To prepare you for wine discoveries at next weekend’s Terroir Wine Celebration, our Sommeliers share with you tasting notes of more Prince Edward County wines.  Whether you enjoy white wine, red wine or are in the mood for a glass of Rose or sparkling wine, these wines will WOW you!

Huff Estates Vidalessco Sparkling VQA 2011

There is no better way to begin a dinner party (or any meal for that matter!) than with the pop of a cork of a bottle of bubbly!  This unique wine is made with Vidal grapes.  Vidal is often left on the vines to make icewine, yet at Huff Estates winemaker, Frederic Picard (originally from Burgundy France), decided to do something completely different – create a crisp & refreshing sparkling wine fashioned after the Italian Prosecco.  

Savvy Sommelier Debbie interviews Frederic  in the vineyard – watch the video

Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes: Dry with fine mousse (winespeak: bubbles) elegant aromas & tastes of citrus (can you find mandarin or lime?) & toasted almond.

Suggested Food Pairings: For fun, serve sparkling wine with salty potato chips (the saltier the better!). The salt reacts with the bubbles & makes an even more lively sensation in your mouth – like fireworks!

The Grange’s Trumpour’s Mill Chardonnay VQA 2007

A visit to The Grange of Prince Edward County Winery is not only an opportunity to taste the wines, explore the vineyards and marvel at the historic restored buildings on site; a visit provides a Canadian history lesson too.

This month, we feature The Grange in our Savvy Selections wine of the month club.  This Chardonnay impressed our Savvy Sommeliers.  Chardonnay was among the first varietals planted on the Granger estate. A grape which lends itself to a range of styles, this exemplar is unoaked and displays the texture and complexity of extended lees contact.

Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes: Offering tantalizing aromas of jasmine, honeyed stone fruit, pear and mango, this is a balanced creamy yet dry wine, weighty with flavourful fruit and kissed with a touch of toasted nuts. It finishes slightly warm and gently spiced.

Suggested Food Pairing: Enjoy this wine with pasta in a cream-based sauce, with crab cakes or lobster, or with savoury roast chicken.

Cellaring:  Delightful now or over the next couple of years!

Karlo Estates Frontenac Gris Rose VQA 2011

Karlo Estates is a must visit as one of ‘The County’s’ wineries – housed in a heritage Loyalist barn. Owner & winemaker Richard Karlo has developed his career from being a wine judge to an amateur winemaker, then consulting winemaker & now winery owner. 

Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes:  Last year’s Rose from Karlo was full of rhubarb & citrus aromas & tastes.  This vintage boasts watermelon, tangerine & ruby red grapefruit.  Crisp & refreshing, this medium bodied Rose feels delicious in your mouth & tastes wonderful too!

Suggested Food Pairings: This is a perfect wine to unwind with at the cottage, pack with a picnic or on enjoy while you soak up the sunshine in the backyard.  Serve on its own or with spicy food.

Rosehall Run Cabernet Franc Cold Creek VQA 2008

Cabernet Franc is often used in red wine blends, yet in Ontario, this grape grows so well that winemakers keep it aside to craft outstanding Cabernet Franc wines.  Rosehall Run Vineyards owner & winemaker Dan Sullivan found a parcel of land in The County – complete with a creek running through it – with outstanding Cabernet Franc grapes. 

Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes: Bright garnet red colour in the glass, bursting with aromas of ripe red berries, raspberry that packs an impressive punch of dark chocolate.   On the palate it is dry, medium bodied with soft tannins reminders of sour cherry & cassis.

Suggested Food Pairings: The lingering finish makes this wine a perfect match for both light & heavy dishes from BBQ sausages, lamb chops, roast duck & even grilled salmon. Debbie loves this wine with a chunk of dark chocolate! 

Stanners Vineyard Cabernet Franc PEC VQA 2010

Stanners Vineyard is one of the newest wineries to open in The County is run by the Stanner family & everyone in the family is involved!  Located near the town of Hillier (about 20 mins away from Picton), they are surrounded by other neighbouring wineries.  The Stanners made 2 Cabernet Franc wines – one all County while the other is a blend of Niagara & County.  This one was the favorite at the recent County in the City wine tasting event in Ottawa.  It was fun to try the 2 wines side by side – and this you can definitely do when you visit Terroir Wine Festival! 

Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes: Plum in colour, there are delicious aromas of blackberry, raspberry & plums too that fill the glass then continue into the taste.  It is dry & well balanced wine with a medium long finish.  A very impressive wine.  Well done!

 Suggested Food Pairings: An easy drinking red wine that would be good with grilled burgers, lasagna or even BBQed steak.  Stock up for the summer!

We look forward to seeing you in The County at Terroir on Saturday May 26th!

To make it a breeze to enjoy a special dinner for Valentine’s Day, Thyme & Again Creative Catering has a delicious take home menu for February 14th.  As good food deserves good wines, Thyme & Again called our Savvy Team of accredited Sommeliers to provide wine recommendations for the menu.  As Thyme & Again supports local farmers, the Savvy Sommeliers have selected Ontario wineries to enjoy with your special meal.  All of these wines are available at LCBO in the Vintages section.

Toast your Valentine with a sparkling

• Jackson Triggs ‘Entourage Silver Series’ Brut Méthode Classique 2006, $22.95
• Flat Rock Cellars ‘Riddled’ Sparkling VQA 2008, $29.95

Outstanding white wines

• Sue-Ann Staff Semi-Dry Riesling VQA 2010, $14.95 (Savvy Selections featured winery in January 2012 – read Savvy eZine)
• Vineland Elevation Sauvignon Blanc VQA 2007, $19.95
• Kacaba Vineyards Barrel Fermented Chardonnay VQA 2009, $22.95

Red wines that will melt your heart

• Pillitteri Estates Merlot VQA 2007, $17.95
• Rosewood Pinot Noir VQA 2009, $18.00
• Cattail Creek Reserve Cabernet-Merlot VQA 2007, $24.95
• Pondview Cabernet Franc VQA 2009, $28.00

 A sweet finish

• Cave Springs Indian Summer Select Late Harvest Riesling VQA 2008, $24.95
• Chateau des Charmes Riesling Icewine VQA 2009, $59.95
• Inniskillin Sparkling Vidal Icewine VQA 2010, $69.95

Happy Valentine’s Day!

CANADA’S WINERIES DELIVERED TO YOUR DOORSTEP

Fall is harvest time and for Ontario’s wineries that means, it is time to get the grapes off the vines and into the winery where they will be pressed and fermented.The jury is still out as to what promises the 2011 vintage holds.

Given the fact that wineries are so busy at this time of year, it was a welcome break for Karlo Estates Winery owner and winemaker Richard Karlo, to take time out of his day to be interviewed with our Sommelier Derek Vollrath. Richard reported that the summer was spectacular for growing, while the fall was wet & cool. Harvest is a fine balancing act of juggling ripening levels & watching for weather windows. No doubt all winemakers breathe much easier once all of the grapes are harvested in the tanks fermenting.

My discovery of Karlo Estates was first with a sip of their wines, then with a visit a few weeks after they opened.I was immediately impressed with its stunning historic property in ‘The County’ – Prince Edward County that is.Richard now calls this land his home, vineyard & winery. I have returned for a visit several times since – always with friends in tow.In addition to the amazing wines, there are interesting sites on the property & antiques in the converted heritage barn that will undoubtedly intrigue you. And you won’t forget the warm welcome that awaits you when you visit the winery, the joy de vivre of Richard & his partner Sherry and of course, Richard’s signature laugh.

Our Team of Savvy Sommeliers is pleased to introduce you to Karlo Estates Winery with this month’s Savvy Selections:

·Karlo Estates Riesling 2010 – crisp & zippy – an absolutely refreshing white wine

·Karlo Estates Chardonnay 2010 – you are the first to receive this wine as it was bottled in time to be included in Savvy Selections

·Karlo Estates Petit Verdot 2010 – a grape variety often set aside for blending. The grapes were so perfect during last year’s harvest, Richard made this single varietal wine instead.

·OPTIONAL WINE: Karlo Estates Van Alstine Port 2009 – the first & only port made in The County

In the following pages, Richard shares how his fascination for winemaking began when he a young boy.This interest broke ground on the path to becoming a professional wine judge then acclaimed winemaker. I am confident that you too will be impressed with this month’s Savvy Selections wines and will enjoy making the recipes that Derek chose to accompany this month’s feature wines.

You won’t find these wines at the LCBO

If you would like to stock up on more bottles of Karlo wines, ordering them is easy – simply send me an e-mail to debbie@savvycompany.ca or call 613-SAVVYCO (613-728-8926).We will gladly make the arrangements to have additional bottles of your favorite Karlo Estates or wines from previous Savvy Selections shipped directly to you.

Cheers & Enjoy!

- Debbie & Savvy Team
debbie@savvycompany.ca

Introducing…
KARLO ESTATES WINERY

Presented by Sommelier Derek Vollrath

Trying to organize an interview with a winery owner during harvest time is next to impossible, that’s why I am thankful that Richard Karlo, owner and winemaker at Karlo Estates was able to find time in his schedule for a phone interview.When I caught up with Richard he had just come in from the barn where the Frontenac Noir was being crushed.

Rich, as he prefers to be called, grew up making wine – literally.He began at the young age of 8 watching his father make wine at home.According to Rich, he was “more interested in the process”, but I am sure that thimble sized sample or two along that way didn’t hurt either! Armed with his Dad’s winemaking techniques, Rich eventually tried his hand at crafting his own wine.

Rich joined the Amateur Winemakers of Ontario (AWO) knowing far too well that crafting wine would become more than just a hobby.Although the group is called “Amateur” they are anything but.The AWO is forum whereby other like-minded winemakers get together to learn new techniques from one another & exchange ideas about winemaking.

Not only has Rich been making wines since he was knee high to a grasshopper, he has long time been successful in winning awards for his wines.One of his most memorable awards was in 2010 at the Toronto Gourmet Food and Wine Show when John Szabo and Zoltan Szabo selected the first release of the 2008 Van Alstine Port as one of the “Top 10 Cutting Edge Wines of the World”. What an honour!Several of our subscribers had a bottle of this outstanding port added to their Savvy Selections shipment.

In addition to being a Master Winemaker, Rich is a member of the Wine Judges of Canada.Becoming a professional wine judge is no easy feat as candidates must first be nominated into the program.Once nominated, they are required to complete an intensive 30 month program that covers all aspects of wine from gaining an expert knowledge of the wine regions of the world, to understanding how to detect subtle differences in wines acidity or sugar levels.It is very intense!

The Bridge, the Wall & the Barn
During a visit to Karlo Estates, you will be amazed by three unique and wonderful features: a dry stone construction bridge, a 20 foot dry stone construction wall around the winery and a rustic wooden barn.

The barn has been converted to house the winery operations including the tasting room, the cellar, a catering kitchen as well as an art gallery.The barn has intentionally been left rustic because Rich didn’t want to change the character and charm of the building.

The stone wall around the heritage barn was built in 2005 with limestone pieces from the property and the bridge over the creek that runs between the two vineyards was built by hand in 2007.Both were ‘weekend projects’ by Rich, stonemasons & friends.These structures are a tribute to Rich’s English heritage as they were constructed using a technique known as dry stone construction.Dry stone construction is a method of construction whereby structures are built by fitting stones together – no mortar (or glue) is used. The results of both are fantastic and are a must see during a tour of the County. You will see an illustration of the bridge along with the keystone on the wine labels.

An Adventurous Winemaker
Rich believes that his involvement with the AWO has enabled him to be, in his words “a more adventurous winemaker than those formally trained”.

This adventurous spirit is apparent in all of his wines.He is reserved in the use of “wood” as only his Chardonnay’s see any new oak barrels.However, everything else, as Richard puts it, “gets a kiss of oak”.

The Port which is featured as an optional wine this month is also an adventurous product.The first vintage (2008) was made as a bit of a lark.However, the joke’s on Rich because not only has the 2008 Port been recognized as a “Cutting Edge Wine” it is also one of their biggest sellers.Now that is impressive – Enjoy!

~ SAVVY SOMMELIER TASTING NOTES ~

Karlo Estates Riesling 2010, $22.00

Prince Edward County Rieslings are known for their acidity.To help tame the acidity, Rich barrel fermented this Riesling for 3 to 4 months in six year old oak barrels and left some residual sugar in the final wine. (winemakers note: after 3 years, oak barrels are considered neutralized & impart little oak taste in the wine)

Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes:Bright, clear and light gold in colour with aromas of honeysuckle, pear and peach that leap from the glass.The aromas come through on the palate meaning you will enjoy flavours of honey, pear with some hints of minerality and citrus.This medium bodied wine is off-dry on the palate (winespeak for slightly sweet) with a medium length sweet apple finish.The tasting panel also noted that the crisp acidity is balanced nicely with the residual sugar.

Suggested Food Pairing:Spicy food would be an excellent complement to the natural sweetness in this wine.With this in mind, our Savvy Selections tasting panel recommends the zingy pork tenderloin with jalapeño-mango salsa. The recipe follows. Enjoy!

Cellaring: Rieslings are one of the few white wines capable of aging.The fruit, sugar and acidity found in this wine will allow you to keep this wine in your cellar for up to 24 months.

Karlo Estates Chardonnay 2010, $25.00

This Chardonnay was barrel fermented in CHOA for 3 months.What is CHOA you ask?Cherry, Hickory, Oak and Ash – all of which were grown in the County.Rich aged this Chardonnay in barrels of each wood produced by a cooper that lives in Prince Edward County.

This wine was just bottled in time to be included in the Savvy Selections – you are the first to enjoy it!

Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes:Golden yellow in colour with a slight haze that is natural since it is an unfiltered wine.Don’t be put off as the haze lends to the wines complexity as all of the flavours were not stripped out during the filtration process.The aromas are clean with characteristic Chardonnay notes of spice, butterscotch and tropical fruit, all courtesy of the unique barrels used to ferment the wine.On the palate the wine is dry, medium to full-bodied with flavours of sweet spice, melon and pineapple.There is a rich and creamy mouth feel to this wine which is complemented by a “crazy long nutty finish”, commented one of our Sommeliers during the tasting.

Suggested Food Pairing: We unanimously agreed that this Chardonnay would pair well with Salmon Wellington. Alternatively, try your hand at the Flambéed Chicken with Asparagus Spears recipe below.

Cellaring:This wine would be great chilled and enjoyed with your Christmas dinner or it could be cellared for up to 18 months.

5^th Element Petit Verdot 2010 $33.00 (special Savvy Subscriber price – regular $39)

It is relatively uncommon for a Petit Verdot to be crafted into a single varietal wine.Always looking to introduce our subscribers to wines that are both delicious & different, we think that this newly released wine is hands down outstanding!

Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes: Garrnet red in colour with an intriguing bouquet of red fruit, cedar, leather and dark chocolate.Sweet spice, licorice and pepper are all noticeable on the palate.This dry, medium bodied wine has a long and peppery finish with noticeable tannins that will soften as the wine ages.

Suggested Food Pairing: This wine would pair well with gourmet burgers or hardy stews.The tasting panel offers a recipe for Grilled Garlic Pepper Steak – recipe follows

Cellaring: This wine is ready to drink (enjoyed with a group of friends) or cellared for 2 to 3 years.

OPTIONAL WINE: Karlo Estates Van Alstine Port 2009$29.00

This special fortified wine is named as a tribute to Peter Van Alstine.  Rich explains its historic significance, “Peter Van Alstine was the leader of the first group of loyalists settlers in The County back in 1784.  He built the Glenora Ferry and the Mill in Glenora which is located at Lake on the Mountain.And he was the first Member of Parliament for this area”.  To top it all off, while converting the barn into a winery, Rich found an old map of The County and discovered that Van Alstine was also the first owner of Rich’s vineyard property – that was granted to him in 1799.

Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes:Dark ruby red in colour with a complex nose of sweet spice, Christmas cake and stewed plums.This is a medium-bodied port. There is a delicious rich mouth feel to this port accompanied by a medium length plum finish. Yummy!

Suggested Food Pairing: This Port would be delicious to sip on after any meal.If you want to enjoy this wine with food then pair it with a plate of Canadian artisan cheeses and mixed dried fruit with roasted nuts is a classic pairing.According to our Cheese Sommelier Vanessa, make sure you a chunk of strong cheddar and blue cheese too to nibble on with the port.And the alcohol is much lower than other ports (usually around 20%), Rich recommends to serve his port slightly chilled.

Cellaring: This port is ready to be enjoyed with a group of friends now or cellared for 3 to 5 years.

With Karlo Estates Chardonnay …

Flambéed Chicken with Asparagus

From: BBC’s Good Food

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 Tbsp of seasoned plain flour
2 Tbsp olive oil

Knob of butter
4 shallots, finely chopped
4 Tbsp brandy or Cognac

1 ¼ cups chicken stock

16 asparagus spears, halved

4 heaping Tbsp crème fraîche
1 Tbsp chopped tarragon

Method

1.Dust the chicken with the flour. Heat the oil and butter in a large, wide pan with a lid, add the chicken, then fry on all sides until nicely browned.

2.Add the shallots, then fry for about 2 minutes until they start to soften, but not coloured. Pour in the brandy, carefully ignite, then stand well back until the flames have died down. Stir in the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes until the chicken is just tender.

3.Add the asparagus to the sauce. Cover, and then cook for 5 minutes more until tender. Stir in the crème fraîche and tarragon and warm through. Season to taste.

With Karlo Estates 5th Element Petit Verdot…

Grilled Garlic Pepper Steak

From: Canadian Living Magazine

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

2 tsp (10 mL) vegetable oil

3/4 tsp (4 mL) pepper

1 lb (454 g) thick-cut top sirloin grilling steak or flank marinating steak

Method

1.In small bowl and with back of spoon, mash garlic with salt until paste; mix in oil and pepper. Rub onto both sides of steak; let stand for 10 minutes.

2.Place steak on greased grill over high heat or under broiler; close lid and cook, turning once, until medium-rare and pink in centre, about 8 minutes.

3.Transfer to cutting board; tent with foil and let stand for 5 minutes before slicing thinly across the grain to serve.Enjoy!

Cheers & Enjoy this month’s Savvy Selections!

My interest in soil has come from writing about the Savvy wineries for the by-the-month delivery and visiting wineries such as Coyote’s Run located in St. David’s Bench in the Niagara Escarpment, Ravine’s Vineyard (for Savvy subscribers, December’s wine delivery) and frequently visiting Prince Edward County, also known as “the County” 3 hours west of Ottawa.

First, let me start by saying I am not a soil specialist or geologist or agronomist. I remember just scrapping through Grade 10 chemistry, which is why I find it amusing that I am now writing a blog on soil.

We all know that great wine starts in the vineyard, but the more I study wine, the more I realize that it is in mother earth where it really begins and who often points to which grape to plant where, for optimum results.

The soils that engulf the Niagara Escarpment, have been compared to those in Burgundy, France, where we also share a similar latitude at approximately 44 degrees. Thousands of years ago, huge glaciers carved out the Twenty Mile Bench leaving a literal bench for growing grapes. This bench protects the soil from harsh winds yet helps the warm breezes from Lake Ontario to circulate. It is the balance of heat and coolness combined with the minerality in the soil that lends acidity to the Niagara wines. This is the same micro-climate found in the County, where the breezes from Lake Ontario temper the climate and the soil.

Most winemakers that I have interviewed, have had their soil analyzed at universities such as Brock or Guelph where there are soil experts on site. In the case of Coyote’s Run, when the owners sent their samples to Brock, the results showed that the toledo clay loam soil in one vineyard is estimated at 15,000 years old and in another vineyard the Trafalgar clay loam soil is estimated at 450 millions years old. At Ravine vineyards, the soil samples were sent back twice because there was such complexity and diverseness of soil contained in such a small acreage. Gosh, for a winemaker, where would you start?

I think that’s one reason that would make growing grapes so much fun, the “wait and see” what they will do in different types of soil. I remember one winemaker saying that, “we threw some Riesling down there to see what would happen” and another winemaker planting a variety of grapes in a small plot of gravelly limestone to see how they grow. Another winemaker said to me that “Chardonnay will go to bed anywhere”, which amused me to no end.

Both the Twenty Mile Bench and the County are blessed with a bounty of limestone, shale and clay which allows for good drainage for the grapevines.

I recently did two seminars at the TASTE festival in Picton, Prince Edward County, on “Wines to Serve with Thanksgiving dinner” and in my preparation for this, I discovered there were over 10 different kinds of soil in the County ranging from various colours of clay loam that overlay limestone bedrock and shale fragments to various specimens of gravelly and fine sand. I also learned that grapes such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay thrive in this soil, although having tasted many other County wines, they clearly have a repertoire of success with other grapes.

The stony soils allow for good drainage and force the vines to grow deeper to look for moisture during the warm summer months. Believe it or not, the limestone also acts like a sponge and retains moisture that is in part why the grapevines are so successful growing in limestone fissures. On Doug’s (my husband and also a Savvy Sommelier) and my last trip to the County we visited several vineyards and could not believe when we looked at the earth that anything grows in this rocky looking clay.

Soil science is about classification and chemical properties. I also learned that one of the most important scientific discoveries was how soil forms spontaneously from rock. Under the influence of physical factors like deformation by heat and cold, assault by wind, rain, hail and ice, and the enormous levering forces of water expanding into ice, solid rock is shattered into smaller pieces and hence over time, becomes soil.

I’ve come to have a definite appreciation for what lies beneath and like faith, what is unforeseen in our eyes. Watching grapes through veraison (winespeak: grapes’ change in colour) is exciting. Perhaps being raised on a farm left me with images of my grandfather at harvest. To say I have a great respect for grape growers and winemakers is an understatement. Winemaking sounds sexy and fun but for the grape farmers, always anxious about what mothernature is going to deliver, it is very hard work.

Thanks to the earth that connects us. Every fall we celebrate harvest and the grapes that have come to fruition.

Earth to earth, from my glass to yours.

Julie

Our Savvy Sommeliers are always on the lookout for great value wines. These outstanding Ontario wines on sale are a steal! They all have our Savvy Selections stamp of approval and are now marked down to under $15! You won’t find these bottles at the LCBO. Order a couple of bottles, a case of 12 bottles or our Sommeliers will give you their recommendations to make a mixed case from one of these featured wineries. Ordering is easy!

Simply phone us on 613.SAVVYCO (613.728.8926)

or email cheers@savvycompany.caand we will gladly make the arrangements for a special delivery.

Rosehall Run Vineyards- Prince Edward County

County Cuvee Chardonnay VQA 2007 – the best Chardonnay grapes from ‘The County’ go into making each bottle of this medium bodied delicious wine. NOW: $14.95 (was $17.95)

County Cuvee Gamay VQA 2008 – an outstanding medium bodied red wine full of plums and raspberry jam with light tannins. Pour a glass to unwind after work, enjoy with stew or a late autumn BBQ. NOW: $14.95 (was $17.95)

Konzelmann Estate Winery- Niagara-on-the-Lake

Winemaster’s Chardonnay VQA 2007 – From the outstanding 2007 vintage, aromas of baked apple pie fill your glass with a hint of orange at the finish. Its creamy texture has just-enough-oak that make it a stunning wine. NOW: $14 (was $16.95)

Cattail Creek Family Estates Winery- Niagara-on-the-Lake

Gewurztraminer VQA 2009 – a thirst quenching white wine with tastes that will remind you of pineapples and peaches with a splash of acidity. Great with anything spicy – Phad Thai, Indian curry and Mexican. NOW: $11.95 (was $14.95)

When people refer to AVA’s (American Viticultural Area) in Oregon, they usually think of two designations: Willamette and Walla Walla. But the Wine-Jedi would say, “There is another.” It is designated as Southern Oregon and is comprised of Umpqua Valley, Red Hills Douglas County, Rogue Valley and Applegate Valley.

The modern era of grape growing in Oregon began in the Umpqua Valley just North of Roseburg in 1961 with the first planting of commercial vines. The complex topography of this area is marked by the convergence of three different mountain ranges. Where there’s mountains, there’s valleys and where there’s valleys at this latitude with Oregon’s potential for rich soil and greenhouse effect; there’s wine! It is identified as having 2,001,430 acres. A good deal of the agricultural part of this is vineyards.

I headed South about 65 miles today to have a look and was very impressed by the size and development of the vineyards in this area. Rather than stop at 3 or 4 wineries, I decided to
let GPS take me on a tour. She decided we didn’t have to get too far off the I-5 South. It was a very comfortable, scenic drive through the mountain ranges and valleys all draped in their cloaks of vines. Some vineyards are as large as in the Willamette, but for the most part, terroir-driven artisanal wines are predominant.

Of course, I couldn’t go by every tasting room so I chose to stop at a winery called Abacela, which is an almost-obsolete verb meaning “to plant vines” in three Iberian based languages, Spanish, Portugese and Galician. My reasoning was to taste the Iberian wines they were growing: Albarino, Garnacha, Tempranillo and Port. I thought they would be the best way to test the stories I’d heard about the warmer micro climates in the South.

The winery and the vineyard are very impressive. Preparations were being made via nets for the
soon-to-be-arriving bird migrations, in particular the droves of Cedar Waxwings that come down from Canada and fill up on vineyard grapes on their way to the Baja Peninsula. In evidence were the rows of grapes covered with nets, one of the many deterrents used to save the harvest. Last year, Abacela served up 1/3 of its crop to the migrants.

As for the wines, they all had the aroma profiles you would expect of the same varietals grown in the Signature countries. They were all quite young and needed a bit more bottle aging. The Tempranillo was a good drink but lacked the texture of its Spanish twin and a Dolcetto that was made onsite showed some good promise but was a bit woody. The Albarino however was a winner with nice light body, great acidity, and lemon, pineapple, wild flowers, and honeysuckle all present and accounted for both on the nose and on the palate. I could hear the echo of Pacific white fish coming up the valley as I tried to capture it’s fleeting finish.

Abacela boasts three different terroirs on their property: cool North Slopes where they grow Albarino, warm bench lands where they grow Tempranillo and hot South facing slopes where they grow Port (I assume that would be Touriga Nacional or Xarel-ho).

There is a great deal of difference between the heat needed for Port as compared to Albarino and since the Reds were good I think it shows the vineyards amazing micro climate diversity. I also tasted a Syrah that was quite good with a lot of potential to be part of a full-bodied red blend.

A return Northward with a brief respite for a coffee and a 6 inch Sub delivers me to Rancho Rustic for my last night in Oregon. Got some packing to do as I leave for my return to Seattle tomorrow and some King Size overnight comfort at Holiday Inn. Off to scale the Space Needle, but more importantly, to experience the Pike Sreet market, one of the best seafood markets in America. With that will come the occasional glass from Washington Vines. Then back to Victoria on the Ferry and to Vancouver on another Ferry to tell my friend Hugh how the Ducks played.

One of my overall goals was to visit a smaller production winery where wines are few in number, but high in quality. Hence my highly anticipated pilgrimage to The Witness Tree Vineyard, a 52 acre sight kneeling at the foot of the hillside pedestal where the real Witness tree has stood for over 200 years. It is owned by Dennis and Carolyn Devine.

It produces 6,000 cases of wine a year, primarily Pinot Noir; however, it does produce a very good Pinot Gris and a respectable Chardonnay. I tasted 7 wines including a very interesting dessert wine called Sweet Signe that is actually made by freezing the grapes then pressing them. The resultant concentrated slush is melted and becomes the must that is then fermented and aged into wine that tastes a lot like Late Harvest White Blends from Ontario.

My Pinot Noir experiences were:

“Chainsaw Pinot Noir” 2009 crafted from a field of Chardonnay that had been chainsawed to the stems and then had Pinot Noir grafted onto the trunks of the old vines (a la phylloxera grafting techniques that saved the wine industry in the 19th century from being wiped out in Europe). As well a 2008 Estate Pinot Noir that benefited from a very good harvest year. A 2007 Vintage Select that is the true expression of Witness Tree terroir and the 2008 Benchmark PN that needs a little more aging to give it the required PN finesse.

And for me the winner is…the 2007 Vintage Select whose grapes were selected from all around the Witness Tree, both upper and lower blocks and whose dark, ripe depth of flavor rode high on a balanced, intense, silky structure. Besides, it is fabulous with Wild Pacific Cedar Plank Salmon smothered in Maple Syrup!

CONFESSING TO ST. INNOCENT:
After my benchmark visit to the Eola Grail, I drove about 1/2 mile around the corner on Zena Road to the very baptismal-looking St Innocent and its impressive water fountain in the courtyard.

A very impressive, well-groomed, 72 acre vineyard that produces 8 to 10 thousand cases a year. Here, as almost everywhere in The Aeola Hills designation, Winemaker and President, Mark Vlossack is philosophically dedicated to having the terroir of the region reflected in the wines made here, particularly as they contribute to the pleasure of food.

Again, the focus is Pinot Noir with, again, a good Chardonnay and a very impressive Pinot Blanc. Temperance Hill, Vitae Springs, Zenith, Justice, Shea and Freedom Hill were all different Pinot Noirs I tasted from different sites and different vintages. My favorite? I have about 4, all for different reasons. But if you’re going to corner me into a choice, I would say it was Shea over Justice by a nose. I’m a sucker for big, ripe fruits, floral hints and sweet spice all delivered on a caramel, creamy, layered finish. And to pursue Mark’s raison d’être, this is a no-brainer match for one of my favorite full-on red meat dishes…lamb shanks with mint sauce served with green beans, caramelized onions and boiled potatoes smothered in creamery butter with fresh ground pepper!

DWARFED BY THE KING ESTATE:
One hour and 45 minutes South on the winding Territorial Road outside of Eugene, a sharp turn out of the foothills off a blind curve and King’s Castle appears on a mountain above you. With 470 acres of vineyards, notwithstanding orchards, berry patches, vegetable gardens, flower and herb gardens, wetlands and oak savannah, driving up the mountain to the Winery is like leaving Lilliput and entering Brobdingnag! Big is everywhere.

With 1,033 Certified Organic acres, King Estate can produce anywhere from 120,000 to 200,000 cases of wine a year and all of it is naturally irrigated. This has all been achieved in 20 years (Founded in 1991) by the King Family who still own and run the property. Three winemakers with very different backgrounds collaborate to produce some very good wines despite the quantity of production. A busy restaurant that features foods using on site produce and a tasting room that puts you in mind of pilgrims at The Holy Grail, is also a part of a royal welcome at King Estate. Tours through and around the facility reveal that the production process is so large and successful that tastings, dinners and even weddings take place in the production and aging areas, much to the delight of the participants.

Despite its size, it produces some very fine wine. Sourcing grapes from lesser known areas in Southern Oregon where sun hours and heat is noticeably longer and warmer and also tapping the warmth of Walla Walla in Eastern Washington, King Estate produces some very good Cabernet blends and a very nice Syrah under the NxNW (North by Northwest) label. Of course their real winner is their Domaine Pinot Gris. Their Signature Pinot Gris is even better. Similar profile: more intensity.

I was fortunate enough to taste all of these as well as some Signature Pinot Noir and the more economical Acrobat wine series that are a great value for Oregon Pinot Noir. By this time in the Odyssey I was incapable of discriminating any one wine as better than another, but as I was leaving I saw a couple drinking a bottle of 2009 Signature Pinot Noir with a menu item called Grilled Chinook Salmon with Champagne Marinated Apricots. They looked satiated and the aromas coming from their table were amazing! You can find the recipe on King Estate website.

A phenomenal day today… so much so that I must create two entries because things developed in two directions…the wonders of wine and the magnificence of the Oregon Coastline.

A one hour and fifty seven minute ride led by my British tour guide, GPS, began to take on a disastrous character when her shortest distance programming (rather than shortest time) told me to leave I-5N and take secondary roads to get to my first destination, Domaine Serene, the winery Robert Parker refers to as the Chateau LaFite of Oregon Wineries.

What a great faux-pas, if that’s what it was, because we took a trip through countryside I may never have seen and it let me discover things like the huge acreages of hops that are grown here in Oregon, as well as the row upon row of orchards dedicated to the growing of hazelnuts. The Babe and I also got to scale the Willamette River in a cable-powered ferry on Wheatland Ferry Road. Pretty awesome for $2.

To be quite honest, apart from the hazelnuts and the hops, the agricultural landscape in most of the area looks a lot like Southern Ontario except for the backdrop of the Cascade Mountains. Corn is in full swing as well as all the apple orchards, blueberry farms, market gardens and various mixed farm produce. There is one other big difference today, the Willamette was 86 to 92F depending on where you were. The harvesters were not happy.

Domaine Serene is what everyone dreams of when they fancy their winery dream: Hispanic architecture on the top of a mountain surrounded by rows of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah.

I tasted a very good Chard, two Pinots I was already familiar with (Yamil and Eventstad Blocks) and then a cross tasting of Rockblock Syrah, the 2007 and the 2008. This proved quite interesting as they showed the differences 2 different years of weather can make as well as 2 different blending styles. The 2007 was much creamier and more fruit forward with overtones of caramel while the 2008 shone in minerality and elegance and showed good acidity. Both were more than 14 per cent alcohol that provided a warm toasty impression and made both appropriate for some nice Lamb Shanks.

I was supposed to meet Grace Evenstad at the winery today, but she was suffering on a Mediterranean Tour so I left her message at the office to say I would see her this Winter.

Then a 45 minute ride to The Ponzi Vineyards with a brief lunch stop at Subway in Dundee.
As much as Domaine Serene is chiseled out of the landscape, Ponzi Vineyards is a pastoral function of the landscape, right down to the structural reality of being built on the side of an incline that feeds the harvested grapes in the high end of the facility and distributes the wine from the lower end of the facility so that gravity eliminates the need for pumping and cycling the must and the effluent.

Anything Pinot is what this tasting was all about… Blanc, Gris and Noir. All were creamy and delicious with good acidity and thirst quench and they screamed to be mated with some pan-fried Halibut steaks cooked in butter and seasoned with orange juice.

I was supposed to meet Maria Ponzi as well, but she was off site and the Tasting Ambassador assured me she had not vacated to the Med, at least not today.

I’m very disappointed in my ability to happen upon good food recipes to go with these great wines I’m experiencing although my next adventure for the day showed promise in that regard.

Since it was only 3:30 and my touring was complete, I decided I could trust my guide to take me on the legendary tour of Highway 101 down the coast of Oregon from Lincoln City to Florence…it was breathtaking…a drive everyone should put on their “Bucket List”.

If I only had $100, I would buy . . .

LCBO Vintages Release as of Saturday, October 1, 2011

Taste a world traveller in the October 1 LCBO Vintages release, which offers a range of different styles of Syrah/Shiraz from around the world. Why the two different spellings? Cooler climates such as the Northern Rhône, the original home of Syrah, produce ageworthy wines known to be dry and structured, characterized by bright fruit flavours, black pepper and mint. In climates where the warmth allows the grapes to fully ripen, such as South Australia, winemakers will often label their wines as Shiraz to distinguish their wines as bigger, more full bodied, ripely fruity, spicy and more softly structured. Of course, there are wines of every style in between and from newer regions, such as Chile and Argentina where the climate facilitates the creation of a wine with fairly soft texture and ripe sweet fruit underpinned with the classic Rhône structure. And Syrah is also found in a range of blends, including the wines of the southern Rhône, where it typically is blended with varietals such as Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Carignan.

There’s also a good example of an Australian blend in this release, Hickinbotham’s Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon. Consider tasting a range of these wines, from Guigal’s classic Crozes-Hermitage, to the powerful full-bodied eminently ageable Barossa Valley Estate Ebenezer Shiraz, to the Syrah from Chile or Sicily. The substantial secondary feature is perfect for those who want to start a cellar. The quality of the fruit, levels of acidity and tannic structure are critical factors affecting the ageability of wines. With certain varietals and blends, classic examples being Burgundian and Bordeaux wines, methods of oak aging are also of significance. Perhaps you selected one or two Bordeaux wines from the Septembere 17 release to start your cellar. With this release, you can consider two Canadian whites—Le Clos Jordanne’s Talon Ridge Chardonnay, or Vineland’s St. Urban Riesling—a Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa or South Australia, a Burgundy from Domaine Bouchard Père et Fils, a Brunello or Barolo from Italy, and a Vintage Port, among others. You won’t go wrong with any of these and can create a small selection to choose from and to build on in the future.

Finally, Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and there are some wines in this release that are a perfect match for that festive meal. For an all-Canadian line-up, consider the Cranberry Wine from Stoney Ridge to whet your appetite or with the meal, a choice of Tawse Sketches of Niagara Chardonnay or Wayne Gretzky’s Pinot Noir for the main course, and finish up with the Pomme de Glace Ice Cider with your apple pie and ice cream!

Happy Thanksgiving,

Susan

Vineland ‘St. Urban’ Riesling 2009
VQA Niagara Escarpment, Ontario
$19.95 (Vintages #38117) 8.4% alcohol
While almost transparent, this wine is very fragrant—pear, sweet citrus and a fine mineral quality drift from the glass. Definitively off-dry, there’s a faint hint of spritz, lovely lemon-lime flavours, traces of stone fruit and mineral, balanced by a clean stream of fine acidity. Beautifully crafted and tasty, you just want more . . . so buy a few bottles, as this will cellar medium-long term.

Babich ‘Black Label’ Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Marlborough, New Zealand
$17.95 (Vintages #9142) 14.0% alcohol
Big and substantial are not the usual terms for a Sauvignon Blanc, but they’re just right in the case of this fragrant wine. Inhale the aromas and savour the rich flavours of ripe tropical fruit—imagine lime-splashed papaya—gooseberry, nettle and a hint of fresh ginger. Beautifully balanced, dry, full on the palate, this is a gorgeous wine with some zip on the fruit-filled finish.

Luigi Bosca ‘Single Vineyard’ Malbec 2008
Luján de Cuyo, Argentina
$21.95 (Vintages #74922) 14.4% alcohol
The impressive pedigree—fruit from a 70-year-old vineyard, 14 months oak aging—from a highly reputable producer portends the quality and depth of this wine. Notably complex and lush aromas of berry, plum, cocoa, toasty oak and dried herbs lead the way to a full dry velvety palate that’s equally complex. Subtly framed by ripe tannins and fine acidity, rich fruit flavours and notes of cocoa persist on the lasting supple finish. Drinking well now, the wine will cellar 5-7 years.

Pérez-Cruz ‘Limited Edition’ Syrah 2009
Maipo Alto, Chile
$19.95 (Vintages #588812) 14.0% alcohol
Produced from hand-picked grapes wrested from stony soils, this is a dry, medium bodied wine with layered aromas and flavours. Earthy herbal notes, a hint of balsamic, a whiff of spiced rose and the tang of ripe raspberries mingle with focused dark berry fruit, The texture is appealingly fresh, the tannins somewhat chalky, the overall experience intriguing and consistently flavourful through the lasting finish. A match for lamb or beef.

Feudo Principi di Butera Syrah 2008
IGT Sicilia, Italy
$16.95 (Vintages #247510) 13.0% alcohol
Appealing aromas of rich ripe dark fruit, sweet spice and smoky toast waft from the glass. Dry, medium-full bodied, the core of intense berry fruit wraps around a firm structure, the notes of spice and pepper lasting through a balanced savoury finish. Approachable and very flavourful, this is a wine to enjoy with robust meat dishes.

Grand Total: $96.75

Options:

Tuck this Barolo away in the cellar – a great value!

Marchesi di Barolo Barolo 2005
DOCG Barolo, Italy
$34.95 (Vintages #168179) 14.0% alcohol
A very attractive, elegant designed-to-age wine that offers subtle alluring floral notes and aromas of earth, red fruit, toast and vanilla. Dry, medium bodied and tight-knit, the tannins are notable, the flavours of wild strawberry, pepper and spice box balanced by fine acidity. Delivering a long intense finish, this wine is a great value. Created for long-term cellaring, hold it for a few more years, or serve decanted accompanied by veal chops with porcini mushrooms.

More about my blog post: If I only had $100, I would buy…
There is a myriad of wines out there, so it’s often a challenge deciding what to select when the LCBO Vintages catalogue comes out every two weeks or so. Like a kid in a candy shop, your attention darts from one treat to another, but what to choose . . . Something to serve to your guests this weekend? Something to put away for a special occasion? Something to store for a autumn afternoon?

I recognize that each person’s tastes and preferences are unique. “If I had $100 . . .”, will be posted just prior to LCBO Vintages releases and will highlight unique wines I have tasted that provide good value; the selection will total no more than $100.

Occasionally, I may include an optional wine – you can substitute or add it for a little more or a little less! Print this off as your shopping list knowing that these wines have been selected by a Savvy Sommelier who has sipped, savoured & swirled countless wines before they arrived on the shelves in Vintages.  Hopefully you too will find a new favorite wine.  And when you do, quickly save your pennies to buy a bottle or two more.  Warning that once a wine is gone from a particular Vintages release, that vintage, and sometimes that wine, is gone for good!

What is La Vendemmia?

Wherever there’s a planted field there’s a harvest, and around the world that time is bustling with activity in the community. The work isn’t done, but the bounty of hard labour is being reaped and everyone can imagine how good it tastes.

In Italy, “la vendemmia” refers to the fall grape harvest, a time that’s difficult to predict since it’s not something that can be scheduled, it happens when the grapes are ready at the peak of their ripeness. In every region of Italy, the focus is on getting the grapes off the vine and into the vats. When the work is done there are large tables filled with food, wine and hungry friends who worked hard with the promise of the season’s best meal waiting for them.

In Ottawa’s Little Itlay neighbourhood, you will find other nationalities represented in addition to Italian.  Here is what harvest is in their language:

China: Zhongqiu ??? (CHONG-choh)
France: la récolte (RAY-colt)
Germany: Ernte (URN-tuh)
India: Pongal (PAHN-gah-leh)
Italy: la vendemmia (VEN-dem-mee-ah)
Ireland: fómhar
South Africa: oes (OOS)
Turkey: hasat (hah-SAHT)
Vietnam: thu ho?ch (THO-whah)

How do these countries celebrate the harvest? In Germany, aside from the famous Oktoberfest, is the world’s largest wine festival called Winemarkt. Originally a meeting place for farmers and winemakers in Bad Dürkheim, the wine & food sales attracted pilgrims and eventually grew into a celebration. In Southern India, the Pongal festival celebrating harvest in January is both a festival of bounty and rebirth – old clothes are burned alongside overflowing rice pots. For the mid-autumn Zhongqiu, also known as the Moon festival, in China, family members gather to celebrate the harvest moon and share moon cakes, sweet pastries filled with red beans and almond paste.

No matter where the harvest celebration takes place, it centres on gratitude for bounty and coming together in community. We invite you to come to Ottawa’s Preston Street to experience La Vendemmia – a fun filled four day festival from Thursday September 22 to Sunday September 25th. Up and down the street, the neighbourhood will be alive with activities for everyone.  

The complete festival schedule for Ottawa’s La Vendemmia is at www.lavendemmiaottawa.com

We look forward to seeing you!