Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Quebec Independent Winegrowers Join European Confederation
ADVVQ was founded in 2006 by a group of vinegrowers and winemakers in the aim of gathering the producers of the areas of Quebec and of supporting the spreading of the know-how of this production in emergence. Accordingly, the ADVVQ supports the organisation of regional and interregional meetings in order to exchange on the characteristics of the production in Quebec. Since 2010, the association changed its name for Vignerons Indépendants du Québec (Quebec Independent Winegrowers).The goal of the association is to promote the elaboration of wines made from grapes entirely grown on the Quebec terroir, by proscribing any addition of raw material coming from outside Quebec (grapes, juice and concentrates), except for alcohols required to the making of fortified wines, according to an exclusively artisanal and nonindustrial transformation.
The association gathers 51 members, representing approximately 35 to 40% of the production of wine in Quebec. In Quebec, more than 630 hectares of vines are in production. There are 4 main regions: Estrie, Montérégie, Lanaudière and Chaudières the Appalachian Mountains (regions of the South-Quebec). The type of vines which are cultivated there are mainly rustic and semi-rustic hybrid type of vines.
*LOCAL FOOD AND WINE*
TWITTER.COM/LOCALFOODWINE
FACEBOOK/LOCALFOODANDWINE
Follow us On Tumblr * Follow Us On Twitter * Like Us On Facebook
Ultimate July 1 Barbecue with a New Wine Mobile App
Game-changing technology allows you to instantly scan 150,000 wines in the liquor store
Toronto, May 12, 2011 – A new free mobile application will change the way Canadian wine lovers find, buy and enjoy wine this summer. The Natalie MacLean Wine Picks & Pairings app lets you use your smartphone camera to snap a picture of any bottle label bar code in the liquor store. With one click, you get tasting notes, scores, and food pairings.
“You’re in the liquor store wondering if you should buy the bottle with the castle on its label or the one with the fluffy squirrel,” says Natalie MacLean, the editor of Canada’s largest wine web site at www.nataliemaclean.com. She created the tool to make buying wine easier for consumers.“Now you just point and click to find out if that shiraz actually is a good wine to go with your pepper steak, or if the sauvignon blanc would work with your grilled veggies. No more guesswork based on castles and critters.”No more shopping lists either since you can scan the wines right in front of you in the store. The app’s key features allow you to:- Instantly access tasting notes, scores, prices, recipes and food pairings- Search 150,000 wines at the LCBO, SAQ, BC Liquor Stores and other liquor retailers across the country- Get real-time stock for every wine at the store in which you’re shopping- Check the number of bottles in stock at nearby stores via GPS real-time inventory search- Track your purchases in your virtual cellar with just a few clicks- Create a wine journal with your own wine notes and pictures in the app- Share your favourite wines and pairings on Twitter and FacebookThe new Wine Picks & Pairings app is the next generation of Natalie’s mobile app, which was selected among the top five food-and-wine apps by both Computerworld Magazine and the New York Times. It’s the only one featured on Apple’s iTunes store under App Essentials for both “Food & Wine” and “Date Night.”Fans use Canada’s most popular wine and food app to get more than 700,000 wine picks and food pairing suggestions a month—the number of users has grown 230% over the past year. The app, designed by Fluid Trends, bundles a suite of 10 wine apps including reviews, cellar journals, recipes, food pairings, articles, blog posts, a wine glossary, a bi-weekly newsletter, a directory of wineries around the world and excerpts from Natalie’s bestselling book Red, White and Drunk All Over.A certified sommelier and winner of the World’s Best Wine Writer award at the World Food Media Awards, Natalie wrote and vetted all the pairings and wine reviews in the app rather than relying on computer-generated algorithms and crowd-sourced material.Natalie’s Top 10 Well-Done Wine and BBQ Pairings:1. Juicy Steak and Shiraz2. Grilled Salmon and Pinot Noir3. Seared Tuna and Gamay 4. Flame-Broiled Hamburgers and Zinfandel5. Grilled Portabello Mushroom and Rosé6. Herbed Chicken and Syrah7. Lobster in Butter and Sparkling Wine8. Grilled Veggies and Sauvignon Blanc9. BBQ Pork Chops and Chardonnay10. Roasted Marshmallows and Tawny Port
About NatalieNatalie MacLean is a Canadian wine journalist and author of Red, White and Drunk All Over.She connects with more than 123,000 wine and food lovers who get her free e-newsletter. Nat is the only person to have won both the M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award from the James Beard Foundation and the M.F.K. Fisher Award for Excellence in Culinary Writing from Les Dames d'Escoffier International. More bio here: www.nataliemaclean.com/bio.
*LOCAL FOOD AND WINE*
TWITTER.COM/LOCALFOODWINE
FACEBOOK/LOCALFOODANDWINE
Follow us On Tumblr * Follow Us On Twitter * Like Us On Facebook
Winemaker Diaries
| CHILE AND ARGENTINA |
 |
What do we do in the winter? When the vineyard is covered in snow and wine is aging in barrel, adventures begin. This year, David went adventure motorcycling in Chile and Argentina with Paul Gardner, from Pentage Winery. While no revolutions were started, much wine drinking was done of South American Tannat (brooding, dark and high tannins), Torrentes (floral, rose petal and fresh) and some rockin' Malbecs (lush, intense and full). Back to spring winemaking realities now of blending decisions and bottling schedules (with some inspiration from Che).
Director's Blend Wines SOON AVAILABLE AT TOP TABLE RESTAURANTS |
Blending is more art than science, and this year the Wine Directors of 4 of the leading restaurants in Vancouver and Whistler joined us to create a proprietary blend series -- available exclusively in each of these restaurants later this spring. Sarah McCauley of CinCin, Andrea Vescovi of Blue Water Café, Samantha Rahn of Araxi and Owen Knowlton of West came up a number of times to the Naramata Bench to create deeply pleasing red and white blends that are true to the Okanagan. Congrats to Owen for being named “Sommelier of the Year” at this year's Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival. It is better to spend money like there's no tomorrow than to spend tonight like there's no money.
P. J. O'Rourke
*LOCAL FOOD AND WINE*
TWITTER.COM/LOCALFOODWINE
FACEBOOK/LOCALFOODANDWINE
Follow us On Tumblr * Follow Us On Twitter * Like Us On Facebook
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Sharing Dreams to Build Connections Between People
Mission Hill Family Estate Winery Commissions First
Canadian Sculptural Exhibition by French Artist Nathalie Decoster
West Kelowna, British Columbia (April 13, 2011) - Mission Hill Family Estate Proprietor Anthony von Mandl announces a collaboration with renowned French artist Nathalie Decoster.
Her first Canadian solo exhibition, to be held at the Okanagan winery June - October, follows recent installations in Paris, France at Avenue des Champs-Elysées, Luxembourg Gardens, and the Bagatelle Gardens. Internationally, Decoster installations are located in a range of settings from London and Vienna to Brazil and Venice. Over Fifty Decoster installations will be featured on award-winning Okanagan winery grounds
Von Mandl first encountered these magnificent works of art more than eight years ago when he visited an exhibition at Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte winery in Bordeaux's Graves appellation. Since that time, he has held a strong belief that an exhibition at Mission Hill would be a memorable event for winery guests, the Okanagan Valley and the Canadian arts community.
"What immediately struck me about Mrs. Decoster's art were the curved hoops that cradle her human forms to create a strong visual connection between the art and the outside world," says von Mandl. "These curved hoops are akin to the metal hoops that hold together the precious barrels that age our wines and are essential to crafting exceptional wines."
Over the years, von Mandl and Decoster have been in regular contact planning the timing of her Canadian debut and the winery's first exhibition of this magnitude. This year, Over 50 sculptures installed throughout the winery grounds will be enjoyed by guests who stroll the property, visit the wine cellars and taste the various vintages. The Decoster Sculpture Exhibition will be open to the public at no additional charge. The permanent installation of one significant sculpture ensures a lasting legacy for all who visit the winery.
"We hope Mrs. Decoster's work resonates with visitors as she plays with the notion of sharing dreams to build connections between people," says von Mandl. "We believe this same connection speaks to what we are trying to accomplish as winemakers. The parallels are undeniable and we invite art lovers, or the merely curious, to visit Mission Hill to discover the magnificent work of sculptress Nathalie Decoster."
Von Mandl's passion for the arts traces back to his European roots and earliest, fondest memories of his parents who fostered in him a love of arts, music, cuisine and learning. Mission Hill is a family-owned winery with a dedicated staff who shares its founder's passion for wine, food and the arts. Their dedication to wine excellence is coupled with a long-term commitment to support the visual and performing arts, essential components of the Mission Hill guest experience.
About Nathalie Decoster
Decoster lives and works in her converted factory studio in Paris. Her early work with decorative art studios led her to perfect her sculpting technique with an old-school master and the development of personal creations with new skills and materials. The essential mediums of her work include steel, bronze, aluminum, stainless steel and concrete. She employs vocabulary recognizably her own. An "art brut" figure is her messenger represented in minimalist geometric structures which convey philosophical messages about the human condition. With a dash of humour, she makes us conscious of the absurdities in our modern human lives. Helping us identify with these themes presents a password to serenity. Visit nathaliedecoster.com for more information.
About Mission Hill Family Estate
Mission Hill Family Estate is world renowned for its award-winning wines, stunning setting, architecture, and Cuisine du Terroir-influenced Terrace Restaurant. The winery's vineyards are located in five distinct growing regions of British Columbia's Okanagan Valley. Reflective of the origin and unique character of the Valley and meticulous 'Vine to Bottle' program, Oculus, its signature Bordeaux-inspired wine, represents the pinnacle in premium winemaking. Proprietor Anthony von Mandl and winemaker John Simes produce elegant internationally acclaimed wines with New World flavours and Old World refinement from this incomparable wine valley. Visit missionhillwinery.com for more information and follow Mission Hill Family Estate on Twitter @missionhillwine.
*LOCAL FOOD AND WINE*
TWITTER.COM/LOCALFOODWINE
FACEBOOK/LOCALFOODANDWINE
Follow us On Tumblr * Follow Us On Twitter * Like Us On Facebook
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Sustainable Local and Regional Food Systems
Rooting Local and Regional Food Systems in Sustainability
 At Food Alliance, we think it’s great that people are rediscovering the bounty and beauty of foods grown closer to home. Local food gives people a sense of place, connects them with the broader community, and creates important economic opportunities for small and beginning farmers.But we must not let our love for “local” eclipse other important questions about our food. Localizing food production and consumption can have very positive benefits, but regional growing conditions, population density, and land use patterns must be taken into account when considering the sustainability of local food.Most consumers want to buy and eat a wide variety of foods throughout the year. That means domestic shipping and international trade are here to stay. Given all this, we must consider not only where all our food comes from, but how it is produced, processed and distributed. Through this broader lens a more complete picture of our food comes into focus, giving us information needed to make purchasing decisions that support all of our sustainability goals and concerns. Following are a few great resources for local/regional/sustainable food and farm advocates:
|
| Find Food Alliance Certified Producers & Handlers in Your Region |
 |
*LOCAL FOOD AND WINE *
TWITTER.COM/LOCALFOODWINE
FACEBOOK/LOCALFOODANDWINE
Follow us On Tumblr * Follow Us On Twitter * Like Us On Facebook
Friday, April 8, 2011
Château Haut-Lagrange, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux
| “It is always the adventurous who accomplish great things” | |
 Charles de Montesquieu |
By Paige Donner Read Full Article on Local Food And Wine One early Spring afternoon on a recent trip to the Pessac-Leognan region of Bordeaux, I set off from my hotel on a bicycle in the sunshine. I had not gotten 10 minutes down the pretty grapevine-trimmed country road when the blue sky turned to gray and a drizzle suddenly manifested. Leaving myself completely in the hands of nature in Montesquieu's childhood region, I took the first gravel-lined road that seemed to lead up to one of the wineries that appeared to have people present. Not a moment too soon, someone spotted me just as the heavens poured forth the fresh Spring rain and ushered me into the vineyard warehouse where there was some serious bottling underway. Once they perceived that I spoke English, the lady from the office was called over to welcome me. Her name ended up being Sandrine and she told me that I had wandered onto the Château Haut-Lagrange. Once I explained to her that I had just been out for an afternoon bike ride, she, with all manner of warmth and graciousness, offered to take me on a tour of the winery and allowed me to take pictures. Her English was impressive and she told me that with her husband she spoke Spanish. She is the Château Haut-Lagrange co-manager and is the kind of person, that when you get the chance to speak with them, like on a rainstorm-Spring-afternoon, you really must count your blessings because not only did she tell me all about the vineyard, she also mentioned her favorite regional delicacy which are "acacia Beignets" or acacia doughnuts that you must eat fresh and which only come around once a year, in early May, when the acacia are in bloom. Château Haut-Lagrange is nestled right in with all the other AOC Graves wineries that are so close you can, and ought to, bicycle to them. Though it is one of the newer wineries in this prestigious Bordeaux region, it being the life-long ambition and family-run enterprise ofFrancis Boutemy, whose grandparents were once winemakers of Bordeaux. Graves is the only AOC to take its name from the soil. The soil is a mixture of gravel, pebbles, flint and other stony debris deposited by the Garonne River over the millennia. Pessac-Leognan is part of the Graves area and is the region where Château Haut-Lagrange is (also, Château Haut-Brion) but, technically, the vineyard is not AOC Pessac-Leognan since it was established in 1989, after the 1987 classification. This is where it comes in handy to know your detailed geography of Bordeaux. If you only looked at the label of this fine wine that sells for about 14 - 20 Euro the bottle, white and red, you might miss the significance of the fact that it shares the same climate, terroir and soil as its neighbors such as Château Haut Bailly and Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte. If there is a winery in Bordeaux that is high on my list of participating in a harvest, it is this one. Mr. Boutemy has engineered a grape-picking vehicle that allows the pickers to sit as it travels up and down the rows of vines. [Pictured Below]. The white wine is lovely and not afraid to show its fruit. Its top note is acacia. Yes, add that one to your tasting library. Its strong minerality comes through fully in the mouth and the winemakers here do not subscribe to overly oaking their whites. Only 6,000 bottles of this lovely 50% Sauvignon, 50% Sémillon produced. You must buy a bottle to taste it as they don't have much stock left. The red is cultivated from 7.5 hectares of Merlot (45%) and Cabernet-Sauvignon (55%). They lay a tier of the juice in new barrels, the rest they leave in the tank. Batonnage is in the barrel. Bottling comes 18 months after the harvest. The vintages available for tasting today are the '06 and '07. It is balanced, elegant, a good wine to accompany with raclettes, Indian food or spicy Antilles cuisine. 50,000 bottles. A good wine to keep for 3 - 10 years, depending on the vintage. It is a great buy. You are getting top Pessac-Leognan wine for about 1/3 of what most of the other bottles in the area sell for. This winery is a must stop on your Bordeaux wine travels. Friendly, forthcoming Bordelaise wine folk, excellent wines and great prices. They want to talk wine with you. Château Haut-Lagrange 89, Avenue de La Brède
*LOCAL FOOD AND WINE *
TWITTER.COM/LOCALFOODWINE
FACEBOOK/LOCALFOODANDWINE
Follow us On Tumblr * Follow Us On Twitter * Like Us On Facebo
