Okay, I'll admit, I'm biased, but the newest creation from Pelee Island Winery, the "Alvar" series of four wines, is breathtaking.
The first that I've tried out of this series of four wines is the 2008 Chardonnay Gewurztraminer blend -- VQA Ontario, so don't get your knickers in a knot.
Okay, I hear you: "What on earth is an Alvar?" See the wikipedia entry at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvar.
By the way, in case you're wondering just how "new" these wines are, they're not even on the Pelee Island Winery website yet. Ah, the joys of living five minutes from the winery!
This wine is not only the only Chardonnay/Gewurztraminer blend I've been able to track down, but it's well worth the drive to Kingsville to get your hands on some. The usual flavours and aromas you would expect from both the Chardonnay (crisp acidity, balanced with fresh citrus) and the Gewurztraminer (lychee, tangerine, grapefruit with a lingering hint of spice) are, in my humble opinion, perfectly married in this blend. It is impossible to say that one overpowers the other and, paired with a barbeque dinner of chicken/bacon and mixed vegetable kebabs on the patio on an evening that was thankfully blessed with a cool breeze and a very welcome break in the extreme heat and humidity of the past week, I dare say that I was as close to a state of total and utter bliss as I have been in a long time.
The next time you're looking for something refreshing for a summer evening on the patio, either with or without food, with a group of friends or just that special someone, reach for a bottle of this - if you can get your hands on it, that is!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Would you like some wine with that?
Picture it: Kingsville, 2010... a Sunday evening with eleven people snuggled around our dining room table as I host my first wine tasting dinner at the house.
A glass of Prosecco greeted everyone upon arrival and gave us time to put the final touches on dinner. Caesar salad with homemade dressing started the meal, followed by pork tenderloin with risotto and asparagus, finished off with mini sponge cakes topped with mixed fresh berries and a dollop of vanilla yogurt.
I poured four wines with the meal, each from a different winery in the Erie Shores region: a crisp riesling, an oaky chardonnay, a light rose (sorry, no accents on this laptop) and a medium-bodied pinot noir. The consensus was that the rose was the best match with dinner. With dessert, I served a late harvest cabernet, which was ideal with the fruit and yogurt.
What's next? Who knows? My calendar is practically empty and I'm open to all offers and requests - and challenges!
A glass of Prosecco greeted everyone upon arrival and gave us time to put the final touches on dinner. Caesar salad with homemade dressing started the meal, followed by pork tenderloin with risotto and asparagus, finished off with mini sponge cakes topped with mixed fresh berries and a dollop of vanilla yogurt.
I poured four wines with the meal, each from a different winery in the Erie Shores region: a crisp riesling, an oaky chardonnay, a light rose (sorry, no accents on this laptop) and a medium-bodied pinot noir. The consensus was that the rose was the best match with dinner. With dessert, I served a late harvest cabernet, which was ideal with the fruit and yogurt.
What's next? Who knows? My calendar is practically empty and I'm open to all offers and requests - and challenges!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Vinturi, part II
Last night saw us sitting down on the back deck to a wonderfully grilled, lightly seasoned steak with boiled potatoes topped with home-seasoned sour cream, butter and chives alongside grilled asparagus. The beverage of choice was, yes, it's true, a 2009 Fuzion, the near riot-causing (in Ottawa's LCBO flagship store, at least) Argentinian blend of Shiraz and Malbec.
While I would have normally let this one age for a few years, I wanted to see what effect the Vinturi would have on it. Well, my friends, I was once again pleasantly surprised. Pre-Vinturi: a relatively full body, lightly fruity and tannins so intense I almost gagged. Post-Vinturi: still the same relatively full body, but more fruit on the nose and palate and nicely mellowed tannins. The real kicker came when I tried some non-Vinturi afterward... OUCH!
Those of us who are die-hard cellarers will, of course, continue to stock up on wines and see how they age naturally with time. That is, to my mind, one of the great joys of wine. For those of us who can't wait to enjoy that bottle of wine, thank Bacchus/Dionysus for the Vinturi!
While I would have normally let this one age for a few years, I wanted to see what effect the Vinturi would have on it. Well, my friends, I was once again pleasantly surprised. Pre-Vinturi: a relatively full body, lightly fruity and tannins so intense I almost gagged. Post-Vinturi: still the same relatively full body, but more fruit on the nose and palate and nicely mellowed tannins. The real kicker came when I tried some non-Vinturi afterward... OUCH!
Those of us who are die-hard cellarers will, of course, continue to stock up on wines and see how they age naturally with time. That is, to my mind, one of the great joys of wine. For those of us who can't wait to enjoy that bottle of wine, thank Bacchus/Dionysus for the Vinturi!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
To decant or not to decant? Vinturi solves the problem!
People often ask me about the benfits of aeration and how to preserve any wine in the decanter that is not consumed. Aside from the obvious answer -- to drink all of the wine -- I have never known what to say. Who, me, at a loss for words? Yes, indeed, it does happen!
That all changed when Paul gave me a Vinturi wine aerator (http://www.vinturi.com/). From its sleek teardrop shape to its ease of use, the Vinturi is indeed a wonder to use, and a conversation piece to boot!
We tried it with my brother-in-law and his wife on a 2005 Shiraz from Pelee Island Winery (with pizza - one ham and pineapple and the other a combo with mushrooms, green peppers and pepperoni) and were pleasantly surprised at the effect. The fruits were more prominent and the tannins were slightly mellowed. Essentially, giving an already excellent wine just that extra touch that only comes from decanting, but without the fuss -- not to mention the challenge of cleaning the decanter afterward!
No longer does anyone have to wonder how to get the benefits of decanting a bottle of wine in a single glass.
If you try it, let me know what you think!
That all changed when Paul gave me a Vinturi wine aerator (http://www.vinturi.com/). From its sleek teardrop shape to its ease of use, the Vinturi is indeed a wonder to use, and a conversation piece to boot!
We tried it with my brother-in-law and his wife on a 2005 Shiraz from Pelee Island Winery (with pizza - one ham and pineapple and the other a combo with mushrooms, green peppers and pepperoni) and were pleasantly surprised at the effect. The fruits were more prominent and the tannins were slightly mellowed. Essentially, giving an already excellent wine just that extra touch that only comes from decanting, but without the fuss -- not to mention the challenge of cleaning the decanter afterward!
No longer does anyone have to wonder how to get the benefits of decanting a bottle of wine in a single glass.
If you try it, let me know what you think!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Icewine - not just for dessert anymore!
... but was it ever, really, *just* for dessert?
The next time you're faced with the decision of which wine to serve with a spicy dish (thai, eastern, middle eastern, etc. or just something you've spiced up on your own), think sweet! The higher sugar and lower acid in icewine are a perfect pair for spicy food because they minimize the effect of the spice and heat on your tender tongue and palate.
Give it a try and let me know how it turns out!
The next time you're faced with the decision of which wine to serve with a spicy dish (thai, eastern, middle eastern, etc. or just something you've spiced up on your own), think sweet! The higher sugar and lower acid in icewine are a perfect pair for spicy food because they minimize the effect of the spice and heat on your tender tongue and palate.
Give it a try and let me know how it turns out!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Selling the house calls for champagne!
Yes, my friends, the house in Ottawa is sold. No realtor and no hassles, just an eager and very pleasant couple with charming kids who were in love, I would say, with the house from the moment they walked into our moving sale on April 24.
And thanks to a couple of dear friends who gave us a bottle of Maleta Winery's 2006 Old Vintages Brut Sparkling Wine (VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake), we had a little celebration on Wednesday night.
I have to track down more of this bubbly... it was fruitier than I expected and still crisp and highly acidic. It was definitely not a Dom, and that's definitely a good thing!
And thanks to a couple of dear friends who gave us a bottle of Maleta Winery's 2006 Old Vintages Brut Sparkling Wine (VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake), we had a little celebration on Wednesday night.
I have to track down more of this bubbly... it was fruitier than I expected and still crisp and highly acidic. It was definitely not a Dom, and that's definitely a good thing!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Hello, Kingsville!
Finally, almost a year to the day of putting in our offer on 136 Main Street West, we are arrived and (almost) settled. Just a few more (hundred, it seems) boxes to unpack.
A family birthday celebration kicked off our arrival. On the menu? Coq-au-vin with pancetta, pearl onions, mushrooms and herbs served with basmatti rice, carrots and green beans. The coq-au-vin bubbled away for six hours in Pelee Island's 2008 Baco Noir and, naturally, that's what I served with the meal. An excellent pairing for the mushrooms and herbs.
To make matters more interesting, dinner on Monday was a re-creation of the above (leftovers with corn instead of carrots and green beans heated on the stove). I also added some hot sauce to give it a bit of a zing. We enjoyed it with an Alsacian Gewurztraminer which, in spite of the red wine in the original sauce, was a perfect complement for the spicy re-creation.
The moral? Proof that the same dish does not have to be served with the same wine. Get creative and let me know how it works!
A family birthday celebration kicked off our arrival. On the menu? Coq-au-vin with pancetta, pearl onions, mushrooms and herbs served with basmatti rice, carrots and green beans. The coq-au-vin bubbled away for six hours in Pelee Island's 2008 Baco Noir and, naturally, that's what I served with the meal. An excellent pairing for the mushrooms and herbs.
To make matters more interesting, dinner on Monday was a re-creation of the above (leftovers with corn instead of carrots and green beans heated on the stove). I also added some hot sauce to give it a bit of a zing. We enjoyed it with an Alsacian Gewurztraminer which, in spite of the red wine in the original sauce, was a perfect complement for the spicy re-creation.
The moral? Proof that the same dish does not have to be served with the same wine. Get creative and let me know how it works!
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