Vertical Tasting

Last evening Thomas, his lovely wife Emily and I kicked off the first of our wine and tapas tasting evenings. A group of 18 wine aficionados crowded around a long, unsteady table in a warehouse room with no real kitchen, poor lighting and Chardonnay coloured walls to enjoy a selection of high end French and Italian wines. We tasted through three flights of three wines. Each flight was accompanied by a delicious dish prepared by Emily. I had the fortune of sitting with the guests to taste through the wines, eat and chat, while Thomas enlightened us on biodynamics and the wine biz in general and Emily, almost without notice, prepped and served a three course meal.

FLIGHT 1: Ferraton Pere et Fils "Le Meal" Ermitage 1998, 1999, 2000
These wines are all 100% Syrah from the noted "Le Meal" vineyard (climat) in this tiny Northern Rhone appellation. The soil is granite and the steep terraced slopes do not allow for mechanization. "Le Meal" is known for producing tannic and long lived reds (Chapoutier being the most famous producer). At $108 a bottle I was expecting these wines to show better than they did. The 1998 was slightly vegetal, with bell pepper notes and leather, medium bodied with dusty tannins and high acidity. 1999 had a very interesting nose - spice, incense, cedar, still very astringent on the palate with a slightly smoked meat note and medium length. I preferred the 2000 which was bursting with black pepper and plums, full and broad on the palate with the most balance.
FOOD PAIRING:
Roasted duck breast stuffed with fennel & rosemary accented by sautéed rapini
The general consensus was that the wines were ameliorated by the food - the fennel complimented the spicy notes of the Syrah and the slightly bitter rapini brought out the fruit in the wine.

FLIGHT2: Marco Felluga "Sorripa", Tuscany 2000, 2001, 2002 (Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Merlot)
The Cabernet Sauvignon is evident is the blend - lots of dark berry fruits, blackcurrant, cedar. The 2000 and 2001 are holding up well; both bright and balanced with lots of fruit and supple tannins. The difficult vintage of 2002 is reflected in the wine - slightly green, bitter notes. Probably why this bottle sells for less than the previous two.
FOOD PAIRING:

Meatballs in a roasted grape tomato tarragon sauce on warm polenta

These bitesized rustic meatballs paired well with the Tuscan red. A few guests commented on the sauce as being the best they had ever tasted. I unfortunately I don't have recipe for the tasty meatballs - these were entirely Emily's creation.

FLIGHT 3: Serego Alighieri "Vaio Armaron", Amarone 1990, 1993, 1995
We saved the best for last. This flight was the most interesting and impressive by far. The wines were very mature, but not over the hill. I was unsure about how the 1990 would hold up, but it was open revealing prune and chocolate and mature rancio character. The 1993 had the most distinct nose of the three - earthy, mushroom, leathery notes with less of the raisiny fruit character of the other two vintages. The 1995 had those rich rancio notes, fig, raisin and flowers. The Amarone was the evening's winner - I see why Italians refer to these complex and layered wines as "Vini da meditazione" (wines to meditate on). The wines continued to open up and change as they sat in the glass.
FOOD PAIRING:

Homemade gnocchi al gorgonzola

When Emily brought out her homemade gnocchi al gorgonzola the room went silent and the attention turned to these perfectly prepared dumplings. These were probably the best gnocchi any of us there have ever tasted. Made fresh that morning from sweet Yukon gold potatoes and boiled on site, the slightly sweet and lightly textured gnocchi coated in a silky, creamy blue cheese sauce just melted the mouth. Delicioso!

We're looking forward to hosting our next event in a larger space with a warmer setting. We'll make sure to have more visuals and music which will surely add to the evening. I wonder how people feel about accordion music to set the mood? I know two budding accordionists who may be interested in performing.......

Cheers!
Alanna

Rare & Fine wine Event

Alanna, and I are off to The Rare and Fine Wine Tasting to be held at the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront this evening. It is snowing and blowing, but we are keen to participate in this event..the first of many to come hopefully! We think it's a great compliment to the SAVOUR Food and wine Festival ..The wines are in, and none of us have tried any of them!
We will take notes, and post them later this week. Many of these wines are hard to find, and hard to get. We only have 2 cases of a few of them! We will be taking orders at the show, and the wine that is left will be sold at the store.
What better to do on a stormy Nova Scotian Winter's night than sip Taittinger Vintage Rose, Janzen Napa cab, LaDoucette Pouilly Fume, Lazzarito Barolo, or Chateau Sociando-Mallet??? (to name a few) Look for our tasting notes and show favourites...coming soon!

Erin

Pure Indulgence

With all of the left over chocolate from the Valentine's Day you may want to consider hosting a chocolate and wine pairing evening. I’ve recently done the same for a group of 17 people (though I would strongly recommend having a smaller group – as some of the chocolate friendly sweet wines come in small bottles of 200ml and 350 ml and cost twice as much as a “regular” sized bottle, hence it makes for a steady hand and keen eye to stretch that liquid gold around to a group of 17!

The results of the evening’s gustatory experience only confirm my initial thoughts when it comes to chocolate and wine pairing (and wine and food pairing in general) - there are classic tried and true matches and theoretical perfect pairings, however our taste preferences vary enormously. The same goes for wine tasting – I’m amazed at all of the different terms people use to describe the same wine. I’ve been to wine tastings where I often wonder if my glass has somehow gotten switched and that I’m drinking a different wine than the person sitting next to me. In the end it really is a matter of personal taste - de gustibus non est disputandum!

Wine & Chocolate Pairing 101

1. Wine must be perceived as sweeter than chocolate.

2. Wine must be rich enough to stand up to the richness & mouth coating qualities of the chocolate.

3. Look for similar flavours in both wine and chocolate.

The Tasting

1.White Chocolate paired with 2007 Nugan Estate Chardonnay , Australia $18 I would never typically select a dry white table wine to serve with something sweet, but this wine had enough residual sweetness, ultra ripe fruit and the same creamy smooth texture and vanilla/caramel notes as the white chocolate. A surprisingly good match – the chocolate made the wine taste even better. The white chocolate was delicious with the Asti Spumanti.

2.Dark Chocolate with Nova Scotian Sea Salt paired with NV Terredavino “Solia” Asti Spumanti ($25) The chocolate’s salty notes were pleasantly contrasted by the sweetness in this fruity and floral Moscato based bubbly. Great match!

3. Dark Chocolate infused with lemon zest and black peppercorns paired with 2006 Jost Vidal Icewine, Nova Scotia ($39 - 350ml) Another atypical pairing, but I wanted to try something new. I would normally avoid dark chocolate and ice wine, saving the latter for lighter, more delicate fruit based desserts and custards, but my taste buds perked up with that first sip of ice wine and bite of chocolate. The wine’s fresh and zesty flavours sing with the peppery and citrus infused chocolate. Very lemony!

4.Milk Chocolate paired with Croft 10 year Portugal ($45) The chocolate is really quite sweet and creamy. Caramel dominates and is accentuated when paired with the Tawny port. Half the group loved this pairing, while the other half preferred the Tawny with some of the darker chocolates.

5.Dark Chocolate (54% cacao) paired with Gaspereau Vineyards Reserve Port, Nova Scotia ($20- 500ml) This non-vintage fortified wine is made from a blend of local red grape varieties. It was slightly closed on the nose at first, but later opened up to reveal primary red berry fruit, herbs and spice. It was nice with the chocolate.

6. Dark Chocolate (70% cacao) paired with Michael David, 7 Deadly Zins , Lodi, California ($30) The 7 Deadly Zins is full bodied and bursting with berry fruit, pepper, spice, cocoa and vanilla. Admittedly, this is not my style of red wine – too much residual sugar, too much alcohol, too much oak….but it worked really well with the chocolate and I actually finished my glass (ok – my 1 oz sample)

7. Extra Dark Chocolate (75% cacao) paired with 2004 Santa Sofia Amarone, Veneto, Italy ($63) I decanted this into a juice pitcher to give it some air and then savored its deep, rich concentrated, dried fruit aromas and flavours. I can see why the Italians refer to Amarone as vino da meditazione. The pairing worked very well (for my taste), some preferred the wine with the 53% and 70% cocoa and thought that the chocolate containing 75% cocoa was too dry and bitter.

Cheers!

Alanna

Rubicon Estate

After meeting with Tom Fotinos I headed back to Yountville to collect Steve and Peter-who were sitting in the sun on a patio enjoying cool beverages. Our 3pm appointment was at Rubicon Estate, owned by Mr. Francis Ford Coppola. We had a guided tour scheduled, but when we arrived, Harold-our tour guide, asked if we might like to participate in something a little different. In one of the caves at the winery-they were doing a live 'radio-show'. The show was a reading of F.Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'. It was about to start as we arrived, so we hastily pulled together 3 chairs, Harold got us a glass of wine, and we were good to go. As the lights went down-illuminating the narrator, I noticed 2 stragglers sneak in and sit on the reserved bench behind us. It was Mr.Coppola himself! After hearing the story, (a shortened version) complete with sound effects and beautiful piano accompaniment by a gal with an amazing voice..it was off for our tour. Peter left us-to head back to Sausalito, and Steve and Harold and I set off up the knoll to the left of the Estate. You can't tell from highway 29-that over the hill is a long driveway leading to Mr. Coppola's actual residence. There are several buildings back there-one of which is where the production work of his films was, and is done. Also on the property sits the oldest house in Napa Valley. The property is gorgeous. Mr Coppola acquired it in 1975 renaming it Niebaum Coppola, after Gustave Niebaum, the Sea Captain who had founded Inglenook Winery in 1880 on that site. Initially Mr. Coppola just wanted a nice property where he could make a little wine in his basement as his father had done. It took him over 20 years to reunite all the vineyards, and restore the property to how it was when Gustave owned it. Located in Rutherford, the winery makes impressive Cabernet Sauvignon. Apparently Mr. Coppola jokes that The Godfather bought him his house, and Dracula bought him the rest of the estate! (he produced Bram Stoker's Dracula) The museum, tasting room, and cafe, are all worthwhile to visit. It is like stepping back in time, and a great Napa Valley history lesson.

and it begins...

Alanna, Erin, and I have decided that there is simply too much to talk about in our own personal wine world to hold back any longer. So blog we will. As you will see in Erin's previous posts below, we'll be talking about wine (of course), travel, food, microorganisms, culture, maybe scooters, Halifax, the economy of wine, and whatever else comes to mind. I will write more here as I venture south to Florida in March. My family and I will be on a ramble stopping in NYC to see some friends and experience an evening at Eleven Madison Park, (check out the 83 page winelist) and then on south to see family in Philadelphia and Knoxville, a couple trips to my old wine shop in Sarasota for fuel, and eventually a canoe trip through the Everglades eating our daily catches of trout and redfish while drinking some lovely camping wine, i.e. Tequila.
thomas

Saturday continued

After lunch at Bouchon, I jumped in the car and headed South from Yountville down to Carneros. I was due to meet Tom Fotinos at Domaine Carneros...the Taittinger Champagne house's California operation. It's quite an interesting story how this meeting came about. One of my co-workers, Karine, was looking for a particular bottle at the NSLC in Tantallon, and ran into another lady who was looking for the same wine. (we are always trying new wines, and not just wines we carry.) This lady was Leesa Fotinos.The two got to chatting, and Karine mentioned she worked for a private wine store in Halifax, etc. etc. Leesa mentioned that her husbands family had a winery in Napa, and how great would it be if the wine could be sold here in NS? (She is from here originally and went to Dal). She had a bottle of their two wines, a Pinot Noir and a Cabernet, and would we (Bishop's) be interested in tasting them, and perhaps bringing them in? Both wines were fabulous, and we decided on the Pinot, and have four cases coming in. I had somehow missed meeting Lisa, and tasting the wine, so when I knew I was going to California I sent her an email asking if I could visit the winery. She and her husband Chris live in LA, but Tom, and his family are in Napa....she said he would be happy to show me around!

Since 1973 the Fotinos have been growing and selling Pinot Noir to wineries such as Mondavi, Charles Krug, Sterling, Acacia, Saintsbury, Mumm Napa and Domaine Carneros.

After meeting in the parking lot (Tom drove up in a 1930's model A) we went in the back door and into the barrel room. Row upon row of French Oak barrels were stacked from floor to ceiling!

We had barrel samples of the Cab and Pinot. The 2006 Pinot was released in Sept of 2008, and the '06 Cab is due for release in a month or two. We drove about 3km and Tom took me to the vineyard. The Pinot we are getting comes form an 11 acre plot in the heart of Caneros with a unique micro-climate all of it's own.

Tom is a fourth generation winemaker. He demonstrated how the vines are trained and pruned.

It was truly amazing to see the land and meet the winemaker and taste the wine in the barrel! We will have quite a story to tell in selling this wine. I am so glad Karine met Leesa, and that we are able to bring in this product. It makes SUCH a difference when you meet the people, and see how great they are, and their passion for producing an exceptional product. We are pleased to be working with Fotinos Brothers, and look forward to our first shipment! http://www.fotinosbrotherswinery.com/

Saturday in Napa

Allow me to welcome you to our blog! You'll be hearing from myself, Erin, along with Alanna and Thomas. Since I was just away in wine country, I shall be the first to write.There is too much to tell in one post, so I am going to start with one day, last Saturday, January 31st, and since we visited 3 wineries, and had lunch at two amazing restaurants, I will do it in pieces.

Northern California has been experiencing a drier than normal winter. It was sunny, warm, and hovering around 20-21C during the day. Fabulous for a mid-winter hiatus from icy Nova Scotia,..not so great for the grape growers..(sorry guys). After landing in San Francisco on Friday afternoon, we headed out to Sonoma and that is where we stayed for the night. Bright and early Saturday morning we set off for Napa. What a gorgeous drive through the Alexander Valley, with the slight frost on the ground as the sun came up. We arrived in St. Helena, and drove a few KM south to our first stop-Silver Oak Winery http://www.silveroak.com/, located between the Silverado trail, and Highway 29 (St.Helena highway) on Oakville Crossroad. This winery is spectacular! They certainly made the best of a flood they suffered, followed by a devastating fire on New Years Eve 2005. The main buildings have been entirely rebuilt on the same location, some materials coming from a reclaimed flour mill in Kansas. They kept their water tower, which is featured on their label, though 1/3 of it had to be rebuilt. I think they keep the lawn mower in the bottom of it!

The wine library is behind glass off the main tasting room, housing all of their vintages, including larger format bottles. We were served the 2004 Alexander Valley Cab upon arrival, and walked around on our tour with glasses in hand. Not a bad way to start the day! Our guide, John took along a bottle of the 2003 Napa Cab, which he poured us while we checked out their state-of-the-art fermentation tanks, in their temperature controlled room. We also tasted the 1998 and 2003 Napa Cabernets. These wines are of very good quality. All of the Napa Cab's are blended slightly-varying each year by amounts, but contain Merlot, Petite Verot and Cab Franc. (always maintaining a minimum of 75% Cab Sauv). We are fortunate enough to carry these wines at Bishops Cellar. Definitely a special occasion wine (as the price tag is up there)-or if you happen to be in Napa Valley, it makes a great breakfast wine!

Next we had a lunch date at Bouchon in Yountville. We were meeting our friend Peter who had driven out from Sausalito. A Swede who grew up in Nova Scotia, now-turned-Californian, he had recommended Bouchon, since we were unable to obtain reservations at Thomas Keller's other little restaurant, The French Laundry! Imagine. Beautiful silver place settings, with the day's menu folded over the napkin almost like a wrapper.(I have pictures of all of these things, which I shall post as soon as I find the necessary attachment to allow me to put the pictures on my computer!) Wonderful French food on this menu! http://www.bouchonbistro.com/ Steve had the steak frites, with a pat of herbed butter melting over the top, Peter had essentially a fancy grilled cheese sandwich with a fried egg on top, and I had the gnocchi in a beurre noisette with grilled winter vegetables. It was amazing.

I'm signing off for now...next up is my 1pm (still on Saturday) meeting with Tom Fotinos..a 4th generation winemaker who was raised in Napa. See you soon,

Erin