Report from ... Dave and I Share a Great Zin - August 18, 2013

By all rights this little piece should go into my What I'm Drinking Tonight blog, but it is not tonight and this bottle did not make an evening appearance.  I am once again in Michigan and for the first time in a long time I am hoisting a glass with my buddy Dave at Champane`s Wine Cellars (I've missed these get togethers) ... we go through the store, as we always do, talking wine with Dave offering up recommendations, I end up with 7 bottles, 12 beer and 6 cider ... the beer is a gluten free beer out of Oregon called Omission - tried this Monday night and it tasted like real beer, these guys have got it right.  The cider was from Ireland called Magners ... the bottles of wine ranged from Pinot (2) to Cab (1) and even a Chardonnay (1), plus a really nice recommend of a Zinfandel (I never leave Dave without at least one bottle of Zin).  Reviews of these wines will appear in the What I'm Drinking blog over time (like this Lyeth wine I tried on Sunday night) ... but the wine we shared this afternoon was a T-Vine 2010 Napa Valley Zinfandel.

The T-Vine has long been one of Dave's favourites and he has a few good stories to tell around the wine and original maker ... of course those are the moments you share when enjoying a good bottle of wine, me I'm just gonna let you in on how good this wine is.  The wine is made using natural yeast (I always find a wine using this method to have some really unique character), 14.9% alcohol (we did polish off a good three-quarters of it) and is produced using an average of 60+ year old vines ... then aged in 50% new American oak, and 10 months in a mix of French and American oak ... following so far?   It's a limited production wine of only 675 cases.

The wine itself has got the stuff that has made Zinfandel famous: plum, chocolate, and spiced cherry, all in droves, it's a big wine with lots going for it - plus there is a nice smokiness that begins to emerge at about the 30-minute mark.  The finish is lovely and silky, but wait, there is also a touch of heat coming from the almost 15% alcohol ... Dave and I continue to drink it over the course of an hour in the hopes it will open and blow off that alcohol heat (it never does), but it does open up very nicely in spite of the heat; that smokiness would make it a perfect pairing with grilled lamb or BBQ.  For this wine you just gotta love Zin and know that on occasion with those big flavours and big alcohols you might find them to be a little hot under the collar - when it comes to this T-Vine, you gotta like 'em big.

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Report from ... The Annual New Zealand Wine Fair 2013 - May 9, 2013

It's almost impossible to go to a New Zealand wine show and not try Sauvignon Blanc, the other grape that would be hard to avoid is Pinot Noir ... but I did it - almost.  I did partake in the seminar about Sauvignon Blanc: "Where to From Here" - but after that I was on a strict no Savvy B no Pinot Noir diet (unless for some reason I would die if I didn't try it - thankfully few said I would die if I didn't try their wine).  Here were some of my favourite of the day ...

Seminar Wines of Note (all Sauvignon Blanc) ...

Fermented in French oak (10% new) then aged on lees an additional 10 months, made from fruit grown in a single vineyard block (South Oaks) - fruity yet creamy notes with lemon meringue, grapefruit and sweet grass (****+)

3 months of lees contact has given the wine a creamy citrus feel, though still fresh and clean (****)

10% barrel ferment in neutral oak results in a gravelly, stony, mineral nose with grapefruit pith and zest ... this is a tasty little number (****)

fresh and clean with soft grapefruit and citrus notes that are expected but very welcome; with a nice long finish (****+)

fresh and lively citrus with hints of grass - best part is the nice long finish (*** 1/2+)

Walk Around Wines ...

Once again, I am trying to avoid the usual Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc to see what else New Zealand makes that's of interest (and there is plenty) but sometimes a Pinot or Savvy B just struck me as too interesting to pass up ...

aka "Signum Noble II" which has a touch of botrytis on both grape varieties - very delicious (****+) - $27.60

very Chardonnay with vanilla, butter and tropical fruit notes (****) - $19.95

good earthy notes but the real take away is the lovely cran-cranberry (****) - $n/a

sweet fruit, good spice with floral in the form of violets (****+) - $29.95

a noble rotted Savvy B that has a tropical nose and matching palate with great sweetness (****) - $29.95

a single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc that has the typical grassiness but adds orange rind notes (*** 1/2+) - $20.95

a warmer year Merlot with robust red fruit, nice tannins and the potential for good ageing (****) - $18.95

nice intensity with typical Sauv Blanc character, but intensified and yet refreshing (****) - $21.95

dominated by cran-cherry, pretty nose, nice acidity, easy drinking, food friendly (****+) - $24.95

a really nice sparkling with raspberry and a gentle citrus (****+) - $40.00

pretty floral aromas with sweet pear center (*** 1/2+) - $19.95

it's a Sauvignon Blanc that has a 6 month of barrel ferment, creamy vanilla and long lush finish (****+) - $39.95

dark cherry, earthy and oaky with smoky tannins (****+) - $42.95

a real summer sipper with its sweet apple and pear notes (*** 1/2+) - $22.95

Perfectly captures Pinot Gris flavour with bubbles (*** 1/2) - $18.95

nice oak and cinnamon notes with dried cherry and hints of cranberry; good BBQ wine (****) - $15.95

good white fruit sweetness with apple, pear and peach notes (*** 1/2+) - $16.45

plenty of fresh fruit, drier style of Pinot Gris dominated by lemon-lime and hints of apple for balance (*** 1/2+) - $17.95

made from the oldest Viognier vines in New Zealand - 11 years - 9 months in barrel has given this a beauty mouthfeel, tropical fruit and vanilla notes with a long lush finish. (**** 1/2) - $19.95 ... BEST WHITE

smoky and toasty with white pepper and raspberry (*** 1/2)

pineapple, pear and a touch of citrus rind on the finish (*** 1/2) - $36.95

very raspberry with white pepper and smoke (*** 1/2+) - 29.95

smooth, sexy and smoky with generous notes of raspberry and strawberry (**** 1/2) - $45.00 ... BEST RED

a lovely apple and pear combo (*** 1/2+)

white fruit with a touch of bitterness on the finish - 20% of the wine see oak (****) - $15.95

a delicate Rose BRust that's incredibly tasty (****) - $27.95

great fruit with a hint of spice (****) - $25.00

tropical fruit with pear and grassy notes with an intense lovely mouthfeel (****) - $19.00

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Report from ... 6 Barrels for 6 Chefs 2013 at Huff Estates - July 12, 2013

A look at the 6 Barrels for 6 Chefs event in pictures ... to read the full review see OntarioWineReview Newsletter #209 (published July 25, 2013) ...

The Prep ...

4:52pm ... activity is already underway under the big top in preparation for the guests' arrival - let's take a look:

There's chefs comparing notes with winery principals

The chairs and tables are set - it's all quiet now but soon the throng will come and the tent will be packed

The chef's stations are at their most immaculate

Chris McDonald makes last minute adjustments in the shadow of the vineyard

Marc Lepine adds lobster to bowls before the soup and yogurt are added later

Ryan Crawford's pot is heating up

WTF!!! ... Looks like something you'd find in the haunted house during Halloween

All's quiet on the patio (for now)

Northern Voodoo will arrive soon to get the party started

Micheal Hoy get his Rhubarb custard tart with county grown strawberries ready ...

The Event Begins ...

Let the Games Begin

5:35pm ... The band kicks off the party

People arrive ready to line up for the deliciousness to follow

Chef Bryan Steele furiously stirs his Risotto readying to plate the dish

Risotto with crab, gaspe shrimp, chevril and fresh peas

Chef Carl Heinrich posts what's gonna be on his plate

and here is it in all its splendor and glory:  pierogi with oxtail ragu

The two faces of Carl: Smooth & Suave

Passionate & Demonstrative:  here he talks about the way the wine and food pair in the mouth

Chef Sean Collins prepares to present his first plate

Smoked scallop with poblano pesto

Chef Ryan Crawford shows off his dish

Oeuf en meurette with chicken and Pinot ragu

Chef Marc Lepine final product: Chilled pea soup with lobster and yogurt

But that's no ordinary dob of yogurt

It's frozen

Here's another look - same dish, but notice it has floated a little to the right

The making of Chef Chris McDonald's "tamal"

the unwrapping of the charred octopus tamal

the adding of the tomatillo salsa

and the finishing touches of the chicharrones

Earlier we saw the prep, now here is Micheal Hoy's finished dessert - and it's even better than advertised

And it Continues ...

As the evening progresses Chef Steele's Risotto looks more and more tasty (and it is)

while Chef Crawford eyes his line-up to gauge how many more he needs

Then it's time for the all-chefs / all-winemakers photo op ... they amass slowly

Then it is determined it is too nice to be stuck inside the tent ...

and so they move out to the vineyard

some move during the shoot

and some don't ... but they are all here

Winding Down / The Aftermath ...

Tables are cleared, congratulatory drinks are poured and another 6 Barrels has come to an end

it's a beautiful sunset in the County - to end another beauty of an event

Can't wait for next year as we bid adieu to 6 Barrels for 6 Chefs for another year.

For more wine reviews and related articles go to www.ontariowinereview.com, while there sign up for Michael's free bi-weekly newsletter.