DOH - 1982 Rheingau

1982 Balthasar Ress Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg, Riesling Kabinett

I married this wine with our prawns and clam capellini. The oldest riesling I've tasted, which is such a treat. Been sitting on this wine for so long, and this dinner was the perfect occasion to have a taste.

Look at the colour - so beautiful. So beautiful. Deep gold, with a luminosity that's still so vibrant and alive for a 27 year old wine. A wine that was older than all of us sitting around the table. The viscosity was apparent out of the bottle. And the nose - glorious. Honey and baked apples, with a muskiness, oil and minerality that only age can bring. Wonderful. My goodness. Profound and heart-wrenchingly beautiful.

The wine paired beautifully with the food. There's a subtlety in the mouth, with good fruit and viscosity. Just a kiss of sweetness left, but impeccably balanced. Soft acidity, but with a minerality on the finish that's clean and whispers into your mouth of the Rheingau and of the truth.

DF

DOH - L'Entrée Trois

Third entrée of the night. A beautiful clam capellini, in a white wine and fennel sauce. Clams, live. Boiled in the same broth used to poach the preceding prawns. Adding layers of flavour to the broth, which would only add more flavour to the sauce. Boil until the clams open, then set aside.

Hot pan and olive oil, to which I quickly added finely chopped garlic and onion. Fennel goes in next. I don't have much experience with fennel, but it was so fresh that I had to try. Finely sliced lengthwise, so that you get fine strands of fennel. Add in white wine and the shrimp/clam broth and simmer. What I didn't expect was the fennel taking so long to cook down and soften in texture, but it happened.

As I was telling my friend, the key was timing. Capellini cooks quite quickly, but you have to time so that it cooks concurrently with the sauce. Once finished, mix in the noodles directly into your sauce, add the clams to heat, and serve immediately. Noodles must be al dente. Must be, you don't understand how crucial this is. If noodles are overcooked, then there's no point in eating, period.

Worked out well. When I cut the fennel, it had this intense licorice aroma, which didn't show as prominently once cooked. Delicious.

DF

DOH - L'Entrée Deux

Moving right along. A little taste of what I feel is some of the most delicious shrimp you can find at St. Lawrence Market. Prawns, poached for 45 seconds. You know what the key is? Don't overcook. Overcooking shrimp is like eating beef well done - you get so past whatever semblance of quality there is that you may as well eat frozen Thai shrimps you get at cheap supermarkets.

These shrimps have an amazing sweetness and succulence. Very tender meat, which maintains a firm texture if they're fresh and cooked to the right temperature. 45 seconds - that's all it takes. Served very simply alongside a dipping sauce of soy, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chili oil, and finely chopped coriander leaves.

DF

DOH - L'Entrée Un

A beautiful salad of basil, arugula, and green apple slices, lightly tossed in a fragrant white wine vinaigrette. Simple and absolutely delicious. The basil in particular was stunning. The key, of course, is how fresh the greens are. I bought the entire stalk of each vegetable, roots attached. Plucked the leaves off 5 minutes before serving, to maintain moisture. Very lightly tossed in a freshly made vinaigrette - too much dressing and it just gets soggy and far too acidic. Apples have to be done quickly too...I hate having to acidify it to prevent it rusting over.

The inspiration was a desire for a clean looking salad, combining the fresh taste of plump vegetables, the sweetness of ripe apples, and the tang of a light vinaigrette. As you can, no black pepper was used. What can be more beautiful than a vividly green dish? Wonderful start to the meal, to get the appetite working and the palate tuned. A friend said that the dish was like a boxing match of flavours in the mouth. TKO.

Those are my hands. White plaster on left index...you don't want to know how I got injured.

DF

DOH - NV Cava

NV Codorníu Reserva Brut, Selección Raventós, Cava

The first wine of the night. I'm mad about Spanish sparkling wines. Cork out with a satisfied sigh, light straw in colour, and just fragrant as a flower. Delicious, full - perfect to start, and with the following salad.

DF

DOH - L'Apéritif

Let's start the meal off right. No one pays any attention to detail anymore. Tablecloth has to be pressed and clean. Placemats as well. Candles lit up for the wine. Stemware polished and shiny. Cutlery too. You don't understand how obsessive I can be about details like these. Obsessive. But in a positive, constructive way. You don't want to drink wine out of glasses with water spots on it, do you?

Starting with lovely, fresh, baguettes and olives. The proper olives, with the pits intact. How lazy do you have to be to go for the pitted olives? Huh? Come on, it just gets more and more flavoursome as you keep nibbling. Drizzled with olive oil, just fantastic. Served with a sparkling wine, in detail next. And some Pellegrino as well!

DF

In love with food

Here we go. Completed Dinner of the Harvest on Saturday. Dinner of the Harvest. Cheesy as all hell, no? But cheese goes fabulously with wine, so indulge me.

I executed as well as I dreamed. That's why you plan and develop in advance, to avoid unexpected mishaps, which you then have to explain to your guests. When I cook, I aim for perfection, and I'll slit my throat before I present dinner guests with anything less than a complete effort on the plate. You can't cheat, you can't cut corners. Everything bought on the same day, depending on what's fresh and in season. There's no way you can prepare hours in advance. The greens, the seafood, the meats - everything cooked to order. No, you can't season the meat 2 hours prior. You can't cook the sauces hours earlier and then reheat. Done to order. All of it.

So this is sounding a bit self-congratulatory, but I deserve it. It was as much a confirmation of my talents as it was......................well, I can't think of anything clever to add. But I pulled it off. 10 courses, 7 covers, 5 wines: 7 hours of culinary bliss.

I'm in a preening kind of mood. Like a peacock. So I'm going to dedicate each subsequent post to a single course. Much appreciation to my dinner guests - you make every burn, every oil sear, every cut, every wrist sprain, every little detail, and every little effort worth it.

Full photo sets courtesy of my friend, always indulging me with fantastic documentation of all the magic. Blog posts here, and photo sets here.

DF

On a Sunday

The plates have been cleared, the glasses have been washed, the apron has been hung up to dry. So that's it. I'm nursing a bit of a hangover, my reward for a job well done. And I have 4 jagged cuts on my left hand to prove it. Battle wounds, I bear with pride.

DF

Done

A bit exhausted, but happy. And that's the point, ain't it?

8 parts arrogance speaking, tonight (or rather, last night) was phenomenal, gastronomically. Dinner service was clean, orderly, and to the schedule. Military precision, without the goose-stepping. Cooked the fish and beef as perfectly as I could ever manage. And wines? The old rieslings were a revelation.

Tired now. It's late. Or early, however you look at it. Sleep, then more in detail, when I'm a bit more lucid. I was shooting rum all night, but holding it well. It's the knife wounds to the left hand that are bugging me. Ahh, a mere flesh wound. Now I'm starting to sound drunk.

Good night.

DF

In prep

Ok, beginning to prep for dinner!

Rushed out to St. Lawrence Market this morning to get everything. Ready to go. Now it's just down to execution. This is what I've planned for - every last detail should go into motion now.

Here's to a good dinner service and no one getting food poisoning. Here we go again!

DF

Pre-prep

I spent today running around a bit. Got a few items for Saturday's dinner - most of the groceries I'm leaving until as late as possible to bring home. I want everything to be as fresh as possible. Heading out early in the morning tomorrow, to search for Ontario's best and for inspiration!

Worked in the kitchen to do some preliminary prep work. Polished all the stemware, all the cutlery, and water goblets. I washed and ironed my tablecloth as well. Everything should be ready to receive the food.

I've been drinking since 3pm. A few beautiful, rich wines. Feeling good about cooking so many courses. Menu's ready, but of course, if I see something great tomorrow at St. Lawrence, things might change. I was at my local grocery store today - they had fresh, live abalone! Just extraodinary, I would have bought some home if I knew how to handle them.

Itching to get going.

DF

Got me

This is a great new show. Yeah, some great stuff coming out for fall. Why do I like these sappy songs so much? Huh???

DF

Porsche Panamera at Holt Renfrew

Here we go. Last night, Holt Renfrew hosted an event unveiling the 2010 Porsche Panamera. And I was there to witness all the glory! Pulled up, dressed in our finest, and let the valet take care of all. Yes, DF was going to be a boss for the night.

We pulled in behind a man driving a beautiful white Porsche Targa 4S with Alberta plates. That's a man who looks like he belongs at an event like this. Likewise for the stunning Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG. And the black Audi A8. But we're ok. I had my royal crown lapel pin on.

Stepping in, a server glided over with a few flutes of Champagne. Nice. Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial. For the folks who equate fine taste in wine with brand recognition. I shouldn't be judging though - I have little class and even less breeding, but I suspect that the social butterflies who attend these things are no better. Oops.

Lots of servers handing out hors d'oeurvres. Some were mediocre, but the rice cake with shitake and oyster mushrooms was absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, most of the stuff was taken out of fridge - rice would have been much better warm. What made it better? The servers looked smashing. There was a pretty ivory-skinned brunette who walked by us a few times - I joked to my friend that she was giving us a knowing smile......like, 'I know you little fuckers are here on someone else's charity, but just chill and fill your stomachs.' So pretty. I love girls in ponytails.

Right, the car. The reason why we went. We heard David Donohue speak, who comes from a pretty impressive racing dynasty. He just recently won the Daytona 24, among his other victories. Great. Donohue was introduced as part of Holt's Style Rules Speaker Series. I was a bit disappointed because only the first 5 minutes was interesting. The remainder was a slick sales pitch on behalf of Porsche. The CEO of Porsche Canada who was up next was even tackier. Come on gentlemen...you can do better. Don't stoop to that level. Leave that shit for the Ford folks.

And then, with a whoosh, the cover was rolled off the car. What a surprise - 2 pairs of beautiful models stepped out. They had been sitting inside the car, under the covers for at least an hour. Beautiful, genetically gifted, white, blond, tall people. Yeah, life's not fair.

The Panamera is an enormous car. My goodness - lengthwise, width, it's huge! Huge. The model shown was in a new colour - cognac. Sort of a light brown. The inside looks nice. We'll see soon, as soon as JC picks his up.

Interesting experience. Great. But come on, you can't help but come away feeling vapid after these things. People show up to be seen - it's another social event, no? Yeah, I don't belong. But an interesting experience. Everything looked really nice inside. Beautiful people. And we got gift bags!

DF

HR on fire!

I attended an event hosted by Holt Renfrew tonight, for the official Toronto unveiling of the 2010 Porsche Panamera. Boom! You might not know it, but I'm quite a socialite. Yeah, that's right. DF's on fire!

It was interesting, to say the least. More tomorrow, including photos. Gift bags are the shit. Paul Smith and Tom Ford - yeah, like I said, DF's on fire.

Oh, I just realized as well - today is my 200th consecutive day of blogging. That's right - more than 6 straight months of nonstop writing. Thought you might want to know.

DF

German Dark Beer

More beer. Beck's Dark. I like Beck's, and I've never tasted this beer before. So dark in colour, almost like stout. Nowhere as bitter, although it has a stiffness. Almost there. But I prefer my Guinness.

DF

Boston Lager

Right. Since I was the only person to bring wine to our Thanksgiving dinner, we ran out 10 minutes into the turkey being served. Beer! Samuel Adams Boston Lager. Our host's brother-in-law brought a case over from Boston, so I don't know if it makes it more authentic. Who knows.

As you can see, an amber colour. Sweetness abounds, with a roundness. I was surprised - the wines glasses you see above were much more well-suited for beer than wine. Nice.

DF

Post No. 1101

These last 100 have been good to me. Especially October. This has been a good month, and there's still many good things lined up. I've been drinking a lot recently, which is great for the palate, and the spirit. Winter's approaching, but somehow I feel optimistic about things. Of course, the trip to Niagara to inspect the vineyards at harvest was exceptionally exciting.

Christmas is going to be here soon. Before we know it, it'll be snowing and blowing. The season for entertaining is approaching, which only means more food, more wine. Let's start with this weekend. The massively epic dinner I've been planning will be executed to perfection.

Let's get to it.

DF

Good to go

Ready and chomping at the bit. I'm good to go baby, good to go. The Dinner of the Harvest this weekend, an event I've been preparing for, for the past 6 weeks. No joke. I've put together a menu that I think shows off fresh Ontario produce that's in season and absolutely delicious. Only the finest and freshest.

I fully appreciate how difficult putting menus together are. Devising the actual dish you want is probably the easiest part. What's complex is working out the logistics - where to source the produce, the seafood, the meat. Then, how to time the cooking so you don't leave guests waiting for more than 15 minutes in between courses. And of course, how many plates you need, and which plate for each dish. So after all that, the cooking is the easiest part. Simple. Just the correct application of heat.

I've worked out the wines I'm marrying to each dish already, a few bottles that I've been aching to open. Now, if I had 36 stems to work with, so that I can use one glass for each wine - that would be great. But, you do the most with what you have, and hope for the best.

Ready and itching to go.

DF

Pickled

I have to write about this. The most amazing dish for me at our Thanksgiving dinner wasn't so much the turkey as it was this dish - pickled vegetables, done in vinegar, peppers and lots of love. Spicy, sharp, with the most amazing crisp texture...absolutely delicious. Just extraordinary.

DF

2007 Dogliani

2007 Cantina Terre del Barolo, DOCG Dogliani

Our second wine. A wine of Piedmont, north Italy. Dogliani is one of 7 regions in Piedmont that make wines using 100% dolcetto. A more reasonable alternative to Barolo. A very young wine, so I was unsure of the quality - also, I'm a bit leery of Italian wines under $35.

Good surprise. Nice deep colour, jammy fruit, but retains a balance and stiffness that's very appealing. Good introduction to dolcetto. Nice. Beautiful, married with turkey.

DF

NV Prosecco di Valdobbiadene

2007 Belcanto di Bellussi Extra Dry, DOC Prosecco di Valdobbiadene

The first wine I bought for our Thanksgiving feast. All of a sudden I'm responsible for all the wines at all these gatherings. I wonder why. The good thing is, David gets what David wants. And DF wants a sparkling wine from Italy.

Clean, bright, pure - what this wine lacks in complexity, it makes up for it in sheer joy of fruit. Beautiful. And what more can you ask out of a wine than to make you happy?

DF

Thanksgiving feasting, in photos

A feast! This family always cooks a turkey for everyone, every year and no one even thinks anymore - we just show up at the door around this time. Not that big on turkey, but always end up leaving full, hammered, and satisfied.

DF

Thanksgiving, in photos

Thanksgiving dinner at a friend's. The last photo - see the dude in grey and checks on the right, middle row? That's the face of a happy wino, exceedingly drunk off Prosecco, Barolo, and lots of turkey.

DF

Kneading and rolling

I went to church this Sunday, for Thanksgiving service. Oh boy. I may or may not have said a little lie to my pastor's face. Sorry. Didn't mean to, just trying to be polite. Did not count on the good man recognizing me and remembering my name. I feel a bit weird at church. It's a bit like going to family gatherings in Shanghai. You get swarmed by a lot of people you don't know and everyone tells you how big you look, that you've grown a bit taller, and wonders (aloud) why you still don't have a girlfriend. Good times!

We went to a friend's house afterwards for lunch - she's my mother's favourite person in church. The family's from the north of China, one of the northeast provinces. Northern Chinese cuisine, of course, features a lot of wheat products. Flatbreads, dumplings, buns...stuff like that. I'm fascinated with their dumplings. I'm southern Chinese, a Shanghai man - we eat dumplings, but have no clue how to make the wrapping. And that's what I wanted to learn from our host. And well, because I love northern Chinese people.

She let me into her kitchen, where she went through how she puts the dough together. You knead it until it's pillowy soft and well rounded in shape. You punch a hole in the middle with your fingers, and shape it until it's almost as narrow as a bicycle tire. Cut into the circle, and slowly knead the dough to the correct diameter. Our friend showed me how to cut the dough into small chunks, turning the dough a quarter turn to make sure that it can easily be shaped and pressed into a perfect little round circle. Pat with dry flour, and you're ready to shape.

The wrapping is supposed to be quite thin, in a perfect circle about 3-4 inches in diameter. You hold the dough with your left hand, a rolling pin in your right. Slowly work the rolling pin up halfway into the dough whilst turning the dough clockwise with your left hand. Shape the dough as round as you can, maintaining the proper thickness.

Of course, this is impossible to fully explain using just words. But I performed quite well, impressing my host to no end. Yes, I'll try to keep the ego in check. But apparently I can now make dumpling wrappers fresh by hand as well as any northern Chinese. All joking aside, I was so impressed with how fast this friend could make them. She made about 5 in the time I managed one. Just extraordinary.

DF

2005 Sauternes

2005 Château Suau, AC Sauternes 2ème Grand Cru Classé

I love Sauternes. My friends think that I don't like sweet wines. Or rather, I shouldn't like them. But why? And stop calling them dessert wines! Dammit, these shouldn't even be referred to as sweet wines, they are wines like all else!

In November of last year, LCBO released this wine. I picked up a few bottles (37.5 cL) but my mother saw it on sale this month and insisted on buying on. Or rather, she insisted that I buy a bottle for her to taste. We drank to finish a big meal, and this turned out to be a wonderful wine.

Double decanted like the last wine, and chilled. The cork is showing all the signs of the improper storage that LCBO is well famous for. Stood upright, under bright lights and warm temperatures for months? Yeah, perfect. The cork is stained 2/3 of the way up with wine and starting to mold already.

Golden colour, but starting to just slightly turn amber at the core. Disturbing, for such a young Sauternes to see a darkening of colour. Quite a nice surprise then, to see that the bouquet of the wine was showing well. Lots of honey and citrus, ripe oranges and apricot. Very fresh fruit. On the mouth, this wine has a beautiful texture, with good weight and creaminess. It's so well-balanced, with sweetness, but with restraint. High acidity for a Sauternes. Not a lot of botrytis character, but this wine is so young, and this vintage so ripe with fruit that we can't be too hasty in our judgement. Finishes with an appetizing bitterness, with good length. A delicious, crisp Sauternes.

I'm very pleased with this wine. Delicious, just a delicious wine that I can't wait to drink again in 10 years.

DF

2007 Alentejano

2007 Aragonês de São Miguel dos Descobridores, Vinho Regional Alentejano

A wine of Portugal. It's time to explore other wine regions of the world and I'm keeping to my word. Because I always keep my word. Aragonês is Portuguese for tempranillo.

Dark colour, quite inky in fact, but with vivid purple edges. I decanted for 3 hours, and then double decanted back into the bottle. Playing around with my new decanter funnel. With a little chill, the fruit expresses itself beautifully. Dark fruits, berries and plums, developing a graphite aroma, and meaty, savoury character. Beautifully balanced as well.

In the mouth, this wine is delicious. The fruit has great purity, with lovely balance between the crisp acidity, fine tannins, and intense fruit. It leans towards jammy flavours, but the acidity balances out so nicely. The alcohol is imperceptible. Finishes slightly bitter, keeping things fresh and interesting. A beautiful wine, which is showing deliciously right now.

Good start. Alentejano is regarded as Portugal's New World region, but this wine shows all the balance you could ask for when marrying with food. Absolutely delicious.

DF

NV Champagne

NV H. Billiot et Fils Brut Réserve, AC Champagne Grand Cru

Grower Champagne. Built of about 80% pinot noir, from the Grand Cru village of Ambonnay. Nice. A pretty average Friday, but I wanted to start the long weekend off properly with a proper bottle of wine. Chilled for 30 minutes, glasses out, twist the bottle, soft pop of the cork.

Straw yellow in colour, with a pleasing mousse. Initial bouquet, as the foamy bubbles fizz in the glass suggest yeasty aromas and fresh citrus. On the palate, the fruit is very pure and fresh, with a lively sweet tangerine character. Very bright. A mineral aspect as well, which develops on the finish. Good texture, with creaminess and focus. Fine bubbles in the mouth.

However great this wine was, I still take offense at the fact that I paid $59 for this bottle. I think I'm just about done with non-vintage Champagne. Just too one-demensional, especially given the prices it commands. And especially when there are $20 bottles of Cava that offer just as much.

DF

Under the table

This is what you see when you drink so much that you slide right off your chair. Drinking myself under the table...literally.

DF

All out

I'm back from dinner. A little exhausted, a little smashed, a little frigid. Today was a good day. Went to church today, a rather rare appearance. And learned some new things, culinary-wise. I love northern Chinese folks. Two social gatherings I agreed to today, both of which left me filled and satisfied.

More tomorrow, including photos.

DF

Before the chill

'Twas a beautiful day today. A fleeting October sun, quickly replaced by wind and cloud. What storms will this winter bring...

DF

Arugula!

And I'm back from the farmer's market. Saw lots of beautiful squash, potato, fruit.....and arugula! Yes, I'm very, very excited, and I'm so ready for next week.

Got some new toys as well, from Junor's. A new apron, core remover, and a beautiful wine decanter funnel. And of course, picked up a few wines from this week's release.

Busy day today - great start to the Thanksgiving weekend. Drinking a beautiful Portuguese red wine tonight, as well as a Sauternes. Married alongside a few wonderful cuts of New York striploin I picked up at St. Lawrence Market, green beans, and butter potato. Got to get to work now...sorry for the dry posts this week, photos will be up soon.

I'm getting smashed tonight on some fabulous wines. Here we go again!

DF

Brights and colours

Ask and you shall receive.

What a beautiful day. Heading out to St. Lawrence to source some produce for next week's dinner. Maybe a trip to Cumbrae's as well. Let's see if I get carried away and bring back a hunk of wagyu beef.

Toronto's going to get cold soon, everyone get out and enjoy the beautiful weather!

DF

走向共和

I've been thinking a lot about how a modern China fits in the world. This helps to frame an understanding of how the PRC came to be. Around the 6 min mark is where Dr. Sun Yat-Sen explains the meaning behind his revolutionary attire.

DF

On fish

I've been trying to cook fish in a different way. The Chinese way is to steam, which has its merits. The key, as always, is to have the freshest fish. Preferably live and still kicking, which preserves its tender texture and succulent flavour.

Lately, I've gone more towards roasting fish. Buy the fish whole, then fillet yourself. Pan sear in a high heat, finish in the oven. The results have been delicious. Certainly, refinements have to be made, but I'm pleased with what I'm tasting. Especially since today was just my 2nd time with this dish.

You know what's a bit scary? The striped bass I bought today was so vigorous that even after it was killed, even after the internal organs were removed, the meat was still quivering as I filleted it. I definitely need a better knife to do this kind of work. Almost sliced off the tip of my left index finger, I was so startled.

First thing on my to-do list tomorrow is to pick up a palate knife, for more intricate work in the pan.

DF

Purpley

Just completed a 3 hour dinner. Everything went well. The dishes came out well. Pan seared striped bass on roasted beets. Beautiful combination. Potato crisps done in 100% clarified butter. Beautiful. And a fish broth to finish it off. Beautiful. Paired with a wonderful Champagne...what more can you ask for to start off a long weekend?

I want to drink more tonight. I know I said I wouldn't, but I'm so tempted to open another bottle. Let's go. My phone's been giving me a beep that it's low on battery all day now, but it still refuses to die. Oh, and my text plan finally kicked in!

Or shots. Whisky sounds pretty good right about now.

DF

Weather permitting

I thought we'd be seeing better weather this week - clearly, I was very wrong. We've been seeing rain and cold weather in the GTA, which is very disappointing. Derek mentioned that the harvest at Lailey might begin on Wednesday. I hope things are going well for them. Come on, all we need is a last minute burst of sunshine and warmth. Come on!

Big release this week. I've begun noticing a disturbing trend. For the past few months, 90% of the wine I've been buying from every release is for the cellar. I'm only picking up one or two bottles to actually drink, so there's always a perpetual lack of wine for drinking in the house. It figures right...I have 5 cases packed up at home ready to ship out, and not a single bottle to drink. Stupid.

So things are going to change. We're going to reverse it. I'm going to begin making a conscientious decision to look for wines I want to drink as opposed to put away. Lots of new regions to try. And lots of old favourites to revisit. Autumn is clearly underway, so richer, fuller and heartier red wines are up on the menu. Southern France is going to feature big. Rhône wines for sure, both from the north and south. Languedoc as well. Maybe Loire. Portugal, Spain definitely. Maybe I should dip into the New World a bit. South Africa, Chile, Argentina...............Australia? Yeah, let's see.

Starting with a wine of Portugal and Madiran this week. Just going to pound it.

DF

Nip

I skipped the gym all last week to recover from my cold in time for our Niagara trip. Of course, my cold didn't entirely go away, but at least my nose and palate was running at 85% of full capacity. Good to go.

Back to working out this week. Oh yes, it's painful. Sore everywhere. EVERYWHERE!! I think I'm going to shower and sleep now. Release this weekend, the rest of my 2006 Bordeaux Futures is finally coming in, and Thanksgiving this weekend. Preparing a massive dinner - practice begins on Friday. Will begin developing Friday night, so that come Sunday, I won't be a putz. Pan-seared fish, roasted beets, my own cranberry sauce, and a beautiful hand-cut potato crisp.

The blog's been performing extraordinarily well this week. What can I say, I must be doing something right. My Thornhill homies are kicking it up a notch. Here we go again!

DF

Umesyu

Nakano Syuzou Kunizakari Syuzo no Nigori Umesyu

I don't speak much Japanese, and I have no intention of installing a Japanese character input into my laptop, so this is the best I've got. Umesyu means plum wine. This is a bottle of plum liquor that my new neighbour sent over for Mid-Autumn Festival. Her husband works in Tokyo, and she thought I might enjoy it.

It's an enjoyable sweet wine. Beautiful colour, and the three characters on the right refer to the fact that this is unfiltered. There was plum sediment floating in the wine, of a dark red colour. Good sweetness, beautiful plum character on the nose. This wine brings you into the subject. Good acidity as well, very balanced. Shows a lot of character, and certainly one of the better plum wines I've drank.

Sweet wine is similar all over the world, in that many of them don't have a balance. Most end up syrupy and absolutely tiring to drink. I don't know the cultural significance of a plum wine in Japan - is this mostly a fun little thing for the ladies to enjoy, or do people actually drink a lot of it? I should ask my cousin. In any case, as a sweet wine, this is quite delicious. But I would enjoy it with a tart Chinese dessert - drinking it with something sweet as well won't work.

ckfree for men

What you see before you is an as yet unreleased cologne, a new Calvin Klein product called ckfree for men. Matchstick sent out the invitation again, I accepted, and here we are...I'm tickled to think that I'm one of the first people to have a smell.

I like Calvin Klein. I've always used Contradiction for men - it's one of those harder edged scents that still reminds people that you're a man. These bottles last forever. But then again, I don't drown myself in this stuff. There's something decidedly unseemly about dousing yourself in perfume, announcing your presence by aroma before ever you are seen. What are you trying to hide? Take it easy. And is there still a real man who doesn't wear Giorgio Armani Aqua di Gio?? Ridiculous. It's not a manly scent when every prick in the city wears it, from 16 to 60.

Ok, moving on. I like the packaging. Clean, unfussy. Clear glass always works. The scent is agreeable. Clean, subtle - when the alcohol blows off, there's a weight and oily aroma to it that is, yes, quite masculine. But perfume really changes depending on the one who wears it, and I think it works on me.

So there you have it. Check it out, when it arrives in stores. I stopped wearing a lot of perfume though, ever since I've been serious about wine. But it's not about me. Check it out. Or better yet, visit this website and receive a 12 pack of testers!! With spraying nozzles attached!! First 250 winners get one.

And please, so I get to do more of this fantastic business in the future, please complete this Blog Reader Survey! For fun!!

2001 Niagara Peninsula

2001 Lailey Vineyard Chardonnay, VQA Niagara Peninsula

This was the bottle of wine we tasted at the winery on Friday - Derek managed to find a few cases of this wine, surprising everyone. I was floored at first taste...only later did I realize this was a wine in perfect maturity.

The bottle Derek opened at the winery showed beautifully, and I must confess that I had a sudden fear that this was an outlier. Quick - the only way to prove otherwise was to open a bottle I had lying around at home. I decanted for about 3 hours before serving, at a slightly chilled temperature.

In the decanter, this is an absolutely beautiful wine. Amber in colour, in fact, looking very mature. Amazingly, the colour clears up considerably in the glass, to what you see above. Dense yellow gold, but still looking quite youthful. I've never seen a wine change colour like that. On the nose, this wine has an intense bouquet of sweet tangerine and citrus fruit, with a creaminess and a lot of chardonnay character. A musky minerality underlines. Very complex, with a freshness that belies its age.

On the palate, this is a delicious wine. The decanting really helps. There's a beautiful buttery weight on a silky texture. The fruit follows, but doesn't show as sweet as on the nose. A wonderful texture. The bitter lemon zest on the finish becomes a bit more integrated with air, but this wine has length. Long, long finish.

This wine is profound. An amazing taste of what a true Niagara wine can deliver. Aging very well, but I think this wine has still some way to go. We'll see. In 3-5?

An interesting note, something which showed up in the winery as well. There's wine diamonds! There was a hard sediment forming on that cork, as well as on the wine I opened at home. This is completely harmless, and is simply tartic acid crystallizing from cold temperatures. If anything, this is a good thing. High acidity in the wine, stored properly, and non-manipulated. What more could you ask for in a wine of the terroir?

Prairie Ink

On all my trips to Niagara, tradition calls for packing sandwiches for lunch, and eating dinner in the area, before heading back home. I wanted to eat at About Thyme Bistro - unfortunately, I forgot to call ahead of time, and they were fully booked until 8pm. The other choice was Old Winery Restaurant, which was about 30 minutes away and further east in Niagara. Not willing to drive all the way, we decided to instead drive back to Toronto to eat.

About 80 minutes later, through the horrendous traffic and driving rain, we arrived at the Shops at Don Mills. Dinner at Prairie Ink. Quiet inside, with only 3 other tables. A duo playing sax and double bass. Romantic. A mildly gay environment for two guys to be dining together.

Started with 2 soups - a peanut soup and a pumpkin purée. The peanut soup was silky in consistency, but was a bit too sweet. Liquid peanut butter. The pumpkin soup was spicy, with good texture but a bit under-seasoned. On to the entrées. An 8oz sirloin, and a pan-seared pickerel. The steak was juicy and cooked perfectly to medium-rare, but again, I don't like this idea that the only way to cook steak is on the grill. The char marks were beautiful, but were burnt and bitter. Fries alongside were a bit overcooked as well. Brown. The pickerel was beautifully cooked. Delicious in fact, but I didn't appreciate the accoutrements too much. There were raw sprouts placed on top, which I promptly removed. Not eating it raw. Underneath, roasted bok choy. What western cooks don't understand about bok choy is that you can't only wash the outside. There's dirt trapped between the stalks, and each bite produced more grit. The only saving grace is the roasted potatoes. Clearly organic, and wonderfully soft and buttery. Beautiful.

Shit, I hate fusion. The pickerel was beautiful, as were the potatoes, but why the bok choy? Why the sprouts? Be honest with yourself - is that stuff really necessary? Is it? And wash the bok choy thoroughly! A shame, because I really like this restaurant. Keep it simple, folks.

We had a half litre of 2007 Fielding Estate Unoaked Chardonnay. Came out too chilled, as usual. Some citrus, a touch of bacon fat. Quite simple on the palate. Short, bitter finish.

Maybe dinner is a bit too much to handle. Prairie Ink does the brunch scene quite well. The lemon/blueberry bread is absolutely delicious. I'll be going back, but maybe not so much for dinner.

In planning

Something's up. The last 4 trips that I've made to Niagara have all fallen on days of bad weather and heavy rains. June 2008 - fog and summer thunderstorms. December 2008 - fog blanket, sheet rain, and hurricane winds. March 2009 - blast of winter wind, downpour. And October 2009 - 20mm of rain, high wind. Funny how these things work. But you have to appreciate my persistence and dedication. In the quest for true wine, there's no one more hard-assed than me.

We missed Nuit Blanche this year. Too sick, too cold outside. Next year?

So, I'm going about planning the Dinner of the Harvest. Logistics are a bit of a pain, but I've been developing the dishes I want to serve and things are going well. Next steps: sourcing.

I'm drinking green tea like my livelihood depends on it. In recovery from all the wine I drank, Friday and yesterday. Wow I drank a lot. But you needn't worry about me. I stopped getting tipsy from fine wine.

This post is getting a bit indulgent. But really, on a rainy Sunday afternoon, when you're a bit lazy.............more on the wines I drank yesterday, for Mid-Autumn Festival.

In photos

Sniffing cask samples of 2008 Lailey Vineyard Pinot Noir

Sniffing cask samples of 2008 Lailey Vineyard Syrah

Derek pouring 2001 Lailey Vineyard Chardonnay

Derek and I discussing the sterility of the world's wines

All the photos were taken by my running mate Rocky. Sometimes I feel we take Rocky for granted - he never hesitates to shoot whenever we ask. So much appreciation for that. Derek and I talked for well over 2 hours, about Lailey, about Niagara, and about wine in general. It was a great conversation. Derek was so generous about opening his wines for us, especially the chardonnay shown above. Here is a man who believes in the majesty of old wines. This is a man of the true, uncompromising taste.

Look at the photos - I assure you, I do drink the wines, even though I'm only shown sniffing them. DF's nose tells all!

Dialogue at Lailey

Again, I direct you first to my piece from my last visit with Lailey, in March: Niagara Tour - Lailey Vineyard

I love these wines with all my heart. I've relayed this story over and over, but it's worth repeating again. 2005 Lailey Pinot Noir was the turning point in my appreciation of Niagara wines. If there's any one wine that I can taste in my dreams, this is it.

We met with Derek this time, who makes the wine here. I've seen Derek before, but never had the pleasure to speak with him. As always, we started by going to the vineyards. As you can see, the vines look healthy, and astonishingly clean. Derek comments that this year's crop may well become the finest pinot noir he's ever seen. Still a few days away from being picked, but I'm very excited about the potential of 2009 pinot noir.

It was raining quite hard, so we moved into the cellar. Tasting cask samples is always important for me. Being able to track each vintage, through each stage of evolution in oak gives me a greater understanding of how wine transforms into its final product. We last tasted the 2008 chardonnay and pinot noir in cask 6 months ago, and I was eager to see how they were showing. We started with barrel samples of 2008 Old Vines Chardonnay. Citrus and caramel on the nose, with an unctuousness in the mouth. A touch oaky for me, but what saves the wine is its racy acidity. Very fresh, and still sitting on its lees. This sample was from a new barrel, so the final bottling may very well be a bit more balanced and showing less oak. Next was the 2008 Brickyard Vineyard Pinot Noir. I remember this wine well. Absolutely delicious, right out of barrel. Lots of fresh, plump rose petals, with fresh red fruits. Beautiful, just showing so beautifully. Aggressive acidity, very bright. We moved onto 2008 Old Vines Pinot Noir. Very Burgundian in style - a bit denser and darker, with a savoury gaminess and earthiness to the bouquet. Wonderful. Ethereal length and absolutely delicious. I described the difference between the two pinot noirs to Derek as spring and autumn. Both wonderful and full of character. I mentioned in passing to Derek that I was interested in Lailey's syrah as well, and he kindly pulled a few cask samples of 2008 Syrah for us. Spicy, with dark fruits and a brooding character. Great cool climate character, with the telltale acidity of Niagara. For fun, Derek pulled samples of 2008 Impromptu for us as well, which is a proprietary blend of about 70% syrah, with the remainder being petit verdot and malbec. Very interesting - lots of black pepper on the nose, with a distinct syrah character - the difference with this wine is the absolutely velvet richness in texture.

Going into the winery, Derek proceeded to open a few bottles for us. Many bottles in fact - Derek was very generous in sharing his wines with us. We began with a surprise find - 2001 Chardonnay. Surprise for everyone. Apparently, no one knew that there was a case of this wine left...4 cases in fact. Beautiful gold colour, showing maturity but by no means tired. Lots of sweet tangerine in the mouth, with a buttery richness and fresh finish that remains quite youthful. Delicious. We tasted both 2007 Pinot Noir, and 2007 Canadian Oak Pinot Noir. The Canadian Oak pinot noir is actually showing a bit more elegance at this point, but both these wines are far too young. We tasted 2007 Impromptu as well, which likewise needs more bottle age. We finished with 2007 Vidal Icewine. Good sweetness, balanced by great acidity, but I've stopped hoping from complexity for vidal. It's still a good wine though.

This visit was extraordinary. I've never had the good fortune to truly engage in dialogue with someone who shares the same tastes in wine as myself, and who understands what the true taste in wine is. Derek shares the same philosophy in wine, and was so honest in sharing his knowledge with me. Many thanks, and I hope to see you soon to see how the 2009 wines are coming along.

The truth of Le Clos Jordanne

May I first direct to my last piece about Le Clos Jordanne: Niagara Tour - Le Clos Jordanne

I last visited in March of this year, when the weather was still quite frigid and the vines were bare. What a difference 6 months makes. The vines look healthy and full, bearing beautiful clusters of pinot noir, chardonnay, and a bit of pinot gris. A little Burgundian delight, if you will. We were taken to all 4 vineyards again, as last time - the only difference was that a few rows had already been picked, with the rest of the pinot noir not far off.

Our first stop was La Petite Vineyard. I love the wines coming out of this site. Ethereally floral and elegant, and simly a stunningly seductive wine. The grapes reflect this pedigree. Clean and healthy, without any sign of botrytis, rot, or disease. Tiny berries, with great colour. High level of ripeness, showing great levels of sugar. The seeds are showing ample phenolic ripeness as well. To put more simply, the grapes were absolutely delicious. Sweet, without any sign of astringency. Very perfumed, with a distinct minera lity. I never realized a grape could be so complex, but there you go. What a wonderful vineyard. Wet and cold and covered in mud, but my heart was pounding with excitement.

Next was Claystone Terrace. This vineyard is a bit tenser, with a gaminess that I find quite unique. I drank a bottle of 2006 Claystone Terrace Pinot Noir recently - still trying to recover from that night. The vineyard is looking healthy as well. Grapes not as developed as the more sandy soil of La Petite. Not as ripe, but getting there.

Our third stop was to survey Talon Ridge Vineyard, the largest site. Right across from Flat Rock, this site produces the bulk of the Village Reserve wines. What I loved is that their bottling this vineyard separately. I tasted Île de Talon from cask, which is a parcel of Talon Ridge which possesses a slightly higher elevation than the rest. This parcel is distinctly more delicate, with more perfume than the Village Reserve. The grapes we tasted looked healthy, and actually were quite ready. In fact, we saw a few workers in the fields, beginning to pick a few rows.

Finally, we stopped at Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard, the estate's Grand Cru vineyard, in Burgundian terms. We tasted berries from the Le Clos Jordanne cuvée, which was still a few days from picking. We then tasted berries for the Le Grand Clos cuvée, which is Le Clos Jordanne's top bottling, and most expensive. These parcels show a completely different pedigree. The berries show good ripeness, with an elegance and minerality. Phenolic ripeness is approaching nicely as well.

Tasting the berries, days away from harvest was such a wonderful learning experience for me. It's astonishing how the berries already show the pedigree of each vineyard - you get a picture, albeit subtlety, of how each wine will come to be. This was especially apparent when tasting the berries of La Petite Vineyard. Wonderful. Just amazing.

We then headed back to the production facilities. They were sorting through pinot noir, of Talon Ridge, and we were able to climb up to the sorting table to watch. The berries looked wonderful - very little mold. We then watched a bit of the destemming. My first time seeing this process as well. The whole berries go into a crate, which is weighed, then loaded onto the 'giraffe', which was a conveyor belt bringing the berries up and into the enormous oak fermenting vats. Dry ice is scooped into the crates, and carried into the vats, to keep the berries cool. The berries are dropped into the vats whole - the weight of the grapes aid in crushing themselves, and there's a remarkable amount of juice right out of the crates. Eye-opening and a bit emotional for me. We witnessed the birth of a masterpiece.

The walk through all vineyards was spectacular. This estate is making wines the right way, and aiming for achieving the true taste of wine. I'm excited to see these vineyards, and wines, develop. Many thanks to Candis, who so kindly showed us around in the rain and mud. Much appreciation for taking the time to accommodate an unimportant blogger with no credibility with such patience and honesty.

We're witnessing and tasting greatness, from the very beginning. Wines that show a place and time, and a true beauty

In search of beauty and truth

Walking the pinot noir vines with Derek of Lailey Vineyards.

I'm still in the process of completing my notes on the wines we tasted, both from cask and from bottle. I'll begin writing here as soon as I finish. Notes must be done by hand first.

It was a cold, harsh day, with fierce rain and wind. The drive down to Niagara was blurry and unpleasant. Made it just in time for our first appointment, with Candis of Le Clos Jordanne. We ran into Thomas Bachelder, LCJ's visionary winemaker. Folks in Niagara are always so humble and friendly, something decidedly lacking in Toronto. Candis kindly took us out to all 4 of Le Clos Jordanne's vineyards - La Petite Vineyard, Claystone Terrace, Talon Ridge, and Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard. More about what we did there, later. We then stepped inside the production facilities, to see the sorting and destemming of Talon Ridge pinot noir. Just in time to see the 'giraffe' load the berries into the giant oak fermenting vats as well. Just an eye-opening visit.

Tried to locate Marynissen next. Failed. Apparently, both my GPS and Google Maps don't have a clue about where this estate is located. Such a shame, I wanted to pick up a few bottles for my dinner.

Appointment with Derek Barnett, winemaker of Lailey, at 4pm. Really looking forward to this visit. Derek showed us around the vineyard, going through the pinot noir vines. Stepping into the cellar, we were shown cask samples - I always ask to taste from cask, not to satisfy ego, but because I'm very interested in tracking the evolution of the wine as it matures in oak. We then tasted through a few bottles, of recent and older vintages. Amazing. And we talked. It's so rare to find someone who genuinely loves wine - Derek is one of those few who is clear about what true taste in wine is, and who's clear about the wines he wants to craft. Again, more later.

Fantastic trip, all around. I come to Niagara to learn and engage in dialogue with the people who matter in this industry, and I feel so privileged to meet so many people who understand what great wine is. The hyperbole, the glittery image of Niagara tourism doesn't impress me in the least. As always, I'm in search of truth and beauty in the wines being crafted here, and this visit gave me a much clearer picture of the dedication and focus of the people here. Many thanks - my writing won't do the wines any justice, but I'll try to put into words the magic that I found in the glass.

Just.........amazing

Amazing. I can't think of any other way to describe what I've experienced in Niagara today. It was raining hard, it was muddy, and it was cold..........but it was by far my greatest wine trip.

I need to reflect on all I've seen, sniffed, and tasted today. Engaged in some fantastic dialogue and learned so much. My knowledge and appreciation for the wines of Niagara has swelled, and I owe it all to the great people I've been so privileged to meet. As I said, I need to reflect before I begin writing about today......................but it's been the greatest wine trip I've ever experienced.

Many thanks to my buddy Rocky, who never fails and never disappoints. Many thanks for rooting around in the mud with me, in the search for truth and beauty in wine.

Off to the dirt and vines

Waiting for my comrades to arrive and then we're off to Beamsville. A day of tramping around the dirt, among the vines. Sinuses starting to flare up, but shouldn't be an issue. The palate is still sound and well.

Hoping to learn, and experience the harvest. We'll see. Kicking off the greatest wine trip I've ever done.

---

Blogger's note, 11:31pm:

Ok, we're just dropping like flies. Two comrades are out with the cold. My buddy that remains is sick as well, just like me. And our third amigo needs to head back at 4:30. Yeah, this is turning out to be a fine wine trip. If need be, I'll go alone. Can't risk ruining what goodwill I've managed to establish up there.

PRC 60th Anniversary

October 1, 2009 - The 60th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China.

I had heard about how extravagant these festivities were, but I was always....................and I'm trying to choose my words carefully................unsure about how I felt about the military parade. I understand it's tradition, it has to be done. But I just don't know I how I feel about the image you're trying to present.

I'm proudly Shanghainese and I love my country more than anything. This is our Paramount Leader reviewing the troops. Notice the upright posture, the crisp delivery. His words mirror those of our dear comrade Deng. And I have an issue with the Western media describing his attire as a ''Mao'' suit. Chairman Mao did not create that suit. It was designed by Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, the recognized father of modern China. The suit symbolizes the rights and freedoms accorded to the citizens of the Republic of China. So stop calling it a Mao suit.

Yeah, I still don't know how I feel about watching tanks roll down Chang'An Avenue.