Answer: Arguably the best 100% Merlot wine produced in Italy. Like Chateau Petrus in Pomerol (arguably the best 100% Merlot from France) it is grown on deep dark (“blue”) clay soils suitable for obtaining big intense impressive fruit from this grape variety. Originally part of the Tenuta dell’Ornellaia stable with Masseto’s first vintage in 1986 it now has evolved to a unique single vineyard (organic since 2012) with an independent underground modern gravity flow winery since the 2018 vintage. Classy unique Bordeaux-styled Super Tuscan IGT wine worth trying sometime as a very special treat.
The 10th Annual Curry Cup was held on March 11th by Chefs’ Table Society of British Columbia & Mount Pleasant Business Improvement Area showcasing a wide variety of curry culinary creations. The original idea was launched a decade ago as a result of several board members of @ChefsTableBC wanting to have a fun event spotlighting curry dishes – often the most popular restaurant staff meal. Talented Executive Director Shawna Gardham sums it up well as “The Curry Cup was created as a tongue in cheek competition about who had the “best” staff meal – and as we all know, we eat lots of curry as a staff meal. It also highlights that these meals, although having some similarities, come from all corners of the world, representing all peoples of the world. The event is meant to be educational for guests and a time for chefs and their brigades to showcase their culinary talents. ” Today it has become a vibrant popular event showing the diverse and delicious world of curry dishes in this region prepared by talented chefs. This edition had a wide diversity of ingredients used for dishes ranging from a refined sidestripe shrimp, butternut squash & crispy shallots to a full blown Texas style smoked brisket with cilantro yogurt. Diversity prevailed with exciting items of Jamaican spiced bison & wild rice, glazed chicken & masala paneer, Caribbean goat & plantains, Fraser Valley pork & vegetable dumplings with zingy Trini green sauce, Chettinad prawn with tamarind rice, Moringa bone marrow with taro pinwheel, authentic Goan fish curry with green mango, and 3 desserts plus wines, beers and sea ciders.
The judges awarded the Cup this year to Katy Cheung & Kyumin Kim of Andrea Carlson’s Burdock & Co with a superb vegetarian Cantonese Sunchoke, Black Salsify Ga Lei with Tofu & fragrant coconut on eight grain rice. Delicious.
Do you have a personal fav curry dish? Please let us know.
Answer: An old rare autochthonous but now enthusiastically revived thick-skin white grape variety planted mostly in southeast Piedmont that is rapidly becoming a cult gem of wine lovers. Usually named Colli Tortonesi DOC & “Derthona” (Tortona old village name) on the wine labels. Exciting new young plantings of it are everywhere in northwest Italy. Timorasso was very popular at the 45th @VanWineFest from several producers showing fragrant aromatics with impressive inherent lively refreshing acidity with some aging potential. Not inexpensive but the best value one was from 2022 Fontanafredda $33.99, organic 2021 Cantine Volpe $42, aged 2018 Tenute Rade $46.99, and 2021 Vietti $ priceless (value beyond price!) so brilliantly paired with roasted butternut squash soup (topped by 2023 EVOO from Villa Delia) at #VIWF Giardino dinner. Try a Timorasso!
The idea of pairing wine and cheese has a very long history that has worked really successfully. Scientists attribute it to the fats in cheese being an excellent balance for the acidity in the wine. Some consumers feel the cheese helps the tannins in a red wine seem less astringent and less bitter. Others rely less on that premise and a more recent trend is serving a white white with most cheeses. Specific matching can get over complicated but everyone agrees that a winning wonderful combination is enjoying the wine & cheese from the same region together.
Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin Vancouver holds an annual “Wine and Cheese Extravaganza” this time held on March 13, 2024 featuring 16 cheeses in 4 flights of 4 each organized by Allison Spurrell, Proprietor of the outstanding shop “Les Amis du Fromage”. Impressive cheese service at the highest level all with a perfect point of ripeness at ideal temperatures. Well done!
There were also 6 Burgundy wines served in 2 flights of 3 whites followed by 3 reds. More details:
JACQUESSON CUVEE 735 BRUT CHAMPAGNE (47% Chard, 33 Pinot Noir, & 20 Pinot Meunier, mainly difficult 2007 vintage 72% + 28 Reserves, only 3.5 g/l dosage, disgorged February 2012) Mature rich round with aged brioche notes from 12 years bottle age.
GASTON CHIQUET BLANC DE BLANCS D’AY GRAND CRU Grower Champagne 100% Chardonnay from the village of Ay disgorged March 2016 was fresher livelier robust with a full creamy delightful texture. The aperitif was enjoyed while listening to a moving live Jane Coop noted guest pianist delivering Beethoven – Sonata in D Major, Op.28 -1st movement: Allegro. A whole different Blog is needed for the enhanced aesthetics of wine with music!
VINCENT GIRARDIN All three whites – winegrowers since 17th century but VG recent only since 1980 expanded from 2 hectares to 20 (40 plots) with House 1992 but sold 2011 with son Pierre returning in 2017.
2000 MEURSAULT 1ER CRU LES CHARMES 13 abv
2000 MEURSAULT 1ER CRU LE PORUZOT-DESSUS 13 abv
2001 PULIGNY-MONTRACHET 1ER CRU LE CAILLERET 13.7 abv
Like the Charmes style combining finer consistent Genevrieres with mineral balanced Perrieres in a rounder combo with firmer acid & weight. Tried this in 2011 when it showed more oaky notes but now is well integrated. Poruzot from the higher “dessus” east facing slope is a bigger fuller riper more mature wine. 2000 is a success for Girardin with yields less than 1999 in a vintage that favoured elegant pure whites over lighter reds. 2021 less consistent with cool rainy September weather resulting in some unclean grapes requiring sorting out but no problem here. Best vineyard with chalky stony soils in Cailleret (used to be a Monopole of Jean Chartron & son Jean-Michel) vineyard next to Montrachet comes through with intense elegant structured balance with more complexity – white fav of the night!
Varied from neutral Etorki, creamy Chaumes, different BdB with goat milk but not strong, VP an old fav distinctive crust excellent flavour
Second Flight:
TOMME DE SAVOIE – AOP Cow Raw Milk-Savoie CAMEMBERT MEDALLION ISIGNY Cow Raw Milk-Normandie COMTE 24 MONTH CHARLES ARNAUD – AOP Cow Raw Milk-Jura MAROILLES – AOP Cow-Nord
Tomme surprisingly stylish delight, Camembert only one not in perfect shape as slightly over-ripe, Aged Comte is always outstanding with added dimensions paired with these white Burgundies, Maroilles usually comes in three sizes depending on the age with biggest for 4 weeks down to smallest at 2 weeks. This has deep soft creamy excellent flavours. Most members preferred with cheese the whites over the reds.
2000 NUITS ST. GEORGES 1ER CRU LES BOUDOTS N. POTEL 2000 NUITS ST. GEORGES 1ER CRU AUX CRAS NICOLAS POTEL 2007 VOLNAY 1ER CRU LES CAILLERETS DOM. LOUIS BOILLOT
First two both 2000 from Nicolas Potel (son of Gerard Potel of famous Domaine Pousse d’Or in Volnay died in 1997 and Estate was sold off) started in 1997 a new negociant business sold in 2004 to Laboure-Roi. Now developed the Bellene name. Potel picked later than most in 2000 so less diluted and more mature skins for colour using 20-30% new oak. Les Boudots 6.3 ha is on a steep slope at the north end of NSG next to Vosne-Romanee Malconsorts showing full bodied plushness with lifted floral notes. Aux Cras 3 ha is just south of Boudots and next to Aux Murgers usually with a darker look but here a paler less intense wine. 2007 Volnay a top vineyard southern end Les Caillerets is still young and tannic with way darker big deep fruit somewhat atypical for the AC.
Third Flight:
DELICE DE POMMARD Cow-Bourgogne MORBIER FERMIER – AOP Cow Raw Milk-Jura EPOISSES – AOP Cow-Bourgogne OSSAU IRATY FERMIER – AOP Sheep Raw Milk-Pyrenees
DdP dark rind creamy, unique ash middle Morbier, very runny sweet delicious perfection Epoisses with Burgundy, OIF shows a different raw milk sheep styling
Fourth Flight:
CANTAL FERMIER – AOP Cow Raw Milk-Auvergne DELICE DE BOURGOGNE -Cow-Bourgogne TOMME DES CROQUANTS (WALNUTS) -Cow-Bordeaux BLEU DES CAUSSES -AOP Cow Raw Milk-Aveyron
Classic Cantal a great cheese for wine white or red, runny tasty superb DdB, Bordeaux cheese with Burgundy OK, Blue cheese tends to dominate – except with Vintage Port – but lovely here with bigger reds.
Question: Is there something that wineries can do to receive an endorsement for helping to protect the bees?
Answer: Yes there is Bee Friendly endorsement. In addition to biodynamic, organic & sustainable recognition there is also a Beekeeping certification. It requires beehives to be installed on the property and prohibits the use of pesticides that might harm the bees. At the recent 45th #VIWF your scribe discussed with Allegrini principals their excellent protective work in Italian vineyards of Valpolicella, Soave, and Lugana. They have since 2017 a BIODIVERSITY FRIEND CERTIFICATE (protecting animals & insects). In 2019 they acquired an EQUALITAS CERTIFICATION for sustainability support throughout their supplier network. Since 2023 they added a BEEKEEPING CERTIFICATION “testifying to the commitment to safeguarding this insect, so precious for preserving and promoting the biodiversity of the environment”. Other wineries @VanWineFest including innovative Gerard Bertrand is on board being Bee Friendly with his wonderful red 2020 Chateau l’Hospitalet La Clape near Narbonne in the south of France.
