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The Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Wil Knoll

Back for its 16^th year, The Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival is ready to spoil Calgary and Edmonton with wines from around the world and local cuisine from each city’s best restaurants.

Calgary’s festival takes place this weekend, October 18-19 at the BMO Centre, while Edmonton will get their taste on October 25-26 at the Shaw Conference Centre. Tickets are still available for each weekend’s Friday and Saturday and range from $15 to $36. A portion of these ticket sales will go to both SAIT and NAIT Culinary schools – who will also be present for some delicious food samples created by students.

Apart from wines, the festival will include samples of scotch, premium spirits and beer from industry leaders. If you prefer wine, bottles from every major wine region will have a place at the festival. From Bordeaux, France to Mendoza, Argentina, you will likely find a booth that holds all your favourites. Here are just a few of many wineries that will be present this weekend at Calgary’s Rocky Mountain Festival.

Peter Lehmann – Australia

Lakeview Cellars – Canada

Jackson-Triggs – Canada

Artisian Wine Company – Canada

La Spinetta – Italy

Fonseca – Portugal

Cameron Hughes – United States

Beringer – United States

Concha Y Toro – Chile

In addition to ticket pricing, sampling coupons can be purchased for $0.50. Each exhibitor requires a varying amount of coupons per sample.

If you’re in touch with Calgary’s dining scene, you may know that there are a ton of restaurants making a mark in gourmet cuisine. The Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival will host various venues that will be providing samples of their best dishes. You will find Sunterra, Market, Cobs Bread, Wine-Ohs Bistro & Cellar, Xocolat, Craft Beer Market and Black Betty Burger & Wine Bar all at the festival, not to discount the numerous other vendors that will also be attending.

This year, the festival is also adding to attendee experience by introducing an app that will allow goers to mark samples, tasting notes and post their favourites to social media. If you plan on attending the event, we would love to hear about your entire experience.

WineCollective has featured and favourited many of the wines that will be showcased at the festival. However, there will be many more wineries that will be happy to pour samples. Amber and I will be attending the event on Friday evening, meaning you should keep an eye out for a future blog of all the goodies we find and want to share.

Your guide to Thanksgiving wine

Posted on October 9, 2013October 9, 2013 by Wil Knoll

Cooking up a traditional Canadian Thanksgiving meal is a stressful ordeal if you’re hosting a large table of family and friends. While we can’t tell you exactly how to cook the best turkey ever, we can share our know-how of which wines to bring to the table for your guests.

But first, a history lesson! The first Thanksgiving celebrated in Canada was in Newfoundland back in 1578. An English explorer named Martin Frobisher unfortunately went through some troubles while sailing uncharted seas, losing many comrades through winter storms. After Frobisher’s ships were scattered for quite some time, they all managed to happily meet at Frobisher Bay where they all celebrated the reunion with a meal of thanks.

Although Canada had been celebrating Thanksgiving for well over 100 years, it was only officiated in 1957. It was stated, “A day of general Thanksgiving to the Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed – to be observed on the 2^nd Monday in October.”

Well apparently, many Canadians are thankful for wine, as it is sold more on Thanksgiving than any other day. The dilemma, however, is deciding which wine pairs with turkey, ham, stuffing, cranberry sauce, yams and pie. WineCollective has featured all of these wines that are versatile enough for everything you’ll be stuffing into your belly this upcoming weekend. We suggest that you offer several types of wine, as everyone’s palates are different.

Red Wine

Zinfandel can go a long way with a chunk of turkey. A vintage with lower tannins and alcohol with moisten the turkey and bring on flavours of cinnamon and vanilla, suited perfect for fall.

Try the 2010 Mazzocco Dry Creek (now available in the WineCollective store). It’s a big wine, but the cherry and red fruit notes make it very versatile and a pleasure to drink.

Pinot Noir has a lighter body, which makes it easy to pair with poultry. The cherry and cranberry flavours work especially well with ham.

If it’s still in your cellar from select July packages, pop open the 2009 Lynmar Estate Russian River Valley. This wine gives of warm cherry and cranberry notes that you may just want to pour on top your turkey– but please don’t.

White Wine

Riesling is a crisp option that acts as a great palate refresher. Besides turkey, it pairs well with yams, cranberries and… Pumpkin Pie!

We have a few Rieslings for sale now on WineCollective, including the 2009 Joh Jos Prum Kabinett (a favourite among Riesling fans). The wine is off dry with notes of stone fruit. Super fresh with tons of intricate layers.

Chenin Blanc is unfortunately not as popular as it should be, because it’s extremely delicious. Typically the wine is fresh with medium-high acidity; it shows tropical or citrus notes.

An upcoming wine is the October package is the 2008 Charles Joguet Touraine. Sadly, it won’t make it to you for this weekend but at least now you can look forward to turkey leftovers!

Sauvignon Blanc is a better match for a Thanksgiving feast than an oaky Chardonnay. The dry citrus taste is much more versatile.

A previously featured wine, the 2011 Veramonte Sauvignon La Gloria Reserva would be great to have on your table this weekend. It shows of lemon and lime notes that will work really well if your dishes tend to have more spice.

Hopefully you still have a few of these bottles in your cellar so you can show off to family and friends this weekend. If not, we invite you to check out our partners, Willow Park Wines & Spirits, for their Thanksgiving sale from October 9 – 13, where you can potentially find some of the above wines at up to 49% off.

Let us know if you get to try any of these wines with your turkey dinner and how you enjoyed it. A general rule of thumb would be to serve a wine that is higher in acidity and low in alcohol – considering you’ll likely be drinking all day on top of a already heavy meal.

We hope your Thanksgiving weekend is filled with family, friends, blessings and wine.

Happy Thanksgiving from WineCollective.

4th Annual Fort McMurray Wine Auction

Posted on October 2, 2013October 2, 2013 by Wil Knoll

In support of Big Brothers Big Sisters Wood Buffalo, Fort McMurray will be hosting their 4^th SMS Equipment Wine Auction this Saturday, October 5^th. Each year this event welcomes 450 guests to take part in both a silent auction and raffle for numerous prestigious wines and spirits.

2012 Fort McMurray Wine Auction. Courtesy Big Brothers Big Sisters Wood Buffalo

Many of the wines to be featured in the auction are extremely rare and valuable. For example, wine hunter Dr. Carl Deane recently found a 1962 Chateau de la Riviere Fronsac, after a 22 km trail in caverns underneath the Bordeaux estate. This exact wine will be sold this weekend as part of the silent auction. Last year, the auction raised $120,000.

The Fort McMurray auction will be held at Sawridge Inn and Conference Centre, which has been transformed into a whimsical “outdoor” park thanks to planning by Events With Vizability. The event will also feature the CEDA International tasting room ($40) with 5 tasting booths.

Performances by Juno nominee Suzie McNeil and local artist Becca Hess will also take place, making the entire evening full of entertainment. Tickets (which are more than likely 90% sold out) sell for $200 or 10 for $1900.

2012 Fort McMurray Wine Auction. Courtesy Big Brothers Big Sisters Wood Buffalo

Apart from some major corporate sponsors such as, Suncor Energy and ConocoPhillips Canada, WineCollective and Tannic have also made donations for both raffle prizes and the silent auction. We have included:

Silent Auction

– WineCollective: 3 months of our Evolution package delivered

– Tannic membership valued at $195 and $100 credit towards Tannic purchase

Raffle Prizes

– Tannic membership and a 6 pack of previously featured wines, a $650 value

We hope the event is truly successful and can’t wait to hear from our auction and raffle winners. If you can’t get to the event this weekend, keep an eye out for next years Fort McMurray Wine Auction and visit their website.

Domaine Richeaume at Bistro Rouge in Calgary

Posted on October 1, 2013October 1, 2013 by BlackSquare

It is rare to come across quality wines that are a great representation of region at an affordable price. These wines are usually produced in such small quantities that they are rarely distributed out of their domestic markets. Domaine Richeaume has a very small production in Provence and is brand new to Alberta.

It is difficult to find press and reviews on Domaine Richeaume, but the great value allows you to take the leap with no hesitation. You will not be disappointed with the value these wines deliver.

At Bistro Rouge in Calgary we sampled all the Richeaume wines available in Alberta. It was difficult to narrow them down to our favourites, but we think you will be impressed with what we have selected. The Tradition Blanc and Rouge are textbook examples of Provence style wines. Members can find both of these on Tannic this week and we will be sharing them with you in future WineCollective packages.

“Can’t spell class without Cass”

Posted on September 13, 2013September 13, 2013 by BlackSquare

From Bryan Cass himself, “Can’t spell class without Cass”. One of many one-liners and fun references that was shared at a recent dinner at Vin Room West featuring Cass wines.

Cass Vineyards and Winery hasn’t been around long. The project started as a retirement dream of Bryan’s father, Steve Cass and partner Ted Plemmons. After a fishing, golf and wine trip in Paarl, S. Africa, Steve and Ted came home with the idea to start a winery with a winemaker they met on their travels in S. Africa. The duo were in love with the style of wines from the region and wanted to replicate the same passion and focus in California.

The Cass crew turned 160 acres of cattle ranch in Paso Robles (pah-SO ROE-bles) into a vineyard and began producing Rhone styled wines. Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre, Viognier and Roussanne make up the majority of the estate production.

Watch the video below for some more insight of their focus and goals. I will warn you that it should make anyone want to join their party and drink their wines.

This was Bryan’s first trip to Calgary. He was a great host in explaining some of the quirky stories and background behind the winery’s goals and methods as well as their unique qualities.The wines poured at the event were a mixture of new wines to Alberta and some that we should all be familiar with by now.

The evenings’ indulgences started with the 2010 Sparkling Grenache, paired with a Crab and Squash Agnolotti. The vigourous bubbles and fresh acidity make this a fun and easy pairing. The sweet corn emulsion balanced out the tart apples and acidity, while the herbs heightened the fruits and rounded out the zippy character. It is really unique to find a Sparkling Grenache, a fun departure from the typical bubbles.

A Foie Gras Torchon was paired with the 2011 Mouvedre. You will have more luck finding American Mourvedre in Washington than California. Cass is one of only a handful of producers that grow estate Mourvedre and you would be hard-pressed to find it bottled by anyone else as a single varietal. Others in Paso Robles, such as Saxum will blend the grape more commonly with other Rhone varietals. The nose was full and brooding with dark fruit, sage and pink peppercorns, with a briar bush and plum palate. Surprisingly, there was enough acidity to cut through the fois gras, but I wouldn’t suggest the pickled fruit next time (a tad too much brine). Stewed or reduced berries would be better.

Decadence continued with a course of Pork Belly and polenta paired with the 2010 Syrah. One of the better pairings of the evening, this Syrah calls for rich protein, but is elegant enough to be hightened by delicate flavours of herbs in the polenta.

A refreshing and welcomed cleanser of green apple sorbet was served before the main course. An intricately plated lamb loin, with sweet breads and baby vegetables that were served with the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon.

A cheese course of aged goat cheese and beet foam was matched with the Rockin’ One Blanc. The Rockin One got its name from a horse, named after a road that intersects near the vines and an old cattlebrand. This was by far the shining star of the night. Richness and structure that carried the acidity and mouth-coating viscosity, coupled with pronounced florals and tropical fruit. This is a wine to be on the look-out for.

Dessert was a buffet of candied fruit, chocolate, praline panna cotta and cashew nougat. Cass’ Syrah Dessert Wine, a fortified Syrah (think Port). From the producer,

“Produced from ultra-ripe Syrah from our estate vineyard, our 2010 Dessert Wine is massive and rich, with flavors and aromatics that remind us all of wintertime in Paso Robles. Warm notes of crushed rose petal, dried raspberry, orange-almond liqueur, potpourri, juniper berry, and cinnamon sticks fill the nose. The sticky palate is full of rich fruit, with caramel-coated raisin, candied orange, warm brown spice, and grated chili chocolate flavors on a backbone of well structured tannins that carry through on an endless (and we mean endless) finish.”

Tannic and WineCollective have been fans of Cass for some time now and we are excited to bring you some new features. Stay tuned for upcoming Cass wines!

Get your WSET training and become a certified wine-o!

Posted on September 4, 2013November 25, 2013 by Wil Knoll

Founded in 1969, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) has provided wine enthusiasts around the world with quality education and training in wines and spirits. Our WineCollective professionals have participated in WSET courses and received some level of qualification in wine training that enables us to choose great wines to deliver to your front door.

WSET courses are happily offered almost everywhere for anyone, including the WSET London Wine & Spirits School in the U.K. Through the multiple levels (5), you can learn all about wine regions, grape varieties and food pairings; all of which come along with a whole ton of wine tasting. While you may not be a Master Sommelier in the end, WSET certification is a significant qualification in wine for a curious enthusiast or industry professional.

Level 1 – Award in Wines

The first step in WSET training is an ideal place to start, as the course is suited for anyone with little to no wine knowledge to a basic beginner. Course curriculum is spread across the art of wine tasting, food pairings and the characteristics of major grape varieties. In addition, the course will teach you how to serve and cellar wine with an overview of the entire growth and winemaking process.

Unfortunately, after most courses an exam usually follows, however, the Level 1 exam consists of 30 multiple choice questions with a 98% pass rate. Afterwards, you will receive a formal qualification in wine!

Level 2 – Award in Wines and Spirits

This course goes into further detail of everything learned in Level 1. If you already have a great understanding of wine, you are able to skip Level 1 and move directly into Level 2. During the course, you will learn the art of tasting in detail. From specific sections in French, German, Portuguese and Spanish wines to New World and Sparkling, you are bound to learn all about the world of wine.

During Level 2, you taste over 80 wines from around the world. The course includes a 50-question exam at the end and should be strongly considered for those in the hospitality industry.

Level 3 – Award in Wines and Spirits

A respected qualification in the wine industry that will leave little questions unanswered when it comes to wine knowledge. The course goes into significant detail about viticulture, labeling, respected regions, Champagne and Spirits. The exam includes 2 blind tastings as well as a rather long exam. Wine buyers, retail staff and wine writers along with wine lovers typically take this course.

After Level 3, WSET training moves forward into Diploma courses and an Honours Diploma. At that point, you may as well consider yourself a wine genius as you create research papers and projects to show off your professional level of knowledge in wines and spirits.

In the next couple months, various Canadian cities are offering different WSET level courses through Fine Vintage Ltd. Below, we have listed Level 1 dates and prices that anyone can sign up for – including you! Remember, this is just a beginner’s course where all wine lovers can go to expand their knowledge.

Calgary

WSET Level 1: September 17 – October 8, 2013

A four-week course offered Tuesday evenings from 6-9 p.m. for $499

WSET Level 1: Saturday, September 28, 2013 OR October 19, 2013