Hugo Stabio, the saavy export director for Argentina’s Luigi Bosca, visited during the Rocky Mountain Wine Festival. Luigi Bosca’s Malbecs are number one in Alberta, and we discovered that so many of their vineyards have been established for decades, yielding unique wines. For example, the 90 year-old Luján de Cuyo vineyard produces a field blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon that is stunningly delicious. If you were thinking Argentina was only about Malbec, there are many more wines to discover.
Want to know your Chablis from your Champagne? Enrol in the French Wine Scholar program. Enjoy the camaraderie and the savings (in wine costs) of a group class. The course is designed for those seeking in-depth understanding of France’s amazing oenological diversity. We’ll taste our way through France, region by region. Classes are offered by the Art Institute of Vancouver and held at the Edmonton Petroleum club, with lots of parking! New format: weekly Tuesday night classes rather than full weekends, from January 13-March 24. Visit winecollege.ca to register.
Carlo Zarri, the truffle chef, visited Edmonton with a sackful of Piedmont’s tartufo bianca for the annual Sorrentino’s Truffle Dinner at Bistecca. Certainly guests enjoyed listening to his stories about meeting Sophia Loren, but the best part? Anticipating the flavours of the shower of shaved truffle landing on their risotto.
The Glenfarclas 15-year-old is The Whisky Exchange’s (TWE) Whisky of the Year. Nick Tether, marketing manager for TWE said: “Our whisky of the year is about celebrating a whisky that can be enjoyed by one and all.” Glenfarclas 15 Year Old, with aromas of raisins, honey and ginger, and a silky-textured finish is bottled at 46 per cent abv. Glenfarclas 15 Year Old topped a selection of fine whiskys including Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year Old, Glenmorangie 10 Year Old, and Lagavulin 16 Year Old. Happy Robbie Burns day to ya!
Francesca Dal Cero is a third generation Italian wine grower. “I work with my father, my brother and my cousin. I live at the estate in Soave where we make white wine with 100 per cent Gargenaga grapes.” (Lesser Soave has some Trebbiano blended in)
The single vineyard Soave Superiore called Runcata is a gem — rich and full-bodied bone dry with beautiful mineral and floral notes. We also love the Dal Cero Pinot Grigio Ramato, lively and crisp, a bit rosy in colour due to skin contact – who says you can’t drink pink in the winter?
Edmonton now has a signature winter drink! Two of them actually, with and without alcohol. First place in the non-alcoholic category was the Rosemary Ginger Beer created by Jasper Place High School. The Culinary Arts students should get a special prize for heart. They made their own ginger beer with ginger root they grew at the school, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and champagne yeast. Not so easy to replicate at home, perhaps, but we did see the students deep in conversation with the Yukon Spirits people. Could a retail JPHS ginger beer be in their future? Let’s hope so!
The alcoholic drink first prize was the Birkie Break by Transcend Coffee and CBC Radio’s Edmonton AM. It was inspired by the Birkebeiner ski racer and creator Josh Hockin never being able to drink his dad’s coffee. It’s a sublime 23-year-old rum and coffee concoction with warming hints of ginger, green cardamom, cinnamon and allspice.
It’s all part of the City of Edmonton’s Winter City Strategy to get us outside, embrace our winter cityness, and enjoy (well, at least be less grumpy about) the winter.