Niagara On the Lake

Wine Club

Fri. Aug. 20, 2010 @ Shereen's place

Theme: Summertime fresh foods

Attendance: Julie, Jacquie, Andrea, Tayisa, Carmella and Reem

The lovely evening started with some simple appetizers of old cheddar, brie, goat cheese with red pepper jelly, crackers and baguette along with two whites:

1) MONTECILLO BLANCO - LCBO 72058 $ 10.00 - Made in: Rioja, Spain By: Osborne (Vinhos De Portugal) Ltd.

Description: Very pale lemon yellow; aromas of mineral, green apple, and pear; dry, light to medium-bodied, crisp acidity, fresh flavours of citrus and pear.

Just about everyone liked this light and crisp white. It was very easy to drink. I picked this one because I know a few of us really love the Montecillo reds.

2) BLACK PRINCE WINERY RIESLING 2008 VINTAGES 164236 $18.95 - Made in: Ontario, Canada By: Black Prince Winery Ltd.

Description: A bracingly fresh Riesling with aromas of pear, lime and mineral. Dry, racy and crisp, this is an excellent palate-refresher between courses especially in an alfresco setting. It will be even better with 2-4 years in a cellar.

I picked this wine because Dave and I spent a very nice weekend in Prince Edward County and visited the Black Prince winery - it was great! Unfortunately just about everyone disliked this wine! I think the suggestion above of it being even better in 2-4 years may be true. While it had a sweet aroma, it was too tangy and tasted too strong – nothing like a Riesling. Andrea said it “smelled funny, like onions, vinegar and melons”.

We moved onto our starter dish, which was homemade gazpacho (made by Dave, find recipe at the end of the post). Gazpacho is often difficult to match with wines, but I read online that it pairs very nicely with sparkling wine. It was a great match! We had:

3) LA MAISON DU CRÉMANT BRUT CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE VINTAGES 127811 $16.95 - Made in: Burgundy, France By: Moillard

Description: Cremant de Bourgogne has become a personal favourite to serve as the opening reception wine for more formal events, where Champagne can be too expensive. This has a classic, well defined pinot-noir based nose of crudités, honeycomb and dried fruit. It's light to mid-weight, crisp and lively with a solid acid and mineral core. Focused with lemon and toast going to very good length. Great value for a Champagne look-alike.

Indeed! It was fresh and the acidity of the gazpacho seemed to bring out the fruitiness of the bubbly. I loved it (I think everyone else liked it…at this point in the evening things started to get a little fuzzy).





Next we moved onto the main course, which was blackened tofu with tomatoes and avocado. Since this dish was so full of flavour and a little spicy, I thought a light red would be nice:

4) DOMAINE DE LA MADONE LE PERRÉON BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES 2009 VINTAGES 981175 Price: $13.95 - Made in: Burgundy, France By: Jean Bérerd & Fils

Description: Always a great value, this Gamay shows deep colour, with rich black cherry, juicy strawberry and earthy characteristics leading to a long, crisp finish. It's simply perfect when served, slightly chilled, alongside planked salmon or barbecued chicken breast.

This red smelled like “caramel candies” and was very smooth and easy to drink.

5) LES VIGNERONS DU CASTELAS CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2008 VINTAGES 142125 $13.95 - Made in: Rhone, France By: Vignerons De Castelas

Description: Winner of a Gold Medal at the Concours des Vins Gardois 2009. A blend of syrah and grenache, this shows attractive and solid flavours from start to finish, along with a parallel and balanced seam of fresh acidity. It's dry and medium bodied, and it delivers substance and style at a good price. Drink it with grilled lamb.

This was really delicious, smooth and fruity.



At the end of the evening we had double chocolate brownies with whip cream, served with a delicious port. It was a great evening with a group of wonderful ladies!

p.s. This is how our classy evening ended. Andrea and I tried to recreate a beach scene in the DR (she's pretending that there are parrots perched on her feet...)

“Mellow Gazpacho” – Moosewood Restaurant

Serves 6

3-4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ¼ cups peeled, seeded and chopped cucumbers
2 cups chopped red bell peppers
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 slices whole wheat bread (about 2 cups cubed)
2 tablespoons lemon juice or cider vinegar
2 to 3 cups tomato juice
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon Tabasco or touch of cayenne
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
¼ cup minced scallions

In food processor/blender in batches, puree tomatoes, oil, cucumbers, bell peppers, garlic, bread lemon juice, tomato juice, salt, black pepper, and Tabasco. Stir in parsley and scallions. Chill until cold.