Potent Grape: For Wine Lovers

New Year, New Wine

2008-01-06T17:42:00.000-08:00

We all have our wine preferences. Some of us prefer whites over reds. Others resolutely stick to a particular region. Some stick to a particular grape. For others, wine has to be big and bold, like a full-flavoured “Super-Tuscan (Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Merlot), Cabernet Franc or Italian Nebbiolo.

Why not add a new resolution to your 2008 list? How about exploring beyond your boundaries and tasting wines that you wouldn’t normally? It can even be as simple as trying organic wines to coincide with your decision to live a “greener” life. Or you can open the door of possibilities wide and give your taste buds a treat…or a shock. Be adventurous!

Try some varietals you’ve never heard of, or wines from different regions or whites if you love reds. Even pop the cork on a sparkling wine like a Spanish Cava to enjoy with your meal instead of saving bubbly for special occasions. Just try something new. Discovery can be rewarding—and fun.

Do you like whites, but fear the power of reds? Try a rosé or some “starter reds” like Pinot Noir (aka French Red Burgundy) or Merlot to get you taste buds whetted. Gamay (aka French Beaujolais) is also a good bet. Pinot Noir and Gamay grapes have lighter skins, therefore they don’t have the powerful and often astringent tannins some white wine lovers don’t like.

So far, so good? Try an easy sipping Italian Barbera, which is full of berry flavours and has low tannins.

If you want something with more body, try a Cabernet Sauvignon, Aussie Shiraz, French Syrah, Bordeaux or a California Zinfandel.

Been there, done that? How about a big, rich Argentinean Malbec, an earthy, fruity Italian Chianti (Sangiovese is the main grape) or a medium-bodied, fruity Spanish Rioja (Tempranillo is the main grape)?

If you think whites are too wimpy or boring, try an oak-aged Chardonnay, Austrian Grüner Veltliner, Riesling (German brands tend to be sweeter than North American or French) or a full-flavoured, spicy Gewürztraminer.

Want something crisp and clean? Dry Riesling, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, French Muscadet or a unoaked Chardonnay might be what you’re looking for. How about soft and fruity? Try a Chenin Blanc.

Maybe you’ve never tried sweet wines before. A nice off-dry or sweet German Riesling would be good. Or Muscat or Sauternes. Maybe a BC ice wine would be a tasty sipper with dessert (or instead of it). Or try a fortified wine like Madeira, Port or Sherry.

Still unsure? Think about flavours and aromas you like.

Do you love floral scents and can’t wait until stone fruits, like peaches and apricots, are in season? Try a Gewürztraminer or a less floral French or Californian Viognier.

Love spices of all kinds? Again Gewürztraminer is the perfect white choice, along with Riesling, Pinot Gris (aka Pinot Grigio) and Viognier. For reds, Shiraz (aka Syrah), Tempranillo and Zinfandel are good bets.

Do you love the smells of raspberry jam and dark chocolate? Try a powerful Chilean Carmenère.

Like crisp mineral smells? Try Riesling or Chablis (unoaked French Chardonnay).

How about fresh baked bread with strawberry or peach preserves? Champagne might hit the spot.

Can’t get enough of earth and leather? Try a Chateauneuf-du-Pape (mainly Grenache) or Spanish Garnacha.

Like anything loaded with red berries? Shiraz, Zinfandel and Barbera are good bets. Cabernet Sauvignon offers darker fruit flavours, like blackberry, black cherry and cassis.

When it comes to trying new wines, your options are many and so are the days in a year, so start tasting and enjoy! By experimenting you’ll discover new wines to love and new food pairings to make your meals even more enjoyable.

Happy New Year!

Magnotta Special Reserve Gewürztraminer 2006

2007-11-27T15:23:00.000-08:00

Who made it: Magnotta Winery
What varietal(s): Gewürztraminer
Where: Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Why drink it: It’s really good.
Extra, extra: $13, 13.7% (VQA, available from them, in person or online)
Serve slightly chilled (8- 10°C or 46-50°F)

This is a truly yummy Gewürztraminer. Very aromatic, flavourful and refreshing, it has aromas of tropical fruit, green apple, pear, citrus, and lychee.

Stainless steel fermented, it’s crisp with a nice, balanced acidity. It’s light-medium bodied and dry, but with a faint residual sweetness in the mouth.

Lemony gold in colour, it’s flavours echo it’s aromas, adding a bit of spice to the palette, with a crisp citrusy floral finish. It’s fresh, aromatic and just plain yummy.

Cheers!

Magnotta Winery

2007-10-23T20:15:00.000-07:00

Magnotta Winery Tour and Tasting

While in the Toronto area, I visited the Magnotta “award winning winery” in Vaughan. A big commercial affair, I was surprised by how tasty—and cheap—their wines are. They have so many varietals I was like a kid in a candy store. They have everything from lower priced blends (most $7-10) to VQA premium vintages that have 100% Ontario grown grapes. They use both bulk juice and grapes picked from their own four Niagara vineyards or their Maipo Valley (Chile) vineyard, depending on the price point of the wine and whether it’s Premium, Vintage and/or VQA or not.

Next time you’re in the Toronto area, try one their wines, either from one of their seven Ontario stores or from a restaurant wine list.

Their wines are very affordable and worth ever shiny penny. Cheap doesn’t always equal plonk. Since you can’t buy their wines in liquor stores they pass on the savings by purchasing directly from them.

I did the winery tour at their Vaughn location (the Beamsville location also offers tours) and tasted many wines and spent a small fortune. The variety of wines available was nearly endless. I bought Blueberry fruit wine, sparkling wine, an Amarone-style wine (using dried grapes for concentrated flavour and sugars), Meritage blends and plenty of aromatic whites. So far, I haven’t been disappointed.

Their buttery oaked 2004 Chardonnay (Limited Edition, barrel aged, VQA, $16.95) went deliciously well with Thanksgiving dinner. It was a perfect match for the turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes. Mmm. Can’t wait for Christmas dinner!

They sell six sparkling wines using both the Traditional Method and the cost-effective Charmat Method. All were ridiculously cheap and the few I tried were amazingly delicious. The 2006 VQA Magnotta Brut was $9.95 and their Traditional Method 2002 VQA Blanc de Noirs was $16.95. Jeez, I think I need a case for the holiday season.

Their VQA Meritage ($19.95) is a yummy full-bodied blend of Cab Sauvignon, Cab Franc and Merlot. Red fruits, smoke and vanilla oak flavours abound. A perfect winter sipper, either alone or with a nice juicy steak or roast dinner.

The most expensive wine I bought was their Amarone-style Enotrium. Delicious! It’s a very rich, full-bodied Meritage blend (Cab Sauvignon, Cab Franc & Merlot). It’s big and ripe with dark fruits (cassis, blackberry, plum), hints of spice and a rich, delicate sweetness (1). It was well worth its $39.95 price tag. Yum!
Overall, I was impressed (Can’t you tell?). To be honest, I tried some Ontario wines from the LCBO that really, really disappointed me. So, I didn’t expect much from Magnotta for several reasons, but I was pleasantly surprised.

This is a great place to get loads of wine for a wedding or big bash—or for inexpensive every day drinking. Wine should be affordable and Magnotta makes it easier to break open a bottle just for the fun of it or to pair with a weekday dinner you whipped up or ordered in.

Try and enjoy!

PINK! Sparkling Wine by Yellowglen (non-vintage)

2007-09-12T21:18:00.000-07:00

Who made it: Yellowglen
What varietal(s): Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Where: South Eastern Australia
Why drink it: It’s fun! Perfect for a girls’ night out or chilling with friends.
Extra, extra: $12, 11%
Serve well chilled.

Bored with the pale bubbly? Give PINK a chance.

Pale salmon pink vino and lots of bubbles give your glass a bit of life. This is a fruit-driven, refreshing sparkly perfect for everyday drinking. You don’t need a special occasion to enjoy sparkling wine, especially when there are plenty of inexpensive options, like this one.

This is a tasty and enjoyable sipper. It’s light, fruity and off-dry with moderate to crisp acidity. It has aromas of strawberry and citrus, with flavours echoing the nose, plus red berries and a hint of fresh bread.

This sparkly has been around since 2003 and, according to its maker, comes from the number one sparkling wine brand in Australia. Look for a dark bottle with vibrant pink lettering—definitely easy to spot on liquor store shelves. Yellowglen also makes a YELLOW sparkly, which I still must try.

Thornhaven Estates Gewürztraminer 2006

2007-08-21T19:42:00.000-07:00

Who made it: Thornhaven Estates http://www.thornhaven.com/
What varietal(s): Gewürztraminer
Where: Okanagan Valley (Summerland)
Why drink it: It’s really good.

Extra, extra: $17-19, 13.1% (VQA, available in wine shops)
Serve slightly chilled.

Are you anti-white wine? Give this a try; you just might be surprised at how flavourful it is.

I love German varietals and Gewürztraminer is one of my favourite aromatic white wines. It’s the floral and fruity spiciness that draws me in and the intense flavours that aren’t typical in many whites. I always tell my I-drink-reds-only friends to give wines like Gewürztraminer and Riesling a try. They’re usually looking for an intensity of flavour, so they avoid whites after trying a few bland ones. A good aromatic white can usually get them to open up to new possibilities.

Thornhaven makes some great, award-winning wines and I’m consistently happy with their Gewürtz. I found the 2006 to be really enjoyable and refreshing. It’s also reasonably priced. With many of the Okanagan wines over $25 (and getting pricier every year), it’s nice to find one under $20.

This is a pale lemony gold wine with intense aromas of citrus, spice, grapefruit and lychee, honey and pear. I know, there’s a lot going on here! Like I said, it’s intensely aromatic. It has delicious flavours of lychee and spice. I didn’t find it as citrusy tasting as it smells, but lemon citrus is still there, along with a floral and slightly nutty taste. It’s an experience for your nose and mouth that lingers. Enjoy!

Gewürtz pairs well with rich, spicy foods, such as Asian or Mexican dishes. Since a typical Gewürztraminer is intensely aromatic and flavourful, it’s really enjoyable sipped alone. The sweeter the wine (i.e. typically German brands), the spicier the food it can handle.

Red Rooster Viognier 2005

2007-07-18T19:12:00.000-07:00

Who made it: Red Rooster Winery http://www.redroosterwinery.com/
What varietal(s): Viognier
Where: Okanagan Valley (Naramata Bench)
Why drink it: It’s good and it’s local.
Extra, extra: $17, (available in private wine shops)
Serve slightly chilled.

Viognier is another of my favourite white varietals. Some great Viogniers came from Northern Rhône. For those who like to eat and drink locally, a few good ones come from the Okanagan Valley.

Red Rooster, one of the first and definitely the biggest winery you’ll come across while touring the Naramata Bench, makes some enjoyable whites.

Their 2005 Viognier has aromas of pineapple, tropical fruit, citrus and light florals. It’s light, dry and refreshing with a lot of flavour. Green apple, honey and hints of citrus and stone fruit hit your taste buds culminating in a crisp finish.

French Viogniers tend to have more spice, stone fruit and mineral flavours and more intense floral aromas, so in comparison, this was more subdued, but still enjoyable.

Robertson Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

2007-06-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

Who made it: Robertson Winery

What varietal(s): Cabernet Sauvignon
Where: Robertson, South Africa
Why drink it: Do if you like cheap, earthy reds. Don’t if you love fruity, full-bodied, full-flavoured Cabs.
Extra, extra: $11, 13.5%

This garnet red wine has moderate aromas of cedar, blackberry, cassis, pepper (both green and black) and a hint of herbaceousness. The woodsy cedar aroma follows through on the palate. It’s more earthy and peppery than (black) fruity. It has light tannins and is slightly tart, with a smoky, alcohol-warm finish. The flavour of this wine doesn’t stick around long after it’s swallowed, earning it a short length on the finish.

The more you sip the smokier it seems. It’s not your typical Cabernet, that’s for sure. This is an average wine. Not spectacular. Not plonk. I wouldn’t buy this particular Cabernet again, since there are so many fab Cabs out there. If you’re into the big, bold California Cabs, this is definitely not for you. It’s also not a sipper – it needs food to make it more enjoyable. Maybe a roast, a burger or spaghetti and meatballs? If you like earthy (more old world) styles, perhaps you’ll give it a try sometime. In my opinion (and taste is very subjective), there are better cheap wines out there, but if you want something cheap to drink with food or like woodsy, non-fruity wines then give it a try. If you’re looking forward to cracking open something that is so good you can drink it all by itself, skip this one.

Obikwa Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

2007-05-02T19:16:00.000-07:00

Who made it: Distell Ltd. at Adam Tas Cellars
What varietal(s): Cabernet Sauvignon
Where: Western Cape, South Africa
Why drink it: Because it’s cheap and you’re not picky
Extra, extra: $10, 13.5%

This is one of those inexpensive wines popping up everywhere. Some people like the story on the back label about the resilient Obikwa people surviving (thanks in part to ostrich eggs) in a tough environment, others like the fact that it’s cheap with a cheerful label depicting a primitive drawing of an ostrich.

So, now we have another inexpensive, popular wine with a critter as its icon. People do seem to love wildlife on their wine bottles (Yellowtail, anyone?). But is it good? Well, it’s not bad. It’s not great either. But, it is drinkable, especially with a slab or red meat or a juicy burger.

What can you expect from this ruby red Cab? Aromas of oak, alcohol, dark fruit (cassis) and a hint of vegetal earthiness.

On the palate, oak hits you first, then flavours of blackberry, cassis and green pepper. The medium tannins are a bit rough, but this is a very young wine. It’s also a bit sharp and astringent, but not to the point that it’s terrible. The finish is short-medium and is tannic and warm with alcohol. Overall, you get what you pay for. It’s not bad for 10 bucks, but I’ve had better cheap wines. It’s not a big Cab; it’s lighter in body and fullness of flavour. Drink this simple wine with food to tone down the tannins and heighten the flavours.

If you don’t like big wines, you may like this for an ordinary night of drinking. Taste is a personal thing and some people I know like this, others hate it. I don’t mind it occasionally with food. Skip it if your taste buds are craving something big, elegant or complex.

Hatfield’s Fuse 2005

2007-04-17T16:17:00.000-07:00

Who made it: Blasted Church Vineyards
What varietal(s): 60% Optima, 23% Ehrenfelser, 9% Pinot Gris, 8% Riesling
Where: Okanagan Falls, BC
Why drink it: Because it’s tasty

Extra, extra: $16, 13.3%, screw cap, no oak

If the whimsical label doesn’t grab you, maybe the clean, fruity taste will. Blasted Church’s most popular wine is named in honour of Harley Hatfield who in 1929 lit the dynamite fuse that would blow up a church that needed to be dismantled and moved to Okanagan Falls.

I must admit, a few years ago I tried this wine just because I loved the label. Thank god, I liked the wine. Sometimes a creative, fun label is slapped on inferior wines. Not this time. I’ve enjoyed it ever since.

So, besides the cartoonish label by talented illustrator Monika Melnychuk, what can you expect? An enjoyable wine, with or without food, that’s well worth the $16 to $18 you’ll pay (available at private wine shops or through the winery).

Next time you’re in the Penticton area of the Okanagan, zip over to Okanagan Falls and check out their little winery and stock up on wines with standard varietal names or unusual, fun ones, like “the dam flood” or “blastphemy”.

Hatfield’s Fuse is an aromatic blend of four white varietals (Optima, Ehrenfelser, Pinot Gris and Riesling). This medium-bodied, slightly off-dry wine has honey, lemon/lime, tropical and floral aromas that let you know what your taste buds can expect. Clean, crisp acidity and fruity (citrus, melon, peach and pear) flavours go down smoothly. I highly recommend it. If you like wines with a bit lower acidity (medium), like Chardonnay, Viognier and Gewürztraminer, you may find the acidity a bit sharp, although refreshing.

Try it. Cheers!

Joie A Noble Blend 2005

2007-04-07T22:22:00.000-07:00

Who made it: Joie Vineyards
What varietal(s): 23 % Pinot Blanc, 21% Gewürztraminer, 20% Riesling, 18% Kerner, 8% Muscat, 5% Auxerrois and 2% Ehrenfelser
Where: Okanagan Valley, BC
Why drink it: Because it’s very good
Extra, extra: $20, 12.2%, screw cap, no oak

This pale lemon-gold wine has an aromatic nose of spice, pineapple, lychee, peach and floral notes. With mouth-watering acidity, this off-dry, medium-high acidity white is medium bodied, smooth and silky. Fruit (peaches, pineapple, apple and a hint of grapefruit), honey and spice fill your mouth and the finish is long. Fresh, with complex flavours, this wine is great alone or with spicy foods.

Joie wines are sometimes hard to find, so get on their mailing list or scour private wine shops or try it next time you see it at a restaurant. I love this wine, along with the other Joie wines. Enjoy!

Laughing Stock Pinot Pinot 2005

2007-03-18T19:03:00.000-07:00

Who made it: Laughing Stock Vineyards
What varietal(s): 66% Pinot Gris, 33% Pinot Blanc, 1% ?
Where: Naramata Bench (Okanagan), BC
Why drink it: Because it’s good
Extra, extra: $22, 13.2%, screw cap

This lemony gold wine has fruit, floral and vanilla oak on the nose. Fruit and vanilla spice and toast are on the palate, along with lemon and a hint of stone fruit (apricot, peach). Smooth, creamy mouth feel, zippy acidity and a medium-long finish helps make this wine good with food or without.

Laughing Stock wines go fast (this one’s sold out), so either visit the winery or check out private wine shops. This wine was from their Small Cap program, which means only a very small amount was made (150 cases) and the wines are only available from the winery, either to pick up in person or to be ordered online and shipped.
Cheers!

CedarCreek Platinum Reserve Pinot Noir 2004

2007-03-06T21:32:00.000-08:00

Who made it: CedarCreek Estate Winery

What varietal(s): Pinot Noir
Where: Okanagan Valley (Kelowna), BC
Why drink it: Because it’s a delicious Okanagan Pinot

Extra, extra: $40, 14.1%, sold out

This is one of CedarCreek’s top tier wines (Platinum) that sell out quickly. For the Okanagan this is a great Pinot Noir. This ruby red wine has aromas of red berries (cherry, raspberry, strawberry), spice (clove), rich chocolate and coffee. The flavours echo the nose. Aged in French oak, the oak flavours are nicely integrated into the wine. There’s no overpowering oak in this wine. It’s light to medium bodied with medium tannins and medium to high acidity. Lush and velvety, it goes down smooth and lingers with a flavourful finish.

Enjoy!

Laughing Stock Chardonnay 2004

2007-02-23T18:56:00.000-08:00

Who made it: Laughing Stock Vineyards

What varietal(s): 95 % Chardonnay, 5 % Pinot Gris
Where: Naramata Bench (Okanagan Valley), BC
Why drink it: You like citrusy/buttery Chardonnays
Extra, Extra: $23, 13.5%, VQA, screw cap

This buttery Chardonnay is good, but I was expecting more thanks to the Laughing Stock hype and the price. It’s a pale golden colour, with floral, buttery, citrus (lemon), and faint earthy/vegetal (asparagus) aromas. It’s not overly fruity, with citrus being predominant, and a hint of peach, but it’s rich and creamy from Malolactic fermentation and it’s toasty from oak aging. It has a nice vanilla spice aftertaste. It’s not either the typical clean and crisp or the tropical chardonnay I’m used to, but it’s balanced and fairly easy to drink. This may grow on me. If you like citrusy/buttery Chardonnays, that are neither green apple crisp nor fully tropical with loads of peach and apricot flavours, then this may be the wine for you.

Rich & Zinful – Ravenswood Lodi

2007-02-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel 2003

Who made it: Ravenswood, it's one of their County Series
What varietal(s): 84% Zinfandel, 14% Petite Sirah, 2% Mixed Blacks.
Where: Lodi appellation, California
Why drink it: Because it's very good.
Extra, Extra: $25; 14.5%; drink now or in 3 to 5+ years
Bonus: 2004 vintage also reviewed

Ah, Ravenswood, the "No wimpy wines" winemakers with the coolest three-raven logo, a good Website and great wines. What more could you want?

After decanting this wine for an hour, it was smooth and tasty. This medium-deep ruby wine has a nice aroma of cherry, dark berries, pepper and oak.

It’s dry with balanced tannins and acidity and a medium-full body. Bold fruit flavours (cherry, plum, raspberry, blackberry) hit the palate. There’s a slight candy-berry sweetness and plenty of peppery spice and hints of black licorice and toasty oak. Each sip lingers, making it truly enjoyable to sit back and relax with a bottle of this and some friends. Silky smooth and rich and flavourful, it’s great with food or without. It was tasty with spicy ginger beef.

A few months ago, I had the 2004 and found it just as nice. It was a bit earthier, with riper fruit, but it went down smooth with the same medium-long finish. It was full with luscious, concentrated fruit (raspberry, blackberry, blueberry) flavours. Definitely yummy!

I wish I had tried them side-by-side. Maybe another time.

Ravenswood has three tiers of wines. Their cheapest wines are from their Vintners Blend tier (which I love), the mid-range wines are from their County Series (this is one of many) and their top tier wines are their Vineyard Designates, which are the most pricey, but make for delicious treats.

Very good. The price isn’t bad either.

Two French Roosters: Simplicity Tastes Good

2007-01-16T19:45:00.000-08:00

La Vieille Ferme Rouge 2004
Appellation: Côtes du Ventoux in the Rhône Valley, France
13.5%
$14
Serve 17 C/62 F (cellar temperature, cool to touch)

Grape Varieties: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault

Love the deep cherry colour. It has a fragrant aroma of cooked cherry, berry, spice and a smoky oak. The nose follows through on the palate with cooked cherry and plum, black licorice and spice. This flavourful, medium-bodied red is a good everyday drinker, but I recommend decanting to mellow it, as it’s a bit sharp at first.

This wine comes adorned with a simple, country-inspired label with two roosters. La Vieille Ferme has been making wines since 1974, with vineyards on the picturesque Mont Ventoux slopes. Wouldn’t mind being there…

Drink it alone or with grilled meats, roast, tomato pasta dishes, even mild coconut curry chicken and veggies.

Cheers.

Read (and drink) and learn.

2007-01-05T00:02:00.000-08:00

I'm a sucker for books. I love the feel of paper and the weight of them in my hands. You can't cozy up with a computer, can you?

In my quest for wine knowledge, I've found some good books—many of them aimed at the novice. Then there are the big, weight lifting editions for the serious oenophiles, like Jancis Robinson's books. Definitely worth a read.

If you want something a little simpler, here are a few to check out:

I don't know much about wine...but I know what I like by Simon Woods
The Everything Wine Book, 2nd Ed. by Barbara Nowak & Beverly Wichman
Wine Genius by Janice Fuhrman

These books have surprisingly good info and are easy and fun to read.

There are tons of wine books, websites and columns out there. Take advantage of them and soak up the knowledge while you sip a glass of wine.

The only drawback is that the more you learn and the more advanced your sense of smell and taste become, the better the wines you want. That can mean big bucks spent on booze. Don't say I didn't warn you. Sometimes ignorance is (financial) bliss.
Cheers!

Joie Pinot Noir Rose

2006-12-27T20:22:00.000-08:00

Joie Pinot Noir Rosé 2005
Okanagan
12.5%
@ $20
Serve chilled.

I love the smell of this salmon-pink coloured wine. Fresh strawberries…mmm…and raspberries and cherries. It’s 90% Pinot Noir with a touch (10%) of Chardonnay, adding acidity and citrus aromas/flavours. It also has a faint cream soda taste and a nice, long finish. I’d say it’s between dry and off-dry and light-medium-bodied.

It’s fruity and flavourful, with a soft, silky texture. Stainless steel aging and pleasant acidity gives this wine a crisp, clean finish.

A wonderful Rosé to drink alone or with a variety of foods from salty (ham, smoked salmon) to seafood (crab, salmon) to roast chicken since the acidity will cut the salt and fat. It’s also good with quiche and mashed potatoes—they complement the wine’s smooth texture. Want something a little more delectable? Try it with a Terry’s Chocolate Orange—it’s surprisingly good and it brings out the wine’s acidity and the orange/citrus flavour. Try it. Experiment. Who knows what great food pairing you’ll come up with. Cheers!

A great value Zin

2006-11-24T00:06:00.000-08:00

Fetzer Vineyards Valley Oaks Zin 2003
California (Mendocino County)
$13

This is a great value wine from an environmentally conscious winery intent on producing affordable wines. This ruby red Cali Zin has a fruity, cherry/berry nose that follows through on the palate. It's smooth, balanced (soft-medium tannins and acidity), spicy (clove, pepper), slightly nutty, with warm toasty oak and red berries (cherry, raspberry). This medium-bodied red has a nice spicy, peppery aftertaste and is food friendly. I also like it by itself.

What else can I say? I like it. By the way the 2004 vintage is great, too. Cheers!

Sniff This: The aroma/taste connection.

2006-11-07T23:01:00.000-08:00

Wanna be able to differentiate aromas and flavours in wines? Smell everything that could be associated with wine so that your brain has a database, so to speak, of aromas. Smell and taste are linked, that’s why wine experts drag air over the wine in their mouth when their doing a formal tasting. You know, that awful gurgling sound. And you thought they just liked looking like pompous snobs.

Don’t just smell the obvious things like pineapples, melons, apples, pears, raspberries and peaches. Smell the peach pit, smell all types of melons and apples. Smell the grass (not the wacky kind), herbs that you cook with, the asparagus and mushrooms you’re preparing for dinner. Smell that new leather jacket and the worn and well-loved one. Go through your spice cabinet and take whiffs of clove, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, white and black peppers. Take a walk and smell the earth, the trees, the leaves, the flowers… Think you’d feel like an idiot? Okay, maybe don’t literally sniff everything, unless you don’t mind looking like a weirdo. But try to take in the different smells, force yourself to be aware of them. If you have to grab a handful of soil, so be it.

The more you smell, the better able you’ll be able to identify aromas and flavours in the wine that you taste. Your brain will recognize the smells and bring it to mind. Ah, that Merlot smells of coffee and ripe, dark fruit. Another sip and maybe you can specify which type of dark fruit; maybe it’s black cherries and red plums.

If you can hone your sense of smell, you can increase your ability to taste wine and decipher what your tasting—not just “I taste raspberries, cherries and spice.” After time, you’ll learn the typical characteristics of each wine so that you’ll know you’re tasting an Australian Shiraz or a California Zinfandel.

When you sniff and taste, try to find general, generic descriptors, like “I smell and/or taste apple and tropical fruit.” Then, over your next few sips try to specify what these tastes are. Maybe the apple is more like a crisp green apple, rather than a sweet red one and maybe the tropical fruit is definitely pineapple.

Take your time and savour the wine. Be a geek and let it speak to you—or rather, let it communicate with your sense of smell. Get sniffing!

A Zinfandel fit for marinating or sangria

2006-10-26T22:42:00.000-07:00

Zunio Old Vines Zinfandel 2002
California
14.5%
$13.99 for 750 ml

The bottle boasts “intensity of flavor and great character” and “abundant cherry, blackberry and plum fruit that is offset by notes of black pepper and spice,” but all I have to say is either they are very creative or my nose has failed me and my taste buds have finally died. I didn’t like it.

I found it super oaky with a sour taste. It was sharp, yet flat. It needed to mellow a lot, though that wouldn’t help much since there was little fruit. Basically, it was blah and of four of us doing a blind tasting it came in last out of four wines. Pass on this, because there are so many delicious, full-flavoured Cali Zins out there. Life is much to short to waste it drinking plonk. To be fair, I will try another year...someday. I'll let you know if my opinion changes. Every vintage has its differences. Maybe other years are better.

A Cheap White Aussie

2006-10-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

Hardys Stamp of Australia Chardonnay Semillon 2005
Thomas Hardy & Sons
South Eastern Australia
13%
$10/750 ml
Serve chilled (but not too cold!)

Crisp and dry, this citrusy white blend is an enjoyable sipper. It has a citrus and tropical fruit nose that foreshadows the flavours to come. This medium-bodied, pale yellow wine is aromatic and flavourful (citrus, melon, pear, peach), with a nice warm spice. Also, it has a hint of oak. Though clean and crisp from being aged in stainless steel tanks, the “light oak influence” (probably oak chips) adds to the overall flavour.

I found this wine best served on the warmer side, though still chilled. If it’s too cold the flavours are masked. As it warms in the glass, it mellows and gets smoother, as the acidity is a bit sharp when it’s too cold.

Look for the replica 1937 Australian postage stamp on the bottle and try it for yourself. Tasty and cheap—you can’t go wrong for ten bucks.

Catchy Name, Tasty Wine: 7 Deadly Zins

2006-09-18T21:32:00.000-07:00

7 Deadly Zins Zinfandel 2004, Old Vine
Lodi Appellation
California
14.9%
$27.90 for 750 ml

One of my faves for Zin. This dark garnet coloured wine is full and bold with a fruit-forward taste and fruity, spicy and smoky aroma. It’s very flavourful with oak, dark berries, cherries, pepper and an almost sweet candy taste. You can’t help but want more. It goes down sooo smooth! It has a fabulous aftertaste that makes it a wine truly enjoyable to sip and savour on its own. In a blind tasting with friends it was group consensus that this is a winner. To quote from the poem on the back label, “With the tilt of a glass, I commit seven zins, Oh Lord, with your help… I’ll do it again.”

Try this. You’ll love it. Make sure you read the poem on back label ruminating on the 7 deadly sins and grape vines. Cheers!

Corked

2006-09-07T00:45:00.000-07:00

I’ve heard about wines that can turn bad from tainted corks, but I hoped I would be spared. I wasn’t so lucky. Recently, I opened a much-anticipated dessert wine only to have my heart drop when the cork came out and I saw that it was discolored. Hoping it was just wet from the wine and my eyes were playing tricks in the dim light, I poured the wine into glasses. By the time I took a sniff, I knew it was finally my turn to experience the dreaded cork taint. Phew! It smelled like mouldy fruit and soggy cardboard or, as my boyfriend noted, like a dirty sauna. Curiosity made me take a tiny sip. It tasted worse than it smelled. One more reason to like alternative closures, such as synthetic corks and screwcaps.

So, what to do if you encounter a wine ruined by cork taint? Don’t drink it because it’ll taste like crap (though, it won’t make you literally sick). If you’re in a restaurant ask the sommelier or server to taste the wine so they can confirm that the wine is off. Any decent restaurant will replace the offending bottle. The same goes for oxidized wine, where air has seeped in and deteriorated the wine. Wines can taste bad for several reasons, from improper storage conditions to being poorly made. Just say no to swill!

If you’ve bought the bottle at a store or local winery take it back. One sniff of the wine and they should exchange it for you. If they don’t, I wouldn’t be spending my money there any longer.

I’m glad I hadn’t taken the dessert wine to our friends’ house, but if I did I would’ve explained why it can’t be served. Though, I’d let them have a taste, if they were so brave.

What if I was served corked wine at someone’s house? I imagine it’d be tricky to tell someone the wine they’re serving is off. I’d take them aside, be polite and tactfully ask if they can taste what I taste. Sometimes cork taint isn’t so obvious. If my friend insists the wine’s fine, I wouldn’t argue. I’d just find something else to drink.

Cork taint isn’t the wineries fault, so be nice. It doesn’t mean that all their wines will be bad, so give them another try. It does happen (approximately 5% of all wines, though numbers vary significantly, depending on the source), so learn to distinguish bad wines and most importantly, never, ever accept ruined wines.

Hope you’re spared, but if not, you know what to do. Cheers!

Alsace Riesling

2006-08-14T18:06:00.000-07:00

Pierre Sparr Riesling 2004
Northeastern France’s Alsace region
Serve chilled
12.5% alcohol
$17.93 for 750 ml

Think all Rieslings are sweet? Not the ones from Alsace (which turns out some great whites). Here, the German-influenced wines are dry. This pale yellow Riesling has crisp, clean floral, green apple and lime aromas. Slightly tart, with a nice acidity, it’s refreshing with green apple and citrus flavours, with hints of peach and mineral. I found it very limey! Just the thing for a hot summer afternoon. Medium bodied, it goes down cool and smooth.

It’s an aromatic, light summer wine. Though it’s good, it’s nothing spectacular, but it's well worth the $18 bucks you’ll shell out for it (Ahhh, BC liquor prices suck!), especially if you like your whites fruit forward.

You can drink it now or within 3-5 years. Try it with seafood, pork, stir frys, quiche or Gouda cheese.

Santé!

A Tasty & Cheap French Viognier

2006-07-31T18:49:00.000-07:00

Moillard Hugues Le Juste
Viognier 2004
Pays d’Oc
Southern France –Languedoc Region
Serve Chilled
12.5%
$11.75 for 750 ml

I love this wine. It’s a great value and was one of the wines that got me hooked on Viogniers. Now, there’s always a bottle or two in my wine rack. It’s also a good Chardonnay substitute.

Named after a Cathar knight, this Viognier is lighter-bodied than some other typically full-bodied Viogniers, but it’s smooth, fresh and flavourful with a spicy, fruity lingering aftertaste.

Ageing in 10% oak gives this straw yellow wine a hint of vanilla aroma and flavour. It also has aromas of toasted oak, honey and sweet flowers (honeysuckle). It usually gives me a little pucker at first sip, as crisp green apple and citrus hit my tongue. I also taste apricot, peach and spices.

It’s great as an aperitif or with spicy dishes or light dishes such as seafood, chicken, pork and fruit. Enjoy this wine young because it’s ready to drink now. What are you waiting for?

Chilean Chardonnay

2006-07-27T22:20:00.000-07:00

Carmen
Chardonnay 2005
Valle de Casablanca, Chile (Central Valley)
Serve chilled
13.5 %
$13.95 for 750 ml

I love it when I have a yummy glass of wine at a restaurant or a party and find out it’s not only available in liquor stores, but it’s inexpensive, too.

I found this Chardonnay to be extremely crisp and refreshing with predominant pineapple and citrus aromas and flavours. It’s pale yellow, dry and light bodied. Partially fermented in oak, it has nice mild toast and caramel flavours, along with pineapple, citrus, pear and peaches.

It’s a tasty summer wine, perfect for warm days when you need something cold, crisp and smooth to sip on. Try it with chicken, lobster, green salad, fresh veggies or mild cheeses. Next time you’re invited to a BBQ or patio party, bring a bottle of this along.

Cheers.

Wild Goose Vineyards Bestseller

2006-07-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

Wild Goose Vineyards
Autumn Gold 2004
Serve Chilled
13.0%
$14.95 for 750 ml, VQA
Okanagan Falls, BC

This is an award-winning, popular white wine that’s sure to please your palate. Its warm golden colour could’ve inspired its name. It makes me think of warm sunshine, colourful leaves and crackling fires. A blend of Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer and Riesling creates a flavorful wine with a stone fruit aroma.

It’s semi sweet, with citrus, pear, apricot, apple and mineral flavours. It has a nice, fruity finish, yet has a slightly tart bite that makes me want more. I found this wine to have a slightly syrupy texture, almost like a dessert wine, which made it perfect for sipping on its own. This goes down smooth and easy. Try it and enjoy!

Perfect Summer Sipper

2006-07-10T22:20:00.000-07:00

Thornhaven Estates Divino se Levanto 2005 (Rosé) (VQA)
Summerland, BC (Okanagan Valley)
Serve chilled
13.3%
$13.90 for 750 ml

There's something about summer and Rosé wines (and light, sweet whites). It must be the enveloping heat or the fragrance of blooming flowers that makes us want to sit back and sip on something refreshing and aromatic.

This Rosé is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which gives it a nice sheer raspberry colour. It has aromas of strawberry and raspberry and mineral. It’s a crisp, fruity, semi dry, semi sweet wine that’s perfect for the patio on a warm Vancouver night. What could be more perfect for summer? There's nothing like a Rosé that's smooth, cool and goes down easy.

Cheers!

A fab California Pinot Noir

2006-07-03T23:52:00.000-07:00

Mark West Pinot Noir
Appellation Central Coast
Sonoma, California, 2004
13.8%
$22.79 for a 750 ml bottle

This is a great full-bodied Pinot Noir with a spicy bite. Not as rich or spicy as a Zin, but great for drinking alone or with salmon, roast beef, mushroom risotto or pork tenderloin. I’ve enjoyed it alone, with ginger beef and prawns & scallops (at UnWine’d) and with a roast beef dinner, complete with Yorkshire pudding. Delicious! I also found it great with smoked Gruyere, as the cheese brings out the oak and makes the wine taste mellow, smooth and slightly smoky.

This garnet coloured wine has fragrant aromas of cherry, raspberry, rhubarb, ripe fruit and black tea. It also has an almost sharp alcoholic scent, but it goes down warm, velvety and smooth. I tasted spice (cinnamon), cherries and dark berries and toasty oak. It's low tannin with a rich almost chewy texture. Nice finish.

Next time you’re in the liquor store looking for an enjoyable red, seek out a sunny yellow label and pick up a bottle of Mark West Pinot Noir (note: there’s a few different appellations available). To learn more about Mark West wines, check out their faux revolution website that’s all about “Pinot for the people.”

Cheers!

A fave California Viognier

2006-06-30T10:03:00.000-07:00

Smoking Loon Viognier
Sonoma, California, 2005
Don Sebastiani & Sons
13.5%
$16.80 CND for a 750 ml bottle

Next time you’re in the liquor store, look for a whimsical red and yellow label with an artistically doodled loon—smoking, of course. If you turn the bottle over to read about the merits of the wine, you’ll discover only a weird, albeit entertaining, bit of prose about some equally weird ’n’ loony guy nicknamed Smoking Loon, thanks to his loon-like cackle. Okay… I think they were smoking something alright when they wrote this. If you find this Viognier in stock, buy it and enjoy it. No need to wait because this grape varietal is great young.

Smoking Loon Viognier (pronounced Vee-ohn-yay) is a light golden colour. It has a clean, fruity aroma. I smell pear, pineapple and grapefruit. It’s light, smooth and lush tasting with the creaminess that often comes with a good Viognier. Crisp apple, pineapple, apricot and peach flavours dance in my mouth. It has a faint vanilla, anise and clove finish, which accounts for the warm spicy taste on the tongue. This refreshing white wine is perfect for a summer day on the patio. Enjoy!

Unwinding at UnWine'd

2006-06-19T22:36:00.000-07:00

I recently tried a new wine and tapas restaurant in Vancouver called UnWine’d. The food and service were great and the atmosphere was warm, relaxed and comfortable. With the leather club chairs, fireplace, dim lighting, dark wood and the long, gleaming, well-stocked bar it had a cozy lounge vibe. There are also two patios for those hot summer nights. Far from pretentious, it's a great place to go and relax, as their name implies, and try new wines and share some flavourful tapas or a mouthwatering dessert.

Their wine list has an interesting selection and the wines are reasonably priced. They have 35 reds available for tasting, 12 by the glass, and 17 whites, with 6 available by the glass.

We tried two California wines: Mark West Pinot Noir (Central Coast, 2004) and Smoking Loon Viognier. Both were excellent and paired well with the tapas we ordered. The Viognier went especially well with the charred ginger beef with sweet peppers and chili gelee, as it’s a great pairing with most spicy foods. Both wines were equally tasty with the tiger prawn and scallop skewers with honey and chive immersion. Yum, Yum! I'll definitely be back!

Thankfully, both wines are available at BC Liquor Stores, so I’ll be off to get some and try them again at home. Their reviews will be coming up.

Cheers!

Cheap Chilean White Wine

2006-05-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

Tarapaca Sauvignon Blanc 2005
Chile, Central Valley Region (Maipo Valley)
13%
$10 for 750 ml

This pale buttery yellow wine is very fresh tasting with a hint of effervescence. It's aromatic lemony nose foreshadows the zippy citrus taste that'll wake up your taste buds. Also, it has pear and melon flavours. Dry and light- to medium-bodied, it goes down smoothly. Clean, crisp and refreshing, it’s great with grilled prawns and scallops, a variety of cheeses and light salads. This is a nice affordable wine with good value for the price.

What’s New World and Old World all about, anyway?

2006-04-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

When it comes to Old World and New World wines, think in terms of history, like Christopher Columbus sailing the seas (experiencing new foods) and discovering the New World in 1492. Old World wines come from, you guessed it, the Old World, which consists of the wine-producing regions of Europe. The New World is everything but Europe. Easy right?

Wait, there’s more. There’s more than regional differences, there’s matters of taste. Some typical differences include:

Old World Wines vs. New World Wines
Higher acidity vs. Lower Acidity
Mild oak flavours vs. Stronger oak
Earthier flavours (minerals, soil…) vs. Fruitier flavours (berries, cherries, plums…)
Subtle tastes vs. Bolder tastes
Drier
Sense of place (terrior)

Though, these distinctions are fading. It’s evident in the New World wines that depict the flavours of the regions they’re grown in. A good example of this is the Okanagan Valley (i.e. Silver Sage wines and La Frenz's Alexandria) wines that pick up the fruit flavours of the nearby orchards. Also, Old World wines used to be lower in alcohol, but that distinction isn’t always true these days.

The 2004 wine-documentary Mondovino implies that more New World wine makers are emulating Old World wines and the Old World wine makers are producing New World styles. Whew! Busy people. Not to mention, there are numerous companies that own wineries in both Old World and New World regions, or at least they have products made on the opposite side of the world from them (E& J Gallo’s imported Red Bicyclette). Maybe we should just call it Traditional and Modern?

A Cabernet Sauvignon from California's Ravenswood

2006-04-01T22:10:00.000-08:00

Ravenswood Vintners Blend Cabernet Sauvignon California 2003
Sonoma Valley, California
13.5% alcohol
$19.99 for a 750 ml bottle

“No Wimpy Wines” – the Ravenswood motto

I must admit that I’m pretty smitten with Ravenswood wines. This California winery may be known for their Zinfandels, but they make a lot of different types of wine. I even like their Celtic-inspired logo with three head-to-tail ravens forming a circle. It kinda reminds of me of the old 45 record inserts. Remember those? Ah, the simple days of vinyl and record players! Though there’s something almost poignant about listening to the scratch and crackle of a record, I’ll take my CDs and MP3s any day, thank you.

On to my review… Yum! This Cab Sauv is a young, rich, fruit-forward wine with currant and spice flavours. It has a smooth, mild oak taste that gets better with age. I originally tried this deep ruby red wine in early December and found it tasty, but with a bit of an edge. Now, nearly four months later it’s mellowed enough to thoroughly enjoy. It has aromas of cherry and ripe red fruit and berries, with a touch of smoky oak. It goes down smooth, but with a little aftertaste kick of spice and the slight tartness of mild tannins. Flavours of smoke, cherry, black licorice and cassis make this an enjoyable sipper. I also like the warm, smooth, slightly buttery aftertaste that lingers on my tongue. Tastes like big bucks, but won’t blow the budget. Let me repeat myself: Yum, yum, yum!

La Frenz Alexandria

2006-03-14T20:23:00.000-08:00

La Frenz Alexandria 2004
9.5%
$18
Naramata Bench (Okanagan)
(in private wine stores)

La Frenz is a one of the ever-growing number of wineries on the Naramata Bench. This small winery produces “premium” fruit-forward table wines that are relatively inexpensive, but taste far from cheap.

A refreshing, deceptively dessert-like white wine made from a mix of what's known as the oldest of grape varieties: Muscat. Muscat of Alexandria grapes are used in Sherry and they also turn up in table wines.

This is a delicious, very easy-to-drink wine with aromas and flavours of pale stone fruits, especially peaches and apricots. There’s also a hint of crisp apple. It’s a golden coloured, low acid, high sugar wine with a hint of effervescence on the tongue. This flavourful, smooth wine feels slightly thick and warm (even though it's served chilled) and tastes perfectly sweet (not sickly or overpowering). A really enjoyable wine on its own or with light foods (salad, rice, chicken). I love it. Highly recommended.

A Yummy French Wine

2006-02-11T14:30:00.000-08:00

Red Bicyclette Syrah 2004
(an E & J Gallo label)
Southern France: Languedoc region
13%
$16.99 CND

Recently, I tried a Syrah (aka Shiraz) from Red Bicyclette. I picked up the bottle mainly because I really liked the fun, colourful cartoon label depicting a Frenchman (beret and all) on a bicycle with a basket loaded up with baguettes. The dog is cute, too.

It’s a rich, dark red and smells like cassis, warm spices, pepper and berries. My friends and I all agreed that we love the rich, full, smooth taste. I tasted blackberry, cassis and dark fruit. I’m a sucker for most red wines that I can taste blackberries or raspberries, so from the first sip I was happy. It’s mildly oaky with smooth tannins and a peppery/spicy kick. This is a great wine to enjoy with company and very easy to drink. For $16.99 it tastes a whole lot pricier than it is. I’ve had it both on its own and with grilled tenderloin—either way, it was tasty. Go try it!

For more info, check out their website. Make sure you turn down your speaker volume or you’ll get the heart-clutching jolt that I got from the sounds of a barking dog and a bike’s ringing bell. This site is worth checking out, mainly for their colourful cartoon-like graphics.

Hosting a Wine Tasting Party – Overview

2006-01-13T15:00:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd include a basic list of things to do for a wine tasting party–much easier than slogging through several paragraphs about it. Here goes!

Pick a region, varietal, colour, winery or price range
Send out invites requesting guests (each couple) to bring a bottle of wine fitting the night’s “theme”, i.e. Sonoma reds, Zinfandels or Okanagan Gewürztraminers, etc. Ask guests to RSVP with the name of wine their bringing (so you can prepare the list of wines to hand out at the end of the night)
Plan appetizer menu and shop for groceries and wine in advance
Plan your music (Dead air is dull!)
Make sure you have enough wine glasses and ID tags (guests have their glasses for the night; cuts down on dishes and “lost” glasses)
Create a wine tasting sheet with room for rating and note taking for each wine to be tasted (Make sure there’s enough wine for tasting and drinking afterwards. A bottle for every two people is usually good.)
The day of the party prepare food and a non-alcoholic punch (or have juice, pop, something without alcohol); chill white wine
Lay out food buffet style, with napkins, plates, etc; set out glasses and ID tags
Make sure wine books, wine lingo sheets, tasting sheets and pens are out
Have a separate table or counter for the wine; have paper bags ready to cover up the wine bottles (put chilled wines in a plastic bag first so the condensation doesn’t make a soggy mess of the bag); have a dump bucket for the vile wines
Number all wines and make sure it matches your unveiled wine list that guests receive after the tasting
Let guests snack and mingle a while; chill white wines brought by guests that aren’t chilled (Note: remind guests bringing white wines to chill them before coming over); open red wines to breathe
Now for the fun part! Have the tasting and discussions; take time to have fun, cleanse palates with bread and water
Uncover the wines and hand out the wine list for guests to compare their notes and ratings
Have fun drinking your favourites!

Having a Wine Tasting Party

2006-01-11T18:04:00.000-08:00

Good wine with friends—what could be better? Having an informal wine party. It’s fun and well worth the planning. Any good party takes a bit of preparation, from the menu to the music. A wine tasting just has a few more steps—mainly making sure guests RSVP and coordinating who is bringing what wine (unless you have deep pockets and are supplying all the wine). Usually, I get every couple to bring a bottle within a certain price range and from a certain region, though you could stick to a certain varietal or even colour.

I like to know before the party what wines will be tasted so I can make up a list for guests to take home, along with their tasting notes. Also, I need to know how many bottles I’m supplying. Depending on how many guests, having 5-9 wines to taste is good. If you have too many wines, guests will get buzzed and think everything’s fabulous because their taste buds are deadened.

Since it’s a wine tasting and not a dinner, keep the appetizers simple. Quiches, fruit and veggies are great, as well as cheese, as it’s a natural accompaniment to wine. Have a variety of cheeses, from soft (Brie) to hard (cheddar), but label them if they're flavoured or specialty. Also have plain bread and crackers to cleanse the palate while tasting wines. Also make sure there’s plenty of water—both for drinking and for rinsing out glasses between wines so there’s no remaining residue from the previous wine, no matter how tasty.

I like blind tastings, where paper bags cover the bottles. This way personal biases about varietals, producers and price are pushed aside. It’s good to have a designated pourer to keep the tasting going smoothly and the group at relatively the same pace. Make sure you start with white wines before tasting the reds, and always go from light to full-bodied with both wines.

I give guests a wine tasting sheet I created where they can rate the wines from 1-10, with 10 being amazing. There’s also room for notes about the aromas and flavours. Before the tasting guests can flip through wine books or look at sheets of common wine terms to help them with their own notes. If people are new to the wine tasting experience, introduce the swirl & sniff. Get them to experience a wine’s aromas before tasting (sip & swish!). I find that at least three sips are needed to truly determine the different tastes and to really enjoy it, but then again, sometimes it’s love or hate at first sip.

After each wine is tasted, it’s fun to go around the room and comment on our impressions. What one person loves, another will hate. Sometimes everyone agrees on a clear winner or loser. It’s entertaining to hear descriptions of different scents and flavours—amazing how creative people can get. It’s also surprising when people you least likely expect to be enthusiastic about describing wine turn out to be the most insightful.

After the tasting, the wines are revealed and the wine list is given out so that partiers can identify what they liked. They also now have some names to look for the next time they're at the liquor store or in a wine shop.

So, next time you’re thinking of having a party, why not try a wine tasting. No one has to be a sommelier (though, that would be a bonus), just keep it fun and informal. Guaranteed, your guests will learn something, even if it’s that they love California Zinfandels or they hate a particular brand of Cabernet Sauvignon. They might even discover that they have a knack for describing what’s in their glass.

Cheers!

Wine Tasting Lingo Part Two

2005-12-17T12:40:00.000-08:00

So, you did your reading in Part One. Now for the fun stuff. Grab a glass of your favourite wine and try to suss out what you’re smelling and tasting. I’ve included some common terms for wine tasting to get you started. After, if you’re still intrigued, go to the links I provide at the end of my mini glossary. Have fun!

Acidity: Natural fruit acids (and sometimes added citric acid) that balance wine, cleanse the palate and help wines age gracefully. Some wines are unbalanced and either too blah or too acidic. A little acidity is desirable and gives wines a pleasant bite or zip. Too much acidity and wine becomes tart or turns to vinegar.

Balance: The combination of fruit, alcohol, tannins and acid that create harmony in a bottle.

Big/Bold: Full-flavoured and full-bodied wines like Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Merlot, Shiraz/Syrah, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Chardonnay, for example.

Body: Weight of a wine. Does it feel light or heavy, thick or thin?

Crisp: White wines with the perfect amount of acidity.

Dry: The wine’s sugar has been used in fermentation, resulting in a wine that isn’t sweet, but puckers the mouth thanks to tannins in red wine and acids in white wine. Semi-sweet (many whites) and sweet wines (like dessert wines) have residual sugars that are tasted.

Earthy: Native flavours of plants, minerals and soil seem infuse themselves into the growing grapes. Maybe you’ll experience sagebrush in an Okanagan wine or clover and honey in a white wine or a particular fruit aroma and flavour.

Finish: The aftertaste following swallowing wine. The finish should repeat the scents and tastes that you’ve experienced. But… some unbalanced or immature wines have finishes that are different and not complimentary.

Spicy: Some wines are spicy, like Zinfandels (the true, big reds, not the blush wines), and have bold tastes of cinnamon, clove and black pepper.

Tannins: Created by contact with grape skins, seeds, stems and oak barrels. Tannins, causing a dry, puckering sensation in your mouth, are found in red wine and oak aged white wine. Too much tannin will leave your mouth feeling uncomfortable parched.

For more wine terms, check out an extensive glossary on all things from wineanswers or go to the Epicurious site, a foodie’s fav, to check out their online wine dictionary.

Cheers.

Wine Lingo Part One

2005-12-16T17:25:00.000-08:00

The language of wine can be intimidating or seem plain crazy. Can you imagine a grassy or plasticy wine? Well, at least oaky, spicy and fruity sound normal. Getting used to the unique ways to describe wine can be fun, especially since you have to drink some wine during the learning process. Just let your taste buds and your nose guide the way as you try to describe what’s in your glass.

By learning the lingo, you’ll be able to share your tasting experiences and discover what wines you prefer. Taking the time to really taste wines slows us down and teaches us wine appreciation.

I recently had a wine tasting and one guest asked how he could relay that his wine smelled like fresh baked bread. I said to say just that—say whatever comes to mind and don’t worry about trying to make it sound like the typical wine jargon.

Are you ready? Take it slow and start with swirling your glass to release the aromas of the wine. Next, take a few good sniffs and try to determine what you smell.

Now for the first sip (or slurp if you want the wine to get to all your taste buds). Are your taste buds in shock? Horribly undecided? Usually at least three sips help you determine whether you like the wine. Several sips also help clarify the flavours you experience. Personally, I normally find the first sip to be a useless judge of character; my palate seems to be adjusting to the new taste.

In between wines eat some bread or crackers to cleanse your palate. Also, rinse your glass so you don’t have residual wine interfering with your new pour. It’s also good to start with light whites, then medium, then big and rich. After the whites, go to reds and go from light-bodied to full-bodied. Always, as with anything, save the best for last: the dessert, sparkling and ice wines. Oh, and never cup the wineglass, but hold it by the stem. Wine, unlike brandy, won’t benefit by being warmed by your hands.

For more info about the language of wine check out the article Talking About Wine, which includes a few common terms.

Are you really serious about learning about the fine art of tasting? Read Thomas Matthews 10-page article The ABC’s of Wine Tasting.

Cheers!

Elephant Island Orchard Wines

2005-12-04T21:52:00.000-08:00

Elephant Island Orchard Wines
Apricot (2004)
Sweetness 8
Serve chilled, 10C - 11C
9% alc/vol
$17.95 CAD for a 375 ml bottle

For my first review I’ve chosen one of my favourites – a fruit wine from Elephant Island Orchard Wines (Naramata, BC). I picked an unusual wine (not even a traditional wine because their wines aren’t made from grapes, but from Okanagan fruit) because I’ve loved Elephant Island wines since I first tried them about four years ago. My favourite is one of their dessert wines: Apricot.

This warm buttery yellow wine is perfectly sweet, with a hint of tartness (acidity) for balance. It tastes just like fresh, juicy apricots, yet there are subtle hints of green apple, vanilla and … pineapple (tropical fruits). Despite being sipped chilled, this velvety smooth wine has warmth to it, partly because it’s slightly syrupy and full-flavoured.

The mouth is saturated with rich apricot and the light-bodied wine feels effervescent on the tongue. It’s a perfect dessert wine for a lazy summer day or a snowy winter evening. Everything about this fruit wine is delicious, from the fresh apricot-apple aroma to each and every silky sip. I highly recommend this dessert wine.

Elephant Island Apricot wine pairs well with sinfully rich desserts, like cheesecake, apple pie, chocolates, vanilla pudding and crème brulè. As well, it’s tasty with fruit and soft cheeses like Camembert and Brie and flavoured cheddars, like Cointreau, and or Papaya/Mango.

Do you like it?

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Here I will review the wines that I try. I’ll also cover events and cover wine basics and interviews. You can take my word for what I believe is tasty or swill, or you can ignore it. I’m no expert –yet – just an ordinary gal who loves the grape, who happens to have a keen reign on her senses. Maybe you can learn a little more about wine and become your own wine connoisseur. After all, taste is subjective. What I love, you may hate.

Wine appreciation can be a tricky thing, but the most important thing to remember is: “Do you like it?” If something tastes amazing to you, ask yourself why. What is it that you like? Try to pick out the flavours that you are experiencing. Can you taste raspberries, cherries, smoke, or maybe chocolate? Does it feel thin or syrupy over your tongue? Is it young and sharp with tannins or smooth and mellow with age? Try to define the characteristics of what you taste.

This isn’t a pretentious wine-snob thing, but a way of helping you figure out what you like and what tastes (and combinations) you enjoy. It’s also fun to let loose and come up with (sometimes ridiculous) names for the flavours tantalizing or terrorizing your taste buds. Hey, if you want to say you're drinking a fiery Merlot that reminds you of smoke-infused S’mores cooked over the campfire, then go ahead. Or maybe you’ll say nothing more than it kind of tastes like dark chocolate-covered cherries.

So, besides unbiased reviews, an extra bonus is that many of the wines I’ll write about are affordable. I don’t mean $30 affordable, I mean under $15. There are plenty of great, enjoyable wines under that price point. Yeah, a $60 bottle is probably (trust me, not always) going to be amazing, but really, how many of us are going to spend serious cash on what is so quickly enjoyed? I’ll dish out for special occasions, but for “everyday” drinking, I want a bargain.

So here's to having fun and enjoying wine!

Why Wine?

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I’ve been told that I have the nose of a bloodhound and could replace drug-sniffing dogs at the airport. As fun as that sounds, I’d rather put my nose to better use. Like experiencing the varying scents of wine, for example. Luckily, my taste buds are also hypersensitive, which makes wine tasting a pure pleasure (or disappointment).

So, my blog is to share my love of wine. No, I’m not a sommelier or a wine maker, just an everyday wine lover—a consumer, just like you. Whether it’s a rich, bold and spicy Zinfandel or a buttery Chardonnay, I want to experience it all.

Apparently, anyone with a passion for something can eventually become an expert… so I’m drinking my way to expertise. In a healthy drink-in-moderation sort of way, of course.

They key is variety, not just with types of wine, but also with regions. A Viognier from France will taste infinitely different from a Viognier from Australia. Grapes pick up the characteristics of where they are grown – each region imparts distinct tastes. Climate and soil also help add to the unique flavours.

So much goes into a great wine. By learning a bit more, we can appreciate what we're drinking.

Cheers!