everything wine issue 5

ISSUE #5Nov-Dec 2009

Curdfest

Christmas in Peru

Filou

the lifestyle surrounding the glass

Plus:9 New Holiday wines

Christmas in PeruCeviche on the beach and all-night dinners, Peru has it all at Christmastime.

FilouCheck out Quebec's answer to Morbier--in some ways the same, but mostly different.

ContentsEditor

Jason Sych

Assistant EditorsJasmine O'Brien

Contributing WritersIvan LoyolaJason Sych

Contributing PhotographerAdelio Trinidad

www.adeliotrinidad.com

E v E r y t h i n g W i n E M a g a z i n En o v / D E c 2 0 0 9 i s s u E 5

Serious CheeseA walk through a universe of cheese at Eltville's Rheingauer Käsemarkt, a cheese expo that would turn any cheese lover to jellyp.22

p.20

p.6

Questions or comments for Everything Wine

magazine?

Please forward any correspondence to

[email protected]

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Everything Wine#131-2401 Millstream Road,

Langford, BC V9B 3R5(250) 474-3959

998 Marine DriveNorth Vancouver, BC V7P3C4

(604) 929-7277

www.everythingwine.ca

this tiME of year never fails to make me long to be in Germany; there is something about the way the people of Germany celebrate Christmas that strikes a chord in me. It could be how Weihnachtsmarkts spring up in almost every single town, creating a holi-day glow that cannot be compared; it could be the fact that people actually go out and visit the Weih-nachtsmarkt every day, and brave the cold just to get a taste of the Christmas spirit. Or, it could be the gluhwein.

Most people who know me say it's the gluhwein.At each Weihnachtsmarkt, every second little hut,

regaled in Christmas decorations and cheer, serves this wonderfully warming mulled wine that obliterates the winter chill, and increases the festive spirit at the same time. Served in both red and white, gluhwein is synonymous with Christmas in Germany; in fact, Christmas would not be Christmas without it. What most of my friends don't realize, however, is that there is something I love more than gluhwein: Feuerzangen-bowle. Imagine, if you will, hot mulled wine in a huge cauldron. Now imagine a big rack above the caul-

dron, on which sits a cone of sugar. The person mak-ing the Feuerzangenbowle carefully pours a bottle of rum onto the cone of sugar, then ignites it, letting the burning, melting sugar and rum drip into the mulled wine. A quick stir, and voila--Feuerzangenbowle. To me, that is a true cup of Christmas spirit.

The reason I mention this is because one of our main stories this issue is how Peruvians celebrate Christ-mas. It is interesting to me to learn about the unique ways different cultures have to celebrate the same holiday. Obviously, Feuerzangenbowle to a Peruvian would be as odd a Christmas event as ceviche on the beach would be to a person from Hamburg. But in their own culture, these things are inherently Christ-mas. I've experienced Feuerzangenbowle, but not ceviche on the beach. Would I enjoy one over the other? Possibly. But I'd need to give each a try. Perhaps that's something I can ask my GM about--a research trip for next year's Christmas issue. After all, I'm definitely on Santa's "Nice" list...

~Jason sych

DecantingTis the season to celebrate


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A bustling Weihnachtsmärkt in Hamburg.

http://www.everythingwine.ca/Store-Locations

Wine for Dummies................................$29.95

WordsWine and food pairing

made easy

i'D oftEn WonDErED about the "For Dummies" series of books, and whether they were actually worth the paper they were printed on. Something about the look of the books always left me thinking that they were more of a gimmick than a useful resource.

It was with a bit of trepidation that I first picked up the Wine for Dummies book to review it. It only took a few seconds of leafing through its pages, however, before I realized that these books are a wealth of information, easily accessible and well organized. Divided into easily navigable chapters, the information is complete, well researched, and simple to locate. It be-gins with the basics: what wine is, what the differences are between red and white, and how wines are categorized. The book then builds upon these basics to explain the grape varietals, how to read a wine label, how grapes are grown in a vineyard, how to shop in a wine store, how to order wine in a restaurant, serving wine, storing wine...Wine for Dummies covers the basics of the wine world, making something that is sometimes confusing, understandable.

The book is geared more towards the beginner, and those who are interested in gaining some practical knowledge without pursuing wine as a career, or an academic achievement. If you know someone who is at the beginning of wine exploration, this book would make a great Christmas gift. A bit of knowledge always makes the enjoyment of something that much greater.

~Jason sych


Jason sych, along with running the Vintage Room at the Victoria Millstream Everything Wine store, loves pairing wine and food. But beyond that, he has an even greater love for pairing food and wine.

5lostlast seen in my wine cellar on May 15, 2009, shortly before my son's May long weekend party.

If you've seen this bottle, or know its whereabouts, please call 555-8247 immediately.

Luckily, we have more. Because we truly are

http://www.everythingwine.ca

PeruChristm as

in

by Ivan LoyolaPhotographs byAdelio Trinidad and Ivan Loyola

250g white fish 1 Jalapeño, chopped4 lemons2 limesSaltFreshly ground black pepperParsley, choppedRed onion, sliced thinly

Cut the fish into pieces 2 cm long by 1 cm wide, and place into a non-reactive bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, and the chopped jalapeño, mixing well. Cover, and place in the refrigerator for 15 min-utes.Juice the lemons and limes, and combine. Pour over the fish, while stirring gently; all the pieces should be sub-merged. Return the bowl to the refrigerator, and let the fish marinate for another 15 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator, and adjust the seasoning to taste. Add some cold water to the liquid if you find it too acidic. Spoon the fish onto a serving plate, and sprinkle with the sliced red on-ion and parsley. Pour some of the lemon/lime juice overtop, and serve with roasted sweet potato.

Ceviche


opinionatED friEnD once told me that they ate carp for Christmas in her home country in Eastern Europe, which I found very surprising.

“What do you guys eat?” she asked, seemingly curious about Christmas in Peru.

“Turkey,” I replied. “Not very original,” she replied.

“Copied from Canada, I guess?” Well, not really. Because in Peru,

we do it a bit differently.

canaDians DiscovErED turkEy much later than Peruvians. The Spanish first encountered the bird when they invaded Mexico, in the 16th century. Believing them celestial envoys, Aztec señoras handed fat birds to the hungry Conquistado-res. This thought conjures images of my childhood in Lima, where my grandmother kept two rounded meleagris gallopavo in the back-yard, feeding them corn and nuts, fattening them up for a succulent dinner. She would buy them when they were chicks, and as kids we played with them until they grew to maturity. They were black, with beautiful tail feathers and crimson red barbs. I remember that the day before Christmas my grandfa-ther would buy a mulita of cheap Pisco brandy to give to the tur-keys. Drunk, the turkeys staggered around and we kids had great fun. Grandpa did it so the turkeys

would not put up much of a fight as they were slaughtered; some think it kind of cruel, but it’s prob-ably a much better fate than their industrially farmed relatives.

By thE tiME of the slaughtering, my grandmother’s house was already decorated for Christmas Day. A huge Nacimiento–nativity scene—took over a whole corner of the living room. Peruvians love their Nacimientos, which can some-times be ridiculously large in size, and rich in ornaments. Rough pa-per from cement bags, coloured brown or green and then splat-tered with paint of different colors, was shaped to simulate mountain landscapes. A little manger took the centre, lodging figurines of the holy family, donkey and cow in-cluded. On the “mountain”, scores of figurines of sheep, cows, angels and shepherds converged toward the manger. Little pine trees made from bottle brushes completed the panorama, overlooked by a shiny cardboard star placed at the Nacimiento’s pinnacle.


Preceding pages: Plaza de Amas in Lima, decked out for the holidays.

Following pages: The famous Nacimento of Peru.

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Aguadito1 small chicken cut in 8 pieces4 cloves garlic1 medium onion, chopped¾ c finely chopped cilantro¾ c peas2 tbsp chili flakes1 red pepper, cubed½ c stout beer4 medium potatoes, cubed1 c rice1 leek, chopped2 ribs celery, chopped6½ c chicken stock

Season the chicken with salt and pep-per and brown in hot oil. Set aside.In the same pan, sautee garlic, onion, leek, celery and the chili flakes until the vegetables are translucent. Add the cilantro, stir, then add the chicken stock and the beer. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then add the peas and bell pepper. When the liquid returns to a simmer, add the rice and the chicken, then cook at a simmer, covered, until the rice is cooked through. Add ex-tra water if the liquid gets too thick; it should have the consistency of a hearty soup, not stew. Serve immedi-ately.



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unlikE Many canaDians, Peruvians celebrate Christmas starting on the Eve; extended families usu-ally gather at the home of their grandparents. I remember that fif-teen minutes before midnight, as we all sat around the Nacimiento, we would listen to Radio Reloj (clock radio), which broadcast the time every 10 minutes. When midnight struck, the voice on the radio wished all Peruvians “Feliz Navidad!” We all would hug and kiss, and in the streets the festiv-ity was welcomed with the multi-tudinous roar of thousands of fire crackers resounding through the city. Bottles of sweet sparkling wine were uncorked--a coarsely bubbled, cheap white that dared to bear the name Champagne (Champán) on its label. The stan-dard brand was Noche Buena, which translates as "Holy Night." It was a highly sugared concoction that may never have even seen a grape. Hangovers from this wine were terrible, but it was a man-datory part of the Christmas cel-ebrations. Lightheartedly, males of drinking age re-christened it as Mala Noche, or “nightmare night.”

aftEr thE christMas greetings we kids had our dinner of oven-roast-ed turkey with potatoes, and a beet mayonnaise-slathered salad

called Ensalada Rusa, or “Russian” salad. Our meal was topped with the most expected treat of the night: spiced hot chocolate and a generous portion of Panetone, a soft, sweet bread laden with candied fruit, a legacy of the Ital-ian immigration of the early 20th century. After dinner we went to

bed full of anticipation, knowing that the morning after we would wake up and find the presents that Papa Noel—Santa Claus—had left for us next to our beds. The adults continued dinner–minus the choc-olate and Panetone section—with beer or red wine. At that time, Pe-ruvian wine was the staple, with


brands like Tacama or Tabernero. Chilean reds, like Casillero del Diablo and Gato Negro, were also part of the show. But these days Peruvians can choose from a myriad of wineries from Argentina and Chile.

soMEonE oncE saiD, get two

Latinos together and you have an animated chat. Get three and you have a dancing party. It’s not far from the truth. The adult party went late into the night, and after-dinner drinks flowed as guitars and cajones were brought out for a great jarana, or house dancing party. The drinking, singing and

dancing went up in a crescendo that would only slow when the ex-hausted merrymakers, at sunrise, were called to sit down to gulp some Aguadito, a deliciously invig-orating soup made with left-over turkey, thickened with white rice and flavored with copious amounts of ground fresh cilantro leaves and hot pepper flakes. Then, restored with energy and ready to contin-ue, the crowd would have another drink—or more than one—of Pisco brandy and chat for another cou-ple of hours until one by one they fell asleep on couches, chairs, and mattresses set on the floor for this eventuality.

Contrary to what one may think, the celebrations were not over. After resting for a few hours the men would wake up to find that their ladies had already prepared bowls of ceviche, in the Peruvian way. Fresh fish is cut in small strips, and is then seasoned with salt, pepper, and chopped hot aji or rocoto peppers. Different from Mexican and Central American versions, Peruvian ceviche does not require long marinating in lime juice. In Peru, the citrus juice is added only a few minutes be-fore eating. A handful of fragrant purple onions cut in thin slices tops this mouth-watering snack. And because Peruvian limes are highly acidic, the meal is accompanied

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Rinse the onion in cold water, and drain thoroughly. Place in a non-reactive bowl and season with salt and cracked pepper. Add a few drops of vinegar, lemon juice, jalapeno, oil, and the parsley or cilantro. Mix and allow to cool in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes—Salsa Criolla should always be served cold.

To make the Sánguches, cut some leftover turkey into slices and place in a Portuguese-style bun. Top with a generous portion of Salsa Criolla, and serve.

2 red onions, sliced very fine1 jalapeno, chopped2 lemons, juiced

Vinegarparsley or cilantro, choppedSalt and cracked black pepper

Turkey Sánguches with Salsa Criolla


prEvious pagEs: A market-place cantina celebrating Christmas, Peruvian-style.

16with cooked sweet potato or corn, whose starch content bal-ances the acidity and heat of the dish. With its refreshing acid-ity, and high levels of protein and minerals, Peruvians believe mid-morning ceviche to be the best cure for hangover.

as WE BEcaME young adults, we no longer went with our parents to visit relatives’ homes, as we had to do as kids. Like in Australia, Christmas in Peru takes place in the summer. With the hot season being in full swing, we would call our friends, buy beer, and sport sandals and bathing suits to drive to Lima’s south beaches. Ceviche on the beach is to die for; still, it was just a light snack for a pack of hungry youths. So we had our own traditional Christmas staple; after the ceviche, we ate sángu-ches de pavo. Sánguche is a Peru-vian distortion of the word sand-wich. Turkey sánguches are made

of a generous serving of leftover turkey in a soft, Portuguese-style bun, finished with the most impor-tant topping--a whopping scoop of Salsa Criolla. This simple salsa elevates any cold meat placed in a bun to a piece of heaven. Salsa Criolla is made with thickly cut red onions that have been generously seasoned with salt and pepper, flavored with lemon juice, olive oil, chopped hot pep-pers and sprinkled with finely chopped cilantro or parsley. It is kept cool until serving. We would wolf down sánguches throughout the day until sundown, listening to Bob Marley’s mellow tunes and swilling cold Cuzqueña beers or Queirolo white table wine.

a lot has changed since those

days, although most traditions are still being practised. Today, depending on their budget, Peru-vians will have piglet, turkey, or rotisserie chicken--pollo a la bra-sa--for Christmas dinner. Outside Lima you may encounter roasted cuy (guinea pig) in the Andes, or wild game in the Amazon.

Despite such diversity, Peruvi-ans are yet to have carp on their Christmas table.

~ivan loyola


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Ivan Loyola is a wine consultant at Everything Wine in North Vancouver. He loves wine, loves Christmas, and loves Peru. Give him all three and a turkey Sángu-che, and he's in bliss.

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Mission Hill 2006CompendiumThe latest in Mission Hill's Legacy Series, this wine is brother to the award-winning Oculus. Rich and bold, it wine will carry on the tradition of excellence set by its sibling. $40.99

our wine associates can help you decipher the world of wine

better than this can.

Mainly because we can answer your questions.

Partly because we drink a lot.

And we truly love

9 New wines for your Holiday Cheer

Le Coeur 2006 Domaine de FabrègueThis red blend from the Languedoc shows won-derful anise, black cherry and blackberry notes. Minerality and leather follow through the finish.$19.99

Luna ArgentaProseccoLight and elegant, this Prosecco is a true value. White flowers, honeysuck-le, and red apples along-side a fine mousse. Perfect for Christmas toasting.$19.99

Stony Peak 2008Cabernet/ShirazFruit driven without the sweeter finish typical of most entry-level Aussie Shiraz. Spice and oak add complexity--this is a definite crowd pleaser.$13.99

Oracle 2008Sauvignon BlancA beautiful Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa. Gooseberry, sweet hay, and grapefruit notes keep this wine light and fresh. Perfect for a hoiday feast.$12.99

Vina Maipo 2008Carmenere/CabernetSoft and well-rounded, with plums and spice on the nose and palate. Ar-omatic and balanced, a good match for turkey.$10.99

Les Verrières 2006Coteaux du LanguedocSolid and dark, this wine shows notes of coffee, clay, black plums, and bit-tersweet chocolate. A big wine for big holiday roasts, this would also work well with strong cheeses. $24.99

Orofino 2007BelezaA true Bordeaux blend from the Similikameen Valley, this wine is the per-fect gift for anyone with a wine cellar. Big, bold, and complex, the Beleza will only improve with time.$41.99


Mission Hill 2005QuatrainA wine that is a power-house of flavour. Softer than the other Legacy Series reds, it is also more approachable. Perfect for every holiday feast.$47.99

http://www.everythingwine.ca


Filou

Right: Filou has a great ash layer.

Cheese at a Glancepronunciation

Fee-Loo

arEa of origin

Châteauguay, Quebec

stylE of chEEsE

Raw Cow Milk

flavour profilE

Subtle on the front palate, turning darker and lengthy on the back pal-ate. Flavours of hay, nuts, light white fruits round out the opening tastes, with the darker notes being veal, boiled egg, and brined black olives.

WinE pairing suggEstions

BurgunDy

valpolicElla ripasso

Morgon

taking thE traDitions of Morbier cheese, the cheese makers at La Fromagerie Chaput in Chateauguay, Quebec, have created their own style of washed-crust, ash-ripened cheese. Like Morbier, Filou is distinguished by a layer of fine ash (in the case of Filou, it is the ash of Greek olives) running through the centre of the round. This layer of ash not only distinguishes the cheese by sight, but gives a distinct flavour to the cheese as it ripens, becoming more pro-nounced as it ages. However, this is where the similarity between Filou and Morbier ends--they are more dissimilar than they are alike, which is to Filou's advantage--to merely copy Morbier would leave Filou always the lesser of the two.

Denser than Morbier, Filou is also more pungent, thick on the tongue with flavours that give homage to its wonderful ash--a sub-tle taste of olives can be found at the back of the palate. This is enough to separate Filou from its heritage, as Morbier has no such briny flavours in its profile. So while the cheese makers admit it is a cheese inspired by Morbier, the truth is that the two cheeses should not really be compared--while the strength of Morbier comes in its

creamy, luscious paste, Filou draws on its pun-gent, unique flavour profile and density to beguile cheese lovers. So they may be in the same family, but the two cheeses are hardly twins; they're more like kissing cousins.

~Jason Sych

Look out Morbier--here comes Filou

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Jason sych scours the world for cheese. In fact, when he met the King of Morocco, Jason was heard to say, "Hello, my name is Jason. Do you have any cheese?"


CurdfestDid you ever hear the one about the cheese festival, the cheese lover, and the cheese washed in schnapps?

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Previous Pages: Herr Tommes-Burbach of Vulkanhof shows off his 6-month old cheese.

Below: Gooey Gorgonzola.

Right: Stacks of Italian cheese waiting patiently.

soMEtiMEs you Just knoW when the universe has lined up to show you great things; all the planets arranged just perfectly so that something wondrous can happen, something that will help to bring the world into balance again. Things like Barack Obama’s elec-tion; the Slow Money movement; another Anthony Bourdain TV show. When it happens, you be-gin to regain confidence in the world.

Of course, cheese is something that can very easily shift plan-etary alignments into a more fa-vourable arrangement. At least it can for me. Standing at the en-trance way to the Gutausschank im Baiken just outside of Eltville, Germany, I knew that everything

in the world was aligning. Most likely I was high from the wafting fumes of the hundreds of cheeses sitting in the open, warm air just steps away. Still, having hundreds of cheeses within a leisurely walk around the picturesque grounds of a beautiful wine estate was a situation that held seemingly limit-less potential for happiness.

But let’s not kid ourselves. I wasn’t noticing the vineyard, or the 300 year-old buildings, or the endless rows of grapevines. I wasn’t there to make conversa-tion, or snap brilliant photos of the landscape, or dig into the history and culture of the Rheingau. I was there for the sole purpose of consuming cheese—soft cheese, hard cheese, stinky, pungent, sub-

lime, aged, fresh, goat and cow and sheep, blue, green, orange, yellow, white, brown, grey—and I was there for it all. If I found the time, I might try the wine—but the cheese would come first.

This was the first Rheingauer Käsemarkt, an international expo with twenty-four cheese produc-ers and importers showcasing cheeses from Germany, Italy, England, and The Netherlands, as well as cured meats, olive oil, vinegar, honey, bread, and other tidbits of culinary bliss. There were cheese-making seminars, stands selling traditional, if heavy, foods like spaëtzle made almost entirely from cheese. There was even a roped-off area where two llamas strutted around, undoubt-edly highlighting the important place in the culinary pantheon held by llama cheese. Howev-er, as a cheese addict, I had to dismiss any class or animal that would have distracted me from my objective—tasting as many of the cheeses at the expo as I


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could. I had to remain focussed.It was a blur. Cheese was ev-

erywhere you looked, the vast majority of it sans refrigeration. The sight of all this cheese—a highly unstable delivery system of bio-hazardous microbes in the eyes of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency—out in the open, breathing in the fresh air of the vineyard, made me positively joyful. The sight was wondrous to behold, and even better to taste. I stopped at a wooden booth crammed with stacks of cheese rounds, and heaps of salami. A wooden board lay on the counter with the last vestiges of a wheel of blue cheese, the remaining


wedge a slowly liquefying mass of cream and mould. It looked in danger of oozing off the counter. I asked what the cheese was.

“Questo e Gorgonzola.” Yum.The man behind the counter

half cut, half scooped a slice from the wedge and gave it to me. It threatened to run slowly down my arm like stinky, white honey. I sniffed it slowly, catching scents of hay, soft fruits, salty minerals, and an unnameable spice something like nutmeg, but darker. It tasted unlike any Gorgonzola I’d had before, much more earthy, sweet and tangy. I was suddenly that person in bad food movies who

tastes something and closes their eyes to show how orgasmic the flavour sensations are. I didn’t think people actually did that, closing their eyes in response to a flavour. I certainly never had, as I usually try to keep an eye on the food when it is that good, lest someone else snatch the rest while I am in an elongated nirva-na-blink. This time I couldn’t stop

Above: The vineyards of the Gutausschank im Baiken.

Right: Somarello salami.

Following Pages: The oozing magnificence of true Gorgon-zola

myself—down went the eyelids, and suddenly I was the Mexican dude in Bottle Shock when he tasted his Cabernet for the first time.

The same vendor with the Gor-gonzola also had a number of salami on display, the most inter-esting of which was made from somarello—“donkey” to you and me. It was very interesting, dry and firm, with an intense beefi-ness on the palate. At the risk of alienating certain circles, if you ever come across a donkey sa-lami, try it—this example ranks as number two in my pantheon of salami (number one was a horse salami from Lombardy).

i proBaBly triED sixty to seventy different cheeses that afternoon. Of course, one producer stood out from the rest. One always does, and it wasn’t the dude with the cowhide clogs. It was the cheeses of Vulkanhof, made by the Thommes-Burbach family, and they are a family that knows how to make cheese. Their entire production is goat cheese, and they craft not only the soft, fresh cheese we in North America as-sociate with goat cheese, but they make hard, aged cheeses that are every bit as complex as any cow-milk cheeses I’d ever had. The three cheeses Vulkanhof had for sampling definitely looked like

31


Jason sych is the Editor, and a contributing writer, to Everything Wine Magazine. He came to wine through food, spend-ing 15 years as a professional chef before embarking on his love affair with wine.

street-wise, realist cheese; it's the sort of cheese that knows it is cheese, and makes no bones about it.

“They are the same, these three,” the man behind the coun-ter said. “Aged one month, six months, and a year.”

I’ll try them all, thank-you very much.

I had to name the six-month the best. They were all fault-less, with the youngest having a bright, approachable acidity and tang to the paste, and the oldest a pleasant, comforting hazelnut-ty backbone. But the six-month was supreme—complex, firm yet creamy, with hints of spring hay, wildflowers, sweet milk, and just a beginning of the nuttiness that would become so prevalent in another six months.

I walked away from the Vul-kanhof stand with about two kilo-grams of cheese. Within the two kilograms of Vulkanhof cheese lay what was undoubtedly the stinkiest, most challenging cheese I tried that day—a small, unassuming round of cheese, no more than 250 grams, wrapped in a grape leaf. I knew it was going to be stinky—Herr Tom-mes-Burbach told me it was a washed rind cheese, washed in schnapps, and any cheese that

is washed in hard alcohol gains a certain amount of stink (much like humans)—but I didn’t know how stinky. He didn’t have any to try at his stand, so as I was prevaricating he mentioned that this washed-rind cheese was “very distinctive”—a term often used in cheese circles instead of terms like “grotty” or “makes you shudder”.

Sold.When it was tried later that

evening, it was agreed that the cheese was quite distinctive; dis-tinctive enough that no one had more than a bite. There was a faint note of burned rubber somewhere beneath the cooked vegetative body that made up the palate. It was even too much for me, and I love washed rind cheeses. But still, it was a fitting end to such a brilliant day filled with soulful cheese—reminding me that it is a dangerous thing, to have a love affair with cheese. Close your eyes for an orgasmic moment, and the next thing you

know you’re given something washed in schnapps. The first bite is soulful, then the second soul wrenching.

But then, that’s cheese.~Jason sych

Left, clockwise from top: Fresh curds being moulded into small wheels; the 12-month old cheese of Vulkanhof; cheeses flavoured with chives

Below: The "Dude" and his cowhide clogs.


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Many years ago I was working on the Mosel River, in Germany, for the wine estate Heribert Ker-pen. In the mornings I'd work in the cellar, and in the afternoons I'd work in the vineyard. One par-ticular day, however, my boss wanted me to go with his brother Markus up into the vines some-where between the towns of Graach and Bernkastel to replace broken vine-yard posts. Along the Mosel, each grapevine has its own post on which it clings; each year the vine-yards have to be checked to ensure that each post is still strong and secure, otherwise when the vines grow over the summer, their weight will break the post. We decided, since we were going to be up in the vines all day, to bring along a tripod grill, and barbeque our lunch. We worked through the vine-yards, checking posts, pulling rotten ones out and replacing them with new ones. When lunchtime arrived, we decided to take our break in a shal-low depression in the hillside. We built a fire using some of the old, broken posts, set up the grill over the fire, and proceeded to grill up some marinated pork steaks. We opened a bottle of wine, sat in the sunshine while the pork cooked, and enjoyed

a glass of Riesling, along with the view down onto Graach.

"Do you know what we are sitting in?" asked Markus, gesturing to the depression we were sit-ting in, cooking our lunch. When I shook my head, he continued.

"It's a bomb crater. During the Second World War , the Americans and

British dropped bombs to try to destroy the bridge in Bernkastel-Kues. This is a place where a bomb dropped and blew up a vineyard."

Looking at the depression again, it struck me how noticeable it was. It wasn't just a depression, but a crater that stood apart from the rest of the hillside. There were no other 'depressions' like it, only rows and rows of vines running along the river. It felt a little odd, sitting in a crater made by a bomb dropped sixty-odd years before when our two countries were at war. As though he sensed the odd feeling as well, Markus held up his glass . "Let us toast that something like that never happens again." We clinked glasses, and Markus gave a wry smile. "It would be terrible to lose more prime vineyard."

~Jason sych

On the Road...Where the bombs fell

Have a wine story to share? Send us your stories and we'll choose one to feature at the end of each issue. Stories can be emailed to [email protected], with the caption "Wine Story" in the subject line.

See your story here, next issue!


Looking down on Graach.

everything wine issue 5

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