In the glass

Tinhorn Creek Concert Series

2011-12-19T11:12:00.000-08:00

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards is thrilled to announce the exciting line-up for its 2012 Canadian Concert Series. The coveted annual event is a rare opportunity to see some of Canada’s top talent while sipping award-winning wines and enjoying a breathtaking view of the South Okanagan Valley.
Tinhorn Creek’s outdoor amphitheatre sits atop the winery’s hillside overlooking the famed Golden Mile, and is a one-of-a-kind venue for dancing the night away under the stars. Premiering May 26th, the 2012 Canadian Concert Series features up-and-coming Canadian talent every month and ends with a highly recognized Canadian performer to close the season.
Hailing from East Vancouver, The Boom Booms open the festival on May 26th with their “Latin-soul-funk-rock-reggae” music. On June 23rd, Victoria-based pop-rock quartet Acres of Lions will showcase their lyrically-driven sound, while July 28th will see west coast band Redeye Empire entertain with their “unique blend of reggae, ska, rock and hip-hop.” Vancouver quintet Said the Whale caps off the four-part series on August 25th with its brand of west coast indie pop, bubblegum folk, hard rock and ukelele ballads.
Perched on the picturesque Tinhorn Creek Vineyards estate on the famed Golden Mile, Miradoro Restaurant will offer several different BBQ food options prepared by Executive Chef Jeff Van Geest; Tinhorn Creek wines will be available by the glass or bottle. Miradoro also offers dinner and concert packages for those wishing to sit on the patio during the concert. Named one of the “World’s Best Winery Restaurants” by Wine Access Magazine, the destination restaurant offers stunning views of the South Okanagan Valley wine country.
Tickets to the Canadian Concert Series are now on sale and are some of the most sought-after in the South Okanagan and beyond, as only 500 tickets are available for each show. Ticket prices are as follows: The Boom Booms, $25; Acres of Lions, $25; Redeye Empire, $35 and Said the Whale, $40. Season Passes provide one ticket to each concert. Priced at $100, it’s like receiving four concert tickets for the price of three. Only 150 Season Passes are available. All concerts start at 7pm (gates open at 6:30pm).
Tickets are available through Tinhorn Creek’s online store or by telephone:
Online store: www.store.tinhorn.com/wineshop/concerts
Phone: 250.498.3743 or 888.484.6467
PRESS RELEASE FROM TINHORN CREEK

Wine News and Quotes for the Day

2011-11-30T18:57:00.001-08:00

: The Bell Tower Mission Hill

Canadian Wine IWSC 2011 Producers Trophies Announced British Columbia's Mission Hill a winner.

"A sight of the label is worth 50 years experience.
Michael Broadbent"
Wine Tasting

: Twase Winery

Canadian Wine A November to Remember for Murray Twase from Twase Winery and it is organic and biodynamic as well.

"Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing."
Ernest Hemingway
Death in the Afternoon

Cognac Shows Its Age It is a good thing

"Wine is the most healthful and most hygienic of beverages."
Louis Pasteur

Sustainable Development for Italian Wine through the Magis Project

Magis is an innovative viticulture project aiming to improve and modernize vineyard management in Italy.

South African Winemakers going Au Naturel

"Blind Tasting of great wines is often disappointing " Emile Peynaud

The Extreme Importance Of A Proper Diet.
I have been a little concerned about my diet lately, so I did a little research. Both these ladies are 51 so it is a far comparison to show how important a proper diets is.

'Tell me what you eat, I'll tell you who you are." ~Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

: Gillian McKeith Aged 51

Gillian McKieith a TV health guru. Advocates a holistic approach to nutrition and health, promoting exercise. a veggie diet high in organic fruits and vegetables. She recommends detox diets, colonic irrigation and supplements.

: Nigllea Lawson Aged 51

Nigellea Lawson a TV cook who eats meat,butter and deserts. I am with this woman and you ?

Blog Post of the Day A Love Letter to Wine PR Folks by Joe Roberts writing 1 Wine Dude

Wine and Spirits News Nov 28

2011-11-28T16:11:00.001-08:00

Château d'Yquem, Clos Haut-Peyraguey, Château Suduiraut… - Sauternes Grands Crus Classes 2011: The Promise Of A Great Vintage 2011 to be a great vintage year.

Champagne Diet helps Weight loss Fizzy weight loss plan, another good reason to drink Champagne.

Speaking about Champagne this is the biggest waste of Champagne I have ever seen, besides who has left over champagne ?

Rhone 2011 Vintage Always right Vintage ?

South Africa Expecting larger Harvest

BC Aims For Record Ice Wine Harvest

New Cooperage serves Rising Scotch Demand The demand for Scotch whisky is growing around the world, particularly in the emerging markets of Asia and Latin America.

Global Viticulture Data Stable production, fall in world Vineyard

Australia Wine Industry Faces Price Undercutting further hard times Down under

Wine news and quotes 24 Nov

2011-11-24T19:11:00.001-08:00

China lacks Drinking culture from Drinks Business. “China is not a wine drinking culture and it’s a common fallacy to think it is.”

From Alfonso Cevola "The Italian Wine Guy" Thank You Italy giving thanks for Italy and all it wines. "Thank you for the red wines of Piedmont, from Grignolino to Dolcetto to Barbera to Nebbiolo. These wines are constant companions on my table and are a joy to drink and to grace the Italian table." Amen Alfonso

Boudeaux First Growths Going High TecH Pichon-Baron using QR Codes

"Champagne is Frances greatest palpable contribution to human happiness " Hugh Johnson

Australian Wines Making A Comeback In the US seems that sales in the USA have picked up once again for OZ wines.

Canadian Cheese will really have cheese in it. Top Court won't hear Saputo, Kraft appeal of cheese Rules

"After fifty years of tasting and teaching I am convinced that to talk about, let alone claim, total objectivity in tasting is nonsense" Micheal Broadbent

Wine Critics Have Bias ? from the Globe and Mail Really I had not noticed ?

" A little imagination can find a wide range of rich, complex and familiar smells in a wine" Peynaud from Taste of Wine.

2011-11-23T17:35:00.000-08:00

Some interesting articles and posts from around the wine world. A must read from Sandra Oldfield from Tinhorn Creek has a post on The Case for Canada’s Sustainable Wine Industry. Canadian wine producers should take note.
South of the border The US still biggest for Burgundy from the Drinks Business. Here what happens when some scientists have a little too much wine. The Physics of Wine Swirling from Science, they also figured how overly enthusiastic wine swirls manage to splash their drinks, possibly staining their sweaters. Now I know how wine stains end up on my shirt, and now can figure it out mathematically.

Australian wine Researchers closer to preventing spoiled wine, will Brett be a thing of the past we can only hope.

Wines that Rock have " crafted" a wine honoring the Grateful Dead the process involved listening to a 1974 performance by the band at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom, during blending.
Patrick Comiskey writes in the LA times about Beaujolais growing up. A good piece on the changes going on in the region. The Crus are wines are definitely worth buying.

Old Vintages of Barolo or Pour It and They Will Come

2011-01-16T18:37:00.000-08:00

There are wines that burn their way into your taste memory and turn rational analysis on its head. Somewhat like the magic of a great work of art, or the heartbreak of an exquisitely performed opera. Try to bear this in mind because we are about to encounter one of those wines.

The Line Up

The original line up for the tasting was two bottles each of the following wines: (My thinking, of course was that if one of these beauties was hopelessly lost, the other would, hopefully, still be palatable).
1962 Bersano Barolo, 1964 Giovanni Scanavino Barolo, 1978 Mauro Barolo, 1979 Bolla Amarone, 1981 Fontafredda Barolo and 1980 Brunello de Montalcino.
There were two more wines from the collection added to the list by popular vote: a 1981 Casa Vincola Nino Inferno and a 1984 Sassicaia.

The guests for the evening were as follows: two WSET Instructors with decidedly different teaching techniques, a Chef who also imports Italian wines amongst his other myriad endeavors, the wife of one of the WSET instructors, a very charming lady in her own right, and a knowledgeable wine geek with no verbal inhibitions. We also had a friend with us whose wine knowledge basically consists of knowing what she likes, possibly not why, but who is never impressed by labels. Add to the mix myself and, of course, Wendy, who shares most of the wine I drink and definitely all of the good ones.

1962 Bersano Barolo
I had only two bottles of this wine left in the cellar. The labels were scuffed and torn. Ullage was good, very high shoulder. I had high hopes for these; Barolos, produced before Barolo became a Doc. One bottle was the first to be opened and was decanted for most of the evening. The second bottle was opened later and also decanted and aerated. The nose never came around. To put it in wine geek terms, they ended up being DNPIM and PDTS. Do Not Put In Mouth and Pour Down The Sink. So sad.

1978 Mauro Osvaldo Barolo
Typical old Barolo. Orange rim, light red colour . A little past its prime sadly, but still drinkable. Lots of sediment, still some tannins left, but soft. Still an enjoyable wine.

1981 Fontanafredda Barolo
There was a lot of bottle variation between these two bottles. Both bottles were quite acceptable and drinkable. Bottle number one still had quite a bit of floral, rose notes while bottle number two had not as many aromatics. Both bottles had high amounts of volatile acidity, but in a juicy, lip smacking way. Clear, garnet coloured with an orange rim. Clean on the nose, but not a lot of intensity. Tarry with a tiny hint of sherry notes. Tannins were smooth, medium minus. This wine was full bodied with more on the palate than the nose. At its outside edge of being drinkable.

1981 Casa Vincola Nino Negri Inferno
I foolishly made a comment that I would open two more wines from my collection to be determined by a popular vote. Democracy is a terrible thing. We do not have any Infernos available here and, of course, we needed to try another nebbiolo. The nebbiolo character was there, but the Inferno lacked the power of the Barolos. Not a lot of aromatics remained, but this wine was still interesting on the palate. The nose was clean, but a little tired. The tannins in this wine were still much in evidence, as with the Barolos, but the refinement was lacking.

1984 Sassicaia
The Sassicaia was another one of the wines that everyone wanted to taste. I thought that it would be a good benchmark wine for the Barolos. Different region, different style. Wonderful wine, but the Barolos muscled it into the background and kicked sand in its face. It should not have been tasted with the Barolos. I have had this wine before and it was remarkable when experienced on it's own. I thought the Cabernet would stand out more when compared with the Nebbiolos. That supposition turned out to be utterly and completely wrong.

1980 Brunello di Montalcino
Quite frankly, I did not intend to open this wine for this tasting. But, we had run out of wine. And...when you have a room full of wine geeks clamoring for more, it is definitely in your best interest to keep them entertained. This is one of Wendy's favorites. "The Girl on the Label Wine". This Brunello also outdid the Sassicaia. It has aged well, always lots of aromatics and fruit. As this was one of the wines tasted later in the evening, there were not a lot of detailed notes from anyone, just a lot of head nodding and lip smacking. It was picked as the second best wine of the evening. Every bottle of this wine that I have been privileged to experience has amazed me with its freshness and ability to persevere. Tannins like silk.

1964 Giovanni Scanavino Barolo

At last we come to the star of the evening. Both bottles were virtually identical. The labels were almost perfect, ullage was as when just bottled. These were ready to drink upon opening. Everyone started out doing the tech notes on this go round. Tasted blind, this wine would have sung out Nebbiolo; tar and roses and violets in the background. The fruit was hanging on like a suit that has seen better days, but is so well-made you always choose it. When the first bottle was poured, the descriptors were flying about the room. Then, one by one, everyone seemed to have their moment of silence and meditation. It takes a remarkable wine to shut up a room full of of wine geeks with a glass of wine in their hands. Yet,we sometimes recognize when a wine deserves and demands our attention. This is one of those wines. What the hell was this winemaker thinking when he was working with this wine? This is definitely a wine of its place and of its terroir. It must have been really incredible in its prime. Like Pavarotti's final performances, the power and the life is still there. Still breaking our hearts.

Barolo

2011-01-10T17:54:00.000-08:00

Barolo

Barolo is one of the great wines of the world. It was one of the first DOCGs granted, in 1980, which attests to the quality of wine produced in the region. This is a small DOCG, all of seven miles long and at its widest five miles, in the Piedmont region in northern Italy. Barolo wines have an ability to age for decades. The only grape permitted is the tannin monster, Nebbiolo.

Fontanafredda in the 1900's

It has been called the “King of wines and the wine of Kings”. Barolo was one of the favorite wines with the nobility and the ruling Kings of Savoy. The King of Savoy, Carlo Alberto owned various wine making estates in the region. His son Victtorio Emanuele founded the estate Fontanafredda and the colors of the House of Savoy are still visible on the Frontafredda buildings to this day. Wine made by Kings and for Kings.

Barolo and Nebbiolo both have a long history in the region but we will only highlight some of the important dates. Nebbiolo was mentioned as early as the 1200s. Some early legislation was enacted in 1909 to try and define the area and protect the name of Barolo. The boundaries changed a few times in the 1920's and in 1930 and again in 1934. However, there was little change in the region during the war years. In 1966, Barolo was awarded its DOC and its DOCG in 1980, again with some small boundary changes.

Serralunga

The Barolo zone has many different mesoclimates, soil types and altitudes that have broad effects on the wine produced. To simplify the complicated geology, there are two basic soil types producing two broad styles of wine. The wines of the Serralunga Valley tend to be a little bigger, with more tannins and higher alcohol. This area has a sand and limestone soil structure. The Central Valley to the west, La Morra, and the Barolo commune itself, to me, have more perfumed and truffle aromas, with less tannins. This valley has more clay and manganese in the soil. The wine producer can at times override the terrior though; it is best to compare one producer's different versions.

Barolo

There are eleven communes in the DOCG. Five which produce the majority of wine: Barolo, La Morra, Serralunga d’Alba, Castiglione Falletto and Monforte d’Alba . The other six are Verdune, Novello, Diano d’Alba Grinzane, Cavour, Roddi and Cherasco. These communes have been further divided into Cru style vineyards, somewhat similar to Burgundy. These vineyards though, have not been assigned a status as have Burgundy’s premier crus or grand crus. The Slow Food Group spent quite a few years researching and mapping these vineyards. This mapping was built upon Renato Ratti’s “Carta del Barolo”. Many producers since the eighties have been doing single vineyard bottling; you will see the name of the vineyard on the label. Some producers still only bottle a regional wine made from blends from vineyards all over the region, which is more traditional. Their thinking is that a blend of various vineyards makes for a better fuller wine. With all the possibilities of commune vineyards, producers and soil types you could have a nice lifetime hobby tasting all the variations and styles.

Botti

Barrique at Marquis de Barolo

There has been some controversy in the past about how Barolo should be made. There are the tradionalists and the so-called modernists. The tradionalists use long maceration periods of 20 days or more and use older, large barrels called botti, usually made from Slovenian oak. This style produces the more tannic, lighter colored versions of Barolo. The modernists use much shorter maceration times, seven to ten days and use smaller barrique size barrels, made from French Oak. This is the more international style with more approachable tannins, more color and fruit. A huge controversy developed in the 1980s, when families warred and even went their separate ways over how to make Barolo. It now seems that more producers are falling into a middle ground. The end result is that these wines are more approachable and can be enjoyed without years of aging, as in the past.

I thought this was interesting. It is taken from article eight of the DOCG regulations on what Barolo should be.

Color: garnet red, shot through with orange.

Odor: characteristic perfume, ethereal pleasurable and intense.

Flavor: dry, full, robust, austere yet velvety and harmonious

Annual production: 8 million bottles depending on vintage.

Aging: must be aged for three years, one must be in wood. Some producers will age longer. Yields: 56 hl/ha or 3.2 tons per acre.

Acreage planted: 4285

No Longer in the Minor Leagues or a Zero Dosage Champagne in BC

2011-01-04T20:17:00.000-08:00

We finally now have a Zero Dosage Champagne in British Columbia, yea! We actually an importer that has balls and will give us something else other than Brut to chose from. My hats off also to the LCB buyer who put this one on the shelf.
Champagne Lallier is a small family producer who have crafted this wonderful zero dosage Champagne. Zero dosage refers to that there is no sugar added at the disgorgement. The grapes come from Grand Cru grapes 70% pinot noir and 30% Chardonnay from Avize/Cramant. The quality of the grapes really show in this Champagne. Golden colour with a little touch of amber. The Chardonnay puts some citrus in the aroma and add in butter and brioche. Good mousse and long lasting bubbles. This wine has been aged for four years in chalk cellars. This is an excellent food wine, sharp as a razor and full bodied. If you are thinking gift giving, it has attractive in the box packaging. In my opinion you can not get better Champagne for the price point in British Columbia.I have added the LCB SKU to help you find this one. This is now my house Champagne. I look forward to a long full filling relationship. Hopefully it will keep my hands off the Salon that is stashed away.

LALLIER - ZERO DOSAGE 2005
Price: $ 89.95 Volume: 750 mL SKU: #14274
Imported by VonAlbrecht

Wine and Climate Change or don't sell the ranch

2010-12-12T14:48:00.000-08:00

Dad, I don’t know what you’ve heard about global warming, but it looks like we might be making a mistake selling the ranch. I know cattle prices are down and all, but apparently a rock ranch might have some value about now.
There was some big study done on Climate Change, and the BC government is thinking BC can grow grapes somewhere besides the Okanagan. And they’re spending money – big money – to find out where. Fifty grand, Dad, and another forty grand from the feds – all you gotta do is plant a few grapes to see which ones survive.
Those orchard guys sure picked up on this wine thing early. Did you know they’re getting a hundred thousand dollars an acre for grapes? Sure beats a couple of grand for grazing land.
Just think, no more dealing with cattle – all we’d have to handle are busloads of tourists lining up to taste our wine. Yeah, I guess the cattle prods might still have some use after all. And how’s this? We could change the barn into one of those rustic tasting room. Yup, you can charge ’em for the tasting. Those Yanks been doing it for years – never give away anything for free.
Maybe we can hire us that cute waitress from the bar to work the tasting room. No, I don’t think she needs to know anything about wine. Hey, I could be one of those wine geeks selling hundred dollar bottles of wine. Yes, Dad, people really do spend a hundred bucks on one bottle – sometimes even more.
No, I have NOT been drinking too much this morning. When it gets too hot for California to grow all those Napa Cabs, someone’s going to have to do it. And if it gets cold, we can just make ice-wine. No, it’s a tad more complicated than just adding ice cubes. You gotta let the grapes freeze right on the vine. Remember all those veggies we lost years back? Hell, no problem now. Might have a problem getting the boys off the horses and teaching them how to prune the vines – but oh well.

I checked it out, and there’s even some place in France that’s got just about as much rock as we do – Shaaa-toe-nuff de something. We can hire us one of those French guys to show us how to make wine with lots of points. You know points – up to a hundred. Nah, I haven’t a clue what the difference between 92 and 93 points would be either. But the more points you get, the more money you get – and we want to be selling our stuff for big bucks.
Yeah, Dad, it probably is a good thing they don’t give points to Rye and beer, might drive the price up. Anyway, let’s keep an eye on this. Hell, maybe we’ll finally be able to get rid of them snowshoes too.
Okay maybe a little to much humor for such a serious subject. To the folks at home in ranching country up north, have a look at developing a new business plan. A couple of videos below to shed a little more light on the subject.
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Absinthe the "Green Fairy" or "death in the afternoon"

2010-11-28T13:20:00.000-08:00

Ah! the Green Goddess! What is the fascination that makes her so adorable and so terrible?”—Aleister Crowley

Absinthe is a making a comeback, but there is a great deal of misinformation on our little green fairy and what she supposedly does. We will get into the subject of hallucinations later. Absinthe is a high alcohol spirit; since it does not have added sugar it is not considered a liqueur. It can be colorless or can have the traditional green color, which is derived from the chlorophyll in the herbs used. Chlorophyll acts almost like tannins in a wine, creating a drying sensation at the side of the mouth. The green version is known as “la fee verte”.

Like gin, cold compounding can be used to make a lower quality Absinthe, by the addition of essences and color to pure alcohol. There are so called Absinthe coming from Eastern Europe that is made this way. I have had some that where totally undrinkable. Some call it assbinthe. The little fairy really does not show up in the bottle at all.

Redistilling with grand wormwood, anise and fennel and other botanicals produces a proper Absinthe. Grande wormwood gives a slight bitter taste, fennel contributes licorice and sweetness. Anise gives the distinctive and defining flavor. Distillation integrates the flavors, giving a more uniform flavor profile.

Absinthe has a reputation of being psychotropic because the thujone present in grand wormwood. Studies have shown that there is just not enough thujone present in the bottle. There is also an urban legend that has Absinthe acting on the same area of the brain that is affected by THC. Once again an other study shows that is not so. Our little fairy has just been getting some bad press. By the way sage and rosemary also contain thujone.

Where did all the railing against Absinthe come from, and why was the green fairy banned, the poor little thing. In the mid eighteen hundreds Absinthe was cheap and was eating into the French wine market. The French wine industry to protect its profits, came out with a campaign, somewhat like prohibition to outlaw Absinthe. The press was used to vilify the product any way it could. A quote from the period “ Absinthe makes you crazy and criminal, provokes epilepsy and tuberculosis, and has killed thousands of French people. It makes a ferocious beast of man, a martyr of woman, and a degenerate of the infant, it disorganizes and ruins the family and menaces the future of the country.” Now, don’t you just want to try a glass of whatever it is that can cause all that mayhem and destruction? The French wine industry used its political might with lawmakers to ban Absinthe altogether.Our little girl just about disappeared.

Typical ad comparing the families of wine and Absinthe drinkers

Abinthe also had a reputation as being bohemian, and a drink of deranged poets and artists. The fairy kept some strange company. Toulouse Lautrec was known to drink six bottles a day. Lautrec also invented the earthquake, three oz of cognac and three oz of Absinthe. If you drink that much of a high alcohol spirit, possibly you may get a little deranged. Lautrec and others where pointed out as examples of what Absinthe could do to the mind. Oscar Wilde had a quote “Absinthe has a wonderful colour, green. A glass of absinthe is as poetical as anything in the world. What difference is there between a glass of absinthe and a sunset" This was after drinking all day, mind you. Hemingway was quoted in letter “Got tight last night on absinthe and did knife tricks. Great success shooting the knife underhand into the piano. The woodworms are so bad and eat hell out of all the furniture that you can always claim the woodworms did it”

Degas "The Absinthe Drinker"

Maignan "The Green Muse"

In 1912 Absinthe was banned in the US. France finally banned it in 1915. However in 1972 the law was changed in the US, products containing less than 10 milligrams of thujone, where ruled thujone free. It just took awhile for everyone to figure out that most Absinthes have less than 10 milligrams of thujone. Once everyone found out through testing the thujone level in most Absinthes, and being below the limit it became legal.

The traditional way of serving Absinthe is a wonderful ritual. A slotted spoon is placed over a glass, a sugar cube on the spoon and water dripped over the sugar cube. An effect called louching happens, the Absinthe turns cloudy. Some of the spoons are works of art in the own right and have become collector’s items.

Remarkably in British Columbia there is no upper limit on thujone levels.
We have a highly recommend Absinthe made in British Columbia called Taboo. As a side note Canada has never had a ban on Absinthe.

Death in the Afternoon

I like Hemmingway’s recipe so I will quote him directly.

“ Pour one jigger absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly. I heartily recommend drinking less than five of these, and you may also try pouring the absinthe on top instead; some brands of absinthe will float for a time on the Champagne, and this makes a nifty visual effect.”
Be careful with knives if you are having more than one. You never know what that little green fairy will do!

Ponderings on Points, Amarones, and Arias

2010-11-22T20:19:00.000-08:00

I am taking a few day off from work, so tonight I feel justified in picking something special to celebrate a clean desk and being home. A bottle of Amarone is definitely appropriate. The bottle I decide on is an Amarone Negar 1961. Yes the vintage is right, 1961.

It was a great year for Italian wine in 1961 – rain and sun in perfect balance. John Kennedy was president of the USA. The Berlin Wall was under construction. Maria Callas was 38 and at the height of her career. Sophia Loren was starring in El Cid, and I was all of nine years old.

The label is a little worn and torn. The fill level looks promising – still mid neck – although there is a little sediment. The cork seems to be okay – solid and removes easily without crumbling. Should I decant and risk adding too much air? I pour a glass to see what has happened to this 40-something wine.

The color is amazing – dark red, with a little orange and brick red on the rim. The nose is equally remarkable – still lots of fruit left on the nose, black cherry with truffle, and a little sherry oxidization odors in the background. A few swirls of the glass and the oxidative aromas disappear.

The taste and finish on this wine is surprising, still full of black cherry, truffles, and forest floor with a finish that lasts for minutes. The tannins are like silk, and there are not enough descriptors to describe the mouth feel and full body. The acidity must be holding this wine together.

Now, there is a caveat to this story. I love Amarone, so there is a built in basis here. But points and ratings have no relevance to this wine. It is, quite simply, a great wine. It is like the Callas aria playing on the stereo – powerful yet filled with grace and finesse. It is an Amarone at its heights. Yes, 1961 was a good vintage year for Italian wines.One bottle left.

This Amarone is a perfect example of why I hate the point system. Is this a 98 or only a 97 point wine? After all, how do you define the difference of a single point? Or has this venerable liquid actually achieved the enviable position of 100 points despite its initial hint of oxidation? It is only two additional points after all.

And if we were to rate it as a 98, would that make it comparable to the 2004 Cabernet Blend IX Estate from that received a 98 point nod from Robert Parker? Hmmm, let’s see. A three-year old blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot from Napa Valley versus an Italian Amarone with almost half a century of love, care, and passion in its provenance. Somehow, the comparison just doesn’t work – although I suppose one day, some scientist, somewhere in the world, will come up with a formula that proves you can actually make a meaningful comparison between apples and snow peas.

What is in My Gin and Pink Gin

2010-11-20T11:25:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered how your favorite Gin gets its flavor? Two very important components of this process are the various types of stills to choose from and the method used for adding flavor components. I will be following up with an article on the very different types of still used. For now, there are two basics methods to add flavor, one good the other not so good. Adding flavor compounds or essences to pure ethyl alcohol produces compounded gin. Cheap and not that great, compounded gins are not allowed to put “distilled gin “ on the label. That nasty lemon flavored gin from your youth was probably a compounded gin. No need to get into this any further

Redistilling neutral spirits with juniper and other botanicals makes a true distilled Gin. Every producer of gin has their own recipe, and therefore its own flavor profile. Botanicals are natural herbs, spices, peels, seeds or even rose petals. Each botanical brings different notes to the flavor profile.

Juniper legally is the only required botanical, Juniper adds some pine notes and lavender and a touch of heather.

Coriander is the second most commonly used ingredient and is used in a most of the premium gin brands. Spice pepper and some floral notes predominate,depending on the source. Indian coriander has the most citric notes. Grains of Paradise also lends peppery and a chocolate note.

Angelica root lends a musty earthy note, but in a good way. It balances the floral notes with its dry woody taste as well. Orris root has violet and scented notes. Cassia brings cinnamon tones to the mix. Anise is sometimes used for the slight licorice taste in some premium Gins. Throw in nutmeg, fennel, vanilla and cloves as well. The possible list of ingredients can be numbered in the hundreds.

Some producers use orange and citrus peels. Different peels are chosen to add different flavors. Citrus peels also work well with coriander. Most of the producers try and keep their recipe as house secret, but if you know the basic profiles of the botanicals, you can figure out which botanicals are used.

Hendricks uses most of the botanicals as well as cucumber and rose. Bombay Sapphire as well as the common ingredients also uses Spanish lemon peel, and Cubeb Berries.These berries have pine notes, which I taste as a background after taste. Tanqueray does not disclose their recipe other than listing, coriander and angelica. They are not quite so reluctant a let you know that Number ten has white grapefruit and chamomile. Plymouth Gin is not so shy in listing their mix of botanicals, they use fewer junipers and more sweet orange and lemon peels ,which add more essential oils, along with the usual suspects of orrisroot and angelica. The citrus gives Plymouth its full-bodied fruity taste. Aviation Gin as well as the regular stuff lists Indian Sarsaparilla as well which works well in some cocktails.

I think I need to mix a drink after all of this.

Pink Gin Cocktail

4 Drops of Angostura Bitters

2 Oz Gin

Swirl the bitters in a chilled Martin glass; add the gin, and a twist of lemon for garnish. Plymouth gin was the traditional brand for this cocktail but Hendricks works with the bitters as well. This drink was supposedly a favorite of the British Navy in the nineteenth century. There is the out form of this cocktail where the bitters are discarded after the swirl in the glass.

Ode To Terrior and Tasting Notes

2010-11-18T06:20:00.000-08:00

I hate tasting notes. Okay, maybe that’s too harsh. I dislike tasting notes – intensely.

Actually, I’ve written hundreds of tasting notes. I’ve written them on restaurant coasters, on the back of business cards, on program guides, and on god only knows what else. I have also spent many evenings in class writing tasting notes and have committed to memory the WSET systematic approach – I’m sure I can now write a note so anyone who has taken the WSET program would be able to pick out the wine I’m describing.

And I read other people’s tasting notes. Books on evaluating wine fill my bookshelves – lots of pages and hundreds, more likely thousands of hours of reading. I peruse glossy wine magazines, newspapers, and the Internet although many of those entries make me want to cry – bad grammar and a total lack of information. I’ve discovered Wine Spectator even has a game: match the wine with the tasting note plus a silly tasting note generator – fun for a while but the novelty wears off soon.

The problem with most tasting notes is that they don’t actually tell you anything. They don’t put the wine in any context. Is it typical of its type or region? Is it a wine for sipping or one that needs food to be enjoyed more fully? And is there something horribly wrong with saying whether you actually liked it or not?

Most tasting notes are all very politically and technically correct. You put the wine in a glass – preferably the same ISO glass every time so you have a benchmark for comparison. You go through the list for whatever system you use, dutifully comparing what’s in your glass against a series of standards. At the end of the exercise, you allocated points or stars or say it is – or isn’t – technically correct.

Sure, what you’ve just written will remind you, at a later date, whether the vintage you just had tastes like black pepper and blackberries, whether it has some sweet vanilla overtones, or perhaps the zing of lime. But when you get right down to it, most of your efforts have basically been useless.

Where in all these notes is the soul of the wine, the “Ahhhh” that is a truly outstanding wine? Where in these notes is the terroir, the art of the winemaker, the joy and pleasure?

Give me some indication of how the wine affected you. Did you love it or hate it? Was it perfect for sitting on the front porch on a sunny afternoon? Would you buy it for your wife or for yourself? Is this a wine you would take to Mom’s for dinner?

The notes I write for myself tend to descriptors and adjectives that aren’t techno or politically correct. They are about the people I had the wine with, the food or the music that went with a particular bottle of wine. My favorite Amarone I describe as “Sophia Loren dressed in silk and eating black cherries.” Another I describe as “Callas hitting a perfect high C in a Rossini opera.”

Emile Peynaud, writing in his book The Taste of Wine, is able to put techno and art together. He talks of how Bordeaux tasters describe their wines with references to their mistresses, while those from Burgundy use analogies about their wives. Alas, this style of comparison is no longer seen as “correct” although his techno notes still set a benchmark in the wine world.

Most of the wines I drink for pleasure are ones that come from a special “someplace” or are made by small wineries. I guess I am looking for the art of the winemaker. Maybe one day I will find a way to put that in a tasting note.

The Great Champagne Quandary: An Afternoon with Pol Roger

2010-11-15T18:00:00.000-08:00

Do we really need a celebration to have Champagne? Why is it that typically there has to be a wedding, birthday, or New Years to pop open a bottle of bubbly? Champagne pairs well with food, so why not open a bottle simply while prepping dinner?

Somehow, though, most people feel as if they need some rational to reach for a bottle of bubbly.

Mind you there have been some who could find excuses easily. Coco Chanel is said to have only drunk Champagne on two occasions – when she was in love or when she was not. Churchill started his day with Pol Roger – a bottle a day just to get things going. Someone, I’m not sure who, said you needed Champagne as much in defeat as in victory.

Sunday, I decided that being a rainy and dark afternoon was reason enough to have a bottle of Champagne. But not just any bottle, the day merited a great bottle of bubbles.
Surprisingly, I experienced a nagging sense that I was being decadent or doing something over the top. There were, after all, accomplishments and achievements over the last few months that I hadn’t yet taken time to acknowledge or celebrate. To hell with it, it was Sunday afternoon and I was alive and well – that was reason enough.

Now all that was over with, the question became what to have? Something with just a little edge – a Blanc de Blanc with a little power to it. I considered the two bottles of Salon but they need a little age. I’m also still using the notion that they are investments to justify the inclusion in the cellar.

Since there were no other bottles of Champagne in the wine fridge or in the rack, it was off to the liquor store. On the way, I still had to fight off that annoying sense of needing a reason.

After exploring the latest new arrivals at the liquor store, I found a bottle of Pol Roger vintage Blanc de Blanc – a 1999. All the grapes from this cuvee are from grand cru vineyards in the Cotes de Blancs. All the bottles have undergone hand remuage. The 1999 vintage was warm, and the rain came at the right time. Good vintage, good grapes, good producer. This was just what I was looking for. By the time I got home, the nagging went away.

The bottle went into the ice bucket immediately, and after what seemed to be a suitable interval to show some decorum, the bottle was opened.

The bubbles were very fine and persistent to the eye, a wonderful light gold color. The nose was at first toast and almonds, then after a few moments floral notes started coming to the forefront with a secondary note of iodine or seashore if you prefer. All good so far, in fact the nose was quite wonderful.

On the palate the acidity was well balanced by the 10.5 grams of residual sugar. The palate as well started out toasty, but not as yeasty as I’d expected. The floral got a little more specific and became all violets. The bubbles remained persistent in the glass. The finish was long, and it had a nice edge right till the end of the bottle. Seafood – oysters especially – would be a good food match.The Pol Roger went well Kettle Valley Potato chips by the way.

And there’s no question that being Sunday afternoon was reason enough to have this excellent Blanc de Blanc.

Retail was $88 at the LCB, but this Champagne seems to be available for around $80 on the net.

I’ve heard a quote of uncertain origin – in victory, you deserve Champagne, in defeat, you need it – attributed to Winston Churchill but more often to Napoleon. Who knows, perhaps it was a grand case of plagiarism.

However, one of my favourite quotes is from the grand lady of Champagne herself – Lily Bollinger. When asked when she drank Champagne, her famous reply was:

I only drink Champagne when I’m happy… and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I am not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it – I unless I’m thirsty.

Frank Haddad CSW CSS thanks to every one who has subscribed so far. Blanc-de-Noir48KAV6DA4U5Y

Wines of the Week

2010-11-14T07:03:00.000-08:00

Castillo de Monseran, Grenacha, Carinena DO Spain $9.99

An excellent wine for the price point. Typical Grenache flavors of red berry fruit with some black cherry Very juicy, a little spicy with good acidity, easy to drink. Good food wine. Alcohol 12.5% LCB SKU 197806 / 831906002788

Domaine St Damien 2009 Cote de Rhone “Bouveau” $20.00
Another good value for the price point and being from the Cote de Rhone. A blend of Syrah and Cinsaut and a little Grenache. Blue and red fruits and licorice. Very full-bodied. No filtering and no fining. Parker points 90-92. Alcohol 15.1%. From Marquis Wines

Vieux Telegraphe 2006 Chateaneuf de Pape $74.99
This is just so good. The family has been making this wine for over a hundred years. Grenache noir 65%, Mourvèdre 15%, Syrah 15%, Cinsault, Clairette and others 5%. Old vines and hand picked. No fining. Dark red to ruby color. Spicy with incense, lavender, pepper, and copious quantities of black cherry and raspberry fruit. Full-bodied. No fining. Parker points 90-93. Alcohol 14.5%.
LCB SKU103713 / 3374830011039 or Marquis Wines

1982 Vignaveja: An Elegant Old Vintage

2010-11-12T20:00:00.000-08:00

Old wines are always something of a mystery. Case in point, the bottle of 1982 Vignaveja we’re about to uncork. What is going to happen when I open this vintage? Will it be dead, oxidized, or will it be a wonderful old bottle full of life still?

This particular bottle is actually Susan’s – a semi bribe and pay back for some editing she did for me at very last minute. The “fee” was two older bottles of wine from my cellar preferable at least one of them a Gaja that she’s always wanted to try. However, she very graciously decided to share this bottle with me. Wonderful woman.

There where problems from the start. A very long cork that really didn’t want to allow itself to be removed from the bottle where it had rested for quite sometime – almost 27 years to be exact. With a lot of work, we finally managed to remove the cork although in many pieces – many, many very small pieces.

As we decanted the wine – surprisingly there was just a little sediment in the bottom of the bottle – a wonderful smell of fruit and leather filled the room. The color was a deep dark red, also very surprising. But would it hold up? Sometimes with older wines, I’ve had them die as soon as soon as they get hit with air.

The colour, too, was amazing for its age – a deep red with a brick red rim and no hints of orange or brown at all. How long would the color last?

Mentally, I was trying to do a WSET tasting note – impossible. Each sip, every glass changed by the minute. The first glass started out as dried roses, dark cherry, and vanilla. Half way through, a little bit of smoky notes made an appearance. The second glass became all about leather and tar, truffles and forest floor. There where still some tannins, but with the corners rounded off, then pure silk. The acidity was present all the way through. Very long finish, quite amazingly long, in fact. The third and final glass started out all truffles, mushrooms, saddle leather, and earth. Then suddenly, with an ounce or so left in the glass, it died and became all sherry notes and acid.

Still, there’s no question this was an amazing wine – Nebbiolo (seen left) again showing remarkably well for its age. Apparently it originally sold for less than $30 although I could find very little about this vintage on the web. Wine Spectator rated the 1983 at 94 points. If any one has any information on this wine, we’d love to hear about it.

Susan’s Note:

Okay, sure I’ll often do Frank’s editing for free but this one was a bit “extreme” – half an hour to take care of some promotional material that should have been at least a four hour job – so I figured it was the perfect opportunity to snag the Gaja I’ve had my eye on for over a year. Success at last.

But I have to confess that somehow this wine would have been much diminished if drunk solo. Just like the older Barolo that will likely be the cost of his next extreme edit. Frank Haddad CSW,CSS and Susan BoyceBlanc-de-Noir

A Night of Film,Music and WIne

2010-11-11T13:52:00.001-08:00

The Vancouver Latin American Film Festival is holding its annual fundraiser, A Night of Film, Music, and Wine, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday (November 17) at Granville 7 Cinemas (855 Granville Street). A screening of Mercedes Sosa Cantora, un Viaje Intimo ( Cantora, An Intimate Journey ), a documentary about the acclaimed recording artist, will be embellished with wine, hors d’oeuvres, door prizes, and live music by Latin guitarists Joaquin Ernesto and Pancho y Sal. Tickets are $20, available at www.vlaff.org/.

A Little Bit On Grenache

2010-11-10T10:51:00.000-08:00

SyrahRhone ValleyYou gave to feel sorry for poor Grenache. It has an identity problem and very rarely gets any billing.This grape is a little wild and some times you don't even know when you are drinking it.
Grenache Noir, as it is known in France is called Granacha Tinta in Spain. It can also be called Cannonau in Sardinia, Alicante in some parts of France or Aragon, Aragones in Spain. Grenache can be called Lladoner, Uva di Spagna, Tentillo, Tinto and Bois Jaune. Garnacha Tintorera is not Grenache at all. Garnacha Tintorera is really Alicante Bouschet, which is not the same grape as plain old Alicante. You see the identity problem.
Grenache is either first in acreage planted or comes in second in the world depending on the source consulted. However, Grenache however is not as widely planted around the world as Cabernet Sauvignon. Grenache needs to have a long warm growing season. So, many wine regions around the world cannot grow Grenache successfully.
For those of you who do not care about the geek stuff,pass over this paragraph. Galet lists some 362 clones of Grenache, which can have implications on quality and yield. Grenache will oxidize easily if not treated well in the winery and then will not age well. Treated properly, it will age well; some of the Chateauneuf de Pape will age for years. Grenache works well with goblet style pruning and poor well-drained soils. Grenache buds early but needs a long growing cycle to ripen properly. The yields need to be kept low to attain quality. It also suffers from coulere and downy mildew. For those of you who do blind tasting, Grenache is light in color but high in alcohol which is unusual and add in the lower acidity, this helps identify Grenache. It shows more red fruit and white pepper than it common blending partner, Syrah with its black fruit and black pepper.
Grenache is all about strawberries, pepper, roasted nuts and spice. It is a low acid grape and has moderate tannins, but still a little on the wild rustic side. Then as it seduces you with its lovely fruit, it can whack you on the side of the head with its possible production of high alcohol, up to 16% and intoxicating delight. Something like a bad girl friend, I suppose. Defiantly not as refined and elegant as a Merlot, but oh ,so much more fun.
Grenache gets hidden away, with many different wine styles using it; again with the identity problem. It is used in those wonderful Tavel roses for a brunch sipper, the big dry reds from the Rhone, and also in the fortified wines of Banyuls. I have known people that have developed an addiction to Banyuls and chocolate. I have received phone calls late at night, asking if I have a bottle stashed away somewhere. Poor souls. Be careful of those seemingly carefree Tavel roses as well, a big alcohol punch hidden in the fruity strawberry flavors.
Grenache rarely gets the big label billing that a Cab or Merlot can get. In the old world it hides away on the AOC regional label. The Cote de Rhones from France must have a least forty percent Grenache. The wines from Roussilon also have some in its blend and also shows up in Vin de Pays through out southern France. The Spanish who have grown it for about eight hundred years, hide the name, under the regions of Priorat with their almost black wines with huge amounts of alcohol, blend it in Rioja and use it in Navarra with their roses. The great Spanish wine Vega Sicilia uses Granacha as part of it blends, a big wonderful wine. Too bad the bank account shudders when this one is brought home. At the other end of the spectrum, in California’s Central Valley they can beat it up with over yielding vines and use it in jug wines. Bonny Doon and Alban can show it well with their do to low yields and care and attention. Australia again uses it as a blend with GSMs (Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre) look for Penfolds and D’Arenberg. Grenache is Australians big secret ingredient. That Shariz you have been drinking probably has a little Grenache in it.
Chateauneuf de Pape does it the best by far. Grenache is one of the main red grapes of the thirteen permitted in the AOC. Vieux Telegraphe and Chateaux Beaucastel are at the top end but use different amounts of Grenache in their blends. At their price point they are so much better than cult Cabs. Look for Cote de Rhone and Gigondas and Vacqueyras at lower price points, but very good quality.
It is hard to make a generlization on food pairings and Grenache as it comes in many styles. Banuylus as mentioned before, think of chocolate desserts. The Roses are great afternoon or brunch wines. The Rhone Valley think of roasted or ' barby 'meats.
This weekend forget the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Merlot. Get a bottle of some form of Grenache preferably a Southern Rhone. Call your significant other, turn down the lights put some music on and indulge a little in something different. If you have the Beaucastel, I will not be held responsible for what happens. If you liked this or the Beuacastel worked, scroll up to the top right hand corner and enter your e-mail and click on subscribe
There are some opportunities to taste Grenanche coming up in Vancouver.
The ladies from House Wines have a tasting coming up November 9th which they are calling an Ode to Grenache. Check out our post last week on the House Wine Tastings .www.housewine.ca .
Marquis Wines is doing a dinner at La Gavroche, November 10th,called Wines of the Rhone Valley. By the way you can pick up the Beaucastel and the Vieux Telegraphe at Marquis. www.marquis-wines.com.

Bordeaux at House Wines

2010-11-04T17:04:00.000-07:00

The other night, I attended a tasting hosted by the ladies of House Wines – Michaela Morris and Michelle Bouffard. If you’re a Wine and Spirit Ed ucation Trust or an International Somm elier Guild student, this is an inexpensive way to practice your tasting notes. If your intention is to taste an array of wines and do a comparison of different styles, it’s a venue I’d recommend since you get to try new wines without having to spring for the whole bottle.

The evening was built around Bordeaux blends. The Bordeaux AOC allows for the following red grape varieties; Merlot (shown right), Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec,

Petit Verdot, and Carmenere meaning a Bordeaux is a wine with any of these grapes blended together.

The price range of the wines varied widely, peaking with the 2004 San Leonardo Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT from Italy at $110. The opposite end of the spectrum was represented by the 2008 Trivento “Reserve” Cabernet Malbec from the Mendoza region of Argentina and cost a mere $13. The British Columbia entry was the 2006 Mission Hill Compendium VQA priced at $40, a wine that compared very well with all the foreign competition. The value wine of the evening was also the only white, a Mouton Cadet Bordeaux Blanc AOC coming in at $14. This wine is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.

The event was a great value with 12 wines on offer for $40. The next tasting by House Wines is on November 9^th and is titled an Ode to Gernache. This should be a great evening as Grenache encompasses so many different styles. Hope to see you there.

Susan’s note: One thing you can be sure of with any of Michelle and Michaela’s tastings, they make learning fun and you just never know what surprises they’ll have in store for you when it comes to the wines you taste. I mean honestly, don’t these two ladies look like they’re having fun? I wasn't able to attend this one, but you can be sure I'll be on board at the Grenache tasting. Frank Haddad CSW CSS and Susan Boyce blanc-de-noir.blogspot.com

Frank Finds Scotch Whiskey and Chocolate

2010-10-25T19:42:00.000-07:00

I must admit that as a regular Scotch drinker, pairing Scotch with chocolate isn’t something I’ve ever thought about. I love Scotch and chocolate. But matching the two together simply never occurred to me.

So when the West Coast Chocolate Festival put on such a pairing, I had to
check it out. Marcus Von Albrecht supplied the Scotches, Heather Rondeau from XOXOLAT took on the challenge of pairing them with chocolate.

The first Scotch was a Finlaggan Old Reserve (40% ABV). Very pungent, full bodied, and smoky with a nice long finish. It had a slight background taste of chocolate, but earthy. This was matched with an Amano 70% single origin chocolate. A Venezuelan criollo with some cherry, it had some smoky, burnt taste that went well with the Scotch.

Second was an Ileach Peaty (40%ABV). The word “peaty” was accurate — go out into the bog, grab some peat, shove it in a glass, and you pretty much have it. There was also a light, oaky finish with an oily bit late on the palate. The chocolate was XOXOLAT’s 75% with blueberry bits — very smooth as the supplied tasting notes implied. Forrastero beans supplied some earthy notes, and the blueberries worked surprisingly well with the Scotch.

Next on the agenda was a 10-year-old Tantalian (40%ABV). Light oak taste perhaps from bourbon barrels. Cloves and other spicy notes accentuated the long, textured semi-creamy finish. Paired with Cardamom Crème Brulee in a dark chocolate heart, this match was the best of the evening. Spice with spice — perfect.

Next was, for me, the dram of the evening. Caol Ilia 29-year-old (46%ABV). Smoke, sage, vanilla, sweet spice, citrus, and a very, very long finish. A truly remarkable Scotch, this one is coming up for sale in November — get a bottle or two if you can. The nose isn’t as good as what hits your palate, but hit your palate is what is does. Extremely well balanced. The chocolate match here didn’t have much of a chance, though it tried. Amano Madagascar 70% Single Origin by Amano: criollo beans with citrus and raspberry. It worked, sort of, but the Caol Ilia was just too much for the chocolate.

The final paring of the evening was quite remarkable. Ten-year-old Laphroaig. This was a private bottling of only 700 hundred bottles and a product we no longer get in our market — which makes me want to cry. So it was wonderful tasting this favourite again. All sea salt, iodine, and peat, this is an Islay through and through — a big, huge peat monster that kicks you. The most intense of all whiskeys and one I really miss. The Laphroaig Quarter Cask we have in this market just doesn’t do it. I was thinking there was no chocolate that could work with this one, but Heather proved me wrong. She matched it with a tripled-smoked maple-caramelized bacon with some espresso in a dark milk chocolate. It stood up well and matched the peat monster.

So yes, I discovered, you can match chocolate and Scotch — although some pairings work better than others. Congratulations to Marcus and Heather who both did a great job. The West Coast Chocolate Festival runs in Vancouver till November 10, 2010. Check it out.

Wine, Romantic Encounters, and WSET

2008-04-13T22:06:00.000-07:00

I think Frank is having an affair. He mutters her name constantly – sometimes lovingly, sometimes not so much so. Her picture appears in books on the coffee table, on the dashboard in the truck, even pinned on the bathroom mirror with some unintelligible scribbles and notations below it. I know he sometimes even takes her to bed.

Like all relationships, there is a definite up and down cycle to his infatuation with this woman. As his WSET exam gets closer he finds her more frustrating. At other times, he finds her charming, witty, and distinctly sexy. But he relies on her totally and without reservation. “I just can’t be without her,” he’ll sometimes confess.

I suspect that if Frank ever actually met her face to face and in person, he would give her the traditional European greeting – three kisses on alternating cheeks – right, left, right. He might even hug her.

Tonight Frank writes the vinticulture portion of his WSET Diploma exam. Perhaps when he’s done and the marks are tallied, he will close the Oxford Companion to Wine and Jancis Robinson will be forgotten for a short while. Perhaps. At least until it’s time for the next exam.

The Chianti Challenge: Three Decades of Frescobaldi

2008-03-31T23:09:00.000-07:00

Anyone who’s read Blanc de Noir for long knows we’re both huge fans of Italian wines. There’s just something about the diversity, quality, and sheer fun factor of Italian wines – whether it’s a casual summer patio sipper or a robust vintage to accompany a big, festive dinner or one of the meditative Amarones that are still way up there on our list of favourites.

So when BC Wine Appreciation Society decided to add a couple of Italian wines to an educational tasting scheduled just prior to the 2008 Playhouse International Wine Festival – the theme country for this year’s festival was, after all, Italy – Frank and our illustrious BCWAS leader, Tim Ellison, decided to add a twist to the event. How about putting up a couple of Italian wines with the usual BC vintages? Frank, however, took the concept one step farther.

Here’s the deal. From BC: three sparklers, four Pinot Grigios, two Pinot Noirs, a Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Merlot. From Italy: three Chiantis – just three and all from Frescobaldi, one of Italy’s most respected winemakers (multi-generations shown above).

Here’s the catch. The Chiantis were bottled in 2004, 1982, and 1975. No, it’s not a typo. The last two came from the collection of Italian wines Frank recently acquired – one of those fantastic opportunities that come about from being in the right place and the right time and having way more patience than most when it comes to negotiating.

Alas, on the night of the event, Frank was sick with flu, but you can bet eyes went wide as people realized what he’d sent.

The 2004 was, pretty much as expected, dark purple with lots of fruit and tannins that were more “in your face” than makes for a good sipping wine unless you’re eating. But truth is, few people spent much time with that particular wine since they were all eager to try the two older offerings.

Immediately apparent was the change in colour – now tawny with a much larger rim than the 2004. Controversy was plentiful and several people found neither one was “quite my thing” as one member put it in an attempt to be diplomatic. The level of oxidization, especially in the 1975, caused raised eyebrows among half the folks there. It was virtually unanimous that the ’82 needs to be drunk now and the ’75 is clearly a bit past its prime – although not a soul suggested it should be tossed.

However wide ranging the evening’s opinions were, one thing we all did agree on. These are wines made with love and benefit from patience.

Frank’s Tasting Notes:

Castello di Nipozzano Riserva 1982
This wine has aged well, probably because it is a Riserva. After more than a quarter of a century there’s still lots of fruit left – black cherry and dark fruits with a note of white truffles in the background. The tannins have smoothed right out so they are now a little silky, and the finish is fairly long. This wine shows just how well age can improve a Chianti. Alcohol 12.5%. All the bottles for both these wines are numbered – I have 10 left, all around 84,960 series out of 293,600 bottles produced in 1982.

Castello di Nipozzano Chianti Rufina 1975
Sadly just a little past its prime but still drinkable as the acidity has helped this one hold up. Wide orange rim, brick red colour. Truffles leave sherry undertones. This vintage has shown a lot of bottle variation – the fruit showed up a little more in this one than the first one we tried. Alcohol 12.7%. The last bottle I have left is number 74324 of 80,000 bottles produced.

Spanish Garnacha: A Steal of a Deal

2008-03-11T08:37:00.000-07:00

I keep bumping into the guy. First in the Bordeaux section, a couple of minutes later we’re both cruising through the Sauvignon Blancs of New Zealand. I head for Piedmont, and there he is – again. We smile at each other over Cognac, one of those “okay, this is either too weird or too funny” sort of smiles. But it’s not till we simultaneously hit Spain that we actually strike up a conversation.

Clearly, this man has a fairly upscale taste in wines. Not that I was actually checking out his purchases… much. I guess I just “happened” to notice some of the bottles. Since he obviously likes all the same wine regions Frank and I do, I wanted to see if he chose anything we hadn’t tried. Not much under $40 will find its way to his table. So when I see him piling bottles of $9.95 Castillo de Monseran Garnacha from Spain into the now groaning basket, I can’t help myself – I have to ask.

“One of the best deals going,” he tells me. Then he actually winks at me – it’s a cute wink too. “Just don’t tell too many people about it – all the more for us.” A good natured laugh and he’s gone. What the heck, at the price, if it’s awful, I figure it will pour down the drain more easily than some of the pricier stuff that’s been know to suffer the same fate. I snag a bottle.

A couple of days later I’ve got a spicy chicken stir fry on the go, a quiet evening with just my book ahead, and uh-oh – no Riesling to go with dinner. In fact, there’s nothing that seems to go with the food. I manage to catch Frank just before he goes into his meeting. “Am I absolutely crazy or do you think the Garnacha might work?”

Initially Frank’s not impressed, but after some deliberation, we decide it will probably be a more or less acceptable though not stellar pairing. With 12.5% alcohol, it’s at least not going to totally burn out the taste buds when it hits the chili spices on the chicken. I cross my fingers, open the bottle, and hope for the best. The kitchen sink is within arms reach.

The initial nose is surprising. Exotic spices – cloves, allspice, cinnamon. There’s a whisper of anise and leather too, kind of like John Wayne strolling through the kitchen chewing on a licorice Twist. Later coffee and cocoa appear introducing a not unpleasant grittiness like riding through the desert.

And it worked with the chicken too – as expected, not stellar, but not half bad. There was a complementary nature to the spices and just enough of fruitiness in the meat’s marinade to work with the wine. Alas, Tenderland Meats on Granville Island where I buy it aren’t parting with the secrets of all the seasonings they use, but they did confirm there’s allspice, cilantro, and sweet green chili peppers. I’m betting there might be a hint of papaya in there somewhere too.

Hopefully, one day I’ll run into the gentleman with the cute wink. I’d like to tell him he was right, this wine is a steal of a deal. And I wonder if he knows it also goes fabulously well with the chocolate Hedgehog from Purdy’s Chocolates that I had after dinner – that pairing is almost stellar. Sorry, Frank, I guess it slipped my mind to tell you about the Hedgehog.

The Wine: Castillo de Monseran Garnacha 2006 ($9.95) - if you find their website, please let us know because we couldn't
The Food: Chicken Chili Stir Fry from Tenderland Meats
The Chocolate: Hedgehogs from Purdy’s Chocolates
The Scoop: One of the best under $10 values going

Romance with 2002 Zinfandels

2008-02-24T18:03:00.000-08:00

Okay, it was actually a few days before Valentine’s. But clearly our uncharacteristically small group of Vancouver American Wine Society members who had gathered to compare a horizontal flight of ten 2002 Zinfandels were jumping into the spirit of romance.

Here they come in the order we tasted, and although it would be fun, we can take no credit for the final “heartfelt” evaluations of the ten offerings – each was delivered from an appointed, if sometimes reluctant, spokesperson at a different table.

Wine #1: Paso Robles Westside from Peachy Canyon Winery
Thin, weak, and presenting surprisingly little fruit either on the nose or the palate. This wine is like a ghostly and somewhat disappointing lover. Neat tasting room though as seen at the right.

Wine #2: Alexander Valley Todd Brothers Ranch from Dashe Cellars
Made with 4% Petit Syrah, the general consensus was that this wine was approaching – or perhaps even past – its prime. Tannins were still a bit coarse, and there was definite sediment. This wine was ranked as a dark and sultry, if a bit over the top lover.

Wine #3: Sonoma Valley Rhinefarm Vineyard from Gundlach Bundschu Winery
Softer and with a better balance than the previous one, most people agreed this wine showed coffee, chocolate, and mint overtones. The finish was longer, smoother like a well-oiled lover – apparently appealing as this wine was ranked Number One of the evening.

Wine #4: Amador County Grandpere from Renwood Winery
Made from old vines though from a newer winery (shown right), this wine was deemed somewhat austere. Oak on the nose but light in fruit, this wine – according to the table’s spokesperson – would not be finding its way onto her table nor into her bedroom even on Valentine’s Day.

Wine #5: Dry Creek Valley from Chateau Souverain
Not offensive, merely flat and faded from time with not enough fruit remaining to be worth mentioning. This wine is one lover who simply doesn’t deliver – even after midnight.

Wine #6: Dry Creek Valley from Foppiano Vineyards
Although we knew this vineyard specializes in “affordable,” this vintage was rather like stuffing your face full of penny candy in the general store. A fickle lover – even on a one night stand, first he thought he loved her, then he didn’t, then he did.

Wine #7: Napa Valley from Napa Wine Company
Like a chameleon, this wine exhibited the most dramatic amount of change of any poured this evening and garnered second favourite in the process. On the palate cedar, tobacco, and barnyard. In bed, an almost schizoid lover – but definitely one you’d happily suggest a roll in the hay with.

Wine #8: Napa Valley Old Vines from Fife Vineyards
Simple and somewhat nondescript but still comfortable, this wine is from old vines. Good for mindless quaffing on an open-air patio. A lover wearing nothing but flannel pajamas.

Wine #9: Napa Valley from Ravenswood Winery
Although this wine didn’t open as much as many of us had expected, it was “no wimpy wine.” Brawny and well structured, a few people found a hint of cream soda. This one is a somewhat reticent lover but definitely well built lover – perhaps even a redhead. (Note: these guys have a really fun website and a terrific sense of humour. Here’s an excerpt: At Ravenswood, there’s no pinkie raising, Brie eating, wine spitting wimpiness. Oh no. At the home of No Wimpy Wines, you’ll get to taste mind blowing zinfandel, witty conversation with our behind-the-bar staff and, if you so choose, private or group tours of the winery aka Zinfomania Central.)

Wine #10: Napa Valley from Rutherford Ranch
Controversy swirled around this wine as it became clear there was an almost unbelievable amount of bottle variation between each of the three that were poured. Some felt theirs was corked, others said “no, it’s just the style.” Was it a Madame wearing pancake make up and a feather boa or a great lover who hadn’t showered for a week? Few could agree.