Washington has been a popular place for us to visit this summer. As well it should, actually. There are a lot a great wines coming out of this area, but so many people are still not aware that wine is made here. We mentioned in a previous article that in 2009 the State of Washington registered its 600th winery. The news now is that there are over 650 wineries. That is amazing growth! That is a long way up from the first vines that were planted in Fort Vancouver, Washington by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1825. To give you a good idea how this area has grown in wine production, in 1987 the state harvested 46,000 tons of grapes and in 2006 that had jumped to 120,000 tons.

CHARLES SMITH WINES

K Vintners was the first, then came The Magnificent Wine Company and now Charles Smith Wines. Charles Smith is the heart and soul of all three. I love how they describe Charles on his websites:

“Owner-winemaker Charles Smith with his big hair, kick ass attitude and bold packaging arrived in the Walla Walla Valley following eleven years in Scandinavia managing rock bands.”

That just says it all. This man is shaking up the wine world with his attitude and his wines that are think out of the box. He calls his wines names like… BOOM BOOM! Syrah, Kung Foo Girl Riesling, K Syrah, M.C.K. (Motor City Kitty). His philosophy is “It’s just booze – drink it.” After all, that is what we really want to do, right!

It truly is amazing what he has done over the past decade. Here is a man who has never taken a wine course and has never had formal training in wine making. However, he has been around the wine industry ‘both personally and professionally all of his life. Charles is making all kinds of headlines for his wines. In 2009 Wine Enthusiast Magazine gave him 100 points for his 2006 Royal City Syrah and #2 on their Top 100 Wines of 2009.

Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, October 2009 said: “When it comes to his wines, the otherwise wild and irrepressible Charles Smith is as serious as a heart attack.” In 2008 this was also written in The Wine Advocate “K Vintners (Charles Smith Wines) is where the larger-than-life Charles Smith presides. He is an innovator, marketing genius, outspoken, you name it – but above all the man is a brilliant winemaker who knows where all the great fruit is hidden.”

The 2008 Annual Buying Guide of Wine & Spirits Magazine bestowed “Winery of the Year upon them. In April 2010 Seattle Magazine also gave Charles the title of “Winemaker of the Year”. To say that he has come far in this last decade would be the preverbal understatement of the year… or should I say decade.

Winery: Charles Smith Wines
Vintage: 2007
Location:Columbia Valley, Washington, U.S.A.
Alcohol: 13%
Blend: 100% Single Vineyard Pinot Gris
Tasting: Wednesday, September 1, 2010 - 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.

The grapes for this wine come from one single vineyard called Evergreen.
Generally speaking, Pinot Gris - produces a light to medium-bodied white wine. It can also produce some lovely more full-bodied wines, especially from Alsace, France. It should have nice aromas with a wee bit of a floral nose. Pinot Gris is one of the four “noble grapes” of Alsace.

This wine leaves you wanting for more. It is refreshing. It is crisp and has nice minerality to it. The floral is there with the scent of rose petals. The fruit… all the stone fruits are evident. An easy drinking wine that is going to pair with some nice food.

Food Pairing:

Seafood pasta; Smoked Cheese; Sheep’s Milk Cheese; Prosciutto; Mildly Spicy food.

Price:

$18.99 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

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

Wing away with us next week. Richard and I are off to taste some organic wines from Argentina.

Map Courtesy of the Washington Wine Commission

I can’t tell you how many people are so surprised when I tell them about wineries in Washington. They are so shocked and most of them had no idea that wine was made in this lovely northwestern state. So when I tell them that in 2009 the 600th winery was registered, well you could just about pick them up off of the floor. Washington is an area to be reckoned with, for sure. The wine industry here is relatively young, but the Washington is now the second highest producer of wine in the United States next to California.

I have heard the expression ‘Washington = Merlot’. While that is true, Washington wineries also make wonderful wines from Syrah, Viognier, Riesling, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon to name just a few. Lucky us, we get to try a Syrah from Duck Pond Cellars and a Viognier from Desert Wind (by Duck Pond Cellars).

Winery: Duck Pond Cellars
Vintage: 2007
Location:Washington, U.S.A.
Alcohol: 13.5%
Blend: 96.3% Syrah, 3.7% other red varieties
Tasting: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 - 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.

It is amazing how far one can come in just 17 years. That is how old Duck Pond Cellars is. In that relatively short period of time, they have amassed 14 wines. Like most wineries, we are not able to get all of them here in Alberta, but we have two lovely ones… the Columbia Valley Syrah and the Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. The Rhone Valley (France) grape varieties seem to do quite well in Washington and the Syrah is a good example of that.

The vineyard where these grapes come from is called Desert Wind Vineyard (see map). It is located on East side of Washington in the area known as Wahluke Slope. This is a hot hot area. Considered to be the hottest area in the Columbia Valley. The vineyard is situated on 520 acres and the vines have an underground irrigation system to assist Mother Nature. Although this area can get up to 110F in the summer, it can dip down to 14F in the winter, giving the vines a chance to get a good winter sleep. The other area where some of the grapes are sourced is called the Sacagawea Vineyard, which is also located in the Columbia Valley.

This wine has been aged for 11 months in both French and American Oak. The French oak brings out the subtle flavours and the American oak adds a bit more ‘oomph’. That ‘oomph’ gives it an edged that helps to match it with so many different types of food. Spice and rich red berries like raspberries and a little bit of vanilla on the side, are the notes that stand out to me in this wine.

Now this time of year our minds go to the BBQ for a lot of food, because we spend so much time outdoors, and who wants to cook inside anyway!!! There are a few suggestions for the BBQ you may not have tried before. Stretch it out a little and head to your best butcher or fish shop and give these a try.

Food Pairing:

Grilled Tuna; Grilled Venison; Mushrooms and Wild Mushrooms; Grilled Duck.

CSPC: 719100
Price:

$15.99 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

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

Winery: Desert Wind
Vintage: 2008
Location: Columbia Valley, Washington, U.S.A.
Alcohol: 13%
Blend: Viognier 100%
Tasting: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 - 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.

It was just last month that we sampled a Viognier and the response was so great that we decided to tempt your tastebuds again with this nice one from Washington.

You are probably reading this and thinking that you just read the name ‘Desert Wind’ when we wrote about the Syrah… and you would be right. In fact, the Desert Wind Winery is owned by the same family who owns Duck Pond Cellars. Like many wineries, Duck Pond has their second label. Desert Wind produces 15 different wines and we are lucky to get the Viognier here in Alberta. The first vintage was produced out of Desert Wind in 1997 and the Desert Wind Winery itself opened its doors in 2006.

Now you already know that Viognier makes an aromatic and full-bodied wine. This wine has only a touch of oak, so it still has that wonderful crisp acidity and nice fruit flavours of peach, pear and some tropical fruit. It even has a little bit of orange blossom too. Oh the food pairing for this wine is wonderful. In keeping with the BBW theme that we have going on… try roasting the nuts on the BBQ!

Food Pairing:

Roasted nuts (BBQ style); Lobster; Grilled or roasted pork; Grilled Chicken with a lemon butter sauce.

CSPC: 646083
Price:

$22.99 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

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

Who wants to go to Portugal? Pick me… that we where we are heading next week.

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.

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.

Style: Experimental/Historical Re-creation
ABV: 9%
Presentation: Single 341 ml brown bottle
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Country: Milton, Delaware, U.S.A.

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

“Handcrafted ancient ale, with barley, honey, white Muscat grapes & saffron,” states the bottle, and if that doesn’t sound like a mouthful already wait until you hear the story behind this curious beer.

Gather round all you whip-cracking tomb raiding aficionados in the crowd, as I’ve got a tale of archeology to share with you.  The year was 1957, at the site of ancient Gordium in Turkey (where now exists the modern village of Yassihöyük), which was the capital of the kingdom of Phrygia.  Within the heart of a famous historical landmark called the Great Tumulus archeologists affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania found what is now considered the tomb of King Midas.  Yes, that King Midas, the one who turned everything he touched to gold.

Included within this intact and well-preserved find were the remains of the funerary feast, including the most impressive collection of Iron Age drinking vessels found dating back to the 8^th century BCE.

Fast forward to 1997 at the U of P when Molecular Archeologist Patrick McGovern got his hands on some of the food samples from this Turkish find, and with the wonder of modern technology was able to break down and isolate nearly each ingredient component of the residue that was found within the drinking vessels.  With the assistance of some talented homebrewers he was able to recreate a viable recipe, however it was Sam Caligione the owner/brewer of the Dogfish Head Craft brewery who eventually stepped up to the plate to produce it commercially in 1999, and has offered it as a regular part of their line-up ever since.

As a result Midas Touch gives us a potable glimpse into what the royals were drinking 2700 years ago in that corner of the Mediterranean.  Given three key ingredients of barley, honey and grapes, this is practically a hybrid beverage combining beer, mead and wine;  which in turn provides an exciting twist for beer fans, and an inviting cross-over opportunity for those who tend to be more partial to wine coolers and the like, or a sweet tooth in general.  Either way it’s one of the oldest known fermented beverage recipes in the world, and that’s some pretty impressive clout.

The Dogfish Head brewery recommends using a white wine glass to serve their Midas Touch, which sounds about right.  I’ll admit that the very first time I ever sampled it I used a pilsner glass, and it equally accentuated what was to offer.  Because the flavour profile is unquestionably on the sweeter side chilled practically out of the fridge would be the way to go.

Unlike King Midas and his crew we have the luxury of easily accessible clear commercial glassware, so relish in the ability to casually observe and appreciate everything from the short spongy white head, healthy carbonation, and brilliant deep golden translucent colour.  The sweet smell of grains, honey and grapes is apparent immediately, and when held closer to the nose the aroma is quite intense, with the grapes then the saffron as most prominent.  Some slight alcohol warmth is also apparent.  When it comes time to dive in and taste it there’s a fairly neutral, slightly bready malt at first.  In fact the flavour is not quite as sweet as the aroma promises, there’s some sweetness of honey and grape in the middle, followed by a dry finish accompanied with slight spicy heat from the saffron and warmth from the alcohol.  Not much lingering aftertaste.  Considering the juxtaposition of such diverse ingredients Midas Touch, although sweeter than most contemporary beers, is fairly balanced.  Tying everything together is a medium-bodied, almost effervescent mouthfeel, mostly dry with a bit of carbonation zip on the finish.

Brie comes first to mind for a complimentary pairing if you have the urge to nibble on something along with your glass of Midas Touch.  Because of the sweet and dry nature of the beverage any dish with a mild earthy nature would balance things out nicely, especially with a healthy measure of mushrooms and/or nuts as main ingredients.  Both those ingredients along with some brie blended into a risotto would be a winner!  For lighter fare a spring greens salad accompanied by some nuts and dried fruit then tossed with a raspberry vinaigrette would also match well. The brewery’s website suggests Pan-Asian dishes, baked fish, curries and chicken to serve alongside this historically re-created libation.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Palo Santo Marron
60 Minute IPA
90 Minute IPA

Herbed/Spiced Beers:
Rogue Juniper Ale
Rogue Chipotle Ale
Rosée d’Hibiscus - Dieu Du Ciel
Australian Mountain Pepper Berry Lager - Amber’s
Sap Vampire Maple Lager - Amber’s
Commemorative Ale - Kiuchi
Aaiieeeeeeeeee Caramba! - Sherbrooke
Van Helsings’ All Natural Mouthwash - Sherbrooke
Pi Jiu - Alley Kat/Sherbrooke
Pumpkin Pi Spiced Ale - Alley Kat

Lateral Steps:
Hoegaarden
St. Bernardus Witbier
Hitachino Nest White Ale

Style: American Stout
ABV: 6%
Presentation: Single 650 ml brown bottle
Brewery: Rogue Ales Brewery
Country: Newport, Oregon, U.S.A.

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

Believe it or not there are 6 different styles of stout, let alone stouts out there other than Guinness.  Although it’s sort of an umbrella term for craft stout variations produced within the U.S. the major separating factor that defines an American Stout is the quite noticeable inclusion of hops, usually the types with distinct citrus characteristics.  The result is a bold dark ale that remains intense from start to finish, while taking a 90 degree turn in direction about halfway through.  With Rogue’s Shakespeare Stout we have an exemplar of the style, I know this was the first time I ever tasted hops in a stout, with a bit of surprise at first.

This is a stout that can stand up to being served fairly chilled, while the roasted malt and citrus hops will mellow out and balance more as it warms.  The glassware for this one is dealer’s choice, although mug or pint glass will serve well.  You know the old tired stereotype of all stouts being black as heck and thick like motor oil?  This one does a fairly good job living up to that.  Jet black in appearance on the pour and impermeable to light, it also has a tall spongy tan head that will settle slowly, great retention.  Rising from that seemingly impenetrable darkness are aromas of dark chocolate and coffee, with citrus and dandelion greens from the hops.  A velvety, creamy mouthfeel delivers a dry bitter chocolate followed by roasted malts and coffee notes, finishing with that surprising herbal and citric finish.

What this stout screams out to be paired with are mussels and oysters.  Barbecue is a no-brainer, while smoked meats will be complimented and contrasted at the same time.  Dishes prepared with a prominent black bean sauce will shine, let alone a beef and black bean burrito accompanied with sharp cheddar or jack cheese.  Speaking of cheese, the earthier the better to pair up with this robust American Stout.  The recommendations found on the bottle from the brewery itself include beef and desserts.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
American Amber
Kell’s Irish Lager
Brutal Bitter
Chipotle Ale
Chocolate Stout
Dead Guy Ale
Double Dead Guy
Hazelnut Brown Nectar
Juniper Pale Ale
Mocha Porter
Morimoto Black Soba Ale
Shakespeare Stout
Summer Orange Honey Ale
Yellow Snow IPA
Santa’s Private Reserve
Younger’s Special Bitter
XS Imperial Porter
XS Imperial IPA
XS Imperial Red
XS Imperial Stout
XS Old Crustacean Barleywine
XS Younger’s Special Bitter

Other Stouts:
St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
Stir Stick Stout - Half Pints
Midnight Sun Espresso Stout - Yukon Brewing
Bête Noire - Paddock Wood

Lateral Steps:
Fullers London Porter
Road Dog Porter - Flying Dog
Coney Island Human Blockhead - Schmaltz Brewing

For The Adventurous:
Olde Deuteronomy - Alley Kat
Jewbelation 12 - He’Brew
Palo Santo Marron - Dogfish Head

Winery: Ironstone Vineyards
Vintage: 2008
Location: California, U.S.A.
Alcohol: 13%
Blend: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Symphony, and Tempranillo
Tasting: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Ironstone Vineyards started with John Krautz in 1948 with only 12 acres of land.  Through the years, those 12 acres turned into 5,000 acres in both the Lodi (pronounced loüdai) region and the Sierra Foothills.  While growing the number of acres, John and his wife Gail gained a reputation for supplying premium grapes to wineries all over the world.  They became one of the top ten wine grape growers in California.  In 1988 the Krautz family then decided that they wanted to create wine of their own.  They brought on award-winning winemaker Steve Miller to launch Krautz Wines, which later became Ironstone Vineyards.

In 1989 on Gail’s family ranch in Murphy’s, California Ironstone’s Wine Aging Caverns were brought to life with dynamite, pick axes, shovels and a crew of miners.  These caverns were also the site of Ironstone’s first tasting room.  Many years into the future to present day and we are now looking at California’s largest winery entertainment complex.

The conditions to age wine are “ideal” inside the caverns.  The temperature is a steady 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 degrees Celsius).  The humidity is 70%, thanks to the natural spring waterfall inside the caverns.  So the wine barrels don’t expand and contract, therefore no leaking wine and “the humidity minimizes evaporation”.

“The caverns hold a maximum of 1,500 French and American oak barrels, each holding sixty gallons of wine.”

“The beautiful wooden doors that grace the entrance to the caverns and the breezeway, as well as the tasting room, are made from 100-year-old redwood fermentation barrels from the Di-Augustini Winery in Plymouth, California, one of the oldest commercial operating wineries in the state.”

You know, our weather outside this week almost seems like we might have (dare I say)… an early spring.  Now I hope we didn’t jinx anything by saying that (cross those fingers).  In keeping with this lovely sunshine and the beautiful temperatures, we are going to taste a sunshine kind of wine from the sunshine state…California.  Ironstone Vineyards calls this wine “Xpression“.

It is a blend of some grapes we know (Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc), but there are also a couple that you may not be familiar with.

Tempranillo is a grape originally from Spain.  It is said to be Spains “noble grape”.  The grape itself is almost blue-black in colour.  On its own, it makes some very tasty wine indeed.

Around the same time that the Krautz family started their vineyards, The Symphony grape was developed by Dr. Olmo at the University of California, Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology. Dr. Olmo crossed a Muscat de Alexandria with a Grenache Gris and came up with this new grape, unique to California, which came to be known as Symphony.

So I bet you are wondering what happens when you mix a very dark grape, like Tempranillo, with the likes of light coloured grapes like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Symphony.  Well, the skins of the dark Tempranillo grape are only in contact with the light coloured juice for a short period of time.  Just enough time to get that lovely Rose colour.  Then the skins are removed.

What do you get when you add all of these nice grapes together?  Well you get a nice semi-dry wine with flavours of strawberries and cherries with a little watermelon, peaches and even some citrus fruit.  Now doesn’t that sound yummy?

As this is a nice easy lighter style wine, it would be best to chill it prior to sampling.

Food pairing:

Spicy foods like Thai, Chinese and Indian; turkey; ham; fresh berries and some light cheeses.  Ironstone suggests:  “try it with a salad of bib lettuce and fresh grapes topped with Roquefort cheese for a light and refreshing meal.”

CSPC:         715576
Price:

$14.75* (Minus Winesday 10% discount)

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

Come by, have a chat and enjoy a sip.  See you on Wednesday, February 24, 2010.

Next week we are travelling to Australia.

Style:  Strong Belgian Pale Ale
ABV:  9%
Presentation:  single 750 ml caged and corked brown bottle
Brewery:  Brooklyn Brewery
Country:  Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A.

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

What’s not to like about a beer that cost around $300,000 in essential preparations?  Along with all the initial test batches this was the price tag for the new specialized bottling line and extra facilities required to produce the first of the Brooklyn Brewery’s line of unique limited edition beers.

The Brooklyn Local 1 is an ale that tends to start falling through the cracks when it comes to a definitive style, where the boundaries of specific guidelines tends to get even hazier than the actual appearance of the beer itself.  Not that there’s anything wrong with this, except for the uptight purists who get more than a little uneasy when confronted with things that land outside the box of convention.

Of course if every brewer decided to defy loosely based yet traditionally established criteria then a trip to the beer cooler would turn into a confusingly chaotic experience, even more than you may consider it now.  Still, it’s no problem to turn a blind eye, if not fully applaud when brewers choose to experiment and push the limits every once in a while.  In the case of Local 1 it’s more a matter of experimental finesse, blurring the lines between a few similar styles to create what brewmaster Garrett Oliver considers his showcase beer, and his brewery’s first attempt at a Belgian style.

The Brooklyn Brewery has officially released Local 1 under the guise of a Belgian-inspired Strong Golden Ale, however it also has the alcohol content and characteristics of a Belgian Tripel, and the brewmaster prefers to refer to it as a “Strong Saison”, the latter of which I tend to agree with most.  Confused?  Then let’s stop nitpicking over technical classifications and jargon, and confirm that this big bottle of beer is worth the fuss.

Speaking of which, the large classy brown bottle is specially made in Germany, and is thicker and sturdier than average beer bottles in order to accommodate the bottle conditioning of the live yeast introduced to it prior to corking.  As a matter of fact this beer is completely filtered of all yeast before bottling and is completely flat.  The subsequent carbonation is all thanks to the live yeast working their magic between the time that each bottle leaves the brewery and you uncork it.

Because of the large bottle format it makes Local 1 a great option for sharing.  If you choose to tackle it on your own you can pop it open as soon as you pull it from the fridge, and then see how the flavour reveals itself as it warms and you work your way down the bottle.  Although a bit of chill is desired and will benefit this particular beer, somewhere around cellar temperature will be the most enjoyable, so perhaps allow it to warm for about 20 minutes first.  I’ll confess I’ve sampled several bottles of this stuff since its been released, and practically any glass will do, however I’ve noticed that stemware tends to accentuate it a bit more, but even then take your pick:  anything from champagne flutes to a Belgian tulip glass, to whatever type of wine glass you have around (red or white varieties) is fine.  They help set a mood too, or add a touch of class if pairing with a meal.

Once the cork is popped this stuff pours out a cloudy marmalade hue, with a tall creamy white head that exhibits great retention, and settles to a dense sponge cake cap.  If you hadn’t started picking up on the aroma as soon as you opened the bottle then now is the time to be introduced to prominent citrus notes, such as lemon zest and clementine, along with some spicy warmth, honey sweetness, and a dry grainy character from the wheat.  Both the texture and the flavour are dry, with some complex citrus notes and mild spice, a bit of sweet tartness from the wheat, finishing with light floral and leafy hops.  When Local 1 was originally released it had more of a creamy smooth mouthfeel, but now that it’s had time to age there is more of an effervescent, spritzy carbonation to it, making it a good substitute for champagne at get-togethers and special occasions.

Here is an ale that begs for food pairing, I have no doubt it was developed with this in mind.  Nearly any pork dish you can fathom has just found a mate for life with local 1, from a fully dressed pulled pork sandwich to a glazed baked ham to your favourite Chinese take-out barbeque pork.  Thai food is also a great option full of complimentary flavours, while the crisp carbonation of the beer will hold up to any heat and spice.  For those with a dairy fetish, you’ll be in safe territory pairing with soft and tangy cheeses.  The Brooklyn Brewery website also recommends spicy seafood for a culinary companion.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
Brooklyn Brown Ale
Brooklyn East India Pale Ale
Brooklyn Lager
Brooklyn Monster Ale
Brooklyner Weisse

In-Style:
Duvel
Delerium Tremens
Unibroue Don De Dieu
Kwak

Lateral Steps:
Le Merle - North Coast
Lindemans Gueuze Cuvée René
Westmalle Trappist Tripel
Tripel Karmeliet

For The Adventurous:
Petrus Oud Bruin
Duchesse De Bourgogne
Verhaeghe Echte Kriek
Liefmans Goudenband

Winery: Sokol Blosser
Location: Oregon, U.S.A.
Alcohol: 12%
Blend: 9 varietals (Evolution); Pinot Noir, Syrah &
Zinfandel (Meditrina)
Tasting: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

How do you spell fun?  We spell it S-o-k-o-l B-l-o-s-s-e-r.  You probably think we are a few bricks short of a load, but you will see what we mean once you read the following info and come by and enjoy the wines on Wednesday.

Sokol Blosser Winery was started by Susan and Bill Sokol Blosser in 1971.  They have taken a forward thinking approach to the land, the winery and the wine.  Not only were they USDA Certified Organic in 2005, LEEDS certified and are Salmon Safe, but they make some pretty fantastic wines.  The two we are talking about and tasting are the “whimsical” Evolution and Meditrina.  Most wines have a vintage on the label (2005, 1994 etc.).  Evolution and Meditrina are a little different.  They have “Editions”.  Evolution is on its “Lucky” Edition (13… but it doesn’t use that number anywhere on the label, only the word “lucky”), and the latest Meditrina is the 6^th Edition.

Evolution was first introduced 13 years ago.  The “fan base” for Evolution is all over North America and Europe.  Why are so many people enjoying this wine?  It has character.  Sokol Blosser Winery states that it wanted to “kick the wine world up a notch or two.”   This is a splendid wine, and not like any other white wine you have sipped.  The blend is a wonderful “merge” of:  Pinot Gris, Muller Thurgau, White Riesling, Semillon, Muscat Canelli, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Sylvaner.  Yes… you read it correctly - 9 different varietals.

Sokol Blosser has stated “It was with great intention that we created this off-dry, somewhat tropical wine with a crisp finish to be enjoyed year round.”  When Richard and I have tasted this wine previously there have been a number of interesting comments, but none more interesting than from a couple of ‘I only drink red wine’ customers.  One person said ‘you know I don’t drink whites, because there isn’t much to them.  This isn’t like any white I have ever tried.  There is something to it.’  Another customer commented ‘I thought white wines had no depth to them.  That was before I tried this wine.  There is a ton of flavour here.  This is a white wine I will drink.’

Food pairings for Evolution:

Thai, Chinese, Indian, Mexican, Caribbean, and Spanish food (the blend of the spices used in these foods matches so beautifully with this wine); seafood, poultry dishes.

The first thing you will notice about Meditrina is the label.  It is a standout red label with a white stylized “M”.  As you look closer, you will notice an outline of a female.  This profile is of Meditrina, the Roman Goddess of wine.  The label is an eye catcher for sure, but that is not where the ‘standout’ ends.

The wine is a blend of Pinot Noir, Syrah and Zinfandel.   Our first thought on this wine before we tasted it was… that is an interesting blend of red grapes.  We weren’t sure what to expect.  What we found was a wine with a lot of red fruit and red berries and a little bit of spice.  One of our first thoughts was - this is going to be very food friendly.  And we weren’t wrong.   Decant this wine for 30 - 60 minutes before drinking.  This will bring out some of the appealing flavours that that each of these grapes brings to the wine.

Food Pairings:

Pasta, pizza, grilled chicken, pork, fish and grilled fish (grilled salmon is very good with this wine).

Price:

Evolution $23.99* (Minus Winesday 10% discount)
Meditrina $23.50* (Minus Winesday 10% discount)

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