Cunning linguistics

What terminology does one use to describe that too sweet, Benylin-like flavour of cheap red wine, the kind with a slightly bitter aftertaste? The word that comes to my mind is "plonky".

I'm sure some of you have more appropriate oenolinguistic bons mots to share.

Vancouver, Pender, Victoria

Seeing as how you all love long posts...
I won't bore Canwiners with verbotten discussion of the European and Aussie events we attended at the recent Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival. I will note only that there was greater participation from BC wineries than usual. Since we chose not to attend the "cattle call" tasting, we can make no comment on their wares.
After 3 nights in Vancouver, we headed for the Tsawwassen Ferry and Pender Island. There we were pleased to relax at the home of a friend. A treat was our first bottle of 2004 Inniskillin Okanagn Malbec, enjoyed with a ribeye steak at the house. The second night saw us take a 2003 Black Hills Nota Bene to what must be Pender's finest restaurant, tiny Pistou Grill. Tiny wine selection, but the waitress was pleased (for a $20 fee) to open our NB for us. Joan opted for the Maple Ridge venison while I chose a pork tenderloin. Very nice. Dessert of lavender-Grand Marnier crème brulée and intense chocolate torte were fabulous, but the chocolate was enough to overwhelm the wine, which was soft and elegant and an excellent match for the main course.
Next, down the Pat Bay highway. We detoured to search for the 3 wineries advertised at the roadside. Alas, one of them was unfindable and the other two were not yet open for the season.
Finally, 3 nights in Victoria, and shirt-sleeves weather (while we watched snow falling in Ontario on the evening news.) Everywhere flowers and the smell of fresh manure.
We took our cue here from Canwine veteran Bob Macdonald, and dined at Brasserie l'Ecole and Cafe Brio, as well as our old favourite, Camille's.
The brasserie is a lively, narrow, darkish place, much like a Parisian bistro. We were surprised how busy it was on a Thursday night, but reminded ourselves that the following day was a holiday - Good Friday.
What a clever idea, to be able to have any wine on the list poured by the glass, at 20% of the bottle price. We tried our first-ever wine from Joie, farther north up the Naramata Road from our usual haunts. The Noble Blend was very light and accompanied well Joan's mussels and my endive salad.
With our delicious mains of halibut for me, and duck leg white wine confit for Joan, we each enjoyed a glass of French white. Canadian wines were very sparse at l'Ecole, but we'd go back again for the excellent food.
At Cafe Brio on Friday, we shared a yummy spicy sausage appetizer in hopes of saving room for dessert. We both ordered veal osso buco which was perfectly paired with an exquisite, fruity yet still tannic 2003 Osoyoos Larose. Maybe even better than the Nota Bene. The risotto was a tad crunchy. We managed to only share a dessert sampler, which was a fine finish to the meal.
We had perused Camille's wine list on their web site, and decided that we must try a Kettle Valley Petit Verdot, one of those rare KV wines that we'd never tasted - or even knew existed. The 2003 - 11.5% alcohol, lighter body than expected, only 22 cases released - did not disappoint. Joan quickly picked up on a nose of strawberries, while I thought there was a hint of raspberry and something floral. Our appetizer of camembert/spinach salad and our main courses of duck breast and lamb sirloin were a good match. For dessert, the Alderlea "Harvest Hearth" - a port style wine with tones of sultana raisins, vanilla, cinnamon and chocolate - filled the bill.
Now home to allow our stomachs and livers a little down time. Must get back to Victoria more often.

Catching up....

I too have been remiss about posting: life's just been too crazy lately, as I was in Victoria and Saskatoon the last week of March (details).

We were up in Banff in February and discovered the most wonderful new (to us) wine store tucked away in the lower level of the Banff Springs Hotel. Small but interesting selection of Canadian wines, including some things I've never seen here in Calgary (like Coyote Run) or not seen for some time (like Konzelmann).

Their prices were not outrageous, but James Banford, the manager, did note that when they get their two or three cases of allocated product, most of it ends up in the wine bar and not in the shop. I can understand that from a commercial perspective, but it sure would be nice to buy things to take home.

Because we were taking the bus, we could only pack home one bottle -- the lower-end Coyote Run Sauv Blanc, which was a Stelvin container. Took it to Saskatoon two weeks' ago to share with Dennis' brother and quite enjoyed it with barbequed chicken.

The biggest revelation in Saskatoon was dinner at Weczeria. Lovely husband-and-wife team, brilliant (and primarily locally sourced) food, local microbrewed beer, and an all-Canadian wine list: who could ask for anything more? Including a beer, appetizer, main course, dessert, and liqueur-sized glass of Pinnacle ice cider each, and splitting a bottle of 2002 Stag's Leap Chardonnay, our tab was under $200 after taxes for three of us. Such a deal.

The restaurant is just off Broadway, on the south side of the river, in a wonderful neighbourhood of funky clothes stores, craft shops, galleries, and nightclubs. It was the Friday night of Juno weekend, and pretty crazy out on the street: as we were finishing off our mains, four musician-types strode in and had a quick meal before playing a local club -- not exactly sure who they were, but they were obviously "somebody."

The weekend before that, I was in Victoria: yes, it rained for two of the three days I was there, but to see green grass and flowers again was a real treat! Took myself to a leisurely Friday lunch at Spinnakers, one of my favourite places. Eight plump fresh oysters, some exquisite French fries, and delicious beer is a great way to dry out from a downpour!

On my way back to the hotel, I stopped off at their liquor store, which is a few blocks away. Just an amazing selection of Vancouver Island wines: what I wouldn't have given to be locked in there with the Riedel glasses and a corkscrew for several days.... Some fabulous local beers as well: I took two from Phillips (India Dark Ale and Double Chocolate Porter) back to my hotel room for evening sipping, and they were terrific.

Unfortunately, the %#(&^# security procedures at the airport precluded me hand-carrying anything home, but I did carefully wrap and box up a small (8.5 oz) bottle of balsalmic vinegar from Venturi-Schultze and tucked it into my suitcase: yes, it made it home unscathed. Their winery is only a couple of miles from my cousin's house, and he graciously picked one up for me.

Ontario Pinot Noir: Le Clos Jordanne

After many years of not being called "home" by the "home office", I have had to go to meetings in Ottawa twice in the last month or so.

The meetings and weather were dreary but the "wining and dining" at Beckta on Nepean between Kent and I think Elgin made up for it. Stephen Beckta is the owner, hence the name. He was a sommelier in New York City at one of Daniel Boulod's [sp?] restaurants before returning home to Ottawa and renovating an old house and opening his place in I think 2003 or 2004. The restaurant was featured in one of the earlier espisodes of Opening Soon on the FoodTV network.

I have eaten there on three of the 5 nites while in Ottawa. Very good. His wine list is excellent and he has intentionally featured Canadian wines. I very much enjoyed "Steve's Blend" which is a blend of rieslings selected by Stephen from barrels produced by Cave Springs in Jordon, Ontario. Crisp but with lots of fruit. It does not measure up to my favourite Canadian riesling , CSV from the same vineyard but we are talking very different price points. For a good valued everyday white, excellent.

On my last trip I had some of the Le Clos Jordanne which is produced by VINCOR in conjunction with the Boisset family from Burgundy. I guess it is Ontario going the Franco-Cdn route like Osoyoos Larose and company out west. Delicious dark berry fruit complemented with some heft and weight. A very nice pinot noir. I think I was drinking their Village Reserve label from '04 which is their "entry level" pinot retailing at about $25 per bottle. A price I find quite astonishing for a very good Canadian pinot. Doing some internet sleuthing I see that their top end label was priced at $60 and sold out very quickly. I would certainly buy more of what I tried but expect that it is all sold out as well. Will know better in a short while because I am heading to the office despite it being Good Friday to pick up a few things, but MUCH MORE importantly dropping in at one Edmonton's best wine stores, de Vines on 104th Street and Jasper Ave to see if they can track any of it down for me.

Happy Easter all....good drinking.

Shipping Wine Out Of BC

It has been very quiet on the CANWINE front of late so I thought I would dash off this post and see if "anyone is home".

Last Fall we were introduced to the wines from JOIE who I think are in the Naramatta region. Two Vancouver based sommeliers I believe who decided to get into winemaking sourced from grapes grown by others and a cooking school.

I really enjoyed their rose and an unoaked chardonnay of chardonnay musque and some pinot blanc.

I asked to be put on their mailing list because we never see their wines in stores here in Alberta. Unfortunately the notice of their current release was accompanied by the advice that due to a concern of an imminent "crack down" they were unable to deliver their wines outside of BC.

I expect that strictly speaking that has always been the case, i.e. extra-provincial transportation of alcohol likely due to tax reasons.

As a result, no JOIE wines for us. To be fair, I could have had them delivered to friends and/or family in the lower mainland and then arranged for shipment personally but did not want to bother.

I know of at least two other vineyards who will be shipping wine my way but was wondering if anyone else has had this mentioned to them?