Tag Archives: BC wine

Summertime and the Living is Easy, Part Two

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This summer, my cup, or rather my wine glass, runneth over with incredible wines!

Here’s a quick glance at some of the major “vinelights” from July, August and early September. Listed in order of appearance in my glass.

Burrowing Owl Meritage 2006, South Okanagan

Meritage (rhymes with heritage) is the semi-official term for North American red blends made with traditional Bordeaux varietals. I acquired this bottle with Sean on our BC winery road trip last summer. This deep ruby-purple gem from the Black Sage area of South Okanagan exudes aromas of black and blue fruits, oak, tobacco, mint and coffee. It was lean and powerful, with good depth of fruit, some mouth-cooling mint flavours, fine tannins and a long finish. I would have liked to hang on to it for another year or two, but it was Sean’s birthday wine of choice, and in any case it was still delicious. I made a really nice zucchini and goat’s cheese whole wheat pizza with roasted garlic that night, which was a terrific appetizer. $45 at the winery.

Green Truck Organic Zinfandel 2008, Mendocino County

This organic line extension of the Red Truck wine brand was pretty good for its type: Ripe and plummy with notes of raspberry jam, this was typical mainstream California zinfandel that will match a wide variety of foods. Perfect for hostess gifts and potlucks. I received this as a gift but estimate this to be around $15 – 18.

Palo Alto Reserva 2008 DO Maule Valley, Chile

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère and Syrah. Deep purple-black in colour, with aromas of black fruits, spice and oak on the nose. A full-bodied, mouthcoating wine with flavours of ripe plum, cassis, oak and baking spice. A bit bold, ripe and intense for me as a summer wine, but perhaps will fare better in winter with stews and roasts. $14

Howling Bluff Pinot Noir 2006, Naramata

This was my birthday wine! Also purchased Summer 2009 during my and Sean’s winery road trip – we actually stayed at Howling Bluff’s bed and breakfast for a couple of nights. I cooked a fantastic meal (see below) to pair specially with this wine, and am pleased to say everything tasted great together. The wine was showing well, although more intense and less earthy than I had remembered. Dark cherry aromas with notes of cocoa, white pepper dust, earth and cool oak on the nose, with similar flavours and oaky tannins on the palate that lingered right on through the finish. A medium-plus-bodied, classic New World Pinot that I think will improve in the bottle for up to 3 – 4 more years. Good thing I still have another bottle! $30 at the winery.

Heirloom tomato salad with escarole and mixed sprouted beans, basic lemon / balsamic / grapeseed oil vinaigrette

Belgian endive topped with Gorgonzola, walnut, Oculus cherry and caramelized shallot marmalade

Mushroom & herb risotto, caramelized shallot marmalade

Montes Classic Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 DO Colchagua Valley, Chile

I see a white cork and I want it painted black...

Check out the blackness of the cork! This was a forgotten bottle that was stored in my parents’ house for a few years until I pulled it out late August for some experimental, adventurous sipping. I don’t have too much experience drinking aged wines from my personal cellar (any bottles of mine that need time are still hidden away for future drinking), so, apart from a Dr. Loosen Urziger Wurtzgarten Riesling Spätlese 2005 that I opened the Mother’s Day before last (heavenly), this is a first for me in terms of reds. The Montes Classic Series is by no means a premium wine (the winery has higher-tier lines including the iconic Purple Angel), so it was also an experiment in tasting cellar potential in a less expensive wine.

Happily, this did not disappoint. What would have been racy acid and strong tannins in the wine’s early days now translated to smooth drinking in the glass, five years later. Elegant flavours of black fruits, cassis, plum, pipe tobacco and chocolate combined with an almost milky texture for a pleasantly subtle example of Cabernet. $15

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages 2009

There has been so much hype on the 2009 vintage in Beaujolais that I simply had to get this bottle when I saw it on the shelf at my local store. I’m just gaining appreciation for the subtleties of Gamay now – Beaujolais’ trademark red varietal is typically light and fruity, which can often be misunderstood for “unseriousness”. Rather, in the best examples such as Cru Beaujolais, the wine is enhanced by undertones of mineral (of which there is a wide spectrum), earth and floral or herbaceous notes, all of which aren’t overshadowed by harsh tannins that can sometimes get in the way of good wine. Beaujolais are super easy-drinking wines that pair perfectly with light, healthy cooking like we enjoy here on the West Coast.

This Beaujolais-Villages was so fruity and delicious, I’m tempted to trade up and search for 2009s from smaller domaines. Bright purple in colour, the wine offered juicy berry and Kool-Aid aromas with notes of granite and flowers. On the palate, it was a medium-minus-bodied wine with low tannins, refreshing acidity, more of that juicy, almost sweet fruit character and some complex minerality beneath. Enjoy this while you can, because (a) it won’t last long on the shelves, and (b) it’s best served young. Open it as soon as you get it! I like my Beaujolais slightly chilled to maximize on the tasty juiciness. $17

Illuminati Riparosso Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC 2008

Dark, handsome and brooding, just like Ryo Saeba, City Hunter.

The other wine region (or country, really) that I’ve really begun sinking my teeth into is Italy. There are so many unique wines made from innumerable indigenous varieties, all of which just have this amazingly unmistakable Italian character and pair excellently with food. This was just as I had hoped for, rich and long on the palate with silky tannins, deep cherry and other red fruit flavours persisting in the mouth, with notes of pipe tobacco, oak, licorice, tea leaves, spice and this slightly bitter undertone that made you want to keep drinking. I enjoyed this massively with comfy sweats and a Japanese anime DVD, but you could also pair this with a hard cheese like Asiago or Parmigiano Reggiano and charcuterie. $17

Henry Fessy Saint-Amour AOC 2008

Here’s another yummy Beaujolais from one of the ten crus, Saint-Amour, which is up near the top of the cru “strip”. Slightly lighter in body and acidity than the Duboeuf version mentioned above, this showed more complexity with the minerals, flowers and fruit more intertwined, harder to pick out than the Beaujolais-Villages. This would be great with a simple herbed pork tenderloin or grilled chicken dish (skin on, bien sûr!) – my vegetarian pairing was macaroni with mushrooms, spinach and thyme in a tomato sauce, baked au gratin with a whole wheat Cheddar béchamel topping. $25

Macaroni in mushroom, spinach and tomato sauce, baked au gratin with whole wheat Cheddar bechamel.

That’s all I have to report for now – photos and stories from my Summer 2010 trips to the Okanagan coming soon!

See Ya Later, Momo My Pal

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This post is dedicated to Momo, my family’s beloved dog that passed away this evening.

Friendly, playful and always eager to show her affection, it was a joy to have her as part of my family for the last 13 years.

Momo, you were a great friend. I will always miss you.

MOMO 1997 - 2010

In tribute to Momo and special pets everywhere, my wine for this post is the dog-themed See Ya Later Ranch “Jimmy My Pal” 2008 white blend.

Known as Hawthorne Mountain Vineyards (old label here) until the early to mid 2000s, See Ya Later Ranch was once the home of a Major Hugh Fraser, one of the first people to settle in Okanagan Falls – a town that, quite misleadingly, has no actual waterfalls.

Fraser was a great lover of dogs, even going so far as to build his own dog cemetery on the ranch (which still exists). This Vincor-owned winery, headed by winemaker Dave Carson, whom I have had the great pleasure to meet and work with, has since adopted Fraser’s life story as the See Ya Later brand’s driving force.

If you ever have the chance to visit Okanagan wine country, I highly encourage a drive up to See Ya Later Ranch. Nestled atop a huge hill at the end of a steep and windy road – it’s a good 15-minute drive uphill from Highway 97 – the tenacious wine lover is rewarded with breathtaking scenery of the Okanagan Valley as well as one of the area’s loveliest-looking tasting rooms with a view.

Weather forecast: 80% likelihood of further T-shirt precipitation. 50% chance of raspberry. (Sean at See Ya Later's winery gate - photo by me)

Pet accessories abound in the winery shop, which also accepts donations to the SPCA in lieu of added tasting fees – another clever extension of Fraser’s goodwill toward man’s best friend. Speaking of which, partial proceeds of “Jimmy My Pal” benefit the SPCA, so you can feel comfortable that your enjoyment is going toward a good claws cause.

Gucci helped me write this post for Momo.

Tasting Notes

Opened February 8, 2010. Composed of 40% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Gris and 30% Semillon. Soft, sandy white in colour with peachy tones. White blossoms, stones, white-fleshed fruits and citrus form a subtle and feminine bouquet. A soft, juicy palate of peaches, pear, apple and other round fruits reveals itself in a supple, almost oily way. The only food pairing I could think of when I did open this bottle was Hong Kong-style fruit salad, which is basically a simple fruit salad that may also contain boiled eggs and/or shrimp, and mayonnaise. It still seems like the ideal pairing – I’d eat it. $16

Holiday Roundup, Part Three: Christmas Extragavanza

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My family is pretty unorthodox when it comes to cooking for special occasions. I suppose we’re fairly unorthodox by default, since we don’t observe any religious dates anyway, but suffice it to say we never pass up a good holiday meal. If it’s on the calendar, why not?

Typically, we forgo the traditional turkey or ham and opt for maximum indulgence instead, such as T-bone steaks, duck, or tenderloin. This year, my mother showed an unprecendented amount of frivolity and decided to make a gigantic five-pound lobster our Christmas dinner centerpiece. I, in turn, volunteered several tasty bottles from my collection.

Unfortunately, this post is not accompanied by any photography, as we ate on December 22nd, and I didn’t know about or open my digital camera gift from Sean until Christmas Day. Needless to say, I was in no condition to take a clear photograph that evening anyhow.

The Menu

  • Pan-Seared Diver Scallops with Kale and Dragonfruit
  • Roast Chicken with Savoury Pumpkin and Apple Stuffing
  • Baked Lobster with Bacon and Herb Cream Sauce

The Wines

My white and red were pretty much served back to back, and I had the chance to try both the chicken and lobster with each of the wines. I decanted the Bordeaux for two hours prior to serving. The late harvest was served following the meal with chocolates, when my huge, rich dinner caught up with me and I fell asleep watching The Usual Suspects, glass (empty, of course) in hand.

Burrowing Owl Pinot Gris 2007

I first tasted this in November 2008, when it initially hit the market. It was very fresh and fruity then, and I can’t say it’s changed too much since.

Light greenish lemon in colour. A lively nose of core fruits and a bit of starfruit with a zippy but juicy palate of apples, melon and pears and a tiny bit of minerality. No oak influence in this light-bodied patio sipper. I think I would have been happier with a Chardonnay pairing with regard to the chicken and lobster courses, but this went very well with the scallops. $20

Château Rozier St. Émilion 2005

Took a chance here by opening one of my 2005 vintage buys for the first time ever, suggested by my colleague out of the list of Bordeauxs I showed her. Good value in this lower-end St. Émilion. I had first tried this in September 2008 at a tasting; it’s since subdued in all the right places. My mom’s dining room was a bit too cold for the wine, however, and it tasted probably a bit more closed than it should have.

Darkly purple, almost opaque in colour. Plummy black fruits with some oak and spice on the nose. Rich, velvety tannins coat the mouth along with more black fruits on the palate and some vanilla. A predominance of woody oak flavours suggests that this medium-bodied, Merlot-based red still needs more time before opening. Luckily, I still have another bottle waiting for me; I’ll keep cellaring that one for another year or two yet. $29

Hillside Estate Late Harvest Kerner 2007

This was a purchase from the winery during my Okanagan road trip last July. The winery has a fantastic tasting room where a few bucks gets you a handful of samples and possibly a couple of bonus wines like I did. Hillside Estate produces a lot of varietals, so it’s well worth tasting your way through their portfolio!

Light gold in colour. The nose was a heady bouquet of citrus and sweet flowers with hints of tropical fruit, honeyed but not at all syrupy or like icewine. Medium- to light-bodied, this shows lots of citrus and crisp acidity on the palate with apricot and other stone fruit flavours, with quite a refreshing finish for a sweet wine. $20