Brunello di Montalcino - Mocali - 2007

Like any good California girl, I love me some Sangiovese.  So when I was able to get my hands recently on a bottle of the stuff from the Old World, my lips were smacking and my fingers trembling as we uncorked the bottle. 

Garnet Hued * Vanilla * Spice * Red Berries

Hint of Earthiness 

Balanced power between Tannins and Acidity

 

Wine Spectator's Notes On Brunello di Montalcino Vintages

• 2008   91   A cool growing season with rain at harvest; those who waited produced aromatic, balances and elegant wines.   Drink or Hold.
• 2007  93   Hotter and riper than 2006; fruit-forward, rich and elegant, offering immediate charm and softer textures.  Drink or Hold.
• 2006  95   Complex powerful wines that impress with ripe yet fresh fruit, firm, dense structures and fine balance.  Hold. 

Excerpt from Wine Spectator June 30, 2013

 

Sangiovese is virtually synonymous with Tuscany and is the most widely planted grape variety in Italy. Brunello, a synonym for Sangiovese Grosso, or "fat Sangiovese," gets its name from the big ripe grapes that are produced from these vines in the prestige appellation (Brunello di Montalcino DOCG) of Montalcino, a classic hilltop village surrounded by slopes just 30km. south of Siena in Tuscany, Italy. 

Mocali is owned by the Ciacci family and overseen by enologist  Tiziano Ciacci.  Their soils are mostly Galestro and Alberese that enrich the ground with mineral salts. Their Brunello di Montalcino wine - in fact all Brunello di Montalicino wines - are made exclusively with Sangiovese Grosso grapes.

This DOCG shares the top spot only with Vino Nobile de Montepulciano. Though winemaking in the region is recorded from as far back as the 14th century, the wines we associate today with this very first Italian DOCG emerged in the 1870s. It's largely credited to the efforts of the esteemed winemaking family of Biondi-Santi, namely Ferruccio,who decided to implement a revolutionary technique (for his day) of making his Montalcino wines - vinify his Sangiovese grapes separately from the other varieties. (At the time in Tuscany all grapes were fermented together - even the reds with the whites.) As he implemented this and a few other techniques, the resulting wines gained a reputation of being livelier and fruitier than other wines.

In July 1980 the appellation was formalized as Italy's first DOCG alongside Piedmont's Barolo. It is mostly small farmers and family estates who produce this exquisite red wine today and number approximately 200, up from just 11 producers in the 60's.  One of the DOCG requirements is that vineyards are not planted above 600m sea level. Brunello must be aged at least 4 years and for the riserva distinction, a minimum of 5 years aging is required. More INFO at Tuscany Taste.

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Chateau Mouton Rothschild - The New Museum and Cellars

Château Mouton Rothschild, June 16, 2013

Pauillac, Bordeaux

by Paige Donner

FULL SlideShow HERE

All photos by Anonymous Pirate Photographer c. Paige Donner 2013

L'Art et L'Etiquette

This is the title of the current exhibit at the new Château Mouton Rothschild Museum and Cellars in Pauillac. On display are the famous wine labels dating back to the very first one created in 1924. Below here is an excerpt from the official Château book explaining the new museum and cellars, translated from the French (to the best of my ability):

The call to great artists to illustrate each year the Mouton wine labels was a genius idea; but one that required time to be understood and accepted.

After an initial try, perhaps a bit too early with the label designer Jean Carlu in 1924, at the very first occasion of "bottled at the chateau," Baron Philippe waited until 1945 to definitively establish this practice of adding this artistic flair to his Mouton wine labels which would eventually constitute the visual signature of Mouton - and each one of its vintages.

From that moment until today a passionate collection is enriched each year by a new piece of artwork, which reunites, through the wine's labels, the most famous and celebrated contemporary artists of their day, and the most diverse: from Miró to Chagall, from Braque to Picasso, from Tapies to Francis Bacon, from Dali to Balthus, and even Prince Charles of England!

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Lanson Gold Coin Hidden Treasure Found - Interview by Paige Donner

Lanson Found Gold Coin Treasure Champagne - Interview

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Cite des Civilisations du Vin, Bordeaux

by Paige Donner

"The building does not resemble any known shape because it's an evocation. Not of wine itself, but of the soul of wine," explain architects Anouk Legendre and Nicolas Desmazieres from French firm X-TU.

When fully unveiled in 2016, the eco-building that will be the Cité des Civilisations du Vin nestled on the shores of the Garonne will offer a total surface area of 14,000 m2 including 750 m2 for temporary exhibits and 3500 m2 of permanent exhibit space.

The laying of the first stone was celebrated on June 19, 2013 during Vinexpo Bordeaux. Slideshow Below.

INFO:  citedescivilisationsduvin.com

 SlideShow HERE

Inauguration June 19, 2013 Cite des Civilisations du Vin in Bordeaux

Mayor of Bordeaux Alain Juppe and Anouk Legendre, architect of Cite des Civilisations du Vin



All photos c. Paige Donner

FULL Gallery Pictures HERE

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Duck Fat Deep Fried Goodness by Edible Canada

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June 6th, Vancouver BC. Edible Canada is up to something duckn' good as they get set to launch their themed take-out window for a second season this Tuesday, June 11th.   Following the success of the all-bacon window last year, the Edible team challenged Vancouver to come up with the take out window's theme for 2013.  With hundreds of mouth-watering suggestions to choose from, it was Vancouver's Kim Payne whose suggestion of donuts got the team's tastebuds tingling.   Because everything is better with duck fat, the next obvious step was to give the donut bites the same treatment as the Bistro's popular duck fat French fries.  So was born "Little Duckers", the small, duck fat fried donut balls of goodness.  And if that wasn't enough, there are 4 finger-licking flavours to indulge in, including "When Sticky Pigs Fly", which is loaded with bacon, chocolate and caramel, and the "Nutty Duckers" which is a 100 mile tribute with Fraser Valley honey, honey whipped butter and toasted Agassiz hazelnuts.   "It's a concept that is in line with everything we do here at Edible Canada," says Chef Greg Reid. "The flavours we chose are Canadian inspired, which is a true reflection of our menu. It was fun to take a suggestion from one of our guests and marry it with some of my favorite things here at the bistro.  They've been a hit with our taste testers and I'm excited to open the window so everyone has a chance to try them!"   Opening on Tuesday, June 11th at 11:00am, the take-out window will run through to the end of summer daily from 11am to 7pm. It is located adjacent to the Bistro entrance and directly across from the public market and Arts Club Theatre in the centre of Granville Island.   Congratulations for sharing your winning idea, Kim! As the winner, Kim will eat from the take-out window all summer long free of charge and is recognized on the menu with "Bring the Payne" – a spicy maple syrup concoction!     About Edible Canada Edible Canada is a seven year-old business headquartered on Granville Island, in Vancouver, BC.

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Tuscany Food & Wine app by Acqua Panna

by Paige Donner

Ahhh... summer is at long last nearly here. Dream vacation destinations are beginning to dance through our heads like sugar plum fairies in wispy toutous as the languid summer months of promised sunshine begin to magically reveal themselves before us.

Tuscany. Tuscany, the land of Chianti and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Tuscany, where cold-pressed virgin olive oils beckon as seductively as do its wines and terroir. 

Dream vacations, can, however, at times, be more effort than joy, a corelation thoroughly dependent on planning and resources. So if this is your first Tuscan Escape, not to worry. The region's wine producers and local government tourism agencies have gotten together to form a welcoming platform called Tuscan Taste. 

Tuscan Taste is a series of outreach events and organized hospitality platforms to make your visit to and exploration of Tuscany as effortless as it is enjoyable. The brand was developed in collaboration with the region's main wine Consorzi to communicate the Tuscan values of quality, beauty, sustainability, taste and tradition.

Why a butterfly: Tuscany springs from the map to become a butterfly. A messenger to the world, heralding the quality of Tuscan wines. Heralding the traditions of a glorious region, and of a culture of winemaking built up 
through the centuries. A culture that, right here in Tuscany, has created some of the very best wines in the world. One butterfly, ten, a hundred, even more – as many as there are Tuscan wines. Butterflies fluttering 
their wings to take the message of Tuscan wines to the world, and to new and exalted heights.

For the billion and a half of us on the planet right now who are SmartPhone oriented, especially when we travel, we have this fabulous new Tuscany Food & Wine app by Acqua Panna at our fingertips as of this Spring.

The app is offered free for iOS devices and in addition to offering things to do and see - nature, art, history - in the region, it also features mouthwatering pictures and descriptions of local foods, cuisine, dishes, restaurants, and, of course, wines and wonderful wine pairings. 

Wines are especially highlighted in the Tuscany Food & Wine app where it features a guide to the many local wineries as well as detailed descriptions of the wines' composition such as alcohol percentage, grapes used and where you can find the wineries for a cellar visit and tasting. 

The GPS enabled "Around Me" feature spotlights the restaurants, sites, wineries and other points of interest within a few kilometers of your current location. For those who want to immerse themselves in the languid deliciousness that is the Tuscan Summer, there is even a glossary included on the app that explains the various abbreviations denoting the artisanal Italian local food products and wines which helps you to understand their exact origin and stamp of quality.

OK, then. All set?  The app is available for download at:

http://bit.ly/tuscanyapp

 

Long considered the best still mineral water for enhancing all the nuances of wine and food, thanks to its smooth, elegant taste, Acqua Panna represents all the power of nature in the heart of the Tuscan Apennines, with 1300 hectares of natural preserve, a unique aquifer, and a long history of culture, passion and love for the environment.

Acqua Panna
http://www.acquapanna.com
www.facebook.com/acquapanna

About Toscana Promozione
Toscana Promozione is the Economic Promotion Agency of Tuscany, established in 2000 by the local government. Thanks to a network of professional associations, institutions, enterprises, universities and research centers, Toscana Promozione is, today, a concrete platform for overseas enterprises interested in doing business in or with Tuscany.​

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Sirius XM Satellite's Green Is Good Radio Features Paige Donner, Founder Vancouver Food And Wine

Paige Donner,  journalist, blogger, eco-activist, actor/filmmaker and more, returns to the show from Paris to discuss her passion for local food and wine. Donner became more interested in the marriage of regional wines and local food when she was in British Columbia to cover the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Three and a half years later, her Local Food and Wine media platform and blog has spanned the globe, covering the world's great winemaking and local food producing regions. As her knowledge of the globe's wine regions grew, so too did her concern for how climate change could potentially impact viticultural areas.

Paige Donner

Founder, Local Food And Wine

"Wine grapes have long been recognized by scientists as being the most sensitive agricultural crop in terms of climate change," Donner reveals. "What you see happening in wine regions [could preview] what is coming down the pike for other agricultural regions."

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Terroirs et Talents Champagne 2013

So many good champagnes...So little time...

See the full gallery on Posterous

All photos by Paige Donner c. 2013 - See FULL SLIDESHOW HERE

It's hard knowing that I'm the envy of all my wine enthusiast friends and colleagues Stateside and in Canada. My only response is, It's a tough job [continually tasting great grower champagnes] but somebody's got to do it... ; )

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Panda Bears And The Climactic Re-zoning of Wine Regions

by Paige Donner

What do panda bears and wine have to do one another? Now that's a question I never imagined I'd be posing here on my Local Food And Wine blog. But, according to the recently released (April 8th, 2013) study from the Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences (Lee Hannah, lead scientist) panda bears will be one more species that is affected by adaptations humans likely will undertake in response to global climate change impacting wine-producing regions.

Let me explain... [More INFO on Local Food And Wine]

In the PNAS.org study of 4/8/'13, Wine, Climate Change and Conservation, several scenarios are outlined as to how our current trajectory of global warming i.e. climate change is impacting the earth's wine regions by 2050. In one scenario they state that the, 

Area suitable for viticulture decreases 25% to 73% in major wine producing regions by 2050.

Alarming? They seem to think so. The 6-page report further reports that the areas most affected will be wine regions in a Mediterranean or Mediterranean-like climate zone. That means parts of southern Europe, Australia, parts of Chile and Northern California.  The study does state that the areas that will suffer least, at least by 2050, will be higher elevation zones, coastal zones, and more Northern latitude areas - areas like New Zealand, Northern Europe and Canada's British Columbia.

OK... so what about the Panda Bears? 

This PNAS report includes discussion of how adaptation can mitigate some of these climate change effects on wine regions. Adaptation can take the form of tailored viticultural practices, adaptive irrigation techniques, and also planting at higher elevations to name a few.

In China, where viticulture and the planting of vineyards are firmly in a development phase, this could mean rapid adaptation so as to anticipate regional climate change. In plain English what this means is that some of the areas that are most suitable for high-quality wine grape cultivation in China are the same areas that are the natural habitat for giant panda bears.

... China is not known for its European-style wines, but it
is among the fastest growing wine-producing regions in the
world. It has significant areas suitable for viticulture (Fig. 1), and these areas are in the same mountains that are habitat for the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Future conservation efforts for the giant panda need to incorporate consideration of viticulture as a potential land use and viticultural suitability trends in response to climate change. - PNAS.org April 8, '13 Hannah

It seems that we may be seeing pictures of Giant Panda Bears popping up everywhere in the coming decades as the new poster child of climate change, just as we've seen polar bears and melting ice caps in the past decade.

For more information about this topic go to PNAS.org or take a look at this short (3') doc film preview. You can also LIKE Facebook.com/wineandclimatechange. 

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Posted via email from Local Food And Wine

What's In A Label?

by Paige Donner

I want to talk a little bit today about wine labels. In particular, French wine labels.

Now, as an American, we all know that unspeakable little secret that we women wine drinkers in the U.S. buy our wine based primarily on the design of the wine label. It follows the same axiom of truth that all women are bad drivers.

Ok. Yeah.You caught me out. I am being facetious... Exponentially facetious.

All good-humored kidding aside, however, I will admit that one of the more daunting challenges I have faced in learning about French wines is how to read these deliciously complex wine labels. When I first started out, I was convinced I would have to go back to school to get a PhD in French wine-labelology. You know what I mean?

The more time I spend in the country, however, exploring the wine regions - and drinking the wines! - the labels have become increasingly demystified. It helps significantly when you can associate a place - Batard Montrachet, for example, or Puisseguin-St. Emilion or St. Joseph - with people you've met, events you've attended and collegial friendships you've made over shared meals and spitting buckets.

But not many people can take/make the opportunity to delve so deeply into a singular country's terroir and sojourn for copious amounts of time in backcountry vineyard territory.

So when I was presented the other day with the genius label design of the Barons De Rothschild "new" champagne brand, I nearly did an uncharacteristic squeal of delight.

Now here's a label I could understand, no matter what language I speak! "Champagne Barons de Rothschild."

The entire label, printed in silver (for Rosé and Blanc de Blancs cuvées) or gold (for Brut) with royal blue accents on a clear background, is the simple and elegant family crest.

Read Entire Post ON... ♥Chérie Du Vin. You will LOVE my wine picks!

champagne-bdr.com

 

♥Chérie Du Vin. You will LOVE my wine picks!

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