Vive Le France - Beaune (Pt 2)

After an amazing introduction to Burgundy, Wayne John and I made our way back to the cobblestone streets of Beaune in search of our next destination; the Castle of Bouchard Pere et Fils. We wandered through the streets aimlessly looking for the entrance until we finally stumbled upon a building bearing the name "Bouchard Pere et Fils". Little did we know that we were at the back of the building. Down through the gardens we went, searching for the door. We were met with a large moss laden wall. Wayne and I both looked around, but there was no turning back as John quickly leaped over the wall, adamant that he hated being late. We followed suit and finally made our way through the front door of the main offices of Bouchard. Here were greeted by Isabelle, the director of Public Relations for Bouchard Pere et Fils.

Isabelle led us across the street and into Bouchard's tasting room; a wonderful cavernous room that was illuminated by subtle lights in every corner. We were greeted with 16 wines from Bouchard and William Fevre (a company under the Bouchard umbrella). The standouts of the tastings were the whites from Bouchard. Each wine had bright fruit flavours and brilliant crispness (something that has definitely been lacking from the previous few vintages). As the tasting ended, we were all anxious for lunch. Tasting over 30 wines with no breakfast left each of our stomachs growling with hunger.

Isabelle took us up a stair case and through a door in which we were greeted by a large, well lit lunch room where a table with 4 settings awaited our arrival. Typical of Burgundian lunches, we sat and dined for over 2 hours, learning about the history of Bouchard, musing about the differences in weather and discussing the state of French wine in the Nova Scotia market. Each course was paired beautifully with a selection of 3 Bouchard wines. The last wine, and by far the most special, was a 1976 Beaune Greves Vigne de 'Enfant Jesus. Served with a selection of local Burgundian soft cheeses, this 33 year old bottle truly captured what Bouchard was all about; history and beautiful wine.

After lunch, Isabelle left us in the hands of her trusty assistant as she raced off to another appointment. Her assistant led us out the door and took us down in the Cellars (the place John had been raving about the entire trip). As we walked into the cellar, it was clear as to why John had been so excited; this truly was a piece of history. After a quick lesson on the background of these cellars (which can hold 1.8 million bottles) we entered the wine museum. The Bouchard collection was breathtaking. It's very difficult to put into words the feeling that overwhelms you when you see a bottle of wine from 1846, because it truly was an experience like no other. As we weaved our way through the collection, John and I snapped shot after shot of dust covered bottles; trying to get the perfect shot to capture the moment. Below is one of my better attemps: A 1955 Bouchard Puligny Montrachet. Pure gold in the bottle.

Finishing up in the cellars, I was dumbfounded by what I had just seen. Wayne and I walked around the gardens, absorbing what we had just experienced and talking about how young our country truly is after seeing this. However we had little time to absorb everything as we quickly hopped in a vehicle and headed out to where everything begins; the vineyards. We made our way directly to Puligny Montrachet and pulled over to walk into the vineyards and examine the terroir. Between our guide's description of the different appelations and John's knowledge of farming and the vineyards, Wayne and I quickly learned why grapes grown just feet from one another could produce such distinctly different wines. Through the appelations we went, from Puligny Montrachet to Meursalt and on to Savigny les Beaune; each vineyard bearing its unique characteristics.

As our tour ended, we thanked our wonderful host (as she was in a hurry to pick up her sister from Paris) and climbed into our vehicle. With our first day in Burgundy under our belt the only thing left for us to accomplish was finding a nice place to eat and take it all in. John and I decided a few bottles from the local wine merchant would help in our decision. To no suprise, it did, as we had a beautiful meal at a quaint little restaurant in Beaune called Le Beneton. It's starting to become clear to me why the French have such a passion for wine, as I am quickly becoming a convert!


Au Revoir,
Matt

Vive la France - Beaune (Pt 1)

Well after a few days of traveling through France and taking in its history, it's finally time to sit down and write a post. Each experience has undoubtedly been worthy of a post, yet I shall start with my first morning in Burgundy. The morning began with a tour and tasting at Joseph Drouhin. We were greeted by Jean Pierre Crospal, a short portly man with mountains of character, who was in charge of Drouhin's Public Relations program; or as we like to call it "The Wine and Cellar Guy".

JP lead us down into the Cellars of Drouhin where he explained the history of Drouhin's company, their passion for Food (many of the people in company are avid Foodies - much like many of us @ Bishop's) and their love of wine. After a quick walk through the cellar, we arrived at a beautiful tasting room to sample a cross section of Drouhin's wines.

As we worked our way through the selection of whites (Rully, Meursault & Puligny Montrachet to name a few) JP explained to us the varying sub-soil and geological elements that impart their influence on each of the wines; or as the french call it terroir . As we moved on to the reds, Wayne expressed his interest in Drouhin's Oregon venture and how he would love to get his hands on some of the wine to sell in Nova Scotia. JP scratched his head, twisted his moustache and bolted into the cellar. He returned with the last bottle of 2006 Domaine Drouhin Laurene Pinot Noir (their Pinot from Oregon) from the cellar. Strangely enough, JP put this bottle just before Drouhin's flagship wine, Beaune Clos de Mouche, which immediately suggested that this would be a treat.

As we made our way through the reds, I was amazed as to the differences between wines in which their grapes were grown just feet from each other; this terroir thing was really starting to make sense. Then we came to the Oregon Pinot. Jean Pierre explained to us that this was a favourite of many at the company (which explains why their was only 1 bottle left) and how they could not believe the success of their venture in Oregon. True to the hype, this wine didn't disappoint, as it was perhaps one of the favourite wines tasted during the entire morning. As we finished up tasting the bottles before us, we continued to pick JP's brain about terroir, wine and even his passion for car racing (he was going to a race the following day).

Just as we thought our session was over, JP disappeared back to the cellar and returned with a dust covered bottle with no label. He opened the bottle carefully and poured it into a decanter; using a light in the floor as his guide to ensure that no sediment left the bottle. As he poured us each a glass he explained what we about to enjoy; a 1990 Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Beaudes. Considered one of the greatest vintages ever in Burgundy, it was clear as to why it held this distinction; an unbelievable wine that had benefited beautifully from 20 years of cellaring in perfect conditions. This probably goes down as one of the most memorable wines I've ever tasted, however I'm sure their will be several more of these in the coming days.

We finished our morning with a tour through the Cellars (a first for me) listening to JP speak about their barrel selections, the surprises from the 2003 vintage and his love for life. As we walked out of the Cellar and parted ways, JP summed up our experience in one simple phrase "Time has just stood still during our time today." His love for life, people and wine was clear as he continued by thanking us for the moments that we had shared. We parted ways and I was left thinking "Thank me? I was the one who was indebted to him for sharing his love of life and wine, and finally unlocking the puzzle that was Burgundy."

Stay tuned...
Matt

Phenolically mature

Hi all...sorry it has been a while.

Did you find the title intriguing? Alanna and I think "phenolically mature" would be great on a T-shirt...but that's just the wine geek in us coming out.

We had the pleasure, on Tuesday afternoon, of sitting and tasting (with fellow wine geeks) in the company of Michael Palij (pronounced Paw-lee) Master of Wine. Michael's specialty is Italy, and he is an importer of Italian wines. Canadian-born, he now lives in the UK.

Hearing someone speak with the knowledge and experience he has is extremely educational. I felt like I could see the hills of Piemonte, Tuscany and Veneto as he spoke of these places. He knows all of his producers well-he has eaten at their kitchen tables, met their families, and seen the work they do in the vineyard first-hand. We tasted 12 wines. A wonderful Prosecco from Valdobbiadene (Veneto), a Verdicchio from the Marche. I'm not sure there is much of a market for a $30 Verdicchio here, but it was great to try a higher end version of this wine unique to the Marche, which displayed amazing power and length. We tried a Timorraso http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2007/09/07/timorasso-one-of-italys-biggest-whites/ for the first time. Michael referred to it as a 'Jurassic' Italian varietal. It used to grow abundantly in Liguria and Piemonte, but now only about 20 hectares are devoted to this rarity. This is where Michael used the term "phenolically mature". This grape achieves perfect phenolic maturity in the South Eastern hills of Piemonte..and makes highly structured full-bodied white wine, with up to 20 years of ageability. Among other wines tasted, a Bardolino, Dolcetto, Montepulciano D'Abuzzo, a Chianti and a Chianti Classico, 2 Trebbiano, and a Valpolicello Ripasso. It was a great day!
Michael is definitely a devote old-world wine afficionado, mentioning with dismay the "Tons" of tartaric acid used in Southern hemisphere white wine production (needed when grapes don't naturally ripen on their own)..among other things.
"Italy's wines", he says "are the best with food, and the worst on their own". Largely due to their intensity, complexity, structure and tannin. These were all food wines we tasted.
We talked a bit about food and wine matching, wine production in the new world...it could have gone long-over the scheduled two hours, but like all good things..it came to an end.
If you'd like more detailed info on Italian wine..let us know!
Erin

Getting in the Spirit

With a trip to Italy less than two weeks away, my excitement is really starting to take hold. Spending the afternoon discussing the itinerary with a friend while watching college basketball (my team lost but will be back and better next week!) I was quickly inspired to have an Italian night. I decided to stop into the local grocery store on the way home and turn my inspiration into reality.

Arriving home with all the ingredients for a great meal tends to earn a few brownie points and today was no exception as I was greeted with warm reception. After preparing an antipasti plate to satisfy the rumbles in our stomachs, we indulged in Provolone Cheese and Italian Salami. A few slices in, we both noticed something was missing: an easy drinking Italian red. Then came the questions: How much to spend? Buy a trusted favorite of try something new? Large producer or small family winery? As we racked our brains to remember Bishop's Cellar's offering of Italian reds (under 30$ and something we hadn't tried) a lightbulb came on: Why not use www.wineonline.ca (Bishop's Cellar's online retailing partner)to help aid us in our decision?

Both avid internet users, we hopped on our laptops and used the search criteria to narrow the choices and locate the perfect match. After deliberation and several suggestions, we settled on Sartori Regolo Rosso . This red would match perfectly with rest of our cheese plate, yet wouldn't over power the Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with Tomato Sauce simmering away on the stovetop. I redeemed my brownie points and suggested that Hannah run to the store and grab the bottle so we could finish off our snack properly; in the company of wine. Living in close proximity to store definitely has it's benefits, and, within minutes she returned with the missing link.

Now the fun begins: exploring a wine for the first time. Out comes the trusty corkscrew. Now the foil and cork are our only barriers between the wine and our anxious glasses. We debated decanting, yet chose to use our large wine goblets to handle the task of exposing the wine to more oxygen (a trick that can help enhance many bottles of red wine). The wine showed exactly as expected; rich and smooth (benefiting from the unqiue Ripasso wine making technique used widely in the Valpolicella region) and paired perfectly with our pasta.

As we finished our meal, friends from the Valley arrived and the bottle on our table quickly turned from quaffing pleasure to conversation piece. Interested in my upcoming adventure to Europe, we informed our friends that in just 3 short weeks, I would be fortunate enough to enjoy the wines of Sartori (and perhaps this exact wine) at their winery in Verona. An experience I'll be sure to write about! With just a few drops left, and as other friends arrived anxious to start their Saturday night, we finished off the bottle and shifted our conversation from Italian wine to my buddy's newest endeavor: purchasing a miniature zebu (A dwarf cow that stands only 3 feet tall) for his ever growing hobby farm. Today as I write I'm still left wondering, at what point did our conversation change from ripasso to dwarf cattle?

Till next time,
The Guy in the Warehouse - Matt

Just Another Tuesday Night

Last night, Alanna, John and I hosted a little birthday tasting for a good friend of the Cellar. About 15 men gathered around cheese, pate and an assortment of sushi to chat while Alanna lead them through 5 whites. Most of these gentlemen are red wine or scotch drinkers so we thought it would be interesting to introduce their palates to something new.

We started with the Quail's Gate Chenin Blanc out of the Okanagan in British Columbia. This Chenin was surprising fresh with delicate acidity. It does have about 10% Sauvignon Blanc which leads me to believe the the dry style of this wine was intentional.

The next selection was the Spy Valley Pinot Gris from New Zealand. The Pinot Gris is made in the Alsatian style and was quite a bit fruitier than the first. The concentrated ripe grapes that go into this give it intense aromas and a rich, minerally, persistent palate.

We then moved onto Tyrell's Hunter Valley Semillon which was left over from the Rare and Fine event (not on WineOnline, but I think there are a few left in the store). Semillon is one of the few whites that have the complexity to cellar. Although it is is delicious at the moment with its tightly structured citrus fruit it could definitely benefit from some bottle age.

The final two were a real treat and interesting to try side by side. They were both Chardonnays, one a Premiere Cru from Burgundy and the other, a bio dynamic Chard made in "Methode Ancienne" from Robertson, South Africa.

The Bouchard Meursault Genevrieres 2005 Premiere Cru was absolutely fabulous, a complex, rich wine with many layers. As the layers change so do the flavours, there is very ripe peach, pear and apricot aromas as well as hints of citrus. Both Alanna and I agreed that this was a great addition to the evening and it was unanimously the crowd favorite. On a side note, John (Managing Partner), Wayne (Managing Partner) and Matt (Director of Operations)are all heading to France and Italy in a couple of weeks to source some new products. Along the way they will be visiting many wineries including Bouchard, so keep checking back to hear all their stories.

The final wine was a staff favorite, Springfield Estates Methode Ancienne Chardonnay. Although I've had this many times before it always surprises my tongue! Its rich and golden in colour and that apricot flavour comes through on the palate. There is undertones of almonds and honey with a touch of well balanced oak. I loved it of course, but this is best served with some smoked salmon eggs benny on a Sunday morning!

Ohhh what a hard night in the wine store!

- Hannah

Savour too!

I concur with Hannah, the show was great! The venue was wonderful, and the staff at the Marriott were fabulous - very helpful to the vendors trying to get set up, and steadfast in clearing away dishes and glassware. Thanks to all.

A few other Bishop's Cellar wines were poured at Savour as well. Innovative Beverages had the Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc, and the Peter Lehmann Barossa Shiraz . (both 90 point Wine Spectator wines) Their sparkling that won Best Wine is fun, fruity and delicious, and a well-deserved Best Wine of the show. Wine Visions poured our Ferraton Pere & Fils Wines..among other favourites,..the Cotes du Rhone and the Crozes Hermitage - both organic. I did get a chance to grab a bite to eat. Very thankful I tried the Kobe burger from CUT. Naturally, a bite of sushi from Hamachi. A fat, luscious ravioli from Il Mercato, and Ryan Duffy's served essentially a mini meal on a plate! (beef, Lobster, mashed potaoes..) s e v e n had short ribs that melted in your mouth, and Cooper brought us over his signature martini from MOSAIC to taste. SO GOOD. Chives had their home made biscuits, and Scanway served a fab dessert. It hit the spot at 9pm when our sugar levels started to drop!

After giving away all of the flowers and cacti adorning our booth (our theme was green) we headed to Durty Nellies for a night-cap. Lot's of debauchery bounding,..as I think is the idea in an Irish pub.I think I have a few fun pictures on my berry..
Night, Erin

A Little Savour Wrap Up

Last Thursday was my favorite wine show, Savour Food and Wine! This event takes top place in my books as it brings in the food to compliment the wine. Many Nova Scotian restaurants and wine distributors show off their finest and give you a snapshot of what they’re all about.

My first experience with Savour was while living in residence as a first year student at Saint Mary’s. The Rice residence, as Huskies would know, is not the epitome of class. Savour, being on a Thursday coincided with Wing Night at Peel Pub and I felt guilty passing up on our weekly tradition in order to pour wine. Those feelings quickly vanished as soon as I tried The Tempest’s blue cheese stuffed fig with prosciutto with Plaisir de Merle Shiraz (Best of Show in 2006).

Four years later, not only has my own life dramatically changed and grown but so has Savour. Back then Savour was a one day showcase, now it is a month long celebration spanning across the province. Dine Out, a concept successful across North America, where restaurants feature a 3-5 course prix-fixe menu, took place for 2 weeks. The first ever Rare and Fine Wine Tasting was a success as you’ve heard from Erin. And of course the show itself did not disappoint!

I have included the official list of winners below, as well as all the wines that we Bishop’s were pouring. We decided to “Go Organic” this year, it was a great way to introduce some new and old organic products. Everyone seemed to really like all the wines, enough so for the Zuccardi Vida Organica Chardonnay (Argentina) to take 1st runner up!

Bishop’s Cellar Organic Wines Served
Terra Sana Savignon Blanc, France ($16.50)
Sartori Soave, Italy ($13.75)
Zuccardi Vida Organica Chardonnay, Argentina ($15.00)
Zuccardi Vida Organica Malbec, Argentina ($15.00)
The Ruins Pintotage, South Africa ($20.00)
Terra Sana Syrah, France ($16.50)

- Hannah

Savour Best of Show Winners

The good people at RANS (Restaurant Asssociation of Nova Scotia) just released the list of winners from last weeks Savour Food & Wine Show. Thought you might be interested on how the crowd voted, more to come later.
- Hannah

BEST HOT FOOD
CUT, Kobe Beef Burger
Runners-up
Il Mercato
Seven
Ryan Duffy’s

BEST COLD FOOD
Hamachi House
Runners-up
Italian Gourmet
Le Caveau
White Point Beach Resort

BEST DESSERT
Scanway
Runners-up
Il Mercato
Italian Gourmet
Innovative Beverages’ chocolate dipped strawberries

BEST WINE
Fresita Sparkling Wine, Innovative Beverages
Runners-up
Zuccardi Organic Chardonnay, Bishop’s Cellar
Prost (sparkling), Jost Wines
Campo Viejo Reserva, Corby Distillers

BEST DRINK (mixed, cocktail, beer or spirit)
Mosaic, Martini
Runners-up
Tideview Cider
Cruzan Black Strap Rum, Maxxium
Guinness, Durty Nelly’s

BEST BOOTH
Il Mercato
Runners-up
Hamachi Group
Scanway
CUT Steakhouse