Cicerone VS Sommelier 2014

Cicerone Don Farion, Chef Vianello, Sommelier Michaela Morris

What came first, beer or wine? Beer references date back to at least 3100 BC along wine  production dating back further to 6000 BC.  Both glorious man made beverages still with us today. It has only been in the last decade that the two have competed head on as the best beverage to pair with food. 

One of the great games for a sommelier is the pairing of wine and food. We think in terms of complementing or contrasting flavours, textures, creativity, and regionality when trying to create the best pairing experience for the dining guest. The equally passionate Cicerone (beer sommelier) strives for the same success using a lower alcohol carbonated beverage. Both camps are trained professionals, Somm’s can train through the International Sommelier Guild, WSET, and the Court of Master Sommeliers. Cicerones have the Cicerone Certification Program,  the Prud'homme Beer Certification, Siebel Institute of Technology, and World Brewing Academy in Germany, and the  Beer Academy Accredited Sommelier program based in the UK. Like the Sommelier training programmes, the cicerone/beer sommelier programs, despite being relatively young in origin focus on levels of training with detailed syllabus and accreditation levels. The US based Cicerone Master Cicerone program has only had seven graduates with an annual pass rate similar to that of the WSET Master of Wine programme since its inception since 2007.

This year’s face off during Vancouver Craft Beer Week  was with Sommelier Michaela Morris of House Wine and Cicerone Don Farion of Bomber Brewing/ BierCraft Restaurants paired with the creative food of Chef Alessandro Vianello at the Fairmont Pacific’s ARC. This was cicerone Don Farion's second win over a sommelier.

1st Course| Vinho Verde vs Flemish Red

Pacific Octopus Carpaccio with kelp and rhubarb beads

2012 Quinta do Ameal 11.5%

Loureiro Vinho Verde DOC Portugal

Straw green with aromas of lime and green tree fruits. Medium-bodied, zesty acidity, nicely structured with a rich mid palate and flavours of  lime, pear, a hint of melon, faint vanilla, and some herby complexity.

Rodenbach Classic Flanders Red Ale 5.2% Belgium medium-bodied with sour berry, plum, fig, and subtle balsamic notes. Lightly carbonated.

On paper the Vinho Verde should have won based on regionality. Portuguese whites shine with  abundant Atlantic seafood. In reality the Rodenbach paired better with the salinity of the dish and the wildcard the rhubarb beads. The flavours of rhubarb were a perfect complement to the beer's sourness. Beer Wins.

2nd Course Riesling Vs German Hefeweizen

Smoked Potato Peroganeni with House Made Lardo, Saurkraut, and Crème Fraiche

2010 Chapoutier Schieferkopf  Lieu-Dit Fels Riesling Alsace AC, France 14%

Yellow gold colour with aromas of ripe lime, apple and a hint of petrol. Medium-bodied, bone dry, lots of concentration, citrus, mineral, apple, and petrol flavours. Complex.

Maisel’s Weiss Hefeweizen 5.4%Germany

Cloudy unfiltered old gold. Medium to full-bodied with typical “hefe” notes of banana, spice (clove), and grapefruit. Good amount of carbonation.

This dish was a good pairing for both the beer and wine. The carbonation level along with fruit and spice flavours of the beer were great with the smoked potato and creme fraiche. The body, structure, and concentration of flavours of the Riesling paired with all the elements of this richly textured dish. Wine Wins.

3rd Course Frappato vs American Porter

Salt Baked Heirloom Carrot with Ferro salad, cumin, dill, micro cilantro, with cocoa nib soil and Sherry Vinaigrette

2011 Valle dell’Acate “Il Frappato” Vittoria Frappato DOC Italy 13%

Cherry red colour. Intriguing aromas of red cherry liquorice, herbs, and minerals. Medium-bodied, soft tannins, good acidity, and flavours of cherry, raspberry, dried mint, flowers, and a touch of dried orange. Served slightly chilled - brilliant.

 Deschutes Black Butte Porter American Porter 5.2% Oregon

Very dark mahogany colour. Aromas of cocoa, coffee, and roasted malts. Medium-bodied with a creamy texture and flavours of roasted oats, chocolate, coffee, and some charred spice notes. Lightly carbonated.

Another on paper, win for wine, although this dish paired better with the Black Butte Porter. The wine with its refreshing acidity and racy red fruit and herby  flavours paired well with the spices and earthiness of the farro; but lost out to the overtly chocolatey nutty notes in the cocoa nib soil. The porter mirrored flavour for flavour with the soil, Sherry nuttiness, and the earthy notes of the farro. This dish was very close to pick a winner. Beer Wins

4th Course Cabernet Sauvignon Vs Bier de Garde

Lamb Short Loin & Corned Lamb’s Tongue with Sweetbreads, Peas, Mint, and Lamb Dressing

2009 Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River Australia 14%

Opaque and inky. Aromas of mint, menthol, and cassis. Full-bodied, excellent balance of acidity and tannins. European styled with complex notes of blackcurrant, leafy wild berries, cedar, and warm spices.

The Commons Biere de Garde Farmhouse Ale Saison  5.4% California

Light amber colour with aromas of Normandy apple, herbs, and a hint of hops. Medium-bodied, good carbonation, and flavours of earth, herbs, malt, pepper, and restrained hops.

Lamb and Cabernet a perfect match! The savoury herb notes of the minted peas was a perfect balance for the flavours and and aromas of the Australian Cabernet. The restrained styling of the wine, reminiscent of a richer vintage Bordeaux, paired extremely well. The sweetbreads were not an ideal wine pairing, the tannins of the wine enhanced the offal like flavours of the ingredient. 

Cicerone Don Farion mentioned the challenge of matching greens with beers, this saison however was a wonderful pairing, to the mint and peas with its complementing earth and subtle herb flavours. The sweetbreads faired better with the beer by balancing the earthy flavour profile. A tough personal call; but the wine was a better overall match. Wine Wins.

5th Course Moscato vs Strawberry Beer

Strawberry Shortcake with white chocolate blanket, pink peppercorns, roasted strawberry, and sorbet

2012 Massolino Moscato d’asti DOCG Italy 5%

Straw yellow with aromas of orange and apricot sorbet. Light-bodied, elegantly sweet with balanced acidity and some petillance.  Flavours of orange, nectarine, and a hint of savoury herb and green tea.

Friuli  Belgian White with Strawberry. 4.1%

Light red amber colour. Aromas of strawberry shortcake. Light-bodied and very sweet with strawberry, orange, and a hint of coriander. Good carbonation.

Another tough pairing with both the wine and beer working well with the dessert. The tart strawberry sorbet was brilliant with the lovely acidity and petillance of the Moscato. The very reasonable priced beer won hands down with the complementing flavours and sugar level. Beer Wins

Final Score by 48 Diners|  Beer 26, Wine 22   

It was interesting that neither the cicerone or sommelier paired anything local with the food matches. As a Sommelier, I would have also looked further afield for wine matches, based on the menu. BC wine is still a challenge based on price point and value. Possibly next year's competition could incorporate a local craft beer and wine into one of the dishes  or consider even one blind beer and wine pairing to enhance the challenge? Overall a great night that proves both a glass and a pint make good friends over food. 

New Zealand | New Burgundy

In the 80's New Zealand knocked the block off of the foundations of the Loire Valley’s Sauvignon Blanc with its  seductive and pungent take on this old world white; now Burgundy needs to watch its heels as Pinot Noir strikes a blow with wines that bridge old world structure and new world  fruit forwardness. 

At a recent master class tasting, of a bakers dozen of New Zealand’s best Pinots,  you could not walk away from without realizing the future potential of this grape. With just over a decade of intensive Pinot planting under its belt, New Zealand will,without a doubt, prove a problem for Burgundy. When a $30 red has finesse, structure, and beguiling aromas and flavours that convince you of the Beaune, Nuits, or Carneros you can only smile.

What makes New Zealand Pinot Noir shine?  Is it a sense of place, climate, winemaking, or enviromental isolation?  It is a trinity of all. 

Pinot Noir is predominantly a South Island grape, with five of regions of the seven major Pinot regions located there. South island regions include Nelson, Marlborough, Waipara and Waitaki Valley's, and Central Otago. The North island Pinot regions cluster at Wairarapa and Martinborough.

The climate of New Zealand is primarily maritime, with all land masses with 130km of the Tasman Sea or Pacific, resulting in mild dry summers and cool nights). Soil types range from stoney and clay alluvial soils, and winemaking bridges both new and world techniques. Oak ageing is usually less than eighteen months, and cold soaking and whole cluster fermentation is the norm. A majority, including all wines tasted, are under "Stelvin" packaging.  Most vineyards are small holdings another similarity to the Burgundian model. 

What struck me at the tasting was the style and flavour profile of Pinot and its variations based on terroir and regionality. New Zealand Pinot exhibits silky tannins, a balance of vibrant racy red and dark fruits , as with a backbone of earth, spice, and herbs. My tasting notes mentioned Beaune, Nuits, Carneros, and Willamette.  With a median price of $38 the wines are of great perceived value in the Vancouver market. 

REGIONS & WINES

Nelson|Artisan producers. Fragrant complex style with notes of cherry.

2012 Waimea Estate $29.90

Cherry red with aromas of cranberry, red cherry, and autumnal woodsmoke. Medium-bodied, soft tannins, good acidity and flavours of smoke, earth, thyme and sage.

Marlborough|Largest Pinot Noir region. Linear styled with red fruit (raspberry and plums)

2012 Ara Select Blocks (Waihopai Valley) $24.95

Youthful ruby colour. Wild raspberry aromas. Light-bodied with youthful fruit forward notes of red cherry and raspberry.  Ideal seafood wine. 

2012 Cloudy Bay (Wairau Valley) $40.95

Ruby red with smoked raspberry aromas. Medium-bodied with a nice balance of tannins and acid. A bit of orange on the nose and palate (alcohol?) along with subtle chocolate and earth notes.

2012 Auntsfield Single Vineyard (Southern Valley) $32.95

Youthful ruby -purple colouration with complex aromas of mint, liquorice, and graphite. Medium to full-bodied, youthful tannins, and notes of cherry, graphite, plum, and forest floor. Complex and great value.

2012 Tohu Rore Reserve (Awatere Valley) $44.95

Ruby red with red fruit and earth aromas. Medium-bodied with good concentration and balance. Loads of cranberry, red plums, and hints of barrique. 

Waipara Valley|Limestone influenced. Firm tannins, and flavours of spice, pepper, and plummy sweet fruits.

2011 Pegasus Bay (Waipara Valley) $48.00

Ruby red with liquorice and damson plum. Medium-bodied with good concentration and flavours of plum, black pepper, and dark cherry.

2011 Greystone (Waipara Valley) $35.00

Cherry red with aromas of liquorice and a hint of saline (olive). Medium-bodied, concentrated, and flavours of plum, cranberry, and spice and savoury herb.

Waitaki Valley|Limestone country with dark fruits, suave acidity, and minerality.

 2011 John Forrest Estate Collection (Waipara Valley) $70?

Ruby with a complex nose (wet rock, merde, flowers, and farmyard). Medium to full-bodied, lush and savoury, layers of fragrant complexity with black cherry, herbs, and merde. Benchmark Pinot!

Central Otago|Firm tannins/acidity with black cherry and fresh herbs.

 2011 Coal Pit Tiwha  (Gibbston Valley) $40.75

Ruby colour with a fragrant nose. Medium-bodied with a silky texture and flavours of earth, spice, and cherry liqueur. 

2011 Akarua  (Bannockburn) $36.99

Ruby purple. Nose of violets and thyme. Medium-bodied with sweet spicy fruits and a hint of chocolate. 

2011 Quartz Reef (Bendigo) $44.95

Ruby red with citrus (alcohol) and herb aromas. Medium to full-bodied with good concentration, fine grained tannins and lush fruit and herbs. 

Wairarapa|Younger region with lifted cherry, plum, and tobacco flavours.

2011 Gladstone Vineyard (Wairarapa) $44.50

Cherry red (lights of the flight). Fragrant herbal and five spice aromas. Medium-bodied with cherry, smoke, and ripe cherry notes. Texturally like a Bourgogne AC. 

Martinborough|Oldest Pinot Noir regio. Full and subtle style with plum, chocolate, and meat flavours.

2011 Escarpment (Martinborough) $35.00

Ruby colour with aromas of cedar and graphite. Medium-bodied with juicy fruits (ripe plum), spice and garrigue.

Pinot is New Zealand's second most planted grape variety well behind  Sauvignon Blanc but its future looks bright. Next time you're thinking Pinot Noir head over the to New Zealand section of your wine shop. You will not be disappointed. 

More information on New Zealand wine can be found at www.nzwine.com  @nzwine

The Wine and Spice Route | Lamb & Beetroot Curry

One of the more challenging; but rewarding wine and food pairings is that of Asian cuisine, a broad palate, covering the cuisines of China, the South seas, and the Indian sub continent. I recently prepared this fantastic lamb and beetroot curry from the Westminster Cinnamon Club in London and found its best wine match.

Spice whether sweetly aromatic like cinnamon, ginger, or garam marsala or herbal like fennel, cumin, or coriander reacts differently to wine. An all rounder, that not only bridges the two styles of spice, as well as the texture, heat, and flavour of curry may be surprising to many; but Shiraz – particularly chilled sparkling Australian Shiraz is one of the best matches.  The curry had some great flavour enhancers and elements that paired extremely well with the wine. The key spice elements of garam marsala, clove, and chilli along with the unusual herbal notes of the camporus and smokey black cardamom pods in the background as well as beetroot with its earthy aromas and cooked sweetness added additional texture and complexity.

Aromatic & Herbal Spices

Black Cardamon 

Aromatic & wet spices

Cinnamon Club Lamb and Beet Root Curry

Ingredients (serves 4): 
750g leg of lamb, deboned and cut into 1½ inch cubes 
400g beetroot, boiled whole and cut into 1½ inch cubes 
500ml water 
4 tablespoons oil 
1 teaspoon cloves 
4 pods black cardamom 
3 medium size onions, thinly sliced 
150g yoghurt 
3 teaspoons salt 
1½ tablespoons red chilli powder 
1 tablespoon coriander powder 
2 tablespoon ginger and garlic paste 
2 teaspoon coarse red chilli flakes 
1 teaspoon garam masala powder 
4 sprigs of fresh coriander 
Juice of half a lemon 

For pickled vegetables 

500ml distilled white vinegar 
500ml water 
70g sugar 
1 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon fennel seeds 
1 teaspoon black onion seeds 
8 baby carrots, cleaned 
8 baby turnips, cleaned 
8 baby radish, cleaned 
8 baby parsnips, cleaned

Method: 

Marinate the meat with yoghurt, salt, red chilli powder, ground coriander and ginger-garlic paste and keep aside for 20 minutes. 

To prepare the pickled vegetables, combine the water and vinegar with sugar, salt and spices and bring to a boil. Add the vegetables and simmer until they are cooked, but still a bit crunchy. Remove from heat and strain. Retain the liquid for future use. 

Heat oil in a thick bottom pan, add the whole spices and stir for 30 seconds. Add sliced onions and fry until golden brown. Into the same oil, add the marinated meat and cook over a high heat for 10 minutes with constant stirring. Add the chilli flakes and cook for another 2 minutes. Now add the water, reduce the heat and cook for another 20-25 minutes. 

When the meat is nearly cooked and a little water remains, add diced beetroot and garam masala and cook for 5-6 minutes or until meat is tender. 

Remove from the fire and serve hot garnished with coriander sprigs and finished with a squeeze of lemon. 

Serve the lamb curry with rice or bread, topped with the pickled baby vegetables.

My home version 

Nest Protect Smoke Detector

Minimal Packaging

        It was only a matter of time before the much-reviled smoke detector became an object of desire

       that may actually save your life. Nest Labs of Palo Alto released in November their wifi enabled

    “ Nest Protect” a smoke and CO detector that breaks the mold on design and functionality of 

      necessary home appliance. Designed by Tony Fadel, design head of Apple’s first eighteen 

      generations of the Ipad and three versions of the Iphone, the Protect exudes well thought out 

      design aesthetics and user friendliness.

 Fresh out of the box, the detector strikes a cord with its square    shape  resembling a 

      ceiling mounted speaker, than life saving device. Installation is straightforward and  easy 

    to understand with detailed and easy to read instructions.  Downloading of the Nest app

    and a few minutes of configuring and the detector is ready to go. Using the app you can 

    program the detector to function differently depending on the room you choose. 
 Our installation was in our kitchen so I programmed the unit to allow for hand wave silencing using gestures and for the automatic night light when motion is detected at night.

The unit itself contains a photoelectric smoke sensor, along with sensors for carbon monoxide, heat, humidity, ambient light, and ultrasound motion detectors. Voice commands and prompts are US accented female “Siri” which according to the Nest website gets the attention of sleeping children more than a piercing alarm. The voice can be programmed to speak in English, French, and Spanish. Along with voice prompts of early warnings of smoke or CO and loud alarms in the event of fire or warning ignores, the unit also displays its status with coloured LED rings. Blue=set-up and testing, green=safe, yellow=early warning and heads up of smoke/CO levels increasing, red=emergency and white=night path light.

Iphone App and
Notifications

With the Protect wifi enabled any change of status causes a push to your smartphone for a heads up along with interconnectivity between units. Smoke in the kitchen informs the detector in your bedroom or living room as to where the fire is located. In the event that you burn some toast or leave a candle smoldering a voice prompt will inform you and can be silenced just by waving at the unit using the built in NestWave sensor.

The Nest Protect is available in both black (on-line only) and white. In Canada retail pricing is $129 for either the wired or battery version. Debating the merits of photoelectric over ionisation units – the Nest works extremely well for us especially in close proximately to our gas range. A bit dear but considering the cost a  decent smoke and CO detector and the possible life saving benefits I'd highly recommend the upgrade. Looking at the on-line reviews it appears that Nest Labs may have other future plans for this and their thermostat with its array of built-in sensors. Home automation looks exciting.