The Globe and Mail - 22.02.2020

P8| PURSUITS OTHEGLOBEANDMAIL | SATURDAY,FEBRUARY22,2020

I

f you remember watchingDe-

grassiand 90210 (or evenHappy

DaysandM*A*S*H) as a kid,

chances are you or someone you

know was raised on a schedule of

regularly rotating weeknight din-

ners: meatloaf Mondays, spaghet-

ti Tuesdays, shepherd’s pie Thurs-

days, or some version thereof.

Some parents assigned dinners

more rigidly to days of the week,

others just stuck to a handful of

dishes in their wheelhouse for

years on end. In the early eighties,

our neighbour down the street

had a box of recipes she circulated

through year-round; each shop-

ping day she’d pull out seven

cards for the coming week and

make up her grocery list.

Some friends and I were recent-

ly reminiscing about this way of

feeding a family, chortling over

the old-fashioned simplicity of it,

until it occurred to me that none

of these parents ever wondered

what was for dinner.There was

never a sudden five-o’clock real-

ization that there was no plan in

place, no hungry scramble

through a packed grocery store at

rush hour, grabbing a deli chicken

and bagged salad. Their kids

knew by the day what would be

on the table at six and so never

had to ask. Not only that, sched-

uled meals ensured grocery lists

and budgets were simple and

straightforward and not as sus-

ceptible to impulse buys.

Deciding on dinner has be-

come one of the most sigh-induc-

ing daily challenges of our time,

contributing to the 220 or so food-

related decisions we make each

day, according to researchers at

Cornell University. A sharp in-

crease in culinary conveniences,

from innovative products on gro-

cery store shelves to new technol-

ogies and services, coincided with

growth of the number of women

in Canada’s labour market, from

25 per cent in the early 1950s to 82

per cent in 2014, at which point

women made up almost half of

the country’s work force.

Today, families with two work-

ing parents tend to seek out more

solutions to help them get dinner

on the table. Of course, more

mealtime options tend to com-

pound our decision-making fa-

tigue, rather than relieve it – the

arrival of Skip the Dishes and Ub-

er Eats gives us access to a far

broader menu at home, and

there’s the option to combine

home cooking and delivery by or-

dering groceries or meal kits on-

line. Thirteen per cent of Cana-

dians have had meal kits, with in-

gredients premeasured and ready

to assemble, shipped to their

doors, overwhelmingly motiva-

ted by the potential to save time

on planning, prep and grocery

shopping.

For those cooking from

scratch, there’s the question of

what to do with the groceries

we’re now able to source nearly 24

hours a day, seven days a week;

cookbook collections have

swelled to many times the size of

past generations, and we have ac-

cess to unlimited recipes and

cooking tutorials online. Most of

us have quick meals we tend to

fall back on, such as lentil dal or

eggs on toast, but the culinary bar

has also been raised far higher

than it was in the days when so

many dinners began with a

pound of ground beef and a tin of

cream of mushroom soup.

“As a kid, I thought that was the

way everyone had dinner,” my

friend Melanie Pastuck tells me of

her mom’s schedule. “We didn’t

have assigned days of the week,

but tuna casserole, hamburger

hash made with ground beef, to-

mato soup and macaroni, pero-

gies, and a pork roast or chops

were in regular rotation, with

mashed potatoes and creamed

corn.”

Repetition, it seems, was the

trade-off to free up some of the

brain space that keeps tabs on the

contents of the fridge and tries to

piece together what it might have

the potential to become on any

given evening. It’s the same ratio-

nale Barack Obama and Mark

Zuckerberg have given for wear-

ing the same outfits day after day

• even seemingly small, mun-
  dane decisions can erode your
  ability to make other, more im-
  portant ones. And when those de-
  cisions take place in the late after-
  noon, when mental depletion
  makes us more willing to accept
  the default choice, and hunger
  can dictate what we want to eat,
  solving the dinner dilemma can
  be tricky to navigate on the fly.
  But when it comes to what we
  eat, are predictability and repeti-
  tion really so bad? Kids don’t
  mind, they actually find comfort
  in the familiar – no doubt there
  are plenty of grown-ups who feel
  the same, who don’t crave some-
  thing new and exciting every day.
  In recent years, Pastuck and her
  sister have realized that their
  mother’s meal plans were a ne-
  cessity of the tight budget she fol-
  lowed in order to feed her family
  of five, a challenge Pastuck faces

today as the parent of a 10-year-

old and a 13-year-old. “Thinking

aboutour rotation of meals

makes me want to try it for a

month to see how it affects my

grocery bill,” she says. “I know

meal planning would save me,

and my kids, so much stress – and

money.”

These days, my own mom

tends to be apologetic about pull-

ing out old standbys, such as pan-

fried fish filets or scrambled eggs

and brown beans, when we’re

over, as if dinner must always in-

volve some level of inventiveness

to be appealing. Except that I find

comfort in it. Although the dishes

of the day may have changed –

perhaps your kids will know it’s

Thursday because buttermilk-

brined roasted chicken with kale,

cauliflower and garlicky tahini is

on the menu – rotating dinners

may be the most helpful culinary

strategy we retrieve from genera-

tions past.

SpecialtoTheGlobeandMail

Dinneronrepeat

MeatlessMondays,tacoTuesdays.Eatingthesamedishes

weekinandweekoutmaysoundboring,butJulieVanRosendaalsays

there’svaluetobefoundinamealroutine

Followingamealscheduleleadstogrocerylistsandbudgetsthatare

simpleandstraightforward.ISTOCK

S

angiovese is having difficulty shaking free of its

mediocre past, despite it being capable of pro-

ducing stylish red wines that possess elegance,

vitality and complexity. The unpleasant taste of

those tangy vinegar-like substances packaged in

straw-bottomed flask bottles lingers.

Sangiovese is often viewed as a variety that needs

a lift from international grapes, such as cabernet

sauvignon or merlot, to produce something truly

special. That’s certainly the rags-to-riches story of

so-called super-Tuscan wines, which revolutionized

a lacklustre wine scene in the 1970s by embracing

French grapes and new oak to make glossy, Napa-

style red wines. But there’s a steady stream of con-

sistently exciting Chianti Classicos coming into Can-

adian markets today to remind us that sangiovese-

based wines can be compelling in their own right.

Like this season’s surging Toronto Raptors, sangio-

vese doesn’t need the performance-enhancing ad-

dition of a Kawhi Leonard superstar to be counted

as one of the elites.

It’s high time we took notice – and advantage of

their attainable prices.

The wines pouring out of the historic and revered

Chianti Classico region today have never been bet-

ter. Better-quality sangiovese vines are taking over

vineyards that are being farmed more considerately

to produce quality as opposed to quantity. The re-

gion’s warming temperatures are also helping pro-

duce riper grapes for winemakers.

It’s important to stress we’re talking Chianti Clas-

sico here. Classico means the original heartland of

Chianti, stretching between Florence and Siena,

that was originally decreed by Cosimo III de’Medici,

Grand Duke of Tuscany, in 1716. These are the rolling

hills punctuated by stone castles and cypress trees

that fuel the romantic spell ofUnder the Tuscan Sun.

Some 7,200 hectares of vineyards are registered

for the production of Chianti Classico, which holds

Italy’s highest wine classification, Denominazione

di Origine Controllata e Garantita.

Producers are able to make a range of wines in

three quality tiers, including Riserva, which must be

aged by the winery for more than two years prior to

release, and Gran Selezione, which was introduced

in 2013 to represent the best single-vineyard wines.

Chianti Classico wines require a minimum of 80

per cent Sangiovese, the historic variety of the zone,

with a staggering 49 other varieties allowed to make

up a maximum of 20 per cent. These include native

varieties such as canaiolo and colorino and interna-

tional varieties cabernet, merlot and syrah.

Wines labelled Chianti come from a larger region

and have less stringent regulationsgoverningtheir

production. Some can be exceptional – and tremen-

dous bargains. Many are basic and blah. (Sangio-

vese is also responsible for Tuscany’s rare and col-

lectable Brunello di Montalcino wines, which typ-

ically come with rave critical reviews and sky-high

prices, and more affordable but varied quality Ros-

so di Montalcino wines.)

Much of the current excitement surrounding

Chianti Classico comes on the heels of the celebrat-

ed 2015 and 2017 vintages, which produced partic-

ularly exemplary and age-worthy wines. But the

quality of the wines coming out of the average 2016

harvest is what has me taking interest.

These savoury and structured wines really show

the ambition and higher standards that define the

region. The 2016 wines might not be the longest-

lived examples, but the best ones are really enjoya-

ble now.

The attainable prices and food-friendly nature of

Chianti Classico makes these wines darlings for

many sommeliers. They can often represent some

of the best value prospects on a well-crafted wine

list. Look for these producers: Badia a Coltibuono,

Castagnoli, Castello di Ama, Il Molino di Grace and

Querciabella.

The region’s wines are also well represented at

liquor stores across the country. This week’s recom-

mendations feature a range of (mostly) larger-vol-

ume producers that provide a welcome introduc-

tion – or reintroduction, as the case may be – to the

regal countenance of stylish and surprising sangio-

vese.

CASTELLIDELGREVEPESACASTELGREVECHIANTI

CLASSICO2016(ITALY)

SCORE:87PRICE:$17.95

Coming from the Castelli del Grevepesa co-oper-

ative, this simple and enjoyable red wine makes the

most of its juicy fruit character. It lacks the complex-

ity of the best Chianti Classicos, but it’s ready to

drink and has all the makings of a fine dinner com-

panion. Available in Ontario.

CASTELLODIGABBIANORISERVACHIANTICLASSICO

2015(ITALY)

SCORE:90PRICE:$22.95

Another consistently pleasing model of Chianti

Classico, this estate-grown blend of sangiovese and

merlot is expressive and enjoyable. Nice complex

character and a long satisfying finish make this

stand out. Available in Ontario at the above price,

$16.95 in British Columbia, various prices in Alberta,

$17.29 in Saskatchewan, $22.99 in Manitoba, $23.85

in Quebec, $27.49 in New Brunswick, $24.99 in Nova

Scotia.

CARPINETORISERVACHIANTICLASSICO2015(ITALY)

SCORE:91PRICE:$28.95

Made with sangiovese and canaiolo, this dry and

elegant red wine is a classic model of Chianti Classic.

The fragrance and flavour profile are refined and in-

tense, with lots of savoury and earthy complexity

adding interest to a core of ripe black cherry fruit.

Drink now to 2030. Available in Ontario at the above

price, $32.99 in Manitoba, $26.95 in Quebec,

ROCCADELLEMACIEFAMIGLIAZINGARELLICHIANTI

CLASSICO2017(ITALY)

SCORE:88PRICE:$18.95

Produced with sangiovese and 5-per-cent merlot,

this offers pleasing ripe red fruit and a smooth tex-

ture. The soft and supple house style makes this re-

ally approachable and crowd-pleasing. Drink now.

Available in Ontario at the above price, $19.99 in

British Columbia, various prices in Alberta.

RUFFINORISERVADUCALERISERVACHIANTI

CLASSICO2016(ITALY)

SCORE:90PRICE:$25.95

First released in 1927, Riserva Ducale is Ruffino’s

brand name and the wine is made to be Chianti

Classico Riserva, which makes this the only Italian

label to sport the word Riserva twice. Consistently

offering a complex aromas and flavours of red fruit,

spice and herbal notes, this has long been a text-

book example of Chianti Classico. Available in Onta-

rio at the above price, $25.99 in British Columbia,

various prices in Alberta, $28.99 in Manitoba, $24.95

in Quebec, $29.99 in Nova Scotia, $33.48 in New-

foundland.

RUFFINORISERVADUCALEOROGRANSELEZIONE

CHIANTICLASSICO2014(ITALY)

SCORE:91PRICE:$47.95

One of the founders of the Gran Selezione category,

Ruffino’s Ducale Oro offers serious complexity in

the form of leather, spice and savoury notes. The

palate is rich and concentrated, with youthful tan-

nins and bright acidity that suggest good aging po-

tential, but I’d worry the fruit is going to fade quick-

ly. Drink now to 2026. Available in Ontario at the

above price, $48.99 in British Columbia and $47 in

Quebec, $49.98 in Nova Scotia.

SpecialtoTheGlobeandMail

Anewlook

atanoldgrape

ChiantiClassicorevealssangiovese’srisingstarpower

CHRISTOPHER

WATERS

WATERSONWINE

BOTTLESTOTRY

CastellodiGabbiano’sestate-grownblendofsangioveseandmerlotRiservaChiantiClassico2015

featurescomplexcharacterandalongsatisfyingfinish.