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Canadian Thanksgiving is upon us within a couple of weeks. This marks the unofficial start of the busiest wine consumption period of the year (October 1 – December 31). In fact the fourth quarter accounts for approximately 29% of total wine consumption versus 20% during the first quarter (January 1 – March 31). So one of the most frequent questions we get at WineCollective is what wine to pair with a dinner like Thanksgiving. While WineCollective packages always feature amazing wines that have diverse food pairing options, here are some specific varietal recommendations specifically for Thanksgiving!

Since one of the main features of a big celebratory meal like Thanksgiving is the variety of dishes served, we recommend choosing a wine which has versatility. So we’re not going to recommend a monster Cabernet Sauvignon which rings in at 14.9% alcohol.

Pinot Noir – Most quality Pinot Noirs have extreme versatility, drinking well on their own or pairing with a diverse range of food. A new world Pinot from New Zealand or Oregon may be more fruit forward than a Burgundy example, but should also have soft and approachable tannins. Avoid “huge” wines with alcohol levels of greater than 14% simply because they are a bit trickier to pair. A Pinot would pair beautifully with anything from fowl (goose, duck, and turkey) to fish (salmon) to a hearty vegetable dish.

Grenache – Go for a Rhône-styled wine here. The spiciness, acidity and body of the Grenache do well to offset a Flintstone sized turkey leg. Grenache is often blended with other varietals, and WineCollective has recently enjoyed Grenache/Carignan combinations (which is a little less traditional), but also look for a quality traditional French Grenache/Syrah blend.

Gewürztraminer – The default white wine for many at Thanksgiving is Chardonnay, and while there is nothing wrong with a good Chard (I’d recommend unoaked for a big feast), my favourite white at Thanksgiving is the Gewürztraminer from Alsace. If you haven’t had the chance to experience a traditional Gewürz there is no better time to take the leap. They have such huge versatility you could serve one before the meal with appetizers or even use it after the meal to replace port.

Chenin Blanc – This is a bit of a personal call here. We love to experiment and a quality, reasonably priced Chenin Blanc from South Africa will absolutely be a go-to white wine for me this year at Thanksgiving. The high levels of acidity pair well with food while the notes of apple, lemon, citrus and honey (with perhaps a touch of vanilla from the oak) would make this a well rounded addition to any food at Thanksgiving.

Don’t let this list limit you, there are other pairings that will work, Merlot, an Italian red-blend featuring Barbera and of course Bubbly! No one will complain if Champagne (or Prosecco or Cava) is present and they all would pair wonderfully with a big meal!

Disclaimer: I shouldn't be writing this right now, as I'm on vacation. That being said, I'm pretty stoked that I can share some brief experiences from the road.

So here's the deal. I'm on vacation, and I'm currently in a villa about 50km south east of Florence. It's warm, the sun is currently setting, and I'm drinking a Birra Moretti – Baffo D'Oro (beer). I'm in Italy for a few more weeks, and life is genuinely quite great.

At a recent super mercato shopping experience, I managed to spot a Barolo – of which I know absolutely nothing about, except that it was the most expensive wine in the store @ 20 Euros (about $35). This should be interesting. Then again I'm also stoked to be indulging in some Parmigano (a huge block only costs 5 Euro!), fresh ingredients and of course fresh pasta. Oh oh, I'm getting fat.

“The Fontanafredda estate is a major player in Piedmont, turning out massive quantities of Barolo, Barbera d'Alba, Dolcetto d'Alba and other Piedmontese DOCs. At the top of the tree are the single vineyard Barolo wines, La Rosa, Lazzarito, La Delizia and La Villa. There are also standard Barolo and Barbaresco cuvées. In addition the firm also produces Asti and other sparkling wines, (made by Talento Méthode as well as the Charmat method – secondary fermentation in tank), as well as Grappa di Moscato, Grappa di Nebbiolo and the unusual concoction Barolo Chinato – a blend of Barolo and an alcoholic infusion of herbs and spices.”

Here's hoping it's good. 🙂

On Friday, the California Legislature unanimously approved a proposed wine label law for Sonoma County vinters that will require them to put Sonoma County on any label that names a local appellation.

The legislation means that any wine labeled with an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located entirely within Sonoma County — such as Russian River Valley or Dry Creek Valley — must also include the word “Sonoma County” on the label, starting in 2014.

Sonoma has 13 viticultural areas in total and over 250 wineries. Previously California has approved this type of labelling law for Napa Valley, Lodi and Paso Robles. The new labelling format should help the consumer understand where exactly their wine is coming from and improve Sonoma's brand. The Sonoma vintners worked with a bipartisan group of legislators for 10 months to make this work.

It seems like a no brainer. I'm just surprised it took so long for Sonoma to follow the lead of Napa and others. I'll be looking for those new labels in about 5 years.

Gardening in Calgary is challenging, but even the most well prepared urban farmer can get frustrated. This summer has been comprised of, in no particular order, rain, hail, temperatures under 30 degrees, thunderstorms and the worst hail storm on record.

We've been unusually lucky at WineCollective HQ, avoiding both the big July 12th hailstorm and the destructive July 27th storm which caused flooding and downed trees in south Calgary. The moisture was a boon at the start of the growing season but because our season is so short (90 – 120 days) we need heat. And heat is one thing which hasn't been around much this summer.

Complaining aside, the urban farm is paying dividends. We are knee deep in mesclun lettuce, having enough for a couple salads a day. We've also been harvesting our sugar snap peas and young beets, all of which are crops which enjoy cool weather. We harvested a good sized head of broccoli the other day and look to have 10 – 15 more heads to come. Our pumpkins are starting to take over the garden as planned, and as you can see in the picture above we have decent sized pumpkins already growing. Given 6 weeks of growing season left, we're hoping for 20 lbs+ pumpkins (come on Indian summer!) Unfortunately our melon and cantaloupe crop, while growing, doesn't look like they will produce any fruit. Just didn't get enough heat this year.

Our carrots and tomatoes (see above) have created a veritable jungle of growth. We'll be picking our beets within the next couple of weeks, while the potatoes, onions, parsnips and carrots will likely be in ground until late September. Last year we had carrots in the ground until November 1st (yes, even with the -20 degree temps last October). We mounded them up with dirt, covered them with blankets and they keep well until the ground actually freezes.

Follow us on Twitter for more updates as we get closer to harvesting. As we move into fall, we'll also be providing recipes for dishes which can be paired with some of our fantastic wine selections. Stay tuned!

With the creation of an exclusive collection of three bottles by the Design Laboratory at Central Saint Martin’s School of Art & Design, Dom Pérignon pays tribute to Andy Warhol, creative genius and one of the most illustrious artists of the 20th century.” Love press releases that start like that. Especially when followed by fun anecdotal excerpts from Warhol’s Diary! “Went to the gallery where they were having a little exhibition of the glittery Shoes, and had to do interviews and pics for the German newspaper and then we had to go back to the hotel and be picked up by the “2,000” people – it’s a club of twenty guys who got together and they’re going to buy 2,000 bottles of Dom Pérignon which they will put in a sealed room until the year 2,000 and then open it up and drink it and so the running joke is who will be around and who won’t…” This is an entry from Andy Warhol’s diary on March 8th, 1981. I can’t help but wonder what ever happened to those 2000 bottles… but it is pretty awesome that “Inspired by Warhol’s unconventional representation of icons, and the playful use of codes and colour in his work, Dom Pérignon commissioned the Design Laboratory at Central Saint Martin’s School of Art & Design to reinterpret its timeless bottle. The result is a unique collection of three bottles, each with its distinct label in red, blue or yellow, paying homage to Warhol’s iconic colour games.

And here we thought Dom Perignon was fancy before! 🙂

*Hat tip to Notcot for this story.

Earlier in July, France's Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO), the administrative body which governs French Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOCs) created four new Appellations in Burgundy and the Rhone Valley.

The Appellation system represents the quality wines which are sold under the geographical name of the appellation rather than the varietal. The INAO made the switch so that producers in Burgundy would be able to better market and sell their lower-cost wines, while in the Rhône one appellation gets a bump in rank and the other just gets a name change.

Côteaux Bourguignons – AOC Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire is now known as Côteaux Bourguignons. The previous AOC designation wasn't used much in marketing, likely due to the “Ordinaire” title. Côteaux will still be at the bottom of the Burgundy heirarchy and will focus on low-cost wines.

Bourgogne Côte d'Or – A new name indicating wines will be from the Côtes de Nuit and Côtes de Beaune specifically and will be made exclusively from Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, excluding Gamay.

Grignon Lès Adhémar – A simple name change from Côteaux de Tricastin. It is an appellation on the SE Rhône area with Grenache and Syrah being the main varietals grown. The reason for the name change? The Tricastin nuclear power plant leaked 30,000 litres of uranium solution into the ground in 2008. Pollution was found in the Gaffiere, Rhone and Lauzon rivers. Sales have obviously suffered.

Rasteau – Previously labeled Rasteau Côtes du Rhône Villages, while “Rasteau” was reserved for fortified reds. The area is about 10 miles from Châteauneuf-du-Pape and there are some high quality wines coming from the area. The promotion of the AOC puts Rasteau on a new level for wine consumers.

More here from Wine Spectator

WineCollective is a proud sponsor of the Calgary Film Race 2010. For those who aren't familar with the concept – local filmmakers will be challenged to create an original short film in 24 hours based on a theme and surprise element assignment. All of the films are then shown with the top films going on to compete with other films from across North America.

Calgary is just one of a long list of cities participating including Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago.

Check it out and if you want to enter a team the deadline is July 21!

There is a great wine tasting featuring Villa Maria from New Zealand taking place from 5 – 7pm on July 5 at Willow Park Wines & Spirits. WineCollective will be in attendance, come down and say hi or follow us on Twitter for some highlights.

I was fortunate enough to take a few hours before a wedding in Penticton to tour the Naramata Bench wineries. Well, less of a tour more of a blitz.

It was a stunning day hovering around 28 Celsius (which was a pleasant change from the extended winter we've been having in Calgary). Here's where I went, and also what I decided to pickup (from left to right):

• Soaring Eagle – 2006 Pinot Meunier
• Lake Breeze – 2009 Gewurztraminer
• Township 7 – 2006 Reserve Merlot (love the regular Merlot and apparently this is epic)
• Laughing Stock – 2008 Blind Trust (they have the best wine labels)
• Soaring Eagle – 2007 Pinot Gris
• Red Rooster – Cabernet Merlot
• Township 7 – 2007 Semillon
• Zero Balance – 2008 Project 743
• Therapy – 2009 Pinot Gris
• Black Widow – 2009 Gewurztraminer

On a side note, most of the wines I managed to try showed fairly well, but truly only the whites really stood out. Then again I'm really looking forward to cracking that Reserve Merlot from T7.

If you're ever near Penticton, I'd highly recommend taking a small drive out to Naramata. They have a quaint little town (great coffee shop too), and the scenery is spectacular. Oh and you get the chance to try out lots of wines!

WineCollective is pleased to present this wine tasting, taking place at Willow Park's Main Location at 10801 Bonaventure Dr SE from 4pm – 6pm on Tuesday, June 22nd.

The event is free, open to everyone and should feature some interesting wine/food pairings. A free tasting is a good way to try different varietals and experiment how they match up with food. A great learning experience. Especially good if you are into Australian reds!

There is nothing like June in Calgary, part spring, part winter, part summer. With the days varying between 27/sunny and 10/raining, we're starting to get into the decent growing season for vegetables.

While we haven't been able to do much in the WineCollective Urban Farm recently, what with the mud, we were able to get some planting done earlier in the sun. The picture above shows our potato plants in full leaf-out. They are looking healthy and loving the cool, rainy weather. Also loving the weather is our mesclun mix of lettuce and two different types of peas. Both types of peas (sugar & snap) have edible pods which means by the time we do the July WineCollective wine tasting, we'll be feasting on organic locally grown peas in-between sips of wine!

The pumpkin plants and our green pepper plant (and to a lesser extent our tomatoes) haven't been enjoying the soggy weather. They all need heat in order to thrive, and while having plenty of ground moisture is great, with Calgary's short growing season we really need the heat. And we've had enough rain now thanks. Some farmers are starting to worry about the constant rain. We're not at that point yet, but unfortunately, this has been the worst spring for urban gardens in at least 3 years, perhaps since the floods of 2005.

It has been a tough couple of weeks to be an urban farmer in Calgary. Snow in late May is not exactly unusual, but when you plant some of your seeds in 20+ degree temps and then a week later there is a high of 3 with snow, it is a bit hard to believe.

However, all is not lost. We planted our cold hardy veggies two weeks ago and they are starting to sprout. Radishes (background of the picture below) have poked up, as has the lettuce, peas, potatoes and carrots. Parsnips are still MIA, which is not surprising given their 120 day growing cycle (versus 60 days for the radishes, which is why we plant the two together).

Our tomato plants look a bit sad but are recovering nicely from the cold weather. The extra moisture from the snow will likely help in the long-run. That is, if the plants are not stunted, which is what happened to our peppers last year.

Our tender giant pumpkin plants and peppers remain in pots so that we can have them indoors at night. They aren't hardy below +5 degrees Celsius and looking at the 14 day forecast, there still is a few days where we could dip below 5. They are going in with all the rest of our plants next weekend though.

We should have our first batch of mesclun lettuce within a couple of weeks. The first summer salad and a chilled Canadian white wine sounds excellent!