September Wine Club: Grape Crossing

Last weekend’s wine club dinner included some reliable favourites, plus a couple of relatively unfamiliar wines with which none of us had much experience. Once again our great local food and drink provided for another delightfully entertaining and informative tasting experience.

Our food and wine pairings have become increasingly mysterious as each couple seeks to hint at their choices yet ensure a pleasant surprise for the rest of us. This strategy of secrecy wasn’t in the original club “charter” but it has certainly upped the ante of culinary adventure. All we knew about the appetizer in advance was that a test-run had been desired to “test the structural integrity” – an intriguing statement that provoked a great deal of curiosity in the weeks beforehand. While the food was prepared with great care in the kitchen, a pair of familiar smile-inducing bottles were pulled out: Road 13 Sparkling Chenin Blanc – two vintages! We were treated to last year’s 2007 and the most recent 2008 sparkler thanks to our generous appetizer chefs. Beyond those delicious and award-winning wines we were even more awed when a beautiful vegetarian terrine was revealed. A veritable layered vegetable garden supported by fig goat’s cheese stood before us: zucchini, carrots, English peas, collard greens, eggplant, asparagus, tomatoes, and yellow zucchini showed off the rainbow of the late-summer harvest. Of course this variety of flavours and textures had led the appetizer team to muse about a proper wine pairing, but it was soon deemed that “sparkling goes with everything,” and so Road 13’s flavourful offering fit the bill perfectly.

Having two vintages of sparkling wine to compare was a unique and valuable opportunity, and quite clearly demonstrated the effects of both vintage variation and simple aging. The 2007 Sparkling Chenin was the more yeasty of the two wines, with bready, apple-centered aromas and smooth, delicate bubbles. The more recent 2008 showed much less yeast and significantly greater citrus and tropical fruit flavours. With an additional year of aging the deeper baked apple characteristics may become more dominant, but we enjoyed the freshness all the same. It wouldn’t be fair to pick one wine over the other as each had unique aspects that were preferred by some: my favourite was the yeasty 2007 but there was much love for the fresh 2008. Both wines possessed sufficient acidity and complexity to suit the terrine, and both bottles and the first course disappeared in short order.

The entree course was even more of a mystery as no hints had been delivered in advance, so we mused about sparkling Chenin and tried to steal glances into the kitchen while we waited. Our patience was soon rewarded with the fresh smells and beautiful bright colours of heirloom tomato soup topped with fresh basil, served alongside gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and a crisp side salad. Our host explained the challenge he had posed to staff at Village VQA Wines in Kitsilano when seeking pairing advice: the wine needed to mesh with the gruyere and gouda in the sandwiches whilst standing up to the acidity of the soup. Fortunately the perfect match was suggested in the form of Arrowleaf Zweigelt (2008) from the north Okanagan. Most of us were fairly unfamiliar with Zweigelt, which the winery mentions is a cross between Blaufrankisch and St. Laurent grapes, and named after its Austrian creator. Smooth tannins and sufficient acidity made for an excellent food pairing, as the wine possesses a lot of fruit up front but is not too sweet on the palate. There was a very good balance of fruity elements and spicy characteristics, and in our case everyone was quite pleased to enjoy something new with the delicious meal.

Dessert was my opportunity to open a bottle I’ve been holding for a while in the hopes of the right pairing. After Black Sage Bench winery Stoneboat won a second Lt. Governor’s Award for their 2007 Pinotage I acquired a bottle without any particular plans for it, but was later inspired by the tasting notes that describe aromas of spiced plums and chocolate. I soon found a recipe for Plum, hazelnut, & chocolate cake but needed the right opportunity: with the dessert course responsibilities rotating amongst us I had to wait for plums to be in season at the same time! Finally I got lucky this month as beautiful organic plums from BC’s Similkameen valley were prevalent in stores.

Loaded with fresh plums and brushed with red-currant jelly, the cake was a runaway success, but how can you go wrong with that much butter, sugar, and eggs, plus hazelnuts and chocolate. The wine was more of a question mark unfortunately. Pinotage is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, and in fact, Zweigelt and Pinotage were both first bred in the early 1920’s. Similar to the Zweigelt, we had so little experience with Pinotage there was some uncertainly about spoilage when we opened the bottle. It remains likely that the initial wet cardboard notes reflected a bit of cork taint, but after time in the glass it opened up and became fruitier. Having recently tasted Stoneboat’s 2009 Pinotage – with lots of red fruit and spice – I can’t say that the 2007 measured up to its potential, but that certainly didn’t stop us from finishing the bottle without any hard feelings towards the winery.

Having acquired plenty of plums, chocolate, and hazelnuts for the cake, I decided a bottle of Sumac Ridge Pipe would make for an excellent final course. Pipe is a dependable Port-style fortified Meritage that suits a variety of dessert courses; in this case some Blue Benedictin and Stilton rounded out the after-dinner selection as the evening wound down. With two new wines under our belts and another evening of enjoyment the adventure in BC wine continues!

Osoyoos Reflection-Part III

After a relaxing and romantic Sunday, our third day in Osoyoos was earmarked for a tour of the Black Sage Bench and further realization of an ambitious shopping list. We started out by finally visiting Moon Curser, having been either too late or too early for the tasting room the previous two days. The winery’s easily accessible location on the main road (Crowsnest Highway) in east Osoyoos offers admirable views of the rest of town and the lake; being just south of Nk’Mip, Moon Curser may hold the title of southernmost winery in the Okanagan! That hot southern location lets Moon Curser – formerly known as Twisted Tree – successfully grow tough-to-ripen varieties like Tempranillo and Tannat. In fact, John Schreiner makes it a point to mention that Moon Curser is likely the only winery in Canada growing Tannat! We were lucky enough to try the Twisted Tree 2008 Tannat alongside the newer Moon Curser 2009 Dead of Night, a Syrah-Tannat blend: the varietal Tannat was deep and dark, with a caramel mocha nose, while the addition of Syrah in 2009 added red fruit characteristics that reminded us of a balsamic fruit reduction. Having nearly the entire current portfolio in my cellar already we left with a bottle of the very small lot (60 cases) 2010 Chardonnay, produced from a Muscat clone that provides rich tree fruit flavours.

Heading north along the Black Sage Bench on the eastern side of the valley one of the first wineries is Burrowing Owl, set amidst 140 acres of vineyards that seem to go on forever. The Burrowing Owl complex also includes a restaurant and 10-suite guest house with pool, but it was their hard to come by wine I was there to procure. Specifically I was hoping to find a bottle of Athene, a new addition to the Burrowing Owl portfolio that blends their well regarded Cabernet Sauvignon with their equally popular Syrah. The wine came out last year but hasn’t been seen in any stores or even on the Burrowing Owl website. What it has seen are heaps of great reviews since, including praise from critics such as Anthony Gismondi, John Schreiner, and Daenna Van Mulligen. Unfortunately my hopes were dashed when the tasting room staff informed me it was completely sold out, with the last bottles having been earmarked for staff purchase (fair enough). Distracted, and a little overwhelmed by the crowds in the popular tasting room I neglected to even sample any of the other current releases, and eventually regretted not buying a bottle of the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon while I had the chance: John Schreiner would only days later go on to say it is a wine that “would blow away a lot of California Cabernets.”

I was hoping our next stop would buoy my spirits and yield some cellar dividends, and I was not disappointed! Just up the road from Burrowing Owl is Church & State’s new Coyote Bowl winery, which I was eager to visit for the first time. The gorgeous and sleek tasting hall was quite busy, as patrons are seated on a first-come, first-served basis, so we took the opportunity to relax on the outdoor patio and enjoy stunning views of the Golden Mile Bench across the valley. With assurances that we would be seated in due time we enjoyed the picnic lunch we’d picked up at JoJo’s Cafe in Osoyoos that morning. Upon finishing lunch we were seated indoors and offered a selection of wines from Church & State’s extensive portfolio. With a cushion of lunch and plenty of time ahead of us we tried a number of wines, including Trebella – a delicious floral blend of Rhone grapes with a slightly oily mouthfeel and flavours of citrus and honeydew. The unique Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé was also poured for us, in both chilled and room temperature versions: the ruby grapefruit and cherry notes in the chilled wine yielded to deeper and richer expressions of Cabernet when the wine had warmed – an entertaining comparison. The new 2009 Chardonnay was also poured alongside the older 2008 vintage, which shows richer creamy popcorn flavours that lingered, whilst the fresh 2009 is more fruit-forward.

What really caught our attention at Church & State were two new reds from 2009 – the Hollenbach Vineyard Pinot Noir, and the Coyote Bowl Syrah. The Pinot Noir possesses a very expressive nose of savoury strawberries coming from a pale, slightly rusty wine which has some minerals on the palate. The new Syrah is a young, fresh wine with an inky colour: slight green, floral aromas follow-through to a dark bloodiness on the nose and flavours of plum and pepper – delicious! We left with various bottles in hand, as well as high praise for the professionalism of the tasting room staff: they were never intrusive or overly suggestive, allowing us time to taste the wines and come to our own conclusions – one of them being that Church & State really sets the bar for most of the other tasting rooms in the area.

One of our final stops of the day allowed us to visit Stoneboat Vineyards, and sample their small but focused portfolio of whites and lighter reds (centered on various types of Pinots), including the relatively rare Pinotage grape. John Schreiner recently reviewed some of Stoneboat’s new releases, and pointed out that they are one of only a handful of Okanagan wineries growing this interesting grape. After admiring the beautiful gardens and relaxing surroundings we were pleased to meet owner Julie Martiniuk in the tasting room. With the winery having won what seems like a Lt. Governor’s award every year since opening, we looked forward to wines reflecting the Martiniuk’s long history of grape-growing and were not disappointed: starting out with the well balanced and very refreshing 2010 Pinot Gris, we followed it with a sweeter but equally tasty sample of 2010 Chorus, Stoneboat’s versatile six-grape white blend. A Rosé blend of Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc kept up the refreshing theme as we moved on to the spiced cherry notes of the 2009 Pinot Noir – a flavour profile my wife likened to “Cola Bottles” (the candy). The 2009 Pinotage is a bright burgundy colour with prevalent aromas of red fruit and a spicy finish that for us emphasized flavours of chai tea. A couple of special treats finished the tasting, including the mouth-watering Very Late Harvest Pinot Blanc (2008), a special one-time release with spiced fruit sweetness and flavours of caramel apples that made a purchase an easy decision. Lastly, Stoneboat also produces an ice-wine called “Verglas” which is quite an intense experience, and well-priced at $33 for 200mL in a classy bottle.

The Black Sage bench is home to several other wineries, big and small and new and old, including Desert Hills, Black Hills, Silver Sage, Oliver Twist, Le Vieux Pin, and Quinta Ferreira. It’s quite easy to spend an entire day enjoying the beautiful scenery and exploring from Osoyoos up or Oliver down. The hardest part is deciding how many bottles to bring home with you!

Cellar Highlights – Award-winning wines in short supply:

Church & State Pinot Noir (2009): Sadly the last Pinot Noir from this vineyard after disagreements ended the relationship that yielded a multiple-gold-medal 2007 wine. If Church & State decides on an estate-grown Pinot Noir in the future it will likely be substantially different in flavour profile, but no doubt equally well-made.

Church & State Syrah (2009): Follow-up to the 2007 wine that won Best Red at the 2009 BC Wine Awards (Okanagan Fall Wine Festival). Despite financial and space restrictions we had to get more than one bottle given the potential of this rich, dark wine.

Stoneboat Pinot Noir (2009): A third Lt. Governor’s Award for this small boutique winery shows they know their business! A relatively large production run of 1054 cases won’t necessarily last for long given the award, the very reasonable $25 price point, and it being described as “a charming wine…with a palate far richer than the colour suggests.”

Oliver Twist Syrah (2008): I had actually never heard of this young winery before the 2010 Canadian Wine Awards were published late last year. But when their 2008 Syrah won a Gold medal (one of six awarded in the category) alongside big competition like Jackson-Triggs and Mission Hill I immediately looked them up. It’s a smooth and fruity Syrah, with unique aromas of mango, plus soft blackberry flavours. Packaged under screw-cap it should retain the fruit for a while.

Quinta Ferreira Syrah (2008): Another recent Lt. Governor’s Award-winner, 625 cases were produced and local stocks seem to be running low since the award – I have only seen it in Kensington Square Wines. It has been very positively reviewed and should age well for the next couple of years at least.

Osoyoos Reflections-Part II

Our second day in Osoyoos was planned well in advance, it being our official wedding anniversary. Knowing a fast-paced wine tour would not provide the appropriate atmosphere, I had arranged only two winery visits for the afternoon leaving us with a relaxing morning to explore our resort and the town itself. Shortly after noon we headed up to the Golden Mile to our first appointment, with enough time available for a short stop at Italian-inspired winery LaStella. This small winery produces several top-notch wines, with a focus on Merlot, and prides themselves on having some of the lowest yields in the valley. Having tasted a couple vintages of their pinnacle “Maestoso Merlot” I can see why it receives accolades such as this: “It’s a massive wine that coats the glass like a tailored jacket…”

LaStella’s tasting room just north of Osoyoos is staffed by enthusiastic and fun-loving members of the team with an eye towards detail. The varietal-specific tasting glasses were of the highest quality, and changed regularly to ensure purity of samples: it conveyed a great deal of respect for the customer that impressed me immediately. To my surprise even the expensive Maestoso was sampled, and it continued to impress, along with the Allegretto Merlot I had come to purchase. One of the benefits of visiting the winery in person was apparent as a limited number of back-vintage bottles of 2006 Allegretto were available for sale alongside the current 2007 vintage. Allegretto in hand and dreams of Maestoso in mind we continued on our way to Road 13 Vineyards in the hills above the valley floor, where I hoped to see the new Executive Lounge and try some of the old favourites and new blends that are always racking up more awards.

Little did we know that as we pulled up to the quaint castle in the hills that is Road 13 that we were about to be treated to some of the best hospitality in the Okanagan! A touching individualized welcome sign at the front door was only the first hint of the excitement that General Manager Donna Faigaux had in store for us. We were quickly whisked off to the newly-opened lounge adjoining the public tasting room where we marvelled at stunning views across the valley through floor to ceiling windows as we sipped delicious Sparkling Chenin Blanc. As the very friendly staff arranged a full Riedel tasting flight on our private table Donna returned with beautiful trays of bread and cheese, marinated vegetables, and curried preserves. With nearly the entire spacious lounge to ourselves and a gamut of Road 13’s top Jackpot Wines arrayed in front of us my wife gushed that she felt like a celebrity – just what I was hoping for on this special day!

While we nibbled on our rather extensive “light lunch” owner Pam Luckhurst stopped by to welcome us. Despite the busy weekend there was no sense of haste in the lounge; Pam appeared relaxed and encouraged us to take our time enjoying the many wines she was happy to share with us – I could not have imagined a better way to spend the afternoon! Among the wines were the delicate 2009 Jackpot Riesling – “supremely well balanced” with only a hint of petrol on a nose that favours stone fruit – and the 2008 Jackpot Chardonnay, which was a Gold medal winner at the 2010 Canadian Wine Awards. Despite being fully oaked and showing pleasing aromas of smoke and baked bread, the Chardonnay still retains fresh fruit and vanilla notes. The 2008 Jackpot Pinot Noir was a lot of fun to taste, as it interacted so extensively with our food that each bite and sip was a unique experience. The cherry and leather flavours seemed to invigorate the curried onion confit when the wine followed, but when aged Gruyere preceded the wine the cheese maximized the bright fruit characteristics of the Pinot Noir. Next up it came time to sample the 2007 Jackpot Syrah, and we were blown away by the aromas of fresh ground sausage and spice! The taste of the Syrah is not nearly as meaty as the smell, but sausage notes are still present in this eye-opening wine. Blue cheese and hot peppers were excellent pairings, and I’m sure carnivores would find the appropriate match as well; the tasting notes suggest lean gamey protein but I can’t help but wonder how a quality chorizo would fare as well.

We left the lounge both supremely relaxed and invigorated and were sure to profusely thank everyone we met on the way out. Fortunately both Donna and Pam were available to see us off and we were able to thank them again for the amazing hospitality. We left with a few more bottles to bring home, including the hard-to-come-by 2008 Sparkling Chenin Blanc and (now sold-out) 2010 Old Vines Chenin Blanc, along with some of the new 2009 Rockpile red blend (primarily Merlot and Syrah) – already winner of a Gold medal at the 2011 All Canadian Wine Championships.

Our next appointment was at Tinhorn Creek, to include dinner at the new Miradoro Restaurant. After a bevy of photographs of Tinhorn’s beautiful vineyards and winery we were treated to a sit-down tasting of the varietal series wines, plus a sample of the top-tier white blend – Oldfield Series 2Bench White (2010). If I could select a “house white” to serve on a regular basis I think it might be the 2Bench White; it is a complex and deliciously layered blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Viognier, and Muscat. We thoroughly enjoyed the 2009 vintage earlier in the month, and the 2010 is very similar (it being exactly the same blend), loaded with mouth-watering flavours of fresh fruits and vanilla & cream. Among the varietal wines the new Cabernet Franc (2009) was a highlight: it is very ripe and warm, and the tannins could handle aging quite well, plus the 14.8% alcohol will keep it preserved for some time! Another new release was the 2008 Pinot Noir: it was given an additional year of bottle aging over previous vintages, but still shows a fair amount of tannin in addition to earth and dark cherry flavours.

We followed our tasting with a tour of the winery itself, and marvelled at the seemingly enormous two-storey stainless steel tanks that Sandra Oldfield would later dismiss as “not that big”! One particularly memorable experience was stepping into the barrel room and inhaling the most soothing air I have ever remembered smelling – the cool and clean aromas of oak and red wine were so alluring it was challenging to continue on our way to Miradoro! We managed to drag ourselves away from the barrels for what turned out to be a stunning view of the entire valley from the wraparound glass balcony in the restaurant, where we relished in the vegetarian-friendly menu and extensive wine list. I enjoyed a delicious heirloom tomato salad paired with Tinhorn Pinot Gris while my wife raved about her equally beautiful beet salad. She elected for the tomato and squash pizza while I was happy to see “pizza funghi” on the menu, paired with Tinhorn Cabernet Franc of course. Our desserts was equally tasty and tasteful – chocolate cake for her and tiramisu for me. Overall the food was prepared with great care and high-quality ingredients, and the service was that almost invisible type of subdued excellence you don’t even notice until your perfect meal is over; it was the ideal relaxing culmination to our day.

Cellar Highlights – Sunday’s lucky finds and cherished gems:

LaStella Allegretto (2006 & 2007): Knowing I wanted a bottle of this unique Merlot (grown on its own rootstock – quite a rarity) I was pleasantly surprised to find the previous vintage for sale in the shop as well. The 2007 vintage is quite positively reviewed, and John Schreiner feels this “dark and brooding” wine could cellar for quite a while, as opposed to the more approachable 2008 (coming out soon).

Road 13 Jackpot Pinot Noir (2008): One of the wines we enjoyed in the Executive Lounge this small lot (393 cases) Pinot Noir was a hit with various foods. The previous vintage was named Best of Category at the 2010 Okanagan Spring Wine Festival and this newer wine has already received Bronze at the All Canadian Wine Championships earlier this year.

Road 13 Jackpot Syrah (2008): Even fewer cases of Jackpot Syrah were produced than Pinot Noir, and those 294 will probably go fast. The intriguing flavour profile found in the 2007 vintage was enough to prompt a purchase to see how the 2008 turns out. Given the maintenance of vineyard practices and winemaking it should continue to be an entertaining wine to share – we know a few carnivores who would have no trouble coming up with an epic food pairing!

Cassini Malbec (2009): Few Okanagan wineries produce varietal Malbec on a consistent basis – it can be challenging to ripen and make best use of – so I tend to snap it up when I see it. The 2008 from this young winery won Silver at both the Canadian Wine Awards and the All Canadian Wine Championships, and the 2009 is the first of Cassini’s bigger reds coming out this year (with Syrah, Merlot, and the Maximus blend to follow I hope). It won’t last long at the winery – only 85 cases were made – so I’m glad I got mine when I had the chance!

Tinhorn Creek Cabernet Franc (2009): Another delicious wine in a long series of successful, approachable, and economical Cab Francs from Sandra Oldfield and her team. We got two bottles to bring home for friends, safe in the knowledge that more was on its way in the September Crush Club shipment. It is usually quite widely available in stores (thanks to 5,000+ cases made) and is a very reliable food pairing for any season (burgers and pizza in summer, and stews and hearty pasta in the winter, etc.).

A Year of Adventures in BC Wine

The real first anniversary of this blog was August 27th, but I was busy with a spontaneous Pinot Noir tasting at home with friends and so neglected to mark the day in any way! I knew it was some time around the beginning of Fall but forgot to check the date of my first post until today; my first blogiversary has come and gone already!

I’ve had a great time over the past couple of years collecting, enjoying, and exploring BC wine and the amazing and interesting people who make it with passion, determination, and real love. I’ve met many great people and made new friends at wineries like Black Widow, CedarCreek, Di Bello Wines, Fairview Cellars, Fort Berens, Le Vieux Pin, Painted Rock, Road 13, Seven Stones, SpierHead, Stag’s Hollow, and Tinhorn Creek. I’ve followed from Vancouver via Twitter and Facebook the trials and tribulations of grape-growing and harvest, wine-making and bottling. I’ve been educated by and engrossed in conversation with the staff at superb local shops such as Firefly, Legacy Liquor, Swirl, and Village Wines. And I have been honoured to attend celebrations of BC wine put together by organizations such as the BC Wine Institute, BC Wine Appreciation Society, Liberty Wine Merchants, and the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival. Last but not least I have enjoyed many good times sharing great BC wines with my friends and family.

Beyond the Proprietors and Winemakers, great wineries are kept that way by the many great staff who work there, from General Managers to Marketing and Hospitality staff, and the hard-working members of the vineyard team. I look forward to getting to know even more of the many innovative people who are helping to grow and strengthen this industry in the coming years – and to share in the literal fruits of their labours. Cheers!

Osoyoos Reflections–Part I

Last weekend my wife and I travelled to Osoyoos for a short trip to celebrate our wedding anniversary – our first trip to the Okanagan in over two years. I’ll skip ahead to our primary conclusions before detailing the trip at length: 1) I really need to visit wine country at least once a year; 2) Said trip should not take place on our anniversary! Fortunately we are still happily married, but by the end of the trip all the tasting, note-taking, and cataloguing had become “work” and not the pure celebration of our relationship we needed – and she deserved! Nevertheless we still enjoyed ourselves immensely and came home with many happy memories, photos, and wine.

One of the highlights of any trip to the Okanagan is the regions you pass through on the way. The Similkameen Valley is my favourite by far; I discovered this beautiful oasis several years ago. As the number of excellent wineries in the valley grows the Similkameen is becoming a destination in its own right for those interested in great BC wine (not to mention the stunning natural beauty evident throughout). Our first stop after a lunch picnic in Manning Park was Herder Winery & Vineyards outside Keremeos. We could not have asked for a better start to our trip as Lawrence & Sharon Herder welcomed us to their beautiful winery and home, and shared some of their delicious, muscular wines. The Herders own close to 15 acres of land, which includes what Lawrence aptly describes as “2 acres of rock” shown in part below. Assuming he doesn’t want to start a rock-climbing school the remaining acreage is put to very good use by Lawrence, producing a small portfolio of primarily red wines, plus a deliciously fresh and fruity Chardonnay that showed deft use of oak. Herder is particularly celebrated for their very well-priced and highly complimented Meritage, one of the best value red blends in the province. This fall should see the release of the 2008 Josephine, their top-tier red blend, plus the 2009 Meritage, both of which I’m looking forward to immensely.

Leaving Herder we travelled south towards Cawston, and our old friend Orofino Winery: we discovered this little gem by accident back in 2005 returning from our first anniversary trip to Summerland. Somewhat “lost” in our first voyage through the Similkameen we stopped for directions at what turned out to be a winery, and left with treats such as late-harvest Muscat with which we delighted in sharing over the winter. The Orofino winery is a unique strawbale building with ideal insulating qualities perfect for the extreme temperatures found in the Similkameen. Looking at the building in the photo below you wouldn’t even know the walls are constructed of sturdy bales of straw covered in stucco! One of the facets of Orofino’s operations I particularly respect is their practice of posting detailed information about the sources for all their grapes, including the Merlot acquired from Kaleden, outside the Similkameen appellation. Among the wines we tasted was that very Merlot – otherwise known as Red Bridge Red – and we found it to be bright and fruit forward, with fairly high alcohol and acidity as well. Many Orofino wines are now sold out but we also got to sample the Riesling, a fresh and dry citrusy wine typical of 2010 BC Rieslings, plus the 2010 Chill, their first ice wine. Only 50 cases of Chill were produced so it’s likely found at the winery exclusively. We found it refreshingly floral, almost herbal in fact, and not as sweet as one would imagine – an acquired taste perhaps but a unique offering and fairly economical as well ($22 for 200ml).

With little time to spare before closing we raced south to the final winery we had time to visit – Seven Stones. Proprietor George Hanson welcomed us with cheer and poured several of his well-crafted wines while we admired the artisan products and jewellery for sale throughout the tasting room. George’s small-lot wines are gaining increasingly prominent awards and some sell out quickly, so we didn’t get to try wines like “The Legend,” his premium red blend. Nonetheless, I was more than happy to sample the regular Meritage, of which the 2008 will be released within days. The 2007 being poured was very well balanced, with a long spicy finish; a worthy follow-up to the multiple-gold-medal-winning 2006 vintage that I am pleased to have in my cellar. Also equally powerful were the 2009 Cabernet Franc – a young, peppery red with delectable plum aromas – and the 2008 Pinot Noir, which gained extra oomph from a Hungarian oak barrel. The tasty 2009 Chardonnay has a complicated back story, as George used two different yeasts and aged half in oak and half in stainless steel, yielding four separate components that were eventually blended to produce a toasty wine with flavours of pineapple and citrus. Last but not least is the 2010 Pinot Noir Rosé, which quite nicely expresses the mineral and sage notes familiar to Similkameen wines. Although we could have stayed and admired the beautiful view across the valley, George’s very punctual dog was gently reminding us all it was dinner-time, and we left with a few bottles in arm and an Osoyoos check-in awaiting us.

Cellar Highlights – a few of the bottles I acquired this first day:

• Herder Merlot (2008): A big chewy red possessing a lot of elegance and potential, I was very pleased to get a bottle for my cellar given only about 100 cases were produced.
• Herder Syrah (2008): A powerhouse that John Schreiner likens to “the Similkameen’s answer to Zinfandel,” this wine will likely improve with a couple years in bottle according to Anthony Gismondi; 162 cases were produced and it is now sold out.
• Orofino Red Bridge Merlot (2009): Revised labels for 2009 help to clarify that this is indeed a Merlot and not a red blend, and the wine remains just as well received as previous vintages, with John Schreiner complimenting the low-cropped vines that have yielded a big ripe wine full of substance. Approximately 650 cases were produced, and I’m happy to now have a three-year vertical!
• Seven Stones Row 128 Merlot (2009): Having won Best of Class at the Okanagan Spring Wine Festival, it has the tannin structure to age for quite a while. About 460 cases were produced and it was just released in June, so relatively plenty should be around for a while.
• Seven Stones Cabernet Franc (2009): Like the Merlot this youthful wine has a promising future, but has already won the “Battle of the Benches” at the Okanagan Summer Wine Festival. Production was ramped up from 90 cases to 235 cases due to the increasing popularity of this wine!

August Wine Club: Fruit Bounty

Having skipped our monthly wine club in July due to the conflicting schedules of all three couples during the busy vacation season we were all looking forward to this month’s meeting of delicious food and fine local wines. This month’s features turned out to include a consistently superb white blend from the Golden Mile, a couple of crisp rarities from just down the street, plus a unique fruit wine inadvertently aged in bottle!

Our appetizer course – after much teasing of the hungry diners by the chef – turned out to be a most surprisingly delicious salad containing artichokes, chorizo (or Tofurkey Veggie Sausage for the vegetarians), and cantaloupe. I would likely never have put together those ingredients but they worked marvellously with the subtle dressing and fresh tarragon. The wine accompaniment was the very familiar Tinhorn Creek 2Bench White (2009), a consistent star from Sandra Oldfield. With very fresh and clean floral aromas of peach and melon this wine can be excellent on its own, but the full body and crisp finish make it very food-friendly as well. The current release comes from the 2010 vintage, but the blend remains exactly the same with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Viognier, and a touch of Muscat. We were all very pleased with how well this wine paired with such an unconventional salad, but perhaps it was destiny given Anthony Gismondi’s review, in which he professed his love for “the spicy nose and sausage aromas” and the “fine mix of flavours including melon rind.”

When planning the main course I once again started with the wine and worked my way up to food. Having one bottle of Road 13 Chenin Blanc (2009) available I ordered a newer 2010 vintage from the winery to yield a mini-vertical of this enjoyable but somewhat rare wine. The only other major producers of BC Chenin Blanc I can think of are Quails’ Gate and Inniskillin. To add to the scarcity, the 2010 Chenin Blanc at Road 13 is available only through the winery – unlike last year none was sent to stores, private or public. To pair with these exciting wines I sought the advice of Road 13 General Manager Donna Faigaux, who provided the excellent suggestion of Onion Tart or Spinach Ricotta Quiche. Having been convinced not to make both by my oh-so-reasonable wife, I settled for the onion tart with a side of creamed spinach, and a second side dish of Tomatoes Provencal for good measure! Fortunately all the food turned out well and helped the wines shine. The 2009 had all of the big floral characteristics describe by Anthony Gismondi plus lively flavours of peach and nectarine and a noticeable minerality that excited us. The backbone of minerals and acidity that John Schreiner likes so much is back in the 2010 release, along with marginal but detectable increases in residual sugar and acid. I should mention that both vintages contain a small proportion of Riesling, and the doubling from about 7% in 2009 to 14% in 2010 was very noticeable: I was surprised at how easily I could smell the Riesling. Ultimately, the 2009 vintage was our favourite of the two due to its more unique characteristics: although the Riesling is said to help balance the wine and benefit the fruit it seemed to dampen what were for us some of the more intriguing notes of the Chenin Blanc itself.

Our dessert for the evening was a topic of intense discussion given the inexperience of the chefs with this particular dish. The precise cooking time needed to ensure the Pavlova was properly prepared was up for debate, but in the end it turned out absolutely beautifully – as you can see for yourself! Topped with heaps of fresh whipped cream and big juicy berries it tasted just as great as it looked! The wine pairing came from Summerland’s Sleeping Giant Fruit Winery, from which a visit two years ago yielded a bottle of Strawberry Rhubarb table wine described by the winery as “pie in your glass.” After two years in bottle the wine had actually browned slightly and taken on a bit of a sherry-like quality, but the strawberry and rhubarb flavours were still pronounced and complimented the fresh strawberries on the Pavlova. A blue cheese tang was also present that had some bemoaning the lack of late-night cheese shops available to provide a confirmatory pairing – leaders of commerce and industry take note!

Next month we move to desserts as this month’s appetizer team takes on the heavy lifting of entree and hosting duties. I already have something in mind that has been waiting for a long time for the proper fruit to be in season, so I’m very much looking forward to synchronicity! This weekend my wife and I head off to Osoyoos for a weekend to celebrate our wedding anniversary and visit a few of our favourite wineries in the Similkameen and South Okanagan, so I should have plenty to write about over the next few weeks!

 

SpierHead Tasting II & Blending Experiment

Following a late May release party and tasting of wines from new Kelowna winery SpierHead I was honoured to receive samples of the six wines I tasted that day from owner Bill Knutson. Having given them sufficient time to recover from the bottle shock winemaker Tom DiBello warned us about in May I finally managed to coordinate some friends for a tasting this past weekend. We started with the two whites currently available – 2010 Chardonnay and Riesling – while the four reds decanted for a couple of hours (all four came from the 2009 vintage).

While I had recalled more tropical flavours and orchard fruit aromas in the Chardonnay the experience we had at present was of a toasty wine that also possessed significant mineral notes. Knowing that only a very small percentage had seen oak treatment (using staves instead of barrels) I was honestly surprised by how much oak influence now comes through. My “tasting panel” described aromas reminiscent of smoked cheddar, charcoal, and flint, while being unable to pull out any specific fruits. Judging by our experience it would appear that Icon Wines’ suggestion of focusing on the “austere and mineral characteristics” to yield a Chablis doppelganger in the future would indeed be quite feasible.

The Riesling followed and invoked a great deal of praise for the refreshing, bright fruit flavours and long finish. Fruits such as mango, pineapple, and especially lime and green apple were detected, with even crab-apple making an appearance for some. In the months since I first sampled this wine it was received positive reviews from many local critics, including Anthony Gismondi, Daenna Van Mulligen, and Jurgen Gothe, plus Liam Carrier at Icon Wines. This was one of the more memorable wines of the evening, and came out on top of most guests’ favourites list.

The backdrop for the four red wines were some delicious pizzas from Firewood Cafe, which helped keep us upright as we surpassed the 1:1 person-to-bottle ratio. We began with the Merlot, possessing a rich velvety nose of vanilla, black liquorice, and red fruit. Panel members reported that it smelled “warm and cozy” and the smooth texture was paired with a delicious finish of ripe black cherry flavours. Ultimately the Merlot was declared to be the favourite red of the tasting. The Cabernet Franc was next: lighter in colour with less rich aromatics it was more acidic and brighter than the Merlot. The spicy palate had elements of cranberry, blood orange, and even some pepper on the end; it paired quite well with pizza sprinkled in hot sauce, while the Merlot was said to have been excellent purely on its own. The final single varietal wine was the Cabernet Sauvignon, which possessed a similar fruit profile to the Cabernet Franc but without the spiciness. It was dark and rich, with aromas of currants quite prevalent, as well as acidity and some tannins on the palate.

The final bottle of red was SpierHead’s approachable Bordeaux/Meritage blend, “Vanguard”. Vanguard blends Merlot (45%), Cabernet Sauvignon (45%), and Cabernet Franc (10%) – the same three grapes found in the single varietals we had just tasted. Knowing this going in I had the idea of attempting to create our own reproduction of Vanguard using the three varietal wines, to examine how blended wines integrate and incorporate the multiple grape varieties used. Before doing so we tried out the Vanguard with palates fresh from tasting the three components: the wine is quite tasty, and the components work together nicely. The richness of the Merlot could be detected alongside the tannins in the Cabernet Sauvignon, and the spiciness from the Cabernet Franc was also noticeable. Without having just tasted all three of those single varietals we would not have been able to so easily detect and appreciate what each brought to the blend, so it was already a really interesting learning experience.

The components in Vanguard were each fermented and aged separately for 18 months before blending and bottling in May, so all told the wine has been integrating for almost four months. Our reproduction would be integrating for about four minutes, so differences were expected! Carefully measuring the remaining amounts of each single varietal we combined them to create “Vanguard II”, with the same exact proportions as the original. Comparing the two alongside one another they smelled nearly identical; it was on the palate that the differences became apparent. Our blend was said to taste “like the exact same wine but a year younger,” with more tannins and green notes apparent. Feeling adventurous we even made “Vanguard III” with the remaining wine, using 55% Merlot this time, plus 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc. The higher proportion of Merlot definitely upped the warm flavours as the tannins decreased; this would probably yield a wine with less aging potential than the original Vanguard, but we enjoyed it.

There are only two other wineries I can think of with which you could attempt an endeavour similar to our own: Fairview Cellars and Sumac Ridge. Both release varietal Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon, although the two wineries could not be more different! The extremely small lots released by Fairview Cellars’ owner Bill Eggert would be much harder to find than the Sumac Ridge wines, but his legendary prowess with reds – Cabernet Sauvignon in particular – would likely yield a very rewarding experience remaking red blends such as “Two Hoots” and “Madcap Red”. The more widely available wines from Sumac Ridge may be a better bet for those wanting to try a similar experiment at home (should SpierHead be unavailable of course): they can often be found in BC Liquor Stores and VQA Stores across the province. Get some friends together with a few bottles of wine and you’ll be thoroughly entertained while gaining a greater understanding of and appreciation for the art of the blend.