2010's First Picnic

Used to be that Boo and I would use any good weather as an excuse for a picnic. At one point, it was even partially romanticized in a quest form as the "Summer of a Thousand Picnics." Not exactly possible in one summer - but it sounded good.

Here we are well into July and this is our first picnic of the year. Never one to give up quests and "tilting at windmills," maybe we can take on another bit of an adventure - to picnic at as many locations playing site to one of the Vancouver Biennale sculpture installations as we can. Introduced as a means of introducing contemporary art to the masses in unexpected places, over the years, the Biennale has introduced some intriguing pieces in VanCity. My hunts tend to wine over art, but we are looking to feature our bottles in as many different (and possibly exciting) locations as possible.

535. 2001 Jackson-Triggs Proprietors' Grand Reserve Shiraz (VQA Okanagan Valley)

It was the 2004 J-T Grand Reserve Shiraz that won the Rosemont Trophy as the Best Shiraz in the world in London in 2006. Not this 2001. This bottle's pedigree only travelled as far as to win "Best of Class" at the 2003 Wine Access Canadian Wine Awards - No slouch of an award on its own. As much as I'd like to add the 2004 to The List, I don't think it will happen since I never could get my hands on an actual bottle.

It might be fair to say that it was the '01 Grand Reserve that started putting BC Shiraz on the map however - and it was still showing plenty of reason why there need be no shame in thinking that a BC Shiraz can live up to your dinner table - or picnic table. It's not to say that this wine would ever be confused for a big ol' Barossa fruit bomb, but it still has enough fruit on it to leave a foot in the New World while keeping some of the finesse needed when the fruit doesn't ripen quite as fully as in Oz or California.

Our actual picnic spot might not have been the choicest spot in the city - with Kits Point/Vanier Park passers-by continually taking stock of our goodies - but we did have a spectacular view of the West End and of Jen Ren's piece Freezing Water #7.

All I can say is "Bring it on." More wine. More art. More picnics. It all works for me.