Keep Calm and Eat the Cookies

I'm not entirely sure how many years it takes for something to become a tradition but I'm darned sure that Jeaux and Matinder's annual Christmas Cookie Extravaganza has long passed into the "tradition" category. I can't remember how many years we've been kicking off the holiday season with shortbreads and gingerbread and squares and savouries but I do know that, thanks to Jeaux and Matinder, I've eaten enough calories over the years to keep an entire dieting industry in business.

The cookie fest is also a nice chance to catch up with some mutual friends that we might not bump into if not for the sweet smorgasbord - and, of course, an opportunity to add another couple bottles to The List.

1809.  2010 Daniel Lenko Chardonngay - Unoaked Chardonnay (VQA Niagra Peninsula - Ontario)

Mr. D was joining us tonight as he and Jeaux go all the way back to the 70's and high school on Vancouver Island. It was definitely a case of "small world" when we all found out that both of them had, independently, become great friends of mine. Mr. D popped by our place for a cocktail beforehand; so, I figured it only made sense to open the bottle of Chardonngay that D had given Boo back in the summer.

With the lively, rainbow label that the Daniel Lemko Chardonnay sported, we'd planned on opening it during this year's Pride weekend but the opportunity didn't arise. So, a holiday celebration is almost as good of an occasion. We don't see many Ontario wines out here in BC. Go figure. Same country but we're far more likely to run into a wine from half way around the world than we are to run into one from half way across the country.

As such, I didn't know anything about Daniel Lenko wines. Turns out that, while the winery was established in 1999, the Lenko family has been growing grapes for three generations. When Daniel Lenko's father planted some Chardonnay vines in the Niagra region, they were among the first Chardonnay vines planted in Canada. The vineyard's microclimate has allowed the vines to thrive and, according to the winery website, their vineyard is the "oldest Chardonnay planting" in the country.

I don't know what the connection between the winery and the gay community is but there's no mistaking who this wine is being marketed to. Not only does the label declare that the wine is "vinified in celebration of Canada's diverse Gay culture," but it also announces that $1 from every bottle sold will be donated to AIDS research. I may not think the wine was as fruity as the "gobs" of pineapple, lemon and peach promised on the label but i won't disagree with anything else about the wine.

1810.  2011 Lovico Suhindol Gamza (Bulgaria)

I knew even less about the second bottle that we opened. I grabbed it as it promised the addition of another grape to my Wine Century Club tally.

Once again, I had to rely on the winery website for some information on the wine and people behind it. Lovico Suhindol is apparently "the direct successor to the oldest vine-growing and winemaking cooperative on the Balkans, founded in 1909, ... and one of the leading driving forces of Bulgarian winemaking."

The winery notes that Gamza is an indigenous grape variety to the Suhindol region of Bulgaria; however, the origin of the grape isn't quite so hard and fast. Jancis Robinson's Wine Grapes bible actually lists the variety under Kadarka - the grape's name in Hungary where it has been a variety long used in the well known Bull's Blood blend - and the birth place of the grape is claimed by a number of regions in that part of the world. Hungarian plantings have declined in recent years, however, and the grape is far more commonly planted in Bulgaria now.

It's characterization as a lighter bodied red (and its name) made me think of Gamay but there's no other indication that the two grapes have any relationship whatsoever. Cookies and a plastic cup may have not been the best accompaniments for discovering a new grape variety but I figure I'd best grab the bull by the horn when the opportunity arises - particularly when I can celebrate #175 on my tally. The wine was definitely bigger than most Gamay's I've tried and there was a good bit of spice on the palate. Being from Bulgaria, you'd be right if you thought you'd be able to find this bottle in the bargain section of the wine shop. Red wine at $13 (or less when on sale) is a bit of rarity in our market.

1811.  2011 Edge Cabernet Sauvignon (North Coast - California)

Although it clocks in at closer to $30 a bottle, Edge Cab Sauv is one of the more popular - and well known - Napa Cabs in Vancouver. The folks behind Edge have always made it their goal to produce a "premium Cabernet Sauvignon without the premium price." The winery press kit lauds the wine as "the most reasonable Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that one will find on the shelf which does not compromise on quality."

Personally, I don't drink enough California Cab to take an informed stance but I know a number of people who agree with those statements. I also know that the predominant Cab Sauv is fleshed out with 12% Merlot and 11% Syrah in this 2011 vintage and that, from my tastings over the years, it's a consistent drop of bold wine.

Perhaps a bit big for Christmas cookies, but there definitely comes a time when a guy has to give up on the cookies and just settle for the wine. Edge was up to the task and we bid our adieus once the bottle was done.

All in all, a pretty successful night of wine AND start to the holiday season.

Miami Walkabout

What a difference the day makes!

Having run the gauntlet of Ocean Boulevard on a Friday night during Spring Break (which wasn't nearly as outrageous as you might expect - mind you we did head home by midnight), South Beach seemed downright tame today.

After a leisurely start to the day, we joined up with Esperanza and Cruncher for an art deco walk around the neighbourhood and along the beach promenade. The evening lights definitely add a whole different level to the feel of the city but the daylight views of the architecture offer an element of excitement all their own.

We battled a few showers through the afternoon and thought better of taking a guided tour of historical South Beach since the showers were at their heaviest just as we were scheduled to depart for the tour. The alternative was to hit Whole Paycheque and pick up a little poolside picnic. We'd gorged on a rather hefty lunch of Cuban fare earlier on and figured we'd all benefit from some lighter fare. Lighter fare and more wine, that is.

1569.  2011 Apothic Red - Winemaker's Blend (California)

After yesterday's "reveal" that Esperanza loves her value wines, it only made sense that we serve up a bottle of Apothic Red to whet her whistle. This was the one bottle that travelled back with us from Antigua. English Doc had left the bottle behind at our villa but, as I mentioned in the posts from there, the weather and food weren't all that conducive to red wine. Plus, I think Doc felt a tad tweaked when I mentioned that Apothic appears to be heir apparent to the [yellow tail] crown in the States as a big selling, easily approachable wine. It wasn't meant as a diss. I may not drink a lot of either Apothic or [yellow tail] but I think they're both keying in on what the general public enjoys in wine - and I'm all for anything that gets people drinking wine.

Esperanza and I picked up the other two bottles specifically with Cruncher in mind.

1570.  2010 Zenato Ripasso (Valpolicella Ripasso DOC - Italy)

While we we perusing the wine aisle, Esperanza said that Cruncher's favourite wine was Amarone - but added that they rarely grab a bottle as it's not generally available at bargain prices. Girl needs a little Ripasso in her life. I told her that, more often than not, my jones for Amarone needs to be satisfied by its "baby brother."

"Ripasso" is pretty much exactly what it means - "repassed." In an effort to impart additional colour, flavour and body to the lighter red of the Veneto, Valpolicella wine is "repassed" with the skins and lees (spent yeast cells) from fermented Amarone wines. In terms of Italian wine history, it's a relatively recent product but it has quickly become popular as a reasonably priced alternative to Amarone.

I'm always on the look out for a good Ripasso and I remembered having enjoyed this one some years back. I do believe that Cruncher is going to be searching out some bottles of his own down the road as well.

1571.  2013 Bodega La Flor - Malbec (Mendoza - Argentina)

The Ripasso was obviously picked because we thought it would be right up Cruncher's alley. The Malbec? Not so much. Cruncher's palate just has no affinity whatsoever for Malbec. He says that he just doesn't like anything about it - especially in that he finds it has a distinctive bouquet that he can't abide. I bought the Bodega La Flor because I thought I might be able to pull a fast one on him. You know, serve up an unannounced Malbec, see what he thinks and, then, tell him it's a Malbec after he says, "Boy, that's nice."

I haven't seen Bodega La Flor wines in the market back home in Vancouver but I knew the producer because Boo and I visited Pulenta Estate when we were in Argentina. La Flor is the entry level label for Pulenta and I knew that we'd have no problem finishing off the bottle even if Cruncher didn't want to have anything to do with it.

I didn't fool him. He said he knew it was Malbec before he'd even taken a sip and that, even if this was a fine expression of the varietal wine, it wasn't his cup of tea. As such, we left Cruncher to the Ripasso and we sipped back on other vacation memories.

Much to our surprise, Esperanza decided to call it an early night. She'd had enough of the "gauntlet" for the time being and not even the possibility of a dance or two could keep her from her bed.

Boo and I didn't have that option. We'd planned our flights to give us a Saturday night in South Beach and we knew we had to at least hit Ocean Boulevard for a perfunctory cruise. Luckily, our timing was such that we lucked into a street-side drag show at one of the bars along the strip. A beer or so later, the show was over and we could say that we hit the town. At least, we sort of "hit the town" - in a middle aged, milquetoast kind of way.

Next morning, we found out just how middle aged we'd become. We learned that, on our way home after the show, we'd walked right by one of the hottest gay bars in Miami and we hadn't noticed a thing. Apparently, things don't heat up until well after midnight and, predictably, we'd long gone to bed by then.

Good thing we were keeping ourselves busy during the day and starting our cocktails long before the young'uns had likely even gotten up from the night before.

Bienvenido a Miami

Having flown 5700 miles for our Dinner Club's Road Trip, it seemed that our time in Antigua's sand and surf had come to an end far too soon. However, since our plane didn't leave until the afternoon, Jeaux and Matinder figured we'd have just enough time for one final tour and a stroll through Nelson's Dockyard and English Harbour - an 18th Century British Naval base that has been restored as part of a national park. "Just enough time" really meant a quick scratch of the surface - no leisurely cocktail in the historical bar; no hike up the headlands; no wine-filled picnic in tropical surroundings. It did provide a glimpse into the past and a bit of an insight into the island's long commemorated ties to sailing though - and enough of taste that our appetites to return were fully whetted.

Seems like all of the Dinner Club couples used Antigua as a stopping off point for a second vacation stop. Lady Di and She Who Must Be Obeyed took off to Spain. Axel and English Doc chose Washington D.C. Boo and I thought that, since we were already in the Caribbean, we could carry on to Mexico and visit our friend, Mexican Lou, who had returned to his birthplace a couple of years ago.

Problem was, however, that you can't really get there from "here." It would seem that Mexicans don't travel to the Caribbean much - unless it's their own coast - and, in order for Boo and I to make our way to Mexico City, we had to return to the continental mainland and transfer on to Mexico City. There were connecting flights in D.C., Atlanta, Phoenix, Newark and even Toronto - hardly what I'd call convenient - and then there was Miami. It still involved flying North when we wanted to head West but at least it made a bit of sense.

Since Boo grew up in (Northern) Florida and I'd never been to Miami, we decided to stay over the weekend and take in a bit of what South Beach had to offer. As timing - and luck - would have it, an old family friend Esperanza and her newly minted husband, Cruncher, were in the process of moving to Miami and they were thrilled to have someone to show their new town to.

Esperanza has previously graced these posts - particularly when Boo and I met up with her and Cruncher when we travelled to North Carolina awhile back. However, her nom de blog back then was Desirée. We decided she needed a little more Latin fire to her name now that she's calling Miami home. Hence, Esperanza was born.

And, the doll that she is, she and Cruncher picked us up at the airport, took us to our B&B/hotel and had a couple of bottles in hand so that our transition to an Art Deco lifestyle would be as seamless as possible.

Talk about your "Bienvenido a Miami."

1567.  2011 Jacob's Creek Cabernet Sauvignon (South Eastern Australia)

Esperanza makes no bones about the fact that she's a bargain wine kinda gal. Indeed, she wonders how - and perhaps more importantly, why - I can spend so much time just wandering the aisles of a wine shop perusing what's on offer. She has her "go to" bottles and she's got it down to an art. She goes to wine aisle, if one of her preferred wines is on sale, she grabs some. No fuss. No muss. The good thing for me is that her "go to" bottles are inevitably quaffable.

I mean there isn't much chance of going wrong with either Jacob's Creek or Santa Rita is there - especially now that we were poolside. Having spent a good part of the day flying and hanging around airports, lounging back, wine glass in hand, was pretty much going to work regardless of how we'd filled those glasses.

1568.  2012 Santa Rita - 120 Merlot (Valle Central D.O. - Chile)

It was interesting to note that two of the better known brands for value back home were just as popular in Florida - particularly since I thought that Aussie wines weren't nearly as ubiquitous in the States as they are back home in Vancouver.

By the time we'd polished off the Merlot, it was time to grab a bite and "walk the gauntlet" (as we grew to call wandering on Ocean Drive).

While our timing was fortuitous with Esperanza and Cruncher in town, we'd also managed to "pick" a Spring Break weekend for our little tide-over. As we cruised the strip, it was abundantly apparent that I was not going to be able to keep pace with the Spring Breakers. The bravado and urgency to make the party was an eye-opener. There was a time - but even I realize that was many years ago. As a toast to Spring Break, I did order one monster-sized mango margarita but I figured it was best to pass on the version that has two beer balanced upside down in the glass so that the beer continues to replenish the drink. I've seen a lot of drinks in my day but that was first.

I suppose there might be a reason why I gravitate to wine as much as I do.

And something told me that we'd be throwing back a fair bit as we took in a weekend of what Miami, South Beach and Esperanza had to offer.

A Non-Tyrannical Winter Solstice

I've lost count of the actual number but, for a hefty collection of years, Tyrant has hosted his "trademark" Winter Solstice celebration. This was definitely a party that you wanted to be invited to. Every December 21, you could count on meeting up with a whole phalanx of old friends for a grand blowout of wine and tidbits and making the best of the shortest day of the year. Tyrant wasn't going to be in town this year and had recently lavishly entertained everyone in the Fall and his and Panda Guy's wedding.

As such, we found ourselves free on the Saturday night before Christmas. Knowing that just wasn't going to cut it, Boo and I decided to have a handful of friends over to have a mini-Solstice celebration. We couldn't possibly match the hoopla that Tyrant has mastered over the years, but we could give it the old college try to embark on a little merrymaking of our own.

If I do say so myself, the collection of bevies was kinda decent. Boo made up a batch of his family's old eggnog recipe (which isn't much more than Bourbon, Rum, eggs, sugar and cream) and I hit some of the new, local breweries and distillers for some craft brews, Vodka and Gin.

That being said, this is a wine blog; so, naturally, there was a bit of wine being poured as well. And, whenever, that happens, I'm more than happy to add the bottles to The List.

Before                                         After

1495.  2011 McWilliam's Wines - J.J. McWilliam Shiraz Cabernet (South Eastern Australia)

1496.  2010 Bodega Norton - Barrel Select Malbec (Mendoza - Argentina)

The first two wines are the ones that Boo and I chose for a batch of mulled wine. I don't make mulled wine very often but, if you can't interest folks in some piping hot wine on a cold, winter's night, when will you ever? Admittedly, both of these bottles are entry level wines, but I've quite enjoyed both McWilliam's and Norton in the past. I think they over-deliver for the price and I figured that a blend of different grapes and the definite presence of big, dark fruit would only add to the flavour of the "glogg." (It wasn't really "glogg" but I just like the word.) It must have worked because we went through a couple of hefty pots.

1497.  2012 Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence (AOC Côtes de Provence - France)

As a contrast to the mulled wine, I was intrigued that one of our friends brought along the Rosé. Most folks I know would be more likely to open a Rosé during the Summer Solstice - if they drink Rosé at all. Apparently, it wasn't the thought of warmer Mediterranean sunshine that resulted in the choice. Rather, our pink friends copped to the fact that they knew nothing about the wine and that they simply liked the bottle shape and the colour of the wine. I wasn't any help on the producer but I could definitely be persuaded to take in a little of Provence and the Mediterranean to sit back in the sun and enjoy life myself.

1498.  2010 Michael David - Petite Petit (Lodi - California)

Another interesting choice, by one of our guests was the 85% Petite Sirah and 15% Petit Verdot that is Petite Petit. Once again, it was the label that prompted the purchase but I know more than a couple of folks that reach for this wine quite regularly. I picked up a bottle at the Vancouver International Wine Festival a couple of years back but we still haven't opened it. I figured it had a bit of time in the bottle.

I think I'm safe with keeping our '08 vintage a bit longer because, like the elephants adorning the label, this wine is big bodied and powerful. If the mulled wine wasn't enough to warm everyone up, this one might have been able to accomplish the feat - without being warmed up on the stove.

1499.  N.V. Cupcake Prosecco (D.O.C. Prosecco - Italy) 

The final bottle that I was involved with (there were plenty others that I just had to pass on - at least as far as the blog goes) was Cupcake's entry into the Prosecco market. Based in California, the folks at Cupcake travel the world looking for opportunities to make international wines for their portfolio as well. Italy has proven a fertile ground for Cupcake in that they now produce a Chianti, a Pinot Grigio, this Prosecco and a Moscato d'Asti.

Meant to be an easily approachable brand, Red and La Gondoliera brought the Cupcake along to entertain the crowd with Venetian spritzes. I'm a long time fan of Aperol and spritzes but the girls introduced a whole new twist. They added a nicely mild olive to the mix. I'd never seen that before - but this is a drink from the piazzas of Venice where La Gondoliera was born and bred. If anyone is going to say the drink is authentic, it's going to be her. I'll have to keep the idea in mind for the many spritzes I've yet to drink down the road.

Not only was the olive an interesting twist but I got to add yet another Prosecco to The List. Since Proseccos are non-vintage (at least in our market), I'm perpetually concerned that I'm going to run out of new ones to add. No this time though.

We might have been missing Tyrant this Solstice and our modest soirée couldn't match the grandeur of a Tyrannical affair, but we did toast him - and we did manage to gather a handful of his regular guests who also found themselves "lost" without their regular shindig. I think I'll let him keep the franchise however.

A Little Turbo-Charge With Your Wine?

1483.  2008 Pasqua Villa Borghetti Passimento (Veneto IGT - Italy)

Whether you want to call this a "Baby Amarone" - or "essentially a turbo-charged Valpolicella" like Toronto wine scribe, Beppi Crosariol,  did - you can call me a turbo-charged fan. Both intense and soft at the same time, this baby could easily be taken for a poor man's Amarone. Clocking in, at the local government liquor stores, at a completely reasonable $16, this is a veritable bargain in our over-taxed market.

The Villa Borghetti brand is a second amongst many for Pasqua. Like the signature Famiglia Pasqua wines, Villa Borghetti concentrates on the production of "traditional Veronese wines: Soave, Valpolicella, Amarone." The wine is named after the "appassimento" process that partially dries out the grapes before pressing. These Passimento grapes, however, are only left to dry for a month - instead of the four months that Amarone grapes see. This time is still long enough for the grapes to lose about a third of their water content, thereby helping intensify the sugars and flavours.

Another major difference from the traditional Amarone production method is that this Passimento sees a healthy portion (around 40%) of Merlot added to Corvina and Croatina grapes. The latter two grapes are more classically known in the Veneto region and to Amarone wines. It is this addition of Merlot grapes that helps explain why the wine has an IGT designation instead of the more sanctioned D.O.C. label. In this case - much like with the old SuperTuscans that were deemed IGT as well - I'm all for the new twist because it's certainly working for my palate.

Considering how many Italian-inspired dishes hit our dining room table and how we can't justify pouring an Amarone with them on a regular basis, this Passimento may just become a new regular. Works for me.

Dinner With A View

Ever since we got the chance to spend a short time with our old neighbour, Red, at Dîner en Blanc back in the summer, she's wanted to try and put together a dinner at her place.  After a couple of false starts, we finally pulled it off following her return from a vacation in Sweden to visit her new squeeze. As much as we miss Red as a neighbour, I don't know if I'd even second guess a move from our old hood - if you could end up with a view like this. I'm rather fond of our view of the tennis court and park, but this is something else.

On top of the view, the girl knows how to cook!

1476.  2012 Cono Sur - Bicicleta Viognier (Chile)

Red's always on a hunt for a tasty, well-priced "house" wine. The Cono Sur Viognier is her current choice.

I heartily concur with her reasoning. This Chilean Viognier has quite a different profile from the Viogniers we see from our Okanagan Valley but there's not really much surprise in that. It's a fuller body with less acidity but the fruit is still prominent and at $11 - in OUR market - that's quite the bargain.

As we took in the view - while sipping on our Viognier - Red played double duty as hostess with the most-est and chef in the kitchen. We knew from dinners in the hood, that the girl's got plenty of kitchen and dining experience to draw from. Her years in Italy are enough to make any pasta-loving guy - such as me - salivate at the thought of dining at her table.

Red's other dinner guests were just as appetizing as the first course of linguine with clams. We'd met La Gondoliera previously and, whenever she and Red get together, there's bound to be fun times. I'll leave it at that (for now). We hadn't met the other couple joining us but something tells me they're never going to think of traffic cones as they did before the evening's conversation.

2009 Church & State Chardonnay

No number for the Church & State since I've already added the 2009 to The List back at #1182. We liked it then and we liked it tonight. Richer than the Viognier, it paired nicely with the oil and butter of the pasta. The Viognier had a bit more acidity since the Chadonnay did see some oak, but we certainly finished off the bottle before all of the pasta seconds were finished.

1477.  2008 Orofino Pinot Noir (Similkameen Valley)

The Pinot Noir isn't generally the first wine I grab for when it comes to Orofino wines, but Red had asked for a lighter red to go with a fish course and I figured Pinot is about as classic a red as it can go when it comes to West Coast fish and BC reds. I definitely could have gone for a Gamay Noir - and Orofino has one of those as well - but I have way more Pinots in our "cellar" than I do Gamay's. And, I'm hardly one to pass on an Orofino wine if the occasion arises - as you might gather by the number of Orofino wines that have been added to The List thus far.

By now, the wines had us all in a boisterous mood. So, sing along with me..."Fish Heads. Fish Heads. Roly Poly Fish Heads. Eat them up. Yum." (Certainly some of the most interesting song lyrics you'll ever run across, I dare say.)

OK. So, we weren't really singing that (although the song does exist) and Red did serve the whole fish, but the heads were there if anyone was looking for a cheek or an eye to match up with the Pinot. Despite the wine's deep colour, this was far from an over-the-top, big Pinot. It still showed a subtle body and a profile that certainly didn't overpower the garlic roasted fish.

Admittedly, there may have been another wine or two over the evening that I didn't get to (and don't rightly remember) but, in my defence, I pretty much stuck to these three as I knew I had a big day ahead of me and that Boo needed to leave early because of his need to get up for work at 5.30 in the morning. The evening ended with some big hugs and the promise of more good times to come. Red's off to Venice in the new year for a conference and we're bound to do a little celebrating after that.

Beyond Venice, there's still plenty more to learn about this little (or not so little) story revolving around Mr. Sweden and about some new opportunities for adventure in Whistler that have come up. I'm happy to bring the wine if she brings the stories. Enquiring minds want to know.

The Last Mexican Cat Dance

GatuBela, one of our old neighbours, is in the 'hood. It's time for her annual fundraiser - the Mexican Cat Dance. Even though GatuBela may have moved away from the neighbourhood last year, it's a definite case of "gone but not forgotten." In fact, we probably see and hear from her more than most of the other folks that actually live on our block.

GatuBela has been organizing her Mexican Cat Dance for a decade now. The funds she raises are used to keep street cats and dogs healthy, help locals spay and neuter pets, offer euthanasia for sick animals and, generally, assist the displaced cats and dogs of Mazatlan's streets.

This is to be the last dance however. GatuBela is spending more and more time in Mexico nowadays and planning the dance in Vancouver has become a little too taxing.

That meant we had to mark the night down in pen on our calendar even though there were other events scheduled for that night. For the last so many years, she's held the Cat Dance at the Casa Verde Restaurant; so, a small batch of neighbours met to have a little dinner beforehand. Boo and I were joined by Mr. D, Red (and a spunky friend who has yet to pick her "nom de blog"), Mr. Principles and Nature Boy.

N.V. Aveleda Casal Garcia - Vinho Verde (DOC Vinho Verde - Portugal)

Seeing how this is a non-vitage wine, it's no surprise to me that I'd already added it to The List. I found it amusing though that, when it was added back at #933, we were at an earlier edition of the Mexican Cat Dance and the accompanying picture is with some of Casa Verde's calamari. Some things are just constants in life I suppose. No sense repeating myself all over again and writing the same blurb about the wine. I think it'll suffice to say that Casal Garcia has been for years - and continues to be - an easy drinking "go to" bargain kind of wine for Latin food and picnics.

1433.  2012 Vila Regia - Douro Vinho Tinto (DOC Douro - Portugal)

Our second wine of the evening is a new addition even though it's apparently the #1 selling Portugese red wine in British Columbia. The Vila Regia may not be a constant pour for us; we were, however, far more predictable with our choice of the restaurant's flaming chorizo. It's a house specialty and I mean, really, could there be a better dinner offering for a gay guy than a flaming sausage?

Vila Regia is one of the brands that is part of the huge Sogrape Vinhos portfolio. The wine's made from some of the most traditional grapes found in Portugal's Douro region: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barocca and Tinta Roriz. Those grapes may not mean much to the average drinker, but anyone who tried a Port - or one of the new Portugese table wines that are starting to become better known in BC markets - has quaffed them. It's marketed as a drink now wine that's easy on the pocket book and, while it's definitely Old World in its profile, it takes a more modern New World take on emphasizing the fruit. I doubt I'd run back to it like I do the Casal Garcia, but it served its purpose and worked nicely with the sausage.

Following dinner, we carried on into the "banquet" room to scope out the silent auction and take in a little cat dancing. Being the old mean guy - who covets lots of dancefloor to work my patented moves - I hadn't noticed that the little guy in the picture had wandered onto the floor to join us and I knocked him flat on his posterior. Many might think that I was trying to take out the competition for the limelight but, really, I was simply trying to teach him that, if you want floor space, you need to keep your elbows up.

Feeling guilty about making the little guy cry, I retreated to the silent auction to spend a little more money than I would have if I hadn't caused the tears.

Boo felt guilty by association and used the accident as an excuse to get me to leave before the big floorshow of the cats dancing their choreographed routine around a Mexican sombrero to the dulcet strains of Donna Summer belting out "Last Dance." I'm not so sure that floorshow actually took place - it is rather hard to choreograph cats after all - but I had suggested to GatuBela that it'd be a marvellous way to end the run of Cat Dances on a high note.

With or without the dancing cats, GatuBela has done a lot of great work in Mazatlan and I'm sure she'll continue to find ways to keep up her good deeds. Buenos Noches Muchachos.

Pizza From Way Back

Gonna be quickie with this one. My sis, Vixen, called to see if we wanted to join them and Dad for dinner. They were headed to an old high school haunt of mine. I won't say how many years it's been since I chowed down on some Romana's pizza - since that would date my sis - but the restaurant's celebrating its 40th anniversary on The Heights this year. We weren't there opening night but it likely wasn't too long afterward.

I'm not even sure if the place has changed much since those early years, especially since I don't recall the last time I ate here when it wasn't late into the evening, long after some game, party or dance.

There may be a wave of high end, Neapolitan pizzas raging through Vancouver but Romana's isn't part of that wave. These pies definitely harken back to old school, Vancouver thicker crust pizzas. Now, the toppings have been modernized since my high school days - there was no spinach or melizano, artichoke hearts or feta on our pizzas back then - but it would seem that you can go home again after all.

1272. N.V. Spinelli Montepulciano d'Abbruzzo (Abruzzi DOC - Italy)

We'd have never ordered a bottle of wine to go with our pizza all those years ago, but by look of the wine list, I'm not so sure that many people order wine even now. This simple, entry level fruity quaff was about as adventurous as it got on the limited list and this is one of a handful of bottles in our provincial liquor system that sells for under $10. It kinda tasted like that as well - although it does seem to garner its share of "bang for your buck" plaudits in the press. It was certainly fruity and light enough that even my niece tried a bit - and she hasn't graduated past sweeter wines yet - but she wasn't interested in much more than a couple of sips.

It all counts for The List though. It just that I have a feeling I might check to see if Romana's allows BYO should we show up for another pizza and a few memories.

Mayan Apocalypse or Night On The Town?

Wasn't sure whether I'd still be around to write this post or not.  What with the Mayan Apocalypse being predicted and all.  But here I am - and happy to be so, I might add.

Never one to let an end of the world threat get in the way of a good party, Tyrant continued to schedule his annual Winter Solstice party for December 21.  As his invite astutely stated, "End of the World you say? Well then I'd better have another glass of wine."  The thought was that if we were all going to go up in a big poof, we might as well be having fun with friends, drinking fine wines and nibbling on an endless supply of tasty treats.  Heaven may have its allure for many, but I'd say this party was a pretty good stab at "heaven on earth."

And for once, the soirée fell on a weekend night!  The good news was that I wasn't going to be obligated to play nice, limit myself to a couple of drinks and head home to be ready for work in the morning.  The bad news was that, if the world didn't really come to an end, I still had a lot of Christmas to plan for.

Thinking that we likely would all still be around come Saturday morning, I played it safe - even if I was one of the last to leave.  As always, Tyrant served up a full array of wines at the Solstice party but I only worked my way through a trio of the wines being poured.

1321.  2010 Marichel - Estate Viognier (VQA Okanagan Valley)

The fact that Tyrant opened a case of Marichel wines was a good indicator of his largesse - or his fear that the end of the world really might be nigh.  Marichel is the Naramata Bench winery that only produces wines made from two Rhône varietals - Syrah and Viognier - and they've never made more than a thousand cases in total.  I rather like their website blurb regarding their philosophy on winemaking. They don't try to mimic Rhône producers (or any others for that matter) and state that, "Much as we love them all, we don't make a Côte-Rôtie Syrah, a Barossa Shiraz, or a Viognier from Condrieu.  And while we adore Cold Heaven Viognier from California, Tarawara Shiraz from Yarra Valley, and Hermitage Syrah from the Rhône... they've all been done.  Instead we make wine that is singularly, identifiably from the Okanagan Valley.  Not only do we make no apologies for that, we exult in it."

There were only 90 cases of the 2010 Estate Viognier made and I was heartily recommending it to anyone making their way for a white wine - particularly when Tyrant, an avid fisherman, always has a superb spread of salmon and other treats from the sea.

The Solstice party has been a regular addition to my December calendar for years now and it's often the only chance I have to meet up with a lot of these folks during the holiday season. With some guests travelling hefty distances and making overnight visits into town, it can sometimes even be the only time I'll see certain acquaintances all year.  To emphasize the party's allure, this year, Jeaux and Matinder delayed a flight to the Caribbean long enough so that they wouldn't miss out on the evening's pleasures.  Attending the party trumped an extra day on Antiguan beaches.

Boo, on the other hand, had to work a night shift and miss the party this year.  Seems the hospital didn't give much credence to the end of the world and made Boo work his shift anyhow.  After being asked where he was for the umpteenth time, I finally texted him to say that I was getting tired of people asking about him and suggested that he just tell the administration that he'd contracted a Mayan flu and needed to leave.  He didn't think much of the idea, but he did text back a photo that I could show to anyone that asked after him.

Meanwhile, back at Tyrant's, those in attendance were all smiles - especially Desmond and the Divine Miss M as they modelled one of the evening's wines.

1322.  2010 Tribunal Red (Sonoma - California)

I hadn't run across this wine previously and I had to look it up afterwards.  Turns out it's a California blend and was picked as one of Vancouver Magazine's Best Red Wines of 2012 and was also named No. 5 on Wine Access magazine's Top 20 Bargain Wines.

It was hard finding out much more information about the wine with a simple Google search however.  There's plenty of hits that pop up but no real info on an actual winery or the wine itself.  I think it's pretty safe to say that most fingers point to this being a "vanity" label for Trader Joe's in the States.  It's proved to be so successful that they must have deemed it worthwhile to cross the border into Canada as well.  There's a rumour that the wine was styled after a well known California wine called The Prisoner and even that The Prisoner's winemaker, David Phinney, has been involved in the making of Tribunal but I didn't see anything formal backing that up that concept.  Indeed, if anything, any one connected to The Prisoner or to David Phinney denied his involvement.

It appears that the wine contains a little bit of everything and that the blend has changed a bit from year to year.  One site states that the current vintage contains Petit Sirah, Merlot, Syrah, Dolcetto, Sangiovese and a "secret" grape. Other sites have mentioned Cab Franc, Grenache, Barbera and Primitivo (or Zinfandel).  In any event, it was a big, bold wine and was a very popular choice among Tyrant's guests.

1323.  2007 Monmousseau Cuvée J.M. Brut (Touraine AOC - Loire - France)

The final wine that I concentrated on was the bubbly - another label that I wasn't familiar with.  Monmousseau has a history in the wine business of over 125 years and they produce primarily sparkling wines (80% of their total production has bubbles).  Back at the start of the 20th Century, a member of the Monmousseau family identified the fact that their region of Touraine, in the Loire Valley, had great similarities to the terroir of the Champagne region.  Accordingly they began to make sparkling wines using the Méthode Traditionelle and quickly garnered a name for themselves.  They remain one of the principal producers in Touraine.

The Cuvée J.M. Brut is made with the Chenin Blanc grape - different from real Champagne - but it sees second fermentation in the bottle which is in line with the traditional method for making Champagne. I liked the fact that the wine allows the fruit to show through and, while I wouldn't call the wine off-dry in any sense, there was a definite ease to the palate.  I could have started with this wine a whole lot earlier in the evening and carried on with it for some time.  It doesn't hurt that it costs about a third of real Champagne either ($19 in Vancouver).

As mentioned, the world didn't meet its demise, Mayan prophesies or not, but the best news about that is that we get to do this all over again next year when Tyrant will be back to a plain, old Winter Solstice party.  I can't wait.

Some Christmas Lights from Tyrant's Balcony

Aussie Wines for the Office Party

The office Christmas Party has arrived and it's always good for a couple of additions to The List.  Dinner was in Vancouver's West End; so, Boo and I made a bit of side trip on the way to the restaurant to take in a quick look at our favourite massively lit tree at English Bay.  One day, we'll have to take a bottle with us so that I can use the view under the display as a blog location.  That's to be another time though because we were running a little behind for the office do.

I was chatting to The Boss a couple of days beforehand to talk possible wine choices and he mentioned, afterward, that he basically had fun just picking and grabbing an assortment of bottles that he thought looked interesting.  I was looking forward to seeing his choices since I certainly know that browsing for a case of wines ranks highly on my scale of enjoyable activities.

It's amusing that he went with primarily Aussie choices since we were dining at an Italian restaurant but there's no doubt that The Boss grabbed a mixed bag.  In some instances, he only bought single bottles and, accordingly, there were a couple of interesting bottles that were already finished off by the time we arrived.  I settled in with sipping from a bottle of something old and another of something new.

1307.  2011 Wirra Wirra Scrubby Rise Shiraz - Cabernet Sauvignon - Petit Verdot (Adelaide - South Australia)

The Scrubby Rise is the "something old" bottle.  Scrubby Rise (and the slightly more expensive Church Block) have long been on my radar as great sips at a good price.  I'm actually rather shocked to see that this is the first Wirra Wirra wine to be added to The List.  I must have a fair number of W2 bottles in the "cellar" because I know they've ended up in my shopping basket on many an occasion.  Boo and I even visited the winery during our short visit to McLaren Vale back in the Spring.  It's definitely time for a bottle to be added.

The bottle states that the wine is from the "Adelaide region."  I'm not familiar with Adelaide as a named production area but maybe, in their current efforts to emphasize regional Aussie wines, marketers are using "Adelaide" as a more comprehensive region when grapes are sourced from more than one of the smaller zones.  The grapes going into Scrubby Rise hail from both the McLaren Vale and Fleurieu areas but maybe "Adelaide Region" is thought to be more of a premium appellation than South Australia would be.

Doesn't matter to me.  Website notes refer to the wine as a "twist on an Australian classic - Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon."  Petit Verdot is a classic Bordeaux blender and Wirra Wirra's winemakers look to PV to "take this wine to another level, with its vibrant colour and rich fragrance."  As you might expect, the wine is big with lots of ripe, dark fruit.  But, being from regions that are slightly cooler than the Barossa, there is more restraint on those flavours than many of the similarly priced easy drinking Aussie wines.  At $15 (in the Vancouver market), it's an easy choice for all sorts of  parties.

1308.  2010 Henry's Drive Vignerons - Morse Code Shiraz (Padthaway - Australia)

The Morse Code Shiraz, on the other hand, was new to me.  I've seen it on some local shelves but I can't say that I've ever tried it.  Turns out that Morse Code is one of a number of brands that are produced by Henry's Drive.  They are one of a handful of wineries that are working to establish a regional name for Padthaway.  Found to the North of Coonawarra, Padthaway is a sub-region of the Limestone Coast; however, the area has largely been monopolized by bigger, commercial wine producers and doesn't have nearly the name recognition of neighbouring wine areas.

Henry's Drive is relatively new on the scene, having been established in 1998.  Despite its recent heritage, the diversity of labels sees the winery producing around 150,000 cases annually - large by BC standards but hardly the volume of the big Aussie brands.  As with the Wirra Wirra, the fruit on the Morse Code is still front and centre; however, it's more subtle than most economical brands from the Barossa.  For $14, this is another wine that punches above it weight.

The good news was that, Italian inspired cuisine or not, the wines went over nicely.  The bad news, such as it might be, was that I was feeling rather under the weather and, so, I didn't try any other wines.  In fact, I was one of the first to leave the evening's activities and that's a bit of a first in itself.  Pacing, especially during the holiday season, is critical though - and there are plenty more opportunities scheduled to add bottles to The List before the year is out.

And We're Back...

As a post script to my last entry, I'm happy to say that our drive home from the Red Rooster Adopt-A-Row weekend was uneventful and that the Hope-Princeton's mountain passes were nice and clear - despite the previous night's storm.  Mr. D and I drove past two nasty accidents though.  There was a flipped pick-up and then another car that had somehow ended up facing down the upper hillside in a manner such that we couldn't figure out how the car had even ended up there.  Sure glad it wasn't us and that we didn't have to drive in the conditions that must have prevailed at the time of the accident.

Our arrival home was welcome because it also meant that all the new wine we'd picked up arrived safely as well.  Boo's and my new case of Red Rooster wines, as part of the Adopt-A-Row program, was part of that bounty.  Since Boo hadn't been able to join in the weekend's festivities, I thought it'd be appropriate to open a bottle of Red Rooster to let him feel at least a tiny bit connected.

1273.  2011 Red Rooster Bantam (VQA Okanagan Valley)

Bantam may be an entry level, proprietary blend for the winery but it's perennial favourite of mine and a reliable go-to wine.  Single vineyard, single varietal wines might command the greatest shelf space in bottle shops, but I just have a tendency to gravitate towards blends.  Must be something to do with that old "the whole being greater than the sum of its parts" bit.

I find that white blends in BC can often be a vehicle for using lesser known varietals that are still hanging around from older days, but that's certainly not the situation with Bantam.  Winemaker, Karen Gillis, fashions her easy drinker from grapes that she bottles as varietal wines as well.  The 2011 vintage sees a blend of Viognier (30%), Chardonnay (25%), Riesling (20%), Sauvignon Blanc (15%) and Gewürztraminer (10%) - and the result is a varied array of flavours and aromas.

I like that the wine is a touch off-dry but still has a nice bite of acidity.  I also like that you definitely notice the aromatic varietals coming through on the nose but no one varietal dominates.  The abundance of ripe tree fruit, with some tropical notes to boot, is an easy serve to guests that might not be all that caught up in wine, but there's enough complexity to entice a seasoned palate as well.

 For me, Bantam packs a great value for the $15 price.

And, being from the Adopt-A-Row case, Boo couldn't question my bringing it home.  That's a win-win in my books.

2012 AIDS Walk

It's 27 years later and I'm still taking in the annual Vancouver AIDS Walk in memory of my little brother & lost friends and for those currently living with HIV/AIDS.  I've lost track of just how much money has been raised by the generousity of my family, friends and colleagues but, together, we raised just shy of $3000 this year.  I think that's the most we've ever raised.  As one of the top individual walkers (in terms of donations), I received a nice thank you card from the Positive Living Society advising me that our efforts will help over 80 HIV+ individuals access the proper medical care that they require for one month.

Boo had to work and was unable to walk with me this year, but Mr. D. was a more-than-willing replacement walker - particularly when the day's weather turned out to be gorgeous after a cloudy start.  It's become a tradition of mine to pop a cork on the Walk and toast my bro and those lost friends.  This year, the Walk proceeded around Lost Lagoon and right past Ronnie's memorial bench.  It seemed like a natural rest stop for Mr. D. and I - especially since the Out In Harmony Choir was performing no more than 100 feet from the bench.

1250.  2010 Banrock Station Shiraz Mataro (Australia)

The Banrock Station may not be the most premium of wines that you'll find on The List but I thought it was appropriate for the Walk as it was one of the wines that we served at my Mom's recent memorial and reception.  The winery, itself, says that they're aiming to produce "flavoursome, easy drinking wines" and that's exactly what it is.

I couldn't find out much about the wine itself but Banrock Station is one of the many brands falling under the Constellation banner.  Banrock Station is obviously a large, commercial producer of value for money wines.  They make a large assortment of wines and they export throughout the world.  Their website stresses the winery's commitment to the environment as much as it talks about its wines.

A small donation is made from the sale of every bottle to conservation projects around the world.  Those contributions have assisted works in 60 countries - including a project to save salmon in Canada's Great Lakes.  Their biggest project relates to the winery's properties themselves.  The majority of Banrock's lands are now part of a wetland restoration where they attempt to produce wines while demonstrating a greater respect for the land and the climate.  Their efforts include the introduction of Mediterranean varietals that grow "more sustainably in the South Australian climate" - particularly in that they are proving to result in greater savings in water and the need for irrigation.  This last point may play a part in the addition of the Mataro to this blend.  I saw no reference to the varietal on the website but Mataro is simply Aussie for Mourvèdre (French) and Monastrell (Spanish). I tend to like a bit of blending when a winery is going for cheap and cheerful.  It just seems to add a bit of depth or complexity to an admittedly simple wine.

The Shiraz Mataro was a fine choice for the Walk.  I like the charitable aspect of the winery's business plan and the wine was an easy one to enjoy without needing a meal to match up with it.  The toughest aspect of the wine was being able to take a sip while walking - without spilling.  It was also grand to have a bit of the bottle left when we grabbed pulled pork buns and beet fries from one of the food trucks that had set up shop at the end of the Walk.

A glorious day.  A great way to add a bottle to The List.  And two chances to make a small contribution to the community and world at large.

At Long Last - Via Tevere

It seems like we've on a bit of an Italian wine jag of sorts lately. You might think we were readying ourselves for a jaunt to the Mediterranean as opposed to a walkabout Down Under. But, as much as I've been looking forward to our upcoming trip, I've been waiting months for the new Via Tevere Pizzeria Napoletana to open as well - ever since I heard the news story about how their building renovations uncovered an old billboard advertising the 1920's bakery that used to be found on the site. Long enough that the story was broadcast last August - when this picture was taken as well.

The new pizza joint has finally opened - and I love the fact that we can actually walk there from home. I just forgot to bring the camera (phone only I'm afraid) along with us when Elzee joined Boo and I to see how their pies sized up.

1095. 2010 Trentacinquesimo Parallelo Primitivo (IGT Salento - Italy)

As might be expected at a restaurant that only seats 60 people or so, the wine list was rather limited - maybe just over a dozen wines, including red, white and sparkling. I picked the Primitivo, thinking that an "Italian Zin" would be light and flavourful enough to match up with the different pies that we'd ordered up. It's not a wine that I was familiar with, but a quick Google shows that it's been a long time favourite of Vancouver wine scribes as a bang for your buck, bargain kind of wine.

Indeed, selling for only $10 in government liquor stores, Georgia Strait writer Jurgen Gothe, proclaimed in 2010, that this "may well be the best red wine buy in B.C." I can't say that I'd go that far but, unfortunately, we paid rather more that $10 for the wine in the restaurant. I might have taken a different look at the wine had I known the retail price at the time.

I love those big, romantic Italian words like "Trentacinquesimo." That sounds ever so more exotic than the translated "35th." The 35 Parallel name refers to the winery's Southern Italian location in Puglia - the heel of the Italian boot and the winery is part of the Casa Sant'Orsola family of wines. The well-established family produces five brands that cover most regions of Italian winemaking, with 35 Parallel working to re-establish Southern vineyards and create a market for Primitivo varietal wines - after the old, original vines fell victim to an EEU sanctioned vine pull in the 1990's. Lesser known grapes like Primitivo were deemed to be less valuable than international varietals like Cabernet and Merlot. Thankfully - at least in my mind - local growers have concluded that they can make a much bigger statement in the world of wine by sticking to the grapes of old - naturally, with some tweaking in and modernization of production standards. It's often said that it's only DNA studies that showed the relationship between Primitivo and Zinfandel that led to a whole new interest in the Italian grape. The result of the reinvigorated interest was that many of those vines that had been ripped out were re-planted.

That return to one's roots was demonstrated with Via Tavere's pizza as well. Vancouver has long been chided for its lack of authentic pizza - as compared to other major cities - but we've seen a good number of new restaurants taking a run at the crown. The Morra family reached back to its Neapolitan roots and has clearly established itself as a neighbourhood jewel. This isn't a food blog, but we'll definitely be back for the pie!

The fact that Via Tavere is close enough to walk to also means that we just happen to be able to walk home right past another of our favourites on The Drive - Dolce Amore Gelateria. What better to follow up a traditional Neapolitan pizza with than Vancouver's tastiest gelato? We grabbed a litre and settled in at home to a little taste of heaven.

Having taken stock of our cellar since Boo restored the No Buy Leash, I've concluded that we have a goodly number of dessert wines. I have a definite weakness for them when standing at a winery tasting bar and I've been known to pick up more than a couple of bottles here and there. Thing is we don't tend to open many of them. This seemed like a perfect opportunity.

1096. 2008 Rustic Roots Santa Rosa Plum (Similkameen Valley)

With our pizza and dinner wine both looking to their respective roots, why not go with a bottle of Rustic Roots for dessert? Grown and produced at a multi-generational organic farm in the Similkameen, I think this bottle qualifies as true evidence of what land, fruit and care can produce in a bottle.

At $29 a half-bottle, this falls into the "treat" category around our household. But having Elzee over definitely counts as a special occasion and the Santa Rosa is one of the winery's most highly awarded wines. It continually wins medals in the fruit and dessert wine categories at the BC Wine Awards, Northwest Wine Summit, Canadian Wine Awards and All-Canadian Wine Awards.

The winery only started in 2008 as part of the farm operations and the winery's output is still limited in scope at around 1200 cases, all told, for its near dozen different wines. The limited production just makes it all that more important that we stop by for a taste and a shopping trip for wine and vegetables as often as we can.

Just like we'll continue to hit Via Tavere and Dolce Amore. Talk about a tasty evening!