Bubbly for Valentine’s

Celebrate in style – under $40

by Anne Popoff

Just in time for Valentine’s Day! A most tasty Champagne has made its way to the General List offering at the LCBO. Not that one needs an excuse for Champagne, but this is the perfect occasion to try a new one. At $39.95, Champagne G. H. Martel & Co Cuvée Victoire Prestige Brut (LCBO # 190025) has arrived in a liquor store near you.

The history of this particular house is fascinating. The Rapeneau family hails from the Marne. Family members have been involved in the wine-trade since the first half of the 19th Century. In 1925, Ernest Rapeneau established a Champagne négociant company and ever since, the Rapeneau focus has been exclusively on champagne.

Most Champagne producers buy all or most of their grapes from independent growers. The Rapeneau family has taken a different tack, re-investing much of their profits in acquiring premium vineyard sites. In this way, they have better control of the cost of raw materials as well as their quality. Included are vineyards originally planted by Charles de Cazanove in the early 1800’s as well as G.H. Martel, Château Bligny and others.

With 420 acres of family-owned vineyards and a further 2000 acres under their control, the Rapeneau family is France’s largest independent vineyard-owner and producer of Champagne. In addition, the family maintains the largest collection of Champagne glassware in the world, with over 1000 unique examples of stemware used in the service of champagne.

Up until five years ago, all of the company’s growth has come from the domestic market of France. Now, there are Rapeneau family champagnes sold in the United Kingdom and Asia. And in the past two years, Jean-Rémy Rapeneau has begun to develop their brands in the United States- and now in Canada. As a result, Rapeneau family champagnes hold down the #6 world ranking for champagne sales.

Tasting notes

This delicious Champagne is composed of the classic trio: 65% Pinot Noir, 15% Pinot Meunier and 20% Chardonnay. Creamy and soft with smooth flavours of brioche, strawberry and lemon curd, it will accompany any of your Valentine’s Day gourmet recipes or even on its own, to start the celebration!

I’ll keep you informed on the best wines, noteworthy restaurants and occasionally, I’ll talk about a great book or neat travel destination. All things I am passionate about. As a former investment banker, I had the good fortune to be able to switch careers and became a certified sommelier here in Toronto. This has led me to get involved with the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers and I am now the President of the Ontario Chapter (www.capsontario.ca)

Affordable Sauvignon Blanc

A Strapping Lad from Bergerac

by Anne Popoff

Sometimes all you want is an uncomplicated, easy sipping glass of white wine. So I am presenting you today with a delicious white wine from the Bergerac region of France. Bergerac is south-east of Bordeaux, in the Dordogne, but is considered to be part of the South West region of wines in France. Bergerac grows the same grapes as in Bordeaux, but in a slightly more rustic style. This makes for wines that are drinkable sooner and are a bit sunnier in flavour, given that the weather there is already more continental (cooler winters, hotter summers).

This particular wine, Grand Gaillard Sauvignon Blanc 2009 is untypical for this varietal (LCBO, #168500, $12.95). It is not an in-your-face New Zealand style, nor is it the restrained Bordeaux version, and definitely not the grassy Loire version either. It is unique in its approach to the classic grape.

This very affordable Sauvignon Blanc, with a screw cap at that, is in fact full of pleasant surprises: on the nose, no immediate typical aromas, yet a certain fruitiness with white blossom floral notes. Then on the palate, all sorts of interesting developments: first, a crisp, citrus attack, followed by a velvety, almost lanolin-like, mouth feel, ending on a fruity (think apples, pears, some gooseberry and citrus) note. All in all, a balanced wine, which hits you on many levels, all satisfying, and only 12.5% alcohol.

Grand Gaillard, which in French means a strapping lad, is appropriate for many occasions: to wind down after a long day’s work, as an aperitif, nicely chilled, with dinner (any fish, light non-tomato based pasta, roast chicken with lemon and rosemary, a creamy wedge of soft Ontario goat’s cheese, or a hard, aged goat’s milk cheddar.

Santé!

Anne Popoff is our wine columnist. I’ll keep you informed on the best wines, noteworthy restaurants and occasionally, I’ll talk about a great book or neat travel destination.  As a former investment banker, I had the good fortune to be able to switch careers and became a certified sommelier here in Toronto. This has led me to get involved with the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers and I am now the President of the Ontario Chapter (www.capsontario.ca)