Our First Spring Wine Release Special of 2021

 

THE SHOW

  

You can set your clocks by this moment in the year.  Spring shows itself in green “everything”  plus  warmer days and beautiful longer nights.

For the farmers and winegrowers its “Bud Break”. One of  the first signs of life from the wines.

To celebrate, we’ll be presenting a series of these Spring Specials starting with our friends,  the segment sponsors of Tasting Room Radio.

Enrico in the Cowichan Valley, Moon Curser in Osoyoos, The Hatch in West Kelowna.

Next week Hillside, one of the first on the Naramata Bench.

 Celebrate the future with a glass of wine with your family and friends. It’s Spring 2021

 

Develyn Barker –  The ‘Artful Dodger’ of The Hatch (West Kelowna)

 If you’ve never been there, it’s almost impossible to describe the talented community gathered at The Hatch. However, their smarts and passion show in the wines.

The leader is the Fagan of the Okanagan,  winemaker Jason Parkes. JP is the hub of a wine-making wheel called The Hatch.

Please let me give you an example.

Hatch World includes:

Crown and Thieves                                         Spirit and Fizz

Black Swift Vineyards                          Cactus Fruit

Screaming Frenzy                                           The Hatching Post Brewery

Truck 59 Cidery                                     Proper Man – New album 40 Elephants

(Fifty Shades of J and Fifty Beards Old)

This segment is just a small piece of the whole wine picture at The Hatch.

Spring Wine Releases  from Crown and Thieves

2020  Mr. Hickenbothom – Chardonnay

2020 Pinky Blinders – Rose

2020 Little Nipper – Pinot Gris

2020 Winemakers Wench – Blend (Chard. Roussanne. Pinot Gris. Viognier)

 2014 – Scoundrels Punch  $29.00  Amazing blend. 6 years in the barrel. (Hello?  6 years – 29 Bucks?)

2017  Broken Wing – Merlot $38.99

2017 The Arch Doxy – Cab Franc $44.99

And then a tease of two new big reds. (in the photo above)

Fifty Shades of J

Fifty Beards Old.

AND they’re just getting started. Coming up – new wineries, new wines, new ideas.

They will be announcing four new wines every Friday in May

Thanks to our guest Develyn Barker,  The Artful Dodger, and his boss Fagan.

 

www.thehatchwines.com

Beata and Chris Tolley – Founders and leaders at Moon Curser (Osoyoos)

(Best small winery in Canada and the #2 winery of the top 25 in Canada)

 

 

They make a lot of everything at Moon Curser. All with new labels.

Keep an eye out for:

Roussanne Marsanne

Moonlit Viognier Bubble

Dolcetto

Touriga National

Tannat

Syrah. Tempranillo. Petit Verdot.

 

New Spring Releases include:

2020 Arneis. The “little rascal” of Piemonte . Also called Barolo Bianco. They believe it’s the only one grown in Canada. $25.99

2019 Border Vines. 62 Cab/15 Cab Franc/9 Petit Verdot/9 Malbec/5 Carmenere . Big Bold Bordeaux $27.99

2019 Dead of Night. 53 Tannat/47 Syrah. Can be cellared up to 10 years. $39.99

2019 Malbec $31.99. Cellar 7-10 years.

Moon Curser can be contacted online, tastings arranged and wine discovered and purchased.

They open right after May long weekend.

Spring Releases from Le Vieux Pin, Noble Ridge and celebrating World Malbec Day

THE SHOW

 

It’s quite a line up today. Founders, owners, winemakers, viticulturalists and three of the best wine minds I know.

Leslie D’Andrea – co-founder/owner of Noble Ridge  Okanagan Falls.

Leslie brings the  next group of  Spring releases from a very busy winery.

 

FYI – Now open daily from 10-5 (May-October)

NV “The Fizzy One”  Frizzante Sparkling 60% Pinot Gris 40% Viognier – a 100% fun. Lush Pink Grapefruit and citrus  on the nose. The palate is clean, brisk and loaded with berry flavours. and here’s the best part. $21.99. How long do you think 300 cases will last?

2020 Rose’

100% Cabernet Sauvignon Provence style. Pear and herbs take you to a lasting finish.There’s no need to hurry through this rose’…linger a while. Salads, seafoods, soft cheese, chicken or the love of your life. $21.65  Only 120 cases.

2019 Meritage

84% Merlot  16% Cabernet Sauvignon 12 months in barrel. 75% French  25% American. 20%  New Oak. Berry and  dark ripe current on the nose. Herb and a solid minerality/graphite straight down the middle.Hints of heated barn wood and chocolate. yes I know, I’m getting carried away.Which is  what a good wine should do for you. And the bonus is – $22.00 and they made 1984 cases.

 

www.nobleridge.com <http://www.nobleridge.com>

#benoble

Severine Pinte – winemaker/viticulturalist/management team  Le Vieux Pin and La Stella

“Wine is complex, but also simple: it’s the transformation of fruit to alcohol. A lot of people are intimidated because of how people talk about wine: experts use big words, but sometimes it goes back to -“do I like this smell, this colour, am I pleased with what I see in my glass, is the taste pleasing, do I want another glass?”

Wine can be just that. If I see a smile on people’s faces when drinking my wine, then I’m happy. And remember, it’s a training process. You can keep practicing”  Severine Pinte in The Femme Vine

We are so lucky to have Severine Pinte making wines in the Okanagan. With her skills and training she could be working anywhere in the wine world, even back home in France,  where she grew up. She leads the growing in the fields and the winemaking in the cellars for Le Vieux Pin and La Stella. The first leans French and the second fully and completely embraces the best of Italy.

Just a hunch but I think the reason why her wines are SO good is because she’s a grower first. As a grower she knows what she wants in the bottle so she works with the vineyard to produce just such a wine.

Her favorite quote is from Jean Hugel: “100% of the quality of a true wine is already in the grapes, not in the cellars where you can only lose quality.”

Severine has been growing and harvesting and winemaking in BC  since 2010 and she is truly one of the reasons why BC wines  are  so much better today.

 

Severine brings with her today her new Spring Releases from Le Vieux Pin and La Stella.

 

2020 Le Vieux Pin  Sauvignon Blanc –hints & elements of Marlborough, a little Napa influence and a dash of The Loire.

Think oysters, prawns, salads.  Strikingly fine  $30.99

2019 Le Vieux Pin  “Ava “  – classic Rhone white  50 % Viognier. Balanced with Marsanne and Roussanne. Can cellar for 5-8 years.

Full and rich. Notes of herbs and brioche. Ripe fruit and floral delight. Pairs with roast chicken. Game birds.$30.99

2019 Syrah “Cuvee Violette”  . This is a pure essence of Syrah. Pepper, dark fruit and oak.

Feminine, perfumed and elegant.  16 months in concrete. Some new oak.  $32.99

2017 Le Vieux Pin Equinoxe Syrah.  18 months in French Oak.  48% New. Everything you want in a Syrah. Spice.

 

A tribute to Chris Jentsch, Laura Kittmer & April Wine Month and new Documentary  Brewmance

THE SHOW

 

 

Remembering Chris Jentsch (CC Jentsch)

One of the great benefits of being around the people who call wine their life is finding and making friends along the way.

For Chris Jentsch and I it was two days after his 2013 Syrah beat all comers at the  Judgement of BC gathering in 2015.

(There were 6 BC Syrah and 6 from around the World. His CC Jentsch 2013 Syrah  placed first to the delight of a room full of judges. Me included)

When I read that Chris had died April 2 I was taken with such a sadness. For his loss, for his wonderful partner Betty and their whole family.

The BC wine industry also lost a true leader. Chris was an admitted  farmer first!  When I showed up to congratulate him on winning The Judgement, I had to talk him off the tractor. That machine was his escape from the phone that wouldn’t stop ringing.  It’s ringing still.

I’ve gathered the interview that day and two others. One at Bloom 2016 and one at VanWineFest 2019, sitting in with Val Tait.

We’ll never forget the loss but let’s remember the man. Here’s to Chris Jentsch and CC Jentsch from the Golden Mile Bench.

www.ccjentschcellars.com

 

 

Laura Kittmer – Celebrating BC Wine Month in April

Laura is the Communication Director of Wine Growers of British Columbia. That’s a big job!   As my pal Barney Bentall says “Like a goat rodeo”

 

In celebration of B.C. Wine Month, Wine Growers British Columbia has launched a campaign titled “A Year in the Life,” aimed at celebrating B.C.’s hard-working, passionate and dedicated winemakers and farmers and their deep sense of respect for the land. The month long event includes a consumer contest inviting British Columbian’s to learn more about B.C. wine, discover new spring releases, and participate in a B.C. wine quiz for a chance to win an exclusive behind-the-scenes trip for two to one of B.C.’s pristine wine regions once it is safe to do so.

Laura walks us through the events above and then we get into a Spring Release speed rap..lots of names and wines.

But first we remember the legacy of one of the finest persons in the farming/wine industry Chris Jentsch.

We try to get a sense of what the year will look like, given the pandemic.

Laura also reminds us that there a new Wine BC Explorer App now available. For all of you wine fans who get your shots and mask up and want to make plans to visit a BC wine region this year,  this app answers all your questions. So you can start making plans or organize your dreams of travel.

Lots of info. Because that’s what Laura brings.  Every time.

www.winebc.com

@WineBCdotcom  #BCWineLife

 

 

 

Christo Brock – Director of new documentary BREWMANCE (April 13)

 

Our brewery, forged from equal parts Mos Eisley cantina and a Tom Waits fever dream, is a mighty 5 barrel production facility with tasting room. A safe haven for workers, story tellers, shamans, down-n-out detectives, street samurai, graffiti artists, revolutionaries, punks, drunks, con artists, and pirates. Sit for a pint and a tale… or three. Cheers!  Liberation!

There are over 7000 breweries in America. How do you find “the story” in that many tales.

Well, if you’re documentary director Christo Brock you stay home in Long Beach and tell the story through the people behind Ten Mile Brewing and Liberation Brewing. 

Why?  “because I promised my wife I wouldn’t disappear again  and wanted to be part of my kids upbringing..so I stayed in Long Beach for this story”   Good Call.

 

The American Craft Beer movement began with a group of restless homebrewers...

THE SHOW

New Releases from Michael Bartier (Bartier Bros) and Mark Hopley (Hester Creek)

 It’s that time of year.

Spring brings new releases from all the wineries.

Michael Bartier  – Winemaker  (and co-founder) at  Bartier Brothers (Black Sage Road)

2019 Rose –  (Now) $17.99

2019 – Grenache Syrah Mourvedre (April) $41.99

2019  Merlot –  (May) $22.99

2019 – Orchard Row (June) $36.99

 “Less is More“

 That’s Michael Bartier’s winemaking philosophy. No big over oaked glob in the glass.

Lean and sharply defined. Flinty. Minerality.

 

The Rose is a smash hit. A blend of Merlot, Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer.

Strawberry, melon and floral notes.  A clean beauty in the mouth. And best of all,  affordable.

The GSM  is tough to grow and blend. Thus the price tag. But what a payoff.  It stays with you long after you finish.

The Merlot is one of the very best in Canada. Blueberry, cherry on the nose. Flint, wet stone follows. Very affordable. Highly Recommended.

The Orchard Row is quite a story. Its basically a long row of plantings left over from other vines. Like a hedge you can drink.

It’s a field blend of Cab Franc, Merlot, Gamay and Pinot Noir. All from the same row.

It was the Bartier house wine until friends convinced them to share.

Its fantastic.

Just like the winemaker.

NOTE – Michael takes us through the partnership he’s formed with one of France’s most influential wineries – Boutinot.

The wine Michael makes for them is called Boutinot – Project B.  A blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.

 

Bartier Bros Tasting Room now open.  Daily 11am to 5PM

 

www.bartierbros.com

 

 

Mark Hopley – Winemaker at Hester Creek (Golden Mile)

 

Hester Creek is celebrating over 50 years of winemaking.  Those years started with the original owner/winemaker Joe Busnardo.

In 1968, BC wine pioneer Joe Busnardo came upon an excellent property sheltered below the rugged desert bluffs of what is now known as the Golden Mile Bench.  Joe recognized the potential for growing superior vinifera grapes on this unique land.

Today, a total of 115 acres comprise the Hester Creek  estate, which is planted with Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Italian Merlot, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sémillon, Syrah, and Trebbiano on 22 vineyard blocks.

 

All that wine history allows  all of to us celebrate the release of the….

2020 Hester Creek Trebbiano.  52 year old gnarly vines that deliver absolutely classic flavours. Do yourself a favour. FIND THIS WINE.

Apple, Melon and topical fruit on the nose and clean citrus, honey and minerality in the mouth. $22.99 plus tax

Thank you Hester Creek.  Thank you Mark. Thank you Joe.

2020 Hester Creek Pinot Gris-Viognier.  (2/3 Pinot Gris .1/3 Viognier)

Hand picked and pressed. Stainless steel retains the complexity and flavours we’ve come to love.

On the nose,  peach, clover.  In the mouth peach and honey and minerality. $16.99 plus tax.

This is a Save On Foods special. Also available at winery.

Hester Creek is now welcoming guests at Terrafina Restaurant for patio service and take-out from 12:30-4pm, Wednesday-Sunday.   Check out the Hester Creek Website for special events.

 

Wine release dinners

Rose/Trebbiano April 3  – sold out

Bubble evening  May 13/14. Ti Amo and Old Vine Brut

The Judge – July 8 Summer Dinner.

 

Mark also looks ahead to future releases this Spring and Summer..

Ti Amo,  Old Vine Brut and The Judge.

 

www.hestercreek.com

 

Small Batch Bubbles and Pinot Noir from NICHE.

(Narrative from Christine Coletta/Bubble List  from Wine Diva)

THE SHOW

 

“wine is an expression of the things you can’t control”   Joanna Schlosser Niche Wine Co.

Niche Wine Co (West Kelowna) – Joanna Schlosser (co-partner)

 

Joanna and James Schlosser could be the poster couple for “small batch” winemaking.

Their family-owned and operated winery, high in the hills of West Kelowna, produces complex, aromatic wines that showcase the nuances of the North Okanagan. This combination of high-altitude, homegrown wines paired with a limited, high-quality/hands-on production make their wines both sought after and hard to get your hands on.

They are, however,  well worth the chase.

 

The Small Batch Bubble is just so good. Tight complex bubbles. Just off-dry. Perfect for food pairing. Easter dinner. Crêpes.  They suggest anything buttered or honeyed. Or with nothing but conversation.

Here’s the bottom line – 175 cases. $26.00 and right now you can find it at select wine shops and Save – On. (Joanna will explain)

Segment two covers the two new Pinot Noirs now available.

2019 Farmhouse Pinot Noir.  Clones 667/115.  Vineyards planted 23 years ago. $28.00   125 cases.

All of their  Pinot is produced exclusively with grapes grown by the family-owned and operated Hugh & Mary Vineyard. The hot summer days and cool nights make this vineyard prime Pinot growing country, The vines range from 12 to 23 years of age and are a mix of clone 667 and 115. Fruit forward. Really bright. Pepper, raspberry notes on the nose. Spice and Cherry in the mouth. Harvested by hand. Basket pressed.

2018 Extra Mile Pinot Noir. Clone 115. Vines 23 yrs old. 57 cases. $45.00

Beautiful soft texture in the mouth. Minimum intervention. Violet and truffle on the nose. Dark cherry in the mouth.

25% new oak for 16 months.

Complex and balanced. A special wine.

Joanna will also take us through their Small Batch Boxes.  Partnering with local businesses.

It’s a great idea.

 

Christine Coletta –  Co-Founder of Okanagan Crush Pad  and Narrative Wine (Summerland)

Christine Coletta

Everyone in B.C.’s wine industry knows Christine Coletta.

Innovator, community champion, visionary, land steward— She is a force.

Christine, or CC as she is known by many, has earned awards and accolades throughout her illustrious career. She was named  One of Wine’s Most Inspiring People for 2020 by Wine Industry Advisor.

Christine is one of the founding members of the BC Wine Institute and the BC VQA program, and she has helped to mentor a number of professionals in the food and wine industries over the last 30 years.

Through her crush work at Okanagan Crush Pad, she has also been involved in the start of a number of new wineries in BC.

Her guidance, support, and mentorship have landed her the nickname, “Godmother of BC Wine.”

 

Okanagan Crush Pad is the home for

Haywire Wines

Free Form

Bizou and Yukon

And  

Narrative

Today CC brings the new releases from Narrative.

2019 Viognier/Syrah except its 80% Viognier and 20% Syrah

(spice, pepper, raspberries, and strawberries. Lots of rich  texture)

 

Viognier I was very impressed by this release a while back and had to ask CC about it.

Slow fermented in concrete.  Yummy!

 

2018 Syrah Viognier.  It’s quite a process to get this wine just right.  Syrah co-fermented with Viognier in clay amphora. On skins for 90 days.

 

THE FIFTH AND FINAL JUDGMENT OF B.C.

THE SHOW

 The Wines of British Columbia were put to the ultimate test at the final Judgment of BC on Tuesday, October 29, where special guest and wine expert Steven Spurrier joined 32 top wine professionals from around the world and across the country to take part in a full-day, blind tasting of 24 of BC’s celebrated grape varieties; Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah against 16 international benchmarks.

 

I was honoured to be one of 32 wine judges in the room on the day.

Trust me, it was/is a humbling experience tasting wines “blind” and have a sheet in front of you that asks you to decide whether the wine is from BC or The World.

Your nose, your mouth,  your mind play tricks on you.

For each varietal there were 6 from BC and 4 benchmarks from around the world.

We started with Pinot Noir, then Chardonnay.

The afternoon was spent tasting and spitting Riesling and Syrah.

Paperwork was furiously filled out and collected.  DJ Kearney, the moderator and people wrangler asked for comments about what we had just experienced. Everyone seemed to have a comment, especially those from outside BC.

So many faces and memories in the room.  Most of them friends who had watched the BC wine industry grow and  work hard to be better.

Hosted by the BC Wine Institute, and curated by wine expert DJ Kearney, the final Judgment of BC took place in Penticton. Inspired by the legendary Judgment of Paris in 1976, the inaugural Judgment of BC was hosted in 2015 by the BC Wine Institute in honour of Steven Spurrier’s visit to British Columbia.

 

Five years later, the BC wine industry was thrilled to welcome Steven Spurrier back to BC wine country to taste and evaluate world-class wines from the region.

“What I think is really exciting about BC wines is we’re tasting more and more like ourselves, our individual regions and individual sites. Our best examples are fresh on the palate, pure of fruit and really speak to our beautiful, cool, but hot climate.” Judge Barb Phillip, MW.

Tasting Room Radio would like to congratulate all BC wines who made the Judgment list and  the following BC wineries who took home top prizes in their categories.

Arrowleaf Cellars ranked first among the Pinot Noir flight.

Meyer Family Vineyards came in first for the flight of Chardonnay, with 50th Parallel Estate Winery in close second.

For the Riesling flight, CedarCreek Winery came in second with St. Hubertus and Oak Bay Estate Winery coming in third.

The final flight of Syrah saw BC wines take all three top spots with Tightrope Winery coming in first, Le Vieux Pin Winery in second and Stag’s Hollow Winery and Vineyard in third.

(Complete results at the bottom of page)

Guests on this edition of Tasting Room Radio  include:

Gurvinder Bhatia – Edmonton Journal/Quench Magazine

Daenna van Mulligen – The Wine Diva

DJ Kearney – New District

Dr. Jamie Goode – Wine Journalist/Wineanorak.com

Laura Kittmer – Wines of BC

Steven Spurrier – Decanter

Mark Filatow – Waterfront Bistro

Kurtis Kolt  – Georgia Straight

Rhys Pender – Master of Wine

Anthony Gismondi – Vancouver Sun/Best of Food and Wine

Sebastien Le Goff – Cactus Club Canada

Manual Zuppiger = Arrowleaf Vineyards

Larry Gerelus – Stag’s Hollow

JAK Meyer – Meyer Family Vineyards

Lyndsay O’Rourke –  Tightrope

www.winebc.com

PINOT NOIR RESULTS:

Arrowleaf Cellars Archive Pinot Noir 2016 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

La Crema Pinot Noir Monterey 2016 California

Sokol Blosser Pinot Noir Estate Dundee Hills 2015 Oregon

Remembering Steven Spurrier and honouring Aimee Parkes.

 

THE SHOW

The news came early this week and the news traveled fast.

The great Steven Spurrier had died.

“The wine world lost one of its great adventurers last night.”

“It seems extraordinary that the wine world is going to have to survive without someone who has been characterized for his 79 years by the phrase ‘youthful enthusiasm’.

It is likely, however, that Steven will henceforth be recognized as an even greater influence on wine than during his colorful life. For someone who achieved so much, he acted with such extreme modesty and politesse that there was always a danger of his not being accorded his due.

Even though his famous Paris tasting in 1976 was truly ground-breaking, signaling infinite possibilities for wines other than the French classics, and he was valued throughout the world as an educator, taster, and writer, he wore his achievements exceptionally lightly – always more fired up by the next project than by those of the past.

Indeed, when I asked him during our last conversation last Saturday night what he would most like to be remembered for, he rather downplayed the Judgment of Paris in favor of his most recent achievements, the Académie du Vin Library publishing imprint and the relaunched Académie du Vin wine school in Canada.”

 

Jancis Robinson (Thank you)

Complete article https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/steven-spurrier-1941-2021

Our friend Elizabeth Gabay MW said, ‘Can’t believe the news of the eternally young Steven Spurrier’s death. I met him in 1987 when he encouraged me to go into wine and has been so supportive throughout the years.’

 

I reached out to two Canadian wine educators who knew and worked with Steven over the years.

Both stepped forward to do interviews for this show.

 

DJ Kearney – Director of Wine Terminal City Club, Educator. Adjudicator. Organized The Judgement of BC tastings.

@djwines

 

Rhys Pender – Master of Wine. Wine Plus. WSET Wine School. Co-Owner of Little Farm Wines.

Rhyspender.com

(Tony Aspler. Barbara Phillip. Steven Spurrier. Janet Dorozynski. Rhys Pender)

I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Steven Spurrier twice.

Once at the Argentine Wine Awards in Mendoza in 2016 (with DJ Kearney)

And again in the Okanagan for the final Judgement  of BC (with both Rhys and DJ)

 

I’ve combined both Steven Spurrier interviews into one segment for this week’s show.

 

 

Jason Parkes – Winemaker. Team Leader of Crown &Thieves/The Hatch etc

 

The final segment of this week’s show honors the life of Aimee Parkes. Cousin of Jason Parkes from The Hatch.

We’ve attached Jason’s post that set this interview in motion.;

I was hesitant to ask him to re-live this tragedy but he found a way to tell the story for us.

Even though it’s been four years, Jason has continued to remember Aimee and others like her, who are threatened or died because of domestic violence. Aimee loved Rose and he’s donating a $1 from every bottle of Pinky Blinders Rose to the @kelownawomensshelter for the month of March.

The show ends with Jason’s band Properman and the single that he wrote for Aimee, Ink Runs Dry

 

@hatchwines

@blackswiftvineyards

Sandra Oldfield with 3 Women of Wine/Evan Saunders presents two new Blasted Church Reds.

 

THE SHOW

 

Sandra Oldfield is a welcome force. 

Sandra is the co-founder of Elysian Projects. (with her husband and pal Kenn)

I love exchanging info and ideas with her but mostly I ask questions and get OUT of the way.

Several months ago Sandra suggested we spotlight BC’s Women of Wine.

This weeks she returns with stories and features on

Women leading the growing  Wine Club movement and her three favourite Wine Clubs (and why they work for her)

 

Terry Meyer Stone – Mayhem Wines, Meyer Family Wines & The Garagiste Movement.

 

Severine Pinte – Winemaker at Le Vieux Pin

 

Leslie D’Andrea – Co-founder/Wine Community Leader at Noble Ridge

 

 

At the very end of this two part feature we touch on the  recent loss of her Father and the post that followed.

(Her Post can be found at)

www.sandraoldfield.com

www.elysianprojects.com

#BCWineChat

 

Evan Saunders – Winemaker at Blasted Church

Speaking of women as leaders in the BC Wine Industry – how about Evelyn Campbell at Blasted Church?

But as Evelyn writes on their website:

I’ve had good fortune of finding highly talented, visionary and highly motivated individuals. I grant them full trust, and support them with the resources required to perform their very best for our winery endeavour. A philosophy that has helped Blasted Church thrive.

 We welcome  one of those high motivated individuals Evan Saunders- Winemaker.

 Trained in micro-biology  at U Vic on Vancouver island, then straight to Ontario and the  well known winemaking courses at Brock.

On site training followed at Osoyoos Larose in Oliver and the ground-breaking Pinot at  Kosta Browne In California.

Even worked his way up from student to cellar rat to assistant and is now a fully developed   human being.

He brings with him two of his latest reds. (I’M RECOMMENDING BOTH. What a great way to celebrate the end of Winter)

2017 – Merlot  (89% Merlot 11% Malbec)

Plums. Dark ripe berries. Dark Chocolate.  Serious texture in the mouth and a long finish. Outstanding tannins.

Think steaks, tomato based pasta, burgers…ribbbbbs.

$27.00  (874 cases)

 

2017 Syrah (94% Syrah. 3% Viognier 3% Roussanne)

 

The Viognier and Roussanne were co-fermented with the Syrah. Bringing the nose alive!

Left on skins for up to 3 weeks. Oak was  also a mix – French, American and Hungarian.

14 months in barrel then racked to tanks, blended and back in barrel for another 4 months.

So!  Was it worth it?   Oh Hell yes.

 

Black berries of all shapes and sizes on the nose with a bacon chaser.

Same in the mouth. Wonderful texture and tannins. Loooong finish.

This is a wine to open and celebrate,  then hide the other bottles for at least a couple of years.

 

$29.50  (2262 cases)

 

Evan also teases us with what’s coming later in the Spring

2018  Killer Cab Franc

2020 Rose – (Blaufränkisch)

Nebbiolo

Others..

www.blastedchurch.com

FYI

Office Hours: 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday

Wine Shop Hours: 10am – 5pm Monday – Friday

NOTE! We are now closed for tastings and open for sales only weekdays 10am – 5pm.

If you are making a pilgrimage from afar, please call us first as Winter hours may vary.

Before your visit, please review our Safety Plan for more information.

 

 

 

THE SHOW

 

The Press Release said:

 

The BC Hospitality Foundation (BCHF) is honoured to be the beneficiary of a new initiative by Naramata’s  Nichol Vineyard and Winery.

Starting immediately, the Naramata winery will donate $10 from the sale of every case of its 2019 Pinot Gris to the local charity.

Cases of  the wildly popular Nichol Vineyard 2019 Pinot Gris may be purchased online for home delivery; shipping is free within B.C. or across Canada with a purchase or 2 or more cases.

 

Our guests are:

Dana Lee Harris – Executive Director of BC Hospitality Foundation 

www.bchospitalityfoundation.com

Matthew Sherlock – Director Sales and Marketing Nichol Vineyard/Partner Lock and Worth  

www.nicholvineyard.com

www.lockandworth.com

 

Think about it – wait staff, the kitchens, cleaners, front of house, hotel staff and their families.  Covid 19 has crushed a lot of lives and dreams.

We’re telling this story because people and businesses are stepping forward to help and support each other.,

Nichol Pinot Gris is one of the most popular wines in BC…here’s a chance to buy a case or two  and help those around you.

While we’re talking to Matt Sherlock we’ll also talk about the Nichol portfolio and the sneaky good Lock and Worth

(This winery is truth in winemaking. I love them for the honesty with which they create.)

They are actually admitting to miscreating and then selling a white blend that wasn’t supposed to be a blend…and you can find it at $13.00 in selected stores.

It’s a Chard and Semillon. Return buyers indicate its damn good.

 

The last story is the return of John Glavina to TRR.  He’s the Co-Founder of Giant Head Winery in Summerland.

John and his partner Jinny Lee continue to offer  better and better wines. Some are sold out (always a good sign) and several are gems you want to seek out.

They have two levels of wines

 

Giant Head and Canyonview.

Giant Head offers solid entry wines at affordable prices.

The Canyonview line is the very best on offer.

 

Welcome back John Glavina

  

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON:

 

Luke Whittall – Valleys of Wine

Black Swift opens its doors

Wines of BC – an update.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Western Living Food /Travel Editor Neil McLennan : Top 40 Foodies of 2021

This is the  14th edition of  Western Livings Foodies of the Year and it’s safe to say, it’s been a tough year for most everyone in the hospitality industry across Western Canada. But despite the closures, restrictions and seemingly endless hurdles, the foodies of the West still managed to make their mark and do all of us proud. Western Living’s Top 40 Foodie  winners will be announced Wednesday, March 10, 2021.

 

With the invaluable assistance and lung power of Food and Travel Editor Neil McLennan, we present Western Livings  2021 Foodies of the Year Finalists: these are 40 of the tastemakers, innovators and damn good cooks that wowed their  editorial team. Congratulations to each and every one of you.

 

* Katherine Backman (Nora’s Non-Dairy <https://www.norasnondairy.com/> , Vancouver) The beloved cashew-based Nora’s is only three years old but it’s already in 250 retailers in B.C. and Alberta, including Whole Foods Market, Nesters Market and SPUD.ca, and has sold more than 100,000 pints of its ice cream.

 

* Ned Bell & Kate Colley (The Naramata Inn <https://naramatainn.com/> , Naramata) The former Four Seasons chef and Oceanwise ambassador is no stranger to this list, but he and wife Colley (along with partners Marie Wiesner and Paul Hollands) have taken the all-potential, but never-quite-there circa 1907 Naramata Inn and transformed it into the perfect small wine country inn. Great food, a killer wine list and charm and history galore—it’s the lodging the area’s been longing for.

* Tess Bevernage and Tom Robillard (Hānai Family Table <https://www.hanaifamilytable.com/> , Vancouver) In a year when all but the most selfish of us stayed put in our home provinces, what a godsend it was to have these two recent O’ahu transplants cooking up all the Hawaiian classics—from garlic Furikake Chicken to Spam Musabi to perfect macaroni salad—once a week from their East Georgia shared commissary to a legion of tropically deprived fans.

 

* Bread & Butter Collective (Social Issues, Victoria) Spearheaded by some of the biggest names in the city (Sterling Grice of Part & Parcel, the Big Wheel Burger team) this initiative is focussed reimagining the Victoria food scene addressing issue with compensation, returns and community engagement.

 

* @actual_daddy (Good Pizza <https://linktr.ee/Goodpizzayvr> , Vancouver) The industry veteran—real name Alexander Cashin—started making homemade pizzas on his night off, posting them on Instagram and then donating profits to local charities helping those in need. It proved so popular that it’s morphed into an actual business: Good Pizza started serving the public in late January 2021.

 

* Antonio CayonneAndrew Jameson and Sean Reeve (Say Mercy! <https://www.saymercy.ca/> , Vancouver) The Southern-meets-Italian spot had just opened when Covid hit, but the team (who also own the Mackenzie Room) responded by starting the Staff Meal program, which allowed industry people and first responders to access low-cost healthy meals via takeout (and made reasonably priced containers of deliciousness for the rest of us). Plus Cayonne found time to star in a Hallmark Movie – no kidding.

 

7.Taylor Chobotiuk (Tacofino <https://www.tacofino.com/> , numerous locations in B.C.) The head of people at Tacofino spearheaded the Shift Change series of events, and when Covid hit moved them online to help the industry open up a discu...