I came across an interesting and simple recipe on the Michelin site last week.
It's a lamb stew from the island of Ushant (or Ouessant en français), which is located in the English Channel. It's part of France. Population 932. As you can see from the accompanying video, the cooking is supposed to be over (and under) a peat fire. I made it a few nights ago but, no, I did not cook it that way; I used the oven instead. Other changes I made: I threw in some za’atar (a mixture of thyme, oregano, and marjoram) that we got at a Mid-Eastern specialty store and I used lamb shoulder only. The recipe also calls for a "swede", which is rutabaga! (Are there lots of rutabagas in Sweden?) Note that the list of ingredients does not include meat stock, but you do need it, enough to cover everything but the potatoes on top. Turned out very well! For best results, make sure that your ingredients are right at the top of the pot.
In the accompanying video, they mention that the peat fire imparts a smoky taste. It's one of those rare recipes where I immediately thought that you could drink Scotch with it (the dish, not the recipe…although you can always drink some scotch as you’re waiting for the dish to cook). But we had a good red from Corbieres, a blend of old vine Carignan (50%), Grenache (25%) and Syrah (25%). A superb match!
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Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
My Picks: Vintages On-Line Exclusives -- January 27
What am I looking for? Three things.
Organic: wines certified biodynamic or organic.
Off the Beaten Track: lesser-known or underappreciated varietals and blends, or regions
Value: wines at less than $30. I break that rule once today.
Organic
No luck today.
Off the Beaten Track
GLORIA FERRER SONOMA BRUT NV, Sonoma County (USA); #0192898; $24.00; 13% ABV
The Champagne that we see here is often over-priced, but there’s bargains in other great sparkling wines (Cava, Prosecco). Here’s a deal from Sonoma. Made from mostly Pinot Noir with some Chardonnay, using Methode Champenoise. Extra-dry, the way I like it.
TALAMONTI KUDOS 2004, IGT Colline Pescaresi, Abruzzo (Italy); #0146316; $25.00; 14% ABV
A blend of the native varietal Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (70%) and Merlot (30%). Drinkable now and until 2014.
PIRIE ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2007, Tasmania (Australia); #0148163; $36.00; 14% ABV
Tasmania is doing some great things with Pinot Noir. This PN is from a new cool climate vineyard at higher elevation. Consume now or keep through to 2015. The winemaker suggests pairing the wine with “Steamed wallaby shank pudding”. Anybody know where I can get some wallaby in Ottawa?!
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Monday, January 25, 2010
Recommended Reading: The Perfectionist
When Michèle and I lived in Germany, we’d treat each other to dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant on our birthdays. That’s when I first became aware of Bernard Loiseau. In those days, Loiseau had a reputation as a young, up-and-coming chef and it wasn’t long before his restaurant, La Cote d’Or, got to the top of our birthday list. We made the 4-hour drive to Saulieu, in Burgundy, where Loiseau’s then 2-star restaurant is located. The meal was everything we expected and, although he didn’t yet have the top 3-star rating from Michelin, it seemed to us that he would get there.
Sure enough, a few years later, after we had returned to Canada, Loiseau received his third star. In 1995, William Echikson’s book, Burgundy Stars: A Year in the Life of a Great French Restaurant was published. Echikson’s book, an in-depth profile of Loiseau’s restaurant and the struggle to achieve the 3-star rating from Michelin, was a great read. Of course, it meant that much more that we’d been to the restaurant and met the chef.
From time to time after that, I’d see something about Loiseau. By then, Loiseau was one of the most recognized faces in France: a media sensation (like Gordon Ramsey today, only more so). He launched an IPO with his restaurants (the one in Saulieu, plus 3 bistros in Paris) and ready-to-eat foods. Awarded the Legion d’Honneur, he seemed to be going from triumph to triumph. Then, stunningly, in February 2003, despite his success, a happy marriage with 3 kids, he committed suicide.
The Perfectionist: Life and Death in Haute Cuisine is Rudolph Chelminski’s elegy to Bernard Loiseau, seeking to explain why a man at the peak of his career would end his life at 52. Chelminski traces Loiseau’s life from childhood, through his apprenticeship at Troisgros (another 3-star restaurant), his fast-rising early career at several bistros in Paris, and his move to Saulieu to take over the deteriorating La Cote d’Or, first as chef and then as owner.
Although the inside knowledge of the Michelin guide and the rise of La Cote d'Or to 3-star status are absorbing elements on their own, it’s the attempt to get inside the head of Bernard Loiseau that holds your attention. No surprise, Loiseau was a workaholic. He was extroverted yet extremely shy with women, impulsive, a natural leader, but it’s the revelation that he was a bi-polar perfectionist that is the key to his story. As long as he went from one success to another, fuelled by the manic episodes, he could ride out the severe depressions. But when business turned down at the turn of the century – tastes and trends changed and he was unable to change with them, disposable income in France declined, American tourists disappeared after September 11, his debt load grew, and (the worst) rumours began to swirl that he’d lose his top Michelin rating – then the depressions grew deeper and got the upper hand. The pressures on a top-ranked chef can be enormous, and on a perfectionist even more so. Chelminski does a great job of making you feel the pressures, both real and inflicted by his bi-polar disorder, that Loiseau must have felt in the last months of his life.
Interestingly, the other victim in February 2003 may have been the Michelin Guide. In the aftermath of Loiseau’s death, recriminations flew with many chefs blaming Michelin and other restaurant critics for being needlessly harsh, even vicious, in their assessments. Some chefs in France have stepped back from pursuit of star-ratings and trying to keep the Michelin Man happy. Michelin doesn’t have quite the same cachet and influence that it did before, yet no other single authority has stepped into that void.
If you’re a fan of how restaurants achieve greatness, or fascinated by French culture, you’ll love The Perfectionist: Life and Death in Haute Cuisine. Equally, if you enjoy in-depth personality studies, or you know someone who is bi-polar, this book is for you: it’s enlightening to see inside the tragedy of Bernard Loiseau. Available at the Ottawa Library.
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Sure enough, a few years later, after we had returned to Canada, Loiseau received his third star. In 1995, William Echikson’s book, Burgundy Stars: A Year in the Life of a Great French Restaurant was published. Echikson’s book, an in-depth profile of Loiseau’s restaurant and the struggle to achieve the 3-star rating from Michelin, was a great read. Of course, it meant that much more that we’d been to the restaurant and met the chef.
From time to time after that, I’d see something about Loiseau. By then, Loiseau was one of the most recognized faces in France: a media sensation (like Gordon Ramsey today, only more so). He launched an IPO with his restaurants (the one in Saulieu, plus 3 bistros in Paris) and ready-to-eat foods. Awarded the Legion d’Honneur, he seemed to be going from triumph to triumph. Then, stunningly, in February 2003, despite his success, a happy marriage with 3 kids, he committed suicide.
The Perfectionist: Life and Death in Haute Cuisine is Rudolph Chelminski’s elegy to Bernard Loiseau, seeking to explain why a man at the peak of his career would end his life at 52. Chelminski traces Loiseau’s life from childhood, through his apprenticeship at Troisgros (another 3-star restaurant), his fast-rising early career at several bistros in Paris, and his move to Saulieu to take over the deteriorating La Cote d’Or, first as chef and then as owner.Although the inside knowledge of the Michelin guide and the rise of La Cote d'Or to 3-star status are absorbing elements on their own, it’s the attempt to get inside the head of Bernard Loiseau that holds your attention. No surprise, Loiseau was a workaholic. He was extroverted yet extremely shy with women, impulsive, a natural leader, but it’s the revelation that he was a bi-polar perfectionist that is the key to his story. As long as he went from one success to another, fuelled by the manic episodes, he could ride out the severe depressions. But when business turned down at the turn of the century – tastes and trends changed and he was unable to change with them, disposable income in France declined, American tourists disappeared after September 11, his debt load grew, and (the worst) rumours began to swirl that he’d lose his top Michelin rating – then the depressions grew deeper and got the upper hand. The pressures on a top-ranked chef can be enormous, and on a perfectionist even more so. Chelminski does a great job of making you feel the pressures, both real and inflicted by his bi-polar disorder, that Loiseau must have felt in the last months of his life.
Interestingly, the other victim in February 2003 may have been the Michelin Guide. In the aftermath of Loiseau’s death, recriminations flew with many chefs blaming Michelin and other restaurant critics for being needlessly harsh, even vicious, in their assessments. Some chefs in France have stepped back from pursuit of star-ratings and trying to keep the Michelin Man happy. Michelin doesn’t have quite the same cachet and influence that it did before, yet no other single authority has stepped into that void.
If you’re a fan of how restaurants achieve greatness, or fascinated by French culture, you’ll love The Perfectionist: Life and Death in Haute Cuisine. Equally, if you enjoy in-depth personality studies, or you know someone who is bi-polar, this book is for you: it’s enlightening to see inside the tragedy of Bernard Loiseau. Available at the Ottawa Library.
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Thursday, January 21, 2010
My Picks: Vintages Release – January 23
Here’s my shopping list for the Vintages Release on January 23.What am I looking for? Three things.
Organic: wines certified biodynamic or organic
Off the Beaten Track: lesser-known or underappreciated regions, varietals, or blends
Value: wines at less than $30 (More values in these picks; only one over $20)
And I try to keep the list to a dozen.
Organic
PECH MATELLES MARSELAN 2008, Vin de Pays des Bouches du Rhone (France); #148684; Price: $12.95; 14.0% ABV
Certified by ECOCERT, this wine’s producer, Les Celliers du Languedoc, is like a “super organic co-operative” with fifteen producers and co-operatives in the south of France. Even more interesting, Marselan is a “new” cross of Cabernet Sauvignon & Grenache Noir and authorized for Vin de Pays in 1990. How can I say no? Tasting Note
Off the Beaten Track
5 whites, quite a good variety:
ALAMOS TORRONTÉS 2008, Salta (Argentina); # 81539; Price: $13.95; 13.5% ABV
The Torrontes varietal is at its biggest and best in Argentina. Often compared to floral varietals like Viognier, Chenin Blanc, and Gewurztraminer, it usually has good acidity with citrus and tree fruit flavours. This one is from way up North, grown at high altitude.
LA CHABLISIENNE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2008, AC SAINT-BRIS (France); # 641753; Price: $14.95; 12.5% ABV
Sauvignon Blanc from the Chablis region? Hmm, why not try it?
NASIAKOS 2008, AOC MANTINIA (Greece); # 143032; Price: $15.95; 12.5% ABV
Made with the Moscophilero varietal, it’s typically very aromatic, similar to Muscat.
SURANI PIETRARICCIA FIANO 2008, IGT Salento (Puglia, Italy); # 159582; Price: $16.95; 13.5% ABV
It’s a shame that the whites from southern Italy (Greco di Tufo is another) aren’t appreciated more. More common to Campania, this Fiano from Puglia is worth a try. Tasting Note
REAL SITIO DE VENTOSILLA PRADO REY VERDEJO 2008, DO Rueda (Spain); # 146001; Price: $13.95; 13.5% ABV
Native to Rueda, Verdejo is characteristically aromatic and herbaceous.
And 6 reds, all from regions near the Mediterranean:
CHÂTEAU DONA BAISSAS PER DONA 2007, AC Cotes du Roussillon-Villages (France); # 151365; Price: $15.95; 14.1% ABV
A blend of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan, from next door to Languedoc and just north of Spain, which often has more influence on winemaking in Roussillon than does France. Tasting Note
APOLLONIO VALLE CUPA 2001, IGT Salento Rosso (Puglia, Italy); # 84046; Price: $19.95; 14.5% ABV
50/50 blend of Negroamaro and Primitivo, two princes of red varietals grown in the heel of Italy’s boot. Primitivo is the same varietal as Zinfandel, one of my favourites. Previously released in 2008.
QUINTA DO INFANTADO RED 2007, DOC Douro (Portugal); # 95158; Price: $23.95; 13.5% ABV
Another wine from Douro in northern Portugal, the region better known for port, which this producer has made for almost 200 years. The indigenous grapes were crushed by foot (yes, still happens in Douro) and fermented in traditional stone lagers. Tasting Note
SÃO MIGUEL DAS MISSÕES RESERVA 2008, Vinho Regional Alentejano (Portugal); # 155796; Price: $15.95; 13.5% ABV
A blend of Touriga Nacional, Aragónes (Tempranillo) and Alicante Bouschet (a red-fleshed grape) from southeast Portugal. Tasting Note
DOMAINE LA BOUSCADE OLD VINE CARIGNAN 2007, AC Minervois (France); # 78758; Price: $18.95; 14.6% ABV
Made from 60-year vines. The Minervois appellation is in the Languedoc region. Carignan still is the most planted grape variety in Languedoc, but it really gets no respect and winemakers traditionally use it as a blending grape. But some winemakers are trying to rescue Carignan from the depths of contempt and I discovered some great examples on my recent trip to Languedoc.
ÈTIM NEGRE 2007, DO Montsant (Spain); # 146019; Price: $14.95; 14.7% ABV
Montsant is a new wine appellation in Catalonia, next door to Priorat, known for its higher quality. This is a blend of Syrah, Garnacha, and Carignan.
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Steamed Halibut with Fresh Ginger & Vouvray
I went in a Chinese direction for dinner a few nights ago: Steamed Halibut with Fresh Ginger, the recipe courtesy of Nancie McDermott. If you’ve the right equipment for steaming, as we do, this dish is easy to prepare. Halibut has a delicate flavour, so the fresh ginger, green onions, and sesame are the dominant flavours. Although the recipe calls for 10 minutes of steaming, it’s easy to overcook the fish, so next time I’d remove the fish from the heat completely when the steaming is finished and you’re preparing the finishing touches. Served five-spice rice and stir-fried baby bok choy as side dishes.
For the wine, I avoided the somewhat obvious choice (gewürztraminer) and went with BOUGRIER VOUVRAY 2008, AOC Vouvray, France; 11.5% ABV. It’s an off-dry Chenin Blanc with good, crisp acidity. Aromas of peach, citrus, pear, and red apple as well as floral notes. Red apple and grapey flavours on the palate. Light-bodied, good balance and moderate finish. An above-average match with the food; worked great with the ginger and sesame flavours in this light-bodied dish. I think that an Alsatian Muscat could also work here.
For the wine, I avoided the somewhat obvious choice (gewürztraminer) and went with BOUGRIER VOUVRAY 2008, AOC Vouvray, France; 11.5% ABV. It’s an off-dry Chenin Blanc with good, crisp acidity. Aromas of peach, citrus, pear, and red apple as well as floral notes. Red apple and grapey flavours on the palate. Light-bodied, good balance and moderate finish. An above-average match with the food; worked great with the ginger and sesame flavours in this light-bodied dish. I think that an Alsatian Muscat could also work here.Subscribing to this blog through RSS or email is easy! Just click on the subscribe link to the left ←
Monday, January 18, 2010
Recently Tasted
DOMAINE DE LA SEIGNEURIE DES TOURELLES SAUMUR BLANC 2008, AOC Saumur, France; #141879; Price: $12.95; 12.5% ABV
MIMO 2005, DOC Douro; #147918; Price: $17.95; 12.7% ABVTORRONTES CRIOS DE SUSANA BALBO 2008; Mendoza (Argentina); 13.5% ABV; ($47 at NAC Le Café)
The Torrontes varietal is at its biggest in Argentina, and this is one of the best. Wonderful floral bouquet, with aromas of citrus and peach. Medium-bodied with great acidity and lime and peach flavours. No oak. Crisp mouthfeel. Good length with fruit flavours and acidity that continue on the finish. Wonderful with the smoked haddock and fingerling potato chowder. Susana Balbo is the most known female enologist in Argentina.
NERO D’AVOLA CUSUMANO 2008; IGT Sicilia (Italy); 14.5% ABV ($53 at NAC Le Café)
Nero D’Avola is native to Sicily. New World style, fruit-forward with cherries, plum, dried herbs, and liquorice on the nose. Plum, cherries and some spices on the palate. Full-bodied, with medium acidity and soft tannins that are a bit drying on the finish. Good length. Disappointing for the price. OK match with rib-eye steak, chèvre whipped potatoes and pumpkin-apple reduxe.
PRICING NOTE: Le Café winelist price is $53; LCBO price is $9.95. Shame on Le Café.
BOUGRIER VOUVRAY 2008, AOC Vouvray, France; #106880; Price: $14.95; 11.5% ABV
ROUGES DES KARANTES 2007, AOC Coteaux du Languedoc, France; #143651; Price: $16.95; 14.0% ABV
DUBARIL CHASSELAS ROMAND 2008, Vin de Pays, Switzerland; #143552; Price: $15.95; 12.4% ABV
MALIVOIRE GAMAY 2008, VQA Niagara Peninsula; #591313; Price: $17.95; 13.0% ABV
CHÂTEAU SALMONIÈRE MUSCADET SÈVRE & MAINE 2008, AOC Muscadet Sèvre & Maine, France; #142380; Price: $13.95; 12.2% ABV
PAÇO DE TEIXEIRÓ BRANCO 2008, Vinho Regional Minho, Portugal; #21469; Price: $12.95; 12.5% ABV
PERRIN NATURE CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2007, AOC Cotes du Rhone, France; #948059; Price: $ 16.95; 13.0% ABVSubscribing to this blog through RSS or email is easy! Just click on the subscribe link to the left ←
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Red-Faced
We’ve all seen it. You’re at a dinner party, or a wine-tasting, and suddenly, someone’s face turns red. Is it embarrassment? No, it’s redder than a blush. Has your charm turned them on? You wish. Could it be a reaction to, yikes, the wine? If it is the wine, what’s in the wine that makes someone’s face go red?
For some people, it’s the alcohol. These folks most likely have a deficiency in (wait for it) acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, an important enzyme in metabolising alcohol. The result is the accumulation of acetaldehyde, which shows up as a reddening in the face, neck, and shoulders. Other symptoms include nausea, headaches, light-headedness, an increased pulse, drowsiness, and occasional skin swelling and itchiness. [UPDATE, Jan 21: Wine Spectator reports there's a possible cure for this enzyme deficiency.]
But maybe it's not the alcohol. It might also be sulphites, or histamines, or other additives.
Fermentation produces sulphur dioxide naturally, as the yeast converts grape sugars to alcohol. Many producers add more sulphur dioxide (or sulphites) as a preservative. For people who lack the enzyme to process sulphites, an allergic (asthmatic) reaction, including flushing, may result. If you’re trying to avoid sulphites, some biodynamic and organic winemakers go out of their way to keep sulphite levels down, and say so on their labels. Vintages also does a good job of identifying these wines in their New Releases.
Bacteria and yeast often generate histamines during fermentation, and alcohol tends to amplify the effects of histamines. For those people sensitive to histamines, face-flushing, a runny or stuffy nose, itchy and runny eyes, or worsening of asthma symptoms, as well as headaches, may result from drinking wines with an elevated level of histamines. The same bacteria that generate histamines may also cause wines to spoil. Researchers at Bordeaux University (where else?) are currently working on a project to eliminate the bacteria (and resulting histamines) produced as part of the fermentation process. Good news for allergy sufferers and the rest of us who don’t want our wines to go off.
Winemakers may also use allergenic substances in fining. (Fining is the clarification and stabilisation of wine by removing microscopic proteins that may cloud the wine, or removing tannins that make the wine more astringent or bitter than the winemaker wants, or removing unwanted aromas.) Organic substances, such as egg whites, milk, fish bladders all have been used (but not exclusively) in fining. Very little of these substances remain in the wine but highly allergenic people may still have a reaction. And, obviously, vegans are not keen on wines that have used these substances.
We may think that those people who have a reaction to wine (whether it’s because of alcohol, sulphites, histamines, or other substances) are unlucky. But another way to look at it is that they have a built-in moderator. They avoid over-indulging and, the morning after, don’t have to look for a cure!
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For some people, it’s the alcohol. These folks most likely have a deficiency in (wait for it) acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, an important enzyme in metabolising alcohol. The result is the accumulation of acetaldehyde, which shows up as a reddening in the face, neck, and shoulders. Other symptoms include nausea, headaches, light-headedness, an increased pulse, drowsiness, and occasional skin swelling and itchiness. [UPDATE, Jan 21: Wine Spectator reports there's a possible cure for this enzyme deficiency.]
But maybe it's not the alcohol. It might also be sulphites, or histamines, or other additives.
Fermentation produces sulphur dioxide naturally, as the yeast converts grape sugars to alcohol. Many producers add more sulphur dioxide (or sulphites) as a preservative. For people who lack the enzyme to process sulphites, an allergic (asthmatic) reaction, including flushing, may result. If you’re trying to avoid sulphites, some biodynamic and organic winemakers go out of their way to keep sulphite levels down, and say so on their labels. Vintages also does a good job of identifying these wines in their New Releases.
Bacteria and yeast often generate histamines during fermentation, and alcohol tends to amplify the effects of histamines. For those people sensitive to histamines, face-flushing, a runny or stuffy nose, itchy and runny eyes, or worsening of asthma symptoms, as well as headaches, may result from drinking wines with an elevated level of histamines. The same bacteria that generate histamines may also cause wines to spoil. Researchers at Bordeaux University (where else?) are currently working on a project to eliminate the bacteria (and resulting histamines) produced as part of the fermentation process. Good news for allergy sufferers and the rest of us who don’t want our wines to go off.
Winemakers may also use allergenic substances in fining. (Fining is the clarification and stabilisation of wine by removing microscopic proteins that may cloud the wine, or removing tannins that make the wine more astringent or bitter than the winemaker wants, or removing unwanted aromas.) Organic substances, such as egg whites, milk, fish bladders all have been used (but not exclusively) in fining. Very little of these substances remain in the wine but highly allergenic people may still have a reaction. And, obviously, vegans are not keen on wines that have used these substances.
We may think that those people who have a reaction to wine (whether it’s because of alcohol, sulphites, histamines, or other substances) are unlucky. But another way to look at it is that they have a built-in moderator. They avoid over-indulging and, the morning after, don’t have to look for a cure!
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Wednesday, January 13, 2010
My Picks: Vintages On-Line Exclusives -- January 13
What am I looking for? Three things.
Organic: I’m always on the lookout for wines certified biodynamic or organic. (Check out my posts on biodynamic and organic wines.)
Off-the Beaten Track: I’m keen on lesser-known or underappreciated varietals and blends, so you’re unlikely to find any Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay on my shopping list. I do buy them, but they don’t need any more publicity.
Value: I’m looking for wines at less than $30. Again, I do go over, but that’s not the focus here.
Biodynamic
CLOS DE STE. ANNE THE CRUCIBLE SYRAH 2007, Gisborne (New Zealand); #0144451; 14% ABV; $44
Biodynamic and unfiltered; a rarity, it’s a syrah from the east coast of the warmer North Island. A bit of a splurge.
Off the Beaten Track
ANGELO D'UVA TINTILIA DEL MOLISE 2006, DOC Molise (Italy); #0124065; 14% ABV; $25
Italy has more than 350 “native” grape varieties, many unknown outside of their regions. Tintilia is one of them. So rare, it’s not even in my Oxford Companion to Wine! Native to Molise, due south of Abruzzo on the Adriatic coast. Ignored for many years, it’s making a comeback. How can I say no?
CIMS DE PORRERA SOLANES 2005, DOCa Priorat (Spain); #0148908; 14% ABV; $29
A blend with Carinena up front at 45%, then 35% Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah.
CHÂTEAU DES KARANTES 2005, AC Côteaux du Languedoc (France); #0148833; 14% ABV; $25
70% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, another value from Languedoc.
FILLABOA SELECCION FINCA MONTE ALTO ALBARIÑO 2007, DO Rías Baixas (Spain); #0158907; 13% ABV; $29
Albarino! One of my favourites, typically with citrus, floral, and mineral aromas. From the Atlantic Coast of Spain. No oak.
NIKOLAIHOF GRÜNER VELTLINER 2007, Wachau (Austria); #0148882; 12% ABV; $29
Still an under-appreciated varietal, GV is typically with citrus and tree fruit, herbal and mineral aromas with great acidity.
ONDARRE RESERVA 2002, DOCa Rioja (Spain); #0723452; 13% ABV; $26
Many, many (too many) Spanish wines have lost their classic typicity – they ain’t what they used to be – becoming a fruit-forward New World style. erobertparker.com says this is “a good example of an old school wine that works beautifully”. Let’s find out!
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Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Taking the Mickey Out of the LCBO
In the January edition of Ottawa Life Magazine, Michael Pinkus prosecutes the LCBO for a litany of sins and transgressions going back more than a decade.Although I think that the LCBO does a lot of things right, I’m not here to defend the LCBO. Despite its successes, the LCBO does some very fundamental things wrong in how it treats suppliers, employees, and customers.
In his article, Mr Pinkus does a good job of describing the LCBO’s treatment of wine producers (particularly small Ontario producers), consignment agents, and consumers. The LCBO has a lot of power; it’s the largest buyer of spirits and wine in the world. From the stories that Mr Pinkus tells, and stories that I myself have heard from wine producers and consignment agents, it seems to take its supplier management lessons from Wal-Mart. It’s not win/win, it’s squeeze, squeeze.
What about the LCBO employees? As a consumer, I’ve shopped in many different LCBO stores in Ottawa and here’s what really gets me. Pick any LCBO store: why do the employees, from the white-shirts (Product Consultants) to the blue-shirts, all look so darn unhappy? They’re selling booze, for goodness sakes! They should be in high spirits (ahem). It’s obvious that morale is terrible; the work environment is toxic. How you treat your employees says a lot about leadership in any organization. More importantly, unhappy employees are deadly for good customer relations. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard people complain about “the bad attitude” of LCBO employees, how they avoid customers if they can and are discourteous if they can’t. I don't blame the employees...the buck stops with senior management. But there are courteous people working at the LCBO, and when I find them, I almost want to give them hug!
Another puzzle to me is why the LCBO is flatfooted so often on issues regarding its operations. If you’re running a government-controlled monopoly, you know you’re going to get scrutinised and criticised. Yet, they seem surprised and unprepared when someone takes a run at them.
Of all the problems with the LCBO, it seems that, for Mr Pinkus, the straw that breaks the camel’s back is the Ontario liquor monopoly’s payment of more than $6 million in management bonuses in 2008 while the province’s economy was in a deep recession. Performance bonuses for the public sector managers, or government-controlled entities like the LCBO, aren’t new anymore. And $ 6 million in bonuses for a retail operation with $4.3 billion in revenue and a $1.4 billion dividend to the Ontario government? Not sure that’s necessarily a problem, even in a monopoly.
So, what’s the solution? Many, including Mr Pinkus, think that one solution to the LCBO is to smash it. They say, “The role for government in alcohol is regulation. Why is the government still operating retail and wholesale liquor stores?” Fair enough. But that’s a policy decision: the government is considering whether the time has come to get out of the liquor business. But simply privatizing the LCBO won’t fix the problems that Mr Pinkus describes so well. What’s really needed is far more difficult and complex: a complete re-working of the corporate culture of the LCBO (or whatever succeeds it), with leadership that sets a better example by how it treats suppliers, employees, and customers.
[UPDATE #1]
[UPDATE #2]
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Monday, January 11, 2010
Recommended Reading: Au Revoir to All That
For a few years, I was lucky enough to live in Germany, just 10 kilometres from the French border. My wife and I often travelled into France in those days and gloried in everything gastronomic that it had to offer, from the simple to the sublime. We’ve been back to visit France quite a few times since our return to Canada, always taking time for some new culinary adventures. Occasionally, we’d wonder, was everything quite as glorious as we remembered it? Did the quality of our new experiences match our idealized memories of the earlier ones? Or were things declining in France?Michael Steinberger addresses just that topic in his recent book, Au Revoir to All That: Food, Wine, and the End of France. He argues that France entered a period of economic and culinary decline in the 1980s. The result? The most influential chefs and best restaurants are no longer French. The French wine industry is in crisis. The French way of life – bistros, artisanal products, neighbourhood shopping – is rapidly vanishing. Horrors: France is now the second most-profitable market in the world for McDonalds, which is its largest private sector employer! Steinberger addresses all these topics, and does it well.
He also takes us through a history of French cuisine; the dominating influence – good and harmful – of the Michelin Guide; the economic malaise that has afflicted France since the 1980s; the rise of Spain and England (!) as the new centres of European gastronomy; over-regulation; the seemingly intractable problem of immigrant assimilation; and the creative coasting of the great French chefs as they placed their focus on corporate culinary empires rather than on their kitchens. The tone is largely elegiac: French culinary culture led the world, and its decline is a loss for us all.
One of his most interesting premises is that the slow decline of French cuisine mirrors, and is driven by, that of France’s economy. (Talk to most French people and they will bemoan their economic malaise, and then thank God that at least they are not Americans.) This axiom, that poor economic times lead to stagnating culinary creativity, is not new or surprising. But in the case of France, with its prolonged malaise, where the spending power of diners has been relentlessly impaired over almost 30 years, the pressure on chefs to cut costs, to stick to the tried and true, to be risk-averse, has become greater and greater. And so France has ceded its leadership.
Equally true, though, is that chefs elsewhere (Barcelona, New York, Tokyo…oh, the indignity…London!) were ready to move into leadership, and did. And that’s the missing piece of the puzzle with this book. Excellence in food and wine has been an obsession of the French for more than a century. Indeed, it’s their gift to the world. But today, the pursuit of excellence in food and wine spans the globe. It was inevitable that competition from elsewhere would catch up to, and sometimes even surpass, the French. The question now is whether the French can respond, not in reclaiming the past but in envisioning a future, especially where its citizens are as pressed for time and desirous of convenience as anyone else is. In the final two chapters, Steinberger does offer some optimism that French cuisine can recover.
Au Revoir to All That is thoroughly researched, perceptive, and written well. There are fascinating profiles of some of the most influential players on the culinary scene in France. If you love food, wine, or France, you’ll enjoy this book. Available at the Ottawa Public Library.
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Thursday, January 7, 2010
My Picks: Vintages Release – January 9, 2010
Here’s my shopping list for the Vintages Release on January 9.What am I looking for? Three things.
Organic: I’m always on the lookout for wines certified biodynamic or organic. (Check out my posts on biodynamic and organic wines.)
Off the Beaten Track: I’m keen on lesser-known or underappreciated varietals and blends, so you’re unlikely to find any Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay on my shopping list. I do buy them, but they don’t need any more publicity.
Value: I’m looking for wines at less than $30. Again, I do go over, but that’s not the focus here. (The theme of this release from Vintages is “Great wine, great value: easy on the wallet and easy to love”. God bless ’em! The recession’s over…but who doesn’t like value?)
And I try to keep the list to a dozen.
Organic
1. PURE VISION ORGANIC MERLOT 2007, South Australia; #148411; Price: $21.95; 15.0% ABV
Viticulture and vinification processes registered with Australian Certified Organic
2. PERRIN NATURE CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2007, AOC Cotes du Rhone (France); #948059; Price: $ 16.95; 13.0% ABV
Grapes certified by Ecocert; Perrin is one of the better producers in the southern Rhone, plus an excellent year…what’s not to like?
[UPDATE, February 9: Turns out, there's a lot not to like. See Tasting Note.]
Off the Beaten Track
First up, 3 white wines from the Loire, a very under-appreciated region. Good acidity, you can keep them until summer if you prefer.
3. DOMAINE DE LA SEIGNEURIE DES TOURELLES SAUMUR BLANC 2008, AOC Saumur (France); #141879; Price: $12.95; 12.5% ABV
Dry Chenin Blanc…don’t know Chenin Blanc? It’s typically light-bodied, high in acidity, with melon and floral aromas. Go on, try it! Tasting Note
4. BOUGRIER VOUVRAY 2008, AOC Vouvray (France); #106880; Price: $14.95; 11.5% ABV
Off-Dry Chenin Blanc with good acidity Tasting Note
5. CHÂTEAU SALMONIÈRE MUSCADET SÈVRE MAINE 2008, AOC Muscadet Sèvre & Maine (France); #142380; Price: $13.95; 12.2% ABV
Made from the Melon de Bourgogne varietal; light, crisp, perfect with oysters. Tasting Note
More whites:
6. PAÇO DE TEIXEIRÓ BRANCO 2008, Vinho Regional Minho (Portugal); #21469; Price: $12.95; 12.5% ABV
Made from Avesso and Loureiro varietals. It’s from Portugal…with a screw-cap! Tasting Note
7. DUBARIL CHASSELAS ROMAND 2008, Vin de Pays, Switzerland; #143552; Price: $15.95; 12.4% ABV
Memories of skiing in Verbier! A perfect match with raclette and fondue. Chasselas is known as Fendant in Swiss-German and Gutedel in Germany. Tasting Note
Now, some reds:
8. MALIVOIRE GAMAY 2008, VQA Niagara Peninsula; #591313; Price: $17.95; 13.0% ABV
One of my favourite Niagara producers! Tasting Note
9. ROUGES DES KARANTES 2007, AOC Coteaux du Languedoc (France); #143651; Price: $16.95; 14.0% ABV
Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre…another great value in a full-bodied wine from Languedoc Tasting Note
10. TSANTALI RESERVE RAPSANI 2004, AO Rapsani (Greece); #734855; Price: $18.95; 13.5% ABV
Here’s your Olympics wine! Rapsani is located in the foothills of Mount Olympus and is a region of great potential. Blend of Greek varietals Xinomavro (literally, acid-black), Krassato, Stavroto. Tasting Note
There are 4 reds from Portugal in this release. I think the best bets are from Douro:
11. MIMO 2005, DOC Douro (Portugal); #147918; Price: $17.95; 12.7% ABV
Finding Mimo! Douro, home of port wine, also produces more and more “main course” wines. This is a blend of two varietals used in port: Touriga Franca, and Touriga Nacional, as well as Tempranillo and Tinta Barroca. Tasting Note
12. QUINTA DO RONCÃO RESERVA 2006, DOC Douro (Portugal); #147942; Price: $13.95; 14.1% ABV
Good value red at $14!
Lots of bargains...enjoy!
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Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Recently Tasted
DESCENDIENTES DE J. PALACIOS PÉTALOS 2007, DO Beirzo (Spain); #675207; Price: $23.95; 13.5% ABV
A wonderful experience on the nose, dominated by dark fruits (plum, prune), liquorice, sweet spice, with pepper, chocolate, and a bit of smoke and earthiness underneath. The dark fruit continues on the palate, with dark cherry showing up. It’s medium bodied, with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with the dark fruit and soft tannins. Moderately long finish.
From a region (Beirzo in northwest Spain) and a varietal (Mencia) that seems to have come out of nowhere in the last few years. Palacios is a top producer. Buy it.
CANTINE DUE PALME PRIMITIVO 2005, Puglia (Italy); #658351; Price: $ 15.95; 13.5% ABV
Aromas of cassis, raspberry, dark cherry, liquorice, pepper, and dried herbs. The fruit flavours come through again on the palate with medium acidity and tannins. Medium bodied, it’s smooth but doesn’t have the jammy profile of many Zinfandels (Primitivo and Zinfandel are the same grape.) Good balance and a moderate finish.
From the sunny Italian south. Good value.
ATALAYA ALMANSA 2007, DO Almansa (Spain); #132605; Price: $21.95; 14.0% ABV
Strong menthol aroma at the start, which slowly diminished but never disappeared. Black cherry, dried herbs, and gamy aromas come through over time. Dark cherry and black tea on the palate. Medium acidity and medium-high tannins. It’s close to full-bodied, jammy with a sandy mouthfeel. Good length on the finish.
This wine is a blend of primarily Monastrell and Garnacha Tintorera from Almansa. Yup, another emerging region in the Spanish Armada. Strong menthol throws me off. Give it a pass.
DI MAJO NORANTE RAMITELLO 2005, IGT Molise (Italy); #973214; Price: $19.30; 13.0% ABV
The fruit is missing on the nose at the start, with a dominance of tar, earthiness, dried herbs and smoke. Plum and dark cherry show up in the flavours on the palate, with herbal notes. More tannins than the Atalaya, with medium acidity. Moderate length.
Molise is one of the poorest regions in Italy, not known for its wine production, although this is its best-known producer. Ramitello is a blend of Montepulciano and Aglianico. I can’t recommend it because of the lack of fruit in the aroma.
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A wonderful experience on the nose, dominated by dark fruits (plum, prune), liquorice, sweet spice, with pepper, chocolate, and a bit of smoke and earthiness underneath. The dark fruit continues on the palate, with dark cherry showing up. It’s medium bodied, with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with the dark fruit and soft tannins. Moderately long finish.
From a region (Beirzo in northwest Spain) and a varietal (Mencia) that seems to have come out of nowhere in the last few years. Palacios is a top producer. Buy it.
CANTINE DUE PALME PRIMITIVO 2005, Puglia (Italy); #658351; Price: $ 15.95; 13.5% ABV
Aromas of cassis, raspberry, dark cherry, liquorice, pepper, and dried herbs. The fruit flavours come through again on the palate with medium acidity and tannins. Medium bodied, it’s smooth but doesn’t have the jammy profile of many Zinfandels (Primitivo and Zinfandel are the same grape.) Good balance and a moderate finish.
From the sunny Italian south. Good value.
ATALAYA ALMANSA 2007, DO Almansa (Spain); #132605; Price: $21.95; 14.0% ABV
Strong menthol aroma at the start, which slowly diminished but never disappeared. Black cherry, dried herbs, and gamy aromas come through over time. Dark cherry and black tea on the palate. Medium acidity and medium-high tannins. It’s close to full-bodied, jammy with a sandy mouthfeel. Good length on the finish.
This wine is a blend of primarily Monastrell and Garnacha Tintorera from Almansa. Yup, another emerging region in the Spanish Armada. Strong menthol throws me off. Give it a pass.
DI MAJO NORANTE RAMITELLO 2005, IGT Molise (Italy); #973214; Price: $19.30; 13.0% ABV
The fruit is missing on the nose at the start, with a dominance of tar, earthiness, dried herbs and smoke. Plum and dark cherry show up in the flavours on the palate, with herbal notes. More tannins than the Atalaya, with medium acidity. Moderate length.
Molise is one of the poorest regions in Italy, not known for its wine production, although this is its best-known producer. Ramitello is a blend of Montepulciano and Aglianico. I can’t recommend it because of the lack of fruit in the aroma.
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Monday, January 4, 2010
Synergy!
Every expertise has its own lingo. In pairing food and wine, we rate matches from “no match – ugh” to “synergistic match – wow”, depending on how well the components, textures, and flavours in the food and the wine match up. A synergistic match means that all the stars align; both the food and wine are better together than on their own. One of my instructors in the sommelier program expressed another way of thinking about it: the food should lead you to drink the wine, and the wine should lead you to eat the food. Not to get too technical, but there are many elements that need to line up to achieve synergy. Aside from some classic matches that you can come across in reference books, finding a synergistic match is quite rare and sometimes a matter of luck.
Over the weekend, Michèle prepared a pan-fried salmon filet with pomegranate-hollandaise sauce. For a wine to match the dominant flavour of the sauce, my mind went in two directions: a New World cool-climate Pinot Noir or a dry Riesling. The Pinot Noir should have the acidity to stand up to the fattiness of both the salmon and the hollandaise sauce, and its red fruit flavours would match up with the pomegranate. Then I tasted the sauce and, although I think the Pinot Noir would work, my instinctive reaction was immediate: I wanted to try an Alsatian Riesling. Why? The acidic tang and flavours of the pomegranate mellow quite a bit in the hollandaise sauce, making it ever-so-slightly sweet. Over the past 20 years, Alsatian Rieslings have suffered from an unfortunate trend: generally, the levels of residual sugars are higher, yielding wines that seem more full-bodied and rounder. They’re fine on their own but more difficult to match with food. However, that residual sugar just might work here.
Luckily, I had a bottle of Comte D’Eguisheim Riesling 2003, AOC Alsace, 13% ABV, made by Leon Beyer in Alsace. 2003 was a very hot summer throughout Europe, yielding wines that were fuller-bodied than usual across the board. (Look at that label! Are they fans of the Miami Dolphins?)
This 2003 Riesling has lots of minerality on the nose, along with aromas of cooked peach and pear, citrus, honey, and a bit of smoke. The concentrated stone fruit and citrus flavours continue on the palate. Medium-bodied, it’s surprisingly round, even a tiny bit sweet, but the acidity that I love in traditional Alsace Riesling is also certainly there.
With the food, it’s even better on so many levels. The wine’s acidity counters the fattiness of the salmon and the hollandaise sauce. Although both the wine and the sauce give a slight impression of sweetness, they balance each other. The pomegranate fruit in the sauce and the wine’s stone fruit and citrus flavours work superbly together; neither the flavours of the wine nor of the food overwhelms the other.
Synergy? I think so. On their own, they were each delicious. Together, even better. This match would not have worked as well with a leaner style of Riesling. And I’m still curious what the New World Pinot Noir would be like… have to try that soon.
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Over the weekend, Michèle prepared a pan-fried salmon filet with pomegranate-hollandaise sauce. For a wine to match the dominant flavour of the sauce, my mind went in two directions: a New World cool-climate Pinot Noir or a dry Riesling. The Pinot Noir should have the acidity to stand up to the fattiness of both the salmon and the hollandaise sauce, and its red fruit flavours would match up with the pomegranate. Then I tasted the sauce and, although I think the Pinot Noir would work, my instinctive reaction was immediate: I wanted to try an Alsatian Riesling. Why? The acidic tang and flavours of the pomegranate mellow quite a bit in the hollandaise sauce, making it ever-so-slightly sweet. Over the past 20 years, Alsatian Rieslings have suffered from an unfortunate trend: generally, the levels of residual sugars are higher, yielding wines that seem more full-bodied and rounder. They’re fine on their own but more difficult to match with food. However, that residual sugar just might work here.
Luckily, I had a bottle of Comte D’Eguisheim Riesling 2003, AOC Alsace, 13% ABV, made by Leon Beyer in Alsace. 2003 was a very hot summer throughout Europe, yielding wines that were fuller-bodied than usual across the board. (Look at that label! Are they fans of the Miami Dolphins?)This 2003 Riesling has lots of minerality on the nose, along with aromas of cooked peach and pear, citrus, honey, and a bit of smoke. The concentrated stone fruit and citrus flavours continue on the palate. Medium-bodied, it’s surprisingly round, even a tiny bit sweet, but the acidity that I love in traditional Alsace Riesling is also certainly there.
With the food, it’s even better on so many levels. The wine’s acidity counters the fattiness of the salmon and the hollandaise sauce. Although both the wine and the sauce give a slight impression of sweetness, they balance each other. The pomegranate fruit in the sauce and the wine’s stone fruit and citrus flavours work superbly together; neither the flavours of the wine nor of the food overwhelms the other.
Synergy? I think so. On their own, they were each delicious. Together, even better. This match would not have worked as well with a leaner style of Riesling. And I’m still curious what the New World Pinot Noir would be like… have to try that soon.
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