Join us on November 20th for an awesome event at The Refinery in Vancouver. Organized by my friend (and chocolate aficionado) Eagranie Yuh, this is going to be a lot of fun. Read Eagranie’s cool chocolately blog to learn more. Tickets are available online for $50 via EventBrite.

I’m writing over at Zachary Cohen’s awesome blog, Farm to Table today.

We need to work together to improve health and nutrition, reduce pesticides in our water and ensure safe food. These are just a few of the problems of our runaway food system, but you can help. Join us at Farm to Table.

Geoffrey Finch born in Victoria, B.C now lives full time in Paris, France. He currently teaches biodynamic agriculture and its influence on the future of wine at Sciences Po in Paris. For the last seven years he has been researching and producing material for a film he is making on biodynamic wine growing.

Finch believes that chemical farming methods are impacting nature’s inherent equilibrium and explores how a powerful movement to more natural farming methods may have implications for the survival of the planet. His film takes us to the heart of biodynamics and discovers why a growing number of winemakers are adopting biodynamic methods. How does biodynamic farming differ from organics? Have we seen any specific evidence that biodynamic farming increases soil biodiversity and encourages deeper rooting? Is there a link between biodynamics and quality? These are examples of the questions that Finch attempts to answer throughout the film.

Here is 20 minutes of teaser footage from ‘In Vino Veritas’ in two parts:

Wine is complex. It is multilayered, seductive, a social catalyst. Wine is simple. It is a tasty beverage. The truth is not only in the glass, but in your mind. We tend to prefer the interesting shades of gray in people, movies, culture and wine. Complexity is rarely popular, but should be cherished.

Who reviewed it, is it green and which celebrity is drinking it? It would be easier for us to sell wine if all that mattered was a score, a review or an organic certification.

We know that our wines aren’t for everyone. Sometimes you just want to pick up the first bottle with a cool label. Sometimes it is easier to trust a score or review. Sometimes all that matters is price. If you want to consider where your wine comes from, try a ProWine. And don’t worry- there is no rush. Trends come and go, but the truth of wine is always available. Grow great grapes. Don’t mess them up.

Wine is not about terroir, per se. It is about a human connection to the land. Our ability to coax, support and preserve the fruits of the earth. When we try to manufacture these fruits, instead of facilitating them, they simply do not taste as good.

I’ve spent a fair bit of time in Italy, but by far, the majority of my time and my favorite place is Piemonte. A few people have asked what to see, do, and most importantly where to eat and drink.

I’ve never stayed here personally, but have been for lunch and dinner (it is very good) and have friends who’ve stayed. If I didn’t have a friend to stay with this would be the place- http://www.santavittoria.org/

You should visit Renato Fenocchio, in Neive, just outside of Barbaresco.

And in La Morra, you should visit Agricola Marrone.

You should eat at a restaurant in Verduno called Bercau. http://www.bercau.it/default. aspx?lang=eng

There are at least two more must eat adventures, including an artisan shepherd-baker-cheesemaker and a restaurant that serves only Piemontese beef, but you have to bring me with you ;-)

Enjoy your trip and hopefully, I will see you there. If you need any assistance booking an appointment to see Renato Fenocchio or Gian Piero Marrone, just send me an email: anthony at farmsteadwines.com

Sebastien Le Goff and I did a little wine and cheese pairing action at Vinocamp.

The focus was matching not only wines and cheeses that taste great together, but are also philosophically consistent. This is not just a question of scale, as many “boutique” wines and cheeses are made with commodity production methods.

Pairing 1: Baseline of mediocrity
A widely available and recognizable $25 cabernet-merlot wine made with industrial methods (irrigation, herbicides, commercial yeasts, acid adjustment, heavy fining/filtration, and likely oak chips) paired with Mini Babybel.

Pairing 2: farmstead wine and cheese
Venturi-Schulze Millefiori 2007 with Farmhouse Natural Cheeses St. George. The Millefiori is a blend of siegerrebe and ortega from Vancouver Island. Venturi-Schulze grows their own grapes organically (sans irrigation) and makes the wine themselves with native yeasts, no additions or adjustments and little to no sulfites. Farmhouse raises and milks their own goats before making the cheese themselves. They also organically grow the hay and alfalfa to feed the goats.

Pairing 3: Age-old methods
Movia Pinot Grigio 2005 with Ossau-Iraty Fermier. Ales Kristancic grows and makesawesome wine with centuries old techniques, biodynamic practices and the skill of an expert artisan. A delicious pairing with arguably the oldest cheese in the world, made in the Basque French Pyrenees for over 4000 years in traditional small huts.

Pairing 4: Tradition with a side of new
Agricola Marrone 2005 Langhe Chardonnay “Memundis” with Poplar Grove Harvest Moon. Gian Piero Marrone’s Chardonnay drinks like a white burgundy, while being a vinaroon wine, albeit with an international varietal in the Piedmont. The Harvest Moon tastes like a burgundy epoisse while being artisinally made in British Columbia, albeit with purchased milk.

Pairing 5: If you must have red wine with your cheese
Claus Preisinger “Basic” 2007 with Valdeon Blue. When pairing red wine with cheese, it should be light and fresh with high acidity. Claus blends two pinot noir relatives, zweigelt and blaufrankisch, to create a young and lively wine with the complexity often found with biodynamic practices. Its this combination of acidity, freshness and complexity that allows it to stand up to the pungent, complex Valdeon.