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Wednesday, April 26, 2017

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP 20/20 WINES: 20 under $20 and 20 over $20 for April 29, 2017 – The Blue Moon Release!!

 
WORLD WINE WATCH TOP 20/20 WINES: 20 under $20 and 20 over $20 for April 29, 2017 – The Blue Moon Release!!
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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 --
 
W+18705 STRANDVELD FIRST SIGHTING SAUVIGNON BLANC    WO Cape Agulhas 2015    $12.95 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 92
R+291989 ABAD DOM BUENO MENCÍA DO Bierzo    2008    $15.95 13.5 % ABV, MVC/QPR: 93
W+441998    COLUMBIA CREST H3 CHARDONNAY    Horse Heaven Hills, Columbia Valley        2014    $20.95 MVC/QPR: 92
 
20 under $20
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R+86363 WILDASS RED    VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake    Stratus Vineyards    2013    $19.95 13.3% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+271791    PINYOLET GARNACHA    DO Montsant    CVA    2013    $17.95 14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+286278    FLAT ROCK CHARDONNAY    VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment   2015    $18.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+305912    DIOS ARES CRIANZA    DOCa Rioja    2012    $17.95     13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+336271    EIDOSELA ALBARIÑO    DO Rias Baixas 2015    $15.95     13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+336719    LUIS CAÑAS CRIANZA    DOCa Rioja    2014    $17.00     14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+336966    TOURNON MATHILDA CHAPOUTIER SHIRAZ Victoria M. Chapoutier    2013    $17.95     14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
W+341586    FEATHERSTONE FOUR FEATHERS VQA Niagara Peninsula     2016    $14.95     12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR:  90
R+342725    DOMAINE DES HOUDIÈRES FLEURIE    AC 2015 $16.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+354134 CHÂTEAU BELLEVUE LA FORÊT AP Fronton 2013 $14.95  13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+455907    ERNIE ELS SAUVIGNON BLANC WO Western Cape 2016 $16.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
W+477406 LIVIA FETEASCA REGALA CMD Cotesti 2014 $13.95 13.2% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
W+477927    LA PETTEGOLA VERMENTINO    IGT Toscana    Banfi    2015    $16.95     13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 87
W+478024 BIBI GRAETZ CASAMATTA BIANCO IGT Toscana $14.95  12% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+478271    SISTER'S RUN OLD TESTAMENT CABERNET SAUVIGNON     Coonawarra, South Australia 2014 $17.00  14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+488007    PERIQUITA RESERVA Vinho Regional Península de Setúbal Jose Maria Da Fonseca 2014    $15.95     14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91
R+657411    VIÑA REAL CRIANZA    DOCa Rioja    2012    $18.95     13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
 
20 over $20
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R+159970    CLOUDLINE PINOT NOIR    Willamette Valley Drouhin 2014 $29.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+181289    DOMAINE LE VERGER CHABLIS Alain Geoffroy 2015     $22.95  12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+210872 TORRES CELESTE CRIANZA Ribera del Duero 2012 $20.95 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91
R+282475    DOMAINE DE VIAUD Lalande-de-Pomerol    Marius Bielle    2009    $31.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91
R+327379    MOLLYDOOKER BLUE EYED BOY SHIRAZ    McLaren Vale, South Australia    Sarah & Sparky Marquis    2014    $54.95 16.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+412627    FATTORIA DI BASCIANO I PINI    IGT Rosso dei Colli della Toscana Centrale    2013    $33.95     13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+417386    SIMI SONOMA COUNTY MERLOT 2013    $23.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+421081    CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE INDIAN WELLS RED BLEND Columbia Valley 2013    $25.95    14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+421198    UNDERWOOD PINOT NOIR Oregon Union Wine Co. 2015 $22.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+475913    RENATO RATTI OCHETTI LANGHE NEBBIOLO 2015    $23.95 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+485540    NATIVA COMMUNITY BLEND RED [organic]    Maule Valley    Viña Carmen    2012    $16.95 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+491738    DOMAINE DE LA DENANTE LES MAILLETTES SAINT-VÉRAN 2014 $26.95     13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+492785    DOMAINE CRISTIA CUVÉE TRADITION CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2015    $32.95     14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+493866    ROTEM & MOUNIR SAOUMA INOPIA    AC Côtes du Rhône-Villages        2014    $34.95     14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+673129    MITCHELL SEVENHILL VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON Clare Valley, South Australia 2008    $24.95     13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+719211    CLINE ANCIENT VINES ZINFANDEL    Contra Costa County, Central Coast     2015    $23.95     15% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+909499    ARGYLE PINOT NOIR Willamette Valley    2014    $33.95     13.9% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+930966    ROCCA DELLE MACÌE RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO Famiglia Zingarelli    2013    $23.95     13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
W+940809    REICHSGRAF VON KESSELSTATT KASELER NIES'CHEN RIESLING KABINETT    VDP Grosse Lage Mosel 2014 $24.95  8.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+976670    MARQUÉS DE CÁCERES GRAN RESERVA    DOCa Rioja    2009    $29.95
14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

* FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS for Spring

100 WEIGHT LOSS BOWLS (DK, 2017, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-6159-9, $19.95 USD paperbound) is by Heather Whinney, cookbook author for DK Books, specializing in healthy books such as this one. Here she writes about how to build a calorie-controlled diet plan. Her preps have recipes under 300, 400, and 500 calories. And of course are self-contained in a bowl. You only eat what's in the bowl, chosen from a long list of satisfying ingredients. The book is arranged by course: quick-start brekkies, weekend brunches, meals to go, speedy bowls, and comforting bowls. Each section is sub-arranged by the level of 300, 400 and 600 calories. She's got some good notes on planning and prepping. The recipes are a model: for example, mackerel and potato hash with lemon and harissa yogurt lists the prep time, the cook time, the nutritional data, the ingredients/techniques section, the build (start with..., add in...,finish with...), and of course a photo of the plated bowl. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: dieters, millennials, those looking for a contained bowl.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: buckwheat and honey porridge with kiwi, mango, and goji berries; date and cocoa smoothie with apricots and chia seeds; cabbage, carrot and apple slaw with wasabi dressing and trout.
The downside to this book: the typeface the for index is teeny tiny.
The upside to this book: a useful book for weight control.
Quality/Price Rating: 88.
 
 
4.SUPER CLEAN SUPER FOODS (DK, 2017, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-5629-8, $22 USD hardbound) is by Fiona Hunter and Caroline Bretherton, both food writers and cookbook authors (Hunter is also a nutritionist, while Bretherton was also a caterer/cafe owner). This is just the latest book on superfoods (here, 90 of them) with preps for 250 easy ways to enjoy them. It is all arranged by type of food: grains, nuts and seeds, fish/meat/dairy/eggs, veggies, fruits, herbs & spices. There is a lot of nutritional information along the way, as well as a glossary. Each food gets a few pages: lentils, for example, has a discussion on why eat it, what's in it, where is it from, and how to     eat it (salad, pilaf, dhal, and how to maximize the healthy benefits (use dried). Preparations have their ingredients listed mainly in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents (you have to dig for this in the nutrition know-how section).
Audience and level of use: beginners, millennials, those looking for answers.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: coconut and mango chia pudding; gluten-free Brazil nut brownies; raw energy bars; grilled salmon with kale pesto
The downside to this book: more tips for each food could have been useful.
The upside to this book: the layout is superb and engrossing.
Quality/Price Rating: 88.
 
 
5.ONE PAN & DONE (Clarkson Potter, 2017, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-101-90645-3, $17.99 USD paperbound)is by Molly Gilbert,cookbook author and blogger, and former recipe tester for Saveur. These are meals from the oven to the table, and the range of possibilities goes from frittatas, breads, baked pastas, seared meats, and various desserts. The 130 recipes show how the oven  can do most of the work and using just one pan. So it embraces sheet pans, Dutch ovens, skillets, baking dish, muffin tin, Bundt pan, and loaf pan. There's enough here to keep us all busy, but quick and easy as we do it. It is all arranged by type of food or course, starting with brekkies, brunch, starters, snacks, sides, going on to mains of veggies, poultry, fish, meat, and ending with sweets. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: basic beginners, those pushed for time, millennials.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: easy jerk chicken with peppers and pineapples; cod with olives and cipollinis in tomato sauce; sea bass with fresh succotash; apricot-glazed drumsticks with quinoa; baked spring risotto; pigs in polenta cake; Asian turkey burgers with sugar snap peas.
The downside to this book: basic regular preps which have been around for sometime.
The upside to this book: good solid material to get you thinking about how to deal with food and that one pan, motivation and a new mindset.
Quality/Price Rating: 86.
 
 
6.THE PHO COOKBOOK (Ten Speed Press, 2017, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-958-5, $22 USD hardbound) is by Andrea Nguyen, author of multiple cookbooks and magazine food writer specializing in Vietnam cuisine. Here are some easy preps for Vietnam's pho. She's got a few log rollers, including the acclaimed David Chang of NYC. I avoid pho in Vietnamese restaurants because I find them too salty; I keep checking by sampling my friends' orders. So this book has value to me in that I can control how much salt and spicing I can add. The book is also a short history of pho (=feu in French, as in "pot au feu") and how to make a basic version: with water and broth, with one of at least six different kinds of noodles, a variety of spices/seasonings/herbs, and garnishes such as Hoisin, chiles, bean sprouts. She's got some master recipes, and most else is a variation on these. The simple ones serve two and take 40 minutes from scratch. The fast ones serve 4 and take 1.5 hours with a pressure cooker. The old school ones serve 8 and take 5 hours with a stockpot and some Asian market foods. Usual platforms include beef, chicken or veggies. After you have mastered the "master" preps, it is time to move on to the adventurous pho (see below for dishes). She's also got some add-ons, stir-fried pho, pan-fried, and deep-fried pho as well. Suggested sides are covered too. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: beginner, millennials, the curious.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: beef pho broth and bones; chicken pho noodle salad; vegetarian pho sate fried rice; lamb pho; seafood pho.
The downside to this book: there's only one pork recipe, and that's for a rice paper salad roll as a side dish appetizer, not pho.
The upside to this book: she uses L Baleine sea salt, but tells you how to adjust for table salt, kosher salt, and other sea salts. But always taste first.
Quality/Price Rating: 88.
 
 
7.BACK POCKET PASTA (Clarkson Potter, 2017, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-553-45974-6 $28 USD hardbound) is by food writer Colu Henry, formerly of Bon Appetit. There are some heavy-duty log rollers as well. She believes in a well-stocked pantry and a few seasonal ingredients for weeknight meals. Staples will provide ideas for a quick pasta dish. Everything is relaxed and stress-free. This is cooking on the fly, with many dishes being sauced before the water boils. She gives us plenty of ideas for quick sauces, and there is a review of the different pasta shapes. Then it is off to a family history as she explores all the different pasta in her life, from the tenements through to latter-day travels. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: lovers of Italian food and memoirs, those seeking many quick dishes.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: tonno and tomato with sweet onion; crab fra diavolo; tortellini en brodo; Sicilian escarole and sausage; radiatore with potatoes, kale and bacon; chestnut pasta with red cabbage and pancetta.
The downside to this book: the drink/wine section could have been better.
The upside to this book: a good way to present pasta dishes.
Quality/Price Rating: 85.
 
 
 
 
 
8.COCONUT, GINGER, SHRIMP, RUM (Skyhorse Publishing, 2017, 136 pages, ISBN 978-1-5107-1493-9, $17.99 USD hardbound) is by Brigid Washington, former editor of the CIA's "La Papillote" who was raised in Trinidad and Tobago. It's a celebration of Caribbean flavours for every season: a mix of East Indian, West African, French and Spanish influences. And each of her preps use at least one of the ingredients in the title (although rosemary and lemon brick chicken does not). It is all arranged by season, opening with spring and moving forward through winter (the latter is not really cold on their terms). Each season has some light fare (or apps), mains, some drinks, and some desserts. It is a good topic and lovingly presented with some memoirish material about the islands. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are conversion tables of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: Caribbean food lovers, shrimp lovers.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: from Spring – rhubarb ginger challah, cajun shrimp and Greek yogurt cornbread, Szechuan ginger stir fry, Creole bouillabaisse, a Bloody Mary with bacon, shrimp and jalapeno; and old school bananas Foster.
The downside to this book: I wish there was more.
The upside to this book: large print (even larger in the index)
Quality/Price Rating: 88.
 
 
 
9.COOKING WITH COCKTAILS (The Countryman Press, 2017, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-58157-397-8, $29.95 USD hardbound) is by Vancouverite Kristy Gardner, food writer to Edible Vancouver and blogger at SheEats.ca. Personally, I thought the book's title meant cooking with a cocktail in one's hand. But it is actually a series of recipes involving food plus wine, beer or spirits. The range is from apps and small plates through mains and desserts, with stops along the way for soups/salads/sides. She's got 100 preps plus a primer on kitchen needs. She follows Julia Child's dictum: "The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude". In some of the preps, the alcohol mostly burns off; in other preps, it doesn't (ice cream, guacamole). Some preps use alcohol sparingly. But it is a good selection overall, with an emphasis on a well-stocked larder/pantry (cheeses, nuts, gains, herbs, spices, preserved items, spirits, beer, wine. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: those who want to use alcohol in their cooking, millennials.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: sherry ragu with rabbit and pappardelle noodles; parchment baked grappa halibut; smoked trout and brandy melt; cachaca grilled avocado; peach schnapps blueberry crisp; drunk grilled pear and brie salad; cheese and rum marinated pineapple sticks.
The downside to this book: there is a bit of coarse language here that is not attractive, but chacun a son gout...it's a bit like the Cursing Mommy of the New Yorker.
The upside to this book: she emphasizes that one should read the recipe, use Google if you are unsure, and season everything.
Quality/Price Rating: 87.
 
 
 
10.THE PULSE REVOLUTION (DK, 2017, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-5919-0, $25 USD hardbound) is by Tami Hardeman, food stylist and recipe developer for print and broadcast sources. It's the latest entry in the beans sweepstakes: 150 vegetarian recipes with both vegan and meat variations, covering all manner of pulses (dry beans, lentils, dry peas, and chickpeas). Included too are pulse flours. Techniques of cooking are covered, as well as sprouting and cooking methods for different varieties. It's also arranged two ways: by course and meal. There are chapters on breakfast and brunch, snacks, soups, salads, stews, sides, spreaded pastes, sandwiches. Braises and curries are included, as well as baked dishes and casseroles. Desserts conclude the pattern. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: pulse lovers
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: mung bean gado gado; hoppin' john soup; beluga lentil and olive tapenade; chickpea fries; black-eyed pea hummus; chickpea and peanut cookies; white bean crepes with apricot sauce.
The downside to this book: I would have liked more recipes, although the vegan and meat variations are extremely useful.
The upside to this book: great detailed layout and nutritional data for each recipe.
Quality/Price Rating: 87.
 
 
11.CITRUS (Quadrille, 2017, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-84949-900-2 $29.99 USD hardbound) is by Catherine Phipps, a UK food writer and broadcaster. She's got 170 preps covering a variety such as lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit, yuzu, kumquats, and relatives. It is a basic arrangement by course: soups, small plates, salads, mains, sides, and desserts (the largest chapter). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: citrus lovers
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: sauteed chicken livers with Marsala and orange; black-eyed peas with lime and chipotle; early summer veggies with lime and tarragon; orange-roasted root veggies with herb and lemon pesto; lemon ice cream with almond and fennel praline; orange and pistachio cake; citrus risotto.
The downside to this book: the book is tightly bound, hard to pin back the pages.
The upside to this book: a good basic collection of citric recipes,
Quality/Price Rating: 87.
 
 
 
 
12.BITES ON A BOARD (Gibbs Smith, 2017, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-4574-0, $24.99 USD hardbound) is by Anni Daulter, a food stylist and food author. She also founded a baby food company (Bohemian Baby). Here she starts with a type of serving board, loads it up with food, and arranges the recipes by type. There's a primer followed by the types: [pickled boards, charcuterie boards, lush boards, rustic boards, and culture boards. For example, her Mexican board has griddled lime zucchini, carne asada street tacos, stuffed Mexican chile peppers, horchata and classic salsa – all nicely displayed and laid out with a terrific photo. It's all finger food, and meant for a larger crowd (say, four each), but it can be a whole meal for one person. It's the ultimate grazing but brought before you as you are seated. Another example: surf and turf (sliced filet mignon, brown buttered scallops, blue cheese and chevre arugula salad, fried capers). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are conversion tables.
Audience and level of use: those wishing new forms of presentation for dinners or appetizers.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: try Island Days (grilled pineapple, huli huli salmon skewers, poke avocado salad with edible flowers) or the Wild Unknown (roasted asparagus spears with garlic sauce, kale cumin chips, peppered aged cheddar cheese, pan-fried wild mushrooms with walnuts and rustic toast).
The downside to this book: cheeses are parts of different boards, but there is no distinct solo cheeseboard.
The upside to this book: good photography and food styling.
Quality/Price Rating: 89.
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Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Friday, April 21, 2017

The Event:California Wine Fair 2017 Tour, April 3 in Toronto

The Date and Time: Monday April 3, 2017  1PM to 5:30 PM
The Event:California Wine Fair 2017 Tour
The Venue: Fairmont Royal York
The Target Audience: wine trade
The Availability/Catalogue: A separate media room had been set up in order to have a quiet space for the wine writers. 52 or so wines were available for sampling and writing. More, of course, were at the main show which started at 2:30.
The Quote/Background: I tasted most of the wines in the media room and a few others from the big room. Kudos for the media room setup.
The Wines: Where known, agents are listed for private orders/consignment.
 
**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Heitz Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Napa Valley Martha's Vineyard $345 Lifford
-Heitz Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 Napa Valley Martha's Vineyard $455 Lifford
-Nicols Merlot 1999 Paso Robles  [no agent]
-Nicols Chardonnay 2000 edna Valley  [no agent]
-La Crema Chardonnay 2014 Sonoma Coast $29.95 Vintages
-Benovia Chardonnay Fort Ross Seaview 2014 $89.95 Univins
-Bogle Vineyards Phantom California 2012 $30 Abcon
-DAOU Soul of a Lion Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2013 $158.95 Vintages
-Grgich Hills Estate Chardonnay Napa 2013 $6795 Vintages
-Groth Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 2013 $113.95  The Vine Agency
-Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder 2013 $115.99  Lifford
-Treana Blanc Central Coast 2014 $29.95 Vintages
-Signorello Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2013 $162.95  Profile
-Schug Pinot Noir Carneros 2015 $46.99 Lifford
-Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Artemis Napa 2014 $79.95 Vintages Fall2017
-Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages Red Blend Sonoma 2013 $66.41 Mark Anthony
-Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay Santa Lucia Highlands 2015 $34.95 Vintages
 
***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-O'Neill Austerity Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Paso Robles $27.95  Airen
-O'Neill Austerity Chardonnay 2015 Arroyo Seco $27.95  Airen
-La Crema Pinot Noir 2014 Sonoma Coast $29.95 Vintages
-Artesa Estate Chardonnay Carneros 2014 $22.95 Andrew Peller Imports
-Cline Big Break Zinfandel Contra Costa County 2014 $42.95  Vinexx
-Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2014 $35.95 Vintages
-Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot Napa Valley Three Palms Vineyard 2013 $117.95 Vintages
-Ferrari-Carano Reserve Caberente Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2013 $75 Halpern
-Hall Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2013 $79.95 Vintages Fall 2017
-J. Lohr Vyd Series Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2014 $54.95  Profile
-Reata Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands 2014  $69.95   Carpe Vinum
-Marimar Estate Mas Cavalls Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2013  Family Wine Merchants
-Pedroncelli Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley 2014   Kylix
-J Davies Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2014 $193.95  The Vine Agency
-Patz and Hall Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2014  $79.95  Philippe Dandurand
-St. Supery Estate Sauvignon Blanc Napa 2016 $32.95  Vintages
-Beringer Chardonnay Napa 2014 $22.95 Vintages
-Etude Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2013 $106 Mark Anthony
-Trefethen Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Oak Knoll District Napa 2013 $89.95 Vintages Fall 2017
-Stags' Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2013 $49.95 Vintages
 
The Food: terrine, breads, cheeses (gouda, borgonzola, white cheddar, havarti with dill, triple crème Brie, Niagara gold, Le Cremeaux), and veggie platters
The Downside:  as always, I could not taste every wine.
The Upside: there are still a wide variety of drier California wines.
The Contact Person: paula@praxispr.ca
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 88.
 
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Thursday, April 20, 2017

More Recent Cookbooks Reviewed

FEEDING A FAMILY (Roost Books, 2017, 279 pages, ISBN 978-1-61180-309-9 $29.95 USD hardbound) is by Sara Waldman, food writer and recipe developer (Fine Cooking, Food 52, et al). It's a real-life plan for making dinner work for a family. She covers busy schedules, long work days, and picky eaters. There are 40 complete meals here in a series of menus from Winter through to Fall (after the opening pantry sequences). The main benefit of a family dinner is, of course, the chance to sit down together, hopefully minus the social media bit (texting etc. is not covered in the book). Nevertheless, "nutrition together" is stressed. The menus are uncomplicated and simple enough, but never boring. Certainly pizza night is a hit, as are slurpee noodle bowls.
Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: families
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: baked apple cider donuts; broccoli slaw; autumn meatball subs; cheesy butternut squash; creamy tomato and spinach soup with grilled cheese croutons; diner-style smashed beef burgers.
The downside to this book: too many family pix and not enough food pix.
The upside to this book: the 40 complete meals
Quality/Price Rating: 88
 
 
 
4.BREAD TOAST CRUMBS (Clarkson Potter, 2017, 257 pages, ISBN 978-0-553-45983-8 $30 USD hardbound) is by Alexandra Stafford, a blogger (Alexandra's Kitchen) and contributor to Food52.com. Log rolling is by Dorie Greenspan and David Lebovitz. Her book is a collection of preps for no-knead loaves and meals to savour and use the breads. Her mother's peasant bread recipe is for a non-knead dough that can be combined in five minutes, rises in an hour, and after a second but short rise, bakes in  a buttered pan or bowl. She's got variations for the bread, from sweet and savoury through to rolls and forms. Then she covers leftovers, such as panzanella, bread soups, and no-bake cookies. Everything is used, even the crumbs. Arrangement is as described in the title: master recipe, bread, toast, and then crumbs. There are 39 recipes for breads (plus some variations), toast has 30 (salads, soups, sandwiches), and crumbs has 40 (salads, soups, meatless, pasta, sweets). There is also a valuable gluten-free peasant bread recipe on page 56. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: families, bakers, millennials
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: beet-cured salmon with herbed cream cheese and radishes; frangipane toasts with broiled pears; pull apart buttermilk rolls; bulgur bread; peasant pizza; baked pasta with mushrooms, fontina, and crumbs; grilled olive oil toasts with mussels.
The downside to this book: the book is physically heavy and can be awkward.
The upside to this book: there is a FAQ and trouble-shooting chapter.
Quality/Price Rating: 89.
 
 
 
5.HOME AND AWAY (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2017, 184 pages, ISBN 978-1-55151-673-7, $24.95 CAD paperbound) is by Randy and Darcy Shore. Randy writes about food for the Vancouver Sun. He met Darcy when she worked at restaurants. Here they have traveled around the world in cafes, bistros and diners and have brought us those recipes. They have 140 recipes for casual eating of entrees, appetizers, soups, salads, and so forth. For example, they do a homemade white miso ramen but in under one hour. They've also got some interviews with Mario Batali, Michael Smith, and Vikram Vij, plus others.
Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no overall table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: millennials
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: diner-style Salisbury steak with garlic mash;  duck poutine; caldo de gallina from Peru; confetti corn; spaetzle;
The downside to this book: I wanted more recipes.
The upside to this book: good selection of world cuisine for the home kitchen.
Quality/Price Rating: 86.
 
 
 
6.A YEAR OF PICNICS (Roost Books, 2017, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-61180-215-3, $24.95 USD hardbound) is by Ashley English, principally a cookbook author but also an activist committed to agricultural and food issues in the US. These are your higher end picnics, divided by season, mainly Spring and Summer – but also Fall and Winter are covered with eight themed picnics if you live somewhere warm year round. She's in North Carolina, so it is doable there. There's a table to farm picnic, a sacred tree picnic, and afternoon tea picnic, a movie night picnic, and a rooftop picnic among others. The "winter picnic" can be held by the Polar Bear club, but not by me. Each picnic comes with a set of non-food ideas (site selection, activities, nature appreciation and exploration). The index is arranged by major subject so they are all collated together: activities, apples, beef, beverages, cakes, cardamom, cheese, chocolate, etc. through to sites, veggies and walnuts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: millennials, families, outdoor types.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: zucchini gratin; spring onion and chicken liver pate; Swedish cremes with rhubarb compote; cheesy kale chips; ratatouille; mojito slaw; gazpacho.
The downside to this book: is it politically possible or correct to have pickled eggs at a bird-watching picnic?
The upside to this book: there are listings of special equipment for some of the themes.
Quality/Price Rating: 88
 
 
 
7.FLAVOUR (Chatto & Windus, 2016, 368 pages, ISBN 978-0-7011-8932-7 $42.95 CAD hardbound) is by Ruby Tandoh, one time on the Great British Bake Off at age 20 but now a food writer (Guardian) and cookbook author (Crumb, 2014). Her philosophy here is flavour: "I've paired banana and thyme in a soft teatime cake, while coffee deepens a sticky rib glaze and cinnamon adds fragrant sweetness to a comforting couscous dinner." So here are 170 sweet and savoury preps for every day and budget, organized by ingredient. It all begins with veggies and herbs (eggplant, zuke, pepper, tomato, greens, etc.) moving on to fruit (apples, pears, rhubarb, tropical fruit) and then to cheese and eggs and dairy, meat and fish, and ending with dry goods (legumes, nuts, seeds). Preparations have their ingredients listed mainly in metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: jaded eaters, millennials
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: soft spiced apple cake; deep-fried anchovy-stuffed sage leaves; pearl barley, mushroom and taleggio risotto; red lentil cottage pie with cheesy mash crust; pink lemonade crush with mint.
The downside to this book: physically it is very heavy with narrow gutters.
The upside to this book: the British orientation is quite useful for us in Canada.
Quality/Price Rating: 87
 
 
 
8.THE YOGA KITCHEN (Quadrille Books, 2016, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-84949-899-9 $24.99 USD hardbound) is by Kimberley Parsons, a naturopath and chef who believes in aligning one's physical and mental energy to boost overall happiness. She believes in nutritious and balanced dishes in the home. She's got over 100 preps that are all gluten-free and refined-sugar-free vegetarian dishes. It is arranged by the seven chakra (ground, flow, vitalize, nurture, strengthen, calm and pure). Then each chakra chapter is further divided into three: breakfast and snacks, lunch and supper, then drinks and desserts. It begins with activated nuts and goes to minted passion fruit lollies. It's a good looking system. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: yoga fans, millennials
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: maca and lacuma popcorn; pick-me-up licorice toffee; middle east mezze (falafel, hummus, tzatziki, tabouli); spring greens and mung bean salad; high-jacked sweet potato with avocado, pomegranate and coconut.
The downside to this book: the book is difficult to lie flat
The upside to this book: a perfect book for the yoga practitioner.
Quality/Price Rating: 89.
 
 
9.BOWLS! (Chronicle Books, 2017, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-5619-4 $19.95 USD hardbound) is by Molly Watson, a San Francisco food writer (magazines and cookbooks). Her theme here is the bowl: over 40 preps are described for healthful one-dish meals. It is all arranged by category. First up are the basics: grains, legumes, proteins (eggs, tofu, seafood, meats), veggies, sauces, toppings. The bowl is some of each, so you've got to have six different items to make up a combo. After that, it's mix and match. Lots of variations too. Part two is "easy combinations", which is just a few of the items – there are 31 of these from different countries (bibimbap, grand aioli, nicoise, taco) and courses (breakfast, lunch, dinner, seasonal). Then there are 26 "full bowls", again international (Inca bowl, Spanish shrimp, Minnesota hotdish bowl, rice-free Korean grill, Budapest bowl). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements.
Audience and level of use: families, millennials
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Bowls are flexible. If a bowl sounds good except for one element, then substitute like with like (grain for grain, meat with meat).
The downside to this book: I wanted more preps for bowls in a larger book (of course I'd pay more money, no problem)
The upside to this book: easy as pie
Quality/Price Rating: 89
 
10.MY MODERN INDIAN KITCHEN (Ryland Peters and Small, 2017, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-814-7 $21.95 USD hardbound) is by Nitisha Patel, a professional chef now doing recipe development for Faccenda Foods and Tesco in the UK. These are her family recipes from India, for over 60 preps of home-cooked Indian food. She has some cultural notes in her primer on spices and then moves on to street food, curries, vegetarian dishes, sides, rice, chutney, raita, and desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mostly avoirdupois measurements (except for the desserts which are scaled, for the most part), but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: Indian food lovers.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: amritsari fish pakoras; keralan seafood curry; malabari mussels; tandoori spatchcock poussin; veg manchurian; goan sausage and king prawn pilaf.
The downside to this book: a little thin on the number of recipes
The upside to this book: colourful, good memoir material in each recipe.
Quality/Price Rating: 86
 
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

* DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! "The Secret of Master Brewers"

 
1.THE SECRETS OF MASTER BREWERS (Storey Publishing, 2017, 294 pages, ISBN 978-1-61212-654-8, $24.95 USD paperbound) is by Jeff Alworth who has been writing about beer and brewing for two decades. His most impressive book is The Beer Bible. Here, this latest tome is an essential beer book because we get insights from the professionals. There are behind-the-scenes tours of 26 European and American breweries, with details on processes, equipment, and ingredients for each style of beer. There are, of course, details on Czech brewing traditions for pilferers, Belgian agricultural history for saison. It is arranged by major style: British, German, Czech, Belgian, French-Italian, and American – with a chapter on brewing wild yeast. In the Brit style, there are chapters on cask ales, strong bitters, mild ales, Irish stouts, old ales, and strong Scottish ales. Beer recipes have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: beer lovers, homebrewers, professionals.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Beer can use the Spanish solera system to keep alive an ecosystem that has produced an especially tasty batch of wild ale. It can replicate a great batch of beer and add texture when different flavours are blended together.
The downside to this book: I wanted more!
The upside to this book: there is a bibliography and a glossary.
Quality/Price Rating: 91.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Monday, April 17, 2017

* FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * "The Oxford Companion to Cheese"

 
 
THE OXFORD COMPANION TO CHEESE (Oxford University Press, 2016, 849 pages, ISBN 978-0-19-933088-1 $65 USD hardbound) has been edited by Catherine Donnelly, a food scientist at the University of Vermont and co-director of the Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese. She is well-known for her investigations into microbiological safety of raw-milk cheeses. 1400 named cheese varieties and styles are found throughout the world: they are all here, from basic fresh cheese through Brie to washed rinds to blues. Coverage begins with cheese on the farm, moves to the microscope, and then on to the shop and the home plate. The Companion has about 855 entries for the cheeses, for the countries, for the production from cow-goat-sheep through to yak-reindeer-camel, with some important breeds within each being noted. Of 325 names (from 35 countries) in the Directory, Kathy Guidi was a major contributor from Canada, as are Laura Shine, Janice Beaton, Mary Ann Ferrer and others. For Canada, there is a Canada article plus separately signed articles on Quebec and Ontario. Most articles are signed; the rest are by the editor or editorial board. Material includes a lot of information on microbiology and the chemistry of cheese. There are 150 black-and-white images plus some 16-page full-colour inserts. And a concluding directory of cheese museums from around the world!
Audience and level of use: cheese lovers, cheesemongers and cheesemakers.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: under Cantal, in a column and a half, we find a description based on raw cow's milk. The name itself comes from the departement in south-central France which is loaded with grassland for daily grazing. It's one of the oldest French cheeses, with records going back over 2000 years. It is traditionally served as "aligot" (Cantal Jeune and mashed potatoes).
The downside to this book: there was a lot of technical details, of major value to cheese producers but marginal interest to consumers. Nevertheless, that's the whole point of the Oxford Companions.
The upside to this book: very comprehensive.
Quality/Price Rating: 94.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Some new wines tasted earlier in April 2017...

 
 
1.Henry of Pelham Pinot Grigio VQA Niagara Peninsula, +250217 LCBO,
 
$14.95: a wine made in the pinot gris style (Oregon, Alsace) but labeled
 
pinot GRIGIO should sell well for those looking at a pinot grigio with some
 
kick. Grigio has a reputation of being the vodka of wine, but here it is done
 
up as a fairly complicated off-dry wine with layers being revealed as the
 
wine chills down or warms up. One time it has tropicality then it becomes
 
more citrus with more chilling. That makes it a sipper and a food wine,
 
suitable for pre-prandial in the winter or spring. Of note is its slight tinge of
 
orange colour (aha, another "orange" wine!!) from the grape – it is "gris"
 
after all. Some part of the juice was from warmer regions in Niagara, other
 
parts came from a cooler regions. There is some cranberry tartness and
 
some melon sweetness, with some pear notes. Stainless steel all the way.
 
12.5% ABV, twist top. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of
 
Gothic Epicures.
 
 
2.Henry of Pelham Estate Pinot Noir 2015 VQA Short Hills Bench Niagara,
 
+268391 Vintages TBD, $24.95: Here is a deft Burgundian character pinot
 
noir wine, with cherry-berry tones, some toast, mildly opulent style, not
 
totally cool climate at all. Fermented in stainless and aged in "European"
 
oak (30% new). Expect also some cloves, tobacco and oak which will
 
mute over time. Ready now but will get better, very food friendly. 13.5%
 
ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
 
 
3.Henry of Pelham Riesling Estate 2016 VQA Short Hills Bench, +557165
 
Vintages, $17.95: intense riesling in a Rhine style of cool fermentation, with
 
a very off-dry palate but a dry finish (good acid levels on the finish) – broad
 
grapefruit and lemons on the mid-palate, sip or food. 11.5% ABV, twist top,
 
from HOP's oldest Estate vineyards (30+ year old riesling vines,
 
handpicked). Should also age well. Try with fish that live in water but die in
 
wine. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
 
 
4.Henry of Pelham Riesling 2016 VQA Niagara Peninsula, +268375 LCBO
 
$14.95: absolutely delicious Euro MVC riesling in a Rhine style, with an
 
off-dry palate but a dry finish (good acid levels on the finish). Citrus and
 
flowers on the mid-palate, sip or food. 11.5% ABV. Cool fermentation is
 
stressed. Try with goat cheeses, hams, grilled veggies. Quality/Price rating
 
is 88 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
 
5.Pelee Island Vidal [Canada Limited Edition] 2016 VQA Ontario, +393405,
 
$11.45: for this year, there are new labels emphasizing the 150th
 
anniversary of Canada. As always, it is a bit on the lightish side and off-dry
 
with 15 g/l RS. The vidal has been augmented with geisenheim (16%).
 
Expect a bit of honey/lemon citric flavours and tones, either with food or as
 
a sipper. The winery suggests Tex-Mex food or tempura. 12.5% ABV.
 
Quality/Price rating is 87.5 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
6.Pelee Island Cabernet Franc [Canada Limited Edition] 2016 VQA Ontario,
 
+393405, $11.45: for this year, there are new labels emphasizing the 150th
 
anniversary of Canada. As always, it is a bit on the lightish side although
 
13% ABV indicates a hotter growing season. Expect mute tones of ripe fruit
 
jam, some cassis, and softness throughout. Best as a sipper, although the
 
winery suggests steak or pulled pork. Quality/Price rating is 87 points by
 
Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
 
7.PUKLUS PINCÉSZET TOKAJI SEMI-SWEET YELLOW MUSCAT 2015
 
Hungary, +46508 Vintages, $16.95: This Yellow Muscat is related to Muscat
 
Blanc. Made from older vines, done up in Late Harvest style, with that
 
peachy complexity, medium-bodied, but with lemons and pineapple acidity
 
on the longer finish. Floral aromatics. 12% ABV, a volcanic wine. Serve with
 
later courses (fruity mains, salads, cheeses, off-dry desserts). Great for Easter Sunday food!!
 
Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
 
8.Sacred Hill Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2016 Marlborough, +490326,
 
$21.95 Vintages April 15: a dry summer led to a fruity harvest. The tropical
 
fruit intensity leads to a citric lemony finish for food, typically white fish or
 
seafood. It should be even better next year! 12.5% ABV, twist top.
 
Quality/Price rating is 88 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
 
9.Chateau Vrai Caillou 2014 Bordeaux Superieur, +348292, $16.95 April 15
 
Vintages: Medal winner Paris 2016. Mostly merlot (55%) from the "Entre
 
deux Mers" region which excels in quantities of value Bordeaux. Aged a
 
year in both tanks and barrels, and could age a bit more in your cellar (or
 
do a double-decant and wait an hour). Red fruit dominates, edged by some
 
plumminess. Food ideas basically suggest lamb roast and cheeses.
 
12.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 88 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic
 
Epicures.
 
 

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP 20/20 WINES: 20 under $20 and 20 over $20 for April 15, 2017.

 
WORLD WINE WATCH TOP 20/20 WINES: 20 under $20 and 20 over $20 for  April 15, 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 --
 
R+261784 PAPALE LINEA ORO PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA    DOP    Varvaglione    2013    $18.95
14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 92
W+401398 M. CHAPOUTIER TOURNON MATHILDA Victoria 2014 $17.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91.
 
20 under $20
=========
R+2378 Georges Duboeuf DOMAINE DES QUATRE VENTS FLEURIE 2014    $19.95    13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+349274 CHÂTEAU LA VERRIÈRE  Bordeaux Supérieur 2014 $17.95 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+348292 CHÂTEAU VRAI CAILLOU BordeauxSupérieur 2014 $16.95 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+370346 ROCKWAY VINEYARDS CABERNET/MERLOT VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment 2013 $16.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+380238  LORCA SELECCIÓN MONASTRELL DO Bullas 2008 $15.95 14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+385302 ANIMUS    DOC Douro Vicente Faria 2014 $12.95 13 % ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
W+389262 ZUCCARDI SERIE A TORRONTÉS    IP Salta 2015    $16.95 % ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
W+428383 ALKOOMI WHITE LABEL SÉMILLON/SAUVIGNON BLANC    Frankland River, Western Australia 2016 $16.95 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+469742 JEAN GEILER RIESLING AC Alsace    2014 $16.95 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+479683 CHATEAU D'AIGUEVILLE CÔTE DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES 2015    $14.95 14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+479808 LÉGENDE BORDEAUX BLANC AC Bordeaux Domaine Barons de Rothschild    2015 $17.95     12% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+481085 JASPI NEGRE DO Montsant Coca I Fito 2013    $17.95     13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+485284 ECHEVERRIA GRAN RESERVA PINOT NOIR Leyda Valley 2014    $15.95     13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+485300 JUNTA MOMENTOS RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON Curicó Valley 2015    $16.95
13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+995704 ZENATO VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE 2014 $17.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+80234 FEATHERSTONE BLACK SHEEP RIESLING    VQA Niagara Peninsula 2016 $16.95 10% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
W+484840 LIVIA FETEASCA ALBA DOC-CMD Cotesti  2015    $14.95 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+670505 CHÂTEAU DE TRÉVIAC AP Corbières Arnaud Sié    2014    $16.95     14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+681668 CHÂTEAU CROZE DE PYS PRESTIGE MALBEC CAHORS Domaines Roche, récolt. 2012    $17.95     13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
W+948182 LA GRIFFE BERNARD CHÉREAU MUSCADET SÈVRE & MAINE Sur Lie, AP Chéreau-Carré     2015    $16.95      12% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
 
20 over $20
=========
R+70607 WATERBROOK SYRAH    Columbia Valley 2013 $24.95 13.4% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+200063 DOMAINE DE RIAUX POUILLY-FUMÉ 2015 $25.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+356220 TOMMASI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOCG 2012   $49.95
15% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+363101 CHÂTEAU DES LANDES CUVÉE PRESTIGE AC Lussac-Saint-Émilion    2012    $24.95
13.4% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+395186 NIPOZZANO VECCHIE VITI RISERVA CHIANTI RÚFINA DOCG Marchesi De' Frescobaldi    2012    $29.95     14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 87
R+439836 MURUA RESERVA DOCa Rioja 2008    $23.95    13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
W+441113 MADISON'S RANCH CHARDONNAY Napa Valley    2014 $22.95    14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 87
W+485318 CHANSON PÈRE ET FILS MONTMAINS CHABLIS 1ER CRU AC 2013    $44.95   
12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR:  88
W+485854 CHÂTEAU DE NAGES JT WHITE Costières de Nîmes Michel Gassier 2013  $25.95
14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+487090 TORNATORE NERELLO MASCALESE/NERELLO CAPPUCCIO    DOC Etna Rosso 2014    $21.95     14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+489666 COCKFIGHTER'S GHOST SEMILLON Hunter Valley, New South Wales     2014    $22.95
11.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+489823 DOMAINE SÉBASTIEN MAGNIEN VIEILLES VIGNES HAUTES-CÔTES DE BEAUNE 2014 $23.95 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
W+490326 SACRED HILL RESERVE SAUVIGNON BLANC Marlborough, South Island 2016 $21.95     12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+719435 LA CREMA SONOMA COAST PINOT NOIR    Sonoma Coast  2014    $29.95     13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+743310 MUGA PRADO ENEA GRAN RESERVA DOCa Rioja 2009    $57.95 14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+993279 CLOS DE L'ORATOIRE DES PAPES CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE    2014    $49.95 14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+145888 CLOSSON CHASE CLOSSON CHASE VINEYARD PINOT NOIR    VQA Prince Edward County     2014    $29.95 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+299180 PENINSULA RIDGE RESERVE MERITAGE    VQA Niagara Peninsula 2015 $24.95 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+933317 FONTODI CHIANTI CLASSICO 2013    $36.95  14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+480202 ROCKCLIFFE THIRD REEF CHARDONNAY Great Southern, Western Australia    2015 $24.95     14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
 
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

 

Monday, April 10, 2017

The Event: VIVA ITALIA Italian Market at George Brown College

The Date and Time: Tuesday March 28  6PM to 9PM
The Event: VIVA ITALIA Italian Market
The Venue: George Brown College Atrium
The Target Audience: consumers and wine media
The Availability/Catalogue: all wines are from agents and LCBO; food from restaurants.
The Quote/Background:
The Wines: I did not taste all the wines
 
**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-De Gregorio Lotto 1 Catarratto – Viognier 2015 IGT Terre Sicilian $15.40 (Colio)
-Il Palagio When We Dance Chianti DOCG 2014 $21.95 (Le Sommelier)
-Fanti Sassomagno Sant'Antimo Rosso DOC 2013 Tuscany $19.95 (Le Sommelier)
-Tenuta di Martucino Brunello 2011 $53.95  (Profile)
 
 
***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Ruffino Modus Sangiovese/Cabernet/Merlot 2014 Tuscany
-Tenuta di Martucino Barolo 2011 $38.95  (Profile)
-Cantina Rizzi Barbaresco 2012 $38.95 Vintages +478958
 
The Food: I did not try all the foods, unlike the Green Show preview. Stalls and stands came from a variety of place, such as -
 
-Ardo [ardorestaurant.com] had a really terrific cannoli
-Carmen
-Fabricca [www.mcewangroup.ca]
-Forno Culture for breads
-Local Kitchen & Wine Bar
-Pusateri's Fine Foods for pasta
-Speducci Mercatto
-Terroni
-Tutti Matti for a fab porchetta
-A. Bertozzi Importing [www.bertozziepicure.com] La Garofalo mozzarella di bufala
-Mountain View Coffee for Columbia coffee
-Gelato Fresco for ices (I had coffee and one blood orange)
 
The Downside: I had to be at another function earlier in the evening.
The Upside: a chance to try some new wines and new foods.
The Contact Person: p.titone@ice.it
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 88

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Friday, April 7, 2017

The Event: Tasting Loire Valley wines of Ackerman and Remy Pannier with winemaker Pierre Charon and Export Manager Isabelle Moreau.

The Date and Time: Monday March 27, 2017  11:30AM to 2PM
The Event: Tasting Loire Valley wines of Ackerman and Remy Pannier with winemaker Pierre Charon and Export Manager Isabelle Moreau.
The Venue: Novotel Toronto Esplanade
The Target Audience: wine writers and sommeliers
The Availability/Catalogue: only 4 wines are currently listed in Ontario, all Remy Pannier. The rest will be applied for; they are TBD.
The Quote/Background: Pierre Charon took us through the winemaking processes. A few notable facts: the difference between MT Saumur Brut and MT Cremant de Loire (Ackerman makes both) is that Saumur is machine-harvested while Cremant is hand-harvested. Cabernet Franc such as  Ackerman's Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil is done by short maceration, stainless steel fermentation, and early bottling – light and fruity and clean. Ackerman/Remy Pannier is the number one producer of sparkling wines in the Loire.
The Wines:
 
**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Remy Pannier Sauvignon Blanc Touraine 2016 LCBO +68676 $15.90
-Ackerman Secret des Vignes Saumur Blanc 2015 est$19.95 TBD [Gold Medal] slightly oaked
-Ackerman Cremant de Loire Cuvee 1811 Blanc Brut est$19.95 TBD [70% chenin] Gold medal
-Ackerman Cremant de Loire Royal Blanc Brut est$24.95 [60% chardonnay]
 
***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Remy Pannier Sauvignon IGP Val de Loire 2016 LCBO +471318 $12.95 [Gold Medal for 2015]
-Remy Pannier Blanc de Noir 2016 est$16.95 TBD [cabernet franc]
-Ackerman Saint-Nicolas de Bourgeuil 2015 est$18.95 TBD
-Ackerman Secret des Vignes Chinon 2014 est$19.95 TBD
-Ackerman Cremant de Loire Ambrosa est$22.95 [60% chenin] Gold medal
 
*** GOOD -- Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Remy Pannier Muscadet 2016 LCBO +13821 $14.95
-Remy Pannier Rose D'Anjou 2016 LCBO +12641 $14.95
 
The Food: there was a buffet emphasizing Loire-style food, such as rillettes de Tours, pan-seared cod loin, leeks mash, veal stew with mushroom cream sauce.
The Downside: with about 40 people it was a very noisy room.
The Upside: a chance to speak with winemaker Pierre Charon.
The Contact Person: amcginty@eurovintage.com; sales@eurovintage.com
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 90.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Thursday, April 6, 2017

The Event: Lunch with Georg Riedel, 10th generation head of Riedel Crystal.

The Date and Time: Monday, March 13, 2017  1PM to 3PM
The Event: Lunch with Georg Riedel, 10th generation head of Riedel Crystal.
The Venue: Chef's House, George Brown College
The Target Audience: wine writers and editors
The Availability/Catalogue: it was principally a tasting of wines with the red varietal series of Riedel crystal glassware. The wines we tasted may not be generally available through the LCBO, but they were relevant to the exercise.
The Quote/Background: we were "tasting" glasses, and not wines, to find which glass went best with which wine. I remember doing this every now and then, starting about 25 years ago when Riedel began a big push in North America. Their latest glass was in 2015, I think, and it was for Provence Rose. We had no rose today, but we did have –
 
The Wines: Pol Roger in a Champagne glass (reception wine), Norman Hardie Pinot Noir Niagara VQA 2013, Black Hills Estate Syrah Okanagan VQA 2014, and Stags Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2013. We had a CS glass, a PN glass, and a Syrah glass. Each wine was poured into all three glasses so that we could taste and try. The PN glass had a smokestack shape (high brandy glass style) which emphasized fresh fruity tones; the Syrah had a slightly closed-in top somewhat like an ISO glass that emphasized salt and minerals; and the CS rim was more straight open for intense flavours and acidic for food. So the Napa cab was more aromatic to fit in with dessert, the BC syrah was juicy but with some minerality, and the Ontario pinot noir was upfront fruity. It was a great exercise in discovering the impact of wine and food pairings. Riedel believes in more different styles of glasses for the red wines and some differing ones for their white wines. One of their breaks with tradition is abandoning the flute glass for Champagne; I am all for their current "Champagne" glass. Most of my own tastings are with the basic ISO glass – there is some consistency in using the same glass.
The Food: the food was meant to accompany the wines, so we were expected to taste the salmon against the PN in all three glasses to see how they affected taste. The braised beef short ribs went up against the syrah; the mocha chocolate tartelette went up against the CS. The menu was well-chosen to emphasize the flavours of the wine and the appropriate glasses. Overall, it seemed as if we had tasted 18 different wines (9 with food, 9 without food).
The Downside: I needed more intense concentration to be worthy of the consideration of taste.
The Upside: a chance to talk with Georg Riedel.
The Contact Person: mbuckley@nikecomm.com
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 94.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com