issue 22 // volume 42

 

 

  

The absolute basics of wine

> Please chill your whites

Rebecca Peterson
Staff Writer

 

et me preface this by saying:
I’m a wine snob.
I love wine. I would
cheerfully give my heart, soul,

and wallet for a good Tempranillo.

I have had conversations, in
French, with professional
sommeliers about the unusual
origins of the Carmenere. |

was the kid in high school who
brought a Merlot to a house party.
| want to marry rich and retire to
a winery where I can write novels
ona sunlit patio overlooking

the fields of vines, a sweet, cool
Riesling in hand.

I was very lucky, my family is
a clan of wine appreciators, and
because wineries are genuinely
beautiful destination spots, I got
a bit of an education in the field
growing up. Not everyone has
that.

So if you love wine, like
wine, or just want to impress your
parents by knowing how to pair
your wine with your meals, here is
avery brief, very basic education
in the wonderful world of wine.

White wine is served cold.
Red wine is not. (There are
exceptions to this rule but this
is the overall, general accepted
practice).

White wine goes with light
meats. Red wine goes with dark
meats. The light with light, heavy
with dark rule is pretty standard,
and helps to narrow down wine
choices in terms of pairing with
meals. A tomato-based pasta
sauce usually pairs best with red,
whereas a lighter sauce like alfredo
will go better with white.

You don’t really need to
leave wine out to breathe for
half an hour. Honestly, if you're
just getting into wine, you won't
notice the difference, and it

really depends what wine you're
drinking for it to matter in the
first place. You can toss cheap
wine into a blender for an intense
aerating effect to improve the
taste.

Wine does not last forever
once it’s open. For the best taste,
you want to finish your wine
inside a week. It won't kill you
after that, but it will start to taste
like vinegar. Best use for old wine
is to toss it in a sauce, gravy, or
marinade.

Cheap wine that you do not
buy for taste will cost anywhere
from $5-10 a bottle. Cheap wine
that you can buy for taste will
cost $10-15. Less cheap wine but
usually better fare will cost $15-20,
good wine can cost anywhere from
$20-30, and if you're reading this
article you're probably a student
so anything above that is way too
much for you to be spending on
wine. Trust me.

Champagne is sparkling wine
that comes from Champagne in
France. Prosecco is sparkling wine
that comes from Italy. Everything
else is just sparkling wine, which
can give you a horrendous
hangover if you're not careful, so
go easy on the bubbles on New
Year's.

If youre finding that you're
getting headaches instantly after
drinking red wine, you might have
a sensitivity to histamines and
tannins, compounds commonly
found in wine. Someone might
tell you that sulfites are to blame,
which is a common myth.

This is a rule that literally
goes back to the Bible, but when
youre serving wine, you drink
the best wine first, and the lesser
wine last. This is because your
palate is essentially shot after
your second glass, and you won't
be able to appreciate good wine
the same way. Apparently the

wine Jesus made from water was
so good, everyone present at the
feast was upset that they hadn’t
served it first.

Finally, I leave you with a
list of wine recommendations,
and my best wishes for your
future wine adventures. Cheers,
everyone!

Cheap, cheap wines ($5-10 a
bottle): Screw-It, Wine O’Clock,
Naked Grape, Barefoot. Aim for
the Merlots, Pinot Gris/Grigios/
Noirs, and Syrahs.

Cheap wines ($10-15 a
bottle): Copper Moon, Yellowtail,
Apothic, Jackson-Iriggs. Copper
Moon is very often on sale as it’s
a local wine, and can dip below
the $10 mark. The Yellowtail
Moscato is very sweet, which a
lot of new wine drinkers will like.
The Apothic Red is one of my
favourites. Every Hallowe’en they
come out with an Apothic Dark,
which I stock up on when I can.

Less cheap wines ($15-20
a bottle): See Ya Later Ranch,
Arrowleaf, Kismet, Poplar Grove.
See Ya Later Ranch has some
amazing whites, especially their
sweeter German wines and
ice wines. Kismet has a super
affordable white, their Saféd, that
pairs amazingly with curries.

Expensive wines ($20+ a
bottle}: Burrowing Owl, Tinhorn
Creek, Mooncurser, Inniskillin.
The Burrowing Owl Pinot Gris
is phenomenally tasty, but I’ve
never been able to find it in
liquor stores, only direct from
the winery itself, Same with
the Mooncurser Carmenere,
unfortunately. However, these
wineries have produced some
amazing options for mass
distribution, such as the

Burrowing Owl Sauvignon Blanc.

If youre going to invest some
money in good wine, these are a
few wineries to watch out for.

life & style // no. 17

Indie fashion feature:
FieldCandy

> A preview for their new line of ponchos

underappreciated outer wear

Brittney MacDonald
1 marvel. Their hope is that

Life and Style Editor

 

Image via thinkstock

by using some of their fan-
favourite patterns—such as
“what a melon,” a print that
makes you look as refreshing
asa slice of watermelon ona
hot summer day; and “snug

as a bug,” a look inspired by a
cozy patchwork quilt—they’ll
break up the monotony of

the garbage bag like poncho
scene, and inspire a whole new
crowd of people to embrace the
caplet.

The ponchos will come
in two sizes, one for adults
and one for children, and will
be available in a plethora of
varying prints and patterns.
The only downside will be the
price. Though American and
Canadian prices have yet to
be announced, FieldCandy
has stated that the ponchos
will sell for approximately
£40, which roughly translated
comes out to about $74.
Canadian. Now that’s pretty
steep for something that’s
essentially a body sack you
throw over yourself in times
of need. But we do live on
the west coast, where good
rain gear is a staple in any
Vancouverite’s wardrobe.
Only time will tell if the
quality of FieldCandy’s

-shirts, sweatshirts, and

leggings are common
among Internet savvy
fashionistas. Pretty much every
independent fashion line has
picked up on the desirability
of these casual favourites, but
what if you're in the market for
something a little different?
FieldCandy, best known for
their adorable line of graphic
printed tents, has recently
announced that they'll be
launching a line of ponchos.

What’s a poncho, you
might ask? You know those
tent-like configurations people
sometimes put on their bodies
when it’s wet out? They look
like a hybrid between a garbage
bag and some musketeer
inspired cape. Well, that’s a
poncho, and though the image
of them doesn’t immediately
invoke “fashion,” they are
pretty handy to have around.
Ponchos are thin, lightweight
and ensure complete three-
sixty coverage so you don't get
wet. They re especially popular
on camping trips or at outdoor
festivals when trying to shove
that extra raincoat into your
backpack just seems like more
effort than it’s worth.

   
    
  
  
  
  
 

FieldCandy seeks to new line will live up to
change the unstylish », its big price tag. As of
image ofthe poncho =; now no firm date has
by incorporating been announced for
the same high the line’s release,
quality graphic but FieldCandy
print technology has committed

to asummer 2016

they use on their line ;
launch—just

of tents and sun

shades, into the in time for
construction festival
season.

of this ii

Image via Field Candy