Nov 06 2010

all pinot, all night

Category: Wine tasting — winepost @ 4:33 am

I have a staggering amount of Pinot Noir to drink. It’s a heavy burden, and one that I choose not to carry alone. I’ll be asking some of my favourite wine drinkers to join me in tackling this mountain. Don’t worry – many of them are trained professionals. The rest are groupies – like me.

Yes, I’m fortunate to live in the heart of BC wine country and have made friends with some of the locals. Considering many of the locals are wine folks, I’m not the only one who has an affection for the boozey stuff. Here’s a little known secret: many winemakers start making wine so they can drink what they like.

I’m more of a refreshing, crisp white wine gal in the heat of the summer – so that means my cellar can get a little backlogged by fall. You see, just because I don’t drink as much red wine in the summer doesn’t mean I refrain from acquiring bottles of it during that time. Hell no. With our BC wineries at limited production, you gotta grab what you can when you can.

My cellar isn’t well documented. In fact, it’s not a “wine cellar” per se; it’s more of a slightly creepy basement where the temperature stays cool so we pack as much wine onto dilapidated shelves as we can without causing breakage. Told you I wasn’t a wine snob.

However, the cellar is somewhat organized into areas: sleeping imports, ready-to-drink imports, sleeping BC wines, can-sleep-but-can-drink-now-if-we-really-want-to BC wines, need-to-drink-now BC wines, fortified…and a special shelf for bubble. (I finally have a bubble shelf – three sleeping bottles, but I have a bubble shelf!)

Somehow, I managed to gather 11 bottles of BC Pinot Noir that’s ready to drink.

What’s a gal to do with so much good booze? Have a pinot party.

In no particular order, here’s what my friends and I will be tasting. Notes will follow – but anticipation is everything. Drool now, drink later.

  • Arrowleaf 2006
  • Eagle Bluff ‘Crooked Post’ 2008
  • Inniskillin Dark Horse Vineyard 2006
  • Stag’s Hollow 2006
  • Gehringer Brothers 2008
  • Tinhorn Creek 2007
  • Robin Ridge 2007
  • Stoneboat 2007 (!)
  • D’Angelo 2006
  • Silkscarf 2006
  • Le Vieux Pin ‘Belle’ 2006

To say I’m stoked for this night is beyond an understatement. A good pinot noir is worth so very, very much to me. I want it to take me into the memory bank: to picking wild strawberries on the elementary school lawn at recess in the fourth grade; to riding in the back seat of a car without air conditioning on a hot summer day after collecting rocks at the edge of the lake; to that first cold drink out of the hose on a Saturday in July – after squishing potato bugs in my mom’s garden. It was a big garden.

The stakes are high – after all, these grapes are competing against some of my most fond memories. Even the potato bug one. But I have faith in our BC winemakers, our burgeoning viticulturists and our dirt. We make great booze.

Some of you may be wondering whether we’ll be tasting or drinking. If you’ve gleaned anything about me from this gig, you’ll be able to sort that out for yourself. If not – just be aware that I know a thing or two about how to un*wine*d.

Cheers!

~ Jeannette

PS: Pinot Noir night wine sampling is November 20 – we’ll be live tweeting via my Twitter handle @okanaganwriting, hashtag #bcwine (with special guests!)

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Jun 21 2010

wine therapy

Category: Wine tasting — winepost @ 12:11 am

My fella and I moved to BC wine country about three years ago, leaving the big city of Vancouver – and surrounding urban areas – behind. Living in wine country kicks ass. I’m minutes away from some of the best BC wine there is, and that’s a very good thing. Especially with a hammock in the yard. Wine + hammock = happy.

But, as with every great departure…something gets left behind. In this case it was a great circle of remarkable friends. And sometimes I need a little of that crazy-friend-thing that happens when a particular group of us are within twenty feet of each other. You know what I mean. Most people have those friends; if not, get them.

This past Friday I ventured out on the road, cooler (and car) stuffed with Okanagan wine to share with my gal pals. A trip to The City is reason enough to prompt a social gathering of my lovelies. Thankfully, there’s very little that a bunch of good friends drinking good wine can’t remedy.

Here are a few of the situations we tackled, and the wine that helped:

The “what-am-I-passionate-about?” debacle

While discussing the merits of finding your passion versus knowing your passion but being unable to do much about it because of a mortgage, car payment and student debt (still), we sipped the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc from Little Straw Vineyards. This ain’t your usual sauv blanc. It’s honey and clover and grapefruit, crisp and buttery at the same time. A of a mix of things, kind of like finding out – or trying to develop – what you’re passionate about. Think and, not or.

The “is-it-asking-too-much-to-meet-a-nice-guy-who-likes-that-I’m-a-smart-and-confident-lady?” challenge

As several of my lovelies are in a similar predicament, I can safely say that this is a fairly serious issue – and one which requires a bit of finesse, delicate manoeuvering and strong character. Fortunately, we had a bottle of Reserve Pinot Noir from Mission Hill, and I poured generously. Classic pinot noir (to me) is sandy beach with a basket of strawberries and a soft, lingering touch. Yeah, this little number was a perfect companion to our discussion of how to find your perfect companion – or just someone who finds it sexy that you have a thing for literature.

The “it’s-a-few-hours-in-and-things-are-getting-out-of-hand-in-a-good-way” medley

You know you’ve been there, so don’t even try to deny it – especially because it’s often the best part of the night. Hopefully, you can remember most (or at least part) of it. I’m talking about the time of night when you reach for that next glass of whatever and realize ‘I’m having so much fun!’. Our hostess has a weakness for one particular BC winery, so I thought it perfect timing to bring out the Burrowing Owl 2006 Syrah. Hello, nurse. Big, dark and rich with a whole lotta stuff goin’ on, this beauty is the take-things-up-a-notch element you’re looking for when you don’t want the night to end.

But every night must end. And as we stumbled our way home (safely, and with designated drivers) I know we each got a little something more from those few hours than a belly full of good food and wine. We were overdue for our un*wine*d session; at least, I know I was.

Cheers,

Jeannette

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Jun 02 2010

it’s a pinot thing

Category: Wine tasting — admin @ 8:41 pm

If you’ve drank a few wines in your time, then there’s a good chance you know what some of your favourites are – and what some of your never agains are. That’s the beauty of wine; if you don’t particularly like a wine you need not make a big deal out of it (unless you want to). You merely say something witty like “it’s not to my taste”, or “this is plonk”.

Well, maybe this-is-plonk isn’t so witty. But you catch my drift.

I’ve had a few favourites of the years, but I’m not usually one to chase a grape variety or a particular winery. That wouldn’t be fair to all the other wines I haven’t tasted yet, and I’m all about equity – fair opportunity for all to participate, and such.

One of the grapes I’ve loved and lost is the sometimes elusive, often underestimated and occasionally mistreated Pinot Noir. I’ve seen it used, abused and mass-produced. But I’ve also seen it handled gingerly, delicately and with the revere that it asks for.

Pinot Noir is (at times) a difficult child. It can be temperamental in the vineyard, frustrating in the cellar and uncertain in the bottle. No amount of cajoling, bribery or threats can coax it to where you want it. Sound familiar?

At the same time, this little grape can really surprise you – usually when you least expect it. And where I least expect it to shine is in the parched desert of the Okanagan. But we’ve got lots of good things going on around here.

Whatever else yummy there is going on at Road 13 Vineyards (and there’s plenty), there’s one delectable Jackpot Pinot Noir hanging around. Damn. The judges at the Okanagan Wine Festival agreed: they awarded it best of varietal at this year’s spring competition. (hey – why wasn’t I on that panel?)

Don’t expect a big, fruity bomb with the Road 13 Jackpot; that’s not what this grape is about. Some may argue that (fine, go ahead – I know who you are). This is a bricky, layered, cherry-and-leather little number that starts the night quiet but finishes it loud – in all the right ways. Drink it with friends – like I did – or drink it by yourself and don’t feel the least bit guilty about it.

And now for something completely different.

Look up – look waaaaay up (any Friendly Giant fans out there?). High above the valley floor is See Ya Later Ranch, and they’ve had some good stuff growing up there for a while. Back in the day they were Hawthorne Mountain, which was a mini training ground for those who are part of the who’s who in Okanagan wine making. Now it’s See Ya Later, part of the Vincor umbrella. They still grow – and make – good stuff.

One of those good stuffs is their pinot noir. This is strawberries and cherries and fruit, oh my. And all in a very good way. Not the fruit-bomb style, but in a soft, lingering style. Delightful and easy, this pinot noir is summer evening drinking with grilled salmon on the bar-b-que. That’s right. I said salmon. Preferably grilled by someone else, so make sure you invite the cooking-type friends over.

Put up the hammock, drag out the grille and invite those nearest and dearest to enjoy a glass of good BC Pinot Noir. They’re around. And I’ve only brought out two of them. There are so many more to un*wine*d with; I haven’t even started on Orofino… but that’s a whole other post.

Cheers!

Jeannette

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Mar 23 2010

cotton candy, deep hole earth & a rainy day

Category: Wine tasting — admin @ 5:59 pm

Appies, dinner & dessert – a fairly standard order. There’s also a “recommended” wine tasting order: whites before reds, lighter before fuller-bodied and sweeter dessert or late harvest wines last. Makes sense, right? Sure – but that doesn’t mean it has to happen that way. As for talking about wine, well, I’m going to make you wait until the end of the blog-meal before I serve up the (lighter) special treat. Because I can.

Wine tasting is something I recommend you do with a buddy, friend or random stranger you meet outside the tasting room. You know what I’m talking about: you’re on the tasting circuit and realize you’re following or being followed by that sylish couple with the cool glasses or the gentleman that likes to talk to himself. It’s inevitable.

Where was I? Right – tasting with friends.

My fella likes to dip into the wine with me, but sometimes I like to bring along a friend who has a) different knowledge than me, b) a few spare hours and c) a good sense of humour because my descriptors aren’t standard WSET lingo (as you might have guessed by now). One of the friends I like to taste wines with is Luke, the empire builder from an earlier wineopoly post.

Luke joined me for some tasting the other night; here’s an sample of how it went.

Me: Deep hole earth.

Luke: Hmmm, really?

Me: It’s like I’m in a big hole and it smells like earth from deep down.

Luke: That’s interesting.

See what I mean? There was some cursing involved (in a good way – sometimes descriptors need a bit of oomph), discussion about cropping and yield per acre (on Luke’s part – I sat and listened) and talk of good barnyard smell versus bad barnyard smell. On the whole, I learned (as usual) a bit from Luke and he (I’m sure) got a good laugh. Deep hole earth says it all.

I tried my first BC Zweigelt, from Arrowleaf in Lake Country. A long, deep inhale on this baby took me to carnivals and cotton candy. That’s right – cotton candy. But it’s a spicy little grape, and on shorter sniffs I could have been walking past the spice aisle in a grocery store. I fell in love with zweigelt (say it like svy-gelt) in Ontario’s Niagara Region, and I’m happy that BC wineries are producing it too. This one’s a bit more cherryish than peppery, and it looks like purple, velvet curtains. Very cool.

On the docket was a Merlot from Twisted Tree in Osoyoos – and damn it’s a nice looking bottle! Seriously folks, the bottle itself has presence, and is pretty sexy. When I think BC merlot, I think dark and sexy. This is the wine that made me think deep hole earth. It also made me think of rich liquors and cassis, and blackberry porter (yes, I drink beer too). Get your hands on a bucket of overripe blackberries and some deep hole earth and you’ve got this merlot. I warned you that I wouldn’t use wine-speak.

It’s time for dessert. Not that this wine tasted like dessert – it’s just that it’s the bomb, the bee’s knees, the freakin’ stellar event of our wine tasting night. It’s the Pinot Noir from Howling Bluff on the Naramata bench. Two words: rainy day. A whiff of this little gem was like walking on a sidewalk after a summer rain, when the stones and ground are still wet and everything’s got that clean-rain-smell. The more we sniffed and slurped, the more we oohed and aahed over it. Simple tasting, like chocolate and cherries and summer, but with that fantastic rainy day smell. Perfect.

It’s nice to enjoy a glass (or two) of wine by yourself – I’ve been known to do that myself on occasion. Don’t look in our recycle bin. But it’s way more fun when you’ve got some friends with you and you’re just drinking and chatting. That’s when things like deep hole earth happen. And there’s nothing more un*wine*d than that.

Cheers!

Jeannette

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