Wine Archives - Page 14 of 22 - WineCollective Blog

Rocky Mountain Festival Favourites

Posted on October 21, 2013October 21, 2013 by Wil Knoll

This past weekend, on Oct. 18, Amber and I took part in the 16^th annual Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival (RMWFF) in Calgary. While you may not have seen us working a booth, we did get the chance to wander the BMO Centre in search of wine, food, beer, vodka and some of our favourite WineCollective supporters.

This year, exhibitors included 162 wineries, 47 breweries, a variety of spirit distillers and plenty of food choices. There was no shortage of samples for the hundreds of guests that began filing in at 5 p.m.

Glassware Creations by Laurie

Many of the wine merchants and representatives that help WineCollective find their monthly-featured wines were able to share some of their favourites with Amber and myself. The 2011 Trivento Amado Sur Malbec is an impressive blend of Malbec, Syrah and Bonarda. We found this vintage to be forward with fresh fruit with notes of smoke and vanilla and overall, very smooth. This Malbec has also received 90 points from Robert Parker. We’re keeping this one on our radar for WC packages in the future.

Trivento Bodegas y Viñedos. Mendoza, Argentina

With plenty of food around the festival, we made some quick stops to some favourite vendors with impressive displays. The friendly staff at Sunterra Market featured a Chipotle Beef Brisket, with pineapple mango salsa and bourbon peppercorn sauce, with Parisian macarons for dessert. Kinjo Sushi and YYC famous owner, Peter Kinjo, were happy to share a variety of sushi that cleansed our palates for ice wine and vodka tastings that followed.

Sunterra Market and Kinjo Sushi & Grill

Fluid Imports made us a special treat from Double Cross Vodka (a favourite among WineCollective staff). Infused with white wine and cranberry, this cocktail was deliciously dangerous. The 7x-distilled Double Cross Vodka is incredibly smooth, pure, clean and crisp.

Fluid Imports and the Double Cross vodka and cranberry cocktail

Our last stop took us to Vintage West, representative of Cameron Hughes. While we didn’t get to taste the upcoming Tannic.ca feature, Lot 260, we were able to try the Ogio Prosecco, a sweet and very popular sparkling wine.

Cameron Hughes 2007 Lot 260, is a classic Barolo wine, made from Nebbiolo grapes in the Piedmont region of Italy. This wine is truly exceptional with flavours of strawberry, cherry and plum with fresh tobacco and balsamic notes. It is made and classified under DOCG and has received 93 points from Wine Spectator. Tannic members will be able to purchase the vintage this week.

Overall, the RMWFF appeared to host another successful festival. If you were able to attend, we would love to hear about your experience and favourites among the wine and food samples. Fortunately, if you were unable to make it to Calgary’s event, Edmonton is hosting their very own festival this upcoming weekend.

We would like to thank all the food exhibitors as well as Fluid Imports, Lanigan & Edwards Wine Merchants, Vintage West Wine Marketing and Select Wine Merchants for the generous samples. We look forward to featuring some of our finds in future WineCollective packages and attending the Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival again next year!

WineCollective 2013 Holiday Packages

Posted on October 18, 2013October 29, 2020 by Wil Knoll

We are very excited to announce that our WineCollective Holiday Packages are now available for the 2013 holiday season. Each wine subscription is wrapped in an educational experience that is delivered monthly to your recipient, anywhere across Canada.

This year, playing Santa Claus is easy. Skip the crowded malls, lines, wrapping paper and let us do all of the work. Packages range from$134.99 to $1489.99, making it a breeze to find a suitable gift for your colleague or nearest and dearest.

Packages include four to six bottles each month, with your choice of red or mixed wines. Decide between 1, 2, 3, 4 or 6-month subscription, or truly impress with a full year of wine. We are also happy to introduce quarterly shipments, if cellar space is an issue.

Unlike our regular gift subscriptions that are available throughout the year, WineCollective Holiday Packages include numerous perks for you and your gift recipient, as well as up to a 30% discount! Here’s a full list of reasons (besides the wine) that aholiday package is what you need to please all the grown-ups on your list. This is the gift that keeps on pouring.

– Give your gift recipient access to the online WineCollective community where they can rate and discuss the wines they receive each month

– Tasting cards delivered with each wine, giving your recipient some quality education of the wine’s characteristics and crafting.

– Access to the online store to buy even more wine!

– Choose between a gift email, which will be sent out to your recipient on December 25th, or a printable email you can stuff into a socking or give in a card. This email will give your recipient all the details for their WineCollective account and upcoming wine packages.

– Purchase 10 or more gifts for clients and receive a 10% discount

This year, our packages are going above and beyond as we’ve added a few extra gifts depending on your package selection.

– WineCollective tote bag

– WineCollective cork screw

– Wine guide

– CoffeeCollective coupon (our new brainchild!)

– Tannic.ca membership ($195 value)

– $2 donation for every month of your subscription to Rebuild the Zoo

Get your shopping done early and check out WineCollective for holiday packages today!

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.

Recipe for your Versado Malbec

Posted on October 8, 2013October 8, 2013 by BlackSquare

In September’s WineCollective packages and on Tannic, we featured a very special wine, the Versado Malbec. We were happy to be the first to bring the wine into Alberta and share it with our members. Ann Sperling is synonymous with Canadian wine, and now she is beginning an equally prestigious reputation in Argentina.

We gave you a food pairing suggestion for the Versado Malbec, “a pork shoulder or beef brisket marinated in a dark stout and charred on the BBQ with a rub of espresso grinds and spices, and served with a sweet-smoky sauce.” If you are interested in trying out this pairing suggestion with your Malbec, we are sharing our tips to make it a success!

First, why did we think this would be a great match for your Versado Malbec?

Brisket or pork shoulder is a hearty protein, and pairs well with a Malbec’s tannins and weight
Pork shoulder has rustic flavours, enhancing the earthiness and tertiary notes of leather in a warmer climate Malbec
Marinading your meat in a stout will give rich caramel flavours and tenderize your meat (Rule of thumb, use Ale, Porter or Stout for red meats and wheat beers for poultry)
Espresso rub will help to bring out the coffee and cocoa aromas and flavour of a great Malbec
Developing a char or crust on the BBQ will enhance the smoky flavours and caramelize the sweet sauce
Using the drippings, a sauce will help to combine all the flavours and time you have committed into an intensified sauce; we suggest adding a splash of the wine too!

It is always a good idea to check out a few professional recipes for references on tips and tricks, as well as cooking times. We “winged it’ after stumbling on some mouth-watering recipes online, but here are a couple sites that you can refer to for more details:

For our meal, we were short on time so opted for a porterhouse that was BBQ’d instead of a brisket or pork shoulder that would require more marinading and cooking time. We had a bottle of Cannery Brewing Nut Brown Ale on hand, which did the trick perfectly! As with all our meal pairing suggestions, you can use the ingredients you have and have fun with your own ideas.

We would love to hear what meals you have prepared to serve with your WineCollective wines! Did you try one of our suggestions and love it, hate it, or have a better idea? You can log into your account and view the wines you have received, then see what others had to say and leave your own comments.

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.

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!

Protect your WineCollective & Tannic collection in our cellar fridges

Posted on September 19, 2013March 23, 2015 by Wil Knoll

If you have been a WineCollective or Tannic member for quite some time, chances are you have a large amount of bottles that are beginning to take up some space. Recently, our team has been searching for quality wine cellar fridges that can help our members store their growing collection. We are happy to announce that the Vintage Keeper line meets our high standards, both cellar fridges are now available for purchase at WineCollective.ca and Tannic.ca.

Vintage Keeper produces exceptional units that are worthy of storing your wine collection, without breaking the bank. Both of these cabinets store wine at 12-17°C and include a top-level wine-cooling unit to reach the perfect temperature you need to serve any bottle of wine. In our blog we have previously mentioned the importance of cellaring and serving your wine at precise temperatures in order to ensure the aging process, taste and aroma are not altered. Check out our list of variety-specific serving temperatures.

WineKoolR 240 $995.50 (includes shipping)*

Retail $1195.00 (includes shipping)

Perfect for any wine lover, this storage cabinet holds 240 bottles behind a bulletproof glass door. That’s right, bulletproof, because you never know… (it’s actually a great insulator)

The 240 also includes:

Digital programmable controls with a LED display
UV thermo pane glass door
High temperature alarm
Lock with key
Interior light
Regular household outlet plug
Your choice of Black Ebony or Mahogany finish
1 year Vintage Keeper™ manufacture warranty
Dimensions (HxWxD) 72 x 26 ¾ x 29 ½
Requires 3” space at back and sides for ventilation. 4” required space on top

WineKoolR 500 $1499.00 (includes shipping)**

Retail $1795.00 (includes shipping)

If you have some serious wine collecting intentions, this cabinet was made for you! The 500 holds 500 bottles with double deep storage capacity.

Double doors, both of which are bulletproof
Digital programmable controls with a LED display
UV thermo pane glass door
High temperature alarm
Interior lights
Double lock with keys
Regular household unit plug
Your choice of Black Ebony or Mahogany finish
1 year Vintage Keeper™ manufacture warranty
72” x 54 x 29 ½
Requires 3” space at back and sides for ventilation. 4” required space on top

These wine cellar fridges are a great option for cellaring your wine if you do not have room in your home for an entire cellar. You can easily place them anywhere and have complete faith that your bottles and wine will be well maintained for years until you are ready to cool and enjoy.

Assembly and set-up of your cellar is simple and painless! We have built the 500 in just over an hour using the easy to follow instructions. Don’t be intimidated by the size, you will be amazed how quick your wines will be resting comfortably. A helpful hint for you: write down the serial number of your Vintage Keeper on your warranty card before installing. Both cabinets come with an easy set-up and manual. (Check back soon to read our follow-up post on how to build your Vintage Keeper).

* Standard shipping rate for the 240 bottle cabinet is $200 to most major centres, there may be additional charges depending on the shipping location.

** Standard shipping rate for the 500 bottle cabinet is $275 to most major centres, there may be additional charges depending on the shipping location.

Please feel free to contact us with any further questions!

WineCollective.ca

1-855-501-WINE

thecellar@winecollective.ca

Tannic.ca

1-855-5TANNIC

info@tannic.ca

“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!

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