Happy, Happy Holidays

By now everyone is well into the scramble of the holiday season. The sound of Christmas carols are abound while your Halloween décor gets thrown into storage. For one reason or another, the series of social engagements, the laundry list of people with which to exchange gifts and the fast pace of the holiday rush definitely warrants the extra trip to the liquor store. This issue discusses some unique wine gift ideas, thoughts for wine pairing with your holiday meal and a few wine service pointers to add that dash of sparkle to your hosting.

Gift giving

The holidays are a time of ‘eat, drink and be merry’ and the busiest time for beverage retail. The shelves are stuffed with regular stock items and special gift-packs appear to fill in all the gaps – It’s a shopper’s wonderland. While purchasing a gift-card is very swift, spend a few minutes to find something special so your friend or family member has something to open. This adds that special element of surprise and makes the exchange more meaningful.

What then would you give the special someone that is a real connoisseur? Or are they new to wine? Regardless, something unique is best. Even if that certain someone has a ‘go-to’ label, it is great to give something that they may never have thought to buy. You’ll find the LCBO Vintages or SAQ Sélection offerings to be busting at the seams and this is the perfect time to get that special gift. As we’ve experienced with every month of VinoVigilance it pays to taste terroir or a special method of production. Take the Riesling Auslese by Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler from Mosel, Germany, for example. This wine comes from the Bernkasteler Badstube and is part of a grosslage (the German terminology referring to a cluster of vineyards). The term Auslese refers to the hierarchy of sugar ripeness in the grapes at harvest. Specifically, an Auslese level is considered “special late harvest” which means these grapes have been left to hang into the late autumn, and so, often have higher sugar levels once they are made into wine. Auslese wines are relatively rare to show themselves on the shelves compared to their Spätlese and Kabinett counterparts (although Auslese wines can be found online relatively easily and can be shipped to your location). The wine is medium-sweet and bursting with floral, sweet citrus and apricot character. The Riesling grape holds acidity very well and balances out the sugar on the palate. This is a great wine to serve though a meal with poultry, semi-sweet sauces and even desserts like poached peach or pear. If you are planning on having something spicy, this is also a great pairing as the sugar cools the palate.

Our tasting line-up of the evening left to right: Mumm Napa Cuvee Prestige, G. Marquis Silver Line Pinot noir, Dr. Pauly Bergweiler Reisling Auslese, Castelgreve Vin Santo. Background: A very thirsty and jealous tortoise.

Wonderful wines from closer to home will impress you as well. The G. Marquis ‘The Silver Line’ Pinot noir is part of one of Magnotta’s premium tiers from VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake. It’s a well-extracted, fruit-forward pinot that has the tell-tale cranberry and autumn leaves notes often found in this grape. It is a nice pairing with roast beef, pork tenderloin, or a dry-roasted Portobello mushroom cap.

Stocking stuffers

Never will there be as many half-sized bottles at the store than at this time of year. These can make great stocking-stuffers – far better than a lump of coal. One such sweet treat is Vin Santo. Traditionally, these wines were shared during church service. They primarily come from Chianti region, in Italy, and are made of the white grapes Trebbiano and Malvasia. What is special about these wines is that the grapes are harvested and dried over the winter on straw mats. When the raisinated grapes are made into wine later that spring, they are aged in oak for a minimum 36 months. But the other very important distinction is that the barrels are not topped up with fresh wine. This oxidation process imparts the nutty, almost sherry-like characteristics to the wine. The Castelgreve Vin Santo del Chianti Classico is from the 2000 vintage and has a vibrant brassy colour. This wine would be a great pairing with candied nuts. It’s pretty unique to share a wine that has been asleep for over a decade.

Ring in the New Year

Heading to a friends house to watch the ball drop? You’ll be a very welcome guest with a bottle of bubbly. If you are looking for a traditionally made wine that is of quality and won’t break the bank try the Mumm Napa Brut Prestige. Being traditionally made, it has a base of crisp green apple with the touch of baguette and brioche that one would find in quality Champagne. The mousse is very creamy and makes for a very welcome reception or a wonderful way to end the countdown.

Sophisticated Service

If you are undertaking the big task of entertaining a party for a sit down dinner it is wonderful to brush up on your wine service skills. You’ll also find these practices to be commonplace in fine restaurants.

Unveil and present.  The bottle is presented to the guest that ordered the wine or, alternatively, the one brave enough in your group to taste test.

Uncork the experience. The wine is uncorked and the cork is laid before them to demonstrate authenticity and to ensure that mould is not growing on the side that is in contact with the wine.

Try it out. A small amount of wine is poured in the glass for them to smell and or taste.

This dutchie gets passed on the right-hand side. All joking aside…upon acceptance of the wine, it is poured by standing to everyone’s right-hand side (whereas food is served on the left). The bottle is held with your palm on the back label so that the front label can face each guest as you pour. This is easily done if you are holding the bottle in your right hand because your arm will be at a comfortable distance away from the guest’s personal space.

A glass half full is a good thing. With wine, you appreciate the emptiness. Poured the wine so that there will be plenty of airspace in the glass to appreciate the wine’s aromas. Never fill a glass completely full, you can always pour more later on.

…and do the twist! When finishing the pour, gently curl your wrist towards you to prevent drips. It is also a good idea to have a kitchen towel draped over your left arm to wipe the bottle of any drips that may end up down the side.

Fancy pouring using the punt. Thumb tucked away in the bottom of the bottle, which is hopefully curved deep enough to grip well. The fingers are extended toward the top of the bottle along the back and underside – note the position of the pinky finger. When finishing the pour, twist your wrist clockwise so that the bottle is still supported by the fingers.

Some folks like to get extra fancy and hold the bottle from the indentation in the bottom of the bottle, called a ‘punt’. Be very careful and have a steady hand. Place your thumb firmly inside the punt. Flare out your fingers and extend them along the back and left side of the bottle so that it remains steady and the front label can still be displayed.

Here’s wishing you a safe and happy holidays! Indulge and explore responsibly. If you’re heading out for a party be sure to get one of your reindeer or elfish friends to bring you home. Or curl up on the comfy couch for the night. After all, the best pairing for cookies is milk.

A tribute to two giants

Nearing the end of a less than spectacular summer it was fitting to elevate the excitement of the Vinovigilantes with our first comparative tasting of this year’s instalment of meetings. I called it ‘Super Sauvignon’ as these two related grapes (with the white grape Sauvignon blanc or, for short, ‘Sauvignon’, being a parent to the red grape Cabernet sauvignon or, for short, ‘Cabernet’) are a wine staples the world over. For example, both have found supreme success as being part of the red and whites of Bordeaux. They are also found as principal grapes in other parts of France, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, and the Americas. By limiting the tasting to only one red and one white grape, you can better appreciate the nuances, be they subtle or obvious, in their expressions from country to country.

Tasting hallmarks of Sauvignon and Cabernet

Sauvignon and Cabernet are relatively later to ripen out in the vineyard. These grapes are used in blends to provide structure through either their acidity or tannin. Therefore, they can turn otherwise flabby tasting wines into ones with marvellous mouthfeel by providing a firm backbone. [More on how we sense these tactile elements in October 2013’s tasting ‘Deconstruction, Reconstruction’]. On their own, they are food friendly wines that do a great job of cleansing the palate of high amounts of fats and protein.

The common flavours these grapes are best understood when tasting the wines of cool climates where the grapes do not over-ripen on the vine. Rather, they have greater chance of being under-ripe in harsh years. Green bell pepper, chemically known as methoxypyrazines, and black or white currant (or gooseberry) are common in both Sauvignon and Cabernet. The pepper element is typically pronounced when the grapes are under-ripe. Sauvignons have characteristic nettle (‘weeds’), cut grass characters along with citrus. Cabernets can develop luscious cassis and dark berry flavours.

Around the world in two grapes

The tasting was not completely around the world, but six countries spanning three continents was still a good representation. Let’s discuss the whites and then the reds:

Sauvignon blanc

We’ll start close to home with 2012 Creekside ‘Backyard Block’ Sauvignon Blanc which hails from the Niagara Peninsula, near the village of Jordan. This year was above average for warmth and dryness. The grapes were very early to ripen and yielded high sugar with a great measure of acidity. The wine has quite the presence on the palate. It is medium-weight and elevated by the high acidity and a hint of spritz. There are flavours of citrus, grapefruit and the honeyed tropical notes that come about in hot vintages. Taking a trip down under brings us to two countries that excel in Sauvignon, Australia and New Zealand. The Shingleback ‘Haycutters’ Sauvignon blanc/Semillon is from the areas of Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale in South Australia. The climate tends to be cooler than other wine regions. This wine is relatively lighter bodied and delicate where the grassy and hay notes can be experienced. Even cooler winemaking climates can be experienced near Marlborough, New Zealand where the Blind River ‘Awatare Valley’ and Cloudy Bay Sauvignon blanc can be found. Both the wines are racy with mouth-watering acidity. They are both great to serve at the beginning of the meal to stimulate the appetite. The Blind River Sauvignon has a very pleasing, herbaceous aroma with ample citrus fruit and white currant. A portion was aged in oak casks to add a further layer of complexity with a whiff of smoke. The Cloudy Bay Sauvignon is a long-standing staple of the LCBO Vintages portfolio and is considered a Sauvignon with the price tag to match. It’s quite complex with cantaloupe, lime, bell pepper and plenty of minerality, great for oysters and shellfish!

The acidity and minerality of Sauvignon blanc pairs beautifully with the brine of the oysters.

Alas, we returned home to experience a local wine with Italian influence. Foreign Affair’s ‘Abbracio’ Sauvignon blanc is made using the appasimento technique which dries a portion of the grapes. The result is a wine that concentrates the fruit, minerality and acidity. The mouthfeel is full-bodied with flavours of pink grapefruit, pineapple, melon, grass, and with vanilla bean from aging for a brief period in French oak. Although it is technically a dry wine, one can appreciate that the intensity of fruit flavours which can be perceived as sweetness on the palate. Therefore, the wine is tastes as though it is off-dry.

Cabernet sauvignon

Cabernet sauvignon is the principal red grape of Chile, by volume, even though this country is probably most well-known for the grape Carmenere for which Chile is practically its only home. Here, we tasted Cabernet from two of Chile’s original wineries – The relatively large Carmen and the gigantic Concha y Toro; in fact, it is one of the largest wineries in the world. I was introduced to Carmen’s chief winemaker, Sebastian Labbé, years ago through a good friend. I sought his advice about starting in the wine industry after applying to Lincoln University (New Zealand) for a lectureship where he graduated. Sebastian explained to me,

“Also as you say, this passion easily becomes an obsession as every single detail can make a huge difference. Even though, it took me a while to understand that the real secret is in the terroir; climate, SOIL and human factor. I think any winemaker can make great wine with high quality grapes but with average fruit it is hard to get depth and roundness. We are definitely not magicians.”

This is quite true of all wines and could never be more applicable for Cabernet Sauvignon. If not careful, it can take on a tight, highly-structured form with coarse tannins, woodiness, and grape stems, making it difficult to palate. Conversely, in its best expression, during the best vintages and handled with the utmost care, it can develop a beautiful velvety smoothness along with a palate that exudes elegant and fruit, floral, spice and even animale characters that can develop over decades. Tasting the Carmen ‘Gran Reserva’ Cabernet Sauvignon one can appreciate the blackberry compote, hints of cassis, cracked black pepper, finely-textured tannin and pleasing oak characteristics that impart coffee beans and cocoa.

My visit to Concha y Toro over 4 years ago was a fun experience. Although large and touristy, with plenty of bus tours coming and going. I recommend the trek through the countryside by bicycle (Paseos en Bicicleta). The scariest, yet humorous experience was going down into the Casillero del Diablo (the Devil’s cellar, that also bears the name of the winery’s entry level offerings) as they played tricks on us in turning out the lights of the cobwebbed-laden barrel cellar. Moving up their portfolio’s offering will land you at level of the ‘Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet sauvignon. This is Cabernet in a more structured, but still pleasing form, as many in the group rather enjoyed this style. The dark fruit and cassis was still present but there was also an ample portion of ‘structural’ elements and flavours such as slightly coarse tannin, acidity and the bell pepper note. This wine would be most pleasing if paired with a cut of medium-rare beef or even tartare.

Cycling around Chilean wine country in the Maipo on a tour with Paseos en Bicicleta.

Back to Australia again, home of the first wine that I actually drank a whole bottle of (well, of course, it was over an entire evening…among friends…up at the trailer…during my undergrad years…having a party…okay, I’ve dug my hole enough). The Wolf Blass ‘Yellow Label’ Cabernet Sauvignon is an icon among the shelves at the LCBO and likely worldwide. I agree that this wine, years before Yellowtail, played a major role in turning us on to discover Australian wines, period. This wine comes in at a competitive price of $17 and you get a pretty solid wine that is on the plush, ripe side of Cabernet. The dark berry fruits are prominent, with hints of menthol and cinnamon spice. The soft tannin makes the wine very approachable to a broad group of people and is still a great start for those learning about wine.

I have held off for too long to not speak of France. They make the Cabernet of fairytales – some wines need fairytale-sized wallets to afford them. It is important to know that the Bordelais are blend masters where as many as six grapes can be found in a red Bordeaux blend. In order to find the Cabernet-dominant offerings, you have to seek out the so-called ‘Left Bank’ because the gravely soils of the vineyards that lie to the West of the river Garonne are idyllic for growing Cabernet. The 2009 Château D’Aurilhac from Haut Medoc is a good entry level example or ‘Cru Bourgeois’. The wine has a deep ruby with a blue hue (so it is still young). Blue berry, leather, smoke and barn dust are recognizable scents. The palate is mid-weight with balanced acidity and grippy tannin. The berry flavours are downplayed with predominant nuances of nutmeg, clove and savouriness.

France makes wine of fairytales? Not so, say the Californians. The counties of the northern and central coast of California would beg to differ that France is supreme in making Cabernet. The relatively warmer climates will tend to accentuate the fruit qualities. Firestone Cabernet Sauvignon is one such juicy version, from Central coast in Santa Ynez Valley, part of Santa Barbara County. The wine exudes elements of strawberry jam, black currant with notes of licorice and chocolate. There is also some savouriness and slightly coarse tannin. It finishes warm (thanks to 14% alcohol) but has a generous length. The highlight tasting of the evening was the Stags’ Leap Cabernet sauvignon. The winery has significance as its 1973 Cabernet took title of the top red wine during the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, finishing a hair ahead of three Bordeaux powerhouses. We tasted the 2009 vintage. Still relatively young, it is already showing its refinement with silky tannin and a mix of dark berry fruit, peppercorn, coffeebean, cocoa and tobacco leaf. It’s an experience; you decide whether the $50 is worth it.

Discover Sauvignon

Tasting these wines side by side makes it far easier to pick out the nuances of how terroir and winemaking practices are used to create artwork out of all the science. With such a broad range of expressions it is also easy to discover your favourite style or help you match a particular profile with the food you will enjoy alongside.