Anthony Gismondi: Expert tips to build a home wine cellar
Credit to Author: agismondi| Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2019 18:00:16 +0000
Is the wine cellar dead? The simple answer is yes for all but the most fortunate who have the room to store a few hundred bottles where they live.
For the city dweller, space is an issue, especially if you live in a condominium or old-time apartment building. So what are your options?
If you have resources, you could store your wine off-premises with a private company that will inventory, store your wine, and even deliver it to your door. Unless you have a lot of spare cash and you meticulously plan your life, this doesn’t work for most of us who just want to have a few bottles available for dinner or a drop-in guest.
Since I have been storing wine short term for decades as part of my work, I may have an economical solution that will work for you at home.
I use two small “wine fridges” with a modest footprint of roughly 17x18x33 inches; each unit holds between 35 and 40 bottles. Wine fridge technology has come a long way with quality units selling for less than $400, or $10 a bottle. If you are patient, you can acquire them on sale for a lot less.
They are light, quiet, reliable and highly portable, and two units will allow you to store some 75 to 80 bottles, the perfect size for a compact mobile cellar for all but the most serious collector.
A wine fridge solves a few issues. First, it keeps the wine at the proper temperature (most condominiums are way too warm to be aging wine in), and when you serve wine, it is always at the correct temperature.
It gives you a lot of flexibility if you like matching food and wine, and you can take advantage of last-minute sales and inevitably what you buy today will be more expensive down the road.
What can you do with 75 to 80 bottles of wine lying around your house? Well, let’s get started. Treat yourself to a bottle or two of Champagne and, to make sure you don’t drink them the first day, add a few bottles of local sparkling wine. After that, serve and replace as time goes by.
Some 15 to 20 white wines should satisfy most palates. The category allows for a lot of flexibility but should begin with Chardonnay, perhaps a French Chablis or two and something from Puligny Montrachet in Burgundy.
From the New World look to Australia’s Yarra Valley, and California’s Sonoma and Napa valleys. Closer home in British Columbia and Ontario there are myriad Chardonnay possibilities to help round out your picks. And speaking of British Columbia, toss in three Rieslings for your connoisseur friends.
Other white picks should be eclectic, and you can shuffle them in and out depending on the season. Think Picpoul, Gruner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Grigio and Semillon. Your rosé selection should highlight the south of France, so think Provence and Languedoc.
That leaves space for about 40 bottles of red wines. We are allotting five picks each to the big five varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Shiraz, Merlot, Pinot Noir.
Each grape has its ideal home turf: Pinot Noir from Oregon, Sonoma, Burgundy, New Zealand and British Columbia. Shiraz from the Rhone, the Languedoc, Australia, South Africa and B.C.; Merlot from Bordeaux, Bolgheri, Sonoma, New Zealand and British Columbia. The Cabernets, Franc and Sauvignon, take us to Argentina, Chile, California, France and British Columbia.
That leaves you room for a couple of bottles each of Rioja ( Spain), Barolo, Chianti, Brunello (Italy), plus bottles containing Grenache or Garnacha from France or Spain, Monastrell from Spain, Malbec from Argentina, Gamay form Beaujolais and B.C., and Zinfandel from California.
No need to rush, you can add one fridge at a time and slowly fill it. Remember, searching for the wines, and buying them is half the fun of collecting, sharing and drinking them.
Harper’s Trail Riesling Thad Springs Vineyard Silver Mane Block 2018, Kamloops
$18.29 | 92/100
UPC: 626990148708
From nowhere to the superb in just a few short years is a testament to B.C. terroir, and what is possible when you let the site and weather dictate the direction of your wine. The Silver Mane Block leaped into the stratosphere in 2018; what a delicious Riesling. It’s electric really, with all the components you would want in a New World Riesling. The palate is an enticing, crunchy mix of pineapple and pears sprayed with citrus and a hint of ginger. Super value. Winery direct.
Domaine Saint-Nabor Gris de Nabor 2018, Le Gard, Languedoc, France
$14.99 | 88/100
UPC: 3452790003551
Light coral/pink colour invites, along with a fresh stony red apple nose. The attack is soft and round with perfectly ripe, red apple fruit flecked with honeysuckle and tangerines. The finish is similar, with a touch of bitter rind to keep it all balanced. This IGP Gard is a mix of Tempranillo, Grenache and Cinsault that makes for a perfect patio pink that works with a wide array of appetizers. Good value.
Bouchard Aîné & Fils Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2016, Burgundy, France
$13.99 | 86/100
UPC: 03340180004410
Since 1750 has to be worth something, and this Pinot Noir from Bouchard Ainé & Fils is a breath of fresh air. The nose is earthy with subtle mushroom, red fruit nuances. The attack is dry with round, light tannins and light black cherry. The grapes are a mix of fruit from the Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise, with a small amount from the Côte de Nuits. A simple, everyday French Pinot but at $11.99, and under screw cap, it gets the job done. Perfect with a mushroom pizza.
Mayhem Merlot Cabernet Franc 2017, Okanagan Valley
$21.74 | 88/100
UPC: 626990352518
The mix is 75/25 Merlot/Cabernet Franc, a smart choice for an inexpensive Okanagan red. It’s all aged in French oak, another good idea, adding some class and firmness. The nose is a savoury mélange of dried herbs and menthol with an earthy, leafy, black raspberry character that spills onto a fresh, red-fruited, plummy mid-palate. This wine hits all the bells and whistles for its price but can startle with its rooty, spicy finish. Perfect for mushroom risotto. Private retail.
La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2016, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California, United States
$35.99 | 89/100
UPC: 049331002307
A large production Pinot that is a mix of estate and grower vineyards but all within the cool, marine boundaries of Sonoma County. The parcels are kept separate until the final blend to capitalize on the best lots. Clones include 23, 37, 115, 667, 777, 828, Pommard, Calera, Swan and Martini. Look for an earthy wild strawberry nose with a dusting of baking spices. On the palate look for cherries, plum, pomegranate and spice. It’s aged in 95 per cent French oak, but only 25 per cent is new. Delicious, drinkable and authentic.
When you want to know how to treat seafood with the proper respect, you turn to an expert. This tartar of fresh albacore and smoked steelhead was devised by Pino Posteraro, chef and owner of Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill and Enoteca. He was named a Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy by the president of Italy, and that is every bit as big a deal as it sounds.
4 oz (120 g) cubed fresh albacore tuna
1 1/2 oz (45 g) cubed cold-smoked steelhead or salmon
1 tsp (5 mL) chopped chives
1 tsp (5 mL) chopped shallots
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled cored and cubed
1 splash soy sauce
1 splash ponzu vinegar
1 splash old balsamic vinegar
1 splash extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp (15 mL) mayonnaise
1 avocado, cubed
Juice of 1 lemon
4 handfuls mesclun mix
4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and cubed
Black olive tapanade
Mix tuna and steelhead in a bowl over ice with the chives, shallot, apples, soy, ponzu, balsamic, mayonnaise and olive oil. Dress the avocado with lemon juice and season with salt. Using a ring mold, alternate layers of the avocado mixture with the tuna mixture.
Decorate each plate with olive purée and dressed tomatoes. Finish the dish with the mesclun bouquet and olive oil. Serve with crostini on the side.
Makes 4 servings.
Tartare et al is an adventurous dish, calling for a bold wine pick.
Mission Hill Terroir Collection Jagged Rock Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Semillion 2018, Okanagan Valley, $29.99
Mineral, white fruits, honey, grapefruit, and a touch of Okanagan sagebrush gives this the heft to take on this dish.
Singletree Winery Grüner Veltliner 2017, Fraser Valley, $20
Citrusy, green/yellow apple, white peach flavours dusted in white pepper should stand up to this rustic fish dish.
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