May 7/10: New white wines in Ontario market

The Time and Date: Friday, May 7, 2010  10:30 AM to 1:30 PM

The Event: monthly meeting of the Wine Writers' Circle of Canada

The Venue: LCBO Scrivener Square

The Target Audience: WWCC members

The Availability/Catalogue: new white wines in the marketplace

The Wines:

 

 

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

-Thirty Bench Riesling 2009 VQA, $30

-Cave Spring Riesling Estate 2008 Beamsville Bench, $17.95 +286377

-Cave Spring Riesling CSV 2008 Beamsville Bench, $29.95 +566026 Sept 18, 2010

-Cave Spring Sauvignon Blanc Estate Beamsville Bench, $17.95 +71662 Aug 7, 2010

-Cave Spring Chenin Blanc Estate Beamsville Bench, $16.95 +627315 June 26, 2010

-Coyote's Run Five Mile Riesling/Pinot Blanc/Gewurztraminer 2009, $13.95

-Strewn Chardonnay Barrel Aged VQA 2008, $12.95

-Mount Riley Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Marlborough

-J. Lohr Arroyo Vista Chardonnay 2007 Arroyo Seco

-Rutherford Ranch Chardonnay 2008 Napa

-Lander-Jenkins Spirit Hawk Chardonnay 2008 California

-Douloufakis Enotria Rose 2009 [syrah-kotsifali] Crete, $11.95 +169391

 

The Contact Person: sdarby@rogers.com

The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 87.

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com AND http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com

 

 

May 4/10: French Wine Connection, looking for Ontario agents

The Time and Date: Tuesday, May 4, 2010  Noon to 5 PM

The Event: French Wine Connection 2010 – North America

The Venue: Roy Thompson Hall, Lobby

The Target Audience: wine agents and consultants and media types.

The Availability/Catalogue: overall, nothing was currently available, but a few items had been here through some agents. Prices quoted were mostly FOB Euros.

The Quote/Background: This is a road show for 42 French wineries who wish to be in the markets of Toronto, Los Angeles, and Miami. It is a major initiative of the French Trade Commissions in North America, in partnership with Sopexa. There were also spirits such as Calvados and Cognacs, mixed drinks, and the like. Plus Cidre Dupont Bouche de Normandie ($12 Canadian).

The Wines:  There might have been 450 wines; I did not taste them all.

 

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

-Dom. Joseph Cattin Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Hatschbourg 2007 Alsace

-Dom. Joseph Cattin Gewurztraminer 2009 Alsace

-Chat. Fongraves Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2007

-Champagne Cuillier Pere et Fils Brut

-Champagne Lacourte-Godbillon Vanite Premier Cru

 

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

-Dom. Bott Freres Gewurztraminer Reserve Personnelle 2008 Alsace

-Dom. Joseph Cattin Cremant d'Alsace NV

-Klipfel Gewurztraminer Cuvee Louis Klipfel 2008 Alsace

-Chat. Fongraves Chat. Julien du Pey Saint Emilion 2007

-Chat. Vieux Mougnac Bordeaux Superieur 2001

-Clos de L'Eglise Lalande de Pomerol 2008

-Chat. Tour de Calens Graves 2007 Rouge

-Domaine de Bellevue Sauvignon 2009 Touraine

-Champagne Cuillier Pere et Fils Grande Reserve

-Champagne Brochet-Hervieux 1er Cru Cuvee HBH 1997

-Dom. De Cabasse Gigondas 2007

-Dom. Bott Freres Riesling Cuvee Particuliere 2007

-Dom. Joseph Cattin Riesling 2009 Alsace

-Champagne Lacourte-Godbillon Premier Cru 2002

 

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

-Schoenheitz Riesling Herrenreben 2007 Alsace

-Schoenheitz Pinot Gris Holder 2008 Alsace

-Chat. Maucamps Haut Medoc Cru Bourgeois Superieur 2004

-Chat. Laronde Desormes Cuvee Bordeaux Superieur 2004

-Chateau Plaisir Siaurac Lalande de Pomerol 2006

-Chat. Vray Croix de Gay Pomerol 2006

-Chat. Laulerie Bergerac 2009 Blanc Sec

-Chat. Moulin Galhaud Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2005

-Dom. Nathalie et Gilles Fevre Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent 2008

-Chat. Du Petit Thouars Reserve Cabernet Franc 2003 Touraine

-Chat. Cassemichere Muscadet Sevre et Maine sur Lie 2009

-Dom. De Cabasse Les Deux Anges Sablet Cotes du Rhone Villages 2008

 

The Food: Badoit still and sparkling waters, ham off the bone, veggies, roast beef, smoked salmon, pate and terrines, tapenade, cheeses (including a Blue Benedictine from PQ). Catered by Daniel and Daniel.

The Downside: too many wines for one go. It was also lightly attended.

The Upside: a chance to try wines that may be in the marketplace.

The Contact Person: alexia.guuinic@sopexa.com

The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 91.

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com AND http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com

 

 

May 3/2010: Grand Marchi Tasting, Italian wines

The Time and Date: Monday, May 3, 2010  2:00 Pm to 4:00 Pm

The Event: Grand Marchi tastng event.

The Venue: King Edward Hotel

The Target Audience: wine trade.

The Availability/Catalogue: all wines were available through Vintages, either now or by future order (placed at the event).

The Quote/Background: "great Italian wines from great Italian families"

The Wines: There were 66 wines, but I could not taste them all.

 

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

-Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Brunello di Montalcino 2004, +178210, $125

-Biondi Santi Villa Poggio Salvi Rosso di Montalcino 2008, +737312, $25

-Ca' del Bosco Franciacorta Cuvee Annamaria Clementi 2002, +567990, $109

-Ca' del Bosco Carmenero 2001, +178244, $59

-Folonari Tenute di Nozzole Chianti Classico Riserva 2006, +177279, $30

-Jermann W…Dreams…2007, +51524, $59

-Masi Serego Alighieri Vaio Amaron Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2004, +462812, $69.95

-Pio Cesare Barolo 2005, +736587, $75

-Pio Cesare il Bricco Barbaresco 2005, +730275, $99

-Pio Cesare Ornato Barolo 2005, +974956, $99

 

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

-Marchesi Antinori Achelo Cortona Syrah 2007, +177410, $19

-Marchesi Antinori Santa Cristina Chianti Superiore 2008, +178186, $15

-Marchesi Antinori Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2006, +177402, $25

-Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2004, +177329, $89

-Biondi Santi Villa Poggio Salvi Brunello di Montalcino 2005 +921916, $59

-Ca' del Bosco Franciacorta Cuvee Prestige Brut, +105353, $45

-Ca' del Bosco Maurizio Zanella 2003, +567982, $79

-Michele Chiarlo Countacc! Montemareto Monferrato Rosso 2006, +178269, $25.

-Folonari Cabreo Black 2007 Tuscany, +180109, $55

-Folonari Campo al Mare 2007, +567925, $32.

-Jermann Chardonnay 2008, +964734, $29

-Jermann Sauvignon Blanc 2008, +583252, $28

-Alois Lageder Krafuss Pinot Noir 2006, +177253, $45

-Lungarotti Rubesco Vigna Monticchio Riserva 2004, +177501, $2

-Lungarotti San Giorgio 2003, +941468, $42

-Masi Campolongo di Turbe Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2004, +548677, $99.95

-Masi Osar 2003, +580233, $65

-Mastroberardino Taurasi Radici 2005, +112193, $44

-Tasca d'Almerita Regaleali Rosso del Conte 2005 Sicily, +946731, $59

-Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto 2008, +567941, $55

-Tenuta San Guido Le Difese 2008, +177337, $25

-Umani Ronchi Plenio Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva 2006, +583427, $22

-Umani Ronchi Jorio Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2007, +177287, $15

 

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

-Marchesi Antinori Guado al Tasso Vermentino 2008, +177428, $25

-Carpene Malvolti Viognier Brut NV, +177469, $17

-Michele Chiarlo le Marne Gavi 2009, +178251, $15

-Donnafugata Sedara Nero d'Avola 2008, +900274, $15

-Donnafugata Tancredi Contessa Entellina 2006, +990424, $29

-Folonari Cabreo il Borgo 2007, +122770, $55

-Alois Lageder Cabernet Sauvignon Riserva 2006, +30320, $25

-Lungarotti Giubilante 2006, +980672, $19

-Masi Toar 2005, +342444, $22

-Mastroberardino Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Blanco 2008, +178160, $17

-Mastroberardino Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Rosso 2008, +948091, $19

 

The Food: gourmet breads and crackers, Italian cheeses (Parmigiano, Gorgonzola, etc.), dried fruits.

The Downside: I could not taste all the wines, there were too many.

The Upside: lots of room and a chance to chat with the principals, who included Piero Antinori, Alberto Chiarlo, Giovanni Folonari, Silvio Jermann, Alois Lageder, and Chiara Lungarotti.

The Contact Person: rose.holness@lcbo.com

The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 89.

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com AND http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com

 

 

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"...

 

 

 

6. RACHAEL RAY'S BOOK OF 10; more than 300 recipes to cook every day (Clarkson Potter, 2009, 384 pages, ISBN 978-0-307-38320-4, $20 US paper covers) is another sign of celebrity sighting in the book cases. It is not enough that celebrity cooks are producing books at an alarming rate. They must also be titled with the name of the author in large letters and possessed by something, e.g. RACHEL RAY's. Much of the material in this book originally appeared in several other of Ray's 2005 books; hence, its appearance in this column. This time the material has been arranged by THIRTY categories for FELSO (fast, easy, local, seasonal, possibly organic) cooking. These are her top ten recipes for family favourites, comfort foods, $10 meals, most requested, burgers, vegetarian, pasta, seafood, one-pots. There's some kid food here, but mainly in the chicken category. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. More advice is at www.rachaelray.com.

Quality/Price rating: 85.

 

 

7. TOMATO; a fresh-from-the-vine cookbook (Storey Publishing, 2004, 2010; distr. Th. Allen, 278 pages, ISBN 978-1-60342-478-3, $16.95 US paper covers) is by Lawrence Davis-Hollander, who founded and directed the Eastern Native Seed Conservancy (preservation and rediscovery of heirloom plants). It was originally published in 2004 as "The Tomato Festival Cookbook". Most of the preps come from 28 named chefs (including Massimo Capra of Toronto). Log rollers include Alice Waters and Deborah Madison. It has been lightly revised -- the sidebars on tomato lore, chef profiles, descriptions of heirloom varieties, and gardening tips remain. The bibliography stops at 2002. Presumably the directory of sources and tomato festivals is current, with phone numbers and websites. Recipes are grouped by theme or plate, and include desserts (tomato pies, jams, tarts – even a sorbet). Try Catalan tomato toasts, herbed goat cheese broiled in tomato sauce, tomato-rice casserole with poblanos, of the lovely and delicate Imam Bayildi. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Quality/Price rating: 88.

 

 

THE VEGETABLE GARDENER'S BIBLE, 2^nd edition (Storey Publishing, 2009; distr. T. Allen, 351 pages, ISBN 978-1-60342-475-2, $24.95 US soft covers) is by Edward C. Smith, a Vermont gardener with a 1500 square foot garden. It was first published in 2000, and this edition is being touted as the "Fully Updated 10^th Anniversary Edition", claiming sales of over a quarter-million in the previous decade. His WORD system remains intact: Wide rows; Organic methods; Raised beds; and Deep soil. The dictionary arrangement of vegetable specific information remains. New is coverage of 15 additional vegetables, with an expanded section on salad greens and European and Asian veggies. There is more – and newer – growing information in general, new photos of cultivars, and a section on extending the season into the winter months (bringing stuff indoors). And he proposes more solutions for small-space gardening. And of course, he takes into consideration the variety of North American gardening regions.  Overall, the book does a great job in answering the question "should I grow my own vegetables?"  Quality/Price rating: 88.

 

 

PASTA ET CETERA A LA DI STASIO (Transcontinental Books, 2007, 2009, 191 pages, ISBN 978-0-9809924-8-9, $29.95 CAD paper covers) is by Josee di Stasio, who had a cooking show on French-Canadian TV. This book was originally published in French in 2007 as a tie-in with that show. It's a basic Italian cookbook, divided into chapters dealing with antipasti and minestre, pasta (the main part), and dolci. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. The layout and photography is very good, but there is a lot of white space. So a gorgeous-looking book it is. She begins with cheese tuiles, salami chips, and little leek balls (none of which you see in too many Italian cookbooks), and ends with lemon sorbet and limoncello, lime budino, and an olive oil and lemon loaf (which you don't see too often). Pastas are pretty basic, although there are some like cauliflower penne, cacao e pepe, and lemon pasta that are not ordinary. Maybe it is time for someone to put out a definitive pasta book which defines the field, with about 2000 variations. She also covers the basic Italian pantry. Page numbers for recipes in the index have bold face, which is always a good idea. Quality/Price rating: 86.

 

 

LIGHTHEARTED AT HOME; the very best of Anne Lindsay (John Wiley & Sons Canada, 2010, 486p, ISBN 978-0-470-16077-0, $38.95 CAD hard covers) is by long-time food writer Anne Lindsay, a member of the Order of Canada. It collates many of her best recipes from previous Heart and Stroke Foundation books as well as 40 preps from her Key Porter books and 28 from her Ballantine book. Here are 500 recipes in total, designed to ease your heart with their low-fat approach. All courses are covered, and the book (which weighs over 4 pounds because of the coated paper) can serve as a general cookbook since it has many recipes for each part of the meal. Indeed, there is an assortment of 29 menus at the back, each prep listed with a page number, and good for a variety of occasions such as brunch, vegetarian, the four seasons, family dinners, breakfasts, luncheons, and buffets. There is also a glossary of nutritional terms and a reproduction of the Canadian Food Guide (2007).

Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. The book has large fonts in almost-bold typefaces, a boon to the cook who always casts an eye on the recipe in the kitchen. Good leading in the index makes it easier to read and quickly locate a recipe. The binding is durable and useful for repeated use; I say this because many of her earlier books were in paperback and fell apart after awhile. Each prep has nutritional analysis and had been reviewed by the Heart and Stroke people, who also get a portion of the proceeds from the book sales. Distributed throughout are tips and advice on healthy eating, cooking techniques of use for the lighthearted cook, make ahead instructions, and even ingredient substitutions. Some recipes are attributed to others such as Elizabeth Baird. It's an extremely useful but pretty basic book. For exciting dishes, do try the shepherd's pie (made with pork, beef and lamb), Moroccan vegetable couscous, hoisin-glazed halibut, and Provencal saffron chicken. Quality/Price rating: 88.

 

 

WINE ALL-IN-ONE FOR DUMMIES (Wiley Publishing, 2009, 670 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-476326-0, $29.99 US paper covers) is mainly by Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan, with additional contributions from Maryann Egan, Tony Aspler, and Barbara Leslie. McCarthy and Ewing-Mulligan are the team which has produced several Dummies books, such as "Wine for Dummies" (now in its 4^th edition) and Dummies books on French, Italian, and California wines. Egan has done a Dummies book on Australian and New Zealand wines, while Aspler and Leslie co-wrote a Dummies book on Canadian wines. Other parts of this book come from Dummies books on Paris and Germany, and there is also some California material from Frommer's. The "All-in-One" book series for collates and revises existing Dummies books. This makes the book a bargain revision of several reprinted items. There are lots of sketch maps and bulleted information with thumbnail sketches of just about everything. You can also get cheat sheets and charts from www.dummies.com. This is a fat basic book that is just perfect for anybody wanting to know about wine. It's an entry-level book without a lot of pictures and tasting notes, but there are plenty of wines listed and pronunciation guides right next to the foreign word. Quality/Price rating: 90.

 

 

PROFESSIONAL COOKING, seventh edition (John Wiley and Sons,

2011 [sic], 1088 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-19753-0, $70US hard covers) is by Wayne Gisslen. It was last revised in 2007 as a textbook

meant for cooking courses at community colleges and chef schools. It has evolved into both a textbook and a book for the serious home cook. There's still some stuff on the food service industry, but not so much anymore. It has also come down a lot in price. Overall, there are about 650 recipes with another 600 variations, plus over 1,000 instructive illustrations. About 100 new recipes have been added since the last edition, mainly on veggies and grains with an international slant.

All courses and all meals are covered, plus some selective international cuisine such as oriental, Mexican, and Italian.

Mostly pretty basic stuff, but with lots of new colour photos to illustrate the step-by-step techniques and plated dishes. There is good material on how to create, to structure and to use recipes, beginning with menu construction and menu building. Other chapters concern the handling of convenience foods and meat cuts. The book concludes with an up-to-date and useful bibliography plus a glossary of food terms. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, and there also are tables of equivalents.

The book is heavy and fat, and there is nothing on

wine at all, except for a few sauce preps. Recipe contents are at the front, and there is a recipe index at the back. Quality/Price rating: 88.

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com AND http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com

 

 

May 3, 2010: APVSA Tasting, French wines.

 The Time and Date: Monday, May 3, 2010   10 AM to 6 PM

The Event: APVSA tasting (Association pour la promotion des vins et

spiritueux en Amerique du Nord).

The Venue: Delta Chelsea Inn

The Target Audience: wine agents.

The Availability/Catalogue: no wines are currently available in

Ontario. The group is here to try to get some agents to agree to rep

the principal. Some of the wines are available in Quebec and Alberta.

Most of the wines were French, and there are often sales staff

available to comment on the prices and production. This road show also

visits New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Las Vegas, Calgary and Montreal

The Wines: The problem I had with the wines, and one that must be

acknowledged, is that they were no better than the wines that we

already have here in Ontario. There really did not seem to be any price

advantages, either. These 60 or so wines could be made available

through Vintages or Consignment. In the past, many have been picked up

for sale in Ontario. Here were my faves, regardless of price (all

prices are ex-cellar Euros):

 

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

-Chateau Grand Ferrand 2008 Bordeaux 2008, 2.60 E

-Chateau de Peyguerol Costieres de Nimes 2007, $2.36 E

-Domaine du Petit Romain Grande Reserve Costieres de Nimes 2007 Vieilles Vignes, 2.90 E

-Dom. Gardien Blanc Perle de Chassignolles MC NV Loire Brut, 4.85 E [PN + oak]

 

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

-Chateau Cap d'Or 2007 St Georges St Emilion, 5.45 E

-Chateau Croix de Thomas 2008 St Georges St Emilion, 5.45 E

-Chateau Touran 2007 St Emilion, ? E

-Chateau Bois Benoist Muscadet Sevre et Maine sur Lie 2007, 3.30 E

-Dom. La Chardoisie Villebois Brut MC NV Loire, 4.65 E

-Dom. La Chardoisie Villebois Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Loire, 3.40 E

-Dom. La Chardoisie Villebois Chinon Cabernet Franc 2008, 3.90 E

-Dom. Gardien St. Pourcain Rouge 2009, 3.10 E

-Dom. Gardien DQS St. Pourcain Rouge Reserve des Grands Jours 2006, 4.24 E

-Dom. Gardien Rosee de Chassignolles MC NV Loire Brut, 4.85 E

 

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

-Chateau Jacques Blanc 2007 St Emilion Grand Cru, ? E

-Domaine du Petit Romain Costierees de Nimes Rose 2009, 2.35E

-Vig. Du Soleil Crozes Hermitage 2005 Rouge, 5.75 E

-Chateau Bois Gautier Muscadet Sevre et Maine sur Lie 2009, 2.95 E

-Dom. La Chardoisie Petit Villebois Sauvignon Blanc Loire, 2.90 E

 

The Food: none.

The Downside: selection is eclectic and bottles arrive haphazardly.

Some bottles never arrived at all, but we were not told this until we

got there.

The Upside: a chance to taste some engaging wines not available here.

There is a listing of wines with FOB prices in Euros.

The Contact Person: Pascal p.fernand@apvsa.ca

The Effectiveness (numerical grade): 84.

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com AND http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com