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ask a sommelierWhat are good vintages for Champagne?—Dave WatsonDear Dave,A “good vintage” truly depends onwhat style you prefer, and if youplan on keeping it or drinking it. AChampagne consumer can actuallychoose among vintage (singlevintage), non-vintage, and cuvéede prestige (a blend of premiumvintages). Vintage Champagne tendsto be a good buy because the qualityis noticeably better than non-vintage,and the price is much lower than thatof a cuvée de prestige Champagne.Before 1985, most vintage Champagne contained 60–70 per centPinot Noir. Today, 100 per centChardonnay wines like Krug’sClos Du Mesnil (single vineyard),Billecart-Salmon’s Clos Saint Hillaire(single vineyard), and PloyezJacquemart’s L. D’Harbonville areshowing elegance and depth, withtremendous aging potential.If you like rich, honeyed, and chewy,you have many options. How abouta Krug 1937? A great vintage thatis still drinking well is from the endof WWII: 1945. The standouts:Bollinger and Roederer (the firstvintage of Cristal).If you foray into our Champagnecellar at B&J, there is a vintage foreveryone: 1998 Krug; BillecartSalmon 1998 Cuvée NicolasFrançois; Ployez-Jacquemart’s 2002;and Louis Roederer’s 2002 Cristal.Like other cool climate regions,Champagne has been blessed with arun of good-to-exceptional vintages.—Darren RaesideDoes having the word “Reserve” ona label justify paying a higher price?—Stephanie MoreauDear Stephanie,You are right to be sceptical. Thereare many wines with the term Reserva/Riserva/Reserve on the label leadingthe consumer to believe that the wineis somehow superior to its peers andwarrants a higher price tag. In fact,very rarely is there any legal cloutbehind the term.Reserva and Gran Reserva winesfrom Spain are required by law toguarantee consumers that minimumperiods of cask and bottle aging haveoccurred. Italy also has some winesthat must meet legal requirements inorder to carry the Riserva designation.Barbaresco, Barolo, Brunello diMontalcino, Chianti Classico, andVino Nobile de Montepulcianocan be labelled Riserva and areaged longer than their non-Riservacounterparts. They typically have aslightly higher alcoholic strengththan non-Riserva wines.Theoretically, an Italian or Spanishproducer would only choose to usehis or her best grapes in these winesbecause poorer quality grapes wouldnot benefit from extended aging.If you know the producer adheresto this philosophy, then paying alittle more for thewine will net youa more serious,structured wine,often with longeraging potential.The rest of thewine worldhas very fewlaws governingthe use of thisterm. Producersoutside of Italyand Spain canlegally use terms such as Reservaindiscriminately, and some do.Banville & Jones staff will steer youtowards producers from around theworld who truly reserve such wordsfor their best wines.—Andrea EbyHow do I become a better taster, andget better at understanding what ison the nose and on the palate?—Jamie Powneywine descriptions. Explore your ownspice cabinet. Go to the grocery storeand smell the fruits and vegetables.Now find a way to harness thesearomas and remember them.Sometimes an aroma can trigger amemory from the past: nutmeg andcinnamon in a Christmas cake, orfreshly picked blueberries after a dayin the woods. Whatever you smellin a wine can be as unique to youas your memories, within reason ofcourse. There are specific aromasassociated with specific grapes.There are some simple rules you canfollow in the Essential Wine TastingGuide (on sale for only 5.00).This guide outlines everything fromwine colour, to aromas, to tactiledescriptors. When tasting wine, youcan also describe the feel of the wine.Is the wine smooth and creamy ordry and chalky? Is the winethin and puckering or rich andpersistent? As far as tastingability goes, we can onlytaste sweet, sour, or bitter.By combining the aromas andtextures together you can give afairly educated description.Now, write it down. We cannotpossibly remember everything, sothis is where your wine journalcomes in. Keep track of thewines you taste andlook back to yournotes for referenceand comparison.Furthersuggestions:1. Sign up for someBanville & Jones wine educationclasses (see pages 48 and 49 fordetails).2. Start your own Wine Club andmeet on a regular basis.Dear Jamie,The best advice would be PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!Your sense of smell is important.Without aromas there can be notaste. Your nose knows.3. Analyze “one grape at a time.” Trywines with only one grape varietybefore jumping into blends.First, you need to become morefamiliar with different aromas inorder to expand your repertoire ofIf you have questions for ourSommeliers, please submit them towww.banvilleandjones.com/cellar.aspx.—Karen Nissenwww.banvilleandjones.com 13

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banville & jones and companyFriends of Banville & Jones (clockwise from top left): Carol and André Mahé; Karen Nissen receives her Sommelierdiploma presented by Gary Hewitt and Tina Jones; John and Kate Zeke; Neil Barrington, Patrick McDonald and BrianMcAughey; Brooklyn Hurst receives his Sommelier diploma, presented by Gary Hewitt and Tina Jones; Andrea Eby receives her Sommelier diploma, presented by Gary Hewitt and Tina Jones; Dovilé Cepuliviciute of Veyret Latour, Gildasd’Ollone of Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande with Doug Reichel16 www.banvilleandjones.com

(clockwise from top left): Mike Muirhead, Jill Kwiatkoski and Sylvia Jansen meet Spanish winemaker Telmo Rodriguezat a tasting in Vancouver; Photographer Carol Fletcher descends into the chalk caves at Piper-Heidsieck Champagne;Fabio Motta from Michele Satta Winery; In the tasting room at Veuve Clicquot; Sylvia Jansen tackles the impressiveChampgne list at a restaurant in the region; Denis Varnier of Varnier Fanniere, Champagnewww.banvilleandjones.com 17

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behind the label: krugBy Saralyn Mehta, Sommelier (ISG), CSWKrug NV BrutGrande Cuvée DemiChampagne(375 ml) 188.99Krug NV Brut GrandeCuvée Champagne(750 ml) 359.99What is it that makes champagne so special? Why is itthe wine that ushers in Presidents, Queens and PrimeMinisters? Why do we toast with it at weddings, putdiamonds in it to propose marriage or raise our glassesfull of it to start each year? I used to think it was a brilliantmarketing ploy; and then I tasted Krug’s Grande Cuvée.Krug has historically been a family-owned and operatedbusiness that was founded by Johann-Josef Krug. Krugstarted his career with Jacquesson, the oldest independentChampagne house in France. He took to winemakingimmediately, and, within a year, had been made partner.Soon after, he fell in love with Adolphe Jacquesson’sEnglish sister-in-law, Anne Jaunay, and married her. Thisunion seemingly solidified his place within Jacquesson,so it came as a surprise to all when, just one year afterhis wedding, he left Jacquesson, and Châlon-sur-Marne(which was re-named Châlon-en-Champagne in 1998),and set out with his wife to create a new Champagnehouse.The pair settled in Reims. Although Joseph’s earlyexperience had been with Jacquesson, he had also beenworking for a competitor, Hippolyte de Vivès. Thispartnership gave rise to the Krug we know today. By1843, Krug and his wife had their own Champagnehouse: Krug was born. Since then, the house has beenhanded down from father to son. Most recently, brothersHenri and Rémi have started handing the controls over toHenri’s son, Olivier, and a team of employees.In 1999, Krug became part of the super luxuryconglomerate Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH).Although this technically means it is no longer a “familybusiness,” the Krug family and their associates haveKrug 1998 VintageBrut Champagne 459.99Krug NV Brut RoséChampagne 624.99retained a good deal of autonomy under LVMH. Thehistoric quality of Krug remains untouched. The greatexample of their travails is their entry-level wine: KrugGrande Cuvée. Though the price of the Grande Cuvéematches that of other houses’ prestige cuvées (the topvintage blend of a Champagne house), it is a non-vintagecuvée (made from a blend of several vintages). So how dothe great minds at Krug differentiate their multi-vintageChampagne?Many Champagne houses blend between 20 and 30 percent of their reserve wines in their non-vintage cuvées,usually from fairly recent vintages. All of the three mainChampagne grapes can play a significant role, althoughChardonnay usually plays second fiddle to the two Pinots.A typical Grande Cuvée will be a blend of up to 50 winesfrom between 20 and 30 separate crus (specific terroirs).At Krug, the reserve wines make up anywhere between35 and 50 per cent of the final blend and are sourcedfrom a multitude of mature vintages held in stock.All of the fruit for the wines of Krug is first fermented in205 litre oak barrels made from Argonne wood. The useof oak barrels is distinctly Krug; in other houses, primaryfermentation in oak is a rarity. The barrels must undergometiculous preparation to prevent the new oak fromdominating the wine. After they are “de-seasoned” withwater, the barrels are used to store press wines (which aresold to other producers) for several vintages. Once thefermentation is done, the wines are racked twice and thenstored in stainless steel vats, where they wait to be eitherblended or kept as a reserve wine—a key to creating theclassic and memorable Krug style. All of these intricatechoices make Krug Grande Cuvée legendary. www.banvilleandjones.com 19

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product reviewlaguiole CHAMPAGNE SABRECelebrate like Napoleon! Following the FrenchRevolution, Napoleon’s cavalry celebrated theirspoils by using fierce sabres to pop the cork offbottles of Champagne. This tradition continuestoday with modern-day sabrage. Though not assharp as the French soldiers’ sabres, the traditionalChampagne sabre creates an epic start to a fine bottle ofbubbly. In Napoleon’s words, “Champagne! In victory one deservesit; in defeat one needs it.” Ask Banville & Jones resident Champagne expertSylvia Jansen for tips on how to expertly wield your new Champagne sabre.Price: 249.99VINEYARD PANTRYNapa Valley is one of the world’s premier wine and food destinations. So when you can’tmake it to Napa, why not bring Napa home to your table? The Vineyard Pantry createsspecialty products from natural ingredients that capture the fresh flavours of Napa Valley.Try their Zinfandel Wine Vinegar, Smoky Tomato Savoury Spread, or the Olive andGarlic Tapinade, exclusively available at Banville & Jones.Price: 6.99– 8.99RIDDLING RACK BY 2-DAY DESIGNSIn Champagne production, after the sparkling wine has rested on the lees,the riddling (or remuage) process begins: bottles are stored in riddling racksso that the lees and sediment in the bottle can collect near the mouth ofthe bottle. Over the course of a few weeks, the bottles are rotated and areangled increasingly upright, until all the sediment is collected and removed.2-Day Designs honours this process with chic rustic wine racks that bringall the flavour of French country to your home.Price: 349.9922 www.banvilleandjones.com

SPIEGELAU CHAMPAGNE FLUTESA fine Champagne begs to be cradled in something elegant, something worthy ofliquid gold. Drinking Champagne is an exquisite and luxurious experience. Spiegelauhas created a tall, sleek Champagne flute that is essential to the moment. A favouriteof Sommeliers and wine connoisseurs around the globe, Spiegelau’s stemware retainsthe beauty of traditional hand-blown glass with an accessible price point. In thewords of Spiegelau: Sometimes you can have it all.Price: 24.99 eachBILLECART-SALMONEstablished in 1818, Maison Billecart-Salmon has almost twocenturies of tradition backing their premium Champagnes.It is one of the oldest houses that remains family-ownedand run. Billecart-Salmon is a wonderful example ofblending centuries of tradition with new technologyin winemaking. Their best grapes are still put throughone of the last existing traditionalpresses in Champagne, and theycontinue to use their own 17thand 19th century chalk caves. TheBrut Réserve is rich, balanced,and finely structured; it is full oforchard fruit notes, and lacedwith honey and buttered toast(and it is available in 375 and 750ml bottles). Brut Rosé is a dry,elegant wine, with zesty aromasof red fruits, berries and citrus,a full, creamy palate of fruitand brioche, and a long, lovelyfinish. From the finest fruit ofa single exceptional harvest,the 1998 Cuvée NicholasFrançois Billecart VintageChampagne is a symphony ofbalanced structure, complexityand finesse.Price: 32.99– 134.99www.banvilleandjones.com 23

Chalk caves at Veuve Clicquot (photo courtesy Veuve Clicquot)all that sparkles is notChampagneBy Mike Muirhead, Sommelier (ISG, CMS), CSWa long, bitterly cold winter. What they found was aThe Champagne world is fascinating, and steepedcellar full of broken glass and spoiled wine. Justin tradition and history. Where to begin withany great wine is always a struggle, soas spring awakens the spirits, warm weatherawakens the yeasts. As the temperaturelet’s dive right into the basics. AlcoholicCome quickly,fermentation is the process in which I am tasting the stars! rose, the yeasts started a second alcoholicyeast turns sugar into alcohol, heat and —Dom Perignon, at the fermentation creating carbon dioxide,carbon dioxide. Only two things can stop moment he discovered which created more pressure than theweak, fire-blown bottles of the era couldfermentation: sulphur, which kills theChampagnehandle. The bottles that did survive wereyeast, and cold temperatures, which stopyeasts from working. It is this small detail—opened to reveal a fine bubble that, at thattime, was considered a fault. It is this fineremaining excess sugar and dormant yeasts—bubble we now seek in our sparking wines. Today,that gives us sparkling wine.bottles have become stronger and the process has beenLegend has it that sparkling wine was discoveredperfected.accidentally—and not in Champagne as everyonethinks. In the countryside around Limoux, in theMaking sparkling wine sounds complex but is quitesimple. In Champagne, still wines are made first, thenSouth of France around 1561, the winemakers went tothe cellar to check on the previous year’s vintage afterblended. The blend is bottled with additional sugar24 www.banvilleandjones.com““

The question on everyone’slips: what makes Champagne,Champagne and everythingelse sparkling wine?It always comes down to this:location, location, location!Champagne is not only a wine,but also a region in France,just east of Paris, known forpopularizing sparkling wine.The winemakers in the regionfollow strict rules set out bythe governing body of wines inFrance. Under these guidelines,the wines must only be madefrom three grapes: Chardonnay(which gives fresh fruit), PinotNoir (which gives backboneand body), and Pinot Meunier(which gives richness). It canonly come from designatedvineyard sites in the region ofChampagne, around the citiesof Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ,whose soils are full of chalk,and famous for the kilometresof caves carved out of theporous stone. These soilsproduce wines of elegance andgrace that have pleased royaltyand wine lovers the world over.Sparkling wine is the generalterm that is used to describewine that has bubbles fromany other region that hasbubbles, be it Cava from Spain,Prosecco from Italy, or evenBaby Duck from Canada. Thedifference is in the production.Cava (Spain), Crémant (madein other regions in France),and other sparkling winesfrom U.S.A., Australia, andCanada can be made withthe méthode Champenois (ornotes on bubblesWhen choosing the sweetnessof your Champagne, thedescription on the label maynot be what you expect. Hereis a guide: Dry: Extra-Brut orBrut-Naturale Lightly sweet: Brut Medium sweet: Extra Dryor Sec Sweet: Demi-Sec Extra sweet: DouxBottle SizesChampagne is bottled in severalsizes, from a single serving to theNebuchadnezzar, which holdsthe equivalent of 20 bottles. Split (187.5ml) Half Bottle (375ml) Bottle (750ml) Magnum (1.5L) Jeroboam (3L) Rehoboam (4.5L) Methuselah (7.5L) Salmanazar (9L — a wholecase!) Balthazar (12L) Nebuchadnezzar (15L)Wines and their grapes: Champagne: Chardonnay,Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier Cava: Macabeo, Parellada andXarel·lo Prosecco: Glera Sekt: Riesling, Pinot Blanc,Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir Crémant: Pinot Noir,Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc(Bourgogne), ChardonnayChenin Blanc (Loire) Blanquette de Limoux: Mauzac Cap Classique: Chenin Blancand Chardonnayphotos by jeremy hiebert photographyand yeast, and sealed tightwith a bottle cap. A secondfermentation will now occurin the bottle. After the secondfermentation, remove excessdead yeast (called “lees”),sweeten to taste, and sealunder a cork! Voila, les bulles!

traditional method), but are produced usingmany technological advances and much morefavourable growing conditions to bring downthe price of production.Wines such as Prosecco (Italy) and Sekt(Germany) are made in the charmat (or transfer)method, where the secondary fermentationoccurs in a large tank before the wine istransferred to the final bottle.Finally, you have Baby Duck (or Gimli Goose,or even Diet Coke), which uses the injectionmethod. These wines are produced usingcarbon dioxide injection, which tends to havethe least favourable impact on the quality ofbubbles and wine.Top: Lees settle in an inverted bottle of Champagne during the secondfermentation (photo by Carol Fletcher); bottom: The vineyards ofMoët & Chandon (photo courtesy Moët & Chandon)In effect, all Champagne is sparkling wine, butnot all sparkling wine is Champagne. If you area novice to bubbles, start off with somethingeasy like Prosecco or Cava, and move your wayup. There is a whole world of sparkling wineout there waiting for you to discover! OPTOMETRISTSDR. BRIAN BOOKDR. KARA ROSENBLATDR. SONIA SINGH-ENNSDR. MARK GILLMANDR. EHREN SHERBOBOOK OPTICAL230-444 ST. MARY AVETEL: 204.942.01 13BOOK VISION CARE143 SCURFIELD BLVD.TEL: 204.487.6233WWW.BOOKOPTICAL.COMPROUDLY FEATURING A COLLECTION OF FRAMES FROM

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year . Champagne's roller coaster of success 34 Green Cork To cork, or not to cork 40 Gluggy Champagne for the savvy shopper 48 Banville & Jones Wine Institute 50 Banville & Jones events 51 Wine Online 55 test Kitchen Chef Joel Lamoureux prepares classic poached trout