Savvy Selections wine of the month club
Featuring Rosewood Estates
– February 2013 –
While working as a high-tech executive, Eugene Roman was also developing his skills as a master beekeeper & dreaming big about creating a winery and meadery in Niagara. In 2000, he & his wife Renata, purchased 40 acres on the Beamsville Bench, backing onto the Niagara Escarpment – interestingly, a designated UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. A further 45 acres was purchased in the nearby village of Jordan.
Soon followed the construction of the winery designed to reflect the family’s European heritage with exquisite rose gardens. 2006 marked the first harvest and vintage, as well as the year that Eugene & his winemaker started to make mead, which is produced by fermenting honey & water. Get the low-down on mead.
Rosewood Estates is a family affair. Daughter Krystina Roman has taken on full responsibility for Marketing & Sales, while son William (Wills), who is a graduate of the Viticulture and Oenology program at Niagara College and also has a business degree, can be found amongst the grapes in the vineyard, in the wine cellars & working at the apiaries with his father.
The ‘buzz’ is never far away. Step out behind the winery & you will find a sheltered glade among the trees where hives produce the wildflower honey that is sold in Rosewood’s retail shop. Of course, there are hives elsewhere in the Niagara area to optimize the bees’ access to a range of pollens from the fruit orchards & vineyards.
With its unique meadery – the only in Niagara – Rosewood is definitely a ‘must visit’ when you are in Niagara.
Until your next trip to the Beamsville Bench, with this month’s Savvy Selections you will get a taste of red wines to match the hearty foods of winter along with a lesser known white grape variety – Semillion grapes – rare in Ontario.
In your Savvy Selections, you will find:
Semillon VQA 2011 – medium bodied white wine that is delicious with winter time foods
Merlot Reserve VQA 2009 – a complex, powerful award-winning red wine that is silky & flavourful
Pinot Noir VQA 2010 – a easy drinking dry & juicy, well-balanced Pinot that will impress anyone
OPTIONAL WINES:
Mima’s Block Riesling VQA 2011 – slightly off-dry, elegant balanced with delicious ripe fruit and lively acidity
Ambrosia Grand Reserve Mead 2007 – smooth uniquely aged in 3+ years in French oak barrels.
Enjoy discovering Rosewood wines. At any time you would like additional bottles of your favorite Savvy Selections wines, just give me a call on 613-SAVVYCO (728-8926) or send me an email to debbie@savvycompany.ca. It would be my pleasure to arrange a delivery for you. Cheers & Enjoy!
Cheers & Enjoy!
Introducing…
Rosewood Estates Winery
Presented by Savvy Sommelier Susan Desjardins
Truly a family affair, Rosewood Estates reflects the enthusiasm & passion of the Roman family. Krystina explains, “As a family we fell in love with the Beamsville Bench. When first scouting locations we evaluated different sites all over the Niagara Peninsula. While the purchase was a business decision & we had professional advisors to help us evaluate the properties, as well, we followed our heart. There’s something unique about ‘The Bench’, it’s a small narrow sub appellation with a unique character – both in the wines and the people.”
Planted in 2003-04, the vineyard on the Beamsville Bench, named Renaceau, has deep clay-loam soils from which their Riesling extracts its mineral character. Merlot is planted in the same vineyard, on an iron-rich deposit which, states Wills “has helped the Merlot develop rich & complex flavours through the years.” The second vineyard, comprising 20 acres in the Twenty Mile Bench appellation just above Jordan features limestone-clay soils. “It has a particularly beneficial aspect that drastically improves airflow, in turn reducing cold air pockets and helping dry any excessive humidity on the vines & fruit.” A significant limestone ridge on this property contributes a mineral character to their many different Riesling wines.
While the properties total 85 acres, only 30 are under vine – planted by them with advice from professionals to ensure the optimum match of grape variety with sub soil. They benefit from being on the Niagara Escarpment, but are also limited by the environmental constraints of this UNESCO Reserve. Where necessary, they work with local grape grower – Marcus Van Ber & Rick Wismer to complement their estate-grown fruit. “Niagara is blessed with amazing grape growers who are very passionate. It’s a pleasure working with such dedicated grape growers and vineyard owners”, shares Krystina.
All in the family
You could say that Krystina & Wills, along with their parents Eugene & Renata, make a dynamite team. “As a family, we always have SOMETHING wine-related to talk about’, comments Krystina. It’s interesting to hear the mutual respect between siblings, as well as the passion for the business that can typically cause heated discussions. In Wills’ view, their collaboration has helped strengthen the family, as they spend so much time working together. Krystina explains, “I’m very thankful to have a brother who loves to grow grapes, make wine and has as much enthusiasm about the wine industry as I do. He is our Operations Manager ‘Extraordinaire’!” In that role, he oversees the vineyards, the winemaking, honey & mead production. Yet he still finds time to spend in the tasting room. “It’s very rewarding to talk with customers who thoroughly enjoy our wines, mead & honey—it brings a smile to my face & makes all the early mornings & long days worth it!”
Wills first started helping with beekeeping when he was just 4 years old, whether helping his Grandmother pour honey or carrying the smoker in the beeyards. His interest only increased as he grew older. He headed off to university to obtain a business degree with thoughts of working in the high-tech industry. He continued to help out in the apiaries & when the vineyard was purchased, became involved in that as well. It didn’t take long for him to realize his passion was inherently in beekeeping & viticulture, leading him to Niagara College’s program in Viticulture and Oenology. “I found great reward in producing handcrafted goods and loved the idea of working outside with my hands. And I truly love working with my family!” The combination of business training, apprenticeship in beekeeping with his father Eugene, & the Niagara College viticulture program have given him the wide-ranging skills to excel in his role at Rosewood. He credits Luke Orwinski, Rosewood’s winemaker, with honing his practical viticulture & winemaking knowledge, as well as a stint with winemaker Matt Mavety at Blue Mountain Vineyards and Cellars in British Columbia’s Okanagan.
Bees in the Winter
The bees are currently in winter dormancy, in their hives. They create their own heat, moving in a cluster within the hive, consuming honey they stored & vibrating to generate additional heat. Meanwhile, Krystina & Wills are also generating their own heat, dealing the ongoing operations of the winery. They look forward to the spring, when the buzz ramps up again. They will be focused on ensuring the bees & the vines have the best possible conditions to thrive & contribute to the outstanding wines & meads.
Cheers & enjoy your Savvy Selections!
~ SAVVY SOMMELIER TASTING NOTES ~
Rosewood Semillon VQA 2011 $18.00
This wine is produced from grapes that were hand-harvested off of a single vineyard. The grapes were whole-cluster pressed (winespeak: entire grape bunches are pressed very gently to extract the juice. This is thought to minimize the amount of harsh malic acid & astringent tannins that naturally exist in the skins, seeds & stems) then aged four months in stainless steel tanks before bottling.
Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes: Pale gold, this wine offers aromas of rich stone fruit, zesty citrus, beeswax (of course!), mineral, with a whiff of freshly ground white pepper. Dry, juicy & quite weighty, the white pepper mingles with dried apricot, apple & citrus on the palate. Crafted with fine balance, it has a lasting crisp finish.
Suggested Food Pairing: Enjoy this wine with fish such as halibut, herbed pork tenderloin, or steamed mussels in a white wine sauce.
Cellaring: Ready to drink now or cellar 2-3 years.
Rosewood Pinot Noir VQA 2010 $20.00
Produced from hand-harvested fruit from local grape growers (the Wismer Vineyard & the Renaceau Estate Vineyard), this Pinot Noir was aged 11 months in premium new & seasoned French oak barrels to create the smooth & silky texture of this wine.
Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes: Offering aromas of strawberries, sweet spice & earth that are classic to Pinot Noir, this is a dry, vivid wine with a smooth silky texture & well-defined structure. Ripe red field berries mingle with herbal notes & that refined earthiness, the wine finishing long, dry & balanced.
Suggested Food Pairing: Serve this wine with grilled or planked salmon, or with duck with cherries.
Cellaring: Enjoy the wine now or can be cellared 3-5 years.
Rosewood Merlot Reserve VQA 2009 $32.00
To create this outstanding wine, grapes from low-yielding vines grown on the Rosewood property were handpicked & sorted, then fermented with natural native yeasts. The wine then aged in select new & aged French oak barrels for 13 months to round out the structure & create the smooth, rich texture.
Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes: Deep ruby in colour, this dry, full-bodied wine offers intriguing complexity of aromas & flavours—roasted herbs, concentrated dark fruit (think figs, dates, plums/prunes) & blackberry jam, cedar, vanilla & warm spices. It’s loaded with luscious fruit, notes of dark chocolate & coffee beans. Well structured with fine-grained tannins & subtle acidity, has a long deep finish with dark & toasty notes.
Suggested Food Pairing: For this big wine, Susan thinks that this is hands down wine for beef tenderloin or roast of lamb with all of the trimmings.
Cellaring: Already aged 4 years, this wine is approachable now, yet has the cellar ‘power’ for another 2-4 years.
~RECIPES TO ENJOY WITH YOUR SAVVY SELECTIONS~
With Rosewood Semillon…
Steamed Mussels with Wine & Saffron
From www.marthastewart.com
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 lbs fresh mussels
1 large pinch saffron (about 30 threads)
¾ cup white wine
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced (about ½ cups)
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Coarse salt & freshly ground pepper
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Method
Holding mussels under cool running water, scrub with a stiff sponge or vegetable brush, then debeard: grip the touch fibers extending from the shell & pull to remove. Discard beards.
Steep saffron in wine for 10 minutes (Saffron is soluble in water, not fat, so won’t release its color or flavour if added directly to the butter.) Meanwhile, melt butter over medium-high heat in a shallow stockpot. Once it’s foamy, add shallots, garlic and ½ tsp salt. Cook until shallots are transparent and garlic is soft, about 3 minutes, stirring every so often to keep garlic from scorching. Pour in wine & saffron, then add tomatoes and return to a simmer, stirring once or twice.
Add mussels & cover tightly. Cook until all mussels open, about 6 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. Discard any unopened mussels. If using wild mussels, strain broth through a cheesecloth-lined sieve to remove any sand, if necessary. Taste the broth & season with salt & pepper.
Sprinkle with parsley before ladling mussels & broth into bowls.
With Rosewood Pinot Noir …
Pan-seared Chicken with Tomatoes, Olives, Oregano & Capers
Chef Michael Smith recipe that appeared in The Globe & Mail
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 Tbsp vegetable oil4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts1 large onion, chopped into large pieces4 garlic cloves, chopped (or to taste)1 Tbsp dried oregano1 tsp salt2 cups red wine1 pint cherry tomatoes1 cup pitted Kalamata olives½ cup capers, drainedFreshly ground pepper
Method
Set a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Swirl in enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot, add the chicken. Sear the first side until golden brown and crusty, 4-5 minutes or so. Adjust the pan’s heat as needed, keeping it sizzling, but not so hot that the oil smokes.
Flip the chicken breasts over, cooking the other sides until they’re equally golden brown. Add a splash more oil if you think the pan needs it. The goal is not to fully cook the meat but just to add flavour while the pan temperature is high.
Reduce heat to medium and remove the chicken breasts to a plate. Add the onion, garlic, oregano and salt to the pan. Sauté for a minute or two. Add the red wine, tomatoes, olives, and capers. Turn the heat much lower, just enough to maintain a slow, steady simmer. Return the chicken to the pan, nestling the breasts into the stew. Cover tightly and simmer until the meat is cooked through (10-15 minutes). Turn the breasts once, allowing the flavour to fully permeate the chicken from all sides. Sprinkles with pepper to taste and serve.
With Rosewood Merlot Reserve…
Peppercorn Roast Beef with Balsamic Beets
Food & Drink Magazine
Serves 8
Ingredients
8 medium beets, trimmed & peeled, about 1 ½ lbs
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 ¼ tsp salt (or to taste)
2 red onions cut into 1” wedges
8 whole cloves garlic, unpeeled (or to taste)
3 Tbsp cracked black peppercorns
1 beef tenderloin, about 3 lbs
2 Tbsp quality balsamic vinegar
Rosemary sprigs for garnish
Method
Preheat oven to 425F.
Cut beets into 1” wedges. In a large shallow roasting pan, toss together beets, 2 Tbsp oil, rosemary and ¼ tsp salt; spread beets out in roasting pan. Roast, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring once.
Add onions and garlic to roasting pan; stir to combine with beets, breaking up onion wedges as you stir. Roast for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir together peppercorns and remaining salt in a small bowl. On work surface, lay a piece of plastic wrap large enough to enclose beef; sprinkle with half peppercorn mixture. Rub feed all over with remaining oil. Lay beef on peppercorn mixture on plastic wrap; sprinkle evenly with remaining peppercorn mixture. Wrap beef in plastic wrap, pressing so that peppercorns and salt adhere evenly to meat. Unwrap beef; transfer carefully to a wire rack.
Stir vegetables.
Set rack holding beef in roasting pan containing vegetables; roast for 25-30 minutes for rare (125F on meat thermometer), 30-40 minutes for medium-rare (135-140F on meat thermometer).Remove beef to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil & let stand 10-15 minutes.
Stir balsamic vinegar into vegetables; season with more salt & pepper to taste. Spoon vegetables onto a warm serving plate.
Cut beef into slices; arrange on top of vegetables. Garnish with rosemary.
Enjoy your Savvy Selections!