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Executive gifts at Madison & PAGE

Posted on November 8, 2013November 8, 2013 by Wil Knoll

Just a few days ago, WineCollective stumbled across Madison and PAGE, a gift shop located inside Fifth Avenue Place in Calgary’s downtown core.

Madison and PAGE holds a collection of accessories, leather bags and wallets, stationary and is also one of two stores in Calgary where you can find first-class pens and collectables. If you are looking for the perfect gift, you can find something for everyone at Madison and PAGE. Online, Madison and PAGE also offers Canada wide shipping, making it easy to send a great gift to family and friends across the country.

The shop was first opened in 1989 and began to fill the void in Calgary for stationary and office goods. From there, owner Anna Mandelkau says the store “organically developed based on client wants,” adding in leather goods, seasonal products and desk accessories.

Decanters and wine aerators can also be found at Madison and PAGE. What especially caught our eye was the five piece wine accessory set. A bottle shaped tool kit that includes a corkscrew bottle opener, drip stop ring, stopper, foil cutter and wine pourer. The store also carries Moleskin Wine Journals that will help you keep track of all the great wines WineCollective sends each month.

Branding is also available at the boutique. By engraving or monogramming, you can personalize a pen or iPhone case for a deserving employee. Because of its location, Madison and PAGE is readily prepared for corporate gifting.

Stop by Madison and PAGE today to pick up a gift or two for the upcoming holiday season, and of course, a little something for yourself.

2nd Level, Fifth Avenue Place
230, 425 1st St. SW
Calgary, AB.

Deloitte wine tasting in support of United Way

Posted on November 4, 2013November 5, 2013 by Wil Knoll

This past month, WineCollective joined Deloitte at their offices in downtown Calgary to host a wine tasting fundraiser for United Way.

Deloitte is a leading accounting firm in Canada that provides tax and financial consulting since being founded 1845. Apart from their professional services, Deloitte is a great supporter of United Way as they set up an array of events and fundraisers for the non-profit organization. Over the past 13 years, Deloitte’s worldwide group and staff have raised over $194 million for United Way. Deloitte’s Calgary offices have done numerous fundraisers for United Way this year including a chilli cook-off and throwing pie at one another’s faces.

Fortunately for WineCollective, many of Deloitte’s Canadian staff are club members. So when Senior Manager, Matt McMillan asked us to help with their wine tasting event, we were happy to take part!

WineCollective’s Amber brought 10 wines to the tasting, which she arranged in specific order for easy tasting (light to full body). From there, the Deloitte staff was free to sample the wines! Amber and I were available for any questions about the wine and WineCollective tasting cards were supplied for tasters to follow along.

The following wines were brought to the tasting.

2011 Benjamin Bridge Nova 7
2012 Monte da Ravaqueria Serrana
2011 Colle dei Venti Pecorino
2010 Recuerdo Torrontes
2008 Deep Sea Chardonnay
2010 Le Roc Blanc
2010 Brusco dei Barbi
2010 Versado Malbec
2010 Casa Viva Carmenere
2011 Suiker Bossie Pinotage

Deloitte’s staff favourited the Suiker Bossie Pinotage, as well as Benjamin Bridge’s Nova 7 and Le Roc Blanc.

We were happy to share our support of United Way with Deloitte and hope the participating staff enjoyed every wine! In all, Deloitte raised roughly $1,700 through the tasting. You can call WineCollective today for more details on your own wine tasting event or fundraiser.

Cured and couriered from Carnivore Club

Posted on October 29, 2013November 4, 2013 by Wil Knoll

We are very excited to introduce a new monthly club in Canada that may just be the perfect gift for any man in your life – unless he’s a vegetarian.

Carnivore Club is a monthly subscription that provides exclusive meat to club members. Each month, members receive 4 to 6 selections of “unique charcuterie, exotic terrines and artisan crafted jerky’s from around the world.”

The team at Carnivore Club ensures that you receive fresh and top quality selections that cannot be found at your local grocery store or butcher shop. Their partners are small producers because CC believes that they provide the furthest care and attention to their products.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7DzvI560QU#t=45

What’s great about Carnivore Club is each month, delivered right to your front door, comes a perfect wine pairing. They are also very generous in providing WineCollective members with $10 off their first shipment when you use the promo code WC10 at checkout.

The WineCollective team has already ordered our first shipment and it’s headed straight for our office. We plan on creating a perfect pairing between Carnivore Club and WineCollective selections. You can look forward to an upcoming blog post on what the office foodies cook up, recipe and wine pairing included!

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.

Premium Italian Wines

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Wil Knoll

Since the 2^nd century B.C., Italian wine has flourished in production and artistry. Over thousands of years in perfecting technique, Italy has been awarded superior status in the wine world, renowned for its complex reds and fresh whites. Today, Italy is responsible for 1/3 of the world’s wine.

The annual production of Italian wine (41.6 million hl) is spread across 20 regions. While most are recognized, several regions and their sub-appellations such as Tuscany and Piedmont are praised for creating high-end premium wines.

Within all regions, Government controls (overseen by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) are in place to classify wines produced in the country. The classifications distinguish premium wines from table wines and are a great way for you to determine which bottle to bring home.

1. DOCG – Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin)

This classification, which includes 21 appellations, was created in 1992 in order to highlight historically known regions that produce the highest of quality wines. Each bottle is sealed with a government number across the cap or cork.

2. DOC – Denominazione di Origine Controlla (Denomination of Controlled Origin)

Instated in 1963 to place conditions on wineries aiming to create higher quality wines that could compete with French wines that were dominating the wine market.

3. IGT – Indicazione Geografica Tipica (Typical Geographical Indication)

Helps to distinguish regions making great wines, however, are not prestigious enough for DOC class.

4. Vini di Tavola (Table Wine)

Classification requires loose guidelines for winemakers to follow.

Tuscany

This much loved wine region produces the third largest amount of DOC/G wines in Italy. While many varieties grow in Tuscany, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese grapes thrive in the dry climate and make up most of the wines made in the region. For example, well-known Tuscan wines such as Super Tuscans, Chianti and Brunello de Montalcino consist mainly of the two varieties. Tuscan whites include Pinot Blanc and Pinot Grigio, however, Trebbiano is a native grape to the region that is a fundamental variety in Tuscan Vin Santo or ‘holy wine.’

Wine: 2008 Tenuta di Biserno Bibbona IGT. 96 points

Wine Advocate called this vintage “drop dead gorgeous.” The estate is hidden among the hills of Bibbona, a sub-appellation in western Tuscany. Made from Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine is brilliant with its complex nose of dark fruits, chocolate and spicy oak.

Piedmont

The region of Piedmont has the largest number of DOC and DOCG areas and best-known premium wines. Barbera, Barolo, Nebbiolo and Moscato d’Asti are all created under top classifications. In fact, wines made in the sub-appellation of Barolo (made primarily of Nebbiolo) became one of the first to receive DOCG status. Barolo wines are known as the King of Italian wines and are made for cellaring as they become velvety with age. Barbera grapes, grown in the same area as Barolo, are also popular with their fruity and delicate flavours. Additionally, the region is quite famous for Vermouth, as the liquor originated in Piedmont.

Wine: Sandrone 2008 Barolo Cannubi Boschis DOCG. 98 points

The vineyard of the Sandrone estate is said to be one of the greatest sights in the entire Barolo region. Nebbiolo grapes make up the flagship wine, which has received 100 points for previous vintages. The 2008 Barolo is a deep and intense red-black colour with aromatics of red cherries and concentrated flavours of dark fruit. The producer recommends that this wine lay in the cellar for 10-20 years.

Currently, WineCollective’s partner Tannic is featuring these premium Italian wines, among others. A quick and easy sign up for a Tannic membership will give you weekly access to some of the best and most unique wines around the world. If a membership isn’t your thing, we’re happy to offer some knowledge in high-end Italian wine classifications and regions that you can use during future shopping experiences.

Ciao!

Gnocchi and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Food Pairing

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Wil Knoll

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is one of Italy’s most famous wines. The Montepulciano grapes are grown in the Abruzzo region and are not to be confused with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which is Sangiovese base from Tuscany.

WineCollective recently featured Caldora Montepulciano d’Abruzzo in our June Evolution Red and June Expansion packages. It proved to be exactly what the Italian’s praise in the variety with its classic and well-rounded taste that is easy to drink for an excellent price. At select retail stores, the bottle goes for $16.00 and WineCollective is pleased to offer it for $14.00 to club members.

Here are our tasting notes for the 2011 Caldora Montepulciano d’Abruzzo:

Eyes: Ruby red to purple, regal purple.

Nose: Pronounced nose, fruity and chocolate similar to a tootsie roll with red berries and vanilla.

Mouth: Montepulciano makes soft, deeply coloured wines with black fruit and spice notes. Montepulciano in general has moderate to low acidity, with smooth and soft tannins. Medium to almost full bodied, this has great balance with wild black cherry fruit, plum, and anise. There’s good concentration in the mouth, fine, seamless texture, excellent length of finish and relatively easy tannins. 90 points.

In our review, we recommended that your pair the wine alongside a pork tenderloin and creamy polenta. However, recently, I decided to pair the Montepulciano with gnocchi (Italian potato dumplings) in a tomato-cream sauce. The Italian wine pairs perfectly with Italian tomato pasta dishes and even more so with a creamy addition and sweet flavours. Enjoy our recipe below for both gnocchi and a loaded tomato-cream sauce. Be sure to let us know how you enjoyed the pairing and what might be your new favourite Italian wine.

Gnocchi Recipe

Note: Typically prepare 1 potato per person and 1/2C flour per potato.

Clean and peel potatoes before cutting into 1-inch cubes. Cut pieces consistently to ensure even cooking time.
Put chopped potatoes into medium sized pot and fit with enough water to cover. Boil for around 20 minutes until potatoes are tender.
Drain potatoes and mash. Allow to cool completely. Wet or
warm potatoes will not absorb flour as nicely.
Place flour onto counter working space and create a large hole in the center where you can put the potatoes.
Create another hole in potatoes for egg and add salt.
Use a fork to start bringing ogether ingredients. Once dough begins to form, knead in as much flour as necessary. Too much flour will result in hard dumplings.
Cut dough into sections that you can further roll into long ropes. Cut 1-inch squares from ropes.
Use a fork to make ribs in each gnocchi. Place on a floured baking sheet for up to 45 minutes until ready to cook.
To cook: Boil a medium sized pot of water and add a pinch of salt. Place gnocchi inside and cook until the gnocchi floats to the top (4-5 minutes). Remove will slotted spoon and toss them into sauce to cook together for 2 minutes.

Sauce Recipe

Note: Chicken or Chourizo both work wonderfully with this sauce and gnocchi. Pan grill and add to sauce after cream.

Warm up olive oil in large skillet. Add onions and tomato puree after onions turn golden brown. Ensure your stove is on low to medium heat.
Grate or chop two cloves of garlic into the sauce as well as 1 full clove. Mix in tomato paste and a touch of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine. Stir well and let it sit for a few minutes.
In the meantime, slice zucchini and tomatoes into desired size and then add to sauce. Do the same with half of a piquillo pepper. These peppers are an excellent blend of spicy and sweet. Perfect for Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.
Let sauce and zucchini cook before slowly stirring in cream which will allow the sauce to quickly thicken.
Throw in cilantro and parsley as well as salt and pepper just before adding the prepared gnocchi. Top with your favourite Italian cheese; try romano, asiago or parmigiano.

WineCollective would love to hear about your food and wine pairings for both the Montepulciano and any other wine we deliver to your front door! Leave us a comment and share some superb pairings with your fellow WC members! Bon appetite!

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