Syrah vs Shiraz... potato, patato?

Okay, what's the difference between shiraz and syrah? You probably know, right? If not, here's your nutshell. Same grape, different styles of wine. Syrah is the French style, usually, more austere, earthy, bacon, peppery notes. Shiraz is the Auz version, fruit forward, big, bold, in your face with a mace dealio. What they both have in common usually is the peppery, spicy notes, cassis or blackberry leaning fruit characters, high(ish) acid, easy tannins, medium to full body in weight, a lovely magenta colour at medium+ intensity (you can read text through your wine glass).

Here are some notes from a fun tasting we did the other day, all the wines can be purchased at Everything Wine in North Vancouver. We tasted all the wines without food first, then paired them with a black truffle salami, zucchini, tomato, fontina pizza - yum.

1. Paul Jaboulet Aine, Domaine de Thalabert, Crozes Hermitage, France, 2005 - $47.99
Winner! I loved this wine, though it didn't stand up to the pizza. Notes: Anise, caramel, plum, black cherry, pepper, cinnamon.
2. Young & Wyse, Okanagan Valley, BC, 2008 - $27.99
A good quality BC shiraz, really surprised me but didn't stand up to the Kangarilla for quality vs value. Notes: Tobacco, cassis, spice
3. Kangarilla Road, McLaren Vale, Australia, 2007 - $24.99
Winner! And look at that price! Notes: Big anise, candy, cassis, dill nose with a dusty, dark fruits palate. Paired well with bacon pizza.
4. Katnook, Founders Block, Coonawarra, 2006 - $19.99
Paled in comparison, but still a good shiraz. Notes: Earthy, vegetal, plum, mint nose. Blackberry, pencil shavings on the palate.
5. Sheridan Vineyard, Yakima Valley, Washington, 2005 - $62.99
You know when you suck it up and spend the wad on something and then it spits in your eye. This one spat in my eye. $60! Are you kidding me? I'd pay $25 for it. A real disappointment as I usually love Washington shiraz. Notes: Big blackberry almost port-esque leanings, slight smokey finish.

Recipe for a Perfect Day in Paris... do you need one?

The argument with my Parisophile boyfriend went like this...

Me: They're not very friendly here.
Him: What do you mean? Parisians are really nice!
Me: No, they aren't, they never smile. Jamais!
Our stalemate went back and forth like a vigorous, verbal washing machine.

The day before my perfect day...
It pissed rain; all the galleries we walked to were closed; my supposedly waterproof shoes sprung leaks.
Struggling through with my crappy French was an embarrasing and tiring experience like two smacks in the face with a pretty glove.

The next day...
The Recipe
1. Like a cool breeze through my stuffy anglo heart, Reubens loomed up and stole my soul away to an exceedingly less rainy place. The Louvre... Brueghel, Goya, Van Goyen, Rembrant... Stop and have a tea break or your head will start spinning... Delacroix, Delaroche, regardez le Venus de Milo, oh my. 5 hours later. Tired? I was.

2. Off to Androuet Fromager to sample the Brie, the Chevre, the roquefort. Get old french cheesie guy to recommend a wedge or two for lunch or a French style dessert for later. Pick up some pastries and lovely baguettes from any Paul Boulangerie.

3. Stop for un verre du vin as much as possible; and soak up the view of the city and its people strolling by. 3 times a day minimum for this recipe to work!

4. Take metro. Squash happily into multicultural human sandwich of Parisians (all of whom are way cooler and prettier than I; even when squashed).

5. Enter the dark and cozy interior of L'Ecluse wine bar in Place de la Madeline. A top tier wine list with an exclusively Bordeaux bent awaits. Sample une petite verre du Saint Julien (vin rouge) & Saint Emillion both Grand Cru for around 7 Euro each! The wine is served with free nibblies; a delicate anise kissed salami.

6. Have a lovely Parisian waiter suggest places in Paris to 'Rock out'.

7. Get happily drunk on two glasses of wine for a change.

8. Agree with boyfriend. Paris is the food & wine lovers cats meow.

Valencia, Spain - communication breakdown in foodie land

My Spanish is entertainingly, very limited. After arriving in Valencia(pronounced Balenthia, thank you very much), we had sought out a recommended wine and tapas bar called Tintofinoultramarino...love the name.

Me- ¿Tienes una otra recommendaccion para vino?

Nice Waiter- ¿Mas Blanco?

Me- Tinta y blanco...eh, no. Tinto o blanco, cualquiera.

Nice Waiter- (Laughter insues)

If you didn't understand this...don't worry, I didn't much either.

I, actually, love it when they laugh at my pigeon Spanish. I like being funny even if unintentionally.

The star dishes of the night...
1. Patatas con slas piquante y aioli. Simple and satisfying.
2. Lacon de cerdo (pork shoulder) con anise seed paste, served cold. I have never tasted anything like it.


For the wine nerds out there...
1. Valmiñor, Rias Baixas, Albariño
Lovely, fresh, yet complex golden white wine. Pinapple, honey, lemon and a bit of minerality. Great with green olives, cuts any rich foods. ie. the patatas above

2. Basa, Rueda, Verdejo, Viura y Sauvignon Blanc
Big nose on this fruity bombshell. Less complex than the Valmiñor, but still a great patio sipper. Pinapple, lemon dominate.

3. Al Muvedre, Alicante
I wanted this one to be since it is from a region near to Valencia. I love mouvedre, usually, but this wine disappointed. Great nose of earth and cinnamon, but the bottom dropped out with a flat palette.

4. Dehesa Gago, Toro, Tinta de Toro
This one is big. It reminded me of a cali zin, but with a gorgeous old world flare to boot. Mild tannins made this ready and easy to drink. Strawberry jam, caramel, cloves... ok I love it already. Add a dusty desert sage not to the mix... cigar and bitter lemon finish!!!!

What a fabulous evening. Tintofino had a great atmosphere; melow music, warm lighting and you can find it in a section of the older town on a tiny winding walkway, Calle Corregeria 38 if you are ever looking. At under 3 Euro a glass, this wine bar was sensational.

4/5 Valencia, solid food and wine selection at a really cool location

Suspicious of Carmenere? I was too.

Carmenere is a new and yummy wine friend. Before this tasting, I hadn't a clue. But, faintly, I was suspicious of the grape. Not as friendly as Argentina's front runner, Malbec, Carmenere is the exotic cousin that you're not sure you'll love or hate. Two bottles of the 8 were Chilean, but not carmenere (for guessing fun since the tasting was blind). 13 people were at the tasting and there was resounding agreement that all the wines were excellent quality, especially for the price. There were many murmurings that these Chilean wines were reminiscent of Bordeaux as an earthy temptress. The pairing of the evening was a fabulous slow cooked rosemary lamb roast with tamarind sauce, my STARS! Dark chocolate, later in that night, also won the audience as a pairing. One other characteristic of note was that the wines were all fairly short on the finish and ready to drink. Buy em cheap and chuck em down.

General notes on body, acidity and tannins of carmenere: Leaning to medium body, higher acid, medium tannins, all were dry.

Chilean Wine Tasting
Tasting Notes: (int = intensity)

1. Marquis Casa Concha, 2007, $25
Med int nose of plum, strawberries. Bouquet of leather, spice and a distinctive orange zest. Bitter cherry and tobacco dominates the palette, very drinkable.

2. Sibaris, 2007, $16
Very pomerol-esque, old worldish, med + nose of plum, roses, caramel, herbal notes and a slight stony quality. Med int raspberry, ash, plasticine and roses for the palette. Really complex wine, amazing value, please buy and try for yourself.

3. Natura, 2007, $16
Med int sweet oranges and strawberries on the nose. The orange thing was a quality I noted in a few of the bottles, almost likening to Nebbiolo's. Med int strawberry, tobacco mouthful. Quite lovely, really easy to drink, excellent value.

4. De Marino, 2007, $19
(specialty wine stores only) Med int earth, tobacco, strawberry nose. Cigarbox and cherry on the palette, only med acid for this one.

5. Cremashi Farletti, 2006, $17
Med int current, spice, plasticine, clovers on the nose, again, with the Old World complexity, very impressive. Med+ int spice, cinnamon, strawberry and plasticine on the palette. Lamb's best friend.
Cremashi does a shiraz that is purported to be an excellent buy at $16 as well.

6. Montes Alpha, Merlot, 2006, $33
Very big for a merlot, 14.5% alcohol will kick your ass into next month, but you will enjoy it anyway. Fruit forward, stewed strawberry nose, spice and cherry palate.

7. Chono, Carmenere/Syrah, $20
Very simple and subtle, blueberry, earthy nose. Spicy, tobacco, sweet cherry palate. Not my favourite of the night.

8. Terra Noble, Gran Reserva, Maule Valley, 2005, $35
This was supposed to be the winner of the night. As it turned out, it was good, however, surpassed in value for quality by many others. Distinctive orange, plasticine nose was present along with ripe cherries. Med+ palate of currents and oranges. Short, disappointing finish. Ho-hum.

All in all, these lovely Chileans are great with meat and will please any red wine lover as they are a part of the illustrious Cabernet family of grapes. I can't wait to see what carmenere plantings in other parts of the world do in the coming years. Chile is currently putting a lot of effort into honing carmenere into a tastier specimen through clone selection. Keep an eye on this grape.

Ps. A BC note - Go to Salt Tasting Room in Vancouver to taste Black Hills Winery's Carmenere, it's yummy as hell.

Taste - A Celebration of BC Wine & Cuisine

Press Release – Vancouver Wine Event

TASTE
A Celebration of BC Cuisine & Wine

The Food & Wine
The event is called Taste and it aims to pair local farmers, grocers, cheesemakers up with BC's boutique wineries to create an evening of sensory harmony. It's a blind wine tasting to encourage you to step away from the baggage of your preconceptions of grape and producer and simply experience the wine. Food pairings will seek to enhance each category of wine; crisp, elegant, aromatic, smooth or spicy. From sherry, huckleberry truffles to chantrelle mushroom ravioli to lovely handmade cheese by BC Foodies; you will be treated to the bounty of BC ingredients.

BC wineries involved include Blue Mountain, Wild Goose, Le Vieux Pin, La Stella with more to come.

BC ingredients will be provided by Skookum Harvest Wild Foods, BC Foodie(cheese) and Now BC Organic Food Co-op with more to come. BC Foodies will pair their specialty cheeses with each of the wine categories.

Our Charity
All proceeds from the event are going to support a very worthy cause. Mount Pleasant Elementery School has had it's funding cut, Taste is being organized to fill in some of the financial gap left after these cuts. Colleen Browning is our representative from the school and can tell you more about the specifics if you would like.

Date – Friday, Dec 4, 2009
Time – 7pm to 12pm
Location – Lark Clothing Store, 2315 Main Street, Vancouver
Tickets - $40 - RSVP
Charity Beneficiary – Mount Pleasant Elementary School
Contact – email TasteEvent@gmail.com Tel @ Lark 604-879-9965

Associated Businesses
Swallow Tail Culinary Tours
The Garden ParTy Catering
Lark Clothing Store
Browning & Co
The Flower Factory
Foodie BC - Cheesemakers
Skookum Harvest Wild Foods
Now BC Organic Co-op

To purchase tickets contact TasteEvent@gmail.com or visit Lark Clothing Store or The Flower Factory

For more information contact Lark 604-879-9965

Robin Kort
Owner
Swallow Tail Tours

Blind Wine Wednesday - Notes

Blind is the way to taste any wine; it's where the men are separated from the boys for real. A selection of 8 wines was presented last night. The winners were surprising and soft on the pocket book which is how we like the story to end.

A note on my notes: the alcohol% I list is what it tasted like rather than the actual alcohol% written on the bottle. I often rate things from low-med-high.

Spy Valley - Sauvignon Blanc - New Zealand - 2008 - $20
Spectacular food wine, classic NZ Sauvignon Blanc, cats pee on a gooseberry bush and all that.
Notes
Nose: Medium intensity mineral, lychee, lime and gooseberry
Palette: Dry, 13% alcohol, high acid, med body. Mineral, fruit forward, lime

Prinz von Preussen - Riesling - Germany/Rheingau - 2006 - $22
My favourite riesling in the whole world! If you love riesling you have to try this one.
Notes
Nose: Medium+ intensity brioche, solid minerality, apricots galore
Palette: Dry, 12% alcohol,high acid, med body, lemons, stones, pineapple, apricot, long finish

Ostatu - Rioja(Tempranillo) - Spain - 2005 - $25
Disappointment for everyone of the night. Boooo....
Notes
Nose: Medium intensity strawberry, floral, light spic
Palette: Dry, high acid, 13% alc, low+ green tannins, med- body, flabby fruit, low intensity spice and a boooo-zy finish

Mapu - Cab S+Carmenere - Chile - 2007 - $10
Great value of the night at $10 bucks you can't go wrong. I love you Chile.
Notes
Nose: Medium intensity light earth, violets, black cherry
Palette: Dry, High acid, 13% alc, green low tannins, lemon, cherry, earth, short finish.

Doudet Naudin - Pinot Noir - France/Pommard - 2005 - $60
Tasting expensive wine blind is always an eye opener. Do you really like it or is it just the cache talking? This wine was good, but the consensus was that it was worth $20 bucks.
Notes
Nose: Medium intensity cloves, berry, plasticine(in a good way, this note always leads me to I.D. French style wines)
Palette: Dry, 13.5% alc, med acid, med tannin, med body, cigar, plum, cedar

Franciscan - Red Blend - Californian Burgundy - Non Vintage - $7
7/8 wine tasters agreed that this was kool-aid with vodka in it, not necessarily a bad thing.
Notes
Nose: Med+ intensity candy, cherry, bubblegum
Palette: med- plum, grape juice, no tannins... I give up

Robertson Winery - Cab S - S.Africa - 2008 - $12
A big, new world-esque, bold, giant of a wine. Best value of the night, beating out the Chilean by a hair.
Notes
Nose: Med+ intensity earthy, light pepper, horse sweat(in a good way ie. leather), smokey, cherry
Palette: Big jammy, pepper, cherry notes, med+ acid, 14% alc, med- tannin, med+ body

NC Arfiano - Super Tuscan red blend - Italy/Tuscany - 2006 - $29
Lovely, finessed wine with the best of what the old world has to offer. Super Tuscan denotes wines that have the traditional Italian grapes involved like sangiovese, plus grapes like Cabernet sauvignon, merlot etc. These grapes aren't traditionally used in Italy, and make for a more new world style wine.
Notes
Nose: Med allspice, blackberry, plasticine
Palate: Med intensity spice, bitter lemon, black current, green med tannins, med body, high acid, 14.5 alc

Southern Okanagan Wine snuggles up to Burgundy

Here are my tasting notes for my recent Southern Okanagan wine trip. It blew me away as usual, one of my favourite wine regions in the world and cheaper than most BC wines by a few bucks. The region is similar to Burgundy in it's focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but with much more diversity due to the hot microclimates this desert region affords. Excellent merlot, pinot gris, meritgae and syrah are produced with gusto. A few stand out bottles of Gewurztraminer and a stunning sauvingnon blanc by Le Vieux Pin amazed me. Generally, I would say that they should leave the riesling to the Northern Okanagans cooler climate.

Below is a list of the shining stars of my collection from this trip. If you are going on a trip to this region (and I would recommend you do), hit these wineries for sure, especially, as you can't buy most of them anywhere except at the winery.

A note on 'facing' and soil- wineries gather grapes from different plots throughout the Okanagan, but their 'house grapes' would follow the facing I have listed. Soil types listed are general, specific sites will vary.

The Golden Mile Region
Soil - underlain by glacial fluvial sand and gravel, and alluvial fan deposits
Slope Facing - East
-Road 13-
2008 Chardonnay - Solid fruit, very fresh with a nice spicy finish from the finessed oak aging $20
2007 Jackpot Chardonnay - This is a big chardonnay, buttery as hell with balanced acidity, minerality and spice finish $35
2007 Pinot Noir - Cherry pie nose with characteristic pencil shavings, mouth full of delicate currents $23 great buy
2007 Jackson Pinot Noir - Same as above but bigger, more spicy and smooth. $35
2006 Fifth Element - Fine Bordeaux style wine, excellent value for the complexity. $36 & worth it
Syrah - generally high quality syrah with an earthy old world complexity
-Fairview Cellars- - sold out and closed, darn it

The Black Sage Bench
Soil - underlain by glacial fluvial sand and gravel, and alluvial fan deposits
Slope Facing - West
-Burrowing Owl-
2008 Pinot Gris - Light patio sipper with full fruit flavours; apple, pear with honeysuckle to boot. $25
2007 Merlot - A mouthful of earth and spice balanced on a handful of blackberries, caramel finish and light spice makes this one ready to drink. $30
-Le Vieux Pin-
2008 Sauvignon Blanc - Stunningly bold lychee & rose petal nose is reminiscent of a gewurtztraminer. Palette displays a balanced acidity delivering tropical fruit and a surprising minerality. Definitely stood apart from the rest in the valley. $35
2008 Petit Sigma Syrah Rose - A truly unique rose. Strawberries and spice dominates this lovely dry wine. $20

Osoyoos Lake Region
Soil - underlain by glacial fluvial sand and gravel, and alluvial fan deposits
Slope Facing - West, except for LaStella which is East facing
-Twisted Tree-
One of the most interesting South Okanagan Wineries, they edge their wines towards Spain and the Rhone Valley in France.
2008 Viognier Roussanne - Floral nose followed by a mineral grapefruit finish, really well done Rhone style wine. $20
Syrah - Bouquet of cinnamon, mild pepper, spice and a distinctive Okanagan sage note. Very buttery palette of current, spice and bitter lemon. Tannins are greenish and present, body is medium.
2007 Six Vines - Cassis, blackberry, cherry and dried herb aromas. The palate is broad and sweet showing cherry and cocoa flavors. The tannins are well integrated and fairly soft. The finish is long and smooth.
-Nk Mip- (pronounced Inkimip)
Very affordable, good quality wines in general, lacked the finish of the other wineries in the region.
2007 Pinot Noir - Black pepper, current and earth on the nose. Palette finds light cedar and cherry. Short finish, med+ acid. Amazing value. $20
2006 Merlot - Big fruity wine. Caramel, white pepper and strawberry nose. Green med+ tannins coat the mouth with a cedar brush. Plum and bitter lemon finish.
2006 Syrah - Full red berry, plum and jam notes with cedar box and cracked pepper to create an intriguing balance. Chewy tannins linger on the palate and harmonize with a soft, vanilla finish.
-La Stella-
This was a new find (only a year old) and the sister winery to Le Vieux Pin, showcasing more Italian style wines. They were bit high price straight out of the gate, but good quality and worth a try.
2008 Vivace, Pinot Grigio - Full nose of grapefruit and lychee; apple, flinty, lemon on the palette. A fine wine, but not worth $25
2008 Lastellina Merlot Rosato - Strawberries with a nice mineral bite to the finish. Again, a fine wine, but should be a few dollars cheaper. $25
2006 Allegreto Merlot - Smooth vanilla, blackberry and a dash of cloves on the nose. Mouth of current, cedar and a calming vanilla finish. Slightly green tannins give the wine a nice edge. $38 and worth it

Okanagan Falls Region - I think I'm in love.
Soil - underlain primarily by glacial lake silt
Slope Facing - Mostly West
-Blue Mountain-
This is the pinnacle winery of the Southern Okanagan in my book, and they are very affordable for the quality level. They baby their grapes from start to finish; all vines are solely from their own property. If you love French style wines; gorgeous pinot noir, lovely traditional method sparkling wine, make an appointment and go for a tasting at Blue Mountain.
Brut - Finessed, characteristic pear, almond nose, slight brioche. Palette is tart and refreshing with a lovely toasty finish. $24 !!! This is an amazing price.
2007 Pinot Gris - Light nose of pear followed by a subtle palette of pears and lemons. Lovely minerality, great patio wine. $21
2007 Pinot Noir - This is a classic Pinot. Berry fruit like currents and new strawberries are balanced wisely with notes like pencil shavings, vanilla and a good bout of earth. Excellent value Pinot Noir at $25
-Wild Goose-
If you want a good, dry riesling in the Southern Okanagan, this is your place. This winery is solid across the board, pinot gris to merlot to port style.
2008 Autumn gold - Great fresh and fruity sip some on their licensed patio.$19
2008 Gewurztraminer - Classic dry gewurztraminer with its intense lychee nose with a honeysuckle, apple palette. $19
2008 Pinot Gris - Fruit forward peach, great summer wine. $19
2007 Merlot - Nose of light spice and full berries with an interesting nutty note. Take a sip and you are met with black currents and vanilla, balanced acidity. Loved it at $20
2007 Merlot Reserve - Same as above merlot but more finessed and more plum like fruit. $25
2008 Black Brant - Mouthful of cassis, deep chocolate nose and a smokey finish. We have a WINNER! Especially at $20
-Noble Ridge-
Another favourite winery, you couldn't go wrong with buying any of their wines.
2007 Chardonnay - Siver medal winner in Burgundy, France for the Chardonnay du Monde competition, and rightly so. Crisp and fine with a strong minerality. Amazingly priced at $21
Kings Ransom - This one gave my head a shake; it was almost Spanish in style. Earth and spice dominated with lovely cherry, plum fruit. Smokey, tobacco, current finish, med+ tannins. Outstanding and very age worthy (5yrs min). $65

Fruit Wines Friend or Foe?

Most of the time, I hate fruit wines, especially from BC. Sickly sweet and bursting with a bubblegum flavour profile, most adults run screaming from fruit focused tasting rooms. But North Americans love their sugar, so grandma can't get enough of the shit which leaves some of the worst wineries still alive.

However, there are two excellent exceptions to this dark truth. I will now extol the virtues of both...

Kermode Wild Berry Winery near Mission, BC, consistently impresses me with it's unique and thought provoking wines. All Kermode wines are made from fruit that is painstakingly picked in the wilds of BC. You will find no peach or cherry liquid atrocities here to remind you of gobstoppers and lollipops. The nectar that they produce are typically unlike anything you've tried before.

Sitka Mountain Ash is a native BC berry that once transformed into wine makes a perfect pair for any BBQ. With its smokey, orange notes, it edges towards a bouquet you would find in a good whiskey.

Himalayan Blackberry Port is a recognizable taste with a lovely balanced acidity to even out the sweetness of the fruit.

Salmonberry wine(orange) is my latest favourite, nothing reminds me more of BC than these distinctive, delicately floral and refreshing berries. Amazing as an aperitif or drunk by the glass in a park under the watchful gaze of the sun.

Kana Sprieszl runs the tasting room and is a delight to chat to about the families forays into the BC wilderness. I encourage you to go for a tasting and treat your palette to a new flavour experience. Do it as part of a circle farm tour for some weekend fun... (link is below)


The second exception is Elephant Island Orchard Winery on the Naramata Bench in the Okanagan. If you go to the Bench, make sure you end with this winery. Instead of the usually overcrowded wine bar for your tasting, they will serve you with a smile on their lovely orchard patio.

The two hottest numbers on my list from Elephant Island are...

Stellaport (NV 2008) is their famous Spanish, Port style wine done in the Solera barrel aging system which, basically, means that the final flavour profile has a good balance of cherry and characteristics like chocolate introduced from the French oak barrel aging. Pairs well with stinky, soft cheeses. Drink it if you can find it anywhere.

Crab Apple Dessert Wine is amazing with a stinky cheese like Poplar Groves, Tiger Blue. It's sweet, crisp apple start finishes with a lovely tartness.

Chance your palette and sample a few of these beauties. For the truly terrified, make sure and try the suggested pairing and it may change your mind.

Kermode Wild Berry Wines:
8457 River Road South
Dewdney, British Columbia
Canada

info@kermodewildberry.com

Phone- 604-814-3222
Tasting Room & Wine Sales
Open: 12-6 pm daily

Elephant Island Orchard Winery:
http://www.elephantislandwine.com/

http://www.circlefarmtour.com/index.php?page_id=29

What I bought on the Bench.... Naramata, BC wines

The Naramata Bench August 2009
Zipping along the winding Naramata Bench Road in the Okanagan with the desert, summer sun on your face and a commanding view of Lake Okanagan is good enough on it's own. Add to that stopping by one of the many fabulous wineries of this distinctive grape growing region and you have a perfect afternoon of sipping and zipping.

Best picks at the wineries...

Poplar Grove:
Expensive but well worth the cost...
Was so excited about the Merlot 2007 that I bought a case, this is an ager with distinctive Okanagan blackberry & sage grass notes. The Cab Franc is stunning, but prohibitively expensive.
Merlot 2005 - $29
Merlot 2007 - $25
Cab Franc 2005 - $39

Nichol Vineyard:
Excellent value but there were only 12 bottles left, grab the next vintage sight unseen. Tobacco, pencil shaving, very fruit forward, full of cherries, solid acidity.
Pinot Noir - $27

Laughing Stock:
Good quality, Chardonnay is a great value. Portfolio is overpriced, but yummy as heaven.
Chardonnay -$23
Portfolio(Meritage) - $34

Black Widow:
A nice light summer sipper; good acidity, floral notes on the nose and a flinty mouthful to follow.
Didn't like anything else in their tasting room, but this one was a great find.
Pinot Gris 2008 - $20

Therapy:
If you want a big, bold red for a treat, this is it. Predominantly, Cabernet Sauvignon, you are greeted by cherry, clove, butter, vanilla and pepper notes.
Amazing and worth the price. If you're at the bench, buy a bottle, because in Vancouver you can only buy this at Firefly winery for $49, ouch.
Super Ego (Meritage) 2007 - $37

Lang Vineyards:
Great buy, stunning acidity, great fruit and pungent minerality.
Riesling Farm Reserve - $17

Why is BC red wine so bloody expensive?

As of 2009, there is no question in my mind that BC produces some of the most interesting, high quality bottles of wine the world has to offer from red to white. However, I constantly feel a little swindled when buying BC wine, specifically reds. Our whites are comparible in price to the world stage, but try and get a red Bordeaux blend (Meritage) for under $25, it's nearly impossible. There is no such thing as good, cheap, red BC table wine, but are BC wines overpriced or are they worth their weight?

I'll start with the rant, skip this paragraph if you are already fuming about the issue. The climate, soil and heart is here in British Columbia to produce outstanding and truly unique wines, and the producers do, consistently. But the wineries are killing the average consumer with their prices, mostly, because the in BC, we don't seem to mind being shafted. (80% of BC wine is sold to British Columbians. Near 50% of all wine purchased by British Columbians is BC wine). We are so supportive of local products that our collective nationalistic soul ends up kicking us squarely in the pocket book. All I really want is to enjoy our wines more often; and not to have to think about whether I can afford it or not. I want to pick up a good bottle of $9 BC wine the way I would pick up a six pack of beer for a BBQ. Canadians are so proud of not being like Americans, but look across the border, my countrymen...look, someone in Seattle is picking up a $6 bottle of good wine at the GROCERY STORE!!! Again, what's wrong with us! Wine is not a luxury item, talk to an Italian and they'll tell you, it's a beverage essential to a good life and proper enjoyment of a meal.

Okay, I'll take a deep breath now and digress to the facts I've learned. There are a few things to be said about the reality of our over-priced wine plight.


Taxes & Markups: This is the clincher. When you buy wine at a BCLC or a private liquor store, most of the tax you pay on wine is hidden. If it wasn't you would be screaming bloody murder, at 117% tax there would be line ups of people at City Hall demanding that Victoria stop robbing us blind. The higher priced wines are marked up less (there is a cap), so if you want to beat the system this is the way to go.

The Monopoly: Of BC vintners CAN charge high prices so why wouldn't they. We have grown accustomed to being ravaged by the government through BCLC, so we'll pay $20 for a $12 bottle as long as it's local. Honestly, they are being screwed as much as us if they dare sell their products through BCLC. The government takes more than half of the profit from they vines they've slaved over. This is why many excellent wineries avoid selling at the liquor store which make them inaccessable to most of the population. The Black Hills and Blue Mountains are unavailable to the public, except to purchase online or drink a glass in select restaurants. There is one possible benefit to our penchant to buy high, BC's boutique wineries can make a profit and stay small if they sell through their winery only. It may allow them to stay focused on quality instead of quantity. However, quality frequently does not = price in BC wine. On a recent tour of the Naramata Bench, even crappy wineres felt bold enough to price near $20. BC does produce some amazing wine that is worth the cost though in the $20-30 range (I've listed a few below if you want to experiment).

A note about red wine production: Reds are more expensive to produce than whites, because of the aging component. Time costs and so does oak. As well, in a cool climate like that of BC, vines are less prolific. Spain is able to offer killer red at low prices because the vines grow easily and don't have seasons where they lack the sun to ripen the grapes. This is definitely a factor in our lack of a decent red table wine in the $10 range.

Land: Our current BC vine acreage doesn't come anywhere near California's, so this definitely has an effect on the price that our little vintners can offer a bottle for if you understand the economy of scale. Our land value is high which ups the price of the finished product, but I would be bold enough to say that our land value is similar to that in California which takes this data off the table for this arguement.

Labour: "It IS hard to find good help these days," this is another factor. Our high labour costs contribute to our wine price problem.

What many wineries don't seem to get is that there is a profit to be made in bringing the price of good BC table wine down. Many of my friends who love wine, but aren't in the income bracket to afford $20 bottles every week are forced to turn to Argentina, Spain and Chile to comfort them in these harsh financial times. They are a huge part of the market that are mostly ignored by BC vintners out of fear that it will plunge their high priced wines into oblivion. Calona Vineyards(Sovereign Opal), Peller Estate, Jackson Triggs (Shiraz) and Sandhill have a few quality bottles that dip their toes into the $15 range, but mostly these are made with cheaper out of province grapes.

To date, there is no incentive for BC wineries to give us an affordable $10 red table wine. At least, our whites can be purchased from BCLC in the $15 range at a good quality level, my only complaint being that the government mark up at 117% is an insult to our hard working wineries. BC unquestionably produces some excellent value for quality reds in the $25-30 range, mostly merlot or pinot noir. A good, red BC table wine in the $10 range, I have been unable to find. As I see it, the major solution to this matter is to lobby the government to stop stealing from us and our vintners at our liquor stores. It is unacceptable that they take such a huge cut of the wine pie. This is greed with a dash of prohibition mentality, and it's a sad state of affairs.

Okay, now it's time to do something about it. If you drink BC wine and want to make it more affordable, check out "free the wine" at...
http://www.freethewine.ca/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9&Itemid=9

Excellent Value for Cost BC wines:
Cedar Creek - Chardonnay $19, Nichol Vineyards - Pinot Noir $27, Averill Creek - Pinot Noir $28, Poplar Grove - Pinot Gris $22, Road 13 - Chenin Blanc $19, Osoyoss Larose/Petales - Meritage $25

If you have any fact corrections for me to check, please comment on this article below.
Sources:
http://winelaw.ca/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=1
http://www.planitbc.com/Articles/article0228-BCwineprices.html
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article977511.ece
http://www.vancouversun.com/life/wine+drinkers+price+conscious+look+quality/1772421/story.html

Braising the Roof - A Lamb Shank Dance Party

Braised Lamb in red wine, garlic, mirepoix, thyme, pepper... Thank you, I can die happy. This is a RICH dish, the lamb falls of the bone and melts in your mouth. You barely have to do anything, you lazy flops out there, no chewing is required. Even the cooking is easy as pie (though pie isn't really easy, who came up with that phrase?). To balance the richness of the dish, you MUST serve it with a full, red wine, please! Grape juice won't cut it here. Colores del Sol (Argentina), Malbec was perfect, but a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Bordeaux (if you want to get fancy) will do fine.

Braising is one of the most 'hard to screw up' cooking techniques on the planet. Take a tougher meat, immerse it in a great tasting liquid and cook for a long time. That's it really, you can make endless substitutions and it will still come out amazing. The only thing you need is time, and if you're lounging around the house on a weekend (as I was) you're set.

Recipe
Braised Lamb Shank

Serves 6
Serve as an appetizer wrapped in crepes with a shoot or two of watercress for bite.
orrr... serve on dill couscous or steamed new potatoes. Anything goes.

Ingredients:
6 Lamb Foreshanks(their meatier)if you can get them
coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper
3 Tbs plus 1/2 cup olive oil
3 carrots
2 ribs celery
1 large spanish onion
1 small can tomato paste
5 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 Tbs black peppercorns
3 anchovy fillets
1 head garlic, cut each clove in half
2 cups good red wine(not expensive, but not bad)
1 cup dry white wine (as above, not bad wine please)
1/3 c white vinegar
1 tsp sugar
4 cups chicken stock(or 2c chick + 2c veal stock if you can find it)

Directions:
preheat oven to 325 degrees F

Season lamb with salt/pepper. Cut lamb shanks 1 inch from tapered end to expose the bone for cooking. Roughly chop all veggies(your mirepoix).

Heat 3 Tbs oil in pot over medium-high heat, add veggies, cook till soft (careful not to singe). Add tomato paste, cook 1-2 min. Add herbs, peppercorns, anchovy cook another 2-3 min. Add wines, vinegar and sugar, raise heat up to boil. Lower heat to med and add the stock. Leave over med heat while you brown the shanks in another pan.

In a big frying pan saute shanks in 1/2 cup oil, brown on 3 sides(1 min per side ish).

Transfer shanks to big roasting pan and pour the stock/wine liquid over top. Put lid on roaster or cover with foil. Cook for 1 hour covered.

Remove lid and cook for a further 3 hours turning the shanks every 1/2 hour until the meat is very tender.

Remove shanks from braising liquid. Strain liquid and skim fat off top, use this heavenly liquid as sauce for lamb.

Notes:
This recipe is very forgiving for the creative chef, add in turnips or squash instead of carrots. Add only white wine or change the herbs to whatever you like.

I call on all you budding chef alchemists to experiment! Please send me any successful variations, thanks.

The Oldest of Friends - On food and wine pairing

Food and Wine

If you have never had your food matched up with its perfect wine partner, you are in for a treat. There is simply nothing like it. Any wine can blow your mind if you taste it with its complementary edibles and vice versa. The Italians have it right; it’s hard to find a bottle of wine in Italy that wasn’t made to enhance the local food delicacies. Trust in the wisdom of this legendary food nation and start thinking about the possibilities.

There are no absolutes, but here are a few rules of thumb. The body of the wine should match the body of the dish. What is ‘body’? Imagine skim milk versus homogenized, it’s all about mouth-feel. A salad is light in body whereas a plate of spaghetti Bolognese is heavy. Why do you match body with body? So that neither the wine nor the dish clobbers each other. A fruity, bold Aussie Shiraz will murder a dainty salad. Spaghetti Bolognese is mastered by the right, powerful Chianti. With that in mind, if a country has a long tradition of wine making, buy their wines if you are making their food. Chat with your local wine store to find out the classic pairings and see if they turn your crank.

In the end, taste is personal. If you adore Malbec and your favourite food is ice cream, you may love them together, even though wine pairing theory may shake its head at you in confusion. The next step is flavour pairing; this is where it gets a bit trickier. You can choose to compare or contrast wine and food notes. Personally, a refreshing Cava (sparkling Spanish wine) offsets the sweetness of a fruit tart really well. A buttery Chardonnay may cozy up nicely to caramelized scallops as caramel and butter are close relatives. Add a dash of tart salsa to the scallops and you have a contrasting palette exciter to boot.

My advice is to keep it simple to start. Pick a flavour characteristic and a body level and make a simple dish to complement, then take some time out to really taste both the wine and the food.

A few more key factors in making that perfect symbiosis happen…
1. Proteins and tannins (the tea-like, drying effect red wines can have on your mouth) are friends. A very tannic wine (like a lot of Italian wines) is made to be served with fatty meat. The fat tones down the tannins and the tannins bite through the fat.

2. Alcohol and spicy food are not friends. It’s like the couple that look hot, but are awful to each other; their arguments would set anyone’s mouth on fire. Spice likes low alcohol wines like a tart, minerally Riesling!

3. The tartness of your wine should match the lemon in your dish, otherwise, one will be left feeling dull (and no one likes dull). Once you are done matching acidity levels, add some salt to your dish for contrast.

4. Desserts are best matched in sweetness; otherwise you lose your wine as the sweet dessert overpowers it. Port, sherry, ice wine, fortified wines all make for perfect possibilities. However, I’ve also found that the contrast of an intense, dry beverage like a good whiskey is a great balance to a sweet dessert as well.

To reiterate, there are no absolutes and always there are exceptions which is what makes it fun. Choose which part of your meal you want to shine; if you have a really expensive bottle of old Bordeaux that you want to open, simplify your food to make it the star attraction. If you manage to choose well in your quest for the perfect pair, you may find you always have too many guests for dinner.

If you are interested in learning more about British Columbian wine and food, take a gander at our blog… www.swallowtailtours.blogspot.com

Riesling made Simple

[REEZ-ling, REES-ling]


Riesling is considered to be one of the world's greatest white-wine varietals and produces some of the very best and long lived white wines with up to a 50 year cellaring potential. The riesling grape's ability to retain its acidity while achieving high sugar levels is what creates wines with considerable aging potential. Riesling is a variety which is highly "terroir-expressive", meaning that the character of Riesling wines is clearly influenced by the wine's place of origin. These wines are delicate but complex and can be characterized by wine descriptors in the fruit category such as honey, apricot, lemons, tropical fruits (banana, pinapple, mango), green apple and peaches. The complexity becomes apparent when the terroir really comes through with notes such as floral, flint, steel, petrol and minerality. Petrol is a character that comes out as the wine ages, and is actually desireable. Riesling is vinified in a variety of styles ranging from DRY to SWEET. The vine is a native of Germany and has been cultivated for thousands of years to best results in the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer and Rheingau regions. Mosel Riesling tends to more steely, flint and mineral whereas Rheingau Rieslings are all about tropical fruit. California, Oregon, Washington, New York, Ontario, British Columbia, Australia (Eden and Clare Valley), France (Alsace), Italy (Alto Adige) have extensive plantings of this grape and produce high-quality results.

What is in a Name?

A bottle of riesling is one of the most complex labels you will ever encounter, but as inconceivable as it seems, the Germans do have a system. The German wine classification system is dubbed Qualitatswein or ‘quality wine’ (Qba) similar to France’s Applelation Origin Controlee (AOC). You may also see Qualitatswein mit Pradikat for even more stringent wine making rules (QmP). This system tells you through a rating chart what the sugar levels of the picked grapes were at harvest. The higher the sugar levels the better the wine quality is the general rule of thumb. Note that higher sugar content in the grapes does NOT mean that the end wine will be sweet, just better concentration of flavour from them hanging on the vine longer.

K S A B E T is the acronym I use to remember the quality levels of German wine. Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiswine, Trockenbeerenauslese from least to most in measure of must weight or sugar levels (Oe).

In other regions around the world, they have taken to making things harder for Riesling lovers everywhere. California, South Africa, Australia and even in Germany itself have used the word ‘riesling’ on bottles that do not necessarily contain true Riesling. The worst case scenario is in Australia where riesling can mean any white wine! Sylvanner can be mistaken for Riesling in California as they call this varietal by many names such as Franken Riesling or Sonoma Riesling. In Germany, Schwarzriesling is actually a red grape, France’s Pinot Meunier. Mostly, countries have done this to note wines with riesling like qualities. Luckily for us, BC produces some of the best true rieslings I’ve ever tasted and they are labelled… Riesling.

Notes from a recent Riesling tasting:

1. Stoneleigh, Marlborough, NZ, 2007, $17.50
2. Lingenfelder, Pflaz, Germany, 2007, $22
3. Alexandria Nicole, Columbia Valley, WA, Late Harvest Riesling, 2008, $22
4. Gunderloch, Fritz's Riesling, Rheinhessen, Germany, 2007, $17
5. Pikes, Clare Valley, Australia, 2007, $25
6. Hugel, Alsace, France, 2007, $25
7. St.Urbans-Hof, Mosel, Germany, 2007, $20
8. Prinz von Preussen, Rheingau, Germany, 2006, $19
9. Schloss Reinhartshausen, Rheingau, Germany, $20

I should note from this tasting that there was no clear favourite and most bottles were very enjoyable summer sippers. People tended towards the classic German rieslings rather than the more dry and lemony, less complex on the palette New World bottles. Prinz von Preussen, tasted at the end of the night, was by far the best in my mind, finessed stoney, citrus, green apple minerality, if you can ever find a bottle good luck. Fritz's Riesling and Stoneleigh were the best value of the show. St.Urbans-Hof is widely available and rated high for it's strong flinty, green apple palette. Lingenfelder was another favourite, if you want a clear example of a quality Rheingau this is your buy. If you want to try a great BC riesling, Tantalus Old Vine Riesling is A-mazing!

Riesling is one of my favourite all round wines, great with food, great for easy drinking and a nose/palette complexity and price point that forces you to take notice.

Ode to Love and Spitting

I volunteered for the International Wine Festival in Vancouver last week. Pinot(s) was the varietal theme and British Columbia was the regional focus. Truly amazing and soooo glamorous. After refilling ice for the tables, we got to empty spit buckets into a large trough of human fluid mixed with wine. Then we went into the alley and dumped it into the drain, ewwwwwwwwww. Disposing of noxious human waste was not exactly what I had in mind, but I did learn proper spitting technique. There are varying styles; lean in, cover your mouth delicately and pitou very politely or get your face right in the bucket and let 'er rip. Very useful when you are tasting 100 wines in a night, I kid you not. I know it seems like a waste of great wine, but if you want to be conscious enough to learn anything or remember which wines were actually good (not just good because you were so tanked you could have been drinking deer blood and it would be 'just a little gamey'), it's essential. So, later on Friday evening, I set out to enjoy the festival. I wasn't sure how much I really liked pinot noir. I've had my share of Williamette Valley and Burgundy of varying quality levels, but even from those great regions, I just wasn't sold. One, the variety tends to be expensive because the grape is so labour intensive to produce. Two, it's all over the map flavour-wise, I'm never sure what I'm going to get and three, I'm sick of hearing Sideways (the film) references about it being the darling of the wine world. This is where the spitting came in. I spat all night, don't cry for me, I found true love because of it. I focused the first half of the night on BC wines to buy for my business and the second half I opened myself up to pinot noir. And through opening up, my love affair has begun. A lot of amazing producers from the main regions world wide known for great pinot noir production; Burgundy(France), New Zealand(Marlborough), Williamette Valley(Oregon), Chile, Australia, BC and more. I tried them all from the more austere, earthy French to the bouncy, fruit forward New World styles. From $17-$150, price was no object in my mad search to find ma amore. In the course of my hunt, I got a few splash backs as I was spitting and sometimes, cheeks ballooning with wine, you just can't bustle past the crowd to get to a bucket in time. I was able to discern a few gems out of the bunch and find my one magestic beacon of bottley love. When you are drinking pinot noir, you have to give it center stage, this was my earlier mistake, it tends to get lost in heavy food and lack of focus, drink it first in the night.

Here are my gems:

Burrowing Owl, BC 2007, $30.
Gloria Ferrer, Carneros (Cali), 2005, $39 (can't buy here).
Rodney Stong, Russian River Estate (Cali), 2007, $28 (can't buy here).
Domaine de Vougeraie, France, Gevrey-Chambertain "Les Evocelles", 2006, $60.
Oyster Bay, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2007, $25.

The last one wasn't at the festival. It won our hearts in a pinot noir tasting that I attended with my wine club, and it's really affordable for a pinot. Nice acidity, medium body and characters of caramel, cassis, light spice vanilla, white pepper, red current and a light herbaceous quality to boot.

Now on to my shining star; Born in 2007, my love's name is Erath, he sounds like some fictional god, but he's far more subtle and complex, in a good way. He is from Williamette Valley, Oregon and smells of caramel and strawberries. His kisses are tart with hints of raspberry, vanilla and some other character that I just can't put my finger on, we'll call it a mystery. And, he is living in Vancouver, for $33 you can try him too:)

One big note: Vintage is very important with pinot noir, it grows best in cooler climates which means that each year temperatures will shift for better or for worse and you will get grapes that ripen and taste different. If you find one year you like, the next one may be good but not the same as your favourite. If you love a particular year, buy a few bottles and drink them on special occasions.

Great Grapes for Cheap Skates

Last night, I dreamt I was at a long table where 9 bottles of wine were lined up in front of me, and they were all very good and mostly under $15. Wait... it was reality, how wonderful. A large party of 14 wine lovers got together on my patio deck in the lovely evening sun to see if they could ferret out the 2 expensive bottles that I mixed into the cheapos. We were eager soldiers out in the wine wilderness trying desperately to answer the unending question, does price matter.
Here was the line up:

The Whites:
Argentina, Fuzion, Chenin Blanc/Torrontes, 2008 - $9
Australia, Stickleback, Chardonnay/Semillon/Verdelho, 2007 - $15

The Reds:
Portugal\Dao, Meia Encosta, Red Blend, 2006 - 12
USA\Oregon, Erath, Pinot Noir, 2006 - $33
Italy, Flaio, Primitivo\Zinfandel, 2006, $13
USA\Washington, Hogue, Cab\Merlot, 2004, $15
Canada\BC, Osoyoos Larose\Le Grand Vin, Merlot\Cab, 2006, $45
Spain, Pedro Pergolas, Tempranillo\Old Vines, 2005, $11
Italy\Sicily, Montalto, Nero DAvola\Cab, 2007, $12

Out of the 9 bottles presented, BC, Osoyoos Larose won hands down with all 14 of us. Yes, the $45 bottle. This doesn't necessarily mean that price always matters, let me be very clear about that. And the water gets even murkier when you step into the $20 range vs the $50, most definitely. But it's interesting isn't it, if I were to gamble on it and bottle price was no object, then I would buy in the $50 range all the time. However, because this is reality and cash money is the king, I would do some research in the cheap realm and buy the $12 Montalto, Sicilia every time except my birthday.

Here are the wine notes on the top 4:

Osoyoos Larose - We've got a whole lot of vanilla and cedar blending with great ripe cherries and currents. Tannins are green and acidity is high, perfect for aging. This wine is amazing and if you let it sit for 5 years it'll be even better.
Montalto - Blackcurrent, cloves and ash attack your palette and you love it.
Hogue - A big wine, lots of fruit like plums, smokey tobacco, spice and bitter lemon, great with Bbq Chicken.
Fuzion - The is a wonderful value for sipping on the patio in summer, it packs a flavour punch with big apricots, honey, jasmine nose and a good acidity. It threw sparks with our Spanish cheese, Manchego.

There you have it. Let it be noted that all the wines were enjoyed, especially for their price point vs tastiness, except the Flaio, Meio Encosta and the Stickleback which had few supporters. The Pedro Pergolas was noted by two regular consumers of the beverage as being a substandard bottle. Over and Out.

Simply Sally - Fennel Salad

Ok, I admit it, I went to a meat draw at a Legion recently. My friends and I won a ton of meat, huge thick cut steaks and pork. It was fabulous, we barbecued it up and felt like barons for a night. Strangely enough, one of the things that we ate that was most memorable was a salad, a very simple salad. Thinly sliced fennel in a bit of walnut oil, crushed walnuts, sliced cucumber, lemon, salt and shavings of a good Parmesan. We started the meal with it and we were drinking a German riesling which paired amazingly. On a tangent; if you were blindfolded at any liquor store, got someone to push you towards the German riesling, you would have an 80% chance of stumbling into a really great wine and an equal chance of breaking some bottles. Riesling`s the kind of stuff that would make fried eyeballs taste good. Two of my favourite producers are Selbach and Dr.Loosen, both make dry wines from the Mosel region, showing great acidity, fruit and that lovely stoney minerality. But back to the salad, fennel is definitely an unsung hero of the produce department. And I have no idea why, with its soft licorice flavours and a great crunch. It`s very subtle, though, so don`t mix it with anything too powerful; like the brainy kid in class that`s actually really cool, she`ll never speak up if you sit a bully next to her.

A Selection of Only the Best Cheese

Where do you go to find a mouth watering Canadian cheese? And when you find it, lucky day, what do you drink with it? This was the question I posed to myself a few months back, and in my wanderings I've found a few winners to share with you.
Here is the recipe for success if you live in Vancouver. First, step into the Mount Pleasant Cheese Company on Cambie Street. Second, select any of the following;

1. Mi Careme from Quebec – Bitter, creamy, soft, and nutty with medium saltiness - Drink with a Stout and a hearty laugh.

2. Sauvregine, again, from Quebec - Vancouver Magazine wrote that Hercule(also a cheese at MPC) was one of the top 100 things you must eat before you die. I vote for Sauvregine over Hercule hands down. Soft buttery, salty goodness that is amazing on a good baguette with cherry tomatoes, crushed walnuts, slices of endive and a good balsamic vinegar.

3. Tiger Blue from Poplar Grove Cheese, BC. - A full flavour blue, not sharp, nice and smooth – Pair with clover honey or fortified wine like a Port. If you have any Pipe(Sumac Ridge, Port style wine), please call me and I will happily bring the cheese.

4. Clothbound Cheddar from the tiny little island of Prince Edward off the Atlantic Coast of Canada - This cheese is really interesting as it crumbles into pea sized chunks, crumble it over a prosciutto sandwich with tomato, lettuce and balsamic. Or, it melts nicely into Welsh Rarebit for dipping bread or veggies into. Pair with St.Hubertus, Riesling, the best buy on any white wine in BC at $15.

All of the above are best served on Raincoast Crisps, the best cracker ever made(buy them at Capers). They are very expensive $6.99 a box, but I can find nothing to equal them for being the perfect cracker with any cheese. Another strong suggestion for full cheese enjoyment would be to take your selections to the beach and enjoy them with a hot friend.

http://www.mountpleasantcheese.com/

update: Sauvregine cheese isn't sold at Mount Plesant Cheese anymore, you can buy it at Whole Foods or Capers though.