By Joseph Temple

It’s been another great year writing for the International Wine & Food Society as a guest blogger!  And looking back at the Top 10 postings according to Google Analytics, it’s obvious that nostalgia dominated 2016 just like it did in 2015.  Also interesting to see that readers enjoyed learning about the non-traditional wine countries while at the same time enjoying all the drama and controversy surrounding some of this year’s biggest wine auctions.  A big thanks to everyone who visited and supported this blog throughout the year.  Here’s to an even better 2017!!!

1. Looking back at 5 food trends from the 80s

2. A look at 5 famous Atlantic City restaurants

3. 10 interesting facts about Brazilian wine

4. 5 Interesting Things About The Michelin Guide

5. Bill Koch’s wine cellar under the gavel

6. 5 ways to wine and dine like you’re Thomas Jefferson

7. Book review: Shadows in the Vineyard

8. Where in the world is one of the coolest wine cellars?

9. 10 interesting facts about Japanese wine

10. Caveat Emptor: How an internet sleuth raised serious doubts about a prestigious wine auction

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Informative to see you really like practical suggestions and tips – from corkscrews to wine glasses! Also vintage information and wine & food matching ideas. Please keep sending us your tough questions about either wine or food for this popular Wednesday feature.

1. Best Corkscrew for Older Corks

2. Best Method Of Drying & Polishing Wine Glasses?

3. Best & Worst Of Last 15 Bordeaux Vintages

4. Wine match for grilled salmon?

5. Storage of Wine with Screw-Top Closures?

6. What is the Best Order For Vertical Wine Tastings?

7. How long will Château Haut Brion 1985 last?

8. Best value white wine?

9. Best Vintages for Malbec in Argentina?

10. Best Service Temperature for Ports?

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Fun to look back on the regular Monday postings of our Blog during 2016. Pleased that the many diverse topics raised are also reflected in the Top 10. As expected you are interested in fine wine, quality food, and culinary travel. Surprised that alerting you about trendy smaller focused wine festivals topped the hits according to data. Look forward to providing some more thought provoking issues in 2017.

1. Small Focused Wine Festivals Are Trendy

2. Burgundy Wines La Paulee

3. 1986 Bordeaux at 30 Years

4. Tignanello & Guado Al Tasso Verticals

5. Seattle & Portland Tips

6. Comparing Bordeaux Twin Vintages 1989 & 1990

7. Best Italian Wines 2016 Rated By Gambero Rosso

8. Some Amazing Old Spanish Wines!

9. Magical Menu with Château de Fargues Sauternes

10. Culinary Skills of Canadian Chefs Shine Brightly

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Question: This Christmas we will have some friends visiting us from the UK. My daughter says we should serve them mulled wine. What are your thoughts?

Answer:  Excellent festive idea. Mulled wine is your own homemade recipe of usually red wine or white (or even for a non-alcoholic one use fruit juice like apple juice) boiled with various fruits, many spices and sugar to personal taste. Once made it can be served at almost any temperature you like anywhere between hot and cold. Perfect during winter when served hot and as an appropriate celebration for an old United Kingdom Christmas tradition. Similarly popular in many other countries too such as Scandinavian glogg, Chilean candola or German gluhwein. May not be the best matching wine for your turkey dinner but certainly lovely as an easy drinking warming beverage at any time over the holidays. These days if you are too lazy to make your own you can buy it already made up for you at retail. Check out the sweet cinnamon-orange Mrs. Beachley’s Mulled Wine from California selling in BC & Ontario for around $14 or the Warm ‘N Cozy one from Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery from Ontario at $12. Enjoy!

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Image courtesy: www.osoyooslarose.com

British Columbia wines are starting to make a world wide impression with their quality based on increasingly older vines, unique terroirs, and a history of vintage variations. One winery among these leaders has been Osoyoos Larose. Here is a topical guest article by Trace Acres from www.vinsights.ca (with additional tasting comments from your scribe) on a recent vertical tasting of their wines from 2001-2010:

This 10 year vertical of Osoyoos Larose vintages 2001-2010 proved interesting showing the quality wine making by Pascal Madevon together with slow but sure encouraging development from bottle age. Even the lighter drying out somewhat 2001(no malbec or petit verdot in the first year but low yields of 24hl/ha) was surprisingly elegant with fruit cake flavours – best bottle I have ever tasted of it. 2002 (first one using all 5 Bordeaux grape varieties in the blend & highest ever malbec 12%) disappoints as dirty & a musty bottle; 2003 highest merlot (75%) showed much riper fruit with some intriguing chocolate notes; 2004 softer more red currant fruit (2004 was their first Petales (second label) from a similar grape mix but more forwardly delicious now); 2005 almost Chateau Pichon-Lalande like with good herbal notes on the nose & lovely exquisite balance; 2006 medicinal almost Chateau Leoville Barton like even though from lowest Brix fruit but nonetheless impressive depth with a long finish; 2007 similar but more herbal with greener leaner fruit; 2008 bit light showing more yield & not enough green harvesting with perhaps too much unripe cabernet sauvignon showing in the mix; 2009 very Okanagan “terroir” with admirable prominent ripe grapes here & such complex amazing volume & texture on the palate made it my clear winner; 2010 difficult cooler year like 2011 is less ripe with a shorter finish – better years overall for the whites! All in all an impressive vertical showing. Certainly an encouraging future for this property. Congrats!

Have you tried a Bordeaux style blend from the Okanagan Valley in BC?

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