quench july/august 2015

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JULY/AUGUST 2015 × QUENCH.ME × 3

SPRITZ × 22 ADDING NEW LIFE TO YOUR COCKATILS BY USING WINE. BY SARAH PARNIAK

NO UNCERTAIN TERMS × 24 CONFUSED BY TASTING NOTE DESCRIPTIONS? YOU AREN’T THE ONLY ONE. BY LISA HOEKSTRA

IN OUR OWN SWEET TIME × 27 THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD OF NOVA SCOTIA’S WINE SCENE. BY SEAN WOOD

CAB × 30 IS CABERNET FRANC DESTINED TO BECOME A MAINSTAY BC — DARE I SAY CANADIAN — RED? BY TIM PAWSEY

TOUT BLANC × 34 PINOT BLANC: THE “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE” WINE. BY MICHAEL PINKUS

KILLER SEASON × 36 AFTER TWO DEVESTATING WINTERS, WILL SCIENCE SAVE THE NIAGARA REGION? BY RICK VANSICKLE

LIFE BEHIND BARS × 40 WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME A REAL BARTEND-ER (OR IS IT MIXOLOGIST)? BY TOD STEWART

POO-TIN! × 44 EXPERIMENTING WITH ONE OF CANADA’S MOST FAMOUS DISHES. BY DUNCAN HOLMES

JUST COOL IT × 48 MIXING IT UP FOR THE SUMMER. BY ROSEMARY MANTINI

36

BARBECUE GUILT TRIP × 50 WHEN YOU GET TIRED OF THE GRILL, WHAT DO YOU DO? BY NANCY JOHNSON

NOTED × 52 EXPERTLY-TASTED BUYING GUIDE FOR WINES, BEERS, CIDERS AND SPIRITS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

DEEP ROOTED × 64 GOING INDIGENOUS IN THE HEART OF SICILY. BY GURVINDER BHATIA

EXTREME MEASURES × 66 CANADIAN WINE REGIONS NEED TO GET INNOVA-TIVE AS THEY WEATHER THE HARSH WINTERS. BY TONY ASPLER

DEPARTMENTS

27

QUENCH MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2015

4 × @QUENCH_MAG × LIVING LOCAL ISSUE

ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER LIVING LOCAL ISSUE. THE GOAL OF EVERY MAGAZINE WE PUT OUT IS ALWAYS TO ENTICE YOU WITH THIS WON-DERFUL WORLD OF FOOD, WINE AND BOOZE — AND ALL THE OTHER FUN STUFF. But it’s the goal of this issue to not only entice, but to push you to visit all the gourmet spots in and around your community.

We are very lucky in Canada — aside from our devastating winters (see page 36) — to have a bountiful culinary scene and budding wine growing areas. I’m sure if I asked any one of our readers their location, we could find a brewery, distill-ery or an artisanal producer within a one hour drive (remember, that’s the length of time some of you get stuck in traffic simply going to work).

It’s hot outside — for once — and sum-mer was made for this. Travelling from one spot to another in order to try local food and drinks is part of our DNA. You

are gourmet curious. That’s why you read Quench.But one thing I have to warn you about: When you go

hunting for that new things to try, remember the people who created those items. They are half the reason you are there. Ask them questions about the process. Try to un-derstand what difficulties they might have and taste their triumphs. And when you are there, tell them Quench sent you. It might not earn you a discount but it might be worth a smile. Enjoy the summer.

It’s right interesting to learn that bartenders are working to lengthen the drinking experience by lowering the alcohol levels in mixed drinks [Low Proof, May/June 2015]. Living on the outskirts of town, it’s a 15-minute drive to my pub, so trying different cocktails can leave me three sheets to the wind. I shared this article with my bartender and look forward to a low proof night.Lucas MacCrum, email

We had a whole whack of beets this spring, so Rose-mary Mantini’s Orange Beets and Goat Cheese salad recipe was a blessing. Made it for my family and they loved it. It’s my go-to recipe for potluck offerings.Sadie Hofmann, Saskatoon

Ian Hemphill’s statement [in Spice of Life, May/June 2015] that “spicy” is being used to refer to “hot” instead of “spiced” dishes was a revelation. I’m a lot more conscious of how I refer to the flavour profile of a dish now. The spice industry is a lot more complex than I’d first believed as well — took the wool from my eyes. Now I buy my herbs and spices from spice stores instead of the generic grocery store brands. My taste buds couldn’t be happier.Alexis Travers, email

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XAdRED BADGE IN FOLDER

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XAdOPIM IN FOLDER

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Discover the Diversity of MosaicA mosaic is more than just a decorative piece of art. It s the act of taking small, brilliant patches of colour and arranging them with an eye for a larger image. This process has inspired Mosaic by Opimian. Our experts have selected an array of exclusive 500 ml bottles and packaged them in exciting themed cases. From everyday sippers to culinary partners, these wines are designed to complement your lifestyle, palate and budget!

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Editor-in-chief Aldo Parise [email protected]

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Associate Editor Rosemary Mantini [email protected]

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Columnists Tony Aspler, Peter Rockwell, Tom de Larzac, Christine Sismondo, Katia Jean Paul

Contributors Lisa Hoekstra, Sean Wood, Tim Pawsey, Rick VanSickle, Sarah Parniak, Michael Pinkus, Duncan Holmes

Tasters Tony Aspler, Gurvinder Bhatia, Tod Stewart, Evan Saviolidis, Rick VanSickle, Ron Liteplo, Harry Hertscheg, Sean Wood, Gilles Bois, Crystal Luxmore, Tim Pawsey, Treve Ring, Jonathan Smithe

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AUDITED BY

CONTRIBUTORS

Sarah Parniak is a freelance writer, bartender and consultant with a (healthy) spirits obses-sion that she channels into a weekly drinks column for Toronto’s NOW Magazine. She’s represented Canada in international bartend-ing competitions and currently works behind the stick at People’s Eatery in Chinatown on weekends. When she’s not working in bars, she’s usually drinking in them. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @s_parns.

Treve Ring is a wine journalist, editor and international wine judge based in Victoria, BC. She writes for WineAlign, Gismondi On Wine, Scout Magazine, MONTECRISTO Magazine, SIP Northwest Magazine, EAT Magazine, CI-DERCRAFT Magazine and others. When not tasting at the Trevehouse, she is working her way through visiting every wine growing re-gion worldwide — a seemingly (and fortuitous-ly) endless goal. Follow her at @treve_ring.

Rick VanSickle is a freelance wine journalist and publisher of WinesInNiagara.com. He spends a great deal of time honing his craft (drinking wine) and has no problem telling you about it via Twitter (@rick-wine), Instagram, Facebook, magazines or simply shouting from the mountain tops.

XAdONTARIO WINE AWARDS IN FOLD-ER

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XAdMAGS CANADA SAME AS P 14 MAY/JUNE 2015

VISIT A MAGAZINE STAND AND FIND your own STORY

" CANADASMAGAZINESTORE.CA/ANYTHINGCANHAPPEN %

ANYTHING CANHAPPEN AT A

MAGAZINE STAND

THEY CAME FOR A MAGAZINE AND LEFT WITH SO MUCH MORE

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À LA CARTEQ SCHOOL × 12 BBQING THE PERFECT STEAK.

GOOD FOOD BY NANCY JOHNSON × 13 NO BETTER SEASON THAN CORN SEASON.

UMAMI BY KATIA JEAN PAUL × 15 A CONVERSATION WITH “VEGITARIAN BUTCHER” MICHAEL ABRAMSON.

NEXT STOP × 16 SUMMER MEANS GOURMET FOOD TRUCKS.

FEED BY TOM DE LARZAC × 18 GOING WILD ON MOOSE BURGERS.

LAZY MIXOLOGIST BY CHRISTINE SISMONDO × 19 MIXING WITH VERJUS IN LIEU OF LIMES.

BON VIVANT BY PETER ROCKWELL × 21 SHOULD I AVOID A RESTAURANT’S HOUSE WINE?


Q SCHOOL

IT’S SUMMER AND THE BARBECUE IS OUT ON THE BACK DECK, DRINKS ARE IN THE COOLER AND THE PATIO FURNITURE FINALLY STOPPED SMELLING LIKE MUSTY BASEMENT. Nothing could be more perfect — except, perhaps, if you could finally grill that juicy, tender steak you’ve been craving since the snow first started falling. Follow these easy steps to make sure that your steak is as perfect as the summer weather.

• Preheat barbecue. • Brush steak with olive oil (both sides); place on the grill with tongs (never a fork!); this keeps

in the juices. • Turn with tongs only once. Not only does this preserve the juice and flavour, it also creates a

beautiful crust. • Test your steak by pressing down on it with the tongs. Its squishiness will tell you if it’s done to

your preference:Rare: soft and squishy.Medium-rare: yielding and slightly squishy.Medium: a bit firmer and springy.Medium-well: firm with little give.Well-done: very firm (no give).

• Transfer the steak to a plate when done and cover it with foil. • Set aside for 5 minutes to rest and relax; this allows the juices to settle evenly through the steak. • Drizzle with butter, olive oil or beef fat and serve.

SEASONING When to season a steak — overnight, before cooking, after cooking — is a matter of taste, really, and a topic that is heatedly debated by many. Try your own experiments and find out which side of the debate you’re on. In the meantime, here are the results of our experiments.

• Marinating: leave it overnight to trap the flavours inside the meat. Every bite will shine with flavour. • Dry seasoning (salt, pepper, steak spice): add it over 40 minutes before grilling or right before

you put the steak on the grill. The former will allow the seasoning to sink into the meat to give you a nice, juicy steak with powerful flavours. The latter will season the outside of the steak without affect-ing the internal juices or flavour, so you’ll get that nice, light dusting on the “skin” of the meat. • DON’T put dry seasoning on a steak 10 to 40 minutes before cooking. This is the dry zone — the

seasoning will have been on the steak long enough to pull the fluid out, but not long enough to add flavour and reincorporate the juices. ×

Making the little things perfect


GOOD FOOD BY NANCY JOHNSON

IS THERE ANY SEASON MORE SPLENDID THAN THE SEASON OF SWEET CORN? And is there anything more luscious that a grilled ear of corn, generously salted and dripping with melted butter? I don’t think so. But when summer rolls around and you’ve already enjoyed a mountain of buttery corn on the cob, it’s nice to have a few new recipes in your back pocket to change things up a bit.

Corn on the cob can be grilled several different ways. Boiling shucked corn before grilling is an easy way to speed the cooking process, but you can skip the boiling part and cook the corn on a hot grill about 7 minutes, or until it’s caramelized on all sides. You may also soak corn in its husk in cold water for a few hours before grilling. Pull back the husk ahead of time and remove silk if desired. Cook corn in its husk directly on a hot grill, turning for an even roast on all sides, about 15 minutes.

One of my mother’s secrets when boiling corn was to add a bit of sugar (instead of salt) to the boiling water before tossing them in. Try it and see if you like it. You can also nuke corn on the cob in the microwave, a trick I learned on YouTube. Cook one ear for 4 minutes, two ears for 8 minutes. Us-ing an oven mitt, remove corn from microwave and cut off stem end. Shake it by its silky end until it slides out. Voila! Perfectly cooked corn with no silk!

MEXICAN CORNIn a medium bowl, mix 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 tsp fresh lime juice and 1 tsp chili powder. Set aside. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add 1/2 tsp sugar and 8 ears of shucked corn. Boil, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Transfer corn to hot grill, turning with tongs until all sides are lightly charred. Spread chili mayo on one side of each ear. Sprinkle with crumbled Cotija or feta cheese. Dust with smoked paprika.

BLACK BEAN AND GRILLED CORN SALSACombine 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed, 3/4 cup grilled corn ker-nels, 1/2 cup chopped seeded tomatoes, 1/4 cup minced sweet red pepper, 1/4 cup minced red onion, 2 tbsp fresh lime juice, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce and 1/4 tsp kosher salt. Serve with tortilla chips or as a sauce for grilled chicken.

BACON, POTATO AND GRILLED CORN CHOWDERCook 6 strips bacon. Degrease with paper towel, cut into bite-sized pieces and set aside. In large saucepan, in 1 tbsp bacon grease, cook 1 small chopped onion and 2 minced celery stalks for 5 minutes or until softened and translucent. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp flour, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Gradually stir in 2 cups chicken broth. Add 3 cups diced red potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add 2 cups grilled corn and bacon. Simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup milk and 1 cup heavy cream. Bring to a low simmer to heat through. Garnish with garlic croutons and minced chives. This is also delicious with the addition of grilled shrimp.

GRILLED CORN AND SAFFRON RISOTTOIn a baking dish in the microwave, cook 3 tbsp butter and 3 tbsp olive oil, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Stir in 1 small chopped onion, 1 large minced shallot and 2 minced garlic cloves. Heat, uncovered, 2 minutes. Add 1 cup grilled corn kernels and cook 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup Arborio rice. Cook, uncovered, 2 minutes. Stir in 3 cups chicken broth, 1 tsp saffron, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cook, uncovered, 18 minutes or until broth has been absorbed. Garnish with grated Parmigiano Reggiano and freshly grated black pepper. Top with diced, seeded tomatoes. ×


THE SWEETEST OF THE SWEET

× Search through our huge library of recipes on quench.me/recipes/

XAdAMYTAIO AD 1 IN FOLDER

Quench_ad.indd 1 30/4/2015 18:38:13


UMAMI BY KATIA JEAN PAUL

BEET BURGERS, CARROT LOX, COCO-NUT BACON ... the cuts on display at Mi-chael Abramson’s butcher shop on College Street in Toronto are nothing like conven-tional meat. Then again, YamChops isn’t your average butcher shop. It’s a vegetari-an butcher shop to be precise, a descriptor ostensibly at odds with that to which it refers, though the ad man-turned-“butch-er” revels in the contradiction.

“We definitely could have gone the route of being a ‘vegetarian foods shop’ — but we kind of like the oxymoron cre-ated by the term ‘vegetarian butcher’,” says Abramson. “We like to harken back to the days when ‘meat’ simply meant food in general.”

So, while the plentiful options at YamChops, which opened just over one year ago, bear an uncanny resemblance to meat — right down to their consistency — Abramson, a graduate of Rouxbe and Cor-don Vert Vegetarian Cookery School in the UK, slices, grinds and dresses plant-based protein alternatives exclusively. From YamChops’s commercial kitchen, Abramson first selects produce and ingre-dients that mimic the texture of animal products. Then he works on getting the perfect flavour. In addition to beet burger patties, carrot lox and strips of coconut bacon, the vegan chef ’s meatless fare includes “pulled pork” made from strips

of cabbage, mashed chickpeas, vege-naise, pickles, capers and celery “tuna,” and “crab cakes,” melding tofu, water chestnuts, red pepper, red onion, tarra-gon, parsley and other ingredients. And that’s just skimming the surface. Beyond fresh, ready-made eat-in and takeout eats, patrons can shop for specialty vegan and gluten-free food and preserves in the grocery section, and stock up on bottles of AuJus, the house’s line of raw, organic cold-pressed juices, the brainchild of Abramson’s daughter, Jess.

What makes YamChops unique — besides being the sole vegetarion butcher north of the border and among the few operating worldwide — is its tongue-in-cheek approach to cuisine, peppered with Asian influences. Since its opening, it has attracted foodies of all dietary persua-sions, be they vegan, vegetarian, flexitari-an or non-denominational.

“Our offerings definitely defy tradi-tional veg convention. Sometimes, it’s just fun to wake up and say ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to come up with a plant-based version of lox, or bacon, or crab cakes?’ And — within a few hours or a few days — carrot lox or coconut bacon or tuna-less tuna are born,” says Abramson.

A vegetarian for 40 years now, and a vegan for the past 11, Abramson’s ini-tial inclination towards a meatless diet

was a matter of taste. “I didn’t enjoy eating meat or fish,” says Abramson, who ran his own advertising agency for 27 years before he and his wife, Toni Abramson, opened YamChops. “At that time, it was a taste/texture thing (as opposed to an animal rights choice).” While Abramson ultimately believes a vegetarian or vegan diet is a healthier and more sustainable choice, he isn’t looking to preach or convert anyone. “It [YamChops] was born be-cause of what I saw as ‘missing’ in the veg food category — that being a place when vegetarians, vegans and those looking to reduce their meat consump-tion could find delicious centre-of-the-plate prepared protein alternatives,” says Abramson.

As it happens, the vegan butcher cum chef, who hinted at the possibility of other YamChops locations opening up in the near future, believes there are many more non-vegan foods with “vega-nized” potential. “The world of plant-based foods is constantly evolving,” says Abramson. “From dairy-free ice creams to nut-based cheeses to vegan desserts to ‘meat’ analogues … there is a ton of growing still to do. There is no question that a plant-based diet can (and should) be as nutritious and deli-cious as a non-veg diet. ” ×

Fresh “meat”


NEXT STOP

PEROGY BOYZwww.perogyboyz.comAs its moniker suggests, this Calgary food truck slings all man-ner of perogies. Owners Deb Lawton and Jim Nikiforuk have turned the Central and Eastern European delicacy on its head with brio. Case in point: perogies à la Brie & Basil, Huevos Ran-cheros and Tex-Mex. Purists will approve of the more tradition-al variation of the dumpling, topped with caramelized onions, double smoked bacon, sour cream, fresh chives and dill with a side of kielbasa (Ukrainian garlic sausage).

JOBIE’S MOBILE KITCHENjobiesmobilekitchen.wix.com/2013/Pulled pork poutine, three-cheese (cheddar, brie and mozzarel-la) grilled cheese sandwich, arancini: Jobie’s Mobile Kitchen, with a view of the Bathurst waterfront, serves up quintessential comfort food from here and abroad. Chef Joel Aubie’s menu also features a notable BBQ pulled pork sandwich with cabbage, carrot and apple slaw, alongside the mobile house’s popular eponymous burger — a beef-and-pork patty topped with ched-dar, bacon, caramelized onions and grainy mustard mayo.

VIJ’S RAILWAY EXPRESSwww.vijsrailwayexpress.comAward-winning chef Vikram Vij’s mobile restaurant — stationed weekdays at 1075 West Georgia Street in downtown Vancouver — invites street-scouring foodies on a day trip through the In-dian countryside. Staples of the food truck decked like a railcar include a mild Lucknow lamb kebab, and a vegan and gluten-free rice puff and chickpea salad. The Oceanwise-certified seared cod in a mango sour-cream curry with citrus zest confit and the butter chicken schnitzel, however, lend singularity to Vij’s gourmet ensemble offering.

FOOD DUDESwww.thefooddudes.comFrom Nuit Blanche to the Canadian National Exhibition to their signature block parties, here is a food truck on a mission to feed Toronto’s hungry revellers with fare on par with the vibrant festivities. Fête or no fête, chef Adrian Niman’s sleek mobile eatery travels throughout the GTA to provide passersby with global, unabashedly rich cuisine — think Cap’n Crunch fish tacos, an Asian-American twist on the Mexican staple, and mac ‘n’ cheese, complete with lemon zest panko, smoked tomato ketchup and fresh chives. The ultimate indulgence? The Nutella bomb: homemade banana bread filled with the famous hazelnut chocolate spread and topped with bourbon caramel sauce and whipped cream. ×

DINING ON THE GO

Gourmet pit stops, roadside fusion cuisine and travelling comfort food: in the short time since their resurgence, food trucks have earned their place among brick-and-mortar fine dining insti-tutions thanks to creative street eats made from scratch with local, in-season ingredients. After LA, New York and San Francisco, Canada’s very own roadside restos are livening up the con-temporary food scene from coast to coast.

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AMYTAIO AD 2 (AD-VERTO-RIAL) IN FOLDER

In North West Greece, the Appellations of Florina (P.G.I . Florina) and Amyndeon (P.D.O. Amyndeon) are located in a region with ideal conditions for the production of high quality wines.

The viticulture zone of Amyndeon, sub region to that of Florina, probably the most promising in Greece, covers an area of more than 700ha, in a mountain plateau (580 – 700m) with semi conti-nental climate, alluvium, sandy, sandy clay soils of excellent drainage, dictated by three big mountain volumes and two lakes. This is the smallest, cold-

est, driest and most north Ap-pellation in Greece.

An ecosystem with ideal

conditions for high quality practices from vine to bottle.

P.D.O. (Protected Designation of Origin) Amynde-on wines are 100% Xinomavro (“ksee-NOH-mah-vroh”), dry wines and they range from sti l l to sparkling and from white (Blanc de Noir) to rose (Saignée) and big reds with unique tasting features and long ageing capacity.

P.G.I . (Protected Geographical Indication) Florina wines range in the same types and colors of wines, with the addition of few late harvest and a wide range of indigenous and international variet-ies, from Malagouzia, Roditis, Assyrtiko, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer in the whites, to Mav-ropahne, Syrah, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sau-vignon, Tannat, Montepulciano and Negro Amaro in the reds.

The region is proudly producing with consistency wines that are considered among Greece’s top quality wines with high international reputation.

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Quench_advertorial.indd 1 30/4/2015 18:36:11


FEED BY TOM DE LARZAC

IN THE HEART OF BARBECUE SEA-SON, it is hard to argue that one thing is better than another when it comes off the grill. But I will make the argument that or-ganic meat has a better flavour, and things don’t get much better than wild game.

I’m not a hunter myself, but I know a few friends who are and, lucky for me, they are generous enough to share. I have had many different kinds of game, but I clearly remember the first time I tried moose. I was in Vancouver on a trip and the friends I was staying with told me they had a surprise for me: MOOSE! They had a freezer full of it. All I had to do is tell them what I wanted to try and it would be on the menu. We pulled out a few pounds of ground moose and a few steaks (each had to be about one and a half pounds). I remember that the meat was much darker than I expected and much more lean that I would have thought (hence the need for some additional fat in the recipe; I learned that the first time we made it).

We grilled everything up the next evening. The smell filled the house and the table was completely full. As we let the meat rest, my mouth was watering with anticipation. The first bite did not disappoint. The meat was much milder and much less gamey than I expected and had remembered from my other wild game experiences. It was great and quick-ly made its way near the top of my list of favourite game meats.

If you ever get the chance to try moose, I highly recommend it. I can’t wait for the next time that I am lucky enough to have some shared with me again.

MOOSE BURGERS

1 lb ground moose (or any meat of your choice)

1 egg 1 shallot, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 2 tbsp mustard 2 tbsp butter, cold and cut into

small pieces 1/4 cup parsley, chopped 1 tbsp salt and pepper (each)

1. In a bowl, mix all ingredients together. Do not over mix. Form into 4 equal balls and press out into flat patties (approx. 1/2 inch thick). Cover patties and place in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes.2. Preheat your barbecue on medium-high heat 15 minutes prior to cooking.3. Grill on first side for 3 minutes. Flip and grill for 2 minutes. Rotate by 90 degrees (for the perfect hash mark) for another 2 minutes. Flip over (back to first side) while rotating for an additional 2 minutes. 4. Do not overcook as the meat will easily dry out. Serve with your favourite bun and toppings, and enjoy. ×

A wild surprise


LAZY MIXOLOGIST BY CHRISTINE SISMONDO

× Visit quench.me/search-mixed/ for more drink recipes

DE LIONCOURT 1 oz El Dorado 12-year-old rum 1/2 oz Angostura bitters 1/2 oz honey syrup* 1/2 oz Pinot Noir verjus Pinch of nutmeg

Add all ingredients (except nutmeg) to ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into small chilled cocktail glass. Finish with nutmeg.

*HONEY SYRUP IS SIMPLE: heat one part honey with one part water; cool and bottle. ×

WHEN I STARTED SEEING REFERENCES TO “GREEN JUICE” ALL OVER SOCIAL MEDIA A FEW MONTHS BACK, I’LL ADMIT I BECAME PRETTY EXCITED. I was certain verjus — the pressed juice made from un-der-ripe grapes — was finally going mainstream. People, at last, were tweak-ing to the promise of this up-and-comer, known to many as the chef ’s “secret weapon,” used in salads, sauces and anything that needs a hit of acidity.

Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that “green juice” was in no way a reference to the elixir formerly known as “vert jus,” but instead, merely a name for liquefied kale, apparently a key component of the latest fad juicing diet. Verjus, on the other hand, is no fad, but rather a somewhat forgotten ingredient with a long and reputable culinary history that is finally being revived. It’s also being called to the bar, as tenders catch on to its promise in cocktails.

Verjus’ stock went up last summer, when the infamous drug cartel-in-duced Great Lime Shortage of 2014 got people interested in lemons, grape-fruits and, of course, verjus.

“I actually thought the whole limepocalypse thing was a little over-blown,” says David Greig, a survivor of the 2014 ordeal, who manages the cocktail program at Toronto’s Hoof Cocktail Bar, Black Hoof and Rhum Corner. “I mean, first of all, prices in Canada weren’t affected nearly as much as they were in the United States. Second of all, I can see how, for a place like Tommy’s in San Francisco, it would be a real financial issue. But for your average Toronto bar, it’s like: ‘Really? You can’t just ride out this minor hike for a little while?’”

Indeed, the hype last summer was at a fevered pitch on social media as bartenders claimed that limes were over. Last year’s acid. A small clutch became immediate converts to verjus. For good reason: It’s crisp, fresh and sour — just what you want to balance out a little gin, rum or tequila.

“The upside of the lime panic is that it wound up being a really great opportunity for everyone to tinker with vinegars and other acids, like verjus,” says Greig.

He even came up with a bold and twangy cocktail that uses it, the de Lioncourt, a twist on the Trinidad Sour; it’s named for the main character of the Anne Rice novels, vampire Lestat de Lioncourt, because of its blood-red colour. The cocktail is on the menu at Cocktail Bar but, if you can get your hands on a little Pinot Noir verjus, it can be made in your home bar.

GREEN JUICE


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BON VIVANT BY PETER ROCKWELL

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A wise man (it might have been me) once said, “You can really judge how serious a restaurant is about wine by what it pours by the glass, especially when it comes to its most cheap and cheerful juice.”

Does that philosophy recite well at a roadside mom-and-pop type joint? Probably not. Pointing fingers at comfort (or fast food-esque) restaurants is a fool’s errand. They’re looking to wet your whistle, not tantalize your palate. If they serve vino at all, it probably comes from a box the size of an upright piano, so caveat emptor.

Fine dining “establishments,” on the other hand, are fair game when their liquid choices are put under the microscope. Since most brag up their beverages (and to sort of finally answer your question), what they put forward as a house wine should a) show some thought, b) represent their overall wine philosophy, and c) be, at the very least, pleasantly drinkable.

Back to that wise man’s quote. I always order a glass of house to help lubricate my perusal of the menu. After much trial and error, I can say with some authority that finding a decent drop at a reputable resto can still be a crapshoot that, in the end, may not represent the inspiration behind their full wine list.

I’ve been to fantastic restaurants with impressive wine cellars that throw their single-serve selections together with the grace of my mother tossing out the first pitch at a Blue Jays opener, and just as many that see their vino commitment all the way through to their everyday offerings.

Should I avoid a restaurant’s house wine?

With wine’s popularity on the upswing (especially with Millennial-aged drinkers) there are a lot of “white tablecloth” posers out there looking to sell you a great bottle rather than a good glass — they make more moolah from 750 ml, after all.

All that said, the times they are a-changing, with more and more restaurants taking advantage of customers drinking less but better by injecting inspiration and choice into their house offerings. So ask your server for a reco and let your palate be your barometer.

Why would anyone want to make wine with the grapes from “old vines?” Hey, old is the new young. At least that’s what I keep telling myself with every passing birthday. For your question to bear fruit, you have to understand the life cycle of a vine. On average, it takes about five years of growth before a winemaker can get picking, and the typical berry-bearing years of a vine top out around 40 years.

At the core of your enquiry is: Who cares? Well, as a vine gets older its capacity to create diminishes. That means with a little TLC, what berries it can pop get its full love and affection. Rather than having the vine make many ripe, a winemaker can make it focus its talents on just a few, which means the intensity of its liquid outcome will be crazy high.

In California, where anything marketable is marketed, old-vine wines tend to be ones made with grapes from a vine at least 35 years old. You’ll see a lot of Zinfandel claiming the designa-tion because it’s proven to keep the faith well past its supposed retirement age.

They’re kids compared to some of the vines still pumping the jam in Australia. I’ve wandered plenty of vineyards Down Under and they’ve got plants over 150 years old that are func-tioning members of winery society.

While they may look as gnarly as something out of Lord of the Rings, they still produce grapes that make incredible wines. ×


But once you brush away the dust, pop the cork and really let it breathe, wine might just be the most underrated and influen-tial cocktail ingredient of the ages. Its numerous styles and pro-files — from dry, fortified, sparkling and spiced — have played a fundamental role in the evolution of cocktail culture.

Wine itself predates recorded history, so given its venerable track record, it’s actually not surprising to note that we’ve been mixing with it for centuries. The ancient Greeks and Romans downed “wine cups” flavoured with honey, spices, fruit and herbs, which they often diluted with water, sometimes pulled from the sea. (Sounds suspiciously like the original vermouth to me — pass the orange peel and olives). These concoctions helped make crude wines remotely palatable and were quaffed as health tonics to treat ailments, from indigestion to snake bites.

At some point, Bacchus grew a moustache, covered himself in tattoos and got swept up in the spirit of mixology. Centuries of mulled wine, Bishops, punches, flips, sangarees and cobblers followed, es-tablishing wine’s sub-legacy as a classic cocktail ingredient.

As either base or a splash of nuance, wines add depth and zest to some of the most famous drinks of all time; the Manhattan, Martini, Cobbler, Champagne Cocktail and French 75 couldn’t exist without the gift of grapes. In this zeitgeist, where nothing old remains so for very long, classics remain prominent proto-types. Take the sherry cobbler, for instance — a simple mixture of sherry, seasonal fruit and sugar served over crushed ice. The cobbler was the most imbibed drink of its time, the late 1800s,

and it remains a go-to for many bartenders seeking to maximize approachability while still doing justice to sherry’s complexities.

“Cobblers are always refreshing and if executed properly, wine becomes the star of the cocktail, shining through beautiful-ly with the mere addition of different types of sugar and citrus,” notes Evelyn Chick, bar manager at The Harbord Room in To-ronto. “There are endless possibilities and flavour combinations with this timeless classic.”

In the wake of the brown-and-stirred cocktail boom, drinkers are seeking full flavours that pack less of a punch, delivering satis-faction without the crippling morning-after consequences. More often than not, wine is the answer; sherry and vermouth, with their bold profiles and stunted strengths, are replacing spirits in contemporized classics like sherry sours and vermouth-forward Manhattan variations without sacrificing the essential selling points of a good cocktail — aroma, flavour and texture.

“Champagne, sherry and still wines all add great complexity to a cocktail without sending ABV off the charts,” explains Mike Shum, bartender at Vancouver’s Fairmont Pacific Rim.

“Because of their lower ABV, cocktails can support a high-er volume of wine or fortified wine, which means the flavours can play a larger role without weighing down a cocktail,” Chick agrees. “There are certain aromas and tastes that may disappear through distillation. With wine, a lot of the original elements of the grape remain in the product after fermentation, giving you a much larger array of base flavours.”

At first mention, wine cocktails might inspire flashbacks of lifeless spritzers and tepid sangria laden with soggy fruit — or even more horrific visions of trailer park brand wine coolers.

by Sarah Parniak

Spritz


Wine also works well as an additive or base, Chick notes, nailing one of wine’s most attractive features as a cocktail ingre-dient — its versatility. With so many styles to work with, from sprightly finos to rich and silky PX sherries, robust Ports, creamy traditional method bubbles and spicy vermouths, it seems the most difficult thing to achieve when mixing wine is banality.

Unlike spirits, many wines undergo drastic evolution in the bottle. Many wine lovers even claim their favourite drink, like Frankenstein’s monster, is alive — and there’s something par-ticularly exhilarating about pseudo-sentient liquids that never provide the same experience twice. “There is a certain note of finality when using wine as it evolves in the bottle and with age so you will never have the same product again,” Shum observes.

While fortified wines like some sherries, Port and Madeira have a more prolonged shelf life for savouring or mixing as de-sired, there’s a finite window of time to enjoy most wines once the cork’s been pulled. As oxygen steadily strangles exposed vino, it can be revitalized instead of wasted in batches of punch or san-gria. Mixing wine can be economical way for bars to keep down liquor cost and skirt the shame of spoiled product, notes Oliver Stern, bar manager at the Toronto Temperance Society.

“When my red wine starts to go off, I reduce it with sugar and turn it into a syrup. We use it as a base for several cocktails like sherry cobblers and house drinks like Girl in Trouble [recipe to the right],” Stern said.

Even would-be wine is finding its way into contemporary drinks; the funky and acidic punch of verjus (the pressed juice of unripened grapes) has become a trendy cocktail ingredient. “It’s a great way to bring out bright, citric flavours in cocktails without actually using citrus,” Stern explains.

Wine is also the essence of brandy, which is featured promi-nently in classic cocktail recipes, and eau de vie like Latin Amer-ican Pisco and Italian grappa — but that’s another story. Plenty of famous wine-heavy cocktails — Sangria and Kalimotxo, the Kir Royale and the Negroni Sbagliato — hail from localities that produce an abundance of wine. Homegrown product continues to inspire modern mixology.

Jeffrey Van Horne, bar manager at Lot Six Oyster Bar in Hali-fax, Nova Scotia, works local wine into many of his cocktails. The maritime climate, Van Horne explains, is best suited to produc-ing aromatic, off-dry white varietals like l’Acadie Blanc, Seville Blanc and Muscat that play nice with fruity flavours.

“I like to use our famed Nova Scotia Tidal Bay as a base for infusions. It’s is a terroir driven blend created in Nova Scotia and produced by almost all of our wineries,” Van Horne explains. “Wine based infusions are basically like making your own ver-mouth. In the end, you’re left with a highly aromatic, fruit-for-ward wine that can easily take the place of most vermouths in citrusy cocktails like the Corpse Reviver Number Two.”

Though contemporary cocktail bartenders are taking an in-novative approach with wine, it’s a tried, tested and true ingre-dient that’s laid the blueprint for some of the world’s most mem-orable drinks. As Chick reflects, “probably the most successful approach I’ve taken is just to let the wines shine through without tempering too much with their flavours.”

However you pour it, wine has a story to tell; cocktails are just one more expression. ×

WE’VE GOT GRAPESCourtesy of Jeffrey Van Horne, bar manager at Lot Six Oyster Bar in Halifax. 1 oz Plymouth gin 1 1/2 oz fresh grapefruit juice 1 bar spoon lemon thyme tincture 3 oz Nova 7 Splash of soda

Add all ingredients to a collins glass full of ice and stir brief-ly, garnish with a grapefruit zest and a sprig of thyme.

LEMON THYME TINCTURECombine the zest of 2 lemons and 8 sprigs of thyme with 2 ounces of vodka in a mason jar. Muddle briefly then add another 6 ounces of vodka. Seal jar and let infuse for 2 to 3 days. Check after 2 days to make sure the infusion doesn’t become too bitter.

GIRL IN TROUBLECourtesy of Oliver Stern, bar manager at the Toronto Temperance Society. 1 1/2 oz Absolut Elyx 1/2 oz red wine syrup 1/4 oz LBV port 1/4 oz cassis 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice

Shake and serve over crushed ice, garnish with blackber-ries and lemon zest.

PERSISTENCE OF MEMORYCourtesy of Evelyn Chick, bar manager at The Harbord Room. 1 oz Grappa di Bassano 1 oz Fonseca White Port 1/2 oz luxardo apricot 1/2 oz chamomile syrup 3/4 oz lime juice Barspoon absinthe

Shake and strain into a chilled coupe.

SHISO FLYCourtesy of Mike Shum, bartender at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver. 1 oz New York Distilling Co. Dorothy Parker gin 1 oz Le Vieux Pin sauvignon blanc 1/2 fresh lemon juice 1/3 oz simple syrup 1 fresh shiso leaf

Shake and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a shiso leaf. Use a Perlini system or top with a little soda for effer-vescence, if desired.


The wine writing industry seems to have developed its own language, one that can exclude the consumer. In his article “Communicating your Passion” [April 2015 issue], Tony Aspler, long-time Quench contributor and Canada’s “The Wine Guy,” aptly compares wine experts to academics. When you study a subject for as long as many of the experts have, the language and terminology becomes sec-ond nature, to the point where you can’t believe someone wouldn’t understand what it meant.

This mentality is most evident in wine tasting notes (see page 52). Decoding tast-ing notes starts with understanding the structure the wine writer uses and how he or she evaluates the wine (it also helps to remember that wine tasting is subjective).

LOOKWhen you’re at a tasting, the first thing they tell you to do is look at the wine. Wine writers will incorporate this first look into their reviews, giving you a sense of the co-lour and clarity. “The colour, for an expert, is going to tell a lot about the wine,” says Linda Bramble, sommelier, wine writer and the 2010 recipient of the Wine Jour-nalism Award.

These evaluations hold more mean-ing than just the aesthetics. “Colour is important because it gives you a sense of what to expect in the wine,” says Aspler. “If it’s got deep colour, you know it is prob-ably going to have a lot of flavour.”

It’s not just the hue but also the quality of the colour that indicates the health and age of a wine. “When an agent goes to buy a wine, they’re judging things by the co-lour,” says Bramble. “For example, if they look at it and the colour is pale orange, that is going to tell the purchaser if it’s ox-idized, not Pinot Noir.”

“In red wines, the warmer growing re-gions will produce deeper colours,” says Aspler. “The colour will change with age, particularly with white wines. Red wines lose colour with age, white wines gain co-lour with age. They go deeper.”

In addition to the colour type and quality, writers will sometimes mention clarity. “Clarity is good because if a wine is hazy, it could mean the wine is sick, there’s something wrong with it,” says Bramble.

When you read a note that de-scribes a wine as a clear deep ruby, you can infer that the wine is full of flavour, very healthy and possibly still young. Whereas a wine that is more of a clear pale ruby may be more mellow, still healthy and older.

SNIFFThe second part of a tasting is to stick your nose in the glass and take a deep whiff. Writers often indicate the nose by using the term aroma or bouquet. It’s im-portant to note that there is a difference between the two.

“Aroma will refer to what they call the primary aromas of the wine when it’s young,” explains Bramble. “For instance, Cabernet Franc, if it’s a typical Caber-net Franc, will smell of raspberries and red berry fruit. That’s the primary aroma when it’s young.”

“Bouquet is the smell of a finished wine that’s had some age,” Aspler says.

“As it grows and ages, these primary aromas change and they become something broader and more lovely,” explains Bramble. “They’ve melded; they’re not identifiable. Or if they’re identifiable, they’ve changed.“

However, the most important part of this step is to understand the larger role smell plays in wine tasting. “So when you sniff [wine], what are you sniffing for?” asks Bramble. “Well, the health of the wine. You’re also sniffing for the typical smells that the wine is supposed to be. For the consumer, unless he or she understands what you’re looking for when you smell something, it doesn’t mean anything.”

A good review of a wine can mean the difference between buying the bot-tle and putting it back on the shelf to continue your search. Tasting notes brandish a variety of terms as if they mean something — making the average wine lover, like yourself, just smile, nod, pick up the bottle of rosé with the “light and fruity” sticker and walk away.

by Lisa Hoekstra

NO UNCER-TAIN TERMS


“The nose is the most important organ that you have when it comes to wine tast-ing, because it’s going to tell you 90 per-cent of what you want to know about the wine,” Aspler mentions. “What it won’t tell you is how long the wine is going to last in the mouth.”

Next time you read a note with aromas of blackberry and blueberry, you know that the wine is young, with a nose that has yet to mature. And if you see a bouquet of red berry and red fruit, you can consider the wine to be more mature.

TASTENow we get to the meat of any note — the taste. The taste of a wine comes with a multitude of different terms: attack, mid-palate, mouthfeel, palate, finish and more. Breaking up a wine’s taste into its first, second and third phase is the best way to understand what these terms re-ally mean, and how most writers will ap-proach their tasting notes.

“Basically, the three steps to tasting are the immediate taste, what happens on the palate and the finish,” says Aspler. “Attack is a term that expresses how wine immediately feels on the palate. Does it express itself immediately or does it take some time to show itself ?”

When writers talk about having specif-ic attack characteristics, that means that these characteristics hit you right from the get go, and — in a good wine at least — will be replaced by parts two and three.

Which brings us to part two — the pal-ate. “Very few people are going to define [palate],” says Bramble. “My definition of palate could be very different from what another person might suggest.”

It’s difficult to pin down an exact, uni-versally recognized definition of palate because the term encompasses many dif-ferent parts of a wine’s taste. Aspler ex-plains: “the palate is the general sensation of the taste, what happens in the mouth.” Writers will decide which is the best in-terpretation for their review. But, there are more specific terms used in wine writ-ing that are part of the palate, but have dis-

tinct meaning; mid-palate, for example.“When the wine enters your mouth

you get a primary taste and then you can start breaking down the elements,” he continues. “Mid-palate is what happens when the wine evolves on the palate and opens up … because you have the wine in your mouth for a while and it begins to ex-press itself.”

The mid-palate is important. “Some bottles are referred to as doughnut wines. They have an opening and a finish but nothing in the middle,” says Bramble. “So when they refer to something that has body, it’s full in the middle.”

Texture, or mouthfeel, is another part of the palate.

“The mouthfeel is about the texture of the wine, how it feels in the mouth,” says Aspler. “Does it feel soft? Does it feel bright and fresh? Does it feel well bal-anced? Does it feel velvety in the case of good Burgundy? It’s the tactile expression of the wine in the mouth.”

“We did a study at Brock University to come up with a lexicon to relate that feel,” mentions Bramble. “Dr Gary Pickering had plates with different types of fabrics; silk on one, velvet, a shammy and wool to differ-ent grains of sandpaper at the end.” They

then tried to compare the feeling on their tongues with the texture of those cloths.

“Mouthfeel can be dry, astringent, smooth,” says Bramble. “It’s all referring to the texture, specifically for red wines. We overlook texture, but our non-conscience pleasure areas are very aware of it.”

But there is a flip side — if the tex-ture isn’t complemented by mid-pal-ate characteristics, or flavours on the attack, it can indicate a poor wine. “Many bottlings are just sweetness and alcohol, which gives great texture, but if you close your eyes, there’s no fla-vour,” says Bramble. “A good wine has

identifiable flavour. Is it important to identify that flavour? Only for personal pleasure so you know what you’re look-ing for in the future.”

The palate, mid-palate, texture and mouthfeel all represent different facets of the taste that are felt and experienced — writers describe these qualities so you know what to expect in the middle of en-joying your wine. Which brings us to the final tasting phase.

“The end taste is called the finish,” says Aspler. “How does the wine finish? Does it have good length, is it tannic, does it have good lift?”

“Attack is a term that expresses how wine immediately feels on the palate. Does it ex-press itself immediate-ly or does it take some time to show itself?”


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“The longer you can taste the wine in your mouth, the better the wine,” says Bramble. “Some wines you sip them and they’re gone. Good wines can be sipped and savoured. A long finish is a mark of quality.”

YOUR DECODER RINGWine tasting is subjective. Not every-one will find the same flavours, aromas or sensations, because everyone has had different experiences. Decoding wine notes isn’t just about understanding the terminology, it’s about understand-ing how the terminology applies to your personal preferences and finding a wine writer that matches you.

“The idea is to find somebody whose palate is similar to your own,” says Bram-ble. “You have to go out, taste the wines, read the notes … if what they say matches your palate, then they are experts for you. They’re your stand in.”

In the end, your decoder ring isn’t learning the common terminology and how it’s used in wine writing, but rather uncovering the terminology of a specific writer and discerning if his or her reviews are similar to yours, then bookmarking, reading and tasting everything that has been written. Because you know that what they like, you’ll like.

OTHER COMMON TERMSBODY AND WEIGHTTONY ASPLER“Body is about weight. It’s either light bod-ied, medium bodied or full bodied. That has a lot to do with alcohol and extract.

“It’s not weight in the sense of putting it on the scale; it’s a question of mouthfeel. A wine of high alcohol like Châteauneuf-du-Pape will feel heavier on the palate while Beaujolais, which is lighter in style, will feel lighter.”

LINDA BRAMBLE“Weight can be equated to the amount of alcohol that gives you a feeling of light-ness or heaviness. It could also refer to the amount of extract in a wine — the stuff that’s left over in the morning when you don’t wash the glass.”

MINERALITY TONY ASPLER“Minerality in a wine … really speaks to the terroir, the soil, in which the wine is grown. If you get that mineral sensation, the wine has absorbed those elements in the soil. It could be crushed stones or chalkiness, something that reminds you of minerals. You get that a lot in Riesling for example. It’s usually more prevalent in cool climate wines, because in warm growing countries the sunshine pro-duces higher alcohol wines, higher fruit ex-tract. So they’re more fruit driven.”

WELL BALANCEDTONY ASPLER“Well balanced means that the alcohol, the oak, the fruit, the acid … nothing is disjointed. They are harmonious. One el-ement isn’t standing out.”

LINDA BRAMBLE“The basic components of a wine are its sugar, acidity, tannins (bitterness) and al-cohol. Too much of any one component will change the pleasure equation of the wine.”

COMPLEXITYLINDA BRAMBLE“This is a difficult [term] since it can be addressed better with experience, but if a novice finds that the taste is lingering long after it’s swallowed and it is appealing from sip to sip, that’s complexity.”

BOOKS TO READEvery academic subject has a collection of books that experts use as references. Wine is no different. Linda Bramble sug-gests that anyone interested in learning more about the lexicon of the wine tasting note flip through one of these references:

The Oxford Companion to Wine by Jancis Robinson MW

The Wine Experience by Gérard Basset ×


ALTHOUGH NOVA SCOTIA CAN PLAUSIBLY CLAIM TO BE THE CRADLE OF VITICULTURE IN NORTH AMERI-CA, THE MODERN INDUSTRY IS REALLY LESS THAN 40 YEARS OLD. Original French settlers in the early 1600s plant-ed vinifera grapes brought from their native France. However, the settlement was short-lived and we have little evidence as to whether they thrived or not.

Based on scientific evidence at the time, it was widely ac-cepted that local conditions were too harsh for classic vinif-era such as Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir and the like to be cultivated successfully. So from the outset, the backbone of Nova Scotia viticulture has been based on winter-har-dy hybrid varietals. Many people may have forgotten that the same held true for viticulture in Niagara as well as BC’s Okanagan Valley.

It was only in more recent years that this orthodoxy was chal-lenged by a small number of bold growers in Niagara. The rest, of course, is well known. In both provinces, classic vinifera variet-ies now dominate, though hybrids do continue to play a signifi-cant, but definitely secondary, role. Why then, does the same not hold true for Nova Scotia?

Nova Scotia’s climate is greatly influenced by its proximi-ty to the sea. It is rarely extremely cold but neither does it get especially warm. The growing season is typically shorter and more temperate than the Niagara Peninsula. What has been learned, often by trial and error, is that proper vineyard site se-lection is critically important. As more attention is being paid to this issue, grapes planted in well-selected sites are doing better. Combined with better clonal selection and the appli-cation of other modern methods, certain grapes are showing increasingly impressive results.

Simon Rafuse, French-trained winemaker at Blomidon Es-tate Winery, puts it this way: “I think that as vineyard manage-ment practices improve and as we get a better understanding of site selection, varieties, clones and rootstock, vinifera will make up more and more of the wines in Nova Scotia. That said, I think there is still a ways to go. Just because we can grow certain vari-eties doesn’t mean we should. We need to be able to ripen vinifera (to the level we want for different wine styles) consistently and at yield levels that are practical.”

Avondale Sky winemaker Ben Swetnam also strikes a cau-tionary tone: “If you are going to grow vinifera in Nova Scotia, you need a backup plan — sparkling or rosé, for example.”

There is a certain well-known French wine region north-east of Paris that has done rather well with such a backup plan. As studies undertaken by authoritative winery consultant, Pe-ter Gamble, have shown, Nova Scotia terroir bears striking re-semblances to said region. Perhaps it is no accident then, that traditional method sparkling wines are starting to gain such remarkable acclaim for Nova Scotia as they have for a couple of centuries in that other region we all know as Champagne.

94 DOMAINE DE GRAND PRÉ RIESLING ICEWINE 2013, ANNAPOLIS VALLEY ($54.50/375 ML)This intensely aromatic and deeply concentrated sweet wine shows great complexity and finesse. Floral honey, orange, tanger-ine, spice and mineral are all evident on the nose, with rich, sweet lemon citrus, honeycomb, vanilla and white chocolate in the mouth. Crisp acidity brings dynamic balance to lingering citrus, white chocolate and spice on the finish.

88 PLANTER’S RIDGE RIESLING 2013, ESTATE GROWN ($23) Gentle scents of spring flowers and white peach yield to stone fruit and citrus flavours backed by crisp acidity and firm mineral. A rather lean but elegant wine.

88 PLANTER’S RIDGE QUINTESSENCE WHITE 2013 ($24)Predominantly Muscat, with small amount of Frontenac Gris and l’Acadie, showing aromatic peachy floral and spicy white pepper notes. Lightly pungent Muscat, citrus and lychee kick in on the palate, with creaminess juxtaposed against gravelly mineral.

90 PLANTER’S RIDGE KAYLI’S BLEND 2013 ($20)A blend of 87% local honey with 13% Annapolis Valley Chardon-nay, this intriguing wine reveals delicate honey, citrus and floral notes on the nose. Equally delicate on the palate, with light honeyed sweetness, it finishes with refreshing, contrasting stony mineral character. Drink as an apéritif or with biscotti.

90 BENJAMIN BRIDGE NOVA 7 2014 ($24.95)Intense floral notes suggest white spring flowers with a light scent of Gewürztraminer-like peppery spice together with tree fruits and a touch of strawberry. With classic Nova Scotia stony mineral and lively acidity, finishing just off-dry, this is another winning vintage for this now iconic wine.

IN OUR OWN SWEET TIMEby Sean Wood


01 The team at Benjamin Bridge: owner Ashley McConnell-Gor-don, head winemaker Jean-Benoit Deslauriers and owner Devon McConnell-Gordon; 02 Avondale Sky’s winemaker Ben Swet-nam; 03 Simon Rafuse, winemaker at Blomidon Estates; 04 Winemaker Jürg Stutz from Domaine de Grand Pré

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91 BENJAMIN BRIDGE MÉTHODE CLASSIQUE ROSÉ 2011 ($44.50)Pale onion skin colour with attractive fresh berry, floral and smoky/toasty aromatics. Sensations of lightly sweet fresh red berry and creamy softness contrast with bright acidity and crisp mineral on the palate. Offers simple elegance and charm.

89 BENJAMIN BRIDGE MÉTHODE CLASSIQUE BRUT 2008 ($44.50)With 4 years on the lees, this one shows lively mousse and plenty of creamy brioche on the nose with floral, citrus and mineral notes. Concentrated citrus and green apple, focused bright acidity and characteristic mineral grip on the palate lead into an almost bone dry finish. Can benefit from more time in the cellar.

90 BLOMIDON ESTATE WINERY ESTATE GROWN TRA-DITIONAL METHOD SPARKLING 2011, ANNAPOLIS VAL-LEY (TO BE RELEASED THIS SUMMER, $40-45 RANGE)Sourced entirely from grapes grown in Blomidon Estate’s Woodside vineyard, the wine is predominantly Chardonnay with smaller amounts of Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Riesling. Showing very lively mousse with delicate floral, citrus and bis-cuit on the nose, and rounded citrus and green apple flavours emerging on the palate. Finishes with great minerality, zingy acidity and a luscious creamy overlay.

90 BLOMIDON ESTATE UNOAKED CHARDONNAY 2013 ($22)Intriguing floral, peach and tropical fruit with a suggestion of mango and a subtle spicy scent, shifting to dominant sappy green apple in the mouth. With creamy texture, mineral and a dry grip-py finish, this is very well made in the Burgundian style.

88 BLOMIDON ESTATE WINERY ESTATE GROWN RE-SERVE CHARDONNAY 2013, ANNAPOLIS VALLEY ($35)Unfined, unfiltered and barrel-fermented with further aging in French oak for 2 months, this richly scented, complex wine shows mellow citrus, hazelnut and light buttery toast on the nose with dominant green apple on the opulently creamy palate. Finishes with very dry oaky notes, likely needing a little more time for oak to integrate more fully.

92 BLOMIDON ESTATE VIN DE PAILLE 2012, ANNAPOLIS VALLEY ($35/375 ML)French trained winemaker Simon Rafuse has created an out-standing wine based on the traditional method of drying grapes on a bed of straw. Very deep golden amber in colour, the wine unfolds a deeply perfumed, very complex bouquet revealing apricot, lemon, honey and agreeable, lightly oxidative notes. Rich-ly rounded, creamy and unctuously sweet on the palate, showing lemon and orange citrus character countered by great acid balance and mineral grip. Finishes with lingering floral, lightly honeyed notes and stone fruit.

90 LUCKETT VINEYARDS ORTEGA 2014 (TANK SAMPLE) ($22)Deeply perfumed floral, ripe peach and citrus aromatics are rem-

iniscent of Viognier. Zesty ripe yellow fruit with a touch of honey, crisp acidity, mineral and light balancing creaminess in the mouth culminate with white peach, a light touch of residual sweetness and dry mineral grip.

89 LUCKETT VINEYARDS TIDAL BAY 2014 (TANK SAMPLE) ($22)Elegantly fragrant floral, yellow and green fruit with a trace of honeyed lemon citrus. Succulently fresh, citrus-led fruit in the mouth with typical lively acidity and minerality, and an elegant splash of creaminess on the harmonious, lightly off-dry finish.

88 LUCKETT VINEYARDS ESTATE GROWN BURIED WHITE 2014 (TANK SAMPLE) ($38)Buried in oak barrels for one full season in the same vineyard where the grapes were grown, this most unusual wine shows soft mellow citrus and floral scents with creamy lemon citrus, butterscotch, bright acidity and terroir-driven mineral on the long, toasty buttery finish.

89 GASPEREAU VINEYARDS RIESLING 2013 ($18.99)True Riesling varietal character on the nose with delicate floral scents, lemon, a trace of lime, mineral and a light whiff of petrol. Lime comes to the fore on the palate, backed by characteristic Nova Scotia lively acidity and mineral grip balanced with a splash of creaminess on the off-dry finish.

88 GASPEREAU VINEYARDS MUSCAT 2013 ($18.99)Deep yellow straw coloured with characteristic floral and lightly pungent, peppery Muscat intensity. Delicate citrus and stone fruit flavours are supported by nicely balanced acidity and min-erality with lychee flavour lingering on the finish. An excellent pairing for spicy Asian dishes.

88 AVONDALE SKY WINERY TRADITIONAL METH-OD SPARKLING WINE 2012 (NOT YET DISGORGED, PLANNED RELEASE, NOVEMBER 2015)When released, there will be at least 1,000 bottles of this aromatic sparkler. At present, it reveals aromatic fresh red berry and floral scents with yeasty brioche. Strawberry flavour comes to the fore in the mouth with characteristic Nove Scotia mineral and forward acidity, finishing very dry.

89 AVONDALE SKY WINERY SELECT SMALL LOTS GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2013, ESTATE GROWN, AVONDALE PENINSULA ($20)A charming, delicate wine showing good varietal rose petal scents with a touch of peppery spice and a whiff of smoke. Shifts to soft red berry flavour, rounded, creamy texture and lingering floral and berry fruit on the finish.

88 AVONDALE SKY WINERY PINOT NOIR BLANC DE NOIR 2014 ($26)Opens with lively fresh floral and strawberry scents. Both raspberry and strawberry flavours are evident in the mouth, backed by brisk acidity, mineral, a splash of creaminess and light residual sweetness. ×


Following the Free Trade pullout of hybrids and labrusca in the late 1980s, BC saw the beginnings of a headlong rush to plant Bordeaux varieties in the south Okanagan. Much of that rationale was driven by commercial interests but also by a less tangible quest for red respectability, widely perceived to come in the form of Bordeaux’s principal variety: Cabernet Sauvignon and blends.

More than a few folks jumped on the bandwagon, although it didn’t take long to discover that Cabernet Sauvignon’s chances of ripening in every vintage — except in a few very specific sites — were not necessarily guaranteed. That was especially true in the 1990s, pre-global warming, when more than a few years turned out to be challenging. The result was that Merlot quickly ascend-ed to grab the red varietal crown.

Despite early enthusiasm, by the turn of the century, Cab-ernet’s limitations had become readily apparent. Even in the South Okanagan, Bordeaux’s favourite grape could be some-what temperamental.

In many ways it also reinforced the thinking of the time that you couldn’t ripen anything red north of MacIntyre Bluff, just south of Okanagan Falls. (That may well be true for Cabernet but there’s no shortage of Syrah performing well at sites such as Painted Rock [on Skaha Bluffs] and on the Naramata Bench. Not to mention extensive plantings of Pinot Noir.)

In those early days, however, beyond blending, it seemed un-likely that Cabernet Franc would amount to anything more than a curiosity. However, a couple of timely decisions played out in Cab Franc’s favour.

The Okanagan has had (and continues to enjoy) its share of colourful characters. Among them is Joe Busnardo, who in 1968 established the first major red vinifera vineyard in the valley. As John Schreiner notes: “Hardly anybody was growing vinifera at the time. The wineries refused to pay Joe a premium for the vines and then eventually forced him to open Divino Estate Winery in 1983, giving himself a home for his grapes.”

Busnardo sold the vineyard in 1996, along with the winery he built, to a group that renamed it Hester Creek (a nod to the daughter of the original ranchers). The famously feisty Busnardo moved Divino Winery to Cobble Hill on Vancouver Island, where it still flourishes. Winemaking at the new Hester Creek is in the hands of winemaker Rob Summers, who moved to the Okanagan in 2006, having worked for several respected Niagara producers. Nobody is happier that Busnardo planted Cabernet Franc in 1968 than Summers. Not to mention some other things also, such as the valley’s only Trebbiano — the “Treb” as he likes to call it.

Today those original plants (imported from Italy) are now massive, twisted trunks — with most of the heritage vineyard still dating from the late 1960s and early 1970s. They’re very old and well established vines, all on their own rootstock — and happy, suggests the winemaker. “The reason they’ve all survived,” says Summers, “is because they love it where they are. That’s one of the reasons that our Cab Franc gets the weight it does and the consis-tency […] One of nice things about working with an older vineyard is it’s much more consistent, even if there are still vintage varia-tions. It’s a bit like working with a 40-year-old versus a teenager!”

Another committed believer, Tinhorn Creek co-owner Sandra Oldfield says Cab Franc wasn’t really in the picture when plan-ning for Black Sage was underway in 1993. Her husband Kenn had always figured on planting Pinot Noir as an early ripener, as well as Merlot, but it wasn’t until he was at USC Davis that Cabernet Franc came up as an option. It was considered less risky than Cab-ernet Sauvignon particularly for its ability to ripen 10 days ahead or more — a key factor even in the warmer South Okanagan.

“There was nothing else on the Black Sage Bench at the time. It was just like the Wild West,” says Oldfield, “We had to take the plunge.” (Although, as it turned out later, Black Sage Bench even-tually proved too hot for Pinot Noir.) She laughs and says: “Well, we figured if they (Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon) shared the same name, it just made sense.”

Is Cabernet Franc destined to become a mainstay BC — dare I say Canadian — red? It’s entirely possible that the lovechild of Cabernet

Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc may well indeed turn out to be the darling of an industry that, over the years, has pinned its hopes on everything

from Chancellor to Marechal Foch — and not a few in between.

CABby Tim Pawsey


01 Fort Beren’s winemaker Danny Hattingh; 02 Sommelier Owen Knowlton created his Owen Cab Franc with mentor Michael Bartier; 03 Stag’s Hollow owners Linda Pruegger and Larry Gerelus with winemaker Dwight Sick

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BAILLIE GROHMAN CABERNET FRANC 2012, OKANAGAN ($28)Creston winery sources this fruit from a single vineyard in Osoyoos, which yields upfront red and black fruit with some spicy notes, before a well-balanced palate of blackberry and cherry notes with well-managed tannins and good structure before a lingering close. All French oak aged (30% new). Platinum award winner 2014 BC Wine Awards.

BURROWING OWL VINEYARDS CABERNET FRANC 2010 ($33)Forward focused black fruit with blackberry and some mocha notes followed by a palate of rich red fruit with plush and plummy notes, integrated tannins and lingering acidity. Think lamb or game birds.

ELEPHANT ISLAND TOO NAYSAYER CABERNET FRANC 2011 ($30)Upfront red fruit on the nose followed by red berries and some earthy notes, red cherry, me-dium bodied with well integrated tannins and good length. (90% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot 2%, Cabernet Sauvignon).

FORT BERENS CABERNET FRANC 2012 ($25)While the initial red varieties came from Osoyoos, an increasing amount is estate grown, Lillooet fruit — 70% for this vintage. Forward darker black fruit and rosemary notes, followed by earthy and blue fruit notes on the medium-bodied palate. Enjoy it with slow-cooked pork, foraged sautéed mushrooms or on its own.

HARPER’S TRAIL CABERNET FRANC 2012 ($26)Bright red fruit on top followed by a medium-bodied palate of blackberry and raspberry notes wrapped in easy tannins and juicy acidity, with slightly mineral undertones and good length to finish. Pair with winter dishes like cassoulet, duck breast or firm cheeses such as cheddar.

HESTER CREEK 2012 CABERNET FRANC ($29)The original planting in BC, dating from the 1960s, yields aromas of deep red fruit and vanilla before a layered palate of bing cherry and mulberry, wrapped in juicy acidity with good struc-ture, approachable tannins and a lengthy close. Match with duck magret or venison.

OWEN CABERNET FRANC 2011 ($26)Berries and dark chocolate on top, followed by a juicy palate with boysenberry and blueberry notes, a touch of minerality and approachable, easy tannins. Think pasta with tomato-based sauce. Part of Okanagan Crush Pad Okanagan Wine Campus Series, produced with West Restaurant sommelier Owen Knowlton.

SEVEN STONES CABERNET FRANC 2011, SIMILKAMEEN ($30)Upfront red and black fruit notes with a well-structured palate of plummy and raspberry notes, layered and well-integrated tannins, and a slightly spicy, lingering close.

STAGS HOLLOW CABERNET FRANC 2012 ($28)Upfront blackberry and cherry with toasty hints and some earthy notes, followed by a full-bod-ied palate with well-balanced tannins and juicy acidity. Pair with braised meats and vegetables.

TINHORN CREEK CABERNET FRANC 2012 ($22)The Black Sage bench single block, which yeilds forward red and black fruit, was specially selected to create the Oldfield Series. Upfront red fruit with some herbal notes followed by a well-balanced cherry, raspberry and vanilla toned palate with structured but approachable tannins and a good close.

TINHORN CREEK OLDFIELD SERIES 2BENCH ROSÉ 2013 ($20)While Tinhorn’s “regular” Oldfield Cab Franc (introduced in 2010) is made only in certain vintages, more recently rosé has been taking centre stage. Rhubarb and strawberry front, followed by a crisp, dry palate.


Tinhorn planted only five-and-a-half acres in the first year but by 1997 there were 22 acres.

Oldfield says she loved the Cab Franc from the word go. The first (tiny) vintage was 1996, not ideal. “We were lucky because we had brand-new vines. It was super ripe. And I really liked it,” says Oldfield. Plus, even though that first vintage (the excep-tion) was bolstered by 10 percent Merlot, it proved to be pivotal for Tinhorn’s decision to focus on 100 percent single varietal wines in its formative years.

It didn’t take long for production — and stocks — to ramp up. By the time 2003 rolled around, Tinhorn was making 7,000 cases a year and Oldfield was on the road 100 days of the year, devoting much of her time to selling Cab Franc. “We’d hit the wall,” she says.

It wasn’t so much that Oldfield’s love for the variety wasn’t shared by everyone, it was a more a case of fear of the unknown. “I liked it, so I was going on the assumption that this was going to be an easy sell!” she says. Getting people to actually try the wine was a challenge — in part, no doubt because, like Petit Verdot, it was all too often dismissed by those weaned on the Old World view of it as “just a blending wine.”

Eventually, through her persistence (“I sounded like a bro-ken record”), Tinhorn’s wine shop and a “huge” assist from BCLDB product consultants, the word began to get out. Also timely, even the cynics were being forced to acknowledge that BC could make decent reds.

Winemakers elsewhere — like South Africa’s Cab Franc spe-cialist Bruwer Raats — had proved the variety could indeed make excellent wine. In fact Cab Franc’s other claim to fame — and one more reason it appeals to Canadian growers — is its reputed win-ter hardiness, although, says Oldfield, interestingly enough, the variety will also shut down in serious summer heat (36˚C), while

Merlot planted right beside it keeps going. Cab Franc comes on in the cool of the fall, when everything else is slowing down, says Oldfield. “When the cooler nights start, the Franc goes into hy-per-drive. It’s an absolute finisher and there’s something great about that because when the last few weeks can be nail-biters, it’s just amazing to have calmness over the Cab Franc.”

With the influx of oil money driving more new wineries, Old-field says producers were looking for something a little different — and Cab Franc fit the bill. Fast-forward to today and the word on Cab Franc has spread. Consumers have embraced its lighter colour, more delicate style, easier tannins and even occasional herbaceousness. Wineries are discovering that, in some cases, they really can use it to push the proverbial envelope.

Harper’s Trail (“Kamloops’ First Winery”) released its first red last year. Even just a few years back, if you had asked people a decade ago — even five years ago — what were the chances that Kamloops would produce a decent red wine, they would at best have chuckled. However, wisely, the winery dumped their trials of Syrah and Merlot in favour of Pinot Noir and Gamay as well as Cabernet Franc. Their 2012 inaugural Cabernet Franc took a lot of people by surprise, as it proved that even in Kamloops, given the right site, Cabernet Franc can work its magic.

There are still more outlying, once marginal reveals to Cab Franc’s prowess: Lillooet’s Fort Berens 2012 Cabernet Franc contains 70 percent estate grown fruit from the banks of the Fra-ser River, with plans to go to 100 percent soon.

According to the 2014 BC Wine Grape Acreage Report, Cab-ernet Franc is now the seventh most planted BC variety, with 546 acres (221 ha.) under vine — surpassing Syrah’s 530 acres (214 ha). In Ontario, Cab Franc accounts for 11 percent of annual pro-duction, with some 1,400 acres (566 ha), although only about a quarter is made as a single varietal wine.

While it will never challenge Merlot’s supremacy (barring an unlikely savage winter kill), Cab Franc has come a long way since Joe Busnardo brought those first vines to BC almost 50 years ago. With growing popularity for the variety that Salon Magazine once suggested has gone “from workhorse to show pony,” it’s pretty safe to say that Cabernet Franc in BC — and elsewhere — is on a roll. ×

“When the cooler nights start, the Franc goes into hyper-drive. It’s an absolute finisher and there’s something great about that because when the last few weeks can be nail-biters, it’s just amaz-

ing to have calmness over the Cab Franc.” Sandra Oldfield, Tinhorn Creek


IT’S TIME WE PUT ALL THE CARDS ON THE TABLE … if you want to talk about a misunderstood and disrespected grape variety, you need look no further than Pinot Blanc. “We cannot understand why Pinot Blanc isn’t more popular, especially here in British Columbia,” says Roland Kruger of Wild Goose Winery. “It grows superbly and we are able to get full ripeness every year, while maintaining perfect acid levels.” And Pinot Blanc is certainly not a grape to be confused with the much more popular (these days) Pinot Gris/Grigio.

“Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris might be all the rage,” says Marc Bradshaw of Strewn Winery in Ontario, “but Pinot Blanc makes a fabulous wine.” Ginette Schirrmeister of Lake Breeze Winery adds, “It may never achieve the recognition and popularity of a Pinot Gris, but for us here in the Okanagan it is a varietal which can certainly reflect a sense of place.”

As you can, and will, see there is defi-nitely a passionate group of winemakers using this grape across Canada, “I think it’s a grape with an intriguing future in Nova Scotia, for both still and sparkling,” reports Simon Rafuse, winemaker for Blomidon Estate Winery; but these pock-ets of love and production are quite small: “Over the years, Pinot Blanc has been a staple of our winery. Although we do not do large volumes, it regularly sells out and wins major awards for us on a regular basis,” states Kruger. They are not alone, most wineries I spoke with report a rather small percentage of their portfolio being comprised of this forgotten grape.

Pinot Blanc is a popular grape in other parts of the world, like Germany, Italy and France, namely in Alsace, where they make everything from still to sparkling wines with it. Here in Canada, it’s a grape used mainly for still wines, but at Sperling Vine-yards in British Columbia they make both — liking the duality of the grape. Winemaker Ann Sperling explains why: “[The] Benches of Kelowna provides a long cool fall ripen-

ing for Pinot Blanc so flavours develop with naturally high acids — both malic and tar-taric. These acids are important for flavour and freshness, the traits that make our Pi-not Blanc such a food-friendly wine in so many categories. Our limestone influenced soils provide abundant minerals to add nu-ance to our Pinot Blanc wines.”

BC doesn’t have a stranglehold on the grape, it’s grown across the country, but they sure do respect what it means to their viticulture and wine portfolios: “the grape loves the Okanagan,” says Andy Gebert of St Hubertus.

“We continue making Pinot Blanc be-cause we have no other choice. The ter-roir where it is planted has demonstrated unique aromas and textures very repre-sentative of our Pinot Blanc,” says Xavier Bonilla of Cherry Point Estate Wines; and according to Heidi Noble of Joie Farm, “Pi-not Blanc has the potential to be a signa-ture varietal for the Okanagan Valley … [It] was some of the first vitis vinifera planted in the Okanagan after the vine-pull scheme here in 1989.” It seems that many realize the potential for the Blanc in BC and know the history of how it got there.

As Schirrmeister explains, “Pinot Blanc will keep its unique position in the Okanagan, especially after being intro-duced in the early 1980s by Dr Helmut Becker — after an eight year trial.” Krueger has no doubt where Pinot Blanc stands in the province: “If there was ever a trade-mark grape in BC, it should be Pinot Blanc.” The folks at Kraze Legz Winery (Sue and Gerry Thygesen) see its potential as limit-less, “to infinity and beyond,” though they do admit, “Some consumers confuse Pinot Blanc with Pinot Gris; some expect a very light white; all are pleasantly surprised by the depth and complexity.”

In Ontario there is less Pinot Blanc being produced than in British Columbia, but those that do make it are just as pas-sionate. Claudia Konzelmann of Konzel-mann Estate goes as far as to make a pre-

diction about the grape’s future, “I think that [it] is going to be ‘the next big thing,’ and I have every reason to believe [that].” She says consumers are definitely inter-ested: “A lot of people are curious about its relationship with Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir so it’s easy to get into a good discussion about the grape.” For those not sure where Pinot Blanc fits into the wine world, it is a genetic mutation of Pi-not Noir, which is an unstable grape that is prone to spontaneous mutation in the vineyard and one of those just happened to be our good friend Pinot Blanc.

Bradshaw is not as optimistic as Kon-zelmann. He sees Pinot Blanc as more of a niche wine there to “dazzle people who haven’t been exposed to the varietal or is really sought after by that small percent-age of Pinot Blanc connoisseurs.”

BRADSHAW EXPLAINS HOW HE BE-CAME ENAMOURED with the grape and its place in the wine world: “It took me a couple years to find my groove and even then, you never stop learning as a winemaker especially in an inconsistent growing region such as Niagara, but I am stoked with the quality of Pinot Blanc fruit we have on our home farms and in particular in the style of Pinot Blanc that I produce ... Sure it doesn’t have the glitz and glam of its family members of Pinot Grigio/Gris and Pinot Noir, and to be hon-est I find most people aren’t necessarily drawn to the varietal, but when you find a really well made Pinot Blanc it’s a thing of beauty. Those that dare to try it are more often than not amazed.”

Which brings us right back to the begin-ning, where does Blanc stand in a Gris dom-inated world? “Pinot Blanc, for consumers, seems to have a universal appeal as a solid white table wine,” says Noble. Bonilla sees it a little differently, leaning more towards the niche wine Bradshaw spoke of earlier: “Pi-not Blanc is not for everybody. It is for food-ies with discerning tastes.” Krueger pipes in

TOUT BLANCby Michael Pinkus


from the tasting room’s point of view: “It is not usually the first choice of consumers in the wine shop, however, once you get it into their glass, they are hooked.” But the last word goes to Claudia of Konzelmann, who expresses it best and I am sure says what everyone is thinking: “Pinot Grigio and Pi-not Noir are very hip wines right now, but people always want to be a part of the next big thing. Not a lot of wineries make a Pinot Blanc and when we introduce a customer to it for the first time the reaction tends to be some incarnation of, ‘WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?!’”

So do yourself a favour this summer, find and pour yourself some Pinot Blanc and after a few sips I’m sure you too will be asking your glass, “Where have you been all my life?” Here are a handful to get you started.

PELEE ISLAND SINGING MOON PI-NOT BLANC 2012, ONTARIO ($13)Pear and lemon with hints of apple on the nose; there is little doubt this one is on the sweet side but with pretty pear notes, it’s a mid-summer patio pleaser.

LAKE BREEZE PINOT BLANC 2012, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($19)Lime zest, pear and floral aromas; on the palate there’s a fresh clean flavour that rolls over the tongue with white fruits, floral notes and a zesty finish.

LAKE BREEZE PINOT BLANC 2013, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($19) Floral and lime pith dominate this year’s version. On the palate there is plenty of citrus zest mixed with mineral, prickly pear and bitter melon rind; quite a different take than the year before.

SKAHA PINOT BLANC 2013, BRIT-ISH COLUMBIA ($18.95)Great pear aromas followed by floral, pear, apple and mineral on the palate; juicy mid-palate leads to a citrus zest finish.

CHERRY POINT PINOT BLANC 2013, VANCOUVER ISLAND ($24)Aromas really worth the price of admis-sion with its simplicity of mineral and pear; floral, pear and mineral take over the pal-ate. Really tangy sensation on the finish.

SPERLING SPARKLING BRUT 2008, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($40)Aromas of lime, lemon, apple and a touch of fresh biscuits lead to a palate showing a touch of oxidation with good acidity, along with citrus pith and pear skin.

ST HUBERTUS PINOT BLANC 2013, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($14.95)Lively grapefruit zest greets the nose. Palate continues with even more zesty grapefruit, juicy with a kick on the tongue of acidity; really yummy, reminiscent of Savvy B at times.

STREWN PINOT BLANC TERROIR 2013, STREWN VINE-YARD, ONTARIO ($18.95)Lime zest, pear and mineral dominate the nose while hints of grapefruit, both

pulp and pith, greet the palate, giving the wine a sweet and sour note, which along with good acidity helps make this one is quite vibrant.

JOIE PINOT BLANC 2014, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($23)Fruit cocktail aromas that include can-taloupe and Asian pear are a real lure; palate is super juicy with pear, honeydew and a great balancing minerality and acidi-ty — pure summer in a glass.

SANDHILL PINOT BLANC 2013, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($16.99)Floral and Bosc pear aromas; pear skin flavours in addition to lime zest, grassy notes and mineral; this one is pleasant but different than most others tried in this line-up.

KONZELMANN PINOT BLANC 2013, ONTARIO ($11.95)Palate is what stands out here: lively acid-ity and pear nuances, it comes off drier than most with lime zest and pith being the dominant feature. ×

ANN SPERLING IMAGE: TARYNN LIV PARKER

Ann Sperling

Heidi Noble from Joie Farm


Brock University’s VineAlert program has been anything but a ray of sunshine for grape growers in Ontario the past two gruesome winters. The grape bud hardiness alerts, a crucial and important warning system that tells growers when tempera-tures are approaching levels that can be harmful to grape vines (-20˚C and colder), are followed by bud survival rates — a grim tally of predicted death rates for buds across all appellations in Ontario. It’s an indication of the crop to come, but not the defini-tive answer for the quality of the final wines — that’s determined by the overall growing season.

Jasinski works with the precision of a surgeon, methodically slicing open samples from vines taken just days before in Lake Erie North Shore. She’s counting live buds after the last major cold spell of the winter in early March to calculate the latest sur-vival rates. The numbers are shocking: Less than 10 percent bud survival rates for Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, with 16 percent survival for the usually dependable Cabernet Franc and only 30 percent survival for king of cool-climate grapes, Riesling. Syrah, poor Syrah, was nearly rendered extinct during the 2014 winter and was, sadly, hit hard again in 2015.

“We’re really growing on the edge here,” says Dr Jim Will-werth, the senior scientist in viticulture at CCOVI at St Cath-arines’ Brock University. “I don’t know what the impact will be after two bad winters. There’s a lot of anticipation out there.”

For Ontario grape growers, the extremely cold back-to-back winters of 2014 and 2015 are uncharted territory. The closest anyone can remember are the 2003 and 2005 vintag-es, both of which resulted in short crops and limited VQA wines for consumers.

“We just have to wait and see. There will be some negative impacts, more vine damage, that we wouldn’t normally see,” Willwerth says.

OPPOSITE PAGE CLOCKWISE Craig Wis-mer, from Glen Elgin Vineyard Management, in vineyard in the dead of winter; Damaged grape buds at Brock; Slicing parts of the vine to see the extent of the damage; Jim Willwerth, the senior scientist in viticulture at CCOVI

Inside the war room at Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticul-ture Institute, research assistant Mary Jasinski is slicing open grape buds with a razor blade searching for signs of life. It’s a laborious task and in a winter like

2015, with its bitter cold over a sustained period of time, it can be disheartening: there’s barely a heartbeat deep inside the nuclei of those brittle little buds.

The winter of 2014, in Ontario, saw an extreme cold “polar vortex” settle over the province’s vineyards, devastating sever-al varieties of grapes. Hardest hit were Syrah, Merlot, Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc.

There was no doubt Niagara fared better than Lake Erie North Shore, where damage was widespread with some wineries reporting 100 percent crop loss, especially with varieties such as Syrah and Merlot, and the Finger Lakes, which was declared a “disaster area” by the US Department of Agriculture.

The harvest in 2014, according to Ontario Grape Growers of Ontario CEO Debbie Zimmerman, ended up with 52,000 tonnes of grapes harvested, far better than what many feared but 3,000 tonnes less than the 10-year average of 55,000 tonnes, and a gi-gantic drop from the record-breaking 2013 haul of nearly 78,000 tonnes. By comparison, 26,000 tonnes of grapes were crushed in the short-crop year of 2005.

Zimmerman says many factors have changed since the di-saster in 2005. The key difference is the emergence of wind ma-chines, now hovering over half the crops in Ontario, which can raise the temperature in the vineyard enough to provide warmth to effectively protect buds from widespread damage. Also key has been matching the right vineyard site to the varietals most sus-ceptible to winter damage.

KILLER SEASON

by Rick VanSickle


That’s a lesson Rosewood Estates Winery on the Beamsville Bench in Niagara learned the hard way.

The Rosewood family bought the land for their winery in 2000 and began planting Merlot, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc in 2003 with Sémillon and Riesling following closely behind. Pinot Noir was added in 2004 with more Riesling planted in 2008.

“We planted these varieties because he (Rosewood patri-arch Eugene Roman) wanted to grow what he likes to drink,” says William Roman, Eugene’s son and operations manager at Rosewood. “He loves Merlot and that’s why it is so painful pull-ing it out of the ground.”

Rosewood lost a third of its vines over the past two harsh winters and has had to reinvent its core identity, which included beautiful Merlots spread across different tiers and blends, per-sonable Sémillons and Bordeaux-style white blends (Sémillon/Sauvignon Blanc). Those grapes are no more at Rosewood, laid waste by bitter cold, leaving Roman and his family to rethink its core brands and remake the production from the ground up.

“It’s dog eat dog out there,” says Roman. “Everyone wants to be different here. But offering so many styles of wine is not the way to go. We have to focus.”

That focus for Rosewood will now be on the core grapes that have proven themselves through the worst winters Mother Na-ture can throw at them — Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir.

No more Merlot. No more Sémillon. No more Sauvignon Blanc. No more Gewürztraminer. The family enterprise, which also includes honey-based wines from local bee production, will replant its vineyards to Pinot Gris, Gamay, Petit Verdot, Caber-net Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and get back to the basics

of what Niagara, and for Rosewood, the Beamsville Bench, does best. Whatever else Rosewood needs, say Merlot for its stand-alone Lock, Stock and Barrel Bordeaux-style red, it will source from trusted growers in Niagara who have found the few sweet spots left to grow that tricky grape.

If nothing else, the bitter polar vortex in 2014 followed by relentless sub -20˚C temperatures in 2015 have brought many wineries back down to Earth and forced them to focus on core varietals.

It’s a concept that growers in Prince Edward County built their region on and have strictly adhered to with great success.

“Nature imposed a certain kind of style on us,” Dan Sullivan, Prince Edward County winemaker and owner of Rosehall Run, says. “It’s not for the faint of heart out here.”

Sullivan is growing grapes and making high-quality wines in Ontario’s coldest climate for vinifera grapes. The winemaker cut his teeth in Niagara, but saw the potential in the County. “I wasn’t prepared for how viciously cold it can be.”

Sullivan, like most winemakers in the region, focuses his portfolio on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir — gorgeous Pinots and mineral-laden Chards that are a showcase for the County’s unique terroir.

To achieve success and make grape growing viable, each fall the majority of the wineries go through the labour-intensive (and expensive) chore of burying their vines and covering them with soil to protect them through the extremely cold winters.

There is no doubt that vines in the County, at least vinifera vines, would not survive without this step.

“I’m fully confident that what’s underneath the snow is com-pletely viable,” says Sullivan, who doesn’t lose sleep during ex-treme cold alerts or fret over grim bud survival statistics. Brock scientists take their samples from vines that are above the snow line and paint a more depressing picture than what actually is oc-curring below the snow line, he says.

“Nature imposed a certain kind of style on us. It’s not for the faint of heart out here.”Dan Sullivan, winemaker and owner of Rosehall Run in Prince Edward County


While Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the mainstays of the County experience, Sullivan beefs up his growing portfolio with fruit sourced from Niagara and is still experimenting with other varieties — Syrah, Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc — that can grow in the cooler climate with the modifica-tions applied in the region such as burying vines in the fall.

“What kind of a case can you put up for a variety? If you can build that into a business plan, maybe it makes sense,” Sul-livan says.

BACK IN NIAGARA, GROWERS ARE ASSESSING THE DAMAGE FROM TWO STRAIGHT WINTERS OF BITTER COLD. While the tender varieties of Merlot, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer were the hardest hit in 2014, the pro-tracted cold of 2015 produced some bleak numbers across a wid-er swath of land, especially along the Niagara Escarpment. Most varieties, not just the usual suspects, were indicating bud surviv-al rates from Brock’s VineAlert program well below 50 percent.

Craig Wismer, manager at Glen Elgin Vineyard Management, one of Niagara’s top growers, does his own sampling and takes a different view of bud damage and where it’s going in 2015.

According to his sampling, bud survival numbers in the Wismer Vineyard on the Vineland Bench show 60 to 70 percent survival rates for Riesling and Chardonnay, with Pinot Noir and Gamay at 80 percent and higher. That’s in stark contrast to Brock numbers that show 30 percent for Chardonnay, 27 percent for Riesling and 37 percent for Cabernet Franc in the Vinemount Ridge and Twenty Mile Bench sub-appellations.

Wismer admits that with the extreme back-to-back cold win-ters “no one has seen anything like this” but stresses bud surviv-al rates should be viewed as signal of how to prune vines in the spring to increase chances for a healthy crop.

With a 50 percent survival rate, Wismer will double the canes per vine to increase crop load.

Brock scientist Willwerth agrees with that.“Most importantly,” he says, “it is still too early to relate bud

survival to predicted crop size and the spring and early summer will tell the true story. There is cold injury out there and all re-gions will be impacted at some level. Bud survival numbers do not necessarily equate directly to crop levels.”

Willwerth and Wismer both say pruning strategies can mit-igate some damage by leaving extra buds and canes, for example.

“There are many factors to consider that will ultimately im-pact 2015 crop sizes. Vineyard site, topography, variety/clone, vine health/previous winter injury, viticulture practices, vine age as well as use of wind machines (or other protection meth-ods) and pruning strategies will all impact the size of the crop at each location,” Willwerth says.

Wismer, who farms 120 acres of estate vineyards and manag-es another 500 acres for other wineries, has seen the hardest hit vines, such as Merlot and Syrah, ripped up because of the two bad winters. But he also knows it’s likely not the last we’ll see of these varieties in Niagara.

“I’m sure it will come back,” he says. “A few good winters and will people will forget all about the bad winters.” ×

How the vintages fair up(Out of seven, tentative)

2014 * * * * 1/2The year was highlighted by a brutal winter that ultimately caused widespread bud dam-age leading to vine death in several varieties including (but not limited to) Syrah, Merlot, Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Couple that with a cooler year that always seemed a cou-ple of weeks behind, varieties such as Caber-net Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc were test-ed. It won’t be a year for big red blends, but, on the bright side, the early-ripening Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay enjoyed a very nice harvest and should provide some very good wines from the vintage.

2013 * * * * * 1/2It was a late start to the season with every kind of weather imaginable tossed into the equation. Hot, cold, wet, dry … it was a roll-ercoaster ride, especially in Niagara. When it was all said and done, the season played to each region’s strengths — Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling and Cabernet Franc in Niagara, Pinot and Chard in Prince Edward County and early ripening varieties in Lake Erie North Shore. Most aromatic whites across the board have shown promise in 2013. Quality will be spotty for the other Bordeaux varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and anything that was left out on the vine to ripen late.

2012 * * * * * * * The mood in Niagara during the early harvest of 2012 was one of pure joy. Ripe fruit in pris-tine condition after a long, hot summer and early fall sent grape pickers into the vineyards in mid-August to harvest early-ripening vari-eties. It was one of the earliest harvests on re-cord for all varieties. Reports from all regions in Ontario indicated a near-perfect season with the Bordeaux-style red grapes leading the way. I feel strongly that 2012 will prove to be the best vintage in Ontario ever. It’s not just the big red wines that are showing such promise, but all varieties across the board.


IT’S A STEREOTYPICAL IMAGE POR-TRAYED IN COUNTLESS BOOKS, MOV-IES AND TELEVISION PROGRAMS. He’s pictured behind the bar, shirtsleeves rolled, wiping down glassware, drawing pints, pouring shots. Or he’s the flashy fel-low juggling bottles like some booze-in-spired circus performer. Maybe he’s the gruff but friendly dude who lends an ear to those crying into their cups because their girl ran off/dog died/girl ran off with dog.

In more “real life” scenarios, he’s like-ly to be seen as someone “making a few extra bucks” while waiting for their “real” ship to sail (he’s an aspiring actor, a musi-cian, or — God help him — a writer).

Indeed, there’s been a certain con-sistency over the years when it comes to bartenders that hasn’t wavered too much from the script: they’re a) male b) enter-tainers/psychiatrists c) economically “making a few extra bucks.”

Is any part of this really the case these days? Can a bartender actually make a decent living? How does one prepare for life behind bars and how does such a life play out?

Imbibing minds want to know. So grab your shakers and let’s go.

When asked about the accuracy of the stereotype, Matt Jones, a bartender and Whisky Ambassador for Beam Suntory Canada (we’ll get to the whole Brand Am-bassador thing later), confirms that while the mainstream media may paint bartend-ers with the stereotype brush, it’s an inaccu-rate picture when put through a reality filter.

“We have come leaps and bounds since the 1987 classic,” he says, referring to the movie Cocktail, the Tom Cruise vehicle that defined — and inspired — a generation of flairboyz. “Today that ste-

reotype is grossly inaccurate,” he rules. “I know more MBAs that are getting into the trade than students trying to make ends meet.” To illustrate how things have changed, Jones cites a line from Patrick Gavin Duffy, author of the 1933 The Offi-cial Mixer’s Manual: “Bartending is an old and honorable trade. It is not a profession … The idea of calling a bartender ‘profes-sor’ or ‘mixologist’ is nonsense.”

“Fast-forward to the 21st century and you better believe [bartending] is a pro-fession,” Jones asserts. “And there has been enough history and innovation to warrant professors of mixology.” Such a title may not be simply fanciful thinking.

Adrian Caravello is Program Coordi-nator for the Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts at Toronto’s George Brown College. Having worked on the specifics of it for over two-and-a-half years, he is ready to usher the first students into the Advanced Wine and Beverage Business Program set to kick off this fall. Taught by faculty experts and industry leaders, the year-long, three-semester program will provide students not only with advanced knowledge of beer, wine and spirits, but also of mixology. It’ll also teach future bar-

tenders and industry up-and-comers es-sential business skills, including financial management, organizational behaviour and strategic marketing. There will also be visits to domestic and European dis-tilleries, wineries and breweries to learn best business practices directly from the professionals in the field.

“The hospitality industry has been in need of a program like this for years,” Caravello confirms, adding that suc-cessful graduates of the program will come out with not only an Ontario Graduate Certificate and four addi-tional industry certifications (from the Wine amd Spirit Education Trust and

Prud’homme Beer Certification), but perhaps an awaiting career.

“Depending on experience and ar-eas of interest, graduates can pursue re-warding careers as servers, bartenders, beverage directors, sales agents, territo-ry managers, product consultants, brand ambassadors, wine stewards/cellar mas-ters, wine country tour guides, special-ty retail operators, portfolio managers, and merchandising/inventory coordina-tors, domestically and internationally,” Caravello reveals.

LIFE BEHIND BARS A COCKTAIL CONFIDENTIAL

“MIXOLOGISTS SERVE COCKTAILS; BARTENDERS SERVE PEOPLE.”BARTENDING INDUSTRY SAYING

by Tod Stewart


LIFE BEHIND BARS A COCKTAIL CONFIDENTIAL

Jones also points to other training institutions like Mixxit Canada (a pro-gram he’s affiliated with), and the Soci-ety of Wine Educators Certified Special-ist of Spirits (CSS), which is coming to Calgary in late spring of this year. There also local spirit and mixology courses of-fered through local establishments, like SpiritHouse Toronto.

Many newer programs aim, in part, to bring business to bartending, a concept that has perhaps been neglected in the past.

“Ah, the downer side of the bartending conversation,” sighs Michelle Hunt when asked what business skills bartenders need to have. Hunt, along with partner Laura Panter, formed The Martini Club over 20 years ago and have been shaking up the Canadian cocktail scene as indus-try trainers and consultants — and bar-tenders — ever since.

Hunt notes that there is a high level of passion, knowledge and skill in the bar-tending world today, but a grounding in the business side of things still needs a bit more development. A venue does, after all, have to turn a profit if it expects to survive … and if a bartender expects to be paid. “Every six minutes a bar closes because the business side wasn’t there,” Hunt points out. Barkeeps need to keep track of what’s coming in, what’s going out, what’s overstocked and what’s running dry. They’ll have to be able to control a range of cost, right down to how they price their possibly elaborate concoctions. You even need to think about the availability — and affordability — of those exotic ingredients. “Kumquats are hard to source in the mid-dle of winter,” Hunt (sort of ) jokes. “And they won’t be cheap if you can find them.”

“There are many setup and closing duties,” Jones confirms. “Opening bar, in-ventory of products served, preparation of fresh produce for the shift, setting up the mise en place of the bar, balancing the cash float and accounting for sales. At the end of the shift, the whole bar needs to be reset for the next day.”

Neither Jones nor Hunt had the lux-ury of attending a “Bartender U” to learn this stuff. Many of those who are now true professors of mixology polished their chops using their own ingenuity and cre-ativity. Blood, sweat and beers (as it were).

Having been seduced by the movie Cocktail, Jones used the recipes show-cased in the film as a jumping off point,

even teaching himself to juggle (all before he had reached drinking age). Though he took one Toronto-based training course, he realized just how much there was to learn. Armed with a true “thirst for knowledge,” he set off on his own. “The Internet had just hit for me,” he recounts, “so I began my research online while reading every resource I could. I quick-ly realized that what was being taught in bars in Ontario barely scratched the surface of this old and honourable trade.” Though his talents as a bottle flipper landed him plenty of job offers, it was his interest in classic and tiki cocktails that led him to a four-year stint in the Carib-bean (“… directly mirroring the Cocktail

“I’LL HAVE A MARTINI … AND I’LL HAVE MINE WET.” PIERRE TRUDEAU TO THE MARTINI CLUB’S MICHELLE HUNT (SEEN ABOVE RIGHT WITH CO-OWNER LAURA PANTER)


script,” he informs) before returning to Canada and setting up his own bartend-ing school in Southern Ontario.

For Hunt (and Panter, for that matter), honing her own mixology skills came as a response to finding a general lack of said skills in the local market. She came to To-ronto from hip and happening Vancouver armed with a pre-med degree and ready to find a career as a doctor. In the mean-time, however, what she couldn’t find was a decent martini. To remedy this — and to widen her social network — Hunt formed a little club of other drinks enthusiasts, and from there, things took off.

WORD OF HUNT AND PANTER’S DO-INGS SPREAD AND IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE SMIRNOFF WAS KNOCKING ON THE DOOR WITH A BOOK OFFER. “We wrote 101 Martinis,” Hunt recounts, “then we decided we really wanted to be-come experts.” Visits to distilleries, rep-resenting Canada at international spir-its symposiums and developing a global network of enthusiasts led to new career paths for both of them. “We took all the courses we possibly could on wine and beer, but there was nothing specifically geared to the cocktail,” she reveals, adding that a growing interest in cocktails led to

a growing need for those who really knew their way around the back of the bar. The same need that took The Martini Club from a social outlet to a respected drinks industry training operation is the need that is fuelling the demand for skilled drink-slingers today.

If you happen to be serious about picking up the torch (or shaker) and get-ting “behind the wood,” (bartender par-lance for life behind bars), prepare your-self for something a bit different than the typical nine to five.

“The landscape [of the typical bar-tender day] has changed a fair bit,” Hunt points out. “There’s a lot more set-up to do these days.” If you’re a nighttime barkeep, Hunt says you’ll probably be on site start-ing between five and seven p.m., depend-ing on the amount of prep work that needs to be done. You’ll start the real work at around seven or 8 p.m., and work through till close, which can be two to three a.m. Then, as Jones mentioned earlier, there’ll be cleanup and some prep work for the next day. You also have to be on your toes, not only to keep the service moving, but to monitor the condition of your patrons. If you over-serve someone and that im-paired someone does something stupid, your butt’s, legally, on the line.

THE MARTINI CLUB’S ESSENTIAL BAR TOOLS KIT • Boston shaker (3 pieces; silver, glass,

julep strainer) or Cobbler shaker • Pour spouts • Beer opener with can opener • Wine opener (servers corkscrew) • Citrus zester • Citrus peeler • Dedicated sharp knife • Dedicated cutting board • Vermouth atomizer • 1 oz/2 oz silver jiggers x 2 • Bar spoon • Citrus squeezer

HAWAIIAN OLD FASHIONEDA twist on a classic courtesy of The Martini Club’s Laura Panter.

2 orange half wheels 1 lemon half wheel 1 oz honey syrup 2 oz dark rum Pimento bitters

In a rocks glass, add the orange half wheels, lemon half wheel and honey syrup. Press to extract juice (do not over muddle). Add dark rum and a dash of pimento bitters. Stir to mix. Fill the glass with ice and stir well. Garnish with a slice of orange.

“I KNOW MORE MBAS THAT ARE GETTING INTO THE TRADE THAN STUDENTS TRY-ING TO MAKE ENDS MEET.”MATT JONES, A BARTENDER AND WHISKY AMBASSADOR FOR BEAM SUNTORY CANADA


“In Ontario, for instance, a bartender can be held personally liable for the safety of their patrons and other members of the public after consuming alcohol in the es-tablishment,” Jones verifies, adding that if, for example, an impaired patron gets into a car accident after leaving your pub, a criminal investigation will be launched to determine the liability of both the serv-er and the establishment.

Once you do extract yourself from the bar (hopefully without police escort), it’s pretty unlikely you’ll head home to bed. “You have to unwind,” Hunt emphasizes.

While “unwinding” usually doesn’t mean scarfing down more fancy cocktails, it does include trying to find some chow (you may have worked the whole shift without breaking for much food) and it likely involves a beer or two (perhaps ac-companied by a shot or two, “depending on how grueling the night was,” according to Hunt). You’ll obviously sleep in, then head out for brunch, which could wind up being the big meal of the day.

It’s a bit of a weird, demanding, high-pressure existence. You’re no doubt wondering what — other than the ability to mix to your heart’s content — it’ll actu-ally get you. While there are some “celeb-rity bartenders” out there (a few even with agents) who can make some respectable coin, the average bartender paycheque isn’t huge and, like many servers, you’ll be dependent on tips. Jones says that, in the case of bartenders who really have their Schlitz together, these can sometimes exceed 20 percent of the bar tab. He also says that bartenders looking for full-time hours as well as benefits usually try to bag a position with a large, corporate hotel chain or casino. But there are other ways for a personable, knowledgeable bar(wo)man to make some bucks … and see the world. Enter the Brand Ambassadors (told ya we’d get to them).

“This role has exploded over the past five years in Canada,” Jones discloses. Established distilleries (typically) will select accomplished, knowledgeable, en-thusiastic bartenders to tout the corpo-ration’s brand in every place from local watering holes to international competi-tions. “The Brand Ambassador is intend-ed to be an extension of the distillery, tell-ing the brand’s story of heritage, process, features and benefits,” he adds. They also act as media spokespeople, trade liaisons and consumer educators. Here’s the re-ally good part: “The Brand Ambassador’s calendar can often be 75 percent travel to the brand’s various markets, conducting consumer and trade events, and develop-ing and launching new cocktails. It’s al-most a sales and marketing hybrid role.” The pro bartender/Brand Ambassador role can indeed have its perks. Jones rat-tles off some that he’s realized:

“Being tipped 200 percent on a guest check. Travelling the world and working as a bartender in Asia, Central America, all over the US and Europe. Being flown to exotic locations in Belize to train bartend-ers for the Tourism Board … and those are the ones I can actually tell you about … I’m a bartender, after all!”

Sometimes the rewards are a bit more esoteric, but every bit as gratifying. Panter recalls the time she and Hunt crafted the

Red Violin Martini for the 1998 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) gala honouring the movie of the same name and having the film’s star and cowriter, Don McKeller, exclaim to the entire as-sembled audience, “My movie is a drink!” (Needless to say, this pretty much ce-mented the success of The Martini Club and ensured its reappearance at all subse-quent TIFF soirées.)

For Hunt, being dubbed “The Tony Rob-bins of Martinis” by a member of a (possibly initially very skeptical) room of bartenders was a personal standout moment. Then there was the Pierre Trudeau encounter.

“I made Trudeau a wet martini while he held me with those piercing blue eyes … and at that point my clothes were basically off,” she admits, speaking, we can only assume, figuratively. With an outro like that, it’s only fair to let Hunt do the wrap up.

“Is bartending a career? 100 percent. Is there room for women? 100 percent. Are our tastes changing? Yeah! Are we getting smarter at bartending? For sure. Are the global food influences we see in restaurants coming to the bar? Uh-huh! Where will it stop? It won’t!”

So if you’re looking for a job where you’ll be shakin’ all night long (and possi-bly travelling the world), consider mixing the goods behind the wood. ×

“IS BARTENDING A CAREER? 100 PERCENT. IS THERE ROOM FOR WOM-EN? 100 PERCENT. ARE OUR TASTES CHANGING? YEAH! ARE WE GETTING SMARTER AT BARTENDING? FOR SURE. ARE THE GLOBAL FOOD IN-FLUENCES WE SEE IN RESTAURANTS COMING TO THE BAR? UH-HUH! WHERE WILL IT STOP? IT WON’T!”


POO-TIN!by Duncan Holmes


IN A GENEROUS CORNER OF THE KITCHEN AT BELGIAN FRIES IN VANCOUVER, there’s a two-metre-high stack of hes-sian bags full of locally grown Kennebec potatoes. In short order, they will be peeled, scrubbed and chopped into fries — one of the three elements of what many have said is the best-tasting pou-tine just about anywhere.

Others may claim the title — goodness knows there’s enough of this delicious, heart-stopping stuff around — but meanwhile Ali Faghani will keep filling his mustard-coloured restaurant on Commercial Drive with fans, striving daily to make 16 perfect versions of this Quebec-invented treat that in recent years has become a runaway icon of Canadian gastronomy.

It’s pretty obvious why we all love poutine. Make a pudding of perfect fries — crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside — top them with cheese curds and load all of that up with great-tasting gravy; it leaves mac and cheese in the dust. It’s so easy to make, which is why everyone is doing it. From food courts to weekend festivals, to ski resorts, pubs, food trucks, movie caterers, fast and slow-food restaurants to folks like us at home who toss it togeth-er for a Friday-night nosh or as a cure for a Saturday morning hangover. Poutine came out in the ’50s in Quebec — was it actual-ly Drumondville or Warwick? — and has sloshed its way into the mainstream ever since.

A foodie friend of mine in Montreal sent this along when I was researching poutine’s legendary magic: “Poutine is student food,” she said. “You’re poor, you partied all night and by two a.m. you’re hungry. For a couple of dollars, you can fill your stomach with the ultimate comfort food. I had a poutine at a restaurant called Le Pied de Cochon in Montreal, where some substitutions were made, but it was still a poutine: A fine sauce replaced the thick gravy; a refined cheese replaced the usual cheese curds and it was topped with foie gras.” Wow.

Iranian-Canadian Ali became the owner-operator of Belgian Fries in 2004. He had been in an industry that was going sideways and moved into a spot that had previously been a MoneyMart. He funkeyed it up, doubled its size and committed himself to a life of perfect poutine and other foods that his fabled street locale could and would love.

Those Kennebec potatoes were key. He found a farmer in the nearby Fraser Delta who supplies them year round. He made a trip to Amsterdam and elsewhere in Europe, taking notes as to what makes a fry great. He tasted poutines from across Canada and was determined to do it right.

Yes, the fries are important. After being cut into shape mid-morning, Ali’s chips get their first taste of hot canola oil. After that, they remain in wire baskets ready for the first onslaught of the lunch crowd. Almost to order they get their second fry, a tempera-ture-controlled dip that cooks them crunchy golden brown. Curds are from an international supplier. His gravy is cornstarch-based and home grown. The seasonings are Ali’s secrets.

The classic is his big seller — simply fries, curds and gravy. The Delight adds mushrooms, red pepper, onion and eggplant. The Divine features the restaurant’s from-scratch pulled pork; the De-luxe is a classic, plus mushrooms, red pepper, onion and bacon.

There’s no foie gras or caviar on the 16-poutine menu, but there’s chili, butter chicken and shrimp. It’s still poutine.

I asked a gym buddy, whose stomach was about the same size as the ball he was draping himself over, if he’d ever had one.

“Pou-tsinn?” he said, pronouncing it like that. “Hell yes, it’s our national dish.”

“Ever have it different? Or fancy? Or always the straight goo-ey goods?”

“I’m from Winnipeg,” he said, “We’re a bit different. I once had it with a dollop of foie gras?”

“On the side or on top of the gravy?”“Mixed right in.”I told him it seemed like a total insult to the foie gras. Poutine

has more than enough going for it the way it is. But for taste and texture thrill, why not? Montreal, Kamloops, Winnipeg, Halifax or wherever you eat it, this saucy dish is the magnificent mess you get. And aren’t all great dishes there for the doctoring? What actually is chili or strogonoff or quiche?

Bottom line, no matter how you put it together — double-fried fries, cheese curds and gravy — it’s always disgusting but deli-cious and up for a challenge. Why not take it totally over the top with foie gras? Like a well-cobbled stew, poutine really does in-vite an array of exotica to add to its Quebec-legend base.

Chunks of lobster? Not only does it look reasonable, but it tastes extravagantly terrific. A curry? That too. Shred on some cooked shoulder of lamb. Shrimp would also work. The small va-riety. Your gravy may well be a béchamel.

The thing is, that once the crispy fries have been topped with curds and gravy, just about anything goes, even if caviar is too ri-diculously extravagant to contemplate.

We all have a favourite sausage. Some need cooking, but oth-ers don’t. Slice it up, heat it and place it neatly onto the curds before you add the hot gravy. This could be the most respectable combination of all. The same with your favourite chili and the leftovers from last night’s great stir-fry.

Simply remember the basics that made poutine what it was in the first place. Use great potatoes; don’t worry about peeling them. When they have been cut into fry shapes, rinse them thor-oughly, and then rinse them again. Twice frying makes for a crisp outside, soft inside fry. The curds will be available in the dairy department or at the deli. Start your gravy with a roux of butter and flour, add stock, simmer and season to taste, with more rath-er than less pepper. Bring the three elements together — and it’s poutine. Anything else is up to you.

Poutine gravy is available in packages at your supermarket. It’s easy and pretty good. But we went to Wikipedia to see what they had to say: “Traditionally a light and thin chicken, veal or turkey gravy, somewhat salty and mildly spiced with a hint of pepper, or a sauce brune, which is a combination of beef and chicken stock, a variant originating in Quebec.”

The gravy should be substantial, but still thin enough to easily filter down into the mass of fries and cheese curds. These sauces typically also contain vinegar or a sour flavour-ing to balance the richness of the cheese and fries. Traditional poutine sauces (mélange à sauce poutine) are sold in Quebec, Ontario and Maritime grocery stores in jars or cans and in powdered mix packets. Recently, some outlets have begun to offer vegetarian gravy as an option.


Heavy beef or pork-based brown gravies are rarely used. To maintain the texture of the fries, the cheese curds and gravy are added immediately prior to serving the dish. The hot gravy is usually poured over the room-temperature cheese curds, so that the cheese is warmed without completely melting. It is import-ant to control the temperature, timing and the order in which the ingredients are added, so as to obtain the right food textures, which are an essential part of the experience of eating poutine.

But our own observation is that poutine is a forgiving dish and no matter how you put it together, it will still be demolished by the hungry hordes.

I have yet to present poutine at a formal dinner, but the more I see of it, the more I think it might work. And wines? Take your pick once you’ve worked out your topping. But just as poutine in-vites something more than simply fries, curds and gravy, so too does it suggest an array of tastes in wine. I’d go for a mid-range bubbly just to get the folks grinning, then settle down to some-thing from eastern Canada — a pairing that gives a friendly nod to poutine’s origins.

LOBSTER BISQUEAs a bienvenue treat for a rare visit I made to Montreal, a friend bought a thousand-gram lobster for dinner. As we sipped on our Dubonnet, the beast squirmed in anticipation in a bag on the kitchen counter. We had planned to make a bisque, gleaned from an epicurious recipe she had in her book, but there wasn’t time. And we knew that the only equipment we had to ex-pose the meat in the claws and tail was a large hammer! It was a mess. Why am I showing you this recipe? A bisque can make a perfect sauce for a seafood inspired poutine. Use with a Swiss or light, gooey cheese.

2 live lobsters, 1 lb each 2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, sliced 1 large celery stalk, sliced 1 small carrot, sliced 1 garlic head, cut in half crosswise 1 tomato, sliced 2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped 2 bay leaves 8 whole black peppercorns 1/2 cup brandy 1/2 cup dry sherry 4 cups fish stock or bottled clam juice 1/4 cup tomato paste 1/2 cup whipping cream 2 tsp cornstarch 1 tbsp water

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Plunge lobsters head first into the water and boil until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Using tongs, transfer lobsters to a large bowl.

2. Reserve 2 cups cooking liquid. Cool lobsters. Working over large bowl to catch juices, remove tails and claws. Crack tail and claw shells and remove meat. Coarsely chop meat, cover and chill. 3. Coarsely chop lobster shells and bodies, transfer to a medi-um bowl. Reserve juices from lobster in large bowl.4. Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Add lobster shells and bodies, and sauté until shells begin to brown, about 8 minutes. 5. Add onion and next 8 ingredients. Mix in brandy and sherry. Boil until almost all liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add fish stock, reserved 2 cups lobster cooking liquid and lobster juices. Simmer 1 hour.6. Strain soup through sieve set over large saucepan, pressing firmly on solids. Whisk tomato paste into soup. Simmer until soup is reduced to 3 cups, about 15 minutes. (All of this can be done a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)7. Add cream to soup and simmer 5 minutes. Dissolve corn-starch in 1 tbsp water. Add to soup and boil until slightly thick-ened, about 2 minutes. Mix lobster meat into soup and stir to heat through. It’s ready for the potatoes and cheese.

POUTINE À LA BELGEChambar is an iconic Belgian-seasoned Vancouver restaurant, located near the entrance to historic Gastown. Chef-owner Nico Schuermans kindly provided this recipe for Chambar’s poutine (continued on the next page) that brings together the tastes of fries, peppercorn sauce and Roquefort cheese. It’s an ongoing Chambar favourite.

PEPPERCORN SAUCEMAKES ONE LITRE

1 L dark chicken stock. 1/2 L red cooking wine 2 tbsp tomato paste 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tsp sherry vinegar 1 sprig fresh rosemary 1 sprig fresh thyme 2 tbsp whole black peppercorns

1. In a saucepot on high, bring chicken stock to a boil. Add cooking wine, tomato paste and balsamic vinegar. Reduce liquid to just less than 50% of original volume. 2. Next, season with sherry vinegar and salt. Once you have a balanced flavour, remove from heat and add the whole black peppercorns and fresh herbs. 3. Allow to simmer. Strain before using. 4. Note: For a richer, fuller-bodied sauce add more tomato paste and balsamic vinegar. 5. For a thicker sauce, whisk in a small amount of cornstarch mixed with water and bring the sauce back to a boil for 30 seconds.


BELGIUM-STYLE FRITESMAKES 3 CUPS

2 large Kennebec potatoes (Look for po-tatoes that are as fresh as possible with the lowest sugar content available)

Canola oil Salt Paprika

1. Cut potatoes into 1 cm squared strips length-wise and soak for 24 hours. 2. In a large pot, heat water to 175˚F. Blanch potatoes for 3 minutes, then remove and allow to cool on a flat surface.3. In a large, deep pot, heat canola oil to 375˚F, making sure to use enough oil to fully submerge the potatoes. Fry potato slices until golden brown. Remove from oil and dust with salt and paprika.NOTE: For a much more flavourful frite, try sub-stituting normal canola oil for a ratio of 50% beef fat to 50% canola oil.

THE FINAL POUTINESERVES 2

3 tbsp Roquefort cheese, crumbled 1 large pinch dried pink peppercorns 1 large pinch pickled green peppercorns 1/2 tbsp crisp garlic (fry chopped garlic

at 225˚F, stirring constantly) 10 ml Vincotto (Italian condiment) 1/2 green onion, thinly sliced 1 large pinch Italian parsley,

thinly sliced 5 tbsp gravy or peppercorn sauce 1 oven friendly bowl or tray

1. Preheat oven to highest temperature or set to broil. 2. In a mixing bowl, place the cheese, peppercorns, crisp garlic and freshly fried and seasoned potatoes. Mix well and place into an oven-friendly bowl. 3. Cook for about 3 minutes, keeping a close eye on the poutine, ensuring it does not burn. Remove from oven.4. Place frites mixture in a serving bowl and top with heated gravy or peppercorn sauce, green onion, parsley and Vincotto. Serve immediately.


WAIT! Is that the sweet sound of ice cubes clinking in a glass I hear? Oh yes, another cocktail has just been brought forth into the world. What would summer be without a cool drink in the hand? There’s no need to hop over to the local pub this time. In fact, there’s no need to get up off that lounge chair at all.

Bartenders have pushed the concept of cool cocktails to way beyond the average person’s capabilities (well, mine anyway). Hard-to-get ingredients, centrifuges and professional tech-niques like sous vide, make for some pretty photogenic concoc-tions. But, backyard relaxing should be more about … well … re-laxing. Let’s keep it fresh and simple, OK? So, to that end, here are some tips to help you stay cool this summer.

BE BITTER AND PROUDHoppy beer and bitters (like Angostura) serve one necessary purpose: they quench that nagging thirst. (Ok, fine; they taste re-ally good, too.)

TAME THAT SWEET TOOTHSugar is nice. But, it will make you thirstier. Wasps will also find your company particularly alluring. However, if resisting a touch of sweetness is just too much, distract the little pests with a tray of juice all their own. Swapping honey, agave nectar or stevia for sugar won’t keep insects away, but it will result in delicious fla-vour adventures.

THE BEST OF THE BEST FOR THE BESTLook, just because a cocktail is a mixture of various ingredients does not mean that using just any old product is fine. You will taste the difference. Bartenders are very picky about their choic-es when concocting even the most complex cocktail for very good reasons. Try any kind of libation (even water!) made by three different producers and notice how each has its own distinc-tive qualities. Every single one of the recipes below features the unique taste of a particular product. Feel free to experiment with your own favourites.

HOT ROCKSAs a block, shaved or popped out of a fun mould, ice is in. (My favourite ice cube trays: the Chill Pill, iceberg and Titanic and Pi.) Adding just a little ice won’t water down the drink, but it will make the cocktail fun and, of course, cool. Cheers!

THE CLASSICVodka is an enduring cocktail base. It lends a subtlety and tex-ture to the drink without overpowering any of the other ingredi-ents. In the cocktails that follow, Polish-made Wyborowa offers notes of creamy lemon and anise. It adds depth and rounds out the drinks’ fruity flavours. Or you can try the Absolut Citron for an extra kick of citrus.

POLISH MOJITO 1 1/2 oz vodka 3/4 oz lime juice 1 1/2 oz apple juice 3/4 oz sugar syrup Mint leaves Lime Carbonated water

Put mint leaves and sugar syrup into a tall glass. Gently knead mint syrup before adding vodka and lime juice. Fill glass with crushed ice and apple juice before garnishing with a sprig of mint.

TRIPLE CITRUS 1 1/2 oz vodka 3/4 oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed 1/2 oz pink grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed 1/2 oz sugar syrup 1 fresh ginger slice 2 drops orange bitters Ginger ale

JUST COOL ITby Rosemary Mantini


Mash the ginger with the sugar syrup and add all ingredients ex-cept the ginger ale into a shaker. Shake and double strain into a tall glass filled with ice. Top up with ginger ale and garnish with an orange peel and sprig of mint.

RASPBERRIES AND PASSION 2 oz vodka 3/4 oz apple juice 1/2 oz sugar syrup 1/2 oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed 1 shot passion fruit syrup 5 raspberries 1 passion fruit

Mash fruit in a cocktail shaker before adding the remaining in-gredients and ice. Mix and strain into two cocktail glasses. Gar-nish with raspberry and mint leaf.

CLEAN AND COLDSparkling water, on its own or with a dash of this or that, is the ultimate hot weather refresher. Perrier, hailing from France, is mineral water that has been carbonated naturally. The bubbles are big and tend to last quite a while. A splash will add a definite taste of flint and mineral to a drink.

THE WEEKEND WARRIOR 1 1/2 oz orange vodka 1 bottle mineral water, chilled 1 orange 1 maraschino cherry

In a mixing glass 3/4 full of ice, shake 1 1/2 oz of orange vodka to chill. Strain and pour into the glass. Top with a splash of mineral water. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and an orange wedge.

ROSE PETAL COSMO 1 oz vodka 1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice 1 oz cranberry juice Splash of mineral water

Combine all the ingredients, except mineral water, into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a martini glass, top with the mineral water and garnish with a couple floating rose petals.

COLLINS 1 1/2 oz gin 1 oz freshly squeezed grapefruit juice 1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice 1/2 oz simple syrup 2 dashes Fee’s grapefruit bitters 3 oz mineral water

Stir ingredients together and pour into your favourite tumbler or tall glass with ice. Zest a grapefruit peel to replace grapefruit bitters.

lighten upLow alcohol is where it’s at this summer (see Avid one page 63 of the May/June 2015 issue). Enjoy full-on flavour without the furnace effect that’s sometimes brought on by high-octane wines and spirits. Switch it up a bit, and in between cocktails, try cooling that heat with these tasty sippers. New trend alert: make sure to have some non-al-coholic cocktails on hand, too.

SAVANNA DRY PREMIUM CIDER, DISTELL GROUP LTD, SOUTH AFRICA ($2.50/330 ML)Bury a few of these in a bucket of ice. Wait until cold then pop the top. Push a lemon wedge down the bottleneck; sit back and enjoy. This cider is clear golden in colour with a slight bit of effervescence. A scent of sweet apples and some yeast permeate the air upon opening. On the palate, it tastes dry with subtle notes of Granny Smith apple. It finishes clean, tart and refreshing.

BROKEN LADDER, BC TREE FRUITS CIDER CO, BC ($2.50/330 ML)Quite the debut, I must say. Broken Ladder apple cider is the first to be produced by this branch of the larger and much older BC Tree Fruits Cooperative. Blending 7 differ-ent types of apples, this cider features a pale yellow (almost green) colour, slight cloudiness and lots of sparkling little bubbles. It shows crisp, tart and orange marmalade on the palate. Light and thirst quenching on even the hottest day.

MELVILLE’S ALL NATURAL GINGER BEER, INNES & GUNN, SCOTLAND ($2.95/500 ML)Like Amarula, ginger beer may not be top of mind as the most refreshing choice on a hot day. If so, I’d ask you to reconsider. Dark amber in colour, it forms a nice (but slight) head as it’s poured. The bouquet is heavenly with candied ginger and spice. As its name suggests, this drink is not afraid to push the ginger to the forefront. That pungent and spicy flavour is followed up immediately with notes of citrus. The finish is long and gingery. Because it trades sweetness for spice, Melville’s All Natural Ginger Beer is a perfect summer chiller.

PALOMITA 1 1/2 oz tequila 3 oz freshly squeezed grapefruit juice 3/4 oz honey syrup (1:1 honey to water) 1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice 2 dashes Fee’s grapefruit bitters 5 strawberry slices 5 oz mineral water

Stir ingredients together and pour into a tall glass with ice. Zest a grapefruit peel to replace grapefruit bitters. ×

JUST COOL IT


BOUQUET GARNI BY NANCY JOHNSON

× Search through a wide range of wine-friendly recipes on quench.me/recipes/

I FEEL GUILTY IF I DON’T USE THE BARBECUE GRILL EVERY SUMMER DAY. This is the residual effect of our long, hard winter, when I stood gazing through the frost-covered patio door swearing that if Mother Nature would just thaw my frozen world, I would never ever take summer for granted, would never ever complain about the blistering heat, would never ever begrudge the wildly growing weeds and would never ever sing Let It Go again.

As summer begins, I roll out the barbecue with great fanfare. But as the season progresses, I grow weary of char-grilled steaks and kebabs. There is a dreadful sameness to these offerings that ruffles my easily ruffled feathers. I feel the need to move the whole operation indoors, to forget, at least for a day or two, about the scary poof when I light the burners, the dreary scraping away of the charred debris, the requisite cold beer and the long-handled tongs that have somehow moulded themselves to my hands.

When that restlessness takes over, these are the recipes I fall back on.

BARBECUE GUILT TRIP


PORK FRIED RICESERVE 3 TO 4Save some of the leftover meat from barbecued ribs or pork tenderloin to make this dish. Start with cold rice; it will remain separate and firm while stir-frying. You can cook the eggs right in the wok, but I like them better when cooked separately and added to the top of each serving.

1/4 cup soy sauce 1 tbsp rice vinegar 2 tsp brown sugar 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil 1 tbsp canola oil 1 small onion, chopped 1 1/2 cups white or shiitake mushrooms, sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup leftover pork, diced 1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed 3 cups cold, cooked rice 3 eggs, lightly beaten

1. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and sesame oil. Set aside.2. In a wok or skillet in hot canola oil, sauté onion and mush-rooms until softened. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute longer. Stir in rice and soy sauce mixture. Add pork, peas and carrots. Cook until heated through. 3. Coat a small non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Cook eggs until set, occasionally lifting edge of eggs with a spatula and tilt-ing skillet so uncooked portion runs to the bottom of hot skillet. Slice eggs in strips and serve on top of each serving.MATCH: Enjoy a Gewürztraminer with the fried rice.

TERIYAKI WINGSSERVES 4Yes, you can make wings on the grill but when it’s raining, try this oven technique. I find parchment paper sticks to the baking pan best if you cover the pan with cooking spray before fitting in the parchment paper. Mirin is a type of low-alcohol rice wine that can be found at most grocery stores. Watch the wings after you add the teriyaki sauce — it burns easily.

1/3 cup soy sauce 1/3 cup mirin 2 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp cornstarch 2 tbsp water 3 lb chicken wings

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F. 2. Make teriyaki sauce: In a saucepan, bring soy sauce, mirin and sugar to a boil. Mix cornstarch with water. Whisk into soy sauce mixture. Cook until thickened. Set aside.3. Cover baking pan with cooking spray, then parchment paper. Spread wings in pan and bake 30 minutes, uncovered. With tongs, turn wings and bake 20 minutes longer. Brush with teriyaki sauce and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until wings are glazed. MATCH: Excellent with a Sauvignon Blanc.

CHIPOTLE-STYLE CHICKEN AND BLACK BEAN BOWLSERVES 4The Chipotle Mexican Grill makes a fine chicken bowl that I wouldn’t dream of duplicating. But I do like the concept, so occa-sionally when the spirit moves me, I make my own Chipotle-in-spired version. If you like a little heat, go for the poblano pepper and add some hot sauce. .

1 tbsp olive oil 1 red pepper, cut in strips 1 green bell pepper or poblano pepper, cut in strips 1 red onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp chili powder 2 boneless chicken breast fillets, cut in bite-sized strips 1 cup tomato sauce 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 cup frozen corn, thawed 2 cups cooked brown rice Sour cream, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese,

minced cilantro

1. In large skillet in hot oil, sauté peppers and onions until soft-ened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in chili powder to coat. Cook 1 minute. Remove pepper mixture from skillet and set aside. (I keep mixture warm in oven.)2. In same skillet, add a bit more oil and sauté chicken until cooked through. Stir in pepper mixture, tomato sauce, beans and corn. Cook until heated through. Serve over rice, topped with sour cream, tomatoes, shredded cheese and cilantro.MATCH: Margaritas, stat!

SHRIMP COCKTAIL WITH REMOULADE SAUCESERVES 4Sometimes, on a hot summer evening, all you really want is a cold dish. In that case, nothing is better than chilled shrimp. I boil peeled and deveined shrimp for just a few minutes. When the shrimp turn pink and curl, they’re ready. Drain, rinse and chill. You’ll have leftover Creole seasoning — mix into mayonnaise and spread on fish or chicken before roasting.

1 1/4 cups mayonnaise 1/4 cup Dijon mustard 1 tsp Creole seasoning 1 tsp prepared horseradish 1 tsp sweet pickle juice 1 tsp Tabasco sauce (optional) 1 large clove garlic, pressed through garlic press 2 lb shrimp, cooked and chilled

1. Make Creole seasoning: In a small bowl, mix 2 1/2 tsp sweet paprika, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp white pep-per, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1/4 tsp cayenne or to taste. Store in air-tight jar up to 3 months. 2. Make remoulade: In a medium bowl, mix mayonnaise, mus-tard, Creole seasoning, horseradish, pickle juice, Tabasco and garlic. Chill in refrigerator 2 hours. Serve with shrimp.MATCH: Champagne is a lovely accompaniment. ×


AMSTERDAM BREWING CO. SWEETWATER SQUEEZE RADLER, ONTARIO ($2.85/473 ML)Invented to slake the thirst of German cyclists, this classic, low-alcohol blend of beer and juice is usually made with grapefruit. But Toronto’s Amsterdam Brewing Company uses a blend of blood orange and grapefruit juice, adds a citrusy house soda for an extra spritzy mouthfeel, and zests more blood orang-es in-house, adding it at the last second in the brewing process for maximum zip. The formula makes for an ultra-re-freshing beer spritzer with a citrus aroma that pops. (CL)

90 ABBAZIA MOSCATO D’ASTI 2013, PIEMONTE ($14.95)Moscato d’Asti is fizzy and frivolous but this fragrant, light-bodied wine from Piemonte is a secret pleasure, a wine that reminds me of summer. The wine is pale straw with a greenish tint. On the nose, it’s honey and acacia flowers. The palate is lightly sparkling, what the Italians call frizzante, with a sweet, grapey taste. (TA)

95 VINCENT ROCHETTE VISAN 2010, AOC CÔTES DU RHÔNE VILLAGES ($15.33) Clear, deep plum-red. Strong nose of mixed red berries and sultanas, evolving to plums and dates in the glass. Medi-um- to full-bodied with black cherry and stewed plum flavours. All components in good balance with a long finish. At its peak now. Good value. (RL)*

86 JOST VINEYARDS LEON MILLOT 2012, ANNAPOLIS VALLEY, NOVA SCOTIA ($14.99) Fresh cherry with green herbal and smoky scents, shifting to black cherry and dark chocolate supported by moderate tannins and ever so slightly forward acidity. (SW)

93 BLASÓN DE SAN CARLOS MAL-BEC 2011, MENDOZA ($12.67) Clear, deep plum-red. Medium-plus intensity nose of kirsch, spice and smoke from oak aging. Medium- to full-bodied with lots of ripe, sweet black cherry-fruit; well-balanced, if a little high in alcohol. A poster child for basic good-value Argentinean Malbec. Drink up. (RL)*

91 HAYWIRE PINOT NOIR 2013, OKANAGAN ($24.90)Light- to medium-bodied with forward red fruit and earthy notes, followed by an earthy, gently spicy palate with savoury notes; well-managed oak and a lingering finish. Pair with sockeye salmon or grilled pork tenderloin. (TP)

88 DOMAINE DU RIDGE VENT D’OUEST 2012, ST-ARMAND, QUÉBEC ($15.80)Shy but ripe nose of pear and quince with a hint of sulphur (like striking a match). Acidity is surprisingly low, but it is not lacking. Nice fruity taste; light body for an easy-drinking white wine. Finish is balanced and of medium length. Drink now. (GBQc)

NOTED

× Find a collection of tasting notes for wine, beer and spirits at quench.me/notes/


NOTED Each wine is judged on its own merits, in its respective category. Our scores are based on the wine's quality as well as price point. Readers should assess these, and all wines,

using the same criteria. Carefully study the commentaries to get an idea of whether the wine might appeal to your taste. The prices listed are suggested retail prices and may vary from province to province. Since a large number of these wines can be purchased across

Canada, check with your local liquor board or private wine store for availability.

Our tasters are Tony Aspler, Gurvinder Bhatia, Tod Stewart, Evan Saviolidis, Rick VanSickle, Ron Liteplo, Harry Hertscheg, Sean Wood, Gilles Bois,

Crystal Luxmore, Tim Pawsey and Jonathan Smithe.

QUENCH USES THE 100-POINT SCALE95-100 = Exceptional90-94 = Excellent85-89 = Very good

80-84 = Good75-79 = Acceptable70 & under = Below average*Available through wine clubs

SPAR-KLING90 GIORGI 1870 GRAN CUVÉE STORICA OLTREPÒ PAVESE METO-DO CLASSICO DOCG NV, LOMBAR-DY, ITALY ($28)This 100% Pinot Noir Brut-style spar-kling wine matured 36 months en tirage and then another 6 months after dis-gorgement. The ample bouquet brings out cherry, apricot and some vanilla spice. The palate is dry with yeasty complexity and fine mousse. Appropriate at any time during the meal. (HH)

87 RÉSERVE DE SOURS BRUT SPARKLING ROSÉ NV, BORDEAUX, FRANCE ($19) Medium-deep vermilion colour with a medium-strong mousse. Nose of straw-berry with aspects of roses, peach and a hint of rosemary. Likeable tastes of tan-gerine and strawberry with good acidity. Drink up. (RL)*

WHITEAUSTRALIA91 HARDY’S EILEEN HARDY CHAR-DONNAY 2013, TASMANIA AND YARRA VALLEY ($65)A dramatic shift in style for the Eileen

Hardy to a more Burgundian model, which speaks to the cooler fruit sourc-es. Straw-coloured with a toasty, spicy tropical-fruit nose showing some barn-yard notes. Spicy pineapple and orange flavours. Minerally with a lively spine of acidity giving the wine great length. (TA)

92 PEARL MORISSETTE CUVÉE BLACK BALL RIESLING 2013, NIAGARA ($32)Yes, there is a reductive note on the nose that seems to dissipate with time in the glass, but also gorgeous lime, grapefruit, apple skin and slate minerality. It is taut, young and racy on the palate with nervy acidity and energy. The texture is profound and the flavours open up to intense lime and grapefruit pulp, freshening river-rock minerality, dried apple and an intensity that builds through the finish. (RV)

92 BACHELDER WISMER VINE-YARD CHARDONNAY 2011, NIAGARA PENINSULA ($44.95)This is a magnificent Ontario Chardon-nay that can stand against any white Burgundy in its price range. Light straw in colour with a green tint; a nose of minerals, apple and lemon with an almond note. Elegant, beautifully balanced; fresh and lively on the palate with great length. (TA)

91 UNSWORTH PINOT GRIS 2014, VANCOUVER ISLAND ($17.29)Lees aging (it’s “how we deal with island acidity,” says winemaker Daniel Cosman) brings remarkable texture to

this distinctive Gris. Orchard fruits, purity of flavours, structure and great fruit-acid balance. Think Dungeness crab, clams or salmon. (TP)

91 TINHORN CREEK GEWÜRZTRA-MINER 2013, OKANAGAN ($19.95) Classically Gewürz in style, lighter and drier than its Alsace model. Pale straw in colour with a bouquet of lychees and rose water. Light on the palate and crisply dry with grapefruit, ginger and lychee flavours, and great length. (TA)

91 MIKE B RIESLING 2014, OKANAGAN ($24.90)Made with BC Sommelier of the Year, Mike Bernardo (Vij’s), the latest in Okanagan Crush Pad’s continuing Okanagan Wine Campus mentorship series. This very fresh lemon and lime-toned Riesling, which straddles both stainless and concrete egg fermentation, is luscious and layered with just a touch of residual sugar that will make it the perfect partner for a wide range of plates, including lightly spiced curries. (TP)

91 FLAT ROCK CELLARS THE RUSTY SHED CHARDONNAY 2012, NIAGARA ($25)This is robust and generous on the nose with notes of poached pear, baked apple, lemon, mineral and toasted vanilla spice. It has lovely texture on the palate to go with apple, brioche, pear, smoke and a pure vein of minerality. It’s rich, no doubt, but maintains finesse and elegance through the finish. (RV)


NOTED90 DOMAINE DE CHABERTON RESERVE BACCHUS 2013, FRASER VALLEY ($16)Some of the Fraser Valley’s most mature plantings show well-situated Bacchus at its cool-climate best: Stonefruit and cit-rus on the nose before a lush, off-dry pal-ate of tangerine and citrus, and a lengthy close. Think Waldorf salad. (TP)

90 CEDARCREEK CHARDONNAY 2013, OKANAGAN ($16.49)Gentle, quite creamy entry with mel-on, pear and mango; hints of guava, a textured mid-palate and a clean, lengthy close. The oak is understated and well in check thanks to the use of a large oak barrel (foudre) as well as barriques and stainless steel. (TP)

90 LOST INHIBITIONS WHITE 2014, OKANAGAN ($18)Church & State’s new second-tier comes with a crazy, “Smarties” assortment of some 100 fun and provocative labels for 2 wines. This blend of mainly Viognier (35%), Gewürz (20%) and Sauv Blanc (16.36%) sports aromas of apple and pear, followed by a surprisingly full-bodied pal-ate with hints of citrus, peach-nectarine and even some rose petal from the Gewürz, all wrapped in refreshing acidity. (TP)

90 REDSTONE CHARDONNAY 2011, NIAGARA PENINSULA ($18.95)Moray Tawse, the owner of Tawse winery in Vineland, made the cover of Britain’s prestigious Decanter Magazine with his Tawse Estate Chardonnay 2011. Moray purchased the old Thomas & Vaughan winery in Beamsville in 2009 and renamed it Redstone. This wine is light straw in colour; it has a spicy pear bou-quet with vanilla oak. Medium-bodied, dry and elegant, it’s beautifully balanced with great length. (TA)

90 BIG HEAD WINES CHENIN BLANC 2013, NIAGARA ($22)For me, this is the best Chenin Blanc be-ing made in Ontario. Naturally fermented, the lovely balance between the acidity and sweetness supports the lemon, lime,

honey, peach, apple juice, pineapple and minerals. Excellent length. Try with an ashed goat cheese. (ES)

90 FIELDING VIOGNIER 2013, NI-AGARA ($26)This interesting Viognier has a floral nose with notes of honeydew melon, tangerine, peach and subtle spice. I love the texture of this wine that amplifies the pure fruit flavours of melon, peach, apricot and pineapple. It’s lush but still fresh and clean through the finish. Nice job here. (RV)

89 RED ROOSTER RIESLING 2014, OKANAGAN ($14.85)Apple, citrus and floral notes on the nose precede a well-structured, distinctly mineral, dry palate with some early petrol hints, lively acidity and a fresh, clean end. Think oysters on the half shell with a splash of vinaigrette. (TP)

89 FLAT ROCK CELLARS THE RUSTY SHED CHARDONNAY 2010, TWENTY MILE BENCH ($24.95)From a warm vintage comes this overt Chardonnay with peach, white flowers, pineapple, honey, red apple and spice on the nose. The same follows through on the pal-ate with creaminess and minerality adding dimension. Ready to drink now. (ES)

88 LEGENDS ESTATES TERROIR SÉMILLON 2013, LINCOLN LAKE-SHORE ($17.50)This is one of the few monovarietal Sémillons produced in Ontario — a grape that suffered substantial damage from the severe winter of 2014. Peach, honey, kiwi, wax, spice and lanolin meet up with crunchy acidity and a slight sweetness. Drink now. (ES)

88 LAKEVIEW CELLARS SAUVI-GNON BLANC TREGUNNO FAMILY VINEYARDS 2013, NIAGARA ($17.95) Here you will find an approachable Sau-vignon Blanc with a personality of peach, apricot, fresh herbs, grapefruit and a slight toastiness from some barrel aging. There is very good length and fresh acid, making a perfect match with freshwater fish. (ES)

88 BIG HEAD WINES SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013, NIAGARA ($19)Another natural fermentation wine from Big Head. Petrol, passion fruit, guava, white flowers and grass are built on a medium-bodied frame. Crisp acid-ity and a mineral finale complements everything. Try with sushi or a simple fish dish. (ES)

88 PEARL MORISSETTE NIAGARA VINEYARDS CUVÉE DIX-NEUVIÈME CHARDONNAY 2011, VQA TWENTY MILE BENCH ($44.99) Shows intense green apple, citrus and subtle vanilla on the nose with concen-trated sappy green apple and lemon-cit-rus flavours playing through on the palate. Steely acidity and mineral grip are tempered by a delicate touch of lemon butter on the finish. (SW)

87 DOMAINE DE L’ORPAILLEUR BLANC 2012, QUÉBEC ($15.80)Pale yellow. Discreet fruity nose (apple, pear). Delicate acidity, round middle palate, nice fruity taste. The medi-um-length finish is balanced and leaves a satisfying impression of freshness. Made from Seyval Blanc and Vidal hybrid grapes. Drink now. (GBQc)

CHILE88 MIGUEL TORRES LAS MULAS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014 ($11.95)This Sauv Blanc offers good depth of flavour, especially for the price. Lean-ing to the pungent side of the varietal, the ammonia, asparagus, guava, citrus and passion fruit are all present on a crisp frame. Drink now with fried appetizers. (ES)

FRANCE92 DOMAINES SCHLUMBERGER PINOT GRIS GRAND CRU SPIEGEL 2010, ALSACE ($34)A bold and expressive nose of pear, apple, marzipan, ginger and zingy lime


zest. Showing pure elegance on the palate, this substantive and complex Gris balances honeydew melon, pear and apple fruits with exotic spices, mineral and a subtle sweetness that is balanced by racy acidity. Age this for awhile to be totally smitten. (RV)

90 MARC BRÉDIF VOUVRAY 2013, LOIRE VALLEY ($20.50)Pale yellow. Wet wool, floral notes, ripe pear and apricot for a characteristic Chenin Blanc nose. Cutting acidity contrasting with the fat texture of the mid-palate. Seductive sweet fruit taste and a nice long finish. (GBQc)

88 DOMAINE GIBAULT SAUVI-GNON BLANC 2013, AOC TO-URAINE ($16.33) Clear pale gold. Good Sauvignon Blanc typicity with a nose leaning to gua-va and ripe apple. Well-balanced and medium-bodied with banana, apple and tropical fruit flavours, so fruity it seems slightly sweet; soft and approachable de-spite its youth. Drink up. Don’t be afraid to drink with a spicy Thai dish. (RL)*

88 HENRI EHRHART PINOT GRIS RÉSERVE PARTICULIÈRE 2013, ALSACE ($19)Pale yellow with pink reflections. Sweet nose of ripe apple; hints of honey, mineral and floral notes. Off-dry, tender acidity. Light fruity taste with more weight in the mid-palate thanks to the residual sugar. Ready to drink. (GBQc)

ITALY 91 MAROTTI CAMPI SALMARIANO VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI RISERVA 2010, MARCHE ($32)Beautifully fresh and lively with aromas and flavours of apple and almond, a touch of citrus and vanilla, full texture, bright minerality and a touch of saline on the long, lingering, lifted finish. Full and complex while still delicate and elegant. Great match with shellfish, poultry and pork. (GB)

90 POGGIOBELLO FRIULANO 2013, FRIULI ($32)Aromas of fresh herbs with a touch of stone fruit and mineral; bright acidity, depth and length. Crisp, clean with finesse and character. Versatile food wine, pairing with everything from eggs and asparagus to seafood to prosciutto di San Daniele. (GB)

89 CA’ DEL GÈ PINOT NERO IN BIANCO OLTREPÒ PAVESE DOC 2013, LOMBARDY ($22)Pinot Noir performs well in this hilly region south of the Po River, whether in sparkling, red or even as this white wine. Attractive feint cherry and herb scents, along with this style’s trademark firm acidity, fresh white raspberry and cinnamon flavours and very clean finish. Ceviche would pair well. (HH)

89 ALOIS LAGEDER SAUVIGNON BLANC 2012, ALTO ADIGE ($24)The wines of this reputed producer of Northeast Italy are worth searching for. His wines always show extra finesse and subtle flavours. Of very pale colour, this Sauvignon Blanc has a characteristic nose without the frequent herbaceous notes often found under cool climates. Its delicate taste is perfectly balanced, minerally and fruity, if only a bit shy at this stage. (GBQc)

87 CHIARLO LE MARNE 2013, GAVI, PIEMONTE ($17)Very pale yellow. Ripe white fruits (apricot, pear) with a touch of almond. Delicate acidity; fruity mid-palate with plush-like texture. Short finish lifted by acidity. Ready to drink on pasta or white meat. (GBQc)

87 JASCI & MARCHESANI PECORINO SUPERIORE 2013, ABRUZZO ($18)Straw yellow. Very expressive, per-fumed nose with intense floral notes, ripe apple and chalk. Very light body, sharp acidity; intensely refreshing, ripe taste, perfumed finish. A “love it or hate it” wine. (GBQc)

NEW ZEALAND90 VILLA MARIA CELLAR SELEC-TION SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014, MARLBOROUGH ($19.95)This brilliant and focused Sauv Blanc pumps out a huge perfume of nectarine, followed by bergamot, passion fruit, guava, jalapeño and papaya. Fresh acidity, a concentrated mid-palate and long finale make this a sublime partner for a ceviche infused with some tropical fruit or tuna/salmon sashimi. (ES)

UNITED STATES91 WINE COMPANY THE PARING WHITE 101 2011, CALIFORNIAI didn’t think that California could emulate a white Bordeaux. This blend of mostly Sauvignon with Sémillon and Viognier has that distinctive minerally, lanolin nose with flavours of green mango and lemongrass made glossy with new oak. Full in the mouth with great balance. The ideal tipple by the pool. (TA)

ROSÉ90 FORT BERENS PINOT NOIR ROSÉ 2014, LILLOOET, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($15.99)BC’s new hinterland region continues to surprise with this food-friendly, dry rosé that sports strawberry and raspber-ry notes kept well in check with crisp acidity and a touch of earthiness before a clean, dry close. Ideal for lighter seafood dishes such as shellfish marinara or with picnic cold cuts. (TP)

87 GASPEREAU VINEYARDS ROSÉ 2013, NOVA SCOTIA ($15.99) Showing rose-petal pink colour and enticing ripe red berry scents that carry through to attractive berry flavours; lightly refreshing acidity and a touch of dry mineral grip. Ideal as an apéritif or for summer picnic sipping. (SW)


NOTED

REDARGENTINA87 PASCUAL TOSO MALBEC LIMITED EDITION 2012, MENDOZA ($15.95)Grape names can be confusing. Auxer-rois is a white grape grown in Alsace. Auxerrois is also a red grape grown in Cahors; but in Argentina, Cahors’ Auxerrois is called Malbec and it’s what they do best in the Mendoza Valley. This is a prime example. Dense ruby-purple in colour, it has a smoky, minerally, red berry nose; it’s full-bodied, dry, soft and unctuous on the palate with well-inte-grated oak. Good value. (TA)

AUSTRALIA87 HARDY’S STAMP SERIES CABER-NET/MERLOT 2013, SOUTH EAST-ERN AUSTRALIA ($9.90)A bargain at the price. Deep ruby colour; pencil lead, cedar and currants on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied with red plum and redcurrant flavours backed by lively acidity. (TA)

CANADA93 RENNIE ESTATE “G” 2012, NIAG-ARA ($55)It’s a blend of Merlot (50%) and equal amounts of estate Cab Sauv and Cab Franc, made in the appassimento method. The grapes are “slow-dried” for 103 days resulting in 50% loss of yield. Average Brix at time of picking was 21.7 and 27.9 after drying. This is as lavish and showy a red wine as you’ll find in Niagara with big, concentrated layers of blackcurrants, cherries, raspberries, earth and spices that come at you in waves. It is a mouthful at the moment: huge tannins, bountiful red and dark fruits, and barrel spices that are complex, tight and need time to integrate properly. (RV)

92 EAU VIVRE PINOT NOIR 2013, SIMILKAMEEN ($21.90)Classic Similkameen Pinot with up-front crushed berry notes followed by a generous but balanced palate of juicy strawberry and raspberry; approachable tannins, well-managed oak, mouthwa-tering acidity and a lengthy close. Pair with barbecued salmon or rare grilled lamb chops. (TP)

92 BLUE MOUNTAIN VINEYARD AND CELLARS PINOT NOIR 2013, OKANAGAN ($24.90)Red and black fruit aromas precede a plush and rounded palate accentuated by spice and vanilla notes. Cassis and cherry in approachable tannins become more complex towards the close. 100% wild yeast fermented. Pair with game birds or darker salmon species. (TP)

92 TOWNSHIP 7 CABERNET FRANC ROCK POCKET VINEYARD 2012, OKANAGAN ($31)A robust, ripe Cabernet Franc from the estate’s North Bench in Oliver on the Black Sage Bench. It’s a rich and ripe CF with a thrilling nose of deep, rich blackberry, blueberry, roasted coffee bean, nutmeg, bramble and baking spices. It’s thick and juicy on the palate with a combination of red and dark fruits, spice, vanilla and silky tannins though a smooth finish. Delicious wine. (RV)

92 LEANING POST LOWREY VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2011, NIAGARA ($38)The 2011 vintage was cooler than 2012 or 2010 and offers more classic Pinot aro-mas of cherry and raspberry fruit; lighter spice notes with underbrush, mushrooms and a floral note. It has a gorgeous, luxuri-ous mouthfeel with persistent red fruits, spice and silky tannins that give the wine a delicate feel through the finish. It has great finesse and verve, with potential to evolve further. (RV)

92 FOREIGN AFFAIR PETIT VER-DOT 2012, NIAGARA ($50)Foreign Affair dries 15% of the grapes

and ages the wine for 18 months in French oak. It has a complex and floral nose of currants, cassis, raspberry bush and baking spices. It shows a voluptuous array of currants, cherry and cassis fruit on the palate with touches of liquorice and rich spice notes. A good beam of acidity carries this wine nicely through a long finish. Consider this for long-term cellaring, 5 to 10 years. (RV)

92 LEANING POST MCNALLY VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2012, NIAGARA ($50)A voluptuous Pinot with super-ripe cher-ry fruit, strawberry, fruitcake, lovely oak spices and vanilla. On the palate, look for mature showy cherry-fruit, pomegranate, a touch of cassis, bramble and spice. It’s a Pinot with both weight, finesse and good length through the finish. (RV)

91 ROSEHALL RUN HUNGRY POINT PINOT NOIR 2013, PRINCE ED-WARD COUNTY ($25)A nose of swirling cherry, savoury spice, red plum and a core of minerality. It’s gorgeous on the palate; though shy at first, it opens up to brambly cher-ry-raspberry fruit, fine oak spice, layers of fruit and crisp acidity. Classic County Pinot Noir. (RV)

91 TOWNSHIP 7 CABERNET SAUVI-GNON BLUE TERRACE VINEYARD 2012, OKANAGAN ($27)Sourced from fruit grown in the Black Sage Bench vineyard from the classic 2012 vintage in the Okanagan Valley, the nose shows rich cherry, mulled plums, anise, currants, saddle leather and layers of oak spice. It’s juicy on the palate with rich red fruits, firm tannic structure and lovely toasted baking spices, all balanced out by a firm beam of acidity. (RV)

91 FORT BERENS MERITAGE 2012, BC ($29)A blend of 40% estate fruit from Lillooet and the rest from the Sundial Vineyard in Oliver, it consists of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The nose shows black cherries, crunchy


raspberry, currants, cocoa and oak-de-rived spices. It has good tannic structure and a lovely mélange of red berries and currants to go with integrated spices and length through the finish. (RV)

91 50TH PARALLEL ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2013, OKANAGAN ($32)Dusty black fruit and spicy aromas precede a medium-bodied palate of ripe dark berry notes, earthy and mocha hints, wrapped in silky, supple tannins before a lingering finish. Pair with duck breast, wild mushroom risotto or sock-eye salmon. (TP)

91 VANESSA VINEYARD MERITAGE 2012, SIMILKAMEEN ($36)From an extremely stony slope well above the Similkameen River, this inaugural release was made by consult-ing winemaker Howard Soon. The 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc blend yields vibrant black fruit and cassis on the nose, fol-lowed by a plush, well-structured palate of blackberry and anise, with well-inte-grated tannins, a pronounced mineral streak and a lengthy, spicy finish. (TP)

91 RENNIE ESTATE SCARPATA MERLOT 2012, NIAGARA ($45)Made in the ripasso style by adding the Merlot to the leftover lees from the Ren-nie “G” wine. The nose shows expressive aromatics of ripe raspberry, super-con-centrated cherry, anise, liquorice, bramble, blueberry and oak spices. It is highly structured with evident tannins but backed up by rich, flavourful fruits and spice. (RV)

91 TRIUS GRAND RED 2012, NIAGARA ($55)If you thought the 2012 Trius Red was great, wait until this beauty crosses the lips. Full-bodied and elegant, the layers of cassis, dark cherry, vanilla, violets, herb, spice and earth carry long on the finale. The fine tannins will ensure it ages over the next decade. A blend of 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 27% Cabernet Franc. (ES)

91 RENNIE ESTATE WINERY “G” ASSEMBLAGE 2012, NIAGARA ($55)An excellent follow-up to the impressive 2011, this Amarone-inspired Meritage was aged in new oak for 18 months. It packs a wallop with its 16% alcohol, concentrated mid-palate and profile of vanilla, raspberry, toast, cassis, plum, chocolate, raisins and spice. A long finish and loads of ripe tannins make the case for a decade of cellaring if so desired. FYI: the grapes were dried for 100 days! (ES)

90 UNSWORTH PINOT NOIR 2013, VANCOUVER ISLAND ($21.79)Earthy and mushroom notes with pure, sweet fruit, dark cherry over strawberry with juicy acidity and definite oak notes. Pair with country patés, medium cheddar or duck breast. (TP)

90 VINELAND ESTATES WINERY CABERNET FRANC RESERVE 2012, NIAGARA ($40)Full-bodied with lots of smoky tobacco, cassis, vanilla, violets, raspberry, herbs, cocoa and spice. Excellent length and lots of ripe of tannins will ensure 8 years of positive evolution. Pair with a NY strip topped with a herb demi-glace. (ES)

90 THE FOREIGN AFFAIR PETIT VERDOT “ON ASSIGNMENT” 2012, NIAGARA ($49.95)15% of the grapes for this wine were dried à la Amarone. Full-bodied, this 14.5% beauty doles out raspberry, cassis, dark cherry, violets, spice, cocoa and earth. The mid-palate shows a sweet/jammy texture before the ripe tannins sweep everything up. It should age well over the next decade. Braised lamb shanks or beef ribs were made for this wine. (ES)

89 LOST INHIBITIONS RED 2013, OKANAGAN ($20)Approachable blend (51.7% Merlot, 30.6% Cab Franc, 13.6% Malbec, 4.1% Petit Verdot) has black fruit jumping out of the glass before a palate that just manages to steer clear of an overtly commercial sweet style. It does revel in unabashed rich black fruit flavours,

with mocha tones and toasty notes from 16 months in French oak; easy tannins and good length. (TP)

89 MALIVOIRE STOUCK VINEYARD MERITAGE 2011, LINCOLN LAKE-SHORE ($29.95)Here you will find a great Meritage from a less-than-easy vintage for dark grapes. Medium body; the raspberry, cassis, savoury herbs, tea, toast and violets are supported by some granular tannins. Great length. Now to 2018. (ES)

88 LUCKETT VINEYARDS ESTATE GROWN BURIED RED 2013, GASPEREAU VALLEY, NOVA SCOTIA ($38) In the same way as its companion white, this full-bodied red is buried in oak for an entire year in the vineyard where the grapes were grown. Scientifically minded winemaker Mike Mainguy is skeptical about the process, but ad-mits the wine emerges with additional complexity. This one shows developed dark fruit, coffee, chocolate and a whiff of dried herb on the nose. Bitter cherry, plum and dark chocolate flavours have a slightly smoky accent, somewhat aggres-sive acidity, and dark fruit and chocolate on the long finish. Not everyone’s buried treasure, but worth a try. (SW)

87 DOMAINE DE L’ORPAILLEUR ROUGE 2012, QUÉBEC ($15.85)Intense ruby purplish colour. Unique nose of red fruits and toasted bread with a hint of mixed spices; a bit rustic overall. Very soft, almost silky texture with an intense fruity taste of great freshness, especially if served around 15°C. A blend built around the Frontenac hybrid grape that drinks well now. (GBQc)

85 DOMAINE DU RIDGE CLOS DU MARÉCHAL 2011, ST-ARMAND, QUÉBEC ($15.80)Dark ruby. Red and black berries, hints of smoke and leather. Light to medium body, slightly acidic with a soft texture and mild tannins, overall a bit rustic in its charac-ter. Good length. Drink now. (GBQc)


NOTED85 LUCKETT VINEYARDS TRI-UMPHE 2014, NOVA SCOTIA ($20) Opens with deeply scented fleshy red fruit with a pinch of cinnamon and vanilla spice and rounded, red-berry fruit with a splash of milk chocolate, moderate tannin and medium weight on the palate. Easy drinking style. (SW)

84 JOST VINEYARDS MARBLE MOUNTAIN NV, NOVA SCOTIA ($16.99) Very light red in the glass with spicy strawberry and raspberry flavours, a splash of milk chocolate, soft tannins and a pronounced touch of sweetness on the finish. (SW)

CHILE95 MONTES TAITA MARCHIGUE VINEYARD 2007, COLCHAGUA VALLEY (US$300)This is one of the finest wines I’ve tasted from the Southern hemisphere. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon with Syrah and Carménère. Dense purple-black in colour with cedar, mint, vanilla oak and black fruits on the nose with a truffle note. Richly extracted, sweet, porty flavour, dark chocolate and cassis flavours. Beautifully balanced, chalky tannins. (TA)

92 MONTES PURPLE ANGEL CARMÉNÈRE 2012, COLCHAGUA VALLEY ($62.95)8% Petit Verdot added to the Carménère, aged 18 months in French and American oak. Dense purple-black in colour with a floral, white pepper, vanilla oak, blackcur-rant and tobacco leaf nose; richly extract-ed, fruity, tobacco and cassis flavours. Lovely mouthfeel, beautifully balanced and ripe tannins. (TA)

88 SANTA ALICIA RESERVA CAR-MÉNÈRE 2013, CHILE ($12.95)A good effort for the price with Chile’s flagship grape. Deep ruby in colour, it offers a palate of smoky, minerally blackberry and currant flavours.

It’s dry, medium-bodied, nicely bal-anced with a coffee-bean note on its savoury finish. (TA)

86 CONO SUR BICICLETA SHIRAZ 2013 ($10)Ruby-purplish. Slightly vegetal nose (green pepper, etc.) with red-berry notes. Simple and straightforward taste, soft on the palate with a good core of fruit. Drink now. Worth its price. (GBQc)

FRANCE92 DOMAINE DIT BARRON 2013, AOC BROUILLY ($16.83) Clear, medium-deep purple with pink accents. Lovely, forward and typical Ga-may nose of raspberry, violets and hard candy. On the palate, it is light-bodied, fruity and perfectly dry with delicate tannins. Will give pleasure for another year or perhaps 2. (RL)*

91 MAS DES CHIMÈRES NUIT GRAVE 2011, TERRASSES DU LAR-ZAC, LANGUEDOC ($22.50)Ruby-purplish. Deep nose of black fruits, spicy oak (liquorice) and earthy notes. Generous mouthfeel; ripe, warm and intense taste with finely grained texture and lingering finish. Drink now or wait up to 3 years. (GBQc)

91 CHÂTEAU DAUGAY 2011, AOC ST-ÉMILION GRAND CRU ($34.67) Clear, deep plum red. Strong nose of black cherry with herbal aromas from the dominant Merlot in the blend. From a plot of land that used to be part of Château Angelus, it is traditional in style, full-bodied and highly struc-tured with prominent tannins and high alcohol backing dark red-berry flavours. Well-balanced and a long finish. Will repay more cellar time by softening and becoming more approachable. (RL)*

90 CHÂTEAU DES ESTANILLES L’IMPERTINENT 2012, FAUGÈRES, LANGUEDOC ($17)Purplish. Ripe raspberry and blackberry,

dried herbs, garrigue, black pepper. Spicy taste over dark fruit notes. Full-bodied, slightly warm and firm finish. Ready to drink now or within 2 years. (GBQc)

89 CHÂTEAU DAUZAN LA VERGNE 2009, AOC CÔTES DE BERGERAC ($19.33) Clear deep garnet. Medium-intensity nose of dark raisins, tobacco, leather and oak. Full-bodied with raspberry and cherry flavours over dry tannins and high alcohol from the hot vintage. Will improve for a couple of years. I know it’s a little hot for comfort food but this would pair nicely with a beef stew. (RL)*

88 BÉBIAN LA CHAPELLE DE BÉBIAN 2009, PÉZENAS, LANGUEDOC ($25)Ruby-garnet. Black fruits, smoke, spices and dried herbs from the local garrigue. Full-bodied, warm, intense flavour with slightly bitter tannins. This blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cin-sault has a taste reminiscent of cooked fruits. A hearty wine for game-based dishes or cassoulet. (GBQc)

87 CHÂTEAU LES BOIS NOIRS 2008, AC BORDEAUX ($11.92) Organically produced. Clear medi-um-deep garnet colour. Nose of raspber-ry and strawberry with a little butter-scotch in the background. Light-bodied with simple red-berry flavours and a quick finish. Fruit is fading fast; drink up. (RL)*

87 CHÂTEAU RIGAUD 2012, FAUGÈRES, LANGUEDOC ($18)Ruby-purplish. Red and black fruits, spicy and earthy notes. Soft, warm, drying tannins from mid-palate to finish. Ex-pressive fruity extract, adequate acidity. Ready to drink. (GBQc)

86 DOMAINE CHUPIN 2009, AN-JOU ROUGE AC ($16.99) Intense cherry-scented aromatics lead the way for black cherry backed by firm, dry tannins, medium weight and bracing acidity on the palate. (SW)


85 COMTES DE ROCQUEFEUIL MONTPEYROUX 2013, CÔTEAUX DU LANGUEDOC ($13.50)Ruby-purplish. Sweet, spicy nose of red fruits. Medium body; balance leans on the acidity side. Nice fruity taste in the thin mid-palate. Drying finish. Drink up. (GBQc)

ITALY94 CABUTTO BAROLO RISERVA DEL FONDATORE ‘TENUTA LA VOL-TA’ 1997, PIEDMONT ($150)Amazing layers, complexity and texture with raspberries, earth, leather and dried flowers; full-bodied with an amazing concentration and a finish that goes on and on and on. Remarkable balance and depth. Drinking in its prime. Perfect with grilled wild boar chops. (GB)

93 COS CERASUOLO DI VITTORIA CLASSICO 2012, SICILY ($46)Expressive, elegant, complex, fresh and juicy with multidimensional layers of cherry, currant, meat, spice and liquorice. Medium-weight but full-flavoured with depth, supple tannins and a long, mineral-ly finish. A default food wine and fits with most any situation or occasion. A blend of Nero d’Avola and Frappato. (GB)

93 COL D’ORCIA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO DOCG 2010, TUSCANY ($50)Three years in Slavonian and Allier oak casks followed by at least a year in bottle. Captivating scents of ripe red fruit, tobac-co and oak-derived spice. The medium body, silky tannins and long, soft finish reflect an elegant, classic style. Entirely pleasing now, but will evolve for the next 15 to 20 years. (HH)

93 NADA SEIFILE LANGHE ROSSO 2001, PIEDMONT ($150)Has aged extremely well, showing mature red fruit and leather with still some brightness and acidity; multi-layered and harmonious with loads of depth. 80% Barbera and 20% Nebbiolo. (GB)

92 COS NERO DI LUPO 2013, SICILY ($44)Racy and bright with aromas and flavours of cherry, spice, fresh herbs, tea, meat, smoke and earth. Elegant with firm, fine tannins, just the right amount of grippi-ness and a lifted finish. Great match with pork and pasta with meat sauce. 100% Nero d’Avola. (GB)

92 VILLA POGGIO SALVI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO DOCG 2010, TUSCANY ($69)Aged 30 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, which results in a bouquet that is more floral than spicy. Replete with lavender, red fruits and velvety tannins on an elegant, medium-plus body. A classic choice for red meats and aged cheeses, but will develop complexity with cellaring. Try with an aged pecori-no or a bistecca alla fiorentina (if you can find it). (HH)

91 MONDONICO PINOT NERO DELL’OLTREPÒ PAVESE DOC 2012, LOMBARDY ($35)All estate fruit from vineyards sur-rounding this hilltop winery. The complex nose needs swirling to coax out its aromas of black cherry and herbal. Dark red-berry fruit ride on the rich, well-structured palate, balanced by velvety tannins. Dried herbs linger. Deli-cious with a selection of paté. (HH)

91 DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI ORCIA ROSSO ‘CEN-ERENTOLA’ 2010, TUSCANY ($55)Structured and balanced with layers of cherry, raspberry, earth and spice. Full, fresh and powerful, with big yet silky tannins and a long aftertaste of cherry and spice. A blend of Sangiovese and Foglia Tonda. (GB)

91 SILVIO NARDI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO DOCG 2010, TUSCANY ($60)Matured 1 year in French Allier oak barriques and then 18 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, followed by a year in bottle. A spicy bouquet of anise,

vanilla and wild berries. Supple tan-nins and a great structure support ripe, sweet ‘n’ savoury fruit flavours. Warm, complex finish. (HH)

91 CAMPOGIOVANNI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO DOCG 2010, TUSCANY ($70)Aged 3 years in large Slavonian oak botti and another year in bottle. Opens with ripe berries, tobacco and leather, followed by a rich, sweet mid-palate that evolves to a long, fruit-liqueur finish. With its heady 15.5% alcohol, it’s primed for sipping with aged cheeses after the main course. (HH)

90 MELINI VIGNETTI LA SEL-VANELLA 2010, CHIANTI CLASSI-CO RISERVA ($31.79) This single-estate wine has been made in a very traditional style. Fine red fruit and spicy scents are combined with more rustic, slightly gamy notes. There is am-ple, generously ripe fruit on the well-tex-tured palate but youthful dry tannins and somewhat brisk acidity need more time to fully integrate. (SW)

90 FRESCOBALDI NIPOZZANO VECCHIE VITI 2011, CHIANTI RUFI-NA RISERVA DOCG ($33.49) While showing the Nipozzano charac-ter and style, this single-vineyard, old vines example reveals the additional refinement and complexity that older, low-yielding vines can produce. Cherry, red-berry fruits, floral and elegant spice are all apparent on the nose, with concentrated fine fruit in the mouth. Drinking well now with food, but will continue to improve over the next 5 to 7 years. (SW)

90 MAROTTI CAMPI LACRIMA DI MORRO D’ALBA SUPERIORE ‘ORGI-OLO’ 2012, MARCHE ($38.99)Dark and youthful in colour with in-credibly perfumed aromas of roses and a fresh grapey-ness; juicy, firm, silky tannins, an intriguing gaminess and long finish. A delicious, distinctive wine with loads of character. (GB)


NOTED90 COL D’ORCIA ROSSO DI MONTALCINO BANDITELLA 2010, TUSCANY ($45)Excellent complexity, depth and struc-ture with dark cherry, raspberry, vanilla, spice and wild herb aromas and flavours. Bright acidity and firm but refined tan-nins with an ultra-long finish. Flavourful enough for braised meats, yet elegant enough for game birds. (GB)

90 ZENATO AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2010 ($49.95) A blend of Corvina and Rondinella with a touch of Croatina and Oseleta. Dense purple-black in colour offering a spicy, raisiny, cherry nose with chocolate notes; sweet cherry and chocolate flavours; full-bodied and fleshy on the palate with a firm finish. (TA)

90 BANFI POGGIO ALLE MURA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO DOCG 2010, TUSCANY ($60)Aged 2 years in 50/50 French barriques and Slavonian casks, imparting oaky spice on the complex nose and long, savoury finish. Generous red fruits accompany tobacco and liquorice, while its powerful palate is balanced by soft tannins. Consider cellaring until 2025 to 2030. Find a recipe book filled with Tus-can recipes and try every one. This wine is worth having over and over again. (HH)

89 BISI PRAMATTONE CROATINA PROVINCIA DI PAVIA IGT 2011, LOMBARDY ($22)Claudio Bisi makes wines with character and individuality. His Croatina (aka Bo-narda) exhibits floral, herbal and blueberry notes while the palate is rich, complex and filled out by ripe, mouth-filling tannins. The rustic finish adds even more interest. Accompany with aged cheeses. (HH)

89 GUERCI VIGNOLI BARBERA OLTREPÒ PAVESE DOC 2010, LOM-BARDY ($25)This region just south of the Po River used to be part of Piedmont, so it’s not surprising to find Barbera growing here.

Opens with savoury aromas of tobacco, coffee and spice. More spiciness on the palate leads to a food-friendly earthiness on the finish. (HH)

89 FRESCOBALDI NIPOZZANO RISERVA 2011, CHIANTI RUFINA DOCG ($27) Black cherry, some blackcurrant notes and subtle spice on the nose give way to concentrated dark fruit on the palate delivered in a polished, well-structured package. Tannins are still somewhat aggressive and will benefit from another year or 2 in the cellar. (SW)

89 SANMICHELE AI PIANONI PYNÒS PINOT NERO DELL’OL-TREPÒ PAVESE DOC 2010, LOMBARDY ($42)Fragrant aromas of floral, herbal and wild berries turn to flavours of savoury red berries, blackcurrant, liquorice and spice. The elegant palate features satiny tannins and leads to some intense minerality on the finish. Delicious with grilled chicken. (HH)

89 TRAVAGLINI GATTINARA TRE VIGNE 2008, PIEDMONT ($52)Quite fragrant and powerful with cherry, liquorice, leather and tobacco flavours; lean and muscular with great balance, focus and a finish lingering with bright fruit and spice. (GB)

87 SACCHETTO PINOT NERO DELLE VENEZIE IGT 2012, FRI-ULI-VENEZIA-GIULIA ($20)Kaleidoscopic aromas of violets, blueber-ry, red cherry, black plum and liquorice. Juicy acidity, soft tannins, up-front fruit and spice flavours with lingering cinna-mon and balsamic notes. Remarkably versatile and food-friendly. (HH)

SOUTH AFRICA93 TEDDY HALL WINTER MOMENTS 2010, STELLENBOSCH ($16.33) Clear medium-deep garnet. Nose of

black cherry, plum, bitter chocolate and smoke. Medium bodied with still-fresh acidity and lots of cherry, raisin, plum fruit and a bit of eucalyp-tus on the finish. I did indeed enjoy this during a winter snowstorm. Good value. At its peak now. (RL)*

SPAIN 89 ONTAÑÓN CRIANZA TEMPRANILLO/GARNACHA 2010, RIOJA ($16.95)A very tasty Tempranillo blend. Dense purple-ruby in colour with a spicy, floral, cherry nose accented by an oak note. Medium-bodied, dry, spicy blackcurrant flavour, firmly structured. (TA)

89 MMM MACHO MAN MONASTRELL 2012, JUMILLA DO ($24.99) Shows ripe, spicy red and dark fruit on the nose and softly rounded, lightly sweet ripe fruit led by juicy blackberry and blackcurrant in the mouth. Supported by firm but approachable tannins, it finishes with a lick of dark chocolate, fine fruit and good length. (SW)

89 MAQUILON 2013, PRIORAT DOC ($29.99) Exudes ripe fleshy red fruit scents with subtle earthiness, cinnamon and a trace of green herb. Developed raspberry and redcurrant themes play through on the palate with a splash of milk chocolate, delivered in a firmly structured, full-bod-ied package. Time to brush up on your tapas recipes. (SW)

87 MIGUEL TORRES CORONAS TEMPRANILLO 2012, CATALUNYA ($13.95)This stalwart of the LCBO general list once again delivers the goods. Mid-weight, the cherry, plum, liquorice, tobacco, leather and herbs glide across the palate. It is lengthy with soft tannins and is ready to drink. Perfect for the barbecue season — hamburgers and sausages! (ES)


UNITED STATES88 FOX RUN FINGER LAKES CABERNET FRANC 2012, NEW YORK STATE ($23)This winter-hearty grape shows promise in this region just south of Lake On-tario. Brambly raspberry, tobacco and crushed-leaf aromas with savoury red-berry flavours on the medium-bod-ied frame. Lingers with spice, cedar and dried herbs. The bright acidity ensures food-friendliness. (HH)

88 DR KONSTANTIN FRANK OLD VINES FINGER LAKES PINOT NOIR 2011, NEW YORK STATE ($28)Fragrant with cherry cola, tree bark, forest floor, rhubarb and strawberry. Well-balanced delivery of bright acidity, modest alcohol (12% abv), finely integrat-ed tannins and a rich mid-palate on a me-dium-bodied frame. A conducive partner for summer-season grillin’ fare. (HH)

DESSERT93 EL MAESTRO SIERRA 12-YEAR-OLD AMONTILLADO SHERRY, SPAIN ($23/375 ML)This rare fino-style sherry is aged in American oak barrels for 12 years. It’s a light amber colour with a nose of toast-ed almonds and salty sea breeze with subtle exotic fruits. It’s as dry as can be achieved with a reductive note to go with crushed pistachio nuts, sea salt and underlying apricot and tropical fruits. It unfolds in layers and challeng-es the senses. (RV)

90 COSSART GORDON 5-YEAR-OLD MEDIUM RICH BUAL MADEI-RA, PORTUGAL ($25)The nose on this sweet fortified wine shows apricots, brown sugar, vanil-la, cream, compote fruits and toasted hazelnuts. It’s lush, rich and textured on the palate, but not cloying, with sweet, mature fruits, maple-vanilla, raisins and caramel-nut flavours on the finish. (RV)

89 DEVONIAN COAST WINERIES VIDAL ICEWINE NV, NOVA SCOTIA ($24.99/200 ML) Intensely aromatic honeyed apricot, floral and burnt-sugar notes shift to sweet honeyed lemon and orange citrus, balanced by lively acidity in the mouth. Interesting spiced baked-apple notes round out the finish. Will be quite good on its own but even better with a seared foie gras. (SW)

BEER AND CIDERMUSKOKA BREWERY DETOUR SESSION IPA, ONTARIO ($13.80/6-PACK)Made with newer hop varietals Citra, El Dorado and Sorachi Ace, the nose of this Session IPA erupts with notes of mango, tropical fruit and pine. The ale’s hue is apple-juice yellow and unfiltered. A wave of orange and grapefruit backed by prickly pine flavours comes with the first sip, but finishes with hints of soft grain, sweeter pear and pineapple. Bolder, more bitter hop notes are show-cased up front, before sweeter, fruitier flavours finish things off — making for a fun interplay of bittersweet on the tongue. Plenty of carbonation combined with judicious hopping that prickly mouthfeel and the bubbles help to boost the ale’s lighter body. Great with spicy, herbal Thai or Mexican fare. (CL)

PEI BREWING COMPANY GAHAN BLUEBERRY ALE, PEI ($3.29/500 ML)This peach-coloured, hazy brew topped with a fluffy white head is perfect for hot summer days. A wheat/blueberry beer, the nose boasts dried blueberries and cherry cough drops. The first sip starts out mildly citrusy and acidic, moving to a sweet blueberry centre that lasts until the finish. Soft and creamy with bubbly car-bonation, this is a great beer with light, fresh cheeses like chèvres. (CL)

BELGH BRASSE MONS ABBEY DUBBEL, AMOS, QUÉBEC ($9.99/750 ML) Belgian-inspired and brewed with tra-ditional spices, this strong brew appears reddish brown in the glass with fruity and rich malty aromas backed by hoppy and lightly spicy background scents. Sweet fruit, malt and chocolate flavours come with gentle, bottle-fermented carbon-ation and fruit-cake spiciness. Lightly dry bitter grip on the finish. (SW)

ALCHEMIST BREWERY HEADY TOPPER, VERMONT, UNITED STATES ($10/4-PACK)A sought-after Double IPA is the only beer that Waterbury, Vermont’s Alche-mist Brewery, makes. Every week when a new batch is released (distribution is limited to a 20-mile radius around Wa-terbury), long lineups of devotees, often driving in from out-of-state, snag a case or two. Canadians often get their hands on this from beer-loving friends who manage to bring a handful home. Made with a signature house yeast, this unique brew is famous for its rustic character and elegant hopping. The swallow has notes of mint, candy necklace, florals and an oily hop character with a straw-and-burlap thing happening at the finish. If you manage to grab one, indulge by pairing with foie gras. (CL)

ORVAL TRAPPIST ALE, BELGIUM ($4.99/330 ML) Complex, sweet and slightly sour scents combine with hints of gaminess and trac-es of subtle spice. Shows some delicacy on the palate despite the relatively high alcohol. Subtle orangey and spicy flavours suggest pairing with Oriental foods. (SW)

LEFT FIELD CIDER CO. LITTLE DRY, BRITISH COLUMBIA ($9/500 ML)Apple and papaya scents mark the nose of this straw-hued, bubbly cider. A fruit-for-ward tipple with lush apple and a bit of funky papaya, soft tannins, and apple-sauce and melon on the finish. An inter-esting and complex off-dry cider from an up-and-coming maker. (CL)


AWARD SEASON

90 TAWSE WINERY SKETCHES RIESLING 2013, NIAGARA PENINSULA ($18)Sourced from sustainably farmed vineyards across Niagara Peninsula, this ‘entry tier’ Riesling astounds with its value. Pure lime, sweet pear drop, candied lemon and light eraser aromas. The intense, off dry palate is alive and zesty with ample lime, green apple, citrus blossom and a tight, cool core of stony minerality. The zippy acidity handily carries the residual sugar, leaving a gentle sweetness on the tactile finish. Would be lovely with citrus kissed spot prawns or tuna tataki.

89 LAKE BREEZE PINOT GRIS 2014, OKANAGAN VALLEY ($20)Heady and fragrant pear and orchard fruits, imbued with an alluring herbaceousness and light anise reminiscent of the Okanagan. The creamy, rounded palate carries the same, along with white peaches and cream, white florals and green-apple sharpness on the lifted finish. Pour with mussels or chèvre decked greens.

90 ROAD 13 JACKPOT SYRAH 2013, OKANAGAN VALLEY ($40)A huge, assertive and enticing nose of cracked pepper, roast meats and sage brush opens this full-bodied Syrah from Oliver’s gloried Golden Mile. The densely fruited palate (black plums, wild black-berries, thorny cassis) is lifted with fresh acidity, bound with ripe but structured tannins and finishes with more of that peppery spice. Reminiscent of shepherd’s pie in a glass, this wine would make a match for that hearty dish or grilled lamb.

88 JOIEFARM PINOT NOIR 2012, OKANAGAN VALLEY ($24)Sourced from four different vineyards (Summerland, Naramata and Skaha) and a blend of five clones, this youthful, fruity Pinot has a lot of interesting flavours in the glass. Cherry, subdued raspberry, floral perfume aromas open to a medium-bodied red with pencil shavings, stony earth, Rainier cherry, pepper and smoked nutmeg spice. Tannins are finely grained and acidity is cranberry bright. Finishes with a lingering cherry cola. A lovely pour with roast poultry or salmon steaks.

89 CLOS DU SOLEIL WINERY CÉLESTIALE 2012, SIMILKAMEEN VALLEY ($27)This very complete Bordeaux-styled blend is composed of Mer-lot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Ver-dot from their Similkameen home vineyard. Big, sweeter wood aromas open this ripe, full red layered with lacquer, black fruits

and perfumed darker florals. Big peppery spices are woven into the structured, finely grained tannins and lifted with a wave of black cherry freshness. Lingering medicinal cherry and cracked peppercorn on the finish. Youthful still, decant and enjoy with beef, or put down for a couple of years and be rewarded for your patience.

87 8TH GENERATION VINEYARD MERLOT 2012, OKANAGAN VALLEY ($22)This friendly, medium-bodied Merlot offers ample plum, along with blackberry, dark chocolate, sweet black gummies and black pepper spiciness. Fine tannins suit the fresh acidity and would welcome beef and pork kabobs.

90 CHURCH AND STATE WINERY COYOTE BOWL SYRAH 2011, OKANAGAN VALLEY ($35)From Oliver’s Coyote Bowl Vineyeard comes this layered and ripe southern Okanagan Syrah. A huge whack of black pepper, herb-roasted meats, tar and spice basket whirl with crushed violet perfume on the nose. The dark floral continues on the full, spicy palate. Concentrated and structured with sweet black fruit. A fresh acidity lifts the density and extends the floral note through the lengthy finish.

87 MEYER FAMILY VINEYARD MCLEAN CREEK VINE-YARD PINOT NOIR 2013 ($40)The McLean Creek Road Vineyard Pinot Noir blocks are planted with five different French Pommard and Dijon clones. Smoky forest, moss and toasted wood aromas. Young raspber-ry, herbal, more smoked earth, tobacco, cinnamon bark and wood on the palate, dominating over bright berry and cherry notes. Acidity is bright, and tannins are fine. Pair with planked salmon or prosciutto pizza now, or lay down to mature and settle for a year or two.

91 BENJAMIN BRIDGE BRUT MÉTHODE CLASSIQUE 2009, NOVA SCOTIA ($45)The 2009 Brut is a serious traditional method sparkler made from decidedly untraditional grapes: l’Acadie, Chardonnay and Seyval. Hints of honey, citrus and mineral on the nose lead to a crisp and vibrant citrus and mineral-driven palate. Bone dry and shimmering with concentrated lime and grapefruit zest, stony minerality and a well-earned patina of lees (3 years) and biscuit before melting into a lengthy finish. We’re talking benchmark Canadian bubble here, an ultra-premium one, and yes — from Nova Scotia. Drinking fantastically now, but will continue to gain complexity in the years to come.

While tasting at this year’s Northernlands Festival, Quench came across one of the best crop of Canadian wines we’ve seen in years. The following selection — tasted by Treve Ring — is just a small part of the amazing things to come.


90 BARTIER BROTHERS SÉMILLON 2013, OKANAGAN ($19.90)An excellent expression of Okanagan Sémillon with up-front citrus and mineral followed by balanced fruit and acidity with tropical notes and a crisp, clean close. (TP)

91 ROBERT MONDAVI CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012, NAPA ($34.95)Another solid Mondavi Napa Cabernet Sauvignon! Full-bodied and elegant, this lovely wine doles out the cassis, black cherry, earth, mint, smoke, herbs, vanil-la and spice. Excellent length and ripe tannins will ensure a decade of life, with the best drinking starting around 2016. (ES)

HIGHLAND PARK LOKI 15 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY ($350/700 ML)Loki is the mischievous shape-shifting god that’s never exactly what he seems. So it is with Highland Park’s take on this character. Initially showing citrus, herbal/anise, mild smoke and a hint of vanilla, the smoky notes become much more assertive in the mouth, with an engaging interplay between fruity/floral notes and spicy/smoky el-ements that weave themselves around the palate. The lingering end notes recall wood smoke, vanilla bean and baked apple. (TS)

91 ORLEANS BORBÓN MANZANIL-LA FINA SHERRY ($13/375 ML)Manzanilla is a bone-dry style of fino sherry, which can only be produced around the port city of Sanlúcar de Barrameda in the Spanish province of Cádiz. This is a complex wine with a nose of ocean breeze, iodine, lemon curd and yeasty notes. It’s quite complex on the palate with almond paste and subtle lemon-citrus notes in a bone- dry style. (RV)

90 STRATUS WHITE 2012, NIAGARA ($44)The release of this Stratus White cele-brates 2 milestones: the 10th bottling of this wine as well as the 10th anniversary of the opening of the winery itself. Un-like previous renditions, this full-bod-ied white is a blend of only 3 grapes (usually 5 to 6): 43% Chardonnay, 42% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Sémillon. A bouquet of peach, pineapple, honey, pear, spice, vanilla, wax and cream is complemented by sound acidity. Fleshy with excellent length, it should drink well over the next 3 to 4 years. (ES)

89 WYNNS COONAWARRA CHARDONNAY 2013, SOUTH AUSTRALIA ($17.95) Australian wines have not been known for their delicacy and restraint but the trend is working in that direction. This Chardonnay is pale straw in colour with a minerally pear nose and only a whisper of oak. The wine is dry and me-dium-bodied with fresh pear and citrus flavours. Good length in the mouth and good value. (TA)

91 DOMAINE DU MURINAIS 2010, AOC CROZES HERMITAGE ($21.50) Clear, very deep plum red. Medium- intensity nose featuring rich black cherry, tobacco and caramel aromas. Full-bodied, tasting of cherries, plums and cranberries, and in good balance but for the slightly high tannins. Ready to drink. (RL)*

87 BROTHERHOOD PREMIUM SELECTION RIESLING 2012, NEW YORK STATE ($15)Based in Washingtonville, NY, in the Hudson River Valley, it’s a blend of Riesling grapes from both there and the Finger Lakes area to the northwest. Sports golden apple, floral and peach notes, a juicy, off-dry palate and a fruit-cocktail finish. A gulpable sum-mer sipper. (HH)

WELL NOTED


DAVINE BY GURVINDER BHATIA

The popularity of the wines of Sicily has not coincidentally paralleled the in-crease in the quality of the wines over the past 20 to 30 years. Restaurateurs, wine retailers and consumers became more aware of indigenous grape varieties such as Nero d’Avola, Insolia and Catarratto during this time. Often these wines were blended with international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Chardonnay to appeal to the North American market and facilitate the familiarity of the wines to consumers in these markets.

DEEP ROOTED

Fortunately, the quality and popularity of Sicilian wines continues on an upward curve, but more importantly, producers are focusing more than ever on indigenous grapes and express-ing the vineyard in the bottle. The vibrant, mineral-laden wines (and the corresponding grapes, such as Carricante, Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio) from the volcanic soils of Mount Etna, for example, are currently among the most sought after by somms, wine geeks and savvy consumers alike. Nestled in the southeast corner of the island are wines of distinction with elegance, vibrancy, finesse, immense drinkability and food versatility. These wines of Cerasuolo di Vittoria should be on the go to list for wine drinkers everywhere.

Cerasuolo di Vittoria achieved DOCG status in 2005 (the first wine region in Sicily to attain this designation), a sign of both the importance and consistent quality of the wines. The two grapes that must be used in the production of the wines are Nero d’Avola (50 to 70%) and Frappato (30 to 50%).

Nero d’Avola (Sicily’s most widely planted red grape) can bring wild berry, red liquorice, wild herbs, earthiness and mod-erate tannin structure to the wines, while Frappato tends to contribute a fresh, floral, vinous liveliness. Arianna Occhipinti, the undisputed queen of Frappato, explains that the region is excellent for Frappato due in large part to the soils, which con-sist of a top layer of loosely-packed red sand that is rich in iron with both hard and soft limestone below. The vines’ roots are

able to penetrate deep in search of water. The result is highly perfumed, floral wines with elegant tannins.

The Nero d’Avola from the region tends towards fresh and minerally with less density but great focus and finesse. Accord-ing to Occhipinti, Nero d’Avola grown in more calcareous soils are higher in acidity and richer in tannin, while the wines lean toward more d elicate and finesse in sites with the red top-sand. Occhipinti prefers to use the former for her Cerasuolo di Vittoria while blending Nero d’Avola from the different sites for complexity in her monovarietal bottling.

I found the best wines in the region to possess a beautiful freshness with minerality, juicy mid-palate, moderate tannins and refreshing acidity. The use of any sort of new oak should be discouraged to avoid masking the character and purity of the wines. Producers such as Occhipinti and COS (the king of Cera-suolo, co-owned by Arianna’s uncle Giusto Occhipinti) have a preference for fermenting in concrete (COS even uses terracot-ta amphorae for some of its wines), which is porous and allows the wine to breath and evolve without adding the “flavours” that oak can impart.

With only 20 producers in the zone, Occhipinti says there is a positive, collaborative attitude among the wineries. Also, the climate and soil allow for sustainable farming practices and the majority of wineries are producing in this manner regardless of whether or not they have certification.


Gaetana Jacono of Valle Delle’Acate

The wines of Cerasuolo di Vittoria are the perfect example of unique, distinctive wines that are elegant, complex and finessed with a depth of flavour that don’t have to be heavy to be considered great. The wines possess a verac-ity, purity and true sense of place. Occhipinti hopes that the area’s wineries will continue to work together to produce and promote wines of this character and not be swayed by market trends.

Fortunately (and as it should be), it is the market that is being swayed and swooned by the ele-gance of the wines of Cerasuolo di Vittoria.

OCCHIPINTI IL FRAPPATO IGT 2013 ($48)Bright, fresh and fragrant with loads of wild cherry, wild herbs, pomegranate and spice; starts juicy on the palate then shows elegant but grippy tannins, great focus and concentration with minerality and lifted acidity on the long finish. Absolutely delicious and incredibly quaffable. 100% Frappato. No one does Frappato better.

OCCHIPINTI SP68 ROSSO IGT 2014 ($32)Fresh, young and vinous showing aromas and flavours of fresh herbs, bright red and black berries, red liquorice and elegant, juicy tannins. 70% Frappato and 30% Nero d’Avola. Not allowed to be called Cerasuolo because the amount of Frappato exceeds the maximum 60% allowed.

OCCHIPINTI CERASUOLO DI VITTORIA CLASSICO ‘GROTTE ALTE’ DOCG 2010 ($46)Quite bright with expressive aromas and flavours of red cherry, red currant, crushed blackberry, earth, liquorice and fresh herbs. Balanced and structured, moderate tannins, refreshing acidity and a mouth-watering salinity on the finish. A 50/50 blend.

COS CERASUOLO DI VITTORIA CLASSICO DOCG 2012 ($46)Elegant, vibrant and supple with cherry, currant, spice, earth, and liquorice. A savoury quality, silky tannins and great texture, flavour penetration and depth with a long, long minerally finish.

A difficult vintage for many producers due to the heat, but this wine is beautifully fresh. COS is still the benchmark to which all Cerasuolo is measured. 60% Nero d’Avola and 40% Frappato.

PLANETA DORILLI CERASUOLO DI VITTORIA CLASSICO DOCG 2014 ($44)Fresh and grapey, leaning towards grape Bubblicious with bright cherry, red liquorice, voluminous mouthfeel, juicy, silky tannins and bright acidity on the finish. 70% Nero d’Avola and 30% Frappato.

PLANETA CERASUOLO DI VITTORIA DOCG 2004 ($30)Still showing bright fruit and silky tannins with cherry and currant flavours complemented by earth, olive, spice and soft acidity on the finish. Has aged very well and still has years left in it. Great match with braised pork. 60% Nero d’Avola and 40% Frappato.

VALLE DELL’ACATE CERASUOLO DI VITTORIA CLASSICO DOCG 2011 ($42)Ripe notes of cherry, blackberry, raspberry, liquorice, spice, sage and cocoa. Soft juicy tannins, soft acidity and round on the finish. 60% Nero d’Avola and 40% Frappato. ×


AFTER TASTE BY TONY ASPLER

Currently some 300 Ontario growers are signed up for the VineAlert program — which is presently free — and they receive emails when severe cold weather threatens. In addition, the pro-gram provides specific information for different micro-climates within a single Ontario region (for instance, say, Riesling on the Beamsville Bench).

The email also informs growers at what temperature dif-ferent varieties are able to tolerate cold weather, based on their location and stage of dormancy.

According to CCOVI’s Dr Jim Willwerth, who is the lead scientist on the project, “There is no other program that moni-tors so many varieties and regions. We are also the only ones to have a dedicated web database of information that seamlessly transfers the information to the grower.”

Willwerth has tested almost every vinifera that has been planted in Ontario and has concluded that the most suscep-tible varieties to winter kill are Nebbiolo and Barbera; but in terms of the most commonly planted vinifera, the most sen-sitive are Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah. The hardiest vinifera is generally Riesling. “Things like crop levels can also impact hardiness,” says Willwerth, “but in general Riesling is pretty tough in terms of vinifera and isn’t that picky in terms of site or crop level.”

The research into varietal cold-hardiness has another eco-nomic benefit. Growers, nurseries and wineries are using the data to help decide what to plant and on what site, and which particu-lar clones are best suited to specific locations within Ontario.

In addition to the VineAlert program, Willwerth’s team at CCOVI have instituted a grape pre-harvest monitoring program through which they track five varieties across Niagara for grape maturity leading up to harvest. “We plan on doing a similar pro-gram called TanninAlert,” says Willwerth, “where we provide tannin maturity for red cultivars to help understand Ontario tannin composition/quality and how vintages are impacting them. This will help provide advice for red wine making.”

CCOVI has been working very closely with researchers in British Columbia at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Sum-merland. The Institute also has a network of cold hardiness re-searchers across North America, including scientists from New York, Washington State, Oregon, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, California and Virginia. “We have been doing joint trials and are working towards larger collaborations,” continues Willwerth. “I also have colleagues in Quebec and Nova Scotia who have inter-est in cold hardiness work. I have been contacted by people in Rioja, Chile and other regions about our program and how wind machines work. They have had freeze injury in recent years.”

So we’re not the only ones who endure frigid winters. ×

THIS PAST WINTER HAS BEEN ONE OF THE COLDEST THAT GRAPE GROWERS IN ONTARIO HAVE SUFFERED IN THE PAST 30 YEARS. Unrelenting polar temperatures have put their vines at risk.

But the 2015 harvest may well have been saved by the intervention of Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Vinticulture Institute’s VineAlert program.

VineAlert, according to Brock’s press department, “tracks a grape bud’s ability to survive severe cold during the dormant season from October to April, signalling at what temperature different varieties would sustain damage.”

An economic impact study suggests that VineAlert helps Ontario’s grape industry avoid up to $12.8 million in lost sales from a single severe cold-weather event, as well as $11.7 million in lost sales while damaged vines recover in subsequent years and $29.1 million in vine renewal and replacement costs.

VineAlert warns growers by email when extreme weather events are about to happen. This information allows the grow-ers to make vineyard management decisions — when to switch on their expensive wine machines or to hire helicopters to hover over the vineyard to warm the air at vine level and avoid crop loss. (The draft from a helicopter’s blades pulls down the slightly warmer air layered above the vineyard, allowing it to circulate among the vines, thus reducing the possibility of frost damage. Helicopters can protect a vineyard of up to 50 acres against frost damage at one session.)

ILLUSTRATION: FRANCESCO GALLÉ, WWW.FRANCESCOGALLE.COM

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