CRUSHABLE 2023-07-05 CRUSHABLE 2023-07-05

The Albertan bringing Lambrusco to the world

Moirae Choquette didn’t jump into wine with the idea of making it - it was a winding road to get there. From tech, public service, e-commerce to marketing - she did it all. Travelling through Italy provided a glimpse into the culture. Witnessing the generosity and hospitality became the guiding light, inspiring her to launch Tomato Wheels.

Tomato Wheels originally began as an Italian food company, curating an array of spices, working in tandem with food scientists at NAIT to develop various flavour profiles. Concurrently, Moirae was granted an award to cook with David Chang in Italy. The campaign was coined "Fuck Takeout". The message shed light on being present and spending time with loved ones. Covid happened, and the project collapsed.

Moirae remarks, “I got to play with different household products, realizing if I wanted to be a big player, I needed a couple million dollars in digital advertising to be competitive. I had always loved Lambrusco and championed it for years - I was always looking for it on restaurant lists. That's where the idea came about - there was a big gap in the market. I dove into research with the goal to re-introduce Lambrusco in its original, high quality form.”

Lambrusco is not a household name. Prosecco dominates as the main bubble in the sparkling wine category. “I didn't know a lot about wine. I came across Calgary based wine consultant Brad Royale, took a risk, and reached out. I asked if we could chat so I could pick his brain. He was into it. Research began, and we started sourcing a vineyard in Emilia-Romagna. We ended up finding a 4th generation family owned and operated vineyard, Bertolani Alfredo. This was still in the middle of the pandemic - it all transpired via Zoom. The family must have been thinking, 'who are these two yahoos from Alberta?!’ “

The vineyard dates back to 1925, and tradition prevails - suspicion was palpable upon the first conversation. It was challenging for Moirae to transcend the cultural barrier and successfully explain her vision. Eventually, the family agreed to ship samples to Canada. From there, Moirae and Brad purchased every sku of Lambrusco available in Alberta, blind tasting them up against the samples received from Bertolani Alfredo. There was no contest.

The wheels began spinning. Moirae shares, “I immediately started brainstorming - who can I find to do the label? What province do I want to start in? Serendipitously, I found local artist, Lee Kreklewetz in Alberta, so we started there.”

Intimate connections can be made through food and wine, especially with a well made, high quality product, though Moirae never set out to be an entrepreneur, especially not in the wine industry. Letting go of control and allowing life to lead the way has paid off, evidenced by the success of Tomato Wheels in such a short amount of time.

Moirare grew up in Saskatchewan, living in Edmonton on and off for years. She spent time in Mexico during Covid going remote, and flying back and forth to Vancouver. “I was everywhere. I lived as a bit of a nomad for awhile.”

In 2018, Moirae took a solo trip to India. Returning to Canada revealed a stark contrast - a brutal life lesson she wasn’t prepared for, while living and working in Toronto. “The world I had just seen versus the one I was living in wasn't connecting any longer. There was an extreme reverse culture shock. How are we complaining about the things we are, witnessing extreme poverty? I felt so hopeless.”

She kept hearing "build a global brand" through her meditations, and decided to surrender, working toward whatever that meant.

Moirae is passionate about giving back to her community. Years ago, she gathered chefs to pose nude for a calendar, covering their “bits” with kitchen items. All the proceeds went to people facing food insecurity. Her dream is to focus on the philanthropic angle again, as Tomato Wheels grows.

For Moirae, the through line is healing and helping.

“I know nothing about wine, but hiring Brad Royale bridged that gap. His knowledge has been so helpful.

Knowing that 85% of consumers still don't know about Lambrusco - it’s my goal to show them.”

Curious to try it? Purchase here.

CRUSHABLE 2023-05-04 CRUSHABLE 2023-05-04

East End Vine: a vestige of Old Toronto

Toronto isn’t known for being a particularly friendly place. When I made the decision to move cross -country, the response of “why are you moving there?” became repetitious. To be Canadian is to hate Toronto. Once you’ve lived here for any period of time - well - you start to understand why.

The ego? Aggressive. I liken it to years of stress wearing its residents down to jaded, self righteous, all knowing authoritarians plagued by Stockholm Syndrome. Sure, it’s naive and ignorant presuming it’s “the best place in Canada”, but it’s also a quaint delusion they assume everyone agrees.

I’ve called Toronto home for 4 years and here’s what I’ve learned:

it’s become a dystopian hellscape dominated by big corp
reasonable locals will attest that Toronto at its peak was about 30 years ago, in the late 90s/early 2000s when small business reigned
the few boroughs with small businesses that remain need to be protected at all costs

Which brings me to my love for East End Vine.

I met Ian Stoddart when he was working at John & Sons, a locals oyster bar found on Temperance street that feels like something out of a Hallmark movie.

I never went for the wine, though it was a bottle of Lapierre Morgon that piqued my interest one particular visit, who I was told had been listed by their newly minted sommelier - none other than Ian Stoddart. We quickly became friends.

Ian told me over various encounters and lots of wine, that he aspired to open his own wine bar someday. Sure, I’d heard that only a million times before. We are but a culture of dreamers, not doers.

Ian actually followed through, and did it during the pandemic to boot.

Entering East End Vine transports you somewhere else - a welcomed reprieve from the chaos and angry temperament of the city. It’s a brilliant, and somewhat ironic, juxtaposition to its pretentious neighbour, Wynona. We’ve often joked once patrons are done being “seen” at Wynona, they make their way to East End Vine to relax and let it all hang out.

This is the type of place you go where they know your name - and it’s because Ian, as the proprietor - has painstakingly, and carefully designed it to be. It’s intentionally small, with barely 20 seats. Ian is on the floor every night. It’s rare that you select wine from the menu, because the inventory is stored in his mind. He will often join his guests at the end of the night. This is a guy who knows how to build a loyal following - slow, methodical, and thoughtful.

East End Vine is one of the few places I recommend to friends and clients in Toronto.

LM: Tell me about your business.

IS: East End Vine is a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant/wine bar located in Toronto’s east end. That’s really all I know… I think we sell some wine… wait, no, no wine—

I designed the restaurant to resemble some of the cute spots I visited while on my travels (primarily European experiences). I loved the laidback, neighbourhood vibe that I constantly encountered in Spain, Italy, Portugal, etc. So I tried to replicate that.

We pride ourselves on wine pairings, and the tapas menu really helps with casual multi course dinners with sampling different wines. To help encourage patrons to participate in pairings, and to never feel we are trying to up sell them, I set almost all my wines the same price (by the glass and by the bottle). That way if we suggest the Sousón over a Grenache you won’t worry we are trying to get you to buy the more expensive wine.

This mindset also relates to the fact that I wanted our restaurant to not empty the wallets of our patrons so I have done my absolute best to make our menu and wine list as reasonably priced as possible. When we designed the space I wanted to use colours and decor to help decrease anxiety without patrons even realizing it. I chose specific colours to help with this as well as plants, old wood antiques. etc.

I suppose in a nutshell, East End Vine is a little vacation from the day-to-day, and I truly believe we are sorta a one-of-a-kind spot.

We also love Seinfeld.

LM: What got you into wine?

IS: I was a screenwriter for years… What else is there it say?

Honestly, I adore traveling. I loved sipping wine while taking it all in. I thought wine was a great focal point for expanding my mind with world history & geography.

When I fell out of love with screenwriting I wanted to be a ‘specialist’ in a field. I have a lot of experience in the service industry and hosting events. I thought that the sommelier certification was a great boost and would level up the position I was in.

LM: How has your experience in the Toronto wine community been? How could it improve?

IS: With running the restaurant I live in a bubble, so I am not too involved. When I do attend events, I tend to stay quiet and observe others.

I did hate the pretentiousness I encountered while studying for my sommelier certification. People take wine way too seriously, and they judge judge judge.

I once spoke to a wine manager who told me their guests have shitty palates, and they (the manager) purchases wine based off what they like. I stayed quiet, but I wanted to ask if that manager was the one buying the wine during the dinner rush.

There is a fine balance of purchasing what you like and what your guests want. I also think — perhaps a more global issue — that people follow trends way too much. One time comes to mind when I had two guests walk in (they hadn’t stepped more than two feet inside) asking if I had natural funky wines or skin contact. I had sold out of my orange wine and didn’t have any funk (not to say I didn’t have interesting or unique wines). These guests instantly left. They didn’t even take the time to look over the list. Their loss. It made me laugh.

LM: What styles are you most excited about right now?

IS: Reds from Galicia! All day. I’ve been having a blast with pairing them with seafood.

Also, all wines from Northern Italy. Pelaverga, Schiava, Müller-Thurgau, Favorita and all the classics too. Awesome for food. So, I guess not a style of interest but more regional excitement.

LM: What's the interest like for Canadian wine at East End Vine?

IS: It’s up and down. I conduct a lot of blind tastings with regulars, and every chance I get I have them try a Canadian wine. It is rare they don’t like it. I will say that if the price is right guests will try it.

A big factor is the sales pitch. I tend to have to know more about the winery for people to be genuinely intrigued than I do with let's say, a Chianti. ‘I also have a Chianti—‘ ‘Oh I love Italy! I’ll take a glass.’

Nothing wrong with that, but with a Canadian winery it’s like, ‘This winery’s first harvest came on a full moon. The Tragically Hip had just played down the road and their bus broke down and they were forced to harvest along with—‘ You get the idea.

LM: Do you see yourself owning a wine bar long term? Why or why not?

IS: No idea. I want to travel for wine. That I know for sure. I also enjoy service at my restaurant. I love guiding a group through a six course wine pairing to help celebrate a 40th anniversary. I also want to get really good at it. Like really really good. Practice practice practice, right? My goal in the next couple years is to reach a position where I can travel for wine for two - three months of the year. So in short, I don’t know. Let’s go with uh— maybe.

LM: What sets you apart from the vast array of wine bars in the city?

IS: Guests may not leave until they’ve quoted five Seinfeld quotes.

We talk a lot at our spot. We like to interact. Sometimes people are caught off guard, but they warm to it by the end. Most absolutely love it from the start. It seems that our reviews follow a common theme of praising our atmosphere, service and food. Peter Mcknight (my chef) is unreal. He does everything well. So perhaps he is what sets us apart.

Visit East End Vine at 817 Gerrard St E in Toronto.

CRUSHABLE 2023-04-05 CRUSHABLE 2023-04-05

Re-inventing hospitality with Samantha Chamberlain

Cidermaker, wine buyer, cook - Samantha Chamberlain is a woman who appears to do it all.

Sam is that friend - the type who effortlessly whips up a loaf of foccacia, the best you’ve ever tasted - fermented and baked with haphazard effort with but a microwave oven as her only tool. (This actually happened, and was the favourite dish of the dinner party we attended later that day. She’s now stored in my phone as “Focaccia Mommy”.)

Sam’s foray into winemaking began with a tasting room stint on Vancouver Island in Comox, BC circa 2016. It wasn’t her ideal, but working with people and talking about fermented things was her driving force. After a short stint, she was asked to help in the cellar. Management continued to entrust Sam with increasing responsibility, and over time, she was overseeing most of production.

Casually brainstorming on how to reach a wider audience led to Sam pitching cider as a new category, which she was greenlit to explore. Cold calling all over the Okanagan produced a shipment of apples, successfully made into cider Sam sold locally, and kegged for restaurants.

Soon, Sam was itching to leave the island, and began to consider applying for head cidermaker positions elsewhere. Crossmount Cider Company, in Saskatoon, offered her a full time role, a cidery experimenting with cold hardy apple varieties and grapes.

After a few years, the lack of upward mobility pressed Sam, calling her back to wine. Sam took a job with Metro Liquor as a Senior Product Consultant in January of 2020. The pandemic hit, and everything changed. Equipped with a wealth of education and experience, Sam jumped feet first into entrepreneurship.

Sam still calls Saskatoon home. Though the prairie city isn’t regarded as an epicurean mecca, Sam is actively redefining what it means to reside in Saskatchewan beyond Pilsner, bunny hugs and the Roughriders. A trifecta of local pop ups, wine tastings, and dinners, hosted in her home has grown a loyal following of devout fans, with her events selling out in mere hours.

I’ve long known Sam via Instagram. We’d chat often, bonding over a mutual love of fashion, travel, and of course, wine.

It wasn’t until several years later that we had the chance to meet on Vancouver Island, where we shared a guest house at Emandare Vineyard in the Cowichan Valley, spending slow, luxurious, sunny days sipping wine, smoking weed, and periodically cooking amazing food that she largely helmed.

Sam’s a low key person with a painful humility that might make you doubt her talents - until she finds her way into the kitchen, and cooks some of the most killer food you’ve ever tasted.

Over the years, Sam routinely shared her dream of cooking for others, but couldn’t figure out a forum that felt right. She muses, “I was joking with my husband over dinner one night, with a wine we randomly selected from our cellar. I wished that we had more people at our table. I decided to see if I could sell a few tickets, get people to pitch for the food, and advertise it as a dinner party. So we did, and people actually came.”

Sam’s goal is elevated curation that is authentic, not pretentious. The main driver is connection – though at times, she worries this can feel generic, “I’m so passionate about food and wine - the theme that I’m trying to model is how I live my life – simplicity.”

People often go looking for a certain type of feeling from restaurants or wine bars. Unless there’s an unusually knowledgeable sommelier on staff with ample time to sit and talk - it’s rare to feel a deep sense of connection when dining out. This is what Sam aims to bridge.

Beyond eating out, one could hypothetically enroll in seminars or courses - but nothing in between really exists, and it’s this intermediary Sam provides.

“The physical experience of connection, in-depth knowledge, beautiful food and ambiance - all without a classroom setting is what I’m marrying. I am creating the experience I want to go to. I love dining out, but I am consistently let down. I might as well cook at home. I don’t find any substance in the restaurant industry anymore.”

Sam believes good hospitality should be theatrical – but that passion in a post-Covid world is lost - it’s become a sea of young people who’ve never worked in hospitality. Sam shares, “A city like Saskatoon doesn’t have a huge pool to pull talent from, and it’s even trickier post pandemic.”

Sam’s dinner series are intentionally small, hosted mid-summer, and capped at 8-10 people. Served family style, she joins her guests at the table, engaging and connecting. “Nobody likes to be talked at.”

“There are always people who are excited who come to my home, and there’s always half the people, who after a few glasses of wine, share they thought it was weird to come to some random’s place. Generally, 40-50% are skeptical at first. They always share, though, that their doubts were dispelled. When you host small groups of people like I do, they’re all friends by the end of the night. I’ve even made friends - half the people who’ve come to my dinners I’ve kept in touch with.”

For larger events, Sam hosts at Citizen Café, a local bakery owned by Brittany Brown, who she met through mutual friends, a group who hired Sam to host an in-home wine tasting.

In addition to hosting her events, Sam recently launched a YouTube channel, demonstrating simple meals people may buy generically or frozen, showing how they can easily elevate them.

“Take skillet or pan pizzas, for example. Instead of buying a frozen pizza or ordering out – I’ll show you tips to finding the right ingredients, and how within 30 minutes, you can make your own restaurant quality pizza, like infusing tomato sauce with tons of flavour, garlic, herbs, etc. It’s all the small things that make a world of difference.”

Learn more about Sam here.

CRUSHABLE 2023-03-02 CRUSHABLE 2023-03-02

Baby Sweet Coffee: it’s a lot like wine

Jeff Burling and Tiffany MacIsaac, co-proprietors of Baby Sweet Coffee, didn’t initially set out to be in the business of coffee roasting. It was their company, Toronto Micro Weddings, that serendipitously provided an opportunity to sell wedding favours in addition to their primary services.

Eventually, word spread on the quality. Though generating additional profit had been the goal, a passion had been unearthed within Jeff, who now oversees roasting, selling and marketing.

I came across their project through my partner, who met Jeff while working in hospitality - a part-time job he still keeps as the brand grows.

We all remember certain idioms from childhood, drilled into us by our elders. Mine is a quote from my Dad - “find your passion” - a beacon always guiding me through life’s highs and lows. When I meet others who subscribe to this same ethos, it’s hard not to feel like a moth to a flame.

Meeting Jeff was like looking into a mirror. Bursting at the seams with unbridled excitement, coupled with the earnestness of a child, he reminded me of myself talking about wine, and my many industry friends plagued with that same itch: passion.

Jeff sent us a few bags to try. I approached my first sip with a healthy level of skepticism as I do with anything new-to-me. Having been given one too many bad bottes of homemade wine - I know better at this point to blindly trust when I’m told something “is really good!”

That first cup of Baby Sweet coffee blew me away, and I haven’t been able to shut up about how good their beans are since. I commissioned Jeff to make a bespoke roast for my wine club members, and it’s the staple coffee in our pantry now.

Read on to learn more about Jeff, coffee, and how they plan to grow the brand.

Tell me about your business.

We’re a digital coffee retailer / micro-roastery (www.babysweetcoffee.ca) who are on a mission to show Canadians that a big, rich, flavorful cup doesn’t have to come at the sacrifice of balance, sweetness or terroir.

On one side we have your typical “Big Brand Joes” where quality is measured by the intensity of notes such as carbon and char, and the other where terroir is placed above all else resulting in an experience that is often more tea like than coffee.

We’re taking a middle of the road approach that has many of our clients happily giving up their Tim Hortons or Starbucks, often saying they’re using less milk and sugar not realizing coffee didn’t have to be bitter. Basically, we’re roasting nuanced coffee that can be endlessly enjoyed everyday; crushable daily drivers if you will ;)

We also have a popular custom coffee wedding and event favour service. At weddings for example, each guest takes home either a 50, 100 or 250 gram bag of specialty grade coffee that is freshly roasted for the big day. We create custom labels colour matched to the event and include a personalized message from the couple. They’re a lot of fun.

Why coffee?

I sort of took it as a fact of life that the coffee I make at home will always suck compared to the cups from my favourite cafes.

Eventually though, the desire to save money took hold and I bought an Aeropress and started buying higher quality pre-ground beans for home. I didn’t realize this until later on, but making coffee every morning for my girlfriend (...and now wife) became the best part of my day.

The Aeropress is a very flexible and forgiving brewer with countless “recipes” each attempting to get the most out of a given coffee. Every morning I’d eagerly await my partner's opinion on how today’s coffee tasted. There’s just something beautiful about taking a moment to stop and be thoughtful as you enjoy a cup of coffee together.

Eventually I would hit a wall, no longer being able to improve on my technique, and still falling short of the cafe quality. I realized pre-ground coffee was very convenient but would grow stale fairly quickly leaving me with 2/3rds a bag of coffee with faded flavour. So I bought a quality hand grinder, and I was back in business, with even better results than before because I now had freshness on my side.

From equipment, to technique, to the coffee itself and how it was roasted, I learned a lot along the way and got to share my discoveries with my wife. Ultimately I realized that, to me, coffee is about connection, and the simple joy of sharing a delicious cup of coffee with those I love led me all the way to controlling all the variables I could through roasting the coffee myself.

What was once a pursuit just for us, is now a passion we are both happy to share with others as the mindfulness of drinking a beautiful cup of coffee every day, even when in a hurry, is one of life’s greatest joys.

What's a common misconception people have about the category of coffee?

The biggest one is that darker is better. In the end - it is about what you prefer - but if we’re to look at the mainstream commodity coffee world (coffee that scores between 65-80 out of 100), roasting dark is often just a strategy to either cover up flavor defects, or to add flavor by charring a bean that inherently doesn’t have much going on in terms of terroir (i.e. favourable, regionally unique flavours).

Since most people drink coffee with milk/cream and sugar (the irony being that, by and large, it’s because these coffees taste horrible black), these seared flavours really punch through the dairy. Whereas a light roast would seem less “flavorful” by comparison.

What styles/regions are you excited about right now?

I’m currently learning about coffee from The Democratic Republic of the Congo and how a younger generation is leveraging technology to produce a better product and gaining access to broader markets. It’s a country whose history of colonialism and multinational corporate involvement has left locals with little control (and benefit) over the precious natural resources they extract. I’m excited to purchase green (raw) coffee from there someday.

We’re also very interested in Washed and Natural coffees from Guatemala at the moment. We recently tried a Washed bean that had complex notes of chocolate, caramel and candied apple. It was a conversation starter, yet very easy going and drinkinable at the same time.

What cafes are killing it in Toronto at the moment?

As we are based in North York I have to give a shout out to Another Land Cafe. They have such a lovely list of coffees available for pour-over, there’s always something new to taste there.

People often draw a correlation of wine to coffee - can you go into detail about what the similarities, but also differences, are?

Wine and coffee have much in common. Take the actual growing of coffee for instance. Coffee beans aren’t actually beans - rather the seed of a coffee cherry. Coffee plants are carefully grown and picked when the cherry reaches a desired ripeness much like the grapes on a vineyard. The amount of rain, mineral composition of the soil, and sunlight all come into play and the impact in the final cup is basically what we, too, refer to as terroir. Much like wine, the same coffee from the same plot can taste very different from year to year.

Culturally we see similarities as well. We have those who embrace innovation and unconventional practices and those who think it is simply wrong. In coffee, we are seeing a lot of experimentation with unusual fermentation methods such as carbonic maceration, lactic fermentations, cold fermentations, the use of specific cultures etc. And this sometimes helps the coffee grade a higher score, imparting lovely if not unusual flavors! I think we see a similar reaction with Natural wines, some are simply against it because of dogma and to others it’s how it tastes in the glass that matters! There’s also others who are in between, and are neither against innovation nor for it and it all comes down to taste. Sometimes the coffee or wine is wonderful, sometimes it’s interesting, but you probably couldn’t drink a whole lot of it and other times it’s just not for you at all…and that’s ok!

I do think one of the biggest differences in wine and coffee is that quality wine has existed (and to some perfected) for a very long time…and perhaps that’s the push back with “innovation” or rather the re-discovering of more timeless natural wine making strategies depending on how you want to look at it.

In my opinion, every wine category has its winners and losers, and just because you tried some natural wines you didn't like, doesn’t mean you can completely invalidate an entire category because you will certainly miss out on its winners…and winners it has in spades.

Coffee is different in the sense that we have never experienced quality on a mass scale in history, and the result either leads people down a rabbit hole of delicious discovery, or the old guard to simply say “well this doesn’t taste like coffee!”.

To relate it to the craft beer world, I’ve seen people look down on drinkers of lagers and pilsners with their crazy hop forward citrusy/grapefruity/floral India Pale Ales, and I think there’s a bit of that going on in the coffee world with specialty vs commodity.

That’s exactly why I want to roast coffee that doesn’t make the old guard feel excluded or shamed for their tastes, but rather welcome them in with open arms, giving them something familiar and rewarding them with a new sense of what quality coffee is at the same time.

Have you ever paired coffee with any dishes that were particularly successful?

If you have a kitchen-aid, buy the ice-cream bowl. Make a small amount of coffee concentrate (VERY strong coffee) on an aeropress, add vanilla extract, liquid stevia, sea salt, 2 egg yolks, whipping cream and 3% Milk. Bam, an incredibly tasty treat that won’t spike the old blood sugar ;)

Coffee is also an excellent addition to any BBQ sauce.

How do people buy your coffee?

Please visit www.babysweetcoffee.ca. We offer free local delivery within the Toronto area, and free Canada-Wide shipping on orders over $60.00

CRUSHABLE 2023-02-24 CRUSHABLE 2023-02-24

What happened to hospitality?

What happened to hospitality? A look into why the West is failing at the age old tradition of helping others feel welcome.

“We are not a hospitality industry right now - we’re a service industry.

There is no pride. Chefs cook for stars. Bartenders compete. Sommeliers clamour to be on TV. Farmers and winemakers have become celebrities.

We are simply taking orders and bringing food to customers.”

Kasra Khorramnejad, Wine Director, Mimi’s Chinese, Toronto

The dictionary defines hospitality as “The act or practice of one who is hospitable; reception and entertainment of strangers or guests without reward, or with liberality and kindness.” When was the last time you were treated this way when dining out?

Upon moving to Toronto, I naively anticipated greener pastures - the cultural desert of my hometown, Kelowna, deemed subpar to the premium experiences and restaurants awaiting me in the “center of the universe”.

Yet, it was the exact opposite that my partner, Andreas, and I encountered on far too regular a basis.

Snide remarks, snotty quips in reference to the too-cheap-bottle ordered, a nonexistent interest to engage, a bartender’s turned back upon making eye contact as we walked through the door, water glasses left empty for the duration of meals, and an almost sinister like pleasure in treating us with a callous, adolescent like attitude, as though our mere presence was a burden. Did I mention these were the award winning, “must visit” restaurants endlessly praised in the media?

I started to wonder if we weren’t the only ones experiencing this widespread death of hospitality - surely there were still places out there that espoused traditional values - but where were they?

Because we weren’t interested in spending $500 each time we went out simply to ensure good service - we began to eschew mainstream spots, especially those that wielded clout - the types of purveyors generally not interested in building relationships with their guests - and instead began a quest seeking out old school, traditional joints.

Once, it was a restaurant on the Danforth that brought to mind the concept of Greek hospitality - a belief deeply embedded in ancient tradition that built an entire culture around a code of conduct preaching the tenets of generosity and courtesy to strangers - no matter their status - thus creating a genial relationship between host and guest. (Alanna Shilling, 2018)

Another time, it was a 30 plus years old Portuguese establishment with a revolving door of regulars who would greet you like an old friend, where you found yourself embracing these new connections at the end of the visit.

What these establishments lacked in polished veneer, they made up for in decorum, camaraderie and repartee. That the interior design was decades old or the hottest natural wines by the glass nonexistent, didn’t matter - they made you feel as though you were a long lost cousin, keeping your glass overflowing.

Will Guidara expresses this sentiment in his new book, Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect , “In restaurants, we can help people celebrate some of the most important moments in their lives. Conversely, we can give them the grace to forget about the most difficult ones. We can inspire people through our attention to detail. We can make the world a much nicer place by being really, really nice to everyone who walks through our doors. If you dig deep enough, you can find incredible importance in any work, no matter the industry.”

Of course our bad experiences were sprinkled with - albeit rare - exceptional ones, a particular visit resonant when I went to BC to visit wineries in the Fraser Valley.

I’d long been a fan girl of winery, Whispering Horse, and had engaged in a digital relationship for years, finally having the opportunity to meet owners Laurent Fadanni and Melissa Giesbrecht who welcomed us with open arms into their gorgeous home in the small town of Yarrow.

The setting was stunning, and it seemed with each passing moment, were showering us with yet another platter of food that appeared as though it had been styled by the likes of Vogue. As the night wore on, Laurent would coquettishly whisk away to the cellar, excitedly return with some banger of a bottle he couldn’t wait to open, and regale its story with a childlike rapture.

It’s remained a favourite memory ever since, and has set the bar high. I reached out to the painfully chic and humble couple, asking how they achieve such a standard when hosting guests:

“it's really about welcoming people into your 'world', being yourself and sharing with them your passions, who you are, while learning about them and connecting.

Our inspiration comes from Laurent's Italian family, where hospitality is warm, alla famiiliga style, and simple. It all feels so natural and unpretentious, no performance or hiding behind facades - just real, authentic moments filled with overflowing bowls of pasta, made effortlessly by Laurent’s Aunt, bread scattered around the table, bottles of wine, cheese, prosciutto enveloped by lots of discussions, yelling, and laughing. There is a cultural art to hosting with such ease, opening your door to strangers, and warmly welcoming them like family.”

Cultural differences of course exist - but in a city like Toronto, known for its diversity and melting pot of citizens, why are the disparities so great from community to community?

A recent Twitter debate sparked a similar conversation, remarking the vast differences between customs in Sweden, where many bemoaned the lack of hospitality, versus a country like Saudi Arabia, where the local door to door census workers are invited inside for a meal, “some Swedes think feeding a guest creates a sense of obligation, and in a society that values equality and independence, people don’t want to put a burden on someone or feel like they owe someone something.”

Could it be that progressive countries are less hospitable all in the name of equality?

Western societies’ obsession with progress often overrides a need for a moral compass. Where traditions may have formerly have reigned - beacons instilling values of hospitality, common in religions like Christianity - are now replaced with the trend of repressive tolerance. Professor Rosaria Butterfield touches on this connection, observing “Hospitality that gathers others isn’t charity or kindness; rather, it takes the gospel upstream of the culture war. When we are in each other’s lives daily, we are not operating with ignorance or stereotypes about other people and their “lifestyles.” We don’t have to wonder what our unbelieving neighbor thinks about us, because he is sitting right here, passing the potatoes and telling us exactly what he thinks.”

The practice of “making room at the table” extends to cultures the world over, yet it’s a custom not common in the west, where divisiveness tends to dominate. Silk Road Explore shares the example of nomadic tribes in Kyrgystan, “The East is famous for their hospitality and treatment of guests. In Kyrgyzstan, people that excel at hospitality are the nomads that live scattered about in the Tien Shan and Pamir-Alai Mountains that blanket the country. Hospitality is a highly valued aspect of Kyrgyz culture and you will clearly see this on display when you spend time with nomads in their yurts.”

A sentiment widely shared in western culture is a lack of community support - in the pursuit of global social justice, we have neglected to take care of our neighbours. Kaleigh Jorgensen, co-proprietor of cidery Creek & Gully on the Naramata bench, routinely observes this phenomenon. Jorgensen refers to the Okanagan Valley as Disneyland for the rich, a farming community turned gig economy, rife with resource hoarding.

Jorgensen observes, “Change takes an unearthing of the Protestant work ethic, where our productivity is a reflection of our morality, that we are only worthy of resources and care by paying with our time and bodies. If I am so tired from the grind I can no longer advocate for myself and rampant individualism has alienated me from my community at large, I am demoralized as to accept that I am alone and thrown into the tide of an unchangeable system. What if I was buoyed enough to reach out, unfettered by the strain of merely trying to survive but to thrive side by side joined to others? What if my worth is that I simply exist?”

In the absence of community, it’s easy to view others as meaningless. Plagued by myopia, we’ve normalized the trend of tacky, soulless encounters.

Roger Beaudoin points out this lack of connection in Restaurant Hospitality with the observation of formerly and widely held norms that are now defunct: gas stations would wash your windshield and check your oil, and restaurants would thrive by providing exemplary service. You would be greeted at the door by name, the host would take your coat, seat you at your favorite table and the owner would make sure that every aspect of your dining experience was unforgettable. He expands, “This approach began with one singular mission: Treat every customer like they were your only customer and train each and every staff member genuinely to care about making each experience everything it could and should be.”

The answer might be all too simple, though counter intuitive. Hospitality requires a foundation of worldliness, curiosity, humility and kindness. A culture that defines itself based on a rich tapestry of diversity requires universal basics older cultures have embodied for generations. How we get there is akin to the chicken or the egg theory. Only time will tell.

CRUSHABLE 2023-02-07 CRUSHABLE 2023-02-07

Lightning Rock has a new winemaker: Sébastien Hotte

Lightning Rock winemaker, Sébastien Hotte

Recent changes at family owned winery, Lightning Rock in Summerland, BC, presented an exciting opportunity: a chance to succeed inimitable winemaker Jordan Kubek.

Kubek recently branched off with husband Tyler Knight, to focus full time on their project, Pamplemousse Jus, a collaboration with James Langford Smith.

Kubek and Knight established Lightning Rock as a premier winery in Canada, known for benchmark traditional method bubbles.

It takes equal parts skill, experience, and a healthy dose of crazy to attempt to fill the shoes of as talented a winemaker as Kubek, and there was one person willing to try: Sébastien Hotte.

Hotte began his career as a sommelier, eventually making the inevitable leap into production, a jump many make when the itch to do more beckons.

The now defunct winery, Ricco Bambino in the Okanagan Valley, provided a diving board into natural wine for Hotte, and it was there that he established himself as a serious name in the low intervention category.

From there, he moved on to Harper’s Trail in the Thompson Valley, where he worked as head winemaker for the past three vintages.

Hotte took over Lightning Rock in early 2023, and plans to carry on with the same philosophies and farming practices the winery has become synonymous with.

You could be considered the "underdog/sleeper hit" of the Canadian wine industry. You have a cult following of loyal imbibers who clamour to get their hands on your wines - which are rare and hard to find. Was any of this premeditated?

Thank you for the compliment. I definitely don’t see myself in the same manner but can understand that the scarcity of my wines may create this image. This was not premeditated at all. Initially, I had hoped for a yearly organic growth to the label, but my previous employers weren't supportive of my brand and did not allow me to produce my own wine. So, it’s remained “under the radar.”

Tell me about your winemaking past, what you've learned, and where you're going from here.

This year will be my tenth on the winery side, in addition to my years as a sommelier. I feel that my trajectory has been similar to some of my colleagues that have migrated from the restaurant industry. I started with an internship that became a revelation for a passion, followed by some schooling and a full time career change.

I have been fortunate enough that some of the cellars I worked in offered lots of creative freedom and room for discussion and expression. The opportunity to experiment has allowed great growth to my skillset.

I’ve unquestionably evolved from a natural winemaking purist to more of an open minded and attentive winemaker. I’ve also moved from cellar only employee to being a vigneron. This is where I want to be - always evolving and adapting, while furthering my knowledge to be the best version of myself.

Congratulations are in order - you're taking the helm at Lightning Rock. Share your thoughts on this transition, and what you hope to achieve.

I am really excited for this transition. The opportunity presented itself and I couldn't resist. Jordan and Tyler have done great work establishing Lightning Rock, and I really want to carry on the traditions they started. Following in their footsteps is a bit scary, but I believe I am well equipped to do so.

I am hoping to achieve a continuation of philosophies that we share in regards to creating wines and being vignerons: organic farming, low-intervention winemaking with attention to detail in all aspects of the farm.

Some know the history/past of what transpired with Ricco Bambino - can you share the sordid tale and how that impacted your career trajectory? What did you learn from that experience?

Ricco Bambino was a completely different experience for me personally than what anyone knows or thinks. A lot of attention was directed at Jason’s polarizing personality while not knowing the full scope of what was happening behind the scenes.

I enjoyed myself. I had 100% creative freedom, established a vineyard with some cultivars that I enjoyed working with, and I built a cellar to suit all my needs. The business was sold and my position was no longer needed by the new owners.

Woefully, the rumour mill in regards to this work experience did shine some light on the negative side to our industry. I will keep it at that, but would like to point out that only a few people know the real story. Whatever you’ve heard is most likely untrue.

In celebration of your new position, you’re releasing “one last hurrah” of Sébastien Laurent wines with Crushable, to be released later this month.

Tell us what folks can expect from this pack.

There are two wines: Cabernet Franc and Riesling.

The Cabernet Franc is farmed by Paven Sekhon, a colleague that I have been working with for a few years. My 2019 “Tomber en Pamoison” Merlot was also sourced from him. Similar to that wine, this Cabernet Franc underwent carbonic maceration followed by a direct pressing and finished off in stainless steal.

Following my usual intentions, this wine underwent indigenous fermentation. I wanted to make something that was uncomplicated and accessible, while getting into spring mode. I believe I was able to achieve it with this wine.

The Riesling was locally sourced and farmed organically. Over the past 3 years, I have been playing with barrel fermented rieslings and unfortunately they were never released. When the opportunity came to do a small lot for myself, I was excited.

Following a 24 hour skin contact, the wine went into primary neutral oak and a small portion (>10%) into stainless steel. The wines were fermented and aged separately for 4 months and blended prior to bottling.

What are you excited about most, to now be making wine in Summerland?

The sense of community the Okanagan offers is what brought me back. I was feeling a little lonely in the Thompson Valley. I am thrilled to be surrounded by likeminded people. Also, how can one not be thrilled working with vineyards in Summerland. Bubbles, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay? Yes please!

What have you been drinking lately?

My drinking habits have been quite varied lately, but reflective of where I’m at in my wine journey. I have been revisiting some old classics and initial loves like Bordeaux, Bourgogne and wines from the Piemonte. I’m always keeping an eye out for obscure or new-to-me wines. Basically, if I don’t know it, I want to try it.

This is the last we'll see from your Sébastien Laurent label for awhile as you settle in at your new gig - what can we expect to see from you in the future?

That is a big question. I want to focus all my attention on Lightning Rock while maintaining a balanced family life. Establishing roots and a homestead for a family is our current priority, and hopefully this will be within our own small hobby farm. Who knows what we will be fermenting then?

Stay tuned for info on the upcoming Crushable x Sébastien Laurent collab by subscribing here.

CRUSHABLE 2023-01-26 CRUSHABLE 2023-01-26

Pācina: Making wine in the same way as our ancestors

Pācina was purchased 100 hundred years ago by the Borsa family’s great great grandfather, and sits in the southern part of Chianti. The famed Chianti hills lend protection, while maintaining an aspect perfect for filling the vineyards with light and wind. The land is comprised of 65 hectares, of which only 10.5 is planted to vines. A monastery and farm built in the 10th century remain, now respectively the family’s home and tasting room. The soil, known as Tufo di Siena, is the result of sediment dating back to the Pliocene sea, some 50 millions years ago leaving mountains rich with loam, clay fossils and rocks.

Family members Enzo and Lucia - academics at Siena's University - were pioneers of the environmental movement in Italy. Some of their books are still today the main sources for sustainability studies.

I had the opportunity to chat with family member, Maria Borsa, recently.

LM: Can you share with me what sets you apart, and tell me a little about your philosophy?

I believe that our historical and ethical heritage is quite strong. Living up to the ideas transmitted for generations clearly has an impact on our visions and ways of living. Of course, these ideas are already implemented in our working systems, but it is still something I think about regularly. I think that having the possibility to live on Pacina allows us to see and experience the importance of biodiversity, which is something we wish to protect and develop. That philosophy has basically guided the family for so long and this is one of the most important factor of our farming approach.

Therefore, you can understand the ecological sensibility transmitted inspired the farming system since the very beginning. This approach has been actualized in 1987 with the idea of by bottling our wine that had seen low interventions in the cellar and complete respect of the ecosystem. Hence, the 1987 Pacina was born. At the time, the wines were bottled under the Chianti Colli Senesi appellation. That first official vintage was resulting from a selection of grapes from the oldest vineyards, natural methods in the cellar and without sulfites added. The road was then opened and since 1992, we’ve have been following the dream to bottle all the Pacina grapes within a natural approach.

To get to this result, it has been important to maintain the polycultural aspect of the farm: only 10.5 hectares of vineyards. The rest of the land counts 8 hectares of olive groves, 15 hectares of fields – mostly farmed with cereals and legumes. The remaining surface of the land are free fields, where the forest and the ecosystem find their balance and safeguard, the fundamentals of biodiversity.

LM: What is your opinion on the current trend of natural wine ? How do you see the landscape changing?

MB: I think that people are more and more curious about what they eat and what they drink. For me, this is a very beautiful thing. If the natural wine trend means encouraging consumers to introspect about how they view agriculture, consumption and their general value system, then I’m glad to see that happening. Growing up, my parents were already working in a traditional way, as some might describe now as a natural way. But for us, it’s simply how things were done by our ancestors – before the use of additives or chemicals. I feel and hope that in the future, these approaches will be seen as being normal things and become common for most people.

LM: What styles of wines are currently in your glass? Any predications for the future of low intervention wine?

MB: I think it’s important to experiment what other winemakers do - this is why we are rarely drinking our own wines. It’s also very fun to see the broadness of what type of wines exist. My husband and I just came back from our honeymoon in France and we had the chance to visit winemakers. Since then, we’ve been drinking the wines of the places that we enjoyed so much visiting and the people that we met. I think the natural wine movement has already reached a lot of producers but is also influencing upcoming and new winemakers. The market is getting bigger and it’s always very interesting to hear about each person’s work and environment. My prediction – and my wish – is to see the creativity and new ideas of winemakers, adapting themselves to the environmental changes but also thinking of new approaches to have a more positive impact on their eco-system.

Interested in tasting wines of this style? Crushable Concierge Club curates monthly mixed packs of international wines, featuring styles like Pācina. You can learn more about joining here.

CRUSHABLE 2022-11-25 CRUSHABLE 2022-11-25

Kelly Mason: an icon in the making

The wine industry is incredibly incestuous, yet it never ceases to amaze me how interconnected we all are.

I moved to Toronto in 2019, and was lucky enough to become friends with the proprietors of winery, The Farm. It was apparent early on that these wines held a certain level of prestige among those in the know.

The Farm produces some of the best pinot noir and chardonnay in not only Ontario, but Canada. Never mind that their marketing is pure genius: they only open their cellar doors once a year, and when they do, they throw a killer party. So many wineries rely on pomp and circumstance as a cornerstone of their identity when wine quality lacks, yet this has never been the case for The Farm.

How they achieved their quality (and clout) was through strategic hiring of the best: Thomas Bachelder and Kelly Mason.

If there were a recipe on how to become an icon; Kelly Mason (and Thomas Bachelder) would be it.

Kelly entered the winemaking trade later in life, a common path taken by many whose proto careers no longer serve them. Working in finance for the bulk of her 20's and saving aggressively, Kelly knew that someday she wanted to acquire land.

Working under the tutelage of Thomas Bachelder for nearly a decade equipped her with the skillset to eventually branch out on her own, consulting and making wine for Domaine Queylus, Honsberger, and most recently, her own label, Mason Vineyard.

Purity is a term thrown around in wine often, though it doesn't hold much weight - what does it really mean?

All you need to do is taste Kelly's wines to understand. Her approach is very much old world - her involvement in the process borders on obsessive, so much so that she single handedly acquired 25 acres of her own land so she could manage the process from start to finish. Purchasing 25 acres in Niagara is an impressive feat - especially when you do it alone. And no, I'm not going to make some rah-rah comment about the fact that she's a woman - that would be way too infantilizing of a dig on Kelly's intelligence.

I had the opportunity to visit Kelly when I was last in Niagara, where we chatted and tasted at her gorgeous home overlooking t he Mason vineyard.

Can you share the storied tale of how you acquired your land? This is mostly to debunk all the naysayers who wrongfully assume or accuse you of coming from money. What you have achieved is seriously inspiring and more need to know how you did it, if only to aspire to the same levels of greatness.

I am building my business the way that makes the most sense for me. I was lucky enough to purchase a small parcel of land on the Bench, and then even luckier to acquire the second neighbouring piece shortly thereafter. I wish my family were in farming, as that would have been so helpful in terms of my learning curve, so I am figuring it out with help from a lot of local farming friends and their families.

Can you talk about your collaborations? Why are they so important, and what community means to you?

Collaborating is important to me because it allows two winemakers to work together to share ideas and learn from each other. It gives me a chance to try something I may not have otherwise tried and also work with different types of grapes and sites. It's a fun creative process that is not necessarily scheduled and can evolve as needed - it's the freedom to create and stay connected to the artistic side of winemaking. These wines bring together different brains - winemakers, growers, interns, sommeliers, friends, and families. That alone creates a collaborative community around wine.

How do you define natural/low intervention winemaking?

Work hard in the vineyard, harder in the cellar (temperature control, tasting, extraction) and let the wine make itself as much as possible. In brief, only add the bare minimum and let primary and secondary fermentations be wild.

Who are your greatest inspirations?

I would miss someone if I answered this question with names. I am always inspired by people who have built a business or even improved an established one. When I see a tractor in a vineyard or the lights of a combine moving across a field, I see hard work, hours on that seat, and determination in that field. So I keep my head down and go forward. They inspire me to keep going.

Why Niagara?

It's such a beautiful area of Ontario that has great soils and slopes for vineyards. It's still establishing itself nationally and globally and there are new wineries popping up every year - that's exciting. It is always fun to contribute to an industry that is still growing and carving out its place.

Purchase Kelly’s curated pack for Crushable members here.

CRUSHABLE 2022-11-23 CRUSHABLE 2022-11-23

ASK CRUSHABLE: Why does my wine taste like funky spunk?

Dear Crushable,

I see a lot of talk on social media about mousey wine, including tons of memes making fun of it. I don’t really understand what it is, just that some wines taste off because of it, and that a lot of people defend it for reasons beyond me.

Why would anyone want to drink wine that tastes like funky spunk? Ew.

Thanks,

Funky Spunk

Dear Funky Spunk,

Your guess is as good as mine. Modern winemaking has become rife with fault apologists.

Sometimes, it can be attributed to laziness and a lack of accountability. Like - you made the damn thing, don’t you want to improve and learn from your mistakes? It reeks of privileged private school kids whose parents buy them out of scandals.

Mouse has become prevalent in recent years since the onset and proliferation of natural wine - those choosing to make wine with no interventions or additives. Though, this isn’t entirely an accurate assessment since there are plenty of gorgeous examples of natural wines that aren’t mousey.

Generally, mouse occurs in high pH/low acid wines without the addition of sulphur - a wildly controversial additive that acts as an anti-microbial and preservative in winemaking. You can read more about why mouse occurs from an organoleptic standpoint here, here and here.

When natural winemaking was adopted at large, many eschewed the use of sulphur, deeming wines that employed it as “unpure”, with claims that it doctored or dulled flavour profile.

What resulted was an abundance of mousey wines. It’s been described as tasting like puppy breath, corn chips, hamster cage, or funky spunk. It’s a pungent, off flavour that lingers in the back of your throat. The issue is that you can’t smell it - it’s a retro nasal reaction. The wine reacts with the pH of your saliva, so you don’t perceive it until you’ve swallowed.

Another issue is that about 30% of people can’t detect it. Much like the contingent who think cilantro tastes like soap, or those who can’t identify when their pee stinks after eating asparagus.

The trend du jour is to defend, with claims that mouse sorts itself out over time - all that’s required is a little patience for the wine to ameliorate. I’ve been told it can sometimes happen in young wines rushed to market too soon - the only solution to combat it is with a small dose of S02, that most would deem sacrilege.

Excellent winemaking is much like cheesemaking - you want the sense of place to show - which only happens by avoiding intervention as much as possible. Mother Nature should dictate your decisions. A clean, but not sterile environment is best - become too obsessive with your hygiene though, and you’ll kill good bacteria. Conversely, a laissez faire attitude can result in a dirty environment perfect for growing bad pathogens. Balance is key.

Your best bet for avoiding mousey wines? Look for bottles with low doses of SO2. If you’re unsure of how to find these, ask your local wine boutique or agents for wines that have 10-50PPM of sulphites.

Good luck!

Laura

CRUSHABLE 2022-11-17 CRUSHABLE 2022-11-17

Foolproof ways to finding an amazing bottle of wine

How can you be sure the wine you’re buying will be delicious and of sound quality?

Endless studies have shown the majority of consumers select wines based solely on label. Other research has identified a correlation between attractiveness of label to better tasting wine. This would be akin to thinking a pretty label makes pasta sauce taste better. Sounds ridiculous, right? Why, then, does this happen with wine?

Lest you expect me to start railing on about ignorant consumers - this trend happens just as much with wine professionals. Mere minutes scrolling on Instagram points to a plethora of accounts rife with bottle shots - this is especially the case in natural wine, where label aesthetics appear to be just as important as the juice itself.

So, how does one navigate the confusing and intimidating landscape of wine?

Here, a few surefire tactics to ensure you come home with something tasty and memorable while on the hunt - none of which have anything to do with the label.

Ask staff what they’re excited about

I know, this probably makes you squirm. The thought of going to a wine boutique full of scary wine people was the stuff of nightmares for the bulk of my wine rep career. All kinds of vernacular that fly right over your head coupled with seemingly arbitrary and strange debates over inconsequential topics like whether sherry is oxidative or aldehydic. (yes this actually happened to me once and my boyfriend exited the store out of sheer fear.)

Remember: this just happens to be their area of expertise. Ask what they’re excited about, new stuff just received in store, or give a price point or food pairing to make suggestions based off of.

Remove the judgement and the mystique of what you think a snobby “wine professional” is and you’ll pretty quickly realize they’re simply nerdy humans elated to share their insight with you.

Check consumer reviewed sites for various opinions

Caveat: there are people out there who will cringe at this suggestion. In fact, there’s an entire meme culture centered around making fun of apps/sites like Vivino, Wine Searcher, Wine Berserkers (present company included).

There’s validity to the skepticism - how many wine reviews do you want to read by boomer, Dick, and his thoughts on Cupcake Merlot?

Feedback from various demographics however, can be helpful and point you in the right direction, likely diverting you from buying a mediocre bottle.

Seek out wines that farm responsibly

“Responsibly” has emerged as a catchall to avoid the greenwashing that occurred with sustainable. Much like natural, the definition of such terms became nefarious with overuse.

Responsibly generally points to: leaving the land better than found, limited use of pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and fungicides which impede soil health and seep into ground water. Think of it as an holistic, symbiotic approach to farming.

While there’s no certification for “responsible”, there are various stickers indicating how the land has been farmed - look for organic or biodynamic (often labelled as Demeter) - as a start.

Look for regionally certified wines / bottles with “table wine” status

A relatively new concept adopted in Canada, coined Geographical Indications in BC and appellation of origin in Ontario has been commonplace in Europe for some time. This assures the purchaser that the wine is confirmed to have come from the land it’s labelled as, produced under strict measures as per local law, and points to a hierarchy of quality that reflects local style, yield, and aging time. A marker from Italy, for example, is “DOCG” (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) - this label guarantees a superior quality of wine.

Because these systems can be so rigid, certain winemakers opt out and choose to label their wines as “table wine”, giving them the freedom to work with non-autochthonous grape varieties, aging in vessels of their choice, or taking stylistic direction not the norm for the region. Italy labels these types of wine as “VDT”, meaning “vino da tavola”.

Any country with a designation will have their own system and acronyms that indicate various levels of quality.

Slide in the DMs of winemakers

Likely the most surefire tactic to use. While we can all agree on the off-the-charts toxicity of social media, the OG intent it was designed for still exists.

Remember, wineries wear a lot of hats: human resources, marketing, farming, design. Often, tech sheets and information on wines simply don’t get updated due to lack of resources.

Find out who the winemaker is, and reach out on social media. Assuming it’s someone active and savvy, you’ll likely hear back relatively quickly.

This is direct, to the source access, and the winemakers who respond will give you more information on their wines than you could have imagined, including where to find them and how to buy. (points for buying direct!)

Learn about standout vintages

Every region experiences perfect harvests resulting in wines for the ages - bottles born from pristine seasonal conditions bearing exquisite fruit that went on to make weak-in-the-knees offerings.

2005 and 2015 in Burgundy are lauded as magical.

2014 and 2020 are celebrated years in the Okanagan.

2015 and 2016 are vintages destined to age extensively from Brunello di Montalcino.

You get the idea.

Find a region you love, and learn about the years that produced exceptional quality - it’ll become an addictive habit, and an easy marker when scouring for bottles.

Buy Local

If all else fails - support your local wineries. Visit the tasting rooms, drink the latest releases, and remember to buy directly from them so the revenue goes in their pocket - not the sales reps, or local monopolies.

CRUSHABLE is a Toronto based wine concierge featuring trending wine news and guides, wine tastings, wine club and wine merchandise. Enroll here to receive updates and purchase wine packs.

CRUSHABLE 2022-11-16 CRUSHABLE 2022-11-16

ASK Crushable: How do I become one of those people who host effortlessly chic dinner parties?

Dear CRUSHABLE,

How do I become one of those people who host those effortlessly chic dinner parties with amazing food, ambiance and company? How do some people seem to just know, where other people fall short? What are the secrets?

Regards,

Martha Stewart Hopeful

Dear Martha,

We all know those people - it’s as though they’re the alumni of some sort of GOOP sorority, equipped with knowledge mere plebeians never think about, like, how to organize a Staub collection by size and colour. They house myriad details in their brains, minutiae setting the most impossible standards.

Everything smells good. The napkins remind you of 500 thread count Egyptian cotton. The music always seems to be at just right the volume and genre. The wine is delicious and impossibly cool - of course it’s from some biodynamic vineyard in northern Slovenia that tastes like an angel’s clit! If everything wasn’t so fucking perfect, you’d hate them. (maybe you do just a little bit)

With careful observation over the last 20 years, I’ve concluded there are a few, but crucial personality traits all excellent hosts embody. The key is that these characteristics never feel forced - they’re innate.

They have an impeccable attention to detail

Have you ever been to a friend’s house where you spotted dust bunnies in the corner, baseboards that look as though they hadn’t been vacuumed maybe ever, or a rogue pube in the bathroom? It elicits the same reaction when staying at a subpar hotel - the ick factor. Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

The best hosts know that to make their guests feel at ease, their home needs to be spotless. You know that feeling when you’ve finished your annual spring clean, where you let out a big, satisfying breath of relief knowing you could eat a full meal off your floor? Great hosts know that the devil is in the details.

Everything is in its right place - they’ve got the best hand soap, the plushest of towels, and just about every accessory from vintage side plates to coupes all so that your experience - the guest - is seamless.

They are exceptional listeners

Great hosts don’t make the night about them - they know what it means to be truly hospitable - and even though it might appear as though the event is their stage - it’s not.

The best hosts know that curating a phenomenal experience is only about one thing - how they make their guests feel.

Nobody has the palate to withstand a self absorbed, obnoxious host - someone who gets too drunk, loud and argumentative.

The effortless host asks probing questions, listens, and radiates humility throughout the entire evening.

They are worldly

Here you’ll try unique, new and interesting dishes, wine, and be regaled with fascinating tales of their last trip somewhere obscure, a locale most wouldn’t normally travel to.

Your wine is served in the best crystal, and comes with a story of how they met the winemaker, coupled with why they chose that particular vintage to pair with that evening’s meal - all of which is locally sourced.

They’ll probably tell you about the last amazing book they read, of which they’ll gift to you as you depart. Every surface in their home seems to be graced with a more interesting artifact than the last.

It all unravels in the dim glow of carefully placed candles, which they know is the most flattering light.

It really isn’t that complicated to be a good host - it’s just that our society loves to make the simplest of things complex.

Pay attention, listen, and be curious.

Cheers,

Laura

CRUSHABLE 2022-11-10 CRUSHABLE 2022-11-10

Is the current culture of wine acceptable?

Recently, a friend posed me the following query:

"What has your experience in wine been? Do you think the culture is acceptable as it is now, and what can we do to make it better?"

My experience in the wine industry has been a rollercoaster, similar to many of my colleagues.

I started working in wine when I was 24, after a failed stint in oil and gas, a job that was so soulless and heartless it left me wondering if there was more to life than entering numbers into spreadsheets under the glare of fluorescent lights in a shabby grey cubicle.

From there I quickly went through the WSET program, excited at the prospects that awaited me. I worked a series of wine rep jobs, inevitably feeling that creeping discontent that plagued me in every job after the honeymoon period ended.

Perhaps it was disdain for the elite, gatekeeping circles (not always perpetuated by old boys clubs, but in most cases, they were the worst), or maybe it was the smugness of pin-wearing sommeliers that irked me, or the plethora of creepy men who seemed to have no problem coming on to me, treating me as though I was in the wrong when I called them out for inappropriate behaviour - all combined made me dislike the industry.

One importer twice my age once volunteered that he wanted to see me draped in lingerie, feed me mango slices and ice cold vodka. He called me drunk one night - a total embarrassment - and I immediately told him that our friendship was no longer appropriate. In my 24 year old brain, I was worried I'd offended him. It was super awkward and uncomfortable any time I'd see him at trade tastings, but he was such an arrogant piece of work, he would pretend he didn't know who I was. There were myriad experiences just like this.

I struggled for a long time, feeling like I never really fit in. I could never really put my finger on what the issue was, until I started to put the pieces together once I removed myself and started my own business, that I could see all the cracks and warts from the outside looking in. When you're in it, you don't see it - you're complicit - if we're fed half truths slowly over time, we begin to believe them, and I think that is particularly true for the wine industry. It's a lot of pay to play - say this, not that, follow the rules, stay quiet, keep things as they are.

The wine industry is predicated on rules. Arbitrary institutions awarding people with certifications, that give them currency in the industry to move up the hierarchy is the norm. Acquiring knowledge is commendable, yet how valuable is it when those who don’t choose the same path are treated as subpar, lesser than, or not smart enough? Is that the definition of a successful system?

This antiquated and archaic mode of thinking is the reason our industry in Canada is more fragmented than ever. It's easier to access international wines than it is to buy wine from neighbouring provinces and there are a small number of people benefitting from the current structures, and they don't want it to change.

The redundant and eye roll eliciting statement of “we’re making wine accessible” is regurgitated like a record on repeat. Yet it seems the individuals making these claims are the same ones treating consumers like they’re really dumb.

There’s a real lack of hospitality in wine. When you place all the focus on status, you lose sight of what’s actually important - how we make people feel. After all, we’re simply purveyors of drink, and somehow we’ve managed to find a way to make it purely transactional.

I've never been a conformer, and that has certainly come back to bite me - I've had people gather groups in an effort to boycott my business, I've been told my attire is setting back women in wine decades (said by a woman), I’ve been publicly slandered and defamed (also by women), and I've even had someone accuse me of plagiarism.

Every time something nonsensical like this occurs, I remember that all external feedback - especially from people who aren't my customers, friends or colleagues - is irrelevant. If I was worried about what others thought, I'd have conformed a long time ago. That's not my journey. If anything, I'm happy to have taken the stance I have because I think we are starved for dissenting voices in the industry. There's a reason people find wine incredibly intimidating and pretentious - it's all by design.

So, do I think the culture is OK as it is? No, but probably not in the way you think re: slimey men. I think women are just as bad and in many cases, worse, in keeping new, or different voices out. I hear a lot of the same rhetoric from people along the lines of, "success is not a pie, we're all in this together", but their actions show otherwise.

I plan to continue carving out my niche, and surrounding myself with people who support it. So far, it's working.

CRUSHABLE 2022-11-08 CRUSHABLE 2022-11-08

Ask CRUSHABLE: How can I feel confident without alcohol?

Dear CRUSHABLE,

Lately I’ve been struggling with feeling sexy/confident while sober on first dates. It’s like - as soon as I have a drink I can relax and take charge, but before that I’m just an awkward mess. I don’t want to be dependent on alcohol for own my dating life - please help.

Regards,

Feeling Unsexy and Sober

Dear Unsexy and Sober,

Have you ever considered edibles? Just kidding! Not kidding.

In all seriousness - been there!

Dating is the worst. Who wants to have awkward small talk with some dude who’s going to regale his university basketball days, offer you a bump of cocaine in the bathroom then try to make out with you in his car? It’s no wonder we’re all collectively dependent on alcohol while single - it’s the only thing that makes the whole process bearable.

I’m an all or nothing kind of person - when single, I go at it hard like it’s my job, because who really wants to be alone forever? I once went on seven dates in one night. I scheduled each date back to back and allotted myself one hour per person. I started early - happy hour for the first date, finally finishing around 11pm for the last. Why this worked: I had to drive from location to location, and because I knew I was meeting so many different people, I couldn’t stomach the usual 2-3 drinks per date I would normally allow myself. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to get to the next one, not to mention requiring the stamina to drink 14 - 21 beverages in one evening.

While this doesn’t address the root of your issue, it’s a “fake it til you make it” Bandaid suggestion. Until you’ve sorted out the reasons for why you don’t feel secure, you’ll probably always need a little Nerve Clicquot.

Have you always dealt with social anxiety? Personally, it wasn’t until I reached my mid to late 30’s where I felt genuinely OK entering spaces or events totally sober without internally melting down. I attribute it to a multitude of issues that run the gamut of being bullied, growing up in a super strict household, failing classes, and being fired from a bunch of jobs.

If you've never dealt with your shit in a real way, it’ll always find a nasty way to manifest itself - bottled up emotions literally cause disease. Harbour enough trauma and stress internally, and it’s no wonder you have no idea how to self soothe or manage to get through a one hour date without booze.

This type of stress isn’t an easy one to tackle because it’s so unique to each person. My suggestion: let it out. All those skeletons in your closet? Start by getting them all out in a journal. Repeat as many times as necessary until it’s less triggering to ponder. Next, move on to telling a family member or friend, until it becomes just “a part of what makes you, you”. Finally, make it public knowledge. Share it on social media or use it as a powerful way to connect with a stranger.

I kept a lot of secrets about myself for a long time - it’s no wonder I felt uncomfortable in social situations where I would be asked to talk about myself! What if they inquired about something I was incapable of or uncomfortable disclosing? I can feel my heartbeat quickening, the telltale reddening of my cheeks, and the sweat trickling down my back just thinking back to so many of those times where I was existing in utter fear.

Anxiety is fear of the unknown - those hypothetical scenarios played on repeat in your head causing unnecessary worry. Resilience is the antidote to this - so in addition to addressing your skeletons, work on putting yourself in as many uncomfortable situations as possible. Move to a new city. Travel to countries that’ll make you feel like a fish out of water, and stay there for a few months, so that you intentionally never feel quite at ease. Try psilocybin for a total removal of ego (with the assistance of a professional to guide you, of course).

Take ownership of who you are, warts and all, and you might just realize that the anxiety slowly fades away over time.

I hope this helps,

Laura

CRUSHABLE 2022-10-27 CRUSHABLE 2022-10-27

Wine Myths That Need to Die

"Real men" only drink full bodied reds

Wine professionals often generalize big, bold styles as "Dad wines". For whatever reason, a large contingent of people who buy the category tend to be men.

I used to delight in intentionally not pouring red wine for these types who'd come into the winery where I was working at the time; until they tried something else, only then would I give them an opportunity to taste the reds they came looking for.

This phenomenon has been proven time and again hearing stories from my Dad, whose many affluent, doctor type bros refuse to drink anything but hyped up, cult wines (think Screaming Eagle, Opus One or Caymus).

Once, when embarking on a trip with his friends, my Dad endeavored me to put together a mixed case of wine - any type, and preferably a mix of high-low - in an effort to "prove" his buddies wrong, with the hopes of coaxing them out of their archaic ways. Most turned their noses at my selections, until my Dad decided to conduct an experiment. He took an empty bottle of Black Hills Nota Bene and filled it with some of the light bodied Spanish Garnacha (see myth 2!) I'd sent him there with. Well, what do you know - it was the best thing they'd ever tasted!

Don't be like those guys. Taste everything, and don't confine yourself to one box. The wine world is technicolor. Don't miss out on something you might love, all because you convinced yourself you hate it.

Light bodied means light flavoured

It's easy to cast off Pinot Noir, Gamay, Grignoligno or any light red - their colour can trick your brain into thinking the palate will match its appearance. Don't let your sensory perception fool you!

In recent years, light reds have surged the market for their versatility: Drink them cold! Eat them with a Big Mac! Pair with fish! (see myth number 3)

There's an old adage that speaks to the intensity but lightness of Burgundy: its delicate body can be deceiving. What it may lack in weight, it makes up for in flavour and complexity.

With every style comes every colour in the rainbow: from ephemeral, transcendent pinot noir you can sit with for 8 hours and revel in, to light, juicy Hemingway picnic wine, like smashable Gamays that scream to be tossed in a cool stream, perfect for sunny day imbibing.

White wine pairs with fish & red wine pairs with steak

Stereotypes exist for a reason. Generally, they're true. Although this rule can elicit eye rolls from your in-the-know wine friends, has it really ever led you astray?

Science has helped us to understand why these generalizations are so rampant. Wine chemist Francois Chartier explains in his book "Tastebuds and Molecules" why certain wines pair so well with certain flavours. Sauvignon blanc, for example, contains a compound known as methoxy pyrazine lending herbaceous and green aromas, which pair best with similar flavours found in salads full of fresh herbs.

Exceptions always exist. Yet, avoid stepping outside of conventions, and, risk missing out on some pretty incredible experiences.

Some of my favourite pairings that have been accidentally amazing: Chardonnay and beef tartare, Zinfandel with Thai food, or La Crescent with mortadella.

There are so many moving parts in a wine. Hyper focusing on a single dimension like its colour will most likely result in really boring, lacklustre pairings.

The rules are that there aren't any. Trial and error can lead to some fabulous pairings if you're not scared to take risks.

All rosé is sweet

It always fascinates me how one style of wine can take hold of an entire market, and perpetuate such an antiquated belief.

Although I don't hear this myth much anymore, when I worked in winery tasting rooms, I would often hear this from boomers who were still nursing 30 year long hangovers from over indulging in white Zinfandel in the late 80s.

Wine can be sweet, semi dry, off dry, dry or anywhere in between. It can be whatever the winemaker decides they want it to be - whether that's through natural fermentation steering the end style, or an addition of sugar to impart balance, give weight or ferment to a higher ABV.

Assuming an entire category of wine is one note is akin to thinking all music sounds the same.

Only red wine can age

Yet another misnomer I hear all the time when I speak to consumers: they're surprised when they taste older white wine.

Occasionally, I feature white wine that has a few years age on it, and without fail I'll get messages asking "what's wrong with it?".

The topic of aging wine remains a controversial one - experts can't really agree which factors preserve a wine's integrity.

The general consensus seems to be acidity, alcohol and tannin, though some argue otherwise, as noted in recent Guild Somm piece identifying far more factors than originally considered.

With the appropriate conditions, any colour of wine can age - if it was destined to do so. Tasting old wine is a privilege few get to experience in their lifetime - it can be transformative. I've always likened tasting old wine to sitting down with a grandparent or elder - though fragile, the stories and wisdom harboured are nothing you'll ever experience from a young wine.

All Chardonnay is buttery

See myth 4: yet another belief lingering from an era of poorly made wine.

30-40 years ago, over-oaking was commonplace, conditioning the consumer palate to desire unctuous and woody Chardonnay.

The problem with this style: hiding (bad) fruit with oak is like putting lipstick on a pig.

Over time, many wineries have begun to move away from this approach, favouring neutral oak showcasing purity of fruit over oak essence.

Somehow, the reputation still remains, accounting for a large swath of consumers part of the ABC club: Anything But Chardonnay.

You're probably seeing a trend among these myths: generalizations are your enemy.

Expensive wine is always better

I know plenty of people with lots of money, but little common sense. When they eat out, often at fine dining establishments, they order the most expensive bottle, assuming the price tag dictates its quality.

While shelling out $30 or more for a bottle of wine should assure you’ve bought a great bottle, the strategies of pricing wine is complex and myriad.

How old is the winery? Is there a mortgage on the land, or has it been passed down? What sort of labour does the winery depend on, is it farmed out to foreign workers or do they pay living wages to locals? What taxes, levies and fees are they required to pay to local government? Is it an easy drinking table wine, or has it been aged in barrel for years? Where has it travelled from? How much has the wine been marked up?

While it's unreasonable to assume the average consumer will consider the aforementioned; an easy suggestion I always make is going directly to the source. Build relationships with your local farmers and winemakers, and you might be surprised at the quality you can discover for reasonable prices.

Natural wine tastes funky

What comes to mind when you hear the term natural wine? It's probably something fermented in a cow's bladder that's cloudy, with aromas of barnyard and Kombucha.

We're living in an age of misinformation and anti-knowledge, where any larper can take to the social media stage. Anyone can now masquerade as an expert. Grifters cultivating and exploiting the community are often those with the least knowledge, experience or education, diminishing the value of well made natural wine.

Bad wine is bad wine, whether natural or not. While preference is objective, I can safely bet you don't want your wine to smell of rusty nails or diarrhea.

Natural wine shouldn't be flawed, nor should those traits be sought out. Regardless if the wine is made conventionally or holistically, it still needs to be appealing.

Sulfites give you a headache

I was most often asked about sulhpites while working at wineries; when various Karen's wanted to know "how many sulphites were in their wine".

A favourite memory of mine while working the tasting bar at a winery job: A particularly annoying woman came in, demanding to know the exact amount of sulphites in her wine. No amount of coddling worked, resulting in my bringing out the winemaker from the cellar. The winemaker said flatly, "There are 7 sulphites in your wine."

Often, the amount is so negligible the quantity reported on the bottle is purely for principle (since they are also naturally occurring). The measurements in which they're declared mean nothing to most: if I told you your wine had 30 parts per million, what would that mean to you?

An average glass of wine has the equivalent of what looks like a few granules of salt - about 100 times less than a basket of french fries or dried fruit.

CRUSHABLE 2022-10-26 CRUSHABLE 2022-10-26

ASK CRUSHABLE: How should I spend 48 hours in Kelowna?

Dear CRUSHABLE,

I'm in Kelowna for two days on a very last minute trip. I don't have a vehicle. Any top recommendations of places within striking distance of downtown? Ideal spot would be a wine bar with a few different offerings of small high quality wines with some good food, but I'm open to anything, tastings, tours, whatever else. If a place or two comes to mind let me know!

Cheers,

Kelowna Neophyte

Dear Kelowna Neophyte,

When I lived in Kelowna, my days off with my partner, Andreas, were the ones I looked forward to most. We’d spend our time hitting up tasting rooms, or sitting at the wood at our favourite restaurants, in between outdoorsy interludes whether it was a beach picnic, or a quick hike.

Here’s what I would do if I only had 48 hours in Kelowna.

Day 1

First, I’d book myself a room at Hotel Zed, smack dab in the middle of downtown. Zed is a super cute boutique hotel with a psychedelic panache (it’s great for locking yourself in one of their rooms, tripping on acid and staring at the wall - but save that for when you have more time.)

I’d start my day sauntering over to Sprout, and grab a latte and pain au chocolat. They’re known for their bread - so get a sandwich for your trip home. It’s not uncommon when I’m in town that my Dad and I will swing by for a coffee where he’ll stock up and buy ten loaves (yes, ten) - they’re that good.

Kelowna is known for its nature above its culture - and since you’re already downtown, it’s time to go for a walk along the water in city park. Start from the Sails fountain on Bernard and head south toward the bridge and back as you sip your coffee - it’ll provide breathtaking views of the lake and mountains.

Now that you’ve worked up an appetite, it’s time to grab lunch - head to Central for a burger. They always have a rotating menu with various themes, from local celebrity dreamt up concoctions to items featuring seasonal ingredients.

If you’re feeling adventurous after lunch - head north to Knox Mountain Park. Walk uphill to the first gazebo where you’ll get a 180 view of the valley. If you’re in the mood for something a little lengthier, you can take the gravel path to Paul’s Tomb, accessible just a few yards from the lookout point you walked up to - it’s a local favourite, that also provides unparalleled views of Okanagan Lake (and a great cliff jumping spot in the summer). It’s about an hour round trip, and manageable for all fitness levels.

Now it’s time to reward yourself again since you burned off all those calories. You can either hail a cab, or walk back down the hill, making your way to Sandhill Winery on Richter Street. The late afternoon sun cascading into the room from the plethora of skylights provides a spectacular venue in which to enjoy a glass of happy hour wine.

Dinner - there’s no other place you’re going than Waterfront Wines. Though the farm-to-table movement isn’t anything new, it hasn’t successfully extended into wine (not in North America, anyway). That’s where Waterfront Wines really shines - they pair their dishes with a revolving list of local wines - they’ve always got something new to try from the Okanagan. Sit at the bar, and book ahead - it’s a busy spot. Expect to rub shoulders with an array of winemakers and local industry.

Day 2

You can’t come to Kelowna and not do a wine tour, and since your first day involved a lot of walking, today you’re going to indulge.

Book a tour with Experience Wine Tours - they offer high end buses in which to shuttle their guests around and employ sommeliers as tour guides, who offer a wealth of knowledge to buttress the information you’ll be learning from the wineries you visit.

Expect VIP treatment at each visit, including expertly prepared charcuterie boards showcasing the bounty of local produce Kelowna is famous for.

Anyone worth their salt knows that it takes a lot of beer to make wine - so once the tour is over, you’re grabbing a pint at Red Bird Brewing.

After you’ve freshened up at Hotel Zed, you’re headed to another Kelowna standby - The Fixx Cafe. Tucked away in the parking lot of Save On foods is yet another local favourite, serving up cockle warming food the likes of escargot, pasta and soup.

If you’re visiting in the summer, make sure to sit on their patio. They’re also a 1 minute walk away from one of Kelowna’s famous beaches - Gyro Park. Stop by for a quick swim or moment of respite.

Make sure to pack light, so you can smuggle back as many bottles of wine home, too.

Cheers,

Laura

CRUSHABLE 2022-10-22 CRUSHABLE 2022-10-22

Pearl Morissette is not perturbed by the opinions of people

Tucked away off Highway 26 in Jordan Station, sit a series of brooding, matte black edifices. The only indication something curious might lay beyond the lengthy gravel drive is a rooster statue, sitting quietly and regally as traffic passes by.

The buildings house the production facility and restaurant of what otherwise might be known as Canadian wine royalty - Pearl Morissette. Like any icon, their brand - and wines - are polarizing. Any wine professional will attest to this being a marker of quality - the wine can be happily guzzled by unknowing consumers, or it can be discussed over endless philosophical hours that disappear like mere minutes.

A driving force behind the growth of Pearl Morissette is the small-but-mighty Svetlana Atcheva, a former Toronto sommelier turned co-proprietor of the winery. Svetlana gives off an effortless savant like energy those born to be intellectuals and storytellers embody.

I was immediately drawn to Svetlana upon meeting her, as her intelligence and sincerity were refreshing, especially in an industry largely dominated by ego.

Somehow, each time we sat down to chat and taste wine, entire days would pass, and still we’d have a hundred more topics we didn’t get to addressing. It became a no brainer that working together only made sense, and within a few weeks, we had curated a collection of wines to offer Crushable members to try.

Below is an excerpt of some of our conversations.

LM: You could say Pearl Morissette blazed the low intervention trail not only in Ontario, but Canada. You've set the bar high, in spite of so much hate and vitriol thrown your way. How did you remain so steadfast in your vision? What were the guiding lights for you and Francois?

SA: The answer to both these questions is the wines themselves.

We're extremely open to criticism, and never perturbed by the opinions of people, unless of course, the criticisms are valid.

At which point - the silliest thing would be to remain steadfast to a vision that no longer holds. it would no-longer qualify as steadfastness, but as a plain old pig-headedness. What few people know about Pearl Morissette, is that the level of self-criticism and mutual criticism that goes within the walls of the estate far, far outweigh anything that has been thrown our way. Any wine put in a bottle over the years is the honed-in result of many, many, many discussions and arguments and self-doubts and the product of the best of our capacities in the moment. If anyone points out something we've missed at the moment, believe me - the resounding answer will always be: "THANK YOU".

And when the wines through the years continue to show you the beauties they hold that you were not even aware of - well, that's even better than a guiding light, it's a shiny lighthouse.

LM: When drinking the wines the word that comes to mind is distinction. They reminds me of other iconic producers like López de Heredia/Viña Tondonia, whose style is unlike any other, and garnered worldwide respect for this reason. You've achieved the same with your own wines, committing to specific types of vessels via concrete and foudres, along with indigenous yeasts - would you agree this was the goal? To be distinct, not only to showcase local terroir, but a unique expression of your philosophy/vision?

SA: Well, that's quite the compliment - thank You!

I don't believe anyone can achieve true distinction if distinction is one's goal. We never committed to anything in particular, apart from the "No Compromise" within the bottles. So - it's not the vessels, or the yeasts, or anything else on its own. It is all of it together. The vessels we use are only a tool - and we shift from one type to another depending on what we feel will be best suited to highlight the particular harmonies each growing year brings. The indigenous yeasts are nothing new - just part and parcel of the old, traditional, artisanal wine-making craft.

The originality of the wines comes from three places:

- Our full dedication to true craftsmanship and focused work, and to getting more and more precise each year

- Niagara itself and its very unique character

- And our own rule - not to stand in the way, not to mold, just to let the wine be - regardless of how "different" it is to what has been known so far.

LM: Where does the vision come from? Why low intervention, why Niagara?

SA: The vision is nothing more than the vision of any craftsman or artist, regardless of the field - the ability to express what you see in the most nuanced and precise way. It's what drives anyone with creative bones in their body and with spirits that strive to express whatever it is.

Low-intervention is nothing more, but doing it the old way and learning how to dance with Nature.

Modern winemaking is full of tools, and shortcuts - but all of them can barely hold a candle to the diversity and improbable beauties that Nature is capable of. Working this way simply allows one to have the most imaginative and genius dance partner that life can offer.

LM: What is so special about Niagara? Where do you see the region going?

SA: We're still in the process of discovering the particularities of the region. I always say that we're just barely entering the toddler stage when it comes to our understanding of what surrounds us. The technical answer, of course, has to do with the topographical particularities - being deeply continental, but right next to huge bodies of water, the post-glacial landscapes, the diversity of soils. And yet, these are only technicalities. - the true "special" quality of Niagara is something much deeper. It is something to be uncovered and is yet to be defined with precision and confidence, or it may be something that is currently created.

LM: What is your elevator pitch for Pearl, specifically for a natural & Canadian wine neophyte? How do you proselytize your ethos?

SA: I really don't have an elevator pitch. I'm a long-game kind of person. One person at a time and full transparency.

I simply tell our story, explain our methods in detail, speak to our principles, and elaborate on our thinking and what inspires us. Depending on what wines we're pouring, I'll also talk about the vintage and its characteristics, and share how I feel and see any particular wine.

If anything, I just try to make wine - not only ours, but wine in general - more human and not intimidating by empowering people to trust their own palates and not to take all the wine talk out there too seriously. If the wine in your glass is good, you will know it - you don't need to know anything about it.

LM: What's your opinion on the current state of affairs in the wine industry? How can we improve? What's missing?

SA: HONESTY! Conversations, Conversations and more conversations - fueled by honesty and by curiosity. Critical thinking, honest tasting and discussions.

Open Minds and Open Palates, please.

Enough with the need to imitate existing references.

Better craftsmanship is very important, especially in the low-intervention sphere. Learning that ethos in and of itself does NOT necessarily taste good and time, courage - and once again - honesty are essential in growing one's craft.

And, of course, Enough with the fairytales and with sticking to stories that may have been true ten, twenty years, or a century ago - but no longer hold.

LM: What's your advice to other pariahs or outliers?

SA: "Stay on the fucking bus" would be my advice. It's the title of an article I read almost 10 years ago about the Helsinki bus station theory and how it can, and does, translate as an attitude to anyone on a journey of discovery.

Here's the full text:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/feb/23/change-life-helsinki-bus-station-theory

In short though, it's about persistence and the true and deep nature of originality - which happens to be focus.

I quote - but you have to read the article in order to understand the metaphor fully:

"Persistence: in the first weeks or years ( or decades) of any worthwhile project, feedback – whether from your own emotions, or from other people – isn't a reliable indication of how you're doing.(This shouldn't be confused with the dodgy dictum that triggering hostile reactions means you must be doing the right thing; it just doesn't prove you're doing the wrong one.) The second point concerns the perils of a world that fetishises originality. A hundred self-help books urge you to have the guts to be "different": the kid who drops out of university to launch a crazy-sounding startup becomes a cultural hero… yet the Helsinki theory suggests that if you pursue originality too vigorously, you'll never reach it. Sometimes it takes more guts to keep trudging down a pre-trodden path, to the originality beyond. "Stay on the fucking bus": there are worse fridge-magnet slogans to live by."

You can purchase the Crushable x Pearl Morisette pack here.

CRUSHABLE 2022-10-19 CRUSHABLE 2022-10-19

ASK CRUSHABLE: Can you help newbies understand the complex terrain of natural wine?

Laura Milnes with winemaker, Thomas Bachelder

Dear CRUSHABLE,

I see so many posts and articles discussing natural wine, but it’s such a confusing landscape to navigate. How do I really know what’s natural or what it really is? Can you distill the conflicting definitions into a natty 101 for us newbs? Help!

Signed,

Wannabe natty enthusiast

Dear Wannabe,

Sometimes I don’t even know what natural wine is, having been accused by others in the natural wine realm for promoting wines that “aren’t really natural”.

It’s confusing largely because there is no clear definition that exists, agreed upon by all wine professionals.

The French have designated a signifier coined “vin methode nature”, recognized by the French Ministry of Agriculture - though you have to be a paid member in order to use it on your wine labels, thus making it largely unhelpful for the average consumer.

In recent years, natural wine has cascaded into various groups ranging from extremist to more pragmatic. You may have seen the term “natty” used by industry professionals to denote when someone falls into the extreme side - people eschewing literally ANY intervention - though, this is also rather dishonest because you can’t really make wine without intervening in some way. More on this later.

The widely held definition by most in the wine industry generally assumes that the grapes have not been conventionally farmed, meaning at minimum organic practices are abided by, and little to nothing is added or taken away in the cellar.

This is where things get tricky - many wineries pay for organic certification, that indicate only organic sprays and practices in the vineyard are permitted - though this does not extend into the cellar. The same applies for Demeter or Biodynamic certifications - though they eschew the use of any pesticides, insecticides or fungicides in the vineyard, the use of reverse osmosis and other interventions are allowed.

Next comes regenerative or the holy grail, “natural farming”. Vineyards abiding by this practice do not till their soils, spray with any chemicals, or prohibit “competition” in the vines. Rather, they encourage, and even plant cover crops that attract beneficial insects. Where conventionally farmed vineyards prohibit growth of other plants, natural vineyards encourage them. Visiting a “natural” vineyard, you’ll encounter fruit trees, tall grasses and wildflowers all growing symbiotically, argued that this benefits the overall health of the grapes.

Ultimately, this approach does make a lot of sense because you’re utilizing what Mother Nature is providing, you’re not salting the earth, and you’re promoting a healthy biodiversity by way of a strong microbiome and mycelial population - a network of fungi that live in the soil, akin to an underground highway, where nutrients can be exchanged or deficiencies communicated.

The issue with this type of farming is that it requires a massive amount of human labour - a problem that plagues most wineries, with margins that are extremely tight, especially in new, or emerging regions where just about everything from land, labour and supplies are extremely costly.

It takes generations to build up healthy soil, vines that have not only age but resilience, as well as the appropriate climate in which to do so.

Niagara-on-the-lake, for example, is a challenging environment in which to make natural wine due to how wet the climate is - susceptibility to rot and other mildews is common. Choose not to step in and mitigate, and you run the risk of low yields or poor quality fruit (necessary to make quality wine, no matter the approach).

This is where the notion of intervention comes in, no matter how “natural” you advertise yourself to be. Natural wineries train their vines. They study where the vines will best grow, assessing soil type and curvature of the earth. Even the most natural of wineries are playing God to some extent - they are producing a product that they have to sell to survive, and in order to do so, the product needs to taste good.

Currently in Canada, there is no legal requirement to disclose ingredients on your label, though some wineries are starting to do so in the name of transparency. This is why the average consumer is so naive when ingredients in wine are mentioned - the vast majority assume grape juice that’s magically transformed into wine.

Isolated yeast strains from a lab, enzymes, nutrients, dyes, sugar, acids, sulphites - are just a fraction of ingredients available to winemakers as part of the winemaking arsenal.

Generally, it’s widely held that natural wine will be: at minimum organically farmed (though regenerative is preferred), indigenously fermented (where no yeasts are added to inoculate), unfined and unfiltered, and minimal S02 used throughout (whether during bottling or elevage) - exceptions always exist, and corrections should be tolerated in challenging years, in order to salvage the harvest.

Some extremists may argue that techniques like cold soaking or settling is an intervention - this is where a pragmatic approach needs to be adopted, because in order to produce clean, unflawed wine, you simply have to step in, otherwise you may battle potentially problematic issues, producing undesirable results.

Many ask how you really know if a wine is natural - there is no simple answer. Your best bet is to build relationships with your local farmers, visit their sites, and acclimate your palate to what tastes best to you.

Remember: nuance is everything. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Ask lots of questions, go direct to the source, and drink lots of wine!

I hope this helps,

Laura

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