Bodega El Esteco

One hundred and eighteen years ago, two French brothers (David and Salvador) planted their first vines and opened the Bodega El Esteco Winery.  The name of the winery was taken from the legendary city of El Esteco.  The legend goes that El Esteco was a very “opulent” city that had buildings covered in silver and the citizens dressed in gold.  However the city and “it’s treasures” were buried in an earthquake in 1692 and the legend was born.  In the late 1970’s the winery purchased the El Esteco Estate and found that there were riches there, they came from the wonderful soil that grew vines to make some appetizing wines.

In 1929 it was one of the first wineries to win an international award in Spain.  They were one of the first to lead the way for ‘wine tourism’ in the 1970’s and in the 1990’s they were also one of the first wineries to incorporate ecological practices.

Like with many wineries, Bodegas El Esteco has a number of different labels, four of which we see in Alberta:  Michel Torino, Don David, Cuma and Altimus

Winery: Michel Torino
Vintage: 2008
Location: Argentina
Alcohol: 13.5%
Blend: Tannat 100%
Tasting: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

There are so many grape varieties throughout the wine growing world.  Some of them are very familiar like Merlot, Syrah (Shiraz) and Chardonnay to name just a few.  There are so many other wonderful varieties out there to discover and today is the day to try one of them.  Tannat… home for this grape was in Southwestern France, where it has been used for blending purposes.  This grape gives big tannins (hence the name Tannat), and big colour to the grape varieties with which it is paired.

Because this grape variety is known for producing very big tannic wines, the first time we had this wine we decided to decant the wine for about two hours.  The wine was wonderful… full of flavour and aromas reminiscent of wonderful black fruit.  The second time we tried this wine, we decanted it for just one hour and the wine was just as flavourful.  Now this is going to be fun on Wednesday, as we haven’t had this wine for about three years, so we are looking forward to trying it again.

Food Pairing:

Bison with a Blueberry and Saskatoon sauce or reduction; Duck and Mushroom Ragout; French Onion Soup Gascon Style

CSPC:     710374
Price:

$13.99 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

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

Winery: Michel Torino
Vintage: 2007
Location: Argentina
Alcohol: 13.5 %
Blend: Sauvignon Blanc
Tasting: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Ahhh… Sauvignon Blanc.  Quite ironically, this grape variety is also from a Southwestern Region of France.  This greenish/yellow grape produces some lovely dry and fresh tasting wines.  Like everything else, there are exceptions.  One of the best known exceptions to Sauvignon Blanc making nice dry wines is a sweet wine called Sauternes. Sauternes is a marriage of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grapes that have been affected by Botrytis (a wonderful gift from Mother Nature).  These wonderful wines are from an area about 30 miles south of Bordeaux which are comprised of five communes, one of which is called Sauternes, where this delectable wine gets its name.  We will visit this wine another day.  We just wanted to let you know that there are always exceptions.  Where would life be without them?

Now back to our Argentinean Sauvignon Blanc.  One doesn’t normally think of pink grapefruit and grass when talking about wine, but that is just what notes you will smell and taste when you try this wine.  Fresh really is a good descriptive word.

Food Pairing:

Asparagus; Sautéed Chicken; Lemongrass Chicken; Light Salad with Goat Cheese.

CSPC:     715375
Price:

$13.99 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

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

Next week we are going to prepare a few mixed drinks that will be easy to make for the long weekend.  Can you believe Heritage Days weekend is almost upon us?

Don Sebastiani & Sons

Who knew that a man who has a Degree in Government from USF and served as a California Assemblyman for three terms, would end up being in the wine industry for over three decades!  Well that describes Don Sebastiani’s life… in a nutshell.

If you are thinking that this name looks familiar, you would be right on the money.  It was just last week that we were talking about Samuele Sebastiani, Don’s Grandfather, who started Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery.  For a period of 15 years, Don sat as the CEO of the family winery.  After that time, he left to continue his love of wine in a company that Don and his brother-in-law Roy Cecchetti started in 1986.  In 2001 Roy decided to pursue some other interests.  That is when the company name changed to Don Sebastiani & Sons (the sons being Donny and August).

By the time that 2004 rolled around, the company was producing one million bottles of wines.  Just one year later in 2005, the winery was named “American Winery of the Year” by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.  A mere two years after that the company was  producing two million cases of wine.  All the while keeping with their philosophy of “bringing upscale, but moderately priced wines” to consumers like you and me.

Greg Kitchens has been the winemaker at Don Sebastiani and Sons since 2001 after working at Beaulieu Vineyards and the Sebastiani Family Winery in Sonoma County.

Greg says “We make great tasting wines by taking an aggressive approach to winemaking.  The team spends many early mornings and late nights in the vineyards and wineries where we produce our wines.  This way all our wines get the attention that they deserve and the payoff is in the bottle.”  Let’s just see, shall we…

Winery: Smoking Loon Wine Co.
Vintage: 2007
Location: California, USA
Alcohol: 13.5 %
Blend: Viognier
Tasting: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Don & Sons produce a number of different labels.  Two of which we can get here in Alberta (Smoking Loon and Pepperwood Grove).  The wines we are sampling on Wednesday were part of a group of wines started by the company a decade ago.

What the heck is Viognier (VEE-ohn-YAY) anyway?  The history is a little grey, but one can say that it was very popular in the Rhône region of France for quite a number of years.  It fell out of favour for a while, but it is coming back again.  California (where Smoking Loon calls home) and Australia, have been planting a number of acres with the grape.

The Viognier grape makes a dry, full-bodied and aromatic wine.  When people get a whiff of the wine they think it might be sweet, because of all the nice floral aromas that are abundant.  Then they try the wine and are pleasantly surprised that it is in fact dry.    I have done a couple of tastings with Smoking Loon Viognier and the outcome has been very similar each time.  People are very happily surprised about how much they enjoy the wine.  Even some serious red drinkers like it, because of the layers of flavours.  Apricot, white peach, guava and a touch of honey are some of the flavours of this wine.

Food Pairing:

Butternut squash risotto; roasted chicken; chicken with a cream sauce; white fish; slightly spiced dishes (Thai).

CSPC:     715029
Price:

$16.99 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

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

Winery: Smoking Loon Wine Co.
Vintage: 2007
Location: California, USA
Alcohol: 13.5 %
Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

We had a little white, now for a little red.  Well, it is not so  little truthfully.  After all, it is a Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabs are not known for being petite.  Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the grape varieties that most people have heard of.  It is grown in almost every wine country around the world.  One thing you will notice is that the alcohol is not overwhelming.  The Smoking Loon Cabernet, like the Viognier, is 13.5% ABV (Alcohol By Volume).  The flavours will come out nicely in this wine and won’t be overpowered by the alcohol.

Now you know what is coming next… decant this wine.  Get it out of the bottle, even if you pour it out into a glass and let it sit for about an hour.  As we have said many times before, this gives the wine a chance to set all those great flavours and aromas free.

I am going to digress for a quick moment.  A few years ago I was doing a tasting in Edmonton and this young gent and I were chatting about decanting wine.  He felt it wouldn’t do much good.  I said “Let’s put it this way… if you were stuck in a bottle for a couple of years or more, you’d need a little airing out wouldn’t you?”  He got a great chuckle out of that.  Back to the wine…

This Smoking Loon Cabernet Sauvignon offers lots of ‘flavours on the nose”: Raspberry and dark plum with a touch of some herbs (oregano) will be noticed.  When you taste this wine you will get blackberry, red berries, red currants, rounded off with lighter tannins.

Now what do all of these nice flavours mean for food pairing?

Food Pairing:

Chocolate (dark); beef stew (if you have never done it on the BBQ, try it); aged cheese; Gorgonzola; Grilled lamb; beef with some rosemary and/or thyme.

CSPC:     715030
Price:

$16.99 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

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

California to Argentina is not too far a jaunt for next week.
Come join us.

Winery: Sebastiani
Vintage: 2007
Location: Sonoma County, California, USA
Alcohol: 13.5 %
Blend: 82% Zinfandel, 9.8% Petit Syrah, 7.2% Syrah
Tasting: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

We had the pleasure of tasting the Sebastiani wines a few years ago.  There was a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Merlot and a Zinfandel.  Now they make a number of other wines, but these three we had tried at the time.  After doing a little research on the winery, we discovered some interesting information about the vineyards and winery that made up Sebastiani.

Over one hundred years ago is when the story of this winery began when Samuele Sebastiani emigrated from Tuscany Italy.  A mere nine years after he emigrated he started the winery.  He was a man with a vision for sure.  During the period of Prohibition in the United States (1920-1933), the winery was allowed to continue making wine because it made a small amount of sacramental and medicinal wines, which was allowed under the law.  However not all of Samuele’s neighbours faired so well.  He came up with a plan to initiate some major projects both at the winery and at the plaza around one of the churches to help keep people employed.  When there was not enough at the winery to keep his employees working, he decided to start canning fruit to make up some of the difference.  He was a hard worker himself, and he expected the same of others, but he did everything he could to help people during this period of Great Depression.

Samuele passed away in 1944.  His son and daughter-in-law, August and Sylvie, purchased the winery from the estate and thus began the next expansion of Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery.  August added new varietals and proprietary blends. He was a big believer in supporting the craftsmen of Sonoma and put their skills to good use at Sebastiani, which is why you still see some of the hand-carved Sebastiani barrels at the winery today.  August was also devoted to birds and their preservation.  He had a collection of very rare doves and black swans and was also a supporter of Ducks Unlimited.  Upon August’s passing, Sylvie and their children, Sam, Don and Mary-Ann took over the management of the winery.  Sam left six years later to start his own winery.  During this period, the winery grew and started a ‘value’ brand of wines which became very successful and was eventually sold in 2001 so the family could ‘refocus’ on the family brand wines.

Don eventually left to devote his time to a winery he started in 1985 with his brother-in-law Roy Cecchetti… Cecchetti Sebastiani Cellars (now called Don Sebastiani & Sons).  Mary Ann Sebastiani Cuneo, assumed the role of president and CEO and helped lead the company through its period of transition.  “She spearheaded the multi-million dollar remodel of the Sebastiani tasting room and hospitality center completed in 2001″.  In order to make an emphasis on small lot artisan wines, the winemaking facility underwent major renovations.

In 2008, Bill Foley of Foley Family Wines acquired Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery.  There is a lot of history for sure and a there are lot of wonderful wines to come in the future.   Let’s get tasting this wine…

First of all, as always, get the wine out of the bottle so it can breathe for a while.  The nice zinfandel flavours will be more pronounced.  We usually like to let this zinfandel sit for about an hour.  This wine doesn’t have huge alcohol levels.  It comes in at 13.5% ABV.   With a lower alcohol, the fruit comes shining through.  The colour is dark ruby with purple and violet overtones.  The cherry and juicy red fruit flavours are quite noticeable.  But there are also some notes of vanilla (aged in casks for 5 months).  Bam… there is that nice spice that we love about zinfandel.  It isn’t overpowering, just a wee bit of black pepper… just enough to make it interesting.

Food Pairing:

Braised, BBQ’d or roasted Italian/Chorizo Sausage, Beef, Lamb, Pork or Venison;  Ribs with a nice spicy BBQ sauce; Parmesan cheese; Manchego (Spanish) cheese; Eggplant lasagna.

CSPC:     37275
Price:

$19.99 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

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

Next week is June 30^th, the day before Canada Day!  See you then.

Distiller: Cointreau
Location: Angers, France
Alcohol: 40 %
Tasting: Wednesday, June 16, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

First of all, before we start anything here, I want to say a huge ‘thank you’ to Diana for taking care of everything while Richard and I were in Europe.  Thank you for being so amazing, Diana.

Now on to our feature this week:

In 1849 in Angers, France, Adolphe and Edouard-Jean Cointreau opened a distillery to create spirits from local fruit.  Now you may not think that is too unusual.  What you don’t know is that Adolphe and Edouard-Jean were very famous master confectioners.  Going from making bonbons to making spirits is quite a leap.  I for one am very glad they made that jump.  In 1875 Edouard-Jean’s son, Edouard, not only distilled the sweet and bitter orange peels and the other ingredients to make Cointreau, but he also invented the square-sided amber bottle, which is the signature look of Cointreau today.  Cointreau is referred to as ‘the original orange liqueur.

Cointreau (kwan-tro) is a liqueur made from a secret family recipe.  It is made by distilling sweet and bitter orange peels, blended with natural alcohol, sugar and water.  It is referred to as ‘the original orange liqueur.  That is the technical speak part of this article.

When people first see Cointreau, they are quite surprised by the colour.  Well, lack of colour, I should say.  Yes it is made out of sweet and bitter orange peel, but it is totally clear.  Most people expect to see a brownish or orange-brown type colour.  By it being clear, it makes it very attractive as a mix in drinks.  And it does a lot of mixing:  Margarita, Cointreau Bubbles, Side Car, B-52, Cosmopolitan, Champs-Elysées, Kamikaze, Spanish Sangria and Daiquiri to name just a few.

It is amazing how many people think that a Margarita comes out of just one bottle that says ‘Margarita’.  It is such an easy drink to make and it tastes to darn good.  Just look:

Margarita

- 20ml (1oz) Cointreau
- 40ml (2 oz) tequila
- 10ml  (0.5oz) lime juice

Shake and strain into a salt rimmed margarita glass

Trick: Garnish: lime slice

Now how simple is that!

Cointreau isn’t just for drinks either.  There are some fabulous recipes for food.  Something as simple as a nice vinaigrette.  I don’t know about you, but I make my salad dressing on a regular basis.  It is so simple and it takes only a couple of minutes.  Once in a very blue moon I buy one, but it is so easy to make on your own and you can experiment.

Take a look at this vinaigrette:

There are so many food recipes like:  Strawberries Romanoff (sounds complicated, but it isn’t and it is yummy), Dutch Apple Pie and my husband’s wonderful Cointreau Cheesecake (no bake variety).  All of these recipes, of course, have no calories in them (wink wink, nudge nudge).

Now you can try one or all of these recipes or just simply just sip on the Cointreau all on its own, or over ice.

Today we are going to have a wonderful drink called “Cointreau Bubbles” or, if you like, you may try the Cointreau all on its own.

Come by and enjoy.  We’ll be waiting for you.

Thank you to www.cointreau.com for the wonderful recipes.

CSPC:     6502 (750 ml)
Price:

$34.99 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

CSPC:     10322 (375 ml)
Price:

$18.50 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

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

Next week we are travelling back to the United States of America.

Winery: Bonterra
Vintage: 2007
Location: California, United States of America
Alcohol: 14%
Blend: 86% Zinfandel 11% Petit Syrah 3% Syrah
Tasting: Wednesday, June 9, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Bonterra - good earth - well that just about describes it in a nutshell.  And that is just what this company is all about.  They make wine out of organically grown grapes.   Now I know some people out there think that that is a bunch of baloney, but that fact of the matter is organically produced products overall are on the rise and many consumers are demanding them.  It just so happens that in the wine part of things, Bonterra was ahead of a lot of other winemakers in producing and marketing their organic wines.

“Decades of learning and winemaking accolades have reinforced our passionate belief that our organic grapes make better wine.”   Now they ought to know, as they started this practice in 1987.  I am trying to think back 23 years ago to see what wines were being marketed as organic and I’ll be darned, but I cannot think of any right off the top of my head.  Today we are seeing many more people asking for organically grown products and it is nice to know that some companies have had a leg up for a while.

Sherbrooke carries many of the Bonterra wines.  Now some of you know that we are Zinfandel fans, so the fact that we picked the Zinfandel out of their lineup of wines to do may not be a big surprise.  Frankly, we have not had this Zin in quite some time, so it is a real pleasure to taste it again.

The grapes used to make this wine are mostly from dry-farmed fruit.  Now what does that mean to you and I?  Well, it means that the vines have to dig deep into the ground to search for that water.  What that gives the wine is more depth and character, generally speaking.  More fruit that is concentrated and less watered down.  We think of growing vegetables and fruit in our back yards, and we water the plants, right?  Well believe it or not, you don’t want do do that with your grape vines.

The grape vines that are used to make this wine are about 35 - 40 years old.  And that is a good thing.  As we humans say ‘with age comes wisdom’ and ain’t that the truth.  So it is also true that the fruit that you get from older vines, well they are going to be a little more complex and give lots of wonderful flavours.

Okay let’s tasting this wine.  Now you know that I am a big fan of decanting, so get this wine out of the bottle and let it breather for awhile.  It will bring out all the wonderful fruit and spicy notes that are so characteristic of Zinfandel.  Red Raspberry, blackberry along with some nice spicy pepper is what you will notice right off the bat.  Try it along with Diana and see what you think.  On to the food…

Food Pairing:

Spicy beef fajitas (or some other Mexican foods); BBQ beef (of course); hard cheeses; spicy spaghetti and meat sauce; turkey

CSPC:     530139
Price:

$20.99 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

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

Winery: Baron Phillippe de Rothschild S.A. Mouton Cadet
Location: France
Alcohol: 13%
Blend: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting: Wednesday, June 2, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

When one utters the name ‘Rothschild’, people automatically think of history, luxury beyond imagination and everything expensive.  Quite frankly that is true.  Although Baron Philippe de Rothschild was a member of the banking dynasty family, he was also a Grand Prix racecar driver, a screenwriter, a film producer, a theatrical producer and, one of the most successful wine producers in the world.

The company today is still a family owned company.  The Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, the Baron’s daughter, is the majority shareholder.  In this day and age when so many large family companies have gone by the wayside, that is quite wonderful.

The Rothschild family has been making wines that have been lauded for many years. For example Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Chateau Mouton Rothschild have been mentioned in just about every wine magazine you can think of.  At the same time as making these incredible wines, they have also been making some very approachable wines at very reasonable prices.  The Rothschild Escudo Rojo wines from Chile are fabulous wines, and are priced reasonably.  Then there is “Mouton Cadet”.

Can you believe that Mouton Cadet is celebrating 80 years this year?  In honour of this celebration, we thought this would be a great time to sample two of their Bordeaux wines… a little red and a little white.  Come join us in France on this little birthday trip.

Chateau Mouton Rothschild was known for making exceptional wines that fetched a very good price.  In 1930, however, Baron Philippe Rothschild felt that the vintage was not up to snuff to put the Mouton Rothschild name on it.  It was still a nice wine however.  So he decided that he would come up with a new wine line called Mouton Cadet.  Baron Philippe was the youngest child, so he put the French term for youngest on the label… ‘cadet’.  The wine became an instant hit.  The following year, 1931, brought a high demand for this new label.  So much so, that the Rothschilds had to purchase grapes from other growers in neighbouring vineyards to keep up with the demand for this new wine.  Grapes came from Pauillac, Ste. Estephe, Haut-Medoc to name a few.  After the Second World War the wine was given AOC status.  The popularity of the wine grew immensely and before you knew it, a white Mouton Cadet became part of the family in the 1970’s.

The red wine is a blend of 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 65% Merlot and  15% Cabernet Franc.  This wine is easy drinking and what I like to call, as I said before, very approachable. It is not matured in oak casks, so the fruit is more evident when you taste it.

The wine has nice aromas of red berry fruit (raspberry, cherry and strawberry) and even a wee touch of mint.  The tannins are not over abundant, so it feels nice and ‘round’.

This wine has been around for 80 years, that is true, but it is still very popular.  On their website it says Mouton Cadet “The world’s leading Bordeaux AOC”.  See what you think when you try it.

Food Pairing: 

Lamb; medium to older aged hard cheese; veal (especially either grilled or done in a light tomato based sauce); and of course the perennial favourite… beef.

CSPC:     943
Price:

$13.99 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

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

Winery: Mouton Cadet
Location: France
Blend: Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle
Tasting: Wednesday, June 2, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Just like its red brother, this wine is meant to sit back and enjoy.  When people think of Bordeaux, they usually think of just red wines.  Don’t forget about the whites!!  Think about where Bordeaux is located and what kind of food one would likely have there.  It has a strong influence not just from the land, but also from the sea.  Lots of fish!  So red wine with scallops just isn’t gonna cut it, no matter how much you may want it to.  That is where the Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc come in.  They are very good friends not just to fish, of course, but to other foods as well.

The home of Sauvignon Blanc (pictured left) is France.  It thrives here and it makes some of the most incredible wines, from very dry to some of the most expensive and delicious dessert wines you have ever tasted (quite often paired with Semillon).  We are talking about the dry wine today.  The taste you can get from this grape can go from grassy crisp and acidic to almost tropical flavours.  It just depends on where it is grown.  Different areas and climates produce different types of wines.  In the Bordeaux region the Sauvignon Blanc has a fruitier characteristic to it so that works very well with its partner in this wine… Semillon.  Semillon is a relatively easy grape to grow (don’t tell the winemaker’s that I said that, though).  Semillon (pictured left), Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle are the three white grape varieties allowed in the Bordeaux region.  In this particular wine, the tropical flavours are abound.  Freeze some grapes and put them in the glass to keep your wine chilled when you are sitting out on the deck.

So let’s look at the food pairings for this pleasant wine:

Food Pairing:

Goat’s cheese (used in a sauce or just on a light cracker); light tasting Brie cheese; Scallops and other shellfish just steamed;  Scallops/shellfish done in a light broth or butter/cream sauce;  Broiled fish; light chicken dishes.

CSPC:     323105
Price:

$13.99 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

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

Winery: Rosedale
Vintage: 2007
Location: Australia
Alcohol: 14%
Blend: Shiraz - 100% from Barossa Valley
Tasting: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

This wine had such a cool name, that it was hard to resist.  Cat Amongst the Pigeons.  You have to give it to the Aussies for coming up with the neatest names for wines.  You can almost picture a stealth like cat just waiting for a pigeon to make the wrong move.

The Rosedale Winery, located in the Barossa Valley in Australia has been lauded for a number of their wines.  In particular Nine Lives Shiraz for 2006 and 2007 was given a whopping 92 points and 91 points respectively by Robert Parker, Wine Advocate.  At the 2009 Sydney International Wine Competition the 2007 Nine Lives received the ‘Blue-Gold Award /Top 100.

The Barossa Valley and Shiraz.  They just go hand in hand.  Some of the top Shiraz out of Australia has come from this area.  The big spicy fruit forward shiraz that we have all associated with this beautiful country.  Barossa Valley is located just 1 hour north-east of Adelaide in South Australia.  The countryside is scattered with old vineyards, churches and stone cottages.  If you want to go there for a visit, there are many hotels and B&B’s that would welcome you with open arms.  This area is Australia’s most visited tourist designation.   At Rosedale Wines we believe that “Great Wines start in the Vineyard” and the Barossa Valley sets the stage for some of the best Shiraz grapes in the world. With its rich soils and Mediterranean style climate, the result is red wines with rich character and white wines with crisp and revitalizing finishes.”

With high ratings from the internationally acclaimed Wine Advocate, Robert Parker Jr, Rosedale Wines is attracting attention from all over the world and currently exports to the USA, Canada, Hong Kong, Germany, New Zealand and Asia.

“Rosedale Wines have allowed winemakers scope to experiment and develop new styles, tastes and blends. This has encouraged the development of approachable and affordable wine styles which have been instrumental in the growth of such brands like Cat Amongst the Pigeons.”

As mentioned, the Barossa Valley is best known for its Shiraz.  Due to strict quarantine restrictions in the 1800s, the vineyards did not suffer from phylloxera or the many other diseases that have caused horrendous damage.  There are vines in the Barossa Valley that are ancient and produce highly concentrated and full-bodied wines that are full a big juicy flavours.

The name was given to the area by explorer Colonel Light based on the supposed similarity of the Barossa Range to a similar range in Spain. The region is most notable for its red wines, particularly those made from Shiraz. But there are other grape varieties, both red and white that play an important role in the wine industry of Barossa.

The region generally about three hundred metres above sea level, but the altitude of many of the vineyards is much higher. In the lower and warmer areas, red wine predominates while on the cooler higher slopes Riesling is common. In fact the Barossa abuts the Eden Valley wine region which is regarded as one of the premier regions for Riesling.

The history of the region is linked to the influence of the German immigrants who were encouraged to settle in the region by local landowner George Angas. Many of these migrants were Lutherans from Silesia, who were suffering persecution in their homeland. By the 1850s viticulture was well established in the valley. Among these migrants were Johann Gramp who planted the first vineyard of the region at Jacobs Creek in 1847 and Joseph Seppelt, whose name lives on in a famous Australian wine brand name.

Now let’s open this wonderful wine.  The colour… dark rich purple/red.  I would positively decant this wine for at least 45 - 60 minutes and let that wonderful jam and spice come to the forefront.  What you will notice with this wine is how well is goes with so many types of food.  Not just beef and barbequed food, but also cheeses and lamb.

Food Pairing:

Beef (roasted, BBq’d, braised), strong cheeses; lamb; bison (roasted, BBQ’d)  bison/beef burgers.

CSPC:     58073
Price:

$23.99 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

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

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Winery: Osborne
Vintage: 2006
Location: Spain
Alcohol: 12.5%
Blend: 100% Tempranillo
Tasting: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

This winery was started over 200 years ago, and the Bodegas Montecillo in Rioja came to life 136 years ago, which makes it one of the oldest wineries in the Rioja region.  About 50% of the wine they produce goes to export markets in Europe and North America.  Their emblem, The Osborne Bull, is recognized all over.  The Bull was the idea of the winery’s advertising agency and was born in 1956.  You will see the bull not only on all of their products, but also on billboards and roadside signs.  The largest of the bulls weighs over 4,000 kg and is 14 meters high and is made of metal.  An imposing figure, for sure.  About 16 years ago there was a movement under foot to rid the landscape of various signs and images, one of which was the Osborne Bull.  The Osborne family went to court and the court found that the bull is not just a sign, but after over 50 years, it has also become part of the landscape and culture.

We want you to remember this name:  Maria Martinez-Sierra.  She is a wonderful lady.  When we tell people about her we always say that she is a passionate lady and has a personality a big as all outdoors.  Maria has been the winemaker at Bodegas Osborne for over 30 years.  She is one of Europes’ top winemakers and a huge ambassador for Spanish wines.  There is also a little flirting with what we call ‘the international varietals’, as well.  Grapes such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz/Syrah are on the menu too.  Not in the wine we are tasting this week, however.  It is 100% Tempranillo from the Rioja region.

We had the pleasure of meeting Maria a few years ago when she was visiting Edmonton.  (Actually she has come to Alberta a few times over the past few years.) We could have listened to this amazing lady for hours on end.  When she speaks about her wine, her true passion shows in her eyes.  She speaks about her wine like one would speak about their children. I swear I saw a twinkle in her eye as she was telling us about her wine.  She has a true love of the Spanish varietals, as you will see when you try this wine.

Maria is also very particular about the wood that the wine is aged in.  She picks the wood from a particular area in France, because the grain of the wood is woven much tighter and therefore adds subtle flavours to the wine, instead of overpowering it.  Osborne also employs their own cooper to make these wonderful barrels.  Not an inexpensive venture for sure.

We have a neat story to tell you.  When we attended the talk with Maria, she was telling us the she only keeps the barrels for a certain period of time and then they reach the end of their life with Osborne.  One of the lovely ladies who used to work with us asked what happened to the barrels once she was done with them (thinking that they would be used for planting and the like).  Maria spoke quite softly and said ‘we sell them to wineries who cannot afford new ones’.

The Rioja region is one of Spain’s most recognizable regions.  You can see on the map, that the area is not huge, by any means.  But man, they make some great wine there.  Tempranillo is king.  The wine we are tasting this week, as I said earlier is 100% Tempranillo.  Tempranillo is often referred to as Spain’s noble grape.  The name comes from the Spanish word ‘temprano’, which means ‘early’.  This is fitting, as the grape ripens earlier than most Spanish grape varieties.

The name Crianza that you see on the bottle is a term used to describe how long the wine has aged in wood and in the bottle before it is allowed to be released.  It is the second of a level of four terms used.  Sin Crianza (which we don’t see in Canada), Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva are the four steps.  As you go up the levels, the wine must be aged for a longer period of time in wood and in the bottle before it is released.  You cannot put any of these names on the bottle unless you adhere to certain regulations.

This wine is aged for a minimum of 1 year in the wood and matures in the winery until it is sold.  That is why you see all these wines from Montecillo that are from 2006 and earlier.

This wine is a cherry red in colour, with aromas and flavors of red berries, raspberry and cherry, red plum, a little vanilla.  It is a medium to full-bodied wine and has a nice finish.  This is a very versatile wine and goes great with many different foods.

Food Pairing:

Pork; beef (try either of these roasted or grilled);  pizza; grilled oily fish.

CSPC:     144493
Price: 

     $16.50 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

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

Richard and I haven’t visited the Australian wines in a while, so I think we will just have to check them out. See you down under next week. Come by and visit with Diana and have a sip and a chat.

Winery: Layer Cake
Vintage: 2008
Location: Mendoza, Argentina
Alcohol: 13.9%
Blend: 100% Malbec
Tasting: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

… and we are back in Argentina for a quick visit and then we are off to Italy.

First of all, let me ask you a quick question.  Who isn’t enticed by the name Layer Cake?  I mean that just says yummy on so many different levels.  (By the way, ‘yummy’ is one of those wine technical terms that we mentioned that we would throw around every now and then J.)  We first tried these wines at a wine tasting in February of this year.  The customers really enjoyed them and were quite taken with the fact that they had the same name, but were from different countries.

I love this quote from the Layer Cake website…

“My old grandfather told me the soils in which the vines lived were a layer cake. If properly made, the wine from these vines was like a delicious cake layered with fruit, mocha and chocolate, with hints of spice and rich, always rich. Never pass up a good Layer Cake.”

A. Orlando Tribute, Jayson Woodbridge

We have talked about the Malbec grape a few weeks ago.  This wine we are tasting this week is also from the Mendoza region in Argentina.  Mendoza, like Alberta, is known for its abundance of sunshine.  On average it has more than 300 sunny days a year.  Tourism in the region has increased dramatically, due to the interest in the wineries in the area.  Wine related tourism has become one of the largest sources of income for Mendoza.

This wine has a lot of flavour.  The winemaker’s notes say that they allowed to grapes to stay on the vine a full four to six weeks after most of the neighbouring vineyards.  They wanted to make sure that these grapes were picked at their peak so that all that extra flavour would come through in the wine that you and I enjoy.

It is amazing the flavours you get on your nose.  There is blackberry, cherry, plum with dark cocoa and even a touch of spice.  The taste is reminiscent of dark chocolate, dark cherries, jam and some spice.  This wine has so many flavours.  There is no wonder why Robert Parker rated this 2008 vintage a whopping 91 points!  Positively decant this wine and you will not be disappointed in the flavours that come out of your glass.

Food Pairing:

Grilled steak; Beef Stew; Barbequed Lamb; Sausage and mushroom pizza.

CSPC:     738090
Price:

$23.99 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

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

- - - - - - -

Winery: Layer Cake
Vintage: 2007
Location: Puglia, Italy
Alcohol: 13.9%
Blend: 100% Primitivo
Tasting: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Puglia (also known as Apulia), is the famed ‘heel of the boot’ in Italy.  This region of Italy produces more wine than any other area of the country.  The place where these Primitivo grapes come from is called Manduria.  Now, like in most areas of Italy, there are regulations/laws surrounding making wine and having certain designations like “DOC” or “DOCG”.  For those of you who like cars (like me) it would be like having a Buick, Buick LS, or Buick LTD (sorry, I can’t translate into Ford and Chrysler language, as I grew up in a mostly GM family).

Manduria Denominazione di Origine Controllata, labeling requires 14% alcohol. The people at Layer Cake found that they liked this wine below 14%; therefore it falls into ‘IGT’ Puglia for area designation.  I always like to say that the ‘IGT is for the rebels… and that is a good.  Where would we be today if people always followed the rules?  No one would want to explore new avenues of anything.  As usual, I digress.

Primitivo (Pree-mih-TEE-vo).  You may think you don’t know this grape, but I bet you do.  The University of California at Davis discovered that Primitivo is not just related to the Zinfandel grape from California, but it is the same grape variety.  Until that happened, Primitivo lived basically in obscurity.  Since that time, it has enjoyed the trappings of the spotlight.  And well it should.  Like with all grape varieties, when they are grown in different parts of the world, they are going to taste a little different in each place.  They take on the characteristics of the soils in that particular area and of course the weather (rain, sunshine etc.) will play a big part in what the wine tastes like.

Enough about all that, let’s get on with the wine.  As always, get it out of the bottle and let it sit for a while.  All the nice flavours will come out.  When you pour this wine it is a rich colour of dark ruby and purple.  It has some nice zippy spice balanced with lots of black fruit.  It warms you up as it slips down your throat.

Robert Parker gave this vintage of the Layer Cake Primitivo 89 Points!

Food Pairing:

Pizza; Barbequed beef, pork or chicken; Hamburgers;  Lasagna; Duck.

CSPC:     738091
Price:

$23.99 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

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

Let’s head off to Spain next week. The lady who makes this next wine is a real dynamo. Richard and I just loved her when we met her. Come by and visit Diana from 4 – 7 on May 19th.

Winery: Emiliana - Adobe Carmenere
Vintage: 2008
Location: Colchagua Valley, Chile
Alcohol: 14%
Blend: 100% Carménère
Tasting: Wednesday, May 5, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

I think there is some kind of rule that you cannot leave Chile without sampling some Carménère wine.  If there isn’t a rule, then I think there should be a rule.  This is not only a Carménère wine, but it is also organic.  The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce had their Spring Wine and Food night on April 20, 2010 at the Jubilee Auditorium.  Why in heaven’s name am I telling you this after the fact?  Well, that is the first place that I had tried this wine.  Now I am a big Carménère fan.  I have been for a long time.  They are available in all different price ranges and therefore the body is going to be a bit different on each of them.  I have to tell you, though, for this price, I was pleasantly surprised at the flavour this little wine has.  Check out the Emiliana website (that is the parent company of Adobe).  They have not only information on the Adobe wines (Sherbrooke carries a number of them), but also their other wines like Coyam, which we just sampled on April 22 and 23^rd for our Earth Day Weekend tasting.

Rafael and José Guilisasti of Emiliana Winery saw changes starting in how people were looking at their food and the land and they wanted to be a part of this change.  People all around the world were starting to be more conscious of what they were eating and drinking and how they were treating Mother Earth.  It was at that time that they started on the road to make the change to Organic and Biodynamic wines.

“Life is full of opportunities, and Emiliana is one of them… United by a common passion, we have been able to produce high quality wines with their own identity, and thereby achieve the authentic expression of their terroir through organic and biodynamic agriculture and respecting the true value of the company, which is in caring for its people and the environment.”  “We do what we are”

Jose Guilisasti Gana

When we were presenting our Earth Day tastings I had more than a couple of people ask what the heck ‘Biodynamic’ meant.  I told them, tongue planted firmly in cheek, that it was ‘organic on steriods’.  One fellow said ‘but steroids aren’t org…oh… I get what you mean.”  Basically it is Organic farming bumped up a few notches.  It truly is fascinating reading about the biodynamic agriculture and the background on how it came to be.  Basically, the stewards of the land not only farm organically, but they take it many steps further.  They plant certain trees and plants in the vineyards to bring in particular nutrients into the soil and to protect the vines.  The vines are planted and harvested during certain lunar cycles to bring out the best in the vines and the fruit being harvested from it.  And so on…  Now that is the Reader’s Digest version.

I was speaking to a gentleman just a few months ago he was telling me how his father used to work the land in Europe.  His father did his own tests by planting and harvesting his crops in the traditional method and doing it in the (what we now call) biodynamic way.  He found consistently that planting and harvesting using this method of biodynamics was well worth it.  Not only was his land/soil in great shape, but his crops were better for it.  His son has carried on the tradition.  I figure, where can we go wrong taking good care of Mother Earth?

The Carménère grape was originally from the Bordeaux Region in France.  When the explorers were travelling hither and yon through the world they took vines from their home country, to plant in the ‘New World’.  Carménère was one of those grapes that were brought to Chile in the mid 16^th century.  It is almost impossible to find in France today.  Chile has the largest planting of this grape in the world today.  It has almost become their signature grape in the same way that Malbec has become the signature grape of Argentina.  The Chilean wine growers actually thought this Carménère was merlot or a clone of merlot for many years.  It wasn’t until 1994 that it was discovered that this was the ‘lost grape’ Carménère.  It was recognized as a distinct grape variety by the Chilean Department of Agriculture in 1998.  It is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah, but we see it on its own quite frequently now.

This is such a neat little wine and we are looking forward to you trying it.  A small portion of it (20%) was aged for 6 months in French and American oak barrels.  The colour is ruby red and you can smell wonderful dark cherries, with a tiny bit of spice (black pepper).  When you taste it you notice the tannins are medium-firm and are balanced nicely with the acidity and you sure can taste that wonderful cherry and notes of that great spice.  This is just a nice fresh wine to sip on.  Now if you to like food like we do, then you will be pleasantly surprised at how well this wine pairs with some great dishes.

Food Pairing:

Chorizo Sausages in a tomato sauce; Barbequed beef, pork; aged cheeses; venison; chili.

CSPC:     733158
Price:  

    $12.99 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

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

We will see you on Wednesday.  Next week we are travelling to Spain.

We have some exciting news for you!  Richard and I will be travelling to Italy and France over the next five weeks (not virtually).  We will be returning June 15^th to Sherbrooke.  Our very good friend Diana (Dee - Anna) is going to see you on Wednesday afternoons.  Diana, Richard and I are in class together studying to be Sommeliers.   She is an awesome person and you will just love meeting her!  She knows her stuff.  The weekly wine blogs will still be posted for you to read and you can come by and taste all the wines with Diana and have a good chat.