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79 Rankin St., Unit 7, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2V 1W2 • Tel: (519) 884-7600 • www.hhdimports.com • E-mail: info@hhdimports.com

Vol. 24, No. 3 Fall 2018

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TRIER MARX THE SPOTSituated on the Mosel River, at the confluence of the Saar and Ruwer Riv-ers, the City of Trier marks the spot where over 2,000 years of wine com-merce crosses paths with Commu-nism’s key theorist. It was in a humble baroque style house at Simeonstrasse 8 where Karl Marx was born in 1818. Eventually he moved to England

where he wrote “Das Kapital” and together with Friedrich Engels published the “Communist Manifesto.” Both works served as the blueprint for Communism in its various inter-pretations and implementations by politicians, despots and dictators the world over. In fact, before the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the demise of communism in Europe, Party bosses, when on State visits to Germany, would regularly visit Marx’s birth house and museum. With the 200th anniver-sary of his birth, the City of Trier has pulled out all the stops this year with special exhibitions and over 600 events. Plus there are innumerable other activities that are taking place all over Germany this year. We discovered a little known fact that the Marx family owned a one hectare vineyard in the neighbouring Ruwer Valley in what is now part of the von Schubert estate. In fact, Karl’s father regularly sent him care packages of wine from the family vineyard to wherever he lived. To this day, for shopping there is the big fashion de-partment store, Modehaus Marx, in Trier. Distant capitalist cousins, no doubt. Just around the corner at Liebfrauenstras-se 9 is the imposing Kesselstatt Palace, former headquarters of the famous wine estate of the same name which we rep-resent. It still houses the ever popular Kesselstatt Wine Bar. Due to the tight downtown location with its major logistics issues, the winery and administration are now located out-side of Trier in the neighboring village of Morscheid. One of the top vineyards in all of Germany is the Scharzhofberg in the nearby village of Wiltingen. So famous is this 27 hect-are steep vineyard of decomposed slate soil that the village name is never mentioned on the label, only the vineyard name Scharzhofberger. The Kesselstatt estate is one of only 5 owners. Garnering 91 points, Wine Enthusiast commented: “Piercing lime and lemon acidity lends to a zippy, breathless feel to this deliciously sweet-tart Kabinett.” Robert Parker gave it 90 points. 2015 von KESSELSTATT SCHARZHOF-BERGER RIESLING KABINETT V282343, $25.95

OKTOBER TESTSWith October full of fests and ending with Halloween, here are few expressions that will test your knowledge of beers, wines and spirits – liquid as well as supernatural. Answer true or false, and check for the right answer on page 4 with a suggested alcoholic beverage to contemplate the correct answer.

SCHNAPPSIDEE – Swedish moonshine TRUE FALSE

POLTERGEIST – Oktoberfest guest of honour TRUE FALSE

RATHSKELLER – A pub brawl TRUE FALSE

ANGEL’S SHARE - Alcoholic offering to the gods TRUE FALSE

BROWNIE – Dark Coloured Beer TRUE FALSE

TIPPLE – Toast to an absent friend TRUE FALSE

SLIPPERY SURFACEDanger! Slippery road ahead! You will be familiar with road signs that carry this message but not with the additional words “jus de raisin,” grape juice in French, as an indication of the problem. This sign is located outside of the village of Duras, an hour west of Bordeaux, France. The grape harvest is taking place and the roads are full of a steady stream of vehicles transporting grapes from the vineyards to press stations or wineries. It’s unavoidable that small amounts of grapes regularly fall from trucks and trailers and are squished by fol-lowing vehicles. This forms a slippery film on the road surface. ATTENTION SLIPPERY ROAD SURFACE.

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ASCEND TO THE THRONE TO TASTE TOP DROPThe extinct volcano in Germany’s Baden region, bordering Switzerland and Alsace, across the Rhine River, is called the Kaiserstuhl. Translated, it means Throne of the Emperor. Obviously, the local folks thought the hill to be pretty spectacular to give it such a special name. In fact, it is here where some of Germany’s best dry wines are produced. The affin-ity to special grape varieties and winemaking have a long tradition and do not mimic what happens further north along the Rhine and Mosel Rivers. The parallel lies sooner in the neighboring French region of Alsace. In Baden the wines are dry and varieties such as Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder). Chasselas (Gutedel), Pinot Gris (Grauburgunder) and especially Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder) are key. One of Baden’s top producers is WG Königschaff-hausen as witnessed by its awards and accolades in the press. Even though it is a cooperative winery, but a small one, it has won Germany’s top Pinot Noir prize several times. With pale pink coloured wines all the rage these days, Königschaffhausen Winery has been way out in front of the curve for many years. Its dry Pinot Noir Rosé from the Vulkanfelsen (Volcano Rock) vineyard has proven to be an On-tario favourite for several seasons. While we were asked why the latest vintage hasn’t yet been released, there is a pink light at the end of the funnel. It’s finally here. Beautifully balanced, dry, with an enticing bouquet of dry rose petals, strawberry and raspberry, the finish is long and lingering. Sip on its own, yet it’s great with sliced, smoked salmon, seafood salads or spring rolls, even if it’s fall. 2017 Pinot Noir Rosé Dry “Königschaffhausen Vulkanfelsen,” V168237, $14.95.

RE:PEAT: FOR PEAT’S SAKE, DO GIVE A DRAMPeat, of course, is decayed vegetable matter, thou-sands of years old. It’s found all over northern Europe and the British isles. It is dug out of bogs and left to dry and was the natural inexpensive source of heat for the average citizen for hundreds of

years. It’s used to smoke the barley grain which will even-tually make up the “wash” with water that will be cooked and eventually distilled. The peatier single malts of course come from western Scottish islands of Islay, Jura and Skye. Enter the Fox & Fitzgerald Whisky Trading Company which was founded by two seasoned Scotch whisky experts, Aiden Smith and Eamonn Jones. They have spent their working lives travelling all over the world selling premium spirits. They had a very close relationship with the maverick distiller on Islay, Bruichladdich, and once it was sold to spirits giant Remy, they got access to some incredible casks owned by the outgoing directors and shareholders. Peat’s Beast is the creation of Aiden and Eamonn. Los Angeles based Brazil-ian designer Dour Alves designed the “Beast” and its iconic look shown here. It is a heavily peated single malt whisky with no additives or colouring and no chill filtration. It is bottled at 46% to retain natural oils and phenols for op-timum enjoyment. The high peat level gives it a smoky beauty. It’s not younger than six years. As the label says: “A ferociously full-bodied single malt packed with a big bite of untamed peatiness.” Another tasting note: “A powerful dram, Peat’s Beast lives up to its name and is a wonderfully peaty and smoky single malt. Dominating notes of wood and ash burst forth on the nose, while apple and banana dance around the edges, leading to a long peppery finish.” Drink neat or add a wee splash of water to “tame the beast.” Not for the faint of heart, it’s powerful. Love it or leave it. Choose your style. PEAT’S BEAST SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY V557124, $82.95

LET’S BE FRANC ABOUT ARGENTINAThe Cabernet Franc grape, Cab Franc for short, tends to do well in cooler climates. Its ancestral home is the Loire River Valley in France with its famous Cab Franc based appellations of Chinon and Bourgueil. Skoot over to Bordeaux and the grape will show up in various chateau red blends such as the ultimate top

drop, St. Emilion’s Chateau Cheval Blanc. Let’s make our way to Argentina and we discover that Cab Franc is the new darling grape. That the Alta Vita estate is owned by the French d’Aulan family, who also owned a number of St. Emilion chateaux, is perhaps no coin-cidence. Alta Vista owns vineyards that they have specially sought out at higher elevations. These special cooler terroirs in the Uco valley of Mendoza are located at over 1,000 meters above sea level. While the sun exposure is important to ripening the grapes, the dramatic temperature drops at night time help to retain freshness and acidity in the grapes. This, in turn, is another element in the wine making equation that gives the wine greater aging ability. Using strict vineyard management techniques, the aim is to enhance the optimum expression of the grape variety. The average yield is a low one and a half bottles per vine and encourages concentration and complexity in the vine. This hand harvested Cab Franc is aged in French oak barriques for a minimum of 12 months. On the nose we get intense aromas of deep red fruits with a pleasant herbaceousness. The body has impressive structure with soft tannins and well integrated oak. The finish is long. Enjoy with your favourite BBQ’d red meat. 2016 ALTA VISTA PREMIUM ESTATE CABERNET FRANC V609081, $17.95

“The Nature of the Beast – many will tell you it’s a mere myth – the figment of ancient folklore. Since the mid-19th century, sightings have stirred fear and trepidation throughout many a Scottish Village. It’s across wild windswept moorlands he is said to roam. And whilst he roams, he hunts – for peat. The purest, filthiest, most fertile peat he can find. Our whisky – a rich, monstrously peaty single malt scotch, celebrates the legacy, the enigma. That is Peat’s Beast.”

GREAT VALUE GROONERAustria’s signature grape, Grüner Veltliner, is simply referred to by most folks who love this wine as Grooner. Its home is Austria, although a few winemakers around the world are attempting to grow it too. As they say, “You can take the Grooner out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the Grooner.” This lively, spirited white is vivid, to say the least. With green tinges and a characteristic whiff of white pepper on the nose, it’s consumed in copious quantities in Austria from local taverns to white table cloth establishments. The most unique setting for enjoying Grooner has to be at the Heuriger taverns on the outskirts of Vienna, the only major capital city in the world with wine growing within its city limits. Those lucky Viennese! They can hop on a tram from the center of town, which is already connected by a comprehensive network of buses, street cars and subways, straight to the tavern district. No drinking and driving issues. How sophisticated! Whether labourer, of-fice worker, manager, business owner, politician or perhaps a visiting oligarch, they sit around listening to zither music, enjoying schnitzel, gulasch, apple strudel with all the local trimmings, while enjoying their Grüner Veltliner. Of course the Viennese vineyards are not large enough to supply demand, so wine will come in from the Wachau Valley up stream along the Danube River or Lower Austria to the north, bordering the Czech Republic. Lenz Moser is one of Austria’s major wine producers with a long history of producing great value wines that really over deliver when it comes to quality. This Grooner cones from contract vineyards located in Lower Austria growing region. On an historical note, it was the Lenz Moser winery in the 1950’s that developed a vine training system whereby vines were grown with taller trunks. This meant that all steps of tending to the vines and ultimately harvesting put less strain on the workers’ backs as they could remain upright while doing their jobs. Everyone was happier. 2016 LENZ MOSER PRESTIGE GRÜNER VELTLINER V71233, $16.95.

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NOTE PRICES: LCBO prices are valid on the date of the publication, are subject to change without notice and are for 750ml sizes unless specified otherwise.

Consignment warehouse prices are for licensees including all taxes, charges and delivery. G=General listing, V=Vintages listing, S=Seasonal listing, CW=Consignment Warehouse,

CC=Classic Catalogue, ISD=In Store Discovery - selected city key LCBO Stores. Check www.lcbo.com/vintages for locations. PLEASE ENJOY OUR PRODUCTS RESPONSIBLY.

MUSSELS ’N MUSCADETIt’s the perfect pairing. A simple reci-pe for preparing mussels is to take the white wine and make a broth com-bining butter, shallots, garlic, parsley, thyme and bay leaf. Steam the mus-sels in the broth for 15 minutes. They will open up and reveal this maritime treasure of a meal. Sop up the broth with chunks of baguette between

chewing and downing the mussels. Bernard Chéreau’s estate on the Loire River, close to where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean, is lo-cated in the heart of the Muscadet. With over 324 acres, he is the largest vineyard owner in the appellation. And with the ocean al-most on its doorstep, Muscadet’s affinity with seafood is legend-ary. The local abundance of seafood naturally spurred on the local wine industry. There is a pleasant yeastiness which results from the wine being left on the spent yeasts (sur Lie) until the moment of bottling. The freshness, remarkable clarity and spritz beckons for a seafood dish to accompany it. Locally, the Muscadet grape is called Melon de Bourgogne. The winery’s key label is called “La Griffe” which means signature in French. In fact, each bottle carries Bernard Chéreau’s name as a guarantee of quality. That this wine is sold in over 18,000 restaurants in France is confirmation of how highly this wine is regarded in gastronomic circles. And let’s not forget exports, too. 2017 La Griffe Bernard Chereau Muscadet de Sevre & Maine sur Lie V948182, $17.95.

BUCK’S BREW FOR YOUBy October, the days are well along to get-ting shorter and darkness descends upon us every evening a few minutes sooner day after day. The temperature drops, frosts whiten the morning view out of one’s windows, not to mention having to scrape the car’s windshield before heading out to work. Our eating habits tend more to

heartier fare, yes, “comfort food.” And drinking habits move in the direction of a little heavier and darker – fuller bodied red wines, spirits and darker beers. A favourite with Ontario beer consumers is the Doppelbock from the Hoess Brewery located in Immenstadt in the foothills of Germany’s Bavarian Alps. It’s back again for a seasonal fall release. Brewed with 75% dark malts, its distinct maltiness leads out of the gate, followed with a mellow full body in the middle and then enters the home stretch with a light hop bitterness in the end spurt. It clocks in at a respectable 7.3% alc./vol. but it is beautifully balanced with no impression of a slightly elevated level of alcohol. That it re-ceived the top award, the Gold Medal from the World Beer Cup championships for the dark beer category, is a further testament to the quality and brewing tradition of the Hoess family that goes back to 1657. The brand name is Doppel-Hirsch, which means Double Buck, as it shows two bucks duking it out with their antlers locked in combat. They could be fighting over that cute little doe on the rainbow, licking her lips and swagging her white puff tail while prancing around on a pile of logs. HOESS DOPPELHIRSCH DOPPELBOCK 500 ML S106237, $3.85.

GIANT GRAPE GRABDuring the first week of October, thieves stole over 2,000 kg of grapes valued around $10,000 from a premium Riesling vineyard in the village of Deidesheim in Germany’s Pfalz wine growing region. Generally, since its harvest time, any onlookers could have been unknow-ing witnesses to this crime that took place beside a major supermarket parking lot. The thieves used a mechanical harvester to perpetrate this giant grape grab in broad daylight. Given that the thieves had a discerning eye and stole only the best grapes just as they reached peak ripeness, police suspect the culprits to be a local rival vintner. Officials are said to be trying to solve this crime spurred on by sour grapes.

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AN OKTOBER ExBIERienceWith Oktoberfests being celebrated around the world, mimicking the original in Munich, Germany, we’ve got the ORIGI-NAL Oktoberfestbier available here in Ontario as we write this newsletter. Did you know that in Munich, the only breweries that are allowed to sell their special seasonal brews for Oktoberfest must be located within the city limits of Munich. Not like breweries around the world that have hijacked the term Oktoberfest for whatever style of beer they wish to produce and market. Our Oktoberfestbier is brewed by the Hofbrauhaus Munich, the mothership of all beer halls. Bright golden in colour with rich aromas of bread, it is medium-to-full bodied with a long citrus and dried hay accented finish. A Classic Märzen style, the independent Beverage Testing Institute gave it 93 points with an “Exceptional” rating. Pick up some sausages, buns and sauerkraut from your lo-cal grocery store, chain or independent, and celebrate your own home-based Ok-toberfest. Don’t forget to get over to your local LCBO and pick up bottles of HOFBRAU OKTOBERFESTBIER 500 ML S84889, $3.50 to round out the experience.

OKTOBERTEST ANSWERS FROM PAGE 1. (Even if you got it wrong, enjoy one of our recommended alcoholic beverages.) Schappsidee: A crazy idea thought up while drinking; as, conceived in a bar. Many a busi-ness start up has had its idea born over some drinks in a neighborhood drinking establish-ment. Try Berentzen Apfelkorn, Germany’s # 1 apple schnapps, LCBO # 323055, $22.95. Poltergeist: A noisy ghost; as, the house was haunted by a poltergeist that rattled the wine glasses in the cabinet and moved furniture. Try a dry German red wine, Black Forest Cuvee Noir, LCBO # 538975, $10.35. Rathskeller: Basement restaurant found in the cellars of major city or town halls in Germany. Tradition had it that city councillors would enjoy food and a beer, wine or schnapps after their meetings. Also open to the public. Try Gaffel Kölsch, the famous brew that can only come from the city of Cologne, brewed kitty corner from its city hall. LCBO #430769, $2.80.Angel’s Share: Liquor lost to evaporation while ageing in barrels. Especially important in Scotland or Cognac where the 2% lost every year means precious lost income. Enjoy a dram of Peat’s Beast Single Malt Whisky described in this newsletter. LCBO # 557124, $82.95Brownie: An elf that secretly does housework. Try a distinctive brown beer, namely Aecht Schlenkerla Smoke Beer from Bamberg, Germany. LCBO #409110, $3.85. Tipple: To enjoy a drink regularly. Try Relax Riesling, Canada’s # 1 imported Riesling, LCBO # 621888, $13.20.

THE SKINNY ON SKUTTLEBUTTWestern Australia’s Margaret River is considered to be the Bordeaux of Down Under, especially with its classic white blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semil-lon. Tempered by the cool breezes coming off the Indian Ocean, a kaleidoscope of flavours is ready to mesmerize the consumer’s palate. On the nose we gets bursts of passionfruit, crushed limes and stone fruit. The palate sings with zesty citrus fla-vours backed up by gentle acidity. It drinks beauti-fully on its own and is the perfect reception wine for guests as its name indicates. The Skuttlebutt was the source of fresh drinking water on the old sailing ships where the crew would gather and catch up on gossip and news, not unlike the modern day office water cooler. The connection of all things nautical means that when looking for a food pairing it has got to be seafood. It was James Halliday, Australia’s most well-known wine writer, that picked this wine for his top “20 whites under $20” and gave it 94 points. 2017 SKUTTLEBUTT SAUVIGNON BLANC SEMILLON V47621, $19.95.