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CityBites Issue 36 Spring 2011
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| FREE |SpRing 2011
Plus! pancakES + BookS + Spot pRawnS + whiSky
the
wine issue
Represented by PMA Canada Ltd.www.pmacanada.com
Please Enjoy Responsibly.
refreshingSUMMERWHITES
BonusAIRMILES®
Reward Miles 5BonusAIRMILES®
Reward Miles 5 BonusAIRMILES®
Reward Miles 6 with purchase of Two Oceans SauvignonBlanc 750ml - Valid June 19 - July 17, 2011
with purchase of Two Oceans Sauvignon BlancBrut 750ml - Valid May 22 - June 18, 2011
with purchase of Flat Roof Manor Pinot Grigio750ml - Valid August 15 - September 11, 2011
Upon presentation of your AIR MILES®Collector Card.Must be of legal drinking age to participate.®™ Trademarks of AIR MILES International Trading B.V.Used under license by LoyaltyOne,Inc.and the Liquor Control Board of Ontario.
13076 Summer Whites Ad 4/21/11 11:35 AM Page 1
Represented by PMA Canada Ltd.www.pmacanada.com
Please Enjoy Responsibly.
refreshingSUMMER WHITES
BonusAIRMILES®
Reward Miles5 BonusAIRMILES®
Reward Miles5BonusAIRMILES®
Reward Miles6with purchase of Two Oceans SauvignonBlanc 750ml - Valid June 19 - July 17, 2011
with purchase of Two Oceans Sauvignon BlancBrut 750ml - Valid May 22 - June 18, 2011
with purchase of Flat Roof Manor Pinot Grigio750ml - Valid August 15 - September 11, 2011
Upon presentation of your AIR MILES® Collector Card. Must be of legal drinking age to participate. ®™ Trademarks of AIR MILES International Trading B.V. Used under license by LoyaltyOne, Inc. and the Liquor Control Board of Ontario.
13076 Summer Whites Ad 4/21/11 11:35 AM Page 1
3Spring 2011
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From the editor
contents
Regular Bites5 Starters CityBites loses a dear friend, Liz Bolton of pantry.
6 Crumbs Spots that are hot.
7 Bits & Bites A little bit of news.
8 Stuff toys and gear for your wine.
9 The Gourmudgeon Stung by rudeness at a new restaurant
10 Smells like victory Wine tasting Challenge winner evan Saviolidis.
11 Foreign Correspondents pancakes make the world go flat.
12 Urban Farmer A container is all you need to get growing.
13 Viticulture Biodynamic winemaking in niagara.
14 Fresh Spot prawns—delicious cold-water darlings
15 Wine Dine the Intercontinental hotel’s ByoB surprise
16 Books read and eat these tasty titles
32 The Ej Konrad Ejbich reveals an Amarone imposter.
33 Libations Whisky and wine, say Stephen Beaumont, are divine.
34 One Last Bite meet Featherstone Winery’s grape protector.
Features > The Wine Issue21 Greek Wines hard to say, easy to drink. get greek lessons at maléna.
22 Tiny Bubblies get bang for buck at these small Champagne houses.
23 Same wine, different day think outside the “house.”
24 Chianti Kudos once a joke, now a serious force.
25 Postcards from India examining a burgeoning wine industry.
26 Ms. Spritzer Some spritzer makeover tips from the Drake hotel.
27 Three MS-kateers A conversation with Canada’s three top sommeliers.
28 Cooking with Wine Ideas for your leftover fine wines.
29 Canada vs. World Zoltan Szabo dares to compare!
30 Cool Climate Chardonnay Canadian chardonnay is making international waves.
31 Somewhereness A funny word for a stellar local wine event.
Cover illustration by Pierre Lamielle.
Spring 2011 Volume 7, Issue 3
It’s festival season! Time to eat, drink and all that
good stuff. CityBites is once again presenting the
Salut Wine + Food Festival in May—you can
peruse the full schedule in the centre section
of the magazine—with a selection of intriguing
seminars, tastings and special dinners. We’re
excited and hungry to get out there and eat!
It’s fitting, then, that this is our annual wine
issue. We like to take the time every year to cel-
ebrate exemplary wine and winemakers, som-
meliers and, of course, the brilliant chefs and
restaurants that recognize the joys of wine and
work so hard to elevate the wine-food experience.
As always, we have the wine “newbie” in mind.
Wine should never be intimidating and overly
competitive, and so we strive to educate and
inspire with all of our wine coverage. In this
issue, we’re proud to support several initiatives—
Salut, Somewhereness, i4C (the chardonnay
summit)—that are pushing the boundaries of
great wine, and making it accessible to all.
So please raise a glass of your favourite grape
juice and toast to wonderful times, wonderful
wines—and many more to come.
Dick Snyder, Editor • [email protected]
Editor Dick Snyder/[email protected]
Art Director Craig Sinclair/[email protected]
Associate Editor Signe Langford
Wine Editor John Szabo
Director of Vinous Affairs Zoltan Szabo
Contributors Stephen Beaumont, greg Clow, Sean Deasy,
Deacon Dr. Fresh, Konrad ejbich, Arlene hazzan green,
Lindsay groves, heather Li, Alan mcginty, Kate more,
michael pinkus, Zinta Steprans, Zoltan Szabo, Stephen tempkin,
Julie C. trubkin
Photography pat Anderson, Dan Donovan,
Alan mcginty, my yen trung
Publisher paul Alsop/[email protected]
Sr. Account Manager Wendy Lyall gardner/[email protected]
Account Manager Alexander mcCarthy/[email protected]
Subscriptions are $25 per year. email [email protected] or visit www.citybites.ca
Advertising Inquiries [email protected]
City Bites media Inc., 24 Dalhousie St. Suite 200,
toronto, on, m5B 2A5, 647-827-1705. City Bites is published
six times a year by City Bites media Inc., a division of IDmg Inc.
IDMG Management paul Alsop, Donald g. house
IDMG Partner Dick Snyder
3
Cover photo by Jeff Coulson
FROM THE EDITORP
HO
TO: J
EF
F C
OU
LS
ON
I’ve been lucky of late. I’ve had three meals this
past month that put a smile on my face. The first
was the signature item at The Burger’s Priest in
Leslieville. The second was a Peking duck rein-
vented at a pre-opening dinner at Lee Lounge,
Susur Lee’s new take on the old Madeline’s space.
The third was at Sneaky Dee’s, where a plate of
bar-style chicken wings just plain made me happy.
Where there’s joy in food, there’s always
excellence. And it feels like a surge in the food
scene right now, a lot of energy and ideas, and
great places to eat, shop, cook, etc. CityBites is
pleased to once again partner with the Salut
Wine + Food Festival, now in its third year cele-
brating excellence and bringing innovative food
Terroir, an incredible hospitality industry con-
ference that’s happening the day this magazine
goes to print, so we’ll have to tell you about it
2011, and just keeps growing.
Events like these bring the city’s food scene
its vital focus, on quality, innovation, ideas and
just pure joy. Which reminds me of my fourth
smile-inspiring meal—an east-meets-west feast
at Senses in the SoHo Metropolitan. Patrick Lin,
the man’s sublime.
5 Starters A new fi sh shop; Susur abroad; Le Creuset goes green.
6 Crumbs Hot spots, new spots, dead spots.
7 Just Opened Eating out tonight? Try one of these two new restaurants.
8 The Gourmudgeon For the love of schnitzel.
9 Pantry A vision of ginger, in ales and beers.
10 Foreign Correspondence Big sandwiches from three countries.
11 The Urban Farmer Tricking nature into giving you salad.
12 Fresh Sugaring off with our favourite sweet viscous liquid.
13 Books Read ’em and eat!
14 Reality Check Wondering where the goodness went.
15 In store Superior olive oil and easy-make risotto.
23 Libations Stephen Beaumont proff ers his porter picks.
24 The Ej Where’s the “O”, wonders Konrad Ejbich, in LCBO.
25 Szabo on Wine John Szabo gets his sweet on.
26 One Last Bite A spoonful of sugar.
16 Spice World Exotic fl avours abound at Toronto’s top spice shops.
17 Sweet Young Things Meet Toronto’s rising pastry chefs.
18 Stuff The coolest, funkiest, most beautiful salt and pepper vessels.
20 The Joy of Salt Artisanal salt invades Toronto.
21 Chicken Wings Rating Toronto’s top wing joints (and some not-so-top).
Editor Dick Snyder/[email protected]
Art Director Craig Sinclair/[email protected]
Associate Editor Signe Langford
Wine Editor John Szabo
Director of Vinous Aff airs Zoltan Szabo
Contributors Stephen Beaumont, Greg Clow, Sara d’Amato,
Tracey Edelist, Konrad Ejbich, Maia Filar, Arlene Hazzan Green,
Marc Green, Tracy Howard, Heather Li, Joy McCarthy, Mary Luz
Mejia, Stephen Temkin, Julie C. Trubkin
Photography Jeff Coulson, Signe Langford, Julie C. Trubkin
Publisher Paul Alsop/[email protected]
Sr. Account Manager Wendy Lyall Gardner/[email protected]
Account Manager Alexander McCarthy/[email protected]
Subscriptions are $25 per year. Email [email protected] or visit www.citybites.ca
Advertising Inquiries [email protected]
City Bites Media Inc., 24 Dalhousie St. Suite 200,
Toronto, ON, M5B 2A5, 647-827-1705. City Bites is published
six times a year by City Bites Media Inc., a division of IDMG Inc.
IDMG Management Paul Alsop, Donald G. House
IDMG Partner Dick Snyder
Louise Engel with one of Featherstone Estate Winery’s viticulturist lambs.
OLD WORLD WINERIESAlex Gambal (FR)Champagne Fleury (FR)Chateau de la Maltroye (FR)Château de Meursault – (Patriarche) (FR)Domaine de la Pinte (FR)Domaine de la Vougeraie (FR)Domaine des Deux Roches (FR)Domaine Jean Fery & Fils (FR)Domaine Laroche (FR)Jermann (IT)Maison Roche de Bellene by Nicholas Potel (FR)Sattlerhof (AT)Tenuta Mosole Sergio Di Mosole Lucio (IT)Vie di Romans (IT)Weingut Fred Loimer (AT)Weingut Wieninger (AT)
NEW WORLD WINERIESAdelsheim (OR)Argyle Winery (OR)Ataraxia Wines (ZA)Bouchard Finlayson (ZA)Cooper Mountain Vineyards (OR)Dr. Konstantin Frank (NY)Evening Land Vineyards (OR)Hamacher Wines (OR )Josef Chromy Wines (Tasmania)Mount Difficulty (NZ)Ponzi Vineyards (OR)Pyramid Valley Vineyards (NZ)The Millton Vineyard (NZ)Vina Aquitania (Chile)
CANADIAN WINERIES13th Street Winery (ON)Angels Gate Winery (ON)Blue Mountain Vineyards & Cellars (BC)Closson Chase (ON)Coyote’s Run Estate Winery (ON)Flat Rock Cellars (ON)Hillebrand (ON)Inniskillin Wines (ON)Lailey Vineyard (ON)Le Clos Jordanne (ON)Mission Hill Winery (BC)Norman Hardie Winery and Vineyard (ON)Pillitteri Estates Winery (ON)Southbrook Vineyards (ON)Tawse Winery (ON)Vineland Estates (ON)
APPLIED DREAMS.
Join keynote speaker and emcee Matt Kramer, noted wine author and columnist, for a memorable celebration. Taste over 100 cool climate chardonnays from 8 countries set against the breathtaking backdrop of Niagara’s wine country.
Savour “Claws and Curds” pairings and gourmet vineyard luncheons; enjoy exceptional dining at Friday’s Gala Dinner and Saturday’s “Cochon and Chardonnay” spit-roasted pig event with renowned chef Jamie Kennedy. Mingle with winemakers from Burgundy, Oregon, New Zealand and beyond at this three-day celebration of the coolest grape on earth.
Visit coolchardonnay.org for program details and to book tickets for this exclusive event. Be cool.
July 22-24, 2011 • Niagara Peninsula
Visit coolchardonnay.org for full program details.
The International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration
Ad created by: K Black and Co. Client: International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (I4C)
5Spring 2011
the startersThe CiTyBiTes Team
arlene hazzan-Green
Arlene is an urban farmer and
television director with one
foot in the dirt and one in high
heels. She and husband Marc
Green founded The Backyard Urban Farm
Company with the goal of igniting people’s
passion for growing their own food. They
design, install and maintain organic vegetable
gardens in homes, school and businesses in
the GTA. bufco.ca
Julie C. TruBkin
Julie dreams of owning a
1942 blue Ford pickup truck
(an eco-version) to frequent
markets and haul home ran-
dom orphaned inanimate objects. A freelance
writer and poet, Julie writes creative copy
for Square Zero, Sweat Equity and Corduroy,
while hammering away on her first novel. A
fresh-bread elitist and world traveler, she can
ask “is this vegetarian?” in several languages.
lindsay Groves
Lindsay studied oenology and
viticulture at Niagara College
and has worked in wineries
around the world. A member
of the Wine Writers’ Circle of Canada and
certified sommelier, she was recognized
as Ontario Sommelier of the Year in 2007
by the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partner-
ship Corporation, and was voted one of the
Ontario Hostelry Institute’s “Top 30 Under
30” in 2008. Lindsay loves to travel, visiting
Western Europe, the Middle East, Eastern and
Southern Africa and India. She’s working on
her first book and plans to start on her Master
of Wine qualification. lindsaygroves.ca
Liz Dnieper-Bolton 1969 - 2011For absent Friends
It’s hard to find words to express the shock and sadness we felt when we received news of the unexpected death of our dear friend Liz Dnieper-Bolton.
For nearly a decade, Liz was the event coordinator at Balzac’s Coffee in the Distillery District, where she planned hundreds of events.
It was in 2008, though, that she really made her mark on the local food scene by opening Pantry, a food store and fine food take-out in the Dufferin Grove area. Pan-try was a great friend to CityBites, always willing to lend a hand or a platter of food for one event or another. We were happy to support the great work and great vibe Pantry brought to the neighbourhood.
The store, which Liz ran with her husband Greg, as well as chef Eric Walker, was a tes-timony to everything she stood for: great food, casual simplicity, and a warm, inviting environment. It was a special spot.
Just about any day of the week, you’d find Liz working at her impromptu office, the big harvest table near the back of the shop. The placement was strategic: steps from the kitchen and steps from the espresso machine. More importantly, it gave her a view of the entire store, so that she could leap into action to assist a customer. As one regular noted, she really put the “service” in “service industry.” She was tireless.
In June of last year, Liz and Greg closed the store to spend more time with their young sons, aged 3 and 6, and with each other. They took a long-overdue trip to Anguil-la, where they had spent their honeymoon almost a decade before. They took the kids to Disneyland, too.
Liz was hit with a virulent strain of pneumonia and died, at home, on the morning of March 17.
In everything she did, Liz’s gracious style, not to mention that famous work ethic, left a major mark on Toronto’s food community. We miss her terribly. May she rest in peace.
liz dnieper-Bolton, husband Greg, and sons andre and Benjamin.
Get in touch!Send emails to [email protected] or snail mail to CityBites, 24 Dalhousie St., Toronto, ON, M5B 2A5. Letters may be edited for space and accuracy.
6 CityBites
crumbs By Greg Clow
... Two new hotel restaurants of note have opened in recent weeks:
TOCA (181 Wellington St. W., 416-572-8008, tocarestaurant.com) in the
Ritz-Carlton celebrates the bounty of Canada as interpreted by chef
Tom Brodi (ex-Canoe), and The Carleton (30 Carleton St., 416-977-6655)
in the newly renovated Holiday Inn features a “global bistro” menu
overseen by chef Chris Moreland and sous chef Shaun Goswell, the
latter coming off a recent stint at Copenhagen’s renowned Noma
... All-natural gourmet sausages, double-dipped fries, and a
selection of German, Belgian and local craft brews selected by
CityBites columnist Stephen Beaumont make up the modern beer hall
menu at WVRST (609 King St. W., 416-703-7775, wvrst.com)
... Ed Ho has recovered quickly from his
scuttled earth mississauga project, and
has taken over the huge space that
previously held My Place Pub to open
earth bloor west with Chef Kevin McKenna
(2448 Bloor St. W., globeearth.ca) in May
... Lots of great new food shops are open
or coming soon in Leslieville, including
organic and local grocery Foodist Market (1129 Queen St. E., 416-465-5221), sustainable
seafood shop Hooked (888 Queen St. E.,
416-828-1861, hookedinc.ca), olive oil and
fine food emporium Olive & Olives (779 Queen St. E., oliveolives.com),
and a storefront location for Sausage Partners (1378 Queen St. E.,
sausagepartners.com), the sausage- and preserve-making business
owned by chef Kyle Deming (Starfish, Ceili Cottage) and his wife Lorraine
... Winchester Kitchen & Bar (51A Winchester St., 416-323-0051,
winchesterkitchen.com) is the latest attempt to make something stick at
this second floor Cabbagetown address that once played host to Al Capone
... Venerable butcher shop Royal Beef (1968 Danforth Ave., 416-421-1029,
royalbeef.ca) celebrates 25 years in business on May 14th, and is also
welcoming back Paul Bradshaw, a former apprentice at Royal who is
returning to fill the head butcher role after a decade at other shops
including The Healthy Butcher ... Less than a year after launching to
near instant accolades, Guy Rawlings has amicably left the tiny kitchen
at Brockton General (1321 Dundas St. W., 647-342-6104, facebook.com/ brocktongeneral) to start planning his own establishment, and
Alexandra Feswick (ex-Earth) has been brought in as his successor
... Blowfish on Bay (333 Bay St., 416-860-0606) brings the
Japanese fusion cuisine and unique sake selection of the original
King West Blowfish over to the Financial District ... Korean restaurant
San (676 Queen St. W.) closed in March after a dozen year run
... They can’t sell you the booze, but everything else you need for a
swank home bar, including vintage glassware and accessories, one-of-
a-kind minibars, beer brewing kits and more is on the shelves at BYOB
Cocktail Emporium (972 Queen St. W., 877-989-8980, byobto.com)
... Ossington will be home to the next location of the rapidly
expanding Indian delivery/take-out chain Amaya Express (108 Ossington Ave., 416-322-0020, amayarestaurant.com)
... Things will soon be getting sweeter in Rosedale, where a second
location of Nadège Patisserie (1099 Yonge St., nadege-patisserie.com)
is set to open alongside All The Best ... A massive indoor smoker
ensures that you’ll get authentic southern-style BBQ at Barque Smokehouse (299 Roncesvalles Ave., 416-532-7700, barque.ca)
... Gaucho Gourmet Market (614 College St.) has closed down,
but the famous El Gaucho chorizos and sausages are still available
each Saturday at St. Lawrence Farmer’s Market ... Aboriginal
cuisine and art will be focus at Keriwa Cafe (1690 Queen St. W.,
416-533-2552, keriwacafe.ca) when it opens in Parkdale later this spring
... The second Toronto location of Guu Izakaya (559 Bloor St. W.,
guu-izakaya.com) is drawing the same crazy line-ups as the first
on Church ... Ray & Celina Blanchard have closed Strada
(2279 Bloor St. W.) after just over 5 years in business, but their
next door restaurant Villa remains open ... Say ciao to Divino
(1 Balmoral Ave., 416-515-0003), a new trattoria from the owners of
Brownes Bistro in a spot that previously held the midtown location
of Terroni ... Speaking of which, Terroni Bar Centrale (1095 Yonge St.,
416.504.1992, terronicentrale.com) is now open, with a menu and
atmosphere designed for quick snacks and casual drinks
... Lest you think Terroni is the only hip Italian chain in town, the
Eaton Centre is now home to the fourth and highest profile location
of Mercatto (220 Yonge St., 647-352-3390, trattoriamercatto.ca)
... And if higher-end Italian is
more your thing, check out Aria
(25 York St., 416-363-2742,
ariaristorante.ca), a new ristorante
from the owners of Noce.
Openings, closings and musings
GREG CLOW is the co-publisher, news editor, beer writer and head dishwasher at Taste T.O. (tasteto.com), a website that reports on anything and everything to do with food and drink in Toronto.
CELEBRATING OUR 27TH
ANNIVERSARY!Specializing in organically grown, Non-GMO & environmentally safe products.
www.thebigcarrot.caN E W C O O K I N G C L A S S E S • F R E E N U T R I T I O N A L S T O R E T O U R S • F R E E E V E N I N G L E C T U R E S
Natural Food [email protected]
Wholistic [email protected]
Organic Juice Bar New Menu!
348 Danforth Avenue1 block west of Chester subway
Mon-Fri 9-9 • Sat 9-8 • Sun 11-6
CityBites_Spring2011_1:CityBites 4/15/11 2:42 PM Page 1
Earth chef Kevin McKenna.
7Spring 2011
Bits and Bites
Snacking with ChefsSeems the people just can’t get
enough of watching chefs cook.
Or duke it out. Or perhaps it’s the
bargain haute-snacking?
Last sunday, the Cheese Bou-
tique’s annual Festival of Chefs
kicked off with Rob Gentile of Buca.
the Pristine family will be hosting
nine more of toronto’s finest chefs
every saturday, sunday and holiday
Monday from noon to 4 p.m. through
the rest of May. Your donation
(minimum $5) goes to the Famous
People Players scholarship Fund
and gets you samples and sips.
sips come courtesy of 13th
street Winery, Cave spring Cellars,
Malivoire, norman Hardie, Rosewood
estate and stratus.
Schedule of ChefsMay 7 Le select Bistro > albert Ponzo
May 8 Ruby Watchco > Lora Kirk
May 14 Four seasons Hotel > thomas Bellec
May 15 tOCa by tom Brodi > tom Brodi
May 21 enoteca sociale > Rocco agostino
May 22 Biff’s Bistro > Basilio Pesce
May 23 Globe/earth > Kevin McKenna
May 28 Real sport’s Bar & Grill > tony Glitz
May 29 the Black Hoof > Grant van Gameren
You’ve been waiting for it, and now it’s here! Taking Billy Munnelly’s patented no-nonsense and no-pretensions approach into the digital sphere, this is a fun and easy-to-use iPhone and iPad app that helps you located great-value wines according to themes (“Pinot Pretenders”) or mood (“Schmooze with a big red”). There are more than 300 recommendations, and each includes a bottle photo and product code. Best of all, the app works without an internet connection, so when you’re stuck deep in the bowels of an LCBO, you can still get your Munnelly fix. $3.99 at iTunes Store.
If you’ve never tasted mead, you’ll be forgiven. Man’s first alcoholic beverage isn’t exactly beating Red Bull and vodka as a contemporary drink of choice. But, and this is a big but, pre-pare to be agog. CityBites columnist Konrad Ejbich declared Rosewood Estates 2009 Mead Blanc as his pick of the month on his CBC Radio show in March. Innovative, he called it, noting its brilliant tropical flavours. The wine is a blend of gewurtztraminer and Rosewood’s own mead recipe (they produce all manner of wax and honey products). Try it with exotically spiced global cuisines. The wine is available at the winery, or you can have a taste at Café du Lac and Café Taste. rosewoodwine.com
Wine geeks and wannabe wine geeks alike should know about Brock University’s CCOVI Lecture Series for… wine geeks. The live lectures are open to the public, but even better, the entire series can be viewed online. The 2011 edition just wrapped up with a lecture titled “Botrytis: The Jekyll and Hyde Fungus.” CCOVI stands for Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute. brocku.ca/ccovi
Billy’s Best Bottles: The App
Rosewood Estates: Winery and Meadery
CCOVI: Get Schooled
8 CityBites
stuff By Signe Langford
Greek Tycoon The ever-peckish Christine Cushing is sharing her latest discovery with us. This fire-roasted sweet red shepherd pepper purée in extra virgin olive oil from Sparta is sweet, savoury and delicious right out of the jar. But don’t be a little piggy: you should share too. Boil up some pasta and toss it in with a little shaved pecorino.
$7.99/270 g at Fiesta Farms, 200 Christie St.,
416-537-1235, fiestafarms.ca
Pimp my Poutine New York Fries is gilding the lily with aromatic butter chicken in a mild tomato-cream sauce and tender, slow braised Angus beef in a red wine reduction—poured over Quebec cheese curds, of course.
Eaton Centre South Food Court and
other locations $4.75/med and $5.75/lg,
newyorkfries.com
Twisted Sipper Attention all extreme wine geeks: the Twister Aerator Wineglass is the latest way to aerate without decanting—and it’s way cool. With nine “continuous aeration channels” and a nifty wineglass-inside-a-wineglass design, this will either totally impress your friends or have them looking at you funny.
$19.99 at The Cook’s Place, 501 Danforth Ave.,
416-461-5211, thecooksplace.com
Smooth Operator Vinturi Wine Aerators (in red and white) do what they promise to do: soften harsh elements and open up the wine’s aromas to bring out the best from your bottle. And it’s fast: You can even use it for just a single glass. In acrylic and black silicon, it includes a drip-catching stand and filter for bits of cork or sediment.
$49.95 at The Wine Establishment,
250 The Esplanade, Ste. 104,
416-861-1331,
thewineestablishment.com
Like Chocolate for Cheese The folks who make Brix chocolates for wine in extra dark (70%), medium dark (60%) and milk chocolate (40%) would like wine lovers to skip the cheese course and enjoy a tipple with chocolate instead. We think compromise overrated. Have both.
$13.95/8 oz at Longo’s Maple Leaf Square,
15 York St., 416-366-1717, brixchocolate.com
9Spring 2011
Illu
st
ra
tIo
n: P
Ier
re
la
mIe
ll
ethe gourmudgeon By Stephen Temkin
I use to joke with out-of-town visitors that the name Toronto is a native Canadian word that means village of the lousy waiters.
Not anymore. Toronto’s restaurant scene is now brimming with enthusiastic, competent and knowledgeable servers.
Wine service has especially improved. Thirty years ago when I plied this trade at Fentons, the waiters were sorely ignorant about the wine list, and there was no sommelier to be found. Admittedly, it was barely necessary: most of the customers were equally clueless. That won’t wash anymore.
Good service is crucial for any restaurant hoping for repeat business. Of course, despite their best intentions, the smooth operation of any restaurant can occasionally break down, and we should be somewhat forgiving of these inevitable lapses.
However, willful, inexplicably inhospitable service is unforgivable. I recently experienced one of the worst examples I’ve ever encountered.
A couple of friends and I decided to have an early dinner at Salt, on the Ossington strip. We booked a table for 6 p.m.
When we arrived, the restaurant was empty. Nevertheless, we were ushered to the worst table in the room. We weren’t pleased but we accepted their reasons.
A couple of minutes later, the server returned to inform us that, “by the way,” we would have to vacate the table by 8 p.m.
I would have none of that. I informed her that when we made our reservation, we were not advised about this condition, and that we would therefore not feel obligated to leave by eight. This got my blood simmering,
but it was not the event that would bring it to a rolling boil.
We decided to order wine from the by-the-glass list. I placed my order, determined to let the early irritations be forgotten.
But then, the server returned with a truly unprecedented bit of information. She told me that they only had a couple of bottles left of the wine I ordered, and the manager has decided to reserve them for potential customers who choose to order by the bottle.
I was gobsmacked. “The wine is on your by-the-glass list,” I
pointed out.“Yes.”“And you do still have some?”“Yes but….”“… but I can’t have any?”“Well,” she tried again, “we only have two
bottles and the manager wants to keep them for customers who order by the bottle,” as if repeating this harebrained indignity would make it sensible. I asked for the manager.
He arrived at our table, stone-faced and void of graciousness, and reiterated what I had already been told.
I pursued my complaint. He would not budge. “I’ve been meaning to change the list but I haven’t gotten around to it yet,” he said, as if arbitrarily changing the wine-by-the-glass list in his mind was all that mattered, customer be damned.
Well, here’s my advice to all restaurant managers, albeit exceedingly obvious to most of them. If a wine is on your list by the glass,
and if that wine is in stock—even just a single bottle—and a customer orders a glass and knows you have it, never do what this thought- less manager did. Just serve the wine and do it with good cheer.
That’s what hospitality is: accommodating your guests to the best of your abilities within reason. Satisfying my wishes in this matter was not only within reason, it shouldn’t even have been an issue.
I suppose we should have stomped out, but we stayed, finished our meal, and left a good tip for the servers who seemed embarrassed by their manager’s shabby performance.
I should mention that we each received a free glass of dessert wine after dinner, so some- body in the place felt remorse about something. But freebies are an appropriate gesture when inadvertent mistakes have occurred; they don’t heal the wound of such a pointless and deliberate dearth of accommodation.
I’ve never felt so demeaned in a restaurant. Needless to say, I won’t be returning to Salt. CB
a sad Parable of needlessly poor hospitality
Salt on the wound
When not eating, drinking, or writing about eating and drinking, Stephen temkin makes fedoras. [email protected]
10 CityBites
COMPETITION By Alan McGinty
Identifying wines blinds—aka, sight un-seen—is a talent and an art. And, some would say, there’s no small amount of luck involved. Especially at a competitive level, where the wine gods might deliver up aromas and fla-vours that are very familiar to the taster’s palate... or not. It certainly works both ways.
Niagara-based wine writer Evan Saviolidis relied on all of his talents, knowledge, memory and a few hunches to lock up the top spot at the 2010 Wine Tasting Challenge, held last fall at the Four Seasons hotel and organized by the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute at Brock University. The annual event is the largest wine tasting challenge in the world, with a prize purse exceeding $150,000 in cash, trips, scholarships and stemware.
This was Evan’s first Wine Tasting Challenge since the event’s inception in 2006. He nailed the South African pinotage, which he says “smelled like a north-facing cow on a bad Texas day.” That pretty much sums up the
notoriously dark and earthy red. Blind tasting is about pulling out characteristics typical of a grape to help in its identification. He correctly deduced an atypical blend of san-giovese, cabernet and merlot: “I got the sour cherry and humus of the sangiovese, the herbaceousness of the cabernet, and the merlot gave the plumminess.”
Evan describes his win as “very gratifying.” Prizes include $5,000 cash, a week in Bordeaux, five days in southwest France, dinner for eight with sommelier Will Predhomme at Canoe and dinner for four at Vineland Estates. The competition is sponsored by a long list of local and international businesses, including Via Allegro, B&W Wines, Spiegelau and CityBites Media.
A contributor to Tidings magazine and a wine instructor, Evan gets to taste way more wines than most people and, crucially for competitions such as these, he does it regularly. Past winners are all industry people who taste
daily, which can only help. “It does. The more you practice, the better you become. When I wasn’t tasting wines for nearly a year, my palate was shot. But when I got back into the rhythm of it, it came back quickly.”
After beating out more than 250 competitors, it seems safe to say Evan’s palate is “back.” CB
Smells like victoryBattle of wINE TasTErs yields Big prizes
Evan Saviolidis took top prize at the Wine Tasting Challenge.
Up to the Challenge?Held every November, the wTC aims to encourage excellence in the hospitality trade. amateur enthusiasts are also welcome. There is no fee to enter, but space is limited. registration starts in October at winetastingchallenge.com. Prizes for 2011 will include a trips to China, Greece, Italy, France and California.
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11Spring 2011
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foreign correspondents By Signe Langford
BARBERIAN’S STEAKHOUSE AND TAVERN >> FRANCE7 Elm St., 416-597-0335, barberians.comcrêpe suzette for two | $40
this place rocks the kitchen old school, with
this french classic as part of the “after theatre
menu” serve from 10 p.m. until closing. sweet
crêpes are folded around cherry preserves
then blessed with grand Marnier, a splash
of kirsch and flambéed tableside.
PHIL’S ORIGINAL BBQ >> VENEZUELA383 College St., 416-532-8161,
philsoriginalbbq.comcachapas | $5.75
courtesy of phil’s Venezuelan wife and
business partner gloria, this luscious corn
pancake is tender, sweet and savoury, creamy,
studded with fresh corn and stuffed to
capacity with all manner of goodness, from
gooey cheese to phil’s BBQ titbits (add $3).
PEARL COURT >> CHINA633 Gerrard St. E., 416-463-8778
Moo shoo Vegetable | $9.50
Bland and steamed, these saucer-sized discs
are made for filling and folding. Moo shoo
101: a) smear crêpe with hoisin sauce; b) pile
a mound of smoky-good moo shoo filling in
the centre; c) fold into a package and eat.
a culture of pancakes
The world is f lat
Private dining room for parties up to 36 Brunch Saturday and Sunday 12-4pm
1/2 Price Oyster Mondays Live Jazz Sunday 8-10pm
�ree blocks south of Eglinton at 2075 Yonge St. Toronto On. M4S 2A4
Ph. 416 322 6767 CoquineRestaurant.com European Bistro and Wine Bar
As Dr. Phil likes to say, “I don’t care how flat you make a pancake, it’s always got two sides.” Two, wondrous flat sides, perfect for stuffing, saucing or topping. Flapjacks, hotcakes, crêpes, pancakes, griddlecakes… whip out the old culinary atlas and you’ll find that many cultures enjoy a fried or steamed up puddle of batter. In Tibet it’s chataamari, in India, pooda. Mexico has cajeta, the Dutch call them pannenkoeken, and in Germany, pfannkuchen. Here, if we’re over the age of four, we eat them with a knife and fork, but in some cultures, the pancake is the cutlery—or even the plate.
Barberian’s
Phil’s
Pearl’s
12 CityBites
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the urban farmer By Arlene Hazzan Green
You’re dying to grow your own food but you don’t have a plot to plant in. No worries. There are many options for the space-starved.
Container gardening has been around for centuries, not only because it’s practical but also beautiful. Even a small collection of pots can transform an empty patio, balcony, drive- way or deck into a lush and edible landscape. A humble bucket, a recycling bin or even an old teapot can make a great home for salad greens, peas, beans, tomatoes and peppers. Most fruits, vegetables and herbs can be grown in containers as long as they get enough sun, a proper-sized pot with drainage holes and the right soil. One nice thing about containers: you can move the pots to follow the sun.
Water Water everyWhereContainer growing means more frequent watering. A pot is a relatively small space compared with a garden bed and is more likely to dry out. Those pretty terra cotta pots are notorious for absorbing water so
they have to be watered often. Try planting in self-watering pots that have a reservoir at the bottom, forcing the plant to drink from below through its roots. If drainage is poor, plants will are vulnerable to root rot. You need to strike a perfect balance between draining and retaining.
SucceSS iS in the SoilKeep it light and fluffy. A pot filled with triple mix will turn into a cement block after a few good rains, and that’s not good for airflow or healthy root growth. Start with a good quality organic potting soil and amend it with something nutritious such as vermi-compost (worm castings).
Size doeS matterThe pot must fit for the plant. Plants with shallow root— like lettuces and greens—are ok in shallow pots, while tomatoes, peppers and eggplants prefer large vessels so the roots can spread out.
think vertical Containers can be placed on shelves or tables and that means less stooping. Another benefit: because each plant has its own self-contained ecosystem, you’re less likely to be hit by a major bug or weed infestation. Add a trellis to your containers for climbing plants like peas and pole beans. Bamboo hoops can support a shade cloth to cool your plants at the peak of summer—and you can switch to clear plastic sheeting to create a mini greenhouse when temperatures dip in the fall.
Arlene Hazzan Green co-owns The Backyard Urban Farm Co. in Toronto. Visit bufco.ca.
no backyard? no problem!
Contain Yourself!
Special thanks to our partners:
An evening inspired by BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL: Andrew Carter, Executive Chef of The Queen and Beaver Public House, May 12, 6-8 pm, $95 per guest
The Executive Chef SeriesEat. Meet. Mingle with top executive chefs
Launching May12!
Patrick McMurray, Owner of Star�sh Oyster Bar & Grill, May 26, 6-8 pm, $80 per guest
Trevor Wilkinson, Owner & Executive Chef from Trevor Kitchen & Bar, June 9, 6-8 pm, $95 per guest
Peter George, Executive Chef of 360 The Restaurant at the CN Tower, August 25, 6-8 pm, $95 per guest
Timothy Palmer, Restaurant Chef of the Fairmont Royal York restaurant EPIC, September 15, 6-8 pm, $95 per guest
St. Lawrence Marketpresents
The executive chef series includes a �ve or six-course tasting menu, wine and food pairings and all gratuities. Register at [email protected] or call 416-860-0727 stlawrencemarket.com facebook.com/stlawrencemarket
Work with We seek eager ad sales reps
to join our team.
Email [email protected].
13Spring 2011
VITICULTURE By Heather Li
If you haven’t heard of “biodynamic” wine yet, well, it’s about to become as ubiquitous as “sustainable” fish.
“What differentiates biodynamic wine is how it brings the life back to the vineyards,” says Paul Pender, winemaker for Niagara’s Tawse Winery. “Wine is considered its own organism, so with minimal intervention—no use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and so on—you get a more pure, truer sense of the wine’s unique taste.”
Tawse spent four years upgrading its Ecocert organic-certified vineyard to a biodynamic system, modifying their soil preparation, pest and weed control, harvest- ing, barreling, bottling and every other aspect of wine production. Meeting Inter-national Demeter Standards for biodynamic farming, the winery was officially certified this April, joining Canada’s first bio- dynamic winery Southbrook in leading the industry in holistic farming.
The biodynamic method is sometimes ridiculed for its spirituality—astrological charts play a big part, as do ritualistic practices such as the burying of manure-stuffed cow horns among the vines. “People can take what they want from it, but we are affected many ways by the moon,” Pender says. “The biodynamic approach is just one more tool for good viticulture and to give wine a sense of uniqueness.”
Pender also points to the greater eco- benefits of biodynamics. “Niagara grape producers are heavy users of fungicides because of the humid environment,” says Pender. “The Niagara escarpment flows down to Lake Ontario, so eliminating harsher chemicals equals long-term sustainability, preservation of the Great Lakes and is good for our basic health.” CB
Tawse’s first official biodynamic wines, the 2010 Quarry Road Riesling and the 2010 Quarry Road Gewurztraminer, will be released on May 10 at the Somewhereness wine event in Toronto (see p. 31). Then on May 14, the wines will debut at select Ontario restaurants, including Canoe and Splendido.
Spirited wineCall it hoCus poCus, but bIodynamIC VITICULTURE is in niagara
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fresh By Heather Li
Diana’s seafooD Delights | $13-15/lb.2101 Lawrence Ave. E., 416-288-9286, dianasseafood.com
hookeD inc. | $20/lb.888 Queen St. E., 416-828-1861, hookedinc.ca
bill’s lobster | $19/lb599 Gerrard St. E., 416-778-0943
seafront fish Market | Market priceSt. Lawrence Market, 93 Front St. E., 416-365-8086, seafoodfishmarket.com
the harborD rooMNo ideas yet, but it’s a safe bet Chef Cory Vitiello will keep his prawns sweet and simple.89 Harbord St., 416-962-8989, theharbordroom.com
great cooks on eightExecutive Chef and Top Chef Canada competitor Andrea Nicholson has yet to solidify her approach, but says the spot prawn is too good to mess around with too much.410 Bay St., 416-861-4333, greatcooks.ca
beast restaurantChef Scott Vivian deepfries the prawns in a buttermilk batter and serves them po’ boy style on rolls made from scratch with coleslaw, mayo and
oven-cured tomatoes96 Tecumseth St., 647-352-6000, thebeastrestaurant.com
pangaeaOcean Wise poster boy Chef Martin Kouprie will give his prawns the luxe treatment on green and white asparagus with an olive oil béarnaise sauce, Abitibi or sturgeon caviar and chervil.1221 Bay St., 416-920-2323, pangaearestaurant.com
c5Executive Chef Ted Corrado dresses them up with cilantro yuzu soba noodles, Cookstown rainbow carrots, maitake mushrooms and pea tendrils.Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park, 416-586-7928, c5restaurant.ca
Spot on!SuStainable, DeliciouS spot prawns
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Spot prawns from B.C. are so delicate in flavour they’re often served raw like sashimi. “It’s like eating… candy,” says Steve Johansen of B.C.-based fish supplier Organic Ocean. The prawns are also one of the most sustainable sea products on the planet. They live in the Pacific Ocean, easily regenerate and are commercially harvested in long-line traps with no damage to the ocean floor.
Most B.C. spot prawns used to be exported to Japan, but as their reputation grew among Vancouver and Toronto chefs, the prawns started swimming onto local menus. The season lasts about eight weeks, starting early May. Toronto chef Jason Inniss of Cross Town Kitchens likes a ceviche of spot prawn with lemon juice, shallots and chili. The less prep the better—they really are that good.
the cold-water spot prawn: fast growing and tasty.
15Spring 2011
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etrend By Signe Langford • special offer •
The CityBites-WineOnline Club
Welcome to Dick’s Wine Picks, a special offer for our readers. Get free delivery on these great wines,
plus the entire catalogue at wineonline.ca. Just enter the code “citybites” at checkout.
Domaine sainte eugénie 2009 le clos Vin de pays d’ocDomaine Sainte Eugénie lies in the sweet spot of Corbières within the foothills of the Pyrénées. This wine has a generous nose of red and black fruit. Joyous in the mouth, lovely balance and tangy acidity. Fine tannins, ready to drink. A complex wine, superb value.Bottle: $15.95 | Case: $191.40 (12x750mL)
Bodegas Nekeas 2009 el chaparral de Vega sindoaRobert Parker and Stephen Tanzer have both remarked on the stunning value of these wines. This is made from old vines garnacha. Fresh red and dark berries are delivered in a solid structure of mineral, chocolate and more black berries. Silky tannins. Drink now, drink often.Bottle: $21.95 | Case: $263.40 (12x750mL)
poggiofoco 2009 cecco Doc sovana (organic)Pure gorgeousness! A silky wine that shines ruby red, with fruity, fresh snap, relatively low alcohol and lovely structure. Some very nice herbal notes, juniper, thyme, currants. Drinkable right now, with fine tannins.Bottle: $24.95 | Case: $299.40 (12x750mL)
Vieille Julienne 2007 châteauneuf-du-papeTiny yields make this biodynamically produced wine a real killer, boasting incredible concentration. Minimal interference here in the winemaking, which lets the aromatics shine. Black cherry, cassis, charcoal… all the elements you need! Always a Robert Parker favourite, this vintage gets 95 points.Bottle: $114 | Case: $684 (6x750mL)
Domaine arnoux lachaux 2009 romanée st. Vivant Grand cruBurghound.com calls this a wine “of grace and finesse.” Really, any review can stop right there. But the 95-98 point score is justified by “very
fresh red berry and plum aromas” and “fine middle weight flavors that are wonderfully seductive, complex and hugely long.” Bottle: $859 | Case: $2577 (3x750mL)
Andrew Gajory is feeling left out. The general manager of Intercontinental Toronto Yorkville on Bloor West wants to be a player in Toronto’s serious dining scene. But it’s hard getting noticed when you’re tucked away inside a hotel lobby.
“We don’t have an entrance of our own, we can’t get to the street, so it’s very hard for hotel restaurants… to compete with standalone fine-dining establishments.”
Well, his attitude seems to be: If you can’t join ’em, beat ’em! To celebrate the hotel’s 20th anniversary, Gajory is inviting diners to bring their own bottle to Signatures Restaurant corkage- free from Monday to Thursday. (At other times, the fee is $15.) A new wine-focused menu features set entrees crafted to match six popular wine styles, such as Chablis (chardonnay), Bordeaux (cabernet) and pinot noir (Burgundy).
It’s a calculated move to attract Torontonians who love food and wine. Cities like New York and L.A. don’t seem to have a problem attracting locals to their dining and drinking venues. Even the hippest feel no shame, indeed, they are drawn to drink and dine at their city’s hotels. So, what’s stopping us?
Well, more often than not, hotel dining rooms look more like time capsules than shrines to edgy haut-cuisine. And, more often than not, hotel kitchens lack flair and personality. They tend to be run by desk-bound executive chefs preoccupied with the bottom line and out of touch with the trends of the local food scene. Though a few exceptions come easily to mind: David Garcelon at Fairmont Royal York, Anthony Rose at the Drake, Patrick Lin at Senses, David Chrystian at Le Germain—and now (wait and see…) Joseph Rabba at the Intercontinental.
Recognised by the Ontario Hostelry Institute in 2007 as one of the Top 30 Under 30, Rabba brings his experiences in Spain, France, Italy, Holland and Greece to the table. His dishes are both playfully modern and classical. Think: sea bass Thai yellow curry paired with your favourite sauvignon blanc ($28); vanilla- poached lobster with a crisp Chablis ($30); or peppercorn-braised bison short rib matched to a spicy shiraz ($28).
Hey, you could turn this into something of a blood sport by bringing in really challenging wines and putting wine wrangler Rami Zok to the test. CB
IntercontInental juICes Its menu
BYOB hotel
signatures restaurant at the intercontinental.
free delivery at wineonline.ca! Just enter “citybites” at checkout.
Free delivery for CityBites readers almost anywhere in Ontario!
HST included. Bottle deposit extra.
Wines must be ordered in case lots (6 or 12, as available) unless otherwise noted.
16 CityBites
Books By Signe Langford
Read ’em and eat
Tales of a Gypsy HoTelierBy Christina Synnott
Perhaps every young cook’s dream: globe-trotting from kitchen to kitchen racking up once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Not the most sophisticated read, but dreamy-eyed cooks will find inspiration. Verbatim: “I sat on the terrace overlooking the Serengeti Plains. […] I realised … this is where we all came from and that anything is possible. I didn’t have to continue working in a little cubicle as a catering manager in a Toronto hotel.”(Authorhouse, $17.99)
serve yourself: NiGHTly adveNTures iN CookiNG for oNe By Joe Yonan
For single folks, weeknight eating is mostly lame. Popcorn for dinner or a whole cauliflower. Washington Post food editor Joe Yonan gives Onesies a collection of easy, fresh, non-micro-wavable meals for one. Verbatim: “There I knelt, hatchet in one hand and a living, breathing chicken in the other. I held it by its feet. ... It didn’t cluck, didn’t flap. It was calm—certainly calmer than I.” (Random House, $25)
MoMofukuBy David Chang and Peter Meehan
With anticipation of the charmingly cranky noodle maven set to join The Donald’s Shangri-La, let’s revisit this 2009 book. Slurp up chef-on-chef adventure tales and recipes from the simplest of noodles to experiments with meat glue. Verbatim: “It’s weird to be ‘famous’ for some-thing. Can you imagine being Neil Diamond and having to sing “Cracklin’ Rosie” every time you get on stage for the rest of your life?” (Random House, $49)
kiTCHeN sCraps: a HuMorous illusTraTed CookbookBy Pierre A. Lamielle
The recipe names are fun—Aphrodite’s Hot Greek Goddess Salad, The Blessed Eggs of St. Beneductius, The Bastard Child of Mr. Croque—and the award-winning, quirky, slightly dark illustrations are delicious! Verbatim: “Even the other bankers thought Mr. Sprout was an old fuddy-duddy because he always wore the same limp green tweed suit and bowler hat every day.” (Whitecap, $29.95)
ideas iN food: GreaT reCipes aNd WHy THey WorkBy Aki Kamozowa and H. Alexander Talbot
Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the kitchen without a slide-ruler, callipers and jug of nitro, along comes this cookbook/science manual. Of course, it started as a luscious-looking blog. Verbatim: “The speed of their reaction depends on the amount of available polyphenoloxidase, the amount of polyphenols, the level of oxygen, the temperature and the pH.” (Random House, $28.95)
Spring into Salut Visit our website for full festival event listings and ticket information.
salutwinefestival.com or call 1.800.656.0713
May 7-14, 2011
Salut wine + Food FeStival event Highlights at a glance
Saturday May 7 & 14 Canadian Cheese Champions with Canadian Wine Champions
Global Pinot - Chasing The Heartbreak Grape
Salut Sommelier Smackdown
Crush Wine Bar/ Market Kitchen
Crush Wine Bar/ Market Kitchen
Crush Wine Bar
Tuesday May 10 Origin & Finca Decero Winery at Origin’s Warhol Private Room Origin Restaurant
Wednesday May 11 Lifford Grand Tasting & Salut VIP Red & White Icons Reception
Salut To New Zealand Wine Makers Dinner
Wychwood Art Barns
Hôtel Le Germain
Thursday May 12 New Zealand Wine Fair & Salut VIP ‘Meet The Principals’ Reception Design Exchange
Friday May 13 Salut Ontario Toast To Terroir Evergreen Brickworks
Saturday May 14 Salut Visa Infinite Grand Finale Dinner with Rob Feenie Truffles Restaurant
Sunday May 15 Burger Wars! The Ultimate Salut Wine + Food Festival Wrap Up Party m:brgr brgr bar
Attentive cabin crew, gourmet cuisine, champagne in all classes, 5-star service on long-haul flights
16212_Salut Wine FestivalDocket/Job: 16212Client: Air France
Trim: 184.6 mm (w) x 117.4 mm (h) Safety: .25"Bleed: .125"
Publication: Salut Wine GuideInsertion Date: XX 2011Colours: CMYK
Art Director: XXXX Copywriter: XXXXXMac Artist: Ross
www.airfrance.ca
16212_Salut_Wine_Festival.indd 1 11-04-25 11:10 AM
Saturday May 7 & 14 Seminars
Canadian Cheese Champions with Canadian Wine ChampionsMay 7, Crush Wine Bar • May 14, The Market Ktichen
Global Pinot - Chasing The Heartbreak GrapeMay 7, Crush Wine Bar • May 14, The Market Ktichen
Salut Wine + Food Festival Presents Sommelier Smackdown!May 7, Crush Wine Bar
For more details visit salutewinefestival.com
Tuesday May 10
Origin & Finca Decero Winery at Origin’s Warhol Private RoomJoin a select few Salut guests on May10th for an exclusive evening in Origin’s private Warhol room with winery principal Stephanie Morton-Small, of Finca Decero and Origin chef de cuisine Steve Gonzales to explore contemporary global cuisine and Argentine Malbec wine. 7:00 pm • $145
Wednesday May 11
Lifford Grand Tasting & Salut VIP Red & White Icons Reception at Wychwood Art BarnsSalut guests will have the opportunity to get up front and personal with winery representatives from two iconic wineries - Cakebread Cellars from Napa, California and Craggy Range from New Zealand. Directly after the special Salut VIP Reception, you will enter the Lifford Grand Tasting and sample over 250 wines from more than 45 winemakers/winery principals attending, taste delicious food, and all for a great cause. This is an event that makes the average wine tasting seem, well... average. All proceeds from the Grand Tasting will benefit Delisle Youth Services. 5:45 pm • $200
Wednesday May 11
Salut To New Zealand Wine Makers Dinner at Hôtel Le Germain Come embark on a journey across New Zealand as each course is complemented with carefully selected wines from Marlborough by Blind River & Kim Crawford, Waitaki Valley by Ostler, Waipara by Kim Crawford, Hawke’s Bay by Elephant Hill. Enjoy an extraordinary gourmet meal created by Chef David Chrystian of Victor restaurant located in the Hôtel Le Germain. 7:00 pm • $145enter to win a trip for 2 to France
Courtesy of:
visit salutwinefestival.com to enter.
For additional event information, seminar listings, or to purchase tickets please
visit salutwinefestival.com or call 1.800.656.0713Schedule subject to change.
Presented byDairy Farmers of Canada
allyouneedischeese.ca
LOOK FOR
Thursday May 12
New Zealand Wine Fair & Salut VIP ‘Meet The Principals’ Reception at the Design Exchange This is a chance for Salut guests to meet with the travelling winery principals in an exclusive one-on-one VIP reception before the New Zealand Wine Fair. Directly after the reception, you will enter the New Zealand Wine Fair and sample over 140 wines from proven performers to stars in the making at this once a year tasting6:00 pm • $80
Friday May 13
Salut Ontario Toast To Terroir at the Evergreen BrickworksJoin Salut for a culinary collaboration of Ontario’s top chefs, hottest wines, micro beers, cheese producers, farms and agricultural regions. This festival styled tasting will be hosted by celebrity Chef Brad Long at his new Café Belong at the Brick Works. Chef Long will be roasting local heritage pigs on a spit as you enter the Brick Works and then you’ll find a host of his chef friends, local producers, growers and artisans wines showcasing the best of Ontario.6:30 pm • $50
Saturday May 14
Salut Visa Infinite Grand Finale Dinner with Celebrity Chef & Iron Chef Champion, Rob Feenie at Truffles in the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
Join Celebrity Chef Rob Feenie for a delightful evening Saturday, May 14th. Canada’s first Iron Chef Champion will make a rare appearance in Toronto to be the Chef of honor at the Salut Wine + Food Festival Grand Finale dinner. Chef Feenie will be working alongside Four Seasons Toronto Executive Chef, Thomas Bellec to create a magical gourmet experience.
Guests will be welcomed to the chic Four Seasons Truffles private dining room for a elegant Champagne reception followed by an exquisite multi-course menu featuring the finest ingredients sourced through local purveyors and paired with exceptional wines.
6:30 pm • $165
As a visa infinite Cardholder, you will receive 20% discount on your ticket purchase to select Salut events. To receive your discount when purchasing tickets online, please enter your first 6 digits of your Visa Infinite card on the Promo Code section.
VIS-135-WH-1A
JOB NO: VIS-INF-WH1135 AD NO: VIS-135-WH-1A SIZE: TRIM: 10.5" X 13.25" BLEED: N/A TYPE: 9.5" X 11.75" COLOUR: 4/C CMYK HEADLINE: RECEIVE A 20%... MEDIA: SALUT MAGAZINE SUPPLIER: PRESSLINX STUDIO ARTIST: WM – APRIL 13, 2011 APPLICATION: INDESIGN CS4 AGENCY: TBWA\TORONTO CLIENT: VISA
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
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*Visa claim based upon global number of general purpose cards, number of transactions and purchase volume. The off er described above is only available to Canadian Visa Infi nite cardholders. Off er is based on availability and additional terms and conditions may apply. Cardholders are responsible for the cost of dinner, wine, and any additional items. See Festival Guide for a list of events eligible for discount. Visit visainfi nite.ca for details. Visa and Visa Infi nite are registered trademarks of Visa Int.; Visa Canada is a licensed user. Aeroplan and Aerogold are Registered Trademarks of Aeroplan Canada Inc. CIBC Authorized Licensee of Marks. Aventura is a Registered Trademark of CIBC.® Lion & Globe Design, RBC and AVION are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada.
receive a 20% discount on select Salut events. at Salut, Visa Infinite® cardholders have the opportunity to attend an exclusive dinner with cocktail reception and get a 20% discount on select Salut events.
to purchase tickets visit salutwinefestival.com
21Spring 2011
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inwine By Julie C. Trubkin
Hard to say, easy to drinkGreek wines get top billing at Maléna
Zinta’s PicksDifficult to find at LCBO/Vintages, these wines can be tracked down via the agents noted below. You know how to Google, right?
2009 Ktima tselepos moschofileroVintages #724583 | $15.20 a fresh, crisp white made from moschofilero, which can express a range of styles. this has lovely white floral notes, fresh apple and zesty citrus. a hit with fans of pinot grigio. by the glass at Maléna. Kolonaki Group
2009 Ktima pavlidis thema WhiteVintages #178442 | $17.95 a great wine for greek neophytes, blending assyrtiko and sauvignon blanc. Fresh and zesty with lemon and white grapefruit and subtle tropical fruit. Kolonaki Group
2005 Gaia estate aGiorGitiKoVintages #168021 | $35 a Vintages online exclusive, we serve it by the glass at Malena. a lovely medium bodied, plush wine aged in French oak. Vanilla and baking spices enrich fresh red fruit aromas of cherry and raspberry. Small Wine Makers
Cabernet sauvignon, sangiovese and… agiorgitiko? One of these things is not like the other.
The process of ordering wine in a restaurant can be intimidating enough, so intro- ducing impossibly unpronounceable names can only make matters worse, right? And yet one Toronto restaurant is more than up for the challenge of educating its customers. Maléna, located on the swish stretch of Avenue Road near Yorkville, champions Greek wines, offering six made in Nemea.
Typical diners may not be familiar with the majority of Maléna’s selection. “We did that on purpose,” says owner David Minicucci of a strategy he and co-owner Sam Kalogiros employ. “So that we can get involved and kind of teach and talk about wine. It heightens the experience.” Though not exclusively focused on Greek wines, the duo have become oenophilist trendsetters.
“In a perfect world every dish on the menu should have something by the glass that works well with it,” says Minicucci. And that’s precisely the world they’ve created at Maléna, where Greek wines are a natural complement to the restaurant’s Ionian cuisine.
Maléna’s sommelier Zinta Steprans really couldn’t predict how well the wines would be received. “Where retsina used to be the Greek staple, people are now focusing on boutique wineries with different varietals,” says Steprans. “I think it’s fun to sort of let people try it without knowing what it is. And then they end up loving it.” She’s aware of the cynics, but not bothered. “There are some people that immediately say ‘no we’re not doing Greek,’ and that’s fine. But there are a lot of people who say ‘I’ve never had Greek wine.’” And Steprans is poised to pleasantly surprise these neophytes, with a bottle of moschofilero at the ready when a diner asks for a pinot grigio or prosecco.
And there’s no shortage of Greek wines with which to impress. But among the 300-plus indigenous grapes grown, Greece is really promoting just four to the rest of the world—two whites and two reds, each of which can be sampled at Maléna. Xinomavro and agiorgitiko are the reds, assyrtiko and moschofilero the whites.
Maléna sources the majority of its Greek wines from the Kolonaki Group. Steve Kriaris, a self-described “premium Greek wine ambassador,” proudly proclaims that “even the LCBO calls [us] looking for Greek wines.” He predicts that the Greek wine industry in Toronto will double its growth in the next 10 years. “Greek wines are very avant garde,” he says, “because they don’t follow the same trends like all the other emerging wine countries.” He travels to Greece every year, tasting up to 200 wines.
Maléna is just one year into its mission to spread the word on Greek wines. Now it’s just a matter of mastering the terms. Steprans’ pronunciation is, as you’d expect, casual and effortless. Her advice for the phonetically challenged? “Just practice!” CB
Zinta steprans: converting wine lovers a glass at a time.
Greek wines are very avant garde because they don’t follow the trends.
22 CityBites
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CHAMPAGNE By John Szabo MS
Small but powerfulMore Bang For BuCk at these tiny CHAMPAGNE HousEs
For more, please turn to p. 31
DecoDing the labelLook for the two-letter code beside the company name. “NM” stands for “Négociant-Manipulant,” a house that buys and manipulates grapes into wine. “RM” stands for “Récoltant-Manipulant,” a house that harvests its own grapes and produces Champagne.Prices for licensees; add about 10% for retail.
Bereche et Fils Brut93 points | $45 Bereche is a tiny house located in ludes on the Montagne de rheims, all premier cru vineyards. raffael Bereche, 26 years old, is considered a rising superstars. Dominated by pinot noir, one-fifth vinified in barrel. Mineral, but more intensely creamy, like fresh chanterelle sautéed in butter. Dry, sinewy, firm and taught, riveting acidity— a real food Champagne.
Andre clouet rose nV92 points | $45.95 andré Clouet owns eight hectares in Bouzy—all grand cru pinot noir vineyards. this is an intensely savoury, mineral, almost smoky example of rosé, with a long, winey finish. the fruit is perfectly ripe, with no hard edges.
Andre clouet silVer Brut Brut nAture93 points | $45.95 tremendous value in a bone-dry, highly mineral style. the wine is nonetheless fleshy and highly flavourful, not at all lean.
JAcquesson cuVee 734 93 points | $64.95 this is the 734th Champagne blended by Jacquesson, made from the 2006 vintage, though not labeled as a vintage Champagne. Quite a sweet, caramelized style, like peanut brittle, quince paste and Chinese vie-spice—great complexity. the palate is full-ish, rich, much sweeter than the previous wines. long finish. a unique, distinctive style.
GeorGes lAVAl cumieres Brut nAture94 points | $75 laval is “the best grower Champagne you’ve never heard of,” according to journalist peter liem. half chardonnay partially fermented in old small barrels, and zero dosage. really curious but captivating bean sprout, fresh-steamed edamame, soy bean, toasted wheat bread flavours, but the intensity and length are extraordinary. highly idiosyncratic, but delicious.
Stephen Cohen is not the only importer of Champagne in Ontario, but he is one of the most passionate.
You might think that representing Champagne houses is a lucrative and easy gig, given the marketing muscle and immediate brand recognition of the “big” labels. Except that in one tiny niche of the Champagne market—known as “grower” Champagne—there’s less flash and cash. This is where Cohen places his focus.
Champagne, more than any other region in the wine world, is divided between grape growers and negociant houses. More than 90 percent of Champagne’s 34,000 hectares are farmed by 15,000 independent growers—and most of them don’t make Champagne. At least two-thirds of each harvest is purchased by a handful of large Champagne houses in the form of grapes, juice or occasionally still wine. They transform these raw materials into Champagne and put their label on it. This system, say the large houses, allows them to make a consistent product that reflects the characteristic style of each brand year after year. The chef de cave can blend lots from literally hundreds of vineyards across the entire region, different grapes and even previous vintages, in order to assemble a dependable house style.
The large houses have a near-total stranglehold on the market, with les grandes marques account- ing for 90 percent of Champagne exports. And, for the most part, these are not bad wines. It’s just that they seem the antithesis to the rest of the wines produced in France, a terroir-obsessed country.
So, what to do if you’re a wine lover seeking a bubbly that’s a little more idiosyncratic—one that reflects the expression of a specific terroir and the vision of a single winemaker? Go for “grower” Champagne. These are sparkling wines made from individuals who grow their own grapes, make
their own base wine and then trans- form it into sparkling Champagne using the traditional methods proscribed in the appellation.
Not every grape grower is a great wine-maker, but the best are well above standard. These are wines of great personality, individuality and variability. Many of these wines are drier than the big brands, as they are made from riper, more concentrated grapes and find natural balance at lower dosage (which is the sugar added before shipping), making them great food wines.
“When people taste these wines, it’s hard to go back to the large houses,” says Cohen. Even more important than their individuality is their killer value. “These are tiny, family-run estates. The price you pay for a bottle is all in the grapes. There’s no money for the marketing budget.”
Here are the notes from a recent tasting, though likely small quantities remain. Contact Stephen Cohen [email protected] to reserve some of the next shipment. Scores out of 100 points. CB
the family at Bereche et Fils.
These are wines of great personality and variability
23Spring 2011
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eFLAVOURS By Deacon Dr. Fresh
Same wine, different daysufferIng from hOUSe-wine ARReSt? tIme to mIx It uPTo me, life is annoying in more ways than I can possibly itemize. Drivers irritate the hell out of me, either hovering four inches off my back bumper at 100 km per hour, or risking my life by turning the Don Valley Parkway into their own personal video game. Line-ups at the rapid checkout counter drive me nuts, as do (in no particular order), littering, Justin Bieber’s hair, and anyone who calls AC/DC a heavy metal band. There really is a lot to be pissed off about on any given day when you think about it, and I’m sure you have your own list of pet peeves. But nothing, and I mean nothing, bothers me more than when a host declares a particular wine to be their “house wine.”
The Great Canadian House Wine is a fairly recent phenomenon. A few years back, everyone was going crazy over a wine that I called The Best Damn Floor Cleaner on the Planet. Now I’m not going to name that wine, but let’s just say it comes from the Southern hemisphere and features a colourful marsupial on the label. It’s actually a brilliant job of marketing, and fits the rum-and-cola crowd to a T. It’s sweet and round and inoffensively bland, to the point of being blandly offensive. Everywhere I went, hosts and hostesses would produce a bottle with a flourish and proudly proclaim that this was their “house wine.” In fact, the wine became so ubiquitous that many people actually believed that it had set a new standard and that’s what wine was supposed to taste like. Consequently, it was served with everything, from pasta to pork chops, and calamari to scallops. North Americans bought it by the truckload.
The same thing happened with Fuzion two years ago. All of a sudden Malbec was the only grape worth drinking, and even the normally viticulturally sane French began planting, har-vesting and vinifying acres of Malbec in a New World style. I cringed when I saw a man order a fruity, sweetish Malbec in an Italian bistro in Manhattan. He ordered it with penne in a del-icate sauce, and the explosive fruit flavours must have totally overwhelmed the subtle pasta. You see, it was his “house wine.” His default go-to. So why would he order a slightly bitter Montepulciano d’Abruzzo that would pair perfectly with this simple plate, and elevate it to sublime status?
Drinking only one wine or being a fan of only one grape makes as much sense as playing only one song. I love the music of Black Sabbath,
especially the early stuff. But over dinner, I’d rather listen to Glenn Gould or Loreena McK-ennitt, instead of defaulting to my house song, “War Pigs.” The texture of life comes from variety.
So what am I proposing here? Experiment! One of the most enjoyable ways of shopping for wine is by Air Miles. Just buy whatever gives you the most points and you’ll automatically be trying a bunch of new stuff, and it doesn’t need to be expensive to be good. I know it’s fashionable to trash the LCBO and join one of those snobby little wine societies with a pre-tentious name, but here’s the reality: Nobody has the frickin’ buying power of the old Lick-Bo.
I toured Burgundy a few years back, and visit- ed winery after winery that had already been
cleaned out by the superpower buyers from Ontario. So if your cutesy little wine club has a special wine that the LCBO doesn’t stock, it’s only because they didn’t want it, or they’d have bought it all.
So go wine shopping and stock up on ad-venture. Somewhere near you is a brightly lit store, bursting with cherry ripe sangioveses, oakey chardonnays, clean assyrtiko and bomb-shell petit syrahs. I hereby proclaim that you are without excuse. Get out of the house and travel the world, one bottle at a time.
You heard me. CB
The musings of Deacon Dr. Fresh live at dea-conwinelist.blogspot.com.
24 CityBites
ITALY By John Szabo MS
Chianti. Historically celebrated, mistreated in the industrial era, and now lovingly cared for again as one of Italy’s top drops, this old and wrinkled Tuscan beauty has undergone a serious makeover.
The rolling countryside between Florence and Siena was first demarcated for Chianti production in 1716, though wine had been made there since Etruscan times. Chianti was the nobleman’s tipple. But post-Second World War, when farmers were traded for tractors, Chianti became a cheap and ubiquitous red wine in a straw-covered flagon.
Then comes the wine boom of the 1990s, along with modern winemaking techniques. A forward-thinking “Chianti Classico 2000” research project identifies the best clones of sangiovese and other local red grapes such as canaiolo and colorino, as well as the best combinations of these grapes with rootstocks and soils and winemaking methods. Winemakers begin to take Chianti seriously once again.
In another twist, significant modifications were made to the Chianti recipe in the mid-nineties. Among those, white grapes were banned from the mix, and the door was opened to foreigners. Chianti can contain 20 percent non-Italian grapes—and this changes the game entirely.
Purists might lament the loss of Chianti’s distinctive Italian-ness. I’m a believer in pure sangiovese and I love acid, but admittedly this naturally lean and tart grape can occasionally benefit from the plumping up brought by the foreigners. Whatever your phil-osophical take, the once-dangerous minefield of Chianti—with rarely good, often average and sometimes diabolical wines—has been swept. Chianti is now a green zone for wine buying.
At its inexpensive best, Chianti is a juicy, deliciously tart red cherry, food-friendly wine, perfect for picnics and pastas in red sauce, served with a slight chill. At its expensive best, it’s serious, brooding but never heavy, full of red and black fruit, dried herbs and measured wood spice.
Here’s a guide to the good side; all currently available in Ontario. Google the agent name to get ordering info. All wines were tasted blind. Full notes for all 35 wines submitted by the agents are posted on winealign.com. CB
Chianti KudosOnce a jOke, now A serIous force. Time fOr a re-TasTe.
Wine storage experts for 15 years.
Wine Cellars . Wine Racks . Cooling Units . Cabinets . Stemware . Accessories . Gift Certifi cates
Visit our showroom at 339 Olivewood Road, Toronto416.285.6604 . 1.888.253.6807
www.rosehillwinecellars.ca
TradiTional2006 Cedro Chianti rufina (organiC)91 points | $19.99 a smoky, spicy, savoury chianti with loads of traditional appeal, dusty-earthy notes, and great intensity and complexity. Beautifully balanced, with richness, fleshy fruit and firm, saliva-inducing acidity. Wine Lovers Agency
2006 fattoria di grignano Chianti rufina91 points | $19.99 a pale garnet colour belies its complexity and depth. There’s plenty of dried herbs, wet stone, floral notes, and firm acid-tannin. Pitch-perfect, balanced, timeless chianti. Lifford
1998 Ventesimo montiVerdi Chianti ClassiCo riserVa “gold label”91 points | $37.95 if you like mature wines, this is for you. fully ready to go, evolved, savoury, highly complex, with wet earth, mushroom, forest floor, dried herb, baked berry fruit, and lots of soy sauce and other umami-rich notes. Thompson Vintage Trade
2008 ruffino aziano Chianti ClassiCo 90 points | $18.60 evident com-plexity and wood on the nose, with inviting dried herbs, red cherry, straw- berry, dusty earth. The palate is evolved, firm but silky, classy and elegant. Vintages #307025, Charton Hobbs
Modern-leaning2006 fattoria lornano Chianti ClassiCo riserVa90 points | $18.95 stylish and ripe, with balanced wood, polished texture and highly appealing plush red and black fruit flavours. Vintages #208447, Frontier Wine Merchants
2005 Valiano Chianti ClassiCo riserVa90 points | $24.99 ripe, spicy, concentrated, densely packed. Plush, full-bodied, with big, velvety tannins, generous alcohol, a broad range of red and black fruit flavours and noted coffee ground/wood influence. Wine Lovers Agency
2008 fattoria di felsina Chianti ClassiCo berardenga89 points | $37.95 solid and flavourful in a bold and chunky style, more power than finesse. There’s plenty of fig and prune and dried cranberry notes, while the palate is fullish, ripe and plush. Lifford
Value2009 PrinCiPe Corsini Chianti CamPorsino88 points | $13.95 a savoury and juicy, classic food style chianti with high drinkability. Diamond Estates
2008 Castello di san sano Chianti “Vigneto della rana”87.5 points | $14.95 When tasting, i thought: “a perfect picnic wine. i hope it’s under $15—i’d buy.” and so it is. Basic but highly enjoyable juicy, fruity, dusty red berry-cherry-raspberry-flavoured. Mani Agency
2008 sefiro Chianti Colli fiorentini87 points | $16.95 Discreet nose, simple but inviting. mid-weight, firm, with juicy acid, balanced alcohol and light but firm tannins. The Vine
25Spring 2011
INDIA By Lindsay Groves
1968 DANFORTH AVE. 416-421-1029
WWW.ROYALBEEF.CA
Celebrating 25 years!Join Us May 14th
Welcome back our new butcher
Paul Bradshaw.Meet & greet our
local farmers& sample some of our
new products.
Now serving local, hormone- and antibiotic-free beef and
certifi ed Alberta angus.
Postcard from the edgeA CAnAdiAn sommelier explores INDIA’s wINe INDustry
Wine isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of India. But consider this: most people I talk to abroad are surprised to hear Canada makes wine. So, if anyone can sympathize with Indian wine producers, it’s the Canadian wine industry.
With absurdly high taxes on imported wines and a middle class nearly twice the population of Canada, the local industry in India is, in theory, well situated for success.
The heart of India’s wine industry is centered. In the state of Maharashtra, the area of Nashik is known as India’s Napa Valley, and it’s home to 40 of the country’s 60 or so wineries. The states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh also have significant area under vine. But par-ticularly in Nashik, producers are discovering the potential for cellar-door sales and wine tourism. Initiated by Sula Vineyards, many wineries now offer wine tastings, dining, lodging, music and arts festivals.
The market holds a lot of promise but the challenges are daunting. Alessio Secci, director of Fratelli Wines, explains: “The wine industry is trying hard to spread wine culture in India, but producing wine in India—where the consumption is growing but it is still just a niche—is a great challenge.”
Nick Van Aarde, a South African winemaker working with Vallée de Vin, says that past quality issues have deterred locals from supporting their own. “Most Indians would rather drink imported wine if they could afford it.”
And then there is the challenge of determining which grapes are best suited to Indian terroir. Most producers are still experimenting and have yet to find their focus. But certain varieties do seem to be emerging as the better candidates: sauvignon blanc, chenin blanc and viognier for whites. Syrah and sangiovese lead the reds.
Indian producers hope to find fans abroad. For people seeking new and interesting regions and pro-ducers, Indian wines offer an exotic twist. They also offer great value for money. “We do in fact believe that our wines can meet interna-tional quality standards and be appreciated by foreigners,” says Secci. “[They] will be surprised to discover the quality of Indian wine.”
Some producers are already find- ing success in foreign markets.
“Our wines are exported to 20 countries and have found a place on many prestigious wine lists around the world,” says Cecilia Oldne, head of international busi-ness for Sula. “Our sauvignon blanc is available in the Armani Hotel in Dubai and… Daniel Boulud’s three- Michelin star restaurant Daniel’s listed our chenin blanc.” CB
Picking grapes in India’s Nashik wine region.
Get themthe 2009 sula sauvignon Blanc is at the LCBO for $11.95. the 2008 sula can be ordered from Kolonaki Group, 416-630-7392, kolonakigroup.com.
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COCKTAIL By Kate More
A toast to elevated dining
Reservations recommended. 416.362.5411 cntower.caComplimentary elevation with the purchase of a main course.
Our award-winning wine cellar now boasts a new interactive wine list of over 500 international labels. Enjoy an expanded selection of spectacular wines and champagnes by the glass with our state-of-the-art preservation system, and get the perfect pour every time.
For an unparalleled food and drink experience with city views to match, join us at Toronto’s 360 Restaurant.
A makeover for Ms. Spritzerthe wALLfLOwer Of COCKTAILs gets gussied up
“Always a bridesmaid never a bride”—a sen-timent the wine spritzer would express if it were a girl.
While bartenders frequently and enthusi-astically marry classic cocktails with new and eccentric ingredients, wine spritzers get the cold shoulder. These after thoughts are usually a pre-dictable mix of generic house wine and soda. The tragedy deepens as the mixology trend rises. Next to a bar menu of balsamic lavender cosmos and tobacco cinnamon manhattans, a wine spritzer looks like a plain Jane at best, an old maid at worst.
We asked Michael Webster—professional bar- man at The Drake Hotel and consultant for Kindling Cocktail Events—for tips on sprucing up wine spinsters. Sorry, spritzers.
How would you give the spritzer a makeover?You’d be amazed what a few slices of fresh fruit placed in the body of the drink will do. St. Germain liqueur is a wonderful additive to bubbly cocktails. It holds mildly sweet elder-
flower essence and keeps the drink refreshing.
Experiment with making syrups. A great spritzer syrup can be created easily using a reduction of equal parts water, sugar and an ingredient such as lemongrass, sage or citrus fruit.
Wine spritzers are usually made with pretty bland wine. Is this because adding flavoured ingredients will ruin the sanctity of a finer wine? In nearly 12 years bar tending, I have only been asked what wine I was mixing the spritzer with on two occasions. So I’d assume many believe this to be true.
But, the beautiful thing about nailing a great cocktail recipe with a specific wine is that it creates the exact opposite effect of de-sancti-fying. The cocktail should showcase the wine’s subtle nuances with the help of unique ingredients that complement and highlight the winery’s intentions.
The New wiNe SpriTzer3 oz. sauvignon blanc3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice1/2 oz. Green Chartreuse1/2 oz. st. Germain2 dashes grapefruit bitters (or try any bitters)6 sage leaves2 oz. soda1 oz. Prosecco
Fill a martini shaker with ice and all ingredients except the prosecco and soda.
shake vigorously 30 seconds, strain into a 20-oz. wine glass filled with fresh ice.
top with soda and a float of prosecco.
“spank” sage between hands to release aroma.
place in cocktail to garnish.
27Spring 2011
The MasTers By Kate More
The Three MS-kateersCanada’s Top soMMeliers spill about wine JAMES OATLEY
JOTT City Bite MAY issue.indd 2 28/03/2011 12:34:44 PM
Until last year, CityBites’s own columnist John Szabo held the distinction of being Canada’s only Master Sommelier. Szabo was joined by Bruce Wallner in 2010. And, just a couple of months ago, Jennifer Huether made the grade. All three live in Toronto. We brought them together for a quick chat on what it all means.
What’s the most common misconception people have regarding the title master sommelier?Huether: That it is very attainable.Szabo: There’s still the lingering misconception that a sommelier, master or not, is out to get you, up-sell you and empty your wallet.Wallner: That an MS has a super human tasting ability. The reality is that we practice more.
What differentiates a master sommelier from a sommelier?Wallner: A series of exams.
You taste an average of 100 Wines a Week. have You ever experienced love at first sip? Huether: 1988 Krug Champagne, with tempura battered shrimp. Absolutely killed me.Wallner: I spent one Christmas morning in Vancouver with a great friend, drinking a bottle of 1979 Krug ‘Clos de Mesnil’ from the bottle. I had no idea what I was drinking, but it was magic.Szabo: Spain, 1994. Picnic on the Costa del Sol, two close friends, my mother and a $17 bottle of Tinta Valbuena [made by legendary producer Vega Sicilia]. We had no glasses, so the bottle was passed around. Made me want to write a song.
is there a Wine region that You admire most? Wallner: Wachau [Germany]. Even the big co-op there is fastidiously focused on quality. And a prestigious region of the near future? Rio Negro [Argentina].Huether: Of course, as a Canadian, I am very excited about what is happening in Niagara and B.C. Szabo: More than any region, I admire any producer who strives to make something distinct and original. The wine world has become way too commercial…. Make it and they will come.
John szabo trump toronto and terroni
Jennifer huether maple leaf sports and entertainment
bruce Wallner paese ristorante
28 CityBites
KITCHEN By Kate More
Lifford Wine Agency is hosting the fifth annual Boys’ Night Out event. It’s a celebration of guy’s stuff cleverly disguised as a sophisticated wine tasting. Hot cars, boats, golf, fine wine, steaks, live entertainment, oysters, motorcycles, music, bbq, auctions and much more.
Proceeds will benefit prostate cancer research.
Audi Downtown Toronto, 328 Bayview Avenue. Thursday, July 14th, 7pm to 10pm.
Tickets: $100. To order or for more details, visit www.LiffordBoysNightOut.com or email [email protected]. Tel. 416 440 4101
MAGNUM SPONSORSJEROBOAM SPONSOR
Elevate your dishLEfTovEr wINEs make cooking fine
Wine leftovers: 1) A multitude of ¾-empty wine bottles about to expire. 2) The result of ADD wine drinking; i.e., an inability to choose which wine you are in the mood to drink.
In the name of curiosity, wine lovers are uncorking more fine wines than they can swallow. The result, come Sunday night, is a kitchen counter full of soon-to-perish wines, destined for the drain or, worse, an ill-advised jungle juice binge. Waste not, want not becomes too much and too wasted.
Here’s how to turn a situation into a plan: use your fine-wine left-overs in recipes. Sure, you’ve cooked with wine—usually the cheapest you can find. Here’s your chance to try a dish with a truly great wine. Some people think that since cooking with wine reduces alcohol con-tent via evaporation, it also reduces the wine’s flavour. Not so. When used properly, fine wine adds tremendous complexity to a dish. But you need to exercise patience.
To retain flavour, fine wine should never be cooked at more than
180°F, should be reduced as slowly as possible, and never to less than one-quarter of its original volume.
It is best to cook with younger wines. They have more power and hold up better under heat. Older wines are fragile and may expire in the pan.
Here’s how to start. First, revisit the bottle on your counter. When tasting, pay close attention to the flavour notes lingering on your palate. Imagine how these notes might behave as ingredients. The recipes you create should contain ingredients that emphasize, echo and support the flavours in the wine.+ Loire Valley sauvignon blanc, known for citrus fruit and herbaceous- ness, is an ideal starting point for lemon and parsley steamed mussels.+ Tuscan Chianti Classico, with rustic, earthy notes, is a harmo- nious base for simmering mushrooms and Arborio rice for risotto.+ Tropical, buttery California chardonnay melds nicely with passion fruit purée for a beurre blanc over black cod with mango salsa.+ Australian pinot noir often contains hints of black pepper and field berries and reduces superbly with black cherries when used to deglaze a filet mignon’s pan.+ Niagara riesling, famous for honeyed fruit flavours, warmed with brown sugar and lots of butter, is a lovely bath in which to poach pears.
Kate More works with the iYellow Wine Club. Her blog is Local is the New Black.
When cooked properly, fine wine adds tremendous complexity to a dish.
29Spring 2011
head to head By Zoltan Szabo
Ontario vs. World Delicate2009 Norman Hardie County Pinot Noir UnfilteredPrince Edward County | $35.20 Bright, spicy bouquet, with delicate texture. In a word: velvet. Vintages #0125310
compelling2007 Carrick Pinot NoirCentral Otago, NZ | $34.95 Cherry, vanilla, and forest floor aromas. Juicy with a firm tannic finish. Vintages #919837
lean2008 Le Clos Jordanne Chardonnay “Le Clos Jordanne”20 Mile Bench, Niagara | $40 Flint, mineral and smoke notes, inte- grated oak and lovely acidity. Mineral, like Meursault. Vintages #0033910
Full2007 Robert Mondavi Reserve ChardonnayNapa Valley, CA | $44.95 Fruitier, riper and fuller. A great Napa Valley example with composure and poise. Vintages #258186
Finesse2007 Stratus RedNiagara | $44.20 Driven by cab-sauv, complex with juicy acidity, silky tannins and delicate oak. Vintages #0131037
sexy2002 Chateau MusarBekaa Valley, Lebanon | $51.95 Bouquet of raspberries, rose petals and leather. Velvet tannins, spicy truffles and shiitake. Vintages #0109413
Try These side-by-side explorations and learn a liTTle someThing
PINOT NOIR CHaRdONNay CabeRNeT
Act One:
The Scene, The Characters[New York City, 50th Floor of the Mcgraw-Hill Building in Manhattan. Twenty-seven proud winery principals have gathered to present 54 of Canada’s finest chardonnays from 31 wineries in Ontario and British Columbia. These ambassador wines had been selected by a panel of Canadian experts, headed by the “dean” himself, Tony Aspler. Legendary Canadian ex-pat sommelier Paul Grieco, now Manhattan-based, can be seen in the corner of the room, head down in his notebook, his extra- ordinarily long goatee occasionally dipping into his glass of chardonnay as he furiously pens his notes, with an expression now rapturous, now pained. Music suddenly fills the room, serious music. A deep, melodious, disembodied voice (think James Earl Jones) begins speaking.]
Deep Voice: Chablis, Chassagne-Montrachet, Canada… These are the places on planet earth where the finest chardonnays are made…. [a vinyl record scratching noise interrupts the speech].
Bewildered bystander: Canada?Deep Voice: That’s right baby. Canada. Eh.
Act twO:
Media Showdown[Meanwhile in the back boardroom, some intrepid Canadians, including Seriously Cool chardonnay mastermind Bill Redelmeier, wine- maker Thomas Bachelder, Tony Aspler and John Szabo (who was lost and ended up in the wrong room), are sitting with a group of the most serious media scribes. There are ten glasses filled with wine in front of each. Konrad “the Ej” Ejbich lurks in a corner, his camera, recorder and computer deployed to capture every whisper, every wipe of a sweaty brow. The following conversation was recorded by him.]
Redelmeier: We’re here to put Canadian wine on the map in the U.S, and show you that Canada makes great table wines! [Not just frozen wine.]
Tony Aspler: I know that New York wine critics are as tough as those in London [England, not Ontario], but you seem to be reacting to the Canadian Chardonnays with surprise and delight. I wager that you’re impressed by their minerality and fine acidity–a refreshing change from your overblown fruit-driven California Chards. [Atta boy, Aspler.]
Bruce Sanderson of Wine Spectator: No
comment, Tony. [Turns to ask server if there’s anything with more fruit and oak available to taste.]
Robert Parker: I hope these wines weren’t selected by some precious sommelier trying to sell us some teeth enamel removing wine with acid levels close to toxic, made by some sheep farmer on the north side of his 4,000- foot foot elevation vineyard picked two months before ripeness, and made from a grape better fed to wild boar than the human species…. We all know the type—saving the world from drinking good wine in the name of vinofreak- ism… [Well, actually, yes Bob, they were.]
Ed McCarthy, co-author of Wine for Dummies, but he’s no dummy: Admittedly, I haven’t really explored the wines of Canada and am generally impressed with the char-donnays. This tasting makes me believe I have to explore Canadian wines more thoroughly. I am really glad I came today as this is an eye-opening experience. [Better believe it, Ed.]
Joshua Greene, editor of Wine & Spirits Magazine: Yes Ed, I agree. These wines are much more about the nature of the soil than about winemaking. That really appeals to me. [Greene famously dislikes wines that don’t taste like a handful of wet stones. He’s one of us].
Tom Claire, associate managing editor of Ladies Home Journal: It appears you Canadians are putting a lot of thought, patience and talent into what you are producing. I think there is incredible potential and I’m looking forward to Canadian world-class success with these wines. [Thanks Tom, don’t forget to tell the ladies]
Act three:
The Most Seriously Cool ChardonnaysContact winery for availability.
2006 Huff EstatEs CuvEE PEtEr f. Huff BlanC dE BlanCs | $39.95 One of Canada’s finest bubblies. Yeasty, minerally.
2008 lE Clos JordannE ClaystonE tErraCE | $40 A tough year for pinot but a great vintage for chardonnay. Concentrated mineral essence; ageworthy
2007 flat roCk CEllars rEsErvE | $35.20 A fine, modern example, ripe, plush, woody, with lots of tropical fruit.
2008 tawsE winEry Quarry road | $34.95 Outstanding, superbly balanced between stones, fruit and discreet wood, Long finish. Energetic.
2008 norman HardiE CuvEE ‘l’ unfiltErEd | $49 Controversial inclusion for NYC, but this wine generated the most positive comments. Hardie’s “dirty” winemaking (loads of lees contact) gives this a seriously yeasty-leesy-reductive profile, kinda like top notch Meursault, about which nobody complains.
2008 rosEHall run CuvEE County | $21.95 Another brilliant county chardonnay: lean, taught, Chablisienne style.
2008 Burrowing owl | $25 The richer B.C. style shows nicely here, more “West Coast” ripeness and tropical fruit.
2006 Quails’ gatE stEwart rEsErvE | $29.99 Ageing nicely, showing the slightly cooler climate of the northern Okanagan
1998 soutHBrook PoEtiCa (in magnum) | $154/750mL Yes, Canadian chardonnays do age. And well.
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Cool Chardonnay By John Szabo MS
A Shocking Play in Three ActsFACT MEETs FiCTiON WHEN Canadian Chardonnay gOEs ON THE rOAd
31Spring 2011
EVENT By Michael Pinkus
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Profile Wine Group 416-598-0033 www.profilewinegroup.com
Like you, we are Passionate about quality wine. Our Passion. At your service. Please check out our web site for our entire list… it is full of high quality wines at every price point.
A funny word for wine Bereche et Fils instant le cran ludes Premier cru 200495 points | $79.95 Just over half Chardonnay, from a premier cru-rated vineyard called Le Cran, aged in 205L barrels, with partial malolactic fermentation. Un-fined, unfiltered, zero dosage; this is truly extra brut. Really explosive, intense, with plenty of yeasty-toasty brioche, saltwater taffy, butter croissant. Long, mushroom-flavoured finish—an outstanding wine.
andre clouet 191196 points | $89.95 1911 bottles of this cuvée bear a label from the year 1911 made by Clouet’s great grandfather, who was a printer for the French royal family. This is slightly more idiosyncratic than the other Clouet Champagnes—a Champagne lover’s Champagne. The length, depth and flavour intensity are quite extraordinary: pure mineral essence. A bargain prestige cuvée.
Guy charlemaGne 2002 mesnillesime96 points | $110 Charlemagne’s flagship wine, from the clos next door to Salon, made from 100 percent grand cru chardonnay. Open, forward and exotic white and dark chocolate, humid cigar leaf, fresh sweet herb. The palate is likewise explosive and intensely flavoured, with an extra-long finish. Highly yeasty, fresh baked croissant. Extraordinary.
continuerd from p. 22
It sounds like a funny word, “Somewhereness.” I have a friend who calls it “Somewhere-else”— probably due to the ever-changing location of the annual event—but the word actually describes a word the French use all the time when describing wines from a particular region, soil type and/or climate: “terroir.”
“Somewhereness” is a term coined by Wine Spectator columnist Matt Kramer in 1992. It has become the catchword concept for six Ontario wineries, who in 2007 developed a group dedicated to terroir-driven wines. The original six are Charles Baker, Stratus, Malivoire, Flat Rock, Norman Hardie and Tawse. After that first magical tasting, a movement was afoot that any winery worth its seeds and skins would want to get involved with. This year four wineries were added to the roster: Cave Spring, Southbrook, Hidden Bench and 13th Street.
For the fourth event in five years, the tasting and educational seminar takes place at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre in Toronto. This year’s keynote speaker is Ian D’Agata, the Canadian- born contributor to Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar and Decanter. He cut his chops tasting wines bought at the LCBO before moving on to the wines of Europe from his home base in Rome.
In mid-April the media got a sample of what is to come at this year’s Somewhereness, complete with mini-talk (via video) from Mr. D’agata and a selection of wines from the participants. CB
Michael Pinkus is a wine writer and creator of OntarioWineReview.com.
‘SomEwhErENESS’ EvEnT TOUTS OnTARiO TERROiR
cave sPrinG 2009 dolomite rieslinG93 points | $16.95 Super acidity and flavour, really shows what Ontario rieslings are all about.
malivoire 2008 moira chardonnay90 points | $39.95 Good balance of tropical fruit, buttery oak and good acidity, delicate and ageworthy.
charles Baker 2009 Picone vineyard rieslinG90 points | $35.00 Mingles fresh fruit and mineral: peach, green apple and good balancing acidity.
hidden Bench 2009 Bistro rosé88+ points | n/a This restaurant-only wine is one for summer lovers looking for a pink on the patio.
Somewhereness 2011may 10 at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, 6 Garamond Court. Tickets are $99 and include the keynote and structured tasting at 6:30 p.m. followed by a walk-around tasting at 8 p.m. Info at vintages.com/somewhereness.
the somewhereness ten.
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the ej By Konrad Ejbich
I always thought “organized crime” referred to the provincial government, or at least, to the liquor monopoly it created.
Meanwhile, they think we are the organized criminals every time we carry bottles of booze across provincial borders, evading their precious tax dollars.
Turns out, there’s a new contender for the moniker.
Sometime in mid-February, an astute LCBO product consultant who was placing some customer- returned bottles of Cantina Negrar 2006 Amarone back onto the shelf for resale, noticed their packaging didn’t jive exactly with the bottles already there.
He notified Quality Assurance and sent the bottles downtown to the liquor board’s Quality Assurance department—the most sophisticated liquor lab in the world—for inspection.
At QA, someone noticed that all the bottles carried an identical serial number, a violation of Italian DOC wine laws. The glass bottles were smaller and the packaging revealed differ-ences from an authentic bottle. Chemical analysis showed the wine was not consistent with Amarone, the classic Italian twice-fermented specialty. The fake had an alcohol level of only 12 percent, whereas genuine Amarone normally hovers around 15 per cent and higher. Furthermore, an internal tasting panel deemed the contents to be wine, but substandard, and likely produced locally.
QA immediately contacted Resource Protection—an internal security department—for further investigation. Examining the board’s return records, a pattern began to emerge.
Stores were notified to remove all bottles from shelves and return them to head office for inspection. Two-hundred and eighty bottles were confirmed to be counterfeit.
On February 25, LCBO called Schiarelli Agencies, which represents Cantina Negrar wines in Canada, to inform them of the fraud. At the same time, mainstream media outlets were being notified.
Once the fraud became public information, additional bottles un-wittingly purchased by consumers began to surface. LCBO media liaison officer, Chris Layton, told CityBites the number of counterfeit bottles could reach 1,000.
New liquor board policy requires that two store employees scrutinize any unopened returned bottles before accepting them.
The case now has become a criminal investigation by the York Regional Police, as most of the returns were carried out in that area of the province.
Police are reviewing security video from stores and conducting interviews. They have no suspects at this time.
Steven Campbell, who purchased Schiarelli Agencies last September, told me he was very upset by the recent events.
“Negrar is a quality producer,” he said. “It’s the first winery to use the name Amarone on its bottles back in 1939.”
He added that Negrar’s Amarone has been available in Ontario for more than 40 years averaging 1,500 to 2,000 case sales per year. Campbell said he was worried this incident would hurt the brand’s image.
Last week, Schiarelli Agencies sent me a bottle of the 2007 vintage, which was in the process of entering distribution channels when the scandal exploded.
I can confirm the bottle of 2007 I tasted seemed as genu-wine as all the great Amarones written up in my dusty notebooks.
I thoroughly enjoyed making this assessment. Here are my not-yet-dusty notes on the new vintage...
Cantina Negrar, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2007 (15% alc.) Dark, deep, plummy garnet hue; powerful, expansive nose of bitter cherries, plum butter, soy, bitter chocolate, figs, and well-aged Christmas cake; the taste is tough, sharp and alcoholic at first, then bitter and slowly the fruit begins to emerge. After almost a week—open!—it is radiating with fruit. If you drink this now, have it with richly spiced stews, pepper steak, leg of lamb or barbecued joint of elephant. This is a cooler weather wine—forget about summer sipping unless you’ve turned the A/C on high. Better still, cellar at least 5 years. Drink 2015 to 2025. $34.95 CB
Wine fraud a first for ontario’s liquor monopoly
280 bottles were confirmed to be counterfeit
An Organized Crime?
Konrad ejbich is a member of the Wine Writer’s Circle of Canada. he writes for Style at home magazine and answers caller questions on CBC radio’s Ontario today. he’s currently updating his Pocket Guide to Ontario Wines, Wineries, Vineyards & Vines. follow twitter.com/WineZone
is this the real amarone?
33Spring 2011
libations By Stephen Beaumont
Once upon a time, Scottish whisky was aged in barrels that had previously contained sherry. The reason for this was simple: Britons were consuming a large amount of Spanish sherry, which was shipped in the barrel from Spain and bottled in the U.K.
The sherry wood benefited the whiskies greatly, contributing richness and fruitiness to the spirit, and the practice became the industry norm, at least until British sherry consumption began to drop precipitously. Luckily there was another barrel source waiting in the wings.
By law, bourbon must be aged in new, charred white oak barrels, meaning that every one of the thousands of barrels used by the American whiskey industry annually may only be used once. This switch from sherry to bourbon wood started around the 1960s, with Glenmorangie being an early and still enthu-siastic proponent. The light and creamy style of single malt, which the distillery has become known for, partners well with the heavily vanilla-accented American oak, and even today the 10 Year Old remains exclusively bourbon barrel-aged.
Fitting it is that the Highland distillery led that original wood revolution, since it was some 30 years later that Glenmorangie again cast its influence on the single malt playing field, this time by introducing a range of “wood finishes” featuring barrels that had previously held port, Madeira and sherry. These whiskies would be aged for 10 years in the American oak before being transferred to barrels that had previously contained the noted fortified wine for their final two years.
The practice took off, as anyone familiar with the malt whisky market will know, and Glen- morangie now features multiple wood finished whiskies, including Quinta Ruban (port wood), Nectar d’Or (sauterne wood) and Sonnalta PX (Pedro Ximinez sherry).
As noted, however, the wine wood finishing of single malts hardly ended at Glenmorangie, and today the LCBO abounds with such whiskies, including some unexpected gems. One such find is Springbank Claret Wood Finish ($99.95), a 12-year old that spent the final quarter of its maturation in Bordeaux barrels.
Even at 54.4% alcohol, this unusual expression of the Campbeltown classic shows dryly spicy fruit in the nose and flavour, which, when watered a bit, explodes with peppery vanilla, dried cabernet lees and wood smoke. Throughout, the fruit and vanilla and tannins of the wood integrate seamlessly into the moderately smoky, spicy character of the Springbank.
More unusual still is the 1992 Bowmore 16 Year Old Wine Cask Matured ($119.95). While hardly one of the peatiest Islay whiskies, Bowmore is no slouch in the smoke department and mixing it with French wine oak from Bordeaux seems a recipe for disaster.
And sure enough, at its full, 53.5% alcohol bottle strength, the wine and whisky and peat flavours seem to want to fight to the death. Add water, however, and everyone wants to play nice, with the peatiness becoming a cherrywood fire, the deep fruitiness of the whisky blending with the grape of the wine and an altogether extraordinary sensory experience emerging.
King of the cask finishes is Bowmore’s Islay neighbour, Bruichladdich (say “Brook-laddie”), with small quantities of no fewer than nine such whiskies currently in the LCBO system. I tried the 16-year old Chateau Lafleur ($99.95) Paulliac finish and was delighted with its tannin-rich, dryly fruity and herbaceous character, buoyed by vanilla and peat smoke dancing in the back- ground. Like the Springbank and Bowmore, it’s ideally suited as a dessert dram, but also more enjoyable almost anytime, and a testament to the intermingling of whisky and wine. CB
When Whisky Meets Winebarrels of fun
s t r a t u s w i n e s . c o m
Unwrap the 2011cheese@stratus series
featuringToronto’s Cheese Boutique
June 4th | 1pm
$ 4 5
Bowmore 16 Year Old Wine Cask Matured ($119.95).
Stephen BeauMOnt likes and respects the springbank distillery but thinks Campbeltown must be one of the most boring cities in all of the U.K.
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One last bite By Signe Langford
The Grape Protector
With 20 acres under vine and more starlings than grapes—well, it might feel like that to Louise Engel, co-owner and falconer of Featherstone Estate Winery—Amadeus is one busy bird. He took 57 last season. A mere drop in the bucket when we’re talking about the European starling, a highly adaptable, hardy and numer-ous species with a taste for fruit in the fall. But it’s not about the count. Just the sight of a bird of prey is enough to keep everything from berry-snatching songbirds to bunnies at a healthy distance. And Amadeus, an eight-year-old Harris hawk, is just one element of the natural and holistic approach to viticulture practised by winemaker and co-owner David Johnson—he also introduces lambs into the vineyard to take care of leaf-thinning, fertilizing as they go. The lambs are seasonal workers and, come September, can be found on the menus of local restaurants—and on the table at the local Slow Food harvest dinner. And Amadeus? If all goes well, he’ll be around for another 15 years.
A feathered friend indeed
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Introducing the new Cono Sur Sparkling, a fresh and elegant
Brut from Chile’s Bío Bío Valley. The region’s unique
terroir brings refreshing acidity, balance and great
complexity to the wine. Cono Sur Sparkling partners
well with many foods and is perfect for toasting any
celebration. Salud!
Cono SurSparklingAn intriguing blend of
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling
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The Toast of Chile
Price $13.95, LCBO# 215079
New from Cono Sur!
