Why We Love Gamay! Part 1
This month we’re talking about one of our favourite wines at the winery- our Trumpour’s Mill Gamay.
An Ontario Wine Superstar, The first Ontario Wine Award winner for both our winery and for Prince Edward County back in 2003 as well as wining numerous other awards over the years, our only wine sold in 300 LCBO outlets across Ontario, and one of our personal favourites. It’s the wine that I have always called “the best bring-your-own-wine wine” because of its versatility, its easy-drinking quality. It’s the perfect summer red because it drinks well a little chilled and yet it goes great with cuisine all year long!
Gamay vines thrive in the conditions in Prince Edward County. The clay and limestone soils, the length of the growing season the summer heat etc. Every year our gamay is one of the highest producers on the farm, and they are relatively low maintenance (unlike their burgundian neighbours). They are also the verity that has shown the earliest the unique terroir and is the best at showing seasonal characteristics. It is also the wine, during the wine making process that we can learn the characteristics on. Generally it is the first red we harvest, maybe a week before we do the pinot noir. In the time between the wine-making is already well on its way. The way it reacts in the wine making is generally quite similar to the way the pinot will act, and ideally any difficulties that arise with the gamay can be prepared for with the pinot.
LCBO 615062. To find a store near you check out: http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=615062
Here are some of our favourite gamay reviews:
Bottle DJ: “I have tasted three of four previous vintages and found them to have a fullness that would be the envy of any Beaujolais produced wines…” For full article see: http://www.bottledj.com/?p=1255
Spotlight Toronto: “The depth of the wine makes it very food friendly and perfect for making an appearance at thanksgiving dinner. At under $15, not only is the wine delicious it is also very accessible.”
For the rest of the article check out: http://www.spotlighttoronto.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4033&catid=138&lang=en
Toronto Life: “The excellent conditions in 2007 added impressive colour to this gamay. Plum and blackcurrant aromas are framed by cinnamon…”
For article see: http://www.torontolife.com/features/hype-dreams/
Prince Edward County Wineries Blog: “Bursting with earthy aromas of cherry and strawberry the bold red fruit notes of our 2008 Gamay Noir lingers on the palate with a vibrant refreshing cranberry finish. Delicious with roast turkey, pork chops or pasta dishes topped with tomato sauce…”
For article: http://princeedwardcountywineries.blogspot.com/2010/11/grange-2008-trumpours-mill-gamay-noir.html
And a Pairing with Topper’s Pizza! Can’t go wrong with that!
Check it out: http://www.toppers.ca/vqa.html
Wine Award Season: Fingerlakes International Wine Competition!
We are excited to annouce that we won Silver for the Cab Franc and Pinot Noir and Bronze for the Gamay and Rosé this year!
congrats to everyone that entered!
Check out the awards here:
http://www.fliwc.com/results/2011results.asp
Maple in the County Cornbread
This is an old family recipe with a few changes:
1 c. of cornmeal, 3/4 c. flour, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 well beaten egg, 1/2 c. milk and 1/2 cup applesauce, 2tbsp melted butter and 4 tsp baking powder. Bake in a well greased 8X8 pan for 20 minutes at 450o F.
I love this recipe because it is so reliable and flexible. Change the applesauce to any puree you like or leave out the fruit altogether and increase the milk to 1c.
This weekend I topped the cornbread with maple caramelized onions, creme fraiche and bacon but again toppings are up to you. I am one of those people who prefers complimentary flavours to contrasting and so I am always trying to build a taste up in anything I am making. What about pumpkin or sweet potato cornbread with a little nutmeg and allspice served warm for breakfast topped with a little maple syrup and a dollop with whipped cream but it is also good with some chili in it topped with cheddar cheese and sour cream…..
I should have taken a picture but the weekend was so busy we served 500 portions as soon as they were out of the oven sorry.
Maple and Wine Pairings: Getting Ready for Maple in The County!
Maple with Gamay!
Over the last couple of weeks I have been trying to rack my brain to come up with some interesting and unique wine pairing ideas with maple for this month’s maple in the county. I also wanted to incorporate pork for national pig month and chardonnay to celebrate seriously cool chard. But what I really wanted to do was a red wine and maple pairing; and our gamay was the obvious choice for that. Complimentary flavours for maple include: cedar, clove, cooked strawberry, balsamic vinegar, fenugreek seeds and soy sauce to name a few. Gamay also finds a home nestled within these types of flavours, and it is because of this that I believe the pairing will be successful.
So here are some flavours that come up time and time again in the recipes I’ve been reading…
-cranberry
-red onion marmalade
-maple glaze with horseradish
-whole grain mustard
-maple pecans
-chili powder
-maple glaze and red wine sauce/ red wine and maple glaze
Great bases for these flavours can be anything from pork medallions, or chops or tenderloin. Duck or lamb are also great options. Or for a side try carrots with a maple red wine glaze. Or spare ribs with a maple chilli glaze. Or salmon is another lovely option and is a great pairing with gamay. And it would even be nice for dessert; maple red wine glaze on ice cream.
This is a great opportunity to try something new today! We’ll keep you up to date with what we make on this upcoming Maple in The County weekend!
For details on our event at the winery check out:
http://grangeofprinceedward.com/2011/02/15/maple-in-the-county-weekend/
Maple Mulled Wine: Getting Ready for Maple in The County!
Being able to celebrate maple and chardonnay in the same month is a great thing; they make a great pairing! So in honor of Seriously Cool Chardonnay NYC and Maple in The County here are some fun wine and maple treats!
Maple Mulled Wine-
it is a undeniable fact that maple and oaked chardonnay go great together. The smokey sweetness and spice really line up beautifully. So to take advantage of this, and the fact that we still have a few more weeks of winter we’re trying out some new white mulled wine recipes!
The first will be with our 2006 Victoria Block Chardonnay. With its nice spicy, caramel-y character its going to blend very nicely with the maple syrup. Now, whatever you do, do not add too much of anything to your mulled wine! Start with just a very little bit and add more as needed. Just a splash of maple syrup is needed to really brighten up all the spice and smoke that’s already present in the wine. And from there, I’d add just a little bit of spice to bring out the characteristics that are already there. Maybe some cinnamon and/ or clove. Maybe some citrus zest.
Being featured at the winery this weekend will be a pairing of our chardonnay with a roasted garlic applesauce cornmuffin topped with maple smoked bacon and creme fraiche. there will also be a special of two bottles of our chardonnay and a jar of our homemade chardonnay jelly for $35.
