A Glass & A Half of Bubbly

This past Easter Sunday resulted in new and highly advertised chocolate bar from Cadbury getting the taste test with a glass of Optima Port for a late night nibble. The new Cadbury Dairy Milk Bubbly bar is  an easy to eat aerated 21% cocoa solids  bar seemingly marketed to towards young females. Cadbury has highly marketed this new chocolate with a six million pound ad campaign on TV, at bus stops, cinema's, and via Google and the augmented reality app Blippar.

Its good to see that this chocolate is Fairtrade certified and some serious thought has gone into packaging. The well known colour

Pantone 2685C Purple plays  a dominant role in brand identity and the new easy to peel open closure is s great idea to avoid chocolate crumbs in your coat pocket.

The chocolate itself has an easy to melt airy texture and typical "Dairy Milk" flavours and sweetness from the "glass and a half" of milk and Ghana cocoa beans that impart a bit of brown sugar and fig notes.

Esthically Cadbury wins over its original counterpart Aero with a block bar that actually looks like free foam bubbles.

Aero Top CDM Bottom

Hats off to Cadbury for implementing augmented reality into their new packaging and marketing campaign. No QR code here; but an image recognisable label that requires a new smartphone app Blippar to enjoy interactive real time activities.

Blippar Iphone screen

The Bubbly bar was a nice post prandial bite with a glass of the Warre's Optima 10 Year Old Tawny. Young tawny brick colour with aromas of fig, plum, cherry, and roasted nuts. Medium-bodied, sweet with soft acidity, and flavours of nut, toffee, baked fruit crumble, and a decent length.





 

Restaurant Chain Wine Programme | EARLS

Yesterday I got a sneak peak at several new Earl’s menu items and a tasting of their new collaboration house wines “Little Rascal Next Door ” made in the Okanagan’s by Cedar Creek Estate Winery. This is the first time in the 32 year history of the chain that a BC winery has been involved in the development and production of Earls brand house wines. 

Rocket Salad

Earl’s wine programme and wine club is spearheaded by George Piper, the in-house wine buyer for the last twenty five years, as well as local wine writer Anthony Gismondi, and food and travel writer Kasey Wilson. The Earl’s wine programme is heavily new world oriented with a focus on Chile, Australia, and BC along with a small selection of French and Italian. The wine list is flavour focused and marketed and all wines are one price. A small reserve programme is heavily dominated by BC and Californian selections.

The ‘Little Rascal Next Door” house wines are a Cedar Creek creation. The red is a five varietal blend (35% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Pinot Noir, 16% Cab Franc, and 5% Syrah). The white is a six varietal blend (31% Gewürztraminer, 28% Chardonnay, 23% Pinot Gris, 8% Riesling, 7% Erhenfelser, and 3% Viognier).

Wine and food pairings were a combination of current and soon to be added menu items.

Rocket Salad with citrus dressing, beets, pears, goat cheese coulis, and candied pecans

Wahoo Taco

Cedar Creek Winery Riesling

Straw-yellow with lime and lemon sorbet aromas. Light-bodied, crisp acidity, and lovely long flavours of lime, lemon, apple, and subtle floral blossom notes.  The wine is reminiscent of an Australia Riesling. This Riesling paired very well with the rocket salad but excelled with the wahoo fish taco. 

Little Rascal Next Door White 2011

Straw green with aromatic aromas of honeysuckle, banana, and mango. Light to medium-bodied, well balanced, and full of orange, melon, subtle rose, ginger, papaya, and banana notes. Excellent food and aperitif wine. 

 Fish Taco with grilled lime and coriander marinated Wahoo, mango and avocado salsa, and Valentina crema. 

Cedar Creek Pinot Gris

Straw green with grapefruit pith aromas. Medium-bodied, with flavours of grapefruit, apple,  subtle mineral, and citrus pith notes. Good texture and balancing acidity. The body of the wine was a reliable choice to pair with the richly textured Wahoo but the Riesling outshone with its structure and flavours.

Beef Carpaccio

Beef Carpaccio with deviled eggs, crispy capers, and pickled red onion

Rascal Next Door Red 2011

Deep cherry colour with aromas of blackberry and savoury herbs. Medium-bodied, soft tannins, easy drinking structure and food friendly cherry, plum, and olive, and pepper flavours.

16oz Rib Eye

Signature Earls Rib Eye, 16oz bone-in Angus with a wet rub( olive oil, gluten free soya sauce, garlic, lemon juice,fresh herbs, and ground porcini.

Cedar Creek Signature Merlot 2007

Ruby purple with herbal notes and sweet spice and oak resin on the nose. Medium-bodied, good concentration, and lush flavours of plum, sweet spice, oak, subtle mint, and hints of cocoa.

Wines of France Luncheon

I was at a recent luncheon and tasting of wines from the Alsace, Loire, and Languedoc organised by Sommelier Mireille Sauve and Sopexa Canada. The seminar focused on the misconceptions that many Vancouverites have on French wines i.e. expensive, confusing, and not understanding label and region as well as its food friendly nature. According to the BCLDB the French wine market amounts to  8.1% of the BC market share with the all inclusive  catchall “Midi/Provence” region(s) making up a majority of wine sales.

The seminar looked at the reduction of the four tiered classification system to the new three tier with AoP “Appellation d'Origine Protégée” at the top of the pyramid followed by the IGP “Indication Geographique Protegée” and Vin de France.

Not a surprise to the trade attendees was the great value and food friendly nature of French wines  from these regions. The wines were paired well and creatively with food from Siena restaurant.

Huet Vouvray Petillant Brut $34.90

Straw green with subtle toast, spice, pear, and mineral aromas. Medium-bodied, crisp acidity, rich mouthfeel with apple, pear, and undertones of minerals and toast.

Lucien Albrecht Cremant d’Alsace Brut Rose $29.99

Eye of partridge colour. Cherry, strawberry and herb aromas, Light-bodied, good acidity, red cherry, herb, and meaty  flavours.

Bruschetta Trio

Ormarine Picpoul de Pinet $13.99

Straw green/yellow. Aromas of grapefruit pitch and mineral. Medium-bodied with good balance of acidity and texture. Notes of glace fruits, pink grapefruit, apple, and orange, and mineral.

Chateau de la Roulerie Anjou 2010 $21.99

Yellow gold with honeyed nut and gunflint aromas. Medium to full-bodied with a unctuous texture, and flavours of citrus, apricot, and a hint of earth and wild flowers.

These wines were paired with a trio of bruschetta (cod brandade, white bean and sage, and mushroom truffle). The Anjou was the best match overal with its richness and slightly sweet flavour profile complementing the dishes. 

Seafood risotto 

Pfaffenheim Pinot Gris 2011 $18.99

Straw green /yellow colour with mineral notes. Medium-bodied, light honeyed and nut overtones with a hint of residual sugar giving it some mouthfeel and balanced by refreshing lemony acidity.

Henri Bourgeois Sancerre La Cotes des Monts Damnes 2010 $36.95

Straw green with a pungent aroma of gooseberry and guava. Medium-bodied, crisp, and refreshing with gooseberry, guava, blackcurrant leaf and hints of minerality. New world leaning with its intensity.

These wines were paired with the seafood risotto. The Sancerre surprisingly enhanced the fishiness of trout in the dish where as the rs in the Pinot Gris enhanced the fish flavours and body complemented the richness of the rice. 

Duck pasta

Weinbach Pinot Gris “Reserve Particuliere” 2010 $51.99

Yellow with light gold hints. Complex aromas of almond and mineral. Full-bodied, concentrated, and layered with nut, honey, mineral, red currant, and subtle petrol notes.

Gerard Bertrand Cotes de Roussillon Tautavel Hommage aux Vignerons 2007 $41.99

Opaque ruby purple. Complex aromas of hay, dark chocolate, and cedar resin. Full-bodied with chewy tannins, dark chocolate, pepper, plum, cedar, vanilla,  and spice.

These wines were paired with a duck confit ravioli and duck sausage with shaved pecorino and brown butter. The winner by a long shot was the Pinot Gris. The red was too intense for the complex layered flavours of the dish. A caramelised mandarin and hint of nutmeg in the pasta was a superb match and bridge with the white wine. 

Chocolate torte

M. Chapoutier Banyuls $32.65 500ml

Ruby red mahogany with molasses and stewed fruit compote aromas. Full-bodied with floral, citrusy alcohol hints, subtle cocoa,  violets and orange. 

Dessert was paired with a Banyuls and a couple of whites. I like "Like with Like" and the Banyuls was spot on with chocolate torte.






Overal a wonderful luncheon  with great food and wine  pairings and proof positive that the balance of fruit, texture, and structure of French wines make them ideal food candidates. 

Siena restaurant is located at 1485 West 12th Avenue. Telephone: 605 588 1485