By Olivier Colas [CC BY-SA 4.0 ], from Wikimedia Commons

The annual Vancouver Tastevin Paulee was held this year on August 26, 2018 featuring wines from the appellation of Chassagne-Montrachet. Last year the spotlight was on Grand Cru Chablis and my impressions were blogged here on September 4, 2017. The last time we featured the Chassagne region was back in 2012 so this provided a useful update. The wines are difficult to know well because there are so many producers from such a large vineyard area making both white and red between Puligny-Montrachet & Meursault to the north and Santenay to the south. It covers about 370 hectares (865 acres) over 2 1/2 square miles with some 140 hectares of 1er Cru on the slopes (75% white) and 150 of Village AC on the flatter areas (only 45% white). You will recall that they also have 3 of the 6 Grand Cru whites with just under half of Montrachet & Batard-Montrachet (both shared with Puligny) plus all of Criots-Batard Montrachet but none of Chevalier-Montrachet & Bienvenues-Batard Montrachet and of course Corton-Charlemagne to the north. This event had some nearly 40 Chassagne to taste at the reception followed by an outstanding meal with other Burgundies so well organized by caterer Culinary Capers CEO Debra Lykkemark and beautifully prepared by Chef Stewart Boyles and his brigade. Menu and photos attached show some of the excitement but you had to be there to enjoy the real “joie de vivre”. Some brief comments follow.

The featured 40 Chassagne had no Grand Cru but a broad selection of the 50+ different 1er Cru whites in the appellation showing many diverse producers covering vintages from 2015 to 2002. Some of the premier cru vineyards you most commonly find available include Caillerets (elegant flowers), Chenevottes (often richer but two 2011 from Marc Morey & Bruno Colin both lovely), Morgeot (largest but can be softer more variable with about 20 climats allowed to use this more familiar name), and Les Vergers (like the reliable quality for the price). As with the Chablis the 14, 12, 10, and 08 vintages showed best consistent balance though some of the young 15s were more vibrant than expected (Vergers from Fontaine-Gagnard, light racy Chaumees from Philippe Colin, & Boudriotte from Ramonet). In fact all the Ramonet wines showed consistently well with 14 Boudriotte fresh and full of energy, 06 Morgeot rich exotic spices, and 08 Vergers one of the best – so complex! Another good producer was Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard with a lively magnum of 14 Clos des Murees and aged 02 Caillerets. Louis Jadot had several entries from a softer as expected 09 Abbaye de Morgeot, balanced 10 Morgeot Clos de La Chapelle compared with the same smartly decanted full toasty mature 02. Surprised to see several Embazzes from forwardly 13 Drouhin, most expensive bottle 06 Leroy rich but disappointing cheese rind notes, to delicious magnum of full minerally 04 Bernard Morey. Quite a tasting experience.

Kudos to the superb food. Choice of courses for pescatarians was a nice touch. Three Chambolle-Musigny from Ghislaine Barthod found 2004 Les Cras 1er cru outstanding from more clay soils than Bonnes-Mares  contributing big bodied ripe selected fruit from a difficult vintage. Grand Cru flight impressed with hot vintage 2003 Corton Bressandes from Chandon de Briailles showing remarkable cool complex true terroir while more lauded 2002 vintage Chapelle edgy more acidic and 2000 Latricieres quite spicy.

Really enjoy these educational focused study of a specific wine region. Do you have a preferred Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru vineyard or producer?

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By Joseph Temple

As summer comes to an end, we all try to fit in one last great weekend adventure. And what better way to say goodbye to those hot summer days and hello to cooler autumn nights that an outdoor celebration. Whether you have one last beach party cookout or go camping in the woods, here are some classic and a few new ideas to feed the crowd!

1. Cowboy classic chill. You can also try a vegetarian stew (don’t forget to pre-prep) or baked beans.
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2. Whether you call then flapjacks, hot cakes, or pancakes, who wouldn’t love waking up to these for breakfast?
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3. Kids love marshmallows and chocolate, but adding granola and dried fruit to you banana boats will give them a more sophisticated flare.
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4. Baked apples are made even better with a simple oat crumble perfect for anytime.
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5. For a new twist on a fun snack, bake muffin batter in orange halves after eating the refreshing fruit inside. It’s a great way to unwind after a long hike.
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6. Hot dogs and campfires go hand in hand. Why not try some sausages for something a little bit different?
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7. Nothing says camping like a good old fashioned eggs and taters breakfast!
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8. One word: S’mores!
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9. Feeling like you really want to live off the land, go fishing! It won’t get fresher than this!
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Question: Is it OK to pick the grape crop while it is raining?

Answer: As we approach Fall harvest time in the Northern Hemisphere this question always comes up. Grapes seem to be ripening forever earlier with Champagne & Alsace yesterday starting already their Vendange 2018. There usually is less chance of rain when picking in August than in September/October. Generally for better quality you want to avoid picking in the rain which tends to swell the grapes up diluting the juice inside with even the possibility of cracks or splits developing resulting in mold. Sometimes it is necessary to do so particularly if there is a forecast for stronger storms with heavy rains continuing. This year there are major wildfires near several wine growing regions – especially in the B.C. Okanagan Valley. Some growers are hoping for a little rain just before or even during harvest to wash away the worst of the smoke taint presently sitting on the surface of the grape skins. May be OK to pick in the rain but usually it is not ideal.

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The highlight of outdoor dining in BC the 8th Annual Longtable Dinner was held on Sunday August 19, 2018 again in the fields of North Arm Farm at Pemberton British Columbia. It is usually set under the clear bright blue high sky surrounded by majestic mountains of this unique location. However this year presently there are so many active wildfires throughout BC displacing thousands from their homes which has resulted in a state of emergency declaration. There were no fires at the dinner except for the BBQ but there was a thick pall of smoke over the whole region. You couldn’t see the mountains and only the outline of the sun was visible through the hazy conditions. Nonetheless though Mother Nature was different the event again was a memorable event of high quality food and wine matching. Under the direction of Executive Chef James Walt and Restaurant Director Neil Henderson the family-style food platters were prepared by three Toptable Group chefs of Araxi’s Quang Dang, Il Caminetto’s Brad Masciotra, Bar Oso’s Jorge Munoz Santos and brigade. The beverage side was well taken care of by Bar Oso’s Bar Manager Jason Redmond (fun cocktail “Stop Calling Me Shirley” using Sheringham Distillery Seaside Gin) at the barn-side reception together with Wine Director Jason Kawaguchi serving LaStella “Vivace” Pinot Grigio & Arrowleaf Rose. Service throughout was so admirable being attentive, personable, and friendly. Your scribe wrote up here on September 7, 2015 a more detailed review of this special event that year. Also the menu from last year is attached here where the grilled Octopus was such a big hit and so in demand that it just had to be repeated this year. What a course!  The reception too showed to advantage the local just-picked produce in hors d’oeuvre ranging from arancini of sweet corn with roasted red pepper agrodolce, citrus marinated cucumber, local gem tomatoes, beets, shiso, to fresh figs. Back to clear sunny conditions hoped for next year.

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By Joseph Temple

Next year the International Wine and Food Society will embark on a luxury cruise along the Douro River to sample some of Portugal’s best wines!  Sailing through one of Europe’s best kept secrets, IW&FS members will visit the city of Porto and the Douro Valley, home of both port wine and the world’s very first appellation – an appellation created under unique circumstances in the late 18^th century as a result of a power struggle between Britain and Portugal over vino-supremacy.

The story dates back to the Anglo-French War which began in 1702 as part of the War of Spanish Succession. With champagne and claret no longer available to British wine connoisseurs, an alternative was desperately needed. Moving quickly, they soon found it on Portuguese soil as English merchants arrived at Oporto, shipping in bulk a red table wine from the Douro Valley back to London. And with the addition of brandy, this fortified wine, known as port, suddenly became all the rage across England.

After the signing of the Methuen Treaty in 1703 which allowed port to be brought in at low levels of duty, imports skyrocketed to 116,000 hectolitres annually—the equivalent of 15 million standard bottles by 1728.  However, British influence in the Douro was tense to say the least. “Such was England’s control over Portugal during the first half of the seventeenth century that, at times, it was treated like a colony,” according to author Richard Mayson in his book Port and the Douro.

With demand exceeding supply, growers also started cutting corners as overproduction spiraled out of control. Examples were the addition of spices such as cinnamon and ginger to enhance the flavor, using elderberry juice for color, putting more sugar and alcohol into the wine for sweetness, and finally, importing Spanish wines to make up for a dwindling number of grapes. Not surprisingly, as quality diminished, exports plummeted to 54,000 hectolitres by 1756.  Likewise, the price of a pipe of port went from 60 escudos in 1700 to just 6.3 by 1750.

Realizing that it was becoming a buyer’s market, British merchants formed an association to control the price of port, paying growers next to nothing and on top of that, making them wait until the wine had been sold back in London until they received payment. With the animosity reaching a fever pitch, those in the Douro took their complaints directly to an autocratic leader, the Marquis of Pombal, who served as the Portuguese equivalent of a Prime Minister.

Using a recent earthquake as a pretext, in 1756, he took up their cause by forming the Real Companhia das Vinhas do Alto Douro, also known as the Douro Wine Company. A state monopoly, this company fixed the price of port from 25 to 30 escudos and had far-reaching powers as to what taverns in Oporto would be allowed to serve port. To maintain quality, rules were created that forbid the addition of certain substances to enhance the wine’s flavor as well as ripping out all elderberry bushes just in case anyone was tempted. Additionally, a commission was established that drew up boundary lines around the Douro region, creating the first wine appellation in history.

To the delight of Portuguese growers, no British shipper was allowed to serve on the company’s board of directors. But even domestically, there were issues as tavern owners protested the increase costs of port, leading to a bloody riot one year after the company was created. By 1770 though, the situation stabilized as approximately 160-180,000 hectolitres of port was being imported into England on an annual basis.

As the International Wine and Food Society tours this historic region next year, they will be visiting a region knee deep in a rich history where an international skirmish took place, pitting a nationalist uprising against foreign influence. And to think – it was all over a wine most of us today have with our dessert!

Sources:

Clarke, Oz. The History of Wine in 100 Bottles: From Bacchus to Bordeaux and Beyond. London: Pavilion Books, 2015.
Mayson, Richard. Port and the Douro. Oxford: Infinite Ideas, 2016.
Phillips, Rod. Alcohol: A History. Chapel Hill: UNC Books, 2014.
Robinson, Jancis. The Oxford Companion to Wine, 4th Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015.

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