Frog’s Pad

Burgundy, France was the first wine region I learned about in the Sommelier course I took in 2000. I learned from my instructor, Adam Dial, a self-confessed Burgundy lover, about the importance of terroir – the climate, the soil, the geography, the culture -  to this famous wine region. The region’s vineyards were mapped out based on their unique qualities by the Cisterian monks around the start of the 12th century, so they have a certain religious quality to them.  Well, that’s as close to religion as this heathen will ever get.  Now, most are sub-divided into many small pieces owned by many different growers, due to the laws of Napoleonic succession.  I was taught to appreciate the difference in wines from different subregions, communes and vineyards, and I grew to love these wines, both the Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, but had only dreamed of actually visiting until last month, when I experienced some of the region’s most famous vineyards, tasting the wines too, of course. This was like living out everything I had studied in the Sommelier program.

The Remparts in Beaune by my hotel

Starting with the town of Beaune, I immersed myself in the culture, staying close to the train station at the quaint Hotel Remparts, named for the adjacent fortress walls that surround the old city.   I immediately went for a long lunch at a local restaurant, sitting outside, enjoying mushroom soup and chevre salad, with a crisp glass of Saint Veran 2007 blanc, from Domaine F. Curis (4 Euros, or $6.25),  an oaky white  2007 Saint Aubin 1er Cru “Les Frionnes” from Domaine M. Champaud (5 Euros), and a rather soft and juicy 2005 Pommard from Domaine de la Crea (7 Euros).

Mushroom Soup in Beaune

Now, a quick explanation about vineyards and communes, using those three wines I had at lunch. The first and third wines were Commune wines, specifically from Saint-Veran and Pommard.  That is a step up from a Sub-Regional wine, such as a Côte de Beaune, and 2 steps up from a basic  appellations d’origine contrôlée (AOC) Bourgognes.  The second was a single vineyard wine of the Premier Cru level, from the Commune of Saint Aubin. The vineyard (or Cru) name was Les Frionnes.  There is only one level higher than that: Grand Cru, which are the vineyards recognized as the best.  These are typically south to south-east facing and mid slope on the Côte D’Or, the long skinny hill that runs North to South through Burgundy, and the wines from these vineyards are notoriously expensive, especially when from a heralded producer.

A simple meal with good wine: pork with Dijon sauce

After lunch I toured the famous Hospices de Beaune Hotel-Dieu, where they do the annual auction of wines from the vineyards owned by the Hospices. This hospital was where the poor and infirm were taken care of since 1443, but is now a museum. Afterwards I crossed the street and did the Marche Aux Vins in the cellars under the buildings. The wines are all made by Patriarche Pere & Fils, a decent producer, and it is a great deal: 10 Euros for 15 samples, from basic Commune wines up to 1er Cru Beaune and Mercurey, and a Grand Cru Corton-Perrieres. Drinking them in the dark cellar makes them taste better than they are. Most interesting were a couple of Commune reds from the 1999 vintage, and a 2000 Beaune 1er Cru Greves red that was tasting great.

The famous Hospices de Beaune

The next day was nice, so after lunch I took a 7 km walk to the hill of Corton to taste a few wines, including a quick visit and tasting of a 2006 Corton Les Renardes Grand Cru ($72.86 for the 2003 at ANBL) at the stately, gorgeous Château de Corton-André. From there I climbed the wall to check out the Grand Cru Vineyards, then walked back to Beaune through the surrounding appellations.

The famed Hill of Corton

Chateau Corton Andre

The next day was dedicated to Bouchard Pere & Fils, a dominant player in the world Burgundy market, with many wines for sale at the ANBL. After a brief tour of their modern winery, we drove around, touring vineyards around the town of Beaune, such as “L’Enfant Jesus” a famous red wine 1er Cru (there are a few bottles in ANBL for $91.48), the ridiculously valuable Le Montrachet Vineyard,  and the various sites  around the towns of Meursault, Volnay, Puligny, Pommard and others. It was a memorable day for me.

Craig at Bouchard's Parcel of Le Montrachet

Next was Bouchard’s Chateau in Beaune. They actually own the castle that the king used to defend against the citizens of Beaune who didn’t take kindly to the French royalty taking over their city.  The castle now has wine stored under the turrets instead of weapons and soldiers. after a brief tour, I did a lunch and tasting of the 2008 whites and 2007 reds, including such iconic wines as Meursault Genevrieres 1er Cru white ($83.99 at ANBL for the 2004), Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru white ($160.78 at ANBL for the 2004),  Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru white (wow!), Volnay Caillerets Ancienne Cuvee Carnot 1er Cru red (2002 is at ANBL for $67.79) , Le Corton Grand Cru red ($96.83 for the 2002 at ANBL), Clos-Vougeot Grand Cru red, and  Beaune Greves Vigne de L’Enfant Jesus 1er Cru red, a very pretty, elegant Pinot Noir. Over lunch we tried the 1995 version of the Volnay Les Caillerets, which tasted young, with pretty cherry fruit, floral notes, good structure and virtually no loss of colour.

Those are all impressive wines, classical in style. More affordable and also delicious were the Beaune de Chateau red and white. We have the fantastic 2005 red and very good 2004 white for $42.78 at the ANBL. These are blends of various 1er Cru vineyards, but are sold at Commune prices.

Bouchard Chateau in Beaune

On my last day I visited Domaine Fevre in Chablis, home to the best, crisp, minerally Chardonnays in the world, and, after a wonderful lunch of chevre and salad with a half bottle of their 2007 Bougros Grand Cru Chablis (!), went to walk around the Grand Crus, all planted on limestone from ancient seashells. It was interesting to see how all the best Chablis comes from such a small area.  You can see pretty much the whole Grand Cru acreage from one vantage point. Since my company name is Frog’s Pad, I was particularly interested to see the Grand Cru Grenouilles, right by the river;  the story is that the people used to complain when working the vineyard that the sounds of the frogs from the  river would drive them nuts!

I also saw the famous Grand Cru Bougros, which is the coolest terroir, lowest on the slope, where they have pipes through the vineyard to spray the vines when necessary. This coats them in a layer of ice for insulation to avoid damage. I tasted the range of 2007 Fevre wines after this vineyard tour, and the Bougros was perhaps the most classic, showing austerity, limestone minerality,  good acid, and a rich long finish. I love Chablis, and I wish I could afford Grand Cru or even 1er Cru on a regular basis. At the ANBL we have 2004 Les Preuses Grand Cru for $67.79. I found the 2007 to be quite approachable and fruity in Chablis. We can also buy the 2006 1er Montmains for $53.29 (also very classic in style, with mineral and lemony acid)  and basic AOC Chablis for $34.79.

Grand Cru Chablis Vineyards: Bougros in foreground and Grenouilles in the back

Now that I’m home from Burgundy I find myself craving it. Going there was like a religious retreat for me, and I feel like I need more preaching!

Craig Pinhey is a freelance writer and Sommelier available for private events. Visit him at frogspad.ca or call 647 8466.

Good Drink, The New Brunswick Telegraph Journal, November 27, 2009

I spent most of my second week in France in Northern Rhone, a much smaller appellation than Southern Rhone, but blessed with some of the most famous, and most delicious, wines in the world.

We started in the pretty riverside town of Tain d’Hermitage, where one of the most iconic landmarks in terms of wine geography – the vine covered hill of Hermitage – dominates the landscape, rising above the small town, with its famous Chapel lit up at night. It’s quite spectacular.

Our visit winery visit was with Ferraton Pere & Fils, who still keep a small old winery right in downtown Tain.  The location has been used for winemaking for over 2 centuries. Ferraton is owned by Chapoutier, but make their own wine under their own labels.  We tried a range of their wines, from a good 2007 Cote de Rhones rouge (not at ANBL but available at Bishop’s Cellar in Halifax), to their succulent premium whites from Saint Joseph and Condrieu, up to their 2006 Hermitage Les Miaux. I believe this was my first Hermitage ever, and it was a nice start. Although big and quite juicy with red fruit, this 100% Syrah red has big tannins, some smoky/tarry complexity and a long delicious finish.  Two of their wines are available at ANBL: a Chateauneuf du Pape Le Parvais and a Crozes Hermitage La Matinere ($26.48). This is a minerally red, lightly oaked, dry, food friendly and elegant.

Hermitage in the fall

After tasting Hermitage, we drove up to the top of the hill to see the chapel and vineyards, and enjoy the gorgeous view. That was a wine mecca moment for me.

That evening we had a fabulous dinner at Le Mangevins, a wonderful restaurant and wine bar. The owner treated us to a taste of one of his favourites; a 1998 Saint Joseph (another famous Syrah appellation close to Hermitage) from J.L. Grippart (whose vineyards are now owned by Guigal).  It showed just how wonderfully these wines can age. It showed beautifully with smooth tannins, pleasing smoke, anise, blackberry fruit, and a very silky texture.  Fantastic.

The next morning we visited the new, modern winery of the decadent Delas – part of the Champagne Deutz group – famous producers of premium Northern Rhone wines, including White Hermitage, Condrieu, Saint Joseph, Croze-Hermitage, Cote-Rotie, Cornas, and Hermitage.  All of their wines were excellent, the highlights for me were the two very different Condrieu and the Hermitage.  For Condrieu, the opulent La Galopine, surprisingly (based on its viscous texture) unoaked, was the richest dry table white I’ve ever had, and Clos Boucher, also rich, partly from oak barrel treatment, is actually elegant and fresh, with pure apricot notes.  These are “wow” wines. The Hermitage, a 2006, was a 5 star Decanter selection, and no wonder. This is one of the most complex wines I’ve had in my short wine life. Its flavours actually reminded me of foie gras! It also had bacon/smoked meat notes, violets, pleasant herbal anise aromas, tar and a bit of mint. And yes, of course, there was some black fruit too. After a bit longer in the glass it showed some coffee notes, presumably from the 16 months of oak aging in 1 and 2 year old barrels. This wine still has a lot of life left in it. This one I didn’t spit!  I brought a bottle home to hang onto for a special occasion. Delas is not available in New Brunswick, but does sell in other parts of Canada.

Before leaving Tains, we visited Cave de Tains, a cooperative that is the area’s biggest producer, including 20% of all Hermitage wines.  We sampled several wines at their new tasting room and restaurant in the middle of one section of the Hermitage vineyards: quite a view for a wine enthusiast.

They specialize in good value wines from all the Northern Rhone appellations.  We tried Saint-Peran (refreshing whites, including sparklers,  made from Marsanne and Rousanne), Croze-Hermitage, Saint Joseph, Cornas and Hermitage. All well made wines, but my favourite for the $ was the quite classic tasting Saint Joseph Esprit de Granit, available for around $30 in Quebec and BC.

We had a great visit at the winery of Yves Cuilleron in Condrieu. Cuilleron deserves some credit for revitalizing the Condrieu appellation, now one of the most sought after whites in the world, unusually so, because it is 100% Viognier. He took over his uncle’s winery in 1987. Before his uncle it was his grandfather’s. The Northern Rhone wines practically disappeared in the first 2/3 of the 20th century, after the phylloxera root louse decimated Europe’s wine industry. It wasn’t until the late 1970’s and early 80’s that Condrieu started to be replanted. As evidence, 30 years ago there were only 15 hectares (ha) of Condrieu planted, and now it is around 150 ha. Still a very small amount of wines, butt hat just helps create demand and keep prices high. It is hard to get a bottle of Condrieu in Atlantic Canada for less than $50.  Cuilleron alone has increased Viognier plantings from 4 ha to 18 ha.  We tried a range of his whites, including his very illustrative 100% Rousanne and 100% Marsanne wines from Saint Joseph, and his reds from Cote Rotie, which traditionally include some Viognier with the Syrah.

His fame though, comes from his impressive Condrieu. We tried Les Chaillets, from the rather lean 20008 vintage (many winemakers told us on the trip that they did not make their top reds that year due to the disappointing conditions. But don’t worry – every one is thrilled about 2009!)   It had pure apricot aromas, expected for Viognier, as well as minerality and fresh acidity. There is oak in the wine, but it is not that evident. 2008 was less bad for whites than reds, as white wine with acidity is nice to have with food. But 2008 Condrieu is definitely not as fat  (low acid) as is typical.  A restaurant would do well to have whites from 2008 in the cellar for certain dishes.  To finish, we tried a special, rare wine: a 2007 Condrieu Late Harvest made from 60% botrytized grapes.  It is labeled as a Vin Liquoreux as there is no designated sweet wine appellation for Condrieu (yet!).

I have to admit that I drank more Hermitage and Condrieu last week than I had in my entire life previous to this trip. It was a decadent week, to be sure. Imagine buying Condrieu by the glass for $10 at restaurants as an aperitif! If you haven’t tried this special wine, that may mean nothing to you, but believe me, it was quite an experience for this wine guy.

Craig Pinhey is a writer and Sommelier, available for private tastings. Visit him at www.frogspad.ca.

The 2009 Canadian Brewing Awards medal winners were announced last week, and, as in past years, several Atlantic breweries should be ecstatic with the results, particularly Moosehead, whose #1 beer, Alpine, won THE Gold Medal for North American Style Lager.

I emphasized THE in that sentence because it is important to make that distinction, in light of the controversy surrounding some of the results of this competition, and the constant bickering over medals that happens with other events of this nature, whether they be for wine, beer or spirits.

Every competition has its quirks. Some award one Gold, one Silver, one Bronze and that’s it. Others give multiple medals, as long as the scores warrant it. For example, all wines scoring 90/100 or above might get Golds in some competitions. Scores are very important to those competitions that require a product to reach a minimum score threshold in order to medal. Others use a ranking or percentile system, where it doesn’t matter what you score; finishing first (or in the top percentile) warrants a Gold. I have seen some events award a level above Gold, either a Double Gold or a Platinum, meaning that product was the Best in Category. Some offer awards for Best in Competition, Best in a wider category, such as White Wine, and Best Value.

There are many ways to do these things, and no method is perfect. In addition, some competitions might have thousands of entries, while others may only see a few hundred, and some categories may have 30 or more entries, while others may only have a small handful, even less than 5.

If you follow what I’m saying here then you quickly realize that every award you see on a product has to be taken in context. When you see a medal on a bottle, read about it in print or online, or hear someone bragging about it, you must first find out how that competition works before buying out the ANBL’s stock of that item.

The context for the Canadian Brewing Awards is that they typically only award 1 Gold, 1 Silver, and 1 Bronze, although this year they also gave out “Honourable Mentions” which is probably a small consolation for those who got it, especially considering that they quite possibly finished infinitesimally lower than the Bronze winner.

Because there is only 1 Gold, this makes Alpine’s win all the more impressive. No doubt you’ll be hearing from Moosehead very soon about this, and they’ll probably use it in their marketing, and why not? I’m not sure who else entered, but I know for sure they beat out Sleeman Original Draught, Russell Brewing’s Rocky Mountain Pilsner from BC, and Molson’s Carling Lager. I’ve always said to people that, even though I don’t often drink mainstream beer, Alpine and Moosehead Green are more authentic than the other big brewery lagers. Moosehead also won a Bronze in the Light Lager category with Alpine Light.

Other multiple Atlantic winners were Garrison from Halifax, and Northampton in Fredericton, brewers of the Picaroons brands. Dooryard Summer Ale won Bronze in the North American Style Wheat category, while Picaroon’s Blonde Ale won Bronze in the North American Style Blonde/Golden Ale group. Pump House, a former winner of Brewery Of The Year at this competition, entered a good number of beers but only won one medal, a Silver for their seasonal Raspberry Wheat.

Garrison’s super hoppy Imperial Pale Ale failed to 3-peat as the Canadian Beer Of The Year, losing out to Yukon Red Amber Ale, but they won a Silver in the Strong or Belgian Style Ale category with their Winter Warmer, Bronze for Jalapeno Ale in the Fruit & Vegetable category, and Gold with their Grand Baltic Porter, in the Strong Baltic Porter category, which I suspect had only one entry: theirs!

How could that happen? Well, since this competition has minimum score standards to win the various medals, a single entry in a category can win Gold, or Silver or Bronze for that matter, even if there are no other medals awarded. Conversely, there could be 20 entries and NO medals, if the judges, who were all BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) level, don’t think any are worthy.

This leads to the aforementioned controversy. There were several “holes” in the awards, where no medals were awarded. For example, there was no Gold awarded in the North American Style Amber Lager or North American Style Dark Lager category, although Silver and Bronze were given. There were several other instances, but the most notable was in the India Pale Ale category, mainly because there was a lot of talk locally about none of the Atlantic IPA’s winning, especially considering that Garrison has won Beer of the Year two years running with their Imperial Pale Ale, and that local beer geeks went gaga over the 37 Hour Simcoe SMaSH from Halifax’s Hart & Thistle, which I know was entered. In fact the brewer, Greg Nash, brewer at Hart & Thistle in Halifax and formerly of Pump House and Garrison, posted a “rant” on his Brewer’s Blog (http://hartandthistle.blogspot.com/2009/09/canadian-brewing-awards-rant.html).

Read it yourself; it’s interesting stuff for beer geeks, but I did note a couple things from his rant, and the comments that followed. For one, I now know that, besides his own IPA, he also entered the Double Dementia IPA and regular IPA from Pump House when he worked there, and neither of those got a medal…not even an Honourable Mention. Nash doesn’t suggest that any of his beers should have won Gold, and he doesn’t bash the Gold and Silver medalists, which are indeed fine ales (I’ve had the Silver medal winning No. 9 IPA from Mike Duggan and it’s a beauty). He emphatically argues, though, that not giving a bronze or even an Honourable Mention is ridiculous.

“Of the three IPAs listed above, ” Nash writes, “I simply cannot believe that NONE of them are worthy of at least a bronze medal or higher. According to BJCP guidelines the qualifying score for a bronze medal is 30 points, Simcoe SMaSH scores were 44, 37 and 35 from the three judges, an average of 38.66<Editors note: these scores are out of 50>.”

And what about Garrison Imperial Pale Ale? It won the category two years running, not to mention Beer of the Year. It was entered this year, but didn’t win a medal or even an Honourable Mention. Houston, we have a problem (although, on speaking to brewer Daniel Girard, he wasn’t too bothered about it; what’s done is done).

The problem seems to be that some judges felt these IPA’s should have been entered as Double IPA’s, so they decided not to award them medals as IPA’s. But there is no separate Double IPA category. I think it makes sense to consider Double IPA as a sub-category of the IPA category, thus making these beers eligible, but I was not there judging this year due to prior commitments, so I have no say in the matter.

At press time, the brass at the Canadian Brewing Awards are considering Nash’s arguments, and have been in discussion with Paul Dickey, a National Level judge who presided over the awards on behalf of the BJCP.

We’ll see what rolls out, but, in the meantime, I’d like to say “Cheers!” to all the winners, especially our Atlantic Breweries, and Mill Street Brewery in Toronto, who won Brewery of the Year for the 3rd straight year..

For the full Results of the competition go to Canadianbrewingawards.com.

Craig Pinhey likes Alpine’s new camouflage beer can promotion, even though he has no interest in driving an ATV. Visit him at www.frogspad.ca.