34070 73rd and Black Sage Rd
Oliver, B.C. V0H 1T0

” Equinoxe: equal day, equal night. Equal old world, equal new world.”

The Equinoxe label  from Le Vieux Pin is a very limited production series, with total production ranging from one to three barrels in each vintage.  The winery uses two sorting tables, open top  oak fermentors and a small one ton basket press to produce these wines. The price point is indicative of the labor taken to craft them. They are, as the winery states, pricey.

We did barrel tastings for a few of the Equinoxe wines, as well, as some of the upcoming production, in the early  spring. The samples were showing quite well from the barrel. The Syrah especially was tasting fantastic.  The tasting notes were taken Sept 2012, at a tasting class the winery put on in Vancouver featuring the Equinoxe series of wines. While these are limited production wines with a similarly limited availability from either the winery or selected private wine stores and restaurants, they are well worth searching out. We will be doing a review of their other wines shortly. Look for their Ava, a Viognier/Roussanne/Marsanne blend. Also their regular production of Syrah  and Chardonnay is a great value.

Barrel room

The Wines

Equinoxe Chardonnay 2009 $60.00

Citrus and stone fruit.The warm 2009 vintage brought out the fruit in this wine. There is a well balanced acidity and a Chablis-like minerality. It was barrel fermented and the oak is well integrated.  The vines are 39 years old giving complexity to the wine. We would recommend a pairing with oysters or seafood. This is one of our top two BC Chards. Three barrels total production.

Tech Stuff RS 0.6 g/l alc 13.9% Six months 100% new French Oak

Equinoxe Syrah 2009 $70.00

Black Pepper, ripe fruit and roses.The 2009 vintage was a hot vintage in BC, so this wine is showing ripe fruit and a more rounded acidity . An extremely well balanced wine with a very long finish. This is getting really close to a Rhone style Syrah. A great example of what British Columbia can do with Syrah when the yields are correct. 1.5 tons per acre for this vintage .  It has the South Okanagan black pepper that we  now look forward to. An excellent food wine, especially with dishes with some pepper notes. We also like this as an evening sipper. 160 cases produced.
Tech Stuff Alc 14.8% 18 months French Oak 72% new

With wine maker Severine Pinte

Equinoxe Syrah 2008

White pepper and black cherry. Mere tasting notes do not do this wine any justice. Think finesse and elegance. A wow wine well worth searching out.This is a single vineyard wine grown in slate and gravel soil from the Dead Man vineyard. My all time favorite from Le Viuex Pin.  We should really be keeping this one to ourselves, at least until we buy some more. Winery orders only. 75 Cases produced

Tech Stuff RS 1/g/l, Alcl 14 % 18 months French Oak 50% new

Equinoxe Cabernet Franc 2008 $124.90

A perfect Cabernet Franc. Tobacco and leather . A very long finish. This wine was created from one row of vines in the Feuille D’Or vineyard and only one barrel was produced. It is hard not to make a great wine when the production is  limited to a few perfect vines grown  in the right terroir. Think beef with this one

Tech Stuff RS 2g/l Acl 15.1% 22 months French Oak 100% New

small tank fermentors

Equinoxe Merlot 2008

A very, very big Merlot. Very intense  with big tannins.  A balanced wine with a great nose. Plum, blackberry and coffee notes.  This one will need some aging, but I think will reward those who have the patience to lay it down for a few years. A single vineyard wine from the south end of the Golden mile. To quote the winery “regardless of the vintage, the resulting wine is always intense with firm tannins.” Put the emphasis on intense. Think of a big  grilled rib eye for a food match. 175 cases produced. The 2009 Merlot will be released spring of 2013.

Tech Stuff RS 1.9g/l Alc 14.9% 21 months French Oak 60% New

Le Vieux Pin vineyard uses low input viticulture and sustainable farming methods. The winery is starting to use underground drip irrigation to save water and help with weed control. The deficit irrigation leads to low yields and some concentrated  flavours.  They do on-site composting and are using vinyl posts which last longer and  are better for the environment than pressure-treated wood posts. Le Vieux Pin donates 2% of all online  sales to The PALS Autism School Society. There is also a 10% discount for 12 bottles ordered from their wine club.

Ownership Enotecca Winery and Resorts  

Vineyard Manager Jody Subotin

Wine Maker Severine Pinte

General Manager Rasoul Salehi

Average Case Production <5000

Year Founded 2005

Vineyard Acreage  less than 50 acres

Le Vieux Pin

34070 73rd and Black Sage Rd
Oliver, B.C. V0H 1T0

Tel:250.498.8388
Fax:250.498.8399
info@levieuxpin.ca

Tasting Room Hours:April 21st-Sept 30th 10am-7Pm 7 days a week Nov 1st to April 21st 11am -5pm weekdays

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by Frank Haddad and Wendy Yackemic

Tinhorn Creek

We are going to talk about of a couple of Tinhorn Creek wines and then Tinhorn’s environmental and sustainable efforts in both the vineyard and the winery. No matter how much effort you put into being green and sustainable, you still have to make good or great wines. So, first we are going to review a sampling of Tinhorn wines.

Chardonnay $17.99

We have probably drunk cases, maybe gallons of this wine sitting on decks in the Okanagan. We like this chard. A great summer sipper, it is what we look for in a Chardonnay. A lightly oaked, fruit forward wine.

Tech Stuff PH3.7, RS<2.0g/l, TA6.0, Acl 12.9% 15% new Oak 100% malolactic fermentation.

Cabernet Franc 2010 $19.99

 This is, for me, a great example of what British Columbia can do with Cabernet Franc. A varietally correct wine with dark fruit, tobacco, cedar and herb notes. A big Cab Franc with lots of tannins and a long finish. This wine has vintage variations making it interesting to try, year after year.

You know those days when you kick your shoes off, put your feet up and go ahhh. This is the bottle of wine to pair with that feeling.

Tech Stuff PH3.71, RS<2.0g/l, TA 6.0, Acl 13.9% , 2-3 year old American and French Oak barrels for 12 months.

Oldfield Series 2Bench Rose 2011 $22.99

If you are looking for a sweet Rose this is not it. This is a dry style rose with strawberry and some pepper and spice notes. We have tried to kill this wine with food pairings, to date with no success . Deep fried anchovies did not even faze it. Hot sauce and dim sum? A match. Peppered steak? Good with it. We can see why some restaurants are now serving this wine by the glass. Sorry, it is only sold at the winery, but if you join the wine club there is a discount. We bought a case late this spring and it is all gone.

Tech Stuff PH 3.42, RS <2.0g/l, TA 6.75G/l, Acl 12.9% 100% Cab Franc

The View From Tinhorn Creek

“The team at Tinhorn Creek Vineyards believe that as stewards of the land they must strive for a balance between agriculture and nature”

Tinhorn Creek was the very first Canadian winery to complete the Climate Smart Program and the first winery in Canada to be carbon neutral. The winery was also the first in the Okanagan to use bio diesel in all its tractors. Used barrels  are recycled.  The winery tanks are cleaned with a super efficient high-pressure system to reduce  water usage by 80%.

The bottles used are made from 50% reclaimed glass. All glass, cardboard and paper is recycled.

New Plantings with Drip Irrigation

To quote Andrew Moon, the goal is to manage the vineyards as naturally as possible. All grape residue from the wine making process is composted and used on the vineyards.

The winery plants vegetation in between rows to reduce erosion. No toxic baits  are used to control animal pests. All the vineyards have a buffer zone between the vines and sensitive areas .The winery is converting their overhead irrigation to drip in order to save water.

Prepping for new plantings and irrigation install

The winery also has taken a stewardship role. Tinhorn has been recognized by The Land Conservancy www.conservancy.bc.ca as a Conservation partner thanks, in part, to their Endangered Snake Protection Program. The winery has erected snake barrier fencing, which is about a foot high.  This keeps the snakes in their natural habitat which keeps them of roadways, thus drastically reducing their mortality rate.

The Snake Fence at Tinhorn Creek

Tinhorn staff, with much TLC, have replanted around 6000 native plants at the top of the vineyard to help with the Antelope Brush Habitat Restoration Program.

Tinhorn also supports the Boys and Girls Club of Canada with  2.5% of their annual income after taxes, exhibiting great corporate responsibility.

So, not only are these good wines to drink, but every time you do you are helping the environment as well. A quote from Tinhorn Creek: “We are stewards of the land and our relationships with them; people rely on us for their livelihoods and trust us to keep them safe; we must reduce our production of carbon and conserve the use of water, preserving the integrity of our watersheds”. Pretty much says it all.

Owners Sandra and Ken Oldfield with Bob and Barbera Shaunessy and Shaun Everest

Acreage 150 acres 100 Black Sage Bench, 50 Golden Mile

Year established 1993

Wine Maker Sandra Oldfield

Viticulturist Andrew Moon

Cases Produced 35,000

Tasting room  is open daily from 10am to 6pm from March 1st to December 31st and from 10am to 5pm January 2nd to February 28th.

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Wine Club

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by Frank Haddad and Wendy Yackemic

Painted Rock Estate Winery
400 Smythe Drive
Penticton BC, Canada, V2A 8W6

Painted Rock

The Painted Rocks

The Wines

2011 Chardonnay $26.70

This Chardonnay is a great food wine. The oak does not overwhelm on this wine because of its nice restrained use. I wish more Chard producers would be this careful with their use of oak. This is not a buttery Chardonnay by any stretch of the imagination. Nice minerality to it. I always have a bottle or two in the wine rack as it is an excellent go-to wine for dinner.

There were three micro harvests on the Chardonnay. The first harvest of golden clusters was approximately 20% of the fruit, five days later they harvested 60% and another six days later they harvested the remaining 20%. These wines were then made separately and blended after five months in new French oak. We tasted a difference in these in the spring, but the blend has worked for this vintage. The first harvest underwent malolactic fermentation and the others did not, so some nice acidity and structure.

Tech Stuff Residual Sugar .1, PH 3.33, Acid 7.5g/l, Alc 14.3% Aged 5 months Sur Lie 100% New French Oak

Syrah 2009 $36.54

Painted Rock has two different blocks of Syah and we tasted both blocks separately this spring from the barrel and thought that they had a winner here. They won a 2012 Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in BC wines for this wine. I think of this wine as old world styled Syrah . Great purple color in the glass , blueberries, dark cherries and purple plums on the palate. It the spiced notes, and the white pepper notes that we like from the upper part of the Okanagan valley. You will love the nose on this wine. The perfect wine for a nice peppered steak. This wine does not need food to smooth it out at all and we have been known to drink it without food, as an evening sipper.  A great wine at good price point.

Tech Stuff RS 2.0g/l, Acid6.1g/l, PH 3.75, Acl 14.3% ,70% new French oak and 25% new American oak 18 Months

Red Icon 2009 $49.02

The nose has some bell pepper, black currants, cedar and a herbal note of mint. The palate has some dark chocolate, coffee with some big fruit, blackberries, and currants from the Cabernet. A big, structured wine with lots of tannins. I have tasted some older vintages of this wine and believe there is a huge aging potential here. Think steak with this one. Winner of A 2012 Lieutenant Governors’ Award for Excellence in BC Wines. Blend 30% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Sirah, 1% Syrah. The Cab Franc we tasted in the barrel was just a blockbuster. Now if we can just convince John to bottle it on it own?

Tech Stuff  Acid 5.0, PH3.69, RS 2.0 g/L Alc 14.3% 95% New French Oak 18 Months

John Skinner and his team have spared no expense in equipping the winery with all of the best possible equipment and gear. This press is one of the best you can buy for a low production producer. As you can see, it can only handle small batches and the press rate and pressure can be controlled to very small increments.

Gabriel Reis the cellar master is taking a vat sample of the Chardonnay for us in this picture.

Most these barrels iare quality French Oak along with  some American Oak. Very expensive French oak. The oak treatment in all of the Painted Rock wines shows a lot of restraint, we find, with just the right amount of oak  and aging that we have come to expect from all the Painted Rock wines.

It may be hard to tell from the picture, but each one of these vines is pruned differently.  Painted Rock is pruning each individual vine to its optimum bud count so that each vine is producing according to what it can ripen most effectively. The individual vine pruning will also  help the vineyard be more consistent in  future years. Here is a quote from John Skinner when I asked for more info on the pruning “It was to tax the less successful plants less, to balance the vigor and carry the right proportion of fruit . Over time it will be one of the important initiatives that we have undertaken to create as a perfect balance as we can in the vineyard”

One thing that is very easily forgotten when drinking a great bottle of wine from a quality producer such as Painted Rock, is that this is a farm. Not only do you have vintage variation, but nature sometimes conspires against you. This picture is a of  electrified bear fence. One year a tribe of black bears decided that they liked Merlot, a lot. Then ate twenty tons of it. The bear fence was installed shortly there after.

Owners John and Trish Skinner

Vineyard Manager Barry Green

Cellar Master Gabriel Reis

Acreage 25 Acres

Planted 2005

Average case production 5000

Painted Rock Estate Winery

400 Smythe Drive
Penticton, BC, Canada, V2A 8W6

Wine shop open from May 1 to Oct 15 11-5 pm daily
Driving Directions

WINE CLUB
Tel: 1 604 306 1107 or 1 250 493 6809
info@paintedrock.ca

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by Frank Haddad and Wendy Yackiemec

Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo is considered to be one of the classic grape varieties of Italy. Nebbiolo is also the only grape grown in the great Barolo and Barbaresco DOCG’s. In my next post, I will discuss the Barolo region and the different wine styles being produced there. But for now, we’ll concentrate on the grape itself. Nebbiolo, unfortunately does not seem to travel well from its northern Italian home. There ARE small amounts planted throughout the world, but these plantings fail to live up to the standard Nebbiolo achieves in Piedmont. Another interesting fact; despite the high regard accorded Nebbiolo, it only accounts for 6% of the total vineyard area, even in its primary residency of Piedmont.

The main regions that use Nebbiolo are Barolo and Barbaresco and, even more to the north, Gattinara and Ghemme. For a softer, more approachable and less expensive interpretation, try a Langhe and Nebbiolo d’Alba Doc as an alternative to the big burly Barolos.

Nebbiolo has a very long history. It is probably the oldest vine planted in the Piedmonte. It was first mentioned in 1303 as growing in Canale d’ Alba’. It was actually known as “Nebiolo” even at that early date. In the fifteenth century, you could lose a hand if you cut down a Nebbiolo vine. If you got caught twice, you may have been hanged. They obviously thought quite highly of Nebbiolo even then. As I see it, anyone with the bad grace to cut down a Nebbiolo vine should be hung anyway.

Inferno Vineyard Valtellina

Nebbiolo, as with most old grape varieties, is prone to mutations. There are approximately forty different clones of Nebbiolo, some much more successful than others. Of these original forty, three clones are now widely grown. These three are Lampia, Michet and Rose. Rose, however, has fallen out of fashion due to the light colour of the wines it produces. Some of the minor clones are planted elsewhere in Italy. Picoutener is preferred in the far north, while in Valtellina it its Chiavennasca.

Nebbiolo is fussy about climate and where it puts its feet. It buds early and is late ripening. This grape needs south-facing slopes to ripen properly in the continental climate of northern Italy. Nebbiolo does get the best growing areas of the Laghne, because of the

Fog in Piedmonte

prestige it has in this region and elsewhere in the world. It is thought that Nebbiolo gets its name from ‘Nebbia’, the fog that happens in the Piedmonte in October, when the grapes are finally ripe. Unfortunately, Nebbiolo is also quite prone to Colotura, or poor fruit set. For that reason, it must be sheltered from the winds.

Nebbiolo produces huge wines with full extract and tannins and even more tannins. Did I mention that they have tannins? Surprisingly, these tannins are extracted from very thin skins. The tannins are complimented and balanced by the high acidity of this grape variety. The tannins and acids are essential and enable these wines to age for years. The classic tasting note is black cherries, tar, roses and leather. I prefer the French term goudron, a rather more elegant term than tar. These are not jammy, fruity wines. Think spicy, floral and savory. They become very complex with a little age and defy description at times. Also with age, they take on a brick red on the rim, along with notes of truffle and wild herbs, losing the rose and floral notes. Think big foods with these wines; roasts and game. Wines crafted from Nebbiolo can age for decades, and hold up well with plenty of body and taste. I have had some fantastic wines that were over forty years old. Oh, and that is going to be expanded upon in an upcoming post.

Stag’s Hollow Winery

2237 Sun Valley Way
Okanagan Falls, B.C.
V0H 1R2

Stags Hollow Tasting at The LIft Bar and Grill

We have been doing barrel samples for the last few years at Stags Hollow,
and have always thought that this is a quality winery. The impression we have
always come away with has recently been confirmed, as Stags Hollow has been
declared BC Winery of the year. Today, we had the opportunity to taste these
wines in their proper context, with food. Here are our favorites of the day with the
food matches.

Viognier 2010 $21.99
This wine while still in the vat blew us away with its aromatics.
In the bottle it tastes of peaches, stone fruit and some floral notes with well
balanced, medium-plus acidity. Nice finish. All in all a great example of what
British Columbia can do with Viognier.
Tech Stuff: 100% Viognier, TA7.0 g/l, ph 3.45, RS 2.0L, Alc 13.9%
Spec listing

Renaissance Pinot Noir 2010 $35.00
The winery only does Renaissance wines in great vintages. This Pinot definitely
fits into the great year category. Nice ruby color, red cherry, extremely well
balanced. Rich but not drying tannins. Bordering on an intense style for a BC
Pinot. The alcohol is well balanced with the other components of the wine. All
Estate grown fruit.
Tech Stuff: 100% Pinot Noir, Clones 115 667, TA 6.0 g/,l ph 3.65, RS
2.0g,/l Alc 14.2 Spec Listing,,

Both of the above wines were matched with Roasted Scallops and a Chanterelle
and Leek Risotto. The Pinot Noir with the Risotto was a perfect match as a
complement, while the Viognier was a contrast I thought.

Renaissance Sauvignon Blanc 2011 $24.99
Lemon and lime notes leaning to what I would call citrus with a sweet note. I
thought this wine had a little more residual sugar than the tech notes state. A
little bit of pear to smooth out the citrus. A very skillful light touch of oak. Long
finish. The Winemaker’s notes describe a nervy palate with minerality, a better
description than I could come up with.
Tech Stuff: 91% Sauvignon Blanc 9% Semillon, TA 8.0g/l, ph 3.15,
RS 2.og/l Alc 13.3% Spec Lisitng

Con-Fusion 2011 $17.95
This is a very aptly-named wine. I always get confused trying to pick out the different
grapes involved in it’s production. But who cares. This wine is just for fun and is
very easy to drink. A great patio sipper on a sunny day. They must have had a lot of fun blending this one. Check out the tech notes.
Bad day picking out the RS. I thought it had less than the tech sheet shows. The
sugar and acidity are very well balanced.
Tech Stuff: 46% Gewurtz, 35% Semillon, 8%Muscat, 7%Sav Blanc,
3% Chard, 1% Viognier TA 7.4g/l, ph3.4, RS 7.0g/l, Alc 12.5% Spec
Listing

The food pairing was a Mesclun green salad with a pear Vinaigrette and Chevre
Crumble. Both wines complimented the food quite well. The Sauvignon Blanc
had a slight edge, matching the cheese.

Cabernet Franc 2010  $27.99
We were very taken with this Cab Franc from the barrel samples and have been
waiting for the release.
This is great British Columbia Cab Franc, one of the best in the market. Let’s just
say WOW for the tasting notes, and we will be buying a case.
Tech Stuff: 100% Cab Franc TA 6.5g/l, ph 3.75,RS2.0g/l, Alc 13.2%

Syrah 2010 27.99
This winery does Syrah extremely well. It reminds me of Rhone wines with
lots of white pepper and smokey, spicy notes. Lots of dark fruit and blackberry.
Lovely tannin structure. I would not say rough tannins but you know the tannins
are there. Very dark purple colour, probably helped by the Viognier fixing the
colour, Rhone style. A perfect wine with meat dishes. We are getting used to
and expecting this style of Syrah from the OK Falls region, which is quite different
to the Syrahs from Oliver. Not better, just different. This wine will age for quite a
few years, if you can resist the temptation.

Tech Stuff: 91.5% Syrah 8.5% Viognier, TA 6.6g/l, h 3.76, RS 2.0g/l Alc 13.2

The folks at the Lift Grill  and Bar matched both of these wines well. A Cannon of Beef and
Bacon Wrapped Venison Loin with glazed carrots and a Marchand de Vin. Too busy eating and tasting to take a picture of this course.

The wines from Stags Hollow just get better every year. We are looking forward
to tasting in the barrel with Dwight Sick, the Winemaker, next year.

Winery Information

Ownership: Linda Pruegger & Larry Gerelus

Vineyard manager: Larry Gerelus

Winemaker: Dwight Sick

Average case production: 7,200

Designated Viticultural Area: Okanagan Valley

Year founded: 1995

Vineyard Acreage: 9 acres in production, 18 acres newly planted

Lets tell this story through media articles and what happened on social media. To start let us look at an article from lawyer Mark Hicken   http://www.winelaw.ca/cms/index.php/news/1/206-canadian-wine-shipping-law-reform-coming-closer.  There was also an article in the Penticton  Western News  titled  “Politicians rally around wine bill”, with pictures and everything of everyone standing around drinking wine and smiling, it is all going to be good, right. It is always going to be good when the pols are drinking wine. At least they where drinking B.C. wine .http://www.pentictonwesternnews.com/news/154260875.html. Expectations were high. Even I felt the glow. It was all going to have a happy ending.

No corks pulled, no celebrations. It had all gone sideways. No B.C. wine for you Ontario. I will still have to smuggle wine back and forth across the country.  The bill had stalled.  The earliest possible time to pass would be in the fall, or perhaps never . Our poor Nell was tied to  the railroad tracks with the train speeding ever closer. The Villains dressed in black sitting on the side lines, laughing maniacally. Our hero was similarly  trussed up and could not save our poor Nell.

Our Poor Nell

So what happened ?  How did our poor Nell get tied to the tracks ?  At best, was she going to have to  go back working in the Saloon  serving Cellared  in Canada wines? Here is a great article from BC Wine Lover on how it all went wrong. http://bcwinelover.com/2012/05/bill-c-311-stalled-by-political-filibuster/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bcwinelover+%28BC+Wine+Lover%29. Stalled by a political filibuster.

Instant anger and a sense of how could they do that to our Nell. Then all hell broke loose on social media. Facebook and Twitter went nuts. There is a weekly forum on twitter with the hashtag #bcwinechat. BC Wine chat is hosted by Sandra Oldfield from Tinhorn Creek every Wednesday night on Twitter at 8:00PM PST. Here is link to the conversation http://www.coveritlive.com/index.php?option=com_altcaster&task=siteviewaltcast&altcast_code=9b0d3d04a5&height=550&width=470 . Here are some of the stats, all in a forty eight hour period. There were 1500+ tweets with 2.5 million impressions, 358 contributors in that hour alone during #BCwinechat. Meanwhile the #freemygrapes hashtag on twitter had 1031 tweets with 345 contributors with 1.5 million impressions. There were also over 250 (I stopped counting) tweets directed at Thomas Mulcair to get his party on board to let the bill pass. I do not need to comment on the numbers, but the audience was booing the villains from their seats.

Meanwhile the press, in another scene, were commenting on the Villains’ behavior. An article from the National Post http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/05/30/john-ivison-popular-wine-bill-stalled-by-ndps-cynical-games/  The national media was commenting on the cynical games, and why our poor Nell was tied to the tracks and about to be run over.

Wait, fade to black, another scene at the zoo, I am sorry it was on Parliament Hill, wrong movie. The villains say they did not mean it and offered to untie our poor Nell. It was all a mistake, a misunderstanding.http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/story/2012/05/30/pol-wine-between-provinces.html.

I will let the hero of our story tell us what happened next. He was all tied up, but wait, an unlikely group, the Indians, come and help out and offer to untie our hero and rescue our poor Nell. http://daninottawa.com/2012/05/31/bill-c-311-the-ottawa-update-part-four/

Stay tuned for next week as our hero and the Indians are rushing to the train tracks to save our poor Nelll. The villains have said they are putting on their white hats and will not stop our hero from untying our poor Nell.  Will our hero make it in time ? Are the Villains really going to help before the train runs her over. Wait ! There is another group that can force our poor bill back to the saloon.  Like I said stay tuned ! http://www.winelaw.ca/cms/index.php/news/1/210-canadian-wine-law-reform-back-on-track

Here are some some more comments on the story of our poor bill.

http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/canada/bottle+battle+not+brewing+says+ndp+after+tory+claims+that+wine+law+corked/6442650938/story.html

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/story/2012/05/30/pol-wine-between-provinces.html

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/05/30/john-ivison-popular-wine-bill-stalled-by-ndps-cynical-games/

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/oenophiles-cheer-as-wine-transport-bill-gets-broad-support/article2447071/?utm_medium=Feeds%3A%20RSS%2FAtom&utm_source=Politics&utm_content=2447071

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20120530/amendments-bill-inter-provincial-wine-trade-120530/

http://www.kelownacapnews.com/news/155799045.html

http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/bc-politics/proposed-bc-wine-law-back-on-table-in-ottawa/article2448051/?service=mobile

http://www.windsorstar.com/life/Wine+bill+backers+choke/6705561/story.html

http://www.am1150.ca/News/Local/Story.aspx?ID=1712486

http://daninottawa.com/2012/05/31/bill-c-311-the-ottawa-update-part-four/

http://www.theprovince.com/news/Bill+draconian+Canadian+wine+shipping+laws+voted+early+June/6709896/story.html

http://www.merrittherald.com/opinion/155953765.html

http://sandraoldfield.com/2012/05/31/for-your-personal-consumption-the-lobster7-and-the-canada3/

http://steepcreek.blogspot.ca/2012/05/shipping-wine-anywhere-in-canada.html

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/06/01/open-borders-for-smaller-wineries

A few articles this week on wine shipping in Canada and Bill C311. The saga continues.

Kelowna News Mainstream Media

http://www.kelownacapnews.com/news/155720195.html

BC wine Lover Blog Post

http://bcwinelover.com/2012/05/bill-c-311-stalled-by-political-filibuster/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bcwinelover+%28BC+Wine+Lover%29

Global TV Mainstream Media

http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/canada/bottle+battle+not+brewing+says+ndp+after+tory+claims+that+wine+law+corked/6442650938/story.html

CBC News Sudbury Mainstream Media

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/story/2012/05/30/pol-wine-between-provinces.html

National Post Mainstream Media

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/05/30/john-ivison-popular-wine-bill-stalled-by-ndps-cynical-games/

Globe and Mail Mainstream Media

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/oenophiles-cheer-as-wine-transport-bill-gets-broad-support/article2447071/?utm_medium=Feeds%3A%20RSS%2FAtom&utm_source=Politics&utm_content=2447071

CTV CA Mainstream TV

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20120530/amendments-bill-inter-provincial-wine-trade-120530/

Kelowna News Mainstream Media

http://www.kelownacapnews.com/news/155799045.html

Globe and Mail Mainstream Media

http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/bc-politics/proposed-bc-wine-law-back-on-table-in-ottawa/article2448051/?service=mobile

Windsor Star Mainstream Media

http://www.windsorstar.com/life/Wine+bill+backers+choke/6705561/story.html

AM 1150 Mainstream Radio

http://www.am1150.ca/News/Local/Story.aspx?ID=1712486

http://daninottawa.com/2012/05/31/bill-c-311-the-ottawa-update-part-four/

Vancouver Province Mainstream Media

http://www.theprovince.com/news/Bill+draconian+Canadian+wine+shipping+laws+voted+early+June/6709896/story.html

The Merritt Hearld

http://www.merrittherald.com/opinion/155953765.html

Old Fields Wanderings Web Blog

http://sandraoldfield.com/2012/05/31/for-your-personal-consumption-the-lobster7-and-the-canada3/

SteepCreek Web Blog

http://steepcreek.blogspot.ca/2012/05/shipping-wine-anywhere-in-canada.html

The Toronto Sun Mainstream Media

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/06/01/open-borders-for-smaller-wineries

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The Vancouver International Tequila Expo will be taking place Saturday May 12th, truly a do-not-miss event.  By attending, you will also be helping the BC Hospitality Foundation. There will be an impressive lineup of quality Tequilas  available for tasting, with a varied selection of Tequila brands, styles, and expressions. This will be an excellent opportunity to taste the different styles of modern quality Tequilas in one place. Some of the producers  represented will be Cabo Wabo, Herenca de Plate and one that has impressed me, Tavi , among many others. The emphasis here is on quality and artisanal producers, many new to British Columbia. This Expo will change your idea of what Tequila is and will definitely raise the profile of Mexico’s premier spirit in our native province.

Whatever you have been led to believe, the agave spirit of Mexico is becoming   quality-driven and sophisticated, produced by second and third generation  Tequileros across Jalisco, Nayarít and Michoacan. We are now talking about tequilas being barrel aged and low production artisanal products. We are not dealing with shooters here. These are sipping Tequilas on par with Scotch and Bourbon.

There are some  excellent seminars to learn more about Tequila. Eric Lorenz, Canada‘s National Tequila Examiner is doing Tequila 101 from 11AM to 12:30PM. Having been to Eric’s seminars, I can attest that this will be an excellent opportunity to really learn how Tequilas are produced and where. We always learn something new from Eric about Tequila. There is also a Seminar on The Ancient Origins Of Agave Spirits from 1PM to 2:30PM.

                                                            Platinum Sponsor

The Flavors and Aromas of Barrel-Aged Tequilas

This is a seminar I am not going to miss, a joint effort by Sommelier Tim Ellison of the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts and Eric Lorenz of Lorenz Agave Spirits.  Tim is a wine and spirits educator who always entertains while educating. Eric Lorenz is one of the most knowledgeable Mexican spirits instructors in Canada. In this seminar, we will taste 6 premium and ultra-premium 100% agave tequilas, while analyzing differences in barrel toast, maturation time, French vs. American oak, the use of bourbon, scotch, sherry, and wine barrels for tequila aging, and to use their words, ‘so much more!’ The world’s only tequila-specific aroma kit, designed by Maestra Catadora Ana Maria Romero from Guadalajara will be used to help teach about the aromas of tequilas. This seminar will be held at Legacy Liquor Store Tues May 8th from 7PM to 8:30PM 1633 Manitoba Street Tickets are $45 with only 36 Seats available.

Tasting Menus at participating restaurants around Vancouver

Las Margaritas

The Edge Social Grille Lounge

Pacific Institute Of Culinary Arts

Doolins Irish Pub
The Expo’s Main Event will also be accompanied by a Trade Tasting on Saturday May 12th from 3PM till 5PM..

Press Release for Ticket Prices

Vancouver Convention Centre
999 Canada Place
Saturday May 12th
6pm to 9pm

Come to The Main Event and taste the excellent selection of tequila brands, styles, and expressions offered by our exhibitors in a fun yet elegant setting. Regular ticket price is $65 and includes ten (10) tasting tokens. Partial proceeds to benefit the BC Hospitality Foundation.

Early Bird tickets:
Get your tickets before April 15th at the super early bird price of $45 per ticket.
Get your tickets before April 30th at the early bird price of $55 per ticket.
After May 1st all tickets sold at regular price – $65 per ticket.

BUY TICKETS HERE

Tinhorn Creek Press Release

Ever see the movie Minority Report?  You know, before Tom Cruise completely lost it?  Well, maybe he had already lost it and Spielberg was able to control him for that particular film…

Regardless, the movie featured psychic people who were able to predict when someone was going to commit a crime, and they were able to arrest the person before they even executed the unlawful act.  Very effective, right?  Right.  Well, I am telling you this because apparently while watching it the other day, I obtained the ability to do the same. I had a similar vision of someone breaking the law, and I wanted to let you know so that you could stop it.

On Friday May 13th, someone departing Robert L. Stanfield International Airport in Halifax on an Air Canada flight will be taking a number of award-winning bottles of wine made here in Nova Scotia onto an airplane and illegally transporting them to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.  I know.  Scary stuff, isn’t it? Apparently this person plans on sharing these NS wines with wine writers, wine bloggers, and anyone else who cares to try them and marvel at their deliciousness while at the Taste Camp North conference.  I am telling you this so you can alert the authorities and they can stop this act before the people in Ontario are subjected to these wines.  The law this reckless person plans to break has been in affect since prohibition times, so you know that it means business.  I don’t want to hear about the fact that this law is outdated.  He need to be stopped.  People across this country do not need access to the wines made in Nova Scotia. It will only complicate things.  What’s next, you think that the wines of Nk’Mip Cellars or Black Hills Winery should be able to be shipped to Nova Scotia or Ontario as well????  You want people to be able to bring back the wines of Tawse and Vineland estates???  What is wrong with you people?  This needs to stop.  If this happens, people may be more inclined to drink Canadian wine instead of Chilean, Californian or Australian!  NOOOOO!!

Listen, if you really feel the need to transport wines across borders, go to the United States.  That way you can buy the wine, and carry it across the border legally.  If you are bringing it from another country, that’s fine!  But taking it across borders in Canada in which there are no border guards is just plain ridiculous.  You need to do your part.  Protect your land!

Now,  I know this person’s flight number and the type of car they will be renting when they land at Lester B. Pearson International Airport.  If we can’t stop him before he leaves Halifax, we can at least get him before he gets the wines in the hands (and palates) of all the educated people at the conference.  If he is allowed to do that, the demand for the products will go up and it will create a huge buzz in the Canadian wine world.  We cannot have that.  If we can’t get him going to Ontario, he will certainly try to take back some Niagara wines to Nova Scotia upon his return.

I have posted a picture and profile of the person below so you can track him down.  Note how sinister he looks.  Every person who brings wine across a provincial border is breaking the law and will look as sketchy as he.  Do what you can, and turn him in:

Name: Jonathan Wilson

Profession: Sommelier/Wine Blogger

Height: 5’7

Weight: 180

Hair: N/A

Eyes: Stunningly blue

Beard: Well manicured and brown.  Note: this will make his eyes seem even more blue.

Status: Armed with a Laguiole corkscrew, passion and knowledge of many wines

He usually wears more casual clothes, so don’t look for the normal sommelier snobby wear.  Be on the lookout for loud sarcasm as it is a tell-tale sign that you have found him.  He is not to be underestimated. Do your part on May 13th and stop the transport of wines across Canadian provincial borders.  It is the most sinister crime there is…

That was Jonathans report from his blog http://labeled.ca/ I have been guilty of the same crime, I must admit. I have taken http://www.tinhorn.com/   Cab Franc to friends in Ontario. If you think that the law should be changed please go to http://freemygrapes.ca/links.shtml and sign the petition,please.

The Line Up

The original line up for the tasting was two bottles each of the following wines: (My thinking, of course was that if one of these beauties was hopelessly lost, the other would, hopefully, still be palatable).

1962 Bersano Barolo, 1964 Giovanni Scanavino Barolo, 1978 Mauro Barolo, 1979 Bolla Amarone, 1981 Fontafredda Barolo and 1980 Brunello de Montalcino.

There were two more wines from the collection added to the list by popular vote: a 1981 Casa Vincola Nino Inferno and a 1984 Sassicaia.

The guests for the evening were as follows:  two WSET Instructors with decidedly different teaching techniques, a Chef who also imports Italian wines among his other myriad endeavors, the wife of one of the WSET instructors, a very charming lady in her own right,  and a knowledgeable wine geek with no verbal inhibitions. We also had a friend with us whose wine knowledge basically consists of knowing what she likes, possibly not why, but who is never impressed by labels.  Add to the mix myself and, of course, Wendy, who shares most of the wine I drink and definitely all the good ones.

1962 Bersano Barolo

I had only  two bottles of this wine left in the cellar. The labels were scuffed and torn. Ullage was good, very high shoulder. I had high hopes for these; Barolos, produced before Barolo became a Doc. One bottle was the first to be opened  and was decanted for most of the evening. The second bottle was opened later and also decanted and aerated.  The nose never came around. To put it in wine geek terms, they ended up being DNPIM and PDTS. Do Not Put In Mouth and Pour Down The Sink. So sad.

1978 Mauro Osvaldo Barolo

Typical old Barolo. Orange rim, light red colour . A little past its prime sadly, but still drinkable. Lots of sediment, still some tannins left, but soft. Still an enjoyable wine.

1981 Fontanafredda Barolo

There was a lot of bottle variation between these two bottles. Both bottles were quite acceptable and drinkable. Bottle number one still had quite a bit of floral, rose notes while bottle number two had not as many aromatics. Both bottles had high amounts of volatile acidity, but in a juicy, lip smacking way. Clear, garnet coloured with an orange rim. Clean on the nose, but not a lot of intensity. Tarry with a tiny hint of sherry notes. Tannins were smooth, medium minus. This wine was full-bodied with more on the palate than the nose. At its outside edge of being drinkable.

1981 Casa Vincola Nino Negri Inferno

I foolishly made a comment that I would open two more wines from my collection to be determined by a popular vote. Democracy is a terrible thing. We do not have any Infernos available here and, of course, we needed to try another nebbiolo. The nebbiolo character was there, but the Inferno lacked the power of the Barolos. Not a lot of aromatics remained, but this wine was still interesting on the palate. The nose was clean, but a little tired. The tannins in this wine were still much in evidence, as with the Barolos, but the refinement was lacking.

1984 Sassicaia

The Sassicaia was another one of the wines that everyone wanted to taste. I thought that it would be a good benchmark wine for the Barolos. Different region, different style. Wonderful wine, but the Barolos muscled it into the background and kicked sand in its face. It should not have been tasted with the Barolos. I have had this wine before and it was remarkable when experienced on its own. I thought the Cabernet would stand out more when compared with the Nebbiolos.  That supposition turned out to be utterly and completely wrong.

1980 Brunello di Montalcino

Quite frankly, I did not intend to open this wine for this tasting. But, we had run out of wine. And…when you have a room full of wine geeks clamoring for more,  it is definitely in your best interest to keep them entertained. This is one of Wendy’s favorites. “The Girl on the Label Wine”. This Brunello also outdid the Sassicaia.  It has aged well, always lots of aromatics and fruit. As this was one of the wines tasted later in the evening, there were not a lot of detailed notes from anyone, just a lot of head nodding and lip smacking. It was picked as the second best wine of the evening. Every bottle of this wine that I have been privileged to experience has amazed me with its freshness and ability to persevere. Tannins like silk.

1964 Giovanni Scanavino Barolo

At last we come to the star of the evening. Both bottles were virtually identical. The labels were almost perfect, ullage was as when just bottled. These were ready to drink upon opening. Everyone started out doing the tech notes on this go round. Tasted blind, this wine would have sung out Nebbiolo; tar and roses and violets in the background. The fruit was hanging on like a suit that has seen better days, but is so well-made you always choose it. When the first bottle was poured, the descriptors were flying about the room. Then, one by one, everyone seemed to have their moment of silence and meditation. It takes a remarkable wine to shut up a room full of  wine geeks with a glass of wine in their hands. Yet,we sometimes recognize when a wine deserves and demands our attention.  This is one of those wines. What  the  hell was this winemaker thinking when he was working with this wine? This is definitely a wine of its place and of its terroir. It must have been really incredible in its prime. Like Pavarotti’s final performances, the power and the life is still there. Still breaking our hearts.

There was some big study done on Climate Change, and the BC government is thinking BC can grow grapes somewhere besides the Okanagan. And they’re spending money – big money – to find out where. Fifty grand, Dad, and another forty grand from the feds – all you gotta do is plant a few grapes to see which ones survive.

Those orchard guys sure picked up on this wine thing early. Did you know they’re getting a hundred thousand dollars an acre for grapes? Sure beats a couple of grand for grazing land.

Just think, no more dealing with cattle – all we’d have to handle are busloads of tourists lining up to taste our wine. Yeah, I guess the cattle prods might still have some use after all. And how’s this? We could change the barn into one of those rustic tasting room. Yup, you can charge ’em for the tasting. Those Yanks been doing it for years – never give away anything for free.

Maybe we can hire us that cute waitress from the bar to work the tasting room. No, I don’t think she needs to know anything about wine. Hey, I could be one of those wine geeks selling hundred dollar bottles of wine. Yes, Dad, people really do spend a hundred bucks on one bottle – sometimes even more.

No, I have NOT been drinking too much this morning. When it gets too hot for California to grow all those Napa Cabs, someone’s going to have to do it. And if it gets cold, we can just make ice-wine. No, it’s a tad more complicated than just adding ice cubes. You gotta let the grapes freeze right on the vine. Remember all those veggies we lost years back? Hell, no problem now. Might have a problem getting the boys off the horses and teaching them how to prune the vines – but oh well.

I checked it out, and there’s even some place in France that’s got just about as much rock as we do – Shaaa-toe-nuff de something. We can hire us one of those French guys to show us how to make wine with lots of points. You know points – up to a hundred. Nah, I haven’t a clue what the difference between 92 and 93 points would be either. But the more points you get, the more money you get – and we want to be selling our stuff for big bucks.

Yeah, Dad, it probably is a good thing they don’t give points to Rye and beer, might drive the price up. Anyway, let’s keep an eye on this. Hell, maybe we’ll finally be able to get rid of them snowshoes too.

Okay maybe a little to much humor for  such a serious subject. To the folks at home in ranching country up north, have a look at developing a new business plan. A couple of videos below to shed a little more light on the subject.

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Sometimes known as the ” Green Fairy”, “Green Witch” and the “Green Devil”. Absinthe is a making a comeback, but there is a great deal of misinformation on what it is and  what our little green fairy supposedly does. We will get into the hallucinations later. Absinthe is a high alcohol spirit; since it does not have added sugar it is not considered a liqueur. It can be colorless or can have the traditional green color, which is derived from the chlorophyll in the herbs used, Chlorophyll acts almost like tannins in a wine, creating a drying sensation at the side of the mouth. The green version is known as “la fee verte”

Like gin, cold compounding can be used to make a lower quality Absinthe, by the addition of essences and color to pure alcohol. There are so called Absinthe coming from Eastern Europe that is made this way. I have had some that where totally undrinkable. Some call it assbinthe.

Redistilling with grand wormwood, anise and fennel and other botanicals produces a proper Absinthe. Grande wormwood gives a slight bitter taste, fennel contributes licorice and sweetness. Anise gives the distinctive and defining flavor. Distillation integrates the flavors, giving a more uniform flavor profile.

Absinthe has a reputation of being psychotropic because the thujone in grand wormwood. Studies have shown that there is just not enough of it create a psychotropic reaction. There is also an urban legend that Absinthe acts on the same area of the brain as THC does.  Once again an other study shows that it does not. Our little green girl is not as hazardous as her press makes out. By the way sage and rosemary also contain thujone.

Where did all the railing against Absinthe come from, and why our little green fairy was banned. In the mid eighteen hundreds Absinthe was cheap and was eating into the French wine market. The French wine industry to protect its profits, came out with a campaign, somewhat like prohibition to outlaw Absinthe.  It used the press to vilify the product any way it could. A quote from the period “ Absinthe makes you crazy and criminal, provokes epilepsy and tuberculosis, and has killed thousands of French people. It makes a ferocious beast of man, a martyr of woman, and a degenerate of the infant, it disorganizes and ruins the family and menaces the future of the country.”  Now, don’t you just  want to try a glass of whatever it is that can cause all that mayhem and destruction? The French wine industry used its political might with lawmakers to ban Absinthe altogether. Our little green girl just about disappeared.

Abinthe also had a reputation as being bohemian, and a drink of deranged poets and artists. The little fairy kept some strange company. Toulouse Lautrec was known to drink six bottles a day. Lautrec also invented the earthquake, three oz of cognac and three oz of Absinthe. If you drink that much of a high alcohol spirit, possibly you are going to get a little deranged. Lautrec and others where pointed out as examples of what Absinthe could do to the mind. Oscar Wilde had a quote “Absinthe has a wonderful colour, green. A glass of absinthe is as poetical as anything in the world. What difference is there between a glass of absinthe and a sunset’ This was after drinking all day.  Hemingway was quoted in letter  “Got tight last night on absinthe and did knife tricks. Great success shooting the knife underhand into the piano. The woodworms are so bad and eat hell out of all the furniture that you can always claim the woodworms did it”

In 1912 Absinthe was banned in the US. France finally banned it in 1915. However in 1972 the law was changed in the US,banning products containing more than 10 milligrams of thujone. It just took awhile for everyone to figure out that most Absinthes have less than 10 milligrams of thujone. Once everyone found out through testing the thujone level in most Absinthes, and being below the limit it became legal. The green fairy made a comeback.

The traditional way of serving Absinthe is a wonderful ritual. A slotted spoon is placed over a glass, a sugar cube on the spoon and water dripped over the sugar cube. An effect called louching happens, the Absinthe turns cloudy. Some of the spoons are works of art in the own right and have become collector’s items.

Remarkably in British Columbia there is no upper limit on thujone levels

We have a highly recommend Absinthe made in British Columbia called Taboo. As a side note Canada has never had a ban on Absinthe.

Death in the Afternoon

I like Hemmingway’s recipe so I will quote him directly.

“ Pour one jigger absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly. I heartily recommend drinking less than five of these, and you may also try pouring the absinthe on top instead; some brands of absinthe will float for a time on the Champagne, and this makes a nifty visual effect.”

Be careful with knives if you are having more than one.

I am taking a few day off from work, so tonight I feel justified in picking something special to celebrate a clean desk and being home. A bottle of Amarone is definitely appropriate. The bottle I decide on is an Amarone Negar 1961. Yes the vintage is right, 1961.

It was a great year for Italian wine in 1961 – rain and sun in perfect balance. John Kennedy was president of the USA. The Berlin Wall was under construction. Maria Callas was 38 and at the height of her career. Sophia Loren was starring in El Cid, and I was all of nine years old.

The label is a little worn and torn. The fill level looks promising – still mid neck – although there is a little sediment. The cork seems to be okay – solid and removes easily without crumbling. Should I decant and risk adding too much air? I pour a glass to see what has happened to this 40-something wine.

The color is amazing – dark red, with a little orange and brick red on the rim. The nose is equally remarkable – still lots of fruit left on the nose, black cherry with truffle, and a little sherry oxidization odors in the background. A few swirls of the glass and the oxidative aromas disappear.

The taste and finish on this wine is surprising, still full of black cherry, truffles, and forest floor with a finish that lasts for minutes. The tannins are like silk, and there are not enough descriptors to describe the mouth feel and full body. The acidity must be holding this wine together.

Now, there is a caveat to this story. I love Amarone, so there is a built in basis here. But points and ratings have no relevance to this wine. It is, quite simply, a great wine. It is like the Callas aria playing on the stereo – powerful yet filled with grace and finesse. It is an Amarone at its heights. Yes, 1961 was a good vintage year for Italian wines.One bottle left.

This Amarone is a perfect example of why I  hate the point system. Is this a 98 or only a 97 point wine? After all, how do you define the difference of a single point? Or has this venerable liquid actually achieved the enviable position of 100 points despite its initial hint of oxidation? It is only two additional points after all.

And if we were to rate it as a 98, would that make it comparable to the 2004 Cabernet Blend IX Estate from that received a 98 point nod from Robert Parker? Hmmm, let’s see. A three-year old blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot from Napa Valley versus an Italian Amarone with almost half a century of love, care, and passion in its provenance. Somehow, the comparison just doesn’t work – although I suppose one day, some scientist, somewhere in the world, will come up with a formula that proves you can actually make a meaningful comparison between apples and snow peas.

What is in My Gin and Pink Gin Cocktail

Have you ever wondered how your favorite Gin gets its flavor?  Two very important components of this process are the various types of stills to choose from and the method used for adding flavor components. I will be following up with an article on the very different types of still used. For now, there are two basics methods to add flavor, one good the other not so good. Adding flavor compounds or essences to pure ethyl alcohol produces compounded gin. Cheap and not that great, compounded gins are not allowed to put “distilled gin “ on the label. That nasty lemon flavored gin from your youth was probably a compounded gin. No need to get into this any further

Redistilling neutral spirits with juniper and other botanicals makes a true distilled Gin.  Every producer of gin has their own recipe, and therefore its own flavor profile. Botanicals are natural herbs, spices, peels, seeds or even rose petals. Each botanical brings different notes to the flavor profile.

Juniper legally is the only required botanical, Juniper adds some pine notes and lavender and a touch of heather.

Coriander is the second most commonly used ingredient and is used in a most of the premium gin brands. Spice pepper and some floral notes  predominate,depending on the source. Indian coriander has the most citric notes. Grains of Paradise also lends peppery and a chocolate note.

Angelica root lends a musty earthy note, but in a good way.  It balances the floral notes with its dry woody taste as well.  Orris root has violet and scented notes.  Cassia brings cinnamon tones to the mix. Anise is sometimes used for the slight licorice taste in some premium Gins.  Throw in nutmeg, fennel, vanilla and cloves as well.  The possible list of ingredients can be numbered in the hundreds.

Some producers use orange and citrus peels. Different peels are chosen to add different flavors. Citrus peels also work well with coriander.  Most of the producers try and keep their recipe as house secret, but if you know the basic profiles of the botanicals, you can figure out which botanicals are used.

Hendricks uses most of the botanicals as well as cucumber and rose. Bombay Sapphire as well as the common ingredients also uses Spanish lemon peel, and Cubeb Berries.These  berries have pine notes, which I taste as a background after taste. Tanqueray does not disclose their recipe other than listing, coriander and angelica. They are not quite so reluctant a let you know that Number ten has white grapefruit and chamomile. Plymouth Gin is not so shy in listing their mix of botanicals, they use fewer junipers and more sweet orange and lemon peels  ,which add more essential oils, along with the usual suspects of orrisroot and angelica. The citrus gives Plymouth its full-bodied fruity taste.  Aviation Gin as well as the regular stuff lists Indian Sarsaparilla as well which works well in some cocktails.

I think I need to mix a drink after all of this.

PINK GIN

4 Drops of Angostura Bitters

2 Oz Gin

Swirl the bitters in a chilled Martin glass; add the gin, and a twist of lemon for garnish. Plymouth gin was the traditional brand for this cocktail but Hendricks works with the bitters as well. This drink was supposedly a favorite of the British Navy in the nineteenth century. There is the out form of this cocktail where the bitters are discarded after the swirl in the glass.

I hate tasting notes. Okay, maybe that’s too harsh. I dislike tasting notes – intensely.

Actually, I’ve written hundreds of tasting notes. I’ve written them on restaurant coasters, on the back of business cards, on program guides, and on god only knows what else. I have also spent many evenings in class writing tasting notes and have committed to memory the WSET systematic approach – I’m sure I can now write a note so anyone who has taken the WSET program would be able to pick out the wine I’m describing.

And I read other people’s tasting notes. Books on evaluating wine fill my bookshelves – lots of pages and hundreds, more likely thousands of hours of reading. I peruse glossy wine magazines, newspapers, and the Internet although many of those entries make me want to cry – bad grammar and a total lack of information. I’ve discovered Wine Spectator even has a game: match the wine with the tasting note plus a silly tasting note generator – fun for a while but the novelty wears off soon.

The problem with most tasting notes is that they don’t actually tell you anything. They don’t put the wine in any context. Is it typical of its type or region? Is it a wine for sipping or one that needs food to be enjoyed more fully? And is there something horribly wrong with saying whether you actually liked it or not?

Most tasting notes are all very politically and technically correct. You put the wine in a glass – preferably the same ISO glass every time so you have a benchmark for comparison. You go through the list for whatever system you use, dutifully comparing what’s in your glass against a series of standards. At the end of the exercise, you allocated points or stars or say it is – or isn’t – technically correct.

Sure, what you’ve just written will remind you, at a later date, whether the vintage you just had tastes like black pepper and blackberries, whether it has some sweet vanilla overtones, or perhaps the zing of lime. But when you get right down to it, most of your efforts have basically been useless.

Where in all these notes is the soul of the wine, the “Ahhhh” that is a truly outstanding wine? Where in these notes is the terroir, the art of the winemaker, the joy and pleasure?

Give me some indication of how the wine affected you. Did you love it or hate it? Was it perfect for sitting on the front porch on a sunny afternoon? Would you buy it for your wife or for yourself? Is this a wine you would take to Mom’s for dinner?

The notes I write for myself tend to descriptors and adjectives that aren’t techno or politically correct. They are about the people I had the wine with, the food or the music that went with a particular bottle of wine. My favorite Amarone I describe as “Sophia Loren dressed in silk and eating black cherries.” Another I describe as “Callas hitting a perfect high C in a Rossini opera.”

Emile Peynaud, writing in his book The Taste of Wine, is able to put techno and art together. He talks of how Bordeaux tasters describe their wines with references to their mistresses, while those from Burgundy use analogies about their wives. Alas, this style of comparison is no longer seen as “correct” although his techno notes still set a benchmark in the wine world.

Most of the wines I drink for pleasure are ones that come from a special “someplace” or are made by small wineries. I guess I am looking for the art of the winemaker. Maybe one day I will find a way to put that in a tasting note.

Do we really need a celebration to have Champagne? Why is it that typically there has to be a wedding, birthday, or New Years to pop open a bottle of bubbly? Champagne pairs well with food, so why not open a bottle simply while prepping dinner?

Somehow, though, most people feel as if they need some rational to reach for a bottle of bubbly.

Mind you there have been some who could find excuses easily. Coco Chanel is said to have only drunk Champagne on two occasions – when she was in love or when she was not. Churchill started his day with Pol Roger – a bottle a day just to get things going. Someone, I’m not sure who, said you needed Champagne as much in defeat as in victory.

Sunday, I decided that being a rainy and dark   afternoon was reason enough to have a bottle of Champagne. But not just any bottle, the day merited a great bottle of bubbles.
Surprisingly, I experienced a nagging sense that I was being decadent or doing something over the top. There were, after all, accomplishments and achievements over the last few months that I hadn’t yet taken time to acknowledge or celebrate. To hell with it, it was Sunday afternoon and I was alive and well – that was reason enough.

Now all that was over with, the question became what to have? Something with just a little edge – a Blanc de Blanc with a little power to it. I considered the two bottles of Salon but they need a little age. I’m also still using the notion that they are investments to justify the inclusion in the cellar.

Since there were no other bottles of Champagne in the wine fridge or in the rack, it was off to the liquor store. On the way, I still had to fight off that annoying sense of needing a reason.

After exploring the latest new arrivals at the liquor store, I found a bottle of Pol Roger vintage Blanc de Blanc – a 1999. All the grapes from this cuvee are from grand cru vineyards in the Cotes de Blancs. All the bottles have undergone hand remuage. The 1999 vintage was warm, and the rain came at the right time. Good vintage, good grapes, good producer. This was just what I was looking for. By the time I got home, the nagging went away.

The bottle went into the ice bucket immediately, and after what seemed to be a suitable interval to show some decorum, the bottle was opened.

The bubbles were very fine and persistent to the eye, a wonderful light gold color. The nose was at first toast and almonds, then after a few moments floral notes started coming to the forefront with a secondary note of iodine or seashore if you prefer. All good so far, in fact the nose was quite wonderful.

On the palate the acidity was well balanced by the 10.5 grams of residual sugar. The palate as well started out toasty, but not as yeasty as I’d expected. The floral got a little more specific and became all violets. The bubbles remained persistent in the glass. The finish was long, and it had a nice edge right till the end of the bottle. Seafood – oysters especially – would be a good food match.The Pol Roger went well Kettle Valley Potato chips by the way.

And there’s no question that being Sunday afternoon was reason enough to have this excellent Blanc de Blanc.

Retail was $88 at the LCB, but this Champagne seems to be available for around $80 on the net.
I’ve heard a quote of uncertain origin – in victory, you deserve Champagne, in defeat, you need it – attributed to Winston Churchill but more often to Napoleon. Who knows, perhaps it was a grand case of plagiarism.

However, one of my favourite quotes is from the grand lady of Champagne herself – Lily Bollinger. When asked when she drank Champagne, her famous reply was:

I only drink Champagne when I’m happy… and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I am not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it – I unless I’m thirsty.

Frank Haddad CSW CSS   thanks to every one who has subscribed so far. Blanc-de-Noir48KAV6DA4U5Y

Castillo de Monseran, Grenacha, Carinena DO Spain $9.99

An excellent wine for the price point. Typical Grenache flavors of red berry fruit with some black cherry Very juicy, a little spicy with good acidity, easy to drink. Good food wine. Alcohol 12.5% LCB SKU 197806 / 831906002788

Domaine St Damien 2009 Cote de Rhone “Bouveau” $20.00

Another good value for the price point and being from the Cote de Rhone. A blend of Syrah and Cinsaut and a little Grenache. Blue and red fruits and licorice. Very full-bodied. No filtering and no fining. Parker points 90-92.  Alcohol 15.1%. From  Marquis Wines

Vieux Telegraphe 2006 Chateaneuf de Pape $74.99

This is just so good This family has been making wines for over a hundred years. Grenache noir 65%, Mourvèdre 15%, Syrah 15%, Cinsault, Clairette and others 5%. Old vines and hand picked. No fining.  Dark red to ruby color.  Spicy with incense, lavender, pepper, and copious quantities of black cherry and raspberry fruit. Full-bodied. No fining. Parker points 90-93. Alcohol 14.5%.

LCB SKU103713 / 3374830011039 or Marquis Wines

Old wines are always something of a mystery. Case in point, the bottle of 1982 Vignaveja we’re about to uncork. What is going to happen when I open this vintage? Will it be dead, oxidized, or will it be a wonderful old bottle full of life still?

This particular bottle is actually Susan’s – a semi bribe and pay back for some editing she did for me at very last minute. The “fee” was two older bottles of wine from my cellar preferable at least one of them a Gaja that she’s always wanted to try. However, she very graciously decided to share this bottle with me. Wonderful woman.

There where problems from the start. A very long cork that really didn’t want to allow itself to be removed from the bottle where it had rested for quite sometime – almost 27 years to be exact. With a lot of work, we finally managed to remove the cork although in many pieces – many, many very small pieces.

As we decanted the wine – surprisingly there was just a little sediment in the bottom of the bottle – a wonderful smell of fruit and leather filled the room. The color was a deep dark red, also very surprising. But would it hold up? Sometimes with older wines, I’ve had them die as soon as soon as they get hit with air.

The colour, too, was amazing for its age – a deep red with a brick red rim and no hints of orange or brown at all. How long would the color last?

Mentally, I was trying to do a WSET tasting note – impossible. Each sip, every glass changed by the minute. The first glass started out as dried roses, dark cherry, and vanilla. Half way through, a little bit of smoky notes made an appearance. The second glass became all about leather and tar, truffles and forest floor. There where still some tannins, but with the corners rounded off, then pure silk. The acidity was present all the way through. Very long finish, quite amazingly long, in fact. The third and final glass started out all truffles, mushrooms, saddle leather, and earth. Then suddenly, with an ounce or so left in the glass, it died and became all sherry notes and acid.

Still, there’s no question this was an amazing wine – Nebbiolo (seen left) again showing remarkably well for its age. Apparently it originally sold for less than $30 although I could find very little about this vintage on the web. Wine Spectator rated the 1983 at 94 points. If any one has any information on this wine, we’d love to hear about it.

Susan’s Note:

Okay, sure I’ll often do Frank’s editing for free but this one was a bit “extreme” – half an hour to take care of some promotional material that should have been at least a four hour job – so I figured it was the perfect opportunity to snag the Gaja I’ve had my eye on for over a year. Success at last.

But I have to confess that somehow this wine would have been much diminished if drunk solo. Just like the older Barolo that will likely be the cost of his next extreme edit. Frank Haddad CSW,CSS and Susan BoyceBlanc-de-Noir

Image via Wikipedia

You gave to feel sorry for poor Grenache. It has an identity problem and very rarely gets any billing.This grape is a little wild and some times you don’t even know when you are drinking it.

Grenache Noir, as it is known in France is called Granacha Tinta in Spain. It can also be called Cannonau in Sardinia, Alicante in some parts of France or Aragon, Aragones in Spain. Grenache can be called Lladoner, Uva di Spagna, Tentillo, Tinto and Bois Jaune. Garnacha Tintorera is not Grenache at all.  Garnacha Tintorera is really Alicante Bouschet, which is not the same grape as plain old Alicante. You see the identity problem.

Grenache is either first in acreage planted or comes in second in the world depending on the source consulted. However, Grenache however is not as widely planted around the world as Cabernet Sauvignon.  Grenache needs to have a long warm growing season. So, many wine regions around the world cannot grow Grenache successfully.

For those of you who do not care about the geek stuff,pass over this paragraph. Galet lists some 362 clones of Grenache, which can have implications on quality and yield.  Grenache will oxidize easily if not treated well in the winery and then will not age well. Treated properly, it will age well; some of the Chateauneuf de Pape will age for years.  Grenache works well with goblet style pruning and poor well-drained soils. Grenache buds early but needs a long growing cycle to ripen properly. The yields need to be kept low to attain quality. It also suffers from coulere and downy mildew. For those of you who do blind tasting, Grenache is light in color but high in alcohol which is unusual and add in the lower acidity, this helps identify Grenache. It shows more red fruit and white pepper than it common blending partner, Syrah with its black fruit and black pepper.

Grenache is all about strawberries, pepper, roasted nuts and spice. It is a low acid grape and has moderate tannins, but still a little on the wild rustic side. Then as it seduces you with its lovely fruit, it can whack you on the side of the head with its possible production of high alcohol, up to 16% and intoxicating delight. Something like a bad girl friend, I suppose. Defiantly not as refined and elegant as a Merlot, but oh ,so much more fun.

Grenache gets hidden away, with many different wine styles using it; again with the identity problem. It is used in those wonderful Tavel roses for a brunch sipper, the big dry reds from the Rhone, and also in the fortified wines of Banyuls. I have known people that have developed an addiction to Banyuls and chocolate. I have received phone calls late at night, asking if I have a bottle stashed away somewhere. Poor souls. Be careful of those seemingly carefree Tavel roses as well, a big alcohol punch hidden in the fruity strawberry flavors.

Grenache rarely gets the big label billing that a Cab or Merlot can get.  In the old world it hides away on the AOC regional label. The Cote de Rhones from France must have a least forty percent Grenache. The wines from Roussilon also have some in its blend and also shows up in Vin de Pays through out southern France.  The Spanish who have grown it for about eight hundred years, hide the name, under the regions of Priorat with their almost black wines with huge amounts of alcohol, blend it in Rioja and use it in Navarra with their roses. The great Spanish wine Vega Sicilia uses Granacha as part of it blends, a big wonderful wine. Too bad the bank account shudders when this one is brought home.  At the other end of the spectrum, in California’s Central Valley they can beat it up with over yielding vines and use it in jug wines. Bonny Doon and Alban can show it well with their do to low yields and care and attention. Australia again uses it as a blend with GSMs (Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre) look for Penfolds and D’Arenberg. Grenache is Australians big secret ingredient. That Shariz you have been drinking probably has a little Grenache in it.

Chateauneuf de Pape does it the best by far. Grenache is one of the main red grapes of the thirteen permitted in the AOC.  Vieux Telegraphe and Chateaux Beaucastel are at the top end but use different amounts of Grenache in their blends. At their price point they are so much better than cult Cabs. Look for Cote de Rhone and Gigondas and Vacqueyras at lower price points, but very good quality.

It is hard to make a generlization on food pairings and Grenache as it comes in many styles. Banuylus as mentioned before, think of chocolate desserts. The Roses are great afternoon or brunch wines. The Rhone Valley think of roasted or ‘ barby ‘meats.

This weekend forget the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Merlot. Get a bottle of some form of Grenache preferably a Southern Rhone. Call your significant other, turn down the lights put some music on and indulge a little in something different. If you have the Beaucastel, I will not be held responsible for what happens. If you liked this or the Beuacastel worked, scroll up to the top right hand corner and enter your e-mail and click on subscribe.

There are some opportunities to taste Grenanche coming up in Vancouver.

The ladies from  House Wines have a tasting coming up November 9th which they are calling an  Ode to Grenache.  Check out our post last week on the House Wine Tastings .www.housewine.ca .

Marquis Wines is doing a dinner at La Gavroche,  November 10th,called Wines of the Rhone Valley. By the way you can pick up the Beaucastel and the Vieux Telegraphe at Marquis. http://www.marquis-wines.com.

Whiskies to be tasted:

1991 Auchentoshan

1991 Mortlach

1992 Longmore

1994 Bowmore

1995 MaCallan

SPECIAL TASTING OF THE 29YR OLD COAL ILA

Reserve with Marcus at mava@telus.net ( rumor has if you reserve early there may be tickets to hop scotch as well, tell them we sent you)

http://www.thequaich.com/

The other night, I attended  one of the tastings hosted by the ladies of House Wines. Their event was a great value with 12 wines on offer for forty dollars. If you are a Wine and Spirit Education Trust, or an International Sommelier Guild student, this is an inexpensive way to practice your tasting notes.  If it is your intention to taste an array of wines and do a comparison of different styles, this is the venue I would recommend.  One of the advantages of this type of tasting is that you get to try new wines without having to spring for the whole bottle.

The evening was built around Bordeaux blends. The Bordeaux AOC allows for the following red grape varieties; Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere.   So, it follows that a Bordeaux blend is a wine with any of these grapes blended together.

The price range of the wines varied widely,  peaking with the 2004 San Leonardo Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT from Italy,  priced at $110.  The opposite end of the spectrum was represented by the 2008 Trivento  “Reserve “ Cabernet Malbec from the Mendoza region in Argentina,  costing a mere $13.  The British Columbia entry was the 2006 Mission Hill “Compendium” VQA priced at $40.  The Mission Hill compared very well with all the foreign competition. The value wine of the evening was also the only white, a Mouton Cadet Bordeaux Blanc AOC coming in at $14. This wine is a blend or Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion.

The next tasting by House Wines is on November 9^th and is titled an Ode to Gernache. This should be a great evening,  as  Grenache encompasses so many different styles. Hope to see you there. Frank Haddad CSS CSW

I must admit that as a regular Scotch drinker, pairing Scotch with chocolate isn’t something I’ve ever thought about. I love Scotch and chocolate. But matching the two together simply never occurred to me.

So when the West Coast Chocolate Festival put on such a pairing, I had to
check it out. Marcus Von Albrecht supplied the Scotches, Heather Rondeau from XOXOLAT took on the challenge of pairing them with chocolate.

The first Scotch was a Finlaggan Old Reserve (40% ABV). Very pungent, full bodied, and smoky with a nice long finish. It had a slight background taste of chocolate, but earthy. This was matched with an Amano 70% single origin chocolate. A Venezuelan criollo with some cherry, it had some smoky, burnt taste that went well with the Scotch.

Second was an Ileach Peaty (40%ABV). The word “peaty” was accurate — go out into the bog, grab some peat, shove it in a glass, and you pretty much have it. There was also a light, oaky finish with an oily bit late on the palate. The chocolate was XOXOLAT’s 75% with blueberry bits — very smooth as the supplied tasting notes implied. Forrastero beans supplied some earthy notes, and the blueberries worked surprisingly well with the Scotch.

Next on the agenda was a 10-year-old Tantalian (40%ABV). Light oak taste perhaps from bourbon barrels. Cloves and other spicy notes accentuated the long, textured semi-creamy finish. Paired with Cardamom Crème Brulee in a dark chocolate heart, this match was the best of the evening. Spice with spice — perfect.

Next was, for me, the dram of the evening. Caol Ilia 29-year-old (46%ABV). Smoke, sage, vanilla, sweet spice, citrus, and a very, very long finish. A truly remarkable Scotch, this one is coming up for sale in November — get a bottle or two if you can. The nose isn’t as good as what hits your palate, but hit your palate is what is does. Extremely well balanced. The chocolate match here didn’t have much of a chance, though it tried. Amano Madagascar 70% Single Origin by Amano: criollo beans with citrus and raspberry. It worked, sort of, but the Caol Ilia was just too much for the chocolate.

The final paring of the evening was quite remarkable. Ten-year-old Laphroaig. This was a private bottling of only 700 hundred bottles and a product we no longer get in our market — which makes me want to cry. So it was wonderful tasting this favourite again. All sea salt, iodine, and peat, this is an Islay through and through — a big, huge peat monster that kicks you. The most intense of all whiskeys and one I really miss. The Laphroaig Quarter Cask we have in this market just doesn’t do it. I was thinking there was no chocolate that could work with this one, but Heather proved me wrong. She matched it with a tripled-smoked maple-caramelized bacon with some espresso in a dark milk chocolate. It stood up well and matched the peat monster.

So yes, I discovered, you can match chocolate and Scotch — although some pairings work better than others. Congratulations to Marcus and Heather who both did a great job. The West Coast Chocolate Festival runs in Vancouver till November 10, 2010. Check it out.

This particular bottle is actually Susan’s – a semi bribe and pay back for some editing she did for me at very last minute. The “fee” was two older bottles of wine from my cellar preferable at least one of them a Gaja that she’s always wanted to try. However, she very graciously decided to share this bottle with me. Wonderful woman.

There where problems from the start. A very long cork that really didn’t want to allow itself to be removed from the bottle where it had rested for quite sometime – almost 27 years to be exact. With a lot of work, we finally managed to remove the cork although in many pieces – many, many very small pieces.

As we decanted the wine – surprisingly there was just a little sediment in the bottom of the bottle – a wonderful smell of fruit and leather filled the room. The color was a deep dark red, also very surprising. But would it hold up? Sometimes with older wines, I’ve had them die as soon as soon as they get hit with air.

The colour, too, was amazing for its age – a deep red with a brick red rim and no hints of orange or brown at all. How long would the color last?

Mentally, I was trying to do a WSET tasting note – impossible. Each sip, every glass changed by the minute. The first glass started out as dried roses, dark cherry, and vanilla. Half way through, a little bit of smoky notes made an appearance. The second glass became all about leather and tar, truffles and forest floor. There where still some tannins, but with the corners rounded off, then pure silk. The acidity was present all the way through. Very long finish, quite amazingly long, in fact. The third and final glass started out all truffles, mushrooms, saddle leather, and earth. Then suddenly, with an ounce or so left in the glass, it died and became all sherry notes and acid.

Still, there’s no question this was an amazing wine – Nebbiolo (seen left) again showing remarkably well for its age. Apparently it originally sold for less than $30 although I could find very little about this vintage on the web. Wine Spectator rated the 1983 at 94 points. If any one has any information on this wine, we’d love to hear about it.

Susan’s Note:

Okay, sure I’ll often do Frank’s editing for free but this one was a bit “extreme” – half an hour to take care of some promotional material that should have been at least a four hour job – so I figured it was the perfect opportunity to snag the Gaja I’ve had my eye on for over a year. Success at last.

But I have to confess that somehow this wine would have been much diminished if drunk solo. Just like the older Barolo that will likely be the cost of his next extreme edit.

The French use it to seduce, the English for comfort. Mexicans revel in its healing properties, and the Aztecs thought it more precious than gold. Just in time for Easter, trust the Kiwis to successfully combine chocolate and wine – a decadent marriage of quality and taste.

“We are very excited about this new varietal,” says Erica Crawford, co-founder of Kim Crawford Wines, via a news release. “The 09 Pinot Chocolat is unique and another world first for New Zealand.”

Apparently developed under a shroud of secrecy using only the finest Ghana cocoa beans, it took eight gooey months of testing before the essence of chocolate from cocoa beans could be extracted at the right acidity to successfully infuse with the pinot grapes.

“There was some controversy in the beginning,” Erica admits. “Although it tastes delicious, many stalwarts in the Kim Crawford Wines team wanted to veto the idea as they felt it would mar the integrity of the brand. However, in the interests of starting something new, we decided to emulate our forefathers who brought the first vines to this country. We threw caution to the wind and jumped in.”

Once poured, the difference between the colour of Pinot Chocolate and Pinot Noir is subtle. The wine retains the walnut plum of the red grape but, when held up to the light, you can see just a hint of russet. Consistency is a little more viscous but it appears to hang nicely on the glass with the weight adding an air of decadence.

Kim Crawford Wines has timed the release for Easter and is working on a limited edition, Easter-egg style foil wrapped packaging for the first 1,000 bottles. The remainder will look much like the rest of Kim Crawford wines, except for the quirky new foil lid.

Kim Crawford Wines indicates there are plans to add to the Vino Chocolat range with seasonal flavours: Sauvignon Blanc Chocolat with a distinctive winter white colour, Suisse Chardonnay for a clever balance of sweet and buttery notes, and an indulgent Merlot Lait Chocolat.

For a sneak preview go to: www.kimcrawfordwines.co.nz/pinotchocolat

Like all relationships, there is a definite up and down cycle to his infatuation with this woman. As his WSET exam gets closer he finds her more frustrating. At other times, he finds her charming, witty, and distinctly sexy. But he relies on her totally and without reservation. “I just can’t be without her,” he’ll sometimes confess.

I suspect that if Frank ever actually met her face to face and in person, he would give her the traditional European greeting – three kisses on alternating cheeks – right, left, right. He might even hug her.

Tonight Frank writes the vinticulture portion of his WSET Diploma exam. Perhaps when he’s done and the marks are tallied, he will close the Oxford Companion to Wine and Jancis Robinson will be forgotten for a short while. Perhaps. At least until it’s time for the next exam.

So when BC Wine Appreciation Society decided to add a couple of Italian wines to an educational tasting scheduled just prior to the 2008 Playhouse International Wine Festival – the theme country for this year’s festival was, after all, Italy – Frank and our illustrious BCWAS leader, Tim Ellison, decided to add a twist to the event. How about putting up a couple of Italian wines with the usual BC vintages? Frank, however, took the concept one step farther.

Here’s the deal. From BC: three sparklers, four Pinot Grigios, two Pinot Noirs, a Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Merlot. From Italy: three Chiantis – just three and all from Frescobaldi, one of Italy’s most respected winemakers (multi-generations shown above).

Here’s the catch. The Chiantis were bottled in 2004, 1982, and 1975. No, it’s not a typo. The last two came from the collection of Italian wines Frank recently acquired – one of those fantastic opportunities that come about from being in the right place and the right time and having way more patience than most when it comes to negotiating.

Alas, on the night of the event, Frank was sick with flu, but you can bet eyes went wide as people realized what he’d sent.

The 2004 was, pretty much as expected, dark purple with lots of fruit and tannins that were more “in your face” than makes for a good sipping wine unless you’re eating. But truth is, few people spent much time with that particular wine since they were all eager to try the two older offerings.

Immediately apparent was the change in colour – now tawny with a much larger rim than the 2004. Controversy was plentiful and several people found neither one was “quite my thing” as one member put it in an attempt to be diplomatic. The level of oxidization, especially in the 1975, caused raised eyebrows among half the folks there. It was virtually unanimous that the ’82 needs to be drunk now and the ’75 is clearly a bit past its prime – although not a soul suggested it should be tossed.

However wide ranging the evening’s opinions were, one thing we all did agree on. These are wines made with love and benefit from patience.

Frank’s Tasting Notes:

Castello di Nipozzano Riserva 1982
This wine has aged well, probably because it is a Riserva. After more than a quarter of a century there’s still lots of fruit left – black cherry and dark fruits with a note of white truffles in the background. The tannins have smoothed right out so they are now a little silky, and the finish is fairly long. This wine shows just how well age can improve a Chianti. Alcohol 12.5%. All the bottles for both these wines are numbered – I have 10 left, all around 84,960 series out of 293,600 bottles produced in 1982.

Castello di Nipozzano Chianti Rufina 1975
Sadly just a little past its prime but still drinkable as the acidity has helped this one hold up. Wide orange rim, brick red colour. Truffles leave sherry undertones. This vintage has shown a lot of bottle variation – the fruit showed up a little more in this one than the first one we tried. Alcohol 12.7%. The last bottle I have left is number 74324 of 80,000 bottles produced.

Harry’s accomplishments are legendary. He helped found the British Columbia Wine Institute, Wines of Canada, VQA Canada, the BC Wine Information Society, and the Okanagan Wine Festivals Society. In 2003, he was a recipient of the Order of British Columbia and is considered instrumental in propelling British Columbia’s wine industry onto the global stage.

But even more important, Harry is known and loved for his tireless commitment and enthusiasm. To be in a room with Harry, is to be instantly caught up in a contagious passion for all things wine-oriented. His wit is razor sharp, his smile impossible to resist, and few can match the sheer depth of his knowledge.

But there’s clearly no slowing down on Harry’s immediate horizon. Effective May 1st, 2008 – the day after he officially steps down as president of Sumac Ridge – Harry intends to begin work establishing The Okanagan Wine Academy, an educational program offering in-depth wine educational programs primarily to consumers. In addition to providing consulting services, he will also continue on as president of the Black Sage Vineyard.

And he’s going to finally be able to devote some time to completing his cookbook, Wine Country Cooking, British Columbia, a project he says “has been talked about and gathering dust for several years.” He smiles with that characteristic twinkle in his eyes. “This is by no means retirement, but an opportunity to find new reasons to get out of bed in the morning and shift gears, as I plan to remain active in the future growth of this great industry.”

Like everyone who has ever had the privilege of meeting this incredible man, we wish Harry every success and look forward to seeing what shifting gears will bring. We’ll also be first in line to try out some of his Wine Country Cooking recipes.

(Photo taken at the BC Wine Appreciation Society’s Christmas party where Harry poured some of his Steller’s Jay Brut.)

Here they come in the order we tasted, and although it would be fun, we can take no credit for the final “heartfelt” evaluations of the ten offerings – each was delivered from an appointed, if sometimes reluctant, spokesperson at a different table.

Wine #1: Paso Robles Westside from Peachy Canyon Winery
Thin, weak, and presenting surprisingly little fruit either on the nose or the palate. This wine is like a ghostly and somewhat disappointing lover. Neat tasting room though as seen at the right.

Wine #2: Alexander Valley Todd Brothers Ranch from Dashe Cellars
Made with 4% Petit Syrah, the general consensus was that this wine was approaching – or perhaps even past – its prime. Tannins were still a bit coarse, and there was definite sediment. This wine was ranked as a dark and sultry, if a bit over the top lover.

Wine #3: Sonoma Valley Rhinefarm Vineyard from Gundlach Bundschu Winery
Softer and with a better balance than the previous one, most people agreed this wine showed coffee, chocolate, and mint overtones. The finish was longer, smoother like a well-oiled lover – apparently appealing as this wine was ranked Number One of the evening.

Wine #4: Amador County Grandpere from Renwood Winery
Made from old vines though from a newer winery (shown right), this wine was deemed somewhat austere. Oak on the nose but light in fruit, this wine – according to the table’s spokesperson – would not be finding its way onto her table nor into her bedroom even on Valentine’s Day.

Wine #5: Dry Creek Valley from Chateau Souverain
Not offensive, merely flat and faded from time with not enough fruit remaining to be worth mentioning. This wine is one lover who simply doesn’t deliver – even after midnight.

Wine #6: Dry Creek Valley from Foppiano Vineyards
Although we knew this vineyard specializes in “affordable,” this vintage was rather like stuffing your face full of penny candy in the general store. A fickle lover – even on a one night stand, first he thought he loved her, then he didn’t, then he did.

Wine #7: Napa Valley from Napa Wine Company
Like a chameleon, this wine exhibited the most dramatic amount of change of any poured this evening and garnered second favourite in the process. On the palate cedar, tobacco, and barnyard. In bed, an almost schizoid lover – but definitely one you’d happily suggest a roll in the hay with.

Wine #8: Napa Valley Old Vines from Fife Vineyards
Simple and somewhat nondescript but still comfortable, this wine is from old vines. Good for mindless quaffing on an open-air patio. A lover wearing nothing but flannel pajamas.

Wine #9: Napa Valley from Ravenswood Winery
Although this wine didn’t open as much as many of us had expected, it was “no wimpy wine.” Brawny and well structured, a few people found a hint of cream soda. This one is a somewhat reticent lover but definitely well built lover – perhaps even a redhead. (Note: these guys have a really fun website and a terrific sense of humour. Here’s an excerpt: At Ravenswood, there’s no pinkie raising, Brie eating, wine spitting wimpiness. Oh no. At the home of No Wimpy Wines, you’ll get to taste mind blowing zinfandel, witty conversation with our behind-the-bar staff and, if you so choose, private or group tours of the winery aka Zinfomania Central.)

Wine #10: Napa Valley from Rutherford Ranch
Controversy swirled around this wine as it became clear there was an almost unbelievable amount of bottle variation between each of the three that were poured. Some felt theirs was corked, others said “no, it’s just the style.” Was it a Madame wearing pancake make up and a feather boa or a great lover who hadn’t showered for a week? Few could agree.

We’re both fans of Spanish Cavas for their ability to combine great taste with solid pricing, and the Lavit Brut Rosado we sampled first was no exception. Light strawberry in colour, this sparkler was summer in a glass – raspberries, strawberries, and just a hint of peach. Even though it was slightly over chilled for this tasting we instantly agreed it would be one to that would help solve the “what actually goes with turkey dinner” dilemma. Good for pre-dinner sipping too.

The Sigura Viudas Brut Reserva that was next up is pretty much one of our standard stocker for its flexible nature and crisp taste. It’s also, according to Ian Farmiloe, the International Cellars rep pouring, BC’s largest selling Cava. Good for parties – especially potluck where anything is likely to show up. “So, is this one, like – you know – real champagne?” To his credit, Ian managed to keep a semi-serious expression on his face as he explained the intricacies of the Champagne region to the rather portly lady wearing a combination of tartan plaid, plenty of zestful holiday bling, and sturdy black walking boots. We weren’t quite so diplomatic and had to suddenly develop an interest in the Italian wine section several rows over.

However, we did pop back for the Reserva Heredad. Perfect for when we want a bit more of a treat for less than $35, this Grand Reserve Cava has plenty of lemon-lime acidity and always makes a reliable, refreshing pour.

For a complete change of pace, we also checked out two offerings from Gray Monk’s Odyssey series. Even our Scottish wanna-be would probably have hesitated to inquire about the authenticity of this “Champagne.” Neither of us got the yeasty nose that we would have expected after being left for 16 months on the yeast, although there was plenty of big time buttery texture from the Chardonnay. We settled for this one as an
aperitif. The Rosé Brut had pleasing strawberry notes but didn’t hit either one of us as a “rush out and buy” item. At $27 each, we took a pass on both these BC wines and headed back for a few more of the Cavas… with just a short detour through Champagne for some of “the real stuff.”

THE WINES:

Lavit Brut Rosado
Winery: Sigura Viudas
Grapes: 80% Trepat, 10% Monastrell, 10% Garnacha
Price: $17

Brut Reserva
Winery: Sigura Viudas
Grapes: 50% Macabeo, 35% Parellada, 15% Xarel-lo
Price: $16

Reserva Heredad
Winery: Sigura Viudas
Grapes: 67% Macabeo, 33% Parellada
Price: $32

Odyssey White Brut
Winery: Gray Monk
Grapes: Riesling and Chardonnay
Price: $27

Odyssey Rosé Brut
Winery: Gray Monk
Grapes: Gamay Noir, Pinot Meunier
Price: $27

Naturally, there was sparkling wine to start the evening – Steller’s Jay from Sumac Ridge and as you can see at the right, owner Harry McWatters himself was pouring. Wonderfully yeasty and a perfect complement to the freshly shucked oysters that were part of the smorgasbord of delectable nibbles. And Frank said he was going to be late… snicker. So of course, I just had to check that particular pairing again on my own.

During the course of the evening the food seemed endless and conversations delightfully varied – wandering from the newest VQA stores in everyone’s ’hood to the emerging trend of creating strata housing developments amid the vines of established wineries to which grape varietals are best suited to BC and how that varies between the Okanagan and Vancouver Islands. But always, we came back to the main event – the wines themselves. Picking a favourite was, as expect, a tough call, but by the time Frank got there, it seemed pretty much narrowed down to two.

From one of our favourite Gulf Island Wineries, Morning Bay, Keith (shown below with Francis, BCWAS’ financial wizard) and Barbara had brought an unannounced bottle of their new release Bianco. Crisp and clean, with medium plus intensity of citrus with a hint of floral on the nose, Frank’s eyes took on that glint of appreciation when we went back to this one, and he was soon deep in conversation with Keith about the four strains of yeast used – one for each of the grapes that make up this summer sipper blend: Schonberger, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, and a touch of Riesling. All are vinified separately with the Riesling adding just a touch of orchard fruit. Made in a bone dry, Alsace style, Frank’s first thought was oysters or shellfish – especially if you can’t find a Muscadet. At that point I didn’t have the heart to tell him about the earlier nibblies he’d missed.

A highlight of the evening, one that had attracted a huge amount of anticipation was the 2004 Nota Bene from Black Hills. Considered something of a cult wine among BC wine fans, this Bordeaux blend (43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc) is filled with black fruit plus a hint of cherry with cedar and pencil shavings. We agreed it was well balanced with fine-grained tannins.

Unfortunately, if you’re thinking of nipping down to the store to grab a bottle or two, think again. This wine sells out year after year – unless you’re on their list, you likely won’t find any unless you can snag a bottle at a local restaurant or visit their Okanagan winery for yourself. Admittedly it was quite delicious. Still, at $35 seemed a bit pricy and in many ways remains an example of one of the biggest issues many (both of us included) believe the BC wine industry in general needs to consider carefully as it continues its evolution onto the world stage – how to be competitive in an increasingly savvy, discriminating marketplace.

PS: Happy Birthday to Leah. Thanks for pouring on your special day and you did a great job with the candle on your cupcake.

To all you wineries, if you think this amount of information will have wines flying off the shelves, think again. First of all, by the time most consumers are looking up a wine on the Internet they’ve already tasted it, so they’re after more detail than “black cherries and leather.” And could you include just a few words on your different vintages? Your 2001 tasting notes are getting a little dated. Besides, I’m sure your 2006 will taste different – different weather, different harvest conditions, different wine.

How about a little technical information? French Oak or American Oak for example. A few lines covering pH, harvest dates, Brix at harvest, and residual sugar would be nice. Wine geeks will love you and talk up your wines – free promotion.

I’d also think you would have your labels available for download – after all, your design person’s already done the graphics in digital format, so just get a copy. Buyers could then print the label and take it to their favorite store as a reminder of what they’re looking for. Wine reviewers would be able add a label to their review or blog – more free promotion. People could share copies with their friends and family: look at this great wine I just found. Even more free promotion.

People viewing your site aren’t usually there to read all about the owners and how wonderful they are – at least not at first. Surprise – top of most people’s hit list are the wines themselves. What grape varieties? What quantities in your Bordeaux style blend? Can we have a little story on the style of wines you are trying to produce? Who is the winemaker and what’s their philosophy, experience, and technique. What does your winery look like – a picture or two might be nice especially for the folks buying your wine who live across the country.

Oh, and some way of getting a hold of you would be nice – an email address or phone number would be cool. How can you except to answer questions – like “where do I buy your wines?” Or maybe you just like seeing your wines sitting in the warehouse.

None of this actually takes that much effort. Really, it doesn’t. All you need to do is spend a little time and money on your website to make it stand out among the rest. If you want to see what I mean, here are links to a couple of websites that get it right.

Arrow Leaf Cellars in BC’s Okanagan has a site that’s easy to negotiate and includes a contact list, newsletter, pictures of the vineyard, and a great tech sheet. There’s even info on screw caps with a link to the New Zealand Screwcap Wine Seal Initiative – just in case you haven’t been converted yet.

Down under, Peter Lehmann Wines has another fantastic site – history, descriptions of the area, info about the winemakers and the wines. After spending time on the site, you want to buy rush out to the store and buy a bottle or two.

And to the winery in Australia who will not put info on their web site because it is too “techie,” it’s time to get with the Digital Age. You say you’d rather have people come to the cellar door to get info than surf the Net. Yeah, right. I’ll just hop on a plane from Canada right away. Lots of luck selling wines in our local market and no reviews from this quarter.

SUSAN’S NOTE:

I confess, I have a severe love/hate relationship with the web. I admire Frank’s ability to search through layers and layers until he comes up with some nugget of information, but I certainly don’t share it. No results after a couple of Google searches and I’m on to something else. And sites that give me no contact information put me into orbit – Frank usually doesn’t even bother telling me about them any more because then he has to listen to my usually loud, always colourful verbal tirades.

However, one interesting thing did come out of his visit to the “We don’t believe in an Internet presence” Aussie site. Our debate on whether the owner was simply stupid or was being blatantly arrogant was lively, thoroughly entertaining, and will certainly keep them at the top of our “Do Not Visit or Buy From” list for a long, long time. FYI: arrogant won hands down.

Note: Photos show the Arrow Leaf Cellars’ vineyards and porch area. Wine bottles show Arrow Leaf’s Zweigelt and Peter Lehmann’s Semillon. Enjoy.

Uncharacteristically for a Saturday, there was plenty of parking – must be something to do with the snow. Vancouver + Snow = Mass Panic.

Tim and I do our usual three-kiss-on-the-cheek greeting – that’s right cheek to right cheek, left to left, and right to right in case you’ve ever wondered. The beef he’s carving with Melissa Popp from Hills Foods smells wonderful and the Chimichurri Sauce looks even better. Both wines on offer are from Bodega del Fin del Mundo from Patagonia, Argentinean – Southern most White and Southern most Red. Hmmm. White and Red. That tells me a lot, but what the heck.

Turns out our white is a 60/40 Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay blend. Surprisingly crisp with a pleasing length to the finish – not huge but pleasing. Today, however, this wine seemed just a bit too citrus without food – or maybe I’m just cantankerous from the snow. Still, at the price point of $12.95, this is one worth stocking for when you need a sipper with light nibblies. I’m already thinking summer sailing and it’s only December.

The red is 70/15/15 Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Once again priced at $12.95, this is one good value. A hint of tobacco and a nice, round mouth feel. I was surprised I liked it as much as I did. And it went fabulously well with the beef – although I had to check that particular pairing twice just to be sure. Tim and Melissa Popp from Hills Foods were happy to provide a photo op for the results of their combined cooking talents.

Tasting Aftermath at the Computer

Arriving home, I thought it would be fun to find out more about a winery located – literally – at the end of the world. One thing lead to another – like good surfing usually does. I spent, let’s just say “a while,” including a browse about through the Hills Foods site (who generously provided today’s beef) – some great recipes and cool organic meat products. But here’s the summary about the wines.

Bodega del Fin del Mundo was founded in 1999 when the owners planted vines on a deserted plot of land in Patagonia, Argentina. First problem – no water. From the pictures on the website, there’s not only no water, there isn’t much of anything here – think bleak, windswept, and desolated. Twenty kilometers of irrigation canal with computerized pumping system later, there was water, but now each plant needed its own windbreak to protect it from the gales that swept across the land on a seemingly daily basis. These folks clearly have plenty of the stubborn gene.

In 2002, their first vinification produced 30,000 bottles and netted a silver medal for Malbec. The owners began constructing a new, contemporary winery so they could move out of the small warehouse they’d been using to date. By 2004 were winning gold and silver medals at the Brussels Wine Expo and the Mondial du Pinot Noir in Switzerland, and their list of medals gets longer every year.

Also interesting, Bodega del Fin del Mundo continues to consider itself an experimental vineyard and is researching the viability of grape varieties seldom associated with Argentina – Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Aspirant Boushet, and Viognier.

And here’s a bonus, Tim even shared his recipe for his Chimichurri Sauce. Check it out. Thanks Tim!

TIM’S ARGENTINEAN CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

A light oil and vinegar sauce with chopped parsley, cilantro, and garlic. Use as a garnish on your favourite cut of grilled beef. Makes 1 cup and would be wicked with fish and chicken too.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup vegetable or olive oil
1/4 cup red wine or sherry vinegar
1 med white onion, minced
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
2 tbsp oregano, fresh, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes
1/4 tsp black pepper, coarse grind
1 tsp lemon juice
salt to taste

Method:
Whisk together oil and vinegar in non-reactive bowl.
Add the rest of the ingredients and combine thoroughly.
Season with salt to taste.
Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours to allow flavours to develop.
Serve as a garnish with all types of grilled meats and fish.
Will keep covered in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Following tradition, this delicious event was a fundraiser for Amateur Sports BC and brought together an eclectic selection of fortified wines and chocolate – oh yeah, I already mentioned the chocolate… right.

We quickly agreed there was no way we were going to be able to sample everything on offer, so a two-point plan of attack emerged – different and high end. Our first official “Oh Wow” was a 1987 Vintage Kopke. Luxuriously smoky and sinfully smooth, this port instantly conjured images of bespeckled gentlemen in brocade morning coats pausing between pages of the morning paper for a sip of coffee and a puff on their cigar. There was even a long, fat cigar reclining with elegant abandon on the table – just in case you missed the tobacco on the nose.

We tried some of the Penfold’s Grandfather Fine Old Liqueur Tawny and Peter Lehman’s The King – no wonder the Aussies call these ports “The Stickies.” The King, with its big time fruity nose and strawberry notes, practically begged to be paired with cheesecake – a dessert that sadly made no appearance here. Oh well, just have to settle for a Grand Marnier chocolate truffle.

Next up was a Barolo Chinato Cocchi from Piedmont, Italy. Frank’s eyes immediately got that “Oh my god” glint to them indicating something spectacular. “Now that’s a noseful! You won’t believe how much is going on here.” No kidding. Made from an eclectic selection of herbs including quinine bark, rhubarb, and gentian, this is like nothing either of us have smelled – or tasted.

I was just attempting to sort out whether the undertone was cardamom or fennel when Frank disappeared – simply vanished into the crowd. A couple of minutes later, he reemerged with a large chunk of dark chocolate in hand. Now you have to appreciate Frank doesn’t have quite the same relationship with chocolate I do – so this in itself was unusual. When he took a second bite, I was shocked. “This is the best chocolate pairing ever,” he announced. “Try it.” And he was right. The combination of exotic spiciness in the Cocchi and the rich, semi-sweet chocolate from Mink Chocolates was sensual and seductive – a perfect, if totally unexpected pairing and without question The Find of the Evening.

We probably sampled close to three dozen wines before sugar overload kicked, but fortunately for us, we paused for one final taste just before heading out the door – a Riesling Icewine from Chateau de Charmes. Named Wine of the Year at the 2006 Ontario Wine Awards, this is the one to refer to if someone wants to experience the full-on, buxom nose of petrol in a Riesling. A great balance between ripe fruit, texture, and acidity made this a close runner up for favourite of the evening.

THE WINES:
Kopke: Vintage1987
Portugal ($66.99)

Penfold: Grandfather Fine Old Liqueur Tawny
Australia ($84.99)

Peter Lehman: The King
Australia

Barolo Chinato Cocchi
Italy ($50.99)

Chateau de Charmes: Riesling Icewine
Ontario, Canada ($65.00 – 375ml)

THE CHOCOLATES:
Mink Chocolates
Teas Me Truffles

Over the years, more than 1,000 dogs have brought their owners to this celebration of the See Ya Later Ranch’s quirky history and unleashing of the winery’s newest vintages – all now bottled under screw cap. No dog of your own? No problem say the folks at See Ya Later Ranch. Despite your disadvantaged status, you’re still welcome to raise a glass of 2006 Riesling or Gewürztraminer – two of the just released wines featured at this year’s Dog Days of Summer – in salute of your own favourite four-footed companion.

Above, winemaker Dave Carson poses with one of the See Ya Later spaniels.

FYI:

In 2003, the winery released a series of wines under the See Ya Later Ranch label in honour of Major Hugh Fraser, one of the ranch’s first inhabitants. A confirmed dog lover, the Major gave his pets free-range of his ranch and house so, in keeping with his philosophy of making the property a dog-friendly place, the new wine labels featured a small, white, flying angel dog and the winery grounds have been outfitted with a Barking Lot where dogs can romp and play in the shade while their humans tour the winery.

This being a potluck, the hostess and host were wondering what I’d brought. Needless to say, since they’d never had these before, they got the first couple I shucked. Naturally, they also had to try the wine I’d brought with the oysters. There was some discussion about what a wonderful match the oysters and wine made.

Another couple were listening – two more oysters vanished. Now you have to appreciate European flats are like potato chips – you can’t just have one. It simply doesn’t work. So now there are four people eating oysters and drinking wine. Next thing I know, there are six gathered around the table where I’m shucking. I look down and there a two oysters left. That’s it, two left for me out of a dozen. The bottle of wine has one glass left – maybe. Total elapsed time – less than fifteen minutes.

Okay, one of the things I was counting on is that there usually aren’t a lot of people who eat raw oysters, so I’d probably have most of them for myself. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Went back the next day to get some more but there were none left. Nothing, nada, zip. Susan will probably think this is justice served.

Susan’s Note:

Yup. I’m trying to hide the snigger – but not too hard. What more need I say?

The Details You Need To Know:

The Wine: Chateau Chasseloir Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie. Lots of lemon and lemon peel with a tangy, mineral finish. Perfect raw oyster wine. Available in Vancouver at Marquis Wine Cellar for $19.95.

The Oysters: European Flats (ostera edulis) also known as Belons or French Plates. Slight copper color, sweet with a slight copper finish, with just a touch of brine. Somewhat rare in North America. When they’re available, we usually find them at The Lobsterman on Granville Island.

For a great reference book on everything to do with oysters check out The Hog Island Oyster Lover’s Cookbook published by Ten Speed Press that we reviewed in June. Available in Vancouver at Barbara Jo’s Books to Cooks or through Amazon.com.

“It’s a great day for tasting Rieslings,” says a cheery woman with suspiciously frizzy, red hair and a glass already in hand. Like there’s a bad day for Riesling? It takes a second to register that I’ve apparently stumbled on an unexpected in-house tasting. Okay, time for a detour from the Toro especially since, according to my chatty, beaming companion, the vineyard owner himself, Johannes Selbach – “such a lovely, daaarling man” – is pouring. Hey, serendipity is good.

All four wines are from the Selbach-Oster winery in Germany’s Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region – one of the world’s prime Riesling areas. Selbach-Oster has been growing grapes there since the 1600s and Riesling is the only wine they produce. Frank’s going to be really choked he missed out on this one.

Halbtrocken Riesling 2005 (1-Litre)
A popular restaurant offering in Germany, this wine gives plenty of slate on the nose. Dry, firm, and “crunchy” as Johannes describes it. Good acidity but certainly not overpowering – great to have on hand for when guests show up unexpectedly. Solid value at $27.99

Zeltinger Himmelreigh QBA Riesling 2001
A bit fruitier and rounder, this wine presents more petrol on the nose and more sweetness on the palate. I attempt, without success, to find the hint of fizz Johannes experiences but we soon settle for simply agreeing this is a pleasing, comfortable wine – especially at the price point of $17.99.

Bernkaestler Kabinett Riesling 2005
Big mouth feel ensures this wine would pair well with a diverse selection of foods – pastas, tomato and vinaigrette salad, and paella. Easy to see why, at $22.99, this is Selbach-Oster’s most popular wine.

Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spatlese 2003
“A big step up” Johannes says as he pours the last wine. No kidding. Immediately presenting the nose-tickling petrol fragrance that’s synonymous with classic Riesling, this old vine beauty is well balanced, rich, and complex. Peaches dance at the back of the tongue like kids playing in an orchard where fruit laden branches dip low to the ground. Thanks to the hot 2003 summer, there’s a mouth-cleansing acidity that would pair well with a broad range of foods… or simply with the delights of good company. Definitely one to stock at $39.99.

Epilogue: Kitsilano Wine Cellar does indeed have some of the elusive Toro wines – two in fact. Two bottles of the 2003 Vetus are already tucked away for the next barbeque, but they are sharing shelf space with a couple of newly discovered whites from Selbach-Oster. Like the woman said, it really was a great day to savour some Rieslings.

However, somewhere in the blur that has been this summer, I did manage to attend – survive might be a more accurate description – an intensive weekend seminar with Pancho Campo (left) and Javier Arana (right) from the Wine Academy of Spain. This was one jam-packed weekend of learning more about Spanish wines. Trust me, there is nothing quite like tasting a big, bold Rioja red at nine o’clock on a Saturday morning. Susan would have been in heaven.

The classes ran an exhausting eight hours a day over Saturday and Sunday. During the two days we learned about the climate, topography, history, food, and culture of Spanish wine regions – all 20-plus of them. We tasted more than 45 wines including a couple of big, fat reds from Toro, one of Spain’s lesser-known regions. Made from Tempranillo (that here the Spaniards call Tinta de Toro), these wines are huge and tannic and cry out for roast pig on a spit.

On Monday, we subjected ourselves to a multiple-choice exam and a blind tasting exam – six wines, five questions on each wine. The multiple-choice questions were difficult, but the blind tasting… well excruciating is probably a slight understatement. Several of the 23 participants are working sommeliers already, one woman teaches the entry level WSET training, others have years of experience in the wine industry – all agreed this was the toughest course they’d ever taken.

I passed and am now an official Spanish Wine Educator. But one thing I learned, I’m definitely going to have to drink more Spanish reds.

SUSAN’S NOTE:

Shell-shocked is how I’d best describe Frank on Saturday evening after the first eight hours. He was up at 5:00 am the next two mornings to follow the time honoured tradition of cramming – every book on Spanish wines off the shelves and open.

I still haven’t quite found an accurate descriptor for how he appeared after emerging from the exam, but he was positively vibrating. For several days, he’d just shake his head and look a bit – well, stunned is what comes to mind – every time he poured a glass of red wine and stared into its depths. He was convinced he’d failed the blind tastings miserably.

About a week later, we were at a wine event where we ran into four of five of the participants from the class. Now you have to appreciate, Frank is extremely diplomatic, so it took a few minutes of conversation before he actually asked the first woman how she thought she’d done on the blind tasting – this was, after all, a well respected local sommelier and wine rep with many years of experience. She flashed a devil-may-care smile, threw her hands up in the air, and announced “I blew it – totally, absolutely, completely blew it.” She proceeded to list off the mistakes she’d made. As we walked toward the next table, Frank raised his eyebrows ever-so-slightly and mutter “humph” – that was it, just “humph.”

By the time we’d talked to two more people who had apparently also made significant numbers of wrong calls, Frank was looking much more chuff. The “humph” was replaced with “well, I’ll be damned.” In the end, though we’re still waiting for the actual certificate, the Academy sent an email to say he’d passed with a significantly above average mark on the theory and a solidly above average one on the tasting. Okay, so if he doesn’t boast, I’ll just have to do it for him. But you can be sure I’ll be reminding him frequently that to fill the lack in his education, we need to raise a few more glasses filled with Spanish reds – especially those big, fat, tannic Toros that we’re still trying to track down.

FYI: The seminar was a joint effort between the Society Of Wine Educators and the Wine Academy of Spain and was offered in Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, and Vancouver. If you missed it, we’ve heard it will soon be offered on the East Coast.

CHABLIS: THE FRENCH CHIC

Test out your Chablis-savvy nature – from trendy to sophisticated. ’Fess up about how you’ll handle the waiter who spills the bisque on your lap or whether you’ll spill the beans when your best friend needs a shoulder to cry on, and this quick quiz will fill you in on your FC-quotient.

But it’s the three videos we found most fun. Sassy, silly, and guaranteed to bring a smile, we got the second and third installment through frogsmoke.com. Watch out for the blond’s backhand.

DATE NIGHT… UNCORKED

Last month it was Soif de Coeur – find your soul mate by revealing the secret number under the label. This month, we discovered a kind of cyber-cross between horoscope, wine guru, and psychic. Apparently if you’re willing to share your preference of ideal date scenario and comfort with a wine list – along with a couple of minor details like age and personality type – you’ll get a personalized synopsis telling you how to “make understanding, buying, and drinking” wine more fun. Like we need an excuse? Still, this is just one of those cute ways to spend a few minutes.

The BC Wine Authority regulations will require all wineries to be registered and meet a core set of standards for both winemaking and labeling. The mandatory level of Wines of Marked Quality does not, however, include VQA certification which will continue to be an optional program.

Previously, the BC wine industry was governed by the Wine Act that legally created the VQA standard which the BC Wine Institute has overseen since 1990. “The BC Wine Institute and its winery members are extremely proud of how the VQA program evolved and believe these standards have driven the positive, quality-directed growth of our industry,” says Scott Fraser, BC Wine Institute chair. “We believe moving standards into a separate organization – an organization independent of the wineries themselves and one that has enforcement powers – will strengthen the standards’ credibility even more and will overall serve consumers’ interests better.”

“Many of the best minds in the BC wine industry have been working tirelessly to establish the Wine Authority,” says Shaun Everest, marketing manager at Tinhorn Creek Vineyards (vineyards at harvest time shown above). With so many players involved, it was a long and difficult process. Now that the BC Wine Authority is officially in the picture, everyone can get on with what they do best… which is continue to make our fabulous BC wines.”

FYI: There are over 130 wineries in British Columbia – almost double the number from just six years ago – and over 410 grape growers. The BC wine industry employs more than 3,000 full- and part-time workers, and by sales, is Canada’s number one producer of premium wine grapes.

It was an instant hit – not just with the two of us but with almost everyone in attendance – because of its subtle yet distinct mint undertone. Yes, at first we questioned whether our palates were playing tricks, but everyone in the room had the same reaction. Mint, definitely. Very unusual, deliciously refreshing.

A week later we bought half a case.

Frank had the first bottle the next evening. No mint. Nada. A pleasant enough Sauvignon Blanc, but where was the mint that had captured our attention? A couple of days later, I took a second bottle to a patio party. I neglected to mention the mint to my fellow party goers, just asked if anyone could taste something unusual. Nope, just a nice, pleasant wine. No mint.

It was beginning to sound like a classic case of bottle variation. The big question now becoming: was it the bottle at the tasting or the ones we bought that have the variation? Two to one against the tasting – a bit of a disappointment because we really did like the unique flavour.

A call to Drew at Liberty got us no closer to a possible solution. He remembered the wine as being grassy and herbaceous – pretty much like you’d expect it to be – but no mint. Still we could certainly exchange the wine if we weren’t happy with it. Okay, we’d think about that option.

We’d almost decided to take Drew up on his exchange offer when one of Frank’s co-workers and an always looking for something new in the wine world person phoned to thank him for the bottle of wine he’d passed along. She loved the minty taste – hadn’t actually believed him when he told her about it. Uh-oh, we’re back to two for two for the mint.

Three bottles remain from our initial purchase. The good news is we know there can’t be a tie – and Drew definitely won’t be getting our bottles of this wine back. This is one mystery that’s proving far too much fun to give up on yet.

THE DETAILS YOU NEED:
- The wine: Domaine des Corbillieres 2005 Touraine Sauvignon
- The grape: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
- The price: $19.99
- Available at Liberty Wine Merchants and BC Liquor Stores
- The Domaine des Corbillieres estate encompasses 23 hectares: 13 hectares of Touraine Blanc Sauvignon, eight hectares of Touraine Rouge (Gamay, Pinot Noir, Cot, and Cabernet Franc), one hectare of Touraine Rosé (Pineau D’Aunis), and one hectare of Crémant de Loire (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir)
- The picture above left was taken in 1923 and is of Fabel Barbou and his wife, great grandfather to Dominique Barbou who, with his wife Véronique, now runs Domaine des Corbillieres.

Meanwhile, though, there’s one story that already has a sequel, hopefully the first of many – that’s many stories about the trip and many sequels to this particular story.

The winery was Forchini Vineyards (their Petit Verdot vines shown left). Frank had stumbled on it by accident while he was looking for a spot to take pictures of the Dry Creek Valley. This particular winery is located at the top of the steepest driveway, so naturally that was where he pointed the truck. When he arrived at the peak, he spotted a father and son hanging out – well, not just hanging out. Jim and Michael were actually watching their power meter run backwards. Seems they’d just installed solar panels and were now feeding power back into California’s power grid.

At first they were a trifle suspicious. Later Michael confided he and his dad had been trying to figure out whether this guy at the end of their drive was a grower hoping to sell them grapes. It was a theme that would be repeated often – apparently the combination of truck, Daytons, and jeans spells “Grower” to most vineyard owners.

But they soon warmed up when Frank explained he was working toward his WSET Diploma and genuinely only wanted to snap a few photos of the valley. One thing led to another – again, a recurring theme of the trip. Jim left early, but seemingly in no time, Frank and Michael were ensconced on the patio sipping wines under the adoring gaze of two golden labs made famous on the pages of Wine Dogs: The Original Winery Dog Book.

Now you have to appreciate that Frank tasted hundreds of wine during his all too brief, five-day sojourn. But the Forchini 2004 Zinfandel Proprietor’s Reserve was one of the wines he chose to fulfill his meager allotment of two bottles – the maximum the Canadian government will allow you to bring back after even an extended visit outside the country without paying almost 150% in duties and taxes.

One, the Potter’s Viognier, never made it home. He drank it – yes, the whole bottle – enroute. But the Forchini 2004 Zinfandel Proprietor’s Reserve did arrive safe and sound in Vancouver. And he’s been telling me about it ever since he put it on the wine rack – not like any Zin I’ve ever tried, it’s going to change the way I think of Zins, I’ll love this one.

Finally I couldn’t stand it, I called his bluff. Open the bottle and let me taste for myself.

Thing is, it was no bluff. This is one amazing wine and truly is unlike any other Zinfandel we’ve ever tasted. The aromatics are lush – bordering on contemplative – and filled with spice plus something that seems elusively like licorice but isn’t. Over the evening, the spices intensified but never overwhelmed.

There’s no disappointment on the palate either. Tons of big, bold berry with an undertone of spice and still that unknown licorice or perhaps anise. Frank got just a hint of vanilla too – most likely from the 35% new American oak – but I was too infatuated to really care about the oak. This was, quite simply, everything he’d said and more.

Definitely created in a traditional Italian style, the finish is long, lingering, and smooth. As Frank put it, you can swish it around in your mouth all you like and you won’t get any tannins or harshness. It covers the entire tongue from front to back with no hot spots anywhere. Yet surprisingly, this wine packs 15.2% alcohol – very uncharacteristically, Frank was off by 2% pegging it at 13%.

As we were savouring the last glass, Frank finally confessed. “I’m really glad this was as good as I remember it being. I’ve been talking it up to you for so long now I was starting to wonder if it was actually more to do with the time and the place – you know, the dogs flopped out in the tasting room, the sunshine, the conversation. But it really is just as wonderful as I remembered.” And although this wine is sold out far in advance, sometime in the future we agreed a return visit with Jim and Michael is now high up on our “must make time for” list.

THE DETAILS YOU NEED:
- The Wine: 2004 Zinfandel Proprietor’s Reserve
- Cost: $25.00 (US)
- The Forchini Vineyard produces a total of only 3,000 cases of wine per year. They own 24 acres along the Russian River and 67 acres in Dry Creek.
- Only 350 cases of the 2004 Zinfandel Proprietor’s Reserve were produced. This vintage is made from 100 year old, dry farmed vines grown on the eastern Dry Creek Valley benchland.
- The Forchini wine labels are portraits painted by the Italian artist Caravaggio. Born in 1571,Caravaggio lived a controversial, passionate life and was renown for his impressionistic work with its still life realism and dramatic contrasts between light and dark.

We couldn’t quite place the address, but set off regardless never suspecting that tucked away in the basement of a classically subdued, black building in a somewhat nondescript Vancouver neighbourhood, Liberty Wine Merchants would have a traditional, cellar-style tasting room. It was just the first surprise of the afternoon.

Following the tradition of an afternoon garden party, we were greeted by a glass of Moncontour n/v Touraine Tete de Cuvee Brut. A blend of 95% Chenin Blanc and 5% Chardonnay, this sparkler offered good acidity, a traditionally yeasty nose, and the crisp Chenin flavour. At $24.99, we agreed this is a pleasant wine and a good value.

Next up was a Coing de Saint Fiarce 2005 Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie that immediately garnered the first star of our evolving Frank’s Rating System – that’s one star for good enough to stock, two stars for a wine that will definitely become a regular, and two stars with a “B” for rush out and buy this wine right now! Frank immediately said lime apple with a touch of iodine. I passed on the apple component. But we both agreed this is one to stock and a perfect match with seafood. At $23.99, it will also likely replace our current standard Muscadet for everyday sipping.

We felt the Chesnanie 2005 Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie that came next was, while still pleasant and typical of a Muscadet, was overall less balanced than the previous wine – especially as the price point was identical. With the slight briny background taste, it would be worth trying with salty oysters – in other words, we’ll probably have to be heading down to Granville Island for a visit to The Lobster Man, our favourite oyster supplier.

However, our eyes popped with the first swirl of the Domaine des Corbillieres 2005 Touraine Sauvignon that was next. Mint – no question about it. Subtle yet distinct, this wine actually has a note of mint. By far the most unusual wine of the afternoon, this one ranked the coveted two stars with a “B” designation. A steal at $19.99.

We were disappointed by the Valery Renaudat 2003 Quincy that followed. Little nose and dull on the palate. At $34.99, we’ll stick with a Sancerre or Pouilly. Turns out there is also no information on the web – at least none we could find.

A Tinel Blondelet 2005 Sancerre la Croix Canat was next, and our taste buds were soon revived. Bright, crisp, and flinty, this one is a good example of Sancerre. Absolutely cries out for goat cheese. Frank also detected a hint of gooseberry and fresh cut grass. $34.99.

The following Tinel Blondelet 2005 Pouilly Fume had a disappointing lack of aromatics and was not at all what we’d consider typical of a Pouilly. At the same price point, the Sancerre was a far better value.

When we got home, we discovered neither of us had any notes at all on the Baumard 2004 Vin de Pays Jardin de la France La Caleche that came next. Well, not quite, but suffice it to say we simply didn’t like this wine. $19.99.

The Chamboureau 2002 Savennieres was a typical Chenin Blanc, although at $34.99 neither of us could decide whether we actually liked it. No web information was forthcoming on a search later.

We didn’t linger much over the Hureau 2003 Saumur that was next up. Pleasant enough but at $37.99 not stellar value. We moved forward in the line up quickly.

Next was the afternoon’s second two star wine – a Champalou 2003 Vouvray Cuvee de Fondraux. Great aromatics with plenty of tropical fruits, there was still enough acidity to balance the sugar nicely. Great value at $33.99.

The Baumard 2003 Savennieres Trie Speciale that followed left a somewhat bitter after taste. We both gave this one a shrug and moved on – especially at a $49.99 price point.

The final wine of our French Garden Party was a Champalou 2003 Vouvray Cuvee Moelleuse. Rich with the aromas and texture of noble rot, this was another two star favourite. Full bodied and rich, it was the perfect wine to end with – we were both still enjoying the long, lingering finish many minutes later. Same price as the previous wine but with a whole lot more personality and attitude. Two stars with a B to Buy!