Dec 28 2010

2011: all bubble, all BC

Category: Wine tasting — winepost @ 11:29 pm

New Year’s Eve approaches, and bubble drinkers around the world are giving a “hip, hip, hooray”. Well, bubble lovers find absolutely any excuse to pop open a bottle – like the 17th Thursday of the year. But others reserve the stuff for ‘special occasions’. That’s okay. We’re finding you and converting you, one boozer at a time.

There was a time when the bubble section was unfamiliar territory to many of us: strange fonts, fancy labels in what could have been latin and sometimes was… not to mention those confusing foil cages over the cork. And the cork! How on earth are we to keep all light fixtures unbroken with all that effervescence about? Dear me.

Times have changed. BC has burst the bubble scene like nobody’s business, with many Canadian wineries hot on their heels. No longer are we forced to drink Baby Duck because we can’t discern one chateau from another – and don’t have the disposable income to part with $150 for a bottle that will be consumed after we’ve tipped back a few already.

I love our worldwide neighbours and what bubble they have to offer. In fact, I’m taking some non-BC bubble to a New Year’s Eve bash – in addition to the homegrown stuff, of course. The bottle I chose is from Spain and had a pretty label with nice font, all for under $20. I’m sure it will taste just fine. But the heart of the evening will go to BC.

We have some great contributors to the bubble world, and they’re right in our Okanagan back yards. Go find some. Don’t know where to look? This should get you started.

Gray Monk Odyssey – Rose or White Brut (both $24.99 at the winery)

Sumac Ridge Tribute, Stellar’s Jay or Gewurztraminer… all fabulous choices, and most available at speciality liquor stores or the BCLDB

Road 13 Sparkling Chenin Blanc – even has a nifty cap to crank off instead of a cork, and intensely drinkable (possibly at specialty liquor stores, or winery direct)

Blue Mountain – more challenging to find, but worth it when you do

Summerhill Pyramid Winery – Cipes (Rose, Gabriel, Brut… from $24.95 to $45/bottle, it’s all worth a taste and usually available at VQA stores)

If your New Year’s Eve tradition involves some cheap and cheerful bubble, so be it. Hey – it’s once a year, go nuts. But don’t forget that we’ve got our own BC bubbles to get silly with, and they’re easy to get hold of – and reasonably priced.

As for me, I’ll be starting the night with my bottle of BC sparkling wine and approaching midnight with that cheap and cheerful Spanish bubble – because by then, it’s likely I’ll be quite effervescent myself. I need to un*wine*d, too.

Wishing everyone a happy and safe 2011. Cheers!

~ Jeannette

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Dec 17 2010

gifts for the gift-giver

Category: Wine tasting — winepost @ 1:43 am

The holiday season is about giving: to family and friends, neighbours, your physician, school crossing guard… the list goes on. We spend days at stores and hours online, shopping for the perfect gift for everyone on our list. But in all the giving, we often forget the most important person: ourselves.

If we’re going to do gift-giving right, we need to be in a sharing frame of mind. What puts me in the holiday spirit is a really good glass of wine, so it makes sense that I’d seek out a few ‘me’ presents to keep up with the holiday cheer.

Set out in easy-to-follow categories, here’s a little list of some ‘you’ gifts. I suggest printing it out and keeping a copy in the car, just in case you find yourself near a liquor store during your shopping extravaganza. It’s best to be prepared.

good gewürztraminers

  • The View
  • Ruby Tuesday

rippin’ rieslings

  • 8th Generation (they make a couple, so try one on for size)
  • Wild Goose
  • Orofino

big reds

  • Aces
  • Spier Head Vanguard
  • Osoyoos Larose
  • Road 13 Rockpile

cheery chardonnays

  • Crow’s Nest Stahltank
  • Cassini Cellars Reserve
  • Painted Rock

merry merlots

  • Hester Creek Reserve
  • Stag’s Hollow Renaissance

killer cabs

  • Inniskillin Dark Horse Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Fairview Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Tinhorn Creek Oldfield Series Cabernet Franc
  • Poplar Grove Cabernet Franc

delightful (fruity) desserts

  • Rustic Roots
  • Elephant Island
  • Forbidden Fruit

bountiful bubbles

  • Gray Monk Odyssey Brut
  • Blue Mountain
  • Summerhill Cipes

Go forth and be merry, because the happiness of everyone on your entire shopping list depends upon it. After all, ‘tis the season to un*wine*d.

Cheers!

~ Jeannette

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Sep 29 2010

fall festing (with a touch of hedonism)

Category: Wine tasting — winepost @ 8:48 pm

 

Rinse out your favourite wine glasses and get the Tylenol ready: it’s Festival time.

It’s the biggest festival in North American to happen during harvest, and this year that couldn’t be more fitting. Our Okanagan wineries are a little behind when it comes to bringing in the bounty, albeit through no fault of their own. And with the Fall Okanagan Wine Festival mere days away from kick-off, you’ll be able to spot the winemakers at festival events – they’ll be the ones with purple fingers.

I’m SO excited for the Festival this season, for a few reasons. I get to spend some quality time with my fella, which is always high on the priority list; it’s a great excuse to drink for a living – a definite bonus; and hundreds of wineries have stuff going on that involves a) wine and b) food. It’s all very hedonistic, and I love every bit of it.

One of the super sweet things about the Fall festival is the release of new wines. Watch for a killer new vintage of 2Bench Red from Tinhorn Creek (released October 1). I had the priviledge of an advance tasting with winemaker Sandra Oldfield, and the 2009 will be a great one to tuck away for a few years – if you can. Big and robust, this has a strong backbone which will not only help it keep through several winters sleeps, but will also help it develop into something wonderful. Over-delivering at the price point. Get it.

Also, ’tis the season for some of our warm-you-up-during-the-cold-weather wines. Things like fortified and sparkling wines are heavy hitters for fall and winter. Our BC winemakers have some of that up their sleeves. Check out places like La Frenz and Granite Creek for their port-style offerings (not sure if they’ve got new stuff on the horizon, but I’m checking into it and will let you know). In bubble, there’s the always popular Summerhill, that delicious Sparkling Chenin Blanc from Road 13 Vineyards (if there’s any left) and Gray Monk’s Brut offerings.

Watch for Fall festival new wine release information here – I’ll update the blog with new release info as quick as I can. Make sure to get more than one bottle of the wine you love. I learned my lesson the hard way. The Cab Sauv that La Frenz released this summer? I missed the boat, and am kicking myself to this day.

Grab a glass, round up your friends and enjoy what the season has to offer. Un*wine*d with something yummy – and let us know what it was. We like to hear about those things. Otherwise, it looks like I’m doing all the drinking around here.

Cheers!

~ Jeannette

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Aug 06 2010

read this, drink that: CanLit & BC wine

Category: Wine tasting — winepost @ 12:51 am

 

Yes, I’m about to inundate you with wine-and-reading selections. But I’m not very traditional; you should know that by now, dear reader. So what does that mean when it comes to a reading and wine-ing list presented by yours truly? Allow me to explain.

I’m dragging out the hasn’t-been-published-in-ages books; ones you need to hunt down in your local used book store treasure trove or thrift store. And I’m choosing some newer releases – those published in the last ten years. Maybe there will be something in here that you’ve never heard of.

Good reads should challenge us and our expectations – kind of like good wine does. Both are sensory and seductive, and both can take you a world away.

Enjoy.

Read: Robertson Davies, Leaven of Malice. This guy shoves us into a world of academics, tenure and compound sentences. His characters drink wine. I like that. This is one dude who doesn’t lead you around by the nose: he’s got witty, layered characters that keep surprising you, and he has an expectation you’ve a decent head on your shoulders. 

Drink: This says bubble all over it. Try Blue Mountain, Sumac Ridge’s Stellar’s Jay (after sleeping for a couple of years, it’s one mighty good bottle) or Gray Monk Odyssey White Brut. Not a bubble fan? Shame. But you can play along – with a bottle of Twisted Tree Syrah, or a Pinot Noir from Meyer Family Vineyards.

Read: Margaret Atwood, The Edible Woman. Ahead of her time in so many ways. This is foodie Can-lit for foodies before there were foodies. Of course, there’s a glass or two of wine in here. I read this only recently, having put it off in a covet kind of way. I’m glad I did.

Drink: Margaret says unusual yet beautiful structure, and so must the wine. Think Mount Boucherie Ehrenfelser,  Inniskillin Dark Horse Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake Breeze Pinot Blanc or Road 13 Vineyards Jackpot Pinot Noir.

Read: Douglas Coupland, J Pod. I love him; he’s magnificent at loading a sentence with so much stuff. Plus, I want to meet Ethan’s mom. Think easy street meets the wrong side of the tracks, in a very Rice-Krispie-square kind of way.

Drink: More than meets the eye, this one. Makes me want Rollingdale’s Cabernet Sauvignon “La Gauche”, Township 7’s Chardonnay (not the reserve, but not the un-oaked for this one), Cedar Creek’s Platinum Reserve Chardonnay or Tinhorn Creek’s Oldfield Series Merlot – because there’s more going on than you would expect.

Read: Mordecai Richler, Barney’s Version. The guy writes a good story, hands down. These are characters that I not only want to drink with, but also want to go to Europe with. That’s good character development.

Drink: I recall the protagonist as a scotch drinker, but also one who enjoyed a bottle of wine. That being said – try something from Osoyoos Larose, or maybe Laughing Stock’s Portfolio. Perhaps followed by a nice fortified, like Sumac Ridge Pipe or Granite Creek Merlot.

Read: Zoe Whittall, Bottle Rocket Hearts. Maybe it’s because I met her brother in the parking lot of an Okanagan winery (true story), or maybe it’s because I had a summer of unemployed drunken fun in Montreal in the early 90’s (slightly hazy true story). It could be both, but also because this is one brilliant author. Storytelling stream-of-consciousness. I miss Eve.

Drink: Memories of misspent youth, character-building events that at the time are rip-your-heart-out experiences you don’t think you’ll ever recover from and the unmistakable sweetness of firsts. Try La Frenz Cabernet Sauvignon, Orofino Pinot Noir, Cassini Cellars Reserve Chardonnay or Desert Hills Gamay. 

The point is this: wine, like literature, is highly dependent on situation. I truly believe that. Reading the same book at different points in your life will bring out different qualities of that book – just like drinking wine with different people, or in different situations, will show you something new.

Mix it up. Experiment. Un*wine*d a little. Now excuse me while I go back to Timothy Findley’s Spadework and my glass of…well, I’m not going to tell you all my secrets – read it and tell me what you’d drink with it.

Cheers!

Jeannette

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May 02 2010

spring wine festival part one: staggeringly tasty

Category: Wine tasting — admin @ 8:19 pm

A monk, a quail and a rock walked into a park one day…

No, it’s not the start of one of my dad’s bad jokes – and he’s got plenty. I’m referring to a day in the park; specifically, Vintages in the Park hosted by the fine folks at the wine festivals and sponsored by BC Liquor Stores, Johnston Meier Insurance Group and Valley First Credit Union.

See? Bankers and insurance people can be fun. Just take them to a wine tasting and watch the merriment unfold.

The setting: Father Pandosy Mission in Kelowna. The suspects: twenty or so of your favourite Okanagan wineries. The food: Okanagan Street Food. My mission: taste as many of said wineries as possible while retaining my glass, swag and composure. You should know by now that I’m up for a challenge – especially if it involves wine.

people doing the wine-tasting thing

On this particular occasion I brought my fella along, not only for his delightful company but also to ensure that I wouldn’t have to spit in public again. Memories of my wine-judging-spitting experience are embarassingly fresh; I wanted to taste without doing the spit thing, so I figured I’d need a ride home. That was a very good call because there was a ridiculous amount of tasty wines.

When presented with over 20 wineries offering multiple tastings, one does wonder where one should start. My solution: start with white wines and what’s in front of you. Work your way around until you’re back where you started. Repeat with red wines. Easy.

It was a lot of wine, and I couldn’t begin to talk about every single one I tried. That, dear readers, might lead you to guess just how much I ‘tasted’ – something a lady doesn’t disclose, like age. But I’ll share with you a few of the “You have to try this!” moments, because there were several.

Quinta Ferreira makes great wines, and one of their unique white blends is a Muscat/Gewurztraminer named Mistura Branca. Lovely and aromatic, this is sitting-with-friends-in-your-backyard, nibbling-on-tapas wine. And it’s under $20. Winemaker Michael was on site for the pouring, so you’re getting the inside scoop when you chat with him. (Michael recommends chicken dishes with this wine, but I’d also give it a go by itself on a sunny day)

I stopped by to see regional sales rep AJ from Poplar Grove, and my first sample was their Pinot Gris. Delicious. Mouth-watering. Crisp, summer fruits all tumbled into a glass. Hovering just over the $20 mark, this is one of those wines that’s going to become a favourite, real quick. On our second round I tasted two reds. First was the Merlot. Hello, dolly. Blackberry meets cocoa meets cherries, all tangled up together in happy abandon. At $30 a bottle, I’d tuck one of these ones away to sleep for a bit – if I could leave it alone. Next was the Cabernet Franc. This is unique, unlike any other cab franc you’ve tasted. It’s freshly mown hay and squishingly ripe red fruit. Grab a bottle. Or two.

The folks at Quail’s Gate have two white wines that I am head-over-heels in love with. My fella and I both get silly about the Chenin Blanc. Honey and cream get cozy with tropical fruit, and I feel like I’m on vacation. Nice. But it’s got competition from the Chardonnay. You know I love an oak-y, creamy chard – and this delivers. Pick up the main street version at under $20 a bottle, or splurge on the Stuart Family Reserve at $30 – my heart (and cellar) has room for both.

I’m smitten by the Gray Monk Gamay – something about what they do with that grape just works. This time I tried their Rotberger. It’s a rosé, and it has the complexity of a red wine coupled with a lighter something else that dances around in your mouth. My fella was noshing on a plate of mushroom & duck confit, and what a nice companion that was with my pretty rosé. Delicious in a bottle for under $20.

What’s a wine tasting without a little bubble? Summerhill Pyramid Winery brought out the sparkling wine for the sunshine, and how appropriate. Summerhill produces five sparkling wines, so there’s bound to be one that will fit your taste and pocketbook. Prices range from $25 to $45 per bottle.

I couldn’t resist a stop at Painted Rock Estate Winery, where proprietor John Skinner radiated happiness. My heart skips a beat each time I take a sip of the Chardonnay, and if you’ve read my earlier posts you’ll know the Syrah makes me weak. John had the entire (available) portfolio out for tasting, so I took full advantage. Their Merlot took Best of Varietal at festival competition. Taste it, and you’ll know why.

Before I staggered – er, walked – to the gates, I needed to visit Lindsay at Tinhorn Creek. I had a sip of the Oldfield Series Merlot. As usual, I went immediately to my happy place. This baby spends a year and a half in oak, so it has some cellar life – and it’s got that smokey/peppery thing to it that seems signature of the Okanagan. Nicely done, winemaker Sandra. That’s a lady I’d like to drink with.

Music, food and wine – enjoyed outdoors in the spring sun with my fella. Seems like a pretty good way to un*wine*d.

Cheers!

Jeannette

PS: You’ve still got time to get wine-d up with the Spring Wine Festivals – click on the events tab to find out what’s happening in and around the Okanagan this week. I’ve got a few more to stagger through – er, make my way to. Perhaps you’ll join me?

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Mar 30 2010

an artsy cafe & a smokey jazz club

Category: Wine tasting — admin @ 8:11 pm

 

As a disaffected youth, I spent my fair share of time in small cafés, cramped coffee shops and impromptu art spaces – the kinds of places where larger-than-life images of found objects are projected onto once whitewashed walls while an erratic drum beat plays through blown speakers. Those places. I love those places. They take all comers and everyone mingles with the same intentional, vacant stares plastered on their faces.

It’s in one of those spots that I tried my first glass of wine. And every once in a while I remember what that a) tasted like, b) felt like and c) gave me a forewarning of. It tasted terrible. It felt freeing. It made me realize that I should never waste time on wine I didn’t like.

I’m drinking wine as I write this, reliving memories of being at one of those impromptu art shows in an abandoned warehouse in Montreal, Quebec, sometime around the summer of (I think) 1994. Or maybe 1995. It’s a bit hazy. Hey, it’s Montreal. If you’re not hazy, you’re not doing Montreal right.

Located outside of Kelowna, Gray Monk is far from those artsy events in Montreal. And the 2007 Merlot I’m drinking is most definitely a good wine experience. But something about it makes me think of those times without a mortgage, without car payments. It’s youthful abandon squeezed out of grapes and poured in your glass. It’s the nights you stayed up so late that it was almost morning before you stumbled home with a smile on your face, subway tickets falling out of your pockets as you tossed your jacket on the floor before you fell into bed. This wine is easy, familiar and adventurous. And it’s under $20 a bottle. You should buy one.

Wine isn’t all about youthful abandon. Those bottles are around, and they’ll happily welcome you back. But there may come a time when you want something a bit different. Unique. Unusual and unexpected. Have I got a winery – and a wine – for you.

Welcome to the new winery on the Okanagan block: Painted Rock Estate Winery outside of Penticton. I tasted their 2007 Syrah, and fell in love. This baby is sexy, smokey jazz club. Thick, juicy steak with peppercorn and brandy-dipped, hand-rolled cigars. Something curing nearby with hickory in the pot. If the allure and mystique of a speakeasy could be bottled, this might be it – and that far from does it justice. I met my first intensely crafted wine. This wine is selected, refined and lovingly slaved over. Buy it, then stash it away to keep for yourself – and maybe someone you love. Maybe.

It’s a Tuesday, and I’ve managed to visit an abandoned warehouse in Montreal and a speakeasy somewhere unmentionable – all without leaving the comfort of my home. And all through the unsuspecting glass of Okanagan wine. What a great way to un*wine*d.

Cheers!

~ Jeannette

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