Can you tell me about the grape steen from South Africa? Ask The Wine Ladies
Steen
Dear Wine Ladies,
Up until now I’d never had the opportunity to taste any wines from South Africa but had a delicious white wine recently made from a grape that I believe was called “steen”.
This grape is new to me as well. What can you tell me about it? Is it a new wine or just not very popular? Some-one recommended we try a wine called Lammershok that is suppose to now be available, saying it was made with this grape but we are unable to find it.
Allison
Ask The Wine Ladies- Please submit your questions to info@thewineladies.com
Dear Allison,
Steen is actually the name of the most planted white grape variety in South Africa, which is more commonly known as Chenin Blanc. The wine you are referring to which comes from the winery Lammershoek, is labelled Chenin Blanc Barrique 2007 and is currently available at the LCBO for $18.95. This is a full bodied wine, at 14.5% alc., is barrel fermented in French oak and is very rich – it has notes of spice and honey with a long finish. The grapes were hand picked from forty year old vines, and the yield was kept to a minimum resulting in a complex wine which is well worth the price.
Chenin Blanc, or Steen has the ability to make some wonderful wines in a broad range of styles. At one end of the spectrum, it is capable of producing some of the longest living sweet wines while at the other it is sometimes used for table wines (mostly in South Africa) and even for the base wine for fortified wines and spirits. It does have a natural high acidity which serves it well in hotter climates, often producing lively wines with good fruit and with a flavour reminiscent of honey. Steen, or Chenin Blanc is also called Pineau or Pineau de la Loire in its native region, the Loire, located in the northwestern part of France.
Sante’s finale the 10th on the 10th. Iron Chef America Cat Cora from New York!
Wow! What great fun emceeing Sante’s finale the 10th on the 10th with guest star, Iron Chef America Cat Cora from New York!
Hazelton Lanes proved to be the ideal venue to close the fabulous week long wine festival, Sante. Several hundred patrons of the vine and of haute cuisine! not to mention haute couture, attended the evening, sipping on fine wines and savoring the delectables of Cat Cora, of Iron Chef America fame, as well as many a Toronto star chef including Greg Coulliard of the Spice Room and Manyata Cafe.
Wine Ladies Dinner for Two: Le Papillon on Front
Find out more about The Wine Ladies Life Experiences restaurant listing. This week’s feature restaurant is Le Papillon on Front.
Michael’s Back Door Restaurant, Mississauga. Fabulous Finds For Foodies.
Michael’s Back Door Restaurant
Michaels Back Door
Voted best Italian restaurant in Mississauga!
Now you can enjoy a romantic evening for two, finely crafted for you in the grandeur of one of The Wine Ladies specially selected restaurants. Located in and around the GTA as well as in select cities across Ontario. Outstanding value for only $199. Your romantic dinner features a unique range of fine dining menus which could include wine pairings, a delicious cocktail, your special table with a view, an amuse bouche created just for you, a scrumptious desert or maybe even a visit from the celebrity chef himself.
Your table awaits !!
Michael’s Back Door to experience award winning Italian culture and food. For the past four years, Michael’s Back Door Restaurant has been the recipient of the Mississauga News Readers’ Choice Award for Best Italian Restaurant and Best Fine Dining.
The menu focuses on out of the ordinary pasta dishes like angel hair pasta in a velvet lobster tomato cream sauce or fresh fish dishes including large fire roasted black tiger shrimp glazed with Sambuca in a tomato cream sauce.
How many grapes make up a Chateauneuf-du-Pape? Ask The Wine Ladies.
Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Dear Wine Ladies,
A small group of us get together every couple of months and more and more. Wine is becoming an important part of our socials. Last month we had a super red called Chateauneuf-du-Pape. I heard has to be made of thirteen different kinds of grapes. Is this right? I was also wondering if a white of this wine exists?
Oh, and I have to tell you, I totally enjoy tuning into your audio podcasts. I love all your amazing guests!
Lena
Ask The Wine Ladies- Please submit your questions to info@thewineladies.com
Dear Lena,
No, it is not obligatory to use all thirteen grape varieties when producing a Chateauneuf-du-Pape. However, up to thirteen varieties are permitted. In 1923 the Baron Le Roy of Chateau Fortia, a vigneron of that time in Chateauneuf-du-Pape got together with the other growers and drew up a set of rules for the production of these wines.
Baron Pierre Le Roy de Boiseaumarié of Château Fortia
Actually the entire appellation system (appellation d’origine controlee) in France as we know it today, was fashioned after this very set of regulations. Apart from dictating minimum alcohol content (12.5%, the highest in France) and defining an area as permitted to be included in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the Baron also included in the rules ten permissible grape varieties. In 1936 three additional grape varieties were added to the list bringing the total to thirteen. The most prominent grape variety is grenache, with mourvedre and syrah (Shiraz as many know it) in second and third place.
Ask The Wine Ladies. Is there such a wine as a white Chateauneuf-du-Pape?
How much alcohol do I need per person for my BBQ? Ask The Wine Ladies.
Alcohol Consumption Standard Unit
Dear Wine Ladies,
We’re throwing a party in the next couple of weeks to celebrate the completion, finally, of our backyard patio including a built-in barbeque and kitchen! It’s been quite a while since we’ve entertained and are unsure as to how much alcohol or wine to buy; is there some kind of formula to figure out how much we will need? Merci.
Giselle
Ask The Wine Ladies- Please submit your questions to info@thewineladies.com
Dear Giselle,
Awesome, sound like you’ve got quite the venue for a party! Yes, when it comes to purchasing the wine and/or other alcoholic beverages for any event or party there is a rule of thumb. Basically you should count on one drink per person per hour. Usually in the beginning of the party guests will tend to drink a little faster and as time goes by the consumption will slow down. In the case of wine, a five ounce pour is considered one drink, for beer, a twelve ounce glass and approximately a 1.5 ounce shot for spirits. Be sure to always have plenty of water available as well as a small selection of non alcoholic options.
Celebrity Chef Darryl Fletcher, back with us by popular demand! Radio Show update for July 22, 2008
Join The Wine Ladies on 1050 CHUM every Saturday morning at 10:00a.m., set that dial to connect with The Wine Ladies radio show. Check here for next week’s guests.
1050 CHUM Call in radio show, with featured guests every week. Saturday mornings, 10:00am -11:00am. The lines are burning up with lost of “ask The Wine Ladies” questions. Georgia has the answers to be sure!
Lobster, crab, cedar planking and more, make it mouth watering, simple and delicious with tips from Celebrity Chef Darryl Fletcher, back with us by popular demand! Get ready for easy entertaining, with the long weekend approaching, Executive Chef Darryl, of Aqua Star has got the perfect menu plan for you! Denise Whitter, Founder of New Beginnings, will also join us to fill everyone in on the up-coming Prosperity Ball, an event to help the underprivileged. We’ll be there as hosts and auctioneers!
Visit The New Beginnings Program for more details.
Join us for a magical night! Angels in Action Prosperity Ball 2008.
The Wine Ladies would like you to join us Saturday, September 27th at the Pantages Hotel & Spa for the exciting annual tradition, the Angels in Action Prosperity Ball 2008. If it is anything like last years gala is going to be a simply magical night!
Veuve Clicquot and Porsche Team Up to Make the Fridge of Your Dreams
Vertical Limit, Porsche Design Studio.
A “Vertical event” rocks the Richmond Club in Toronto with Veuve Clicquot Champagne and Porsche design coming together!
Hello Canada captures the excitement and snaps The Wine Ladies taking it all in.
Picture this; Vertical Limit, designed by Porche Design Studio, the sleek stainless steel “slim” fridge, a work of art really is engineered to house twelve of the most coveted vintages of Veuve Clicquot Champagne. Only fifteen manufactured for world ownership and one is auctioned off to benefit the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine. An infinite stream of fashionable guests are there to help celebrate the successful bid of $100,000 courtesy of Dr. John Li hailing from Vancouver. When asked where we might place this object d’art if our bid took the prize, the kitchen was absolutely out of the question! Why only the grand entrance of a magnificent home or villa with a spotlight would make any sense! it’s a good thing Dr. Li made another bid! Phew!that was a close call!
Vertical Limit
Photos: A great cause with “les boules” extraordinaire, Courtesy of Veuve Clicquot Champagne.
Georgia and Susanne at the Richmond Club join the celebration of the successful bid for “Vertical Limit” at $100,000, July 2008.