A Little Cork Taint with that Chianti?

I've got to admit that, throughout this Odyssey and its 1900+ bottles so far, I've been very lucky in that I haven't run across many bottles that I'd considered spoiled. Due to my lack of control when it comes to buying the odd bottle here and there (hence the now infamous "No Buy Leash"), Boo and I have amassed a rather substantial cellar (or shall I say collection of wine fridges, closets, crawl spaces and bathtub - yes, bathtub - since we don't have an actual cellar).

With all those bottles, we know that some of them are somewhat past their "best before" date - particularly when you consider that most wines aren't made for ageing nowadays.

Even if some of our wines might have shown bigger fruit or oomph a few years before we opened them, I can't remember many bottles that were actually corked. Until we opened this one.

1931.  2007 Rocca delle Macie - Chianti Classico Riserva (Chianti Classico DOCG - Tuscany - Italy)

I don't buy a whole lot of Chianti. As I've written many a time on this Odyssey, for me, most of the Chianti that I commonly find in our market is rather insipid, commercial wine that doesn't give me much of a thrill. With that starting point, I was quite looking forward to this bottle. I'd run across it at one of the Vancouver International Wine Festivals and I grabbed it as it was far bigger and more flavourful than most of its cousins that I'm more familiar with.

There was no doubt - even after one sip - that the bottle was corked. The nose was definitely off to my preference but I was prepared to give a benefit of the doubt. It was always possible that this was some weird Tuscan earthiness that was being expressed as terroir. Even if that was the case with the nose, the wine tasted of a terroir that I wanted nothing to do with. More of a note of landfill or mouldy jockstrap - not that I really know what either of those taste like.

Normally, when at a restaurant or event, I quite like being the one to identify a corked wine. Not at home though, especially with an older wine. There's no chance of taking the bottle back to the wine shop or winery when it was a one off in the market so many years back. There's not a lot of pleasure or pat on the back in that scenario.

If there's to be a silver lining to this bottle, it would have to be that Italy is going to be the theme region for next year's Vancouver Wine Festival. Maybe Rocca delle Macie will participate again and I can see what the wine was really supposed to taste like.

Until then...

Melmo Does (Book of) Mormon

Our evening on the town may have been late by many a month but our big night out to celebrate my youngest niece, Melmo's, 16th birthday finally arrived. Melmo's passion in school is theatre. So, I figured tickets to the touring company's production of The Book of Mormon would be right up her alley.

And, boy, was it!

Of course, it didn't hurt that I've been dying to see the show for years as well.

Melmo's present included dinner out as well and she chose (wisely, I might add) to partake in some designer, Neapolitan pizza at one of our favourite hangouts - Via Tevere. To augment our festivities, I brought along a celebratory Chianti - not that Melmo partook in that. She was, however, particularly pleased that the waitress asked if she'd be joining us in a glass of wine. What 16 year old doesn't like to think that she or he might be able to pass for the legal drinking age.

1893.  2001 Castello di Monsanto - Il Poggio (Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG - Tuscany - Italy)

I can't say that I knew much about Castello di Monsanto but this bottle somehow made it into our cellar - and I gathered it was on the higher end of Chianti. Little did I know that the winery "is widely considered one of the top dozen Chianti Classico estates of today" according to a number of sites online. Rather than recite information that others have researched far more extensively than I have, I'll just set up a link to an article where noted reviewer of Italian wines, Antonio Galloni, recounts some of the winery's history.

Il Poggio is Castello di Monsanto's flagship wine and, as a classic Chianti, it is predominantly made from the Sangiovese grape. The Sangiovese, however, is blended - to a small extent - with two other local grapes that are permitted to be added to Chianti wines: Canaiolo and Colorino. I've never been the biggest fan of Chianti - maybe because the lower end bottlings that tend to proliferate in our market don't tend to turn my crank - but this was definitely a bigger, earthier and more intense version than I'm used to. With my predilection for robust fruit, I still don't think this would be my go to wine for higher end Italian fare but it was a nice addition to our special evening.

There was no question or hesitation about our enjoyment of The Book of Mormon though. Melmo, Boo and I all laughed uproariously and thoroughly loved the musical. Of course, I shouldn't have expected anything less considering the sacrilegious content came from the warped minds behind South Park. Funnily enough, we ran into Baby Mama and Nature Boy at the theatre and they were equally enthralled with the show. I wish the show hadn't taken so long to finally arrive in Vancouver but I can't wait for it to come back again.

In retrospect, I suppose it would have been better for me to know what that "Hasa Diga Eebowai" t-shirt I bought for Melmo meant before I added it to her birthday present. At least I could say though, after learning of its F-bomb connotations during the show, that it was a joyful tune.

Chianti Classico, gourmet pizza and Broadway. Pretty darned decent, if I do say so myself.

A C&C Christmas

In what's become a bit of a tradition, the gang from work gathered for a holiday dinner party at Ciao Bello for some laughs and many a plea for everyone to "Mangia. Mangia."

It's always a bit of a surprise to find out what wines The Boss has picked for the night. I made the wine arrangements for a couple of years but Boss has taken a bit of a shine to wandering the aisles at the liquor store to come up with an array of wines - particularly when he thinks that he has some choices that will surprise me a bit. I totally appreciate the fact that he checks the blog before making a purchase so that I get the chance to add some new bottles to The List - as well as join in with the troops.

1485.  2012 Masi Masianco (Pinot Grigio e Verduzzo delle Venezie IGT - Italy)

I cottoned onto one of the whites The Boss picked - forgetting that I'd bought a bottle for home myself - because I saw that it was a blend featuring the Verduzzo grape. Since Verduzzo Friulano is definitely a new grape for my Wine Century Club tally, I'm not going to care that I could have zeroed in on a different white and saved this one for quaffing at home. When it comes to increasing my grape variety tally, sooner is always better.

Masi has been making the Masianco blend for a decade now and they refer to it as their white "Supervenetian" and a counterpart to Masi's well known red "Supervenetian" wine, Campofiorin. I gather it is the blending of these two grapes that takes this wine out of the more historically approved D.O.C. wines and into IGT territory. I understand that the wine does very well for Masi and I guess that this might just go to show that innovation can have its place even among regions caught up in centuries' worth of tradition.

Another different aspect in the production of Masianco is that the Verduzzo grapes (which make up about a quarter of the wine) undergo some additional drying out - the "appassimento" method - to enhance and concentrate the body, flavours and aromas. This approach doesn't appear to be unique to Masi as the grape is also used by regional producers to make a sweeter dessert wine. An alternative method that leads to a similar result is that the grape's growers will leave the bunches hanging on the vine to bring in for a late harvest wine. There are, apparently, some wineries making straight, dry varietal wines with Verduzzo but I don't think many of them travel much. Jancis Robinson's "Wine Grapes" states that the grape is grown primarily in North-East Italy (with a couple small pockets in Slovenia and one producer in Australia) but that overall plantings are gradually declining.

Good thing I'm adding it to my tally now.

Unfortunately, our dinner group was missing a few of our bigger personalities this year. As such, there was no Bollywood-style bhangra or dancing on the tables. In fact, there was no dancing at all. Just plenty of eating and drinking and moving from table to table in between courses.

Some of our colleagues were a little more adventurous than they might usually be with their drinks over the evening. So, I introduced a handful of them to dirty martinis, to the joy that is Prosecco and a couple braver souls to a Prosecco Spritzer when I saw a bottle of Aperol at the bar. It's getting to be common enough now to find Aperol in Vancouver bars and restaurants. Hard to believe that it was only five years ago that Boo and I came home from Venice and couldn't find a bottle anywhere in the city.

Despite making suggestions to other folks, I was good and stuck to wine though.

1486.  2010 Emilio Moro Bodegas - Finca Resalso (Ribera del Duero - Spain)

The second bottle being added to The List saw The Boss veer a bit away from his almost "all-Italian" selection for the evening - by adding in a Spanish wine that I hadn't run across before. He said that he wanted to grab it because it's supposedly a rare find in Vancouver. The wine is apparently the entry level wine for Emilio Moro Bodegas and it's made from 100% Tinto Fino (another name for Tempranillo) in the Ribera del Duero region. The wine is named for the Finca Resalso vineyard that has been in production since 1933; however, the grapes for this wine are from the vineyard's youngest vines - being between 5 and 15 years of age.

The Moro family itself has been involved in the winemaking business in Ribera del Duero for three generations now but they've only been releasing their wines under this brand since 1982.

I'm not sure that our Italian server was impressed much by a Spanish wine on the table but I think this was probably my fave for the night. Bigger and fruitier than many of the entry level Tempranillos I tend to run across, maybe the Italians should be a little worried.

1487.  2011 Barone Ricasoli - Campo Ceni (Toscana IGT - Italy) 

I was intrigued to see that The Boss brought along a Ricasoli wine as well since Boo and I had opened a bottle not too long ago. This was more of an entry level wine though. I'd grabbed a higher end bottle from (if memory serves) the Vancouver International Wine Festival and it was way bigger than this one.

Don't be fooled by the fact that I took a picture of the bottle with my tiramisu. I'd been drinking the wine earlier in the evening and I'd just forgotten to take a picture for the blog. I wouldn't exactly recommend the Campo Ceni with tiramisu though. It wasn't the worse combination ever but I think you could easily come up with a better pairing. Like the coffee I was now sipping on.

The Super Tuscan - Sangiovese, Merlot and Cab Sauv blend - didn't go over incredibly well at our table. People tended to gravitate to other options. I didn't mind it myself but entry level Sangiovese isn't generally my first wine of choice.

I think The Boss had a much bigger list of wines but I just didn't get around to checking out the others. Boo had experienced a tough day at work and he asked that we head out a little earlier than I might have usually. I likely would have been able to add another bottle to The List but sometimes a clear head in the morning is worth that lost bottle.

Besides I'd already received my early Christmas present by being able to add grape #166 to my Wine Century Club tally. The rest of the evening was all bonus.

No Thorns on this Cactus Club

It's been some time since we've had an opportunity to get together with Bella Jianna and Flyboy B. Their living on Vancouver Island might have had something to do with that. So, when Jianna gave me a call to say that they were going to be in town and wanted to try and fit in a dinner, we jumped at the chance.

There was only one night that worked for everybody and, even at that, Flyboy needed to stay close to the Airport as his ability to join us wasn't guaranteed. As such, we decided to hit the Cactus Club, not far from YVR, to try and make things easy for Flyboy.  It worked.

1470.  2011 Feenie Goes Haywire Red (Okanagan Valley)

Bella Jianna is a huge booster of BC wines; so, we started off with what seemed a natural fit. Feenie Gone Haywire is a joint effort between restaurant and winemaker that takes "house wine" to a whole different level. The wine sees Okanagan Crush Pad (and Haywire Winery) winemaker, Michael Bartier, joining forces with a Cactus Club team that includes Executive Chef (and Vancouver food royalty/personality/Iron Chef) Rob Feenie and the restaurant's award winning service director, Sebastien Le Goff, to fashion a white and red blend to pair with an assortment of restaurant dishes.

The Red is a blend of Merlot, Syrah and Cab Sauv and it's only found at Cactus Club restaurants. I'm assuming that the team has gone for a more medium bodied wine - as opposed to a fuller bodied one - so that it'll pair with more dishes.

We figured, "when at Cactus Club..." and it was enjoyable enough, but I'm not sure I'd stock my cellar with it.

1471.  2011 Road 13 - Seventy-Four K (Okanagan Valley VQA)

Our second bottle was another blend, this time from Road 13 - not too far down the highway from OK Crush Pad. The blend is dominated by Merlot and Syrah (46% and 45% respectively) and is fleshed out with Cab Sauv, Cab Franc and Mourvèdre. Winery notes say that the blend includes some Viognier as well. I'm thinking that the Syrah might be co-fermented with that Viognier to lift the aromatics.

The play for aromatics just might have worked because Bella Jianna found "subtle violets" notes on the nose.

A bit bigger than the Feenie red, it paired up nicely enough with all the meat we'd ordered - enough so that we'd finished the bottle long before we'd finished the conversation. Surprise, surprise. We'd reached a point where we needed to decide on buying another bottle or calling it a night. It wasn't that hard of a decision.

1472.  2007 First Drop - The Big Blind - Nebbiolo Barbera (Adelaide Hills)

None of us had ever heard of this winery or wine before - but I think I can say that it wouldn't be a bad thing if we run across it again. I don't think there's too much chance of mistaking this for a Piedmontese version of a similar blend, but I'm hearing more and more about Italian varieties making some noise in Australia. We're also starting to see a few more wines from Adelaide Hills in the Vancouver market. Maybe this is just the start of a whole new trend - which is fine by me seeing as how this was our favourite wine of the evening.

It's almost a given that, regardless of the time between our visits, we're going to be able to pick up wherever we left off with Bella Jianna and Flyboy B. It must have been a couple years since we last saw them but it was like it had only been a week. The biggest news of the night - even bigger than finding a new Aussie wine to look for - was that our Island buds had moved to the Okanagan. They'd replaced Saanich wine country with Lake Country and Jianna has immersed herself in the wineries in her neighbourhood - like Ex Nihilo, Gray Monk and Intrigue.

The evening went far too quickly for my liking but talks are already ongoing for our first visit to check out the new digs.

Cliff Creek & a Southern Oregon Sangiovese

Admittedly, I haven't quite gotten around to writing about our entire road trip this Spring. I think we were still stopped for a couple of days in Sonoma - on our way to San Fran - before I had to jump through a bit of a blog-based time warp and put a "few" bottles on hold. I'll still have to get back to posting those "missing" bottles; however, in the meantime, we opened up one of the wines that we picked up while stopped in Southern Oregon on our way back to the Great White North.

I may still have to write about our winery visits from that trip but I suppose we can enjoy the fruits of our travelling efforts.

1456.  2009 Cliff Creek Sangiovese (Southern Oregon)

Knowing very little about Oregon wines in general, I think it's darned safe to say that I know even less about the wineries in Southern Oregon. It's my understanding that winemaking in the region is quite a recent phenomenon - at least from a commercial standpoint - and that the climate is quite a bit different from the better known Willamette Valley and its Pinot Noirs. I happened upon a couple of Southern Oregon producers at the opening night event held at the 2012 Wine Bloggers Conference in Portland last year - however, I don't believe that Cliff Creek was one of the wines I tasted. We "stumbled" upon the winery when our hosts at our Grant's Pass accommodation - the marvellous Weasku Inn - pointed them out as one of their favourite wineries in the region.
 
Cliff Creek is owned and operated by the Garvin family and, even though their first vines were only planted in 2000, there are already three generations of Garvin's at work at the winery. We had the pleasure of working our way through a full tasting with Roy Garvin. He normally wouldn't have been pouring in the tasting room but the young lady who started out with us had only been with the winery for a week. After stumping her on our first two questions, she went into the back to run our questions by Roy and, rather than simply passing along some answers, he wandered out and proceeded to keep the tasting going for well over an hour.

The winery now has around 70 acres under vine and - despite being in Oregon - there isn't any Pinot Noir to be found in their vineyard. The climate down South receives more heat units and sunlight than anywhere else in the state. Accordingly, it is nicely suited for warm-weather loving varieties such as Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot and Syrah.

Although producing Sangiovese wasn't an original goal for Cliff Creek, a small block of the variety was added in the second round of plantings. The first so many vintages of the Sangiovese were sold to other producers; however, with the '09 vintage, the Garvin's decided to keep the fruit and make their own wine. The Sangiovese is definitely a limited release bottling and was earmarked for release only to the winery's Wine Club members; however, we'd managed to sweet talk Roy long enough that he not only let us try the wine before its public release but he allowed us to buy a bottle.

As a rule, varietal Sangiovese isn't a wine that is perpetually found in my glass. Many of the Chianti's that I've tried in the Vancouver market are a little too acid-driven and light on fruit - or too expensive - for my taste. The Cliff Creek, however, had a little more body and a touch more red fruit on the palate. I think it could definitely stand its ground against its Tuscan brethren.

The fact that it's a bottle I'd normally only run across once in a blue moon makes it even more of a treat.

And, speaking of treats, Cliff Creek also produces a limited release Super Tuscan that we were able to snag a bottle of as well. More news on that one down the road.

Pizza and Penelope

We found ourselves heading down the street tonight to watch Penelope - the play "re-telling" the efforts of courtship from the final four suitors of Queen Penelope's hand while her King, Odysseus, is off fighting in the Trojan War and trying to make his way back to her.  The play is kicking off the Vancouver East Cultural Centre's 40th anniversary season and I figured it was time that Boo and I made the short walk to take in a show. Considering how close we live to the Cultch, it's a shame that we don't patronize it more often.

Since Via Tevere is right on the way, we took a chance that we might be able to get in - even though that can be next to impossible without an interminable wait on a Friday night. As suspected, there were no tables available but, luckily, we were able to grab a couple of seats at the bar.

1436.  2011 Barone Ricasoli - Brolio (DOCG Chianti Classico - Tuscany - Italy)

Via Tevere has a decidedly limited wine list; so, I generally like to bring a BYO bottle (despite their relatively onerous $25 corkage fee). We weren't sure that we'd get in tonight though and, accordingly, we decided to simply choose a bottle off the restaurant list rather than tote one around with us all night should we not be able to get in. (I'm sure that would have been a great explanation at the theatre as to why we had a bottle of wine with us. "Truly, ma'am, we're not trying to sneak a bottle into the performance with us.")

I wasn't familiar with the Ricasoli bottle that we picked but the winery website says that Ricasoli is the oldest winery in Italy, the fourth longest-lived family business in the world and the second longest-lived in the wine sector.

With the Ricasoli name having been linked to wine since 1141, I think they just might have had a bit of time to master the art of winemaking. Indeed, the site claims that "Chianti was born" in 1872 when "after more than thirty years of research and experiments, Baron Bettino Ricasoli wrote down the formula in a famous letter addressed to Professor Cesare Studiati at the University of Pisa: '...I verified the results of the early experiments, that is, that the wine receives most of its aroma from the Sangioveto (which is my particular aim) as well as a certain vigour in taste; the Canjuolo gives it a sweetness which tempers the harshness of the former without taking away any of its aroma, though it has an aroma all of its own; the Malvasia, which could probably be omitted for wines for laying down, tends to dilute the wine made from the first two grapes, but increases the taste and makes the wine lighter and more readily suitable for daily consumption..." Chianti production rules have since been modified as Malvasia is no longer used but Sangiovese remains the primary grape - with other red grapes only permitted to be added to the wine to a maximum of 20%.

Although labeled as a Chianti Classico, this could almost be seen as a Super Tuscan in that the wine consists of 80% Sangiovese with 15% Merlot and 5% Cab Sauv.

We thought the Sangiovese certainly showed through on the palate. I'm not necessarily the biggest fan of Chianti as a wine at cocktail parties and this one didn't wow either Boo or I. We both agreed, however, that the wine was far tastier once our pizza arrived. (Mind you I'm pretty sure that Via Tevere's pizza can't help but make everything taste better.) No doubt the wine would have been more enjoyable if we'd had a little action on the nose as well. For me, it's unfortunate that the restaurant has opted to serve their wines in tumblers rather than wine glasses. Tumblers may be a long-standing tradition in Italian trattorias but I tend to think that might be based on those trattorias serving a humble village wine rather than the more modern - and expensive - wines being produced nowadays.

Tumbler or not, we finished our 'za and our Chianti and moved on the The Cultch. Penelope is largely centred around men behaving badly - in between each of the four suitors having an opportunity to woo the Queen - but I have to say that the scene of the alpha male suitor performing the five greatest love stories of all time was enormously entertaining. Who knew "re-enactments" of Napoleon & Josephine, Rhett & Scarlett, Romeo & Juliet and JFK & Jacquie could be so sidesplittingly funny? You say, "but that's only five great romances?" The fifth was going to be our protagonist and Penelope. Smart guy.

Pizza. Chianti. Cultch. Laughs. I definitely need more nights like this.

L'Ufficio

Between Boo's work schedule being all over the map and Beamer's parental duties and child delivery services, getting together can be somewhat problematic. When the opportunity arose to catch up with Beamer and The Divine Miss M over dinner, we snagged it. Miss M came up with another winning suggestion for the locale, L'Ufficio - the little brother or wine bar as the owners refer to it of La Quercia (Vancouver Magazine's 2011Restaurant of the Year) - and we were set.

It was a first time to the restaurant for all of us, but The Divine Miss M was under the impression that you could order either the wine bar's offerings or the dishes from La Quercia next door. Turned out that we could only order dishes from L'Ufficio but that was no problem. We started with a large platter of mixed charcuterie, cheeses and condiments that went down as easily as the Tuscan red that we chose.

1271.  2011 Pertimali Sassetti Livio - Rosso di Montalcino (Rosso di Montalcino DOC - Tuscany - Italy)

The wine list was completely Italian (except for a couple of high end Champagnes) and, at our waiter's suggestion, we went with a producer that I hadn't run across before. The Rosso di Montalcino was 100% Sangiovese Grosso and the Sassetti family has been making wine in Montalcino for three generations. The Pertimali vineyards and estate are located on the Montosoli hill, outside of Montalcino, in one of the most favourable locales for growing Sangiovese. The family is noted for producing traditionally styled wines that are meant to go with food and Livio Sassetti was one of the founders of the Brunello di Montalcino consortium in 1967. Indeed, an oft-quoted excerpt from The Wine Advocate stated that "If I had only one Brunello to drink, it would be Pertimali. This producer has been making spectacular wines since 1982."

We didn't go with the bigger Brunello, but the Rosso di Montalcino was very approachable and much lusher than the Tuscan Chiantis that we see so regularly as the Italian entries on local wine lists. The bottle was long gone before our main course arrived. So, we really had no choice but to order another bottle to go with our beef. Boo was apprehensive about ordering the family style entrée and he made sure that he told the story of our dinner in Cortona where we let the restaurant choose our menu for us and the shared plate of bistecca alla fiorentina had a sticker price far beyond anything any of us had imagined - more like the cost of a side of beef back home.

We didn't have to face that issue here, however, and the far more reasonable price prompted us to splurge a little on our second bottle. One that I'm a little more familiar with.

1272.  2009 La Spinetta Langhe Nebbiolo (Langhe DOC - Piedmont - Italy)

We don't tend to see many entry level Spinetta wines in our market but I've yet to meet a Spinetta wine that I didn't like. La Spinetta hasn't been around nearly as long as the Sassetti family but their wines immediately grabbed the attention of wine writers, critics and consumers when they arrived on the scene. Even the premium Barbarescos and Barolo are known for being approachable upon release, but this entry level Nebbiolo is particularly ready to be quaffed. The winery website notes that the Langhe Nebbiolo is made from the younger vines from one of their vineyards (Starderi) but by "younger," the winery means 12-14 years of age. The fruit from more established vines is reserved for La Spinetta's noted Barbarescos and Barolo.

By the time we'd finished the beef and the Nebbiolo, we could have easily called it a night, but Boo was tempted by a specialty of the house - a pine cone infused grappa. We were told that they add the pine cone to the grappa and leave it on the roof of the building to fully impregnate the flavours. As far as "guest alcohols" go for this blog, this was one of the more intriguing ones - and, once Boo had ordered it, we succumbed to our urge to order canolis and zeppoles (Italian doughnuts) to go with it. It was a good thing that we had a bit of walk as part of our journey home after everything.

As mentioned, we don't tend to have many chances to connect with Beamer and The Divine Miss M but, without fail, you can be pretty much guaranteed that they'll be full of food, wine and stories. Just like tonight was. Here's hoping that the next occasion won't be too far off into the future.

A Most Seasonal Dinner Club

For the second year running, our little Dinner Club gang has arranged to go with a holiday season dinner.  I guess last year's turkey confit was enough of a serve that everyone wasn't scared off by another Christmas dinner.  This year's feast falls to Lady Di and She Who Must Be Obeyed and, rather than stuff another turkey to throw our way, they decided to stuff us à la your fictional Italian grandmother instead.

As usual, there are so many wines and culinary treats involved that I won't be able to do justice to either.  I can start by saying that I'm not saying that we all must be getting older, but every one of us left overly stuffed and we didn't come close to finishing off all the wine.  There were at least two bottles that weren't even opened.  It wasn't all that long ago that such a finish to the evening wouldn't have been fathomable - well, at least not unopened wine bottles.

1309.  N.V. Emotivo Prosecco (Prosecco D.O.C. - Italy)

I've got to love the fact that, every time I turn around, there seems to be a new Prosecco appearing on the local shelves.  Since all the Proseccos I run across are non-vintage, I only get to add an individual brand label once to The List - even if the same bottles are starting to show up more regularly at friends' places.  This is a first time for the Emotivo and it was served up with the girls' selection of crostini - Sherry Marinated Sardines, Sweet Pea Pesto and Olive Tapenade.

I can't say that this is my favourite Prosecco.  I prefer a touch of sweet on this type of wine and this one was pretty much bone dry.  I think it matched nicely with the sardine but I think I'd add some Aperol and turn it into a Spritz if I were to run across it again.

1310.  2010 Azienda Vitivinicola Marianna - Dedicato a Marianna - Greco di Tufo (Greco di Tufo DOCG - Campania - Italy) 

The ladies delivered Stracciatella soup as Il Primo and it was served up with our only still white wine of the evening.  The Marianna wine hails from the town of Irpinia, found at the base of the Apennine Mountains in the Campania region of Italy, not far from Naples.  Greco di Tufo isn't the most commonly found varietal on local shelves; so, kudos to the ladies for finding an interesting match for their tasty soup.

I have to give props to Lady Di for religiously checking the blog before she picks up wines to serve when she knows that I'm coming over.  But, I'm going to praise her even more for making a homemade pasta course of Butternut Squash Ravioli with a Mushroom Ragout and Shaved Black Truffle.  I've never tried making pasta myself and I'm not so sure that I ever will when it's so easy to pick up freshly made pasta in our neighbourhood.  But, I'm ever so willing to chow down on someone else's efforts - especially when laden with mushrooms, a personal fave.

By the time the pasta was before us, we'd dived, full bore, into the first of the reds - and started with a threesome of lighter wines that were full Sangiovese wines or blends that prominently featured the Sangiovese varietal.

1311.  2008 Grifone Riserva (Chianti DOCG - Tuscany - Italy)

1312.  2005 Consorzio Produttori Vini di Velletri - Terre dei Volsci Riserva (Velletri D.O.P. - Lazio/Latium - Italy)

I'm not sure which of the Dinner Club members brought the Velletri but I'm thanking them for the early Christmas present.  It's a blend of Merlot, Sangiovese, Cesanese d'Affile and Montepulciano - and I haven't added the Cesanese grape to my Wine Century Club varietal tally yet.  Merry Merry to me.

1313.  2009 Vigne a Porrona - Montecucco Sangiovese (Montecucco D.O.C. - Tuscany - Italy)

After a bit of a break on the feast, it was time to move on to a little more bombast - both on the plate and in the glass.

1314.  1992 Renato Ratti - Rocche Marcenasco Barolo (Barolo DOCG - Piedmont - Italy)

If there was a "star" wine for the evening, it had to be this one.  Tyrant heard that we were in for the Italian theme and he figured there had to be something in that cellar of his that would befit the occasion.  He managed to find a little old Barolo that he thought might be suitable.  He was clear to say that he couldn't guarantee the provenance of the 20 year old wine but we were all highly anticipating the opportunity to try a bottle that only Tyrant likely could have delivered.  Admittedly, there was some concern when the cork started to disintegrate before it was halfway out of the bottle but, luckily, the wine itself was fully intact.

Tyrant is likely the only member of the Dinner Club that has the ability to regularly open older vintage wines like this.  Accordingly, the subtleties of the ageing and the layers of notes that are more characteristic of older wines might have been lost somewhat on palates more attuned to modern fruit forward wines but we were all grateful for Tyrant's largesse.

The Barolo was saved for the girls' main course of Osso Buco with Asiago Garlic Polenta and it was poured along with a couple other heavy hitters.

1315.  2006 La Spinetta - Langhe Nebbiolo (Langhe Nebbiolo D.O.C. - Piedmont - Italy)

1316.  2007 Tenuta De Angelis - Anghelos (Marche Rosso IGT - Italy)

Funnily enough, even Tyrant proclaimed that the La Spinetta might have been his favourite wine of the evening.  A simpler version of the Barolo, the Langhe Nebbiolo is made from the same grape in the same Italian province but the vines are younger and the ageing process is much shorter as this wine is released 16 months after harvest instead of four years later like with the Barolo.  Boo and I were lucky enough to visit the La Spinetta winery back in 2008.  We weren't able to bring home nearly as many wines as we would have like to; so, we're happy to run across opportunities to find and enjoy the occasional drop of Spinetta's typically high end wines.

The Anghelos was no slouch of a wine either.  A blend of Cab Sauv, Montelpulciano and Sangiovese, the wine hails from Marche and was called a "velvety bombshell...(from) on the back-of-the-knee of Italy's boot" when Vancouver Magazine named it as 2011's Top Red Wine in its annual Wine Awards.

Not a bad collection of wines for the evening, I'd say.

I'm not exactly sure why but I note that we didn't have any pictures Lady Di's Il Dolce course.  The lack of pics must have been that there weren't any new wines served up because it sure wasn't because of the dessert itself.  The duo of Meyers Lemon Panna Cotta and Chocolate Barrolla Crème Cup were delicious and over the top.  Stuffed or not, I could have kept eating that Panna Cotta until Christmas had come and gone.

Ultimately, the evening, like all good things, needed to come to an end.  We waddled out into the night, all a-twinkle with Christmas lights, and bid "Buon Natale" to our hostesses and Dinner Club buds.  The next dinner date isn't scheduled until May and Boo and I are up.  That gives us some months to come up with a menu and to lose some of the pounds that we put on tonight.  Something tells me that I'm going to have to play the "I think it's time to pull things back a bit again" card.  Lord knows I don't want to have to try and top tonight's trip to Little Italy.  But, on that happy note, it's time to get some more of my own seasonal preparations into gear.

Via Tevere

I got the call from my Dad that my Aunt Belle and Uncle Lyle had arrived in town for a short visit prior to their heading South of the border for Black Friday.  We had the one night that we could get together for dinner; so, I talked them into coming to our neck of the woods and a trip to Via Tevere.  Naturally, our timing wasn't the best and our group of six had to wait a good 45 minutes before we got seated.  Good thing they liked the pizza - and, just as importantly, the wine.

I knew that Via Tevere participates in the "new-ish" Bring Your Own Wine program that's been introduced in BC.  This is only the second time that Boo and I have taken advantage of the opportunity - and the first occasion was here as well.  After an initial flurry of press, I haven't heard much about BYOW at all and I don't know of many restaurants that are participating - not that we get out all that much.  It's a nice option though and I hope to be able to participate a lot down the road.

1290.  2004 Avignonesi - Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (D.O.C.G. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano - Tuscany - Italy)

I can't say that I know much about Avignonesi; however, I clearly remember that I was advised to keep an eye out for their wines while Boo and I were in Italy a couple of years back.  If memory serves, we were particularly tipped off about one of the winery's Super Tuscans: 50 & 50.  We never found that wine, nor did we even get to try an Avignonesi wine before time constraints forced us to leave Italy and return home.  Although the Vino Nobile is a traditional Tuscan wine (as opposed to a new fangled Super Tuscan),I was glad to run across this bottle in a local bottle shop.

The winery is named after the Avignonese family - founders of the original estate.  It was purchased in 2009, however, by a retired Belgian lawyer.  While the new owner's intent was to build on the winery's reputation, one of her first steps was to look to switch vineyards over to organic viticultural practices.  Being a 2004, our vintage had, obviously, been bottled long before the change in ownership but I can only hope that quality levels stay the same - if not improve - because I quite enjoyed it and I'm hardly a big fan of Chianti - the region's prime wine.

The Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is more localized than Chianti; however, the wine is still primarily based on the Sangiovese grape, although producers generally use a local clone known as Prugnolo Gentile.  That varietal provides the majority of the wine's fruit - but there's an added bonus for me in that small quantities of Canaiolo Nero and Mammolino are used as well.  Neither of those varietals have been added to my Wine Century Club tally.

Got to love that fact that I get to add to new varietals - while dining with the relatives and enjoying a wine to boot.

1291.  2011 ViVi - Falanghina (IGT Campania - Italy)

It was clear from the outset that we were going to need more than one bottle.  I didn't know whether we could bring two of our own bottles; so, we bought the Falanghina off the wine list.  I'd say that we were more of a red crowd - except for Aunt Belle - but there was no worry about leaving any of the white in the bottle.

The ViVi website doesn't actually provide a whole lot of information about the winery but I'm guessing that Vivi is more of a bulk, brand producer than Avignonesi.  That may well be the only way that a Falanghina varietal vine could be marketed in Vancouver though.  Falanghina is hardly going to be a grape that most people could go into a liquor store and rattle off as being the wine they want to pick up.  Marketed as a well-priced white wine might be a whole lot more sensible from a winery standpoint.

Italian whites aren't usually high on my list of faves - and this one didn't reach favourite status either - but it was well made with a nicer acidity to it than I often find with Italian whites.  The fruit was lacking (when compared to the local Okanagan wines) but the bottle was picked primarily for Aunt Belle's palate and she quite liked the wine.  So, the bottle definitely lived up to its task.

We called it quits after our wine and pizza because Boo had put one of the leftover Halloween pumpkins to use and made us a pie that wasn't pizza pie.  Homemade pie a tempting thought - especially when I remembered there was another bottle waiting at home.

1292.  2007 Pacific Rim - Vin de Glacière Riesling (Columbia Valley - Washington State)

Pumpkin pie and a Washington dessert wine seemed like an appropriate way to cap off our early start to American Thanksgiving.  I don't think Belle and Lyle were going to take in Costco for Black Friday, but I'm pretty sure I picked up the Vin de Glacière awhile back during a States-side visit to Costco ourselves.  I gather that the wine is a take on Canadian icewines.  

The big difference between this wine and a true icewine is that these grapes are harvested when they've reached high enough sugar levels and, then, they are frozen.  While the grapes are, indeed, pressed while frozen, the winery doesn't have to take the risks involved with waiting until the grapes have frozen outside in the vineyard before they can be picked and pressed.

The end result is still tasty though.  There was still plenty of honey and ripe tree fruit on the palate but I think it could have used a bit more acidity to balance out the sweet.  The cost was nowhere near as precious as an icewine would cost and that's hardly a bad thing.

All in all, I'd say things went well.  Everyone was still chatting away in our dining room when I called it quits.  Being the only one of the crowd that had to get up first thing in the morning, it was time to hit the sack.  And that had nothing to do with the fact that we'd finished off the evening's wines.  Truly.

The Arrival of Fall

OK, I guess Fall has officially arrived.  It's getting darker earlier, leaves are changing colour and it's definitely cooling off.  Cooling off enough that we had our first stew of the season.  That hearty stew called for something equally as hearty and we pulled out another vintage of an old fave.

1255.  2003 Sandhill three (VQA Okanagan Valley)

three is part of the Sandhill Small Lots Program and you can find a fair bit written about Small Lots elsewhere on this blog.  Accordingly, I won't go into the program in any detail this time around.  Suffice it to say that, with this '03 vintage, "small lots" means only 424 cases.

three is winemaker Howard Soon's take on a SuperTuscan wine.  The '03 was a blend of 53% Barbera, 21% Cab Sauv, 13% Sangiovese and 13% Merlot and I think it's fairly certain that no one else was making anything like this wine in BC in those days.  In fact, I'm not so sure that anyone else is working with Sangiovese and Barbera even still.

Still a keeper, but I think we might have enjoyed it more a couple of years back.  Boo's stew wasn't much more than meat, potatoes and tomatoes and it could have handled more oomph than showed up in the glass.  I think that oomph would have been there some years back though.  As it was, the tannins and fruit had faded more than the acidity.  Not a bad weight for Indian Summer overall.  Just a tad shy with the beef-cutting tannins.

Or we could just bring on a pizza.  After all, you know that something's pretty much guaranteed to go with Sandhill one way or another.

Brunello & Chop

1184. 2003 Altesino - Montosoli Brunello di Montalcino (Brunello di Montalcino DOCG - Tuscany - Italy)

Birthday Boo

It's Boo's birthday. Not that either of us are counting them any more. It's still an excuse to head out for the evening and let someone else do the cooking though. Since he'd dropped by to wish Boo a Happy B-day, Mr. D. joined us on The Drive.

Our new favourite in the hood, Via Tevere, wasn't open and there was a line up out the door at Memphis Blues; so the default was calamari and pizza at Marcello's. His birthday. His choice. And, when given a choice, you know that calamari is a given if it's on a menu.

1175. 2010 Zonin - Primo Amore Sangiovese Merlot (Sicily IGT - Italy)

I wouldn't say that Marcello's is renowned for its wine list. To be fair, I don't know many (if any) pizza joints that are. But how can you go wrong ordering a wine that translates as "First Love" for your man's birthday? We knew that Zonin is a big name, commercial winery and that this was an entry level wine, but its being a Super Tuscan-esque Sangiovese and Merlot blend - especially one from Sicily - intrigued. As such, we weren't expecting it to blow us away, but it was fruity and easy drinking and do we really need to ask more of a pizza wine?

Indeed, any moment that captures a little bit of the allure and romance of Italy is a good time for me. And any day that features calamari is a great day for Boo - whether it's his b-day or not.

Daveyboi. Mr. D. Dinner

I'm all over invitations to dinner, especially when I'm the invitee and not the cook. Daveyboi called up to say he missed our smiling faces ever so and that we absolutely had to come over to his place so that he could lavish us wildly with gourmet fare. Okay, maybe that's not the exact wording, but there was a dinner invite in there and he did say that it'd had been too long - and that we were as good an excuse as any to start up the BBQ for the season.

Mr. D. got the call as well and was able to join us. It might have been the day after Valentine's and there might not have been any romance in the air, but there was plenty of wine and vodka and I figure that makes us a foursome to be reckoned with.

As is often the case, I didn't know much about the wines that were opened until I looked them up after they had been polished off. Turns out we had a couple of "little brothers" tonight. Both bottles are from wineries with some serious cred or bragging rights.

1064. 2004 Shingleback Cabernet Sauvignon (McLaren Vale - Australia)

I grabbed the Shingleback because I thought it'd be a good lead up to Boo's and my impending trip to Oz. We've got a quick visit planned to the McLaren Vale, south of Adelaide, and I don't really know much about the area except for the name. I have to admit that I was a tad apprehensive about Shingleback's label. A first glance comes awfully close to the whole "critter wine" dilemma - the range of wines that many claim are trying to capitalize on the popularity of [yellow tail] wines. They generally feature cute animals on the label, are widely available, inexpensive and are filled with an easy drinking wine that is approachable to consumers that might not otherwise know their way around the bottle shop. Critter wines are not always taken that seriously by folks that fancy themselves wine connoisseurs.

Good thing I got past any critter scare because this is far from a wine that is simply seeking out international branding. Indeed, the 2005 D Block Cab Sauv, the next level up of Shingleback wines, won the 2006 Jimmy Watson Trophy - perhaps the most coveted Aussie wine award. The Jimmy Watson is awarded to what is deemed the best one-year old red wine in Australia and its list of winners is legion when it comes to iconic Aussie wines.

Tonight's wine may not have been that big winner for Shingleback - different vintage and approach to what makes the wine - but it is the same varietal, from the same vineyards and should be a good indication of the direct the winery likes to take. And, most importantly for us, it matched up wonderfully with Daveyboi's steaks. I have to admit that the man has a way with meat.

A relatively new winery, Shingleback released its first vintage in 1998, it now produces 100,000 cases annually, with a good proportion being sold in export markets. I don't know if their more premium wines make it to Vancouver shores; however, I know their more entry level label, Red Knot, is available in our market and seems to be well received. Red Knot might be more on the level of a critter wine, but I think I'll have to give it a whirl - and we'll have to keep an eye open for the winery when we hit McLaren Vale.

1065. 2009 Tenuta San Guido - Le Difese (IGT Tuscany - Italy)

Mr. D. brought our second bottle and it's a little brother to Sassicaia, one of Italy's most iconic wines. Le Difese is the third (and newest) wine from Tenuta San Guido - the winery that many feel created the whole concept of the Super Tuscan wine when the 1968 vintage of Sassicaia was first sold in the open market.

Although Rochetta family roots go back to the Medieval and Renaissance periods of Italian history, the estate's history as a winery really only started in the late 1940's. Situated in Bolgheri, a coastal region of Tuscany, there was no history of Cab Sauv as a local wine as Tuscan tradition means Sangiovese. When Mario Rochetta looked at the family vineyards, he felt that the lay of the land and the soils bore a great similarity to the vineyards of Bordeaux and he dreamed of creating a quality wine based on the ideals of a great Bordeaux. Bolgheri, and Tenuta San Guido in particular, is now considered to be the cradle of Italian Cabernet.

Through the 50's and 60's, Rochetta's Cab-based wines were considered inferior and estate wines were limited for family consumption. The family began to see that the wines benefitted from ageing and they began bringing in renowned consultants to improve production standards and the quality of the wine. When the wine was finally deemed worthy of sale on the open market, the new Cabernet wine had to be sold as "table wine" as the non-use of Sangiovese meant that the wine didn't fall within the rules and regulations of local winemaking authorities. When the Cab-based wines started outshining many of the traditional Sangiovese wines, both in international acclaim and price, Italian authorities had to come up with a new classification - IGT or wines displaying typical characteristics of a geographic region - for the newly named Super Tuscans.

Le Difese isn't meant to challenge Sassicaia (or its $190 price tag in government stores), but its being a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Sangiovese qualifies it as a prime example of what the whole Super Tuscan movement was - and remains - about. The winery looks at Le Defise as being a softer, smoother alternative to Sassicaia - one that is meant to be enjoyed without any need for ageing. I can't say that I recall ever having had an opportunity to try Sassicaia but I'm certainly glad that Mr. D. (and his contacts at Marquis Wines) introduced us to the younger brother. It didn't have the degree of fruit that the Aussie Cab had but I wouldn't turn a bottle away from our dinner table.

Being a school night, I needed to bow out on the evening but "Cheers" to a great dinner, little brother wines, and my brothers in booze, Daveyboi and Mr. D.

Wine Boyz - A New Year's Eve Edition

Poor Boo. He got scheduled to work New Year's Eve - after having to work Christmas Day as well. And for the second year running, I'd have work a little to find a means to a kiss at midnight. Luckily, Skipper stepped into the breach and suggested that he host a special edition of Wine Boyz - Ringing in the New Year. GQ was going to be in town and they needed an excuse to show off the new dining room light fixture.

Our concept for Wine Boyz is that everyone brings a wine according to a pre-announced theme but they keep the wine literally under wrap (in a paper bag) so that we can have an innocent bystander pour the wines into a carafe and no one knows what wine they're tasting. Some of our regular attendees were going to be out of town but it's been almost a year since our last Wine Boyz tasting, so we decided to go with it anyhow. To top it off, Skipper thought that New Year's Eve called for a lifting of the traditional $25 cap on the bottle price. A "big" night called for even bigger wines.

Seeing as how Skipper and GQ had a Italian treat hanging around from their visit a couple years back, he thought Tuscan Reds would make for a great theme. We ran into a bit of problem in that one of intended guests only drinks white wine. So, the compromise was five Tuscan reds and three BC whites.

N.V. Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin (AOC Champagne - France)

Is there any better way to start off New Year's Eve off than with a bit of bubble? Skipper wisely decided to open the real Champagne while we were still sober enough to truly enjoy it. The Veuve was non-vintage and it had already been added to The List (at #385) when we were celebrating the Canadian Men's Hockey Team's 2010 Olympic win; so. we started the evening off with a wine that doesn't even make The List. But, celebrations like gold medals and new years are few and far between, so I think this pointed us in the right direction for a pretty decent evening of our own.

After blind tasting each of the wines - with and without nibblies - the Wine Boyz (and Grrrlz) all rank the wines from favourite to least. Then we count up the points and low score wins. Although all three of our whites went in different directions, there was very little to choose between them. After one sip, you'd like #2. With another, you'd move on to #3. I think the fact that all three wines scored within 2 points of the others confirms that.

1031. 2010 Ganton & Larson Prospect Winery - Ogopogo's Lair Pinot Grigio (VQA Okanagan Valley)(13 points)

1032. 2010 Road 13 Stemwinder (VQA Okanagan Valley)(14 points)

1033. 2010 Orofino Riesling (Similkameen Valley - BC)(15 points)

Ganton & Larson walked away with the win, but I think it'd be easy to call this a statistical tie - given a margin of error for the number of glasses consumed. If memory serves (which might be a questionable issue), each of the three wines got at least one first place vote.

There's more of a variance in the scores for the red wines. I find myself at a bit of disadvantage when writing this entry. By the end of the evening's fun, it didn't even dawn on me to bring my tasting notes home with me. Skipper, being the fastidious cleaner that he is, had tossed the notes by the next morning. So, I can't elucidate on how I responded to each of the wines - except that I know my favourite of the evening went completely against the grain of all the other Wineboyz.

1034. 2008 Gianni Brunelli Rosso di Montalcino (DOC Rossi di Montalcino - Tuscany - Italy)(13 points)

1035. 2005 Fanti Tenuta San Filippo - Rosso di Montalcino (DOC Rosso di Montalcino - Tuscany - Italy)(14 points)

Another statistical tie if you ask me. One different vote and the order could be completely askew. I'd brought along the Fanti Tenuta so it's in my best interest to push that position - not that I knew anything about the wine or the producer beforehand, but bragging rights for the top pick go a long way with this crew.

I enjoyed the fact that there was a bit of variance in the type of wines that were tasted. All of the reds were Tuscan but there were four different styles and sub-regions represented. It's even more interesting to me that the two Rosso di Montalcino's - or Baby Brunello's - were the general favourites.

1036. 2007 Ruffino Riserva Ducale Riserva (DOC Chianti Classico - Tuscany - Italy)(18 points)

1037. 2008 Tenuta Sette Ponti - Crognolo (IGT - Tuscany - Italy)(21 points)

1038. 2007 Poliziano Mandrone di Lohsa Rosso (IGT Maremma - Tuscany - Italy)(26 points)

I also find it interesting that the two Super Tuscans were the gang's least favourite wines. The Tenuta Sette Ponti and the Poliziano were the two wines that made use of grapes that were not traditionally allowed in Tuscan wines (hence the IGT designation). The Crognolo is Sangiovese/Merlot blend and the Mandrone di Lohsa is predominantly Cab Sauv with additions of Alicante, Petit Verdot and Carignan.

My personal pick of the night was the Poliziano; however, every other person ranked it as their least favourite. I find that somewhat ironic that Skipper announced that it was the most expensive wine of the night (by at least $20). Just goes to show - no, not that I have the most sophisticated palate - that price doesn't mean everything when it comes to pleasing the masses. The good news for me was that I got to drink as much of the bottle as I liked. While the others scrambled for the other wines, I got to sip away on the big gun all to myself.

The fact that I get to add the Alicante varietal to my Wine Century Club list is an added bonus. Perhaps I subconsciously knew that the wine was blended with a new grape and, as a result, my pleasure zone was just tweaked into a higher gear.

NV. Bastianich Flor Prosecco (Veneto - Italy)

When midnight finally rolled around, the cork was popped on another bottle of bubbly. Again, it was a non-vintage bottle that has already been added to The List (#409). So, we ended the evening's wines like we started - with a bottle that doesn't help me get any further to my goal of 2001 different bottles.

That might have been the end of opening new bottles but it certainly wasn't an end to the evening's festivities. And, despite what you might think about the accompanying picture, things didn't get nearly as out of hand as it might appear. The picture was staged, honestly - whether you care to believe it or not - indeed, GQ doesn't even really like white wine that much. So, he'd never guzzle it like that.

Skipper's home has a sizeable deck with a lovely view of False Creek and the downtown Vancouver core - and it became an impromptu dancefloor that beckoned two different sets of neighbours. A bloody freezing dancefloor, no doubt, but a dancefloor all the same. And what's a little chill on New Year's Eve? I will point out that there were some pictures of the skyline without the squiggly lines. I just chose this shot for artistic merit - as we tried to determine how to get a shot without a tripod. It wasn't just the wine. Scout's honour.

All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable start to 2012. New Year's Day was perhaps a little more challenging, but I just have to face it that there are going to be a few occasions where I'll have to sacrifice myself a bit to ensure that this little Wine Odyssey reaches a conclusion. Big thanks to Skipper and GQ for playing such a big part in helping out with that quest.

I suppose it's a no-brainer that I should set a resolution to keep more up-to-date with my postings. I'll give that a whirl - but it's a good thing I don't actually make resolutions anymore.

Happy Happy for the upcoming year! Here's to an abundance of great wines in 2012!

Solstice

Throughout the ages, the Winter Solstice has been a central inspiration for cultural mythologies and traditions. We may not be able to regularly jet off for Stonehenge, Machu Picchu or any one of a number of mid-winter festivals, but our December calendar is inevitably set to celebrate the lengthening days to come at Tyrant's annual Solstice bash.

The inconsistency of December 21 or 22 to regularly align itself on a weekend can prove troublesome to my mornings after. The brilliant food, wine and company always makes it difficult for me to take an early leave in an attempt to remain bright and chipper for work in the morning - but I suppose we all have our crosses to bear.

Tyrant's swank Coal Harbour digs are the normal gathering place but a water leak put the kibosh on that plan. Luckily for Tyrant - and even luckier for us - Boo2 stepped up to the plate and offered his home for the traditional celebration. (Once again, for the record, Boo2 isn't the same as my Boo who's mentioned in every other blog post. I know it's confusing but how do you give someone a different nickname when you've called them one thing for over 30 years? What's up with twins and the nickname "Boo" anyhow?)

The home was awash with friends old and new. I can't often arrive at soirées nowadays and know the better part of the guests. Tyrant makes it easy to fit in a whole batch of seasonal greetings in a fell swoop. That's another bonus of the Solstice party - not to forget the great assortment of wines that Tyrant always serves.

There seemed to be a bigger than usual selection this year, but I centred in on just two wines. Tyrant was serving some high end BC wines but I was pretty familiar with the Marichel and Howling Bluff offerings and they've been added to The List already. Sometimes it's tough to pass up on a known - and tasty - sip, but a limited number of glasses on a Wednesday night (even if that limit is self-imposed) begs me to go with the bottles that can keep me moving on this Wine Odyssey.

1021. 2008 Brancaia Tre (IGT Tuscany - Italy)

Having passed on the BC wines, it might seem a little contradictory to gravitate to the Brancaia Tre - seeing as how this the third vintage of Tre to be added to The List. Seeing as how the '06 vintage was added at #213 and the '05 is found at #884, I won't go into the wine much here. I rambled on a bit about this blend of predominantly Sangiovese (80%), Merlot and Cab Sauv on those other posts. I'll still repeat that I think it's a bright concept to call the wine Tre (Italian for "three") since it incorporates the three varietals, is sourced from the winery's three estates and was the third wine that Brancaia produced. And here we are with a third addition of Tre to The List.

I mentioned in those other posts that I prefer this blended Sangiovese to most of the Chianti's I've tried in our market. It's an easy drink at a cocktail party - especially here where it matches up nicely with the abundant nibblies. The Merlot and Cab seem to add a little something more approachable in fruit to the wine.

I'm only showing the one plate of food but I figure it'll give you an idea of the range of goodies available. Tyrant's love of fishing guarantees an equally expansive seafood platter and the steady stream of hors d'oeuvres makes it easy to keep washing the food down with more wine.

I'm not entirely sure how I managed to get through the evening without a shot of the Tyrant himself, but you'll have to be satisfied with some of the regular suspects. Gotta give it to Matinder. Where does one find a brilliant Santa Hawaiian shirt? Everyone should have one! I suppose he and Jeaux are just getting into the mood before they run off to Antigua. They're doing their best to talk us into joining up with them there for some libations on the beach - wine, rum, whatever. "There's plenty to be had" they assure us.

For the moment though, we'll have to settle for the cool climes of Vancouver - as warmed up by a touch of Spain.

1022. 2009 Bodegas La Candaleria - Cubo Tempranillo Selección (VdT Castilla la Mancha - Spain)

Tyrant was one of the first wine lovers I know that gravitated to Spain and its new and improved position on the world wine stage. I always like to see what little treasures and bargains he might have uncovered. The Cubo Tempranillo is new to me and I quite enjoyed it.

I couldn't find out much about the winery but it appears to be a collaborative effort between four former members of a regional collective.

The VdT - or Vino de la Tierra - designation indicates a level of wine that is higher than basic table wine but hasn't been recognized by the more more stringent controls of the (supposedly) more premium, regional appellations (DOC or Denominación de Origen). I didn't find any site that explained the wine's VdT designation instead of a DOC label but Castilla La Mancha is the region located in the heart of Spain, largely surrounding Madrid.

Unfortunately, the time passed far too quickly. With the days starting to get longer now, it just meant that the morning was going to approach that much faster. But it was a wonderful celebration of the season. Many thanks to Tyrant and Boo2. Here's an early RSVP to next year's bash (hopefully).