Anthony Gismondi: Canadian cheese with a fine Canadian wine is a combo tough to beat

Article content

Canada Day week finds us thinking about enjoying a glass of wine with Canadian cheese, and with the National Wine Awards complete with results due out in mid-July, Canadian wine at the top end continues to fascinate us.

Article content

Today we turn to Vancouver cheese maven Allison Spurrell and her team at Les Amis du Fromage. Alison canvassed her “enthusiastic co-workers about particularly delicious and memorable cheeses on their minds these days. Here are their picks with a wine suggestion from me — Les Amis du Fromage will carry some of the cheese, but you can also check with your local cheesemonger. The wine picks are all currently listed in B.C. Liquor stores.

Grand Trunk: A firm, nutty cheese made by Stonetown Cheese in St. Marys, Ontario. The wheels are aged 18-24 months, bringing out the slight caramel notes on the finish. Perfect for a cheese board.

Louis Jadot Chablis 2020, Chablis, Burgundy, France ($43.99).

Angélique-À-Marc: An absolutely fabulous soft cheese made by the Fromagerie de l’Île-Aux–Grues in Québec. The medium-sized wheels are wrapped in bark, imparting a subtle, grassy taste. Made in small production, it can be scarce but worth tracking down.

Article content

Martin’s Lane 2017 Riesling Naramata Ranch Vineyard, Okanagan Valley B.C. ($54.99).

Le Chèvre a Ma Manière: A lightly wrinkly, soft goat cheese from l’Atelier Fromagerie in Québec. The format is a small, flat disc with nutty notes and less barnyard, but the texture is the thing that will leave you wishing you had bought two.

Izadi Rioja Blanco Blanco 2017, Rioja, Spain ($29.99).

Madelaine: Made by Fromagerie Nouvelle France in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. It’s a soft-ripened square, with just enough earthiness to make it memorable and plenty of delicate fruitiness.

Louis Bernard Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2020, Rhone Valley, France ($13.89).

Cow’s Extra Aged Cheddar: A great cheddar made by our friends in PEI. Aged for 18 months, it is just in the sweet spot of creaminess and sharpness — a nice clean finish.

Article content

Poplar Grove Cabernet Franc 2017, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, B.C. ($37.99).

Creekside Creamery Raclette: Classic version of mountain cheese from a new dairy in the Fraser Valley. It has a beautiful, full flavour, and it’s lovely to have a local option to complete raclette night.

Meyer Family Vineyards Chardonnay McLean Creek Road Vineyard 2020, Okanagan Falls B.C. ($37.39).

Ruckles: From Salt Spring Island Cheese. Small rolls of fresh, tangy goat cheese topped with chopped chives, fresh herbs, garlic, and olive oil. Perfect for summer, smeared on a crusty loaf or added to your salad.

CedarCreek Sauvignon Blanc 2019, Okanagan Valley, B.C. ($18.99).

Treizième Apôtre: This is a fairly new cheese for Fromagerie du Presbytère in Québec. The cheese is made from a neighbour’s raw goat milk. It is a washed rind, medium-textured lovely white paste with the taste of straw and toasted nuts. The “Thirteenth Apostle” is top 10 material.

Article content

Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc Te Muna Road Vineyard 2019, Martinborough, New Zealand (29.99).

La Galette de la Table Rond: When younger, this small wheel-washed rind cheese has a relatively delicate and grassy taste but gets spicier and runny with age. The rind is slightly wrinkly, and the paste is very yellow from the rich organic milk used for this beauty.

Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand ($18.99).

Now, it is over to you — add some fresh local bread and kick your summer off in style.

Weekend wine picks 

Louis Bernard Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2020, Rhone Valley, France 

$14.99 I 88/100

UPC: 604174000974

This wine remains delicious and, for the price, a real revelation regarding the potential for inexpensive white Rhone. The blend is a mix of Grenache Banc, Bourboulenc, and Clairette, and it is as juicy and as fresh as it gets for the price. The palate has a floral, mineral, slightly bitter citrus note with a fresh, stony finish. I love the value here; back up the truck.

Article content

El Petit Bonhomme Tinto 2020, Jumilla, Valencia and Murcia, Spain 

$15.99 I 88/100

UPC: 8437005068711

El Petit Bonhomme is a Jumilla Red hand-harvested and fermented for two weeks in small stainless-steel vats, followed by malolactic fermentation in 225L French oak barrels for the Monastrell and Syrah and in 300L American oak for the Garnacha. The total aging is only six months. This might be the best yet of this 55/30/15 mix of bush vine Monastrell, Garnacha and Syrah. Look for plump red fruit served without makeup — an authentic country red you can serve daily to people who love wine.

Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay Vintner’s Reserve 2020, California, United States 

$23.99 I 90/100

UPC: 081584013105

Randy Ullom’s famous label is America’s most significant selling estate-grown Chardonnay. A citrus undercurrent supports silky, creamy tropical fruit with a lime butter finish. Impressive for the price and quantity produced. 2020 was aged six months in French (4.5 per cent new) and American oak (6.5 per cent new). The alcohol is 13.5 per cent, and the sourcing is 54 per cent from Monterey County, 25 per cent from Mendocino County, 20.5 per cent from Santa Barbara County, and 0.5 per cent from Sonoma County.

Article content

Argiano Non-Confunditur NC Rosso Toscano 2019, Tuscany, Italy 

$26.99 I 89/100

UPC: 8022931509171

Non-Confunditur is the Argiano motto found on the family crest. It translates to unique, or as winemaker, Bernardino Sani translates it from the Latin, “not to be confused.” It is a Super Tuscan mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sangiovese, but the fruit comes off younger 15 to 20-year-old vines. Sani describes NC as a baby or junior Super Tuscan, which fits its organically farmed fruit and the wine’s price point. It is fermented in stainless steel, and by variety, in two and three-year-old oak barriques. Expect plummy, savoury, wild berry aromas with a touch of oak. At the same time, on the palate, it is a medium-rich red with earthy, savoury streaks punctuated by the riper Merlot fruit; the firmer, more structured Cabernet Sauvignon; the richer Syrah; and the freshness of Sangiovese.

Article content

Unsworth Vineyards Pinot Noir 2019, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada 

$34.90 I 90/100

UPC: 626990259008

You will love the light and juicy expression of this Island coastal Pinot Noir that comes with a pale red-orange colour and a complex mix of flavours and complexity. The entry is silky with alluring forest floor aromas streaked with cherries and spice. The palate is a complex mix of dry, black cherry and wild raspberry notes that barely make it out of the glass — piercing acidity to keep it all taut demonstrates Cowichan Valley Pinot at its best. I’ve tasted this several times this year, and there is no rush to drink it but a big rush to buy it before it is all gone. I can’t wait for the 2020 release.

Article content

Recipe match: A simply delicious steak

Summer barbecue season is upon us, which means it’s the perfect time for a steak. Shared by Chris Jackson, owner of Jackson’s Meat + Deli in Kitsilano, this simply delicious preparation is his personal go-to. “I have only cooked my steak one way in the last 20 years, and here is how I do it.” 

Jackson’s Steak

6 oz (170 g) T-bone steak such as B.C.-raised 63 Acres

1 pinch on each side of Jackson’s House-made Steak Spice

1 clove minced fresh garlic on each side

1 tsp (5 mL) soy sauce

2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil

Bring the steaks out of the fridge to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. While the steaks are resting, season them with the steak spice. If you are not fortunate enough to have our spice, you could use Montreal steak spice.

Article content

Mix olive oil and soy sauce together and gently pat on the seasoned steak. For best results, I like to cook on the BBQ, but a cast-iron pan works fantastic as well.

For a one-inch-thick steak, I would get the grill or pan as hot as you can. Do not add oil to pan, it will burn. Cook on one side for two minutes or until you achieve a nice golden-brown sear, then flip the steak and turn down to medium heat. Cook for another two minutes. Remove from grill/pan and allow to rest for a few minutes. This should result in a medium-rare steak. Cook longer if preferred.

Serves 1. 

Recipe Match

No need to complicate this week’s match steak, and a big red wine is the match, but you could surprise yourself by trying your steak in a rich Chardonnay. 

Laughing Stock Vineyards Chardonnay +06/10 2020, Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley $31.99 

Citrus, pear, vanilla, and caramel with creamy textures and a dusting of hazelnuts are big enough to take this steak.

Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Sonoma County, California, United States $25.49

Classic modern Sonoma cabernet with juicy, fresh black fruit measured oak and soft, slippery, dense tannins made for steak.