Comes the Summer

Boo and I were invited to dinner Saturday night by Beamer and The Divine Miss M. Just to avoid the creation of any pre-conceptions, the monicker "Beamer" wasn't taken on because of a penchant for driving BMW's, although he does loves his cars. Rather, it's a take on B.M.'er (as in Best Man - twice in fact). Using B.M. just seemed a little too bathroom-y.

This was our first al fresco dining of the newly arrived "summer season." We might not be fully into reliable summer weather yet (is there such a thing as "reliable summer weather" in Vancouver?) but it was good enough for tonight. A little BBQ, some good wine, and great friends. What more do you need?

71. 2008 Laughing Stock White Blind Trust (Naramata Bench - Okanagan - BC)

72. 2008 Laughing Stock Pinot Gris (Naramata Bench - Okanagan - BC)

We were lucky in that Beamer had just received a mixed case of Laughing Stock wines. He brought out a couple of the whites for the evening. A relative newcomer to the Naramata Bench, Laughing Stock was a hit with the critics and wine public almost from day one. I think their incorporation of stock market terms into their branding is both witty and thought out.

The Blind Trust is a unconventional blend of 65% Pinot Gris, 18% Viognier, 13% Pinot Blanc and 4% Sauvignon Blanc. They've said that they're "looking to add unique characteristics of each varietal to add layers of flavours and complexity." I think it works.

Silly of us, but I guess we didn't know that we'd go through as much wine as we did. It would have been interesting to drink the Blind Trust side by side with the Pinot Gris to see what the additional "complexity" did add to the mix.

73. 2006 Rosedale Wines Cat Amongst the Pigeons Nine Lives Shiraz (Barossa - Australia)

Dark and full bodied, it just called out for steak on the barbie. The Wine Advocate has called the whole Cat Amongst the Pigeons as great value.

74. 2005 See Ya Later Ranch Ping (Okanagan - BC)

One of SYL's web pages starts off with a heading of "A Quirky History on a Remote Ranch." This is the old Hawthorne Mountain winery that's been re-branded to capitalize on some of the ranch's interesting history and characters. You know there has to be stories when the label features a white dog with angel wings and a halo - all visitors to the winery are sure to be advised of the doggy cemetery found on the property.

Ping is SYL's entry into the Meritage/Bordeaux blend category. This vintage is a blend of 69% merlot, 20% cab sauv and 11% cab franc. Although it may not have the pretensions of a Nota Bene or Oculus, at half the price of those wines, I like a nice glass of Ping.