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How-to video: Opening a bottle of wine How-to video: Opening a bottle of wine
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Wine & spirits: Blind tasting Wine & spirits: Blind tasting
Wine & spirits: Blind tasting ofpage 1 Everyone's an expert at choosing a favourite wine. We drink with our eyes. One look at the label, and many of us decide right away whether we'll like a wine or not. Cute kangaroos hopping across a label – good. Lots of dense, tiny writing with strange, unpronounceable words like Gewurztraminer, Viognier or Zweigelt – bad. So what happens when your favourite wine goes undercover? Would you be able to identify it among a group of strangers? Let's find out.How to set up a blind tastingSetting up a wine tasting is as easy as organizing a party. All you need are some sealed bottles and a group of friends with open minds. Keep it simple. Limit the number of tasters to a comfortable six or eight and the number of wines to, say, four to six reds, each from a different country. For example, you could include a Merlot from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, France and Italy. Remove all plastic or metal capsules and wrap each bottle in a brown paper bag to hide any clue as to its identity. Ask a guest to shuffle the bagged bottles and another guest to number each one. The wines are now ready for tasting, as no one knows which is which. Cover the table with white paper or a white tablecloth to make it easier to assess each wine's colour nuances. Arrange identical stemmed wineglasses at each place setting and number the bases with a grease pencil.Provide each guest with a glass of water, a piece of paper and a pencil. Then pour a few ounces of each wine into its correspondingly numbered glass. Invite your guests to take a few minutes to inspect, smell and taste each wine, then to write down their first impressions. Does each wine look the same? Is one darker than the rest? Smell the wine. Is the wine's bouquet fruity, floral, vegetative, woody, nutty, earthy, spicy or chemical? If fruity, is it more like strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, cherry, cranberry, blackberry or black currant? Is the texture thick and mouth coating or squeaky clean and refreshing? Most important, do you like it? Finally, ask your guests to rank each wine from best to worst, and to take a guess at its origin. Once everyone is finished, the chatter begins! page 2 Tasting jargon BLIND TASTING is the practice of hiding a wine’s name, producer and price but providing some critical information, like grape variety, region of origin, vintage or all three. That allows tasters to judge typicity as well as quality. A DOUBLE-BLIND TASTING is one in which absolutely nothing is revealed to the tasters. In extreme cases, even the glasses are black so the taster can’t tell if the wine poured is red, rosé or white. This is occasionally used in wine competitions and international judgings. With no information revealed, it’s the best way to judge wine quality and to find value for the price. HORIZONTAL TASTING has nothing to do with the position of the tasters after they’ve finished drinking! Its focus is to assess wines produced in the same year or vintage. One might taste a group of white burgundies from 2002. A VERTICAL TASTING is one in which all the wines are from the same producer but each wine is of a different vintage. An example might be wines from Château Latour from a dozen different years. A COMPARATIVE TASTING provides a general theme, such as oaked versus unoaked Chardonnays, French Syrah compared with Australian shiraz, or Bordeaux 2001 versus Bordeaux 2003. A PORTFOLIO TASTING, also called a trade tasting, is one in which all the wines are from a single producer. It’s commonly conducted by a winemaker showing off his or her latest releases to the media for review and to restaurant industry buyers to enable sales. One other type of tasting is always fun, if not completely humbling. Everyone knows what the wines are but not the order in which they’re poured. The tasting is followed by a guessing game to determine who is the BEST TASTER in the group.- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Wine & spirits: Sí, sí sangria! Wine & spirits: Sí, sí sangria!
Wine & spirits: Sí, sí sangria! ofCool White Sangria The word sangria usually conjures up cheap red wine punch served in a sweaty jug beside Tex-Mex food. If that's your primary image, it's time to switch lenses. Sangria (its name is derived from the Spanish word for "bleeding") has gone through many incarnations since it appeared in North America at the 1964 World's Fair.Today, there are exotic versions made with everything from sake to lychee fruit, but the appeal of a classic sangria has endured. The standard drink typically features red wine, fruit juice, club soda and an optional splash of brandy or eau-de-vie; however, it can be created with white wine or a rosé. The appeal of this punch is all about the pleasure of crafting a rustic, sweet-tart drink for everyone to share. Whether your gang likes it acidic, boozy, fruity, slightly bitter or sweet, by using the freshest ingredients, the best sangria will be as pleasing to the palate as it is to the eye. Try these recipes, but also have fun creating your own versions. Do be careful with the "punch" in your punch; it's easy to overdo it. If you make a second version without booze, you'll have a perfect summer cooler for abstainers, designated drivers and kids.Cool white sangriaThe best white sangrias are made with wines that haven't been aged in oak. If the wine is somewhat sweet with residual sugar, reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe. Brandy is fine for a red sangria, but for white versions, stick to clear spirits like eau-de-vie, gin, grappa, tequila or vodka. If you find you can taste the booze, you've added too much. Boost sweetness by using ginger ale in place of club soda and increase bitterness by using tonic water. 2 bottles (each 750 mL) Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris or unoaked Chardonnay1 cup white grape juice 1/4 cup superfine sugar 1 nectarine, cut into thin wedges 1 tangerine, peeled and thinly sliced 1 cup seedless white grapes, halved1/4 cup white spirits, like vodka (optional)1 cup club sodaIce cubesIn large pitcher, combine wine, grape juice and sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add nectarine, tangerine and grapes; mix well. If you want to pump up the octane, add white spirits. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or longer. Stir in club soda and ice cubes just before serving. Hot Pink Sangria; Classic Red Sangria Hot pinkReplace the white wine with a bright pink one. Ideal are the cool-climate rosés from the rapidly expanding wine regions of British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia. Mediterranean offerings from France, Portugal and Spain abound in wine shops at this time of year. Opt for the youngest vintages available. A single drop of pure vanilla extract added to the pitcher provides a wild aromatic nuance. You can also substitute small pineapple cubes or mango slices for the nectarine. For the finishing touch, toss a few raspberries into each ice-filled glass.Classic redSince the beginning of time, man's primal attempts to turn wild grapes into Château Mouton Roths child have been softened by the discovery that you can add good things to bad wine and make it reasonably palatable. So start with a rustic red without too much provenance. Mix in orange juice and sugar to taste. Add some orange and lemon slices with the skin on for a hint of pithy bitterness. Stiffen the blend lightly with a flavoury shot of triple sec or another orange-flavoured liqueur and let it stand for several hours in the fridge. Stir in club soda and ice cubes, and serve in ice-filled stemware garnished with a citrus slice. Olé!- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Wine & spirits: Celebrity wines Wine & spirits: Celebrity wines
Wine & spirits: Celebrity wines ofMike Weir & Dan Akroyd Last night, Wayne Gretzky was all over our kitchen. The week before, we had Mike Weir over twice for dinner, and next month Dan Aykroyd will be over for lunch. No, I'm not the Great One's off-ice drinking buddy or a booze brother to the Blues Brother. But I can dream, can't I? So can you. Owning a winery may be chic, but selling wine in the global market is tough. A celebrity name on a bottle can lure consumers away from their regular brand. When Okanagan Valley winery Ex Nihilo Vineyards announced it had been authorized to produce Sympathy for the Devil, The Rolling Stones' icewine, their phone rang incessantly for weeks. The media wanted interviews, everyone else desperately wanted an exceptionally collectible bottle, and would gladly have provided a credit card number to clinch one. Here's a roster of Canada's celebrity vineyards.Mike Weir Estate WineryJordan Station, Ont., 905-562-0035, 877-262-9463; weirwines.com; themikeweirfoundation.comCanada's top professional golfer founded his winery in 2004 to swing support for Canadian children's charities through The Mike Weir Foundation. Weir wines are produced by Creekside Estate Winery, where Rob Power and Craig McDonald have made their mark as winemakers for Weir and Wayne Gretzky. The pair also won the 2008 award for Ontario Winemakers of the Year. The first time it teed up for competition, Weir's 2002 Meritage took top honours at the Cuvée awards. Whites include Pinot Grigio ($15), Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc ($16 each). The portfolio also includes Cabernet Merlot ($19), Pinot Noir ($22), Cabernet/Shiraz ($25), a superb Vidal Icewine ($55) and a commemorative bottling of his Masters Championship: a stunning 2004 Cabernet Merlot at just under $95 for a magnum (1.5 L).Dan Aykroyd WinesVineland, Ont., 905-562-5685; danaykroydwines.comDan Aykroyd has played many roles, but his latest -- and potentially longest-running -- is as a Canadian wine ambassador. At one stop earlier this year in Eastern Canada, Dan autographed bottles for more than 1,500 people who had turned out for a local wine promotion. A full range of his Discovery Series wines -- Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Merlot and Cabernet Shiraz ($15 to $17) -- is available in most provinces. The thespian's Signature Reserve series is sold at LCBO stores and at Lakeview Cellars in Vineland, Ont. It includes a barrel-fermented 2005 Vidal Icewine ($80), recently named Wine of the Year at the Ontario Wine Awards. A 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (as yet unpriced) will be available at a new winery slated to open in Vineland in 2009. Wayne Gretzky & Bob Izumi Wayne Gretzky EstatesVineland, Ont., 905-562-4945; gretzkyestatewines.com; gretzky.comGretzky may be the biggest name in hockey, but these days, he's also scoring big in liquor stores. His Niagara-grown and -produced wines have become the fastest-selling VQA wines in Ontario. Wayne doesn't come home at night with purple feet, but he regularly tastes with Rob Power and Craig McDonald, and approves final blends. This winery, partnered with Creekside Estate Winery, has introduced a white and two reds. No. 99 Unoaked Chardonnay ($14) has graceful manoeuvres, gliding smoothly past the glottis into the esophagus. He scores! No. 99 Merlot and No. 99 Meritage ($16 each) rough me up a bit in the corners, they're both still young; by the end of next season, they should be in top form. Of all the products in the portfolio, the tastiest is No. 99 Vidal Icewine ($45). A portion of the profit goes to the Wayne Gretzky Foundation in support of youth hockey programs.Bob Izumi WinesSt. David's, Ont., 905-682-8310, 877-269-6833; coyotesrunwinery.com; fishingforever.caMost Canadians recognize Bob Izumi as the TV fisherman from 20 years of syndicated radio and television broadcasts, but few people know he's also a terrific cook (his dad was a chef) who enjoys good wine. A few years ago, Bob teamed up with winemaker David Sheppard of Coyote's Run Winery to reel in a pair of special, food-friendly wines. The angler is hooking for his nonprofit foundation, Fishing Forever, which is committed to renewing and preserving Ontario's fishing waters for future generations. Bob Izumi White ($16) and Bob Izumi Red ($22) are bold-tasting premium blends. The white offers clean, crisp lemon-pear flavours complementary to most grilled fish. The red is ideal with gamey meats like bear, buffalo steak, moose sausage or beaver stew.- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Wine & spirits: Chill out Wine & spirits: Chill out
Wine & spirits: Chill out ofWine & spirits: Chill out People often tend to serve white wines too cold and red wines too warm. This chilling chart applies to a 750 mL bottle cooled in a refrigerator. That same bottle submerged to the neck in an ice bucket with equal parts cold water and ice will chill in at least half the time. Enjoy!Chilling chart4°C to 6°C -- cheap sparkling wines, beer. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.7 to 8°C -- champagne, rosé, retsina, dry sherry, fruity whites (Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, muscat, Torrontés, white Zinfandel). Chill for 2 1/2 hours.9 to 10°C -- lighter complex dry and off-dry white wines (Chablis, dry and semidry Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Verdicchio). Chill for 2 hours.11 to 12°C -- complex dry white wines (white burgundy, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris), medium sweet wines (late-harvest Riesling, dry Madeira, white port). Chill for 1 1/2 hours.12 to 14°C -- great sweet whites (icewine, Sauternes, Tokay, Vin Santo); young, fruity, light reds (Barbera, Bardolino, Beaujolais, Dolcetto, Gamay, Valpolicella). Chill for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.14 to 16°C -- young, fruity, medium-bodied reds (Loire, Red Burgundy, Côtes du Rhône, Chianti, Eastern European reds, Pinot Noir). Chill for 1 hour.16 to 18°C -- mature medium-bodied and young full-bodied reds (Bordeaux, Brunello, Cabernet, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Merlot, Syrah/shiraz, Zinfandel), tawny ports, amontillado sherry. Chill for at least 1/2 hour.18 to 20°C -- mature and full-bodied reds (Amarone, Barolo, Barbaresco, Côte Rôtie, Hermitage), vintage port, sweet Madeira. Chill for up to 1/2 hour.- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Wine & spirits: Canadian wine Wine & spirits: Canadian wine
Wine & spirits: Canadian wine ofWine & spirits: Canadian wine Most people would flinch at forking over 50 bucks for any bottle of wine. But for a Canadian wine? Unthinkable. It seems like only a couple of decades ago that our domestic wine industry made many a drinker gag. Times have changed.In 1988, the Ontario industry established the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA). British Columbia winemakers accepted similar quality standards in 1990. The results have been more than dramatic. In the same year, Inniskillin of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., scored international fame at the high-profile VinExpo when its icewine beat out almost 4,000 wines. Okanagan-based Mission Hill took top prize for its Chardonnay in '94 at the International Wine Challenge in London, England. The judges were so perplexed by that win, they threw out the results and started again. Mission Hill topped the list a second time. Since then, some of the world's best winemakers -- from France, the United States, Australia and New Zealand -- have chosen to settle here, bringing their families and their expertise. The result has been a sharing of techniques and another spectacular increase in quality.In the past two years, major French wine companies have invested millions of dollars here. Groupe Taillan, the owners of several top Bordeaux estates, have pumped barrels of money and know-how into the southern Okanagan Valley at Osoyoos, while Boisset, the largest wine merchants in Burgundy, have invested in the Niagara Peninsula's Beamsville Bench. Boisset hired Canadian-born architect Frank Gehry to design a winery that promises to become a superstar in its own right. The facility may attract tourists from far and wide, but the quality of the wine should make the most profound impression.There's a saying in the industry, "To make a small fortune in the wine business, start with a large one." Classic vinifera vines, which produce fewer but higher-quality grapes, have, for the most part, replaced our native varieties. Today's state-of-the-art computerized winery equipment may take some of the romance out of the process, but the trade-off is worth the resulting excellence. The best French and American oak barrels cost plenty, but they are the salt and pepper of every winemaking team. In Ontario, expensive underground drainage lines are almost always necessary in order to compensate for unpredictable rains; in British Columbia, irrigation must be installed as the Okanagan Valley is a veritable desert.Premium winemaking techniques have prompted Canadian vintners to charge premium prices, but a top French, Italian or Californian wine can cost hundreds of dollars, which makes that $50 local specialty a genuine bargain.- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Wine & spirits: Top organic wines Wine & spirits: Top organic wines
Wine & spirits: Top organic wines ofOrganic wines: Italy, Ontario, US Many grocery stores have expanded their sections dedicated to organic fruits, vegetables, meats and other products in recent years. Watch for the same kind of growth in wine and liquor stores in the future, as consumers become even more discerning about what they choose to drink.A decade or two ago, an organic wine might have popped up in the marketplace as a mere curiosity. Today, organic and biodynamic (a step beyond organic) wines of exceptional quality are regularly available through private agents across the country. In addition, three organic wines -- two reds and a white produced by Italy's Botter family -- are widely available at Ontario's government-regulated liquor stores and are sold in convenient, resealable Tetra Paks for $13 per litre. While it's somewhat premature to call organic wines a trend, there's no doubt the industry's on the cusp of broader consumer demand that goes beyond the niche of health-conscious believers. There are more good organic wines being produced today than ever before. And a greater percentage of the organic and biodynamic wine on the market is of the premium category; the same can't be said of regular wine. Organic wines to tryOrganic wines aren't always available at your local shop. The bigger producers are beginning to show up more often (and have their own websites), but artisanal wines are only available in small quantities directly through agents. When you find a good one, nurture the relationship.Azienda Agricola, Pacina, Italy robgroh.comSmall production of outstanding Chianti Colli Senesi ($29) and Super-Tuscan, La Malena ($42). Chemical-free; even the labels are printed with vegetable dyes. Boisset, France and Ontario vincorinternational.comSome of the greatest burgundies are bottled under the Domaine de la Vougeraie label, whose wines are also biodynamic. The Boisset family is a partner in Canada's premier organic estate, Le Clos Jordanne. Bonterra Vineyards, United States chartonhobbs.comAmerica's best-known brand from organic grapes was established in the '80s in California. The company offers premium-quality Chardonnay ($18), Cabernet and Syrah ($20 each). Organic wines: Italy, France, Ontario, BC Botter, Italy thecaseforwine.comAnna (Pinot Grigio/Chardonnay), Alex (Sangiovese) and Luca (Nero d'Avola) are well-made Italian wines ($13 each/1 L) typical of their regions of origin. Didier Cabanes, France thecaseforwine.comThis small artisanal winemaker has a certified organic brand simply called Didier, for its red, rosé and white wines ($14 each). Profits are shared with environmental organizations. Frogpond Farm, Ontario frogpondfarm.ca Ontario's only all-organic winery produces three wines -- Riesling and rosé ($12 each/500 mL) and Cabernet-Merlot ($16/500 mL). Malivoire Wine Company, Ontario malivoire.ca Consistent high-quality wines from this estate on the Beamsville Bench, which has one certified organic vineyard, are available year-round. Marc Kreydenweiss, France wineonline.ca His biodynamic Alsatian whites are classics. Barbabelle ($13), a red from the Mediterranean coast, is an outstanding buy that sells out quickly. Summerhill Pyramid Winery, B.C. summerhill.bc.caSparkling wines produced from organic grapes aged in a pyramid-shape cellar.- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Wine & spirits: Canada's favourite wines Wine & spirits: Canada's favourite wines
Wine & spirits: Canada's favourite wines ofWine & Spirits: Changing tastes in Canada The wine consumer can be awfully fickle. Witness the sudden change in drinking patterns that occurred after a widely viewed episode of 60 Minutes, broadcast in November 1991, suggested that despite a richer, fattier diet, French wine drinkers had fewer heart attacks because they consumed red wine. Within days, retailers began to notice more purchases of red wine.Recently, we've seen a paradigm shift in taste preferences after the movie Sideways anointed Pinot Noir the grape of choice for real connoisseurs. Now winemakers just can't ramp up production fast enough. These are global shifts that have been experienced here in Canada and around the world, and during the decade I've been writing this column, we've made some waves of our own. Here's a look at some of the more notable wines that brightened our glasses, if only briefly, over the past 10 years. If we can drink as well in the next decade as we did in the last, we'll have much to boast about in another 10 years.1 Southbrook Winery, Framboise When the first issue of STYLE AT HOME appeared in April 1997, this Ontario wine was Canada's fruit wine export. Once European trade barriers against Canadian icewines and non-VQA table wines were lifted, a flood of new labels replaced it. Today, Inniskillin Icewine is our leading brand internationally.2 Lindemans, Bin 65 Chardonnay So fruity, sweet and over-oaked, it completely beguiled our novice palates. As taste preferences have evolved, so has the wine, which continues to sell briskly.3 Wolf Blass, Yellow Label Cabernet Sauvignon When lovable Wolf Blass proclaimed his wines could make weak men strong and strong women weak, we catapulted his brand to Canada's favourite red at $17 a pop.4 Coopers Creek, Cat's Pee on a Gooseberry Bush The silly name of this very palatable Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand helped build acceptance for the screw-top closure and sparked a slew of off-the-wall wine names and labels.5 Fat Bastard Shiraz This cunning, in-your-face French offering challenged all the myths about Old World wines. Start with traditional grapes (Syrah) grown in old vineyards, apply New World winemaking techniques, give it a risqué name, add some brash marketing et voilà, wine stardom.6 French Rabbit The global launch of the first wine in a Tetra Prisma carton by French producer Boisset in Ontario had unprecedented support from the liquor monopoly. Highbrows recoiled at the lowly carton, but consumer sales exceeded all projections and expectations. Debate continues over the environmental friendliness of the Tetra Pak, but the box is here to stay.7 Sparkling Icewine Although icewine was first made in Germany more than two centuries ago, the sparkling version is uniquely Canadian. Rare, pricey, luscious, and more complex than regular icewines, it's the pinnacle of post-prandial potables.8 Malivoire, 2004 Chardonnay, Moira Vineyard Martin Malivoire once produced a dozen varietals and blends of wine. He's narrowed his focus down to five grapes, and grows them before coaxing out the ripest flavours at his gravity-flow winery in Ontario. This white from his certified organic Beamsville Bench vineyard is a treat.9 Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate, Grand Reserve Shiraz, 2004 Bruce Nicholson's masterpiece of B.C. winemaking snatched the prized Rosemount Estate Trophy for world's best shiraz from the Australians and South Africans, who had won it every year before. 10 Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon is my choice for Wine of the Decade. Wine should be about purity, simplicity, compatibility and affordability. This Chilean flagship delivered in all categories, plus one: consistency. It appeared in one of our early issues as a terrific cheapie, was noted on several occasions for its reliability, and resurfaced last year as a best buy.- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Wine & spirits: House wines Wine & spirits: House wines
Wine & spirits: House wines ofHouse wines Take a quick look through your pantry. There's flour, pasta, rice -- all staples -- along with some household favourites, perhaps crackers, jars of pickles or relish, canned tomatoes, and sardines or smoked oysters. There's plenty to drink, too: from cola, soda pop, juice and fruit drinks to bottled water and even a case of beer.Yet when it comes to wine, most people just pick up something for dinner on the way home, or race out at the last minute on the weekend to purchase a decent bottle either because they have company coming or they're in need of a host gift.To the amazement of wine industry observers (but no surprise to social anthropologists), the lag time between when a bottle is purchased and when it's opened and consumed has diminished significantly in recent years. The biggest drop came soon after provincial governments agreed to open liquor stores on Sundays. Another noticeable shift occurred when wine stores added cooling units and began selling pre-chilled wines. Finally, you could pick up a bottle on the way home and serve it at just the right temperature without delay.Despite all these conveniences, there are a number of good reasons to have a few bottles of wine on hand at all times: to reduce the eleventh-hour stress of hosting a dinner party, for unplanned moments and unexpected guests, and so you can enjoy a glass of wine at home any time the mood strikes. In a corner of the pantry, park extra bottles or cases of some of your favourite house wines -- reliable, inexpensive everyday brands for drinking every day, if you like.Best of the boxes• Alice White (Australia) $8/500 mL Alice White is a brand name that comes in shiraz-Cabernet and Sémillon-Chardonnay, which are exceptionally tasty. The small size means you can finish one in just a couple of glasses.• Anfora (Italy) $13/1 L Good everyday sangiovese red and Malvasia white from Lazio.• French Rabbit (France) $13 to $18/1 L The market leader in Tetra Pak wines. Available in six varieties.• Mommessin Beaujolais Reserve (France) $14/1 L As good as the bottled version and one of the best-quality wines currently available anywhere in this format. Classics and screw top wines Good bottles to unscrew• R.H. Phillips (United States) Exciting, fruity Chardonnay ($13) and firm yet gentle shiraz ($14) in elegant, easy-to-open bottles.• Lulu B. (France) Balanced, spicy, easy-drinking Chardonnay ($12) and Pinot Noir ($13) from the Languedoc region -- designed by women for women.• Virgin Vines (United States) These are bold wines with succulent, modern flavours of Chardonnay ($11) and shiraz ($15), bought to you by Sir Richard Branson, the master of all things Virgin.For cork dorks and other wine classicists• Egri Bikaver (Hungary) $8 Tannic, fruity and full of gusto. A red meat red wine.• Naoussa (Greece) $9 Rustic, rugged and ready. Goes well with barbecues, stews and roasted meats.• Nuviana (Spain) $9 Smooth and suave like a Latin lover. Indulge often with this red.• Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling (Germany) $10 Aromatic, floral, crisp, fruity white for sipping on its own or in a spritzer.• Vereto Salice Salentino Rosso (Italy) $10 This Puglian offers a taste you can't refuse. And it defies demise: a bottle sat on my counter for 10 days after opening and was still fresh when I finished it.Except where listed, all bottles are 750 mL.- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Wine & spirits: Bottle a bargain Wine & spirits: Bottle a bargain
Wine & spirits: Bottle a bargain ofWine & spirits: Bottle a bargain When company comes to dinner, hosts often splurge on a special bottle. But a growing number of Canadian wine lovers enjoy a glass every night. That's when budget takes precedence over impressing guests. Recently, I pulled corks on almost 50 wines in the $7 to $12 range, scouting out great values guaranteed to not break the bank.Many bargains are from the Southern Hemisphere, where weak currencies and lower labour costs equal great prices. Australia, New Zealand and Chile deliver rich, bold, sexy flavours. Shiraz and Cabernet blends satisfy our desire for extreme flavours.Aussie stars include Tyrrell's Long Flat Red ($11), with brash blackberry jam flavours and thick, tongue-coating texture; and fruity whites like Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay ($10) and Lindemans Cawarra Semillon Chardonnay ($9), which are perfect with white meat like chicken, veal and pork. Chilean red wines offer tremendous depth of flavour. For instance, J. Bouchon Chicureo Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva ($10) bursts with aromas of cassis and wild blackberry, while Santa Alicia Merlot ($10) is highly concentrated with blackcurrant notes.Argentina contributes two luscious whites: Argento Chardonnay ($10) combines richness with lightness and delivers a fruity, almost minty undertone; J&F Lurton Pinot Gris ($9) packs even more punch, with honeyed peach and exotic spice notes.France, Italy and other European countries have hurt their bottom lines with higher prices, but bargains can still be found. The red and white wines produced by La Vieille Ferme ($10 each) in the South of France are consistently good values; so are Caves des Papes Côtes-du-Ventoux ($10), which is also from France and features solid plum and raspberry notes, and Farnese Montepulciano d'Abruzzo "Casale Vecchio" ($10), from the warm Italian region south of Tuscany. The latter wine has profoundly deep flavours of black cherry, licorice, smoke and leather.Both J.M. da Fonseca Periquita ($9) and J.M. da Fonseca Dao Terras Altas ($8) from Portugal have velvety textures and cherry-berry flavours that shine with steak.Two of my favourite food wines hail from Germany, the world's least-trendy growing region. Balbach Estate Riverside Riesling ($10), which comes in a jazzy cobalt blue bottle, is the ultimate all-purpose food wine, combining crisp acidity and fine lemon-peach fruit. Its lower alcohol makes it very quaffable. Schmitt-Söhne Bereich Bingen Auslese/Select Late Harvest ($10) is worth the exercise in linguistics. Terrific as an aperitif, with richer dishes or as a comforting digestif, it goes with fish and fowl, pork and veal and a host of salty cheeses or ripe fruits. And, of course, the price is right.All prices are for Ontario. Other provinces may charge a little more, reflecting higher taxes.- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Stocking up on wine Stocking up on wine
Stocking up on wine ofStocking up on wine Contrary to what some people think, wine has pretty simple needs: don't cook it and don't freeze it. Beyond that, it can withstand all but the harshest elements. When it comes to creating a wine cellar (it's not as difficult as you may fear), keeping wine happy and healthy is a snap, too. Just as you relax best in your favourite comfy chair, so too wine has its preferred comfort zone.Many collectors, particularly those in an apartment, condo or even a small house, opt to buy a prefabricated storage unit –- basically a walk-in fridge with wire racks -– with the capacity to store from as few as 20 bottles to as many as 500. Some have glass doors and lighted interiors; others can be designed to fit under a kitchen counter or stand elegantly in the dining room. However, a properly insulated and air-conditioned room can be constructed from a main-floor closet or spare room in the attic, as long as a few key conditions are met regarding factors like temperature, humidity and light.Dos and don'tsDo invest in a good thermometer and a hygrometer, which measures humidity. Maintain a temperature of 10 to 14 degrees C (50 to 57 degrees F). Champagne and white wines prefer to be closest to the floor, where the temperature stays a few degrees cooler; red wines stored on upper shelves are maintained at perfect tasting temperature. Do set the relative humidity at 60 to 70 per cent. If it's too dry, the cork seals will begin to dry out, allowing air to enter and threaten the integrity of the wine. Do lay your bottles on their sides to keep the corks in contact with the wine. It only takes about a month for the cork to dry out in a standing bottle. Who needs expensive vinegar? Don't let wine share its space with apples, onions, aged cheese, old leather shoes, damp rubber boots, gasoline, paint or cleaning fluids, as it absorbs odours easily.Don't keep your bottles near vibrating washers and dryers, your stereo system or strong light; wine should remain calm and quiet.- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Wine & spirits: Colour-coded sipping Wine & spirits: Colour-coded sipping
Wine & spirits: Colour-coded sipping ofWine & spirits: Colour-coded sipping Wolfgang Blass is a little man with big ideas. In 1961, he emigrated from Germany to Australia with a few dollars and a diploma in winemaking. While most Aussies were drinking beer as well as ports and sherries in the early '70s, the brash Mr. Blass began producing a new style of red and white wines that he once boasted "make strong women weak and weak men strong."By blending lightly oaked reds from different regions of South Australia, Blass's palatable wines hit a nerve with the public's tastes. And to make selection easier for novice drinkers, the ever-promotional winemaker colour-coded his labels.In 1973, Blass introduced "Black Label," his first super-premium blended red wine. It won the Jimmy Watson Trophy, the most-coveted wine award in Australia, in its first year of production and then in the next two vintages. No other winemaker has won it as often for a single wine, let alone three consecutive times and then again in 1999.Hey, sunshineIt seems as though only a generation ago cheap and cheerful wines like "Sexy" and "Jazzy" (Szekszardi Vöros red and Jaszberenyi Rizling white, both of which are from Hungary) were flying off the shelves in Canadian liquor stores. No wonder. At less than $6 per litre, who could ignore them?There are still plenty of cheapies on the market, but the largest-selling wine in the country today costs about three times as much: Wolf Blass "Yellow Label" Cabernet Sauvignon ranges from $15 in Manitoba to $23 in Prince Edward Island. Since its introduction in 1991, sales have grown to more than 175,000 cases nationally.So what gives? For starters, "Yellow Label" is an upscale yet easy-drinking wine with a rich blackcurrant taste that goes well with red meat -- one of Canadians' favourite foods. For many wine lovers, it also represents a reliable, affordable luxury. They may not have a clue what grapes are used in this wine, but they know they like it.- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Wine & spirits: Sip and save Wine & spirits: Sip and save
Wine & spirits: Sip and save ofLearning about Portuguese wines Most regular wine shoppers are attracted to the bottle with the easiest name to pronounce. We tend to fear the unknown, which in the case of wine means unpronounceable names or unfamiliar regions and grapes. When was the last time you bought a bottle of Gazela, Terra Bõa or Grão Vasco? Yet the wines of Portugal are widely acknowledged among open-minded wine aficionados as having superb taste, a food-friendly nature and terrific value.Setting aside the wines of the island of Madeira, which are fortified, and the islands of the Azores, which aren't available here, Portuguese wines come from the coast, plains or mountains.Coastal wines hail from 10 regions that hug the Atlantic coast from Portugal's northern border with Spain to as far south as Lisbon. There, the influence of cool ocean breezes stretches inland up to 100 kilometres. Wines from the Vinho Verde and Bairrada regions, widely available in liquor stores here, tend to have a crisp leanness, fresh, juicy flavours and, occasionally, elegance and finesse.The interior of Portugal consists of a large sparsely populated plain south and east of Lisbon, and a densely populated mountainous northern area. Without the moderating influence of the cold North Atlantic, summers in both regions are substantially hotter than those of the coast. Inland wines have higher alcohol contents, more body, greater richness and oomph. More The important districts of the plain region include Alentejo, Ribatejo and Terras do Sado; wines of the plain may be harder to find in liquor stores because there are fewer producers. The widely distributed table wines of the mountainous north hail from the Dão, Douro, Trás-os-Montes and Beiras districts, along with the fortified wines of Oporto.With their wide range of flavours, indigenous Portuguese grape varieties differ immensely from "international" grapes like Chardonnay and merlot; it's those differences that make the wines of Portugal so appealing. And did I mention the low prices? What's in a name?Here are some common Portuguese wine terms.Adega: winery or cellarBranco: white Doce: sweet Espumoso: sparkling wineGarrafeira: great vintage aged longer in cask or vat than other wines Quinta: farm or vineyard estateReserva: older wine of a good yearRosado: rosé Seco: dry Tinto: redBest buysThis list of 13 picks includes name, region, producer and price.WHITE Branco (Vinho Verde, Aveleda), $8; Gazela (Vinho Verde, Sogrape), $8; Terra Boa Branco (Beiras, Caves Aliança), $7ROSE Mateus Rosé (Douro and Bairrada, Sogrape), $7RED Terra Boa Tinto (Trás-os-Montes, Caves Aliança), $7; Charamba (Douro, Aveleda), $8; Duque de Viseu Red (Dão, Sogrape), $13; Grão Vasco Tinto (Dão, Sogrape), $8; José de Sousa (Alentejo, José Maria da Fonseca), $14; Periquita (Terras do Sado, José Maria da Fonseca), $9; Tinto (Bairrada, Caves Aliança), $8; Tinto da Anfora Red (Alentejo, JP Vinhos), $13; Vila Regia Red (Douro, Sogrape), $8 (Prices may vary from province to province)Read and drinkTo learn more about the good-value wines of Portugal, pick up The Wines and Vineyards of Portugal by Richard Mayson (Mitchell Beazley, 2003, softcover, 354 pages, $40).- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Wine & spirits: Perfect bubbly Wine & spirits: Perfect bubbly
Wine & spirits: Perfect bubbly ofPerfect bubbly for celebrations Your niece just announced she's getting married, and you want to give the newlyweds a heartfelt gift that will last - something they can enjoy on their fifth, 10th, 25th or even 50th anniversary. Most people think of wine as a casual gift that doesn't have lasting power, but this is one beverage that can outlive its producer. Some bottles can age more than a century, and not only improve with time, but need it. Opening a "vintage" beauty before its time is akin to robbing the cradle. Instead of giving a case of one brand, put together a collection of bottles that can be enjoyed over many years. Include as many or as few bottles as you wish. Select wines for significant anniversaries and, if the couple plan to have children, one to celebrate the arrival of their first-born. For an extra-special touch, attach a pretty neck tag with your continuing good wishes to each bottle, along with a recommendation from your wine merchant for when to open it. What can you buy, confident that it will still be alive when it's opened? Reach for classics that have staying power, much like blue-chip stocks. You can't go wrong with champagne. In my view, there's no such thing as a lousy brand when buying the real deal - bubblies from the Champagne region of France. For the excitement of that first anniversary, choose a "non-vintage" rosé, such as Möet & Chandon Brut Rosé ($71*) or Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin Brut Rosé ($77).If the couple intend to have a family, add "vintage" champagne for when they become new parents. Since some people wait to have children, these bubblies must survive until the time is just right. Dom Pérignon 1999 ($210) and Louis Roederer Cristal 2000 ($265) are delicious and can age for decades, but I'm sure potential grandparents hope the joyous occasion comes along sooner rather than later!For year five, try reds or whites from Burgundy, which tend to shine at half a decade. Look for classic reds from Beaune, Gevrey-Chambertin, Nuits-Saint Georges or Pommard, and respected producers like Boisset, Bouchard Père et Fils, Joseph Drouhin, Louis Jadot or Domaine Leroy. Bottles cost $25 and up. Perfect bubbly for celebrations The 10th year calls for top-rank classics: wines from the premium châteaux of Bordeaux; Cabernet blends from Australia; Meritage wines from California; Barbaresco, Barolo, Brunello or Chianti Riserva from Italy; or the Rieslings of Germany's Mosel River Valley. Prices range from $25 to $1,000.The 25th anniversary is an opportunity to open a Canadian Riesling icewine at its peak of development. Burnished amber gold in colour, it will display a richness and complexity to parallel the couple's deepening relationship. For guaranteed longevity, only buy Riesling. A 375 mL bottle costs $40 to $70.Few wines have the mettle to last for 50 years, but fortified wines do, and the fi nest of them is vintage port. It's only produced in great years, bottled two years after harvest. The best vintage ports, like Fonseca, Graham's, Niepoort, Taylor Fladgate and Warre's, will last more than a century. Prices start at $50. Give any of these bottles 20 years before drinking.(*Prices are for 750 mL bottles, except where listed.)- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Wine & spirits: Divine decanting Wine & spirits: Divine decanting
Wine & spirits: Divine decanting ofWine & spirits: Divine decanting "Wine needs to breathe.” You hear that exaggeration from wine preachers all the time. Sommeliers in fancy restaurants, salespeople in liquor stores and know-it-all friends who read the weekend wine column in the newspaper all insist that your wine would taste better if only it had a chance to breathe. “Just open the bottle an hour beforehand!” Wine can no more breathe through the narrow neck of a bottle than I can sleep with bedsheets pulled up over my head. For air to have any significant effect, the wine must be decanted.Decanting is a high-falutin word for pouring wine from one bottle into another. Ninety per cent of commercially made wine tastes fine straight from the bottle (just don't let the paper bag touch your lips!). Nine of the remaining 10 per cent might benefit from a little B2B (bottle to bottle) action, while less than one per cent truly needs it. To check, hold the bottle up to the light; if there's any sediment inside, decant. With extended aging, classic red wines like Barolo, Bordeaux, Burgundy and vintage port deposit their bitter tannins at the base of the bottle. Proper decanting, a finicky but rewarding process, separates the sediment from the wine. Sometimes it's a good idea to decant a very young wine with no sediment. Reds with tough, mouth-puckering flavours can benefit from aeration to reduce astringency and bring out more of the fruit taste. It's best done “violently” by upending a bottle into a wide-mouth decanter and sloshing the contents into it. If the wine still tastes tough, do it again. How to decant an old wineAged wines need to be decanted gently to avoid getting bitter sediment in your glass. 1 Stand the bottle upright for several hours so that all the sediment falls to the bottom. Wash and dry a decanter, which can be a simple glass pitcher or even another glass bottle; size and shape don't matter. 2 Remove the seal and clean the top of the wine bottle. If there's mould or gunk, remove it with a Brillo pad, then wipe with a wet cloth, followed by a dry one. If it's sticky, use a wet and then dry cloth. 3 Remove the cork from the bottle with great care to avoid disturbing the sediment. Light a candle or stand a strong flashlight on the counter and turn off any overhead lights. 4 Position the candle flame or light so that it shines through the bottle and slowly, in one continuous motion, pour the wine into the decanter, stopping just before any sediment goes in.- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Wine & spirits: The other down under Wine & spirits: The other down under
Wine & spirits: The other down under ofWonderful wines The first thing you need to understand about New Zealand is that the climate is upside down compared to the northern hemisphere. This little factoid may seem banal at first, but it does shed some light on why the wines of the north are fuller than the wines of the south. Just as cool-climate wines like those from Canada, northern France and Germany attain lightness and delicacy while southern wines from warm regions like California, the Rhône and Mediterranean Spain develop body and power, so too do the wines of New Zealand exhibit similar characteristics - only in reverse.The next surprising tidbit explains why you may encounter wide stylistic differences in New Zealand wines. On a world map, the country appears much smaller than it really is - a little "David" lost in the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean and overshadowed by its "Goliath," Australia. The fact is that, end to end, New Zealand would stretch from Vancouver to the Mexican border. Changes in climate from the north to south of the country are just as dramatic.New Zealand comprises two big islands and a teeny-tiny one called Stewart Island located at the extreme south end of the country, where there is no significant wine industry, since penguins and grapes tend not to thrive in the same environment.On North Island, red varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and, increasingly, Syrah thrive in grape-growing districts around Auckland, Gisborne, Wellington and especially Hawke's Bay. There, big-flavoured, powerful, long-lived wines are produced.South Island is home to the expansive vineyards of Marlborough, a dried-up riverbed that accounts for more than half the country's wine output. Other emerging regions include Nelson, Canterbury and Central Otago, where cooler temperatures are more conducive to producing delicate reds like Pinot Noir, the perfect wine to drink with the spring lamb that New Zealand breeds so well. Wine picks Who's on first?For a country that has come to the table so late, New Zealand has proven to be a leading player in the wine business. It was the first to accept the new Stelvin screw caps as an industry standard, eliminating the annoying and costly problem of corked wines. A group of New Zealand growers was the first to trademark a wine district, Gimblett Gravels, to ensure that the purity and integrity of the designation weren't compromised by political issues beyond its control. New Zealand was also the first country where a winery (Tohu) owned and run exclusively by aboriginal people was established (the second is Canada, with Nk'Mip in B.C.). And recently, Wine Enthusiast named New Zealand the “wine region of the year.” Considering that 15 years ago the most exciting beverage from this “region” was kiwi wine, things are looking good.Recommended RedsBabich, Syrah (Hawke's Bay, North Island), $24Framingham, Merlot/Malbec (Marlborough, South Island), $25Herzog, Pinot Noir (Marlborough, South Island), $50Jackson Estate, Pinot Noir (Marlborough, South Island), $25Kim Crawford, Merlot “Te Awanga Vineyard”(Hawke's Bay, North Island), $28Konrad & Co., Pinot Noir (Marlborough, South Island), $29 (to be released in February 2005)Oyster Bay, Merlot (Hawke's Bay, North Island), $18Tohu, Pinot Noir (Marlborough, South Island), $32(Prices may vary from province to province)- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Wine & spirits: Superb shiraz Wine & spirits: Superb shiraz
Wine & spirits: Superb shiraz ofUnderstanding Shiraz A rose by any other name may still be a rose, but what happens when you call Syrah shiraz? The answer is confusion. Although the grapes are one and the same, wine shoppers and restaurant goers occasionally reject a Syrah for a shiraz and vice versa.Syrah is an ancient variety thought to have originated around the Persian city of Shiraz. In the sixth century BC, it was transported from Asia Minor to France's Rhone valley. Romans – the first connoisseurs of the grape – encouraged its proliferation throughout the region. Today, it's grown in almost every part of the world and produced in two distinctly different styles. In France, where by law it must be called Syrah, it tends to taste a bit tough, tannic and reserved in its youth, though it gains exceptional smoothness, elegance and finesse as it ages. Aromas of blackberry, black cherry, plum, cedar, spices, smoke, crushed black pepper, licorice and dark chocolate waft up from the glass of a mature Syrah. It epitomizes European refinement.Upstart Aussie winemakers chose to call their version shiraz. The style is much more assertive, with rich, jammy, bramble berry and cassis flavours, nuances of Kraft vanilla caramels, heavy cream and bread pudding. Australian shiraz offers early drinkability, though its lifespan is somewhat shorter. But rules be damned; some French Syrahs are lovely from the get-go, while the best Australian shiraz can age for decades and shouldn't be opened till into its teens. Suggestions and food pairings Most other Syrah and shiraz wines fall in between these styles, replacing certain regional characteristics with their own unique touches. California versions, for example, are predisposed to having lower acidity, toned-down fruit intensity, a fuller body and shorter lifespan. In Washington the opposite is true. Walla Walla and Columbia Valley Syrahs have stinging acidity, intensely deep flavours, lean texture and long aging potential. South African examples seem to insert a sweaty, gamy, leatherlike nuance reminiscent of the local Pinotage grape.Under European wine regulations, shiraz is not considered a sanctioned synonym for Syrah; as a result, the popular Fat Bastard Shiraz, a French wine, cannot be sold in France. It's made in the bolder style specifically for the North American market. Two of the most exciting wines of this variety I've tasted are a pair from the Mission Hill Family Estate Winery in B.C.'s Okanagan Valley. The one labelled shiraz is more Australian in style than most Aussie wines, with billowing fruit flavours, while their Syrah-labelled wine could put the best French wines to shame. The winery makes both styles “in keeping with our belief that we won't fully understand what the Okanagan's signature will be for another decade,” says Ingo Grady, Mission Hill's director of sales and trade development.Either way, Syrah and shiraz are superb when paired with red meats: roasted venison, rack of lamb, prime rib of beef, wild boar, even glazed ham. Add roasted root vegetables, a side of wild rice, or a savoury pasta dish and a rich cheese to follow, and you've got yourself an instant feast.- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Wine & spirits: Jewels in the crown Wine & spirits: Jewels in the crown
Wine & spirits: Jewels in the crown ofWine & spirits: Jewels in the crown Treasure hunting is one of my favourite pastimes as I travel through wine country. There are many famous places that everyone knows, great labels that are best-sellers everywhere and winemakers known as the granddaddies of the industry. I'll gladly meet and greet them all, but I also like to find the hidden gems: new upstart wineries off the beaten path that are producing interesting and undiscovered liquid jewels. Here are a handful of Canadian newbies definitely worth discovering.Blasted Church Vineyards Eye-catching labels drawn by Toronto-based artist Monika Melnychuk tell the story of a 100-year-old wooden church that was dynamited to loosen the nails prior to being dismantled and moved to Okanagan Falls, B.C. Chris and Evelyn Campbell decided to produce their own wine and in 2002, bought a winery, rebranding it Blasted Church. The 2002 Hatfield's Fuse, a blend of Gewürztraminer, Chasselas and Optima grapes with lively spiced fruit flavours, excites my jaded palate, as does the 2002 Chardonnay Musqué, with its aromas of ripe peach, fennel and wine gums. Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and a rarely seen red Lemberger are also produced. Prices range from $13 to $20. To order, call 877-355-2686 or visit blastedchurch.com.Nk'Mip CellarsNorth America's first aboriginal-owned winery is a joint venture with Vincor International, Canada's largest wine company. The Osoyoos Indian band has grown grapes in its Inkameep vineyard in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley since the late '60s, providing high-quality fruit to numerous B.C. wineries. In addition to producing four varietal wines –- Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir -– the band has built a Desert Heritage Centre with ecotours and displays exploring native artifacts, history and traditions. Wines are priced from $14 to $18. The first vintage is sold out, but the second one is now available. I particularly liked their 2001 Merlot for its soft texture and deep, dare I say wild, berry flavours. To order, call 250-495-2985 or visit nkmipcellars.com for more info.Peddlesden Wines In their first year of production, partners Mike and Cheryl Peddlesden and Bob and Sherry Tompkins produced 35 cases of 2002 Chardonnay, 45 of 2002 Pinot Gris, 85 of 2002 Riesling and a whopping 420 of 2002 Cabernet Franc. There will be more in the years ahead from this winery, which is based in Ontario's Prince Edward County, but what's already got me going is the sheer intensity, the texture and the pure minerality of their wines -– all clear indicators of flavour quality to come. There's a European twang to the taste: solid body, refreshing acidity to pair with fine food, and a harmony that sings. These wines can be aged with confidence and cost from $12 to $30. To order, call 866-578-3445 or 613-399-3939 or visit peddlesden.ca.Frogpond FarmThis 10-acre farm in Niagara-on-the-Lake is Ontario's first certified organic winery. German-born Jens Gemmrich and his wife, Heike, have limited production to one red and one white wine. Their 2001 Riesling ($12) shows massive body, lovely balance and lingering mineral flavours that are exciting to sip with or without food. The 2001 Cabernet-Merlot ($16) offers jubilant, youthful fruit, and solid, serious complexity that should develop with another year or two in bottle. Speaking of bottles, the wines come in half-litre flasks -– the perfect size for two to tango. To order, call 905-468-1079 or visit frogpondfarm.ca.(Local prices are listed. Other provinces may charge shipping and/or higher taxes.)- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Wine & spirits: What a steal! Wine & spirits: What a steal!
Wine & spirits: What a steal! ofWine & spirits: What a steal! When the biggest-selling red wine in the country costs about $19, it signals that the Canadian wine drinker has become one of the most sophisticated sippers on the planet. In most other countries, imbibers tend to search out the cheapest brands with little regard for quality. For example, in the U.S. last year, one of the top-selling brands was Two Buck Chuck, a $1.99 US tipple with little more than price as an asset. (With government monopolies controlling liquor distribution in this country, Two Buck Chuck could easily be renamed Eight Buck Chuck.) So keeping that $19 ceiling in mind, I let my fingers do the walking through several liquor-store price books and found plenty of good-value wines for less. Here are some of my favourite cheapies that are definitely worth buying by the case.Chile is the source of many good buys. Vina San Pedro's flagship brand, Castillo de Molina Reserva 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon ($13), has dense flavours of black fruits, oak and toasted nuts. It's a prime choice with a prime rib roast.Rosemount Estate 2002 Diamond Shiraz ($16) was one of the first Australian wines to impress me years ago. Its garnet colour, rich blackberry aroma and solid aftertaste offer immediate satisfaction. Lamb chops are my favourite partner for this wine.Wine snobs will bristle at drinking mere Beaujolais, but I adore Georges Duboeuf, 2002 Beaujolais-Villages ($14). It's a happy wine with juicy, upfront strawberry-cherry flavours and refreshing acidity. Chicken legs, beef stew, sausage pasta – any food will do.From the southernmost regions of France comes Chapoutier 2000 Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages Rasteau ($15), a bold wine with aromas of black pepper, licorice and spice and a rich taste of blackberry, raspberry and plum. It deserves a savoury hunter's stew.Italy has long been high on my list of worth-a-detour wines, but in recent years prices have accelerated like a Ferrari in the hands of a high-school punk. One exception - Umani Ronchi 2001 Serrano Rosso Conero ($10), with its concentrated bouquet of cranberry, black cherry, roasted nuts, saddle leather and cedar. It's ideal with gourmet pizza with toppings of lamb sausage, roasted peppers and goat's milk cheese.When it comes to whites, we're a nation of two solitudes. Half of us like light, crisp fruity wines, while the other half prefer the big, bold, buttery, oak-dominated style. I swing both ways. From northern Burgundy, Bouchard Pére & Fils, 2002 Petit Chablis ($18) is refreshing and muscular with apple, lemon and mineral flavours and bracing acidity. Heavenly with raw oysters, it pairs well with most seafood or fish. Another lip-smacking French white is Calvet 2001 Reserve Blanc ($11), which hails from the Bordeaux region. Its gently oaked, herbal nuance makes a wonderful opener at any meal.The full-bodied fruitiness of Columbia Crest 2001 Chardonnay ($14) from Washington State is fine on its own for sipping. Honeyed pear and citrus flavours also go with grilled trout or a breast of chicken.If I had to choose one Canadian entry, it would be Quails' Gate Limited Release 2001 Chardonnay ($14) from British Columbia's Okanagan Valley. The tropical aroma of apricot, canary melon and pineapple enthralls the nose, while an opulent, full-bodied taste satisfies the palate. Perhaps a case isn't enough! (Note: Prices listed are for Ontario. Other provinces may charge more.)- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Wine & spirits: The pleasures of... Wine & spirits: The pleasures of...
Wine & spirits: The pleasures of... ofSweet surrender Canadians definitely love their sweets, but just suggest a glass of sweet wine and right away, eeks, oohs and blechs come forth. “I don't like them, they're sweet,” people usually say. Well, it's time to lose that outdated idea about wines that contain residual sugar. Yes, they are sweet, but so are ripe peaches, revenge and unexpected kisses. You wouldn't give up those, now would you?Grapes gathered at the normal harvest time and processed in the usual manner generally yield dry wines. With sweet wines, grapes may be harvested late, partially dried in the sun, naturally or artificially frozen, fortified with brandy or naturally withered by a unique mould. Each technique has a different effect on the finished wine.The most common method is to leave the grapes on the vine well past the normal harvest date. They continue to ripen, developing extra sweetness and flavour. German Spätlese and Auslese are the best known late-harvest wines, but many others are produced similarly.In Italy and Greece, ripe grapes are air-dried on racks or mats for weeks or months. They acquire a raisin-like flavour, yielding rich, sweet, strong and luscious wines.Conversely, grapes can be left on the vine until the first deep-freeze. In Canada, we're most familiar with icewine -- frozen grapes are gently crushed, separating a small amount of superconcentrated juice from a lot of frozen ice crystals. Icewine has a perfect sugar/acid balance with strong fruit flavours, intense sweetness and refreshing acidity, and is one of the richest wines in the world. Fortification is one of the oldest ways to make sweet wine. Midway through fermentation, alcohol is added in order to shock the yeast. As a result, any remaining sugar can't be converted to alcohol, so the wine remains sweet. Sherry, Madeira and port are all produced by fortification with unique grape varieties and traditional methods of aging, giving each its distinctive style. If weather conditions are right, nature makes its own sweet wine when Botrytis cinerea, a natural mould, sends tiny root follicles through pores in the grape skin, sucking out water and shrivelling the grapes. The resulting wine, which is rare and expensive, has an ethereal crème brûlée and dried fruit bouquet.- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Wine & spirits: Flavoured beer Wine & spirits: Flavoured beer
Wine & spirits: Flavoured beer ofWine & spirits: Flavoured beer Whenever I get tired of ordinary bubbly, I pop the cork on a bottle of pink champagne. Its striking colour (accentuated by rowdy bubbles), exotic floral bouquet and remarkable fruity taste bring out my wild side. It's the same thing with beer. Mainstream suds tend to clash with my disposition most of the time, and every once in a while, even the bitter, hoppy or malty taste of a premium brew will turn me off. That's when I reach for a flavoured beer.Trend spotters who claim flavoured beers are the newest thing know little about the history of drinking. Brewers only recognized the preservative power of hops about a thousand years ago; bark, berries, fruits, herbs, honey, roots, seeds, spices and other botanicals have added flavour to our favourite beverage since its creation more than 8,000 years ago. Whether they're produced by macerating heaps of fruit in the fermenting brew for several months or by just adding freshly squeezed juice or concentrate, fruit beers deliver a tart taste that's refreshing on hot summer days. They're also versatile; pastas, marinades, soups and stews all benefit from a judicious splash. The greatest variety of traditional fruit beers is crafted in Belgium. Peach, banana and blackcurrant are common, but cherry (kriek) and raspberry (framboise, or frambozen) are the two standards. Classics include Belle Vue Kriek ($3) and Mort Subite Framboise ($4), which come in 375 mL bottles with wired-down champagne corks. They're available in liquor stores across Canada. Another big seller is Hoegaarden (6 x 330 mL, $13), also from Belgium. Its pale-straw gold colour comes from a wheat base, and its mild flavour results from the addition of coriander, spice and Curaçao orange peels during the brewing process.Canadian brewers are no slouch in this category, either. It's hard to pick the best flavoured beer in the world, but some of the contenders include the unique creations of Quebec-based Unibroue. Their cherry-flavoured Quelque Chose (12 x 500 mL, $84), which is one of the few beers meant to be consumed heated rather than chilled, is nothing less than spectacular; their Unibroue Collection, with a selection of apple, blackcurrant, cranberry and peach (12 x 341 mL, $23), is merely outstanding.Brewed in Montreal, McAuslan Apricot Wheat Ale (6 x 341 mL, $11) is one of my recent favourites (I made a sorbet with it), while Toronto's Amsterdam Framboise ($11, 750 mL) often finds its way into my beer fridge. Worth tryingHere are a few other flavoured beers worth trying. Check your local liquor or brewers retail store. In some cases, beers may only be available in restaurants. Prices will vary from province to province.Niagara Apple Ale Niagara Brewing Co. (Ontario) 6 x 341 mL, $10Cassis Mort Subite (Belgium) 250 mL, $4 (available in Ontario only)Floris Ninkeberry Gardenbeer Huyghe Brewery (Belgium) 330 mL, $3Fruit Beer Belhaven Brewery (Scotland) 500 mL, $3 (available in summer only)La Maudite Unibroue (Quebec) 750 mL, $5Raspberry Wheat Phillips Brewing Co. (British Columbia) 500 mL, $4 (available in British Columbia only)Red Maple Premium Lager Northern Breweries (Ontario) 12 x 341 mL, $19- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Wine & spirits: Blending and bleeding Wine & spirits: Blending and bleeding
Wine & spirits: Blending and bleeding ofWine & spirits: Blending and bleeding Rosé wines can be produced in several ways. The two most common are blending and bleeding. Blending involves carefully mixing a small amount of red wine into white. The more red you add, the darker the hue. Most generic pink wines and rosé champagnes are produced this way to achieve a consistent colour from year to year. Bleeding is an increasingly popular method, which uses only red grapes. Red wine production requires several days for all of the grapes' pigments to be released into the wine. For rosés, producers will “bleed off” a small portion of the wine within a few hours after crushing the grapes. At that point only a minimal amount of colour has leached into the wine, giving it the palest pink tinge. Wines produced this way may be called blanc de noirs, vin gris or rosé de saignée. Meanwhile, the remaining red wine in the tank benefits from a disproportionate percentage of skin to juice, resulting in an ultra-dark, ultra-concentrated red. Winemakers like this process because it permits them to make wine from one variety (red only) rather than two (a red and a white). This gives them a marketing advantage when labelling since most North Americans prefer to purchase wines by variety rather than region of origin. So, marketing a white Zinfandel or Cabernet rosé is easier than selling a product called Tavel or Lirac or Brampton, for that matter.- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Sparkling wines: A list of faves Sparkling wines: A list of faves
Sparkling wines: A list of faves ofFaking it We all have champagne wishes and caviar dreams, but there's no need to wait for a big lottery win to turn them into reality. Genuine champagne is expensive, but there are good bubblies from every wine region of the world that don't need to be mixed with orange juice to make them palatable.Sparkling wine, at any price, is enjoyable if it meets a few simple conditions. First and foremost, it should taste like fruit -- not plastic, cheap perfume, musty old bread or used Band-Aids. That fruity flavour should lean toward apple, pear or peach and have a crisp, lemony acidity in order to give it freshness. In the case of pink champagne, the flavours should emulate ripe strawberries, raspberries, pink grapefruit or pomegranate. Those are the natural flavours of quality grapes, such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, grown in cool climates like the northerly Champagne region itself. Inferior grapes grown in excessively warm regions cannot produce those fine flavours or provide refreshing acidity. Hot climates yield high-sugar levels that become high alcohol -- anathema to delicacy in fine wine.Second, decent sparkling wines have teeny-tiny bubbles. Cut-rate fizz is made by carbonating the wine or by transferring CO2 gas in huge vats, which results in big bubbles. The classic method involves fermenting the wine inside the bottle, causing the gases to be absorbed by the wine and to be released in a creamy, fine mousse only upon opening and pouring.Finally, sparkling wine must be well chilled, otherwise it will explode in foam. It should always be served in a tall, narrow fluted glass rather than a shallow saucer-shape plate on a stem. The reason? A fluted glass slows down the release of the bubbles and extends the life of a sparkling wine once it's been poured. What could be better than that? Best buys Best BuysGiven that “value” is relative -- here are my recommendations for best-value bubblies in 750 mL sizes.Mainstream Bubbles Spanish Cavas, like Codorníu's NV Brut Clasico ($11) and Freixenet's Vintage Brut ($16), hail from the cool sub-Pyrenean region north of Barcelona, where traditional bottle fermentation and hand-riddling are the norm. And, as in almost every other wine category, Australia knows how to do it well on the cheap: Jacob's Creek's NV Chardonnay/Pinot Noir ($14) offers great flavour and smooth balance. OJ optional!First-Class Fizz The coolest part of California is the Carneros region, which crosses south of Napa and Sonoma. Domaine Chandon's NV Brut Classic ($28) and Mumm Napa's NV Brut Prestige ($27) are produced to traditional standards by French champagne makers.The Real MagillaThe Champagne region of France, where the good stuff originates, benefits from a marginal climate and porous limestone soil. Wines like Moët & Chandon's NV Brut Rosé ($66), Mumm Cordon Rouge's NV Brut ($52), Perrier Jouet's NV Grand Brut ($52) and Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin's NV Brut Yellow Label ($59, or $18 for the 200 mL piccolo size) offer richness, delicacy, depth, complexity and exceptional finesse. It saddens me when great bottles like these are wasted to dedicate ships or spray victorious Formula One racers.For Lottery WinnersEvery great producer of champagne offers at least one top-class version, the cream of the crop, a ne plus ultra. Rare, expensive, superbly balanced, with penetrating, luxurious flavours, these are made only in the finest vintages from the smallest percentage of the very best grapes. James Bond liked the Dom Pérignon 1953. I like the Dom Pérignon 1996 (about $180) much better, as well as its feminine peer, Veuve Clicquot's 1996 La Grande Dame (about $172). Both are unimaginably delicious now but will improve if cellared for up to a dozen years.- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Wine & spirits: For the love of licorice Wine & spirits: For the love of licorice
Wine & spirits: For the love of licorice ofBackground Licorice is one of those love-it-or-hate-it flavours. My own love affair with the taste began at about age three, when a bigger kid made me eat an entire fat licorice "cigar." He hated the bizarre black chewing sticks, so he thought he could hurt me by making me eat "tar." Little did he know he opened up my palate to a world of new gustatory sensations.Licorice is actually the collective descriptor for a whole family of flavours that includes mild and delicate fennel, aromatic and bitter licorice root, and sweet and pungent anise. It's a flavour that has a long and impressive past. It appears in Egyptian hieroglyphics, Greek literature and Roman art -- it was a favourite of many ancient leaders, including King Tut, Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. Over the centuries, warriors have quenched their thirst with it while marching, and venerable Chinese Buddhist sages have valued it for its healing properties. My own reasons for enjoying licorice have always been strictly hedonistic. Licorice has a flavour that really has genuine oomph, whether savoured in one of its plentiful solid forms, slipped into an adventurous recipe or sipped as an exotic beverage.Most old-world drinkers prefer the classic aperitif, wherein an amber, green or yellow liqueur (pastis/Pernod) turns milky when water and ice are added. A few will brave the clear, viscous, hard-core tipple (arak/ouzo/raki) in straight sips with plenty of food. North Americans, with their insatiable sweet tooth, flock to the sugary postprandial liqueur (sambuca) that comes in different versions: it's common in clear, bold in basic black, and absolutely ravishing in ruby red.So love it or hate it, prepare to meet your gustatory nirvana -- or not! A licorice lexicon A licorice lexiconAbsinthe The original anise- and herb-flavoured liqueur of days gone by contained the toxic, delirium-inducing plant wormwood; hence, the proverbial la fée verte, or "green fairy" name. Modern versions have high alcohol but a negligible dose of the hallucinogen. An ounce of liquor is served in a six-ounce glass. A lump of sugar is placed on a specially designed slotted spoon over top, then ice-cold water is drizzled slowly through the sugar into the drink. AnisetteA clear, sweet liqueur served straight as a digestif or in cocktails. ArakA fiery, colourless, unsweetened liqueur widely produced in the Middle East. It's commonly diluted with water and served with mezes or small appetizer plates. GallianoA bright yellow, delicately flavoured anise liqueur, heavily sweetened and flavoured with vanilla and herbs. It may be taken straight as a digestif or on ice, but more often is used in cocktails. Ouzo A "child" of raki, it differs from the original by being produced from distilled whole grapes or raisins rather than from grape pomace. Ouzo is flavoured with star anise (pictured), but producers may use many other herbs (angelica root, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, coriander, fennel, lime blossom, mint, nutmeg) in an attempt to give their brand a unique twist. PastisA generic term for any alcoholic beverage created by the maceration of herbs in alcohol and then sweetened. It may be flavoured with anise or licorice root and other herbs. There are many brands, of which the best known is Ricard Pastis. PernodA yellowish or emerald green, licorice-flavoured liqueur similar to absinthe but with a lower alcohol content and lighter flavours. RakiOriginally produced like grappa, from distilled grape pomace (today, it's made from fresh or dried grapes, or a variety of alcohols, including that from molasses, sugar beet, etc.). The spirit is sweetened and flavoured with anise seeds. SambucaA rich, sweet Italian liqueur that combines the flavours of anise and elderberry. It's produced in clear, black and red versions.- Credit
- Konrad Ejbich
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Wine & spirits: Holiday bar prep Wine & spirits: Holiday bar prep