Do you take first impressions seriously? I do. Very much so. When I meet someone for the first time, how they act and talk to me tells me a lot of what kind of person they are. I take things very personally. I suppose it's the result of a childhood where you're reminded of your minority status every single day. So I don't forget things very easily.
Anyways, enough of that. Enough. On to wine. I only recently learned that we were talking to Mr. Jeff Aubry, President of Coyote's Run Estate Winery. I was asking him about their Red Paw Vineyard Pinot Noir. I was remarking how soft the wine was. It's what Mr. Aubry said to me after that really.......turned me off to their wine. He said, "That's what pinot noir is supposed to be. It's supposed to be more fruit forward and supple. Pinot noir isn't supposed to have a lot of structure." I apologize if those aren't the exact words, but the general idea is correct. Mr. Aubry believes that their wines are what pinot noir is supposed to be. That's where I disagree strongly, and I really emphasize that.
Wine isn't supposed to be anything. You can't say for certain what a certain varietal is supposed to be. With the proper equipment and technique, the winemaker can make the grape varietal taste like whatever they want it to be. You can make pinot noir into a montrous 16% alcohol fruit bomb, or make it delicate and structured. Certainly, pinot noir has common characteristics, whether you grow it in Cote de Beaune or in Niagara, or in Russian River Valley. But to say that pinot noir should be a certain style is misguided and naive, at best.
What I can't stand is the lack of honesty behind that statement. Why can't you just say that this is the philosophy of winemaking that Coyote's Run believes in? I respect that very much, when everyone in an organization believes in the same ideal, from the top down. Don't try to put a marketing spin on it, and say that this should be the standard for pinot noir. Wine isn't supposed to be anything but a conjunction between what nature provides and what man's hand creates. In the worst of cases, that balance is tipped more to the heavy hand of the winemaker, but that's for another post.
This is my point of view, and I stand firmly behind it. From what I remember, Coyote's Run makes an agreeable wine, particularly their unoaked Chardonnay. I just hate the spin on things. Maybe that's not what Aubry meant. But if it is, then I take issue with that statement.
So, Mr. Aubrey: if you're still reading this, I challenge you to correct me. And by the way, do you really not remember us coming in? I mean, 6 Chinese people coming into Niagara wine country in the middle of winter doesn't raise eyebrows?
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
It's time
Lately, I've been feeling very antsy about the wine that I'm storing away. Both at home, and the ones at my friend's place. What if they all go bad? What if they're over the hill already? I'd have wasted my money for nothing. That's why I feel like just taking out some of the older ones to have a taste. After all, what's the point of buying wine if you're not going to experience it?
First on my list - I have a couple of older bottles of St-Joseph lying around. And a few bottles of 2003 Bordeaux. After all the talk about how the 2003 Bordeaux vintage is so hot and fruit-forward, then I want to try it now, in all its fruit-bomb glory. Better than to risk opening it 10 years down the road and discovering that it's collapsed due to a complete lack of backbone and structure.
So I guess that's the point I'm making. Wine is supposed to be enjoyed with friends and family. Be generous and don't be afraid to pull a few bottles out when you feel like it's time. Forget all the maturity predictions you read about. That's all they are - predictions. Wine is perfectly mature when YOU want to drink it. After all, wine is at its best when it's drunk in the moment.
First on my list - I have a couple of older bottles of St-Joseph lying around. And a few bottles of 2003 Bordeaux. After all the talk about how the 2003 Bordeaux vintage is so hot and fruit-forward, then I want to try it now, in all its fruit-bomb glory. Better than to risk opening it 10 years down the road and discovering that it's collapsed due to a complete lack of backbone and structure.
So I guess that's the point I'm making. Wine is supposed to be enjoyed with friends and family. Be generous and don't be afraid to pull a few bottles out when you feel like it's time. Forget all the maturity predictions you read about. That's all they are - predictions. Wine is perfectly mature when YOU want to drink it. After all, wine is at its best when it's drunk in the moment.
My worst nightmare
My goodness. Since I've come back from that Niagara trip, just having been feeling very well. It wasn't the cause of it, but I now have a really bad cold. Stuffed up, coughing, low energy - all the symptoms. The worst case scenario, because I'm really looking forward to trying some big, hearty wines. Guess that'll have to wait because I can't smell or taste a thing. Heading back to Waterloo after an early dinner tonight. Back to all the madness.
Since I won't be having any wine for the next few days, I guess we'll discuss some other things. Like that Michel Chapoutier interview I listened to. Or the 2003 Bordeaux that I bought. I also want to talk about my palate, because I'm noticing a fascinating evolution and development. Anyways, I'll post later tonight. You know what'll really clear my sinuses? A big glass of gin tonic. A BIG one.
Since I won't be having any wine for the next few days, I guess we'll discuss some other things. Like that Michel Chapoutier interview I listened to. Or the 2003 Bordeaux that I bought. I also want to talk about my palate, because I'm noticing a fascinating evolution and development. Anyways, I'll post later tonight. You know what'll really clear my sinuses? A big glass of gin tonic. A BIG one.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Some thoughts on Niagara region
Yesterday, I posted about the specific wineries we visited. Let me just say some things about Niagara as a whole.
Every time I go down to Niagara, I always leave impressed with the quality I see. There are noticeable improvements year to year, and I'm really excited to be able to experience a new wine region come into its own. I'd like to focus on the Beamsville Bench and Twenty Mile Bench appellations next time, around the towns of Jordan and Lincoln. They produce really classic northern climate wines, full of lively acidity, minerality, and most importantly, they make wines with elegance and style. I still can't get my mind off how great Malivoire's chardonnays are.
Again, I'm holding firm to my belief that this area is made for Burgundian varietals, the chardonnays and the pinot noirs. You need to grow grapes that ripen early, because we have such a short growing season here and the margin for error is so little. A lot of places we visited produce everything - it's like they want to grow every single varietal in existence. That's ridiculous. There has to be certain grapes that are more suitable for the terroir here, and instead of making 15 kinds of mediocre wines, producers would benefit from focusing on making 5 great wines. Simple philosophy, but some people obviously are more concerned with making money than staying true to the spirit of winemaking.
The area is still in an experimental stage. But it has an advantage. Unlike the Californian wine scene of the 1970's, all the techniques and processes and equipment winemakers need are available. The only thing Canadian winemakers need to focus on doing is working with the terroir, recognizing differences in soil, microclimates, things like that. They need to go back to the basics, and really understand the land. Some folks, which I don't need to name, focus more on how to attract Japanese tourists to their properties.
A good buddy mentioned something to me last night, that really made me take note. He said, "It's all about the wine, not the person behind the counter". It was in reference to the man working at Coyote's Run. I think Rocky was absolutely right. I let my personal feelings get in the way of really getting a good feel for the wine. Coyote's Run couldn't have received its reputation if they didn't produce something worth noting. I will definitely return to the winery again, and this time focus only on the wine.
An interesting thing, which I forgot to mention was that when we were at Creekside, the lady mentioned that their winemaker also produces the Mike Weir and Wayne Gretzky wines. I didn't say anything, but I immediately had this negative perception not only of those wines but also of Creekside's as well. I can appreciate that these 2 celebrities donate the proceeds to charity and they're doing a good thing to promote Niagara, but from a purely wine making point of view, it is an insult to Niagara wine.
Let me explain.
Weir's tournaments take him all over the world. Gretzky coaches in Phoenix. Do you see the problem? How many days a year do you think they spend in Niagara, tending to their wines? You think Weir's going to skip a tournament to take part in the harvest? You think Gretzky can skip a few games to decide when to bottle? That's the problem with these celebrities just slapping their names on anything to make money. Same goes for celebrity perfumes and clothing lines. If you're not serious about committing to something, if you're not willing to spend the time to do something the right way, don't do it at all. It's disrespect to the honest winemakers that are working hard to make a name for themselves. It's absolutely ridiculous!
Let's be very clear: this area holds a lot of promise. If you havn't been up to Niagara wine country, make the trip. It's a short drive, talk to some of the people at the wineries, it'll be interesting even if you aren't really into wine. Experience the area, learn something new, and in 20 years when this region really takes off internationally, you can say that you were there right from the beginning.
Every time I go down to Niagara, I always leave impressed with the quality I see. There are noticeable improvements year to year, and I'm really excited to be able to experience a new wine region come into its own. I'd like to focus on the Beamsville Bench and Twenty Mile Bench appellations next time, around the towns of Jordan and Lincoln. They produce really classic northern climate wines, full of lively acidity, minerality, and most importantly, they make wines with elegance and style. I still can't get my mind off how great Malivoire's chardonnays are.
Again, I'm holding firm to my belief that this area is made for Burgundian varietals, the chardonnays and the pinot noirs. You need to grow grapes that ripen early, because we have such a short growing season here and the margin for error is so little. A lot of places we visited produce everything - it's like they want to grow every single varietal in existence. That's ridiculous. There has to be certain grapes that are more suitable for the terroir here, and instead of making 15 kinds of mediocre wines, producers would benefit from focusing on making 5 great wines. Simple philosophy, but some people obviously are more concerned with making money than staying true to the spirit of winemaking.
The area is still in an experimental stage. But it has an advantage. Unlike the Californian wine scene of the 1970's, all the techniques and processes and equipment winemakers need are available. The only thing Canadian winemakers need to focus on doing is working with the terroir, recognizing differences in soil, microclimates, things like that. They need to go back to the basics, and really understand the land. Some folks, which I don't need to name, focus more on how to attract Japanese tourists to their properties.
A good buddy mentioned something to me last night, that really made me take note. He said, "It's all about the wine, not the person behind the counter". It was in reference to the man working at Coyote's Run. I think Rocky was absolutely right. I let my personal feelings get in the way of really getting a good feel for the wine. Coyote's Run couldn't have received its reputation if they didn't produce something worth noting. I will definitely return to the winery again, and this time focus only on the wine.
An interesting thing, which I forgot to mention was that when we were at Creekside, the lady mentioned that their winemaker also produces the Mike Weir and Wayne Gretzky wines. I didn't say anything, but I immediately had this negative perception not only of those wines but also of Creekside's as well. I can appreciate that these 2 celebrities donate the proceeds to charity and they're doing a good thing to promote Niagara, but from a purely wine making point of view, it is an insult to Niagara wine.
Let me explain.
Weir's tournaments take him all over the world. Gretzky coaches in Phoenix. Do you see the problem? How many days a year do you think they spend in Niagara, tending to their wines? You think Weir's going to skip a tournament to take part in the harvest? You think Gretzky can skip a few games to decide when to bottle? That's the problem with these celebrities just slapping their names on anything to make money. Same goes for celebrity perfumes and clothing lines. If you're not serious about committing to something, if you're not willing to spend the time to do something the right way, don't do it at all. It's disrespect to the honest winemakers that are working hard to make a name for themselves. It's absolutely ridiculous!
Let's be very clear: this area holds a lot of promise. If you havn't been up to Niagara wine country, make the trip. It's a short drive, talk to some of the people at the wineries, it'll be interesting even if you aren't really into wine. Experience the area, learn something new, and in 20 years when this region really takes off internationally, you can say that you were there right from the beginning.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Feb. 2007 Niagara wine country tour
February 20, 2008, about four and a half months from my last trip down to Niagara. Interesting to see the area in winter, when last time we went, it was still a fairly mild autumn.
I went down this time again with my dear friends, in a group of 6. The purpose for this trip was firstly to enjoy the day with friends and secondly, I wanted to focus on the small, artisanal producers of Niagara.
My original list was for 6 wineries, 2 of which I was quite familiar with. I wanted to focus on the Burgundian varietals chardonnay and pinot noir. Overall, it was a smooth day, we tasted upwards of 80 different wines and everyone arrived home safely. I'll go through the 9 wineries we ended up visiting, and my thoughts on each producer. I don't want this post to be too long.
1. Malivoire Wine Company
Our first stop of the day. They were featured in an LCBO release. The gentlemen inside was friendly, knowledgable and most importantly, honest. He was honest about the harvest, honest about their wine-making philosophy, and honest about recognizing other producers as well. Just a joy to talk to. I started with both their chardonnays, their main line and their more exclusive Moira line. I also tried their pinot noirs. Having gone through a wide spectrum of both red and white wines, I was very, very impressed. You really get a consistent level of aroma, flavour, and quality through their entire line, something that not many wineries can achieve. And the acidity! My goodness, what gusto!! I've never had a better chardonnay, period. PERIOD. Both their single vineyard and lower end bottle is fantastic, just this beautiful blend of fruit and minerality, with this flavour that is intense, focussed and clean. Wonderful. Unfortunately, the price is set quite high. The Moira line, which I was interested in, goes for $36 and up. Can they justify setting the price so high? It's hard to say. I think it's about economics - small vineyard, small yields, you have to at least break even. So yes, I believe that they are over-pricing the wines, but my goodness, what marvelous wines!
2. Flat Rock Cellars
This is one of my favourite producers of pinot noir. I've written about this before, look it up here. This time though, I wanted to try a wider variety of their wine. I tasted their riesling as well as their new Gravity Pinot Noir. The rieslings were good - really noticeable petrol on the nose, but very lively with their trademark acidity. Lovely, just a really classic, well-structured riesling. Their Gravity - I wasn't very impressed. Maybe it was due to storage, since it could have been opened for days. What was most interesting was the pinot noir clone sample she poured me. It was never released for sale, just sort of an experiment by the growers. And it was very interesting, quite unlike the pinot noir they have on the market. I left with 2 bottles of riesling.
3. Creekside Estate Winery
This was not one that we had planned to go to. It was new to me, so I tried almost their entire line. I felt that their blends, both red and white were...ok. They had nice complexity but in a much softer and approachable style. For the beginning wine-drinker. What was more interesting was that the lady there matched us glass for glass. Can't imagine how many bottles the staff there goes through annually!
4. Hernder Estate Wines
This was also a spur of the moment decision. It looked grand on the outside, all wood structures on a very large property. Once we went inside, we realized that they do about 200 weddings a year, as well as make vinegar, jam, fruit liquers, etc....just about everything. The old lady was very nice, so I don't relish saying this; honestly, as honest as I can be, their wine was fucking shit. It was the worst and saddest excuse for wine I've ever tasted. No lie. I mean - I feel embarrased for whoever makes this stuff, because it really is undrinkable. The chardonnay we had is seared into my memory and palate. Incredible amounts of grassiness and vegetal qualities of the worst kind, obscenely underripe and overoaked. Really, quite literally, I'd rather drink original Listerine than this. My goodness. All the weddings they receive must be going to their heads.
5. Henry of Pelham
This estate was a lot of fun. Its a very big producer so naturally, I've never been very much of a fan. But the lady at the bar was so much fun to talk to. She really was. And she refused to charge us for the tasting and even gave us some chocolates for the road. I tasted their entire line of white wines, from their chardonnays to riesling to sauvignon blanc. And I tasted their pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, and also their sparkling wine. The sparkling brut was interesting - blend of pinot noir, chardonnay, and petit meunier - the classic Champagne blend, in a golden style, a white wine. It was delicate, a lot of pretty aromas but lacking the more austere quality in a true champagne. It's a shame, I would have bought a bottle. The wines in general were serviceable and non-offensive. Meaning I don't mind drinking them for dinner at all, but nothing that blows my mind. Well, their pinot noir was good. Soft and supple, nice fruit. Overall, I had a good impression of their wines, which goes to show that not all big producers are bad. Of course, the lady there definitely had something to do with changing my perception!
6. Chateau des Charmes
This place again. You know how I feel about this place. But Ming had never been here before, so we just popped in quickly. They had the top of the line blend, the Equuleus, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and merlot. A classic Bordeaux blend. I thought it was interesting, nice fruit and firm structure, but not as concentrated as I'd expect it to be. They also produce a sparkling wine. Overall, my impression has not changed. They make drinkable wines, but nothing to go crazy over.
7. Coyote's Run Estate Winery
I was excited to go here, as I'd heard a lot about this place. But it was arguably the worst experience of the day. The man working there was the cockiest, most stuck up jackass I've ever met. He wouldn't even look me in the eye when I was talking to him. Give me a break. Really, give me a fucking break. Anyways, what was interesting about this winery was that for their chardonnays, the winemaker uses Hungarian oak barrels, instead of the more typical French or American. It's the first place I know that openly admits to using them. Their wines in general, the chardonnay and pinot noir - again, a more fruit-forward, juicy wine. I just don't get a sense of style, besides the noticeable spiciness of the Hungarian oak. Maybe because he was sucking all the fun out of the room.
8. Lailey Vineyard
This is another producer that I'm familiar with, whose pinot noir I used to believe was Niagara's best. This time - maybe its the storage again, or the icy cold woman behind the counter. But it lacks the focus, the intensity of Flat Rock's pinot noir. It's still a good wine, but maybe my taste has changed since last July. It's still wonderful. What was disappointing was that she wouldn't open a bottle of cabernet franc for me to taste. What the hell. I didn't know what I needed to do to get her to let me taste it. So I didn't buy anything.
9. Peller Estates
Again, another big winery, a huge property, with a restaurant, offices and ballroom. Our last stop of the day. It looked really nice instead - beautiful tasting room, lots of wine accessories on sale. So I was a bit leery about their wine. Turns out I was right about this one. I don't understand their use of oak, a theme that runs across their entire line. Much too manipulated, just too much oak. So much that for some wines, you have to dig really deep to find the fruit, and at times, you just can't. But the top of the line, the Signature Series Cabernet Sauvignon fared better. Nice nose of red fruits, nicely concentrated with still a tight core. But, hints of smokiness and tar are coming out. This 2002 still needs some age. Their sparkling wine has a good story - they use their vidal icewine as a dosage, after they disgorge the yeast. The nose is all icewine. It lacks complexity and I think it's too much - this is a demi-sec. I don't agree with the philosophy of this producer. To me, they seem like they organize their lines according to wine-making method, instead of vineyard selection. I disagree firmly with that. The winemaker doesn't make the wine, the vineyards do. A lot of the differentiation of their wines comes with whether they ferment in stainless steel or oak barrels, how long they age in oak, and whether they bottle age in their cellars before they release they wines.
In Conclusion:
I thoroughly enjoyed the day. We had a lot of wine, learned some new things about the area, and have a clearer picture of the differences in terroir. And there is a clear difference between the Beamsville area and the area around the Niagara River. This is getting too long, but I will post some pictures up, as soon as Rocky sends them my way. Next post, I still have some things to say about Niagara as a whole.
I went down this time again with my dear friends, in a group of 6. The purpose for this trip was firstly to enjoy the day with friends and secondly, I wanted to focus on the small, artisanal producers of Niagara.
My original list was for 6 wineries, 2 of which I was quite familiar with. I wanted to focus on the Burgundian varietals chardonnay and pinot noir. Overall, it was a smooth day, we tasted upwards of 80 different wines and everyone arrived home safely. I'll go through the 9 wineries we ended up visiting, and my thoughts on each producer. I don't want this post to be too long.
1. Malivoire Wine Company
Our first stop of the day. They were featured in an LCBO release. The gentlemen inside was friendly, knowledgable and most importantly, honest. He was honest about the harvest, honest about their wine-making philosophy, and honest about recognizing other producers as well. Just a joy to talk to. I started with both their chardonnays, their main line and their more exclusive Moira line. I also tried their pinot noirs. Having gone through a wide spectrum of both red and white wines, I was very, very impressed. You really get a consistent level of aroma, flavour, and quality through their entire line, something that not many wineries can achieve. And the acidity! My goodness, what gusto!! I've never had a better chardonnay, period. PERIOD. Both their single vineyard and lower end bottle is fantastic, just this beautiful blend of fruit and minerality, with this flavour that is intense, focussed and clean. Wonderful. Unfortunately, the price is set quite high. The Moira line, which I was interested in, goes for $36 and up. Can they justify setting the price so high? It's hard to say. I think it's about economics - small vineyard, small yields, you have to at least break even. So yes, I believe that they are over-pricing the wines, but my goodness, what marvelous wines!
2. Flat Rock Cellars
This is one of my favourite producers of pinot noir. I've written about this before, look it up here. This time though, I wanted to try a wider variety of their wine. I tasted their riesling as well as their new Gravity Pinot Noir. The rieslings were good - really noticeable petrol on the nose, but very lively with their trademark acidity. Lovely, just a really classic, well-structured riesling. Their Gravity - I wasn't very impressed. Maybe it was due to storage, since it could have been opened for days. What was most interesting was the pinot noir clone sample she poured me. It was never released for sale, just sort of an experiment by the growers. And it was very interesting, quite unlike the pinot noir they have on the market. I left with 2 bottles of riesling.
3. Creekside Estate Winery
This was not one that we had planned to go to. It was new to me, so I tried almost their entire line. I felt that their blends, both red and white were...ok. They had nice complexity but in a much softer and approachable style. For the beginning wine-drinker. What was more interesting was that the lady there matched us glass for glass. Can't imagine how many bottles the staff there goes through annually!
4. Hernder Estate Wines
This was also a spur of the moment decision. It looked grand on the outside, all wood structures on a very large property. Once we went inside, we realized that they do about 200 weddings a year, as well as make vinegar, jam, fruit liquers, etc....just about everything. The old lady was very nice, so I don't relish saying this; honestly, as honest as I can be, their wine was fucking shit. It was the worst and saddest excuse for wine I've ever tasted. No lie. I mean - I feel embarrased for whoever makes this stuff, because it really is undrinkable. The chardonnay we had is seared into my memory and palate. Incredible amounts of grassiness and vegetal qualities of the worst kind, obscenely underripe and overoaked. Really, quite literally, I'd rather drink original Listerine than this. My goodness. All the weddings they receive must be going to their heads.
5. Henry of Pelham
This estate was a lot of fun. Its a very big producer so naturally, I've never been very much of a fan. But the lady at the bar was so much fun to talk to. She really was. And she refused to charge us for the tasting and even gave us some chocolates for the road. I tasted their entire line of white wines, from their chardonnays to riesling to sauvignon blanc. And I tasted their pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, and also their sparkling wine. The sparkling brut was interesting - blend of pinot noir, chardonnay, and petit meunier - the classic Champagne blend, in a golden style, a white wine. It was delicate, a lot of pretty aromas but lacking the more austere quality in a true champagne. It's a shame, I would have bought a bottle. The wines in general were serviceable and non-offensive. Meaning I don't mind drinking them for dinner at all, but nothing that blows my mind. Well, their pinot noir was good. Soft and supple, nice fruit. Overall, I had a good impression of their wines, which goes to show that not all big producers are bad. Of course, the lady there definitely had something to do with changing my perception!
6. Chateau des Charmes
This place again. You know how I feel about this place. But Ming had never been here before, so we just popped in quickly. They had the top of the line blend, the Equuleus, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and merlot. A classic Bordeaux blend. I thought it was interesting, nice fruit and firm structure, but not as concentrated as I'd expect it to be. They also produce a sparkling wine. Overall, my impression has not changed. They make drinkable wines, but nothing to go crazy over.
7. Coyote's Run Estate Winery
I was excited to go here, as I'd heard a lot about this place. But it was arguably the worst experience of the day. The man working there was the cockiest, most stuck up jackass I've ever met. He wouldn't even look me in the eye when I was talking to him. Give me a break. Really, give me a fucking break. Anyways, what was interesting about this winery was that for their chardonnays, the winemaker uses Hungarian oak barrels, instead of the more typical French or American. It's the first place I know that openly admits to using them. Their wines in general, the chardonnay and pinot noir - again, a more fruit-forward, juicy wine. I just don't get a sense of style, besides the noticeable spiciness of the Hungarian oak. Maybe because he was sucking all the fun out of the room.
8. Lailey Vineyard
This is another producer that I'm familiar with, whose pinot noir I used to believe was Niagara's best. This time - maybe its the storage again, or the icy cold woman behind the counter. But it lacks the focus, the intensity of Flat Rock's pinot noir. It's still a good wine, but maybe my taste has changed since last July. It's still wonderful. What was disappointing was that she wouldn't open a bottle of cabernet franc for me to taste. What the hell. I didn't know what I needed to do to get her to let me taste it. So I didn't buy anything.
9. Peller Estates
Again, another big winery, a huge property, with a restaurant, offices and ballroom. Our last stop of the day. It looked really nice instead - beautiful tasting room, lots of wine accessories on sale. So I was a bit leery about their wine. Turns out I was right about this one. I don't understand their use of oak, a theme that runs across their entire line. Much too manipulated, just too much oak. So much that for some wines, you have to dig really deep to find the fruit, and at times, you just can't. But the top of the line, the Signature Series Cabernet Sauvignon fared better. Nice nose of red fruits, nicely concentrated with still a tight core. But, hints of smokiness and tar are coming out. This 2002 still needs some age. Their sparkling wine has a good story - they use their vidal icewine as a dosage, after they disgorge the yeast. The nose is all icewine. It lacks complexity and I think it's too much - this is a demi-sec. I don't agree with the philosophy of this producer. To me, they seem like they organize their lines according to wine-making method, instead of vineyard selection. I disagree firmly with that. The winemaker doesn't make the wine, the vineyards do. A lot of the differentiation of their wines comes with whether they ferment in stainless steel or oak barrels, how long they age in oak, and whether they bottle age in their cellars before they release they wines.
In Conclusion:
I thoroughly enjoyed the day. We had a lot of wine, learned some new things about the area, and have a clearer picture of the differences in terroir. And there is a clear difference between the Beamsville area and the area around the Niagara River. This is getting too long, but I will post some pictures up, as soon as Rocky sends them my way. Next post, I still have some things to say about Niagara as a whole.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
1999 Pol Roger Brut Rose Champagne
Just came back from Fairview's LCBO. Thankfully, the people who live in that area are.........let's just say non-wine drinkers. That's why theres still 9 bottles of this vinage champagne left, when BV ran out long ago.
I've always, for some reason, had this affinity for Pol Roger. I've tasted a bottle of their non-vintage cuvee and I have a bottle of their 1996 blancs de blancs vintage. Apparently, 1996 was a great vintage for champagne houses, so I'm saving that for something special. Maybe for when I finally build the cellar of my dreams.
Rose champagnes have always fascinated me. Maybe it's that aspect of blending white and black grapes. A lot of it has to do with the fact that I really, really love champagne. I don't think people have the right mindset when they approach champagne. Hell, most people still call every sparkling wine they see a 'champagne'. Everything NOT made in the Champagne region of France is NOT CALLED CHAMPAGNE!!!!!
Also, apologies for the terrible quality of these photos. I'm taking them using my cell phone, and I can never get the lighting or the focus to work properly. My apologies.
Finally, I bought this bottle using the gift certificates that my wonderful roommates bought for me for Christmas. Thanks very much!
Depressing...
I'm preparing for our trip to Niagara tomorrow, and I'm checking my bank account to see how much wine I can afford to buy. Turns out after the 2005 Bordeaux Futures payments, and then the Glenfarclas Collection payment, and then the Pol Roger, I'll have exactly $28 left to spend on wine. Nice.
Today, I'm heading out to Fairview Mall's LCBO to pick up a bottle of 1998 Pol Roger Brut Rose Champagne. I really love Pol Roger and I'd kill myself if they all sold out. $88.20.
My bottle of Glenfarclas scotch should be arriving sometime at the end of the month, or early March. It's a bottle of 1986 vintage scotch, just bottled last year, very rare and very special. $390.
My 2005 Bordeaux Futures are arriving in mid to late April. I have 24 bottles coming in, from 6 estates. They are:
Ch. La Lagune
Ch. L'Arrosee
Ch. Coutet
Ch. Rauzan Gassies
Ch. Carbonnieux
Ch. Haut Bergey
Total cost: too depressing to mention.
Between the LCBO and UW tuition, I'm totally wiped out. I mean really, just emptied. My tax return can't arrive soon enough.
Today, I'm heading out to Fairview Mall's LCBO to pick up a bottle of 1998 Pol Roger Brut Rose Champagne. I really love Pol Roger and I'd kill myself if they all sold out. $88.20.
My bottle of Glenfarclas scotch should be arriving sometime at the end of the month, or early March. It's a bottle of 1986 vintage scotch, just bottled last year, very rare and very special. $390.
My 2005 Bordeaux Futures are arriving in mid to late April. I have 24 bottles coming in, from 6 estates. They are:
Ch. La Lagune
Ch. L'Arrosee
Ch. Coutet
Ch. Rauzan Gassies
Ch. Carbonnieux
Ch. Haut Bergey
Total cost: too depressing to mention.
Between the LCBO and UW tuition, I'm totally wiped out. I mean really, just emptied. My tax return can't arrive soon enough.
Monday, February 18, 2008
A natural disposition
Quickly, before my friends arrive for dinner.
Why do I always end up swearing here? I don't do it on purpose, to be edgy or anything. I don't think I swear a lot in real life.
It occured to me last night how quickly I get fired up whenever I start talking about wine. I suppose it's like that for anything you're truly passionate about. That word gets thrown around a lot, and it's lost a lot of its meaning. Anyways, I was talking to Mr. Zhang about wine and I was waving and gesticulating so much that I almost smacked the person sitting next to me in the face. I get lost when I start talking about this stuff. Really, I'm in my own world.
I've discovered that anything can get me going. Somehow everything to me relates to wine. Weather. Soil. Economics. Financial markets. France. English. Tropicana. Anything can get me going. Normally I'm pretty laid back, low key, but wine just makes me this intense beast, pouncing on anyone or anything that doesn't agree with my views. Yes, I don't compromise, and I truly believe that I'm always right.
So, back to my question. I think I swear because I feel so strongly about certain things. Like grape growing. And wine-making. And marketing. I don't think I'm quick to judge wines, but when I've made up my mind, it either is mind-blowingly great, or the worst shit ever created. There is no middle ground. Well, actually there is, but where's the fun in that?
Having said that, please don't take offense, I only curse because I'm filled with love and tenderness, as my roommates can testify to.
Why do I always end up swearing here? I don't do it on purpose, to be edgy or anything. I don't think I swear a lot in real life.
It occured to me last night how quickly I get fired up whenever I start talking about wine. I suppose it's like that for anything you're truly passionate about. That word gets thrown around a lot, and it's lost a lot of its meaning. Anyways, I was talking to Mr. Zhang about wine and I was waving and gesticulating so much that I almost smacked the person sitting next to me in the face. I get lost when I start talking about this stuff. Really, I'm in my own world.
I've discovered that anything can get me going. Somehow everything to me relates to wine. Weather. Soil. Economics. Financial markets. France. English. Tropicana. Anything can get me going. Normally I'm pretty laid back, low key, but wine just makes me this intense beast, pouncing on anyone or anything that doesn't agree with my views. Yes, I don't compromise, and I truly believe that I'm always right.
So, back to my question. I think I swear because I feel so strongly about certain things. Like grape growing. And wine-making. And marketing. I don't think I'm quick to judge wines, but when I've made up my mind, it either is mind-blowingly great, or the worst shit ever created. There is no middle ground. Well, actually there is, but where's the fun in that?
Having said that, please don't take offense, I only curse because I'm filled with love and tenderness, as my roommates can testify to.
A weekend of wine
Reading week is underway and for some reason, I have yet to leave the house. A lot of crazy things are happening, and strangely, they all have to do with bad backs. First, my mother sprained her back. Then my father sprained his neck and back. It all coincided with me picking up my uncle, a family friend, from the airport, who was suffering from severe back pain. Unbelievable.
Anyways, I had a lot of wine this weekend, both good and bad. On Friday, I headed to LCBO to pick up some wines. My cellar is full of wines that I want to keep for a while, so I wanted to search out some $15 wines to try out. I wanted an Argentinian, but for some reason, I came back with 2 Spanish Riojas, a Chilean red blend, and a Loire Valley red. I was particularly excited about the Loire, because it was a new release and quite nicely priced too. And then I opened it.
The nose was overwhelmingly sweaty and hot, not unlike a terrible Eric Louis I had last week, also from the Loire Valley. It was also incredibly oaky - way too much oak. The same followed on the palate, this unripe, overly woody shit. I mean, this wine is really shit. There isn't anything else to say about it. I was thoroughly disappointed and embarrassed for the producer, Dom. Laurent Mabileau, AC St-Nicolas-De-Bourgueil. These people should be ashamed of themselves for producing this stuff. I mean, I would rather pour this stuff down the drain and take a loss, rather then put it on the market with my name on it. Fucking unbelievable.
Saturday was better. Much better. My mother cooked up a classic Shanghainese meal, of mostly fish. We had fish soup, steamed fish, and a pork, slowly simmered for 5 hours. For wine, I opened a bottle of Chinese rice spirits, possibly the only Chinese drink that I really, really love. Unfortunately, I can't type Chinese characters on this computer, so I've included a picture. I know at least one of my buddies knows this wine. It was beautiful. Full and rich, hint of spiciness with this really great sweet quality to it, and a long, long finish. I now firmly believe that there is no better complement to Chinese food than this wine. I don't care what you say about which varietals pair well with Asian flavours, NOTHING beats having Chinese spirits with Chinese food. Period.
Since the hosts were sick last week, we had our Chinese New Year's dinner with our family friends on Sunday. In the afternoon, I had to go pick up my uncle from the airport, so I was the last to arrive. The first wine I was given was a Cotes du Rhone. I don't remember the producer. Nice fruit, quite typical of the region, nothing surprising. I tried to be gracious and remembered that not everyone shares my enthusiasm for wine. The host is a wine drinker, but a very casual one. The kind that's easily influenced by what the LCBO markets. The next bottle was one from the LCBO's '90+' release. It was a Cyan, a Spanish red wine. Again, nice fruit, really ripe tannins, enough force to catch your attention. This was a good wine, again nothing to blow your mind with, but well made and well priced. The third wine was a horrible choice. Horrible. And I don't say that in a mean way because Mr. Zhang is a genuinely nice person, and an extremely generous host. But he picked up a German pinot noir. Now, I saw the bottle and I was intrigued. I knew that the Germans produced small quantities of red wine, but a pinot noir? I have to say that going in, I was biased already. Come on, you see how much I fawn over Niagara pinot noirs, so the bar was set pretty high, for any pinot noir not coming out of Burgundy. I smelled it and I said, no way in hell am I drinking this. It was that revolting. This oaky, candy-like smell to it. Just not right.
Anyways, during dinner, Mr. Zhang and myself had a long conversation about wine-making. He makes his own wine using those kits that you can buy. I've tasted it, and I only said that it was ok because I didn't want to seem like an arrogant asshole. But I think that these home wine-making kits are a waste of time and money. Thats all I have to say about that.
I'm really excited about what's coming up. I want to plan a trip up to Niagara again, visit some new properties. And I'm planning to buy a bottle of 1998 Pol Roger Brut Rose, using the gift certificates that my sis and bebe bought me. Last time I checked, the Fairview Mall LCBO had 8 bottles left, so that's the first thing I'm going to do tomorrow.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Posting
It should be obvious by now that my wine blog doesn't have many wine reviews. The simple reason is that I don't like doing them. If you want tasting notes for wines, search out any of the tons of generic bullshit that these self-described 'experts' write up.
I only write about a certain bottle if there's something I really find exciting or interesting about it. You won't find a running journal of everything I've tasted.
Just wanted to make that clear.
I only write about a certain bottle if there's something I really find exciting or interesting about it. You won't find a running journal of everything I've tasted.
Just wanted to make that clear.
2003 CH. Faizeau, AC Montagne Saint-Emilion
This is another wine that I've tasted before, that really fascinates me. Now, I've heard of many people call this a value-driven wine. Let's be perfectly clear and honest here - whoever says that is full of shit.
This is a $32.70 bottle of wine. Now, unless you're of certain tax-bracket, this is not a good value. But, this is a good bottle of wine - not great, but still quite interesting.
The wine is I believe, 100% merlot, or close to it. This area, on the right bank of Bordeaux, is after all, the birthplace of merlot. The appellation is called Montagne Saint-Emilion, quite an obscure area. I tried the 2001 vintage of this wine. At the time, I didn't have a good idea of the area, or the producer, and I was just curious. It turned out to be one of those times where my curiosity led to something good.
Of the 2001, I remember deep, plush fruit, really great structure, and this complexity that makes you have to work to identify all the components. The 2003 didn't turn out to be so transcendant, but nevertheless, I enjoyed it very much.
In the glass, this wine is deep, deep purple. This is extremely concentrated. The colour stays saturated all the way to the rim, as to give an indication of how young this wine still is. On the nose, which is very powerful by the way, you get impressions of cherries and ripe red fruits, and some toastiness to it. Again, this reflects on the palate, with very ripe, albeit monstrous tannins. This is a heavyweight, a 14% wine, that isn't necessarily overripe and fruit-driven, but it is still very tight. I wanted to see how it would react after a day, so after about 24 hours, I thought it improved. A very noticeable blackcurrant jam on the nose, but the tannins are still very very firm. Clearly, this wine isn't going to soften up for another 5-10 years, but I can only see it improving.
What's interesting is that this wine is offered as futures. The 2005 futures cost $23.80 a bottle, and the 2006 a bit more expensive. Is this a good investment for the cellar? I don't know. It's not an overly complex wine, nor does it have a spectacular finish, two things that I look for when I want to put something away. I havn't purchased any. I would love to have seen how this wine shows as it ages. To me, this wine is a question mark for the cellar.
2006 Flat Rock Cellars pinot noir
Finally, now that midterms are more or less finished, I have some time to write. And I have a lot of things I need to catch up on.
Let's start with a wine I tasted about 2 weeks ago. As I posted earlier, Flat Rock Cellars is a relatively new winery in Jordan, Ontario, in the Twenty Mile Bench appellation. It's just outside of the Niagara peninsula. I visited this property last October, and I was very impressed with the wines I tasted, a pinot noir and a pinot noir rose. They make really honest, earthy wines, the type that really, really cuts into your palate.
The 2006 vintage of their pinot noirs were just released to LCBO. After visiting the actual winery and watching the harvest take place, I really gained a new appreciation for the region, and this is definitely a winery that I will continue to follow.
The wine had a beautiful light, pomegranate-like colour. On the nose, there's this amazing mix of ripe berries, red fruits, earth, and roots. It follows on the palate, with tons of earthy gravel, and what is this winery's trademark - racy acidity. I can't describe how amazing this acidity is. It really makes the wine. It's refreshing, it immediately focuses the flavours of the wine and it's just so, so intense. Again, I find it amazing, given the light nature of the wine, and the 12.2% alcohol. Noticeable nutiness and a great finish on this wine as well.
I've become a huge fan of this winery. The winemaker here is making wine the right way, the proper way. I truly believe that the wine here is underpriced. Certainly, I will need to visit again, hopefully sometime in the next week. If you still have any doubt about the quality of Niagara pinot noir, just try this bottle. It reaffirms that there still are a few good winemakers out there.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
News feature and update!
Had a very pleasant surprise the other day. I'll quickly share it, then I'll go back to my books.
An English major emailed me a few days ago. She was doing a piece for one of her classes. She was searching for a wine blog and something here caught her eye. We talked and she had a very sweet voice so I was interested. Anyways, she wanted to discuss wine in general with me. It was great - we touched a variety of areas, like how I got into wine, a few memorable experiences, and of course, I had to include my opinion about Niagara wine and icewine. Definitely, I was going off-topic and ranting a bit, but I think I gave her some good stuff to write about.
Also, as you may have noticed, I've updated the blog description, just under the main title. I think it now better represents what I'm about. No compromise, no bullshit.
An English major emailed me a few days ago. She was doing a piece for one of her classes. She was searching for a wine blog and something here caught her eye. We talked and she had a very sweet voice so I was interested. Anyways, she wanted to discuss wine in general with me. It was great - we touched a variety of areas, like how I got into wine, a few memorable experiences, and of course, I had to include my opinion about Niagara wine and icewine. Definitely, I was going off-topic and ranting a bit, but I think I gave her some good stuff to write about.
Also, as you may have noticed, I've updated the blog description, just under the main title. I think it now better represents what I'm about. No compromise, no bullshit.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Midterms
I'm right in the middle of midterms right now, so I really am not in the mood to write. I can't seem to find the time or focus, and I don't want to post garbage on here, so I'm taking a few days off.
I'll post again on Friday. Next couple of posts will be on 3 bottles of wine that I've tasted recently, which I've found to be quite sensational. They are a Flat Rock pinot noir, a Marynissen cabernet/merlot, and a Ch. Faizeau.
Once again, it's snowing outside, apparently we're going to receive about 20 cm. We're really getting pounded this year.
So please, stay tuned, I will have my next post up no later than noon on Friday.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Happy Chinese New Year!
Happy Chinese New Year!
It's that time of year again. I think for me, this is one of the most special holidays. Because it's one of those times that I really think about my family, not just my immediate family here, but all my family in China, Japan, and Australia. And of course, I can't forget my cousin Connie, who's now in Lyon.
It's also a time for lots of great food. Anyone who's at all familiar with Chinese culture knows the importance we place on food, especially for our new year's celebrations. And of course, it's time to drink not red wine, or white wine for that matter, but Chinese spirits. We have various types of rice wine, hard to find in North America, but I can't imagine a better partner for Chinese food.
Lots of midterms this week and next, but I'm making a short one day stop in Toronto to have dinner with my family, then I'm hurrying back out.
In the meantime, I wish you all prosperity and health in the New Year!
It's that time of year again. I think for me, this is one of the most special holidays. Because it's one of those times that I really think about my family, not just my immediate family here, but all my family in China, Japan, and Australia. And of course, I can't forget my cousin Connie, who's now in Lyon.
It's also a time for lots of great food. Anyone who's at all familiar with Chinese culture knows the importance we place on food, especially for our new year's celebrations. And of course, it's time to drink not red wine, or white wine for that matter, but Chinese spirits. We have various types of rice wine, hard to find in North America, but I can't imagine a better partner for Chinese food.
Lots of midterms this week and next, but I'm making a short one day stop in Toronto to have dinner with my family, then I'm hurrying back out.
In the meantime, I wish you all prosperity and health in the New Year!
Friday, February 1, 2008
In a rut.
I am in a rut. Personally, and well, avec le vin.
You ever feel like you're bored out of your mind with your life? I'm feeling that now - big time. It seems that with every bottle I'm opening, I'm becoming more and more..........disillusioned I guess. It's not that I've been having bad wines - it's just that none of them have been great wines.
I firmly believe that every once in a while, for special occasions or whatever, you're entitled to enjoy a really great bottle of wine. I mean, a really magnificent wine, the kind that reaffirms why you fell in love with wine in the first place. Off the top of my head, I think I can recall maybe 3 or 4 bottles that did that for me, that makes you go WOW when you take a sip. And that hasn't happened to me since last spring, when we opened that bottle of 1986 Chateau La Lagune. So you see why I'm getting a little antsy.
My confidence in wine was shaken big time last term, around November. I had bought 3 bottles - a Chilean pinot noir, a 2004 Croix du Mayne AC Cahors, and a red Minervois. The Chilean and Cahors both turned out to be corked. It completely blew me away that I would open two bad ones back to back - this kind of thing just shouldn't be happening with today's bottling techniques and materials. Luckily, LCBO has a great policy for returning corked wines. And I ended up picking up a great bottle of Morgon, for around $30.
But I havn't had anything really memorable since early last year. Sure, going to France was great, but again, nothing really special. The wine I drank there was good, no doubt, but I was still hoping for more.
So what to do? I'd love to be able to go out, and grab a $70 bottle of Pommard, but of course, with my current financial situation - that'd be like writing cheques that you know will bounce. However, relief is on the way, in the form of my 2005 Bordeaux futures. They should be arriving in April, either early in the month or towards the middle. Hopefully.
Having made the committment and paying half the deposit already, I'm really excited for their arrival. It's a big moment for me - my first futures purchase, the first of hopefully many to come. And the very first thing I'm going to do is open a bottle, just to reassure myself that all this interest in wine is worth it.
You ever feel like you're bored out of your mind with your life? I'm feeling that now - big time. It seems that with every bottle I'm opening, I'm becoming more and more..........disillusioned I guess. It's not that I've been having bad wines - it's just that none of them have been great wines.
I firmly believe that every once in a while, for special occasions or whatever, you're entitled to enjoy a really great bottle of wine. I mean, a really magnificent wine, the kind that reaffirms why you fell in love with wine in the first place. Off the top of my head, I think I can recall maybe 3 or 4 bottles that did that for me, that makes you go WOW when you take a sip. And that hasn't happened to me since last spring, when we opened that bottle of 1986 Chateau La Lagune. So you see why I'm getting a little antsy.
My confidence in wine was shaken big time last term, around November. I had bought 3 bottles - a Chilean pinot noir, a 2004 Croix du Mayne AC Cahors, and a red Minervois. The Chilean and Cahors both turned out to be corked. It completely blew me away that I would open two bad ones back to back - this kind of thing just shouldn't be happening with today's bottling techniques and materials. Luckily, LCBO has a great policy for returning corked wines. And I ended up picking up a great bottle of Morgon, for around $30.
But I havn't had anything really memorable since early last year. Sure, going to France was great, but again, nothing really special. The wine I drank there was good, no doubt, but I was still hoping for more.
So what to do? I'd love to be able to go out, and grab a $70 bottle of Pommard, but of course, with my current financial situation - that'd be like writing cheques that you know will bounce. However, relief is on the way, in the form of my 2005 Bordeaux futures. They should be arriving in April, either early in the month or towards the middle. Hopefully.
Having made the committment and paying half the deposit already, I'm really excited for their arrival. It's a big moment for me - my first futures purchase, the first of hopefully many to come. And the very first thing I'm going to do is open a bottle, just to reassure myself that all this interest in wine is worth it.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Mon premier Premier Cru!
This Friday, January 25, was my mother's birthday. So naturally, I wanted to pull some nicer bottles from my cave to celebrate. And of course, a trip to the grocery store was in order, to pick up some interesting things for dinner. With that in mind, I decided to come home Thursday night at 10:40pm. Middle of the night, -10 degrees outside, perfect for a long drive back to Toronto.
As always, I went to BV. Unfortunately, I was running a bit late, because I had an appointment with my hairdresser Mario at 3:30. I looked like a monster and desperately needed a cleanup. Headed to Loblaws after with my shopping list. Picked up some fresh parsley, white baguette, olives, a Normandy brie, fresh tomatoes on the vine, some cultured butter and most importantly, shallots. For dinner, I cooked up clams and spaghetti, in a really simple tomato and shallots sauce, simmered with fresh clam broth. Nothing wasted, everything fresh, all cooked in high heat in as little time as possible. That is le style Fang. Hahah, I clearly think too highly of myself. We had some very simple sauteed greens, some grilled fish seasoned only with salt, pepper and garlic, and a delicious cured pork and bean curd soup. Nice mix of east and west dishes, no?
For the wine, I went back to the basics. This is almost becoming a tradition, that the only time we have Champagne is for birthdays and the most important holidays: Christmas and Chinese New Year. We had a Champagne Drappier Carte d'Or Brut, a non-vintage. Not a brand name but still special nevertheless. It had this really toasty and rich quality to it. made with pinot noir grapes - that is, a black grape made into a white wine. I discovered that I enjoy champagne more when the bubbles die down a bit. It feels like you're drinking pop when it's still fizzing away. I also enjoy it in a tasting glass, smaller, but with a larger bowl than a flute. You really can't smell anything in a flute, it's one of those types of things that are more form than function. What a great bottle of wine!
After a 4 hour dinner, we had to rest a bit. Then, onto the brie and bread, as well as a wonderful bottle of Monbazillac. I just discovered this wine last week. LCBO sells a 2001 vintage of Chateau de Monbazillac in a 50 cL format. The name of the estate is the same as the appellation. It's really well balanced - sweet but not cloying, with nice acidity and this quality that reminds me of steamed pears and honey. And the minerality!! This is by far the most wonderfully mineral wine I've ever tasted, and it makes the wine quite refreshing. The brie was very very pungent. It was very strong, with a fantastic kick to it. I find this one very creamy, but the skin is delicious. It just stinks up the fridge a bit.
So after a fantastic Friday dinner, we had to follow it up with an even better Saturday. We had our friends over, to one of my favourite bistros in Toronto, Le Paradis. He came with some gifts - and of course, OF COURSE - he gave me a bottle of wine. I think that's our tradition now - I send him bottles of anything interesting I drink, and he keeps me well-stocked with Bordeaux Grand Crus. The last bottle he gave me was a 1986 Chateau La Lagune, a 3rd Growth from Ludon, a village in the Haut-Medoc.
I opened the bag, and laid my eyes on the most beautiful bottle of wine I have ever seen. It was a 1991 Chateau Mouton Rothschild. Of course, this is one of the famed First Growths from Pauillac, of the equally legendary Rothschild family. The bottle label features a painting by a Jap artists, Setsuko. Of course, the Mouton Rothschilds are also famous because every year, they ask different artists to design the labels, which makes the bottles collectible not just for the wine. The great Baron Phillipe de Rothschild was indeed a brilliant marketer. This was my first bottle of truly great Bordeaux. I don't care whether this is a great vintage or not - just thankful that my friend thinks highly enough of me to pull this one out as a gift. It was a very emotional moment for me. Just wait until I actually open the bottle. I might just wet my pants.
Dinner was great, as it always is at Le Paradis. I had the boeuf a la bourguignonne. Wanted something simple. For wine, we had a great bottle of white wine, from Chateau d'Angles, located in the Midi. I was very pleasantly surprised by the wine knowledge of our server - she correctly explained that the winemaker was originally of Chateau Lafite Rothschild, another branch of the Rothschild family and likewise, another Premier Cru. The wine was pleasant - soft but with nice acidity and spiciness to it. My father certainly enjoyed making her wait while he swirled and ever so slowly swallowed, before giving her the nod ok. What a plonker.
So, it's getting late. These posts are really taking a long time, it's now 1:15 am, and I really need to get into the shower and into bed. This was a fantastic weekend. Too bad I forgot my wallet and therefore my driver's license in Waterloo. Had a lot of great wine, a huge amount of great food. Finally, oh finally, I now have a Premier Cru!
As always, I went to BV. Unfortunately, I was running a bit late, because I had an appointment with my hairdresser Mario at 3:30. I looked like a monster and desperately needed a cleanup. Headed to Loblaws after with my shopping list. Picked up some fresh parsley, white baguette, olives, a Normandy brie, fresh tomatoes on the vine, some cultured butter and most importantly, shallots. For dinner, I cooked up clams and spaghetti, in a really simple tomato and shallots sauce, simmered with fresh clam broth. Nothing wasted, everything fresh, all cooked in high heat in as little time as possible. That is le style Fang. Hahah, I clearly think too highly of myself. We had some very simple sauteed greens, some grilled fish seasoned only with salt, pepper and garlic, and a delicious cured pork and bean curd soup. Nice mix of east and west dishes, no?
For the wine, I went back to the basics. This is almost becoming a tradition, that the only time we have Champagne is for birthdays and the most important holidays: Christmas and Chinese New Year. We had a Champagne Drappier Carte d'Or Brut, a non-vintage. Not a brand name but still special nevertheless. It had this really toasty and rich quality to it. made with pinot noir grapes - that is, a black grape made into a white wine. I discovered that I enjoy champagne more when the bubbles die down a bit. It feels like you're drinking pop when it's still fizzing away. I also enjoy it in a tasting glass, smaller, but with a larger bowl than a flute. You really can't smell anything in a flute, it's one of those types of things that are more form than function. What a great bottle of wine!
After a 4 hour dinner, we had to rest a bit. Then, onto the brie and bread, as well as a wonderful bottle of Monbazillac. I just discovered this wine last week. LCBO sells a 2001 vintage of Chateau de Monbazillac in a 50 cL format. The name of the estate is the same as the appellation. It's really well balanced - sweet but not cloying, with nice acidity and this quality that reminds me of steamed pears and honey. And the minerality!! This is by far the most wonderfully mineral wine I've ever tasted, and it makes the wine quite refreshing. The brie was very very pungent. It was very strong, with a fantastic kick to it. I find this one very creamy, but the skin is delicious. It just stinks up the fridge a bit.
So after a fantastic Friday dinner, we had to follow it up with an even better Saturday. We had our friends over, to one of my favourite bistros in Toronto, Le Paradis. He came with some gifts - and of course, OF COURSE - he gave me a bottle of wine. I think that's our tradition now - I send him bottles of anything interesting I drink, and he keeps me well-stocked with Bordeaux Grand Crus. The last bottle he gave me was a 1986 Chateau La Lagune, a 3rd Growth from Ludon, a village in the Haut-Medoc.
I opened the bag, and laid my eyes on the most beautiful bottle of wine I have ever seen. It was a 1991 Chateau Mouton Rothschild. Of course, this is one of the famed First Growths from Pauillac, of the equally legendary Rothschild family. The bottle label features a painting by a Jap artists, Setsuko. Of course, the Mouton Rothschilds are also famous because every year, they ask different artists to design the labels, which makes the bottles collectible not just for the wine. The great Baron Phillipe de Rothschild was indeed a brilliant marketer. This was my first bottle of truly great Bordeaux. I don't care whether this is a great vintage or not - just thankful that my friend thinks highly enough of me to pull this one out as a gift. It was a very emotional moment for me. Just wait until I actually open the bottle. I might just wet my pants.
Dinner was great, as it always is at Le Paradis. I had the boeuf a la bourguignonne. Wanted something simple. For wine, we had a great bottle of white wine, from Chateau d'Angles, located in the Midi. I was very pleasantly surprised by the wine knowledge of our server - she correctly explained that the winemaker was originally of Chateau Lafite Rothschild, another branch of the Rothschild family and likewise, another Premier Cru. The wine was pleasant - soft but with nice acidity and spiciness to it. My father certainly enjoyed making her wait while he swirled and ever so slowly swallowed, before giving her the nod ok. What a plonker.
So, it's getting late. These posts are really taking a long time, it's now 1:15 am, and I really need to get into the shower and into bed. This was a fantastic weekend. Too bad I forgot my wallet and therefore my driver's license in Waterloo. Had a lot of great wine, a huge amount of great food. Finally, oh finally, I now have a Premier Cru!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Ahh, la mer!
How do you come back from la Cote d'Azur?
How do you come back from the sun and the sea and les specialites regionales?
I can't. This is much harder than I thought it'd be, writing about my trip. That's why it's been so long. I've been back in Toronto for 18 days now, and NO I have not abandoned La Cave de Fang!! It's just ... everytime I think about it - there's just so many things I saw and experienced that I feel this intense longing. It has truly been a long time since I've longed for something this much - and it's been so long since I've been so in love.
So where do I begin? Let's just start with a recap of some of the things I did in France. Trust me when I say, this will not be the last post on this subject.
Of all the flights I've been on, this one was definitely the most challenging. Both getting in and out of Nice was a pain in the ass. I arrived in Nice via Chicago and Paris. Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport was an absolute nightmare. No organization, terrible signs - is this really Paris' international airport? It's an absolute fucking joke.
The first night I arrived in Nice, I expected to be dead tired. But, as with all first visits, I was energized and eagar to see my cousin to go out for dinner, which we had reservations for. I was really surprised when I saw Connie. She's 3 years older than me, and has been living in France for 14 months, four of which were so far spent in Nice. So, she's a local. She's changed a lot since the last time we met, which was.........nearly 4 years ago. We went to a restaurant in Vieux Nice. I was really out of it, and had no idea where we were. Everything was a blur - it was all narrow alleyways and darkened stores, as this was 7pm. The place was called Le Choucas. It turned out to be a fondues place. I did not like it. Even though Connie paid for me and we had some nice wine, a red Cotes de Provence. Fondues are lazy, tasteless cooking. We had beef and some kind of cheese fondue - I seriously did not enjoy it. But the salad was delicious. An incredibly fresh mesclun, with a light red wine vinaigrette and loads of olive oil.
My hotel was a pleasant surprise. Clean, quiet, and best of all, right next to the main road heading straight into Vieux Nice, Avenue Jean Medecin. There was a Ligne d'Azur stop right outside, and service had just started in November. Perfect. The next few days were spent wandering around Nice. Walking through the markets and shops of Vieux Nice was wonderful, as was walking along the sea. And of course, the most important thing - the restaurants.
You discover quite quickly that you'll never run out of places to eat here. Quite literally, every other establishment is a restaurant of some kind. I took great pleasure in roaming the streets looking for interesting restaurants to partake in lunch and dinner. Along the way, I found some really special places - among them a family owned restaurant called La Resto, which I will write about later. I made a promise to the owner's son, also named David, that I'd return next time I was in Nice. I definitely intend to keep my word.
No matter where you go in the world, a place is never as romantic, or as idealistic as you think it will be. The same holds true of Nice. Make no mistake, I truly enjoyed my time there, but it was greatly different from what I was expecting. After all those conversations with Frances and Annie, it still took me some time to adapt to being there. They gave me a good idea of what to expect, but for someone who's been going there twice a year for the past 30 years, I kind of expected a clearer picture.
Nevertheless, I want to end off today by saying that I'm in completely, blindingly, desperately, in love with the south of France. Everything about it was new and exciting and just...............exactly what I had hoped for. I learned a lot on this trip, and it was definitely one of my most memorable vacations. I need to thank Connie, who spent a lot of money taking me out to restaurants and who bought me a fantastic bottle of CH. Gazin to take back. And of course, my parents, who paid for my trip and who donated the Aeroplan points for a business class booking.
I'm not quite finished talking about France. Not quite yet.
How do you come back from the sun and the sea and les specialites regionales?
I can't. This is much harder than I thought it'd be, writing about my trip. That's why it's been so long. I've been back in Toronto for 18 days now, and NO I have not abandoned La Cave de Fang!! It's just ... everytime I think about it - there's just so many things I saw and experienced that I feel this intense longing. It has truly been a long time since I've longed for something this much - and it's been so long since I've been so in love.
So where do I begin? Let's just start with a recap of some of the things I did in France. Trust me when I say, this will not be the last post on this subject.
Of all the flights I've been on, this one was definitely the most challenging. Both getting in and out of Nice was a pain in the ass. I arrived in Nice via Chicago and Paris. Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport was an absolute nightmare. No organization, terrible signs - is this really Paris' international airport? It's an absolute fucking joke.
The first night I arrived in Nice, I expected to be dead tired. But, as with all first visits, I was energized and eagar to see my cousin to go out for dinner, which we had reservations for. I was really surprised when I saw Connie. She's 3 years older than me, and has been living in France for 14 months, four of which were so far spent in Nice. So, she's a local. She's changed a lot since the last time we met, which was.........nearly 4 years ago. We went to a restaurant in Vieux Nice. I was really out of it, and had no idea where we were. Everything was a blur - it was all narrow alleyways and darkened stores, as this was 7pm. The place was called Le Choucas. It turned out to be a fondues place. I did not like it. Even though Connie paid for me and we had some nice wine, a red Cotes de Provence. Fondues are lazy, tasteless cooking. We had beef and some kind of cheese fondue - I seriously did not enjoy it. But the salad was delicious. An incredibly fresh mesclun, with a light red wine vinaigrette and loads of olive oil.
My hotel was a pleasant surprise. Clean, quiet, and best of all, right next to the main road heading straight into Vieux Nice, Avenue Jean Medecin. There was a Ligne d'Azur stop right outside, and service had just started in November. Perfect. The next few days were spent wandering around Nice. Walking through the markets and shops of Vieux Nice was wonderful, as was walking along the sea. And of course, the most important thing - the restaurants.
You discover quite quickly that you'll never run out of places to eat here. Quite literally, every other establishment is a restaurant of some kind. I took great pleasure in roaming the streets looking for interesting restaurants to partake in lunch and dinner. Along the way, I found some really special places - among them a family owned restaurant called La Resto, which I will write about later. I made a promise to the owner's son, also named David, that I'd return next time I was in Nice. I definitely intend to keep my word.
No matter where you go in the world, a place is never as romantic, or as idealistic as you think it will be. The same holds true of Nice. Make no mistake, I truly enjoyed my time there, but it was greatly different from what I was expecting. After all those conversations with Frances and Annie, it still took me some time to adapt to being there. They gave me a good idea of what to expect, but for someone who's been going there twice a year for the past 30 years, I kind of expected a clearer picture.
Nevertheless, I want to end off today by saying that I'm in completely, blindingly, desperately, in love with the south of France. Everything about it was new and exciting and just...............exactly what I had hoped for. I learned a lot on this trip, and it was definitely one of my most memorable vacations. I need to thank Connie, who spent a lot of money taking me out to restaurants and who bought me a fantastic bottle of CH. Gazin to take back. And of course, my parents, who paid for my trip and who donated the Aeroplan points for a business class booking.
I'm not quite finished talking about France. Not quite yet.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
To the south of France!
This will be my last post of 2007. It's been a few days, I've been extremely busy with finals. Really starting to feel burned out and just wasted. I definitely need a change of scenery.
I will leave Toronto on Dec 21, for Nice, France. I'm spending just under 2 weeks there. Yes, just the Cote d'Azur area, not Paris. A lot of friends have asked me why I'm not spending any time in Paris. I can't answer that - I just want to spend my holidays in the south.
This will be a solo adventure. Never done that before, a true solo trip, so I'm very excited. The purpose of this trip is to just completely immerse myself in French culture. I want to eat a lot of good food and drink litres and litres of wine. I'm aiming for 1.5 bottles a day - that's not too bad is it?
One thing I definitely won't do is all the touristy stuff when I'm there. I want to blend in, although it might be hard for a Chinese guy in Europe. I want to really explore the city, not just all the famous areas, but all the little streets and shops. My dream is to find, first, a cigar shop, then second, a wine shop, and third, a quiet little bistro to relax in.
I'm not sure about whether I'll be able to have internet access. I suppose I could use my cousin's or find an internet cafe, but I probably won't go into a lot of trouble to track one down. I'll be spending too much time finding places to eat! I'll take lots of pictures, and hopefully some of them will include myself in them!
This trip is definitely going to be an incredible experience. It's going to give me a completely different perspective on French culture, something that I've always been enamoured with but unable to see in person. So Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone, and in 2 days, I'm off on my adventure!
I will leave Toronto on Dec 21, for Nice, France. I'm spending just under 2 weeks there. Yes, just the Cote d'Azur area, not Paris. A lot of friends have asked me why I'm not spending any time in Paris. I can't answer that - I just want to spend my holidays in the south.
This will be a solo adventure. Never done that before, a true solo trip, so I'm very excited. The purpose of this trip is to just completely immerse myself in French culture. I want to eat a lot of good food and drink litres and litres of wine. I'm aiming for 1.5 bottles a day - that's not too bad is it?
One thing I definitely won't do is all the touristy stuff when I'm there. I want to blend in, although it might be hard for a Chinese guy in Europe. I want to really explore the city, not just all the famous areas, but all the little streets and shops. My dream is to find, first, a cigar shop, then second, a wine shop, and third, a quiet little bistro to relax in.
I'm not sure about whether I'll be able to have internet access. I suppose I could use my cousin's or find an internet cafe, but I probably won't go into a lot of trouble to track one down. I'll be spending too much time finding places to eat! I'll take lots of pictures, and hopefully some of them will include myself in them!
This trip is definitely going to be an incredible experience. It's going to give me a completely different perspective on French culture, something that I've always been enamoured with but unable to see in person. So Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone, and in 2 days, I'm off on my adventure!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
A gentleman
This topic will seem a bit deviant, but it'll connect back to wine. I promise. I'm an economics major, making obscure connections is what we do.
Lately, I've rewatched two movies, 'The Last Emperor' and 'Troy'. What do they have in common? Well, they're both historical pictures, and they both feature Peter O'Toole. Let's examine each one seperately and combine our findings.
The Last Emperor. This movie was directed by Bernardo Bertolucci in 1987, starring John Lone, Joan Chen, and Peter O'Toole. It won 9 Oscars, the most important being Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Music. It detailed the crowning of Aisin Gioro Puyi, the last Qing Dynasty emperor of imperial China. I watched it when I was young, several years ago, but I'm understanding it on a completely different level now. The performance that struck me the most was that by O'Toole, who played Reginald Johnston, the Emperor's tutor.
Johnston was Scottish. In the film, it shows him as someone who is deeply distrustful of the imperial system, yet somehow empathizes with Puyi. And the film casts Puyi in a very sympathetic manner, from his crowning to when he became little more than a running dog for the Japanese to when he was tried by the Communists as a war-criminal. O'Toole's performance was stunning. Quietly powerful and subtle, his eyes and facial expressions say it all. One of my favourite lines is when he says, "It's a matter of words, perhaps, but words are important. If you cannot say what you mean, then you will never mean what you say. And a gentleman should always mean what he says." To which Puyi asks him, "Are you a gentleman?" O'Toole answers, "I would like to be a gentleman, your Majesty. I try to be." A sublime performance, which definitely is the brightest part about this movie. If you're doing a biopic about Chinese history, don't you think the least you could do is find decent Chinese actors and do the whole film in Mandarin with subtitles? Instead of finding these Americanized Chinese people who butcher lines in their fake Asian accents? Come on!
Troy was also a film that O'Toole stars in. He plays King Priam, king of Troy. Again, he gives a muted, subtle, performance. He doesn't need to do much - his presence overwhelms anyone who's in the scene with him. His mannerisms are majestic, regal. And when he begs Achilles for the body of his son, there's heartbreak in his voice, for sure, but also this steely pride, one of honour and respect.
So what does this have to do with wine? A lot. Peter O'Toole, as an actor, displays what every great wine should show. Not something overtly overpowering or obvious, but something nuanced and subtle. Thats the word for today - subtle. Great wines demand your respect. They don't whore themselves at you. So what if you can taste the distinct fruit flavours, the oak, and describe in great detail how it finishes. What's important is that the wine has an identity.
In both films, O'Toole plays vastly different characters. But his identity as a person comes through in each performance. Can a wine have a distinct identity? Absolutely. The mark of a great wine, to me, is how it reveals itself, little by little. How it has the ability to transport you, how it goes beyond being a drink. When you drink, say a Rhone, can you picture yourself sitting in a cafe, in the South of France, drenched in sun? Does drinking a great Bordeaux make you picture what it'd be like drinking in a dark, musty chai surrounded by barrels? Recall what Proust said - that with a single bite of a madeleine, his entire childhood came flooding back. Wine may not trigger any childhood memories for me, but great wine has the ability to transport me to somewhere else. Romantic, isn't it?
I know I'm beginning to ramble. I understand if this doesn't make sense, because I'm having a hard time putting my thoughts into words at the moment. But please, know that there's more to wine than being able to distinguish all the smells and flavours. Sure, it'll seem impressive if you announce that you can smell cherry, cassis, and the nuttiness of an edam cheese. But what do I keep saying? Wine is an experience, and when you come across that special bottle, it is truly spiritual.
Lately, I've rewatched two movies, 'The Last Emperor' and 'Troy'. What do they have in common? Well, they're both historical pictures, and they both feature Peter O'Toole. Let's examine each one seperately and combine our findings.
The Last Emperor. This movie was directed by Bernardo Bertolucci in 1987, starring John Lone, Joan Chen, and Peter O'Toole. It won 9 Oscars, the most important being Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Music. It detailed the crowning of Aisin Gioro Puyi, the last Qing Dynasty emperor of imperial China. I watched it when I was young, several years ago, but I'm understanding it on a completely different level now. The performance that struck me the most was that by O'Toole, who played Reginald Johnston, the Emperor's tutor.
Johnston was Scottish. In the film, it shows him as someone who is deeply distrustful of the imperial system, yet somehow empathizes with Puyi. And the film casts Puyi in a very sympathetic manner, from his crowning to when he became little more than a running dog for the Japanese to when he was tried by the Communists as a war-criminal. O'Toole's performance was stunning. Quietly powerful and subtle, his eyes and facial expressions say it all. One of my favourite lines is when he says, "It's a matter of words, perhaps, but words are important. If you cannot say what you mean, then you will never mean what you say. And a gentleman should always mean what he says." To which Puyi asks him, "Are you a gentleman?" O'Toole answers, "I would like to be a gentleman, your Majesty. I try to be." A sublime performance, which definitely is the brightest part about this movie. If you're doing a biopic about Chinese history, don't you think the least you could do is find decent Chinese actors and do the whole film in Mandarin with subtitles? Instead of finding these Americanized Chinese people who butcher lines in their fake Asian accents? Come on!
Troy was also a film that O'Toole stars in. He plays King Priam, king of Troy. Again, he gives a muted, subtle, performance. He doesn't need to do much - his presence overwhelms anyone who's in the scene with him. His mannerisms are majestic, regal. And when he begs Achilles for the body of his son, there's heartbreak in his voice, for sure, but also this steely pride, one of honour and respect.
So what does this have to do with wine? A lot. Peter O'Toole, as an actor, displays what every great wine should show. Not something overtly overpowering or obvious, but something nuanced and subtle. Thats the word for today - subtle. Great wines demand your respect. They don't whore themselves at you. So what if you can taste the distinct fruit flavours, the oak, and describe in great detail how it finishes. What's important is that the wine has an identity.
In both films, O'Toole plays vastly different characters. But his identity as a person comes through in each performance. Can a wine have a distinct identity? Absolutely. The mark of a great wine, to me, is how it reveals itself, little by little. How it has the ability to transport you, how it goes beyond being a drink. When you drink, say a Rhone, can you picture yourself sitting in a cafe, in the South of France, drenched in sun? Does drinking a great Bordeaux make you picture what it'd be like drinking in a dark, musty chai surrounded by barrels? Recall what Proust said - that with a single bite of a madeleine, his entire childhood came flooding back. Wine may not trigger any childhood memories for me, but great wine has the ability to transport me to somewhere else. Romantic, isn't it?
I know I'm beginning to ramble. I understand if this doesn't make sense, because I'm having a hard time putting my thoughts into words at the moment. But please, know that there's more to wine than being able to distinguish all the smells and flavours. Sure, it'll seem impressive if you announce that you can smell cherry, cassis, and the nuttiness of an edam cheese. But what do I keep saying? Wine is an experience, and when you come across that special bottle, it is truly spiritual.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
To Gary
I woke up this morning to find an interesting, albeit unexpected comment on my last post. It was from the subject of my last post, I hope. And it made me think.
I was very rude in last night's post. Studying until past 4.........well, I'm not making excuses. I fully stand behind and defend my position in everything I've writen. But nonetheless, this was not a very good way to start a blog! I apologize for anything offensive I wrote about Gary. Having never met the guy, it's terrible to be bashing him, but I do feel very strongly about the subject. So I apologize.
Having said that, I still think he's a tacky person. The whole rating game is overdone and people need to start being more creative. Let's leave all that nonsense to people with no imagination like Parker and Johnson and Robinson. There's no joy for wine in watching someone gargle it and spit it out like Listerine. And saying shit like, "Let's take a sniffy sniff!"
Oh, and come on, no one posts such a nice comment when they read a post describing them as a "douche and a "schmuck". Come on now, be real.
I was very rude in last night's post. Studying until past 4.........well, I'm not making excuses. I fully stand behind and defend my position in everything I've writen. But nonetheless, this was not a very good way to start a blog! I apologize for anything offensive I wrote about Gary. Having never met the guy, it's terrible to be bashing him, but I do feel very strongly about the subject. So I apologize.
Having said that, I still think he's a tacky person. The whole rating game is overdone and people need to start being more creative. Let's leave all that nonsense to people with no imagination like Parker and Johnson and Robinson. There's no joy for wine in watching someone gargle it and spit it out like Listerine. And saying shit like, "Let's take a sniffy sniff!"
Oh, and come on, no one posts such a nice comment when they read a post describing them as a "douche and a "schmuck". Come on now, be real.
Is this guy for real?
I'd like to clarify one thing first. The wine I wrote about yesterday, the Domaine Le Galantin Bandol - for some of you that are unsure, I didn't enjoy it. All I'm saying is that I was fascinated by the flavours and aromas that it was giving off. I had no idea that wine could smell like a horse stable. I guess if you like that kind of smell, then go get a bottle and try it. It's just too funky for me to really enjoy. I've been trying to figure out what could cause this taste - and to me, it seems that the winemaker is either being lazy or using inferior equipment. Short of growing the grapes in horseshit, I don't what else could produce a wine like this.
Anyways, on to what I was planning to talk about today. I came across this site, called Wine Library TV. It's hosted by this guy called Gary Vaynerchuk. He posts videos on his site, and basically tastes wines and gives "ratings". The episode I watched was about the Le Galantin, so I was interested. Apparently, this guy is pretty famous and he's been on TV. People like his enthusiasm.
Normally, I'll be glued to the screen if anything wine-related comes up. But I watched 2 min into his 16 min episode and I closed the browser. I couldn't watch or listen to him anymore. He's the biggest douche I've ever seen. EVER. I mean, everything from his tasting routine to his mannerisms pisses me off.
An example - he pours out the first glass. Just pours it out. I guess he wants to coat the wine glass with the wine, to remove any extraneous tastes. But even for a clean glass? And he immediately discounts a score some other "critic" gave this wine. It's like he's pulling numbers out of his ass, he gave it a 92. There's no basis to how he awards points, I guess he thinks that just arbitrarily assigning a number value to a wine will give him credibility among his viewers.
My job this summer involved a lot of work in this field. Where you have to give a numerical value to something that is judged subjectively. And how my company did it was very very specific. We'd break down major sections into many subsections, grading each according to a very specific rubric. We'd then produce a final score. It was all very scientific.
The only person in wine who can give out consistent scores is Robert Parker Jr. And even he has a scoring system that breaks down every component. For example, he rates things such as colour, smell, finish, etc. and then adds them up for a score out of 100. Not like this wanker who just says, "No, this wine tastes like a 92 to me." And by the way, Parker's scores don't mean much to the average wine drinker - but that's another post.
I can't believe how pompous this guy is. Unbelievable. I mean - he says shit like, "Let's take a sniffy-sniff." People who talk like that deserve to be hung up from a pole.
Yes, so I had to get that off my chest. I hope this is going to be the only post where I'm being so rude, but just watch one of his episodes if you don't believe me.
Anyways, on to what I was planning to talk about today. I came across this site, called Wine Library TV. It's hosted by this guy called Gary Vaynerchuk. He posts videos on his site, and basically tastes wines and gives "ratings". The episode I watched was about the Le Galantin, so I was interested. Apparently, this guy is pretty famous and he's been on TV. People like his enthusiasm.
Normally, I'll be glued to the screen if anything wine-related comes up. But I watched 2 min into his 16 min episode and I closed the browser. I couldn't watch or listen to him anymore. He's the biggest douche I've ever seen. EVER. I mean, everything from his tasting routine to his mannerisms pisses me off.
An example - he pours out the first glass. Just pours it out. I guess he wants to coat the wine glass with the wine, to remove any extraneous tastes. But even for a clean glass? And he immediately discounts a score some other "critic" gave this wine. It's like he's pulling numbers out of his ass, he gave it a 92. There's no basis to how he awards points, I guess he thinks that just arbitrarily assigning a number value to a wine will give him credibility among his viewers.
My job this summer involved a lot of work in this field. Where you have to give a numerical value to something that is judged subjectively. And how my company did it was very very specific. We'd break down major sections into many subsections, grading each according to a very specific rubric. We'd then produce a final score. It was all very scientific.
The only person in wine who can give out consistent scores is Robert Parker Jr. And even he has a scoring system that breaks down every component. For example, he rates things such as colour, smell, finish, etc. and then adds them up for a score out of 100. Not like this wanker who just says, "No, this wine tastes like a 92 to me." And by the way, Parker's scores don't mean much to the average wine drinker - but that's another post.
I can't believe how pompous this guy is. Unbelievable. I mean - he says shit like, "Let's take a sniffy-sniff." People who talk like that deserve to be hung up from a pole.
Yes, so I had to get that off my chest. I hope this is going to be the only post where I'm being so rude, but just watch one of his episodes if you don't believe me.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
A farm wine
Wow, what a rush. I finished my cost benefit analysis exam last night at 6, then hurried back to Toronto to attend to a bank issue, then hurried right back to Waterloo early Friday. I should say today, but its 4 am Saturday already.
Anyways, on the way back, I stopped by the LCBO at Waterloo, where I found..........a Flat Rock Cellars Gravity pinot noir!! This is their top of the line pinot noir, which I've been waiting for, for quite some time now. It cost $29.95, and I hope it's worth every penny. I also bought a bottle of 2004 Le Galantin Bandol. I have a bottle in my cellar already, but just want to try it. It's unfortunate that LCBO carries very little of Bandol wines, which is why I picked this bottle up immediately, a couple of months ago.
Upon opening the Le Galantin Bandol, I had this strange feeling about how it smelled. And then I realized - it smelled like a barnyard! I'm not kidding, it smells like a farm, a mixture of hay and dung. It smells like shit, quite literally. But not in a disgusting way, I'm enjoying this bottle. Yes, I'm finishing the entire bottle for my own good, because I have another exam coming up soon. It has bright fruit notes, of cherry and candied apple but this barnyard smell is quite dominating. This is the first time I've noticed this in any wine I've tasted, which is quite interesting. Also, on the tongue, there's this slight feeling that the wine is still carbonated - like when you try making wine at home and you havn't fully removed the yeasts. Very very interesting experience.
I don't know if this is a result of lazy winemaking or a natural effect of the mourvedre grape. I asked my roommate to take a sniff and my thoughts on the barnyard effect was confirmed. I enjoy this wine though, really interesting to taste this and remember it. By the way, it's quite strong, at 14.5% alcohol. Price went down a bit. I bought a bottle at $21.95 several months ago, and now, it's at $18.50.
LCBO sometimes pisses me off. I bought a bottle of Chateau L'Arrosee, a St.-Emilion Grand Cru Classe at $65 a bottle one year ago, just before Christmas. The same vintage, a 2003, sells for $61.95. Not a big difference but still, what the hell?
Anyways, it's late and I need to finish my wine and get to bed. A big weekend ahead of me, lots of work and studying to do! If you're interested in tasting what a dung-smelling wine tastes like, get the Le Galantin! You might not like it, but it's interesting for sure!!
Anyways, on the way back, I stopped by the LCBO at Waterloo, where I found..........a Flat Rock Cellars Gravity pinot noir!! This is their top of the line pinot noir, which I've been waiting for, for quite some time now. It cost $29.95, and I hope it's worth every penny. I also bought a bottle of 2004 Le Galantin Bandol. I have a bottle in my cellar already, but just want to try it. It's unfortunate that LCBO carries very little of Bandol wines, which is why I picked this bottle up immediately, a couple of months ago.
Upon opening the Le Galantin Bandol, I had this strange feeling about how it smelled. And then I realized - it smelled like a barnyard! I'm not kidding, it smells like a farm, a mixture of hay and dung. It smells like shit, quite literally. But not in a disgusting way, I'm enjoying this bottle. Yes, I'm finishing the entire bottle for my own good, because I have another exam coming up soon. It has bright fruit notes, of cherry and candied apple but this barnyard smell is quite dominating. This is the first time I've noticed this in any wine I've tasted, which is quite interesting. Also, on the tongue, there's this slight feeling that the wine is still carbonated - like when you try making wine at home and you havn't fully removed the yeasts. Very very interesting experience.
I don't know if this is a result of lazy winemaking or a natural effect of the mourvedre grape. I asked my roommate to take a sniff and my thoughts on the barnyard effect was confirmed. I enjoy this wine though, really interesting to taste this and remember it. By the way, it's quite strong, at 14.5% alcohol. Price went down a bit. I bought a bottle at $21.95 several months ago, and now, it's at $18.50.
LCBO sometimes pisses me off. I bought a bottle of Chateau L'Arrosee, a St.-Emilion Grand Cru Classe at $65 a bottle one year ago, just before Christmas. The same vintage, a 2003, sells for $61.95. Not a big difference but still, what the hell?
Anyways, it's late and I need to finish my wine and get to bed. A big weekend ahead of me, lots of work and studying to do! If you're interested in tasting what a dung-smelling wine tastes like, get the Le Galantin! You might not like it, but it's interesting for sure!!
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Niagara
Ok, it's time to start writing about interesting stuff! This year in early October, for my dear roommate's 21st birthday, about 15 of us went up to Niagara Falls. The plan was to go up to do some shopping, grab a nice dinner, and then hit the casino. Well, that was the original plan.
I started asking around if anyone wanted to visit the local wineries with me. My last tour of the wineries was on July 1, and I was eagar to visit some of the estates again. I managed to drum up some interest, among some of my more viticulture-inclined friends. But due to some external reasons, the majority of the group decided to go to Buffalo. My wine group was down to myself and two buddies. So, we set off relatively early, considering my group of friends, on a rather downcast day. Made it into wine country in record time, where we proceeded to enjoy what each winery had to offer.
Before I go onto the specific wineries we visited, I want to talk about the Niagara region. My first couple of bottles that I remember drinking were Niagara. They were Jackson Triggs whites, a sauvignon blanc and a riesling as I recall. At the time, they seemed clean and refreshing, nothing really distinct about them, but more importantly, they didn't taste foul. However, as I began to explore old-world wines, Niagara seemed more and more to me like a region that still had a long way to go. Niagara was an infant industry, pushed up not by the quality of its nectar but rather by aggressive marketing by the LCBO.
That image all changed for me on July 1. I went up with family friends, just to enjoy the day. We ate at the Prince of Wales Hotel, at its restaurant Escabeche. When it was time to order the wine, I knew I wanted a Niagara pinot noir. At that moment, judging by what I was ordering, a pinot noir seemed perfect. The waiter informed me that Escabeche's sommelier recommended one local pinot noir above all others - Lailey Vineyard. For sure, at $70 a bottle the price was jacked up almost 3X but trust me when I say that it was absolutely worth it. By the way, it retails at the estate for $24.95.
This bottle of Lailey Vineyard pinot noir was spectacular. Nice, ripe fruit on the nose, it throws off enormous amounts of earth and gravel. On the palate it had this racy acidity, and this almost salty quality to it. If there is such thing as tasting the earth and the terroir, this is it. I was so blown away by this bottle, my whole perception of Niagara wine changed. Just like that. I ended up buying several bottles of the Lailey, to throw away in my cellar. Hold me to my word, the future of the Niagara Peninsula is in pinot noir.
So this time, I really wanted to go back, not only to Lailey, but several other properties whose wines really intrigued me. And of course, to taste as much pinot noir as I could. Our first stop was in the Thiry Mile Bench appellation, located in Jordan, Ontario. The winery was Flat Rock Cellars, and the moment we drove in, it was like a jolt of energy. We say workers picking the grapes, as the harvest was coming to a close. We went in for a tour, where we saw workers sorting and loading the grapes into the crusher. We also saw the fermenting vats as well as a peek of the barrels. Going into a working winery and actually seeing the process take place is really something else. Not like those other bullshit tours where they take you through a museum and then straight into the wine shop. We did not taste, but I ended up buying a couple bottles of their pinot noir, I wine that I had tasted the night before. I remembered its acidity vividly - it cuts straight into your palate, like a knife, and I would love to see what it can do with some age.
Two of the wineries we visited were decidedly more touristy places. The second winery on our tour was Chateau des Charmes. By now, it was pouring rain. There wasn't a tour, so we went straight to the wine bar, where we met a friendly gentleman named Roger. He was a bit effeminate, but he was also French, so I guess he has an excuse. We tasted the Reserve pinot noir, a cabernet sauvignon as well as a cabernet blend. They were all vegetal, one sided, non-interesting wines. I guess thats the problem when you're operation becomes so big, theres a tradeoff in concentration of your wine for mass-marketability. For some reason, I don't knwo why I wanted to come here. Maybe because the estate looks so impressive. It does, if you've never been, it's modeled after a Bordeaux chateau. I guess if you have the money... Didn't buy anything, and will never come back here again.
Next, we headed for Niagara-On-The-Lake. We had lunch at this family-style place, nice, but the service was terrible. We strolled around for a bit, always nice to walk here. Before I knew if, it was 1:30 and time for our next stop.
Winery #3 was Lailey Vineyard. I've only been here once before, but I am now a huge fan. I love these simple, small properties that don't worry about any of the bullshit, just producing nice, proper wine. Just simply a wine that will change your perception of Niagara reds. I really think its that fantastic. We tasted their cabernet blend and their cabernet sauvignon. They don't list the percentages of each blend, much like the French. The land that the grapes come from are the most important, not the grapes. Lailey's cabernet uses primarily cabernet sauvignon, and they use more cabernet franc than merlot. A Bordeaux-style blend indeed, but with a uniqueness to it that speaks of the Niagara River terroir. I bought 2 bottles each of the 2003 Cabernet and the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. I hate their bottle label design, why can't they stick to the classic design for their pinot noirs?
Winery #4 was just down the road, Inniskillin. This was of course, one of the biggest wineries in Ontario. There's virtually no one that does not know this place, evident of the huge museum they constructed as well as the busloads of tourists. This is the type of thing that ruins the experience for true wine-lovers. I hate tourists. It was so packed inside, couldn't get a spot at the bar because these jackasses were hanging around pretending to know what they're doing. I don't understand why you can't just drink and get out of the way, you're not fooling anyone into thinking you can tell the difference between a riesling and a chardonnay. I tasted the Montague Estate pinot noir, followed by the cabernet/merlot blend, and finally the Founder's Reserve pinot noir. The Founder's Reserve is hand-picked, resulting in its higher price but is sourced from different locations, as opposed to the Montague Estate, which is sourced from a single vineyard. I prefer the Montague; more character. The cabernet/merlot was sadly lacking in any depth. The 3 of us headed to the icewine bar, where we tasted the oak-aged vidal and the vidal sparkling icewine. They cost $7(!) each. Again, icewine just doesn't appeal to me. Apricot, peach, and florals, but nothing else in terms of acidity and terroir. One-dimensional wines for the people that think price is directly related to transcendent wine. But then again, I just don't particularly like icewine. I didn't buy anything from this over-commercialized, mainstream winery. I bought 2 bottles of the Montague Estate pinot noir last time, which is the only wine that I will drink from Inniskillin.
Last stop, winery #5 was Marynissen Estates. Really enjoyed their 2002 Cabernet/Merlot blend. I mean, I REALLY enjoyed it. Has the strength and concentration to last for many many more years, which is why I wanted to pick some up before they were gone. Tasted the cabernet blend as well as the cabernet sauvignon. While the cabernet blend was interesting, the straight cabernet sauvignon was not so appealing. This proves the point that blended is always better than full 100%. The cabernet was complex, had a beautiful hue, and was wonderfully elegant the more and more you aerate. So I bought 2 bottles of the 2002 Cabernet/Merlot and 2 bottles of the 2003 Cabernet. I had bought a cooler with me to store all the wine, and by now, it was absolutely full.
Next, we headed for Niagara-On-The-Lake. We had lunch at this family-style place, nice, but the service was terrible. We strolled around for a bit, always nice to walk here. Before I knew if, it was 1:30 and time for our next stop.
Winery #3 was Lailey Vineyard. I've only been here once before, but I am now a huge fan. I love these simple, small properties that don't worry about any of the bullshit, just producing nice, proper wine. Just simply a wine that will change your perception of Niagara reds. I really think its that fantastic. We tasted their cabernet blend and their cabernet sauvignon. They don't list the percentages of each blend, much like the French. The land that the grapes come from are the most important, not the grapes. Lailey's cabernet uses primarily cabernet sauvignon, and they use more cabernet franc than merlot. A Bordeaux-style blend indeed, but with a uniqueness to it that speaks of the Niagara River terroir. I bought 2 bottles each of the 2003 Cabernet and the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. I hate their bottle label design, why can't they stick to the classic design for their pinot noirs?
Winery #4 was just down the road, Inniskillin. This was of course, one of the biggest wineries in Ontario. There's virtually no one that does not know this place, evident of the huge museum they constructed as well as the busloads of tourists. This is the type of thing that ruins the experience for true wine-lovers. I hate tourists. It was so packed inside, couldn't get a spot at the bar because these jackasses were hanging around pretending to know what they're doing. I don't understand why you can't just drink and get out of the way, you're not fooling anyone into thinking you can tell the difference between a riesling and a chardonnay. I tasted the Montague Estate pinot noir, followed by the cabernet/merlot blend, and finally the Founder's Reserve pinot noir. The Founder's Reserve is hand-picked, resulting in its higher price but is sourced from different locations, as opposed to the Montague Estate, which is sourced from a single vineyard. I prefer the Montague; more character. The cabernet/merlot was sadly lacking in any depth. The 3 of us headed to the icewine bar, where we tasted the oak-aged vidal and the vidal sparkling icewine. They cost $7(!) each. Again, icewine just doesn't appeal to me. Apricot, peach, and florals, but nothing else in terms of acidity and terroir. One-dimensional wines for the people that think price is directly related to transcendent wine. But then again, I just don't particularly like icewine. I didn't buy anything from this over-commercialized, mainstream winery. I bought 2 bottles of the Montague Estate pinot noir last time, which is the only wine that I will drink from Inniskillin.
Last stop, winery #5 was Marynissen Estates. Really enjoyed their 2002 Cabernet/Merlot blend. I mean, I REALLY enjoyed it. Has the strength and concentration to last for many many more years, which is why I wanted to pick some up before they were gone. Tasted the cabernet blend as well as the cabernet sauvignon. While the cabernet blend was interesting, the straight cabernet sauvignon was not so appealing. This proves the point that blended is always better than full 100%. The cabernet was complex, had a beautiful hue, and was wonderfully elegant the more and more you aerate. So I bought 2 bottles of the 2002 Cabernet/Merlot and 2 bottles of the 2003 Cabernet. I had bought a cooler with me to store all the wine, and by now, it was absolutely full.
That day, the three of us concluded our winery tour early in the afternoon. It was an..........interesting experience waiting for the rest of our party to get back across the border.
All the wines that I bought that day are still happily resting in my cellar/cupboard. And I can't wait until my next trip up. Definitely I will visit Lailey and Marynissen again, and I will find some new properties to visit. If you have a chance, call some of the smaller wineries for a tour. Chances are, they won't hire some idiot student to take you around. At Lailey, for example, the winemaker shows you the estate. Now THAT would be a learning experience.
So, next time you see a bottle of Niagara wine, don't be so dismissive. I realized how naive I was, and now that I've seen the light, I'm really excited about where this region is going. There are people down there who are true to wine and true to the spirit of wine. As I said earlier, pinot noir will achieve greatness in Niagara, judging from the ones I've tasted. Just leave the Jackson Triggs and Chateau des Charmes alone. I am so prejudiced!!
The pictures on top are taken by my ex-roommate Rocky. He's a very talented photographer, look for his stuff up on Flickr. They were taken around the various wineries we visited. He took my profile picture as well, while we were in the Keg. I was having a gin & tonic to calm down.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
The name
I feel like I should explain why I'm calling my blog 'La Cave de Fang'. It means Fang Cellars. Fang is my family name. Cellars...well, that should be obvious.
I made up my mind a long time ago that if I ever built the perfect cellar at home, I would nail a huge plaque on top of the entrance that read 'Les Caves de Fang'. That's what I would name my cellars. I thought of giving it the same title as my art studio, but since about 95% of my wine is French, the only appropriate thing was to give it a French sounding name.
Having a huge problem naming the thing, I asked my good buddy for some advice. I trust her judgement completely - she's one of the most creatively talented people I know and on top of that, she speaks French like a native. She recommended the singular form - La Cave instead of Les Caves because in her words, 'it's where all ur precious memories are stored within 1 secretive cellar'.
Perfect.
I made up my mind a long time ago that if I ever built the perfect cellar at home, I would nail a huge plaque on top of the entrance that read 'Les Caves de Fang'. That's what I would name my cellars. I thought of giving it the same title as my art studio, but since about 95% of my wine is French, the only appropriate thing was to give it a French sounding name.
Having a huge problem naming the thing, I asked my good buddy for some advice. I trust her judgement completely - she's one of the most creatively talented people I know and on top of that, she speaks French like a native. She recommended the singular form - La Cave instead of Les Caves because in her words, 'it's where all ur precious memories are stored within 1 secretive cellar'.
Perfect.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Bonjour
Hello!
I suppose the first post should be an introduction. My name is David, a 4th-year student at the University of Waterloo, majoring in Economics with a specialization in Finance. I've lived in Toronto most of my life, so for now, that's home.
In terms of wine, we're serviced by the LCBO, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. The LCBO is basically a monopoly controlled by the government of Ontario, and regulates all alcohol purchase and consumption in the province. What implications does it have on wine-drinkers? Well, I guess we're lucky in that we have an enormous selection of wine to choose from and we have access to some of the rarest bottles in the world.
I have to mention that I was born in Shanghai, China. Being a 21 year old Chinese person, no one expects someone like me to enjoy wine. And why is that? One of the purposes of this blog is to share my experiences, to make it known that it's acceptable and quite noble in fact, to learn about and to enjoy wine.
My previous attitude towards wine was that it was for wrinkly old white men, and that I would never grow to like it. To me, they somehow all tasted the same; the only difference I could distinguish was the difference between red and white wine. Namely, they were two different colours. But starting from about 15, my entire disposition towards wine began to change.
I've always had great tolerance for alcohol. I'm not bragging, that's just how my metabolism's always been. No really, I'm serious. From when I was 2, my grandfather used to feed me rice wine off the tip of his chopsticks. I started drinking small amounts of beer and whatever my father was drinking when I was 7. My father's never been much of a connoisseur. I suppose he enjoys alcoholic beverages, but he's never been the type to really examine what he drinks. He just drinks it.
Around 15, when I was just about to graduate junior high, somehow my father stopped drinking beer. To him, wine's always been more of a natural product than beer, with less manipulation. And then he read a lot about how red wine supposedly has health benefits. So our family began to drink wine. And thats how my tiny flame of interest was sparked.
It wasn't until I was 18 that I really began to research into the subject. There wasn't a single bottle of wine that did it, or something significant that happened. I just fell in love with the entire culture involved with wine. It just facinated me, how the grape could be transformed into such a sublime form. Once I entered first year, it really started. I bought books and went to the LCBO with my father to pick a new bottle every week to try.
All my education regarding wine is from books or from actual practical experience. All of it. And from my neighbour Frances. Frances is retired, and is very much into European culture. He keeps a house in Villefranche, a city adjacent to Nice. He's a true oenophile, not only in his book knowledge but his practical knowledge as well. We've had many conversations, not just talking about anything wine-related, but also about cuisine, art, and culture. Talking with Frances is amazing and eye-opening.
So that was how it started. Things just snowballed. Apart from building a wine book library, I've started to build a cellar. I discovered quite early on that my true love was French wine. I began to purchase Bordeaux futures, from the 2005 and 2006 vintages. I've begun to follow specific estates, and in general, just getting my hands on whatever I can afford.
At present, I try to taste around 2-3 bottles a week. It's hard moving back and forth between Toronto and Waterloo every week but I try to have a bottle at home, and at least another bottle while I'm at school. My plan for now is to just try as many new regions, and not only from France. The exciting thing about wine is that there's a limitless amount to explore.
I've discovered that wine has become my passion. I don't think I've ever had anything I've loved and obsessed about so much. So please visit often and I'll try my best to post as much as I can. I don't want this to be like the other million or so wine blogs, where I give out my tasting impressions on the bottles I try. I want to talk about EXPERIENCE. Because wine is an experience, not just hints of ripe fruit amid overtones of oak and spice.
I suppose the first post should be an introduction. My name is David, a 4th-year student at the University of Waterloo, majoring in Economics with a specialization in Finance. I've lived in Toronto most of my life, so for now, that's home.
In terms of wine, we're serviced by the LCBO, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. The LCBO is basically a monopoly controlled by the government of Ontario, and regulates all alcohol purchase and consumption in the province. What implications does it have on wine-drinkers? Well, I guess we're lucky in that we have an enormous selection of wine to choose from and we have access to some of the rarest bottles in the world.
I have to mention that I was born in Shanghai, China. Being a 21 year old Chinese person, no one expects someone like me to enjoy wine. And why is that? One of the purposes of this blog is to share my experiences, to make it known that it's acceptable and quite noble in fact, to learn about and to enjoy wine.
My previous attitude towards wine was that it was for wrinkly old white men, and that I would never grow to like it. To me, they somehow all tasted the same; the only difference I could distinguish was the difference between red and white wine. Namely, they were two different colours. But starting from about 15, my entire disposition towards wine began to change.
I've always had great tolerance for alcohol. I'm not bragging, that's just how my metabolism's always been. No really, I'm serious. From when I was 2, my grandfather used to feed me rice wine off the tip of his chopsticks. I started drinking small amounts of beer and whatever my father was drinking when I was 7. My father's never been much of a connoisseur. I suppose he enjoys alcoholic beverages, but he's never been the type to really examine what he drinks. He just drinks it.
Around 15, when I was just about to graduate junior high, somehow my father stopped drinking beer. To him, wine's always been more of a natural product than beer, with less manipulation. And then he read a lot about how red wine supposedly has health benefits. So our family began to drink wine. And thats how my tiny flame of interest was sparked.
It wasn't until I was 18 that I really began to research into the subject. There wasn't a single bottle of wine that did it, or something significant that happened. I just fell in love with the entire culture involved with wine. It just facinated me, how the grape could be transformed into such a sublime form. Once I entered first year, it really started. I bought books and went to the LCBO with my father to pick a new bottle every week to try.
All my education regarding wine is from books or from actual practical experience. All of it. And from my neighbour Frances. Frances is retired, and is very much into European culture. He keeps a house in Villefranche, a city adjacent to Nice. He's a true oenophile, not only in his book knowledge but his practical knowledge as well. We've had many conversations, not just talking about anything wine-related, but also about cuisine, art, and culture. Talking with Frances is amazing and eye-opening.
So that was how it started. Things just snowballed. Apart from building a wine book library, I've started to build a cellar. I discovered quite early on that my true love was French wine. I began to purchase Bordeaux futures, from the 2005 and 2006 vintages. I've begun to follow specific estates, and in general, just getting my hands on whatever I can afford.
At present, I try to taste around 2-3 bottles a week. It's hard moving back and forth between Toronto and Waterloo every week but I try to have a bottle at home, and at least another bottle while I'm at school. My plan for now is to just try as many new regions, and not only from France. The exciting thing about wine is that there's a limitless amount to explore.
I've discovered that wine has become my passion. I don't think I've ever had anything I've loved and obsessed about so much. So please visit often and I'll try my best to post as much as I can. I don't want this to be like the other million or so wine blogs, where I give out my tasting impressions on the bottles I try. I want to talk about EXPERIENCE. Because wine is an experience, not just hints of ripe fruit amid overtones of oak and spice.
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