by Margaret Swaine | Aug 30, 2007
Toronto
Splendido
88 Harbour St.
416-929-7788
www.splendido.ca CLOSED
No place in Toronto quite hits the high notes like Splendido. You’re pampered from the moment you walk in. Subdued lighting, dramatic mirrors, large modern paintings, warm polished wood floors and a Brazilian cherry wood bar all add up to feeling of serene luxury. A third generation chef, David Lee is masterful. Subtle hot/sweet/sour/ influences reflective of chef’s Mauritian heritage show up in several dishes such as tuna carpaccio with chili oil and ginger ponzu. Chef carefully nurtures small local organic suppliers so expect the best of Canada such as Nunavut Caribou loin and Nova Scotia lobster with veal oxtail. The impressive wine list by sommelier Carlo Catallo is novella thick with delightful depth in off-beat areas such as Spanish albariños.
North 44
2537 Yonge St.
416-487-4897
www.north44restaurant.com
This sophisticated restaurant has revived itself of late to be back at the top of culinary achievement. Décor is coolly chic and modern. Visiting celebs, high rollers and up-and-comers keep the place buzzing with loud chatter all the more to make you feel you are in a happening spot. Dishes such as romaine hearts with Caesar vinaigrette or lobster salad sound overly familiar yet are executed perfectly. Mains may be duckling three ways or the perennial favourite of regulars, roasted squab, all beautifully presented and matched with organic and seasonal veggies. The extensive wine and drinks list includes a selection of high-end tequilas, sherries and sake.
Truffles
Four Seasons Hotel, 21 Avenue Rd.
416-928-7331
www.fourseasons.com/toronto/dining
The new, young executive chef Lora Kirk is sparking up Truffles with flavourful textured dishes such as cocoa nib crusted sweetbreads and lobster three ways – carpaccio, salsify benedict and consommé. For mains you might find truffled beef cheeks and Ahi tuna or smoked sable fish in golden carrot broth. Service is pampering as can be expected of this tony hotel. Sommelier Sara D’Amato has composed a wine list packed with European classics, New World and Canadian treasures.
Chiado
864 College St.
416-538-1910
Elegantly European this cosy restaurant on a busy eclectically ethnic street serves what has often rightly been called the best Portuguese cuisine outside of Lisbon. Owner Albino Silva has fresh fish flown in daily from the Azores Islands. He makes sure all dishes are artful, authentic and exemplary whether it be grilled squid, gently roasted salt cod, or assorda ( a dry soup of monkfish, lobster, shrimp and clams). The wine list showcases Portugal’s best including madeiras and ports. Desserts such as Natas do Ceu and Pudim flan are classically Portuguese.
Scaramouche
One Benvenuto Place
416-961-9011
www.scaramoucherestaurant.com
Chef and co-owner Keith Froggett now in his 27th year in the kitchen knows how to keep his customers happy with consistently well executed and tasty dishes. Eschewing trends, Froggett focuses on well-balanced dishes of seasonal local ingredients. Organic cod is Basque style with piperade and chorizo sausage while Nova Scotia lobster comes with fresh white asparagus and honey mushrooms. The view of Toronto’s skyline from the top of the old Iroquois shore is as consistently pleasing as the food. The wine list covers the globe with many well chosen picks.
Pangaea
1221 Bay St.
416-920-2323
(CLOSED)
With talented chef Martin Kouprie in the kitchen and skilled co-owner Peter Geary front of house, this sophisticated restaurant passed its first decade with flying colors. Fresh regional cuisine is the mainstay with signature dishes such as mahogany glazed salmon and wild mushroom risotto. Depending upon the season you might find soft shell crab, pickerel or caribou on the menu. About 400 different labels on the wine list cover the globe including an excellent Canadian selection. Desserts by pastry chef Joanne Yolles are a tour de force.
Colborne Lane
45 Colborne St.
416-368-9009
www.colbornelane.com
Uber talented and driven chef Claudio Aprile pushes the boundaries of gastronomy often to great success and equally great controversy by flirting with molecular cuisine and other avant-garde cooking techniques. After six years at Senses, he’s in his element now at the helm of his own in an historic building. The bar upfront, loud music and wall mirrors with white “cocaine” lines down the middle might mislead one to think the food’s not serious. Yet tea smoked squab, peking duck breast with confit chicken or rock hen breast with chorizo stuffed thigh tell a different story. The wine list while not extensive includes interesting picks.
Lai Wah Heen
Metropolitan Hotel, 108 Chestnut St.
416-977-9899
www.metropolitan.com/lwh
On Executive Chef Ken Tam’s new Chinese regional menu you’ll find irresistible dishes from Shanghai, Hong Kong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Shandong represented. Imperial Shanghai crab, Namjin-style beef stew and wok-seared sea cucumber are just a few examples. Dim sum is still the best in the city if not the country. The wine list focuses on varietals and regions that match well with Asian cuisine and includes a few specially imported Chinese rice wines.
Canoe
Fifty-fourth floor, TD Bank Tower, 66 Wellington St.
416-364-0054
www.canoerestaurant.com
The modern Yabu Pushelberg design dining room on two levels maximizes the sight lines to lake and city glittering below. Two tasting menus and the a la carte dishes highlight Canada’s best. Oyster Boy’s finest, La Ferme Foie Gras, Springbank Bison, Yarmouth lobster and St. Canut Farms organic suckling pig are just some of what may be on offer. On the nine item Taste Canoe menu, Nunavut caribou hind with foie gras tourtière is a signature dish so beloved they dare not change it. The inventive desserts deliver more flavour than finesse. By the glass wine pairings are well matched to the dishes by sommelier Teresa Alampur.
The Fifth
225 Richmond St. W.
416-979-3005
Now past its tenth year The Fifth is as glam as ever. The entrance is still off an alleyway, through a pulsating nightclub and up a wood freight elevator of this former warehouse. Then you step into a chic candlelit room of pale woods, long bar and white table cloths. The food however has morphed from fancy French to steakhouse with a twist. Chef JP Challet is back in the tiny kitchen blending his French connection with classic steakhouse fare. Lobster and King crab roll with white chocolate foam is a main that delivers succulent hot butter poached lobster meat alongside the crunch of cool fresh crab. Bison ribeye is married with venison sauce, filet mignon with béarnaise and New York striploin with oxtail ravioli and morel sauce. Desserts are tried and true classics such as crème brûlée, chocolate mousse and molten chocolate cake.
Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar
9 Church St.
416-362-1957
(CLOSED)
The best place to sit is at the long bar overlooking the open kitchen. The 34 seat joint exudes rustic warmth that encourages sharing of food (especially the famous Yukon Gold fries). Executive Chef Jamie Kennedy is rarely behind the stove, rather menus and cooking is in the capable hands of Wine Bar Chef Tobey Nemeth. The grazing menu of inexpensive small dishes is very seasonal, very tasty and pan global with a strong emphasis on local and organic produce. Black cod with leeks and honey is melt in the mouth. Pork side ribs are poached and then grilled with Caribbean spices. Artisanal cheeses are the best from Canada. All dishes including the house made desserts have imaginative wine by the glass matches expertly chosen by sommelier Jamie Drummond.
The Globe Bistro
124 Danforth Ave.
416-466-2000
(CLOSED)
This long narrow building at the edge of Toronto’s “GreekTown” started out in 1908 as a nickelodeon and later became a bowling alley. In the evening the tapas and wine bar at the front packs with partiers and the two level dining in back past the open kitchen jams with happy diners. Chef Ben Heaton focuses on organic and regional produce so expect to find the best from local Canadian suppliers. Georgian Bay Pickerel on a bed of organic Ontario wild rice, Swiss chard and smoked bacon vinaigrette is a perfect interplay of textures and flavours. Berkshire pork chop with local sunchokes is another winner. The extensive, well priced wine list includes over 27 by the glass and many special Canadian selections. Don’t skip the desserts by pastry chef Nis’qu Klos.
George
111C Queen St. E.
416-863-6006
www.georgeonqueen.com
Exposed breams, 1850 brick walls and scuffed wood floors create an atmosphere both historic and opulent due to antiques, chandeliers and Art Nouveau wrought iron. In the summer the hidden courtyard patio is a city gem. Chef Lorenzo Loseto does tapas style small plates in a fine dining setting. The menu is divided into 5 courses graduating from lighter to richer and for each course there are five choices. To start perhaps olive oil poached scampi with navy bean puree, followed by black miso cod, then pecan dusted bison ribeye, Le Corsaire goat’s milk cheese and finished with chocolate custard torte with almond nougat ice cream. Wine list is imaginative with plenty of good value selections.
Senses
SoHo Metropolitan Hotel, 318 Wellington St. W.
416-599-8800
https://www.sohohotel.ca/
Chef Patrick Lin has been lured back to add new inspiration to Senses at SoHo Met. Formerly with Truffles and Hemispheres and most recently at The Royal Garden in Hong Kong, Lin is a master at French with Asian influences done with precise yet inventive execution. House made gravlax may come with Dungeness crab parcels, Ahi tuna is married with sweet and sour mango, and sea bass carpaccio is served warm with white and green asparagus. Mains could be soft-shell crab paired with black cod or Kobe rib eye served with caramelized onion puree and garlic mousse. Wine list is carefully chosen to be paired with the French and Asian influenced cuisine.
Susur
601 King St. W.
416-603-2205
www.susur.com
One of Toronto’s most celebrated chefs, Susur Lee has created a whole new way of dining at his chic minimalist restaurant in a funky, trendy neighborhood. Whether you agree or not with his reverse order menu – heavier meats first, followed by seafood and finishing with vegetables – you will get a dining experience like no other. Dishes marry his Chinese origins to his French training with the result that subtle Asian flavors, contrasting textures and classic reduction sauces combine in mouthfuls of savory exotica. Best are the seafood dishes. Tender lobster and shrimp wrapped in crunchy shoestring potato on a bed of pink peppercorn lobster sauce showcase chef’s talents. A selection of bite size desserts (about ten if you’re a couple) caps the meal.
Mistura
265 Davenport Rd. CLOSED
416-515-0009
With co-owner Paolo Paolini dispensing smooth front of the house service and renowned Chef Massimo Capra in the kitchen, it’s no wonder the place is consistently packed with loyal customers. A seat in one of the discreet booths of this comfortably sophisticated resto helps cut the chatter noise. The cuisine is contemporary Italian with dishes such as carpaccio di manzo, risi e bisi (thick rice and spring pea soup) and the Mistura creation risotto rosso (red beet risotto with beet greens). Mains include slow cooked rabbit and Kobe flat iron beef in wine reduction. Molten chocolate torte and other desserts are a treat. Wines are grouped by price and include big Italian and Californian reds.
Le Cordon Bleu
453 Laurier St. E.
613-236-2499
www.lcbottawa.com
As can be expected, or even demanded, Signatures Restaurant in a former private dining club (Le Cercle) that houses Le Cordon Bleu adheres to French classics on its menu. The Ottawa location was Le Cordon Bleu’s first school to operate in North America. (Le Cordon Bleu, established in Paris in 1895, is the world’s foremost school for teaching classical French cuisine.) The menus, which change seasonally, have a modern innovative spin – for example deconstructed gazpacho, lobster medallion with fresh mint oil or lake perch in cocotte with oxtail daube ravioli. The gorgeous décor in yellows and blues of Pierre Deux French Country fabric and furniture is cheerfully charming. Serious French wines adorn the list that includes a good Canadian selection and many by the glass choices.
Zucca
2150 Yonge St. CLOSED
416-488-5774
New Zealand born chef/owner Andrew Milne-Allan cooks pure Italian from the soul. He takes traditional Italian dishes, deconstructs and improves them with a deft touch, drawing inspiration from Naples, Umbria, Sicily, Sardinia and elsewhere on the boot. Sformato di gallinacci is an unctuously soft flan rich with wild chanterelles and creamy taleggio cheese. All fresh pastas are made in house. Pici al ragu d’anatra con funghi a creamy savoury dish of hand-rolled spelt flavoured spaghetti tossed with duck breast and fresh porcini, has a reduction sauce that’s so good you’ll want to lick the plate. Fish is a specialty and the choices of the evening, perhaps branzino, porgy and orata, and are brought out bright eyed so you can pick. Desserts include vanilla-bean and dark chocolate gelato ‘drowned’ in hot espresso coffee. The 70 label wine list is largely affordable Italian, intelligently chosen.
Treadwell Restaurant
61 Lakeport Road, Port Dalhousie
Tel: 905-934-9797
www.treadwellcuisine.com
Buying from small, local farmers who sell direct to the restaurant, chef/owner Stephen Treadwell epitomizes farm to table cuisine based on his great connections built up during 11 years at Queen’s Landing in Niagara-on-the-Lake. White fish is bought fresh from Port Dover day boats, artisan greens from Wyndym Farm, oils from Persall Naturals and tarts from Niagara Vinegars. Water vistas of the old Welland Canal provide a soothing dining experience. Sommelier and son James Treadwell sources rare VQA Canadian and European wines.
Beckta
226 Nepean St.
613-238-70663
www.beckta.com
Michael Moffatt, recently promoted to chef, is upholding the high standards at this sleek modern restaurant within a modest 1920 Victorian home in Centretown Ottawa. With a focus on local and organic expect to find organic greens with goat cheese or house made gnocchi with cèpes among the appetizers. Mains may be Berkshire Black pork duo or boneless lamb Porterhouse with natural jus. The international wine list which focuses on small producers has a good Canadian representation.
Tony de Luca
Oban Inn, 160 Front St., Niagara-on-the-Lake
905-468-7900
Menus by Chef Tony de Luca in three or four prix fixe formats focus on regional cuisine while the tasting menus allow Chef to express his fancies as does his chef’s table of eight to ten dishes. The tables in the conservatory with the delightful views of the garden are the best in this 76-seat restaurant. De Luca owns a cheese shop down the road hence the selection of local and international cheese is always good. The Niagara region is covered well in the wine selection. (This restaurant is now permanently closed.)
Didier
1496 Yonge St.
416-925-8588
(CLOSED)
Chef Didier Leroy’s refined French cuisine is so classic non-foodies may not get the nuances. Chef’s handsome gypsy looks and his gentle manners cloak his meticulous devotion to perfection on the plate. The soup de jour may be Ésaü, a puréed of black lentils. Seared beef tenderloin comes with a refined veal marrow bordelaise sauce and just the correct amount of dauphine potatoes, white asparagus and slivered shallots. A fresh trio of local fish is perched on mushroom duxelles, their moist delicate flesh enhanced with a savoury red wine genevoise sauce. Patrons return specifically for the soufflé desserts such as the Côte D’Azur, a spoon tender Grand Marnier flavoured version atop a chestnut purée. The 120 selection wine list is exclusively French and Canadian hand-chosen to match with the food.
Barberians
7 Elm St.
416-597-0335
www.barberians.com
Tradition runs deep in this classic steak house opened by the Barberian family in 1959. Even the latest expansion built in 2006 above their two-storey wine cellar sticks to old wood paneling and vintage photos. The waiters, career pros all, have many decades on the floor, while Chef Steve Rigakos boasts over thirty years at their old style charcoal pit grill. Fresh daily fish, ribs and lamb have their devotees but well aged U.S. Prime and Choice steaks are the draw for most regulars, including Hollywood stars. The cheese menu and the chance to enjoy more of the stellar cellar of 2,000 global labels are better than any dessert. Have a vintage port (selection opened daily) or XO calvados with your vintage Ottawa Valley cheddar and Colston Bassett Stilton.
Joso’s
202 Davenport Rd.
416-925-1903
www.josos.com
Since 1977 Joso’s has been dishing up fresh Mediterranean seafood in a converted house at Ave & Dav. Owner Joso Spralja was half of the folk band Malka and Joso and host of a CBC music show back in the sixties. However it’s his colourful paintings and sculptures, heavy on the breasts and sexual innuendo and glass art by daughter Elena Spralja-Saldini which draw attention now in the restaurant. And the food. Celebrities still flock here for the calamari and the fresh Adriatic fish simply grilled with olive oil and lemon over an open flame. Black ink spaghettini and risotto nero are other favourites. In summer a small patio opens out front and upstairs is for overflow or private parties. The wine list encompasses both Old and New World including the more obscure.
by Margaret Swaine | Aug 1, 2007
ClubLink NewsLink
For this winter California reds get warm reviews
By Margaret Swaine
Every spring when the Wine Institute of California holds their annual Wine Fair tour that crosses Canada golf club managers came out in force. Wine agents in the know say California wines are big on the golf courses. They are the “go to” wine.
Private golf club members may have a beer or two to refresh right after a game but when they sit down to dinner it is wine that’s the beverage of choice. However in summertime few want the tannic old world reds that demand attention, veneration and long cellar aging. People opt for the more ripe grape character offered by wines from warmer climates. California, Australian, or South American reds are gentler on the palate and often the pocket book.
The Golden State tops the chart in popularity. Golf club managers I talked to all spoke of Cali cabs. With over 1,000 Californian wineries as members of the Wine Institute, choice is never a problem. Or perhaps it is. There is not only a myriad of cabernets but also almost 100 other grape varieties grown in nearly 100 viticultural regions. It’s the world’s fourth largest wine producer after Italy, France and Spain. It’s a blessing then that our clubs do some tasting and selection for us.
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Tiger Woods I’ve heard is a sophisticated consumer who favours the pricy Far Niente wines of Napa Valley. I’m told that when he wins the green jacket at Augusta, Far Niente cabernet and chardonnay are his dinner picks.
Of course you can’t go wrong with those big boys of California including Cakebread, Phelps, Chateau St. Jean, and Etude if you have the bucks. For the best from their cellars you generally need at least a C-note per bottle at retail. Chateau St. Jean’s Cinq Cépages Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 (Ontario Classics Catalogue $99.) is an amazingly lush yet elegant red from the best Bordeaux variety vineyards in Sonoma County. (Predominantly cabernet sauvignon it’s blend has four other classic Bordeaux varietals.) Its trademark chocolate cherry bouquet is enhanced by its gripping yet plump tannins and great intensity. Chateau St. Jean also has a lovely Sonoma County Fumé Blanc 2005 ($19.95) that’s a perfect balance of tangy citrus fruit and ripe melon, crisp yet well rounded on the palate.
Etude Merlot 2002 from Napa Valley ($99.99) is an iconic red with big bold ripe flavours, sweet with alcohol (14.8%), plump and plummy in the mouth.
Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is such a fine wine at a tremendous value ($39.95) that it is a Vintages Essential at the LCBO. The 2004 vintage has a pure ripe brambleberry character and layers of sweet oak and smokiness that is open-knit yummy enjoyment. Stag’s Leap has a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 that’s also well-priced ($55) for its quality offering a nicely structured firm berry oak character with polished elegance. What a perfect day. Swing on the course then swig Californian on the 19th hole.
by Margaret Swaine | Jul 1, 2007
Spain’s hot these days. The food scene has been going gangbusters ever since Ferran Adrià put El Bulli on the tip of the tongue of foodies around the globe. As for wines, sales have surged so impressively that as of 2005 Spain is the world’s second largest wine exporter overtaking France and surpassed only by Italy. Dollar sales in Canada are up an astonishing seventy-five per cent in the past decade.
Influential wine critics such as America’s Robert Parker have labelled Spain as an undiscovered wine giant that is quickly becoming the wine world’s most fashionable subject. Wine Spectator has called Spain “the new source of Europe’s most exciting wine and food”. The buzz among wine pundits is that Spanish wines under promise and over deliver often at very reasonable prices.
Restaurateurs in Canada are beginning to take note. Savvy ones have already expanded their Spanish selection beyond a token Rioja or Penedés cava to include some varietals and styles on the cutting edge of new trends. This includes whites from the albariño grape and reds from emerging regions such as Jumilla and Toro.
Carlo Catallo, sommelier at Splendido in Toronto has three albariño wines on his novella size list. These whites are still relatively unknown in North America so it’s a “hand sell” says Catallo. However he adds, “I serve one in particular by the glass. When brought to people it’s a big success.” And that’s despite the price of $17 per glass of this Albariño Lagar de Cervera 2005. Catallo says his Spanish reds are dominated by the tempranillo grape wines. “Tempranillo is such a great food wine and it’s great value,” explained Catallo. “It’s the varietal that moves.”
While Rioja and Ribera del Duero are the most popular regions for the Splendido’s tempranillo reds, the restaurant also carries tempranillos from Toro, an emerging wine region to the west of Rueda. This is also bull-raising country where the tempranillo is called “tinta de toro” and it’s made big and ballsy. Less than ten years ago Toro was almost forgotten and underachieving. Then came the rumour that the venerable Vega Sicilia, Spain’s most revered winery was entering Toro’s arena. Bullish investors transformed the area which today boasts Vega Sicilia’s Pintia, Michel Rolland’s Campo Eliseo and dozens of new wineries underway.
Lifford Wine Agency which imports Toro and other Spanish wines into Ontario has had to create a waiting list for restaurants keen on some of their more popular Spanish selections. “I was expecting resistance to the unknown Spanish wines. I was really surprised at how positive the response was,” said Lifford sales consultant Nick Keukenmeester. “The wonderful thing is Spanish wines lend themselves to so many styles of food,” said Keukenmeester. “Their combination of fruit and complexity…some are laced with herbs and spices. It leads you into food.”
Spanish vineyards occupy the greatest land area of any country (almost three million acres) and the country is the third largest wine producer on this planet. With over 60 officially designated wine regions – called Denominaciones de Origen or DO – and more than 6,000 wineries the sheer numbers are daunting.
Why all the excitement now? Spain’s wine landscape has undergone dramatic transformation in the hands of a new generation of winemakers. The rancio styled whites with oxidative nuttiness are but a curiosity from the past. Fresh crisp dry unoaked whites have moved to the forefront. Tired over-oaked Riojas have faded away in favour of vibrant, bold yet elegant reds. The country is in the unique spot of offering new-old wines where old forgotten regions which happen to have amazing old vines with deep roots are being revived with new winemaking techniques. Well-known and traditional grape varieties and regions are reaching new heights and hot new areas are popping up.
“We can say that two types of wine regions are in the spotlight now,” reports David Villanueva González at the Economic and Commercial Office of Spain in Canada. “On one hand traditional wine regions such as Ribera del Duero, Penedés and Jerez…and on the other hand, newcomers into the international scene such as Jumilla, La Mancha and Rias Baixas.”
Thus by improving the blood circulation, effective and cheap Kamagra facilitate fuel content for working of the kamagra online. purchase viagra online unica-web.com A canadian viagra online you can try these out detox plan is ideal to avoid slow intestinal transit problems, like constipation, and for aiding the body’s organs that are responsible with digestion, like the liver, kidneys and gallbladder. Depending on what is causing your premature ejaculations, number of prescriptions can be given to you. cialis tadalafil online And the fourth advantage is it can eliminate bad points from your record, aiding levitra generika 40mg you in getting a favorable insurance quote, among others. “Within the group of Spanish grapes, we highlight the foremost Spanish grape called tempranillo and other two varieties such as albariño and monastrell as the fanciest varieties,” he said. Tempranillo is best known as the red variety of Rioja but also achieves greatness in other areas including Ribera del Duero, Cigales, La Mancha and of course the aforementioned Toro.
Tempranillo is popular even in cities where consumers are more conservative about their wine choices. At Don Quijote in Calgary, part-owner Jim Beddome said, “Sometimes Calgary is a little behind but over the years the Rioja has become quite popular.” Marques de Murrieta Reserva is a customer favourite at the higher end and Torres Sangre de Toro is a big seller in the mid-range price. Further west at high profile Lumière in Vancouver as might be expected there’s an albariño and a number of tempranillo based reds on the list from Ribera del Duero and Jumilla as well as Rioja.
“Vancouver’s a city where people are very open minded,” said Lumière’s sommelier Sebastien Le Goff. Last September Le Goff had only one white and two Spanish reds on his list. Now he has over a dozen. According to Le Goff the Spanish wine craze started about 18 months ago in the States and about six months ago in British Columbia. “I think Spain offers a tremendous price quality ratio. The best in Europe at the moment. A lot of the wines are very food friendly.”
What are the fashionable regions to put on a wine list? In whites it’s Rias Baixas in Spain’s northwest coastal region of Galicia where albariño fever began. This aromatic native Galician variety accounts for over ninety per cent of the production in the region either as a single varietal wine or as the dominant grape in historic blends such as Blanco Rosal.
In reds, don’t ignore Rioja but add some other top regions. Ribera del Duero, home of Vega Sicilia and other iconic reds namely Pesquera and Pingus only got its appellation status in 1982. Its powerful and age worthy reds rival the world’s very best. Neighbouring areas such as Toro offer much of the sizzle without the high prices the top Duero reds now command. The key red variety of these regions, tempranillo is to Spain what sangiovese is to Italy and pinot noir to Burgundy. Namely it’s elegant, polished, distinctive and especially food friendly.
Priorat, a tiny mountainous ancient area has gone from obscurity to stardom in just over a decade. Situated in Catalonia within the larger DO of Tarragona its brawny wines are based on garnacha (grenache in French) often blended with the likes of cariñena, cabernet and syrah. Like the grenache based blend Châteauneuf-du-Pape from southern France, its reds are big, smooth and powerful. Jumilla, another Mediterranean region has sandy vineyards and old pre-phylloxera ungrafted monastrell vines. The grape is known as mourvèdre in France where it often goes into Rhone blends and southern reds to add a meaty intrigue. In Jumilla it creates dark, fragrant full bodied wines that can impress.
Spanish wines are trendy throughout Europe and growing quickly in popularity in North American. Any restaurant worth its salt should be adding more to their wine list. It’s only a matter of time before the wave will hit.
The Match Game – What to wash down with your Spanish wine.
Spanish wine is praised for its food friendly nature. The crisp non-oaked whites such as those of the grape albariño virtually cry for fish and seafood. The lower tannins, good fruit and nice acidity of tempranillo reds go with all kinds of meats, pastas and even certain seafoods. Jonathan Gonsenhauser, sommelier at Pangaea in Toronto said their tempranillo reds go particularly well with some of their signature dishes such as sweetbreads with wild mushrooms on noodles as well as the soft shell crab. Dishes with olive oil, sweet peppers and garlic marry well. In Rioja grilled lamb is a classic. And of course tapas and Spanish food such as chorizo, stuffed calamari and paella are naturals.
by Margaret Swaine | Jun 9, 2007
By Margaret Swaine
(National Post June 9, 2007)
The invite was intriguing. Come to a get-your-gumboots-on and get-your-hands-dirty, educational wine boot camp on the grounds of the Naramata Bench in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. If I accepted this mission, I was to join about two dozen sommeliers coming in from western Canada. Our hosts were to be a maverick group of 19 independent boutique wineries with such names as Laughing Stock, Elephant Island, Therapy, Soaring Eagle and Black Widow. It was a challenge a journalist couldn’t refuse.
Day One
05:30 hours. Up early to catch Air Canada’s direct Toronto to Kelowna flight at 08:10. So far so good. No free food on the almost five hour flight but I’d brought my tuck bag. Individual video monitors with a choice of movies helped the time fly.
09:55. Arrival (BC time). Transfer to Deer Path Lookout Bed & Breakfast Inn up in the hills just south of Penticton. All of us were billeted at “winemakers’ cottages” at small inns right on winery property or at nearby B&B’s. Some rooms such as at Therapy and Lake Breeze had tremendous views overlooking Okanagan Lake. Mine, owned by a charming couple John Archer and Douglas Bertz, was nestled in a forest. I had feared barrack like accommodations but this was deluxe, tastefully decorated with Canadian art and sculptures.
13:00. Arrival at the patio of Elephant Orchard Wines for a welcoming picnic. Our gumboots are all lined up with our names pinned on them. I see I’ll be joined by some of the best of the west sommeliers from the likes of Vancouver’s Lumière, Raincity Grill, C Restaurant, Bishops, Four Seasons and Beach House, Whistler’s Araxi and Kelowna’s Fresco. But few have arrived yet. Rumour went around that the bus had stopped in Chilliwack for beer and then again at Manning Park Lodge to “let the beer out”. It was going to be a fun few days.
14:30. Rob Van Westen of Van Westen Vineyards herds the now fed, wined and booted sommeliers onto a bus to the vineyards. Naramata Bench is one of the fastest growing viticulture regions in BC. However its 450 or so acres of vines represent just 7 per cent of total Okanagan acreage. The production of the individual wineries ranges from a mere 600 cases to 24,000; a still very small annual output. Work here is hands on and all the winemakers show deep tans. Rob points out his brother, “I’ve a red neck but he’s the real thing.”
14:50. We’re at block 2560 Naramata Bench to hear from viticulturalists, geologists and experts from the Canada Research Centre. Miranda Halladay of Elephant Island brings things down to earth with a story about Rob. “He’s an instructor for tractor safety. He rolled his tractor last year and broke his hip.” Sure enough while gingerly walking Rob points out a building, “I was born in that house. Out of my mom in 15 minutes for the first of many ambulance rides of my life.”
15:00. The sun beats down on us as we move about the vineyards where apple and cherry trees once grew. The Van Westen family like many farm families in the area did the math and ripped up fruit trees to plant grapes. The research scientists tell us about microclimates in the area and how even within a vineyard the temperature can vary from six to eight degrees. I hide under a tree that’s still standing to lower my own microclimate. Then the geologists suggest we jump into a deep trench they have dug to see soil variations for ourselves. Some of the sommeliers actually do this. The talk begins, “About 70 million years ago a fault opened up…” and a shortened version of about one billion years of geology is crammed into our heads.
16:45. We’ve now learned how different soils affect the profile and taste of a wine. We’ve been shown how to plant, leaf pluck and prune a vine. The sommeliers are having in-depth discussions with the viticulturalists. I’ve lost my interest in dirt and am focussed on the cool wines on the tasting table under the cherry tree and sneak some. Van Westen Vivacious 2005, pinot blanc with a hint of gris tastes plump and peachy to me. “This has been really neat to learn the technical side of things,”says Janis Hodgins of Pair Bistro. Cheers I say.
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17:30. Everyone’s gone to their premises to freshen up. I stop to admire the lake view from the digs among the vineyards of Lake Breeze. Jeff Van Geest the chef/owner of Aurora Bistro has scored this place for the overnight along with a chilled bottle of Lake Breeze Pinot Blanc 2006 (which I find has great intensity and aromatics in a plump body). Like the others he’s passionate about wine and says of his vacation time, “I’ve done nothing but wine tours for the past ten years….They don’t have to sell me on the Okanagan. It’s our Napa Valley.”
19:00. We reconvene at Hillside Estate Winery, one of several in the area that has a restaurant on premises. The evening’s still sunny but now with a cooling breeze. Their Barrel Room Bistro serves up lamb chops, shrimp on the barbie, roast beef on Yorkshire pudding and all the wine we can drink. If this is boot camp, I want to sign up for life.
Day Two
08:30. Breakfast at Deer Path is poached eggs on pancetta with freshly made tomato sauce on a bed of local spring asparagus. It’s divine as is the dark roast coffee.
10:00. The sommeliers straggle into the parking lot at Soaring Eagle. It seems there were more than a few adventures after dinner. The late partiers who overnighted at Therapy joke about their dreams. The four who stayed at Spiller Estate have a tale to tell. They had locked themselves out of their B&B cottage. At 2am when they wanted to hit the hay, there was no one inside to rouse. A bottle of Elephant Island Stellaport through the window solved the ‘technical difficulties’, a situation which bore some delicate explanation over coffee the next morning.
10:30. Our varietal tasting takes place on the veranda with a full panel of speakers and 12 wines to taste. The excitement about the region is palatable and we hear in 20 years the whole area will likely be converted to grapes. The winemakers introduce themselves, “I’m Ian Sutherland from Poplar Grove. I’m a bit hung over,” gets a huge and empathetic laugh. We start with a comparison of seven Naramata pinot gris all from 2006. Pinot gris is one of the great successes on the Bench and all the wines display plenty of good character. I love the ripe plump tropical pineapple aspects in the Laughing Stock, Soaring Eagle and Poplar Grove pinots. Nichol Vineyard’s pinot gris is slightly pink from more time on the skins and shows minerals with citrus flavours. Van Westen has a minerally granny apple leanness as does Township 7. A long discussion ensues about whether grapefruit, minerals, pineapple or other characteristics can be said to define these Naramata Bench wines.
11:30. We taste five 2005 merlots, the red variety which is a favourite in the area. Words like burlap, tobacco, smoke and big berry fruit come up a lot. Much is said too about taming the dominant tannins and managing the high alcohol that the merlot in this area tends to get.
12:30. Chef Marcus at Lake Breeze presents us with a buffet of salads, paella, cannelloni, fresh fruit crisp, cheesecake and more. The winery pours an interesting smooth pinotage, a rare grape variety outside of its native South Africa.
14.30. The most serious seminar of the camp is at Laughing Stock. For the next several hours we learn about oak barrels. “The barrel is the tool for the winemaker,” begins Michael Weyna of Saury Barrels. We taste wines aged in barrels made by different coopers and from different French forests. We compare wines aged in American, Hungarian and French barrels. We sample the effect of different toasting levels (barrels are purposely charred inside – fire caramelizes the wood sugars) and of toasted heads (ends of the barrel). Believe it or not attention is rapt.
18:00 The Sommelier Olympics begin. We’re divided into four teams of five, the rest are appointed judges. I join up with the “Uncorked Wonders”. Game One we have to make a cocktail using ingredients provided. The base spirit is 75 per cent alcohol quickly causing contestants and judges to unhinge inhibitions. My team ranks a dismal third place. In Game Two judges toss our gumboots into a pile. We must find their own boots and put them on; the faster the more points. A free-for-all tumble results. No one wins. Game Three is complicated: Trim the shoots of vines, role a barrel around a tree, cork two bottles, uncork them, climb a ladder blindfolded and empty the bottles into a decanter. Sobriety helps but even then people get drenched. The final test is saber the tops off champagne bottles; the team who can get the caps to fly the farthest gets top points. At the end of it all my team wins the golden gumboots. I’m not sure how – it was all a blur by then. But the boots are now a trophy in my wine cellar.
by Margaret Swaine | May 12, 2007
Lovely in London – Idlewyld Inn
By Margaret Swaine
(Ottawa Citizen May 12, 2007)
Some inns are a stronger draw than the cities that house them. Such is the case with Idlewyld Inn, an 1878 mansion in London Ontario that has been transformed into 23 unique guest suites. “Guests come here as a destination and then look for things to do,” said Christine Kropp who is proprietor with her husband John. Staying there I felt the inn helped me change my perceptions of London. Such was its appeal, after a conference instead of leaving this city on the Forks of the Thames, I stayed on and discovered the area.
The Idlewyld was originally the private home of Charles Smith Hyman, a renaissance man of the highest order. He was Mayor of London, a cabinet minister in Wilfred Laurier’s government, captain of Canada’s most successful cricket team and seven times Canadian men’s singles tennis champion. He’s also credited with introducing the game of bridge to Canada and late into the night I found guests at the inn playing cards in the parlour by the fireplace. It was a picture perfect homage to the world’s most revered card game.
I was wooed more by the elegance of the restoration, the magnificent antiques and the attention to period detail. I live in an 1828 restored home and know how much time, patience and money it takes to keep period while living modern. I noticed at the entrance a beautiful jewelled stained glass window above the door and found out it was painstakingly taken apart, fixed and reassembled. The gleaming exotic hand carved woods in the rooms all displayed the talented craftsmanship of days past. Not only were there doors, baseboards and doorframes in carved wood but also interior wood shutters that folded into the inside of the windowsills so they could be out of sight during the day.
Only people who really care about getting the past right would have gone to this kind of trouble and expense in restoration. I had to ask the couple about their own experience with the inn. When the Kropps bought the place four years ago it had already undergone many changes and been refurbished into a luxury inn. They told me they researched the inn’s past with an eye to restoring and expanding it perfectly in tune with its origins. They spent millions in the process.
The dining room for example had all new recreated beams that fit like a glove into the décor. “When a client sits down here I want them to feel like they are in the original building,” said John. Both John and Christine are accountants but John, the more gregarious and handy of the two looks after the food and beverage aspects of the inn, the construction and the marketing. Christine handles the day-to-day, accounting, packages and business development.
Period upholstery in muted greens, burgundy and gold graces the lounge. The couple spent months visiting manufacturers before they found the right one to make the dining room’s highback upholstered chairs (to be comfortable and absorb noise). Antique dealer and local character Bud Gowan helped them find the antiques. It’s been a dedicated labour of love. Yet Christine says, “Once we’re finished we’ll redecorate the rooms again,” noting that bathrooms and bedrooms need constant updating to stay current.
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For that very reason no room was like the other. Some had spanking new marble bathrooms with Jacuzzi tubs while others still needed an update. My room 202 despite an ordinary bathroom was lovely with its fireplace, three interior shuttered south facing bay windows and high ceiling. One of my favourite rooms was 301 on the top floor with slanted ceilings and turreted windows. Another gem, the west facing room 204 was large, with lots of original shutter windows and an air-jet soaker tub in the newly renovated bathroom.
The Kropps want the Idlewyld to get a five diamond rating for its food and have given executive chef Andrew Wolwowicz full reign to do the necessary to attain that status. Local meats and produce, fresh fish flown in from our coasts and wild game are on the menu. My sweet pepper soup with lobster was delicious and my hearty venison dish cooked to European standards. Breakfast which in summer can be taken outdoors on the patio is generous. For twelve dollars I had eggs Florentine with fruit, potato, toast, coffee and fresh made scones.
While in London I enjoyed an excellent Michel Tremblay play at the notable Grand Theatre (said to have a resident ghost), visited the Banting House and Eldon House both seeped in fascinating history and did a tour and tasting at the original Labatt Brewery. On Richmond Row I found great shopping, particularly lightening my wallet at Fisher & Company. As I drove away from the Idlewyld I felt gratitude that an inn had lead me to discover the special character of historic London, at the hub of a delightful circuit of small Ontario towns.
If You Go:
London is about a six hour drive from Ottawa. You can also travel by Via Rail (the station is just minutes away from the inn).
Where: Idlewyld Inn, 36 Grand Ave., London ON N6C 1K8. 1-877-435-3466. Website: www.idlewyldinn.com Email: innkeeper@idlewyldinn.com
Cost: Rooms rates vary according to room and season from $129. to $199. Dinner and breakfast package starts at $255.
Activities: The Idlewyld packages activities in the area including the Grand Theatre in winter, golf at London’s premium courses such as Firerock in summer and a “perfect elopement” package which includes wedding ceremony, couples massage and breakfast in bed. The Spa at Wortley Village is just two blocks away in the Old South area of London. Stratford, St. Mary’s, Port Stanley and other charming towns are less than an hour drive away.
