Christmas Wines
I'm sure we're not the only household that's making a list and checking the cellar twice. (grin)
There's been a real distribution problem here in Calgary (and I suspect in most of the province) in getting booze delivered to stores because of the labour shortage: it's resulted in some empty shelves at our neighbourhood bottle shop and the liquor store arm of Great Canadian Superstore I visited a couple of weeks ago was positively decimated.
So we're dipping into the cellar for our turkey accompaniment. There's one bottle each of the Nichol 2003 Pinot Gris and Kettle Valley 1996 Chard left, and they should work fine. In the interest of keeping some national balance, we will probably also have the half-bottle of Chocolate-covered Strawberry fruit wine we picked up Carolinian Winery (Dorchester, ON) when we were out in June.
Anyone else getting organized?
There's been a real distribution problem here in Calgary (and I suspect in most of the province) in getting booze delivered to stores because of the labour shortage: it's resulted in some empty shelves at our neighbourhood bottle shop and the liquor store arm of Great Canadian Superstore I visited a couple of weeks ago was positively decimated.
So we're dipping into the cellar for our turkey accompaniment. There's one bottle each of the Nichol 2003 Pinot Gris and Kettle Valley 1996 Chard left, and they should work fine. In the interest of keeping some national balance, we will probably also have the half-bottle of Chocolate-covered Strawberry fruit wine we picked up Carolinian Winery (Dorchester, ON) when we were out in June.
Anyone else getting organized?
posted by Linda | 1:23 p.m.
4 Comments:
Only two bottles for Xmas dinner, Linda? That's not enough, even if it's just you and Dennis!
No empty shelves chez Walton. Au contraire, an embarrassment of libations.
Plans are not firm for the holidays. Possibly lobster for Xmas Eve (seafood having been the Xmas Eve entré of choice since we lived in Nova Scotia in the 70's), with which we'll try not to serve a red wine. Maybe an Adora Decorus 2000, which is indisputably the best white wine ever produced in BC. Blend of 5 white grapes.
We will enjoy some robust BC reds before and after. Nota Bene, Crest Cab, La Frez Shiraz, Osoyoos Larose... hard to choose. We should all be so fortunate.
Happy Holiday Season, Canwiners! Now excuse me while I go atone for my sins by making donations to local charities.
Well, that's just before and during dinner. Add in the dessert wine, and then either some Calvados or Armagnac for afters, and it's a good thing we won't be driving.
OTOH, we came home last year from our traditional promenade-while-the-turkey-cooks and dug out the deck chairs to have our first glass of wine on the deck, jacketless. Don't think that's going to happen this year!
Linda:
What is the 2003 Nichol pinot gris like? I ask because I have 8 bottles left of their 2004 which I bought on spec.
It is a beautiful colour. More burnished copper than salmonberry. However, it weighs in at a hefty 16% alcohol.
I found the first bottles just too "hot" and am wondering if it will ever subside and come into balance.
Some suggest yes, my experience has been the contrary. The fruit and acid may dissipate but the alcohol remains.
Not sure what we are going to drink with our Xmas dinner over at the "outlaws". Probably some pinot noir from Cedar Creek and/or Quails Gate.
Do however like Lorne's suggestions of all those hefty Cdn "trophy" wines.
Have been drinking more than cellaring of late. Need some new releases. Missed the Blue Mountain rose by a few days while on holidays.
Merry Xmas all.
We've had the Nichol 2003 Pinot Gris as one of our Christmas wines for the past two years -- this is our (sob!) last bottle.
They've all been wonderful, but as you can verify with what you've got at home, no one can tell what Alex and Kathleen's wines will do from year to year, which is probably a large part of their charm, I guess.
FWIW, the most current forecast here is for a high of +7 C, which means we may well go for our promenade while the turkey cooks (all 5.85 kg!) and, with luck, come home, dig out the deck chairs, and have our first few glasses of wine out on the deck. Perhaps not jacketless, but certainly basking.
We've also debated about what else to crank open: we killed the Calvados over the last couple of weeks, but there are still some bottles from our 2003 adventure in Niagara.
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