Vindication: Cold-hardy Marquette

Past hybrid selections from Smokie Ridge

You all know how passionate and mother-hen protective I am about hybrid grapes. We live in a cold climate with some pretty harsh winters, so it only makes sense to plant and grow vines that can stand up to -30 windchill by hibernating underground like so many vinous groundhogs.

Thus, I was thrilled to read the VQA has accepted Marquette as a legit grape variety. This means growers can sell wine made from this grape in the LCBO and at farmers' markets. WOOT!

The plus side of Blue Monday

It's about ten thousand degrees below zero here in Ottawa. I keep waiting for the Night King and his army of White Walkers to come in "just to warm up."

But here in my kitchen, it's warm and cozy. I'm sipping on what's left of a Stanners Vineyard 2016 Riesling (PEC), its sharp, green-apple tang and zesty feel making me think of spring. Eventually. We'll get there. (By the way, I only have one bottle left of Stanners' 2016 Pinot Gris cuivré, all salmon-y and copper-coloured with a bit of effervescence on the tongue. Pity, they're all sold out.)

Winter is, by far, much preferred to the oppressive swelter of mid-summer. As the Doodle put it so eloquently, "when it's cold out, just put on more layers until you're warm. When it's hot, well ... you can only get so naked." Wise words.

Some refer to this day as Blue Monday. But let's be honest, that kind of a day belongs firmly in November, where the days start getting shorter and colder, the leaves have all fallen off the trees, it's not quite cold enough for snow so this wretched, soul-sucking rain keeps falling. The clocks go back an hour, and we all cry when 4:30 p.m. hits and it's dark as midnight outside. Then come the endless stretches of that melancholic, grey misery of "overcast", usually supplemented by freezing drizzle or wet, sloppy snow. Or raging blizzards that make me want to burrow ever-deeper into a state of human hibernation.

January? We've made it to the new year. Sure, it's cold as hell, but the days have started getting longer. The sky is bright, clear, baby-blue, and the sun dazzles. Every extra second of that glorious light is cherished as it lingers later and later into each day. There is hope.

Keep on keeping on, Ottawa. It won't be winter forever.

Imposter Syndrome VS Paint What You Feel

I hesitate to call myself an artist.

What's New: Local Grapes, Cold Climate Success

Going "off-vine" for a few months leaves me woefully clueless on what's new in the world of wine. So it's no surprise that I've only recently heard of (relative) newcomers Stone Crop Acres and Clos du Vully.

Stone Crop Acres Winery and Vineyard is based in Morrisburg, Ontario. Owner and certified sommelier Norene Hyatt-Gervais planted her vines in 2007, laying in cold climate varieties like Marquette, Louise Swenson and Frontenac Gris. Initially, Hyatt-Gervais sold off her fruit to other buyers, but in 2016, she decided it was time to start making her own wine. (Back in the day, her dad was buying grapes for his home brew, which percolated in demi-johns in the basement ... not like what some folks do, with the whole Rubbermaid bins covered in cheesecloth ...)

The first vintages were released this year, just in time for the grand opening in July of the tasting room and retail shop. Four whites and a Nouveau-style red that sold out in a month. Stone Crop's first barrel-aged red, a Frontenac Noir/Cabernet Franc blend, will be the highlight at the winery's Christmas Cheer event, starting this Saturday, December 9.

Vignoble Clos du Vully is run by winemaker and grape grower Jan Daniel-Etter with his partner Anne Grenon. Together they tend five thousand vines of cold-hardy grapes and craft artisanal whites, reds and rosés, both sweet and dry, from their own fruit and from extra procured from growers in Niagara-on-the-Lake. In May 2016, they opened the doors of their barn-turned-tasting room and welcome guests every Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., year-round. Gift baskets, gift certificates and wine (of course!) are all available for purchase.

Need some other ideas for the holidays? Skip the malls and day-trip to some of these local gems for great wine and merrymaking:

Domaine Perrault, Navan - Open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 11-5, until December 24. Marilys has got to be one of my favourite rosés; the reds are big, robust and perfect for long winter nights.

Jabulani Vineyard and Winery, Richmond - The winery's annual Christmas event will be held on December 9-10 and 16-17, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy mulled wine, hot chocolate and nibbles with a side of live music. All it costs is a donation (either cash or non-perishable food items) to the Richmond Food Bank.

KIN Vineyards, of Carp, Ontario, will be at the Christmas edition of the Ottawa Farmers' Market this year. Find them in the Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne this weekend and next.

It's Been Too Long

Sometimes life throws you a curve ball. Sometimes it hits you with a one-two sucker punch to the gut. Or a bullet to the head.

Kindness

Be kind, everyone. Every person you meet is a human being, no matter where they come from, no matter what they look like on the outside.

Drink Pink: Savvy Company Rosé Reports

Such hard work, having to try all these delicious Ontario rosés and then write about them, about what goes best with them ... *sigh*.

Read my latest Savvy Company reviews of great rosé wines here and here ... enjoy!



(PS ... While it may not have been featured in the Savvy reports, the pretty pink number in the picture at left is the elegant Marilys from Domaine Perrault, right here in the Ottawa Valley! Be sure to stop by if you're in Navan, Ontario this summer!)

WBC15: In the Defence of Hybrids

#WBC15 very good conversation re: terroir. Slid to hybrids. Group now polarized, muttering and dark looks. Dinner interesting (knives?). ⏳BK

— The Vineyard Trail (@VineyardTrail) August 14, 2015

In the middle of a Q&A period on the soils and grape varieties of the Finger Lakes, a voice piped up out of the crowd:

"Can you tell me about hybrids? Why are they such crappy grapes?"

As one tweeter put it: Ouch.

Mothering

May was a long month. I ain't gonna lie.

Just in case you were wondering where I've been ... Hubby was in New York for a marathon session at the UN. From the end of April until just last weekend. A month. Me and the kiddies. Single Mom Detail™ of epic proportions.

Everything But The Chard

The California Wine Show was in Ottawa on its annual tour this week. This time around, I carefully studied and plotted a route on my map, checked the map against the list in the catalogue, checked the list against the layout at the door. Because this time I had a plan and I was sticking to it.

Whites. Everything but Chardonnay. (Ok, so I tried *one* Chardonnay, but it was so lively, zesty and fun it hardly qualifies in the same league as the over-oaked cedar boxes that usually dominate the market.)

And if I had time for reds, anything but cabernet sauvignon or pinot noir.  So what else does Cali do other than the Big Three? Here's what:

County (at the top of) the Capital

Hang on, lemme wait until the room stops spinning ...

Wait. It's still spinning. WTF?

I was driving that night, so I knew that uncomfortable sense of vertigo wasn't from the wine. It was from the room itself - the revolving Summit Room atop Ottawa's Marriott Hotel.

I'm sure in its heyday revolving rooms were the thing, but it wasn't quite my thing. One minute I was standing perfectly straight (and sober); the next, I had lurched over sideways, spilling some of my wine in the process. I looked like a drunk. Except I wasn't! Really! (Well, this time at least ...)

Beckta Two Point OMG that's delicious

We'd barely settled into our seats when Steven Beckta came over to welcome us to the "new" place. "It's been a busy week," he confessed. "Dealing with heating issues and then plumbing and all that ... do you have any questions about the menu? If so, I'll be sure to redirect you to someone who knows much more about food and wine than I do ..."

Wait ... what? Steven Beckta? Not know about food?

I guess when you're busy worrying about renovations, you might not have a chance to go through the menu of the week. But I wasn't concerned. Steve has absolute trust in his staff, from front-of-house to back. And they always deliver.

Taste of the Commonwealth

Q: What two things do Uganda, Malta and England have in common?
A: They're Commonwealth countries. And they make wine. (No, really!)

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Commonwealth Secretariat, the 85th anniversary of the first Commonwealth Games, and international Commonwealth Day (which is today), the Ottawa branch of the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) held its inaugural Taste of the Commonwealth event on Sunday, March 8, at City Hall's Jean Pigott Place.

My Bunker Valentine

Because nothin' says lovin' like visiting a fallout shelter.

Seventy-five feet beneath the frozen tundra of Carp, Ontario, in the dead of a most miserable winter, there was a party going on. Deep in the bowels of the Diefenbunker, a crowd of wineaux, Cold War enthusiasts, chocolate lovers and cheese aficionados were gathered for Savvy Company's 3 Steps to Survival: Wine, Cheese and Chocolate. 

Looking Ahead Through a Glass Half-Full

The year kicked off just right, with Lighthall Vineyards 2013 Progression in hand. We made it to midnight (albeit barely), toasted 2015 and went to bed. Yup, my wild New Year's Eve celebrations put Times Square to shame, don't they? What two kids will do to you.

I saved up the energy for a week-long family trip in Punta Cana, where I learned that those same two kids are not at all interested in long, relaxing days on the beach. Good thing the resort had a water park ... conveniently equipped with its own bar. Winning for everyone.

Now back home in the deep cold of another Ice Age, I've been keeping my eye on the horizon for vinous (and hoppy) happenings around town.

Donkey Riding

Look closely at the parking sign outside the LCBO at Rideau and King Edward, and you'll see a small, round sticker affixed to its bottom corner, bearing the image of a smiling donkey.

That critter's name is Cargo, and the company is called BrewDonkey, Ottawa's new beer delivery / brewery tour biz that brings the Valley's best craft beer to thirsty folks all over town.

Open Mic, Open Glass

What makes a wine supple or velvety?  Grippy or chewy? How on earth can a wine smell like barnyard, leather and undergrowth and still be considered good? What is terroir? The air, the sun, rocks in the dirt, the warmth of summer, cool nights, mist and fog. The way the wind blows between the vines.

I work with words every day. They aren't always pretty words, or interesting, or even my own. They make a point, they tell a story from someone else's perspective. Sometimes they run roughshod across the page, a torrent of ideas requiring the restraining hand of a skilled editor. Often, they aren't the right words at all.

Night Out for Grown-Ups

I hopped off the bus in the downtown core, bottle in hand. I was on my way to a real, grown-up cocktail party in a trendy Centretown condo with real grown-ups who drink wine and talk about real grown-up stuff (when they aren't talking about their kids.)

Rules were simple: everyone bring a bottle, perhaps something to nosh on, and enjoy! I chose a Peller Estates Iced Cuvee for my charming hostess, a gal who loves her some bubbles. She greeted her guests in the hospitality suite, stylish (as always) in a Mad Men-inspired dress, gave a quick layout of where things were and resumed her welcoming duties while we all got acquainted. I poured myself a glass of Cono Sur rosé sparkling and looked around.

It only took a couple of friendly rounds of getting-to-know-you and Six Degrees of Separation before the conversation and laughter (like the wine) was flowing with ease. Folks crowded around the bar or the snack table, or lounged about on leather settees, or flitted between groups to catch snippets of gossip, the latest on the municipal election, or animated dialogue on 80s music.

Turned out to be a great night of exciting vinous discoveries as well, these two being my top faves:

Castillo de Almansa 2010 Reserva (Spain; $12.95; 13.5% abv) - This was my favourite find. Predominantly Tempranillo blend with some Montastrell and Garnacha thrown in. A wild nose of spicy salumi, tobacco leaf, cigar smoke, peppercorn and blackberry jam. On the palate: dry, with firm tannins and a meaty, chewy mouthfeel. A brambly mixture of raisins and stewed fruit with a dusty finish. Impressive wine and a great value!

Kunde 2012 Sonoma Valley Zinfandel (California; #23.95; 14.5% abv) - Not your typical fruit-bomb zin. The aromas spilling out of the glass brought frying bacon to mind, along with suggestions of green pepper, black peppercorn and ripe black cherry. The fruit comes out on the palate with aggressive sour cherry and spicy pepper. Grippy tannins and a lingering acidity stick around on the long finish.

Rosé part deux, with Rocky et al

Kids and pets. Both noisy, messy, smelly, demanding, moody, clingy, expensive. Yet they both exude a limitless, unconditional love (usually with equal amounts of drooling.) I speak the truth because I've had both.

I don't have any critters other than my two children right now, so I very much enjoy visiting those who have "children" of the furred-and-feathered kind. Which is why I was tickled by the latest rosé tasting at Eva's house. For you see, Eva has a menagerie.

Oh Canada!

The nation turned 147 years old today, but us Canadian wine fans have been partying it up for a few days now.

June 28 was the second annual Canadian Wine Day, the anniversary of Bill C-311, which brought an end to Prohibition-era restrictions on the inter-provincial movement of wine. Notwithstanding some provinces still balking at the idea (without actually having a legal leg to stand on) we celebrated with plenty of samples from coast to coast.