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carswell

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  1. Anderson's article, "Beware the demon alcohol", is summarized here.
  2. Climate affects grapes' sugar levels. The sugar levels in the must (pressed grape juice) determine, among other things, a wine's potential alcohol. Ergo, climate does have more than a little to do with a wine's alcoholic strength, especially in jurisdictions like California or, in good vintages, Bordeaux where chaptalization (the adding of sugar to the must) is forbidden. Beyond a minimum threshold, the amount of yeast added is much less important to the wine's alcoholic strength than the type of yeast. Many yeasts cannot tolerate alcohol levels above a fairly low level (e.g. 12.5%). On the other hand, today's super yeasts can thrive up to and beyond alcohol levels of 15%. Oh, come on. What percentage of the new-breed 15% or 16% alc./vol. wines are made with ambient yeasts? The portfolios of Louis/Dressner in the States and Rézin here in Quebec, both of whom specialize in "natural" wines, certainly don't contain many. And one of the reasons traditional European wines rarely clocked in above 13% was because they were made with ambient yeasts. High-alcohol wines are a recent phenomenon in most of Europe and in the main owe their existence to cultured yeasts.
  3. Pushed by this and the Montreal forum thread, I just bought a copy of The Gazette for the first time in years. Malcolm Anderson's article is not nearly as simplistic as vinfidel would have us believe. Since it's hidden behind a subscriber-only firewall, I'll summarize it here. MA begins by noting that many wines these days are more potent than in the past. He wonders why so many clock in at 14%, 14.5% and higher, when the norm used to be 12 or 13%. "The biggest factor is global warming," he then states. Vineyard temperatures are on the rise and this, in turn, is producing riper grapes. Riper grapes mean high sugar levels, as you can easily verify with a bunch of white table grapes: the grapes at the top and outside of the bunch tend to be sweeter than the others, because they are the most exposed to the heat of the sun. Another issue is indigenous yeasts, he says. Some winemakers decide to kill them off and use cultured yeasts that increase their control of the fermentation process and provide specific characteristics they desire in the wine. "Normally, the yeast dies when the fermenting juice reaches around 13-per-cent alcohol but these days, with much riper grapes and stronger yeasts, not all the sugar is used up but stays in the wine [...] and makes the wine sweeter than normal." By way of example, he mentions an Alsatian pinot gris he recently tasted that had 14.5% alcohol and tasted richer than usual. "What are producers doing about this," he wonders. Well, some are gung-ho about it, especially since such wines show well in competitions, making "more restrained wines look and taste wimpy." Some add water, reducing the alcoholic strength but also diluting the flavour. Others use pricey machines and techiniques that remove alcohol, though the practice is forbidden in many jurisdictions. He suggests that the answer will mainly be found in the vineyard. Irrigation is one culprit, allowing vines to produce ripe grapes instead of growing deep roots in search of water and nourishment. Certain canopy management techniques, like leaf-thinning, are also to blame, since they expose the grapes to more sunlight and heat and increase their sugar levels. Winemakers can also look to other ways of stressing the vines, such as dense planting, to make them "work harder to produce their fruit." He concludes by noting that, while "global warming appears to be here to stay," few people are making a fuss about high-alcohol wines and suggests that, until they do, few winemakers will feel pressured to change. The bottom line: Anderson hits most of the relevant points if not always in the most coherent way. He does show a tendency to glibness. And he could be taken to task for his bald assertion that global warming is the biggest factor behind the trend to more potent wines. Certainly, it is a little early to claim it is anything more than one of several factors (grape clones, the so-called "super yeasts," viticultural practices, etc.). But to call the article "reckless journalism" is somewhat reckless itself. IMHO, of course.
  4. The Gazette is distributed throughout the city, including predominantly French neighbourhoods, and has a fairly large number of francophone readers (a far higher percentage than La Presse, Le Devoir or Le Journal's anglo readership, to our city's eternal shame). So what? Are you suggesting that sales are higher in the Plateau than in NDG, Pointe-Claire or DDO? You can buy Le Journal in Beaconsfield, too. Guess that means the claim that its target audience is francophone East Enders and South and North Shore types isn't reality based, eh?
  5. Um, I'm not here to defend Malcolm, however I can't sit back and accept a comment like that. Did someone in management tell you that flat out? Or is it an assumption on your part? ← Neither management nor an assumption, Lesley. First, it's something of an open secret; there was even discussion of it in local media a while back (at the time of the last major redesign, if I recall correctly, though it may have been or also have been when the paper was sold to Black or by Black). Also, I've heard it from the mouth of a longtime staff reporter as well as from a former freelancer (who, I admit, may have been grinding an axe over the royalties brouhaha of a few years ago). More specific to Anderson, while I've not heard it from his lips, I was told by the wine columnist for another Montreal daily that several years ago MA was instructed by management to focus mainly on low-end wines. That said, coverage of more expensive wines, foodstuffs and creature comforts does appear to have increased in recent years, especially post-9/11. Circulation statistics do not lie. Care to quote some? edit: clarity
  6. Your withdrawal pointedly applied only to the LA Cetto. The "sangria, wine coolers, and the spiked high school punch of their teenage years" comment re the Borsao came in that same post and after you were asked to drop the insults. The "if I want my wine to taste like Lollipops, I'll put the bottle on a stick and shrink wrap it" comment came a few posts after that. Not to mention the recent jibe in passing in the olive oil thread. Oh, great. Let's not stop at making snarky remarks about Anderson's age or mocking his palate. No, let's accuse him of ulterior motives! Why don't you spell it out, Vinnie? You think he's being bribed? Hey, maybe he's an investor in the company! Has it even occurred to you that he might actually have enjoyed the wine? Or is that not nefarious enough for you? I didn't say he covered only low-end, easily available wines. I said that's where his main focus lies. I'm not going to defend an article I haven't read and don't trust you to summarize clearly or fairly. And what is it about you and older men, anyway? Prial has famously made a number of dumb comments in recent years and been raked over the coals for them on various wine fora. But, since I don't think saying that global warming is having an effect on ripeness levels is stoopid, I can easily imagine him writing about the connection. And, bubbeleh, why are you mentioning Prial? He's another grandpa! That's funny. In his 2005 guide, he rates the Nicolas two stars out of four. Hardly "undrinkable."
  7. Why would you waste time on him anyway? I mean, he actually rates Borsao pretty highly. Probably likes lollipops and spiked high-school punch, too. As for covering the high-end stuff, that's not really in his job description. The Gazette's target audience is West Island suburbanites, and they're most interested in $8-$15 bottles. His coverage is geared mainly to them. For the kind of coverage you want, subscribe to one of the local wine gurus' newsletters (e.g. Phaneuf) or try to get your hands on the limited-circulation mags that target physicians, dental surgeons, lawyers, executives, etc. and have regular wine columns. And, btw, ripe grapes have high sugar levels and high sugar levels have the potential to produce high alcohol levels (case in point: Califonia pinot noir that regularly clocks in at 14%). Sure, there are other factors, like yeast strain and canopy management, that enter into play. But there's nothing wrong a priori with his argument as you present it (I've not read the column and probably won't). Unless you're one of those ostriches that pooh-pooh the notion of global warming, that is.
  8. http://www.montrealpassionvin.ca/ Admission: $1,500 per person.
  9. 1393, boulevard René-Lévesque Est (514) 527-7070 Tastet on Ö Chalet
  10. Turns out M. Guigal is also going to be at the Signature at 10 a.m. on November 1 to sign (appropriately enough) bottles of his wine. I dare someone to show up with a half bottle of the Côtes-du-Rhône!
  11. The 2001 Guigal Lalas (Mouline, Landonne and Turque) go on sale November 1 at the Signature outlet downtown. Fanatics usually start queuing at 6 a.m. for the privilege of paying $299 a bottle. See you there... not!
  12. Huh?! My neighbourhood store gives you the scratchcard at the cash. While you scratch, they ring up the total. Where you shoppin', Camp?
  13. Well, I'll be. I can't recall any Quebec chef cookbook being translated in a long time. Here's hoping Patrick's book is next up for Englishing and the series raises the chefs' profiles beyond our borders. Any info on who's translating and publishing the English editions? Webseaching doesn't turn up anything and Les Éditions de l'homme's online catalogue is down... Cool. Hope it's multicultural and polyglot. Why Westmount, though? Very out of the way for non-residents. edit: LEDLH's catalogue is back on line but I don't see anything about an English edition of Godbout's book.
  14. Not really. Brachetto is a light, fruity, strawberry-scented wine; sparkling shiraz is like shiraz with bubbles. It'd probably work with the turkey but I doubt it would have the wherewithal to stand up to the traditional accompaniments (stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry relish). Disclaimer: I probably haven't tried your particular Brachetto. Sparkling reds are best drunk cool, not cold, though it can be fun to serve them a bit cooler than ideal and taste how they change as they warm up.
  15. I doubt the Demers book will be published in English, as he's not particularly well known outside of Quebec. And, anyway, that's the fate of most all cookbooks by Quebec's high-profile chefs (Vézina, DeCanck and Godbout, to name only three). On the bright side, we're always ready, willing and able to field language questions. Godbout's book has been out for a while now. Haven't acquired it or looked through it closely (still busy cooking my way through Wolfert's SW France book and reading the recipes and comic strips in L'appareil).
  16. This is hardly AB's first visit to Quebec. And any happiness he feels will be short-lived, as smoking in Quebec bars and restaurants will be outlawed beginning next summer. California here we come.
  17. carswell

    Need Help!

    Haven't had a WS in quite a while, so bear that in mind. If fish appeals, seared red tuna will do the trick, especially in combination with red wine-friendly ingredients like mushrooms. Most any fowl will pair nicely — I'd incline toward quail — as will lighter game meats like rabbit and boar. I find beef, especially filet, the most synergistic red-meat match with pinot noir. edit: How could I forget veal? Especially grilled or (pan-)roasted thick-cut chops, especially especially with mushrooms.
  18. carswell

    Need Help!

    Ditto the above. That said, a pretty safe bet is The Slanted Door's Shaking Beef.
  19. A word to the wise. If you arrange for a chef to cook it for you, provide him with a description of the dish as served at Bellini's or Aldo. Otherwise, you may be disappointed to find his take on Fra Diavolo is different from yours.
  20. Bof. In the first place, why are you taking what was obviously a rhetorical question so literally? Second, I wasn't referring to the number of people who are able or likely to lay down $5K for a home espresso machine but rather the percentage of home espresso enthusiasts (including the Silvia/E61 crowd) who would covet such a machine and be able to afford it. Quite different groups. That said, thanks for the price quote.
  21. I've said it before and I'll say it again: this thread needs pics!
  22. Maybe not in the overall scheme of things. But for an espresso lover with $600 to spend on a machine, it's a different story. Care to quote an estimated price on those? I have a vague memory of reading $2.5-3K for the Marzocco, i.e. Fantasyland. Can a machine be the "ultimate" if only 0.5% of those who covet it can afford it? And if the answer is yes, wouldn't the true ultimate machine be a two-group FB70 or Linea?
  23. Yeahbut a number of geeks are doing it already. Some even void their warranty by not waiting a year before making the mod. And anyway if Rancilio made a PIDed Silvia, economies of scale would apply, keeping the cost low. Look at the math: these days you can get a Silvia for around US$400, right? And what does a PID and accoutrements go for? $200? So, assuming the economies cover the cost of labour required to install the PID, we're talking $600 max for a PIDed Silvia, and probably more like $500-$550. There aren't many HX machines at that price point. In fact, are there any? The Expobar Pulsar, which for a while was known as the least expensive HX machine, goes for $700 at WWL. For someone who makes a lot of caps and lats, it's probably worth the premium. But I'd bet the hardcore espresso geek (already a significant percentage of Silvia's customer base) would choose the more stable and easily controlled temperature of a PIDed Silvia over a non-PIDed, non-E61ed Expobar.
  24. mukki beat me to it, Smithy. For turning hot birds, I usually use a couple of wood spatulas obstensibly bought for stir-fying in the wok. And for unstuffed birds, the "handle in the cavity" technique is the way to go. For particularly recalitrant fowl, I resort to manhandling the bird while wearing an old pair of washable oven mitts saved for the purpose. If none of these are viable for you, "tip" the bird as you did but then lift up one end or side and push the vegetable-bone mixture under it; repeat at the other extremities as necessary. Re trussing, I find removing the wing tips and then trussing the bird so the wings are held against the side and the legs pulled toward the centre produces a relatively flat sided beast. Is that how you did it?
  25. Am I reading the recipe wrong, Smithy, or shouldn't the chicken be resting on the vegetable-bone mixture in the bottom of the pan? That would prevent the skin from sticking. Also, Paula doesn't say to tip the chicken to one side but to lay it on its side, which is absolutely doable if the bird is properly trussed. Thanks for the report. The recipe sounds like another winner.
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