VanWineFest 2016: BC Wine Report – Part II

An earlier post detailing this year’s Vancouver International Wine Festival focused on the four BC wineries sharing their wares for the first time. With 22 additional local wineries (and one superb Sakemaker) on hand as well, there was more than enough to keep my attention for three days. Dozens of veteran winery principals from across BC were equally enthusiastic as those pouring for their first time. Given the alphabetical organization I generally explored our local wineries just as they were laid out, and found everything from Averill Creek to Wayne Gretzky Estates.

My first sample of the entire Festival came from Andy Johnston’s Averill Creek, where Pinot Noir is king in Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley. The 2012 being shown was impressively clean and pure – with its still-upcoming release status testimony to Andy’s patience as he continues to let the 2011 shine. I came back more than once too for a glass of apples and creamy raspberry scones in the 2010 Brut, another very charming preview. Three tables down, Burrowing Owl owner Chris Wyse had a bevy of rich reds on hand, plus the 2014 vintage of his winery’s famed Pinot Gris. Age-worthy 2012 Athene (Cab-Syrah) and 2012 Meritage impressed just as much as dark and ripe 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon and surprisingly silky 2013 Cabernet Franc. Steps away, the Triggs family was present in force to pour the wines from their blossoming Culmina project, while Winemaker Pascal Madevon discussed the winery’s new varietal reds in detail. The dry and focused 2014 Decora Riesling and toasty, citrus-mineral 2013 Dilemma Chardonnay complemented the complex and collectible small lots of 2013 Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon (168 and 96 cases respectively).

Okanagan Crush Pad’s Chief Winemaker Matt Dumayne was pouring the Summerland winery’s home label Haywire. The likeable traditional method sparkling “The Bub” 2013 was available alongside organic 2014 Pinot Gris and the fascinating Free Form 2014, a naturally-fermented blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Eight months of skin contact and full malolactic fermentation without any sulphur made this risky venture into a “textural sensation” of dry citrus flavours and fine tannins. Behind Haywire Head Winemaker Rob Summers had a selection of Hester Creek’s wine on hand, showing the benefits of increasing oak integration in his bottle-aging 2012 reds. Time in bottle has given the ripe fruit an opportunity to emerge in smooth Reserve Cabernet Franc as well as in brown-sugar-spiced icon blend The Judge. The new 2015 Trebbiano continues the grape’s Golden Mile success story, where 48-year-old vines consistently produce refreshing fragrances and long, soft fruit flavours.

Nearby, the wines of Meyer Family Vineyards provided a study in 2014 single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir courtesy of Winemaker Chris Carson. Kelowna’s Reimer vineyard yielded a bright, youthful red fruit Pinot Noir and Naramata’s Old Main Road vineyard offered creamy Chardonnay with fresh tree fruit flavours. From the Okanagan Falls home vineyard on McLean Creek Road, young, mineral-driven Chardonnay and rich, dark fruit Pinot Noir will grow even better with age if given the chance. Across the aisle Lauren Skinner and the team from Painted Rock had the rare and special 2014 Chardonnay along with elegant, complex 2014 Rosé – a blend of red Bordeaux grapes. Lauren was leading the charge at her family’s sixth consecutive Festival appearance, showcasing the newest 2013 reds: suave Syrah, brooding Merlot, and the stellar Red Icon beckoned me daily.

Well within reach the synchronized squad at Poplar Grove was where Winemaker Stefan Arnason could be found with the winery’s champions. Newly-bottled, ever-popular Pinot Gris gushed fresh stone-fruit, and similarly modern Blanc de Noirs blended big reds to yield candied pink grapefruit aromas and earthy red fruit flavours. The allure of sold-out 2011 The Legacy offered up a perfumed leather nose before a smooth spicy finish; patience is a necessity for those awaiting the bottle-aging 2012. Neighbouring tablemate Tony Stewart was offering the expression of 2014 at Quails’ Gate, introduced by uncommon Chenin Blanc, refreshing one’s palate with crisp textures and a tangy finish. The Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay made subtle use of oak in a creamy, toasty drop delivering a bright finish, while textbook Reserve Pinot Noir displayed perfect balance surrounding cloves and red fruit. Turning around brought the Summerhill smile of CEO Ezra Cipes and the exciting new Blanc de Franc 2011: sparkling Cabernet Franc repeatedly enchanted me with fresh fragrant berries and a fabulously smooth, clean mousse.

The final line of BC wine was home to Thornhaven Winemaker Jason Fraser, revitalizing guests with 2014 Brooklyn’s Blend, Summerland’s unique merger of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. This clean and summery field blend was took on the new name in honour of the Fraser family’s newest addition. Apart from the winery’s definitive Gewürztraminer I was also taken with the elegant 2013 Syrah, thanks to a silky, earthen palate and well-tuned balance following the Platinum-winning 2012. It was only logical to next make time for Harry McWatters, still working his magic on the Black Sage Bench at TIME Estate Winery. The pleasingly approachable 2012 Red Meritage was nicely softened after a couple years in bottle, and the charmingly textured 2014 White Meritage provided another measure of the creamy character I’ve enjoyed in the past. A jump to the right found Tinhorn Creek Winemaker Andrew Windsor proud papa to barrel-sampled 2014 reserve Chardonnay. Andrew’s first vintage at Tinhorn yielded such divine wine it demanded a new addition to the Oldfield Series tier. The necessity was obvious upon tasting the round, rich, creamy caramel behind the newly deployed “Golden Mile Bench” sub-appellation label.

The “big three” beverage companies were present as well, but I found myself drawn primarily to the smaller independent wineries. That being said, it was good to see that parent company Peller had arranged for Sandhill Master Winemaker Howard Soon to give the international guests a little something to think about with 2012 Small Lots Sangiovese and Italian-inspired red blend “Three”. Mark Anthony Group’s Mission Hill rarely misses a Wine Festival, and this year freshly appointed Head Winemaker Darryl Brooker was present to pour a gamut of rarities from the new, high-end Terroir Collection. Constellation Brands’ Black Sage Vineyard was showing off an impressively fragrant 2013 Zinfandel, while the company’s See Ya Later Ranch property poured the peppery 2013 Rover Shiraz. The conglomerate’s Jackson-Triggs “Sunrock” brand had more Zinfandel blended with Shiraz in the “Illumina”, as well as a two-vintage comparison of the well-respected Cabernet Sauvignon (2012 & 2013).

The only session in the Tasting Room for which I was absent was the final evening on Saturday, which generally provides the most entertaining people-watching if anything. Of course that final session is also where the next year’s theme region is announced, so I was thrilled to hear the good news in short order over social media: the 2017 Festival will feature Canada as theme region, just as our nation begins celebrating its sesquicentennial. My very pleasant surprise at the news came about in large part due to earlier discussions with members of the organizing committee, who had suggested to me that certain challenges precluded such a possibility. Apparently the difficulties were overcome through what must have been hard work and delicate negotiations. The growing ranks of Canadian wine aficionados worldwide must be excited at the opportunities that will come about in Vancouver next spring – I know I’ll be first in line for tickets!

Collectibles: October 2014

While fruitfully working through a bit of a cellar backlog this fall (making room for new vintages) I still found the time to purchase a few bottles I couldn’t resist. Several new and recently released wines caught my attention, either on store shelves or in the news. I lucked out on a few, and others took a fair amount of hunting to track down across Vancouver.

Sage Hills 2013 Pinot Noir: I scooped up one of the last bottles on the shelf of this new release; only 191 cases were produced from Rick Thrussell’s organic Summerland vineyard. John Schreiner recently reported the wine was almost certainly released prematurely (with many years of development ahead), but Rick bowed to pressure “after his debut 2012 Pinot Noir was something of a sensation.” Swirl VQA Store – $45

Orofino 2012 Home Vineyard Pinot Noir: Keeping Sage Hills company is Orofino’s 2012 Home Vineyard Pinot Noir, a bright wine bursting with strawberry aromas and flavours. John & Virginia Weber grow five different Pinot Noir clones in their Cawston vineyard, and aged this blend of all five for 16 months in French oak. I may end up receiving a bottle in my next Orofino Collector’s Club shipment but that shouldn’t be much of a problem at all! Swirl VQA Store – $32

See Ya Later Ranch 2012 Rover: The latest release from a popular and widely available entry level Syrah. Anthony Gismondi has provided some impressive praise for past vintages, such as the 2008, noting it’s a wine that seems to get better and better every year. When the 2012 was recently awarded the new “Premier’s Award” for best wine of the entire BC Wine Awards, it seemed only reasonable to cellar a bottle for the future. At present it’s a bit disjointed, with alternating earthy and fruity notes that haven’t yet melded, but I’m looking forward to seeing what a couple of years aging can yield. Swirl VQA Store – $22

Thornhaven 2012 Syrah: After the National Wine Awards results were announced in late summer I paid close attention to the handful of Platinum medal-winners. Several BC wines made the list, including three 2012 Syrah, only one of which I hadn’t yet acquired. The bottle from Thornhaven in Summerland was more elusive, with the 2011 vintage still on VQA Store shelves. I have to admit, a Summerland appellation Syrah is a curious wine indeed, and this one has reportedly seen a brief 10 months in oak – it should prove quite interesting. Coal Harbour Liquor Store – $33

Burrowing Owl 2012 Malbec: Burrowing Owl only just introduced Malbec to their portfolio last year, with the inaugural 2011 release joining a mere handful of BC wineries producing a varietal version. The new release was bottled in August, fresh from 21 months in a mix of 80% French, and 10% each American and Hungarian oak. The dense fruit style of Burrowing Owl, combined with the excellent vintage and hand-harvesting from the winery’s Osoyoos vineyard should equate to an excellent collectible. Liberty Wines Granville Island – $37

Baillie-Grohman 2012 Cabernet Franc: The new Platinum category introduced at this fall’s BC Wine Awards is intended to award those wines judged unanimously worthy of Gold medals by all nine judges. Only five Platinum medals were handed out in September, including one to young Creston winery Baillie-Grohman. Although the winery has established estate vineyards, they still source reds from the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys: ten barrels of Cabernet Franc were obtained from an exclusive single vineyard in Osoyoos. Swirl VQA Store – $27

Fairview Cellars 2012 Cabernet Franc: On my way to the BC Wine Appreciation Society Bus Tour in September I stopped in to Bill Eggert’s winery outside Oliver. I received the sad news that his 2012 Cabernet Franc was long since sold out. I had heard some impressive praise for the wine, no surprise given the vintage and Bill’s talent with Cabernets. I was pleasantly surprised to spot the wine afterwards on store shelves. Perusing the back label I’m pleased to see Bill has continued his practice of noting the “Best After” date; in this case it’s December 2016, which fits perfectly with my five-years-from-harvest cellaring strategy. Marquis Wine Cellars – $35

Clos du Soleil 2012 Signature: From Keremeos, Clos du Soleil’s top tier red blend was actually doubled in production for this vintage, up to 475 cases, in anticipation of implementing bottle aging from 2013 onward. While bottles may seem prevalent now, shortly after release, once it’s gone there will be a long wait for the next vintage, so stock up while you have a chance! Should I follow through with my rotating vertical strategy, I can now open the 2008. However, the Signature has proved very long-lived, so further delay will likely provide even greater enjoyment. Swirl VQA Store – $40

Poplar Grove 2009 “The Legacy”: The arrival of this 2009 red blend is in fact the third vintage released this year, starting with the 2007, the ethereal 2008, and now the nearly sold-out 2009 – the winery appears to be a victim of their own success! Production in 2008 and 2009 was cut in half (500 cases), and the 2010 will likely see similar numbers, keeping me anxious to avoid a hole in my vertical going forward. At least I get to drink the 2005 now in order to make room for the new bottle! Swirl VQA Store – $50

January Wine Dinner: Winter Whites

It’s been too long since our last wine club dinner, so last weekend an augmented group of eight brought together our best homemade culinary creations with a great many bottles of BC wine once again! Normally we hold these dinners with six people – three couples – who each contribute one course and a wine pairing. However, there was so much good cheer (and miraculously easy scheduling) going around we brought some other friends on board as well. It didn’t hurt that our hosts have a wonderfully large table that can seat eight, or even ten in a pinch.

With our hosts putting together the entree course, and my wife and I devoted to dessert already, there was little opposition to a duo of starter courses from the other two couples. Our appetizer chefs actually coordinated with one another to avoid duplication, but we reminded them that this wine club requires no advance planning – and it’s always worked out wonderfully in fact. Case in point: without anyone planning it or notifying others, we all brought white wines this time, once again yielding an unintentional theme.

The first course was soon revealed to be an attractive spinach salad, accessorized with red onion, toasted hazelnuts, dried cranberries, and a homemade balsamic dressing. To pair with it was Howling Bluff’s superb 2012 Sauvignon Blanc Sémillon, with sufficient – balanced – acidity to stand up to the onions and tart dressing. The wine’s fresh floral nose still reminds one of summer even in winter months, and tropical flavours like star fruit kept us intrigued while pear and hints of cedar and mineral also showed up on the finish.

We continued to sip the Sauv-Sém and catch up while Round Two was put together with earnest in the kitchen. The intoxicating aromas of butter and herbs got us all wondering, while we were tasked with choosing which of two wines to enjoy next. Burrowing Owl’s 2011 Pinot Gris was deemed the best pairing for the extremely rich Ricotta Gnudi with which we were soon gleefully presented. A brown-butter sage sauce and crumbled fresh Romano made these little hybrid dumplings shine. The full-bodied, creamy Pinot Gris was an excellent match, with flavours of apples and pears, and a tart finish that cut through the buttery food pairing.

Despite the surprisingly filling gnudi, there was plenty of food and wine to come, particularly the Indian-inspired feast our hosts had assembled. Butter Chicken and Butter Tempeh were accompanied by authentic Aloo Gobi, Quinoa-Wild Rice Pilaf, fresh Chickpea Salad, and Naan Bread. It was dangerously tempting to load up on everything, even three courses in, especially the rich, flavourful, vegetarian-friendly butter tempeh.

Such a bounty of food called for plenty of wine, and our hosts had acquired two bottles each of Dirty Laundry’s “Say Yes” 2012 Pinot Gris, and Thornhaven’s 2012 Gewürztraminer – more than enough to go around! The beautifully-bottled Say Yes was actually the sweeter of the two wines, with slight floral aromas, tropical pineapple flavours, and a full-bodied texture thanks to fairly high sugar. The Thornhaven really shone alongside the spicy food, with textbook floral, sweet lychee aromas, and superb balance. Thornhaven is legendary for their Gewürztraminer, winning top medals and Best of Class awards every year, such as the Gold last fall at the BC Wine Awards (along with another Gold for the winery’s 2011 Syrah).

We all had to hold off on serving too many second helpings, as a rich closing course was on the way. My wife and I had prepared dessert in advance, needing only to pop it in the oven when the time was right. While awaiting tell-tale baking aromas, we all sipped from Team Gnudi’s second bottle, a charming Riesling from La Frenz they had obtained at the winery during a visit last summer. With a fresh citrus nose and no earthy/petrol aromas as of yet it made for a superb palate cleanser. Lots of lemon-lime and mandarin orange flavours were accompanied by a tart finish balanced with just enough residual sugar.

After a great deal of eying, checking, and even some poking, dessert was finally out of the oven and ready to serve. It was quite a process to ensure our individual Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes were sufficiently cooked to come out of their ramekins neatly, yet retaining that ethereal moistness necessary for full enjoyment. A dusting of powdered sugar, some fresh whipped cream, and a few drops of homemade cherry coulis rounded out the plating with pride, before we cracked open a bottle of Nk’Mip 2012 Qwam Qwmt Riesling Icewine.

Although long a successful wine for this Nk’Mip, the 2012 vintage of their Icewine has recently been burning up the airwaves thanks to a 100-point review from John Schreiner. A striking 93-points from Anthony Gismondi and inclusion in his semi-annual list of the Top 10 Wines of British Columbia haven’t hurt matters either. In fact, Gismondi’s review suggested serving this elegant gem with chocolate, so the Lava Cakes seemed an ideal pairing for such a striking wine. Even with rich cocoa aromas filling the room the intense, vibrant nose of the wine stood out, with a basket of tropical guava and lychee aromas jumping forth. The tart acidity deftly cut through the cake, showing extremely pure honeyed mandarin flavours that lasted for ages. I’m definitely looking forward to adding another bottle to my cellar for a bit of aging, if I can keep my hands off of it!

To finish off the evening in style I broke out a rotund little bottle of Saxon Winery’s VIP Port-style fortified Pinot Noir. I picked up a couple bottles last fall during the BC Wine Appreciation Society Bus Tour, which was based in Saxon’s home community of Summerland. Two years in barrel and fortification with Foch Brandy have yielded a surprisingly spicy wine that everyone enjoyed. In particular, the lower sugar than expected and some meaty hints beyond the cinnamon and nutmeg flavours provoked plenty of commentary; the smile-inducing “grapey” finish was just icing on the cake.

We all left sufficiently stuffed and feeling very learned about several new wines; I was particularly pleased to share the Icewine and Port-style with everyone. Thanks to the enthusiasm and generosity of everyone involved I’m sure we’ll do it again soon!

Bottleneck Drive visits BCWAS

Last week the BC Wine Appreciation Society held a tasting to sample the Summerland-area wines of “Bottleneck Drive”. The dozen wineries of this region on the western shores of Okanagan Lake recently banded together to help promote their unique area in the greater BC winery industry. The Society was very grateful to have received samples of several lesser-known wines from which to sample, so we could all get to know these hard-working wineries a little bit better.

On arrival everyone was treated to two different sparkling wines to warm up our palates. Sips of Sumac Ridge’s “Tribute” revealed generous aromas apples and fresh bread, and flavours of orchard fruit amongst plenty of mousse. The wine is a traditional method sparkling Chardonnay released in 2011 to commemorate the winery’s thirtieth anniversary.

A significantly different sparkler came in the form of Bella 2011 Sparkling Gamay Noir, via Okanagan Crush Pad. OCP’s winemaker Michael Bartier has assisted Jay Drysdale and his wife in producing their two “Bella” sparkling wines (named in honour of a very special bulldog); the other wine being Chardonnay. Once again a pleasant mousse finish kept us refreshed following clean strawberry rhubarb flavours.

From Sleeping Giant we had the opportunity to taste their Black Currant Dessert Wine, a very bright and fruity honest representation that pulled no punches in puckering up lips with its tartness. Before the sparklers disappeared a number of guests discovered the joy of Black Currant cocktails when mixing with Tribute or Bella.

Some charming aromatic white wines were present as well, including Silkscarf’s 2011 Viognier, a mild and delicate take on the grape. While perhaps not as “intensely aromatic” as expected, it showed excellent balance and was a very easy sipper. The Viognier led into an additional white from Sonoran Estate, who provided their aromatic 2010 Pinot Gris/Pinot Blanc blend. The blend showed lower acidity than the other whites thus far, but a very enjoyable fruit salad bouquet.

Two impressive Gewurztraminers from Thornhaven and Heaven’s Gate were next up, and were thoroughly enjoyed by fans of the variety. Both 2011 wines showed very characteristic profiles, with the Thornhaven in excellent balance in particular. Heaven’s Gate’s iteration was the sole gold medal winner in the category at the recent 2012 Canadian Wine Awards, and showed off a rich lychee nose and a slightly sweeter palate with hints of yeast, vanilla, and sage.

Before moving on to the red wines guests were sure to try out the 2010 Bartier-Scholefield Rosé produced at Okanagan Crush Pad. This Gamay Noir from Oliver showed a candy-apple nose that led into a dry palate with hints of earth and wet pavement – easily and readily enjoyable.

Two Pinot Noirs were on offer, from Thornhaven and Haywire Winery, another Okanagan Crush Pad operation. Both showed the potential of Pinot Noir from the Okanagan Lake region, with plenty of juicy cranberry characteristics that got many guests thinking of traditional holiday meals no doubt!

Bonitas Winery sent along a bottle each of their Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Merlot, although I myself didn’t get a chance to try them. The reviews from other guests were mixed, favouring the reds, but this young winery still has plenty of time to find its feet in the years to come.

For those seeking somewhat obscure flavours we got the chance to try the uncommon hybrid Léon Millot grape from new player Saxon Estate Winery. Saxon’s 2011 Millot was fresh and fruity due to minimal oak influence, with hints of cocoa on the finish. This brand new winery was formerly Hollywood & Vine under previous owners before being sold and rebranded quite recently, as detailed by John Schreiner several weeks ago.

Considering the terroir it makes sense that we’d expect fewer richer red wines. However, Dirty Laundry Vineyards sent their Syrah, a very youthful bottle from the 2011 vintage. Dirty Laundry is perhaps better known for their well-crafted Gewurztraminer and other white wines. Although there’s no reason any of the Bottleneck Drive wineries could not own or lease vineyards in the southern Okanagan from which to produce big reds, estate fruit from the region seems to yield more successful lighter reds and whites.

Everyone certainly enjoyed learning more about the wineries and wines of this unique region, and I’m sure all are looking forward to visiting Summerland in person in the future!

Playhouse Wine Festival: More BC Highlights

Earlier this week I discussed some of the wines I particularly enjoyed from the first half of the twenty-two BC wineries present at the Playhouse Wine Festival, what follows are my notes from the remaining eleven wineries:

Osoyoos Larose: It’s always an exciting surprise to see what this Canadian-French partnership will be sampling, considering they only produce two wines. At tastings Osoyoos Larose often brings components of the two red blends they produce, and/or barrel samples of vintages not yet released. For the Playhouse Festival the winery was pouring not only the brand new 2009 ‘Pétales d’Osoyoos’, but a three-year vertical of the icon wine ‘Le Grand Vin’. Last year’s 2007 Grand Vin was – as expected – still quite tight on the palate, with a savoury nose, while the current release 2008 was a bit more green, but with some interesting spiciness. The barrel samples of the upcoming 2009 vintage showed even more tannin, but with an underlying sweetness and fewer savoury elements – courtesy of the hot 2009 harvest perhaps?

Painted Rock Estate Winery: Having enjoyed many samples of Painted Rock’s spectacular wines recently I hardly needed an additional taste to confirm their quality, but I made sure to try a glass of the 2010 Chardonnay given how quickly it’s selling out. Painted Rock proprietor John Skinner explained to me that the 2011 Chardonnay is the product of an unusual combination of three “micro-harvests” that took place over a two week period from the same vines. Each lot was fermented and aged separately, to be combined later to yield the final wine, which John remarked was likely his best yet. I’ve heard that expression from John on an annual basis, but the impressive thing is that he’s right every year!

Peller Estates: I was eager to try the 2009 Private Reserve Syrah that Peller was pouring at their table. The Syrah received a gold medal from the 2011 Canadian Wine Awards, noteworthy in particular because its nearest competitor in the gold ranking was fourteen dollars more expensive! To see a twenty dollar wine taking home the same medal as others costing twice as much has to make you curious. My curiosity was appeased with a fresh approach and smooth texture; and although the wine is said to have zero grams of residual sugar it tasted sweeter than expected. It’s bottled under screwcap, which hints that it can be consumed young, although I’m going to try aging a bottle for a couple years at least.

Poplar Grove Winery: This Naramata Bench winery is expanding rapidly into a destination property, with a brand new state-of-the-art winery opening last year and a new restaurant moving over from Summerland this spring. Many of Poplar Grove’s highly collectable wines were being poured at the Festival, including the bright, fruit-forward 2008 Merlot and the rich 2008 Cabernet Franc, with elements of leather and ripe blackberry. I was particularly pleased to see the sold out 2008 Syrah, which the winery is proud to report won the only gold medal for a Canadian wine at the Decanter World Wine Awards last year. The silky smooth texture in the Syrah made me even more excited that I actually found a bottle recently at Kitsilano Wine Cellar (which even the winery was shocked to find out).

Quails’ Gate Winery: this West Kelowna winery describes Pinot Noir as their speciality, and they were showing off their new release 2009 Stewart Family Reserve Pinot Noir at the Festival this year, along with the new 2010 Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay. As I typically purchase both of these wines each year, the chance to taste them in advance was invaluable. Although the Reserve Pinot Noir is suggested as a comfortably ageable wine it was quite approachable even upon release (although it has been bottle aged by the winery). The Chardonnay was buttery and toasty, with a slightly sweet finish. I’m glad to be adding both bottles to my collection, especially given how challenging it can be to find the Chardonnay.

Red Rooster Winery: Another Naramata bench winery present at the festival, Red Rooster was showing off their fun-loving side with Viewmasters featuring photos of the winery and winemaker Karen Gillis. Karen was pouring her new 2009 Meritage, successor to the Lt. Governor’s Award-winning 2008 vintage, and I found it to be a very approachable, easy-drinking wine. The 2010 Chardonnay being poured showed a slightly nutty, creamy palate that was easy to like. Karen’s 2009 Chardonnay received the only Canadian gold medal at the 2011 Chardonnay du Monde competition in France, so she’s clearly doing a few things right!

Road 13 Vineyards: I was very excited to finally see this Golden Mile winery’s ‘Fifth Element’ red blend return after a years absence. The 2009 Fifth Element still had a lot of tannin present but an underlying complexity suggests a lot of potential – the bottle I picked up from the Festival Store should do very well in my cellar. Having finished my last bottle of Old Vines Chenin Blanc a while ago I was also very pleased to get the chance to try it again; those crisp, clean, and fresh flavours illustrated why it sold out in the Festival Store so quickly! Interestingly, I also learned that a Late Harvest Chenin Blanc should be forthcoming from Road 13 in the near future, a very exciting prospect!

Sandhill: With no “distracting” social media presence to manage, this somewhat reclusive Kelowna winery focuses on making quality wine under the supervision of the cloistered Howard Soon. At the Festival Howard was pouring a portfolio composed of his exclusive Small Lot wines, including the new 2010 Chardonnay, 2009 Merlot, and 2009 ‘One’ blend, all of which I had purchased in advance at the Festival Store. The Chardonnay was fresh and quite creamy thanks to the barrel fermentation and new French oak, while the Merlot was clearly fruit forward and quite smooth already. The big ‘One’ blend was a lot smoother than expected given the 56% Cabernet Sauvignon content (plus 38% Petit Verdot, and a touch of Malbec and Syrah). With such a rich mouthfeel and great balance the ‘One’ will likely sell out soon, especially with only 225 cases produced.

Sumac Ridge Estate Winery: Among the wines being poured by this well-established winery was the new 2007 Steller’s Jay Brut, their long-standing and dependable sparkling wine. Just as I enjoyed quite a bit of the 2006 last year, I anticipate the 2007 Steller’s Jay to serve as a reliable choice in the coming year; it has a nice clean, creamy mousse finish and well balanced flavours. I also took the opportunity for a sample of Sumac’s Port-style fortified wine ‘Pipe’, which is a dependable dessert wine in our household. Pipe is basically a fortified Meritage blend, aged in oak for three years to yield a warm and rich pairing for everything from fruit and chocolate to nuts and cheeses.

Thornhaven Estate Winery: This Summerland winery has a fairly thorough portfolio of wines, but it is their aromatic whites that receive the most press. Their 2010 Gewurztraminer received one of only two gold medals in the category at the 2011 Canadian Wine Awards (the other gold going to nearby Kalala), and festival guests were lucky enough to sample it: the perfumed, tropical nose led me to a well balanced palate with pleasant residual sweetness – very “varietally correct” if I may say so. I also noticed the 2010 Sauvignon Blanc-Chardonnay, a rare blend that came about inadvertently when the two grapes were accidentally planted together. The nose shows grapefruit and topical notes, but the body is surprisingly full due to the Chardonnay’s contribution – it is a unique and enjoyable glass of wine!

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards: Owner and winemaker Sandra Oldfield was busy showing off her many delicious wines at the Festival this year, including the superb 2Bench White, a complex and food-friendly blend that includes Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Viognier. If I was to choose a house white, it might be the 2Bench, due to its consistently good combination of tropical and tree fruit characteristics, food versatility, and age-worthiness. While at the Tinhorn table I made sure to grab a glass of 2009 Cabernet Franc as well, another favourite of mine that once again shows superb versatility with food (the winery suggests hearty comfort foods like burgers or lasagne). The hot 2009 vintage has yielded lots of ripe, red fruit that makes the wine excellent on its own as well, and for only $20 it can be a winter and summer staple.

Just as I finished writing this post, I received news that the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company is shutting down this weekend. The Playhouse International Wine Festival Society was quick to assure fans that the Festival will carry on, but it remains to be seen quite how the end of the Company will affect the Festival – it having been created as a fundraising venture for the Company. The Festival proudly announced the theme region (California) and global focus (Chardonnay) for next year just days ago, so I hope the 2013 event will take place as scheduled (Feb. 25-Mar. 3), but it seems likely that a name change may be in order at the very least. Although I am saddened at the blow to Vancouver’s cultural identity that will take place with the Theatre’s shutdown, I’m certainly relieved that the Wine Festival is aiming to continue operations, given how much fun I have every year socializing and sipping with friends both old and new.

The BC Wine Variety Show

Last week we enjoyed an entertaining wine tasting at home for some new friends from south of the border – Arizona to be precise – as well as an old friend moving away to New York – her last night in Vancouver! Also present was another old friend, an experienced veteran of many tastings I've hosted over the years! I had been asked by my wife to put together a small selection of wines that could help to introduce BC wines to someone with next to no experience enjoying our homegrown viniculture (i.e., our American guests), with a focus on whites (it being “summer” after all). Armed with a few more hints about what our guests might enjoy I picked out some recent award-winners, old stand-bys, and new discoveries while emphasizing multiple regions and a few unique grapes that would show what BC has to offer.

Our first wine came to us from the Naramata Bench courtesy of Lake Breeze Vineyards: their 2010 Pinot Blanc continues a tradition of excellence with this grape, having recently been awarded Best of Category at the 2011 All Canadian Wine Championships. I knew I wanted to serve a Pinot Blanc given the low profile of this grape, despite the wonderful wines it can produce, particularly here in BC. Lake Breeze considers Pinot Blanc to be their “signature,” so the decision was easy. My choice rewarded us with beautiful aromas of apple, peaches, and pineapple, with floral flavours and a slightly creamy texture that I particularly enjoyed. This wine was the favourite white amongst two of the six of us, and came in a very close second for me personally.

Topping the Lake Breeze for me was the next wine, a superbly fashioned 2010 Viognier from Di Bello Wines. Long-time CedarCreek winemaker Tom Di Bello has now moved on to produce his own ultra-small-lot wines in partnership with his wife Tari, and this first release consisted of only 87 cases! Fortunately I found my bottle at Marquis Wine Cellars, where there is still some available (in addition to directly from Tom & Tari) if you want to get in on the ground floor of Tom’s new venture: four more varietals are coming soon including highly anticipated Pinot Noir and Syrah. As John Schreiner puts it, the Viognier is “an intense and exotic white” which conjured up myriad descriptors amongst us – particularly as the temperature changed – including cedar, menthol, bubble gum, and caramel! Tom’s notes include aromas of lychee, orange peel, and pears, all of which were present for us as well. The impeccable balance and thought-provoking flavours in this wine made it my favourite.

Next up was the sequel to one of our favourite wines last summer – CedarCreek Ehrenfelser. Ironically the 2010 release of this wine represents some of the first work by Tom Di Bello’s replacement at CedarCreek – Australian Darryl Brooker. With 2010 being a cooler season, it comes as no surprise that the new Ehrenfelser is more acidic than the delicate 2009 we fawned over last year, but it still garnered plenty of fans amongst our guests: fully half of those present declared it their favourite white of the evening. As in years past, the Ehrenfelser is still aptly described as “fruit salad in a glass” and we enjoyed aromas of honeysuckle and orange blossom, grapefruit, and melons. Flavours of honeydew and cantaloupe continued on the palate, ensuring an empty bottle in short order.

Seeking diversity in both grapes and flavour profiles – whilst maintaining the approachable summer theme – I decided a Gewurztraminer would be suitable as our final white wine. Knowing Thornhaven’s prowess with the grape led me to this Summerland winery, and their award-winning 2009 Gewurztraminer, another Best of Class winner from the recent All Canadian Wine Championships. Upon smelling the beautiful fruitful aromas wafting from this wine I’m fully in agreement with the reviewers at Icon Wines, and was also sure to prepare my guests for the decidedly off-dry flavours on the palate. Powerful lychee was most obvious, with some describing it as “candied lilacs,” while others detected smoky notes that reminded them of candles. Although this wine wasn’t anyone’s favourite, I fully respect it for what it is: a powerful expression of this very enjoyable grape variety.

I would be remiss to serve a selection of BC wines in the summer without including at least one Rosé, given the huge variety of styles we benefit from in BC. Although a great deal of excellent single varietal Rosés exist from wineries across the province, we’ve always enjoyed the blended approach from Dirty Laundry, and had yet to try their newest release. Inside the beautiful transparent bottle, Dirty Laundry’s 2010 “Hush” includes 50% Cabernet Franc and 30% Pinot Noir, along with a little Pinot Blanc and some other “hush hush” grapes. What struck many of us first and foremost is the incredible rich cherry colour of the wine, which reminds one once again of the huge range possible when it comes to Rosé wines. Although we enjoyed flavours of guava, strawberry, and pomegranate, the current incarnation was felt to be not as “patio-friendly” as in years past. It’s possible the lighter snacks we were enjoying did not maximize this wine’s potential, given that Dirty Laundry recommends pairing it with “bold Malaysian foods, Asian fusion cuisines, and East Indian dishes.” Those being some of my favourite foods I look forward to trying another bottle in a different context soon!

I felt I should include at least one full-bodied red wine to finish off the tasting. Taking my cues once again from the All Canadian Wine Championships I expected that the 2008 Cabernet-Merlot from Blasted Church would fit the bill quite nicely. This Bordeaux blend was awarded Best Red Wine during the Championships, and easily impresses whether or not one knows its $26 list price. Even more impressive is the knowledge that Blasted Church went so far as to include both Malbec and Petit Verdot (for the first time), which are varieties rarely seen in such a reasonably priced red blend. After decanting this relatively young wine we experienced quite a bit of rich vanilla and chocolate aromas that followed through on the palate. A surprisingly smooth mouthfeel was reversed upon pairing with actual chocolate, which really brought out the hidden tannins! Similarly, accompaniment with aged cheddar was said to have expressed green notes for some. The pairing experiences were quite intriguing and memorable, while overall this wine was impressive and enjoyable for most of us. Personally, I will be seeking some more of what remains from the 2000 cases which are now sold out from the winery.

The six uniquely enjoyable wines I shared represent only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the excellence in winemaking we benefit from here in BC. Putting together a “BC wine variety show” to introduce our wines to others was a lot of fun! I hope to do it again soon given the many hundreds of additional superb wines available to share with those unfamiliar with what is on offer in our own backyard. Cheers!

The Mythical Quadruple Tasting

On the weekend before Christmas, I suggested to some friends that we spend Saturday afternoon visiting some of our local wine stores. It being the holiday season everyone was holding tastings, and before I knew it I had come up with a list of four exciting events we could take in while stocking up for Christmas and New Years: the quadruple tasting was born!

We met up at the 39th & Cambie Signature BC Liquor Store where Mission Hill was celebrating the tenth anniversary of their bell tower with a wine tasting of their Five Vineyards wines. Mission Hill may have the most tiers of any BC winery besides Jackson-Triggs; the Five Vineyards wines represent the first of their four tiers and are suitable for day-to-day consumption. For only a few dollars more however you can upgrade to the Reserve series and experience some excellent value for money with six whites under $20 and four reds under $25.

Among the three wines being sampled that day where the Five Vineyards Chardonnay (2008), Pinot Grigio (2009), and Cabernet Merlot (2008). The Chardonnay is well priced at $14 but I would certainly rather spend my money on the Reserve Chard for $19, a Silver Medal winner at the 2010 Chardonnay du Monde. A couple dollars more yields the Pinot Grigio ($16), which has some nice tropical notes and was an 88-point Judges Choice at the 2010 Wine Access International Value Wine Awards. There are certainly more Pinot Gris (oaked) than Grigio (unoaked) in BC so it is refreshing to find one every once in a while. Lastly, the Cabernet/Merlot was mellow, but quite youthful and somewhat shallow. Credit goes to Mission Hill for including 5% Petit Verdot in the blend however, a rare component in an entry-level blend.

From Cambie we headed down to Kitsilano to visit Village VQA Wines where a triple-tasting of Thornhaven, Hester Creek, and Lake Breeze was taking place. We tried Thornhaven’s Pinot Gris (2008), Gewurztraminer (2008), and Pinot Noir (2007): the Gewurztraminer in particular had a beautiful nose and provoked an immediate purchase from one of our party, and the Pinot Noir was pleasantly fresh and fruity – good value for $18. The Hester Creek (2009) Cabernet/Merlot was young like Mission Hill’s, but more approachable in my opinion. An aggressive price of $16 and a slew of international awards shows Hester Creek is serious about value-priced wines. The final wine we tasted was Lake Breeze’s (2008) Meritage, a tart blend with a pleasantly complex nose. Lake Breeze also produces a bigger brother to their base Meritage called “Tempest”; the 2007 vintage of which just received a high Silver Medal at the Canadian Wine Awards.

While at Village Wines Kitsilano I picked up one of the last 2007 Compendium’s on shelves nearly anywhere I would imagine. Even Mission Hill themselves only sells it directly from the winery store now (i.e., not even online). I’m told yields were down in 2007 and many VQA stores only received one half case to sell! Too bad because this big red received a Gold Medal at the 2010 Canadian Wine Awards alongside its sibling, the 2007 Quatrain; I consider myself lucky to have two bottles of each! I also added to my collection that day my first magnum: Gray Monk’s 2007 Odyssey White Brut, a Lt. Governor’s Award-winning sparkler that has all but disappeared from store shelves to make way for the 2008 vintage, no doubt also quite tasty. I tend to shy away from large format bottles due to storage complications but for only $45 this was a fantastic value, and will lay patiently in waiting for the right opportunity to open, hopefully sometime soon!

Joined by another friend returning from a holiday party, we took a quick hop across the Burrard Street bridge, bringing us downtown to visit Liberty Wines Robson for our third tasting event, which I shall detail tomorrow…