Exploring the town of Oban, Scotland in 2008.

So in celebration of Scotland my party and I started off the evening with a couple bottles of Innis & Gunn while I prepared dinner.  In proper tradition we ate haggis, purchased from a Toronto butcher Sausage Partners, with mashed rutabaga and braised brussel sprouts.

Haggis from the butcher.

After dinner I made something less traditional but delicious, oat bread puddings with peaches and cream.  I paired dessert with Auchentoshan 12 year old single malt whisky from the low lands.  Auchentoshan is triple distilled (Scotch whisky is usually only distilled twice).  This process gives the whisky a very clean and fruity taste.  The whisky exhibits malty aromas with orange rind, nectarine and a touch of honey.  It was the perfect pairing.

12 year old Auchentoshan, home made canned Niagara peaches in vanilla syrup, Oat bread puddings.

Oat Bread Puddings with Vanilla Peaches and Cream

Ingredients:
1 stale baguette
1 egg
1 cup of oats
1 cup of milk
1/4 cup of brown sugar
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of salt
butter
1/2 cup of whipping cream
1 jar of peaches preserved in vanilla syrup

Method:
1. Cut the baguette into bite sized pieces.
2. In a large mixing bowl mix the baguette, oats, sugar, salt, cinnamon, egg and milk.
3. Allow the bread to soak up the wet ingredients.  If the bread is still dry, add more milk until the bread is wet, but there is no excess liquid in the mixing bowl.
4. Generously butter ramekins  (a muffin tin will work too).
5. Fill each ramekins with the bread mixture leaving 1/3 inch space at the top of the ramekins.
6. Bake in the oven at 350°C for approxiametly 20 minutes or until the bread puddings have risen and are golden on top.
7. Remove the puddings from the ramekins and plate.  Pour cream on the plate.  Top puddings with peaches.
8. Enjoy!

Serves 5.

Over the holidays I had the chance to get creative with Ice Syrup.  The results were delicious.  Here are my recipes and wine pairings:

Chicken Livre Pâté with Cabernet Franc Ice Syrup Currant Sauce
Pair with a good quality sparkling wine, or better yet, sparkling icewine.

Ingredients:

340 g chicken livers
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup sliced shallots
1 thick bunch of fresh thyme
3 tbsp brandy
2 tbsp whipping cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 generous pinch ground nutmeg

baguette
1/2 cup of dried currants
1/3 cup of Cabernet Franc Ice Syrup
Fresh sprigs of rosemary

Method:

Soak currants in the Ice Syrup at least six hours before serving.

Rinse chicken livers; trim and pat dry. Set aside.

In large skillet, melt half of the butter over medium heat; fry shallots with the bunch of thyme, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to food processor or blender.

Add remaining butter to skillet; saute chicken livers over medium-high heat until browned but still slightly pink in center, about 5 minutes.  Add chicken livers to the food processor.  Discard thyme.  Return skillet to heat.  Add brandy, flambe, scrape the brandy and drippings into food processor.

Add cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg to liver mixture; puree, scraping down side occasionally, until smooth. Transfer to serving bowl. Refrigerate for at least four hours.

Cut the baguette into thin slices to make crostinis.  Bake in the oven at 250°C for approximately 20 minutes or until lightly toasted.  Turn slices over and bake until the other side is golden.

Arrange crostinis on a serving platter with the pâté and Cabernet Franc Ice Syrup and Currant Sauce.  Garnish with rosemary sprigs.

 
Vidal Ice Syrup Glazed Pork Tenderloin on Brussel Sprout Hash
Paired with 2003 Cave Spring Riesling. (Any good quality Niagara Riesling will work well with this dish.) 

Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin
1/3 cup Vidal Ice Syrup
2 cups of brussel sprouts
2 medium sized carrots
1 onion
2 medium white potatoes
2 slices of bacon
1/4 cup of chopped almonds
fresh thyme
3 king oyster mushrooms (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Remove pork from the fridge.  Allow to come to room temperature.

Heat oven to 400°C.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Chop bacon, onion, carrots and potatoes in equal sized pieces (1cm x 1cm). Evenly distribute on the baking sheet.  Season with thyme leaves.  Bake for 20 minutes stirring and turning over the hash occasionally.

Wash brussel sprouts, move any loose or yellow leaves.  Slice all brussell sprouts in half.  Add brussel sprouts and almonds to the hash mixture, coating the vegetables in bacon fat.

Season pork tenderloin with salt and pepper.  Place in baking dish. Pour the Vidal Ice Syrup on the tenderloin.  Bake in the oven for 20 – 30 minutes, depending on desired colour of the meat.  Continuously baste and turn the tenderloin with the Ice Syrup and juices in the roasting pan.

Slice the king oyster mushrooms in half and score the flat sides.  Sear the mushrooms in butter.

Remove the meat from the oven and baking dish once cooked. Allow the meat to rest 5 to 7 minutes on a cutting board.  Reserve the Ice Syrup liquid in the baking dish.

Remove hash from the oven. Season with salt and pepper.  Plate the hash.

Slice the tenderloin diagonally, place slices over the hash.  Garnish with the mushrooms.  Finish the plate with the reserved Vidal Ice Syrup glaze.

Chocolate Lava Cakes with Strawberries and Cabernet Franc Ice Syrup
Paired with Grand Marnier.  

Ingredients:

5 tbsp butter
3.5 oz dark baking chocolate
2 extra large eggs
1 extra large egg yolk
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp flour
2 tsp cocoa powder
pinch of salt

2 tbsp Cabernet Franc Ice Syrup, plus more to garnish
5 medium sized strawberries
1 orange

Method:

Melt the butter and chocolate together over a double-boiler. Stir to combine. Whisk together the eggs and sugar until the mixture is light yellow in color, and the sugar is dissolved. About 3 minutes.

Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and whisk until combined. Sift in the flour, cocoa, and salt. Fold in with a spatula until combined. Spoon into 4 buttered 5-oz ramekins, and tap on the table to settle any air bubbles. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Dice the strawberries into equal sized small pieces. Mix in a bowl with the Ice Syrup. Carve four orange twists. Reserve for garnish.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Bake for 15 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm. Turn the cakes out on to plates.  Spoon strawberry and Ice Syrup mixture on to each cake.  Pour additional Ice Syrup over each cake.  Garnish with orange twists.

Cheers!

The Affordable
NV Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Cava, Penèdes, Spain
$14.95 LCBO 00216960, 750ml

This wine packs in so much value!  Cava is made in the traditional method but with local Spanish grapes.  This wine has a pale straw colour and aromas of apple, peach, white grapefruit and toast. The palate is crisp, with some waxy and fruity flavours.  Pop a few bottles for New Year’s Day brunch.  It’s delicious straight up but is also great for sparkling cocktails such as the Mimosa and Poinsettia.

The Classic
NV Pol Roger Extra Cuvée de Réserve Rich, Champagne, France
$37.95 Vintages 00739904, 375ml

This 375ml bottle of Champagne is perfect for a romantic celebration for two! The Réserve Cuvée from Pol Roger is appropriately named “Rich”. The warm gold colour of the wine is highlighted with copper hues. The bouquet has prominent aromas of hazelnuts, coco and rustic crusty bread, followed by notes of strawberries and cream. The mouth feel is full and luscious but balanced with a backbone of acidity. Linger over a glass while watching snowflakes fall this winter.

The Local
NV 13^th Street Cuvée Rosé, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Canada
$24.95 Vintages 00147504, 750ml

Elegant packaging from Niagara’s 13^th Street Winery wraps up this festive sparkler. The clear bottle shows off the delicate salmon colour. The nose has distinct savoury aromas of a great Niagara rosé, a balance of sour red fruits such as cranberry and pomegranate mixed with herbal notes of pine and rosemary. The palate is crisp and dry with a vivacious mouse. This wine couldn’t be more suited for New Year festivities and the many hors d’oeuvres served throughout the celebration.

13th Street Brut Rose

Carignan is an old grape variety originating from Spain, though it’s best know for it’s role in the south of France where it is most often used a blending component because of it’s high acid and tannin content.  It is rarely used for single varietal wines, and it often blended with softer grape varieties such as grenache and cinsault.  Over the last century it has been the most planted grape variety in France, areas of the Meditteranean and California, because of it’s work horse ability to produce high yields for ordinary wine.  The sea of  mediocre wine produced by carignan has encouraged some growers to rip out the vines in replacement with higher quality varieties.  In Chile, the examples I tasted were from single vineyards and very old vines (some close to 100 years old).  The estates growing carignan have taken the approach of quality over quantity.  These wines are worth seeking out for the wine drinker looking for something “new” and less ordinary.

The set up at The Wines of Chile luncheon at 99 Sudbury Place, Toronto, November 8th, 2011.

My excitement for Chilean Carignan was confirmed when Christopher Waters, founder and editor of Vines Magazine and host of the recent Wines of Chile luncheon, chose an example to pair with charred strip steak with salsa verde and king oyster mushrooms.  As Chris introduced the wine he noted that Carignan wines bring new life to the Chilean wine scene.  They won’t be blockbuster wines that will stand out in the sea of Cab Sauvs and Merlots, but for a niche group of wine buyers and drinkers, these wine tell a new story of interest for those who choose to seek these hard to find wines.

The menu and wine pairings at the Toronto Wines of Chile Luncheon, November 8th, 2011.

To experience Chilean Carignan, try some of these examples (available through private wine agents in Ontario):
2009 Oveja Negra Single Vineyard Carignan $17.95
2009 Undurraga T.H. Carignan, Maule Valley $29.98

Chef Sebastian happily awaiting the grand wines to be opened.

Prince Edward County wild boar on a spit.

Once the first course was over the big celebration began.  More bottles were opened.  The giant spit bbq was fired up to warm up the 100lb wild boar that had been slaughtered at the farm the a couple days before and left to marinate in a stainless steel tank of pinot noir bouquet garni. Chef Sebastien served up cups of local organic squash soup.  As the sun went down and a chill set in the air, a giant bonfire pit of pruned canes was lit.  More guests arrived; families, friends, local grape growers, vineyard workers and vitners, all happy to share in the celebration with food, drink and plenty of 2011 harvest stories.  Eventually the boar was carved and everyone gathered around the stand up “harvest table”, multiple one ton bins lined up in a row.  Once everyone’s bellies were full, lots of drink was enjoyed around the fire to stay warm long into the night. What a party.

Enjoying a glass of wine in the vineyard at sunset.

Lighthall Vineyards is a new winery in The County.  Glen bought the vineyard 2008 to establish the small premium winery focused on chardonnay and pinot noir.  The vineyard has a longer history, it was one of the first vinifera plantings in The County and has produced some premium grapes and wines, including earlier vintages Huff Estates Sparkling.  Eight acres of pinot noir and chardonnay grow on the rocky, limestone rich County soils.

Rows of pinot noir and the stony soils at Lighthall Vineyards.

The pinot noir was scheduled to harvested October 7th 2011.  On the 6th Glen and I spent the day taking grape samples from the vineyard to check the brix, total acidy and pH, making sure all the equipment was ready for the next day, talking with other vitners about the 2011 crush and preparing a game plan.  Friday morning Dave and I were up at six am to get the picking crew together.  Dave was responsible for picking crew and driving the tractor during the harvest.  It was essential that the crew knew the importance of selecting only the best clusters, avoiding any that had developed botrytis from rains earlier that week or any under ripe clusters.  While Dave was busy out in the vineyard, Glen and I set up the crush pad.  The destemmer needed to be elevated onto blocks in order to fit a bin underneath to catch the berries, the glycol system needed some tweeking for the cooling plate and then we waited. It was very exciting when the first bin came in! The grapes looked great.  We quickly got to work weighing the grapes, and then bucket by bucket we put the grapes through the destemmer, eventually I had to climb in the bin the scoop the rest of the grapes out.  Once the first bin was unloaded and the grapes were destemmed, we lifted the second bin with  fork lift over the cement fermenter to drain out the juice, and then lowered the bin enough to scoop the berries into the fermenter.  It was a very labour intense process.  By the time we had one bin destemmed and the berries in the fermenter, another bin of whole clusters were arriving on the crush pad to do it all again.  It was lots of fun sticky work that lasted well into the night.

Lighthall Winery. On the crush pad left to right, stainless steel tanks, press and destemmer.

A bin of hand harvested pinot noir waits on the scale to be destemmed.

After all the grapes had been harvested, destemmed and left to cold soak in the cement destemmer we rewarded ourselves with pizza and beer.  The wine still has a long journey until bottle.  In the meantime the 2009 Pinot Noir Réserve Particulière is available in the wine shop.  Here are my notes on this wine:

2009 Pinot Noir Réserve Particulière
Medium ruby colour with a definite purple hue. On the nose very pure aromas, loads of sour purple and black fruits such as blueberries, plums and boysenberries, integrated warm baking spices and hints of chalk and earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with adequate acid and fine tannin structure matched with savoury flavours of sour fruits, spice. Moderate alcohol and a lingering finish.  A classic County Pinot Noir.  Very good wine that would pair well with wild boar belly or medium rare duck breast with a black currant sauce.

Inspired by this French dish and the local Ontario produce in my kitchen, I went to purchase a few missing ingredients.  Instead of Reblochon, I chose to use the Quebec made cheese Oka with similar qualities to Reblochon.  And instead of a traditional mondeuse (only a very small amount of of this grape variety is grown in the area of Savoie) or a white Burgundy or Savagnin from the neighbouring wine region of Jura, I chose a local Chardonnay from Niagara.

The meal and pairing were a success!  Complete Canadian comfort food.  See the recipe and tasting notes below.

Canadian Tartiflette with Ontario Chardonnay.

Recipe:
8-10 medium sized Ontario white potatoes
1 Ontario cooking onion
1 cup of whipping cream
1 tsp (+) of nutmeg
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Side:
4 hand fulls of Ontario green beans
2 tbsp olive oil
1 dollop of butter
cracked sea salt

Serves 4

Method:
1. Thinly slice the onion and sauté in olive oil until soft in a large frying pan.
2. Add thinly sliced potatoes.  Sauté until for 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Evenly distribute half the potato onion mixture in the bottom of a baking dish 20cm x 20cm.
4. Season with salt, pepper and half the nutmeg. Add a few slices of Oka.
5. Layer the remaining potatoes and onions.
6. Season again, pour the cream over and finish with a generous layer of Oka.
7.  Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.  Finish under the broiler for a few minutes until the top is golden brown.
8. Let the dish rest while preparing the side.

Side:
1. Boil the beans in salted water for one to two minutes.
2. Drain, the beans and return to skillet with melted butter and olive oil.
3. Toss and warm through.
4. Season with sea salt.

Pairing: 2009 Lailey, Canadian Oaked Chardonnay, Niagara On The Lake, ON

Tasting Notes:
Clear light gold colour. Medium expression. Aromas of oak, butter, caramel, Bartlett pears. Highlighted by nuances of babies breath and flint. Bold flavours of spice, lemon rind, melted butter and stone are supported by ample alcohol and acidity. It’s delicious. I’m happy I decanted it to get the most out of this well made wine.

The entrance to Kalala Estate Winery.

“Kalala” means place of miracles.  It is a lengend from Karnail’s home in India.  The story says that a shepherd was walking through a meadow when he came across a lamb and a wolf living together in harmony.  The shepherd declared the meadow as a place of miracles and as a result, the neighbouring village moved to this special place.  Karnail has applied this essence of this legend as the vision for Kalala Estate Winery “in pursuit of harmony”.

Following organic practices in the vineyard and winemaking, the winery produces a range of styles that suit all budgets.  Here are my notes on five of the wines:

2009 Kalala Pinot Gris
Medium lemon colour with viscous tears.  On the nose there is a fresh burst of stone fruits, white peaches, honey, pears, yellow apples and strawberries.  Off dry on the palate, with medium acidity.  High alcohol.  Round and full bodied.  Great intensity of fresh fruit flavours.  Extended length.  A great wine with dim sum.

2009 Kalala Riesling
Clear, medium lemon colour.  Youthful aromas of lime, white flowers, pears, wax, peaches, wild honey and kiwi fruit.  The palate is appropriately off dry balancing the intense mouth feel of high acidity, alcohol and body.  The flavours are juicy, apricots, blossoms, pears, spice and wax.  A lingering finish.

2009 Kalala Gewürztraminer
Medium gold colour with hints of copper.  Slow, thick tears. Explosion  of expressive aromas.  Perfume, orange and lemon rind, passion fruit and babies breath.  Slightly off dry.  Generous alcohol.  Medium acidity.  Thick viscosity.  Lingering flavours of spice and tropical fruits.  Because this wine is youthful and sealed under screw cap it is a little tight at first. I highly recommend decanting it.  Decanting turns up the volume on the flavours.  When I tasted this wine a day later it blew me away.

2008 Kalala Pinot Noir
Light ruby colour with garnet highlights.  On the nose youthful aromas of cherry, sun dried strawberries, black tea, raspberry jam and orange zest.  The palate is dry with  medium plus acidity.  The tannins are low, but gritty.  Medium bodied with great flavour intensity.  Exhibiting red currants, tea leaves, sour cherry, toast and baking spices.  A very long length.  A serious wine that can cellar up to five years.

2009 Kalala Cuvee Noir 
Medium ruby colour with thick slow tears.  Expressive aromas of plum, blueberry pie filling, tar, charcoal and bay leaf.  Slightly sweet and easy to drink (no strong tannin or acid).  More fruit forward flavours of plum, blueberry and sour raspberry.  A quick finish.  Try serving this wine lightly chilled on a hot summers day.

For more information on Kalala Estate Winery visit the website.

The afternoon began with a seminar lead by Evan on the wine styles and grape varieties of Jura as well as some comments on the history and traditions of the area.  A flight of five wines were provided to taste.   The flight began with the rose and red wines of the area made from the Poulsard, Trousseau and Pinot Noir grape varieties.  Generally the reds were rustic, exhibiting aromas of red berries and slight herbal notes.  On the palate they were extremely acidic and tannic.  Better off served with food.  The two final wines were white made from Chardonnay and Savagnin.  Even though Chardonnay is the most planted white grape at 43%, it is Savagnin that the wine region is known for.  Savagnin produces famous white wine called Vin Jaune.  Vin Jaune is distinctive because it is vinified in an unusual way giving the wine pungent, apparent aromas.   To make Vin Jaune, late harvest grapes are fermented to dry.  The wine is left to mature in 228L barrels for six years.  Over that time the barrel is not topped off, therefor the wine becomes exposed to oxygen as the wine evaporates and flor (a film yeast) forms a veil over the wine.  It is the oxygen and flor that give the wine it’s heady apparent aromas of brine and nuts.  After six years of maturation the wine is bottled in a special bottle called a “Clavelin”.  The stout bottle holds 62cl.  The smaller volume bottles are used because there is less wine in the barrel at the end of the process.  Vin Jaune can cellar a long time, up to 100 years.  It is recommended not to drink the wine before ten years of bottle ageing.

The glass head of the barrel allows a view of the flor development on a cask of Vin Jaune.

After the brief introduction seminar the attendees were asked to relocate to the roof top patio, while the room was being reset for the trade tasting.  The weather on April 13th was one of the first magnificent spring days.  It was an absolute pleasure to sit out side in the sunshine sipping Crémant du Jura for an hour or so.  Crémant du Jura makes up 20% of the wine production and can be made in a white or rose style.  The wines were crisp and dry.

Returning to the trade tasting, the small room was filled with sommeliers and writers curious to try these rare wines.  The vignerons from the respective Domaines had traveled from Jura to pour their wines at the tasting.  The room was a bit too crowded to take proper notes or taste everything.  I chose to taste just the white wines.  Here are some of my favourites:

2009 Naturé, Domaine Jacques Tissot, Arbois 
This wine is made from Savagnin.  But unlike the oxidized styles, this wine was made in stainless steel tanks and protected from oxygenation. The wine tasted very pure with a definite mineral note.  Probably the most stand out wine I tasted.

NV Crémant du Jura, Domaine André et Mireille Tissot
This wine blew me away.  As soon as I put the glass to my nose the intensity and purity of the wine really came through.  I soon learnt after that Domaine André et Mireille Tissot is a biodynamic property.  That explained the amazing volume the wine had that can only be found in biodynamic wines.  The crémant is fermented with a selection of yeast from Champagne, giving the wine elegance and those seductive brioche aromas.  Stéphane Tissot was pouring his wines.  He also makes a crémant indigéne made with indigenous yeasts.  This wine had an earthier more rustic profile.

Domaine Labet
This domaine had an interesting selection of Chardonnays, each distinctive with notes of minerals, floral notes and butterscotch.

2004 Vin de Paille, Domaine de Savagny, Côtes du Jura
This is a dessert wine.  The grapes are harvested and the clusters are left to dry on a bed of paille (straw) to concentrate the sugars.  This wine was amber in colour with very concentrated aromas of ice tea and peaches.   Medium sweetness on the palate.  It would be a great accompaniment to foie gras.

It is impossible to find any of these wines in the LCBO.  They may become available on restaurant wine lists soon.  Case orders can be made through selective wine agencies.

Karlo Estates is located just outside the village of Wellington.  The winery is situated in a rustic, big red barn.  In the summer the large doors of the barn are open for visitors to enjoy the fresh County air and while tasting the wines.  The tasting bar is a long slab of wood propped on barrels.   The bar is adorned with antique water pitchers and gorgeous cheese boards filled with large peices of gourmet cheeses.  (The cheese is provided to compliment the tasting experience of the cool climate wines.)  Sunlight beams through the cracks of the barn walls, and birds can be heard chirping in the rafters.  It’s a very peaceful environment for wine tasting.

Karlo Estates

The dry stone bridge that adorns the wine labels.

Top reasons to visit Karlo Estates:
1.  The wines are crafted in small batches.  They are not available in the LCBO.
2.  Most of the wines are made naturally, with wild fermentations and no filtration.  This allows for lots of regional and varietal character.  Be aware of possible tartrate settlement in bottles.
3.  Stay and enjoy a glass of wine on the new back patio extension.  A light lunch menu will be offered in the summer.
4.  Check out the dry stone bridge Richard designed and constructed.
5.  My favourite experience at Karlo Estates is Richard and Sherry’s warm hospitality.  Get chatting with Richard and be sure to hear his roaring jolly laugh.  It’s contagious!

Tasting through the wines with Richard on the back patio.

Here are my notes on some of my favourite wines:

2009 Riesling
Clear, medium lemon colour. Youthful aromas of wet stone, chalk, lilacs and loads of stone fruits like peaches, nectarines and apricots.  There’s almost a hint of strawberry.  On the palate the wine is off dry which pleasantly balances the searing high acidity.  Moderate alcohol.  On the palate flavours of peach, lime and a hint of grain.  A lovely wine to sip as an aperitif.

2009 Chardonnay
Light gold colour with green highlights.  Medium intensity of complex aromas of almond milk, mineral, babies breath and white roses, fresh walnuts, green pears and a hint of caramel.  Dry, with medium acidity and moderate alcohol. Medium body with a creamy texture.  A slight bitter note on the finish.  More flavour of almond milk and savoury spices.  Another great County Chard.  Serve with trout almondine or local County cheeses.

2008 Quintus
Quintus is a traditional five grape variety Bordeaux blend.  Clear ruby colour.  Medium expression of sour and black cherries, red currants, savoury herbs such as thyme and bay leaf, a hint of violets.  Dry.  Medium acidity.  Soft, fine tannins.  Flavours of red fruits and herbs.  A medium bodied food wine.  Enjoy now with venison loin or herb crusted lamb chops.

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
I love the intensity of this wine!  Dense ruby colour.  Concentrated aromas of black cherry, black berry, cassis and currant leaf.  A touch of forest floor, chocolate and mint.   On the palate it is dry, medium acidity, medium body with soft fine tannins.  Flavours of black fruits, black tea, raspberry and coffee.  Lingering finish.  Serve with grilled red meat like bison or hard cheeses.

For more information on Karlo Estates visit the website.