Recently Tasted

CHÂTEAU DONA BAISSAS PER DONA 2007, AC Cotes du Roussillon-Villages (France); # 151365; Price: $15.95; 14.1% ABV

More dried herbs, smoke, and some black pepper than fruit on the nose. More of the dark fruit comes through on the palate, along with anise. Almost full-bodied, it’s down the middle in acidity and tannins, yielding a smooth finish with herbs and spices. Works much better with food (try it with lamb) than on its own.

SÃO MIGUEL DAS MISSÕES RESERVA 2008, Vinho Regional Alentejano (Portugal); # 155796; Price: $15.95; 13.5% ABV

Aromas of black cherry, plum and blackberry. Medium acidity and some grippy tannins with mostly plum and black cherry continuing on the palate. It’s medium-bodied with a reasonable length. Good value.

LUIS CAÑAS FERMENTADO EN BARRICA BLANCO 2008, DOCa Rioja (Spain); #146217; Price: $14.95; 13.5% ABV

Hello, Woody! OK, it’s barrel fermented and aged in oak and that’s almost all I get: freshly sawn wood on the nose and in the taste. Disappointing.

LE SECRET DES CAPITELLES 2007, AC St-Chinian (France); #156299; Price: $14.95; 14.4% ABV

Aromas of black cherry pie filling, plum, blackberry, dried herbs (rosemary, thyme), bacon, leather, anise, and black pepper. Grainy tannins and good acidity with flavours of black cherry, plum, herbs, and leather. Full-bodied, it has a medium length with the black fruits and herbs lingering through the finish. Lots happening, a great value!

TSANTALI RESERVE RAPSANI 2004, AO Rapsani; #734855; Price: $18.95; 13.5% ABV

Plum, dried herbs, earthy, and roasted coffee beans on the nose. Flavours of plum and herbs continue on the palate with some assertive tannins and good acidity as well. Medium-bodied. Good length with the dried herbs lingering at the finish. A good wine with lamb.





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Gramercy Tavern's Guinness Stout Ginger Cake

Heading into my wife’s birthday, I decided to try my hand at a dessert as part of a weekend-long culinary extravaganza. (Well, an extravaganza in terms of effort for me!) Many chefs will tell you that desserts are a world unto themselves: different techniques, ingredients that act (react?) differently. It’s no accident that many chefs specialise in only making desserts…or not making them at all.

A while back, a friend had mentioned the Gramercy Tavern's Guinness Stout Ginger Cake. With Guinness Stout, molasses, ginger and other spices (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom), it’s got a taste profile that I think we’d like. The recipe didn’t appear overly complicated.

The first step is “In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the stout (1 cup) and molasses (1 cup) and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the baking soda. The mixture will foam up energetically. Allow to sit until the foam dissipates.” Sounds easy. OK, a large saucepan. How large is large? A quart-sized pot looks about right. Into the pan go the stout and molasses.  As the mixture heats up, I turn my attention to the next step, preparing and mixing the dry ingredients. Ah, a cardinal sin of cooking: turning your back on a boiling pot. I suddenly hear this hissing sound coming from the stove. Foam up energetically? Uh huh. The molasses and Guinness mixture are roiling out of the pot and all over the stove. We have a ceramic-top stove, so it’s like watching the lava from Vesuvius overrun Pompeii. Oh, the humanity! It was a very sticky, black, awful mess to clean up, especially the stuff that had burnt onto the stovetop.

Fortunately, my wife was out at that point, so I was able to clean up everything before she came home. Otherwise, I probably would have had my kitchen privileges revoked. (Her only comment when she got home: “Are you trying to make caramel?”)

I had bought a six-pack of Guinness. So, after helping myself to a bottle of Guinness for medicinal purposes, I re-started. This time, I stared down the pot with the molasses and the Guinness Stout. Really, the mixture goes from placid to a frenzy in a couple of seconds. Fun to watch, if you can keep it in the pot, which I did the second time. The rest of the way was uneventful. How was it? Dark, heavy, moist, aromatic, and spicy…delicious. I served it with unsweetened whipped cream, but icing sugar sprinkled on top would work as well.

We skipped having a dessert wine, but you have a few options here. Wine should be sweeter than the dessert. This dessert’s not overly sweet, so you don’t have to go all the way to an Icewine; an Ontario late harvest wine should work just fine. I’d also try a 10-year-old Tawny Port, especially if you can match the raisin and spice profile.

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My Picks: Vintages On-Line Exclusives -- February 24

Here’s my shopping list for today’s Vintages On-Line Exclusives Release.

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 regions, varietals, and blends.
Value: I’m looking for wines at less than $30. Again, I do go over (twice today), but that’s not the focus here.

Organic

ADAM'S RIB THE RED 2006, Victoria (Australia); #148999; 14% ABV; $29
Here’s a blend that I haven’t come across before: Pinot Noir (80%) and Shiraz (20%). The vineyard is located in the “Australian Alps”. Certified biodynamic! Adam is the assistant winemaker, who is experimenting with several blends. In 2006, it’s Pinot Noir and Shiraz; in 2007, it’s Nebbiolo and Shiraz. The 2006 blend is a throwback to some wines made in the Hunter Valley in the 1930s, as well as the blending of some syrah into Burgundy wines in the 1960s. The winemaker has a great website: http://castagna.com.au/

LOIMER LANGENLOIS TERRASSEN TROCKEN RIESLING 2007, QbA Kamptal (Austria); #0155333; 12% ABV; $35
An example of what Austria can do with Riesling, which is considerable. Even better, the winemaker began his conversion to biodynamic winemaking in 2006.

Off the Beaten Track

ARISTOS PINOT GRIGIO 2008, DOC Südtirol-Alto Adige (Italy); #0156463; 14% ABV; $30
Located in the South Tyrol, just south of the Austrian border, Alto Adige is one of Italy’s lesser-known regions. Don’t be fooled by the oceans of ordinary, bland Pinot Grigio out there; there are also some very good examples of what Pinot Grigio is capable of...aromatic and crisp. Aristos is this winemaker’s premium label.

BODEGAS ASENJO & MANSO CERES 2005; DO Ribera del Duero (Spain); #0157818; 14% ABV; $22
A new winery with a traditional Spanish approach: made from 100% tinta del país (Tempranillo) and aged in American oak.

L'OUSTAL BLANC MINERVOIS 2005, AC Minervois (France); #0155325; 14% ABV; $35
Based in Languedoc, the winemaker is one of the best winemakers there. He describes his philosophy as, “Even if, for personal historical reasons, Châteauneuf du Pape is still engraved in one's memory, it is the fascination of Burgundy which remains the primary driving force of the philosophical approach of the Domain.” Hmmm…what does this yield? This wine is a blend of Grenache (65%), Syrah (20%), and Carignan (15%); the latter two are aged 12 months in oak.

TRAPÍO 2006, DO Yecla (Spain); #0157826; 14% ABV; $22
Bodegas La Purísima is a cooperative, led by María Teresa Ruiz González, producing 60 percent of the wine of Yecla (southeast Spain). It’s all Monastrell (Mourvèdre) from ungrafted 50-to-70-year-old vines. The winemakers take a traditional approach. Dedicated to the bull…for my fellow Taureans.

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In the Year 2050...

Thanks to a lead in Decanter, I recently came across an absorbing forecast of what the world of wine could look like in 2050. The report was issued last September by a committee of French trade advisors, the Comité National des Conseillers du Commerce Extérieur de la France (CNCCEF). Entitled Wine in the World as We Approach 2050, the authors take an (unsurprisingly) French perspective but, as surely as the French continue to lose market share, they have the greatest need to address industry changes.

Broadly, the French see several important trends:

1. Wine production and consumption worldwide will continue to rise. What will change is where that production and consumption will be:  thanks to economic development and a young average age, there will be huge increases in what they call the “New New World” (primarily China and India, with Eastern Europe and Brazil as well); continuing increases throughout the “New World”; and stabilization in the “Old World” after a prolonged period of decline.
2. Consumers everywhere will approach wine primarily as a beverage for social occasions, rather than a beverage consumed with meals. (This approach overturns centuries of how French consumers viewed wine:  as a meal accompanyment.) “Brand” loyalty will be non-existent.
3. Public health authorities will develop a more enlightened view of wine as a benefit, rather than part of the alcoholic scourge.
4. Climate change will drive significant changes in production methods, growing areas, and varietals grown: all leading to a loss of typicity (see my earlier post). One of the best illustrations of the effect of climate change in France reads as follows:  The vines will also be adapted to each country’s new weather patterns. Already, Mourvedre grapes are now planted all through the Languedoc, whereas they used to be found only in the Bandol area. In the same way, Merlot - another variety - may possibly spread northward towards Germany. Syrah cultivation could spread to Burgundy and Champagne and replace Pinot Noir, Burgundian Pinot Noir could move to the lands of Lorraine, and one can imagine growing Chardonnay Champagne in Kent [England] chalk. 
5. As with other products, consumers will demand that wine producers disclose the size of their carbon footprint on bottles.
6. Pressure to use genetically modified varietals and even more synthetic yeasts will increase, subject to public concerns over such methods.
7. Similar to the beer industry, the bulk wine industry will become more concentrated with large international brands produced close to the consumer, a kind of Budweiser of wine, adjusted for local tastes.

Not surprisingly, the authors see opportunities for France across all wine offerings, from entry-level to premium, in both domestic and foreign markets.

Regular readers of this blog will know that changes in the traditional French way of life fascinate me. The report describes the radical changes in wine consumer behaviour in France in just one generation. Regular consumption of wine (consumers who drink wine with meals everyday) is rapidly disappearing, replaced by wine drinking only at festive and social occasions. Indeed, the report states that wine drinking with meals has virtually disappeared in the under-25 age group in France. Stunningly, the authors estimate that, by 2015, almost half of the eligible French population will be non-consumers of wine. Ever optimistic, they view this group as a target market (to be “conquered"), implying that the only reason that a French citizen would not drink wine is because the “right” wine hasn’t been offered.

BTW, Canada does get a mention in the report, noting that our consumption is growing three times faster than global demand. Good work, everyone!

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My Picks: Vintages Release -- February 20

Here’s my shopping list for the Vintages Release on February 20.

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 (OK, I break the rule once here)
And I try to keep the list to a dozen.

Organic
Bit of a stretch here, as neither of these wines has achieved certification, although both claim to use organic methods.

DOMAINE FERRER-RIBIÈRE TRADITION 2007, AC Cotes du Roussillon (France); #148627; Price: $16.95; 13.5% ABV
Starting with the 2007 vintage, this winemaker converted to organic winemaking, using biodynamic methods, although, to my knowledge, they haven’t yet achieved certification. This wine is a blend of Syrah (40%), Grenache (30%), Carignan (20%) and Mourvèdre (10%).  Tasting Note

LA PIEVE CHIANTI 2007, DOCG Chianti (Italy); #161851; Price: $15.95; 13.5% ABV
Chianti, outside Chianti Classico, can still include white varietals; this wine is a blend of Sangiovese (80%), Canaiolo (15%) and Malvasia (5%). Uses organic methods, but doesn’t have any formal certification.  Tasting Note

Off the Beaten Track
We’ll start with 4 whites, from 4 different countries, using 4 different varietals:

VINELAND ESTATES ST. URBAN RIESLING 2007, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula (Ontario); #38117; Price: $20.00; 9.0% ABV
It’s great to find a very light-bodied Riesling. Maybe one to tuck away for summer on the patio.

DOMÄNE WACHAU TERRACES GRÜNER VELTLINER 2008, Austria; #155812; Price: $15.95; 12.0% ABV
If you haven’t tried GV, here’s a good place to start. Typically, GV has great fruit and minerality, complemented by crisp acidity.

MASSERIA ALTEMURA FIANO 2008, IGT Salento (Italy); #159475; Price: $13.95; 12.5% ABV
Another example of the unusual (and delicious) whites from southern Italy. This one’s from Puglia.

AGNUSDEI ALBARIÑO 2008, DO Rias Baixas (Spain); #146241; Price: $17.95; 12.5% ABV
Ah, wonderful Albarino! Grown in northwest Spain near the ocean, perfect with seafood. If you prefer, tuck it away for summer.

I don’t usually highlight chardonnay, but I do like to identify chards from lesser-known regions. Here are two from the extreme ends of Burgundy:

CROIX DE MONTCEAU ST-VÉRAN 2008, AC St-Véran (France); #159046; Price: $21.95; 13.0% ABV
Here’s a chardonnay from the southern (more affordable) end of Burgundy, just before you reach Beaujolais. If you like white Burgundy but shudder at the price, try this one.

DOMAINE CHEVALLIER CHABLIS 2007, AC Chablis (France); #112227; Price: $22.95; 12.2% ABV
Yes, another chardonnay from Burgundy but this time from the northern end. I love a Chablis with the classic (for me) steely minerality that goes so well with oysters. But too many Chablis now spend too much time in oak, robbing Chablis of its wonderful crispness. This one is aged 75% in stainless steel and 25% oak. Not perfect, but I’ll take it!

Now the reds, staying in Burgundy for the first one:

ANDRÉ DELORME LE MEIX RULLY 2007, AC Rully (France); #158956; Price: $21.95; 13.0% ABV
We went off the beaten track in Burgundy for some whites; now here’s a Pinot Noir. Rully is in the Cote Chalonnaise, south of the pricey Cote de Beaune section. Drink now.

DOMAINE DU GRAPILLON D'OR 1806 GIGONDAS 2007, AC Gigondas (France); #981787; Price: $31.95; 14.5% ABV
Looking for a “bargain” from the stunning 2007 vintage? Gigondas lives in the shadow of Chateauneuf-du-Pape so it’s a place to find the same style and quality at a smaller price. This wine is a blend of Grenache and Syrah.

CELLER PIÑOL SENORA DEL PORTAL 2007, DO Terra Alta (Spain); #146183; Price: $19.95; 13.5% ABV
A blend of 20 % each of Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, Merlot, Syrah, and Tempranillo. Modern approach, but it’s from a favourite region (Cataluña), so worth a try.

DUQUE DE MEDINA GRAN RESERVA 2000, DO Cariñena (Spain); #148494; Price: $19.95; 13.7% ABV
Gran Reserva usually means that this wine aged a minimum of 2 years in oak and the winemaker released it at least 6 years after the vintage (although the rules vary from one region to another within Spain). It’s not for everyone, as the fruit tends to be less forward, but other aromas, especially leather, come to the fore. I love it. This is a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Cariñena.

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Brilliant Idea

Ever bought a bottle of Riesling and been surprised that the wine is sweeter than you expected? Or not as sweet? Me too. I can’t think of another varietal that winemakers produce in so many different styles. Some regions, like Germany, have their own classification systems to guide the consumer (although knowledge of German helps). Still, much confusion and disappointment reigns.

Back in 2008, the International Riesling Foundation (yeah, I didn’t know it existed either) launched the “Riesling Taste Profile”. The IRF designed the Tasting Profile to help consumers anticipate the taste of a particular bottle of Riesling. The Riesling Taste Profile consists of “voluntary technical guidelines for wine makers and winery owners in describing their wines for consumers and that may be used on a back label, point-of-sale materials, and elsewhere”. The technical guidelines have benchmarks for residual sugar, acid, and pH. All three elements affect the taste profile of Riesling, which is why relying on only one element, such as the LCBO’s sugar content ratings, can lead you astray. For example, a Riesling with more residual sugar but high acid may well taste drier than one with less sugar and low acid. Measurements for these three elements determine how a winemaker classifies its Riesling on a continuum from Dry to Medium Dry to Medium Sweet to Sweet. Despite the benchmarks, however, a winemaker may still use judgement in how the label describes the wine.

The IRF has members in North America (including Cave Spring Cellars), Europe, South Africa, and Australia. Decanter reports that 12 million cases of US-produced Rieslings now use the Taste Profile.

It’s not perfect, but anything that reduces consumer misperceptions and confusion has my support. Let’s hope more Riesling producers get on board.

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Recommended Reading: The Battle for Wine and Love

I wasn’t sure that I would like Alice Feiring’s book, The Battle for Wine and Love. Was this some sort of Drink, Pray, Love? The alternate title brought me onboard: How I Saved the World from Parkerization. As Alice writes, “…from about the late 1980s onward, the Parker palate has largely dictated how wine is made worldwide.” Ah yes, the demon Robert Parker, the man who stands accused (by many) for converting millions of winedrinkers, and winemakers, into fans of over-oaked, high alcohol, fruit bombs. Gotta like her ambition!

Although Robert Parker is the spectre that haunts Alice’s thoughts, this book fortunately has much more going for it. Let me first confess a bias. Alice is a big advocate of typicity: wines that reflect the traditional characteristics of the varietals that it’s made from, the region (or terroir) it comes from, or its vintage. So am I. So when Alice rails against the homogenization of wine, I’m right there with her.

Where we disagree is who’s responsible for this homogenization. Feiring lays the blame on Parker, The Wine Spectator, wine consultants, and the UC-Davis Department of Viticulture & Enology. The first two take the blame for their simplistic 100-point scoring systems for wine, leading masses of consumers to buy wine based not on what they like, but on what these critics, with numerical scores, tell them they should like. Feiring censures wine consultants and UC-Davis for enabling winemakers to manipulate wines through chemistry to match the Parker palate. Me? I blame lazy consumers who blindly buy wine as trophies, simply based on what critics tell them is good. (And then wonder what all the fuss is about when they taste the wine.) I blame winemakers who turn their back on decades or centuries of winemaking tradition to make wines that appeal to the mass-market taste preference. Alice justly singles out Rioja for, as she puts it, losing its Spanish accent. And I would add Alsace, which is turning out overly sweet Rieslings.

Late in the book, Alice recounts a story from her childhood, making a very profound point about how childhood memories influence personal preferences, which I wrote about in an earlier post. It’s as if she’s pleading with us to understand why she likes what she likes. But she doesn’t extend that courtesy to Parker, who I’m convinced scores wines based on what he likes, as any critic should.

She makes her points (polemic, not numerical) while taking us along on fascinating tours of Piedmont, Loire, California, Rhone Valley, Rioja, Champagne, and Burgundy, introducing us to the saints and sinners of authentic wine, wine that reflects its terroir. The chapter on searching for the Barolo producer who made the first wine that she fell in love with has the suspense of a good mystery. Her descriptions of all the manipulative tricks that many winemakers get up to will cure anyone of the notion that wine is a natural beverage. Less satisfying are references to former lovers and the difficulties of her love life generally, which seemed tacked on to the main narrative.

Alice’s passion for authentic wines is undoubted. If there’s one point to take away from the book, it’s this: think for yourself, taste for yourself. I couldn’t agree more. If you care about wine as it should be and could be, read it.

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Sustainability in the Vineyard

Ever notice how often fine winemakers combine their pursuit of better winemaking with doing the right thing environmentally? Somehow, making better wine and respecting the environment seems to go hand-in-hand. Sustainability isn’t a constraint for these winemakers, it’s an enabler: helping wines to express their true nature, without additives, undue adjustments, or “enhancements”.

I’ve posted about how biodynamic winemaking is better for the environment. But there are other substantial ways in which individual winemakers are seeking sustainability. And what about initiatives that go beyond individual winemakers, that span an entire region? Two of the world’s pre-eminent wine growing regions recently launched initiatives in sustainability.

The California Sustainable Winegrowing Program, started in 2001, now offers a certification program, Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (CCSW-Certified). The goals of the certification program are to “advance the entire California wine industry toward best practices in environmental stewardship, conservation of natural resources and socially equitable business practices.”

To help allay the appearance of greenwashing, independent auditors review the sustainability practices of these winemakers. 17 companies, listed below, have received certification for some or all of their vineyard and winery operations:

• Clos LaChance Wines (Santa Clara County)
• Concannon Vineyard/Concannon Winery (Livermore)
• Constellation Wines U.S. (Multiple Counties)
• Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards (Santa Cruz Mountains)
• Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines (Napa County)
• E. & J. Gallo Winery (Sonoma County)
• Fetzer Vineyards / Bonterra Vineyards (Mendocino County)
• Goldeneye Winery (Mendocino County)
• Honig Vineyard & Winery (Napa County)
• J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines (San Luis Obispo County)
• Kunde Family Estate (Sonoma County)
• Meridian Vineyards (San Luis Obispo County)
• Monterey Pacific Inc. (Monterey County)
• Roberts Vineyard Services (San Luis Obispo County)
• Rodney Strong Wine Estates (Sonoma County)
• The Hess Collection (Napa County)
• Vino Farms, Inc. (San Joaquin County)

To date, another 1,500 California vintners and growers – representing approximately 60% of the state’s wine production and vineyard acreage – have self-assessed their operations, an intermediate step towards certification.

Meanwhile, Decanter reports that, “Bordeaux is aiming to be 'world leader in winemaking sustainability' with the launch of an Environmental Management System.” The goal of Le Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB) is to reduce the 200,000 tonnes of carbon produced annually by the Bordeaux wine industry by 25% by 2020 and by 75% by 2050. Similar to California, the CIVB will provide training and conduct audits, starting with a pilot study with 20 companies. The intention is for them all to achieve an internationally-recognised standard, ISO 14001.

These regions are trying to do the right thing. We can all do the right thing by keeping an eye out for environmentally-responsible winemakers when we're shopping!

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My Picks: Vintages On-Line Exclusives -- February 10

Here’s my shopping list for today’s Vintages On-Line Exclusives Release.

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.

Organic
No luck today.

Off the Beaten Track

CANTINE DI PALMA PIANO REGIO DOC AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE 2003, Basilicata (Italy); #0157628; 14% ABV; $25
Basilicata and Campania in southern Italy are home to the Aglianico varietal. The best come from the slopes of the Vulture volcano. Can be rough and rustic when young, but this one should be hitting its stride.

THE COLONIAL ESTATE EXPATRIE RESERVE SEMILLON 2007, Barossa (Australia); #0157925; 13% ABV; $25
In Bordeaux, the winemakers most often blend Semillon with Sauvignon Blanc for the dry Bordeaux Blanc. But it's the Aussies who accomplish more with Semillon as a single varietal than anyone, but we don’t often see them here. Get it when you can!

There are also 4 Pinot Noirs from Oregon, Burgundy, New Zealand, and California!

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Muscadet…and Mussels with Peas & White Wine

Like most people (I think), my wife and I first choose what food we’re having and then we find a wine to match. Every so often, though, we choose the wine first. I had recently purchased the Château Salmonière, Muscadet Sèvre & Maine, 2008 and thought that mussels would be a good match. Muscadet comes from the Nantais region in France, where mussels are a traditional dish. You rarely go wrong in matching food with wine from the same region.

In our house, mussels are a traditional wintertime dish (as opposed to muscles, which are a rarity here year-round). We don’t have the classic ceramic cooking pots for mussels, brought directly from the stove to the table, but we seem to do just fine without them.

For our latest molluscular indulgence, I used the recipe for “Cozze in Pentola” from Massimo Capra’s book, One Pot Italian Cooking. It’s easy to make…scrubbing the mussels takes the most time. The sauce is made of white wine, green peas, tomatoes, tarragon, and heavy cream. We like our mussels to be swimming in the sauce; next time, I’d double up on the sauce, allowing it to reduce and become thicker. If you have extra sauce, you can always serve some baguette to soak it up.

The Muscadet and this recipe for mussels were a great match. The wine had lemon and just a touch of floral on the nose, there’s lots more citrus and minerality in the mouth. It’s still young and has great, crisp acidity to cut through the creamy sauce. It’s made from the Melon de Bourgogne varietal. Despite its name, Melon de Bourgogne has disappeared from Burgundy. It’s now THE varietal in the Muscadet region, where the Loire River empties into the Bay of Biscay on the western coast. Enjoy!

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