Rhone Ragers – Juice Imports

Erik is back in town! I saw on Instagram he was hosting Rhone Ragers ($50) at Vine Arts. I immediately called my trusty wine pal, Lululemon, to find out if she was up for some natural wines. Let’s listen to “Voulez-Vou” by Abba for this post.

I was early, so I shopped and picked up some Ol’ Beautiful Hard Ice Tea ($18) and non-alcoholic mocktails from Wild Folk ($5.50). At 3:00 p.m., I noted that Lululemon hadn’t arrived yet, which is uncharacteristic of her. Usually, I text her the day of, but I knew she had back-to-back events, so I didn’t want to bug her. It turns out she forgot but managed to scoot down in time. I drank her welcome bubbles because I figured, why not?

Erik knows how to set up a tasting. The pastel colours in each glass shone in the sunlight and lit up like liquid gems. I’m also noticing his wine gatherings always attract a young female demographic.

Erik chose his favourite region for this tasting, with rare examples to sip. He mentioned that Rhone Valley is the ancestral home of many of the world’s favourite grapes: Syrah, Grenache, and Viognier.

First up was a South African white wine, Testalonga Bandits Kloof Grenache Blanc. The fragrance was unusual, as I wasn’t familiar with it and couldn’t identify any particular scents.

Erik described the land, how scary baboons hung around the winery and how it took the owner ten years to produce his first vintage. Aged for two years, I found this wine really bright on the tongue. He took a sip and described the wine as tasting like a lemon meringue or a salty margarita. He thought this was a nice, contemplative wine to sip in a quiet space.

In contrast was the Dormilona Yokel Grenache Rosé. I liked how the wine wasn’t tart or sweet like other rosés. Erik mentioned that grapes grow in very hot temperatures, as high as the mid-40s. If you live by the winery, you can drop by with an empty one-litre and get it refilled. Lululemon is a huge fan of this woman-led winery, and she bought a bottle.

In contrast to the rosé, which everyone in the room agreed was very gulpable, we tried an orange wine, Broc Cellars Grenache Gris. This scent was nice, but again, I found it unfamiliar. The Grenache is grown from 110-year-old vines and aged sandstone jars. Erik mentioned this as one of the best vintages he tried, as it was a great season. Erik tasted blood orange, Aperol spritz, and rose hip tea.

We were looking at the labels on the bottle and Erik noted how much money goes into a label and how many other things can increase the cost of a bottle, such as the cork, weight, colour and gloss on a label.

I observed one man sitting at the back of the table. I’ll refer to him herein as the Winefather. When he spoke, it reminded me of a school principal speaking at an elementary school assembly. I was mesmerized as he punctuated Erik’s lecture with his own nuggets of knowledge. He exuded mystery with his European accent and authoritative tone, which sharply contrasted with Erik’s gentle, easygoing charm.

The next wine was from southern Rhone, Domaine Richaud A La Source (discount $27.64). I admired the pretty scent and the raspberry hue. The winemaker told Erik he knew he would be famous at a young age and decided to drop out of school at 14 to pursue his dream. I’m glad his confidence wasn’t misplaced. Both Lululemon and I bought a bottle.

We tried the last two wines side by side. The first of the two was a super badass wine, Matthieu Barret Cornas Gore ($220). The scent was beautiful. Lululemon smelled olives. I found this wine tangy, like cherries. Erik described the wine as wild, bombastic, and dark-fruited. We learned this wine is fermented in glass.

The other wine, Martin Texiere Brezeme (discount $41.61), was more to my liking. I appreciated the black tea notes and the herbal element. The Brezeme is made two kilometres away from the Cornas Gore. Erik informed us the wine is made from 100% Syrah grapes and, unlike the Cornas, was destemmed and aged in a neutral barrel. I bought two bottles.

Two wine tastings in a week! It’s been a wild ride. I’ve also blown my monthly budget but stocked up on some epic wine for future parties.

Lululemon asked Erik if he would organize and host a wine tour for us. He said he was up for it. Lululemon has a lot of friends, so I’m optimistic that I’ll be enjoying a Juice Imports tour in 2026-2027.

Mikko Alkio of Clos Alkio – Vine Arts

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On Wednesday, Divine Offering and I went to a wine tasting at Vine Arts – Meet the Maker – Mikko Alkio of Clos Alkio. For this post, let’s listen to Caminito a Motel.

We checked out Sound Bar before the tasting. It’s a cozy, dimly lit space reminiscent of a chic basement. I was early and walked up to someone I thought was Divine Offering. After the woman told me she was not Divine Offering, I noticed she wasn’t even of the same ethnicity. This isn’t the first time I’ve made an error like this. Face blindness is a real thing.

Divine Offering texted me and asked me if I was inside. Yes, of course, I responded. Why would I wait outside in -25 weather? It turned out that someone had locked the door, and she couldn’t get in. When I went to open the door, another customer next to her yelled at me for locking him out. I responded indignantly that I didn’t lock him out. I was letting him in! He apologized.

I’m a big fan of the hard iced tea ($7) —it’s bubbly, full of rich black tea notes, and perfectly sweet without overpowering the tea flavour. Divine Offering tried a blood orange beer ($5), and for her second drink, she went for the non-alcoholic Bees Knees cocktail, which she loved. Divine Offering liked that the music was at just the right volume—not too loud. She also mentioned wanting to come back to try their snacks.

Right on time, we walked across the street to Vine Arts. Mikko, the winemaker, is from Finland. We learned that he’s familiar with Calgary. As a youth, he did a homestay in Calgary, where the hosts became like a second family.

His passion for wine became a business when he and his family moved to Barcelona so his three kids could immerse themselves in the city’s tennis scene. As there were no iPhones at the time to distract him, he developed a deep appreciation for Spanish wines. Despite being a partner at a law firm in Finland, he also chose to create a side hustle as the proprietor of a world-class winery in Priorat, Spain.

The first wine we tried in his line-up was Fam de Vida Chenin Blanc 2022 ($60.54). I found this wine fresh and clean, with a non-typical sweetness. Mikko noted that 14% of the wine was produced in high-quality inox tanks, with no oak aging, producing 900 bottles. Mikko said to wait eight to 10 years for the wine to mature. Divine Offering loved this wine so much that she purchased a bottle.

The second wine was a 2021 Fam de Vida Ull de Liebre ($64.50). I marvelled at the pretty purple hue and its smooth flavour. Mikko mentioned he was pleased this wine was well-received at one of Spain’s biggest festivals, which showcased thousands of Spanish wines. He shared that, much like law, the devil’s in the details regarding winemaking. He’s all about precision. His grapes use significantly less water than other wineries and have about five times less sulphur than other winemakers.

The third wine was my favourite – Fam de Vida Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 ($85.70). The fragrance was so lovely, reminding me of something very pretty and floral. It tasted clean and vibrant. I loved it so much that I stopped eating the cheese and charcuterie before me and sipped as slowly as possible. Mikko recommended aging this wine for ten years, but there’s no way I will wait a decade. I liked this one so much I bought two bottles. I asked Mikko what he would pair with this wine. He looked surprised as if the answer was so obvious, and apparently, it was to everyone except me. Cheese! Divine Offering also bought a bottle.

Mikko clearly favoured the fourth tasting – Fam de Vida Syrah 2022 ($88.70). This wine is aged in French oak for 14 months. He recommends tasting the difference after ten hours and then again the next day. I’m an impatient drinker, so this bottle was a no-go for me to purchase.

You can tell by listening to Mikko that he is obsessed with grapes, which is reflected in his wine quality. He’s all about letting his grapes speak for themselves, making wines that authentically reflect the land and the fruit.

The fifth wine was Caminito a Motel 2021 ($36.85). The wine is named after a song his son recommended, Caminito a Motel. Mikko would often listen to this song while searching for property.

Carminito a Motel is a blend of 35% Garnatxa, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 30% Carinyena, with a 15% alcohol content. Aged in French oak for eight months, Mikko recommended opening this wine in five, 10 and 15 years. I bought three bottles for friends of mine who like to age their wines.

The last wine of the evening was Clos Alkio 2021 ($108.24), a top blend Mikko is so proud of he put his name on it. Plucked from aged vines, the grapes blend 30% Garnatxa Negra, 30% Carinyena, 20% Syrah, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Divine Offering and I had a blast. The wine importer who set up the event was a great host, ensuring we had everything to be comfortable. Thank you, Mikko, for braving the cold Canadian prairie and sharing your wines. Hitting the Sauce gives this wine tasting two phat thumbs up.

Cabos San Lucas · Seafood

Cabo San Lucas – 2024 visit

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This post is for my friend Westjet, who is currently in San Jose. I wanted to share my recommendations, as Cabo is just a short Uber ride away, and I’ll also include some alternatives in San Jose. Let’s listen to this post, “Float On” by Modest Mouse.

Once we landed in Cabo last December, Chew Steel and I immediately visited our favourite spot for fried shrimp tacos, La Gardenias. Some Americans complain that seafood tacos are expensive, about $3.50 US, but I find the price fair, as these puppies come loaded with jumbo shrimp. You get three to four pieces of crunchy shrimp with a batter that melts in your mouth.

We loaded each taco with shredded cabbage, a spicy green sauce, tiny chopped raw onions with cilantro, fresh tomato salsa, pickled onions and charred peppers. Then there’s the white sauce and guacamole to add.

The corn tortilla is homemade and has a softer, less starchy texture than their flour version. Despite the piling of toppings, the shrimp still stands out in each bite. Two is sufficient for lunch. Chew Steel always get an ice-cold bottle of Pacifico ($3 US), while I prefer lime margaritas ($6 US). The San Jose equivalent would be Tacos Rossy.

After we ate, we checked into our condo ($250 CAN), located right on the marina. The balcony was fantastic, with a clear view of the bay and the boats gliding by. My only qualm was I wished the kitchenette was cleaner and better equipped with paper towels and things like salt.

We walked around, stopped by the supermarket to pick up sparkling Topo Chico water and Pacifico, and hung out on our patio until supper. For dinner, I picked La Lupita, our top pick for live music and top-quality tacos. I’ve been at least six times before and tried almost everything on the menu. One of my favourite dishes is the second cheapest, the Gringo ($3.50 US) and the El Torero ($5 US). What can I say? I’m just a basic b.

This visit was the first time my tacos arrived cold. The whole place was slammed, and the staff were in overdrive, bringing free chips and frantically bringing huge trays of tacos to large parties. I recognized our favourite long-time bartender/manager, and he even helped run food for the masses.

Our server apologized, and we told him not to worry, as they were working their asses off trying to serve a packed restaurant. It didn’t bother us that the food was off that night, as the ambience and live music made up for it.

We returned a couple of nights later, and the food was on point. Each taco was hot, fresh, and loaded with top-quality ingredients, perfectly prepared. That night, the el Torero was on fire. The chicharron was crunchy, punctuating the hot, creamy chorizo filling. I washed three tacos with a well-crafted lime margarita ($12 US). There’s a second La Lupita location in San Jose, where I’ve also dined.

This was our first Christmas visit. We explored new restaurants that were open on Christmas Eve and Day. I won’t return to the ones we tried, despite their high reviews. We took an Uber to San Jose for the art walk, and Chew Steel booked me two 90-minute beachside massages. I also tried to book a farm visit, but both locations were fully booked since November.

For lunch, we stopped by an old favourite of mine, El Paisa. I’ve recalled many nights dining on their sirloin, tripas, and al pastor tacos. Each taco is about $3 US. There’s another El Paisa location in San Jose as well.

This time around, I found the tripas pasty in texture and chalky. The sirloin was average, and the guacamole sauce was flavourless. The al pastor was tasty but disguised with a smear of red sauce that did little to elevate the flavour. I questioned Chew Steel about the quality, and he stated it was the same as in previous years, but this visit was the first time we came in the daytime without previously drinking. It was a sobering moment for me. Several other old haunts of ours disappointed us, which means we must seek out new places in future visits.

One place that blew us away again was Pezcabo. I discovered this gem last year, and man, do they deliver with the raw stuff, like clams, ceviche, and tostadas. The raw clams ($3 US) were sweet.

We ordered a seafood tower, Torres de Mariscos ($12 US) and wow, this was a treat. Octopus, raw shrimp, cooked shrimp, red tuna, avocado, tomatoes and onions piled high, sitting high on a layer of what looked like a soy-based sauce. Each piece of seafood was so fresh. We also shared a Sierra Instante tosado loaded with octopus, shrimp, avocado and tuna ($6 US). One of the best meals on our trip. A comparable place for Westjet to try out in San Jose would be El Toroguero or Lateral Crudo Y Asado

We revisited Los Claros, a seafood joint we hadn’t dined at in our past three visits. Our loss, as I’ve forgotten how good the fried fish tacos ($3 US) and seafood tostada ($5 US) are. While we were there, a food tour stopped by, and we overhead Los Claros, known for their smoked marlin tacos. And yes, there’s a second spot in San Jose as well.

Chew Steel and I come to Cabos so often that it’s become routine, but it keeps us returning for an easy, direct trip in the dead of winter. Westjet now offers direct flights to Mexico City, so we can change it next winter. Hopefully, my friend and her family can join us so I can show her some good places to eat in person.

Greek · Mediteranean · Restaurants · Seafood

Kama

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For my birthday, Bex Oxo took me to see Candlelight: Coldplay & Imagine Dragons, a candlelight musical experience. As her birthday is two days before mine, I took her out for dinner before the concert at Kama. Let’s listen to “Believer” by Imagine Dragon for this post.

I was jonesing for a glass of wine, but since it was dry January, I ordered Benjamin Bridge Piquette Zero Spritzer ($6.50, 250ml). I picked the original flavour, which tasted like a simple, sweet pop. I would not order this again. This beverage ranked pretty low on my list, along with a non-alcoholic Erdinger.

Bex Oxo chose wisely, ordering a Jerry Blackberry Blackberry Ginger Shrub, Honey, Mint, Soda ($11). I took a sip and found her mocktail thick and delicious, with a tart, gingery bite to it. It was so good that I regretted not ordering it myself.

Kama has so many seafood offerings, but Bex Oxo has a shellfish allergy, so we tried the Spanakopita, Bulgarian Cheese, Nigella ($11), Brussels Sprouts, Burnt Honey Yogurt, Coriander, Cashew ($19), Chicken Souvlaki, Greek Garden Salad, Tzatziki, Honey Feta Beignets ($43).

First up was the spanakopita, generously stacked with buttery smooth spinach. The feta and dill made for a fragrant and rich filling. Unlike other spanakopitas I’ve tried, Kama’s version was filled with way more filling than pastry.

The brussels sprouts were phenomenal. Each warm sprout squished a juicy, sweet, burnt honey and yogurt sauce. I loved munching on the crunchy cashews and hits of coriander. Bex Oxo mentioned she enjoyed the charred cabbage leaves, which reminded her of slightly burnt food from a campfire. I’m not a camper, so though I couldn’t relate, I understood her sentiment. Bex Oxo has invited me camping many times, but I know my limits and play within it. This dish is a winner, and I would order it again.

The chicken souvlaki is large enough for three appetites. On the plate were five or six golden brown honey feta beignets. Bex Oxo took a bite and exclaimed that it was like a doughnut met a dinner roll. I liked the crusty, oily exterior and the doughy, dense interior.

The chicken chunks were also large; the meat was fluffy and soft. The best part of the chicken was the tangy lemon flavour and the combination of the sweet, salty, and crunchy flavour of the beignet. The simple side salad of peppers and onions rounded out this feast on a plate. I recommend this dish to anyone who loves a good, carby meal. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed souvlaki so much.

We were so full we didn’t order dessert, and we took a good chunk of the chicken souvlaki home. Bex Oxo and I thought Kama was even better than Ten Foot Henry in terms of ambience and service. Ten Foot Henry has a much bigger wine list with bottles I’m familiar with, but other than that, Kama wins my favour.

As for the concert, I enjoyed it so much that I checked out Candlelight: Featuring Vivaldi’s Four Seasons the following week, and I’m planning to book tickets for Pink Floyd and Bach and the Beatles. Thanks, Bex Oxo, for introducing me to my latest hobby.