Listen in as I chat with Katfish and the rest of the morning crew over at LIVE 88.5 - we’re talking La Vendemmia, but keep on listening through the out-of-date event info (sorry about that!) for some great ideas for simple Italian nibbles you can pick up, throw on a platter, and serve with Italian wines to match. Click here for the audio clip.

 

 Stacey talks about Italian wines and Preston Street with Live 88.5FM [10:47m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Wine selections:

TOMMASI CHIARETTO 2008
VINTAGES 685057 | $12.95 | Veneto, Italy
(paired with homemade bruschetta from Luciano’s Fine Foods, 106 Preston Street)

VILLA RUBINI SCHIOPPETTINO
Consignment only - $19.95 (contact us if you’re interested in ordering)
(paired with Pingue Prosciutto, available at fine food shops including La Bottega, Nicastro shops, and The Piggy Market)

SANTERO BRACHETTO D’ACQUI
VINTAGES 119495 | $16.20 | Piedmont, Italy
(paired with “Turtles” - chocolate pots de crème with caramel and nuts, homemade at Pasticerria Gelateria Italiana, 200 Preston Street)

 

 Stacey talks about Italian wines and Preston Street with Live 88.5FM [10:47m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Too busy to cook?  The Red Apron is a brilliant business that offers a fresh meal service for delivery or pick-up, plus a retail store well stocked with a selection of fresh and frozen prepared meals, fresh bread, local preserves and sweet treats.  And here’s the big bonus - they cook all of their meals from ’scratch’!   Their philosophy is to give clients an opportunity to rediscover the taste of good food that takes time to prepare, and to get people ‘back to the table’ around fresh, wholesome meals made with local and seasonal ingredients.  The Red Apron cooks with local, hormone and antibiotic free meat, organic dried goods (beans, pasta, rice, flour, sugar), and fresh produce from local growers.  You can check them out at www.redapron.ca, or at their retail shop at 571 Gladstone Avenue. 

Jennifer and Jo-Ann, the lovely ladies at the Red Apron, have shared with us a simple seasonal recipe for Ratatouille Strudel.  Here’s the recipe, and read on below for my wine picks!

 Ratatouille Strudel 

Check out Geoffrey’s segment on Summer wine and beer selections with A TV Ottawa.

Camping truly is one of the best ways to get back to the basics – spending time with nature, leaving behind modern conveniences, and cooking over a fire.  But that doesn’t mean you have to skip a delicious meal with the perfect wine pairing, does it? Not if you ask me! 

The most important thing when organizing your camping meals is to plan ahead, packing your cooler wisely with solid ingredients that have lots of flavour.  An easy way to make your campsite dinners taste great is to make a versatile, flavour-packed barbecue sauce in advance that can be stored in a jar and used to season whatever you throw over the fire.  This recipe has a tasty balance of sweet, spicy and sour – perfect to dress up a simple chicken breast , flank steak, or pork tenderloin.  Add to that the intense, smoky flavour of cooking over a campfire and you’ve got yourself a gourmet main course without even trying!

Now to pick the perfect wine.  Since you could use the sauce on just about anything, what you want to focus on is the sweet-spicy-sour flavours of the barbecue sauce.  Because the sauce is tomato-based, you need a wine that has lots of acidity to balance that out, and you definitely need something that has ripe, fruity flavours to stand up to the sweet and spicy elements.  A smooth, fruity, medium-bodied red wine would be perfect.  Try something Spanish made from Tempranillo or Grenache grapes, or Nero d’Avola from Sicily.  Canadian Gamay, Pinot Noir, or Merlot are also great choices.  These will be a perfect contrast to the smoky flavour from the campfire too.  And don’t forget – please, please, please don’t drink your red wine warm!  A slightly cool red wine, especially when fruity and low in tannins, will taste much better than one that’s been sitting in the sun all day.  If you’re short on cooler space, try lodging your bottle underwater in the lake or river for an hour or so to bring the temperature down a bit – just make sure it doesn’t float away!

Here are a few more tips to keep in mind when choosing your campsite wines:

• Go for fruity, easy-drinking styles of wine with low to medium alcohol levels – light to medium bodied reds and fuller styles of white that will quench your thirst and satisfy your palate without being overwhelming.
• Look for convenient packaging – screw-top bottles make opening and resealing easy and there are loads of great quality wines under screw-cap available.  You can also find a good selection of wines in alternate packaging that is lighter than glass bottles, including tetra pak, plastic bottles, and cans.
• Don’t break the bank!  Camping is about keeping things simple and remembering how to enjoy the basics.  Great value wines abound in liquor stores, you just need to experiment to find ones that you’ll love.  Look for fantastic values from countries such as Argentina, Chile, Spain, Italy, and of course, locally-produced wines.  And here’s a tip – wines made from grapes that are lesser known (e.g. NOT chardonnay, shiraz, or cabernet sauvignon) can be some of the best hidden values on your liquor store’s shelves.

Please read on for some of our summertime wine picks and enjoy the season!

BEAUVIGNAC VIOGNIER 2008
VINTAGES 525295 | $14.95 | Southern France
This is juicy, mouth-filling goodness with aromas and flavours of peach, apricot, honey, lime, and floral notes.  Pair it up with grilled crab legs with chili-lime butter, smoked scallops with mango salsa, or simple grilled shrimp skewers.

ST. HALLETT SEMILLON/SAUVIGNON BLANC 2008
VINTAGES 57687 | $14.95 | South Australia
This is a classic white Bordeaux blend, but the Aussies do it up in their own style with a mouth-watering, fruit-forward punch.  The Sauvignon Blanc adds zesty, citrusy acidity, while the Semillon balances it with softer nectarine and pineapple flavours, along with a medium-full body.  Pair it up with grilled freshwater fish or seafood done simply with lemon and herbs.

LEIRA ALBARIÑO 2007
VINTAGES 115816 | $18.95 | Rias Baixas, Spain
This wine was made for seafood - a perfect balance of ripe fruit flavours like citrus and pear with mouth-filling texture and refreshing acidity.  A great pairing for a fresh summer salad topped with grilled seafood, as well as any manner of tapas off the grill.

PLANETA ROSÉ 2008
VINTAGES 111856 | $16.95 | Sicily, Italy
Made from 100% Syrah grapes, this rosé is summertime in a bottle - fruity and juicy but also crisp and refreshing, this wine is bursting with ripe strawberry and raspberry with just a touch of spice.  Pair with a grilled asian beef salad with ginger and chilies, cedar-planked arctic char, bbq chicken wings, or smoked pulled pork on a bun.

LE BARON RANCH THREE SISTERS ZINFANDEL 2006                                                                       
VINTAGES 119966 | $22.95 | Sonoma County, California, U.S.A.
Zinfandel is California’s signature grape.  This one could prove to be your favourite bbq wine of the season – medium to full in body and bursting with juicy, ripe, mouth-filling flavours of plum, blueberry, toasty vanilla, and smoke.  It’s crowd-pleasing and food friendly with enough acidity to balance out the juicy, jammy fruit. An excellent pairing for bbq meats of any kind, especially spicy, saucy back ribs or homemade sausages from The Piggy Market (www.thepiggymarket.com).

PARÉS BALTÀ MAS PETIT GARNATXA/CABERNET 2006
VINTAGES 114264 | $14.95 | Penedes, Spain
We’ve had the good fortune of visiting this winery, run by a group of amazing people who look after their land sustainably in order to produce the quality organic fruit used to make these wines.  They even have a full-time beekeeper and shepherd to manage the bees and the sheep who help them with vineyard management.  Garnatxa is Catalan for Grenache, and it provides intense, juicy fruit flavours and a supple mouthfeel that make this wine perfect for grilled red meats like beef, lamb, or game.  Try it with some elk from our local Elk Ranch in Kanata (www.elkranch.com).

Looking for ways to entertain friends, colleagues or clients this summer? Contact us for a few ideas.

As a summer of outdoor entertaining, lounging in the backyard, and fresh, seasonal produce looms ahead, I just can’t help it - my mental image of this season features a frosty-cold bottle of rosé resting in an ice bucket, ready to be enjoyed.  For those of you who know me, you already know that I’m a die-hard rosé-lover and I try to convert anyone who isn’t.  To me, rosé is simply the quintessential summertime wine.  It has the berry-ripeness of red wine with the cool, refreshing lightness of a white wine, and for some reason, rows of rosy-hued bottles in my wine fridge just screams “summertime” to me and puts a big ol’ smile on my face. 

Next week at The Urban Element, we are celebrating rosé with a special wine-paired dinner that features a variety of rosés from various regions around Ontario.  It’s going to be a fabulous summertime feast, featuring dishes to inspire your cooking in the coming months and wines that will quench your thirst and intrigue your palate.  Read on for complete event information including menu and wine pairings.

Think Pink! Rosé Dinner
Featuring Chef Candice Butler and Groovy Grapes Sommelier Ilike Csaba
Date: Wednesday June 10, 2009
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: The Urban Element, 424 Parkdale Avenue
Cost: $125pp
Reservations: call the Urban Element at 613-722-0885 or email bookings@theurbanelement.ca

It’s time to think pink and appreciate Spring & Summer with a toast to rosé! Join Groovy Grapes sommelier Ilike Csaba to sample and learn about the various styles of rosé and the regions in Ontario that specialize in this popular warm-weather wine. We’ll take you on a gastronomical journey as we explore the incredible food-friendliness of pink wines! This 5-course meal has been created specifically by the Urban Element’s Chef Candice Butler to compliment an impressive selection of VQA rosé wines; bubbly, light, full and sweet. If you’re not already a fully converted rosé-lover, you will be by the end of this experience!
 

Chilled Gazpacho with a Cilantro-Lime Yoghurt
Domaine Perrault Rosé (Navan, Ontario)
 
Beet Tomato Salad with Feta Cheese, Toasted Walnuts and a Balsamic Vinaigrette
Huff Estates South Bay Rosé (VQA Prince Edward County)
 
Leg of Lamb atop a Spring Herb Risotto
Southbrook Biodynamic Cabernet Rosé (VQA Niagara Peninsula)
 
Wild Sockeye Salmon, Warm French Potato Salad, Cucumber Slaw with a Beet & Dill Vinaigrette
Megalomaniac Pink Slip Pinot Noir Rosé 2006 (VQA Niagara Peninsula)
 
Rhubarb Crumble with a Candied Ginger Ice-Cream and a Caramelized Apple Compote
Cave Spring Select Late Harvest Cabernet Franc (VQA Niagara Peninsula)

Reservations: call the Urban Element at 613-722-0885 or email bookings@theurbanelement.ca

 

Here’s an excerpt from my book This Food That Wine that talks about what rosé is and why I love
it so much. 

Rosé is my absolute favourite summertime, patio-sipping wine.  It’s like red wine in white wine’s clothing, with the berry and spice flavours of red wine but drunk chilled down like white wine.  It’s crisp, refreshing, fruity, and easy-drinking - perfect for picnics, barbeque, and just about all summertime foods.  Not to say that you can’t drink it in the winter too – I certainly do!  Rosé is food friendly because of all the things it isn’t – it’s not as heavy as reds, and it’s not as light as many whites – it’s a happy medium, delicious, and affordable to boot.

Rosés, however, tend to be overlooked as a respectable wine style.  A lot of people automatically think of the sweet and simple White Zinfandel (although a little White Zin paired with spicy food can be amazing) but the rosés I’m talking about are the dry yet fruity, refreshing yet interesting pink wines made around the world, especially those of Mediterranean regions like southern France and Spain.  Canada and Italy make some fine rosé as well.

There are two ways that wine becomes pink.  First, you can make a white wine and add a splash of red.  Or you can make it only from red grapes.  Let me explain … red grapes are actually just red on the outside – the flesh and juice inside is white.  When red wine is made, the grapes are crushed and the skins left in with the juice, usually at least for a couple of weeks.  This is called maceration.  During this time, the skins add colour, flavour, and texture to the wine.  So to make rosé, the skins are left in with the juice for only a short period of time to extract just a bit of colour and flavour, leaving the wine a rosy pink hue with ripe berry flavours.

My favourite regions for rosé are Spain and the southern part of the Rhône Valley in France.  Spanish rosé is called Rosado, and the French name theirs after the region in which it’s made (including Tavel and Côtes-du-Rhône).  Both countries use Grenache as the main grape in the blend, also throwing in some Syrah and Cinsault (in France) or Tempranillo (in Spain).  The wines are quite full in body with ripe strawberry and raspberry flavours, and crisp, refreshing acidity.  In Canada, you often see grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, or Gamay used in their rosés.  They are still fruity, but slightly lighter and tarter in style then the Mediterranean versions.  Italy’s rosés (sometimes called “rosato”) are made from a wide range of grapes, but my favourite style is “Chiaretto” which is made in the Bardolino region of Italy using the same three grapes used to make the well-known Valpolicella (Molinara, Corvina, and Rondinella).  Chiaretto di Bardolino has a vivid salmon colour, bright berry fruit flavours, and a characteristic bitter tang on the finish.

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario (April 17, 2009) - Southbrook Vineyards toasts Earth Day® with the release of its 2008 Cabernet Rosé, the first biodynamic wine produced in Canada. Twenty-five restaurants across Ontario, from Ottawa, Toronto, Prince Edward County, Muskoka, western Ontario and Niagara, will celebrate with a simultaneous launch of the wine on April 22nd – Earth Day®. Chefs and sommeliers in these restaurants are featuring the Cabernet Rosé on their wine-by-the-glass list or with a specially created dish or food match. Read the rest of the news release (PDF). 

Wine lovers are invited to drop by Play food & wine, 1 York Street in Ottawa on Earth Day® from 6 pm to 8 pm when Southbrook Vineyards representative Aaron Shaw will be on hand to pour samples of the Cabernet Rosé. The dish at Play that Michael Moffat put together to pair with the rose is Hand-rolled Gnocchi with White Asparagus, Oyster Mushrooms and Sorrel Vinaigrette (I’ll take two of those!).

This month, we caught up with the very busy Daniel Speck, Vice President and Director of Sales for Henry of Pelham Winery - he was actually on the road and chatted from his Blackberry!  Henry of Pelham is a premium estate winery located on the Short Hills Bench at the base of the Niagara Escarpment in St. Catharines, Ontario. Its 170 acres have been owned  and operated by the Speck family since 1988, on the premise that fine wine is grown, not made. Dan spoke about the role the winery has had in his life and some of their signatures wines.

Henry of Pelham Wines to Try:

Cuvée Catharine Rosé Brut
LCBO 004051 $30.15
An award-winning bubbly made from traditional Champagne grapes Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. This wine is crisp and refreshing with a lovely balance of citrus and berry aromas and flavours, with a touch of toastiness. Perfect with seafood, including oysters and caviar.

2005 Baco Noir, Reserve
VINTAGES 461699 $24.95
This classic Niagara grape gives its best expression in this wine. It’s deeply coloured with rich, jammy blueberry and blackberry flavours, perfectly balanced with crisp acidity and a rich, long finish. Paired up with sausages or game meat like venison and you’ve got yourself some perfect Canadian comfort.

2002 Cabernet-Merlot, Speck Family Reserve
WINERY ONLY
An excellent choice for your cellar, this Cab blend offers concentrated dark fruit aromas and flavours, especially black raspberry. Produced only in vintage years this wine will age for at least 10 years. Can’t wait to open it? Decant and serve with a rich meal of braised lamb shanks.

Here are our favourite groovy rosé wines for the summer months.  All of these are food friendly, crisp and refreshing with berry flavour and just a touch of fruity sweetness.  Chill ‘em down and serve in the backyard with any kind of grilled food, tapas, or on its own with your favourite person.  Pick up a bottle of one of the following wines or listen to our first podcast about rosé wine.

 Peninsula Ridge Beal Vineyard Cabernet Rosé VQA 2005 LCBO 008581 | $14.85 (General List) Niagara Peninsula, Canada

 Château des Charmes Cuvée d’Andrée Rosé 2005 Vintages 333260 | $13.95 (released June 10, 2006) Niagara Peninsula, Canada 

 Mas des Bressades ‘Cuvée Tradition’ Rosé 2005 Vintages 950576 | $11.95 (released July 8, 2006) Rhone, France 

 Delheim Pinotage Rosé 2005 Vintages 721670 | $11.95 (released May 27, 2006) Stellenbosch, South Africa 

 Bonny Doon ‘Vin Gris de Cigare’ Rosé 2005 Vintages 707018 | $17.95  (released June 10, 2006) California, USA    

 Bodegas Muga Rosé 2005 Vintages 603795 | $13.95  (released July 8, 2006) Rioja, Spain