Tag Archives: baba ghanoush

Wicked Gamay

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Reader Warning! This blog post is rated S as it contains content of a smooth, sensual, slightly sassy and Chris Isaak nature. Palate discretion is always advised.

With apologies to Mr. Isaak, the crooner himself:

What a wicked Gamay you play
To make me feel this way
What a wicked thing to do
To let me dream of you
What a wicked thing to say
You never felt this way
What a wicked thing to do
To make me dream of you
And I don’t wanna fall in love
(This Saint-Amour is only gonna break your heart)
And I don’t want to fall in love
(This Saint-Amour is only gonna break your heart)

Mmmm… This wine I’m enjoying tonight is arguably as sexy as this song’s music video.

Saint-Amour… Ahh, the eponymous wine of love. This small, obscure Cru (classified) appellation is in the northernmost part of Beaujolais, which itself is technically part of the Burgundy region of France. Like its bigger sisters, Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages (and let’s not forget France’s illegitimate love child, Beaujolais Nouveau), Saint-Amour wines are made of 100% Gamay.

Gamay (rhymes with gold lamé, a very sexy fabric) reigns supreme in this part of the world (Beaujolais and parts of the Loire Valley), and found only in trace amounts elsewhere – Canada is in fact one of the only other major locations where Gamay is used in commercial winemaking.

What else is sexy about this wine? Okay, how about the kick-ass 2009 vintage. It was one of the best years for winemakers in France in recent history – perfect weather conditions during the growing season and at the time of harvest helped render these grapes into vinous va-va-voom.

Henry Fessy Saint-Amour 2009

Owned by Maison Louis Latour, the house with the most Burgundy Grand Cru acreage in the world, Henry Fessy’s Saint-Amour land totals 1 hectare.

She is a trendsetter with her iconic orange neckwear. Even the label, her shirt, is looking sultry as it peels off the chilled, condensation-coated bottle, seductively. And a moustache logo to boot? Win, win and win.

Brilliant ruby in colour, this wine exudes a gentle nose of raspberries, red plums, blueberries, mineral and a hint of violets. The palate is juicy yet delicate, with incredibly silky texture, a fairly light to medium body, low tannin and an intriguingly un-intense but persistent finish – like the time your romantic date with The One ended exactly the way you wanted. Oh, you know what I mean. Hey, this wine made me blush too.

Pair this elegant beauty with silk pajamas; or better yet, creamy moussaka, baba ghanouj, rare lamb chops, skin-on grilled chicken thighs (skin is sexy, my friends), rabbit or duck breast. I enjoyed it immensely slightly chilled, and I hope you will too.

$25 in BC Liquor Stores. Recently rated 92 points by Wine Enthusiast.

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Cono Sur 2008 Organic Pinot Noir

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I love a good red wine that pairs well with vegetarian fare, and affordable wine of this type even more so. Last Saturday, September 19, I randomly selected this wine to drink alongside some delicious and cheesy Eggplant Lasagna and was pleasantly surprised with its silky mouthfeel and developed flavours.

If you enjoy Chilean Pinot Noirs, try this organic version from Colchagua Valley, which you’ll recognize on shelves with its cute cruiser bike on a cream-coloured label. (Calling all hipsters!)

Last I heard in 2008, the vineyard from which the grapes for this wine was sourced was on its way to becoming fully organic. (Many vineyards take several years for a full organic transition, in order for the chemical effects in the soil to grow out of the vines.) According to Cono Sur’s website, the vineyard appears to still be in transition.

Cono Sur 2008 Organic Pinot Noir

Tasting Notes

A curiously clear garnet colour with a heavier nose than expected of this light-looking wine. Chocolate-covered cherries and mocha come to mind upon inhaling the fragrantly rich and sweetly earthy aroma, which isn’t shy about letting up its relatively high alcohol. (The 2008 is 14% a.b.v.) On the palate, this smoothly textured wine evokes notes of cigar smoke, more cherries and other wild red berries. A ripe, mulled finish to this medium-bodied red makes for lovely sipping.

Vegetarians take note, as this pairs excellently with savoury tomato-based pasta sauces. On the multicultural veggie front, I suggest sticking with the eggplant theme and going with Lebanese roasted baba ghanoush dip. Otherwise, try the popular Chinese Buddhist vegetarian dish of “roast goose.” The crispy, shiitake mushroom-stuffed rolls of dried beancurd, gamey like its meaty idol, will really sing next to this sustainably-grown Pinot Noir. $15