from barrel to bottle, love from LCJ

2011 Le Clos Jordanne Village Reserve Pinot Noir | VQA Niagara Peninsula

Right. I'm way behind, so let's get to it.

To drink alongside the Les Insouciantes, a vinous taste of home. I was asked what I wanted from back home in Toronto, and well, I am what I am so I asked for this. Just released, with the fingerprints of Sébastien Jacquey all over it. Pure and vibrant, with that tell-tale earthy/stemmy quality. A bit more depth, plenty of minerality, and fabulous texture. Will be wonderful and even more elegant with some bottle age.

So I wrapped up the Oliver Conti project and have moved onto the next. Working on Oliver Conti was a greta introduction to the Spanish wine industry (from the perspective of a small bodega), and this new project will teach me things on a larger scale. I've moved to the town of Zaragoza, almost exactly halfway between Barcelona and Madrid. Doing a sales and marketing strategy project for a wine exporter, selling wines internationally, with a focus on the US, UK, and German markets. Exciting, and plenty more to learn in the few short weeks I have here.

Back to LCJ. I'm not supposed to like these wineries. I'm not supposed to like these joint ventures who come in with shitloads of money and proceed to make claims about how they're ready to make the best wine in the region, as if discounting all other efforts to date. But man, the first time I tasted, way, way, way back ... when we were still just kids in the middle of our undergrad ... I just had that feeling. That indescribable feeling that, damn, maybe they're doing something special here. And through the years that I've been fortunate enough to taste these wines, both in cask and bottle, this feeling keeps confirming itself. That it's possible, absolutely possible, for Niagara to have a unique character, and for that character to be express itself through pinot noir. I'm reminded of this as I'm back in Barcelona, the office closed for a week of mid-August vacations. I'm reminded why I want to make this my life, why it's something more than a love ... an obsession really. Whether we're in the wine trade, media, whatever; we can't forget that, forget what the point of this all is. The beauty, tradition, history, and character of a place and time, captured in a bottle.

DF

From Niagara to Barcelona, a taste of home

13th Street Cuvée 13 Sparkling Brut Rosé Méthode Traditionelle | VQA Niagara Peninsula

A taste of home. My mother came to visit and I could have asked her to bring a number of things. Fresh underwear. Medicine. Even Q-tips. But I'm me and well, I know what I'm about. When I say I 'miss home' I should be more specific - it's not so much missing my townhouse as it is missing the wine, the beef, the weekend trips to Diana's Seafood. Happiness. And while La Boqueria has been a dream, paying €15/kilo for berberechos is stomach-churning.

Of the 22 kilos permissible on economy flights, roughly ½ kilo of my mother's baggage was taken up by this. One of my favourite Ontario wines, the non-vintage sparkling rosé from 13th Street Winery, a blend of 55% pinot noir and 45% chardonnay, mainly from the 2010 vintage. Aged 18 months on its lees, before a dosage of 6 grams of sugar and their reserve pinot noir was added. The wine was aged for another 3 months, to let all the elements integrate. No oak, no malolactic fermentation. Only 2500 6-packs made. Always a joy to drink and share with friends. This whole méthode traditionelle moniker is so abused by New World producers but 13th Street makes it happen. So what exactly does this term mean? Or rather, what should it mean? In this wino's opinion, wines that make this claim are simply saying We want to be a French wine. Which isn't a bad thing. Aim high right? Aim high. Specifically though, this emulation suggests that these wines are made from the same grapes, using the same processes as the French model, Champagne in this case. And we see that. The two most heralded Champenois varieties (pinot noir and chardonnay), using the same riddling and bottle-aging process as in Champagne. You see where this can go horribly wrong right? The whole point of it though, is that no matter the winemaking you apply, the wine still has to have a distinctive identity. I could slap on a beret, pick up a few hand gestures, learn to love stinky cheese, but at heart, I'm still what I am (ie. not French). And that's why I love this wine. It's still a Niagara wine, a Canadian. It has this brightness and purity, along with the leanness that I always associate Niagara with. Finishes dry and linear, with very fine bubbles. What this particular winemaking contributes is an elegance in texture, a delicacy. The wine is at once fine and regal, expressive and complex - it truly has become better and better with every bottle I've had. Bravo!

In the end though, people still unfortunately make comparisons. And yes, people will want to claim that this wine is 'better' than Champagne. Whatever. My Infiniti G could run circles around a 3 Series, but hey, a BMW is still a BMW. They are simply different experiences. And if you can't take it at that, you're not getting the point right? We have to have the capacity to appreciate wines for what they are - some more than others - and an inability to have an imagination, to dream is simply unfathomable to a true wino. I opened this wine with a friend. We talked, we enjoyed sitting in the sun ... we had a great time. And any wine that can encourage that is a beautiful thing. We have to try to stop being impressive and simply be what we are.

Here's to 13th Street - muchas gracias for giving me a taste of home.

DF

Niagara for lunch, one last time

It's tough saying goodbye. To friends and loved ones, to home. So the last week I was in Toronto, we decided to go out to Niagara for the day and enjoy the weather. For my last lunch here in a long, long time, where else but Treadwell Farm to Table Cuisine, newly relocated to Niagara-on-the-Lake. On the patio, sun shining - perfect. We ate, drank, and chatted, starting with a local take on insalata caprese salad - look at those basil chips.

We moved onto Lake Huron whitefish 'fish and chips' ...

... linguine with confit leg of Ontario Heritage Chicken ...

... and just dripping with sexy, the crispy skin North Atlantic mackerel and a poached 'Berta's Bounty' egg.

The wine was good too. The 2011 Megalomaniac Bubblehead Rosé sparkling wine was simply brilliant. Pure and radiant, with lots of energy and structure. A gorgeous wine harmonizing perfectly with the food and atmosphere. We left lunch full and satisfied - a very happy man that day.

DF

can Niagara do cabernet?

Left: 2003 Marynissen Estates Cabernet | VQA Niagara Peninsula

Right: 2002 Marynissen Estates Cabernet/Merlot | VQA Niagara Peninsula

2002 Southbrook Triomphe Cabernet Merlot | VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake

Can Niagara do cabernet? And I don't mean make cabernet sauvignon or cabernet blends for the sake of it, because the going assumption is that you have to make those wines to be a 'proper' wine region. No, I mean credible cabernet wines that are varietal, show vintage character, and have ageability. Wines that stand up on their own against the benchmarks of the world. I was in Niagara yesterday, and although we didn't visit any wineries, that question lingered in my mind as we drove around and saw the acres and acres of land planted with vineyards. Cabernet has almost become the default grape that people think of when 'red wine' is mentioned - that and probably merlot. So can Niagara do cabernet?

I recalled a trio of Niagara cabernet blends I had a few weeks ago. All around the same amount of age, 2002's and one 2003. All from producers that I feel make very good wines, who have good experience with the varietal. Starting with the Marynissen ...

The 2003 Marynissen Cabernet is a special wine to me. It was the first wine I had with a very dear friend. We had known each other since junior high school, but it wasn't until we were both almost finished our undergraduates that we found out that she was one of my best friend's classmates. So for Christmas that year, I invited everyone for dinner, to catch up. Wine (and by extension, food), always takes on a different dimension when you're drinking/eating with people you like, and that night, the Marynissen was singing. A 50/50 blend of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, this was a one-off, when the difficulties of the vintage meant that there simply wasn't enough fruit to do single varietal bottles. And now a few years later, it showed the warmth of that Niagara clay and sand. Integrated and drinking really well. A nice reminder of things that we shared years ago, a nice way to say goodbye. The 2002 Marynissen Cabernet Merlot, a more traditional blend. I really liked this wine. Lots of the graphite minerality, full with good depth. Tannins are still fine, still very much energetic.

It was almost by chance that I picked up the 2002 Southbrook. They are one of the few Niagara producers that holds back vintages to sell at maturity - in this case, at more than 10 years old. We benefit because the wines have been stored under the most ideal conditions, and what's really noteworthy, the prices remain very, very reasonable. I was in Niagara in the first week of May, and we chanced on this release. Easy purchase. This was my favourite wine of the three - lots of fresh, pure fruit, slight earthiness and reaching maturity, still very structured on the palate. I love the feel of those grippy, fine-grained tannins.

So, can Niagara do cabernet? In the best vintages, with experienced producers - yes, I do find these wines credible. But Marynissen is credited with bringing cabernet to Niagara, and Southbrook (or rather, its founding family) has been farming in the area since the '40's. Lots of pedigree here. But as a whole? I suppose there are a few red varietals I believe in more than cabernet, at least for Niagara. In the global context, Niagara cabernet still has a way to go. There's a certain elegance that these wines lack, and an overall complexity, that new oak and other tricks in the cellar can't replicate. Like all good things, that simply takes time.

Had a nice day in Niagara yesterday. Good lunch at Treadwell (newly moved to Queen Street, on Niagara-on-the-Lake's historical district), before a nice stroll, latte in hand. We've had a truly bizarre summer here. It's early August, and it feels like October, with temperatures barely above 20°C. Probably shouldn't complain as I'm headed to the Mediterranean, but still ... bizarre. We drove to the Butterfly Conservatory to walk around the gardens for a bit, before making our way to the Falls. Majestic as always. Dinner at Old Winery Restaurant, and as tradition, a pint of Keith's Pale Ale before setting off home. Dropped by a friend's place for a tiny (but important) side project (to be revealed soon). A good day. Today was totally different. Woke up with a headache - suffering from sluggishness and general malaise. Getting stressed out preparing for the move. Wanted a quiet day to work on things on the checklist, but of course, that never goes to plan. Never. Here's hoping for a better day tomorrow.

DF

sushi and Le Clos Jordanne

I've been having a lot of 'farewell dinners' lately. Same group of friends, but whenever we say goodbye at the end of the night, hurts the same everytime. I'm so soft. So this night, the last time I'd get to have dinner with a dear friend who was off to work in Beijing, I dug out some Niagara gems. Le Clos Jordanne 2007/2008's, the Village Reserve chardonnays and pinot noirs. We laid them out on the table ...

... drew the corks ...

... and started tasting. The Village Reserves represent the basic LCJ blend of fruit from all their vineyards - 3 for chardonnay (Claystone Terrace, Le Clos Jordanne, and Talon Ridge), and 4 for pinot noir (those previous mentioned 3 and La Petite Colline). We started with the pair of chardonnays. 2008 Le Clos Jordanne Village Reserve Chardonnay | VQA Niagara Peninsula, showing minerality and structure, wonderful linearity. The 2007 Village Reserve Chardonnay, showing the creaminess and richness of that hot vintage, while retaining an elegance and depth.

We moved onto the pinot noirs. I've always loved these wines - such class and soul. The 2008 Le Clos Jordanne Village Reserve Pinot Noir | VQA Niagara Peninsula, full of purity and minerality, drinking lovely now. The 2007 Village Reserve Pinot Noir, again showing the ripeness that the vintage achieved, and my wine of the night.

My buddy generously brought along one of his favourite Niagara chardonnays, a 2009 Closson Chase S. Kocsis Vineyard Chardonnay | VQA Beamsville Bench. By far the fattest, richest, oakiest wine of the evening, but does retain harmony and balance.

And we ended the evening off with a colheita port, the Dalva 1997. All the roundness and notes of maturity we want in a colheita. Delicious.

Another day down, another day closer to the big move. Bittersweet, definitely, to leave home, to leave on this adventure. Many people I will miss dearly. But I'm being a grump again. A few more days left in Toronto means a few more chances to eat/drink/make merry with loved ones. Heading to Niagara today, for some sun and wine. Looking for some good local food too. Let's get to it!

DF

saying hello to the 2006 Le Clos Jordanne Village Reserves again

Top: 2006 Le Clos Jordanne Village Reserve Chardonnay | VQA Niagara Peninsula

Bottom: 2006 Le Clos Jordanne Village Reserve Pinot Noir | VQA Niagara Peninsula

Delayed satisfaction.

If there's anything you need to know about true winos, it's that we find pleasure in delaying pleasure, in delaying satisfaction. We insist on putting wines away until they're ready, until they're mature - whatever that means. And while that whole practice reeks of snobbery and idiocy to the less invested drinker, there's deep meaning in it, if only you give it a chance and open your mind to something out of the ordinary. 

We know the statistics. The VAST majority of North American wine drinkers open a bottle within hours of buying it. They keep, what, no more than 5-6 bottles of wine in the cupboard at a time? Being typical is perfectly fine, but at least try to understand where us winos are coming from when we say that that bottle of Bordeaux will be more interesting, be more expressive in 5 years.

Time and place.

Everything has its time and place. Including wine. So when we put wines away, we are actually suggesting that the wine will dictate when its ready to drink. Sure, it's wonderfully democratic to insist that wine is at its best when you feel like drinking it, but that's the ego speaking. And when you put your ego in your pocket, when you listen - and I mean really listen - maybe you'll hear something inspired. So when we taste a young red wine that's tannic and coarse, we (winos) try not to rush to judgement. With experience, we come to understand that wines that are rough and crass in their youth mature to something entirely elegant and fine - if we are patient. In other words, we let the child grow to an appropriate age, before we decide its character.

I love Le Clos Jordanne. Drink enough of something, and you start learning to recognize the style. It's a transparency they search for, in aroma and texture. A wonderful, bright expression of fruit and earth, of minerality and acidity. The 2006's, while certainly not blockbusters, show the purity and innocence of young vines. Nothing transcendent, but the promise and potential of the fruit they are producing is obvious. Drunk with our surf and turf dinner, after being in the cellar for 5 years.

The chardonnay, all bright citrus and minerality. Becoming richer on the palate - perfectly integrated oak. Lean, but showing the precision and focus that the Niagara Escarpment can produce. The pinot noir, actually drinking fairly young. Both wines, in fact, showing a lot of energy. Dried fruit, underbrush, that stemmy Niagara fruit - its pleasure is derived from its purity. 

Delaying satisfaction, until the appropriate time and place. Unless we're talking about cigars. Because it's always perfectly fine to light one up. H. Upmann's, hand-rolled Cuban cigars that are simply perfume and elegance. Fabulous draw, great flavour and length.

Dinner last night with some old friends, my last with them before I leave. At a great, stately Chinese restaurant - lobster, bass, and free range chicken, among other things. A 2006 Louis Roederer and a premier cru Chablis to drink. This is all becoming very real now, these goodbyes. And its becoming obvious to me that I have to make things right with someone before I leave. I can't have that as the last image she has of me.

DF

the two pinot noirs

2008 Flat Rock Cellars Pinot Noir | VQA Twenty Mile Bench | Niagara

2008 Hunter's (Jane Hunter) Pinot Noir | Marlborough | New Zealand

These two pinot noirs are a great example of that New World style that's all love, simply unconditional love. Clean varietal aromas and flavour, very pure, very middle of the road. Maybe that's a bad thing, to be too clean. But sometimes all you want is a wine to be a pleasant dinner companion. 

If this past month has taught me anything, it's that I'm a deeply, deeply emotional person. I always knew that, but my life's kind of boring - nothing's really brought out my inner diva. But yes, the end of a relationship brings out all the histrionics, all the emotive actions of an emotionally fragile, introverted, incredibly flawed individual. I apologize to my long-suffering friends who've had to deal with me these past few weeks, because I've been fucking insufferable. And that's when I'm sober. One of my buddies told me that initially, he always thought of LCF as being just wine talk. But lately it's been reading like the diary of a 15 year old girl. I protested, but deep down, I knew he was right. It's like the morning after a heavy night of drinking. You just have to let it all out to feel better.

What were we talking about. Right. New World pinot noir. It's so, so, so wrong to generalize about these wines, but at least these two bottles adhere to that non-offensive style of red wine. Clean, slightly stemmy fruit, not much in way of depth or texture, but otherwise a decent wine on the table. The Flat Rock 2008, a wine I've had many, many times, and actually really enjoyed. But read what I wrote. I cringe in embarrassment ... maybe, just maybe, I was a little too enthusiastic about it. Just a step in my wine education, and proof that the palate changes with experience. The wine has settled down, developing a more subtle, even-toned aroma. Red fruit still there - still some energy here. That tell-tale light red colour, pale almost. Texture is a bit more elegant, although I would never describe this wine as elegant. Simply a more calmer wine, compared to a few years ago. The Jane Hunter, a bit jammier, more overt ripe fruit aromas. Bigger, but only relatively - this is still a lean example of pinot noir. Good, juicy palate, some sweetness.

I want to get over this, to feel normal again. To go to Europe and to school this fall with a sense of optimism and excitement, to find that adventure I've been craving. Is that so bad? Is that so selfish?

DF

Thirty Bench Winemakers - a table full of riesling

Top: 2007 Thirty Bench Riesling

Bottom: 2008 Thirty Bench Riesling

So a bit over a month ago, before all this bullshit mindfuck went down, a small of group friends gathered at my place for dinner. I was turning 27, and wanted to celebrate what looked to be my last birthday in Toronto for a few years at least. And it was a fantastic night. We cooked some of my favourite dishes, Shanghai classics. And on the table, a lineup of Thirty Bench rieslings I pulled from my cellar. These bottles have been sitting there for nearly 5 years now, and I was looking forward to seeing how they'd do with some age. The wines are lean in their youth, with an intriguing petrol/lanolin cream minerality showing quite prominently on the nose. Interesting, well-extracted wines. There are 4 distinct rieslings produced here - a blended riesling (from all the vineyards), and 3 single-vineyard bottlings. The point of this exercise was to see if each vineyard's specific characters would emerge in a clearer way with bottle age.

Starting with the pair of entry-level blends - the 2007 coming from that well-documented hot Niagara vintage, producing wines of great concentration and ripeness. The 2008 vintage, almost the complete opposite. I've drank a lot of both these wines, and always came away happy. But this was a very surprising start to the tasting. The '07 riesling showing little development - still with that lean citrus, lanolin minerality. Palate is nice, good fruit and a touch of sweetness. The '08 riesling showing good fruit, creaminess, and elegance - intensity and good amounts of extract.

Top: 2008 Thirty Bench Wood Post Vineyard Riesling

Bottom: 2007 Thirty Bench Wood Post Vineyard Riesling

Moving onto the single vineyard wines, we start with the Wood Post Vineyard rieslings. I always think of these as a bit more overtly fruity in their youth; tropical fruits, softer acidity. The '08 Wood Post had a bit of reduction which blows off. A creaminess, round, but so little fruit. Finishing bitter, a bit cloying, falling apart - not much here. The '07 Wood Post was open and soft, balanced with a touch of sweetness remaining. Lemon fruit, lots of lanolin minerality, good extract.

Left: 2008 Thirty Bench Steel Post Vineyard Riesling

Right: 2007 Thirty Bench Steel Post Vineyard Riesling

Look at those production numbers listed - 256 cases of the 2008, 264 cases of the 2007. The cynic in me says that these single vineyard bottlings are more the product of marketing decisions rather than terroir expression, but the Steel Post has always been my favourite riesling. Yes, they charge you a premium for the privilege, but these rieslings always seem more linear, more angular, more mineral ... steelier, for lack of a better word. The '08 Steel Post is a bit reticient, with some underlying fruit. Textural finish, some good depth and intensity, yet lots of finesse. Best palate so far. The '07 Steel Post is vigorous, well extracted, but a bit coarse. Some sweetness, but palate ends slightly bitter.

Left: 2005 Thirty Bench Triangle Vineyard Riesling

Right top: 2008 Thirty Bench Triangle Vineyard Riesling

Right bottom: 2007 Thirty Bench Triangle Vineyard Riesling

This is sort of the flagship wine. Triangle Vineyard seems to be the biggest riesling they produce, although 'bigger' is a relative term. We're talking extreme subtleties between all the wines here - one of my buddies flat out said I can't taste a single difference between all of these. And maybe he's right. The '08 Triangle is the most complex so far - smokey, savoury notes, brooding with good depth. Good fruit, not bright but elegant, fresh and ripe. Almost tropical here - papaya? Open and balanced, good sweetness, delicious. The '07 Triangle, rustic and almost all oily, lanolin aromas. Some sweetness and extract on the palate, not much fruit. Disappointing. And finishing with my oldest bottle, the '05 Triangle. And it just tastes old, that weird kind of Niagara old that's just ... weird. Petrol overriding here, almost no fruit, lean with some mineral interplay on the palate. No life here. If wine had an expiration date, this bottle reached it 3 years ago.

So what did this tasting teach us? That the wines aren't as age-worthy as I originally thought? And even in the instances where the wines were holding up, the overriding feeling is what's the point? Very little in way of development, of the wines gaining in nuance or depth or character. The 2007's, from that much hyped vintage, were a disappointment all around. Fruit fading fast, sugar and acid not really coming together, alcohol starting to stick out in a lot of them. The 2008's definitely a bit better. Fruit staying fresher, more elegant on the palate. 

Over-generalizations are always a bad idea, but maybe the point of these wines (New-World whites) isn't to be age-worthy. We put wines away to allow them to achieve greater harmony, complexity, texture, and depth. But it seems these wines are meant to be consumed within a few months of bottling, when they obviously show as more energetic and fuller in the sense of flavour and body. So maybe I'm approaching these wines from the completely wrong angle. In any case, an interesting look at one of the best riesling producers of Niagara.

DF

showing its true colours

2007 Thirty Bench Riesling | VQA Beamsville Bench

I've been visiting Thirty Bench for a long time. I've always thought of them as a source of some of the best rieslings in Niagara. Lean wines, yes, but with impressive extract and great balance - interesting mineral expression too, leaning towards petrol and lanolin cream. They make an entry level cuvée, a blend of all their vineyards, which is this bottle, as well as 3 single vineyard rieslings. It's always a great introduction to the Niagara style of riesling. A slight amount of residual sugar and lowish alcohols (around 11%), with searing acidity when they're young. Bottled under stelvin, the obvious question was how well they aged ...

The 2007 vintage was a turning point in my understanding of Niagara. Hot and dry, producing wines with a concentration and density that were rarely seen in Niagara. These wines however, remained balanced and linear. Early picking, the wines see no oak and are made in a reductive style. So, with about 5 years of age, I wanted to see how they were coming along. And like usual, I was surprised. Age hasn't been kind to the wine, and perhaps is revealing its true character a little. Stripping off the varnish, so to speak. The girl you wake up next to and go omfg beer goggles are a bitch!

There's no fruit left. No charm, no finesse. Just an un-harmonized collection of aromas and flavours. Petrol and all that, bitter on the palate, slight amount of sugar underneath it all. Just doesn't work, and a far cry from what I remember tasting a few years ago. Oh well. I want to keep in mind things like bottle variation, the vagaries of aging under stelvin, issues with reduction, sulfur, etc. Or maybe bottle age has exposed all the things that the are (and aren't). That's why we put things away, isn't it?

Heading to Niagara this Thursday. I've been enjoying my week off - getting a lot of housework done, and a bit of drinking too. Fun. You know, usually it seems like time flies during vacations, but this one has felt ... a bit more slow-paced. No complaints. Loving retired life.

DF

a night out

'Twas a dark and stormy night last Wednesday ...

... but we managed to get out to Pravda Vodka Bar ...

... where the ghosts of old revolutionary heroes are venerated in busts ...

... where after an uninspired vodka martini, we retired to the warmth of C'est What for a lamb burger and a beautiful Ontario perry.

DF

little Lake Erie and the Ontario style

2011 Cooper's Hawk Riesling | VQA Lake Erie North Shore

Lake Erie North Shore is, as the name suggests, in the southwestern part of Ontario, along Lake Erie. The growing season here is generally the warmest out of the 3 viticultural areas of Ontario (Niagara and Prince Edward County being the other 2), with soils mainly consisting of sandy loam and gravel deposits on top of shale limestone bedrock.

We could go on and on about the specifics of this terroir (see VQA website), but this isn't the way to present the wines. Even living in Toronto, we rarely hear about this region and these wineries, so the question isn't so much about climate, soil, and geography, but rather on how these wines can be successfully marketed. And it's not about the vineyards. Because despite what the VQA and the producers would like to think, these minor areas are not necessarily special.

Canadian wine starts and ends with Niagara and the Okanagan Valley. Period. All these other smaller regions may produce interesting, even good wines, but in the larger Canadian wine industry, their contributions are insignificant. I'm not trying to disparage Lake Erie North Shore by any means ... I'm just certain that trying to convince consumers that the wines coming out of here are at all unique or more profound is not a successful strategy. As someone who constantly rails against homogeneity, I can't believe I'm about to say this ... but these smaller regions need to create a distinct, unified style of wine that is easily recognizable to consumers.

Take this riesling, for example. It fits into that mold of Ontario riesling - clean fruit, slight sweetness, low(ish) alcohol. Relative to a Niagara riesling, you're not getting that extract or minerality, but it's a pleasant enough drink. Consumers want reliability - that's why Yellowtail is such a success. People know that it's shit, just like they know McDonald's isn't real food. But they're also getting exactly what they expect, and really, people aren't all that adventurous when it comes to wine. So when they're looking for a white wine that hovers around $15, this should be the type of wine they're reaching for. When they look at a Lake Erie North Shore riesling, there should be a style associated with it, regardless of which winery it is. It's essentially branding the entire region, and associating it with a certain style of wine. And that's how you're going to move those bottles.

As a wino, I want to be an idealist and be all romantic about wine, but as someone who wants to get into the industry - you've got to find a way to make that money.

DF

Izumi Ontario Spring Water Sake Company

Left: Karakuchi Genshu
Middle: Nama Nama
Right: Teion Sakura

The beautiful trio.

Izumi makes stunning sake, and in Ontario of all places. Firstly, the name - izumi means spring in Japanese, which is the han character you see. The pronounciations are different, but proper Japanese uses Chinese characters in their writing; a whole different topic altogether, so we won't get into that. They're located in Toronto's Distillery District, but the important things to know are that they use California rice, Japanese koji, and Ontario water. For those who've drunk some sake, these will be a totally different experience. They're pure rice wines, with that incredibly fragrant sweet/sour character any good Chinaman will recognize. Stunning drinks, really, a taste of the motherland. They make different brews, and when I went in just before Christmas, these were the offerings.

There has to be a bit of a burn in sakes, and indeed in rice wines - you have to feel that alcohol. It's not a drink for pussies. But yet you want that purity, that almost mineral element from the water. A combination of sweet and sour flavours, all coming together, complex, yet at the same time, utterly minimalist. We had my cousin over during the holidays, and being a citizen of the Empire of Japan (just can't resist), I had him translate the names.

The first, the Karakuchi Genshu. Genshu refers to 'cask strength', where the sake is not diluted and therefore slightly higher in alcohol. Karakuchi means 'dry', which the Japanese usually refer to beers, Asahi or whatever watery lager they like. This particular bottle has a subtle sweetness on the palate, with the alcohol almost forming a more rigid structure, finishing quite dry in fact. A stiff one. The Nama Nama, sort of the standby, which means what the han character to its left says, essentially 'raw'. It refers to the fact that the sake is unpasteurized, which would sterilize the sake but strip it of so much character. This is an absolutely delicious sake, round and with an intense rice aroma on the nose and palate. And finally, my favourite of the three, the Teion Sakura. Teion means 'low temperature', referring to the fermentation conditions. This was the lowest of the three in terms of alcohol level, and the most delicate. Floral and so fine, yet quite sturdy on the palate, finishing linear and the most wine-like. A beauty.

Man, I can't say enough about how exciting Izumi sakes are. They give so much pleasure to this wino, and remind that sometimes a taste of home can come from the most unexpected of places.

DF

Amsterdam Brewery

Leaside seems to be the place to be in Toronto - all kinds of interesting things going on in that corner of town. I had a great beer from Amsterdam Brewery this summer - who knew, that they'd be a 15 minute drive away? For the month of December, every Saturday from 1-5pm, they're offering free tours  tastings. Great chance to taste some new things and support a local brewery.

We went down the line, starting with the Amsterdam Natural Blonde, a clean, refreshing beer. Next was the Big Wheel Amber Ale, which I really enjoyed. Great balance between the malt and the hops, sort of that Anchor Steam style of beer, but a bit drier on the finish.  The (416) Wheat gives that distinct wheat character, a slight whiff of skunkiness on the palate. The Boneshaker IPA, a brew that'll take your head off, a true powerhouse of that distinctly North American style of IPA. The KLB Raspberry Wheat with a very concentrated nose of fresh raspberries, dry on the palate. And the Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, perhaps a bit lighter in body, but satisfying on a cold day. 

Visit them, you won't be disappointed.

DF

Cameron's Rye Pale Ale

Cameron's Rye Pale Ale | Oakville | Ontario

There's another Cameron's brew coming out soon, and this one is a winner. These really hoppy, bitter pale ales have their time and place - and lately, I've been favouring more balanced, calmer brews. Sometimes you just want a good session beer, all a little bit more relaxed and less aggressive. But it's been a stressful past few weeks and in that context, a beer that blows your head off is exactly what I needed.

We never talk about aroma in beer. And with these hoppy ales, we need to. It almost feels silly to be nosing beer but the aromas this is giving off are fabulous. Citrus and herbs, all sorts of fragrance. They're happy hops. The addition of rye with the barley altogether gives a subtle sweetness on the palate, finishing dry and to the point. While it's interesting to taste beer like it's a wine, we can't be bores and try to yet again intellectualize the whole thing. No, beer is something different - a drink that's purely meant for drinking and not tasting.

This is an aggressive beer. And a damn good one. I find that I reach for beers when I'm either angry or completely lazed out - sort of the two extremes of a non-contemplative mood. And they have the effect of either making me angrier and more worked up, or even lazier. I have no idea where I'm taking this. Anyways ... this is a good beer, hoppy and all that, try it out. For our business school applications, we're supposed to be writing about inspirations - or at least I am - but for the past few months, I've been feeling anything but inspired. Bear with me - just bear with me.

DF

dogmatists in beer & food

The Royal Ontario Museum is showing a photo exhibit called Observance and Memorial, Photographs from S-21, Cambodia. It's a collection of photos recovered from prisoner documents of the most notorious detention facility during the Khmer Rouge's time in power from 1975-1979. The photos were of detainees, the majority of whom were innocent, who were tortured for false confessions, and ultimately executed. Entire families exterminated. The exhibit explains the history first, to give some context before you see the photos. I left feeling angry, sad ... there's a photo of a mother and her baby I can't get out of my head. The photos almost feel like portraits, with many of the subjects projecting a certain calmness, weariness. I'm shocked at how meaningless their deaths were, how utterly horrendous an extreme idealogy like communism can be. Which reminds me - now seems an appropriate time to watch Land of the Blind again.

So we stepped out a bit too early for dinner (why in the fuck the museum closes at 5:30 on a weekend I'll never comprehend) and we slowly wandered westward to Yorkville and then out to Bathurst, where we ate at Fresh, a vegetarian restaurant. Packed, and if even only half the people were true vegetarians, a depressing thought. But you have to suck it up sometimes. The food was ... edible? I refuse, however, to abide by the beer they choose to stock. Nickel Brook Gluten Free beer - and we're being very, very, motherfucking very, charitable with the word 'beer' - was a mess. Sorghum being the grain of choice, with pear juice and demerara sugar because really, sorghum gives you jack shit. This is what happens when idealogy and dogmatism trumps common fucking sense. If you can't drink beer for whatever reason, DON'T. There's no reason for gluten free beer, just like there's no reason for non-alcoholic beer. At best, they're dirt cheap imitations of the real thing. Exactly like vegetarian food.

You can call it a beer if you want to, but really, what's the point?

DF

change in temp

We've been getting lots of rain in Toronto lately, just that grey, cold, constant drizzle.  Temperatures have been ok, around the mid-teens, but they're predicting a colder than usual winter this year.  So what do we drink in this kind of weather?  Our wines need to get heavier, our beers need to get darker ... and in terms of local craft brews, few make a better stout than McAuslan St-Ambroise.  In fact, I would go so far as to say that this is one of the finest stouts I've ever tasted.  Aroma, texture, concentration, and finish - it has it all.  And really, with braised dishes, beef or pork, few things bring as much pleasure as a good stout.

I had a busy weekend.  Busy week in general, in fact.  Lots of fun stuff going on, but in between, I had to attend a funeral Saturday morning.  A member of my parent's church - a great man - died after a long illness, and no matter what was going on, I had to attend.  I had a rough time dealing with it, especially after talking to his widow.  They met in 1949, in Hong Kong, marrying in 1955.  That's more than 60 years together.  A lifetime.  She's a very strong lady, but the pain must be so deep, a true heartbreak.  A reminder that we all need to cherish who and what we have in our lives now, and really enjoy every moment, not just go through the motions.  I mean, we're all just hanging by a thread here, aren't we?

DF

Cameron's Sirius Wheat Ale

Cameron's Sirius Wheat Ale

Cameron's sent me a few samples of their new beer, just in time for Thanksgiving.  This beer is described as an interpretation of the American wheat ale style, brewed with Canadian malted wheat, and two row (?) malted barley on the press sheet.  It all comes together to make a very drinkable brew, that clean, round profile in the mouth.  A great beer to drink with dinner, nicely supporting the food.

Wednesday night's tasting was great, lots of fun.  Tasting notes will be up shortly, but overall impressions ... whites were interesting, no surprises with the reds.  Australian red wine seems determined to be in that style, that soft, cooked fruit, with lots of alcohol underneath.  But we weren't there to critically evaluate the wines - no, we were there for a good time.  My first time tasting with such a large group of friends, so I tried to run out first and focus on the white wines before regrouping.  A great way to spend a Wednesday evening.

DF

bro....you've got to start drinking man

2008 Charles Baker Picone Vineyard Riesling | VQA Vinemount Ridge

First day back to work, kids are back in school, and it just poured today, morning to night. I'm watching the Democratic National Convention right now, and wow, that tribute to Ted Kennedy was very well done. That last bit of him tearing Mitt Romney a new one in their 1994 debate was classic. Michelle Obama speaking tonight and President Clinton tomorrow!

We first tasted this wine way back in December 2009. Our first time meeting Charles Baker too. I've always been so impressed with this whole concept, of focusing one a single varietal and bottling specific vineyards not because it'll be an easy sell, but because the vineyard actually has something to say. Everytime I see him, he tells me I need to stop hoarding my wines and get to drinking. Niagara needs more visionaries like Charles with the talent and passion to really drive the industry forward from just making wine to making exciting wine.

And these are fucking exciting wines.

All the intensity, minerality, and dry extract you want in perfectly linear, tensile riesling. The best of the Mosel and the New World; pure finesse, but with incredible power and force behind them. Sort of James Bond-ish . . . dressed in a slick bespoke suit but he'll kill you and nail your girlfriend at the same time. The 2008 CB Riesling here still quite backwards at the moment, needing some time in the glass to uncoil. That lanolin cream minerality, those ripe citrus fruits . . . structured palate, perfect balance with just a touch of sweetness on a long finish. Just that rare touch of deftness and subtlety, but you can feel the tension behind it, waiting to spring.

Working on business school applications has been a serious exercise in self-reflection. And I'm a terrible self-reflector. Just terrible, because it doesn't help me to relive old successes OR failings. There is only the next thing on the checklist, the next thing to get worked up over. I've got, as a friend likes to say, a lot on my plate at the moment, but I was complaining when my life was boring so I sure as shit won't be bitching that something exciting is now happening. I'm no good at describing myself, what my 'identities' are. An idealist? A dreamer? Or maybe just a drunkard.

DF

a taste of 2007 Niagara riesling at 5 years of age

2007 Featherstone Estate Winery Black Sheep Riesling | VQA Twenty Mile Bench

2007 Flat Rock Cellars Riesling | VQA Twenty Mile Bench

2007 Thirty Bench Wine Makers Riesling | VQA Beamsville Bench

I've been sitting on these notes for a while, having tasted the wines in mid-July. Whatever. It's been a busy few weeks, and really, the last few days have been pretty rough. Are you getting bored yet listening to me bitch and moan about all my problems? When the MBA admissions committee wants you to write about your weaknesses, what are you supposed to say? I work too hard? I'm too much of a perfectionist? Get the fuck out of here - I'm not fooling anyone. My weaknesses are many, but for the sake of LCF, let's keep it at DF has a serious proclivity for the drink.

So I've got a cousin who grew up in Melbourne, but works in Hong Kong, and he just got married. Congrats all around. Great. There's this uniquely Chinese approach to dating where your parents forbid you from so much as looking at girls before you graduate university, but as soon as you start working . . . how come you don't have a girlfriend, what's wrong with you, why aren't you ready to be married? Chinese parents (both in the Mainland and abroad) are not very understanding of dating around. Right. Because you can go from being alone to engaged (to hopefully the right person) just like that. Because the first girl that gives you any attention is of course the one.

We're immigrants, and being here for 20 years has given my parents different perspectives on dating, compared to my extended family in Shanghai. Dating in the Mainland is a family affair, because its almost unthinkable to just approach a girl and ask her out. No, it has to be carefully orchestrated by family or co-workers or whatever acquaintance. You typically talk through email, then arrange for lunch, and then the guy never contacts you again because he either is indifferent or a huge pussy. It's sad because I actually do have (female) relatives in that position, and my only thought on the matter is, you have to work on your happiness too and sometimes YOU HAVE TO DO SHIT YOURSELF INSTEAD OF RELYING ON OTHERS.

It's been tough for me too. Painfully shy as a child; still am. Or maybe it's indifference, who knows. You find people, and sometimes they're just not the right person for you. No hard feelings, nothing personal; but we can't just get into a relationship with someone just so we're not alone. I mean, here I am, at the age of 26, sort of time to make the life decisions that will determine my next 40 years (or however long I plan on living), and none of it seems to be coming together. By all accounts, my 26 years breathing has been an utter failure. But you keep going, don't you. I don't try to live by other people's standards - I mean, a girl I once went out with banked 5 times the salary I was cha-chinging (as her mother not-so-subtlety pointed out). But is that it? Do you force yourself to be with someone that just isn't right for you? Of course you don't. I don't believe in this whole nonsense that there's just one person that's perfect for you on this earth, but a relationship certainly can't be based on simply what looks good on paper. No, none of it makes sense, but as a deeply emotion-driven person, I go with my gut, and right or wrong, I trust my motherfucking guts.

And none of that has fuck all to do with Niagara riesling. I fall in and out of love with these wines. Certainly, they're great - what I think will be a cornerstone of what true Niagara wines are. I bought heavily into them early on, starting with the 2005's. And now that I'm a bit older, I wonder why. Why I purchased multiples, why I'm hoarding them instead of just drinking. Anyways, all three wines here from 2007, that much-hyped, hot and dry year. Big, big wines all around. I've never really liked any of the red wines - everyone got a bit too excited, went for too much extraction, too much oak. We're not Americans, after all. Even the pinot noirs devolved into this overly-alcoholic, candied style. So I was looking forward to seeing how the white wines would show. The Featherstone riesling, probably the most shrill of all the Niagara rieslings I've tasted - still just riding on a backbone of pure acid, but developing some nicely creamy notes. The Flat Rock, approaching what I suppose maturity in New World wines must be like. Lanolin and ripe citrus, with good balance. The Thirty Bench was my favourite, with great structure and full aromatics. A happy but dignified wine.

I don't know how my life will be in 12 months. Hopefully for the better - at the very least, let's hope I know which school, in what country I'll be going to? So for this long weekend, as I stay indoors and continue slaving away at my applications . . . I'll raise a glass to all my other 26 year old brothers and sisters who feel a bit lost, but still optimistic about the future.

DF

what we call a pretty good weekend

Amsterdam Big Wheel Deluxe Amber | Amsterdam Brewing Company | Toronto

I feel like I'm lacking excitement in my life. It's so true what they say - that you never really feel your heart thumping unless you're in some kind of crisis. Well, my heart has been thumping lately, but for different reasons. Good reasons? Perhaps. I want to share, but not too much.

It's been a busy, busy year actually. When it rains, it fucking pours, right? Of course I'm right. But it's when you're feeling secure, and arrogant, that you start fucking up. It's probably not ideal but I always feel a bit better when things are going to shit around me . . . something about being under stress that makes me focus and make good decisions. Fuck me, growing up sucks balls.

I went to the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), sort of a big deal in Toronto - at the very least, it's a traditional end to the summer/beginning of the new school year. And I hadn't gone in an age. Right. So I should be a bit careful what I say next? Naw, screw it. I went with someone special and IT WAS A GREAT TIME. They had 17 of the best food trucks in Ontario parked there this weekend, and while a bit overrated, still a good experience. Shrimp tacos, an emphatic yes. A brightly-lit, noisy walk around, and really, you need to turn your brain off at these carnival games because, goddamn, we're being hustled every fucking which way. All in good fun though. Ferris wheel and all that, and although we didn't come home with any prizes (no Despicable Me minion), it was a lot of fun. And it's been a long time since I had lots of fun.

Right, so still working hard at writing and prepping applications. So much work. Shit. But Saturday, it was a perfect day for grilling, and oh yes, I had some fabulous Ontario brews in the cooler. This Big Wheel Deluxe Amber, an absolutely delicious, balanced beer, with all the harmony you want in a well made brew. Important to recognize that although we do want craft brews to say something, it still has to remain true to the great tradition of this is so refreshing I want to drink the whole 6-pack. And home-grown tomatoes (from my parent's church friend) are sweet and wonderful and all that, but what we really want in the end is a big chunk of beef sizzling on top of charcoal.

Almost too much of a good thing.

DF