There is a mesmerizing abundance of wine and food books that you can wrap and put under the tree.  Here are some of our Savvy Sommeliers’ favorites:

History of Wine Words - An Intoxicating Dictionary of Etymology & Word Histories from Glass & Bottle  
by Charles Hodgson

$20 at Amazon

Charles is an Ottawa based writer and long time Savvy Selections wine-of-the-month club subscriber.  As he was researching the meanings and history of wine terms and words he asked our Savvy Sommelier Debbie Trenholm to be part of the editing team.  This is a neat book loaded with interesting tidbits about the origin of wine words.

Cellar Book – How to Design, Build, Stock and Manage Your Wine Cellar Wherever You Live
by Tony Aspler
$20 at Chapters

As Tony puts it, this book provides practical guidance for anyone who wants to lay down wines that will be ready to open for a mid-week dinner, for a spontaneous celebration or for your children's future enjoyment. 

The definitive Guide to Canadian Artisanal and Fine Cheese
by Gurth Pretty

$20 at Chapters

Chef Gurth Pretty has compiled the most comprehensive guide to Canadian cheeses ever published. On each page you are introduced to the cheesemakers, stories about their cheeses, and then there are 30 delicious recipes developed by Gurth and the cheesemakers to try your hand at. This book is always open in the kitchen of our Savvy Cheese Sommelier Vanessa Simmons

Red, White, and Drunk All Over: A Wine Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass

By Natalie MacLean

$10 at Chapters

“Simply intoxicating!”, says Savvy Sommelier Debbie Trenholm. Debbie has read this book twice – the first time was the manuscript as she devoured & reviewed each page for Natalie, then again once the book was published. There are countless wine books, some historic, some novels, some technical and some instructional. Yet, in Red, White & Drunk All Over, Natalie MacLean shares her discovery and experiences of the different facets of wine with an enlightening twist.  Look for Debbie’s quote on page 122!

The 500 Best-Value Wines in the LCBO 2010
by Rod Philips
$19.95 at Chapters

This is the second annual guide to the 500 best-values in the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario). Rod Philips – Ottawa based writer, wine judge & Ottawa Citizen wine columnist has tasted all the wines currently available in the LCBO and Vintages Essentials collection – a rough job!  He chose the 500 best wines in terms of their quality and price. A handy book to have with you when are overwhelmed with all that is available at the LCBO.

Wine and War: The French, The Nazis, And The Battle For Frances Greatest Treasure

By Don and Petie Kladstrup

$19 at Chapters

“This is a page turner – I was captivated in chapter 1.  A great read for anyone interested in history and wine”, remarks Savvy Sommelier Debbie Trenholm. All about the remarkable untold story of France's courageous, clever vinters who protected and rescued the country's most treasured commodity from German plunder during World War II. In 1940, France fell to the Nazis and almost immediately the German army began a campaign of pillaging one of the assets the French hold most dear: their wine.

Anna and Michael Olson Cook at Home: Recipes for Everyday and Every Occasion

By Anna and Michael Olson

$25 at Amazon

A favorite cookbook in Savvy Sommelier Susan Desjardin’s kitchen. When writing the Savvy eZine, Susan often refers to this book to pick a recipe to pair a Savvy Selections wine. She finds that this book is full of practical and humorous advice on cooking and entertaining, with culinary inspirations and handy techniques by Ontario’s premier chefs. 

Matter of Taste: Inspired Seasonal Menus with Wines and Spirits to Match
By Lucie Waverman & James Chatto
$35 at Chapters

Savvy Sommeliers Debbie Trenholm & Susan Desjardins are fans of this book full of recipes and wine pairings. Several of their favorite recipes have been paired with Savvy Selections wines.  Easy-to-follow recipes are paired with James’ witty wine knowledge and explanations on why the matches make sense.

Fresh Canadian Bistro: Top Canadian chefs share their favourite recipes

By Craig Flinn

$18 at Chapters

Author Craig Flinn, chef of Chives Canadian Bistro in Halifax, has persuaded many of Canada''s leading chefs to share some of their best recipes for this collection. “I have just bought it and each page is absolutely delicious!” comments Savvy Sommelier Debbie Trenholm

Other helpful Gift Guides that may inspire some ideas for your wine & food lovers on your shopping list.

Ottawa Citizen 2009 Holiday Gift Guide

Globe and Mail Gift Guide

Ron Eade's annual Cookbook Guide

Happy Holidays!

The Savvy Team

A recent week-long trip to the Niagara area offered not only great golfing weather, but an opportunity to take in Wainfleet’s Marshville Heritage Festival before visiting a few of my favorite wineries,  all of which will be featured in our Savvy Selections wine of the month club over the next few months.

The Marshville Heritage Festival celebrated its 20^th anniversary this year.  Organized entirely by volunteers, the Festival celebrates the 1829 founding of a small Ontario village associated with the construction of the first Welland Canal.  The volunteer society has restored 17 buildings, including a one and one-half story limestone house built in 1790, a sawmill built in 1891 (at the Festival, it was being run by the 70-year-old grandsons of the founder - how neat is that!?), an outdoor oven (where women in period dress were baking fabulous cornbread), and a cabinet-maker’s shop which once belonged to J.W. Overholt, a prominent abolitionist who sheltered escaped slaves.  A wide range of artisans and food vendors vied for space with the historical buildings.  The Festival is the Society’s primary fundraiser and is a great educational and entertainment event for all ages.  If you’re in the Niagara area in early September next year, don’t miss it this festival.

After an enjoyable couple of days at the Festival and on the golf links, I got down to the serious business of wine tasting!  My first stop was Reif Estate Winery, where I met with Klaus Reif, President and Oenologist, and Andrea Kaiser, who is responsible for the winery’s retail operations and promotion.  We had a great chat about Klaus’ early years, the evolution of the winery, as well as some the new challenges he has set himself.  This includes the innovative use of tobacco kilns for creating temperature-controlled environments to dry grapes for passito-style wines and to produce botrytis-affected grapes for Sauternes-style wines.  Reif Estate has some great wines, including some outstanding Bordeaux-style blends.  More to follow in the Savvy Selections  this November.  Consider subscribing for an opportunity to try some of the hard to find Reif wines along with the recipes we recommend! 

For those of you who know me, I am a strong proponent of organic wines, so my trip included a visit at Frogpond Farm  and Southbrook Vineyards, both of which will be featured in spring issues of the Savvy Selections. 

Frogpond Farm is the original certified organic winery in Niagara.  Jens and Heike are excited about their expansion onto a new certified organic acreage in the peninsula, and are now producing wines in 750 ml bottles as well as their traditional 500 ml format.  We tasted a range of wines, including the 2006 Cabernet Franc from their original property and the 2007 Cabernet Franc from the new property.  This side-by-side tasting was a great opportunity to compare the significant differences terroir and vintage can make to a wine.  While the 2006 is brawny and robust, the 2007 is more fruity and delicate.  We laughingly decided that the former was more ‘masculine’, while the latter, more ‘feminine’!

I spent time with Elena Galey-Pride, Director of Customer Experience at Southbrook Vineyards, learning about their transition to biodynamic and organic viticulture and viniculture.  To quote their winemaker, Anne Sperling, “Biodynamics is like extreme organics!”  In effect, biodynamic producers have a profound respect for the influence of nature on their crops and products, and work to optimize, preserve and recycle the resources of their farmed land.  The biodynamic processes on site continue to evolve, with a decision made to establish their own herd of sheep next year, and the use of natural fermentation in winemaking.  Southbrook’s first biodynamic release was their Cabernet Franc Rose this summer – we sipped from one of the few remaining bottles.  In October, the winery will release their second biodynamic wine, the 2008 Triomphe Merlot, which offers strong fruity flavors with a great balance of acidity and tannins. 

Pillitteri Estates Winery was our last stop of the day, where we participated in a wonderfully informative tour of the winery, then tasted a wide range of their still and sweet wines.  The Pillitteri family story seems like a Canadian fairy tale.  Gary Pillitteri came to Canada in 1948, when his grandfather purchased their original 56-acre fruit farm off Niagara Stone Road.  A series of photos show the evolution of the farm from orchard to vineyard, and of the retail building from fruit stand to combined tasting room, retail shop and fruit stand.  When Gary won his first award as an amateur winemaker for his Vidal ice wine, a family decision was made to move beyond grape growing into winemaking.  Pillitteri Estates Winery has expanded to 100 acres and is a family affair involving Gary, his wife, their three children and the five grandchildren.  Fifty-five or more percent of their production is sweet wines, for which they have won numerous prestigious awards, including a recent gold for their Shiraz Ice Wine at the Syrah du Monde competition.  Yet, with all this success, staff at the winery speak with great affection about the work environment the family has created.  Said one individual, “Mrs. P (Pillitteri) often comes in and makes pizza for everyone on the weekend.  And the family usually gathers in the winery at the end of the day to share dinner.”  Not only does Mrs. P make pizza, as I noticed when we were in the tasting room, she also comes by and helps the staff wash tasting glasses! 

We toured Pillitteri's barrel cellar, which is one of the largest in the Niagara at 6000 square feet.  In the barrel cellar, Gary Pillitteri has created a fascinating homage to his success in Canada.  He firmly believes that 23 is his lucky number.  He arrived in Canada on that date, and his wife and two of his children were born on that date.  The 42-foot-long single-pour concrete table in the cellar is surrounded by 23 chairs made from a single steel fermentation tank.  The table has 5 supporting legs (2+3) and 23 lights hand above it.  23 steps lead from the barrel cellar to the tasting room. 

After the extensive tour, we were thirsty, so up those stairs we went!!  We sampled the toasty 2007 Sur Lie Chardonnay, the aromatic 2008 Gewurztraminer/Riesling blend, and the Bottled Blond Bradshaw Reserve – Dr. Marc  Bradshaw, Pillitteri’s young winemaker from SouthAfrica, dyes his hair, hence the name!  Among the reds, we sampled both the 2007 Merlot and the 2002 Merlot, each reflecting its unique vintage and winemaker.  And the 2007 Cabernet Franc was a great hit, full-bodied and well balanced with a lingering finish.  One of my favorite sweet wines is Pillitteri’s Select Late Harvest Chambourcin, produced from a hybrid varietal – it has a beautiful balance of tart red fruit, rhubarb and honey.  The grand finale was a taste of the 2007 Sticky Beak Ice Wine, which includes a blend of the Cabernets, Sangiovese and Shiraz – the perfect ending to a beautiful experience.  Pillitteri Estates Wines has been a Savvy Selections feature in past years, and we look forward to showcasing their wines again soon. 

Our thirst sated, we were hungry!  On a recommendation, we headed to Olson Foods at Ravine.  This is the new home of Anna and Michael Olson’s gourmet bakery and deli, located in St. David’s adjacent to Ravine Vineyards.  Opened in the summer of 2008, the single-story rustic building looks like an old farmhouse with an inviting veranda surrounding it. The scarred wooden tables and mismatched chairs make the interior feel like you’re stepping into your grandmother’s kitchen.  Anna was welcoming guests and helping out at the cash, where she willingly signed copies of her recipe books.  The food was great  – sharing plates or modest main plates were freshly made with local ingredients, and very reasonably priced.  A wide range of fresh breads and pastries tempted us to stay for a lingering cup of tea.  And the wide range of condiments, oils, vinegars and kitchen necessities beckoned from the well-planned displays.  This is a must-visit spot whether or not you are visiting wineries!  

If you can’t make it to Niagara but are tempted by some of the great wines I’ve mentioned, contact me to order a selection of wines from Reif Estate Winery,  Frogpond Farm, Southbrook Vineyards or Pillitteri Estates - or any other winery featured in our Savvy Selections .   

Cheers!

Susan

PS - when you are heading to Niagara, contact me for the Savvy 'must visit' list of wineries and restaurants.  With over 90 wineries in the area, it can be difficult to figure out where to visit.  The Savvy team of Sommeliers have visited them all and offer you our insight to make your Niagara wine adventure memorable.

Not only do our Savvy Sommeliers give you tips on good wines....count on us for tips on good web sites, blogs, authors and widgets that we find helpful in all things involving wine and food.

Award winning Wine & Food Writers...

Natalie MacLean – author of Red, White & Drunk all Over
Be sure to download her Food & Wine pairing matcher widget for your Blackberry or iPhone. Very useful…and fun too!
www.nataliemaclean.com

Tony Aspler – the Wine Guy
Reading all of the content on his web site, one wonders if Tony ever sleeps?  His ever popular ‘Wine Lovers Diary’ gives you insight to life as an acclaimed wine critic & wine writer. Tony makes it all look too easy!
www.tonyaspler.com

Vic Harradine – author of Wine Current
Vic always has a pen & pad in one hand with a glass of wine in the other.  He reviews every wines at LCBO & Vintages
www.winecurrent.com

Ron Eade – Omnivore Ottawa Blog
Ron has a pulse on Ottawa’s food scene.  His blog is one of the top sites read on the Ottawa Citizen online – make it your resource to what is going on in Ottawa.
www.roneade.com

Rod Philips – author of The 500 Best value wines at the LCBO 2009
Rod’s monthly newsletter – Worlds of Wine give you insight on wine industry issues, news on wineries and winemakers dotted with wine tips.
www.rodphillipsonwine.com

There's wine in your mailbox...

VINES Magazine
Editor Christopher Waters & team of wine writers constantly taste and review wines.  In addition to their articles about all things wines, the Buyers Guides help you to create a (long) shopping list of wines to try.
www.vinesmag.com

Wine Access Magazine
Each month, this magazine takes you on wine soaked journeys across Canada and to every corner of the wine world to meet winemakers, chefs & wine industry personalities.
www.wineaccess.ca

Chefs & their talents…

Mary G’s Artisan Breads
It is easy for Jim to make you fall in love with homemade bread all over again! His trick: it is all in the equipment – his traditional woodfired brick ovens.  His seminars will convert you!
www.marygbread.com

Chop Chop Catering
Call on Ken to be your personal chef or to offer fun cooking classes in your home.
www.chopchop.ca

Savvy places to shop…

CA Paradis
Drop by the store and ask for Diane Paradis to provide you insight on buying Riedel wine glasses and stylish decanters…or to simply ooh and ahhh over her wine cellars & fridges.  
TIP: bring your knives and they will sharpen them while you shop for wine accessories
www.caparadis.com 

Wine Cellar Solutions
To buy a wine fridge? Or to build a wine cellar?  This big decision is easy when you call on Louis Titley to take you through your options or bring his team of professionals in to build a custom walk in wine cellar for your home.
www.winecellarsolutions.ca

Wine shows to add into your calendar…

Ottawa Wine & Food Show
THE wine show in Ottawa – don’t miss it!  Our team of Savvy Sommeliers organize the details of the wine competition – Cellars of the World - associated with the show.  We will see you there!
www.ottawawineandfoodshow.com

Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival
The wine world comes to this event each year…and so does Savvy Company! There are seminars, tastings, lunches, dinners and a tasting room of 200+ wineries from every corner of the world.  Call on our Savvy Sommeliers to help you determine what to do at this festival.
www.playhousewinefest.com 

Wine clubs that the Savvy Team are members!

iYellow Wine Club of Toronto
The iYellow Wine Club is a free social wine club based in Toronto with exciting wine events, wine tours and monthly newsletters.
www.iyellowwineclub.com

National Capital Sommelier Guild
Established for over 20 years, this member-run organisation located in Ottawa has numerous wine events for those serious about wines.  After each of the Savvy Sommeliers graduated, we joined this club to help keep a pulse on the latest releases of wines and to network with other Sommeliers and those in the hospitality industry.
www.sommelierguild.com

We will continue to compile this list of Savvy Friends & useful links.  Bookmark this page...and share your tips too!

Cheers,

-Debbie
Follow me on www.twitter.com/savvydebbie