Blue Mountain Pinot Gris

1698.  2009 Blue Mountain Pinot Gris (Okanagan Valley)

Soft cheese. White wine. I think that's right anyhow. Not sure how the Mimmolette got into the picture but I can eat that with anything. Five years is a suspiciously long time to hold onto a Pinot Gris - and I didn't deliberately try to do so - because, as the case was with this bottle, the Okanagan trademark of fruit and acidity is generally a faded version of its original glory.

Bottle seemed to disappear easily enough though.

Benjamin Bridge

1694.  Benjamin Bridge Tidal Bay (Nova Scotia)

When it comes to Canadian wine stories, most feature BC (and, in most instances, Okanagan or Similkameen) wines or Ontario's Niagra region. Despite its being on the opposite side of the country and the relative obscurity of the wines on the West Coast, I know fully well that Nova Scotia is the home to a growing and often well-received region of its own. Boo and I even took a quick one-day tour of the Gaspereau Valley when we visited Halifax in 2008 (unfortunately, well before this blog was started).

We didn't hear of or visit Benjamin Bridge back then but I've since been advised to reach out and grab immediately when I run across any of their wines. If memory serves, Elzee brought us back this bottle when she found herself in Halifax for an extended weekend for work.

Not only did Elzee do us a big favour by bringing back the bottle but she introduced me to an interesting wine story that I hadn't run across before.

Nova Scotia has an even cooler climate than BC's Okanagan Valley. It's probably more along the lines of our Vancouver Island and Gulf Island wineries. As such, the variety of grapes that can reliably ripen in the region can be limited. We're generally talking high acid, slow-ripening white grapes - not that there's the slightest thing wrong with that in this world of big, ripe, sweet reds. Well, according to this article by Jessica Emin in Halifax Magazine, "in 2012, the Winery Association of Nova Scotia thought it would be a smart move on its part to have a signature style of wine evocative of the terroir and climate of Nova Scotia, and consistent from winery to winery."

The article continues, "To call a wine Tidal Bay in Nova Scotia it must be of a certain blend of grapes, all of which are grown in N.S., and each year wineries are approved by a tasting panel to see that they fit the harmony. The ideal Tidal Bay should showcase the bright, zingy, aromatic and crisp style of the province."

Benjamin Bridge's Tidal Bay is made from L'Acadie Blanc, Ortega and New York Muscat. I remember wondering why BC's island wineries didn't look into L'Acadie Blanc since it was rather ubiquitous in Nova Scotia. Well, it must be playing a worthwhile role in this wine as we were certainly captivated. My note read, "Bright Fruit. Nice acidity. Nice introduction to Benjamin Bridge."

I understand that the winery's particularly known for its bubblies. Can't wait to get my hands on one of those.

The More Italians The Better

1690.  2008 Ca' Bianca - Chersi (Barbera d'Asti Superiore DOCG - Piedmont - Italy)

If you can't guess from Boo's and my waistlines, we love to eat our pastas in our household. Make that we love to eat most things Italian - particularly panzanella or bread, bocconcini, tomato and basil salads. As such, I like to stay on the lookout for lighter Italian reds since my wallet doesn't let me live on Amarone, Barolo or Brunello alone - and because I'm not the biggest fan of most of the Chiantis I've tried in our market.

Barbera is a good alternative, although I can't say that I think we have the widest selection of Barberas in our local market. This was a new one that I ran across but I can't say that it jumped out as anything special for us. It might just have been that, as a 2008, the vintage might have been a bit long in the tooth for Barbera. I generally think of Barbera as a more easy drinking, fresher red that isn't made so much for ageing - not that I know anything more than the most basic of facts about the variety and know nothing about Ca' Bianca as a producer.

Guess I'm still on the lookout. Hopefully, I'll run across another Chersi on another occasion with a more favourable outcome.

A Sip with A View

Merlot Boy and Margarita's Vanhattan (to quote Vancouver's social arbiter-at-large, Fred Lee)/Manhattan excursion is quickly coming to an end. We thought it'd be a great outing to take them up to the newly-opened Sea-to-Sky Gondola up the highway in Squamish. Merlot Boy, Boo and I had spent a jaunty weekend in Whistler a dozen years ago or so but this was Margarita's first visit to Vancouver and she'd never taken in the destination that plays second home to so many of her countrymen and countrywomen.

Boo and I had hiked the Squamish Chief in what must have been another lifetime but our Aussie buds wouldn't have enough time to even attempt the climb. So, the new gondola presented a perfect opportunity for them to take in the views and see a snippet of BC nature.

N.V. Cantine Sacchetto Vino Frizzante (Prosecco DOC - Italy)

Of course, with this crew, no adventure is truly an adventure unless there's a sip or two involved. Knowing this as a given fact, I'd packed along a bottle of Prosecco and a set of Govino glasses. Luckily, there wasn't too much chance of drinking and hiking beyond acceptable limits. It truly could have been a bit of fall.

While I remembered the wine, I didn't check to see if the Frizzante had already been added to The List. The Sacchetto appears to already be there; so, since this is non-vintage production, there's no new number to help us reach 2001.

Following the gondola jaunt, we carried on up the Sea-to-Sky and gave Margarita a quick tour of Whistler. That and, naturally, a cocktail at the Chateau Whistler's Mallard Lounge.  

We decided to make a pit-stop on the way home to quickly take in Shannon Falls as well. Since there were no additional cocktails or bottles of wine to be had, interest quickly waned and we were all loaded back in the car for the ride home - where there was definitely another bottle ready to be poured.

1688.  2009 Fowles Wine - Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch Shiraz (Strathbogie Ranges - Victoria - Australia)

While both Merlot Boy and Margarita joined Boo and I for a bit of a road trip and wine tasting in the Margaret River district south of Perth in Western Australia, we haven't done any wine tours with them in their home state of Victoria. (There had been a one-day tasting with Damien in the Yarra Valley back in '02 but that doesn't count because Margarita was an unknown quantity to Boo and I back then.)

Of course, Victorian producers are legion; so, neither of our Aussie guests had even heard of the Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch. I'd run across them a few years back at an Aussie wine tasting and, every one in awhile, the winery re-visits Vancouver. I picked this bottle up at one of the Vancouver International Wine Festivals and thought we should toast their neighbourhood producers. Strathbogie is a bit of hike from both Melbourne and Ballarat - where our buds reside - but there's always a chance we could take a tour and a little wine tasting the next time Boo and I make it down under.

I won't even make them take me on a hike first.

An Antipodean Landmark

Except for that one vacation when he was on the "Merlot Boy No Merlot Diet," there's never been a shortage of party or booze present whenever we find ourselves with Merlot Boy. Whether it's in VanCity, Oz, Vegas or the Big Easy, it's always been 5 o'clock somewhere. Then, there's Margarita, that lovely little addition to the travelling entourage, and her nom-de-blog is likely enough of an indication as to the influence she has on the collective decision-making process. So, we were somewhat taken aback when our favourite Aussie wanted nothing more than a small dinner party to celebrate his 50th birthday - even though we'd offered to throw a rave of a bash for him.

Despite the fact that there may have only been a tight cadre of nearest and dearest, that didn't mean that Merlot Boy was putting the kibosh on a smorgasbord of wine. Indeed, I'm adding a full ten bottles to The List - and the count would have been higher except that there were a couple of duplicates.

1677.  N.V. Josef Chromy (Tasmania)

Every landmark birthday calls for a sparkling kick-off and, given our birthday boy's Aussie heritage, we popped the cork on a bottle of Tassie bubble. Luckily the weather was everything a boy could ask for. So, we took advantage of the garden setting. Merlot Boy hadn't even heard of Josef Chromy before; however, one must realize that you can pretty well bet on the fact that MB will be draining the brewskis most of his time in Tasmania. After all, almost all of his visits there coincide with footy games when his beloved Hawks play a "home away from home" game.

1678.  2013 Folonari Pinot Grigio (Italy)

As much as I try to get Merlot Boy to drink BC wine when he's visiting, he still gravitates to his Aussie reds or to bargain buys that he recognizes from home. Trying to tell him that BC makes some of the best Pinot Gris in the world is like trying to convince an Aussie that there actually are some lovely Kiwi wines in the market. Yeah mate, as if.

1679.  2013 Paul Hobbs - CrossBarn Rosé of Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast - California)

I don't generally look to California for my Rosés either. Memories of California and White Zinfandel can be hard to get rid of - especially when the Okanagan is becoming a bit of a hotbed for Rosé. From the shot, it looks like there couldn't have been a better choice of wine for the BBQ'd salmon though - at least from a colour coordination standpoint. Good thing the wine tasted as good as it looked.

1680.  2010 Eau Vivre Pinot Noir (Okanagan Valley VQA)

I needed to throw at least one BC wine into the mix. Given that salmon was the main course and we were definitely a red-leaning group, I figured a perennial critic's fave would be a good pour for the table. Not sure that I did anything to convert Merlot Boy's buying habits, but the wine was certainly well-received.

And from that point on, the photos of wine bottles was a forgotten task. There were plenty of photos taken - just not of the wine bottles. There's the one at the end of the post of all the dead soldiers but you'll just have to take me at my word that the wine kept flowing long after the salmon was cleared from the table.

2012 Wirra Wirra - Scrubby Rise (not added to The List as we've already downed this vintage)

1681.  2013 Lindeman's Cawarra Shiraz-Cabernet (South Eastern Australia)

1682.  2012 Tommasi - Le Prunée (Merlot della Venezie IGT - Italy)

I think this bottle was someone's way of telling Merlot Boy that he's getting old and wrinkled - like a prune - but in a classy way, hence "Le Prunée." 

1683.  2011 Hess Select Cabernet Sauvignon (North Coast - California)

1684.  2011 Long Flat Cabernet Shiraz (Australia)

As luck would have it, Miss Jaq's 50th was only a week or so apart from Merlot Boy's. He may live in Melbourne but it often feels like we see more of him than we do of Miss Jaq since she's usually off somewhere teaching in exotic locales like Abu Dhabi or China. Luckily, she was spending the summer in Vancouver and was able to celebrate right along with Merlot Boy.

And celebrate we did. Maybe not to the same extent as we did for Daveyboi's 50th, but that's likely a good thing. I think there were a few too many martinis poured at that birthday bash. Perhaps having Miss Jaq and Elzee in attendance just kept the boys a tad more in line than is often the case.

1685.  2008 De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon (New South Wales - Australia)

This wine was not chosen as a dig at Merlot Boy's advancing age. Botrytis may be known as "noble rot" but not even we would joke that MB is in an advanced stage of rot. Rather, I chose this lovely because, like him, it's iconic and Australian. Noble One is one of those bottles that you feel you have to keep for a special occasion. There aren't many events that are more special than a landmark birthday with equally monumental friends.

Thing is, there were one or two (at most...as if) that were still going strong after the dessert wine. Accordingly, a quick reach into the cellar was needed. However, I will have you know that I, personally, only had enough of a pour to legitimately add it to The List.

1686.  2009 Henry's Drive - Dead Letter Shiraz (Padthaway - South Australia)

In the spirit of the evening, it was Aussie and it was big and bold.

It might be a good thing that we don't have 50th birthdays to celebrate every week. I'd get through this Odyssey count a lot faster but the old liver might have a bit of comment to make.

Happy happy bud!

Island Ortega

1672.  2011 Starling Lane Ortega (Vancouver Island)

I don't see many Vancouver Island wines here in the Vancouver - let alone Ortega varietal wines. Too bad. This one hit all the right notes with tree fruit and acidity.

Dinner with Belisles

Auntie El and the girls were in town briefly and they dropped by for cocktails before we all headed out for dinner.

1669.  N.V. Sacchetto Prosecco (Prosecco DOC - Italy)

1670.  2010 Layer Cake Shiraz (South Australia)



I don't think that they'd be upset - or that anyone would be alarmed - if I said that my aunt and the cousins are famously fussy when it comes to deciding on a menu. As such, we opted for pizza and Italian. We always know that they'll be something that they can dig into whole-heartedly.

1671.  2012 Luigi Bosca - Finca La Linda Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendoza - Argentina)

Their palates aren't nearly as limited when it comes to having a sip. While I may well serve up something that's totally new to them - like the Aperol and Prosecco aperitif - they're pretty much open to wines of all bents. There's a definite preference for whites on my aunt's part but I can accept that. No problem. In fact, I'm known to have downed a few bottles of white wine myself over the years.

An Anniversary Delight

Okay, now I know that something's definitely going on with the camera. There's no chance that I wouldn't have taken a picture of this bottle or the event (that is, except for the shot on Delectable). It's a rare occasion that I pop the cork on a $100+ bottle of wine. But, if your anniversary doesn't count as one of those "pull that cork" events, I don't know what does. I must have taken a picture or two. They're just nowhere to be found.

1668.  2001 Domaine de la Solitude - Cuvée Barberini (Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC - Rhône - France)

I picked this wine up at the Vancouver International Wine Festival a couple of years back. Not being in the habit of buying $100+ wines, I have have to be pretty darned sure that I know what's in the bottle - and that we're going to really, really like it - before I pull out my wallet. The Festival tasting was the perfect opportunity to both discover the wine and know that I wanted more. I went back to try this wine at least three or four times and I sent many a friend over to the winery table when they asked "What have your favourite wines been so far?"

I don't believe that Domaine de la Solitude can normally be found in the Vancouver market and, if memory serves, this might have even been their first visit to the Festival. I don't know if there are many wineries in the Rhône that can claim family ties that truly bind the family to the very reason for the name of the Châteuneuf-du-Pape region. Operated by the Martin and Barberini families for centuries, one of the Barberini's took office in Rome as Pope Urban VIII and two of his nephews became Cardinals. This was in the early 1600's and this was also when "a part of the family then settled down in Avignon." I should think that, if anyone is entitled to make Châteauneuf-du-Pape, it's a family that can claim a Pope as one of its own - particularly since the family was making wine at their vineyard before the name Châteauneuf-du-Pape even existed.

As my sister, Vixen, is always very happy to point out, if Boo and I were involved in the making of wine, we'd be making Châteauneuf-du-Poof.

I could only hope that it would be as tasty as this wine. You might say that the Cuvée Barberini is one of the winery's premium bottles - although they do produce a bottle that goes for almost double the price of this one. Like Port or Champagne, this wine is only made in years deemed worthy of a vintage designation. After this 2001 bottling, another vintage of Cuvée Barberini wasn't released until 2004.

If the wine didn't already have a venerable name like Châteauneuf-du-Pape, they could have gone with the Aussie moniker, GSM, because the 2001 blend was "simple" with 40% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 20% Mourvèdre.

Balanced and integrated with dark fruit and smooth tannins, the wine could have aged for years to come, but it was drinking beautifully already.

I could do with more anniversary wines, more often.

Malbec

1667.  2009 Bodega Santa Julia - Magna (Mendoza - Argentina)

Once again, I can't seem to find a shot of this wine except the one that I took for a Delectable entry. Good thing I get as many wines onto that site as I do.

I don't know much about Santa Julia but a quick online search show that it was established in early 1990's and is one of the labels produced by the Zuccardi Family - owners of one of Argentina's largest family-owned wineries. Now, the Zuccardi name I'm more familiar with. I know that you can find at least a couple of their wines in this blog and on The List.

The Magna is a blend of Cab Sauv (50%), Malbec (40%) and Syrah (10%) and is a step above the great assortment of Argentine brand wines that can be found in our Vancouver market. Around $16 to $20, it's a few bucks more than some of its entry level competitors but this is a big, fruit forward blend that's got the heft to knock out some of brand name Malbecs on our shelves.

Glad I had the Delectable entry to recall the wine and bottle.

A Delectable Pinot Gris

Where did all the photos go? It seems that, as soon as Merlot Boy and Margarita boarded a plane to take the #2Kangaroo Tour for a week of adventure in NYC, I forgot how the camera worked. Despite probably my needing to de-tox after spending a week with the Aussies, Boo and I did continue to enjoy a glass or two while we awaited their return. I just can't find any pictures of what we drank - except for a few on my phone or those that I downloaded onto my Delectable account.

1666.  2012 Nichol Pinot Gris (Naramata Bench - Okanagan Valley)

There's a lot of Pinot Gris produced in British Columbia. Indeed, it's the most widely planted white grape variety in the province - and it's easy to find a range of styles, from bone dry to light and fruity with a touch of sweet.

I've always like Nichol Vineyards' somewhat unique take on the grape.

Although Pinot Gris was named after a gray-ish tone often found to its skin ("gris" being French for "grey"), the grape's colouring can vary a fair bit - from a deep golden yellow through copper to brownish pink and darker. That colouring permits wineries - like Nichol and its neighbour Kettle Valley - to leave the crushed juice on its skins for a bit of time to impart some additional body, flavour ... and colour. For this 2012 vintage, the back label says that the juice is given "up to 36 hours of skin contact" - and you could easily mistake it for a Rosé.

Nichol's style also differs somewhat in that they also ferment a portion of their Pinot Gris in neutral, French oak, thereby adding a touch more body and complexity.

I think this is the fourth vintage of Nichol's Pinot Gris that I'm adding to The List. So, I won't go on any further about the winery or their Pinot Gris, but I can add a link to a post I wrote back in 2011 when the 2009 vintage was added as #904. You can easily head there for a little more extensive account should you desire.

Me, I'd like to find out why I don't have any photos for a whack of wines. Like I need another delay factor in my writing here.

An Aussie Touch to Canada Day

It might be not quite as celebrated as our Christmas Dine Around but the Canada Day BBQ has now become a reliable tradition in the neighbourhood as well. Not only is it a great opportunity to kibbutz with the gang but, because we're able to congregate outside as well as in, we can expand our numbers over our December do. The BBQ allows neighbours from up the block to join us, provides an opportunity for travelling Aussies to join in and gives us a chance to catch up some some old buds who have up and moved away.

The latter folks may have abandoned us on a day-to-day basis but there's one or two that we still like enough to invite back to the hood.

So long as they bring a potluck item and some booze.

1662.  2012 Red Rooster Pinot Gris (VQA Okanagan Valley)

1663.  2008 La Frenz Rattlesnake Vineyard Merlot (Naramata Bench - Okanagan Valley)

It may well have been Canada Day but Boo and I seemed to be the only ones that brought along Canadian wines. I always say that I enjoy seeing what other folks bring along to the party - probably because there are often some interesting and/or surprising choices.

Red Rooster and La Frenz wines are certainly no surprise as additions to The List. Both have been producing enjoyable wines on the Naramata Bench for years now - and Boo and I still participate in the Adopt-A-Row program that Red Rooster promotes. As such, we kind of have a bottle or two of their wines around. Our row at Red Rooster may be planted with Malbec grapes but we're equal opportunity drinkers when it comes to their wines. So, the Pinot Gris called out as a wine for the sun and fun. Since this was a party for neighbours, I figured I'd grab a bottle of La Frenz as well since they're just down the road from Red Rooster on the Bench. With this one, I figured I should give our in transit Aussie, Merlot Boy, an idea of what BC Merlot can be like. He did not turn down a second glass.

I think both wineries are fine ambassadors for BC and Canadian winemakers.

1664.  2012 Barone Montalto - Nero d'Avola Cabernet Sauvignon (Sicily IGT - Italy)

With Boo's pulled pork in good supply and Mr. Principled grilling sausages left, right and centre, it's probably a good thing that someone brought along a big ol' Sicilian red. Our neighbourhood may not exactly be the Little Italy that it was decades ago but I'm sure there's been more than a few botti's worth of Italian wines thrown back in the immediate vicinity.

I didn't know this producer at all but it's interesting to see more Sicilian wines showing up in our market. It'll be even more interesting to see if that new stream of wines sticks to Sicily's indigenous grapes - like Nero d'Avola - or if more of the international grapes start showing up in their wines, either as varietal wines or blends.

One thing that you can pretty well be guaranteed about at our neighbourhood events is that there won't be a shortage of food. We rather tend to take the word "potluck" to mean "keep eating because with any luck you won't notice any increase in the size of your pot belly." From salads to corn on the cob to cupcakes and sweets, we can pretty much be assured of pleasing vegetarian, kosher and carnivorous diets.

We haven't quite mastered the All Canada, All Dance party playlist yet, but we do serve up everything from Stan Rogers through kd lang and from Bublé to Arcade Fire. Not to mention the old Hockey Night in Canada theme song.

1665.  2012 19 Crimes - Shiraz Durif (Victoria - Australia)

If I had to guess (which I don't), I'd put a couple bucks on the fact that our 2Kangaroos brought along the 19 Crimes. Merlot Boy hadn't run across this wine back home in Oz and he was intrigued by what the label was marketing to Canadians: that many of the new settlers to Australia were criminals.

As if we didn't know all of that already.

Canada Day or not, I'm always in favour of an Aussie Shiraz. If I can send a few bucks down their way, so be it. Anything, you know, to build on our two countries' great friendship.  Besides, what goes better with a slab of barbecued meat than some juice from Down Under? That, and a big, fruity wine is just an epitome of our buddy, Merlot Boy.

I'm sure there must have been a few other wines served up during the day but these four were the only ones that I got around to trying. Since July 1st fell on a Tuesday this week, I was going to need to be at work bright and early in the morning and, therefore, needed to behave.

Besides, if there wasn't enough wine already, there was a full array of craft beers that made their way to the party as well. And, as good a boy as I might have been striving to be, I'm hardly going to turn down an opportunity to try a taste of what's in 49th Parallel's Banana Hammock.

And, on that happy note...it was time to lower the flag and head off to catch a few winks.

A Day to Take It Easy

It would seem that we successfully saw Vixen and Big Trucker married yesterday and I think we all needed a bit of a rest day. We made it home in the early afternoon which was perfectly timed for a late lunch on The Drive and an afternoon nap. Vacation or not, our #2Kangaroos (as they'd taken to calling themselves on Twitter) were just as pooped as Boo and I. Boy was I glad that I'd managed to get the day off of work.

Our evening ended up being just as laid back. It's amazing what a little al fresco and a night of TV can do to revitalize a tired puppy.

1659.  2012 Tantalus Rosé (VQA Okanagan Valley)

Rosé in the garden patio comes pretty darn close to my idea of summer perfection - particularly when it's a glass of Tantalus that you're sipping on. I have to admit that my mind immediately goes to Riesling when I hear Tantalus mentioned - and that's likely followed by their bubbly. Given the stellar reputation (well earned I might add) those wines have, it might be understandable that I sometimes need a gentle reminder that there's even more Tantalus wine out there to be sipped.

The Rosé is a blend of Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. I can't think of many wineries growing Pinot Meunier in the Okanagan. My first thought, on hearing that Tantalus has some older vines (planted in 1985) still producing, is that they'd be using them in their sparkling program. That's not the case, however, at least not presently. The winery's bubbly is all Riesling. The Meunier is dedicated to the Rosé. Okanagan producers can be full of surprises; that's for sure.

I took the picture in front of our raspberry vines because it was a great reminder of the fruity acidity that is so abundant with the wine.

Following last night's banquet and our hefty lunch earlier in the day, our guests let me off easy for kitchen duty. They swore a little pappardelle and a simple tomato, basil and prosciutto sauce would be more than enough. So long as there was plenty of wine flowing as well.

I mean, duh.

Our next bottle wasn't exactly Italian, but I figured a Portuguese red can fill in on the odd occasion. I'd pulled this bottle out earlier in expectation of opening it for one of the World Cup games. Indeed, I'd expected to open a few Portuguese wines during this year's competition but their team was knocked out much earlier than expected - and I felt that I needed to open at least one bottle.

1660.  2006 Quinta do Crasto - Crasto (Douro D.O.C. - Portugal)

The Crasto is made from grapes that are well know in Portugal but they're largely unrecognized elsewhere in the world: Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional don't flow off the tongue nearly as easily as Merlot, Cab Sauv or Pinot Noir.

Having advised Merlot Boy and Margarita that Quinta do Crasto is a perennial favourite at the Vancouver International Wine Festival - particularly when Miguel Roquette is manning the tasting booth. A quick viewing of Miguel's picture had Merlot Boy ready to swear off Merlot and fly off straight to Portugal. Margarita said that he'd have to somehow manage to get there before her first.

The wine wasn't a hard sell.

I may have gotten off easy with kitchen duty but Boo decided to make his trademark pecan pie for our Aussie guests. Not that I'd ever try to dissuade him from making a pie.

1661.  2010 d'Arenberg - The Stump Jump Sticky (Adelaide Hills/McLaren Vale - Australia)

That pie is one sweet mother; so, any further wine would have to be just as lush. I'd run across a bottle of The Stump Jump Sticky and grabbed it. I'm an easy sell on stickies but I don't think even the Aussies had run across this one before. We were all intimately familiar with The Stump Jump as an every day bottle to be reckoned with, but a sticky from d'Arenberg was another thing.

The wine is a blend of botrytis affected Chardonnay, Riesling, Semillon and Pinot Gris and is a relative bargain compared to Sauternes or to BC's icewines. It was tough to hold up to Boo's pie but it was a great finish to the evening as we did a bit of a binge viewing of more Archer episodes. Not only was the wine a sweet finish but we could only imagine how much fun Archer could have with a "sticky" wine. For those who are familiar with the show - "phrasing."

Good thing we had a relatively easy day though because we were scheduled to be back on the full ride with prepping for the neighbourhood Canada Day picnic now mere hours away. Heavy sigh.