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Cynar - A One-of-a-Kind Aperitif
Michael Vaughan's Bottle of the Week
National Post • Saturday Weekend Section • March 5, 2005
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I remember dining in a small Italian trattoria many decades ago and being offered a small cold glass of a remarkably delicious, bittersweet, herbal starter. It was a revelation. With Easter just one month away, I find myself dreaming of those tender, flavourful, Italian Spring artichokes that I first experienced in the same establishment. While the latter have yet to surface here in Toronto, I am able to enjoy that identical aperitif today – Cynar. This one-of-a-kind dark amber coloured Italian elixir is the only one in the world made from artichokes along with 13 plants and herbs. With a modest 16.5% alcohol, it not only perks up your appetite, but also makes your breath kissing sweet. The fairly pungent, bittersweet, refreshing, mocha, star anise and licorice flavours are great straight up on the rocks or with a splash of soda and twist of orange. Still undiscovered on the west coast, Ontario is Canada’s number one market for Cynar (CSPC 118497) at $16.80 (Click Here check out LCBO availability), followed by Quebec where it is only $12.15 (Click Here check out SAQ availability). In Alberta, it is $14.99 at Edmonton's Liquor World and $15.79 at Calgary's Crowfoot Liquor. For more information on Cynar, call Peter Mielzynski Agencies at 905-820-4117.

Artichoke Antics
The key component in Cynar is a bitter compound
known as Cynarin from Artichoke leaves!

It is hotly debated whether the birthplace of the artichoke was Sicily or North Africa. Where ever, this voluptuous vegetable traveled from Naples to Florence in 1466. In 1533 Italian Princess Catherine di Medici (1519-1589) brought artichokes, along with her chefs, to France where she married King Henry II and eventually the ruling Queen. It quickly became in vogue in courts across Europe. Rumoured to be a powerful aphrodisiac, this member of the thistle family is technically known as Cynara Scolymus.

The key component in Cynar is a bitter compound known as cynarin, which comes from steeping the artichoke leaves in spirits. This powerful antioxidant is revered for its healthful qualities and adds a distinguishing touch of tranquility to every meal. While more than 50 varieties of artichokes are being grown around the world, most of what is available here comes from around Castroville, California, the self-proclaimed “artichoke capital of the world.” It was there in 1949 that Marilyn Monroe was crowned the first official California “Artichoke Queen.” For the top 1,339 artichoke recipes click here

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** For All Visitors **
Vintages April 2005 Release
To see the complete list of upcoming 186 products click here (sorted by date of release). It includes the number of cases, which wines were presented by the LCBO, our agent ID for every product,
as well as, the 15 “In Store Discoveries” for April.
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Copyright Food & Beverage Testing Institute of Canada 2005
Prior written permission is required for any form of reproduction
(electronic or other wise) and or quotation.
Contact Michael Vaughan at
mbv@total.net