FOOD Exclusive wines for the big day D
IKurtis Kolt
’m all for decadent holiday feasting. I love all of it, and the more old-school, the better. Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, roasted Brussels sprouts, carrots, and gravy, gravy, gravy!
This, of course, is the latter course of a day that will likely start with a greasy fry-up for breakfast, followed by nonstop noshing on cheese, charcuterie, nuts, Toffifees, After Eights, and anything else within arm’s reach.
Due to the nature of the day, I’m generally inclined to opt for refreshing, lively wines to counter all of that richness and culinary debauchery. A little elegance and freshness can go a long way.
Also, since these holidays are indeed a special occasion, I’m going a bit deeper into the ol’ wallet.
Sparkling wine should always be on hand this time of year, no? Laurentperrier Cuvée Rosé NV (Champagne, France; $95.99 for 750 millilitres, on sale for $91.99 through December 29, or $229.99 for the 1.5-litre format) is a consistently tasty pink fizz made from 100 percent Grand Cru Pinot Noir. A bit of a rarity when it come to rosé Champagne, its colour and style come from 48 to 72 hours of skin contact during the winemaking process.
It’s aged on the lees for five years (six years if you’re springin’ for the magnum), and there’s a lovely creaminess to it, with rose petals and brioche mingling in the aromatics, then a palate basking in huckleberries, Rainier cherries, and raspberries, with a pinch of nutmeg and a kiss of basil. Any salty or fried hors d’oeuvres will hit the spot.
While we’re thinking pink, a recent entry to the local rosé market is Culmina Family Estate Winery Bobbie Burgers Rosé 2017 (Okanagan Valley, B.C.; $35). Okay, real talk: this is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it opportunity. To celebrate Culmina’s five-year anniversary, the Triggs family proprietors collaborated with famed British Columbian artist Bobbie Burgers to create a label featuring her hallmark lively floral bursts. The bottle is gorgeous, and so is what’s inside: 100 percent single-vineyard Cabernet Franc provides plenty of red fruit, which is rounded out by ripe peaches, blood orange, and a smudge of lime leaf.
What ups the game here is nine months spent in French oak, which rounds things out with a light toasty note and a kiss of vanilla. My wife commented that this is a rosé that fans of white Burgundy would be attracted to: well-built, stunning fruit, and perfectly integrated oak.
This is as limited-edition as it gets: only one barrel was made, and it’s only available at the winery. Another exclusive, much closer to home, is Ochota Barrels “Texture Like Sun” 2018 (Adelaide Hills, Australia; $49.99 for 750 millilitres or $124.99 for the 1.5-litre format), which is only available at Kitsilano Wine Cellar. This charismatic blend of Pinot Noir, Grenache, Gamay, Mourvèdre, Pinot Meunier, Gewürztraminer, Fragola, Riesling, and Chardonnay somehow harnesses the best attributes of each variety, culminating in an electricpink wine bursting with Gala apple, pomelo, red currants, lingonberry, Italian plums, and a hint of fresh thyme. Shimmering in the glass, with cracking minerality and juicy acidity, this is certainly a wine to keep things merry and bright. While we’re here: Kits Wine Cellar has the exclusive for the whole Ochota Barrels lineup available in B.C. Whether we’re talking Gamay, Pinot Meunier, or any other of the colourful labels in winemaker Taras Ochota’s lineup, I recommend the whole slate.
OF THE WEEK
TOUTED AS a health tonic a few centuries ago, flips make up a class of cocktails that today’s mixologists love to tinker with. “This velvetysmooth, creamy holiday libation is an homage to the 1600s, when sailors would drink a mixture of sugar, rum, and beer heated up, giving it the frothy consistency that the modern-day flip uses egg to achieve,” says Chiara Fung, premium bartender at the Westin Bayshore’s H Tasting Lounge. “The Nutcracker black tea infuses flavours of hazelnut and sweet vanilla into the cocktail, working with the nutmeg to create a festive sip with a rich, chocolate-y finish.”
0.5 oz Bulleit rye 0.5 oz Sailor Jerry
spiced rum
0.5 oz cane syrup 0.5 oz Tealeaves
Nutcracker tea 3 dashes Ms. Better’s
chocolate bitters Whole egg
Mix all ingredients in a shaker glass, add a full scoop of ice, and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Double-strain into a martini glass and garnish with nutmeg.