Anthony Gismondi: 2020 is the year to act now
Credit to Author: agismondi| Date: Fri, 10 Jan 2020 19:57:47 +0000
It’s a new year and with that comes a clean slate. It’s a chance to rethink what is we want to achieve, and how we might want to go about it in 2020.
What’s clear is nothing stands still in the wine business, so if you are not changing, you are falling behind. Today we share a few thoughts about possibilities we should consider in 2020 across British Columbia for the good of all interested in buying and selling wine.
It’s no secret that anyone buying wine in B.C. has been under assault for decades from the constant escalation of prices and taxes. At retail, the 197 B.C. Liquor Stores work pretty much the way they did in 2010, 2000, 1990 and before that — namely as a bricks and mortar only retail chain. Not a single bottle of wine is sold on the internet by one of the largest retailers in the country. Heck, they can hardly get the product delivered to their stores, and as for servicing suppliers, restaurants and the real needs of private wine shops, it is far from ideal, if not a complete fail.
Since it is clear the government is never getting out of the business of alcohol, we suggest the best thing for business, consumers, tourism and the general economy is to level the playing field and let others get on with saving the wine business. Let distributors and retailers buy what they want and sell at the price of their choice. Let restaurants choose who they buy their wines from and how it is delivered. Same for local wineries, and let the competition begin. And if B.C. Liquor Stores are going nowhere, how about launching an online sales site to commemorate the 25th anniversary of online sales before the concept is extinct?
British Columbia wine producers have done a lot of growing up in the last five years, but there will be plenty more work to do in the ’20s. Two significant priorities for consumers will be how we deal with climate change and finally committing to eliminating all herbicides and pesticides from our vineyards. In such a pristine environment, the second task should be relatively easy, and with help from the larger players, should be reachable within the decade.
Mission Hill has already made a public commitment to be certified organic across its 1100 acres, joining the likes of Summerhill, Okanagan Crush Pad vineyards, Covert Farms, Clos du Soliel and many other small producers. Momentum is in our favour. All that’s needed is a public declaration from industry members to restore the valley soils to their original condition by 2030. You need goals if you are going to achieve them.
Climate change will require an even more significant effort. Many endeavours are already underway globally that B.C. producers must be participants in. The time for action is now, and the failure to do anything may impact how consumers view the wine business going forward. In a recent report by Geisenheim University for ProWein attendees in Dusseldorf, it was suggested consumer tastes would evolve and continue to change their consumption habits due to climate change — and it is likely going to be contrary to the climatic changes in the wine.
Retailers are already now noticing in hot summers, for example, wine consumption drops, and demand for heavy red wines dwindles. “In the future, retailers also expect demand for other wines (63 per cent) and other beverages (47 per cent) to go up. It means production and demand will develop in the opposite direction. Climate change means the output of heavy wines, richer in alcohol while at the same time fuels consumer demand for lighter and more refreshing wines.”
No one should underestimate the importance of sustainability. In the same report, 86 per cent of the players think focusing on sustainable production is a must. “Approval among retailers is highest in Scandinavia (96 per cent) and Southern Europe (93 per cent). Three quarters consider a reduction in the carbon footprint a necessary contribution to be made by the wine industry.”
It is time to act now.
Cono Sur Bicicleta Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Valle de San Antonio, Region de Aconcagua, Chile
$12.99 | 88/100
UPC: 7804320348063
This is all you could want in an inexpensive Sauvignon, from the juicy, passion fruit entry to the lime pith and lemon rind back end riddled with nectarine skin and perfect tropical, orange undertones and bitterness. Ready to drink, and an ideal match with fish tacos, steamed mussels, or a burrata salad. Terrific value.
Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2017, Columbia Valley, Washington, United States
$16.99 | 89/100
UPC: 1847450004443
The Evergreen Vineyard is now 21 years old, and producing high-quality fruit on cliffs high above the Columbia River in the state’s newest AVA, Ancient Lakes. This wine has been amazingly consistent over the years and is a terrific choice for those who like their Riesling fresh and tangy. 2016 again offers pure fruit flavours of apple and nectarine, with a subtle undercurrent of stony minerality. The palate is equally lively, and easily carries the fruit to all parts of the palate. Apples, pears and limes dominate its sweet fruit flavours that finish with a touch of bitterness for complexity. Barbecue ribs or chicken work here, and so does a spicy South Asian dish. Back up the truck.
Domaine de la Chaise Sauvignon 2018, Touraine, Loire, France
$21-$25 | 88/100
UPC: 3760025890013
The Davault family is six generations on at Domaine de la Chaise and its 57 ha of hillsides at Saint Georges sur Cher. The style is fresh and ripe, almost New World, until you taste the balance and intensity of this Sauvignon that brings you back to the Loire. Global warming is bumping up the ripeness here with even some pineapple notes mixed in with passion fruit and lemon, all supported by minerality. Goat cheese, shellfish and salads all work. Excellent value, but you will have to search for it in private wine shops or scan restaurant wine lists.
Front Row Shiraz/Mourvèdre/Viognier 2016, Swartland, Coastal Region, South Africa
$11.99 I 86/100
UPC: 6009804300402
This Swartland blend of Shiraz, Mourvèdre, and Viognier is thick and plump on the warming palate, with sweet blackberry, ripe plum, mocha, strung with grippy/sticky tannins to a very drying finish. Best taken with grilled meats to meet those tannins and ripeness. Simple and ready to drink.
Quails’ Gate Merlot 2017, Okanagan Valley
$29.99 | 86/100
UPC: 778856117233
The nose is textbook Okanagan sagebrush streaked with roasted coffee and red fruit aromas. The attack is dry and muscular, with a substantial amount of tannin. The palate mixes coffee, licorice, and black fruit. It will need five years minimum to open up and find itself. It is an anomaly for Merlot, usually delivering much earlier on in life. The wine was fermented in stainless and pumped over for a month for additional extraction (maybe too much) before spending 18 months in French oak. Best served now with slowly braised barbecue beef ribs or a simple peppercorn steak.
Israeli cuisine is exploding in popularity, which puts prolific cookbook author and Tel Aviv market enthusiast Adeena Sussman at the crest of a wave. Despite one tricky ingredient, these slightly exotic chicken wings are a breeze to make. Dried Persian limes come in two shades — black and a sort of walnutty tan — and are traditionally dropped whole into Persian stews and soups to add a hint of citrus and the singular funk that only fermentation can give.
Sour Lime and Pomegranate Chicken Wings
1 tsp. (5 mL) vegetable oil
2 lbs. (900 g) chicken wings
Juice and zest of 1 lime
4 small dried Persian limes
1 tbsp. (15 mL) ground turmeric
2 tsp. (10 mL) garlic powder
2 tsp. (10 mL) sweet paprika
2 tsp. (10 mL) kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
2 tsp. (10 mL) sugar
1 tsp. (5 mL) onion powder
1 tsp. (5 mL) freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1 tsp. (5 mL) ground cumin
⅓ cup pomegranate molasses
Chopped scallion greens
Pomegranate seeds
Line a baking sheet with foil, set a rack on top and grease rack with vegetable oil. In a large bowl, toss wings with lime juice and zest, then arrange on the sheet, leaving space between each wing. Smash the limes into a couple of pieces to break them up. In a spice grinder, pulverize them into a fine powder. Add turmeric, garlic powder, paprika, salt, sugar, onion powder, pepper and cumin, and pulse a few more times. Sprinkle half the mixture over the wings, pressing it in gently with your hands. Flip the wings, then sprinkle and press in the other half of the mixture. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Leave the wings on the rack over the baking sheet and bake them until they’re sizzling and the meat is cooked, 40-45 minutes. Remove wings from the oven, brush both sides with the pomegranate molasses, and return to the oven until the wings caramelize slightly, 5-6 minutes. Season generously with salt-and-pepper. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with scallions and pomegranate seeds.
Makes 8 servings as an appetizer.
Chicken wings with sour lime and pomegranate additions mean big flavours, and our wine solution is rosé
Wine for Yoga Lovers Sangiovese Rosé 2018, Langhorne Creek, South Australia
$13.47 | 90/100
UPC: 9351106000199
This pale, fresh, lightly spiced rosé is packed full of raspberry/cherry/orange fruit ready to tackle a noisy wing recipe.
Famille J-M Cazes L’Ostal Rosé 2018, Languedoc, France
$15.99 | 87/100
UPC: 3760082819903
Strawberries and raspberries with a dry, citrus rind cut into the flavour-coated chicken wings.
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