February Wine Club – Romance Edition

Without any of us agreeing on anything in advance, this month’s Wine Club attendees put together a charming romantic meal for the night before St. Valentine’s Day. We began with a deliciously rich cheese fondue – the first time I had ever actually had fondue in fact! We quickly learned how challenging fondue can be to maintain – not too hot and not too cool! Alongside bread and crisp Granny Smith apple slices we poured St. Hubertus 2008 Chasselas. Seeing as how St. Hubertus suggests their Chasselas as the perfect accompaniment for fondue it seemed like an obvious choice: the citrus notes and acidity were a good match for the tart Swiss cheese. The nose reminded some of us of linen/cotton; the wine was light and crisp to keep our palates fresh between bites of creamy, oh-so-delicious cheese.

Our hosts graciously provided for a main course in two versions to accommodate vegetarians and carnivores alike: a meaty Bolognese sauce, or the animal-friendly alternative made with soy-based ‘’’Ground Round”. I was happy to spoon the Ground Round over top of fresh noodles as I pondered my glass of Seven Stones 2006 Standing Rock Meritage. I have a bottle of this in my own cellar – purchased after enjoying it at a Penticton restaurant in 2009; only later did I learn it was awarded Gold medals at both the All-Canadian Wine Championships and the Canadian Wine Awards. The wine itself was quite good, with aromas and flavours of leather and tobacco, plums and currants; however it came across a bit too acidic paired with the hearty and heavenly Bolognese. We agreed it wasn’t as good a match as we’d hoped, but on it’s own the wine was excellent; I’ll have to try a different pairing when I open my own bottle – live and learn!

Naturally, dessert was chocolate – could there be any alternative?! I’ve had a couple bottles of Sumac Ridge 2005 Pipe awaiting a special pairing and this was the perfect opportunity to open one up and share with good friends. Pipe is Sumac Ridge’s version of Port, and is basically a fortified Meritage: 33% each of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. I get some every year in confidence, it’s definitely one of BC’s top fortified wines, and always goes well with chocolate. To match such a special wine I had a chocolate treat a century in the making: a limited supply of Nacional chocolate I had acquired from Montreal. The rarest chocolate available, this once “extinct” cacao bean has recently been re-discovered, and is available in very limited quantities: the two bars and small boxes of chocolate-covered beans I picked up from the Post Office on Friday were numbered limited editions, yikes! Needless to say I didn’t use Nacional chocolate for the vegan mousse I made – for that I “settled” on half-a-kilogram of Callebaut – but everyone got three squares of pure Nacional, and a couple of the roasted, chocolate-covered beans. The tawny nose and warm cherry, caramel, and date flavours of the Pipe were exquisite alongside the mellow, fruity flavours of Nacional, and the rich and creamy dark chocolate mousse – a unique and decadent dessert experience!

Lang Riesling Tasting

Late last year I picked up the Lang Vineyards 2008 Reserve Riesling, adding it to my 2006 and 2007 bottles for what I thought would become an interesting three year vertical. But then last month while perusing the shelves of the Signature BC Liquor Store at 39th and Cambie I noticed a single bottle of Lang 2003 Riesling sitting amongst all the 2008s! I took it to the register with trepidation, asking meekly what the price was – it scanned at the same price as all the rest of the (2008) bottles! Without much to lose I brought it home, not knowing how it had been stored for the past seven years, or how it found its way on to the store shelf; at worst I had some expensive vinegar!

Last night I finally got the opportunity to open up those Rieslings for a comparative tasting over sushi with some friends. It was a very intriguing and fascinating experience to observe the differences amongst the four different bottles, in everything from colour and aroma to taste and acidity. Note also the changes that have taken place in bottle size and format; apparently Lang has been fine-tuning their presentation for quite a while. Sadly we may not see any more of these well known Rieslings given Lang’s recent collapse into receivership.

2003: The only bottle with a natural cork enclosure, and hence the one I was most worried about given its uncertain past. Fortunately the cork was in great shape, and the wine had survived just fine! A golden honey colour was quite pleasing to the eye, and that well known faint nose of petrol was there as well. Sweet flavours of apple were present on the palate, and virtually no acidity was evident after several years in bottle; a somewhat flat finish but one that I don’t hold against it however.

2006: There was quite a bit more petrol on the nose in this one; it really jumped out of the glass without hesitation. In fact, very little fruit was present beyond that powerful scent, although a bit of honey poked through. There was definitely more tart acidity on the palate than with the 2003, and some honey flavours came out as the wine warmed slightly. The consensus was that it was actually hard to detect much beyond the petrol!

2007: A deeper colour than the 2006 vintage, and with less petrol on the nose this version lent itself to analysis more easily. Various comments included aromas and flavours of honeydew, citrus, and pineapple, with a vanilla finish; the acidity was not as strong as in the 2006 either. I would probably hold this up as my favourite of the four.

2008: This most recent release was the favourite for others. Very pale in colour, with aromas of tropical fruits and vanilla, rosewater and orange blossom. One comment that sticks in my head was “Bounce sheet”: that familiar mountain-fresh, meadow flower smell one associates with freshly laundered sheets! It had virtually no petrol aromas and in fact led some to comment they would be hard-pressed to immediately identify it as Riesling.

There is still some Lang 2008 Riesling available in stores, in both VQA stores and in BC Liquor Stores. We may or may not see the 2009 vintage appear one day, depending on how Lang’s inventory is sold off. Whomever buys that wine – maybe already in bottles and ready for sale – will get to decide if they want to sell it as is or perhaps incorporate it into their own blend. Our tasting was a tribute of sorts I suppose: so long Holman Lang, we hardly knew ye!

WWF Stands for White Wine Friday

It’s particularly apt that I’m drinking Sauvignon Blanc as I write this: Mother Nature has played a cruel trick on us recently as the sun shines brightly through some of the coldest skies in weeks. We all thought Spring was just around the corner but recently the high temperatures have hovered just above freezing for days! Crisp white wines are often favoured in the summer months, but there comes a point in the midst of winter that you just have to rebel and say “Dammit, I’m having some chilled Sauvignon Blanc with my Spanakopita!”

My friends and I had a similar idea last Friday, when we bucked the winter trend of big, comforting red wines for an evening of opposites. For dinner I made up a batch of quesadillas and Mexican fried rice, with homemade guacamole (always leagues better than store bought). To drink with it I opened my last bottle of 8th Generation 2009 Rosé. There’s something so uplifting about Rosé in winter – it reminds one of warmer days ahead when you can sit on the balcony and enjoy daylight until 10pm – and 8th Generation always knocks it out of the park with their Pinot Meunier-based version. I’ve learned to stock up early in the summer because it sells out quickly; 8th Generation has built up a loyal following due to their consistent success with this varietal.

 

As we continued with dinner I brought out a bottle of Joie 2009 Unoaked Chardonnay to continue with the fresh and fruity summer-time motif. I hadn’t tried this particular wine before, although I’ve had Joie’s oaked Reserve Chardonnays from the 2006 and 2007 vintages: the 2007 was fantastic and quite worthy of the Lt. Governor’s medal it was awarded. As an unoaked wine the 2009 Chardonnay is obviously intended to showcase the floral, fruit-forward character of the varietal, especially with the inclusion of 16% Chardonnay Musqué. There have been some positive reviews for this wine, and Joie is likely to be releasing their 2010 vintage later this spring. Our experience was mixed however, as the initial nose reminded me of a washed rind cheese: perhaps that is the leesy characteristics that Anthony Gismondi describes? After it had a chance to breathe the wine seemed to come together and better express itself: some of the orchard fruit and floral aromas became more prevalent over time. A confusing experience, and I’m curious how my remaining bottle will present itself, as well as how the 2010 vintage will stack up.

With the evening’s theme becoming apparent, I sought out another bottle of white to investigate and enjoy. Fingers crossed I opened my Tinhorn Creek 2007 2Bench White. I remember buying this wine in Wall Centre Fine Spirits: it was sitting there alone in the bin ends section, a little too close to the window for my comfort, but I took a chance. The current release of 2Bench White is from the 2009 vintage, but the 2Bench series has good aging potential so I had high hopes for the 2007, based on the praise for its many excellent qualities. Ironically I did not experience the floral and tropical fruit qualities thus described as much as I was immediately reminded of vanilla cupcakes – it was delicious! Winemaker Sandra Oldfield changes the proportions of this blend every year so it’s hard to predict what the 2008 and 2009 vintages will lead to, especially over time, but I thoroughly enjoyed the 2007 in 2011!

The ladies were headed to a personal training session in the morning, so it was decided that only one more bottle was in order. With instructions to find something with little residual sugar I knew just what to pull: Sumac Ridge 2007 Black Sage White Meritage. This classic Bordeaux blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon would make a good conclusion to the evening, with “finesse and balance” to top off an adventurous and non-traditional winter tasting. We were all pleased with the fresh tropical fruits, and I was struck by a smoky finish slightly reminiscent of campfire. Sumac Ridge declares this to be a diverse food pairing wine, and I have no doubt it is. If there is more of the 2007 on the market – or subsequent vintages – I look forward to trying it again with food; it’s a handy wine to have on hand for multiple situations.

January Acquisitions

With all the hubbub this month I’ve been busy posting about Taste BC and my Wine Club with friends, and haven’t had a chance yet to talk about some of the new wines I’ve added to my collection in January! Fortunately I’ve still got a few minutes left this month to mention some of the cherished new additions I sought out over the past few weeks.

Lennox Liquor Store: My Little Secret

Inside City Square Shopping Centre across from Vancouver City Hall there is a small unassuming private liquor store in which I often find surprisingly rare finds. This month was no exception as I picked up a Poplar Grove Merlot for a reasonable price, and two great wines from Orofino at winery pricing!

Poplar Grove Merlot (2006): In addition to their high quality white wines Poplar Grove produces some powerful and highly acclaimed reds including Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and this Merlot. Their wine can be a little hard to find so I’m glad to have picked up what sounds like a beautifully complex wine that even four years out still has at least a couple years to go before full maturity.

Orofino Red Bridge Red (2008): Orofino was one of the first wineries I visited in person, and all by a happy accident after my wife and I got a little lost driving back from the Okanagan! We stopped in the Similkameen valley for directions at what turned out to be Orofino Winery, and enjoyed their wines so much we later ordered a whole case. Since those early days Orofino has gained steam each year, in large part due to their very well received Red Bridge Red Merlot. I picked up the 2007 vintage at the winery in 2009 on my second visit, and buying the 2008 was a no-brainer.

Orofino Cabernet Sauvignon (2007): An experiment with Cabernet Sauvignon has yielded what sounds like an excellent small lots wine. Only time will tell if they release another vintage, but one would hope so based on the critical success of the 2007 (Silver at the 2010 All Canadian Wine Championships) and very positive acclaim from critics. Orofino seems to have an enviable a habit of very strong initial releases.

Firefly Fine Wines & Ales: The Rarities

Firefly has done a good job of acquiring some of those non-VQA wines and others you simply don’t see too often in the many VQA stores that dot Metro Vancouver: wineries like Black Cloud, Blue Mountain, Joie, and Nichol for example. They’ve made a wise choice not to directly compete with LDB pricing too often, especially with a BC Liquor Store only blocks away (from their Cambie location).

Black Cloud Pinot Noir Altostratus (2008): Township 7 winemaker Bradley Cooper has released a couple of charming Pinot Noirs under his own label, from both the 2006 and 2008 vintages. With the 2006 already in my hands I knew I needed a bottle of the highly regarded 2008 to “collect the whole set”.

Nichol Syrah (2008): Nichol has a very creative portfolio of wines including some based on the rare St. Laurent grape, plus a tasty-sounding Cabernet Franc-Syrah blend and a uniquely peachy-coloured Pinot Gris that always grabs people’s attention. Among their recent red releases is this Syrah that has got lots of people talking, in a good way: with words like bold, unique, and chic. I can’t wait to try it!

Mission Hill Reserve Viognier (2008): This wine was not on my list – primarily due to its Sold Out status at the winery – so it was a very pleasant surprise impulse purchase. Seeing several on the shelf at Firefly I quickly checked my smartphone to be sure I was remembering the details right and just as quickly picked up a bottle of this solid value wine that possesses a “richness and power that is rare in whites.”

Taylorwood Wines: VQA Selection and New Releases 

Taylorwood is one of my favourite wine shops for VQA new releases: their staff is highly knowledgeable about BC wines and they host some really excellent weekly tastings in their spacious location in Yaletown. They recently started sending what I hope will be a weekly newsletter including details of new arrivals, which is what prompted a visit for some wonderful Malbecs, among other treats.

CedarCreek Platinum Malbec (2008): Last year CedarCreek released their first single-varietal Malbec, only 84 cases of a rare and complex wine I scooped up from the Playhouse Wine Festival Shop last April. Local writer John Schreiner described it as one of the best Malbecs he’d ever tasted in BC, or Argentina! There are no reviews out yet for the 2008 vintage, but it just received a Gold Medal from the Canadian Wine Awards, so it was a purchase I made without hesitation. I’m particularly glad that CedarCreek decreased the price by $10 (from $55), and nearly tripled production (to 210 cases).

Cassini Cellars Malbec (2008): ready to battle for my Malbec love is this small production release from new winery Cassini (only 174 cases). I didn’t get to try this wine at the recent Taste BC, but it’s clear Cassini has another winner on their hands (Silver Medals at both ACWC and CWA). It’s been described as a delicious wine possessing a silky, fluid texture. After some cellar time I may toss the above two Malbecs up against Sandhill’s Small Lots version – and maybe Inniskillin’s Discovery Series – for a Malbec battle royale!

Cassini Cellars Maximus (2008): Cassini’s Cab-heavy red blend also received Silver at the Canadian Wine Awards, while it’s older sibling from 2007 took home a Gold medal. Fortunately I added the 2007 to my collection before it sold out, and now the 2008 holds a spot as well. John Schreiner thinks highly of this ripe red, which will hopefully have many subsequent younger siblings to come.

Twisted Tree Tannat (2008): This very exclusive varietal from Twisted Tree is their only red wine left that isn’t sold out. Hopefully some new releases are coming this spring or they’re going to get awfully bored in the shipping “department” at Twisted Tree! In an odd twist this wine came out in early 2010, before their 2007 Tannat (sold out). It is described as bold and vibrant, with firm tannins that I’m sure will do well in the cellar for a little while.

January Wine Club: Double or Nothing!

Earlier this month our friendly wine club celebrated what I suppose you could call Season 2: with each couple having hosted once we’ve come full circle and my wife and I were once again hosts. We took on the responsibility of providing the main course, and fortunately I already had a great wine picked out, I just needed to come up with a recipe!

Before the entree however, our appetizer course arrived in components nearly too many to count, and was slowly laid out on the table one little bowl at a time. Ready for assembly were enoki mushrooms, chopped peanuts, cilantro, basil, and bean sprouts, plus crispy cubed tofu and some marinated shrimp for the carnivores; on the stove was the most mouth-watering broth ready to receive rice noodles – we were having Asian-inspired soup! The aromas filled the kitchen as we learned about the accompanying wine – Gray Monk 2009 Siegerrebe – an off-dry grape related to Gewurztraminer grown by only a handful of BC vineyards. With 19 grams of residual sugar they aren’t kidding when they say “off-dry”, but Gray Monk’s iteration is sufficiently well-balanced that the wine worked quite well with the soup. The fresh finish paired nicely with the herbs and vegetables sprinkled in our bowls, and kept us coming back for more; fortunately there was enough delicious soup for seconds as well! Equally fortunately was the fact that our appetizer chefs thought to bring a second bottle of Gray Monk wine, this one a 2009 Gewurztraminer. Gray Monk makes some really lovely white wines, in particular those off-dry styles like Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Siegerrebe, Ehrenfelser, and Kerner. Having been involved in BC’s wine industry for nearly four decades the Heiss family that owns Gray Monk have really got it down to a science.

Now the Wine Club charter specifically states one bottle per couple, but it would seem we all had the same idea this particular evening, because I had also prepared two bottles of my choice – Jackson-Triggs Sunrock Vineyard 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine has been in stores for what seems like ages, and surprisingly there is still plenty to be had – almost 700 bottles in BC Liquor Stores alone. Being able to pick up a bottle of well-made nicely aged Cab Sauv at your neighbourhood BC Liquor Store is a real blessing, because it is ready to drink now, but could no doubt continue to age well for a few more years. To go along with our “magnum” of Cab I’d made a new recipe reminiscent of the holiday season: Caramelized Onion-Butternut Roast with Chestnuts. Out of the oven came a warm comforting casserole of roasted onions, butternut squash, chestnuts and white beans, sprinkled with sage breadcrumbs. Served alongside some roasted Brussels sprouts the casserole was an excellent match for the smooth, rich red wine. Although the equally good 2006 vintage (Canadian Wine Awards 2010 Silver) will start showing up in stores any day now you really can’t go wrong in picking up a bottle or two of the 2005 while it’s still around, and in doing so you can thank the store for so nicely bottle-aging it for you!

As we settled in our seats and enjoyed a second glass of Cabernet the conversation turned to dessert. In what had clearly become the theme of the evening Team Dessert pulled out two beautiful bottles of Hester Creek 2009 Late Harvest Pinot Blanc! Our dessert course took the form of very attractive individual-serving crustless cheesecakes, made with fresh Saltspring Island goat cheese and topped with wine-marinated crushed pineapple. With two bottles of Blanc on hand we relished generous pours of this charming concoction, one of the Top 5 Sweet Wines of the Year in the 2010 Canadian Wine Awards; and a steal at only $16 compared to the next lowest-priced competitor, a $40 Niagara icewine. The aromas and flavours of orchard fruit and honey meshed very well with the tart pineapple and tangy goat cheese; the clinking of spoons in empty bowls soon echoed around the table!

I’m already thinking about next month’s meeting, and moving on to dessert makes my thoughts turn to chocolate and Port…oh the possibilities!

A taste of Taste BC

The very helpful folks at Liberty Wines provided their guests with a booklet listing all the wines, spirits, and beers served at the event, with space for tasting notes below each listing. As we perused the room I would blurt out the sometimes odd things that came to mind and my wife would dutifully record them, along with her often much better notes. Below are some of our notes, plus other details about the wines we tried.

After heading straight for the Poplar Grove Cheese table upon entering I was quite pleased to see that Poplar Grove Winery was also present directly alongside. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for Poplar Grove since reading on their website that “the dairy and beverage alcohol industries being second only to nuclear power in regulations…” The tenacity it takes to enter into both business ventures simultaneously has always impressed me! I took the opportunity to sample Poplar Grove 2006 Merlot, a wine I recently acquired based on some quite positive reviews. I found it to be quite complex, with tart but ripe fruit. I’m looking forward to trying mine after a couple more years of integration.

As we took in the room and introduced our Poplar Grove cheese to its viticultural cousins I noticed with glee Cassini Cellars by the front entrance. Cassini has made themselves known lately after being being awarded the Best New Winery at the 2010 BC Wine Awards during the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival. Their wines have been racking up impressive awards at competition such as the All Canadian Wine Championships (e.g., Best of Category Merlot), and the Canadian Wine Awards (two Golds and three Silvers). I myself have acquired two vintages of their red blend “Maximus” plus their 2008 Syrah and Malbec. The Syrah was opened for tasting, as were the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Syrah has fairly firm tannins and oak presence suitable for aging; I’m quite glad I picked it up for my collection. My first impressions of the Pinot Noir were that it did not have a strong “Pinot character” (in a good way); it didn’t slap you in the face like some Pinots can with that very noticeable expression of varietal. Finally, upon trying the Chardonnay my wife immediately exclaimed that it smelled like corn – to which I agreed as I sampled some myself. That creamed corn nose reminded her of Christmas, with hints of nutmeg present on the finish.

Painted Rock – the 2009 Best New Winery winner – was also present to show off their new Chardonnay (2009) and Cabernet Sauvignon (2008), plus their 2007 releases of Merlot and Syrah (the 2008 release will follow later this Spring). Painted Rock leapt out of the gate last year with two Lt. Governor’s Awards for Excellence in BC Wine, and I’ve begun a vertical collection of their very well-regarded Red Icon blend, unfortunately not present at Taste BC. The Cabernet Sauvignon pinch hit quite nicely however, and was surprisingly approachable for such a young wine, with tannins that were not nearly as strong as one might expect. The Merlot had pleasant soft fruit and some tart cherry notes as it opened up in the glass. My notes for the Syrah suggest it is “punchier” than the Merlot, which makes sense in funny way.

As we headed towards the back of room we were fortunate to come across Le Vieux Pin, a small lot winery located in Oliver which I have recently started to learn more about. I picked up their latest (2007) Reserve Pinot Noir from Taylorwood, and only later did I learn it was to be the last. Le Vieux Pin is moving away from Pinot Noir in favour of other varietals such as Syrah, despite doing an excellent job it! We were lucky enough to sample two of their Merlots, and compare the baseline 2007 with the Reserve tier: interestingly the Reserve Merlot seemed to be less expressive on the nose, but with a richer palate  and a more pleasing mouthfeel. With a glass of each we savoured trading them back and forth to examine the differences – how often do you get to put a $70 Reserve wine through its paces like that?

In the back corner opposite the entrance sat a winery I had come specifically to seek out: Stag’s Hollow. For the past few weeks Stag’s Hollow has been teasing us with hints of “Cachet Wines” – something exciting but very non-descript coming soon…and I was relieved to finally get to the bottom of this mystery on Tuesday! To celebrate their 15th Anniversary Stag’s Hollow is releasing the first of a series of limited edition wines called Cachet. Winemaker Dwight Sick has taken some grapes rare in BC, such as Grenache and Tempranillo, and produced mind-blowingly good blends in ultra-small lots style. I was so excited that Dwight had a small amount of both Cachet No. 01 and No. 02 to taste, especially so considering the production run is listed in bottles, not cases, and they retail for $50 each! We tried No. 02 first, a Grenache/Syrah blend with a touch of Viognier and Marsanne: the wine is extremely smooth and rich; the fruity, floral aspects are encouraged by the Viognier, which is noticeable on the nose. Dwight suggests drinking No. 02 within 2-3 years, a shorter period than No. 01, which could do well for up to 5 years, but there’s really no need to wait that long! Cachet No. 01 is a Tempranillo-based blend that is even smoother than the the No. 02, with hints of cassis or perhaps licorice and a pleasing tartness; a bit more bite to it than No. 02. I’m almost hesitant to recommend these wines as I haven’t got my bottles yet, so leave some for me!

Another wonderful treat in the back of the room was Fairview Cellars, with owner and winemaker Bill Eggert present and pouring. I’ve heard some really wonderful things about Bill’s wines and have lately been collecting his reds when I see them, which is fortunately becoming more frequent! I even saw Fairview Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon in a VQA store for the first time recently, which bodes well for the future availability of Bill’s wines. It was a real treat to meet Bill and chat about his work; knowing that he attended the University of Guelph I was pleased to introduce him to my wife, who was born and raised in that Southern Ontario city. He proceeded to take us on a short tour of Fairview Cellars’ red wines, starting with the Madcap Red (2007), a Merlot-heavy blend that was wonderfully smooth and soft, with tart fruit-forward notes. The Two Hoots (2008) has more Cabernet, and is sort of an entry-level Meritage; Fairview’s big red is “The Bear”, a name which is on its own almost enough reason to buy. The Two Hoots we tried was even smoother than the Madcap, with tannins that were present but not overpowering. My wife preferred it over the Madcap which prompted Bill to declare her a “Cab Girl” – so now she knows! Also present from behind the table was some 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine I’ve got in my own collection that proved to be wonderfully smooth and easy-drinking, yet still with many years of graceful development ahead of it.

Over the course of the night we sampled many more excellent wines and learned new facts about new and old wineries (e.g., Nichol Vineyards grows the rare St. Laurent varietal). I’m already looking forward to next Taste BC and commend Liberty Wines for putting on an excellent event for a great cause – see you at Taste BC 2012!

Taste BC 2011

Last night my wife and I were lucky enough to attend Liberty Wines’ Taste BC event, an annual celebration of British Columbia’s great food and drink. The event was held at the very convenient and charming Hyatt Regency in downtown Vancouver. Several dozen wineries, breweries and distilleries from throughout the province sampled their delicious products alongside food from several local restaurants and vendors. There was even an exciting silent auction for BC experiences and products: watching patrons ignore the clearly-stated bid increments as they got a little inebriated was quite amusing! Best of all, proceeds from the event benefit the BC Children’s Hospital every year.

I was immediately impressed upon entering the large space reserved for the event on the Hyatt’s Convention Level. Wineries and their peers were arranged around the outside of the room with food concentrated in the centre. Although I imagine the crowd grew somewhat as latecomers joined after the doors opened at 4:30 it never felt crowded; I don’t think we had to wait in any “line” longer than one or two minutes. As the night grew a bit longer some actual real lines formed to reach the food purveyors, but fortunately nearly every table had some great artisan crackers from Gone Crackers – they really saved the day when you needed a bit more in your stomach! We particularly enjoyed the crackers with cheeses from Poplar Grove – including the epic Tiger Blue – and Benton Brothers Fine Cheese. Some great breads and tapenade from La Baguette really hit the spot as well, and we enjoyed canapes from Central Bistro and Central City Brewing. There were oysters, salami, terrine, and samples of braised lamb and beer bacon to keep the rest of the crowd busy too. I caught a glimpse of Ethical Bean Coffee but unfortunately never got to try some of their no-doubt delicious organic donuts.

In terms of value Taste BC is clearly one of the best events – if not the top value – for fans of BC wine. For comparison, consider this: the 2011 Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival will have representation from 19 BC wineries, less than one third those found at Taste BC! To be fair, the excellent Playhouse Festival focuses on wines from across the globe, of which BC is but a small part, but I still go every year with the goal of trying as many BC wines as possible. For a much lower cost one can attend Taste BC and try many more wines – and many smaller, harder-to-find wineries. Ideally of course one would attend both events; that’s certainly my plan for the future!

Soon to come is our take on some favourites: I made sure to prodigiously thank my wonderful wife for taking notes in the excellent booklet provided by Liberty. Looking back it’s amazing which wineries we totally missed – hard to believe we only made to a third of the tables present!