Question: When grocery shopping I often find it difficult to determine whether I am buying yams or sweet potato. How do I distinguish between them?

Answer: Yes this can be tricky and sometimes they are even mislabelled in the stores.  I use the simple guide that a sweet potato has a smooth thin skin with quite noticeable tapered ends compared to the rougher often larger and hairy yam. There is a fun quick quiz you can try to answer here.

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I am a long time big fan of Olivier Bernard the owner of Domaine de Chevalier, Grand Cru Classe de Graves in Bordeaux. Their white is always outstanding in every vintage and the reds recently much more approachable for earlier consumption. Fortunate to have attended many times his “who’s who of the wine world” Tour de France dinner on the Monday night each Vinexpo and always amazed by how well their reds from the 1940s and older in grand format have developed so well with cellar age. Olivier is also a keen student of the other quality wines of the world and is an outstanding taster. Since 2012 he also has the responsibility of being President of the Bordeaux Union of Grand Crus. Don’t know how he has found the time but now Olivier has co-authored with Thierry Dussard and 26+ other well known “witnesses” a new exciting wine book by Editions Feret in both French & English “The Magic of the 45th Parallel” called the Ideal Latitude for the World’s Great Wines.  Check out the site for it here.

Grew up drinking Jaboulet’s Cotes du Rhone blend of Grenache & Syrah called Parallele 45 so already knew the significance of that latitude. Also there is a new top winery in the Okanagan, British Columbia named 50th Parallel Estate Winery (www.50thparallel.com) with talented winemaker Grant Stanley to watch out for future pinot noirs. However this book goes further and suggests “A magic band surrounds our planet between the 40th and 50th parallels of the northern hemisphere” with “The 45th latitude, mid-way between the North Pole and the Equator, is the dividing line for wine, most white grapes being grown north of it and red grapes south of it”. They raise the question of whether “it is just as applicable to the same latitude in the southern hemisphere?” Highly recommend you check it out!  Your thoughts?

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(Photo: wineravela.com)

By Joseph Temple

Do you know someone who enjoys wine but is too overwhelmed by all the terminology and formalities to attend a formal tasting?  For many, especially Millennials who are just starting to appreciate wine, it can be a daunting task trying to figure out what “a mineral-driven, plummy finish” actually means.  And is there really a difference between a score of 96 points versus a score of 97?  “Wine is intimidating,” writes Alison Stevenson for Munchies.  “I don’t want my alcohol to feel like a homework assignment.”

But what if people could sample different vintages in a more casual environment where no one has to worry about their knowledge – or lack of knowledge – on the subject?

Welcome to the world of wine raves – quite possibly the next big thing.

With vino cocktails that glow in the dark and a DJ providing the evening’s soundtrack, these raves are the complete antithesis to the traditional notion of tasting wine on a white tablecloth with a spittoon.  Of course, that’s exactly what the organizers of these events are aiming for.  “We’re talking about wine too seriously,” said Maxwell Leer, a rave promoter.  “We want to make people feel more comfortable with it.”

Footage from an outdoor wine rave in Europe

Since 2011 when the first American wine rave debuted in San Diego, these gatherings have grown in size and are now starting to attract mainstream publicity.  And a big plus is the price, which is very reasonable by L.A. standards.  “For $30, I could have received bottle service; a full bottle of a Wine Rave cocktail.  That is the most affordable bottle service in existence, I think,” writes Stevenson who recently attended a rave in Los Angeles.

Sipping different vintages from shot glasses usually reserved for B-52s and Kamikazes while dancing to the sounds of Lady Gaga and 2Pac, traditionalists would probably scoff at these types of events for various reasons.  If anybody is smoking and/or wearing cologne or perfume at this rave, it becomes extremely difficult to smell the wine – a key factor in judging its merits.  Additionally, with fluorescent lighting and swirling glow sticks as the backdrop, determining the wine’s color is next to impossible.

All of that of course doesn’t matter to the partiers in attendance.  They are enjoying wine in a relaxed and fun setting where all the stereotypes associated with the culture get checked at the door.   An important bridge has been created at these raves, connecting the novice drinker who is curious about wine with experienced oenophiles, who under normal circumstances probably wouldn’t have ever crossed paths.  Barriers created by scorecards and terms like terroir and bouquet have been removed.  In the end, that’s all that matters to these wine drinkers.

“Wine can be a conversation or it can just be a drink,” says Lear.  “In which case, just drink it.”

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By Flickr user My Hobo Soul. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/myhobosoul/95998596/) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Question: Planning a February special dinner party where I want to showcase Australian chardonnay. Any recommendations for me?

Answer: Great idea because now there are some wonderful chardonnays from Australia that are less oaky and much more food friendly. Not sure of what foods you are featuring or your budget but there is availability at all price ranges from the top expensive barrel fermented Yattarna (now always mostly Tasmania fruit) from Penfolds all the way down to the low priced multi blend values. I really enjoy mid- priced best examples from the cooler regions like Tasmania (complex low yield Josef Chromy), Adelaide Hills (balanced refined wild yeast Shaw & Smith M3 either 2012 or 2013 & stylish Wolf Blass Gold Label 2013), Margaret River (elegant fruity Devil’s Lair Hidden Cave 2013 or 2014), and Yarra Valley (consistent Coldstream Hills). Enjoy!

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I am a big advocate for and user of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I seem to use it on nearly everything. However there are many other oils out there in the marketplace. One that I would point out to you that is still flying slightly under the radar is Camelina Oil. It is an old oilseed that originated in Northern Europe and can be traced back to the Bronze Age for use as a culinary oil. I have been using a Saskatchewan based group of farmers called Three Farmers (www.threefarmers.ca) Camelina Oil especially for grilling, sautéing, roasting, deep frying, and stir frying as it is so useful with its high 475F smoke point. I also like their Roasted Onion & Basil version with garlic for salads, marinades and dips. It is a cold pressed non-GMO product with an earthy nutty character containing fats plus Omega 3, Omega 6, Omega 9, and Vitamin E. In fact they claim the ratio of these fatty acids is as important as their nutritional value and that Camelina Oil has a better ratio of these than the other oils including – olive, flax, hemp, grape seed and coconut. It claims to be naturally gluten-free without artificial additives, preservatives, colours, and trans fatty acids. This natural sustainable product comes with a best before date together with a searchable traceability number on the bottle label back to the farmer who sourced it and the field in which it was grown. For more background information go to this website. Have you tried this oil? Check out the retail availability of this product on line or at a store near you.

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