Contellation Brands Canada’s Eugene Mlynczyk MW tells the Tom Gore Vineyards story and shares a recipe to pair with Tom Gore’s Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon.

As the Canadian spirit slowly awakens to sights, sounds and activities of spring, dormant vines in the vineyard are also waking up with new growth. The art of wine-growing has a seasonal rhythm, explains Tom Gore, the grape farmer behind the wines of Tom Gore Vineyards.

Tom is a second-generation grape farmer from Sonoma County, who grew up in California’s Alexander Valley, a wine region where his parents moved in the early 1970s. He learned from his father how to tend the vines and eventually followed in his footsteps by establishing Tom Gore Vineyards.

Understanding the year-long process of grape farming helps wine drinkers become more connected to where their wine comes from, according to Gore. His wines encapsulate the farm-to-glass philosophy.

“I love that at the end of the year you have a bottle of wine that’s like a time capsule; it tells the story of what you did through the whole year,” Gore says.

The work doesn’t just start in late summer when the grapes are ready to harvest. Careful planning, hard work and problem solving goes into every stage of wine growing, Gore explains. As Gore has experienced wine farming through the seasons, he has developed an intuitive understanding for what grapevines need to maximize their potential.

Now in Spring, the dormant vines are beginning to wake up. Gore’s team will watch the vines carefully as they grow. Soon they’ll prune them to ensure just a select few healthy shoots remain, a process that helps concentrate the flavour in the grapes.

“The extra shoots will draw energy from the vine to stuff that’s not going to produce fruit,” explains Gore. “You really want to focus the energy into the few select shoots left behind.”

As the spring season starts warming up, the vines start growing leaves more rapidly, and Gore and his team will regularly prune the canopy, helping the vines get lots of sunlight and minimizing disease risk.

Part of the art of grape growing is positioning the vines in the best direction for grape growing and harvesting.

“Coaxing the vines into the right position at the right time is very important,” he says.

Once summertime hits, the grapes will start to ripen. Gore and his team will monitor them carefully to make sure they have a good sugar content.

Tom Gore Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon brings the freshness of the farm to the table with ripe red fruit aromas including plum, cherry and currant notes on the nose. It has a medium body and balanced acidity, with complex layers of mocha and coffee on the palate.

Tom Gore Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon wine is now available on the LCBO’s Vintages shelves for $19.95. Click here to find the nearest bottle to you.

Grape farmer Tom Gore and his wife, Erin, embrace this farm-to-table philosophy by cooking with fresh, hand-pick veggies from their own garden. Here is one of their favourite recipes: Green Garlic Marinated Lamb Chops with Mint Chimichurri. Others can be found at TomGoreVineyards.com.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Green Garlic Marinated Lamb Chops with Mint Chimichurri
Pairs with Tom Gore Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon.

Makes 4-6 servings.

For the lamb
1 dozen lamb chops
Salt and pepper

For the marinade
1 cup Tom Gore Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons spicy Dijon mustard
¼ cup onions, chopped
¼ cup green garlic, chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper

For the mint chimichurri
¼ cup green garlic, finely minced
3 tablespoons capers, finely minced
5 anchovies, finely minced
1 shallot, finely minced
1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
½ cup fresh mint, finely chopped
½ cup fresh oregano, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh tarragon, finely chopped
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1/3 cup red wine vinegar [Art: pls size down to fraction format]
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Procedure

  • Combine all marinade ingredients. Cover lamb chops in marinade. Refrigerate lamb in marinade for 12 hours.
  • Remove lamb from marinade and sprinkle with salt.
  • Grill chops over high heat – about two minutes on each side. Let rest for five minutes before serving.
    For chimichurri, combine all ingredients and serve at room temperature. Drizzle over lamb and serve.

Constellation Brands Canada is a Good Food Fighter. Please support the businesses and organizations that support Good Food Revolution.