Frog’s Pad

http://www.happinezwinebar.com/happinez/upcoming.jsp

If you are very interested in wine and you haven’t seen the documentary film Mondovino, you should add this to your “must do” list.  Many people around the world have built wine tasting events around the movie, where people watch the film while tasting wines from or inspired by the producers explored in Mondovino.

I attended just such an event – a long time coming – in Saint John last week, at happinez wine bar. We watched the movie, drank some wine, and discussed the issues highlighted in the film.

This documentary about the globalization of the wine world was much talked about on release in 2005, but mainly only amongst wine geek types and industry insiders. Unlike Sideways, or Bottle Shock, the current wine themed movie, which are aimed at the general population, with a plotline, actors, and fictional (even if based on real people) characters, Mondovino is more of a REAL wine lover’s movie experience.

It was produced by Jonathan Nossiter, a sommelier and wine lover, who used  it to project the argument that the world of wine is roughly split into two camps: those who believe that wine is better than ever due to modern advancements, and those who feel that technology and globalization are threatening to destroy the soul of wine.

He puts forth the argument through profiles and interviews with wine personalities from seven countries and in five languages. These include elderly French winemakers, young up and comers from various countries, and – most notably – French flying winemaking consultant Michel Rolland and his friend, the influential and highly controversial American wine critic & tastemaker Robert Parker.

After watching the movie, it was clear to me which side Nossiter is on. He makes Rolland look like a pompous ass, and he entices you to fall in love with the quirky old terroir-driven wine personalities. Much of the personality of the characters is actually presented via their dogs, but I’ll let you watch the movie to see just how. Clearly, Nossiter is worried about the direction the world’s wines are heading towards, and I agree with him, for the most part. But, as with any controversy, there are two sides to the story, and that is what makes the film, and the discussion of it, so entertaining.

If you watch closely, including the bonus footage on the DVD< you will see two things that repeat. One is Michel Rolland telling wineries to micro-oxygenate their red wines. This process introduces pure oxygen to wine in the presence of oak, in order to give smoother tannins, similar to what happens when wine is oak aged then bottled aged for years. The second is a lot of European wine professionals talking about how too much oak is used in wine these days, and they are too concentrated, due to wineries trying to chase the scores of Robert Parker, who is notorious for loving blackish red wines with sweet vanilla, coffee and chocolate oak flavours.

The most critical, and also difficult, part about running a Mondovino wine party is finding the wine. Many of the products name dropped in the movie – Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, Opus One, Domaine de Montille, Mas de Daumas Gassac, Napa Valley’s Staglin, Chateau Kirwan, and the wines of the Mad Rose group – are either too expensive for practical purposes, or impossible to find around here.

If you are in Nova Scotia you can buy the wines of Gassac at Cristall & Luckett’s private wine store in Bedford, which range from $15 to around $70. Other than that, though, you’ll have to be creative in your wine choices.

For the happinez tasting, we used a Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon from Mondavi, a Bordeaux wine made by Michel Rolland, an old fashioned Bordeaux from Château Timberlay, Clos De Los Siete 2005 from Argentina (a wine which Rolland consulted on) and an old school red from Italy.

While not all of these wines have direct connections to the movie, they generate discussion about new world versus old world, and technology versus terroir.

For more information on the movie, for planning your own tasting, go to mondovinofilm.com. The DVD can be purchased from most purveyors of fine films.
Cheers!

Craig Pinhey is totally old school. Contact him at frogspad@nb.aibn.com.

Buccaneer’s Pub is located at 24 Main St. West in Saint John. For information on the pub, please call (506) 635-1886.

[Dan]: A stone’s throw away from Moosehead Breweries resides Buccaneer’s Pub. Buc’s, as it is commonly called, has been a neighbourhood pub on the West Side for as long as I can remember. Buc’s serves lunch and dinner during the week along with breakfast on the weekends. Daily lunch and dinner specials are always available. Late night activities include live bands, karaoke, DJs, and sports events like UFC, NHL, and NFL on a projection screen.

Brufrog was interested in a dingy pub for this review but Buc’s high ceilings and open design keeps this pub from being described as dingy. If it were not for the high ceilings Buc’s would remind me of a suburban bungalow’s basement from the ’80s because of the soft wood paneling that encompasses the pub. The bar itself has beautiful woodwork and the whole place is very clean, including the kitchen that’s viewable from two vantage points within the pub.

[Brufrog]: Yeah, I confess that I like classic Maritime taverns, dingy or not. For me, dingy is kind of a compliment for an old school tavern. I can’t stand these faux Irish pubs with all the fake old wood, fake fireplaces, fake servers and fake beers. Like Dan, I really like the Buc’s traditional wood paneling that reminds me of family rec rooms from the ’70s and ’80s. It’s kind of dark in there, perfect for anonymously nursing a hangover with a couple of beers. I also like to see jars of pickled eggs and pepperoni on the bar, but that’s far less common these days. And, oh yeah, I like the draught to be served by the pair in small format glasses of seven or eight ounces, and cheap. They don’t do that at the Buc anymore, at least not without asking. As you can tell, I’m trying to relive my college days. Well, part of them, anyway. Not the ‘no sex’ part.

[Dan]: Buc’s does not make the mistake of having a menu that’s too large. Starters such as mozza sticks, salads, and soups can lead to mains like sandwiches, burgers, and steaks. Most menu items run between $5-$15.

One of the things I love about West Side bars and pubs is the price of draught beer. A 14-ounce glass during the lunch period is $2.65 plus tax. The price is a little bit higher during the evenings. Today I was drinking Alpine as I normally do at West Side bars and pubs due to it being the most popular beer and therefore the freshest.

[Brufrog]: Smart move by Dan. I went for the Clancy’s and it had that stale cardboardy taste, a case of “first pint blues” I guess “” old beer in the line for the first pour of the day, or just a dying keg. My Alpine was much fresher. At under $4 a beer including tax, it makes me wonder how other pubs get away with their astronomical pint prices. I wish, though, they had Picaroons Bitter or Pump House SOB.

I ordered the breaded haddock for lunch, which is still deep fried, but with less coating than the fish and chips. For $7.95 I was delivered three pieces of fresh tasting fish, cooked perfectly, with tartar sauce, fries (not fresh cut but crinkly, which Dan says is the best kind of frozen fries, and he seems trustworthy) with gravy (add a buck) and a scoop of coleslaw. It was all very tasty, all the more so at that low price.

Also notable was the extremely friendly service. If it’s like that everyday, and I suspect it is, then I can see why people would keep going back.

[Dan]: I ordered the Mate’s Cut Steak Dinner for $11.95. The Mate’s Cut is a 10-ounce New York-style strip with a potato side, and choice of sautéed vegetables or freshly made coleslaw. I ordered my steak medium rare, with mashed potatoes and gravy and the vegetables. The steak, was cooked as desired with crispy thick grill lines, but could have been a great steak had it been seasoned with freshly ground pepper and coarse or kosher salt before grilling. The mashed potatoes could have used more butter and/or cream but the gravy’s consistency and seasoning was good as always. I have never been able to figure out if this gravy is made from scratch or not. The vegetables were a colourful and crisp mix of onion, different bell peppers, and celery sautéed in butter and lightly seasoned with a bit of salt. I’ve always enjoyed the sautéed vegetables at Buc’s as they really put an effort to make this a real side rather than a plate filler of soggy frozen vegetables that have been boiled to death. The plate is topped off with two pieces of garlic toast made on a “Texas-style” cut of bread.

This meal was good and although I eat for taste and enjoyment rather than quantity it would satisfy someone looking for both. In short, Buc’s provides good value on the West Side for anyone looking for a casual meal and beer.

Read more from Dan at foodontheoffense.blogspot.com, and Brufrog is home at frogspad.ca