the wine route

Fifteen things I've learned on the wine route:

1. Sniffing and sipping wine from 10am to 3pm is actually tiring.
2. Sniffing and sipping wine from 10am to 3pm might be an antidote to my habit of over-consumption.
3. All maps are not created equal.
4. There is nothing that can compare to the knowledge and information gained from talking to winemakers.
5. Bring your own lunch (more time for the vineyards).
6. Bring your own lunch (more money for the wine).
7. There is a lot of great Ontario wine not stocked by the LCBO.
8. It's easy to order wine directly from vineyards through their websites.
9. Wine can be cellared in Canadian Oak.
10. It's nice to have a dedicated driver and someone with whom to share the experience.
11. I have a lot to learn.
12. Rows of grape vines are esthetically pleasing.
13. Great wine comes from opulent estates and modest wineries alike.
14. It's best to spit when tasting before noon.
15. People who love wine love talking to people who love wine.

One thing I have yet to learn:

1. How to leave a vineyard boutique without spending money.

Ontario wine, how great it is.

niagara bound

On a hazy morning as the fog was lifting from the asphalt of the Queen Elizabeth highway we watched the blocks of Toronto's skyscrapers diminish in our back window, and travelled past the industry of Hamilton. The landscape gave way to fields of first tobacco leaves wavering in the lake's breeze, then rows of fruit trees, and finally grapevines in the early stages of fruit production flourishing along rows of trellising. There's nothing like the trunk of an old grapevine: gnarled and wrinkled their appearance stands in defiance of the elements that shape them.

We will spend the next five days striding alongside these beauties, drinking the bounty of their fruit and feeling the love of Ontario winemakers through the wines they labour to make. The thrill of getting out and onto the land where it all starts is as close as it gets to the perfect good time, and aside from some tasting events, this is also the closests we can get to rubbing shoulders with the people who put that elixir in the bottles we love to drink. First stop: Pillitteri Estates Winery.

wine in the kitchen

My kitchen is so small that I rotate my cookbooks every couple of months. This book is a gift I forgot I had. It made me smile as I pulled it from the dark recesses of the shelf and gave it a renewed prominence. And it reminded me of those early days of cooking shows: Julia Child; Pasquale; Yan; Chef Tell. There is no disputing they were all pioneers and stars in their own right, but for me, Graham Kerr was the king. I grew up watching him. My mom loved his frenetic energy and his slapstick humour. He'd drink wine and cook up a storm, making mistakes along the way and laughing at it all. I think The Galloping Gourment had a profound effect on me. It was a party for an hour every week, and that's how I wanted life in the kitchen to be: an adventure that didn't always go right but was a good time. Just look at all those wine bottles in his kitchen; Mr. Kerr knew food and wine were a necessary pairing. Anyone who could drink all that wine and still hold a show together gets my respect any day.

Today's cooking shows are a far cry from the fun and candid atmosphere that used to be food television, be it Julia Child, or Graham Kerr, or Chef Tell (who was the inspiration for the Swedish Chef on The Muppets). Most of today's cooking shows are slick and sterile. I'm not saying those chefs on my TV these days don't know how to cook, I just find the shows a little over-produced for my liking. I'm going to my backyard now to weep the loss of all that food silliness and down a bottle of wine in honour of The Galloping Gourmet (in his 1970s personification) you know, Just because.

In the glass: a deep ruby with some floral notes, vanilla and dark chocolate, ripe cherry and a little earthiness all rooted with a mildly tannic bite and a lingering fruity finish. A grounded, structured wine that doesn't take itself too seriously, a little like the Galloping Gourmet ($9.95).

Did you know The Galloping Gourmet was filmed in Otttawa?

weekend wine buy: henry of pelham

Weekends are for sitting in lawn chairs and sipping wine. We're going to drink this Baco Noir, again, thanks to Bethany and another of her fabulous suggestions. It's fitting that we are welcoming the weekend with a bottle of Ontario wine made from a grape that probably grows here more than anywhere else in the world, as we are off to Niagara on Sunday. Tonight starts a week of nothing but bottled Ontario sunshine in our glasses - well my glass anyway, I'm sure Dave's will have beer in it occasionally.

In the glass: a deep almost purple with a complex bouquet of blackberries, cinnamon, fennel, mushroom, vanilla, smoke, dill, and notes of wood that translates into a smooth fruity finish with some soft tannins and just a hint of bitterness. This is an interesting wine that would be great with food: mushroom and/or tomato-based pasta; pizza; we are going to have it tonight with a Cassoulet. Although it's a fairly deep hue, it isn't as full-bodied as it looks - more of a medium texture in the mouth with some nice acidity ($13.95).

Baco Noir is a hybrid (a genetic blending of two subspecies within the same species of Vitis, you know, grapes). Folle Blanche, a French grape that is of the Vitis vinifera family just like Chardonnay, or Pinot Noir was crossed with an unknown grape from the indiginous to North American family of Vitis riparia. There are a number of these types of hybrids and they are often referred to as French hybrids although they are now banned in France. They came about as a solution to the phylloxera (a root eating louse that likes grape vines as much as you and me) problem that plagued Europe in the late 1800s, but that's another story. What's really important is that Baco Noir makes good table wine in Ontario and this version from Henry of Pelham is a testament to that. Word: Baco Noir is named after Francois Baco who created the hybrid.

home

What to do after a week of chasing a three year old around, eating too many timbits (okay no one shoved them down my throat) and lots of Big Comfy Couch sing-a-longs? Why, run on the treadmill like a crazy woman, then pop a cork, pour a glass, and admire my new fence that was erected in my absence. Home: so quiet; so predictable; so clean and orderly; so mine; so the place to find Dave. Then head to Jack's house because who feels like cooking when the unpacking hasn't even happened yet. Jack made us baked cod with lemon, steamed spinach and rice: simple, refreshing, and calorie-wise fare. It was perfect. In the afternoon sun, we sipped on this:

In the glass: this brilliant, rosy coloured wine has cherry and deep strawberry on the nose, and a candied apple quality on the finish. It's a little fuller bodied than most rosé, which made it nice to sip, and is a good deal at $7.45.

Oh, I'm missing the sing-a-longs already.

baby noah

Finally, my niece Amelia will have someone to kick around - aside from the dog. Her new brother arrived with much ado last weekend. Amelia doesn't know it yet, but this could very well be the best day of her life (until he out-grows her of course). We celebrated having a new family member with a bottle of sparkling wine.

In the glass: dry and acidic with a healthy dose of citrus and crabapple, and some minerality. It rounds out nicely with a crisp, bitter finish ($12.45).

I know, I know, the birth of my nephew should really be a Champagne moment, but we like this stuff, and he won't know the difference; I'm sure of it. And I'm definitely not wasting any of it on Amelia, while she is very clever she has no appreciation for the finer things in life.

Run when the diaper is dirty; go to the park to play; read lots of stories; go home to my quiet house when I get tired. This being an aunt thing is okay. Whew, you mothers work hard.

weekend wine buy: konzelmann

Riesling is for summer. At least I'm thinking that's why I've been drinking a lot of it lately. We had some of this as an aperitif before that chicken and Shiraz meal last Sunday (hence the slightly blurry photo). It was also good with the Camembert and apricot preserves we nibbled.

In the glass: big green apple; an undertone of lemon and minerality with hints of peach on the clean, crisp finish. The next time we are sitting in the backyard tending the barbecue, I'll be sipping a glass of this refreshing white ($11.95).

shiraz & pot roast

It's been ages since Jack came for supper. I think I can count on both hands how many days it has been, so we had him over last night before we all forgot what each other looks like. I was still tired from our Sunday night foray into the whole red wine and chicken thing (and perhaps the dancing had something to do with it), so I put a roast and some vegetables in the oven and called it dinner.

Then we opened another bottle of the Hardy's Shiraz, and decidedly it was much better with the roast than it was with the chicken. The toothsomeness of the meat was a good match for the structure of the wine; the sauce that we ladled onto cous-cous softened the effect of the tannins, and the sweetness of the braised vegetables mediated the alcohol and the oak.

I just thought I'd pass that along, in case you were having a 'Shiraz with chicken, or Shiraz with beef' dilemma today.

red wine and chicken

We almost always have white wine with roast chicken, so as I was slapping a bird onto the barbecue yesterday, I thought we should try some red wine. It seems not an unlikey match, there is after all: coq au vin; doro wat; chicken kokkinisto; chicken cacciatore.

I pulled out my copy of What to Drink with What you Eat and looked for some options. Shiraz caught my eye and I thought, since the bird would be barbecued, the textures would be a decent match. I also made a cherry and port sauce to help the whole matter. I bought a bottle of Hardy's Bankside Shiraz, 2008 ($14.95) to try.

In the glass: a big mouthful of wine with lots of dark fruit, some burnt sugar, eucalyptus and liquorice; woody tannins lead to a fruity finish. Between the alcohol and the tannins, this wine has some definite structure happening.

This was a decent glass of Shiraz, if you like that Australian big wine thing, but it was a little too overpowering for the chicken. Mainly, the oak dominated the chicken, and the tannin was a little too raspy. I think next time I'm going to opt for a Syrah from the Rhone (or at least a region with a cooler climate), or a Pinot Noir, or a Gamay. See how much fun wine is? There's always plenty of room to make mistakes and learn.

Mismatched chicken and Shiraz aside, we still managed to eat, drink and enjoy. I have a video that someone secretively took with my camera to prove it. Here's a little sample.

Then, before they left our company did all my dishes!

more drinking with nice people

Last week started with this.

Because Dave and I are cowards, we opted for the easy backyard reno this year. Last year we were super-heros and slept in the dining room for months while strangers tore up our second floor, and generally made a mess, and then asked us for lots of money. We are keeping it simple this year. So that old, listing monolith of a garage came down.

That's Richard by the way, he did the actual work. I just sat in the back porch and watched.

Then, later I went to the dentist where the hygenist talked to me about all that wine swilling and swirling. The acids in wine are damaging to tooth enamel. She suggested I use Pronamel tooth paste and to wait an hour after swirling any wine before brushing. This gives the enamel a chance to harden first and you won't do further damage by brushing while it's still soft. I pass that along to all you wine drinkers in the name of healthy teeth. If you can't save your liver, at least your teeth will look good.

Things rounded out nicely with an opportunity to drink wine with nice people, and my favourite wine crime partner, Nita. By the end of the evening, the amount of money the work in my backyard is going to cost me had completely slipped my mind and all I could think about was drinking more rosé this weekend.

We sat around Éva's dining room table while the day's light dimmed, nibbled some seafood, and drank:

Open Riesling/Gewürztraminer, 2009, Niagara ($11.95)

-floral, pineapple, honey and golden apple aromas with a silky mouthfeel, and a clean finish. We found it a bit thin, but thought it would be a great summer sipping wine, nicely chilled.

Sebastiani Pinot Noir, 2007, Sonoma ($19.95)

-fruity and mellow with soft tannins, and a slight smokiness that served the mesquite barbecued salmon well.

Chateau Cahuzac Rosé, 2009, Bordeaux ($13.95)

-fruity in a candied, red liquorice, cherry kind of way with a little acidic kick on the finish; simple, but nice and full on the palate.

Southbrook Cabernet Rosé, 2009, Niagara ($18.95)

-with a little more complexity than the Bordeaux, this was smooth with a long cherry finish, and a hint of residual sugar; a nicely balanced wine.

I made larb gai to go with my rosé selection. If you've never made it, it's easy-easy and is a great party favourite in my house.


Larb Gai (South East Asian Chicken Salad)

1 lb ground chicken (I had some organic ground pork in the freezer, so I used that instead)
1/2 onion, finely chopped (or a few green onions)
2 tbsps fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 limes
1 tbsp chile sauce (or 1 tsp dried chiles, or some fresh bird's eye chiles finely chopped)
a few sprigs of cilantro, finely chopped
1 head of leafy lettuce
some cucumber slices
fresh mint

-brown the ground meat in a pan, drain and put in a large bowl
-rinse the onion under cold water to mellow it a bit and add to the bowl
-juice the limes and add to the meat in the bowl
-add the fish sauce, sugar, chile and cilantro
-stir everything to combine and allow to stand a room temperature or put it in the fridge (it's good cold, or luke warm)
-clean the lettuce and break it into hand-sized pieces
-serve the ground meat with the lettuce, cucumber slices and fresh mint; people can just pile the meat and garnishes into a leaf of lettuce, roll it up, and eat

weekend wine buy: rigal

The majority of Malbec that we see here in Ontario is usually from Argentina where the grape has gained quick popularity; this bottle hails from a little closer to Malbec's homeland in South West France, Cahors to be exact. Although it's thought that the grape may have originated in Burgundy, Malbec's French story is tied to its history of production in the Cahors region where it dominates the fields. Plantings in other areas of France have lost footing over the years as the grape needs warmth, abundant sunshine, and is very sensitive to frost.

The Malbec cuttings that got transplanted to Argentina in the 19th century were from Bordeaux and so today, the clones that grow in Cahors are different from the ones that grow in Argentina. Add to that the diversity of growing conditions in Argentina and the sheer amount of it that is planted there, and the results are wines that differ somewhat. French Malbecs tend to be more tannic and restrained, while the Argentine Malbecs are plusher and fruitier.

In the glass: deep and full-bodied, this Malbec is smoky with black cherry, mineral and wood on the nose. A tannic presence helps prolong the dark fruit finish ($11.95).

For the price this is a good deal; I liked the tannins and that mild raspy feeling it left on the finish, but I found it a little thin on the palate. It would serve well with a chunk of barbecued beef. I'm thinking it would be fun to taste this next to an Argentine Malbec, maybe the Argento that Brian likes so much.

Word: in Cahors Malbec is often referred to as Auxerrois or Côt Noir.

american girls drink wine

My friend Kate, who is from Chicago, is now officially one of us, well at least partially. We’d like to have all of her, but we can understand that a piece of her heart still lies below the 49th parallel. We’ll give her that. For now. After years of trucking her life back and forth over the border she has finally been allowed to stay in Ottawa, actually live with her husband, and seek employment. I'm particularly happy because this means no more dash-and-run visits during her short periods of time spent here. I can now call her up any old time and I know exactly where she'll be. Here. And Kate likes to drink wine.

So we celebrated - with food and drink, as we tend to do. We popped some wine that Kate brought back from the states, and ate some barbecued ribs that her husband tended on the grill. We sat in the backyard, and enjoyed all the glory and happiness that comes with being a Canadian, an American, and neighbours in this fine city of ours.

This is what Kate shared with us.

We started with a Lambrusco. I've never had one before, so it was a real treat. It was all sweet and fizzy with a very low alcohol content. Aromas of flowers, lychee and orange peel wafted up to my nose. The perfect glass of cool on a hot afternoon. Lambrusco is from Italy (and, as it happens, made from the Lambrusco grape) this bottle is from the Emilia-Romagna region. The wine is made by partially fermenting the grapes to retain some of that sweetness, and then the juice is allowed to sit in stainless steel vats for a second fermentation after a little yeast and sugar has been added to induce a second fermentation. It is then bottled under pressure to retain the bubbles produced by the release of carbon dioxide. Typically Lambrusco is a light, red sparkling wine, but this bottle, as you can see, is white. The juice for the white version spends little, to no time in contact with the grape skins after being crushed, whereas the red version is allowed to leech some colour from the skins by mingling a little. This bottle came from the states, and I'm not going to make you cry by telling you how little it cost, but I will tell you that there is a red Lambrusco in the LCBO in Ottawa right now for $9.80. I haven't tried it, but it might be a fun wine adventure.

Then we moved on to this Californian beauty.

And then this Spanish red delicious.

And well, the evening continued to progress in kind. The rest of the photos just get silly.

curry with jack

We spent some time on the weekend at Jack's (Jack is my father-in-law). Oh what fun we had weeding and planting and digging and cleaning. We didn't even mind the rain. At the end of the day, Jack made us a curry. Really, it was the least he could do. He also made a lightly spiced raita to go with that curry, a cream of carrot soup for a starter, and stewed rhubarb - from his garden - with date squares for dessert. Show off. Have I mentioned that he likes food and wine? Have I mentioned that he's 87 years old? Using deductive reasoning can we assume that if one enjoys cooking and drinking wine (and he likes his wine, I know because I carry those boxes of empties to the trunk of his car), one will live to be a vibrant 87 years old? It works for me.

Here's a little Pinot Gris to go with that curry meal.














In the glass: this light-bodied wine is more of a Pinot Grigio-style wine; aromas of lemon, mineral, pineapple and pear give way to a crisp, tart finish ($10.95). It's simple and easy to drink. It was a good palate cleanser for the curry, but really worked well with the cream of carrot soup. We moved on to Jack's homemade wine to finish up the curry - a Beaujolais-style bottle that wasn't too bad (see, I'll drink anything).

Jack's Cream of Carrot Soup
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups sliced carrots
5 cups chicken broth (or vegetable if you prefer)
1/4 cup long grain rice
1 1/2 - 2 cups milk
salt & pepper to taste

In your soup pot, melt butter; add onions and saute until golden. Add carrots, broth and rice, stir and simmer until carrots are fork tender and rice is cooked.

In a blender, or food processor, one third at a time, puree soup until it's smooth.

Return mixture to saucepan and gradually stir in milk, over medium heat.

Garnish with freshly steamed carrots and serve hot.

lazy sunday

These are some of the things I was looking at yesterday while it rained and temperatures took a little dip: frivolous magazines and cheap wine. This is something my co-worker Brian suggested I try. When he's not drinking beer, this is the kind of thing he likes to put in a wine glass. It's definitely in my price range at $8.95, so I opened a bottle in the afternoon yesterday.

In the glass: I found some earth mingled with plum, cedar and vanilla on the nose. Soft tannins and a mild acidity lead to a slightly tart, plummy finish. It's a fairly simple wine, nothing too refined and a decent buy for the price. The acidity and texture of the wine make it a good match for food; it's not too full, or tannic.

Portugal has a long grape-growing history and the region of Douro, where this bottle came from, was demarcated a growing region in 1756, making it one of the oldest growing regions in the world. The region is famous for growing the grapes that are used to make Port wine. I couldn't find any information on the winemaker's website as to which grapes are used to make this red wine, but Touriga Nacional (a grape thought to have originated in the Dão region of Portugal) and Tempranillo are the more popular grapes in the area. There are however, over 100 varieties grown in the area! A long history makes for a diverse selection.

Then later in the day I looked at this, before I ate it.

The slow barbecued pork paired well with the wine, especially since I had made a sauce with some achiote paste: this complimented the earth in the wine quite well. If you haven't tried achiote, I recommend it. I buy it at the Latin grocery store in Vanier. It's made from achiote seeds and in Mexico is used as a rub on all kinds of meat and fish.

a riesling night with nav & lisa

These are our friends Nav and Lisa. Aren't they sweet? They are getting married in a few weeks and don't seem at all like they are ready to kill each other. In fact, they seem quite calm. Love. Oh, by the way they are getting married in Prince Edward County, which thrills me to no end because in a couple of weeks I'll be looking at rows of pinioned grape vines and drinking wine till my heart's content. Anyway, I felt it my duty to feed these two some wine made with love, so I opened some more ONTARIO wine. Because you know that VQA stuff was made with genuine love.

Okay I lied about serving them VQA wine. This bottle isn't actually VQA; it's made with only Ontario grapes though, but that's about all I know. It's distributed by Diamond Estates and their website has 20 Bees as a contact for the wine, so I'm thinking the wine might get made at 20 Bees? I e-mailed Diamond Estates, but haven't heard back yet. Maybe you know what the story is on this wine? Anyway, the other thing that I do know is that it was good to sip on while we nibbled some smoked salmon and ricotta cheese and chatted in my 'kitchen'. You have to see my 'kitchen' to understand: it's a thumbnail; it has no ceiling; one drawer; my largest roasting pan doesn't fit in the oven; there are holes in the floor... okay, I'm getting distracted. Back to the wine.

In the glass: this crisp, light wine has all the usual Riesling behavours of citrus fruit - lime mostly, some green apple, and a little petrol on the nose. The citrus balances out the mild, residual sugar on the finish. A good deal at $8.75.

Then we had this Riesling with our meal of grilled shrimp and the rhubarb/chili chutney that I made earlier in the week.

In the glass: this wine has a little effervescent mouthfeel which was a nice surprise. Dave thought it reminded him a bit of a Vinho Verde (he's getting to be so wine savvy). Aromas of red grapefruit, apple, mineral, and rose petal gave way to some sweetness ($13.75). It worked nicely as a palate cleanser for the spice in the chutney.

Oh, a good time was had by all. I know because I woke up with a mild headache this morning.

UPDATE: Diamond Estates did get back to me and confirm that the Sundance line is made with 100% Ontario grapes. The grapes are sourced from various vineyards.

weekend wine buy: hillebrand meritage

After my wee rant this week I thought it prudent to drink some Ontario wine. I've had a few bottles sitting in my basement, so I'll start here.

In the glass: there is an initial aroma of dill, but if that isn't something that appeals, don't get turned off. After a little further investigation with my nose I found cedar and tobbacco, plum and cherry, roses, milk chocolate. With mild tannins and just the right amount of acid, this went down rather smoothly and ended with a long, round taste of that fruit ($12.05).

I liked it just slightly chilled - maybe I'm weird, but I thought at the cooler temperature the acid was a bit more vibrant - and it was pretty good with the grilled chicken, and stewed rhubarb (to which we added just a dash of mild chili) that we ate with it. Much more spice though and the wine would have seemed harsh, I think. Perhaps grilled burgers, or something like my friend Joe's slow grilled pork would work.

Word: Meritage is a term used to differentiate wines made outside of Bordeaux , but which use the same grapes to make blended wine: Cabernet Sauvignon; Merlot; Cabernet Franc; Petit Verdot; Malbec. This bottle from Hillebrand contains Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc (which I'm sure most Ontario Meritage blends are).

Hillebrand's Artist Series of wines feature labels designed by Ontario artists. Isn't that nice? Now that's how to spread the love people.

do you drink ontario wine?

Recently I had a conversation with a friend, about a friend who, once upon a time, had a bottle of Ontario wine that he didn't like. This friend of a friend has now lost any desire to buy Ontario wine... ever. So, I started having other conversations with friends about friends who do, or do not drink wine from Ontario, and a pattern began to emerge: people are very hesitant, and apparently can be very unforgiving, when it comes to Ontario wine.

Now, I am the first to admit I don't know enough about Ontario wine, and I've bothered to study wine, so I take this as a clue that many people probably don't get enough exposure to wine made in this province. And, I understand this is probably not such a simple issue. Ontario consumers have to deal with the sometimes limited supply of Ontario product available at the LCBO. We also have to wade through the whole VQA and Cellared in Canada (which has now become 'International Blends') labelling mystique. VQA wine comes from 100% Ontario grown grapes while those International Blends requires that there only be 25% Ontario grown grapes in the wine. This means that the Internationla Blends wine could contain grapes that come from Timbuktu for all you or I know, and that's not always a good thing. Ontario wine is in competition with cheap products like Fuzion, or any one of the many good value for money wines in the LCBO, some of which I enjoy drinking. And that's okay: no one wants to waste money on bad wine; a bargain is a bargain; we definitely deserve variety - but a bad bottle of wine should not stop anyone from going back and trying another from that same region. And what about you people who have never tried an Ontario wine? I know you are out there. Where is the love?

Did you know that in March of 2011 Ontario (and BC) Chardonnay was put to the taste test by some of the world's most renowned critics? Jancis Robinson likes us, so WHAT'S WRONG PEOPLE? I demand we all drink more wine from Ontario. In these times of concern over global warming and eating locally, drinking locally is just the right thing to do - at least once in a while. So have no fear. If Jancis likes us, we must be okay!

I think wine in Ontario has surpassed our expectations, and we need to catch up. Selection, price, and quality have come a long way since the good old Baby Duck days. Nothing against the sweet and fizzy; I drank some Lambrusco the other day and quite liked it.

Personally, I vow to spend more time learning about, and drinking, Ontario wine. And I'm looking for company. Do you have a favourite Ontario wine?