Hot and sour soup

Well I went to my third Dine Out Vancouver restaurant today with friends.  This time we went to Wild Rice, which is located close to the west edge of Chinatown.  It’s a short 2 block walk from the Stadium skytrain station.  The food for all 3 courses were all great, both for me and the others.  What I ordered:

• Hot and Sour Soup
• House Roasted BBQ Pork, Baby Bok Choy, jasmine rice
• Szechuan Chocolate Brownie

House Roasted BBQ Pork

To this I paired a glass of Rollingdale Pinot Noir, from West Okanagan.  The pinot noir has low tannins, light body, some violet aromas/flavours, and higher acidity, and thought it would pair nicely with the BBQ pork.

The hot and sour soup had just the right amount of heat for most people to handle.  I loved the slices of shitake mushrooms in the soup.  The House Roasted BBQ pork was tender and had a tasty sweet brown sauce.  This worked with the acidity of the Rollingdale Pinot Noir.  I wished it did have some crispy pork skin though. The Szechuan chocolate brownie was decadent, covered with a light chocolate sauce and crunchy ribbons of orange peels on top.  Enjoy with a coffee, or maybe port.

Szechuan Chocolate Brownie

I also was able to try some of the Salt and Pepper Tofu, Satay Sauce, Orange Braised Pemberton Beef, Drunken 5 treasure quinoa, and 5 Spice Carrot Cake with Ginger Icing. The panfried tofu with crushed chili flakes was accompanied by a peanut sauce mixed with some lemon grass.  A very tasty dish.  The Pemberton Beef came shredded, reminding me of pulled pork, but with a beefy flavour.  Very succulent.  The 5 Spice Carrot Cake was very gingery and tasted wonderful with the cream cheese icing.  I could have eaten a few plates of these carrot cakes.

I recommend coming to Wild Rice for Dineout Vancouver.  Enjoy!

Taste of the NFL

Are you an NFL football fan and a foodie? Well you can have the best of both worlds if you go to Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis. Here is a press release about a local Seattle restauranteur bringing Pacific Northwest cuisine to the NFL.

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Proprietor and author Chef John Howie, is off to Super Bowl XLVI (46) in Indianapolis in 10 days.  Although Howie is as renowned for his love of sports as he is as a restaurateur (Seastar Restaurant & Raw Bar in Bellevue & Seattle, John Howie Steak – Bellevue and SPORT Restaurant – Seattle), he will not be down on the playing field or sitting in the stands watching the Patriots and Giants face off.  Rather, in a combo of his passions, he will be representing the Northwest and the Seattle Seahawks on the eve of the big game at the “Taste of the NFL”, a strolling food and wine event.  More than 35 food stations, each from an NFL city, will provide food and wine samples for guests to savor.  Each chef is paired with an NFL player at their station, either past or current, and Howie will again be joined by Seahawks defensive lineman Craig Terrill.  The evening includes a silent auction with hundreds of one-of-a-kind sports and entertainment items as well as incredible getaways.  This year it will conclude with a live concert performance by multi-platinum and award-winning country singer and songwriter Sara Evans.  Titled the Party with a Purpose, the proceeds from the event will benefit food banks in each of the NFL cities (in Seattle Food Lifeline), with an emphasis on the Super Bowl host city’s food bank.

Howie has appeared at the “Taste of the NFL” every year since 2004.  This year he will be preparing Ancho Chili Applewood Scented King Salmon on Southwestern Roasted Corn Mashed Potatoes with Sweet Chili Hollandaise and Lime Cream from his new cookbook Passion & Palate: Recipes for a Generous Table.  Since 1992, Taste has distributed more than $11 million to hunger relief organizations nationwide.

Ticket prices are $600 and the event is attended by approximately 5,000 guests.  To attend, purchase tickets online at www.TasteoftheNFL.com or by phone at 888-695-0888 (extra fees do apply). 

Grilled BC bison striploin

Restaurant #2 on my list for Dine Out Vancouver is Cobre Restaurant in Gastown. It is described as Nuevo Latin Fusion of Mexican, Cuban, Brazilian and Argentinian flavours. With my group of friends, we tried most of the dishes on the Dine Out menu.

My selection was:

• Taqueria – Pulled duck and cracklin’ y charred scallion, roasted garlic
• Char grilled BC bison striploin with wild mushroom y valdeon empanita, mole demi
• Tres Leche Cake Orange and olive oil pound cake, Bourbon vanilla and sweet cream

My wine pairing between myself and friends was Stoneboat Chorus 2009, which is a blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Viognier, Muller Thurgau, Kerner, Schoenburger.  Tropical fruit, citrus and high acidity.  Not the best pairing with my dishes, but still an overall nice wine.

Pulled duck taqueria

My favourite of my 3 dishes was the pulled duck appetizer.  Served on a small tortilla shell.  Lots of flavour from this dish.  The duck was succulent and garlic added nice flavour to the duck.  Add a bit of Mexican hot sauce to this dish for an added kick.

The main course, the BC bison striploin, was a bit gristly. Hopefully this was just something I came across and it was not something you encounter.  Topped with this was a empanita, which looked like a tiny tortellini. It had blue cheese inside. To me blue cheese and beefy meat goes together well.

Tres leche cake

The tres leche cake was topped with a lemon ice cream.  The cake was very rich and sweet, and there was also a bit of saltiness with the crunchy topping.

I also tried the Taqueria – Battered Baja rockfish, jicama slaw y chipotle aioli appetizer and the Wild Mexican Sea prawns Pipian verde, butter browned corn arepas.  Both were excellent.  The sea prawns are a bit spicy, so avoid dipping them in the Pipian verde sauce.  They are very juicy on their own.

Enjoy!

Angus Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio

It was a very tasty evening at Cru Restaurant on Broadway. I spent this evening chatting with Dianne Chow and her friend S. Sharing food and talking about things big and small. I’ve eaten at Cru during non Dineout Vancouver events, and was treated to wonderful food. This is the first time for me at Dineout Vancouver.

My meal was:

• Angus Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio, with truffle aioli, shaved parmesan and caperberries appetizer
• Natural Pork Tenderloin, with caramelized apples, curry and raisin couscous, grainy dijon jus main course
• Chocolate and Cardamom Pannacotta, with stewed dried fruit, hazelnut sable dessert

To accompany all of our dishes we selected a bottle of Blasted Church Merlot.  I thought a juicy, soft merlot would go well with my carpaccio, pork tenderloin, as well as the duck breast for Dianne.  It was as expected.  Very juicy ripe fruit, soft tannins, and went well with the dishes.

Natural Pork Tenderloin

I think my favourite dish was the Angus Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio.  Such thin slices of beef, very tender topped with tiny crystals of salt, some garlickiness, and sharpness from the Parmesan cheese.

The main course, the pork tenderloin was cooked with a slight pinkness left.  Went nicely with the caramelized apples.

The panacotta was decandent without being heavy.  I had a cup of Americano with it.  The hazelnut sable dessert (think a shortbread type cookie) went nicely with the coffee.

Chocolate and Cardamom Pannacotta

I also had a chance to try some of Dianne’s duck breast main course (it doesn’t show up in the Dineout Vancouver menu online, but is there at the restaurant).  It was very full flavoured, the fat under the skin giving added richness and complemented the juicy Blasted Church Merlot.

Enjoy Dineout Vancouver!

Theme Country – Chile

Two years ago I travelled down to Chile and visited wineries from the Aconcagua, Maipo, Casablanca, and Colchagua Valleys.  Some of the wineries were Casa Lapostolle, Montgras, Montes, Errazuriz, and Casas del Bosque.   I was impressed with how much the wineries cared for their vineyards and the production of their wines.  One of the nice thing with Chile, is that it is dry due to it’s location on the west coast of South America, and the Andes Mountains on it’s eastern border.  The dry climate, plus topography, and soil factors have made the area a great place to grow grapes.  There is very little, or no, phylloxera louse to attack the grape vines, plus the dryness keeps fungus and mold at bay.  So less pesticides and/or herbicides are needed here.  Many of the wineries in Chile indicate that they are organic or follow organic principles.

Chile’s Natural Advantage

Chile is a wine maker’s paradise.  They get 3 weeks more ripening time than in Bordeaux and 300 + days of sunshine each year.   The cool air from the Andes cools the grapes in the evening so that the grapes mature slowly so that they reach full phenolic ripeness; lots of ripe fruit and a good backbone of acidity. The adjacency to the coast, and the cool Humbolt Current helps produce coastal fog which cools the grapes near the coast, such as from the Casablanca Valley and San Antonio Valley.

Chilean Grapes

Wide range of Chilean red wines

Cabernet is King is Chile.  With the 300+ days of sunshine, the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes produce very full-bodied, ripe, supple wines.  Concha y Toro’s Don Melchor is one of the top quality wines for this grape.  Merlot and Carmenere come in, in 2nd and 3rd place.  Yet they were thought of both being Merlot for many years.  The grapes were planted together in the same vineyard and the grapes and leaves of both vines look very similar.  It was only fairly recently that the Carmenere grape was identified (it’s a Bordeaux grape btw), and has become a signature grape for Chile. A second signature red grape is coming through the ranks, and that is the Syrah grape.  I think people started to recognize Syrah’s potential in Chile, with Aurelio Montes‘ plantings in the Apalta Region of the Colchagua Valley.  There he produces an ultra premium Montes Folly wine from Syrah.

Most people probably think of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay when they think of white wines from Chile.  Probably also the Casablanca Valley, where a lot of very good Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay are produced. An upcoming region for Sauvignon Blanc is slightly south of the Casablanca Valley and much closer to the coast is the Leyda Valley.  While the Sauvignon Blanc wine from the Casablanca Valley can be more tropical fruit, from the Leyda Valley, expect more citrus and herbal aromas and flavours.  Have you ever heard of Moscatel of Alexandria?  You might not have, but you probably have tried some Chilean Pisco.  Pisco is produced from the Moscatel grape.  Riesling and Viognier and two grapes with great potential.  I don’t think a particular region is well-known enough for these grapes, but I would hazard to guess that the Riesling grape would be very good in the Casablanca and San Antonio Valleys while Viognier would shine in the more inland, warmer regions, like Aconcagua, Maipo and Colchagua Valleys.

Theme Grape – Cabernet

Montes Apalta vineyard

Cabernet is more than just one grape.  Most people know of Cabernet Sauvignon, the highly revered grape from Bordeaux, but there is also another Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, which can also be found in Bordeaux, but is better known in the Loire Valley in France. Cabernet Sauvignon can be found around the world.  California’s Napa Valley produces some famous Cabernet Sauvignon, such as Stag’s Leap, and don’t forget Chile!  Cabernet Sauvignon tends to have quite high tannins giving it great longevity potential in the bottle. The flavour profile is Cabernet Sauvignon according to Wikipedia, “When Cabernet Sauvignon is young, the wines typically exhibit strong fruit flavors of black cherries and plum. The aroma of black currants is one of the most distinctive and characteristic element of Cabernet Sauvignon that is present in virtually every style of the wine across the globe. Styles from various regions and producers may also have aromas of eucalyptus, mint and tobacco. As the wines age they can sometimes develop aromas associated with cedar, cigar boxes and pencil shavings. In general New World examples have more pronounced fruity notes while Old World wines can be more austere with heightened earthy notes“.

Cabernet Franc in Bordeaux is used as a blending grape, offering cedar, tobacco, raspberry, cassis and violets aromas and flavours. It is lower in tannins than Cabernet Sauvignon, and also can have a green pepper or leafy character. You can also find Cabernet Franc grown around the world.  Here in BC we have single varietal bottles of Cabernet Franc, such as from Tinhorn Creek.

As an aside, in my Wikipedia check, I see that there are 3 other Cabernets, formed through a hybrid of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape with another grape variety.  They are:

• Cabernet Dorsa, a 1971 hybrid of Cabernet Sauvignon and Dornfelder, created in Germany
• Cabernet Gernischt, a Chinese variety similar or perhaps identical to Cabernet Savignon
• Cabernet Mitos, a 1970 hybrid of Cabernet Sauvignon and Blaufränkisch, created in Germany

I have not had time to check on these other Cabs but will do some further research in the future.

My Recommended Events

• New World Expressions. This is all about New World Cabernets.  Try Penfolds Bin 707 and other Bins against sought after New World regions of Sonoma and Napa Valley.
• Celebrate Casa Real. Casa Real is one of Chilean winery, Casa Santa Rita‘s ulta-premium Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaker Andres Ilabaca will guide you through a vertical of 8 vintages of this wine.  It is always very interesting to try successive vintages of a wine and see how it is aging over time.
• Kings of Cabernet Sauvignon. Join Barbara Philip Master of Wine and a panel of leading experts for a comparative tasting of top notch
  Cabernets from around the world.  One of the best ways to tell what style of wine you prefer for a particular grape.
• Don Melchor: Behind the Blend.  If you know anything about Chilean wine, you would know about Concha y Toro‘s premium Don Melchor. Don Melchor has been regarded as Chile’s first growth of Cabernet Sauvignon and is accredited with bringing the premium wines of Chile to the attention of the world.
• Any of the 8 sit down or grazing lunches on the weekend of March 3 and 4. I’d personally select the Chilean, New Zealand, or Spanish events.
• Flavours of the Festival.  If you have the money but not the time to try many of the wines from around the world during the Festival. This sit down brunch at the The Fairmont Waterfront ballroom showcases foods from top BC restaurants paired with Festival wines from around the world.
• Catena High Altitude at Hy’s. This is a Argentinean delight.  Wonderful wines from premium producer Bodega Catena Zapata from Mendoza, with expertly cooked steak from Hy’s.  Malbec and more!
• A Star Rises in South Africa! Lammershoek is one of the rising stars of the dynamic South African wine scene. I’ve tried their wines for the first time last year and they are excellent.  Try their Pinotage, the signature red grape from South Africa.
• West Coast Montes.  Enjoy a dinner with Chilean wine pioneer Aurelio Montes.  I’ve had dinner with him in the past.  He is very interesting and will tell you many stories about his wines.
• Discover Piedmont at CRU.  CRU is one of my favourite restaurants in Vancouver.  The food creations will be expertly matched with the wines of one of the most dynamic Barolo producers in Piedmont Italy, Damilano.
• Classe Italiana. Another choice if you like Italian wine. Wines from Antinori, one of Italy’s most historic and prestigious Tuscan wineries, will be paired with Vancouver’s highly acclaimed and awarded Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill.
• Excellence of Nature. CinCin Restaurant and Emiliana winery from Chile will showcase a pairing of organic and biodynamic
  wines with local producers of biodynamic products. This five-course meal integrates the best fresh, sustainable ingredients with the magic
  of Alvaro Espinoza’s wines in a harmonious and innovative union.
• Sandhill Small Lots Dinner. Come celebrate a BC winery.  You will get to try the very limited wines from Sandhill’s Small Lots program. Indulge in the partnership of BC’s iconic winemaker Howard Soon and Gotham Steakhouse Executive Chef Jean-Claude Douguet

All events are available through the Playhouse Box Office
By phone: 604.873.3311
Toll free 1.877.321.3121
Monday to Friday 9:30 am-8:00 pm
Saturday 12:00-4:00 pm

In person at:
Vancouver Playhouse Box Office
601 Hamilton Street (at Dunsmuir)
Vancouver, BC
Monday to Friday 9:00 am-5:00 pm

Online at PlayhouseWinefest.com (excluding brunches, ticket packages and group rates)
Public Events:  Tickets to all public events go on sale Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 9:30 am.

"Wine is bottled poetry", by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Wine has sometimes been called “liquid poetry“. And I agree, sometimes it has so many words to speak. There has been many poets and writers who have tried to give the personal experience of wine to paper. I thought with my first article of 2012 I’d share a few poems about wine. I hope you enjoy them. Please add your favourite wine poems as well.

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Oh, Wine, I do not drink you,
You Drink Me!
You Sing with a foreign voice in my throat,
You lift me up with false wings,
You make me a prisoner of the glass.

Ricardo Tudela

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~~~

W.B. Yeats
A DRINKING SONG

Wine comes in at the mouth
And love comes in at the eye;
That’s all we shall know for truth
Before we grow old and die.
I lift the glass to my mouth,
I look at you, and I sigh.

Chinese New Year Golden Rabbit

Wow, a whole year has just zipped by.  I was really busy tasting lots of wines at all the fantastic venues here in Vancouver, as well as across the border at the Taste of Tulalip (which you should sign up to attend next year.  It’s excellent).  Thanks to WordPress for compiling my stats and letting me, and you, know these were my top 5 blog posts.  Which do you think?  The answers are below!

• 1 Chinese New Year, the Year of Golden Rabbit. Wine to serve?
• 2 Have You Tasted Spicebox Canadian Whiskey?
• 3 Have You Been to Lulu Island Winery? @LuluIslandWine
• 4 Caviar and Champagne for New Years Eve?
• 5 Where is Rioja and What Wines Can I Taste?

I knew my Chinese New Year post was super popular as I watched my stats leading up to Chinese New Year hit the roof. Stay tuned for my wine selection for the upcoming Chinese New Year.

My #2 post really caught me off guard.  But I’m pleasantly surprised.  Spicebox is an easy to drink whiskey, on the ice, or mixed in a drink.  Check out the post.

Lulu Island Riesling Chardonnay Ice Wine

For #3, I was happy to see Lulu Island Winery, a local winery, located in Richmond, BC.  They produce both grape-based and other fruit-based wines.  They also produce a selection of ice wine, so drop by one weekend to Lulu Island Winery if you live in the Vancouver Lower Mainland. 

#4 should be hot right now too, seeing that it is New Years Eve.  I hope I helped many people figure out which caviar and Champagne they would like to nibble and toast with the family and friends.  Wine is a social drink.

And last, but not least #5, about the Rioja region of Spain.  This article came out before the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival.  Spain was the Theme Country this year, and I think the Vancouver readership had a thirst for knowledge about this region and what to expect at the Festival.  Stay tuned for my articles on Chile, as they are the next Theme Country for the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival next year.

Cheers and Happy New Year!

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December 20, 2011 ( Vancouver , BC ) – Mangia e Bevi Ristorante’s 5^th annual charity event, BACIO, will take place throughout January 2012.  The popular West Vancouver restaurant will offer a three-course dinner menu for $40 featuring traditional Italian cuisine.  $10 from each order will be donated directly to the Lions Gate Oncology Clinic and BC Children’s Hospital Oncology Research in support of important cancer research. 

Restaurant owners Antonio Sauro, Robert Parrott, and Doug Grisdale started the BACIO (Because a Cure is Obtainable) event in 2008.  In the past four years they have raised a total of $109,000 for the Lions Gate Oncology Clinic and BC Children’s Hospital Oncology Research.

Mangia e Bevi will wind up the month with a special dinner and auction on January 31^st.  The “Mangere, Bere, Vivere” (to eat, to drink, to live) dinner will include four courses paired with complementary wines as well as a silent auction.  Tickets for the evening are $100 plus taxes.

Call today to make your reservations!

5^th Annual BACIO Menu
Tuesday, January 3 – Monday, January 30, 2012
$40 for three courses

“Mangere, Bere, Vivere” Finale Dinner
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Reception 6:00 pm & Dinner 6:30 pm

$100 plus taxes

Mangia e Bevi Ristorante

2222 Marine Drive, West Vancouver

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For more information, or to make your reservation, please call 604-922-8333.

www.mangiaebevi.ca

I went through the list of all the wines I tasted in 2011 and have a few suggestions for you.

Some Favourite Sparkling Wines for 2011

• 

  Oyster Bay Brut and Rose sparkling wines

  Perrier Jouet Grand Brut N/V, France. This is also a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  Pale lemon in colour.  Light lees and toast on the nose. Light body with apples and white fruit.  Small bubbles with lower acidity.  I really enjoyed this one in part due to the lower acidity which made this Champagne very easy to drink on its own.

• Bastianich Flor Prosecco, Italy ($19.99).  A delightful wine with melon and lychee aromas. Off dry, light body, with cinnamon, citrus and peach flavours.  Small bubble.  This is such a fun wine. Start a party with this wine.
• Champagne de Venoge Cordon Bleu Brut Select NV, France ($62.99). This Champagne is a blend of 2/3 PinotNoir and Pinot Meunier (both red grapes), and 1/3 Chardonnay. Light lemon in colour.  Nice medium toasty nose.  Medium acidity and body.  Citrus, some spice and toasty flavours on the palate.
• Oyster Bay Sparkling Cuvee Brut N/V, New Zealand ($24.99). I was really surprised by this wine.  It won me over with it’s fresh fruit flavours. Light citrus and stone fruit on the nose.  Lots of flavour in your mouth with citrus, lime, kiwi fruit, and herbal flavours. Small bubble with medium acidity.
• Schramsberg Vineyards Blanc de Blanc, 2008, California. Light lemon colour.  Vanilla and spice on the nose.  High acid with small bubbles.  Lemons and green apples greet your tongue. A very nice, elegant dry sparkling wine.

Some Favourite White Wines for 2011

• 

  Stags Hollow Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc 2010

  Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay 2009, California.  This is a single vineyard wine.  Medium lemon in colour with tropical fruit and some toasty aromas. Medium body and very soft mouth feel (really silky). Some vanilla and tropical fruit flavours.  Really nice.

• Waterstone Chardonnay, 2009, California. This is my favourite white wine of the night.  Not a typical Napa Chardonnay.  This wine had a medium pear colour.  Vanilla and bartlett pear aromas. Medium body, soft and round mouthfeel.  Cinnamon and tropical fruit flavours with light acidity.  Nice and fruity, some vanilla with a long dry finish.
• Stags Hollow Viognier 2010, BC. One of my favourite wines of the tasting. This Viognier was pale in colour with some sweetness, orange, and flower aromas. Very pretty. Tropical fruit and cinnamon flavours.  Medium body.
• Tantalus Vineyards Riesling 2010, BC. Their Riesling is always on my favourite list. This one is no exception.  It has light lemon, lychee and flowers on the nose.  Off dry, with high acidity to make your mouth water for more.  Red apples and lemon flavours.  Excitement in a glass.
• Thornhaven Estates Winery Pinot Gris 2010, BC. I think there is something specific about the terroir for this wine that makes this Pinot Gris have a wonderful grapefruit nose and flavour.  I haven’t seen this in other Okanagan Pinot Gris. Pale lemon in colour with red grapefruit nose. Flowery with citrus, grapefruit flavours. Yum.
• Graffigna Grand Reserve Torrontes 2010 (Argentina). Torrontes is the signature white grape of Argentina.  Very aromatic and a good change from Gewurztraimer or Viognier. Light lemon coloured. Lychee and perfumy nose.  Light body, round, with medium acidity.  Lychee, apricot and cinnamon flavours. Very tasty with a long spicy finish.
  
• Pfaffenheim Steinert Grand Cru Gewurztraminer 2007 (France). I love Alsatian wines, and was really looking forward to Pfaffenheim’s wines. Medium lemon colour.  Wonderful lychee nose with a slight touch of sweet spice. Full body. Off dry with lower acidity.  Round mouthfeel with lychee, apricot and flowery flavours.  Very nice.
  

Some Favourite Red Wines for 2011

• 

  Santa Rita Pehuen Carmenere 2005

  Kim Crawford Small Parcel “The-Rise-and-Shine” Creek Central Otago Pinot Noir 2007, New Zealand. Central Otago, is inland in the South Island.  The cooler climate allows these grapes have a long hang time and smaller berries, which gives a higher skin to pulp ratio, and more intense, riper, fruit flavours.  Medium purple in the glass with ripe purple fruit and vanilla aromas.  Ripe fruit, cassis, plums and vanilla on the palate.  Medium body and medium length.  Very nice.

• Vina Santa Rita Pehuen Carmenere 2005, Chile. Pehuen Carmenere is a premium wine from Vina Santa Rita.  Opaque purple in the glass. Dark fruit nose with a whiff of capsicum. Full bodied but with soft tannins.  Ripe black cherries, vanilla and spice on the palate.  A very long length.  Here is a Carmenere you should try.
  
• Dusted Valley Grenache, Columbia Valley 2009, Washington. This was such a wonderful wine.  Just the right balance of fruit, tannins, and acidity.  The wine was medium garnet in colour.  Cherry, vanilla and smoky aromas.  Raspberry, cherry, and vanilla on the palate.  Medium bodied with a raspberry finish.
• 1884 Reservado Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Argentina ($16.99).  This was my red wine deal of the wine tasting. Drink now. Raspberry and cocoa on the nose.  Full body with full ripe cherries and raspberries.  Juicy!  Long finish.
• Desert Hills Syrah 2007, BC.  Another one of my favourites of the tasting. Almost opaque ruby in colour. Smoky, meaty, and dark fruit nose. Full body, dry tannins, with dark fruit spice and vanilla flavours.  Enjoy this big wine with a nice roast over the winter.
• Ogier Crozes Hermitage, Les Brunnelles 2008, France ($25.99). This is a Rhone Valley wine. The Rhone Valley produces some fabulous Syrah, and this is one of them. I really liked the aromas of this wine of cassis and plums. Full body with cassis, raspberry, cherry and oak flavours.  Low tannins helped make this wine very approachable.
• Finca Las Moras Intis Malbec 2010, Argentina. This wine was the surprise wine of the evening.  It is priced at $8.99, and over delivers. Pale ruby colour.  Light aromas of grilled sausage and dark fruit. Medium plus body with medium acidity.  Vanilla, cherry, raspberry and sausage flavours all together. Lots of nice flavours.  Dry with soft tannins.

Some Favourite Fortified Wines

• Sogrape Vinhos Ferreira 20-Year-Old Duque de Braganca (Portugal). Light tawny colour in the glass. Ripe sweet fruit and Malmsey Madeira nose.  Round mouthfeel, medium sweetness. Apples, plums, chocolate and spice. Nice.
• Fonseca N/V Terra Prima Organic Port ($31.99).  Rich black fruit nose.  Medium body in your mouth.  Spicy with plums, cherries, and chocolate flavours.  Medium sweetness. Very nice.
• Mount Baker Vineyards Late Harvest Viognier 2007, Washington (US$20 for a half bottle). Deep lemon in colour.  Pretty nose with peaches, oranges and honey. Unctus in your mouth. Sweet with honey, honeydew melon, and peach flavours. Good acidity to balance this wine. A wonderful wine. Highly recommended to top off a nice meal with family or friends.
• Fonseca 20 Year Old Tawny Port, Portugal ($63.99).  A tawny port is aged in wooden barrels, which exposes the wine to oxygen causing oxidation. As a result, these wines  gradually turn to a golden-brown colour. The exposure to oxygen also imparts “nutty” flavours to the wine. This wine had caramel and roses aromas in the glass.  Amazing flavour with sweet spices, nuttiness and butterscotch.  Sweet but dry with a long length.  I REALLY liked this wine.

There are many more in my archives, so please check there as well for a specific varietal or style. www.mywinepal.com and of course the blog right here!  Cheers and Happy Holidays to all my friends, near and far.

Where is the Similkameen Valley?

The Similkameen Valley is about a 20-minute drive from Osoyoos or a 30-minute drive from Penticton to reach the Similkameen Valley.  It is approximately southwest of Penticton.

It is not part of the Okanagan.  It is characterized by a long narrow valley with steep mountain sides and an absence of major lakes.  This lack of large water bodies influences the temperature regime in the Valley.  The Okanagan Lakes store heat and allows for a longer growing / ripening season for the Okanagan, plus moderates the temperature of the land lakeside.   The growing season in the Similkameen Valley are shorter.  The grapes will have  a different character compared to the warmer, longer season in the Okanagan.  It should produce more citrusy whites and lighter bodied red wines, with higher acidity in general.  Cawston and Keremeos would be two towns in the Similkameen you may have heard of. The map below shows the location of the main wineries in the Similkameen Valley.

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Which Grapes Do Well in the Similkameen?

There are currently over 600 acres of vineyards in the Similkameen.  The Wines of BC keeps track of the different grape varieties planted around BC.  They indicate that these varieties are planted in the Similkameen:

• Merlot (17 per cent),
• Gamay Noir (14 per cent),
• Pinot Noir (10 per cent),
• Cabernet Sauvignon (5 per cent),
• Cabernet Franc (7 per cent),
• Chardonnay (13 per cent),
• Pinot Blanc (7 per cent),
• Pinot Gris (7 per cent),
• and small amounts of Riesling and Gewurztraminer.

In addition to grapes, there are many orchards in the Valley growing apples, cherries, apricots and more.

What Wines Can I Buy from the Similkameen?

Eight wineries joined together to form the Similkameen Wineries Association.  You can read about the wineries and association here.

Some of the wines you could purchase include:

• Clos du Soleil Capella White Blend $32.99
• Clos du Soleil Signature (Red Bordeaux blend)
• Orofino Riesling $23.99
• Orofino Red Bridge Red Merlot, $29.99
• Herder Winery Estate Chardonnay $35
• Herder Winery Estate Pinot Noir $35
• Rustic Roots Apple Pear $18.90
• Rustic Roots Apricot $28.90 (dessert style)
• Forbidden Fruit Pearsuasion (pear wine)
• Forbidden Fruit Cherysh (cherry wine)

From the brief sample above, there should be some wine to suit everyone’s palate.  There are also both grape and non-grape based fruit wines too.

As these are small wineries, relatively speaking, your best bet at finding these wines would be in a private wine shop, or at the winery.

Last but not least, maybe you pine to be a winery owner.  I did a quick check and there is a property for sale with 5 acres of vineyards with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and and Cabernet Franc for a mere CAD$999,000.  Here is the weblink to the VineSmart real estate listing.

I have yet to make it out to the Similkameen to visit the wineries there.  When I do, I will provide you with a detailed review. Enjoy.