Yummy Wine Alert! The Paring, 2008 Pinot Noir

Image from the Paring's website

I just had to take this wee aside from Wine Show Wind Up to tell you about last night's bottle.  I'd hate for you to miss it; it's a Vintages wine, and once they're gone, baby they're gone.  So go get a bottle before they all get scooped up and you're left without!

I had a totally wicked craving for Pinot Noir last night.  And as it happens, our Midland LCBO had only one for sale.  Out of all that wine, one Pinot Noir!  Tsk tsk tsk, Midland LCBO!  Lucky for me, their only one turned out to be a good 'un.  The Paring 2008 out of California is textbook Cali Pinot Noir.  I've said it once, I'll say it again: you can taste the sunshine in Californian wine.  It wasn't quite that light, perfumey Oregon pinot style I love, but not that over-oaked, heavy handed style I deplore.  It was just so well rounded; beautifully refined tannins, woodsy, earthy with raspberry at the start and a little pepper at the finish.  Definately worth the $32 I parted with.

One word of caution: Pinot Noir is an emotion-inducing wine.  Something about it just makes a person feel things deeply.  I've heard it called the world's sexiest wine, which I totally believe, because it just has a way of magnifying the intensity of one's feelings.  And it's not just a sexy thing; something about its earthy quality stirs up intense feelings of all kinds.  If this sounds hocus-pocusy to you, I agree, but it's true nonetheless.  Champagne is for drama, Pinot Noir is for passion.  Unfortunately it put me in a state of 'let's drunk text my sister, and slather on the hero worship whilst degrading myself to the status of lowly serf'.  So Lorri, if you're reading this, my apologies for the pity party.  If it helps any, you might wish to know that I spent a healthy portion of my day sitting with my face to the sun, picking away at my guitar, and contemplating how extremely lucky I am to have such a good life (and forgiving sister).  It's a good antidote for self-pity and wretched feelings of any kind, and I prescribe it to anyone who might be in need of such a tonic.

xoxo

Barb

Wine Show Wind Up--It never ends.

One of the nifty things about the wine show was being able to try multiple samples of the same varietal side by side.  I hardly ever get the opportunity to do this; it would mean buying several bottles, opening them all at once, and well then you're kind of obliged to drink them, aren't you?  That maybe isn't the healthiest thing for the wallet or liver.  Karen and I have done a 3 bottle horizontal rosé tasting, but the least favourite bottle went into the risotto, which left us each a bottle to kill over an 6-8 hour period (no difficulties there!).  Unless you're part of a wine club, you prolly don't do this often either (why is there no wine club in Midland?).  It's a pity, because it's an exercise that's so revealing.  You can really begin to identify the characteristics of a region when you try several examples side by side.

The four of us were already fully 'marinated' by the time we got to the Wines of New Zealand booth, but that didn't stop us from tasting four different Sauvignon Blanc.  What a great exercise!  It was one of those a-ha! moments for me.  So this is what they mean by grassy and pineappley!  I get it!  I think forevermore I will be able to pick up New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc out of a lineup (bring on the blind tasting!).  Lorri called it 'headache wine', I'm guessing because of that sharp acidity, but I think she might have liked these wines much better if they had been paired up with some nice, fatty cheeses.

I didn't get the name of all the Sauv Blanc's, but the one standout I liked was Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough.  It's inexpensive--$15.95--and accessible (LCBO# 426601).  It had those very distinct grassy aromas, with exotic fruit flavours to fill it out a bit.  I'd be inclined to pair this with a rich meal, lobster or simply with a cheese tray.

Right!  We're near the end of Wine Show Wind Up, and I'm saving the best for last.  Next up, I'll introduce you to the most friendly, lovable, generous wine agent and chef, and we three girls renew our commitment to go to Italy.  Stay tuned!

xoxo

Barb

Wine Show Wind Up--Part..what are we at? Six?

Geez, I'm sure getting a lot of mileage out of this show!  I've barely drank a drop since, and it seems I haven't needed to; I gleaned enough material that day to keep me going for awhile. 

ALRIGHT, Sauternes!  Sauternes, Sauternes, Sauternes!  My new love, obsession, indulgence and amber restorative.  It's a wine I've read lots about in my books, but never had the opportunity of it--until now.  So for the uninitiated, here's the skinny on Sauternes:

It begins in the Sauternais region of Bordeaux, where you'll find vines full of Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle bouncing in the Maritime breeze.  This region experiences lots of misty weather and, as a result, has conditions that foster a particular type of mold called botrytis cinerea.  This is different than the mold in your basement, my loves.  This is actually a beneficial mold that creeps over fruit on the vine, making them fuzzy and ugly, and creates conditions for the most fascinating dessert wine you've ever tried.  The mold (once kept a secret by cautious winemakers, now celebrated as the 'noble rot') shrivels grapes, concentrating their flavours, but doesn't steal their acidity.  Grapes are treated extremely gently; harvesters pick only grapes fully affect by the mold.  They make several passes through the vineyard of a period of several days and weeks hunting for moldy grapes, selecting only small bunches and even singletons off the vine.  Essentially, the wine making is done in the vineyard by the botrytis; yields are typically very low (thus accounting for Sauternes high prices.  The world's most famous Sauternes--Chateau d'Yquem--costs hundreds of dollars per bottle in lesser quality years and thousands per bottle in good vintages).  Newer Sauternes are beautifully honey coloured; aged bottles darken in colour, taking on a more amber hue.
So what does this sweet nectar taste like?  Like the sweat on the brow of an angel, that's what.  Sweet honey, peach and apricot flavours are the most prominent.  It's a sweet wine, but not syrupy or cloying because the acidity has been preserved.  In short, it is one of the most capivating wine experiences you're ever likely to have.
At the wine show, we tried the LCBO's upcoming release: Chateau Rieussec 2006 1er Cru.  James Suckling gave it a 93, and describes it as "An intense nose, with vanilla, lemon cream, apple tart and honey.  Full-bodied, very sweet and powerful, with a fabulous finish.  So generous, with layers of delicious, sweet fruit."  Supposedly it'll be best after 2014, but if I had a bottle here right now you'd better believe I'd be tucking into it. 

The LCBO number for this wine is 563395 and the cost is a bargain $52.00/375ml bottle.

Below is a video of me and my adorable dad, talking about Sauternes.  I mispronounce everything, but you should be used to that by now.

Cheers! 

B.

Wine Show Wind Up--Part 5

Have you ever tried raw milk cheese?  I'd never really give the whole raw milk/raw milk cheese thing much thought until I tried some at the show.  Apparently some folks really have their knickers in a knot over the whole raw milk product thing.  If this is all new to you, I'll give you the Cole's notes version on both sides of the argument:

-People who like raw milk products say unpasteurized milk is healthier for you, as helpful nutrients and organisms are killed by pasteurization (that's a fancy word for boiling milk and cooling it down really quickly).  They also say raw milk/raw milk cheese is more digestible and tastes better than pasteurized, and that for hundreds of years people have enjoyed milk this way so what's the bfd already?  Discussion boards on the subject are plastered with comments like "I've drank raw milk all my life and it never did me any harm" or "I never had stomach problems until I moved from the farm to the city and started drinking pasteurized milk" etc etc.. Lots of cheese in European countries is made with raw milk, where the rules are more loosey goosey than here in North America.  These folks argue too that artisan farmers that produce raw milk are cleaner and more careful than evil factory farms.

-People against raw milk products say "Fools!  Have you forgotten that TB and e.coli and listeria killed all kinds of people pre-pasteurization?  The olden days weren't necessarily better you know!" One elderly discussion board participant brought the message home by recalling a story from her youth, of how her mother died and she and her sister became seriously ill by drinking TB infected raw milk. Our government (Canada) forbids the sale of raw milk, but hard raw milk cheeses are perfectly legal, if they've been aged a minimum of 60 days, and farmers can drink raw milk from their own farms.  As for taste, anti-raw milk persons argue that raw milk is simply higher in fat, which would account for why some people find it richer tasting.

My big, fat opinion is this: I get why the government forbids it.  Harm reduction on a large scale is always their biggest concern, particularly when it comes to health and epidemics.  Laws are made to protect the many, not the few, I get it.  But, I don't see why a fully informed person with a desire to drink raw milk couldn't source out a clean, disease-free farm of their choice and go for it.  One could argue that alcohol and gambling machines pose an even greater social threat, and yet the government is our 'dealer' in both these cases.  Could raw milk not come with a warning, a la cigarette packaging?  ANYWAY...

I did try the most exquisite raw milk cumin-infused Gouda at the show, and guess what?  I'm still here!  In fact I think I'm better off for having it; this cheese was so good it has made me absolutely determined to go and investigate raw-milk cheeses further.  It took all my willpower not to run off with the half-wheel sitting on the sample table in front of me.  Made by Adam and Hanny van Bergeijk of Mountainoak Farm in New Hamburg Ontario, this cheese was seriously, seriously to die for.  Their black truffle Gouda was outstanding too.  Adam and Hanny have been making cheese for a looooong time, first in Holland (they know a little something about making cheese over there!) and now here in Ontario.  These nice people are moving, so their cheeses won't be available until later in the year.   Email them at mountainoak@can.rogers.com to find out when/where you can buy their insanely supple, flavourful cheeses.  Below is a clip of Adam talking about Mountainoak cheese:



Next on Wine Show Wind Up--How Sweet It Is: Dad and I drink Sauternes!

Wine Show Wind Up--Part 4

I have not yet had a bad bottle from Ontario's Malivoire winery.  Doubters of Ontario wines take note, Malivoire consistently delivers good wine at a very good value.  And that's kind of what it's all about, isn't it?  I mean, we'd all drink the Mouton-Rothschilds and Chateau d'Yquems if we won the 6/49, but most of us can't afford expensive or even mid-range priced wines on a regular basis.  We want the best wine we can afford; if all we can part with is $10, it should be the best damn $10 bottle we can find.  I've had $30 and $40 bottles that don't hold up to Malivoire's $15 offerings.  So it should be no surprise at all that I was very enthusiastic about the samples enjoyed at the wine show.
Malivoire sampled their Guilty Men red and white, Ladybug rosé and Gamay; I partook in the red and Gamay.  I've had Guilty Men red before, so I just had a little sip and let Lorri and Karen slurrup those samples up (which they liked very much); then it was the straight up Gamay for me.  Wowee!!  I was expecting something much fruiter and lighter but this had a wonderful intense spiciness to it, coupled with deep, ripe red berry flavours.  DELICIOUS!  Malivoire, you've done it again *pat pat pat*  I think you would all do very well to put a bottle or two in your wine racks this spring.  This wine would be superb at a bbq!!  I just popped over to their website, and the '08 Gamay is $17.95/bottle, but you have to purchase at the winery or order a case online.  It'd worth it going splitsies with one or two people on a case of this one!

Here's the winery website: http://www.malivoire.com/ 

Next on Wine Show Wind Up--Raw Milk Cheeses by Dutch-Canadian Dairy farmers.  Are you salivating?  : )

xoxo

Barb

Wine Show Wind Up--Chablis and Oysters Video

Watch me eat oysters and drink Chablis above, then run out and find your own.

xo

B.

Wine Show Wind Up--Part 3

In one of my favourite cookbooks--Obsessions, by the Two Fat Ladies--Jennifer Patterson describes oysters as "..lovely, like kissing a mermaid!"  She is, of course, dead on in her description.  Oysters are as delicious as they are ugly; I think its such an odd coincidence that a food so scrumptious should look like a giant booger, and I can only imagine that the first man to eat an oyster did it on a dare (this would be one of those rare circumstances where the dare didn't horribly backfire!). 

My first introduction to oysters was from my dad and sister. Years ago they brought me to Rodney's Oyster Bar in Toronto, where you can buy every critter that crawls the sea for your gastinomic delight.  We ate tray upon tray of oysters, washed down with raspberry wheat beer from the Kawartha Lakes brewery.  Heaven!  It was there I learned the finer points of oyster cuisine, comparing East and West coast offerings, experimenting with dabs of horseradish and squirts of lemon.  I have to say I am content with absolutely no garnish on my oyster at all; straight up in a puddle of its own juice is just fine with me!  I am partial to Malpeques above all others, and East coast oysters over West coast, but if anyone wishes to challenge me on this please feel free to fly me out to Conneticut or Galway Bay or anywhere else and I'll happily gobble up the challenging oysters for a comparison!

Lorri was the first to spot the giant banner reading OYSTERS at the wine show, and with a crazed gleam in her eye, she ran knees-up across the floor to secure her place in line.  While Lorri was busy loading up on Malpeques, I beelined to the Vintages preview booth just 10 paces away, where I got everyone a nice glass of Drouhin Vaudon Les Clos Chablis Grand Cru 2008.  I'd been dreaming of this moment.  The moment where I'd finally, finally get to have oysters and Chablis together.  I'd had both multiple times, but seperately, and I knew that there could not be a more perfect food pairing in the world.  You often hear of folks pairing oysters and champagne, and that's just fine, but nothing could possibly be more perfect than a knobby, plump, cold oyster--maybe with a teeny squeeze of lemon--followed by a mouthful of stoney, seashelly Chablis.  For the uninitiated, Chablis, a region of Northern Burgundy, used to be entirely under the sea.  The tiny town of Chablis and it's immediate area make the most stunning unoaked chardonnay.  The wine is kept in steel or cement tanks, preserving that wonderful seashell flavour.  The best Chablis is like a razor's edge-- bone dry; it's a sharp balance between minerality and lemony-citrus flavours.  This particular sample fit the bill perfectly, and I can tell you there was a lineup for samples at the booth as word got out.  In fact, the shelf in the neighbouring LCBO store had just two bottles left when we went wine shopping at the end of day, and I don't imagine they had any to pack up and take back with them at the end of show.  No small achievement at $75/bottle!

So there we were, hunkered down at a cafeteria-style table having this otherworldly experience.  Funny, I'd always pictured myself having oysters and Chablis for the first time in some posh bar or restaurant, not out of a plastic container in a food court.  No matter; nothing could have diminished the extrasensory delight of eating these two foods together.  I just feel bad that poor Karen, who detests all seafood.  She had to endure a table full of fishy blobs and discarded shells while Lorri, Dad and I moaned and went on and on about how wonderful it was!

Before I sign off, I will say that I tried another wine at Vintages preview that would also appeal to Chablis lovers.  Domaine Jean-Marc Les Caillerets Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru 2007--phew, that's a mouthful!  But what a nice wine!  It's from further south than Chablis, in Burgundy still, and was more peachy and floral than the Chablis, but still very refreshing.  Like Chablis, but muscled up with fruit a bit.  Again, $75/bottle, so maybe it's a birthday gift to self.

The LCBO #'s for these wines are:  222133 for the Drouhin Vaudon and  205955 for the Domaine Jean-Marc Morey.  These wines are not available quite yet, but look for them later this spring.

Next on Wine Show Wind Up: Malivoire!  I swear they are one of Ontario's most reliable wineries! 

xoxo

Barb