Back-to-school radio ad jingles are ringing in my ears reminding me that summer is winding down. Don’t let it be so! This summer has been absolutely fabulous. I am sure you too want summer to last forever!
One way to make summer linger is by drinking Rosé. As we are ending our summer-long offering of Bouquet of Rosés with wines that are delightful on a hot summers day, to enjoy with a bountiful meal to celebrate the harvest or to stash away for Thanksgiving. Turkey, cranberry & Rosé wines are one of my favourite wine and food pairings.
Our Savvy Sommelier Bethany Harpur has offered up her tasting notes for these crisp wines along with some pairing tips and recipes to help you enjoy each wine to its fullest:
Casa Dea Estates Dea’s Rosé Sparkling – just released!
Fielding Estates Winery Rosé VQA 2015
Legends Estates Pinot Gris VQA 2015 – just released!
Legends Estates Rosé VQA 2015 – just released!
Sue-Ann Staff’s Fancy Farm Girl Foxy Pink Rosé VQA 2014
Sue-Ann Staff’s Fancy Farm Girl Flirty Bubbles
Every bottle of wine in your Bouquet of Rosés is EXTRA special, as you won’t find them at the LCBO.
If you would like to order additional bottles or other hard-to-find Ontario wines (we do craft beers, too!), contact me at 613-SAVVYCO (613-728-8926) or debbie@savvycompany.ca
Here’s to ever lasting summer!
Casa Dea Estates Dea’s Rosé Sparkling
$19.95
Prince Edward County
Did you know? Casa Dea Estates was one of the original wineries in Prince Edward County known as Carmela Estates. With each new owner, it has been re-named. Their winemaker (who once was a butcher), Paul Batilianna, has been heralded by MacLean’s Magazine as ‘one to watch’ as the Canadian wine industry grows.
Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes: This unique sparkling rosé is made with 100% Gamay grapes. The colour is a beautiful coral pink with aromas & flavours that will remind you of the glorious days of this summer. On the nose & in the taste, this crisp & dry bubbly exudes aromas of citrus (pink grapefruit perhaps?), white flowers, minerality – that it is a County characteristic – juicy berries & rhubarb. There is lovely mousse (winespeak: tiny bubbles)with a long yet delicate finish. It`s a grown up sparkling wine.
Suggested Food Pairings: This is a great sipping wine & can be enjoyed on its own after being chilled for 30 minutes in the fridge. Pair with oysters or sushi. For something a little different, match with Beet Risotto (recipe follows).
Fielding Estates Rosé VQA 2015
$15.95
Beamsville Bench (Niagara)
When the Savvy Sommeliers got together for our spring sipping & sampling kick-off, we were quickly impressed with Fielding’s Rosé wine. At the beginning of the summer this wine was available at the LCBO. Now sold out, we were able to score the last case available for your at the winery.
Did you know? Curtis Fielding was once a professional race car driver. When his parents decided to get involved in growing grapes and making wine, they called Curtis off the race track to help them build the business. And good thing too! alongside with his wife Heidi, they celebrated the winery`s 10thanniversary last year and Curtis has been acknowledged by the grape growing industry by being reigned as Grape King – quite an honour! Now Curtis & Heidi are great Savvy fans & friends. You will no doubt see them at our next Savvy Event.
Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes: A soft pink colour with aromas and tastes that will remind you of ripe strawberries and rhubarb.
Suggested Food Pairing: It’s a lovely wine that will be delicious with fish (poached or grilled), prosciutto wrapped asparagus, grilled planked salmon, lemon roasted chicken even corn chowder.
Legends Estates Pinot Gris VQA 2015
$17.00
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Did you know? This is a winery that we discovered this summer. Our long-time Savvy friend Derek Barnett is a winemaker who just launched is virtual winery – Meldville Wines. What is a virtual winery you ask? A winery within a winery…Meldville Wines does not have a building yet, rather Derek is using the winemaking equipment at Legends. Everybody wins this way! Derek tipped me off on this wine and exclaimed that it was hands down one of the best Pinot Gris he has had this summer…and we agree!
Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes: Not labeled as a Rosé, but has a pink tinge because the Pinot Gris grapes are naturally cooper coloured when fully ripened. The winemaker kept the grape skins in contact with the juice after the crush and magically the colouring happened to give it a lovely copper colour. This is just like Palatine Hills Pinot Gris in last month’s assortment. A well balanced wine with fresh bread on the nose, hint of Earl Grey tea & reminders of clotted cream & fresh strawberries. Can you find any of this when you swirl & sip on this dry wine?
This Pinot Gris is so new that at the time of writing it isn’t even on Legends Estates website yet. You are the first to enjoy it. Another Savvy discovery!
Suggested Food Pairing: Roasted whole chicken, seafood, fish or try with the interesting grilled bruschetta recipe that we have included – Ombre Fresh & Roasted Tomatoes on Charred Bread.
Legends Estates Rosé VQA 2015
$12.95
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes: An interesting blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, this bright pink drink looks like watermelon…tastes like watermelon…and would be perfect paired with a plate full of watermelon!
Loads of floral notes with zippy acidity that makes this wine well balanced & every sip makes you want more. And the white pepper on the finish is the perfect punctuation.
Suggested Food Pairing: Smoked salmon, blue cheese, even risotto – we have included a neat recipe using beets!
Again, another wine find from Legends Estates. They have been so busy that they have not added it to their web site yet. You are the first to enjoy it.
Sue-Ann Staff’s Fancy Farm Girl Flirty Bubbles
$29.95
Twenty Valley (Niagara)
Did you know? Sue-Ann Staff has been a long time Savvy friend. Two years ago, she moved into her grandmother’s house and turned her kitchen into the winery tasting bar. Outside of ‘business’ hours, the kitchen is where Sue-Ann whips up a quick meal, then tidies up again to put her best foot forward when visitors drop in to try her wines. When you plan your next trip to Niagara, be sure to stop by to visit Sue-Ann…her dog Brix will be waiting for you at the end of the farmstead laneway!
Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes: It is no wonder that this sparkling wine won gold at Intervin International Wine Awards in 2015. Sue-Ann knows how to craft Riesling into delicious wines. Here she double fermented it and added a splash of Merlot 2010 in the dosage (at the end) to make the colour pop. Ta-da! An instant fun wine that you will swear is French champagne.
The fine bubbles race up the glass at rocket speed that make a delicious mouthfeel with each sip. Dry, delicious & crisp with yeasty undertones that remind you of fresh baked bread or brioche pastry, with a refreshing zip of cranberry, currants, or maybe it is more like fresh-out-of-the-oven strawberry rhubarb pie. Whichever memory it conjures up, this sparkling is hands down delicious. I think I may have overused that word in this tasting notes!
Suggested Food Pairing: Charcuterie, hard cheese, popcorn (yes – you read that right!) & seafood. Our friend Paula Roy who is just launching a TV show on Rogers TV this fall shared with us her “Better than Takeout Chinese Shrimp” recipe that would be delicious with this bubbles. Anyway you have it…enjoy!
Sue-Ann Staff’s Fancy Farm Girl Foxy Pink Rosé VQA 2014
$14.95
Twenty Valley (Niagara)
Savvy Sommelier Tasting Notes: A neat blend of 92% Riesling and 8% Cabernet Franc. With each sip, reminders of maraschino cherry, fresh juicy peaches & nectarines zip to your mind. Deliciously smooth with a low acidity that easily makes you long for more….then surprised that the bottle is gone!
Suggested Food Pairing: One of my Niagara favorites at this time of the year is Peach & Arugula Pizza. If you are bound for Niagara during harvest time, be sure to visit The Pie Plate & Bake Shop as you drive into Niagara-on-the-Lake for a slice of this amazing pizza.
Recipe & Photo credits: Food & Wine
Serves 8
Ingredients7 cups chicken stock
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
2 large beets (12 ounces each), peeled and coarsely shredded, plus thinly sliced beets for garnish
3 cups arborio rice
1 ½ cups young pecorino cheese, freshly grated
2 teaspoons poppy seeds, plus more for garnish
Note: “Beets give this creamy risotto stunning colour & delicate sweetness. Grace Parisi suggests wearing rubber gloves and shredding the beets directly into a stainless steel bowl to avoid staining hands and countertops.”
In a saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer; cover and keep warm. In a medium enameled cast-iron casserole, melt the butter in the oil.
Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes.
Add the shredded beets and cook, stirring, until the pan is dry, 12 minutes. Spoon half of the beets into a small bowl.
Add the rice to the casserole and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the warm stock to the rice and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the stock is nearly absorbed. Continue adding the stock 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly, until the rice is al dente and a thick sauce forms, about 22 minutes.
Stir in the cooked beets, cheese and the 2 teaspoons of poppy seeds. Cook, stirring, until heated through; add a few tablespoons of water if the risotto is too thick.
Spoon the risotto into bowls. Garnish with sliced beets and poppy seeds and serve.
Recipe & Photo Credit: LCBO Food & Drink Summer 2016
This recipe substitutes Wasabi cream cheese for fresh buffalo mozzarella
1 round Buffalo Mozzarella
3 small beefsteak tomatoes
2 pkgs. mix of red and orange cherry and grape tomatoes
Olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste
4 slices sourdough bread (or an Italian crusty bread)
¼ cup crispy shallots (found in Asian markets, or fry your own)
Slice buffalo mozzarella into 8 thin slices.
Slice beefsteak tomatoes into wedges, keep cherry and grape tomatoes whole.
Preheat broiler on oven. Place foil on a baking sheet, add cherry and grape tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Broil until just starting to pop and blister, around 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven and lift foil from baking sheet. Refrigerate tomatoes to cool.
Place bread on baking sheet and toast until slightly charred.
Spread each toast slice with 2 slices of buffalo mozzarella, and sprinkle evenly with crispy shallots. Arrange fresh and broiled tomatoes in a colourful Ombre composition, moving from reds to oranges. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Serves: 2 medium-sized pizzas
Recipe & Photo credits: Five and Spice
Originally adapted from Shutterbean
1 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1? cup warm water (just gently warm to the touch, not hot)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp. salt
3-4 cups bread flour
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 red onion, thinly sliced
4 peaches, pitted and cut into eighths
8 oz chevre (soft goat cheese)
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 cups arugula
slices of prosciutto – as much as you like!
sea salt
Make the pizza dough early in the morning of the day you want to eat the pizza. Or make it the night before. Combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water in the bowl of a standing mixer with a bread hook (or in a large mixing bowl, if you’re going to knead by hand). Let it sit for about 5 minutes until the yeast has started to become foamy.
Add 3 cups of the flour, stir until it’s just sort of mixed together, then let it sit for 10-20 minutes to autolyse (this step is optional, but it helps develop the gluten). Next, add the salt and the olive oil and start the mixer stirring on low speed (or squeeze the olive oil and salt in using your hands, until worked into the dough). Knead the dough with the bread hook, or by hand on a lightly floured surface, for 5 minutes. Add just enough extra flour so that the texture of the dough is lightly tacky, but not completely sticky.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel, put in the fridge and let rise for 8-12 hours. It should double or even triple in size.
When ready to bake the pizza, heat your oven to 500F, preferably with a pizza stone in it if you have one. Take out your pizza dough and divide it in half. On a well floured surface, stretch each half of the dough into an approximately 12-inch circle (or rectangle, as the case may be), then let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
While the dough is resting, toss the sliced red onion with the balsamic vinegar in a large bowl. Let this sit for 10-15 minutes to lightly pickle the onions. Then, gently stir in the peach slices.
When the dough has finished resting, stretch each half further into a circle as thin as you can make it without breaking the dough – if the dough does tear, just press it back together.
Transfer each stretched piece of dough to a parchment lined baking sheet or a pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal.
Top each of the pizzas with half of the peaches and onions, making sure to leave the remaining balsamic vinegar in the bowl because you’re going to toss the arugula in there. Break the chevre into small chunks and scatter half of it evenly over each of the pizzas. Sprinkle the pizzas well with sea salt.
Bake each pizza one at a time, either directly on the pizza stone or on the baking sheet you have it on, in the hot oven until the crust is nice and golden brown (mine took only about 8 minutes, but the time depends on how thin your dough winds up being).
While the pizzas are baking toss the arugula & prosciutto with the remaining vinegar and the 1 Tbs. olive oil plus a pinch of salt. After each pizza comes out of the oven, top it with half of the arugula. The arugula should wilt a bit with the heat.
Let the pizzas cool at least 5 minutes before slicing, then slice and serve.
From Savvy Sommelier Cathy Law’s Kitchen
Serves 4 to 6 (depending on size of filet)
Photo credit: www.RecipeHubs.com
Ingredients1 fresh fillet of salmon
2 tbsp. fresh ginger chopped
Enough ginger infused peach or apricot jam to spread evenly over the salmon
Cracked pepper and salt fish to taste
Submerge your cedar plank in water with a little Rose wine (if you dare! Alternatively, use white wine). Let the plank soak for about 2 hours. The longer the plank soaks the better as there will be less burning of the wood.
Heat your BBQ or Smoker to medium high.
Place the salmon on the plank skin side down. Set the plank on the pre heated grill and close the lid. Grill salmon for 10 to 20 minutes until it starts to flake easily. Carefully remove the plank from the grill.
Serve with your choice of accompaniments along with a glass of sparkling Rose.
Serves: 4 to 6
Recipe & Photo credits: Constantly Cooking
For the sauce:
3/4 cup (175 mL) pineapple juice (fresh or canned)
1 Tablespoon (15 mL) grated fresh ginger root
3 Tablespoons (45 mL) soy sauce
3 Tablespoons (45 mL) honey
3 Tablespoons (45 mL) rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons (30 mL) sesame oil
1 to 2 Tablespoons (15 – 30 mL) Sriracha or Sambol Oelek (Asian hot sauce) or to taste
1 Tablespoon (15 mL) cornstarch
For the shrimp and vegetables:
1 lb (454 g) medium or large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 cup (90 mL) cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) freshly ground pepper
2 to 4 Tablespoons (30 – 60 mL) canola oil
1 large carrot, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 large red pepper, in 3/4 inch (2 cm) pieces
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled and cored, in 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces
1/2 cup (125 mL) minced green onion tops
1/2 cup (125 mL) salted cashews
cooked brown rice, to serve
Prepare sauce by combining all ingredients in a jar with a tight lid and shaking well to blend.
Chop all ingredients before beginning to cook.
Put cornstarch and pepper in a small bag and shake to blend.
Pat shrimp dry then dredge, a handful at a time, in the cornstarch mixture. Place them on a clean plate, in a single layer. This can be done up to an hour before cooking time; refrigerate shrimp until needed.
When ready to assemble the dish, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium heat.
Add shrimp to the pan in batches so they are not too crowded and cook, flipping once, until shrimp has turned pink and coating is crispy, about 2 – 3 minutes. Remove cooked shrimp to a clean plate and add more oil as needed. The shrimp can be cooked ahead of time and refrigerated for up to an hour.
When shrimp has been cooked, add a tiny bit more oil to the pan and cook carrots, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add peppers and cook for 2 minutes more. Add zucchini and cook for 2 minutes.
Return cooked shrimp to the pan and drizzle sauce over top and cook, stirring gently, for 3 – 5 minutes until sauce is thickened.
Serve chicken mixture and sauce over cooked brown rice and garnish with minced green onion and cashews.
