Sulfite has been used in the production of wine for centuries. Winemakers view sulfite as a tool to control the amount of oxygen that comes in contact with the wine and to prevent spoilage from harmful bacteria and unwanted yeast strains. Sulfite is commonly used at all stages of the winemaking process; from protecting the grapes as they travel from the vineyard to the winery (which in some cases can be many hundreds of miles), throughout fermentation and for dosing a wine prior to bottling. When sulfite is added to wine it dissolves into two forms; bound and free. Bound sulfite gets locked up with various compounds during fermentation and has no affect on the flavour of wine. Free sulfite remains and very successfully combats oxygen and harmful microbes. Although there are many myths surrounding sulfites we do know that free sulfites have the unwanted side effect of masking wine flavours and complexities.

If you set out to produce an industrialized wine, any faults will of course be costly and potentially very damaging to your brand. Therefore it makes economic sense to play it safe and use generous amounts of sulfite at all stages of the process. In essence, to choose quantity and consistency ahead of quality. For anyone who aspires to make a wine with individual character, that speaks of its place of origin, this compromise is clearly unacceptable.

How then are you to know how much sulfite is in a particular bottle? While wines that are certified organic or biodynamic are limited to how much sulfites they can use (generally 100 parts per million) the only way that you can be sure is to know your farmer. By using minimal sulfites (less than 50 parts per million) great farmers ensure a depth of flavour that precisely expresses a given site and demonstrate why knowing your farmer is more important than certification.

We started a contest on twitter yesterday. The message read “1st 10 ppl to post a new photo (twitpic, blog, flickr, etc) wearing a vinaroon button or drinking farmstead wine get a special gift from us” with of follow of “new meaning taken after December.” Two people have already submitted photos with a bottle of Farmstead Wine or wearing a Vinaroon Badge. Including Patrick from Gudrun and Rachel Black (@nebbiolata), famed anthropologist and olive oil expert. Put on your vinaroon button or grab a bottle of Farmstead Wine and take a picture- winning is that easy!

UPDATE: Thank you for supporting small, sustainable farms. The final prize goes to Karen

UPDATE: Two new winners- Boba Fett courtesy of Jules

And Ginger, one of AbleGrape’s wine-loving cats.

UPDATE:
Remy had a button, lost it, but has handmade a new version.

Just 4 gifts remaining! Get your photos in soon.

Raul

UPDATE: Only 1 prize remaining. Tanya and Miranda have both won with their entries in the comments below. And Monique has also won.

I saw this video on the interesting, Vancouver-based blog , Rocks and Water. The video is from a decidedly political perspective, with a focus on food security, but it contains important messages that are relevant to the state of agriculture worldwide. Industrialization of farming is compromising our ability to feed current and future generations.

Grab a bottle of a wonderfully complex 2004 Pinot Noir with bright berries, lovely acidity and even a hint of hay. Vinified sur lie created great flavor, but there is a bit of reduction when you first open it- decant or let it air for a while before savouring. Taste it along with Marc Tempe by watching the video…

8 guests joined us to raise money for UBC Farm on November 20, 2008. The dinner went well and it looks like the Save the Farm Campaign is working! At the annual general meeting held earlier this month, UBC President Stephen Toope said, “The UBC Farm has to be part of the future of sustainability at UBC and for British Columbia, for the Lower Mainland and as a  demonstration for the rest of the world… I think we have an enormous opportunity presented by the existence of the farm. My vision is to imagine our whole campus as an experiment in sustainability and the farm has got to be at the heart of that.”

Thank you to all of you who have pitched in to help preserve the farm at UBC. 

yukon gold potato with whipped mascarpone and sherry vinegar
veloute of parsnip
ricotta stuffed rigatoni with black truffle

Agricola Marrone Langhe Arneis 2007

tajarin with dr. wong’s arugula pesto

Renato Fenocchio Barbera d’ Alba 2006

vitellone short rib with pumpkin-carrot puree, gai lan and ginger anise glaze

Claus Preisinger Heideboden Red 2006

olive oil gelato with shaved apple salad, black pepper brioche and cider reduction
Agricola Marrone Moscato d’ Asti 2007

We happily participated in a couple of events at this years Cornucopia, Whistler’s Celebration of Wine & Food. The first was a luncheon for 40 people paired with wines. Scroll down for the complete menu. The second event explored the provenance of ingredients, both foodstuffs and wine. The cooking was all focused on utilizing roasting. The canapes were all paired with Martin Arndorfer’s Riesling Strasser Weinberge and Renato Fenocchio’s Langhe Nebbiolo.

Rigatoni with roasted carrot puree and black truffle

Roast carrots with grapeseed oil and salt at 330; reduce a small amount of cream by half with ground coriander; when carrots are fork tender puree in food processor with just enough cream to loosen puree; season with salt; boil rigatoni until cooked through- drain & toss lightly with olive oil; put puree into a large ziplock bag, cut off a small corner (use a pastry bag if you have one) and pipe puree into rigatoni, filling from each side; garnish with chopped truffles

Beet Chip with Sable ceviche

Roast beets with olive oil, salt and quartered oranges at 350 until fork tender; peel & slice thinly on a mandoline; place slices between two silpats with a sheet-tray on the top and bottom to keep beets from curling and bake at 250 until crispy (alternatively, deep fry them)

For the ceviche: dice skinned sable (fresh or lightly smoked) add orange segments, juice of a fresh orange, beautiful olive oil, a dollop each of creme fraiche and horseradish creme, & chopped parsley

Place a spoonful of ceviche on a beet chip and serve

Roasted new potato w/ mascarpone & PX sherry vin

Select very small potatoes and roast uncovered at 350 with olive oil, salt & pepper until tender; cool and then carefully remove a portion of the center with a paring knife, without cutting all the way through; whip mascarpone (use a high quality, i.e. Italian imported) with Maldon sea salt; drizzle pedro-ximenez vinegar into the potato, add mascarpone and serve

Luncheon

Canapes

Agricola Marrone Langhe Arneis Tre Fie 2007

First 

Goats milk panna cotta with roasted beets, hazelnuts, and Renato Fenocchio Olive Oil

Martin Arndorfer Gruner Veltliner Strasser Weinberge 2006

Pasta

Winter squash raviolini w brown butter

Claus Preisinger Heideboden Red 2006

Main

Campbells Pheasant, chestnut polenta, cavolo nero and wildberry sauce

Renato Fenocchio Langhe Rosso Aurora 2004

Sweet

Toasted brioche with local apples , whipped mascarpone and honey

Agricola Marrone Moscato d’Asti 2007