested that this dish is better as a leftover, so I made it a day ahead of time, stored half in the fridge and froze the other half. With two servings, we matched two different wines: once staying true to the recipe's origin with a Left-Bank Bordeaux (so Cabernet Sauvignon was the dominant Varietal) and once with a Syrah-Grenache-Mourvèdre blend from Languedoc. The flavours of the dish are so integrated and mellowed out that both wines really shone.  But I give the edge to the Languedocien.

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The Law is a Ass

Buying wine in one province and bringing it into another province is illegal.

You read that right.  A federal law (the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act) that dates back to 1928  - just as many jurisdictions repealed prohibition - makes it a crime to transport alcohol across provincial boundaries. Unless, of course, you’re the provincial government’s own monopoly, in which case it’s OK. (That was the point of the law: to strengthen provincial liquor monopolies)

Now, I don’t know anyone whom the Crown has ever charged with this crime. And looking at the number of vehicles with Quebec license plates at Ottawa’s LCBO locations (and Ontario-plated vehicles at the SAQ in Gatineau), there’s not much of a deterrent to this common cross-border criminality.

Not that I’ve ever done it, of course.

But it's a bad law:  every law that is ignored by both citizens and law enforcement is a bad law.

It gets worse.  It’s also illegal for a winery in one province to ship its wine directly to a customer in another province. Heard about those great wines in BC? Want a few bottles? Not available at the LCBO? Sorry, you’re SOL…unless you buy it privately by the case through the LCBO (at their option, they don’t have to do it). There’s that monopoly again.

In a time when purchasing goods is just a click away, it’s way overdue to strike down this outdated law and one MP is leading the charge to wipe out a piece of it. Ron Cannan, Member of Parliament for Kelowna-Lake Country, has tabled Motion 601 in the House of Commons to allow Canadian consumers to purchase wine directly from Canadian wineries.

A group that calls itself the Alliance for Canadian Wine Consumers has launched a grassroots write-in campaign at freemygrapes.ca  They make it easy for you to join the fight by asking your own MP to support Cannan's motion.  Check it out.

Because the proposed exemption only covers the interprovincial sale of wine directly from Canadian wineries to Canadian consumers, the change won’t fix the ridiculous problem of criminalizing all cross-provincial-border shopping for wine.

But it’s a good start.

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My Picks: Vintages Release -- December 11 2010

It's the last release before the holidays and the festive theme of the last 2 releases continues here with lots of sparkling wines and icewine. I’ve recommended one sparkling for your celebrations.

But don’t overlook some great choices that might otherwise slip by in all the holiday hubbub. There are a couple of interesting Syrah or syrah-blends available; there were almost 3, but my prospective 3rd choice had 15.5% alcohol, which is crazy high even for Oz. Really, just get yourself some Port.

Also, look out for 3 super choices from Rioja.

Organic

BADIA A COLTIBUONO 2007, DOCG Chianti Classico (Tuscany); #295964; Price: $21.95; 12.8% ABV
A blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Canaiolo. Handpicked. Fermented using indigenous yeasts. Maceration on the skins for 3 weeks. Aged 12 months in French and Austrian oak. Badia a Coltibuono means “Abbey of the Good Harvest". Indeed it is. Certified organic since 2003 by Instituto per la Certificazione Etica e Ambientale. Why organic?  Listen to the winemaker:  “In the past decades the use of pesticides, chemical treatments, weed-killers and the like has led to practices which deplete the soil without re-generating it, that homogenize tastes and that pose a significant threat to our health and well-being. Since we have embraced organic methods of agriculture, we are enjoying the pleasures of cultivating the life force of this place, and experience is showing that our products, our Chianti Classico wines and our extra virgin olive oils, are gaining an ever stronger identity.”

Off the Beaten Track 

Whites

A couple of sunny California girls, a Riesling from OZ, and a classic from Chablis...

KENDALL-JACKSON VINTNER'S RESERVE SUMMATION 2009, California; #210195; Price: $19.95; 13.5% ABV
Playtime for the winemaker. A blend of Sauvignon Blanc (33%), Viognier (27%), Chardonnay (15%), Semillon (9%), Roussanne (6%), Pinot Blanc (6%), Riesling (2%), and Muscat Canelli (2%). From 5 different growing areas. Worth a try just to see what comes out.

MCMANIS FAMILY VINEYARDS VIOGNIER 2009, California; #658112; Price: $19.95; 13.5% ABV
There’s some very fine Viognier coming out of California and if you haven’t tried some, you’re missing something good. Cold fermented in stainless steel. No oak.

WOLF BLASS GOLD LABEL RIESLING 2008, Adelaide (Australia); #606269; Price: $19.95; 13.0% ABV
I got the wine for your Christmas turkey right here. Harvested at night, when it’s cool. Fermented in stainless steel. Haven’t tried a good dry Riesling from down under? Don’t wait any longer!

JEAN-MARC BROCARD MONTMAINS 2008, AC Chablis 1er Cru (Burgundy); #983882; Price: $33.95; 13.0% ABV
Oh, Chablis, you heartbreaker! When you’re good, you’re very good: citrus and apricot, flinty minerality, great acidity…the perfect match to raw oysters. But you can be mediocre and you don’t travel very well. But even though you don’t always treat me right, I still come back for more. Fermented in stainless steel, followed by Malolactic fermentation. Jean-Marc’s son wants to convert to Biodynamic farming…must make for interesting discussions in the cellar.

Reds

Let's start with something from the wonderful 2007 vintage in Niagara:

CREEKSIDE ESTATE LAURA RED 2007, VQA Niagara Peninsula; #117960; Price: $19.95; 12.7% ABV
A “Bordeaux blend” of Cabernet Sauvignon (39.5%), Merlot (39%), Cabernet Franc (15%), Malbec (6%) and Petit Verdot (0.5%). Fermented on the skins in stainless steel. Aged separately in predominantly French oak barrels (56% new) for an average of 22 months, then blended. Bordeaux blend, Bordeaux weight too.

Que syrah, syrah...

TRINITY HILL SYRAH 2008, Hawkes Bay (New Zealand); #194274; Price: $20.95; 12.5% ABV
A blend of Syrah (96%) and Viognier (4%). Syrah from New Zealand? Now, that’s different! And it’s from Gimblett Gravels, considered by some to be the best growing area in New Zealand. The winemaker extended maceration for 2 weeks following fermentation to soften the tannins. Aged separately for 10 months in both French and American oak and stainless steel tanks, then blended.

HECHT & BANNIER MINERVOIS 2007, AC Minervois (Languedoc); #17764; Price: $18.95; 14.5% ABV
Just last month, we had the St Chinian from Hecht & Bannier. Now here's the Minervois. A blend of Syrah, Grenache, with “few drops” of Carignan and Mourvèdre. Aged 30% in stainless steel, 20% in one- and two-year old 600-litre barrels (known in Languedoc as “demi-muids”), and 50% in new, one-year-old and two-year-old barrels (both 225 litres and 400 litres). Yes, more 2007 Languedoc…buy it!

Here are 3 wines from Rioja, each representative of the most common aging categories, from longest to shortest:  Gran Reserva, Reserva, and Crianza.

BARON DE LEY GRAN RESERVA 2001, DOCa Rioja (Spain); #642496; Price: $29.95; 13.0% ABV
A blend of Tempranillo (90%) and “others” (they allow Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano). They sort and de-stem the grapes in the field. Fermented in stainless steel with extended maceration for another 10 days. Aged 24 months, half in French oak, half in American oak, then aged in bottle for 5 years (yup, 5 years) before release. Drink now, wait 10 years, your choice. Ah, that’s how to make a great wine!

BODEGAS FRANCO ESPANOLAS RIOJA BORDÓN RESERVA 2004, DOCa Rioja (Spain); #194753; Price: $18.95; 13.6% ABV
A blend of Tempranillo, Graciano, and Mazuelo. Fermented on the skins for 9 days and maceration continued for 5 more days. Aged in American oak -- my preference with Tempranillo – with various degrees of barrel toasts for 24 months, followed by bottle aging for 24 months.

SOLAR DE LÍBANO CRIANZA 2006, DOCa Rioja (Spain); #190579; Price: $14.95; 13.5% ABV
A blend of Tempranillo (97%) with Graciano and Garnacha (3%). Aged in French and American oak for 18 months, then 3 more months in 20,500-litre casks made of French oak (that’s big!), then 6 months in bottle before release. The maxim of the winemaker, Bodegas Castillo de Sajazarra, is "less technology, more tradition". Exactly.

And here's the Sparkling...yes it's from Ontario!

13TH STREET PREMIER CUVÉE BRUT SPARKLING WINE, VQA Niagara Peninsula; #142679; Price: $29.95; 12.5% ABV
Although we ring in the New Year at our house with Champagne, there are many other opportunities during the holidays to treat you and yours to some sparkling, especially one from another cool climate: Niagara! Here’s my choice. A blend of Pinot Noir (2/3) and Chardonnay (1/3), 13th Street makes it in the traditional way, as they do in Champagne.

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La Trattoria di Mambrino

Back to Miraflores, for a day, before we head up to northern Peru, off the beaten track for tourists! After my gastro misadventure, it’s good to have my appetite back, although slow and easy does it. 

Miraflores is part of metropolitan Lima and reflects the many cultural influences that make Lima a cosmopolitan city, and a culinary delight. For lunch, we head to Wa Lok, a “chifa”, what Peruvians call a Chinese restaurant. It’s a Sunday, a day when many Peruvian families get together for lunch. The restaurant is full when we arrive at 1:30, but the turnover is fast and there’s no trouble getting a table. It’s a very typical Chinese restaurant: the service is quick, if impersonal, and the food is great. Highly recommended.

For dinner, it’s time for some comfort food…pasta at La Trattoria di Mambrino, just a short walk from our hotel.

My choice is Tagliatelle with a Veal Porcini Ragu. Delicious, the sauce just coats the pasta and the mushroom favour really comes through.

Michèle takes Spaghetti Carbonara with Asparagus. They go easy on the cream, so what can sometimes be a heavy, rich dish is unexpectedly lighter, and tasty. And with fresh Peruvian asparagus, it’s a real treat.

The winelist carries an Argentinean Merlot at a reasonable price, so I order that. I guess I found a popular choice, because there’s none left. The sommelier brings another Argentinean Merlot, asking if we’d to have this one instead. Now, I’m a quick study with restaurant winelists. So I remember that this new one is about $40 more expensive. I also remember that there’s a Chilean Merlot. It's about the same price as the Argentinean one I wanted.

OK, this guy didn’t go to the same sommelier school that I did. First, you know your inventory well enough to know when you’re out of something, and tell the client right away when he makes his order. Failing that, then second, you don’t come back with another bottle, you come back with the winelist, allowing the client to choose something from the full list. Failing that, then third, you don’t come back with a much more expensive bottle, you come back with something in the same price range. But hey, we’re tourists, so you have to keep your head up!

We order the Cousino-Macul Antiguas Reservas Merlot 2008, Maipo Valley, Chile; 14% ABV. Aromas of blackberry and blueberry, sweet spices (vanilla); the dark fruits coming through again on the palate. Medium acidity and tannins, perhaps a bit young, it’s not quite full-bodied. Great with the food! Merlot is my favourite “International Varietal” to match with many pasta dishes.

Time for dessert. Michèle takes Queso Helado, which we first tried in Arequipa. Smooth and good.

My choice is Tres Leches, a cake soaked in 3 kinds of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream. The cake itself is light, and soaks up just enough liquid without falling apart. It some ways it’s the South American version of tiramisu. Mmmmm…definitely comfort food.




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Good News...Bad News

After being MIA since August 11, Vintages Online Exclusives re-appeared this morning. (Up until then, a new release from Online Exclusives came out every 2 weeks, alternating with the in-store releases.  Despite several inquiries, Vintages was tight-lipped about the program's future.)

That's the good news.

This week's release has 15 wines, 14 of which are Bordeaux (12 red, 2 white).  Least expensive bottle?  $36.  Average price?  $71.  So not exactly "value" wines.  Nothing organic or biodynamic.  Nothing off the beaten track.  Nothing less than $30.  Nothing for me to recommend.

That's the bad news. 

It's more like these wines are rejects from the next Classics Collection.  More Scrooge than Santa.

Let's hope that Vintages returns the Online Exclusives program back to what it was: a source of interesting choices for customers who are looking for something a little off the beaten path.

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Mangez des Cuy!

Leaving Aguas Calientes, the same (or similar) illness that knocked down every other person in our group finally knocked me down...and out. Food poisoning? Bad water? Norwalk virus? You never know. Your gastrointestinal tract declares war. Taken prisoner are your appetite, along with your will to do anything but sleep. Rash promises are made. Luckily, we’re now back in Cusco and it’s not a travel day. I can sleep most of the day away. Then, gradually, terms of an armistice are worked out. Make reparations. Take drugs. Pour electrolytes down your throat. Fortunately, every restaurant along the Peruvian tourist trail offers “Chicken Diet Soup”, the gateway back to solid foods.

But it’s here in Cusco that we planned to try a traditional Peruvian specialty: “cuy”…or guinea pig. Low in fat and high in protein, guinea pigs have been part of the Andean diet for centuries. There’s even a painting of the Last Supper in the Cusco cathedral with Jesus and the apostles dining on “cuy”. Can’t miss out.

Off we go to a nearby restaurant for a dinner of guinea pig. Some restaurants let you choose which live guinea pig you want to have (like choosing a lobster from a tank), but not here. Our guinea pig, roasted, comes out of the kitchen with a pepper in its mouth, surrounded by roast potatoes, raw vegetables (oh no!), and a ball of mashed sweet potato.

What does it taste like? I guess the closest comparison is rabbit, but gamier. Certainly chewy. Unfortunately, the taste of roasted garlic overwhelms it. Back to the chicken soup!

A note of caution. The word for guinea pig in Peru is “cuy”. Sounds very much like a French slang word, couille. So, if you tell your francophone friends about your adventures in Peru, eating “cuy”, you may want to be clear about what that is.

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Indio Feliz - After Machu Picchu

A word about Machu Picchu. It’s often listed as one of the most impressive places on the face of the earth. But there are very, very, very few places that exceed a reputation like that. The Grand Canyon is one. The scale of the canyon is beyond description. Machu Picchu is another. Now, we were very lucky: we had a spectacularly clear blue sky first thing in the morning, which is a rarity. And it poured rain the night before! Pachamama was with us. The site, the structures, the view, all beyond my descriptive powers. Go. See it.

After coming down from Machu Picchu, we decided to go back to Indio Feliz for lunch. Hey, when it’s one of the best in Peru, and nothing else in Aguas Calientes comes close, what would you do? This time, we get a table in the upstairs dining room. It's more brightly lit, with natural light, and more spacious than the downstairs dining room next to the bar. (Hint: If you want a nicer table, speak French to the owner. The only other clients having lunch in the upstairs dining room were from France.)

For this return trip to Indio Feliz, we went with the Prix Fixe menu. Both Michèle and I start with Avocado and Mango Balls with Olive Oil and Lemon juice. The avocados here are HUGE, almost the size of a football…and delicious.

For the main, Michèle opts for Urubamba Salmon-Trout “a lo macho” (tomatoes, onion, pepper, and white wine). Same sides as the day before. Hey, when you're running a restaurant in a tourist town, where the clientele changes quickly, you don't need to mess with the formula.

My choice is also Salmon Trout, with mangoes from Quillabamba. It looked so good the day before that I had to try it. And I wasn’t disappointed. Fresh trout and (more) fresh mangoes. Wow, superb!

No beer today! For the wine, we choose a Lazo Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Central Valley, Chile. Citrus and tropical fruit (mango!) aromas and flavours, with just a note of grassy herbaceousness. Medium-bodied with great crisp acidity to balance out the fruit on the finish. A superb match to the avocado and mango appetizer and both of the salmon-trout dishes.

For dessert, it’s orange (!) pie with crème anglaise and coconut ice cream. Hmmm.

Go to Machu Picchu. Eat at Indio Feliz. One is a wonder; the other is just wonderful.




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Indio Feliz - Before Machu Picchu

Before heading up to Machu Picchu, we spend the day in Aguas Calientes, just 9 kilometres away (and 400 metres lower). Unless you’re staying at the ritzy Sanctuary Lodge (USD 825 a night) or you’re doing the 4-day hike along the Inka Trail, then Aguas Calientes is the obligatory “base camp” before the ascent to Machu Picchu at sunrise.

Aguas Calientes is a lively town completely devoted to tourism, even over-devoted in that it’s lost any sense of identity beyond tourism. Think Niagara Falls.  On the principal streets leading away from the train station are restaurants, coffee bars, and massage parlours, each with someone standing outside, very persistently inviting you in.  That is, except for one restaurant, tucked down a narrow side street, called Indio Feliz (Happy Indian). Our guidebook says that it’s “the best restaurant in Aguas Calientes…one of Peru’s best restaurants”. Well, OK then, let’s head there for lunch.

Indio Feliz serves what they call Franco-Peruvian cuisine, not surprising, as the owners are a couple, he’s from France, and she’s from Peru. Decorated in funky ochre and green, the restaurant is on 3 floors, with an expansion built in 2008, a testament to its success. (Check out a video here) We take a seat on the ground floor, in a dining room adjoining the bar.

Lots of interesting choices on the menu too. The prix fixe is a great bargain, but we’re not so hungry that we need a 3-course meal. I opt for “Chicken with a Pepper-Pisco Sauce” with side dishes of homemade garlic potato chips, steamed vegetables, and rice. Tender chicken, cooked properly; the reduced chicken-stock-based pepper-Pisco sauce was delicious. With that, I had a quart-sized Cusqueña beer. Ah, a quart of beer. Like being back in university. But the food was never this good!

Michéle takes the "Chicken with Ginger Confit and a Cabernet Sauvignon sauce” with the same side dishes.

Two other members of our group – Alex and Minh – wander in and join us for lunch. Minh chooses the Salmon Trout – fresh from the local Urubamba River – with mangoes from Quillabamba and the standard side dishes.

Alex goes vegetarian, taking the Tagliatelle, served au natural, but with a variety of different sauces that you can mix and match to your own taste.

You know how some restaurants have a bowl at reception where you can toss in your business card? Well, Indio Feliz has a large wall where you can staple your business card. And so, if you ever get to Aguas Calientes and have a meal at Indio Feliz, look for the card from Dave’s Domaine.

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My Picks: Vintages Release -- November 27 2010

This week's theme from Vintages is “Our Finest Wines for Holiday Giving” so it’s jammed with all sorts of expensive stuff. Apparently the recession really is over.  (If it's not over for you, perhaps the appropriate choice is some Irish whiskey.)  If you’re looking for wines and spirits that will impress, then there are good choices. But if you look more closely, there’s some really great values in this release as well. And that’s our focus here.  Of my usual dozen, 4 wines are under $20 and -- unusually -- 4 wines are over $30 but nothing higher than $40.

Biodynamic & Organic

Two Ontario wines make the “organic cut” this week. Hooray! First up is a Biodynamic choice:

SOUTHBROOK TRIOMPHE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2008, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake; #193573; Price: $23.95; 12.8% ABV
Cabernet Sauvignon (85%) with some Merlot (14%) and Cabernet Franc (1%). Certified Biodynamic! Handpicked. Fermented with indigenous yeast in both oak and stainless steel. Aged 12 months in French and American oak. No fining, so good for vegetarians and vegans.

MALIVOIRE PINOT NOIR 2007, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula; #996777; Price: $39.95; 13.0% ABV
One of my favourite wineries in Niagara, with neat gravity-fed (no pumping) winemaking. This is from the famous, and hot, 2007 vintage. They separately fermented batches from different locations on the Bench in open-top oak containers. Extended post-fermentation skin contact. Malolactic fermentation.  Aged for 11 months in medium toast French oak barrels, 32% new and 68% neutral (neutral means more than 3 uses). Can be aged 5 more years…if you’re patient. Certified organic by Organic Crop Producers and Processors of Ontario.

Off the Beaten Track

Whites

Let’s start the whites with one of the famous names in BC wines:

BURROWING OWL CHARDONNAY 2008, VQA Okanagan Valley; #208694; Price: $32.95; 13.5% ABV
Burrowing Owl? Well, it’s about time. Pressed, then drained by gravity flow into stainless steel tanks. Left to settle for 24 hours, then barrel-fermented with select yeasts in 90% French oak, 10% American oak, 50% new, 50% one-year-old. Partial Malolactic fermentation. Aged on its lees in barrel for 9 months. The winemakers say they follow what they call the winemaker’s Hippocratic Oath: do no harm.

TORBRECK ROUSSANNE/MARSANNE/VIOGNIER 2008, Barossa Valley (Australia); #186478; Price: $19.95; 14.0% ABV
So here’s a classic Rhone Valley white blend…from Oz: Viognier (50%), Marsanne (40%), and Roussanne (10%). And really, if Shiraz works so brilliantly in Barossa, why not the white Rhone varietals? Handpicked. Viognier and Marsanne fermented in used oak barrels; Roussanne fermented in stainless steel; all slow-fermented using natural yeasts. Left on the spent yeasts for 7 months, then blended.

Reds

What’s good for the whites is good for the reds; we start with that same BC winemaker:

BURROWING OWL MERLOT 2007, VQA Okanagan Valley; #585737; Price: $39.95; 14.0% ABV
You’d be wise to pick up this one. Fermented on skins with select yeasts for 14 days in stainless steel. Malolactic fermentation. Aged in a mixture of French, American, and Hungarian oak (one-third new). Fined using casein.

MACROSTIE PINOT NOIR 2007, Carneros (California); #674911; Price: $24.95; 14.2% ABV
The cool climate of Carneros, which spans both Napa and Sonoma, makes it an ideal place to grow the Heartbreak Grape. Cold-soaked for 3 days in open-top fermenters, followed by fermentation with cultured yeast. Aged ten months in French oak, 30% new. Very different from Burgundy, or Oregon, or New Zealand, an interesting style all the same with bigger fruit and sweet spice.

TRIVENTO GOLDEN RESERVE SYRAH 2007, Mendoza (Argentina); #178129; Price: $19.95; 14.9% ABV
100% Syrah. Handpicked. Fermented in stainless steel for 12 days. Malolactic fermentation. Aged for 12 months in both French oak (60%) and American oak (40%), then 12 months in bottle before release.

ROSSO DI CASANOVA DI NERI 2008, DOC Sant’Antimo (Tuscany); #204578; Price: $23.95; 14.5% ABV
A blend of Sangiovese Grosso (90%) and Colorino (10%). Fermented for 18 days (Sangiovese) and 9 days (Colorino). Aged 12 months in oak. Another gravity-fed winery. DOC Sant'Antimo is almost the same territory as Brunello di Montalcino but allows for wines that don’t fit Brunello's requirements.

QUINTA DO CÔA VINHO TINTO 2007, DOC Douro (Portugal); #182295; Price: $19.95; 14.5% ABV
A blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) and other indigenous varietals. Handpicked. Cold maceration for 48 hours. Fermented in stainless steel for 15 days, followed by Malolactic fermentation. Mostly aged in stainless steel but partially aged in both French and American oak. Filtered.

Three interesting wines from Spain, which ranks right up there among my favourite wine-producing countries. Even better, 3 different regions are represented: the classic Rioja in North-Central Spain, the new Castilla y Leon in western Spain, and the up-and-coming Calatayud in Aragon, just a little south-by-southeast of Rioja. (By the way, Vintages, Calatayud and Catalunya are not the same!)

BERONIA GRAN RESERVA 2001, DOCa Rioja (Spain); #940965; Price: $31.95; 14.0% ABV
A blend of Tempranillo (87%), Mazuelo (8%), and Graciano (5%). Aged 2 years in French and American oak and 3 years in bottle (as required to be Gran Reserva in Rioja).

BODEGA Y VIÑEDOS FERNÁNDEZ RIVERA DEHESA DE LA GRANJA 2004, Castilla y Leon (Spain); #192476; Price: $21.95; 14.3% ABV
100% Tempranillo. Aged 24 months in new American oak, then 12 months in the bottle. A “Vino de la Tierra” from the Toro region in western Spain.

DEL JALÓN ALTOS LAS PIZARRAS 2005, DO Calatayud (Spain); #194746; Price: $18.95; 13.6% ABV
100% Garnacha from vines between 70-100 years old, grown at 800 and 1,050 metres in slate vineyards. Handpicked and sorted. Cold-soaked for 4 days.  Fermentation started with wild yeasts, before inoculation with cultured yeasts. Malolactic fermentation. Aged in new French oak. Warning: the winemaker uses “heavyweight” bottles, so if reducing your carbon footprint is important, as it is for me, check the weight before you buy.  If you do take a pass on this one, here's a wine that was previously recommended and is making a return appearance in this release (click on the link to view my notes):

DOMAINE LA BOUSCADE OLD VINE CARIGNAN 2007, AC Minervois (France); #78758; Price: $16.95; 15.0% ABV

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Urubamba

Before heading up the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu, we overnight in Urubamba at the San Augustin Hotel. After some dodgy accommodation in Puerto Inca and Cusco (hot water?  you like hot water for your shower?), this place is a step up. The architecture reflects the look and feel of the colonial estate it once was, with attractive landscaping.

Where to have dinner is an easy choice, as Urubamba (which means “Land of Spiders” in Quechuan) is a small town and it caters more to the lunch crowd. So, the hotel restaurant it is.

Michèle is finally feeling better after a very nasty case of some gastro-disease. Food poisoning? Norwalk virus? The "whatever it is" has knocked down two-thirds of our group already, almost all of whom needed the attention of a local doctor. And we’re not done with it yet. It’s not a healthy place.

But after a rather large buffet lunch, we go easy at dinner. Michèle’s choice is Quinoa Ravioli with a Cream and Cheese Sauce.  If you don't know it, quinoa is an amazing grain that's good and good for you.  It's native to Peru, where they've grown it for thousands of years.

My choice is Trout with Almond Curry Sauce, Rice, Potatoes – it’s not unusual to get both rice and potatoes – and cooked vegetables.  You can find both farmed and wild trout in many Peruvian rivers and lakes (including Titicaca) but it's not native.  Peruvians introduced trout from...Canada (!) as a source of protein.  Good, eh? 

The wine? We’re back to Tacama Blanco de Blancos – this time from 2009. As with the 2010, it’s a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, and Chardonnay; 13.5% ABV. Pale straw colour, floral and citrus aromas. Flavours of lemon, lime, white peach, and bitter almond at the finish. Medium acidity, it starts with some roundness but then the acidity kicks in at the end. The bitterness on the finish makes it a good match with the food.

Of course, there’s the obligatory pan flute ensemble that we’ve come to expect in every restaurant, every lunch, every dinner. Play a few tunes (we may never be able to listen to El Condor Pasa again), sell a few CDs, pass the hat, good night! In between sets, every restaurant plays music ranging from the 1950s to the early 1990s. For Peruvians, new music seems to have ceased around 1990. When I ask them why, the answer is always in the same perplexed tone, “Tell me, has there been any good music since 1990?”  Hmmm…

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