Anthony Gismondi: Looking back at notable wine world events in 2019
Credit to Author: agismondi| Date: Fri, 03 Jan 2020 19:00:21 +0000
Today we look back on 2019, a year in which American wine critic Robert Parker officially retired from the wine business.
Parker was a tireless taster, and his newsletter The Wine Advocate was the gold standard of wine criticism. You might say he was the perfect guy at the ideal time to be writing about quality wines and their producers.
There are other voices today, but none compare to Parker and his global impact on the wine, and it is unlikely he will be replaced in the age of social media where it seems everybody is an expert.
Closer to home, two British Columbia wineries shone at the National Wine Awards of Canada in 2019. Mission Hill Family Estate won the coveted Canadian Winery of the Year award on the strength of 18 medals, eight of which belong to its Terroir Collection introduced to highlight single vineyard sites in the Okanagan Valley. Oliver-based Moon Curser Vineyards earned the Best Performing Small Winery (under 10,000 cases) grabbing one platinum and six gold medals.
There were many other stories in B.C. The new CedarCreek Winery opening, including the Home Block Restaurant, is as good as it gets in the wine business. Phantom Creek Estates is going to change the face of the south Okanagan tourism as it prepares to wow visitors with its spectacular facility on the Black Sage Bench. In West Kelowna, Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery will launch its new digs in early 2020 and, on the Golden Mile Bench, Checkmate Winery will open another modern tasting facility and a full renovated back end winery.
Tariffs were back in the news courtesy of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has imposed additional tariffs on most European wines. The ad valorem tax is nowhere near the daily dose of tax paid in British Columbia, but the latest talk of a possible 100 per cent tax on European wine would be crippling for U.S. retailers. For the moment, it’s advantage America, but the damage these tariffs will bring to the business of wine will ultimately catch up with domestic producers (attention B.C.), and finally land on consumers who will be asked to pay more than ever. Given how fast millennials are distancing themselves from expensive, traditional wines, it could be a fatal blow to a fine wine category that is already starting to wobble.
Wildfires in wine country have become a terrifying, almost weekly story that is now affecting tourism. Many regions are seeing a shift in visitors to earlier in the year to avoid the new normal of summer and fall fires, not to mention those who have given up on touring wine country at all. You can add smoke, hail, rain and rot — factors that remind us that grape growing is farming and farming is tough, and getting tougher with global climate change.
Rosé and “natural” wines have joined Prosecco as wines that have reached their zenith with consumers. Think of them as having established themselves as a legitimate sector in the milieu of wine, but post-revolution there may be less upside unless producers focus on going premium.
In B.C., wine consumers are under relentless attack from taxation, price gouging and a market closed to free and open competition by an alcohol monopoly system that no longer tilts the field but acts as if it is the field. When you see constant price reductions in government stores, some as high as six or seven dollars a bottle, you can understand how much more you are paying every day for wine versus Ontario or Quebec drinkers. It verges on being criminal.
Another storyline is the continuing sale of family wineries to large commercial interests across North America as a result of no succession planning, or younger family members who grew up at the winery choosing to shun the 24-7 wine lifestyle for a healthier life.
As tough as it looks now, it was worse before Robert Parker came along in the late 1970s.
Next week we look at some of the positive changes taking place in the world of wine that could relaunch the business. Who knows, maybe we are about to revive the roaring 20s, 2020 style.
Cuma Organic Biologique Torrontés 2018, Argentina
$13.99 | 87/100
UPC: 7790189040074
Cuma is Michel Torino’s organic line, and this bright and fresh Torrontés is made with fruit chosen from about the country. Light soap, lime blossoms, peach, honey, and melon on a slim body to a shorter finish. Bright, light, easy, and a touch sweet, this is a fine and pretty organic Torrontés at a great price.
Louis Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2018, Rhone Valley, France
$18.99 | 87/100
UPC: 3174360081744
A new name and a new label, but the Louis Bernard Côte du Rhône Blanc remains a solid mid-week white you can serve with white meats or seafood. The blend is a mix of Grenache Blanc, Viognier, and Roussanne, opening with a stony, floral, mineral nose with a similar dry, citrus, mineral palate. Food-friendly and ready to drink, it finishes clean and dry.
Torres Sangre de Toro N/V, Penedès, Catalunya, Spain
$11.99 I 87/100
UPC: 08410113003294
The Sangre de Toro, a blend of Grenache and Carignan, spends a quick six months in American and French oaks to round out the edges. It is a ready-to-drink mix of dark fruits and dried herbs with a light dusting of licorice and curry. Smooth and round, this mid-week red is perfect for stews, meaty pizzas, grilled chicken, and meat pies.
Santa Carolina Reserva Pinot Noir Leyda Estate 2018, Valle de Leyda, Valle de San Antonio, Chile
$13.99 | 88/100
UPC: 7804350599626
We love what winemaker Alejandro Wedeles is doing with this way-too-affordable Pinot Noir (clones 777 and 667) made in a terrific year. Juicy and succulent, it is packed with raspberries, cherries, cedar, and pepper that keeps on coming. Fresh, mouth-filling, affordable, and what are you waiting for? Back up the truck.
Juan Gil Monastrell 2017, Jumilla, Valencia and Murcia, Spain
$22 | 87/100
UPC: 8437005068001
Busy, warm, open, luxurious, hedonistic, soft and more: this is Juan Gill yellow label in a nutshell. There are cherries and chocolates, baked blackcurrant, raisin, and licorice, with chalky tannins. Rustic and frankly a touch rambunctious, it is a party red par excellence, best paired with meatball appetizers. Ready to drink.
Eco-cook Heather Thomas combines a deep connection with nature, mindful ritual and vegetarian eating in a healthful collection of recipes and philosophy in The Mindful Kitchen. A useful starting point for your new leaf in a new year. Use whatever noodles you have in the cupboard: rice noodles, soba noodles, spaghetti or linguine.
Veggie Stir-Fry with Peanut Butter Sauce
10 oz (284 g) noodles
1 onion, sliced
¼ small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups (500 mL) sliced red cabbage
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp (10 mL) freshly grated ginger
Cilantro or basil leaves, to garnish
For the sauce
1 tbsp (15 mL) sesame oil
1 tbsp (15 mL) soy sauce
1 tbsp (15 mL) sweet chili sauce
1 tbsp (15 mL) apple molasses or maple syrup
⅓ cup (80 mL) natural peanut butter
1 tbsp (15 mL) apple cider vinegar
Whisk together the sauce ingredients and set aside. Boil the noodles in a saucepan of salted water according to the package directions. Meanwhile, warm the oil in a large skillet or wok, add the onion, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes before adding the squash. Stir-fry and let it soften for 6 minutes, then add in the cabbage, garlic, and ginger. Continue to stir-fry for 5 minutes. Drain the noodles and add them to the pan. Use tongs to combine everything. Then pour over the peanut sauce and mix so that the noodles and vegetables are completely coated. Add a few cilantro or basil leaves before serving.
Makes 4 servings
A couple of local Pinot Gris should help this stir fry come to life between bites.
Kitsch Pinot Gris 2018, Okanagan Valley, $22
A fresh, savoury affair loaded with green apple, pears, and citrus flavours that should easily take on the stir fry and its mix of flavours.
Haywire Pinot Gris 2018, Okanagan Valley, $24.90
A simple, juicy, fresh Pinot Gris that boasts orchard fruit aromas and flavours that are the perfect tonic for a veggie stir fry.
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