Saturday Night – My turn

Mick has been knocking Saturday night dinners out of the park over the past few months. He has been cooking items to perfection, trying new recipes and new wines. So I decided it was time to step up to the plate and swing for the fences.

"Spicy, but good!"

I wanted to try a new wine – a 2005 Pierre Sparr Pinot Gris and wanted to do a new dish to go with it. I’m looking at doing a Wine Club meeting on the wines of Alsace and focus on Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Gris from that region. I did a web search on wine pairing for Pinot Gris and came across a recipe for Honey Ginger Shrimp.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Honey-Ginger-Shrimp/Detail.aspx

The one thing that caught my eye on the recipe was the amount or lack of some of the ingredients . The recipe called for a tablespoon of crush red peppers and teaspoon of honey. I thought this was bizarre as I have never seen a recipe ever call for more than half a teaspoon of crush red peppers. In the end, I went with a teaspoon of crushed red peppers and a tablespoon of honey. Someone had posted on website comments that orange juice made a nice edition, so that went in too. I made two batches of the sauce, the first was used to marinade the shrimp. I want to do more than shrimp and thought a Asian Vegetable medley would be fun, so for that I used the second batch of sauce.

"Hello Wine Club!"

I had Mick grill up the shrimp while I cooked the veggies on the stovetop. The final product looked and smelled great.

The first thing everyone noticed was how spicy it was; I can’t tell you how grateful I am that I didn’t use a tablespoon of crushed red peppers - the dish would have been uneatable. The dish did have a really nice flavour. Mick suggested that this would be good as a pasta dish. One of the comments on the website suggested coconut milk; if I did the vegetables in the coconut milk it would make a good base for a pasta and would also tone down the burn as well.

The Pinot Gris was good with the food; nice fruit on the tongue, light oily mid-palate and a reasonably clean finish. I think this will be a good candidate for Wine Club.

LCBO Information –

Pierre Sparr Pinot Gris Reserve 2005
Vintages 983395
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 18.85
12.7% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : MD
Made in: Alsace, France
By: Pierre Sparr
Release Date: Feb 16, 2008

Description - This Pinot Gris delivers layers of peach, melon and nut aromas that replay beautifully on the palate. This full-bodied wine shows good intensity and balance and will make a delicious match for pan-seared scallops in garlic and butter.

Tasting Note - An excellent example of the medium dry style of Pinot Gris that Alsace does so well. Try this rich and ripe pear/peach-centric example with grilled salmon, tuna or pork roast.

"Homerun, baby!"

For the main course I did the Pine-nut Salmon recipe I did for my In-laws last Saturday.

http://zippysauce.blogspot.com/2008/03/saturday-night-with-my-in-laws.html

For sides, I went with a mixed sweet green salad with baby tomatoes and red onion.

"A year younger, but still a very good wine!"

Last week, the Kendall Jackson was good with the salmon but I thought a white Burgundy would be better. I used up my last bottle of 2005 Louis Jadot “Bourgogne” last week and bought more this week, but it was 2006 and not the 2005 we’ve been drinking. 2005 was an exceptional year for white Burgundy and I was worried that I wouldn’t like 2006 as much.

The Louis Jadot had a much bigger nose to it than the Kendall Jackson which surprise me as usually the Kendall Jackson is very fragrant. The wines with the Salmon were completely different from each other. The Louis Jadot was very easy to drink with the Salmon; so smooth that it almost disappeared. The Kendall Jackson on the other hand, exploded in your mouth with heaps of fruit and oak. Mick and I both liked the Louis Jadot with the salmon, Amy like the KJ and Kathy liked both equally but if pressed gave a slight edge to the KJ.

LCBO Information –

Kendall Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay 2005
Vintages 369686
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 19.95
Wine, Still Table Wine, White Still Table Wine
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: California, United States
By: Kendall-Jackson
Release Date: Nov 24, 2007

Tasting Note - ... 2005 continues their streak of top-notch wines. Loads of tropical fruit, surprisingly deep texture, medium body, and wonderful purity results in a crisp, elegant, dry Chardonnay. It is ideal for drinking over the next 1-2 years.

Serving Suggestion - pasta in a cream sauce.

Loius Jadot Bourgogne Chardonnay
Vintages 933077
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 18.80
Wine, Still Table Wine, White Still Table Wine
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: Burgundy, France
By: Domaine Louis Jadot
Release Date: Mar 1, 2008

Description - A wonderfully versatile wine, this Chardonnay offers aromas of baked apple, citrus, cinnamon and a hint of vanilla. It's creamy, ripe and balanced. Medium-bodied with a lingering finish. Tantalizing with freshwater fish or a vegetable stir-fry.

Tasting Note - From the geographical headquarters of the Chardonnay grape comes this wonderfully versatile wine. Expect aromas of baked apple, citrus, cinnamon and a hint of vanilla. It's creamy, ripe and balanced. Medium-bodied with a lingering finish. Tantalizing with freshwater fish or vegetable stir-fry.

Serving Suggestion - pork chops with apple sauce.

For dessert we had a white chocolate cake with a Henry of Pelham Botrytis Affected Riesling. I really liked this wine the first time I tried it. But this time it was OK; the white chocolate cake was much sweeter than I’d expected and the Botrytis Affected Riesling wasn’t sweet enough to stand up to it.

LCBO information –

Henry of Pelham Botrytis Affected Riesling 2005
Vintages 534628
375 mL bottle
Price: $ 27.90
Wine, Still Table Wine, White Still Table Wine
10.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : MS
Made in: Ontario, Canada
By: Henry of Pelham
Release Date: Sep 29, 2007

Description - Botrytis cinera is a fungus that is responsible for many of the world's great dessert wines including Sauternes and Hungarian Tokaji. It shrivels the grapes which concentrates the sugars and acids, as well as adding a distinctly 'wild' quality to the wines. Henry of Pelham reserves a small, low-lying block of Riesling in hopes that once every five years they get the warm days, cool nights and foggy mornings needed to create these unique wines. Enjoy this rich, complex wine with a selection of fine artisan cheeses.

Cheers!

Mark

Wine Library TV

Mick loves this site - http://tv.winelibrary.com/ for wine reviews.

He came across this video and sent it to me. -

http://tv.winelibrary.com/2008/03/24/canadian-wines-from-pelee-island-in-the-middle-of-lake-erie-episode-429/

The video is funny as the host is so excited to try Canadian wines and raves about how Canada will be one the hottest new wine area in the 36 months. Unfortunately, the wine doesn't meet his expectations.

Cheers!

Mark

Easter Dinner

On Sunday, Kathy and I ended up at my parents’ house for Easter dinner. Dad was cooking and my sister asked for Lasagna or as we affectionately refer to it as La-John-ya (as my father’s first name is John). I had talk to him earlier in the week and he told my that Lasagna and Caesar salad were the menu for the evening and volunteerd to bring the wine to go with both.

"A nice medium bodied Chardonnay"

For the first course of Caesar Salad, I went with a 2005 Louis Jadot “Bourgogne”. I have had this pairing before and it was quite good. This time was no exception and it paired nicely with the Caesar Salad. It wasn’t perfect as there was a touch of sharpness to it, but I find Caesar salad, due the variations in the Caesar dressing, very hard to perfectly pair wine with.

LCBO information –

Loius Jadot Bourgogne Chardonnay
Vintages 933077
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 18.80
Wine, Still Table Wine, White Still Table Wine
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: Burgundy, France
By: Domaine Louis Jadot
Release Date: Mar 1, 2008

Description - A wonderfully versatile wine, this Chardonnay offers aromas of baked apple, citrus, cinnamon and a hint of vanilla. It's creamy, ripe and balanced. Medium-bodied with a lingering finish. Tantalizing with freshwater fish or a vegetable stir-fry.

Tasting Note - From the geographical headquarters of the Chardonnay grape comes this wonderfully versatile wine. Expect aromas of baked apple, citrus, cinnamon and a hint of vanilla. It's creamy, ripe and balanced. Medium-bodied with a lingering finish. Tantalizing with freshwater fish or vegetable stir-fry.

Serving Suggestion - pork chops with apple sauce.

Note – The LCBO is currently selling the 2006 Bourgogne and not the 2005 Bourgogne listed in the blog.

"Joseph Phelps wine on a budget"

For the Lasagna main course, I went with a 2003 Joseph Phelps “Innisfree” Merlot. A meat lasagna is a fairly substantial food item to pair a wine with. The meat, tomatoes, and cheese are looking for a big wine to go with them. Thankfully the “Innisfree” Merlot was big enough to handle it. This is the low end of the Joseph Phelps product line but there is nothing low end about this Merlot – it is deep, rich and very smooth.

The Joseph Phelps isn’t available at the LCBO, but it is available at the Premier Group in NY State. I bought for around $24 US and on the Premier Group’s website it is now listed for $20 US (about $33 CDN after taxes, duty and LCBO markup charge).

Happy Easter! (The Chocolate Bunny one and not the religious one)

Mark

Saturday Night with my In-laws

I was asked to do my Pine-nut Salmon recipe to go with dinner. The Pine-nut Salmon recipe is actually a recipe I got from Robert Mondavi’s website years ago when they had a fair size recipe collection on the site which is no longer there. You chop up Pine-nuts, Basil and mix them with flour, salt and pepper and then brush the Salmon filets with olive oil and press non-skin side of the Salmon into the mixture. You cook them in an oven ready skillet nut side down with a bit of olive oil at med-high heat until the nuts brown. Once browned, flip them over and put the skillet in the oven for 12 minutes at 375 degrees and then serve.

They are served with a basil/butter sauce which is made from a reduction of wine, heavy cream and minced shallots. Wisk in butter to the reduction and then add basil, lemon, salt and pepper and pour the sauce over the prepared salmon.

"Year after year - consistantly good!"

I brought a couple of bottles of Kendall Jackson Chardonnay to accompany the Salmon. My mother-in-law, Karen made a wonderfully Prime Rib with au jus, Yorkshire Puddings, light green salad and individually portioned mash potatoes with cheese and bacon on top. All the food was so good that evening; the biggest problem I had was the plates weren’t big enough for all of the great food (plates were a good size there was just a lot of food).

LCBO Information –

Kendall Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay 2005

Vintages 369686
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 19.95
Wine, Still Table Wine, White Still Table Wine
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: California, United States
By: Kendall-Jackson
Release Date: Nov 24, 2007

Tasting Note - ... 2005 continues their streak of top-notch wines. Loads of tropical fruit, surprisingly deep texture, medium body, and wonderful purity results in a crisp, elegant, dry Chardonnay. It is ideal for drinking over the next 1-2 years.

Serving Suggestion - pasta in a cream sauce.

The Kendall Jackson Chardonnay went pretty good with the Salmon but was surprising good with the Prime Rib too! The KJ wasn’t perfect with the Salmon and I caught myself wondering if a white Burgundy would be a better match…

Cheers!

Mark

Friday is the new Saturday

As this was Easter weekend, all of us had plans for Saturday and Sunday with family so Mick had us over for dinner on Friday instead. It was Kathy’s birthday on Friday as well so Mick broke out a favourite of Kathy’s – Lamb.

To start, Mick did up Prosciutto wrapped Curried shrimp and paired it with a Robert Mondavi Riesling. The shrimp were grilled to perfection and the wine was a great pairing. The only small criticism I had with the shrimp was, Mick was a tad heavy on the Spice Weasel. I asked him about it and he admitted that he used the hot organic curry powder and cayenne pepper. He usually will either make them with just the hot organic curry powder or use mild curry powder and add the cayenne.

"Makes me hungry just looking at this..."

The main course was a oven roasted lamb with a pesto like crust and a merlot reduction sauce. The sides were steamed broccoli and oven roasted potatoes. The wine was a Kim Crawford 2006 Pinot Noir.

"Great Winery!"

The Pinot had a wonderfully strong berry aroma to it and went well with the lamb. The only downside to the wine was it was a tad acidic. Put this wine down for a couple of years and it will be wonderful.

LCBO Information –

Kim Crawford Pinot Noir 2006
Vintages 626390
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 19.80
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: New Zealand
By: Kim Crawford
Release Date: Sep 29, 2007

Tasting Note - Complex set of aromas, including sour cherry, coffee, underbrush, raspberry and mushroom. Dry with the fruit perfectly surrounded by moderate tannins. This medium-bodied, long-finishing wine will reward 2-5 years in a good cellar or serve it tonight with roast beef or even smoky barbecue fare.

Serving Suggestion - pork tenderloin.

Wine Spectator - Rating 83

Herbal, with good intensity to bright wild berry and red plum flavors wrapped in firm tannin and a grip of cedary oak. Drink now through 2011. 35,000 cases imported. –DS

"The table had to be re-enforced to support this cake!"

For dessert Amy picked up a huge LaRocca Chocolate Fudge cake and Mick opened a bottle of Irony Cabernet Sauvignon. The Irony Cabernet has a deep rich smoke and earthy quality to it which makes this wine seem a lot more decadent than you’d expect for its price.

"Amazing Value!"

LCBO Information –

Irony Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
VINTAGES 25106
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 22.95
Wine, Still Table Wine, Red Still Table Wine
14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Made in: California, United States
By: Delicato Family Vineyards

Release Date: May 26, 2007

Description - This wine was awarded Critics Gold at the Critics Challenge International Wine Competition 2006.

Tasting Note - Rich, sweet black plum and spicy oak aromas with lush textures.

Cheers!

Mark

Wine Club - Pinot Noir

For this month’s Wine Club, the topic was Pinot Noir. I was nervous about doing Pinot Noir for a couple of reasons; I’m not the biggest fan of Pinot Noir and it is very hard to find a good Pinot for around $15-25.

Pinot Noir is a low yielding grape. In New Zealand they are growing both Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc; they can get twice as many bottles of Sauvignon Blanc as they can Pinot Noir from the same plot of land. Add in the fact that Pinot Noir is also a very finicky grape to grow and you can see how the price tag on Pinot Noir can start to grow.


Here is the LCBO Infomation on the two wines we choose -

2005 Austins Pinot Noir

Stock Number – 684142
Volume - 750mL
Price: $ 26.75 (+ $.20 deposit)
Made in: Australia
By: AUSTIN'S BARRABOOL WINES
Release Date: Jan 19, 2008

Description – Geelong is one of Australia's oldest wine regions. A force to be reckoned with in the 19th century, the region lost its footing after being devastated by phylloxera. It eventually rebuilt itself and is now home to dozens of smaller, quality-driven producers like the Austin family. The ocean breezes keep the region cool and Pinot Noir is a star with intense, vibrant fruit aromas and rich generous flavours.

2006 Del Fin Del Mundo Newen Pinot Noir

Stock Number – 55202
Volume - 750mL
Price: $ $ 12.85 (+ $.20 deposit)
Made in: Argentina
By: Bodega Del Fin Del Mundo
Release Date: Jan 19, 2008

Description - The 'winery of the end of the world' is a remarkable project based in the wild Patagonia region at the southern end of Argentina. The climate here is extremely dry, with just 180 mm annual rainfall, so irrigation is needed - the water used for this comes from the River Neuquén, itself fed by Andes melt water... (Jamie Goode, www.wineanorak.com, Sept. 2006) A great value, match this Patagonia Pinot with grilled portobello mushrooms or lasagna.

Opening both of the wines, the Australian Pinot was more aromatic of the two with very good berry notes. Tasting them both was interesting as they were both very different. The fruit on the Newen was very mild and so was the acidity and tannin; nothing jumped out at you but the wine had a nice balance. The Austins had really good fruit but the acidity seemed very high on it. You got the impression that if the Austins sat for a couple more years, it would balance out nicely and be a very lovely wine.

Erik (actually Erik’s wife) brought in a cheese tray and crackers and an amazing Beef Bourgogne for us to try with the wine. I like the Austins with the cheese and crackers but preferred the Newen with the Beef. The opinions on both wines were a real mix from some people not being keen on either to others really enjoying both and the rest of the people being a mix between the two.

It was nice to try a grape that we hadn’t tried before and to try a wine from a Country (Argentina) that we hadn’t tried before. Next month, Wine Club will be looking at sparkling wines.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – Four couples = Four dishes

A couple of times a year, our Saturday night with Mick and Amy expands to include two other couples – Alex + Zdenka and Steve + Melanie. I look forward to these nights as they always turn out to be a great evening filled with lots of good food and wine that is only surpassed by the great company.

Each couple brings a course and a wine pairing to match. This format is awesome as you always get to experience lots of new foods and wines.

The first course for the evening was mine and I went with Hummos + Pita with a Tomato + Feta salad. This was laid out and ready to go as everyone arrived. This way everyone could build a plate and a glass of wine and we could all sit around and get caught up. I served a chilled D’Arenberg “Hermit Crab” Viognier as the wine pairing. I did not take any pictures as I have covered this combination before.

http://zippysauce.blogspot.com/2008/01/saturday-night-pats-packers-pinot-and.html

The second course of the evening was Mick’s responsibility and he chose to prepare Satay Shrimp and Satay Chicken Skewers with a Peanut Garlic Sauce on a bed of Forbidden rice. Mick has made this shrimp recipe for us before in the past, but as both Zdenka and Steve are not big seafood fans, Mick did the chicken as well. Mick did an awesome job grilling both the chicken and the shrimp.

"Chicken vs. Shrimp"

He also decided to try two new German Rieslings with this dish; a Dr. Pauly Bergweiler Bernkasterler alte Badstube am Doctorberg 2006 Riesling Kabinett and a Dr. Pauly Bergweiler Bernkasterler Badstube 2006 Riesling Kabinett.

I think I just developed Carpal tunnel syndrome from typing in those names. Both bottles look almost identical so much so that when Mick bought these from the LCBO the cashier thought something was wrong when they came up as different price points. To simplify things I’m going to refer to the two Rieslings as the “Doctorberg” and the “non-Doctorberg”.

"Can you see the difference?"

The Doctorberg Riesling I found way too sweet. The non-Doctorberg Riesling was still sweeter than I would have liked but had a nice citrus-like bite to it that helped offset the sweetness. This worked out great as Zdenka, who was sitting beside me, loved the sweeter one so we did a “swap” so I got more of the one I liked and she got more of the sweeter one.

LCBO Information - DR. PAULY-BERGWEILER RIESLING KABINETT 2006
(Doctorberg)
VINTAGES 33407
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 21.80
8.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : 6 <-- Wow! No wonder I found this too sweet!
Made in: Moselle, Germany
By: Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler
Release Date: Jan 19, 2008

Description - Bernkasteler Badstube is considered one of the finest terroirs in the whole of the Mosel region. According to Jancis Robinson's The Oxford Companion to Wine (2005), Bernkastel Rieslings are known for their aromas and flavours of orchard fruit, vanilla, nut oils and a characteristic note of black cherry. Enjoy this delicious wine with spiced prawn dishes or a flavourful fish dish.Tasting Note - Rich and dense, this is a hefty kabinett, yet remains within the boundaries. The peach and tropical fruit notes grace a body with ample flesh, but it's lightweight, and mineral emerges on the finish. Drink now through 2010.

LCBO Information - DR. PAULY-BERGWEILER RIESLING KABINETT 2006

VINTAGES 912220
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 24.75
9.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : M
Made in: Moselle, Germany
By: Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler
Release Date: Sep 29, 2007

Description - A dense, rich yet delicate wine filled with apricot, orange and nectarine aromas and flavours. It is medium in sweetness with a long, concentrated finish that is ably balanced by a streak of acidity. Try it with spiced seafood dishes or vindaloo chicken.

"Damn, this was tasty!"

For the third course, Alex stepped up to the plate and knocked his course over the wall. He prepared Braised Short Ribs served with baby carrots and pearl onions. The meat was tender and flavorful and the au jus, carrots and onions made this dish a huge winner.

"Big, bold and lots of pepper!"

He served this with a 2004 Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cab was very good with the beef but had a peppery element to it that reminded me more of an Australian Shiraz.

LCBO Information - CLOS DU BOIS RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2004

VINTAGES 54080
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 29.70
Wine, Still Table Wine, Red Still Table Wine
13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : 1
Made in: California, United States
By: Clos du Bois
Release Date: Dec 8, 2007

Description - Clos du Bois, located in Geyserville, released its first wines in 1974. Erik Olsen, who drew high scores and lots of attention for his work at Chateau Ste. Michelle, took over as winemaker in 2003. This is proto-typical Alexander Valley Cab Sauv: rich, ripe and powerful, packed with fruit and spice. It won a Double Gold at the 2007 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

"Mmmmm!"

"Couldn't decide which picture was better!"

The dessert course for the evening was ably handled by Melanie who did a Chocolate Cheesecake recipe she found on Epicurious.com. I did a search and am 90% sure this is the recipe that she used –

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/reviews/4484

I’m not usually a big dessert fan but the Cheesecake really had a nice rich flavor to it that made it had to pass on. Melanie brought a couple of wines to go with this – A 2005 Leaping Horse Merlot, and a Vidal Icewine.

The Merlot wasn’t a bad pairing but was a bit light versus the richness of the chocolate. A heavier Merlot from Rutherford Hill or Joseph Phelps or even stepping up to a Cabernet Sauvignon would have been a better match. The Icewine was quite good with it which was interesting as I tend to serve Icewine with fruit-based desserts rather than chocolate ones.

"Good Value"

LCBO Information - LEAPING HORSE MERLOT

LCBO 613265
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 12.00
13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Made in: California, United States
By: Ironstone Vineyards

Tasting Note - Medium purple hue with fresh berry, herb and cherry aromas and flavours.

Serving Suggestion - A pleasant, easy drinking wine ideal for lighter fare or warm spring sunset sipping.

For a $12 bottle of Merlot, it is quite a good value and I will have to pick up a couple bottles for the rack.

LCBO Information - JACKSON-TRIGGS PROPRIETORS' RESERVE VIDAL ICEWINE

VINTAGES 594010
375 mL bottle
Price: $ 45.60
9.6% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : S
This is a VQA wine
Made in: Ontario, Canada
By: East-West Wines
Release Date: Feb 2, 2008

Description - This Icewine stands out with its tropical fruit flavours, as well as some wonderful peach, apricot, marmalade and vanilla notes. Sweet, with a silky smooth finish. Rich enough to stand up to pâté or match with custard tarts.

Serving Suggestion - fresh fruit, foie gras or liver pâté.

This Icewine was quite good but I’d suggest the 2007 Henry of Pelham Botrytis Affected Riesling (Vintages # 534628) for $ 27.90 instead as a better value for money. Of course, this just could be my bias against sweeter wines coming through.

I'd like to thank Amy for being the official photographer for the evening and to blame her for no pictures of the Icewine – as soon as Melanie served up her Cheesecake; Amy got a glazed look in her eye and upon eating the cheesecake was making almost sexual noises and all thoughts of taking pictures had quickly disappeared!

Cheers!

Mark

Bonus Sunday Night Dinner

Due to the snow storm, Mick didn’t barbeque the beef tenderloins on Saturday so my wife and I were invited over for a bonus dinner on Sunday. The main course was Beef Tenderloin with a Crab Garnish & Bearnaise Sauce, steamed green beans and oven roasted fingerling potatoes.

"Organic but certainly not orgasmic"

Mick chose a Bonterra 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon as the wine pairing. The nose of the wine was good with black current and smoke clearly present. The initial tasting raised an eyebrow as the wine started nice but had a noticeable sharpness to it. It took me a minute and a couple more sips to figure out what was causing this sharpness but I eventually figured it out – little to no tannin. The wine had good fruit and good acidity but the lack of tannin really hurt this wine. This lack of balance was a shame as it could have been a superb wine and instead ended up being mediocre at best.

LCBO Information - BONTERRA CABERNET SAUVIGNON (current year not 2001)

VINTAGES 342428
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 19.80
12.09% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: California, United States
By: Brown-Forman Louisville Operations
Release Date: Oct 13, 2007

Description - This Cab uses only organically grown grapes and the extra effort rewards with pure aromas and flavours of cassis, plum, cherry and ripe blackberry all wrapped in silky tannins with a medium long finish. Toast mother nature as the harvest comes in over some ratatouille with organic beef.

Wine Spectator rating – 84, 2001 Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon North Coast

Starts ripe, with good intensity to black currant, black cherry and chocolate flavors, but firm tannin and pronounced earthiness mute the finish. Drink now through 2007. 30,000 cases made.

Funny… the Wine Spectator is saying the wine has “firm tannin” that mute the finish but I wasn’t getting that. The review was done in 2004 so maybe the extra 4 years of aging has changed the wine.

The food on the other hand was excellent and maybe that is another reason I was unhappy with the wine as it didn’t match the quality of the food.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – Snow Problem

Mick was planning on grilling up some beef tenderloin for our Saturday night dinner but a large dumping of snow on Friday and Saturday put those plans on hold. Mick switched gears and shifted the menu.

"Look out Martha, here comes Mick!"

The first course was Prosciutto-wrapped Melon with a Balsamic and Olive Oil dipping sauce. When Mick breaks out the melon baller, you know he means business. Mick served a Bottega Brut Prosecco with the appetizer. We haven’t had much exposure to Italian sparkling wine and this made a nice change of pace.

"Good wine - Great price!"

The next course was Pan-seared Scallops with Crab garnish and was also paired with the Bottega. We had this dish about a month ago –

http://zippysauce.blogspot.com/2008/02/saturday-night-micks-cooking-up-storm.html

Last time, the Sauvignon Blanc he served with the scallops wasn’t a great pairing. So, I suggested that a sparkling wine might be a good match. Mick decided to hold me to that suggestion. I’m pleased that he did as the pairing of the scallops and the Bottega was perfect. The Bottega has a really good crispness to it that worked to bring out the flavours of the scallops.

LCBO Information - BOTTEGA VINO DEI POETI PROSECCO

LCBO 897702
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 13.30
11.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content: 1
Made in: Veneto, Italy
By: DISTILLERIA BOTTEGA

Tasting Note - Pale straw colour, fine bubbles; fresh & fragrant with delicate apple, pear, citrus and hints of honeysuckle & white fruit on the nose; dry, with barely a hint of sweetness on palate & flavours of green apple and citrus; refreshing finish.

Serving Suggestion - Serve as an apéritif or try with spring rolls, shrimp, sushi, with melon and prosciutto, light fruit dishes or cheese and fruit.

I had no idea of the price of this wine until looking it up for this article. At $13 per bottle, this is a “must buy” as it is a steal for that price. That just made my day!

"Not quite right..."

Caesar Salad and Beringer 2003 Napa Valley Chardonnay were the next course on the menu. The Beringer Chardonnay poured out a little darker than usual which had me worried. The nose of the wine was fine but it didn’t taste quite right. It was at best OK with the Caesar which was funny as we have had this combination many times before in the past and it is usually excellent. I think there were two problems – 1. The wine was slightly off and 2. We have been drinking a lot more French Chardonnay recently and I’m starting to prefer them.

"Hit me with those yummy Carbs!"

The main course was a Veal and Spinach Ravioli with Mick’s own homemade tomato sauce. Each portion was baked in the oven with cheese. I grabbed a bottle of 2001 Dievole Sangiovese off the rack as our contribution to dinner. This was a funny wine as I had picked up twelve bottles years ago – some were the 2000 vintage and others were 2001 -- and nine of the bottles were excellent and two were awful. It was a $12 bottle at the time so I wrote these differences off as quality control. This was the last bottle of the twelve and I was praying it would be ok.

"A tear in my eye once this was gone."

As I poured out the first glass, I knew my prayers had been answered as there was a wonderful rich aroma coming off the wine and not a trace of cork taint. It went very well with the ravioli. The depth and complexity to this wine were far greater than anyone has the right to expect from a $12 bottle. Unfortunately, it was the last bottle and the LCBO isn’t carrying any of the Dievole label any more.

After we put a good dent in the Dievole, Mick had a wine that he wanted to try with the ravioli – a Hecula Monastrell from Spain which is made from the Mourvèdre grape.

"Twins!"

The first taste I got off this wine was a dish soap-like taste and it didn’t get much better from there. When I mentioned this out loud, Amy thought I was crazy. Then, she had her first sip and her eyes went wide -- “Oh my God! It does taste like dish soap!” Mick liked it and thought we were all crazy. He told us that he had another bottle on the rack that he was going to age and not share with us. At this point, Amy and I burst into laughter and we proceeded to ride Mick pretty hard about this wine through the rest of the evening.

I do want to apologize to Mick as I give him kudos of credit for trying something new – both a wine from Spain and the Mourvèdre grape which we had very little exposure to.

I couldn’t find any information on the Hecula on the LCBO’s website but on the upside you can pick up a case of Sunlight at your local Wal-Mart for a lot less… sorry buddy couldn’t resist.

Amy had picked up a selection of LaRocca cake slices for dessert which I couldn’t have found room for if I tried.

All in all, it was a wonderful night that was a great break from the lousy weather outside. Mick out did himself on all the dishes he served.

Cheers!

Mark