A Wine Tasting to Match the Soccer Pitch

So, our second World Cup of White Wine semi-final sees the "home" team up against the French. Ironically, this is another wine match-up involving France that mirrors an actual game that took place at the World Cup in Germany. The game between these two "teams," however, was back in the Round Robin matches and the French women ran roughshod over the Canadian gals - with that loss sounding the death knell for the Canadians at the tournament. Despite great hopes, there'll be no semi-finals on the soccer pitch for the Canadians at the real World Cup though.

Canada

vs.

France

Good thing we're trying tonight's wine blind. Otherwise, I might need to find favour with the Canadian wine just to extract a teensy bit of revenge on the French. Not that I'd stoop to such lengths on such an important occasion.

866. 2009 Orofino Pinot Gris (Similkameen Valley)

867. 2008 Paul Mas Viognier (Vin de Pays d'Oc - France)

It was likely a good thing that we had the means of identifying the two wines, after they'd been poured blind, because I didn't find either of them to be overly demonstrative of their respective varietals. The Pinot Gris was more fruity than I would have expected and the Viognier was just plain out flat.

Pinot Gris is often touted as possibly being BC's signature white grape. I can't say that the Orofino pulled that off with this vintage though.

The Orofino still featured a more layered profile - both on the nose and the palate - so I'm going to give a 1-0 win to Canada. But like the team's performance on the field, I might have hoped for more. Now to the finals.