Anthony Gismondi: Perfect gift ideas for everyone in your life
Credit to Author: agismondi| Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2019 19:00:27 +0000
Ten days to go, and you are still looking for the right wine for the right person. Fear not. It is our specialty, and at this time of the year, we are happy to help out. From the impossible to buy for boss to the nitpicking wine geek, we have it covered.
Remember, you should never spend more than you can afford or, frankly, what is required. The vast majority of our selections are in B.C. Liquor stores.
THE BOSS: This is always a tough gift choose. You need it to be appreciated without looking like it is over the top — translation, a wine that looks pricey (hint: excellent packaging) but is appropriately inexpensive. Trying too hard isn’t an option here. Our picks include a red, a white and a sparkler for maximum flexibility.
• Champagne Le Mesnil N/V (France, 52.99) is consistently one of the best buys among the pricey champagne sector that hits well above its price point.
• For a white, make it a New Zealand superstar Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc Te Muna Road Vineyard 2018 Sauvignon Blanc, (Martinborough. $32.99).
• Our red wine is an Italian revelation Giovanni Rosso Nebbiolo Langhe Rosso (Piedmont. $28.99).
THE READER: A detailed wine atlas should be at every wine lover’s elbow, and the latest The World Atlas of Wine 8th Edition by Jancis Robinson is the best and all you need. The newest release is a hefty 416 pages with 230 maps, a new design, including easily-digestible summaries. There are individual pages devoted to St Helena, British Columbia, Uruguay, Brazil, Lebanon, Israel and Cyprus.
The perfect pairing is a glass of port to while away the afternoon as you flip through your favourite regions.
• Our pick is a single vineyard Portuguese port: Taylor Fladgate Quinta de Vargellas 2015) Douro Valley, Portugal. $75.99).
THE CARNIVORE: Beef and robust reds are the matches, and the go-to grapes are Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Zinfandel or any combination of the above. Best bets are from Napa Valley, the Languedoc, Uco Valley, Alexander Valley, the Maipo Valley, the Barossa Valley and, well, you get the picture. We have two picks:
• Stonestreet 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County (California, $52.99).
• Le Vieux Pin 2017 Syrah Cuvée Classique (Okanagan Valley, B.C. $44.99).
THE COLLECTOR: The joy in giving to the collector is in surprising them with a wine they hadn’t thought about or even know. In other words, make it less trophy wine and more terroir wine. Locally two great picks are:
• Tantalus Old Vines Riesling 2018 (Okanagan Valley, B.C. $21-$32).
• Martin’s Lane Naramata Ranch Pinot Noir 2014 ($99.99).
The former will live a minimum of 10 years in the bottle, while the latter will fit perfectly into a world-class Pinot Noir blind tasting.
CLIMATE CHANGE: Ardent recyclers and environmentalists enjoy wines made with little or no intervention, be they farmed sustainably, organic or biodynamic. Two quality picks in the market place are:
• M. Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Les Meysonniers Rouge 2017 (Rhone Valley, France $26.99).
• Col d’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino 2013 (Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy $55.99).
FOR THE GOURMAND: We know all wines are better with food but none more so than wines with a balance of fruit and acidity like Champagne, Bordeaux, Brunello, Barolo, Chianti and Burgundy. Our picks:
• A very affordable bottle of Bouchard Pere 2014 Cote Beaune Villages (France. $34.99).
• Antinori Peppoli 2016 Chianti Classico (Tuscany, Italy. 26.99).
SWEET ENDINGS: Sweet tooths abound at Christmas, so a bottle or two of dessert wine is always welcome at the end of a meal or even in the middle of the day. It is the time for icewine and late harvest labels. Our picks:
• Hester Creek 2018 Late Harvest Pinot Blanc (Okanagan Valley, B.C. $18.99).
• Chateau Rieussec 2016, Sauternes (Bordeaux, France. $65).
Tantalus Riesling 2018, East Kelowna, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
$21-$32 I 90/100
UPC: 626990067412
There is nothing regular about the “regular” Tantalus Riesling, and judging by the rush to southeast Kelowna to grow Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay, the terroir is equally compelling. The purity of fruit is the Tantalus signature, and you get that and more in this 2018, a vintage that started slow and slowed down under a haze of summer smoke before harvest. The wine is bright, clean and refreshing with signature aromas of tangerines, lime leaf, and flowers that spill across its stony, mineral palate, flecked with kiwi and starfruit. A wine for the holidays if ever there was one.
CheckMate Fool’s Mate Chardonnay 2015, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
$80 I 93/100
UPC: 776545800244
Fool’s Mate is a blend of sites: 33 per cent Jagged Rock (née The Barn Vineyard), Black Sage Bench, 26 per cent Sunset Vineyard, Black Sage Bench, 24 per cent Dekelva Vineyard, Golden Mile Bench, 13 per cent Border Vista Vineyard, Osoyoos East Bench and four per cent Combret Vineyard, Golden Mile Bench. Different sites and expositions, morning sun, afternoon sun and a broad mix of clones contribute to the whole. It is the most complex of the releases, right out of the gate. It was a cooker of vintage heat-wise, but clearly, Philip McGahan made all the right decisions to maintain the brightness and freshness here while putting together a compelling Chardonnay, at least on the mid-palate, that lingers with finesse and even an edgy acidity in the end. The 2015 has the peach perfumed undertones, but it’s the minerality and stony, salty notes in the back end that carry the wine to a higher level. Impressive.
M. Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Les Meysonniers Rouge 2017, Rhone Valley, France
$26.99 I 90/100
UPC: 03391180001749
Always one of the very best value Crozes-Hermitage, Les Meysonniers comes off the lower slopes and the flats south and east of the Hill Hermitage. The nose is a full-frontal assault of red and black plum fruit aromas and flavours with persistent but gentle spicing and a twist of garrigue. That said, the attack is elegant and measured with a meaty, peppery, savoury finished. The winery says it is crafted as a “bistro-nomic” made for home cooking. We agree, and we suggest favourite pork or lamb dish to pair with it now and over the next decade.
Giovanni Rosso Nebbiolo Langhe Rosso 2016, Piedmont, Italy
$28.99 I 92/100
UPC: 8028998102447
I often say to Cabernet Sauvignon drinkers that eventually they will make your way to Nebbiolo, the great Italian grape variety used to make Barolo. Here is a wine that will hasten your transition. I’m not sure there is a better wine under $30 in the B.C. market. It’s better than last year and last year it was terrific. The nose is captivating with its fragrant rose petal and licorice notes. The colour and weight are Pinot Noir-like, and the palate is deliciously juicy and forthcoming from front to back. You can drink this now or cellar three to five years and beyond because it is perfectly balanced. Brava to Giovani Rosso and its commitment to making serious Nebbiolo at all levels. Back up the truck. Consider this a top match with your holiday turkey dish.
Taylor Fladgate Quinta de Vargellas 2015, Douro Valley, Portugal
$75.99 I 92/100
UPC: 5013626114094
In the years when classic Vintage Port is not declared, it is replaced by a ‘single quinta’ port. It is made precisely as the “vintage,’ but only with fruit from the Vargellas property. It was dry in 2015, and the fruit was healthy. The load was light, yielding balanced bunches and no raisins. Expect the floral jasmine notes of Vargellas, with bits of pipe smoke, licorice, black cherry jam. The attack is round but with firm tannins and savoury, intense, sweet black cherry fruit. The finish is long with subtle minerality and more youthful fruit, flecked with figs and walnut notes. An excellent single quinta port that will age effortlessly for a decade and beyond.
Sean Brock’s first cookbook Heritage won every award that matters, and I expect the newly released South: Essential Recipes and New Explorations to enjoy a similar level of success. Brock is a chef, turned food historian, turned farmer, turned chef again and his knowledge and passion for the cuisine of the American South is unparalleled. If you buy the book, you might need to hit Amazon to get Carolina Gold rice and maybe Anson Mills for some heritage grits, but it will be worth it to taste the south of 150 years ago.
1/2 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp (15 mL) kosher salt, plus extra
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1 tsp (5 mL) canola oil
2 oz (58 g) country ham, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 lb (454 g) 21–25-count shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 oz (114 g) small button mushrooms, washed, dried, and quartered
1/4 cup (60 mL) thinly sliced scallions
1/2 cup (125 mL) vegetable stock
2 tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter, diced
1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice
4 portions freshly cooked heritage grits
Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl, mix well, and set aside.
Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the ham, and cook, stirring frequently, until the fat has rendered and the ham is crisp, about 3 minutes.
Lightly dredge the shrimp in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess, and carefully add them to the hot skillet. Cook until lightly browned on the first side, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the shrimp, add the mushrooms and scallions, and cook until the other side of the shrimp is lightly browned and the mushrooms and scallions begin to soften, about 2 minutes.
Add the vegetable stock, bring to a simmer, and cook until it has reduced by half and the shrimp are just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the butter and lemon juice and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Give the grits a good stir, then divide them among warmed bowls. Spoon the shrimp and mushrooms, with their broth, on top.
Makes 4 servings.
Shrimp and Grits is a fun match with a more luxurious style of New World or Next World Chardonnay.
Hester Creek Chardonnay 2018, Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, B.C. $21,99
A big Chardonnay, rich in honey and lemon with bits peaches and cream corn that will quickly subdue the grits and shrimp.
Kitsch 7 Barrel Chardonnay 2017, Okanagan Valley, B.C. $40
A creamy, baked-apple, citrus-flavoured Chardonnay with enough savoury notes to balance it, making it ready for the flavourful shrimp and grits.