A Tipple for Grenache Day

For the last so many years, the only occasions we've had to visit Salt Spring Island have been when Tyrant was hosting our Dinner Club there. Our reason for this visit also related to an invite from Tyrant; however, this time around, there was a tad more excitement in the air. Tyrant and Panda Guy were getting married and I think a wedding trumps a dinner party, no brainer.

In true Tyrant style, there was to be a weekend's worth of events and the guest list included many a face that I hadn't seen for some time. Boo and I had been looking forward to the wedding for some time now - particularly since we snagged the last cabin at the lakeside resort down the road from Tyrant and Panda's property. Knowing that Tyrant enjoys his wine as much as I do, the stumbling distance between the party and our beds was a welcome treat.

We're officially out of peak season now; so, ferry service to the island has been reduced. Our choice was to catch the 10 a.m. boat - which we did - or not arrive until 11 p.m. which would have seen us effectively miss the BBQ being held this night before the ceremony. Not exactly a choice I would readily accede to.

Our early arrival allowed us to catch a quick lunch in the thriving metropolis of Ganges and check into the resort with a bit of time to catch a nap before hitting the BBQ.

That is, time to catch a nap and grab a relaxing sip. The day's showers were hardly conducive to lounging on the cabin deck or on the lake wharf, but the cool temps did lend themselves to a bigger red. Good thing since today was International Grenache Day.

1426.  2011 evohé Garnacha (VDLT Bajo Aragón - Spain)

We'd brought a favourite wine to take to the BBQ but hadn't really planned anything for the afternoon. So, we stopped in the local liquor store after lunch and picked up a Grenache that I don't recall having seen before. An entry level wine, evohé's producers took a bit of a chance when they established their winery in a part of the Aragón region that is not included in any of the regions forming the more respected D.O. (Denominación de Origen) system. As a Vino de la Tierra, the project could be seen as a lesser product and the three partners behind evohé were cautioned against such folly.

I guess they've managed to beat the odds seeing as how we picked up the bottle a continent away in a small town liquor store.

I don't think anyone will take this as one of those incredible Spanish bang for your buck wines. It seemed a bit over-blown to me but it was certainly big enough to beat the chill of the weather and there was an abundance of dark fruit - enough to challenge any New World bargain wine that you'd like to put it up against.

The little marketing blurb and the back label was interesting enough as well. It reads, "Evohé was the world with which Jupiter encouraged Bacchus when he defended his father's throne during the Giants' War. Today, Bacchus followers still use this word to evoke the spirit of joy when celebrating."

That sentiment seemed to match the occasion. So, we toasted Grenache Day and the weekend to come and then headed off to the BBQ and the real party.