Follow Us:

Blog

Into the Bottle - Intro to Wine, February 2, 2017

Posted on February 8, 2017

On Thursday, February 2nd we held an Introduction to Wine class here at Kensington Wine Market.

Along with delving into some bottles we went over quite a few of the things that need to be addressed in order to truly appreciate wine.  We discussed how to taste a wine and what to look for in a wine. Breaking it down into 4 basic categories; look, smell, taste, and overall opinion.  The class was focused on a few of the classic grapes. All the wines we tried were single varietals and from places where they are really thriving in the world.  It was quite fun to be able to try a lot of different and varied tastes from around the world, as well as learn a thing or two.

This class was a mouthful, as we had to taste our way through 8 different wines, 4 white and 4 red.  Nothing pairs so well with education as wine and I felt the selection served as a great introduction to some of the big grapes of the wine world. I was able to slip in a few of my favourites as well.  I will go through them in the same order that we tried them in the class, as it seemed to be quite a lovely way to enjoy the different expressions of each grape.


Greywacke Wild Sauvignon Blanc 2014, $44.99
This is an amazing Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, where they are doing fantastic things with this grape.  This wine is produced by Kevin Judd; one of the original wine makers for Cloudy Bay wines.  He was one of the people who really helped to put New Zealand wine and the citrus and fruit driven new world style of Sauvignon Blanc on the map.  This is a lovely wine that really expresses the "terroir" of the region.  Greywacke wines were named for the small grey stones that you find all over the vineyards and New Zealand.  This bottling is dubbed 'Wild Sauvignon' because he uses the wild yeasts that are in the air and on the grapes to ferment the wine.  It is an extremely expressive wine and amazingly delicious.  A very light straw colour, while on the nose you get notes of grass, lemon, and passion fruit.  As one co-worker put it, like grass next to a pond.  On the palate it is a lovely textural wine with medium acidity, a touch of smoky flint, and a lovely lemon custard taste as well.  Once you have a drink it feels like you can still taste the crust along with a lovely creamy, lemon that leaves your mouth coated with the taste.  The grapes seem to have been left to express where they are from and that is exactly what they did.  Amazing wine!

Walter Hansel North Slope Chardonnay 2013, $55.99
Chardonnay is a white wine grape that has been grown the world over. One of the top places making it is California.  This wine is exactly what you would expect to see from there.  This is a big, rich, luscious California Chardonnay.  It is from a relatively new producer who originally started to make wine with his father on their land after planting it with gr...

Continue Reading →




Road Less Travelled, Italy - January 24, 2017

Posted on January 31, 2017

It has been a few years since I’ve been conducting tastings at KWM and I never really had a good reason not to do them again, especially since I have a lot of passion for wine and the industry. I am glad that I’ve finally been convinced to teach again as the reception at this tasting was great - even though the wines were quite obscure for many and perhaps not ones that an average consumer would buy. The point of this tasting was to taste and learn about grape varietals, regions that are often overlooked by our shoppers at the store even if these wines may seem quite ordinary to wine professionals, and in fact selecting less known wines that still have broad appeal was challenging.

None the less, my duty was to showcase wines that were not the usual ones like Amarone, Sangiovese infused “Super Tuscans”, Pinot Grigio or a Chianti. Wines that us wine geeks truly enjoy and want to share with consumers but are often afraid to recommend them because they are not the norm. For every time someone asks me to recommend a wine that I personally like, the answer would be easily found within any of the bottles in this lineup.






Fattori Ronca Methodo Classico Durello (2012 – Bottled 2016) - $44.99
Monte Calvarina, on the east side of Soave DOC, Veneto

We’ve been working with this winery for a few years now at KWM as an Alberta exclusive, starting with the excellent value Pinot Grigio and Soave, and eventually bringing in the whole Valpolicella lineup including the Amarone wines. The new additions this year are two sparkling wines made of local grape varietal Durella (AKA Durello) which is suitable for sparkling wines due to high acid levels. I selected the Methodo Classico for the evening as it is closer to Champagne; with 36 months aging on the lees and bottle fermented to give finer bubbles. What you'll find on the nose are characteristic notes of bread crust and yeast elegantly intertwined with hints of dried fruit and citrus. The palate is seamless and the persistent taste comes from good acidity that blends nicely with fine bubbles and a distinct flavour. The long finish offers notes of citrus and almond. This wine is perfect as an aperitif, and ideal with dishes of raw shellfish and sushi. Great with Verona’s traditional dishes like Sopressa (aged salami), cheese and Baccalà alla Vicentina (baked cod fish).

Tiare Empire Sauvignon DOC Collio 2013 - 47.99
Collio, Friuli Venezia Giulia

This is one of our staff favourites and reminds me of a very well made white Bordeaux even though there is no Semillon added to this wine. A medal winner at the 2014 Concours Mondial Sauvignon! A beautiful white wine made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape, with notes of grass, fresh herbs, gooseberry and perhaps a hint of flowers and quince. This is a very full-bodied version of Sauvignon and it leaves ...

Continue Reading →




Beer's not a Boys Club - January 26, 2017

Posted on February 9, 2017

So I've been doing beer tastings here for over nearly 5 years now, and in that time there has been an very noticeable increase in the female to male ratio attending. This makes me incredibly happy, because beer is not just for guys or girls; be they bitter, fruity, colourful or any of the above. Everyone is free to enjoy the beverage they want (as long as they have valid ID and are of age of course heh). I like to host environments where variety is the norm for beer and customer alike, along with an honest place to ask any beer question that comes to mind. So it was suggested that I do a tasting where we have an open venue for tasting and questions with any women who happen to want to learn a little more. So here it is! 7 delicious beers, 18 wonderful guests, several plates of amazing cheese and meats (provided by the lovely Peasant cheese of course), and one bearded beer guy.



Helles Belles lager by Ninkasi brewing: Brewed with premium pilsner malt and bittered with German Hallertau hops, this Helles lager pours champagne in colour. Bright, crisp and satisfying. ($4.29 for a 330mL bottle)

La Maison by Four Winds brewing: A light bodied farmhouse style made with rye and spelt, and fermented with wild yeast. A mildly grainy base with tropical fruity notes wafting off the nose. A crisp and delicious table beer. ($9.19 for a 650mL bottle)

Alex Ale by Outcast brewing: Outcast is a new local gypsy brewer (for now)! Named after his second son, Alex ale is a super hop heavy pale ale that is super fruity from the liberal use of Citra hops. Silky and super fruity and ready to take home on the growler bar. ($8.5 for 1L, $16 for 2)

Pineapple Sculpin IPA by Ballast Point: Hopped in 5 different stages, this beer has flavours of apricot, mango and lemon. But this isn’t your regular Sculpin IPA - this version has the addition of 100% fresh pineapple puree to create a new twist on an old favourite. ($28.79 for a 6-pack of cans)

Sour in the Rye by The Bruery: This American Wild Rye Ale was brewed with a substantial portion of rye malt, and the spicy character of the grain asserts itself with clove and pepper in the aroma and flavour. Add in sour cherry notes from their special blend of micro-organisms and vanilla from the red wine barrels and you've got a mouthful! ($28.99 for a 750mL bottle)

Gluten Free Dark Ale by Ground Breaker: The Dark Ale uses a very dark, near espresso-like roast of chestnuts. The extra dark chestnuts lend a roasty flavour and aroma with notes of chocolate and dark fruits. The hops take a supporting role in this beer allowing the roastiness to come forward in the palette. ($10.49 for a 650mL bottle)

The Hammer Barrel Aged Imperial Stout by Phillips brewing: Take a tasty imperial stout and pour it into bourbon soaked American oak barrels. Drop the hammer and smash your way into rich, roasted caramel warmth. Ample ar...

Continue Reading →




Monster Cabs - Friday, January 20th, 2017

Posted on January 25, 2017

Cabernet Sauvignon, AKA, King Cab, Cab, the invader, the intruder, the colonizer, etc. One of the best-known grapes in the wine world and also one of the most planted throughout the world.  It has been planted in every country that is able to grow grapes.  Name recognition definitely helps when a grower is looking to sell but also because it is such a hardy and enduring grape it has made its way into everywhere that wants to produce wine, thus earning it wonderful nicknames.  Tonight we had the privilege to taste quite a few different Cabs from around the world focusing on bigger, more robust wines and I for one was left with slightly darker teeth by the end of this tasting.

We worked our way through a total of seven different Cabernet Sauvignons during the stand up tasting. I will go through them in order of voting preference.  There was a slight disadvantage because everyone had to pick 2 favourites, which I and many others found to be quite difficult as they were all fantastic in their own right.



Moss Wood Wilyabrup Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 - $96.99
This is the 40th anniversary vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon for Moss Wood and they are doing a fantastic job.  It was a clear winner with the majority of votes.  This is a gorgeous and well structured wine with lots of dark fruit flavours such as plums and cassis along with a touch of chocolate.  Bright acidity on the palate, with lovely tannins for a very balanced and well put together wine. This also happened to be the wine with the most amount of time aged in barrels at 28 months.  It was a great pleasure to be able to share this wine with everyone at the tasting.

Lancaster Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 - $84.99
This wonderful Cab comes from the hills of Alexander Valley in Sonoma County and they are definitely doing something right.  We were lucky enough to get eighteen bottles of this into the store and unfortunately we are down to only a few left.  This Cab does actually have a bit of other grapes mixed into it to help round it out and give it what the producer is looking for.  It is a 2009 and still drinking very fresh.  Deep rich colour, lots of fresh, jammy ripe fruit on the nose and palate, along with leather, tobacco, and some earthy qualities.  This is more than just a monster; this is a monster with class.  There has definitely been lots of care and attention put into this wine and I am so glad that we were able to try it before it is gone.

Tether Napa Valley Red Blend 2014 - $81.99
I may have cheated a little bit on this one because it is not full Cab Sauv but the grape still takes the main stage in this wine and I did feel that it falls into the monster realm. Tether is an exclusive to us something that was very hard to pass up.  This beauty is a collaboration wine from Kimberly Jones (wine broker) and winemaker Anna Monticelli.  Kimberly is ...

Continue Reading →




New beers - January 18, 2017

Posted on January 25, 2017

Hey folks!

I hope everyone has gotten a chance to taste the Four Winds Nectarous. If not, we're about half way through the cases we received last week, so don't sit on it for too long! While you're at it, make sure to grab a bottle of their saison La Maison, which is truly a fantastic, lightly fruity and slightly funky saison.  Same thing goes for the Outcast Alex Ale. We're about half way through and have to make sure everyone gets a chance to taste this local gem!

Only a few new things for this week, though they are all pretty neat. The imperial stout from Blindman is an intriguing beer, as is the mole stout from The Bruery. Read on and see for yourself!


Chucklehead IRA by Phillips brewing: Don't shy away from this one Coulrophobes! Like many Phillips beers, you can forget about the name, and even just tear the label off. This medium bodied India Red Ale has aromas of bright resinous hops that float upon a lightly caramel scented and decently full malt backbone. A little more comforting than your average IPA. ($7.49 for a 650mL bottle)

Ichorous Imperial stout by Blindman brewing: A rich and dense imperial stout, just how we want them! Plenty of dark and roasted malts, and all the coffee and cocoa that comes with them. A hint of booziness bobs up from the accompanying sweetness to make sure you know what kind of beer this is. ($19.99 for a 4-pack of cans)

Share this: Mole by The Bruery:  This is an imperial stout featuring ancho chilies, chipotle peppers, cinnamon, vanilla and cacao nibs. The cinnamon and coffee aromas waft our first thing, followed by lovely chocolate and smoke notes. A rich stout base brings all the usual components to play, but peppered heavily with more smoke, chocolate and spice.($22.69 for a 750mL bottle)

Hazelnutley Choctabulous by Rogue ales: It was a thing, once, to blend Rogue's hazelnut brown and chocolate stout in order to make something that tastes along the lines of a snickers bar. Rogue took this idea and ran with it (though 4+ years after the fact) and merged these two beers for you!  Chocolate heavy, with a nice nutty, roasty depth. Slightly creamy but overall, super tasty. ($10.69 for a 650mL bottle)

Saixon by The Bruery: A beautifully rustic, fruity, and funky saison. Featuring brettanomyces and 3 different German hops, this is meant to be a somewhat of a Belgo-Germanic style. Light grainy body with citrus and lots of funky farmhouse qualities. Easily drinkable with a pleasant bitter finish. ($15.99 for a 750mL bottle)

Cidre Kinkiz: Yet another Normandy cidre to hit the market! Brilliantly funky and wildly effervescent. Both ripe and turning apples and care-worn horse blankets. This is my absolute favourite style of cider! ($17.79 for a 750mL bottle)


Along with all of these, I'm also trying to fill a couple of extra shelves I've recently built. So I'm b...

Continue Reading →




Newer Posts →

← Older Posts

Recent Posts
Archives

Categories