Wow, last night was fun. I spoke at the South World Wine Society's "Planning a New Zealand Vacation" wine tasting. I shared the floor with a travel agent who gave the tour info about New Zealand. Now I really want to travel to New Zealand. It looks very beautiful.
For me last evening, I took the attendees through 9 wines, 4 were white and the rest were red. It was quite interesting. Two of the whites were sauvignon blanc, and very good examples of the "green" type flavours you can get with this grape. The first wine had a lot of gooseberry aroma and flavour and the other lots of asparagus.
On the red side, we were able to try a 9 year old bottle (2000 vintage) of Matiriki Quintology. It's a Bordeaux blend, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% merlot, then smaller amounts of syrah, malbec and cabernet franc.
I will make a full tasting report on the www.southworldwine.com website but it probably will take me a week.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
La Deutsche Vita
What's new in German wines? That was the question on May 7/09, in Vancouver. The Wines of Germany hosted a Trade event to reintroduce the wine trade to Riesling as well as the less commonly known varietals that make it out to Canada, such as Pinot Noir. We were given an overview by Dr. Steffen Maus, wine writer from Germany, about the main wine regions, some background on the latest vintages and where Germany fits into the global wine scene.While most people think of sweeter style Rieslings, I found out that more than half of Germany's wine production is dry white wines. Pinot Noir is a major red varietal in Germany, and is the 3rd largest producer of Pinot Noir in the world. Quite an achievement. Germany produces 3-4 times more Pinot Noir than New Zealand.
As for vintages, 2007 is viewed as the best vintage in the past 15 years. For Reisling, it produced luscious ripe fruit with good acidity. These wines can stand cellar aging. If you prefer a fresher, greener fruit type of Reisling, one to drink now, try the 2008 vintage.
So what were some wines I quite enjoyed?
- Bischofliche Weinguter, 2007 Riesling Spatlese. This wine was pale lemon, some stone fruit and peach aroma. Sweet on the palate but still dry.
- Weingut Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler, 2007 Riesling. Some rieslings as they age pick up a petrol aroma and flavour. This one had a bit of petrol and flowers on the nose. Round mouthfeel, with petrol citrus and apple flavour. LOTS happening in this glass.
- Moselland 2007 Riesling Spatlese. This one had a sweet, lemony, spicy nose. Quite sweet on the palate, but good acid to balance it. Full bodied, with apple and flowery flavours.
- Weingut Pfeffingen 2008 Gewurztraminer Spatlese. Gewurztraimer means spicy grape from the town of Traminer in Germany. This one was pale lemon coloured, with a pine needle aroma. Medium sweetness, pine needle flavour, with a lychee finish.
- Valckenberg 2007 Gewurztraminer. This gewurztraminer was very aromatic. Lots of lychee aroma. In the mouth it was very round, with spicy, roses, and lychee flavour.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Hart House's Summer Garden Parties
Sometimes I hear about events at various restaurants with food and wine. Here is a case in point. Burnaby's Hart House is a beautiful heritage home at Deer Lake Park. They have just released their Summer Garden Parties announcement. You may want to partake, and you may bump into me at one of them. Enjoy!
Burnaby’s Hart House at Deer Lake is pleased to announce the dates for our summer garden party events. Each garden party starts with a casual tasting of wines from the evening’s featured region, held in Hart House’s elegant gardens. Guests may then purchase wines from the evening’s specially-selected wine list to pair with the al fresco dinner that follows. Live music and a spectacular view of Deer Lake will add to diners’ enjoyment of the evening.
The 2009 summer event schedule includes:
- Lobster Supper – Wednesday, June 17
Fresh Nova Scotia lobster is the life of our annual Maritime-infused party.
Wine sampling and live music help make this event a great way to welcome in the summer.
- Italian Garden Party – Wednesday, July 22
Our classic Italian Garden Party features Mediterranean cuisine paired with premium Italian wines. Guests are welcome to stroll around the beautiful Hart House estate lawn and gardens.
- Evening in Provence – Wednesday, August 19
This is a celebration of the culture and flavours of Provence , France . A sampling of French wines in our gardens is followed by a dinner featuring Provence-inspired cuisine.
- California Experience – Wednesday, September 9
California’s world-class wines have earned a prominent place on the world stage in recent years. Here’s your chance to sample some of California ’s best, paired with exceptional cuisine.
All events start at 6:00pm. Reservations will be accepted starting May 21, 2009.
Burnaby’s Hart House at Deer Lake is pleased to announce the dates for our summer garden party events. Each garden party starts with a casual tasting of wines from the evening’s featured region, held in Hart House’s elegant gardens. Guests may then purchase wines from the evening’s specially-selected wine list to pair with the al fresco dinner that follows. Live music and a spectacular view of Deer Lake will add to diners’ enjoyment of the evening.
The 2009 summer event schedule includes:
- Lobster Supper – Wednesday, June 17
Fresh Nova Scotia lobster is the life of our annual Maritime-infused party.
Wine sampling and live music help make this event a great way to welcome in the summer.
- Italian Garden Party – Wednesday, July 22
Our classic Italian Garden Party features Mediterranean cuisine paired with premium Italian wines. Guests are welcome to stroll around the beautiful Hart House estate lawn and gardens.
- Evening in Provence – Wednesday, August 19
This is a celebration of the culture and flavours of Provence , France . A sampling of French wines in our gardens is followed by a dinner featuring Provence-inspired cuisine.
- California Experience – Wednesday, September 9
California’s world-class wines have earned a prominent place on the world stage in recent years. Here’s your chance to sample some of California ’s best, paired with exceptional cuisine.
All events start at 6:00pm. Reservations will be accepted starting May 21, 2009.
Reservations by phone only at 604-298-4278 www.harthouserestaurant.com
Saturday, May 2, 2009
New Zealand Wine x2
April 29, 2009 09:44:57
There are two New Zealand wine events coming up in May in Vancouver that I thought you might be interested in attending. The first is with the South World Wine Society, titled "Planning a New Zealand Vacation". This event is on May 21. It combines tasting a range of red and white wines from across New Zealand along with getting travel tips from a travel agent that has travelled extensively in New Zealand. It should be a lot of fun, plus the travel agent is offering discount coupons on travel to New Zealand. Go to www.southworldwine.com to sign up. $44 for members and $55 for non-members. Comes with food too. And I am the speaker for the wines at this event.
The other event is the New Zealand Wine Fair on May 28 at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre. This is a yearly event and is a walk-about, with agents and/or winemakers at tables pouring their prized New Zealand wines. There are many tables where you try wines that have never been in Canada before, so be the first to try something new! Besides their trade mark Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, there are also lots of other varietals to try, like riesling, merlot, and pinot grigio. To sign up for this event go to http://www.nzwine-events.ca/nzwines_content.htm
April 29, 2009 09:44:57
There are two New Zealand wine events coming up in May in Vancouver that I thought you might be interested in attending. The first is with the South World Wine Society, titled "Planning a New Zealand Vacation". This event is on May 21. It combines tasting a range of red and white wines from across New Zealand along with getting travel tips from a travel agent that has travelled extensively in New Zealand. It should be a lot of fun, plus the travel agent is offering discount coupons on travel to New Zealand. Go to www.southworldwine.com to sign up. $44 for members and $55 for non-members. Comes with food too. And I am the speaker for the wines at this event.
The other event is the New Zealand Wine Fair on May 28 at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre. This is a yearly event and is a walk-about, with agents and/or winemakers at tables pouring their prized New Zealand wines. There are many tables where you try wines that have never been in Canada before, so be the first to try something new! Besides their trade mark Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, there are also lots of other varietals to try, like riesling, merlot, and pinot grigio. To sign up for this event go to http://www.nzwine-events.ca/nzwines_content.htm
2009 French Wines Expo Tour
2009 French Wines Expo Tour
April 16, 2009 07:52:29
The French have been coming to Vancouver quite regularly recently. Last week I had the pleasure of trying wines from across France at a Trade Only event. There was red and white from Bordeaux, Sauternes, Languedoc, Rhone, organic wines, and more. I also was able to taste a new red grape called Negrette, which I am told is originally from Cyprus, but happy to grow in France. The Negrette grape has lots of sweet bon bon aroma, and bon bon / red crisp apple flavour. I tried the Vin de Pays Comte Tolosan Terreo Negrette 2008. It's always nice to try something different. Many French wine makers are paying attention to the New World wineries that produce wines that are approachable and drinkable now. Several wines were available to try in this category such as the Esprit du Sud AOC Languedoc 2007, made from Syrah and Grenache.
April 16, 2009 07:52:29
The French have been coming to Vancouver quite regularly recently. Last week I had the pleasure of trying wines from across France at a Trade Only event. There was red and white from Bordeaux, Sauternes, Languedoc, Rhone, organic wines, and more. I also was able to taste a new red grape called Negrette, which I am told is originally from Cyprus, but happy to grow in France. The Negrette grape has lots of sweet bon bon aroma, and bon bon / red crisp apple flavour. I tried the Vin de Pays Comte Tolosan Terreo Negrette 2008. It's always nice to try something different. Many French wine makers are paying attention to the New World wineries that produce wines that are approachable and drinkable now. Several wines were available to try in this category such as the Esprit du Sud AOC Languedoc 2007, made from Syrah and Grenache.
SWWS Big Reds tasting - Signup asap
April 12, 2009 07:41:43
Posted By Wine With Karl
For those of you who haven't been to a wine tasting before, or had much exposure to southern hemisphere red wine, the upcoming "Cellar Select Premium Reds" tasting by the South World Wine Society is going to be a blockbuster. Monday, Noon, April 13 is the deadline to sign up.
Many of these are iconic red wines in the southern hemisphere. Some are from vintages no longer available, so if you want to try them, this may be the only place you can try them. Here are the wines:
1. Pisano Uruguay Coastal Region 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon RPF
2. Saxenburg South Africa Stellenbosch 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Collection
3. Glen Carlou South Africa Paarl 2003 Syrah
4. Peter Lehmann Australia Barossa 2004 Shiraz The Futures
5. Tikal Argentina Mendoza 2006 Malbec Amorio
6. Benmarco Argentina Mendoza 2006 Red Blend Expresivo
7. Valdivieso Chile Central Valley Red Blend Caballo Loco No 7
From the website:
The Glen Carlou Syrah has won the John Platter Wine of the Year in South Africa. The Caballo Loco No 7 from Chile is blended and aged by the Solera method used for Spanish sherry, combining fractions of wine from Caballo Loco No 1 - 6 with 7. The Peter Lehmann Futures Shiraz 2004 is not only a benchmark Australian red, but comes from an outstanding Barossa Valley vintage. The Tikal Malbec was rated 91 points by Wine Spectator. The Benmarco Argentina Mendoza 2006 Expresivo is a beguiling blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Tannat, and is one of Argentina's top new wines. The Saxenberg Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the Cape's most elegant and highly regarded examples of this varietal.
You have till noon on Monday, April 13 to sign up. It's a great deal for these premium wines, plus check out the appetizers:
Plate 1
Stilton cheese with toasted walnut and dried apricot
A Van Lawn beef slider
Seared diver scallop, red wine butter sauce
Reddened salmon, red wine butter sauce
Plate 2
Grilled lamb chop with olive crust, natural pan jus
Sautéed chicken liver “Diablo”
Prime rib “melt”
Torpedo Prawn with sweet chili sauce
Posted By Wine With Karl
For those of you who haven't been to a wine tasting before, or had much exposure to southern hemisphere red wine, the upcoming "Cellar Select Premium Reds" tasting by the South World Wine Society is going to be a blockbuster. Monday, Noon, April 13 is the deadline to sign up.
Many of these are iconic red wines in the southern hemisphere. Some are from vintages no longer available, so if you want to try them, this may be the only place you can try them. Here are the wines:
1. Pisano Uruguay Coastal Region 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon RPF
2. Saxenburg South Africa Stellenbosch 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Collection
3. Glen Carlou South Africa Paarl 2003 Syrah
4. Peter Lehmann Australia Barossa 2004 Shiraz The Futures
5. Tikal Argentina Mendoza 2006 Malbec Amorio
6. Benmarco Argentina Mendoza 2006 Red Blend Expresivo
7. Valdivieso Chile Central Valley Red Blend Caballo Loco No 7
From the website:
The Glen Carlou Syrah has won the John Platter Wine of the Year in South Africa. The Caballo Loco No 7 from Chile is blended and aged by the Solera method used for Spanish sherry, combining fractions of wine from Caballo Loco No 1 - 6 with 7. The Peter Lehmann Futures Shiraz 2004 is not only a benchmark Australian red, but comes from an outstanding Barossa Valley vintage. The Tikal Malbec was rated 91 points by Wine Spectator. The Benmarco Argentina Mendoza 2006 Expresivo is a beguiling blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Tannat, and is one of Argentina's top new wines. The Saxenberg Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the Cape's most elegant and highly regarded examples of this varietal.
You have till noon on Monday, April 13 to sign up. It's a great deal for these premium wines, plus check out the appetizers:
Plate 1
Stilton cheese with toasted walnut and dried apricot
A Van Lawn beef slider
Seared diver scallop, red wine butter sauce
Reddened salmon, red wine butter sauce
Plate 2
Grilled lamb chop with olive crust, natural pan jus
Sautéed chicken liver “Diablo”
Prime rib “melt”
Torpedo Prawn with sweet chili sauce
Vinho Verde tasting at the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival
March 31, 2009 05:05:33
Posted By Wine With Karl
This was my last official tasting of the wine festival, and I would say it was a very interesting and tasty tasting! Our speaker was DJ Kerney a wine educator, caterer, chef, sommelier and more. DJ talked to us about Vinho Verde, "Green Wine" from the northwest corner of Portugal. These wines were all very refreshing, good acidity and fruit. If you like Sauvignon Blanc, but want something slightly different with a bit of bubble then try Vinho Verde.
The wines were tried on their own first, and then with some excellent appetizers, skillfully produced by Blair Rasmussen, the executive chef for the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Our wines were:
1. Vinho Verde Gatao N/V ($10.99 in BC)
2. Arca Nova Rose 2007
3. Arca Nova Loureiro 2007
4. Quinta de Simaens 2007
5. Quinta de Linhares Avesso 2007
6. Alvarinho Quinta do Regueiro 2007
Our appetizers were:
1. Sake Braised Japanese Eggplant Salad, with Crispy Garlic and Handmade Fresh Wasabi
2. Steamed Island Scallop with Portuguese Chorizo Piperade and Scallop Roe
3. Lemon Grass Chicken with Wild Prawn Sate and Thai Red Curry Sauce
4. Salt Cod "Bolinhos", Roma Tomato and White Truffle Oil
The first wine was a non-vintage wine, but was quite refreshing and a great deal at $10.99. A great patio wine and one that went well with the eggplant, scallop and lemon grass chicken. The Vinho Verde Gatao had lemon, orange, yeast and some sweetness on the nose. Good acidity with more bright orange and lemon flavour.
The Arca Nova Rose is a "rose". Most people think of white wine from this region but it also produces red and rose wines. This rose had citrus, strawberry and raspberry aromas. Good acid as well, with apple and citrus flavours.
Also from Arca was the Lureiro (Lureiro is a native grape variety. Portugal has LOTS of native grape varieties with hard to pronounce names). I enjoyed this one as it had a tangerine and lime aromas, which continued on the palate, and good acidity. No flabby wines anywhere in this lineup. This paired nicely with the lemon grass chicken and the eggplant.
The Quinta de Simaens was a blend of a few white grapes; arinto, avesso, and trajadura. Pale lemon green colour. Flowery, apple, and citrus aromas. Less acid than the others, but nicely smooth, with apple and citrus flavours. This wine paired best with the eggplant as the eggplant was very smooth and this wine was smooth. Similar with the Salt Cod Bolinhos.
The Quinta de Linhares Avesso had a light aroma, bright acidity with apple and flower flavours.
Our final wine was the Alvarinho Quinta do Regueiro. If you like sauvignon blanc, this one smells and tastes very similar. On the nose you get lots of gooseberry and lemon aroma. On the palate, good acid, some smoothness and oiliness. I thougt it went well with the scallop and the salt cod.
The nice thing about Vinho Verde not being too well known as you can buy them for all probably under $20 according to the people speaking at the event. Enjoy!
Posted By Wine With Karl
This was my last official tasting of the wine festival, and I would say it was a very interesting and tasty tasting! Our speaker was DJ Kerney a wine educator, caterer, chef, sommelier and more. DJ talked to us about Vinho Verde, "Green Wine" from the northwest corner of Portugal. These wines were all very refreshing, good acidity and fruit. If you like Sauvignon Blanc, but want something slightly different with a bit of bubble then try Vinho Verde.The wines were tried on their own first, and then with some excellent appetizers, skillfully produced by Blair Rasmussen, the executive chef for the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Our wines were:
1. Vinho Verde Gatao N/V ($10.99 in BC)
2. Arca Nova Rose 2007
3. Arca Nova Loureiro 2007
4. Quinta de Simaens 2007
5. Quinta de Linhares Avesso 2007
6. Alvarinho Quinta do Regueiro 2007
Our appetizers were:
1. Sake Braised Japanese Eggplant Salad, with Crispy Garlic and Handmade Fresh Wasabi
2. Steamed Island Scallop with Portuguese Chorizo Piperade and Scallop Roe
3. Lemon Grass Chicken with Wild Prawn Sate and Thai Red Curry Sauce
4. Salt Cod "Bolinhos", Roma Tomato and White Truffle Oil
The first wine was a non-vintage wine, but was quite refreshing and a great deal at $10.99. A great patio wine and one that went well with the eggplant, scallop and lemon grass chicken. The Vinho Verde Gatao had lemon, orange, yeast and some sweetness on the nose. Good acidity with more bright orange and lemon flavour.
The Arca Nova Rose is a "rose". Most people think of white wine from this region but it also produces red and rose wines. This rose had citrus, strawberry and raspberry aromas. Good acid as well, with apple and citrus flavours.
Also from Arca was the Lureiro (Lureiro is a native grape variety. Portugal has LOTS of native grape varieties with hard to pronounce names). I enjoyed this one as it had a tangerine and lime aromas, which continued on the palate, and good acidity. No flabby wines anywhere in this lineup. This paired nicely with the lemon grass chicken and the eggplant.
The Quinta de Simaens was a blend of a few white grapes; arinto, avesso, and trajadura. Pale lemon green colour. Flowery, apple, and citrus aromas. Less acid than the others, but nicely smooth, with apple and citrus flavours. This wine paired best with the eggplant as the eggplant was very smooth and this wine was smooth. Similar with the Salt Cod Bolinhos.
The Quinta de Linhares Avesso had a light aroma, bright acidity with apple and flower flavours.
Our final wine was the Alvarinho Quinta do Regueiro. If you like sauvignon blanc, this one smells and tastes very similar. On the nose you get lots of gooseberry and lemon aroma. On the palate, good acid, some smoothness and oiliness. I thougt it went well with the scallop and the salt cod.
The nice thing about Vinho Verde not being too well known as you can buy them for all probably under $20 according to the people speaking at the event. Enjoy!
Pinot Rama at the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Fest
March 30, 2009 09:29:45
Posted By Wine With Karl
In this seminar we tried a lineup of different "Pinots", which covered Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio/Gris, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Pinotage. For those that don't know, all the Pinot varietals come from Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir grapes tend to mutate, giving rise to different "clones" of Pinot Noir, and in other cases caused the creation for Pinot Blanc for example.
Our first wine was the Champagne de Venoge Blanc de Noir 2005 (Champagne). In Champagne-speak this is champagne made from red grapes, in this case 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Pinot Meunier. A nice bubble, lemon colour, bready and dried fruit nose and flavours.
2nd was the Santa Margherita Valdadige Pinot Grigio (Italy). This winery is known to produce the most pinot grigio of any winery in the world. From this grigio you get good acid, peach and lime flavours.
3rd was the Sandhill Pinot Blanc 2007 (BC). This wine was a star for me. Vanilla, pineapple, pear and ripe fruit flavours. Round mouthfeel, some spice, tropical fruit flavour. Long finish.
4th was the Burrowing Owl Pinot Gris 2007 (BC). Light, bright, lemon colour. Stone fruit nose. Banana, lemon, and pear flavours.
5th was the Pierre Sparr Pinot Gris Grand Cru Mambour 2000 (Alsace, France). Another star! Note that is a 2000 vintage. Most people say white wines don't age well. This wine was spectacular. Deep lemon colour. Lychee, peach and apricot nose. Lush, roundess, some spicy, fruit, honey.
6th was the Henri Bourgeois Sancerre Pinot Noir 2007 (Loire, France). Nice strawberry aroma with light oak. Light bodied, cherry and spice, some apple flavour.
7th was the Hacienda Araucano Humo Blanco Colchagua Valley Pinot Noir 2007 (Chile). Made by a French wine maker. Masculine with a meaty, smoky aroma. Medium body, red fruit, spicy finish.
8th was the Sokol Blosser Estate Pinot Noir 2006 (Dundee Hills, Oregon). From 100% certified organic grapes. A bit of bricking at the edges, but nice strawberry and vanilla aroma. Red fruit and spice with a round mouthfeel.
9th was the Saintsbury Carneros Pinot Noir 2006 (California). Not as big as the Sokol Blosser, but still showed cherry, vanilla and strawberries.
10th was the Quails' Gate Family Reserve Pinot Noir 2005 (Okanagan, BC). Very deep red coloured, with some brown. Cherry, vanilla and some spice. Very fruity.
11th was the Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2006 from Martinborough, New Zealand (North Island). When I drink Pinot Noir I love violet aroma, and this was have lots of violets and strawberry. Flowery, violet, and apple flavours.
12th was the Maison Albert Bichot Pommard Clos des Ursulines Domaine du Pavillon 2006 (Burgundy, France). My OVERALL favorite of this tasting. Pommard is known for more masculine pinot. Cherry, vanilla, apple, spice. Light and elegant.
13th was the Gevrey Chambertin Les Evocelles 2006 also (Burgundy, France). More body than the previous wine. Cherry, vanilla, apple and spice. The grapes from this vineyard are also 100% organic and biodynamic.
14th was the Spier Private Collection Stellenbosch Pinotage 2006, (South Africa). This wine was opaque purple in the glass. Vanilla and black fruit on the nose. Full bodied, spicy, sweet tarry finish.
Last was the Sumac Ridge Pinot Blanc Icewine 2006, (Okaganan, BC). This was deep lemon coloured. Honey and apricots on the nose. Unctus with honey and apricot flavour. Not much acid which could have helped it be a bit more refreshing.
You can see that Pinot has many different styles. If you buy a pinot noir, please chill it for about 30 minutes before serving to bring out it's flavours. Enjoy!
Posted By Wine With Karl
In this seminar we tried a lineup of different "Pinots", which covered Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio/Gris, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Pinotage. For those that don't know, all the Pinot varietals come from Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir grapes tend to mutate, giving rise to different "clones" of Pinot Noir, and in other cases caused the creation for Pinot Blanc for example.Our first wine was the Champagne de Venoge Blanc de Noir 2005 (Champagne). In Champagne-speak this is champagne made from red grapes, in this case 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Pinot Meunier. A nice bubble, lemon colour, bready and dried fruit nose and flavours.
2nd was the Santa Margherita Valdadige Pinot Grigio (Italy). This winery is known to produce the most pinot grigio of any winery in the world. From this grigio you get good acid, peach and lime flavours.
3rd was the Sandhill Pinot Blanc 2007 (BC). This wine was a star for me. Vanilla, pineapple, pear and ripe fruit flavours. Round mouthfeel, some spice, tropical fruit flavour. Long finish.
4th was the Burrowing Owl Pinot Gris 2007 (BC). Light, bright, lemon colour. Stone fruit nose. Banana, lemon, and pear flavours.
5th was the Pierre Sparr Pinot Gris Grand Cru Mambour 2000 (Alsace, France). Another star! Note that is a 2000 vintage. Most people say white wines don't age well. This wine was spectacular. Deep lemon colour. Lychee, peach and apricot nose. Lush, roundess, some spicy, fruit, honey.
6th was the Henri Bourgeois Sancerre Pinot Noir 2007 (Loire, France). Nice strawberry aroma with light oak. Light bodied, cherry and spice, some apple flavour.
7th was the Hacienda Araucano Humo Blanco Colchagua Valley Pinot Noir 2007 (Chile). Made by a French wine maker. Masculine with a meaty, smoky aroma. Medium body, red fruit, spicy finish.
8th was the Sokol Blosser Estate Pinot Noir 2006 (Dundee Hills, Oregon). From 100% certified organic grapes. A bit of bricking at the edges, but nice strawberry and vanilla aroma. Red fruit and spice with a round mouthfeel.
9th was the Saintsbury Carneros Pinot Noir 2006 (California). Not as big as the Sokol Blosser, but still showed cherry, vanilla and strawberries.
10th was the Quails' Gate Family Reserve Pinot Noir 2005 (Okanagan, BC). Very deep red coloured, with some brown. Cherry, vanilla and some spice. Very fruity.
11th was the Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2006 from Martinborough, New Zealand (North Island). When I drink Pinot Noir I love violet aroma, and this was have lots of violets and strawberry. Flowery, violet, and apple flavours.
12th was the Maison Albert Bichot Pommard Clos des Ursulines Domaine du Pavillon 2006 (Burgundy, France). My OVERALL favorite of this tasting. Pommard is known for more masculine pinot. Cherry, vanilla, apple, spice. Light and elegant.
13th was the Gevrey Chambertin Les Evocelles 2006 also (Burgundy, France). More body than the previous wine. Cherry, vanilla, apple and spice. The grapes from this vineyard are also 100% organic and biodynamic.
14th was the Spier Private Collection Stellenbosch Pinotage 2006, (South Africa). This wine was opaque purple in the glass. Vanilla and black fruit on the nose. Full bodied, spicy, sweet tarry finish.
Last was the Sumac Ridge Pinot Blanc Icewine 2006, (Okaganan, BC). This was deep lemon coloured. Honey and apricots on the nose. Unctus with honey and apricot flavour. Not much acid which could have helped it be a bit more refreshing.
You can see that Pinot has many different styles. If you buy a pinot noir, please chill it for about 30 minutes before serving to bring out it's flavours. Enjoy!
Bourgogne: Tour De Terroir tasting at the Vancouver Playhouse Wine Fest
March 30, 2009 08:04:21
Posted By Wine With Karl
Friday evening was a "tour" across Burgundy. We tasted Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Gamay. Luckily only 9 wines this evening compared to 15 wines the previous evening.
First wine was Louis Bouillot Perle d'Aurora Rose Brut, a cremant de Bourgogne. Cremant is a sparkling wine made in France outside of Champagne. 100% pinot noir. Light salmon colour, strawberry aroma and flavour. Cremant is usually less expensive than Champagne but uses the same methods so try some cremant.
Next was Domaine Christian Moreau Pere & Fils Chablis Grand Cru Les Los 2005. This is chardonnay from the northern Chablis region. Chablis is known for being steely and mineral, but with age comes complexity. This one had lemon, spice and mineral aroma. Light oak, apple, citrus flavour, and had a soft mouthfeel.
Chateau de Cordon Andre Pouilly Fuisse Les Vielle Pierres 2004. Pouilly Fuisse is the region just on the northern border of Beaujolais. The grapes for this wine are also chardonnay. Being further south, the grapes get more sun and heat and have more flavour and creaminess. Unfortunately the wine I had came from a tainted bottle so I can't tell you about it. Approximately 1 in 12 bottles suffer cork taint world-wide.
Our fourth wine was the Bouchard Pere & Fils Mersault 2006. More chardonnay, this time from the Cote d'Or, the main part of Burgundy. I marked this wine as a star. Fermented in barrel, this wine was full bodied, rich, with apple, spice, citrus and hazelnut flavours with a toasty finish. Pair with lobster.
The fifth wine was the George Dubeouf Beaujolais Villages 2007. A "village" wine is a step up from a simple Beaujolais. It typically has riper fruit and at least 0.5% more alcohol. Gamay is the red grape in Beaujolais. This wine had cherry and banana aromas. Cherry and juicy fruit gum, flavours. The banana aroma and juicy fruit gum flavours come from the carbonic maceration fermentation (i'll blog on that separately).
Next, the sixth wine was the Domaine Piron Chenas Quartz 2007. Chenas is the smallest Cru within Beaujolais, and has produced an excellent quality wine. This was medium reddish purple. Cherry aroma. Big cherry fruit flavour, a good level of acidity and medium tannins. A star for this one.
Our seventh wine was the Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaune Greves Vigne de L'Enfant Jesus 2006. Pinot noir here. The vineyard was once owned by nuns, thus the origin of the "Baby Jesus" name. The vineyard is in Beaune, which is the main city in Burgundy. This wine had beautiful cherry blossom aroma. Soft mouthfeel, cherries and strawberry flavours. Very well balanced. My OVERALL favorite of the tasting.
The eighth wine was the Olivier Leflaive Wines Pommard 1er Cru Rugiens 2005. Remember, Pommard produces masculine wines. This vineyard grows on iron rich soil, giving the wine more body and firm tannins. Garnet colour and big legs (high alcohol). Cherry and strawberry flavour. Full bodied, firm tannins, cherry flavour.
Our final wine was the Domaine de la Vougeraie Gevrey-Chambertin Bel Air 2006. I do love the wines from the Gevrey-Chambertin appelation. This wine had beautiful cherry and vanilla/oak aroma. Good acid, cherry flavour, medium body.Tour de terroir
Enjoy!
Posted By Wine With Karl
Friday evening was a "tour" across Burgundy. We tasted Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Gamay. Luckily only 9 wines this evening compared to 15 wines the previous evening.
First wine was Louis Bouillot Perle d'Aurora Rose Brut, a cremant de Bourgogne. Cremant is a sparkling wine made in France outside of Champagne. 100% pinot noir. Light salmon colour, strawberry aroma and flavour. Cremant is usually less expensive than Champagne but uses the same methods so try some cremant.
Next was Domaine Christian Moreau Pere & Fils Chablis Grand Cru Les Los 2005. This is chardonnay from the northern Chablis region. Chablis is known for being steely and mineral, but with age comes complexity. This one had lemon, spice and mineral aroma. Light oak, apple, citrus flavour, and had a soft mouthfeel.
Chateau de Cordon Andre Pouilly Fuisse Les Vielle Pierres 2004. Pouilly Fuisse is the region just on the northern border of Beaujolais. The grapes for this wine are also chardonnay. Being further south, the grapes get more sun and heat and have more flavour and creaminess. Unfortunately the wine I had came from a tainted bottle so I can't tell you about it. Approximately 1 in 12 bottles suffer cork taint world-wide.
Our fourth wine was the Bouchard Pere & Fils Mersault 2006. More chardonnay, this time from the Cote d'Or, the main part of Burgundy. I marked this wine as a star. Fermented in barrel, this wine was full bodied, rich, with apple, spice, citrus and hazelnut flavours with a toasty finish. Pair with lobster.
The fifth wine was the George Dubeouf Beaujolais Villages 2007. A "village" wine is a step up from a simple Beaujolais. It typically has riper fruit and at least 0.5% more alcohol. Gamay is the red grape in Beaujolais. This wine had cherry and banana aromas. Cherry and juicy fruit gum, flavours. The banana aroma and juicy fruit gum flavours come from the carbonic maceration fermentation (i'll blog on that separately).
Next, the sixth wine was the Domaine Piron Chenas Quartz 2007. Chenas is the smallest Cru within Beaujolais, and has produced an excellent quality wine. This was medium reddish purple. Cherry aroma. Big cherry fruit flavour, a good level of acidity and medium tannins. A star for this one.
Our seventh wine was the Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaune Greves Vigne de L'Enfant Jesus 2006. Pinot noir here. The vineyard was once owned by nuns, thus the origin of the "Baby Jesus" name. The vineyard is in Beaune, which is the main city in Burgundy. This wine had beautiful cherry blossom aroma. Soft mouthfeel, cherries and strawberry flavours. Very well balanced. My OVERALL favorite of the tasting.
The eighth wine was the Olivier Leflaive Wines Pommard 1er Cru Rugiens 2005. Remember, Pommard produces masculine wines. This vineyard grows on iron rich soil, giving the wine more body and firm tannins. Garnet colour and big legs (high alcohol). Cherry and strawberry flavour. Full bodied, firm tannins, cherry flavour.
Our final wine was the Domaine de la Vougeraie Gevrey-Chambertin Bel Air 2006. I do love the wines from the Gevrey-Chambertin appelation. This wine had beautiful cherry and vanilla/oak aroma. Good acid, cherry flavour, medium body.Tour de terroir
Enjoy!
BC Reds at the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Fest
March 28, 2009 08:19:24
Posted By Wine With Karl
It’s early Saturday morning. I spent almost 6 hrs tasting red wine yesterday at the Festival. There were many nice reds being poured in the BC area of the tasting room. The BC reds I tried:
- Averill Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006 (nice violet nose)
- Black Hills Estate Winery Carmenere 2006 (the signature grape of Chile growing here and doing a nice job)
- Burrowing Owl Estate Winery Merlot. Excellent, sweet black fruit and fine tannins
- Cedar Creek Estate Winery Merlot Cabernet 2006 and Syrah 2006. Both big full bodied wines.
- Garry Oaks Zeta 2006 (Marcel mentioned this is the first planting of Zwiegelt in BC)
- Cabernet Franc 2007 and The Bear 2006. Bordeaux blends
- Hillside Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 2006
- Kettle Valley Winery Reserve Pinot Noir 2005, Malbec 2005, and Old Main Red 2005. All had an barnyard aroma to them.
- La Frenz Merlot 2006 and Shiraz 2006. I put a star beside the Shiraz beside this one in my notes. Good balance, meaty./vanilla/dark fruit.
- Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery Summit Reserve Pinot Noir 2006, S.R. Merlot 2005, and S.R. Summit (a Bordeaux blend). Mt. Boucherie always produces nice wines.
- Noble Ridge Vineyard & Winery King’s Ransom 2006. Big red but needs 2-3 years for the tannins to soften
- Osoyoos Larose Les Petales 2005, Le Grand Vin 2004, and Le Grand Vin 2006. The wine maker told me that the vines keep getting better each year and I agree. I loved the Le Grand Vin 2006 (star).
I’ll do a separate blog entry for the international reds I tasted on Friday. Enjoy!
Posted By Wine With Karl
It’s early Saturday morning. I spent almost 6 hrs tasting red wine yesterday at the Festival. There were many nice reds being poured in the BC area of the tasting room. The BC reds I tried:- Averill Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006 (nice violet nose)
- Black Hills Estate Winery Carmenere 2006 (the signature grape of Chile growing here and doing a nice job)
- Burrowing Owl Estate Winery Merlot. Excellent, sweet black fruit and fine tannins
- Cedar Creek Estate Winery Merlot Cabernet 2006 and Syrah 2006. Both big full bodied wines.
- Garry Oaks Zeta 2006 (Marcel mentioned this is the first planting of Zwiegelt in BC)
- Cabernet Franc 2007 and The Bear 2006. Bordeaux blends
- Hillside Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 2006
- Kettle Valley Winery Reserve Pinot Noir 2005, Malbec 2005, and Old Main Red 2005. All had an barnyard aroma to them.
- La Frenz Merlot 2006 and Shiraz 2006. I put a star beside the Shiraz beside this one in my notes. Good balance, meaty./vanilla/dark fruit.
- Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery Summit Reserve Pinot Noir 2006, S.R. Merlot 2005, and S.R. Summit (a Bordeaux blend). Mt. Boucherie always produces nice wines.
- Noble Ridge Vineyard & Winery King’s Ransom 2006. Big red but needs 2-3 years for the tannins to soften
- Osoyoos Larose Les Petales 2005, Le Grand Vin 2004, and Le Grand Vin 2006. The wine maker told me that the vines keep getting better each year and I agree. I loved the Le Grand Vin 2006 (star).
I’ll do a separate blog entry for the international reds I tasted on Friday. Enjoy!
Day 1 at the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Fest
March 26, 2009 09:22:25
Posted By Wine With Karl
Today I was at the wine festival waiting for the doors to open. My strategy as I am there today and tomorrow, is to taste mainly white wines today, and red wines tomorrow. Also since BC is the theme region, I'd taste the BC wines before exploring the international offerings. The BC wines I tried:
- Black Hills Estate winery who are noted for their Nota Bene Bordeaux style red blend
- Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars
- Burrowing Owl Estate winery
- Cedar Creek Estate Winery
- Church & State Wines
- Dunham & Froese Estate Winery
- Garry Oaks (I also recorded an interview with Marcel Mercier from Garry Oaks)
- Road 13 Vineyards
- Sandhill (check out the picture of me with Howard Soon their wine maker, and Louise Wilson their sales rep and Sommelier)
- Stoneboat Vineyards
- Tantalus Vineyards (I recorded another interview here)
- Tinhorn Creek Vineyards
- Twisted Tree Vineyards & winery
- Wild Goose Vineyards
Keeping things short and sweet on the blog, the Tantalus Riesling and Old Vines Riesling were exceptional. Sandhill has a wonderful Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Road 13 has a nice pinot noir. Garry Oaks pinot noir was quite beguiling. Cedar Creek's Ehrenfelser is a neat change to a gewurztraminer. You can't go wrong with Burrowing Owl's Pinot Noir or Chardonnay.
On the international side I tried:
- La Joya Viognier Reserva 2007 (Chile)
- Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaune du Chateau Blanc Premier Cru 2006 (Burgundy, France)
- Catena Chardonnay 2007 (Mendoza, Argentina)
- Champagne Deutz Cuvee William 1998 (Champagne, France) LOVED It But >$150 a bottle.
- Erath Pinot Gris 2007 and Pinot Blanc 2006 (Willamette Valley, Oregon)
- Vina Errazuriz Sauvignon Blanc Single Vineyard 2008 (Aconcagua, Chile) A wild ferment!
- Miguel Torres Milmanda Single Estate Chardonnay 2006 (Penedes, Spain)
- Bodegas Muga Blanco 2007, Rosado 2005 (Rioja, Spain) I enjoyed the Rosado so much I bought a few bottles.
- Murphy-Goode Sonoma County Chardonnay 2006 and "The Fume" 2007 (Sonoma, CA)
- Olivier Lefaive Wines Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Champ Gain 2006 (Burgundy, France) an excellent wine but over $100
- Santa Margherita / Ca' Del Bosco / Kettmier Pinot Grigio 2007, Pinot Bianco Alto Adige 2007, Cuvee Prestige Franciacorta N/V. (Italy)
- Vina Santa Rita Floresta Sauvignon Blanc 2007 (Leyda Valley, Chile) good gooseberry flavour
- Sokol Blosser Winery Evolution N/V and Dundee Hills Pinot Gris 2007 (Willamette Valley, Oregon)
- Thompson Estate Chardonnay 2005 and Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir 2005 (Margaret River, Australia) The sparkling just evaporated when it hit your tongue and was quite creamy. A buy!
- Miguel Torres Cordillera de las Andes Chardonnay/Viognier blend (Curico, Chile) Also a nice blend to try.
Did I try enough? I was at it for 2.5 hrs, then did a 2 hour sit down Pinot tasting. I'll blog about that another day. I will do indepth reviews of wines after the festival is over. Enjoy!
Posted By Wine With Karl
Today I was at the wine festival waiting for the doors to open. My strategy as I am there today and tomorrow, is to taste mainly white wines today, and red wines tomorrow. Also since BC is the theme region, I'd taste the BC wines before exploring the international offerings. The BC wines I tried:- Black Hills Estate winery who are noted for their Nota Bene Bordeaux style red blend
- Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars
- Burrowing Owl Estate winery
- Cedar Creek Estate Winery
- Church & State Wines
- Dunham & Froese Estate Winery
- Garry Oaks (I also recorded an interview with Marcel Mercier from Garry Oaks)
- Road 13 Vineyards
- Sandhill (check out the picture of me with Howard Soon their wine maker, and Louise Wilson their sales rep and Sommelier)
- Stoneboat Vineyards
- Tantalus Vineyards (I recorded another interview here)
- Tinhorn Creek Vineyards
- Twisted Tree Vineyards & winery
- Wild Goose Vineyards
Keeping things short and sweet on the blog, the Tantalus Riesling and Old Vines Riesling were exceptional. Sandhill has a wonderful Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Road 13 has a nice pinot noir. Garry Oaks pinot noir was quite beguiling. Cedar Creek's Ehrenfelser is a neat change to a gewurztraminer. You can't go wrong with Burrowing Owl's Pinot Noir or Chardonnay.
On the international side I tried:
- La Joya Viognier Reserva 2007 (Chile)
- Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaune du Chateau Blanc Premier Cru 2006 (Burgundy, France)
- Catena Chardonnay 2007 (Mendoza, Argentina)
- Champagne Deutz Cuvee William 1998 (Champagne, France) LOVED It But >$150 a bottle.
- Erath Pinot Gris 2007 and Pinot Blanc 2006 (Willamette Valley, Oregon)
- Vina Errazuriz Sauvignon Blanc Single Vineyard 2008 (Aconcagua, Chile) A wild ferment!
- Miguel Torres Milmanda Single Estate Chardonnay 2006 (Penedes, Spain)
- Bodegas Muga Blanco 2007, Rosado 2005 (Rioja, Spain) I enjoyed the Rosado so much I bought a few bottles.
- Murphy-Goode Sonoma County Chardonnay 2006 and "The Fume" 2007 (Sonoma, CA)
- Olivier Lefaive Wines Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Champ Gain 2006 (Burgundy, France) an excellent wine but over $100
- Santa Margherita / Ca' Del Bosco / Kettmier Pinot Grigio 2007, Pinot Bianco Alto Adige 2007, Cuvee Prestige Franciacorta N/V. (Italy)
- Vina Santa Rita Floresta Sauvignon Blanc 2007 (Leyda Valley, Chile) good gooseberry flavour
- Sokol Blosser Winery Evolution N/V and Dundee Hills Pinot Gris 2007 (Willamette Valley, Oregon)
- Thompson Estate Chardonnay 2005 and Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir 2005 (Margaret River, Australia) The sparkling just evaporated when it hit your tongue and was quite creamy. A buy!
- Miguel Torres Cordillera de las Andes Chardonnay/Viognier blend (Curico, Chile) Also a nice blend to try.
Did I try enough? I was at it for 2.5 hrs, then did a 2 hour sit down Pinot tasting. I'll blog about that another day. I will do indepth reviews of wines after the festival is over. Enjoy!
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