Top Value Banquet Wines - by John Szabo

John Szabo

Recently I tasted through about 70 100% VQA wines from across Canada in search of the country’s best value wines. The purpose was to select the top VQA examples that would be worthy of showcasing at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa for banquets and intermissions.

Since celebrity Chef Michael Blackie took over in the kitchen early last year, the NAC has seen significant changes on all levels and is on its way to becoming a premier dining destination in the nations’ capital. No longer is it an old-fashioned meat-and potatoes menu for quick, pre-theatre sustenance. Blackie has elevated the sophistication of the food to top standards with a very ambitious menu indeed. The wine program, evidently, needed significant revamping and updating to say the least, and I have been working with Chef Blackie and dining room manager Tegan Schioler to bring the beverage side of the operation, including service, to the same level. There is still much to be done, but I’m happy to report that it is going very well. If you haven’t been in a while, be sure to drop in, no theatre tickets required!

Having participated for the last 5 years as a judge in the Wine Access Canadian Wine Awards, The country’s best wines are certainly familiar to me. But what was most satisfying was the overall level of high quality and drinkability, knowing that these were all very reasonably priced. VQA wines are often knocked for their poor quality/price ratio relative to international stage, but this tasting belied that belief once again.

In order to select these wines, I sent out a call to tender to Canadian wineries, from which I pre-selected 70 or so samples to be tasted. It was hardly a comprehensive look at all of Canada, and many of the wines I would have liked to see were missing from the lineup, but it was still representative nonetheless. The wines were set up in flights and tasted blind, that is, I knew the style/varietal category and the wines that had been submitted, but not the order in which they were served. Not surprisingly, many of the classic good value Canadian producers emerged, along with a few unexpected surprises. In the end, a dozen whites and ten reds made the cut. Virtually all are under $15/bottles (licencee price), and many are even under $10. In the end it will be the banquet guests and intermission wine drinkers who win; you can bank on a good glass of wine at the NAC. Here are my top picks. Some are available at the LCBO, others are winery direct. If you’re looking for good ‘house wine’, this is a reliable list to start with.

White

2007 Riesling Off-Dry, Rosehall Run, VQA Ontario

2008 Chardonnay Unoaked, Palatine Hills, Niagara

2008 Chardonnay, Vineland Estates, Niagara

2007 Dry Riesling, Vineland Estates, Niagara

2008 Semi-Dry Riesling, Vineland Estates, Niagara

2008 Riesling Dry, Cave Spring, Niagara

2007 Chardonnay, Cave Spring, Niagara

2008 Sullyzwicker White, Rosehall Run, Prince Edward County

2008 Pinot Grigio ‘Ogopogo’s Lair, Prospect Winery, Okanagan Valley

2008 Sauvignon Blanc ‘Spotted Lake’, Prospect Winery, Okanagan Valley

2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Vineland Estates, Niagara

2007 Chardonnay Estate Bottled, Château des Charmes, Niagara

Rosé

2008 Huff Estates South bay Vineyards Rosé, Prince Edward County

Red

2008 Lakeshore Red, Palatine Hills, Niagara Lakeshore

2007 ‘Noirs’ (Pinot & Gamay), 13th Street, Niagara

2007 Gamay Noir, Estate Bottled, Château des Charmes, Niagara

2007 Cabernet Franc Varietal Series, Inniskillin, Niagara

2008 Pinot Noir Reserve, Pelee Island, VQA Ontario

2007 Pinot Noir Five Vineyards, Mission Hill, Okanagan Valley

2007 Cabernet-Shiraz, Dan Aykroyd, Niagara

2007 Rosewood Estate Renaceau Vineyard Merlot, Beamsville Bench

2008 Cabernet-Merlot, Pilliteri

2007 Cabernet- Merlot Five Vineyards, Mission Hill, Okanagan Valley

[Via http://blog.winealign.com]

Glee Makes Miso Happy

Hi there!

How’d your weekend round out? Mine was A-OK Jealous of everyone who has tomorrow off, though

After I left you this morning, my plans pretty much changed right away. My friend and I cancelled on each other, yet again, deciding next Sunday would be better for trying on bridesmaids dresses. I still can’t wait to see how it looks She got them from J Crew, and they’re about knee length, sleeveless, and plum-colored. Adorable.

So instead, I worked a little more on a project, and then had the hubski be my victim guinea pig, and then had him take pictures/shoot a video of me doing one of my favorite strength-moves for Janetha’s mini guest post.

 

 

I made the BEST juice ever from our Jack La Lane juicer.

The suspects:

 

I shook things up a little this morning. Usually I just do carrot + grapefruit. Today celery and beety came to play!

 

Turned out magnificently! Although the beet was rather…stainy, it produced the deepest red shade of juice ever.

Lunch was a mix of some new veggies I purchased over the weekend, and I knew I wouldn’t have time to make during the week before they went bad.

Radicchio pizza + Steamed Bok Choy:

 

For the pizza, I simply toasted an Ezekiel tortilla (which toast up superbly, by the way – so crispy!) in the oven, and then topped with sliced raddicchio w/ some olive oil and s&p.

 

Looks pretty fancy, doesn’t it? Well it tasted like feet! The recipe was from The Kind Diet, and it looked super good on the page, but I wasn’t a fan.

Apparently I don’t like radicchio. Who knew? It’s way too bitter for me. I did, however, omit an ingredient since I didn’t have it on hand, so perhaps that had something to do with it.

The steamed bok choy, however, had a different story to tell!

 

 

It was delicious! I dipped each bit in a wee bit of miso paste I made from this miso:

 

 

with a little tahini and lemon juice.  SO good. I’ve never tried miso before, either, so I was super pumped to find that I liked it.

Some of you have commented that I’ve been trying out lots of new things lately. Well, yes, yes I have. I don’t really have an explanation for it. Sometimes I just get bored, and need a little variety in mah life! I’m sure we all can relate

I also finally got around to giving Niko a bath today. She’s getting groomed later this week, but I felt it just couldn’t wait.

She got in a little floor-rubbing-action before I took a blow dryer to her rat face  

 

I had been having a weird feeling of anxiety all day (happens when I’m working on something important…or sometimes for no reason at all) but didn’t feel like working anymore, so when Hubski suggested cocktail hour and Wii bowling, I was so down.

 

  

Bloody Mary for the him.

Two-handed OJ for the her.

 

Watered down OJ (can’t stand the full taste,) rum, amaretto.

He totally killed it in bowling. All four games. Did about 20 strike dances. Hmph!

Right after he kicked my ass for the fourth game we finished our fourth game, my parents arrived!

We had plans to do a little shopping and get some good grub.

Oh, btw, Niko is crazy obsessed with my dad.

 

 

And I think the feeling is likewise

We stopped by Von Maur, where I got a cute shirt, and two doubly cute mugs for some holidays coming up!

 

 

I diee!! How cute are these mugs?! I couldn’t help it. Shane gets made because I’m such a mug collector. So to compromise I threw out two neglected Ikea ones

Dinner was at the Olive Garden. We hadn’t been there in forever, but it’s our usual dining spot when the parental unit visits.

I forgot my camera, so behold some crappy iPhone pics:

Pinot and H2O.

Ravioli di Portabello…+ 1 bread…aaand now I’m stuffed.

 

Now it’s time to continue watching the Golden Globes. Glee just won best comedy/musical!! Hooray!!! I’m probably 80% watching just for Glee.

Are you watching the Golden Globes? What’s your favorite part of awards shows? The fashion, the bloopers, the presenters, the awards? I love seeing all the amazing fashion, but I typically only watch when I’m really, really rooting for someone/some group (Glee, case in point.)

Have a wonderful end to your weekend and a great Monday morning. I just made my first batch of overnight oats for tomorrow morning. I haven’t hopped on the cold oats train, so I’ll let you know how that goes over tomorrow!

[Via http://runningaroundnormal.com]

Durham Local Wine Stops: Wine Authorities

Wine Authorities: this place is in an odd place but is an odd shop itself.  It’s located across the street from Q-Shack on University Drive next door to a Rent-a-center and Thai Cafe.  It’s by far one of the most odd locations to see a wine shop but if you have time check them out.  Look through there online catalog and they have the uncanny ability to search for wines if you bring them old labels or bottles and save them to an account under your registration info such as name, email address, and physical address.

I’ve been there only two times and enjoyed both visits although they did not have any wine I was looking for at the time but that’s because I asked for the wrong brand names but later found it on their website and saved it to my favorites list .

Check them out!

Durham, NC Wine Stop: Wine Authorities

[Via http://btariqg.wordpress.com]

LifeSpace Daily Topic: Hosting a Wine Tasting Party

LifeSpace Daily Topic: Hosting a Wine Tasting Party (January 15, 2010)

The LifeSpace Community thinks that wine tasting parties are a great way for friends to get together, so we want to help you host one of your very own. We have included a template with tips for hosting your own wine tasting, and we have also highlighted articles with advice on hosting a wine tasting, how to taste wine like a professional, and great wine and cheese pairings. Enjoy!

Recommended Goal Templates:

Fun

Host a Wine Tasting Party (Basic)

Hosting a wine tasting party is easy with this template! Enter in the date of your party – preferably two weeks away, and we will take the rest from there! Our step by step instructions and articles we have provided will help you decide the type of wine tasting you wish to have, as well as all the necessary supplies. Enjoy!

Ideas, Articles and Resources:

Wine Tasting Party–Types of Tastings, How Much Wine to Buy, Home Set Up and Scoring the Wine

Hosting a wine tasting party at home is fun and easy to plan. Learn about different types of wine tastings, like horizontal, vertical and blind tastings, how to set up your home and how much wine to buy.

How to Taste Wine Like a Pro

The most important aspect of tasting wine is smelling it. Most of “tasting” something is experiencing its aroma.

Guide to Wine and Cheese Pairings

Classic wine and cheese pairings with basic guidelines and tips for having a great wine tasting experience.

Follow LifeSpace Daily:

LifeSpace Website: http://www.lifespace.com

LifeSpace Community Blog: http://blog.LifeSpace.com (Daily Recap Posted Mid Day)

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LifeSpaceLLC (Great Content All Day)

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/LifeSpace (Daily Recap Posted Mid Day)

[Via http://blog.lifespace.com]

Sorrel & Laphroaig - a legend in the making

It looks like spinach but tastes NOTHING like it.  A sour, delicate leaf, perfect in soups and stews as it has a remarkable thickening quality while retaining its vibrant taste.  Spinach cannot compare.  I don’t know why the whole world isn’t cuckoo for sorrel.  In fact, I’m hoping to start a trend here.  People, if you haven’t tried it, take my word for it, you simply must.  Period.

Today, after a rather frustrating morning of heavy work, I boarded the bus to Jerusalem, on a whim.  One of my favorite friends, the lovely queendeb, resides there on the border of Baka and Talpiot (although she only admits to Talpiot). We don’t get together as often as we should, and as two creative food-minded people, we decided on a cooking project.  I brought the sorrel and a bottle of Israeli-Champagne (GHW’s Gamla Brut).  In her quirky kosher kitchen (with her little brother in NYC on video-Skype the entire time), we proceeded in what felt like an adventurous cooking show.  Here’s what became of our evening:

• olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 small celery root, chopped
• 1 yam, chopped
• 500 g chicken wings
• 1 bunch sorrel, 1/2 chopped, 1/2 left whole
• handful of cilantro stems, chopped
• 3-4 small celery stalks with leaves, chopped
• 1/2 white cabbage, cut into large in-tact wedges
• juice of 1 lemon
• zest of 1 lemon, 1/2 finely chopped, 1/2 in strips
• 2 cups water
• 1 tbs yellow mustard
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 shot Laphroaig Whisky
• chipotle pepper to taste
• pepper, garlic powder, chili, etc to taste

1. In a large soup pot over high heat, drizzle olive oil, then brown the chicken wings.  Remove.
2. Whisk together the mustard and soy sauce.
3. With the fat of the chicken left behind, add the onion, garlic, celery root, and yams (in that order – waiting a minute between additions).  Cook at medium heat until sweating/softened.  Add mustard/soy sauce.
4. Layer the chicken wings evenly over the vegetables.  Then sprinkle the chopped sorrel, chopped celery & celery leaves, and cilantro stems evenly over the chicken.
5. Sprinkle chipotle pepper over the surface.
6. Create a layer with the whole sorrel leaves spread flat.  Place the cabbage wedges over the sorrel evenly.
7. Pour the whisky over the contents of the entire pot.  Allow to cook for a few minutes to let the alcohol evaporate.
8. Sprinkle all the lemon zest, and pour lemon juice over the contents of the pot.
9. Without stirring, slowly and carefully pour two glasses of water into the pot.
10. Bring to a boil, reduce flame to lowest possible, cover and let simmer for 30-60 minutes.  Do not stir, but checking to ensure the bottom layer isn’t burning is fine.  Add pepper, spices, etc at the end, to taste.
11. Serve over couscous or rice.

The resulting stew-y casserole was pure heaven.  Rich, smoky, sour, spiced.  The smoky qualities of both the Laphroaig and the chipotle pepper, combined with the tartness of the sorrel and the lemon components, were so complementary, it was wild!  All the veg fell apart, becoming almost caramel-like.  The sorrel indeed thickened things up, and oh me, oh my, the lemon zest was a joy in and of itself!  The layering method came about organically, in that we thought it would be interesting to allow the leafier veg to steam in the lovely saucy broth of the layers beneath it.  And what can I say of the chicken?  It fell off the bone.  So tender.  So moist.  So perfect.

The best part was, even though we didn’t know where we’d end up, we always knew we could do it.  Two savvy seasoned cooks with random well-loved ingredients having a ball.  The bubbly went great with the meal, and I’m so glad we drank it.  This meal was a shining beacon in the middle of a drab work week.  So, it’s a yes to letting loose!  A yes to drinking your best wine for no reason but to enjoy it in the here and now!  And a resounding yes to sorrel! To single malt scotches everywhere! To lemon rinds!  To chipotle! L’chaim, l’chaim to life!

And I’ve driven myself into the cheesy corner.  But it really felt like that.  A meal as a celebration.  Even with just a couple lonesome American-Israeli friends.  Especially because.

[Via http://irenesharonhodes.wordpress.com]

AMP 150 – An Unforgettable First Anniversary Treat!

Could we have just discovered the newest, hottest restaurant in Cleveland? This is what my husband and I asked ourselves after leaving AMP 150, the Cleveland Airport Marriott’s completely new restaurant, on New Year’s Eve (and our first wedding anniversary).

The restaurants bio is right there in its name – an acronym that stands for American Modern Palette that is conveniently located off of I-71 on West 150th Street. So really, what is it? Contemporary American food that focuses on seasonal and locally-grown and made items offered on an ever-changing menu. The restaurant is the creation of celeb chef Dean James Max and is operated by executive chef Ellis Cooley. It’s located in the a completely remodeled Marriott with chic, contemporary design elements that are both sophisticated and sexy – a definite recommendation for those looking for a hot Valentine’s Day dinner destination.

Our five-course journey was prix fixe and (unfortunately for my husband and I) started with oysters layered with caviar. While we’re both big fans of adventurous dining, we’d been down the “caviar road” once before and weren’t real interested in a return trip. Thankfully, the uber-sweet staff at AMP 150 obliged and we were each served up a piping hot bowl of mussels in a spicy and tangy broth.

Next up came a bold arugula salad sweetened with orange slices and candied nuts. This was followed by gigantic seared scallops served with pureed parsnips and side of Ohio-made honey – a completely unique taste combination that both left us saying, “Mmmmm.” We were then served the main dish, which was a thick, perfectly cooked filet served with AMP 150’s version of creamed spinach (swiss chard chopped with fresh cream). It left our tastebuds thoroughly impressed.

In between each dish, we picked our way through the restaurant’s extensive wine list, often switching (gasp) between both reds and whites throughout the evening. Heck, it was New Year’s Eve! Why not splurge?! We also enjoyed the camaraderie with the servers who, dressed in casual, not-too-stuffy attire, were intimately familiar with the menu items and could recommend corresponding wine and beverages.

But the evening wasn’t complete without the meal’s finishing touch – a dessert featuring warm valrona chocolate cake (you and I might call that “lava cake”) and chocolate ice cream infused with peppermint. Quite honestly, it was the most phenomenal ending to a wonderful meal. Kudos to Chef Cooley and an amazing, friendly and knowledgeable staff! Our completely cleaned plates were evidence of our merriment. But our pocketbooks said more. What makes AMP 150 even more interesting is that most menu items range in price from $3 – $20. So, go ahead and leave your “arm and a leg” at home! –Submitted by LRH

[Via http://fleetothecleve.wordpress.com]

Mom-made

Not too long after I posted earlier, I dragged myself to bed for a nap. Of course, I learned how to nap properly from Maggie, so I was out for 3+ hours. Worth it. I was able to get up and work for several hours on GRE stuff.

Tonight was my last dinner at Mom’s for a while and she decided to cook pasta. I sipped some wine while she cooked- it always works better that way

Dinner was spaghettie with meat balls and salad.

And a soft doughy roll

Bird’s eye view:

And Maggie doing her best Sphinx

I felt like I carb-loaded tonight so tomorrow’s workout should be good. Nite!

[Via http://seek8live.wordpress.com]