Christmas in Peru and German Holiday Traditions

the lifestyle surrounding the glass

Christmas in
Peru
Filou

Curdfest

Plus:
ISSUE #5
Nov-Dec 2009 9 New Holiday wines

nov/DEc 20 09 EvErything WinE MagazinE issuE 5 nov/DEc 20 09 EvErything WinE MagazinE issuE 5

2
Contents Decanting 3

Tis the season to celebrate
Editor
Jason Sych
Assistant Editors
Jasmine O'Brien
Contributing Writers
Ivan Loyola
Christmas in Peru Jason Sych
Ceviche on the beach and all-
night dinners, Peru has it all at
Contributing Photographer
Christmastime. Adelio Trinidad
www.adeliotrinidad.com
A bustling Weihnachtsmärkt in

p.6 this tiME of year never fails to make me long to be
Hamburg.

dron, on which sits a cone of sugar. The person mak-
in Germany; there is something about the way the ing the Feuerzangenbowle carefully pours a bottle of
Everything Wine people of Germany celebrate Christmas that strikes rum onto the cone of sugar, then ignites it, letting the
Filou #131-2401 Millstream Road, a chord in me. It could be how Weihnachtsmarkts burning, melting sugar and rum drip into the mulled
Langford, BC V9B 3R5 spring up in almost every single town, creating a holi- wine. A quick stir, and voila--Feuerzangenbowle. To
Check out Quebec's answer
(250) 474-3959 day glow that cannot be compared; it could be the me, that is a true cup of Christmas spirit.
to Morbier--in some ways the
same, but mostly different. 998 Marine Drive fact that people actually go out and visit the Weih- The reason I mention this is because one of our main
North Vancouver, BC V7P3C4 nachtsmarkt every day, and brave the cold just to stories this issue is how Peruvians celebrate Christ-

p.20
(604) 929-7277 get a taste of the Christmas spirit. Or, it could be the mas. It is interesting to me to learn about the unique
gluhwein. ways different cultures have to celebrate the same
www.everythingwine.ca Most people who know me say it's the gluhwein. holiday. Obviously, Feuerzangenbowle to a Peruvian
At each Weihnachtsmarkt, every second little hut, would be as odd a Christmas event as ceviche on the
regaled in Christmas decorations and cheer, serves beach would be to a person from Hamburg. But in
Serious Cheese this wonderfully warming mulled wine that obliterates their own culture, these things are inherently Christ-
the winter chill, and increases the festive spirit at the mas. I've experienced Feuerzangenbowle, but not
A walk through a universe of Questions or comments
cheese at Eltville's Rheingauer for Everything Wine same time. Served in both red and white, gluhwein ceviche on the beach. Would I enjoy one over the
Käsemarkt, a cheese expo magazine? is synonymous with Christmas in Germany; in fact, other? Possibly. But I'd need to give each a try.
that would turn any cheese Christmas would not be Christmas without it. What Perhaps that's something I can ask my GM about--a
Please forward any most of my friends don't realize, however, is that there research trip for next year's Christmas issue. After all,
lover to jelly correspondence to
p.22 jsych@everythingwine.ca is something I love more than gluhwein: Feuerzangen-
bowle. Imagine, if you will, hot mulled wine in a huge
cauldron. Now imagine a big rack above the caul-
I'm definitely on Santa's "Nice" list...
~Jason sych

nov/DEc 20 09 EvErything WinE MagazinE issuE 5

Words
lost
5

Wine and food pairing
made easy

last seen in my i'D oftEn WonDErED about the "For
Dummies" series of books, and whether
wine cellar on they were actually worth the paper they
May 15, 2009, were printed on. Something about the
look of the books always left me thinking
shortly before that they were more of a gimmick than a
my son's May useful resource.
It was with a bit of trepidation that I first
long weekend picked up the Wine for Dummies book to
party. review it. It only took a few seconds of
leafing through its pages, however, before
I realized that these books are a wealth
If you've seen of information, easily accessible and well
organized. Divided into easily navigable
this bottle, chapters, the information is complete, well
or know its researched, and simple to locate. It be-
gins with the basics: what wine is, what
whereabouts, the differences are between red and
please call white, and how wines are categorized.
The book then builds upon these basics to
555-8247 explain the grape varietals, how to read
immediately. a wine label, how grapes are grown in
a vineyard, how to shop in a wine store,
how to order wine in a restaurant, serving
wine, storing wine...Wine for Dummies covers the basics of the wine world, making something that is
sometimes confusing, understandable.
The book is geared more towards the beginner, and those who are interested in gaining some
practical knowledge without pursuing wine as a career, or an academic achievement. If you know
Luckily, we have more. someone who is at the beginning of wine exploration, this book would make a great Christmas gift. A
Because we truly are bit of knowledge always makes the enjoyment of something that much greater.
~Jason sych
Jason sych, along with running the Vintage Room at the
Victoria Millstream Everything Wine store, loves pairing
wine and food. But beyond that, he has an even greater
love for pairing food and wine. Wine for Dummies................................$29.95

Christm as
in
Peru

by Ivan Loyola
Photographs by
Adelio Trinidad and Ivan
Loyola


8 9
An opinionatED friEnD once would not put up much of a fight
told me that they ate carp for as they were slaughtered; some
Christmas in her home country in think it kind of cruel, but it’s prob- Ceviche
Eastern Europe, which I found very ably a much better fate than their
surprising. industrially farmed relatives. 250g white fish
“What do you guys eat?” she 1 Jalapeño, chopped
asked, seemingly curious about By thE tiME of the slaughtering, my 4 lemons
Christmas in Peru. grandmother’s house was already 2 limes
“Turkey,” I replied. decorated for Christmas Day. A Salt
“Not very original,” she replied. huge Nacimiento–nativity scene— Freshly ground black pepper
“Copied from Canada, I guess?” took over a whole corner of the Parsley, chopped
Well, not really. Because in Peru, living room. Peruvians love their Red onion, sliced thinly
we do it a bit differently. Nacimientos, which can some-
times be ridiculously large in size, Cut the fish into pieces 2 cm
canaDians DiscovErED turkEy much and rich in ornaments. Rough pa- long by 1 cm wide, and place
later than Peruvians. The Spanish per from cement bags, coloured into a non-reactive bowl. Add
first encountered the bird when brown or green and then splat- a pinch of salt and pepper,
they invaded Mexico, in the 16th tered with paint of different colors, and the chopped jalapeño,
century. Believing them celestial was shaped to simulate mountain mixing well. Cover, and place
envoys, Aztec señoras handed fat landscapes. A little manger took in the refrigerator for 15 min-
birds to the hungry Conquistado- the centre, lodging figurines of the utes.
res. This thought conjures images holy family, donkey and cow in- Juice the lemons and limes,
of my childhood in Lima, where my cluded. On the “mountain”, scores and combine. Pour over the
grandmother kept two rounded of figurines of sheep, cows, angels fish, while stirring gently; all
meleagris gallopavo in the back- and shepherds converged toward the pieces should be sub-
yard, feeding them corn and nuts, the manger. Little pine trees made merged. Return the bowl to
fattening them up for a succulent from bottle brushes completed the the refrigerator, and let the
dinner. She would buy them when panorama, overlooked by a shiny fish marinate for another 15
they were chicks, and as kids we cardboard star placed at the minutes. Remove from the
played with them until they grew Nacimiento’s pinnacle. refrigerator, and adjust the
to maturity. They were black, with seasoning to taste. Add some
beautiful tail feathers and crimson cold water to the liquid if you
red barbs. I remember that the Preceding pages: Plaza de find it too acidic. Spoon the
day before Christmas my grandfa- Amas in Lima, decked out for fish onto a serving plate, and
ther would buy a mulita of cheap the holidays. sprinkle with the sliced red on-
Pisco brandy to give to the tur- ion and parsley. Pour some of
keys. Drunk, the turkeys staggered Following pages: The famous the lemon/lime juice overtop,
around and we kids had great Nacimento of Peru. and serve with roasted sweet
fun. Grandpa did it so the turkeys potato.


Aguadito
1 small chicken cut in 8
pieces
4 cloves garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
¾ c finely chopped cilantro
¾ c peas
2 tbsp chili flakes
1 red pepper, cubed
½ c stout beer
4 medium potatoes, cubed
1 c rice
1 leek, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
6½ c chicken stock

Season the chicken with salt and pep-
per and brown in hot oil. Set aside.
In the same pan, sautee garlic, onion,
leek, celery and the chili flakes until
the vegetables are translucent. Add
the cilantro, stir, then add the chicken
stock and the beer. Bring the liquid to
a simmer, then add the peas and bell
pepper. When the liquid returns to a
simmer, add the rice and the chicken,
then cook at a simmer, covered, until
the rice is cooked through. Add ex-
tra water if the liquid gets too thick;
it should have the consistency of a
hearty soup, not stew. Serve immedi-
ately.


14 15
unlikE Many canaDians, Peruvians dancing went up in a crescendo
celebrate Christmas starting on that would only slow when the ex-
the Eve; extended families usu- hausted merrymakers, at sunrise,
ally gather at the home of their were called to sit down to gulp
grandparents. I remember that fif- some Aguadito, a deliciously invig-
teen minutes before midnight, as orating soup made with left-over
we all sat around the Nacimiento, turkey, thickened with white rice
we would listen to Radio Reloj and flavored with copious amounts
(clock radio), which broadcast of ground fresh cilantro leaves and
the time every 10 minutes. When hot pepper flakes. Then, restored
midnight struck, the voice on the with energy and ready to contin-
radio wished all Peruvians “Feliz ue, the crowd would have another
Navidad!” We all would hug and drink—or more than one—of Pisco
kiss, and in the streets the festiv- brandy and chat for another cou-
ity was welcomed with the multi- ple of hours until one by one they
tudinous roar of thousands of fire fell asleep on couches, chairs, and
crackers resounding through the mattresses set on the floor for this
city. Bottles of sweet sparkling eventuality.
wine were uncorked--a coarsely Contrary to what one may think,
bubbled, cheap white that dared the celebrations were not over.
to bear the name Champagne After resting for a few hours the
(Champán) on its label. The stan- men would wake up to find that
dard brand was Noche Buena, their ladies had already prepared
which translates as "Holy Night." It bowls of ceviche, in the Peruvian
was a highly sugared concoction way. Fresh fish is cut in small strips,
that may never have even seen a and is then seasoned with salt,
grape. Hangovers from this wine pepper, and chopped hot aji or
were terrible, but it was a man- rocoto peppers. Different from
datory part of the Christmas cel- Mexican and Central American
ebrations. Lightheartedly, males called Ensalada Rusa, or “Russian” bed full of anticipation, knowing brands like Tacama or Tabernero. Latinos together and you have versions, Peruvian ceviche does
of drinking age re-christened it salad. Our meal was topped with that the morning after we would Chilean reds, like Casillero del an animated chat. Get three and not require long marinating in
as Mala Noche, or “nightmare the most expected treat of the wake up and find the presents that Diablo and Gato Negro, were you have a dancing party. It’s not lime juice. In Peru, the citrus juice
night.” night: spiced hot chocolate and Papa Noel—Santa Claus—had left also part of the show. But these far from the truth. The adult party is added only a few minutes be-
a generous portion of Panetone, for us next to our beds. The adults days Peruvians can choose from a went late into the night, and after- fore eating. A handful of fragrant
aftEr thE christMas greetings we a soft, sweet bread laden with continued dinner–minus the choc- myriad of wineries from Argentina dinner drinks flowed as guitars purple onions cut in thin slices tops
kids had our dinner of oven-roast- candied fruit, a legacy of the Ital- olate and Panetone section—with and Chile. and cajones were brought out for this mouth-watering snack. And
ed turkey with potatoes, and a ian immigration of the early 20th beer or red wine. At that time, Pe- a great jarana, or house dancing because Peruvian limes are highly
beet mayonnaise-slathered salad century. After dinner we went to ruvian wine was the staple, with soMEonE oncE saiD, get two party. The drinking, singing and acidic, the meal is accompanied


16 17
with cooked sweet potato or of a generous serving of leftover days, although most traditions
corn, whose starch content bal- turkey in a soft, Portuguese-style are still being practised. Today,
ances the acidity and heat of bun, finished with the most impor- depending on their budget, Peru-
the dish. With its refreshing acid- tant topping--a whopping scoop vians will have piglet, turkey, or
ity, and high levels of protein and of Salsa Criolla. This simple salsa rotisserie chicken--pollo a la bra-
minerals, Peruvians believe mid- elevates any cold meat placed sa--for Christmas dinner. Outside
morning ceviche to be the best in a bun to a piece of heaven. Lima you may encounter roasted
cure for hangover. Salsa Criolla is made with thickly cuy (guinea pig) in the Andes, or
cut red onions that have been wild game in the Amazon.
as WE BEcaME young adults, we generously seasoned with salt Despite such diversity, Peruvi-
no longer went with our parents and pepper, flavored with lemon ans are yet to have carp on their
to visit relatives’ homes, as we juice, olive oil, chopped hot pep- Christmas table.
had to do as kids. Like in Australia, pers and sprinkled with finely ~ivan loyola
Christmas in Peru takes place in chopped cilantro or parsley. It is
the summer. With the hot season kept cool until serving. We would Ivan Loyola is a wine consultant
being in full swing, we would call wolf down sánguches throughout at Everything Wine in North
our friends, buy beer, and sport the day until sundown, listening to Vancouver. He loves wine, loves
sandals and bathing suits to drive Bob Marley’s mellow tunes and Christmas, and loves Peru. Give
to Lima’s south beaches. Ceviche swilling cold Cuzqueña beers or him all three and a turkey Sángu-
on the beach is to die for; still, it Queirolo white table wine. che, and he's in bliss.
was just a light snack for a pack
of hungry youths. So we had our a lot has changed since those
own traditional Christmas staple;
after the ceviche, we ate sángu- prEvious pagEs: A market-
ches de pavo. Sánguche is a Peru- place cantina celebrating
vian distortion of the word sand- Christmas, Peruvian-style.
wich. Turkey sánguches are made
Turkey Sánguches with Salsa Criolla
2 red onions, sliced very fine Vinegar
1 jalapeno, chopped parsley or cilantro, chopped
2 lemons, juiced Salt and cracked black pepper
Rinse the onion in cold water, and drain thoroughly. Place in a non-reactive bowl and season with
salt and cracked pepper. Add a few drops of vinegar, lemon juice, jalapeno, oil, and the parsley or
cilantro. Mix and allow to cool in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes—Salsa Criolla should always
be served cold.
To make the Sánguches, cut some leftover turkey into slices and place in a Portuguese-style bun. Top
with a generous portion of Salsa Criolla, and serve.


18 9 New wines for your Holiday our wine associates can help
you decipher the world of wine
Cheer better than this can.

Les Verrières 2006 Orofino 2007
Luna Argenta Coteaux du Languedoc Beleza
Prosecco Solid and dark, this wine A true Bordeaux blend
Light and elegant, this shows notes of coffee, from the Similikameen
Prosecco is a true value. clay, black plums, and bit- Valley, this wine is the per-
White flowers, honeysuck- tersweet chocolate. A big fect gift for anyone with a
le, and red apples along- wine for big holiday roasts, wine cellar. Big, bold, and
side a fine mousse. Perfect this would also work well complex, the Beleza will
for Christmas toasting. with strong cheeses. only improve with time.
$19.99 $24.99 $41.99
Mainly because
Mission Hill 2006 we can answer
Compendium
Oracle 2008
Sauvignon Blanc
Le Coeur 2006
Domaine de Fabrègue The latest in Mission Hill's your questions.
A beautiful Sauvignon This red blend from the Legacy Series, this wine
Blanc from South Africa. Languedoc shows won- is brother to the award-
Gooseberry, sweet hay, derful anise, black cherry winning Oculus. Rich and
and grapefruit notes keep and blackberry notes. bold, it wine will carry on
this wine light and fresh. Minerality and leather the tradition of excellence
Perfect for a hoiday feast. follow through the finish. set by its sibling.
$12.99 $19.99 $40.99

Stony Peak 2008 Mission Hill 2005 Partly because we
Vina Maipo 2008 Cabernet/Shiraz Quatrain drink a lot.
Carmenere/Cabernet Fruit driven without the A wine that is a power-
Soft and well-rounded, sweeter finish typical of house of flavour. Softer And we truly
with plums and spice on most entry-level Aussie than the other Legacy
the nose and palate. Ar- Shiraz. Spice and oak Series reds, it is also more love
omatic and balanced, a add complexity--this is a approachable. Perfect
good match for turkey. definite crowd pleaser. for every holiday feast.
$10.99 $13.99 $47.99


Filou 21

Look out Morbier--here comes Filou
taking thE traDitions of Morbier cheese, the cheese makers at La
Cheese at a Glance Fromagerie Chaput in Chateauguay, Quebec, have created their
own style of washed-crust, ash-ripened cheese. Like Morbier, Filou
pronunciation is distinguished by a layer of fine ash (in the case of Filou, it is the
Fee-Loo ash of Greek olives) running through the centre of the round. This
layer of ash not only distinguishes the cheese by sight, but gives
arEa of origin a distinct flavour to the cheese as it ripens, becoming more pro-
Châteauguay, Quebec nounced as it ages. However, this is where the similarity between
Filou and Morbier ends--they are more dissimilar than they are
stylE of chEEsE
alike, which is to Filou's advantage--to merely copy Morbier would
Raw Cow Milk
leave Filou always the lesser of the two.
flavour profilE Denser than Morbier, Filou is also more pungent, thick on the
Subtle on the front tongue with flavours that give homage to its wonderful ash--a sub-
palate, turning darker and tle taste of olives can be found at the back of the palate. This is
lengthy on the back pal- enough to separate Filou from its heritage, as Morbier has no such
ate. Flavours of hay, nuts, briny flavours in its profile. So while the cheese makers admit it is a
light white fruits round out cheese inspired by Morbier, the truth is that the two cheeses should
the opening tastes, with the not really be compared--while the strength of Morbier comes in its
darker notes being veal, creamy, luscious paste,
boiled egg, and brined Filou draws on its pun-
black olives. gent, unique flavour
profile and density to
beguile cheese lovers.
WinE pairing suggEstions So they may be in the
same family, but the
BurgunDy two cheeses are hardly
valpolicElla ripasso twins; they're more like
Morgon kissing cousins.
~Jason Sych
Jason sych scours the world
for cheese. In fact, when he
met the King of Morocco,
Right: Filou has a great ash Jason was heard to say,
layer. "Hello, my name is Jason.
Do you have any cheese?"


Curdfest
Did you ever hear the one about the cheese festival, the
cheese lover, and the cheese washed in schnapps?

nov/DEc 20 09 EvErything WinE MagazinE issuE 5 n o v / oE c 2 0 0 9
sEp D ct 2009 EE v E r y t h nn g W i nn E M a a g a z nn E
vErythi i g Wi E M gazi i E i issssuuEE 4
5

24 27
soMEtiMEs you Just knoW when in the world was aligning. Most
the universe has lined up to show likely I was high from the wafting Previous Pages: Herr Tommes-
you great things; all the planets fumes of the hundreds of cheeses Burbach of Vulkanhof shows
arranged just perfectly so that sitting in the open, warm air just off his 6-month old cheese.
something wondrous can happen, steps away. Still, having hundreds
something that will help to bring of cheeses within a leisurely walk Below: Gooey Gorgonzola.
the world into balance again. around the picturesque grounds
Things like Barack Obama’s elec- of a beautiful wine estate was a Right: Stacks of Italian cheese
tion; the Slow Money movement; situation that held seemingly limit- waiting patiently.
another Anthony Bourdain TV less potential for happiness.
show. When it happens, you be- But let’s not kid ourselves. I
gin to regain confidence in the wasn’t noticing the vineyard, or lime, aged, fresh, goat and cow
world. the 300 year-old buildings, or and sheep, blue, green, orange,
Of course, cheese is something the endless rows of grapevines. yellow, white, brown, grey—and I
that can very easily shift plan- I wasn’t there to make conversa- was there for it all. If I found the
etary alignments into a more fa- tion, or snap brilliant photos of the time, I might try the wine—but the
vourable arrangement. At least landscape, or dig into the history cheese would come first.
it can for me. Standing at the en- and culture of the Rheingau. I This was the first Rheingauer
trance way to the Gutausschank was there for the sole purpose of Käsemarkt, an international expo
im Baiken just outside of Eltville, consuming cheese—soft cheese, with twenty-four cheese produc-
Germany, I knew that everything hard cheese, stinky, pungent, sub- ers and importers showcasing
cheeses from Germany, Italy,
England, and The Netherlands,
as well as cured meats, olive oil,
vinegar, honey, bread, and other
tidbits of culinary bliss. There
were cheese-making seminars,
stands selling traditional, if heavy,
foods like spaëtzle made almost
entirely from cheese. There was
even a roped-off area where two
llamas strutted around, undoubt-
edly highlighting the important
place in the culinary pantheon
held by llama cheese. Howev-
er, as a cheese addict, I had to
dismiss any class or animal that
would have distracted me from
my objective—tasting as many
of the cheeses at the expo as I

nov/DEc 20 09 EvErything WinE MagazinE issuE 5 s Eo v o cEtc 22000099
n p//D EvErything WinE MagazinE i si ssus Eu E4 5

31

could. I had to remain focussed. wedge a slowly liquefying mass tastes something and closes their myself—down went the eyelids, i proBaBly triED sixty to seventy
It was a blur. Cheese was ev- of cream and mould. It looked in eyes to show how orgasmic the and suddenly I was the Mexican different cheeses that afternoon.
erywhere you looked, the vast danger of oozing off the counter. flavour sensations are. I didn’t dude in Bottle Shock when he Of course, one producer stood
majority of it sans refrigeration. I asked what the cheese was. think people actually did that, tasted his Cabernet for the first out from the rest. One always
The sight of all this cheese—a “Questo e Gorgonzola.” closing their eyes in response to time. does, and it wasn’t the dude
highly unstable delivery system Yum. a flavour. I certainly never had, The same vendor with the Gor- with the cowhide clogs. It was
of bio-hazardous microbes in The man behind the counter as I usually try to keep an eye gonzola also had a number of the cheeses of Vulkanhof, made
the eyes of the Canadian Food half cut, half scooped a slice from on the food when it is that good, salami on display, the most inter- by the Thommes-Burbach family,
Inspection Agency—out in the the wedge and gave it to me. It lest someone else snatch the rest esting of which was made from and they are a family that knows
open, breathing in the fresh air of threatened to run slowly down while I am in an elongated nirva- somarello—“donkey” to you and how to make cheese. Their entire
the vineyard, made me positively my arm like stinky, white honey. I na-blink. This time I couldn’t stop me. It was very interesting, dry production is goat cheese, and
joyful. The sight was wondrous to sniffed it slowly, catching scents of and firm, with an intense beefi- they craft not only the soft, fresh
behold, and even better to taste. hay, soft fruits, salty minerals, and Above: The vineyards of the ness on the palate. At the risk of cheese we in North America as-
I stopped at a wooden booth an unnameable spice something Gutausschank im Baiken. alienating certain circles, if you sociate with goat cheese, but they
crammed with stacks of cheese like nutmeg, but darker. It tasted Right: Somarello salami. ever come across a donkey sa- make hard, aged cheeses that
rounds, and heaps of salami. A unlike any Gorgonzola I’d had lami, try it—this example ranks as are every bit as complex as any
wooden board lay on the counter before, much more earthy, sweet Following Pages: The oozing number two in my pantheon of cow-milk cheeses I’d ever had.
with the last vestiges of a wheel and tangy. I was suddenly that magnificence of true Gorgon- salami (number one was a horse The three cheeses Vulkanhof had
of blue cheese, the remaining person in bad food movies who zola salami from Lombardy). for sampling definitely looked like


31
street-wise, realist cheese; it's is washed in hard alcohol gains know you’re given something
the sort of cheese that knows it a certain amount of stink (much washed in schnapps. The first
is cheese, and makes no bones like humans)—but I didn’t know bite is soulful, then the second
about it. how stinky. He didn’t have any soul wrenching.
“They are the same, these to try at his stand, so as I was But then, that’s cheese.
three,” the man behind the coun- prevaricating he mentioned that ~Jason sych
ter said. “Aged one month, six this washed-rind cheese was
months, and a year.” “very distinctive”—a term often Left, clockwise from top: Fresh
I’ll try them all, thank-you very used in cheese circles instead of curds being moulded into
much. terms like “grotty” or “makes you small wheels; the 12-month old
I had to name the six-month shudder”. cheese of Vulkanhof; cheeses
the best. They were all fault- Sold. flavoured with chives
less, with the youngest having a When it was tried later that
bright, approachable acidity and evening, it was agreed that the Below: The "Dude" and his
tang to the paste, and the oldest cheese was quite distinctive; dis- cowhide clogs.
a pleasant, comforting hazelnut- tinctive enough that no one had
ty backbone. But the six-month more than a bite. There was
was supreme—complex, firm yet a faint note of burned rubber
creamy, with hints of spring hay, somewhere beneath the cooked
wildflowers, sweet milk, and just vegetative body that made up
a beginning of the nuttiness that the palate. It was even too much
would become so prevalent in for me, and I love washed rind
another six months. cheeses. But still, it was a fitting
I walked away from the Vul- end to such a brilliant day filled
kanhof stand with about two kilo- with soulful cheese—reminding
grams of cheese. Within the two me that it is a dangerous thing, to
kilograms of Vulkanhof cheese have a love affair with cheese.
lay what was undoubtedly Close your eyes for an orgasmic
the stinkiest, most challenging moment, and the next thing you
cheese I tried that day—a small,
unassuming round of cheese, no
more than 250 grams, wrapped
in a grape leaf. I knew it was
going to be stinky—Herr Tom-
mes-Burbach told me it was a
washed rind cheese, washed in
schnapps, and any cheese that

Jason sych is the Editor, and a contributing writer, to Everything Wine Magazine. He came to wine through food, spend-
ing 15 years as a professional chef before embarking on his love affair with wine.


32
On the Road...Where the bombs fell

Many years ago I was a glass of Riesling, along
working on the Mosel with the view down onto
River, in Germany, for the Graach.
wine estate Heribert Ker- "Do you know what
pen. In the mornings I'd we are sitting in?" asked
work in the cellar, and in Markus, gesturing to the
the afternoons I'd work depression we were sit-
in the vineyard. One par- ting in, cooking our lunch.
ticular day, however, my When I shook my head,
boss wanted me to go he continued.
with his brother Markus "It's a bomb crater.
up into the vines some- During the Second World
where between the towns Looking down on Graach. War , the Americans and
of Graach and Bernkastel to replace broken vine- British dropped bombs to try to destroy the bridge
yard posts. Along the Mosel, each grapevine has in Bernkastel-Kues. This is a place where a bomb
its own post on which it clings; each year the vine- dropped and blew up a vineyard."
yards have to be checked to ensure that each post Looking at the depression again, it struck me how
is still strong and secure, otherwise when the vines noticeable it was. It wasn't just a depression, but a
grow over the summer, their weight will break the crater that stood apart from the rest of the hillside.
post. We decided, since we were going to be up There were no other 'depressions' like it, only rows
in the vines all day, to bring along a tripod grill, and and rows of vines running along the river. It felt
barbeque our lunch. We worked through the vine- a little odd, sitting in a crater made by a bomb
yards, checking posts, pulling rotten ones out and dropped sixty-odd years before when our two
replacing them with new ones. When lunchtime countries were at war. As though he sensed the
arrived, we decided to take our break in a shal- odd feeling as well, Markus held up his glass . "Let
low depression in the hillside. We built a fire using us toast that something like that never happens
some of the old, broken posts, set up the grill over again." We clinked glasses, and Markus gave a
the fire, and proceeded to grill up some marinated wry smile. "It would be terrible to lose more prime
pork steaks. We opened a bottle of wine, sat in vineyard."
the sunshine while the pork cooked, and enjoyed ~Jason sych

Have a wine story to share? Send us your stories and we'll choose one to feature at the end of each issue.
Stories can be emailed to jsych@everythingwine.ca, with the caption "Wine Story" in the subject line.
See your story here, next issue!

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