We just completed the 39th Vancouver International Wine Festival (VanWineFest.ca) held over 8 days showing over 1700 wines from 180 wineries based in 16 countries. However the key focus for 2017 was celebrating the 150th anniversary of Confederation with the largest gathering of Canadian wineries ever at an international festival with 76 in total broken down to 60 from BC, 10 from Ontario, and 6 from Nova Scotia. Only a fraction of the around 700 total licenced wineries but what an opportunity it was to experience the improved quality of the wines and the diverse cross-section of regional differences! Some highlights:

NOVA SCOTIA (winesofnovascotia.ca): This is a young growing region with only 20 wineries really only starting out in the eighties and sparked by Sparkling wine success in the mid 2000s led by quality producer Benjamin Bridge with their complex long lees aging 2004 cuvee of pinot noir and chardonnay. Current release is their Brut Methode Classique 2011. The main regions are Annapolis Valley (vines were cultivated by French settlers in the 1600s) & Malagash Peninsula including glacial soils with a maritime temperate influence by the Atlantic Ocean & Gulfstream and those amazing 16 metre tide swings in the Bay of Fundy.

A unique “Tidal Bay” appellation requires 100% Nova Scotia grown grapes (led by L’Acadie Blanc, Ortega, New York Muscat, Cayuga, Seyval, Vidal and others) with a maximum 11 degrees alcohol approved by a blind tasting panel for that aromatic crisp greener style. 2015 Jost $20 showed off dry (10 g/l residual sugar) but crisp 8.7 total acidity with floral aromatics contributed by 12% New York Muscat in the blend.

Encouraging wines from Gaspereau Vineyards showing a vibrant structured varietal 2015 Riesling $20 and Blomidon Estate 2014 Chardonnay $33 harvested on November 4 barrel fermented with 10 months lees contact at 12.8 alcohol. Try fun 2015 Phone Box Fizz from Luckett Vineyards. Much prefer the Nova Scotia whites (especially the exciting bubbles) over the reds (often using Baco Noir & Lucie Kuhlmann).

ONTARIO (winecountryontario.ca & vqawinesofontario.ca): Wonderful fresh wines with an emphasis on the white varieties of Riesling & Chardonnay and for red Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc & Gamay Noir. Wine since 1873 but now 165 VQA wineries on 17,000 acres (690 hectares) with 10 distinct sub appellations. The Great Lakes (largest fresh water system in the world) and the Escarpment provide important influencing factors. Excellent ancient limestone soils in Prince Edward County. Several educational seminars allowed you to Discover Ontario’s Cool and their Star Whites.

Enjoyed the Poised For Pinot seminar showing 12 different pinot noirs (10 from the rainy leaner 2013 & 2 from the warmer more generous 2014). That typical lovely delicate lighter cherry fruit really shone brightly though a few were just too lean & green. Quality pinot noir grapes are increasing in value now over $2000/Ton. My favourites included the 2013s of deep Domaine Queylus Le Grande Reserve , lively aromatics Flat Rock Gravity, fruity Tawse Cherry Avenue, floral Norman Hardie County, very light but fragrant Thomas Bachelder Lowery Vineyard and stylish Hidden Bench Locust Lane (also have an incredible 2014 Estate Riesling $29 age-worthy plus so full of minerality).

Now into their 7th generation the Chateau des Charmes 2014 Cabernet Franc St David’s Bench $28 picked November 2 at 24 Brix showed blackberry, raspberry full flavoured French oak aged with 5.8 g/l residual sugar. A have a soft spot for the wonderful Pillitteri Estates Icewines from Niagara Peninsula. Their 2013 Riesling (200 ml. format) has remarkable balanced acidity while the rich Reserve 2013 Vidal (375 ml) was harvested at 40.2 Brix with 216 g/l residual sugar. Charles Pillitteri tells me the 2014s look very encouraging and his favourite for best overall balance ever was the 1997 vintage.

BC (winebc.com): Wine first made for sacramental purposes in 1859 but BC’s wine industry has exploded from just 17 grape wineries on 1476 acres in 1990 to over 275 today on 10260 acres. Such a diversity of high quality wines ranging from a delicate lighter style all the way to rich ripe powerful reds with so many emerging successful varieties. Too many outstanding wines with a special unique fruit acidity showing freshness and purity to list them here.

Some special events included Mission Hill Family Estate Oculus (Bordeaux style blend with roughly 50% merlot) Retrospective back to 2005 that showed the results of low yields (2-2 1/2 Tons/acre) from precision viticulture. Canopy management, cane & spur pruning, shoot & leaf removal, cluster thinning, targeted and measured irrigation management, knowing where the best fruit is and handpicking the selection with several passes, night picking for cooler fruit for maximum flavour retention all contribute to the amazing quality! 2012 is a cooler year with more cab franc while 2014 is a stunning vintage for all varieties with rich ripe fruit. Very impressed also by the new Martin’s Lane (winery opening this April) Riesling 2014 from the Naramata Bench & their sensational elegant so complex Pinot Noir 2014 from a steep slope with 3 clones, 4 vineyards and 20 selections.

One Faith Vineyards of proprietor Bill Lui (assisted now by Pascal Madevon in the vineyard & Jacq Kemp Winemaker for Moraine in the cellar) showed for comparison his expensive Grand Vin in 3 vintages of 2012, 2013 & 2014. All 5 of the Checkmate 2013 Chardonnay are world class with the Queen Taken at $125 showing what a 40 year old heritage vineyard grown on the Golden Mile sub-region can produce. Some seminars featured the BC winery pioneers against the New Kids on the Block. Your scribe was yet again so excited by the improved bubbles, the Rieslings, the Pinot Noirs (even Foxtrot Vineyards was participating), the Cab Francs and the Syrahs among so many winners. You don’t know what you are missing. Get to know this emerging wine region better!

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By Joseph Temple

With the snow falling and cold winds of winter blowing, we could all use a little warming up. So here are seventeen tasty soup, stew, and bisque ideas to heat your tummy and if done right, your soul.  Just like mom used to make! Mmmm!!

1. Pumpkin Curry Soup

2. Beef & Vegetable noodle soup

3. Cream of broccoli soup

4. Roasted garlic cream soup

5. Lobster bisque

6. Squash with rosemary & hazelnuts

7. classic French onion soup

8. chicken and matzo ball

9. Asian hot pot

10. Roasted Tomato bisque

11. Potato leek soup

12. Japanese soup

13. Miso soup

14. Pork won ton soup

15. Sausage and potato stew

16. Beef stew

17. Cabbage and beef soup

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Question: What is the best way to open an imperial ? The size and condition of the cork because it’s a 1970 DRC LA TACHE worries me.

Answer: The 1970 red Burgundies are generally under-rated because the large crop size (could have used the saignee technique back then) resulted in less concentration than either 1969 or 1971. But La Tache seems to be superb in expressing the style of every vintage and could be a fresh elegant exquisite treasure in that large format size of 6 litres (or 8 regular 750 ml. size bottles). However, our experience with these big bottle Burgundies is that some of them can show more oxidation than even the smaller sizes. The reason we believe is that the cork does not always seal as tightly at the bottom of it as the neck widens so quickly in that large Burgundy size compared to the straight down Bordeaux neck. Would be better and safer if they used a champagne or port style cork that flares out more at the bottom. In several comparative tastings we did of the same DRC Burgundy wine in sizes up to an Imperial the magnum has usually shown the best freshness. Still you won’t know how your exciting big bottle of 47 year old wine will be until you open it. Anticipation! Each bottle at this stage of aging is different and I have enjoyed some sublime old Imperials. IMHO the best opening procedure is to carefully use The Durand Corkscrew with confidence. Once the cork is out check the wine for any issues including especially how advanced it is. May have to be very careful not to give it too much airing. The big size can be difficult to hold for decanting without disturbing the sediment so go slowly in pouring it out or alternatively I would siphon it off with some plastic or rubber tubing into the magnum decanters. Good luck! Please report back.

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Image: bluewatercafe.net

One of the most talented chefs in Canada is Frank Pabst of Blue Water Café + Raw Bar in Vancouver. His accomplishments are many including winning the 2008 Gold Medal Plates Vancouver with an innovative dish of Qualicum Beach scallop and red sea urchin brilliantly blended together into a mousse with a ponzu sauce, wakame seaweed & leek salad lapped by a cucumber vichyssoise foam. Last week attended his 13th annual Unsung Heroes Festival on for the month of February featuring again under-utilized seafood from local sustainable fisheries. Your scribe is always enthusiastic about this event which raises seafood public awareness by featuring these rare exotic items from the sea prepared as interesting varied culinary dishes for sharing. It is amazing how tasty some of these lesser known treasures can be when the chef brings experience and skilled know-how to their preparation. The smoked mackerel and whelks really shone brightly. Sturgeon liver is really delicious when blended with some duck foie gras (added as a secret ingredient not mentioned on the menu) into a creamy textured mousse. Missed the periwinkles and gooseneck barnacles this year which were difficult to harvest due to the recent stormy very cold snowy winter weather. Highly recommend the 2017 menu of 11 different dishes with well-chosen suggested wine pairings as follows:

Click to enlarge

Do you have some unsung seafood items being utilized in your region? Please let us know!

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By Joseph Temple

If you were one of the 111 million people who tuned in to watch Tom Brady and the New England Patriots pull off one of the greatest comebacks in football history at Super Bowl LI, then chances are you also saw the start of another great comeback. Only this one was not on the gridiron but in an eccentric commercial featuring a kangaroo wearing loud yellow sunglasses and supermodel Ellie Gonsalves. Marking the first time in four decades that a wine ad has appeared on the Super Bowl, Yellow Tail, a brand that represents more than half of all Australian wines sold in the United States decided to make a splash this year with a coveted 30-second spot. And while many Aussies felt the entire commercial was an embarrassing portrayal of their country, others praised the winemakers for thinking outside the box with a unique sense of humor that clearly left an impression with viewers.

One of the greatest success stories in the history of both wine and marketing, Yellow Tail (or [yellow tail]) was able to conquer the globe through a combination of low price points, color-coded labeling for its different varietals and (most importantly) by not taking itself too seriously. Launching what became known as the “critter era,” which featured everything from frogs to bobcats on wine labels, this Australian juggernaut defied all conventional wisdom by selling over eight million cases in the United States by its fifth year as an exporter.

Unfortunately for the land Down Under, its wine industry as a whole fell on hard times, making the breakout success of Yellow Tail in the early 2000s seem like a distant memory. As a blogger for The Wall Street Journal writes, “Once among the world’s most sought-after bottles, they [Australian wines] are now some of the hardest to sell.” Dropping an astounding 41% in exports from 2007 to 2013, how did a nation known primarily for its Shiraz that critics like Robert Parker praised in the late 1990s take such a nosedive?

A major problem for Australia has been with this demand came excessive vineyard planting, which over time created more wine than the country could sell overseas. Adding to the problem was the decision to put all of its eggs in one basket. For example, in 1994, Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon represented approximately 27% of the total production; nearly twenty years later, these three grapes shot up to nearly 60%. So as supply exceeded demand, “branded commodity wines” began to offload their surpluses on the international wine market for as little as 50 cents a liter, a practice that smaller vintners who focus exclusively on fine wines feel has cheapened the industry as a whole.

Another issue has been the Australian dollar, which began a decade long rise beginning in 2001. Fueled by Chinese demand for their minerals and other raw materials, this spike severely hindered the country’s ability to stay competitive internationally, especially with countries like Argentina, Chile and South Africa being able to undercut them at the local wine shop.

However, there are signs that Australia is beginning to turn the corner, as reported by several media outlets. Home to approximately 2100 small vintners, many are hoping that with this Super Bowl ad serving as a catalyst and Yellow Tail as the vanguard, American oenophiles will take the time to rediscover wines from the land Down Under – especially in the mid-range section. While we all can’t afford a bottle of Penfold’s Grange, there are many excellent selections available, from the Margaret River to the Barossa Valley. Hopefully this marks the start of massive renaissance throughout the Lucky Country.

Sources:

MacNeil, Karen. The Wine Bible. New York: Workman Publishing, 2015.
Robinson, Jancis. The Oxford Companion to Wine, 4th Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015.
Taber, George. A Toast to Bargain Wines: How Innovators, Iconoclasts, and Winemaking Revolutionaries Are Changing the Way the World Drinks. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011.

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