wine whore

Last week I did this.

I'm not sure what came over me. I was hot and it was in the cooler section at the liquor store. It was so big, and I thought of the nights at home, the nights when I wouldn't have to make yet another 'quick' run to the store because I would have it, this big, cold bottle of white waiting in the fridge for me at the end of the work day like an old friend. I could have bought the Hochtaler, but that's when my good winey-sense kicked in. Look at it, it's as big as my couch! And as you can see, I (we) did drink all of it. And I did get a two day reprieve from hitting the liquor store on the way home.

When I got that monster home I unscrewed the cap and poured a big glass (the first of which I graced with a few ice cubes) and then I made this.

Stewed beans and eggplant with cream. Not exactly hot weather food, it's more like stick-to-your-ribs cold weather food. And not pretty, I'll admit. Very good though, if you like beans and eggplant. A lot of white wine went a little way in making a decent pairing.

The wine is pretty simple with big apple aromas followed by some warm spices. It's light and crisp on the palate and not overly oaked. Balanced in it's simpicity, actually. The lemon finish is refreshing and worked to cut the richness of the cream and compliment the fennel ($14.95). This isn't such a bad buy and would be perfect to bring to one of those big house parties, or the wedding shower that you know is going to get crazy, or the cottage for when a crowd shows up. Of course, you can buy the smaller bottle for $8.95 as well.

Lesson(s) of the day: don't say you will never buy one of those big-ass bottles of wine, and sometimes winter food is good in the summer.

Finally, if you live in Ottawa, Sue Hodder, the winemaker at Wynns is coming to town. You can get tickets here:  http://wynnsottawa.eventbrite.ca/

Pinto and Eggplant Medley
-from my boozy kitchen

1 cup dried pinto beans, soaked for about eight hours (any dried bean will do)
2 cups cubed eggplant (I used the Asian variety)
1 large onion, diced
1 cup fresh fennel, diced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
2 cups white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp cumin seed
1 tsp paprika
dash of cayenne
salt and pepper
a few sprigs of fresh parsley, chopped finely

-soak the pinto beans for the day, then boil until they are fork-tender, but not mushy (about one hour), drain
-in a large saucepan, with a dash of olive oil, sautèe the onion until it's transluscent then add the garlic and dried spices
-add the fennel, eggplant, beans and white wine into the saucepan and simmer for about another hour, covered
-just before serving stir in the cream and fresh parsley
-top each plate with a dollop of goat's cheese

not quite a kitchen... yet

We have windows and a door. Oh, and flooring which is getting stained and sanded today.

And we wait for stucco, and stairs, and a deck, and a stove, and a fridge, and cabinetry, blah, blah blah. We're at that construction stage where the main work is done and it's all the pesky little things now: fixing misaligned trim, parging stucco, adding window trim. And it gets hard to be patient, well it gets hard for me to be patient.

Good thing I've got A LOT of this to keep me company in the interim... pefect for the August-hot weather we are having here in May. You can't tell from the picture, but this bottle is the white; they also do a red. In fact, this is from Perrin and Fils and they do a few different styles of wine from the Rhone that are all very palatable.

Whites from the Rhone are usually a blend of the prominent grapes that grow along the river: Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne. This bottle is from the Cotes du Luberon in the faaaar south of the region and is an interesting blend of Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc, the Italian Vermentino and Ugni Blanc (which is what Cognac is made from). With a little oak fermentation it all comes together nicely. Apricot, unripe pineapple, red apple and a bit of smoke on the nose with a smooth texture and a hint of buttery, nutmeg, apple pie on the palate. There's a touch of balancing acidity to keep everything in check ($11.95). For the price this is a great deal.

some ottawa goodness

(another Dave photo)

 Recently, Apt613 held a live blog talk entitled Is Ottawa A Creative Capital?  I'm no expert on what it takes to be a creative community, but the thing that was swimming through my mind after reading the feed last week was that we may or may not be a creative capital, but we are definitely moving well and safely into being a foodie capital. In my neighbourhood alone fantastic food spots are opening and thriving: The Hintonburger, Blumenstudio, SuzyQ Donuts, Back Lane Cafè. Farmers markets are popping up everywhere in the city, as are local food events. Marysol Foucault is proof that if you offer up good food, they will come. She just launched her second restaurant, Odile. The Ottawa Wine and Food Festival is hugely popular. Oh, I could go on and on.

What's better than all that though is that we have our own wine route. It may not rival Bordeaux, and it's definitely not Napa, but it is growing and the wine is getting better every year. Given our climate, this is nothing short of a miracle (and plenty of faith and hard work). Doors are opening at these vineyards this month.

Le Vignoble Clos du Vully (2499 Magladry Road, Navan)
VanKleek Hill Vineyard: http://vankleekhillvineyard.ca/

Jabulani Vineyard and Winery: http://jabulani.ca/index/index1.htm
Domaine Perrault: http://domaineperrault.ca/
Domaine du Cervine: http://cervinenglish.voila.net/
Green Gables Vineyard: http://www.greengableswinery.ca/
Le Vignoble du Clos Baillie: http://www.quebecvino.com/

Closer to home, Savvy Company is hosting a taste of Niagara on the Lake on May 30th.

And for you beer lovers, Brother's Beer Bistro is opening this week in the Market.

So Ottawa, if food and booze counts I say we are very creative when it comes to satisfying our tastebuds.

here again... finally!

Last week I had a dream. I woke up from a long sleep to find that winter was just beginning. The sky was a pale gray and whisps of snow were flitting by my window. Bailey the dog was coming, as he does every winter, and that oh-so familiar chill was in the air. NOOOOOO! I shook myself awake to find myself happily tucked well into spring, just as things should be.

Last week I had a nightmare that summer in Ottawa was about three days long. Thankfully, I was just having pre-cottage jitters. It seems we wait, so patiently, for all those cold months. We make the best of it: ski, skate and load up on hearty red wine and food. We try not to complain, but when the warm weather arrives we get giddy with the prospect of it; we sigh in relief.

Back in February I walked across the ice to the little cottage that we are priviledged to frequent in summers and wandered about inside. I felt whistful for when it would be filled with the sounds of dishes clanging, music playing, and corks popping.

We spent the long weekend at my friend Dan's cottage and it was filled with friends, food and drink. The wait is over, summer is definitely coming our way.

And you know that May is rosè season. We sampled a few bottles of pink, and this was my favourite of the lot. There's nothing candied or cloying about it. A pretty pale salmon in colour, it's light and crisp on the palate with fresh strawberries, tea and  flowers on the nose ($12.95). I was wishing I had two bottles.

wine pimp

A wonderful thing happened to me last week. It was a usual Sunday trip to the LCBO. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and I was thinking about stocking my cellar with rosè as summer approaches. I leisurely wandered the isles of wine bottles, with a full cart and stars in my eyes. Then, from out of my reverie I felt a presence to my left: a calm yet powerful energy. A hand rested gently on my shoulder while a bottle of wine was pressed into my arms. "Here" she said. "This is a great bottle of wine". It's finally happened; my dreams have come true; I now have a personal wine pimp at the LCBO.

This is what she sent my way last weekend.

I drank it in a happy daze. Spanish wine. Mmmmmm. This lovely number is from the latest Vintages release and there is more on the shelves, at the moment, in Ottawa. It's only $12.95 and worth the effort of popping a cork and pouring a glass. Every time I went back to the glass there was something more. At first whiff it's earthy and brambly, then comes the dark fruit and leather followed by liquorice and juniper, and lastly a little smokiness and some sweet spices. The long liquorice-tinged finish has an inviting hint of black tea and a gentle tannic presence.

Thank you Éva.

Now on to some rosè for the weekend.

Word: The French call it Mourvèdre, and the Australians call it Mataro, but Monastrell is indiginous to Spain where it thrives in the warm climate.

new zealand wine

These are some things I know about New Zealand wine:

They make a lot of Sauvignon Blanc.
Most of the country is a maritime climate.
The world’s most southerly vineyard is there.
My friends Jen and Mark live there (okay that has nothing to do with wine, but they like wine).
They are the champions of the screw cap.
There is a huge crusade for organic farming practices.

I went to New Zealand in the 80's and much to my current-day chagrin, I spent absolutely no time exploring wine when I was there except to lug a bottle half-way across the Abel Tasman Trail, refusing to give it up even when my backpack felt like it weighed a thousand tons.

Luckily, I got to taste my way though a bevy of vinous liquid from the isles of Zealand last week. There was much to rave about and the noticeable trend away from the typical style of Sauvignon Blanc that we are used to tasting - not that there is anything wrong with those lovely bottles of nettle, gooseberry, passionfruit divinity - was refreshing, literally. I found some quite restrained versions of the grape that were more about lemon, pea shoot, and minerality. And there was some variety on offer: Pinot Gris was a fairly prevalent pour as was Chardonnay; there was a Tempranillo, and quite a bit of Syrah and Pinot Noir. I enjoyed the wines from Central Otago, a region on the South Island that gets about as Continental as possible in New Zealand. The whites were surprisingly robust because of the unique summer heat, so I was told.

Check your Vintages magazine in the future for a few of my favourites: Marisco Vineyards, Giesen Wines, and Oyster Bay will be releasing a rosè bubbly perfect for patio sipping.

I browsed the New Zealand isle at the LCBO yesterday and came home with this.

There's an aromatic nose of floral, ginger, and apricot followed by a crisper, simple palate of citrus fruit with a juicy finish. It's not complicated, just plain old good for afternoon sipping ($14.95).

PS. I forgot to bring my camera to the tasting, again. Check out Éva's blog for a visual reference.

a little link love

As you may know, I am doing regular guest posts at Natalie MacLean's fabulous wine site. My latest is a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Dealu Mare region in Romania. I wanted a focus for the pieces I write at her site, so a little 'nod to the odd' seemed interesting to me. Aside from the opportunity to practice writing, I get to do a little research, and explore grapes and regions that are not part of my regular repetoire. I like the focus, but I'm not the first person to think of writing about unusual wine... nor will I be the last.

If this is the kind of thing that interests you, check out Dave Flewelling at Dave's Domaine. He does regular picks of wines from the Vintages releases called "Off The Beaten Track". He keeps it coming every two weeks and, well, his is a great wine site for all other kinds of reasons too.

Now for the wine love. This bottle came home with (my) Dave one day and we shared it over a Wednesday night's mid-week lethargy. A little bottled sunshine from the south of France that's all warm, smoky and inviting; it made us happy. An initial whiff of Christmas cake is accompanied by lots of dark berry fruit, some black liquorice, and tobacco. All that fruit goes on and on in your mouth with a tinge of bitter chocolate. Did I say it made us happy? A good deal at $15.95, but from a Vintages release, so I don't know how much is left out there on the shelves.

ideal

There is a kind of day that is ideal. It’s the kind of day that starts slowly. I may have slept in, a little, after which I kick back with a cup of tea, or two and read with my feet up and bathed in warm sunshine as it streams through the window. My house is spotless; the laundry is done. I might then putter in the garden, pluck the first of the fresh herbs for some use in dinner’s meal. I’ll eat light, healthy things all day and be languorous in the quiet of a Sunday afternoon. There most definitely is a little white or sparkling wine for sustenance while the sun is still high in the sky. A slow cooked meal tops the day nicely and I head for my pillow feeling like I’ve given myself a little something of the world.

Yesterday was exactly that kind of day.

The wine was an inexpensive staple that lies in abundance in my cellar.

The meal was a favourite: roast pork cooked until delicate and tender - accompanied by a chickpea mash, roasted baby garlic, and avocado spiked with preserved lemon.

Happy Monday everyone.

Chickpea Mash
a nice substitute for potato

1 cup raw chickpeas, soaked overnight
2 tbsps butter
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup freshly chopped herbs: oregano, parsley, basil, cilantro, whatever
salt and pepper

-drain the chickpeas and put in a saucepan with the white wine, salt and pepper
-allow to simmer, covered, over low heat until soft: test one with a fork on a cutting board for mashability; they won't get soft, but will present themselves with some 'give'. This should take about 30 minutes. Add more wine, water, or chicken stock if the pot dries out.
-using an immersion blender (this is just easier and less time consuming than a potato masher) roughly blend up the chick peas and the butter
-stir in the herbs (or garlic, or whatever you like... onion maybe?)

writing, wine, writing

I am very flattered to be the 'Wine Spot' writer this week at North of 9 Fine Wine. Tyler is a great writer and his website is chock full of fun and useful wino information. Oh, and he's one of the most prolific tasters out there. If you are looking for a tasting note, or aren't sure of what wine to have with that barbecue salmon, check him out; when he asked me to do a guest blog spot, I jumped at the chance.

In other wino news, the talented Nita Boushey has started her own blog.

And at Ottawa Rickshaws you can find this article on pairing inexpensive wine with pizza.

Now, go and drink a glass of wine, because how much you read should be balanced by how much you drink and the former should never be more than the latter.

This is a good place to start. We had a little of this on the weekend, in the afternoon, with some Russian salami and a cheese platter. Garganega is an Italian grape (that you may better know as Soave, the region where it is made) that makes lovely white wine on the supple and full side. This bottle from Vinea has notes of jasmine, ripe apple, and pear with a nutty, hazelnut overtone on the nose. The roundness of it on the palate is perked up by pleasant bitter lime aftertaste ($13.95). Mmmmmm.

It's almost the weekend!