Oh, Canada!

larose-vineyard-canada

Hailing from the Southwest originally, my family was more likely to head across the border to Mexico for vacation than trek northward. And yet now that I'm living in Boston and the Canadian border is not terribly far away, I've never been. That's not to say I haven't heard of the wonderful wines they are producing - particularly their ice wine. Yes, note the operative words: "heard of". From what I understand, it's impossible to buy Canadian wines here in the US. I'm not sure if this is just wrapped up in legalities on either side of the border or if there just isn't enough wine to go around. Perhaps a little of both. Needless to say, it seems Canada is a sneaky, sleeping giant when it comes to wine. In the western most region of the country, British Columbia, they experience a climate much like our own Washington State. Lake Okanagan keeps winter freeze at bay and otherwise there are parts of BC that are so dry it could be considered a desert. The summer temperatures are much more reasonable than you might expect and, in fact, allow some great early-ripening grape varietals to thrive. Not to mention the fact the acidity in their wines are destined to be high - yea refreshing, clean, wines (think New Zealand)!

On the other side of the country Ontario is an ever up-and-coming region in itself. Ice wine (aka "liquid gold") is a guarantee every year. It is a semi-continental climate in those parts, with fantastic support (i.e. more temperate conditions) offered by the vast lakes in the region. Vines do surprisingly well, particularly those producing varietals like Riesling. Pinot Noir is considered a grape with great potential in the Price Edward county, where limestone soil is a natural partner for the Pinot family.

Why is Canada on my radar today, this News/Events/Trends Friday? Well, Wines & Vines reported this week the Canadians are banding together to get their wines ready for export. They don't produce much, but what they do produce is noteworthy. They are eager to become more of a player on the international wine stage. Check out the article to learn the latest first hand.

What's your knowledge of Canadian wines? Have you been so lucky to have a sip?

storing wine, a few tricks of the trade

A question I field at almost every tasting I conduct is... "how long can I 'save' my leftovers"? This is a great question and one I don't mind answering again and again because I keep learning new things through trial and error myself. I'll report on a couple of basics first and then give you a story from my recent experiences to provide a little perspective, too. 1. Always store leftovers in the fridge, red, white, pink or bubbly! The cold climate in your icebox helps the wine's components remain fresh and lively.

2. It's worth investing in a cheap-o Vacu-Vin pump. Yes, I said it. For a few dollars, you can pick up a plastic wine pump that will give your wine remarkable 'life' if combined with fridge time. It comes with a couple of bottle stoppers specifically designed to collaborate with the pump and suck the air out of your wine bottle. This prevents the wine from getting stale or, worse, completely oxidized (depending how many days it'll be hanging out with your milk carton).

NOTE: Bubbly requires a special champagne stopper; it has little arms that clamp down on the top of the bottle to prevent the cork from popping out. You will not be able to pump out the air of this bad boy (or you'd pump out the wine's bubbly mojo), but it will give you another day or so in the fridge.

CULINARY TIP: Left over champagne is particularly fabulous if you are cooking any kind of fish, shelfish or otherwise. Put a little bit of the bubbly in the skillet to sear your shrimp and you won't need an ounce of butter. I've done this even when the near-empty bottle has been in my fridge for weeks and had a good result. Give it a go!

The "experts" say that if you simply leave a bottle in the fridge with the cork tucked deeply in the neck (no pumping) you can drink the wine fairly reliably the next day. (White) wines that are higher in acidity (like Sauvigon Blanc) will hold up better and longer, too. (Red) wines with more tannin tend do better as well. Those components in wine act as the backbone of the wine and allow it to age (while in the bottle). Once open, those components help the wine 'stay together' or stay fresh and tasty, if you will.

My opinion is this - with pumping out your wine, you can do very well for several days if not weeks. No joke. It depends on the type of wine, of course. But I have found (mid-priced) well-made wines do surprisingly well. Case in point: late June I opened a bottle of Graham Beck's 2007 Gamekeeper's Reserve Cab. I only had a glass and a half or so and then pumped it out and fridged it, thinking I'd have company the next night to polish it off. Well, I ended up going out to dinner the next night. After that I had fish on the menu and opened a bottle of white, then it was the weekend and I was out again, etc. Eventually it was ten days later and I headed out of town for 4th of July for another week. Once home again I was in the mood for a glass of wine and remembered the Gamekeeper still in the fridge. I decided it was worth pouring into a glass and seeing what was what before just dumping it out and opening a new bottle. SUCCESS! The wine did remarkably well despite my neglect. The fruit was still full, the acidity intact and the dry tannins had mellowed a bit (bonus!). I was amazed - and thrilled - how well the wine held up after 2.5 weeks!

So let my little inadvertent experiment be a lesson to us all: don't relegate a wine to "cooking" or "dumping" status before you've given it a quick taste. You may be SOL, but then you're no worse off either, are you? Just make sure you give yourself half a chance and pump it out and get it on ice.

Have you had a wine life (longevity) surprise lately? What wine was it that held up beyond your expectations?

hidden treasure in a clear bottle with a green label...

Portugal as a wine-making country is just cool. First off, this little(ish) country west of Spain often gets recognition for its solid wines retailing for oh-so-delightfully low prices. Strangely, as the Euro creeps up and up, Portuguese daily sipping wine prices are staying pretty stable, too. Saude! Second, it sports the oldest appellation system in the world, with recognition for quality wine-producing in the Douro Valley beating France out by 200 years. Third, while everyone and their global brothers and sisters were trying to 'compete' with the French by cultivating native French varietals, Portugal stuck to its guns and continued to cultivate native varietals like Touriga Nacional (grape used in Port), Touriga Franca, Tinto Cao and Trincadeira, to name a few. Overtime the Portuguese wine-making community discovered many of its native varietals could be made into solid table wines, rather than just fortified, dessert wines. And here we are in 2008 benefiting left and right.... One of my go-to wines this summer is the 2007 Quinta da Alorna Arintho. Never heard of Arintho? Not to worry! You're in good company. And fortunately you have me here at Pour Favor to give you the skinny on this versatile, food-friendly, palate-loving white wine.

The 'experts' say (and I have a hard time not agreeing) Arintho is one of the varietals in Portugal with a large potential for the production of quality wine. The grape originates from Bucelas, not too far from the capitol city of Lisbon. The Quinta da Alorna take is made from 100% Arintho grapes, so you're getting as authentic an experience as you can, particularly if this is your first try of Arintho. The nose is immediately enticing. It delivers fresh and fruity flavors as soon as you dive in, too. It's tough to put your finger on, admittedly, but I always get pear, white peaches and wet stones. My fellow sipping companion last night picked out cantelope (I got noth'n on that one), grapefruit, and lychee fruit (good call). The palate is fairly weighty - perhaps best described as "creamy, citrus goodness" - with flavors of mineral, pink grapefruit and a touch of pear nectar.

Suffice to say, if you've been enjoying your Vinho Verde, dole out the extra $2 and give yourself a real Portuguese treat! Find yourself the Quinta da Alorna Arintho. And quickly. I'm liable to scour the city for every remaining bottle.

What's your Portuguese go-to white this summer?

beating the beantown broiler!

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It's gonna be a SCORCHER in the city this weekend! What better way to cool off than by tasting wines or, better yet, bringing home a bottle or two to enjoy sitting in front of your AC watching the game? (Yippee! Baseball is back!) This Friday I bring to you three spots around the city "tasting out" wines worth checking out. For those of you looking to get ahead of the game (no pun intended), note that two are on tap for tonight. Or, if you're like me and afraid your freckles might melt off should you head to the beach, plan to spend some time in Brookline on Saturday afternoon. Here's what I know (listed in order of tasting time):

Ball Square Fine Wines ~ Friday, July 18, 4:30p - 7:30p

Looks like Ball Sq is serving up a red (Petite Verdot) and white (Sauvignon Blanc) from Australia, care of Dee Bortoli; a cool, summer white blend from the Pacific Northwest; and a red Vin d'Pays (France). Survey says?? Cheers to that!

Bon Vivant Wine Company ~ Friday, July 18, 5p - 7p

Bon Vivant is tasting out Riesling this weekend. They write, "It is a great varietal for new wine drinkers to explore and expand their palate moving closer to the dry side. The two wines, Sohne Relax and Trimbach from Germany selected to taste this week are great values. Both of these wines have some residual sugar and go great with spicy foods." Prost!

Brookline Liquor Mart ~ Saturday, July 19, 1p - 5p

BLM is tasting out Wines of Italy on Saturday. They say, "Italy's varied wine regions and many grape varieties makes for some of the most interesting discoveries. Often we find great values!" I couldn't agree more!! They will be tasting out 10 different Italian vinos. They recommend getting there early "to avoid disappointment". Salute!

A few words on decorum. Wine tastings held at local stores are not invitations to get blitzed. Expect a small taste of each wine and feel free to ask the host/pourer about the wine itself - who makes it, what the varietal is, where in the world and how it was made, etc. Then take the time to think about what you are tasting. Give the wine a sniff to see if anything connects for you (does it smell like the leather of your baseball glove? fresh raspberries? citrus? butter? toast? etc.). When you take the first sip, let the wine swirl in your mouth a bit to let the flavors emerge, then savor it as you swallow. Think about how it finishes. Does it satisfy your palate? If not, why not?

You do NOT have to buy a bottle at these tasting. The idea is to allow customers to explore wines you may not pick up on your own, ask questions or peruse the store. Tastings present a fabulous opportunity to see if the store provides adequate customer service, is well-organized/laid out, clean and whether it offers unique or boutique wines. If I offered 2 solid 'rules of engagement' for these kinds of tastings they would be: 1) Be respectful & 2) Have fun with it!

What other shop tastings do you know of this weekend? Do you plan to attend one?

what in the world does "minerality" mean?

When I first started actually tasting what wine was in my glass - you know, the 5 S's: see, swirl, sniff, savor, swallow - I had a really hard time discerning when a wine offered minerality and when it just had nice acidity. To my beginner palate, the mouthwatering juices in my mouth were one in the same with a wine with a little 'bite', if you will. I found I struggled with this concept when tasting white wines more often than reds. Many whites offer crisp, citrusy flavors. I associated this crispness with minerality. But when I really got the hang of tasting - whites and reds alike - I was able to disassociate the two, or detect each of these components separately, should they be evident in the wine. Let's start with acidity. If you smell a wine and your mouth waters, you are detecting acidity in the wine. If you take a sip and detect a bit of a tingling sensation on your tongue and/or the inside of your cheeks start to water, you're also in the money. Acidity heightens the flavor of foods, or makes the wine more "food-friendly" (and also helps it age). This is a great thing, so long as the wine offers complementary amounts of fruit and tannin to balance the acidity present. This is also described as a wine where all the major components (acidity, fruit and tannin) are in balance. Too much acidity and you'll experience a razor blade slicing through the center of your tongue. Not my idea of a good time....

Now on to the more challenging of the two: minerality. When I think of minerality in wine, I think of it falling into two camps. My preferred of the two is wet stones, you know, like when you are out on a hike and you can almost taste the wet rocks leading up to the waterfall. (Or if you were more adventurous as a kid, just remember actually licking the stone.) Otherwise, minerality for me is more like seltzer water where there is that extra bit of salinity lingering on the midpalate or finish. I know others who associate minerality with chalk dust that floated from the teacher's chalkboard back in grade school; in that case you'd be experiencing more of a clean, dusty, earthy kind of minerality thing going on. It's all good.

Why does minerality matter (we'll save the same conversation on acidity for another day)? It doesn't really, I suppose. It's essentially just another term to pick apart all the fun things that could be going on in your glass with any given pour. To me it's one particular wine term that comes up more often in the summer months, when you're sitting on your porch drinking some truly fabulous whites, like those from the Loire Valley in France (think Sancerre (Sauvignon Blanc), for example).

What does "minerality", one of the wine world's most elusive flavor concepts, mean to you?

recreating "the moment"...

You are sitting at a little table in Provence. You have found a quaint cafe, where a small bowl of salted almonds is at the ready before you even have a chance to ask for a glass of water or rose to quench your thirst on a hot day. You quickly find you and your partner are nibbling on local fare - the cafe's own tapenade and a bit of bread seemed like a good starting place - while you wait for your Nicoise salad to arrive. The St. Andre de Figuerire Vielles Vines rose is taking the edge off, too. Ahh... not too shabby. No, better than shabby. "Now, THIS is summer luv'n", you think! Your journal reflects the experience perfectly - even the name of the wine you were drinking... is it possible to have such sensual, tasty goodness at your fingertips again? Once home, you call your local shop and discover they - somewhat shockingly - can get the St. Andre rose you had at that little cafe. Success! The wine buyer agrees to purchase a case for you, just in time to spend the remaining weeks of the summer with your feet up on your own porch patio after a long, hard day back in the daily grind, drinking through that lovely case. And it's guilt-free drinking too, as you know the 2007 rose won't last 'til next year - and who knows what next year's batch will bring?! No need to save it - you're more than willing to dive right on in.

A couple of weeks later you pick up your much-anticipated case. You quickly return home to prepare a bouillabaisse and whip together a little appetizer of pan bagna so you and your honey can snack a bit sipping on your St. Andre and reminiscing about Provence before you dive into the main course. The wine is already chilled and you pour two glasses enthusiastically. The evening is warm, the bugs aren't biting and the tapenade is one of your best concoctions yet. Plus, you've both had fairly easy workdays and even made it to the gym.

The wine - and moment - is pretty fabulous; and yet somehow it isn't quite as mind-blowing as what you had remembered. What the !@#?$???

The last time I had a wine I loved during a memorable occasion was the last game of the 2007 (Boston Red Sox) World Series. We were drinking the Winner's Tank Shiraz. I'll never forget it. First, it was darn good wine that paired well with our homemade pizza; and second, we won (again)!! And yet I haven't been able to pick up that bottle of Shiraz again. I'm afraid it just won't be quite the same...

When's the last time you savored a bottle and dared to try it again, or couldn't quite bring yourself to do so? For all of you hanging out on the Pour Favor blog sidelines, this is your moment to "dish"! ;)

Spain is king of World Cup, Wimbeldon &...Wine production?

If you watched the final match of the 2008 Euro Cup (Spain won vs. Germany) and/or the phenomenal Wimbledon Men's Final where the Spaniard Rafael Nadal eventually won a nail biter against Roger Federer, then perhaps it is no surprise to you Spain is now also on course to "win" top seed as the world's largest wine producer. (In case you're wondering, yes, I already proclaimed "wine is a team sport". But I was getting more at sportsmanship, rather than the idea of winning or losing....). Back to the wine then, it seems beyond important things like heritage, culture, tradition, and number of suitable grape-growing acres, sound economics matter a heck of a lot, too. What am I getting at? Well, apparently the French are drinking less domestically (French young'ns just aren't enjoying the stuff with as much vigor anymore, tisk, tisk!). But a big(ger) part of the challenge they face is actually a national, industry-wide failure to 'keep up' with market trends - and up and coming wine regions globally where wine is "better" packaged, cheaper and modernized (from techniques employed, to use of screw caps, etc.).

Unlike the sports pages these days, I haven't read one article yet where the Spanish are interviewed about this likely takeover in 2015. I wish I had found one. Those offering French perspectives indicate they are ready to fight the good fight and determined to make a comeback (before one is technically necessary in seven years time). They don't want to lose their crown, of course. And the scare is in them! They recognize they need to make a few adjustments to compete globally.

I don't pretend to know or even fully appreciate all of the nuances that have contributed to this pending "doom" for the French. (There's a great Time article from a few years ago I forgot about, which the folks at Vinography reminded me of when I was looking for a bit more perspective on the topic. It's worth the read if you have a few minutes over lunch today.) But I'm also convinced the French are the least likely in the wine-producing world to want to lose their earned status as quality producers just to edge out the Spanish on the Quantity Produced playing field. So I'm wondering how this is going to pan out.

What I do know is I want my French wines. I want them to be top quality. And I want to pay the price they're worth.

What's your take on all this?

Wine Blogging Wednesday: Sileni all-star summer

Yes, it's Wine Blogging Wednesday again! Since I knew it was coming up right after my fourth of July getaway, I sneakily packed a few wines in my Survival Kit that fit with this month's theme: Wines Brought to you by the Letter 'S'. I also packed two wines which have come to mean Amazing Summer Sipping as far as I'm concerned - and both have an 'S' component. I've decided to share my thoughts today on the one I realized I just barely favor over the other. (It is only fair I share in the greatest goodness with those who come to read my musings!) Enter the 2007 Sileni Estates Sauvignon Blanc.

I wasn't much of a white wine drinker even as little as two years ago. I had been burned one too many times by (oaky) Chardonnay or overly tart (to my taste some years ago) Sauvignon Blanc, arguably the two white varietals you come across most often here in the US. I was only experimenting with half the possibilities and a true wine adventurer needs to at least know what the heck white is all about. So I solicited a little help from my local wine shop. Whenever I wanted a case of wine in the warmer months, I asked the wine manager to throw in a few whites, too. Soon enough I was hooked! The summer months became a fun time to focus on finding new white varietals to beat the heat; the winter could be reserved for my red addiction. Fair is fair.

Why this side story now? Well, the Sileni Sauvignon Blanc is one of those amazing wines I find many palates (red and white drinkers alike) can appreciate, or as in my case, saddle right on up to with an empty glass. Sauvignon Blanc from warmer climates can take on more tropical flavors of banana and pineapple - of course backed by characteristically citrus (lemon/lime) goodness. Sauvignon Blanc from cooler climates (e.g. New Zealand) errs on the grassier, super zesty grapefruit side. Either way it is an intense, lively, herbal, often zippy little number with great acidity to quench thirst on the hottest of summer days. What can I say, cheesy as it may sound, an image of a tall reed of grass blowing in the sea breeze now comes to mind when I find myself sipping Sauvignon Blanc.

Semillon on its own can take on fuller, rich, almost honeyed flavors. It is widely produced in France, particularly in Bordeaux and used in Sauternes. Australia is also becoming a big producer of the grape. When it is blended with the lean, zesty-tart Sauvignon Blanc, this varietal works some serious magic. The best winemakers know just a little bit goes a long way. Without strong-arming, a drop or two of semillon produces lovely, fleshy and refreshing white wines.

What about the Sileni offering, you ask urgently now that I've wet your whistle??

I'm always amazed by the color of the Sileni. It is a fairly light, almost star-bright color - when I always anticipate it being more honeyed in color, because of it's gorgeous richness on the palate. Indeed, while the label doesn't indicate as much, the winemaker blends in just a touch of tasty Semillon. The result is a fuller bodied Sauvignon Blanc. I find nice tropical fruits, gooseberry freshness and some minerality leap from the glass and similar flavors emerge on the midpalate. Its more typically New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc grapefruit flavors show on the finish. It is so well integrated, the wine's components dance together harmoniously. We paired it with fresh Swordfish steak, corn on the cob and an apple-cider vinegar coleslaw. The weight of the wine complemented the steakier fish perfectly, and the sweetness of the corn and slaw were brilliantly off-set by the fresh acidity of the wine. Yum, indeed!

What wine with the Letter 'S' tickled your tastebuds and fancy this holiday weekend?

Quintessential 4th of July Wine "Survival Kit"

Much like you I'm sure, I'm gearing up for a few days of R & R to celebrate this country's birthday over the 4th of July holiday. No surprise, I've collected a few wholesome treats to sip while rocking 'to and fro' on the porch, enjoying the sea breezes and the sound of waves lapping the shore in the not-so-far distance. What goodness have I collected, you ask? This year my case of wine offers 10 different bottles of red, white and blue, er, pink: 3 red, 8 white and 1 bottle of rose. To celebrate fully though, I'm going to diverge a bit from my typical posts, and am asking you to taste with me over the holiday. Perhaps this will further encourage you to pick up something new, or (re)find an old friend... Either way, I want you to post your thoughts about one of these wines - or even share the contents of your own "survival kit"! I'm purposely not linking any information to these wines so you taste first for yourself.

So! On to the fun stuff. Here's what's in my case o' goodness...

2007 Cave de Saumur (Chenin Blanc from Saumur, France)

2007 Chateaux Saint Peyre Picpoul Pinet (Languedoc, France)

2006 Dancing Coyote Rhumba (cool white blend from Clarksburg, California)

2007 Adega Co-op's Fuzeulo (a Vinho Verde from Portugal)

2007 Man Chenin Blanc (South Africa)

2007 Adega de Pegoes White (Portuguese white blend)

2007 Sileni Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand)

2006 Monte Degli Pinot Noir (Piedmont, Italy)

2006 Susana Balboa Crios Syrah/Bonarda (Menoza, Argentina)

2007 ZaZa Granacha Rose (Campo de Borja, Spain)

These wines absolutely will NOT break the bank, either! A couple of them are "treats" at $15 (the Sileni and the Crios) but a few of the whites retail for just $7-$9. You can find these wines at Ball Square Fine Wines in Somerville, MA and other fine wine establishments in these parts.

Come, taste with me and post your notes below! And...have one, fabulous holiday! I'll see you in a week.

the mercury is rising!

Now that the mercury is rising every day, I've been fielding more and more questions about the "right" temperature to store and serve wine. It's good that you're paying attention, too! Because if you just pulled a bottle of white or rose off your wine rack (which, incidentally, is sitting in your un-air-conditioned living room) and then go to sip said wine at room temperature or (just as bad) have over-chilled it, you're probably not enjoying your libation. What's the point of that?! When it comes to storage:

DON'T leave your wine on a rack in your air conditioned free living room. Sure, short term you may get away with it, but here in Boston our freaky weather has been known to spoil more than a bottle or two after even a 3-4 day heat wave. I don't have a budget that allows me to buy "serious" wines that I should store for several years - though I do have a few. But I also value the cash I do have and try to avoid spoiling any investment.

DO find a spot in your home/apartment where the sun's rays won't find your wine, the temperature stays pretty consistent and won't sit above 75 degrees (MAX). I shoot for any place between 66 and 72 degrees. I have a cellar in my current place, but bought a small wine fridge to avoid spoiling my wine at my last apartment (which could BAKE in the summer). Before that, I didn't even have the space for a fridge and stored my wine under my bed (no kidding); my bedroom was the only place that stayed pretty "mild" during the summer months.

As for serving wine:

DO consider chilling your fruitier, less tannic red wines in the summer. Even about fifteen or twenty minutes in the fridge can get your red wine back down to optimal, serviceable temperature (~65 degrees) on a hot day. I'm not suggesting this as a standard MO in the winter, but room temperature definitely creeps up in the summer months. (Last summer I went out for a fancy meal to celebrate my birthday. I don't know where they were storing the Pinot Noir we ordered, but after they poured me the initial taste, I requested an ice bucket to get it down to a reasonable temperature. The wine really benefited and became a welcome complement to our meal. Poor form on the restaurant's part, but the others in my dinner party were pleased I took the initiative to remedy the situation.) The bottle/glass of red should have just a touch of cool to it.

DO serve your white and rose wines chilled. What does this mean? An hour in the fridge will do the trick. Don't have an hour? Try a bucket of ice with a bit of water to expedite the process. Or, you can take your chances putting the bottle in the freezer in a pinch... The goal is to get the wine down to about 48-58 degrees. (Your fridge should be set for 38 degrees, so you'll want your wine warmer than the bottle of beer you've got in there, too.)

So what's the point of all this, you wonder? It has to do with the science behind wine and your palate to create an optimal balance of fruit, acidity and tannin. Suffice to say, white wines benefit from chilling because the fruit (and it's ripe sweetness) comes forward to complement the acidity they exhibit. You may have noticed that if your glass of white gets too warm, the alcohol becomes more dominant. On the flip side, a white served too cold masks all flavors and aromas. They can taste utterly bland (the same is true for rose - danger!). Sparkling wines additionally benefit from the chill because the carbon dioxide release slows down, allowing the flavors to dance a bit longer via the bubble streams you see in your glass. When red wines are served too warm, the tannin gets exaggerated, the fruit diminishes and the wines taste hot, or alcoholic.

Think you've got the 411 now to beat the heat? What's your experience with wine temperature?