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 madenot 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 youre interested in:
Entertaining at homeCollecting wineCooking with wineTouring Canadian vineyardsImpressing your friends
Explore all the factors that influence a wine 212;from the soil the grapes grow in to the winemaking processand understand how to decipher this information from the label. Navigate any restaurants 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 IcewineHappily marry food and wine at your weddingPurchase wine online from private shopsProperly taste and describe any wineOrganize wine tastingsKnow when to send back a bottle of wine
Tired of relying on other peoples 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.
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 airThe grape's goodnessA fascination for thousands of yearsA widespread appealAn astonishing array of colours and sizesA knockout combination: Sugar and acidSetting the StandardsCanada's designated viticultural areasVQA regulations
Chapter 2: Wine in Its Elements Breaking It Down: Wine's Key IngredientsWhere'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 differenceWhite wines don't macerateDrinking 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 struggleHow grapes get sweetThe cool connection A History of Mediocrity A Year in a Canadian Vineyard Weathering the VintageFrost warningsSinging in the sunshineCrying in the rainHarsh lessons The Education Advantage
Part II: Appreciating Wine
Chapter 5: Sensing Good Wine Visual Basics
Judging colourLooking at whitesSeeing redChecking out those legs!Sending wines back: Five unsightly reasons to do so Nuancing the NoseGetting swirling again (it's worth it)Finding the right partnersSmelling something fishy: Avoiding bad wine daysBottle stink and other problemsOxidationCorkinessMore stinky reasons for sending wines back
Chapter 6: Pleasing Your Palate Getting to Know Your Tongue Putting Your Palate to the Test
Comparing whitesThat glowing colourThose revealing legsThe nose knowsThe proving of your palateComparing reds
Chapter 7: Judging the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Describing How Wines Taste Scoring Wine by Number
Your basic tasting sheetThe write wordsAppearanceBouquetTaste
Chapter 8: Sharing Good Taste Organizing a Tasting
Striking the right moodSetting the scene Tasting in PrivateIntimate encountersCrowd scenesDinner parties Tasting in PublicCruising the best winesGetting 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 wineRemember weight and acidityWeightAcidityConsider how it's cooked Ordering Wine Sending Wine Back Real-Life Wine ExperiencesThe wrong wayThe right way Wines for Vegetarians White Wine as an Aperitif
Chapter 10: At Home with Wine Wine Buyer Beware Bringing Home the Wine
Handling redsHandling whites and roses Cork ProceduresChoosing a corkscrewUncorking the bottleAfter you've opened the bottleTo air is divine What a Difference a Glass MakesA glass for redA glass for whiteA 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 Cellar24 bottles of wine on your wallPreparing for future consumption Buying Wine in CanadaThe liquor monopoliesCatalogue shoppingPrivate ordersPersonal importationPrivatized wine shopsAuctionsIndependent wine storesThe InternetPurchasing wine on-line from Ontario wineriesPurchasing wine on-line from B.C. wineriesPurchasing wine on-line from wine agentsPurchasing 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
ChardonnayChenin BlancGewurztraminerIcewineMuscatPinot BlancPinot GrisRieslingSauvignon BlancCabernet FrancCabernet SauvignonGamayMerlotNebbioloPinot NoirSangioveseSyrah/ShirazTempranilloZinfandel Don't Forget the FortifiedsSherry: Any Palomino is a pal of minePort: Overturning the traditionRuby ports (bottle-aged)Tawny ports (cask-aged)
Chapter 13: Wine and Cheese The Perfect Match
Types of cheeseHow 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 soupMatching wine and fishMatching wine and beefMatching wine and porkMatching 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 startHow much wine to use Going Back to (Cooking) SchoolThe Wine Country Cooking School at StrewnThe Cooking School at Hainle Vineyards
Chapter 16: Icewine: Canada's Icing on the Cake What Exactly Is Icewine?
Where Icewine comes fromHow Icewine is made Canadian Content: Icewine in CanadaThe Vidal grapeThe Riesling grapeThe parade of awards Savouring IcewineMatching Icewine with foodLaying 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: 1535Crossbred resistance and the American influence: 1619 Potential in Ontario: 1800 to 1866First international recognitionNiagara developments Ontario's Potential Realized: 1866 to 1900Temperance in a teacupThe birth of the liquor boardsPost-Prohibition daysA Brights spot during the DepressionChanging styles in the postwar yearsThe daffy world of Baby DuckThe invasion of the imports Beginnings in British Columbia: 1920Tried, tested, and trueAn apple a day couldn't keep creditors at bayWinds of changeWith 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: GlossaryAppendix B: Directory of Canadian Wineries Ontario
Niagara Bench wineriesNiagara-on-the-Lake wineriesLake Erie North Shore wineriesToronto/GTA wineriesOther areas British ColumbiaOkanagan Valley wineriesSimilkameen Valley wineriesGreater Vancouver and Fraser Valley wineriesVancouver Island wineries QuebecEastern Townships wineriesMonteregie wineriesQuebec City and other wineriesOther Areas Nova ScotiaAnnapolis Valley wineries Prince Edward Island Fruit wineriesOntarioBritish ColumbiaNova ScotiaNewfoundland 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
ManitobaOntarioQuebec
Appendix D: Canadian Highlights of the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) National Wine Standard Mission Statement Geographical Indications (G.I.)
Provincial areasViticultural areas Vineyard Designation Estate Bottle Declaration Wine Categories LabellingVarietal winesBlended wines (proprietary names)Vintage datingForeign geographical indicationsSynonymsAddition of waterChaptalizationSweet reserveCertification processLabel approvalTasting/evaluation panel compositionPackagingVQA label declaration Maintenance of This Standard Establishment of New Provincial Authorities
Index
