2009, the Drinks in review.
My top 5 favorite drink related items of the past year. Enjoy!
1. Rum! Rum! A bottle of Rum!
I can't start this list without mentioning my newest and current favorite drink of choice "Sailor Jerry" 92proof rum. I fiiinnnnngggg love this stuff. Even though my work has sold this for over a year now, it wasn't until late august when I sampled a few sips of this flavourful and quite refreshing rum that my obsession started to take hold. However, before I delve any further, I must mention that up until this past year when I thought of rum all that came to mind was shitty white Bacardi crap, usually served with a splash of coca cola. Yuk! But as I've tried to expand my alcoholic repertoire I've discovered that white Bacardi is not all that rum entails. As an alcohol hailing generally from the central Caribbean/Jamaican area, good dark or amber rums generally taste sweet and strong, often with a slight caramel/molasses flavour. They tend to hit your palate hard at first but will linger nicely once swallowed. As with Sailor Jerry rum (named after the famous tattoo artist of the 60's) what I love most is it's versatility. It can be drunk as a great shot, as a splendid cocktail (try adding lemonade/lime juice, ginger beer and sugar) or even neat on its own. Sailor Jerry is my new bar drink of choice, which means no more shitty red wine and if you know me in any way, if you can get me off the vino, you've got something great in your hands.
Your home, your home, a pirates life for me! Rum! Rum! A bottle of Rum!
2. Rutherford Hill Merlot
For starters, I'd like to steal a line from our favorite "Sideways" wine connoisseur Myles, who appropriately coined the phrase "I hate Merlot". Well I'm paraphrasing a little, there were some expletives in there, but well hey you get the point. So there you have it, "I hate Merlot", well at least I thought I did. This mark of hatred resounded deeply within me for quite some time until a few months ago, that is until I'd tried the aformentioned Merlot above. You see, Merlot for me had always been the wine that couldn't stand for something, it was neither light like a Pinot Noir. It lacked the fullness of a Cab Sav, the spiciness of a Syrah and even the tannic qualities of a Malbec. Merlot for me was a flounderer, a varietal stuck in no man's land. Then one day, I come to work and BAM!, I'm hit with a thunderous bolt of flavour, structure, velvetyness and body all wrapped into one. This Rutherford Merlot which hails from the warm climate of the Napa Valley in California basically blew me away. For the longest time I'd been searching for a wine that would be able to do such a thing while never finding one. The aroma itself still evokes blissful thoughts to this day (wow Jamie, this about wine right?), the deep black cherry and plum scents pull your senses deep within, and that's not even the best part. The finish was what got me, it lingered and lingered and lingered. The balance was amazingly smooth and rich, what I find to be the best in wine. If you ever get a chance to taste this wine (I had the 2002 year) do so, it will be well worth it.
3. Vintage Port
I've already touched on Port with an earlier article, so I wont delve much further, but I would like to add that if you can get your hands on any vintage port, do it. In my older article I went on and on about Warre's Otima Non Vintage Port, but when I look back the Otima is nowhere near as good as a great vintage port. Vintage being a port with an actual year designation on it. Lately I've been drinking Taylor Fladgate Vintage 2003, absolutely splendid :) Again, if you haven't checked out the Port, do so, you wont regret it.
4. Van Gogh Espresso Vodka
Firstly, I hate espresso. Not sure why, might be to bitter for my palate or it just might be that I love hot chocolate that much more, who knows. But when it comes to Van Gogh Espresso Vodka, I loves me my espresso. This flavoured vodka is amazing, especially as a chilled shot. It has the kahlua style flavours of espresso combined with the strong cool flavours of vodka. Not much else to say on this, go check it out if you're looking for something great to drink or shoot, especially if your sick of jagermeister.
Cocktail: 1 1/2 ounces of Van gogh
1/2 kahlua
splash of water
served in a rocks glass
5. Steigl Beer
Rarely do I drink or talk much of beer, I'm a wino, but as I've recently transitioned to bartender at my work, I've found that when it comes to beer, you have to know your stuff. This invariably has led me to tasting and drinking more and more beer of late and the one that's stood out the most for me is Steigl's Austrian Lager Beer. This beer is amazing, it's crisp, clean, free of preservatives, while having a slight fruity taste. It's my new MGD. Add to that, it comes in one wicked style tall boy can.
Well there you have it, my top 5 beverage hits of 2009.
later.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Wine 101
Wine 101
Okay kiddies I’m going to try my best to give you the lowdown on all there is to know about the great fermented grape. So sit back, relax and let your inner wino shine through.
What is Wine? - Put very simply, wine is a drink made from the fermented juice of freshly-picked grapes. As such it is often described as one of the most natural of all alcoholic drinks.
So then…
How is Wine made? – It all starts with a process called fermentation. Once grapes are picked, they are crushed and put into large open vats where tiny microscopic organisms begin to feed on the sugars found in the grapes juices, thusly converting those sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Once this phase is done the grapes are pressed of their juices and filtered whereupon the wine maker can decide to make one of 3 types of wine styles.
Which are:
Light Wines – The majority of wines fall into this category being what we typically term red and white wines. They are still, that is not sparkling, or fizzy and are between 8-15% alcohol, with the majority containing 11.5-14% alcohol.
Sparkling Wines - These are wines where bubbles of carbon dioxide gas have been trapped in the wine. These wines are typically French Champagne, Spanish Cava, Italian Asti as well as New World Sparkling Wine.
Fortified Wines – These are also known as “liqueur” wines, which mean that the wines have had extra alcohol added to them and therefore have higher alcohol levels of 15-22%. Most examples of these are Sherry from Spain and Port from Portugal.
Styles of Wine
Each of the three types of wine can be made in a variety of styles according to color and taste.
Red
- Must be made from Black grapes such as (Cab Sav, Merlot, Pinot Noir)
- Red wines color comes from its skins during fermentation.
- The skins also contain other substances such as tannin.
- Tannin is that substance in tea that makes your mouth feel dry and pucker.
White
White
- Is usually made from the juice of white grapes, but because all the color in black grapes is in the skin, it is possible to make white wine from black grapes if you remove the skins before fermentation.
Rose – These wines are made from black grapes where the wine has had less contact with the skins.
Sugar Content
Sweetness comes from the juice of the grapes as they contain a large amount of sugars. As those naturally occurring yeast start to eat those sugars the wine becomes invariably less sweet and drier. Therefore a sweet wine contains more residual sugars thus making it low in alcohol. With dry wine they have less residual sugars making them higher in alcohol. A point to remember, all yeast die off once the alcohol levels in wine reach 15%.
Varietals
Now the fun stuff…
With all wines there are tones of different grape varietals to choose from. To start there are 6 main “Noble” Grapes that you should know.
For Whites: Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay
For Reds: Merlot, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon
What it means to be noble is that these are the primary grapes of the world used only for making wines. They have also been around the longest.
When it comes to knowing your wine varietals it’s best to start with learning your French Regions of old world wines. France has the distinction of producing pretty much all of the world’s major grapes.
The 6 major regions are (there’s a few more but not worth learning now):
Bordeaux – cab sav, Merlot, Semillon and Sauv blanc
Burgundy – Pinot noir, Chardonnay
Alcase – Riesling, Gewürztraminer
The Rhone – Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre
Loire – Cab franc, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay
Champagne – Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Pinot meunier
Now I hardly expect you to understand or let alone remember all of these, but at least I would say try to for when it comes to selling wine oftentimes people will quote one of these regions, where they will undoubtedly expect you to know and understand them. For example when someone asks for a red burgundy, they will naturally mean a Pinot Noir.
As for the varietals themselves well here’s a quick rundown of some of the more popular wines and their characteristics:
Chardonnay:
- Most well known grape in the world
-Predominantly produces dry wines from light and apple fresh in cool climates to rich and full-bodied buttery richness in hotter climates
Riesling:
- Produces wines that range from bone dry through to lusciously sweet, but above all, it will be aromatic and have good levels of acidity.
-Generally minerally, peachy or petrolly in aroma with flavors of fresh green apple and apricot.
-Sweet when from Germany
-Dry when from Alsace
Sauvignon Blanc:
- Described as having a fresh green fruit aroma and flavor, it produces full on fruity light to medium bodied wines with refreshingly zesty acidity.
-New Zealand makes the best in the world
Pinot Gris/Grigio:
- Light fresh white with a lush and flavorful honeyed flavor, with a slight minerally finish.
-Can be light, medium and full bodied depending on where it’s made
-Meant to be drunk young
Cabernet Sauvignon:
- Planted just about everywhere, Cab Sav produces wines with a blackcurrant aroma and flavor, often backed up with firm tannins.
- Ranges in style from medium to full bodied
- Due to it forceful presence, often blended with merlot and other grapes to soften it up a bit. When blended this way it is also known as “Claret”.
- Tend to need maturing before they can be drunk.
- Generally aged in oak casks
Merlot:
- Popular, softer, fruity alternative to Cab Sav. Merlot has a rich plum and berry fruit flavor with refreshing acidity and soft to medium tannins.
- Gains richness from aging and oak maturing.
Pinot Noir:
- This wine can have the taste of summer fruits like raspberries and cherries when young, but as it matures it will take on vegetal aromas.
- Lighter in color and body than Cab Sav, but can age well.
Syrah/Shiraz:
- This grape variety produces rich, powerful and peppery wines, the wines are deeply colored and have the ability to age.
- Shiraz: made in the New World Style, usually dark, berry fruit flavored and oaked. Generally grown in warmer climates like Australia
- Syrah: made in the old World Style, usually earthy, spicy, lighter and oaked. Most commonly found in the Rhone region in France.
Malbec: A rich dark purple wine full of color and tannins with a splendid violet aroma. Its flavors generally are of raisins and tobacco.
- Most commonly found in Argentina
Tempranillo:
- Full bodied wine with spicy and oaks flavors.
- Found in Rioja in Spain
Sangiovese:
- Medium bodied Italian varietal with a fruity and high acidity flavor. It is the wine of the Chianti region.
Wine Pairings
The main rule to think of when pairing wine with food is to try to match the weight of the food with the weight of the wine. Other considerations are:
1. Think of how the food was prepared. Poached fish will taste differently than pan seared or raw, thus your wine pairing should change as well.
2. Seasoning of the dish is also key to how you pair your wine. A full red will accentuate spicy dishes, something you do not want, where as a crisp Riesling will compliment spicy food.
3. Strength of flavor, is the dish delicate or strong?
4. Here’s some tips:
-Sweet = sweet wine or sweeter (eg. Dessert and dessert wine)
-Salt = high acid wines and or sweetness (eg. Salty nuts and Riesling)
-Sour = high acid wines are needed, avoid tannins
-Spicy = match spicyness
-Smoky = oaky wines pair best
Okay kiddies I’m going to try my best to give you the lowdown on all there is to know about the great fermented grape. So sit back, relax and let your inner wino shine through.
What is Wine? - Put very simply, wine is a drink made from the fermented juice of freshly-picked grapes. As such it is often described as one of the most natural of all alcoholic drinks.
So then…
How is Wine made? – It all starts with a process called fermentation. Once grapes are picked, they are crushed and put into large open vats where tiny microscopic organisms begin to feed on the sugars found in the grapes juices, thusly converting those sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Once this phase is done the grapes are pressed of their juices and filtered whereupon the wine maker can decide to make one of 3 types of wine styles.
Which are:
Light Wines – The majority of wines fall into this category being what we typically term red and white wines. They are still, that is not sparkling, or fizzy and are between 8-15% alcohol, with the majority containing 11.5-14% alcohol.
Sparkling Wines - These are wines where bubbles of carbon dioxide gas have been trapped in the wine. These wines are typically French Champagne, Spanish Cava, Italian Asti as well as New World Sparkling Wine.
Fortified Wines – These are also known as “liqueur” wines, which mean that the wines have had extra alcohol added to them and therefore have higher alcohol levels of 15-22%. Most examples of these are Sherry from Spain and Port from Portugal.
Styles of Wine
Each of the three types of wine can be made in a variety of styles according to color and taste.
Red
- Must be made from Black grapes such as (Cab Sav, Merlot, Pinot Noir)
- Red wines color comes from its skins during fermentation.
- The skins also contain other substances such as tannin.
- Tannin is that substance in tea that makes your mouth feel dry and pucker.
White
White
- Is usually made from the juice of white grapes, but because all the color in black grapes is in the skin, it is possible to make white wine from black grapes if you remove the skins before fermentation.
Rose – These wines are made from black grapes where the wine has had less contact with the skins.
Sugar Content
Sweetness comes from the juice of the grapes as they contain a large amount of sugars. As those naturally occurring yeast start to eat those sugars the wine becomes invariably less sweet and drier. Therefore a sweet wine contains more residual sugars thus making it low in alcohol. With dry wine they have less residual sugars making them higher in alcohol. A point to remember, all yeast die off once the alcohol levels in wine reach 15%.
Varietals
Now the fun stuff…
With all wines there are tones of different grape varietals to choose from. To start there are 6 main “Noble” Grapes that you should know.
For Whites: Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay
For Reds: Merlot, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon
What it means to be noble is that these are the primary grapes of the world used only for making wines. They have also been around the longest.
When it comes to knowing your wine varietals it’s best to start with learning your French Regions of old world wines. France has the distinction of producing pretty much all of the world’s major grapes.
The 6 major regions are (there’s a few more but not worth learning now):
Bordeaux – cab sav, Merlot, Semillon and Sauv blanc
Burgundy – Pinot noir, Chardonnay
Alcase – Riesling, Gewürztraminer
The Rhone – Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre
Loire – Cab franc, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay
Champagne – Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Pinot meunier
Now I hardly expect you to understand or let alone remember all of these, but at least I would say try to for when it comes to selling wine oftentimes people will quote one of these regions, where they will undoubtedly expect you to know and understand them. For example when someone asks for a red burgundy, they will naturally mean a Pinot Noir.
As for the varietals themselves well here’s a quick rundown of some of the more popular wines and their characteristics:
Chardonnay:
- Most well known grape in the world
-Predominantly produces dry wines from light and apple fresh in cool climates to rich and full-bodied buttery richness in hotter climates
Riesling:
- Produces wines that range from bone dry through to lusciously sweet, but above all, it will be aromatic and have good levels of acidity.
-Generally minerally, peachy or petrolly in aroma with flavors of fresh green apple and apricot.
-Sweet when from Germany
-Dry when from Alsace
Sauvignon Blanc:
- Described as having a fresh green fruit aroma and flavor, it produces full on fruity light to medium bodied wines with refreshingly zesty acidity.
-New Zealand makes the best in the world
Pinot Gris/Grigio:
- Light fresh white with a lush and flavorful honeyed flavor, with a slight minerally finish.
-Can be light, medium and full bodied depending on where it’s made
-Meant to be drunk young
Cabernet Sauvignon:
- Planted just about everywhere, Cab Sav produces wines with a blackcurrant aroma and flavor, often backed up with firm tannins.
- Ranges in style from medium to full bodied
- Due to it forceful presence, often blended with merlot and other grapes to soften it up a bit. When blended this way it is also known as “Claret”.
- Tend to need maturing before they can be drunk.
- Generally aged in oak casks
Merlot:
- Popular, softer, fruity alternative to Cab Sav. Merlot has a rich plum and berry fruit flavor with refreshing acidity and soft to medium tannins.
- Gains richness from aging and oak maturing.
Pinot Noir:
- This wine can have the taste of summer fruits like raspberries and cherries when young, but as it matures it will take on vegetal aromas.
- Lighter in color and body than Cab Sav, but can age well.
Syrah/Shiraz:
- This grape variety produces rich, powerful and peppery wines, the wines are deeply colored and have the ability to age.
- Shiraz: made in the New World Style, usually dark, berry fruit flavored and oaked. Generally grown in warmer climates like Australia
- Syrah: made in the old World Style, usually earthy, spicy, lighter and oaked. Most commonly found in the Rhone region in France.
Malbec: A rich dark purple wine full of color and tannins with a splendid violet aroma. Its flavors generally are of raisins and tobacco.
- Most commonly found in Argentina
Tempranillo:
- Full bodied wine with spicy and oaks flavors.
- Found in Rioja in Spain
Sangiovese:
- Medium bodied Italian varietal with a fruity and high acidity flavor. It is the wine of the Chianti region.
Wine Pairings
The main rule to think of when pairing wine with food is to try to match the weight of the food with the weight of the wine. Other considerations are:
1. Think of how the food was prepared. Poached fish will taste differently than pan seared or raw, thus your wine pairing should change as well.
2. Seasoning of the dish is also key to how you pair your wine. A full red will accentuate spicy dishes, something you do not want, where as a crisp Riesling will compliment spicy food.
3. Strength of flavor, is the dish delicate or strong?
4. Here’s some tips:
-Sweet = sweet wine or sweeter (eg. Dessert and dessert wine)
-Salt = high acid wines and or sweetness (eg. Salty nuts and Riesling)
-Sour = high acid wines are needed, avoid tannins
-Spicy = match spicyness
-Smoky = oaky wines pair best
Thursday, December 3, 2009
I really did!
How you been son?
Just low.
Look I'm sorry about your girlfriend...?
...Elinor.
You really loved her didn't you?
Yeah mom, I did. I really did.
Just low.
Look I'm sorry about your girlfriend...?
...Elinor.
You really loved her didn't you?
Yeah mom, I did. I really did.
Lack of Posting :(
Sorry for the lack of posting lately, I've been without a computer for a month now. Saving up for a new one however.
In the meantime I've been reading a tonne lately, just finished a few books that I would love to recommend for you all.
Firstly my boy Bill Simmons recently released his 2nd novel "The Book of Basketball, the world according to the sports guy" and fuck me is it awesome. It's 700 pages of straight hoops goodness, right down to beginnings of the league to the present. He delves into the great Celtic mystique of the 60's, a who's who amongst the best ever and much much more. I urge any great ball fan to check this book out.
Secondly I just finished a compelling courtroom drama book by Jonathan Harr titled "A Civil Action". The book is based on the true story of a bunch of families in Woborn, Massachusetts who'd been poisoned by the town's well water from two large corporate companies. The story follows the life of an uber confident slickster lawyer named Jan Schlicktman. As Schlicktman and his fellow legal team try to wage war against two large polluting corporations we are brought into the other side of the law, the stressful and extremely expensive journey of proving guilt. I must admit this was one of the most enjoyable and page turning reads I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying. If you're like me and you love drama, high stakes and compelling egos then this book is sure to please you. Highly recommended.
And thirdly I read one of Michael Chabon's finest, "The Yiddish Policemen's Union". Having thouroughly enjoyed Chabons book to movie "Wonder Boys" I was urged by a friend of mine to check out the Yids as they are often termed in this book. The Yids Union is a fictional take on Jewish settlers in Alaska trying to find their way home to Israel. After a quickly thought of suicide by one of the head rabbi's "prodigal" son, lead Detective Landsman heads the case to understand why a young man of such hope and intelligence would fall prey to drugs and suicide. As he delves deeper into his research Landsman quickly realizes that his efforts and revelations of the truth have consequences. This novel by Chabon was a thrilling ride, fun, compelling and very entertaining. I look forward to reading more of his work and I urge you to do the same.
That is all for now, I'll do my best to read more and to pass along some other great reads. My newest "The Given Day" by Denis Lehan of Mystic River fame looks to be promising.
later...
j
In the meantime I've been reading a tonne lately, just finished a few books that I would love to recommend for you all.
Firstly my boy Bill Simmons recently released his 2nd novel "The Book of Basketball, the world according to the sports guy" and fuck me is it awesome. It's 700 pages of straight hoops goodness, right down to beginnings of the league to the present. He delves into the great Celtic mystique of the 60's, a who's who amongst the best ever and much much more. I urge any great ball fan to check this book out.
Secondly I just finished a compelling courtroom drama book by Jonathan Harr titled "A Civil Action". The book is based on the true story of a bunch of families in Woborn, Massachusetts who'd been poisoned by the town's well water from two large corporate companies. The story follows the life of an uber confident slickster lawyer named Jan Schlicktman. As Schlicktman and his fellow legal team try to wage war against two large polluting corporations we are brought into the other side of the law, the stressful and extremely expensive journey of proving guilt. I must admit this was one of the most enjoyable and page turning reads I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying. If you're like me and you love drama, high stakes and compelling egos then this book is sure to please you. Highly recommended.
And thirdly I read one of Michael Chabon's finest, "The Yiddish Policemen's Union". Having thouroughly enjoyed Chabons book to movie "Wonder Boys" I was urged by a friend of mine to check out the Yids as they are often termed in this book. The Yids Union is a fictional take on Jewish settlers in Alaska trying to find their way home to Israel. After a quickly thought of suicide by one of the head rabbi's "prodigal" son, lead Detective Landsman heads the case to understand why a young man of such hope and intelligence would fall prey to drugs and suicide. As he delves deeper into his research Landsman quickly realizes that his efforts and revelations of the truth have consequences. This novel by Chabon was a thrilling ride, fun, compelling and very entertaining. I look forward to reading more of his work and I urge you to do the same.
That is all for now, I'll do my best to read more and to pass along some other great reads. My newest "The Given Day" by Denis Lehan of Mystic River fame looks to be promising.
later...
j
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