Three outstanding wines from Lisbon, a sparkling Lambrusco and the recreation of London Dry gin
by Mary Bailey
Tomato Wheels Lambrusco Reggiano DOC (Emilia-Romagna, Italy) $35. Moirae Choquette thought she was going to be in the food business after winning a chance to intern with David Chang in Italy. After the pandemic put paid to that, she pivoted to wine. Moirae wasn’t in wine but she knew she liked Lambrusco, the fizzy wine of the Emilia Romagna region of Italy and she saw a marketing opportunity—everybody drinks Prosecco but not everybody drank Lambrusco. She started her wine import business with the help of the NACCA organization’s investment in budding indigenous entrepreneurs. Then she went to Calgary somm Brad Royale for help in sourcing a wine company, ultimately choosing Alfredo Bertolani. The result? An amiable Lambrusco—off dry, with pretty red fruit flavours—as happy to be with pizza as it is with its home-region partner Parma ham. That fun jump-off- the-shelf label? By Edmonton artist Lee Kreklewetz @leekrek.
Sonia Figueira of Lisbon-based Parras Wine visited Edmonton this fall with some outstanding wines. Parras is a relatively new winery by Luís Vieira which now makes wine in six distinct regions of Portugal.
370 Léguas DOC Douro, $19. This blend of indigenous varieties Tinto Roriz (Tempranillo) and Touriga Nacional grown on granitic soils, spends no time in oak and is just delicious. Sprightly and fresh—if you like wines like Gamay you will love this.
(Lisbon) $20. The cool breezes of the Atlantic slows down maturation and keeps the wines fresh. Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Syrah, the Syrah apparent in the aromas, lovely black pepper notes. No oak, red and black fruits, fresh, zippy, delicious! Amazing value. Have with pizza, burgers, meaty pastas, mushroom dishes.
2018 Cavalo Negro Vinhas Velhas Tejo $21. This blend of Alicante Bouchet, Touriga Nacional and Tinto Roriz is an homage to the traditions of the region such as the black Lusitano horse. “This is a traditional Tejo wine,” says Sonia, “true to the grape varieties and the terroir. From 60 ha of old vineyards, 70 years of age, six months in French oak both first and second use.” This full-bodied, warmer climate red has firm tannins, a plush texture and subtle green notes—forthright and complex with a muscular elegance. Decant for a few hours before serving. Drink with grilled beef, roast lamb or moussaka.
2018 Yalumba Tri-Centenary Grenache (Barossa Valley, Australia) $80. Australia is known for its century old vines—this two-acre block was planted in 1889 and contains low yielding, super gnarly Grenache vines. Dry-farmed, wild fermented and the wine stayed on skins for 249 days post-fermentation. The result? An exceptional wine, with ephemeral aromas dominated by sweet cherry also intriguing citrus orange zest and herbaceous leafy notes. Beautifully balanced acidity, the wine is alive, not heavy, well-structured. Effortless tannins provide the bass note that allows the wine to sing. Long finish, haunting. A wine to contemplate.
Master distiller and MW William Lowe, of Cambridge Distillery, had started to wonder why all London Dry gin tasted pretty much the same. The gins were good, he thought, but they could be much better. Standard distillation at high heat limited the botanicals that could be used. After much experimentation, he discovered that vacuum distillation at lower temperatures allowed him to distill the fresh and delicate botanicals (such as rose and basil) to create a London Dry style with the elevated complexity and quality he wanted.
“I was distilling gin in the sitting room of my house in Cambridge,” he said at a tasting this fall. “For the first five years I was laughed at everywhere I went. Now, several distillers are using vacuum distillation. Now, every gin we make has won at least one gold medal,” said William.
Provenance and complexity are key to quality. “I wanted to create the world’s best martini gin,” he says. “So, if I was to make the best quality gin, the ingredients had to reflect that. Provenance: the botanicals in this gin grow in my backyard. Complexity: choosing botanicals from each of the foraging seasons, lemon verbena in spring, roses in summer and black currant leaf in the fall.”
The Cambridge Three Seasons Gin ($180) is remarkable. It begins with a refreshing zesty hit of citrus followed by mellow rose flavours and finishes with warming berry fruit. Who needs tonic when the gin tells the story?
After recreating London Dry gin, William set his sights on the digestif cart. “Gin is palate cleansing, mouth-watering by its nature, appetising. The digestif has the opposite role to fulfill—it has to be complex, intense, it has to withstand the flavours that preceded it.”
White truffles from Alba proved to be the missing ingredient for their digestif gin. “Gin by definition, is a juniper flavoured spirit. Truffles smell more than they taste and juniper tastes more than it smells.”
Cambridge Truffle Gin ($140) possesses the intoxicating scent of white truffles, with a beautiful, velvety texture, gentle yet powerful, finishing cleanly with a cool hit of juniper. This is a London Dry for brown spirits drinkers.
“Cognac drinkers love it,” says William. “A truffle Negroni will change your life.”
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