Winning Wine. Winning Game.

I kind of doubt that tonight's choice in wine had anything to do with the Canucks' performance, but we were in awe of this wine and the Canucks were pretty awesome themselves on the ice.

1905.  2003 Sandhill - Phantom Creek Vineyard Syrah (Okanagan Valley VQA)

At the time I grabbed this bottle, I knew it was a Lt. Governor's Award winner but I didn't know that the '03 Small Lots Syrah was not only the Syrah/Shiraz of the Year at the 2005 Canadian Wine Awards but it was also named Red Wine of the Year at the same competition. Quite the pedigree. Winemaker - and all around good guy - Howard Soon, thought that the 2003 would be a great follow-up vintage to the equally decorated 2002 Small Lots Syrah and boy was he bang on the money.

We were very pleasantly surprised at the longevity of this Syrah. Despite being fully caught up in a very entertaining hockey game, I made a small note on the wine on Delectable and it read, "In awe that this '03 has such staying power. Nose. Fruit. Ripe tannin. Acidity. Length. Yowzah!" I don't make nearly as many notes as I should with the wines we drink but this one was about as glowing as I get. I also guess that, at least on this occasion, my palate agreed with some judges at a couple big competitions involving BC wines. That's not necessarily always the case.

Unfortunately, there were only 248 cases of this Syrah made - and this was our last bottle. When Howard called this a "Small Lots" wine, he wasn't joking.

Finishing the last sips from Boo's and my glasses was a sad event. At least the Canucks played their best game of the series so far and managed a win over the Flames. So, we weren't left crying into our empty glasses. Our boys are still behind the 8-ball as far as the series goes and they still can't lose a game, but they do live to fight another day and we get to open at least one more BC Syrah.

Wine Wins & Hockey Losses

It's Game 3 between the Canucks and the Flames. So, that means it's also time for another BC Syrah - my grape of choice for this first round NHL playoff series. We were on our own tonight. No guests watching the game with us, trying to cheer on our squad. So, only one bottle to add to The List.

1903.  2008 Quinta Ferreira Syrah (Okanagan Valley VQA)

I was hoping that pulling a wine that won one of the 2011 Lt. Gov's Awards for Excellence in Wine would be worthy of showing some support to the Canucks - and, if nothing else, my hope was that it would be tasty enough to make us forget how the game was going (because even though I'm hopeful for the team, I'm not betting the farm on this year's Canucks and their playoff start so far).

Unfortunately, it turned out that the wine was better than the hockey game.

The night's Syrah jumped out of the glass with a bright, bold bouquet and it had a whack of dark fruit on the palate. It almost seemed too big for an Okanagan Syrah. I only wish that the Canucks had come out on the ice with as much gusto. Calgary won the game 4-2 and, once again, our boys just didn't have the polish or finish to put away the Flames.

I'm likely drawing too much of an inference and reaching a tad to far for a relation between the game and the wine but we also found that the Syrah's finish was a bit out of sorts with the rest of the wine's profile. The acidity on the finish was just a bit out of balance - not enough to detract from the overall enjoyment of the wine but still enough to liken it to the Canucks' out of sorts finish.

Maybe I need to pre-taste the wine before the start of the next game in the series. After all, I wouldn't want to upset the cosmic balance of wine and hockey outcomes.

Adopt-A-Row Preview

It's time to head up to the Okanagan and to the Spring Pruning Party as part of Red Rooster's Adopt-A-Row program. Boo and I haven't been able to make many of the semi-annual Adopt-A-Row events lately. Isn't it just a pain how often work and/or life can get in the way of having fun? Indeed, Boo isn't able to attend this time around either as he has to work through the whole weekend.

Poor boy. I figured we should open a little Red Rooster so that he wouldn't feel that he was completely missing out on the weekend.

1879.  2012 Red Rooster Viognier (Okanagan Valley VQA)

Knowing that we tend to grab some of winemaker, Karen Gillis', Viognier every year, I had to check back to make sure that I haven't already added this Red Rooster vintage to The List already. There have been 2009, 2010 and 2011 bottles already poured on this little Odyssey, but we haven't made it to the 2012 thus far. So, here we go.

2011 wasn't the best of vintages in the Okanagan for reds but there were still some tasty whites to be found and Red Rooster's Viognier proved to be a popular gem for the winery. It pulled in a Gold medal at the 2012 All Canadian Wine Championships. Tough act to follow - or so you'd think. Turns out that Karen and gang did just that. The 2012 vintage was one of only twelve wines to win a 2013 Lt. Governor's Award for Excellence in Wine.

In what has become a bit of calling card for Karen's Viognier, I found that the aromatics didn't overwhelm. There was plenty of body to the wine - as well as acidity - but I guess it just goes to show how little I know about tasting. While the Lt. Gov's tasting panel found the wine to be an award winning varietal wine, I would have been hard-pressed to identify it as Viognier if I'd tasted it blind.

The wine paired nicely with our spicy chicken and rice noodles though. Plus, it let Boo have a little Red Rooster of his own since he wouldn't be able to head up to the winery for the weekend's activities. I figure a little award-worthy Viognier is better than nothing.

Another High School Musical

First it was Zombie Prom. Then Urinetown. Now, it's time for In The Heights.

Yes, it's time for another high school musical. This time around, Melmo, the youngest niece, has a featured role in the Broadway hit. Unlike the others, I've actually heard of this show. Don't know anything about the songs or the story but I did know it was a hot ticket on the Great White Way the last time Boo and I were in the Big Apple.

It's a little tough taking an obvious glass of wine to the high school gym; so, we had a quick pre-show dinner at my sister's place before heading off to the school.

1867.  2007 Saviah Cellars - The Jack Red (Columbia Valley - Washington)

I'm pretty sure that this is the first time that I've tried a wine from Saviah Cellars. I don't recognize the winery and I don't tend buy many US wines up here, north of the 49th Parallel, because of the additional taxes and currency exchange. So, I think I probably grabbed this during a Costco run during a naughty weekend in Seattle.

A little visit with Mr. Google shows that Saviah Cellars was established in 2000 as a very small boutique winery of only 300 cases. It has since grown to the point where it produces around 18,000 cases annually and was named "One of the Rising Stars in Washington" by Wine Spectator in 2010.

The Jack brand of wines is Saviah's entry label and it has also enjoyed success, having been named one of the Top Value Brands of the Year in 2013 by Wine & Spirits Magazine. The 2007 vintage of The Jack Red was primarily Merlot (89 percent) that is fleshed out with small additions of Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Syrah and Petit Verdot.

Although the wine was big-bodied, it was still fruit forward and approachable enough to fill our travel coffee mugs to take with us to the show. We hadn't finished the bottle during dinner and you never know the kind of "support" you might need to get through a high school production.

1868.  2012 Fort Berens Riesling (British Columbia VQA)

When looking for a white to take to Vixen's, I was glad to see that I had a bottle of the 2012 Riesling in the cellar because I hadn't realized that I'd picked up a bottle before it won one of the twelve Lieutenant Governor's Awards given out in 2014. Once a wine is given one of the prestigious awards, it can be next to impossible to find a bottle.

What was quite exciting about the award was that this was the first vintage where the Riesling was made 100% from fruit that was estate grown at the winery's Lillooet vineyard. Being the first winery to set up shop in the Lillooet region, the winery is justifiably proud of the fact that they were able to execute such an award-winning wine so early in the winery's venture. It should certainly turn some heads in the direction of BC's newest wine-producing region.

Even with this vintage's bright lime and minerality, Fort Beren's story should only get more exciting since the home estate vines are still very young and the enterprise has, within the last year, opened a new winery with facilities large enough to make all its wines, cellar them and open a tasting room to help draw wine-loving folks away from the Okanagan for a spell.

There was no Riesling left for the theatre however.

As exciting as the wine was, we were told that Melmo was to have a big solo number in the show. Now, that would be exciting! Terrifying perhaps, but exciting all the same. We were also told, however, that Melmo's character dies six minutes into the show. Naturally, we asked if we could leave after she dies. Turned out that she didn't die until the second act; so, we stuck it out until the end in order to give our little diva her bouquet of roses. After all, she managed to pull off her performance without any cringe-worthy notes.

Guess we'll have one more production to look forward to as Melmo definitely has the stage bug and she doesn't graduate until next year. Given the variety of shows the school drama department comes up with, I'll be intrigued to see what that performance is going to be. Think a high school could get Spamalot? Whatever the show is, I'm sure we'll be there - wine in hand.

Looking Ahead to WBC13 - Week 5 - Painted Rock

The first so many stops on this Pre-WBC13 tour of favourite BC wineries have largely been long-time players and innovators on the Okanagan wine scene. Today, I'm stopping at a new kid on the block - albeit a NKOTB that sang out loudly "look at me" from Day One. And with good reason.

Painted Rock Estate Winery offered its first wines for sale in September 2009 and there really hasn't been any turning back since that time. From his earliest conception of establishing a winery, proprietor, John Skinner, has focused on delivering premium wines - and, in producing a "premium" wine, he takes a global perspective. John doesn't just look to see his wines compared to those his Okanagan neighbours are making, he wants the world to notice Painted Rock. He's a firm believer that the Okanagan is capable of making - and needs to make - superb wines and he set out looking to participate in and, hopefully, to help elevate an industry that was still largely in its infancy.

During his previous life as an investment broker, John travelled extensively and had become both a student of and collector of wine. That hankering for fine wine ultimately developed into the goal of owning his own winery and, although considerations were given to locating in France or elsewhere, numerous visits to the Okanagan to scout vineyard sites or operating wineries, led John to ultimately decide to start from scratch. By starting anew, he realized that he wouldn't inherit any problems or issues of an existing vineyard or winery.

He found his site in 2004 - a 60 acre parcel on bench land just south of Penticton on Skaha Lake. The site had been an apricot farm - the largest in the British Commonwealth at one time - however, it had lain fallow for 17 years as the farm had fallen prey to and had been devastated in the 1980's by a gypsy moth infestation. John purchased the property in 2004 and the first year of operations consisted of a massive clearing of old tree stumps.

Over the next two years, the newly cleared vineyard was planted with Bordeaux reds, Syrah and a small block of Chardonnay - with multiple clones of each variety. Planting Syrah wasn't part of the initial planting strategy; however, John tips his hat to BC wine writer emeritus, John Schreiner, who strongly suggested that Painted Rock consider planting it as writer John was keenly aware of what was succeeding elsewhere in the southern Okanagan. Nowadays, winery John gets a special thrill working with the Syrah, particularly because it wasn't part of the original plan.

Indeed, during his years in business, John knew that you needed to trust others when you weren't the expert. When setting the groundwork for Painted Rock, John saw the biggest obstacle to making great wine in BC as simply being the relative youth of the region. Not having any experience himself in farming or winemaking, he brought in consultants to help build the business from within. Whether those consultants have been recognized international winemakers like Bordeaux's Alain Sutre or experienced locals like Michael Bartier, John looks to learn from prior experiences that are there to be shared by other growers, owners and winemakers.

A few years back, John and his new Painted Rock wines paired up with the Rain City Grill for one of the BC Wine Appreciation Society's most memorable dinners. One of the entertaining stories John told that night revolved around a bit of self-deprecation and his learning curve in winemaking. He recounted how, knowing that they were growing two clones of Syrah in the vineyard, he asked Alain Sutre if they should consider producing both a Syrah and a Shiraz to take advantage of the two clones. Sutre apparently looked at him and asked if he was crazy. Sutre went on to tell him that, with wine, 1+1 do not equal 2 but that, rather, they can equal 3 or more when blended. He advised John that he'd be better off to capitalize on the strong points of both clones and trust that the resulting wine would be both more complex and more enjoyable.

A second story goes that Sutre was so impressed by the Painted Rock terroir that he asked to have his contract extended so that he could continue to see how the vineyard would evolve. He's been quoted as having said that Painted Rock could well be the Pétrus of the Okanagan. Not a bad comparison when you consider that Pétrus is perennially one of the most sought after wines in the world.

Sutre has also played a large role in determining the blend for Painted Rock's flagship wine, Red Icon. In striving to get the most from the vineyard, John asked Sutre to look for a real expression of the Okanagan and the Painted Rock lands and to not simply look to practices that speak purely of Bordeaux. The fruit was all estate grown and John and Sutre were both surprised to find that their blending tests on the first vintage consistently led them to a result that was unique - even for the Okanagan - one that featured Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot as the predominant components.

The resulting wine helped validate John's mandate to cut no corners and to strive for excellence. Indeed, when asked, if given the opportunity, was there was one of his wines that John would like all WBC13 attendees to try, he advised that it would be the 2009 Red Icon. It's the 2007 vintage that I'm adding to The List with this post though. We'd been saving it - both for a special occasion and to give it some time to age - but this seems like an appropriate time to pull the cork.

1294.  2007 Painted Rock Red Icon (VQA Okanagan Valley)

If they hadn't taken note already, BC wine drinkers in the know certainly cottoned onto the arrival of Painted Rock when it was named Best New Winery at the 2009 Okanagan Fall Wine Festival or when the '07 Red Icon and the '07 Cabernet Sauvignon took two of only eleven BC Lieutenant Governor's Awards for Excellence given out in 2010. Red Icon was that unique blend of 33% Cab Franc, 20% Petit Verdot, 16% of both Cab Sauv and Merlot and 15% Malbec. Painted Rock's terroir was speaking - and loudly.

That award worthy pedigree was still evident as Boo and I were both enthralled with the wine. The nose immediately jumped out of the glass with ripe dark fruit but the wine was hardly aggressive with an Aussie or a Californian fruit forwardness. Rather, what struck us most, was the almost velvet texture of the wine on the tongue. There was an integration of smooth, ripe tannin, acidity and fruit that just lingered and got even better when paired with some grilled flank steak.

This was our only bottle of the '07 Red Icon, but I'm happy to say that we have a few other Painted Rock bottles salted away.

The accolades have continued for the winery. Indeed, Painted Rock won another two Lt. Gov. Awards in 2012 for the '09 Red Icon and the '09 Syrah and that same Syrah took a Silver medal at the 2012 Syrah du Monde in France where it was up against 445 wines from 24 countries. The winery was the #1 rated BC winery at the 2011 Wine Access Canadian Wine Awards and '09 Red Icon as named Canada's Best Red Blend in that same competition.

For that first vintage (and, indeed, the second) Painted Rock didn't have its own winemaking facilities and the 2007 and 2008 vintages were made with the assistance of fellow Okanagan wineries - the '07 at Poplar Grove and the '08 at Stag's Hollow - and, to date, the public tasting room at the winery has been a small shack with a great view.

The story on the tasting room is about to change, however. The winery is excited by the prospect of opening up a spectacular, new tasting room by the end of the summer. One that might be just a tad more representative of the premium wines that are served there.

Unfortunately, as you can see by the photo that John forwarded to me this week, there's still a ways to go with the new facility and it won't be completed by the arrival of the Wine Bloggers Conference. The winery's hoping for an August 1st opening and I'm certainly looking forward to a first opportunity to enjoy some wine there. If we're lucky, maybe this year's BCWAS Fall Bus Tour will feature a tour of the new digs.

Even with the new facilities, Painted Rock's target production is a relatively small 5000 cases a year. That doesn't make for a whole lot of availability - especially when John has already entered into agreements to export his wines to growing markets in China and Japan.

With all the recent discussion and debate over a possible need for Okanagan wineries to focus on a signature variety, John takes the view that the region is starting to identify grapes that do particularly well in different parts of the region. He notes the excitement arising from how beautifully Syrah is working from Penticton south and how Riesling and Pinot Noir are seeing equal success further north. He's quick to point out, however, that the Okanagan is a diverse region and that real progress isn't necessarily going to come from a signature variety. Rather, he sees that progress coming from the knowledge and experience that continues to build as winemakers and growers become more aware of Okanagan terroir and regional strengths - and as more wineries commit to producing wines of even higher quality.

It's that commitment to understanding the specific strengths and terroir of his own vineyard that also makes John passionate about the creation of sub-appellations in the Okanagan - starting with the Skaha Bench as being a prime example of lands that are different from anywhere else in the province. Believing that it honours the consumer to define exactly where the wine they're drinking is from, he probably couldn't have a better argument on his side than the ability to pour his Painted Rock wines.

Sub-appellation or not, John Skinner and Painted Rock have definitely put the Skaha Bench on the BC wine map. If any WBC13 participants hadn't heard of Skaha before they arrived in Penticton, hopefully, they'll know a lot more before they leave. I know that if John has any say in the matter, his presence will be prominent at the Conference.  I'd catch him if you can.

A Pinot Fit For a Lieutenant Governor

Seems like we're on a bit of a run with tasty wine choices. Our last couple bottles - the Skillogalee Cab and the Ostler Pinot Gris (both from the Southern Hemisphere) - were real treats.  We've returned closer to home tonight with an Okanagan Pinot Noir, but it definitely kept our streak of happening wines alive.  I'm not overly surprised that tonight's wine was thoroughly enjoyable since it won one of only eleven Lieutenant Governor's Awards for Excellence in BC wine in 2011.

Despite the fact that this is the third L-G Award that Stoneboat has won, it doesn't seem to me that the winery has achieved the cachet or cult status that some of the other big names in BC wine have garnered.  Indeed, I've probably added four or five Stoneboat wines to The List already, but it's not a winery that I particularly know much about or treat as an annual "must buy" producer.

The "lack" of bottles in our cellar may relate to the fact that there isn't a whole lot of Stoneboat wine to be found.  The winery only produces about 3500 cases annually and, as such, you won't find it on a whole lot of shelves around town.  I was lucky enough to grab this bottle when I made a quick, side trip visit to the winery while heading to the Okanagan for the 2011 BC Wine Appreciation Society Bus Tour.  The L-G Award had already been announced but, surprisingly, they still had a couple boxes of wine still available.

Lucky us!

1286.  2009 Stoneboat Pinot Noir (VQA Okanagan Valley)

Stoneboat is a small, family run operation.  Having only been open and releasing wines since 2007, that's still a relative newcomer to the BC scene.  That doesn't mean that they appeared one day and started selling wine the next however. The story goes that the Martiniuk family (mére et pére - or mother and father) was looking to relocate to the Okanagan back in 1979 and they set about looking for a vineyard to purchase.  They managed to purchase their estate property on the Black Sage Road; however, it wasn't a vineyard at the time.  There were no vineyards for sale and the current estate vineyard was originally a 15-acre orchard that they had to "settle" for.

As has been told many a time when discussing BC wine, the introduction of Free Trade with the US in the 80's saw an industry-wide ripping out of the old hybrid varietal vines.  So, the timing for the Martiniuks was probably fortuitous in that they didn't have to rely on or rip out already established vines.  Rather, they "simply" ripped out the old fruit trees and started looking at what varietals of vinifera vines might be appropriate for the region.  Father Martiniuk, Lanny, played a big part in planning the fledgling industry's future during the formative years of restructuring.  He has been a director of the BC Grape Growers Association, the Grape Marketing Board and the BC Wine Institute.  Lanny is also a successful grapevine propagator and has grown millions of vines for vineyards all over BC.  He used all that burgeoning experience to good effect when designing his own vineyards.

 I was advised at the winery tasting room that being as knowledgable about grapevines as he was, Lanny had identified a short stretch of the local Southern Okanagan bench that was slightly cooler than the surrounding area.  He was pretty sure that he'd never be able to fully ripen Cab Sauv or any of the other big red varietals that were being grown nearby; so, he planted that section with Pinot Noir.  Considering the fact that this is Stoneboat's second L-G Award for Pinot Noir, he must have been onto something.

This was a glass of Pinot that packed plenty on the nose and the palate; yet it remained subtle with its overall presentation.  I doubt you'd mistake it for some of the bigger Pinots that are being made by New World producers but the abundance of red fruit and candied spice (the Tasting Room called it "a hint of lavender that lingers on the palate") set it apart from any French Pinot that you'd likely find for the same price - being an entirely reasonable $25.

As mentioned, we found it very tasty and the bottle quickly disappeared.  I might not have been quick to find Stoneboat wines previously, but I might need to re-think that strategy down the line.

2012 Lt. Governor's Wine Awards

 
The 2012 Lieutenant Governor's Awards for Excellence in British Columbia Wine were just awarded and to toast this year's batch of wining wineries and wines, Boo and I opened a winner from 2008.  This year, eleven wines were awarded the now prestigious award - with Painted Rock Estate winning two awards for the 2009 Syrah and 2009 Red Icon.  The other winning wineries saw some new and repeat winners.  They are:  Eau Vivre, Gold Hill, Hester Creek, Jackson-Triggs, laughing Stock, Poplar Grove, Road 13, Ruby Blues and Thornhaven Estate.

1189.  2006 Golden Mile Cellars - Black Arts Syrah (VQA Okanagan Valley)

As a quick side note, those in the know will recognize that Golden Mile Cellars is now called Road 13.  So, opening the Golden Mile tonight is likely all the more appropriate.

Miss Jaq Returns

What a surprise! I got a call from the lovely and talented Miss Jaq saying that she was back from Abu Dhabi and, this time, it's for the foreseeable future. Nice surprise for us. Not so sure what surprises are going to be in store for her. She'd decided that the politics of work in the Emirates was proving to be a bit much and that, after ten years of tax-free living, it might be time to give Vancouver another try. As I say, great for us but this might prove interesting for her.

Over the last decade, we've been lucky to see her a couple of times a year. She's always made it home for a bit of a vay-cay in the summer - after all, if you're given some time off in 50+°C weather, who wouldn't come back for a bit of Vancouver summer? - but that short time doesn't allow for more than a couple of dinners and the annual Miss Jaq Wine Picnic.

The girl obviously had some new stories to tell; so, we invited her over here for dinner as soon as she could make it.

1081. 2005 Majella Sparkling Shiraz (Coonawarra - Australia)

Seeing Miss Jaq is always a celebration; so, a little bubble was an appropriate start. With Boo's and my trip to Oz just around the corner, I thought "Why not pop the cork from a winery that we hope to fit into our travels?" I met Brian and Ros Lynn, two of Majella's principals at the recent Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival and they were among the most pleasant and interesting folk I met through the final weekend of tastings. I loved the Sparkling Shiraz at the Playhouse and I picked up a bottle (since Boo let me off the "No Buy Leash" for the Festival) but it turns out I had an earlier vintage at home and that's where we started.

A bit of an Aussie tradition, this sparkling red is still make in the traditional champenoise method - with bottle fermentation (on the wine's lees - or spent yeast) for close to four years. It is then disgorged and an interesting dosage of vintage Port is added as a bit of a sweetener to the wine. Although not nearly as bubbly as more traditional sparklers, there's a lightness to the big Shiraz that is a wonderful way to a start the evening with appies or to accompany a brunch.

Something tells me I'll be looking for an opportunity to pop a cork on a sparkling shiraz while Down Under.

Despite the new movie, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, neither Mis Jaq nor Boo & I have ventured there. Yemen may be in the same region as the U.A.E., but, quaint movies or not, it's not the safest places to visit. We had to settle for an evening of Eating Salmon on The Drive. Ewen McGregor may not have featured prominently but we did introduce Miss Jaq to an episode of RuPaul's Drag Race afterwards.

1082. 2006 Howling Bluff Pinot Noir (Naramata Bench - Okanagan Valley)

I've been looking forward to opening this bottle of Luke Smith's Pinot for some time now. We've tried Luke's wines at a number of tastings over the years but the only full bottles we've enjoyed have been his Meritage blend, Sin Cera. That's partially because it's generally easier to find the blend in the stores. Indeed, the 2006 vintage was Howling Bluff's first and there were only 120 cases of this Pinot Noir made - and it was next to impossible to find any since it was awarded one of the 2009 Lieutenant-Governor's Award for Excellence in BC Wine.

Luke is quick to tell the story of how he started the winery with a goal of eventually making a world-renowned Bordeaux blend. Having now produced a handful of vintages, he seems agreeably resigned to the fact that Mother Nature appears insistent on pointing him in a completely different direction. Having planted the majority of his Summa Quies vineyard in Bordeaux varietals, Luke is naturally finding that it is his Pinot Noir that is gaining him the most notoriety. Our bottle of the 2006 won him his first L-G's Award, but that was quickly followed up with another in 2011 for the 2009 vintage. To top that off a bit, the 2008 vintage won Wine Access magazine's 2010 Red Wine of the Year award - the first Pinot to ever do so.

Luke has reluctantly reached the conclusion that he needs to wake up and smell the Pinot. That probably won't be that difficult or painful because our wine had a beautiful nose on it - a nose that opened up even more with a second glass, as did the flavour profile. Grafting over or replanting all of his Bordeaux varietals may prove somewhat agonizing, but it's going to result in even more Pinot Noir and different options for Luke - and that can't be a bad thing for the rest of us.

Boo made us a blackberry pie for dessert (perhaps one of his best ever) and I figured the pie called for an accompanying sip of its own.

1083. N.V. Salt Spring Blackberry Port (Gulf Islands - BC)

Surprisingly, I couldn't find out much about the Blackberry Port - other than that it's made from organic blackberries, grown on the Gulf Island, and that it's one of the most popular products that the winery makes. The winery's entire production of wine is limited to about 2000 cases; so, not unlike the Howling Bluff Pinot, I doubt there's much of this to be found. As full of flavour as Boo's blackberry pie, I'm glad we nabbed the bottle that we did.

With Miss Jaq back in Vancouver, we'll hopefully fit in more and more little visits. You just know there'll be some good wines involved. However, with her no longer in Abu Dhabi, I don't know that we'll be heading back to the Emirates any time soon. Guess Boo won't get much opportunity to address his silk carpet jones. That means we'll just have to settle for trips - like Australia - in the mean time. I know. It's tough; but somebody's got to do it.

Award Winning Neighbours

In the cause of brevity and catching up, I'm going to add the next two wines to The List on the same post. They might not have been opened on the same night but they are neighbours on the Naramata Bench and both appear regularly in this blog.

1043. 2005 La Frenz Merlot (Naramata Bench - Okanagan Valley)

La Frenz is definitely one of our favourite "Go To" wineries. Consistent quality is a hallmark for La Frenz, but that being said, I think we might have been better off had we "gone to" this bottle a little while ago. Boo's tightening of the "No Buy Leash" is going to see our opening more bottles like this - ones that have seen a bit of ageing - and maybe that's a good thing. As much as I enjoy La Frenz on the whole, I think the integration of fruit, acidity and structure that we're used to with their wines had passed us by with this bottle.

On the other hand, our slight disappointment in the wine might just show how little Boo and I know when it comes to fine wine. The 2005 Merlot won Gold at the All Canadian Wine Championships and won "Best Wine of Show" and "Best Red Wine" at the 2007 Northwest Wine Summit. Awards don't get much bigger than that for BC wines.

What the heck do I know anyhow? Guess it's a good thing that we have one more bottle to give it another go.

1044. 2010 Red Rooster Pinot Blanc (VQA Okanagan Valley)

Red Rooster's home estate vineyard and winery is located less than a mile down the road from La Frenz and, as often noted in this blog, winemaker, Karen Gillis, and team have been raising the bar year after year of late. Karen's had a banner year of awards herself in 2011. Her Chardonnay was named one of the top five in the world at the Chardonnay du Monde competition in France; the Pinot Noir won Best New World Pinot in California; her Syrah was named Best Red at the 2011 BC Wine Awards and a recent Meritage won one of eleven Lieutenant Governor's Wine Awards given last summer.

The Pinot Blanc hasn't garnered huge press and hardware yet; but, boy, were Boo and I ever pleasantly surprised when we opened this bottle! As participants in the Adopt-A-Row program, we receive a mixed case of wine every year and this year's case recently arrived. (Thankfully, it doesn't contravene the No Buy Leash.) We simply grabbed the Pinot Blanc as an easy weeknight wine. I could easily have opened a second bottle right then and there.

Most folks go right past Pinot Blanc on the wine shelves. It generally doesn't tend to stir much in the way of flavourful emotions. This bottle proves that such a statement doesn't have to be the case. I know that Barbara Philip, Canada's first female Master of Wine, feels that Pinot Blanc could be the best choice of a varietal for the Okanagan Valley to adopt as a signature grape and help the region make a splash on the world wine scene - much along the lines that Sauvignon Blanc became synonymous with New Zealand.

This is a prime example of a wine that can turn heads. It did just that for us. With its partial exposure to a bit of French oak and 6 months of ageing on its lees, the wine was rich and complex in a way that I don't usually associate with Pinot Blanc. There was plenty of Okanagan tree fruit front and centre and a real nice, but bracing, acidity and citrus note on the finish.

A $17 price tag isn't going to hurt at all either.

I'm going to look forward to another bottle of this one.

Can't Act. Slightly Bald. Also Dances.

Some might think that the owners of Foxtrot knew me. But, then again, no. I think I can act - otherwise how would I have gotten the role of Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady back in high school?!

Rather, the quote on the back label of our next bottle refers to casting notes taken for one Fred Astaire while auditioning for his first movie. But, more on that later.

This is the first Foxtrot wine to be added to The List; however, it might be the only wine that's been mentioned in this blog three or four times before I've even opened a bottle.

1020. 2007 Foxtrot Pinot Noir (Okanagan Valley)

This isn't the first bottle of Foxtrot Pinot Noir that Boo and I have enjoyed. We had a bottle once while dining out at Whistler before I started this blog. We were rather taken by the bottle back then and would have loved to make it a regular at our dinner table. There's just that little hurdle of a $50-$60 price tag.

The Foxtrot vineyard has been a source of quality fruit on the Naramata Bench for some years, having been planted with Pinot Noir in the mid 1990's. Back then, the grapes were being sold and, indeed, we just had a bottle of Kettle Valley Foxtrot Pinot Noir a week or two ago. The vineyard was purchased by the Allender family in 2002; however, they took a couple of years to learn more about the wine industry before they produced their first vintage in 2004.

Production was extremely limited during the initial vintages - less than 400 cases in 2004. However, it took no time for the wine to be noticed and christened one of BC's premium Pinot Noirs. The limited production and near cult-like status makes it pretty hard to find - even you'd like to pay the asking price. I bought this bottle at a silent auction at the Hot Chefs Cool Jazz fundraiser in 2010.

And I've been itching to open it ever since.

The 2007 may only be the fourth vintage from Foxtrot but its vaunted presence on the BC wine scene was further cemented when the wine was awarded one of only eleven Lieutenant Governor's Wine Awards in 2010. Not hard to understand why once we'd opened the bottle. The rich smoothness of the wine, bright nose and focused fruit meant that our bottle disappeared far too quickly.

As for the promise to return to the label and to Fred Astaire, the story goes that the vineyard was named "Foxtrot" back in the early years because, during one the first harvests, a black bear was found eating the grapes for a number of days running. The bear had a habit of standing on its hind legs and shuffling, almost as if he was dancing. The workers took to calling the bear "Fred" - after Astaire - and, with the "original" Fred being celebrated most for his unparalleled abilities in the foxtrot - the biggest dance of its day - a name was born. A dancing Fred, the bear, now graces both the label and the name of the wine.

Finding some more for a special occasion may need to become a bit of a priority.

A Few Stops on the Way Home

The 2011 BCWAS Bus Tour is officially over. All the bottles have been packed into various nooks and crannies of vehicles heading off in all directions and I've bid "adieu" to the Wine Grrrlz. Unfortunately, Boo was right in his fear that I'd end up finding a way to fit three cases into the Miata - and I'm pretty sure he'll easily discover the Orofino box that's being delivered on its own.

The bad news for him - unless he should take a "good news" viewpoint like I do - is that even the Miata has a few of those aforementioned nooks and crannies. And I'm hoping to take in a few wineries that weren't otherwise on the Bus Tour. The real goal is to venture up to Painted Rock for a quick visit and the winery is located just outside of Penticton - half way up the Valley. So, I'm going to have to drive by a whole lot of wineries in order to get there.

The good news for Boo is that I'll only stop at a few wineries that I haven't been to in some time. Of course, he might not like the fact that I'm stopping because I know there are at least a couple of bottles that I'm hoping to pick up. There are times when you just have to seize the opportunity - and this is one of them. After all, I haven't stopped in at any of the Southern Okanagan wineries for some years.

I won't go into any detail with the various tastings today. Since I had the long drive back to Vancouver, I was being a very good boy and spitting and, since there was no actual downing of a bottle, there's no wine to add to The List. I can, however, grace the blog with some of the spectacular views that greeted me along the Wine Route.

The large shot at the top was looking back over Osoyoos. Since Boo's and my previous journeys through Osoyoos were often in the Winter or Spring, I don't always get such a clear and outstanding view. Once I'd committed to taking the scenic shot, it only made sense to stop in at Nk'Mip as I had to drive right by it. Plus, I was hoping to taste the winery's new premium Meritage, Mer'r'iym, as it wasn't available at Passa Tempo (the Nk'Mip Resort restaurant) the other night when I was there with the Wine Grrrlz. I got the chance, but did a self-serving tug on the No Buy Leash due to the $50 price tag. There aren't that many BC wines that I want to shell out $50 for - yet. Particularly when compared to the Qwam Qwmt Meritage that is $20 moin cher.

After Nk'Mip, I headed North. Took a quick stop below Burrowing Owl to take a shot of the iconic barn and valley floor. Remember this Valley is the Northern tip of the Sonoran Desert that starts down in Mexico and extends all the way up to the Okanagan. I then stopped by some of the wineries in OK Falls - some of the very stops that the 2012 BCWAS Bus Tour may take in. I'd heard that there were still some bottles of the Lieutenant Governor's Award winning Pinot Blanc at Wild Gooses and I hoped to grab one if there were any left. Generally the LG Award winners fly off the shelves within days of the awards being announced. I wonder if this is a statement, by the wine drinking public, about their love of (or lack thereof) Pinot Blanc? As luck would have it, I also had a quick chat with Roland Kruger of the winery. He was in the back office during my tasting and, ultimately, felt compelled to come out and answer a couple of the questions that I was throwing at the woman at the tasting bar. I'll be looking forward to trying both the Pinot Blanc and a rare botrytis affected Riesling that I picked up.

Since Tangled Vines is literally across the street from Wild Goose, I dropped in to see if winemaker Craig McKenzie was anywhere around. I'd known Craig from university days when he was in a rival fraternity and I enjoy taking advantage of every opportunity that presents itself to see what he's up to. Again, luck held out and Craig had just returned to the winery from some errands. Enjoying his take on the state of the wine world, I hope to get an opportunity to organize a more extensive visit some time down the road.

Next up was Blue Mountain; however, I didn't have an appointment. No worries. My how times have changed. After all the years of grief that the winery took for not always being available for or welcoming of unannounced drop-in visitors, Blue Mountain's tasting room is now open for regular hours on a daily basis. I knew that before I showed up though. After all the jokes about the big 2003 fire stopping before it hit Blue Mountain's vineyards - the fire hadn't phoned in advance for an appointment - I was glad to be able to stop by just because I was in the neighbourhood. Anyone who's had a bottle of Blue Mountain and looked at the label should recognize this shot of the landscape as you approach the winery.

There was one more quick stop to made at Blasted Church before I reached my actual destination. The winery was obviously having a successful season because more than a couple of the wines I'd specifically hoped to try were long sold out. At least three other groups of tasters came to the tasting room while I was there and the young gal running the counter had only started at the winery a couple of weeks ago. So, this wasn't the most expansive tasting session to be had - either with the wines or the information provided. I did, however, get to take a thorough look at all of the new avatar-esque labels that the winery has introduced. I may be old school but I've yet to decide whether I like them or not.

Finally, it was time for Painted Rock - the winery that gained almost instant "cult status," taking BC wine circles by storm a couple of years ago with their introduction of a limited line up of wines - but one that managed to win two LG Wine Awards with its initial vintage. This was one of the wineries I'd most wanted to visit - especially after this Spring's BCWAS gala wine dinner that paired Painted Rock wines with dinner at Raincity Grill.

I'm not sure that this little shack was what I'd expected after tasting such premium wines. Far from a destination winery and tasting room, BC's Best New Winery at the 2009 Okanagan Fall Wine Festival primary interface with the public is a temporary shack (that's been spruced up mind you) that used to be a lunch room for winery workers. It sits by its lonesome overlooking the vineyards and the lake in the background and I had wonder about the daily excitement (or grind as the case may be) the young lady at the tasting bar must run across regularly.

She was pleasant and very welcoming though. It probably doesn't hurt that she has a premium product to serve and talk about either. I'd hoped to maybe bump into owner, John Skinner, but I didn't call in advance and I rather needed to get on the road back to Vancouver. It was already mid-afternoon and I still wanted to hit the produce stands in Cawston and Keremeos.

So, with a final few bottles coaxed into the trunk, I set off on the road home. If nothing else, the Bus Tour - and side trips - showed that there's plenty happening with BC wine. But, beyond that, it was a novel way to take in some of what the BC interior has to offer. I can't wait for the next little adventure up here - and for some tasty reminders of this trip once some of my newest purchases are opened.

An LG-Winning Riesling

The 2011 Lieutenant Governor's Wine Awards were recently announced and I thought it might be appropriate to blog about them while adding one of this year's winners to The List.

The L-G's Awards were introduced in 2003 to help celebrate the improving quality of BC wines and bring a bit of hoopla and media prominence to the industry. BC winemaking is still very much a locally driven affair. Very few bottles ever travel outside of the province; so, exposure of this nature is very much welcomed.

The L-G's seek to honour BC wines of high quality. The wines must be made from only BC-grown grown grapes by a BC winery. There is no specific style or varietal that is featured, excellence in wine alone is meant to be celebrated. However, a maximum of twelve wines will be awarded in any one year and, regardless of the number of wines that a winery might produce, each winery is limited to a submission of four wines.

In 2011, 83 wineries considered the best of their wines and submitted 309 of them. Eleven wines were awarded and we're lucky enough to be enjoying one tonight.

885. 2009 St. Hubertus Dry Riesling (VQA Okanagan Valley)

There aren't a lot of St. Hubertus wines on The List. I think there might be one or two that have been added; however, it isn't one of the wineries that regularly grace our table. I think the most prominent reference that I've made to the Gebert brothers is that their's remains the only BC winery that has ever been consumed by a forest fire.

Regular readers of this blog know that I'm a big lover of Riesling and this one is a wonderful blend of fruit and acidity. John Schreiner, one of BC's most prominent wine writers, calls this vintage a "classic." Who am I to disagree?

And you know what? The wine sells (sold?) for $15.50 - a bargain in any market, let alone BC.

This year's winners included some familiar names like Howard Soon and Sandhill's Syrah, Wild Goose (for its Pinot Blanc) and Sumac Ridge's classic bubble, Stellar's Jay Brut. Half of the award recipients were first time winners though - St. Hubertus being one of them.

I look forward to the Lieutenant Governor's Wine Awards every year. The "problem" is that, once the Awards are announced, the chances of actually finding the winning wines can be as elusive as the Canucks winning the Stanley Cup. I definitely lucked out in finding this Riesling at one of the VQA shops.

I don't expect to run across too many other winners - although I'm extremely happy to note that Karen Gillis and Red Rooster also won an L-G for their 2008 Reserve Meritage - and that's the wine that Karen chose to fill our 3L bottle with for Boo's 50th birthday. When picking the wine for the bottle, I told her to just go with whatever she thought her best wine on hand was. She chose the Meritage and, here, she wins an L-g with it. Guess the girl knows her own wines - not that I ever doubted that!

Methinks St. Hubertus needs to be on my radar a little more.

Painting the Town Blue with Painted Rock

You have to know that tonight's BC Wine Appreciation Society annual Gala Wine Dinner had to be something special to get me to miss a third round playoff game - especially one that could see the Canucks move on to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 17 years!! I'd bought the dinner tickets some time ago, long before it became evident that there'd be such a big hockey game on the same evening.

But such is the buzz that both Rain City Grill, a long-time favourite on the Vancouver dining scene, and Painted Rock, a new star in the BC wine world, currently have.

I haven't dined at Rain City Grill for some time now but it's always one that figures into a list of "we could always go to....." options for fine dining - especially as their emphasis on local and sustainable is clearly now being emulated by more and more of the city's restaurants.

Painted Rock, on the other hand, is a new kid on the wine block and I've had my eye on it ever since I tasted their wines at a charity event last year. I haven't had a bottle yet so as to be able to add it to The List, but I WILL get there eventually. I have a couple Painted Rock reds in our cellar but they're big and I'm hoping to give them a bit of time.

So, like its Black Hills wine dinner at West last year, a combination of Rain City Grill and Painted Rock is a bit of a prize pairing for BCWAS. Playoff hockey or not.

Besides, isn't this the kind of situation that iPhones are made for? I figured that I could stay current with the game by checking every so often. So long as it wasn't going to be too obnoxious to the other table guests. Plus, the restaurant is located smack dab in the West End of Vancouver, where Manahattan-esque residential towers abound. I figured there'd be local honking and screaming if anything good was happening in the game.

Turns out that I wasn't even the most concerned hockey fan about the status of the game. Two of the other attendees, at a table near our's, actually wore radio ear buds throughout the dinner. Their reactions told us faster - than any update on the phone could - if anything of note happened on the ice.

As for the dinner and the wine, there was no skimping by either restaurant or winery. We enjoyed five courses and tried all but one of the wines ever produced by Painted Rock. Owner, John Skinner, couldn't serve the 2007 Cab Sauv because there is none to serve anymore. The wine won a Lieutenant Governor's Award for Excellence and the demand for it quickly depleted the limited production. John told us that there are now only 17 bottles left in the winery's cellar. Not bad for an initial release by a brand new winery.

Indeed, the Cab wasn't the only wine that won a L-G's Award, the 2007 Red Icon, a Meritage or Bordeaux-style blend, was also one of the only ten wines that were so awarded in 2010. Painted Rock was the only winery to win two awards last year - and, again, that was from its first vintage of releases.

To help get the winery off to such a good start, Skinner and company hired French consultant, Alain Sutre, to advise on the vineyard layout and initial vintages. Sutre was so impressed with the site that he asked for an extension to the contract. BC wine scribe, John Schreiner, writes that Sutre told Skinner, "I think you own the Petrus of the Okanagan." Heady words when you consider that Petrus is perennially one of the most expensive wines in the world.

I particularly liked John's story where he tells of his throwing out the idea that they produce both a Syrah and a Shiraz since he had two different clones of the varietal planted. Sutre looked at John and basically asked him if he was crazy. Sutre told him that, with wine, 1+1 do not equal 2 - rather they can equal 3 or more when blended. He felt that capitalizing on the strong points of both clones, the wine would result in a much more complex and enjoyable sip. Whether Painted Rock's Syrah proves that point or not can be debated, but the 2007 Syrah added to the winery's lustre by being the only BC wine served at the recent Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival's gala Bacchanalia Dinner - gotta be a decent feather in the cap.

Not going through tasting notes for all of the wines or the dinner courses, I will say that I think my favourite wine of the evening was the 2008 Cab Sauv. It might be that it matched wonderfully with the ribeye, but I think I'd like it in any setting. I know Elzee particularly enjoyed the Syrah with the mushroom tart.

I'd be remiss if I didn't say that Elzee and I were fortunate in being seated at a table with a young couple that I'd never met at BCWAS before. Turns out it was Russell Ball, who writes the blog Adventures in BC Wine, and his wife. Comparing blogging notes was fun - and they took my Canucks-mania in stride. Russell has written up the event as well and has discussed the wines on a far greater scale than I have. Indeed, in my rush to get to the dinner from work, I'd left my camera behind; so, I even borrowed some of his pictures for this post.

In a way, I might have been lucky that we were at the dinner tonight. The Canucks seemed destined to lose before Ryan Kesler scored a goal to tie the game with only 14 seconds left. The game was into double overtime when Kevin Bieksa and the Canucks scored a flukey goal to end the series and set the stage for the Stanley Cup Finals. I don't know if my heart could have taken the stress of watching the game live.

The taxi ride home was an interesting one though. The game ended only minutes before dinner did and we had to make our way home as all the delerious fans were partying it up in the streets - both downtown and along Broadway all the way to the Commercial Drive area.

It's almost like the Winter Olympics all over again.

Now, come on Stanley. Come to Vancouver!

A Different Take on Northern Rhones - WBW71

It would seem that I had a jones for Rhone varietals - particularly the reds - long before I ever knew what they were. Even thirty some odd years ago when I'd just started buying wine (I started at a very young age), I remember thinking that $5 Cotes du Rhone was the wine to grab if I wanted to look for a special event wine.

Many years later, when I'd graduated from homebrew to decent wines, the primary wine of choice was inevitably an Aussie Shiraz.

Even today, despite the fact that I lead a far more balanced life of wine, I still find myself reaching for Rhone varietals - be they called Syrah, Shiraz, Grenache, Garnacha, Mourvedre, Monastrell, even Mataro - or blends thereof. Accordingly, I was pleased to see this month's Wine Blogging Wednesday topic as suggested by Tim Elliott at Winecast. "Rhones Not From the Rhone" is something that I can really wrap my tongue around - despite the fact that participating in WBW71 is going to confuse the addition of wines to The List (the raison d'etre for this blog) even more, seeing as how I haven't even caught up to the wines we've finished prior to WBW70.

It will be worth it though as Boo and I probably have more Shiraz and/or Syrah in our "cellar" than any other single varietal and, if you add in all the new Mourvedre or Grenache wines showing up on the shelves - not to mention the blends - I could stay a happy man for some time on a desert island.

I figured we'd invite the lovely and talented Elzee over for dinner and pop a couple corks. It's particularly nice that I can work another two Okanagan Valley wines into WBW.

Most people probably think hot climate when they muse about Rhone varietals and I doubt many of those folks think Canada's Great White North as being up to that climate call. It's with great personal pleasure, however, that I can say the Okanagan is proving to be a fine source of Syrah. Our weather may not push quite enough heat units to ever be a force when it comes to Grenache or Mourvedre - although just this weekend I did try a pre-release sample of the first GSM to ever be produced in BC (Red Rooster's Golden Egg - watch for it in postings to come) - but Syrah is another thing. Indeed, it is now the fourth most planted red varietal in BC.

The Okanagan's ability to produce a fine Syrah was likely best advertised by the fact that, back in 2006, it was the region's Jackson-Triggs 2004 Proprietor's Grand Reserve that won the Rosemount Estate Trophy for the best Shiraz/Syrah at the prestigious London International Wine & Spirits Competition. It was the first time that a North American Syrah won the trophy that had previously been monopolized by Australian and South African wineries. The rumour around these parts was that the judges had gone into the competition thinking they'd award an Aussie producer that was pulling back on some of the aggressive, big fruit that the Aussies had made their name on. Funny thing was that the wine they picked as displaying that blend of Old and New World was actually from Canada.

Unfortunately, I don't have any of that wine hanging around. As soon as the trophy was awarded, that vintage disappeared from any shelves I ever perused. I do, however, have the following:

754. 2006 Church & State - Coyote Bowl Syrah (VQA Okanagan Valley)

This wine may not have won the Rosemount Trophy but it didn't do too badly on its own. In 2009, it won Double Gold at the Wine Press NorthWest annual competition and was awarded an elusive Lieutenant Governor's Wine Award - one of only twelve wines to be chosen in any given year out of all the wine produced in BC. Both dense and intense, with a gorgeous bouquet, it was nicely balanced, without being over the top on any front.

I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised by the pedigree of the wine. Bill Dyer, the ex-Napa and long time Okanagan winemaker and consultant, had joined up with the team at Church & State in 2004 and he was now showing his firm hand in the rebuilding of the winery. Anyone familiar with BC wine will recognize his name as being the winemaker that helped establish Burrowing Owl as one of the early cult wineries (such as we may have them) in the province.

As is the case with many other wine regions, Viognier is becoming a bit of a favourite in the Okanagan. It is now the seventh most planted white varietal in the province and production is increasing with every passing year. There were a couple of BC prize-winning Viogniers that I could have opened, but I thought I'd go in a different direction and try the only Okanagan wine that I know of that features two of the other stalwart white Rhone varietals.

755. 2009 Twisted Tree Rousanne/Marsanne (VQA Okanagan Valley)

When Twisted Tree replanted the old tree fruit farm with vines, they wanted to take a stab at growing varietals that weren't so common in the Valley. In addition to Tempranillo and Tannat, they planted the three principal white Rhone grapes - despite the fact that very few of their future customers would have ever heard of Rousanne or Marsanne. Indeed, even though I've heard of the two grapes, I can't say as I have much of an experience with or knowledge of them. None of our dinner gang knew what to expect. So, I actually pulled out Jancis Robinson and the Oxford Companion to Wine and read aloud during our initial sips.

We were all pleasantly surprised with the wine. The vines are still young - only in their fifth leaf for this vintage - but they were already producing a nice full wine with plenty of stone fruit and minerality. I saw that 12% of the wine was aged for four months in American oak and, although you could notice the oak, it was nicely integrated. Thankfully, for my taste, there was no hint of an overpowering oak monster making an appearance.

The only problem with the wine is that there were only 387 cases of it made. Good thing no one knows what to make of it because I think there is still some available if you look hard enough.

Thanks to Tim for a fun topic. I'll look forward to seeing where everyone else gets their Rhone on.

Viognier Fit For the Lieutenant Governor

Looks like are a couple white Sandhill wines that need to opened sooner or later as well. It might as well be sooner. This makes three Sandhill wines in less than three weeks. Oh well, I suppose there are worse things in life to have to deal with.

728. 2006 Sandhill Small Lots Osprey Ridge Viognier (VQA (Okanagan Valley)

We tend to drink Sandhill's red wines more than the whites; however, that being said, this is the third vintage of the Small Lots Viognier that I'm adding to The List. We've already enjoyed the 2007 vintage (at # 292) and the 2008 (at #348) but that will be due in part to the pedigree that this wine seems to have developed for winemaker, Howard Soon, and the winery.

As previously noted in this blog, the 2008 vintage was named the Best White Wine of the Year in Canada by Wine Access magazine, while the 2007 had to settle for a Silver Medal at the Canadian Wine Awards. This 2006 vintage got things rolling for the subsequent years when it was awarded a Lieutenant Governor's Award of Excellence as one of the very best VQA wines produced in British Columbia in any given year - one of only ten wines to be given the prestigious prize in 2007.

Viognier is still really establishing itself as a grape of choice in the province. When Sandhill put out its first vintage in 2004, there were only 93 cases produced. This bottle was from one of 279 cases. Not exactly the easiest bottle to get your hands on.

I'm still out with the jury on whether viognier is going to ultimately be a go to varietal for my cup of tea - or glass of wine, as the case may be. There was still a robust nose on the wine but the full body and taste of tree fruit still hasn't completely convinced me.

If the newer vintages continue to rack up the trophies, I'm sure I'll be back to try another.

A Burrowing Owl Classic

On the whole, it's been a fairly mild winter for we folks in VanCity; however, today was a snow day. So, I figured that called for a little comfort food and nice, big and hearty red to warm our cold and wet soles - you'll note that's "soles" and not "souls." We were merely hiking around in the white stuff; it's not like our spirits had been frozen or drained or anything as serious as that.

Any excuse to raid the cellar though.

One of the side "benefits" to having been placed on a "No Buy Leash" by Boo is that, sometimes, I have no choice but to grab what can only be thought of as a special occasion bottle. Reaching into the Burrowing Owl "library" isn't a normal affair around here, but a nice fireside sip has to be one of life's little pleasures. We've already added the 2002 vintage of this wine to The List (at #358) and the 2005 vintage was one of the earliest wines to be added at #39. But, if I have to try and "clear out" some of our older wines, so be it.

706. 2003 Burrowing Owl Syrah (VQA Okanagan Valley)

It didn't take many sips to understand why this wine won some serious Canadian wine awards. As is usual around here, I didn't actually realize the pedigree of the wine until I took a look on the internet after we'd finished the bottle. It turns out that this vintage was not only presented with one of twelve exclusive Lieutenant Governor's Wine Awards in 2005 - perhaps the most prestigious award given in British Columbia - but it also won a Gold medal and was named Red Wine of the Year at the 2006 Canadian Wine Awards.

The 2003 was still only the fourth vintage of Syrah produced by Burrowing Owl, but it was abundantly clear that their vineyards were capable of producing some stellar fruit. At this time, the winemaking was still under the direction and tutelage of Bill Dyer, an all-star in the BC winemaking pantheon. There have been a number of changes at the helm since Dyer left Burrowing Owl not too long after this vintage, but the winery has wisely stayed with his basic approach to making wine.

I've always said that I'm not the guy you turn to if you want exuberant and overflowing descriptions of a wine, but even I'm comfortable in saying that this was a beautifully balanced wine, with plenty of dark - but NOT over-the-top - fruit. Comfort food doesn't necessarily need to be treated with care when it comes to wine, but this Syrah elevated every bite of our meatloaf with a special treat.

This is clearly one of the reasons why Burrowing Owl leapt to such prominence in the BC wine world right from the get-go.

I'm going to have to check and see if I've managed to store any additional bottles of this beauty because, snow day or not, I'd look forward to some more. Please.