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Question: What would be your Champagne purchase recommendation for holiday gifting?

Answer: Yes the upcoming festive season is the time for sparkling wines and Champagne but so is all year long. I am a big fan of the classic balanced 2008 Champagnes and recommend any bottle with that vintage date on it. Both Pol Roger or Paul Bara are two that come to mind immediately as good examples from 2008. Local Vancouver store www.marquis-wines.com lists some 44 Grower Champagnes of interest with 10% discount for 6 bottles and free shipping. Enjoy.

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Question: What about the grape variety Sauvignon Gris?

Answer: It is a clonal mutation of the better known popular Sauvignon Blanc grape variety. However Sauvignon Gris is seldom seen outside of Chile and France. It can provide a wine with an interesting less aggressive more subtle aroma plus a full richer softer appeal. I particularly like the use of it in a blend say at around 5% or so that is successfully done by the Cathiards for their excellent Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte blanc from Pessac-Leognan. Seek it out.

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Question: Surprised by the top 2 red “Bordeaux blends” listed on  your Blog at the recent Judgment of BC wine tasting. Your thoughts on those please.

Answer: Yes quite a marketing boost for the recognition of the overall top quality of BC wines at the 4^th Annual Judgment of BC. Around the world people still tend to generally think of Canada as a cold country able to make ice wines and perhaps a few lively whites. Top Bordeaux style red wines like the late Robert Mondavi would have asked “ are we making world class cabernets?” seemed unlikely even just a few years ago. Now the progress for reds helped by global warming has been remarkable. Look out for that pinot noir variety too! Pleased that 2 well established wineries both situated on the cooler Naramata Bench but using fruit from the warmer southern regions of Osoyoos showed their prowess in such a well-organized blind tasting. What amazed me particularly in addition to the fact that the top 2 finishers were from BC was that both were styled so very differently yet both received high voting preference by the tasters.

Number 1 placed 2014 Poplar Grove Legacy is 44% cab franc (a treasured grape) with equal cab sauv & merlot (24%) plus equal malbec & petit verdot (4%) from this ever encouraging balanced top vintage. Big grape change from their 2013 Legacy when the mix was 44% less ripe cab sauv with more malbec 13% but lesser cab franc (27), merlot (13) and petit verdot (3). Your scribe liked how fresh and vibrant 2014 showed with a good future ahead of it for aging.  “Bordeaux-styled” the open aromas were quite green pepper, leafy and dill focused for me as was the finish though the endemic sage character spoke admirably as distinctively Okanagan terroir. Wonderful statement.

Number 2 Laughing Stock Portfolio 2015 has more ripe merlot (45%) in a similar grape mix resulting in higher alcohol (14.9) from this hotter vintage but showed so differently blind. Both are classy using French oak this one 40% new. Deep rich colour with such seductive perfumed aromas plus intense pure almost sweet cassis fruit. So stylish and balanced yet packing power with elegance. Buy this. Gave this my top ranking as #1 and guessed it might be a top smoky California wine but on reflection after disclosure – yes this is indeed another amazing impressive quality Portfolio. Pleased the knowledgeable panel of tasters liked this one too.

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By Jim & Milena Robertson (IW&FS Vancouver Branch)

Reprinted with permission

It’s not often that one takes a trip to the Middle East but, in culinary terms, Syria came to us with traditional food prepared by Tayybeh at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts. Tayybeh is a group of Syrian women, refugees from a war-torn country, living in Greater Vancouver and preparing very popular home-style dishes at pop-up restaurants from time to time.

Our evening started with a glass of Giusti Prosecco Extra Dry Rosalia and an animated tour of the PICA kitchens and facilities given by Chef Julian Bond. We were then seated at tables in the classroom with white linen covers for a showing of a video about the origins of Tayybeh and how a group of women are integrating into the community and exciting Vancouverites with their delicious food. A few dips – Hummus, Mhammara (a red pepper and walnut spread) and Baba Ghannouj (eggplant with chopped peppers and pomegranate) with Pita Bread – eased us into the delights to follow.

Click here to read the rest on iwfsvancouver.com

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Question: Great article on wine shops in Paris. Do you have suggestions for wine shops in Bordeaux?

Answer: Yes I was back in Bordeaux again this May 2018. I always enjoy checking out wine stores. Naturally the shops have a bias for their own outstanding and diverse selection wines from right there in Bordeaux. A controversial  issue is the growing number of Bordeaux and other wines now available at most competitive prices at the chain supermarkets. These have put added pressure on the specialty wine shops. However there is still the hallmark L’Intendant with those spiral stairs of Bordeaux wines of increasing prices as you ascend. Always a must with big bottles and some older vintages. La Vinotheque has a wider selection of French wines. Also Badie for Champagne. Outside Bordeaux – especially in St. Emilion (Martin as well as Vignobles & Chateaux) – have some fun smaller shops to visit. One of my favourites in the Medoc is La Cave d’Ulysse in Margaux! Enjoy your exploration.

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