Ask Sid: Northern Rhone style white grape varieties?

Ask your question here The International Wine & Food Society

Ask Sid: Northern Rhone style white grape varieties

Question: What white wine variety in the Northern Rhone style do you prefer?

Answer: Traditionally the viognier grape has been the star in Condrieu showing highly perfumed peach and apricot styling & the even smaller appellation of Chateau Grillet delivering more chardonnay-like fruit but really a unique terroir. It is growing well for Chapoutier in Domaine des Granges de Mirabel in the southern Ardeche and in some regions of the New World. I like the marsanne variety showing rich oily deep textures from old Victorian vines planted by Tahbilk in Australia and the more delicate Road 13 Vineyards one grown in Cawston BC. Rousanne is another variety successful in California with more acidity and aromatics that often is even better when blended with marsanne and viognier. Okanagan Valley is having wonderful success with this 3 grape aromatic blend led by among others Ava of Le Vieux Pin Winery & Afraid of the Dark by Moon Curser Vineyards.


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Chambolle-Musigny AC – Domaine Georges Roumier

Chambolle-Musigny AC - Domaine Georges Roumier
Photo credit: www.roumier.com

The Domaine of Georges Roumier in Chambolle-Musigny masterly run by Christophe Roumier is one of Burgundies true treasures. Their cherished parcels include structured magnificent consistent Bonnes-Mares, outstanding but more variable Musigny, fragrant complex Les Amoureuses, and unique Clos de la Bussiere (monopole) among others. The high price of these wines clearly indicate not only their amazing quality but the world demand for them. However if you drop down to the level of Chambolle-Musigny village AC there are still some wonderful values to be found from this top Domaine – particularly from the best years. This point was brought forcefully home to me again last week when I enjoyed 7 of them all showing their terroir and the vintage distinct differences. Some of my short observations:

2004 Chambolle-Musigny G. Roumier: Lean more difficult year shows with robust greener weedy earthy herbal notes in a simpler style.

2002 Chambolle-Musigny G. Roumier: Stylish, classy, vibrant, still hard though some elegance underneath, deep fruit is very promising but needs at least another 5 years to open up and sing.

2000 Chambolle-Musigny G.Roumier: Fantastic fragrant bouquet a beautiful surprise for current drinking even though lighter, forwardly and with less weight it shows well the delicacy of the commune.

1999 Chambolle-Musigny G. Roumier: Outstanding black fruits combining power with finesse but no rush as just reaching a plateau of long enjoyment. Structure & depth. The older vines with lower yields around 40hl/ha are usual for this AC wine and impress. Would think this is a premier cru Chambolle for sure!

1998 Chambolle-Musigny G.Roumier: Open & quite rich but a bit eccentric because of the vintage though drinking well now with some tannins left.

1997: Chambolle-Musigny G.Roumier: Though from a smaller crop it is simpler, herbal, and rustic similar to 2004 but with even less harmony & drier so needs drinking up presently.

1985 Chambolle-Musigny G. Roumier: Fortunate to have tried this wine frequently over the years and it never disappoints even now at 30 years old. The joy of maturity from ripe delicious charming balanced fruit is awesome. Shows the ethereal magic of the Chambolle fragrance and the elegant complexity of best Burgundy! Looking forward to the 2002 & 1999 with a few more years of bottle age. Who says you must buy 1er cru or Grand cru to have this earth moving experience?

Encourage you to look out for the tremendous value of G. Roumier Chambolle-Musigny AC & even their Bourgogne Rouge from top vintages like 2009 & 2010 or their more recent currently available releases. Enjoy.


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A look at 10 Ukrainian dishes

A look at 10 Ukrainian dishes

By Joseph Temple

With the temperature dropping and winter looming, are you looking for something tasty to keep you warm?  If so, you might want to have a look at some delightful dishes from our friends in Ukraine.  While many of us associate this Eastern European country with cabbage rolls and perogies, there is so much more to this nation’s proud culinary history.  So, have some bread with salt (representing hospitality and friendship) and try cooking some of these Ukrainian dishes that are richly steeped in tradition and culture.

Smachnoho!


Borscht
1. Borscht

No list of Ukrainian foods is complete without mentioning Borscht – a staple of every traditional kitchen.  Originally made from cow parsnip, this soup is extremely popular across Eastern Europe, made mostly of beets and rich meat stock.  However, during Christmas, it is served meatless with rye bread.

 

Deruny ukrainian dish
2. Deruny

Deruny are pancakes made of grated potatoes and onions.  Fried in oil until they’re golden brown, sour cream or apple sauce is usually served with this comforting dish.  The Ukrainian version is often thinner than what most Westerners are used to, but still quite filling and delicious.

 

Pyrizhky
Evilmonkey0013 at English Wikipedia [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

3. Pyrizhky

Sold in train stations and public squares across Ukraine, buns like pyrizhky are stuffed with meat, cabbage or potatoes and either baked or fried before serving.  Like other Ukrainian dishes, sour cream and dill is usually added to this delicious street food.

 

Mizeria
By Mariuszjbie (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

4. Mizeria

A simple salad consisting of cucumbers in a sour cream dill dressing, mizeria was first invented in Poland where cucumbers were introduced by Queen Bona Sforza.  Its literal translation is misery.  This peasant dish may have been named to reflect the hard times associated with the poverty of the depressed region.

 

nalysnyky ukrainian food
Kagor at the Ukrainian language Wikipedia [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

5. Nalysnyky

A thin crepe filled with meat, mushrooms or sauerkraut, many Ukrainians favor putting sweetened cottage cheese in their nalysnyky.  They also can be made into a thin, multi-layered cake using a savory filling or a simple sweet jam like plum butter for a special treat.

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Ukrainian foraged mushrooms

6. Foraged Mushrooms

In Ukraine, mushroom picking is a national pastime with the country’s vast forests providing an excellent selection for those who love to forage.  Once dried (historically to last the winter), these mushrooms are used in countless dishes such as rich gravies, mouth-watering soups or in tiny perogies called yshka which are served with clear borscht on Christmas Eve.

 

Kasha roasted buckwheat
By Candrichuk (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

7. Kasha

With potatoes and bread being a bedrock for the nation’s collective diet, it should come as no surprise that Ukrainians have been harvesting wheat from the same land for nearly 7,000 years.  Used in a variety of dishes, a popular grain known as Kasha (or buckwheat) has a number of different applications.  Whether as a meal topped with fried bacon, onions or gravy, it can also be used in cabbage rolls and in liver sausage called a kyshka.

 

 

Pickled herring ukrainian dish
By MOs810 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

8. Pickled Herring

Often served with sour cream, sliced onions and rye bread, pickled herring works as an appetizer or as part of a salad mixed with potatoes, beets, pickles or chopped apples.  Also, since most Ukrainians strictly observe religious traditions, pickled herring is served on Christmas Eve as one of twelve meatless dishes that symbolize each Apostle.

 

Babka
By Silar (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

9. Babka

Baked in tall tins, Babka is a dessert of rich yeast bread and lots of eggs.  During Easter, it is often crowned with many decorations such as little dough rosettes, designs of wheat stalks or a symbolic cross.  Sometimes, for a special sweet treat, Babka is flavored with raisins, dried fruit such as citron peel, chocolate or cinnamon and drizzled with fondant.  Don’t tell Baba, but you can even add some colored sprinkles for the kids.

 

Rugelach pastry dish ukraine
By Yair rand (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

10. Rugelach

Another decadent dessert is rugelach, which is very delicious but quite labor intensive.  These bite sized pastries are filled with either ground walnuts, chocolate, cinnamon, apricots or prune jam.
 

Sources:

Dalton, Meredith. Culture Shock!: Ukraine. Portland: Graphic Arts Center Publishing, 2000.
Hardaway, Ashley. Ukraine (Other Places Travel Guide). Other Places Publishing, 2011.
Kopka, Deborah. Welcome to Ukraine: Passport to Eastern Europe & Russia. Dayton: Milliken Publishing Company, 2011.
Kraig, Bruce & Sen, Colleen Taylor. Street Food Around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2013.
Nichol, Christina. Essential Spices and Herbs: Discover Them, Understand Them, Enjoy Them. Berkeley: Callisto Media Inc., 2015.
Stechishin, Savella. Traditional Ukrainian Cookery. Winnipeg: Trident Press, 1973.


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Ask Sid: Noble Rot?

Ask your question here The International Wine & Food Society

Ask Sid: Noble rot grapes wine

Question: How can rot ever be noble?

Answer: Good point! Rot in grapes is generally not noble but a bad thing resulting in decomposition of unhealthy grapes. Grey rot is often still an issue and we remember well the widespread sour rot problems in the Okanagan especially during the 2013 & 2004 vintages. However, healthy ripe grapes in hot misty conditions may be attacked by the fungus botrytis cinerea (particularly in Sauternes, Tokaj, Germany and other unique regions) miraculously turning the individual berries into raisins and concentrating their juice – a noble rot indeed!


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Ocean Wise

Ocean Wise Seafood Sustainable

Vancouver Aquarium have a wonderful conservation program called Ocean Wise (www.oceanwise.ca) created “to educate and empower consumers about the issues surrounding sustainable seafood.” Overfishing is a growing threat to our oceans and your seafood choice does make a difference. Encourage you to go to their website and download their exciting new app that contains an outstanding Seafood Guide for reference. It is continually being updated giving you seasonal ocean-friendly options across Canada from Victoria to Halifax.

Ocean Wise also organize a popular annual Chowder Chowdown competition held in the cities of Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto with the 2015 winners posted on their site. In Vancouver on November 18 this scribe was one of the judges tasting the chowder prepared by 14 finalists and awarding the championship to Chef Roger Ma of Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar (www.boulevardvancouver.ca) for his delicious Lobster Miso Chowder. They presently are flying high at Boulevard as their Chef Alex Chen won the next night in Victoria at the BC Gold Medal Plates competition (which I also judged) with an amazing local heritage warm pork terrine “head to tail” with chestnuts, foie gras, fresh Oregon truffles, carrot puree. and umani jus. Alex Chen now will be competing in the Canadian Culinary Championships (www.goldmedalplates.com) in Kelowna BC February 4-6, 2016.

Also check out the Monterey Bay California Aquarium Seafood Watch for their recommendations in the USA at www.seafoodwatch.org

Support sustainable and local!


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