Wine: It's a craft and a passion for natural wine producers and restaurants that serve them
Wine is the only consumable product I can think of that doesn’t require an ingredient listing on the label. Organic, even biodynamic designations, have rules to adhere to, but natural wines are a grey area.
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.
Article content
“Natural wine” is currently a hot topic in the media and in wine shops, which parallels an increased due-diligence by consumers in reading food labels as people try to buy healthier food products.
Perhaps it’s the attraction of transparency that’s appealing. But wine is the only consumable product I can think of that doesn’t require an ingredient listing on the label. Organic, even biodynamic designations, have rules to adhere to, but natural wines are a grey area.
Simply stated, a natural wine has had nothing added or extracted throughout the grapes’ journey into the bottle. The grapes must have been farmed organically/biodynamically and the wine produced with minimal intervention.
The addition of sulfites is controversial in this category. They are often used as a preserver in the space between the wine’s surface and the closure. Keep in mind that it’s a byproduct of the fermentation process, so there is no such thing as a sulfite-free wine.
A long list of additives are available to winemakers such as colour (ugh, mega purple), water (to dilute), flash pasteurization (to stabilize by killing any bacteria that could cause spoilage), copper sulfate (to treat off-aromas), gelatin (adds body), oak dust, chips, and flavoured oak drops (to duplicate the notes from aging in a barrel), calcium carbonate (acid reduction), tartaric acid (to increase acid) and designer cultivated yeasts (fruit flavour/aroma enhancers). Consider the bread shelf at your local grocer, from Wonder bread to artisan sourdough, it’s a big field.
These wines are not produced by the faint of heart, they must be risktakers and masters of the “hands-off” approach because they aren’t using technology and additives to reduce and/or eliminate any risk of spoilage. It’s a craft and a passion for these producers.
There is the perception that natural wines are going to be weird-tasting, dirty or cloudy and some dismiss the category entirely, which is remiss — how can you not like sandwiches, there are wonderful ones and there are bad ones, depends on the hand that prepares them and the ingredients.
We headed to Edmonton’s own Alder Room, recently awarded the prestigious enRoute Top 10 Best New Restaurants, where the menu changes frequently and is “inspired by their deep connection to the land.” Their criteria for wines are they must be natural with low intervention.
The space is warm and comfortable with only 12 communal seats along a bar with a menu that’s ingredient-focused vs. technique focused, always simple with never more than four ingredients on a plate. You can dine at your own comfort level. Chef and co-owner Ben Staley will not force you to engage because it’s not a cooking class — it’s a dining experience. The meals are prepared as you watch and if you ask Staley a question he will happily answer!
Everyone shows up early to sit in the lounge area — 5 p.m. is the time for the matinee menu with a minimum of 12 servings and 7:30 p.m. has a minimum of 16 servings. Have no fear — some of the servings included are artful appetizers such as pickled beans, endive and seaweed up to the more entre-style plates followed by, perhaps, pork belly.
This isn’t a bourbon and barbecue rib joint but if you go you will be treated to Staley’s meticulously-paired small plates representing his style of subtlety and elegance to inspire thought and appreciation. Heck, I even stopped talking!
We thoroughly enjoyed our wonderful, relaxing evening at the Alder Room. If you won’t take our word for it, here are comments from a guest, Karen Chaisson. “It was an interactive experience, a great journey for a foodie and the seating makes you feel that you’re part of it.” She also mentioned how impressed she was with how Staley made all the parties at the dinner feel comfortable together, a “gastronomical journey.”
There is a movement to choose healthy food and wine over more manipulated and processed products. If you are looking to step away from more manipulated productions, here are some great suggestions that we enjoyed at Alder Room.
SINSS RIESLING TROCKEN $30
I am loving the wines from this winery, they just make me happy. This wine falls into the addictive category with an off-dry palate, freshness and bright acidity, with harmonic elegance and addictive aromas and flavours. Staley paired this Riesling perfectly with a scallop served on the shell with salt-preserved green strawberry slices, celtuce and a perfect dollop of frozen yogurt. It was interesting how the wine and the serving were refreshing like an amuse-bouche.
2010 BOURDY COTES DU JURA CHARDONNAY $30
A region that is only minutes from the esteemed Burgundy region that has stayed true to the traditional wines of yore. This was a pairing that still wakes me up at night. A beautiful serving of simple butternut squash, topped with candied pine nut slivers and swimming in a butter and keen sauce. Staley is a sauce master — layers of complexity in this dish that loved the layers of earthiness and nuttiness of the wine. Perfect.
NIKOLAIHOF HEFEABZUG GRUNER VETLINER $33
This was my favourite pairing of the evening – a colourful assortment of beans and lentils perfectly prepared in a sauce with butter (of course) and blue mussel stock. This wine is from one of the top estates in Austria and the first bio-dynamic estate in the world. The salty spiciness of the wine and the textures and richness of the dish was a show stopper pairing for me, very unexpected. I would lick this bowl — no matter who’s watching! Ten out of 10 from us.
BROC CELLARS ROSE $33
This lovely California blend of Valdiguie, Zinfandel and Trousseau expresses rosehips, cranberry and a touch of gooseberry-like zesty acidity that paired very well with the sous-vide pork belly topped with dried petals. Very popular wine and currently out of stock but will be back on shelves soon.
Wine selections are available at select Alberta shops. Log onto liquorconnect.com to check availability and give them a call to verify.
Juanita Roos opened Color de Vino, a fine wine and spirits store, with her family in 2014. She has travelled to wine regions around the world and completed the prestigious WSET Diploma from London, England, the prerequisite for the Master of Wine program. Send your questions about wine to info@colordevino.ca.
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.