Some Intensity With That Port?

As long as Boo has been working in the same job, he's still not high enough up in the seniority rankings to rate extended vacation time during the summer. Consequently, we weren't able to join in with some of the family as they cruised to Alaska. We did get to hear some of the tales over dinner upon their return, however, and that led to a couple bottles of wine at our place afterwards.

1985.  2013 Mistaken Identity - Intensity (BC VQA - Okanagan Valley)

Mistaken Identity is an organic vineyard and winery that set up shop on Salt Spring Island and released its first wines in 2009. Although perhaps not "mistaken," the identity of this Cab Franc is a little mysterious. Boo and I visited the winery once (when cavorting with Tyrant on Salt Spring) and I know that they grow largely white grapes there. They certainly weren't trying to grow Cab Franc. Indeed, I rather doubt that any of the Gulf Islands are able to fully ripen any of the big red varieties; hence, the grapes for this wine were sourced from the southern Okanagan Valley. The wine was still produced in a manner to comply with VQA rules and the label advises that the grapes were also grown organically (so as to stay in sync with the balance of the home vineyard grapes), but the wine doesn't have much more of a connection with the Gulf Islands.

A simple search online didn't reveal much more about the wine either.  I did discover, however, that the winery has since been listed for sale and may well have been sold by now. So, we may not run across any Mistaken Identity down the road.

1986.  1997 Broadbent Port (Portugal)

Like Mistaken identity, Broadbent is also a relatively new producer - although "relatively new" in the world of Port can still be decades. There's no mistaking the identity of this wine though as the Broadbent name comes from the father and son team of Michael and Bartholomew Broadbent. The former has been the Chairman of Christie's International Wine Department and his son has made a name for himself as one of the "world's top authorities on Port and Madeira."

The first Broadbent Port was produced in 1994 and the pedigree of the Broadbent name was solidified when they asked winemaker Dirk Niepoort to do the honours for them. The Niepoort family has been in the wine business since 1842 and knows a thing or two about making wine, particularly Port.

The 1997 was only the second declared vintage for Broadbent and their overall production is limited as they only make about 500 cases a year.

We came across this bottle when a client was downsizing his home and he needed to divest himself of some of his home assets because his new house wouldn't have enough space for everything. I refer to the bottle as being part of the "Carpet Collection" because Boo wanted to buy a couple of the Persian carpets that the client was selling. That meant, however, given the nature of tit-for-tat, that I got to buy some of the Port that was up for sale. Two carpets. Twelve bottles of Port. I think I let Boo off easy - and we all get to enjoy both the carpets and the Port for many days to come.

I think it particularly comes in handy when the family just pops in for a bit a tongue-wag session. Even if we didn't get to go on the cruise, we can enjoy a little vintage time of our own.

A Little Planning en Blanc

It may cause all sorts of controversy and it even spawned an alternatively themed protest but, like it or despise it, Dîner en Blanc has established itself on the Vancouver social calendar over the last three years. It doesn't appear to be slowing down either as this year's fourth edition is set to light up the night in white with its largest gathering yet.

Knowing that there would have to be incredible energy and supreme inventiveness put into this year's plans, we figured we should have a gathering of the clan to puts some plans to paper. Naturally, Soolu brought along a Vodka punch to get those creative juices flowing.

Boo and I learned of the Parisian off-shoot too late to make it to the year one show but we've decked ourselves out in white for the last two years and done what we could to brighten up the scene. Once you've attended one of the grand affairs, you have the opportunity to invite two guests the following year. Boo and I grew to a foursome with Mr. D.  and Soolu last year and, this year, we're up to eight.

With our gaggle of gays being that large, we're hoping for more than a little fabulous and "Je ne sais quoi" at our table. After all, if Boo and I are, once again, going to be among the oldest folks in attendance, we have to bring just a little bit more to the table to show all those Millennials that being long in the tooth doesn't mean that you don't know your way around a soirée. We may no longer party until dawn with the post-dinner bash, but I'm going to argue that it's only because we're so stuffed after eating our extravagant meal.

The wine selection at Dîner en Blanc is limited - and uninspiring - at the lower end of the price range. So, we made up for lacklustre wines at the actual party by pulling the corks on some interesting wines tonight.

1961.  2012 Henry LaGarde Malbec (Mendoza - Argentina)

Despite my jones for all things Argentine, I can't recall having previously run across a Henry LaGarde wine. I don't know what kind of a presence they have in the Vancouver market but I don't think they even attended the Vancouver International Wine Festival the year that Argentina was one of the featured regions. That was in 2010 and we saw more Argentine wines that year than probably any other, ever.

Ah well, their Malbec is now on The List and the bottle didn't last long at all with this group. That should be no surprise, however, Malbec and dining al fresco just go hand-in-hand. The easy fruit just seems to slide out of the glass - much like how some of our group will be gunning to slide the pants off some of the bounty of strapping diners at the party.

1962.  2010 Les Halos de Jupiter - Rasteau (Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC - France)

1963.  2006 Black Hills - Nota Bene (Okanagan Valley VQA)

2008 Red Rooster Meritage

Once the BBQ was out of the way, I seem to have gotten more caught up in our planning session than I was in taking photos for the blog. I know. What's wrong with that picture? Well, the answer is that there is no picture of two of the evening's wines. I suppose you'll just have to take me at my word that the Nota Bene and Red Rooster empties were there during the next morning's clean-up.

Les Halos de Jupiter and its selection of Rhônes is gaining a bit of a following locally. I'm more familiar with their Châteauneuf-du-Pape but this Côtes du Rhône Villages is a welcome additional to the fold. I remember - from many, many years ago when I was just being introduced to wine - that I regularly reached for a Côtes-du-Rhône for picnics and the like. Funny how I'm still a fan.

I don't need to go into Black Hills much here since this is the sixth vintage of Nota Bene to be added to The List. Bottles from 2001 through 2005 are already listed. As one of the Okanagan Valley's icon wines, it seemed a natural to bring it out for some iconic Dîner planning.

The Red Rooster Meritage isn't as heralded as the Nota Bene but this wine did win a 2011 Lieutenant Governor's Award as one of the province's top wines and the winery certainly has as many of its wines mentioned on The List as any other because of Boo's and my long-time association with Red Rooster's Adopt-A-Row program. The 2008 Meritage has actually been added to The List in two formats since we've polished off a regular bottle and it was the wine that filled Boo's 3-Litre, 50th birthday bottle that we recently added at #1939. Hence, it doesn't get added again tonight.

1964.  2005 Château Rieussec 1er Grand Cru Classée (Sauternes AOC - France)

Once we'd divvied up the various courses and decided who was bringing what plates and service items, we settled into Boo's peach pie and a treat to toast this night and the big evening to come.

I don't pretend to know much about the First Growth wines of Bordeaux - at least not from a tasting standpoint. The price tag attached to a Château Margaux or Lafite Rothschild doesn't quite fit my budget - whether for Tuesday night or a special occasion. I think it's safe to say that I haven't met a Sauternes that I didn't like though and this one happens to be a Premier Cru (meaning that the winery was identified as one of the top wines in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855). Château Rieussec is still around today; however, it has changed hands a number of times since the 19th Century. The most recent sale, in 1984, saw Rieussec purchased by the Domaines Barons de Rothschild, owners of Château Lafite Rothschild. Different owners or not, it would seem that the "premier" classification is still being earned as the 2001 Château Rieussec was named Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year in 2004. Luckily, we picked this one up when Marquis, perhaps the city's top private wine shop, had some on sale.

If we can't drink such a bottle on the actual big night, we might as well do so when making our plans for the dinner.

Now, we just need to get all our ducks in a row. That is BBQ Duck and a row of cheeses for a final course.

Joy Oh Joie. Fireworks

Vancouver's fireworks show at English Bay are a long-standing summer tradition. Immensely popular with residents and tourists alike, crowds are regularly estimated to hit a half-million every evening - with some groups arriving up to eight hours in advance to ensure a good viewing spot. Indeed, years ago, the fireworks even provided a finale to Boo's and my engagement.

The unfortunate thing about the fireworks is that they're so popular and the crowds are so large that it can be a lengthy hassle getting home - especially on a school night. We were lucky on this Saturday night in that we were invited by the BC Wine Appreciation Society's resident poet laureate to join his little gathering 26 stories above English Bay. Boo and I have watched fireworks from all sorts of locales but this was by far the most outstanding. It was as if we were as close as you could get to the explosion of colour - and well worth the delay in getting to bed.

It seemed a no-brainer to me that fireworks would call for bubbles.

1960.  2014 JoieFarm - Plein de Vie Brut (Okanagan Valley)

Boo and I visited the brand spanking new tasting room that JoieFarm opened late this spring. Having left with a rather extensive assortment of their wines, we were happy to include a bottle of their first release of a sparkling wine. Plein de Vie (or "Full of Life") blends the traditional Champagne grapes - Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier - that result in an intriguing, deep pink bubble. Bright with Jolly Rancher and Turkish Delight on the nose, I would have expected a Baby Duck sweetness to the wine. The palate was anything but though - a dryer, tarter taste of rhubarb and cranberry followed the bubbly-gum nose. Quite the unexpected contrast.

I haven't seen actual production numbers but I suspect that this first vintage saw a very limited bottling. The wine was only available at the Tasting Room and odds are it won't last long as it clocks in at a very reasonable $18.

Our BCWAS drinking buddies, Shelback and Chewbacca were also on the guest list; so we staked our claim on a prime viewing spot on the rooftop balcony and sipped away as we watched the crowds gather below and waited for the show. The bubble didn't last nearly long enough but that's where growlers and host cocktails come in handy.

The evening's show was orchestrated by China and it was stunning. They used colours and shapes that I'd certainly never seen before. There were even hearts and happy faces thrown in for good measure. The "oohs" and "aahs" were plentiful and well deserved.

We just have to hope to make next year's guest list.

A Rosy Zweigelt

1955.  2012 Upper Bench Rosé (Okanagan Valley VQA)

When the BC Wine Appreciation Society's annual Fall Bus Tour stopped in at Upper Bench Estate Winery in 2013, Gavin and Shana Miller were finally feeling that they were reaching a point of establishment after their acquisition of the winery and vineyard back in 2011. They'd acquired the old Stonehill winery from the bankruptcy receiver. and Gavin told our assembled crew that he was glad for the opportunity to put all his years in the business - including winemaking stints at heavyweights Poplar Grove and Painted Rock - into his own vision. He added, however, that buying an existing winery means that, in part, you've inherited someone else's dreams and their goals may have been quite different from your own.

One of his early goals was to reduce the number of SKU's that they'd inherited and that was going to involve making some decisions on what to do with certain varieties that had been planted by the old owners - varieties like Zweigelt, not exactly the best-known or most highly marketable grape in the Okanagan Valley.

One use Gavin found for the Zweigelt was 332 cases of Rosé. Seeing as how Upper Bench also produced a varietal Zweigelt red, I'm thinking this Rosé might have been a saignée bleed from the juice pressed to make the red wine. In any event, as you can see, this is a brightly hued Rosé. While the palate wasn't nearly as bold as the colour might indicate, there was still red fruit accompanied by a good dose of acidity.

I'm not sure if the winery will continue to grow Zweigelt. I read in one article that Gavin was going to graft Cab Sauv onto the old Zweigelt vines. I don't know if he kept any of the Austrian grape around or not.

While Zweigelt may not be everyone's cup of tea, serving it up as a Rosé, like this, on a hot summer's day won't likely get you into any trouble (particularly if you happen to have some of Shana's Upper Bench cheeses to go along with it).

CedarCreek Platinum

Since we went Platinum Bench yesterday, why not go Platinum Block tonight? Why not, indeed. 

The thing is, of course, that these "Platinums" don't really have anything to do with each other except that they're both from the Okanagan Valley - albeit opposite ends of the valley. Platinum Bench is a fairly new winery down by Oliver and Osoyoos on Black Sage Bench while CedarCreek is one of the early pioneers in the Valley and is up by Kelowna.

But, I suppose it's all in the segue between posts (as he laughs to himself, "no way I want to have to worry about transitioning that into the blog as well.")

1952.  2012 CedarCreek Platinum "Block 3" Riesling (Okanagan Valley VQA)

CedarCreek's premium line of wines is labeled under the Platinum label and this single block Riesling definitely merits the designation. I don't usually make it as far north as Kelowna when we make it to the Okanagan. As a result, I haven't seen much of this Riesling as it's primarily sold out of the winery cellar door. The 2014 BC Wine Appreciation Bus Tour visited Kelowna and Lake Country wineries and "dropped in" on the folks at CedarCreek as part of the tour. I made sure that I picked up a few bottles.

The bottle's back label calls this a "Mosel-by-way-of-the-Okanagan" Riesling. It's got a beautiful acidity racing through the flavour profile with lifted lime but it's no so shockingly acidic that you can't appreciate the flavours. At only 8% alcohol, it's also not going to knock you down or out. Too bad there were only 300 cases made in the 2012 vintage.

As I was prepping this post, I remembered that our CedarCreek visit saw us taking a late afternoon tour through the Pinot Noir and Riesling vineyards where we were treated to some hors d'oeuvres and, of all things, wine as we watched the sun set over Lake Okanagan. I "pulled out" some shots from that tour to show the magic of the moment. A wine can't help but taste great in circumstances like that, but I'm pleased to say that the Block 3 worked just as well for me at home as it did in the vineyard.

I think I might need to make it up to Kelowna a little more often.

Platinum Bench

Having just added a Rosé to The List, why not go for another. After all, doesn't the phrase go "One good Rosé deserves another?"

Well, my literary acumen may be somewhat suspect but, if that phrase is off, how about addressing, "A Rosé is a Rosé is a Rosé."

Okay, agreed, Gertrude Stein didn't have the accent on her Rose. But, it's just as well because, nowadays, Rosé wines go all over the map - dead dry, fruity, delicate, robust. You name a preference, you can likely find it quite easily. One Rosé is definitely not guaranteed to be the same as the last one you tried. As was the case here.

1951.  2014 Platinum Bench Rosé (Okanagan Valley VQA)

Platinum Bench is still a relatively new find for me. The winery opened its doors in June 2012 but my first conscious recollection of them was last year during the Half Corked Half Marathon. While a good portion of the race followed the Black Sage Bench, the course didn't run by or through Platinum Bench itself. The winery did, however, have one of the water (cum wine) stations in the second half of the race. What stood out for me at their table was the specialty bread they served along with the wine. That bread hit the spot and definitely required a visit to the winery the next day.

And a repeat visit after this year's run at the end of May. This Merlot and Gamay Noir-based Rosé was one of the treats that came home with us.

Comparing the glass of Platinum Bench to the Poplar Grove Rosé from the other day, I think you could fairly say that the two wineries take a somewhat different approach to their Rosé production. The deeper hues in the Platinum Bench were supported by bolder fruit flavours and bigger body - not to mention it clocked in at 14.9% alcohol, rather a robust level for most BC Rosés.

And the beauty of producing Rosé is that neither winery is "right" in its approach. Both wines suited my palate just fine and were equally approachable.

I just wonder what Gertrude Stein would have said. Maybe she didn't drink Rosé.

Canada Day on the Block

In the six-plus years that I've been blogging this Wine Odyssey, there are a number of events and people that show up on a regular basis. Today's post combines both annual event and bona fide drinking buddies. The annual July 1 - Canada Day BBQ hasn't been going on for as long as our Holiday Dine Around, but I think it's safe to say that most of the hood pens the BBQ into their calendar as soon as the new year's pages are opened.

Somewhat surprising - when you considered the copious amounts of booze that arrives at the party - I've only got one bottle to add to The List this year. Part of the reason for that is that we do live in Yeast Van (a new moniker for East Van) and all its craft breweries. There was a healthy assortment of growlers in attendance. Plus, as I'll note later, there was a special guest appearance this year that resulted in our polishing off more tequila than I've seen since university days.

Good thing the one wine was a good one.

1950.  2014 Poplar Grove - Blanc de Noirs Rosé (Okanagan Valley VQA)

Funny, but ever since Boo and I joined the Poplar Grove Wine Club, our cellar has seen a slight proliferation in the number of Poplar Grove wines to be found. Admittedly, we joined the Club largely for the winery's robust reds but we're learning not to ignore the whites and this rosé either.

For the last so many years, I've found myself gravitating to more and more Rosé wines. I'm liking them year round as a great meeting ground between white and red but I find them particularly tasty on hot summer days. Poplar Grove's version is a traditional saignée where, after crush, the juice is left on the skins for around three hours before it is "bled" off from the tank. This practice not only results in a Rosé wine but it also builds on the body and profile of the wine this Rosé juice was taken from.

The wine's called a Blanc de Noirs (or White from Reds) as it is predominantly Malbec (41%), Merlot (24%) and Syrah (19%).  I don't know what the French would have to say about calling the wine a Blanc de Noirs when there's a healthy dose of Viognier (16%), a white grape, included in the blend.

As if I care.

The first vintage of Poplar Grove's Blanc de Noirs was in 2011 and, they made so little of it, it sold out in a matter of weeks. They've looked to increase production in subsequent years but it's still subject to  limited availability. Luckily, it looks like we might have a little more reliable handle on a source.

el Jimador Tequila Roposado (Mexico) (Guest Alcohol)

The reason for our extraordinary use (or misuse) of Tequila was the super slushy blender that I borrowed for the day.  My brother-in-law, Big Trucker, won a "Man Cave" at a Super Bowl Party earlier in the year and the blender was part of the prize package. It promised vast quantities of perfectly blended margaritas with the flick of a switch. Margaritas and Tequila may sound more appropriate for a Cinqo de Mayo celebration than a Canada Day BBQ but, you know, boys and their toys.

We decided that Mango Margaritas would be prove a particularly tasty means of trying out the blender. I think the fact that I only needed to open one bottle of wine is an indication of just how the margaritas were received (over and over again).

Good thing this blog revolve around reviewing kitchen equipment. I don't know that the blender was the be all and end all of blenders - event thought the margaritas were tasty. In some ways, I think it's easier to just make the old fashioned way in a regular blender.

Next year, our Canada Day party may just revert to good old Canadian wine and East Side suds.

Dinner Club - Vancouver Meets Bretagne

Due to member travels, our Dinner Club takes an annual winter break until our snow birds have returned to roost - except, of course, unless the gang all heads off together like we did last year to Antigua when Jeaux and Matinder hosting a once-in-a-lifetime St. Patrick's Day dinner.

J&M were hosting this time as well and, once again, they took us "on the road." However, their theme for this round wasn't Caribbean based. Rather they focused on all things Bretagne since they had just returned from a sailing regatta in that northern province of France. Luckily, it was a gorgeous day and we were able to start dinner up on Jeaux and Mutineer's rooftop deck. It was if we'd been transported off to a sunny après-midi en France.

1942.  N.V. Henriot Rosé (Reims - Champagne - France)

As is only befitting a culinary trip to France, we started off with a little bubbly. Although Bretagne isn't exactly next door to the Champagne region of France, it's certainly a lot closer than Vancouver is.

Henriot refers to themselves as one of the last independent and family owned houses in Champagne and they've been making Champagne for over two centuries, having been established in 1808. Their Brut is made with all three classic Champagne grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and their hint of rosé colour is achieved by adding a bit of the Pinot Noir wine prior to the final bottling.

Along with our bubble, Matinder and Jeaux served up a cider spritzer along with a bevy of hors d'oeuvres as we lounged on the roof. The spritzer is common to the apple growing region and we also had a quartet of mousse/pâtés that Jeaux proclaimed were omnipresent throughout the region. She'd also made some savoury pâte à choux, blood sausage tarts and filled crisps. We probably could have filled up on just the nibblies but, bien sûr, there was plenty more to come.

Our first step to happiness, once we'd arrive at the dinner table was an assortment of salads - particularly featuring beets and noodles. The course was accompanied by a duo of boutique wines with a similar heritage.

1943.  2014 Mike B. Riesling Cabinett (Okanagan Valley)

2011 Kurtis Wild Ferment Semillon (Okanagan Valley)

Both of the wines were made at Okanagan Crush Pad under the mentorship program that was introduced as part of the Vancouver International Wine Festival's Sommelier of the Year award. The winner of the annual prize is provided the opportunity to make a small batch wine of their choice. The sommelier, cum winemaker, gets to choose the grape and the style of wine they'd like to tackle - and the limited production can sometimes be found on the local shelves.

Kurtis Kolt was the first sommelier to make a wine as part of the Wine Campus series and I'd hunted down a bottle some years back when it was originally released. Accordingly, it has already been added to The List as #1248 and, therefore, doesn't get another number this time around.

The second bottle was made by Mike Bernardo, of Vij's restaurant, as he was named Sommelier of the Year in 2014. He opted to make a wine along the lines of wines that he'd regularly pair with menu items served at Vij's. I hadn't seen this wine yet. So, I was particularly pleased to give it a whirl - both because of its provenance and because he'd chosen Riesling. Bright with acidity, I can see its versatility with a number of dishes.

1944.  2012 Barton & Guestier - Lobster & Shrimp Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine (Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine AOC - Loire - France)

I remember B&G as one of the few French labels that I'd recognize many years ago when I first started to grab the odd bottle of wine now and then. They certainly didn't go in for this mass market kind of label back in the day but, then again, there were no critter wines back in the 70's and 80's - unless you counted Baby Duck and its ilk as critter wines. This bottling is part of collection of wines that are meant to give the consumer a (none-too-subtle) hint about what meal might pair nicely with the wine. A definite bonus - I should think - considering that I very much doubt that there are many folks in our Vancouver market who would have the slightest idea what to expect from a bottle of wine made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape.

The label certainly came in handy when it came to our trying to pair the wines, brought by all of the dinner guests, with an appropriate dinner course. We might not have been dining on lobster but I think mussels weren't too far off.

1945.  2006 Domaine la Barroche Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC - Rhône - France)

We normally would have served up a C-du-P with a heartier course but we seemed to have hit the dessert course before we had need to pull the cork. Unfortunately, I can't claim to have had the pleasure of knocking back many bottles of Domaine la Barroche but I can certainly say that I haven't met a bottle of their's that I haven't enjoyed. The small estate's production is difficult to find and one of their flagship wines, Pure, is generally found only on an allocation basis.

Their signature Châteauneuf-du-Pape is standardly a Grenache-driven wine and the winery, 2003 having been their first vintage, definitely steers to a more modern, fruit-laden product. I figured it could pair up to Jeaux' trio of typical Bretagne desserts. Besides, if no one else wanted to go the route of a red with dessert, that would just mean more for me.

Thinking a bit of a stretch and a flight of stairs might do us all some good, we once again retired to the roof deck to chat away the balance of the evening. Funnily enough, there were still some wines that had yet to be touched. Tyrant pointed out that we truly must be getting long in the tooth because he couldn't recall a previous dinner club where there was still this much wine left by the end of dinner. He followed that statement up with his offer to give it the old college try and drink some of the remaining juice - particularly since he'd spirited a couple of Burgundy's out of the cellar in honour of the fact that I was in my final 100 wines for the blog.

1946.  2012 Joseph Drouhin Saint-Véran (Saint-Véran AOC - Burgundy - France)

1947.  2003 Moillard Mercurey (Mercurey AOC - Burgundy - France)

Going to Burgundy and pulling out a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir certainly added to the Gallic fare of the evening. I think Tyrant might have been right when he thought we should have been better pikers during dinner so that we'd have opened these with the benefit of food but the wines seemed to go down well enough on their own.

Then again, it was late, and the time for constructive tasting had long passed. These were simply good for propelling the conversation forward on one of the first long nights of summer.

Kremmig Crème du Plessis (À L'Eau de Vie de Cidre de Bretagne)

Our hosts trotted out one final treat as well. They'd brought back a bottle of Kremmig from their adventures in Bretagne. Kremmig is a specialty of the du Plessis distillery - a cream based, eau de vie made with Lambig. Lambig, itself, is a Bretagne specialty liquor made by distilling hard cider.

There was no going back to wine after the Kremmig. All that creaminess just coated the mouth and said "you're stuck with me now kid." Not that we needed more wine.

Jeaux and Matinder may have transported us to a corner of France for the evening but reality of needing to return to our Vancouver beds had us all bidding "au revoir" and "à bientôt" and heading off into the night. The Lady Di and She Who Must Be Obeyed are next up on the hosting schedule. Just a little something to look forward to.

#LoveWins

Consider this is a wine blog, it's far more likely that you'd see a #LoveWine hashtag on the blog or my Twitter account. Today, however, it was #LoveWins all over the internet. It was definitely a long time coming for our American friends but, today, folks all over are celebrating the United States Supreme Court's historic ruling to allow same sex marriage.

Boo and I are already legally married here in Canada; however, Boo is still an American citizen and, before now, there was little chance of him ever returning to his country of birth on a permanent basis if he wanted me to be able to cross the border with him. I don't know that the day would ever come where we wanted to move to the States but it makes a world of difference to know that it might actually be possible.

1941.  Intrigue - I Do Rosé (Okanagan Valley VQA)

It only seemed fitting that we celebrate the Court's ruling with some bubbles. It also seemed appropriate to pop the cork on a bottle of I Do, Intrigue's sparkling wine that's aimed (shall we say rather blatantly) at the wedding market.

The folks at Intrigue might be aiming for the traditional wedding market but that's about all that's traditional about their I Do. The wine is a sparkly Riesling that utilizes a splash of Merlot to add the pink colour. It's also opted for a fruitier profile, particularly strawberry, as opposed to the yeast-heavy, traditional method sparkling wines that are being delightfully produced in the Okanagan.

An easy sipper. Sure. But I'm all for easily accessible bubblies to draw the great unwashed into the joys of sparkling wines on an everyday basis. It was quite the surprise when Boo and I found out just how popular bubbles are Down Under. They don't need a special occasion - any occasion that involves wine is special enough for bubbles. We could use a little more of that sparkling attitude here in North America.

Today's ruling and celebrations certainly didn't hurt that cause. I trust there were all sorts of corks popping.

Now to get the Aussies to go the route of allowing same sex marriage. After all, they already know how to pop the cork in celebration.

A Different Howling Bluff

1940.  2012 Howling Bluff Pinot Gris (Okanagan Valley VQA)

Granted, Pinot Gris isn't generally the first thing I think of when I hear "Howling Bluff" and "Pinot" in the same sentence. I think it's safe to say that Pinot Noir is far more likely to win out on such a word association.

Howling Bluff proprietor (and potential part-time stand-up comic), Luke Smith, is quick to announce that, despite his initial hopes and dreams, his lands on the Naramata Bench aren't all that well-suited for big Bordeaux grape varieties. He inevitably follows that declaration up with a straight-faced statement that he's convinced he can grow world class Pinot Noir - and he's making a valid argument with the attention that his Pinot Noir regularly garners.

That's for another time though.

That being said, Pinot Gris isn't even Luke's favourite white that he produces. Get him started and he can beguile you with the amazement he annually encounters with his Semillon and Sauv Blanc. The two grapes aren't the most common white varieties found in the Okanagan but Luke is clearly passionate about them and what he feels they capture on his vineyards.

But, that also is for another time.

Luke doesn't make much wine in the first place but he makes next to no Pinot Gris. There were only 400 cases made in the 2012 vintage and I don't think I've seen him release any since. There is no mention of Pinot Gris currently on the Howling Bluff website (at least not that I could find) except that the 2012 vintage won a Bronze medal at the All Canadian Wine Awards in 2013.

Seeing as how Luke is such an aficionado of Sem/Sauv, you shouldn't be surprised that this Pinot Gris is lush with acidity and isn't an ode to ripe tree fruit that can often be de rigueur for Okanagan Gris. That works for me. Too bad this won't the easiest of bottles to find.

Another story for another time, I suppose.

Boo's Big Day

Now that I'm well into the final 100 wines on this Odyssey, I'm particularly thrilled when I get to work in special events with special wines and the best of drinking buddies. That's exactly what this blog was meant to focus on.

Boo was running up against one of those landmark birthdays. So, I organized a BBQ with some of our nearest and dearest. It also provided the "perfect" opportunity to pull the cork on possibly our most unique bottle of all to be added to The List.

Seeing as how it was Boo's b-day, there was plenty of pulled pork, chili and red wine. There were certainly more than three empty bottles at the end of night but these were the three that I played a part in finishing.

1937.  2012 Synchromesh Pinot Noir Rosé - Palo Solara Vineyard (Okanagan Valley)

Memphis Blues (our favourite local BBQ haunt) has long convinced me that Rosé wine pairs perfectly with smoked meat. It only made sense then to grab a bottle from one of our favourite new producers in the Okanagan. Alan Dickinson's wines from Synchromesh are, shall we say, difficult to obtain because he only makes limited, single vineyard bottlings. Things might get a tad easier for Boo and I to get our hands on their wines though since we joined the Synchromesh wine club. With so many wonderful BC wines being made nowadays, we have to be careful not to over-extend our excitement and join too many of the clubs that are popping up to tempt one and all. Synchromesh is one that I've obviously succumbed to.

It's easy to say that I've simply fallen for Alan's emphasis on Riesling but there's definitely more to it than that. This Pinot Noir Rosé is an example. The Palo Solara Vineyard is located in East Kelowna and its north-west facing slopes results in a high retention of acidity, a critical component when using the traditional saignée method of bleeding the juice for the Rosé off the pressed fruit for the primary Pinot Noir wine. The saignée method not only results in a bolder base wine but can create a vibrant Rosé to boot. Win. Win. Just like we did on this summer afternoon.

1938.  2008 Sacred Hill Deerstalkers Syrah (Hawkes Bay - New Zealand)

I have to admit that, when it comes to New Zealand wines, my initial thoughts generally gravitate to their whites - the famous Sauv Blancs and, more and more, the Pinot Gris and Rieslings. I don't usually think red unless it's Pinot Noir - and particularly Central Otago Pinots. Thing is, I can't afford many of the latter wines. It was, therefore, a different treat when Shelback and Chewbacca brought along a Kiwi Syrah. It's almost an inevitability that Boo and I quaff BC wines with these two ladies since they're two of our closest confidantes from the BC Wine Appreciation Society. It almost seems like we're cheating on BCWAS when we drink wines from other regions.

Being the equal opportunity drinkers we are, however, pulling the cork on a bottle from Gimblett Gravels - one of most valued sub-regions in New Zealand - definitely falls within the definition of birthday treat. I don't think Sacred Hill is a regular find in the Vancouver market although I know they've participated in the Vancouver International Wine Festival on at least a couple of occasions. Far from the big, juicy Shiraz wines made across the Tasman Sea in Oz, this was a more elegant approach that I think I would have enjoyed more at a formal sit down dinner as opposed to only grabbing a casual sip every now and then while wandering around and through birthday guests and duties.

Gotta love friends that bring sweet bottles like this to your party though.

1939.  2008 Red Rooster Meritage - 3L (Okanagan Valley VQA)

This Red Rooster is one of those bottles that you have to wait for the right moment to open. I wanted to make sure I added it to The List and I figured this was as perfect an opportunity as I was likely to come across. Firstly, because we needed a few friends to join in with us. I don't even want to consider the possibility of Boo and I finishing off a 3-litre bottle on our own (especially in one sitting). And, secondly, since this was a full circle kind of opportunity. I'd arranged a consignment for the bottle for Boo's last landmark birthday. I figured it made good sense to enjoy it five years on.

During one of our Adopt-A-Row visits with the good folks at Red Rooster winery, I noticed a couple of hand-painted artist bottles. I obtained the name of the artist and enquired whether she'd create a bottle "all about Boo." I sent her some favourite photos and memories of my man and she created an homage to travelling (& kissing camels), Star Trek, ferrets and Pride.

The next step was to ask Red Rooster winemaker, Karen Gillis to fill the one-of-a-kind bottle. I gave her carte blanche to choose whatever she thought was tasting good in the cellar at the time - simply advising her that Boo has a penchant for big reds. She picked her 2008 Meritage - which just happened to win a Lt. Governor's Wine Award the next year in 2011. If you simply must have a double magnum sitting around in your cellar, it might as well be filled with one of that winery - and region's - more celebrated wines.

I hadn't actually looked at the bottle in awhile and we had a bit of a scare when I pulled it out of the winery box. There'd been some leakage from the cork - not a lot but enough to lead us to immediate fears of oxidation. Having tried this vintage previously, I'd expected a little more boldness to the fruit but, thankfully, the wine showed no other signs of spoilage.

For some reason, there was no problem polishing off even that big of a bottle. Must be something about Boo's friends.

I guess our next step will be to see if Karen will give us a re-fill on the bottle - in the spirit of recycling and all that you know. I'm pretty sure that we won't be pulling the cork on any refill prior to hitting my 2001st bottle on this Odyssey though, but I'll have to see what, if anything, this blog has morphed into by that time. Time - and birthdays - will only tell.

In the meantime, I think there are still a few more bottles, if not birthdays, in the immediate future and I'd best get to them.

A Celebratory Tantalus Dinner

Being members of both the British Columbia and the Australian Wine Appreciation Societies, Boo and I get the opportunity to attend at least a couple winemaker dinners a year. There are very few dinners that have succeeded in getting my juices flowing as much as the promise of combining Tantalus wines with Hawksworth cuisine. Not only is Tantalus one of my favourite BC wineries but I can definitely say that I'm not a regular at Hawksworth, one of Vancouver's most celebrated restaurants. In fact, I've only ever been there once before and, if memory serves, it was for an AWAS dinner.

The dinner was being held in celebration of Tantalus' 10th Anniversary and it certainly lived up to expectations. Boo and I were particularly fortuitous in that we were seated in direct proximity to winery principals David Paterson (winemaker), Jane Hatch (general manager) and Warwick Shaw (vineyard manager). Opportunities to discuss the nitty-gritty of wine and winemaking with such seasoned hands are rare occasions for a piker like me.

I found the conversation riveting but the food and wine wasn't too shabby either.

The courses revolved around dungeness crab, sablefish, risotto and duck breast - any one of which could be a pick of mine off of any menu. Add a bit of wine to these tasty morsels and the evening was set.

The Tantalus gang poured a mix of new and old that was worthy of the anniversary celebration. Starting with a 2010 Old Vines Riesling Natural Brut during the reception gathering, we settled into dinner with two mini-flights of Riesling. The dungeness crab, avocado and grapefruit salad was accompanied by a 2005 and 2014 Riesling. I can't recall having tried such an aged Okanagan Riesling before. Indeed, I doubt many local wineries would want to try ageing their Rieslings to such an extent. Although many see this label as Tantalus' more approachable - or heaven forbid the term - entry level Riesling, it held its own against the fresher, current vintage.

The sablefish saw '08 and '12 pouring of the Old Vines Riesling - a BC Riesling that likes food if ever there was one - and the richness of the fish just killed it with the acidity of these babies. My glasses seemed to be empty far too soon. I'm sure I must have been short-poured.

A roasted cauliflower risotto was paired with the 2010 and 2012 Chardonnays and the duck breast - surprise, surprise - saw two Pinots (again 2010 and 2012) alongside. I've generally been drawn to Tantalus for their Riesling but the Chard and Pinot Noir are definitely showing signs that they are developing into contenders as well as the more recently planted vines start to see more age on them.

1933.  2014 Tantalus Syrah Icewine (Okanagan Valley VQA)

As has been my habit with the blog, I only add one wine to The List at these dinners since our table or small gang never polishes off an entire bottle of any one wine - as much as we might like to. So, tonight's wine for The List is one that I'm not sure I've even tried before - let alone have in our cellar.

I may be adding the Syrah Icewine to The List but we were actually tempted by a pouring of an aged 2005 Riesling Icewine as well. Thankfully, there was no call for a straw poll to see who favoured which over the other. I'd have been hard-pressed to pick. One thing was clearly evident though and that's that Icewines can still pack plenty of punch after a decade's ageing. A hallmark of fine icewine is that there still be plenty of acidity in the wine so that it doesn't become cloyingly sweet. The '05 was certainly an unctuous sip, yet it still didn't veer into pure sweet as its acidity must have waned over the last decade.

All told, this was a winemaker's dinner for the ages. I'll have to mark the 20th Anniversary dinner in my calendar as soon as they announce one.

As we would have liked the whole experience to continue, the next night, Boo and I opened a bottle of the 2012 Tantalus Rosé. I'm not adding that bottle to The List though as we'd already polished off a bottle and it sits on The List at #1659.

Thankfully, whether there's a List or not, I know there'll be plenty more Tantalus wines filling my glass down the road.

Red Rooster Chardonnay

One of the bigger issues I face when picking a wine for dinner is "Have we already opened a bottle of that vintage and I have I added it to The List?" I have to be particularly wary of wineries - like Red Rooster - that play are predominant role in our cellar. Having been involved for many a year with Red Rooster's Adopt-A-Row program, Boo and I have quite the array of their wines.

I'm guessing that, when I've polished off the 2001st wine in this Odyssey, I'll find that there are going to be more Red Rooster wines on The List than wines from any other winery. As such, I was glad to find that tonight's bottle hasn't already been added to The List. There's an '04, an '09 and a '10 Chardonnay but this 2011 vintage hasn't shown up yet.

1932.  2011 Red Rooster Chardonnay (Okanagan Valley VQA)

For me, one of the hallmarks of Karen Gillis, Red Rooster's winemaker's, Chardonnay is that she doesn't overplay the oak card. While there's been some oak ageing evident, it stays in background leaving the fruit to shine - this is a good thing in my books.

That being said, however, this wasn't a favourite of mine when it comes to Karen's wines. I found it to be lacking in acidity and the fruit wasn't as noticeable as I remember from past vintages. It didn't strike me as being on the same par as the 2009 when that wine was named one of the Top 10 Chardonnays in the 2011 Chardonnay-du-Monde competition - out of over 900 entries that year.

Just goes to show you that the circumstances surrounding the terroir, the vintage, the winemaking and even the circumstance surrounding your tasting of a particular bottle play such a big role in how enjoyable an individual wine can be.

Despite this bottle's underwhelming cachet, I know there'll be plenty more Red Rooster bottles being poured in our household in the years to come. I'm going to be glad, though, that I won't have to be concerned about whether I've already polished off any certain vintage. I'm rather looking forward to that aspect of drinking whatever I fancy - regardless of its presence on The List.

SpierHead Rosé Foray

One of the constant topics mentioned in any general blogpost, article or fact sheet about the BC wine scene is that there is a perpetual parade of new - and even newer - wineries. The latest count has increased to over 300 wineries in the province. I'm likely exposed to as many local wineries as the next guy and I can't come close to keeping up with all of them - let alone try or be familiar with all their products and directions.

SpierHead debuted on the scene when it was named Best New Winery in 2012 at the BC Wine Awards. Even with that admirable arrival and a couple of years under their belt, I knew very little about them until we met with proprietors, Bill & Marina Knutson, for a tasting and tour during last year's BC Wine Appreciation Bus Tour. I picked up some of the winery's stellar Pinot Noir at that time to lay down but, then, I was reminded of SpierHead during the recent BCWAS Gala 10th Anniversary Tasting. I picked up some of the Rosé at that time and figured I didn't want to wait to give it a try.

1930.  2013 SpierHead Pinot Noir Rosé (Okanagan Valley VQA)

Deep with colour, the juice for this Rosé soaks on the skins for two days. The depth of hue might suggest bigger flavours and sugars than its lighter Rosé cousins, but don't be fooled. There's still plenty of juicy acidity that cries out for warm weather or food - or both.

SpierHead's first vintage of Rosé in 2012 just happened to win Double Gold at the All Canadian Wine Awards. My guess - and hope - is that the 730 cases of Rosé made this year will disappear quickly and lead the powers that be to make the Rosé a regular part of the SpierHead portfolio.

The winery is located in the hills on the eastern side of Kelowna - not too far from a favourite of our's, Tantalus. Boo and I don't generally make it up that way during our Okanagan forays. I'm thinking that we need to make more of an effort.

Unicus - Something Unique for the Okanagan

Boo and I didn't have a whole lot of time to visit wineries or wander around following yesterday's Half-Corked Marathon. Indeed, Mr. Cool and the Mimster left early in the morning to return back to Vancouver. We had enough time to make a couple stops and one of the wineries foremost on my wishlist was Culmina - the latest foray into BC wine by Don and Elaine Triggs, with their daughter Elaine joining the team this time around.

Part of the Half-Corked course took us alongside the new Culmina winery and vineyards but, unfortunately, except for a quick sip of their Rosé, there was no time for a visit during the race. I'd been lucky enough, however, to visit Culmina a couple of years ago when a small group of us from the BC Wine Appreciation Society met with Don to check out his new digs. Rather than reiterate myself (when I'm so far behind with my writing), I'll just add a link to that post where you can discover some of the inspiration behind the project.

1926.  2014 Culmina Family Estate - Unicus (Okanagan Valley VQA)

Back during that initial visit, one of the more intriguing announcements Don made was that they had planted a section of Grüner Veltliner, the white variety most closely associated with Austrian winemaking. Culmina's planting was the first for the Okanagan Valley but Don thought there was potential for the grape in BC. The winery produced a scant 60 cases of Grüner with its first vintage in 2013 and the team had hoped for a bigger production with the 2014 wine. While the harvest resulted in an increased volume of 285 cases, the winery quickly found out that they're still navigating a learning curve when it comes to the new grape. John Schreiner reported that Don thought they'd make an additional 40% in volume with the second vintage but the heatwave experienced in July throughout the Okanagan toughened and thickened the grape skins, thereby resulting in a troublesome press of the juice.

Access to the reduced volume wasn't helped by the fact that most of the production was earmarked for restaurants in the province. I was fortunate to be able to pick up a bottle at the winery.

That being said, I would never have guessed that the wine in my glass was Grüner Veltliner had I not already known. Not that I'm anything close to a seasoned pro when it comes to the variety. I did find that the acidity went on for days but, if anything, I thought the flavours were more reminiscent of a Sauv Blanc.

That high level of acidity is, no doubt, partly due to the fact that Culmina has planted the vines at a higher elevation than is seen in the lower part of the Okanagan Valley. As you can see, the vineyard is quite a bit higher than the rest of the winery's property - and the rest of the Golden Mile's plantings for that matter.

It will be interesting to see where the wine goes down the road. The 2014 vintage was aged completely in stainless steel casks but the winery is planning to perform a little experiment with the upcoming year's fruit. Don and winemaker, Pascal Madevon, plan to mature the wine in three different vessels - a stainless steel tank, a concrete egg and a concrete amphora. The intent is to age equal amounts of the wine in each of the three containers and see what impact the various vessels might have on the wine.

I'd love to be one of the lucky folks who get to taste the results before any final blending.

That next vintage is some ways off in the distance. In the mean time, I've got another 75 wines to go before I hit the 2001st bottle in my own little odyssey.

Half Corked - Again

For the second year running, Mr. Cool and I have donned our grass skirts, Hawaiian shirts and Nikes to take part in the Half-Corked Half Marathon. Along with a thousand other wine-loving crazies, we arrived at the Hester Creek start line ready for a glorious day of taking in the Golden Mile and Black Sage Bench for what is definitely one of the most celebrated runs in Canada.

We were lucky to be positioned in the first wave of runners because the day was already heating up by the 8 a.m. start time and it was promising to be a hot one. We arrived just in time to act as witnesses for a wedding of two participants. The vows were timed to finish just before the starting gun. So, naturally, there was a toast to the happy couple as we all readied to start them off on their honeymoon.

Nothing like a few first sips of wine before starting a half marathon. It's definitely part of a proven training regime when it comes to this race.

The course winds its way through the southern half of the Okanagan Valley, traversing up and down the rolling terrain (or is that "terroir" given this is wine country?), through grapevines and along service roads. Although incredibly scenic, it's quite the taxing course. No one sets out to run a personal best on this race. Indeed, it quickly became evident that grapes grow best on slopes - a fact that we can all attest to now.

Of course, one of the most appealing aspects of the run is that water stops are regularly scheduled every one or two kilometres as the course passes through or by another winery. And, funny, but for some reason those water stops all featured wine tastings and occasional bites of artisanal foods.

A few highlights of the fifteen water wine stations were Sandra Oldfield and Tinhorn Creek's Sangria party tent, Rustico's western themed BBQ (not that I ate the baked beans as a courtesy to the other runners) and, my personal fave, Stoneboat where they'd MacGyver'ed part of a crusher/de-stemmer to provide a chillingly refreshing shower and offered an icy granita of their Piano bubbly. Admittedly, I added three or four of the granitas to my pineapple water bottle for the next part of the course. Even watered down, it was just so perfect for the occasion.

Unfortunately, I starting having a problem with my left knee shortly after the race began. So, poor Cool, he had to deal with my intermittent run/walk means of tackling the race. Even after the medical tent at Silver Sage tried to jerry-rig a tape job on my knee, it was slow going at best. Cool could easily have finished the race a whole lot sooner than we did but he was good enough to stick it out with me, all the time offering encouragement like, "alright now, I figure that, if we jog it out for a couple hundred metres, there's bound to be another wine stop just around the corner."

It might have been a sad finish to the race but, lo and behold, there was a festival tasting at the end - featuring all the Oliver-Osoyoos Wine Association members that weren't encountered directly on the Half-Corked route. By then, my knee was in pretty bad shape; so, we didn't stick around too long at the race festival - just long enough to watch some Flintstones, I Dream of Jeanie gals and sock puppet monkeys join us at the finish line. As sacrilegious as it might seem, I chose an afternoon nap and a heavy dose of ibuprofen over continued wine tasting.

As soon as the nap was over, we got back to real reason for this Odyssey and added another bottle to The List.

1924.  2012 Intersection Mile's Edge White (Okanagan Valley VQA)

I first ran across Intersection and its intriguing wines at the Vancouver International Wine Festival and The Grape Debate back in the spring. The winery is a relatively new entrant to the BC wine scene - although its principal, Bruce Schmidt, is a definite veteran. As early as the late-1970's, he was a marketing executive with Calona Wines and local writer, John Schreiner, reports that Schmidt is famously known for making Calona's Schloss Laderheim Canada's largest-selling white wine of its time. Schmidt spent the better part of the '80's, 90's and 00's working in other fields but he returned to the Okanagan in 2005 when he purchased an old orchard property and packing house.

Schmidt and team worked on converting the orchard to a vineyard and the packing house into a winery and they started releasing wines in 2010. Unfortunately, the 2008 and 2009 winters were so severe that they lost almost half the vines they'd planted.  After only being able to release a couple hundred cases of wine in those initial years, they finally reached their full production goal of 2500 cases in 2012.

Having been impressed with their offerings at the earlier tastings, Boo, Mr. Cool, Mimster and I stopped in to do a tasting yesterday and we grabbed this bottle as a weekend treat. An unusual blend of 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Viognier, Mile's Edge White was a great afternoon sip on our deck overlooking Lake Osoyoos. Body. Aromatics. Fruit. Acidity. It might not have healed my sore knee but at least it helped dull the pain.

Following our Intersection interlude, we made our way to Tinhorn Creek and Miradoro restaurant. The winery was hosting one of its annual Canadian Concert Series nights and Rich Hope & His Blue Rich Raiders were playing away to a lively crowd in the amphitheatre below. I don't think too many of the revellers had taken part in the Half-Corked. Catchy music or not, there was no chance that I'd be dancing the night away.

2013 Tinhorn Creek Rosé (Okanagan Valley VQA)

I wasn't sure whether it was the 2012 or 2013 vintage that we'd enjoyed recently. Turns out that it was the 2013; so, I don't get to add this vintage a second time to The List. No matter. As the last vintage of Rosé where Sandra Oldfield was at the winemaking helm, it was a welcome addition to the table. It matches with all assortment of dishes and just goes down so darn easy. A welcome thing with this gang.

1925.  2012 Tinhorn Creek Cabernet Franc (Okanagan Valley VQA)

I couldn't have a dinner in wine country, on such an auspicious day as the Half-Corked, without adding a new bottle of Tinhorn Creek to The List though. So, a second bottle just happened to get ordered. Sandra pioneered the planting of Cab Franc in the Okanagan and her perseverance is now paying off as the variety is seen as being well-suited for the region. Instead of all the Cab Franc forming part of Okanagan Meritage blends, more and more varietal Franc wines are showing up on winery lists and they're deservedly proving to be popular pours.

This is a big, dark-fruited version, well-suited for our richer main courses and for our simple sitting back and enjoyment of the concert.

With luck, the knee will recover quickly and I can think about coming back for next year's Half-Corked. After two years of knee issues, I could use a bit of "third time lucky" coming my way.

For some strange reason, Mr. Cool is all ready to suit up again. Maybe it's the wine.