Mussels & Sauv Blanc

Having added Howling Bluff's Sauv Blanc on my last post, here I am, right back adding another Sauv Blanc to The List. It might have something to do with another round of mussels on the dinner table. We do love our mussels round here.

Or, if I were to channel my inner Diana Ross, I could say, "we do love our muscles round here."

1845. 2012 La Poderosa Reserva Sauvignon Blanc (Valle Central - Chile)

I suppose I'll admit that I picked up this bottle (two of them actually) because of the striking label. I was making an all-time favourite soup that's not much more than mussels, white wine, onions, fennel and saffron. The recipe calls for almost a bottle and a half of white wine and I've just habitually gone with Sauv Blanc. As such, I wanted a reasonably priced wine and this one jumped out at me. I've started seeing La Poderosa at a number of the private wine stores. So, I figured it can't be all that bad if so many stores are stocking it.

According to the label, the story behind the name goes that, in 1952, Ernesto 'Che' Guevara ventured through the wilderness of Chile on his motorcycle - nicknamed La Poderosa or "the powerful one." I subsequently found out that the brand is produced by the well known Chilean winery Viña Luis Felipe Edwards to celebrate that ride.

As far as "cooking wine" goes, I'd say this one fit the bill nicely. I'm told you should never cook with a wine that you wouldn't want to drink on its own. While I don't think the folks in Sancerre - or even Howling Bluff - need to worry, the wine was true to the grape variety and, surprise surprise, paired well with the soup.

There just wasn't enough soup - or wine - to satisfy that craving for mussels. Guess we'll be back for more.

A Vegan Affair

Other than sometimes having to contend with the odd morning after, the biggest problem our Dinner Club has is trying to schedule an evening when all four couples can attend. Things aren't made any easier now that Matinder and Jeaux spend five months of the year in semi-retirement down in Antigua, particularly since I don't think we can manage to get everyone down there on a regular basis for a dinner club like we did this year. With last night's Holiday Cookie Bash now behind them, our Caribbean couple were charted to head off to the sun in another week.

Although Tyrant had just returned from a month's visit to New Zealand, he and Panda Guy thought we might be able to fit in a dinner before Jeaux and Mat's departure. Luckily for us, Tyrant had access to his old Vancouver condo (and its view of the carol ships in Coal Harbour); so, he brought along his tools of the trade and made his way into town from Salt Spring Island.

The only clue we had as to the dinner's "theme" was that we were all asked to bring along organic wines. For those of you not familiar with Salt Spring, it is well known as a haven for artistic, holistic and organic back-to-nature folk. Upon our arrival and our learning that the evening's fare would all be vegan, we immediately began joking about how, despite Tyrant's carnivorous ways, his current island surroundings must be rubbing off on him. He countered that the theme had more to do with trying to come with something new after more than a decade of Dinner Club gatherings than it did with turning all granola on us.

In any event, it was going to be an interesting evening because none of us could remember ever having partaken in an entire menu plan based on vegan cuisine.

Tyrant started us off with vodka martinis made with Calvados, ginger beer and fresh pressed apple juice from our hosts' own trees. As we sipped away, an array of hors d'oeuvres were presented: sesame crusted tofu batons with dipping sauce, faux crab salad in cucumber cups and pesto seared king oyster mushroom medaillons on daikon rounds. it would seem that vegans have their ways of presenting food so that it reminds you of more familiar foods - like crab and scallops. Regardless, we were off to a tasty start.

1812.  NV Summerhill Pyramid Winery - Cipes Brut (Okanagan Valley VQA)

It only seemed fitting to bring along a bottle of Summerhill Cipes Brut. Not only is it consistently lauded as an excellent example of Okanagan bubbly, Summerhill is as dedicated to organic production as anyone in the Okanagan. Indeed, they've pioneered biodynamic practices where possible in their vineyards and they dedicate a healthy portion of their website to educating consumers on organic farming and wine.

Their website also has a "Note to Vegans" where they state, "although there is no third party verification for vegan wine, Summerhill uses no animal byproducts in its winemaking, and is therefore vegan friendly. We were once asked whether our Biodynamic practices are vegan friendly. Some biodynamic preparations are made by fermenting herbs in stag bladders and cow intestines. These animal parts are not in the wine or in any way touching the grapes. They are used as a medium to create beneficial soil bacteria that aid processes in the grapevine's immune system. We must leave it to each individual vegan to decide whether the biodynamic preparations are a deal breaker or not. Some animal byproducts commonly used in winemaking include fish bladders, gelatin, egg whites, milk and milk byproducts. Summerhill uses none of these ingredients in our wine."

It also didn't hurt that we were pairing the 2014 All Canadian Wine Championships "Sparkling Wine of the Year" with a roasted sweet potato soup (vegetable stock naturally) that had been thickened with puréed macadamia nuts.

1813.  2012 Domaine Fouassier - Les Romains (AOC Sancerre - France)

1814.  2013 TWR - Te Whare Ra Pinot Gris (Marlborough - New Zealand)

My favourite dish of the night was the miso-marinated, grilled Portobello carpaccio with lemon zest, pistachios and arugula in a lemon vinaigrette. It matched up nicely with our pair of whites - a Kiwi Pinot Gris that Tyrant had brought back from his trip as a treat for the Dinner Club and a Sancerre (which is always a treat in my book) that Lady Di had brought. I thought it was interesting that Tyrant brought the Kiwi wine but it was a Pinot Gris and not the variety more associated with New Zealand. The Sauv Blanc hailed from France.

This is the second vintage of Domaine Fouassier to be added to The List, but I've never heard of - let alone tried - TWR. Tyrant ran across them during his Kiwi tour and they are a boutique winery that specializes in organic, small batch wines. The current owners, Jason and Anna Flowerday, took over the vineyards ten years ago and they replanted one of their blocks with a Pinot Gris clone that they felt was suited to their terroir and passion for aromatics. Their site says that 2013 was a textbook summer in Marlborough and, in a little different take from most of the Pinot Gris we see from BC, 40% of the wine was aged and lees-stirred in old French oak to add to the "texture and complexity."

I think it's particularly telling that the owners' name is Flowerday and they are into organic and biodynamic farming. The biodynamic calendar is divided in four days: fruit, leaf, root and flower. Certain activities are planned to be in sync with phases of the lunar calendar to coincide with the most favourable times for sowing, planting, harvesting and even tasting. Flower days are noted for how wines are supposed to taste better on them (and fruit days) as opposed to root or leaf days.

When Tyrant announced the vegan theme for the evening, I checked my phone to see what day it was on the biodynamic calendar (yes, there's an app for that) and saw that it was a root day - not noted for being good days for tasting wine. I didn't know how root days boded for tasting vegan dishes but I hoped for the best.

One of Tyrant's neat little tricks was to serve a kiwi fruit sorbet in a hollowed out kiwi fruit "egg cup." I mean, there are palate cleansers and then are palate cleansers. Such a witty play on Tyrant's recent adventures down under.

1815.  2011 Carrick - Bannockburn Pinot Noir (Central Otago - New Zealand)

1816.  2010 Covert Farms MDC (Okanagan Valley VQA)

A bit of a break in the menu prompted another two bottles to be opened and this round saw a second treat of Tyrant's from New Zealand and a wine from another star in the Okanagan's organic movement - Covert Farms.

I've had a jones for Central Otago from the time I tried my first Pinot Noir that came from there - not that I get much of a chance to try them. Most of the premium Central Otago Pinots that make their way to the Vancouver market generally carry a premium price tag. A fact that often leaves me relying on the kindness of strangers (or friends such as Tyrant) to open a bottle.

I don't know if it was the whole "root day" thing but the Carrick didn't come across as nicely as I would have hoped for a Central Otago wine. It was shy on the bright fruit and weight that I associate with the region's top Pinots.

The MDC is a Cab Sauv dominant blend with Zinfandel and Syrah playing smaller roles in the mix and it certainly could have paired up with a big, old grilled steak. Ooops, wrong dinner.

1817.  2012 Emiliana - Novas Gran Reserva Garnacha Syrah (D.O. Valle del Cachapoal - Chile)

1818.  2012 Vistalba Corte C (Mendoza - Argentina)

The entrée was its own little tasting menu. Having their highly coveted, quadrant plates, the boys served up a foursome of dishes: Thai red curry soba noodles with shiitakes and scallions, coconut and panko crusted deep fried seitan nuggets with a charred corn and red onion salsa, tofu cubes stuffed with bulgur wheat and Asian vegetables and, lastly, fried lotus roots. I can't say that I've even heard of seitan before - a wheat gluten that is used as an alternative to soybean-based products. It is apparently a common ingredient found in restaurants catering to Buddhist patrons.

The pairing of the two South American wines with the largely Asian entrée may not have been a match in heaven but we were low on whites and we'd saved the bigger wines for the proteins. No one complained. In fact, the Vistalba might have been the favourite wine of the night. I know it was mine, but then, I'm a little biased since Boo and I visited Vistalba during our stay in Argentina - and it wasn't even us who brought that bottle. Jeaux and Matinder brought it (and the sister Tomero wine yet to come), but they apologized profusely as they'd only picked it up on the way to dinner and their choices were limited as their car had broken down and they couldn't make it to a larger wine shop. They had to settle for a little, local wine and beer store that didn't feature an organic section. They were advised that, while Vistalba wasn't labeled as organic, the winery did look to using sustainable growing practices.

Graciously, our hosts did not ask them to leave the table. Personally, when the wine tastes as good as the Vistalba did, I'm willing to put up with a bit of non-organic farming.  Corte C is a blend of Malbec (76%), Cab Sauv and Bonarda and it is actually Vistalba's entry level blend. I only wish that Cortes A and B were available in our market.

Emiliana is a stalwart entry in the provincial liquor board's selection of organic wines. I seem to recall their Novas brand as being the first organic wine to be aggressively marketed here - particularly since it was seen as a well-priced and consistently balanced wine.

Tyrant and Panda Guy topped off their feast with a vegan take on chocolate ganache pie. No cream or butter or was used in the recipe, rather it featured a ground hazelnut crust and a puréed mixed nut filling with organic cacao, medjool dates and agave nectar.

And, since there was chocolate, there was red wine.

1817.  2012 Tomero Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendoza - Argentina)

1818.  2011 Pangloss Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County - California)

The last two wines saw another mix of old and new for me. Tomero is the sister (and entry level) label to Vistalba and, while I don't have a lot of their wines on hand, they are one of my faves for well-priced Argentine wines.

I'll readily admit that I don't know all that many Californian producers but I'm pretty sure that I've never run across Pangloss before. I see from their website that they are a small volume producer of a number of varietals and blends. The Cab Sauv saw one of their bigger case volumes but even it was limited to under 600 cases. I always appreciate it when I get to try a small volume production bottling like this.

The "unfortunate" part of trying these last two wines was that they were the last two wines - and I have to confess that I was drinking tonight's wines, not sipping, spitting and taking notes. I'd be laughed out of the Dinner Club if I tried that - and I started this gang. As such, I don't even recall if I favoured one of the wines over the other. Too bad because a Argentina vs. California tasting could be a decent evening all on its own.

So, vegan or not, I don't think anyone left hungry - and we all have a couple of vegan dishes that we could re-create if the need arose. Tyrant did say, however, that the vegan menu plan was a helluva lot of work and that he doesn't think he'd tackle it again. Indeed, he's already announcing that he figures their next Dinner Club theme will be a Brazilian meat buffet.

Either way - vegan or omnivore - I'm looking forward to it.

English Doc Hits a Landmark

When did I start getting so old?

Not that I'm one to announce a lady's age, but today was the first of what's likely going to be a common occurrence in the days and years to dome. English Doc turned 60 and a gaggle of folks gathered to celebrate in that landmark birthday way. We've still got a batch of good friends' 50th b-days to come this year. So, a 60th was a bit of a wake up call. I'm not so sure that I'm ready to be hit with an even bigger decade.

Good thing there was plenty of wine to help us get through the shock. The primary pours were mimosas - and I'll admit to having joined in for a couple but I didn't grab shots of the bottles for The List because there were all Prosecco's that have already been added. Tasty? Yes. But that "silly" rule of mine says that a bottle can only be added once to The List - unless the additional bottle is a different vintage or a different size.

Of course, there were still other bottles to add.

1633.  2011 Falernia Reserva Carmenère (Valle de Elqui D.O. - Chile)

The Olivier family emigrated to Chile from northern Italy in 1951 to start life anew in the Elqui Valley. Working in agriculture from the start, the family started growing grapes in the early 1970's. The grapes, however, were destined for the production of Pisco, Chile's national spirit. After a few years of selling their grapes to other producers, the family established its own Pisco company, only to see it grow into the third largest Pisco producer in the country.

The winery's website states that in 1995, family member, Aldo Olivier, met a cousin, Giorgio Flessati, who was working in the wine industry back in Italy. Together, they founded Falernia - Chile's most northerly wine estate - in an innovative effort to transform "a tract of desert into a green vineyard." The winery now offers a wide selection of wines featuring over a dozen varieties.

I suppose it only makes sense that one of the wines offered is a Carmenère. It is, after all, the grape that first heralded Chile's arrival on the international wine scene. This particular bottling also incorporates some of the family's Italian heritage in that it is made using the appasimento method, whereby the grapes are harvested very late in the season in order to concentrate the grape juices and then left to partially dry to further increase that concentration. I hadn't known this production method had been used before I tried the wine. Had I known, that might have explained the intensity of the wine. It was quite the contrast to all the mimosas that were flowing. Talk about your opposite ends of the spectrum.

The highlight of the event was the introduction and explanation of the most spectacular of birthday cakes. In what has become a bit of a trademark for them, Lady Di and She Who Must Be Obeyed put together an homage to English Doc's first sixty years.

With a little bit of help from Axel, English Doc's main squeeze, Lady Di and SWMBO tracked down and incorporated at least eight of the cars and bikes that Doc has owned over the years. They worked in his love of the slopes (although I don't think he's ever snowboarded - but I guess you can't find a Ken doll on skis), scuba and travelling. They were hardly about to let him escape the fact that he was the first to turn 60 though. There was more than a handful of dinosaurs to be found on various stages of the cake.

Hopefully, Doc was able to get over the shock of how much dirt the girls had dug up from his past and realized that they've only done this a handful of times - and only for the biggest of birthdays. Indeed, I'm not sure that I've been party to one of their "this is your life" cakes since Boo turned 40 and that was more than a couple of years ago.

Furthermore, you'll just have to believe me when I tell you that this was also the most incredibly delicious cake as well. They could serve this to me any single day of the year - birthday or otherwise, and that comes from a guy that doesn't eat much cake.

1634.  2011 Bella Sparkling Chardonnay (Okanagan Valley)

Of course, there was a bit of a birthday toast to the birthday boy - and I made sure that there was no orange juice mixed with this bubble.

Bella is a most interesting addition to the BC wine scene. The 2011 vintage is the enterprise's first bottling as they seek to establish themselves as BC's first sparkling only winery. Sparkling wines haven't always been foremost on the list of skews for BC winemakers - even though producers like Blue Mountain and Sumac Ridge have shown for years that BC can make some very tasty bubblies. More and more wineries are joining the ranks of effervescence though.

Starting off with the Chardonnay and a Gamay Noir Rosé, this first attempt saw Bella purchase grapes and enlist the help of winemaker, Michael Bartier, and the Okanagan Crush Pad facilities. The virtual winery only saw 275 cases at the end of their initial production run but the reaction has been most favourable. The intent was to double the 2012 output and, ultimately, hit a goal of 3000 cases annually.

I don't know if the Bella paired up with the sweetness of the cake as much as the lighter, sweeter Proseccos that were also being served. The Sparkling Chardonnay showed some serious citrus and acidity and was clearly a serious sip. I'll look forward to seeing how the winery evolves.

And, on that note of evolving over time, I guess there's just no turning back time. It's just something I'll have to live with. After all, it is better than the alternative. I'll just have to hope the wine will keep flowing and we'll all be able to keep knocking it back as the years continue to add up.

Happy Happy Doc.

A Syrah to Celebrate Chile's World Cup Quest

Finally a World Cup match where both of the countries playing produce wine that's readily available in the Vancouver market. Indeed, with the Chile vs. Australia match, we had a healthy selection of wines, from either country, to choose from. Both countries are known for their Shiraz/Syrah wines and we just happened to have a couple on hand.

Chile won the game by a 3-1 score. So, I grabbed a Syrah from the Aconcagua Valley, just north of Santiago.

1631.  2008 Errazuriz - Single Vineyard Don Maximiano Estate Syrah (Aconcagua Valley - Chile)

The final score isn't all that surprising. Chile was supposed to win on the soccer pitch. I think, as a Syrah/Shiraz producer, however, the result still might have favoured Australia - but then, I've been partial to Aussie Shiraz ever since it started making it to our shores and long before [yellow tail] kind of changed the whole landscape for Aussie wine. But that's for another day. Chile is putting a lot of effort into into making a name for its Syrah and, with wines like this one, they may well start to challenge the Aussies.

Errazuriz, of course, is one of the biggest players in Chile and they cover the gamut from basic entry level, value wines to icon wines that can rival the best wines from any region. This Syrah is one from the middle ground and, being a single vineyard, varietal wine from the home vineyard, it's meant to showcase a particular aspect of what Errazuriz has to offer.

We thought the ripe, dark fruit and structure showed through nicely and it was a pleasant reminder of the grand tour that Boo and I had at Errazuriz when we spent our one full day in Chile (while en route to Argentina from Peru) touring the Aconcagua Valley (blog post from back then). The Don Maximiano vineyard was stunning with plenty of stories to be discovered given its over 130 years history.

Opening this bottle prompted me to take a quick look back at some of our photos from our visit there. Two memories immediately popped into mind: 1) we didn't have nearly enough time to take in everything that Errazuriz had to offer (and we were a half hour longer than our tour had planned) and 2) I was enthralled with the wide array of cacti that were interspersed among the vines. I can't recall having seen that anywhere else.

So, a nice Chilean Syrah to add to The List and a great start for the Chileans' World Cup quest with a big win on the soccer pitch.

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.

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.

Chile Sauv Blanc

1417.  2012 Aresti Sauvignon Blanc (D.O. Central Valley - Chile)

Three generations of the Aresti family have now been involved with winemaking in Chile. The patriarch of the family started growing grapes back in 1951although the grapes were largely sold to other producers. The 1990's saw a rededication of family efforts to the production of its own wines and to a fully modernized and state of the art technology such that their cellar now has the capacity to produce more than 11 million litres of wine annually.

Noted for its accessible price (under $15 in the Vancouver market) and its "classic Chilean" notes for Sauv Blanc, this was a good little mid-week wine. This was the wine I'd used in making the mussel and saffron soup the other night and, since virtually the entire bottle went into the soup, we thought it passed the test enough to buy another bottle for sipping.

This is a new winery for me, but I see that a different Sauv Blanc from Aresti (the Trisquel line) - and presumably a more expensive bottle - was voted the Best White Wine from Chile in the 2012 Santiago Wine Awards.

I may just have to make note of Aresti for future reference - and sipping.

A New Picnic Table to Celebrate

My dear old Dad deliver a new picnic table because the old one was in pretty rough shape and we were worried that the benches might just collapse under us. It only made sense that we should break in the new table as quickly as possible; so we invited Mr. D. over to help do so with a little al fresco dinner. With September just around the corner, there may not be a great many more evenings worthy of garden dining.

1402.  2012 Mont Gras - Soleus Sauvignon Blanc (Central Valley - Chile)

With Mr. D. living just down the road from Marquis Wine Cellars, he can always be relied upon to bring an interesting bottle as a contribution to the dinner table. He's also good about checking the blog to see if a proposed bottle has already been added to The List.

Mont Gras is one of the Chilean producers that has a healthy presence in the Vancouver market. They have a number of brands - including Quatro, Mont Gras Reserva and De Gras - in addition to Soleus. I don't think I've run across the Soleus before but it produces three organically grown varietal wines: this Sauv Blanc, a Cab Sauv and a Merlot.

Showing typical, crisp Sauv Blanc notes of citrus, it may well be grown in a "green," organic manner, but it wasn't nearly as "green" on the palate as many of the New Zealand-esque Sauv Blancs available. You'd never mistake it for a reserved Sancerre, but it was a decent middle ground.

1403.  2001 Sandhill Small Lots - Phantom Creek Syrah (VQA Okanagan Valley)

Celebrating the new picnic table seemed to warrant pulling out a bottle from the bottom of our box of wines. Sandhill wines have always been faves of our's and I'm a little surprised that we still had a 2001 hanging around - especially since I think this might be the first Syrah produced under the Small Lots Program (Phantom Creek being a vineyard found on the Black Sage Road between Oliver and Osoyoos). I might be even more surprised that the wine still exhibited as much fruit as it did though.  That's not to say that the palate was laden with fruit though. I'm sure the bottle exhibited a lot more fruit earlier in its tenure.

But it's still early days as far as determining just how long BC wines are going to age though. Twelve years in, I think we can safely say that this bottle doesn't hurt the region's reputation for producing age-worthy wines.

I'm just going to hope that our picnic table can last as long without needed further replacement.

A Teary Sunanga

1230.  2007 Cantavida Riesling (Curicó Valley - Chile)

1231.  2008 Chapel Hill Cabernet Sauvignon (McLaren Vale - Australia)

1232.  2007 Vista d'Oro - D'Oro (British Columbia VQA)

Brazilian Fireworks

1208.  2011 El Porvenir de los Andes - Laborum Torrontés (Salta - Argentina)

1209.  2008 Haras Character - Cabernet Sauvignon-Carménère (Valle del Maipo - Chile)

A New Taste of Chile

Just to show you how seriously we take matching our wines to the evening's dinner, I made sure that the picture shows just how magically the wine label matches the colour of the roses and even the tomato and cream based sauce. Now, that's some kind of matching!

Actually, I didn't really know this wine but I'd originally picked it up because I liked the thought of trying a Chilean Syrah. The hope for tonight was that it might exhibit some Old World restraint with a good dose of New World fruit and that, therefore, it'd go well with the spice of the dish and cut through the cream and acidity of the sauce.

1179. 2008 Antu Ninquén Syrah (Colchagua Valley D.O. - Chile)

The BC market doesn't see a lot of Syrah coming in from Chile but I did try some very nice, high end ones at this Spring's Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival. Antu is part of the Montgras group and, as such, was one of the participating wineries this year. They served the 2010 vintage of their Syrah but I'd already spotted and picked up this bottle on the shelves prior to the big show.

The winery's website states that "Ninquén" means "plateau on a mountain" in one of the native dialects and that this is, indeed, the first mountain vineyard in Chile. The website showed a neat picture of the vineyard - it appeared to be set in almost a crater like setting - but I wasn't able to download it to use on the blog.

Although, I've read that the Ninquén project was started in 1997 to give Montgras an opening into the higher end of wines in Chile, it still clocks in at around $25. For that price though, I might be more resigned to stick with some tried and true Aussie Shiraz. I can't, however, deny that the label certainly matched the roses nicely.

Tamaya Syrah

In an effort to ensure that Boo doesn't hate me too much for taking advantage of the loosened "No Buy Leash" during the recent Playhouse Wine Festival, I opened one of the bottles that I picked up there. My thinking was that he might forget - if only a little bit - about all the new bottles if he's actually enjoyed some of the new acquisitions.

1084. 2010 Viña Tamaya - Winemaker's Selection - Single Vineyard Syrah (Limarí Valley - Chile)

Tonight's wine is a direct example of how the Playhouse Festival is great for introducing wine lovers to all sorts of wineries that might not otherwise show up on the radar. Tamaya is one of the thirty-five Chilean wineries that participated in the Festival's Regional Theme. It's also a winery that I wasn't familiar with at all prior to the Festival.

Tamaya is located in the Limarí Valley, 400 kms to the north of Santiago, a region that lies adjacent to the Atacama Desert - the most arid desert in the world. Growing conditions are moderated, however, by ocean breezes that blow into the valley, approximately 20 kms, from the Pacific Ocean nearby. Situated in the foothills of the Andes, the region is probably better known for the production of Pisco - the national liquor of Chile. Wine has been made in the area for centuries, however. Despite the history of winemaking in the region, Tamaya is a relatively recent enterprise. Its vineyards date to 1997 and construction of the winery began in 2001.

Tamaya has been able to capitalize on the burgeoning regionalization of Chile's wine industry and the increasing global recognition of those regions. There was only one other winery at the Festival that hailed from Limarí; yet, the region's name was being introduced right along with Colchagua, Aconcagua, Casablanca and the others.

It didn't hurt that Tamaya was able to boast that their Syrah took the Best in Show trophy at the 2012 Wines of Chile Awards.

I particularly liked the refined nature of the wine's profile. It had a big nose to seduce you; yet, the fruit on the palate was subdued and the tannins were soft. There was no mistaking them but everything was nicely integrated and understated.

Even Boo had to admit he liked it. With this being the first bottle to be opened from the Festival, I think I might have dodged a bullet.

Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival - Day 1

OK. It's time. The 2012 Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival has arrived - and for Vancouver wine geeks, trades folk and curious newbies to wine, it's like a week of Stanley Cup Finals, Top Chef Canada and a grand wine touring vacation all rolled into one. This year is the 34th annual presentation of the Vancouver's Playhouse's primary fundraiser and, over those 30-plus years, it has become one of the biggest and widely acclaimed consumer tasting events in the world.

Although the Festival encompasses over 60 different tasting events, wine dinners and seminars, the centrepiece events are the International Festival Tasting Room evenings that run Thursday, Friday and Saturday - and for those three days, Boo basically becomes a "wine widow" as I do my best to taste my way through the over 800 wines (when you count the "under the table" special pours) offered by the 180 wineries from 15 countries. He's partially to blame for his loneliness, however, since he's the one that gives me the tickets for Christmas.

This year's theme region is Chile and there are 35 Chilean wineries visiting the festival - many of whom do not currently sell their wines in the Vancouver market. In addition to trying some brand new wineries, I'm excited about seeing a side of Chilean wines that we don't always get to see here - the more premium wines that lift Chile's wines out of the bang for your buck, entry level category that they are largely pigeon-holed into by our liquor board - and even by consumers. I know there are premium bottles out there and this is the perfect opportunity to actually try some.

There's no doubt that the International Tasting Room is overwhelming but I thought I'd try and focus on a couple of topics after each day's tastings - especially since I didn't write a word about last year's Festival.

One of the most unique aspects of the Playhouse Festival is that wineries are only accepted for participation if they send a winery principal - owner, winemaker or senior marketing and sales manager - to actually man the tasting booth and interact with the attendees. It's a rare occasion for Joe and Jane Public to talk to some of the biggest names in the wine industry. As you can imagine, the winery principals can be tugged in every which direction, but, if your timing is right, you can capture a bit of quality time with some of them.

I'm going to name Matt Bindel of Giesen Wine Estate, from New Zealand's Marlborough region, as my pick for today's Most Engaging Winery Principal. Matt is Giesen's Business Development Manager for North America and I thoroughly enjoyed a somewhat extended chance to talk about some new directions being taken with Kiwi Sauv Blanc and about how he sees Marlborough Pinot Noirs starting to challenge those of Central Otago (considered by many to be New Zealand's premium region for Pinot) at considerably lower prices. Being one of those stricken with Central Otago, I look forward to watching how the Marlborough Pinots develop.

I figured I'd try and pick a wine as a Best New Find each day and today's was a bit of surprise. I'm going for Pasqua's Villa Borghetti Rosso Veneto Passimento (IGT Verona - Italy). At $15, this wine took Valpolicella to an exciting level, with an abundance of flavour and body. Pasqua was serving a Ripasso and Amarone as well, but it was the value of the Passimento that just jumped out and grabbed me. I was glad to hear that this is apparently a general listing at provincial stores - meaning it should be easy to find.

It's inevitable that I'm going to run into other wine-loving friends and acquaintances at the Festival Tasting Room and it's pretty much a given that we ask each other for favourites and suggestions. I guess it's a no-brainer for me to post five or so Favourites of the Day - these wines all excited me enough to recommend them and to search them out in the on-site store:

- 2001 Domaine de la Solitude Châteauneuf-du-Pape - Cuvée Barberini (Rhone - France)

- 2009 Sandhill Small Lots Single Block Merlot (Okanagan Valley)

- 2008 Haras de Pirque - Character Cab/Carmenère (Maipo Valley - Chile)

- 2009 Wirra Wirra - Deadringer Cabernet Sauvignon (McLaren Vale - Australia)

- 2008 Viña Errazuriz - La Cumbre Syrah (Aconcagua Valley - Chile)(which I was mightily relieved to find out that it tasted as good as it did because this was the one bottle that Boo and I brought back from Chile when we passed through Santiago on our way to Argentina a couple years back)

I figured I'd end today's post with my pick for the Most Intriguing Wine that I ran across in the tasting room - 2009 Quinta do Crasto Reserva Old Vines (Douro - Portugal). Quinta do Crasto is a long time participant at the Playhouse Festival and proprietor, Miguel Roquette, always attracts plenty of attention. The Reserva Old Vines particularly struck my fancy in that not even Miguel can tell what varietals go into making this wine. It is a field blend - meaning that the wine is made from an assortment of different varietals that are interplanted in the same vineyard.

In this case, Miguel figures that there are between 25 and 35 different varietals - indigenous to Portugal and the Douro - that make up wine. He recounted that growers of old simply planted a great assortment of grapes that were all traditional for making port and they never really cared about keeping track of which varietals were planted where. Quinta do Crasto is systematically trying to identify each of the varietals though. As an old vine dies, the winery is using DNA testing to identify the varietal in order that they can replace it with the same varietal and keep the balance of the vineyard and the wine's profile the same for the future.

I surely wish that I could get a breakdown of even a good percentage of the varietals going into the Reserva because I know there are going to be some varietals that I can add to my Wine Century Club collection and application as I try to hit 200.

Despite all this wine and tasting, it pains me that I don't actually get to immediately add a bottle to The List on the blog. Boo does loosen the "No buy Leash" during the Festival though. So, a number of my favourites will make it to The List in due course. For the time being, I just have to make it through the next two days.

Novas - Playhouse Preview

The 2012 Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival is under way - and the big Festival Tasting Room evenings are just around the corner. This year's theme region is Chile and they're expecting 36 different Chilean wineries to pour a selection of wines in the big room - many of which aren't normally in our market. As such, I thought I'd get a bit of a head start and try one of the few Chilean wines that we have hanging around.

Despite the fact that Boo and I spent a whole 40 or so hours in Chile, I can't say as I know much about Chilean wines. On top of getting the chance to discover some new wineries, I'm really looking forward to sampling some wines from the higher end of the spectrum. For the most part, the South American nation's presence in the Vancouver market is largely predicated on decent bang for buck, entry level wines. I'm guessing that we're going to be exposed to a different side of Chile.

1073. 2006 Emiliana - Novas - Winemaker's Selection Syrah (Casablanca Valley - Chile)

Emiliana is the first Chilean winery, that I know, that has really really promoted itself as a leader in organic and biodynamic agriculture and wine production. Their website even has a neat, little interactive diagram that attempts to show how the various components of organic and biodynamic are integrated into the winery, vineyards and surrounding farm.

Although, as stated, I'm no expert on Chile, I was a little surprised to see that this wine hails from the Casablanca Valley. We are starting to see more and more Chilean Syrah on local shelves; however, I think it's mostly produced in the warmer growing regions. What little I know of the Casablanca Valley is that it's primarily coastal and considered cooler climate - at least as far as Chile goes. As such, it's mostly known for its whites. Indeed, even though the Casablanca Valley was a bit closer to Santiago, Boo and I chose to visit the Aconcaugua Valley - during our one free day to tour Chile - because it was known for reds and we didn't see any real touristic references to red wine in Casablanca.

That might be why this wine wasn't as boisterous as I'd expected it to be. Tannins were a lot softer and the wine seemed a bit reserved. I'd had some Emiliana wines previously and they struck me as being much bolder. Not sure if I like this tamer side as much. Guess I'll have a better idea at the end of the weekend as I hope to take a full tour of Chile over the next couple of days.

NOLA - Day 1 - Beignet, Done That

Welcome to the morning after - New Orleans style. Surprisingly, everybody was in pretty good spirits - and I'm not referring to the ones that we drank our way through last night. I might not be saying that if Boo and I had arrived in town earlier than we did however. A couple of drinks after midnight was likely a safer way to acquaint oneself with the city.

The plan for the day was to just wander around and experience the scene that is New Orleans. But the first experience was to find a little something to nosh on - and what could be better than a hit of café-au-lait and beignets at Café du Monde. From my previous visits to the Big Easy, I knew that there were a couple city treasures that I didn't want to miss - and beignets and coffee was definitely on the list.

I mentioned in the previous post that Boo and I were meeting Merlot Boy's travel companion for the first time. As such, she didn't have a blog name as yet on this first morning. We brainstormed some possibilities last night but nothing seemed to hit the mark. The dilemma of needing a name was quickly resolved during our tour of the city though. As we passed one of the omnipresent bars, we noticed a post-Katrina sign in one of the windows - "Rebuilding New Orleans - One Margarita at a Time." Our new buddy was to be Margarita from that point on.

Our musings and ramblings through the French Quarter saw everything from the spectacular and fascinating to the tacky and tawdry. Of course, gobbling up the cuisine is one of the prime directives of visiting NOLA. Boo and I immediately opted for alligator bites and catfish tidbits for lunch - although the Aussies weren't quite as adventurous. As Merlot Boy pointed out, the Aussies might be the only nation that has no qualms at throwing their national animal - the kangaroo - on the barbee, but there are still some that prefer simple beef and beer.

Naturally, all the food, souvenirs, voodoo shops and touring was tempered with ubiquitous music and booze in the streets. Even our Aussie friends - and if Australia isn't known for its enjoyment of a good drink, I don't know what it is known for - were gobsmacked at the abundance and simplicity of the "go cup."

I think my favourite surprise of the day was to run across a wedding second line - where a brass band leads a parade of the wedding party and guests through the streets. Great fun!

I think I discovered one, unnerving fact about the city during our day's tour though - and that's that New Orleans isn't that much of a wine city. A consideration that doesn't play that well into the hands of a wine blogger. You name virtually any booze you'd like and a "go cup" is just a pour away. That may work for wine at times, but the selection isn't going to be quite as impressive. We didn't run across a single "wine shop" during the day - even after asking around a bit. Being equal opportunity drinkers, however, having to rely on a corner store bottle isn't going to deter us from our chosen mission.

979. 2010 Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio (Pinot Grigio della Venezie IGT - Italy)

A white for Margarita. I don't recall ever having seen or tried Ecco Domani before. She kinda wanted a Sauv Blanc, but this looked like the most intriguing of the wines in the Nelly Delly on Bourbon Street. From the north of Italy, the website seems to refer as much to the company's efforts in promoting fashion and young designers as it talks about wine.

However, their description of and background to the Pinot Grigio does have an interesting referance to a limited (4.5%) use of "surmaturo" grapes. I've never heard of the term before but they advise that these grapes are left on the vine longer to allow for greater concentration and complexity. Sounds like another term for what we generally call "late harvest" grapes in BC. When used in BC, it's generally for the production of a dessert wine. I didn't notice any perceptible sweetness on this palate though.

Margarita didn't seem to mind.

We'd brought the wine back to our great, little guest house to rest our feet and enjoy a couple cocktails before hitting the town for our big Saturday night in New Orleans. We luckily bumped into, Kelly, our hostess and off-site manager, who joined us for a drink on the front porch - along with her "baby," Sugah. This had to be one of my favourite moments during the vacation. Our digs were located on the eastern edge of the Quarter - away from the hustle and bustle that you normally associate with the French Quarter and that afforded us the opportunity to just sit out on the porch, watching the locals tend to their lives and being filled in on all sorts of information about the city - past and present.

What's more is that Kelly even brought along her own bottle of wine for the stoop. Now that's Southern Hospitality.

980. N.V. Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir (Valle Central - Chile)

Unlike the Ecco Domani, I've seen and tried Pepperwood previously. I took a quick look at the winery though because some of the labelling didn't quite make sense to me. I thought Pepperwood was a California label and, sure enough, the company is part of the Sebastiani wine family. However, the Pepperwood brand is used to produce wines, much under the négociant format, where they source grapes, from wherever in the world they might be found, to make an accessible wine at an approachable price. The Pinot Noir grapes were actually grown in Chile - and, hence, the Valle Central designation on the bottle. California has a Central Valley, but I've never seen it referred to as a "valle" before. Confusion resolved.

It was certainly easy to go through the wine quickly though. The banter was grand and Kelly provided us with a number of tips on activities to best enjoy our stay. But, as night started to fall, we needed to ready ourself for a night on the town.