an Ode to the humble pot roast

Pot roast:

The lowliest cut of beef turned into the most succulent comfort food. I mean, what says comfort more than pot-roast? Immediately thoughts turn to Sunday evening meals; family is near, there’s good conversation amidst the bickering (it is family after all) and always a decent bottle of wine.

Well as soon as I tasted these two wines I started thinking of pot-roast, and I hope the wineries take that as a compliment! For not all red wines under $20 can actually stand-up to the richness, the intense “beefiness” that is great, slow-cooked meat. These wines deliver concentration, balance and value… perfect for your Wintery-type braised dishes.

THE WINE

2010 Milton Park Shiraz

88+ points, Very Good Value

$14.99 www.BCLiquorStores.com

… deep, dark and inky in the glass – it even looks like a wine for beef! Rich aromas of stewed cherries and blackberries, some fresh thyme and rosemary with that background of cracked pepper that is signature Shiraz. Crisp, light acid and approachable, chewy tannin, the flavors in the wine are much in-line with the aromas and are rich enough to pair with dinner but fresh enough to appreciate a glass or two on their own.

*Shiraz: a note on Shiraz; it is the exact same varietal (grape) as Syrah… no difference at all! The only thing that is worthy of noting between the two is that in the past Syrah was considered the French style of winemaking (and so more restrained, less obvious fruit and more earth tones) and Shiraz was the Australian style meaning big bold fruit, higher alcohol. Well, the times have changed and in a recent meeting of the #WineTastingCircle of Vancouver, industry professionals couldn’t tell which was Australian, American, Canadian or Spanish Syrah/Shiraz. It’s not that there are no differences, but that wine-making has grown and evolved that much in the past 10 years. If you think that you don’t enjoy Australian Shiraz but enjoy full-bodied wines with great concentration, balance and structure then you owe it to yourself to “pony-up” the $15 and give this little gem a try.

Jumilla “Las Hermanas” organic Monastrell

89+ points, Excellent Value

$15.99 www.BCLiquorStores.com

… fresh, fruity, inviting: this is the wine you open as you’re cooking and hope that you have a second bottle for dinner! The aromas are plush with red cherries, currants and young plums and the palate has just enough acid to crave a bit of fatty food but, once again, balanced enough to appreciate thoroughly on its own. A solid wine, this is already on my Top 100 list for 2014~!

*Monastrell: not familiar with it? I find that this grape is very much like Merlot, which all of us can remember as fresh, fruit-driven flavors. This is a classic to serve at social events, but when well-made can offer concentration and structure to pair with classic Canadian winter dishes like pot-roast, tortierre and Shepard’s pie/Cottage pie. As per this particular producer, it’s small wonder that the European Portfolio Manager for the BC Liquor Board (one of Canada’s three Masters-of-Wine: Barbara Phillip) has named this as an “Insider Pick”. This would be a great value even if it wasn’t organic!

THE FOOD

Making beautiful food doesn’t have to be time consuming! And while I can admire the economy of throwing everything into one pot and turning it on, when plating that food it can look sometimes like a plate for the dog rather than the (fussy) kids.

This plate of pot-roast took relatively little extra time to prepare for dinner @ 5:30:

STEP 1:   2pm:      pot-roast in the oven @ 350F (about a 4lb roast)

STEP 2:   4:30:      baked potato and spaghetti squash in the oven

STEP 3:   5:00:      sauté the whole mushrooms on medium-high for 5 minutes, then in the oven

STEP 4:  5:20       steam the carrots 5 minutes, then throw the broccolini in, continue steaming 3 minutes

Kristof’s Pot Roast Recipe

1 fl oz     canola oil

1              yellow onion, finely sliced

6              cloves garlic, finely sliced

4 lb         pot roast

1 lb         green cabbage, rough chopped

½ bottle red wine

1 L           beef stock

½ tsp        each: fresh thyme and fresh rosemary

*salt and pepper to taste

• Start by sautéing the onions in the oil on medium until translucent
• Add the garlic and continue cooking until it’s turned a nutty brown
• Add the beef, sear on all sides. When it’s on it’s last sear then add the cabbage
• When the beef is finished searing, add the wine, then stock, then herbs
• DO NOT salt the dish until it’s finished cooking… as it reduces, the flavors will concentrate. If it tastes perfect at the start then by the end you run the risk of having salty food!
• Just before serving slice the roast on your cutting board and thicken the juice with cornstarch – excellent gravy! Don't forget to rest the roast on that cutting board for a good 15 minutes to ensure it stays moist!

So enjoy your pot-roast dinner with great wine and family or friends. Treat yourself, spoil someone else, and above all: savor the moment~! Many thanks to the Christopher Stewart Wine Agency, representatives in Canada, for the sample bottles. www.christopherstewartwineandspirits.com

As always, I look forward to your thoughts, comments and questions. Here, or:

on Twitter @AStudentofWine

on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/TheChefandTheGrape

The #WineTastingCircle of Vancouver: BC Syrah compared

A friend and winemaker called me a few weeks ago and asked if I would try his unreleased 2011 Syrah (from BC) and let him know my thoughts.

I have to say, it's a good job that affords one phone calls like that on a regular basis! So of course I generously offered that my taste-buds were up to the task but then the winemaker zealously offered the 2010 Syrah as well; so that I could make an informed conclusion as to the wines' development.

My day was getting better and better, for that was when I remembered that one of his neighbors had also sent me his 2010 and 2011 Syrah. Four bottles is too much for even I to drink on my own, and so I began to drum-up a list of potential reprobates who would come and swill with me in some shady den of iniquity.

Then genius hit: I had always wanted to sit and compare these BC Syrah/Shiraz versus their counterparts from around the world. Well, "if you build it - they will come", and so I got on the phone right then and there and started beating the bushes for support for my little tasting.

First a trickle, then a torrent, of Syrah and Shiraz from every corner of the importer world came washing over my desk like a peppery-Tsunami. By the time I got in my car and drove to UVA winebar (www.uvawinebar.ca/) we had accumulated 16 wines. One writer looked at the assembled throng (? flock? gaggle? herd?) of bottles and simply stated "You got a little carried away." I smiled nervously, wrapped them all in paper bags until even I forgot which was which, and we got down to the business we had gathered for: ascertaining what level of Syrah BC was producing when compared side-by-side, blind, versus some of the most experienced producers in the world.

THE CRITERIA

• single varietal Syrah
• most recent vintage (85% of wines were 2009,2010 or 2011)
• priced between $30 and $50 CAD (in the BC market)

THE PARTICIPANTS

1. Painted Rock 2010, 2011 (BC) www.paintedrock.ca
2. Black Hills 2010, 2011     (BC)    www.blackhillswinery.com
3. Desert Hills 2008               (BC)   www.deserthills.ca
4. Le Vieux Pin 2011             (BC) www.levieuxpin.ca
5. Cedar Creek 2005              (BC)  www.cedarcreek.bc.ca
6. Mission Hill SLC 2007     (BC)  www.missionhillwinery.com
7. Cannonbah   2007                      (AUS)  canonbah.com.au
8. Glaetzer "Bishop" 2012               (AUS)  www.glaetzer.com
9. Tyrrell "Hunter Valley" 2010   (AUS) www.tyrrells.com.au
10. Thorn-Clarke "Shotfire" 2010 (AUS) www.thornclarkewines.com.au
11. Perez Cruz  "Maipo" 2006              (CHILE)  perezcruz.com
12. Tanagra " Casablanca" 2006         (CHILE)  www.villard.cl
13. Corralillo "San Antonio" 2010    (CHILE) matetic.com
14. Altico  "Jumilla" 2011  (SPAIN)  www.carchelo.com

We swirled, we sipped, we spit, we debated. All of these wines, some with more then one vintage - blind - in an hour. And through it all we all learnt a great deal. It was quite a surprise when the unveiling occurred! Indeed, the entire process was a learning one for us all, in the words of one attendee "I'm surprised. I'm surprised not just at the generosity of fruit in all of the wines, but that even I - who have lived in BC for years, cannot tell which are the BC wines."

Here are the top three wines, in order. Scores are approximations and an average.

1. Canonbah drought reserve, 92/93 points

From the Western Plains of Australia, picked at a yield of 1 ton per HA and only in years of drought, this wine sings of refined elegance and decidedly masculine in it's approach. Imagine a Syrah that drinks much the same way that James Bond looks when played by Daniel Craig; muscular yet refined, intense yet sophisticated. This was a wine that categorically impressed everyone on the panel. Only one person guessed where it was from and for the rest of us, we were so delighted by it's concentration, clean mineral-tones, heavily spiced-musky aromas and pungent earthiness that I don't think we cared. This is truly World-Class and well worth the $50 (SPEC) in BC.

2. Glaetzer's "Bishop", 92 points

Precision shone through every sip, every tendril of aroma that slipped up from the bottle. So bright, so refreshing was this wine that more then one person commented (when tasted blind) that it must surely be a New World wine, and obviously cool-climate. We unanimously voted this wine second place, and by a narrow margin. Capable of many years of aging, there is also a great deal of development left. I would personally love to taste a bottle with 10 years on it and see how the fresh notes integrate with dark berries, leather and spice.

3. Le Vieux Pin, 91+/92 points

If the Canonbah was the epitome of masculine elegance, then Le Vieux Pin is the essence of feminine. A hedonistic plethora of floral, musky, ripe red berry tones not only danced from the glass when poured, but continued to evolve for the entire time we had the bottle open. Stunningly fresh yet balanced acids, fine and well integrated tannin,  full concentration of flavors that evolved as well. Utterly delightful and well-worth cellaring.

Honorable mention must be made to the exquisite 2005 Cedar Creek Syrah which was, upon release years ago, rated the best wine in Canada. Now with several years in a well-attended cellar it has evolved into a graceful example of how the varietal can age; with warm raisin aromas and sweet buttery tones, the acids still fresh and integrated, the tannin utterly refined. A graceful palate, everyone was captivated and would have ranked as our number 4 choice for the evening.

And perhaps this was what I had been looking for; a sign of validation that though BC is a small wine region (Algeria produces more wine then BC), we are producing quality. Some of the results were truly brow-raising, and many of the tasters walked away with a greater appreciation for the dynamic work happening "Down Under". Truly, Australia Syrah/Shiraz is not the same heavily-oaked, jammy-berry-laden, high-alcohol beverage that it once may have been... but by the same token, as the wine-industry has evolved over the past decade, BC wines have evolved no less.

And as we dragged our weary-palates towards the door, scores had become less important then process. More important still was the feeling that we perhaps understood a little better the direction our home-grown winemakers were going. Sticking to their instincts, following their own sense of what their land wants to express, I cannot help but believe that when our vines have a few more years on them - I will be reading Australian and Chilean writers talking about how well their Syrah is comparing to BC.

Many thanks not only to the wineries, but to the agents who graciously donated their time and sample bottles:

www.renaissancewine.ca : Desert Hills, Thorn-Clarke

www.freehousewine.com : Glaetzer, Black Hills

www.empsoncanada.com : Canonbah

www.markanthonywinemerchants.com : Mission Hills, Tyrrell

www.christopherstewart.com : Le Vieux Pin

As always, I welcome your comments here - or on Twitter @AStudentofWine

CINCIN~!!!     SLAINTE~!!!     CHEERS~!!!

K1 - Kuitpo Vineyard by Geoff Hardy



Bec Hardy



The first time I met Bec Hardy (daughter of Geoff) I knew it was going to be difficult not to like her... Bec has a gentle strength about her; a calm determination that could seem aggressive if it weren't for the brilliantly warm smile that seems a permanent part of her demeanor.

   Bec and I met as she and her new husband were taking a week's honeymoon to do business with with Opimian society (www.opim.ca). Bec was making a whirlwind tour of Canada, with 5 stops in 5 different cities in 7 days (much like a rock-star?). I was fortunate enough to share about an hour with her at the prestigious Teahouse restaurant in Stanley Park, Vancouver (www.VancouverDine.ca), her last stop before returning home to K1 vineyards in South Australia.

   Bec and I took the opportunity to discuss K1 vineyards' approach to several topics including how and why they choose their varietals, the development of the Asian wine market and the challenges of competitive pricing in a depressed global economy.

   Geoff Hardy began K1 vineyards (www.K1.com.au) in the hills above Adelaide in 1987 with 30 acres of what was then considered by some to be "unsuitable land" for viticulture. Geoff was not to be swayed however and though it was untested land, Geoff had been active in the field since earning his diploma in Wine Production in 1977 and knew to trust his instincts. Geoff was certain that this (relatively) high altitude area would give a "cool-climate feel" to his wines.

   Geoff planted Chardonnay, Semillion, Sauvignon Blanc, for the white varietals and Pinot Noir, Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Temperanillo and Tannat for the reds in the early 1990's. An impressive array of varietals for a winery that produces 8,000 cases per year. Geoff was ambitious however, and though he splits his time between consulting for wineries throughout the world and maintaining his role as General Manager, by the year 2005, Geoff had managed to introduce Viognier, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Gruner-Vetliner and Arnais.

   Gruner-Vetliner or GruVe is a subject of some passion for Bec Hardy as she talks about the work that her family is doing. GruVe really is a newcomer to the Australian market, with the very first planting happening in 2004 and the Hardy family coming in second in 2005. Native to Austria, where over 30% of all plantings are Gruner, this varietal produces crisp white wines with vibrant acidity and (when made well) a rich and nuanced light floral bouquet. Bec and I agreed that no one in the wine industry would have taken the notion seriously even ten years ago: that someone would plant Austria's most prized varietal in Australia? And that it would turn out so well? And that Australians would go absolutely wacko for it, drinking it faster then anyone can produce it?

   Well everyone is taking it seriously now.

   And what about Pinot Noir, the heart-break grape? Once again, Australia wasn't renown for the finesse of this wine but Geoff Hardy used his accumulated 5 generations of winemaking skill to plant at over 300m, where the cooling breezes from the Gulf of Saint-Vincent moderate daytime temperatures. Bec says that her father is partial to the Pommard varietal which produces a lighter, more elegant style of wine and is best enjoyed at least a year after bottling (but Bec prefers it after 3 to 4 years). True enough, whilst this Pinot can't be compared to the wines of Beaune, Geoff is releasing product that is impressive in it's texture and balance and is a stunning value for the price.

   And what of the emerging wine market that no one believed in 10 or 15 years ago? Asia is insatiable in it's desire for wines of quality these days. Gone are the days when the only thing that sold was Icewine - now winemakers from around the world are sending their best in everything they do. It's important to remember that Asia is still an emerging market however, and are easily swayed by big names...

   Luckily for the Hardy family, they have that legacy. K1 vineyards sells approximately 20% of it's yearly inventory to Canada and all of it through the Opimian society. "Why?" I asked Bec, "Why would you choose to sell to the other side of the world?"

   I think it's because the Hardy's have a fondness for the Canadian market. Because we "get" them. We understand the Hardy's dogged determination to pull something beautiful from the dusty soil... most of us are first or second-generation Canadians and know what it's like to start something from scratch - with grand ambitions and high hopes. It's a struggle. For any farmer anywhere in the world, it's a daily struggle and Canadians are linked closely with the land. We know what the Hardy's must go through to bring such understated elegance to the bottle and for such reasonable pricepoints.

   And isn't it nice to be able to say that? In this day and age, when some winemakers charge exorbitant fees for wines that are hardly worth the price of admission - that a winemaking family now in it's 6th generation is willing to do the math necessary to charge a price based on the costs of production. I love a good Bordeaux vintage as much (or more) then the next man, but when wines reach $1000/bottle I find it hard to believe that the price is based on anything other then greed (and supply vs demand). It's much easier, I imagine, to simply calculate the cost of making a wine one year - and then charge what the market will bear based on that original cost... it's certainly easier, but it means alot to me that K1 is willing to do the math every year.

   And what it means is that every year I will be going back to K1 releases with excitement and anticipation; whether it be to try a "cool-climate" Australian Chardonnay (a brilliant innovation that is bringing life back to Australian Chardonnay sales), or a classic Cab-Shiraz blend from their McLaren Vale property - the Hardy family is proving that in the world of winemaking, family businesses are worth supporting.





As always, I look forward to your questions and comments.

CINCIN~!!!      SLAINTE~!!!     CHEERS~!!!

D'Arenberg "The Footbolt" Shiraz, McLaren Vale, Australia



Chester d'Arenberg Osborn



Chester Osborn, winemaker and viticulturist at D'arenberg winery, says:

   "It is my aim to never make a wine that looks sterile...I want to see it all in my wines; I want a wine that has edges of all sorts of complexities such as spices, meats, compost and forest floors etc… "

   I'm used to hearing words like that from wineries that charge upwards of $30 to $50 and beyond - but recently I'm hearing more and more winemakers with modest prices saying the same thing. They seek to express their terroir with all of it's nuances, quirks and "flaws". I say "flaws" because some people look at compost and forest floors and think: "how could a consumer ever want to have that in their Shiraz?"

   How could I not want that, if that's exactly what your land is trying to impart on the wine?

   D'Arenberg winery (http://www.darenberg.com.au/ ) is in the McLaren Vale of South Australia. A robust 180 acres under vine, d'Arenberg has plantings aging back to 1912 in the case of their Shiraz. They have a versatile and complex portfolio including GSM blends, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sparkling wines, Fortified and so on... an impressive amount of work for one man to lead the entire winemaking and viticulture team. Chester seems to be doing it with his own inimitable style and winning awards and consumer loyalty as he goes.

d'Arenberg in Spring

   D'Arenberg wines are now sold in over 60 countries around the world - not bad for a mid-sized (by Australian standards) winery. The winery was recently (2010) awarded the Winery of the Year title from http://www.wine.com/ , one of the largest wine retailers in the world. If that wasn't enough, they also recognized the d'Arenberg Stumpjump Shiraz as being the Wine of the Year. At the McLaren  Vale wine show, the winery also won 3 (count 'em three) gold medals and the trophy for Best McLaren Vale pre-release wine. Then in Jim Halliday's Australian Wine Companion 2011, (http://www.winecompanion.com.au/ ) , the d'Arenberg Deadarm Shiraz earned 94 points - placing it as a permanent fixture in the Australian wine icon constellation.

2006 "The Footbolt" Shiraz, d'Arenberg winery

http://www.darenberg.com.au/

McLaren Vale, South Australia

14.5% ABV, $24 CAD   ** EXCELLENT VALUE **

http://tagliquorstores.com/fox-reach/

soil :              primarily ironstone and chalky rock with a thin covering of clay loam

maturation :    20 months new and old American and French oak

• visual:   clean; fully intense plummy garnet core with slight cherry-brick rim
• nose:   clean; moderate+ intense developed nose of candied blackberry compote, worn leather, dried dark flowers, dried black cherries, soft and yet rich dark coffee nuances, finish of light cinnamon
• palate:   clean; dry, moderate+ red currant acids, moderate+ chalky tannins, moderate+ alcohol, moderate body, moderate+ intense and developed flavors mimicking the nose well... hints of very dark chocolate and black plums. Very good balance and structure, medium+ length on the palate
• conclusion:   drinks very well now to 2013 due to vibrant acids and good concentration of flavors
• PAIRINGS:   at the D'Arrys restaurant at the winery - they have a breaded lamb chop which I think would pair perfectly... use some savory herbs like wild thyme and rosemary and they will play delightfully off the dried fruit and coffee flavors in the wine

Joseph Rowe Osborn

   An impressive pedigree for a winery started by a man (Joseph Rowe Osborn) who abstained from drinking, and then his son Frank who sold his racehorses to start the d'Arenberg legacy. D'Arenberg was Frank's mother's maiden name, and he took the name for his winery to honor his mother, just as Frank's son D'Arry then named this wine "The Footbolt" for his father's most prized and successful racehorse. Now in it's fourth generation as a family business, Chester seems more then capable of giving respect to all the generations that came before him and yet still pushing off and driving the winery in his own direction.... a toast then:

   "to respecting where we came from, and daring to go where we dream"

As always, I welcome your comments and questions.

CINCIN~!!!     SLAINTE~!!!     CHEERS~!!!