I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. We did here and since I have the week off I intend to enjoy some more fun.

We had a great time when we visited the Muscedere Brothers and took home the 2 new wines. Chardonnay, which I reviewed last week and the Meritage. We had tasted both many times in the barrel and were eagerly awaiting them in the bottle.

Dinner was grilled lamb and roast vegetables. The lamb was local Ewe Dell from Schwabs in La Salle. He has all local meat….I think he gets it. Yes it may be a little more, but it isn’t factory food and it looks and tastes better cooked. I made a marinade of rosemary, thyme, tarragon and garlic and coated the chops. They were grilled with apple smoke too!.

Well no music, but a classic movie. One of great importance and fine acting. It also had my favourite actor, Sasha Baron Cohen. Who???? Well you may know him as Borat. The movie was Talledega Nights and Sasha played a gay French Nascar driver. Wonderfully bad movie. And yes the wine did nothing to hurt the movie’s importance.

Now back to the wine.

View: the wine was a nice bright purplish red. Remember that this wine is still young and will get better. When tilted I got a slight watery edge which goes with youth, but it did have legs. Wonderful Condi-like legs. What am I going to do when she retires? So it is young but has viscosity and alcohol.

Aroma: It is rich, very rich with deep dark fruit like plums and black cherry and a background of smokey oak. Not too much but in the rear. This isn’t a fruit bomb. There is complexity here.

Taste: The taste resembles the nose, but more. The dark fruit I smelled is there. So is the smoke of the oak, but added is some forest tastes. Some darkness and intrigue. Add to this a good dose of tannins, mineral and acid backbone and boy do we have something here. The weight of the wine is very good with a good mouthfeel. This wine is rich.

I tend to think that this wine could be stored for a while and only get better, but with me its fine now.

With food its a winner. It joined hands and sang Kum Ba Ya with the lamb and was just as happy with the roast vegetables. This is a great Meritage and worth of the Bordeaux style. Roast beef, venison, duck would all be wonderful. 

So, I guess you think I love it. Yes I do, and only wish it was 2.99, but hey, there isn’t alot of it and it is good and not too dear for special occasions. 

We at Chateau North Ridge will enjoy the last 2 bottles we have and then we will go see Rob and Fab for more. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

If you want to comment but not join email me at essex_wine_report@yahoo.ca

would Al Gore approve??

Its Christmas and a time to give thanks. As tough as this year has been on me I have a lot to be thankful for. 

So much for global warming! Well the wee ones will like the white Christmas, but I would rather see fifty degrees.

Yesterday, Terry and I went on a road trip to Harrow. Yup, the big city. Got some food and some wine. It was good to see others out in the weather, but I liked the slower pace.

Well more red from CREW. I really like them and then to Muscedere. Chardonnay was the grail we pursued. You know that we had been waiting rather impatiently for some and Fab had promised me to have some in December….well yes and no. We get there and what, no Chardonnay. Ok they will bottle some for us so there is ONE case available….run run for some.

Dinner was simple comfort food. Lobster pasta, nice creamy sauce with grana padano cheese and some lobster broth from the tails shells.

Music was Alison Krause, which is just wonderful.

Now the wine. We’ve had this in various incarnations and this is the final one. There’s not alot of it available and it is very good. It has a minimal bit of oak, but it is so slight that one should not think of it as oaked. 

View: nice bright light gold color. And legs, they form slow and then go. This is a good sign as it implies viscosity and maybe a good dose of alcohol.

Nose: I get gobs of green apple and some citrus. This is classic Chardonnay. There is something going on in the background which makes it mysterious. It may be the oaking that some of the wine got ( some was aged in older oak so little impact). If I tried I tasted it but it may have been suggestion ( I did this at my seminar at the wine fest and it was amazing when I mentioned pumpkin in the Cab Franc...everyone tried to get it then some did then I told them….its the same effect with the wine wheel and those lists of what you “should taste”). So far so good.

Taste: The taste mimicked the nose. Green apple all over the place and some mysterious notes that give complexity. The acid was nicely balanced and there was a wee bit of mineral for backbone. There was a good mouth feel ( the legs and viscosity ) so there is some body to this wine. At 12.5% alcohol it isn’t overpowering. The acid gives a nice clean finish which aids it with food.

Food: It went very well with the lobster pasta. It held up to and cut thru the cream and cheese. This is a food friendly wine, which is suited to drinking by itself or with food.

We have had this wine thru its maturation and while it has lost the vibrant tropical fruit it showed in the summer it has matured into a great Chardonnay. We now have several excellent Chards in the county with this one joining Aleksander’s and Mastronardi’s as my fav 3. I haven’t had Viewpoint’s Barrel Fermented yet (I really like the un-oaked one alot) and if you like oak go for Pelee’s barrel fermented (Terry doesn’t like it due to the oak level).

So how can I finish this. This wine is great and we have a case. It will get better as it was bottled while we waited. If we wait till New Year’s this wine will get even better. Bug Fab and you may get some too.  

If you want to comment without joing email me at essex_wine_report@yahoo.ca.

What an awful day. Dark gloomy, kinda like England. We had Sir Rod and Allan Park Pete over for dinner last night and had a great time. Moose Bourgonon and lots of wine. With dinner we had the Merlot/Cabernet from CREW. I just love this wine and so did that Zin lover Rod. Wonderful is all I can say.

Today was the Christmas party day at the wineries. We got off late then had to get to a few places so we went to Erie Shores. Harvey and Alma are great people who really enjoy and know how to throw a little party. Food was excellent and the wine was as good as ever. I enjoy their company and going there is always fun.

We sat with my competition….the website... and the are so cool and love local wine. I don’t think I could do the quality site like them so we spent several hours with them.

Well that basically killed the day cos by the time we reached Mastronardi...needed wine for my presentation it was 4. Yup my classmates will eat and drink well tomorrow….local lamb (merci J&L from Calabria)….local artisanal prosciutto, cheese and wines…...Merlot 2002 that isn’t available, but I have a bottle (merci beaucoup Eadie), Chardonnay ( to die for) Gewurztraminer (hey its me) and the Casa Nostra Chardonnay...a veritable steal. This all for my class presentation.

I better get an A or I’ll cry. Got music for my powerpoint and hopefully the projector will work for me. My last one went goofy.

Well I need some more wine so I’ll let you go as I’m preparing for my presentation.

tootles

Today is a typical lousy day. Cold, cold, and more cold. I question why my people came here. It’s not that I would like to be a southerner, but a more temperate climate might have been nice.

But anyway, last Saturday I was supposed to finish my term paper..I did and Terry was out so what is a boy to do??? Being me, I wanted to see some friends so it was off to Muscedere. I really like Rob and Fab and they do make good wine. My typical: “ I have 20 minutes” turns into an hour and I get to taste from the barrel (good stuff coming btw) and I leave with some Sauvignon Blanc and the news that Meritage is out in early December along with…...Chardonnay!!!!!!! Oh Happy Days...It should be great cos it was in the spring. Then it was off to CREW. The were so rude when I showed up late hahahahaha...I’m joking. I was having an Oprah at that snooty French store moment, and I got there at 5:50 on a Monday (on my way to class and they were driving up the driveway) so I just had to get some Cabernet/Merlot…. I felt it necessary, yes my duty. It’s really good and I was determined to have roast beef that night so….. Well I found out that their Riesling was chosen to be the official Riesling at the legislature. But have no fear, as I was told that there is an ample supply left for us.

I risked life and limb to get a roast from Schinkel’s in Essex. Remember what Mario Batali says: “get to know your butcher”….. Well a great roast and they gave me some suet to keep it moist...merci beaucoup.

I salt and peppered it, then browned it well. After the smoke cleared, I bunged it in the oven with some carrots (used as a raft), fingerling potatoes, local (down the road) fingerling sweet potatoes, onion, garlic and sweet potato squash (from down the road too!).

Well, dinner comes and it is Tony Bennet on the stereo, then some of Rod Stewart’s standards. Its amazing how well he does these great old songs.

So the wine….CREW’s Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot. For me this blend is exactly what I shouldn’t like. It’s what they make on the left bank of Bordeaux where one wine critic and his buddy the ubber consultant thinks the best wine is made. That alone is enough to make me hate it (watch Mondovino and you’ll understand). Add in that I agree with the Sideways guy...Pinot good///Merlot bad: so why do I like this so much????

Visual: it pours a nice brownish red and has legs galore. That’s a good sign and add to that when you do the tilt the glass thing the color stays to the edge (try this to look sophisticated as a good red has color to the edge...watery edges aren’t good). So far so good.

Aroma: it smells of deep dark fruit, lots of blackberries and plums. Add my favourite old ball glove smell and there are hints of spice. Remember my Cab Franc thing a few years ago??

Taste: this wine has nice tannins..they aren’t too strong but there with ample acid. These make it good with food. Add some mineral and it has a backbone….good good good. Add those berries from the nose with plums and raisins and we have a good wine. Not to heavy like wine should be btw. A great finish and what do we ave. A great wine.

This wine is definitely one of my favorite wines. At the price point its a steal and I wouldn't hesitate to serve it to the Queen.

Buy some and enjoy with roast beef, duck,or lamb. I wouldn’t abuse it with Cajun food but I would drink it by itself. Oh yes some nice cheese too….and…. and

Tootles

You can comment here or at essex_wine_report@yahoo.ca

The talk at the League meeting was Beauolais Nouveau which comes out this week. I remember drinking Beajolais when I lived in Torornto as I really didn’t eat red wine stuff so I had this with salmon. Back then it was known as ‘pic-nic’ wine. Not a great thing and it wasn’t cheap either. Actually it still isn’t and it still isn’t that good.

Save your mone and get a local red. It will be cheaper and I bet better quality. If you want to get into the Nouveau thing...ok...but its kool- aid right now.

But anyway for the Bojoholics...like Swiffty...here is an artical from the Toronto Star about Beaujolais.

Oh yes almost forgot...if you want to comment easily email me at essex_wine_report@yahoo.ca.

Tootles

p vintners strive to restore Beaujolais' rep

Article  Comments (4) 

SUSAN SACHS

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

October 29, 2008 at 9:25 AM EDT

SAINT VÉRAND, FRANCE — It's make or break time here in Beaujolais Nouveau country, and the mood is as gloomy as the late autumn thunderclouds.

A month after one of the smallest harvests in 33 years, the sweet, fusty odour of pressed grapes permeates the air. In giant industrial warehouses and quiet little villages wreathed in mist, tons of purplish juice is fermenting into the much-anticipated first wine of the season.

This year's Beaujolais Nouveau will hit stores and bars around the world on Nov. 20, the first day it can be sold under French law. Its release still sets off a publicity-driven craze in many countries. But the fizz of excitement, which peaked in the 1980s, is starting to go flat.

A growing number of vintners are trying to make Beaujolais new again, saying that the rigid sale date and the region's mass-marketing campaigns of the past 20 years have had a perverse effect on their wine's reputation.

Beaujolais Nouveau will arrive on Nov. 20. (FRANCK PREVEL/REUTERS)

"For years the image has been mismanaged and even trivialized by Beaujolais Nouveau," said Martine Chermette, who runs Domaine du Vissoux, in Saint Vérand, with her husband, Pierre-Marie. "People judge us just by the nouveau and they forget that we produce wine for all year round."

The Chermettes are among a small group of winemakers who recently created their own marketing group, Expressions of Origin.

The group was founded to counter what they call "the false idea of Beaujolais" as the source of forgettable and homogeneous wines that fail to live up to their fruity fresh-off-the-vine hype.

Up to two-thirds of the region's wines are sold each year as primeur, ideally fermented through the pressure of heaped-up grapes in the vat and meant to be drunk shortly after bottling. Their prominence has long eclipsed the charm of many of the Beaujolais crus, such as Morgon and Saint Amour, that are aged longer and ideally can achieve a fruity elegance and body.

The 15 members of the Expression of Origin group are from the minority of the vineyards in the region that make their own wines, rather than selling their grapes to négociants who buy and produce in bulk. Some grow their grapes organically. Most generally follow the precepts of the natural wine movement, using few or no additives and only naturally occurring yeasts to pump up the wine's aroma.

"We want to give back to Beaujolais the image that it has lost," said Mr. Chermette, who makes well-regarded Fleurie and Moulin-à-Vent alongside his domaine-produced Beaujolais Nouveau.

Over the past few years, the image of the region's wine has been tainted by scandals, mainly involving winemakers who were found to have illegally dumped sugar in their vats to raise the alcohol levels before the big November send-off.

But a more fundamental problem, according to many of the independent winemakers, is Beaujolais Nouveau's locked-in release date of the third Thursday of November.

It has become a straitjacket that encourages producers to take shortcuts in fermentation, they say, by heating the juice or doctoring the flavour with commercial yeasts.

"People developed bad habits," said Martine Chatelain-Courtois, a Beaujolais historian who wrote a 2001 guide called Les Mots du Vin et de l'Ivresse, or The Words of Wine and Drunkenness. "Wine is not chemistry. It's a slow process like cooking, where you don't put in too much salt or pepper or spices. You pay attention as you're going along."

In bad years, including this one with its intermittent summer hailstorms and steady rain, the grapes may also need a bit more time to ripen on the vine to develop their fruitiness. But since the négociants pay more for the earliest grapes, many growers rush to pick their fruit.

"The problem is the date, which can prevent you from making good wine," said Mathieu Lapierre, who works with his father, Marcel, the best-known of the Beaujolais natural winemakers. "You can't cut things short. Sometimes, and this year it's especially constricting, the grapes need another week to reach their ideal state."

The Lapierres operate in the northern end of the Beaujolais area, on the outskirts of Villié-Morgon, where they were pioneers in using biodynamic agricultural methods and letting their wines develop without additives, filtration or heavy doses of sulphite.

"It should be fruity, easy to drink, not too gussied up," said Mr. Lapierre, standing by a truck heaped with the cranberry-coloured dried grape skins fresh from a recent pressing. "It's a matter of respecting the juice so that it's aromatic, fruity and a reflection of the exuberance that nature gives it in the first weeks."

In abandoning what he called "peasant common sense," he added, many other Beaujolais producers may have killed the Beaujolais Nouveau goose that laid the golden egg.

"Overall demand is falling," said Mr. Lapierre. "We are in the dying phase, and in five or six years there probably won't be a market. But so much the better if it leads to a demand for better quality."

But the Beaujolais iconoclasts have a difficult road ahead. The Lapierre wines and, to a lesser extent, Domaine du Vissoux, are fairly well-known to importers in big markets such as the United States and Canada. But most independents have to overcome the presumption on the part of consumers that ordinary Beaujolais Nouveau sums up the region.

"I can see why a lot of people don't want to drink it," said Kermit Lynch, a major California wine merchant who has been importing low-sulphite, artisan-style wines such as the Lapierres' Morgons for years.

Most Beaujolais Nouveau sold outside of France comes from the big négociants, and "it's so stable that it's dead," Mr. Lynch said. "But when it's well made it tastes great. It's the first look at a new vintage, bottled just after fermentation, and there's something romantic about it."

Article  Comments (4) 

RECOMMEND THIS ARTICLE?

1 votes

View the most recommended

I’ve attached this Toronto Star article on beef as I feel that it is important to get back to real food and grain fed cattle is where its at. Corn fed on feed lots are environmental nightmares for the earth and to our internal environment.

To pack cattle in produces a severe waste impact (no sewage treatment) and the addition of large amounts of antibiotics and hormones is terrible for us. And besides its bad for the cows as unhappy cows make bad beef.

The Limousin beef is available at Sanson. I have bought the ground and steak and just love it. The ground is so good that I will only use it for Bolognese sauce. It would make a great burger but I wouldn’t feel right.

Now what wine to serve with a nice piece of beef.

For a roast my choices would be Bird Dog or Barncat from Sanson (saves a trip) or the Cab-Merlot from Crew. Any of these would be a joy and work great.

Steak-- grill it and add a smoke bag with hickory chips. Please do not marinade or add steak sauce. These meats will have enough flavor, just salt and pepper, but salt just before cooking otherwise it will dry out the meat and  do not overcook. OK go for something a wee bit bigger like a Cabernet Sauvignon from Crew or Viewpoint or maybe a Syrah. Try Smith and Wilson’s or Aleksander’s.

Burger...well go for a good beer. Go for an Anchor Steam or Pilsener Urquel will work well.

HIGH STEAKS BEEF BATTLE

Quest for the Divine Bovine

JIM ROSS FOR THE TORONTO STAR

Sirloin steaks from grass-fed cows went head to head in a taste-off against each other and one grain-fed spy.

 Email story

 Print

   Choose text size

 Report typo or correction

You can lead a grass-fed steer to pasture but does it taste better? We give the issue a good grilling

Nov 05, 2008 04:30 Am

Comments on this story  (1)

KEITH GORDON 

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

Autumn's here, and there's a crispness in the air as the grill smoulders up to heat. Dusk descends, and guests start arriving for the latest in an ongoing series of "taste-offs." They're early, and no wonder. Tonight, they're in for five varieties of mouth-watering, grilled-to-perfection New York striploin steak.

Not just any steak, mind you – grass-fed beef. The clouds that dropped rain all summer had a silver lining; it's been a banner year for grass, and for pasture-raised livestock.

So, what's the fuss about grass-fed? Taste and health – for you, and for the cow. For eons, ruminants (that would be your cud-chewing types, like cows) evolved eating various grasses. Their multi-chambered stomachs are designed for the task. Recently, farmers found supplementing feed with grains and corn produced larger cows, with a richer, more abundant marbling of fat. Western consumers liked that – the steaks looked sexier, the marbling added tenderness and moisture, and subsidized grain and corn kept costs low. It came with a cost, though. A ruminant's stomach is not designed to digest grain. The stock can suffer digestive difficulties and the quick solution is to use antibiotics to control the health issues. Those drugs end up on your plate.

More careful practitioners (the organic world, for example, where drugs and hormones aren't welcome) use breeding to adapt their herds to grain, so that breeds like Angus are adjusting to mixed feed.

Some breeds of cattle, though, thrive on pure grass. They come from parts of the world where grain supplements are expensive, or not available. Scotland is home to the Galloway, bred to graze in the Lowlands. Rocky fields in France kept the Limousin in play as a cow not requiring expensive feed. The Welsh are used to adversity, and treasure the Welsh Black. New Zealand, blessed with abundant grass and little grain, hosts the Murray Grey. These provide the bloodstock foundation for excellent, naturally raised, additive-, hormone- and drug-free beef that is, indeed, 100 per cent grass-fed.

The leading characteristic of all grass-fed breeds is leanness. Don't tell the kids or the boyfriend, but the main attraction is that it's healthy. Lower fat content makes for less traffic in the arteries. An added bonus is distinct flavour; pastured cows take on the character of the land they graze on. Literally, they are what they eat, and a verdant stretch of pasture adds subtle nuances to their taste.

But which grass-fed breeds are your best bet? I've assembled four different types for a blind taste test, plus a grain-fed imposter to round out the field. The guests have been chosen to taste thoughtfully, and fairly rate the plate. They're fans of local, healthy food, leavened by a few educated supermarket shoppers. They come with open minds and healthy appetites.

I take identical cuts of beef ("butcher's cut" striploin, 1 1/4 inches thick), seasoned lightly with sea salt and pepper, and grill them over high heat to medium rare. On my grill, that's roughly four minutes a side, followed by four minutes' rest on the side under tinfoil to let the meat relax, and assure an even, tender texture. Each steak is identified only by a colour code. They are rated on taste, texture, appearance and overall appeal, with a final rating from 1 to 10. Homemade gooseberry sorbet serves as a palate-cleanser between samples.

Tonight, we have Limousin from three different farms, including Top Meadow near Georgian Bay, where they're rumoured to soothe the herd with classical music to enhance tenderness. Galloway's on board. Organic Angus is the grain-fed spy in the house of beef. Any one of them is a possibility for Best in Show.

Silence falls round the table as the meat arrives. Three leading contenders emerge right off the top. The steak with the red flag is described as "looking good and juicy" with great marbling and "nice colour inside and out." Knife and fork go to work, and a different pattern emerges. The green and white are clearly the most tender; "soft, easy to cut" and, the ultimate accolade, "melty." As the taste buds kick in, flavour differences come into play. Some are described as "strong, earthy, and intense," others as "gentle, fresh, and light." In the end, we have a dead heat for overall enjoyment, with the same breed triumphant.

Limousin rules. At least in strip- loin form. For fork-tender steak, tasty and moist, the best of the grass-fed has a fancy French name. If you're looking for flavour intensity (very important in different cuts), you might look to Scotland. Any way you cut it, it's a good time to be on the grass!

Angus

The Healthy Butcher

Ask people on the street, and the breed of beef you'll hear most about is unquestionably Angus. Originally from Aberdeen, Scotland, the Angus is the ideal beef cow, with rich, textured marbling, and intense flavour. It's a large, robust breed favoured by most high-end steak houses. It has, however, been bred for generations to thrive on grains or corn supplements (Americans, in particular, love the fat content and colour of corn-fed Angus beef), and rarely appears in grass-fed form; on hay, they struggle to maintain, let alone gain weight. Our grain-finished entry from Field Gate Organics (The Healthy Butcher) certainly won for looks, "reddest," with "the best marbling," and "great colour inside and out." It won praise for texture; "very tender," "moist," "very good and juicy."

Taste garnered praise as "good," "nice, gentle flavour" that "stayed well." Faced with the distinct flavour of the grass-fed competition, Angus came up short. Despite one ringing first-place endorsement as "the richest tasting," the judges' overall response is best summed up by Tom: "Tastes like a regular steak. Normal, average beef."

On this night, that wasn't enough. Faced with so many similar competitors, the grain-fed, odd cow out, came last despite a lack of glaring deficiencies.

Average score: 6.8

Limousin

Whitehouse Meats

Top Meadow Farm's operation, producing both purebred Limousin and their "Lim-Flex" crossbreed, has such an excellent reputation that when several butchers heard Limousin was included in the festivities, Top Meadow was assumed to be the source. They didn't disappoint, and garnered compliments for texture – "melts in your mouth," "easy to cut," "soft," with "the best texture." Flavour was also praised as "very natural," "grassy," "lighter, refreshing," and "gentle," with several citing its excellence even once cold (another popular visit for seconds). The gentleness on the palate seems to be this steak's undoing. The "very savoury, but not very intense flavour" didn't have enough pop to bring any ratings higher than second. None lower than fourth, mind you, either.

Average score: 7.25

Galloway

The Healthy Butcher

The Galloway is an ancient breed from the Scottish Lowlands that thrives even in damp, cold conditions, and is one of the few breeds to gain weight eating only winter hay. It's been raised in Canada since the Graham brothers of Toronto first imported them in 1857. Our contender from The Healthy Butcher was darker than the other candidates – too much so for some judges who found "the colour alarms me," and that it "looks a little old." On the plate, the flavour garnered high praise, described as "strong, "buttery," with a "nutty, smoky flavour" that lasted well, "even better as it cools." Texture was a stumbling block, though, as several described it as "firm," "not as tender as expected," and the dread "chewy." The texture issues suggest its flavour would best be exploited in roast form, or in braises and stews.

Average score: 7.1

Limousin

Cumbrae Farms

Originates in the Limousin region in France, an ancient line bred to thrive on grass. This candidate from Cumbrae Farms clearly flourishes in the verdant microclimate of southwestern Ontario. Praise was nearly universal for "distinct flavour," "very light," "unique taste" and "by far the best on flavour." Two cited the term "peppery," and several the enduring quality as it cooled. Texture was called "easy to cut," and "most tender" (twice). Three judges came back for seconds after the sampling was done.

At the end of the night, the distinctiveness of the taste, combined with superior texture, carried the day. On average score, this steak actually tied for first, but four first-place rankings break the tie and gives us the winner on this night.

Average score: 8.3 

Limousin

The Butchers

These cattle arrived in Canada in the late 1960s (France had been subject to restrictions on stock importation to North America for some time), but it's definitely thriving locally. This candidate, bred by Larry Zehrs for The Butchers on Yonge St. is clearly enjoying life on the grass, and can count itself on the winning side this night. "Good flavour," "a fresher taste," was called "musky, firm, farmy" to the palate. The taste held up well, growing "more complex as it cools," and on the fork it was praised as "medium tender," "very juicy," (three times), with a "nice, soft texture." One judge placed it first, calling it "real beef, rich, juicy, and very nice." Many ranked it second, and all scored it relatively high, bringing it in for a first-place tie overall.

Too many seconds and not enough firsts break the tie, dropping this selection to a very respectable second place.

Average score: 8.3

 Keith Gordon slings meat at The Healthy Butcher.

If you want to comment and don’t want to join email me at essex_wine_report@yahoo.ca

I received an email from a reader who was asking about equipment to make cider. So here is my advice. 

The equipment to make cider or wine is basically the same.

To make cider…..You will need a press, a chipper/grinder for apples, carboy and air lock. Accessories include siphon tubes, air locks, hydrometer and cleaner.

To go thru the bits:

Press: this is the same as a wine press. These are available new, used , or by plans. Look to wine shops, ebay or kajiji. I bought mine quite reasonably from a fellow who made it and it came with a chipper.

Chipper: this is a problem as new they are quite expensive, BUT alternate equipment can be used. If you check out an English site they will suggest a drill with a paint stirrer on it….typical from the country that sent us those great sports cars that never worked. A food grinder will work or make one. Mine is a motor and pulley hooked to a piece of hardwood with stainless screw left about ½” out. Medieval, probably dangerous but it works well.

Carboy: buy used and get 2 cheap since you need 2 for racking.

Air Locks: must buy and cheap. Get at wine shop and is ~ $2

Hydrometer: another must to measure potential alcohol/specific gravity/brix. Too low an alcohol level may cause spoilage.

Now, please use real yeast and not wild. It will help our QC and consistency. Try Champagne or ale(I hear its good). Real cool yeast is available on line.

Cleaner: Cleanliness is next to Godliness, but do not use a chlorine based  or ammonia based cleaner. There are specialty cleaners readily available and cheap.

Sometimes brew here places will help but they are not great choices. Try Borelli’s as they have a good selection or go online as there are numerous brewing sites. Beware that bottles will be our biggest challenge as the best are Grolsch type swing tops and they are available but not cheap. I suggest learning to like Grolsch and save the bottles.

Oooops, apples….get to know an orchard and buy #2’s...save money and they may know a cider blend. Simpson has treated me well. Remember, use baking type apples (tart) as a base then some sweet apples for sugar. If you use all delicious it will have no backbone.

On the English sites they suggest crab apples and varieties available only to the west country and to them, they make better cider if they are stolen….. I do not condone stealing, but the amount of alcohol drank per their pictures may give a hint to their fun.

In the end try some ciders. The licko is rather shy on cider but if you are in Michigan, there are pubs with several types and good local ones. The craft brewing scene has moved into cider, which is cool. In worst case you can get Woodchuck which is great too.

Good luck

If you want to comment and don’t want to join email me at essex_wine_report@yahoo.ca

We always wanted to go to Bistro at the River but it took until lately for us to do it.

It was Sunday and Myles had just had his Confirmation and Terry wanted to treat us all for dinner. It was very quiet but it was a Sunday and Windsor is in a recession so I guess it was just a slow day. 

When spring comes try the patio as it is very nice, but till then the inside is where the action is. The decor is rather hard, which seems to be the fashion. Nowhere near the Gordon Ramsay restaurant, but harder than one is used to for Windsor. It still is nice though. The restaurant is rather small too.

The view is really nice with the river being right there. I have issues with a restaurant in Dieppe Gardens which I feel is sacred ground but using this space this way is way better than the old ugly building. It doesn't degrade from the memory of our fallen heros. 

Parking is easy with the lot right there.

The menu is varied but not too big, with chops, pasta, steaks etc. Prices are the standard rates so there are no surprises.

The wine-list though is a surprise and a pleasant one. ALL LOCAL. Prices are very good and when we were there they had an 'off wine-list'  Mastronardi Gewurz for only $19. Other choices are fairly priced up to $50. Check for off wine-list specials.

The service on two visits was exemplary. Our waitress was polite attentive and friendly. 

The food...Appetizers were the calamari and baked brie. The calamari was done as one ‘flower’ and was great. Cooked perfectly and was wonderful. The brie was also very good though I attacked the calamari which went so well with the Gewurztraminer. A switch to red Pelee Island Cab/Merlot Reserve $24 was carried off flawlessly.

Dinners: me...venison chop with blue cheese potato cake…..excellent

              Me mum… veal chop with sweet potato fritters...very nice

              Terry’s mum..baseball steak….very nice

              Terry..steak...a New York I believe with fois gras (I stole the fois gras)

              Myles...lamb chops...very nice

The quality of the food was very good and the presentation was very modern but not overdone. All in all the food was very well done. We will be happily going back.

Summary:

Food Quality                    excellent

Portion Size                     just right

Service                             excellent

Cleanliness                     very clean, but I didn’t go to the washroom to verify but the  kitchen was visible and looked good

Value for Money             very good

Score:  96