FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 1998 All Rights Reserved.
| BOOZE The one-two punch of the limp Canadian dollar and the profit-hungry mentality of many of California's best wine producers has forced us, as consumers, to reassess many of the state's wines that used to be regarded as good value. In today's market, price-conscious consumers must ask themselves if a bottle of wine from the U.S. that sells for $25 offers comparable value to a similarly priced wine from elsewhere. Many of the best U.S. chardonnays, for example, now fall into the same price bracket as those of France's Burgundy region, which, in turn, forces an inevitable comparison between the two, even though the two regions produce distinctly different (generally speaking) styles of wine. My personal tastes, on a dollar-to-dollar basis, almost always lean towards wines from France, Spain and Italy, but a short jaunt down to California's southcentral coast last week served as a reminder that, even at current prices, California remains an exciting wine-producing area, capable of creating world class wines. Our destination was the Santa Maria Valley, located about three hours north of Los Angeles, almost at the halfway point between L.A. and San Francisco. The Santa Maria Valley is a designated AVA (American Viticultural Area), covering both the San Rafael and Sierra Madre mountain ranges. Roughly 7,500 acres of this area is under vine, with most plantings falling between 300 and 800 feet above sea level. While the Napa Valley wine trade courts tourism in a manner that would make Walt Disney proud, wineries here tend to maintain a lower profile, leaving the frippery to their neighbors to the north. The climate tends to be very dry and cool (for California), making the area conducive to Burgundian-style pinot noirs and chardonnays. Several Cotes-du-Rhone varietals, such as syrah and viognier, are also cultivated here with great success, with wineries like Qupé and Au Bon Climat taking the lead and offering some of the finest examples of these wines made anywhere in California. Irrigation is essential to grapes grown in this area, a practice that is frowned upon in many wine-producing countries (with a few exceptions, it is banned in most of the European Union), as it has been shown that this practice, while increasing yields, tends to produce inferior fruit. The irrigation method used in most of this area, however, is a drip system, a network of tubing installed directly over the vines, which allows precise control of the amount of water delivered to the roots. The soil in this area is primarily maritime-based, ranging in texture from sandy loam to clay loam, which in turn provides good drainage, an important factor in vineyard management. With temperatures still hovering around the 28-degree mark, we arrived at the shared facility of Au Bon Climat and Qupé, two of the most respected wineries in Southern California. The winery was busy with the crush, as the difficult conditions of the '98 vintage have left them several weeks behind schedule. We noticed a significant amount of fruit still on the vines - not unheard of for this time of year, but not a good sign, either. ABC (as it is often called) specializes in pinot noir and chardonnay, while Qupé focuses primarily on syrah and several white Rhone varietals, most notably viognier and marsanne. We tasted a wide array of wines still in barrel (all in French oak) from the very good '97 vintage. Qupé's '97 Bien Nacido Reserve (100-per-cent syrah) was a particular standout, with delicious plum and spice flavors, and is a wine that could give many of its French counterparts a run for the money (the money, incidentally, will be around $40 a bottle, Canadian). Other wineries of interest from this area (that are available here) include Alban Vineyards, Sanford Winery, Vita Nova, Il Podere dell'Olivos (specializing in Italian varietals), Cambria (a part of Kendall-Jackson's empire), Byron, and Wild Horse. Unfortunately, our dollar situation has pushed most of these wines over the $20 mark, although many of them can hold their own against some equally pricey counterparts from elsewhere, so don't count California out just yet. Cheers! NEW ARRIVALS Calgary has become the first Canadian city to have Belgian beer served and consumed in accordance with traditions stretching back to the 13th century. Melrose Café and Bar (17th Avenue S.W.) is serving four specialty Belgian beers - Hoegaarden, a white beer; Stella Artois, a lager; Leffe, a classic spicy beer first brewed by the Father of the Abbey of Notre Dame de Leffe; and Belle-Vue Kried, a classic brew made from cherries and "Lambic." And the pour is as important as the drink - some staff members have studied at the Oland Beer Institute to learn how to perform "the pouring ritual." Luc Guens, president of Oland Specialty Beer Co., says beer is to Belgium as wine is to France. "In Belgium, the pouring and drinking of beer has been an essential part of social interaction for more than 500 years." And now Calgary can find out what all the fuss is about. Big Rock Brewery ended the suspense about its big secret with a big announcement at Big Rocktoberfest - a new look! The Calgary company is updating its image with a new logo and new packaging, so don't panic if you're at the beer store and can't find immediately locate your favorite flavor - it's still there. |