Friday, January 2, 2009

Canadian Wine for Dummies or Real Fast Vegetarian Food

Canadian Wine for Dummies

Author: Barbara Lesli

How can the same grapes make two different wines? Can you tell what a wine tastes like by reading the label? By understanding wine, you can drink better wine. In grocery stores, liquor stores, and at the vineyard, the key to picking a tasty wine is knowing how the wine was made—not by looking at the price. Even the glass you drink wine out of can enhance the experience. With some basic guidance, being a wine connoisseur is as easy as knowing what you like.

Canadian Wine For Dummies is for everyone from beginning wine drinkers who need a friendly primer on wine to experienced wine tasters who want a thorough introduction to the diverse variety of wines produced in Canadian. This is the perfect guide if you’re interested in:



• Entertaining at home

• Collecting wine

• Cooking with wine

• Touring Canadian vineyards

• Impressing your friends



Explore all the factors that influence a wine 212;from the soil the grapes grow in to the winemaking process—and understand how to decipher this information from the label. Navigate any restaurant’s wine list and order the best tasting and priced bottle. Serve the perfect wine to complement the food your serving. This friendly guide helps you do these things and more:



• Introduce your friends to Icewine

• Happily marry food and wine at your wedding

• Purchase wine online from private shops

• Properly taste and describe any wine

• Organize wine tastings

• Know when to send back a bottle of wine



Tired of relying on otherpeople’s wine choices? Want to discover a vast country of delicious wines? There are many, many reasons to explore the world of Canadian wines. No matter what the reason, the experience you take away from delving into the savory world of Canadian wines will make itself useful the rest of your life.



Table of Contents:
Introduction
How to Use This Book
Part I: What Is Wine?
Part II: Appreciating Wine
Part III: Enjoying Wine
Part IV: Wine and Food
Part V: Wineries across Canada
Part VI: The Part of Tens
Part VII: Appendixes
Icons Used in This Book

Part I: What Is Wine?

Chapter 1: What Makes a Wine
Understanding What Wine Is
Winemaking Basics

  • The importance of air
  • The grape's goodness
  • A fascination for thousands of years
  • A widespread appeal
  • An astonishing array of colours and sizes
  • A knockout combination: Sugar and acid
  • Setting the Standards
  • Canada's designated viticultural areas
  • VQA regulations
Chapter 2: Wine in Its Elements
Breaking It Down: Wine's Key Ingredients
  • Where's the fruit?
  • What's so good about acid?
  • What's the degree of alcohol?
  • What use are tannins?
  • What's this fifth element of wine?
    Deciphering a Canadian Wine Label

    Chapter 3: Getting to Know Your Berry
    Looking Closely at the Grape
    Life Preservers for Wine: Tannins to the Rescue!
    Contrasting Reds and Whites

  • Macerating makes the difference
  • White wines don't macerate
  • Drinking red wine in its youth
    Exploring the Variety of the Grape World
    Labelling for Variety

    Chapter 4: In the Vineyard
    All Grapes Are Not Created Equal
    Where Wine Grapes Grow— And How!

  • Why vines should struggle
  • How grapes get sweet
  • The cool connection
    A History of Mediocrity
    A Year in a Canadian Vineyard
    Weathering the Vintage
  • Frost warnings
  • Singing in the sunshine
  • Crying inthe rain
  • Harsh lessons
    The Education Advantage

    Part II: Appreciating Wine

    Chapter 5: Sensing Good Wine
    Visual Basics

  • Judging colour
  • Looking at whites
  • Seeing red
  • Checking out those legs!
  • Sending wines back: Five unsightly reasons to do so
    Nuancing the Nose
  • Getting swirling again (it's worth it)
  • Finding the right partners
  • Smelling something fishy: Avoiding bad wine days
  • Bottle stink and other problems
  • Oxidation
  • Corkiness
  • More stinky reasons for sending wines back

    Chapter 6: Pleasing Your Palate
    Getting to Know Your Tongue
    Putting Your Palate to the Test

  • Comparing whites
  • That glowing colour
  • Those revealing legs
  • The nose knows
  • The proving of your palate
  • Comparing reds

    Chapter 7: Judging the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
    Describing How Wines Taste
    Scoring Wine by Number

  • Your basic tasting sheet
  • The write words
  • Appearance
  • Bouquet
  • Taste

    Chapter 8: Sharing Good Taste
    Organizing a Tasting

  • Striking the right mood
  • Setting the scene
    Tasting in Private
  • Intimate encounters
  • Crowd scenes
  • Dinner parties
    Tasting in Public
  • Cruising the best wines
  • Getting the right answers

    Part III: Enjoying Wine

    Chapter 9: Wine in Restaurants
    Getting to Know the House Wine
    Reading a Wine List

  • Pick the perfect wine
  • Remember weight and acidity
  • Weight
  • Acidity
  • Consider how it's cooked
    Ordering Wine
    Sending Wine Back
    Real-Life Wine Experiences
  • The wrong way
  • The right way
    Wines for Vegetarians
    White Wine as an Aperitif

    Chapter 10: At Home with Wine
    Wine Buyer Beware
    Bringing Home the Wine

  • Handling reds
  • Handling whites and roses
    Cork Procedures
  • Choosing a corkscrew
  • Uncorking the bottle
  • After you've opened the bottle
  • To air is divine
    What a Difference a Glass Makes
  • A glass for red
  • A glass for white
  • A glass for champagne and sparkling wine

    Chapter 11: Buying for Keeping
    Storing Your Wines
    Choosing the Best Cellar Site

  • No basement? No worries!
  • Setting up your cellar
    Cataloguing Your Wines
    Collecting a Canadian Cellar
  • 24 bottles of wine on your wall
  • Preparing for future consumption
    Buying Wine in Canada
  • The liquor monopolies
  • Catalogue shopping
  • Private orders
  • Personal importation
  • Privatized wine shops
  • Auctions
  • Independent wine stores
  • The Internet
  • Purchasing wine on-line from Ontario wineries
  • Purchasing wine on-line from B.C. wineries
  • Purchasing wine on-line from wine agents
  • Purchasing wine on-line from your provincial liquor board

    Part IV: Wine and Food

    Chapter 12: The Marriage of Wine and Food
    Planning a Wine and Food Wedding
    Grape Expectations

  • Chardonnay
  • Chenin Blanc
  • Gewurztraminer
  • Icewine
  • Muscat
  • Pinot Blanc
  • Pinot Gris
  • Riesling
  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Gamay
  • Merlot
  • Nebbiolo
  • Pinot Noir
  • Sangiovese
  • Syrah/Shiraz
  • Tempranillo
  • Zinfandel
    Don't Forget the Fortifieds
  • Sherry: Any Palomino is a pal of mine
  • Port: Overturning the tradition
  • Ruby ports (bottle-aged)
  • Tawny ports (cask-aged)

    Chapter 13: Wine and Cheese
    The Perfect Match

  • Types of cheese
  • How cheese is made
    Classifying Cheeses
    Matching Canadian Wines and Cheeses
    Matching International Wines and Cheeses

    Chapter 14: Planning Your Wine Matches
    Zeroing In On the Right Wine
    Asking Two Easy Questions
    Matching Dish by Dish

  • Matching wine and soup
  • Matching wine and fish
  • Matching wine and beef
  • Matching wine and pork
  • Matching wine and lamb
    Life Is Short: Start with Dessert
    Facing Up to the Big No-No: Wine and Chocolate
    What about Nuts?

    Chapter 15: Cooking with Wine
    Why Cook with Wine?
    What Wine to Use in the Kitchen

  • Where to start
  • How much wine to use
    Going Back to (Cooking) School
  • The Wine Country Cooking School at Strewn
  • The Cooking School at Hainle Vineyards

    Chapter 16: Icewine: Canada's Icing on the Cake
    What Exactly Is Icewine?

  • Where Icewine comes from
  • How Icewine is made
    Canadian Content: Icewine in Canada
  • The Vidal grape
  • The Riesling grape
  • The parade of awards
    Savouring Icewine
  • Matching Icewine with food
  • Laying down Icewine

    Part V: Wineries across Canada

    Chapter 17: The Origins of Canadian Wine
    The First 700 Years: 1000 to 1700

  • Jacques Cartier and the French tradition: 1535
  • Crossbred resistance and the American influence: 1619
    Potential in Ontario: 1800 to 1866
  • First international recognition
  • Niagara developments
    Ontario's Potential Realized: 1866 to 1900
  • Temperance in a teacup
  • The birth of the liquor boards
  • Post-Prohibition days
  • A Brights spot during the Depression
  • Changing styles in the postwar years
  • The daffy world of Baby Duck
  • The invasion of the imports
    Beginnings in British Columbia: 1920
  • Tried, tested, and true
  • An apple a day couldn't keep creditors at bay
  • Winds of change
  • With a little help from the legislature
    Quebec's Story begins in 1870
    Experimentation in Nova Scotia: 1913

    Chapter 18: Ontario Wineries
    Between a Rock and a Wet Place
    Niagara Bench Wineries
    Mainly on the Plain
    Niagara-on-the-Lake Wineries
    Canada's Deep South
    Lake Erie North Shore Wineries
    Urban Corkfitters
    Toronto (GTA) and North of Toronto Wineries

    Chapter 19: British Columbia Wineries
    North of the Border, Down Okanagan Way
    Okanagan Valley Wineries
    Over the Hill, Not Too Far Away
    Similameen Valley Wineries
    A Gentle Style of Wine
    Greater Vancouver and Fraser Valley Wineries
    New Kids on the Block
    Vancouver Island Wineries

    Chapter 20: Quebec and Atlantic Province Wineries
    Quebec Wineries: And They Said It Couldn't Be Done!
    Eastern Townships Wineries
    Monteregie Wineries
    Quebec City and Other Wineries
    Atlantic Province Wineries: Not a Fish Story
    Annapolis Valley Wineries

    Chapter 21: Fruit Wineries
    A Fruity Phenomenon
    Which Fruit Where
    Ontario Fruit Wineries
    British Columbia Fruit Wineries
    Nova Scotia Fruit Wineries

    Part VI: The Part of Tens

    Chapter 22: Ten Frequently Asked Questions About Wine
    Where Do I Start If I Want to Get into Wine?
    Why Are Some Wines More Deeply Coloured Than Others?

  • What is a vintage wine?
    What Wine Should I Bring to a Dinner Party?
    How Can I Tell When Wine Is Ready to Drink?
    How Can I Tell When a Wine is "Off"?
    How Long Can I Keep a Bottle of Wine after I Opened It?
    Why Do I React Badly When I Drink a Certain Wine?
    Which Region of Canada Produces the Best Wines?
    How Do Canadian Wines Compare to Those of Other Countries?

    Chapter 23: Ten Ontario Winemakers to Watch
    Marcus Ansems: Creekside Estate Winery and Habitant Vineyards, N.S.
    Derek Barnett: Southbrook Farm & Winery
    Pierre-Jean Bosc: Chateau des Charmes
    Ray Cornell: Hernder Estates Winery
    Philip Dowell: Inniskillin Wines
    Ron Giesbrecht: Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery
    J-L Groux: Hillebrand Estates Winery
    Brian Schmidt: Vineland Estates
    Ann Sperling: Malivoire Wine Company
    Jim Warren: Daniel Lenko Estate Winery and Nesher Wines

    Chapter 24: Ten British Columbia Winemakers to Watch
    Olivier Combret: Domaine Combret
    Roger Dosman: Alderlea Vineyards
    Bill Dyer: Burrowing Owl Vineyards
    Ian Mavety: Blue Mountain Vinyard & Cellars
    Alex Nichol: Nichol Vineyard & Farm Vintners
    Bruce Nicholson: Vincor/Jackson-Triggs Vintners
    Sandra Oldfield: Tinhorn Creek
    Howard Soon: Calona Vineyards
    Frank Supernak: Hester Creek Estate Winery
    Erik von Krosigk: Hillside Estate Winery, Pinot Reach Cellars, Red Rooster Winery, Saturna Vineyard

    Part VII: Appendixes

    Appendix A: Glossary
    Appendix B: Directory of Canadian Wineries
    Ontario

  • Niagara Bench wineries
  • Niagara-on-the-Lake wineries
  • Lake Erie North Shore wineries
  • Toronto/GTA wineries
  • Other areas
    British Columbia
  • Okanagan Valley wineries
  • Similkameen Valley wineries
  • Greater Vancouver and Fraser Valley wineries
  • Vancouver Island wineries
    Quebec
  • Eastern Townships wineries
  • Monteregie wineries
  • Quebec City and other wineries
  • Other Areas
    Nova Scotia
  • Annapolis Valley wineries
    Prince Edward Island
    Fruit wineries
  • Ontario
  • British Columbia
  • Nova Scotia
  • Newfoundland
    Useful Web sites for more wine information

    Appendix C: Coolers Corkscrews
    Wine accessories
    Wine magazines (English)
    Wine magazines (French)
    Computer software: Cellar programs
    Catalogue shopping for wine

  • Manitoba
  • Ontario
  • Quebec

    Appendix D: Canadian Highlights of the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) National Wine Standard
    Mission Statement
    Geographical Indications (G.I.)

  • Provincial areas
  • Viticultural areas
    Vineyard Designation
    Estate Bottle Declaration
    Wine Categories
    Labelling
  • Varietal wines
  • Blended wines (proprietary names)
  • Vintage dating
  • Foreign geographical indications
  • Synonyms
  • Addition of water
  • Chaptalization
  • Sweet reserve
  • Certification process
  • Label approval
  • Tasting/evaluation panel— composition
  • Packaging
  • VQA label declaration
    Maintenance of This Standard
    Establishment of New Provincial Authorities

    Index

    Go to: Echo Chamber or Where Have All the Leaders Gone

    Real Fast Vegetarian Food

    Author: Ursula Ferrigno

    For too long, vegetarian food has conjured up images of healthy-but-dull fare. In Real Fast Vegetarian Food, Ursula Ferrigno shows you how to create dishes that are bursting with flavor and color—with the absolute minimum of fuss. Choose from 150 recipes, including Artichoke Hearts with Almond Sauce; Risotto with Asparagus, Fennel, Lemon, and Mint; and The Richest Chocolate Cake Ever. The author's choice of recipes reflects her heritage and her love of Italian cooking, but she also draws on influences from Spain, France, Greece, and North Africa. Written with a passion for the freshest ingredients, simply and lovingly prepared, this is an outstanding guide to modern vegetarian cooking. A former principal tutor for Cordon Vert, Ursula Ferrigno is also the author of Risotto, Gusto Italiano and The Nineties Vegetarian.



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