Jamie Drummond on Good Food and Wine: Episode 3 – David Shrigley

Jamie and David Shrigley

Whilst recently traveling in the United Kingdom I had the good fortune to have some time to sit down and discuss Good Food and Wine with prominent British artist and all round splendid fellow David Shrigley. Topics of conversation include the great “British Banger” (read: sausage), the ubiquity of bland continental lagers, deep-fried pizza, smoked whale meat, foraging for mushrooms and offal.

Press play above to listen to the podcast or right click here to download it.

A few years back David Shrigley was passing through Toronto and so we had made plans to meet up for a couple of drinks to catch up. We had decided to meet at The Communist’s Daughter, a favourite spot of mine. However, with it being Canadian Thanksgiving, the “Commie” was unfortunately closed. That evening the weather was particularly bleak, torrential rain punctuated by horrendously torrential rain. As we were rapidly being soaked to the skin I decided that it may be a good idea to find the very first bar we could on the Dundas West strip. As chance would have it, we didn’t have to journey too far as we quickly found a Portuguese Sports Bar that didn’t look overly intimidating.

After ordering a couple of pints of beer, David and I sat down at a table near the window and watched the rain-drenched world go by as we chatted about our recent adventures and mutual friends. At some point in the proceedings I had happened to notice that most of the crowd of older Portuguese gentlemen were huddled around the bar… and they were all looking over at the two of us… rather intently. It was quite disconcerting actually.

After around 10 minutes or so one of the gentleman approached the table with a platter of Chorizo sausage. I pointed out that he must be mistaken as we hadn’t actually ordered any food. “Is on the house” he replied. I remarked to David that I should frequent this establishment more often if they always have complimentary sausage as it really was quite delicious.

Around 5 minutes later another fellow arrived with a platter of hard cheeese and small bowl of salt cod croquettes. Placing them down in front of us he told us that these too were “on the house.” I can distinctly remember making a mental note to myself that I REALLY needed to come to this little bar on a much more regular basis. All of this rather tasty free food. Amazing! Then something dawned on me…

“David, I cannot believe that you are now so well know that these blokes at the bar reconise you!”

“No Jamie, they probably recognise you. What with you being a well-known Toronto Sommelier and all that…”

“Ha! I doubt it… they probably think that I am that Mick Hucknall from Simply Red or something!!!”

Oh how we laughed. We sat there for another hour or so, consuming a fair number of pints in the process. Suddenly a huge cheer came up from the bar from the crowd of Portuguese fellows. The owner had found the CD that he had been scurrying about downstairs for… Simply Red blasted through the bar’s tinny soundsystem… “Somethings got me started…”

“David, are you alright if we leave now?…”

Jamie Drummond On Good Food and Wine – Episode 2 Thomas Bachelder and Jean-Charles Boisset (Le Clos Jordanne)

Jamie Drummond On Good Food and Wine – Episode 2 Thomas Bachelder and Jean-Charles Boisset (Le Clos Jordanne)

This brand-spanking-new podcast comes from the recent 2007 release tasting of Le Clos Jordanne where I was lucky enough to spend some time with Vineyard Manager and Winemaker Thomas Bachelder and Jean-Charles Boisset of Boisset Family Estates.

Press play above to listen to the podcast or right click here to download it.

As a select group of wine writers and sommeliers gathered in the upstairs space of Toronto’s Sassafraz restaurant earlier this week, it quickly became apparent that there was a perceptible and unmistakable air of reverence surrounding the event. It was that special kind of reverence that one would most usually associate with the unveiling of a new vintage of a great European Grand Cru. But this was an event for the unveiling of a new vintage of Le Clos Jordanne, a project that many (myself included) view as being home to some of the very finest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir made in Canada. As the dapper and vivacious Jean-Charles Boisset, the ever-eloquent Thomas Bachelder, and assistant Winemaker  Sébastien Jacquey introduced themselves to the audience it was quite clear that those present were in for a very special tasting indeed.

Pinot Noir

2007 Village Reserve Bachelder speaks of it being important to show a non-believer the Village Reserve level wines first, a “sacrificial lamb” of sorts, and I understand exactly where he is going with that. Although for me not as initially as impressive as the Village Reserve Chardonnay, this wine displays lovely aromatics of underbrush, ripe black fruit and just a hint of that elusive gaminess. This expresses the true terroir of Jordan as it comes from 4 vineyards within one village. In a dry, warm year such as 2007 the Village Reserve bottlings should be the “go to” wines.

2007 Talon Ridge Black cherries were the very first thing that hit me here, then a little forest fruits; raspberries and strawberries. This wine was immediately more obviously perfumed than the previous. There was a tiny little hint of raisin here, which makes complete sense because of the 07 vintage. Tannins were very much more evident. This wine was elegant and balanced with a wonderful density and concentration.

2007 La Petite Vineyard A tiny vineyard of only 3.36 hectares on the lower bench, the first step off of the escarpment. La Petite is usually the most elegant, aromatic and perfumed of the Pinots. The fruit on this wine is more kirsch, blackcurrant and blueberries with delicious vanilla, spice and cedar elements. The wine has a superbly defined structure due in no small part to the density of the tannins being quite exceptional.

2007 Claystone Terrace Bachelder referred to the Claystone Terrace Pinot as “The Beast” as it is usually the earthiest of the entire range. He also believes that the best part of the Claystone vineyard rivals Le Clos and Le Grand Clos. Bachelder is learning that the wines of Claystone show more consistency from vintage to vintage which he understands to be an indicator of what makes a true Grand Cru. The aromatics dance between both red and black fruit but still feels a little closed and requires more time in bottle as the wine still needs to evolve before it comes into its own.

2007 Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard exhibits quite a lot more decadence than Le Grand Clos. In this vintage it was actually the first vineyard to be picked but required the longest maceration once the fruit reached the winery. The wine is very masculine with lots of ripe plum and other dark fruits on the nose alongside a certain spiciness. Assertive tannins and lifted, fresh fruit elements point to serious ageing potential here. A spendid representation of the 2007 vintage.

2007 Le Grand Clos As with all wines from Le Grand Clos, this requires some time before its full glory will be revealed. One can already see the potential of this wine if one studies it carefully, but it will be quite a number of years before it truly blossoms.  Balanced fruit and wood tannins combine, making the wine tight and structured with a core of immaculate red and black fruit. This wine contains myriad secrets that will not be revealed until the time is right.

Chardonnay

2007 Village Reserve Bachelder spoke of the Village Reserve wines as being the hardest wines to make as one was working with parcels of fruit that had not been selected for the single vineyard wines.  Labled as Niagara Peninsula VQA as fruiyt sources straddle two VQAs (Vinemount Ridge and 20 Mile Bench)He sees this wine as being a great example of Ontario terroir, something that one could compare to a St. Veran or village Meursault. Lots of varietal typicity with just the right amount of crème brûlée alongside nuances of apple and papaya.  I found this Village Reserve to be the most rewarding yet from Le Clos Jordanne, expressing tremendous value.

2007 Talon Ridge This new wine comes from rows in the west side of the Talon vineyard. Citrus, apple, peach alongside a ginger spiciness. Mouthfeel is very round with exotic fruits and a wet stone minerality. The effects of battonage are quite apparent as the wine exhibits a wonderful textural quality on the palate.

2007 Claystone Terrace Of the chardonnays we tasted this was certainly my personal favourite. Extrememly tight and as Bachelder put it “a real Winemaker’s wine”. Of all the wines in the 2007 release I found this to be the most European in style. This shows a pronounced minerality coupled with wonderfully bright fruit.

2007 Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard Despite being the driest of the wines tasted (0.4g per litre residual sugar), this exhibited the most volume in the mouth with an appealing glycerol expansiveness that almost had one thinking of truffle oil. Upon further inspection one could discover delicate aromatics of white, dried flowers and pear.

2007 Le Grand Clos - As with all of the wines from Le Grand Clos, this wine’s destiny is certainly somewhere in the future. Le Grand Clos is always the wine saying “Leave Me Alone!” whether in the vineyard, vat, cellar or bottle. Aromatics of white flowers and lacey minerality are apparent but the wine as a whole is still extremely tight and not yet opening up in any way. I would very much like to revisit this singular wine in 24 months.

Corey Mintz in the Toronto Star – Students of the sommeliers

Discussing how to balance wine and food are, from left, Laura McGonigal, Anton Potvin, Mika Bareket, Sam James and Jamie Drummond.

Click on the picture for the full article on the Star’s website.

Students of the sommeliers

When choosing a wine to drink with dinner, most of us have no idea what we’re doing. We take refuge in that old refrain, “I may not know art, but I know what I like.” Pleased with a particular wine, we remain loyal.

People shopping next to me at the LCBO will often select the same bottle I do. Maybe because I wear glasses, they think that I know something. Not so.

Eating in restaurants, I defer to the good sense of sommeliers.

Sommeliers are an endangered species in the restaurant kingdom. Since 2008’s stock market collapse, diners have been spending less money on wine. Restaurants, in turn, have spent less money on sommeliers.

It’s too bad, because these people know some useful stuff. Not some arcane witchcraft, penetrable only to those who read wine critic Robert Parker’s newsletter. But real, concrete understanding, based on noticeable aspects of a wine’s character and its capacity to balance the flavours of our meal.

In an effort to learn some of these basic truths about wine pairing, I’ve invited sommeliers Anton Potvin (owner of Niagara Street Café) and Jamie Drummond (late of JK Wine Bar, now director of programs for Good Food Media) to my table.

I have challenged them not just to pair wines with four dishes – spicy, salty, sour and sweet – but also to explain the choices in words that even I can understand.

Showing up at my place, the two friends are giddy as they unload a bag of seven wines. They’re tough to read. Potvin’s default tempo is placid, though he’s so much taller than I am that I can’t quite see his face. Drummond’s wild curls of red hair give him the appearance of always having a wonderful time, as if he’s just stepped off Willy Wonka’s boat, sailing down a river of wine.

The pals set about shifting the bottles around, nit-picking each pairing decision.

For the spicy dish, mildly curried sunchokes with braised goat leg, they select an Ontario Gewürztraminer.

Sugar and starch being antidotes to spice, the off-dry wine really sings out. In the way that a dish might have different elements to balance its flavours, for example how chutney complements the spice of a curry, the wine completes the dish. The wine acts as the chutney.

Sweet and sour is another yin and yang that most of us respond well to. A pair of markedly different Alsatian rieslings divide the crowd on which one goes better with olives, pickled onions and salty feta marinated in mustard and roasted garlic. Yes, the drier Heissenberg may be a more interesting wine but the versatile Hartenberg gives better balance to the admittedly one-sided dish.

For tacos filled with sour tomatillo and crab salsa, we go with something more tart. Or, rather, a wine that balances acidity with fruitiness.

I am unmoved by the rosé. But I’m disappointed in my own work as well. The crab doesn’t benefit the salsa. And the tortillas ought to have been steamed rather than reheated in the oven.

The sweetness of Boston baked beans, slow cooked with chunks of pork belly and shallots, allows Potvin and Drummond to present a more tannic cabernet sauvignon from Australia. Tannins, to keep it simple, give a wine complexity but also astringency. The rendered fat in the dish coats the mouth, negating the astringent quality of the wine.

The salving effect of the unctuous fat allows us to appreciate the subtleties of the red wine. They would have been lost to the sour salsa or salty cheese. The tannins and curry would have irritated each other in the mouth like Pop Rocks and soda.

It’s like balancing flavours and textures to compose a dish. A spicy sauce can be countered by rice. Too much starch? Add vegetables. A wine might be chosen that way, as complement or opposition to elements that our tongues are already juggling.

Yes, these subtleties can be trumped by the preference of the diner. If we enjoy one particularly versatile wine, why not pair it with everything? The answer is variety. It’s what keeps life interesting.

When I walk into my local, I love that they reach for the scotch. But they enjoy it more when I ask them to recommend a new wine. Trust is part of the host/guest relationship.

mintz.corey@gmail.com

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Gourmet Food and Wine Show 2009: ViniPortugal Dinner at Oasi

Last week I attended a special pre-Gourmet Food and Wine Show dinner hosted by Jennifer Campbell, Chris Waters, Jennifer Wilhelm (all of Gourmet Food and Wine Show), and William Delgado (of the Portuguese Trade Commission). The dinner was held in the extremly attractive Oasi event space with the evening’s audience consisting mainly of members of the public augmented by a small number of wine writers and sommeliers.

With ViniPortugal being one of the major sponsors of this year’s show, this dinner was designed to showcase a plethora of varied Portuguese bottlings alongside Chef Todd Clarmo’s innovative contemporary take on Portuguese cuisine.

The reception consisted of a selection of hors d’oeuvres: Sticklebacks with Cured Lemon Aioli, Salt Cod Fritters with Rouille and Prosciutto-Wrapped Figs with Toasted Walnuts. These were served alongside Lancers white, Periquita Red and Fonseca White Port.

 

The interior of Oasi, Toronto

Grilled Quail Piri Piri with Creamed Truffled Potatoes and Salsa Verde

Served with 2007 Quinta da Lagoalva “Talhão #1″ Ribatejo
and 2008 Esporão “Reserva White” Alentejo

Roasted Skate Wing and Barigoule with Braised Artichokes, Mesquite Bacon and a Genevoise Sauce

Served with 2007 Cortes de Cima “Chaminé” Alentejano
and 2007 João Portugal Ramos “Vila Santa Red” Alentejo

 

Writer Michael Vaughn and Sommelier Sara d’Amato

Rosemary-Roasted Saddle of Lamb wrapped in Fall Greens with Buttered Brussels Sprouts, Root Purees and Sweet Garlic Jus

Served with 2005 Carm “Grand Reserve Red”  Douro
and 2005 Quinta da Lagoalva syrah/Touriga Nacional Ribatejo

Portuguese Cheese with Fig Jam and Crostini

Served with 2002 Van Zeller Vintage Port
and 2001 Quinta do Panascal Vintage Port

Classic Molotov with Port-Poached Pears and Caramel Sauce

Served with Taylor Fladgate 10 Year Tawny Port
and Taylor Fladgate 20 Year Tawny Port

 

To read more about this weekend’s Gourmet Food and Wine Show click here.

Jamie Drummond on Good Food and Wine : Episode 1 – Sam James

Welcome to the inaugural Jamie Drummond on Good Food and Wine podcast for Good Food Media.

For the first podcast I felt that it would a splendid idea to speak to one of Toronto’s “local heroes”, award-winning barista Sam James. Earlier this year I had the pleasure of working beside Sam at Jamie Kennedy’s Church Street location and so I was delighted to hear that Sam had just recently opened his own establishment called simply Sam James at 297 Harbord Street, Toronto.

Sam was kind enough to take some time out from his busy schedule to chat over breakfast at busy (and controversial) Toronto deli Caplansky’s just north of Kensington Market.

Please note that this interview truly is a “field recording” and contains a little auditory background character courtesy of the living and breathing deli location we choose for our meet up.

Sam James and his special Siphon Coffee

Personas – Metropath (ologies) – an installation

I was shown this today and found it utterly fascinating.

It is a superb installation by Aaron Zinman entitled Personas which “shows you how the internet sees you”.

Brilliant.

A Number of Names – Sharevari… Dancers on The Scene, Detroit

I saw this recording of an early 80’s dance show from Detroit today and it seriously blew my mind.

Sharevari has always been one of my favourite proto-techno/electro tracks and to see these folks dance to it is simply superb.

If you look closely there is some rather serious “gurning” going on in that studio.

My favourite is the ginger-haired white fellow, giving it his best shot… they cut away from him pretty quickly…

Holy Ghost – I Will Come Back

I love this homage to New Order’s Confusion video.

And it features the always lovely Nancy Whang…

Thanks for the T-Shirt Nancy BTW… I wore it last night to great effect!

Legowelt – Equestrian 707

Over the years I have met Danny (AKA Legowelt) a few times.

Twice in Toronto and once in Glasgow…

Legowelt, gingerz, db and TLR

… and I have always adored his music…

But THIS VIDEO takes the (doggy) biscuit.

Get ready…

See?

30 in 20 Exhibit

A few months back I was approached by Zach Kellum of Dundas West Gallery space The DepARTment to participate in an utterly fascinating project. I had met Zach previously whilst presenting wines for one of the Charlie’s Burgers dinner parties and he seemed like a thoroughly nice fellow. His proposition was to host a series of events based around the photographs and artifacts of a certain Mr Toni Harting and his wife Ria.

Photograph by Rick O'Brien

In the Summer of 1973, after coming into a modest inheritance,  Toni (then 46) and Ria (then 30) decided to rent a VW Camper van and travel around some of the finest restaurants in France… “collecting” 30 Michelin stars in 20 days… hence the title of the exhibit. Toni, being a photographer, travelled with his camera and managed to take some of the most remarkable pictures throughout the trip.

Ria Harting having lunch at L'Oasis

One has to remember that things were so very far removed from today when it is commonplace in restaurants to see bloggers and others taking digital photos of their food and the like. Saying that, even today I would imagine that it would still be seen as being rather gauche to take photos in the grandest of French Michelin 3-Star restaurants? Many of Toni’s photographs look as if they have been taken covertly… no mean feat when one considers the size of a 35mm camera back in 1973. But it’s not only the pictures taken inside these hallowed houses of gastronomy that shine.It is also the many pictures that Toni took of their travels across France, living simply from the back of the VW Camper… it is the juxtaposition of these images with the restaurant ones that really makes the exhibit for me.

A picnic lunch under a tree

There is a certain humility that comes through in so many of the shots that I simply adore.

One of my favourite pictures in the exhibit.

Alongside the photographs are all of the restaurant menus that the Hartings collected from their travels. When Zach first showed these to me I remember sitting there in sheer wonderment as I pored over the menus of Maxim’s, Paul Bocuse, La Pyramide, and L’Oasis. It was around these menus that we decided to plan a series of 4 events, where local Chefs would replicate many of the dishes from these menus and I would select a suitable wine to accompany. Zach had assembled a dream team to put together these events: Arlene “Force Of Nature” Stein from Hart House, Malcolm Jolley of Good Food Media, the illustious Greg Bolton of Pantry and my bad self. Along with Chefs Jamie Kennnedy, Eric Walker (Pantry), Bertrand Alépée and Jason Inniss (Amuse Bouche), Tawfik Shehata (Vertical) and John Lee (Chippy`s), and Donna Dooher (Mildred`s Temple Kitchen) we presented a selection of hors d’oeuvres-size replications of a multitude of 1973 menu items to an enraptured audience… saying that, there is one more to go tomorrow night! Donna’s evening is completely sold out and I am very much looking forward to being there later to say congratulations to everyone involved.

Some of the archival menus on display at 30 in 20

Photograph by Rick O'Brien

I have quite a few more pictures from the events in a Flickr set here.