Author Archive

Question: I like the style of nebbiolo and pinot noir red wines but find them rather expensive. Would you kindly recommend a possible alternative?

Answer: Your scribe is also a big fan of wines using the nebbiolo or pinot noir grapes. I agree they can be rather expensive if you go for the top cru Barbaresco, Barolo, or Burgundy. Some rather new good values to seek out include the expanding Langhe Nebbiolo quality wines, the better Bourgogne AC wines, – both being helped for riper grapes by climate change-  and pinot noir from Alsace, Germany & the New World. Suggest as an alternative you try the Baga (“berry”) indigenous grape from Portugal (especially from Bairrada or Dao) with some of those same characteristics of acid, tannins, food friendly, and some complexity. One top pioneer producer to look for is Luis Pato.

You might also like:

Question: Where is the highest elevation vineyard in British Columbia Canada?

Answer: It is Garnet Valley Ranch in Summerland acquired by Okanagan Crush Pad Winery in 2012. There are a total of 320 organic acres with 40 of them planted in the best suited locations for Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Gamay, Pinot Noir and Riesling. Vines reach up to 680 meters (2230 feet) making it the highest altitude vineyard in BC.

You might also like:

Question: Has the British Columbia wine industry increased much in the last while?

Answer: Yes indeed! As reported by Wines of British Columbia (winebc.com) there has been a dramatic increase. Back in 1990 the number of wineries with grape production sat at only 17 with 1,476 acres planted. Those figures have continued to increase steadily every year now standing at the beginning of 2019 as a total of 280 and 10,499. Still relatively small on the world stage but expanding with a diverse unique terroir.

You might also like:

Question: What is the best wine made in Spain?

Answer: Difficult question with lots of appropriate answers. It definitely should include  Unico (“only one” or “unique”) made by Vega Sicilia in Ribera del Duero. It is a fantastic expensive red wine produced from Tempranillo (called “Tinto Fino”) & Cabernet Sauvignon grapes aged a long time in various size barrels of French & American oak resulting in spectacular complexity.

You might also like:

Question: Where was the first sparkling wine made?

Answer: Many people think immediately of Champagne and Dom Perignon or the recently proclaimed early fizz in England all during the 1600s. However the historians now believe it was produced first around the city of Limoux in SW France by Saint-Hilaire monks in the 1500s (around 1531). Those ancient bubbles now are 3 AOC wines of Blanquette de Limoux. Blanquette method ancestrale, and Cremant de Limoux.

You might also like: