By Joseph Temple

With summer ending and the cool autumn breeze soon blowing through the orchards, nothing is better than settling in for the evening with some classic comfort food and a nice glass of wine. Here are just a few ideas to get the conversation started. What are some of your favorites?

By avlxyz [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

1. Chicken Pot Pie and Riesling – rich and creamy filling in a delicate flaky pastry

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2. Meatloaf and Shiraz – a classic dinner complete with peas and mashed potatoes

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By Ann Larie Valentine [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

3. Shrimp & Grits and Gewürztraminer – a southern staple with a touch of spice

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4. Turkey Dinner and Chardonnay – a tradition for the holidays or any big family meal

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5. Macaroni & Cheese and Cabernet Franc – gooey, warm, creamy with endless add-in possibilities

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By FiveRings (Own work) [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

6. Pot Roast and Merlot – easy to put together, ready by the time you get home from a long day

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7. Spaghetti & Meatballs and Chianti – anything with tomato sauce is instantly comforting

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By jeffreyw [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

8. Chili and Pinot Noir – hearty, meaty, spicy, satisfying.

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By Neil Conway [CC BY 2.0], via Flickr

9. Tomato soup with grilled cheese and Pinot Gris – remember rushing home for lunch
and mom would be waiting with a delicious meal finished with a glass of milk?

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10. BBQ and Zinfandel – when you are not quite ready for summer to end

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Question: I am trying to learn more about the location and geology of the different vineyards in Barolo. Would you recommend something to help me out?

Answer: I too am a keen student of those exciting unique vineyards. Fortunately last month I surprisingly was presented with the perfect book for both of us when I handed over the reins of being Honorary President of IWFS from myself to Dave Felton. It is The Barolo Great Vineyards Encyclopedia by vineyard map genius Alessandro Masnaghetti first edition September 2015 by Giunti Editore S.p.A. (www.giunti.it). This book has detailed maps of all the Barolo vineyards showing owners and producers with production statistics. Highly recommended.

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There is a plethora of wine festivals out there making it difficult to follow them all and put them into some meaningful context. However your scribe usually enjoys those with a narrower focus such as a specific wine region or one single varietal. For example the leading International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC) in McMinnville Oregon held on the last weekend of July now with over 30 years experience highlights each year quality ones from North America, Europe & South America. Others have followed with their pinot noir festivals including Pinot Noir NZ 2017 held on the Wellington waterfront this year featuring 117 wineries from 8 New Zealand regions. Upcoming on January 25-27, 2018 featuring 33 wineries will be the 13th Central Otago Pinot Noir Celebration (pinotcelebration.co.nz).

So many varietals are proving successful in the emerging unique BC wine region but pinot noir is clearly among the leaders. In 2013 a small group of wineries led by JAK Meyer (mfvwines.com) and including David Paterson (tantalus.ca) with others set out to begin raising the profile of this outstanding varietal extremely well suited to BC’s differing terroirs. Their 4th one #BCPN2017 just held in the appropriate end of August time-slot was a great success having grown from a start of 13 wineries with 150 attendees to a top selected 34 wineries with 350 guests at Linden Gardens at Kaleden in the Okanagan, BC on August 18, 2017. The event attracted a global wine media representation including guest speaker Richard Hemming MW of JancisRobinson.com who expressed some interesting thoughts on pinot noir. Richard suggested that this varietal attracts so much international attention because of 4 main factors among others: 1. the ability of this varietal to give an expression of the place it was grown; 2. the difficulty to get the grapes perfectly ripe; 3. the range of complex flavours a successful wine can deliver; 4. the potential for a “pinot noir epiphany” (a moment of sudden revelation or insight) resulting in a meaningful experience or emotional response – this possibility continues your search. In an increasingly virtual world he felt these factors with an expression of a time & place allow us to commune in a valuable way while drinking pinot noir.

A thought provoking break-out session was a wine tasting showing the effect of using in BC a specific clone. There are so many different ones being experimented with but the ones featured here were Dijon Clone 115 (floral more tannins), Dijon Clone 667 (lower acid cranberry spice), Dijon Clone 777 (medium acid with rounder tannins) and Spatburgunder (medium body savoury plums). Blending attempts of those 4 varietals by the participants was educational and the winemaker consensus opinion tended toward the possible benefits of complexity by using more than one clone.

This Festival is one to consider for your visit to the Okanagan next August. What a pinot noir revelation. So many excellent elegant wines to try and to consider for cellar purchasing. Have you tried a BC pinot noir that impressed you?

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By Joseph Temple

Tired of pouring the same old red or white glass of wine? Try one of these fun new alternatives:

1. Mimosa – orange being a staple to any brunch, sparkling wine can be added to any fruit juice – try pineapple for a tropical twist.
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2. White Wine Spritzer – usually white wine and soda water; try mixing a light and fruity red with an artisanal citrus soda for a fun new twist.

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3. Classic Sangria – traditionally made with red wine and garnished with sliced [citrus] fruit,
update this chilled drink by using white wine, stone fruit and a spring of basil.

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4. Martini – instead of vermouth, finish the vodka drink with your choice of icewine; add soda water for a more refreshing sipper.

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5. Lemonade Punch – add a sparkling rose instead of soda water to your favorite [pink] lemonade for a crowd pleasing treat.

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6.Sweet Tea Cocktail – for something lighter, add floral teas to your favorite wine; try Riesling with a cherry or orange blossom tea – chilled and sweetened to taste.

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Question: During this excessively hot Summer of 2017 I am finding it more difficult to obtain the ideal temperature for the dinner service of my whites & rosés. What are you doing?

Answer: Timely question. Yes it becomes more difficult for your wine service when the room temperature is quite high and quickly warms up your initially perfectly cool wine. Trial & error tactics seem to work best. Starting with a colder wine glass can help. In hot weather I prefer to serve the whites and roses rather colder than ideal and let them quickly warm up in the glass. I also pour a smaller amount initially and add to it from the colder bottle or decanter (held in the frig or in an ice bucket) to cool it down as you go along. Interesting routine too because you get a chance to try the wine at different temperatures – all on the cooler side – to find out exactly where you actually prefer it. Remember it always is easier to correct it if you start too cold rather than too warm. Experiment.

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