The Event: 2017 Wines of British Columbia Toronto Trade Tasting

The Date and Time: Wednesday February 8, 2017  11AM to 3PM

The Event: 2017 Wines of British Columbia Toronto Trade Tasting

The Venue: Arcadian Loft

The Target Audience: wine media and sommeliers.

The Availability/Catalogue: Twelve wineries participated, geared to an audience of mainly sommeliers but also wine writers.

The Quote/Background: Ten wines were poured at the seminar led by David Lawrason; the same wines were also in the show itself, along with about two dozen other wines.

The Wines: I was unable to taste all the wines.

 

**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Church & State Wines Lost Inhibitions Red Blend Merlot, Cab Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot 2015 N/A BC only  **BEST RED TODAY**

-Dirty Laundry Woo Woo Gewurztraminer 2015 $19.99  HHD Imports  March 4 Vintages

-Dirty Laundry Cabernet Merlot 2014 $25.95  HHD Imports

-Joie Farm En Famille Reserve Pinot Noir 2014 $39.90

-Laughing Stock Portfolio Red Blend Merlot, CS, CF, Malbec, PV 2014 $54.95 Licensee Rogers

-Poplar Grove The Legacy Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 +353110 $52

-Sperling Vineyards Chardonnay Vision 2014 +378570 $32    **BEST WHITE TODAY**

-Cipes Brut NV Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc $24.90   N/A

-Cipes Blanc de Noir Pinot Noir Brut 2008 $32 N/A

-Cipes Ariel Pinot Noir Chardonnay Pinot Meunier Brut 1998 $77 N/A

 

***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Burrowing Owl Chardonnay 2014 +208694 $33.95

-Church & State Wines Lost Inhibitions White Blend Viognier, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc 2015 N/A BC Only

-Burrowing Owl Merlot 2012 +585737 $40.95

-Laughing Stock Blind Trust Red Malbec, Merlot, CS, CF 2014 $36.95 Licensee Rogers

-Burrowing Owl Pinot Gris 2015 +137348 $44.25

-Burrowing Owl Malbec 2014 +284256 $44.25

-Moraine Estate Cliffhanger Red Malbec and Merlot 2014 +464131 $24.95

-Poplar Grove Pinot Gris 2016 +467555 $23.95

-Poplar Grove Syrah 2013 $44.95 Trialto

-St. Hubertus Riesling 2014 $17.95  Terroir

-Cipes Rose Brut NV Pinot Noir $26 N/A

-Therapy Vineyards Freud's Ego Merlot, Cab Sauv, Syrah, Cab Franc 2015 $24.95 Dionysus

 

*** GOOD -- Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Joie Farm Pinot Noir 2014 $26.95

-Joie Farm A Noble Aromatic White Blend 2015 $24.95

-Mission Hill Chardonnay 2014 +281212 $15.95

 

The Food: It was a great idea – amuse bouche style food right in front of each pouring table – smoked fish crostini, pastrami and other meats on some kind of platform, chicken samosas, beef in choux paste. Kudos!

The Downside: I was at the dentist, so I could not make the seminar.

The Upside: a good chance to reconnect with BC VQA wines.

The Contact Person: Lkittmer@winebc.com or Tnykilchuk@winebc.com

The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 88.

 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

The Event: Wine Australia Winter Trade Tasting with Mark Davidson

The Date and Time:  Tuesday February 7, 2017   11AM to 4PM

The Event: Wine Australia Winter Trade Tasting with Mark Davidson

The Venue: Verity

The Target Audience: wine writers and sommeliers

The Availability/Catalogue: there was a catalogue with prices indicating availability or N/A. There were 55 wines.

The Quote/Background: Tables were arranged by type – alternative varieties, aromatic whites, chardonnay, pinot noir and grenache, cabernet blends, and shiraz blends (largest). There was a seminar of 14 wines led by Mark Davidson and a team of six local sommeliers. Sixty people attended this seminar; the names of the wines have been folded in to the listing below.

The Wines: I did not taste all the wines, and some I could not get to because of the tables and crowds.

 

**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Tahbilk Goulburn Valley Marsanne 2010  **BEST WHITE TODAY** [not listed at LCBO]

-Domaine Naturaliste Rebus Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2015  $32.95

-Kalleske Pirathon Barossa Valley Shiraz 2013 $33.42

-Henschke Keyneton Euphonium Barossa Valley Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Cabernet Franc 2012 N/A

-Vasse Felix Heytesbury Margaret River Chardonnay 2015 +111368 $69.95

-Cullen Diana Madeline Margaret river Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2010 N/A

-Luke Lambert Yarra Valley Syrah 2012  N/A   **BEST RED TODAY**

-Rockford Basket Press Barossa Valley Shiraz 2008 +195254 $94.95 [oldest wine today]

-Bindi Quartz Macedon Ranges Chardonnay 2015  $121.23

 

***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Tahbilk Goulburn Valley Marsanne 2016 +117945 $18.95

-Jansz Premium Tasmania Cuvee NV +566828 $26.95

-Domaine Naturaliste Discovery Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2014  +489906 $22.95

-Vasse Felix Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 +686543 $43.95

-Tahbilk Glulburn Valley Viognier 2016 $18.95

-Vasse Felix Filius Margaret River Chardonnay 2015 +106103 $24.95

-Bindi Dixon Macedon Ranges Pinot Noir 2012 $84.65

-Ringbolt Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 +606624 $21.95

-Ulupna Limited Edition Goulburn Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 $36.95

-Ulupna Royal Phoenix Goulburn Valley Shiraz 2015 $45.95

-Jasper Hill Georgia's Paddock Heathcote Shiraz 2013 $102.11

-Kay Brothers Hillside McLaren Vale Shiraz 2012 $52.92

-Mitolo GAM McLaren Vale Shiraz 2014 $52.95

-Langmeil Valley Floor Barossa Valley Shiraz 2014 +140912 $27.95

-Glaetzer Bishop Barossa Valley Shiraz 2015 +627869 $39.95

-Ochota Barrels Sense of Compression Adelaide Hills Grenache 2015 $86,95

-Yalumba The Octavius Barossa/Eden Shiraz 2012 $129.95

 

*** GOOD -- Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-O'Leary Walker Polish Hill Clare Valley Riesling 2015 $27.55

-Domaine Naturaliste Sauvage Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2015 $32.95

-Alpha Box & Dice Golden Mullet Fury McLaren Vale Semillon Viognier 2014 +237446 $20

-Tyrrell's Vat 1 Hunter Semillon 2012 +930495 $55.95

-By Farr Tarrside Geelong Pinot Noir 2014 $82.72

 

The Food: platters of international gourmet cheeses, crispbreads, preserves, and grapes.

The Downside: once the seminar was over, the tables were moved back. But there was still so little room that it was difficult to get to all the wines, pour and then spit and dump.

The Upside: most of the discussion came from the sommelier panel, and this was very refreshing.

The Contact Person:  anne.popoff@wineaustralia.com

The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 88

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP 20/20 WINES: 20 under $20 and 20 over $20 for February 18, 2017.

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP 20/20 WINES: 20 under $20 and 20 over $20 for February 18, 2017.

=======================================================================

By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. My Internet compendium "Wines, Beers and Spirits of the Net", a guide to thousands of news items and RSS feeds, plus references to wines, beers and spirits, has been at http://www.deantudor.com since 1994.

 

So many people have asked me for wine recommendations, with numbers only. The readers' most common response is that while they like what I say, they only relate to the score. The score is a combination of MVC (Modal Varietal Character, where e.g. a Southern Rhone tastes like a Southern Rhone and not like a Northern Rhone) and Quality/Price Ratio. Let's take it for granted that, e.g., a Riesling tastes like a Riesling, and the wine has some value in the marketplace either above or below its selling price. This way too I can also cover more wines.

 

This restructured wine newsletter for the Ontario market (with wines available through the LCBO and Vintages on a bi-weekly basis)  can always be found at http://www.gothicepicures.blogspot.ca/ or at    http://www.deantudor.com

 

THIS MONTH'S SPECIAL FINDS – (all under $20)

 

R+383018 RAMIREZ DE LA PISCINA CRIANZA Rioja 2012    $15.95, 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91

W+485243 16 Mile Cellar  REBEL CHARDONNAY VQA Niagara Peninsula 2012 $19.95, MVC/QPR: 91

R+481184 CASTELSINA CHIANTI RISERVA 2010 $14.95, 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 92

 

20 under $20

=========

R+17111 FINCA FLICHMAN EXPRESIONES RESERVE SHIRAZ/CABERNET SAUVIGNON Mendoza 2014 $15.95, 14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR:  89

R+60244 SANTA ALICIA GRAN RESERVA DE LOS ANDES CABERNET SAUVIGNON Maipo Valley 2013    $15.95, 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89

W+89029 TAWSE SKETCHES OF NIAGARA RIESLING VQA Niagara Peninsula 2014 $18.95,

MVC/QPR:  91

W+162651 LANDER-JENKINS CHARDONNAY    California 2014 $18.95, 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88

R+194753 Bodegas Franco-Españolas RIOJA BORDÓN RESERVA 2009 $19.95, 13.5% ABV,

MVC/QPR:  89

R+244699 ABAD DOM BUENO CRIANZA DO Bierzo    2006    $15.95, 14.1% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88

W+246579 CAVE SPRING ESTATE BOTTLED CHARDONNAY MUSQUÉ Cave Spring vineyard, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment 2014    $16.95, 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90

W+251439 FIELDING ESTATE BOTTLED RIESLING    VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment 2015 $19.95,  MVC/QPR:  89

R+265967 FOWLES STONE DWELLERS SHIRAZ Strathbogie Ranges, Victoria  2013 $19.95,  14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89

R+287961 Small Gully Wines OSCAR'S ESTATE VINEYARD SHIRAZ/VIOGNIER Barossa Valley, South Australia 2013    $18.95, 15% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90

W+295626 STADT KREMS GRÜNER VELTLINER Kremstal 2015 $16.95, 12.5% ABV,

MVC/QPR: 89

R+317008 VERSADO MALBEC Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza 2013 $19.95, 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91

W+350900 ROBERT OATLEY SIGNATURE SERIES CHARDONNAY    Margaret River, Western Australia 2015 $18.95, MVC/QPR: 89

R+397422 Quinta de Porrais PARCELAS DOC Douro  2013 $14.95,  14% ABV, MVC/QPR:  88

R+413245 GÉRARD BERTRAND GRAND TERROIR LES ASPRES SYRAH/MOURVÈDRE/

GRENACHE Côtes du Roussillon Les Aspres 2013    $18.95, 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88

W+474031 PENMARA THE WHITE RIBBON SÉMILLON Hunter Valley, New South Wales    2016 $14.95,  MVC/QPR: 88

R+476390 AIA VECCHIA LAGONE TOSCANA    IGT Toscana    2013    $19.95, 14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89

W+477752 VALLE REALE SENTIERI PECORINO DOC 2015    $15.95, 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89

R+479659 Michel Gassier CHÂTEAU DE NAGES VIEILLES VIGNES COSTIÈRES DE NÎMES

2014    $19.95, 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88

R+480673 XENYSEL PIE FRANCO MONASTRELL DOP Jumilla 2015 $13.95, 14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89

R+482497 EMBOCADERO    DO Ribera del Duero    San Pedro Regalado    2012    $15.95, 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90

R+675223 KILIKANOON KILLERMAN'S RUN CABERNET SAUVIGNON    Clare Valley, South Australia 2014 $19.95, 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91

R+973214 DI MAJO NORANTE BIFERNO ROSSO RAMITELLO DOC 2012    $18.95, 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88

 

20 over $20

=========

R+28837 CLARENCE DILLON CLARENDELLE RED    AC Bordeaux     2012    $23.95, 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91.

R+32508 PININO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2010    $54.95,  14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88

R+90365 WATERBROOK CABERNET SAUVIGNON    Columbia Valley 2013 $24.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89

R+204750 GIUSEPPE CAMPAGNOLA AMARONE DELLA CLASSICO 2012    $43.95, 15% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88

R+219469 TWO HANDS SEXY BEAST CABERNET SAUVIGNON    McLaren Vale, South Australia 2015 $29.95,  14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88.

R+225052 MAISON NICOLAS PERRIN SAINT-JOSEPH 2013    $39.95, 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88

R+268391 HENRY OF PELHAM ESTATE PINOT NOIR    VQA Short Hills Bench, Niagara Escarpment 2012 $24.95, 13.6% ABV, MVC/QPR:  89

R+293431 VIVANCO RESERVA Selección de Familia Rioja 2010 $24.95. 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88

R+357475 DANDELION LIONESS OF MCLAREN VALE SHIRAZ McLaren Vale, South Australia 2014    $21.95, 13.4% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89

R+479709 CHÂTEAU ROMBEAU CUVÉE PIERRE DE LA FABRÈGUE Côtes de Roussillon 2012 $22.95,  14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89

W+484626 ROCKWAY WILD FERMENT CHARDONNAY VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment  2014    $22.95, 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88

W+485102 PLANETA CHARDONNAY    DOC Sicilia    2014    $45.95, 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90

R+684530 CONO SUR 20 BARRELS LIMITED EDITION PINOT NOIR Casablanca Valley    2014 $29.95, 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88

W+695908 Jean Pabiot et Fils DOMAINE DES FINES CAILLOTTES POUILLY-FUMÉ  2015 $26.95

13% ABV, MVC/QPR:  88

R+699454 ROCCA DELLE MACÌE RISERVA DI FIZZANO SINGLE VINEYARD GRAN SELEZIONE CHIANTI CLASSICO 2013    $33.95,  14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88

R+740639 CHÂTEAU SIXTINE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2013 $47.95,  15.5% ABV, MVC/QPR:  88

R+998476 JIM BARRY THE LODGE HILL SHIRAZ Clare Valley, South Australia 2013 $24.95,  14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

 

The Event: lunch and wine tasting with Pieroangelo Tommasi

The Date and Time: Monday, February 6, 2017  Noon - 3PM

The Event: lunch with Pieroangelo Tommasi

The Venue: Modus Ristorante

The Target Audience: wine writers, lcbo

The Availability/Catalogue: the current releases are all available through Vintages, with one private order. The older vintages were N/A. The agency is Univins and Spirits.

The Quote/Background: Pieroangelo spoke about his family's company and their latter-day expansion before leading the tasting. Currently, they own 6 wineries through 5 regions (Veneto, Lombardy, Tuscany, Apulia, and Basilicata. We tasted 4 wineries today – 7 Amarones in two styles and 4 other wines. The major difference between the Amarones is that Ca'Florian comes in at 4 g/l sugar and 75% corvina while the basic Amarone has 8 g/l sugar and only about 50% corvina. I preferred the lower sugar levels, and of course they went better with the food. The 2009 Amarones are the company's 50th harvest.

The Wines:

 

**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Casisano Brunello di Montalcino 2011, +483800, $49.95 Vintages April 1/17

-Tommasi Amarone Classico 2007, 15.5% ABV, n/a

-Tommasi Amarone Classico 2009, 15.5% ABV, n/a

-Tommasi Ca' Florian Amarone Classico 2007, 15.5% ABV, n/a  *BEST RED TODAY*

-Tommasi Ca' Florian Amarone Classico 2008, 15.5% ABV, n/a

-Tommasi Ca' Florian Amarone Classico 2009, 15.5% ABV $99.95 private order 6-pack

-Paternoster Aglianico del Vulture 2012 Basilicata, $35.95 Vintages July 6 2017

 

***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Poggio al Tufo Alicante 2013 Tuscany, +70797, $22.95 Vintages

-Tommasi Amarone Classico 2008, 15.5% ABV, n/a

-Tommasi Amarone Classico 2012, 15.48% ABV, +356220, $49.95 Vintages

-Paternoster Don Anselmo Aglianico del Vulture 2012 Basilicata, $67.95 Vintages Sept 7 2017

 

The Food: Before we began, there were some amuse bouche (meatballs in tomato sauce, shrimp, truffled wild mushroom crostini). We ordered with a range of choices: I did the grilled shrimp with beans and red peppers, and the prime strip loin – both with the Amarones in mind as good accompaniments.

The Downside: wow – my palate needed a cleanser after the heavy-heavy Amarones (15.5% ABV)

The Upside: a good chance to exchange views and opinions about Tommasi wines and the Italian wine industry.

The Contact Person: cbreuer@univins.ca

The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 92

 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

* THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK...

 

...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. They've been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I'll try to point this out. The usual shtick is "favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks". There is also PR copy on "demystifying ethnic ingredients". PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase "mouth-watering recipes" as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don't seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don't ignore them altogether. Here's a rundown on the latest crop of such books –

 

 

15.COCONUT OIL (Quadrille, 2015, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-84949-838-8, $22.95 USD hardbound) is by Lucy Bee, founder of the leading UK brand of coconut oil: it is raw, organic, extra virgin, cold pressed, and Fair Trade. As a celiac, Lucy found coconut to be extremely useful. The book was originally published in the UK last year, and this is its Canadian release. She's got over 100 recipes, mostly on ingesting but also on beauty ideas to feed one's skin. It's arranged by mealtime and by course, apps to desserts, with material on a pantry. There's a glossary and nutritional information; there are also icons for gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free, lactose-free, vegetarian and vegan. Try lentil and vegetable moussaka, blackberry and lemon sauce pudding, or sweet potato nachos. One drawback: the index has a teeny tiny type font. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 

 

 

16.DEEP SOUTH: new Southern cooking (Quadrille Books, 2016, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-84949-720-6, $35 USD hardbound) is by Brad McDonald, Mississippi-born career chef who now explores Southern foodways as a chef outside of North America. The book is loaded with pix of Southern life and plated dishes. It's arranged with a larder/pantry first, followed by  apps, fish, meat, veggies, sides and sweets. The range is thorough and comprehensive, from pickled watermelon rind through chess pie, collard greens, grits, shrimp, crawfish boil, and pork rinds. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.

 

 

17.ALIMENTARI (Hardie Grant Books, 2016, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-74379129-5, $29.99 USD paperbound) is by Linda and Paul Jones, owner-operators of two Mediterranean eateries/delis in Victoria, Australia. These 100+ dishes are they ones that they serve (among many), scaled to home use. It is arranged by time of day (morning, midday, and later) with sweets. The first two emphasis a diner with takeouts; the later meal is the substantial dinner. Lots of pix and memoir-words describe the feel and history of the place, as well as how they do food. It is all very engaging, with smoked salmon, Persian feta, and cherry tomato tarts or saffron rice with chickpeas, lentils and baharat salad.  Larger dishes include sambusic, whole snapper, roast chicken with harissa or slow-cooked lamb shoulder.  Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88.

 

 

18.LOVELY LAYER CAKES (Quadrille Publishing, 2015,  160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84949-729-9, $24.95 USD hardbound) is by Peggy Porschen, who has prepared cookies and cakes for many A-listers such as Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow. Many of her preps and commissions have been written up in a variety of UK celebrity watch magazines. Here she gives us thirty recipes for such as passion fruit and mascarpone cake, cheeky monkey cake, mad hatter's checkerboard cake, and pina colada cake. Instructions are detailed and go for pages, with pix of final product and slices and techniques. At the inside back cover there are two cake decorating stencils that can be useful for budding cakers. This is a well-thought through tome for home use. Needless to say, all the baking preps are scaled. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86.

 

 

19.PEACE & PARSNIPS (The Experiment, 2016, 328 pages, ISBN 978-1-61519-321-9, $25 USD hardbound) is by Lee Watson, an experienced chef who has also hosted and worked on the Fox TV show "Meat v Veg". He now works as a vegan chef in Snowdonia National Park in Wales. This current tome has 200 plant-based recipes in an adventuresome mode for both the committed and the newly arrived. Four years ago he went completely vegan, and has adapted many of his earlier influences into strong flavoured foods: Mexican street food, Turkish bazaars, French country food, Spain, and India. It's arranged by course, beginning with breakfast and moving through juices, soups, salads, sides, small plates, big plates, curries, burgers, stuffed, and sweets. Typical are turnip and spinach kashmiri curry with beet raiti, clay-baked potatoes and parsnips with roasted garlic and date masala, smoked tofu sausage sandwiches with red onion marmalade, and dark chocolate and beet brownies. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.

 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP 20/20 WINES: 20 under $20 and 20 over $20 for February 4, 2017.

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP 20/20 WINES: 20 under $20 and 20 over $20 for February 4, 2017.

=======================================================================

By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. My Internet compendium "Wines, Beers and Spirits of the Net", a guide to thousands of news items and RSS feeds, plus references to wines, beers and spirits, has been at http://www.deantudor.com since 1994.

 

So many people have asked me for wine recommendations, with numbers only. The readers' most common response is that while they like what I say, they only relate to the score. The score is a combination of MVC (Modal Varietal Character, where e.g. a Southern Rhone tastes like a Southern Rhone and not like a Northern Rhone) and Quality/Price Ratio. Let's take it for granted that, e.g., a Riesling tastes like a Riesling, and the wine has some value in the marketplace either above or below its selling price. This way too I can also cover more wines.

 

This restructured wine newsletter for the Ontario market (with wines available through the LCBO and Vintages on a bi-weekly basis)  can always be found at http://www.gothicepicures.blogspot.ca/ or at    http://www.deantudor.com

 

FIND OF THE MONTH --

 

R+89003 RIDGEPOINT PINOT NOIR VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment 2011 $14.95 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR:  93

 

20 under $20

=========

R+143206    TRAPICHE FINCA LAS PALMAS GRAN RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON Mendoza 2014 $16.95  14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR:  91

R+190520    SIERRA CANTABRIA SELECCIÓN Rioja     2014    $15.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR:  90

R+268136 PODERI ANGELINI PRIMITIVO DI MANDURI 2012 $18.95 15% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89

R+278390    RUSTENBERG RM NICHOLSON    WO Stellenbosch 2014 $19.95 14% ABV, MVC/QPR:  89

R+350066    SANTA EMA BARREL RESERVE 60/40 CABERNET SAUVIGNON/MERLOT Maipo Valley    2014    $16.95 14% ABV, MVC/QPR:  89

R+391581 Bodega Del Abad  GOTIN DEL RISC MENCIA Bierzo 2010    $15.95 14.6% ABV, MVC/QPR:  90

W+468215    SCHÖNLAUB PINOT BLANC Qualitätswein 2015 $12.95 12% ABV, MVC/QPR:  90

W+471284    CURVOS LOUREIRO Vinho Verde 2015    $12.95 12% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89

R+475988 DAINERO IGT Toscana Castiglion Del Bosco    2013 $19.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89

R+479774    VALPIDIO Ribera del Duero    Calvo Casajús    2013 $18.95 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 92

W+80764 TUSSOCK JUMPER CHENIN BLANC WO Western Cape 2015 $12.95 MVC/QPR: 90

R+480822 Bodega Volcanes TECTONIA CABERNET SAUVIGNON    Maipo Valley    2013    $19.95

14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89

R+480905    Miguel Torres SANTA DIGNA RESERVA SYRAH Central Valley 2013    $14.95  14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89

W+745349 DOMAINE JACKY MARTEAU SAUVIGNON TOURAINE 2015 $14.95 MVC/QPR:  89

R+195107 CHATEAU SAINT-ROCH VIEILLES VIGNES SYRAH/GRENACHE Côtes de Roussillon 2014    $15.95     14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88

W+347740    MATETIC CORRALILLO SAUVIGNON BLANC San Antonio Valley 2015    $15.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR:  88

W+435479    BARONE MONTALTO COLLEZIONE DI FAMIGLIA VIOGNIER IGT Terre Siciliane 2015    $15.95     MVC/QPR:  88

W+439554 AVONDALE JONTY'S DUCKS PEKIN WHITE WO Paarl 2015 $15.95  MVC/QPR:  88

W+479667 SIMONNET-FEBVRE BOURGOGNE CHITRY    AC Bourgogne 2014    $19.95     12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR:  88

 

20 over $20

=========

R+276030    MURIEL RESERVA VENDIMIA SELECCIONADA Rioja 2011    $20.95  13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR:  90

R+286492    CHÂTEAU D'ANGLÉS GRAND VIN LA CLAPE     AC 2012  $28.95  14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR:  89

R+360016 PIER RIO SORDO BARBARESCO 2009 $30.95 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89

R+366815    ELIAS MORA CRIANZA  Toro 2012 $21.95 15 % ABV, MVC/QPR: 90

R+392738    DOMAINE QUEYLUS TRADITION PINOT NOIR VQA Niagara Peninsula 2013 $29.95     13% ABV, MVC/QPR:  89

W+395699 BERINGER LUMINUS CHARDONNAY Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley 2014 $39.95 14.3% ABV, MVC/QPR:  89

R+418178 OCHOA RESERVA Single vineyard, DO Navarra  2009 $24.95  14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89

R+465864    TWO RIVERS TRIBUTARY PINOT NOIR Marlborough, South Island    2014    $28.95  13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR:  89

W+469767    JEAN BIECHER & FILS SCHOENENBOURG RIESLING AC Alsace Grand Cru 2014 $23.95 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 92

R+484022    CASTELL DE RAIMAT TEMPRANILLO    Costers del Segre 2012 $14.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90

W+489591    DOMAINE QUEYLUS TRADITION CHARDONNAY VQA Niagara Peninsula 2014 $24.95  13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89

R+512384    MARCHESE ANTINORI CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA 2013    $42.95     13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 92

W+685222    LA CHABLISIENNE GRANDE CUVÉE CHABLIS 1ER CRU    2014    $29.95

13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89

R+708842    MOUNT VEEDER WINERY CABERNET SAUVIGNON Napa 2013 $49.95 14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88

R+320507    PIPOLI AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE 2013 $15.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88

R+70797    TOMMASI POGGIO AL TUFO ALICANTE IGT Toscana 2013    $22.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR:  88

R+324137    MASI COSTASERA RISERVA AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2011    $69.95     15.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88

R+403618    THE MENTORS SHIRAZ    WO Paarl KWV 2012  $29.95 14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88

R+468314    CHÂTEAU LES CHARMES GODARD    AC Côtes de Franc 2012 $22.95 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88

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