"My husband and his brother in-law were at the course last night in London Town Square and they LOVED it!   They have told my sister in-law and me that it is a MUST DO course so now we are interested!  Is there any special promo available?"  Good news for you, we have recently introducing a new Wine & Beer Making Class Referral Program; anyone who has attended one of our classes can refer a new student so that they receive 50% off the regular rate of $25.00.  Our next class in NW on February 7th is sold out, just watch our event calendar for future class dates.

 
 
We had the chance to visit three amazing wineries, all family owned and operated. The first stop was Smith and Wilson winery located on the outskirts of Blenheim. The rockstar of their current portfolio was the Double Barrel Red, a lovely blend that was put through the barrel twice- leaving it with a  lovely smoky note. Second stop was Mastronardi Winery outside of Kingsville, with winemaker Lyse Leblanc- one of Lake Erie North Shore’s leading female winemaker, plucked out of retirement by the Mastronardi family to create some of the regions best wines. Lastly, we visited Aleksander winery- a first generation Polish wine maker who took his knowledge of wine making with his grandparents in Poland and brought it to the Lake Erie North Shore appellation.

ROAST HAM - a gloriously glazed ham is a great Christmas option.  Sweet and salty, a Brown or Amber Ale will let you enjoy both, without wiping your palate clean, while a Czech Pilsner's malty sweetness matches the sugar even as its hoppiness cuts through the salt.

TURKEY -  The chicken's "big brother" desperately needs liquid assistance as it contains less water than a Saharan museum exhibit! If you're worried about watery instant gravy, you'll want a strong flavoured Belgian Ale to help your mouth & tongue make it through the chewing! If you're looking forward to a thick, flavourful sauce, a Pilsner is an excellent refresher between bites, letting you make the most out of every mouthful.

LAMB -  Lamb is strong & satisfying on the palate. A robust beer is required here!  Anything lighter will be turned into water by the mouth-filling feel of good lamb. A strong Ale knows how to handle itself in a flavour fight, and if you're using a thick sauce, you can up the ante with a mild IPA.

FISH - Describe your fish and you'll describe your beer. Light, white fish works well with a light Pilsner.  A stronger smoked salmon should be matched by a stronger smoked Rauchbier or a regular Stout if you don't want to take on too much taste.

VEGETARIAN -  If you're not operating under vegan limitations, your best starting point is the spiciness of your vegetarian dish. Hoppy Ales hold their own against spices, mellowing the heat without wasting it like cold Lager.  Then, go by weight -- heavier dishes pair well with heavier Ales & Stouts, while lighter salads love Lagers.  You can also complement crisp salads with a Wheat Beer, bathing the tongue in softer taste and texture between each mouthful, leaving it eager to enjoy the next!

We are proud to announce that 7 of our wine kits were named the top wine kit in their varietal category in the December issue of WineMaker Magazines Top 100 Wine Kits. These 7 kits also won Gold Medals at the 2011 WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition including Best in Show Kit Concentrate for our Estate Series Lodi Ranch 11 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Selection Estate Lodi Ranch 11 Cabernet Sauvignon                     Best in Show Kit Concentrate and top Cabernet Sauvignon

Selection Estate Stag's Leap Merlot                                                Gold Medal and top Merlot

Selection International New Zealand Pinot Noir                             Gold Medal and top Pinot Noir

Selection International Australian Chardonnay                              Gold Medal and top Chardonnay

Selection International Italian Pinot Grigio                                    Gold Medal and top Pinot Grigio

Selection Original Liebfraumilch                                                      Gold Medal and top White Vinifera Blend

Vintners Reserve White Zinfandel                                                   Gold Medal and top Blush Rose

These achievements continue to reinforce the award winning quality you can expect when you make wine with Winexpert wine kits.

This Gold Medal award winner is 12% alcohol/ vol, and is a Quality Certified dessert  wine made from maple syrup  collected from the vast maple forests of Nova Scotia.  The maple "juice"  is carefully cool fermented until the perfect concentration of residual sugars is reached.   The result is a unique, full-bodied dessert-style wine, which is sweet and flavourful, yet soft and harmonious. 

Jost Maple Wine would compliment many fine desserts and fresh cheeses.

What a treasure indeed, and to think it is 100% Canadian is an added bonus!

It was great seeing everyone at this festive occasion, and once again, the Christmas decorations at Francois and Darlene's home were absolutely amazing.  If you weren't in the Christmas spirit when you arrived, you certainly were by the time you left!

The "wine of the night" was the Jost Winery's Maple Wine out of Nova Scotia.   See my other Blog on this tasty morsel!

The nose was incredible - just leapt out the glass!     Perhaps the back of the bottle says it best ( along with an explanation of the name Dirty Laundry ! )

"During the Gold Rush era, our town's laundry seemed innocent enough! Little did anyone know of the naughty business that went on behind the scenes!  Perhaps it is best that we keep this little known part of Summerland history hush-hush.  After a long, sensuous soak our  sultry French lady lavishes herself with enticing aromas of lavender, spice and fresh berry fruits.  Her attitude is Que Sera Sera, which makes her a pleasure to enjoy with or without a meal."

Yes, the laundry also housed a brothel, and from there the name Dirty Laundry evolved!    A definite must-do on my next road trip!  Who wants to come along?!?

Portobella Mushroom and Gorgonzola Blue Cheese Quinoa Salad with White Truffle Oil 

       for pairing with Winexpert Limited Edition: JANUARY, Washington Meritage

1 cup rinsed quinoa

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 shallot minced fine or 2 tbsp minced red onion

1/2 yellow onion minced fine

1 1/2 large cloves garlic or 2 small cloves minced fine

1 1/2 tsp truffle oil

3 oz chopped button mushrooms

3 1/2 oz chopped portabella mushrooms

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp + 1 tsp gorgonzola blue cheese

Cook the quinoa in the broth for 15 minutes, fluff and set aside. (If all the liquid is not all gone, that is okay, it will absorb, just be careful not to overcook)

Heat a large saute pan on medium for one minute. Add in the truffle oil and 1tbsp of the butter and heat for one minute. Add in the garlic and the onions and heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the button mushrooms and heat for 2 1/2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the portobello mushrooms and heat for 2 1/2 minutes, stirring occassionally. (Try to keep the mushrooms slightly al-dente for an earthy chewy bite.)  Add in the quinao, salt and pepper to taste, and stir well to coat and mix well. Remove from heat.

In a small dish, add 1 tbsp butter and the gorgonzola blue cheese. Melt in the microwave, stir together and pour over the quinoa. Mix well. Serve hot, or refrigerate for 24 hours to let the flavors mix and serve cold.

Truffle Oil: in this recipe we used Olio Aromatico White Truffle Oil. It is actually an aromatic olive oil infused with white truffle. If you are using a more concentrated version of truffle oil - reduce the amount in this recipe.

The star of this dish is the earthy flavor, so it is not so much one specific item as a blending of many. I tried many different kinds of mushrooms from dried to fresh, and found fresh better. Pick your favorite earthy mushroom and experiment. The gorgonzola blue cheese (available at Springbank Cheese) brings a freshness to the dish that shouldn't be left out. Many people avoid any form of blue cheese as it is so strong. Cutting the blue cheese with butter and melting it prior to adding to the dish tempers the bite and infuses the flavor evenly througout the dish. The truffle oil is like the icing on a cake - not necessary if you don't have it or don't want to buy it - but truly brings the earthy flavor profile to completion, with a long linger of complexity on the tongue.

Applewood Smoked Cheddar Mini Bites

                for pairing with Winexpert Limited Edition: FEBRUARY, California Petite Sirah/Zinfandel

Breton minis Cracked Pepper and Olive Oil

Applewood smoked Cheddar 

roasted sesame seeds

spinach

smoked paprika

PC Blue Menu light honey Dijon Yogurt Dressing

To Plate:

Place a cracker as the base and top with a thickly cut slice of cheese. Make sure the cheese fills the cracker to keep it from getting soggy, as well as a thick enough piece to strongly bring the smoky Cheddar flavor forward. Shred spinach and coat liberally with the sweet honey Dijon and place on top of the cheese. Sprinkle on the roasted sesame seeds and the smoked paprika to taste. Top with a second mini cracker to complete the sandwich.

How this pairing came together:

We tried many crackers and 5 different cheeses as a part of this pairing. All of the combinations were good, and the process was so much fun, especially when you discover the winning combination that rises above the rest. From the Winexpert recipe for this pairing ( Apple Cider Brined Thick-Cut BBQ Pork Chops) we pulled out flavor ideas such as honey, mustard, olive oil and cracked black pepper. From the alternate pairing suggestions ( BBQ Pork or Spinach Pizza) we pulled out spinach. Initially we tried a much more vibrantly flavored and crisper cracker, but the creamy aspect of the Bretton worked better. The star of this dish of course is the Applewood Smoked Cheddar. The cheese needs to be thick to make sure that the star of the sandwich is the smoky Cheddar. Adding in a dusting of smoked paprika added in more complexity of flavor. Be careful - a little goes a long way! This spice is more mainstream now, and you can purchase it at most grocery stores. Store in a cool dark area, and as with all vibrant colored spices, use within a year.

Norwegian Meatballs with Fresh Mango Peach Habanero Salsa

      for pairing with Winexpert Ltd Edition: MARCH German Traminer Spatlese

2lb ground pork

1 lb ground turkey

2 eggs beaten

1 cup 1% milk (or your regular choice of milk)

1 cup dried bread crumbs ( I used 3/4 cup panko + 1/8 cup panko and 1/8 cup wheat germ)

1/2 cup very finely minced sweet white onion

2 tsp each of salt and white sugar

1/2 tsp each of ground ginger, nutmeg and allspice

1 tsp fresh ginger zest

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Sauce: Garden Fresh Gourmet (brand) Mango Peach Salsa with a kiss of Habanero (available in the deli section at Costco)

Combine eggs, milk, crumbs, onion and seasoning. Let stand until crumbs have absorbed the milk. If not absorbing all the milk, add a little more crumbs.

Mix the two meats together well, then add the seasoning and mix very well. Make into balls and bake on a Pam sprayed roasting pan @ 400 degrees for 12 minutes, turn, and bake 12 minutes more. Remove to a cooling rack and blot with a paper towel.

To serve as a pairing, serve the ball hot, and top liberally with the fresh cold salsa.

Step one: Flavour - how to figure out which flavours to work with.

Winexpert puts out a recipe book to complement the Limited Edition selections. They are available in all our stores, and if you are ordering a Limited wine, consider picking one up to have on hand. In this book is a recipe for Peach and Blueberry Cobbler. Alternate suggestions without recipe provided were: spicy pork skewers, smoked meat, BLT or marinated sliced peaches. At this point Paul worked with me on suggestions on how to pull flavours out of a recipe.

Spicy pork skewers initially inspired the thought of  spicy pork meatballs, and peaches appeared in two different recipes, so the idea of adding a fresh salsa with peach in it came from there.

Food Pairing with Winexpert Limited Edition APRIL  Spanish Matador Trio Red

Dry Spanish Chorizo spicy sausage hand made @ The Butcher Shoppe in Airdrie.

Food Pairing with Winexpert Limited Edition JANUARY  South African Sauvignon Blanc – Semillon

Spelt pasta ( available at Lina's Italian Market ) with 4 Cheese Alfredo Sauce, sprinkling of real Parmesan cheese, with just a hint of dill.

Last night we taught new hobbiests the way to make one of our new Selection International kits with the added grape skin pack.  For the beer demo Wayne cooked the Beligian add on kit; we used a Barons Mexican Cerveza and a Belgian Wit liquid yeast.  Over 90% of this class were brand new to home brewing, good luck and welcome aboard!  

The Cinnamon mead ( unfortunately ) is sold out, but some could still be available in certain liquor stores that carry their product in the Calgary area. 

After the tasting, we were ushered downstairs where it all happens!    The 3 brothers, Nathan, Colin, & Dustin Ryan, who are owners of the Meadery, showed a great deal of enthusiasm in explaining their operation.     The tradition started with their father being a hobbyist beekeeper.   They got their inspiration from him and decided to go one step further with all this honey!    We learned a lot about the process of collecting the honey - bears being a problem - different influences on the honey, and their process for turning honey into one of the most ancient wines known.

We learned about fermentation, bottling, shipping, aging, bee mites, how the hives behave - they even had a model of a hive with live bees - which showed the importance of the queen bee - as they stated, 'The queen bee has an aura about her" in the interaction in the hive.     Upon looking closely, you could see what he meant!  

This is a company to keep an eye on with their research and experimentation.   We feel that these young entrepreneurs are going to have some very interesting offerings in the future.   We all agreed they produce excellent mead, and the time touring here was very well spent!   Our "one hour" tour quickly turned into a two hour tour - there was so much to see and so many interesting questions we had for these extremely knowledgeable young men.

We all purchased quite a few bottles - Paul & I chose the Oaked Traditional Mead, as well as some honey and beeswax candles!  

  A member of our Guild took a Gold Medal in National competition this year for his Mead.  Any of those interested in making Mead, we suggest you track down one of Fallentimber's Meads as an excellent example.

Some of us then drove to the Water Valley Saloon for a beer to cleanse our palates, along with a bite to eat, to finish off this fun day.

Check out Fallentimber's website @    www.fallentimbermeadery.ca   & see our Facebook Page for all the pictures!

Sorry, next weeks class in the NE is sold out, watch our calendar for future classes. 

 We are working on a recipe for Winter Spice Ale, using our Barons Amber Ale as the base.  Perfect after skiing or lounging in front of the fireplace!

 I can't wait to brew myself some!   Any suggestions ?

Our main course was breast of chicken with a "bloody red" sauce -  the base was vodka!!    Our mashed potatoes were in the shape of a ghost, & a vegetable medley made up of about 4 different veggies.  The presentation was top notch!  Three red wines were served with our main course.   Vampire Merlot / Velvet Devil Merlot & Sin Zin.   All of us at our table agreed that the 3rd red ( Sin Zin ) was the best of the bunch.

We sampled Kah Enejo tequila, which is bottled in a black skull bottle.    Those of us that enjoy tequila found it quite good. KAH Tequila was designed to pay reverence and honour to Mexico and its people. Its bottle and spirit are reflective of Day of the Dead, the 3,000 year-old Meso-American ritual honoring deceased loved ones.  The word KAH translates to "life" in the ancient Mayan language. Every bottle is an individual, hand-crafted work of art, no two bottles are the same. 

   Dessert was a wonderful chocolate layer cake, complete with black cat licorice and paired with this was Chocovine Chocolate Wine.   Very, very decadent indeed!   This wine is from Holland and is made with red wine, chocolate and cream.

During our courses, each table participated in a set of Trivia Questions.     We did pretty good, but did not do well enough to win the prize!    All in all, it was a fun night out and everyone enjoyed themselves.  

Left to Right -- La Frenz  2010 Riesling - a lovely slightly off-dry riesling - notes of green apple, honey & lime.  This was one of our favourite wineries on the Naramata Bench!

Therapy  Freudian Sip ( off - dry white )  2010 - multiple aromatic varieties, unoaked - notes of lemon, mango and nectarines.

Therapy Freud's Ego ( red ) 2007   Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot / Cabernet Franc blend.  Barrel matured with distinctive chocolate, vanilla & blackcurrents.

Kettle Valley - Naramata Bench Reserve 2009 - Extra 4079.   This wine  draws its name as a tribute to the last train, "Extra 4079", to climb the summit of Coquihalla Pass on the Kettle Valley Railway on November 23, 1959.   The blend of grapes come from the Hanoch Vineyard and Oh Vineyard in Naramata.   The grapes were hand picked on October 26, 2009.   Total production = 350 cases.

Black Widow - Single Vineyard Merlot 2009.   Grapes were hand picked October 1 to 3, 2009.   Fermented 2 weeks on the skins then barrel aged in French oak for 17 months.   Total production = 175 cases.

Elephant Island - Cassis 2010.   Blackberry based "black gold" fortified wine.   Paul remarked it "took him back to his childhood picking ( & eating ! ) blackberries in the field in southern Ontario!'     The nose was amazing & the intense flavour of blackberries was incredible!

Now, where did Paul put that corkscrew????

 Our favourite wines were from La Frenz -- excellent wine and price point was good. As per usual, we found a lot were overpriced. I tasted a $35 bottle of wine at one vineyard and yet preferred the $17 bottle at another! We brought home about 7 bottles from various vineyards. The Cassis was excellent from Elephant Island.

 We wanted to get down farther south to Okanagan Falls to sample the Chardonnay at Meyer Family Winery, but ran out of time.

In between wine sampling, we also tried our hand at a few of the local craft breweries...Cannery Brewery's Naramata Nut Brown Ale and Apricot Wheat Ale. The Nut Brown is excellent, but we were a little disappointed in the Apricot -- a nice refreshing beer but not a lot of apricot came through.

Due to the fact we flew into Kelowna, we had to head that way on Monday to catch our 6 pm flight. Much to our delight, we realized we had time to stop in for a tasting at Quails Gate Winery on our way to the airport. I only tasted whites, and the first was the best Chenin Blanc I have EVER tasted. I had barely finished swooning over this when I was presented with their Dry Riesling....o my.....it topped the Chenin Blanc...it was unbelievable! Unfortunately, we couldn't buy any more due to the fact we had our suitcases loaded as it was!! BUT.......there's always next time.......

I should mention that Paul sampled 3 reds at Quails Gate - Merlot / Pinot Noir/ and a Foch - all passed the "Paul Test".....they were all fine wines.

See our Facebook page to view the entire album of pictures!

Most people are interested in making both wine and beer, but at the end of the class, when everyone was standing around talking about their taste preferences, we discovered that one of the participants was one of the first, if not The First, to reach the milestone of the 100 Pint Beer Club at the newly opened Craft Beer Market in downtown Calgary !  

 Craft Beer Market keeps a tally as you work your way through 100 beers. Once you reach this, er, milestone, your name is forever emblazoned on the Alumni Wall.  Quite an achievement !    I was impressed with this fella's knowledge of good beer / what to look for and expect in a beer and he in turn was impressed with our Barons products, and excited at the prospect to be able to brew his own microbrewery style beer.

Oktoberfest @ Wild Rose Brewery! Good times! We all enjoyed the traditional seasonal Oktoberfest Marzen beer! It's a "German style lager best known as the classic beer of Oktoberfest. A blend of the best Canadian barley malts - Superior Pils, Superior Pale and Munich - a rich malt flavour. The complex sweetness from these specialty malts is well balanced with Vanguard hops for a clean finish."

 We also enjoyed a buffet of German style food & a traditional Oompa-pa band to boot!! A really fun evening.  Ein Prosit !

I love wine but haven't drunk much for the past years due to the fact that I refuse to drink low quality or mediocre brews and it has not been in my budget to afford the $600-$1000 a month I could easily spend on good quality wine.

I moved to and settled here in Calgary a year and a half ago and over that time I checked out three different stores selling wine and beer making kits and supplies. Two out of the three that popped up went belly up within a short amount of time and the third disappeared-- I'm not sure where to.

All three of the places I visited, while they were definitely keen on selling their product and getting my money, I felt they lacked the passion and in-depth knowledge and knowhow that should accompany their craft, and none of them were all that keen on spending any amount of time answering many questions from a newbie who probably wasn't even going to buy their wares. Invariably, I left less than impressed and more confused and intimidated than when I went in.

Well that changed and the light went on in a big way when I recently stumbled across The Home Vintner website and the fact that they were conducting wine and beer making seminars/classes. I emailed Ron at the NW store, he signed me up and I attended a class about a month ago.

Wow! Talk about passion--these guys are consumed and in love with their craft! Ron, the NW store manager, hosted the evening, and Paul, the owner of The Home Vintner, gave the seminar. His zeal and passion were infectious. He talked and taught, and answered all questions for three hours non-stop. I was overwhelmed, but fascinated by the sheer volume of material presented. I had to go back the next day just to get help in straightening out the plethora of stuff presented.

At one point, Paul mentioned that he had been a commercial pilot but had left that to go into this current business, and that he wasn't exactly sure why. The why however, is evident. It's not often you see someone so all consumed, in love with, and passionate about what they do. ( I keep using the word 'passionate' because I can't think of one that better describes the situation).

I was sold and committed in the first five minutes. The idea that an inexperienced nobody such as myself, can produce such quality wine and beer for roughly $2.50 to $7.00 a bottle just tickles me!

These guys are not just there to sell product and make money. One of the first things Ron said to me the next day was to the affect of, "We're not cheap and we don't sell garbage and inferior quality stuff". They have perfected their craft and more than the sale of the merchandise, they are there to infect others with the same zeal and pleasure they possess and to demonstrate that the cookies are on a low shelf, and not unattainable to the average Joe.

I've started my first kit and have been in the store several times since the first night. The last time I was there, Paul was there and we chatted a bit. While talking he said to me, "Come often and ask a lot of questions'. That is what does it for me. I Love to think that this will become a great hobby and I expect there will be a learning curve and problems, but knowing that these guys at The Home Vintner are going to be there and eager to offer assistance and help is very assuring and settling. So thanks so much Paul and Ron. I am very grateful and excited.

Dave Woodroof

We had an occasion to celebrate, and knowing my love of wine, I was taken to Divino's for an evening of indulgence. Not having ever been there before, I did not know what to expect. 

After being greeted and escorted to a small table in a cozy corner, we were presented with no less than 5 separate menus: available cheeses; daily food specials; wine available by the glass along with assorted scotch, highballs and the like; wine available by the bottle; and a food menu. As most of you know, a typical set of menus would consist of a page or 2 of wine, and a multi- page food menu. As I looked at the menus, there were about 30 wines to be had by the glass; 15 or so very nice scotch offerings; about 10 appetizers, 15 main courses (both on one page); 15-20 cheese offerings from around the world; and no less that 30 pages of available wines. These were broken down first by white, red and sparkling. Then by region, then by size. I laughed at the descriptions: Small Bottles (375ml); Big Bottles (1500ml); and Really Big Bottles (3000ml). I glanced at the pricing: A 6oz glass would run from about $8 to $35. A small bottle from $50 to $475, a big bottle from $400 to $1500, and a really big from $500 to $1000.

We had only briefly opened the cheese listing when our waiter appeared and introduced himself to us. After the pleasantries, he asked if there were any questions. I asked him how their wine and cheese pairings are designed. His response left me a bit disappointed in that guests are to select a plate of either 3 of 5 cheeses (max $25 per choice) and then choose the wine that one desires. The menu also notes a “Chef's Selection”. I enquired what that was and was informed that the chef could also do the cheese selection for you. Quietly, I thought to myself, this is strange. They have a selection of interesting cheese from all over the world, and a wine list to match. Surely they don't expect all guests to know what wine goes with what cheese! How would I make my selections?

I decided to be bold, and to see how accommodating they would be.

I told the waiter that, in my experience, it is most enjoyable to have a flight of 4-5 wines and the same number of cheeses presented that complement each other. This way one can sample each cheese with each wine and savour the flavors that each bring to the other. Is it possible for such a presentation to be delivered? To my delight, he smiled and assured us that indeed, they could present such an offering. After a short discussion on quantities and amounts and such, he went away to prepare our request.

We sat in the most pleasant surroundings and chatted for perhaps 15 minutes, then a waitress appeared with a wooden platter containing 5 cheeses, and another with 2 small loaves of bread. After showing us which cheese had been brought, she said that the wine would arrive momentarily. Our waiter arrived with 4 glasses of white wine containing about 1 1/2 oz each for Diane, along with a sparkling dark rose and explained what each one was. He then went and returned with a sherry and a white wine for me, then 2 more glasses of red. I was offered the same explanation. Each of mine were about 1 oz. The white I was told, was a Layette(?) and not on the menu yet, as it had only been acquired the day before. We sat for a bit simply testing the nose of each. Hmmmmmmm. After cutting a small piece of each cheese, we began to do the sampling. I found that most of the wine that we were presented with went quite well with the cheeses which ranged from a beautiful Gouda to a Goats milk Blue. One Sauvignon Blanc/Muscat blend did not go well with anything, and the sherry did not go either. When the waiter returned, I told him that the sherry was not appropriate for the cheese that were sent, and he then brought me another glass of red at no charge. My favourite was the Amarone, by far. The Pinot, while a very nice wine was lost to the heavier cheese, and the Malbec went with all but the light buttery cheese. 

So, we sat and talked and sampled, and ate. Then suddenly it was gone!  Sigh ! 
Our waiter returned to enquire our thoughts. We assured him that it was most enjoyable, although a couple wine selections could be improved upon. He was most gracious, and apologetic that there was something amiss. He then asked if we would like to see the food menu. ( we had them all taken away earlier ) We agreed that that would be most welcome.

So as not to bore the reader, suffice to say that the meal offerings were both imaginative, interesting, and a very difficult choice as so many sounded absolutely wonderful. Appetizers ranged in to 15-25 dollar range, and mains in the 25-40 dollar range. We started with Mussels Frite. A large bowl of fresh mussels in a lovely broth with some peppers, capers and onion. These were served with a side dish of fries and Reggiano cheese. A glass of Sauvignon Blanc each went along with it. For the main course, Diane ordered the haddock and clams, and I had the roast duck. Again the waiter asked about beverages, and I asked for a red for the duck. ( Diane still was enjoying her glass).  The meals were beautifully presented, deliciously seasoned and extremely tasty.

I neglected to take a picture after it was presented, as my mouth was watering from smelling the heavenly aromas wafting from my plate. The wine that was brought was a Pinot Noir. When the waiter appeared after the first few bites, he set another glass down at my plate, and I looked at him curiously. He explained that as I was obviously there to have a tasting experience, and he realized after serving it, that the Pinot was not adequate, he was providing me with a glass of Cote Du Rhone, which again was not yet on the menu, at no charge, as it would compliment the duck better. He apologized, wished us bon appetite, and left us to our meal.

We declined dessert, but I was sorely tempted. The menu had some very tasty sounding items. 

As we finished our wine, and paid the bill, we happened to look at the time. Oh my! We had been there over 3 1/2 hours! It was a very relaxed evening. No pressure from the waiter, excellent timing with our various courses, and all around pleasant.

Some thoughts in summary:

• It was very nice that they were flexible in how the wine and cheese could be presented.

• The wines were fabulous, but some selections were a bit lacking in the pairing.

• The overall experience was wonderful, but don't expect a fast, or inexpensive night. Like all things in life, you get what you pay for. I for one would definitely return to try more offerings.

Glenn

Pat was helping me at this class, and she commented how many people in this bunch were very knowledgable about wine & that is the excellence they are looking for in vintning their own!

Our objective at The Home Vintner is knowledge.  We want to send people on the road to making wine and beer they are proud to share with their family and friends!

 We tried the Cinammon Mead from Fallentimbers & it was a huge success -- everyone really liked it -- we were somewhat surprised at the light colour,but it did not disappoint.  Several comments were made that it was better than any other commercial mead they had tasted in the past.

We tried the Maple Icewine from BC that our Wende from Rocky M House wanted comments on.   She is smitten with this elixir and wants to create her own.    Ken thought she should use our Sherry kit instead of the Icewine kit and Paul agreed.  It really was very good indeed!    Yummy was a comment I heard!!

Ken was recently in Oregon and brought back a bottle of Spruce Goose ( yes the plane ! ) Pinot Noir.    The label catches the eye,that's for sure, and inside the bottle did not disappoint either.    It was a nice cherry red colour, with a nice nose, and dark berries on the palate.    Gord brought a well aged Limited Edition Pinot Noir from 2002, & most people preferred Gord's!

New members always welcome!   We're just a phone call or an email away!

Contact your nearest store, or check our Events Calendar on our website  www.thehomevintner.com   

We can always accommodate a few more!

Paul & I both briefly went inside the cabin to get a nice,cold beer when we heard panicky barking!  We saw Sadie through the screen door, barking at something and backing up.   Paul flew to the door, banged it open with his fist, and started hollering, "You get out of here!"   Sadie took that instant to fly inside the house at top speed!  I was horrified to see a cougar on the deck about three feet away from Paul!  Luckily, the bang of the screen door opening, plus Paul's yelling startled and confused the cougar, and he bounded over the rail and took off.    It all happened in the blink of an eye.   When the adrenalin rush wore off, I started to shake so badly I couldn't dial the neighbour's number to call and warn them!

Somehow in this melee, Sadie twisted her leg and was limping for awhile.   One customer asked me why she was limping and I replied, "A cougar attack", to which he quipped, "What!  An older woman dressed like a 20 yr old attacked your dog?!"     There's something to be said for humour and comic relief !

On a more serious note again, we almost learned the hard way to never relax your vigilance when venturing into the wilderness with your pet.    From now on, bear bangers and flares will never be more than an arm's length away!

Kellie Babin was excited when she found out she won a Silver medal at the Amateur Winemakers of Canada Competition ( AWC).  Her friends were even more excited to drink the wine.  "I had a lot of fun sampling wine this summer with my neighbours at the lake," Babin laughed.  "I said, "Let's try some award winning wines now." They all loved it."

Babin, who has lived in Airdrie for 14 yrs, entered four bottles of her home made wine into The Home Vintner Wine Guild's in-house competition. Eventually, three of her bottles were chosen for the Provincial Competition. After winning a Silver & Bronze provincially, her Italian Amarone went on to take another Silver at the National competition in Nova Scotia.   A South African Shiraz won the Provincial Bronze.

"I'm just waiting for (the national medal ) in the mail -- I'm pretty excited," Babin beamed last week at The Home Vintner store on Main Street in Airdrie.  "The cool thing is that I've only been entering into competition for a year, but I've been a customer for four or five years, so I'm not a huge winemaker," she added."When they had their in-house guild competition I said, " Let's just see."   "I had three bottles that went forward to the Alberta level, which was pretty cool because I only entered four bottles!"

Paul Sass, owner of the Main Street store, said the Provincial awards are fairly common for The Home Vintner brand, but National awards, like Babin's are significant. "You don't get to the top of hundreds and hundreds of wines and not have something that has excellent nose, bouquet, and background," Sass says. "That's a lot of wine to get to the top of."

The Home Vintner took home 1 Gold, 11 Silver, and 5 Bronze medals at the Provincial competition.

Babin's winemaking has progressed.  We started off with heavy Italian reds because that's what I love", she said.  "I didn't know that my husband would like it, but apparently he does! Now that I have more experience....I've tried so many different things, so it's a lot of variety now. I've started branching off into beer and I make my own recipes of beer".

It's exactly what Sass wants to see people do when they take on the challenge of making their own wine.  "There is a calibre of wine nowadays that can reach and achieve any comparisons with commercial wines," he said. "A lot of people  have a wrong impression of the home wine industry because they bump into the lesser qualities.   It's frustrating for us when people don't set their standards high enough because it is there.  It's totally achievable!"

Twenty years ago, Joe Mein took on the task  of making wine himself.  After starting with winemaking kits in Ontario and British Columbia - to varying degrees of success - he settled in Airdrie 11 years ago and finally found a system he liked at The Home Vintner in North West Calgary.   He took some classes; made some kits; and now, more than 20 winemaking awards later, he's a distinguished winemaker, who makes his home at the Airdrie Home Vintner store on Main Street.

"I don't know how many kits I've made....80 to 85 kits, maybe," he surmised.   "All different types.  I make both red and white.  Old world and new world, Australian, New Zealand, France, Italy, Spain, Canada, Austria."

He retired in 1999 from owning and running a management consulting company. That gave him time to work on his craft, as well as travel and sample wine from all over Europe.

"I guess in white I'm very fond of an Austria wine called Gruner Veltliner," Mein said.  "I think I won a Silver medal for that last year, as a matter of fact.  And in red, I'd probably say an Italian Amarone.   I've made a whole spectra of wines. I couldn't name them all!"

He recently won a Gold medal at the Airdrie Fall Fair for a Chardonnay from Argentina. He also took a Third Ribbon for one of his favourites, an Amarone.

Mein and his wife enjoy wine with dinner,so it was obvious what he does with the 10 kits he makes a year.  "Drink it," he laughed.   But there's satisfaction in the process and the outcome,not just the taste, he added.   "The satisfaction is getting a wine with very low chemical content," Mein said.  "It doesn't have the extreme preservatives that commercial wine has.   There's certain preservatives in the wine and that's what gives a lot of people headaches.  You're able to produce a good wine at a reasonable cost.  Amarone, for example.....liquor store prices would run anywhere from $32 up to $50 a bottle.  I can make a bottle from a kit for $5."

Syrah is one of the six largest grape varietals, with the others being Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.  Syrah wine originates out of the Rhone valley in France.  Syrah wine has spread far and wide and it is grown in many parts of the world.  It is quite popular in Australia and South Africa, where it is called "Shiraz."  If you are poured a Hermitage or Marsanne Noir,  you are also drinking Syrah wine.  

There are many flavours or scents that have been used to describe Syrah wine, including bay leaf, black currant, black olive, black pepper, black truffle, blackberry, blueberry, cachou, cedar, cherry, chocolate, cinnamon, civet, coconut, clove, earth, eucalyptus, expresso, fig, grass, licorice, mocha, mint, musk, plum, rasberry, red currant, rosemary, sage, sandalwood, smoke, spice, thyme, truffle, vanilla and violets.    That's a LOT to "get" out of a glass -- all I know is it was wonderful and aged to perfection - it was like drinking dark cherries wrapped in  velvet !!

Syrah is not the same as Petit Sirah.  Petit Sirah is a different grape altogether, and is primarily grown in California.

I'm not sure why it was discontinued ( seems a shame ),  but I imagine more people are familiar with the term "Shiraz" , and as we all know Shiraz became very "trendy", and thus poor ole Syrah unfortunately took a back seat !

This just proved to me once again the importance of AGING certain wines.    It just opens up a whole new background and dimension to your wines.

Having never made a Winexpert product before talking to Paul and Ron, I finally tried one!  After that I was hooked .  I had been making everybody's product - believe me, I tried them all!  Don’t be fooled -there is a lot of poor wine out there.  The Home Vintner introduced me to Winexpert's products and now you can say the rest is history.  I am hooked.  The experience and the knowledge you get every time you walk in the door at 14 St. be it from Ron or Paul himself, or Terry.  Everybody is eager to help you and get you started down a new road.  Winexpert and Paul's staff are winning all the awards in wine making because they know what they are talking about!  Let them get you started!!

I have been travelling in the Middle East for a couple months now, and recently my boyfriend and I decided on a bit of a whim to travel to Georgia. We'd heard a lot about of excellent things from friends who had been, one such thing being about the plethora of amazing food and wine. Our friends were right, as it turns out. There is a LOT of alcohol in Georgia, and some amazing food to go with it.

There are a couple very important things a wine drinker needs to know when visiting Georgia. First of all, Georgians claim not only to have invented wine, but to have been drinking it the longest. According to certain archeological digs, they can trace wine production here back 7000 years. Second of all, almost everyone crafts their own variety at home - usually from grapes they grow in the front yard. Lastly, there is allegedly a "tradition" to finish the first glass in one go after a toast, and there are a LOT of toasts in one sitting.

The adventure for us really began in the Eastern region known as Kakheti. This is where the majority of wine is produced, and boasts dozens of varieties indigenous to and grown only in Georgia. Our first stop was in a town called 'Sagrejo', where we immediately sought out a local winery. Lucky for us, a very sweet woman led us to the local marani (as it is known in Georgian) where they certainly don't usually receive tourists. They let us in, gave us some samples straight out of the tanks, and even filled up a plastic bottle for us of our favourite; Saperavi. 

With our water bottle of wine stuffed into the backpack, we headed on to the next town; Sighnaghi. This is really the wine capital of the region, and sure enough it boasts an excellent winery producing organic, unfiltered Georgian wines all made according to tradition. They cook up 7 varieties all fermented in clay vessels underground. Each vessel is lined with beeswax every 5 years, making each vintage totally unique.

We did a tasting of 2 whites and 2 reds. The whites are actually known as "amber" because when produced they sit in the clay vessels for 4-6 months with stems and skins included,which of course produces a bit of an odd colour. The 'Rkatsiteli' variety is allegedly the oldest, and also the one you'll find most people making at home. It's got a very distinct honey taste, and is dangerously easy to drink.

The reds I found most impressive - specifically the 'Saperavi' and the 'Shavkapito'. The 'Saperavi' aka 'black wine' is the most common red in Georgia (and our favourite!), and is a very beautiful blend of smoky flavour and blackberries. The 'Shavkapito' is known as the wine that royals drank, and is apparently made in hugely limited quantities since the grape is only found in one small area of Georgia. The winery we were at makes something like 1500 bottles a year, and I really had to work to get them to let me taste it. It is a beautiful wine with notes of tobacco and leather, and a finish of plum and cherry.

We had a lovely tasting at the winery - but it was highly uneccesary to pay for a taste when just about every Georgian you meet will invite you in for wine (or a wine drinking contest  more like it). If you're in to wine, and would like to find yourself literally surrounded by it, then Georgia is the place for you. One very importany piece of advice, though - be very careful when drinking with these people. They can drink more than you, and they WILL try to get you to match them.

If you want more information about the winery I visited, it's called Pheasant's tears, located in Sighnaghi, Georgia and run entirely by traditional standards.

We started to head back to the dock, and spotted a couple of loons directly ahead of us and what appeared to be a large log bobbing in the water.   As we got closer, we realized the "log" had ears!     Attached to these ears, was a grizzly bear on a mission to reach shore!  A bit of a shock along with a moment of tension  ( we did not have bear spray or bear bangers with us ) but fortunately he completely ignored us - he was so intent on reaching land.   Camera out, took pix, but he was moving so quickly, especially when he reached shore, that unfortunately they did not turn out.     We had Sadie with us,but she showed no desire to join him in the water * good dog * !!

We spotted him again when we were driving along the dirt path away from the lake - tried again to get a good pic but all he wanted to do was get away as fast as possible.  He was about 2 yrs old, maybe younger,  & probably his first foray on his own, away from Momma Bear.      

We returned to the cabin where we both enjoyed a nice cold Barons Canadian Pilsner on the deck &  pondered how lucky we are to be able to see wildlife in their natural habitat, all the while maintaining a deep respect for them!      Moral of the story --  ALWAYS PACK THE BEAR SPRAY !!

First thing we noticed was the wonderful chocolate nose wafting out of the glass!  The chocolate malt that Rob used (purchased at the Airdrie store) added body and dimension to the Barons Redwood Ale that he used as a base.  Rob wanted feedback on this delicious recipe of his and here is his reaction to our critique:

After we finished eating, we ordered a Farmers Tan White Ale -- which was very good.     Cloudy with a nice citrus background  - I would definitely recommend this one!

Trying to figure out a recipe for the Peach -  our concern is preventing the peaches from oxidizing...................working on it!

Jan and I took a 5 day vacation in early July to Summerland BC in the heart of the Okanagan. We stayed at the Summerland Waterfront Resort which looks out over Okanagan Lake. In total we visited 9 different vineyards in and around Summerland during the 5 days. 

We first stopped in at Gray Monk north of Kelowna. After the brief (free!) tour we sampled several of their wines. One wine in particular that caught my eye was the Rotberger. The Rotberger is a true rose in that you can leave the wine on the skins and it will remain rose in color. The Rotberger is thought to be a cross between Trollinger and Riesling. This wine has lovely raspberry and cherry notes.

The vineyards around Summerland are on Bottleneck Drive. We visited the vineyards at Sumac Ridge, Hollywood and Wine, Thornhaven, Dirty Laundry and 8th Generation.  The countryside is very beautiful with the rolling hills overlooking Okanagan Lake. At 8th Generation we enjoyed a rose style sparkling wine called Confidence Frizzante. I think this is a blend of Pinot Noir and Petite Meunier; however, I'm not sure because we enjoyed this wine soon after we purchased it. The Thornhaven Vineyard is very picturesque as it looks down over the valley (see attached photo). It was at Thornhaven that we got the best bargain when we purchased a late harvest Reisling, Viognier and Muscat for only $6 (375ml bottle).

Across the lake from Summerland is Naramata Bench. We stopped in at Kettle Valley and Therapy Vineyards. At Therapy Vineyards I purchased my only red, Freud's Ego. This wine is a nice blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

The last stop was the Little Straw Vineyard in Westbank. I visited this vineyard about half a dozen years ago and it has expanded since then. The tasting area has an area upstairs for viewing art from local artists. I purchased a nice Riesling which is harvested from vines that were planted 25 years ago.   

Although some of the wines are a little overpriced, you can't beat the location and the locals are all very friendly. I found the whites and roses to be better quality than the reds. Even though two-thirds of the wine I make and drink is red, on our trip I only purchased one red out of the 12 bottles. However, as we finally seem to be getting some warm weather, it will be nice to enjoy a Riesling or Rose on the deck or veranda. Cheers.

Dave Bracey 

Dave won 2 Bronze in the 2011 competition:

1) Other White Vinifera Blend category with his 2009 Pacific Quartet Selection Limited Edition - there were 126 entries in this category.

2) Red Vinifera Blend category -  2008 Luna Rossa Selection Original series - there were 588 entries in this category.

In 2010, Dave also took a Bronze in the Pinot Noir category with his 2007 Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir Selection Estate series - 117 entries in this category.

In 2009, he won Silver in the Blush / Rose Red Vinifera category with his 2007 White Merlot Selection Original series - 55 entries in this category.

Well done, Dave !   Another testament to Winexpert products!      Dave is going to send us more info on wine he and his wife, Jan, sampled during their recent trip to the Okanagan ( Summerland region ) sometime soon.    Looking forward to hearing about that!

This was the first time I tasted the Limited Edition Austrian Gruner Veltliner and the Limited Edition Australian Shiraz Viognier.   Both were very nice indeed!    But the "wine of the night" was from Ken Gibson ( who has taken Winemaker of the Year on several occasions ) - a 2001 Vintage Demerara Port, made from scratch with Saskatoon berries.    It was smooth as silk with a luscious nose and berry flavours.   Given the age of the wine, there was a distinct bloom ( shedding ) along the inside of the bottle.  It was really hard getting the bottle away from Ron, but we managed!  And, it was nice to see that Ken has made a lot of New Best Friends!!!!!!!  :o)

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer - the holidays, the BBQs ,the road trips - however you have chosen to spend your summer - even if it's just enjoying your fine wines out on the deck or patio.     Cheers!

Lots of people in Canmore that day - they had a Canada Day Parade throughout the downtown & lots of activities.     We strolled along the river with Sadie - the river is very high and really moving quickly. Some pathways are closed due to the high river.   No swimming for Sadie that day!

Afterwards, we found a shady spot to park in, left the windows down and lots of water for Sadie and we headed for The Paw.     We sat on the patio ( of course ! ) & ordered our meals and o ya - BEER !     I ordered a pint of Rutting Elk Red & Paul ordered the Grumpy Bear Honey Wheat.      After our encounter with the grizzly bear in Paul's backyard, a Grumpy Bear seemed appropriate!  ( glad OUR bear WASN'T grumpy ! )    This beer has a floral nose and a well rounded body, slightly sweet palate and smooth finish.    I really enjoyed my Elk Red as well - a medium bodied beer with slight caramel and roast flavours - it is a traditional Scottish style amber ale.

A middle-aged couple came out onto the patio and sat at a table next to us.     To our horror, they both ordered bottles of Kokanee !!   What's with that?   Ordering Kokanee at a microbrewery?     And a GOOD microbrewery to boot !    You can only feel sorry for them !  ;o)    

Neither of us felt ready to leave, so I ordered a glass of Beaver Tail Raspberry Ale and Paul decided on a refreshing glass of Powder Hound Pilsner.     Their Raspberry Ale was very good -right up there with Wild Rose Breweries - an unfiltered wheat ale with raspberries & while Paul enjoyed his Pilsner, he said it could have been a touch "hoppier".

We couldn't  head home without first stopping @ The Paw's store and picked up a Variety 12 pack to take home.    After all, summer's here, right ?!?

Upon arrival at the cabin, I let Sadie ( the dog ) out of the back of the Tracker.   As per usual, she started sniffing around - while in the carport, she suddenly became very still and was staring towards the backyard of the cabin.   A deer, I thought.     So, I approached Sadie  to see what had caught her attention.     Imagine my surprise ( shock, really !) when I was staring into the eyes of a grizzly bear!!  ( See previous blog, dated June 5 / 11 - "Boston Bruin"!).    Yep, same bear.    Thank goodness he is not an aggressive bear, or  "Houston, We've Got a Problem"!      Mr. Grizz had no interest in us, but I don't ever remember getting into that cabin any faster than that night!

A beer was in order!     So, we popped open the bottle of Ginger Beer.     It is spiced with the bold flavour of Hawaiian Ginger, apparently.   This Ale combines water, malt, hops & yeast ( Bavarian Purity Law of 1516).   Big Kahuna Ginger creates a refreshing taste with a spicy kick you can only get from the South Pacific.  It would pair great with the spicy flavour of Jerk Chicken.    We were told to avoid the urge to garnish with a tiny umbrella!!

Paul & I both enjoyed this crisp ale, but we both felt  it could have used just a little more ginger!     It is Paul's opinion that homebrewers should use the Barons Amber Ale with ginger added in the primary to achieve this style of ale at home.

Then we drove to Aunt Terry's cabin overlooking the lake.     If you need  a summer "fix", get yourself to beautiful BC wine country -- it was sunny & 27 degrees C there!

The next day, after coffee on the deck,  we waved goodbye to the cabin & headed to Lake Breeze Vineyards for lunch on the patio. It was excellent food & we paired it with their Bench White.    It was superb - nice dry, crisp white with a hint of citrusy grapefruit - blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris.     Ben joined us at our table -- he is the resident pooch that freely roams about & chose the shade of our table to grab a nap.   What a life!

Before hitting the road, we stopped in at Hillside Estate Winery and bought 2 bottles to bring home - a 2007 Syrah and a 2009 Riesling Old Vines.    Naramata is full of quiet little vineyards.    On the whole, we found the wines to be a little pricey, but the ambience is excellent.

Visiting vineyards is always an enjoyable experience and adds to your wine knowledge.     Next trip out to Naramata,  Ruby Tuesday Winery is definitely on the list - unfortunately we ran out of time!

With our Chilean wines upcoming promotion in July, it was a good occasion for some review! 

The Sauvignon Blancs were solid.   Our Pinot Noir ( one of my favourites ) is very comparable to some of their best.   The Carmeneres are very elegant wines, and like people, get better with aging!

Our Cabernet Sauvignon definitely holds up well to the Special Reserves.

This type of homework gives the confidence to claim "only the best" for our customers!

We witnessed cars being burned and windows smashed.     I got the distinct impression that this was not about hockey  -- many of these hooligans came downtown with full intent to riot.    Some people ( I presume the true hockey fans ) were even standing in front of the stores, attempting to defend the broken windows from looting.

As much as this was a bad reflection on society, due to the mass destruction, many did attempt to stop the violence.   This is especially evident in the 12,000 strong volunteer clean-up crew that helped out the day after.

We made it home to enjoy our pizza with a glass of Rioja in an attempt to wash away the taste of the tear gas.

It is hard being my father's daughter. It means I have to sample a variety of beers whenever I travel anywhere. Right now I am in Montreal visiting a very good friend of mine, and we have been doing pretty well at enjoying a wide array of Quebecois beers!

Last night we went out for a beer down Rue Mont Royal which is currently engrossed in a big street festival. We found a lovely patio to people watch, and decided to try a beer called Quebecois Rebelle. Rebelle comes from a brewey called 'Brasseurs De Montréal', and (evidently) is brewed right here in Montreal. We were recommended the Bruschetta and goat's cheese to pair it with.

The recommendation was pretty tops! Rebelle is an Amber beer with a very strong malt kick, flavours of wheat and caramel, and is surprisingly fruity. It's actually very different from a typical red ale, but awesome nonetheless. The bruschetta and goat's cheese was also delicious, and the creaminess of the cheese really brought out the sweetness in the beer.

I think people don't associate proper food pairing with beer as much as they do with wine. While I think beer is probably more versatile, a good beer is just as complex as a good wine and deserves to be properly matched! 

- Anya 

  I do know however, that the battle for the Stanley Cup is underway -- that's hockey, right???    I also know the fight for the Cup is between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins ( cuz I asked Pat).

As you can see from this photo, I have my own"Bruin" right in my own backyard ( don't think he's from Boston tho! ) 

 This Big Enforcer ( see, I know my hockey terms - cuz I asked Pat......) anyway, this Bruin is a magnificent creature.   We knew there was a bear around because we saw the signs, as well the suet bird feeder was ripped right off the side wall, bracket and all!   We set up a camera to determine if it was a black bear or a grizzly.    This photo confirms it is indeed a grizzly.

Doubt if this "Bruin" is into hockey either.................but more with my lifestyle...................maybe we could share a pint???

Not all wine kits are created equal.  Most kit manufacturers don't invest money in creating wine kits that have the structure and complexity to age properly.  Our Winexpert brand does!  Hence the 500 Provincial & National awards for our Home Vintner wines.  All kit manufacturers enter wines into these competitions - Winexpert always dominates.

In being part of Winexpert's Advisory Committee, 2 weeks ago in Vancouver I spoke (& enjoyed a few glasses of wine) with one of our international buyers.  He told me that Winexpert invests the money in buying only the best grapes, more than other brands, and obviously it shows!

Our Vintners Reserve and World Vineyard line is designed to be consumed on the younger side.  Our Selection kits are geared to develop to their full potential from 6 months onward.  Estate kits may be aged for years, developing rich aromas and complexity.

Since each wine has an individual personality, it's best to ask the staff for specifics.  We have the most knowledgeable staff in Western Canada, which includes Certified wine judges, Wine Makers and Brew Master of the Year Awards.  We can give you the best advice regarding which wines to choose for specific occasions along with aging potential.

We garnered 38 more Provincial Awards, thus making our grand total a nicely rounded 500! 

Congrats to:   Ron G ,  Ken G,   Paul S,  Pat M,  Clarence G,  Dave B,  Claudia O,  Gordon S,  Kellie B,  Roy R,  & Phil A !       The Home Vintner Wine Guild is very proud of these achievements, which included 14 Silver Medals!

There have been changes to the National Competition rules, and thus each province is only allowed to enter a certain number of bottles.    Alberta is allowed to enter 30 bottles only, and so The Home Vintner will be entering 21 out of the cutoff of 30 !!    What can you say, but WOW !

On to The Nationals, which takes place in Nova Scotia this year in late August.     Good Luck fellow vintners!

 Larry Stefan, from Vancouver, was struck two weeks ago - he simply cannot eat because everything tastes horrible.   The syndrome hit him a couple of days after he enjoyed some pine nuts sprinkled on a salad.   A wine lover, with a 2,500 bottle cellar, Stefan couldn't choke down a glass of good red.   It tasted like vinegar.    A January report in the Journal of Toxicology suggests that taste disturbances following consumption of pine nuts is related to a species from Southern China.  It is a relative newcomer to the billion-dollar-a-year global pine nut market.  Some suppliers are taking action to limit imports from southern China.

The source of a bag of pine nuts can be problematic to trace, as pine nuts are sold in bulk on the global market, & the pack you pick up off the shelf could contain pine nuts from a variety of sources."

Very interesting article -- don't think I will be eating pine nuts any time soon -- I want to enjoy every glass of my fine wines!!

 We don't have much more info yet, other than we took, yet again, another 38 Provincial Awards which now makes our total a nicely rounded 500 Provincial and National Awards taken with our Wine Guild.

More info in a follow-up blog .   Again, Congrats, Ron!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have now put over 9,000 people through our classes over the years, as we want our customers to start out right from the get-go with a high level of knowledge, and set their standards high!    Quality, quality, quality matters to us - that is why we will ONLY carry the Winexpert  / Barons line.   We could carry others - we choose not to.    We'll stick with The Best!  We  have 15 Certified Winemakers on staff as well as several wine judges.

During this particular class, I started a Selection International Spanish Rose ( Limited Release ) - a luscious combination of Spanish red and white grapes, including the silky and seductive Tempranillo, which together creates a perfect Spanish Rose that is light - medium in body with a crisp, dry finish.   It is best enjoyed while young, crisp and refreshing.     It is a perfect summer wine and reminds me of my travels throughout Spain years ago.

Last year, one of our Guild members carbonated 15 bottles of his Spanish Rose and took a Gold medal in the Sparkling category!     We still have some Spanish Rose kits left in our stores, but it is very popular indeed, and no wonder!

Cheers!

There were many excellent wines -- the results have not yet been posted, but our expectations are high that we will be adding on to our 462 Provincial and National Awards that we already hold!

We will definitely post the results on a new Blog!  Stay tuned!

We met many interesting people who seemed interested in hand crafting their own excellent wine and beer. Many were surprised to learn the quality of what is achievable , and all had a story to tell about someone else's bad homemade wine / beer experience!  This is why we only carry the best , and set the standard for quality and back it with a 100% guarantee!

After two days of working the booth, it was nice to get home, put our feet up, and enjoy a glass of our excellent wine!

 Last night my daughter took me out to the Vin Room on 4th Street SW.  They had an excellent Portuguese Douro - now I'm inspired to make a few extra for myself from this years Limited Editions.    It is a very rich, lush wine.      Another great red was an Argentine Malbec blend from the Mendoza Province, which is where we source our Selection Argentine Malbec from.

My daughter found a classic  Gruner Veltliner, another one of our Limited Editions - very complex, with mineral characteristics.   It was just excellent with the cheese and eggplant chips we ordered as a food pairing with the wine.

If you are unsure of the tapas that will pair well,  you will almost always find that the staff can make good suggestions.

Enjoy the wine!  Enjoy the food!  Enjoy the company!     Disfrutar del vino!   Disfrutar de la comida!    Disfrutar de la compania!

Granville Island Brewery also has a Limited Release Imperial Pale Ale ( VERY hoppy ! ) & we plan on sitting this side by side with Calgary's own Wild Rose Brewery's Limited Release Imperial Pale Ale, and see which one we prefer.   Again - Blog to follow !!

We are thinking of trying our hand at brewing a Maple Ale, but until we compare the two, not sure if we will lean towards the Barons Amber Ale as our base or the Barons Canadian Golden Ale.........

Will you be ahead of the game this season and get prepared for the summer, when your consumption rates go way up? Nobody seems to be sober around a campfire.. We always have a lot of people come in mid-August bewildered as to where all their wine and beer went.

Now's the time to be pro-active and think ahead! (Don't forget about those new Twisted Mist kits!)

We want our customers to set a much higher standard than the norm for their wine and beer.   The more knowledge they have, the higher standard they set  - this is true of all Home Vintner customers.   This is a formula that we have followed since our first class over 18 years ago!

There on our table by the fireplace was a stand-up ad for Alexander Keith's Limited Release Tartan Ale.     We both love Scottish Ales, especially after visiting Scotland,  so this appealed to both of us.

We were pleasantly surprised with this Scottish style ale with warm amber hues and complex aromas, giving it a full-bodied taste with a slightly smoky finish.  It is amber in colour, a sip reveals the malty character of the beer, along with a hint of sweetness from caramel. The finish is malty with a lightly roasted touch.

We plan on trying our hand at this style of beer using the Barons Amber Ale , with 500 grams of  steeped, smoked malt.    We plan on adding this recipe to our ever growing beer recipes at our stores!    Cheers!

What a fine little helper to have around!  Izzy wants to be involved in the entire process of "her wine" -- right through to stabilizing, degassing, clearing & bottling.

  Isn't it funny how when they are young they always want to help, whether it's work or for fun, and when they grow up into teenagers, they are nowhere to be found!

See our Facebook page for more photos of Izzy and "Her Wine"!

We have had a 40% increase in beer kit sales this past year, which speaks to the fact that more and more people are coming to the realization that they CAN brew excellent beer at home with our Barons full malt beer kits. 

As each beer was tasted, Paul described what Barons kit could be used as a blank canvas to attain that style, along with different malts, hops, spices etc.      Tips were shared on different yeasts, malts, hops and spices, along with recipes and handouts.     We will be stocking different yeasts ( eg., Wyeast Belgian Wit ),  chamomille, orange peel, coriander,  different malts ( eg chocolate malt ) to enable our beermakers to tweak and play with brewing many different styles.

Paul also had different styles of glasses for beer varieties & explained the importance of a clean glass when pouring your beer.  ( NEVER put your beer glasses in the dishwasher ! )

Recipes will soon be available at all Home Vintner locations.   We are looking forward to a "Bigger Beer" presence in our stores.

Look on our Facebook Page for more photos of this fun and informative evening.   

We broke for a well deserved lunch break at approximately 1:30 pm - lunch was paid for by the money from the Wine Guild fund.

A huge thank you to our hard working volunteer Stewards and Judges -- we couldn't have done it without you!       On to Provincials, where our Guild always excels, & then late summer / early fall  our Provincial winners will be entered into the prestigous National Competition!

For a complete photo album of the In-House judging, see our Facebook Page!      The local Airdrie paper also showed up, so watch for that in the next edition!  

We are always open for new members who want to learn more about wine ( & beer ! )  All you need is a passion for fine wine & an eagerness to learn more - no snobs in our bunch!    Give us a call or email for more info.    Cheers!

I am betting with Isabelle's help, this is going to be an Award Winning batch next year!

Just goes to show you, you're never too young or too old to start making wine!

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama made culinary history when they served homebrewed White House Honey Ale, made with a pound of honey from the White House Beehive, to guests at last month's Super Bowl party. They are the first presidential couple to ever charge their chefs with the ancient--and now wildly popular--art of homebrewing, according to White House Curator Bill Allman.

Allman is the very busy historian who oversees every extraordinary aspect of the most famous 132-room museum/residence in America, from the priceless antiques and art to the decades of records about domestic practices and sometimes curious presidential habits. The Obamas' White House homebreweing has no precedent: Allman did a thorough check of his sources, beginning with the days when the White House was first occupied more than 200 years ago.

"We have no record of beer brewing at the White House," Allman said.

William Ushong, historian for the White House Historical Association, concurs.

"I haven't heard of any beer brewing going on at the White House itself," Ushong said. "President Jefferson would be your likely candidate, given his epicurean taste."

But no: Even President Thomas Jefferson (in office 1801-1809), who is credited with being the first president to spotlight the importance of the culinary arts at the White House, did not homebrew at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Allman said that while President Jefferson "rather famously took a personal interest in buying wines, by which he severely depleted his personal accounts," a previous White House historian recorded that Jefferson's Steward bought the whiskey, beer, and cider that was served, so it wasn't brewed on site. (Jefferson, above)

Allman added that there's also no evidence that homebrewing occurred in other early presidential administrations, when "skills possibly plied at [the presidents'] personal homes might have been plied at their temporary official home." Even during Prohibition in the 1920s, when all of America was dry, there is no record of home brewing or distilling at the White House, Allman reported, while admitting that "there was some consumption of illegal alcoholic beverages."

"There is no evidence in our files concerning brewing during those decades or during the rest of White House history," Allman said.

Homebrewing takes hold at the White House...
The White House Honey Ale was not the first time the White House chefs have homebrewed. You don't serve your very first fermentation experiment to special visitors, do you? The President and Mrs. Obama's Super Bowl guest list mixed glamor with politics: Singer/actress Jennifer Lopez and her husband, singer Marc Anthony mingled with a smattering of Cabinet Secretaries, Members of Congress, and First Family friends.

But Super Bowl Sunday was the first time there was an announcement about homebrewed beer, because clearly the White House is aware that it's special; the bottle labels for the White House Honey Ale were created in-house, to mark the occasion.

And the homebrewing is going to continue.

"It is very safe to assume that there will be more White House beer in the future," said Semonti Stephens, a spokesman for the East Wing.

For the Super Bowl party, "90 to 100" 12-ounce bottles of the Honey Ale were served, Stephens said. There were no leftovers.

The chefs, who are led by Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford (l), are quite excited about homebrewing, according to Stephens. Between the savory side and the pastry side of the kitchen, there are about a dozen chefs, all told--and a number are exploring the wonders of boiling and bottling.

"It's a collaborative effort," Stephens said.

Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses, for the record, is a whiz at molecular gastronomy--the science of food. Brewing some lovely White House Honey Ale is right in keeping with his interests in the reactive nature of edible ingredients; he's even lectured at Harvard University about the science of food, and alongside world-class scientists at a recent convention in DC.

Red, White and Brew
The Obamas and their chefs have now joined a national community of enthusiasts that seems to be getting larger by the day, because homebrewing (and craft brewing and micro brewing) have surged in popularity in recent years, becoming one of the hottest trends in the food world. There are more than 700,000 homebrewers in the US, according to the American Homebrewers Association. Every year there are countless festivals, competitions, and beer bashes held to laud the wonders of home fermentation. Homebrewing has been legal in the US since 1978--and yes, it is legal in DC, where there's a very active cadre of Hop Heads.

The President and First Lady purchased the brewing equipment with their own funds, a White House aide said on Super Bowl Sunday. Stephens declined to identify exactly what kind of equipment--it's a private purchase, after all--but according to Alan Talman of Karp's Homebrew, a brewing supply shop in East Northport, New York, the Obamas could have a very workable homebrewing set-up for as little as $60 dollars. A fancy rig would run between $200-$400 dollars. And the White House kitchen, though notoriously small considering the vast amount of delights that are created each week, is already in possession of some of the finest cooking equipment available.

Hops in the Kitchen Garden...
The very talented chefs have been engaging in all kinds of "new" culinary adventures since the President and Mrs. Obama arrived, from pickling vegetables grown in Mrs. Obama's Kitchen Garden (which have been given as high-profile diplomatic gifts) to making cheese in house, which occurred for Sunday night's black tie Governors' Dinner, when homemade ricotta was served. But the culinary adventures are not really new: They're practices that were once standard in American kitchens. They just haven't gone on at the White House before--or were conducted behind the scenes, with no announcement. Home pickling and cheese making are also hot trends right now in the American cooking scene.

Assistant chef Sam Kass (l), who does double duty as the First Lady's Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives, is very excited about the homebrewing: Hops could be the next "experimental" vegetable planted in the First Lady's Kitchen Garden, which Kass oversees.

"Believe me, I've thought about it," said Kass, chuckling, when asked if there was a possibility that the key beer-making crop might join the other delicacies growing in America's most famous edible garden.

"It has definitely crossed my mind," Kass said.

Mrs. Obama's 1,500 square-foot Kitchen Garden, located on the bottom of the South Lawn, will shortly be re-planted for the Spring season, and there's plenty of room for Hops, which are relatively easy to grow. The garden is simultaneously a nutrition education project for children and an unequaled chef's garden, the source of more than 60 kinds of vegetables, including heirloom varieties and special edibles sourced from Jefferson's own kitchen garden at his Virginia plantation home, Monticello. It's overseen by master historical gardener Peter Hatch, who has advised on the Kitchen Garden. The White House crops are used to create everything from State Dinners to simple First Family meals. About a third of the crops are donated to Miriam's Kitchen, a local social services agency that feeds the homeless.

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Rich and sensual, the flavour is reminiscent of Black Forest cake, with sweet chocolate notes and a slightly smoky  character from the roasted malts.    A thoroughly enjoyable brew to enjoy during this bitter cold snap!

Looking forward to trying Wild Rose's latest Seasonal, which is an Imperial IPA.     Blog to follow!

Remember, you can take our Barons beer kits and tweak and play and create your own microbrewery style beer!

We needed a fine wine to celebrate, so Paul started rooting!    He came up with a well aged ( prob 4 to 5 years ) Selection Crushendo Santa Ynez Valley Syrah.   A well aged Syrah is known for its immense colour, body, flavour and longevity & this one hit the mark on all counts!     We poured this wine into our breathable Eisch wine glasses and the first thing we both noticed was the incredible nose!   These glasses really let the wine open up and express itself.    Rich berry aromas , leathery tannins,  with a hint of spice.    Upon swirling and tasting, the first thing I noticed was the rich taste of licorice!      Paul discovered dark chocolate , dark fruits and also picked up on the licorice.

This really emphasized to us the importance of aging, especially if you are comparing home vintned wines vs commercial varieties.    Winexpert wines will develop complexities to rival many expensive commercial wines.     Our customers often tell us that they prefer their handcrafted wines!

Keep in mind that not all wines will evolve this way - some wines are better consumed when young.   Ask our staff what the best candidates would be for your cellar!

Cheers!

GRUNER VELTLINER – CATCH THE WAVE!

( FEELIN' GRU – VAY! )

Austria Gruner Veltliner is our 2010 Limited Edition that is due to arrive in March. Gruner Veltliner is a grape on the move! For decades, Gruner was the backbone of Austrian white wine production, and that was the end of the story. Until, that is, a handful of importers and sommeliers in the United States and the United Kingdom made the discovery that it was just possibly the food-friendliest wine on the planet – and not just with schnitzel!

In the past decade, Gruner first made its way onto upscale restaurant wine lists; then into discerning wine shops; then onto supermarket wine shelves; then into small vineyard plantings here and there in North America; and now onto the radar of home winemakers. Rising from regional workhorse to global superstar in ten years suggests there's more to this grape than just good marketing!

Making Gruner Veltliner gives you a chance to be the first winemaker on your block to try it. Gruner is one of those wonderful white wines that takes almost no work – in fact, it hates being fussed with – & pays off in amazing versatility at the table.

First, let's get the pronunciation straight – GREW-nur felt-LEAN-er is close enough. In most situations, GV will do just fine or you can impress your friends by using the hipper nickname, GREW-vay!

On wine lists and store shelves, Gruner is often grouped with Germanic aromatic wines, like Rieslings and Gewurztraminers, but it couldn't be more different from its cousins. If white wines can be laid out on a continuum, with floral at one end, herbal at the other & fruity in between, GV is right next to Sauvignon Blanc at the herbal end, not nestled up with Riesling and the floral crowd. Fruit character goes from grapefruity to peachy with a distinctive and delightful peppery finish. It's always made dry and rarely blended. Some of the more intense Austrian GVs age well for a decade or more, but more often, it gets consumed young for maximum vivacity. The steely dryness and bracing acidity of GV works brilliantly with seafood, but don't limit it there!

When American winemakers were asked why they got into the GV business, the universal answer was that they liked to drink it! The winemakers @ Black Ankle, Maryland state, “We came at it from the finished wine perspective. It's a nice food wine; it has enough interesting flavours that it doesn't just sit there, but it doesn't overwhelm the food either.”

Paul has ordered extras of this gorgeous Limited Edition 2010, so call any of our stores to be put on the waiting list. Don't be disappointed! Limited Edition is just that – LIMITED QUANTITIES!!

Riesling is so dynamic it's like a different breed of wine from region to region. Our 2004 Limited Edition Riesling hailed from Mosel Valley in Germany, with more of an off-dry finish. In Austria it's the second most common grape grown (next to the Gruner Veltliner – our March Limited Edition wine for this year!)

Many of you are probably familiar with Riesling Ice Wine (or maybe you've even made a batch of it!) The Riesling grape from BC and the pacific Northwest is known to have more of a peachy flavour, which is probably why it makes such a delicious peach ice wine. Our very own wine guild has put through Riesling Ice Wine's at 10 years old that were aged to liquid gold.

Back to the basics on Rieslings, though. Since Germany is the number one producer worldwide of the grape, chances are that the Riesling you're about to enjoy hails from somewhere in Germany - which means you better be drinking it out of the proper German Riesling glass. That's right, this wine is so different from country to country that German Rieslings deserve their own glass. The glass is tulip-shaped, and directs a full, flat stream straight to attack the palate (since Riesling's typically have little to no unpleasant attributes!) Oh, and it's the most versatile wine to pair with food.

Pictured is the most standard Riesling glass.



As is usually the case, most of the people in this class came to learn about winemaking. However, largely due to Ron's ("The Beer Guy" ) enthusiasm and willingness to share his beer making tips with the rest of us, many of the fledgeling home vintners were inspired to try their hand at a beer kit as well. The fastest growing group of home brewing fans are the 25 to 35 year olds, of whom the vast majority have a great understanding and appreciation of what a home made wine or beer can REALLY be.

Commercial imported or microbrewery style beers can cost between 3 to 4 dollars a bottle, made from a Baron's kit would set you back about 50 cents (not factoring in your time, of course, but once you've found a style you really like, it becomes a labour of love!)

As for the wines, a Brunello sampled at the class was one that retails for about $85.00. Our equivalent? About $4.50 per bottle. If you add it all up, you would come out with a saving of over $2400.00. Just goes to show you, you don't have to give up on some of the better things in life, you just have to be more creative.

My first batches of beer and wine were completed in the fall of that year.  They were both excellent and my friends were all very delighted when I shared these with them.  Unfortunately, my supply ran out before my next batches were complete, so I went out and purchased enough carboys and primary fermentors to provide a continuous supply.

Since that time, I have convinced many friends to make their own beer and wine, and have made 61 batches of wine and 86 batches of beer, all of which have been enjoyed by me and my friends.  I conservatively estimate that I have saved well over $10,000 by home brewing rather than purchasing my beer and wine.

I now enjoy working part time at the North East Calgary Home Vintner location, in fact I will be working there for the month of March to cover for Craig on vacation, and I would be delighted to share beer and wine making stories with anyone who is interested.   

A total of $8,669.87 was raised this year for the BC Childrens Hospital, Oak Tree Clinic.

The Best of Show was Fairview Cellars Madcap Red 2007 and the Gold Medal winners were:  Sumac Ridge Stellars Jay Brut 2006, Wild Goose Pinot Gris 2009, Wild Goose Autumn Gold 2009, Lake Breeze Gewurztraminer 2009, Thornhaven Gewurztraminer 2009, Nichol Vineyards 9 Mile Red 2008, Prospect Winery The Lost Hats Vidal Ice Wine, Victoria Gin.

Although many of the wines were excellent, my favourites were the Painted Rock Merlot 2007 and Thornhaven's Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer.

This is one of the best events to experience BC wines, and I will definitely be back in January 2012 to do our "research" for you !

A Red Meritage is a blend of two or more of the red "noble" Bordeaux varieties.   If the blend includes any other grape variety, it is , by definition, not a Meritage.  Also to qualify as a Meritage, no single grape variety can make up more than 90% of the blend.    Winexpert's 3 Continents Meritage combines Petit Verdot from Australia, Cab Sauv from California, and Merlot from Chile.      Those of you that were fortunate enough to get your hands on one of these kits, you are in for a real treat.    It's fabulous young, but put aside some bottles for sure - I guarantee you won't regret it!     ( I really feel this wine is Gold Medal material ! )

I remember when I first started making wine in the early '90s, Paul gave me a bottle to take home and try.    It was a Limited Edition Grand Bordeaux ( the year of the wine eludes me), but this wine made such an impression on me, I was hooked.     I still remember the taste of that wine all these years later, and this 3 Continents Meritage is right up there with that Grand Bordeaux!     

Stop by and visit Wende behind the Tuscany counter @ her store in Rocky!     She has already started collecting names for the next class!

That evening, Paul started up a Winexpert Selection Symphony - this is one of my absolute favourite white wines!    Years back it was a Limited Edition and we still hear customers sigh, "That was a gorgeous wine!"    There was such a clamor for more that Winexpert brought it into the Selection lineup ( much to my great happiness!) Symphony is a white grape that defies tradition and convention.   It's a crossing of 2 French grapes - Muscat and Grenache Gris. The name was endowed by a wine scientist who tasted one of the first finished wines and declared that it showed " a Symphony of aromas & flavours!"     (I admit, I had a bit of input in choosing the wine to make that evening as I was a little unnerved when I discovered I only have 3 bottles of Symphony left in my cellar ! )

This was a great class, filled with people eager to learn &  with a range of questions from the importance of stirring, to C02 removal, how to properly use a wine whip, questions about vintning at our higher altitude, importance of choosing a good cork,  and on and on !!

Thanks to everyone for all the accolades received at the end of the class!      Starter kits were purchased and after consulting with one of us on staff, chose an appropriate wine or beer to their individual tastes.     All participants received a C02 tester upon leaving - a great little gadget for the winemakers in the crowd!

Call the Airdrie store at 403-912-6323 to be put on a list for our next class -- we are now open 7 days a week!

The most interesting thing I find about this glass, is the flare at the top of the glass. Because Burgundy varieties are so acidic the glasses feature a flared opening to direct the wine to the tip of your tongue, highlighting the sweetness of the wine.

You don't need 30 different glasses to enjoy your wines, but having a couple different varieties certainly helps you get the most out of them.

The cork should be eased out slowly with a "sigh",  and not a loud "pop".  Chill the bottle in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours, or for 30 minutes in an ice bucket.

Crystal glasses are best in which to serve Champagne, and don't worry about pairing it with specific foods, because Champagne goes with just about everything.  Keep in mind that glasses must be scrupulously clean with no detergent residue which can strip the wine of its bubbles.

Left over Champagne?  Why not add it to your morning eggs or omlette ?

I've spent time north of Paris and also in Napa Valley  "sampling" Champagnes and have developed a passion for them.  Our Millenium Sparkling Wine kit has won Best of Show internationally for four years in a row in the Sparkling Wine category.

I think a good New Years Resolution is to drink more of this style of wine!   

THE WONDERFUL WORLD of WINE   

More wine lovers in North America have come to know the pleasure of Port wine in recent years, however, many have yet to experience the unique enjoyment of this great wine.

The cultivation of red wine grapes has been carried out in the valley of the Duoro River in northern Portugal since the Romans introduced it 2000 years ago. The vines are grown on quintas (farms) on steep terraces and the grapes are harvested by hand.

The most celebrated grape from which fine Port is made is the Touriga Nacional, however, it is difficult to cultivate and has small yields. Consequently the Touriga Francesa grape is the most widely grown for fine Ports. Port is a sweet fortified wine, having brandy (distilled grape spirits) added to the fermenting wine prior to the sugar being completely converted. This intensifies the flavour and increases the alcohol content to approximately 20%. The wine is then shipped to the producers’ caves in Vila Nova de Gaia at the mouth of the Duoro River for blending, ageing, bottling and shipping to the world.

The fortifying of red wine in Portugal started in the early 18^th century during the British/French wars when England couldn’t obtain French wine so English wine merchants financed the production of Port in Duoro. To this day, many of the original English Port wine companies are still among Portugal’s leading Port wine producers.

Vintage Port is produced from the best wine from a single vineyard and usually declared “Vintage” only in every third or fourth year. It is aged in oak casks for about two years, bottled and requires ten or more years ageing in the bottle to achieve perfection.

Other Ports such as Tawny, Ruby and Late Bottled Vintage are stabilized, filtered and bottled. No ageing takes place in the bottle and they are ready to drink when purchased. Excellent Tawny, Ruby or LBV styles can be crafted at home by wine lovers, from wine juice kits.

Port is usually served with the cheese or dessert course or as an after dinner drink. The British navy and army established a tradition that the Port bottle is passed clockwise from the head of the table until it is empty and should never be recorked. It is not suggested that this tradition be observed if there are only 2 or 3 diners !

Joe Mein at The Home Vintner

For any of our customers that will be in Vancouver next month (or who are looking for an excuse to be out there), Liberty Wine will be holding it's annual 'Taste B.C.' event on January 18^th at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Vancouver. The event features wines, beers, and spirits from around the province with over 50 B.C. wineries represented. The event also features food pairing from local restaurants, live music, and a silent auction. This is a perfect opportunity for anyone wanting to learn more about B.C. Wines, and the best way to learn more about wine is always in the tasting. I will be there, and I hope to see you there too!

The proceeds from the event will go towards the Children’s Hospital-Oak Tree Clinic. For more information visit: The official event page or click on the image to enlarge.

Enjoying good wine is part of their lifestyle - they all know each other through their kid's schools.  As well as having young kids in school, they have them involved in sports, dance, swimming etc., and so financially it makes sense for them to make their own wine, and save money!   

By making their own wine (and beer), they can still enjoy their lifestyle and keep the youngsters happy and involved in activities!

Some wild animals I have "bumped into" while out walking include moose, a pack of coyotes and a full grown grizzly bear!  A glass of Italian Barolo is not much defence against an adult grizzly in full charge!  Bears sometimes do not hibernate all winter long - they have been known to get up and walk about, so it is always a good idea to be cautious!   So, a word to the wise, even at this time of year, don't forget to pack the bear spray with you.

A house is being built about a mile from my place, and last week their dog was killed and eaten by a cougar.   Unfortunately, this was a "city dog" and the bad combo of "city folk" letting their pooch out at night, barking continuously, led to disaster on the dog's part.

It is easy to walk right up to the deer in the woods - they actually make good drinking buddies & are extremely curious about what is going on around the cabin! 

These are very peaceful moments for me and I always appreciate the wonder of nature and the great outdoors.

One year ago, we opened our 8th Home Vintner location and it's been very successful thanks to Wende, who is so outgoing, enthusiastic and knowledgeable about our wines.  We appreciate the customers who have been so supportive of this venture.

We have officiated many classes and wine events here this past year, and they are ALWAYS well attended by a fun group of people from  this community!

Australian Shiraz / Viognier - paired with mushroom cups.    Pacifica White - paired with White Stilton cheese with Mango & Ginger. Italian Primitivo - paired with spicy meatballs with feta cheese and fennel seeds.   Austria Gruner Veltliner - paired with shrimp with cream sauce.    Portuguese Duoro Tinto - paired with veggie dumplings with Hoison sauce.

Many people asked us for recipes for these pairings and they will be published in our December newsletter.

Thanks to those who attended and showered us with accolades!    We always appreciate your feedback on our events.

Some people think they can tell the difference between a commercial and a home made wine, but it is usually due to insufficient aging.  Wines that have proper structure can age beautifully over the years.

We encourage you to hide away a few bottles for special occasions in the future.  You will be justly rewarded!

Anyone else like to share their comments on hidden treasures on their wine racks?

Relax in front of your fireplace while the cold winds howl outside, and swirl, sniff, taste and toast the season.

This is my cabin in the woods where I go to relax and appreciate my fine hand crafted wines.  Time to throw another log on the fire and top up my Stags Leap Merlot!

This is an extensive description of our 5 limited edition wines available January to March 2011.  Pre-order deadline to guarantee your product is December 15 at last years prices of $131 for whites and $136 for reds.  When the shipments actually arrive we do order a few extras which will be available at the regular price of $141 for whites and $146 for reds (on the extras ordered first come first served). 

By the way our annual tasting of commercially equivalent products of these 5 wines with special guest speaker Dave Larocque and a tasting of each wine with pairings will be November 18, 7 PM at the Capitol Hill Community Association, 1531 21 Ave NW.  Tickets are available at all Home Vintner locations for $10 per person ($5 toward charity and $5 credit toward the purchase of a Limited Edition Wine Kit).

A video presentation by Tim Vandergrift of each wine is also available from Winexpert, click here to view.

Australian Shiraz/Viognier (Heaviest Body) (January)

This is a full-bodied red wine, and the heaviest of our three reds, even though we are blending a white grape (Viognier) with the Shiraz. 90% Shiraz, 10% Viognier.

Our grapes come from the Salmon Gum Vineyards in the Riverland District, which is part of the Murray Darling Basin.  There's plenty of sunshine and heat in the Riverland which is perfect to ripen up the Shiraz, mixed with ample irrigation to control the rate of ripening.

Viognier is an especially aromatic wine and the idea of blending it with Shiraz is to provide some soft aromatics to the heavy, tannic character of Shiraz.

Distinguishing feature of Shiraz is the small berries with a thick skin.  Most of the colour, flavour, aroma and tannin in red wine comes from the skin.  Small berries = high skin to pulp ratio, so lots of big, robust fruit flavours.  Thick skin = lots of tannin.

There will be cross-over between the red and the white flavours.  Shiraz will give chewy blackberry and chocolate notes with lots of tannin, but this will be balanced slightly by delicate perfume notes provided by Viognier.  Aging this wine out for at least 18 months will produce the amazing subtle peppery spice that Shiraz is renowned for

Pacifica White (Off – Dry) (January)

Like last year's Pacific Quartet the Pacifica White also contains 4 different grape varietals from growing regions located on the Pacific Rim:

-         Sauvignon Blanc ~ California
-         Viognier ~ California
-         Chardonnay ~ Okanagan, BC
-         Semillon ~ Australia

It is not a traditional blend and each grape has been chosen for the balance that it provides to the others.  This wine will have layers of flavour.  Sauvignon Blanc is grassy and herbaceous.  Viognier brings stone fruits and is very aromatic. Semillon provides a honey note.  Chardonnay presents as crisp green apple.

It will appeal to lovers of slightly sweet wines (Gewurz, Piesporter, Lieb), but off-dry does not mean that it is sweet.  Off-dry means there is a perfect balance between the acid and fruit notes.  In the case of the Pacifica White it means that it is luscious and juicy with a big mouth feel.

4 completely different grapes to Pacific Quartet, so different flavours, but the Pacifica White is a very similar style with the off-dry note and luscious fruit.

Note – lightest to heaviest in the reds would be in the order of 1.Primitivo, 2.Douro Tinto, 3.Shiraz/Viognier.  Though, Primitivo is still  medium bodied, whereas Douro Tinto and Shiraz/Viognier are both full bodied.

Italian Primitivo (Medium Body) (February)

Primitivo was previously thought to be the same grape as the more famous Zinfandel, but it was recently discovered that they share the same grape parent. So, they are very close genetically.

Our Primitivo juice comes from the Puglia growing region which is the heel on the boot-like map of Italy.  It's very hot in Puglia but the region receives a cooling effect from the Mediterranean which prevents the grapes from ripening to quickly.

An important characteristic of Primitivo is that they are very small grapes with a thin skin.  This provides a high skin to pulp ratio which means that you get big colour, flavour and aroma in Primitivo.  The thin skin, however, means you have more delicate tannin than thicker skinned grapes.

The dominant flavour of Primitivo is ripe raspberries.  As it ages you will get plums and spice.  The tannin starts firm but softens with age to become silky smooth.

Austrian Gruner Veltliner (Dry White) (March)

Gruner Veltliner is the most widely planted grape in Austria, accounting for 37% of all vineyards in the country.

Until the mid 80's Gruner Veltliner was produced for quantity rather than quality. The past few decades have seen a significant rise in quality (premium growing techniques) and a rise of Gruner Veltliner on the world stage.

Wine geeks have known of this amazing wine for some time and it is now gaining popularity on trendy restaurant wine lists across Canada (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver).  Incredible with shellfish and seafood.

Gruner Veltliner is crisp and minerally with nice fruit flavours, similar in character to dry Riesling (particularly Okanagan), without the floral note usually associated with Riesling.  Gruner Veltliner also draws comparisons with Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris.

It will drink well young (if a little simple), but will age better than almost all other white wine.  Ours will need age to bring out the complexity of flavours.       

Portuguese Douro Tinto (Full Body) (April)

Douro is the famous growing region that our juice comes from in Portugal and Tinto means "red" in Portuguese. So, this is our "Douro Red" blend.

Portugal is famous for producing port, but many of the grapes that go into the premium ports also make remarkable dry red table wines.  Which the Portuguese have been enjoying for centuries.

A blend of 3 red grapes: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz & Touriga Franca.

-     Touriga Nacionale - Considered Douro regions finest red grape.  Tiny berries that produce a big, dark robust wine.
-     Tinta Roriz - More commonly referred to as Tempranillo, which is the famous grape that makes up Rioja (Spain).
-     Touriga Franca - is Cabernet Franc to Touriga Nacionale's Cabernet Sauvignon.  That is to say, if we look at this Douoro blend in the terms of a classic Bourdeaux style blend, Touriga Nacionale provides lots of deep flavour & tannin, while Touriga Franca provides freshness and subtlety.

Young, this wine will show a lush blackcurrant flavour from the Nacionale, and violets/roses.  With age the floral character will become more prominent.

The Home Vintner Airdrie was presented with a beautiful Congratulations plaque, which is being proudly displayed in the Airdrie store.

Thank you to all our customers and the Airdrie business community for supporting us for this Award.   We raise a glass to our customers for sharing our passion for good wine..........Salut!

For a complete photo album, see our Facebook  page!

Afterwards we all met in the Taproom for pub fare and another pint of EXCELLENT beer.   For other fans of Wild Rose Beer, let us know & we can help you create these styles of beers

For a complete photo album, see our Facebook Page !

In Ontario last week I tried some offerings from Smith and Wilson, one a classic blend of Cabernet Franc/Merlot aptly named "Double Barrel", as you might imagine by the name heavily oaked but the varietals handle this extremely well. Definitely not "over the top" for a Bordeaux-style wine, though it does pack a punch for all you wood lovers.

Also had the chance to try a couple of grapes new to me, offered by the same family run vineyard using only on site fruit. Chambourcin has shown much success locally, as has the "Buckhorn" label Baco Noir.

On an interesting note about regionally grown grapes, many of the larger wine producers are getting away from using very many local grapes at all. With alarming frequency, some of the larger corporate wineries are importing much of their juice. I found the wines I tried to be heavy handed, not at all true to what I have come to expect from the Niagara Peninsula. As to labeling, "Made in Canada" means just that: the wine was blended and bottled here. As to the origin of the grapes? Only the vintner knows for sure.

Well I love cilantro but I'm of the camp who thinks they are the soap of crystal stemware. They totally defeat the purpose of fine wine glasses. You may as well use a coffee mug if you are that afraid of spilling your wine. You have choices. If you must set your glass down, find a stable surface before doing so. Or else, don't drink so much to begin with and you won't have a problem. In a large crowd, with no stem on which to attach a wine charm, how do you be sure the glass is yours? This means you have to hold it the entire time, thereby warming up the wine and leaving unsightly fingerprints on the bowl. Unless you are a forensic expert you could not tell for sure...just where the heck did I leave my glass???

Do they save space in your glassware cabinet? Probably. But again, you may as well just use a coffee cup if space restrictions are a legitimate concern.

As a bit of a closing aside, all in fun, next time you watch a Hollywood movie, if there is a scene where someone is having a glass of wine (from a stemmed glass) almost invariably the actor holds the glass BY THE BOWL. It drives me nuts. So, could I be correct in assuming that stemless wine glasses were invented in Hollywood? Saves trying to guess how to hold a fine glass of wine, if anything.

Paul and Jessica joined with 150 wine dealers in Vancouver last weekend sampling the commercial equivalents of the five Limited’s that Winexpert will introduce January to March 2011.  Each wine was paired with various foods to enhance the characteristics of each wine.  There is much anticipation amongst us home vintners as there is a brand new blend, two new varietals and a new twist on an old favourite from a few years ago.  So there's a reason to look forward to the darkest days of winter, (as if you ever needed one!).

In anticipation of this years November Calgary wine tasting event our local staff are looking forward to their own private wine tasting evening with Winexpert staff to also sample these 5 wines.  Click here to see Tim Vandergrift's presentations on each wine!

As Canadians we tend to travel outside our country a great deal, but we need to take more time to discover part of Canada that has some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.

One of the best motorcycle rides in North America is north of Nelson BC. The twists and turns of the road system in this area makes it a must ride for motorcycle enthusiasts!

Last week I took 4 days off in order to check this off my ‘Bucket List”. I stayed in a quaint hotel in Nelson called The Hume Hotel – a late 1880’s restoration.

The suggested route into Nelson is to take Hwy 3 to Hwy 3A that follows the Kootenay Lake and the ferry across into Nelson. North of Nelson, take the 3A and Hwy 31 and loop back on Hwy 6 to New Denver returning into Nelson.

The beautiful scenery and winding roads is a thrilling and an enjoyable experience when riding a motorcycle. It made me appreciate the beauty that we have so close to home.

Another successful wine event was held recently at the local Home Vintner, and, due to the enthusiastic turn out, we will soon be setting up more events and wine/beer making classes to keep up with demand.

At a local winery I found an excellent Baco Noir, mid weight and well rounded and a classic Gewurztraminer.  If you need to supply the wine for any festive occasion contact the staff at The Home Vintner for suggestions and take advantage of our expertise. 

We had a fun and educational event at our Rocky Mountain House store on March 27, 2010  wine appreciation cheese, chocolate pairing class.  The Home Vintner has moved people up to better wine kits available in the market.  Now, we want our customers to get the most out of their wine. 

Put us to the test.  Check our website for further events.

The Home Vintner Wine Guild spent the day judging wines to move ahead into provincial competition.  When almost all of the wines are of this excellent quality it makes selecting only the top four that much more difficult.  Our Wine Guild is one of the most relaxed groups in the country but takes more of the awards.  No wine snobs please, just people who get wine and enjoy it.

Since we only bring in the best quality wine on the market we want our customers to judge it and to get the most enjoyment from the quality.

Next event at Rocky will be a wine appreciation night where we will be instructing the class on how to judge wine and then how to match wine with the right cheese and chocolate.  Tentative date is March 27, watch for more info on this as participants will need to pre-register with Wende.

The Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon - red and black berries accented with black pepper carries through from start to finish, a very good wine with pepper steaks and spicy pasta.

The Chilean Carmenere – deep crimson with dark cherry aroma, red fruits and berry notes running to a smoky, spicy finish with notes of cark chocolate and tobacco.

With softer tannins both of these Selection wines are good on the younger side, so a great choice for those who are starting to grow a wine collection.

In February we are planning another wine and beer making class, dates will be announced soon. 

Barometer pressure is increasing so this week wine should be progressing nicely.

Looking forward to another wine making class on Thursday night in the North East store and another one Saturday at Rocky Mountain House.. 

February's focus is educational with classes on Wine Tasting and Judging along with Wine Pairing with cheeses and chocolate. 

Barometric pressure is still low so be patient with your wines.

This is our very first blog entry. In this blog we plan on keeping you updated on changes in the store, new wine discoveries, and the travels of staff and customers. If you have any wine-related travel stories, please send them in and we will share them with our customers. We always enjoy hearing first-hand about various wineries throughout the world.

We have discovered that you can fly upside down and still keep a wine glass on the dash of your airplane.. empty, of course.