Domaine de Grand Pré – Winter, Wine & Warmth

Winter – such a perfect time for comfort, good food, good wine and warmth.

To begin our Nova Scotia Icewine Festival experience, we headed to the Annapolis Valley to take in the beauty, the festivities and of course some amazing local wines. After a short stop at Luckett Vineyards to watch families sledding down the 500 foot luge and a taste of Pete’s hot soup and curry, we descended from the outdoor experiences to the warmth of a special “wine and cheese tasting” hosted by Hanspeter Stutz and his family at Domaine de Grand Pré.

The Tasting
A primary pursuit of travellers and explorers is to “taste” their destination. It’s often a taste or smell which brings back memories of outstanding discoveries during our travels. That’s because a special personal connection is established when you taste the wines and foods of your destination; and even more so, when you meet the artisans who have produced the crops and prepared them for your enjoyment.

Our wine coaches, Cecilia and Jurg Stutz, suggested things we might look for during our exploration of six wines produced by Jurg and his team. A “balance of acidity and fruitiness” are the hallmarks of an excellent Icewine. Icewines are exceptionally fruity and acidic given the concentration of flavours due to their being frozen on the vine before harvesting.

Our flight of six wines and cheeses included the following:

Ortega (a favourite) – a wine with intense aromas on both the nose and palate – hints of pear, dried apricot and honey, layered with delicate floral notes and rose petal. Ortega was paired with Jarlesberg cheese, known for its distinctive sweet and nutty taste.

Vintner’s Reserve L’Acadie – a dry full-bodied wine with a crisp acidity, displays aromas of fresh peaches and rich tropical fruit.

Pete’s Millot – This Leon Millot is made with grapes from Pete Luckett’s vineyard, in the Gaspereau Valley.  It’s a medium-bodied red with earthy chocolate and dark stone fruit aromas.

Both the L’Acadie and the Millot were paired with a Le Pleine Lune – a creamy ash covered cheese, with buttery aromas and flavours.

Dolce Vita – This elegant red dessert wine is crafted from Annapolis Valley grown Maréchal Foch grapes and displays intense notes of blackberry, cherry and raspberry. Delicate touches of oak, jam and red currant give the Dolce Vita a beautifully long and well-balanced finish.

Vidal Icewine – This year’s winter conditions have favoured the harvesting of the Vidal grape.  This Icewine displays notes of apricot, lemon and blood orange.  It is balanced with a crisp acidity and a long, lingering sweet finish.

Pairing with ripe creamy cheeses is suggested with both of the above wines.  Today’s choice was Bleu D’Auvergne – a strong and pungent blue cheese.

Marechal Foch – This deep, red coloured wine has a fresh berry aroma that suggests strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, with hints of green pepper and cherry.  It has a full round flavor and a long finish. This wine was paired with a distinctive cheese, the Colliers Welsh Cheddar, renowned for its powerful, long, sweet and savoury taste.

Cecilia Stutz noted that the “tasting flights” vary throughout the year reflecting the cheeses available for pairing. In summer and fall they draw upon Nova Scotia cheeses from such cheese makers as Fox Hill Cheese House and That Dutchman’s Farm. In summer, tastings occur on the terraces overlooking the vineyards.

Although not included in the tasting, two of our family’s favourite Domaine de Grand Pré wines are:

Muscat Icewine (my wife’s favourite) – This Icewine has been left to ferment in cask, producing a complex and layered wine. It displays rich notes of papaya, preserved peach, dried apricot and Bartlett pear, in perfect balance with a crisp lively acidity that lingers on the palette. It is great on its own or as a compliment to dessert and cheeses.

Pomme D’Or  (A favourite dessert wine of my daughter) – This golden, burnt amber cepape is made from both old and new apple varieties grown locally in the Annapolis Valley. This wine displays complex notes of baked apple, apricot and caramel, with a long, sweet finish of preserves. It has been described as apple pie in a glass.

Icewine Pairing Ideas
Many of us open a bottle of Icewine and do not consume it in one sitting. Jurg suggests the first thing to keep in mind, is that the wine has to be sweeter than the food. He suggests pairing ice and sweet fruit wines with a selection of sorbet desserts (a potential flight of both for a dinner party pairing) or with fruit pies such as strawberry/rhubarb and of course with Nova Scotia cheeses.

ÉCONOMUSÉE
As a part of their wine shop, a treasure trove for wine aficionados, Grand Pré has an ÉCONOMUSÉE. ÉCONOMUSÉE’s are special places which showcase the products and techniques of artisans – people who create distinctive products reflecting our natural and cultural heritage. You have the opportunity to meet with the artisans, in this case wine growers and makers, and to perhaps play a role in the harvesting and production. At Grand Pré, the production phases are visually outlined in the ÉCONOMUSÉE. You will discover the “what, why and how” of wines – great insights to share at your next dinner party.

You meet the nicest people over a glass of wine…
We met a couple who told us that at their wedding thirty years ago, they had served wine from this exact vineyard, when it was operated by Roger Dial. Their wedding guests couldn’t believe they were enjoying Nova Scotia wine. Now, Domaine de Grand Pré is a wedding mecca in itself; and of course the toasts to the bride and groom are made with Champlain Brut, a sparkling wine blending of L’Acadie Blanc and Seyval Blanc grapes grown here on the slopes above Grand Pré meadows.

If produced elsewhere, it might be called champagne; but given our provincial roots in the “Order of Good Cheer” launched at Champlain’s habitation at Port Royal, this taste experience is aptly named for our ancestral explorer.

We also met a couple celebrating a birthday through a series of wine tasting and chauffeured by their son. What a great way to celebrate a special occasion with a unique exploration of the wines of Nova Scotia.

Sources of Pride
The Stutz family is creative in both what they grow and ferment and as well how the results are conveyed to their guests.

Patriarch, Hanspeter imagines a diverse future for Domaine de Grand Pre; but cornerstone to all endeavours is a focus on assuring “quality” in all aspects of the taste experiences. A ‘boutique’ approach focuses attention on a rewarding array of wines, which best reflect the natural capabilities and characteristics of the Domaine and the Valley soils as well as the Minas Basin climatic influences.

Cabernet Foch
Jurg discovered this unique bottle for his blending of Cabernet Sauvignon and Maréchal Foch. The Cabernet Foch is oak-aged and shows nuances of both Cabernet Sauvignon and displays an earthy and rustic nose of layered spices, ripe berries and a burst of cherry. With rich flavours of blackberry and cassis and just a touch of smoke, it has a beautifully long finish. Only 1,000 bottles were produced.

And imagine the conversations this bottle will create at your next dinner gathering. It has two bottoms, allowing it to be displayed both horizontally and vertically. An initial challenge it seems to ‘cellar’; Cecilia Stutz advised turning it upside down in the rack, ensuring its cork continues to be moist as you cellar it for perhaps five years. But if you can’t wait, it is great right now, as well.

Fire, Fondue & Raclette
A fire on the pergola after Swiss Fondue and Raclette was a fitting finish to an amazing culinary adventure. Winter in the Valley – it’s magical. For the Icewine Festival, the Valley was in full “winter bloom” … gleaming white, snow-covered rolling hills, etched with reddish rows of sleeping grape vines, set against clear blue skies …a picture post card image.

We enjoyed the day immensely and look forward to raising a glass of Grand Pré wine and sharing our new wine knowledge at our next dinner party.

Side Note:
In 2011, Wine Access Magazine declared that Le Caveau was one of the world’s 20 best restaurant wineries:
Domaine de Grand Pré, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2010, is located at the historical site of the first modern Nova Scotian winery, just outside of Wolfville. The Swiss-born Stutz family added beautiful landscaping, modern wine equipment, a gift shop, and Le Caveau, a fabulous restaurant overlooking the vineyards and the Bay of Fundy, with a gorgeous pergola complete with stone pillars. Chef Jason Lynch does excellent work here, with a focus on local products, always suiting the crisp, European-style wines fashioned by Jürg Stutz.