Langdon Hall

Posted on October 29, 2017 by thewineraconteur

I recently learned of Langdon Hall Hotel and Spa in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. One of my cast of characters, The Messenger, was going on holidays with her daughter and she was discussing potential sites and she also asked about a wine that they were taking with them. When I was a kid there was no Cambridge in Ontario, as it was then known as Galt and it was just a town that we would pass going from Windsor to Saint Catherines to visit family. Langdon Hall is a stately home and grounds that has developed over the years to a year-round hotel and spa for relaxation and getaways. They are now part of the syndicated Relais & Chateaux group of resorts, which are all privately owned and must get accreditation; as a side note there are thirteen resorts throughout Canada.


When I am not acquainted with a resort or restaurant and someone asks my opinion, I go to the Wine Spectator magazine’s issue of “The List” that I keep on my somewhat cluttered desk. I use “The List” as a reference to see how a restaurant is rated. My feeling is that if a restaurant has a good wine list, then the food should be in the same comparable rating, and I have only been disappointed a couple of times over the decades. Their restaurant was awarded the “Best of Award of Excellence” with a selection of wines numbering over fifteen-hundred bottles with strengths in Burgundy, Rhone, Bordeaux, Italy, California and Canada. The wine prices are listed as moderate, and they maintain a $21.00 corkage fee. The menu is French and the menu prices are listed as expensive. To give you an idea of the menu, the meal started off with Sourdough bread with apricot and sunflower. There was a second course of Dressed Snow Crab with an Apple Gelee. The Messenger had Lamb and her daughter enjoyed Scallops and I saw the photos and all the dishes looked wonderful.


The funny thing is, that with all the wonderful wines listed on their carte on their website, The Messenger and her daughter are not really wine drinkers, but she will ask me about certain wines for dinners at her house for special occasions. They took a bottle of wine with them to their hotel room to enjoy and relax with. The wine was a bottle of Heinz Eifel Shine Riesling 2014 that they had bought at The Wine Store, which is the government regulated wine shops in Canada, just as one has to go to The Beer Store and the Liquor Control Board, but hopefully there will be new regulations in Canada. Heinz Eifel founded the Romerhof Winery in 1979 and this particular wine is a generic Riesling made in Stainless Steel vats. Since I know that The Messenger likes her wines on the sweeter side and that she avoids red wines, I would have to presume that wine was on the sweet side. I found reading about the estate and looking at their menus and wine lists quite fascinating, and perhaps one day, we may make a trip there.

Posted in Dining, Wine | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Number 22

Posted on October 27, 2017 by thewineraconteur

Anniversary (check), Sweetest Day (check), dining and dancing (check), old nerve from an emergency root canal from years ago decides to act up (not on the agenda). There is a predominately Michigan, but it has entered into a couple of other mid-west states as well, holiday known as Sweetest Day. I am sure that it was created by the confectionary industry and is celebrated on the third Saturday in the month of October. Actually, I know this, because twenty-two years ago on a Sweetest Day Saturday, my Bride and I had our nuptials and we gave small boxes of chocolate candies to all of our guests that evening. We were all set to celebrate our anniversary with two other couples and I was in agony. I had to go see my dentist and he had to drill through an old crown to alleviate the situation. With the aid of the Novocain and later some pain medication we kept our dinner date, though I was not in the best of moods. Also, the restaurant that I wanted to try did not take reservations, and holiday evenings usually bring out the poorest service.


We arrived at the restaurant before 6:30, knowing how difficult a table for six could be, and we even tried to call ahead to see if they would hold a table, they wouldn’t, but they assured us that they had some available, and they did. I am glad that we got there when we did, because the restaurant was almost packed and it was an extremely large dining area and they had removed all the folding partitions that they probably used for private parties. We could see the stage and the dance floor from our table, so that was good. The restaurant is a fifty-year-old Steak House and is known for their food and for their live music, which is dance music from another era when couples held each other and actually had rhythm and bona-fide steps and not where they just kind of stand in one spot and kind of sway to the music. When the waitress was taking the orders for our table, when she got to the soup course I wanted the French Onion soup which came at a premium and then I was told that a cheese topping was also additional and when I commented that French Onion soup is traditionally topped with cheese, to which she just asked if I wanted to pay for the cheese or not; when I found out that it was Mozzarella instead of aged Gruyere, so I declined. My Bride ordered the Lemon Rice Chicken soup. We both had salads. My Bride ordered the Lump Crab Encrusted Whitefish topped with Panko bread crumbs and an extra order of asparagus. I had the Veal Oscar, thin medallions of veal topped with crab meat, asparagus and Béarnaise Sauce. The other couples had similar dishes and they were also surprised about the French Onion soup, so it wasn’t just me. I am glad that we did not order a dessert, they were huge.


The restaurant as I said was packed and I am sure that the wait staff was frazzled, but I did have to ask our server if we could get our bottle of wine sometime this year, my good spirits were a bit frazzled from the residual pain in my tooth. I was amazed at the rather poor wine training our server had, since there was a full page of wines in small print including the likes of Opus One. After the cork was removed from the bottle, the cork was just put into her apron, and when then she poured a taste for me in the glass, but as I reached over to take a taste, she was already pouring the wine into my Bride’s glass; thankfully the wine was fine. We had a bottle of Domaine Bois de Boursan Chateauneuf- du-Pape 2014. This is a relatively new winery for the Rhone as they were established in 1955. Chateauneuf-du-Pape is one of the few wine appellations that allow a mix of up to eighteen different grapes to be used, including white grapes for a red wine. The three main varietals for the region Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre were blended with Counoise, Cinsault, Clairette, Roussanne and Bourbclenc (the last two being white). This wine is ferment initially on the lees for four to eight weeks in a mix of concrete and Stainless Steel and then the wine is aged for twenty-four months in old oak barrels. There is a ten-month additional aging period once the wine is bottled before it is released. My Bride and I did get a chance to do some dancing and I will go back there again on a non-holiday evening and give them another chance, and a toast to my Bride.

Posted in Dining, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

He Scores

Posted on October 25, 2017 by thewineraconteur

Have you ever wondered what is poured into a Stanley Cup when the big hockey game is finished? The people at D. Vine Wine that were at a wine tasting the other night, had a chance to find out, and not only that, we had a chance to try it as well. Jason Earnest, the only non-professional hockey player in the ownership of Vineyard 36 had brought samples of most of the wines that the winery produces. Which was really great, as most of the wine that they made is now sold out.


The last two wines that we were going to taste were going to be done side by side; and that got most us rather excited and very interested. The Vineyard 36 Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 was their premier wine and it had a beautiful color, a great nose and long legs. It even surpassed the Vineyard 36 Foundation 2014 that we had just tried. The fruit for this wine was also harvested from their micro sites in St. Helena and Coombsville and it was also aged for twenty-four months. The only difference in this wine was that fifty percent of the French oak barrels were new and it while it was only a twenty percent difference, the flavor was most noticeable.


The last wine of the evening, that was being presented side by side was from the library of the winery and it was the only case of it in the state of Michigan. We had a chance to try the Vineyard 36 Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, which had the same technical notes of production as the 2013. I also noted that even though this is a relatively new winery, they spent extra money to have each label different, which may make it harder, from a marketing and sales approach, but I guess that it works for them. Jason Earnest as he was talking about the wine, very diplomatically hinted about where the micro lots were, who owned them, but since there was not a major contract signed demanding that the private vineyard be identified, which would also greatly increase the price of the grapes and hence the wine, the vineyard was not named. This wine was even more of everything, then the 2013 and everyone could certainly agree on that. The other thing that I noticed that was different was that this wine also had an additional red plastic seal over the capsule to ensure that it would stay air-tight. I also got an extra souvenir of the evening as Jason Earnest signed the emptied bottles and I got one of the 2012, which makes for a wonderful keepsake, since the label was printed on the bottle. This was the wine that was poured into the Stanley Cup and there were only five-hundred cases of this vintage made. They are actually holding most of this wine in their library for future Stanley Cup celebrations.

Posted in Wine | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Night with Jason Earnest

Posted on October 23, 2017 by thewineraconteur

A hockey night at D. Vine Wines with no Don Cherry, in fact we had the finance partner for the evening and he was passionate about the wines. I mean Detroit is a hockey town and has been forever. The Original Six is part of Detroit’s legacy concerning hockey and most people think of hockey as a beer sport, I mean when one thought of hockey, one thought of Canada, and when one thought of Canada they either thought of Molson’s and Labatt’s or Whisky without the superfluous “e.” Of course, that was years ago and the sport has changed and so have the players, along with Canada and everything else in this dynamic world. My family is from Canada and I can remember my first pair of CCM skates, almost a rite of passage, but alas I bombed at skating, to this day, I still have trouble going backwards on them.


As Jason Earnest was explaining the genesis of Vineyard 36, he explained that both Tim Gleason and Cam Ward both discovered wine in restaurants and dinner parties with their fellow team mates. Hockey players these days are paid princely sums of money and with that comes the trappings of the position. It is only natural that fine wines come into the picture. Somehow a lager with an aged Kobe steak almost sounds uncivilized and professional athletes can indulge in First Growths and Grand Crus and cult wines much easier than the majority of the fans. As Jason was telling the story the three of them finalized the plans to become winemakers over dinner in Manhattan. These two hockey players took their appreciation for wines one step further and became winemakers, but they stayed humble and didn’t use their names and status as marketing tools, they let the wine be the spokesperson, and the wines that we tried that evening did an excellent job of selling themselves.


After having the Unmask and then the Cross Check wine, it was only fitting that the third wine of the evening was Vineyard 36 Foundation Cabernet Sauvignon 2014. Even the label demanded to be placed third in the tasting order as it had a simple white label with a basic hockey rink in silver, with the numeral three in Roman numerals for the Silver won by the U.S. Olympics team and if you look closely at the white ice background of the label one can see all of the cuts in the ice from the skates that have traversed the arena, until they can smooth the ice again. This wine is their base wine and their base wine could easily compete with other wineries top of the line selection. This Cabernet Sauvignon was made from fruit harvested from their micro-sites in St. Helena and Coombsville. This wine was aged for twenty-four months in French oak, but with thirty percent of the barrels being new. The wine delivered a great nose, long legs, deep color and a strong after taste, all the hall marks of what I look for in a good wine. I couldn’t wait for the last two wines to be poured and tasted.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Vineyard 36

Posted on October 21, 2017 by thewineraconteur

Hockey and wine, go together, just ask Tim Gleason #6 and Cam Ward #30 who are partners with Jason Earnest in Vineyard 36 from Napa Valley. The two hockey players combined their jersey numbers to create the name of the winery. They both were introduced to wine having dinners with other fellow hockey players and they really enjoyed what they were drinking, and they took the next big step and they went to where the action is, in Napa Valley. Jason Earnest the third partner in the equation comes from a financial background, so they were all neophytes to winemaking, but they had great enthusiasm. They hired winemaker David Tate from Montebello for his expertise and they were off and running, or should I say skating.


I went to a wine tasting at D. Vine Wine in Livonia along with many others to hear what Jason Earnest had to say about the wines and the winery. The first wine that was discussed and tasted was Vineyard 36 Unmask Red Wine 2015. It was described as a Rhone style, perhaps because it was three quarters Syrah. The other grapes that were blended in with the Syrah was Zinfandel, Merlot and Mourvedre. The wine was aged for twenty-four months in neutral French Oak barrels. I found the wine to be very mellow and even with all that Syrah, I could taste some of the Zin permeate the flavor and this would be a great pairing with a steak. The black and white label features one the icemen without his head covering looking rather intense at the game he is watching.


The Vineyard 36 Cross Check Red Wine 2015 was the next wine and it is also from Napa Valley. As you notice the hockey terms are apparent in the wines. This wine label is also in black and white and shows one of the partners rather beaten up, and Jason showed us the actual photograph in color and it was rather graphic and the final artwork renders it much more saleable in my humble opinion. This wine was seventy-five percent Petite Sirah with twenty percent Zinfandel and the rest was Petite Verdot. This wine was also aged for twenty-four months in neutral French oak. I found that the fruit was much more prevalent and forward in this wine and I think that it would be better with a roast turkey with the holiday coming up.

Posted in Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Two Great Reds

Posted on October 19, 2017 by thewineraconteur

The other day I decided to go to another wine tasting, I only go if I am free. You would think that since I always write about wines that I would center my life around wine events, but that is not the case. Most of the time I prefer having wine with friends over dinner. I find that some wine events are too pretentious for me, as I guess that I have been enjoying them for so many decades that the novelty wore off years ago. I also get annoyed when I see people preening and posing with stemware, as for me it is what is in the glass that counts and not who I can impress, not that I cannot discuss different wines and vintages.


I went to a wine shop that I enjoy near me, since they now have new owners and the wine tasting bar is the center of attention. I have found that D. Vine Wine is a relaxing way to go for an evening. They have a lecture about the wines from a gentleman that makes me a teenager compared to his years of wine experience. Also, the crowd that usually attends the tasting night are far from poseurs. Between the talks and the questions from the crowd, it makes for an interesting couple of hours and the wines are much better since the new owners. I have also enjoyed getting there a little early, as you never know what may be poured for the guests to get them in the mood, not that they need any prodding, but it is a great touch.


I got a chance to try two wines that I was not even aware of, which isn’t that difficult considering all the wineries that are out there and more it seems each year. The first pour that I had was Ferrari-Carano Prevail Back Forty 2011 from the Alexander Valley. Ferrari-Carano is a winery that I am well aware of, in their popular priced offerings, but this was far superior to their wines that I usually encounter when we are out for dinner. This is a mountain vineyard and they have added some Syrah and Cabernet Franc to the Cabernet Sauvignon wine and it is aged in a mix of Hungarian and French Oak, with some being older barrels. It was a great wine to start the evening off right and the next wine, I wasn’t even aware of, or maybe I just glance over it while reading about wines in the periodicals either from the post or on-line. Vice Versa Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2015 was excellent. I wish all Cabernet Sauvignon wines could taste this good. Vice Versa Wine makes use of several different vineyards and this wine is their base wine and is a blend of fruits from Oakville, Saint Helena, Pritchard Hill and Napa Valley. There were only 250 cases of this wine produced, which is a shame, as most people will never get a chance to try it, and I guess that I was just lucky. Needless to say, I was all primed for the actual tasting event.

Posted in Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Brunch at Beverly Hills Grill

Posted on October 17, 2017 by thewineraconteur

After wine shopping we had really worked up an appetite and this was going to be our last meal with my Sister-in-Law before she went home. We went to the restaurant that is known in the metro area as the power breakfast location, in fact the breakfasts are so famous that some of the dishes appear throughout the day on the menu, but since we were there for a Sunday brunch we didn’t have to worry.


My Sister-in-Law opted more a lunch item in that she had Macadamia crusted Michigan Rainbow Trout with Coconut Sticky Rice, Micro Cilantro and a Cucumber-Mango Salsa. Michigan Rainbow Trout is not something that she can get at home for her and she was showing her allegiance to the state. My Bride ordered one of the specials that are written on the blackboards for the day She had the Shrimp and Grits with Andouille sausage, tomatoes, scallions and Cheddar cheese as it reminded her of New Orleans. I also went with the New Orleans flavor and got a special Eggs Benedict. This one was made with Lamb sausage, with a Spinach, Brussel Sprouts, Baby Kale salad and topped with a Rosemary Hollandaise sauce.


Instead of ordering the house Mimosas we made our own by ordering a bottle of bubbly and a carafe of fresh orange juice. We had a bottle of Jaume Serra Arte Latino Cava Brut NV. I thought it was a better choice compared to some of the bulk sparkling wines that we sometimes encounter for Mimosas. This Cava wine from Catalonia was made in the Metodo Tradiccional as the Champagne makers in France back in the Seventies started their campaign to eradicate the word Champagne from any label that was not from the Champagne region. It is made in the classic method only with Cava the classic grapes are Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Parellada and when made from a good house the bubbles are tiny and continuous. This wine took twelve months to finish off its Secondary Fermentation and for an affordable bottle it was quite good, as I tried some first before I added the orange juice. My Bride took her sister to the airport and we look forward to seeing her and her family along with everyone else for the traditional Thanksgiving Dinner.

Posted in Dining, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Four New Wines

Posted on October 15, 2017 by thewineraconteur

I have to admit that there were more wines purchased at Elie Wine Company, but it was not from us. My Sister-in-Law was so amazed at the breadth of French wines offered in one location, that she decided to do some shopping and figured that she could store the wines with us, and that would be one less square cubic foot that would not take up space when they drive up for the holidays. She also decided to get some birthday shopping out of the way as well. You can tell that they are sisters.


The first wine that I will discuss is from Corsica and while this island may have an Italian heritage woven into the tapestry of its existence, it is a department of France and abides by the wine rules of France, which in some cases have been reworded to be more closely tied to the Common Market. Clos Canarelli Corse Figari 2013 is such a wine. The Appellation Corse Figari Protegée identifies the wine from Corsica and the village of Figari is in the southern tip of Corsica. The wine is eighty percent Niellucciu and the balance is equally split among Syrah and Sciaccarellu and while those are the local names for the grapes, we know Niellucciu as Sangiovese and Sciaccarellu as Mammolo, and the blending of those two grapes are one of the main types of wines on the island, and it also shows how the Italian heritage is always present. The Clos Canarelli was bought for a gift and so was the next wine that I will discuss. Chateau Carbonnieux 2012 is a Grand Cru Classe of Graves in the Bordeaux region. Chateau Carbonnieux is a Grand Cru Classe awardee for both their white and red wines, which is a bit more common occurrence in Graves. The winery is in the Pessac-Leognan area of Graves and this red wine is a classic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. This wine starts of in fermentation in Stainless Steel and then ages in oak for eighteen months. Graves has a unique taste for Bordeaux as the area is named for the terroir; Graves means gravel and not a hole in a cemetery.


The two wines that she chose for different holidays coming up are rather unique and I think she must have been listening to her sister gush a bit about Cabernet Franc. Thierry Germain Domaine des Roches Neuves Les Memoires Saumur Champigny 2015. Thierry Germain was originally from Bordeaux, but he has found a new life in the Loire Valley. While Cabernet Franc is one of the grapes used in Bordeaux it shines in Saumur Champigny and the winery is bio-dynamic and they only use used oak barrels. Les Memoires is from a separate vineyard plot that was first planted with Cabernet Franc in 1904 near Dampierre, so the vines are quite mature. The wine is fermented for ten to fifteen days, before it is aged for twelve months in oak and then it is bottled and rests for an additional six months before it is sold. The other wine that caught her attention is a Pinot Noir wine and that is a wine that both she and her husband really enjoy. The Domaine Charlopin-Parizot Gevrey-Chambertin La Justice 2011 is that wine. In the Burgundy region Domaine Charlopin-Parizot is a newcomer as they began in 1977 with four acres of vineyards and they now have sixty-two acres in several locations. La Justice is just east of the village and prized for its alluvial soil. This wine spends four to fourteen days in fermentation and then is aged for about eighteen months in new oak. So, it looks like we shall be enjoying some great wines during the holidays and I will have to find some wines to compliment these wines as well for dinner.

Posted in Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Some Future Wines

Posted on October 13, 2017 by thewineraconteur

The last day that my Sister-in-Law was in town we were going to go out for brunch, but there was about an hour or more wait, so she wanted to go see the wine shop that I had taken her husband to, when he was in town. So, we went to Elie Wine Company which was only about a ten-minute drive away, as we were going to go there afterwards, so we went before brunch and worked up more of an appetite. We were fortunate that Elie himself was there and he charmed the ladies talking about wines and his shop. While they were being entertained, I got a chance to meander around the shop and salivate about all the items that I would not be getting, but wouldn’t everyone like a vertical of Petrus?


I was looking for something interesting to add to the cellar, as if I have any room for any more, but that is the curse of a wine lover. Domaine Sylvain Langoureau Chassagne-Montrachet “Les Voillenots Dessous” 2015 fit the bill nicely. A nice affordable Red Burgundy. Domaine Sylvain Langoureau is a husband and wife team that are making wines in one of the most famous wine regions in the world and of course the French call them garagiste, but I think Le Pin was also considered that in the beginning. This is a couple who are completely hands on, and all the work is by their own toil and they are working with one of the most finicky grapes and Pinot Noir is the grape of Burgundy for red wines. Les Voillenots is another lieux-dits site or locality that some consider should get official recognition in Chassagne-Montrachet, but the wheels turn very slowly for change in that part of the world.


Elie touted me on another Rosé wine and this was from Spain and from a new region for me as well. The Bodegas Cesar Principe Clarete de Luna 2016 is a very pretty deep pink color in the bottle. I could not find much production notes for this wine, but I must presume that the skins were left after the pressing for a couple of days to get this deep color. The winery has been in production since 1982 in Cigales, which is just north of the Duero in Castilla y Leon and this wine had five thousand cases produced. The wine is eighty percent Tempranillo and then evenly split among Verdejo and Albillo. I am sure that we will try this one soon.
The last wine that piqued my curiosity was from the Jura and it is a Chardonnay, but not made in the traditional way for that area, as the wine is “topped off” instead of allowing the oxidation that the region is known for. It is more reminiscent of a Chablis from what I have heard and read. The Domaine Labet Fleurs Chardonnay 2014 is a blend of grapes grown in their five parcels of land, each with different aged vines. The wine has aged in old oak barrels for about fifteen months before bottling. It is always fun to try some new wines.

Posted in Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Wedding Reception

Posted on October 11, 2017 by thewineraconteur

We arrived at the hall, and I looked for our table assignment and then it dawned on me, the theme of the wedding colors – The Detroit Tigers. That is what I get for being a jock, and I am far from one, as the Navy and Orange triggered my brain finally when I saw that we were sitting in Section 104 and at each place setting was a can of Coca Cola, a box of Cracker Jacks and a baseball shaped sign announcing the nuptials. I guess I was the only one that did not put everything in place in my mind, in fact some of the wedding pictures were photographed at Comerica Park and I began by typing Tiger Stadium, eventually I will get with what is going on in the world.


Our “section” was very close to the Bridal table, as the Mother of the Bride and her Sister, are considered to be sisters to my Bride and her sisters. It was quite the family event of the year. I mean my Bride considers the Bride of the moment more as a niece than a cousin and so do her other sisters. After the introductions of the new married couple the room was set up for the buffet dinner and the “sections” were called up for bat to make their plates and dine. It was a nice set up with an assortment of salads and the peppers that one could add to the salad had some great zing to them. There were three different options of meat as well as other sides. I am always concerned with most catering companies, as I feel that they rely more on MSG than on quality cooking, but I did not have any problems, so I was very happy. The only complaint that I heard about was that the Groom and a couple of other guests had certain dietary concerns and the hall messed up, even though it was in the contract, and I thought that was poor service. After the dining was finished and the cake was carved up, it was time for the special dances and then dancing for the guests as well. Each guest was asked to list a special song that they wanted to have played that evening and my Bride and I got a chance to swing to “You Make Me Feel So Young,” one of our theme songs from our wedding.


My one constant that I find about catering halls and companies is that they go out of their way to find the most profitable wines for themselves at the expense of those that try to enjoy wine. The wine selection was Liberty Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay and all were Non-vintage and what I would classify as jug-wine. These are all massed produced California wines and I tried the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Chardonnay and they both were much sweeter than I had expected, but perhaps that is what is wanted by young couples at weddings. I then tried a glass of Riunite Lambrusco NV from my youth that is made in the Emilia-Romagna district of Italy and it was much sweeter than I recalled and it didn’t have the sparkling natural effervescence that I recall back in the day. While we did not drink much wine, others were enjoying it and the wedding was a success, and at the end of the day that is what mattered.

Posted in Dining, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments