Richard and I decided to call this week’s Winesday ‘Sweet Week’.  We have selected two wines from very different parts of the world for you and although they are sweet, neither of them is pink.  I came up with a saying a number of years ago and it goes like this:  Not everything pink is sweet and not everything sweet is pink.  Tongue twister, heh!  That just about says it all, though.  Follow along and you will see what we mean.  First we are taking a trip to Germany and then we are heading to the U.S.A.

This is how the German Wine Society describes German Riesling:  “The most important of the grape varieties grown in Germany. Produces wines ranging from bone dry to unctuous and formidably concentrated. Many would call this the world’s premier white wine grape, and the German expression of it the world’s standard.”  The Rheinhessen wine region of Germany is the largest region, with production only second in size to the Pfalz.

The grape varieties grown here include:  Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Dornfelder, Silvaner, Blauer Portugieser, Spätburgunder, Kerner, Grauer Burgunder, Scheurebe, Weißer Burgunder, Bacchus, Chardonnay, Saint Laurent, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and believe it or not, there are a number of others to add to this list.

Niersteiner Spätlese (Late Harvest)

Location: Rheinhessen, Germany
Tasting: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m

Gustav Adolf Schmitt started its operations just shy of 400 years ago.  They started exporting 200 years ago.  Canada is a very big market for them.  There are many generations of Canadians who, when they think of German wine, they think of that blue bottle.  Not to disappoint… our German wine is in a blue bottle.  Heh!  There is something to be said for history.

Spätlese:  “It literally means late harvest.  Wines of superior quality made from grapes harvested after the normal harvest. These wines are more intense in flavour and concentration than quality wines and Kabinetts. Good with richer food or by themselves. The later harvest lets the grapes dry and ripen on sunny autumn days, which increases the intensity of the fruit and the flavours. Can be dry, medium-dry or sweeter style. Good values.”

[1]

Food Pairing:

 Chicken Pad Thai;  Szechuan Pork

CSPC:                   262337
Winesday Price:

$12.59   (Includes Winesday 10% discount)

Regular Price:

         $13.99

*Price correct at time of printing.  Price subject to change without notice

Bonterra Muscat

Location: Mendocino County, California, U.S.A.
Blend: Muscat
Tasting: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Muscat is the new black.

In the fashion world we hear things like ‘brown is the new black’;  ‘silver is the new black’ and so on and so on.   So if a grape is the ‘new thing’ on the block then I think we should be able to say that  “—– is the new black”.  You may be shaking your head and thinking ‘they must have been doing a bit too much sampling today’.  Unless caffeine counts, that would be it for today.

There are many different varieties of Muscat including:  Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, Muscat Alexandria, Muscat canelli, Orange Muscat, Black Muscat and so many more.  As there are many different varieties of Muscat, there are also many different ways that Muscat may be made into wine.  It could be dry, sparkling, sweet, fortified (as in the vin doux naturel of Beaumes-de-Venise), a late harvest sweet wine, or made in the passito method from dried and shriveled berries.  There are even noble rot (Sélection de Grains Nobles) from Alsace, France.[2]

“We have been farming organically since 1987, because it is our belief that organic grapes make better wine.”

“All of our grapes are grown using certi­fied organic practices, such as composting, cover crops, and biodiversity.  These organic practices give us grapes that offer a quality of fruit and vibrancy of taste that allow us to create wines that express the purity and intensity of each varietal’s unique character.”

Robert Blue (Bonterra Winemaker) says:  An intense floral nose with delicate notes of honeysuckle and orange blossom dance lightly across opulent aromas of freshly baked lemon tarts, dressed with rose petals.  The combination of lower alcohol and bold acidity offers a refreshingly bold and somewhat unexpected brightness from the wine.

Food Pairing:

Lemon Meringue Pie; Banana Cake With White Chocolate Glaze

CSPC:                   625863
Winesday Price:

$12.59   (Includes Winesday 10% discount)

Regular Price:

$13.99*

*Price correct at time of printing.  Price subject to change without notice

We are heading to Australia next week to enjoy their harvest time.

[2] Grapes and Wines by Oz Clarke and Margaret Rand

I’ve been at Sherbrooke Liquor for just over a year now, and I’ve been toying with the idea of starting a blog here for a few months.  Chances are we’ve met at the store and talked wine, or whiskey, or beer, or something!  Or perhaps I’ve tried (and hopefully succeeded) in finding something that you were looking for.  However, trying to decide what to focus a blog is/was a hard decision, believe it or not.  Considering I’m the Wine Manager here, you would think it really wouldn’t be that hard. I would just talk about wine, and write tasting notes, and share some experiences.  But I’m into more than just wine, and besides, Rosanne and Richard do a great job with their blog and hosting Winesdays.

I have a pretty decent food/culinary background, having started out by completing the Culinary Arts program at NAIT a few (cough) years ago, and even though I retired from the kitchens, I still consider myself a Foodie at heart.  I like to jokingly tell people that I’ve ‘retired’ from the Food & Beverage Industry at this point in my life; although I do admit there are times that I do miss it.  But those times are not New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, or Mother’s Day, and most of December.

In coming back to retail, I also started to expand my knowledge into whiskey (single malt, Irish, Indian, whatever the case may be), rum, and of course ~ beer.  You can’t work at Sherbrooke and not get drawn into the beer world.  So a conglomeration of wine, food, spirits, and a natural curiosity for what my high school Biology teacher called “party facts”, coupled with the fact that I like to talk, has become this blog.

It’s going to be a bit of everything.  I’m going to pass on some of my wine tidbits; maybe occasionally some recipes that I think are fantastic and easy for most people to prepare.  I also attend a lot of various wine/spirit events around town either as a guest or working, so if it’s interesting, I might talk about that.  Plus I come across information sometimes that I find fascinating, so I’ll pass that on as well.  Really, quite a ‘meritage’of topics, you could say!  Okay, you’re right, that was a bad pun.  I’m still struggling with not deleting that line…

But welcome!  And I hope you enjoy!

Style: Wheatwine
ABV: 11%
Presentation: 650 ml brown bottle
Brewery: Half Pints Brewing Company
Country: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

Although this new offering from Winnipeg’s own Half Pints brewery is a replacement for their excellent Burley Wine Barleywine don’t fret too much if that happened to be one of your favourites from them, as Demeter’s Harvest is next in queue to take that place in your life. As an aside you still have time to stock up on remaining bottles of Burley Wine to stash away for later, they’ll age incredibly well for many years, as some of you out there already know.

As much as I personally enjoyed the aforementioned Barleywine from Half Pints any grief I may have felt for its loss were immediately erased after my first sip of this Demeter’s Harvest Wheatwine. Seriously.

Don’t feel too out of the loop if you haven’t had much opportunity to try several Wheatwines already, let alone if this is the first time you’ve ever heard of this currently esoteric style. After all it’s still a fairly new style, and not a heck of a lot of commercial breweries tend to produce it. I find this curious though, as the current trend in the craft brewing industry is to brew bigger, to turn traditionally mild or average strength styles into bigger, bolder, more intense “Imperial” or Double versions. Just like its older sibling the Barleywine, the typical Wheatwine is also an intense high alcohol end product. However it’s my own opinion that the latter tends to have a bit more refinement to it, and in general is more approachable for such a big beer.

While there’s not much published credible literature out there to be found about the background of Wheatwines, whether in print or floating around on the interwebs, it’s at least agreed upon that this was a creation of the American craft brewing scene, and supposedly invented within the past 10-20 years. In what seems like the love child hybrid between the hoppier American style of Barleywine and the more neutral, softer American Wheat Ale (lacking the unique banana and clove yeast character of traditional German Hefes), this style most likely started its awkward adolescent years with amateur attempts at some sort of Double or Imperial version of the American Wheat Ale, and of course much more liberally hopped.

There are other claims that the Wheatwine was first developed someplace in California in the 1980’s, some say a small Sacramento brewpub or microbrewery, and was developed as a direct modification of the English styled Barleywine with half the malt bill substituted with wheat, and aggressively hopped as was the approach of the West Coast method of brewing (and still is!).

Of course that all lies within the realm of unsubstantiated rumour and conjecture, and you’ll have to take it all as you will, I can’t offer more that can be substantially cross-referenced and confirmed on the subject. Regardless of its genesis, in time what resulted with some refinement and maturation, is now commercially recognized as the Wheatwine style, although the agreed upon parameters are still fairly loose and open to interpretation. Typically starting at the 8 or 9% abv. mark and peaking around 13%, these unique beers now start off like a Barleywine with a large grain bill, yet there’s a 30-60% presence of wheat malt which offers a softer overall mouthfeel and some fruity notes to the flavour. They also tend to be hopped like an IPA or a DIPA, and as a nod to its potential West Coast roots the fruity and citrusy American hop varieties tend to be favoured.

Half Pints adds their own twist to their interpretation of this style by adding honey to the mix, which was procured from a local honey co-op practically within walking distance of the brewery. Now that’s keeping things local! In order to balance out the sweetness from that honey, along with the considerable wheat malt addition, this Wheatwine was heavily dry-hopped after the initial brewing process.

For those in the crowd who could use a quick mythology refresher, the title of this bold ale is a tribute to the ancient Greek goddess of the harvest, Demeter. It becomes self-explanatory after that, doesn’t it? She’s said to have taught humanity how to grow and harvest grain, and also presided over the fertility of the earth. After her daughter Persephone was abducted by Hades and taken to his domain, when Demeter finally managed to gain the freedom of her daughter from the underworld for only 6 months of the year (due to a technical oversight regarding fruit and hospitality), Demeter mourned this separation for the remaining 6 months. During this time of divine grief the land lay barren, thus creating a semblance of seasons and farming cycles. That’s how much influence Demeter had over the growth of food crops according to the ancient Greeks.

Right on the label the Half Pints brewery recommends serving this Wheatwine in a brandy snifter (and sharing the bottle amongst friends) at a temperature around 10 degrees Celsius. Who am I to argue this, those folks know what they’re doing. I would simply add on to it that a tulip glass or a red wine glass would be suitable too.

Now comes the moment of glory, especially for people who have never had the chance to sample a Wheatwine before as this is a great one to start with in my opinion. Disrobed from the bottle Demeter’s Harvest greets you as a brilliant light amber hue, sporting a short creamy off white head. Before you even manage to hold the glass up to your nose you’ll probably encounter a fruity candy-like sweetness being released. Upon closer inspection will be some tropical fruit (especially pineapple!), sweet honey, some wafery and bready malt, along with a healthy presence of grapefruit and a dry leafy herbal character from the hops. Those tropical fruits and sweet honey will jump out first in the flavour as well, with some soft, sweet bready wheat rising up from behind it. Dry spicy hops also appear in the middle, while it finishes with bright tangerine and pink grapefruit notes from the hops, and a ruby grapefruit cocktail character pleasantly lingering on in the aftertaste. A medium-full mouthfeel, exhibiting velvety smooth texture and some moderate carbonation helps deliver this all across the palate.

Right on the bottle’s label Half Pints offers some food pairings for their Wheatwine, such as Vietnamese Fresh Rolls with spicy peanut sauce, nibbling on some aged French Goat’s Cheese, or some Duck a L’orange if you’re feeling a bit ambitious. While the alcohol content is well hidden, and with the balance between sweetness and the citrus hops, Demeter’s Harvest will fair very well when paired up with most Cajun and Thai dishes, along with complimenting Indian cuisine, including some fiery curries. Consider some Szechuan style Chinese dishes also along those lines. This Wheatwine is also a good choice with lamb, especially the sweeter preparations that use apricots or mint. Game fowl is also a good pairing if you have access to them. For a bit of experimenting you could also lay out a cheese platter with more than just the Goat’s Cheese recommended above in order to find some ideal matches, since this hearty wheat ale will play nice with most varieties due to its own complexities. I would merely point out that it may be in your best interests to skip over the Stilton and other Bleu cheese which normally go hand in hand with Barleywines as this Wheatwine doesn’t possess the intense, rich dark malts that tend to stand up to such robust cheeses.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Humulus Ludicrous
Phil’s Pils
Little Scrapper IPA
Sweet Nikki Brown
Stir Stick Stout
Bulldog Amber Ale

In-Style:
Baird West Coast Wheat Wine

Other Wheat Beers:
Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier
Schneider Weisse
König Ludwig Weiss
Ise Kadoya Five Hop Imperial Wheat Ale
LTM Impériale Weizen
Hoegaarden
Unibroue Blanche De Chambly

Lateral Steps:
Brooklyn Sorachi Ace
Mikkeller USAlive!
Unibroue La Fin Du Monde
Ommegang Hennepin
Aventinus
Unibroue La Fin Du Monde
Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel

Barleywines:
Brooklyn Monster Ale
St-Ambroise Vintage Ale
Garrison Ol’ Fog Burner
Old Mephisto
Rogue XS Old Crustacean
DDC Solstice D’hiver
Alley Kat Olde Deuteronomy
Mikkeller Big Worst
Durham Benedictus

“Drag your weary souls over to Blasted Church Vineyards for a heavenly wine experience. Park your attitude at the farm gate, this winery has no place for traditional wine stuffiness and gravitas.  Blasted Church is the Okanagan Valley’s most creative, inspired and fun destination for wine lovers.” [1]

We cannot count the number of times we have heard “I am buying this wine just for the label and name.”  Not too long after that purchase, we see these people coming back and professing how much they enjoyed the wine.  They weren’t expecting to enjoy the contents.  They thought the ‘label was cute’.  When you back a good label with good contents you have a winner.  That is the way it is with Blasted Church Vineyards.

The story about the name goes like this:  “On a cool spring morning in 1929, a small crew from Okanagan Falls set off to a deserted mining camp some 16 miles away from home. Their mission: to dismantle an old wooden church and bring it back to Okanagan Falls.

The plan called for a controlled blast of four dynamite sticks inside the church in order to “loosen the nails”. Odd as it may seem, the explosion spared the wood from damage during dismantling.

Save for losing the steeple, the plan succeeded. Now, the 120 year old wooden church stands proudly in its second home of Okanagan Falls.”[2]

Yes, there are great labels.  Yes, they garner a lot of attention.  However, what is most important is that the wine and the winery are getting attention for all the right reasons.  Canada’s Wine Access Magazine named Blasted Church Vineyards as one of Canada’s Top 20 Wineries for 2010.  James Suckling (a long time and well-regarded wine journalist and critic) picked out Hatfield’s Fuse from Blasted Church’s wines during his very first trip to Canada in 2011.  A great 90 points was awarded to the wine by James.  Because of the fabulous labels, Blasted Church has easily become one of the most recognizable wineries in Canada.  Isn’t it amazing what a little ingenuity can do?

Evelyn and Chris Campbell saw the potential of this winery 10 years ago when they purchased it.  They moved from Vancouver to Okanagan Falls (known locally as Ok Falls).  “From day one, we had agreed to surround ourselves with talented staff, and give them the full support, trust, and resources required to perform their very best for the organization. I cannot emphasize enough about how this philosophy has helped us thrive within the industry. Furthermore, our team is one of the most dedicated, empowered, and customer-driven in the business. The very best team you could ever imagine having the privilege to work with.”[3]

Blasted Church Gewürztraminer

Location: Okanagan Falls, British Columbia, Canada
Blend: Gewürztraminer
Tasting: Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m

So this label depicts the workers carrying out bits and bobs of the demolished church while the priest is sitting on the remains of his beloved house of worship and saying a prayer.  How we would dearly love to sit and have a chat with Chris Sickels of Red Nose Studio who designed the artwork for these labels.  Some may say they are irreverent.  However, if you have a sense of humour that word would never pop into your head.

The Gewürztraminer is a part of the ‘Storytelling Series’.   It keeps good company with Hatfield’s Fuse, Big Bang Theory and Chardonnay Musque to name just a few.

Winemaker’s Note

Colour: Mid straw.

Bouquet: Floral, grapefruit, peaches, honey, lychee, ginger and a touch of orange blossoms.

Palate: Lime, lychee, grapefruit rind, tropical fruit with hints of ginger.

Food Pairing:  

Orange Ginger and Carrot Soup; Prosciutto Wrapped Melon

CSPC:                   726905
Winesday Price:

$21.15   (Includes Winesday 10% discount)

Regular Price:

$23.50

*Price correct at time of printing.  Price subject to change without notice

Come join us.  We are going to have a blast.  Oh my.  That was a bad bad pun.  Even for us!

[2] Blasted Church Website

[3] Blasted Church Website

Style: Coconut Curry Porter
ABV: 6.1%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Alley Kat Brewing Co. exclusive for Sherbrooke Liquor
Country: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

This would be the second brewing of this particular unique beer, the first of which was produced back in 2008. Compiling onto that uniqueness is that this was the first beer that Sherbrooke Liquor sponsored and carried as a house brand from the winner of the Edmonton Homebrewing Guild’s annual Aurora Homebrewing Challenge, and the Canadian Brewer of the Year title.

The winner of this prestigious title back in 2008 was one of the Guild’s mainstays Mark Nesdoly, who not only has earned a reputation for his skill and knowledge as a homebrewer, but is also not shy about experimenting and producing challenging beers. As with any creative endeavour each individual has their own approach when trying to entice the muse. Mark states that when it comes to his homebrewing he comes up with a name first, and then reverse engineers a recipe to suit it.

In the case of this particular beer, some disclosure will reveal that the original name for it was Heatsikher, which went on to inspire the concept for the final flavour profile. For reasons of not unintentionally offending that particular community (or those unrelated people out there who are just looking for any small reason to be insulted) the commercial name was changed to Heatseeker. However the original title acts more as an homage to the culinary traditions of this particular community.

For those intimidated by hot spices in their food, let alone their beer, fear not as it’s only a medium strength generic curry that is used, offering more of a savoury character to play off the malt, rather than any semblance of mouth blistering heat. To top things off, the sweetness of the shredded coconut used in the brewing process does an excellent job of balancing things out. It’s that dichotomy which makes this exotic Porter really work, even though it may seem off-putting to some at first.

For glassware your trusty pint glass will serve the purpose well, while a tulip glass or snifter will help accentuate the aroma more. Personally I suggest a nice wide mug, I’ve found this the most enjoyable way to experience this beer, and that wide rim delivers those aromas in abundance. The savoury nature of this beer will be much more apparent as it warms, yet a more ideal balance is found when this coconut curry Porter still has a bit of a chill on it, so consider only letting it sit out about 10 minutes before serving.

Heatseeker pours out a deep translucent brown, with bright oaky highlights when held to light and sports a thin creamy tan head. Toasty notes and sweet caramel can be found in the aroma, while seemingly toasted coconut and a savoury neutral curry spice tends to stand out more. The flavour profile delivers a sweet and toasty malt base, with some mild spicy curry in the middle, and some sweet caramel malt and coconut on the finish, along with more curry that continues to linger. For a Porter the mouthfeel is on the lighter side, with a silky slick texture and moderate carbonation.

While Heatseeker probably won’t fit the bill for any chug fest you may have planned, this is a beer that was made to be paired with food. The obvious are mild to medium heat curry dishes, and the bulk of Indian cuisine in general. Thai food will also find a worthy companion with this Porter, the sweetness of the malt and coconut balancing out much of the spicy character, and compliment the other aspects. It may not come to mind at first, but this is also a great beer to serve with Mexican dishes.

The next steps in the cooler:

Also From Sherbrooke:
KGB
Heartstopper
Bad Hare Day
Chocolate Cherry Ostiarius
Neapoleon Stout
Van Helsings All Natural Mouthwash
Sherbrooke Shamrock
Ochsner’s 1905 Alberta Porter
Sherbrooke Aaiieeeeeeeeee Caramba!
Ragutiene
Silenus

Also From Alley Kat:
Aprikat
Full Moon Pale Ale
Alley Kat Amber
Charlie Flint’s Original Lager
Olde Deuteronomy

In-Style:
Rogue Mocha Porter
Mill St. Coffee Porter
Fuller’s London Porter
Samuel Smith’s Old Taddy Porter
Paddock Wood London Porter

Lateral Steps:
LTM Porter Baltique
Baird Kurofune Porter
Garrison Grand Baltic Porter
Okanagan Old English Porter
Half Pints Pothole Porter
Rogue Chocolate Stout
DDC Aphrodisiaque
Yukon Midnight Sun Espresso Stout
Half Pints Stir Stick Stout

“Our objective is to produce good quality wines, having their own identity.  This is a process that involves time and perseverance; however this is our commitment, as a work team, with those who make out of the taste for good wine, a satisfaction”[1]

Bodega y Viñedos Korta is a relatively new winery coming to fruition in the 1990’s.  They are located in the Sagrada Familia” (Sacred Family) Valley, which is located in the Curicó (kur-ee-KOH) Valley in Chile.

The Curicó Valley is home to about 30 different varieties of wine grapes.  Winegrowing is the primary industry in this region and started in the mid 1800’s. However the modern day winemaking history really began in the 1970’s with Spanish producer Miguel Torres venturing into this part of the world.  He obviously saw the potential.[2]

Viña Korta has some pretty impressive neighbouring wineries including:  Montes, Concha y Toro, Caliterra, Miguel Torres to name just a few.  So you know they picked a great spot for their vineyards.  Korta produces red wines exclusively.  Nary a white grape to be found.

Korta Merlot Reserva

Location: Sagrada Familia Valley, Curicó Valley, Central Valley, Chile
Blend: Merlot
Tasting: Wednesday, February 15, 2012 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m

“Ripe and seductive. Forward nose with soft black cherry, mocha and currants on the palate.”  Okay, so after reading that description I had to go downstairs to get some dark chocolate to imbibe. Some people just have a gift when it comes to describing wine.  The one thing you won’t find with this wine is knock your socks off tannins.  They are soft and approachable.  You don’t always want to be schmucked with big chewy tannins.

Consulting Winemaker Irene Paiva and winemaker Ricardo Perez have brought this juice to life.  Irene was featured in a Wine Enthusiast Magazine article highlighting women winemakers in Chile.  Take a few minutes to read the article.

Food Pairing:

 Beef Pot Roast with Really Good Gravy; Slow Cooker Braised Chicken and Potatoes

CSPC:                   735259
Winesday Price:

$14.39   (Includes Winesday 10% discount)

Regular Price:

$15.99

*Price correct at time of printing.  Price subject to change without notice

Korta Syrah Reserva

Location: Sagrada Familia Valley, Curicó Valley, Central Valley, Chile
Blend: Syrah
Tasting: Wednesday, February 15, 2012 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

“Firm and structured with spicy white pepper and dried herbs. Meaty characteristics and full fruit flavors end with a long intricate finish.”

“This wine is a deep red colour its bouquet reveals the 12 months of patient aging in oak barrels combined with the character of the variety.  Mature fruit and candy, combined with gentle tannins and vanilla accompany and extend the finish.  Due to the stabilization process, this wine may form sediment in the bottle.”[3]

Food Pairing:

Classic Hamburger; BBQ Spareribs;

CSPC:                   878132
Winesday Price:

$14.39   (Includes Winesday 10% discount)

Regular Price:

$15.99

*Price correct at time of printing.  Price subject to change without notice

We are heading back to Canada next week.

[2] Wines of  Chile

[3] Korta Winery

Jason Foster

Check out more of Jason Foster’s beer news and views at onbeer.org

When I host beer tastings and education sessions I frequently find someone who says they don’t like any kind of beer. My response is usually, “you just haven’t found a beer that works for you yet”, followed by a promise that if I chatted with them long enough I could figure out a beer they would like. A bit of hubris, maybe? But I think I am right. Beer is a very versatile drink with a stunning array of flavours. If a standard “beer” is not to someone’s liking , it is quite probable that something out of the ordinary might.

Given how common that comment is, I thought I would devote the next couple Beer 101 to the issue. I want to offer some tips on how to guide a person who claims they don’t like beer into the world of beer.

Almost everyone has tried a regular corporate beer – the Canadians, Coors, Kokanees and Buds of the world. So the first key question is what didn’t you like about it? The most common response is it was too “beer-y”. By that most people are articulating a dislike of the grainy sweetness and slight hop bitterness. Most of the time the beer isn’t sweet enough compared to ciders and coolers, or not complex enough next to wine. If being the supportive guide, don’t under-estimate the importance of this answer as it will direct where you go with them.

If they are someone who prefers something sweeter, you want to move towards brown ales, red ales and Viennas. But before suggesting an option, ask a few ancillary questions. Do they like nuts? Caramel? How fizzy do they like their drinks? Do they like cinnamon buns? There are many other questions of that ilk that I ask, but you get a sense. The point is to work out what kind of sweet they like. The answers can lead you to a good approximation of what they might appreciate. It might be a Yukon Red or an Alley Kat Amber. Both are malt-accented beer but in different ways. If they like big sweet, send them toward a Celebrator or a Scotch Ale. I suspect they will appreciate it.

What if they go towards wine? Then the questions become about white or red? Fruity or spicy? Full-bodied or light and lively? If they like white wine, a fruity blonde ale or Kolsch might work. A full-bodied red might transfer into a Dubbel or Belgian Dark Strong. However, with wine drinkers I have been surprised how well a suggestion of a Flander’s Red, such as Duchess du Bourgogne, works. It seems to have the same tart dryness and fruity complexity they are looking for.

There are other directions a beer-shy person might go. They might say they like fruity drinks. If they combine fruity with sweet, then you need to offer the suggestion of Fruili Strawberry or some other fruit-dominated beer. If the fruit is more qualified, then you could aim for a better quality fruit beer, like Alley Kat Aprikat, or toward a British blonde/summer ale or ordinary bitter. You could also try Cannery Blackberry Porter, as I have has some success with that one.

I like to ask about chocolate and coffee. If they are chocolate fans, then I know porters and some brown ales become possibilities. If coffee is a biggie, then the world of stouts comes into play. I try to find something big on the coffee roast, like Peche Mortel (believe it or not)or Half Pints Stir Stick Stout works well.

There are two things to keep in mind when figuring out what beer is best for someone. First, judgment is a no-no. You can’t apply your personal biases to their beer exploration. You have to trust where they are coming from and guide them accordingly. Not everyone likes crazy Double IPAs. It is a process of opening someone to the range of beer flavour, one step at a time. And that first step needs to be about finding a beer that is in their comfort zone. You can move them along later. This part of the project is about their comfort.

Second, there is no easy 1-2-3 for beer appreciation. Everyone starts from a different place. That is why I can’t offer you a step-by-step guidebook to deciding you like beer. The process is personal; it is about learning who the person is and tailoring your suggestions to their needs. It means knowing your beer well, and being able to ad lib connections between beer and food. It won’t be perfect but it will work.

These tips barely scratch the surface. The range of possible entry points is endless. But isn’t that the wonder of beer? That it can offer dozens of potential doorways into appreciating beer. Even the biggest beer hater can become a beer lover with the right suggestions.

“We challenge the status quo, always searching for unique and different ways to accomplish our goal… to create Great Wines.”

“An important cornerstone in the evolution of our company is the adoption of responsible environmental practices.

“Throughout the 11 years that we have been in business, we have dedicated ourselves to the production of high-quality, distinctive wines using processes that safeguard the environment.”

“Everyday we practice sustainable farming, seeking to minimize the impact of our activities on the ecological balance of our vineyards by meticulously matching soils with suitable grape varieties. We partner with our employees and local communities, recognizing that both are valuable assets that contribute to our success.”

In all our work in the vineyard and the cellar, we aspire to be in harmony with the earth. We temper our quest for quality with a healthy respect for nature, seeking to minimize our impact on the environment.”[1]

Viña Ventisquero went through an exhaustive process to become  ‘Certified Sustainable’.  There were 17 criteria that they had to pass to become certified.  Natural weed control and integrated pest management are a part of the daily life in the vineyard.  Also:  ”the channeling of streams, humidity sensors and controlled irrigation to save water; the use of organic materials to improve the grip of the vines and minimize soil erosion; waste management; state-of-the-art cellars; concern for the safety and well-being of workers; and the use of renewable energy sources on the Viña Ventisquero estate in the Leyda Valley.”

Over the past four years the winery has developed a pland to reduce their carbon footprint.  They use a lighter-weight ‘EcoGlass’ bottle for 99% of their production and the wine cases are made of recycled cardboard printed with water-based ink.

This year Viña Ventisquero is applying for certification for its winery sustainable practices.  They are not stopping there.   In 2014 Viña Ventisquero is going to seek accreditation for its “interaction with the community.”

Yali Wetlands Cabernet Carménère

Location: Colchagua Valley, Chile
Blend: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Carménère
Tasting: Wednesday, February 8, 2012 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m

Although these two grapes come from Bordeaux, they have made a great home in Chile.  Carmenere ripens about three weeks later than Cabernet Sauvignon  The blend seems to be a Chilean favourite.

Imagine having the choice of the following careers:  Tennis Pro; Classical guitarist; or Winemaker.  To have that wide a variety to choose from, Head Winemaker Felipe Tosso, chose the wine business because it is one of his “big passions because it’s more than work - it’s a lifestyle.”

We would love to have the opportunity to sit and have a chat with this fascinating man.

Winery  notes:

Colour: deep ruby red.

Aroma: ripe cassis, plum and cherry from the Cabernet Sauvignon and spicy notes such as black pepper from the Carménère mesh with hints of vanilla and chocolate imparted by barrel aging.

Palate: a well-balanced wine with soft tannins and a long persistent finish of red berries and vanilla.

Food Pairing:

Old-Fashioned Beef Stew with Winter Vegetables

CSPC:                   602722
Winesday Price:

$10.79   (Includes Winesday 10% discount)

Regular Price:

$11.99

*Price correct at time of printing.  Price subject to change without notice

Yali Wetlands Sauvignon Blanc

Location: Lolol Valley, Chile
Blend: Sauvignon Blanc
Tasting: Wednesday, February 8, 2012 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

The end of February to the beginning of March here in Alberta, one would not be thinking about harvesting grapes.  We might be thinking about grabbing another blanket to keep us warm.  However, that is the timeframe when these grapes were picked.  And at night, to boot.  Sauvignon Blanc goes with a lot of different foods including Shellfish, Pork, Chicken and even the dreaded Asparagus.  One of just a few wines that works well with Aspqragus.

Winery notes:

Colour: crystalline, with pale green highlights.

Aroma: complex and elegant nose of fresh lime, grapefruit, pineapple and pear, rounded off by delicate floral notes.

Palate: elegant with well-balanced acidity, citrus and tropical fruit nuances appear on the long finish.

Food Pairing:

Sautéed Fish Fillets; Baby Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad

CSPC:                   878132
Winesday Price:

$10.79   (Includes Winesday 10% discount)

Regular Price:

$11.99

*Price correct at time of printing.  Price subject to change without notice

We are staying in beautiful Chile again next week.