Heartland Stickleback Red 2008

Whoa. The Heartland Stickleback Red is killer, and a great value at about $20 at Firefly. We had Heartland's Shiraz last weekend in Whistler, and it was so good that I picked up whatever Firely carried. A blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Dolcetto and Lagrein, this is our new go-to winter wine.


The Stickleback's vineyards are in Langhorne Creek which, owing to the influence of the Southern Ocean, is a cooler part of Australia. The Shiraz and Cab really sing in the blend, with juicy black fruit like blackberry, cassis and blueberry jumping out with lots of smoky, peppery goodness going on here too. Man, oh man. The Lagrein, an oddball little Italian grape from Northern Italy, adds tannin and colour. Not that the tannins are overwhelming, they're actually really well integrated, and the overall the Stickleback Red is very well balanced, especially for being so affordable. Dolcetto "the little sweet one" is another surprise in here. But then there are some interesting blends coming out of Langhorne (see the white blend from Langhorne that we chose for our wedding here) that are great to share with that friend who's had everything. So maybe I should stop acting so surprised.

I'm looking forward to trying every other Heartland wine carried in BC, and have high hopes that they will join D'Arenberg in my stable of I-love-everything-you-produce Aussie wineries.

Joseph Drouhin Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2009

It's here! Beaujolais Nouveau. Once a year it's released, and when it is you'd better drink up, because Beaujolais Nouveau is meant for today. Seriously, today.

Beaujolais Nouveau goes through a process called carbonic maceration, in which whole bunches of grapes are fermented, and this gives the wine its unique cotton candy, bubble gum and banana flavour characteristics.

Tonight I tried the 2009 Joseph Drouhin Beaujolais-Villages AC, and it was pretty darned good, as far as Beaujolais Nouveau goes. The Joseph Drouhin is like skipping down the street to your neighbourhood 7-11. It has all your favourite flavours of the penny candy aisle. Soft, squishy banana candy? Check. Hubba Bubba? Check. Sour cherry blasters? Check. Cream soda Slurpee? Check and check. It's convenience store cheap, too. About $10 for a half bottle and $17 for a full bottle at private store, less for something similar in provincial stores.

Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of the stuff usually. I've just never really understood the value in rushing to bottle and distribute Beaujolais Nouveau. It always seemed like a gimicky cash grab to help with cash flow for wineries whose better products require more age. (Who're you calling cynical?) Alright, alright, I'll lighten up. Beaujolais Nouveau has its appeal, for sure. It's bright and fresh with some characteristics you probably aren't finding in whatever else you're drinking. And different is good. Maybe you won't want to drink it every day, and that's fine, it's even kind of the point since it's only released once a year. Branch out a little and get out of your Shiraz rut for a sec this November.

Cheers!

How to Choose Wedding Wines - Whites

Looking for wines for your wedding? My fiance and I certainly are, and we wanted to get the most for our money.

You can save a ton of money by choosing a venue that allows you to serve your own wines, because you don't get charged the mark-up - we didn't choose that option, so it was especially important that we got great value.

Rule #1 - In order for our venue to charge us the minimum cost per bottle we were told we could select wines that were up to $13 retail. If we picked more expensive wines the venue would simply charge us more, and we'd like to stick to the minimum while getting the biggest bang for our buck.

The Wines - We selected 5 whites between $9-$14, and invited our friends over for a blind tasting.

• Raimat Albarino Chardonnay, Spain $ 13.99
  
• Bleasdale, Langhorne Crossing, Verdelho/Riesling/Chardonnay, Australia $ 12.99
  
• Concha Y Toro, Sauvignon Blanc, Chile $ 12.97
  
• La Vielle Ferme, Cotes du Luberon, France $ 13.99
  
• Trapiche, Astica, Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon, Argentina $ 9.00

Blind Tastings - Essentials
There are two basic ways we determined the winner. First, we asked each guest to taste each wine, and rank it 1-5 with one being their favourite. For this to work they had to rank each wine, and not skip any or duplicate any. So no half marks or anything. We kept in anonymous, so people would feel comfortable and not be influenced by each other. Guests tried the wines in whatever order they wished. As a back up, we checked which bottle emptied first, second and so on. And hey, when all else fails, this is a sure-fire was to handle the most casual of blind tastings.

Blind Tastings - How To

• Make a list of the wines, and assign each a number.
• Wrap the bottles in tin foil to cover the labels, and write the number on each bottle.
• Print out slips of paper with the number of each wine on it, and provide one to each guest.
• Ask guests to rank each wine, with #1 being their favourite, and giving the highest number to their least favourite.
• Add up the scores at the end.
• The wine with the lowest total score wins (i.e the wine most guests have ranked as their favourite).

The Winners

These two nearly tied. The Bleasdale is more complex with an elegant texture, and the Trapiche is a ridiculously fantastic value with crowd pleasing hits of tropical fruit.

#1 - Bleasdale, Langhorne Crossing, Verdelho/Riesling/Chardonnay, Australia $ 12.99
#2 - Trapiche, Astica, Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon, Argentina $ 9.00

I love this next wine, and will definitely be buying it more often. Classic gooseberry and mouthwatering acidity that reminds me of summer.

#3 - Concha Y Toro, Sauvignon Blanc, Chile $ 12.97

We had high hopes for these wines, but they were both completely knocked out of the scoring.

#4 - La Vielle Ferme, Cotes du Luberon, France $ 13.99
#5 - Raimat Albarino Chardonnay, Spain $ 13.99

Wines of Chile 2008: Part 1

On September 25th Vancouver hosted its annual Wines of Chile consumer tasting event to showcase the range of wines Chile is producing. If you were there then you had a chance to drink some amazing wines. If you weren't there, then allow me to walk you through what I tasted, and the influencers I met along the way.

Anakena
This winery is a perennial favourite of mine among the Chilean wineries.

- Riserva Chardonnay 2007 is spicy and very full bodied, and this year there's no malolactic fermentation.

- For $13 their 2007 Carmenere is a steal.

- Chile makes some great cool climate wines, and Anakena's Pinot Noir has a vibrant orange zest nose with woodsy and cherry flavours.

- Check out ONA, their Bordeaux style blend. It has good balance with lots of fruit and great tannins.

Icon Wines
Chile has been known for providing value, and one of the goals of this event is to introduce you and me to their higher end offerings. It's a real shame that so few of the examples they chose are available in local liquor stores. Regardless, there are times when you'll be traveling and find these available, so you should know about them and try them when you can.

- Santa Alicia Gran Reserva de los Andes Merlot 2005. This is a big, rich Merlot that I'd like to serve to Merlot haters so I could change their minds about this grape that's so often boring.

- Erazuriz Max Reserva 2006 is a blend of 96% Cab Sauv and 4% Petit Verdot. It's got huge ripe fruit up front, and would be a good move up for new world wine drinkers who are used to middle of the road fruity Australian Shirz. It's 14.5% alcohol packs a punch. This one's available and it's only $20. A definite good buy for home and for friends.

- Santa Carolina VSC 2006 blend of Cab Sauv, Carmenere, Malbec and Petit Verdot isn't available in town, but look for it elsewhere if you have a chance. It's very dark with black fruit, berries, plum, and baking spice.

Casas del Bosque
The best of this winery isn't available locally, but it was so good that I have to rave about it.

- Gran Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2008. Wow! Tropical fruit and gooseberry nose blasts into nectarine on the tongue. Seriously yum. Not to be confused with the Reserva Sauv Blanc 2008 which is available here, and is much lighter and not quite as elegant. $18 in BC liquor stores.

- 2007 Chardonnay is available at Liberty for about $18. Like most of the Chilean Chards I've tried it's full bodied and toasty, but this one doesn't lose the fruit which is a nice surprise.

- They also have a Reserva Syrah for $22 at private stores, and a Reserva Cab for $21 that's in government stores.

Check back soon for Part 2 featuring Concha Y Toro, Emiliana Vineyards, Geo and my interview with Juan Somavia, managing director of Wines of Chile.

Sauvignon Blanc - White Hot White Wines

Summer's finally here and we're in for even more hot weather over the next two weeks, which begs the question - what should I drink? Sure, there are margaritas (I buy fresh lemon-lime juice from a local restaurant to make mine) and beer, but there are some fantastic whites that are made just for our hottest days.

Pinot Grigio is always a good bet. It's the same grape as Pinot Gris, just done in an Italian style instead of a French style. The Italians know hot, and Pinot Grigios usually have a good measure of refreshing acidity. At my wine shop we can't keep the Mission Hill PG on the shelves on hot days.

But it's not PG that I'm interested in telling you about, it's Sauvignon Blanc. IMHO it's one of the best hot weather options around.Typically characterized by green flavours (grass, peas) and tart gooseberries it's just a perfect thirst quencher on a hot day.

Here are three that I like:

Babich Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand $18 - Refreshing acidity is balanced by gorgeous tropical fruit flavours like guava. Serious yum factor here, and enough fruitiness to please a range of people - like those you invited over for a BBQ. http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/560144

Astica Sauv Blanc-Semillon made by Trapiche in Argentina - It's not possible that this is $9. I kid you not, this is a seriously respectable wine for the price. In fact, my mom and step-father (who are both in the wine biz) keep pouring this blind for each other every few months to see if they still like it, and they always do. It's like they try to trick each other to see if they'll dismiss it as cheap - and they don't. It's everything you want in a crisp white, and at $9 it's practically free, people. Refreshing acidity, ripe peach and a long finish. This is a party wine, a wedding wine, a Tuesday wine, and one you could serve to wine lovers and they'll never believe what you paid. What more can you ask? I will buy it by the case for my next BBQ. http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/243485

And finally one that I don't usually go for, but it recently quenched me on a ridiculously hot night in a stifling bar.

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, from New Zealand $22. OMG is this ever tart... I mean refreshing. Lemon-lime, gooseberry, super citrusy and tart. Usually, I admit that I'm not a fan of it on its own, though paired with something that's also a bit acidic (salads with vinaigrette, anything with lemon or lime) and it'll tone down a bit. It's really quite great on a super hot day, in the same way that lemonade hits the spot. http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/243485

Rolf Binder Heysen Shiraz 2003

We had wine loving friends over for dinner last night, and I broke out my last bottle of Jackson Triggs Grand Reserve Shiraz - the one that won best Shiraz in the world - knowing how much they'd appreciate it. Once we killed that bottle we poured the 2003 Rolf Binder Heysen Shiraz, and one guest proclaimed it better than the best-in-the-world JT. It certainly is a big, big, juicy, jammy, smoky wine with seriously intense black liquorice flavours. There's lots of sediment so decant carefully, if that sort of thing is important to you.

This is widely available on the Lower Mainland. Interestingly, the majority of it is in West Van, probably because that's where they're most likely to sell $55 bottles of wine like this one. http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/200535?region=5

Pfaffenheim Grand Cru Steinert Pinot Gris 2001

Rich gold in colour, it's heady with aromas of honey, lanolin, baked red apple, dried apricot, candied pineapple, sweet spice and bitter almond. This is an incredibly complex wine, and for those who've been drinking simple young whites you'll be very pleased to see how nuanced and rich an aged white can be. Watch out for the 15% alcohol which packs a punch. There's a bit of residual sugar, but the wine has so much going on that it doesn't take anything away from it - just be aware when pairing. We had it with St. Andre triple cream brie and apple slices.

About $33 retail for the 2002. At this price it's not exactly a Tuesday wine, but it's a great choice for when your wine-loving friends and family are over for a visit and you want to wow them. I got the '02 last year and haven't tried the new vintage yet. http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/147280

Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling 2006

While you can find this Washington state wine locally, it's available for a heckuva lot less at Costco in Bellingham - or at least it was when I was there.

There's some classic, pleasant petrol and plastic on the nose, along with lots of ripe fruit like apricot and peach and a bit of citrus and stone. Good acidity on the sides of the tongue help balance out some of the residual sugar in this off-dry Reisling. But don't let the off'-dry description scare you off. These sweet-tart characteristics have their place - turkey is a classic pairing.

This is worth a try, especially if you're bringing it back from Bellingham for about $6 instead of the $16 you'll find it for at the BCLDB http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/232512. I guess that's what happens when we tax our imported wines at 117% in this province.

Wine Lovers' Dishwasher Gel

Happy Earth Day to you!

Finally, at long last, a dishwasher gel that doesn't leave a nasty chemical smell on wine glasses, and actually gets the dishes clean. Nature Clean is unscented, hypoallergenic, biodegradable, and even septic safe for those of you enjoying wine in a rustic cabin situation. Given all those enviro factors you'd think the stuff wouldn't actually get dishes clean, but it does.

I know I sound like a commercial for this stuff, but I'm too lazy to wash my wine glasses by hand (nor do I have room on the counter to dry them all) and I can't stand the smell that regular chemically dishwasher stuff leaves on them.

Nature Clean is about double the price of the regular stuff, which ran me (read: my boyfriend) about $13 for 1.8L at IGA. It's only the price of a reasonable bottle of wine, and if you really care about how your wine tastes - and smells - then it's absolutely worth it.

Sonora Ranch Semillon-Chardonnay

This is my party wine. It's everything you want in a crisp, dry crowd pleaser, and it's only $9.29. When I'm having a ton of people over with vastly different wine backgrounds, I try to avoid serving the expensive stuff. I'd rather save those bottles for my friends who care about wine, and then we'll pair something to go specifically with it. This stuff will please a lot of folks, and won't offend anyone. Drink it, cook with it, make sangria - it's a versatile budget wine, and there aren't a lot of those from BC.

There's lots of baked red apple on the nose, and tangy pineapple and citrus zest on the tongue. At 12.5% alcohol it's a tiny bit hot (a.k.a. I can taste the alcohol) but at such a great price I should just drink up and stop nit picking.

Wine of the Week - Mission Hill Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

We're running low on plain old Tuesday wine (yes, I know it's Thursday), so tonight we opened up a bottle of Mission Hill Cab. Usually, you'll just find this one in restaurants, but I managed to get one for home. And it's delicious. With lots of cherry and black fruit flavours, and a hint of smoky bacon fat, tobacco and spice, it's full bodied and mouth-watering.

VQA Fall Release Event in Vendor Magazine

Here's the article Vendor ran about the VQA Fall release event.

Even though you've read about this event in other postings, I thought you might like to see this, since the publication only goes to people in the industry.

Earls and Joeys Wine Partnerships

Check out the latest in wine partnerships from Earls and Joeys. This article was published in the December issue of Vendor Magazine

Dining in Vancouver's West End

Here's the article I wrote for www.foodvancouver.com: http://www.foodvancouver.com/article.php?article=feature-westendpartone

Food Vancouver's Select Guide: West End Part One

In this issue of “Food Vancouver's Select Guide”, we will take you on a stroll of the region’s popular dining area, Vancouver’s West End which is one of the most vibrant and diverse neighborhoods in the city.

From west of Burrard Street, and bordering English Bay, Coal Harbour and Stanley Park, it’s home to many of Vancouver’s best restaurants from the very casual to the very elegant.
We start on Denman Street- the heart of the West End. Most restaurants are found between Robson Street to Davie Street and its here where you’ll find dining treasures there from around the world.

The diversity of the West End and its restaurants can be seen on any block of Denman Street. On just one block, between Robson and Haro, you’ll find African fusion delights at Simba’s, Mexican at Poncho’s, Thai at Khunnai Chang, Montreal-style rotisserie chicken at Rooster’s Quarters and mile-high cakes and pies at True Confections. And walk just on block down- to between Haro and Barclay and you’ll also find a taste of Vietnam at Vina and Indian at Desi Downtown.

Denman Street is also well known for its gelato and ice cream shops, which are even still busy in winter. Mum’s Gelati on Denman at Haro Street is the original. Don’t be surprised if you stop in and see them juicing lemons by hand for the lemon ice. Down the street you’ll find Mondo Gelato, which even has a sister location in Rome. Marble Slab Creamery is close to the beach, and mixes your choice of ice cream with your choice of fillings to create personalized favourites. And if you still need another sugar fix, try a cupcake loaded with decadent butter cream icing from Cupcakes.

And if you’re looking for Sushi, then Denman Street will also satisfy. Stop by Akira or Shima for a quick bite, or visit Tanpopo for an all-you-can-eat sushi experience. Black Tuna, just a block from beautiful English Bay, offers some creative sushi rolls for the more adventurous. And if Izakaya is more your style, try Kingyo on Denman at Barclay.

Legendary Noodles, which has had a successful operation on Vancouver’s east side for years, also now has a location on Denman at Comox. And while their noodles are really legendary, their dumplings are even better. And for even more noodle variety – and seafood, curries and roti – try Banana Leaf for a Malaysian experience just a few doors down.

Mr. Pickwick’s Fish & Chips is practically an institution on Denman, serving fresh halibut, cod, salmon and fresh-cut chips. They’ve been voted the city’s best fish and chips for three years in a row by The Georgia Straight. Follow it up with a stop at The Dover Arms to watch your favourite footballers at this neighbourhood pub.

The West End comes alive at night, and when it comes to cocktails try working your way through the Delilah’s martini list. Delilah’s, on Comox just east of Denman, made martinis very cool well before Carrie and the Sex and the City girls ever sipped their first Cosmos.
Around the corner is another West End favourite, The Central Kitchen and Euro Bar, on Denman and Comox. They serve what their chef describes as “European comfort food” at brunch and dinner.

The beach scene is one of the best parts of the West End, and you’ll find locals and tourists enjoying a walk on the seawall year round. Many an idyllic summer night has been spent watching the sunset at English Bay with friends while enjoying a burger from Vera’s Burger Shack. Fresh burgers cooked to order, toppings galore, and fries make this a year-round favourite.

Stanley Park is an absolute must-see if you’re in the West End and is a few short blocks west of Denman. This is where you’ll find The Fish House in Stanley Park. Nestled right in the park, and surrounded by gardens, it’s easy to forget you’re in the middle of a large city. They’ve partnered with The Vancouver Aquarium to serve Ocean Wise seafood, so you can feel good about your choices.

Another west-of-Denman gem is the Parkside restaurant in the Buchan Hotel. Legend has it that the hotel is haunted, but you’d never know it from the success of the Parkside. Nestled in a quiet pocket of Haro Street near Stanley Park, it has one of the most charming patios in town. Enjoy unique creations in their intimate dining room.

Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion, or grabbing a quick bite on your way to the beach, there’s something for everyone in the West End.

by Becky Solomon

Interview with Ed McNally of Big Rock

This summer I was asked to interview Ed McNally who founded Big Rock Brewery in Calgary, the quintessential microbrewery that became a macro. I was a little apprehensive. We had met once before and it hadn't been under very good circumstances. I was a fly on the wall in a meeting he had with one of his key national accounts, and they had called him in because they'd decided to end the relationship. On top of that, my editor had told me that others had found him hard to get to know, and that he usually gave one word answers. Oh that's just great, I thought.

Nothing could have been further from my experience. As it turned out, Ed's just an old Alberta cowboy. He's a charmingly gruff straight shooter who admittedly likes to "raise hell" at the office, but he's also warm with a self deprecating sense of humour. As soon as we discovered we had some mutual friends he warmed right up, and we had a great conversation (only some of which made it into the magazine). I hope you enjoy the interview - I did, and so did Ed.

Wine of the Week - Torre al Sole Pino Grigio Rosato

What a delight to happen upon this dry yet fruity Pinot Grigio rosato, with crisp red apple notes and a gorgeous pale sunset colour. Pinot Grigio grapes , or Pinot Gris as it's called in France, is on the fence in terms of its colour, being neither perfectly white nor truly black. Most of the time it's produced as a white, and while it's never really red, sometimes producers allow a little more skin contact than usual, resulting in a barely there amber toned blush.

I think fall (and spring, and summer) is the perfect season for Old World roses, and I was happy to find this one. Roses go perfectly with in between foods, like my Spaghetti Vongole (tomatoes, garlic, clams) and his rich, creamy Carbonara with pancetta. It worked well with the seafood, and cut through the cream sauce perfectly. Frankly, I don't know how anyone gets through such richness without such a wine. It had enough lemony acidity to stand up to Caesar salad, too.

You may have to go to a private wine shop, or head over to Marcello's on Commercial Drive, where I tried it this weekend. Three pretty thorough searches of the BCLDB site didn't turn up a listing for this in the government stores. It's probably in the $16 range, because we paid $32 in the restaurant.

Favourite Chilean Wines

I was lucky enough to be invited to two trade tastings of Chilean wines before the big consumer event this week. To read my article on the event click here: http://www.foodvancouver.com/article.php?article=chile

Here are some of my favourites...

Montes Alpha Chardonnay is creamy and complex with a hint of asparagus. This is a great wine to try with foods that are hard to pair with. The Alpha Syrah is herbaceous, meaty, earthy, and downright terrific. Their Cherub Syrah Rose is on its way to BC liquor stores, and will surely be enjoyed by the bucket load as a sipper and paired with just about anything. Light strawberry in colour it’s a bit off dry with crisp fruitiness. Between the great product, the trendiness of Roses, and the uber cool label this is going to be a major hit.

Anakena’s Single Vineyard Viognier is fabulous value at $17.50. It’s floral with orange blossom, tangerine, white pepper and a bit of stone. Their Riesling is developing a hint of petrol on the nose and has good acidity to balance its floral fruitiness. The late harvest Muscat-Viognier is honeyed and floral with dried apricot flavours.

When you’re ready for a special night try anything from Casa Marin. Their 2004 Laurel and 2005 Cipresses Sauvignon Blancs are big and complex with rich minerality, with the Laurel showing more fruit. The 2003 Litoral Pinot Noir was a bit floral on the nose with great red berry flavours with lots of cherry, and some earthiness. The 2003 Lo Arbaca Hills Pinot Noirs was silky smooth and smoky with intense earthiness and a very long finish.

Aberlour 10 yr Single Malt Scotch

By the mists of Loch Ness, I like this scotch.

When I was about 14 my mom started getting into single malt scotches that were heavy on the peat. Then, a few years ago, an elderly acquaintance of mine started to introduce me to all kinds of scotch. Everyone knew he was a scotch fan, and would bring him bottles as gifts, which he would keep in a filing cabinet in his office. No kidding - verrrry old school. Each time I'd walk by his office he'd offer me a thimble full (ok, a mini paper Dixie cup full) of whatever was open. There was no way to refuse, and that's how I got familiar with the lighter, more floral, honeyed styles. He's since passed away, and ever since then I can't pass up a chance to try a new scotch, since I kind of feel like I'm carrying on the schooling he began.

Vanilla, orange, spice (cloves and cinnamon) honey, peat and oak on the nose. This scotch is smooth and creamy with a long spicy-sweet finish

Cool is Hot - Cool Climate Australian Wines

Cool Is Hot... according to Wine Australia's trade seminar. It was led by local wine educator, Mark Davidson, and featured Ann-Marie Battista of Hardy’s, Gordon Debbie of Rathbone Wine Group, and Wayne Stehbens, senior winemaker from Katnook Estate.

While most of the wines we tried aren't listed, try looking for others from the same regions, producers or even the same wine but different vintage. Getting a wine listed is a lengthy process, so hopefully it's just a matter of time before these are on the shelf. Check out Skillogalee Riesling which is listed in BC, and Stonier Pinot Noir which is pending.

Tasting Notes

Hungerford Hill Pinot Gris 2006 - Victoria - $23
Terrific minerality with lemon and grapefruit flavours, phenomenal acidity, a hint of plastic on the nose, and a log citrus finish.

Skillogalee Riesling 2006 - Clare Valley, South Australia - $25 - AVAILABLE
This is a gorgeous wine, and a superior vintage to the 2005 presented at the Vancouver International Playhouse Wine Festival, and would age beautifully - for 10-15 years according to Wayne. A touch of petrol on the nose (this is considered very desireable in Rieslings) with crisp red apple and lots of tangy lemon. Clare Valley gets really dramatic temperature drops at night that keeps acidity levels high. Bring on the calamari.

To see notes on the previous vintage click here http://beckysolomon.blogspot.com/2007/04/my-wine-festival-picks.html.

For in-store availability click here http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/579169

Bay of Tigress Sauvignon Blanc 2007 - Cola River/Hobart, Tasmania $25
Nearly water white with a tinge of green on the edge. There's ripe pink guava on the nose that turns greener and less ripe on the tongue - gooseberry, lime, and green apple dominates. It's ripe and tropical on the nose, and turns into something altogether very characteristic of Sauv Blanc on the palate. Wow!

Jacob's Creek Reeves Point Chadonnay 2004 - Padthway, South Australia - $36
Very smoky nose here, with nice acidity that balances toastiness with a clean crisp apple on the very long finish. Full bodied Chard lovers only please. The ABC'ers will be quaking in their oak fearing boots and running for the safe shelter of their Pinot Grigio.

Stonier Pinot Noir 2006 - Mornington Peninsula, Victoria - $30 - BC LISTING PENDING
It's very good news for BC that this is about to be listed. This is an approachable yest complex Pinot with a very berry nose of young red cherry. It's a bit floral with a bit of dried leaf, spice, pepper and strawberry.

Yering Station Reserve Pinot Noir 2005 - Yarra Valley, Victoria - $65
Earthy, smooth, and rich, with raspberry jam, strawberry, oak, sweet fresh raspberry and cedar. Delicious, but I might take 2 bottles of the Stonier and keep the change for cab fare home instead. Not that I have much choice, since only one is about to be listed ;-)

Katnook Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 - Coonawarra, South Australia - $35
Dense and dark, I'd say this is probably unfiltered. It's very gamey with the earthy scent of horse stables (clean ones) oak, loads of rich fruit,and something green and herbaceous like eucalyptus, and slightly chewy tannins. Terrific value for $35. Can someone please get this listed?

Mount Langi Ghiran "Langi" Shiraz 2004 - Grampians, Victoria - $45
This is so different from the hot climate Aussie Shiraz I'm used to. There's a bit of cooked fruit, with gripping tannins, spice, oak and nice acidity. A lean mean Shiraz machine from a 50 year old vineyard.

Nepenthe Zinfandel 2004 - Adelaide Hills, South Australia - $30
An Aussie Zin? Oh yeah. Bright fruity plum and berry flavours with spicy pepper. California who?

Chef Meets Grape

Chef Meets Grape is the BC Wine Institute's competition where top Vancouver chefs create appetizers paired with BC wines.

You can find my article on the event at http://www.foodvancouver.com/article.php?article=chefmeetsgrape

Details about Chef Meets Grape can be found at http://www.winebc.com/chefmeetsgrape.php

BC Pinots & Red Blends

David Scholefield, a BC Wine Institute consultant, was pouring a special selection of BC reds at his table at the trade event, Colours, and later that evening at the consumer event, Chef Meets Grape.

Ranging in price from $17-$70, he had high praise for BC’s wines. "Compare these wines to New Zealand and Bordeaux and your realize that what we're doing is pretty special. The reason these wines are here is that there's a hell of a lot of this (hold the lower priced Inniskillin and Sumac Ridge) in this (holds up the more expensive Petale and Oculus)."

Here's a combination of what Scholefield poured at both events. There's not a loser in the bunch. Buy, buy, buy, and just let your wallet dictate how high you want to go. You'll be happy whether you you dip your toe in at $17 or splurge at $70.

Inniskillin Okanagan Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 - Rich plum flavours and balanced tannins.
Sumac Ridge Black Sage Cab Franc 2005 - Pepper and baking spice with lots of fruit.
Le Vieux Pin Apogee 2004 - Blackberry jam, cassis and plum. Smooooth.
Mission Hill Oculus 2004 - Intense. A knockout vintage far surpassing the '03 this is best cellared for a few years... or at least decanted. I hope you bought it for $10 less during the pre-sale period, because it's $70 now.
There were two additional products poured, and references to them have been removed until vintages can be confirmed.

Pinot Noirs
International Sommelier Guild's DJ Kearny was pouring some special picks at her end of the same table, including six Pinot Noirs. If you have a chance, try as many wines of the same variety side by side as you can. There's really no better way to compare brands and styles, and to enjoy the range of what a grape can become. Ranging from Church & State's very light, fresh cherry, to earthy Quail's Gate, to cedary Mission Hill Reserve, to herbaceous Cedar Creek.

To see the post about the New Zealand Pinot Noir seminar that Scholefield co-hosted with winemaker, Allan Scott, click here http://beckysolomon.blogspot.com/2007/05/fasten-your-seatbelts-for-new-zealand.html

To read my article in Vendor Magazine about Averill Creek Winery's Pinot Noir click here http://www.vendormagazine.ca/2007/averill_creek.html

Best of BC Fall Wine Releases

Tantalus
If you haven't tried their Old Vines Riesling, you're seriously deprived. There's no other way to say it. Get to your VQA Store and pick some up as soon as you can. Made from the oldest Riesling vines in the province, it has structure and complexity that other BC Rieslings envy. The trade knows this wine well, and consumers are in the know as well, voting it Wine of the Evening at the Chef Meets Grape event two years in a row. Jane and Heidy from Tantalus pose below with their Old VInes Riesling, moments after learning it was the crowd favourite.

Sandhill
Chardonnay - It's a well balanced Chard like this that makes me convinced the ABC crowd (Anything But Chardonnay) just hasn't had good Chardonnay.

Cab-Merlot - Jammy dark and red fruit with balanced tannins.

Syrah - One of my favourites with pipe tobacco and a touch of bacon. For $20 there'll be a lot of this going down at our place this winter. If it's this good now, I can't wait to see what a few more months of bottle age brings out. Wow!

See Ya Later Ranch

Brut - I love this sparkling with its fresh green apple flavours. It makes me want to invite you over for brunch just so I can serve it. It's bottle aged Chardonnay with a dosage of Gewurztraminer. No clue what that means? No worries, just check out my post on sparklings called "Champagne or Plain Jane" at http://beckysolomon.blogspot.com/2007/06/champagne-or-plain-jane.html

BC Fall Release Wines

Earlier this week the BC Wine Institute hosted trade and consumer events to showcase their fall releases. What does that mean, "fall releases"? Basically, it's all the new vintages that have or are just about to hit the market.


This post is dedicated to the many interesting wines I enjoyed that are worth a look and a try, while my top few favourites can be found at http://beckysolomon.blogspot.com/2007/09/best-of-bc-fall-wine-releases.html. A selection of killer reds is posted at http://beckysolomon.blogspot.com/2007/09/bc-red-blends-vs-new-zealand-and.html


Quail's Gate

Chenin Blanc - Earthy and mushroomy with good acidity. A great change for those of you drinking other whites.

Rose - 100% Gamay Noir it has raspberry and barely ripe cherry. Why I didn't drink bucket loads of this on the patio this summer, I'll never know.

Merlot - Rich and a bit herbaceous with deep dark fruit.

Old Vines Foch - Intense with gripping tannins and a hint of menthol, this is a great wine even though it's lost the bacon fat characteristic I so enjoyed in previous vintages. Perhaps this will show again with more bottle age, as this complex red deserves.


Red Rooster

Pinot Gris - Fresh, juicy green pear.

Pinot Blanc - A degree of richness to balance out the citrus, Red Roosters wines have come a log way indeed.

Therapy

Pink Freud - Sometimes a Rose is just a Rose, but this one has great body to accompany its loads of fruit. Yes, I like it for its body - go ahead and analyze that.

Chardonnay - Delicious. It's the Chardonnay that keeps on giving with rich toastiness and a long finish.

Merlot - Spiced plum, big tannins and a touch of liquorice.

Syrah - Another one that I am eager to try after more bottle age. There's definitely potential here - and a lot of white pepper.


Prospect Winery

Prospect is a Mission Hill brand destined to replace their Five Vineyards line, and they're just about to release a $40 Vidal Ice Wine. I'm sure they'll sell tons of it at that price point. It's golden yellow with honeyed peach and orange. I think it fills an important gap in the market for an affordable ice wine. For $10 more though I'd take the next step up, Mission Hill's Reserve Vidal Icewine that's copper coloured and has much richer caramelized flavours and mouthfeel.

Japanese Cocktails Featuring Shochu and Sake

Another of my articles has been published in Vendor Magazine, this time featuring Japanese inspired cocktails I discovered in downtown Vancouver at Hapa Izakaya and Shiru-Bay.

Hester Creek Cabernet Franc 2003

This is what happens when you get three wine enthusiasts together with nothing better to do - ou get 900 million descriptors for a wine....

Once again Nigel's brought in stunning wine. The Hester Creek Cabernet Franc is sold out, and for good reason. Nigel, Kate and I tried some as a little treat for our team, and here's what we thought.

It's very a very complex and concentrated wine with a dark plum colour, and a spicy, deep, intense nose. There's a lot of sweetness that hits the tip of your tongue right away, after all this wine is 14.5% alcohol and so must have been made from some very ripe fruit (this was the year of all those forest fires in the Okanagan, so a hot year) but it's balanced by great acidity that hits the sides of the tongue next, and lots of spice. For fruit we tasted sweet dates, blackberries and overly ripe or stewed strawberry. There was a lot of spice, especially green peppercorn, and a hint of cinnamon sugar. There's a floral note her too, with dusty pot purri and rose petal. And don't forget the herbs. We found these hardest to pin point, finally settling on fresh lavender, eucalyptus and thyme.

Make friends at your local VQA shop and see if they can dig some up for you.

Jackson Triggs Grand Reserve 2004 Shiraz - Best Shiraz in the World

A little over a year ago this wine won the Rosemount Trophy for Best Shiraz Worldwide at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in London. Oddly enough, it only got a Silver at the Okanagan Wine Festival in Penticton. Either way, it's a steal at about $30-35... if you can find it in your local private liquor store. I did, and bought my allocation of two bottles.

Here's what I thought of it:

Deep ruby in colour, the first thing that pulled me in was spicy orange zest. It's meaty and peppery, with sweet spices and chocolate. There's plenty of cassis, and just about every other dark and red berry. The finish is very long. So long, in fact, that we termed it the "Energizer bunny finish".

So, is it the best in the world? Sure, maybe - a bunch of people in London certainly thought so. But what I care most about is that it's incredibly complex and delicious, while being very reasonably priced. If you can find it, buy as much of it as you can, and share it with your wine loving friends. It'll blow you away.

Mission Hill Reserve Merlot 2000

Thanks again to Nigel for sharing his personal stash with the gang and me yet again. This is another he picked up from the library on his last visit to the Mission Hill winery. Consensus is that this wine has just peaked, but it's still on the right side of delicious. It's tinged with brick, and bursting with flavours of stewed cherries, dried blueberries, and spicy sweet cinnamon hearts. There's even a bit of a meaty flavour, too. Drink this one right away... and toast Nigel while you're at it.

WSET Intermediate Certificate

When you arrive home from vacation you're supposed to have a mailbox full of bills, but instead I came back to my WSET results. Incredibly, I achieved the score I was hoping for, Pass with Distinction, the highest level awarded. It was an intense course, with all nine weeks of work and tastings compressed into just three full-day classes. Whew.

Now for the Advanced Certificate....

Wine of the Week 1994 Mission Hill Grand Reserve Riesling

Praise be to Nigel for picking up a bottle of this fantastic Riesling from the Mission Hill winery library. Deep golden in colour, it zips with crisp citric acidity. So much so, in fact, that you could cellar this for several more years. On the nose we found petrol, lemon zest, lemon meringue pie filling, and honeysuckle. After decanting, there was a touch of cotton candy, too. If you're planning a trip to Kelowna this summer, it's worth a stop in Westbank to ask the Somellier to open up the vault.

Township 7 Winery Event

Bradley Cooper, Township 7's Winemaker, has invited us (that means - you!) to a big anniversary event he's hosting at their Langley location this Saturday, July 7th. There will be entertainment, food and lots of wine. My favourites are their Viognier and their Merlot, so make sure you get a taste of each. While you're there say hi to Bradley, he's super friendly, and will go out of his way to talk with you about his wines if he sees you are genuinely interested. Township 7's owner, Mike Raffin, will also be there. http://www.township7.com/

Directions from Vancouver: Take Highway #1 eastward to the Highway 15 (176th St) exit south. Follow the signs to Seattle. Turn left at 16th Avenue travelling east to the winery.

See you on Saturday!

Two New Articles

I'm thrilled! The new issue of Vendor Magazine is out, including my cover story on Averill Creek, and my interview with Natalie McLean, author of "Red, White and Drunk All Over". Full copies will be posted here in the next few days. In the meantime, you can read them on the Vendor site...

Averill Creek cover story: http://www.vendormagazine.ca/2007/averill_creek.html

Interview with Natalie McLean: http://www.vendormagazine.ca/2007/natalie_maclean.html

Champagne or Plain Jane?

It's morning time, and a girl's thoughts naturally drift to Champagne. Ok, I confess that I'm drinking coffee this morning, but I definitely have Champagne on the brain. It's the perfect thing to serve in case friends drop by on their way home from Whistler. Should I go all out with the Bollinger, or go casual with an Australian Chardonnay/Pinot Noir? Have a look through my notes, and you can help me choose.

Bollinger Special Cuvee Champagne, France $74
James Bond's favourite is medium gold colour with tiny bubbles that hardly show in the glass. It is intense and complex with aromas of bread, toast and nuts, and flavours of baked pear and apple, toasted brioche, mushrooms, ginger, citrus and some minerality. It has a long finish, where you might even pick up a little strawberry flavour. Click for availability http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/384529

Jacob's Creek Sparkling Chardonnay/Pinot Noir, Australia $17
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are two of the three major grape varieties that Champagne is traditionally made from, so we're off to a great start in terms of raw material. This sparkling is medium gold colour, with lots of big, fast moving bubbles. In this respect it doesn't have the creamy elegance of the Bollinger, but for the same price as one bottle of Bollinger, you can have 4 bottles of this and still have change left over for some basic appies. It is dry with high acidity, and a touch of high alcohol. There are aromas of lemon, green fruit, melon and candy apple, and flavours of green tart fruit, lemon, apples, and a bit of toast or caramel. It's refreshing, and a very good value. Click for availability http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/562991

How Very Sherry

This is starting to feel like a radio station with a request line - how cool! I've had a request to write a post about Sherry, so that should serve as proof enough that I'll take up your request too, should you wish to make one. Bring it on.

If you love an underdog, then Sherry is right up your alley. And it's damn good value, too.

Sherry gets a bad rap, and it's not entirely fair. If you're like most people, Sherry conjures memories of grandma's house where she served you Cream Sherry (a Fino Sherry sweetened with concentrated grape juice) before dinner, but as you'd probably expect there's a lot more to Sherry than that. I'm not a fan of Cream Sherries, and consider them proof that concentrated grape juice should be mixed with water and served to kids with their after school snack. I used to have a flatmate who drank Cream Sherry, and I just couldn't understand what ever possessed the Spanish to bastardize wine that way. Little did I know.

How Sherry is Made:
Sherry is blended in an exceptionally interesting way, called the Solera System. The base wine is lightly fortified by adding alcohol before aging in butts, which are old oak casks that (unlike new toasted oak used to age wine) don't add a lot of flavour. In the Solera System new wine is fractionally blended with many older wines to achieve consistency. Imagine a pyramid of wine casks with the newest wine on top, and the older wines underneath. A bit of the new wine is blended with wines in the older casks, and the following year that cask is moved down the pyramid.

Major Styles:
Fino and Mazanilla Sherry - Dry, pale, briny and crisp, a layer of yeast called Flor floats on top of the wine inside the cask and keeps it from oxidizing too quickly as it ages in the Solera System. Fascinating. These wines are the perfect accompaniment to olives, which means I'll probably be drinking more of them this summer. They have flavours of citrus, bitter almonds and bread. For those of you who like whites with lots of approachable fruity flavours, be warned that these are an entirely different style, and many people don't like them. If you're in this camp, I'd urge to try them with some green olives before you pass judgement. You might like them enough that way to give them chance.

Amontillado Sherry - These start off as a Fino or Mnazanillo, and then alcohol is added to kill the Flor. Consequently, they oxidize to a deep amber colour. Some are sweetened.

Oloroso Sherry - These have slightly higher alcohol than Finos, about 18%, and are fortified after fermentation. Flor doesn't grow with that much alcohol, so they age through oxidation. They are deep brown and full bodied with nutty flavours. Some are sweetened.

Try These:
Gonzalez Byass, Tio Pepe Fino, Spain $19
Dry, medium-high acidity and medium body. Aromas of green apple, green olives, orange, and bitter almond. Briny with flavours of cashews, bitter almond, and iodine. It may sound strange, and it is going to be a very different experience for fruity wine drinkers, but it is well made, and trust me on the pairing with green olives.

Gonzalez Byass, Nutty Solera Oloroso, Spain $16
Dark amber with medium sweetness that dries off quickly. Aromas of orange zest, nuts and toffee or nut brittle, Christmas cake, figs, dates, raisin, and a hint of iodine. Considering the medium level of sweetness, there's medium-high acidity, and some light tannins. Flavours of pepper, spice, nuts, oaks, orange, and meat. This would pair well with hard cheeses.

Any Vintage Port in a Storm

It's true. I've been neglecting the blog, but I hope you'll forgive me when I tell you it's been because of my WSET course. And that means I have all kinds of new wines to tell you about, and my friend Jon has requested that I start with Port. We tried three ports, but the LBV was corked, so you're in for a Tawny and a Vintage today.

First, a bit of basic background on Port production and styles:

Port is made from a base wine fermented from a blend of several varietals grown in poor, rocky soil on steep, terraced vineyards in the upper Duoro in Portugal. The summers are very hot and dry, and the winters are cold and rainy. Grape spirit is added to interrupt fermentation, and the resulting higher level of alcohol kills off the yeast that feeds on the sugars, meaning that some unfermented sugars remain.

Ruby and Reserve Ruby- These are young, simple Ports made from wines that are 2-5 years old. They have about 20% abv, and are usually dark, fruity and sweet. The Reserves have some more complexity to their flavours, and better integration of alcohol from longer aging.

Tawny and Reserve Tawny- Tawny is an inexpensive style that mixes red and white Ports. White Port exists on its own, but it's pretty hard to find. A Reserve Tawny is aged 7-8 years, oxidizing slowly over the aging process to produce soft, nutty flavours and tannins. Look for a Reserve Tawny with an indication of age, and serve it slightly chilled. You can expect walnut and caramel flavours, in general.

Vintage - This is the really good stuff. It comes from a single excellent year, and is aged 2 years in the cask. The consumer is expected to age it further in the bottle, so buy a few to give you the option of opening it year after year to enjoy its development. The amount produced is controlled, and you'll absolutely need to decant it since it will throw a deposit. You can expect a lot of everything in these ports - lots of tannins, lots of sweetness, lots of fruit, and lots of alcohol. Age it well, and the fruit and spice will evolve into jam and leather.

Late Bottle Vintage (LBV) - These are aged 4-6 years in the cask, and are ready to drink now; you may or may not need to decant.

Here's what I tried:

Niepoort, Tawny Port, 10 years old $50
Aromas of walnuts, spiced orange and strawberry; intense flavours of dried fruit, spices, figs, walnuts and oak. Medium sweetness, medium-high acidity, low tannins and full bodied. It was balanced, with medium-high complexity, high concentration of flavours, and a long finish. A very decent value here. Click for availability http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/428482

Quinta do Portal, Vintage Port, 2000 $70
You can tell the difference between this and an LBV before you smell or taste it. Mine wasn't decanted, so I could see the deposit, and it was low-medium clarity, and an opaque ruby colour bordering on garnet. That bit of garnet really gives it away that there's some age on this Port. The flavours were better than the nose on this Port, though I expect that would change if you decanted it. There were animal and vegetal aromas, as well as dark dried fruit like prune and raisin. The flavours were of sweet spice, pepper, blueberry, oak, raisin, dark fruit, and a long cherry finish.

I know it may sound cliche or trite, but with a Vintage Port the year really does make a difference. There's no need to memorize a vintage chart, heck, the fact that they only produce vintage ports during exceptional years means you just don't need to delve that deep... unless you really have a passion for historic weather details. At $70 this Vintage Port is considerably lower than many others out there, and so I say it's good value. Click for availability http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/153593

Domaine Pinnacle Ice Cider - How do ya like them apples?

I like them just fine, thank you very much.

This afternoon I attended an ice cider tasting with the sales and marketing people from Quebec's Domaine Pinnacle. This was my first time trying an ice cider, though I've had other fruit wines before. As consumers' wine knowledge and confidence grows, I believe people will become increasingly willing - and even eager - to branch out to products like fruit wines and ice cider.

The flavours of apple and spice are highly concentrated, and over 80 apples are used for each 375ml bottle. It has a nice bite to cut through the sweetness, and a long, clean, golden apple finish. DP harvests their apples after the frost, and uses a blend of six varieties to balance sweetness and acidity. The apples are fermented for a long time (7-9 months) and it takes a year to produce the cider. Over 20% of the apples used are MacIntosh, which helps give this cider some acidity. They make two versions: a sparkling and a still.

We tried both versions with appple tarte tatin and three aged cheddars. The cheddars made a great pairing with the cider, as would pate or fois gras. Rhonda May, Editor of City Food Magazine, suggested deglazing the pan with it when making pork tenderloin, which sounds incredible. Frederic Boucher, DP's Sales Manager, recommended trying it with chevre noir http://www.seacrestfoods.com/cheese/descriptions/cachevrenoir.html, or adding it and some apples to pan seared fois gras. I'm told the sparkling pairs surprisingly well with sushi.

If you find yourself in Montreal it's worth it to make a trip out to the cidery, which has an amazing history. Located about an hour south east of Montreal it sits right on the border of Vermont, and was used as a slave crossing on the underground railroad during the US Civil War. During Prohibition it was a rum running business, and the tower on the farmhouse was used to send and receive signals across the border.

At $30 this is a very affordable dessert wine, and if you buy the still version you can keep it about a month after opening it. Keep an eye out next year for their Crème de Pommes, a blend of ice cider, apple brandy and cream.

Click here for local availability: http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/7674?region=5

For more on cider, check out this Time Magazine article: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101324,00.html

How to REALLY buy Wine by the Label

A few people I've met in the past couple of weeks have asked me to write a post about how to buy wine by the label. They're already making their choices based on their attraction to label art, and there's more very basic info that you can find on the label to hint at what's inside. To heck with snobby connoisseurs, I'll give you some down to earth tips that are actually helpful.

In an ideal world there would be such knowledgeable, approachable, and helpful staff at our local stores that we'd all have established friendly relationships with them. They'd understand our budgets and tastes, and we'd rely (at least partly) on their recommendations. At the very least they'd have some displays that would be helpful, or a well-written newsletter rather than cards with scores on them. Let's face it, have you ever seen a wine score under 80 something? I think there's a limit to how helpful those scores can be - can you imagine Safeway giving strawberries a 92, and raspberries an 88? Would you base your purchase on that? How about the art gallery giving Picasso a 98 and Monet a 90? Laughable. Alas, many of us are on our own when it comes to choosing a new wine, and sometimes you have to go by the label.

There are a number of things to look for on the label: country of origin, alcohol content, grape varietal, art, vintage, region, etc. Rather than get too deeply into vintage and region, which can get complex quickly, let's just talk about some very general and fairly effortless tips for looking at the first four - country, alcohol, grape and art/name.

The country can give you a few hints about what the wine might be like. The first thing to look for is whether it's a hot or cool country. You'd expect fruit to be really ripe when it comes from somewhere hot, right? Kind of like how we get really juicy, flavourful fruit from the hot Okanagan in the summer. You can generally expect that grapes grown in a hot country, like Australia, will produce a wine with lots of big fruit flavours. I'm trying to keep this simple, so this is just a very general tip, as there are cooler regions of Australia, too (like the Yarra Valley). Still, you've probably tasted an Australian Shiraz with lots of fruit. It's not unusual to find some tropical flavours in white wines from hot countries, after all you'd expect to find tropical fruit growing there. By contrast, cooler regions can produce reds like Pinot Noir that are often minerally and earthy, and whites like Sauvignon Blanc that can have refreshing flavours like gooseberry, and aromas of freshly cut grass.

Alcohol content is another piece of information you can get from the label that hints at what's inside. Ripe fruit is sweet, and in the winemaking process sugar converts alcohol, so the more sugar in the fruit, the more alcohol in the wine. 14% or 15% is going to suggest you have a fuller bodied wine with lots of fruit. 11% or 12% generally means the fruit wasn't as sweet, which is often a good thing. If you're looking for a crisp white to serve on a hot day, definitely look for one with slightly lower alcohol; it'll probably have some refreshing acidity to it. This is an especially handy trick when you're looking at wines like Rieslings which can be a little sweet. If you want acidity that will cut through the sweetness, try one with a lower alcohol percentage, and you're likely to have a balance you'll enjoy. Try Cave Spring Off Dry Riesling with 12% alcohol for $19 to taste this balance in action http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/234583?region=5.

Most people have a style of wine they are in the mood for when they're shopping, so have a look at the grape varietal, and get to know your favourites. Here's a quick and very basic reference guide to some popular varietals: http://www.portaliswines.com/varietals.php. Have a look at some you already know you like, and try to find a few others with some similar characteristics - or different ones - so you can start to branch out. For example, if you like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, odds are you'll like Malbec. Most New World wines (those from outside Europe) show the varietal on the front of the label, and a lot of blends will list them on the back, usually with the percentage of each one. If the front of the label just says "white wine", don't be put off; it doesn't mean that it's inferior quality, just that you have to turn it around to see the details. Having some general knowledge of different varietals can help you guess what your blend will taste like, because you'll know which grapes add which characteristics. French wines present a real exception when it comes to label reading, because their old laws usually don't allow them to put the grape on the label, just the region. Certain regions are well known for producing certain grapes, so unless you know what's produced where it can be tough to glean this detail from the label.

I recently bought Black Hills' Nota Bene that's labeled as simply "red wine". On the back the percentages of 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc are listed, so I can guess that I have a medium-full bodied wine with cassis and some stronger tannins from the Cab Sauv, plum and maybe some softer tannins from the Merlot, and lighter red fruit and spice from the Cab Franc. On the front I see 14.6% alcohol, so I know the fruit was really ripe and will come through in the flavours of the wine. It's from Oliver, which I know is a particularly hot area of BC, so all my information is coming together and making sense. I can't wait to open it!

Finally, a word on label art. It perfectly ok to buy wine based on the label art, especially if you're putting a little extra thought into it. Bonny Doon has some gorgeous labels on their consistently fantastic wines, and you can tell they put a lot of effort into designing a label that expresses what's inside the bottle... all while having way too much fun. Their labels have so much personality, that you get a good gut feel about what must be inside. I always think they must have enjoyed a case of their own product before becoming so creative. Please, please, please visit their web site www.bonneydoonvineyard.com . It's an experience, I promise you. It's the thought that counts when you're buying for others, and it's fine to buy wine with a label or name that particularly suits a friend. Austin's Six Foot Six Pinot Noir is the perfect gift for a very tall friend http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/299917?region=5 , and Bonny Doon's Big House Red is just right for watching reruns of Prison Break - at the very least you'll get a smile and appreciation for your extra effort. This is entirely different from the magpie strategy of picking a wine simply because the label is shiny and bright, which you won't have to resort to now that you have these tips (unless you just plain want to).

So there you have it - four tips for buying by the label based on country, alcohol, varietal and art.
- Is it from a cool or hot country or region?
- Higher alcohol equals big ripe fruit, and lower alcohol equals refreshing or balanced acidity.
- What can the grapes in a blend tell you about what it might taste like? Try some new varietals you think you might like.
- Finally, is there something special about the label art or name that your guests will appreciate?
Wine can be a ridiculously complex product, and I know that takes the fun out of it for some people, so these are really pared down generalities to get you started. I hope they've been helpful, and I look forward to receiving your comments on what you've tried.

Bloom - VQA Spring Release event

This past Tuesday I attended the VQA new releases event at The Fish House. It was a gorgeous day, but packed and hot inside. Right away I wanted something to cool me off (Remind me not to wear suits to any more of these summery events.)

I found myself at Church and State trying their Sauvignon Blanc which was full of honeydew and other green fruit flavours. Next was Gehringer Brothers' floral Dry Ehrenfelser which

A big winner was Paradise Ranch's 1999 Chardonnay Ice Wine. How wonderful to find an ice wine with such lingering acidity. It went on and on, and tasted of caramel, bananas and nuts - imagine candied banana bread. If you can't find the 1999, it won't be quite the same but you can try the 2000 for $60 http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/587006?region=5

Tinhorn Creek's Oldfield's Collection Merlot tasted of rich ripe dark fruit, spice, and was smoky without being sour. Another very good find. If you like their Gewurztraminer, you'd best be buying it up now, because they just replaced those vines with Muscat.

My favourite of the day was a custom blend courtesy of David Scholefield. He poured me a taste of the Rigamarole Red , a blend of Gamay, Pinot Noir and Merlot that was full of berry flavours and a little spice ($16 http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/77156?region=5). A good find on its own, but then David went to town and splashed a bit of See Ya Later Ranch Riesling into my red (about $20 at VQA stores). Why not? After all, Shiraz and Viognier work well together. As David put it, BC wines are all about fresh fresh fresh, and the Rielsing accentuates the characteristics you love in the Rigamarole Red. Buy a bottle of each and try this trick at your next BBQ.

Free Fun Tasting Alert - May Long Weekend

Staying in town this weekend? You may as well, since there's a slew of free tastings lined up, including one with appies and wine picks by John Bishop.

Thursday, May 17th
- BBQ wines at Taylorwood in Yaletown 4:30-6:30
- Big Rock beers at Cambie & 39th 3:00-6:00

Friday, May 18th
- Pascual Toso wines from Argentina at Cambie & 39th 4:00-7:00

Saturday, May 19th
- Appies and wine picks by John Bishop at Cambie & 39th 2:00
- Corona event at Thurlow & Alberni 3:00-5:00
- Johnnie Walker at Ironwood in Richmond 2:00-5:00

Sunday, May 20th
- Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio at Taylorwood 3:00-5:00

TIP: Cambie & 39th serves their tasters in teeny little plastic cups, and I find it hard to get much sense of the aromas and flavours of the wines that way. Bring along your own glass, and give it a little rinse with water for the drive home.

By the time Monday rolls around I'm sure you'll have found a few wines, beers and spirits to bring home and enjoy.

Free Fun Tasting Alert - Rose Wines

Spring has sprung, so think pink and head to Taylorwood to try rose wines from BC on Thursday 4:30-6:30. Life's way too short to limit your wine buying to only two colours.

Don't be scared off. There are some good roses out there, and they aren't all the sicky sweet white zinfandels known in some circles as cougar juice. Some roses, especially those from places like the South of France are quite dry. There's such a range of roses available (try a goverment store for a selection that includes the Old World) that it's worthwhile to pick up 3 or 4 different styles and compare/contrast them with a bunch of friends. It makes for a perfect girls' night.

Guys, if you think you're never going to buy a pink wine, let me ask you this: Do you ever get Thai take-out? Yes? I thought so. I just picked up the Jackson Triggs Cab Franc Rose, and I expect it to be a great pairing. How about this: Do you know any girls who might appreciate a bottle of rose as a gift? I rest my case.

An especially interesting one to try that is just hitting the BC Market in June or July is Oyster Bay's Merlot Rose for $18. I wasn't overwhelmed by the standard berry flavours when I tried it, and instead tasted tomato! Well, I guess that's a fruit, so why not? It's a great example of the range of roses available.

Stirrings Cocktail Mixers & Rimmers

I found a great brand of cocktail mixers and rimmers called Stirrings, at the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards a few weeks ago. I tried three of their flavours: Mango Margarita, Lemon Drop and Green Apple. My favourite was the green apple, which was dead simple to make - just add vodka and shake with ice. The Lemon Drop was nice and tart, and would work really well with gin if you're looking for a break from vodka.

Checking out their web site http://www.stirrings.com/ I saw they also offer floral and herbal essences, which look amazing. There's a lavender one that I'd really like to try. They have some creative recipes posted, too.

I saw some of these products available at Gourmet Warehouse on Hastings in Vancouver a few weeks ago, and expect you can find them in other specialty food stores.

Cheers!

Wine of the Week - Allan Scott Sauvignon Blanc, 2005

Allan Scott Sauvingnon Blanc 2005 $23

After writing about so many New Zealand Pinots this week, it's only fair that I give one of their Sauvignon Blancs a little love. The weather is supposed to be gorgeous next week, and this is a great pick for a hot day.

This is a crisp, dry, medium bodied wine with lots of refreshing acidity. Swirl it around to open up the intense bouquet of green fruit, honey, and green grass. This gives way to a medium-high concentration of flavours of granny smith apple, lemon and bell pepper.

Wanna have some fun with it? Have a sip of wine, and then cut a wedge of lemon and taste it before you try the wine again. The super high acidity of the lemon will make the wine taste less acidic in comparison. If you're new to pairing wine with food, this is a great way to experiment with how the flavours you taste in a wine can change depending on what you serve it with.

Widely available. Check here for stock at your neighbourhood liquor store http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/922740?region=5

Sign Up for Wine Store Mailing Lists

If you're anything like me, you're probably hesitant to sign up for newsletters and emails, even when they come from stores you like. Sometimes I just don't trust them not to overload my inbox. However, many wine stores will only email you about events, so you probably aren't in for too many.

Recently, I signed up for emails from a shop in Dundarave in West Vancouver, and this morning it's paid off. They sent an email offering me (and everyone else on the list) first crack at several great wines that are usually only available at the winery, or in restaurants where I'd pay double. Demand is so high that there are limits on the number of bottles you can purchase, and they won't reserve any for you. Get there early so you don't have to elbow other enthusiasts out of the way. It's definitely worth it to sign up for some store mailings to get insider info like this.

If you got up early today, head out to West Van to pick these up:

Black Hills Nota Bene, one of the best wine BC produces, if not THE best http://www.blackhillswinery.com/wines/index.html

Burrowing Owl Chardonnay, Cab Franc and Pinot Noir http://www.bovwine.ca/purchasingwine.htm

Jackson Triggs Grand Reserve Shiraz, world's best http://www.jacksontriggswinery.com/en/pdf/IWSCSF_2006_%20Best_Shiraz.pdf

Fasten Your Seatbelts for Stellar New Zealand Pinot Noirs

If you liked New Zealand for her Sauvignon Blancs, get ready to fall in love with her Pinot Noirs.

The New Zealand Consulate hosted a fantastic Pinot Noir seminar highlighting New Zealand's regional diversity, and showcasing some incredible wines, most in the $35 range. David Scholefield, Senior Buyer at the BCLDB, and Winemaker Allan Scott, were our tour guides. As it turns out, New Zealand is prime Pinot Noir terrior, because narrowness of the islands means you're never more than 80km from the sea, which is great for heat hating Pinot Noir. This should give you an idea of why parts of Vancouver Island are considered better for Pinot Noir than the Okanagan.

Scholefield was given samples of the wines to try over the weekend, and put them to the test. He believes that "the ability to take abuse is the hallmark of a good wine," and so he opened them on Friday, and left them out on the window sill to see how they held up. They did, keeping the integrity of their fruit, and even intensifying. As good as these are to drink now, he predicts that they have great potential for aging, noting that they are so well balanced and drinkable now that most people could overlook this.

He also noted the ephemeral quality of these wines, saying that as soon as you identify a characteristic it's gone, and replaced with something else. These wines are very much alive, and evolved even over the course of our two hour tasting. Many were quite closed on the nose before vigorous swirling awakened their flavours. If you buy any of these for home try decanting them an hour or two before you serve them.

Here's what we tried, and my notes. These are showcase wines, so it's not shocking that I enjoyed all of them. They are all good value, especially when compared with France, with those under $40 offering particularly fine bang for your buck. If you step up to a $50 bottle you won't be disappointed, but after your first glass go back an hour or two later to see how it's changed. Have a look through the notes, and see which descriptions most appeal to you, and then I hope you will take the time to seek them out at your favourite private wine shop. I certainly will be on the hunt for these. The Wine Spectator recently gave a number of New Zealand Pinots 90+ ratings, so they are about to become scarce and more expensive, so be quick.

Allan Scott, Pinot Noir, 2005, Marlborough region $32
- Red cherry colour with a tinge of plum. Lots of fruit flavours of raspberry jam and plum, with just a hint of spice and wood. Balanced tannins with a long peppery, cherry finish. Scholefield said this grew even fruitier after being open for four days.

Pegasus Bay (Peg Bay for short), Pinot Noir, 2004, Waipara region $50
- Red cherry colour, with much less fruit on the nose than that Allan Scott. Instead there's more oak, vanilla, strawberry, and nutmeg making this a complex wine with a long finish. Scholefield said that after four days this transformed into full fruit and berries. Going back to this after another 2 hours its transformative powers were already evident in that it gave off a warm campfire smokiness.

Waimea, Pinot Noir, 2005, Nelson region $30
- Dark red cherry colour, with spearmint on the nose. Earth, mineral, and strawberry.

Gravitas, Pinot Noir, 2005, Marlborough region $33
- Sandalwood jumped out at me right away. This one really opened up after swirling, presenting vanilla, cranberry and a bit of pepper. Firm, balanced tannins. This is one of the two wines today sealed with natural cork, and after four days was slightly oxidized, though still enjoyable according to Scholefield.

Quartz Reef, Pinot Noir, Central Otago region $38
- This is the darkest wine we tried today, showing a black cherry colour that's quite dark for a Pinot. Consequently, the big fruit isn't a surprise. It's gamey and earthy, with pepper and wood, yet has a very floral nose. A lot of complexity for $38, Scholefield said this wine has everything he loves about Pinot Noir - high praise from the man who picks the wines sold in BC.

Palliser Estate, Pinot Noir, 2005, Marlborough region $34.50
- I absolutely loved the exotic spices of this wine. Right away I got dry sandalwood, and then tasted cloves and a hint of orange zest. Wow! I'm going to Marquis and Liberty tomorrow to look for this one.

Carrick, Pinot Noir, 2003, Central Otago region $54
- This region is very rocky, and thyme grows wild throughout it. It's not native to the area; it was planted by Chinese workers, and has taken over to the extent that you can smell it everywhere. A great Pinot Noir is a reflection of its terroir, or the earth and area it was grown in, and you can taste the thyme in this wine. It's also jammy with great fruit, balanced tannins, vanilla, and a long finish.

Te Kairanga Reserve, Pinot Noir, 2003, Marlborough region $50
- This is a spicy, earthy wine. I thought this wine showed just a tinge of brick age on its outer edge, but it still had some fruit left. This is the other wine sealed with real cork, which may explain the aged characteristics.

Wine Makes Customs Interrogation All Good - Wyndham's Bin 555 Shiraz

Wyndham's Bin 555 Shiraz saved the day.

I enjoy wine and cocktails, but there are rarely times when I "need" a drink. Yesterday qualified in a big way. I drove across the border a couple of times on my way to and from a friend's cottage in Birch Bay, and, on my second time across, the US border guards had a little (90 minute) chat with me about my vacation to Cuba last year. As a dual citizen, the Canadian in me is allowed to go, but the American in me isn't. Really isn't. As in it's illegal. Or it's a grey area, depending on which border guard you talk to. In the end they were decent, and after much questioning and explaining they were willing to call it an honest mistake. Still, it was a tense hour and a half, during which they took possession of both my passports, and refused to let me use my cell phone. I could feel my shoulders tensing from the start; these guys carry guns. So, yes, I needed a drink.

We had a bottle of Black Opal Shiraz with dinner, but its medium body didn't do much for me. I'm sure it's a nice wine, but I needed serious comfort - the kind only a good friend can give.

God bless America, at the very least for selling wine at the gas station (and Costco). This blog is read by so many Europeans, South Americans, Asians, Australians, and Africans, that I need to explain that in Canada we have some archaic liquor laws. Where I live you can only buy wine in government run stores, a handful of regulated yet privately run wine shops, and at the wineries themselves which are several hours away. We can't buy wine in grocery stores, or corner markets. When Canadians go to the US we are always thrilled by being able to buy beer and wine practically anywhere, and even when it's overpriced it's still cheaper than at home.

In an effort to redeem myself to my friends, whom I had kept waiting for dinner until nearly 10pm, I stopped at the gas station to pick up a couple of bottles of Wyndham's Bin 555 Shiraz, or simply "Bin" as I've come to call it. Big sigh. It was just what I needed. A fuller bodied, dark, spicy wine I've been drinking for well over a decade. I know its characteristics like I know a good friend's quirks. Its ripe black cherry, slightly high alcohol and spicy pepper (it packs heat in a much friendlier way than the border guards) warmed me up from inside, and settled me down. Most people have a comfort food; it turns out that I have a comfort wine.

I'm headed back to Birch Bay many more times this summer, and I'm a little apprehensive as to whether I'll have a smooth crossing, but I'm relieved to know that there are bottles of red and white to wash away the border blues.

Wine of the Week - Finca Los Primos Malbec

As I'm sitting here watching the game, I'm sipping a wine that I just realized hasn't made it as a Wine of the Week yet. I've mentioned the Finca Los Primos 2006 Malbec a few times, but haven't properly written it up. Shame on me.

This is a hot climate wine with slightly high alcohol at 14% from very ripe fruit. It's a dark purple colour, there's a lot of ripe plum flavour, and some black pepper on the nose. The tannins are soft - this is for drinking now. While there aren't layers and layers of complexity, this is a smooth, easy drinking wine, and a tremendous value at $9.95. Buy it by the case and keep it on hand as your standard Tuesday wine. It'll also work well when you need a wine for stews, braising or sangria, and you want to use something good while not breaking the bank.

Free Fun Tasting - Follow Ups

Last Sunday my mom, my friend, Mallora (trailed by her two young kids) and I tried these wines on the weekend. Here's what we thought.

Mission Hill - Five Vineyards Pinot Grigio, $17
Starts with a light fruity nose, and ends with a long finish. This is nicely tart, and would be refreshing on a hot day, and a great accompaniment to seafood.

Quail's Gate - Chenin Blanc, 2006, $19
I really enjoyed the subtle complexity of this wine. There was a hint of warm toast from the oak, very bright citrus flavours, sweet honey, and balanced acidity. A winner.

Gehringer Brothers - Dry Rock Sauvignon Blanc, 2006, $16
Honeysuckle and nectarine nose that gave way cleaner, greener, more mineral flavours.

Summerhill - Gewurtraminer, 2006, $19
The very young CJ, and the even younger Maia got a little restless at this point, and we had to leave before trying this. Try this wine at Sip on Saturday. (See the Free Fun Tasting Alert posted today)

Yesterday, a friend and I tried Saturna Island wines.

Pinot Gris - 2005, $14
I enjoyed this wine with its honey and green melon flavours, and think it's a good value for the price. There are other BC Pinot Gris that I prefer, but they're all $8-$10 more. Available at Taylorwood and Liberty.

Un-oaked Chardonnay - 2005, $15
More good value here. There's a light toast to this wine, and plenty of fresh tangy flavours. For those who aren't fans of Chardonnay, or aren't into a lot of oak, this is a great one to try.

Pinot Noir - 2004 and 2005 $17
I really didn't enjoy either of these wines, but many other people have very good things to say about them. How boring would the world be if we all enjoyed the same wines? These Pinots are very light, and almost look rose due to the cool climate they're grown in. I found them sour and lacking in complexity, though they might pair well with a rich, fatty, chargrilled farmed salmon.

Check your local VQA store or specialty store (Liberty, Marquis) or click here to search for availability of these wines: http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/customerservice/productsearch

Free Fun Tastings - Saturday Triple Header

If you arrange a designated driver, or if you spit, you could hit all three of these tastings, and end with dinner and an early movie out at Silver City. You were just checking for wine info, and I've planned your Saturday. Enjoy!

New Product Salon - Marquis Wine Cellar on Davie Street

New wines from all over the world

12-4pm

Maibu Rum - who knew they had three flavours??

Cambie & 39th

1-5pm

Summerhill Wines at Sip
Ironwood Plaza on Steveston Highway, Richmond
3-6pm

When in Seattle...

The next time you're in Seattle check out the cocktails at Vessel on 5th Ave. Bar manager, Jamie Boudreau, left the bar at Lumiere to mix and shake south of the border, and was recently named Best Bartender by Seattle Magazine. One local wine diva swears by the bourbon-based concoction she had that was topped with maple foam. Yum! He even has one called The Frick, which is also the name of my favourite museum in New York. Blending creativity and the traditional, Boudreau changes the cocktail list every few months, so be sure to make more than one stop. www.vesselseattle.com

Fore! Heads up for this Charity Event

It's time to help our own.

If you've spent any time in the hospitality business (and 1/3 of working adults have) you likely didnt't have any health coverage. Maybe you were young enough to be covered under a university or parental plan, or maybe you were healthy enough not to give it much thought.

For those who aren't that fortunate, there's the BC Hospitality Foundation, which raises funds to help industry members in need. Their next event is the BCHF Classic golf tournament on Monday, April 30th at the UBC Golf Club.

While this year's tournament is sold out, they're always on the lookout for volunteers, donations of product, samples on the course, silent auction items, sponsors and, of course, golfers. For more information visit www.bchospitalityfoundation.com.

Wine of the Week - Colli Trevigliani Prosecco Secchetto -

This Proseccho is a terrific, affordable alternative to the champagne I picked earlier this week, though an extremely different flavour profile. You'll find none of the warm, toasty, baked apple flavours of the Bollinger here. Instead, it's full of crisp, green granny smith freshness, which is just perfect for spring. About $20 at Liberty Wines.

I've been enjoying this a lot lately at FigMint www.figmintrestaurant.com where they have a wine list that's been picked with obvious care, knowledge, and attention to pricing. Manager, Jason Maher, used to be a wine rep, so if you're looking for suggestions you'll be in capable hands. $9 glass, $39 bottle.

New Zealand Wines

Lucky me! The New Zealand Consulate has invited me to their Pinot Noir seminar and trade tasting event on May 1st. It's open to the public from 7-9:30 for $50.

Here's a list of wines you can expect notes on next week. None of them are available in government stores yet, and I will check with the organizers about their status. As much as I relish the opportunity to try special wines for my own interest, it's just plain mean to tempt you with great wines you can't buy. But if they're that good, I might do it anyway!

Allan Scott Marlborough Pinot Noir 2005
Pegasus Bay Waipara Pinot Noir 2004
Waimea Nelson Pinot Noir 2005
Gravitas Marlborough Pinot Noir 2005
Quartz Reef Central Otago Pinot Noir 2005
Palliser Estate Martinborough Pinot Noir 2005
Carrick Central Otago Pinot Noir 2003
Te Kairanga Reserve Martinborough Pinot Noir 2003

Free Fun Tasting Alert - Saturna Island

Check out this Gulf Islands winery at Taylorwood in Yaletown on Thursday 4:30-6:30pm. They're even growing their own grapes on the island. It's worth it to try their Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris to see what you think of this widely available, non-Okanagan winery.

Australian Wines to Become More Expensive

We've been blessed with some great values from Australia, but that's not going to last much longer.

Australia's Herald Sun newspaper reports, "It's official; the long-standing grape glut that has eroded the wine industry's profits is nearing an end."

It's a simple supply and demand issue. They had huge harvests 2003-2005, but this year's crop was small, next year's crop is expected to be even smaller, and more small crops are predicted in 2009 and 2010. The Herald Sun cited environmental problems as a factor contributing to this year's small crops, and anyone who saw "An Inconvenient Truth" knows that those problems are only getting worse. Just ask the people who are buying up the chalky regions in the southern UK where they're planning to plant after the anticipated environmental changes take place in the Champagne region.

The good news is that the Australians think that the smaller crops will translate to increased quality of their wines, so the higher prices they're expecting from their export markets (like us) may be worth it - at least for premium products. Unfortunately, the value we've come to know in entry-mid range Australian wines is going to evaporate. Enjoy the Aussie while while you can, and start getting familiar with regions like Chile, Argentina, Spain and Portugal, all of which offer good value.

Businessmen Stressed Out by Wine

Check this out: 84% of Korean businessmen polled reported being stressed out by their lack of wine knowledge, presumably at a business lunch/dinner. Korea is embracing wine more and more, and since many Koreans didn't grow up with it, there's a big market for wine education. How do you say "cheers" in Korean?

Wine of the Week - Mark West Pinot Noir

We tried the Mark West Pinot Noir last night, and it turned out to be fruity and approachable. It's very versatile, and worked surprisingly well with halibut and tuna. Not surprisingly, it went perfectly with duck. Definitely give this a try if you're new to Pinot Noir, or trying to choose a wine when everyone's ordering different types of entrees.

Housewarming Wines

My boyfriend just bought a condo, and asked for wine as his housewarming present. He enjoys wine, but is starting to look at it a little more in depth these days, and I looked forward to picking a good selection. I decided to stick with New World wines, mainly due to budget, although it would have been fun to put together a selection of New and Old World versions of the same varietals for someone who’s learning about wine. I didn’t pick examples of every kind of wine to give the broadest range; I bought some BC wines he doesn’t know, and some wines that’ll pair well with the new condo. Yes, pairing wine with the condo – read on and you’ll see what I mean. 2 whites, 3 red, and a rose:

- Jackson Triggs Cabernet Franc Rose because I just know he will never buy a pink wine for himself, but he’ll definitely order in Thai food, and this will go well. Not available in government stores, so check your neighbourhood VQA store. $15

- Finca Los Primos Malbec because everyone needs a decent $10 Tuesday wine. Who cares about pairing it. Who cares if you open it by yourself, don’t finish it, and it goes off. Who cares about special occasions – just open it and drink up. Check availability: http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/632919?region=5

- Quail’s Gate Limited Release Chasselas-Pinot Blanc to go with light food, or as a refreshing sipper on his new south-facing patio $16 Check availability: http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/585737?region=5

- D’Arenberg’s “The Stump Jump” (red) to go with all the manly BBQ’ing he’ll be doing. Check availability: http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/607085

- Casa Viva Pinot Noir also good with smoky lighter BBQ meats $13.50 Check availability: http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/207670?region=5

- See Ya Later “Jimmy My Pal” to show a white with a little more body, plus part proceeds go to the SPCA so how could I resist? Not available in government stores, so check your neighbourhood VQA store. $16

Wine of the Week - Bollinger Special Cuvee Champagne

Champers. There's nothing better, and while sparklers from all over are always a treat (I'm a big Prosecco fan) nothing beats the real thing for special occasions. After all, someone always asks if it's actually "champagne".

The Bollinger Special Cuvee Champagne $74 is well balanced and golden, with very small bubbles, and an extremely long finish. It has all the warm flavours of an apple crumble - baked apple, nuts, toast and biscuits. After checking the link for availability, it's become clear that those of you in White Rock, Richmond and Pitt Meadows have already been enjoying this a lot. There's hardly any left! http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/384529?region=5

Weekend Triple Header - Free Fun Tasting Alert!

You gotta love these weekend triple headers.

Saturday: The Cambie & 39th Specialty Store has been stepping it up with some cool in-store tastings. Saturday's features McWilliam's Hanwood wines and - get this - live didgeridoo music. The intersection of Cambie & 41st is still a mess from construction, so take Oak, and enter the parking lot from behind the store. 2-5pm

Sunday: Head back to Cambie & 39th to sample Lichi Li liqueur with cocktails mixed by the bartender from West Van's Ocean Club. Nibblies courtesy of Watermark restaurant. OMG these are some serious cool restaurants. It doesn't get better than this! 3-5pm

Sunday: Taylorwood is pouring four BC new releases. Be the first to try them! 3-5pm

Four BC Pinot Noirs

Just a quick post before running off to the airport to pick up Mom for what's sure to be a wine-soaked weekend.

Yesterday I tried some BC Pinots at Taylorwood Wines in Yaletown. It was interesting, but there was only one that I really liked. However, since we all enjoy different things, maybe these are more to your taste.

Arrowleaf 2004 $16
Light cherry colour. Fruity, light, not much complexity but refreshing. Fine considering its entry level price.

Church & State 2005 Hollenbach Family Reserve $21
A little more complexity here, with earthy and cherry flavours. I'd step up to this one from the Arrowleaf.

See Ya Later Ranch 2004 $20
Medium cherry colour. I found the tannins a little much for the light body.

Quail's Gate 2005 Family Reserve $40
This has more body than the others (light-medium), well balanced, with fruit and sage flavors. This is the most interesting of the bunch, for sure, but for $40 you can choose from a lot of BC wines.

Wine of the Week - Chateau de Ferrand

Chateau de Ferrand 1998 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru (Cab blend)

Finally, another old world Wine of the Week pick. For $38 this Bordeaux is very complex and interesting with medium-full intensity. It's lost a bit of its purple colour and shows a touch of brick from age, so the nose has pronounced mineral characteristics, with no fruit to speak of. It has big tannins that have softened over time, and gamey barnyard flavour characteristics.

Wines to pair with Thai and Sushi

Generally, you can pair spicy wines with Thai and Indian dishes, and they'll work well. Try new world Cab Franc with heartier Indian curries. Try Gewurztraminer with lighter Thai dishes, and sushi.

Here are two BC wines to pair with sushi and Thai, or just sip on your patio when the weather gets warm. Both are available at VQA stores which are listed at http://www.winebc.com/vqastores.php

Jackson Triggs Proprietors' Reserve Cabernet Franc Rose. How interesting to find a rose made from the spicy Cab Franc grape.

Arrowleaf Gewurztraminer goes well with sushi or Thai. http://www.arrowleafcellars.com/gewurz.htm

Bombay Sapphire Martini - Ginger Mango Martini

The Bombay Sapphire team sampled terrific gin martinis at Vancouver Magazine's Restaurant Awards this past Monday. If you've been stuck in a vodka rut for the past few years, it's time to make a move.

Spicy and sweet, this is a sophisticated drink. If you love fresh ginger, this one's for you.

Ginger Mango Martini
- Bombay Sapphire Gin
- Fresh lime juice
- lots of crushed ginger
- mango puree (use Ceres brand juice)
Garnish with mango and mint skewer, or simple mint sprig

Bombay Sapphire Gin Martini - Mumbai Breeze

The Bombay Sapphire team sampled terrific gin martinis at Vancouver Magazine's Restaurant Awards this past Monday. If you've been stuck in a vodka rut for the past few years, it's time to make a move. This drink was designed by Robyn Gray, winner of the 2007 Bombay Sapphire Cocktails by Design Competition. It's sweet from the lychee, but the gin gives it depth and a little bitterness that you don't get with vodka.

Mumbai Breeze
- Bombay Sapphire gin
- Lychee juice (Ceres brand is best, or sub with Rubicon lychee cocktail)
- Muddled pomegranate (substitute with Pom brand juice)
- Lemon Peel
Shake ingredients with ice
Garnish with lychee fruit

For more information on Bombay Sapphire Martinis, please contact Laura Balsor at laura.balsor@cossette.com

Township 7 Wines

This is a follow up to the Free and Fun Tasting last week at Taylorwood, where we tried 6 of Township 7's wines.

Viognier 2006 $20- Taylorwood doesn't sell this (try the winery's shop in Langley) but they poured some for the tasting. This is the winner of the bunch. Apricot, blossoms, and well balanced. They only made 55 cases, so good luck getting some. (Sorry)

Semillon 2006 $17 - Honey and floral notes on the nose, with nice acidity.

Merlot 2004 $25 - I really enjoyed this wine. Juicy, spicy, just a little bit smoky.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 $26 - Rich and full bodied with lots of red cherry.

Sauvignon Blanc 2006 $17 - Crisp crisp crisp. Lots of tart citrus and refreshing acidity here. This wine isn't for everyone (ask me again on a hot summer day), but if you paired it with something tart it would seem more mellow in comparison.

Rose 2006 $16 - Lots of red cherry, and some good acidity helps the sweetness.

Japanese Cocktails, Shochu, Sake

This summer's issue of Vendor will feature an article I wrote about Japanese cocktails. If you haven't explored the exotic flavours featured at izakayas like Shiru-Bay in Yaletown, and Hapa Izakaya on Robson Street, then get in there and try them out. Hikaru, the bartender at Hapa will be happy to tell you all about Shochu, a Japanese liquor that's distilled like vodka, and made from ingredients like barley, or shiso, or chestnuts. They even have a Caesar made with wasabi instead of tabasco. Charlotte, the manager at Shiru-Bay will walk you through a flight of three Sakes, so you can compare them side by side. They make an amazing Uno-tini with lychee - delish.

Free, Fun Tasting Alert! Pinot Noir

Taylorwood Wines in Yaletown is pouring BC Pinot Noirs this Thursday, April 19th 4:30-6:30pm. Drop in and check out the tricky-to-produce "heartbreak grape" and judge for yourself how well BC's doing... for free. C'mon, it just doesn't get better than that. What a great way to try new wines, and hopefully discover a new favourite.

More fun free tastings coming this weekend. Details soon!

Wine of the Week - Casa Viva Pinot Noir 2004, Chile

I was going to write about a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand today, but we'll save that for a warmer day that's not so rainy. Instead, how about a Chilean Pinot Noir? Fruity and a bit earthy on the nose, it's well balanced, with smoky, spicy, cherry flavours. I really enjoy this wine, and for $13.50 it's a great value. It's versatile, and goes surprisingly well with smoked salmon.

Check availability at http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/207670?region=5

Wine of the Week - Pfaffenheim Grand Cru Gewurztraminer 2002

This is a fantastic value! It's $32, and drinks like it's $50. It's well developed and intense, with a deep lemon colour, and aromas of honey, rose, and lychee. It's sweetness is balanced with good acidity. It's medium-full bodied, spicy, rich and full. This is a complex, concentrated Gewurz with a long finish. Remember, you're looking for the 2002 Grand Cru.

Check availability at http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/615898?region=5

Also try their Pinot Gris $19 http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/616144?region=5

Wines - 6 Reds & Whites under $35

These picks were requested by Leana, a mom who's too busy to check the blog, and just wants something she can buy by the case and have it over with. Here are a couple of quick picks that give good value under $35, and work well as sippers or with food. Check the next post for my picks for Leana under $20 Reviews to follow - first things first, this girl needs wine picks!

Averill Creek, Pinot Noir $25 (only buy the 2005 - be sure to check) Available only at Liberty on Granville Island: http://www.libertywinemerchants.com/locations.html

Saxenburg, Private Collection Shiraz, $32 (about to hit BC market) Keep checking this search http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products?keyword=saxenburg&gKey=All&cKey=All&pp=20&pr=Any&bc_region=Any&by=name&asc=1&pg=1

See Ya Later Ranch/Hawthorne Mountain, Pinot Gris, $20 (good expression of the varietal) http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/75739?region=5

Skillogalee, Riesling. Australia $25 (just hit BC market) http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/579169?region=5

Pfaffenheim, Grand Cru Gewurztraminer 2002, France $32 (Drinks like it's $50)
http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/615898?region=5

Mondavi, Fume Blanc, Napa $30 http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/221887?region=5

Wines - 4 Reds and Whites under $20

These picks were requested by Leana, a mom who's too busy to check the blog, and just wants something she can buy by the case and have it over with. Here are a couple of quick picks that give good value under $20, and work well as sippers or with food. Check the next post for my picks for Leana under $35.

Under $20

Finca Los Primos, Malbec, Argentina $9.95 (great for the price)
http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/632919?region=5

Casa Viva, Pinot Noir, Chile $13.50 (incredible value!!)
http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/207670?region=5

Wynn's, Riesling, Australia, $15 (tropical fruit, great sipper)
http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/528216?region=5

Quail's Gate, Chasselas-Pinot Blanc, $16
http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/585737?region=5

Chocolate Mousse Martini

If you want to cheat on this one, it's ok. Just omit the mousse and add an extra 1/2 oz of vanilla vodka and garnish with whipped cream and serve it like a drink. But if you really want a special martini that doubles as a dessert, this is killer.

Make the drinks, top with the chocolate mousse, and refrigerate until set. Serves 4, or double the booze and serve 8.

Step 1:
2-4 oz Godiva chocolate liqueur
2-4 oz Vanilla vodka
Shake with ice, strain into martini glasses, refrigerate.

Step 1: make the mousse
Chocolate Mousse
2T unsalted butter
4oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 eggs, separated
1/4C sugar
1/2C heavy cream
1/2t vanilla extract

Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler over low heat until smooth. Beat in egg yolks., and refrigerate. Beat egg whites with half the sugar until stiff but not dry, set aside. Beat cream, remaining sugar and vanilla. Fold eggs whites into chocolate mixture, fold in cream.

Step 3: Carefully top the drinks with the mousse and refrigerate until set. Garnish with whipped cream, and a long skinny chocolate (e.g. Ovations, Pocky).

Limoncello Amalfi-tini

Lemon trees cling to the cliffs of Italy's Amalfi coast, where they produce Limoncello, a fragrant lemon liqueur that tastes more of zest than juice. It's also the drink that George Clooney got Danny DeVito loaded on before he had to go on The View. http://www.tmz.com/2006/11/29/danny-devito-hammered-on-the-view/

1.5 oz Limoncello
1 oz Absolute Vanilla
1 oz Grey Goose L'Orange
Squeeze of fresh orange juice
Shake with ice and serve in a martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

For a lower alcohol version add soda, substitue lemon or lime for the orange juice, and serve over ice.

Wine of the Week - Wolf Blass Bilyara... Repackaged and Cheaper

Bilyara is Aboriginal for "eagle hawk", the Wolf Blass icon that hearkens back to the founder's German roots. The Reserve Cab $17 and Reserve Chardonnay $16 are essentially repackaged versions of the well known existing products (the Bilyara Cab is the same as the Yellow Label Cab)... but get this, they're $1 cheaper. Love it.

The bottles are plastic, and because the material is thinner than glass, they are smaller than I'm used to, and still hold 750ml. They weigh less, and so are more cost effective to ship, and easier for staff to handle in stores. Pick up a bottle for your next party, and freak out your friends by knocking it over - it won't break. Personally, I think these small, light-weight bottles are ideal for picnics, beach bbq's and camping.

Cabernet availability http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/948273
Chardonnay http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/515411

Name that... Winery!

A winery in Washinton is looking for a name, and the prizes are fantastic! Enter here: http://www.washingtonwinecompany.com/

Wine of the Week - Glorioso Rioja Crianza

Playoffs came in like a lion last night, with the Canuck's game going into quadruple OT. I started off with a bottle of Granville Island Pale Ale, but quickly noticed an open bottle of Glorioso Rioja Crianza in the kitchen. Very smooth, easy tannins, juicy cherries, and some tobacco... but how would it go with the bowl of Munchies (Cheetos, Doritos, pretzels, and Sun Chips mixed together)? Surprisingly well! It's probably even better when the pairing doesn't include nuclear orange cheese powder, and for just $17 I'll definitely be buying this.
Check availability at your neighbourhood store: http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/361469

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Wine of the Week - Dirty Laundry Woo Woo Vines Gewurztraminer

I first tried this wine about a year ago, but it was several months later that the manager at Diva at the Met pointed out the hidden feminine images in the curvy swirls on the label, and told us the history of Summerland BC's laundromat turned brothel. The winery is one of several in BC that's been bought up by Albertan businessmen recently. They've played up its sexy past, and put a huge expansion plan in place.

This is a perfect summer sipper. It has a surprisingly peachy colour, very fragrant floral notes, and peach and lychee flavours. For $18 from the winery it's a great buy. It might be a little more in private wine shops like Kits Wine Cellar on 4th Ave, where I buy mine, and definitely worth it. When they sold out last summer, I tried their Riesling instead, and was disappointed - not the Riesling's fault, I just really missed the Gewurz. From what I've heard, BC Gewurz is expected to be in somewhat short supply this year, so if you're a summer Gewurz drinker, then buy it while you can.

Free & Fun Wine Tasting Alert!

There's a double header of casual, in-store wine tastings coming up this Thursday. Drop in for a few minutes, and try something new. I love these tastings, because they're a great way to try a lot of new wines, without paying big buck$ for a lengthy, formal, sit-down tasting.

Wolf Blass
from 3:00 at the Cambie & 39th liquor store

Bradley Cooper of Township 7
from 4:30 at Taylorwood Wines

Yet Another Wine of the Week - The Black Chook

The Black Chook 2005 (Shiraz 95%, Viognier 5%)

I'll admit that it's embarssing to have posted three wines of the week, especially since it's only Tuesday. I love this wine, and serve it all the time. It has humungous ripe fruit flavours of plums and blackberries, there's chocolate, some floral notes, and a velvety mouthfeel. Be careful - the abundance of sugar from the extremely ripe fruit has left this wine with 15% alcohol. No wonder I'm tipsy after just one glass. At $20 it's a steal, as its competitors are all about $10 more. Get it at a government liquor store http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/171991; private wine stores usually sell it for $25.

Another Wine of the Week - Herder Pinot Gris

Herder 2006 Pinot Gris, BC

Pinot Gris is one of my favourite grapes, so I was happy to take this one home when the staff at Liberty told me about it. Herder make wine from grapes they purchase from other growers, and these came from the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys. 340 cases were produced. It's un-oaked, and has nice acidity. I got white pineapple, and some cooked apple and pear. I would write about this in more detail, but my friend finished off the rest of the bottle while I was in the other room getting ready to go out on the town. That tells me two things: 1) it must have been good, and 2) I need to get dressed faster. $24 at Liberty www.libertywinemerchants.com . Not available at BC liquor stores

Vendor Magazine Article - Marketing to 30 Somethings

Get into the heads of 30 Somethings, and find out what they're drinking in my Vendor Magazine article. Please note that Frances Hui, who is quoted in the article, has recently launched a new social club, FHS Events. Click here for photos of her events http://www.flickr.com/photos/franceshui/collections/.

Vendor Magazine Article - Delilah's Martinis

Delilah's is the fabulous grande dame of Vancouver's West End, and was shaking up martinis years before Carrie ever ordered a Cosmo. They've even made me my own personalized martini with Amaretto, Frangelico and Grand Marnier, and does it ever pack a punch. Be prepared to slur just a little, and keep your taxi service on speed dial. No wonder I've lived around the corner for over a decade. Enjoy the recipes in my Vendor Magazine article.

Wine of the Week - Villa Maria Private Bin Chardonnay

Villa Maria 2004 Private Bin Chardonnay, New Zealand

The first thing that hits you is the gorgeous bright lemon yellow colour. It’s really a spectacular colour, so break out your white tablecloth for the full effect. I tasted some cantaloupe and citrus up front. It has a creamy mouthfeel, and a cooked apple finish. There's generous oak here, but it is balanced with nice acidity, and so it stays fresh. I had it with roasted tomatoes in pesto sauce with chevre and parmesan, and it stood up well. It was also good with a snack of toasted almonds. A fine buy at $18, unless you're scared of oak. Check for stock at your neighbourhood BC Liquor Store http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/549972. Thanks to Jon and Sean for bringing it over.

Free & Fun Wine Tasting Alert!

Sample Obikwa wines and enjoy live music from African drummers. Get there early to receive a complimentary South African recipe book. I wish I could go, but I have my WSET course all day.

Saturday, April 14th
1-5pm
Specialty Store on Cambie & 39th

Drink of the Day - Ceres Fruit Juices

These all natural, no sugar added juices from South Africa come in exotic flavours, and are to die for. Check out flavours like Pear, Guava, Lychee, Mango, Peach, Passionfruit, and Fruit Medley (which tastes like Hawaii). I use them to make my White Sangria tropical, and it's now the favourite of one of my regular guests. Try adding them to Champagne Cocktails, or to replace any juice in your favourite Martini and Cocktail recipes. They’re also packed with vitamins – 250ml of the Fruit Medley has 290% of your daily vitamin C requirement - so I drink them instead of OJ when I’m sick. http://www.ceresjuices.com/ You can get them in premium and organic grocery stores; I get mine at Capers http://www.capersmarkets.com/

Jellybelly Wine Pairing at Taylorwood Wines

Just in time for Easter, Taylorwood Wines featured a jellybean and wine pairing today. How fun! I met my friend, Mallora, there for a quick run through four B.C. wines and Jellybellies. The Jellybelly company has a pairing kit available, but it's hard to find a lot of the Jellybelly flavours locally in high enough quantities to serve at a tasting. As part of their Bertie Bott's line from the Harry Potter movies, they've created flavours like dirt - perfect for 8 year olds, and their wine enthusiast parents who want to take tasting terroir more literally, I guess.

Red Rooster 2005 Riesling, with Green Apple Jellybellies
- The sweetness of the Jellybellies made the riesling taste more tart, and the apple flavour worked well. This was the favourite of some of my fellow tasters. About $15 http://www.redroosterwinery.com/ourwines.asp

Mt. Boucherie 2005 Pinot Gris, with Tutti Frutti Jellybellies
- The cotton candy flavours in the wine combined with the Jellybellies to create a bubblegum flavour. While it's not a combination I want to recreate on a regular basis, it was a lot of fun to get such a recognizable yet unusual and unexpected result. A steal at $15. Click for availability http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/602094

See Ya Later Pinot Noir, with Cherry Jellybellies
- A classic pairing this worked pretty well. $20 at BC Liquor stores. Click for availability http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/75267

Jackson Triggs 2004 Sun Rock Shiraz, with Licorice Jellybellies
- While the licorice was a smart pairing with the shiraz, I preferred it with the cherry, which brought out the spicy characteristics of the wine. Wine info at http://cms.jacksontriggswinery.com/SearchObjects.aspx?sys-Portal=1&sys-Class=Wine&sys-Submit=1&AppellationID=2&TierID=5&sys-XSL=sOkanagan

This tasting was a great reminder not to be so serious, and to try my favourite wines with unusual foods, and to explore how the flavours of the wines change. In that way, it reminded me of Tim Hanni's fantastic Cause and Effect tastings. I hope they offer it again next year.

2 Picks from Liberty Wines on Robson Street

I had a great experience at Liberty Wine Merchants (http://www.libertywinemerchants.com/) on Robson Street on my way home yesterday. I tried two wines that I noticed they were sampling in store:

Venturi Schulze Brut Naturel $32
- Tart, fruity, refreshing, and not sweet at all. It comes from the Cowichan Valley, where Venturi also makes balsamic vinegar. Staff tell me that the winery owner is a great chef. http://www.venturischulze.com/ Not available in provincial liquor stores.

Tempo Madiran 2003, Château Peyros, France (50% Tannat, 50% Cab Franc)
- Cherries, a bit spicy, would work with big food. It might be a little much for this, but I’d love to have it with a garlicky tomato sauce. $18 at BC Liquor Stores, $20 at Liberty. A great value at $18. Click for availability at your neighbourhood store: http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/396598?region=5

Drink of the Day - Cassis & Perrier

All the beautiful black currant flavours in the Wine of the Week got me on a bit of a kick. Dijon is the capital of the famous wine region, Burgundy, and it's also home to Creme de Cassis. Blend a shot of Cassis with a small (330ml) bottle of ice cold Perrier, and you have a classic, refreshing, and tres French alternative to coolers. It's fruity with just a hint of sweetness. Garnish with mango if you have it, lemon if you don't.

Viva la France! www.boudier.com, www.perrier.com

Cheers!

Wine of the Week - Undurraga Cabernet

Undurraga Cabernet Sauvignon $13

A great value with loads of cassis. The price says "Tuesday" but it easily transitions to work with that special dinner you spent all of Saturday shopping for at the market.

Click to see stock at your neighbourhood liquor store http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/53413

My Wine Festival Picks

Here's a summary of my wine festival picks. Scroll down the blog to read how I found them, and their back stories.

Arretxea Grand Reserve (Tannat, Cab Sauv, Merlot) $41
Uruguay
Inky purple, spicy, smoky. Made me crave Hy's filet mignon with gorgonzola.

Skillogalee Riesling $25
Australia's Clare Valley
Apple blossoms, lemon, refreshing, a great summer sipper.

Saxenburg 2003 Private Collection Shiraz $32
South Africa
Requisite black fruit, but not overpowering. Good value. If splurging, try their world class 2002 Select Shiraz at $125 to see how far South African wines have come.

Saxenburg 2003 Private Collection Cabernet $35
Packs a punch with black currant and cherry

Tattinger Prestige Rose Brut (PinotNoir/Pinot Meunier) $67
France
Raspberries burst on the tongue, followed by a crisp, lingering finish. Pretty in pink for summer celebrations.

Drink of the Day - Green Tea Liqueur

Hapa Izakaya's bartender, Hikaru Mattheson, generously shared with me his private stash of Suntory Green Tea Liqueur yesterday, which was brought back from Japan by a friend. It has true matcha taste with just a little sweetness. It was delicious on the rocks, but would make a killer saketini. Look for it on your next trip to Washington State (or Japan), as it's not carried in BC or Alberta.

New Release - Averill Creek Winery

Look for my cover story on Averill Creek Winery coming to Vendor Magazine this summer. In the meantime…

What a treat to visit Averill Creek this past weekend for the release of their new vintage. For those of you who are wary of Vancouver Island wines, you're in good company. Umberto Menghi and Brian Welsh of Ruth's Chris Steakhouse were skeptical initially, too, but both carry Averill Creek wines now. The wines are available at Liberty Wine Merchants on Granville Island.
What we tried:
Pinot Noir 2005 – cedar and cherries, complex, buy two and put one away
Merlot 2005 – bold and smoky, I got some bacon flavours, fruit up front
Gewurztraminer 2005 – very light colour, pink grapefruit and lychee
Pinot Gris 2005 – peaches, caramel
Pinot Grigio 2006 – crisp green apple
Somenos Rose 2006 – lovely overripe strawberries

What we bought:Pinot Noir 2005
Merlot 2005
Pinot Gris 2006

The Grigio, Gewurz and Rose would have made it back with us, if budget had allowed. The Grigio in particular will be very refreshing this summer for those few lucky enough to get their hands on some.

Our Daily Bread

"If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars in the heavens." - Robert Browning

That's the quote above the mill at the True Grain bakery. Frankly, I'm pretty blown away that this tiny bakery in Cow Bay mills their own grain, and even more surprised that the mill is tucked away in a side room where it could so easily be missed by city slickers like me in hurried search of baguettes and sourdough.

Every surface in the room is covered with flour, even the ceiling. The quote is painted high above the mill, and is partly obscured by it. Obviously, it's intended to be seen by the mill operator, rather than customers, leading me to realize that it's more of a quiet blessing over the flour than a marketing ploy. I've only come here in search of snacks so I don't have to resort to ferry food on my way home, and now I feel like a fraud. Kind of like assuming the Mona Lisa's the only thing to see in the Louvre, and racing past everything else. I mean, how can I think of my baguette as just a snack after seeing that someone milled the flour and then lugged it 20 feet into the kitchen? It's not just a baguette; here it's an act of love.

Bread has always been a transcendent food for me, and I have great respect for its ancient roots. I think of its use in solidifying bible-era contracts, of breaking bread with friends and family, of Jesus' loaves and fishes, and of how Jews fleeing Pharaoh's Egypt didn't have time to let their bread rise. We were pretty happy to leave Egypt, but no one's happy about matzo, "the bread of affliction". If you've ever made bread at home, you'll get what I'm talking about. (I'm pretty sure Robert Browning made bread, or he at least milled around when Elizabeth did.) There's something about the yeast action, the rising and the kneading that makes you connect with it, and understand that it's alive and needs to be cared for. I even know a chef who named his sourdough starter, and brings it home to look after it over the holidays.

I'm not sure if those are the thoughts and feelings my mom was trying to instill in me when we read the Little Red Hen, but they stuck anyway. Doesn't the Island Fresh sign make you think of that story? http://www.bres.boothbay.k12.me.us/wq/nnash/WebQuest/little_red_hen.htm

Those of you who read this far are avid readers indeed, and as such probably know that the Browning quote is slightly off (“in” should be “and all”). If you caught it, you have a better eye than I. Mine was fixed on the bread.

Gems from the VPI Wine Festival

Mission Impossible: You have two hours to uncover the gems from among 1,550 wines featured by 180 wineries from 17 countries.

Are. You. Kidding. Me? Next year I really need to make arrangements for a more extensive media pass. In my younger years my festival strategy was to visit only those booths pouring bottles upwards of $100, but today I’m here without a set plan.

Lucky me! Tattinger is the first booth on my way in. I only want to try the Pinot Noir/Pinot Meunier Prestige Rose Brut, but am quickly advised that I need to "deserve" it, and that can only come after warming up my palate with the Brut, the Prelude Grand Cru Brut, and the soft, slightly sweet Nocturne (which means "nightlife" en Francais). Twist my arm. When I finally get to the Rose raspberries burst on my tongue, followed by a crisp, lingering finish. I'm off to a great start, but I know I can't stay with the biggies all afternoon. I mean it's not exactly a surprise that this is delish, is it? At $67 it’s more affordable than some of its French competitors, and worth a try for summer celebrations.

I’m off to Pisano next to try Uruguay's national grape, Tannat. I don't remember having tried Tannat before (it's also grown in France, and with their archaic labeling laws who knows what you're drinking) and after Peter Jackson, of Jack's Grill in Edmonton, mentioned it in our interview this morning, I'm curious to try it. The only thing I know about Pisano is from my Italian Renaissance Art and Architecture class in university, and I'm guessing he's not connected to the winery. Still, the Italian roots are obvious. I work my way through their wines and make it to the Arretxea Grand Reserve. Whoa. After tasting this inky purple, spicy, smoky, tannic blend of Tannat, Cab Sauv and Merlot I'm craving the Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola at Hy's. It’s so dark and clingy that I have to rinse my glass twice. Uruguay… Ur-a-gonna-love it, even at $41 a bottle.

The room is full of good wines, but as a writer I'm always searching for the back story. I can't pronounce it yet (as happens when you start at Tattinger, I suppose), but I find myself at Skillogalee from Australia's Clare Valley. Chatting with winemaker, Dave Palmer, I get the goods on the winery. A former management consultant, Dave got a call one night from aging friends saying that they were selling their winery. Lamenting to his wife that they'd no longer be able to get their favourite wines, her response was simply, "how much?" It's a family affair now with Dave's son now starting to make the wines and holding down the fort when Dave travels to festivals like this, and his wife, a chef, running the restaurant. I’m a little skeptical about people who switch careers to run a winery, fearing they’ve been overtaken by romantic notions of wine making, but his Riesling puts me right at ease. Apple blossoms jump right out, and it's refreshingly lemony, with none of that sickly residual sugar that turns me off of so many other Rieslings. At $25 it’s welcome to join my other favourite summer sippers (Dirty Laundry’s Gewurztraminer, and Bonnie Doon’s Malvasia Bianca) on my apartment balcony this summer.

It’s getting late, and I’m in search of a big finish. I run into my friend Laura, and following her tip about a Shiraz that made her “cry” I make my way to Saxenburg to chat with wine importer, Vicky Ainley. I grew up with many South African friends, and have always been captivated by the country’s extraordinary history, people, landscape, flowers, and animals. I began exploring their wines as soon as they came back on the world market; I was intrigued by how being beyond the influence of many common trends kept their wines unique, and being in my early twenties at the time, I was thankful that they were so under priced.

I start off with their ’03 Private Collection Shiraz, which is spicy, a bit woodsy and worth its $32. It has the requisite black fruit, but it’s not overpowering. Next it’s the $35 ’03 Private Collection Cab, which packs a punch with blackcurrant and cherry.

It’s not listed in the festival program, but Vicky pours me a taste of the ’02 Select Shiraz, and I see just how far South African wines have come. Mon dieu, this is a helluva wine! They rope off the particular vines that produce this wine just to be sure that the grapes aren’t picked by mistake, and the fruit isn’t always good enough for them to produce it every year. Intense and beyond full, with blackberries, plum and white pepper, she tells me that when wine reps limit her to showing them only two bottles this is the red she brings in. I can’t imagine anyone says no to her after tasting this; I want to drink it all afternoon, and into the evening. It’s obvious I’ve found the wine Laura cried over, especially when I see the price. Selling at $125 this wine isn’t in everyone’s budget, and I was lucky to taste it. It's definitely world class, but IMHO there’s better value to be found in the $32 Private Collection Shiraz.

Festival organizers flick the lights off and on as they try to wrap things up, and I wonder if it would be rude to ask Vicky for seconds. I decide that I could probably get away with it, but that it might be a little awkward. I hope that she will offer me a bit more - I mean, can’t she see that my glass is empty??? She doesn’t, and I leave graciously but reluctantly, happy to end on a wine I can’t afford, and having discovered a value version that I can.

Interview with Natalie MacLean

My interview with Natalie MacLean, author of the bestseller "Red, White and Drunk All Over",

will apear in the summer issue of Vendor Magazine. In the meantime, be sure to sign up for Natalie's newsletter to receieve her latest wine picks: www.nataliemaclean.com

Wine and Spirit Education Trust

On April 14th I am taking The Wine and Spirit Education Trust's "Foundation Certificate in Wine". For information on WSET visit http://www.wset.co.uk/.

This is normally a 6 week course, and I am taking an intensive 1 day version. Whew. Raise your glass and toast to me staying sober enough to pass the final exam!

I will be giving my palate and buds a warm up at the Playhouse Festival trade tasting on March 29th, and at the opening of Averill Creek Winery on March 31st.

Vendor Magazine Article - Real Ale

In researching this article it turned out, a pub I've visited for 15 years, Sailor Hagar's in North Vancouver, is one of the only ones offering hand pumped fresh ales. It's worth it to make the trip across town to try these very special beers featured in my Vendor Magazine article.

Long Island Wine Tour

There are a number of good wineries on Lond Island's North Fork, and some make an ice style wine. Unlike the Okanagan, temperatures don't get low enough for them to pick the grapes frozen on the vine, so they're picked late in the season, and then frozen after harvest. I took home a bottle of Pellegrini Vineyards' Finale which has caramelized pineapple flavours, and would work with a tropical dessert, or grown up version of a banana split. http://pellegrinivineyards.com/site/site/

Also worth a look:
www.wolffer.com
www.macariwines.com

Best of Grand Central

Wow! What a view. If you look really, really closely you can just about make out the entrance to Grand Central Station, where must sees include the Oyster Bar and O&Co for olive oil. We go to both every time we visit.

www.oysterbarny.com

http://www.oliviersandco.com/

When on 5th Avenue...

Check out Bottlerocket Wine Shop at 5th & 19th or http://bottlerocketwine.com/. Why are they so special? According to them it's because "we organize our selection of 365 wines by theme, helping you find wines according to what you want to do with them. Ordering take-out tonight? Make a bee-line to the oversized Chinese food container, perched on top of a display, and check out the tightly edited selection of wines. All were chosen for their compatibility with local take-out menus (menus can also be picked up here)."

Further uptown we stumbled on this amazing Anish Kapoor installation in its final days at Rockefeller Center with 5th Ave and Saks in the background. Click on the image to find Mom and me in the reflection, and on the link to see what the Sky Mirror itself looks like. http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/sep2006/id20060915_960619.htm?chan=innovation_architecture_dialogues Only in New York!

Is it really possible that there were only 3 cars and a rickshaw in the middle of 5th Ave? Where is all the traffic? Maybe they've all gone to Bottlerockets.