The Event: Pre-Cuvee Tasting of Ontario VQA wines, Feb 11, 2009

 The Time and Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2009  10:30 AM to 2 PM

The Event: Pre-Cuvee Tasting of Ontario VQA wines

The Venue: BMO Executive Dining Room, King Street

The Target Audience: wine writers

The Availability/Catalogue: most of these wines are available only at the winery. 52 Ontario wineries entered the 21^st Annual Cuvee Awards, so we tasted 52 wines today.

The Quote/Background: for the fourth year in a row, the Wine Council of Ontario has sponsored a pre-Cuvee tasting of potentially winning wines. In order to provide a broad overview of the wines that will be poured at Cuvee, these wines tasted today represent each participating winery's top scoring wine from the Cuvee judging held in January. These wines are representative of the best wines from each winery that will be poured at Cuvee, but do not necessarily represent the award winning wines that are announced at the Gala on Friday, February 27, 2009. Cuvee Awards are only given to the TOP scoring wine in each award category.

The Wines: I've indicated which wines are at the LCBO – the others are only at the winery.

 

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

-13^th Street Gamay Sandstone Old Vines 2006, $25

-Calamus Estate Gewurztraminer 2007, $15.20

-Henry of Pelham Cuvee Catherine Brut NV, $29.95.

-Hillebrand Estates Showcase Sparkling Riesling 2006, $35

-Kacaba Vineyards Reserve Meritage 2004, $42.95.

-Lailey Vineyards Syrah 2007, $25.

-Lakeview Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2005, $24.95

-Niagara College Teaching Winery Dean's List Pinot Noir 2007, $32.95.

-Peller Estates Signature Series Chardonnay Sur Lie 2007, $30.

-Vignoble Rancourt Meritage 2004, $24.80.

 

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

-Cattail Creek Estate Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2007, $19

-Chateau des Charmes Chardonnay Musque 2007, $16.95

-D'Angelo Vineyards Pinot Noir 2002 Reserve, $30

-Harvest Estates Merlot 2006, $14.95

-Inniskillin Riesling Icewine 2007, $69.95 375 mL

-Maleta Estate View Old Vines Brut 2006, $27.95.

-Mike Weir Pinot Noir 2007, $22. also at Vintages

-Peninsula Ridge Estates Sauvignon Blanc Wismer Vineyards 2007, $18.95.

-Southbrook Vineyards Triomphe Chardonnay 2006, $21.95.

-Tawse Winery Sketches of Niagara Riesling 2007, $18.

-Thirty Bench Small Lot Cabernet Franc 2006, $35.

 

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

-Cave Spring Cellars Chardonnay Musque 2007, $15.75

-Colio Estate CEV Lily 2007, sparkling, $16.25, also at LCBO

-Creekside Viognier 2007 Reserve, $24.95

-Featherstone Onyx 2007 [cab franc, merlot], $24.95

-Flat Rock Pinot Noir 2007, $19.95

-Hernder Estates Twin Barrel Chardonnay 2006, $32.95.

-Riverview Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine 2007, $59.95 375mL

-Wayne Gretzky Estates Shiraz Cabernet 2006, $22.95.

 

The Food: buffet luncheon of sandwiches and salads and sweets.

The Downside: I was looking forward to the view from the 68^th floor, but unfortunately, we were all fogged in today – it was a sea of white out there.

The Upside: two observations – there was not a single hybrid wine presented (except for Vidal in icewine), and there was not a single Late Harvest (or SLH) presented.

The Contact Person: linda.watts@winesofontario.org

The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 92.

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com

 

 

The Event: Viniportugal City Dinner tasting tour for the Wines of Portugal, Feb 4, 2009

The Time and Date: Wednesday, February 4, 2009   6:30 PM to 9 PM

The Event: Viniportugal City Dinner tasting tour for the Wines of Portugal

The Venue: Oasi Restaurant

The Target Audience: sommeliers, wine writers, agents.

The Availability/Catalogue: wines are available in this marketplace.

The Quote/Background: Portuguese winemaker Diago Campilho from Quinta da Lagoalva de Cima gave an educational tasting seminar featuring some wines, with a gourmet dinner and more wines to match. Ten wines in all were tasted.

The Wines: all prices are retail.

 

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

-CARM Grand Reserva 2005 Douro, FWP Trading, $46.

-Bacalhoa Catarina Fernao Pires 2006, FWP Trading, $14.80

-Quinta dos Roques Touriga Nacional 2005, RKW Wine Imports, $33.

-Esperao Reserva 2005, FWP Trading, $24.95

 

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

-Henriques Bual 10 Year Madeira, Cavima, $39.

-Quinta da Cortezia Touriga Nacional 2005, Trilogy, $18.65

-Alianca Quinta dos Quatro Ventos Reserva 2002, PMA Canada, $24.95

 

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

-Borlidos Brut Reserve NV, FWP Trading, $15

-Quinta de Lagoalva Talhao #1, FWP Trading, $17.60

-Quinta da Lagoalva Reserva 2006, FWP Trading, $18

 

The Food: we had appetizers in the bar after the tasting, with various wines from the tasting. At dinner, first course was a foie gras torchon with duck prosciutto (Borlidos Reserva Bruto), followed by yellowfin tuna tataki and lily bulb with salsify (Quinta Da Lagoalva Talhao #1 2007), roast lamb saddle with mushrooms and cannelinni beans (CARM Douro Grande Reserva 2005), and sticky date pudding (Henriques Bual Madeira 10 year old).

The Downside: the presentation, which began late, was too full of tourism stuff before we actually got to the wines. It was past seven o'clock when we got around to sipping. My writer colleague sitting across from me had tasted and written notes on all of the wines before the tasting even began.

The Upside: the audience didn't seem to want to talk much about the wines, and this carried over to the dinner wines. Everything matched up fairly well. And the food was gorgeous.

The Contact Person: william.delgado@portugalglobal.pt

The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 83.

 

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com

 

 

The Event: a comparative tasting of Organic and Biodynamic Chateaux from Bordeaux, as repped by The Living Vine.

The Time and Date: Friday, March 13, 2009  2:30Pm to 6:30PM

The Event: a comparative tasting of Organic and Biodynamic Chateaux from Bordeaux, as repped by The Living Vine.

The Venue: Fine Wine Reserve, King Street.

The Target Audience: wine media and private customers.

The Availability/Catalogue: every wine was available, although private orders may have to be taken for some.

The Quote/Background: there were 18 wines from across the Bordeaux region, and at various price points. There were more than one bottle of many Chateau. Indeed, some of the wines had been opened on Thursday for another tasting, stoppered, and offered again for a comparison. One such Chateau even had yesterday's wine plus a bottling with a label for sale in France only, in addition to the export market.

The Wines: the price range was from $14.95 to $169.95. To make the tasting complete, for dessert, Mark Cuff had a tasting of some organic ports from Casal Dos Jordoes, who also supply organic grapes to Taylor Fladgate's Fonseca for their organic port (see above). I found the Casal Dos Jordoes White Port nicely off-dry but pricey at $27.95. The Tawny Port was stunning, but even better was the 10 Year Old Tawny Reserve Port ($27.95 for 375 mL).

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

-28.95 -  Château du Champ des Treilles Grand Vin 2003 AOC Sainte 
Foy Bordeaux.
-32.95 - Château Micalet 2005 AOC Haut Médoc.
-43.95 - Château Haut Nouchet 2003 AOC Pessac Léognan
-148.95 - Chateau Romulus  2003 AOC Pomerol (biodynamic) – my fave of the day

-75.95 - Château Fonroque 2005 AOC Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé.

 

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

-14.95 - Château Auguste 2006 AOC Bordeaux.
-15.95 - Château Auguste 2006 AOC Bordeaux Supérieur
-29.95 - Château Vieux Rivière 2007 AOC Lalande de Pomerol.
-34.95 - Château La Grave 2005 AOC Fronsac (biodynamic)
-44.95 - Château La Fleur Cailleau 2005 AOC Canon-Fronsac (biodynamic)

-45 – Chateau Falfas Le Chevalier 2005 Cotes de Bourg  (biodynamic)

-149.95 - Château Pontet Canet 2006 AOC Pauillac 5th G Grand Cru Classé (biodynamic)
-169.95 - Liber Pater 2006 AOC Graves  Grand Cru (biodynamic)

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

-19.95 - Château du Champ des Treilles Petit Champ 2006 AOC Sainte 
Foy Bordeaux (The owner is the winemaker of Château Pontet Canet Jean 
Michel Comme)
-16.95 – Chateau Cotes du Caris 2007 AOC Bordeaux   

-39.95 - Château Vieux Pourret 2005 AOC Saint Emilion Grand Cru. (biodynamic)
-43.95 - Château Coutet 2006 AOC Saint Emilion Grand Cru.
-63.95 - Château La Croix Taillefer 2003 AOC Pomerol. Grand Cru.

 

The Food: a stunning collection of mostly organic products (and French products) from the Cheese Boutique – pates, terrines, charcuterie, organic breads, cheeses, dessert biscuits for the port (including a date and nut loaf). By and large, they went very well with the wines.

The Downside: it ended too early for me.

The Upside: a great opportunity to taste on my own, at my own speed, without an agent hovering.

The Contact Person: mark@thelivingvine.ca

The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 90 plus 5 bonus points for the appropriate organic foods.

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com

 

 

Vintages Wine Releases for March 14, 2009

WORLD WINE WATCH (VINTAGES TIP SHEET) FOR MARCH 14, 2009
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing <deantudor@deantudor.com>
Always at www.deantudor.com since 1995. Also visit my "Wines, Beers and
Spirits of the Net Compendium", a guide to thousands of news items and
RSS feeds, plus references to wines, beers and spirits.
My tastings are based on MVC (Modal Varietal Character); ratings are
QPR (Quality-to-Price Ratio). Prices are LCBO retail. Only my top rated
wines are here. NOTE: The LCBO does NOT put out all of the wines of the
release for wine writers or product consultants. Also, some defective
or corked wines are not available for re-tasting.

 

WHITE WINES
^^^^^^^^^^^
1. Kankura Fleurs Blanches Chardonnay 2007 Colchagua Valley: value
priced smokey-oaky chardonnay from older vines. +96297, $12.95, QPR:
90.
2. Juniper Crossing Chardonnay 2006 Margaret River: great complexity,
balance of wood-fruit-acid in Euro mode. +90944, $18.95, QPR: 90.
3. Soljans Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Marlborough: very good
complexity, off-dry at entry, good aperitif wine. +91223, $17.95, QPR:
91.
4. Vrede en Lust Karien Chenin Blanc 2007 WO Paarl: another sipper-
party wine with distinction in MVC flavour. +101733, $14.95, QPR: 90.
5. Domaine Saint-Remy Vieilles Vignes Gewurztraminer 2007 Alsace: more
MVC, but dense body and flavour, bitterish aftertaste. +106872, $19.95,
QPR: 90.
6. Pierre Sparr Pinto Gris Reserve 2006 Alsace: juicy, off-dry aperitif
or with cheese. +983395, $18.95, QPR: 90.
7. Balthasar Ress Riesling Kabinett 1995 Rheingau: for lovers of older
Riesling, long lanolin finish. +90670, $19, QPR: 94.
8. Geil Riesling Kabinett 2007 Rheinhessen: excellent value for a
German Riesling, 10.5% ABV. +994764, $15.95, QPR: 90.

 

RED WINES
^^^^^^^^^
1. Wakefield Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Clare Valley: deep, gold medalist,
nicely elegant. +744235, $15.95, QPR: 90.
2. Chateau Rousset Grande Reserve 2005 Cotes de Bourg: good balance and
approachability, ready soon. +731380, $19.95, QPR: 90.
3. Castel Oualou Cotes du Rhone 2007: good price for a MVC of the
region. +104893, $13.95, QPR: 90.
 
VALUE: "RESTAURANT READY" or "BRING YOUR OWN WINE BOTTLE"
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Restaurants should consider offering these FINE VALUE wines at a $10
markup over retail; the wines are ready to enjoy right now. Consumers
could buy and bring to those restaurants with corkage programs.
1. Roger Lassarat Terroir de Vergisson Pouilly-Fuisse 2006, +110288,
$26.95
2. Chateau de Tracy Mademoiselle de T Pouilly-Fume 2007, +106773,
$25.95.
3. Stag's Leap Winery Merlot 2005 Napa, +655399, $49.95.
4. Elderton Ode to Lorraine Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz/Merlot 2004
Barossa, +976423, $37.95.
5. Henschke Henry's Seven 2005 Barossa, +685578, $42.95
6. Domaine Duthel "Douby" Morgon 2007, +112557, $20.95.
7. Domaine La Haute Marone Gigondas 2005, +33845, $26.95.

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com

 

 

The Event: the launch of Osoyoos Larose 2005 Le Grand Vin, Feb 3, 2009

The Time and Date: Tuesday, February 3, 2009 10AM to 2 PM
The Event: the launch of Osoyoos Larose 2005 Le Grand Vin.
The Venue: St. Andrews Club, King St West
The Target Audience: wine media.
The Availability/Catalogue: 1000 cases are coming to Vintages on February
28, 2009, $45 a bottle.
The Quote/Background: Osoyoos Larose is a partnership between Bordeaux's
Groupe Taillan and Vincor in Canada; this is its tenth anniversary. It is
sited by Lake Osoyoos in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. "Larose"
refers to Chateau Gruaud-Larose, one of the wineries owned by Taillan. Their
goal is to create a Bordeaux-inspired wine based on the classic grape
varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and
Malbec. The first vintage (2001) was released in Spring 2004. 32 hectares
produces grapes in the range of 67% merlot, 23% cabernet sauvignon, and the
remaining 10% spread around the other three grape varietals. Petales, the
second wine, was first made in 2004, and this is its second vintage. 15% of
Le Grand Vin is sold outside Canada.

The Wines: The proceedings were opened by Jay Wright (CEO Vincor) and
Antoine Merlaut (Managing Director Taillan). We tasted Le Grand Vin 2004,
2005, 2006, and 2007. In addition, we had a component tasting of the five
varietals for 2008 (arranged in picking order), and then we could blend our
own for 2008. Petales 2005 came with lunch. The tasting was conducted by
Pascal Madevon, the winemaker, together with consultant Alain Sutre from
France.

-2004 Osoyoos Larose: still deep purple, cedary with red berry notes, leaf
tobacco. Euro style was pronounced, with some aging on the mid-palate,
vanilla cream.
-2005 Osoyoos Larose: dense dark colour, black fruit dominates, prominent
oak, hot finish, firm spine, hard merlot character.
-2006 Osoyoos Larose: deep almost black, more black fruits especially black
currants woody and tight, very strong wine, mocha-herbal complexity, my fave
of the tasting.
-2007 Osoyoos Larose: deep ink, cedary and more wooden tones, red fruits,
tannic, but maturing already.

The Food: we were served a Bordeaux-inspired lunch, paired with Osoyoos
Larose Petales 2005 and Le Grand Vin 2005, a great opportunity to compare
and contrast a first wine and a second wine from the same vintage. Petales,
of course, is a faster maturing, lighter wine, at about $25 a bottle. We
started with a duck confit and onion tart, moving to a rack of lamb crusted
with grainy Dijon mustard, and ending with four cheeses: a Savoie and a
Comte from France, and a Bench Miranda and Tiger Blue from British Columbia.
The Petales was just perfect with everything, Le Grand Vin needing more
cellaring.
The Downside: we started late.
The Upside: a better seating arrangement at lunch meant that we could talk
to more people.
The Contact Person: christine.liber@ccltd.ca
The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 90.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

The Event: Discovering.Abruzzo & Puglia wines, Feb 4, 2009

The Time and Date: Wednesday, February 4, 2009  11AM to 6 PM

The Event: Discovering…Abruzzo & Puglia wines.

The Venue: Hart House

The Target Audience: wine trade and importers.

The Availability/Catalogue: none of the wines are available in this marketplace.

The Quote/Background: there were six wine producers, plus olive oil vendors, baked goods, dried tomatoes. All were seeking representation.

 

The Wines:

 

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

- Colle Moro Pecorino 2008 Frizzante Abruzzo

 

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

- Az.Agric. Ciavolich Abruzzo Pecorino 2007

- Az.Agric. Ciavolich Abruzzo Antrum 2003

- Colle Moro Pecorino 2007 Abruzzo

- L'Antica Cantina San Severo Castrum Bianco 2007 Puglia

 

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

- Colle Moro Trebbiano d'Abruzzo 2007

- Antica Enotria Organic Falu Rosso 2007 IGT Puglia

- Antica Enotria Organic Nero di Troia 2006 IGT Puglia

- Casaltrinita Coppamadra 2006 IGT Puglia

- Casaltrinita Terre di Corte 2007 IGT Puglia

- Capestrano Pecorino 2007 Abruzzo

 

The Food: breads, nuts, olives, gorgonzola, Parmigiano Reggiano, and the like.

The Downside: I had four events that day, backtobacktoback, and I had to rush out.

The Upside: a chance for great cheeses which went well with the wines.

The Contact Person: benedetta.marassi.toronto@ice.it

The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 83.

 

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com

 

 

COOKBOOKS: THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS...

THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS...

 

...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback
reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher
a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will
reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will
rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text
while keeping the focus tight. Here are some recent "re-editions"...

 

11. PACIFIC PINOT NOIR; a comprehensive winery guide for consumers and
connoisseurs (University of California Press, 2008, 454 pages, ISBN
978-0-520-25317-9, $21.95 US soft covers) is by John Winthrup Haeger,
author of "North American Pinot Noir", a book award winner in 2005.
Here he has revised, updated, expanded, and refocused on Pinot Noir as
found only in California and Oregon (New York, British Columbia,
Ontario, and a few other places were left out). Both states are
responsible for 95% of North American pinot noir. Even with the change,
the 72 profiles in the 2004 book became 216 in this one. Each profile
contains history, background, contact info, a summary of wines produced
now and in back vintages, vineyard sources, notes on winegrowing and
winemaking, assessment on producer's style, and tasting notes. There
are some tie-ins with the earlier book, such as for maps and
information cross-references of regions, plant material, and so forth.
But these will only be useful if you have the other book. There is
really no point, at this time, in buying that book, since it costs
$35.95 US, and has a whack of outdated information, and of course, many
fewer profiles. In fact, Haeger himself redirects the reader to the
"Oxford Companion to Wine" for overall help. His newly written
introductory essay on pinot noir in the US is a gem, exploring the
"Sideways"-effect. Quality/Price rating: 92.

 

 

 

12. 125 BEST ITALIAN RECIPES (Robert Rose, 2008, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0-
7788-0198-6, $19.95 Canadian paper covers) is by cookbook author
Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh who now also runs the Black Dog Village Pub and
Bistro in Bayfield, Ontario. It was originally published in 1998 as
"Rustic Italian Cooking", which explains its peasant base of recipes.
Not only are most of these preps useful as the standard recipe for
classic Italian food (minestrone, gnocchi, saltimbocca, walnut cake),
but there are also some delightful excursions into food we rarely think
of, some real farmhouse dishes such as pizzoccheri (buckwheat pasta
with Fontina cheese, potatoes and cabbage) or risotto al radicchio e
Gorgonzola. Just about every region in Italy gets covered, s are all
courses from antipasti to dolci. She promises simple, easy preps in 30
minutes or less (if you have a mise en place). Both avoirdupois and
metric measurements are used in the ingredient listings. And a larger
typeface is used. Quality/Price rating: 87.

 

 

 

13. PRINCIPLES OF FOOD, BEVERAGE, AND LABOR COAST CONTROLS, ninth
edition (John Wiley & Sons, 2009, 632 pages plus accompanying CD
MD03741A, ISBN 978-0-471-78347-3) is by Paul R. Dittmer and J. Desmond
Keefe III, both hospitality academics with extensive field experience.
It is one of those textbook bibles that are not only so useful for
culinary hospitality school students but also for working Food and
Beverage managers. The ninth edition has been updated, there are more
computer apps being discussed, as well as a CD with Excel problems.
There is Study Guide and Instructor's Manual, both available
separately. The book includes detailed discussion of several approaches
to beverage sales, with chapters on cost and sales controls. There is a
complete menu for a hypothetical restaurant to illustrate principles.
There are many student exercises on the CD, and there is a companion
website for usage. Each chapter opens with learning objectives and
closes with summaries and discussion questions. Quality/Price rating:
90.

 

 

 

14. RESTAURANT SERVICE BASICS, second edition (John Wiley & Sons, 2009,
196 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-10785-0, paper covers) is by Sandra J. Dahmer
and Kurt W. Kahl, both foodservice educators. There is also an
Instructor's Manual, available separately. All types of service is 
covered, from casual to formal, from making reservations to greeting
the diner to presentation of the cheque. Troubleshooting problems is
the main theme: how to deal with mechanical problems, how to deal with
human failings, how to deal with contentious customers, how to deal
with violence, lack of sanitation, "cleanup on aisle 8", and a whole
pile of other things beyond just bringing the plate to the table. There
is material on the responsibilities, qualifications, and conduct of the
wait staff personnel. New to this edition is more material on POS
systems, tableside service, reservations, and selling the menu. There
are lots of diagrams for service (such as table, positioning, or making
napkins) as well as photos and charts. Each chapter concludes with
questions for discussion. Quality/Price rating: 90.

 

15. EAT, MEMORY; great writers at the table (W.W. Norton, 2009, 204
pages, ISBN 978-0-392-06763-7, $24.95 hard covers) is a collection of
food essays from the New York Times, collated by Amanda Hesser, former
food editor of the New York Times magazine. Here are 26 reprints, along
with the recipes, from diverse US writers. As is carefully explained,
every one has a great food story to tell. Check out R.W. Apple Jr.'s
story of the dining room wars, with a recipe for Lebanese kofta; or,
Julia Childs' soft-cooked eggs, or Dorothy Allison's roast duck. No
index, but then the chapters are self-contained, although it might have
been nice to have a listing of the recipes. With the leading, it is a
slight book, and it could have been larger. Quality/Price rating: 83.

 

16. MR. BOSTON OFFICIAL BARTENDERS'S GUIDE; more than 1500 recipes,
tools, and techniques. 67th edition (Wiley, 2009, 298 pages, ISBN 978-0-
470-39065-8, $14.95 US hard covers) has been edited by Anthony Giglio,
with Jim Meehan and about 75 or so named contributors. Mr. Boston has
been published since 1935; previously, it had sold about 11 million
copies. Not bad for an American classic. Mr. Boston claims 200
contemporary and new recipes, and throughout the book, there are
between 4 and 10 cocktails to a page (and it clearly identifies the
glass to be used). All preps are arranged by alcohol product, and
presents basic bar data. There are trade tips from many contributors,
as well as much more info on garnishes and tools. The cocktail has
evolved into an art form. It, and the cocktail party, has become hot.
Caution: Mr. Boston has an extremely short wine cocktail section and a
short non-alcoholic section. Quality/Price Rating: 91.

 

17. A HISTORY OF FOOD. New and expanded edition (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009,
756 pages, ISBN 978-1-4051-8119-8, $34.95 US hard covers) is by
Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat, a French historian and food writer, author
of some 17 books on French cuisine and history. It was originally
published in 1987 in French, 1994 in English, and now in its new
edition. It was one of the first of its kind to take a sweeping
chronicle of food and society and present it to a literate readership.
She traces the origins of foodstuffs such as honey, cheese,
charcuterie, chocolate, coffee, potatoes, and shows how these -- and
other food – transformed cuisine and culture. She has incorporated the
latest scientific and technological discoveries in her revision. There
are 16 colour plates, as well as many black and white illustrations.
Part One deals with "collecting, gathering and hunting".  Part Two
introduces animal husbandry and plant cultivation. Then she moves on to
"sacramental foods": oil, bread and wine. This is followed by the idea
of markets, luxury foods, merchants, the Columbian exchange, orchards,
kitchen gardens, and preservation. It is perfectly obvious that we are
constantly moving away from our closeness to the origins of the foods
that we eat, relying on a whole chain of middle people and preparers.
There's the original bibliography and an updated bibliography of recent
works, compiled by Darra Goldstein. And, of course, the book has been
re-indexed. A bargain price, everybody should be able to afford it,
although the heavy paper makes it awkward to read in bed. Quality/Price
rating: 91.

 

 

 

18. HOW TO COOK EVERYTHING; 2,000 simple recipes for great food. Rev.
ed. (John Wiley & Sons, 2008, 1044 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-39857-9, $35
US hard covers) is by Mark Bittman, a PBS host of a similarly named
show and a weekly New York Times writer called "The Minimalist". He is
mainly responsible for simplifying the cooking process; some would say
"dumbing down". This book was originally published in 1998, and since
then he has been a dynamo in the word and kitchen factories with such
books as "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian", a book on the basics, a
quick and easy book, and books associated with his PBS and other
television shows. But this book is the motherbook (2 million copies
sold, and both IACP and Beard awards winner). It first appeared in
1998, and this is its first revision as a "tenth anniversary edition".
He begins "Much has changed…since 1998…" And so his book has expanded
to include more international and spicy preps. Gone is the attempt at
recreating haute cuisine at home: this is wholesome everyday cooking.
These are the recipes that people cook every day at home on every
continent and region. Many recipes here can be made ahead or prepared
in under 30 minutes. He has plenty of cook notes and sidebars for
explanations of techniques and unusual ingredients. There is material
from some of other books. He has instructional drawings, but his stress
is that many techniques are the same the world over, such as pies, food
wrapped in pastry, soups. The main differences are in the seasonings
and the local ingredients. The book has also been reorganized, to
include new symbols for fast, make-ahead, and vegetarian recipes. He
opens each chapter with an "Essential Recipes" section. He has more
detail in chapters on vegetables and fruits, grains and beans. There
are newer charts and illustrations. There are lists such as "22 Picnic-
Perfect Salads". Recipes use avoirdupois weights and measures but there
are conversion charts on the inside covers. There's a section on menus,
complete with page references, and his top choices for make-ahead,
essential, fast, and vegetarian recipes (about 100 each). Try his baked
macaroni and cheese (with its 10 variations and combos). Quality/Price
Rating: 92.

 

19. HOW TO TASTE; a guide to enjoying wine. Completely revised &
updated. (Simon & Schuster, 2008,208 pages, ISBN 978-1-4165-9665-3, $26
US hard covers) is by Jancis Robinson, well-known British MW wine
writer who is also the editor of "The Oxford Companion to Wine". It was
first published in 1983 as "Masterglass" and I noted at the time that
her book and Broadbent's book were the only two wine books you would
ever need. In 2000, the revised edition was published as "Jancis
Robinson's Wine Tasting Workbook". Now, it has changed publishers and
has been re-titled yet again. It is more than a "how to taste" book, it
is actually a whole course in wine. And it has been updated to reflect
this: updated vintages and producers, newly emerging wine regions, and
contemporary drinking styles. This is an extremely practical book, made
all the better by not mentioning specific wine labels for purchases.
Topics, arranged by chapters, cover learning to taste, physical matters
of storage and serving, white grapes, red grapes, fortified and
sparkling wines, and food matches. There's a glossary and some pretty
decent photos (including one by my colleague Steve Elphick).
Quality/Price rating: 89.

 

20. WINE REPORT 2009 (Dorling Kindersley, 2008, 432 pages, ISBN 0-7566-
3983-9, $15 US paper covers) is edited by Tom Stevenson, author of The
New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia and other great and useful reference
books. This is book is now an annual; it first came out in 2004. The
price has also dropped over the years. His book reports on what
happened during the previous 12 months in the wine world. It will never
go out-of-date, so hang onto your copy of the previous year. The Wine
Report is a sort of insiders' guide to the world of wine, with the
latest data from each wine region, plus tips on recent vintages and on
your wine investments. There are sections for new wine finds, bargains,
the latest harvests, wine science and the greatest wines. The contents
are arranged by country and region within, with local experts (each
credited, and with a photo). Many have MWs. Writers include David
Peppercorn on Bordeaux, Clive Coates on Burgundy, Nicholas Belfrage on
Italy, Julian Jeffs on Sherry, Dan Berger on California, and our
own Tony Aspler on Canada. Each writer gets several pages for each
region, and conveys an assessment of recent vintages and hard hitting
opinions, followed by key top ten type lists of the greatest wine
producers, the fastest-improving producers, up and coming producers,
best-value producers, greatest quality, best bargains, and "Most
exciting or unusual finds". Most of the team is back; there are 46
contributors in all, which is the only way to write up something as
comprehensive as this Wine Report. No one writer can keep abreast of it
all, and still offer a book at a decent price. Other textual matters
within each region are topics concerning personnel changes, mergers and
acquisitions, new appellations, new wine laws, legal cases, and new
wines
and changes and new vintages. Local prices of origin are also given,
which is a boon for now we can compare them to the Canadian or LCBO
prices. There is also a large, useful section on resource tools (also
written by individuals) which deals with organic wines, grape
varieties, wine auctions, viticulture, and wine on the web (Tom
Cannavan). Some suggestions for improvement: an annual review (after a
recap) of the existing book and magazine literature, commentaries on
wine software programs (both inventory and professional winery
management such as the Enologix), and email addresses for the
contributors. Caution: this book was set and ready to roll in
summer 2008, so the cut-off for material was early 2008. This makes the
book's coverage a year old by 2009, and thus mainly the picture for
2007/8. Not earth shattering for rumours and gossip. In addition, at
432 clay-coated pages, the book is heavy to pick up and lug
around. I do not think that there is a better
wine book out there for the wine professional or sommelier, especially
since just about everything in this book is NEW and promises to keep
one fully informed and up-to-date. Quality/Price rating: 95 – please
buy this book to ensure next year's publication!

 

21. EATING FOR ENGLAND (Harper Perennial, 2008, 280 pages, ISBN 978-0-
00-719947-1, $17.95 Canadian, soft covers) is by Nigel Slater, an
award-winning UK cookbook author and food writer. It was originally
published in the UK by Fourth Estate; this is the paperback reprint.
And unfortunately, it still has no index, which is a shame since it is
a hodge-podge collection of tidbits about British food that seem to
have come from his previous columns in the Observer and elsewhere. It
is an extremely funny assortment of jottings about British food despite
the title which was obviously a stretch for alliteration: over 200
nuggets cover After Eight mints, cake forks, biscuit tins, faggots,
pear drops, teacakes, Colman's mustard, haggis, Welsh rarebit, carving,
etc.  Just the thing to read before going to bed or with your
breakfast. And difficult to retrieve information at a later date.
Quality/Price rating: 88.

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com

 

 

The Event: a tasting of Chateau Musar White and Red, Feb 3, 2009.

The Time and Date: Tuesday, February 3, 2009 3 Pm to 4PM
The Event: a tasting of Chateau Musar White and Red, conducted by Stephen
Marentette of Whitehall Agencies.
The Venue: Oasi
The Target Audience: wine media
The Availability/Catalogue: we tasted six wines, all available through
vintagesonline.com on February 4, 2009, as part of what the LCBO bills
"Internet Release"
The Quote/Background: we had some nice technical and descriptive notes to
read over. The Red is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, cinsault, and carignan.
The White is a blend of merwah and obaideh, local grape varieties. We tasted
the Whites at room temperature.
The Wines:

-Château Musar 1998, obviously mature colour, sophisticated balance, red
fruit complexity, finishes with a long length. $69.
-Château Musar 1997, more red fruit on the nose and palate, extracts larger
than expected, still some greenness or stalky impressions (herbs?) $79
-Château Musar 1991, mature, very mature, spicy, mocha, some cassis, easily
my fave red (older is better?) $140.75
-Château Musar White 2001, very firm marmalade aromas, palate of orange and
oak butterscotch, some baked complexity on the finish. $35 (great price)
-Château Musar 1999, golden tones, toasty smoke, some brett complexity?
Fruity with a long length. My fave white. $63.95
-Château Musar 1995, golden colour is mature, dark bronze, spices, burnt
caramel, drying out nicely. $85.

The Food: just water.
The Downside: it was hastily arranged, leaving no time for research.
The Upside: a rare opportunity to taste rare wines.
The Contact Person: Stephen.marentette@whitehall.ca
The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 88.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com