Our Savvy Sommeliers taste oodles of wines. We want to make it easy for you to entertain with wines…so we have taken the guessing game out of figuring out which wines to serve at your next dinner party.  We have created Savvy Dinner Party Packs.  We choose the Ontario winery, sample and select a variety of wines that you won’t find at a wine shop (adding for an extra conversation piece). These wines are delivered right to your door.  Sparkling, white, red and something for dessert – all you need to do is create your menu & guest list! 

Great Stuff from Huff!

There is a buzz about Canada’s fastest growing wine region – Prince Edward County – located in on the shores of Lake Ontario.  Less than a three hour drive from both Ottawa and Toronto, it is a great weekend getaway destination.  The Savvy sommeliers visit this area often and have seen fields come alive as vineyards. Huff Estates has been integral in growing ‘The County’ as a bustling wine region.  Winemaker Frederic Picard left Burgundy, France to train with master winemakers in the four corners of the globe before deciding to join Huff Estates.  Huff’s great wines have a French influence that is being well received and numerous awards!

Dinner Party Pack Contains:

Cuvée Peter Huff Blanc de Blanc Sparkling VQA 2006

Huff Estates Pinot Gris VQA 2008

Stuntman Stu Red Line Merlot VQA 2008

Huff Estates First Frost VQA 2008 (a lightly sweet wine)

Price for ONE of each selected bottles: $99.80

Price for TWO of each selected bottles: $199.60
+ winery’s shipping fee
Order >>

Taste the Difference Terroir Makes

The vineyards at Coyote’s Run Winery in Niagara, are uniquely situated on two very distinct types of soil: red clay and black clay. To illustrate the wine term ‘terroir’ and appreciate the difference soil make on the resulting taste of the wine, the winemaker has grown blocks of Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir grape varieties in both red and black clay.  He harvested the grapes separately and processed the grapes in the identical winemaking fashion.  The result is although same grape, you can taste the difference that terroir makes. A fun gift for any wine lover.

Dinner Party Pack Contains:
Red Paw Pinot Noir VQA 2007
Black Paw Pinot Noir VQA 2007
Red Paw Cabernet Franc VQA 2007
Black Paw Cabernet Franc VQA 2007
2 little samples bags of soil to see the difference!

Price for ONE of each selected bottles: $115

Price for TWO of each selected bottles: $230
+ winery’s shipping fee
Order >>

Boutique & Unique

A delicious homemade butter tart started Savvy Sommelier Debbie Trenholm’s discovery of this boutique winery in Niagara. “It is a winery with a wonderful story connected to farming with down to earth people involved and cult-like following wines,” Debbie reports. Recently featured in our Savvy Selections, 13^th Street Wines are a joy to share with your dinner guests.

Party Pack Contains:
Premier Cuvée Sparkling VQA 2004
Cuvée 13 Sparkling Rosé VQA 2006
Sandstone Vineyard Chardonnay VQA 2006
Sauvignon Blanc – Semillion VQA 2008
Cabernet Rosé VQA 2008
Gamay Noir Sandstone Old Vines VQA 2008
Merlot VQA 2007
13 Degrees Below Zero VQA 2008 (a lightly sweet wine)

Price for this collection of 8 bottles: $176 + winery’s shipping fee
Order >>

Pioneers & Innovators

New world excellence. Old world tradition. This is a great mantra for a well rooted winery. The Bosc family are pioneers as they broke new ground in the Niagara wine region with their Chateau des Charmes winery over 25 years ago. As the December’s featured winery in the Savvy Selections, we showcased their winemaking talent along with their newly released branding and adoption of QR Code technology on each bottle. Entertain your dinner party guests with insights about this winery and the people involved in the Savvy e-Zine that every Savvy Selections subscriber receives with their monthly wine delivery.

Party Pack Contains:
- Sauvignon Gris VQA 2008
- Viognier VQA 2007
- Cabernet Franc VQA 2005
- Equuleus VQA 2007
Price for this collection of 4 bottles: $111.85 + winery’s shipping fee
Order >>

Have the menu already planned & trying to figure out which wines to pair?

Call on our Savvy Sommeliers to create a dinner party pack perfectly paired to your menu – what a great way to WOW your guests.  Simply email us or call 613.SAVVYCO (613.728.8926).

Pairing wine to a meal is not a science, rather, I think it is an art.  Like draping a colourful scarf or adding funky necklace, a woman’s outfit turns from “nice” to “WOW!”  Same thing with a man’s suit – goes from “sharp” to “looking like a million bucks” when adding a fashionable tie or crisp shirt.  Taking the time to thoughtfully pair wines to the ingredients of a meal can have impact and makes a memorable impression.

So how to do it?

I offer two ways.  Keep in mind my wine and food pairing fundamentals or use a lifeline that gives you the answer in a few clicks.

Perfecting the fundamentals takes patience and practice – both taking you on a delicious discovery.  Chefs and Sommeliers experiment with a sip of wine here with a nibble of food there all day long (truth be told not ALL DAY – we need time to work out at the gym to keep our waist lines in check).

The fundamentals that I keep in mind:
Toss out the rule that white wine should be served with chicken and fish while red wine goes with red meat. Fish, chicken and meat are a canvas for the chef.  It is the sauce, spices or marinade that you want to enhance by selecting a wine that will complement their flavours to make the meal sing.

Focus on the origin of the food.  Wine has been crafted for centuries to accompany regional food. For example, Italian wine goes well with Italian cuisine. Pairing the country of origin for both the food and wine is simply put: a natural fit.

Make it fun! There is no right or wrong wine to serve. Why not pour a splash of two (or more) wines in different glasses to experiment with your meal.  Need some suggestions of where to start? Email me your menu.

A recipe, a wine list or shopping for wine may not be that straight forward.  Here is where the pros come in with a helpful gadget or as some would say – a lifeline.

The wine world is all a buzz at the moment with wine writer Natalie MacLean’s Wine and Food Matcher.  Every wine enthusiast should have this at their fingertips. Whether you carry a BlackBerry or Iphone, this ‘app’ is like having both a Sommelier and a Chef at your side.

For those non-cell phone wine shoppers, you can download Natalie’s ‘widget’ to access the same information from your desktop.

Simply two clicks away from a verdict.

Whether you start with the food on your plate or your preferred style of wine, click-click-click and the Wine and Food Matcher narrows down your options.  As said earlier, pairing is an art.  Natalie and a team of techies at Ottawa based company bitHeads figured out the science behind this app.

To download:

The app for your Blackberry Curve, Blackberry Bold, iPhone or iPod Touch go to http://www.nataliemaclean.com/mobilematch/

The widget for your computer go to http://www.nataliemaclean.com/matcher/

Within minutes and you have a virtual Sommelier at your fingertips.

Even as a Sommelier, our Savvy Team are often called upon to host wine and food events or develop a wine list for restaurants, Natalie’s Wine and Food Matcher has been a big help validating our choices.

Other wine enthusiasts agree.  “It is incredibly handy”, reports Jay on Natalie’s web site

“It is simple and quick.  Now you have Natalie’s vast wine pairing resource at your fingertips”, reviews Craig.

“…when I am at a restaurant and wondering what to order, I discreetly pull out my phone and in two clicks my decision has been made…by Natalie!”, shares another app enthusiast.

Visit Natalie’s web site www.nataliemaclean.com and follow the simple download instructions.  While you are at it, sign up for her weekly newsletter too.

Cheers!

-Debbie

Follow me on Twitter:  www.twitter.com/savvydebbie

PS – you can follow Natalie on Twitter too! www.twitter.com/nataliemaclean

As the saying goes - It’s summertime and the living is easy.  This is especially true when you have a glass of good wine in your hand!  To make your summer a breeze, here are five favorite refreshing summer recipes with suggestions of wines to uncork (or un-twist!). Cheers & enjoy your summer!

Coffee Steak Rub

While visiting Niagara last summer, Charlie Pillitteri of Pillitteri Estates Winery invited me to a backyard BBQ where he served his guests steaks using this unique dry rub. The coffee beans caramelize while BBQing, offering a rich earthy flavour that will be enhanced with a robust red wine. 

TIP: This recipe can be doubled and stored in a jar or Ziploc container in the fridge.

½ cup whole coffee beans
¼ cup black peppercorns
¼ cup Montreal Steak spice
4 juicy steaks – any cut

With an electric coffee grinder, whiz coffee beans and peppercorns lightly.  The result should be a coarse mixture. In a bowl add ground mixture with Montreal Steak spice. Sprinkle mixture over steaks.  Gently rub into the surface of the meat, patting down to secure the coffee bean mixture in place. Flip steaks over and repeat on other side.

Cover steaks and place in fridge until BBQ is ready (The steaks can ‘marinade’ for a couple of hours or simply a few minutes).

Serve BBQ steaks to your liking.  Enjoy!

WHAT TO UNCORK?
Steaks are best with a big bold red wine.  Try Carmenere from Chile, Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia or a Red Zinfandel from California. Enjoy!

Watermelon & Black Olive Salad
From Wish Magazine, Summer 2006 issue

This can be enjoyed as a side salad or thread watermelon cubes on a skewer with black olives and pour vinaigrette over top and serve as a kebab.  Refreshing with a crunch and a zing!

4 cups seedless watermelon cut in ½ inch cubes
1/3 cup chopped black olives
1/3 cup chopped green onions

Place in a large salad bowl & set aside.

For Vinaigrette
1 Tablespoon garam marsala (An East Indian spice mixture that generally includes coriander seed, black pepper, cumin, cardamom, tumeric, nutmeg, cloves & cinnamon.  Purchase a package of this spice mixture at an Indian grocery or health food store).

1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
¼ cup olive oil

Mix together all ingredients for vinaigrette.  Gently mix in vinaigrette to cover watermelon.  Chill until ready to serve. 

WHAT TO UNCORK?
There are many flavours in this recipe.  Best with something light & refreshing like a Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris (same grape, different name depending on wine region made) or a dry Rosé from France.

Windsurfing Squares
Tip: Wait to make this recipe until the summer months when your (or your neighbour’s) garden is overflowing with zukes!

4 eggs, beaten
1 cup Bisquick mix
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 clove garlic
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley (fresh is preferable, but dried parsley will do)
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 cups thinly sliced zucchini

Add eggs to other ingredients and mix.  Fold in Zucchini.  Cook in a 9×13 greased pan.  350 degrees for about 45 minutes.  

Why is this recipe called Windsurfing Squares? 
The lore goes that friends of Debbie’s first nibbled on these savoury squares at the ‘Canadian Hole’ – a famed windsurfing spot in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina during a wonderful windsurfing trip.

WHAT TO UNCORK?
Red or white wine is the question. Why not serve both?  Chill a lightly oaked Chardonnay or French Chablis (un-oaked Chardonnay) and pop the cork (or twist the cap) of a medium bodied red wine Gamay grapes – labeled as Gamay Noir in Niagara or Beaujolais if made in France.

Local Strawberry, Québec brie, pancetta, pistachio & rosemary pizza

Les Fougeres Restaurant & Gourmet Store, Chelsea Québec
Makes 1 large pizza

1 pre-baked thin pizza crust
1 cup cream cheese, softened
1 pint fresh local strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
250 g Québec brie in chunks
1 red onion, thinly sliced and sautéed in olive oil until soft
250 g pancetta, friend until crisp and broken into pieces
½ cup pistachios, shelled
2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, choppe
Freshly ground black pepper, Maldon salt and orange zest to taste

Bake directly on rack in middle of oven at 425 F for 7 to 8 minutes or until crust is golden and crisp and toppings are sizzling.

WHAT TO UNCORK?
This recipe says ‘Rosé’ all over it!  If red or white is more your preference, try a Sauvignon Blanc or slightly chilled Pinot Noir.  Enjoy!

Peppered Lamb Medallions with Garlic & Dark Chocolate Sauce

Our Savvy Sommelier Susan Desjardins selected this recipe to pair with June’s Savvy Selections – Black Prince Cabernet Franc.  Read Savvy e-Zine

Adapted from original recipe found in LCBO Food & Drink Magazine, Winter 2009
Serves 4

Cheers, enjoy these recipes & most of all have a great summer! 

Some questions I think you should answer BEFORE you walk into the store (in this order of importance):