Pork and vegetable noodle soup with Pinot Noir

This combination is the perfect pairing

for a stormy, autumn night in.

Ingredients:

·         Pork shank and neck

·         Large carrots, turnip, gobo root, dried shiitake mushroom

·         Candied dates

·         Salt to taste

·         Yan chun style noodles

·         Pairing: 

22   2007 ‘View’ Pinot Noir, Maleta Estate Winery, VQA Niagara Peninsula

o   Vibrant medium ruby in colour

o   Nose of moss, bark, dried fallen leaves, hint of red berry fruit (raspberry)

o   Dry, with medium acidity, very soft tannins, and light to medium-body; tangy raspberry, limestone minerality, earthen nuances

1.       Blanche and rinse meat

2.       Add vegetables, gobo, mushrooms and dates

3.       Slowcooker on low for 8hrs

4.       Add noodles in the hot soup to cook for 5-10 min

The key with all pairings is to match the weight of the food to the weight of the wine.  The dish has no creams, added salts or sugars, making a light broth to pair with this lighter bodied wine.  Next, the ingredients in the dish are mirrored in the wine.  This pinot noir has an earthen nose of moss, bark, dried fallen leaves which match the root vegetables, and especially the mushrooms.  The vibrant acidity and delicately soft tannins both cleanse the palate and suit the mild protein of the pork.  The touch of sweetness imparted by the dates pairs nicely with the tangy raspberry flavour of the wine.  Finally the pinot’s subtle minerality complements the pork bone that constitutes the broth.

'Secondary' fermentation?

A famous quote from Kurt Vonnegut from his book Breakfast of Champions sums up the process:

Kilgore Trout once wrote a short story which was a dialogue between two pieces of yeast.  They were discussing the possible purposes of life as they ate sugar and suffocated in their own excrement. Because of their limited intelligence, they never came close to guessing that they were making champagne.

This scenario actually applies to the end of the fermentation process for making any kind of wine, or any alcoholic beverage for that matter.

The duration of primary fermentation depends on temperature, growth of the yeast culture, and obviously, the sugar content of the must. In general, the primary fermentation takes about a week. At the end, only residual sugar will be left in the wine since the majority was converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide. 

Visibly speaking, the amount of ‘bubbling’ or ‘fizzing’ happening in the fermentation vessel becomes minimal compared to the vigorous primary fermentation stage. The yeast are slowing down, or dying off, as they succumb to the alcohol or lack of nutritive resources. 

Oxygen was essential for yeast propagation during the primary fermentation. However, now that the yeast cells have converted all the sugar, they no longer produce the carbon dioxide blanket to prevent oxidation of the newly made alcohol. Unfortunately, at this marginal potency of alcohol (generally about 10 to 15% for wine) the wine could spoil as the alcohol turns to acetic acid (vinegar).  I will have more on the science (and microbiology – my favourite topic!) of this process in future post.

In some instances, the fermentation finale as it occurs in the air-locked vessel as described in the last winemaking post is referred to as a secondary fermentation.  The purpose of the air-lock is to allow carbon dioxide to escape and to prevent the entry of outside air which is rich in oxygen.

The wine is siphoned off the sludge, known as ‘lees’, that settles to the bottom of the fermentation vessel.  Called 'racking'.  If at all possible, it is best practice to top up your vessel to minimize the level of airspace or ('headspace').  Using a similar wine to the kind you are making ensures that you will not dilute your creation.


The wine generally sits for at least a month at a cooler temperature to allow the vast majority of fine particulate matter to settle out. However, even after this length of time, the wine may still appear cloudy. Additional steps are taken to polish the wine to clarity with organic or inorganic agents that accelerate precipitation.  This process is known as 'fining' and will be the subject of the next winemaking post.

Ciao Winebar and Côtes du Rhône-Villages, Rasteau Chapoutier 2007

"Ciao!" It is a versatile Italian salutation, meaning either "hi" or "bye", depending on the context.  But there is no confusion of meaning when you are referring to Yorkville's latest nightlife restaurant addition.  At Ciao Winebar (133 Yorkville Ave, Toronto) the language is unmistakably speaking of wine and great food.  This gem from Liberty Entertainment Group has friendly, unpretentious service and a chic 'new world meets old world' decor (with large amphorae vessels hanging from the ceiling).

The menu is affordable, rustic Italian, and delicious.  The large portions entice you to share with your friends, family, or date.  Try the grilled whole calamari ($13), perfectly cooked, tender in your mouth and never rubbery, was served with a generous portion of salad greens and spritz of lemon to help cleanse the palate.  The cappellini 'Puttanesca' (with tomato, capers, anchiovies, and olives; $12) was as wholesome as the pizza 'Diavola' (with spicy Calabrese salami, mozzarella and roasted red peppers; $14).  The ingredients were very fresh, the crust was thin, slightly crisp, and tasted like the wood-fired Neopolitan pizzas back in Italy. 

The wine list can be a bit daunting for someone that is new to ordering bottles in restaurants.  There are over 200 bottles to choose, with representatives from the big three (Spain, Italy, and France, and grouped by region) as well as Canada, USA, Australia, and New Zealand.  About half of them have a 'premium' level of exclusivity, with their prices commanding in excess of $100.  However, there still are relative bargains to be had. 

The Côtes du Rhône-Villages from M. Chaptoutier ('Rasteau') 2007 ($45) is a great southern French wine with Grenache leading the blend.  Deep ruby in colour, this wine has a distinct, soft white pepper on the nose and palate with fine tannins that tingle the lips.  The pasta and pizza help to bring out the dark fruit character.  Even though the wine is a heavyweight in the alcohol department, (14% by vol), one really does not taste the burning 'heat' because the wine is beautifully balanced. 

The dessert menu beckons you to cap off a great meal (only this time, you may not even want to share!).  With delights ($6-8) like the giant bacio bombe (a scaled-up sized version of the Italian-inspired hazelnut filled chocolates with the romantic messages enclosed in the wrapping) and mini-sized Sicilian cannoli (with mascarpone cheese and candied orange filling) it is hard to say no. 

There are so many options to choose from on the food and wine menus, you can add variety to your gastronomic experience.  Feel free to ask the opinions of your server, as a nicely paried wine is a must for these meals, both to digest...and for pure pleasure, of course.

The bacio bombe (above, was exploding with chocolatey richness)

Primary fermentation

So by now, the yeast are well on their way to turning the grape slurry into wine. As they do so, the temperature of the fermentation vessel will begin to rise as the chemical reactions during the fermentation process give off generous amounts of heat.  As for my 120 L of must, featured below, it started at a chilly 15°C and rose to 25°C in a couple days.

In addition, you will begin to see the characteristic ‘fizz’ associated with the release of carbon dioxide.  The pleasant aroma of fruity grape and wine will fill the air.  Your sense of smell is key here.  As the yeast ferment the juice, they require other nutrients and oxygen.  You won’t have to worry too much if you bought juice from a supplier because most of the balancing of nutrients is done for you.  When working from scratch with your own grapes monitoring acidity, dissolved oxygen, nitrogen levels and a whole other suite of factors play a role (so it's not just up to the sugars) to make sure the yeast get the their dietary requirements.  Although the yeast can’t speak, they certainly let you know when they are stressed.  When nutrient starved, they will begin to use other sources of energy and excrete unpleasant smelling byproducts.  For instance if you smell, something resembling ‘rotten eggs’ it is critical that yeast nutrients be added (more on yeast and nutrients later).

When working with grape skins in your must, the floating cap should be punched down into the juice multiple times per day.  'Cap management' prevents the grape skins from drying out and rotting.  In addition, mixing the cap into the liquid extracts tannin and pigments to build body, depth of colour and flavour.  Tannins are astringent tasting chemical compounds found in grape skins, stems and seeds (other fruits that have high tannic content are pomegranates and blueberries – and don’t forget tea, it has lots of tannins too). They are a chemical class called ‘polyphenols’ and have been purported to act as antioxidants.  Tannins are one of many factors that contribute to the ability of a wine to age over prolonged periods.  We’ll revisit tannins in a section regarding how to evaluate and taste wine. 

A grapeskin cap forms over the surface of the must.  It must be 'punched' down a few times per day.  When making white wine, the skins are generally pressed from the must immediately after crushing the grapes.

Each day, a sample of wine from the primary fermentor is removed, measured for its specific gravity, and this value is recorded. Over the course of about a week the specific gravity will approach 1.000 kilograms/liter.  This is the density of water and indicates that almost all the sugar has been converted to alcohol.  Checking the specific gravity each day allows you to monitor the fermentation rate which helps to predict when it will finish. 

With the yeast exhausting the food supply (sugar) and raising the alcohol, a very inhospitable environment is made.  Most of the yeast die off and sink to the bottom of the vessel.  The amount of ‘fizz’ you see begins to diminish and the fermentation is almost complete.  It is now time for the wine to be pressed from its skins (if present) and siphoned off the sludge at the bottom of the vessel.  You are preparing the wine for ‘secondary fermentation’ processes.

Cesari Amarone 2004

Cesari Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2004

Veneto region, Italy; 14% alc by vol; opened December 31, 2009

Cellared for approximately one year and decanted two hours before serving at room temperature.

Served with: homemade pizza (whole wheat crust, tomato/basil/garlic sauce, prosciutto, dried fig, arugula, feta cheese, cremini mushrooms, green pepper, sundried tomato).

Colour/visuals: Warm, deeply opaque red with a hint of brick and plenty fine legs continuously run down the glass.

Nose: The leather is immediately noticed and followed by cigar box, a characteristic raisin, and a hint of pleasing moss.

Taste: Great mid palate sensation, dry, full bodied in weight.  The leather continues along with black cherry.

Finish: Lasts for one minute and longer. Firm acidity is in balance with the alcohol and it never felt ‘hot’.  The black cherry and the earth notes linger through.

This wonderfully complex wine was a joy to drink.  It will clearly improve into 2012.  Importantly, it is fully capable of pairing and complementing the variety of ingredients served.

Tourism at home, part II: Niagara-on-the-Lake historical district

After lunch at Niagara College, a walk along Queen street in the historic district is wonderful to help digest.  There are countless articles on the history of the area but I'll hightlight some of the key sights and give you a more personal account.

In the winter time (after November 1st) you can find free parking just about everywhere.  In the summer, free parking is difficult to spot, so try the streets around the residential neighbourhood to the south of Queen st.  Otherwise, parking along Queen st. or on the north side streets comes at a relatively low cost.

It's nice to start your stroll at the west end of Queen, nearby the Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club, and heading eastward towards the obelisk (below).
 

Stop in at Victoria Gallery and Teas (108 Queen st.) for a specialty tea, or take some home, either in bags or as looseleaf.  There are some very interesting, uniquely Canadian infusions such as icewine and maple syrup.  Coffee lovers are not left out in the cold either as there are plenty of classics and unique roasts to enjoy.

For the sweet tooth, Maple Leaf Fudge (114 Queen st.) offers a suite of exceptional bricks of creamy fudge and chocolate confections.  There are bulk candies for sale, maple syrup, and a collections of Ty-branded stuffed animal figures for all you collectors out there. 

Continuing down the street are more shops featuring clothing and kitchenwares.  Unfortunately, very few of these stores withstand the test of the economy and are replaced on an almost annual basis.  Some resist the revolving door because they are so unique, and their contents really draw the visitors.  Of note is the clothing, gift and jewlery store, Irish Design (75 Queen st.), which also has a nice patio and tea room.  At Just Christmas (34 Queen st.), the spirit of the season lasts all year and is chock full of nice ornaments for decorating.  The staff will paint your name on glass Christmas balls for a personal touch to your tree.  Greaves Jams and Marmalades Ltd. (55 Queen st.) have pretty much any flavour of delicious jam or jelly, along with chutney, salsa, honey and gourmet sauce you like for your kitchen pantry.  Your nose, and temptation, may get the better of you if you visit the Niagara Home Bakery (66 Queen st.), be sure to save some of those yummy baked goods and pies for your friends too.  Have a laugh at the quirky, cow related puns on clothing and other items at Cows (44 Queen st.).  Other stores that have been around for more than just a few seasons include some recognizable franchises including Crabtree & Evelyn, Ten-thousand Villages, the LCBO, and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.  

Storefronts on the north side of Queen st.  A new wine and tapas restaurant,

Cork's (left), Crabtree and Evelyn (second from left), and the Niagara Apothecary (right)

There are plenty of places to eat.  If I could just mention a few where I have had great experiences, or are curiously worth visiting, they would be the expensive but excellent Escabeche restaurant (at the Prince of Wales Hotel [right], 6 Picton, st.).  Their wine list includes plenty of fantastic Canadian examples that you may not be familiar with, because they aren't found in the LCBO.  The sommelier has been there for many years.  He is very friendly, knowledgeable, and never scoffs at you if all you want to order is a simple glass to try, or perhaps no wine at all.  The more reasonably priced yet very tasty Bistro Six-One (61 Queen st.) has a relaxed atmosphere and is warmly decorated -- a great place for brunch.  Unfortunately, some of the others have been hit-or-miss on the quality of their food (The Shaw Cafe, although very pretty both inside and out, is too busy, too overpriced, and has not consitently delivered on quality -- and I've given them three chances).

Other than stores and restaurants, be sure to visit the Niagara Apothecary (free; northwest corner of Queen and King; open during the spring and summer only) for a look into our pharmaceutical past.  Tricia Romance's The Romance Collection Gallery (177 King st) is a beautiful house with great gardens and wonderful artwork. 

Photo opportunites can be had along the lakefront at the foot of King street.  Visit the gazebo (right), and the beach walkway of the Queen's Royal Park all the way back to your startpoint near the golfcourse.  While you stroll, take in the sights of the beautiful boats afloat in lake Ontario, the old Fort Niagara (below; across the river is Youngstown, New York, in the United States), a major fort during the war of 1812, and on a clear day, if you look northwest, you can see the CN tower back in Toronto.

After a long day of exploring, and enjoying some of Ontario's fantastic wine and culinary delights.  It would be a great treat to cap off the evening and stay the night.  You can somewhat blow the budget, splurge, but be served like royalty, at the Prince of Wales Hotel (with breakfast packages that average $250 per night, for a traditional King size bed, prices fluctuate due to seasonality).  However, there is a whole other industry that is truly booming.  The Bed & Breakfast option (with well over 300 unique establishments) is affordable, hospitable and a great way to experience Niagara's history first hand. 

More to come...

Goats do Roam 2007

Goats do Roam red 2007 from Fairview Wine Estate, Paarl wine district, South Africa

Served with: Turkey dinner, sweet and white potatoes, stuffing with cranberries, grean beans, and gravy

Colour and visuals: Intense deep dark red to burgundy, multiple fast-running thin legs

Nose: Evergreens and cedar, spice, white pepper

Taste: Plush with dark fruit, mixed berry jam, blueberry

Palate: Perceptive sweetness that developed intensity after every taste, medium to heavy in weight, just a hint of fine tannin, no perceptive hard- or mid-palate mouthfeel

Finish: Woody, tart (a tad too much), a little hot from the alcohol (14% by volume) which seemed unbalanced, jamminess lasts for 30 seconds

Overall impression: Approachable.  Benefitted greatly when paired with all the food.  Better to serve slightly more chilled to dampen the alcoholic nature.  The jaminess is a positive quality.  Although the composition of the blend resembles southern Rhône style (40% shiraz, 18% pinotage, 17% cinsault, with carignan, mourvèdre, and gamay noir to add complexity), this wine is more characteristic of an Australian shiraz that is fruit forward, rather than a Rhône style syrah blend which is spicy and earthy. 

Risotto - the very versatile rice dish

Risotto can be served as a first course, a side dish, and even as a full entree.  The quantity and nature of the ingredients you add makes each creation unique.  Although the stirring technique to make a great creamy risotto requires patience and endurance, the effort will definitely pay off.

You will need,

• A wooden spoon (wooden spoons are used because they are gentle on the rice grains)
• Pots for cooking the rice and other saucepans for cooking veggies, meats and other ingredients
• Patience and strong arms because you'll be working the rice for at least 30 minutes

Ingredients

• Arborio rice (Italian)
• Broth (any kind to suit your taste, be it vegetable, beef, fish, chicken etc.) either purchased as bullion cubes or ready-made, or made from the drippings and liquids of the ingredients you use.  For example, seafood like shellfish contain plenty of liquid.  You should make/collect about one litre of broth for two cups of rice.
• Finely diced garlic (amount depends on your taste) and a half a white onion
• Unsalted butter (a quarter pound or more as needed)
• White wine (optional)
• Cheeses (finely grated, hard to semi-hard; I like parmigiano reggiano)
• Any of the following ingredients you can use to make your own creation.  Be they mushrooms, sundried tomato, seafood, bacon, etc.

Directions (labour intensive, but improvise as you go)
For two cups of rice to serve four people as a main course.

1. Fully melt a quarter to one-third of a cup of butter in the pot on low heat.
2. Add the garlic and onions.  Stir the onions until they become translucent.
3. Add the rice slowly as you coat it in the melted butter.  The rice must be completely permeated with butter to begin the next step, so add more if you require.
4. Add half cup of wine if you prefer and stir gently until the wine absorbs and evaporates.
5. Add broth, one half cupful at a time.  Keep stirring on a medium heat until the broth is absorbed, then add then next portion of broth.
6. As you cook the rest of your ingredients, add the liquid runoffs in small portions and keep stirring.

The entire step of adding broth takes time, about 30 minutes or more, so be patient, keep stirring and prevent the rice from burning. 

    7.   Add your other ingredients in the final steps of cooking the risotto.
    8.   Finish off by adding the grated cheeses to suit your taste.  This will also help to thicken the risotto.
    9.   Add garnishes.  Rosemary sprigs, basil leaves, shells, etc.  This is your decoration.  Make it unique!

Wine to serve and enjoy with risotto
A good guideline, as always, is to match the weight of the food with the weight of the wine.  In addition, try to match the nuances in the food, with those in your wine of choice.  For example,

If you have chosen ingredients that have earthy characteristics such as mushrooms, parmesan cheese, and beef, a medium bodied red like Pinot Noir, (from Burgundy, California, Washington, or even Niagara) will be very satisfying because Pinot Noir has a lot of the same 'earthen' nose and flavours.  For an Italian wine, try Chianti as it is medium bodied and earthy in nature. 

Our risotto dinner at the Fattoria il Lago (Dicomano, Italy, in the Chianti region). 

This risotto was made with a seafood medeley in tomato sauce and garnished with shaved parmesan and mussel shells.

It was served with the winemakers flashship full bodied Chianti, Pian de' Guardi made exclusively with Sangiovese grapes.  The wine is intense, medium to fuller bodied due to the prolonged oak aging.  Acidity, tannin and alcohol are in balance with a variety of earthen and dark fruit flavours.

Keep in mind that acidity cuts through the perceived creaminess and fat of many foods, like risotto.  Acidic wines are meant to be palate cleansing.  Risotto that is made in a plain style will still have a very buttery taste which can be accompanied by the qualities of a barrel fermented Chardonnay.  Another style of Chardonnay that I find really pairs well with the minerality of seafood is Chablis, a wine made in the Burgundy region of France.  The limestone-laden soils of this region impart a crisp, flinty, minerality to the grapes.

Have fun trying different combinations of ingredients for your risotto creations and pairing them with multiple red and white wines.  Notice how wine can often change its presentation on your palate after a bite of food.  Conversely, take note of how wine can change the complexity of the taste of your dish. 

Vintourism Introduction

When travelling for business or leisure, especially to a country other than your own, often times you would like to experience what the locals do, immerse yourself in culture and discover hidden gems off the beaten path. I soon found out that through wine and food, you learn plenty about local culture and lifestyle.

I’ve travelled to a decent amount of key wine countries around the world for a relatively short span of time. Italy, Chile, Argentina, Australia, and of course, my local area situated in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. As you can see, I still have a lot more places to go. I generally stay for a week or more, taking in the sights through wine and culinary delights. Sometimes through coach tours, staying on a farm in a villa, and even by bicycling. I leave with many fond memories and when I go back again, it will feel more like I’m visting one of my homes away from home.

I therefore named this section ‘Vintourism’ – Visiting a place where one experiences the local culture through its wine and culinary arts. Here, I will write about these exciting journeys, introduce some of the fantastic friends I’ve made along the way, and reminisce on the great food and drink that tied everything together.

Visit to Niagara College Restaurant and Teaching Winery

A long journey first starts at home and this marks the first entry into my Vintourism column:

If you are from Toronto, as I am, and don’t want to travel too far to taste some great wine and food, you are in luck. Niagara-on-the-Lake is just a short 90-minute drive from Hogtown, down the QEW. At the gateway of this quaint winemaking, and historical town is the Niagara College Glendale Campus. This is the home of their culinary arts and winemaking & viticulture program. December is a great time to go to Niagara as things are relatively more quiet compared to the bustling summer season.

I had never been to the College but had to try something new. So after the long ride, I arrived at the restaurant for lunch. Culinary and hospitality management students run the establishment, from decoration, assembling the menu, creating the dishes, and serving the tables. In addition, the wine list is comprised of the top examples from the winemaking program.

Strangely enough, I entered an empty restaurant and thought they were closed. I soon learned that this particular saturday lunchtime was dead for business. I was the second table of the day to be seated – and also the last table for the lunch service. Luckily for me, I had an all-you-can-eat buffet spread of gourmet food! No lineups, great service (of course) and no rushing to finish.

To just breeze over the top of the list of items, there was a mixed greens start to the meal, followed by the charcuterie assortment (the prosciutto and bresaola was delicious) and artisinal cheeses. The carvery station featured moist turkey and ham with a hearty gravy and stuffing. Usually I expect these to be too salty, but the dressings of stuffing and gravy were balanced very well. And then there was the roundabout dessert table that encircled the Christmas tree and decorations at the centre of the room. If you have anything remotely resembling a sweet tooth, you’ll find something tasty. I liked the rice pudding best as it had a balance of sweet and spice.

Of course, I can’t forget the wine list. There’s a small assortment but a good selection. The wine is exclusively Canadian with most of the offerings from the Niagara-on-the-lake and Vineland-Beamsville bench area, which is near St. Catherines. The ‘house list’ is comprised of a dozen wines. Most range in price from $28-42, while the finest examples of the College on the list are the Dean’s List Chardonnay ($59) and Dean’s List Pinot Noir ($72). The nice part about winery restaurants is that there is no ‘middle-man’. You buy direct from the winemaker and therefore pay less for the bottle of wine. However, the wine was still marked up a bit compared to the prices in the store (and more than just a simple corkage fee mark-up).

Being a fan of peppery reds, I enjoyed a glass of the Cabernet Franc 2006. Medium-bodied, white pepper and bell pepper on the nose, a firm dry taste of cinnamon spice, earth and cocoa. The finish was enjoyable. Try breathing out slowly after ingesting the wine and take note of what you taste. I sensed dried fruits and plum. It’s a nice all-rounder that stood up to all the dishes I tried at the buffet. However, it’s probably not the wine to pick for desserts as the sweetness of the treats overpowered the wine. So move on to a sweeter dessert wine instead.

Overall, the lunch was a great prelude to the Christmas season. The price of the meal, $30 plus $8 for a glass of wine (excluding tax and gratuity) is slightly on the high side, but will be well worth it if you have time to enjoy the atmosphere and plenty of great tasting food.

The Teaching Winery store was about a two minute walk from the restaurant, in a separate building. Practically brand new, it had a ‘Royal grand opening visit’ by Prince Charles in November, 2009. The place was very pretty indeed. The tasting bar was at the centre, and all around the circular room were windows that showcased the vineyards in their post-harvest slumber – peaceful beauty.

Some of the white wines of note were the Gewürtztraminer 2007 (noticeable lychee and tropical fruit; the perceived sweetness would be a nice pair for mildly spicy dishes), the Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, 2006 (very bold butter and vanilla; a heavyweight wine suitable for oily fish such as salmon and definitely pairs well with chicken), the Dean’s List Chardonnay (for comparison, it is more delicate in nature than the barrel fermented and one would argue it is more balanced), and the very zesty, herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc (think herb garden and fresh cut grass; a real palate cleanser for the start of a meal).

The one red wine I did try was the Baco Noir, purely for interest sake. This hybrid grape, grown in France and now a main hybrid variety in Ontario, is known for being very dark and inky purple. It has very high acidity for red wines and this example from the College was no exception. It could have been the most acidic I’ve tried. It was one I didn’t really like too much (If I had to criticise). Definitely something to have with food as it is not too palatable on its own as a sipper.

The service was very friendly and the staff (also partly run by the students of the College) were knowledgeable, but don’t expect to be served by sommeliers as they are still learning. I know I’ll still be returning the next time I’m in town.

Featured soon, will be the next leg of the trip, to the Historic District. Stay tuned!

Setting up your juice for fermentation, and great tips

Over the course of this article, I’ll show you the ropes of getting the juice fermenting, the mandatory stage for making wine, of course. In addition, I’ll mainly talk about making wine from the standard home winemaking “pasteurized” format (referred to here at http://kevindonato.blogspot.com/2009/12/buying-juice-and-kits-to-make-wine.html), which is generally 23 L (6 US gal) in volume.


1. You will need

• A food grade plastic bucket (at least 30 L capacity) and lid


• A long plastic spoon or paddle, to stir with


• 5 gram yeast sachet (provided in most kits but most can be bought for a dollar if not provided)


• Sanitizer (potassium metabisulfite powder, or food-grade sanitizing powder product such as chloroclean)


• Hydrometer and test jar (see Fig. 1)


• A wine thief


• Measuring cups

Optional items

• Pectic enzyme


• Yeast nutrient broth powder
  
• Plastic or glass gallon jug
  

2. “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”. That’s right, sanitize everything! Organisms of all kinds, including bacteria, moulds, and wild yeast are everywhere and like to coat your equipment in their mucky essence. They would just love to have a bite of your expensive, sugary juice. They will eat their fair share and give you nothing back but stinky odours and most likely turn your batch into vinegar or worse. Get rid of them by washing and soaking your equipment with the sulfite powder (a tablespoon per liter of cool water will be strong enough, a teaspoon of citric acid helps too – try not to inhale the vapours) or alternative product (follow the manufacturer’s directions for dissolving in water).

From a microbiologist's perspective, like my own, sulfites greatly inhibit the growth of these critters so that they won’t be a harm. Rinse everything in copious amounts of clean water and do not let your clean equipment touch uncleanly surfaces. Wash your hands as well, with hand soap.

NOTE: It is best not to use dish soap as it leaves a filmy residue that will make your wine taste just like the detergent you use (“Hey there, care to try my “Sapon Sauvignon 2006?” – yuck!). Do not use liquid bleach (e.g. Javex) as it too can leave a film and impart off flavours (or even poison your guests!). I often use a product called Chloroclean for big washes. It is a chlorinated product that is safe for food processing. It rinses clean from plastic and glass surfaces. Again, rinse everything well.

3. Pour the juice into the large plastic bucket (easy enough). If you bought a kit that is a concentrate, reconstitute the mix by stirring in the rest of the volume using lukewarm water. Example, if you have a kit that has a concentrate volume of 15 L and the kit makes 23 L, add 8 L of water).

4. Rehydrate the yeast culture: In 50 mL (1/4 cup) of warm water (Ideally, 40°C/104°F. I don’t think you would like to wake up from your slumber to an ice cold shower, would you?). Let the yeast sit for 15 minutes and then gently stir.

OPTIONAL: The yeast nutrients mentioned in the list refer to a mixture of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins that supplement yeast growth. Dissolve in warm water according to the manufacturer’s instructions and then add the yeast for rehydration.

5. Wait until the juice is approximately the same temperature, as the yeast solution (i.e. within 10-15 degrees of each other; the juice will warm up in the room while the yeast solution will begin to cool down).6. Pitch the yeast into the juice and stir very well.

*ProStar Tips*:

Remember your gallon jug? Place the rehydrated yeast slurry into the jug and then stir in 2 cups of juice every 30 minutes until the jug is full (or until you get bored) and then stir the mix into the rest of the juice. What this does is help the yeast to “acclimatize” to the new “juicy” environment. They will get used to the temperature changes, acidity, and begin to digest the juices ingredients (especially sugars). Acclimatization gives the yeast population a head-start and gives excellent, no-hassle, results until the fermentation ends. Picture it like you are ‘training’ the yeast cells to do their job exceptionally well before you give them a large task. Would your boss give you responsibility over the company’s biggest jobs right away? Not likely, but they would be glad to have you ‘work your way up’ first. This mixture is called the “yeast starter” and is a technique used by even the most famous winemakers.

Pectic enzyme? This enzyme breaks down pectin (a complex of sugars that are found in jams and jellies). Pectin causes juices (and newly made wines) to haze up and prevent clearing.

7. Remove some juice with your wine thief and place into your hydrometer and test jar. Float the hydrometer in the jar and read off the point at which the surface of the juice meets the meter. Record this value because we’ll use it later! Generally it should read between 1.100 and 1.070.

Believe it or not, you have just started your first ‘primary fermentation’. It is best practice to keep monitoring the specific gravity of your fermenting juice daily. In about 5-7 days the S.G. should reach close to 1.010.

Fig. 1 A hydrometer. See the gradations and numbers along the stem. Simply drop the hydrometer in the juice and it will float or sink depending on how dense the juice is. More sugar causes the meter to rise higher. As the juice ferments, it will sink into the red zone shown here which corresponds to a specific gravity of 1.000.

Buying juice and kits to make wine

With a little more knowledge about your likes and dislikes as far as wine is concerned, you are ready to make your first purchase of juice to make your favourite wines yourself.



Oh boy! Hang on a second! Don’t you start with buying the grapes first? The short answer is, maybe. You see, years ago, the situation was generally like so: Around mid-September a farmer or grape importer/purveyor would simply set up shop in a market for just a few weeks (the importers were like members of my family who would bring crate loads of grapes, delivered by train, to Toronto from California). People would come from all over the neighbourhood to buy cases of grapes of whatever variety they fancied. Generally, the grapes were brought home already crushed by the purveyor’s crusher and placed into pails, skins, stems, seeds and all. A few days would pass and the juice-skin mixture, called the ‘must’, would start to ferment. Then, the whole mish-mash was pressed and all the juice would flow out into a collecting pail for the rest of the fermentation process.

The process was messy, very large scale (it often took 85 pounds of grapes to make two cases, 24, bottles of wine), and generally done outside. In addition, people that bought juice from starting with crushed grapes had to put in the extra effort to extract colour, especially for red wine (more on this later). Over the years, the consumer has gained a few more options to make the process simpler and more friendly so that first-time winemakers can join in the fun.



Now, you can buy the juice from the purveyor already processed. Crushing and pressing is done for you, the colour is all extracted, the yeast is already fermenting away because it lives on the skins of the grapes, and sometimes, a laboratory technician will “balance” the juice to the appropriate acidity and sugar content to make great wine. This is known as a “fresh juice format” because the yeast has already started working to convert sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide (the source of the characteristic “fizz” you see). This is a great format for those that don’t want to deal with the mess of pressing grapes. However, I wouldn’t recommend it for a beginner because the juice has to be worked with right away and hence, won’t wait for you to take a workday off so you can tend to it. Generally, the juice is stored in large fridges to slow the fermentation process until the customer is ready to buy it. There are also even simpler options for the beginner.



If you want the juice to sit around ‘silent’ until you are ready. The “pasteurized” or “wine-kit” format is the right one for you. In this format, the juice is made just like the above fresh format but is flash heated. This “pasteurization” is intended to kill (or at least stun) the yeast living inside the juice. These formats generally come with all the instructions you need to make good wine and come with all the ingredients you may want along the way. Most important of these ingredients is the yeast culture that you’ll add back into the juice when you are ready. Because they aren’t actually fermenting when you purchase them, these juices can be kept at room temperature and can be made into wine at any time of year.
Even more exciting is the fact that you can buy pasteurized juices from grapes sourced internationally.



After my first (and botched) attempt at making wine from crushed grapes, I swallowed my pride and opted for a wine kit. It’s the best place to start and you’ll almost never run into any rude surprises along the way.



What about the price? It’s the same concept as buying anything at all – you pay more for convenience. Pasteurized formats cost anywhere between $60-$150 (yielding 30 bottles of wine, and higher quality generally commands a higher price), while pressed juice ranges from $35-90 (also making 30 bottles) and the price is just a tad cheaper when buying a corresponding amount of grapes.



The entire process to make wine from a kit lasts 4-8 weeks, depending on its quality. In addition, these wines generally benefit from aging, from a month to a year, before enjoying them.

Fall 2008: I enlisted the help of my best friend Nader (left) for this batch. Over 250 litres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc juice and 100 pounds of skins went into the drums behind us.

Here we are, you’ve learned about your tastes in wine, decided on a format you wish to purchase and now the work (fun) begins!

Choosing the right wine for you: White wines

What I like most about making white wine is how you have so many options when it come to creating your own styles. Have a look at these and dare to compare!

Bold, buttery, and cooked fruit (serve slightly chilled 15°C/59°F)

Chardonnay (California and Australia) — Probably the most recognized grape. Just look for the ones aged in oak or are ‘barrel fermented’. You’ll notice the cooked peach, pear, and apple.




Tart or fresh citrus character (these wines are palate cleansers and are best for cutting the fat in a meal, even when fried, making the first bite taste as good as the next; serve chilled, around 8-12°C/46-53°F)

Riesling (Germany and Ontario) — The King of the white grapes. I’ve had Rieslings that are very pinapple, or lemon, and even smell floral. My choice for pairing with fish and chips. German rieslings are typically lower in alcohol (under 10% by volume) and are sweeter. Ontario rieslings are generally off-dry and are (11-12% alc/vol).

Unoaked Chardonnay (Ontario; Chablis, France) — Many may notice how much Chardonnay has a crisp green apple character when not kept in oak. The Chablis region of Burgundy, in France, has a soil rich in limestone. Thus, the wine from here has a wonderful minerally property.

Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand) — Enjoy the fresh cut grassiness and herbaceousness of this spectacular white wine. It’s crispy acidity is great for a pre-dinner apertif.

Pinot Grigio (Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy) — This northeastern Italian province makes a very fragrant white that is similar in nature to Sauvignon Blanc. However, from talking to my colleagues and friends at wine seminars, I gather that Pinot Grigio is more approachable because it is more balanced, being less ‘grassy’ in scent.

Interested in red wine, too? Have a look at my page on reds.
http://kevindonato.blogspot.com/2009/12/choosing-right-wine-for-you-red-wines.html

Choosing the right wine for you: Red wines

Bold Reds (serious reds, for full flavoured dinners and cheezes, red meat; best served just below room temperature and benefit from ‘breathing’ from being poured into a decanter)
Enjoy their earthiness, cedar, subtle tobacco


Barolo (Piedmonte, Italy) — Made from the Nebbiolo variety.


Amarone (Veneto, Italy) — A powerful form of Valpolicella which is made from partially dried grapes to concentrate the flavours; they have a level of residual sweetness.


Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile) — Chile’s most planted grape. It’s a great all-rounder with a balance of earthy and fruit. Some fantastic deals to be had in store.

Can range from the earthy to the deep fruity
Bordeaux (France) — Varied from the Cabernet-dominated to the Merlot dominated. I find

the Merlot offerings to be more plush with dark fruits like plum, black cherry, and currant.

Compare these two for fun! Pretty much the same sort of grape, but the difference in climate and winemaking practices make a huge difference.


Shiraz (Southern Australia) — The Aussies love to make blockbuster Shiraz that is very fruit forward to the point of being ‘jammy’. You’ll appreciate the residual sweetness.


Syrah (Languedoc-Roussillon, France) — These Southern French offerings (and usually blends with other grapes such including Grenache and Carignan) are a bargain! They will be more ‘peppery’ rather than fruity, and drier rather than sweet.




Medium and Lighter Reds (Very versatile, range from the easy-sipping type, to the complex; serve these slightly cooler than heavier reds to appreciate their subtleties, around 15°C/59°F)


Beaujolais (Burgundy, France) — Made from the Gamay grape. The lightest are ‘Beaujolais Nouveau’, and released every year on the third Thursday of November. Taking a mere two months from grapevine-to-bottle, they are so new you may even taste some slight effervesence left over from the recently finished fermentation! Beaujolais is actually a complex medium bodied red that can sometimes command very high prices – but can be worth your while.

Pinot Noir (Burgundy, France; British Columbia and Ontario, Canada) — Seen the movie Sideways? I totally resonate with the character played by Paul Giamatti that poured his heart out for this grape. I love its light earthiness. I especially love to break famous wine myths in my wine appreciation seminars, like that you can’t eat red wine with fish, and serve this with salmon or grilled tilapia. Pinot Noir is fantastic with mushroom dishes. Another country that is a still a lesser known rising star for this grape is Canada so check them out, too.


Zinfandel (California) — Bursting with dark ripe fruit. This is Californian flagship wine grape by far. It even comes as a great summer sipper as a blush Rosé which is of medium sweetness.

Interested in white wine, too? Have a look at my page on whites.
http://kevindonato.blogspot.com/2009/12/choosing-right-wine-for-you-white-wines.html

Choosing the right wine for you

Just when you thought you were ready to dive in and start making your own wine, or to just visit the local outlet to buy a few bottles, you are met with the daunting task of actually choosing from the plethora of available products. Correct, no two are created equal and since wine is virtually a living thing (more on this in later chapters), no two bottles will be exactly the same.

Piled up to the roof with names like Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc,Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Riesling, Chardonnay or Chablis, Gamay or Beaujolais, Shiraz or Syrah, Barolo or Bordeaux or Burgundy, you start feeling dizzy. What do they all mean? Even more important, which is for your taste?Below is a quick synopsis of grape and wine naming.Firstly, those wines that are of the "Old World" come from Europe, including France, Italy, and Spain. These countries name their wines after the region they were made, and most are made from combinations of grapes (although it is becoming more favourable from a marketing standpoint to label the bottles with the type of grape rather than the region – for approachability). For example, Bordeaux is a region in France that blends primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and a few more) together. Valpolicella is a varietal in Veneto, Italy and primarily uses three local varietals, namely Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara.

Most wines from the "New World" (North America and everywhere else) are named directly after the type of grape used.

September 2009, Caroline Cellars, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. Enjoying a nice glass of their Cabernet Sauvignon, and a cheese assortment, on the sunlight patio.

Below is a short take on some wines to match with "mood and food” and a few regions I’ve had particularly good experiences with. Being so early in this blog, I’m going to merely skim from the top of all there is to offer. The bottom line: To develop a sense of what you like, you have to really dive in and try wines you’ve never had before, with food and without. Take notes! When you find a nice bottle, keep a note or keep the bottle so you will remember what to get next time.

See red wines

http://kevindonato.blogspot.com/2009/12/choosing-right-wine-for-you-red-wines.html

See white wines

http://kevindonato.blogspot.com/2009/12/choosing-right-wine-for-you-white-wines.html

-- Happy adventures

Grapes to wine in five minutes

If someone has any ideas on how to make grapes turn into decent wine in five minutes please let me know, because I’ll start some high-throughput, large-scale production and we’ll become rich beyond our wildest dreams. Rather, the five minutes I’m talking about is how I’ll briefly describe how wine is made.

First, we start with the newly picked grapes (but also be aware that it takes an entire year of work, a great deal of patience, and luck from mother nature to get a mature grapevine to produce quality grapes). In a production facility the grapes are lightly broken apart to let the sugary juice drain out. The whole mash is placed into large open vats. For those that like white wine, the juice almost never sees the skins of the grapes again and is pressed out and saved. For red wine, the juice will bathe in the skins from a few days to even a month depending on how much of the red colour needs to be extracted from the skins.

When the grapes have been broken apart the juice is exposed to the most important player, the yeast. These little critters are met with a foray of sugars to eat. They mingle, have a great big party, and over one to two weeks will turn the majority of that sugar into alcohol – what we know as fermentation. As they do this, they produce the carbon dioxide that gives the characteristic fizz and foam that helps to preserve the newly made wine. This “primary” fermentation lasts for about a week and converts almost all the sugar into alcohol. It is also at this point that red wines are pressed from the skins.

By the time the stage is complete most of the yeast have died off (when they party way too hard and have nothing left to eat they succumb to the alcohol) and sink to the bottom of the vat. The new wine is siphoned off and then placed into a new vessel with a special one way valve to lock off the air and prevent spoiling. There are still a few yeast partygoers that manage to stick it out and stay for an afterparty. This “secondary” stage of fermentation allows these yeasts to ferment the rest of the sugar and the process can go on for weeks. In more advanced techniques, the “secondary” fermentation actually refers to a stage where special bacteria are added to the wine. Rather than make ethanol, these bacteria convert a certain type of acid in the wine that tastes very ‘tart’ into an acid that we perceive as ‘smooth and round’.

When all the fermenting is complete, the wine can be left in a cooler environment to clear itself of the rest of any suspended sediment. After, the wine can be either filtered and bottled right away, or left to “age” in an oak barrel or other container for months to years before bottling.

Now the winemaking is complete, you can uncork the bottle and enjoy – just try not to finish it all in five minutes.

One of the key components of this blog will be to describe in further detail how great wine is made. The amazing thing about this process is that there are so many variables that will affect overall quality of the wine, and each represents a stage in which you can 'customize' the wine to reflect your personal tastes.

Foreword

To the well versed connoiseurs and to the curious ones who want to experience wine, welcome and thanks for stopping by. My name is Kevin and I’m a PhD student at the University of Toronto where I study microbiology as it relates to our health. But even before I had embarked on my doctoral program, I have been an amateur microbiologist, as a winemaker for over seven years.

It all started one autumn with a large grapevine entangled in our back fence which, strangely enough, had decided to grow some grapes that year - lots of grapes. Staring at the bumper crop before me, I pondered about how my parents, grandparents, and ancestors back in Sicily used to make vino, and then it hit me. I scrambled inside the house, grabbed a few buckets and started to pick the bunches off the vine. I had no clue what to do except crush them up and wait for my Grand Cru Bordeaux-calibre wine to reveal itself.

Well…it was the furthest thing from wine, as you can imagine. After two weeks, it just became a mix of rot bathing in its own vile juices that you would not even use as vinegar. Although I was frustrated with the mess that I had made, I found myself still intrigued and determined to learn and improve the next time around. That was when the journey started and, from that point on, I immersed myself in everything that had to do with wine, from the technical aspects of making good wine to getting acquainted with the culture and tradition that my ancestors had built for centuries.

I still consider myself a beginner because there is so much to learn. A great deal of my education (which is what I enjoy the most) comes from conversing with other winemakers about everything “wine”. I began travelling around the world during my graduate studies and while engaging in conversations with locals including winemakers and hospitality specialists, I soon discovered that wine is not just a beverage in itself but part of a lifestyle, where family and friends come together to enjoy great food, conversation, and culture. Moreover, wine can tell you something about the climate and soil from which it was made as each region of the world imparts a characteristic fingerprint. Wine is a creative expression of art, and the great wines are those that evoke emotions through your senses.

In my blog “Uncorked” I will tell stories and give commentaries with respect to the winemaking process, travelling around the globe, interesting ideas for food pairing, wine in relation to health, and exciting wine-related experiences.

Thanks for reading and here’s to new experiences,

Kevin Donato