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An important initiative by the British Columbia Government through the Minister of Agriculture (Lana Popham) is a program aptly called “Every Chef Needs A Farmer & Every Farmer Needs A Chef”. It delivers an important timely food message and is something that should be looked at closely by other regions around the world. It provides a wonderful opportunity for chefs, food service professionals, and consumers to connect directly with the farmers, seafood providers, and other local food producers. An extension of your weekly local Farmer’s Market. The Second Annual one was held in Vancouver on November 12, 2019 with interesting exhibitors and panel discussions. The later included:

(a) Success Stories: Hand harvested wild edible seaweeds by Dakini Tidal Wilds; Finest At Sea; B.C. Garlic Growers; Fraser Valley Hazelnuts; Aurora View Farms; The Acorn + The Arbor; Gaia Kitchen; and others.

(b) Opportunities for more BC Foods: Emphasis was on getting more chefs out visiting the farms. Some ideas presented included the use of more berries like huckleberries, haskap (first fruit of the season), aronia (chokeberries), freeze-dried blueberries, peppers, squashes, stinging nettles (as a substitute for spinach), game birds, fresh water fish, bison & buffalo, diverse vegetables grown, olive farms,…

(c) Opportunites for Storage & Distribution of Local Food: Berrymobile Fruit Distribution; Coastline Markets accessing seafood directly and “skip the middleman”, Long Table Grocery, B.C. Co-op. etc.

(d) Videos “Inspired by Farmers” – example Chef Rob Belcham with BC Dairy Association.

(e) “Building a Local Brand for BC Beef” by Kevin Boon of BC Cattlemen’s Association.

(f) Keynote Speaker Executive Chef Ned Bell of Ocean Wise on “The Future of Food in BC”: “Food connects every human” but like “an octopus with many arms needs to all work together” for the produce from our land & oceans. “5 million people with 20,000 farms & 10,000 edible plants in our oceans”. Ned inspired everyone to become more of “a conscious consumer!”.

Your scribe particularly enjoyed connecting with many producers & assisting in their distribution channels through The Chefs’ Table Society of BC (@ChefsTableBC) including these 7:

1. VancouverRadicchio.ca @VanRadFest with farms growing a diverse range of radicchio varieties for salad selections.

2. NaturalGiftSeafoods.com for Wild North Pacific Seafood Products (including Albacore Tuna & Ling Cod) “From Our Boat to Your Table”. – Ian Bryce

3. Vancouver Island Sea Salt @vanislesalt hand-harvested & all natural.

4. BC Fruit Growers’ Association (bcfga.com) establised in 1889 “Changing Times Unchanging Values”

5. Fraser Valley Specialty Poultry (fvsp.ca) “Our Family Loves To Farm and Produce Good Food” – Duck & Goose Farm.

6. West Coast Wild Scallops (wildscallop.org) in Courtenay on Vancouver Island – Joel & Melissa Collier.

7. OrganicOcean.com “Naturally harvested Seafood supplied to people who care by people who care” – Carlos Perez.
Spread the word!

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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.

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Milena & Jim Robertson are the longtime driving forces of the successful Vancouver Branch of The International Wine & Food Society. They are also enthusiastic and knowledgeable collectors of port wines. Again last week they generously invited guests to their home this time for a tawny port masterclass. The discussion was lively and ably focused by the participation of Jorge Ramos Export Director of the Fladgate partnership. We started with an fresh aperitif of Vertice quality bubbles from Portugal folowed by the paler 30 year & deeper red complex 40 year Taylor tawny ports. The main flight was a vertical of the six years released so far of Single Harvest Port from 1964 to 1969 inclusive – a first that even Jorge had not experienced before. Your scribe having tasted these previously after their annual individual release dates approached this vertical tasting expecting them all to be quite similiar. Sure they were all delicious and 50+ years old. However they were also all quite distinct as the time spent in bottle plus particularly the vintage conditions of the year played a big factor in their lasting impression here:

1964: Very pale colour, drier, less deep fruit with a rather dull flat nose lacking body but flavourful on the palate.

1965: Even slightly more pale on the rim but open with a stronger slightly green note aroma but a better overall impression than expected.

1966: Second darkest deep colour with attractive coffee, smoky toffee caramel bouquet notes and impressive balanced body weight.

1967: Amber aging look has complex orange rind, passion fruit and spices bouquet best of the flight but leaner less harmony on the taste.

1968: Stylish young with a larger production and more typically tawny of dried fruits with a touch of “paper” on the nose.

1969: Darkest most red looking with deep intense younger fresher fruit statement from only about 1/3 the production of 1968.
Excellent nose on the 1967 but leaner than 1966 that won the day. Got us thinking about 1966 as being the best vintage port year of these six releases (1963 also a great vintage) and it showed in the tawny results too. Next release will be an even smaller production of the 1970 tawny at 50 years of age with anticipation and big expectations for it because 1970 was also a very outstanding port year.

Another port house Krohn founded by 2 Norwegians in 1865 known for their older cask aged ports was acquired by The Fladgate Partnership in 2013. We tasted their 1968 Colheita and young still fresh 1965 Vintage. Fun to compare that lovely 50 year old one with the three times older amazing 150+ year old treasure from their two casks stock released as Taylor 1863 Single Harvest Port. What a wine! Brought back memories of that other gem of Scion limited edition as another pre-Phylloxera beauty. This extra time in wood certainly concentrated both the colour and the body (as happens with old vintage Madeira too) due to 3-4% evaporation annually. So intense with almost the mellow texture similar to a Tokaji Essencia. Heavenly ginger, spice, butterscotch and exotic flavours lifted by outstanding acid balance. Most impressive indeed!

Keen vintage port aficionados are being enticed as well over to the tawny port side based on these unbelievable precious rareties. A salute to the Robertsons, The Fladgate Partnership and all around for unique tawny port.

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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.

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The wines produced in British Columbia have come a long way in a short period of time. They have been tasted blind against comparably priced international benchmarks over the last 5 years in an event called Judgment of BC. The 5th and final one was held in Penticton organized by the incomparable DJ Kearney and her team in the Okanagan on Tuesday, October 29, 2019 judged by 33 knowledgeable tasters from around the world including special guests Steven Spurrier of Decanter, Jamie Goode of Wine Anorak, and Dave McIntyre of the Washington Post. Your scribe has attended as a judge at all 5 of these events and they have been written up previously here on this Blog. The grape varieties chosen this time were Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and Syrah with each flight composed of 6 BC wines and 4 international ones and scored by the judges with rankings from #1 to #10.

This was the fifth and final one as the overall feeling is that BC wines are now definitely in the ballpark of the top world standards for their quality wines. They are unique and complex. In fact BC wineries did amazingly well in the final results: Arrowleaf Cellars ranked first among the Pinot Noir flight. Meyer Family Vineyards came in first for the flight of Chardonnay, with 50th Parallel Estate Winery a close second. The Riesling flight had the German minerally off-dry Wiltinger from Nik Weis on top followed by CedarCreek Winery in second & St. Hubertus and Oak Bay Estate Winery coming in third. The final flight of Syrah saw BC wines take all three top spots with Tightrope Winery coming in first, Le Vieux Pin Winery in second and Stag’s Hollow Winery and Vineyard in third. Congrats to BC on such an outstanding showing!

Certainly the BC wines showed very well. Perhaps arguably the international benchmarks could have been stronger but these were comparably priced big sellers in this retail market. Pinot Noir continues to improve with impressive elegance because of the use of best locations, older vines, and an emphasis on a “less is more” outlook. The Chardonnay flight provided strong competition as all so stylish with less alcohol and discrete use of new oak casks. Riesling has wonderful mineral balance with a variety of consumer uses from an appropriate aperitif to pairing with Asian foods. Syrah performed well in previous Judgments and here once again capturing all 3 “Olympic” medals. They are value priced and exciting so you are encouraged to seek one out to try.

Spurrier stated: “Since I was last in British Columbia in 2015, what I’m seeing is the increasing commitment, investment and quality. Seeing the vineyards showed me how extraordinary some of these vineyard sites are. The purpose of terroir is to allow the grape variety to express itself and BC does that well. Whether it’s Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir or Cabernet Franc, the vineyards are showing an undeniable expressiveness of grape variety and high quality, and in my view, that puts the area in a very strong league in the international market.”

The BC wines chosen for the Judgment were selected through a blind tasting conducted by Barb Philip MW, Rhys Pender MW, Michaela Morris, Kurtis Kolt, Shane Taylor, Christina Hartigan, Alistair Veen, Matt Landry and Sean Nelson, led by DJ Kearney. The selection committee chose the final 24 BC representatives out of a selection of 189 wines.

“This is an experiment to see how BC wines are assessed in a global context. The results make me personally very proud. I think the quality of wines is so high and that was a common theme as we went through flight by flight. Judges were astonished at how high the overall quality was. BC grapegrowers and winemakers have much to be proud of.” said DJ Kearney, wine educator, wine writer and judge.

The goal of the Judgment of BC is to honestly assess the current state of grapegrowing and winemaking in BC to provide a clear perspective of the distinct characteristics of British Columbia wine in relation to global standards, and to achieve a focused vision for the continued evolution of the BC Wine Industry.Tasting some of BC’s most celebrated wines highlights the diversity of BC wine country and showcases the incredible skills and ingenuity of the region’s winemakers.

“What I think is really exciting about BC wines is we’re tasting more and more like ourselves, our individual regions and individual sites. Our best examples are fresh on the palate, pure of fruit and really speak to our beautiful, cool, but hot climate.” said Barb Phillip, MW Category Manager BC Liquor Stores

PINOT NOIR RESULTS:

1. Arrowleaf Cellars Archive Pinot Noir 2016 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

2. La Crema Pinot Noir Monterey 2016 California

3. Sokol Blosser Pinot Noir Estate Dundee Hills 2015 Oregon

4. Sperling Vineyards Pinot Noir 2016 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

5. Meyer Family Vineyards McLean Creek Road Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

6. Louis Jadot Beaune Grèves Premier Cru 2015 Burgundy

7. Shaw + Smith Pinot Noir Adelaide Hills 2016 South Australia

8. Tightrope Winery Pinot Noir 2016 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

9. Quails’ Gate Winery Richard’s Block Pinot Noir 2017 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

10. CedarCreek Estate Winery Platinum Block 2 Pinot Noir 2016 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

RIESLING RESULTS:

1. Nik Weis St. Urbans-Hof Wiltinger Alte Reben 2014 Mosel, Germany

2. CedarCreek Estate Winery Platinum Block 3 Riesling 2018 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

3. St. Hubertus & Oak Bay Vineyards Family Reserve Riesling 2014 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

4. Tightrope Winery Riesling 2017 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

5. Culmina Family Estate Winery Riesling Decora 2014 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

6. Upper Bench Estate Winery Riesling 2017 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

7. Chateau Ste. Michelle Cold Creek Vineyard Riesling 2015 Columbia Valley Washington State

8. Rieslingfreak No. 3 Reverence of Riesling 2018 Clare Valley, South Australia

9. Martin’s Lane Winery Fritzi’s Vineyard Riesling 2016 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

10. Nigl Dornleiten Riesling Kremstal 2015 Austria

CHARDONNAY RESULTS:

1. Meyer Family Vineyards Chardonnay Tribute Series Donovan Tildesley Old Main Road Vineyard 2016 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

2. 50th Parallel Estate Winery Chardonnay 2016 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

3. Craggy Range Chardonnay Kidnapper’s Vineyard 2017 Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

4. Nk’Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay 2017 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

5. Chartron et Trébuchet Pouilly Fuissé 2017 Macon, Burgundy

6. Laroche Chablis Premier Cru La Chantrerie 2016 Burgundy, France

7. Tantalus Vineyards Chardonnay 2015 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

8. Monte Creek Ranch Winery Chardonnay Reserve 2016 BC VQA British Columbia

9. Culmina Family Estate Winery Chardonnay Dilemma 2014 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

10. Bethel Heights Vineyard Chardonnay Estate Eola-Amity Hills 2015 Oregon

SYRAH RESULTS:

1. Tightrope Winery Syrah 2016 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

2. Le Vieux Pin Winery Cuvée Violette Syrah 2016 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

3. Stag’s Hollow Winery & Vineyard Syrah Amalia Vineyard 2016 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

4. Saint Cosme Crozes-Hermitage 2016 Northern Rhône, France

5. Torbreck Woodcutter’s Shiraz Barossa Valley 2017 South Australia

6. Time Winery Syrah 2014 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

7. Painted Rock Estate Winery Syrah 2016 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

8. Domaine Jamet Syrah Collines Rhodaniennes 2015 Northern Rhône, France

9. C.C. Jentsch Cellars Syrah 2016 BC VQA Okanagan Valley

10. K Vintners MCK Syrah 2015 Washington State, USA

JUDGMENT OF BC JUDGES:

Gurvinder Bhatia
Jenna Briscoe
Sid Cross
Dr. Janet Dorozynski
Mark Filatow
Zach Geballe
Anthony Gismondi
Dr. Jamie Goode
Christina Hartigan
Lingzi He
John Isacs
Kelcie Jones
Kurtis Kolt
Sebastien Le Goff
Bryant Mao
David McIntyre
Sharon McLean
Michaela Morris
Terry David Mulligen
Tim Pawsey
Rhys Pender, MW
Barbara Philip, MW
Iain Philip
Rod Phillips
Treve Ring
Brad Royale
John Schreiner
Dawn Smith
Steven Spurrier
Shane Taylor
Daenna Van Mulligan
Matt Wentzell
Jason Yamasaki

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