Hope Springs Eternal

Call me optimistic, in the middle of another snowstorm,  but I found myself looking for this year’s BBQ wine this past week.

I know it looks a little pathetic out there in the cold, but trust me, this one is a keeper. Smoky notes, sour cherry, and enough tannin to hit back at those grilled sausages.

BBQ BARBERA PIEMONTE DOC
LCBO 234864 | 750 mL bottle

Price $ 9.95

Crossover Sitcoms

This week I started a new gig which involves eating at Baker Street Station and then blogging for them.  I thought I would post my first blog for them here. That way it’s like the movie where the Jetsons meet the Flintstones – or Laverne & Shirley meet Happy Days, or Joanie Loves what’s his name … you know.

The Boy Wonder

I can no longer lie to myself and think that I’m part of the younger generation.  I don’t have any tattoos, the only thing I’ve ever pierced was a scream (trying to hit a Geddy Lee note), and my knees are constantly reminding me that I’m not 18 anymore.

So I’m ready to hand the world over to a younger generation and accept the gap.  It is with this in mind that I have claimed the title “Boy Wonder” for chef Brett MacDonald at Baker Street Station.

Look at this!  Look at it!  How does somebody half my age make this in a freakin’ pub?  Steak tartare with a quail’s egg, horseradish, and brioche toasted and buttered to the edge of becoming pastry.

Paring this with a wine doesn’t seem like a tough thing on paper.  You want something BIG, with firm tannins.  My only question was that the tartare was meaty to be sure, but also delicate and herbal from the capers and the shallots.  I could have gotten away with a white wine but no self-respecting carnivore is going to pass up a big red wine for a  flowery white.  So we went big.  The Secco-Bertani Ripasso from Italy was firm with ripe berries and a great compliment.  The only “problem” was that the Boy Wonder’s food stole all the thunder from this dynamic duo.

For all you DC comic freaks out there – Brett, with his culinary superpowers, is nobody’s sidekick.

Best Poster Ever

One poster says it all.

Thanks for posting this on Facebook Pelee Island Winery

Blizzardy Days

There’s nothing like a good teachable moment.  Here we are at the cusp of the biggest blizzard of the year. “Where were you during the Blizzard of 2013?” people will be saying for years.  What was I doing?  Making a good argument in favour of the wine cellar.  “A wine cellar in every home” would be my political platform if I ever ran for Mayor (watch out Cam Guthrie ).

If the people at the weather network have taught me anything it’s that my level of alarm should be directly proportional to their level of excitement.  What meteorological freaks they are at the Weather Network! Although to be fair, this storm is their “Superbowl” so I’m happy for them.

Which brings me to my point.  It’s times like these that you need a modest wine cellar.  Who wouldn’t want to tuck in to a nice tannic red wine on a blizzardy day?

I keep a couple of bottles in my basement just in case.  I’ve finished the last of my Y2K scare stock but I’m always ready for the next natural / unnatural / or other disaster. Tonight I drank Primitivo – Zinfandel’s inexpensive Italian cousin.

LUCCARELLI PRIMITIVO PUGLIA IGT LCBO 253856 | Price $ 9.95 

Bonus Reward Miles Offer
Earn 4 AIR MILES^® reward miles Until Mar 2, 2013 – and get yourself out of this stupid weather * (I added that last bit)

A Real Oddity

This wine blog is being distracted by beer at an alarming rate –  alarming to whom I’m not sure.

The Legendary Muskoka Oddity has been released upon us.  This Belgian style ale tastes like somebody started making Gin and then halfway through the brewmaster yelled “Stop the presses” and switched production to ale.  Muskoka Brewery says that they have “unearthed this season’s most distinct offerings” and it’s hard not to agree with them.  It’s hoppy to be sure but what makes it distinctive (in a gin sort of way) is the use of heather tips, juniper berries, and sweet orange peel shavings.

While I try not to be a sucker for a slick label  this falcon / peacock / scary antler deer thingy is so freakin’ cool. I can’t stop staring at it – like the Futurama Hypno-toad (stare below).

Legendary Muskoka Oddity is available at the LCBO – $9.95 for a 750 mL bottle. It’s sure to be a conversation piece at your next party and would make a great hostess gift – for the man who would rather shop for beer than buy flowers.

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Can’t stop staring at the hypno-toad either