Coupled as a romantic getaway for me and my lovely lady, visiting the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia was one of discovery and wonder. Being an Atlantic Canadian, wines were never one of our most famous products and even if we love our wine, beer and spirits, local wines were never on our to drink lists.
But as we discovered, the Valley has taken on an identity of wine making and excellence in their craft. As a cool climate growing region, their whites are flavorful, floral, acidic and delightful. Great food wines all around and just to see the various wineries produce wines on different levels is fantastic.
Gaspereau's Muscat, Luckett's Ortega, and Blomidon's Tidal Bay (the only NS Appelation) were some of my favorites. Full flavor, great balance in all of these wines, and some of them could fool international judges in thinking thy were top Old World whites!!
One vineyard we didn't have the chance to visit, but I had the priviledge to taste their 04' Brut sparkling wine against a 04' Crystal Champagne, was Benjamin Bridges, in which most people preferred. A almight pricey tasting, by appointment only, but worthwhile visit and personnel guided tour.
All around the Annapolis Valley has great things to offer. It has great wine, great food, great people and a beautiful country side.
Wednesday, 5 December 2012
Charton Hobbs Wine Dinner
I had the pleasure of preparing a 9 course wine dinner with Troy Gould, the representative for Charlton Hobbs. A dinner that spanned 9 food courses paired with 9 fantastic wines. We were 16 at a small gathering at his home and the night flowed with wine from Chile and Italy. Great heavy hitters like Barolo, Amarone and Brunello came out and I think I scored on the food!
Carmen Viognier
Seared Scallop w Curry Crème Fraiche
Carmen Sauvignon Blanc
Shrimp Ceviche
Batisiolo Barolo
Spaghetti Bolognese
Batisiolo Dolcetto
Meat balls with Sweet Tomato Sauce
Banfi Brunello
BBQ Back Ribs with Balsamic Caramel
Banfi Cum Laude
Sliders with Creamy Blue Cheese and Blackberry Compote
Masi Costasera Amarone
Raspberry and Espresso Parmesan Chips on Baguette
Masi Serego Aligheri Amarone
BBQ Rib Eye with Red Wine Marinated Mushrooms
Rose Regale
Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberries
These types of events are defenitly my passion! Great wine, great food (in my opinion anyways) and a great way to spend a night!
Monday, 5 November 2012
Wine Festival - Alliance Loire Lunch
Finally the time of year has come when everything wine and food hits Moncton! The World Wine and Food Expo (wineexpo.ca) which is its 22nd year, brings along wine, food, knowledge, learning and lots of fun for everyone. From the beginner to the expert, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
From the Prestige Dinner, held this past Saturday at the Tate House in Shediac that kicks of the festival every year, to the lunches throughout the week at the Moncton Market, to the final Grand Tastings on November 9th and 10th. There is something to learn almost everyday.
I started the week by attending the Alliance Loire Luncheon at the Moncton Market. At 30$ a ticket, it was more than worth the price. A great tasting of 7 wines from the Loire Valley in France as well as having 3 courses prepared by Chef Emmanuel Charretier from L'Idylle in Dieppe.
Loire, in the west side of France, has a particular interests for Atlantic Canada. It has roots for many Acadians as well as being home to great seafood, similar climate conditions, and great access to the Atlantic Ocean.
Since the climate is cooler, it makes for the perfect place to grow white grapes, in particular Sauvignon Blanc. This is one of their best known grape varieties. Crisp, refreshing, and light, the Loire Valley has great wines to offer. With the Alliance Loire heading our way, a co-op of wine producers and makers, we will hopefully be able to have access to more and more of their products.
I have to say that not knowing too much about this region going into the lunch, I came out with a great wealth of knowledge and appreciating the wines far more than if I wouldv'e tasted them on my own. One of the great things about these lunches is that the price of the tickets are pretty much the same as a lunch and a drink anywheres downtown.
Great value, learning new things, drinking wine at noon, tasting great food, in my eyes nothing is wrong and everything is right at anyone of these events.
From the Prestige Dinner, held this past Saturday at the Tate House in Shediac that kicks of the festival every year, to the lunches throughout the week at the Moncton Market, to the final Grand Tastings on November 9th and 10th. There is something to learn almost everyday.
I started the week by attending the Alliance Loire Luncheon at the Moncton Market. At 30$ a ticket, it was more than worth the price. A great tasting of 7 wines from the Loire Valley in France as well as having 3 courses prepared by Chef Emmanuel Charretier from L'Idylle in Dieppe.
Loire, in the west side of France, has a particular interests for Atlantic Canada. It has roots for many Acadians as well as being home to great seafood, similar climate conditions, and great access to the Atlantic Ocean. Since the climate is cooler, it makes for the perfect place to grow white grapes, in particular Sauvignon Blanc. This is one of their best known grape varieties. Crisp, refreshing, and light, the Loire Valley has great wines to offer. With the Alliance Loire heading our way, a co-op of wine producers and makers, we will hopefully be able to have access to more and more of their products.
I have to say that not knowing too much about this region going into the lunch, I came out with a great wealth of knowledge and appreciating the wines far more than if I wouldv'e tasted them on my own. One of the great things about these lunches is that the price of the tickets are pretty much the same as a lunch and a drink anywheres downtown.
Great value, learning new things, drinking wine at noon, tasting great food, in my eyes nothing is wrong and everything is right at anyone of these events.
Friday, 12 October 2012
A Little French experience
A friend of mine recently invited me to a French wine tasting. Finding French wines complicated, and being in a part of the world that doesn't always represent French wines very well and are usually on the pricey side, I welcomed the invitation with open arms.
Starting with a whites, the Chateaux Lamoth de Haut from Bordeau was a fun little wine. We followed this one with two Chardonnays from Burgundy, both browned bagged. In doing this, we got to not only not discuss the wine in depth without having the knowledge of the cost of the wine, but got our minds going on how a producer could affect a wine even if in the same region. There was a Bourgogne and a Pouilly Fuisse, same grapes, but one had a more pronounced vanilla oak flavor and the other although lighter, had more of an acidic freshness to it.
The reds were what interested me! Starting with a Beaujolais, a wine that I learnt celebrates the harvest and can also determine the price of the future crop, was a very light red and had a light smell of purple. The challenge of the two others which were blind, was to try to uncover which one was a Gamay or a Pinot Noir. One was light, dry and had no sense of its ability to age. The second, a bold, darker hue and slightly heavier red, had to sense that it could hold age as well as complexe notes. My first extinct was to say the the light was the Gamay, since Beaujolais usually dont't age well, but the interesting thing was the nose of the lightest and the heaviest was very similar. As well as the purple hue that surrounded the glass on a slight angle. And after discussing, it was unveiled that the light and the heavy was one in the same.
And that's why I love wine so much, one grape from the same region made in a different manner can taste and react so differently but at the base of the wine, their soul is the same.
Starting with a whites, the Chateaux Lamoth de Haut from Bordeau was a fun little wine. We followed this one with two Chardonnays from Burgundy, both browned bagged. In doing this, we got to not only not discuss the wine in depth without having the knowledge of the cost of the wine, but got our minds going on how a producer could affect a wine even if in the same region. There was a Bourgogne and a Pouilly Fuisse, same grapes, but one had a more pronounced vanilla oak flavor and the other although lighter, had more of an acidic freshness to it.
The reds were what interested me! Starting with a Beaujolais, a wine that I learnt celebrates the harvest and can also determine the price of the future crop, was a very light red and had a light smell of purple. The challenge of the two others which were blind, was to try to uncover which one was a Gamay or a Pinot Noir. One was light, dry and had no sense of its ability to age. The second, a bold, darker hue and slightly heavier red, had to sense that it could hold age as well as complexe notes. My first extinct was to say the the light was the Gamay, since Beaujolais usually dont't age well, but the interesting thing was the nose of the lightest and the heaviest was very similar. As well as the purple hue that surrounded the glass on a slight angle. And after discussing, it was unveiled that the light and the heavy was one in the same.
And that's why I love wine so much, one grape from the same region made in a different manner can taste and react so differently but at the base of the wine, their soul is the same.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
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