The Terroir of Steak

Yes you heard me right. Steak. Big protein. Sliced cow. I have a clip from Wine Spectator that details different feed regimens and how they affect the flavours of the wine and by extension, what wine pairings work best.

The beef here

and the wine....

Here

Enjoy!!

Just for fun!!

I came across this video and couldn't stop laughing. Wine drinkers are certainly inventive!!

How to open a bottle of wine?

Now there's a switch

I, like many of my peers, am turning to organic food to escape pesticide and hormone-laced, tastless @#$@$ that once was the staple of many supermarket shelves. Food retailers have picked up on the fact that we are ready to pay a premium for "organic", "free-range" and "pesticide-free". The opposite appears true for wine. As Mark Lacter reports, " a new UCLA study finds that consumers get turned off by wines that are identified as organic, even though they often rate higher than non-organic". Mr. Lacter proposes several possible explanations, including snobbery, for this finding.

My thought is that to be labeled organic, there must be significantly less sulphite added in the wine-making process. I have encountered wines that oxidized well before their time because of it. I prefer wines not labeled organic for this reason. Food for thought.

Terroiriffic BC Rieslings

Riesling is one of those grapes that, under the right conditions, can show stunning expressions of the land on which it is grown. Unforgettable examples have come from Germany and the Alsace region of France for decades. The new world is only lately exploiting Riesling's ability to show the best of the land on which it is grown.

I have a couple favorites from my neck of the woods (Okanagen Valley, British Columbia, Canada). The first is Tantalus Old Vines Riesling 2007. For me the main feature is the well structured acidity and purity of fruit flavours. The intensity of flavours from the 30+ year old vines is stunning. I just love this wine!! I look forward to this wine after several years aging because I think the best is yet to come from this gem.

If you are a fan of old world riesling, you might feel the Tantalus suggests the austere wines of Alsace, the next wine is pure Mosel-Saar-Ruwer. Lang Vineyards Riesling Farm Reserve is a multiple award winning wine, including Best White at the All Canadian Wine Championships, this wine seduces with crisp acidity, fresh peach, pear fruit flavours and a hint of minerality. Another favorite for summer sipping or spicy asian food.

Coming soon .....

What wine blog site would be complete without a few tasting notes to tantalize the tastebuds and send people in the direction of Terroiriffic wines. Watch this space.

Not so sour now

I received a very nice apology from Derek, the winemaker at Lailey this morning along with an offer to a tasting at the winery next time I was in the area. We cleared any misunderstandings. I await with bated breath the release of the 07 Canadian Oak Pinot. If it is as good a the whites from '07 it should be something quite special.

Sour grapes @ Lailey Vineyards

I had the pleasure of meeting Donna and David Lailey in Owen Sound at a tasting at the local LCBO. As a trained sommelier and an amateur winemaker, I found them both to be knowledgeable and accomodating. In parting they encouraged me to visit the winery to taste some of the "Canadian Oak Pinot Noir" that they were very proud of. I just happened to be going in that direction a couple of days later. This is where my experience sours. I presented myself at the tasting room, mentioning the encounter with the Laileys and requesting a sample of the aforementioned Pinot Noir. Without checking with anyone, the person waiting on me said it was not available. Now I would have understood if she had checked with someone and found out that indeed it was not. Or I would have understood if Donna or David had made a mistake and it wasn't ready. No explanation was given, no apology, nothing. I am not a well-known critic or wine columnist. I don't expect recognition wherever I go. I am a simple winelover and I am quite disappointed with Lailey vineyards. I normally buy at least a half dozen of your better offerings, this year I bought none. I will also be telling my wine-loving friends about my experience.