WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for MAY 30, 2020

 

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES:  under/over $20 for MAY 30, 2020

 

By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. My "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.

 

These notes for good wines available through  LCBO Vintages (on a bi-weekly basis)  can always be found at http://www.gothicepicures.blogspot.ca  or at  http://www.deantudor.com No winery can buy their way into – or out of – this publication.

 

Scores are a combination of MVC (Modal Varietal Character, e.g. a Southern Rhone would taste like a Southern Rhone) and QPR (Quality/Price Ratio value in the marketplace above or below its price).

 

Currently, the wine media have no access to the 50 or so tasting samples usually provided to us in the LCBO lab on a fortnightly basis. This will go on until at least the June 13 release. HOWEVER,  the wine media will still have access to the advance spreadsheet of the wines to be released. So I know what is to be released and when. SOME (but not many) of these wines I have recently tasted since January 2020 or so, and I can comfortably recommend them based on this prior sampling. At the end are some fuller reviews of new products....

 

[I'm in the midst of conducting the annual rose tasting held by the Wine Writers' Circle of Canada. Here are some nifty ROSES from this May 30 release for your enjoyment] ---

 

Still Rose --

+552497    PELEE ISLAND LOLA CABERNET FRANC ROSÉ    VQA South Islands, Lake Erie North Shore    2018    $15.95     W+461640    MVC/QPR: 89

+552562    HENRY OF PELHAM THREE OF HEARTS ROSÉ  VQA Niagara Peninsula    2019 $19.95     Now a Vintages Essential.  MVC/QPR: 90

+177840    PENINSULA RIDGE BEAL VINEYARD CABERNET ROSÉ    VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment    2019    $14.95     MVC/QPR: 89

+562595    THE PALM BY WHISPERING ANGEL [rose]    AC Côteaux d'Aix-en-Provence    2019    $22.95    MVC/QPR: 89

and for those big, big lawn parties, in the 1500 mL magnum bottle:  +490912    GÉRARD BERTRAND CÔTE DES ROSES ROSÉ AP Languedoc    2018    $37.95    1500mL  MVC/QPR: 90

 

Sparkling Rose --

+15686    GRUET BRUT SPARKLING ROSÉ Traditional method,  New Mexico $26.95 MVC/QPR: 90+

 

Under $20

=========

W+413757    LA CAVE DU COUDRAY RÉSERVE DU CHIRON MUSCADET SÈVRE ET MAINE    Sur lie, AC    2018    $15.95    MVC/QPR: 89

R+394288    GÉRARD BERTRAND GRENACHE/SYRAH/MOURVÈDRE    AP Corbières    2016    $17.95    MVC/QPR: 90

R+538041    THE FOREIGN AFFAIR THE EMBRACE    [gamay] VQA Niagara Peninsula    2017    $16.95 MVC/QPR: 90

R+131540  FEATHERSTONE RED TAIL MERLOT    VQA Niagara Peninsula        2017    750    $19.95 MVC/QPR: 90   

R+166512    VALDEMAR INSPIRACIÓN SELECCIÓN DOCa Rioja    2015    $19.95    MVC/QPR: 89

R+ 545772    BUENA VISTA THE LEGENDARY BADGE PETITE SIRAH    California    2018    $17.95    MVC/QPR: 90

R+516765    JEAN-PIERRE MOUEIX BORDEAUX    AC    2016    $18.95    MVC/QPR: 89

R+630103    CHÂTEAU LES PETITS ARNAUDS TRADITION    AC Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux    2016    $16.95     MVC/QPR: 89

R+574087    I BALZI GOVERNO ALL'USO    IGT Rosso Toscana    2017 $16.95    MVC/QPR:89

R+999946    REMO FARINA RIPASSO VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO SUPERIORE    DOC    2018    $18.95     MVC/QPR: 89

 

Over $20

=========

Sparkling+400432    MOUTARD PÈRE & FILS GRANDE CUVÉE BRUT CHAMPAGNE    AC, France        $52.95 MVC/QPR: 89

Sparkling+234161    JACKSON-TRIGGS ENTOURAGE GRAND RESERVE BRUT SPARKLING    Traditional method, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario    2016    $29.95     MVC/QPR: 90

W+461640    WILLIAM FÈVRE CHAMPS ROYAUX CHABLIS 2018     $29.95  MVC/QPR: 89

R+393686    NUGAN ESTATE ALCIRA VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON    Coonawarra, South Australia    2016    $29.95    MVC/QPR: 90

R+489922    TAHBILK GRENACHE/SHIRAZ/MOURVÈDRE    Nagambie Lakes, Central Victoria    2017    $22.95    MVC/QPR: 89

R+ 11986    QUEENSTON MILE RED    VQA Niagara Peninsula    2016    $25  MVC/QPR: 89

R+73817    RUTHERFORD RANCH CABERNET SAUVIGNON    Napa Valley    2016    $39.95

MVC/QPR: 90

R+533711    PENDULUM CABERNET SAUVIGNON    Columbia Valley    2017    $24.95 MVC/QPR: 89

R+129353    THE CHOCOLATE BLOCK    WO Swartland    2018    $39.95     MVC/QPR: 90 R+251645    LA FERME DU MONT PREMIÈRE CÔTE CÔTES DU RHÔNE    AP    2018    $20.95    MVC/QPR: 89

R+704908    E. GUIGAL CROZES-HERMITAGE    AC    2017    $35.95     MVC/QPR: 89

R+14002    BISCARDO AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA    DOCG    2015    $43.95 MVC/QPR: 90

 

 

SOME NEW WINES RECEIVED THIS MONTH FOR SAMPLING AND TASTING: --

 

9.Westcott Vineyards Estate Chardonnay 2018 VQA Niagara Escarpment $29.99 winery, licensee:  much like Lillias but with oak overtones. This Estate wine has had full MLF, 100% wild yeast, barrel fermentation, and French oak aging for 9 months (20% new, 40% one fill). Two different clones were used (95, 96), and the results show a typical Westcott feature of orchard fruit with some tropicality concentrated notes contributed by the oak aging' leading to a slight citric finish. Still too young, lay it down – or taste it (as I did) over a stretch of time. A good first course wine since the oak appears in the background as grace notes. 12.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

10.Westcott Vineyards Reserve Chardonnay 2018 VQA Vinemount Ridge $44.99 winery:

11.Westcott Vineyards Block 76 Chardonnay 2018 VQA Vinemount Ridge $44.99 Wine Club:

this is a great exercise in comparative horizontal values. The Block 76 is new this year, made for the first time as an exclusive for the Westcott Wine Club. Differences are notable but subtle. Both labels are elegant Burgundian-styled wines, with virtually the same winemaking of full malolactic fermentation and wild yeast, but Block 76 has limited lees stirring. Both are barrel fermented and aged for 10 months in French oak, but Block 76 has more new oak than the Reserve. Block 76 is 12.8% ABV; Reserve is 12.5% ABV. Block 76 has slightly higher total acidity. Chardonnay clones 95 and 96 were used in the Reserve; Chardonnay clone 76 was used in, well, Block 76. But both had strong whiffs of pineapple and butter on the nose. The proof is in the pudding: a tasting over several days showed a more "complex basket" of medium-toned flavours for the Block 76, which was ultimately (and given that it is the same price) my choice of the two. The wines got better as they were exposed to more air over a week; new bottles should really be laid down for a few more years. Soft elegance and incipient balance are keystones here in the long, lingering finish. Also, do not overchill: it just mutes the flavours of layers of fruit and wood. Quality/Price rating for the Westcott Reserve is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures. Quality/Price rating for the Westcott Block 76 is 93+ points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

12.Henry of Pelham Chardonnay Speck Family Reserve 2018 VQA Short Hills Bench +616466, $29.95 Vintages June 27: Grapes come from their oldest estate vineyards (beginning 1988), hand-picked. Barrel fermented in French oak with a portion in 3000L foudres, and then barrel aged for 8 – 10 months in a mix of new and older barrels. This continues the tradition of Burgundian elegance. Expect some ripeness, balance of oaking and fruit, integrated style in place.  Wood integration produces some creaminess in the finish. 13% ABV, cork closure. Definitely needs another year – or more – in bottle in order to bring out the nuances. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

13.Baron de Hoen Gewurztraminer Reserve 2017 Alsace, +377721 Vintages $19.95 July 11: from around Beblenheim area, cool fermentation with typical gewurz tones of spices, lychee, roses. 13.5% ABV. Best as aperitif, or with fragrant cheeses, spicy foods. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

14.Gerard Bertrand Terroir Picpoul de Pinet 2019 AOP Picpoul de Pinet Languedoc, +13000, $17.95 Vintages July 25: from between Narbonne and Montpellier, just north of the Mediterranean. Affordable tastiness from the piquepoul grape, 13% ABV, twist top. Expect white floral and mineral tones, with medium acidity, some citrus notes and honey on the finish. One to go up against pinot grigio (but it is better than PG). Best with shellfish or eels rather than sipping. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

15.McPink Blended Scotch Whisky and Port Cask Finish, $59.95 700 ml bottle. Vintages +12248: McPink is so-called because it has been matured in a Port-wood cask giving it a pink tinge. The tech sheet says it is a blend of 16 single malts (60%) and Edinburgh grain whisky (40%). It's a sweeter and fruitier spirit, made to compete with rums and gins in the "neat" and "soda" market. There's a nose of stewed red fruit such as strawberry plus some mocha elements, and the redness persists on the palate and on the finish. Some herbal complexity makes this a real treat: why mix it? Of course, as a blended whisky, you can, but why bother?  Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

16.Featherstone Estate Winery Canadian Oak Chardonnay 2018 VQA Niagara Peninsula $21.95 +149302 Vintages May: one of my faves, and occasionally an LTO at under $20. Over the years it has simply gotten better as the grapevines have matured. Wild indigenous yeast is used. Good mid-tone oaky component (it is very easy to say it is mid-way between French and US oak) from the use of nearby Canadian oak trees. 10% new oak, 90% 1 to 5 year old. Terrific ripe orchard fruit aromas and palate. Plus vanillin and cream after the mid-palate leading to citric food-friendly finish. Needs more time for balancing, but then at that time it will be awesome. 13.2% ABV. Only 0.26 g/L residual sugar. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

17.Featherstone Estate Winery Four Feathers 2019 VQA Niagara Peninsula $14.95 +341586 August 22 and Dec 12: a summer social sipper or quaffer, combining 50% riesling and 40% chardonnay with 8% sauvignon blanc and 2% gewurztraminer – all highly aromatic grapes. Stainless steel fermentation. Typical fruit flavours to be found include pineapple, melon, lemon, some mango, and some sweet parts of citric tones near the finish. 12.1% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

18.Featherstone Estate Winery Black Sheep Riesling 2018 VQA Niagara Peninsula $18.95 +80234 Vintages Essential: more in the Mosel mode than Rhine wine, this delicious sipper is loaded with a nose of citrus highlights (lemon, lime, grapefruit) evolving to orchard fruit on the mid-palate with some minerality and a long lean-ish finish which also makes it nifty food wine for Asiatic dishes of all sorts. Medium body but not dry. Suitable for aging, to get that "petrol" character. 10.1% ABV. RS 20 g/L. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

19.Featherstone Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 2018 VQA Niagara Peninsula $19.95 +64618 Vintages Essential: a blend  of 86% cabernet franc and 14% merlot. 100% US oak was used – 25% new, balance in 1 to 4 year old barrels. Full malolactic fermentation. Medium-bodied with an assortment of berries, plums and cherries. Long, long finish showing tart-ish food-loving acid balances. Should go well with BBQ or other fatty meats. Keep for another few years (I tasted it daily) or do a double-decant. 12.7% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

20.Featherstone Estate Winery Red Tail Merlot 2018 VQA Niagara Peninsula $19.95 +131540 Vintages October 17 (May 30 is the Vintages release date for the 2017 vintage): Merlot is still recovering from its dissing by Pinot Noir in the movie "Sideways". But a lot of wineries are still making it. David Johnson the winemaker has here produced a delightfully fruity but dryish (RS 1.4 g/L) drop that is also affordable. Aged 10 months in French oak, 100% malolactic fermentation. Expect black fruit cherry-berry complexity, headed by black currant. Both a patio sipper and a food wine, and ready now for current drinking and accompanying any kind of comfort food. 12.4% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

May we all have 2020 vision.
Chimo! www.deantudor.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. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an "easy" format. Here are some recent "re-editions"...

 

 

9.MELTED CHEESE (Ryland Peters Small, 2019, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-78879-164-9 $14.95 USD hardbound) is a publisher's book of collected recipes from the RPS stable of writers. Its sub-title deftly summarizes it: "gloriously gooey recipes from fondue to grilled cheese and pasta bake to potato gratin". Classics include Swiss fondue and French onion soup. The seventy recipes are from (mostly) Laura Washburn, Hannah Miles, Lizzie Kamenetzky, and 13 others. The contents include breads, pastas, veggies, dips, and soups. A nice collection of melted cheese foods. The book could have been improved if it also used more metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 87.

 

 

10.MODERN FLEXITARIAN; plant-inspired recipes you can flex to add fish, meat, or dairy (DK Books, 2020, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-9246-3 $30 USD hardback) originated with DK Books in Australia in 2019. This is the North American edition. The preps are taken from ten other DK cookbooks which deal with healthy non-meat foods. The opening chapter was created by Lucy Taylor and gives the lay of the land: definitions, balanced diet, pantry, swaps, and more. In the book, the stress is on using plant-based preps with the option of adding any or all of fish, meat or dairy. So for the three bean paella, there are instructions on how to use or add fish. For the baked falafel with pickled red onions, how to make it with lamb. For the masala chickpea nachos, how to add cooked chopped chicken OR use a soy mozzarella cheese. There's a good section on simple swaps, where dairy milk substitutes can be soy, almond, coconut, oat, and rice; cheese can be swapped with nutritional yeast or nut cheeses; honey can be swapped with agave nectar, rice malt syrup or maple syrup; and eggs can be swapped with aquafaba, chia seeds and flax seeds. Meat and seafood can be replaced by tofu, tempeh and seitan. Cooking techniques need not change. The book could have been improved if it had also used metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 89.

 

 

 

11.DELICIOUS SOUPS; fresh & hearty soups for every occasion (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2013, 2020, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-78879-196-0, $19.95 USD hard covers) is by Belinda Williams, founder of the Yorkshire Party Company (events and catering) and the Yorkshire Provender. She's been busy designing soups for the latter. There are about 60 preps here, arranged by style of soup: hearty, smooth and creamy, special occasion, and global flavours. Her chickpea soup is a Moroccan harira and a chickpea chicken tagine. There is no pho or miso. But there is a nifty sunchoke soup with sorrel and sage, and a field mushroom soup or a creamy coconut and lamb soup. This book could have been improved if it also used more metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 86.

 

 

 

12.THE PLANT KITCHEN: 100 easy recipes for vegan beginners (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2020, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-78879-181-6 $19.95 USD hardbound) has been edited by Miriam Catley from recipes by other writers in the RPS stable. It is a good introductory book, arranged by course (breakfast through snacks, soups, sides, suppers, and entertaining a crowd – finishing with desserts. Preps come from 16 different writers, but mainly from Dunja Gulin (30), Jenna Zoe, Nicola Gaines, and Liz Franklin. This book could have been improved if it also used more metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 87.

 

 

13.THE MODERN TAGINE COOKBOOK: delicious recipes for Moroccan one-pot meals (Ryland Peters & Small, 2019, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-78879-143-4 $14.95 USD hardbound) is by Ghillie Basan. They were chosen by editor Julia Charles from Basan's four previous tagine books: Flavours of Morocco, Tagine, Tagines and Couscous, and Vegetarian Tagines and Couscous. So here are 60 great preps for Moroccan casseroles that include any of meat (lamb, beef, chicken, sausage), fish and seafood, vegetable (lentil, bean) or vegan options (cream-free, of course). And there are recipes for couscous and salads. If you do not have a tagine, then a Dutch oven, Instant pot, Slow cooker, or just a tin-foiled covered baking dish can do – either stovetop or oven. [but this is not explained in the book]. The book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 87

 

May we all have 2020 vision.
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for MAY 16, 2020

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES:  under/over $20 for MAY 16, 2020

 

By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. My "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.

 

These notes for good wines available through  LCBO Vintages (on a bi-weekly basis)  can always be found at http://www.gothicepicures.blogspot.ca  or at  http://www.deantudor.com No winery can buy their way into – or out of – this publication.

 

Scores are a combination of MVC (Modal Varietal Character, e.g. a Southern Rhone would taste like a Southern Rhone) and QPR (Quality/Price Ratio value in the marketplace above or below its price).

 

Currently, the wine media have no access to the 50 or so tasting samples usually provided to us in the LCBO lab on a fortnightly basis. This will go on until at least the June 13 release. HOWEVER,  the wine media will still have access to the advance spreadsheet of the wines to be released. So I know what is to be released and when. SOME (but not many) of these wines I have recently tasted since January 2020 or so, and I can comfortably recommend them based on prior sampling.

 

Under $20

=========

Sparkling+369074    BERNARD-MASSARD CUVÉE DE L'ÉCUSSON PINOT NOIR BRUT SPARKLING ROSÉ    Traditional method, Luxembourg        $19.95      MVC/QPR: 88

Rose+219840    CHÂTEAU BELLEVUE LA FORÊT ROSÉ    AP Fronton    2019    $14.95 MVC/QPR:  89

W+106831    ANNE DE LAWEISS COLLECTION PINOT GRIS    AC Alsace    2017    $19.95

MVC/QPR: 89

W+369850    KIM CRAWFORD PINOT GRIS    Marlborough, South Island    2019    $19.95       MVC/QPR:  89

R+548867    CASA SANTOS LIMA COLOSSAL RESERVA    Vinho Regional Lisboa    2016    $15.95     MVC/QPR:  90

R+536532    CANTINE DUE PALME SANGAETANO PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA    DOP    2018    $17.95     MVC/QPR:  89

R+11454    CHÂTEAU LABESSE    AC Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux    2016    $17.95     MVC/QPR:  89

R+91660    NUGAN ESTATE COOKOOTHAMA DARLINGTON POINT CABERNET/MERLOT    New South Wales, Australia    2016    $17.95     MVC/QPR: 91

R+444703    MONTGRAS ANTU CABERNET SAUVIGNON    Sustainable, DO Maipo Valley    2017    $18.95    MVC/QPR: 89

R+161141    PASO CREEK CABERNET SAUVIGNON    Paso Robles    2017  $19.95    MVC/QPR: 89

 

Over $20

=========

Sparkling+227009    ANGELS GATE ARCHANGEL BRUT SPARKLING CHARDONNAY    Traditional method, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment 2014    $29.95 MVC/QPR: 89

W+566026    CAVE SPRING CSV RIESLING    Cave Spring Vineyard, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment    2017    $29.95     MVC/QPR: 90

W+418319    DUCKHORN CHARDONNAY    Napa Valley    2017    $49.95    MVC/QPR: 89

R+922054    TENUTE SILVIO NARDI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO    DOCG     2013    $46.95    MVC/QPR:  89

R+12630    MUD HOUSE PINOT NOIR    Certified sustainable, Central Otago, South Island    2018    $24.95    MVC/QPR: 88

R+959338    RUTHERFORD HILL MERLOT    Napa Valley    2015    $39.95    MVC/QPR: 89

 

 

May we all have 2020 vision.
Chimo! www.deantudor.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. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an "easy" format. Here are some recent "re-editions"...

 

 

 

8.ENTERTAINING WITH MARY BERRY (DK, 2010, 2014, 2020, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-4654-8935-7, $27 USD hard covers) is by Mary Berry, a UK cookbook author with more than 80 books to her credit. Lucy Young is the co-author; she's been Berry's assistant for more than 25 years and has helped to develop the recipes for all of Berry's books. It was originally published in 2010 as "Cook Up a Feast", but in this second revised edition, it is "Entertaining with Mary Berry". The price has even come down a bit, and there are 16 more pages. This is a cookbook for entertaining the larger crowd, usually to serve six or to serve 12. It tries to answer stressful questions such as "what can I make for so many people?", or "How can I keep the food hot?" and "Will there be enough?" They begin with the primer material, followed by specific topics such as hors d'oeuvre, special mains, potluck parties, Italian feasts, buffets, backyards, snacks, desserts. The setting is important, so you'll need to concentrate on lighting, flowers, music, themes, and the like. Still, it is hard to think about actually making party finger food when there are many, many frozen versions at the supermarket. Asparagus, goat cheese and prosciutto phyllo rolls do stand out, but just about everything else mentioned here in this section can be purchased. You might be better off spending your time slicing and chopping fresh foods and then rely on the purchased goods. Party foods are just too exhausting (been there, done that myself). Everything else is a different story, but it

still takes a lot of work. Preps are listed as service for six or for 12, with separate columns of ingredients for six or 12, a good idea. Most everything can be made in advance by several hours, with a minimum amount of finishing. The older editions used to have 24 menus with timelines for the themes. The book could have been improved if it also used more metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. Do try Puy lentil and pearl barley soup; fennel and smoked salmon tartlets; hot baked trout with tomato and basil salsa; smokey sausage cassoulet; eggplant baked with feta and

chickpeas; roasted veggie risotto; toffee pudding with warm toffee sauce; and/or summer berry tart. Quality/Price Rating: 87.

 

9.CRAFT PIZZA (Ryland Peters & Small, 2016, 2020, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-78879-194-6, $19.95 USD hardcovers) is by Maxine Clark, prolific UK food writer and cooking coach/teacher. Here, she covers mainly "classic" pizza, Sicilian, sourdough, calzone and focaccia made at home. It's a revision of her earlier 2016 book which has the same title. So she's also got pizzette and small bites. It is pretty thorough, with a primer on equipment and flours. About 80+ recipes in all, but no doughs that are gluten-free. Try focaccia with crispy kale with whipped ricotta, roasted garlic and chipotle; rolled pesto and olive and garlic bread; rustic country pie; torta reggiano; and potato and mozzarella calzone. The book could have been improved if it had also used more metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 86

 

 

 

10.DELICIOUSLY MESSY FOOD; 65 recipes for ribs, wings, burgers, hot dogs, and other lip-smacking foods ((Ryland Peters & Small, 2014, 2020, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-78879-193-9, $19.95 USD hard covers) is by Carol Hilker, a food writer in San Francisco who has written several cookbooks for Ryland Peters & Small. It was originally published in 2014 but now has some additional material. Chicken wings are perfectly adaptable to a huge range of dips and sauces, marinades and glazes. So any BBQ book with a lot of these savoury methods is useful. The same for ribs and other finger foods that call for constant "wiping of the hands". This food is perfect for any in-house sports watching, and here YOU are in charge of the better sauces and the better meats. So there are honey-fried chicken, pulled pork sandwiches, pretzel buns, blueberry cotton candy pancakes, etc. The range also includes bowls and some recipes for homemade versions of take-out food. Remarkable is the fried oysters and grits prep. Desserts and beverages are also included (such as honey-vanilla root beer float).

The book could have been improved if it also used more metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 84.

 

 

 

11.FISH (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2015, 2020 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-78879-198-4, $19.95 USD hard covers) is by Mat Follas, a UK chef/owner and winner of Masterchef (BBC) in 2009. It has now been revised for 2020 expectations. This set is organized by fish type: salmon & tuna, freshwater fish, small fish, round fish, flat fish, exotic fish, with crustaceans, squid and octopus occupying the last quarter of the book. There's material on sustainability, stocks and soups, and drinks to match the food. The 80 recipes come loaded with tips. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no overall table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86.

 

 

 

12.VEGETABLES (Ryland Peters & Small, 2016, 2020, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-709-6, $24.95 USD hardbound) is by Mat Follas, Masterchef UK winner in 2009. It was first published in 2016 as "Vegetable Perfection". As a basic book, it covers some of the more modern approaches to vegetarian cookery found in restaurants: using the newest cooking techniques and interesting ingredients to boost texture, add flavour, and thus make the veggie stand out on its own by being its own centrepiece. He's got 100 preps for roots, bulbs, shoots and stems. The book is arranged this way, with other chapters for juices, brassicas, belladonnas, pulses, and fungi. Some of the preps are vegan. There's an interesting pantry (here, a store cupboard) and some substitutions. There are resource pages for both the UK and the US. You could check out artichoke frittata, goat's cheese with dandelion sauce, Bloody Mary soup, or runner beans with eggplant pasta. The book could have been improved if it also used more metric in the recipes (why use teaspoons?), or at least had a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 87

 

 

13.LEMONS AND LIMES (Ryland Peters & Small, 2017, 2020, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-78879-200-4 $14.95 USD hardbound) is by well-known Ursula Ferrigno, who has written over 18 cookery books most emphasizing Mediterranean foods. This is the 2020 edition. She's been on UK TV quite a lot, does restaurant consultations, and runs classes at all Sur La Table stores. These 75 preps emphasize the freshness and vivacity of lemons and limes, with one excursion to pink grapefruit. The range is from small bites through soups/salads, meat/poultry, fish/seafood, veggies, and sweets plus drinks. Lemon mushroom arancini, pork dumplings in lime-leaf broth, spaghettini with calamari and lemons, and a smashing gin and tonic cake with lemon syrup. The book could have been improved if it also used more metric in the recipes (tablespoons and teaspoons are in Imperial, or at least had a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 87.

May we all have 2020 vision.
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

SOME NEW BEVERAGE SAMPLES SENT TO ME FOR TASTING THIS MONTH OF MAY 2020

SOME NEW BEVERAGE SAMPLES SENT TO ME FOR TASTING THIS MONTH –

 

1.Henry of Pelham Riesling Speck Family Reserve 2018 VQA Short Hills Bench, +643361 Vintages June, $27.95 [now available online and at winery]: absolutely delicious MVC intense riesling in a Rhine style, with an off-dry palate but a dry finish (good acid levels on the finish); broad fruity strokes of peaches and flowers on the mid-palate; quite a blazing riesling with intense pleasure, sip or food. 10.5% ABV, cork closure, from HOP's oldest Estate vineyards (35+ year old riesling vines, handpicked). Try with rich bivalve dishes or porchetta. Should improve in the bottle over the years. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

2.Gerard Bertrand Grand Terroir La Clape Syrah/Carignan/Mourvedre 2016 AOP Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape, +370262, $19.95 Vintages June: the South of France bargains continue at the LCBO with this southern Rhone clone emphasizing aromatic red fruit (with some black) and garrigue. Nice long finish for that heavy meat dish. 14% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

3.Gerard Bertrand Terroir Corbieres 2016 $17.95 +394288 Vintages: In this Terroir Corbieres (from the Narbonne), Bertrand uses traditional fermentation for the syrah, grenache and mourvedre. It is an appealing Rhonish G-S-M, with one-third of the blended wine aging in wood for nine months before bottling. Very firm with some very dark fruit on the very full finish. 14% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

4.Quails' Gate Chardonnay 2018 BCVQA Okanagan Valley +377770 $24.95 Vintages Essential:

from one of the leading producers of Chardonnay in BC. Soft orchard fruit (pear, apple, peach), some citrus tones. Soft and versatile, with a medium balance good to accompany any foods. 13% ABV, Residual Sugar 1.0 g/L. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

5.Westcott Vineyards Temperance 2018 VQA Vinemount Ridge $19.99 winery [and SAQ +14209964]: this is a passtoutgrain-styled wine (as found in Burgundy) which is very popular in France, made from 50% Gamay Noir and 50% Pinot Noir grapes. There is a 30-day maceration, with a stainless steel all wild and malo-lactic fermentation. Very soft, fleshy, fruity (despite a low residual sugar of only 1 g/L), good for the patio and deck. It would be excellent with all kinds of soups. 12% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

6.Westcott Vineyards Brilliant Traditional Sparkling 2013 VQA Vinemount Ridge $39.99 winery, licensees: this is a still-fresh terrific sparkler done up in the traditional style of long lees contact (75 months here), hand riddling, and disgorgement for a secondary fermentation in the bottle. 667 cases were produced of this pinot noir (66%) and chardonnay (33%) blend from their own estate in Vinemount Ridge. It's got a complex basket of flavours, ranging from orchard fruit through to citrus, with the lightness of the chardonnay being balanced off against the heavier tones of the pinot noir. It stays this way right from the entry through to the long finish, and the latter makes this a pretty good food wine too. You'll need to put some down for 2025. 12.9% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

7.Westcott Vineyards Lillias Chardonnay 2019 VQA Niagara Escarpment $24.99 +425322 Vintages: a bright and fresh Chardonnay reflective of the vintage. Tank fermentation and storage with full MLF to soften, and six months lees contact. No oak. Slightly off-dry feel despite 1.8 g/L residual sugar, but a rounded mid-palate. Very stylish with a light lingering finish, great as a non-appetite-provoking aperitif, which makes it a fab cocktail party white wine. Emphasis is on fresh orchard fruit (apples, pears, peaches): it could change over the next two years, which would make it more versatile in being also a first course wine. 12.9% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

May we all have 2020 vision.
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for MAY 2, 2020 (plus others)....

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES:  under/over $20 for MAY 2, 2020

By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. My "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.

These notes for good wines available through  LCBO Vintages (on a bi-weekly basis)  can always be found at http://www.gothicepicures.blogspot.ca  or at  http://www.deantudor.com No winery can buy their way into – or out of – this publication.

Scores are a combination of MVC (Modal Varietal Character, e.g. a Southern Rhone would taste like a Southern Rhone) and QPR (Quality/Price Ratio value in the marketplace above or below its price).

Currently, the wine media have no access to the 50 or so tasting samples usually provided to us in the LCBO lab on a fortnightly basis. This will go on until mid-May. HOWEVER,  the wine media will still have access to the advance spreadsheet of the wines to be released. So I know what is to be released and when. SOME (but not many) of these wines I have recently tasted since January 2020 or so, and I can comfortably recommend them based on prior sampling.

Under $20

=========

Sparkling+370361    TAWSE SPARK LIMESTONE RIDGE ORGANIC SPARKLING RIESLING     Traditional method, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario  NV  $19.95 MVC/QPR: 92

W+43281    FLAT ROCK RIESLING    20??  VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment    $17.95    MVC/QPR: 89

W+ 446427    BARON DE HOEN RÉSERVE RIESLING    AC Alsace    2018    $16.95     MVC/QPR: 90

W+12174    CHÂTEAU HAUT-RIAN    AC Entre-deux-Mers    2018    $14.95     MVC/QPR: 89

W+82461    PIERRE-LUC BOUCHAUD SUR LIE MUSCADET SÈVRE ET MAINE AC 2018    $15.95 MVC/QPR: 89

Rose+117861    FEATHERSTONE ROSÉ    VQA Niagara Peninsula    2019    $15.95 MVC/QPR: 89

Rose+493171    OYSTER BAY ROSÉ    Marlborough, South Island    2019    $19.95    MVC/QPR: 89

R+434464    CHÂTEAU SAINT-ANTOINE RÉSERVE DU CHÂTEAU    AC Bordeaux Supérieur    2016    $16.95    MVC/QPR: 89

Over $20

========

Sparkling+421032    CHARLES MIGNON PREMIUM RÉSERVE BRUT CHAMPAGNE NV     AC $48.95     MVC/QPR: 90

Sparkling+78055    CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES SPARKLING ROSÉ     Traditional method, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario    2014    $34.95 MVC/QPR: 90

W+181289    DOMAINE LE VERGER CHABLIS    AC    2018    $26.95     MVC/QPR: 90

R+209148    MARQUÉS DE MURRIETA FINCA YGAY RESERVA    DOCa Rioja    2015    $29.95 MVC/QPR: 89

R+171587    FARINA LE PEZZE AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO    DOCG    2016    $36.95 MVC/QPR: 91

R+172692    VINOSIA SANTANDREA TAURASI    DOCG    2014    $29.95     MVC/QPR: 89

SOME NEW BEVERAGE SAMPLES SENT TO ME FOR TASTING THIS MONTH –

1.Henry of Pelham Riesling Speck Family Reserve 2018 VQA Short Hills Bench, +643361 Vintages June, $27.95 [now available online and at winery]: absolutely delicious MVC intense riesling in a Rhine style, with an off-dry palate but a dry finish (good acid levels on the finish); broad fruity strokes of peaches and flowers on the mid-palate; quite a blazing riesling with intense pleasure, sip or food. 10.5% ABV, cork closure, from HOP's oldest Estate vineyards (35+ year old riesling vines, handpicked). Try with rich bivalve dishes or porchetta. Should improve in the bottle over the years. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

2.Gerard Bertrand Grand Terroir La Clape Syrah/Carignan/Mourvedre 2016 AOP Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape, +370262, $19.95 Vintages June: the South of France bargains continue at the LCBO with this southern Rhone clone emphasizing aromatic red fruit (with some black) and garrigue. Nice long finish for that heavy meat dish. 14% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

3.Gerard Bertrand Terroir Corbieres 2016 $17.95 +394288 Vintages: In this Terroir Corbieres (from the Narbonne), Bertrand uses traditional fermentation for the syrah, grenache and mourvedre. It is an appealing Rhonish G-S-M, with one-third of the blended wine aging in wood for nine months before bottling. Very firm with some very dark fruit on the very full finish. 14% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

4.Quails' Gate Chardonnay 2018 BCVQA Okanagan Valley +377770 $24.95 Vintages Essential:

from one of the leading producers of Chardonnay in BC. Soft orchard fruit (pear, apple, peach), some citrus tones. Soft and versatile, with a medium balance good to accompany any foods. 13% ABV, Residual Sugar 1.0 g/L. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

5.Westcott Vineyards Temperance 2018 VQA Vinemount Ridge $19.99 winery [and SAQ +14209964]: this is a passtoutgrain-styled wine (as found in Burgundy) which is very popular in France, made from 50% Gamay Noir and 50% Pinot Noir grapes. There is a 30-day maceration, with a stainless steel all wild and malo-lactic fermentation. Very soft, fleshy, fruity (despite a low residual sugar of only 1 g/L), good for the patio and deck. It would be excellent with all kinds of soups. 12% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

6.Westcott Vineyards Brilliant Traditional Sparkling 2013 VQA Vinemount Ridge $39.99 winery, licensees: this is a still-fresh terrific sparkler done up in the traditional style of long lees contact (75 months here), hand riddling, and disgorgement for a secondary fermentation in the bottle. 667 cases were produced of this pinot noir (66%) and chardonnay (33%) blend from their own estate in Vinemount Ridge. It's got a complex basket of flavours, ranging from orchard fruit through to citrus, with the lightness of the chardonnay being balanced off against the heavier tones of the pinot noir. It stays this way right from the entry through to the long finish, and the latter makes this a pretty good food wine too. You'll need to put some down for 2025. 12.9% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

7.Westcott Vineyards Lillias Chardonnay 2019 VQA Niagara Escarpment $24.99 +425322 Vintages: a bright and fresh Chardonnay reflective of the vintage. Tank fermentation and storage with full MLF to soften, and six months lees contact. No oak. Slightly off-dry feel despite 1.8 g/L residual sugar, but a rounded mid-palate. Very stylish with a light lingering finish, great as a non-appetite-provoking aperitif, which makes it a fab cocktail party white wine. Emphasis is on fresh orchard fruit (apples, pears, peaches): it could change over the next two years, which would make it more versatile in being also a first course wine. 12.9% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

May we all have 2020 vision.
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

* THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK...

 

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

 

 

 

 

SHARE (Ryland Peters & Small, 2020, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-78879-211-0 $19.95 USD hardbound) is by Theo Michaels, from BBC's MasterChefUK, some popups, and other food writing and TV gigs (including four previous cookbooks). Here he gives 75 recipes for themed menus of sharing boards. These are for six to eight people, moderately easy to do, and are relevant to communal dining. He begins with deli-style foods (all purchased) to set you up, followed by themes with garnishes. He got brunches, mezes, picnic, BBQ, harvest time, sweets, and feasts. A lot of the book deals with presentation (clusters, colours, height, fillers) in the layout of foods. The range is from fresh figs with goat's cheese and honey through griddled apricots with lavender and bee pollen. Also spicy chicken shawama, roasty squash and lentil salad, tomato and blue cheese salad with ciabatta croutons, and souvlaki with date molasses and tahini dressing. The book could have been improved if it also used more metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 88

 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

MORE FOOD AND WINE BOOKS THIS MONTH OF APRIL!!!

THE DEFINED DISH (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019, 291 pages, ISBN 978-0-358-00441-7, $30 USD hardbound) is by Alex Snodgrass, founder of the eponymous blog, which won a Saveur blog award in 2018 for the most inspired weeknight dinners. She's also a recipe developer and food stylist. In this current book, she now concentrates on healthy and wholesome weeknight dishes. She favours her local Tex-Mex cuisine, her mom's Italian cooking, Indian curries, Asian flavours, and a wide range of Mediterranean dishes. The table of contents are arranged this way, with other chapters for salads, soups, kid food, "southern" charms and date-night dinners. Her healthier dishes include pad Thai made with spaghetti squash, and mac and cheese made with a dairy substitute of squash and coconut milk. Recipes are marked gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, and paleo.

The book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. It might then sell better outside the USA.

Audience and level of use: those looking for wellness and family dishes.

Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: carrot-ginger salad with baked salmon; minestra del sedano; sheet pan sausage with squash and roasted grapes; crispy-skinned branzino with parsnip puree; sheet pan rack of lamb with potatoes and mint chimichurri.

The downside to this book: while it is endorsed by Whole30, this is not quite properly explained in the text of the book...as to what it means.

The upside to this book: great preps for the health conscious.

Quality/Price Rating: 88

 

 

 

3.A GOOD MEAL IS HARD TO FIND (Chronicle Books, 2020, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-6978-1 $24.95 hardbound) is by Amy C. Evans and Martha Hall Foose. Evans is an artist and a storyteller; she's collected Southern food culture through oral history fieldwork. Foose is a cookbook author and storyteller; she won a Beard Award for American Cooking for "Screen Doors and Sweet Tea". It's a collection of culinary narratives augmented by stories, recipes and artwork. It's got 60 preps prefaced by funny vignettes, arranged by course (breakfast, lunch, afternoon pick-me-ups, and dinners. Amy is the artist, Martha is the cook, and together they create the stories. The book could have been improved if it had also used metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart.

Audience and level of use: fans of story-driven cooking and Southern recipes.

Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Agnes Graton Firecracker popcorn; Alice's rosary cannelini salad; Ida';s Shore lunch loaf; Rita's roadside attraction; Gayle's lucky chicken posole; Vi's sherry pot pie; Frank's collard green and field pea fried rice.

The downside to this book: I wanted more.

The upside to this book: good pic, good stories.

Quality/Price Rating: 88

 

 

4.KEEPING IT SIMPLE (Hardie Grant Books, 2020, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-78488-282-2 $24.99 USD flexibound) is by Yasmin Fahr, who is a food writer with a Master's degree in Food Studies. She wisely concentrates on easy weeknight one-pot recipes, which will be very popular. You'll need to have a good pantry with a variety of seasonings. There's a go-to weeknight pizza that is pretty basic, but there are a variety of variations in the toppings and doughs. Her chapter topics cover oven to table, quick and easy (faster than home delivery), gluten and grains, salads, and more. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no table of metric equivalents.

Audience and level of use: beginners, harried workers

Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: 20 minute spicy sausage with crispy broccoli; pork chops with nectarines; baked feta with greens and lemon-tahini dressing; simple whole fish with charred citrus; cumin spiced steak salad with avocado and kale; sleeveless sweet potato jackets with Dijonaisse.

The downside to this book: lots of citrus and cumin and feta.

The upside to this book: very useful

Quality/Price Rating: 88

 

 

5.POSH TARTS (Hardie Grant Quadrille, 2019, 193 pages, ISBN 978-1-78713-381-5 $19.99 USD hardbound) is another entry in Quadrille's "Posh" series, which emphasizes the flash of an easy prep with great visuals. Pip Spence has 70 recipes, from galettes to pastries, all arranged by ingredient or time of day: breakfast, meat, seafood, veggie, fruit, and dessert tarts. She opens with the basics of pastry, such as types and commercial sources. So you can either buy a shortcrust, a puff, or a filo pastry, or make it yourself. She has the recipes for them. It may help to at least start off with commercial pastry doughs, to see what they are about and to test the fills she proposes. And then move on to homemade doughs.  Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no overall table of metric equivalents.

Audience and level of use: beginners and up.

Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: acorn squash and carrot tarte tatin; cherry Bakewell slice; heritage beetroot and feta slice; chickpea tagine filo tart; spiced lamb and eggplant tart; maple pecan pie; roasted fruit and granola tart; tonnato tart.

The downside to this book: I wanted more.

The upside to this book: makes it all seem easy, but the photos are great.

Quality/Price Rating: 89.

 

 

6.DINNER'S IN THE BAG (Hardie Grant Quadrille, 2019, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-78713-485-0 $22.99 USD hardbound) is by Louise Kenney. She proposes 60 easy oven recipes all wrapped up in any of baking parchment, foil, or oven bags. The range is from healthy weekday suppers through veggie dishes and sweet desserts. As Kenney says, just bag it up, pop it in the oven, set the timer,  and eat. It's a good little open and shut cookbook for one techniques using an assortments of meat, veggies, fish, and sweets. She's got photographic essays for the techniques. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.

Audience and level of use: beginners, the harried, needing a quick meal.

Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Italian salmon packets with couscous; lemon sole with potatoes, capers, lemon and herbs; ratatouille; baked peppers with lentils and goat's cheese; pork with ginger and coconut rice; sausages with sweet corn, peppers and zucchini.

The downside to this book: again, I wanted more.

The upside to this book: she has icons to let you know which wrapping is best (parchment, foil, bag)

Quality/Price Rating: 89

 

 

SOME NEW BEVERAGE SAMPLES SENT TO ME FOR TASTING THIS MONTH –

SOME NEW BEVERAGE SAMPLES SENT TO ME FOR TASTING THIS MONTH –

 

 

1.Stel+Mar Premium Red (+14775, $4.95), White (+14776, $4.95) and Sparkling Rose (not yet available at LCBO): These are wine-in-a-can, 250 mL each. By proper blending it was possible to get the most out of the wine. The appellation is California, and for the Red (13.7 ABV)it is a cherry-berry typical zinfandel from the Lodi area. The White is unoaked chardonnay (14.5% ABV with some vanilla minerality) from the North Coast. The Sparkling Rose (12.5% ABV) is off-dry, but the bubbles are an added attraction [apparently it is their basic rose with bubbles]. Simple, easy to drink, good with picnics of course. The size is right – one-third of a bottle, 8 ounces (two drinks). A good idea. Pretty basic wine. By July, the LCBO hopes to also have Stel+Mar Rose Tetra, +15515, 3 Litres (6 x 500mL, $45.95). Quality/Price rating for each is 87 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures (although I did enjoy the chardonnay a tad more).

 

 

 

2.Terlato Steep Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 California, $19.95 release TBD: another Cabernet Sauvignon with just a California appellation. Made principally with grapes from the north east area of Mount Diablo in northern California. There are 20 other California wines at the LCBO at this same price level, some with names such as Victor, Joel, Josh, Tom, et al. The Terlato label says "big, bold Cabernet Sauvignon" to enjoy with heavier meats such as steak or lamb, but it actually tastes of soft tannins with a medium body: more like a Merlot (which would still put it within the lamb area). 13.5% ABV, Stelvin closure. Quality/Price rating is 87 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

3.Mud House Sauvignon Blanc 2018 Marlbrough +190454 Vintages $19.95: down a dollar since last time at LCBO. The wine typical Kiwi Savvy, with a combo of citric tones across the spectrum, grass, and melon-like tropicality. It's a blend of different Marlborough vineyards. Every vineyard batch from Woolshed, Wairau, and Awatere is kept separate for a final blending before bottling.  Best served with seafood. I rated this 89 at the media tasting, but in the comfort of my own home, I easily gave it a 90. 12.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

4.Nugan Estate Cookoothama Cabernet Merlot 2016 New South Wales +91669 Vintages May 16 $17.95: from Darlington Point in New South Wales, night harvested, cold mascerated, and then transferred to US and French oak (1,2 and 3 year old) prior to final blending and bottling. Currently it is a lively MVC style (black fruit, herbs, mocha, vanilla), ready now, for red meats or simply just as a conversation social wine. Easily affordable and nicely received. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

5.Nugan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 Coonawarra Alcira Vineyard +393686 Vintages May 30 $29.95: after fermentation, the wine moved to French oak for 14 months. Full of cassis, mint, earth, and overlaying oak. Still needs time, say about two more years, or one could do a double decant or one could keep the bottle open for a week, tasting a little each day (as I did). 14.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

6.Henry of Pelham Family Tree Red 2017 VQA Ontario, +247882, $18.95 Vintages: This red blend for 2017 (the blend can change with each release) comprises syrah (31%), cabernet franc (24%), merlot (24%), cabernet sauvignon (16%), and baco noir (5%). The latter may have resulted in a VQA Ontario designation rather than a VQA Niagara. It's all barrel aged, 65% French oak and 35% US oak for 17 months. It is substantial, reflecting the aromatics and flavour profiles of the grapes used. Cherry-berry tones, fresh spices on the finish, some spine to stand up to hearty food. Cork closure, 13.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 88 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

 

7.Henry of Pelham Pinot Noir Classic 2019 VQA Niagara Peninsula, +13904 LCBO, $16.95: Here is a deft entry-level character lightish pinot noir wine, with some cherry-berry tones, some nuances of wood, mildly opulent style, not totally cool climate at all. Four different clones are fermented in stainless and aged in "European" oak for six months plus. Expect also light cloves, fresh fruit tones, and oak vanillin which will mute over time. Ready soon, but will get better, very food friendly and drinkable. Maybe decant first. 12.8% ABV, twist top. Quality/Price rating is 88 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

8.Baron de Hoen Riesling Reserve 2018 Alsace, +446427, $16.95 Vintages: a classic straight-up Alsatian Riesling in the MVC dry mode, 12% ABV, twist top, fairly priced. Orchard fruit dominates, with a nice lemony citric finish meant for fish. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

May we all have 2020 vision.
Chimo! www.deantudor.com
AND http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
AND https://twitter.com/gothicepicures

Dean Tudor, Ryerson University Journalism Professor Emeritus
Treasurer, Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://winewriterscircle.ca
Look it up and you'll remember it; screw it up and you'll never forget it.

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for APRIL 18, 2020

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES:  under/over $20 for APRIL 18, 2020

 

By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. My "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.

 

These notes for good wines available through  LCBO Vintages (on a bi-weekly basis)  can always be found at http://www.gothicepicures.blogspot.ca  or at  http://www.deantudor.com No winery can buy their way into – or out of – this publication.

 

Scores are a combination of MVC (Modal Varietal Character, e.g. a Southern Rhone would taste like a Southern Rhone) and QPR (Quality/Price Ratio value in the marketplace above or below its price).

 

Currently, the wine media have no access to the 50 or so tasting samples usually provided to us in the LCBO lab on a fortnightly basis. This will go on until mid-May. HOWEVER,  the wine media will still have access to the advance spreadsheet of the wines to be released (email me if you'd like to see a copy). So I know what is to be released and when. SOME (but not many) of these wines I have recently tasted since January 2020 or so, and I can comfortably recommend them based on prior sampling.

 

Under $20

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W+557165    HENRY OF PELHAM ESTATE RIESLING    Certified sustainable, VQA Short Hills Bench, Niagara Escarpment    2018    $19.95  MVC/QPR:  90

W+968537    TERRE BIANCHE ALGHERO TORBATO    DOC    2018    $18.95  MVC/QPR: 89

W+173336    CUSUMANO INSOLIA    IGT Terre Siciliane    2018    $12.95  MVC/QPR: 89

W+14420    LYRARAKIS VÓILA ASSYRTIKO    Vegan, PGI Crete    2018    $16.95 MVC/QPR: 89

R+14058    ESCUDO ROJO RESERVA CARMENÈRE    Colchagua Valley    2018    $17 MVC/QPR: 89

R+216309    CASTELLO DI GABBIANO RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO    DOCG    2015    $18.95  MVC/QPR: 89

R+523639    CAIS DA RIBEIRA RESERVA    DOC Douro    2016    $13.95  MVC/QPR: 89

R+39925    CVNE CUNE CRIANZA    DOCa Rioja    2016    $15.95 MVC/QPR: 89

 

Over $20

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W+346304    GRGICH HILLS ESTATE GROWN CHARDONNAY    Made with organic grapes, Napa Valley    2016    $67.95 MVC/QPR: 92

R+539106    BUENA VISTA CABERNET SAUVIGNON    Napa Valley    2016    $59.95 MVC/QPR: 89

R+165662    MONTE DEL FRÀ LENA DI MEZZO VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO CLASSICO SUPERIORE    DOC    2017    $24.95  MVC/QPR: 88

R+13745    MAIUS ASSEMBLAGE    DOQ Priorat    2017    $23.95  MVC/QPR: 90

R+709980    MICHELE SATTA PIASTRAIA    DOC Bolgheri Superiore    2016    $41.95 MVC/QPR: 89

 

 

SOME NEW BEVERAGE SAMPLES SENT TO ME FOR TASTING THIS MONTH –

 

 

1.Stel+Mar Premium Red (+14775, $4.95), White (+14776, $4.95) and Sparkling Rose (not yet available at LCBO): These are wine-in-a-can, 250 mL each. By proper blending it was possible to get the most out of the wine. The appellation is California, and for the Red (13.7 ABV)it is a cherry-berry typical zinfandel from the Lodi area. The White is unoaked chardonnay (14.5% ABV with some vanilla minerality) from the North Coast. The Sparkling Rose (12.5% ABV) is off-dry, but the bubbles are an added attraction [apparently it is their basic rose with bubbles]. Simple, easy to drink, good with picnics of course. The size is right – one-third of a bottle, 8 ounces (two drinks). A good idea. Pretty basic wine. By July, the LCBO hopes to also have Stel+Mar Rose Tetra, +15515, 3 Litres (6 x 500mL, $45.95). Quality/Price rating for each is 87 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures (although I did enjoy the chardonnay a tad more).

 

 

 

2.Terlato Steep Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 California, $19.95 release TBD: another Cabernet Sauvignon with just a California appellation. Made principally with grapes from the north east area of Mount Diablo in northern California. There are 20 other California wines at the LCBO at this same price level, some with names such as Victor, Joel, Josh, Tom, et al. The Terlato label says "big, bold Cabernet Sauvignon" to enjoy with heavier meats such as steak or lamb, but it actually tastes of soft tannins with a medium body: more like a Merlot (which would still put it within the lamb area). 13.5% ABV, Stelvin closure. Quality/Price rating is 87 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

3.Mud House Sauvignon Blanc 2018 Marlbrough +190454 Vintages $19.95: down a dollar since last time at LCBO. The wine typical Kiwi Savvy, with a combo of citric tones across the spectrum, grass, and melon-like tropicality. It's a blend of different Marlborough vineyards. Every vineyard batch from Woolshed, Wairau, and Awatere is kept separate for a final blending before bottling.  Best served with seafood. I rated this 89 at the media tasting, but in the comfort of my own home, I easily gave it a 90. 12.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

4.Nugan Estate Cookoothama Cabernet Merlot 2016 New South Wales +91669 Vintages May 16 $17.95: from Darlington Point in New South Wales, night harvested, cold mascerated, and then transferred to US and French oak (1,2 and 3 year old) prior to final blending and bottling. Currently it is a lively MVC style (black fruit, herbs, mocha, vanilla), ready now, for red meats or simply just as a conversation social wine. Easily affordable and nicely received. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

5.Nugan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 Coonawarra Alcira Vineyard +393686 Vintages May 30 $29.95: after fermentation, the wine moved to French oak for 14 months. Full of cassis, mint, earth, and overlaying oak. Still needs time, say about two more years, or one could do a double decant or one could keep the bottle open for a week, tasting a little each day (as I did). 14.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

6.Henry of Pelham Family Tree Red 2017 VQA Ontario, +247882, $18.95 Vintages: This red blend for 2017 (the blend can change with each release) comprises syrah (31%), cabernet franc (24%), merlot (24%), cabernet sauvignon (16%), and baco noir (5%). The latter may have resulted in a VQA Ontario designation rather than a VQA Niagara. It's all barrel aged, 65% French oak and 35% US oak for 17 months. It is substantial, reflecting the aromatics and flavour profiles of the grapes used. Cherry-berry tones, fresh spices on the finish, some spine to stand up to hearty food. Cork closure, 13.5% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 88 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

 

7.Henry of Pelham Pinot Noir Classic 2019 VQA Niagara Peninsula, +13904 LCBO, $16.95: Here is a deft entry-level character lightish pinot noir wine, with some cherry-berry tones, some nuances of wood, mildly opulent style, not totally cool climate at all. Four different clones are fermented in stainless and aged in "European" oak for six months plus. Expect also light cloves, fresh fruit tones, and oak vanillin which will mute over time. Ready soon, but will get better, very food friendly and drinkable. Maybe decant first. 12.8% ABV, twist top. Quality/Price rating is 88 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

8.Baron de Hoen Riesling Reserve 2018 Alsace, +446427, $16.95 Vintages: a classic straight-up Alsatian Riesling in the MVC dry mode, 12% ABV, twist top, fairly priced. Orchard fruit dominates, with a nice lemony citric finish meant for fish. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

 

 

May we all have 2020 vision.
Chimo! www.deantudor.com
AND http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
AND https://twitter.com/gothicepicures

Dean Tudor, Ryerson University Journalism Professor Emeritus
Treasurer, Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://winewriterscircle.ca
Look it up and you'll remember it; screw it up and you'll never forget it.

May we all have 2020 vision.
Chimo! www.deantudor.com
AND http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
AND https://twitter.com/gothicepicures

Dean Tudor, Ryerson University Journalism Professor Emeritus
Treasurer, Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://winewriterscircle.ca
Look it up and you'll remember it; screw it up and you'll never forget it.

* FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! :

 

HOW TO BE A CONSCIOUS EATER (Workman Publishing, 2020, 270 pages, ISBN 978-1-5235-0738-2 $16.95 USD paperbound) is by Sophie Egan, Director of Health and Sustainability Leadership for the Strategic Initiatives Group at The Culinary Institute of America. She's written health articles for numerous publications, and authored "Devoured: How what we eat defines who we are". Her current book is promoted as a "radically" practical guide to making food choices that are good for yourself, others and the planet (ecosystems) by having accurate information to determine what's best – the basic criteria guiding lines. Stuff your mother probably never told you. It's divided into four parts: stuff that comes from the ground, stuff that comes from animals, stuff that comes from factories, and stuff that's made in restaurant kitchens. One of her charts deals with the Food Pyramid; another concerns water usage (it takes 660 gallons of water to produce one hamburger, 23 for a handful of almonds, and 7 for one potato). She also covers tap water, organic produce, food waste, pollination, olive oil, greenhouse gases, carnivores, processed foods, nutrition and restaurants. Quality/price rating: 90.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com