146/365: Exposé, part 2

146/365: Exposé, part 1

144/365: Priorities

145/365: Summer BBQ

143/365: Standing tall

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On Argentinean wine and Mendoza bodegas

1 Comment Bruce NguyenApril 14, 2010

The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival is just around the corner. With Argentina and New Zealand being co-theme regions this year, it seems opportune to share experiences from my recent jaunt through Argentina this past Christmas break.

Tasting at Bodega Cavas de Don Arturo

A primer on Argentinean wine

Let’s start with some basic Spanish-to-English terminology:

  • vino = wine
  • bodega = winery
  • viñedo = vineyard
  • salud = cheers
  • uno mas, por favor = one more, please

The above, plus charades, got me through three weeks in Argentina!

In terms of vino, Argentina is mainly known for its Malbec. This grape has its roots as one of the handful of kosher varietals allowed in a Bordeaux wine blend. The most popular Bordeaux blends these days, however, do not contain this grape at all, mixing Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot instead. It’s said that the Malbec grape was so maligned and unsuited to the wet and cold French climate that it earned the lesser name of côt. I’m told that it’s not an endearing name, but all wine varietals sound Greek to me when I first hear them.

It wasn’t until the late 19th century, when Malbec was planted in Argentina – where the scorching sun shines over 300 days a year – that the grape finally came into its own. And now, if you believe the marketing hype of my tour guide, Malbec is one of the hottest crazes in wine. In other words, the story of Malbec is the story of a poor French immigrant achieving the great (South) American Dream!

Viñedo Cavas de Don Arturo

A lesser known wine varietal equally coupled with Argentina is Torrontés (Torontel). You may have had a more intimate experience with it in the form of Chilean Pisco. Crisp, floral, and fruity, this was our white wine of choice in our travels. Perhaps “choice” is the wrong word, as it was rather insisted upon us whenever we asked for a white wine recommendation.

Argentina’s Mendoza region is known for its Malbec, while the best Torrontés are said to come from Salta. While we didn’t get a chance to visit the latter, we did make it to Mendoza, visiting a couple wineries between taking mid-day siestas, feasting at parrillas (grill houses), and discovering surprisingly good Italian food (a tale for another day).

Bodega Vistandes entry, looking out

The two wineries we visited were Vistandes and Don Artuo, both located in the Maipú sub-region. Here, glacial waters from the Andes, high altitudes, and large day/night temperature swings lead to successful vineyards. The temperature swings, called thermal amplitude, makes the grapes constantly expand and contract, drawing in and concentrating the flavours and nuances of the terroir.

Personally, whenever “terroir” is brought up during a wine tasting, I have a tendency to disguise the rolling of my eyes with a swivel of the wrist, a sniff of the glass, and a murmur that “mmm, yes, the yeast is quite expressive”. While I would never claim to have nearly as nuanced wine-buds as the rest of Team Tiny Bites, I’ve learned long ago to never pick a fight with a sommelier.

Bodega Vistandes

Bodega Vistandes
Vistandes is a boutique winery located in the Cruz de Piedra sub-region of Maipú in Mendoza, Argentina. While the owners have been selling grapes to other wineries for years, they only recently set up their own in 2006, giving them a modern winery with access to older vines. The winery’s entry hall doubles as a music hall. Unfortunately nobody was playing when we were there mid-day, which in retrospect was a bit of a tease since we do appreciate the Tango.

Viñedo Vistandes

Known mostly for their Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, this winery likes to combine grapes from both their two vineyards, one in Mendoza and one in the Famatina Valley of La Rioja. The claim is to a more sophisticated flavour profile.

We tried their Malbec, Cab Sauv, and Torrontés, with part of the group giving top marks to the Cab Sauv and the other half of the group liking the Torrontés best.

Bodega Vistandes
Ruta 60 y Carril Urquiza, Cruz de Piedra | Maipú, Mendoza
+54 261 5246213 / 5246214

Bodega Don Arturo

Bodega Cavas de Don Arturo
Another boutique winery in Mendoza, Don Arturo has been family run for the past eighty years. Our guide proudly pointed out the weeds in between the vines as proof that no chemicals or pesticides are ever used on the dirt. Heaven forbid that chemicals penetrate the terroir! Mmm, yes, the yeast is quite expressive… sorry, force of habit.

Glacial water cooling

To further stress their focus on using and accepting the character of the land, the irrigation for the vineyards and the coolant system that keeps the vats at the right temperature uses glacial waters siphoned from the nearby Mendoza River. These systems were engineered to be driven by the force of gravity, with powered pumps turned on only when necessary.

Again, being based in Mendoza, Don Arturo specializes in reds, but with more blends rather than pure varietals.

Bodega Cavas de Don Arturo
Franklin Villanueva 2233, Lunlunta | Maipú, Mendoza
+54 261 154538854 / 154540843

Afterword

Unfortunately, neither of these two wineries will have a presence at this year’s Vancouver Wine Festival. Although glancing through the participating wineries list, I do see a few wineries that I have had good experiences with:

  • Doña Paula – Malbec
  • Familia Zuccardi – Torrontés (Santa Julia brand)
  • Finca Flichman – especially their Malbec 2007
  • Norton – Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 (Perdriel brand)
  • Masi Agricola – Granderella

That last one isn’t Argentinean, but I am so enamoured with their Granderella it that I can’t help but include it on the list!

The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival runs Monday April 19th through Sunday April 25th. Tickets and more information are available at their website. We’ll be around, and remember to say salud if you see us!

Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival
April 19 – 25, 2010
Multiple venues | Vancouver

Bodega Vistandes Bodega Vistandes entry, looking out Bodega Vistandes lobby Bodega Vistandes lobby Viñedo Vistandes Viñedo Vistandes Viñedo Vistandes Viñedo Vistandes Vino, vino everywhere but not a drop to drink Wine barrels at Bodega Vistandes Selection of Vistandes wines Upstairs lounge of the Bedega Vistandes Is it a non-smoking sign or a Laur Olivicola Laur Olivicola Laur Olivicola Laur Olivicola Viñedo Cavas de Don Arturo Bodega Cavas de Don Arturo Glacial water cooling Gargantuan, obsolete wine barrels Gargantuan, obsolete wine barrels Bodega Cavas de Don Arturo Bodega Cavas de Don Arturo Tasting at Bodega Cavas de Don Arturo Bodega Cavas de Don Arturo

Categories: Argentina, Events, Food, Travel, Wine

Bruce eats New York: from cheesecake to yogurt and everything in between

4 Comments Bruce NguyenJanuary 5, 2010

This is the third post in a three-part travel series called Bruce eats New York, where Tiny Bites contributor Bruce Nguyen chronicles his ‘New York virgin’ dining experiences during the summer of 2009.

  1. Fried chicken overload at Momofuku Noodle Bar
  2. Republic and Viet-Cafe in a Vietnamese showdown! (Pho-down?)
  3. From cheesecake to yogurt and everything in between

New York is home to some of the most upscale restaurants in the world but it can also be done on a budget. After all, the foods that bear the city’s name include the bagel, the pizza, and the cheesecake. Speaking of which, let me first state that the advertised “World’s largest cheesecake” really wasn’t all that large.

Below is a selection of tasting notes from the rest of the trip.

Ippudo

Ramen – very tender slices of pork. Noodles were well textured and not overdone. The decadence of eating ramen with what is more ladle than a spoon has to be experienced. Still, it was the pork belly cutlets which really shone. And that’s saying a lot.

Friends appreciated the ramen here more than at that at Momofuku Noodle Bar.

Ramen is better with HUGE SPOONS!

Ippudo
65 4th Avenue | East Village, New York
(212) 388-0088

Ippudo on Urbanspoon

Cafe Fiorello

Cafe Fiorello was recommended by the same trusted hotel concierge that recommended Ippudo, so our a group of twelve met there with promises of some of the best pizza in town.

Meal post-mortem: preference still leans towards properly prepared Chicago style deep dish pizza. Maybe I just need to try a non-white-tablecloth pizzeria. Their sangria, however, is pretty amazing. Can’t put my finger on what made it stand out…cinnamon and something else that I couldn’t identify.

Fiorello's exterior

Cafe Fiorello
1900 Broadway | Upper West Side, New York
(212) 595-5330

Cafe Fiorello on Urbanspoon

Pinkberry

Pinkberry, where the frozen yogurt craze first gained popularity. The plain yogurt itself didn’t have that slightly sour tang I’ve become accustomed to. The toppings I tried (blackberries, mochi, coconut, manga) were all fresh tasting with the mochi winning much praise.

Yes, I realize the picture below is not what I just described above. Blame my horrible photography patience when food is involved.

Pomegranate Yogurt with Blackberries and Coconut

Pinkberry
330 W 58th St | Columbus Circle, New York
(212) 397-0412

Pinkberry on Urbanspoon

Katz’s Deli

My experience with deli meats are of the cold cut variety. It may have been the glitz of being in New York with some of my closest friends combined with the lack of sleep, but that late-night pastrami seemed like tender cuts of heaven served between two slices of bread.

Heaven between two slices of bread

Katz’s Deli
205 E Houston St | Lower East Side, New York
(212) 254-2246

Katz's Deli on Urbanspoon

And there you have it: my effort to eat my way though a weekend in the Big Apple. Throughout this series, I’ve made mention of the eateries that were memorable. The full photo gallery below contains pictures from lesser pit stops, including the not-so-large-world’s-largest-cheesecake.

Fiorello's exterior Wine NY Pizza Lindy's exterior Lindy's sign Lindy's menu Largest chocolate cake? It's not THAT large NY Cheesecake Mochacinno New York 2009 012 Ricotta and figs Spelt bread Prosciutto plate New York 2009 018 New York 2009 019 Kirin on draft Ippudo interior Deep fried pork belly Pork bun Ramen is better with HUGE SPOONS! Bubbly! (video) Can't remember what it is, but it smelled good and it bubbled Can't remember what it is, but it smelled good and it bubbled Can't remember what it is, but it smelled good and it bubbled Katz Deli Katz Deli Katz Deli Heaven between two slices of bread Pinkberry, Columbus Circle Pinkberry, Columbus Circle Pomegranate Yogurt with Blackberries and Coconut Coconut Yogurt with Mango and Mochi Pomegranate Yogurt with Blackberries and Coconut Coconut Yogurt with Mango and Mochi

Categories: Food, Restaurants, Travel, USA

Tiny Bites 2009: a year in review

Leave a Comment Karen HamiltonDecember 31, 2009

Sentro 1771: sizzling tofu

As 2009 winds down to a close, I’d like to share the most memorable stories, experiences, and images of our threesome’s year in food.

Key Moments

What a time of transition. A new business, new contributors, and a new life to welcome into the world. 2010 is gonna be huge.

Baby, me, and 'baby' Beef Wellington at 38 weeks

Dining Out

These are just a few of the places that Bruce, Degan, and I adored in 2009.

Medina Cafe: waffle with lavender milk chocolate

Events Around Town

As a newly occupied parent, I’m sure that I’ll have to bow out of and/or delegate many of the events that we had enjoyed in 2009. This list is mostly for me to dwell in nostalgia as I tend to my little one in 2010.

Wines of Chile 2009

Home Cooking

We sure did a lot of cooking this year!

PICA: Cooking with Chocolate lesson

Culinary Travel

I’m not going to be able to do nearly as much jetsetting in 2010 as our trio did in 2009. Here are the highlights of where we’ve been.

Tiny Bites makes its mark on Panglao Island

Favourite Visuals

With so much going on this past year, it was difficult to write about everything we experienced. Consequently, these became hidden gems in my Flickr photostream. Here they are again for your viewing pleasure.

Dirty Apron: a lesson in chocolate

Favourite Discoveries

These people, events, and treats helped make 2009 an even yummier year.  Please check them out.

Shark Truth inaugural fundraiser

Categories: Events, Food, Miscellany, Recipes, Restaurants, Travel

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