Surprise, Surprise, Surprise

Was 2001 a good year? Would you know? Would you care? you should…..

 

Why, because when you drink Bordeaux that is properly aged you will realize what the fuss is all about, trust… I didn't know until I did.. and now… I do…and I learned a lot... as you will see !

 

Dwight recently came home - yes remember the whole French Wine Scholar torturous classes he must attend.. yeah, one of those.. they spent time in Bordeaux… from that knowledge, tasting and experience.. I got to try… a really tasty bottle of Bordeaux.

 

this was it.. Yum.. Yum

 

So up front you need to know that Bordeaux when its released it not meant to be drank, Bordeaux is made to age. It is expected to spend a considerable amount of time in the cellar.. or your closet :-)

 

 



So if you have this........



or this.... keep it safe!

 

Most of our experiences with Bordeaux is that we drink it too young, this means it has some unsatisfying flavours… mainly; lots of tannin,  jammy fruit, or its overly woody. All of these things are there all the time however they are there in an overpowering way when the wine is young, but meld into a beautiful bouquet when aged.

 

The little number above is one that Dwight picked up to convince me that I would like Bordeaux…. I said.. bring it on.. I am not an easy push over… I might not be a FWS… but I drink A LOT of wine…!

So.. he did, and he was right…. it was awesome….without the education of the very scholastic language, I would say… it was smooth, it was balanced, and it most importantly for me.. did not have heavy tannins.

 

Some tips about Bordeaux:

 

$50 or less - hold for 5 to seven years, anything over this hold for at least 10 years.. (trust me it worth it)


Always decant a Bordeaux, it has just been sitting for a long time, it will have sentiment , thats ok.. you just don't want it in your teeth!

 

***as a note, the concept of "breathing" wines really only works well with young wines… oxygen is not a friend of old wines… decant to get the sentiment out.. then drink.. don't over agitate the wine… its not needed… its rather fragile.. and if I see you doing it.. I will hurt you…..

 

The regions in Bordeaux are the Left bank and Right bank, there just happens to be a major river that splits them.. yeah I know.. picture yourself in cottage there… enough said. The vines on the left bank (south side) are predominately Cabernet Sauvignon based and the soil is mostly gravel.

 

The right bank (north) are predominately merlot based.. and there the soil is mostly clay. Because of the terrior they both have a distinct flavour profile… again a situation where you have try to see which you like.. this may help!

 

 

 

I find the issue with Bordeaux is that we can't drink it… so waiting until its ready to drink makes it expensive, hard to find, and usually.. not something we pick up. For the finance people reading; they actually sell futures for each vintage… so every year the Chateaus will release tastings for the pervious harvest, these are evaluated to set a market price, the following year another sample will be released and again they will do another evaluation.. then a second price will be set…then just before they put it in the bottle the final price is set….... so the lesson of this economic story.. is know your wine! 

Yes, in case you have not already figured it out... Dwight right helped me write this … :-) Well, I kind of just typed !!!

Till next time.. happy chatting!

 

 

 

 

 

Encouraging his Studies…..

If you really want to torture me all you have to do is one thing….. drink wonderful champagne without me! I know that people say they like Champagne, but truly I think most just say that because they think they are supposed to like it. I, on the other hand LOVE Champagne, I have learned.. with Dwight's help, that there are so many different variations it can please everyone.. if you know how to drink it… so if first you don't succeed in finding something you like, try.. and try again! Its just so much fun…..! We have a little tradition for my birthday… I have a vintage champagne… every year it gets replaced so I can drink the one I have…… funny thing is .. now he has to buy me two.. one to drink and one to hold, I am just addicted to collecting this stuff……

A few in my collection….

So Dwight did torture me one morning… his answer when I said.. "What is your French Wine Scholar class doing tonight?" His answer, yep, you guessed it… Champagne… I begged, let me come.. I will just sit quietly and drink the left overs… honestly…you won't even notice I am there… but no chance, if you are not already a "advanced wine scholar" you can't play.. what do they know.. do they really think they can drink Champagne better than I can!!! Really….. So instead of getting to taste two vintage champagnes, very small grower bottles.. and god knows what else.. I get to pick his brain about what he learned… Oh well… its not all that bad :-)

The bottle that started my collecting, I still have it

So here we go…...

The first you need to know about Champagne; it was an accident….

a thousand years ago…or technically.. once upon a time, in the north regions of Europe they would make wine… because its a northern climate the yeast naturally goes into a dormant state because it was too could.. the early vintners would bottle the wine.. thinking it was done and come the spring the yeast would wake up… similar to how people in Vancouver respond sunshine, it already being bottled means that the yeast wakes up to finish the job.. or finish the rest of the sugar…. as we all know.. yeast eating grape juice.. produces two things: alcohol and carbon dioxide…. seeing how the CO2 has no where to go.. it dissolves in the wine….  so on first opening.. while a unexpected pop, frizz, and yum yum.. occurred.. they said.. wow.. this could be a good thing… I agree :-)

So in the modern age.. we do things a little differently.. a few "differently".. meaning there are many different ways of making sparkling wine.. but there is only ONE Champagne.. lets explore what that means and why….

Another on my shelf, the difference is that this is a Blanc de Blanc, so no Pinot Noir in this.. just the Chardonnay grape.

Sparkling wine that is Champagne can not be duplicated any where else on earth. No other sparkling wine region posses this unique terroir. The chalk and kimmeridgean soils are very rare, the vineyards lay at the edge of viability for grape production. This cold climate produces wine with racy acidity. The wines are firmly structured, they are masculine or feminine.. but they are well chiselled regardless.

There are three primary grapes used to make Champagne; one white grape, Chardonnay, and two red grapes, pinot noir and meunier…. most Champagne is a blend of these three.. they crush it very softly and free run the juices right away… which helps keep white, if they want rose they keep the skin in contact with the juices.

Sparkling wines produced from around the world even when made from the same varieties of grapes, using the same method.. can not deliver the same product. Champagne terroir exists no where but champagne.

The drinking bottle for my B-day this year… and a vintage for the shelf! 

The single most important distinction is that there are two fermentations,  and the second occurs in the bottle. Staying in France. the most common sparkling you will see are; Cremant, champagne styles made outside of the champagne region ..so you can have a Cremant D'Bourgnone .. meaning its made from grape from the region in a champagne style.

The Price of champagne… why how why do I need to spend so much…!

FYI:

• In France you can buy a 15.00 bottle of champagne, yes real champagne, from the grocery store. 
• In Canada champagne is considered a luxury item.. and priced appropriately. 
• Don't ever think that because you will spend over $100 on a bottle of champagne that its good.. sad but true, you need to know your champagne and what you like.

Some advice from my French Wine Scholar……

• There are two different marketing styles.. the big houses  like "Verve Cliuquet" that strive to make the same tasting champagne year after year, so there predictable, and good. 
• The "grower" Champagnes, these are small producers that make the product from their own grapes, only from what they have available. This means that what the grower wants to express is important lending to unique vintages, unpredictable.. but very good. 
• Vintage champagne is only produced in exceptional years, so if it has a date on it.. its good!
• It does not have to be expensive, you can buy "grower" champagne at good prices.. but you will have more variation in the product each time you buy it. 
• Don't drink Champagne with sweet food.. contrary to poplar belief Champagne does not pair well with sweet food, why we just drink it at news years is beyond me. 
• Go for, salty.. fatty type food.. oysters, foie gras, popcorn… and my absolute favourite.. Original Pringles.. (i am so serious about this.. try it!) 
• What to look for on label: 
• NM: negociant-manipulant - these are the big producers that incorporate grapes from others into the vinification process. Most big champagne houses are NM.. this is not a bad this.. its predictable.. which in a global market is good. 
• RM: recoltant-manipulant - these are growers that use only his/her own estate grown grapes. 
• MA: margque auxiliaire - this is a private label registered by any individual, group or societally, the source for the private label could be any of the above. So in France.. this is what you would see in bottles sold in grocery stores or restaurants. If you are seeing this here in Canada…I would stay away, you can do better. 

Till next time ..happy chatting

My torturous wine life.....

Some of you may know, and for those that don't, my hubby has successfully completed his advanced wine studies with the WSET (Wine Spirits Education Trust) and can now be deemed a Sommelier.. what does that mean exactly.. well.. to him it means that he has tasted over 2000 different wines, explored how to drink it, taste it, look at it, and what kind of food to it with it.... what does it mean to me... Well.... some good and some bad... I get to learn about the wines he tries, I get a free wine lesson at least once per week, we always.. and I mean always.... have good wine... so what's the bad you ask? It is simply this... I don't get to try over 2000 wines! :-)

Why should I tell you about my torturous wine life... I thought someone should hear about it... like the time that he had his Champagne class and tried, I don't even know how many different types of Champagne.. yes .. real Champagne, or the time when after the French Burgundy class they all sat and ate cheese, ham, crackers and pate... and of course drank the rest of the wine.. there was even a Gevrey Chambertin on the table.... its torturous I tell you!

But instead of whining........... I thought it might be a good idea to vent my experiences here... after completing the advanced program he has decided to move on to become a French Wine Scholar.. don't laugh.. its real a designation... and so while we move through France together I thought you might enjoy some of the moments.... which I will endeavor to describe here.. and I hope you enjoy………

The first stop was in Alsace, where? Its in north eastern France across the Rhine river from Germany… so you might guess the speciality - Riesling… some highlights of what was being tasted.. a 2000 Grand Cru Riesling and a Grand Cru Pinot Gris.  Riesling is a grape variety, as a matter of fact its one of the only non indigenous grapes grown in France, considered a "nobel" (this will be handy in later posts!) variety, it originated in Germany. Pinot Gris is the second most common variety in Alsace, you may know it as Pinot Grigio, it is the same grape although don't be fooled; it tastes very different, in Alsace the grape stays on the vine longer giving it a thicker more bold flavour.

What makes a good Riesling? Fruity floral aromas of peach, apricot and citrus.. but what distinguishes it are hints of Petrol when aged… yeah.. I know.. Petrol.. What? Well actually its one of my favourite flavours and one of my favorite white wines for that exact reason… if you find a nice Riesling it can have so much wonderful flavour.. if you think white wines don't have depth.. try a Riesling!

Your first tip of the blog…..Most people think sweet when they think Riesling..however the Alsace region produces whites that are less so, more "off dry" Rieslings come from Germany. Tip to figure out what's off dry.. and what's not… look at the alcohol content, rule of thumb is the higher the alcohol the drier the wine. So experiment, I like 8 to 9 % - which for some people would be way too "sweet", where 11% might suit them better.


Don't be afraid to pick up a Riesling, but look for this when you do….

• remember the alcohol content… and experiment.. for me :-) 
• Alsace can be more expensive but you don't have to pay more than $25 for a good bottle
• Germany is my favourite.. but remember they tend to be sweeter
• Vintages to look for in Alsace.. 2007 to 2010 inclusive; are all excellent vintages
• Serve at 8 to 10 degrees 
• Pairs excellently with German, French and Asian foods but really goes well with pork

Till next time…..Happy chatting.. and sipping

Just for fun…..

So I love reading something that makes me chuckle.. you know.. not one of those laugh out loud type of moments, something that turns the corners of my mouth up ..just slightly…

Here are some interesting facts that made me do just that….

A pregnant goldfish is called a twit.     

Blueberry Jelly Bellies were created especially for Ronald Reagan.

Did you know that there are coffee flavored PEZ?

Einstein couldn't speak fluently when he was nine. His parents thought he might be retarded.

Hershey's Kisses are called that because the machine that makes them looks like it's kissing the conveyor belt.

"I am." is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.

Hypnotism is banned by public schools in San Diego.

Fortune cookies were actually invented in America, in 1918, by Charles Jung.

In Tokyo, they sell toupees for dogs.

"Kemo Sabe" means "soggy shrub" in Navajo.

Los Angeles's full name is "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula" and can be abbreviated to 3.63% of its original size: "L.A."

Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.

The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.

Ok, so thats probably enough… funning thing is.. there are hundreds of these silly facts out there…true or not as long as they make you chuckle its worth having them around…. well, maybe one more…..

till next time, happy chatting…. and chuckling… 

Sometimes fun just happens…..

So no surprise that we took a little trip this weekend, we do have a tendency to go out and about on the weekends.. and this weekend was the new "family day" holiday in BC… so what did we do.. well we spent it with some family…… just not in BC :-)

A fun trip to Seattle, food, wine, a little shopping, and A LOT of laughing…… take a peek…..

Now with some music…… and a little video…..

till next time….. happy chatting…...

Sunshine!

You know when its nice here… its REALLY nice.. meaning when the sun comes out in the "winter" it reminds you how beautiful this area really is…. so we jumped in the car and went skate skiing…

Looking out the window you wouldn't think "skiing"!!!

Going up the mountain and still… looks more like a cycling day….

But then it starts…. from none….. to...

almost 400 cm!!!! 

Nice trails on Cypress Mountain.. 1/2 hour away from all that green!

First ski of the season… its always hard !

But fun! 

The nice thing is that tomorrow I can go skiing, skating, running, cycling, or even golfing…! And we wonder why so many people want to live here!!!!

Till next time, happy chatting…….

Good intentions...

So this time I have an excuse… seems that you can't post pictures with an iPad mini onto blogs.. well if you can I could not figure out HOW to make it happen.. so here we are, days after I promised some stories and pictures I have provided neither….so I will try to make up for it over the next couple of weeks…!

So lets start with my family Christmas; a real one with kids, a dog, food... And more food, presents and did I mention food? I can't tell you how much fun it was to see my brother and his wonderful family.

The "this is awesome" gift response

The "I don't know what it is but I can cut off my nose with it" response

And the "I love being a little girl" response

I am not sure I mentioned that my brother lives in Winnipeg, as most people know its rather cold there… how cold is it you ask? Well try -28 on for size and with the "wind chill" -34! Yes a tad different than my Vancouver days of +5 in the dead of winter…. I wish I could tell you that it was great, it was not that bad…. or even that I got used to it…. unfortunatley not!

Notice the facial covering…. exposed skin freezes quickly!

A leisurely walk… well a walk thats fast enough to keep you warm!

Vancouver Winter jacket versus a Winnipeg Winter jacket!

I poke fun but even though the weather was extremely cold… it wasVERY sunny everyday.. and most importantly I got to spend time with family………

it was very hard to leave…..

We then shifted gears and headed to Lake Louise in the Rockies for some relaxing and some skiing….the weather was perfect, sunny everyday, -10 average, snow was dry and there was lots of it….. did I mention we were staying at the Fairmont Chateau… yes it was that nice!

Night view from the lake after a nice night time skate!

View from the suite...

Grand staircases everywhere

A tribute to Charlie Brown… how awesome!

Did I mention the Ice bar…? 

Then we started skiing… one day on the skate skis and some awesome trails then three great days going up and down the mountain!

Views, views and more views

So all in all I think I can say this was one of the best Christmas's I have had…. I got to spend some wonderful time with my niece and nephew, went skiing in the Rockies, and came home all in one piece!!!

Till next time happy chatting…….